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Movies I've stared at on TCM #61 ("Hello, This is Joanie" edition)
February 18, 2014 November 23, 2018 igsjr
Joan Crawford was January's Star of the Month on The Greatest Cable Channel Known to Mankind™ and since I noticed on one of the SOM nights that they were going to show one of my favorite Crawford pictures, Flamingo Road (1949), I decided to use the awesome powers of the U-Verse Total DVR For Life© and record it for viewing at a more convenient time. (I also grabbed Possessed [1947] and The Damned Don't Cry [1950]—two Joan vehicles I had not previously seen…which is why I am able to present for your edification a Crawford hat trick.)
In Flamingo, Joanie is Lane Bellamy, a carnival cooch dancer who decides to stay behind in beautiful Boudon City, a sleepy little Southern hamlet in the clutches of the chubby autocratic fist of Sheriff Titus Semple (Sydney Greenstreet). His deputy, Fielding Carlisle (Zachary Scott), falls hard for Lane and helps her get a foothold in B.C. by talking a diner owner (Tito Vuolo) into hiring her on as a waitress…something that doesn't sit particularly well with Sheriff Semple who, while the subtext is so blatant a blind man could see it, has big plans for his "Bud"—he's going to get Field a state Senate seat and marry him off to Annabelle Weldon (Virginia Huston), daughter of one of the prominent families in Boudon (the title of the film refers to the tony section where all the high muckety-mucks live).
Semple arranges to have Lane lose her job at the diner…and to make sure she's received the message loud and clear, has her sent to the sneezer for thirty days on a trumped-up charge of solicitation. (Bellamy's cellmate is played by uncredited TDOY fave Iris Adrian, who explains that she's living off the bounty of the county because her husband "cut himself on a knife I was holdin'.") Once she's out of the hoosegow, Lane gets a job at the roadhouse run by Lute Mae Sanders (Gladys George), and to piss Titus off further, ingratiates herself with the area's big political boss, Dan Reynolds (David Brian), by wooing and marrying him. There will eventually be a showdown between Lane and Titus, of course—and while I won't give too much away I will simply remind you of Crawford's immortal line in Mommie Dearest (1981) when she's addressing the gentlemen in the Pepsi boardroom.
Joan Crawford, David Brian, and Sydney Greenstreet in Flamingo Road (1949)
After her arrival at Warner Bros. in 1945, Joan was doing boffo box office with films like Mildred Pierce (1945) and Humoresque (1946)…but her last pictures had been slight disappointments, so the studio reassembled some of the Pierce team (co-star Scott, director Michael Curtiz, composer Max Steiner) to see if they could recapture lightning in a bottle. Adapted by Robert Wilder from his book/play (co-written with his wife Sally), Flamingo Road isn't necessarily a great Crawford film but I seriously doubt you'll be able to find one that's more over-the-top entertaining. Joan squaring off against Sydney Greenstreet is worth the price of admission alone (all I have to do is hear that man laugh and I'm in for the long haul), and to me the film's true strengths are the superb female characters in Lute Mae (one of my favorite Gladys George showcases) and waitress pal Millie (Gertrude Michael).
Scott's trademark scumbag 'stache is missing in this one, and David Brian is more-or-less Joanie's George Brent…but there are a lot of entertaining small contributions from the likes of Fred Clark (as the town's crusading newspaperman), Frank "Sam Drucker" Cady, Tristam Coffin, Dick Elliott, Fred Kelsey, Dale Robertson (as one of Joan and Gertrude's double-dates), and Pierre Watkin. Flamingo Road later became a short-lived 1981-82 nighttime soap that featured Morgan Fairchild, Mark Harmon, Kevin McCarthy, Stella Stevens, and Howard Duff—who played the Greenstreet role (and while I bow to no one in my enthusiasm for radio's Sam Spade, he just wasn't up to the task).
Louise Howell (Crawford) gets a check-up in Possessed (1947)
Possessed (1947) – Crawford nabbed her second Academy Award Best Actress nomination for this mellerdrammer that casts her as Louise Howell, a nurse in the employ of bidnessman Dean Graham (Raymond Massey) whose wife Pauline is…well, she is not well. Nurse Louise has been seeing an engineer named David Sutton (Van Heflin), whom she is mahdly in love with…but her amorous intentions are not reciprocated by Davey. When Pauline (played by an uncredited Nana Bryant) commits suicide, hubby Dean asks Louise to stay on as a nanny to his young son Wynn (Gerald Perreau)…and after a year, proposes marriage to Louise even though she's still pining for David. (Hey, Dean's lonely…)
Geraldine Brooks, Raymond Massey, and Crawford
David continues to be the sand in the bathing suit that is the Graham's marriage; because he works for Dean, he turns up at the house from time to time even though Louise has made it clear he's not welcome—he even crashed their wedding reception, and in the process became infatuated with Graham's daughter Carol (Geraldine Brooks). This kind of puts Louise in a spot because relations between her and her stepdaughter are a little strained: Carol believed for the longest time that her stepma and her dad were carrying on while her mother was still alive…but even after straightening all that out, now the man Louise still loves is making a play for her stepdaughter. (Oh, this does not bode well…)
The outcome of Possessed is never really in doubt because Louise's sordid story is told via flashbacks after she's found wandering around in a catatonic state around L.A. calling David's name and is rushed off to the psych ward, where dedicated psychiatrist Harvey Willard (Stanley Ridges) attempts to cure Ms. Graham with the usual Hollywood psychobabble. Possessed is essentially a blend of Mildred Pierce (the relationship between Joan and Geraldine is similar to the Crawford-Ann Blyth entanglements in that earlier film) and the mental illness craze in movies at that time (Spellbound, The Snake Pit, etc.). Director Curtis Bernhardt (who also directed High Wall, another mental illness flick that same year), in addition to utilizing first-rate German expressionistic techniques, coaxes a nice performance out of Joanie; I can see why she was nominated for an Oscar because she's marvelous at getting the audience to sympathize with a woman whose cheese has kinda slid off her cracker. (To be fair, Heflin gives her an assist by playing his character as a bit of a wanker.) A box office success, Possessed was entered into the Cannes Film Festival that same year.
Crawford, Steve Cochran, Richard Egan, and David Brien in The Damned Don't Cry (1950)
The Damned Don't Cry (1950) – I have author Barry Gifford (Wild at Heart, Lost Highway) to thank for bringing this one to my attention; I knew I had to see it after he reviewed it in his great book on film noir, The Devil Thumbs a Ride and Other Unforgettable Films. Joan's a frumpy hausfrau named Ethel Whitehead in this one, whose stifling existence in the Texas oil fields is made palatable only by the love for her son (Jimmy Moss). The kid begs his mom for a bicycle and Ethel's able to get him one on sale…which pisses off her dinkerplatz husband Roy (Richard Egan). He lays down the law: Ethel's got to take the bike back, and when he yells at his son to return the bike to the house the kid is hit by an automobile while crossing the street and is killed. (Nice going, Roy.)
Ethel's got no other reason to hang around the Lone Star State so she packs her bags and heads off for greener pastures (her father-in-law, played by Morris Ankrum, says prophetically "She'll be back"), where she starts in working a series of Mildred Pierce jobs—newsstand clerk, modeling, etc. It's while working as a model (and as the film subtly suggests, a part-time "escort") that she meets up with milquetoast C.P.A. Martin Blankford (Kent Smith), whom she's able to introduce to a small-change nightclub owner (Hugh Sanders) for the purpose of overseeing his books…as well as a few of his friends. Ethel and Martin eventually attract the attention of mobster George Castleman (David Brian), who appoints Marty his bookkeeper and Ethel his moll. (Marty's not all that keen on working for the mob, but he agrees because he thinks he has a future with Ethel.)
Joan and Kent Smith
Castleman is married, but Mrs. C (Edith Evanson) must be broadminded because pretty soon Ethel is firmly ensconced as George's courtesan. A friend (Selena Royle) of George's has even made Ethel over into a phony socialite, with the new name of Lorna Hansen Forbes. When an associate of Castleman's, greasy hood Nick Prenta (Steve Cochran), starts overbounding his steps as the man in charge of West Coast operations, George sends "Lorna" out to be his Mata Hari, gathering up enough evidence that will allow him to terminate Nick with extreme prejudice. Well, Lorna's already gone through three men in this picture (Roy, Marty and George)—one more won't make any difference.
The events in the film are similar to the backstory of mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and his lady friend Virginia Hill; the screenplay for The Damned Don't Cry was penned by Harold Medford and Jerome Weidman, based on a short story ("Case History") by Gertrude Walker. It's anything but subtle; a lot of the plot contrivances are enough to cause severe eyeball-rolling…but if you simply accept it as the camp melodrama it's supposed to be I think you'll have fun with it. Sadly, it's not one of Crawford's stronger performances (though watching her transform to dowdy housewife to hard-boiled B-girl to continental sophisticate is a hoot) but Brian is better than usual (he doesn't seem so bland when he plays bad guys) and I liked Smith's character even though his conversion from mousey accountant to loyal lieutenant convinces no one. Damned was directed by Vincent Sherman, who'd go on to supervise La Joan in Harriet Craig (1950) and Goodbye, My Fancy (1951); Sherman had an affair with Joan during the making of this one…just like he did with Bette Davis (on Old Acquaintance) and would later with Rita Hayworth. (They should've billed him as Vincent "Horndog" Sherman.) Of interest to the character actor fans in the crowd: Herb Vigran plays one of the buyers ogling Joanie in her modeling career, Ned Glass a smart-alecky cabbie, and Dabbs Greer is one of the reporters towards the end of the film.
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Today Porchlight Family Media launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance the production of CD copies of their upcoming audio drama, The Cross Maker. There are many different rewards levels available with a variety of perks. The CDs of the audio drama will contain bonus material that will not be available anywhere else.
You can check out the campaign and help PFM reach the goal by contributing and sharing the campaign at the link below.
Disclosure: AudioTheatreCentral.com is a property of the Porchlight Family Media network.


I am not a government worker. I do not qualify for civil service protection. I have never been represented by a union in the workplace. But the assault on Wisconsin's civil service system deeply concerns me, saddens me, frightens me and angers me all at the same time. This affects me because it's not just a government employment issue, and it's not just a union issue. This is about Wisconsin's soul.
Where our state's current rulers are taking us is a place Wisconsin has been before. Wisconsin once had a spoils system. A little over a century ago, the people of our state were well acquainted with political patronage and cronyism.
Citizens and their elected representatives responded to those corrupt conditions with sweeping reforms, including the establishment of the civil service system, done under the slogan "The Best Shall Serve the State." Not the most loyal. Not the most well-connected. Not the most faithful supporters. The best. The most qualified.
That system has done Wisconsin good for 110 years. It has been updated and modernized many times since then. But it has remained an objective, merit-based system for hiring and firing. It has remained true to the original intent that the best shall serve the state.
What is being done now is not an update. It is not modernization. It is the replacement of an objective, merit-based civil service system with a subjective system, one that can easily morph into a spoils system. Those pushing this legislation keep saying decisions will continue to be based on merit. But the point is, those in charge of government agencies will no longer have to base their hiring and firing decisions on objective standards of merit. They will be able to consider political loyalties, they will be able to take connections into account, they will be able to look at campaign donations and time spent working for the party in power.
If they are able to, you can bet they will.
Finally, it is important to point out that this assault on Wisconsin's civil service system is not happening in isolation. The dark impulses that inspire the dismantling of 110-year-old safeguards against government corruption are the same ones behind the continuing attacks on our state's laws requiring the public's business be done out in the open and in plain sight. Civil service protections are targeted for the same reason Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board was abolished. Our state's current rulers need to do away with obstacles to cronyism and patronage for the same reason they can't stand independent, nonpartisan oversight of their activities. And for the same reason, they felt the need to shield suspected political crimes from John Doe investigations.
Civil service, open records, the GAB and John Doe criminal probes all threaten their grip on power, they all hinder the current rulers' ability to serve a privileged few at everyone else's expense. That is what this latest legislation targeting civil service is all about . . . making sure their power and privilege cannot be questioned and cannot be challenged.


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February 05, 2019 08:30 ET | Source: Midland Exploration Inc.
MONTREAL, Feb. 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. ("Midland") (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to report that a new target area has been identified on its Laflamme project and that drilling is commencing. This new area is located approximately 15 kilometres northwest of the Osborne-Bell deposit, currently actively explored by Osisko Mining ("Osisko"). Disclaimer by Midland: Mineralization at the Osborne-Bell deposit may not be representative of mineralization that may be identified on the Laflamme property.
The Laflamme project is located approximately 25 kilometres northwest of Lebel-sur-Quevillon in the Abitibi region of Quebec, and now consists of 668 claims totalling approximately 337 square kilometres. This project is a joint venture between Midland (74.3%) and Abcourt Mines Inc. (25.7%) ("Abcourt").
During the summer of 2018, Midland conducted an OreVision® induced polarization ("IP") survey to investigate the contacts of a felsic intrusion. The western contact of the intrusion was also targeted as the potential source of a significant gold and copper dispersal train that was initially identified during a till survey under the Octave project jointly led by the Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources Naturelles and the Geological Survey of Canada in 2008, but which remains unexplained.
The IP survey conducted in the summer of 2018 led to the identification of several new drilling targets located along the contacts or at the western edge of the felsic intrusion. These targets are characterized by weak chargeability highs associated with weak resistivity variations, and coincide with the northeast end of a significant gold and copper train in tills.
In addition, this new prospective area is directly aligned with a series of gold occurrences discovered by Midland in 2011 and 2013, namely the Piccadilly (9.7 g/t Au over 1.0 m), Trafalgar (0.4 g/t Au over 5.7 m) and Notting Hill (0.34 g/t Au over 25.56 m) showings, as well as Osisko's Comtois NW showing discovered by Maudore in 2012, which graded 71.2 g/t Au over 1.2 metres. Note: True thicknesses cannot be determined with the information available at this time; intervals are therefore reported in core length.
This area is located approximately 15 kilometres northwest of the Osborne-Bell deposit, where Osisko recently announced new drill intercepts grading up to 37 g/t Au over 5.4 metres (see Osisko's press release dated September 28 2018).
In addition of testing this highly prospective area , the drilling program will test five other geophysical targets, for a total of approximately 1,000 metres.
Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements and base metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Abcourt Mines Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Mining Inc., Altius Minerals Corp., SOQUEM INC. and Nuvavik Mineral Exploration Fund. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.


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Weekly St. Louis team recap
Home › The Cardinal Nation Forums › Open Forum › Weekly St. Louis team recap
This topic has 236 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 5 days, 3 hours ago by Brian Walton.
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 237 total)
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July 3, 2017 at 12:22 pm #26473
You can find a quick recap of the week's St. Louis news plus looks ahead and way back at TheCardinalnation.com every Monday morning.
Cardinals MLB Notebook: Week of June 26-July 2
This topic was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Brian Walton.
Cardinals MLB Notebook: Week of July 3-9
July 16, 2017 at 10:55 pm #27772
Cardinals MLB Notebook: Week of July 10-16
August 7, 2017 at 10:05 am #29927
Cardinals MLB Notebook: Week of July 31-August 6
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-august-7-13/
The St. Louis Cardinals lost four of six on their road trip to Boston, Pittsburgh and Williamsport. Three and four hitters Paul DeJong and Dexter Fowler lead the offense as the pitching struggles, averaging almost seven runs allowed per game this week. DeJong's success leads to a look at team all-time rookie hitting records in our history feature.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-august-14-20/
bccran
Excellent recap, Brian. Thanks.
Thanks go to crdswmn. It is her weekly column.
The reeling Cardinals lost four of six at home to losing teams from San Diego and Tampa Bay this week, extending their skid to 4-9 since the eight-game win streak. A road trip to Milwaukee and the West Coast is ahead. Yadier Molina has quietly continued to perform well at the plate. Cardinals Hall of Fame inductee Pepper Martin is profiled in our history feature.
September 4, 2017 at 3:53 pm #32376
The St. Louis Cardinals won four of six, but sit six games out of first place. Heading toward free agency, Lance Lynn continues to excel on the mound. In our history feature, the 1918 Cardinals and their triples proficiency are remembered.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-august-28-september-3/
September 11, 2017 at 9:51 am #32740
The St. Louis Cardinals are making a September run, led by Jose Martinez and Yadier Molina offensively. In our history feature, the late-charging 1964 Cardinals are remembered.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-september-4-10/
14NyquisT
I remember watching the last game of the Card's '64 season vs. the NYM (I live in NY). The Cards needed to win this game because a loss would have put them in a tie with either PHI or CIN. The Phils were playing the Redlegs and won 10-0 behind Jim Bunning's 19th win. It was very exciting for a 14 y.o. kid brought up to be a Card fan by my uncles. I was a soph. in H.S. and boarded at the school in NJ. I listened to the end of the game on the radio on the drive back to the dungeon. The Cards were going to play the Yankees for all the marbles! ps… the Cards had the starting infield in the '64 All-Star game, White-Javier-Groat-Boyer.
Curt Simmons started that game and went 4.1 inn. before Gibson relieved and got the win. I went to the 3 series games at Yankee Stadium. Very, very exciting stuff. I can still see Ken Boyer's grand slam to left to win that 4th game 4-0…. and drinking hot chocolate.
Slaps self…. sorry… just reminiscing. Baseball has always been a big part of my life. I could go on and on.
The St. Louis Cardinals' playoff hopes took a nosedive over the weekend in Chicago. Starter Luke Weaver continues to pitch well every fifth day. In our history feature, long winning streaks are remembered.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-september-11-17/
Any chance of the Cards calling themselves the Maroons for the next two weeks?
All I can think of is Bugs Bunny…
I thought you might have brought up Rusty Crawford or Cyclone Taylor of the old Vancouver Maroons. Both
hockey hall of famers.
The St. Louis Cardinals' playoff hopes improved with a sweep in Cincinnati, but fell again with two losses in Pittsburgh over the weekend. Dexter Fowler has been swinging a hot bat. In our history feature, the Cardinals greatness in the 1940s is remembered.
October 2, 2017 at 11:11 am #34929
The St. Louis Cardinals' dim playoff hopes were extinguished as the club went 2-5 at home its final week, facing the two teams ahead of them in the standings. Juan Nicasio has been successful in the closing role and wants to come back in 2018.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-september-25-october-1/
To open the off-season, the St. Louis Cardinals fired their major league pitching coaches. Jose Martinez was named National League Rookie of the Month. In our history feature, Cardinals success in past years' NLDS is remembered.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-october-2-8/
As other teams play on in the post-season, the St. Louis Cardinals prepare for 2018. In our history feature, past Cardinals results in the National League Championship Series are remembered.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-october-9-15/
As the World Series matchup is set, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to prepare for 2018. A new task, replacing bench coach David Bell, has been added to the off-season to-do list. In our history feature, past Cardinals results in the October Classic are remembered.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-october-16-22/
As the World Series continues, the St. Louis Cardinals filled their coaching staff for 2018 and Yadier Molina has again placed among the top three for the Gold Glove Award. In our history feature, the unforgettable Game 6 of the 2011 World Series is remembered.
November 5, 2017 at 11:36 pm #37312
Yadier Molina will be leading an Under-23 team from his Puerto Rico homeland. In our history feature, the 1959 St. Louis Cardinals season is remembered.
https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-mlb-notebook-week-of-october-30-november-5/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Today's writing prompt asks us to write a riddle poem describing something without naming what it is. Below is my riddle poem, can you guess what it is??
Dropped with fixings in the boiling pot.
Transforms from hard to soft.
I have eyes for you.
My first choice is a potato, Mom kept hers down in the storm cellar.
Second choice (may I please have a second chance) is a hard boiled egg.


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Q: Eigenvalues, determinant and trace of a matrix In a linear algebra book, I've found a corollary that says: If $A\in\Bbb C^{n\times n}$ and $λ_1,...,λ_n$ eigenvalues of $A$ (not necessarily distinct), then $λ_1λ_2...λ_n=detA$, and $λ_1+...+λ_n=TrA$
Does this corollary also hold for $A\in \Bbb R^{n\times n}$ if and only if $A$ has exactly $n$ eigenvalues (not necessarily distinct)? What conditions must apply for $A$ for this corollary to hold?

A: Yes, the theorem is true also for a matrix with real entries.
Note that if a real matrix has a complex eigenvalue $\lambda$ than also the conjugate $\bar \lambda$ is an eigenvalue (because the eigenvalues are the roots of the characteristic polynomial), so we are sure that the determinant and the trace are real numbers ( because $\lambda \bar \lambda$ and $\lambda +\bar \lambda$ are real numbers).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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APPEARS IN Shotguns Break-Action News
Editors' Picks—New for 2015: Benelli 828U
by Brian Sheetz - Thursday, March 26, 2015
Benelli used to be exclusively associated with the term "semi-automatic" when used in conversation about hunting shotguns. Now, though, it could just as well mean "over-under." That's right, the Italian maker best known for its inertia-driven self-loaders is producing an over-under design—and it is anything but orthodox. The new 828U is, externally, a pleasing blend of modern lines and features. Machined areas on the receiver were designed to emulate the appearance of waterfowl in flight, and the gun's rib is made of carbon fiber while its recoil system consists of the company's proven Progressive Comfort butt pad and internal polymer buffers. Inside, though, the real differences are immediately apparent. First, there is the unstressed aluminum alloy receiver and the separate steel locking plate that mates with the barrels to effect lockup. Then there is the way that each major section of the gun is self-contained. For instance, there are no cocking rods in the traditional sense. Instead, the top lever re-sets strikers each time it is activated. In addition, ejection and/or extraction are determined by pins moved transversely in passages off the chambers as the hulls momentarily expand on firing. The trigger group is entirely modular and easily removable for cleaning, too, and the automatic safety can be quickly changed over to manual operation by the end user. Available in satin black or nickel finishes, the gun is initially available in 12 gauge only and in barrel lengths of 26" and 28" with 6-lb., 8-oz. and 6-lb., 10-oz. weights, respectively. benelliusa.com
benelli over-under benelli shotgun benelli editors' picks new guns new guns for 2015 NRA annual meetings
5 Hot New Guns from SIG Sauer
SHOT Show 2020: Ruger LCP II Lite Rack .22 LR
SHOT Show 2020: Walther CCP M2 in .380 ACP


Shawn Gregory Casteel w/m DOB 09-11-83 of Bloomsdale, MO was arrested for Domestic Assault 2nd. A warrant was issued with a bond set at $40,000.
Crystal Rachelle Huppert w/f DOB 12-09-79 of Bloomsdale, MO was arrested on a Pevely P.D. warrant for the original charge of improper lane use. The warrant had a bond set at $300.00.
Gary Lyn Ward w/m DOB 12-22-62 of Ste. Genevieve, MO was arrested on a Jefferson County warrant for the original charge of non moving traffic violation. The warrant had a bond set at $150.00.
Deputies were called to area of Hwy 32 and I-55 for a motorist assist.
Deputies were called to the 5100 block 0f Peaceful Acres for a domestic disturbance.
Deputies were called to the 18200 block of Hwy 32 for a motorist assist.
Deputies were called to the area of Parkway Drive for suspicious activity.
Deputies were called to the area of Hwy 61 and Mill Hill Road for suspicious activity.
Deputies were called to the 10000 block of Three Oaks Lane for a domestic disturbance.
Deputies were called to the 6200 block of Charter Church Road for suspicious activity.
Deputies were called to the 14800 block of Lakeview Drive for a disturbance.
Deputies were called to the 157 mile marker for a careless driver.
Deputies were called to the 8600 block of Ste. Genevieve Baptist Church Road for suspicious activity.
Deputies were called to the 141 mile marker for a careless driver.
Deputies were called to the 164 mile marker to check the well being.
Deputies were called to the 600 block of Jefferson Street for animal control.
Deputies were called to the area of Hwy 61 and Buehler Road for a motorist assist.
Deputies were called to the 161 mile marker for a careless driver.
Deputies were called to the area of I-55 and Hwy 32 for a careless driver.
Deputies were called to the 147 mile marker for a road hazard.
Deputies were called to the 14000 block of New Offenburg Road for shots fired.
Deputies were called to the 17000 block of New Bremen Road for lost plates.
Deputies were called to the area of Straughn Road and State Route EE for a motor vehicle accident.
Deputies were called to the area of Hawn Park Road for a suspicious vehicle.
Deputies were called to the area of State Route D and HH for a motor vehicle accident.
Deputies were called to the 12400 block of Village Drive for a disturbance.
Deputies were called to the 900 block of Gabouri Street for a prowler.
Deputies were called to the 19600 block of Molasses Hollow Road for an alarm.
Deputies were called to the 400 block of Merchant Street for a disturbance.
Deputies were called to the 145 mile marker for careless driver.
Deputies were called to the 18500 block of Hwy 32 for suspicious activity.
Deputies were called to the 8200 block of State Route F for a theft.
Deputies were called to the 20000 block of Minnith Road for an alarm.


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Justice Week at UMD focuses on #MeToo, immigration, bail
The Standard-Times
Feb 8, 2019 at 10:00 AM
DARTMOUTH — Justice Week will focus on contemporary social justice issues like the #MeToo movement, immigration and bail reform.
The annual event is hosted by the National Lawyers' Guild – UMass Law Chapter, the Black Law Students Association, and other UMass Law affinity groups. This year's theme is "Gender, Gentry, and Grace," according to a news release.
All events, which are open to the public and will be held at UMass Law, include:
Bail Reform with Brandy Henry of the Mass Bail Fund: noon to 1 p.m. Monday, LL7 (downstairs hearing room). According to Massachusetts Law, bail is meant to ensure that people return to court. However, research shows that reliance on cash bail is no better than effective pretrial conditions or phone or mail reminders in ensuring that a defendant returns to court to address his or her case. The longer they are locked up, the more likely it is that they may lose their jobs, apartments, connections to social services, counseling and treatment, even custody of their children. Join Brandy Henry of the Mass Bail Fund to hear how about reform efforts in the cash bail system, including a community fund.
The Dookhan Case with CPCS Attorney Rebecca Jacobstein: noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Room 123 (Moot Court Room). In its decision in Committee for Public Counsel Services v. Attorney General (CPCS v. AG), the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court dismissed thousands of drug cases found to have been tainted by misconduct by a state chemist at the Amherst Drug Lab and, later, prosecutorial misconduct by two former assistant attorneys general. Hear CPCS Attorney Rebecca Jacobstein's firsthand account of this landmark case.
The Body Politic or the Politics of the Body? noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Room-123 (Moot Court Room). Professors Margaret Drew and Jeremiah Ho will lead a book-group style discussion on gender and identity performance, and its implications within the law. The discussion will be premised on two short readings by Judith Butler and Kenji Yoshino.
DeportNation: noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Room-123 (Moot Court Room). Immigration Attorney Matt Cameron, recently returned from US-Mexico border, shares his trials and tribulations with the US Immigration system.
#MeToo with Lee Clasper-Torch of the Ten Men Project: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Room-123 (Moot Court Room). A #MeToo panel focusing on sexual harassment in the workplace. How sexual harassment relates to pay inequity and how men can take on the responsibility of shifting the culture of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls.


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GB Railfreight turns its gaze towards Europe in Channel Tunnel deal (version anglaise)
GB Railfreight ran its first rail service through the Channel Tunnel for Europorte France (EPF) yesterday (3 November, 2014), on behalf of John G Russell, transporting containers from Dourges (France) to Barking (UK).
Locomotives 92032 and 92028 undertook the second leg of the journey, departing from Calais Frethun at 23.20 and arriving at Barking International Rail Freight Terminal on 4th November at 00.17. The locomotives are two of the company's 16 Class 92s, purchased from Europorte earlier this year, that will be used on this route.
Acting as a supplier to EPF, contractors on the scheme, the deal will see GBRf undertake a hook-and haul service on the Frethun to Barking HS1-exchange portion five times per week.
John G Russell, the Glasgow-based UK multimodal logistics provider, has procured EPF to run services for its customers, 2XL and Novatrans, over a three-year period. It will involve the transport of products for Procter & Gamble and other manufacturers.
This is an important moment for both GBRf and EPF. For GBRf, this represents the next step in its plans for future growth of international traffic, as well as the development towards the use of electric haulage on the UK network. These are both aims that have been at the forefront of the company agenda, since it purchased the Class 92s.
From an EPF perspective, it signifies progression in the utilisation of a route that achieves European capability with delivery right to the outskirts of London. Furthermore, it exemplifies efficiencies that can be gained from cross-Channel rail, compared to maritime routes, in terms of reducing unnecessary ground handling and limiting carbon emissions.
141104GBRailfreight-Channel-Tunnel-Deal.pdf


Lachlan LOX Blair, Angélica Castelló, Regina Hügli, Barbara Anna Husar, Svenja Plaas, Daniel Spoerri, Yonghui Yi.
Heiter bis Wolkig, Koordinatenwasser, Natura Nocturna, Pharmacie Bretonne, Shui, Source souterraine.
Celestial Bodies, Koordinatenwasser, Pharmacie Bretonne, Sonic Blue, Souvenir, Stille Post, Waterhole.


In Motivated To Act, we find rainbows of balance, courage and strength as we step out onto our own respective tight-ropes. In the beginning, we learn how to heal the damaged child that we each nurture inside of our hearts. Often humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking, you the reader will find shelter in sharing Stephen's pain. He teaches us how to grow stronger from such stormy places, and to use them constructively. His energy, drive and passion for life will inspire you to greatness! He is one of the unique and rare people with the innate ability to make you feel better simply by being in his presence. Now for the first time he shares his amazing gifts with you. Buy this book and read it often. It will motivate each of you to attain your personal best. It will motivate you to strive. It will motivate you to act - for acting is "be-ing" and being is living. Live your life to the fullest. Take this book along the way - you will be happy you did.
Stephen Tako is a working actor, a member of S.A.G. (Screen Actors Guild), and the creator of The Dancing Yeti children's educational character, which can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFeoWAE9hFI. He's also a personal fitness trainer certified with the Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA). Stephen has worked as an NLP practitioner (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), and was trained in self-hypnosis and Time-Line Therapy. In addition, he's been a multiple top-performing salesperson recognized by Bank of America Chairman's Club, has won 5 First Place medals at Camp Pendleton's world-famous Mud Runs, and has worked with Bank of America, Countrywide Home Loans, Dentsply, Petersen Publishing, and many more large corporations. The author of Motivated To Act, he's currently working on a series of children's books based on his Dancing Yeti character. Stephen knows first-hand how to transform an ordinary life into an extraordinary one. While he worked many jobs, including gas station attendant, dental implant salesman, pet sitter, stripper and catering manager, he never forgot his dream of one day being an actor. As a passionate speaker, his life-changing talks will inspire you to hold on to your dreams as he gives you the keys to unlock your passion and purpose and stay focused on what you want to achieve. His story of how he achieved his dream of becoming an actor later in life will convince you that it's never too late to go for what you want. "Audiences feel my enthusiasm for life," says Stephen. "They enjoy hearing my lively stories, but most importantly, they leave with a sense of purpose and a list of 'call-to actions' that they can implement right now." Stephen wrote his book "Motivated To Act" to "help people overcome negative and limiting beliefs and inspire them to act upon their true passions and dreams." If you're hovering on the verge of success or the brink of failure, Stephen's passionate, breakthrough book will change your life and help you attain your personal best. "It will motivate you to strive. It will motivate you to act – for acting is "be-ing" and being is living!" says Stephen, who is dedicated to inspiring others to live.


Has a friend or relative told you that they've got a toxic black mold problem in their duct work or air conditioner, and you're wondering if your home could also be at risk? You've probably heard horror stories and are in the process of discovering how to prevent mold issues in your home HVAC system, before calling your local contractor to do a thorough checkup on your heating and air system.
Many home's in Charlotte have a mold problem in the HVAC system and the occupants aren't even aware of it. You can easily spot clues that a mold problem may be evident if you know where to look. Does anyone in your home or office have allergies, skin lesions, or other respiratory problems? According to Livestrong.com, they may be caused by black mold in the HVAC system, or at least made worse by them. Is there a musty odor in your home but you can't locate the cause? Mold could easily be the cause.
If you suspect you may have a mold problem in your heating and cooling system or the ductwork, call your HVAC professional and ask them to inspect and treat any issues. Having your duct work and HVAC system cleaned will help eliminate existing problems. Taking these proactive maintenance steps will prevent mold issues in your home HVAC system in the future. Your home will be a healthier environment for everyone.
Mold-prevention experts tell us that reducing water/humidity/moisture is the key to preventing mold. The cleanup costs for black mold or any toxic mold are invasive, time-consuming and expensive. Preventing the problem in the first place is much easier and affordable. These steps will help prevent the moisture problems in your HVAC system that can lead to mold problems.
When the air conditioner is running, large amounts of water are condensing on the indoor coil located in the furnace or air handler. It functions something like a dehumidifier except that the hot air is carried outside by the refrigerant. Condensed water collects in a drain pain and is removed through a drain line that empties into a drain in the floor. If the drain pan, drain line or floor drain become blocked, water will collect and become a breeding ground for mold. Check these items monthly to make sure that water is draining as it should.
The indoor coil collects dust that sticks to it when its wet. That dust holds moisture and also creates a good host for mold. An HVAC professional will thoroughly clean the coil and the entire furnace/air handler, eliminating the opportunity for mold to grow as well as increasing the performance of the system.
When the duct work was installed, the seams and connections were sealed and/or taped. With time, that tape or sealant will fail, causing leaks in the duct work where moisture and dust can enter. This may be a job you can do yourself, if you are comfortable with DIY projects. Be sure to use professional-quality duct tape which is usually made with heavy-duty foil. Use sealant designed specifically for ducts too, so that it will have the ability to flex, expand and contract while maintaining the seal.


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PUBLIC ENTERPRISE REFORM IN NIGERIA: EVIDENCE FROM THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY
Format: MS WORD | Chapter: 1-5 | Pages: 75 | 1090 Users found this project useful | Price NGN3,000
1090 Users found this project useful
This study examines the qualitative and quantitative evidence relating to allocative and productive efficiency in the publicly owned Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) in the wake of its commercialization and the deregulation in 1992. Estimates of changes in internal efficiency using total factor productivity analysis suggest a substantial improvement in efficiency as a result of the regime shift. Furthermore, the reform undertaken resulted in increased profitability, network expansion and modernization of telecommunications services. However, the momentum generated by reform has proved impossible to sustain. The industry is still characterized by under-investment and large unmet demand. The study recommends greater private sector participation in the delivery of telecommunications services in Nigeria, the introduction of competition in the sector, and the strengthening of ongoing reform efforts to embrace full privatization of NITEL with a view to overcoming protracted constraints on telecommunications performance and growth.
In recent years, several developing countries have embarked on the reform of public enterprises, including privatization, within the framework of macroeconomic reform and liberalization. More than 100 countries across every continent, most of them developing, have privatized some of their state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Equally striking is the volume of transactions. Between 1988 and 1993, over 26,000 privatization transactions with sales values exceeding US$50,000 each were recorded world-wide, generating a gross receipt of US$271 billion. Of these transactions, about 900 were conducted in 1993 alone, against only about 60 in 1988. Developing and transition economies accounted for much of this tremendous growth (Sader, 1995). Between 1988 and 1994, developing countries around the world sold about 3,300 SOEs, with sales revenue rising from only US$2.6 billion at the beginning of the period to a peak of US$29 billion in 1992 (Megyery and Sader, 1997).
The resort to privatization/commercialization was informed by several considerations. First, by 1985, the quantum of resources required to sustain the SOEs had become an unbearable burden on the affected nations. Second, it was envisaged that a carefully planned privatization programme would be an effective strategy for improving operational efficiency, broadening share ownership, attracting foreign investment and reducing the role of the state where the private sector has the capabilities to operate more efficiently. Finally, since the beginning of the 1980s, privatization of public enterprises has become a major policy tool in both developed and developing countries following the apparently successful privatization programme in Britain. Privatization gained considerable momentum in developing countries given its endorsement by the multilateral financial institutions as a major plank of adjustment policies. The urge for privatization was further reinforced by the need to reduce government expenditure in the face of burgeoning fiscal deficits, and was also in conformity with the resurgence of "economic liberalism" in the development literature.
Yet despite widespread privatization efforts, empirical evidence indicates that its anticipated benefits are yet to be felt in African countries. Most studies have documented the relatively poor performance of SOE reform efforts in Africa compared with other areas of the world in both relative and absolute terms (World Bank, 1996; Kikeri et al., 1992; Adam et al., 1995). However, only limited efforts have been made to identify the causes and determinants of the uniquely unsatisfactory performance of SOE reform in Africa relative to other environments. As in most developing countries, the Nigerian economy until recently witnessed a growing involvement of the state in economic activities. The expansion of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) into diverse economic activities was viewed as an important strategy for fostering rapid economic growth and development. Massive foreign exchange earnings from crude oil, which exacerbated unbridled federal government investment in public enterprises, reinforced this view. Thus, by 1990, there were over 1,500 public sector enterprises in Nigeria, 600 of which were owned by the federal government, and the rest by state and local governments (Jerome, 1995). The public enterprise sector excluding petroleum accounted for about 15% of Nigeria's gross domestic product in 1990. Unfortunately, most of the enterprises were poorly conceived and economically inefficient. They accumulated huge financial losses and absorbed a disproportionate share of domestic credit.1 By 1985, they had become an intolerable burden on the budget, as they were being sustained through budgetary allocations from the treasury.
In the wake of the economic recession that began in 198l, following the collapse of oil prices, the activities of public enterprises attracted more attention and underwent closer scrutiny, much of it centring on their poor performance and the burden they imposed on government finance. The poor financial returns from these enterprises against the background of severe macroeconomic imbalance and public sector crisis precipitated the concern of government towards privatization. With the adoption of the structural adjustment programme (SAP) in 1986, SOEs came into the forefront as a major component of Nigeria's economic reform process. Consequently, the Technical Committee on Privatization and Commercialization was established in 1988 to implement the SOE reform component of SAP. In what appears to be a uniquely comprehensive initiative, 101 enterprises in virtually all sectors were slated for total or partial privatization and another 35 for commercialization. Subsequently, public utilities such as Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), the Nigerian Postal Services, Nigerian Airways and the Nigerian Electric Power Authority, among others, were restructured and reoriented towards higher efficiency.
Nigeria is probably the only country in the world that carried out a hybrid programme of privatization and commercialization simultaneously. The decree defined commercialization as the reorganization of enterprises, wholly or partly owned by the government, into profit making commercial ventures without subvention from the government. The process entails explicit performance-based contracts with managers of SOEs.3 In return for managers' expanded power over pricing, procurement, production and personnel, the enterprise is subjected to a hard budget, which entails cutting subsidies and transfers. The telecommunications industry in Nigeria also witnessed the deregulation of telecommunications services in 1992 through the promulgation of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Decree, No. 75 of 1992, introducing private participation in the provision of telecommunications services in Nigeria, thus ending the state-owned NITEL's monopoly of the sector and ushering in competition.
Deregulation is expected to enhance efficiency in two ways. First is through the curtailment of the inefficiency that arises as a result of regulation and isolation of firms from actual and potential competition. Second, rents accruing to rent-seeking groups benefiting from regulation would be dissipated by a more competitive market environment (Winston, 1993). While much has been written about the experience of developed economies with deregulation and privatization of public utilities (Oniki et al., 1992; Imai, 1994; Wellenius and Stern, 1994), there have been few studies on the experience of developing countries especially those in Africa. Yet, these economies are more vulnerable to disruptions associated with grossly inadequate provision of infrastructure services. What is the quantitative and qualitative evidence concerning allocative and productive efficiency? To what extent have ex ante expectations and results been realized? Have reforms induced more rational and profitable investment? What lessons are to be learned? These are the issues that form the crux of this study.
In the main, this study examines the impetus for reform, what happened in the wake of commercialization and deregulation, and the changes in the regulatory framework. The study also looks at the institutional details of the economic environment. Our choice of the telecommunications sector arises because the industry presents some of the most difficult issues currently confronting microeconomic policy makers. Furthermore, it is the most rapidly growing and technologically dynamic sector and the pressure to move the sector out of its traditional public utility, monopoly status is being exerted all over the world and is ultimately irresistible. The study comprises eight sections. The structure of the Nigerian telecommunications industry is examined in Section 2, while a review of related literature is undertaken in Section 3. Section 4 details the methodology and Section 5 chronicles the reforms undertaken in NITEL. Section 6 appraises the impact of deregulation on NITEL; the empirical results are presented in Section 7 and Section 8 concludes.
Justification for the study
Telecommunications infrastructure lies at the heart of the information economy. Countries lacking modern telecommunications infrastructure cannot compete effectively in the global economy. Until the early 1980s, the telecommunications sector was viewed as the quintessential public utility. Economies of scale, combined with political sensitivity, created large entry barriers and externalities. Beginning from the 1980s, however, policy makers gradually began to recognize that telecommunications systems are an essential infrastructure for economic development. As the economy broadens and becomes critically dependent on vastly expanded flows of information, telecommunications acquires strategic importance for economic growth and development. Rapid innovations in telecommunications and information technology are lowering costs, creating new services and changing the cost structure of many industries. Driven by unrelenting technological and market forces, telecommunications has become one of the world's most dynamic sectors (Wellenius and Stern, 1994; Saunders et al., 1994).
In response to the need to overcome persistent shortfalls in telecommunications investments and performance, telecommunications restructuring has assumed a global dimension and the wave of telecommunication reforms that began in the 1980s in a few highly developed economies quickly spread to several developing countries. By 1993, major reforms had been undertaken in at least 15 developing countries and a comparable number were in preparation (Wellenius and Stern, 1994). The impact of these new policy initiatives has been profound, but if the new pragmatism in telecommunications policy is to succeed, policy initiatives will need to be broadened and deepened.
Even though the International Telecommunications Union's Harare Declaration contained a commitment by several sub-Saharan African countries to increase private sector participation in telecommunications, most governments have been reluctant to put this policy into practice. Six sub-Saharan4 countries have announced plans to privatize their national carriers, but only Guinea has actually implemented such a policy—although several others are believed to be considering this move (Mustafa et al., 1997). Thus, the telecommunications sector in Africa is still predominantly state owned and has yet to show the benefits from the transformation in pattern of ownership, market structure and provision of service that is taking place world-wide. As a strategically important but relatively neglected sector in sub-Saharan Africa, telecommunications is largely characterized by poor performance manifested in low profitability, large unmet demand for services, poor technical and operational quality of service, and absence of new services. Economic studies for the International Telecommunications Union indicate that each new telephone line added in the region contributes approximately $4,500 to gross national product, a far higher contribution than in developed economies.
The future of telecommunications lies with private commercial provision of services under liberal regulatory environments.5 Against this background, a pertinent question today is how can African countries begin to move this new pragmatism from the periphery to the centre of the telecommunications reform agenda? There is a renewed clamour for a proper investigation of the underlying causes of this unacceptable scenario to enhance the design or redesign of results-oriented telecommunications sector reform programmes in Africa. This study intends to examine how to promote this shift on the basis of the experience of several countries reforming their telecommunications sector. It recognizes, however, that there is no universally acceptable template for implementing telecommunications restructuring. Although fairly universal policy issues and options face governments attempting to reform their telecommunications sectors, their relative importance, the sectoral solutions adopted and especially the strategies to implement them are highly country specific (Saunders et al., 1994).
the main objective of the study is to ascertain the quantitative and qualitative evidence concerning the efficiency and welfare improving effects of deregulation of the telecommunications sector in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are:
To analyse the production structure of Nigerian telecommunications and estimate the total factor productivity growth.
To decompose total factor productivity growth into scale economies and deregulation effects with a view to estimating efficiency gains due to deregulation.
To assess the regulatory changes in the sector in the wake of commercialization.
To analyse the options for evolving a viable telecommunications sector in Nigeria.
Abstract & Table of Content
AN APPRAISAL OF SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP BUSINESS IN NIGERIA
ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA
IMPACT OF ELECTRICITY ON PERFORMNACE OF SMES IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED SMES IN ETI-OSA LGA)
PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF SETTING UP SMALL SCALE BUSINESSES IN NIGERIA
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE INFORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO THE GROWTH OF SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA
THE EFFECT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL CHARACTERISTICS ON BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA
THE EFFECT OF NAIRA DEVALUATION ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA ( A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED MINI IMPORTERS IN LAGOS STATE)
THE IMPACT OF ELECTRICAL POWER OUTAGE ON THE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES IN KANO STATE
SMALL SCALE BUSINESS AS A STRATEGY FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
ENTERPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT AND IT'S IMPACT IN OUR ECONOMY
ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY
THE ROLE OF SMALL SCALE BUSINESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATION
THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (1990-2015)
THE IMPACT OF TAXATION ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE BUSINESS IN NIGERIA
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AND SURVIVAL STRATEGIES OF SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISES
ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE AND MICRO ENTERPRISE SUSTENANCE
AN APPRAISAL OF PERFORMANCE OF SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISES IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE BUSINESS IN NIGERIA
THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION ON ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
FACTORS INFLUENCING ENTREPRENEURIAL PERFORMANCE IN SMALL SCALE BUSINESS
DETERMINANTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS AMONG FRESH GRADUATES IN NIGERIA
PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF NIGERIAN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE INFORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO THE GROWTH OF SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA.
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AND INVESTMENT DECISIONS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA
AN APPRAISAL OF MATERIAL MANAGEMENT CONCEPT AS A STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY IN AN ORGANIZATION
AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF NAPEP ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF CREDIT FACILITIES TO SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN NIGERIA
EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE TAXATION ON BUSINESS SURVIVAL IN NIGERIA
THE EFFECT OF BUSINESS CREDIT AVAILABILITY ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA
THE IMPACT OF RECAPITALIZED BANKS AND THEIR SME CUSTOMERS IN NIGERIA
THE IMPACT OF TRADE LIBERALIZATION ON EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN NIGERIA
THE IMPACT OF VENTURE CAPITAL FINANCING ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA
THE CONTRIBUTION OF INSURANCE COMPANIES TO THE GROWTH OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE BUSINESSES
THE EFFECT OF BUSINESS CREDIT AVAILABILITY ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES
THE IMPACT OF BANK LOANS ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA
EFFECT OF SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES ON NIGERIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
THE ROLE OF MICRO FINANCE BANKS IN ENHANCING ENTERPRENEURSHIP AMONG WOMEN IN NIGERIA
IMPACT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN NIGERIA
FINANCIAL SECTOR LIBERALIZATION AND CAPITAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA


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NYT: Durham probing Brennan's role in Steele dossier assessment
Ed Morrissey Dec 20, 2019 8:41 AM ET
This could be a bombshell, but perhaps not one aimed directly at former CIA director John Brennan. According to the New York Times last night, US Attorney John Durham has begun to focus on Brennan's role in assessing the now-infamous Christopher Steele dossier on Donald Trump. Inspector General Michael Horowitz concluded that the FBI knew the dossier was unreliable but continued to use it to justify the FISA surveillance warrants on Carter Page.
Just what did Brennan know about the Steele dossier, and when did he know it? Durham wants to find out, and wants all of the former CIA's communication records as well:
The federal prosecutor scrutinizing the Russia investigation has begun examining the role of the former C.I.A. director John O. Brennan in how the intelligence community assessed Russia's 2016 election interference, according to three people briefed on the inquiry.
John H. Durham, the United States attorney leading the investigation, has requested Mr. Brennan's emails, call logs and other documents from the C.I.A., according to a person briefed on his inquiry. He wants to learn what Mr. Brennan told other officials, including the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey, about his and the C.I.A.'s views of a notorious dossier of assertions about Russia and Trump associates. …
Mr. Durham is also examining whether Mr. Brennan privately contradicted his public comments, including May 2017 testimony to Congress, about both the dossier and about any debate among the intelligence agencies over their conclusions on Russia's interference, the people said.
If Brennan lied to Congress, Durham might be inclined to prosecute — even though Brennan's boss James Clapper got away with lying about surveillance programs earlier. However, Brennan might be a secondary target in this case. Reading further into the report by the NYT's Katie Benner and Julian Barnes, it appears that Brennan had been skeptical all along of Steele and his dossier.
The question may be less of what Brennan knew and when he knew it, but who Brennan told and when that happened. This revolves around the intel-community consensus about Russian interference in the 2016 election, which turns out to have included the now-discredited dossier as part of that evaluation. Brennan, it turns out, did not want the dossier in the assessment and tried to keep it out:
Mr. Steele's information "was a topic of significant discussion within the F.B.I. and with the other agencies participating in drafting" the declassified intelligence assessment about Russia interference, Mr. Horowitz wrote. The F.B.I. shared Mr. Steele's information with the team of officials from multiple agencies drafting the assessment.
Mr. Comey also briefed Mr. Brennan and other top Obama administration intelligence officials including the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, and Mr. Clapper about the bureau's efforts to assess the information in the dossier, Mr. Comey told the inspector general. He said that analysts had found it to be "credible on its face."
But C.I.A. analysts still wanted to leave the dossier out of the assessment, as it was not vetted. Mr. Brennan's allies have said he was among the officials who wanted to omit the dossier from the assessment.
Did the CIA actually warn the FBI about the dossier's unreliability? Did Brennan warn Comey about it? Even more pertinent, did Brennan ever tell Comey directly and personally that Carter Page was one of the CIA's assets against Russia? Don't forget that the first FISA warrant on Page came in September, so if Brennan was warning the FBI about the dossier, that had to be around the same time as the FBI's attempts to get the warrant — and certainly long before any renewals based on it.
If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then that makes those "mistakes" Comey described look a lot more purposeful. Their knowing use of a discredited dossier would also point Durham much more toward a conclusion of political bias, too. That would start to paint a very ugly picture of the FBI, and it would also pull Comey and Andrew McCabe more directly into it.
Brennan should be worried about this new direction from Durham. Comey might need to worry more.
Update: Our sister site Twitchy highlights a thread that outlines how this could be in pursuit of a perjury charge against Brennan:
2) Keep this between us…. don't tell the left. 😉
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) December 20, 2019
It's an interesting argument, but bear in mind that one could make an argument from the exact same data that it was Comey who committed perjury. And as Horowitz made clear, Comey had more to hide.
Tags: CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION JOHN BRENNAN JAMES COMEY FISA COURT CARTER PAGE
The Supreme Court just made an incredible power grab
Texas Dems work around election integrity law as they mail out "hundreds of thousands" of mail-in ballots
Why are COVID deaths rising during the Omicron wave?
Manchin, Sinema turn on Biden, join others holding him responsible for COVID test shortages
Fox News's favorite anti-vax guests are at war
Loudoun County won't release report on high school sexual assaults, but Smith family wants it made public
Kinder, gentler Taliban: All girls, women back to school "soon"
Jazz Shaw Jan 16, 2022 9:31 AM ET
Sunday morning talking heads
Allahpundit Jan 16, 2022 8:01 AM ET
China and Iran officially partner up
Uh oh. Hunter Biden's ex-wife has written a book
Retreat: White House declares Republicans, Manchin, Sinema not segregationists and traitors "as humans," or something
Ed Morrissey Jan 15, 2022 11:31 AM ET
FBI Makes Claims Motive of Man Taking Hostages at Synagogue Was 'Not Specifically Related to Jewish Community'
Seems like old times, LOL! --> 'Blacks for Trump' trends after Trump's AZ rally and Lefties absolutely lose their sh*t
Trump Was Winning Even Before He Began Speaking at Rally Tonight
Help! I May Need Therapy For What the 'Sex And The City' Reboot Is Doing to Me


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Home Areas of interest Rules and regulations
Vessel train operations need to be embedded in the rules and regulations in force for existing waterborne transport systems. This will require an effort of a variety of regulatory bodies and other organisations responsible for safe vessel train operations. NOVIMAR will make an attempt to bring this under their attention in order to make future market uptake of the vessel train concept possible. It must be noted that similar action is needed to support the development of other innovative waterborne concepts.
Operating vessel train on waterways and in coastal areas
Vessel train operations will be carried out in crowded areas in which various types and sizes of ships operate. These operations are to be carried out by day and night, but also in adverse weather conditions.
At present rules and regulations are in force to ensure maximum safety for the ships making use of the waterways and coastal areas. These rules and regulations define e.g. mutual responsibilities for evasive manoeuvres, use of day – and night marks, and sound signals. They further define responsibilies for sailing a ship by use of radar and the identification of ships by Automatic Identification System (AIS). As the vessel train introduces a remote controlled formation of ships, the concept must be embedded in these rules and regulations, thus providing a legal base.
Involved partners
NOVIMAR concept & results included in new infographic
Patent for cargo system handler
Progress summary of the 4th General Assembly
Inland waterway passage scenario Vessel Train discussed
NOVIMAR 1st periodic review meeting successful
NOVIMAR discussed with Port of Den Helder and Netherlands Coastguard
CCNR proposes definition of levels of automation in inland navigation


The Arctic is heating up. While China, the US and Russia are militarizing the North pole - sending submarines and ice-breakers - the ice itself continues to recede creating new trade routes and new opportunities for mining gas and oil. What is quietly unfolding in the polar north is a `great game' for territory and for resources, all against the biggest backdrop of all: the destruction of the Arctic caused by climate change. And then last year things took a strange turn. The Kingdom of Denmark, through its colonial claim on Greenland, declared ownership of the entire European hemisphere of the Arctic. Its claims on a territory larger than Scandinavia overlap over 500 sq. km with Russia's, who have planted a flag on the ocean floor underneath the North Pole. Investigative journalist Martin Breum has been at the front-line for a decade, and brings this secret story to life. He reports on researchers discovering Russian submarines beneath the ice, spy plane pilots flying over environmental research boats and uncovers the stories of the inhabitants of sleepy Greenland who are waking up to their new place in the universe - between the great aggressive military powers of the world. Thrillingly written, Cold Rush reveals a secret world in which the future of our planet is being decided.


Cards by Jessi: Grattis med glass!
Den här glada tjejen med sin enorma glass (en färdigt färglagd digi från Bugaboo) grattar på födelsedagen och deltar i följande utmaningar: Sketch Saturday, Fussy and Fancy (My favorite things: Die cuts & Digis), Gem of a Challenge (Female Birthday), Penny's (ATG), Craft Your Passion (ATG), Glitter'n'Sparkle (Happy Birthday) och Kort o Mania (Barne kort).
Voi miten ihana! Tuli ihan kesäfiilis.
This is such a wonderful card! I love the image, the glasses are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing with us at Fussy and Fancy, good luck and I hope you will join us again.
A great card - thanks for joining us at A Gem of a Challenge.
What a sweet image and just love the shine on her glasses.Such a fun colourful card.Thanks for joining us at Craft Your Passion.Hope to see you again next week.


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Tag: Karl Ove Knausgard
Podcast: Linn Ullmann, part 2 – Persona
Virtual Memories: Linn Ullmann pt. 2 – Persona
http://traffic.libsyn.com/virtualmemories/Season_4_Episode_18_-_Persona.mp3
"Every time you start with a blank page, and nothing is a given. Knowing more just makes you less confident. A certain lack of confidence is good in writing, because you want to go places where you're not on safe ground."
Listen in to part 2 of my conversation with Linn Ullmann about her new novel, The Cold Song, from Other Press ! (Part 1 is over here.) We talk about her writing habits and practices, her favorite Scandinavian authors, how she tweaked the book for its translation into English, and how August Strindberg got revenge on people. We also talk about the lengths she and her husband go to in order to get undisturbed writing time, when she realized she wasn't going to become a ballerina, and how to convey the Norwegian concept of skavank to some zhlub from New Jersey.
"You have to do bad writing before it gets to good writing."
Bonus: I let Linn interview me, and boy does THAT go off the rails! Give it a listen!
Linn Ullmann, part 1
Peter Trachtenberg
Wallis Wilde-Menozzi
Maxim Jakubowski
Emily Raboteau
Linn Ullmann is a literary critic and the author of five novels: Before You Sleep (1998), Stella Descending (2001), Grace (2002), A Blessed Child (2005), and The Cold Song (2011). Grace won The Reader's Prize in Norway and was named one of the top ten novels that year by the Weekendavisen newspaper in Denmark. In 2007, Grace was longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in the UK. A Blessed Child was shortlisted for the Brage Prize in Norway. In 2007, Ms. Ullmann was awarded the Amalie Skram Award for her literary work, and she received Gullpennen (the Golden Pen) for her journalism in Norway's leading morning newspaper Aftenposten. In 2008, A Blessed Child was named Best Translated novel in the British newspaper The Independent, and in 2009 the novel was longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in the UK. Linn Ullmann's novels are published throughout Europe and the U.S. and are translated into 30 languages. The Cold Song was recently published in the U.S. by Other Press. Ms. Ullmann lives in Oslo with her husband Niels Fredrik Dahl, a novelist, playwright and poet. She has two children, Hanna and Halfdan, and two stepchildren, Dagny and Kasper. She also has a dog named Charlie.
Credits: This episode's music is Double Feature by Camera Obscura. The conversation was recorded in the business center of an undisclosed hotel on a pair of Blue enCORE 200 microphones , feeding into a Zoom H4n recorder . The intro and outro were recorded on Blue Yeti USB Microphone . Processing was done in Audacity and Garage Band. Photo of Ms. Ullmann by Morgan Norman.
Podcast: Linn Ullmann, part 1 – Lady with a Dog
Virtual Memories: Linn Ullmann pt. 1 – Lady with a Dog
http://traffic.libsyn.com/virtualmemories/Season_4_Episode_17_-_Lady_with_a_Dog.mp3
"You can hide writer's block, but you cannot hide that you have no control over your dog."
I thought Linn Ullmann and I were going to sit down and record a little conversation about her new novel, The Cold Song (Other Press) , but we found out that we had a lot more to talk about. So much, in fact, that we ran over the time set up by her publisher and had to get together for a second session during her stay in New York for PEN America week! In part 1 of our first 2-part episode, Linn talks about the influences of her parents — Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman — on her storytelling process, her subversion of the "Scandinavian crime novel" in The Cold Song, the importance of place in her writing, the perils of overthinking the ground rules for an interview (not ours!), how she transposed a character from The Wire from Baltimore to Norway, and how she managed to convince her book club to tackle Proust. We close out with the topic of Karl Ove Knausgard's work and the ethics of explicitly writing fiction from life (which is where part 2 picks up). Ms. Ullmann's a fascinating writer and this is (this first half of) an illuminating conversation about her work and life. Give it a listen! [UPDATE: Part 2 now available!]
"I wanted to write a love story not about the beginning of love or the end of love, but the middle of love, where it's broken, and where the harmless little secrets turn out not to be as harmless as you thought."
Lisa Borders
Credits: This episode's music is Sweetheart Like You by Bob Dylan. The conversation was recorded at the Other Press offices on a pair of Blue enCORE 200 microphones , feeding into a Zoom H4n recorder . The intro and outro were recorded on Blue Yeti USB Microphone . Processing was done in Audacity and Garage Band. Photo of Ms. Ullmann by me.
Podcast: Euphonic Sounds
Virtual Memories – season 4 episode 16 – Euphonic Sounds
http://traffic.libsyn.com/virtualmemories/Season_4_Episode_16_-_Euphonic_Sounds.mp3
"In the late 1970s, I wanted to write against the grain, so I wrote about a marriage that lasted a long time, with all the strife and stresses."
Novelist, essayist, poet, short story writer, and translator Lynne Sharon Schwartz sat down with me to talk about her newest essay collection, This Is Where We Came In: Intimate Glimpses (Counterpoint), but we talked about a lot more in our hour! Listen in to learn how she and her husband began recording literary readings by authors like James Baldwin, Philip Roth, John Updike, William Styron in the '60s, and how they've re-launched those recordings. We also discuss how second-wave feminism convinced her to pursue a writing career, how her ear for music influences her writing, why she swears by audiobook reader David Case, and how Margaret Atwood once dropped the boom on Norman Mailer. Give it a listen!
"Although I identify with feminism, my literary tastes don't divide into men and women; it's the ones who are concerned with language and delight in language, rather than their gender, that I read."
We also talk about her love of digressive essays, the joys of translation, her travel-anxiety, the difficulty in getting a book of essays published, why W.G. Sebald is one of her favorite authors, and how — kinda like last week's guest, Caitlin McGurk — she got involved in bringing back lost women writers.
Rachel Hadas
Lynne Sharon Schwartz is the author of more than 20 books, including novels, short story collections, non-fiction, poetry, and translations. Her new essay collection, This Is Where We Came In: Intimate Glimpses , was just published by Counterpoint. Her first novel, Rough Strife , was nominated for a National Book Award and the PEN/Hemingway First Novel Award. Her other novels include The Writing on the Wall ; In the Family Way: An Urban Comedy ; Disturbances in the Field ; and Leaving Brooklyn (Rediscovery) , nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award. She and her husband Harry have launched Calliope Author Readings, which offers lovers of literature a rare opportunity to hear great 20th century American authors interpreting their own works. Ms. Schwartz has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the NEA, and the New York State Foundation for the Arts. Her stories and essays have been reprinted in many anthologies, including The Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and The Best American Essays. She has taught writing and literature at colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. She lives in New York City.
Credits: This episode's music is Gladiolas by Scott Joplin. The conversation was recorded at Ms. Schwartz's home on a pair of Blue enCORE 200 microphones , feeding into a Zoom H4n recorder . The intro and outro were recorded on Blue Yeti USB Microphone . Processing was done in Audacity and Garage Band. Photo of Ms. Schwartz by me.


text:
Addresses and Speeches on Various Occasions: 1852-1867
von Robert Charles Winthrop
Apply this principle to our venerated Alma Mater, and what shall be the measure of the honors which shall justly ascend and be accumulated upon her head! Why, my friends, if Harvard had done nothing for the country and for the world but educate the men of the present moment, so many of whom I see around me; if she had done nothing but send forth such historians as her Prescott and Bancroft and Motley, such jurists as her Shaw and her Curtis, such a scholar and orator as her Everett, such writers, thinkers, teachers, counsellors, pastors, statesmen, honorable merchants, useful citizens, as come thronging and crowding to my mind, and to my lips, and to my sight, in numbers that defy all attempt to name them; if she could show, as the result of her training, only such a complete and rounded life as that of our elder QUINCY, -I might have said our elder Cato, exercised in almost every variety of public service, State, national, and municipal, legal, literary, and academic, — exercised and tried in all, and nowhere found wanting, everywhere found efficient and excellent; — if these, I repeat, were all the jewels to which Harvard could point this day, she might well be content with the coronet which adorns her brow.
But as we run our eyes back over the long catalogue of her great and good in other times as well as in this, as we follow down the significant abbreviations and capitals, and the still more significant italics, which diversify and illuminate the record of her two hundred and fifteen classes in the new Triennial, we reflect on the host of laborers who have here been trained up and sent forth into every field and vineyard of Church and of State, of Theology and Medicine and Law and Literature and Science and Philosophy and Commerce and Legislation and Philanthropy and Patriotism, as we run our eyes back over that long and brilliant bead-roll of her Saints and Prophets, her Apostles and Martyrs, all common forms and phrases of acknowledg ment and exultation become poor and cold, and nothing seems to satisfy the emotions of our souls but some of those triumphant salutations of the old Roman poet," Salve, magna Parens," "Felix prole virum," "Læta Deum partu."
And now, brethren, in gratefully and proudly remembering what the College has done for the community, and what it has
done for each one of ourselves, it becomes us to reflect and to inquire seriously, What have we done for the College? How have the Alumni ever signalized their sense of her noble career, and their gratitude for her fostering care? I do not forget how much has been done by some of them in the way both of personal service and of pecuniary contribution. I do not forget the laurels which so many of them have brought to lay upon her altar, and to decorate her shrines. And doubtless no greater honor can be rendered her than by the worthy and honorable lives and labors of her sons.
But where as yet is the monument of a single united effort of all her children to relieve her wants, to supply her deficiencies, and to build her up to greater and greater heights of prosperity and usefulness?
Tell me not that she has no wants, immediate and pressing. On both sides of our Academic grounds, as we have passed along this morning, might be seen the most impressive memorials, not only of what has been nobly done, but of what remains to be nobly done. Here, on one side, is a spacious Library Building erected by the munificence of a distinguished Alumnus, whose image, I rejoice to say, will not be much longer wanted to its alcoves, CHRISTOPHER GORE.
But our assiduous and faithful librarian will tell you of the lamentable deficiencies of that library in almost every department of ancient and modern literature and learning. Not a copy of the Statutes of the United States, nor a tolerably good modern Atlas! Not a copy of the lives of Channing or Story, or of the works of Jonathan Edwards or Daniel Webster? This was a part of the mortifying record six months ago. And though by the bequests of the learned and lamented Gray, and of the amiable and accomplished Wales, and by the generosity of some of its living friends, large and valuable accessions have since been received, yet nothing but the systematic efforts of the whole body of the Alumni can furnish an adequate remedy for that beggarly account of empty shelves which has too long been witnessed in what ought to be our American Bodleian.
There, on the other side,—just rising to add fresh lustre to the name of one of our most liberal and large-hearted benefactors,
Samuel Appleton,-is a noble chapel, where the voices of prayer and praise, we trust, will be heard by our children and our children's children through a hundred generations, and which we all might well desire should be consecrated exclusively to the sacred uses for which it was designed; - into which no sounds of mirth and levity, no cheers and crowdings and scrapings and stampings and jests and flirtations, should ever be suffered to enter; but which should stand as a Sanctuary of Faith, a Temple of Devotion, a memorial of things unseen and eternal, symbolizing to the eye of youth and of age the legend of our College seal Christo et Ecclesiæ for ever. But how is this to be accomplished, unless from some source or other shall be speedily forthcoming the means for building up an ample and commodious hall for the secular services and festivals of the University?
I cannot help hoping, brethren, that this idea-not originating with myself alone-may, before all others, commend itself to acceptance and adoption somewhere. I envy the individual name which shall be inscribed on such a building, erected with such a view. But I have sometimes ventured to cherish the hope that the Alumni, as an Association, might be willing and able to undertake the work, and that even before another Triennial Festival shall come round, a stately and commodious hall, like the Senate House at Old Cambridge, or the Theatre at Oxford, might be seen standing on some appropriate spot of the college grounds, bearing on its front-"The Alumni of Harvard to their Alma Mater"—where the exhibitions and Class days and Commencements of the University might find worthy accomodations; where the living Alumni might hold their Anniversary Festivals, and their annual or occasional meetings; and where, perhaps, the memorials of the distinguished dead, now crowded upon these narrow walls, might find a fit gallery for their display.*
I need not tell you, brethren, that Alumni Associations and
* A day or two after this first public suggestion of "a Hall of the Alumni," I received a note from the late Charles Sanders, Esq., offering five thousand dollars towards the object. By his Will, he has given ten times that amount; and the generous contributions of the Alumni and the public, with a view to doing honor to the memory of the noble sons of Harvard who fell in the cause of the Union, have left no doubt that the Building will soon be erected.
Harvard Clubs are worth but little, if their only aim and their only accomplishment is painfully to keep themselves alive. We need the cementing and the quickening influence of common effort and of common achievement for the welfare of this common object of our gratitude and love, in order to bind us together and impel us onward, until the Alumni of Harvard shall become a power in the college, if not a power in the community.
Pardon me, my friends, for any thing so practical at a dinner table. Pardon me for thus venturing to sow a little seed by the wayside, which, after all, may never be destined to bear fruit. And unite with me, without further delay, in the sentiment with which I hasten to conclude:
OUR ALMA MATER May she be ever more and more the honored instrument in dispensing a sound, classical Scholarship and a true Christian education, and may she want no good thing which it is in the power of grateful children to bestow upon her! "Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces! For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee !"
CENTRAL CHARITY BUREAU.
A MEMORIAL ADDRESSED TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF BOSTON, OCTOBER 8, 1857.*
TO THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL OF BOSTON,- The undersigned, Officers of the BOSTON PROVIDENT ASSOCIATION, by order and in behalf of the managers of that Association, respectfully invite the early and favorable attention of the City Government to the following suggestions, and to the petition growing out of them :
The Boston Provident Association has now been in active and successful operation during six successive years. Organized for the twofold purpose of visiting and relieving the deserving poor, and of detecting and exposing the vagabond impostors who throng the streets of every large city, this Association has supplied a deficiency in our system of public charity, which had long been perceived and deplored. Its operations may be estimated by the following figures, which are as nearly exact as the nature of such returns may allow :
The returns for the year just closing are not yet wholly made up; but the operations and expenditures of the Association have been materially larger than during any previous year of its existence.
* As this paper contains the original proposal and plan of an Institution which is at length about to be erected under the sanction of the City Government, it has been thought not unworthy of a place in this volume.


text:
import pyramid.httpexceptions as exc

from pyramid.view import (
    view_config,
    view_defaults
)

@view_defaults()
class PageView(object):

    def __init__(self, request):
        self.request = request
        self.logged_in = request.authenticated_userid

    @view_config(route_name='timers', renderer='baby_tracker:templates/timers.jinja2')
    def timers_view(self):
        """
        Retrieve the timers page
        or redirect to index if not signed in.
        """
        if not self.logged_in:
            raise exc.HTTPFound(self.request.route_url("index"))
        return {}

    @view_config(route_name='index', renderer='baby_tracker:templates/index.jinja2')
    def index_view(self):
        """Retrieve the index page"""
        return {}

    @view_config(route_name='signup', renderer='baby_tracker:templates/signup.jinja2')
    def signup_view(self):
        """Retrieve the signup page"""
        return {}

    @view_config(route_name='reset_email_form', renderer='baby_tracker:templates/pw_email.jinja2')
    def reset_email_form(self):
        """
        Retrieve the initial password reset page
        This page will request the user's email
        and if a matching email is found, an email will
        be sent with a password reset link.
        """
        # TODO: Move this into the auth file maybe?
        return {}

    @view_config(route_name='new_password_form', renderer='baby_tracker:templates/pw_reset.jinja2')
    def new_password_form(self):
        """Retrieve the password reset prompt page"""
        # TODO: Move this into the auth file maybe?
        return {}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This week's decision marked a significant advance in enforcing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009, when Democrats held both houses of Congress. It's also the sort of action that, while not at the top of most voters' minds, clearly will be in play in the elections in 2016.
While not at the top of most voters' minds, the FDA action clearly is the sort that will be in play in the 2016 congressional and presidential elections.
We agree. The tobacco industry has spent $31 million lobbying Congress since 2014, and another $4 million to influence federal elections in 2014, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Tobacco companies contribute far more money to Republicans than Democrats for a reason. Like any business, they expect a return on their investment.
The FDA's action was aggressive and far-reaching. It's also the sort that might not happen much if Republicans sweep the elections next year.


Have you ever had moments where you wished to be like someone, perhaps there are some things in your life you wish you could do?
Well, I've had plenty of those.
Let's take a minute here and do a little self-reflection. Take some mental notes. What are some of the things you wish you could do? (It doesn't matter if it sounds silly).
Here are some (perhaps far-fetched) ambitions of mine.
I wished I could read Japanese and French.
I wished I could play the piano proficiently.
I wished I had a more elegant style in personal presentation.
I wished I could dance ballet at semi-professional level.
I wished I could be a proficient writer!
I wished I could cook healthy meals every day under 20 minutes.
I wished I could sew and design my own clothes.
I wished I could braid my hair beautifully.
I wished I could learn to put make up like a pro.
I wished I had a toned body.
I wished I were more flexible.
I wished I had better handwriting.
I wished I could do my own professional looking manicure.
No matter how big or small the goal is, you can achieve it with certain degree of success if you would just put in some practice!
The powerful thing about this is that even the least amount of effort goes a really long way if it is applied consistently, even if it is for about 5 minutes a day.
You just have to keep at it, and it does get better and better. You have to be patient with yourself.
Of course, the amount of success you may have depends on how much you put into it. The more you put into it, the quicker you'll get there.
But hey, don't let that discourage you. If you enjoy it, just do it (or practice) clumsily and don't think about how long it takes to acquire the skill. In fact, there are some things that you can't rush…or rather, there might not make much of a difference. Consistency and to always persist is key.
For instance, I wasn't very good at memorizing long dance combinations in my ballet class. I struggled with it tremendously. However, I simply kept at it. I kept turning up for class, regardless of whether I could do it. Out of the blue, I suddenly realized it wasn't such a big deal anymore.
I believe we are all naturally resistant to change or difficulty, some more than others. So sometimes, our minds will make up excuses.
I'm not asking you to make a huge commitment either. If you can, find an easy way to put five minutes of practice time into your daily routine.
For instance, I've long admired beautiful french braids and I've always wanted to wear them in my hair. However, I can only do a very simple one. Or rather, I could barely do a simple braid. It was messy, loose, uneven and downright a disaster for my hair.
I've always resorted to getting them professionally done at the salon, especially for important events.
However, recently I decided that I should get better at doing them. I would make myself to do a braid everyday. It only takes a few minutes. I'm not there yet, but I feel with every braid that I do, I am in greater command of my skill. It might take months for me to be able to do complicated and gorgeous braids but I'm getting there. I'm closer to my dream of wearing beautiful braids in my hair!
Another instance is playing the piano. I take a 45 minutes piano lesson every week. I told the teacher that it was my personal me-time, and I'm there to enjoy myself, and not put myself under the pressure to achieve anything. I just wanted to commit time to enjoy learning music.
I have a rather full schedule, working, completing (yet another) a teaching certification course, plus family, dancing (working out) and all that. I told my piano teacher that I may not be like her regular piano students who may put in an hour practice daily.
So on less busy months, I manage to do a 5-10 minutes practice every day or every other day, and on busy seasons, I don't get to touch my piano at all. During that 5-10 minutes of practice, I will just run through quickly and play the new piece I'm working on at least three times. I won't beat up myself for making mistakes or not getting it perfect. As day 2, day 3, day 4 goes by until I meet my teacher, I'm surprised at how much progress I make within a week, just practicing a song for 3 times each day.
During those seasons when I'm too busy and not touch the piano at all, I'm even surprised myself, at how I'm still progressing. It may not be as much as when I put in that tiny amount of practice, but the amazing thing is that I'm still progressing. I would play each song with my teacher a few times each session and by the end of the month, I am able to play 3 or 4 new songs. And the best part is as time goes on, your skills are compounded. They sometimes go through a 'growth spurt'!
That applies to every little goal, that seemed big goals at that time… such as obtaining flexibility like doing splits (when I'm a stiff adult – seemed impossible!). I didn't push myself really hard but practiced them imperfectly for 30 seconds a few times a week. It took me a year to get them. It sounds long but I wasn't counting. That was because I kind of gave up and thought that I will never get there but did them anyway. But to my amazement, I did manage to do what I thought was impossible.
Another little unexpected goal…applying eye-liner evenly (though I still feel there is room for improvement). I'm still practicing that everyday!
I find tremendous power in this….in the simple act of practicing.
It doesn't matter if you don't have much time, just a little bit goes a long way!
And come to think about it, there are some things you can't rush. If I added all the little 2 minutes I took to practice my splits, maybe it will be equivalent to spending 12 hours to achieving them. (I calculated 2 minutes x 365 days in a year). Even if I took a day off work and spent 12 hours trying to achieve my splits, most probably I could not achieve them. Similarly, I believe it is the same with the piano. I could not achieve learning to sight-read well if I crashed-practiced it for 10 hours each day for a week.
There's something about consistent practice. It is as though your body needs some downtime, during sleep, and something processes in your body and brain.
knowing that there is tremendous power in practice just opens up the possibility of dreams, of what I may achieve.
I then ask myself, what do I want to get good at? I'll put in a few minutes a day doing just that, and maybe in a month, or a year or 5-10 years, I'll have that in the bag!
Now just imagine, that over a x period of time, you'll be able to have a polished accent, good posture, dress elegantly, walk gracefully, cook gourmet meals, be well-read, write in Spanish, understand Mandarin, become fit and toned, knit a sweater, do your own nails…what else would you like to be able to do?
So, what would you like to get good at?
It helped me greatly about a year ago. And today I just knew I needed to re-read it.
This piece of advice is down-to-earth and it's working.
You're an inspiration. Very honestly written and I agree with taking time for YOU to practice what's important to YOU. At any age or stage in life.
This was very inspiring. I want to learn to do all of these things (only, the language I am learning at the moment is Swedish). According to Duolingo, I was 50 per cent fluent in Swedish after learning for only one year, so you can see, it is very do-able for everyone. Japanese and French (and other languages) are on the back-burner for me at the moment after studying them for a bit.
I learned some Indonesian in high school and some Japanese at university. I taught myself some German and then did a few short courses in other languages and in German. Eventually, I want to be fluent in many languages. I practise my Swedish every day.
I want to be better at mathematics and science so that I can go back to university if and when I become well one day.
You have given me the idea to practise splits every day, Eunice. Thank you.
I also want to start learning piano keyboard (I bought one) and become more well-read.
Doing too much physical activity exhausts me as I have ME/CFS and it makes my illness worse, so I haven't been able to concentrate on that.
I too came from a poor working class background. I am trying to rise above my station in life.
I have read a lot on manners and etiquette.
I love your website and get much pleasure from reading it and finding ways to better myself.
🙂 I'm happy for you! Go get them!


text:
Q: Understanding the correlation between the Van Kampen theorem and Mayer Vietoris sequences from the Hatcher Algebraic Topology text I am trying to understand a sentence from Hatcher's section 2.2 on Mayer Vietoris sequences. It states that:
"Mayer-Vietoris sequences can be viewed as analogs of the van Kampen theorem since if $A\cap B$ is path-connected, the $H_1$ terms of the reduced Mayer-Vietoris sequence yield an isomorphism $$H_1(X)\approx \left(H_1(A)\oplus H_1(B)\right)/Im \:\Phi.$$ This is exactly the abelianized statement of the van Kampen theorem, and $H_1$ is the abelianization of $\pi_1$ for path-connected spaces..."
Does this mean that the term $H_2(X)$ is $0$, which would imply that there is a short exact sequence
$$0 \rightarrow \tilde{H_1}(A\cap B) \rightarrow \tilde{H_1}(A)\oplus \tilde{H_1}(B) \rightarrow \tilde{H_1}(X) \rightarrow 0$$ ?
Or else, how may the statement be explained?

A: I think you are slightly misreading the statement: there is no assertion of injectivity of the homomorphism
$$\widetilde H_1(A \cap B) \xrightarrow{\Phi} \widetilde H_1(A) \oplus \widetilde H_1(B)
$$
What he writes is that $\widetilde H_1(X)$ is the quotient of $\widetilde H_1(A) \oplus \widetilde H_1(B)$ by the image of $\Phi$, which is true by exactness if you had left off the $0 \to$ at the beginning of your exact sequence.