Pujas for safe pregnancy and easy delivery. The prasadam from Divine Mother Garbarakshambigai Amman will protect the expecting mother and baby from all dangers.
"Inspite of trying very hard and undergoing medical treatment I could not conceive even after r 7 years after marriage. I sent money to Janani and she offered puja and sent me the prasadam. I had the prasadam for 48 days while chanting slokams daily. 1 month after taking the prasadam I conceived naturally without any treatment."
Thank you Janani for helping me get the Grace of Divine and Mighty Mother.
In the first month of her pregnancy. my wife had some complications. We prayed to the divine Mother Grabarakshambigai for help and offered puja through this website. There was a immediate change and things improved vastly. The rest of the course of the pregnancy was miraculously smooth and we had a normal delivery despite several complications. We are blessed with a lovely baby girl who has lit up our life.
I'm happy to inform you that by the blessings of Goddess Garbharakshambigai we are blessed with a baby boy on 5th jan 2016. We've named our son 'Saadhan Kowshik', he was born in Swathi nakshatra, thulaa raashi.
I wish to convey my heartful thanks to the temple in some way. Can you suggest me a way to make some contribution? I'm in Bangalore & can make online payment.
Watch more videos about Grabarakshambgai Temple.
Why should you offer prayers to Garbarakshambigai Amman?
Garbarakshambigai Amman is the foremost fertility Goddess of India. She is renowned for her powers to bless couples with children and also safeguard pregnancies and ensure an easy delivery. In short, she has the powers to bless every aspect of childbearing.
It is believed that childless people who worship here with devotion and faith are blessed with a pregnancy and pregnant women with safe deliveries. Unmarried women also pray here for their marriages. Special prayers are conducted by people on behalf of their pregnant relatives or friends.
Unmarried women also pray here for their marriages. Special prayers are conducted by people on behalf of their pregnant relatives or friends.
This temple is located in the fertile land of Thanjavur also known as the 'Rice Bowl of India'.
The exact location of the temple is in Papanasam taluk of Thanjavur district and it is 20 kilometres east of Thanjavur town and 20 kilometres South West of Kumbakonam.
The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) which is 85 km's away.
From Tiruchirapalli, one can take a taxi to the temple. If one is planning to visit the temple only a day after reaching Tiruchirapalli then one can stay overnight at either Thanjavur or Kumbakonam before proceeding to the temple the next morning.
There are excellent hotels that provide accommodation at both Kumbakonam and Thanjavur. The temple is about 25 km's from both Thanjavur and Kumbakonam and it takes about half hour to reach the temple. There are several means of transportation that can get you from Thanjavur/Kumbakonam to the temple that is in Thirukarukavur village Papanasam District.
The nearest railway station is Papnasam at a distance of 6.5 km's.
The railway stations of Thanjavur and Kumbakonam can be used as destination stations. The temple is about 25 km's from both Thanjavur and Kumbakonam and it takes about half hour to reach the temple. There are several means of transportation that can get you from Thanjavur/Kumbakonam to the temple that is in Thirukarukavur village Papanasam District.
We have provided the Google map route route above. Thirukarukavur is situated in the following co-ordinates (10.86N, 79.27E). Smart Phone users may utilize this information. Apart from that various auto rickshaws and share autos are available from Papanasam Bus stop. Auto fare costs around Rs.60 to Rs.80 while share auto cost around Rs.5 to Rs.10.
The temple functions from 5:30am - 12:30pm and then again from 4:00pm - 8:30pm.
However many devotees do believe that offering pujas in the month of Margazhi is considered to be luckier for people who want to conceive.
All necessary puja items are available just outside the temple. Facilities are available to offer Abishegam, placing children up to 5 years of age in the Golden Cradle, ear piercing, an offering of hair and Thulabaram.
Abishegam is performed from Monday – Saturdays only in the mornings. There are no Abishegams in the evenings, on Sundays and other festival days. If you are planning to offer a saree then you should carry the saree with you. If you plan to offer Thulabaram it is better to contact the temple beforehand to check availability.
If you are planning to offer a saree then you should carry the saree with you. If you plan to offer Thulabaram it is better to contact the temple beforehand to check availability.
Men and women devotees are encouraged to wear traditional attire. However, men in shirts and trousers are permitted to enter the temple.
Women devotees can wear either sarees or salwar kameez at the temple. During my visits, I have also noticed a few women devotees wearing jeans and other western attire. The temple management does not seem to have a problem with this. However, this can change with a change in the management. To be on the safer side it is best to go in an Indian attire.
During my visits, I have also noticed a few women devotees wearing jeans and other western attire. The temple management does not seem to have a problem with this but this can change with a change in the management. To be on the safer side it is best to go in an Indian attire.
Ample parking facilities available beside the temple.
There are no big/good restaurants close by. You can eat the Annadanam at the temple or carry your own food. The temple Annadanam is tasty and is highly recommended.
Accommodation will be available at Kumbakonam or Thanjavur only. There maybe small small lodges close by but no hotels.
Fuel: Make sure you have sufficient fuel when visiting this temple. No petrol stations close by. Petrol can be found at Papanasam about 6 kms away.
Abishegams are offered in the morning hours at the temple every day of the week except Sundays and other festival days.
The abishegams are offered at 8:00 am. There are no evening abishegams. If you are interested in offering an abishegam you will have to be present in the temple half an hour prior to the abishegam time.
With prior intimation to the temple, it is possible for you to tonsure your baby's hair at the temple. It is also possible to avail the services of a goldsmith and have the baby's ears pierced.
Adorning the Goddess with sandalwood enhances Her beauty and leaves the visiting devotees spellbound. If you would like to witness this spectacle then you should visit the temple on Friday evenings when Amman is covered with sandalwood paste and Her supreme beauty is further enhanced.
If you would like to offer this service you can do so paying the charges of Rs.5000 at the temple.
The cost is Rs.5000 for both Indian and overseas devotees and you are requested to contact the Temple office for the date of booking.
As is the custom in other major South Indian temple devotees, in Garbarakshambigai Temple too devotees can offer Thulabaram. The devotees will have to sit on one side of the weighing scale and their offerings (ghee, oil, food, grains, currency, gold, silver etc.) can be placed on the other side equaling their body weight.
These offering will then be used by the temple administration. Surplus materials donated in Thulabaaram are being sold to devotees during Sundays at subsidized rates under auction.
Thousands of devotees who visit the temple are blessed by Amman. When their prayers are answered and they like to express their gratitude.
Most couples visit the temple after the birth of their child; as a way of expressing their gratitude and also obtaining blessings for the child they can place the child in a Tanga Thottil and go around the Garbarakshabigai Amman Praharam.
Children up to 5 years of age can be placed in the Thanga Thottil. The charges for placing the child in the thottil is Rs.550/- and this can be paid at the office. This service can be availed in the morning and during the evenings.
The Thanga Thottil is not really made of gold but it does have a silver covering. Devotees are encouraged to express their gratitude by returning with the child and placing the child in the Thanga Thottil.
In this temple, people who pray for pregnancy, are advised to light up eleven lamps (one for Sri. Vinayagar, one for the Lord Mullaivananathar and nine for Almighty Sri. Garbarakshambigai) and who pray for safe delivery are advised to light 5 lamps (one for Sri. Vinayagar, one for the Lord Mullaivananathar and three for Almighty Sri. Garbarakshambigai).
Annadanam is one of the highest offerings according to Hindu philosophy. It is one of the best ways of expressing your gratitude to the divine.
The temple is situated in a small village where there are no big restaurants. The Temple offers Annadanam to 100 devotees on a daily basis.
If you are visiting the Temple then do part-take of the meal as it is a superior form of prasadam.
The ghee prasadam has to be taken by the couple who are trying to conceive.
When you visit the temple for ghee prasadam the procedure to obtain it is simple and straightforward. You will first have to procure the puja items and the ghee prasadam.
Once this is done you can go directly and have darshan of Lord Mulaivananathar. After offering pujas at the Shiva Sannidhi you can then move on to the Amman sannidhi.
Once you have finished the archanai, the priest will instruct you to smear some ghee on the steps of the sannidhi.
The ghee prasadam that you got will be placed at the feet of Amman and returned to you at the end of the puja.
The couples can then go outside and buy ghee lamps at the counter and light 11 lamps as an offering to Ambal.
If the couple feels like the can offer other additional offerings at the temple like Annadanam, Thulabaram, Tonsuring of hair etc.
Once the couple returns home they will have to take the prasadam for a period of 48 days. There are instructions from the temple on how the couples must take the prasadam.
If a couple cannot visit the temple personally it is ok to get the prasadam through other people.
In the period of these 48 days, it is good if the couple can recite the Garbarakshambigai mantras. If time permits the mantras can be chanted 108 times after morning or evening puja. If there is insufficient time then please chant as many times as is possible for you.
You can listen to and download the audio songs of Garbarakshambigai Amman.
Please note that there are no other rules for chanting mantra. Please chant as you would chant any other mantra/sloka in the presence of Amman's photo or keeping Amman's thoughts in your mind.
You can order the ghee prasadam online here.
The oil prasadam has to be used by pregnant women who want safe pregnancy and easy delivery.
When you visit the temple for oil prasadam the procedure to obtain it is simple and straightforward. You will first have to procure the puja items and the oil prasadam. The prasadam is a small bottle of castor oil.
You will first have to procure the puja items and the oil prasadam. The prasadam is a small bottle of castor oil.
The puja items are available just outside the temple and the oil prasadam is available inside the temple at the counter near the administrative office. Once this is done you can go directly and have darshan of Lord Mulaivananathar. After offering pujas at the Shiva Sannidhi you can then move on to the Amman Sannidhi.
You must then go outside and buy ghee lamps at the counter and light 5 lamps as an offering to Ambal.
The prasadam is usually obtained in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. If the woman cannot travel during that time then she can obtain the prasadam through other people.
There are no food restrictions while taking the prasadam. The woman can continue taking nonvegetarian food. The complete list of instructions for using oil prasadam is mentioned at the temple.
During the period of the pregnancy, it is good if the women can recite the Garbarakshambigai mantras. If time permits the mantras can be chanted 108 times after morning or evening puja. If there is insufficient time then please chant as many times as is possible for you.
You can listen to and download the audio songs of Garbarakshambigai Amman. These audio shlokas and songs are very powerful with excellent vibrations for your unborn child.
You can order the oil prasadam online here.
This punugu satta is offered to devotees as prasadam for health conditions; particularly skin diseases, cardiac problems and other surgical conditions.
It has to be noted that the punugu satam is not always offered to Lord Mulaivanathar. It is offered on the 11th day after the new moon. This day is also called the Valarpirai Pradosham.
Once devotees obtain the punugu sattam they can apply small quantities on the affected parts of their bodies after taking a bath and offering puja at home.
Imagine a scene thousands of years ago, a time when rishi's and muni's populated India and miracles abounded.
Lord Mulaivanathar grants the boon of good health. People suffering from skin diseases and other incurable conditions offer prayers here and take the punugu sattam prasadam to get relief from their sufferings.
Goddess Parvati took the form of Garbarakshambigai Amman to grant a boon to all childless devotees who wanted the blessings of having children. Garba means Womb; Raksha means to Protect and Ambigai means Parvati. Garbharakshambika means "The Mother Who Protects the Womb".
Thousands of childless devotees throng this temple every day to pray for the blessings of conceiving children and pregnant women come here to pray for a safe pregnancy and easy delivery.
A majestic and magnificent form of Shakti, Goddess Garbharakshambika is responsible for granting the boon of motherhood to childless women, protecting women with uterus related disorders, and protecting the unborn babies of pregnant women.
Thousands of devotees across all regions, sects and religions visit the temple everyday to pay homage to Her.
Who should offer prayers at the Garbarakshambigai Amman?
Who should offer prayers to Lord Mulaivananathar?
The uniform experience of the people of these parts bears unfailing testimony to the powers of the deities of this Temple. The inhabitants of the village vouch for the fact, that within living memory, there has been no case of fatality to the mother or child during confinement.
Pregnant women from elsewhere come here and pray to the God and Goddess for a safe childbirth. No one in this place has ever had a miscarriage or pregnancy problem. It is at a place like this that one can understand what "Divine Presence" is.
For over a thousand years Saints like Appar, Sundarar and Campantar have recited the glories of this Amman as early as the 7th century in the 12 volume Saiva canonical works. Other literary works like the Periya Puranam by Sezhkizhar also mention the glory of this temple and the Amman here.
Goddess Garbarakshambika's idol is the supreme personality of Motherhood and this is represented by the magnificent 7 feet tall idol.
This idol stands in the sanctum sanctorum (Garba Graha) of Her temple. This beautiful idol is adorned with kanjeevaram sarees and exquisite jewellery. She is decked with abundant fragrant and colourful flowers which add to Her beauty. The Goddess has the most radiant smile on Her face depicting positivity and a ray of hope.
Lord Shiva is mainly worshipped in the form of a Shiva Linga. In the Shiva lingam, one can see even today the impression of jasmine creepers which once covered the Shiva lingam.
The place has been a forest with jasmine garden once upon a time. Hence the Shiva at this place is called as Mullaivana Nathar (Lord of the Jasmine Garden). The Shiva Lingam of the presiding deity, Lord Mullaivana Nathar in the main sanctum of this temple is a Swayambu (self-manifested ) Lingam, it is one out of the 64 in the world.
The Lingam of Lord Mullaivana Nathar is made up of ant hill mud. Therefore there is no water abhisekam for this Lord. Instead, the Lingam is merely smeared with a kind of musk called "Punugu" in Tamil.
The temple has a peaceful atmosphere and has not really changed much over the last 200 years.
You can see the photograph from the early 1800's and compare it to the photo taken in 2013 and see that the architecture remains more or less the same. Temple gardens that contribute to the peaceful atmosphere.
The Shri Garbharakshambika Sameta Shri Mullaivana Nathar temple is spread over a wide expanse with huge towering Gopurams and a beautiful water tank in front of it.
There is a main Raja gopuram on the east and the temple has also got an entrance on the south side. The temple is surrounded by tall coconut palms, the whole atmosphere is very calming and serene and lends the place sanctity.
Once you walk past the temple tank, you reach into the temple complex of Shri Garbharakshambika Sameta Shri Mullaivana Nathar. Both the shrines of Lord Mullaivana Nathar and Goddess Garbharakshambika are situated in the outer Prakaram, which is the main Prakaram facing the east direction.
The main sanctum of this temple has the Shiva lingam and Goddess Garbharakshambika is situated to the left of the Shiva temple.
It is believed that the Nandi at this temple is in Swayambhu vigraham (Self-manifested) and so is the Karpaga Vinayagar inside the temple and as such commands unique devotion from the worshippers.
There is also a shrine for Lord Subramanian.
The devotees first visit the shrine of Lord Mulaivananathar and then the shrine of Devi Garbarakshambigai.
The Gopuram and the huge compound walls tell the story of more than a thousand years.
The Sthalapuranas which are in Sanskrit and Tamil are preserved in manuscript forms and show the antiquity of the temple. The Sthalapurana gives a detailed account of the origin of this Kshetram and the various persons who obtained Divine Grace at this place. There are also ancient inscriptions on the walls inside.
Inscriptions from King Raja Raja Chola's period who ruled between 985 and 1014 AD; as well as those from Parantaka Chola's period (early 10th century AD) are seen inside the temple. There is evidence that Beema, Garkiyar, Gouthamar and a lot of ancient kings worshiped the God in this temple.
Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar, the three famous Nayan-mars (Saints) have celebrated the glory of the God and this temple in soul-stirring verses (pathigams) of rare beauty and charm. The three Nayanmars visited these temples along with their followers in spite of the inconveniences they faced while travelling the nook and corner of Tamilnadu in search of these temples.
There are instances when God Shiva himself had directed them and shown the way to some of the temples so that the above Nayanmars could visit these temples and compose Pathigams. These Pathigaams composed in the classical Tamil language are of immense value to Tamil literature.
What are the festivals celebrated at Garbaratchambigai Temple?
Vaikasi Brahmotsavams: Vaikasi Brahmotsavam is celebrated with great pomp and show at the temple. Several hundred people participate in the processions that are taken out during this festival.
Navratri: During the Purattasi month the 10 day Navarathri festival commences and is celebrated.
Margazhi utsavam: Margazhi festival is celebrated at all temples in Tamil Nadu and India. Mainly the celebrations of this festival take place in all Vishnu temples and Shiva temples. Another importance of margazhi is that devotees read Tamil Holy Scriptures "Thiruppavai" and "Thiruvempavai" during this month.
Thiru Kalyanam: The traditional wedding ceremony of Garbarakshambigai Amman to Lord Shiva.
Thirukkarthigai: Tamil Nadu celebrates Karthigai Deepam as the traditional festival. This festival of lights involves lighting lights almost anywhere to put an end to darkness. People believe that the light will make people close with Lord Shiva on Karthigai Deepam. Lord Shiva will shed all his blessings during this special time of the year.


The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York's (UUCY) Social Justice Committee and Engaged are excited to announce that Associate Mennonite Pastor Malinda Clatterbuck will speak on the power of non violent resistance in Lancaster.
Malinda and her husband Mark are leaders of the Lancaster Against Pipelines movement, supporting the Adorers of Christ in a standoff with a billion dollar corporation ramming through a pipeline before the nun's legal avenues have been exhausted. She is one of the Lancaster Chapel 23 arrested for what was a beautiful display of non-violent resistance. Engaged/Indivisible York and RiseUp members endorsed our support of this threat to property rights, to environmental health, and to religious expression. Many priests, nuns, Unitarians, Methodist ministers and a Buddhist were arrested with the Chapel 23.
Lancaster Against Pipelines is a model for inter-faith and green faith movements.
Sunday, November 19th 3-4.30, Carriage House.. Please rsvp in comments below. UUCY, 925 South George Street, York, Pa. RSVP to jebaugh88@yahoo.com or in comments below. BREAKOUT TO DISCUSSION GROUPS INCLUDED.


text:
Short Break Support Worker
Employer: Hammersmith & Fulham
Published: Mon 10/09/2018, 16:35 PM
Closing on: Wed 19/09/2018, 18:00 PM
Working Pattern: Job-Share, Full Time
Hours: 36 hours.
Salary: £24,618 - £26,658 per annum (pro rata)
Location: Hammersmith and Fulham
Short Break Support Workers x 4.
Full Time roles x 2
Job Share roles x 2 working 18 hours per week
The Special Educational Needs and Disabled Children's Service are looking to recruit Short Break Support Workers x 4 to join us at the Stephen Wiltshire Centre.
The post holder will support the delivery of Short Breaks and will be expected to contribute to the planning and delivery of opportunities for children supported by the Centre. Staff will be expected to contribute to review planning in conjunction with Team Leaders as required.
You will need to be a confident individual who can support young people and their families across a range of settings including at the centre, in the community and in the home. You must be a good communicator and must be able to manage complex arrangements. You should be able to support inclusion, working with partner agencies to promote safe and outcome focused practice.
You must be a can-do person, who is passionate about working with families and a wide range of professionals and partner agencies in supporting children and their families to achieve agreed outcomes. It is the responsibility of the Short Break Workers and the wider staff to ensure best practice, as well as being a point of contact in providing up to date information for families who access the centre.
Short Break Support Workers work directly to Team leaders and to the Principal Short Break Leader. The Centre is open 7 days a week and provides a wide range of services and Short Breaks to Disabled Children and their families. The Workers are expected to work across 7 days on rota to cover the service as needed, this includes regular weekend and evening work as well as opening/closing the centre. Core hours are 9am-6.30 pm.
The successful candidates will have experience of working directly with children who have a disability and their families. Knowledge of SEN and Disability legislation and the remit within which short breaks are provided would be an advantage. Experience of working in an outcome focused way and in partnership with families/ young person is essential and will need to be evidenced in interview. Excellent communication is a must, as is flexibility and enthusiasm to continuously improve service delivery for families. Experience of consultation and engagement work, risk assessment and support planning are essential and will be tested at interview.
If you would like to discuss the role or need any further information, please contact Zoe Richards at zoe.richards@lbhf.gov.uk
To apply please complete the on-line application at www.lbhf.gov.uk/jobs Closing date is Wednesday 19th September 2018 at 5 pm.
Interviews expected to take place from 21st September 2018
Short Break Support Workers
Keywords: Short Break Support Worker
Job Types: Care/Social Work
Location: Hammersmith & Fulham

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mitra Tabrizian studied film and photography at the University of Westminster, London. Her work combines techniques from documentary photography, reports and advertising to make the viewer aware of the ideologies underlying the construction of cultural identities.
She has exhibited widely in major international institutions including Victoria & Albert Museum, ICA and New Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Her two short films Journey of No Return (1993) and The Third Woman (1991) have been screened internationally at festivals and museums.


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Viscous Expectations
Justice, Vulnerability, The Ob-scene
Cara Judea Alhadeff
Affiliation: University of California, Santa Cruz, US
PSU Press
Orchestrating text and color photography through the lens of vulnerability, Viscous Expectations explores embodied democracy as the intersection of technology, aesthetics, eroticism, and ethnicity. Cara Judea Alhadeff integrates the personal and theoretical with the visual and textual, she mobilizes a comprehensive exploration of our bodies as contingent modes of relation. She cites philosophers and artists from Spinoza to Audre Lorde, Louise Bourgeois, and ɉdouard Glissant, who have explored collaborative and uncanny conditions of becoming vulnerable. In the context of multiple constituencies, creativity becomes a political imperative in which cognitive and somatic risk-taking gives voice to social justice.
Gender Studies Sociology of politics Visual Arts
photography visual arts democracy technology aesthetics eroticism post-humanism
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How to cite this book
Alhadeff, C. 2014. Viscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, The Ob-scene. Pensylvania: Penn State University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5325/book13
Alhadeff, C.J., 2014. Viscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, The Ob-scene. Pensylvania: Penn State University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5325/book13
Alhadeff, C J. Viscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, the Ob-scene. Penn State University Press, 2014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5325/book13
Alhadeff, C. J. (2014). Viscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, The Ob-scene. Pensylvania: Penn State University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5325/book13
Alhadeff, Cara Judea. 2014. Viscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, the Ob-scene. Pensylvania: Penn State University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5325/book13
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Downtown Santa Monica Inc. Board of Directors Announce Third Street Promenade Stabilization and Economic Vitality Plan
SANTA MONICA (August 4, 2021) –– In response to major shifts in consumer trends and shopping patterns, new technology, changing demographics, and the overall competitive landscape, made more challenging by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) is eager to announce the release of the Third Street Promenade Stabilization and Economic Vitality Plan. This focused, strategic and action-oriented plan will serve as a guide to help reimagine the visitor experience on the Promenade and provide private property owners along the world-famous pedestrian street with resources, guidance and the policy reform they need to reinvest and reconfigure their commercial space.
"As communities are considering meaningful ways to recover from the economic devastation brought about by the pandemic, DTSM and the City of Santa Monica together with property owners, passionate local residents and industry experts have laid forth a significant infrastructure investment to address the ongoing needs of the Promenade and the downtown district," said DTSM Board Chair Barry Snell. "Our hope is the Vitality Plan will help encourage better use of public and private property in an effort to help recapture the street's vibrancy while building an exciting, diverse and inclusive new era that meets the evolving needs of our residents and the greater Santa Monica community for years to come."
Developed over the course of six months using the latest research and input from a diverse group of stakeholders, the Vitality Plan identifies changes to land use and zoning regulations for the Third Street Promenade to enable more flexibility around the use of private space and reconsiders the regulations that limit private properties to the traditional retail, dining and office model. This is in an effort to create a modern and equitable downtown inclusive of experiential retail, live entertainment, nightlife, cultural offerings, small scale manufacturing, housing, office space and more.
The proposed plan also calls for more rooftop bars and restaurants, underground hideaways that foster nightlife and give the downtown a layer of excitement and sense of discovery, a new cultural and entertainment venue that could provide sought-after entertainment experiences not currently available west of the 405 and the possible creation of a new signature public space in the form of a Town Square that would host outdoor concerts, makers markets and provide the community with more open space.
"The Vitality Plan will be a vital resource with which we can all work together to help generate new and innovative uses of private properties. It focuses on creating an exciting new experience for our diverse and expanding customer base," said Promenade Advisory Committee member and property owner Robert Resnick. "Recommended zoning changes will be instrumental for tenant strategies on each of the three blocks, with tools to help landlords adapt their space to emerging market demands. These initiatives, supported by robust public space activation steeped in art, culture and diversity is our roadmap for the next generation of Third Street Promenade.
Progress on initiatives outlined in the Vitality Plan is already underway. DTSM is installing new lighting and interactive elements tailored to capitalize on the increased demand for public art and fixtures that make for engaging and fun moments to be shared on social media. DTSM's economic development team has also developed a leasing strategy to build a more diverse and inclusive business mix with a focus on small-scale manufacturers and artisans who do not currently have a brick-and-mortar presence in Santa Monica. DTSM purchased six kiosks that will be strategically placed along the Promenade, with the goal of giving these entrepreneurs opportunities to grow their businesses at a scale that works for them.
In response to pandemic-related emergency health orders the council has permitted additional opportunities for outdoor dining, retail and fitness, as well as entertainment uses along the Promenade. The Promenade's eclectic mix of street performers have returned and DTSM has ramped up the production of free community events including live music, exercise classes, kids crafts, poetry readings, art walks and more. To foster a safe and welcoming environment, the ambassador program has expanded to provide safety-related services in addition to the hospitality, custodial and homeless outreach efforts already in place.
For more information on the Vitality Plan, visit DowntownSM.com/Promenade. For the latest resources and information, follow @DTSantaMonica on Instagram and Twitter or DowntownSantaMonica on Facebook.
About Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.)
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. is a private non-profit 501c(3) that works with the City of Santa Monica to manage services and operations in Downtown Santa Monica that promote economic stability, growth and community life within Downtown Santa Monica. DTSM, Inc. manages the Property-based Business Assessment District (PBAD) that encompasses the area bounded by Ocean Avenue (W), Wilshire Boulevard (N), Lincoln Boulevard (E) and the Santa Monica Freeway (S). For more info, please visit DowntownSM.com or follow us on Instagram and Twitter @dtsantamonica or Facebook at DowntownSantaMonica.
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Overseas Pakistani workers have remitted US $6.44 billion in the first four months (July to October) of FY18, compared with US $6.30 billion received during the same period in the preceding year.
During October 2017, the inflow of worker's remittances amounted to US $1,654.45 million, which is 27.87% higher than September 2017 and 5.99% higher than October 2016.
Remittances received from Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan and other countries during October 2017 amounted to US $137.83 million together as against US $157.30 million received in October 2016.
And still the Government doesnt put effort to bring PayPal in Pakistan. I swear if Paypal comes in Pakistan, foreign remittances will be tripled. I alone can bring one forth of it in Pakistan!
First read what I am trying to say. I never mentioned saudi arabia once. I don't do business with enemies of Islam ( the other one is Iran). I am talking about Paypal and freelancing business in general. The foreign remittance from Paypal can triple this amount even if you take saudi arabia out of the equation.
Freelancers are using alternate ways for receiving payments, most of them work with fiverr odesk etc and don't take direct payment so services like Payoneer and transferwise are very good for the moment. I doubt your claim of triple payments, though it may increase but not three fold.
Also remittances are not sent via PayPal even in other countries. Only businesses and freelancers use that.
i am a freelance. even i am facing many problem to because of no paypal. i am doing work on envato-themeforest (Web Design and web development). when someone bought my item. if he ask me about support. i offer him 20$ – 60$ for 2 – 4 hrs work for support. sometime buyer not agree with payonner for 20$ – 60$. he say's i can only pay you on paypal. Then i rejected support because of no paypal. my daily sale is 20 – 35. mostly 3 – 4 ask for support.


Beginner Class- (Ages 11+ and Adult) Learn how to create this beautiful winter cake with cake artist and owner of Ella Vanilla, Noelle DeSantis. You will leave with a fully decorated 4-inch vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream icing ready to share. Cake feeds 1 to 3 people.
Purchase by emailing Noelle@EllaVanilla.com or by calling (215) 909-9392 with your credit card or stop by the store.
Intended for ages 11+ and Adults! Kids under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a participating adult.


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Chinese New Year 2023 The Hague
The next Chinese New Year festival is on January 21, 2023 to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit
CNY 2016 15
Culture of the People's Republic of China (wikipedia)


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The influence of real-time blood glucose levels on left ventricular myocardial strain and strain rate in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus - a speckle tracking echocardiography study
Kai O. Hensel ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5826-61331,
Franziska Grimmer1,
Andreas C. Jenke1,
Stefan Wirth1 &
Andreas Heusch1
Echocardiographic myocardial performance parameters such as strain and strain rate are increasingly used to assess systolic and diastolic function in patients with diabetes mellitus and several other clinical and scientific scenarios. While long-term metabolic marks such as HbA1C are inherently assessed in diabetic patients, the actual blood glucose level at the very moment of the echocardiographic study has not yet been taken into account for the assessment of cardiac mechanics. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of real-time blood glucose levels on left ventricular (LV) myocardial strain and strain rate in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).
We performed speckle tracking echocardiography on 39 normotensive pediatric patients with uncomplicated type 1 diabetes mellitus (mean age 11.5 ± 3.5 years, 40 % female) and 44 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (mean age 11.4 ± 2.9 years, 45 % female). T1DM patients were sub-categorized according to their blood sugar levels (with a cutoff of 150 mg/dL) at the moment of the echocardiographic exam. Investigators were blinded to the participants' study group status.
Interestingly, diabetic patients with higher blood sugar levels demonstrated significantly increased LV circumferential strain (p = 0.003) and strain rate (p = 0.005) as well as global longitudinal strain rate (p = 0.002) in comparison to T1DM patients with lower blood sugar levels or healthy controls.
For the investigation of myocardial performance with sensitive methods such as speckle tracking echocardiography in diabetic study populations real-time blood sugar levels should be taken into account. Further studies are needed to verify these findings in large-scale patient cohorts and serial intra-individual measurements in different metabolic states.
Quantitative echocardiographic assessment of regional and global myocardial deformation –strain and strain rate - is increasingly used for the evaluation of systolic and diastolic function in diabetic cardiomyopathy and in a variety of other scientific and clinical scenarios [1–3]. In health and disease, left ventricular (LV) cardiac mechanics are complex and heterogeneously variable in nature. Hence, sensitive LV performance measurements in diabetes associated cardiac disease are susceptible to alterations due to advanced age, disease duration (Kai O. Hensel, Franziska Grimmer, Markus Roskopf, Andreas C. Jenke, Stefan Wirth, and Andreas Heusch, "Subclinical Alterations of Cardiac Mechanics Present Early in the Course of Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Blinded Speckle Tracking Stress Echocardiography Study," Journal of Diabetes Research, Article ID 2583747, in press), diabetic complications [4], overweight [5], inotropically active drugs [6], etc.. However, there is a total lack of studies on the effect of short-term alterations in serum glucose levels in pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. Children and adolescents with uncomplicated diabetes may serve as an ideal model to study the effect of blood glucose levels on myocardial function in the absence of potentially confounding factors such as ischemia or renal disease. Variations in serum glucose are known to significantly affect myocardial contractility through several molecular mechanisms [7, 8]. For logistical reasons blood sample collection and echocardiographic examinations oftentimes are performed separately in clinical studies, sometimes with days or even weeks in between. Alterations in the concentration of intravenous lipids have been shown to have an immediate effect on myocardial contractility [9]. However, serum glucose levels at the very moment of the echocardiographic assessment have not yet been taken into account when analyzing myocardial mechanics in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of real-time blood glucose on the echocardiographic LV performance parameters strain and strain rate in pediatric patients with uncomplicated type 1 diabetes mellitus.
In order to study the effect of real-time blood sugar levels on LV myocardial deformation we utilized speckle tracking echocardiography to measure LV myocardial strain and strain rate as previously described [10]. We included 83 children and adolescents; 39 consecutive asymptomatic, normotensive children and adolescents (40 % female) with uncomplicated type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (45 % female). Exclusion criteria were any signs of diabetes associated end-organ damage (e.g. proteinuria) as well as other medical conditions that may affect the cardiovascular system. None of the included patients or volunteers were on any medication with influence to the cardiovascular system (other than insulin for the study group). Echocardiographic examinations were performed in a left lateral decubitus position according to a standardized protocol using the commercially available ultrasound device iE33 by Phillips Ultrasound Inc., USA, with a S5-1 Sector Array transducer (Sector 1-5 MHz). A complete standard 2D study including a spectral and color flow Doppler examination was carried out according to international echocardiography guidelines [11]. Three consecutive cardiac cycles were recorded as digital loop for subsequent quantitative analyses on an off-line work station. XCelera Version 3.1.1.422 by Phillips Ultrasound Inc., USA was used for speckle-tracking derived strain and strain rate measurements. Circumferential strain and strain rate were assessed in the parasternal short axis view at the level of the mitral valve and the papillary muscles. Global longitudinal strain and strain rate were derived by measuring cardiac deformation in apical 2-, 3-, and 4-chamber views. A priori the diabetes group was sub-categorized according to their blood sugar level at the moment of the echocardiographic examination in groups with blood glucose levels lower or higher than 150 mg/dL, respectively. For the quantitative deformation post processing of echocardiographic images the investigators were blinded to the group status of the participants.
The study was approved by the Witten/Herdecke University Ethics and Clinical Trials Committee and assigned the trial number 113/2013. Each participant as well as their legal guardian signed a written informed consent. For ethical reasons it was not feasible to obtain blood chemistry parameters including serum glucose levels from those healthy children who voluntarily served as a control group.
Data is presented as mean (± standard deviation) in tables and in box-whisker-plots with median and interquartile ranges. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc (Turkey) test as well as Mann-Whitney U test and post hoc bonferroni correction were used to find statistically significant differences among the groups. According to post hoc bonferroni correction the statistical significance level was set to 0.00625 for strain and strain rate analyses. SPSS Version 22.0 and Microsoft Excel for Mac 2011 Version 14.4.4 were utilized for statistical analyses and data presentation.
Baseline clinical characteristics and conventional echocardiographic parameters almost invariably did not differ significantly between the analyzed groups (Tables 1 and 2). Mean age was 11.5 ± 3.5 years in the high blood sugar diabetes group, 11.5 ± 3.3 years in the low blood sugar diabetes group and 11.4 ± 2.9 years in the controls. Mean disease duration (and HbA1c) were 4.5 ± 3.0 years (8.3 ± 1.2 mg/dL) in T1DM patients with high blood sugar and 4.5 ± 3.3 years (8.1 ± 1.2 mg/dL) in T1DM patients with low blood sugar at the moment of the echocardiographic examination. Exceptions are a slightly higher but normal heart rate in T1DM patients with blood sugar levels > 150 mg/dL (87.1 ± 11.4 versus 81.3 ± 10.8 bpm) and a greater end-systolic interventricular septal diameter (1.17 ± 0.20 vs. 1.09 ± 0.21 cm) and LV mass (115.2 ± 37.6 vs. 100.3 ± 41 g) in healthy controls. Even though statistically significant these differences were marginal and all values were within normal limits as evaluated by z-scores [12].
Table 1 Baseline clinical characteristics and hemodynamics of the study population
Table 2 Conventional echocardiographic parameters derived from two-dimensional and Doppler imaging
The effect of real-time serum glucose levels on myocardial deformation parameters is demonstrated in Fig. 1. T1DM Patients with blood sugar levels higher than 150 mg/dL at the time of the echocardiographic examination had significantly increased (more negative) peak LV circumferential strain (p = 0.003), circumferential strain rate (p = 0.005) and longitudinal strain rate (p = 0.002) values than patients with lower real-time blood sugar levels or healthy controls (Table 3). The difference in global longitudinal strain showed the same tendency with increased values in T1DM patients with higher real-time blood sugar levels when compared to T1DM patients with lower blood sugar levels, however without reaching statistical significance. A speckle-tracking echocardiography example of increased global LV peak circumferential strain in a patient with elevated serum glucose is shown in Fig. 2. The results were reproducible and inter-observer variability was below 6 %.
Myocardial deformation in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients and healthy controls in relation to serum glucose levels at the moment of the echocardiographic examination. a: LV peak systolic global circumferential strain in healthy controls and T1DM patients. b: LV peak systolic global longitudinal strain rate in healthy controls and T1DM patients. * = p < 0.00625; p-values were calculated with one way ANOVA and post hoc tests
Table 3 Speckle tracking echocardiography derived peak LV circumferential and longitudinal strain and strain rate of T1DM patients and healthy controls
Speckle tracking echocardiography in the parasternal short axis view at level of the papillary muscles. a peak systolic global LV circumferential strain in a pediatric patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus and real time serum glucose level < 150 mg/dL. b peak systolic global LV circumferential strain in a pediatric patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus and real time serum glucose level > 150 mg/dL. Note the increased (more negative) peak LV systolic global circumferential strain in the diabetic patient with the higher blood sugar level ( b )
Myocardial performance is influenced by a variety of non-metabolic and metabolic factors [13]. When studying myocardial function in clinical and scientific scenarios, usually only long-term influences are taken into account [14]. Currently, there are no studies on the effect of short-term blood glucose alterations on cardiac mechanics in pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. However, acute metabolic changes have been shown to substantially alter cardiac function. Holland et al. demonstrated, that the infusion of an intravenous fat emulsion to acutely raise plasma triglycerides alters ventricular-vascular interaction by increasing left ventricular contractility without affecting arterial load [9]. Recently, longitudinal strain was shown to be influenced by fasting plasma glucose levels in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus [15]. To our knowledge the present study is the first clinical study in humans to assess the influence of real-time blood sugar levels on myocardial performance parameters strain and strain rate in a diabetic study population.
Interestingly, we found strain and strain rate to be increased (more negative) in diabetic children with elevated real-time blood sugar levels when compared to T1DM patients with lower blood sugar levels and healthy controls (Table 3, Fig. 1). This is in line with an in vitro finding of the acute influence of fructose on cardiomyocyte excitation-contraction coupling [16] – a molecular mechanism that might explain the results of the present study. The fact that circumferential strain, circumferential strain rate and longitudinal strain rate but not longitudinal strain were significantly higher in T1DM patients with increased blood sugar levels can well be explained by the strong heterogeneity of myocardial fiber organization in the LV and the natural consequence of regional variations in myocardial deformation [17, 18]. Hence, transient metabolic laboratory biochemistry parameters such as serum glucose levels may affect LV myocardial performance. Consequently, blood glucose and lipid studies should be obtained close to the time of the echocardiographic examination when assessing cardiac mechanics with sensitive tools such as speckle-tracking.
Baseline characteristics of the study groups did not differ significantly between the analyzed groups besides for a slightly higher heart rate in T1DM patients with blood sugar levels higher than 150 mg/dL (87.1 ± 11.4 versus 81.3 ± 10.8 bpm; Table 1). Even though statistically significant, this difference in heart rate is unlikely to be a biologically relevant cause for the above described alterations in myocardial strain and strain rate. Boettler and colleagues have found differences in heart rate mainly to affect strain rate in diastole other than in systole [19]. Furthermore, systolic strain has been shown to decrease with increasing heart rate [20]. This means, that if heart rate had a significant influence on strain and strain rate in our study population, it would actually lead to depressed strain values in T1DM patients with high blood sugar levels. Hence, the finding of increased strain in combination with a slightly higher heart rate in T1DM patients with high blood sugar levels even strengthens the significance of real-time blood glucose for myocardial performance parameters as demonstrated in this study. Nevertheless, it has to be stated that the here reported changes represent subtle, subclinical alterations only. As the study participants do not suffer from overt heart disease but exhibit uncomplicated T1DM with a relatively short disease duration (mean 4 ± 3.5 years) only, it is not surprising that the demonstrated differences in strain and strain rate are not more pronounced. Outcome-relation and clinical implications yet have to be determined by further studies. Hypothetically, hyperglycemia-induced increased energy turnover may lead to hyperdynamic cardiac mechanics in diabetes associated cardiomyopathy which on the long run might contribute to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Experimental animal studies utilizing speckle tracking echocardiography in hyperglycemic ketoacidosis and hypoglycemic states should be performed to further illuminate the spatiotemporal course of diabetes associated cardiac disease.
Study limitations are the fact that this is an observational study in a limited number of patients. In order to correlate the findings of altered myocardial strain and strain rate with a clinical outcome, long-term follow-up studies in large-scale cohorts are necessary. These studies should include adult individuals and serial intra-individual echocardiographic assessments in states of different blood glucose levels both in diabetic and healthy control patients, which was not feasible for this study due to ethical restrictions. These further studies are needed to ultimately establish the value of real time glucose level measurements for the evaluation of the myocardial contractile state using sensible methods such as speckle-tracking echocardiography.
LV myocardial strain and strain rate in pediatric patients with T1DM may be influenced by short-term alterations in metabolic parameters like blood sugar levels. Our findings provide an impetus for future experimental and clinical studies directed to investigate the mechanism of real-time blood glucose concentration on cardiac mechanics. Studies investigating other influential factors on myocardial performance in patients with diabetes should exclude the influence of short-term alterations in serum blood sugar as a potential confounder. Blood glucose levels should be measured close to the timing of the echocardiographic examination when assessing myocardial mechanics with sensible tools such as speckle tracking echocardiography.
ANOVA:
T1DM:
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Zoroufian A, Razmi T, Taghavi-Shavazi M, Lotfi-Tokaldany M, Jalali A. Evaluation of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in diabetic patients: longitudinal strain velocities and left ventricular dyssynchrony by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography study. Echocardiography. 2014;31(4):456–63. doi:10.1111/echo.12389.
Hensel KO, Jenke A, Leischik R. Speckle-tracking and tissue-Doppler stress echocardiography in arterial hypertension: a sensitive tool for detection of subclinical LV impairment. BioMed Res Int. 2014;2014:472562. doi:10.1155/2014/472562.
Jensen MT, Sogaard P, Andersen HU, Bech J, Fritz Hansen T, Biering-Sorensen T, et al. Global longitudinal strain is Not impaired in type 1 diabetes patients without albuminuria: the thousand & 1 study. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2015;8(4):400–10. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2014.12.020.
Mochizuki Y, Tanaka H, Matsumoto K, Sano H, Toki H, Shimoura H, et al. Clinical features of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2015;14(1):37. doi:10.1186/s12933-015-0201-8.
Ng AC, Delgado V, Bertini M, van der Meer RW, Rijzewijk LJ, Shanks M, et al. Findings from left ventricular strain and strain rate imaging in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am J Cardiol. 2009;104(10):1398–401. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2009.06.063.
Chung J, Abraszewski P, Yu X, Liu W, Krainik AJ, Ashford M, et al. Paradoxical increase in ventricular torsion and systolic torsion rate in type I diabetic patients under tight glycemic control. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;47(2):384–90. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2005.08.061.
Ward ML, Crossman DJ. Mechanisms underlying the impaired contractility of diabetic cardiomyopathy. World J Cardiol. 2014;6(7):577–84. doi:10.4330/wjc.v6.i7.577.
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Leischik R, Dworrak B, Hensel K. Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility for radial, circumferential and longitudinal strain echocardiography. Open Cardiovasc Med J. 2014;8:102–9. doi:10.2174/1874192401408010102.
Lopez L, Colan SD, Frommelt PC, Ensing GJ, Kendall K, Younoszai AK, et al. Recommendations for quantification methods during the performance of a pediatric echocardiogram: a report from the Pediatric Measurements Writing Group of the American Society of Echocardiography Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Council. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2010;23(5):465–95. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2010.03.019. quiz 576-7.
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The authors thank all study participants and Markus Roskopf and Matthias Wisbauer for their support with regard to echocardiographic image acquisition. This study was supported by a research grant by HELIOS Research Center (HRC-ID 000416).
Department of Pediatrics, HELIOS Medical Center Wuppertal, Center for Clinical & Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Center for Biomedical Education & Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Faculty of Health, Heusnerstr. 40, D-42283, Wuppertal, Germany
Kai O. Hensel, Franziska Grimmer, Andreas C. Jenke, Stefan Wirth & Andreas Heusch
Kai O. Hensel
Franziska Grimmer
Andreas C. Jenke
Andreas Heusch
Correspondence to Kai O. Hensel.
KOH designed and supervised the study, interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript. FG performed the echocardiographic studies, post-processing, statistical analyses and prepared the figures and tables. AH helped recruiting patients and performing echocardiographic examinations. AH, SW and AJ critically reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Hensel, K.O., Grimmer, F., Jenke, A.C. et al. The influence of real-time blood glucose levels on left ventricular myocardial strain and strain rate in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus - a speckle tracking echocardiography study. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 15, 175 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-015-0171-5
Speckle tracking echocardiography
Two-dimensional strain
Strain rate
Transient metabolic changes
Diabetic cardiomyopathy
Systolic function
Subclinical LV impairment
Normal ejection fraction
Non-coronary artery cardiac disease


The Truck is in very good shape and runs perfect.All Original, Matching Numbers. Original Rochester Quadrajet Carburetor recently cleaned and repair changed, works awesome.New Spark PlugsNew Fuel pump, original way with return line.New fuel hoses connections.Everything works.New Tires.AC needs charge.This is not a show car, but it is still nice looking. The Paint is old, has marks of the time.Very good to Drive and you will not be disappointed.
We make any change you judge necessary.We do Export.
1973 Chevrolet C20 long bed, low miles 350 small block-"square body"


Glenda has been a financial consultant since 1987, and has been with the firm since its founding in 1992. She earned her CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) designation from the Board of Certified Financial Planners in 2000. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A & I University in Kingsville and a Master of Education from Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas. In addition to her CFP®, she earned her FINRA series 6 and 63 in 1987, and she is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). In December 2004, Glenda appeared in Real Simple magazine's "A Less Harried Holiday", where she gave advice on Christmas spending and planning for future holiday seasons.
Glenda has been involved in the Austin community since she arrived in 1978. She belonged to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, served as a member of the President's Council and Director of Diplomats, and was a member of the Women's Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the Austin Founder Lions Club and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Glenda has been a member of the Westlake United Methodist Church since she moved to Austin. She has a son, daughter-in-law and grandson who live in Pflugerville and a stepson, grandson, and granddaughter who live in Fort Worth.


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Gets a random word/phrase from all_words.txt, and uses that word/phrase to play a game of hangman with the user in the console.

## Instructions
Pre-requisite: You need Python 3+

### Download the script and run it
```
git clone https://github.com/jakehtr/hangman-game.git
cd hangman-game
python hangman.py
```

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Home » the walking dead webisodes
the walking dead webisodes
Fear the Walking Dead Flight 462: Part 1 [Video]
Check out the first installment of a 16-part series about a group of passengers experiencing the outbreak aboard a commercial airplane. Assuming a new "episode" (and we use episode lightly since each is about a minute long), we won't see the finale episode until after Christmas. [...] Continue Reading
Flight 462 Web Series Takes Off This October
Recently it was announced that AMC and the creators of Fear The Walking Dead would release a series of webisodes detailing the plight of airline passengers during the initial outbreak of the zombie Apocalypse. Other than small bits of information regarding the series – e.g. a cast member from [...] Continue Reading
The Walking Dead Webisodes: The Oath, Parts 1, 2 and 3
It's officially #Walktober! AMC and The Walking Dead have treated us by releasing all 3 parts of their latest Webisode series, The Oath. We've gathered all three parts for you here. Check them out below. Synopsis: In the three webisodes, the lone survivors of a massive walker-attack, [...] Continue Reading
"The Walking Dead" Webseries "The Oath" Starts October 1 on AMCTV.com
AMC's "The Walking Dead" webisode series will return on Oct. 1 with three new installments. Titled "The Oath" and directed by Greg Nicotero, the three 7-10 minute webisodes will follow the lone survivors of a massive zombie attack and star Ashley Bell ("The Last Exorcism 2″), Wyatt [...] Continue Reading


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Q: Change of coordinates for $X^3+Y^3+60Z^3=0$ I have to demonstrate that the curve
$$ X^3+Y^3+60Z^3=0$$
is birationally equivalent to
$$Y^2=X^3-2^43^360^2$$ or to $$Y^2=X^3-3^330^2.$$ I can't find a proper change of coordinates for this purpose. Does anyone know how can I do? Thanks!

A: It is known that the Selmer curve
$$  X^3 + Y^3 = dZ^3  $$
is birationally equivalent to Weierstrass curve
$$  V^2W = U^3 - 2^4 3^3 d^2 W^3  $$
under the mutually inverse transformations $X= V - 36dW, Y= -V-36dW , Z=-6U$ along with $ U=12dZ, V= -36d(X-Y), W=X+Y $. My source for this is here.
I think these will work with your case, i.e. $W=1$ and $d=-60$ though I'm not very well-versed in elliptic curves, so please correct me if this is wrong.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets
Three and a half minutes and ten bullets. One unarmed boy is dead.
The film 3½ MINUTES, TEN BULLETS dissects the shooting death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, the aftermath of this systemic tragedy, and contradictions within the American criminal justice system.
One evening in Jacksonville, Florida, Michael Dunn, a middle aged man who parked his car next to a car of teenagers in a gas station parking lot, asks the group to turn down the music in their car. The kids turn the music off but one of the teenagers in the car, Jordan Davis, expresses his frustration with doing so. Things get heated between Dunn and Davis and when a gun is drawn into the mix, the exchange turns deadly. Just a few months after Trayvon Martin's death, another black teen is gunned down by an armed white man in Florida.
Witnesses attest to Dunn firing his gun into Jordan's car even as the teenager and his friends tried to back away. Dunn admits to fleeing the scene and he never turned himself in, even after learning that Jordan died.
These are the events that unfolded on the evening of November 23, 2012, but this tragedy had its seeds sown in the long violent history of race and guns in America. 3½ MINUTES explores the emotional toll such violence exacts on those left behind, such as Jordan's parents against the backdrop of a contemporary legal system and the society it intends to serve.
The Davis family typified the modern American family. Ron and Lucy, Jordan's parents, worked hard and raised their only child with love and diligence. The world wouldn't have had any reason to know anything about Jordan Davis, an average teenage boy living an average teenage boy's life, but for the fact that he had become another symbol of the problem of assigning criminal culpability for indiscriminate gun play in a state that harbors very liberal concealed weapons laws.
Despite all the state's witnesses and a host of evidence that should have convicted Michael Dunn, the prosecutors were left with a hung jury. Ron and Lucy were left without any sense of justice. They assume a quiet dignity that sometimes comes to those who've known the worst sort of pain. Their story is the story of 3 ½ MINUTES; the story of how life goes on after a tragedy, and as it goes, one must remain engaged with the world; one must endeavor to do good after having suffered some terrible evil. To do otherwise would leave one a victim for the rest of ones life – which Ron and Lucy refuse to do.
http://www.rocoeducational.com/3_1_2_minutes_ten_bullets
Marc Silver
Orlando Bagwell
Su Patel
Impact Producer


DETROIT – 07.28.2015 – GMC introduced the 2016 Canyon diesel today – featuring an all-new powertrain that expands the Canyon's already class-leading capabilities, including trailering capacity of up to 7,700 pounds (3,492 kg).
The new 2.8L Duramax diesel, SAE-certified at 181 horsepower (135 kW) and 369 lb-ft of torque (500 Nm), is estimated to deliver greater highway fuel economy than the Canyon's segment-topping gas engines, and is the cleanest diesel truck engine ever from General Motors. It goes on sale this fall.
A new, electronically controlled two-speed transfer case on 4WD models.
"The new Duramax diesel takes the GMC Canyon's award-winning capabilities to a new level in its segment," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing.
The new Duramax diesel is offered on SLE and SLT Crew Cab models, with 2WD or 4WD. It is priced $3,730 more than a comparably equipped Canyon V-6 model.
Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings of 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg) for 2WD and 6,200 pounds (2,812 kg) for 4WD.
A fully boxed frame provides the strength to enable the capabilities of the new Duramax diesel while supporting a ride designed to be smooth and quiet. Like the full-size Sierra's frame, Canyon features three sections – or bays – with specific strength and support characteristics, including a front bay made of hydroformed side rails and an integrated four-point front axle mounting system designed to reduce vibration.
When it comes to putting that capability to use, the GMC Canyon offers helpful cargo features such as the standard CornerStep rear bumper, two-tier cargo bed loading, 13 standard movable tie-downs in the cargo bed, an available factory spray-in bed liner and the EZ Lift-and-Lower tailgate.
In addition, the 2016 Canyon offers technologies and connectivity features such as GMC IntelliLink with new phone integration technology – and Apple CarPlay capability – OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot, Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Alert.
Canyon's new 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel is part of General Motors' global family of turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines designed to deliver capability and efficiency. It features a variable-geometry turbocharger for optimal power and efficiency across the rpm band and a balance shaft for greater smoothness.
Power is SAE-certified at 181 horsepower (135 kW) at 3,400 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque (500 Nm) at 2,000 rpm. A broad torque band makes it very powerful at low rpm while the turbocharged performance provides a confident feeling of immediate and smooth horsepower on demand.
"The new 2.8L Duramax was designed specifically for trucks and has undergone many of the same validation tests as the 6.6L Duramax offered in the GMC Sierra HD models, advancing the Duramax brand's legacy of durability and reliability," said Yackley.
The Duramax 2.8L is the cleanest diesel truck engine ever produced by GM and meets some of the toughest U.S. emissions standards, thanks in part to a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system.
The cooled EGR contributes to lower emissions by diverting some of the engine-out exhaust gas and mixing it back into the fresh intake air stream, which is drawn into the cylinder head for combustion. That lowers combustion temperatures and rates, improving emissions performance by reducing the formation of NOx.
The Canyon's integrated, driver-selectable exhaust brake system is based on the system introduced on the 2015 Sierra HD models and uses the compression power of the 2.8L Duramax engine to improve vehicle control and reduce brake pad wear.
The Centrifugal Pendulum Vibration Absorber (CPVA) in the torque converter is designed to control vibration and noise. It is an absorbing damper with a set of secondary spring masses, that — when energized — cancels out the engine's torsional vibrations so the driver and passengers can't feel them.
In its unique design, the spring masses vibrate in the opposite direction of the torsional vibrations of the engine, balancing out undesirable torsional vibrations. Its use in the Canyon marks the first application of a CPVA in GM vehicles and its first use in the midsize truck segment.
In 2015, Canyon won Cars.com's Midsize Pickup Challenge for its segment-leading capabilities and efficiency, including the latest in safety features, cargo-hauling and trailering versatility. Cars.com also complimented the Canyon SLT, the segment's only premium vehicle, for its performance with a full load, as well as its design and use of high-end materials.
Autoweek honored Canyon as the "Best of the Best Truck for 2015," and Wards Auto World recognized Canyon as one of Ward's 10 Best Interiors for 2015, based on criteria such as design harmony, ergonomics, materials, driver information, safety and comfort.
NOTE: Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price includes destination charges, but excludes tax, title, license, optional equipment and dealer fees.


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SEBASTIAN BACH: 'I Have Been Writing New Songs All Summer'
Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach recently spoke to Boston-based freelance writer Debby Rao about his new band and the group's future activities, including their upcoming mini-tour with TWISTED SISTER.
When asked why he wasn't using guitarist Richie Scarlett on the band's forthcoming tour, Sebastian said, "I love Richie. He is great. But the thing is I am signed to Spitfire Records. They are becoming a really big label now. They did really good for Zakk Wylde. They are becoming more of a major label. I have been writing new songs all summer for my next record. I went on the Internet to see what was out there. So basically I found these guys from Tennessee. They used to be in the band DEAD TIGHT FIVE. They have great songs and have been looking for a singer all their career. You know what I am saying?! We have so many great songs. They are melodic and heavy. I also got another guitar player, Adam Albright from SKINLAB. He is heavy and metal. He has a good edge to 'Slave to the Grind' and 'Monkey Business'. He has a new sound to his guitar."
With regards to his upcoming dates with TWISTED SISTER, Bach said, "TWISTED SISTER is like one of my favorite bands ever. I can't believe I get to go on tour with them. When I was kid, I used to paint TWISTED SISTER on the back of my jacket with liquid paper. I am playing the Beacon Theater in New York City with ALICE COOPER. SKID ROW is not playing there, but I am playing with my solo band. That is a big deal for me."
As previously reported, Bach will be reunited with former SKID ROW bandmate/drummer Rob Affuso at select dates on his upcoming solo tour, including at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York on Thursday, October 23 and at The Beacon Theater in New York City on Monday, October 27. Bach's new solo band, dubbed BACH TIGHT 5, is completed by Albright, drummer Mark "BamBam" McConnell, bassist Brian Hall (a.k.a. Cheeze) (BLACK BONE, DEAD TIGHT 5), and guitarist Randall X Rawlings (DEAD TIGHT 5).
DAVID ELLEFSON And JEFF SCOTT SOTO Have 'Something Brewing'
STAIND's AARON LEWIS Passes Kidney Stone Less Than Week After Having His Appendix Removed
ROBERT TRUJILLO's Wife CHLOE TRUJILLO And New Zealand Musician MARK DALBETH Drop 'Mana' Music Video
Watch ANTHRAX's SCOTT IAN Play SEPULTURA's 'Roots Bloody Roots' With His 10-Year-Old Son
AVENGED SEVENFOLD's SYNYSTER GATES And JOHNNY CHRIST Surprise Fan With Signed Guitar (Video)
VRSTY
KING BASTARD
It Came From The Void


DACT is a 'one-stop shop' for individual people/groups/communities to find solutions for transport and mobility problems through its Car Scheme, Minibus Scheme & Shopmobility Scheme services.
To transport individuals who cannot use public transport for whatever reason to their medical appointments. DACT aim to give individuals equal access to medical appointments, enhancing their health and well-being. This will be done by use of Volunteer Drivers using their own cars.
To transport community groups to various locations giving members the opportunity for social inclusion. This will be done by the provision of fully accesible minibuses driven by Volunteer Drivers. DACT's aim is to reduce isolation of individuals in rural areas, both young, old and those with reduced mobility. To increase the activities of groups and enhance social life in local areas which will build community relations, and increase use of rural infrastructure and business.
To enable people with reduced mobility to move freely around Daventry Town Centre accessing shops and amenities. DACT will offer solutions for those with mobility impairment to enable them to improve their quality and standard of living. DACT will encourage local businesses and infrastructure providers to create mobility-friendly environments.
DACT will seek to improve transport solutions by using a joined up approach, liaising with local authorities and other organisations.
To assist the work of organisations and bodies engaged in the relief of poverty, sickness, disabilities of age, and disadvantages of rural isolation.


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Ireland Republic: Free the Bin Tax campaigners - Mass struggle shakes the Establishment
Kevin McLoughlin, Dublin.
Over 14/15 October, the battle against the bin tax in Dublin reached new heights. Over those two days, protest action forced 90% of bin services in greater Dublin to close down.
Free the bin tax campaigners
Mass struggle shakes the Establishment
Following the call from the anti-bin tax campaign in Fingal, seven bin truck depots that cover the greater Dublin area were picketed successfully. Overwhelmingly, the bin workers respected the pickets. Furthermore, many wanted to co-ordinate action with the campaign in order to put maximum pressure on the local councils which are implementing the tax.
Council management, police and union officials attempted to pile on the pressure to cut across the blockades. It is a testament to the determination of the activists, and the solidarity mood in the depots, that management and police were only able to break through one blockade. In that case, two women activists were arrested under so-called public order offences.
The potential for an alliance between the activists in the communities and the bin workers is of crucial importance. It was clear that the majority of the bin workers are not only opposed to the bin tax, they are also disgusted with the harassment and imprisonment of protesters. Many of the workers see the tax as a stepping-stone towards privatisation of services. There is obviously a desire to fight on these issues but there is very little confidence in the union leadership. Campaign activists and workers need to try to work out a common strategy to fight on all these issues as a matter of urgency.
The anti-bin tax campaign issued a clear warning last Wednesday (15/10/03) that more arrests and non-collection will result in even more determined action.
The Establishment thought that by ignoring the campaign they could pretend that the bin tax was not an issue. Since last week's blockades, however, they have really tried to hammer the campaign, and the Socialist Party in particular. This is precisely because the struggle is having a tremendous effect.
The battle of ideas, and countering misinformation about the anti-bin tax campaign, is a vital part of the campaign. We got a big boost last weekend with the release from prison of Clare Daly and Joe Higgins last Saturday. This and their stated intention to continue the fight against this unfair tax got massive media coverage in Ireland.
Over 400 activists and Socialist Party members crammed into the Gresham Hotel last Saturday night to salute the brave stand of Joe and Clare in defence of working class people. Joe and Clare outlined what was next in the bin tax battle but also put the struggle in a broader context and encouraged people to join the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party has demonstrated in practice that it has the ideas and methods to take on the capitalist Establishment.
€1,500 was raised for the party funds in the collection at the meeting.


I'm a Digital Painter working from sunny South Africa. My first language is photoshop. I graduated with a BA in New media design including design for broadcast and 3D development but have too much of a passion for the 2D media. Right now I'm trying to establish a killer portfolio as I set up my online freelance profile, I'm focusing on selecting jobs which I feel will make the best display pieces for a portfolio, and you have the peace of mind that you will be getting the very best quality from me.
Allison Frank Curriculum Vitae •	Objective: To challenge myself by breathing life into a character, making it enchanting and entertaining •	Qualifications: 1. Extensive fine arts background 2. Works well in a group 3. Finds the fun in an artistic challenge 4. Friendly 5. Takes constructive criticism and learns well from it •	Profile I am a happy, creative and energetic 25-year-old female with a desire to make things move. I love experimenting with different approaches and mediums, so my art style and inspiration is always bouncing around. I've always loved to draw but didn't know where I fit in the scheme of things. I went to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania initially undeclared, but fell in love with animation. I spent 5 years there honing my skills and networking with classmates and professors. I graduated in May 2009 and have since been diving into my craft and working out of my apartment in Pennsylvania. I'm eager to travel to new places and see what awaits me in my field. •	Experience and Achievements 1.	2011 Worked at Dreamkind as a Character Designer and Animator, helped create 3 animated webisodes for Fuzzoodles 2.	2010 Won best student film for "Otto" at the Epiphany Children's Film Festival in New York City 3.	2009 Official Selection - Dave Weinkauf Spring Film Festival. Submissions included Otto and Musical Celebrations 4.	2008 Was one of four to animate on Musical Celebrations for the opening of Edinboro's new music building alongside the Erie Philharmonic 5.	2008 Directed and animated a commercial for Sharon Optical Inc. 6.	2007 Painted windows for Shenango Valley Cinemas 7.	2005 – 2011 Freelance commissions •	Work Experience 1.	2011 – Worked at Dreamkind as a Character Animator. 2.	2010-2011 Designed and animated a 2D short for www.NoirFilms.net 3.	2010 Designed a logo for Booshie Kittie, a children's clothing brand 4.	2009 Designed a logo for A Broad Travels, a traveling website for women 5.	2002-2009 Designed recall cards for Sharon Optical Inc. 6.	2008 Created a commercial for Sharon Optical Inc. •	Demonstrable Software Flash, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Corel Painter, Paint Tool SAI, Adobe Illustrator •	Experience In Lightwave, Sony Vegas Adobe Premiere •	Education 2009 BFA Applied Media Arts in Animation Edinboro University of Pennsylvania 1.	Beginning animation, Intermediate animation 1 & 2, Advanced animation 1, 2, 3 & 4. Taught by Michael Genz, Brad Pattullo and Cathy Joritz. 2.	Drawing 1 & 2, taught by John Bavaro. 3.	Painting 1 & 2, taught by Rachel Burke and John Bavaro. 4.	Graphic Design taught by Bob Conlon 5.	Computer animation 1 & 2 taught by Steve Carpenter 6.	Independent study lead by Michael Genz and Brad Pattulo. Task was to create animation to music for the opening of the new music building. Animation was timed to Rossini's La Scala Di Seta (overture), to be played by the Erie Philharmonic. Allison Frank, Hasan Odom, Michelle Davies and Emy Bitner were all honored and praised by the Edinboro president and got to watch their animation to music masterfully executed. •	Portfolio http://www.AllisonFrank.com 1.	Shows experience with traditional and digital media, ranging from pencil, inks and markers to Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter and Adobe Flash. 2.	Shows diversity with styles, including cartoons, paintings (digital and traditional), lineless art and concepts.
•	4 years of professional working experience in IT and Pharmaceutical Industry. •	Track record of success through performance appraisals. •	Excellent leadership and communication skills. •	Adopting a "go-beyond" approach in problem solving and giving attention to detail. •	Ability to develop User Guides and Online Help using relevant Help Authoring tools. •	Good understanding of Siebel EIM (Enterprise Incentive Management) software.
I am a very creative person, that can write stories that make you forget everything else exsists at times. I writing mostly short stories that are fictional. I would like to get into story lines for gaming and cartoons. I am good with computers, and computer networking. I have some electrical work and carpentry experience. I have done adds and logos for class projects.
A fashion graduate with a strong interest in sustainable fashion. My sustainable brand 'Beluski Bellatia' was founded in 2012 and is supported by The Princes Trust. I am also interested in graphic/print design and have a good knowledge of the main CAD programs. I have recently collaborated with two start up brands that will launch this year. Currently I work part time alongside a High end womenswear designer.


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some of the most effective ministry lessons are learned from mistakes and in-the-trenches ministry experiences. if you are new in ministry here are some tips from someone with 20 full-time years of kids ministry experience to help you avoid pitfalls and burnout in ministry.
– if you leave a conference without a minimum of five other names, email addresses, and business cards, you weren't trying.
– we are all on the same team. why are we not sharing ideas, solutions, struggles, prayer requests, praises, etc?
***make it a goal to leave your next conference with at least five new names and contact info. then make it a priority to connect with them when you return home.
– who has gone ahead of you that is speaking truth into you?
– who is behind you that you need to encourage and challenge?
*** do you have someone in your life whom you have given permission to call you out on sin, encourage your spiritual growth, and cheer you on?
*** who is praying for you and who in ministry are you praying for?
– find a safe person outside your office and church to vent to in confidence.
– get emotion out in a safe place so you don't bring it to the meeting.
– let it out, then let it go!
– if it is important enough to make into a policy, it is important enough to apply it.
– policy protects the whole, pleasing often satisfies a few.
*** are there polices you have that serve no real purpose?
– confidentiality in ministry is a must.
– don't have meetings after meetings. if you need to say it, say it in the meeting.
– no triangulation – talk to the person you have a problem with, not a third party.
– God's truths deserve our age group collaboration.
– in age group ministries, we have to work together to help develop and support a Christ-centered 18-year-old.
*** where in your ministry team are there barriers and resistance to teamwork?
– you are who you are and where you are because God created you and put you there.
– quit trying to be another ministry leader or ministry. be who God created you to be.
– some of your hardest ministry moments are your best teachers.
– give yourself grace from failures, so you can grow.
– allow conflict to build character so you don't get stuck in the valley.
*** where have you seen God in a ministry valley?
– you can't program every moment. allow room for God to show up.
*** when is the last time you made room for and experienced a Holy Spirit interruption?
– you don't have to pretend to have all the answers. some people just want you to listen.
– if you can't clean a toilet with no one watching, are you really ready to serve?
– get beyond yourself, so people remember Jesus and not you.


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HomeNewsLaborAlex Acosta Resigns as Labor Secretary Amid Intense Scrutiny of Epstein Case
Alex Acosta Resigns as Labor Secretary Amid Intense Scrutiny of Epstein Case
Reprinted from The Washington Post by John Wagner, Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey on July 12, 2019.
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned Friday amid intense scrutiny of his role as a US attorney a decade ago in a deal with Jeffrey Epstein that allowed the financier to plead guilty to lesser offenses in a sex-crimes case involving underage girls.
President Trump told reporters Friday morning that Acosta had decided to step aside. He called Acosta a "great labor secretary, not a good one" and a "tremendous talent." …
Trump said that Patrick Pizzella, the deputy secretary of labor, will become acting secretary of the department.
The 2008 plea deal in Florida came under renewed scrutiny in light of Epstein's indictment Monday on more child sex trafficking charges in New York. …
The Washington Post 7/12
Pelosi on Acosta: 'Thank God He's Gone'
Reprinted from The Hill by Mike Lillis on July 12,2019.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) made clear Friday that she won't miss Alex Acosta.
"Thank god he's gone," she told a group of reporters in the Capitol.
Acosta, President Trump's Labor secretary, announced Friday that he'll step down on July 19 amid an intensifying controversy over his role in a 2008 criminal case involving New York financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was arrested Monday on sex-crimes charges involving underaged girls.
Acosta, as a US prosecutor in Miami more than a decade ago, had worked to secure a plea deal that kept Epstein, then facing similar charges, out of federal prison. …
The Hill 7/12
Wallance: A Journalist Brought Epstein to Justice and Acosta's Resignation — So Stop Demonizing the Press
Reprinted from The Hill by Gregory Wallance on July 12, 2019.
President Trump has called the press "the enemy" of the American people, accused The New York Times of "treason" and praised a congressman from Montana for physically assaulting a journalist. One-quarter of Americans now agree that "the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior."
Julie Brown, an investigative journalist for The Miami Herald, just reminded us why Trump's attempts to intimidate and delegitimize the press are so dangerous. Brown broke the behind-the-scenes story of the disgraceful plea deal that Alexander Acosta, then the US attorney in Miami, secretly negotiated with attorneys for sex-ring trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Brown started a firestorm that re-opened the Epstein case and, today, forced Acosta to resign as secretary of Labor.
Journalists were once defined by the chain-smoking, wisecracking, crime-beat reporters in the play The Front Page, and later by the clean-cut, dedicated types played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in the movie All The President's Men about Watergate. (Okay, in the movie Carl Bernstein smoked a lot, too).
Now the image of an investigative journalist is a woman in her late 50s who was raised by a single parent, left home at age 16 to earn enough money to attend college, and scrapped her way up the journalistic ladder at the Miami Herald. …
Acosta Helps Trump to Shape Anti-Labor Policies
Reprinted from The Atlantic by Annie Lowrey on July 10, 2019.
… "In this good economy, of course, workers have not fared nearly as well as businesses have, and the working class has not fared nearly as well as the 1 percent," writes Annie Lowrey in The Atlantic. "The Trump administration has made sure of it, passing far bigger tax cuts for corporations and corporate executives than for nurses and janitors and schoolteachers; letting rich tax cheats, polluters, and the like get off easy; and slashing regulations designed to hem in corporate power.
"Acosta has played a central role in that deregulation, helping ensure that the fruits of the longest expansion on record keep on benefiting businesses more so than workers. The Department of Labor is moving forward on a proposal to scale back an Obama-era expansion of overtime pay, stripping time-and-a-half compensation from millions of lower-income workers. It delayed a rule requiring that financial advisers commit to act in the best interests of their clients. It has also relaxed regulations designed to ensure that tipped workers are fully compensated and rolled back workplace-safety reporting rules.
"Business lobbyists have been thrilled, labor unions and workers' advocates less so, though many feared that the Department of Labor would have been even more aggressive in its regulatory agenda than it has been. Indeed, Acosta has come under pressure within the Trump administration for not being swift or forceful enough—with Mick Mulvaney, Trump's acting chief of staff and all-purpose, high-level handyman, stepping in to move things along. …
The Atlantic 7/10


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LDOI
Finding some of the best of what the music industry has to offer.
In discussion with The Blinders
After the release of their debut album in 2018, Doncaster born band The Blinders are about to set out on some of their biggest headline shows to date. They discussed touring plans, changing musical influences and more.
by Ellie
After the release of their debut album in 2018, Doncaster born band The Blinders are about to head out on some of their biggest headline shows to date. They discussed touring plans, changing musical influences and more.
With bigger venues, comes expectations of a bigger set – The Blinders aren't naïve to this, telling LDOI "Given the larger venues, the upcoming tour will essentially be an attempt to prove we can develop a set which goes a little bit further than a collection of songs. We've thought about it a great deal and are looking forward to what kind of reception it receives."
Leading on from touring, the band discussed their favourite song to play live, "We normally end the set with a section that features about ten minutes of music. It's called Et Tu/Brutus/Berlin Wall. It becomes very easy to lose ourselves at the point."
Influenced by the current social environment, many bands are starting to take a stand via politically fuelled lyrics. 'I Can't Breathe Blues' features lyrics surrounding police brutality, whilst 'Free The Slave' looks at the restrictions groups in society face: 'Free the blossoming flower soon to be a woman // Obstructed by the stereotypes of history // That do not belong to you or to me'.
"We wrote the lyrics because we believed in them. I think bands should do just that and write what you believe in, and many do without being political," the band state. "If you feel so strongly about something that inspires you then go and write about it; you'll be amazed at what comes out of your pen."
Photo taken by Sam Crowston
The Blinders may have only been around since late 2014, but with the release of an album and an EP, along with multiple singles, fans have plenty of music to choose from. But if the band had to tell someone to listen to just ONE song from their discography, which would they pick? "That's a good question. Perhaps 'I Can't Breathe Blues', I feel that covers all bases in some way."
Everybody has at least one artist who they wish they could've seen back in the day – the band stated they'd "maybe go and see the death of Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Apollo in London 1973. Or perhaps Dylan's famous Lesser Free Trade Hall show in Manchester 1966. Two untouchable performers, why would you not?"
The band also discussed their current listening habits "Oh you know, everyone really. David Byrne's American Utopia and Arctic Monkeys' Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino captured our imagination the most probably." Meanwhile, the group's more recent inspirations have come from the likes of Avalanche Party, CABBAGE, Idles and Fontaines D.C.
Stating how their musical influences change regularly, The Blinders told us: "Every six months or so you feel yourself becoming a different person and I think that has a lot to do with the music you listen to, the books you read and the people you meet."
The future may be hard to predict, but The Blinders have already amassed a large group of fans – and that growth certainly looks set to continue: "We take things as they come and by the time you've reached the impressive height that you dreamed about when you were a kid, you're too busy focusing on the next 'thing' to even notice how well things are going."
You can catch The Blinders on their live dates here:
Birmingham Institute // 26th April
Manchester O2 Ritz // 27th April
Glasgow St Luke // 28th April
London Scala // 30th April
https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/The-Blinders-tickets/artist/5221257
Listen to their latest single here:
https://theblinders.lnk.to/RIAC
Tagsalbum • interview • News • tour