text:
Marco Rubio Is Acting on Strange Russia Theories in Latin America
Rubio is blocking funding for an anti-corruption commission in Guatemala after also alleging Russian interference in Mexico.
Alex Edelman/ZUMA
After entering Guatemala nearly a decade ago, Igor and Irina Bitkov became Gregorio Igor Benítez García and María Irina Rodríguez Germanis. They had paid $50,000 each to receive their new identities. Igor was sentenced this January to 19 years in prison for using fake identities and documents, while Irina and their daughter Anastasia received 14 years for similar crimes. Guatemala's constitutional court annulled the Bitkovs' sentences in late April and ordered that their cases be reconsidered, but their story remains a rallying cry for legislators and activists who believe the Bitkovs were victims of the "long arm" of Vladimir Putin's regime.
Unlike with the Russia scandal that special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating, Latin America experts say there is no evidence that a Kremlin conspiracy corrupted Guatemala's judicial system. Nevertheless, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is targeting the widely respected anti-corruption body that has helped take down top Guatemalan officials, along with smaller targets like the Bitkovs. Earlier this month, Rubio announced he was temporarily blocking $6 million in US funding for the United Nations-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, which is known as Cicig, after its Spanish initials.
This is the second time in recent months that Rubio has alleged Russian interference in Latin America with little evidence. In January, Rubio, along with Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), wrote to then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to express concern about potential Russian involvement in the upcoming Mexican presidential election.
But as Mother Jones reported last month, there is not much reason to believe the Russians are trying to interfere in the race. Daniel Erikson, a Latin America expert who worked in the Obama State Department and White House, said he hadn't seen signs of Russian involvement. Raúl Benítez Manaut, a professor of international security at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, argued that "the company who is trying to modify the electoral attitudes of the [Mexican] people is Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, not the Russians."
When it comes to the allegations of Russian collusion with Cicig, Jo-Marie Burt, a professor of Latin American studies at George Mason University and a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America, told the Guardian, "Rubio changed policy after hearing one side…This is a classic fake news scenario." Adriana Beltrán, a Guatemala expert at WOLA, tells Mother Jones she's seen no evidence of collusion between Russia and the commission. Eric Olson, the deputy director of the Wilson Center's Latin American Program, is similarly skeptical. To satisfy critics like Rubio, Cicig's defenders would have to prove that Russia did not corrupt the commission—a task Olson compares to proving that the moon isn't "made of Swiss cheese."
Cigig was created in 2007 to help Guatemalan prosecutors take down criminal organizations that coopted government institutions after a 1996 peace deal ended 36 years of civil war. The commission has been seen as a rare bright spot in a region plagued by endemic corruption and has traditionally had broad bipartisan support in Congress. The United States provides about half of Cicig's funding. WOLA concluded in a June 2015 report that Cicig has "achieved transcendental results" and recommended that Honduras and El Salvador consider creating similar commissions.
Seventy percent of Guatemalans trust Cicig to some degree, according to a 2017 poll from the Latin American Public Opinion Project. The same poll found that nearly 90 percent of Guatemalans believe that at least of half of the country's politicians are corrupt.
Rubio is withholding funds based on what one expert calls "a classic fake news scenario."
In 2015, then-President Otto Pérez Molina resigned after Cicig helped expose his role in a massive corruption scheme. Pérez Molina and his former vice president, Roxana Baldetti, are now awaiting trial. Last year, Cicig's Colombian director, Iván Velásquez, and Guatemala's attorney general unsuccessfully requested that the country's congress and supreme court strip current President Jimmy Morales of his legal immunity so they can formally investigate him for illicit campaign financing. Rubio's attacks on Cicig bolster Morales' effort to delegitimize the commission as he battles possible impeachment.
The Bitkovs say their journey from Russia to Guatemala began after state-owned Russian banks forced their company into bankruptcy, and they fled the country, claiming they faced physical and legal threats. Before leaving Russia, they say their daughter Anastasia was kidnapped and only released after they paid the police $200,000. Bill Browder, a British investor who became one of Putin's most prominent critics after an attorney he hired to investigate Russian corruption died in state custody, told legislators last month that it was a classic case of corrupt Russian officials and criminals working together to take property from business owners.
The investigation that ensnared the family in Guatemala dates back to 2010, when Fidel Pacheco, a Guatemalan union leader, accused officials at the country's immigration authority of running a fraudulent passport operation. (After receiving death threats, Pacheco was murdered in his home, where he was reportedly found with his hands and feet bound.) Guatemalan representatives of Russian state bank VTB filed a legal complaint against the Bitkovs in 2013 for using false documents. VTB's complaint was transferred to Guatemalan prosecutors who work with Cicig in November 2014, and they secured an arrest warrant for the Bitkovs soon after. They were convicted three years later, along with 36 other people involved with the fake document network, including government officials and human traffickers who were convicted of various crimes including facilitating illegal entry into Guatemala.
But the Bitkovs were the only ones convicted of using false documents, and Igor's sentence was longer than that of the ringleader of the passport operation. Olson says prosecutors involved with the case have told him that the Bitkovs received tough sentences but that they were within Guatemalan sentencing requirements. "It's not because of Russian manipulation," he adds. "It's because the judges were trying to follow the law."
In March, Mary Anastasia O'Grady, a Wall Street Journal columnist who focuses on Latin America, began writing a series of op-eds that alleged a Russia-led conspiracy. Rubio shared the article on Twitter, where he wrote, "I support the idea behind #Cicig but new signs here of how it is being manipulated & used by radical elements on the left & even #Putin." O'Grady later accused Cicig of delivering "rogue justice" and argued that some of its strongest defenders come from "Guatemala's extreme left."
Despite the lack of evidence of a Russian conspiracy, the US Helsinki Commission, a federal agency led by members of Congress, held a hearing about the Bitkovs in April titled "The Long Arm of Injustice." Rubio, who could not attend in person, said in a statement that "Moscow seemed to have found a willing partner" in Cicig. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) went further. "Obviously, or likely, huge amounts of money were conveyed to interested parties," he said at the hearing.
One week later, Rubio announced he was placing a hold on US funding for Cicig. Rubio wrote in a letter to Morales that the Bitkov case "raises serious questions about Cicig's ability to remain free from the corruption that it has been charged with prosecuting." He also asked Morales to investigate potential collusion between Cicig and Russia.
Morales will likely be more than happy to do so. Cicig and Guatemalan prosecutors are currently pursuing fraud charges against his brother and son. And a few days after Velásquez sought to strip Morales of legal immunity last year, the president unsuccessfully tried to have him expelled from the country. Earlier this month, Guatemala gave Sweden's ambassador, Anders Kompass, 30 days to leave the country. Sweden is a prominent defender of Cicig, and Kompass had called the commission a "strong medicine" for Guatemala in January.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, says in a statement to Mother Jones that he completely rejects the allegations of collusion and warns against playing up fears of Russian interference. "The only winners from attacks on CICIG are the country's most corrupt," he says. "I take a back seat to no one in countering Russian aggression, but we cannot allow Russia to be used as a bogeyman to damage years of progress in the fight against corruption in Guatemala."


text:
Star Wars IX trailer gives glimpse of greatness
April 12, 2019 ~ jrike10
With new titles such as Us capturing the attention of viewers at the box office and others like Avengers: Endgame leaving fans bristling in anticipation for their releases, one prominent movie franchise has faded from the forefront of the public consciousness, Star Wars. That changed today when Disney, fresh off the heels of announcing their upcoming streaming service Disney+, dropped a two-minute teaser trailer to the finale to the sequel trilogy of the Star Wars franchise. From all initial indications and viewings, this could be the sensational Star Wars sequel we have been looking for.
If you haven't watched the trailer already, you can watch the link to it below:
The returns of the Disney-Star Wars merger have been disappointing to a vast majority of fans, from the frequent and crowded releases of new movies to the polarizing treatment of classic characters to the production of spinoff movies that earned mixed reviews. Basically, a large portion of the Star Wars fan base was turned off by Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and the momentum the sequel trilogy had going for it effectively vanished. That was never more obvious than when Solo, a spin-off based off the original's iconic smuggler, hardly made waves at the box office. While I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens in theaters, they've left a bit to be desired in the storytelling and creativity departments.
It seems that a new hope has emerged for the Star Wars, one that could build back up the momentum that was lost over the past few years. For one, J.J. Abrams, the mind behind the more critically acclaimed and fan-accepted Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, is back in the director's chair and given the opportunity he deserved to fully develop the storylines he planted in The Force Awakens. The return of some of the series' most beloved characters, including Princess Leia and Lando Calrissian, has also attracted attention. But it was the unexpected trailer that should have fans circling Christmas 2019 on their calendars (unless they already circled it already, of course) and counting down the days until the finale drops. Yes, I'm judging from a trailer, but this movie has the potential to be very, very good.
In the trailer, our protagonist Rey stands in the sand of Jakku, waiting until some type of First Order aircraft flies straight at her and then contorting in the air to move out of its path. A montage of exciting moments follows, most interestingly Lando back in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon and Princess Leia (still played by the late Carrie Fisher) embracing Rey. But the biggest punch comes at the end, with Luke Skywalker's voice over revealing that "no one's ever really gone" and the cackling laughter of none other than Darth Sidious playing over a blank screen. Wow.
The trailer feels just about perfect – giving audiences a taste of the emotion and action while still keeping viewers in the dark. And the moniker of "teaser" is fitting. Why is Luke giving the voiceover? What is Rey doing back on Jakku? And the biggest question, is Darth Sidious actually alive? After Last Jedi effectively put all of the compelling questions posed by its predecessor to rest in a controversial finale, this trailer has given us reasons to come back for more. Oh, and not to mention the new title, the seemingly ironic The Rise of Skywalker. That ambiguous and unorthodox title begs a ton of questions itself and will intensify the speculation even more.
Of course, we all want a great movie, not an exciting trailer. From what I've seen, Star Wars Episode IX has the potential to be brilliant. The action will be immensely entertaining, the humor will return to J.J. Abrams' hands after a much-maligned effort from Rian Johnson, and the big names will be back. I think it comes down to what will make or break this movie and the sequel trilogy as a whole – its story. The other sequels have hinted at something cool and unique that could and should be the central focus of this movie – the nature of the Force and whether the Jedi and Sith are really necessary. The Rise of Skywalker could reshape how we see every previous movie in the Star Wars saga and enrich those experiences, plus tie the whole saga together with an epic climax. That is a lot to ask and it could easily flop if not deftly executed, but it has the potential to be something truly spectacular.
Posted in Movies	Star Wars
‹ PreviousUs provides audiences doses of thrill, imagination, and reality
Next ›Varsity Letter: Spectator experience worth price of admission

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Lunch and Learn Art of the Drum
Bring your lunch and spend the hour learning more about the history and art of traditional Japanese taiko drums.
Suggested Grades: 4-12 MTA: Amelia Earhart Takes Flight
Theatre UAB takes the story of the infamous Amelia Earhart to new heights. This exciting biography soars with fast-paced action and brisk dialogue. Learn about one of the...
Suggested Grades: 4-12 MTA: Drum Tao 2020 - Art of the Drum
They have performed for millions in sold-out performances all over the world and their infectious percussion talents will mesmerize students of all ages. Welcome to Drum Tao! Combining...
Art of the Drum DRUM TAO 2020
TAO's stage is created through phenomenal performances and expressions consisting of incomparable "Wadaiko-drums" and the beautiful mesmerizing melody of Japanese flutes and harps. It is the "Japanese entertainment"
UAB Institute for Arts in Medicine and Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater Present Raising Our Voices
Artistic Co-Directors: Suzanne Costello and Stuart Pimsler Stories of breast cancer told through movement, music and voice. Living with cancer can prove isolating for patients, caregivers, and loved...
MTA: Eric Essix and Friends
Birmingham's own Eric Essix is not only a jazz legend but a historian. His music tells a story and teaches us about the lives of those that came...
Aeolians of Oakwood University
In honor of Black History Month, the ASC welcomes the Aeolians of Oakwood University. The Aeolians of Oakwood University were originally organized in 1946 by the late...
Lunch and Learn The Chieftains
Bring your lunch and spend the hour learning from local Celtic musicians about the history and tradition of Celtic music in the South.
UAB Department of Music UAB Choirs and Guests
A celebration of spirituals and gospel choral arrangements featuring the works of Stacey V. Gibbs and others.
ArtPlay Presents Irish Dance Night
UAB Hill Student Center Performance Lounge Light refreshments provided FREE + OPEN TO THE PUBLIC St. Patrick's Day is upon us and what better way to charm...
UAB Department Of Theatre The Glass Menagerie
Amanda Wingfield, a faded remnant of Southern gentility, now lives in a dingy St. Louis apartment with her son, Tom, and her daughter, Laura, who has a physical...
Suggested Grades: 6-12 MTA: Broadway's Leading Ladies
Mama Rose, Eva Peron, Galinda and Elphaba are all musical theatre characters who were played by some of theatre's most iconic women. Join Theatre UAB as we explore the...
FREE EVENT Family Day: Garden Party
Celebrate Spring with ArtPlay! Children will explore the changing seasons through the arts. Learn more about the wonders of spring through nature-based activities, games and music. No...
UAB Institute for Arts in Medicine Stuart Pimsler Dance Theatre
Living with cancer can prove isolating for patients, caregivers, and loved ones. Join the artists of Arts in Medicine (AIM), critically-acclaimed Stuart Pimsler Dance Theater (SPDT), and participants...
FREE EVENT MUSE Conference
muse1 /myo͞oz/ a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. synonyms: inspiration, creative influence, stimulus, stimulation The MUSE Conference is...
Me'shell NdegéOcello
10-time GRAMMY nominee, Meshell Ndegeocello's music twists and turns through so many genres — R&B, pop, jazz, hip-hop — that it's hard to put a finger on just...
ArtPlay Parlor Series featuring Young Concert Artists Maxim Lando
American pianist Maxim Lando received national attention in 2017 at the age of 14 when he appeared on the piano bench alongside pianist Lang Lang, performing the parts...
Suggested Grades: 8-12 MTA: Maxim Lando
Maxim is a 16-year-old pianist whose passion for classical music has already set him on an exciting path. Dedicated to making classical music accessible to his own generation,
Jazz Cafe Series Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez
Painted in the broadest of strokes, the stories of Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez may seem similar: Both started life in Havana, discovered their gifts and passions for...
UAB Department Of Theatre The Secret Garden
Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his invalid son Colin. Mary adapts to her new life...
Host of Netflix Series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat & Cookbook Author Samin Nosrat
As an undergraduate studying English at UC Berkeley, Samin Nosrat took a detour into the kitchen at Chez Panisse restaurant that happily determined the course of her life...


text:
UK's Blair blames 'revolutionary socialism' for Labour defeat
18 Dec World
Former British prime minister Tony Blair urged his Labour party on Wednesday to abandon "quasi-revolutionary socialism" as it seeks a new leader after its worst election defeat since the 1930s.
Brexit reasserts victory with a vengeance
16 Dec Opinion
One rather noisy next door neighbour of mine could be heard screaming "Up Awo" on his way back home following the conclusion of voting in the Nigerian 1979 presidential election.
UK opposition chief Corbyn say 'sorry' for election defeat
Britain's main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn apologised to supporters on Sunday for overseeing his Labour party's worst election defeat since before World War II.
Appeal court upholds Sanwo-Olu's election
10 Nov Nigeria
The Court of Appeal in Lagos, yesterday, dismissed an appeal filed by the Labour Party (LP), challenging the judgment of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed the election of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Lagos State governor.
Let the parties be, INEC
17 Jul 2019 Opinion
Against the background of the shortcomings of the recent general elections in the country, the jury is out performing a post-mortem.
Tribunal dismisses AD, LP's petition challenging Sanwo-Olu's victory
17 Jun 2019 Nigeria
An Ikeja Election Petitions Tribunal on Monday dismissed a petition filed by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the Labour Party (LP), challenging the victory of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governorship election was held on March 9 this year. The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice T. T.…
Election panel orders three parties to serve Wike notice
8 May 2019 Nigeria
Following motions filed by the African Democratic Party (ADP), Labour Party (LP) and African Action Congress (AAC), the Rivers State governorship election petition tribunal has granted their request to serve Governor Nyesom Wike through substituted service. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Wike, who stood for the polls under the Peoples Democratic…
Ogun State tribunal grants Labour Party access to election materials
10 Apr 2019 Nigeria
The Ogun Election Petitions Tribunal yesterday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the Labour Party (LP) access the materials it used to conduct the March 9 governorship and house of assembly polls in the state. The Justice Chinwe Onyeabor-led panel also dismissed a petition filed by the Oginni Olaposi faction of the…
Lawyers differ on courts' powers to stop INEC during elections
31 Mar 2019 Nigeria
The constant "interference" in the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the courts during election processes...
Ogun Labour Party takes INEC, APC to tribunal over alleged exclusion in guber election
The Labour Party (LP) in Ogun State has taken the All Progressives Congress (APC), its candidate; Dapo Abiodun; the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), AbdulGaniyu Raji and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the state election petition tribunal for alleged exclusion of its party's logo, name and symbol on the ballot papers used for…
Why Olusegun Mimiko's senatorial bid failed to fly
3 Mar 2019 Politics
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has lost his bid to be in the 9th Legislative Assembly to represent his people. His Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) could not fly. Mimiko had bestrode politics of Ondo State for over two decades like Colossus, but one of his political protégées, Ayo Akinyelure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the…
Brexit defections force Labour leader Corbyn's hand
26 Feb 2019 World
Labour leader and lifelong eurosceptic Jeremy Corbyn may be hoping his cautious support for a second Brexit referendum is never put to the test, experts said.
ACCESS ACCESS BANK PLC. —


text:
Stormy Daniels' 60 Minutes Interview May Allege She Was "Physically Threatened"
By Kayla Cobb Twitter @kaylcobb Mar 16, 2018 at 9:11am	 270 Shares
Late Night Hosts Celebrate Trump's Impeachment: "I Feel Like I Just Took Down My Decorations" From the Last One
Jordan Klepper Gets Inside the Capitol Riots: "They Attacked Democracy, Our Police, and Even Our Cameraman"
We may finally have an answer to one of the most pressing television questions of 2018: When will 60 Minutes air its interview with porn star Stormy Daniels? Now we finally may have an answer. CBS has tentatively scheduled its special on the woman who allegedly had an affair with President Donald Trump next Sunday, March 25.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims that the affair began at a celebrity golf tournament in 2006. Earlier this month, Clifford posed for a photo with Anderson Cooper, which her attorney shared on social media. Clifford originally consented to a nondisclosure agreement in exchange for $130,000. The adult film star has since gone to court to have the order lifted on the basis that because it doesn't have Trump's signature, it's invalid. BuzzFeed has since reported that lawyers for Trump have been weighing possible legal action against Clifford and CBS to stop the segment from airing.
Now it seems as though Trump's team has another reason why they may want to stop the interview from airing. Clifford's lawyer Michael Avenatti has now told Morning Joe that his client was "physically threatened."
"There's the act, and there's the cover-up, and the American people are going to learn about both in the interview and beyond," he said. "I think it will become apparent to people when they tune in to 60 minutes on March 25 as to the details related to the threat, and the American people can judge for themselves on who's telling the truth and who's not telling the truth."
Though Avenatti refused to tease anything else aside from the 60 Minutes premiere date, he did explain what the point of the special was. "We want both sides to lay out their version of the facts so that the American people themselves can decide what happened."
Trump's legal team still hasn't made any moves against the special, Clifford, or CBS, though if they do, it's possible the special will be delayed. In an article in the Washington Post, CBS declined to comment on whether or not it made any legal arrangements with Clifford and declined to confirm or deny whether it's seen any legal threats from Trump's team. For the moment, we'll just have to wait until March 25 to see how this all plays out.
Where to stream 60 Minutes


Prosecuting Evil is a Biographical war history documentary movie directed and written by Barry Avrich. The movie stars Rosalie Abella , Fatou Bensouda , Wesley Clark , Alan M. Dershowitz , Benjamin Ferencz , Don Ferencz and David Scheffer. Melbar Entertainment Group's Prosecuting Evil was released on 22 Feb 2019. It follows Ben Ferencz, the last surviving Nuremberg Trial prosecutor, continues his lifelong crusade for law and peace. Prosecuting Evil movie is a documentary tells the fascinating story of Ben Ferencz who is the last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor and lifelong advocate of "law not war." After witnessing Nazi concentration camps shortly after liberation, Ferencz became lead prosecutor in the Einsatzgruppen case at Nuremberg, which has been called the biggest murder trial in history. He was27 years old and it was his first trial. All 22 Nazi officials tried for murdering over a million peoplewere convicted. Ferencz went on to advocate for restitution for Jewish victims of the Holocaust and later for the establishment of the International Criminal Court. His fight for justice for victims of atrocity crimes continues today.


The University of New South Wales is inviting applications for Robertson Scholars Leadership Program Scholarship. Up to two places are offered to talented Australian undergraduate students each year.
The Robertson Scholars Program aims to foster collaboration between Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. In addition, it aims to provide an opportunity for students with proven academic ability to benefit from what the two universities have to offer.
The University of New South Wales is an Australian public research university located in the suburb of Kensington in Sydney. Established in 1949, it is regarded as one of the country's leading universities.
Course Level: This award is for a four year undergraduate program, provided the Scholar maintains good academic performance and conducts himself/herself in accordance with the expectations of the Program at either Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.
Study Subject: The Scholarship is available for students of most courses of study including pre-medicine and pre-law. Study in medicine and law past undergraduate level is excluded.
Scholarship Award: The Program valued at up to $50,000 per annum provides full tuition, room and board. Robertson Scholars at UNC will receive an additional living stipend (to cover travel, books, etc). In addition, support is provided for three summers of service, research and travel.
Number of Scholarships: Up to two places are offered to talented Australian undergraduate students each year.
Students who applied to the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program in high school are eligible apply as first-year students. The Robertson Selection Committee will not review first-year students' high school applications submitted in the previous year's selection cycle.
Students must be enrolled as full-time, degree-seeking students at Duke or UNC-Chapel Hill (a minimum of four full credits per semester at Duke, and a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester at UNC-Chapel Hill).
Students who currently receive a full-tuition or near-full tuition merit scholarship from the university are not eligible to apply (including OUSF scholars at Duke and Morehead-Cain, Innovation, Carolina, Pogue, and Colonel Robinson scholars at UNC). Students on partial scholarship are considered on a case-by-case basis. Outside scholarships do not affect students' eligibility for the program.
Nationality: Australian citizens are eligible to apply.
Entrance Requirement: First-year applicants are not required to have a minimum GPA in order to apply. However, the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program anticipates that applicants will be competitive in the pool with a minimum GPA of approximately 3.2 after their first semester at Duke or UNC-Chapel Hill. Applicants must also be enrolled as full-time students for both semesters.
Test Requirement: The Robertson Scholars application requires that students self-report either their SAT score OR ACT score. Students may also choose to report both scores. SAT Subject scores are not required, but students may choose to report these scores as well if they choose.
Standardized testing. Please note that SAT and two SAT Subject Tests or ACT with Writing must be completed by all Shortlisted Applicants in January 2018 if not already undertaken. The International SAT registration dates can be found on the SAT CollegeBoard website while the ACT Registration can be found on the ACT website.
Partial Funding, €10,850 (£9,250) per year.
The Queen Mary University of London is providing QMUL Malta/QMUL VGH Malta, Medicine Scholarships, 2017 for students enrolling in Malta courses in Medicine at the University.
Applicants must have submitted an application for MBBS Malta or Clinical Certificate Foundations Studies Malta (CCFS) by May 31, 2017.
The scholarship application must also be completed by May 31, 2017.
The minimum academic entry requirement from your country.
The scholarship may be withdrawn if the recipients of QMUL Malta/QMUL VGH Malta, Medicine Scholarships, 2017 fail to meet the conditions mentioned in the offer.
The scholarship is not deferrable.
Course Level: This scholarship is available to pursue the undergraduate degree.
Scholarship Award: This scholarship will cover $1,000 one-off payment.
How to Apply: All documents will send via online.
Be concise but do highlight your recent personal achievements in the application.
Photos, videos, and further validation documents are welcome as proof or supporting content.
Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India offers Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Postdoctoral Fellowship. The fellowship programme was started with the comprehensive objective of augmenting human resources that can engage with and contribute to the STI policy domain and improve the knowledge base, think tank, and evidence based policy making.
Applicants must be capable of doing independent research work and have published at least 3 research papers in peer reviewed journals.
Applicant must not exceed 35 years of age.
The envelope to be superscribed with "DST-STI-PFP Application 2017".
Applications to be sent to Dr. Akhilesh Mishra, Scientist D, Department of Science and Technology, Technology Bhawan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi-110016 by speed post.
A soft copy of proposal should also be mailed at akhilesh.mishra@nic.in.


ALARM BELLS: The action group SHRAG says this is what the Sekisui development at Yaroomba could look like, based on publicly available information.
A RESIDENTS' action group fears Yaroomba beach will be "irretrievably compromised" if a high-density, high-rise development is approved.
Japanese developer Sekisui has discussed the project with Premier Campbell Newman, Mayor Mark Jamieson and other invited politicians.
The Stop High Rise Action Group (SHRAG) has released conceptual modelling to show the likely visual impact of the development.
SHRAG spokesman Bob Walpole said the beach at Yaroomba would be dominated by buildings comparable in height to Coolum Caprice on the corner of David Low Way and Beach Rd.
"Reports that Sekisui could seek development approval for up to 2300 apartments, 300 villas, a 450-bed, 12-storey hotel and 35,000sq m of retail space have, understandably, shocked a large section of the Coolum community, particularly in the residential neighbourhood of Yaroomba," he said.
"On the basis of 2300 apartments, and assuming 100 apartments per building, the area will be swamped by 23 buildings of at least 10 storeys in height (also assuming 10 apartments per level).
"Any other configuration will result in either much larger buildings of excessive height or a number of large buildings far in excess of the estimated 23.
"Either way, the scale of the development is massive and hugely invasive."
Mr Walpole said SHRAG was not against development on the site.
"We would accept a low-rise, low-key, low-impact development that would still create jobs, but would be sympathetic to the environment," he said.
He said that with the draft Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme presented to the State Government for approval, the community would be "watching anxiously" to see how the Yaroomba area was designated.
Mr Walpole said SHRAG was a broad group that included Development Watch, Coast Care, and professionals and residents worried about the future of the area.
Division 8 Councillor Jason O'Pray said there was nothing unusual about a developer talking to councillors before lodging an application.
Sekisui House senior development manager Evan Aldridge said no plans had been confirmed regarding the site's density.


text:
Q: Full size background for sections in Susy grid I want to create something like this in the Susy grid system:

The different color demonstrate different sections of the website and also their background colors. The vertical lines are the grid columns.
If I use a simple grid container I can set the background color only within the div which is inside the grid, but I would like to have the background color stretched to the left and right edge of the website. The content stays inside the grid.
I found a solution using multiple grid containers (one for each section), but I heard that this approach is not recommended.
And I also don't want to use a fluid grid container.

A: As Eric Meyer, a developer of Susy, pointed out in the comments, the Susy grid is just a concept and there is nothing wrong with having multiple grids on the website, one in each section.

A: I was dealing with a similar issue.
I had used the following approach: Have a div (let's call it 'content') inside each of your sections.
Apply the container class to the 'content' div. .content{@include container;}
This way, when you set the background color of a section, it spans the entire width of the page while the content in the sections adheres to the rules of the grid.
Hope it makes sense.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


IfCG commends the continued blossoming of Ethiopia-UK relations, and it seems to it singularly appropriate to apprise the UK government of a patriotic pandemic fervour which has now engulfed Ethiopia�s seizable community in the UK.
IfCG commends the Government of Ethiopia�s (GoE) unwavering commitment to the Nile Basin Initiative and to the Nile Cooperative Agreement. IfCG�s special commendation also goes to the late prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi - one of the architects of Ethiopia�s transformation to pluralistic democracy and economic growth � for discovering a win-win formula, and for setting up tripartite talks between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt which, in turn, gave birth to an International Committee of Experts (ICE).
IfCG believes Egypt�s shilly-shallying and ambivalent stands on peacefully resolving its concerns with Ethiopia are crucial to unravelling the unsavoury, not to say wayward behaviour, of Egyptian politicians. Notwithstanding Cairo�s spin doctoring when it declares: �the way forward with Ethiopia is through cooperation and not confrontation,� one must not lose sight of the fact that Cairo�s reaction has so far included an unwarranted display of vuvuzela politics against Ethiopia, turning into a sabre rattling mode, unleashing a diplomatic blitzkrieg against Ethiopia by dispatching Egyptian diplomats to EU states with intent to lobby them to arm-lock Ethiopia into abandoning GERD as well as nudge disgruntled Ethiopians from within and without to destabilise Ethiopia.
IfCG would, therefore, be most grateful if HMG would turn a blind eye and deaf ear to what for all intents and purposes has now become Cairo�s Mickey Mouse politics against Addis Ababa.


Another interesting one from Sun Ra. Side 1 is an extended experiment with electronics. It is more of an exercise in knob-twisting than a pure keyboard performance. Side 2 hearkens back to the way Sun Ra's albums were sequenced in the 1960s, with almost the entire second side devoted to the kind of exotica his band recorded extensively in the 1950s. But then "The Conversion of J.P." turns into a very warm and consonant piano number by the end.


The festival just started! You will find information about the festival as soon as possible. I wanted to fly to Beijing and to assist to the festival, but because of some family health problems I couldn't go.


text:
Dreadout es un videojuego de terror tipo videojuego independiente desarrollado y publicado por Digital Happiness, y distribuido por PT Digital Semantika Indonesia. Estará disponible para las plataformas Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X y Linux. El juego ha sido seleccionado para ser "Greenlit" en el servicio de Steam, conocido como Greenlight. Su lanzamiento está previsto para el 2014.

Jugabilidad
En Dreadout, se juega desde una perspectiva en tercera persona. Su historia transcurre en Indonesia, específicamente en una ciudad abandonada. El juego hace uso de algunas mecánicas similares a las de la saga de videojuegos de Fatal Frame, pero con un toque más moderno. Linda, la protagonista principal del juego, utiliza aparatos modernos tales como teléfonos inteligentes y cámaras digitales de vídeo, con lo que le permite interactuar (o defenderse de) con varios tipos de fantasmas místicos, y ayudarla a resolver una serie de puzles. Cuando Linda muere en el juego, se despierta en la oscuridad, rodeada de velas con una luz brillante en la distancia. Al correr hacía la luz, Linda vuelve de regreso a la vida.

El juego contará con dos esquemas de control en primera y tercera persona, esto nos permitirá tener una visión más amplia del mapa. Sí el jugador decide utilizar la cámara digital, se entrará a una perspectiva en primera persona, la cual nos servirá para fotografiar y ver a través de ella.

Trama

Un grupo de estudiantes de secundaria que se desvían de su viaje de vacaciones descubren una ciudad abandonada. Pronto se dan cuenta de que algo siniestro está a punto de suceder, algo místico está pasando. Linda, la protagonista, se da cuenta de que algo extraño le está sucediendo. Ella obtiene un poder espiritual, el cual le puede salvar la vida a ella y a la de sus amigos.

Referencias

http://www.shdownloads.com.ar/2014/05/analisis-dreadout-act-i-pc-2014.html (Consultado) 18-06-2014

Enlaces externos

 Descargar la demo en Gamefront.com
 Blog de los desarrolladores de Dreadout en Indiegogo.com

Videojuegos con protagonistas femeninas
Videojuegos de horror de supervivencia
Videojuegos con antagonistas femeninas

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


There are some example MAP Hyperlocal API calls that show some example calls.
MAP uses OAuth for authorization and a username/password combination for Authentication.
The MAP API calls can either use the OAuth username/password combination or they can use a Read Only API key that will be provided by Meniscus.
MAP stores items in a tree like structure. To get information about individual items the user is required to know the structure of the item tree.
The following API call format will give the geometry types a customer has available.
FullName. This is the FullName of the child Item. This full name can be used to return the structure of the child items. This is also used in Point Expressions. When using FullName that has been returned from the above API call, you must replace "\" with "".
ID. This is the ID of the child Item. This ID will be used later in Point Expressions.
Name. The name of the child item. FullName of an Item is basically "FullName of Parent Item Name of the Item".
ParentID. The ID of the parent Item. That means Id of the Item whose FullName is used in the API call to get this structure.
The URL used to return data from MAP consists of 5 main parts that are combined to form a URL comprising the Endpoint, Expression Type, MAP Expression Library and Expression.
The structure of the endpoint is https:// ServerName/MAP/ReadData, where ServerName can be different depending on the URL of the required server.
This part defines the return type of the expression called.
API Key (e.g. demo in the example URL) will restrict the access of a user. An API Key will be provided by Meniscus. The user access rights in MAP control access to particular Expression Libraries and to particular Expressions.
The expression processed by MAP. This can be built from one or more expressions nested as required to process data into the format you wanted.


Unless your name is Jose Mourinho, a coach's first season in charge of a club is never easy, something Roy Hodgson should know very well by now with this being his fifteenth job in football management. You inherit a squad of players, some of whom may still be loyal to the previous regime. You haven't yet earned the fans' trust and they will inevitably make comparisons between yourself and the departed manager, and your new transfer policy may take some adapting to.
But having overseen just two wins from his first nine games, elimination from the League Cup against League Two opposition, and losses against three of his biggest rivals, patience is understandably wearing thin. Sadly for Hodgson, the modern world of football management is a results-driven business and he is simply not producing enough positive ones. But he is no quitter as he revealed after Liverpool's match against Napoli last Thursday.
"Resignation has never once entered my thoughts and never will. I'm here for the long haul. I came here believing I can help Liverpool rebuild. The players are behind everything we're doing," he said.
And nor should he be feeling self-doubt, you don't become a bad manager overnight. After all, just this summer he was named as favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as manager of the national team, mainly based on his endeavours at Fulham. Note also, that of the four Premier League games he has lost this season, three of them have been away from Anfield � against the riches of Manchester City, versus Manchester United at Old Trafford, and last week in a typically fiery Merseyside derby - none of which could be described as "embarrassing" and the Betfair Football odds suggested they'd struggle in all three games.
Put simply, he needs more time, and should be given it � but if the new owners do want to make a change, they need to do it sooner rather than later. January will provide Hodgson his first chance to comprehensively tailor his squad to the style of football he was brought to Anfield in the hope of producing, and if he lasts that long then he must be allowed to continue for the next few seasons in order to fully implement his vision. Only then can we judge Roy's efforts, because until now, he's been cooking in someone else's kitchen.
Meanwhile, many people make Hull City betting tips for relegation this season as they continue to struggle.
The side still have financial difficulties after slipping out of the Premier League last term, and a takeover could be in the offing.


As banks face the combined effect of reductions in assets and pressures on interest margins, the focus on operational and balance sheet efficiency becomes more critical. With more entrants into niche markets and channels, full service banks are seeking to reduce cost — income ratios and restructure origination, distribution and compliance activities. The performance improvement professionals at FTI Consulting provide a comprehensive suite of advisory and consulting services that focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations and processes. Using external comparisons and deploying best practices, we implement initiatives that deliver reliable and sustainable improvements to earnings and cash flow.


"Synergetic Localization for Groups of Mobile Robots "
In this paper we present a new approach to the problem of simultaneously localizing a group of mobile robots capable of sensing each other. Each of the robots col lects sensor data regarding its own motion and shares this information with the rest of the team during the update cycles. A single estimator, in the form of a Kalman filter, processes the available positioning infor mation from all the members of the team and produces a pose estimate for each of them. The equations for this centralized estimator can be written in a decentral ized form therefore allowing this single Kalman filter to be decomposed into a number of smaller communi cating filters each of them processing local (regarding the particular host robot) data for most of the time. The resulting decentralized estimation scheme consti tutes a unique mean for fusing measurements collected from a variety of sensors with minimal communication and processing requirements. The distributed localiza tion algorithm is applied to a group of 3 robots and the improvement in localization accuracy is presented. Finally, a comparison to the equivalent distributed in formation filter is provided.


How do we know this? In two papers released last year in the journals PLOS One  and American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene , my coauthors and I investigated the emerging hypothesis that exposure to animal feces is a serious risk factor for infections and undernutrition in early childhood. Our work suggests that the predominant water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) focus on reducing exposure to human feces needs updating by including animal feces.
As far back as 1990, a study in  urban Peru found that toddlers directly ingested chicken excrement. In 2013, a study of young children in rural Zimbabwe  found the same problem. That team hypothesized that this isn't just a risk factor for diarrhea; it might be an important cause for stunting, through a more invisible, "sub-clinical" and chronic form of damage to the gut, with the not-so-catchy name of environmental enteric dysfunction , or EED. While nutritionists have long speculated that infection in general may be a major cause of undernutrition, many are now increasingly convinced that EED is a prime suspect .
In 2016 we set out to test the indirect linkage between exposure to animal feces and undernutrition. In our first study, we took advantage of a large household survey in Ethiopia  to add questions on whether villagers kept animals inside their main dwelling overnight. We reasoned that keeping animals indoors would likely mean more animal feces in and around the house. We knew that many Ethiopians kept their animals close, but we underestimated just how close: fully half of Ethiopian households keep chickens and children in the same building at night, but goats, cows and donkeys also get to sleep indoors on a regular basis. However, it was only the practice of keeping chickens indoors (mostly due to fear of theft and predation) that was associated with slower child growth, consistent with the findings of the earlier studies in Peru and Zimbabwe, where exposure to poultry was the main risk.
Strikingly, a smaller but more biologically oriented study from Bangladesh — which used the presence of chickens as its eligibility criterion, but also included other animals—found a similar result with a similar indicator: keeping animals indoors overnight was associated with both child stunting and EED symptoms .
In our second paper , we took advantage of the Alive and Thrive surveys  in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Alive and Thrive researchers had the good sense to ask their surveyors to visually assess the hygiene standards of every household they visited, including whether animal and human feces were observed in the compound. As in the first study, we were surprised by the scale of exposure to animals and animal feces. Around 40 percent of households in all three countries had animal feces in their compounds, whereas the presence of human feces was rare. And as in the first study, this exposure to animal feces was associated with slower child growth, even after controlling for many other dimensions of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
Second, human feces may be a more important reservoir for diarrheal pathogens, but at least one study  conjectures that animal feces could be a (relatively) more important reservoir for pathogens that cause EED and stunting. Indeed, a systematic review  of WASH interventions have found them to have surprisingly little impact on nutrition... Perhaps because these interventions stopped short of addressing exposure to animal feces?
Start seriously incorporating control of animal feces into WASH policies and programs, like in experimental trials underway in Zimbabwe  and Burkina Faso . WASH interventions have tremendous ability to raise community awareness of the risks of animal feces  and to help communities find their own cost-effective solutions to this problem.


We very much need to hear from you. Our 'engagement' level is rather low which means not too many of you are coming out to programs and events nor do we hear from you when we put something in the newsletter. Hearing from you is critical as we begin to make decisions for next year's programs and offerings. If CWAS is important to you, please, drop us a note and let us know that. Thanks!
Support comes in many forms; financial, moral and physical assistance. If you can make a donation we'd appreciate it. Financial support allows us the most amount of flexibility. Can you attend a program? That is much appreciated moral support. There's a great deal of joy to be had in seeing you at our offerings. Can you do something special or even just move chairs around? We often need to move chairs, set up a table with literature or direct our neighbors to where we're meeting. This would be the physical support we need.
You can make a donation with our PayPal button or send a check. Want to do more? Please feel free to drop us a line and find out how you can participate! Our postal address is: CWAS, P.O. Box 359, White Plains, NY 10602.
Wow! It took a fair amount of help from the friendly folks at squarespace (the company we are using for their website template and hosting) to get this working but it is now! Thanks Bryan and Co at squarespace!


I'm constantly being asked by friends, family and colleagues – What is the point of Twitter? To be frank I actually thought the same thing when it was first introduced to me.
I couldn't work out why anyone would want to know about the mundane aspects of my life! I still hold to that philosophy but I can now see both a business and social application for the ever popular Twitter.


text:
You are here:Home > Merchandise > Map Posters
Taiwan Invasion Map (folded)
Price: $9.95 (Folded Map Shipping)
A 19" x 26" detailed map poster. The front shows the possible Taiwan Invasion from China. The back shows Potential Flashpoints in and around China.
Taiwan Invasion Map (unfolded)
Price: $12.95 (Special Shipping required)
Alexander's Campaigns Map (folded)
A 19" x 26" detailed map poster. The front shows Alexander's Campaigns from 334-324 BC as well as a timeline of certain events during that time. The back displays a standard battle array for the Macedonian and Persian armies.
Alexander's Campaigns Map (unfolded)
Origins of WWI Map (folded)
A 19" x 26" detailed map poster. The front shows Europe from 1871-1900 with an inset of Africa from 1870-1900. The back shows the World from 1900-1914 and Europe from 1900-1914.
Origins of WWI Map (unfolded)
Gettysburg Map (folded)
A 19" x 26" detailed map poster. The front shows all the action on 2 July 1863, the most intense part of the battle. The back contains detailed brigade-level orders of battle for both armies, including the strengths and losses of each unit.
Gettysburg Map (unfolded)
Dreadnoughts Map (unfolded)
A 19" x 26" detailed map poster. The front and back of the poster shows the Evolution of Dreadnoughts from the USS Maine and HMS Dreadnought to the IJN Yamato and USS Iowa.
Dreadnoughts Map (folded)


If you have any questions regarding Belmont Park, we're here to assist you! For general inquiries, please contact us at info@belmontpark.com.
For HR requests/inquiries regarding Belmont Park, please contact hr@belmontpark.com.
For questions related to accounting, please contact accounting@belmontpark.com.
Check with individual businesses for specific hours of operation. Information on amusement ride and attraction hours and closures can be found here.


Alison joined the firm in 2017, having previously worked, for several years, within a payroll department. Alison has previously studied to Level 3 with the Association of Accounting Technicians and is also Xero Payroll certified.
Alison spends most of her weekends watching her three Sons playing a variety of sports and enthusiastically cheering them on! She also enjoys attending spinning classes and going on sunny holidays.


2) If the goods have quality problems, how can I do?
Please contact us within 7 days after you receive the package, please take a clear photo about the defective product and send it to us. We willelt refund money or resend the parcel.
3) For other reasons do not want this product, how can I do?


text:
<?php
require_once(getcwd().'/application/libraries/Handle/Handle_Module.php');

Class Page extends Handle_Module {
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Ever want to show off your school pride? Dyed burlap makes this project super simple! You will be showing off your dyed burlap wreath in honor or your favorite college or high school in no time at all.
The links below are affiliate links which means a portion of your purchase will go to support this site.
Begin by painting your letters with a team color. My letters are going to be white with gold leaf dots as the team is purple and gold. I used the Patio Paint in Cloud White to paint the letters first as I wanted to make sure they are protected from the weather outdoors.
Make sure the paint is dry completely then continue. I decided instead of gold leaf on the entire letter that dots would be a fun addition.
Apply the glue dots randomly over the surface of your letter.
Next lay the gold leaf sheet over the letter and press to make sure it sticks to all of your dots of glue.
Then use a paint brush and begin to dry brush away the excess gold leaf.
Eventually you will get to where you can clean up around each dot. The gold leaf will adhere to the dot but not your painted wood surface. The dry brush will be able to wipe away all excess easily.
Now we need to protect our work. Apply the Patio Paint Clear Coat to the entire surface of each letter to protect your project from the elements.
Allow to dry completely before continuing. Now that the letters are complete we can move onto the burlap. Just dye your burlap ribbon according to the instructions on the back of any dye package. I used RIT dye in purple for my ribbon but you can use any brand that you trust. Don't be afraid as dye is super easy to use! I hung my ribbon outside to dry completely before starting on my wreath. To begin the wreath you will need to cut many short pieces of floral wire.
Tie those floral wire pieces onto your wire wreath form and make sure they are unable to move along the wreath form. As you can see I started with three at each intersection point on the wreath. I added more as needed when I was building the wreath.
Start on one end by securing your burlap ribbon as shown below.
Then continue to the next point and secure your ribbon. The second point and beyond you will gather the ribbon and put the wire around the entire thing as shown.
Continue randomly going around your wreath from point to point. The below picture is about when one roll of burlap ribbon had been used. As you can see two is definitely needed.
You may have to add more floral wire pieces as well towards the end. Just keep going until you are happy with the wreath. I had a small strip of burlap ribbon left but really it was not much. Then you are going to use hot glue to secure those letters of your favorite school or team into place along the burlap wreath.
Add a ribbon for hanging on your door. Show off your school pride with this fun dyed burlap wreath. You will love cheering on your team with this addition to your front door.


Countryside YMCA in Maineville, Ohio offers a safe, nurturing environment for children to learn and grow. Our Step Up to Quality star-rated program is designed to meet the needs of families with children from infancy through school ages. Our vision is for all Countryside YMCA childcare programs to be the leaders in building children of character. Through the use of "The Creative Curriculum" our program encompasses the YMCA core valuse of caring, honesty, respoct, reponsibility, and faith.
Programs foster each child's curiosity and desire to explore through group focused and individual activities.
The well-planned curriculum is consistent with the YMCA's philosophy to offer child-centered and holistic learning. The curriculum is aligned with the State of Ohio's early learning standards for Social-emotional Development, Approaches Toward Learning, Cognitive Development and General Knowledge (including Mathematics, Science and Social Studies), Language and Literacy Development, Physical Well-Being and Motor Development.
Parents are welcome to visit during classes and volunteer throughout the day.
Breakfast, hot lunch and afternoon snack included in the price.
If Little Miami Schools are closed due to weather conditions then the Little Miami Learning Center will operate on a 1-hour delay and will begin at 7:30 AM.


text:
Search in titles only Search in Trade Beads only
NON-LITHIC NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIFACTS
Trade Beads
Glass Trade Beads - History
http://www.tradebeads.org/history-of-trade-beads/
Link provided by Chase
Look to the ground for it holds the past!
Glass Trade Beads – Early History
Columbus -and- The Beginnings
Long before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans were producing carved and polished beads made from wood, seeds, bone, antler, ivory, shell, stone and – in some areas - copper. Early European explorers in the New World were quick to recognise the cultural importance of beads to the native populations and equally quick to exploit that importance. The strategy of "beads -and- trinkets for the natives" was already well established from explorations in other territories. Items such as colourful Venetian glass beads, metal bracelets, small bells (of the kind used in falconry) and knitted woollen caps had been successful in Portuguese trade expeditions to West Africa and Columbus carried large quantities of all these items as standard cargo on the Santa Maria for his voyage of discovery.
The Santa Maria was the largest of his three ships and served as the cargo vessel. The other ships were smaller and more suited to exploration of shallow bays and estuaries. The Santa Maria was also intended as the vessel which would transport any wealth back to the Old World and that required an "empty" hold, within which glass beads served as good ballast on the outward journey.
So, it's no surprise that Columbus' log of 12th October 1492 when he had reached San Salvador records: "Presently many inhabitants of the island assembled... I gave to some of them red caps, and glass beads to put round their necks, and many other things of little value, which gave them great pleasure… They afterwards came to the ship's boats... bringing us parrots, cotton threads in skeins, spears, and many other things; and we exchanged them for... glass beads and small bells." There are further references from 15th October onwards: "… gave him a red cap, put some glass beads upon his arms"; "I ordered each man to be presented with something, as strings of ten or a dozen glass beads apiece, and thongs of leather, all which they estimated highly"; "we saw several of the natives advancing towards our party, and one of them came up to us, to whom we gave some hawk's bells and glass beads, with which he was delighted. We asked him in return, for water… I ordered more glass beads to be given them, and they promised to return the next day."
Around 10am on the 16th October, Columbus departed San Salvador for another island (Fernandina) that had been pointed out by the Taino on San Salvador and later overtook a lone native in a canoe, apparently making the same journey. They brought him on board and Columbus was astonished to discover: "he had besides a little basket made after their fashion, containing some glass beads, and two blancas [Castilian copper coins] by all which I knew he had come from San Salvador." So at least one enterprising native had begun trading the items brought by Columbus from the moment he received them!
The pattern continued, with Cortéz carrying large quantities of glass beads when he landed on the coast of Mexico in 1519, as did Narváez in 1527 and De Soto in 1539 for trade with the natives in Florida.
Why the Fascination with Trade Beads?
The technology of Europeans enabled a much greater variety of colours and patterns to be produced than was possible for Native Americans using local materials and available technologies. Many early explorers reported that natives had a particular fascination for blue beads (a difficult colour for them to reproduce) and also – perhaps oddly - for pure white beads. All European beads were regarded as prestige items. They would be worn on special or ceremonial occasions but not for everyday use. At night they would be carefully hung up in tipi or lodge. As well as being used for trade as a form of currency, these beads could be used to broker safe passage through hostile territory or even compensate injured and insulted parties.
Beads were also very convenient. Strong, waterproof, compact, lightweight and easy to carry. They would be restrung and re-arranged as nicer items were acquired and also handed down through families to be cherished. It's not therefore unusual to find original strings of beads which cover a very wide range of dates.
The Spread of Trade Beads into America
Robert Jirka's comprehensive paper "Trade Bead Migration into North America" can be viewed here (no pictures) but you need a log-in to download it:
https://www.academia.edu/769174/Trad..._North_America
Early Colonists – Jamestown, Virginia
In January 1608, English Captains Christopher Newport and John Smith led a team of Jamestown colonists on a trading venture to secure corn supplies from the Algonquian Powhatan Indians. Chief Powhatan showed no inclination to trade, had placed a high value on his people's corn and an argument ensued. That argument evaporated when Smith saw the Chief's reaction to a handful of European beads. In Smith's words, the Chief: "fixed his humour upon a few blew [blue] beads" and "importunatly desired them." Smith then exaggerated the desirability of the beads, telling Chief Powhatan that they were: "composed of a most rare substance of the colour of the skyes, and not to be worne but by the greatest kings in the world." Without much more ado, the Chief "for a pound or two of blew beads… offered "2 or 300 bushels of corne." [Barbour 1986].
Heather A. Lapham's paper "More Than "A Few Blew Beads": The Glass and Stone Beads from Jamestown Rediscovery's 1994-1997 Excavations" published by the University of Virginia can be viewed here (you need a log-in to download it):
https://www.academia.edu/393644/More...97_Excavations
Although the glass beads from those excavations were European imports, a glass factory was built near Jamestown in 1622 to home-produce beads. It was a short-lived venture, being burnt down by a raiding party in the Indian Massacre of 1622 when surprise attacks were launched on at least 31 separate English settlements and plantations, mostly along the James River. Very few examples of its beads are known, but a cache of glass beads recovered at Leedstown (about 60 miles north of Jamestown) may have come from that factory and were likely produced by immigrant Italian glass-workers [Willoughby 1973].
The Manhattan Purchase
The oft-repeated story of Manhattan Island being purchased with $24 worth of beads is untrue. American scholars didn't even know that Manhattan Island had been a negotiated purchase until 1846, following the discovery, translation and publication of a stash of documents discovered in the Dutch national archives. Martha J. Lamb published her "History of the City of New York" in 1877 and fabricated an account of the purchase which the documents don't support: "He [Peter Minuit, the director] then called together some of the principal Indian chiefs, and offered beads, buttons, and other trinkets in exchange for their real estate. They accepted the terms with unfeigned delight, and the bargain was closed at once" and a similar story was repeated in J.G. Wilson's seemingly authoritative "Memorial History of the City of New-York" in 1892.
In short, all the documents actually tell us is that an authorisation (but not an instruction) was given to the director of the colony (New Netherlands) by the Dutch West India Company in 1625 that: "In case any Indian should be living on the aforesaid land or make any claim upon it or any other places that are of use to us, they must not be driven away by force or threat, but by good words be persuaded to leave, or be given something therefor to their satisfaction…"
Manhattan was not the company's first choice but it was reported in a letter in 1626 that the island had been purchased "for the value of 60 guilders" (about $1,000 at today's values) without any mention of trade beads or delight or the bargain being closed at once. The purchase deed was not present in the documents but a partial copy of the deed for Staten Island (the subject of a similar purchase) also makes no mention of trade beads – at least not glass ones. For Staten Island, it is recorded that shell beads (wampum) together with "drilling awls" used to make them were exchanged, but not in payment. More as a symbolic way of ratifying the deal.
Peter Francis, Jr. received the Kerr History Prize in 1986 for his article "The Beads That Did Not Buy Manhattan Island" which debunked the myth. The above information is heavily condensed from that source.
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) -and- Fur Trade (1670-1870 approx)
The HBC was incorporated by English royal charter in 1670 as the "Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay" which effectively made it the "government" in more than 1/8 of North America's landmass before territories began to be formally claimed. Its traders established friendly relations with many tribes in order to build up a huge fur-trading empire in the northwest, based mainly on beaver skins but also racoon and other animals.
Although the HBC was the largest trader, it had competitors such as John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company and the North West Company but made several acquisitions to buy out the competition. Company trading posts stocked barter goods such as axes, knives, kettles, fish-hooks, needles, and blankets but glass beads were the currency of trade for a couple of hundred years, with each company having its own sources and types with various defined values. A prepared stretched beaver skin was worth six standard HBC beads. Unfortunately, the records are somewhat patchy with respect to who used what type of bead and from where.
There's some great information and pictures on the author O. Ned Eddins' website titled "Indian Fur Trade Beads" here:
http://www.thefurtrapper.com/trade_beads.htm
Bead Sources
Early trade beads arriving in America came mostly from the workshops of Venice and after a while from Murano in Italy and Aleppo. The Netherlands was also a substantial producer (mainly from Amsterdam and Delft). In later times the bulk of the output came from the Bohemian region of central Europe (much of what is now Czechoslovakia) and Poland. England, France and Spain produced them too.
The so-called "Russian blue" bead has little to do with Russia. These transparent dark blue beads were most usually faceted with 18, 21 or 24 faces, fire-polished and produced in Bohemia in the early 1800's. They were widely traded to Russian fur-hunters in Alaska and the northwest coast by both Americans and Europeans in exchange for furs, from the 1860's onwards. That's really why they came to be known as "Russian blues" but the term has been indiscriminately extended to describe other unrelated blue beads.
As trading companies sought to reduce their costs and improve their profits, beads were increasingly sourced from China and India – especially towards the end of the fur trade period and beyond.
Other Areas of the World
One other thing worth noting is that trade beads of the type found in America are not necessarily confined to that continent. Apart from unique styles produced to order and used principally in the fur trade, other types were traded elsewhere and identical examples can be found in other colonial territories such as Africa and Australia.


text:
Q: PHP disable escaping in heredoc I have PHP which gives minified JS as output through heredoc. Look at this code:
function prerefresh(){$("#len").empty();predata.forEach(item)}
As I have bolded above, the {$ disturbs my heredoc due to variable escaping.
Is there any way to disable or fix such escaping?

A: If you are using PHP 5.3 + you could use nowdoc it doesn't parse.

A:
I have PHP which gives minified JS as output through

That's what you are doing wrong.
Don't do any output through heredoc - it makes absolutely no sense in PHP. Just close PHP tag and write whatever JS as is.
?>
function prerefresh(){$("#len").empty();predata.forEach(item)}

it's the most natural way.

A: It's in fact variable replacement that you want to disable. And it's escaping what you are looking for:
function prerefresh(){\$("#len").empty();predata.forEach(item)}

A: use \ backslash to escape the $. Resulting in \$


Waterfront venue perfect for festivals and markets.
The River Terrace is a large public venue in Melbourne that provides a pedestrian walkway between Swanston Street and Birrarung Marr, with access all the way to the MCG, Rod Laver Arena, AAMI Stadium and the Botanical Gardens. Stretching along the banks of the Yarra River, it is an ideal space for markets, exhibitions, festivals and sporting activities, with steady pedestrian flow and a space that lends itself to long rows of marquees and stalls. The River Terrace also opens up into The Square, with the opportunity to utilise both venues for large events.


text:
The realities of outsourcing: court interpreters mean miscarriages of justice
Since court interpreting has been outsourced, wages have plummeted, quality of interpreting has dropped to a dangerous level, and the justice system has often ground to a halt. A foretaste of what to expect from outsourced services across the country?
Joel Sharples
Interpreters/wikimedia
"I consider it pocket money. You can't live on it."
Bob Gould is one of thousands of professional court interpreters who were effectively thrown out of a job in early 2012 when the entire court interpreting service for England and Wales was privatised and handed to "outsourcing solutions" experts, Capita. Rates for interpreters were slashed to barely subsistence levels overnight, leading to the vast majority of interpreters choosing to boycott the new contract rather than accept Capita's pitiful pay and conditions. As the privatisation of Royal Mail rolls on and other essential services such as probation and legal aid work look set to fall under the auctioneer's hammer, the story of Bob and the thousands of other interpreters affected is an acrid foretaste of what the government's privatisation agenda means for workers and public service users around Britain.
To the court interpreters, the government's frequently iterated claims to be "making work pay" are nothing less than risible. "Before, if you were a capable interpreter and prepared to work no matter what plans you had for the evening or what time of night it was, you could earn a good living," Bob told me. "That dramatically changed in February 2012, because suddenly there was no court work for interpreters unless they were prepared to work for this cowboy outfit at grossly underpaid rates and with no compensation for travel time and fares. Over 2,000 nationally registered, recognised and experienced interpreters have been thrown on the scrapheap by the stroke of a pen." Many interpreters also accepted night-time and weekend work for the police in addition to their court work, however a combination of police cuts and the proliferation of interpreters desperate for work meant that this has dried to a trickle.
Prior to February 2012 interpreters would be paid a flat rate of £85 for a court hearing, plus £15 an hour for travel time and reimbursement of the travel fare. When Capita took over they slashed the rates to £16-22 an hour with no payment for travelling or waiting time. Bob described what this means in practice for interpreters. "For example, they might phone up and say, 'We have a job for an Italian interpreter in central London. There will be about three hours work there.' There might be, or there might not be, but it will take you an hour to get there from the suburbs, it will cost you £6 to get there and back, and when you get there you might only have an hour's work."
In this case, the interpreter could take home just £10 for three hours of their working day after travel expenses are deducted. Bob estimates that interpreters now earn between 25 and 40 percent of their previous rate for a court hearing. "If you're only there for one hour, less your fare, less your national insurance, less your tax – forget it; it's a waste of time." In one particularly extreme example, a Vietnamese interpreter traveled from Newcastle to Sussex – a 560 mile round trip – only for the hearing to be adjourned after eight minutes.
The impact that these changes have had on court proceedings is also concerning. "Normally you would get there early because you need to be available for a conference before the hearing starts – a discussion in private with the lawyer and the client. Now you won't be paid for that, so what happens is people turn up at 10am when the court starts, not at 9.30am when the conference starts. The lawyer will say to the court, 'I haven't had a chance to discuss things with my client because the interpreter wasn't there,' and the judge will say 'All right, we'll adjourn it for now and you can go down and talk to your client.'"
That's if the interpreter shows up at court at all. In the first year of the contract over 600 trials were abandoned due to Capita failing to provide an adequate interpreter, and Capita also received 6,417 complaints about the standard of the service they were providing – over 25 per working day! Bob describes their approach to interpreting as "like selling cabbages: pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap, and you make more money. But interpreters are not cabbages. You need to be able to stand up to questioning in court. You need to be able to instantly interpret accurately for a long period of time. You need to understand the subtleties and the cultural and linguistic differences between the foreign language and the English language."
The changes in pay and conditions have led to an exodus of experienced and qualified interpreters from the courts. Bob told me that many of his former colleagues have returned to their country of origin, no longer able to afford life in Britain, while others have turned to walking dogs, babysitting and cleaning in order to pay the bills. Others have found part-time teaching or written translation work, but at a fraction of their former salary.
As a result of this refusal to accept their terms, Capita have been forced to employ people with no experience of interpreting, let alone of working in a high-pressured court environment. A survey of Capita interpreters conducted by Involvis found that 44.5% had not been asked to undergo any kind of assessment of their interpreting skills before being offered jobs by Capita. In one of the more farcical episodes of this mostly tragic saga one interpreter managed to register her pet rabbit as an interpreter with Applied Language Solutions (the company that was granted the initial contract before being taken over by Capita).
This use of inexperienced interpreters with little experience of working in a legal environment means that the most basic errors can cause severe disruption to the proceedings. Bob described how unqualified French interpreters can very easily translate the word 'caution' as une caution, meaning a deposit or security payment, when in fact the correct equivalent is une mise en garde. "How can the important message in this caution have been communicated when the question put to them is, 'Have you understood the deposit?' This is an important procedure. It's your right not to say anything so it's important to impart that to the person." There have also been cases of defendants being told by their interpreters that they will have to pay a fee, when in fact they are being told that they face charges. If picked up on, these kinds of mistakes can lead to re-trials with the attendant psychological and financial consequences for all involved. If not picked up on, they can lead to miscarriages of justice. "I hear it already. I hear of mistakes being made. There will be a gross miscarriage of justice on the basis of very poor interpreting,"
To get a sense of the scale of the turmoil Capita has caused in the courts it is only necessary to visit the Linguist Lounge website, which collates the hundreds of Twitter reports from lawyers and court staff of Capita interpreters failing to show up or providing an inadequate service. A series of tweets from Mary Prior, a barrister at 36 Bedford Row chambers, gives a snapshot of how the justice system is being affected by the changes. On 30th July 2013 she tweeted, "No Hungarian interpreter. Waiting to start a trial. Can't start until co-defendant has their interpreter." Over three hours later she then tweeted, "Hungarian interpreter has now arrived. As a result trial will go well into next week and jurors may not be available to sit," and then, "The difference in quality between a proper interpreter and these new court ones is staggering. Please make it stop." This is just one case among hundreds, each of which is costing the Ministry of Justice many thousands of pounds in additional court administration costs.
Although the privatisation of court interpreting is a particularly egregious example, Bob was clear about the parallels with other public services facing or already undergoing privatisation. "It's a familiar pattern of big firms that have no expertise in that particular area taking huge responsibilities on at a huge multi-million pound price and making massive profits by dropping the services and giving their employees poor pay and conditions. That's the way it's going and it's going that way more and more."
Liked this piece? Please donate to OurKingdom here to help keep us producing independent journalism. Thank you.
Published in: ourNHS
Privatised NHS call centres are causing an A&E crisis
Written by: Suresh Chauhan All articles by: Suresh Chauhan
Published in: Shine A Light
G4S loses contract. Handing prisons to any commercial contractor is a grave mistake
Written by: Andrew Neilson All articles by: Andrew Neilson


text:
Killing Eve's third season returned much earlier than expected, with AMC and BBC deciding to air Killing Eve to capitalise upon the lack of television on at the moment. The first season of Killing Eve was a breath of fresh air, as it was a new take on a spy-thriller that had a quirky, dark comedic element and had a romance fuelled by sexual energy between two well created and crafted characters
And, so after the success of the first season, a second was commissioned and so to a third, and a fourth. And much of the success of the first season must be accredited to Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and her decision to pass the torch on for the second season was distinct, as a difference in quality could be seen. Season 3 also saw a change in writers, and as a result, never feels as good as it once did.
Season 3 is still impressive, it definitely gets its mojo back towards the end of the season, with the beginning feeling underwhelming. But, that is more as a result of the second season. Season 2 ended with a 'death in Rome', as Villanelle shoots Eve and runs away. So, the beginning of the third season picks up these pieces six months later, as we find Eve has shut herself away from the world, and is working as a chef in a restaurant
Whilst, Villanelle has moved on, and even got married to a Spanish woman (don't worry, it's never mentioned again)! And, for the very first time, in what had thus far, been a fresh, fast-paced, thrilling show, has, in one way or another regressed and taken these two mammoth characters out of the cat and mouse chase they have endured and is at the centre of the show.
Throughout every second of the first season, and even most of the second, these two titans seemed matched in everything they do. And, it seems even within the very first episode, the series tries its hardest to undo all of that work, and development in order to rebuild it. And, whilst it can rebuild that tension between the two of them, which is beautifully executed in 'the bus scene'. By, doing so it also changes the structure of the show in the sense of story. As Villanelle changes a new dream, and Eve is left in a position where she is an outsider to the story.
Now, in no way or shape does that not mean series three isn't amazing! It, just means it wasn't what is once was. I've seen others claim the fourth should be announced as the last because "killing is mercy", but I think the third season has plenty of positives, and Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer have such a great dynamic that they will always succeed, and the show will always work.
With, Eve and Villanelle's relationship discussed, what the third season does really well is deliver development for other characters, Carolyn Martens is given much more emotional depth, and is well developed throughout the season, portrayed brilliantly by Fiona Shaw. There are also, new additions to the cast like Paul (Steve Pemberton), Jamie (Danny Sapani) and Dasha (Harriet Walter), the latter manages to bring out a different, and needed side of Villanelle. And, of course Konstantin Vasiliev (Kim Bodnia) is brilliant as his intentions are unravelled and we learn more about him.
I've never been opposed to trying different stylistic episodes, and Killing Eve tries a different style of episode, which for the most part manages to work. But, comes at a time that seems to slow down the show, just as it is finally heating up. Season 3 is still very visually pleasing, as the killings are imaginative (even though, slightly less than in the first season), and the scenes where Villanelle dresses as a clown was some of my favourite from the season
The difference is felt in the first few episodes as a killer blow is delivered to audiences, but because of the way it seems the show had abandoned its structure, doesn't hit as hard as it could have because these characters had been regressed and shown to have moved on from where the show once was.
That being said, the shock was incredible and really opened other character up and developed them further. But, as the season continues shocks are still delivered, with one (as well as the one mentioned above) really taking me by surprise, and showing the show is still courageous enough to switch things up.
As was the case for the second season, the third season is not Killing Eve at its very best, but I think the series finds it footing towards the end of the series, and delivers some very thrilling and shocking moments, which it hits the nail on the head with. But, there are moments in this show that just do not make sense from a logical point of view, like; the amount of times Villanelle has gone from and to being an enemy to 'The Twelve'. And, so, I am interested in how they will approach finally tying up these story-threads,.
If you've made this far, could you please follow me on something! Either twitter or WordPress, anything would be appreciated. Thanks
Adam Zenasni
June 1, 2020 actor, actress, Amazon, AMC, BBC, BBC America, Binge, Black comedy, Blog, Blogging, Camille Cottin, cast, Character, characters, clip, Comedy, Drama, ending, entertainment, episode, Film, finale, Fiona Shaw, friday, Gemma Whelan, Harriet Walter, HBO, imdb, Jodie Comer, jokes, Killing Eve, Kim Bodnia, movie, Movies, NETFLIX, network, news, opinion, Owen McDonnell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, pilot, pop culture, Prediction, predictions, premiere, preview, Raj Bajaj, recap, release, Review, Reviews, Romance, Satire, scene, Season, Series, show, spoiler, Spoiler-Free, spoilers, spy, spy-thriller, Steve Pemberton, streaming, television, Thriller, time, Tokyo, tonight, trailer, TV, tv review, tv show, TV Shows, Upload, Watch, Westworld, Writing
Previous Previous post: REVIEWED: SPACE FORCE SEASON 1 [SPOILER-FREE]
Next Next post: REVIEWED: 13 REASONS WHY SEASON 4 [SPOILER-FREE]


text:
Women's waterpolo defeats No. 20 LMU to end regular season
Diego Marquez • April 24, 2016
Ending the regular season with a win, the No. 25 CSUN women's water polo team (11-19) defeated No. 20 Loyola Marymount Lions (11-19) on their home court, 9-7. This gets the Matadors back on the winning...
Matadors end rollercoaster weekend 1-3
Eric Licas • March 8, 2016
CSUN women's water polo team played three games this weekend: a double- header on Saturday against Azusa Pacific University and Cal State Bakersfield and the home opener on Sunday against University of...
This week in Matador sports
Julius Lasin • March 2, 2016
March 3 Beach Volleyball vs. CSU Bakersfield (CSUN, 1 p.m.) Baseball @ George Mason (Fairfax, Va., 11:30 a.m.) Women's basketball vs. CSU Fullerton (Matadome, 7 p.m.) March 4 Men's volleyball...
Women's Water Polo: CSUN eliminated from Big West with 6-5 loss to Hawaii
Kenneth Berry • April 26, 2015
No. 10 CSUN (14-11, 3-2 Big West) Women's Water Polo team were never able to tie the game after a goal in the last five minutes of play put the No. 6 Rainbow Wahine up 6-5, eliminating the Matadors from...
Women's Water Polo: No. 9 CSUN ends regular season with 8-6 win over No.13 UC Santa Barbara
No. 9 CSUN Water Polo (14-10, 3-2 Big West) ended its regular season schedule on a high note with a gritty 8-6 victory over No. 13 UC Santa Barbara (12-15, 1-3 Big West) that moved them to second place...
Water Polo: Sanchez game-winner leads No. 8 CSUN over No. 6 Hawai'i 7-6
Vincent Nguyen • March 8, 2015
CSUN (11-8, 1-0 Big West) clinched their first win in the Big West Conference in the final seconds of their match against the No. 6 Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (7-5, 0-1 Big West) by way of freshman attacker...
Water Polo: No. 9 CSUN splits games at UC Irvine Invitational
Lauren Holmes • February 22, 2015
The No. 9 CSUN water polo team started off the UC Irvine Invitational on a high note with their 10- 9 overtime victory over No. 8 San Jose State, but No. 1 Stanford won 16 – 3 in the second matchup to...
Women's Water Polo: Matadors sweep in Redlands double-header
Early leads allowed No. 9 CSUN to sweep in the Redlands, Calif. double header, defeating Pomona – Pitzer 15 – 10 and Redlands 18 – 4 Sunday afternoon. The Matadors led their first opponent...
Women's Water Polo: CSUN notches first win against ranked team in home opener
Lauren Holmes • February 2, 2015
CSUN's water polo team grabs their first win against a ranked team as they beat No. 20 Hartwick College 11 – 6 in the Sunday morning home opener to extend their current winning streak to three...
Women's Water Polo: CSUN maintains perfect record in Cal Baptist Tournament
The CSUN women's water polo team beat Azusa Pacific and Cal Baptist Lancers in the Cal Baptist Tournament in Riverside as 10 different scorers recorded goals in an all-around team effort on Saturday. CSUN...
Women's Water Polo: No. 7 CSUN dominates Cal Lutheran for ninth straight victory
Andrew Martinez • March 22, 2014
The Matadors (17-5) handily defeated the Cal Lutheran Regals 22-8 on Thursday at Matador Pool, tying a school record set for goals in a game and bring their winning streak to nine. The game...
Women's Water Polo: No. 7 Matadors sweep home-opening doubleheader
Coming home for the first time all season, the Matadors (14-5) proved their No. 7 ranking worthy as they defeated the Azusa Pacific Cougars (8-12) 18-7 and the Claremont Mudd Scripps (5-9)...