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Review of "A Betrayal in Winter" by Daniel Abraham
A Betrayal in Winter picks up events in the Khaimete 15 years after A Shadow in Summer. Otah is a courier and once again living under the name Itani. Maati, having failed to uphold his duties in the first novel, has spent the years living in shame under the roof of the Dai-kvo, studying bits of lore and avoiding the public eye. Events quickly escalate, however. The Khai Machi, the father who exiled Otah, is dying and his recognized sons have begun the rounds of fratricide that decide who will ascend the throne. One son dying in mysterious circumstances beyond simple family feud, Maati is sent by the Dai-kvo to investigate the murder under the guise of a scholar. The turmoil that erupts from this event, however, may have larger consequences for the Machi and Khaimete than either Maati or Otah are prepared to handle.
Abraham introduces some interesting new characters in A Betrayal in Winter. Like Saraykeht, the city of Machi has its own poet and andat, Cehmai and Stone-Made-Soft, whose skills keep the mines, foundries, and blacksmiths busy with metals and jewels. Cehmai much younger and of sounder mind and body than Heshai, he maintains a stable degree of control over his andat. Threatening to distract him from his duties, however, is the only daughter of House Machi: the ambitious Idaan. Secretly coveting the throne for herself in a land where women claim no rights to power, Idaan plots and schemes in a devious manner toward realizing her goals. Events focused almost entirely in the city of Machi, an assortment of other important secondary characters appear to fill out the story. Emotional content once again the focus, Abraham continues giving these characters a fair shake when it comes to presenting them realistically (albeit it at times melodramatically), the facet which is the strength of the series.
Where the first novel in the series possessed a few minor problems, A Betrayal in Winter, unfortunately, possesses a few more. A Shadow in Summer applied a few overused devices (e.g. love triangle), but generally remained tightly plotted save a few holes (e.g. why not simply assassinate the poet rather than using an overly-complex plan involving every member of the plot?). A Betrayal in Winter features many larger holes, holes disguised with only the thinnest of excuses. There is one scene wherein a covert rescue action is planned. But who plans the rescue and their hope for the result are highly incongruous. "Let's spring from prison the person we want to kill, and then kill them." The readers asks: why not simply kill them in prison? This seems a much easier route, not to mention does not provide the character a chance to escape, which of course, they do. But how they escape is even more suspect. Characters that would seem to have little motivation to be involved in the situation, suddenly are. And the examples continue. But I digress.
In the end, those who enjoyed A Shadow in Summer will almost certainly enjoy the second volume. Abraham's style is consistent with the first; he develops events carefully, pays attention to the little details of life (e.g. food, clothes, poses, etc.), and takes the overall story to the next level, not to mention keeping the world fresh. The overall setting, moved from the Mediterranean Saraykeht to the mountain domain of Machi, is expanded, giving readers a better understanding of the larger political/social picture. Like George R.R. Martin, Abraham is unafraid of killing main characters, which gives the story a sense of unpredictability fueling the suspense, and as a result, enjoyability. Beyond the standard themes of myth, the Long Price Quartet (I would say "saga") remains focused on entertainment, character interaction, and the events of a kingdom.
Labels: andat, long price quartet, saga, soft fantasy
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Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch Hourglass Statue - Horror News Network - The Horror News You Need!
Don't worry my pretty, you and your dog are going to be fine. Yes, this 6 3/4-inch tall resin Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch Hourglass Statue is incredibly detailed and does look awfully lifelike and scary, but fear not! It's just a statue. Featuring a detailed sculpt of the Wicked Witch of the West and looking almost exactly like Margaret Hamilton from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
Check out the Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch Hourglass Statue.


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Montviron is een plaats en voormalige gemeente in het Franse departement Manche in de regio Normandië en telt 340 inwoners (2017). De plaats maakt deel uit van het arrondissement Avranches.

Geschiedenis
Montviron maakte deel uit van het kanton Sartilly tot dit op 22 maart werd opgeheven en de gemeente werd opgenomen in het kanton Avranches. Op 1 januari 2016 werd de gemeente opgeheven en werd Montviron een commune déléguée van de op die dag gevormde commune nouvelle Sartilly-Baie-Bocage.

Geografie
De oppervlakte van Montviron bedraagt 5,9 km², de bevolkingsdichtheid is 49,7 inwoners per km².

Demografie
Onderstaande figuur toont het verloop van het inwonertal (bron: INSEE-tellingen).

Commune déléguée in Manche
Plaats in Manche
Sartilly-Baie-Bocage

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AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli is set for a reunion with Manchester City when his side take on Manuel Pellegrini's men in a pre-season fixture.
The two sides are taking part in the Audi Cup in July, along with Bayern Munich and Sao Paulo.
City will face AC Milan in the first semi-final of the tournament, giving Balotelli and team-mate Nigel de Jong the chance to face their former team.
The winner of that match will then face either European champions Bayern or Sao Paulo who face off in the other semi-final.
Balotelli joined City in 2010 from Inter and went on to win the Premier League and FA Cup before moving to Milan in January.
The last Audi Cup took place in 2011, with Barcelona beating Bayern courtesy of two goals from Thiago.


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News Tip or Leak
Home › Top Stories › OPINION - SHALE GAS- LET'S RAISE THE DEBATE, LOWER THE RHETORIC AND PROMOTE THE FACTS ›
OPINION - SHALE GAS- LET'S RAISE THE DEBATE, LOWER THE RHETORIC AND PROMOTE THE FACTS
By Jake Stewart MLA Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin
Hydraulic fracturing is not new to New Brunswick. We have had a producing natural gas industry for over ten years in our province, including the process known as fracking, or hydraulic fracturing. Natural gas from the McCully Field in the Sussex area has been supplying the nearby potash operation since 2003 and has been piped to the Maritimes and Northeast pipeline since 2007.
Lately, as I discuss shale gas and the Premier's new ban on fracking, it strikes me time and again how many people are unaware that we have had this industry ongoing in our province safely and without incident for over a decade. It's an important fact that has been concealed by all of the sensationalism and misinformation of those opposed to development. Their tactics have been successful in convincing some people to make a misinformed decision about shale gas.
As the elected representatives of our respective ridings, all MLAs have the duty, and should be honour-bound to present the truth to our constituents at all times. It frustrates me to see government members, including the Premier shirking their duty on the shale gas file. If I could get the Premier's ear for a moment I would ask that he stop using his election campaign rhetoric that was crafted to create fear and doubt about the potential of shale gas development in New Brunswick.
The Premier's use of expressions like "rushing in" and "all our eggs in one basket" is deliberately misleading not to mention false.
In a recent newspaper interview, Minister Rick Doucette promoted the same untrue picture:
"The new Liberal government will not hang its hat on one industry the way the Progressive Conservatives did with shale gas," Doucet said.
"And it was drill and frack, drill and frack," without answering questions about health, water and the environment, he said.
This statement cannot go unchallenged; particularly coming from a man who was part of the former Shawn Graham government that issued gas exploration leases without answering questions about health, water and the environment. It is well documented that our Progressive Conservative opposition urged the Liberal government to slow down and ensure proper rules and regulations were in place before proceeding. Anyone can refer to our 2010 election platform and read for themselves our commitment:
A new Progressive Conservative government led by David Alward will:
* Support the responsible expansion of the natural gas sector
while ensuring the safety and security of homeowners and our
groundwater supply.
Over the course of the last four years there was not one exploratory well drilled as we developed the proper regulations and royalties for this industry. Right now New Brunswick has these new regulations which are in fact stricter than those in our Canadian provinces that have been employing this technology safely for decades. The royalty structure we developed gives us 50% more revenue than before.
The only shale gas exploration done in New Brunswick during the mandate of the Alward government was harmless seismic testing using sound waves from the surface to look deep underground for natural gas. No drilling was done, no fracking was done and the Premier and Minister Doucet are well aware of these facts.
There was no "rushing in", no putting "all our eggs in one basket" and no "drilling and fracking."
The Premier has said that over the next few months he will form a committee to retrace the steps that have already been taken over the last four years relating to shale gas. It seems likely that he will disband the New Brunswick Energy Institute; a group of experienced experts that we assembled to give us continuous oversight and information about energy development including the shale gas industry. If the Premier disbands the Energy Institute, it will be another clear indication that he is not truly seeking information about the shale gas industry.
No activity is 100% guaranteed absolutely safe with no chance of human error or mishap. No daily personal or industrial activity is completely risk free. You can't comb your hair or cross the street with absolute certainty that nothing will go sideways on you. The important thing is to do every bit of risk-prevention possible. Through science and engineering we are constantly working to reduce risk.
A good example to examine would be the ever-evolving automobile. There was a time when car seatbelts and safety systems did not even exist. Look at the cars of today, with airbags, anti-lock brakes, multiple safety sensors and collision prevention systems that will even apply the brakes to avoid a collision. These are just a few of the many risk-prevention systems that have evolved over the years through automotive science and engineering. The same approach applies to natural resource development.
New Brunswick has the potential to become a world-leader in the safe and responsible development of shale gas and at the same time create jobs, economic growth, royalty revenues and allow our people to build their futures here in New Brunswick.
Premier Gallant has decreed that we must put a stop to an industry that has been in safe operation for over a decade. He has ordered that we take many steps backward before starting forward again. That is his privilege as Premier.
As the Official Opposition Critic for Energy and Mines I hope and pray that the Premier and his government will allow the new path forward to be crafted with honesty and facts and not the rhetoric and falsehoods that have forced our province to its current position.
One final thought-the latest unemployment figures show resource-rich Saskatchewan leading the nation at 3.6% while resource-rich New Brunswick has climbed to 10.2%.
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Designed with input from artist Henry Moore, the iconic sawtooth roof of London's Hayward Gallery was always prone to leaks and never delivered on the client's remit to provide a controlled source of daylight for art.
The original team of architects for the gallery, Norman Engleback, Ron Herron, Warren Chalk, Alan Waterhouse and Dennis Crompton, at Greater London Council, were not involved with the design of the 66 pyramid rooflights, which were poorly executed from hand crafted steel sections and panes of Georgian wired glass.
Performance issues led to the installation of a false ceiling that blocked out natural light, reducing the height of galleries by 1.5m.
'One thing we have learnt is that the most stupid shaped roof you could put on art gallery is one made up of pyramids, which amplify sunlight and reflections,' says Richard Battye, associate at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, which is taking another stab at the roof as part of a £35 million two-year refurb project to upgrade infrastructure and facilities across the Southbank Centre.
According to Battye, the new roof visually mimics the original four-sided pyramids spread across the two upper galleries, but looks sharper than it did before.
The stainless steel pyramids are fitted with two sides of white glass for solar shading, and have two empty sides to reduce the total weight.
Underneath, a horizontal, double-glazed roof light with electronic controllable blinds, helps improve thermal conditions for the art, which is mostly provided to the Hayward on loan.
Light penetrates the galleries through a grid of large white coffers, designed to prevent sunlight from falling directly on the walls. A spray-on acoustic finish to the coffers helps modulate acoustics in the galleries, which feature hard floors and walls.
Daylighting consultant Max Fordham parametrically modelled the rooflight shading in 3D CAD and developed a 'genetic algorithm' to create optimal shade shapes that would simultaneously provide the most diffuse daylight and ensure no direct sunlight hits artwork on the walls below.
'Taking out all the guff from the ceiling zone meant we gained about a metre of head height and visitors can see another 2.5m up into the coffers, compared to the old gallery, which felt more like a corridor,' Battye concludes.


New York — June 2, 2016 … The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) has announced that Fifth Avenue will once again turn blue and white on Sunday, June 5, 2016, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More than 30 floats with musical performers, 15 world-class marching bands and 40,000 marchers entertain hundreds of thousands of spectators for the largest celebration of Israel in the world, the annual Celebrate Israel Parade.
Organizers estimate that over 300,000 people will be participating and or viewing this majestic event.
This year marks the 52nd anniversary of what has become one of the largest parades in New York City, growing exponentially each year in attendance and excitement since its founding in 1965.
The Parade is the marquee event of the JCRC-NY's Celebrate Israel Initiative – a project in cooperation with UJA-Federation of New York and the Consulate General of Israel in New York – that celebrates the positive impact the Jewish and democratic state of Israel has on the lives of people in New York and around the world.
Masses of people who support Israel from around the country will converge on Fifth Avenue for the Parade, including several top Israeli music artists and special Israeli guests who will draw even larger crowds to this year's Parade.
Television host, playwright, producer, singer, songwriter and actress, Kathie Lee Gifford will lead the 2016 Celebrate Israel Parade up Fifth Avenue as the Honorary Grand Marshal. This year's Grand Marshal is Moshe Gil of Brooklyn.
Among those marching are: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo; New York Mayor Bill de Blasio; Senator Charles Schumer; Representatives Charles Rangel and Kathleen Rice; Consul General of Israel in New York Amb. Ido Aharoni; Israeli Knesset Members David Bitan (Likud); Nurit Koren (Likud); Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union); Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin (Zionist Union); Yakov Margi (Shas); and Yoel Razvozov (Yesh Atid).
New this year, cast members from the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof will ride a specially designed float up Fifth Avenue, singing some of the most recognizable songs from the musical and performing live for the TV audience from the Grand Stand area.
More than 250 organizations are scheduled to march along Fifth Avenue, from 57th Street to 74th Street, including groups of rollerbladers, motorcyclists, dance groups, and juggling clowns.
The 2016 creative theme for marching groups and floats is "Israel: Sight, Sound and Spirit!" Each group works with Parade staff to develop a presentation of colorful banners, costumes and props related to the theme in some way.
For the sixth year in a row, the Parade will be televised live by FOX affiliate, WWOR-TV My9 from 12–2 p.m., and streamed online from 12-3 p.m., so Israelis and Israel supporters throughout the world can watch.
In honor of the Celebrate Israel Parade and the state of Israel, the Empire State Building will shine its world-famous tower lights blue and white on Saturday, June 4.
For the latest information on the Celebrate Israel Parade, please visit their Parade website at celebrateisraelny.org or follow on Twitter @celebrateisrael or visit their Facebook page: Celebrate Israel Parade.


Yes, you've got access to a portal that opens the door to thousands of options, but those options are surprisingly similar. They all "love what this city has to offer," "enjoy being active," and of course, without fail, they all "love to laugh." Seriously, if you're not a fan of laughing, then you've either had a horrific throat/face accident (sorry), or you're an alien doing a poor impression of a human. You wouldn't have stooped to this level if it were that easy. Views on reality television and pop music are potentially fun debates to have, but instead people tend to gravitate towards people with whom they match with perfectly. I know I've eliminated people because they're super into God, but who knows — that could be a mistake.· Here's the fundamental problem of online dating: while it makes perfect sense on paper, in practice, it's so forced and awkward that it's doomed from the start. Your online exchanges were so funny and had such a nice flow to them.The amount of women that put up that phrase — seemingly as a way to differentiate themselves — is mind-boggling.· But who wouldn't want to date someone who loves his/her city, has an active lifestyle, and who loves to laugh? Because here's what you're agreeing to: "We are going to meet at such-and-such place. About that:· It's much easier to be witty when writing a message, because you've got all the time in the world to respond.It's as if society as a whole decided to swallow its pride and set up a profile.Of course, society doesn't want to seem desperate, so its profile still contains disclaimers such as "I'm really skeptical about this" or "I'm just too busy to meet people." But we already get everything else we want online — news, goods, degrees, jobs — so why not people?Plus, due to its geographically meaningful initials, if anything were to blossom with someone, we could avoid embarrassment and tell people we met in Amid the excitement and stress of perfecting my own profile into something that paints a pretty, yet unique, picture, I have managed to go on a handful of dates.Let me tell you: they've all been exceedingly average.To solve such a mystery, I decided to dive into the belly of the beast, and set up a profile.(What actually happened is that I had my heart broken, and decided to open up all avenues to fill the fresh, gaping hole in my emotional core).
The actual date can end up being more uncomfortable than your sitting position when a flight attendant makes you return your seatback to its upright position.· And speaking of being doomed to fail from the beginning: You don't want to commit your Friday or Saturday night to some potentially awkward stranger.But I think there some problems with the entire concept.Here are my scorching hot takes on the matter:· Everyone is the same. But in my experience online, most girls have strikingly similar thoughts on life. You exchange life-resumes, and then you're looking at each other with nothing to talk about, and you're wondering why.But it is a perfectly reasonable way to meet people, and there's no reason not to try it. But if you're going to go for it, here's my unsolicited advice:· Avoid the traditional first date of dinner, drinks, or coffee.Go to some event or place where you can people-watch and/or comment on the scenery around you. Anywhere that avoids getting completely locked in a two-person bubble.· And don't be afraid to commit a full night to it.


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China's Linearized Polity
by Kumar David
Last week I used the adjective linearized to refer to China's polity and upon reflection came to realise that it carried more substance than I had realised. I am using 'polity' to include organisation of the state, structure of constitution and certain socio-political aspects of society and 'linearized' to indicate political tractability and homogeneity. In the case of China, for the purposes of this essay, I touch on the CCP, the Chinese economic system and the unique Chinese social-family arrangement. Quite a handful you might say. Well yes, but there are many novel elements to the subject. Interestingly the PRC Constitution [Ref. 1] does not mention the 90 million member CCP by name anywhere but Article 1 describes China as "a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on an alliance of workers and peasants" which alliance can be interpreted as the Party. Technically China is not a one party state; there are eight recognised minor parties but the truth is that de facto all power is focussed in the hands of the CCP. I am throughout this essay seeking to be descriptive rather than judgemental and will avoid explicit criticism of the one-party state, economic strategy or social forms.
The opening paragraph of the Constitution of the Chinese Communist party reads as follows: "The Communist Party of China is the vanguard both of the Chinese working class and of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. It is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and represents the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people" [Ref. 2]. The Party therefore claims its role boldly.
If I were to attempt to laboriously summarise the formal structures of state and Party I would be digressing too far from my stated subject. Only a few words will have to suffice. Constitutionally, the National People's Congress (parliament) is the highest organ of state power and most legislation is presented to it by the State Council (cabinet) or by the CCP Politburo Standing Committee of 7 to 9 members which body drives most legislation. Is China a dictatorship of the PB or its General Secretary, currently Xi Jinping? No, in my view the source of ultimate power is a caucus of several thousand communists in central and regional leaderships of the CCP. (I am not able to estimate, maybe ten thousand). Any General Secretary if he loses this base is a goner. The distribution, exercise and structure of power is simpler than in liberal polities. Recall the complexities and convolutions when transacting, legislating and funding anything in the US and the horse-dealing the Executive Branch suffers before anything is implemented. For example think Obama's Health Care legislation and the Republican castrations it suffered. I don't need to put much effort into convincing readers that in China political execution is homogeneous and linear. The fall of Jack Ma and other corporate titans in the last twelve months is proof that in China money does not talk, the Party does.
China does not sport a jungle of competing political entities and lacks the many-sided relationships between politics and the domains of money and corporate ownership. This makes for simplicity but at the same time it makes foreign policy naïve. China often backs losers such as Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, the Burmese Junta, the Naxalites in India, UNITA in Angola and I daresay the Rajapaksa clan in Sri Lanka will in time prove to be a bad bet. An ugly botch was the invasion of Vietnam in 1979; pointless, achieved nothing. The most egregious Chinese foreign policy blunder was to attack India in 1962. I say this without taking sides in the dispute about the demarcation of the Sino-Indian border. The point I am making is that the unsophisticated nature of Chinese foreign policy is related to simplistic polity. The US State and Defence Departments and CIA have a sophisticated approach that makes use of academia, think-tanks and private foundations. They assimilate and use views that are even opposed to the official line. They fund naive researchers. In China woe unto those who contradict the party line. See a recent report in CNN as an example. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/26/china/xinjiang-china-us-wolf-warrior-patriotism-intl-hnk/index.html
The economy is not a rigid and inflexible state directed monolith as in the former USSR although directive principles regarding where to go and what to do are laid down by the Party or the state. Most impressive is that the firm decisions of the Party-State allowed China to pull 700 million people out of poverty in the last 50 years. This achievement, unparalleled in world history, was facilitated by a 'directed' economic model sans the dense foliage of a forest of crisscross financial, banking and corporate linkages that overflow in American and Western capitalism and in finance capital. The deep pockets of American dominated global capitalism and the ubiquitous role of the US dollar make the foliage even lusher. For better or for worse, the Chinse economy is comparatively sparse and simple in its interconnections. One can say that this has kept it effective in achieving social objectives such as mass poverty alleviation. In economics, unlike in foreign policy, the Chinese intelligentsia and academia and the Party have become sophisticated. This has contributed to much success in economics, to an extent in finance, and enabled successes over Trump Era US economic Neanderthals.
To complete the picture I need to mention the theory of land ownership. All urban land belongs to the state and is leased out to developers and citizens usually for 99 years. This applies to Hong Kong as well, except for traditional lands owned by the "Kuks", pre-British era residents in the remote (non-urban) New Terrorises. Rural land in China is owned by collectives which allocate farming rights to households – this means that land alienation (sale) is not permitted. In the context of tens of millions migrating from the countryside to the cities in recent decades this has been a non-issue.
A crucial feature of development is the role and power of Provincial Governments which play a huge part in economic expansion and infrastructure expansion, though they are politically subservient to the Provincial Party. Administratively the country is split into provinces, prefectures, counties, townships, and villages. The Party is foremost and present at every level and in all institutions, and thus ensures that political and national objectives are not flouted. It is reasonable to say that relations between the state, economic institutions, provincial governments and their economies on the one side, and the Party and the Central Government on the other are linear and homogeneous.
I have touched on the political system and the economy and these closing paragraphs are on society. I am on slippery ground in suggesting that social relations too are simpler, linear and more homogeneous in China than in say India or in the atomised Western societies and families where capitalist values rule. Nevertheless let me push on; perhaps others will fill these out. My first thought is that family and personal moral codes and mores that govern life in China promote homogeneity and collectivism while the "myself and me alone" culture of captivity to the market encourages an atomised social and familial ethos in capitalist nations. The extended family structure is very strong in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and I guess in Singapore and among Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia. Every one of my friends and colleagues in Hong Kong "pays" a certain proportion of his/her monthly salary to parents. Come sun come rain this happens. The elderly are not neglected and are provided for within available means; this is common in other Asian societies such as Lanka but I found a stronger explicit commitment among the Chinese. This I believe comes from the Confucian moral code which is as deep among them as Buddhism ought to be among our people but is not. In advanced liberal-capitalist societies the erosion goes further and the pervasive ethic worships personal ambition, individualism, freedom of the wild ass and selfishness.
Confucianism lays emphasis on hierarchy, loyalty, discipline and filial duty. This I believe has a spill over into the political domain. Loyalty to the government and even the party is more natural in China than it was among Soviet Russians and East Germans, many of whom resented if not hated the one-party state. A uniform and homogenous – linearized – arrangement comes naturally to Chinese people. I don't think my Hong Kong friends will resent these remarks and most may agree. For obvious reasons I am picking my way round these nettles with great caution since I have no depth of knowledge in sociology or psychology. It is from a political perspective that I make the comment that cultural mores and social attitudes in China complement prevailing political and economic systems in favouring a more uniform ethos than in the capitalist West.
1. The Constitution of the PRC. http://www.npc.gov.cn/zgrdw/englishnpc/Constitution/node_2825.htm
2. The Constitution of the CPC. https://fas.org/irp/world/china/docs/const.html
Undoing potent mix of COVID fear, falsehood and nationalism
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Implementing 13A: Some thoughts
The 13A requires the Government to establish a National Land Commission, which would be responsible for the formulation of a national policy, concerning the use of State land. This Commission will include representatives of all Provincial Councils. The Commission will have a Technical Secretariat, representing all the relevant disciplines required to evaluate the physical as well as the socio-economic factors that are relevant to natural resources management. National policy, on land, use will be based on technical aspects, but not political or communal aspects.
by Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne, President's Counsel
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution (13A), which introduced devolution of power to the periphery, is again in the news, this time on the need to fully implement it. President Ranil Wickremesinghe first raised the issue in Parliament, asking the various parties whether they are for 13 Plus, meaning improving on 13A. SJB's Lakshman Kiriella, an avowed supporter of devolution, while saying that his party is for it, asked the President whether Mahinda Rajapaksa's SLPP, which provides the President with the Parliamentary majority he needs for his legislative agenda, was supportive. Pressed by the President and Kiriella for a response, Rajapaksa, who had promised India to improve on 13A, rose reluctantly and said '13 Plus'.
President Wickremesinghe's attempt to get a consensus on a constitutional settlement of the national question did not get off the ground. The SLPP is unlikely to abandon its Sinhala-nationalist platform. Opposition parties were sceptical. Realising the impossibility of a far-reaching amendment, the President has changed his strategy to one of fully implementing 13A, without changes, or with minor changes, that could muster SLPP support.
Several Opposition parties, that attended the previous meetings of the All-Party Conference (APC), stayed away from the meeting, held on January 27. While the SJB said that the APC was a mere 'talk show,' its ally among the Hill Country Tamils, the TPA, said that the President had not considered the issues facing them. The SJB's Muslim allies did participate. MP Harini Amarasuriya clarified that while the NPP supported the 13A, in principle, it did not consider the President's statement, on fully implementing the13A, credible.
The main areas in which the 13A has not been implemented are law and order (Police powers) and land. To add to this, successive governments have, over the last 35 years, taken back several subjects, and functions, that legitimately belong to the Provincial Councils (PCs) – agrarian services being one of them. The high point of central intrusion was the Divineguma Act of 2013, under which several functions of PCs, related to rural development, were taken over, using the two-thirds majority that the Government possessed.
Constitutional and legislative changes
The President spoke of the need to establish the National Land Commission, a requirement of the 13A, but which successive governments had not done. He also said that a decision on whether to continue with Provincial Police Commissions, or to bring the Provincial Police, under the National Police Commission, had to be taken. The latter would be a centralising feature—a 13 Minus—that will be to the disappointment of pro-devolution forces.
At the time of the 13A, there was no National Police Commission. Appointments, transfers, etc., of Police personnel, were handled by the Public Service Commission, with the Cabinet of Ministers having the power to overturn decisions of the PSC. To set up the National Police Commission and Provincial Police Commissions, provided for by the 13A, the Police Commission Act No. 1 of 1990 was passed but has not been brought into force by successive Presidents. Under the 13A, a Provincial Police Commission would consist of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, a person nominated by the Public Service Commission, in consultation with the President, and a nominee of the Chief Minister. Since the 13A, a National Police Commission was set up by the 17th and 19th Amendments, and the President now appoints its members on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. The writer submits that these changes must be reflected in the Provincial Police Commissions, as well. The sub-committee on Law and Order, of the Constitutional Assembly of the previous Parliament, recommended that the Chairman, and the members of the Provincial Police Commissions, should be recommended by the Constitutional Council, having considered nominations, jointly provided by the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition of the respective Provincial Council. The writer submits that a better option would be for a Provincial Police Commission to be appointed by the Governor, on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, which should be required to call for nominations from the general public and also consult the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition of the Province concerned. Any such change would require a constitutional amendment.
The 13A requires the Government to establish a National Land Commission, which would be responsible for the formulation of a national policy, concerning the use of State land. This Commission will include representatives of all Provincial Councils. The Commission will have a Technical Secretariat, representing all the relevant disciplines required to evaluate the physical as well as the socio-economic factors that are relevant to natural resources management. National policy, on land, use will be based on technical aspects, but not political or communal aspects. The Commission will lay down general norms, regarding the use of land, having regard to soil, climate, rainfall, soil erosion, forest cover, environmental factors, economic viability, etc. In the exercise of the powers devolved on them, Provincial Councils shall have due regard to national policy, formulated by the National Land Commission. The Constitution does not set out the composition, etc., of the National Land Commission. The establishment of the Commission would have to be ordinary legislation.
Broad consensus needed
President Wickremesinghe, with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Premier Dinesh Gunawardena, sitting beside him, told the APC that the Cabinet of Ministers had approved the full implementation of the 13A. If as President Wickremesinghe confidently says, he has the support of the Cabinet of Ministers and, thus, of the SLPP, the full implementation of 13A would be certainly possible. But it is important that the President reaches out to the Opposition parties, as well. The SJB is for devolution as a solution to the national issue. Sajith Premadasa's Presidential election manifesto pledged maximum devolution, within an undivided and indivisible Sri Lanka. Premadasa won areas dominated by Tamils, Muslims and Hill Country Tamils, with percentages second only to those secured by President Kumaratunga, in 1994. SJB's Muslim and Hill Country allies support devolution, but the President needs to talk to parties representing those communities, about issues pertaining to them, too.
The new 'Helicopter' alliance seems unable to take a unified stand on the 13A. Dullas and Dilan Perera were at the forefront of CBK's campaign for devolution, and Professor G.L. Pieris was the architect of her devolution proposals. Tissa Vitarana did an admirable job of getting a consensus on the national issue, through the APRC process. The Left parties in the Utttara Sabhagaya are strong supporters of devolution, while their nationalist allies are against it. Former President Sirisena spoke in support of implementing the 13A at the APC. The JVP/NPP is unlikely to oppose moves to implement the 13A.
It must not be assumed that the President's declared intention to implement the 13A could be put into practice easily. Sinhala nationalists, in the Uttara Sabhagaya, have already declared war against fully implementing the 13A, and not all SLPP elements would be enthusiastic about supporting the proposed changes. They are sure to be joined by Sinhala extremists outside Parliament. Anti-13A forces would attempt to use discontent among the masses suffering due to the economic mess the country is in. In these circumstances, the Government needs to convince the people, and the Opposition, of the genuineness of the exercise and the chances of its success. Lest the extremists raise the 'separatist' bogey, President Wickremesinghe and the Government must meet such arguments, taking the bull by its horns, and also explain to the people that power-sharing, through devolution, is a must, not only to solve the ethnic issue but also for the development of the periphery. Given its composition, the present Government cannot do so on its own. It must reach out and build a broad consensus on the issue.
Aiyo, Sirisena
By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana
Former president Sirisena has declared that he is poor and therefore has to go begging to pay compensation awarded by the Supreme Court to the victims of the Easter Sunday massacre! He was unwilling to stand in the dock when he appeared as an accused in a subsequent case and had to be ordered to do so by the Magistrate.
Just imagine an ex-president going around begging from the populace that was made destitute by the actions of the government he headed and the government that followed, which he was part of! To make matters even worse he gives totally ludicrous and unbelievable explanations. Let me add a few of my thoughts to many opinions expressed so far, including those in the editorial "Sirisena's plea" (The Island, 24 January) wherein the editor quite rightly names those responsible for making this totally undeserved person the President, and suggests that they should help him pay, if at all.
The two important issues that need consideration are whether Sirisena is guilty of neglecting his duties as president in not defending the country from terrorism and who is responsible for paying the compensation awarded by the Supreme court.
I pose the first question because in numerous press conferences, Sirisena has stated that the Supreme Court awarded compensation because he was indirectly responsible for the actions of security chiefs he appointed, implying that there is no direct responsibility! One wonders whether Sirisena is unable to understand the judgement, which categorically states that there were lapses such as the malfunctioning security council for which he was directly responsible. In fact, what surprised me was the reflected annoyance or frustrations of the honourable justices by their use of terms like "what takes the cake" in referring to some of these terrible lapses! Though Sirisena does not come from an academic background, having been a cabinet minister and the general secretary of a major political party for years, surely, he should be able to grasp the contents of a judgement.
Obviously, Sirisena cannot challenge the judgement as it was delivered by the highest court in the land and he cannot criticise the judgement as it would amount to contempt of court. Therefore, it is pretty obvious that he is using a diversionary tactic hoping to fool us. Perhaps, he is unaware of the famous adage: "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."
Sirisena seems to have developed total amnesia about the commission he appointed to inquire into the Easter Sunday massacre! From parts of the report released, it was pretty obvious that the blame lay, in addition to the security establishment, on him as well as the prime minister of the day, who as the present president must be having bad dreams of the day when he no longer has presidential immunity!
In fact, one of the reasons for the downfall of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was his reluctance to take action on that report. Perhaps, he did so at the behest of his younger brother who was obsessed with the two thirds majority.
Sirisena seems to disregard facts and is on a shameless mission to deceive the public again by stating that he has no means to pay compensation. He claims that his only income is from a mango plantation and that he does not own even a motorcycle. But have we ever seen him riding a bicycle or travelling by bus?
Although he has not provided any proof, Sirisena claims that he was in a hospital in Singapore for an urgent medical condition at the time of the attack. Why did he go to Singapore instead of seeking treatment at home? Afterall, he was the Minister of Health before contesting the presidency! How did the urgency resolve for him to return the following day? How did this poor mango grower have the money to go to Singapore for treatment? Did the public coffers cough up the money for allegedly a shopping trip he did for his son's wedding?
In spite of the Presidential Commission he himself appointed finding him guilty and the highest court of the land directing him to pay compensation to victims, Sirisena has failed the nation by refusing to show any remorse or take his share of responsibility. Instead, he is attempting to make a political drama out of it. What about his brother Dudley, who roared like a lion threatening to teach a lesson to anybody who tried to punish his elder brother in any way? Why is he hiding like a lizard not offering to foot the bill? Has Sirisena no shame in allowing one of his supporters to beg under the Bo tree in Pettah? A decent politician would have opted to go to jail rather than beg but decency is, perhaps, something totally alien to Sirisena!
Sirisena, who really should set an example to others who were ordered to pay compensation, does not seem even to follow their behaviour of silent acceptance. He should remember that we have not forgotten what was stated by the ex-IGP that Sirisena offered him a diplomatic posting provided he accepted responsibility. He must be regretting the refusal! Those who should go round begging are government servants who have no means to pay compensation, not the mango grower whose brother is one of the richest "Hal Mudalalis"!
Mr Sirisena! You have no sense of shame and you have done everything possible to deflect blame. What I fail to comprehend is why the SLFP does not get rid of you. Perhaps, it has a death-wish and so do the ex-Pohottuwa chaps who decided 'helicopter'! It clearly shows that ours is the land of politicians with no sense of shame!
Harassment of women in politics on the rise
by Rathindra Kuruwita
Election monitors and activists express concern that digital harassment of female politicians will increase when the local council elections campaign gets into full swing in the coming weeks.According to the preliminary results of a survey conducted by the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), more than 70 percent of female local councillors and grassroots political activists have faced digital harassment.
CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen said the majority of those who were subjected to digital harassment (around 80 percent) had not lodged complaints with the law enforcement authorities or with the political party leadership because they felt it was an exercise in futility.
"Even if these women politicians go to the police or their party leadership, there is no solution. They have to find solutions themselves. The introduction of the quota for women candidates at the local council level has upset some politicians and they have resorted to the digital sphere to undermine their female opponents," he said.
Makeen said the survey had also revealed that about 55 percent of women politicians and activists had faced physical harassment during their political careers. However, digital harassment was the most common form of harassment now. He said almost 90 percent of those who were harassed online believed politicians in the same party were behind the attack.
Nilka Perera (not her real name) is a member of a local council in Puttalam.
The 33-year-old politician said the harassment had begun with the announcement of the 25-percent-female-candidate quota ahead of the last local council elections, in 2018.
"Some religious leaders gave sermons on why people should not vote for women and their video clips are all over social media," she said, noting that such misconceptions were not limited to one religion or community. "People were initially sceptical about women in politics and male politicians were quick to latch on to it. While there is misogyny in society, most attacks on female politicians are organised campaigns," she said.
SJB MP Rohini Kavirathne said the Women Parliamentarian's Caucus was well aware of systematic digital harassment of female politicians. She said that all female politicians including her had been victims of online harassment and that the Caucus had been active in assisting women in need.
"We have always been willing to help women, on an individual basis. We have also contributed and worked with election monitors, the Elections Department, and other relevant parties to empower women and stop the harassment. While the harassment continues, I am glad to see that women are becoming stronger and are proactively countering propaganda against them," she said.
The CaFFE survey also found that although the majority of participants received some kind of training from a government or a civil society organisation in countering digital harassment, most of the female politicians over the age of 55 were unable to answer what they would do if they faced digital harassment.
The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said he, too, had noted a spike in digital harassment of female politicians during the campaign for the 2018 local council elections after the 25 percent female candidate quota was given legal effect. At least 25 percent of the names on the nomination lists, submitted by parties or independent groups should be female candidates.
"Targeted harassment of female politicians, especially those who engage in grassroots-level politics, continues to be a serious problem," he said, expressing fears that the problem would only aggravate with the election season approaching without any proactive countermeasures from political parties.
There was also a lot of character assassination through social media, and such campaigns were ongoing, Hettiarachchi said.
Pointing out that Sri Lanka did not have a mechanism to take swift action against election malpractice, he said this was a major lacuna that should be addressed, especially given the harassment female candidates faced in the digital sphere.
"Our law enforcement mechanisms are slow. During an election period, immediate action should be taken against election law violators," he said. "What's the point in taking action against a campaign of digital harassment a few months after the elections are over?"
Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said the Sri Lanka Police Computer Crime Investigation Division had been established to help victims of computer crimes including digital harassment.
"I don't have numbers on the top of my head, but I don't think we get a lot of complaints from grassroots-level female politicians about digital harassment," the Senior Superintendent of Police said.
He said this was probably because the women politicians feared they would antagonise their party leaders if they complained to the police.
"However, since you brought this issue up, the police must work closely with other stakeholders as the elections approach," he said.
The urban-rural divide
When the then government introduced a quota for women in late 2017, weeks before the nominations for local council elections were called, most political parties had not been ready, said Kalana Weerasinghe, Chief Operating Officer at the Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities (FSLGA). He said several political parties nominated friends and family members to fill the 25 percent female-candidate quota.
"Women were often made candidates in wards that male party leaders thought they would lose. However, now we have more than 2,000 female local councillors out of some 8,000, and they can be divided into three categories.
"First, there are seasoned female politicians who have been in politics for decades and some of them are even more popular than their parties' electoral organisers. They could easily win parliamentary elections, too, if they were given an opportunity. Then there are friends and family members of political party officials, and they have no interest in politics although they are now elected people's representatives. The third group comprises newcomers who are passionate about what they are doing.
"So, when it comes to digital harassment, the first group is capable of handling any personal attacks. The second group probably will drop out but those in the third group have learnt to adapt and fight back though they were at first depressed by digital media harassment," Weerasinghe said.
He said the fightback was especially visible in the urban areas where women politicians were more educated and apt in digital technologies than their rural counterparts. These women realise the power of digital media, and how it can benefit their careers. "Being in politics also makes them tougher," he said.
With the mainstream media giving little or no space for women local council politicians, social media was the main tool they could use to build up a larger support base and tell the voters about what they did and what they believed in, Weerasinghe said.
"A person who is facing harassment can lock his or her profile pic, but a politician can't do so. No country has been able to reduce online harassment to zero. So, it is also about empowering women and building support structures. We have to make female politicians resilient and there is a lot that the government, political parties and civil society groups can do," he said.
Role of civil society and govt.
While some female politicians in urban areas are coming to terms with the digital landscape, there are other women and activists who are not yet tech savvy to promote themselves or deal with increasing levels of online harassment.
Makeen said that although most women politicians were on Facebook, quite a few did not know how to use the platform to promote their political careers. If they faced online harassment, they would lock their profiles or stop using social media, he said.
"Early this year, we did a study on online harassment faced by women politicians. We found that they knew about the platforms and online harassment, but they did not know how to use social media to boost their career or how to proactively deal with cyberbullies," he said.
Makeen said they had also held a series of consultations with national-level female politicians and found out they had also been victims of concerted digital harassment.
"A young former MP once told us that at the beginning of her career, she had been devastated by cyberbullying. This is the case of someone coming from a political family and had gone through trauma. She said it was so bad that she had even contemplated quitting politics. With the backing of her family, she had learnt to ignore the bullies and connect with those who supported her although she is one of the most memed female politicians today," he said.
Women fighting back
Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), said several young and educated female politicians including those at the grassroots level had learnt how to navigate the digital sphere.
While digital harassment continued to be a serious problem, there were signs of female local councillors building the necessary support structures to overcome it, he said.
"Initially, a lot of local women councillors were devastated by digital media harassment. I was told that some families were on the verge of breaking up. However, in the past few years, we have seen a counterattack. Female local councillors who are serious about their work have behaved with great integrity and now they are getting social recognition. Their family members, who were initially hesitant or upset about them being in politics, have now warmed up," he said.
Describing the trend as a positive change, Gajanayake called on the government and political parties to step up efforts to end digital harassment of women candidates.
He said that often targeted digital harassment was carried out by political actors and sometimes by those in the same party.
"If the political parties are stricter and take complaints by their women candidates more seriously, we would see a sharp drop in instances of targeted digital harassment," he said.
* This story is produced under the ANFREL Asian Media Fellowship on Election Reporting.


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image: A three quarter length portrait of McCudden in full uniform.
James McCudden was the most highly decorated British Empire pilot of the First World War. He was also one of the longest serving, having joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1913. McCudden progressed from the rank of Air Mechanic to Major during the First World War and amassed a total of 57 aerial victories, making him one of the most successful British pilots of the war. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for this impressive service record. McCudden died in a flying accident at Marquise in France on 9 July 1918, his engine having failed shortly after take-off. He was 23 years old. Edward Newling's portrait of him was completed posthumously.


We started out this morning for a little drive up I-95…to Nova Scotia. Here we are, just getting on the Interstate at its southernmost terminus; that's downtown Miami in the background.
Last look from the top of the Golden Gate flyover in North Miami-Dade County.
We left the house prepared for hurricane weather, but, ironically, Hurricane Leslie is projected to get to Nova Scotia about the same time as we will.
Anyway, we made 565 miles today and just stopped at Walmart in Savannah, Georgia, for the night. Our plan is to drive all day for four days, getting off I-95 only to eat and parking-lot camp. We're going to see if we can stay on I-95 all the way to its northern terminus in Maine.


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News and Updates, News Stories, Ride Watch, Rides, RollerCoasters
Disaster Transport closes forever Sunday
July 30, 2012 Andrew Leave a comment
From wkyc.com…
SANDUSKY — A Lake Erie legend is about to be silenced forever. The Disaster Transport indoor roller coaster at Cedar Point will make its final screech-filled run on Sunday, July 29.
The ride, which has been sitting near the park's main entrance since opening in 1985, will be completely demolished and removed to make room for a new attraction set to be unchained in 2013.
Park officials announced Disaster Transport's closure back on July 13.
The ride first made its debut as Avalanche Run — an outdoor bobsled-style coaster. Then, in 1990, the ride was re-named Disaster Transport, enclosed and given a new outer space theme.
The two-minute ride, which takes 10-person trains along the dark track at speeds up to 40 mph, has thrilled more than 30 million people since it was first unleashed.
A "last ride celebration" will be held at 9 p.m. Sunday to use Disaster Transport's final day as a way to raise money for Give Kids The World. Registration for the party, which involved a $20 fee and $50 minimum donation, ended at noon Friday.
As of Friday afternoon, more than $16,000 had been raised.
Those at the party will be given a Disaster Transport T-shirt and a souvenir.
The special event wraps up with an hour of exclusive ride time on Disaster Transport from 10:30-11:30 p.m. Those who raised the most money will have the privilege of choosing their seats on the last train while riding with the lights turned on.
Disaster Trasnport will become the second roller coaster permanently closed at the Sandusky scream park this year. Prior to the 2012 season starting, Cedar Point sent the WildCat roller coaster to its ride graveyard and removed it to create space for Luminosity, a new night-time show.
In addition to Disaster Transport, the Space Spiral, a 330-foot rotating observation tower and icon of the park's skyline, will also be closed before the end of the 2012 season. It, too, will be demolished to make room for the new 2013 attraction. Its final operating day has not yet been announced.
As far as the new attraction for 2013, a leaked memo indicated it would be a wing-style roller coaster with the biggest drop, fastest speed and longest run of any similar ride.
It would be the first roller coaster Cedar Point opens since they first debuted Maverick in 2007.
Park spokesperson Annie Zelm said an official announcement about the 2013 attraction should come in mid August. Until then, the park has been releasing multiple teases about the upcoming attraction.
Meanwhile, Kings Island, which is Cedar Point's sister park near Cincinnati, announced on Friday the permanent removal of the long-dormant Son of Beast wooden roller coaster.
2012Cedar PointCP GuideCP2013Disaster TransportNewsRide WatchRidesRollerCoastersStories
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Michael P. Kosty, MD, FACP, FASCO
Dr. Kosty is a member of the Scripps Green Cancer Center where he has practiced hematology and medical oncology since 1989. He has served as the director of Scripps Green Cancer Center in La Jolla, California, since 2008, director of Graduate Medical Education at Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital since 2002, and as director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellow Training Program at Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital since 1997. Since 1990, he has served at Scripps Green Cancer Center as head of the Thoracic Oncology Service, and as a member of the Genitourinary Oncology Service, Dermatologic Oncology Service, and the Clinical Research Advisory Committee.
Since joining ASCO in 1986, Dr. Kosty has served as the chair of the Continuing Medical Education Subcommittee (2013-2014), the Oncology Training Program Subcommittee (2009-2010) and the Workforce Advisory Group (2015-2016). In addition, he also served as a member of the Test Materials Development Committee and is ASCO co-chair of the European Society of Medical Oncology–ASCO Global Curriculum Workgroup. In recognition of his years of service to ASCO, Dr. Kosty received the distinction of Fellow of ASCO (FASCO) in 2014.
Dr. Kosty served as an investigator for the Southwest Oncology Group from 1999 to 2007 and as an investigator for the Cancer and Leukemia Group B from 1986 to 1999. Dr. Kosty dedicated many years to service in the military, as a general medical officer on the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3; 1980-1981), as an attending physician and assistant head in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Naval Hospital (1986-1989), and as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve (1989-1999).
Dr. Kosty received his undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. He received his medical degree from George Washington University; he performed his internship, residency, and fellowship at Naval Hospital, San Diego. He was a visiting fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School and a research fellow at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation.
Read Dr. Kosty's Q&A on ASCO Connection.
View current ASCO disclosure here.


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Home > City guides > Tourist's guide to Caesarea – City and National Park in Israel
Tourist's guide to Caesarea – City and National Park in Israel
Caesarea (Israel) is a place where modern achievements of science and technology are intertwined with unique ancient inventions, and historical relics and archaeological exhibits are found literally at every step. Add to this the stunning nature and proximity of the Mediterranean Sea, and you will get the perfect holiday destination.
Speaking of Caesarea, some have in mind a small coastal city with excellent infrastructure and a developed industrial zone, while others – the National Park, which has a huge number of unique archaeological finds. And what is remarkable – each of them will be right, because under this name there are two geographical objects at once. The first is an ancient city founded by Herod and attained its greatness during the time of the Roman Empire. The second is a modern settlement, founded in 1977 near the ruins of the main tourist attraction of Israel and located approximately in the middle between Haifa and Tel Aviv.
Another important feature of this park is a fairly common name. The fact is that on the world map you can find several Caesareas at once. This one, which in Hebrew sounds like "Sisaria," is considered Palestinian or simply seaside.
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Historical reference
The history of Caesarea National Park began in the middle of the 4th century. BC e. from the construction of the Straton Tower, a small Phoenician village in the center of which stood a majestic stone fortress. Over the long years of its existence, the settlement managed to change several owners, until in 31 BC. e. the Roman emperor Augustus did not hand it over to the Jewish king Herod.
Then no one even guessed how fateful this decision would be, because a truly grandiose idea was born in Herod's head. He decided not only to completely rebuild the unremarkable town, but also to make it the largest port in Palestine. The closest entourage of the ruler in every possible way dissuaded him from this venture, because the shallow bay was completely unsuitable for the role chosen for her. However, Herod was adamant – in his dreams, the grandeur and luxury of the former village were not inferior to Rome itself. And, no matter how strange it may sound, the plans of the odious king were destined to be accomplished.
After 10 years, Caesarea turns into a busy sea harbor, then receives the status of the metropolis, and after a while becomes the capital of all Judea.
The further history of this city is quite traditional. It actively developed, becoming the main bastion of culture, science and politics, experienced regular clashes of religious fanatics, discovered new poets, theologians and architects, witnessed the Crusades, as well as numerous uprisings and wars. One of them, which fell in the middle of the 13th century, first led to the fall, and then the complete destruction of the Jewish capital. By 1265, after the invasion of Muslim troops from the majestic port, only ruins remained, which are now included in the list of the main attractions of Israel.
Caesarea National Park
Caesarea's attractions will appeal not only to true history buffs, but also to ordinary tourists who appreciate beautiful places and an unusual atmosphere. We offer you to take a small virtual tour of the park and get acquainted with some of them.
The unique man-made harbor, built on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea at the direction of Herod, was considered one of the most outstanding structures of its time. In order to protect the city from high waves and storms, the then builders came up with Roman concrete. It consisted of stones, pozzolan and lime, which were poured into large forms and poured with sea water. After a while, the mixture completely solidified and turned into a concrete block. It was from them that the port moorings were built, the total length of which exceeded 700 m.
During the heyday of Caesarea, the port was not only a place of stay for merchant ships, but also an important economic center, which brought huge revenue to the state treasury. In size and importance, he could easily compete with Alexandria Harbor. Now it is the most visited attraction, in the territory of which there are many restaurants and souvenir shops.
Due to the peculiarities of their geographical location, the inhabitants of Caesarea experienced a constant shortage of fresh water. The solution to this problem belongs to the same Herod, who ordered the construction of a special channel through which rainwater began to flow into the city. This not only improved the living conditions of its inhabitants, but also contributed to the active development of Caesarea. It began to build baths, sewers, equip the first toilets in Judea.
Amphitheater
An equally important attraction of Caesarea Park in Israel is the ancient Roman theater, which became the first in the Middle East. The remains of this amphitheater, which, incidentally, are perfectly preserved, were found during an archaeological expedition conducted from 1959 to 1964.
The building, designed for 3 thousand spectators, was laid down simultaneously with the port and served the townspeople for at least half a century. Initially, kurkaru, sandstone, covered with a thin layer of plaster, was used for its construction. But after the coming to power of the emperor Septimius Severus, the theater was rebuilt – they added 3 tiers, increasing the number of seats to 5 thousand, and decorated them with porphyry and marble pilasters.
But the main value of this object is a limestone tablet, the inscriptions on which confirm the real existence of the legendary Pontius Pilate. Now an important historical artifact, found only at the end of 1961, is stored in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. To date, the Caesarean Amphitheater has been fully restored and regularly hosts both Israeli and foreign performers.
Herod's Palace
The ruins of an ancient palace that served as the residence of King Herod were found on a reef protruding into the Mediterranean Sea. The construction, still impressive with its beauty and grandeur, consists of several tiers of different levels. Its main features are the remains of stone pools used to store drinking water, mosaic floors decorated with geometric patterns, and Roman baths, which are an innovative construction for those times. The best preserved part is the northern part of the palace. This is where his main pride is located – a huge throne room, surrounded by a number of rooms on all three of its sides.
No less interesting attraction of Caesarea Park is the Roman hippodrome, from one glance at which is breathtaking even for a modern person. The construction, located along the coastline and surrounded by stone seats, was the main "cultural and entertainment" center of that time. Horse races were held here, chariot races were organized, criminals were executed, animals were poisoned, and spectacular gladiatorial fights were organized. In general, the program was more than rich.
The territory of the hippodrome is perfectly preserved. Marble paintings and frescoes depicting bloody scenes are still visible on its walls. Moreover, in the northern end of the arena you can see the remains of the gate, from which the participants of the chariot races started.
Temple of Augustus and Roma
If you carefully consider the photos of Caesarea dedicated to the central part of the park, you will notice the following historical landmark of Israel. This is a pagan temple, built in honor of the goddess Roma and the emperor Octavian Augustus. The building, surrounded by high walls, has a typical structure for the Hellenistic period – a Roman portico, elements of white marble and rows of props of pillars.
The same sandstone-kurkar served as the material for the construction of this temple, but it was covered with such high-quality and beautiful stucco that no one doubted its luxury and grandeur. Subsequently, the pagan shrine was destroyed, and in its place an octagonal Christian cathedral was built, which existed until the VII century. Then Caesarea was attacked by the Arabs, who once again demolished the walls of the church and built a mosque in its place.
Public baths, which appeared in the Byzantine era, are a huge complex consisting of several steam rooms and pools with warm and cold water. The floors of the term are decorated with mosaic tiles, considered the main value of ancient Caesarea. Before entering the complex, there was a palestra in which local residents went in for sports, attended massage sessions, oiled their bodies with oil, or simply relaxed. And the colored mosaic floor, and the palestra, and even the marble columns surrounding the ancient baths, have survived to this day.
Caesarea National Park's opening hours depend on the time of year.
Sun-Thu and Sat – from 8 am to 5 pm;
Fri and holidays – from 8am to 4pm.
Fri and holidays – from 8 am to 3 days.
On the eve of the holidays – from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Adult – 39 ILS;
Children – 24 ILS;
Adult group – 33 ILS;
Children's group – 20 ILS;
Student – 33 ILS;
On a pension certificate – 20 ILS.
For those who plan to get acquainted with the sights of the park within a few days, we recommend buying a tourist card (Money Saving Tickets):
Blue (3 visits) – 78 ILS;
Green (6 visits) – 110 ILS;
Orange (unlimited) – 150 ILS.
On a note! Cards are valid for 2 weeks from the date of activation. The cost is the same for representatives of all ages. You can get relevant information on the official website of Caesarea National Park – www.parks.org.il/en/reserve-park/caesarea-national-park/
Before you go on a sightseeing tour of Caesarea, check out the tips of experienced tourists:
Israel is quite hot – even in late autumn the air temperature reaches + 32 ° C. In addition, there are practically no trees in the park, which means there is no shadow there either. That is why the best time to visit it is early morning and hours before closing;
Do not spare money for the services of a guide – with him the tour will become much more interesting;
In addition, you can take an informational brochure at the entrance or order a paid viewing of a documentary film (available in Russian);
Take care of comfortable clothes and sports shoes – you will have to walk a lot;
The greatest impression on tourists is made by concerts in the ancient theater. As a rule, they are held in the late evening, which allows you to not only listen to the performances of world celebrities, but also enjoy beautiful sunsets.
Caesarea (Israel) is a place worthy of the attention of any tourist who comes to the Holy Land. Be sure to visit the park and enjoy its atmosphere.
← What Souvenirs to bring from Israel
Tourist's guide to Ashdod – a city in Israel with great hospitality →
Tourist's guide to Ramat Gan – one of the most happy cities in Israel
Tourist's guide to Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic: old city in a new world
Tourist's guide to Penang: the most popular island of Malaysia
Best time to visit Israel
Tourist's guide to Arad, a desert city in Israel near the Dead Sea
Tourist's guide to Nahariya in northern Israel
Tourist's guide to Ramat Gan - one of the most happy cities in Israel
Weather in June in Israel and what travelers can expect
Tourist's guide to Bahai Gardens - A Popular Landmark in Israel
Best Beach Holiday Areas in Israel
Tourist's guide to Israeli Cuisine - 12 Traditional Dishes that are a must try
Weather in Israel in May - air and sea temperature and what to expect
Tourist's guide to Herzliya - what is special about it?
A guide to the main public holidays of Israel
Tourist's guide to Timna national Park in Eilat - Israel's main nature park
Tourist's guide to holidays in Tel Aviv: prices and what to do
Tourist's guide to Mount Masada - Fortress of the Desperate in Israel
Tourist's guide to Ein Bokek in Israel, city by the Dead Sea


text:
Q: Devise authenticate_admin wrong redirect I have an app with a User model and the following routes:
devise_for :users, path: 'account',
  path_names: { sign_in: 'login', sign_out: 'logout' },
  controllers: { registrations: 'registrations' }

And a mountable engine mounted at "/admin" with an AdminUser model and the following routes:
devise_for :admin_users, class_name: "MyEngine::AdminUser", module: :devise,
  path: '', path_names: {sign_in: 'login', sign_out: 'logout'},
  controllers: { registrations: 'my_engine/registrations' }

Inside the engines application controller I have before_filter :authenticate_admin_user! which redirects wrongly to the main_app root path, instead of the admin login (or any login) page, giving:
Completed 401 Unauthorized
Why is it doing this and not asking the admin_user to login?

A: I had to add the devise routes in the main_app routes, and changed the login/logout paths slightly:
devise_for :admin_users, class_name: "MyEngine::AdminUser", module: :devise,
  path: '', path_names: {sign_in: 'admin/login', sign_out: 'admin/logout'},
  controllers: { registrations: 'my_engine/registrations' }

I still think there should be a way to do it all inside the gem, but this worked for now...

A: Have you tried this:
#config/routes.rb
devise_for :admin_users, class_name: "MyEngine::AdminUser", module: :devise,
  path: '', path_names: {sign_in: 'login', sign_out: 'logout'},
  controllers: { registrations: 'my_engine/registrations', sessions: "my_enging/sessions" }

#app/controllers/admin/sessions_controller.rb
class Admin::SessionsController < ::Devise::SessionsController

    protected

    #Logout Path
    def after_sign_out_path_for(resource_or_scope)
        admin_root_path
    end

    #Login Path (if already logged in)
    def after_sign_in_path_for(resource)
        admin_root_path
    end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In a large skillet, toast the sesame seeds lightly then cool.
n a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
Drop by teaspoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes in upper 1/3 of the oven - only a sheet at a time. Let cool for 1 minute, then gently but briskly scrape up the wafers with a spatula and let cool on racks.
I am going to try yours, Mystic. They sound as good as mine, if not better. Very similar, but yours have more sugar and butter and less flour. I bet they get really thin on the baking sheet.
Thanks for the 5 on the sesame seed wafers. I find it very interesting to explore the origin of foods. You girls are so seet.


Rear multi function light right hand side version. Stop,tail,fog,reverse,triangle and direction indicator. 7 pin plug on back. Available in LED and/or with numberplate lights upon request. Also available with built in outline marker light.


Some accidents can yield serious and life-threatening injuries. Due to the nature of burn injuries, these particular injuries require immediate medical and legal attention. At Mitchell Law Firm, we work hard to make certain that you are protected under the law and that your injuries and damages are compensated for by the liable party.
Our dedicated Bay Area personal injury attorney won't let a negligent entity, employer, manufacturer, company, or other responsible parties walk away without answering for their careless behavior.
Contact Mitchell Law Firm to learn more about your options in a free case evaluation!
We have been advocating on behalf of injured victims for decades. If you or someone you love has sustained serious burn injuries, do not go another minute without the world-class representation that you rightfully deserve.
We take a proactive approach to representation, meaning that we work hard to uncover evidence, investigate completely, establish negligence, and prove the link between the liable party's actions and the severity of your injuries. Our tireless efforts to help our clients get the best possible outcomes have earned Attorney Tab Mitchell an AV Preeminent® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®!
Burn victims will often be left with some of the most expensive injuries and treatment requirements. Burn injuries rarely ever affect just one victim. Entire families can feel the economic and emotional repercussions of a serious accident that has left a loved one with permanent burn injuries.
Call a Bay Area Personal Injury Lawyer for Experienced Representation!
We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning our clients will not have to worry about paying out-of-pocket expenses for legal representation. We are so confident in our ability to help our clients after an accident that we won't ask for payment of our legal services until we secure compensation on their behalf. Our level of client dedication has earned our firm the distinct reputation for being able to achieve consistently satisfactory outcomes through litigation, negotiation, and settlement.
Call (888) 483-8614 today and learn how we can help you get the compensation you deserve!


The Washington Wizards went into Charlotte on Tuesday night looking for their first win of the season, and instead left after their worst loss of the season (16 points). The Wiz only put up 76 points facing last seasons worst team in NBA history, a team that hadn't beaten them since early 2011.
The Wizards shot under 30% from the field for the game including bricking 26 3-pointers. At what point do you stop jacking them up and driving. If you are the Wizards, the Wizards coaches, or the Wizards ownership, "whenever you feel like it" must be the answer. 16% from 3-point line as a team.
Ariza firing up shots, took 11 in first quarter, 10 of those were jump shots, many within seconds of the shot clock. No offense, holding the ball, no passes, even wing men can't get open. Trevor finished with 19 points, the only Wizards player to score in double figures...Wow.
It was cute early in the 4th quarter when the Wizards cut the lead to 7. But after that they shut down. The rest of the game was an embarrassment as Charlotte's empty arena was on their feet cheering their team as they crushed the Wizards spirit.
The season is a disaster, and it doesn't look like it is getting any better. Okafor & Ariza are getting paid a lot of money. Jan Vesely, Brad Beal, and John Wall, the Wiz management's last 3 choices in the top 6 of the draft finished with a combined 10 points. How did the Bobcats last TWO first rounders do? How about combining for 32 points.


text:
Council of Bishops of the UOC of the USA Joins National Council of Churches in the Statement: "Do Not Carry Out Planned Deportations"
In prayerful unison with the National Council of Churches, organization that serves as a leading voice of witness to the living Christ in the public square since 1950, the NCC brings together 38 member communions and more than 40 million Christians in a common commitment to God's love and promise of unity, the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA blessed to forward to the parishes of the UOC of the USA the following statement:
"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another." Zechariah 7:9-10
The National Council of Churches urges the Trump administration not to go forward with the widely publicized raids scheduled for this weekend that are intended to round up and deport thousands of families and individuals. Indeed, these raids may very well take place while millions of Christians are attending Sunday services. The raids have struck fear and dread into the hearts of countless people who are living peaceful and productive lives in our nation.
These unnecessary acts of "enforcement" terrorize children, women, and men who live in our communities. It is unconscionable and immoral. We see these threatened deportations as part of a program of extreme intimidation and harm, and we urge the U.S. government not to move ahead with these raids.
This is a moment in which God is calling the Church to do all it can to stand with those who have sought refuge within our borders and to resist these measures and show compassion toward persons threatened with deportation. Many of the congregations associated with the NCC are praying for those impacted and are prepared to act in ways that protect threatened persons.
Since the earliest times in which Christians gathered together, churches have been places of sanctuary in which persons in danger of harm from an oppressive government can find safety and protection. We urge all churches to be places of sanctuary for those in danger today.
People of faith cannot turn a blind eye this weekend and we must rely upon the strength of God, revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to accept the freedom and power to resist evil, injustice, and oppression.
For those facing raids this weekend, we are reminded of our scriptures which teach us:
O how abundant is your goodness
that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of everyone!
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
from contentious tongues.
+ + + + + + + + + + ++ + + + + + + ++ + + +
Since 1950, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) has served as a leading voice of witness to the living Christ. NCC unifies a diverse covenant community of 38 member communions and over 40 million individuals –100,000 congregations from Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African-American, and Living Peace traditions – in a common commitment to advocate and represent God's love and promise of unity in our public square. NCC partners with secular and interfaith partners to advance a shared agenda of peace, progress, and positive change.
Statement of Faith "The National Council of Churches is a community of Christian communions, which, in response to the gospel as revealed in the Scriptures, confess Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, as Savior and Lord.
These communions covenant with one another to manifest ever more fully the unity of the Church.
Relying upon the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the communions come together as the Council in common mission, serving in all creation to the glory of God."
This statement is accepted by the NCC member communions (also called churches, conventions, meetings, or denominations). As Christian bodies, they hold these and many other beliefs in common. Each member also has a unique heritage, including teachings and practices that differ from those of other members.
Through their covenant as the NCC, the member communions grow in understanding of each other's traditions. They work to identify and fully claim those areas of belief they hold in common; they celebrate the diverse and unique gifts that each church brings to ecumenical life; and together they study issues that divide the churches. And they cooperate in many joint programs of education, advocacy, and service that address critically important needs and witness to our common faith in Jesus Christ.
Statement of the Council of Bishops of the UOC of the USA on the 243rd Anniversary of US Independence
2019 Memorial Day Statement of the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Statement of the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA: Remembering Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster


text:
Fondo Pensioni per il Personale Cariplo
Selling Your Skyscraper
Against the backdrop of uncertain U.S. and international property markets, the Italian pension fund, Fondo Pensioni per il Personale Cariplo, decided to sell a 389,000-square-foot office building that it owned in Midtown Manhattan. Cozen O'Connor represented the fund in this sale. Based on Cozen O'Connor's analysis of the Italian-U.S. tax treaty, Fondo Pensioni agreed to pursue a highly unusual but advantageous deal structure. Rather than sell the building directly, the fund would sell its shares of New Millennium Estates, a C corporation that it had formed to hold the property. The firm guided the client through a complex competitive bidding process with dual pricing for asset and entity buyers. Attorneys worked in close in collaboration with Fondo Pensioni's asset manager, Hines, and its broker, CBRE. After expedited negotiations, SL Green, a well-known New York REIT, agreed to a stock sale transaction valued at $253 million.
CASE STUDY DETAILS
"Running a competitive bid with multiple bidders takes endurance and high professional standards. Rick was extremely calm and deliberate. He was a man in his element."
Tommy Craig,
Hines Senior Vice President
Davis, William F.
Weinberger, Joshua C.


The Maxtrix bed is the centerpiece of their system and the perfect starter bed for your toddler. Optional safety rails make it a perfect choice for the transition from a crib. Maxtrix safety rails are among the highest in the industry, offering extra safety for your child, 17″ from bed slat surface to the top safety rail.
Playing peek-a-boo takes on a whole new dimension with a colorful and cute top tent. Easily added onto the Maxtrix daybed, it creates the perfect little playhouse. The curtains open and close and the whole structure is easily removable.


text:
community,
More border residents will have access to world-class clinical trials on the border thanks to a $22,000 donation to the Albury Wodonga Cancer Centre and the Border Medical Oncology Last year's Pub2Pub Run raised $11,000, which was matched by the Albury Wodonga Prostate Cancer Support Group. Currently BMO's research unit has four clinical trials running, with 14 patients involved. IN OTHER NEWS: Thurgoona resident, Gary Waugh, has been on a trial for a new drug enzalutamide since 2016 after being diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. "I was diagnosed in late 2015 and they found it had spread to my bones," Mr Waugh, 81, said. "I was asked by my oncologist if I was interested in taking part in a research study and thought that while it might not help me, it might help someone in the future. So I agreed to be a part of it. "It is fantastic that we can access this research right here in Albury." The 2020 Pub2Pub Run was due to be held on Sunday, November 8 but was cancelled.
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/sophie.boyd/abf6f787-e9bc-4eab-9196-2cf14dc008f3.jpg/r0_144_5518_3262_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
November 16 2020 - 3:00PM
Pub2Pub run Albury and Albury Wodonga Prostate Cancer Support Groups donated $22,000
Sophie Boyd
GENEROUS: Gary Waugh, who is participating in a prostate cancer clinical trial,and Albury Wodonga Prostate Cancer Support Group secretary Glenn Rose at the Springdale Heights Tavern. Picture: MARK JESSER
More border residents will have access to world-class clinical trials on the border thanks to a $22,000 donation to the Albury Wodonga Cancer Centre and the Border Medical Oncology
Last year's Pub2Pub Run raised $11,000, which was matched by the Albury Wodonga Prostate Cancer Support Group.
Currently BMO's research unit has four clinical trials running, with 14 patients involved.
Charity urgently needs a roof to keep putting food on tables in Upper Murray
Wodonga student threatened with knife during failed armed robbery attempt
Thurgoona man's death in custody being examined by coroner
Thurgoona resident, Gary Waugh, has been on a trial for a new drug enzalutamide since 2016 after being diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.
"I was diagnosed in late 2015 and they found it had spread to my bones," Mr Waugh, 81, said.
"I was asked by my oncologist if I was interested in taking part in a research study and thought that while it might not help me, it might help someone in the future. So I agreed to be a part of it.
"It is fantastic that we can access this research right here in Albury."
The 2020 Pub2Pub Run was due to be held on Sunday, November 8 but was cancelled.


text:
SpaceX Perform First Fiery Hop Test of Starship Prototype
SpaceX has successfully completed the first test of the company's Starhopper vehicle. In addition to being the first test of the Starship prototype, it was also the first time the company's next-generation Raptor engine was fired as part of an integrated flight vehicle.
The "tethered hop" test of the Starhopper vehicle was conducted at the SpaceX Boca Chica launch facility in Cameron County, Texas at 00:56:25 UTC this morning. During the test, the vehicle's solitary raptor engine was fired for approximately three seconds.
Following the completion of the test, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that it had been successful. "Starhopper completed tethered hop. All Systems green," he said.
The successfully tethered hop follows nearly two weeks of preparation including at least five wet dress rehearsals. The rehearsals involved loading the vehicle's propellant tanks and verifying the performance of its avionics and plumbing.
The completion of the tethered hop test paves the way for untethered tests. These test will likely start with short hops of a few meters and ultimately culminate in tests lasting several minutes reaching altitudes of 5 kilometres or more. The first few untethered tests will utilise the vehicle in its current configuration. However, Musk has revealed that higher altitude testing will require the installation of two additional raptor engines.
Inspiration4 ushers in a new age of spaceflight
NASA awards lunar lander contracts to Blue Origin and Space
SpaceX perform dress rehearsal ahead of crewed Inspiration4 Mission
NASA awards $150 million GOES-U launch contract to SpaceX
SpaceX launch first flight-proven upgraded cargo Dragon
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is suing NASA


← Head Voice? Chest Voice? Eh?
I swear by Olbas Oil. A few drops on the neck of the t-shirt I am wearing seems to help keep me clear; but overuse can lesson the effect, so I tend to save it for when I really need it, like at bedtimes, or if I need to go out, and not be blowing my nose all the time.
Hot water bottle applied to the chest helps to shift some of the gunk and also soothes any muscles you may be straining through coughing.


text:
Q: yii2 Getting array of data from one model and listing it in view of another In photo controller while listing photo I can get user data using function
    public function getUser()
    {
return $this->hasOne(User::className(), ['id' => 'uID']);
}

So when I'm listing some photo in view I can access users db using
$model->user['username']

But what if I have db of comments of this photo. and want to get all coments while listing photo.
what should I write in photos model to get all comments of this photo and how can I list them in view ?
in model I think I must use this
public function getComments()
{
    $modelComments = Comments::find()->where(['id'=>'commentID'])->all();
    return [array('modelComments' => $modelComments)];
}

If this is correct how can I output all comments in view of photo ?

A: Does $model->user['username'] work at all? It should be $model->user->username.
Anyway set relation between photo and comments like with user but one-to-many.
public function getComments()
{
    return $this->hasMany(Comments::className(), ['id' => 'commentID']);
}

Now when calling $model->comments you have got the array of all Comments models related to the photo.
Simpliest way of displaying them is to iterate over this array like:
foreach ($model->comments as $comment) {
    echo $comment->content . '<br>';
    // assuming column name with actual comment is "content"
}