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Profiles and Features
Profiles and Features May 22, 2019
By Melissa Wirkus Hagstrom, contributor
3 Dangers of Nurses Station Gossip--and How to Avoid It
Tittle-tattle, rumors, hushed whispers—call it what you want, but gossip can have an adverse effect on the workplace, especially for hospital nurses and those in working primary care. Best known as negative talk about an absent third party, gossiping at the nurses' station can cause low morale and a host of other problems.
One of the fundamental principles of all communications, not just at a nurses' station, is trust and respect, explained Connie Barden, RN, CNS, MSN, CCRN-K, CCNS, chief clinical officer, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
Avoiding the negative, dangerous outcomes listed below and shifting conversations to a more positive light can create an environment of transparency and strong employee relations. It can also help protect patient outcomes and satisfaction levels.
Three Dangers of Nurses Station Gossip
1. Damages Relationships
Whether the chatter is about a patient, colleague, supervisor or other third party, talking behind someone's back can cause hurt feelings and other issues that can potentially damage a relationship.
"It's important to create an environment that fosters effective and skillful communication and collaboration as outlined in the AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments," Barden said. "There are few places where the stakes are as high as in a hospital. Demeaning, belittling, and disrespectful gossip damages relationships, contributes to errors, and adversely impacts nurses, coworkers, and patients."
2. Lack of Trust and Respect
"When there is negative gossip, it's difficult for trust and respect to flourish," Barden explained. Both the person doing the gossiping and the person listening to the conversation can be perceived as untrustworthy for talking about someone who is not present."
Specifically, for skilled communication to thrive, Barden said it is important to center on three key areas:
• Focus on solutions and achieving desirable outcomes
• Protect and advance collaborative relationships among colleagues
• Invite and hear all relevant perspectives
"As in other aspects of life, it's best to focus on taking the 'high road' with our conversations," Barden continued.
"Ideally, if gossip exists, it should be focused solely on celebrating those around us and recognizing their contributions in a positive way. The litmus test for gossip should be, 'Would you be proud to share what you are saying with the person you are discussing?' Then it's worthy of sharing as positive gossip."
3. Possible HIPAA Violations
According to Becker'sHealth IT and CIO Review, employees disclosing patient information is the most common violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In their 2016 list of the most common HIPAA violations, they explain that employees' gossiping about patients to friends or co-workers is a violation that can lead to significant fines.
Moving sensitive conversations to private areas and avoiding sharing specific patient information while in a public area such as the nurses' station is a critical component to avoiding HIPAA violations.
Bur talking about patients isn't the only problem. Speaking badly about fellow hospital nurses or other healthcare professionals and administrators doesn't look good for your hospital or your unit.
Can Nurses Station Gossip Be Good?
It's important to look at all sides of the "story," especially when it comes to a sensitive subject like gossip. In fact, research has shown that some gossip may actually have positive effects on camaraderie within an organization, including the hospital setting.
According to a 2014 study published on ScienceDirect, "Talking Behind Their Backs: Negative Gossip and Burnout in Hospitals," the researchers found that gossip can both hinder and help in a hospital environment. The whole issue is one giant gray area, with some data and anecdotal evidence showing gossip as beneficial, and others documenting its harm.
One of the study's authors, Anthony Montgomery, PhD, an organizational psychologist and associate professor at the University of Macedonia in Greece, explained that, "Gossip is a way of communicating rules and establishing norms, it is informal and leads to sharing of information and risk."
"Gossip can help to relieve some of the emotionally charged situations that occur in the multifaceted relationships with patients or other employees. Nurses often use gossip to express some of the deepest emotions about patients and fellow workers and gossip has been considered as a form of emotional support and a way to relieve stress."
Replacing gossip with forms of more positive, inclusive communication is a great way to change the direction of a conversation that may be perceived as negative.
"I would argue that line managers need to be aware of the gossip that goes on around them, and use it as a way to take the 'temperature' of their unit/department," Montgomery concluded.
"Obviously, not all gossip is relevant to healthcare management, but it can reveal what topics are not provided an appropriate forum for discussion (e.g., errors, near misses, inappropriate behavior, bullying)."
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6 Ways to Make More Money as a Nurse
Wondering how to make more money as a nurse? Get the lowdown on six things you can do to make extra money as a nurse, including a career as a travel nurse!
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What is Kelp?
Kelps are seaweeds that fall in the genera of brown algae. It has 31 different species and can be abundantly found in the coastal areas of the colder marine ecosystems. These are big algal species that provide critical habitats for many organisms and species in the marine ecosystem. Kelp is also an excellent source of iodine and potash and is consumed as a delicacy. Here, we will study what kelp is and its benefits.
Kelp is a seaweed falling in the order Laminariales. The morphological structure of this seaweed resembles the algal species and it produces a complex carbohydrate known as algin. It grows very fast and forms a kelp forest near the coasts. It can be seen floating on the sea surface. It is named brown algae due to its characteristic colour. Its colour can vary from olive green to brown and gives a characteristic colour to the marine ecosystem.
(Image will be uploaded soon)
Due to its vast span of growth, it forms a huge forest-like structure underneath the shallow part of the sea resulting in the formation of a habitat for a diverse group of species. Invertebrates and fish flourish in this habitat as there is an ample supply of food available to support this unique ecosystem.
Structural Features of Kelp
Now that we know what is kelp, let us proceed to know its botanical features. The leaves of this species are long and flat and form tangles. It is hard to row a boat and causes hindrance for sea ferries. They are primarily found in the colder regions of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
The size of these algal species ranges from 1 to 3 meters. It might belong to the algae family but has strong stems that cling on the surface underneath the shallow portion of sea beds. The stem is strong enough and resembles that of the small plants. It is a fascinating fact that the stem of this plant is perennial whereas the meristematic portion or the growing blade parts are annual. Every year, the blades fall off whereas the stem remains submerged in the seawater.
Some of the species of sea kelp can grow as long as 65 meters. It is called giant kelp and is considered to be the largest among all the species known. It can be found in seawater where the temperature ranges from 18 to 20 °C.
The brilliant part of this plant's morphology is that it resembles the structure of the advanced botanical species. The stem part holds to the ocean floor with its root-like attachments and the meristematic parts grow further to float on the surface. The stem-like strong lower portion enables this algal species to withstand the force of waves and other devastating external conditions and grow. The stalks also produce long branches with flat leaf-like projections. In fact, the internal tissues of the stem have helped in the transportation of organic materials to the entire body of kelp algae.
Another reason for the blades of kelp forest floating easily on the sea surface is the presence of air bladders in them. The presence of fleshy blades on the long stalks contains tissues that are filled with air. This enables the plant to float and absorb shock.
Kelp as Edible Seaweed
Kelp or brown algae are also considered a delicacy in some places. It is used to make excellent dishes and is highly nutritious too. The nutritional benefits of kelp are as follows.
Good Source of Iodine and Potassium: It contains two essential elements iodine and potassium required for our proper physiological functioning. Iodine helps us to keep our thyroid levels intact and to avoid different diseases related to the thyroid glands. Potassium keeps our neurological system functioning.
Good Source of Tyrosine: Tyrosine also enables to keep the thyroid gland properly functioning. It thus helps in cell damage repair, energy production, and growth control.
Vitamins and Minerals: It is also a good source of vitamins and minerals that our body needs for proper physiological functions.
Fiber: One of the biggest sea kelp benefits in terms of nutrition is the addition of a high amount of fiber to our diet. It helps in keeping our bowel movement better and also aids in digestion.
Economic Importance of Sea Kelp
It is used to extract alginic acid. This acid is used to make natural thickening agents in food industries. This natural thickening agent is used to manufacture bakery products and ice creams.
This acid is also used to make surgical threads and batteries.
Its natural compost is used as an excellent fertilizer for organic farming.
As it contains a high amount of potash, it is used to extract soda ash for glass industries.
Kelp for plants can be used for aquaponics and other aquarium cultures for growing fish.
As it is present in a vast amount on the sea surface, it fixes carbon and reduces the presence of this gas in the atmosphere.
Kelp Minecraft: A digital presentation of kelp used for a video game named 'Minecraft'. This game allows the players to create ocean biomes on their own using the various resources available
These are the features and benefits of kelp you should know. It can be used as a nutritional source and can serve as an exceptional kelp forest ecosystem in the seas and oceans.
1. Why are algae an important part of our ecosystem?
Ans: Algae like kelp fix carbon dioxide present in our atmosphere and deliver oxygen. It also provides a safe habitat for various vertebrate and invertebrate species in the marine world. Marine algae are important supporting a huge population of animals to survive and thrive.
2. Give two nutritional benefits of kelp?
Ans: The following are the two nutritional benefits of kelp.
It has a high content of iodine and potassium that are beneficial for our body.
Including kelp in our diet will help us consume a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Rhabdotenes anthracobathra är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Edward Meyrick 1938. Rhabdotenes anthracobathra ingår i släktet Rhabdotenes och familjen vecklare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Vecklare
anthracobathra

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Insight on Bloody Sunday
The original investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday repudiated the Widgery Inquiry's take on the events of the day. We reprint it in full here
The Sunday Times Insight team
April 23 1972, 1:01am, The Sunday Times
Bishop Daly helped clear a path for a dying man during Bloody Sunday
The decision to put civilians at risk
In the space of 20 minutes on January 30th in Londonderry a company of paratroopers killed 13 Catholics and wounded 14. The event was immediately overlaid by propaganda from both sides. Lord Widgery's report, in turn, has been condemned as whitewash and hailed as a complete vindication of what the paratroopers did. Insight reporters have been in Londonderry ever since the shootings. They have interviewed 250 witnesses including the IRA. They have studied the Army's evidence as revealed in the half-million words of the Widgery tribunal, They have collected 500 photographs taken on the day. Their conclusions differ in some respects from those of Lord Widgery, his critics and his admirers. What follows is a summary of the evidence which has led to five main…


Road safety nannies seem obsessed with introducing automated vehicles as a panacea to resolving the road toll, according to motorcycle and artificial intelligence experts.
Their comments follow a recent crash in which an automated Tesla S rear-ended and injured a female motorcyclist in Norway while undergoing on-road testing.
It has prompted official concerns about whether testing of Tesla's Autopilot system sufficiently took into account two-wheeled vehicles.
And it's not just automated cars, but also buses and trucks with Volvo just completing a 210km automated drive from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins to deliver Budweiser beer.
International Federation for Information Processing president Mike Hinchey has warned this week's ITU World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly in Tunisia about the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
"The challenge is how to trust automated decisions, particularly in a situation where machine learning means that the computer might make a completely different decision from one context to another," he warns.
While recognising the enormous investment being made in AI systems like driverless cars, Professor Hinchey said the jury is still out on whether these systems will ever be fully implemented.
"Technology like driverless cars only really works if everyone applies the rules consistently. Robots will, but humans might not.
"Humans sometimes bend the rules out of courtesy and will use eye contact to confirm their decision. However, in a context where both humans and robots are sharing the road, problems could arise because of the different ways in which they interpret the rules," Professor Hinchey explained.
He also questioned where to draw the line on preservation of life.
Professor Hinchey said more research is needed to understand the nuances of AI systems as their influence in our lives continues to grow.
Yet development in automated cars and motorcycles with AI is going ahead at a rapid pace and on-road testing is becoming more prevalent.
The road safety experts are claiming it will make the roads safer. Even BMW Motorrad spokesman Karl Viktor Schaller says autonomous vehicles will make motorcycle riding safer.
BMW, as well as Yamaha and Kawasaki are also woking on autonomous motorcycles using AI.
Motorcyclist, road safety campaigner and Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party candidate Judith Kuerschner says delegates at the recent Australasian Road Safety Conference in Canberra seemed obsessed with autonomous vehicles.
"Personally I don't see them as a good thing for motorcycles," she says.
"Many variables involved with manoeuvres such as filtering and moving at speeds greater than the posted limit, or even just the ability to accelerate quickly and move 'erratically' within a lane are things which most car drivers don't seem to be able to factor in.
"Since an inanimate object such as a computer on wheels is only going to be as good as its programmer, these things are likely to be 'too hard' to cater to, or simply not thought of at all.
Maybe we'll all be forced to mount radar reflectors on our bikes so the robots can see us?
17% increase in road deaths this year so far (was on the news this morning).
I bet a fair bit of that increase is because of distraction. As a motorcyclist and cyclist all I see all day is drivers on their phones at the wheel.
Bring on automated cars and trucks – at least the computers (LIDAR) are looking around. At least they won't "punishment pass" me while I'm cycling. They'll see me coming from behind.
The sooner we get the control of the steel cages out of the human's hands the better.
It'll take motorcycling a lot longer to go automated and we may just have to accept that if we want to ride it ourselves we'll have to go to the track. Insurance will become increasingly difficult to obtain and supremely expensive – why would they cover a fallible driver when a computer can do it for you and not mess up and kill someone?
1200 pedestrian deaths per year in Australia. 50+ cyclists per year, all killed by drivers. Many motorcyclists as well. Road deaths are 30,000 per year in the USA. That's an immense number of people, families, children affected for life, because of human error.
That's what automated self driving cars are going to change.
I cannot wait for the fully automated cars to hit the roads here, just think, for every brain dead totally unpredictable, its all about me and my I phone, driver that buys one, is one less problem we have.
I agree with Mark Taylor . AI will take the fun, pleasure and enjoyment out of riding motorcycles. Isn't that why we ride – for the sheer pleasure it brings us. Somewhere along the line all these Road Safety Nannies seem to have failed to understand the motorcycle community. Seriously? I wouldn't ride a motorcycle where the computer had total control. We have ABS and Traction control – that's about the limit that is needed. We don't need a bike that won't fall over – we already have those scooters that have two wheels up front – for people who can's cope with keeping their bikes upright.
The real problem that we as motorcycle riders face is living in a world where cars are 100% automated without a human at the wheel.
The elephant in the room is that some people actually enjoy driving their own cars. Me for one. Not the least bit interested in a self driving car. I guess they want to force these gadgets upon us. Lower everybody to the lowest common denominator.


Serve this garlicky, bean and pepper sauce over pasta, add a green salad, some bread and steamed veggies. The sauce is hearty enough that if you want to add a little meat, you can get away with just a tiny bit. Or serve it on the side as a complement to fish or chicken.We also use this as a sauce base for CF pizza with excellent results!
GarBasil-Pepper Sauce? The name is a bit unusual, I know.
Blame it on my creative kids. The name comes from the ingredients (can you guess that they are?).
A little while back we were experimenting with a milk-free diet, and, frankly, my brain was getting fried coming up with variety in our dinners.
Plus, my stomach doesn't react so well to tomato-based pasta sauces. The acid gets me.
And I was missing alfredo. I like dairy. A lot, lol!
This is NOT like alfredo. But it's quite good and gets 2 thumbs up from ALL my family members, which is saying something. We have a vegetarian and 2 very picky eaters in our midst, plus hubby really does like MEAT. He goes along with my meat-free inventions (meat does cost money, after all), but he does like a dinner that satisfies. This does.
The best part is that it is supper quick and easy to make (from start to finish takes less than 20 minutes).
This serves our family of 6 (2 adults, 4 kids and 2 of our kids eat like adults). Could easily be doubled if your food processor is big enough, or do 2 batches.
Suggested variations: skip the basil and use curry powder or cumin for a eastern flavor, or experiment with whatever you have on hand, the beans will take on the flavors you use. You could also use great northern beans or other white beans in this recipe.
Put all your ingredients in your food processor.
Pulse a few times to get them started.
Puree for about 2 minutes. Check your consistency to see if it's thin enough. If not, add some water.
Transfer to a saucepan. Heat over low heat until hot.
Serve over pasta or rice. That's it.
I hope you enjoy this CHEAP, yummy, dairy-free bean sauce.


The aim of DYPROSO XXIX is to provide a selected, but nevertheless, broad scope. With a few lectures on one topic, the status of the understanding and the open problems are usually presented. Cross-fertilizing among experts is certainly one of the resulting benefits. Younger participants are then informed on hot and current topics in areas other than their specialty.


And I open up the book next to my bed (Don Miguel Ruiz' the mastery of love) and I read about the power of the fear.
And I think of Morrissey's "shyness is nice, and shyness can stop you / from doing all the things in life you'd like to".
And I am afraid of what might happen if I break the spells that smother my energy.
Or rather, I'm afraid of what will happen.
There's a pile of notes on the livingroom floor - my favourite sketchpad, the livingroom floor. My favourite couch, the livingroom floor. Where I read the paper, the livingroom floor. Where I sit slouching down, the livingroom floor. A tear makes a slow run, the livingroom floor. On the salmon pink carpet of the livingroom floor.
The last few weeks I've been slowly getting accustomed to my life not going very well. Even though it all seems so well on the outside. Even last week, when D. asked me if there was more going on, I said there wasn't, and I knew I was lying. He knew it, too, and chose to let it be - it wasn't the right moment. Wise guy, D. I sat down and started writing instead, and wrote until five in the morning, and wrote and edited until I wasn't lying anymore, and I looked the truth in the face.
Burn | main | new scans!
Posted on 15:00, 12 may 2002.


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Lower this to [Up to 1 mbps].
4. If all else fails, please click [Audio] from top menu bar and select [Reconnect].


Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple (or) Baba Baidyanath dham is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas (the most sacred abodes of Shiva), situated in Deoghar, Jharkhand, and dedicated to Lord Shiva. Baidyanath Temple also called as Baba Dham, Vaidhyanath Temple and Baidyanath Dham. This temple contains 21 other temples in its temple complex. The main shrine of Lord Shiva is in lotus shape and 72 feet tall.
The mythology says that Lord Brahma (the god of creation) and Lord Vishnu (the god of Harmony) had a tough argument on who holds the superiority in creation. To test Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva penetrated the three worlds as an endless pillars of light, called Jyotirlinga. Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu was assigned separate directions, one to the upward direction and the other towards the downward direction to find the end of the light in either directions.
Lord Vishnu admitted His Vanquishment whereas Lord Brahma lied that he found the end of the light. Hence, Lord Shiva appeared to be the second pillar of light and proclaimed that Lord Vishnu would be worshipped by all till the end of the eternity and cursed Lord Brahma that He will not be worshipped in any etiquette. The other mythology was that the demon King Ravanan is said to be worshipped at this place to get the boons from Lord Shiva, in which he later misused.
And later it is said that the demon king Ravanan offered his ten heads one after the other as a sacrifice to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was pleased by his sacrifice and tumbled to cure the injuries of Ravanan. As Lord Shiva here acted as a curer of Ravana's injuries, He is called as Vaidhyanath (doctor). The temple contains some special features like Punchsula (five knives in Trident shape) and Chandrakanta Mani (eight plated lotus jewel). The shrine of Goddess Maa Parvati is connected with the main shrine of Lord Shiva with huge red sacred threads, which signifies the unity of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Vaidyanath or Baidyanath (Shiva) in the form of Lingam. Each Jyotirlinga temples takes different manifestation of Lord Shiva and the idol of Lingam is considered as a presiding deity in every Jyotirlinga temples. Lingam represents the beginning less and endless, which symbolizes the infinite nature of Lord Shiva. The three following temples are considered to be the "real Jyotirlinga of Lord Vaidyanath".
Baidyanath Temple is considered as one of the 51 Shakti Pitha Temples. The Shakti Pitha is a place of worship to goddess Shakti also called goddess Sati, the main deity. It is said that the four major Shakti Pithas are created from the limbs of Goddess Sati's corpse. The body part or ornament of Goddess Shakti that fell to the earth, is the place where the Adi Shakti temples are built.
And it is said that the heart of Goddess Shakti have fallen here. And hence this place is also called as Hardapeetha, and the Goddess is worshipped by the name Jai Durga, which refers to Victorious. Baidyanath Temple is popularly known as the Tantric seat for Sadhakas by Gopinath Kaviraj, the famous tantric and a famous scholar.
The temple remains open from morning 04.00 am till evening 03.30 pm. And in the evening from 06.00 pm till night 09.00 pm.
Shravan Mela festival is the famous festival celebrated in this temple in the month July or August which attracts millions of devotees.
The devotees collect holy water of Ganges from Sultanganj which is nearly 117 kilo meters away from the temple.
The pilgrims from various parts of the world, carry the holy water in Kavadi and walk all the distance on bare foot, wearing saffron-dyed clothes and offer that holy water to the presiding deity of Baidyanath temple.
Deoghar is reachable from Kolkata 373 km, Giridih 112 km, Patna 281 km, Dumka 67 km, Madhupur 57 km, Shimultala 53 km and other places. Regular buses are available from surrounding towns.
Nearest rail way station is Jasidih railway station, which is 7 Km from Vaidyanath temple. Jasidh is 311 Km from Howrah/Sealdah on Patna route.
Nearest Airports are Ranchi (385 kms) and Patna (270 kms). And Kolkata can be considered as the next nearest airport.


The easing of the winter chill and the lengthening days remind me that there is still time to tend to winter creative projects, if I can only find the time! So, lets make time. This is a gathering of local area spinners, knitters and needle felters, open to all, to help make this truly a "makers" space. Lets see what yarns we can tell as well as spin! Bring your wheel, your drop spindle, your knitting or other wool and fiber projects (and your own spinning stool please!). Bring a snack or dish to share if you wish. Email us at FreedomMakersStudio@gmail.com FMI. Thanks!


NEWBORN cousins Chicago West and True Thompson have been pictured together for the first time.
Kim Kardashian West has shared a new photo of her daughter Chicago West and niece True Thompson.
The reality star uploaded the sweet snap in a birthday tribute to her younger sister Khloe Kardashian, who turned 34 on 27 June.
She wrote to her 113million Instagram followers: "Happy Birthday to one of my favourite souls on this planet!
"@khloekardashian This year you have shown strength like none other. I admire you for always following your heart.
"I love seeing you as a mom and can't wait for the years ahead.
"Let's celebrate you today! I love you to infinity!," she ended the adoring caption.
Kim shows off her new cornrows in the candid snap as she sits alongside Khloe, who is dressed casually in an all black ensemble.
On her knees sit two month old daughter True and five month old niece Chicago.
True wears a cute white dress with pink details in the snap, while Chicago looks adorable, smiling for the camera in a dark pink onesie.
Chicago and True's close births were broken up by the arrival of fellow cousin Stormi Webster.
Kylie Jenner's daughter, born in February 2018, is yet to be seen spending quality time with Chicago and True.
However, she was in attendance for Chicago's big sister North's recent birthday bash.


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Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Review – An Adventure To Remember
Ni no Kuni II is a game with a surprising amount of depth, and it will keep you hooked for dozens of hours.
Posted By Shubhankar Parijat | On 19th, Mar. 2018 Under Article, Reviews | Follow This Author @shubhankar2508
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was one of the most well-loved games of the previous generation. Its charming world and cast of characters, vibrant and beautiful visual palette, and classic JRPG charm endeared the game to almost everyone who played it. Though the game had some pretty major issues of its own, it nonetheless felt like a breath of fresh air in a time when the JRPG genre seemed to have stagnated and looked to be moving towards its demise. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom has a lot of the same strengths that its predecessor did, such as its beautiful visuals, characters that you can invest in, and overflowing charm, but it also fixes many of the issues that plagued the first game.
Unlike its predecessor, however, Ni no Kuni II has released in a landscape where JRPGs are no longer stagnating- they're resurgent. As recently as within the last couple of years, we've played some truly excellent games, including the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Persona 5, Final Fantasy 15, and Nier Automata, so the JRPG genre clearly isn't in the kind of dire straits it was five or six years ago. As such, while people were more willing to forgive the original Ni no Kuni's missteps, since it was a rare contemporary JRPG gem when it launched, such is not the case with Ni no Kuni II. And while none of the game's issues are as annoying as the grinding and the annoying battles of the previous game were, they cannot be ignored.
"Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom has a lot of the same strengths that its predecessor did, such as its beautiful visuals, characters that you can invest in, and overflowing charm, but it also fixes many of the issues that plagued the first game."
In Ni no Kuni II, you play as a young boy named Evan, who used to be the king of Ding Dong Dell, but was ousted from his own kingdom after a violent coup. The central premise of the game is that Evan seeks to build a new kingdom, with his main goal being to bring the entire world under one, single, peaceful banner. As such, within the narrative there is a lot of interacting and negotiating with other cities and towns and a lot of conflict-resolution and quest-completion for other kingdoms. Ni no Kuni II's narrative always moves at a brisk pace, and while this is a good thing in the sense that the game isn't bogged down in sections that can kill the game's pacing like so many other JRPGs can be, it also means that there are a few sections where important details are completely glossed over, or the game fails to spend enough time on major events or backstories. Where the narrative's strengths really lie is in the characters it portrays.
Much of that is, in equal parts, due to the writing and the voice acting. Evan's growth as both, a person and a king throughout Revenant Kingdom's story is handled incredibly for the entirety of the game, but equally as well-developed and likeable are characters such as Roland and Shani. Evan's friendships and interactions with the people he meets up with throughout the game are extremely well written, and lend the dynamics between these people a lot of believability. There are times, as seems to be the case with most JRPGs irrespective of the developer, when the script feels a bit too cheesy or exaggerated in its style, but these moments are the exception, not the rule.
The first thing you notice about Ni no Kuni II when the game boots up, however, is how beautiful it is. Unlike its predecessor, Studio Ghibli wasn't involved in the development of Ni no Kuni II, but some key members from Ghibli still worked on the game with Level 5, and it completely shows. The cel-shaded visual style is strikingly beautiful- it grabbed my attention at first glance, and continued to stun me with consistently strong art design. Every location you visit has a distinct visual flair to it, from the extremely varied and personality filled cities to the dungeons and wide-open fields. The cutscenes, too, are beautifully directed- they no longer have the same wonderful anime-like charm that the first game's cutscenes did, seeing as they're now all in-engine, but in this particular case, "different" doesn't necessarily mean "worse".
"The cel-shaded visual style is strikingly beautiful- it grabbed my attention at first glance, and continued to stun me with consistently strong art design."
The beautiful visuals and the strong sense of artistic style, then, are some things that the two Ni no Kuni games have in common. The area where the second game differs from its predecessor quite heavily is the combat. While the battles in Wrath of the White Witch were one of the game's biggest weaknesses, combat in Ni no Kuni II is very enjoyable and surprisingly deep. For starters, rather than being turn based, battles here take place in real time, and you have the complete freedom to move about the battlefield. You can control any one of your three party members at a time, but while you're actually in the middle of battles, there's plenty of stuff you actually need to take care of.
Your basic attacks include a light and heavy melee attack, attacks that do elemental damage, and ranged attacks. Moving around the battlefield and having to dodge enemy attacks is, of course, the most immediate actions you'll be indulging in during fights, but you'll also have to keep an eye on a few other things. Each character, for instance, can be equipped with up to three weapons, and as you use these weapons, a special attack is charged up for each one of them. Unleashing these charged attacks can be a useful trick in battles, especially some of the tougher ones, and knowing when to store up charged attacks and when to unleash them can be quite important at times. Some weapons can also have their own specific elemental types, which is something that can give you a serious edge in battles where some of the tougher enemies only have a few specific weaknesses. Combining these two things, switching in and out of weapons in the middle of fights adds an element of strategy to the proceedings.
And, of course, there are the Higgledies. Familiars were an important part of Wrath of the White Witch's Pokemon-like collection and battling gameplay loop, and while on paper Higgledies are essentially their replacements, they function quite differently. Rather than being the focus of the battle, Higgledies are more of a support element in battles. For the most part, these creatures function autonomously, but you can occasionally trigger moves that can aid you in fights in a variety of ways. While some Higgledies might provide offensive support by turning into a canon and blasting away at airborne enemies or enemies that are tougher, others could provide you with useful stat buffs, while still others could chip in with precious healing support for you and your party members.
"While the battles in Wrath of the White Witch were one of the game's biggest weaknesses, combat in Ni no Kuni II is very enjoyable and surprisingly deep."
All of these elements combine to make for a battle system that is fast, animated, and kinetic, and one that always keeps things moving. It has to be said that in the opening four or five hours of the game, the combat seems deceptively shallow- it looks nice and pretty with fluid animations, but at first, it doesn't seem like there's a lot more to the proceedings than what meets the eye. But once I started to understand the systems in place a little better and everything fell into place, Ni no Kuni II's combat revealed of hidden depth. The fact that it takes so long to come into its own is a letdown for sure, but once it really gets going, the game's combat feels exciting and deeply enjoyable.
The other element of the game that serves as one of its gameplay foundations is the kingdom building aspect, and it is this mechanic that really pulls the entire game together. Building Evan's new idyllic kingdom isn't just the narrative theme of Ni no Kuni II- it is something that defines, when all is said and done, the entire game. Building and managing your kingdom works a lot like it did in Suikoden. You're in charge of everything from placing buildings and employing your citizens to upgrading your kingdom's separate elements and recruiting new people and bringing them into the fold.
Most of the side quests in the game are connected to the kingdom building as well. Completing these quests allows you to recruit more people to join your kingdom, and you get to decide how they'll contribute by deciding what kind of work they will be put to. Certain citizens are specialists at certain kinds of work, and making these right matches can result in some pretty major and useful rewards and upgrades, while upgrading your kingdom also levels up the Higgledies you use in battle. It's all surprisingly deep and extremely engaging. It's not a full-blown city builder, of course, but it's an entire facet of the game that you can sink hours into, and not even for a moment does it feel like an ancillary activity or a waste of your time.
"The other element of the game that serves as one of its gameplay foundations is the kingdom building aspect, and it is this mechanic that really pulls the entire game together."
Another mechanic that is tied to the kingdom building in Ni no Kuni II is the army skirmishes, which sees you participating in simplistic RTS-like battles of armies against armies. Essentially, all you do here is control the positioning of your units, based on a rock-paper-style chain of weaknesses and strengths a la Fire Emblem. These battles are peppered in throughout the game (many of them are optional too), and while these are fun the first few times, after a while, I started losing interest. Unlike the kingdom building, which feels like a core part of the entire experience, these battles feel like they've been tacked on, and are far too shallow for them to be interesting beyond the first impression they make.
Ni no Kuni II has a lot of things going for it. Just like Wrath of the White Witch, it is a beautiful game that oozes charm and personality, a game that features an endearing cast of characters that you'll want to invest in. But it also fixes some of its predecessor's most major flaws. Ni no Kuni II's combat system has a surprising amount of depth, much more than what meets the eye at first glance, while the kingdom building mechanics are also addictive and engaging. It's got a lot of moving parts, but fortunately enough, it manages to pull them all together for a cohesive experience where everything you do is tied together, and never feels like a waste of your time. Ni no Kuni II isn't quite as fresh or doesn't have quite the same "wow" factor that its predecessor did, for obvious reasons, but this is still an extremely well-made game that you can easily pour dozens upon dozens of hours into.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.
Combat is fast and exciting and has surprising depth; Kingdom building is addictive and fun; Almost all your activities feed into a larger goal; Beautiful, vibrant visuals; Well-written, well-voiced, and well-developed characters.
Combat takes a while to come into its own; Storytelling is occasionally rushed; Skirmish battles feel shallow and tacked on.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a charming and beautiful game that is just as much fun to play as it is to look at.
A copy of this game was provided by developer/publisher for review purposes. Click here to know more about our Reviews Policy.
Tagged With: bandai namco, level 5, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, pc, ps4
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Where We Work | Guatemala
In 1954, the Guatemalan military, managed by the United States, overthrew the reformist democratic government. With no legal restraints in place, soldiers and policemen killed and tortured tens of thousands of civilians in the name of anti-communism. In 1985, the military allowed the election of a civilian government, and the next year Christian Democrat Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo took office promising to end military impunity and build the foundations of democratic governance.
After the Human Rights Ombudsman reported in 1990 that each year hundreds of extra judicial executions and disappearances have occurred, with very few of these cases being investigated, PHR and Americas Watch arrived in Guatemala to survey the medical and scientific procedures that were used in the country's death investigations. Their joint report, "Guatemala: Getting Away with Murder," examined the conduct of investigations thatoccurred in political killings. The report found that death investigations could not be conducted properly, as doctors were not allowed to see a body in the field, were not allowed to run standard autopsy practices, and were pressured by police and the government to falsify autopsy reports.
PHR experts returned to Guatemala in 2010 to draw attention to other ongoing human rights violations, this time the health and environmental impacts of the Canadian-owned Marlin Mine in Western Guatemala. For one week, a group of multidisciplinary investigators assembled by PHR investigated allegations that mine workers and indigenous peoples living near the Marlin Mine were being exposed to toxic metals. A detailed explanation of these findings and PHR's recommendations to the Guatemalan government can be found in the report "Toxic Metals and Indigenous Peoples Near the Marlin Mine in Western Guatemala: Potential Exposures and Impacts on Health."
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Search » All » History » U.S. History » Chapter 6
Bicameral a legislature consisting of two parts, or houses
Census a population count taken by the Census Bureau
Constituent a person from a legislator's district
Gerrymander an oddly shaped election district designed to increase the voting strength of a particular group
Majority Party in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which more than half the members belong
Minority Party in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which less than half the members belong
Standing Comittee permanent committee that continues work from session to session in its congress
Seniority years of service, which is used as a consideration for assigning committee members
Expressed Powers powers that congress has that are specifically listed in the constitution
Implied Powers powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the congress
Elastic Clause clause in Article 1, Section 8 of the constitution that gives congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers
Impeach to accuse government officials of misconduct in office
Writ of Habeas Corpus a court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person
Bill Of Attainder a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court
Ex Post Facto Law a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed
Franking Privilege the right of senators and representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage
Lobbyist representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making
Casework the work that a lawmaker does to help a constituents with a problem
Pork-Barrel Project government project grant that primarily benefits the home district or state
Joint Resolution a resolution that is passed by both houses of Congress
Special-Interest Group an organization of people with some common interest who try to influence government decisions
Fillbuster a tactic for defeating a bill in the Senate by talking until the bill's sponsor withdraws it
Cloture a procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill
Voice Vote a voting method where those in favor say yeah and those against say no
Standing Vote in Congress, when members stand to be counted for a vote on a bill
Roll-Call Vote a voting method in the Senate in which members voice their votes in turn
Veto refusal to sign a bill or resolution
Pocket Veto president's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days
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Sound the klaxon, for I have decided to throw something away every single day for the whole of 2018! Having left my job as Editor in Chief of ELLE Decoration at the end of 2017, and then losing my beloved father a week later, I recognise this as a continuation of a desire, nay need, to make space, physically, emotionally, and literally, for a fresh start with a new healthier freedom of living and working. But it's also increasingly clear to me that to maintain a sense of wellbeing and calm in today's world we need to take decisive steps to cut out the overwhelm, whether from our phones, emails, news, noise or other people. And it needs to be happening inside our homes too. In short, I want to be able to sit in any room in my house, and to be able to look in every direction, and not see, or be distracted by, anything that has no significance for me.
Have nothing in your bedroom that you don't love… literally!
You see while I've always been fervently anti-clutter, I am by no means a minimalist. I don't want an empty home, and I personally feel that such a reductive stance is a reflection of an inner emotional state in its own right, and not one that's appropriate to me. However, there are many aspects of the minimalist viewpoint that make a great deal of sense: for example, when you discard something, you gain more than you lose (just finished reading Fumio Sasaki's 'Goodbye, things'). However, I like to surround myself with things: art, family photographs and objects that give me pleasure, prompt happy memories or have personal emotional resonance. What Marie Kondo might call "things that spark joy" or remember William Morris's famous edict to "have nothing in your home that you do not either believe to be beautiful, or know to be useful". I heartily subscribe to both points of view.
In addition, I love my 'things' to be set against a backdrop that is rich with warmth, texture and detail. Yet this background, the envelope of my home, has also been very carefully designed to minimise distractions, colours that clash, or alignments that jar (I literally can not sit in a room if pictures are wonky! Even at school I'd been know to get up to surreptitiously clean the last corner of the blackboard if the teacher had missed a bit. Obsessive, moi?). You see I don't want bland, I want coherence. Ultimately I guess the quest is for that heady space in between soothing and stimulating. A home that reflects my loves, and is also a place of solace. The point is, the two should be one and the same.
My general rule has always been, if you were moving house today, would you pay someone to box and carry x, y or z? If not, out it goes. However, making it a daily action focuses the aim. As such, I wasn't sure what sort of goal to set myself at first. One thing a week didn't seem like enough, however one a day seemed significant enough to make a difference. And so far, I've easily exceeded this. However I suspect it may get a lot harder as the months progress — more considered clearing vs easily relinquished excess.
But there's another level too, as I write this, having already started with great gusto, it occurred to me that I could also get rid of the microwave. I bought it when my son was born, primarily for sterilising bottles, and since then I've only ever used it to heat milk for hot chocolate. It's compact, clean, white and it's been inoffensively sat on my kitchen worktop for the last four years. But this very morning I realised I simply don't need it. I never use it for cooking as frankly I'm suspicious of the idea of super-zapping as a means to heat food, and I already possess a small milk pan and a fast-acting indiction hob, so… out it goes. Snapped some pictures of it in-situ, and it's already posted on eBay.
And I'm listing out my 'relinquishments' to document the process for myself, more than as a list for reading (could become a tad dull!). And I shall update month by month to share the lessons I'm learning, and how I'm getting on. So here's my first quarterly report!
I always do a big New Year clean'n'clear in January, and had already started this before I formalised my intent to carry on all year, so I'm a bit vague about what I got rid of; definitely my old TV (I upgraded to a very 'minimal' new Samsung Frame just before Christmas), 3 x old electric heaters, 1 x printer, 1 x scanner, all previously languishing in my basement, just in case of what…?), and I definitely achieved the month's goal of an item a day… if not more, but I'm not letting myself carry anything over. This month's choice of charity was the YMCA, primarily because they collect, and they take old electricals.
Major clothes clear out too, bagged up at least 20 items to go to charity.
Sorted through a box of old cassette tapes and videos, ditched at least half of them. Suspect the rest of the box will go later in the year, after all I have neither tape recorder or video player? Baby steps, baby steps!
Conclusion: Good start. However easy to clear old clothes and clearly redundant stuff. Feeling like I can do this, albeit in 'refining'. i also seem to have bought a fair few things.
Things bought: 1 x jute ottoman from Soho Home (£125), some grey knitted slippers, £38 (I threw away my old ones!) and a matching eye mask (£12). Framed one of my son's pictures, which I'd been meaning to do for about a year. Also ordered some family photos via Apple, and bought nice silver frames from The White Company to do them justice. Oh, and 3 x pairs white washing up gloves from Lakeland (£3.69 a pair) so I felt better about all the cleaning (see my month of extreme cleaning post!). I do not appear to have given up corresponding matching items… but giving self a break as such a lot went to the YMCA.
Note on picture frames: If you've gone to the bother of actually getting a print done, or buying a picture, then herewith my eternal mantra 'buy right, buy once, buy the best you can afford' in terms of frames. I'd batch bought some cheapo frames from TK Maxx, but in the light of my reassessment of all things, they looked a bit rough, or the mounts were not crisp enough, so inevitably my now hyper precious photos of my father and son together, needed better to honour them. Buying cheap = money down the drain. I really should have known better. However, I remember being caught up in the enthusiasm of getting a family photo wall done, rather than perfect. Which is also sometimes ok.
4 x Knoll white Bertoia chairs relocated from my former office, too uncomfortable to sit on at home.
1 x Camerich dining table bought as a stop gap until could afford new marble top for the beloved Saarinen. Purchased just before Christmas as a gift to myself, and no-one needs two dining tables.
1 x old pair Gucci aviator sunglasses. I bought a new pair last year which I love. I don't need two pairs.
3 x brand-new silk scarves which I have kept forever, but will never wear as just not my thing. They sell for way more than expected. Am quids in.
1 x cashmere travel blanket, un-used, also sells for over the odds.
1 x 3-metre long faux pearl necklace that's been languishing so long in my closet, I'd forgotten I had it.
1 x YSL black patent 'Tribute' handbag, loved but not used for at least five years.
1 x crystal vase plus a matching pair of candlesticks, all of which had been in my guest room, newly recognised as unfortunate repository of things I don't like that much. Time to let them go.
9 x items to charity shop… including pair trousers that are too small, 2 x jumpers not worn in God knows how long, and assorted other highstreet items including a long navy trench coat from Mango and some sparkly black court shoes from Miu Miu, both 'trends' I'm dismayed to read in the subsequent Sunday supplements that are hotly tipped for a 'return'. However I have another trench which I prefer, and one of the 'jewels' had fallen off the courts so I was never going to wear them again. Then… 3 x mugs that are not quite white, so ditching, as they sit unused at the back of the shelf, because all the rest of my crockery is white, which is what I prefer. 1 x 'pot' that's not a nice colour (the wrong sort of turquoise), kept only because it was a gift. And a cushion with feathers on it, which I've no idea where it came from, but I have a bit of a thing against feathers, so it had been 'popped' onto small's bed instead.
3 x tins of paint that had gone off. Do these count?
5 x tubes/pots of rarely used make-up held onto for well over a year, and eye-shadows I never ever wear.
Conclusion: Lot of big things gone, but total items less than I thought, and I'd forgotten what an almighty faff eBay can be. Then again, it all sold for just under £2,000, so who knows, I might even turn a profit on the selling vs expenditure! Definitely on a roll, although I'm painfully aware that I'm choosing things to let go in a quite ad hoc way, rather than approaching this more systematically.
Things bought: 1 x small blue vase by a Maurice Young of Chichester, purchased for £40 from Worthing Museum. Added as a 'friend' to an existing blue ceramic bird (much-loved and bought years ago from a Parisian flea market) that sits in a collection above my wardrobes (see below). This is what I see when I wake up , and it makes me very happy, although see caption!
The new pot in situ. Love it! Albeit of course now eyeing up all the other 'pots' in the background and wondering if I love some more than others. Also recognised that I only truly like cylindrical vases, not sloped ones, so that led to another vase being let go elsewhere.
58 x books sold via WeBuyBooks.co.uk for £101.56 It's an app that converts your phone into a book barcode scanner and then you get an instant quote. Just scan, total, box and get paid! Best of all, they collect, so you don't even have to lug the boxes to a drop-off point.
4 x assorted cushion fillers that have been waiting for well over two years for me to make covers for them. Not going to happen.
10 x plates bought from IKEA (4 x side, 6 x dinner). Because, although they are a very seductive biscuit colour, I have always preferred white porcelain, and I think 10 x existing plates in each size is quite enough. My dining table won't accommodate more than five, so…?
1 x microwave used only to heat milk. I have a pan.
1 x pair pink wellies, don't ask.
Plus at least another 20 relatively random items from a bottle opener (I had three) to plain HB pencils (I had about 30 so dumped all the stubby ones!).
Conclusion: Have adopted more of a methodical approach, ie I went through all of my books in one go and decided which to keep vs which to lose based on whether I'd consider re-reading them. Also recognised I had about 20 novels I either haven't read, or couldn't remember reading. These are now grouped together and easily accessible, and I'm going to try to read all of these before buying any new. As I keep all my books in the basement, I briefly considered bringing these up to the living room so I wouldn't forget, but I have another 'thing' against books being on show, which should probably be a whole other post! Interestingly, also noted I have quite a collection of brand-new, still-in-their-cellophane-wrap, Folio Edition hardback classics, bought with the vague intention of building a library for small. In my current mindset, this strikes me as rather misplaced. Not ready to part with them yet though, so in a 'to-think-about' pile. Next month I will go through my clothes with the same mentality ie what do I wear regularly vs keeping for some 'occasion' and especially thinking about multiples… how many plain black or white t-shirts do I really require?
Things bought: 1 x adjustable standing desk (£138) so I can now stand and write, rather than sit and ponder. Used to have one in my office in EDHQ, and while it takes a bit of getting used to, I found it absolutely heightened my productivity. I can be the queen of displacement activity, and I have a book to write, so no more excuses!
"It is not possible to hold the day; it is possible to lose it.
I'm struggling with this too. I have a burning urge for fewe more significant things in the house. No more Zara Home knick-knacks. I have never sold on eBay because I can't face the hassle, so the local charity shops are doing well!!
Oh, I know what you mean. Anything I don't have a readily available box for, goes straight to charity rather than eBay… you get what you giveth, as they say, it's all good karma.
This was so great to read as I too have been going through this process. My aim this year was to refuse (throw away), regift (charity) or reinvent (adapt/change) things in the house. This includes getting clothes changed, large charity shop hauls, which leave me with a good feel factor and numerous trips to the tip. It is so cathartic like a spring clean for the home and soul.


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Isles of Scilly Lifeboat
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Sir Isaac Newton Stamp Sheet (Smilers®)
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Sir Isaac Newton was President of the Royal Society from 1703 to 1727. The Royal Society marks its 350th anniversary in 2010.
Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian who is perceived and considered by a substantial number of scholars and the general public as one of the most influential men in history. His 1687 publication of the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (usually called the Principia) is considered to be among the most influential books in the history of science, laying the groundwork for most of classical mechanics. In this work, Newton described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion which dominated the scientific view of the physical universe for the next three centuries. Newton showed that the motions of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws by demonstrating the consistency between Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation, thus removing the last doubts about heliocentrism and advancing the scientific revolution.
In mechanics, Newton enunciated the conservation principles of momentum and angular momentum. In optics, he built the first practical reflecting telescope and developed a theory of colour based on the observation that a prism decomposes white light into the many colours that form the visible spectrum. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling and studied the speed of sound.
In mathematics, Newton shares the credit with Gottfried Leibniz for the development of the differential and integral calculus. He also demonstrated the generalised binomial theorem, developed the so-called "Newton's method" for approximating the zeroes of a function, and contributed to the study of power series.
Newton remains influential to scientists, as demonstrated by a 2005 survey of scientists and the general public in Britain's Royal Society asking who had the greater effect on the history of science, Newton or Albert Einstein. Newton was deemed to have made the greater overall contribution to science, although the two men were closer when it came to contributions to humanity.
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Home ᐳ News ᐳ Analysis ᐳ From Extortion to Investment: The Making of Barrio 18, Inc.
Barrio 18 leader "Viejo Lin"
From Extortion to Investment: The Making of Barrio 18, Inc.
BARRIO 18 / 2 OCT 2015 BY EFREN LEMUS* EN
The structure and operations of El Salvador's Barrio 18 street gang increasingly resemble that of a corporation. Government investigations reveal the gang is keeping careful accounting records of money earned from extortion and making strategic investments in local businesses.
What happens with all the money the Barrio 18's Sureños faction makes from extortion? El Faro had access to documents from two official investigations and audio from phone taps that paint a picture of the gang as a company with employees, investments, payments, accountants and auditors who, from within the prisons, keep in line anyone trying to become "alive" in the thriving extortion business. The gang invests money in cell phones, shoes, vehicles, cocaine shipments, small businesses, and, when they sense conflict, weapons. They also pay lawyer fees, support mothers and spouses, and even sell Huggies disposable diapers.
This is the first part of an article which originally appeared in El Faro and was translated, edited for clarity, and reprinted with permission. See Spanish original here.
The Barrio 18 has decided there will be no discount. The gang will not negotiate the price of the extortion fee, and will not yield to the pleas of a woman that sells chicken and claims she cannot pay the $400 "rent." They know she is lying because they have "posted" her business, observing a good number of clients coming and going on a daily basis, and noticing the woman has enough money to hire private security. The gang has learned accounting, and therefore considers the woman's offer -- "two pounds of the small ones ($200)" -- a joke. No, there will be no discount. Instead, they have decided they will collect the money either with more threats, or lead bullets.
"Look, look! The situation is… Bitch! Now you've crossed the line, they're gonna kill this old bitch… Hit her! In the legs!"
"Ah?"
"Little Boy's orders…"
"Uh-huh! In the legs!"
"Ah, well then… Wherever you say is best."
"And you have to take all the kicks that come."
"That's nothing! Haha."
"Haha, yeah alright."
The previous exchange is part of a phone conversation intercepted by the Telephone Intervention Center at the Attorney General's Office on March 24, 2014. The person who made the call is the talkative Juan Carlos Martinez Amaya, alias "the Smurf," a Barrio 18 member from the Sureños faction. At the time of the call, he was in Izalco prison, but he has since been transferred to "Zacatraz," a maximum-security prison. Receiving the call was a gang member from the Hoover, which is a "cancha" (territorial division) that extorts businesses in and around the Colon market in the city of Santa Ana. Among these businesses is a butcher who asked for the discount; a plea only one of El Salvador's most famous gangsters could approve.
In the Cojutepeque prison, a man serving a 45-year sentence for murder and illegal arms possession looks like an accountant displeased with the accounts. The list of extorted businesses and the prices charged by the gang do not match reported incomes. This prompts troubling doubts: What business is not paying? Or, if they are all paying, which of his accomplices is not reporting the money? This man's name is Carlos Ernesto Mojica Lechuga, known as Viejo Lin, and he is considered by police to be one of the national leaders of the Barrio 18's Sureños faction. Viejo Lin grabs the phone and starts asking questions.
"What happened?" Viejo Lin asks.
"What's up? They're arriving now, they didn't give it to him because two cops were in the street, but they're going to hand it over now."
SEE ALSO: Barrio 18 News and Profiles
The man answering Viejo Lin's call is incarcerated in the Izalco prison, and is known as the Smurf. He is a leader of the Hoover, the "cancha" that extorts various businesses in Santa Ana. With the phone call, Viejo Lin intends to demonstrate that he knows what is happening in the streets; that he knows the extortion business by heart, and that someone is not reporting money. Something doesn't add up. The Smurf realizes the seriousness of the suspicions and begins to explain:
"Shit! Look, no, don't think we're not being honest, especially if we're sending every day. We're in hot water too, but sometimes this shit gets accelerated."
"You guys are yanking me from one side to the other. You guys tell me: yesterday they picked up this, the next day this and all that. Yeah? You get me? Do you copy?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Well, don't believe that I … ignore things. You get me? Yeah? Because in reality I don't know who they are and I'm not going to track down some shitheads. Alright?"
"Uh-huh?"
"You get me? And you know I keep track. With me this is nothing new, everything has already been invented. You understand?"
"Look, you three are picarazos."
"Dude."
"I need to give you what I told you about the other day… Yeah?"
"We haven't dropped this. It's safe there. It's the only place with reliable people. That chicken lady has a broomstick up her ass. That's why I trust the old bitch. We won't take anything anymore unless the Ston finds out there is something to take."
"Not like the other place. You know that's not the only place the sun shines."
"Hahaha."
"Well, listen, it's time to go, the question is whether or not you have everything taken care of by tomorrow."
On March 24, 2014, the Barrio 18 refused to reduce the rent of the woman who sells chicken in Santa Ana. She has to pay $400, not the $200 she offered. What she does not know is that, in the event she doesn't pay, an order has been given: "Put a hit on her!"
He's fat, dark-skinned, and has black hair. He is wearing jeans and a purple shirt with white stripes. He's wandering around a bus terminal, waiting for someone to give him a white envelope with $1,400 inside. Once he receives the envelope, the man boards a bus for the Santa Ana terminal. He sits close to the driver, guarding the money in one of his pant pockets. When he arrives at his destination, he goes to a shop where phone cards are sold. Fifteen days later, he repeats the routine.
SEE ALSO: Coverage of Extortion
The anti-extortion police are aware this man is responsible for collecting the extortion rent paid by businesses in Santa Ana. The investigators started to follow him in April 2013, after a victim reported that gangsters had demanded he pay $1,400 every other week. If he didn't, the gang members threatened to kill his employees. The businessman had been paying extortion money for over 13 years, and finally decided to report the abuse in April 2013 after the extortionists increased his fee by $500.
The fat money collector does not know about this business owner's complaint. Nor is he aware that three police teams have been following him. Or that they took a photo when he dropped the money off at the store that sells prepaid phone cards. They also photographed him after he received extortion money from a store. Sometimes, the man would go to a cake shop. And he regularly visited a restaurant run by a woman in a beige blouse, blue skirt, and red apron. It was here that he turned in the extortion rent.
What she does not know is that, in the event she doesn't pay, an order has been given: "Put a hit on her!"
In order to identify who own the businesses frequented by the money collector, investigators pretended to make routine patrols. They spent days and months doing this, filling dozens of pages of paper with names -- none of which provided any leads. One day, however, the police came across a name that led them to the jails: Silvia Maribel Martinez Ayala. Silvia is the wife of the Smurf, a gang "palabrero" (spokesman or leader) who is currently imprisoned in Izalco. Silvia also owns a restaurant in the Santa Ana bus terminal that makes fast food, which the fat extortion collector frequented. With this evidence, prosecutors ordered her phones to be tapped, and her involvement in the extortion operations became immediately apparent:
"There are police in the terminal. This phone is in my name so I'm not going to say much. Have you asked for it from the little shop?"
"Yes, Maria is going to get it," responded the Smurf.
Maria is not a gangster, but rather a Barrio 18 "collaborator." A collaborator serves two purposes. First, if they have another job, they have access to the names and phone numbers of their bosses, as well as information on employees and company vehicles. In exchange for this information they receive a cut of the extortion rent. Second, collaborators can help reroute illicit money flows. For instance, the routing of extortion money can go as such: the gang selects an employee of the victim to receive the money, and this employee then gives the money to a gang collaborator. A collaborator can then give the money to the gang in one of two ways: by personally handing in the cash or transferring it via cell phone using the Tigo Money money-transferring system. These were the Smurf's orders to Ernesto, also a gang collaborator:
"One part of the remittance [goes] to the (Tigo Money) account, and give the other [portion] to Carlitos."
Carlitos is the son of the Smurf. So, what does Ernesto gain by sending money to the gang? The answer is simple: money. When a victim hands over extortion money the gang will determine the "cost of business," and will typically include a "salary" of $50 for collaborators. Another $10 to $20 is put towards the "money transfer," or the cost of a taxi to go collect and transport the money from one place to another.
Some gang collaborators are crucial for keeping the money flowing. Their importance is such that, instead of their salary being taken from the rent they collect, they are given the money paid by a specific business. El Faro had access to more than 5,000 pages of information from judicial investigations -- one conducted in Santa Ana and the other in San Miguel -- which details the path extortion money takes.
El Chory was determined to convince his gang to invest a large portion of the extortion money in weapons, because he felt the end of the country's 2012 gang truce was near.
In Santa Ana, the Attorney General's cases against the Hoovers can be summarized as such: 13 people were directly responsible for collecting rent from the victims. They then gave this money to five of the gangs' family members (wives, mothers, and sons), who were in charge of receiving part of this money in cash for the purposes of buying phone cards and moving the money via Tigo Money. A portion of this money would remain in the bank accounts of the family members, and the other part went into the gang's coffers.
Furthermore, in the case of the Hoovers, intercepted phone calls suggest the Barrio 18 had a list outlining the distribution of extortion payments, as follows:
The milk business pays $50 per month.
The "RB" company pays $1,040 every two weeks.
The "EC" store pays $500, which is for the Smurf, Viejo Lin, Belcebu, and Little Boy (no pay schedule specified).
The "R" business pays $20 (no pay schedule specified).
The rent from a mini-agency is for Danky's woman (no amount specified).
The "EN" business pays $60, which is given to Sandra.
The "R" business pays $50, which goes to Ernesto, the gang collaborator.
The rent from workshop "ES" is for the Little One, Snayder, and Helen (no amount specified).
The "DP" business pays rent to the Smurf (no amount specified).
A bakery pays $1,500 monthly.
As Violence Rises, Gangs Increase Extortion Demands
At 4:10 in the afternoon on Saturday, February 8, 2014, Herbert and El Polo are on their way to negotiate for a submachine gun in the illicit arms market in La Union. They are not the buyers, bur rather the intermediaries of someone who wants an Uzi but is unable to verify the quality or negotiate the price because they are in jail serving a 30-year sentence for homicide.
"Is this shit good?" they ask Herbert.
Asking the question is Jose Timoteo Mendoza Flores, alias "El Chory," spokesman for 32 canchas of the Barrio 18's Sureños faction. These canchas are scattered throughout eastern El Salvador, mostly in La Union. When he made this phone call in February 2014, El Chory had a large say in what the money earned from extortion was used to buy, as well as who lived or died. In short, he had the final word. El Chory was determined to convince his gang to invest a large portion of the extortion money in weapons because he felt the end of the country's 2012 gang truce was near. That Saturday was relatively calm, however, with police only reporting seven homicides, a low figure compared to most days. El Chory took the phone and asked:
"And that son-of-a-bitch went on ahead?"
"Yeah, I stopped to pee. In El Carmen I called him and he didn't answer," answers Herbert, his interlocutor.
"The dumbass has to go through Carmen and it's probably best if I shoot him there. How is that gun looking?"
"It's beautiful, hardly looks used. It has a large clip too, with 45 rounds, and you can shoot all of them in a single burst."
"They're expensive because the truce is about to end. Man, this gun is about to spray lead all over the place. Who is going with you?"
"El Polo. He's from Conchagua and slings dust."
"Who is buying it for you?"
"I think Santa Rosa is going to bring it."
They continue talking for a little bit longer about the restaurant, but we'll come back to that later. For now we'll say two gang representatives were trying to buy an Uzi. The buyers did not specify a price, but they know that in the current market there will be no price breaks. The gangs and weapons smugglers sense the end of the truce is near, causing the price of guns to spike.
Some palabreros have decided to increase the extortion quota in order to buy weapons, provoking some victims to ask the Barrio 18 leadership to maintain the current quota. El Chory grabs the phone and begins to investigate what is happening. He talks with Jose Luis Guzman, alias "El Chiky," a gangster imprisoned in Izalco.
"Why are you asking for more money from people?" he asks.
At first, El Chiky denies they have increased the rent quota. The denial does not satisfy El Chory, who demands an explanation. Cornered by the questions -- and remembering he is speaking with the Barrio 18's top leader -- El Chiky conceded the extortion quota had gone up because they wanted to buy two grenades.
El Chory objected to the purchase of grenades, saying this money was needed to buy an Uzi. At the moment, the gang needs to invest in priorities, and in the long run an Uzi is a more worthwhile investment than two grenades. The gang only has enough money to buy a submachine gun, however, because "they have borrowed the money" set aside to pay a lawyer in El Tamal.
On April 10, 2014, barely two days after the debate over whether to buy an Uzi or the grenades, a gangster calls El Chory and tells him the "other hammer" they want to buy is ready.
"It's ready, but you have to take it downtown, to the terminal."
That day, the Barrio 18 had collected $475 in extortion money. But this money was not enough to buy a gun (the price was not specified in their conversation).
The gangster -- identified as El Chainy -- also says certain deductions had to be made from the collected money in order to cover operating expenses.
"There's $475. Out of this, $20 was given to the guy who collected it, and $5 for the taxi."
El Chory tells him to wait and hold onto this money for a few more hours until they receive enough money to buy the gun.
"Keep it there. We're short around $1,000."
Until this money arrives, El Chory takes the time to make certain "the dogs" have not lost the weapons entrusted to them. The palabrero asks El Chainy to send him a photo of his 9mm pistol. He also wants a picture of the 357 Smith and Wesson revolver Meme has. "Also, who has the 3.8?" asks El Chory.
*This is the first part of an article which originally appeared in El Faro and was translated, edited for clarity, and reprinted with permission. See Spanish original here.
BARRIO 18 EL SALVADOR EXTORTION
BARRIO 18
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text:
Home Indian Muslim Meet Rajia Bano (Sharma Ji), an Indian feigning as a Pakistani to...
Meet Rajia Bano (Sharma Ji), an Indian feigning as a Pakistani to flare communal tensions
By M M Desk
The social media accounts that propagate hatred and communal disharmony in the country seem to be increasing with little or no action from the government.
Numerous fake accounts have spurted which have been successful in spreading venom based on religious lines. For instance, "Hindustan ka sher jisne Asifa ka badla lia" facebook post by someone named "Rajiya Bano" cheered the rape accused of the horrific Mandsaur child rape case suggesting that he had avenged the rape of the Kathua victim that had rocked the country a few months ago. The post suggested that the scores were settled as the victim in the Mandsaur rape case was a Hindu and the alleged rapist, a Muslim; in revenge for Kathua where it was the other way round.
The post caused an outrage on social media with many latching on to it as an example of the reaction of Muslims to the Mandsaur rape. The post was written with an obvious intention to provoke and create a communal divide and it achieved its objective. Who is this Rajiya Bano with such spiteful views? Is it a real person or a fake account? Let us find out.
According to the Facebook profile, Rajiya Bano lives in Karachi, Pakistan and is a faculty member at Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU). She also claims to have studied fashion art at the same university. There are many clues in the profile and the posts of this account that point to Rajiya Bano being a fake account.
The most noticeable point at the first glance is that the correct spelling of the name should be "Raziya" and not "Rajiya". Many Hindi speakers may pronounce "z" as "j" as the alphabet doesn't exist in Hindi but for a Pakistani to do the same seems highly unlikely. One can argue that a misspelt name alone is not enough proof of a fake profile but what we discovered about "Rajiya Bano" via the said person's Facebook profile confirmed our suspicions.
The photograph used by the account is a common profile picture that has been used for many years. This is a trend seen in many fake accounts where they use pictures floating on the Internet. Alt News had exposed an account giniromet which used the same tactics.
A quick review of Pakistani Rajiya Bano's Facebook profile revealed several posts written in Hindi. This is yet another indicator of it being a fake profile created by an Indian.
The university where Rajiya claims to be teaching in Karachi does not exist in Pakistan. Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) is a University in Philippines that offers courses in medicine, nursing and dentistry.Rajiya claims to have studied Fashion there. Rajiya's Facebook profile also states that she has a faculty position at the university while claiming to live in Karachi, Pakistan.
The fake profile of Rajiya Bano has now been deleted. Many unsuspecting social media users fell for his post and outraged about the reaction of Muslims to the Mandsaur rape. This person's agenda was sinister and he did not think twice about using a horrendous rape of a child to create communal tension.
Previous articleMandsaur rape case and smear campaign on social media targeting Muslims
Next articleNaik won't return to India unless assured fair trial
Anonymous July 4, 2018 At 7:58 pm
Devilish Sharmaji should have learnt some basic Urdu before trying to lying about being Pakistani to stoke communal hatred most probably being paid employee of the BJP IT team.
Rajia or Razia Sultan??
Hindi Devnagari script in Pakistan??
Besides no true Muslim is ever allowed to ever rape any sister even in revenge !
If Mandsaur rapist is proven beyond doubt in Court to be so-called Muslim, then we are happy to witness his hanging in public as advised by Islamic Sharia.
And also same for Kathua coward mass rapists in prayerhouse.
Ankit July 5, 2018 At 11:09 am
but still no front page news abt MOHAMMED IRFAN .. true indians
Anonymous July 8, 2018 At 10:51 pm
'Turkey won't approve Sweden's NATO bid as long as Quran-burning protests...


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        $this->parent = $this->env->loadTemplate("::base.html.twig");

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comentarios creation

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        env->getExtension('routing')->getPath("comentarios");
        echo "\">
            Back to the list

";
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}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


CHICAGO — A high-profile federal prosecutor who helped convict a former Illinois governor of corruption has been named the new director for the Securities and Exchange Commission's nine-state region based out of Chicago.
The agency that regulates the securities sector and enforces securities laws announced Joel R. Levin's appointment in a Thursday statement. He'll start with the SEC next month and oversee hundreds of employees in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Levin has most recently worked as the first assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. attorney's office for northern Illinois in Chicago. He served for more than six months last year as acting U.S. attorney for that office.
Levin was among the prosecutors who in 2006 secured guilty verdicts at the trial of ex-Illinois Gov. George Ryan.


text:
London Session Recap: GBP Jumps on Theresa May's Surprise Call for Early Elections
April 18, 2017 12:29 PM UTC in News
No data? No problem! The pound was the star of today's morning London session, thanks to Theresa May's surprise call for early elections. Meanwhile, the Loonie tracked the slide in oil prices and ended up as the worst-performing currency of the session.
No economic reports were released during the session
Theresa May calls for an early election
Major Events/Reports:
Theresa May calls for early elections – Rumors began to circulate earlier that U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May may be calling for an early election.
And as it turns out, those rumors were true, since May later announced that she's calling two-thirds of MPs to support her call for "a general election, to be held on 8 June."
May explained her surprise decision to call for early elections by first berating her opposition. According to May:
"In recent weeks Labour has threatened to vote against the final agreement we reach with the European Union. The Liberal Democrats have said they want to grind the business of government to a standstill."
"The Scottish National Party say they will vote against the legislation that formally repeals Britain's membership of the European Union. And unelected members of the House of Lords have vowed to fight us every step of the way."
May explains that the opposition parties do this "because the government's majority is so small." She then added that if this "political game-playing" continues, then it will "[weaken] the government's negotiating position in Europe."
As such, an early election is needed because "Every vote for the Conservatives will make it harder for opposition politicians who want to stop [Theresa May] from getting the job done. Every vote for the Conservatives will make [May] stronger when [she] negotiate for Britain with the prime ministers, presidents and chancellors of the European Union."
In short, the opposition parties are giving Theresa May a hard time, weakening May's ability to effectively negotiate a proper Brexit. May therefore wants to strengthen her position by calling for an early election and hoping that the people vote for more Conservative Party Members.
MPs would be voting on whether or not to back early elections tomorrow. And chances are good that May will get her wish because word going around is that the Labour Party will support the vote.
As to whether or not it makes sense for May to call for a vote, well, the latest poll results are giving the Conservatives a rather large lead. Yougov's latest poll conducted between April 12 to 13, for example, gives the Conservatives a rather comfortable 21-point lead over Labour. But then again, the polls have become (in)famous recently because many polls got the Brexit referendum wrong, so yeah.
Le Pen loses lead – In opinionway's latest daily poll, the anti-EU Le Pen finally lost her lead in the first round of the French presidential elections to Macron, with 23% for Macron and 22% for Le Pen.
It's kind of a mixed blessing for those hoping that the status quo would be maintained, though, since voting intentions for Fillon slid from 21% to 20% while the anti-EU Melenchon advanced from 18% to 19%.
Commodities crushed – Commodities were broadly in retreat during the morning London session.
Precious metals got whupped, despite the risk-off vibes.
Gold was up down 0.34% to $1,287.50 per troy ounce
Silver was down by 0.62% to $18.400 per troy ounce
Base metals, meanwhile, got swamped by sellers.
Copper was down by 1.81%% to $2.549 per pound
Nickel was down by 1.65% to $9,547.50 per dry metric ton
As for oil benchmarks, they were sinking.
U.S. crude oil was down by 0.91% to $52.17 per barrel
Brent crude oil was down by 1.05% to $54.78 per barrel
The U.S. dollar index was down by 0.32% to 99.88 when the session ended, so we can't really point to that.
However, market analysts say that the slump in oil prices was due to worries that U.S. oil output is expected to jump in May.
The slide in base metals, meanwhile, was being blamed by market analysts on geopolitical risks.
As for the dip in precious metals, gold in particular, that was being attributed mainly to profit-taking, since gold is apparently approaching key technical levels.
Risk aversion domination – European market players finally returned, but the holidays didn't seem to improve optimism by a lot, since European equity indices got pushed into the red.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 was down by 0.90% to 1,483.39
Germany's DAX was already down by 0.66 to 12,029.50
The blue-chip Euro Stoxx 50 was down by 0.94% to 3,416.00
Even U.S. equity futures could got burdened by all that pessimism.
S&P 500 futures were down by 0.37% to 2,336.25
Nasdaq futures were down by 0.30% to 5,378.88
Bonds were also in high demand, causing bond yields to plunge.
French 10-year bond yield down by 2.39% to 0.897%
German 10-year bond yield down by 9.28% to 0.176%
U.K. 10-year bond yield down by 3.26% to 1.010%
U.S. 10-year bond yield down by 1.52% to 2.218%
Market analysts blamed the overall risk aversion to jitters over tomorrow's vote to support early elections in the U.K. and the upcoming first round of the French elections. Although the commodities rout also apparently poisoned sentiment, since mining and energy shares were the main losers.
Major Market Mover(s):
GBP – The pound slumped hard when Theresa May announced that she has, er, an announcement to make and rumors began to make the rounds that May will be calling for early elections. And when May did call for early elections later, the pound jumped higher.
This was likely a "sell the rumor, buy the fact" scenario. However, it's also probable that the pound got actual buyers, since May's stated purpose for calling for early elections was to strengthen the Conservative Party's control, strengthening the government's ability to negotiate a Brexit deal in the process.
This move is therefore meant to ease uncertainty. Although it will likely create uncertainty in the near-term, since the polls aren't exactly 100% trustworthy. But at least some uncertainty will disappear when the MPs vote to back an early election tomorrow.
GBP/USD dropped 72 pips (-0.58%) to 1.2512 earlier, but closed the session higher by 85 pips (+0.68%) to 1.2671, GBP/AUD dropped 66 pips (-0.40%) to 1.6585 earlier, but closed the session higher by 131 pips (+0.79%) to 1.6783, GBP/CAD dropped 70 pips (-0.42%) to 1.6698 earlier, but closed the session higher by 148 pips (+0.88%) to 1.6916
CAD – The Loonie was the worst-performing currency of the session. There were no direct catalysts, so the Loonie was likely being dragged down by the slide in oil prices.
USD/CAD was up by 30 pips (+0.22%) to 1.3351, EUR/CAD was up by 71 pips (+0.50%) to 1.4258, NZD/CAD was up by 54 pips (+0.58%) to 0.9394
12:30 pm GMT: U.S. building permits (1.25M expected, 1.22M previous) and housing starts (1.25M expected, 1.29M previous)
12:30 pm GMT: Canadian foreign securities purchases ($5.21B expected, $6.20B previous)
1:15 pm GMT: U.S. industrial production (0.5% expected, 0.0% previous) and capacity utilization rate (76,3% expected, 75.4% previous)
2:30 pm GMT: CB's Australian leading index (0.4% previous)
4:45 pm GMT: BOC Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Wilkins will speak
Dairy auction currently underway (+1.6% previous); auction usually ends at around 2:00 pm GMT
Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open. Thomas Dewar


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text:
The Infiernito Caldera is a volcanic caldera located north of the Chinati Mountains in West Texas. It is approximately  in diameter and is the oldest caldera of the Chinati Mountain Caldera Complex, having formed about 37 million years ago. The eruption that formed the Infiernito Caldera deposited volcanic ash as far as  away, with most of the ejecta having fallen to the northwest.

References

Volcanoes of Texas
Oligocene calderas
Calderas of Texas