HO Storage Box Set. Includes One Rolling Stock Storage Box and Six Long Car Storage Boxes. Rolling Stock Storage Box measures 1.75" x 12" x 19". Long Car Storage Box measures 1.625" x 3" x 12" or HO Scale 87 Ft Long. Will hold most passenger cars or two 36 Ft freight cars.


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Record-breaking heatwaves show that we must adapt to climate crisis now | Environment | All topics from climate change to conservation | DW
The effects of India's heatwave One of many just this yearThey are all-encompassing. Temperatures topping 40°C (104°F) across the country have put millions at risk for heat-related illnesses, decimated wheat crops, intensified a power crisis and interrupted schooling.
India is not the only country suffering from this heatwave. Pakistan, which is not far from India, is also struggling with scorching temperatures. And this year, before Western Australia claimed the title, central South America was the hottest region on the planet.
As the climate crisis continues ExacerbationsThere are heat waves all around the world, and temperatures rise unseasonably early. Countries are now faced with the dilemma of how to live.
It all comes down to wealth, preparedness
Ramping up electricity bills with air conditioning, cooling down with fans, working indoors — these options are only available to a privileged few.
"The story of climate change is one of high inequality and we're seeing that playing out already in the poorest and hottest regions of the world," said Tamma Carleton, assistant professor of economics at UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.
Carleton co-authored A 2022 studyThis distilled the city's ability reduce deaths in extreme temperatures down to two main factors. The city's wealth and the number of hot summer days it experiences.
The cost of technology a city can afford for its most vulnerable residents is determined by their financial resources. Carleton states that when these adaptation costs don't get covered by the government, the burden falls on the individuals to fund their own protection. This is a situation that leaves the most vulnerable high and dry.
Even wealthy cities can fall if they're not careful and don't have an action plan. This happened in the US's Pacific Northwest, a region that is known for its temperate climate and where more than 100 people died in the last year. Heat wave.
"We tend to see in our projections of climate change into the future that poorer places are going to be facing a really large increase in death risk and wealthier places are going to see an increase in adaptation costs," said Carleton.
Heat waves are particularly dangerous for outdoor workers
Spurring into heat action
Just how high this death risk is in developing countries became clear when Ahmedabad, a city in western India's Gujarat state, lost more than 1,344 people as thermometers hit 47°C (116°F) in 2010.
The city was motivated to take action by the rising death toll. The city developed a plan that prevented 1,100 heat-related deaths per year in 2013, and it was implemented in 2013. According to a study.
It is the South Asia's first heat action plan. This includes an early warning system, outreach to vulnerable communities, and education for health personnel about heat exposure. It also provides cooling centers in temples and malls, as well as reduced or staggered work hours for outdoor laborers.
Since the Ahmedabad heat plans has been used as a template to create similar models in 23 of the country's 28 states, because India's temperature consistently exceeds the baseline in spring/summer months,
However, high temperatures continue to make these models vulnerable to climate change, according Polash Mukherjee (Lead for Climate Resilience and Air Pollution at the Natural Resources Defense Council's India Program). The non-profit was instrumental in the development of Ahmedabad's heat action program.
"The focus has shifted significantly in the last couple of years from merely protecting human health and mortality against extreme heat to more proactive measures," said Mukherjee. "These include changing building by-laws so that new constructions are better insulated and the cool roofs program."
The cool roofs program is a low-cost option to reduce indoor temperatures. It targets houses that are poorly insulated in slums that have informal workers or other vulnerable groups. The roof becomes more reflective and absorbs heat when it is coated with lime-based whitewash or whitetarp.
Cool pavements and green passages
Ideas like these are budding around the world. Cool pavements were introduced by Tokyo, Japan's capital, using thermal-barrier technology. Medellin in Colombia has planted "green corridors," vegetated passages that offer more shade in public spaces, while the city of Toronto, Canada, offers grants for people to install green or cool roofs.
Some cities have heat officers who coordinate the response to rising temperatures.
Eugenia Kargbo was Africa's first heat officer after she took up the post in Freetown (Sierra Leone). Her goal is to provide shade covers for outdoor produce sellers that reflect sunlight. To make the capital more accessible, she also introduced a tree-planting program in which planters can earn micro-payments through an app.
"This is the future I envision for my children and all the children in Freetown: A safe environment not limited by the risk of extreme heat," she told DW's EcoAfrica.
Concentrate on the climate crisis
Although some regions have found ways to mitigate some of the effects of scorching heat waves in some areas, scientists stress that governments should not forget the cause of the rising temperatures: climate change.
Aditi Mukherji was the co-author of the water chapter in The Guardian. Assessment of IPCC on "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability," says the onus to come up with solutions shouldn't be on the most affected, who historically have emitted the least amount of CO2.
"I feel that when it comes to these kinds of heat extremes, the only solution is that the high emitting countries stop emissions immediately and stop burning fossil fuels," she said.
Edited by Tamsin Walker
Images: India is scorching as a severe heat wave sweeps the region
Skyrocketing temperatures sweep the country
To protect herself from the sun, a girl in Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) uses sunglasses, a mask and a long cloth. The average maximum temperatures in April in northwest and central India was 35.9 and 37.78 Celsius (96.6 & 100 Fahrenheit respectively), the highest records since the Indian Meteorological Department started keeping records 122 year ago.
In photos: India heats up as a heat wave sweeps across the region
Splashing in Ganges
To beat the heat, a boy jumps into Ganges River under Kolkata's Howrah Bridge. Experts predict that the heat wave will intensify as temperatures in north India could reach 50 degrees. These parts are known for their "hottest month" May, according to weather trends.
Long power outages make life difficult
As he waits for his customer, a boy stands outside a juice shop. A power crisis in India has caused hours-long power outages for millions of Indians, resulting in unusually hot temperatures. Critics have accused the government mismanagement. However, the sharp rise in the prices of imported coal as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war has also had an effect.
Climate change in Florida: Evidence from mother Miami
Signs of changing weather
In this photo, people fill up water tanks at a municipal tanker in Kolkata. India's summer season begins in April and runs until early July. Numerous people are regularly killed by heatstroke or gastrointestinal infections. Experts believe that the heat wave of this year's heat wave arrived at the beginning of March, in line to the rising average summer temperatures.
No escape from the heat
A group of women enjoy a milk-based frozen delight called "kulfi" in Amritsar, Punjab. As the intense heat waves rage across the border, the state's chief minister has pushed for summer vacations in all schools. Pakistan is also facing increased temperatures across the border.
Return to tried remedies
These are the people who buy cold sugarcane juice from a roadside stand in Amritsar, north. Many people are returning to old-fashioned ways of staying cool when power cuts disrupt their lives. They can drink cooling drinks with sugarcane, khus, and store water in earthen pots.
There is no respite for the days ahead
A man lies under a tree in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). Temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) at several locations in April. Banda, Uttar Pradesh was the country's hottest place with a temperature record of 47.4 degrees Celsius (117.32 degree Fahrenheit).
#show Adapt change climate conservation Crisis Environment Heat RecordBreaking topics Waves
India is forced to confront climate change head-on by scorching weather | Climate Crisis News
Globe Climate: Inuit science and knowledge help combat climate change in the Far North

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I originally thought of giving this a three star because even though I probably write in a similar fragmentary stream of conscious style, I would like an author to give more thought in a book. You feel a slight cop-out on the author's part reading the last chapter trying to tie-in together the bits and pieces revealed before.
However, giving it some thought I think I get the structure of this book and it's kinda amazing that the author is even able to end the story in a satisfying manner. Some of it feels far-fetched, but in the age of Trump who knows? Even a cautionary tale feels very apt.
You're right! The narrative style makes so much more sense now!


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Joint Governance Committee (JGC)
Officer Working Group (OWG)
Host Authority
Sub-Funds
Wales Pension Partnership Responsible Investment Policy
1 Introduction and oversight
1.1 The Wales Pension Partnership ("WPP") is the pooling arrangement for the assets of the eight Welsh Local Government Pension Scheme funds ("Constituent Authorities").
1.2 The investment arrangements of WPP are overseen by a Joint Governance Committee ("JGC") and supported by an Officer Working Group ("OWG") and implemented through pooled funds managed by its "Investment Managers".
1.3 This document sets out WPP's policy on responsible investment for all assets invested within the WPP. This policy has been developed by WPP in consultation with the Constituent Authorities.
1.4 WPP's objective in preparing and implementing this policy is to be able to:
1.4.1 demonstrate to its stakeholders that the WPP is a Responsible Investor; and
1.4.2 enable the Constituent Authorities to substantially deliver their own Responsible Investment and Social Impact policies through the WPP.
1.5 WPP recognises that responsible investment considerations pose financially material risks to the assets of Constituent Authorities held within WPP. Such considerations are relevant in relation to both the way the assets of Constituent Authorities are invested and in the exercise of stewardship responsibilities.
1.6 This policy will be reviewed by WPP on an annual basis and, if necessary, changes to the policy will be proposed to and agreed by the JGC and OWG. In order to inform the policy review, WPP will consult with or otherwise obtain the views and requirements of all Constituent Authorities.
1.7 In developing and implementing this policy, WPP will have regard to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the Local Government Pension Scheme (Management and Investment of Funds) Regulations 2016 and any relevant guidance provided by the Scheme Advisory Board ("SAB"), the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government ("MHCLG") and the Welsh Government.
2 Ambition and beliefs
2.1 WPP's long-term ambition is to demonstrate leadership on RI practices in managing assets for and on behalf of the Constituent Authorities. WPP, in conjunction with the OWG & JGC, will update its annual business plan to ensure that sufficient time and resources are provided to implement the requirements of this policy.
2.2 WPP recognises that the development of beliefs represents best practice for asset owners. In consultation with the Constituent Authorities, the WPP has developed and agreed the following responsible investment beliefs which serve to underpin its decision-making and governance processes.
2.2.1 The RI behaviours we want to see demonstrated by all our stakeholders must be led by WPP;
2.2.2 Integration of ESG factors, including climate change, into investment processes is a prerequisite for any strategy given the potential for financial loss;
2.2.3 WPP is most effective as an investor engaging for change from within, particularly in collaboration with other like-minded investors, as opposed to a campaigner lobbying for change from outside.
2.2.4 Our impact on corporate behaviours will be greatest when we speak with one voice;
2.2.5 Effective oversight of RI practices requires clear disclosure and measurement of comprehensive data.
2.3 WPP recognises that these beliefs represent a starting point for the guidance of its approach to responsible investment. Although WPP does not expect to regularly change these beliefs, it will test the ongoing appropriateness of them on a periodic basis in light of changing best practice and developing knowledge.
3 Investment strategy
3.1 The Constituent Authorities are individually responsible for setting investment strategy for their own funds which reflect their membership profile and funding position. The investment strategy is the high-level split between asset classes including but not limited to equities, debt, property and infrastructure. The role of WPP is to provide a means for each Constituent Authority to implement its agreed strategy.
3.2 WPP openly encourages the Constituent Authorities to develop their own RI policy as part of their investment strategy. WPP has developed and may periodically amend this RI policy to ensure that it complements those of the Constituent Authorities.
3.3 WPP will consult with Constituent Authorities on at least an annual basis to determine their individual investment requirements and longer-term aspirations, including strategies which either meet the responsible investment requirements of Constituent Authorities or have the potential to deliver benefit within the regions covered by the Constituent Authorities. WPP will use this information to prioritise the development and launch of future investment solutions/funds within the WPP.
3.4 In conjunction with its advisers the WPP will also consider opportunities arising from a greater understanding of ESG factors. These opportunities could include impact and/or sustainability themed strategies, as well as social beneficial investments. WPP may propose such opportunities directly for consideration by Constituent Authorities.
4 Climate change
4.1 Climate change presents a systemic risk that has the potential to affect economies, financial returns and demographics. The risks arising from climate change may arise from environmental, social, governance or other factors and are generally characterised as follows:
4.1.1 Physical risks, such as damage to property from flooding or lower precipitation giving rise to crop failure;
4.1.2 Transition risks, being the financial risks arising from changes in policy and technology to adjust to a lower-carbon economy; and
4.1.3 Liability risks, being the potential costs arising from parties who have suffered loss or damage due to climate change seeking compensation from those they hold responsible.
4.2 Climate change is increasingly being recognised by regulatory bodies and legislators as an issue that must be explicitly addressed by asset owners and investment managers. The uncertainty arising from climate change has implications for Constituent Authorities through the investments made within WPP.
4.3 WPP will engage with its providers to ensure that a common mechanism for monitoring climate related risks can be developed in respect of all WPP assets. Through this, WPP aims to provide support to Constituent Authorities in developing and implementing their own climate risk management policies.
4.4 WPP will encourage, through its delegates, all investee companies to disclose in line with the requirements of the Taskforce for Climate Related Financial Disclosures.
4.5 In developing its ongoing approach to responsible investment, WPP will consult further with Constituent Authorities with a view to developing a WPP-specific climate risk policy.
5 Exclusions
5.1 WPP has not adopted a policy of exclusionary practices within its underlying active manager portfolios. However, the WPP recognises that the Constituent Authorities may individually adopt an exclusionary policy.
5.2 WPP recognises that active investment management is by its very nature exclusionary and therefore expects that all the investment managers employed within WPP will properly consider climate-related and other ESG risks in decision making within their respective portfolios.
5.3 Constituent Authorities have the ability to invest in passive or other rules-based strategies through WPP's passive Investment Manager which may follow an exclusionary approach.
6 Implementation of strategy
6.1 WPP expects that the Investment Managers employed to manage WPP assets will take account of ESG-risks as part of their investment analysis and decision-making process. WPP further expects that its Investment Managers can demonstrate they are 'best-in-class' with regards to their integration of responsible investment considerations.
6.2 WPP expects that, in all relevant circumstances, its Investment Managers will be signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment ("PRI") and the Financial Reporting Council ("FRC") UK Stewardship Code.
6.3 WPP will engage with its Investment Managers on an ongoing basis to ensure that ESG factors are transparently reflected in decision making processes and that the approach taken to the management of ESG factors can be properly evidenced. WPP expects that such processes extend beyond reliance purely on third party ratings/data.
6.4 Within rules-based or index tracking mandates managed, WPP recognises the influence of benchmarks on the selection of assets. Where appropriate, WPP will work with its Investment Managers and Constituent Authorities to ensure that the potential implications and impact of ESG factors on different approaches are properly understood.
7 Stewardship
7.1 WPP believes that failing to exercise voting or other rights attached to assets could be contrary to the interest of the beneficiaries of the Constituent Authorities. WPP also believes that successful engagement with investee companies can protect and enhance the long-term value of the Constituent Authorities' investments within WPP.
7.2 WPP has agreed a set of voting principles with its Operator which is responsible for the implementation of these principles. The Operator has instructed the underlying active investment managers within pooled funds to apply these voting principles on a comply or explain basis in respect of their portfolio(s).
7.3 WPP recognises that its passive Investment Manager may adopt a single voting policy across their pooled funds and WPP will review the appropriateness of such a policy on a periodic basis. WPP will engage with its passive Investment Manager to consider how WPP's voting principles can be extended to assets managed by its passive Investment Manager.
7.4 WPP will receive a report on all voting activity, including details of any votes which have not been cast and explanations where votes have not been cast in accordance with the agreed principles on a quarterly basis. WPP will discuss any issues of concern with its Investment Managers or other delegates as necessary.
7.5 WPP will review the voting principles in conjunction with its advisers and Investment Managers on an annual basis. WPP has also agreed an ambition to appoint a single proxy voting adviser to ensure that voting on all shares held within WPP is undertaken on a consistent basis.
7.6 All the Constituent Authorities are members of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum ("LAPFF"). As members, the Constituent Authorities receive LAPFF Alerts when there is a campaign to vote in a certain way. WPP and its Constituent Authorities will give consideration to all such LAPFF Alerts and, where possible, instruct its Investment Managers to vote in line with the LAPPF Alert unless there is sufficient reason not to.
Stock lending
7.7 WPP has agreed that stock lending will be permitted within WPP's actively managed pooled funds, subject to consultation with Constituent Authorities in respect of each underlying subfund at the point of set up. However, WPP will not lend 100% of the holding in any single stock so WPP can express its views and make a policy stance on any topic it deems worthy though its right to vote.
7.8 WPP recognises that stock lending may inhibit the full application of its voting policy as votes may not be cast on stock on loan. WPP will continue to monitor the impact of this policy stance over time and revise its policy if required.
Shareholder engagement
7.9 WPP considers that, in many cases, its Investment Managers are best placed to engage with investee company management due to:
• the practical constraints of the investment structure;
• the resources available to these managers which are funded by the fees paid through WPP; and
• the existence of relationships between investment managers and the underlying investee companies.
7.10 The Investment Managers are ultimately accountable to WPP for all engagement activity; they should be able to demonstrate, when challenged, the reason for any engagement activity and the objectives of the engagement. Further to this Investment Managers should be able to justify the approach taken to achieve their objectives and explain the timeframe over which the engagement is expected to take place and the consequences should engagement be unsuccessful.
7.11 WPP adopts an evidence-based approach to assessing engagement activity by managers. WPP will receive a report on engagement activity undertaken by investment managers on a quarterly basis. WPP will discuss any issues of concern with the Investment Managers.
7.12 WPP has agreed to explore the possibility of employing a single engagement provider in conjunction with the prospective consideration of a proxy voting agent.
8 Collaboration
8.1 WPP believes that collaboration has an important role in helping the WPP achieve its RI objectives. WPP will continually assess potential collaboration opportunities and will inform and seek input from the Constituent Authorities on any such opportunity that it deems to be relevant.
8.2 WPP together with all Constituent Authorities are members of LAPFF and engagement takes place with companies on behalf of members of the Forum.
8.3 WPP has an ambition to work collaboratively with other like-minded investors and representative bodies in order to maximise the influence of WPP's assets on investee companies. WPP will seek to identify investor led responsible investment initiatives and collaborations that can be actively supported.
8.4 WPP will encourage underlying investment managers to participate in or support collaborative engagements where it is deemed to be in the best overall financial interests of Constituent Authorities.
8.5 WPP will continue to collaborate with the cross-pool RI collaboration project at any suitable opportunity.
9 Monitoring, Reporting and Measurement
9.1 WPP aims to be aware of, and monitor, financially material ESG-related risks and issues within WPP assets. In consultation with Constituent Authorities, Advisers and the Investment Managers, WPP will develop appropriate monitoring metrics for its portfolios. Such metrics are expected to include climate-related risk exposures. WPP expects that such metrics will be incorporates within quarterly reporting to Constituent Authorities.
9.2 WPP requires that the responsible investment credentials of all appointed Investment Managers are subject to annual review. In conjunction with the relevant parties, the WPP will develop an appropriate reporting framework for its Investment Managers.
9.3 On an annual basis, the WPP will prepare and publish a stewardship report detailing the actions undertaken in fulfilment of this policy and the results achieved.
10.1 WPP recognises the need for ongoing education for Constituent Authorities on a broad range of investment matters, including responsible investment. As part of its annual business planning, WPP will ensure there is at least one formal training session is directly focused on Responsible Investment.
10.2 WPP is investigating, and will seek guidance from the Constituent Authorities, on whether it should become a signatory to the PRI and the updated FRC UK Stewardship Code. WPP will also explore the possibility of incorporating the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals into its RI beliefs and its monitoring and measurement mechanisms.
10.3 WPP expects that all investment managers employed on behalf of WPP will disclose costs in accordance with the SAB Code of Transparency.
10.4 WPP will review the adherence of all parties to this policy on an annual basis. WPP will publish the results of their assessment as part of their annual stewardship and governance report.
11.1 If you require any further details on the RI Policy please contact ……………..and refer to the WPP website.
Engagement refers to the process of interaction between an investor (or its delegate) and the management of an investee company with the objective of creating change in how the underlying company is managed or governed.
ESG is used to collectively describe a series of different risk factors arising from Environmental (e.g. resource scarcity, waste management, pollution, energy efficiency), Social (e.g. health & safety, workforce diversity, working conditions, data protection) and Governance (e.g. board structure, business ethics, shareholder rights, executive compensation) issues.
Impact is a term generally used to describe the social or environmental outcome arising from a particular investment or investment decision, being distinct from the associated financial outcome.
Investment Managers refers to those investment managers appointed directly or indirectly by WPP for the purposes of managing assets on behalf of WP.
Operator means Link Fund Solutions as the appointed operator of the Authorised Contractual Scheme through which sub-funds are implemented for WPP.
Principles for Responsible Investment is a global network of asset owners, asset managers and service providers which has the objective of advancing responsible investment practices.
Proxy Voting Agent means an entity which is instructed to advise on and/or cast votes on resolutions on behalf of an asset owner.
Responsible investment refers to investment practices that integrate the consideration of ESG factors into investment management processes and ownership practices, recognising that these factors can have a material impact on financial performance.
Stewardship describes the activities of investors in exercising the rights and responsibilities that come with asset ownership. These practices can include voting on shares and engaging with company management but also includes the oversight of those to whom such responsibilities are delegated.
UK Stewardship Code is a set of principles and provisions produced by the Financial Reporting Council which sets out best practice in stewardship activities by Asset Owners and Asset Managers.
UN Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 global goals for 2030 set by the UN General Assembly in 2015


Named Hon Mun because in the South East of the Island, it has highrise cliffs with dangerous wattles forming caves and grottoes, especially its stones are as black as ebony, which could rarely be found in other areas.
In the black-stone caves of Hon Mun, every year flocks of Yen birds migrate to the area and build their nests. Due to the island's location adjacent to the hot sea-currents from the equator, suitable to the development conditions of corals and various types of tropical sea creatures, the sea bed of Hon Mun is home to an abundant and diverse group of marine species, an interesting and useful place for researchers, oceanographers and tourists to observe and explore more of the sea creatures' life.
When something goes wrong with our heartiness, we believe there is a solution to any conditions in a cure. What are the main factors that families consider when they decide to get any medicines? Varied medicaments are used to treat bronchitis, other ones to prevent other diseases. Many services offer to their consumers Viagra. Many young folk view about BV treatments. What people talk about Bacterial vaginosis treatment over the counter? Matters, like Amoxicillin Over the Counter, are linked various types of health problems. Erectile dysfunction, defined as the persistent improbability to achieve a satisfactory erection, exerts an estimated more then twenty millions men in the U.S. alone. A common class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which include Lexapro, can kill the mood in bedroom. While Viagra is elaborate safe enough on their own, still, there's no reliable research on the effects of recreational use. Online health care professional services are the only safe option if you are going to purchase medicines, like Viagra, online.


Automatically skip artists on Google Music right inside of your browser.
You can now skip a certain Artist in your Google Music Player in Chrome using this extension. When listening to a playlist, Google Music Artist Skipper automatically checks to see if you have auto skipped the current playing artist and moves to the next song. To skip an artist, right click on the artist name either in the playlist popup or through the artist name in the table list and click "Always Skip [artist]". To remove the skip for an artist, simply do the same as before and select "Dont Skip [artist]".


October 27, 2016 • Max Baucus, the ambassador to China since 2014, urges the U.S. to "draw some lines" and says, "We're not going to get bullied." Despite recent tensions, he remains upbeat about U.S.-China ties.
October 25, 2016 • China's Communist Party will aim to tighten party discipline at a key meeting this week. Part of this is an effort to target covert factions within the party that threaten to destabilize it.
October 20, 2016 • China's Internet stars are widely panned as vulgar, vapid and materialistic. But China's fierce demand for online content is helping the newly minted celebs to surpass A-list movie stars in earnings.
October 11, 2016 • Many Chinese returned from a weeklong national holiday to discover that they could no longer purchase real estate, as local governments imposed restrictions intended to control massive asset bubbles.
October 6, 2016 • Trinh Thi Ngo was one of North Vietnam's most recognizable radio voices, broadcasting propaganda in English to U.S. service members during the Vietnam War.
September 27, 2016 • Viewed for decades as capitalist exploitation, tipping is now encouraged at some upscale urban restaurants catering to wealthy young customers. Restaurateurs insist it's strictly voluntary.
September 14, 2016 • For the past 5 years, one southern fishing village has stood out among others in China. Residents ousted Communist Party leaders and elected one of their own. But authorities quashed the uprising.
September 6, 2016 • China has gone after human rights lawyers, questioning and arresting them in large numbers, in what many say is an attempt to prevent them from challenging government authority.
September 5, 2016 • China sees the G-20 summit as an important vehicle for increasing its influence, and President Obama's attendance — on his final trip to Asia as president — was an important part of it.
September 5, 2016 • China pulled out all the stops to host the leaders of the world's 20 leading economies. China's government sent 2 million residents of the city of Hangzhou on vacation to ensure a flawless summit.
September 4, 2016 • As world leaders arrive in China for the G-20 summit, China is cleaning up the facade of the city of Hangzhou by closing hundreds of factories for one week, making the skies temporarily smog-free.


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Fidel Castro Knew
"[Brian Latell, a veteran CIA Cuba analyst] set out to tell the story of Cuba's 'intelligence machine,' which outmaneuvered the U.S. for many years. In the process he uncovers startling details that suggest that Cuba fueled [Lee Harvey] Oswald's maniacal desire to prove himself worthy of Castro's revolution during the American's visit to Mexico City in the fall of 1963. Mr. Latell also presents strong evidence that the Johnson administration and higher-ups in the FBI and the CIA ensured those details were kept from the Warren Commission." Mary Anastasia O'Grady
What Castro Knew About Lee Harvey Oswald
The official narrative skips tantalizing signs of a Cuban connection.
Mary Anastasia O'Grady, The Wall Street Journal, November 18, 2013, p. A 15
In November 1963, Cuban intelligence officer Florentino Aspillaga was posted in a little hut near a Cuban beach where he operated listening equipment trained on Miami and CIA headquarters in Virginia. On the morning of Nov. 22, Mr. Aspillaga—who would defect to the U.S. in 1987—said that he was ordered "to stop all your CIA work, all your CIA work." He was instructed to "put all of my equipment to listen to any small detail from Texas. They told me Texas."
Did Castro know that Lee Harvey Oswald was about to assassinate President Kennedy? Brian Latell, a veteran CIA Cuba analyst who spent 15 hours interviewing Mr. Aspillaga for his newly revised "Castro's Secrets," (Palgrave MacMillan), makes a strong case that he did.
Mr. Latell takes readers through a half-century of Cuban espionage by interviewing a dozen high-ranking Cuban defectors and numerous former CIA officers. He calls Mr. Aspillaga "the most knowledgeable Cuban defector ever to change sides." He also pored over thousands of pages of declassified CIA documents and gained access to the unpublished memoir of Thomas Mann, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico in 1963, who had reason to suspect an Oswald-Cuba connection.
Mr. Latell set out to tell the story of Cuba's "intelligence machine," which outmaneuvered the U.S. for many years. In the process he uncovers startling details that suggest that Cuba fueled Oswald's maniacal desire to prove himself worthy of Castro's revolution during the American's visit to Mexico City in the fall of 1963. Mr. Latell also presents strong evidence that the Johnson administration and higher-ups in the FBI and the CIA ensured those details were kept from the Warren Commission. Continue reading →
Our Pilgrim Heritage
"The Civilization that forgets to tell its story… dies." Plato
"Western Civilization is merely a footnote to Plato." Alfred North Whitehead
"God is smarter than Plato." William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation
"Here beginneth the chronicle of those memorable circumstances of the year 1620, as recorded by Nathaniel Morton, keeper of the records of Plymouth Colony, based on the account of William Bradford, sometime governor thereof:
"Being now passed the vast [Atlantic] ocean, and a sea of troubles before them in expectations, they had now no friends to welcome them, no inns to entertain or refresh them, no houses, or much less towns, to repair unto to seek for succor; and for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of the country know them to be sharp and violent, subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to know places much more to search unknown coasts." The Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2013, p. A 14
"In the fall of 1621, some 50 of the Puritans who had left the Old World in search of religious freedom sat down in their tiny thatched hamlet of Plymouth with their Wampanoag neighbors to feast on turkey, venison, corn and cod. They also gave thanks for surviving their first terrible New England winter, whose cold and privation had carried off half their community." Myron Magnet, The Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2013, p. A 13
♦ ♦ ♦
The following editorial has been posted by the Wall Street Journal annually since 1961. The first component was written by a 17th century traveler. The second by Vermont Royster to accompany it.
The Desolate Wilderness
The Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2013, p. A 14
So they left that goodly and pleasant city of Leyden, which had been their resting-place for above eleven years, but they knew that they were pilgrims and strangers here below, and looked not much on these things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, where God hath prepared for them a city (Heb. XI, 16), and therein quieted their spirits.
When they came to Delfs-Haven they found the ship and all things ready, and such of their friends as could not come with them followed after them, and sundry came from Amsterdam to see them shipt, and to take their leaves of them. One night was spent with little sleep with the most, but with friendly entertainment and Christian discourse, and other real expressions of true Christian love.
The next day they went on board, and their friends with them, where truly doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting, to hear what sighs and sobs and prayers did sound amongst them; what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches pierced each other's heart, that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the Key as spectators could not refrain from tears. But the tide (which stays for no man) calling them away, that were thus loath to depart, their Reverend Pastor, falling down on his knees, and they all with him, with watery cheeks commended them with the most fervent prayers unto the Lord and His blessing; and then with mutual embraces and many tears they took their leaves one of another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them. Continue reading →
The Pope Caves
"Laurie Goodstein of The New York Times quotes the Holy Father [Pope Francis] as listing among the 'most serious of the evils' today 'youth unemployment.' And he calls upon Catholics not to be 'obsessed' with abortion or same-sex marriage. But is teenage unemployment really a graver moral evil than the slaughter of 3,500 unborn every day in a land we used to call "God's Country'? Pat Buchanan
"Our civilization is being de-Christianized. Popular culture is a running sewer. Promiscuity and pornography are pandemic. In Europe, the churches empty out as the mosques fill up. In America, Bible reading and prayer are outlawed in schools, as Christian displays are purged from public squares. Officially, Christmas and Easter do not exist." Ibid.
Papal Neutrality in the Culture War?
Patrick J. Buchanan, PJB blog, November 15, 2013
"Pope Francis doesn't want cultural warriors; he doesn't want ideologues," said Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Wash.:
"The nuncio said the Holy Father wants bishops with pastoral sensitivity, shepherds who know the smell of the sheep."
Bishop Cupich was conveying instructions the papal nuncio had delivered from Rome to guide U.S. bishops in choosing a new leader.
They chose Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., who has a master's degree in social work, to succeed Archbishop Timothy Dolan whom Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times describes thus:
"[A] garrulous evangelist comfortable in front of a camera, [who] led the bishops in their high-profile confrontation with the Obama administration over a provision in the health care mandate that requires most employers to have insurance that covers contraceptives for employees."
That mandate also requires employers to cover abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations.
Yet here is further confirmation His Holiness seeks to move the Catholic Church to a stance of non-belligerence, if not neutrality, in the culture war for the soul of the West. Continue reading →


Our goal was to compete at these Olympic Games but unfortunately we didn't make it. (picture of Leonie and Oscar to your left, taken at European Championships 2008) But it has been really awesome to watch all the athletes out there and how they enjoy doing what they love the most. We admire all these athletes and hope that we are going to be one of them at the next Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014.
We were very excited but also nervous about the night's free dance. But the nervousness turned to joy while watching this event because every couple skated their best. Couple after couple earned a new seasonal best and you could just feel the tension getting higher.
The most energetic team this evening was Nora Hoffmann and Maxim Zavozin (HUN). They skated to a hip hop/ RnB medley that was very modern and refreshing and finished 13th. Maxim Zavozin was born in Russia and got his Hungarian citizenship just before these Olympics. He used to skate with Morgan Mathews and together they won the Junior World Championships in 2005, then skating for the USA.
Cappelini/Lanotte, the second couple from Italy, skated their free dance to "Requiem for a dream", a very popular piece to skate to in the past years. We definitely could see that they changed coaches this season; their style was different from what they used to do. They showed the story pretty well [a very dark one about a drug addict and his dealer]. There was a very cool lift in the beginning of the program where Luca is in a 'shoot the duck' position and holds Anna up on his extended leg, a must see! We have to admit that so far they've skated only one season with Muriel Zazoui's team and will need a little more time to get used to their new environment. They finished 12th.
One of the 4 sister/brother couples in this event was the Zaretzkis. They came in 10th place skating for Israel with music from "Schindler's list". They showed a clean program; an emotional performance with some strong parts. And Alexandra's short haircut really caught our attention!
The best sister/brother couple still remains the Kerrs. Sinead and John are the darlings of the public because they can relate to them. They don't really care about their points; they have fun and skate for the audience. And that's what they did in this free dance in Vancouver. Although John struggled with the twizzles it was a great and unique performance skated to music from the rockband Linkin Park. The Kerrs have this certain style that everybody loves to watch and they are such a friendly people. They finished 8th overall.
One of the most innovative couples since years back is Natalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat from France. This was an interesting program where the theme was Time and their costumes said it all. They finished in 7th place but we personally thought that they were better than Delobel/Schoenfelder, also of France.
Tessa Virue and Scott Moir (CAN) made history by winning the gold medal in Vancouver, the first gold ever in ice dance for Canada. When we watched them skate you could tell that they were going to win. Even before the Russians skated they knew they had won. This performance was really good and there is not much more to say.
The silver medal went to Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the USA. As expected they did a clean program to "The Phantom of the Opera". To see how they performed all this difficult elements so easy and light was a bliss, but personally we liked the free dance of Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin better. They had something new with these belts around their waists and how they used them in lifts, very cool! The only problems for them were in the step sequences because of Maxim's knee. They didn't deserve gold for skating at these Olympic Games but platinum! If you have seen how Maxim practiced all season you wouldn't have thought that he would even be able to skate in Vancouver. For example: he always skated about 2 or 3 hours less a day than Oksana. Coaches Natalya Linichuk and Guennadij Karponosov were always worried about his knee and they never knew if it would hold up for a couple of hours of practice. Oksana and Maxim seemed proud to be the bronze winners.
And they should be; such an accomplishment! A big thanks to Leonie and Oscar for sharing their impressions and knowledge with us during the three ice dance events. For more information on them, read our interview (2006) with them, or visit their website here!
The ladies are up next!


Objective: To examine the time course of alterations in glucose metabolism in relation to the interval from the last seizure, focus laterality, seizure frequency, and seizure type.
Design: Metabolic study with the use of positron emission tomography with fludeoxyglucose F 18. Blinded scan evaluation with use of a standard template. Multivariate regression analysis of positron emission tomographic data.
Patients: Thirty-two adults with intractable partial epilepsy and lateralized seizure onset documented by video-electroencephalographic monitoring.
Main Outcome Measure: Normalized metabolic rate for glucose ipsilateral and contralateral to the epileptic focus.
Results: The most dramatic changes occurred in inferior temporal regions; the midtemporal region was affected as well. Effects lasting 48 hours were found after both simple and complex partial seizures. The time course was different for the two types of seizures. The inferior temporal metabolic rate ipsilateral to the focus increased compared with the interictal rate during the 24-hour period following simple partial seizures; a nadir occurred in the second 24 hours. The rate then rose to an intermediate level after 48 hours. The relative regional increase in ipsilateral metabolism following complex partial seizures persisted for 48 hours before falling.
Conclusion: The brain may take longer than 24 hours after a partial seizure to return to its baseline state.


As you know a large segment of our business is run through word-of-mouth. If you like us, please share us and in turn we will Thank you when a new student signs-up from your direct referral with a $150.00 tuition credit. This program starts this month and will be on-going with no limit to the number of tuition credits.
please help your child Memorize their Student Oaths and Tenets of Taekwondo.
2 MORE TOURNAMENTS WILL BE ADDED AS THE DATES ARE FINALIZED!!
Congratulations to Alexander Yon for being named our JULY Student of the Month. ALEXANDER YON, your dedication and hard work has not gone unnoticed. You exemplify a True Martial Artist. We at Sidekick are very proud of you.
Tara Mostafavi 08/20, Bryan Molina 08/09, Will Brigham 08/22 . We at Sidekick wish you a very Happy Birthday and we hope all your wishes come true.


text:
Tektronix Brings Productivity Boosting In-depth Analysis Solutions to Embedded Systems, Aerospace & Automotive Engineering
New Power Analysis and Serial Trigger/Decode Solutions Take Advantage of 5 Series MSO Touch Interface, 12-bit Resolution
Tektronix Inc 40 Harmonics Analysis
BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of measurement solutions, today released new options for the 5 Series MSO mixed signal oscilloscope including a power analysis solution, Automotive Ethernet testing solution, and serial trigger and decode solutions for the aerospace and automotive markets. These new solutions take full advantage of key 5 Series MSO innovations including up to 8 input channels, 12-bit resolution and its massive high-definition capacitive touch display and highly intuitive Direct Access user interface.
Redefining the midrange oscilloscope
The new capabilities expand the applications supported by the 5 Series MSO that is redefining the midrange oscilloscope with a host of innovations including the industry's first FlexChannelTM technology that allows 4, 6 or 8 analog channels and up to 64 digital channels, integrated protocol analysis and signal generator, a new 12-bit signal acquisition system, 15.6-in. capacitive touch display, and a highly intuitive user interface ¾ delivering unprecedented flexibility and unmatched visibility into complex embedded systems.
The first in a series of enhancements designed specifically for the 5 Series MSO, these latest offerings improve the user experience in specific use cases and deliver fast, repeatable measurements that save time and boost engineering productivity. The solutions enable users to quickly set up measurements and analyze results using the 5 Series MSO's tap, drag, pinch and swipe touch interface that is earning rave reviews from users for its intuitive operation.
Along with the new solutions, Tektronix also today announced the 5 Series MSO Low Profile for advanced research and manufacturing applications. See separate announcement here.
"Power conversion, automotive and aerospace are market segments that greatly benefit from the high channel count and large display of the 5 Series MSO, allowing engineers to display a richer view of complex systems, solve problems faster and keep projects on schedule," said Brian Ice, general manager, Mainstream Oscilloscopes at Tektronix. "Measurement automation is becoming more and more important as dedicated engineering specialists become a thing of the past. With our power analysis solutions, for example, embedded designers can easily take accurate, repeatable measurements like a power specialist."
The new options solutions for the 5 Series MSO include the following:
Power analysis – The new 5-PWR power measurement and analysis solution enables designers to take full advantage of the 5 Series MSO's high channel count and 12-bit resolution to easily perform a range of automated power measurements and analysis including power quality, harmonics, switching loss, safe operating area (SOA) and a variety of additional measurements. Designers working with the latest GaN and SiC power semiconductors will be able to combine the 5 Series MSO, 5-PWR measurement solution, and optically-isolated IsoVu probes to enable multi-channel, automated measurements of critical drive signals and switching voltages.
Aerospace – The 5-SRAERO option offers serial trigger and decode solutions for the most common serial buses used in the aerospace industry including MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429.
Automotive – The upgraded 5-SRAUTO package offers complete serial triggering and analysis of the major buses used in the automotive industry while the new 5-CMAUTOEN Automotive Ethernet solution provides automated compliance support for the IEEE P802.3bw™ (100BASE-T1) and BroadR-Reach V3.2 specifications. See separate announcement for more detail.
In addition to the new optional solutions, Tektronix is making FastFrame Segmented Memory mode and roll mode that enables easier viewing of slow-moving signal phenomena standard features. Firmware with these features will be available for download from https://www.tek.com/product-support for existing 5 Series MSO customers. The optional solutions offerings are available now and start at $1,850 US MSRP.
Wondering what else Tektronix is up to? Check out the Tektronix Bandwidth Banter blog and stay up to date on the latest news from Tektronix on Twitter and Facebook.
About Tektronix
Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. Join us on the journey of innovation at TEK.COM.
Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.
For further information: Amy Higgins, Worldwide PR & Brand Manager, Tektronix, ahiggins@tektronix.com, 503.627.6497


I have a unopened still in the plastic wrap dragonriders of pern board game I found this weekend. If anyone is interested please post here and let me know what you would want to pay for it. If you live in the Lawrence, Kansas area I can just bring it to you at Hastings or somewhere instead of shipping it.
I am interested in it, but I need time to do some research. If anyone else wants a grab at it before I am finished hunting info and figuring what i have to spend, I won't be offended if you pass me over. If there are die hard collectors out there who only want it unopened, they should probably get preference. I won't kid you, I will probably open it. I believe such things should be collected to be enjoyed. I will certainly take good care of it, but I investigate purchasing with the intent to PLAY the game.
Still in shrink wrap is fantasti, Morifen. Search eBay to see what the version of the game (there are two different ones) normally sell for. Yours should fetch a very nice price if it has never been opened.
Morifen...Great find, and I do have to agree with Hans, if this is in shrink wrap it will be worth a decent price. Do you know which version of the game this is???
It is the 1989 version of the game with 1983 cover art by Micheal Whelan.
Is there a picture of this anyplace?
Perfect, the link worked just right. I don't play board games, this wouldn't interest me even as something to collect. I hope you get a good price for it, Morifen!
It was worth a look but I'm quite happy with the one I've got so hoping you get a buyer soon!
Well if the game looks as good as the one in the photograph then you should be able to get a very good price for it.
Perdita, that post was made long ago. I don't even know if the poster frequents the board anymore but think not.
I myself have a Dragonriders game for sale which I am selling for $50 ex postage. It is by no means new and the box has damages but it hasn't been played, is complete and many of the cards are still attached to each other and all the small stuff isn't even punched out! It is the blue/purple box and the board that is in the form of a jigsaw puzzle.
Mine looks pretty much like the one ion the pic, there the small stuff is also unpunched and the card still atatched to each other (unplayed).
Oh that would be wonderful Hans! Depending on just how costly shipping to Aus will be, I can work out when I can afford it. Is the box just scuffed/worn or are the rips? Is that $50 US?
I'm a big fan of board games in general so to have a Pern one would be really neat.
Yes, I meant us dollars, so that would be about 56 aus dollars. Postage from the Netherlands to Aus isn't cheap. If we can keep the package under 2 kilo it would cost 27 aus dollars without track and trace and 38 with track and trace.
If you are still interested I will make photos for you of all items, so you can make a final decision, ok?
Yup certainly interested, even with the track and trace that's quite a good deal!
It is? I think our mailservice is pretty expensive, especially compaired with the American one(s).
The right bottom corner (on left here) is the worst. The damage was done during transport (mail) from the US to The Netherlands after I bought it on eBay.
Of all cards just two character cards are loose, the rest is still atached to each other but will come loose easily. All the cards are there (character and others) and the two part rule book is there too.
I will reserve the game for you if you want (unless someone wants to bid $800 ), is it possible for you to pay me using PayPal?
The box is a bit more beat up than I'd have liked but when it comes down to it I'm after it for playability.
Shipping to Australia is always expensive, especially from the US, it can often be as much as whatever I'm purchasing, if not more so it's a decider on whether I buy or not.
In this case I'll buy it. $56Aus + Shipping. With the track and trace, do you know if it continues to track in Australia or does it stop once it's left the Netherlands?
I can pay by PayPal but I won't be able to transfer funds into my account until next week.
By the way that is a gorgeous looking desk you have!
So, 94 aus dollars for the whole deal. I suppose the track and trace will keep on being valid from start to finish, but I am not knowledgeable on postal services.
As said, I will reserve it for you and will simply await your payment. I am in no hurry.
You can PM me the address you want me to send it to or you can include it in your PayPal payment. The payment should be made to: elrhan @ pern.nl (without the spaces).
Ahhh we just don't have much in the way of gorgeous furniture like that here, we're such a young european country.
On amazon used games are going for 70 dollars.
Those are ridiculous prices, Michelle. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I charged that much even for a perfect one. It is like with asking 2,500 dollars for a Dragonflight hardcover, you might find a fool or it might just stay on the shelf or on eBay for years.
I also find it distasteful to charge 3.99 shipping if you sell the item for 2,000!
I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did sell it for that much.
I had the game at one point, not sure what happen to it. I might have lost it in the fire.
I could buy all the Anne McCaffrey books and still have plenty left over with that sort of money.
Hans has given me a wonderful deal for a game that I'll actually be able to play!
Sadly that's one I'll leave for the end of my collection if it gets serious. I'll stick to starting by getting at lease one copy of all her stories. Currently working on my list at the moment.
The board game was a must because I've become quite keen on gaming these last two years and so it ticks two boxes for me.
I've only played the game a couple of time, but its fun! Its a great buy!
I managed to stay just within the weight limit to the point I even had to cut a few pieces of bubble wrap. I think the stuff is packaged well though.
Hi guys and girls, i have found this Thread cuz iam searching for a answer, how much worth is my Boardgame that was i found today on the Flea Market. It is the Boad Game from 1989 of Dragonriders of Pern and it is Sealed, never opened, just new.
You should check what is offered oneBay and the internet because that will give you the best indication. I suppose in today's market your sealed game is worth about fifty US dollars but it could fetch more at auction.
Naming prices is not easy as the call for Pern and Anne McCaffrey stuff has definitely getting lower and lower, especially after herr death while you would expect it the other way round.


text:
Home Files MusicRock Hard Rock, Metal
The Approaching Threat
"The Approaching Threat" is a progressive heavy metal instrumental with a threatening atmosphere. It has an aggressive, menacing sound to it. Out of the ordinary style melodies and harmonies make it ominous and create an uneasy feel. The middle section gives the listener a short breather with more pleasant harmony and melody content.
Use this track for scary, menacing, sinister, even frightening contexts or to display crushing power. Also suitable for extreme sports and documentaries.
Be sure to check out all the provided variations with different lengths and arrangements as they give you lots of flexibility for your project. The purchased files will include the 5 different versions in both WAV and MP3 formats for your convenience.
The different versions are in this order in the preview above:
Full version (1:19)
Intro version (0:45)
Theme version (0:33)
Riff version (0:33)
Logo version (0:08)
More items by HallaFreakquency
HallaFreakquency
This author is affiliated with the "Finland TEOSTO" P.R.O.
Last Update 5 November 19
Audio Files Included MP3, WAV
Additional Track Lengths 0:45, 0:33, 0:33, 0:08
Composer Karri Kallio (IPI 697377772)
Tempo (BPM) 160
P.R.O. Affiliated Finland TEOSTO
Tags anxiety, approaching, crushing, extreme, fear, frightening, hard, heavy, horror, intense, menace, metal, monster, mysterious, mystery, ominous, power, powerful, progressive, punchy, scary, sinister, strong, suspense, tension, threat, thrill, uneasy, unknown, unrest
© All Rights Reserved HallaFreakquency


Autism Policy and Politics: Kevin and Avonte's Law in the Omnibus?
Congress is set to unveil a funding plan for FY 2018, and we hear that inclusion of Kevin and Avonte's Law in the final appropriations bill is on the table. We need your help to garner support for this option to protect families.
First introduced in 2016, and again late last year, Kevin and Avonte's Law would provide U.S. Department of Justice grants to law enforcement, nonprofits, and other community organizations to facilitate the development of training resources to better respond to wandering incidents. The bill reauthorizes the expired Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program, and broadens it to support to people with autism and other developmental disabilities. With 42 percent of wandering cases involving children nine years or younger resulting in fatal outcomes, it is critical Kevin and Avonte's Law gets the attention it deserves as soon as possible.
Please call (202) 224-3121 TODAY and urge your Senators and Representatives to support the inclusion of Kevin and Avonte's Law in the omnibus package. Now is the time for everyone to encourage Congress to take this necessary step in order to prevent more tragedies and to keep families safe.


Efershan Electric Inc is proud to offer full-service electrical work to all of our Westminster customers. From large retrofitting jobs to every day projects like home appliance installation, our friendly and professional crew are available to help you with all your electrical needs, big and small.
Did you know that in many cases when you invest in professional appliance installation, you'll benefit from an extended warranty? This is because a professional installation guarantees a safe installation.
Enjoy your new appliances without the fear of potential danger. Did you use the right outlet? Can your electrical system handle that luxury fridge? With Efershan Electric Inc, every appliance installation is worry-free. Guaranteed.
Most Westminster homeowners take it as a given that installing their new fridge, dishwasher, clothing washer, or dryer is something that's completely on them to do. However, that's not the case.
At Efershan Electric Inc we've been installing a wide variety of appliances for our clients for years. A professional installation is affordable and will ensure safety during installation and safety using your new appliances daily.
Our appliance installation services start at the planning stage if you're uncertain about what type of appliance replacement can work properly with your electric system. Certified with a long history of hands on experience, our crew is the best bet for saving you time and providing you with a headache-free installation.
In the case of built-in appliance installation, professional installation isn't a choice, it's the only option. If you attempt to install your new wall oven or mounted microwave you will be risking electrical incidents all of which will not be covered by insurance due to the lack of professional electricians on site.
Your Efershan Electric Inc electrical contractor will take all the necessary precautions when installing built-in appliances, turning off circuit breakers and using insulated tools to create the safest working conditions.
Built-in appliances are a classy addition to any Westminster home but the last thing you want when installing your impressive new conversation piece is to have it spark an electrical fire and damage your home as well as injure any people who are inside at the time.
Electrical work should always be taken seriously and executed by professional certified electricians.
Appliance installation costs range anywhere from $115-$274, with exceptions made for smaller jobs, larger jobs, or jobs involving multiple appliances.
Efershan Electric Inc is invested in providing our clients with the best service at the best prices. You can count on us to work within a budget and get all work done swiftly and efficiently.
Paying for professionals to install your appliances may seem like an unnecessary step to some, but it is a step that will save you time, and money in the long-run.
Eliminate any risks associated with complicated electrical installations by relying on the certified pros at Efershan Electric Inc. Serving Westminster with quality electrical work that anyone can afford, you'll be happy to have made the right decision! Give us a call today to get started.


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Playing the streets: Pitt students take music outside of the classroom
Shane McLaughlin and Aidan Epstein play at the James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy in North Side. | Courtesy of Pat Bruener
By Eric Heckler / For The Pitt News
Shane McLaughlin, a 24-year-old recent Pitt graduate, finishes singing his rendition of Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine" to a group of strangers in Schenley Plaza on a 75 degree day in April.
Strumming an acoustic guitar, his case open in front of him, Mclaughlin gets a smattering of applause from the people listening and the crowd disperses, dropping $1 and $5 bills into his guitar case as they continue along their walk.
The musician often plays on the streets of Pittsburgh to make money. Busking — a term coined by musicians as a way to differentiate themselves from the average panhandler — is something McLaughlin has been doing for more than six years. He and his brothers used to busk in high school in Virginia.
"We had seen other people doing it when we were younger and always knew it was the next step in playing," Mclaughlin said.
McLaughlin graduated from Pitt as a finance major in December 2015, and now works in sales for SolarCity, a solar power service company, but — like many other musicians carving out their own spaces for performance — also plays music in his free time.
During his time at Pitt, McLaughlin played guitar in Pitt's Jazz Ensemble, a "big band" that usually consists of about 20 members who must audition to become a member.
Off campus, many members of Pitt's jazz band — former and current — play in bars, restaurants, open mic nights or in the streets. Some of these musicians regularly busk in order to network with other artists, make a few extra dollars or just get a chance to play.
McLaughlin often busks by himself at Schenley Park and at the Roberto Clemente Bridge before Pirates baseball games. The big yellow bridge is closed off to vehicles on game days, and the foot traffic from people coming across from Downtown — in their Pittsburgh Pirates gear, excited for the game they're about to watch — is an apt opportunity to make money.
McLaughlin said he usually makes $30 to $40 in a two- to three-hour busking session when he plays by himself. When he plays with other people, he makes double that amount. There's more energy when he plays with other people, he said, which passersby seem to notice as well.
McLaughlin is involved with a few different musical groups in addition to his busking. One of the groups is a band — Manic Soul — where he plays guitar with his friends Aidan Epstein on bass and Dhruva Krishna on drums.
"In the summer, I'm trying to do it as much as possible, because now I have an acoustic band," McLaughlin said, referring to Manic Soul. "We try to have as many practices as we can outside, at least a couple of times a month, which is a way to busk at the same time as practice with the band."
Ethan Dunbar, a Pitt senior who is majoring in music on the jazz track with a minor in physics, busks on the street with his saxophone a few times a month. Dunbar said street playing helps him network and that he gets recognized for it at some performances at restaurants and bars such as The James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy in North Side.
"I've met people [while busking] I've later played with, and some pretty cool people who are part of the same crowd," Dunbar said. "But it's fun to play what you feel instead of playing to impress."
The best part of busking, in Dunbar's opinion, is that people appreciate it. He typically plays in Shadyside because he can see and play in front of more than 100 people in just a two- or three-hour time span.
One day during his first year at Pitt, Dunbar went outside to practice the saxophone. He was asked by passersby if he had a hat or something to put money in and he opened up his case, a little surprised people would pay him.
Since his first busk, Dunbar continued to play his saxophone outside throughout his four years at Pitt.
While playing on the streets, McLaughlin also enjoys chatting with strangers — finding an audience-performer connection made more natural without the barrier of a stage or ropes.
"I was playing at the Pirates game and there was this woman walking her dog that stopped to talk to me about the game," McLaughlin said. "We got to the point where she shared an intimate story about something going on her in her life, so I played her a song I had just written that she ended up loving."
Epstein, a first-year Pitt grad student majoring in jazz studies, plays bass in Manic Soul and loves to improvise as well.
He's also the assistant director of Pitt's Jazz Ensemble and is involved in Pitt's combo band — a smaller, more relaxed jazz group that offers a chance to stay connected to undergraduate students who need help bettering their music.
"After all my playing with groups, I still like to practice on my own as much as I can," Epstein said. "I usually play anywhere from 15 to 17 hours a week total."
Epstein co-hosts a jam session at the James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy every Sunday, where musicians can play without signing up. He also does other performances that aren't necessarily jazz at many other clubs in Pittsburgh, fiddling between genres such as rock and afro-pop which helps him expand the type of music he's comfortable playing.
Donning business cars with his name and number on them at all times, Epstein finds opportunities for gigs while performing. He also says Facebook is a great tool, as potential employers are able to look him up and contact him.
For Epstein, Dunbar and McLaughlin, playing outside of Pitt's campus has created opportunities to play with professional players. Through networking, Epstein spent a few months being on-call for performances from famous Pittsburgh jazz player Lee Robinson.
"[Robinson] would call me and say, 'I have a gig on this date, here's the music, it pays this much, just show up and play,'" Epstein said. "It's kind of a common thing to happen in the jazz scene."
The three musicians all want to have a future playing and teaching jazz, but are enjoying the time now where they can find a spot in the sun, take out their instruments and brighten strangers' days.
"When you go busking, you're in a certain kind of headspace, and you never know who could be walking by," McLaughlin said. "It can allow you to really connect with someone sometimes."
Staff Picks: Podcast Recommendations
Thorgy Thor takes over the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Three Rivers Arts Festival celebrates 60 years
Staff picks: Hidden gems of Pitt
PITT ARTS introduces students to Pittsburgh's cultural scene
Pittsburgh music scene: The FYI on DIY
Liberal arts clubs offer expressive outlet for students
Local Art collectives foster Pittsburgh creativity
'Toy Story 4' entertains young and young at heart
Third Thursday: Block Party event connects Wilkinsburg artists


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Open Source Web Engine Servo to be Hosted at Linux Foundation
The popular and lightning-fast web engine built using the Rust programming language will grow the community and expand its platform footprint
Nov 17, 2020, 11:00 ET
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KubeCon -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced it will host the Servo web engine. Servo is an open source, high-performance browser engine designed for both application and embedded use and is written in the Rust programming language, bringing lightning-fast performance and memory safety to browser internals. Industry support for this move is coming from Futurewei, Let's Encrypt, Mozilla, Samsung, and Three.js, among others.
"The Linux Foundation's track record for hosting and supporting the world's most ubiquitous open source technologies makes it the natural home for growing the Servo community and increasing its platform support," said Alan Jeffrey, Technical Chair of the Servo project. "There's a lot of development work and opportunities for our Servo Technical Steering Committee to consider, and we know this cross-industry open source collaboration model will enable us to accelerate the highest priorities for web developers."
Servo is an open source project that delivers components that can load, run, and display web pages, applications, and immersive WebXR experiences. Developers can integrate the Servo web engine -- including a parallelized CSS engine that speeds page load times and improves stability and a rendering engine called WebRender -- into their own user interfaces, 3D experiences, and other products. Servo currently runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and has been ported to devices such as Android phones, Oculus, Magic Leap, and Microsoft's HoloLens. Servo was instrumental in building Mozilla's Gecko browser engine that powered the launch of the Firefox Quantum web browser in 2017, and is still core to Firefox's DNA today.
In 2012, Mozilla started the Servo project, a community effort to create a new, open source browser engine that can take advantage of multicore hardware to improve speed, stability, and responsiveness. Today, Servo is more efficient than most web engines because it takes advantage of low-power multi-core CPUs. This is enabled by the open source Rust programming language that focuses on speed, memory safety, and parallelism. Rust and Servo co-evolved, and during their early days, Servo was the only large-scale Rust program other than the Rust compiler itself. Rust's memory safety guarantees mean that Servo presents a smaller attack surface for security vulnerabilities such as buffer overflow attacks. Rust and Servo were both incubated by Mozilla, and the next step for Servo is through the Linux Foundation.
"Mozilla is a champion of the open source movement, working to unite passionate communities to build software that keeps the internet open and accessible to all," said Adam Seligman, Chief Operating Officer at Mozilla. "We're pleased to see Servo graduate from Mozilla and move on to the Linux Foundation where we know this technology will continue to thrive and power web-based innovation in the future."
"Servo is the most promising, modern, and open web engine for building applications and immersive experiences using web technologies, and that has a lot to do with the Rust programming language," said Mike Dolan, senior vice president, and general manager of projects at the Linux Foundation. "We're excited to support and sustain this important work for decades to come."
For more information about the Servo project and to contribute, please visit servo.org.
About the Linux Foundation
Founded in 2000, the Linux Foundation is supported by more than 1,500 members and is the world's leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. Linux Foundation's projects are critical to the world's infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, and more. The Linux Foundation's methodology focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.
The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Jennifer Cloer
Comments from Developer Community
"For me, Servo has been the most exciting project on the web for many years now. I eagerly await any announcement from the development of this web browser. As a new browser engine, it has the potential for a huge impact on the browser ecosystem, the likes of which have not been seen for years. Having multiple, successful, and actively developed browser engine implementations are incredibly important to the health of the Web. It ensures that the web platform acts as a robust foundation for all the websites and software built on web technologies. By having many different browsers participating in the web standards efforts it ensures that the web platform is one that is designed for everyone.
The web is evolving rapidly at the moment with new APIs like WebXR, and I am really happy that Servo has been involved in these APIs which are bringing the web into the future to ensure that the web is a valuable medium on new hardware platforms for years to come. I am extremely excited about the future of Servo to see the speed and stability of a new browser built-in Rust and how it will impact the browser ecosystem.
Ada Rose Cannon, Developer Advocate for the web browser Samsung Internet and co-chair of the W3C Immersive Web Working Group
Servo, a browser engine built using Rust, is a keystone project for bringing the performance and security necessary for web technologies to go beyond interlinked pages of text and media to serve a new generation of use cases where immersive reality is the platform for computing and real-time collaboration between people, places and things can improve the lives of billions. It is exciting that this important project will be taken forward by the Linux Foundation's international open source community.
Tish Shute, Dir. AR/VR, Futurewei Technologies, Inc., Co-Founder of Augmented World Expo and Augmented Reality.org
The security of the internet increasingly relies on moving away from error-prone languages like C and C++ and towards languages like Rust which provide safety and security without sacrificing performance. The Servo web engine has co-evolved with Rust and brings its benefits to the web.
It's exciting to see what's possible if we re-imagine how we build critical software with modern tools that address safety issues without sacrificing performance. Servo gives us a sneak peek at a safer and more secure future for critical and complex software systems.
The Servo project helps us to understand the extent of what's possible in a world where we have tools like Rust available to us. The complexity of Web rendering engines pushes software engineering systems to their limits, which is why it's so important that we invest in understanding how we can make generational improvements to such critical systems.
Josh Aas, Executive Director, Internet Security Research Group and Let's Encrypt
Servo has been a crucial part of the development of the immersive web. With it, Mozilla was able to help stabilize the WebVR and WebXR APIs by quickly bringing a browser alternative to emerging platforms such as Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Quest, and Magic Leap. It's important for the well-being of the internet that independent implementations of web APIs exist and I am excited to see Servo grow and continue to be on the leading edge of the web.
Ricardo Cabello (@mrdoob), Three.js Project Lead
SOURCE The Linux Foundation
www.linuxfoundation.org
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Marsha, a brave single mother who has been living in temporary accommodation in Brimstone House for over a year with her 6 year old daughter, was yesterday contacted by Housing Options and told that she would be offered housing in Woolwich. She was informed in a threatening manner that this would be the last time she would be offered housing, and that she had to view and accept the property today.
Marsha managed to get some pictures when viewing the property. These speak for themselves.
The Agent who was showing the property agreed he would never house his family in this flat.
This is private accommodation offered by Newham Council. What a disgrace from a Council that prides itself on tackling slum private landlords.
Marsha has not only suffered Council threats in relation to her housing, but has been verbally threatened by social services in relation to her child being rehoused without her.
Do Councils actually try to drive homeless mothers to breakdown so they can remove their kids?
Focus E15 stands as one with Marsha and her daughter. We demand that Newham Council retracts this housing offer and rehouses Marsha in suitable, clean, long term, council accommodation in Newham .
We demand an end to vulnerable families being threatened and bullied into accepting accommodation that no Councillor would spend the night in.
We demand people are housed with dignity in one of the richest Countries in the world!
Focus E15 have consistently worked to form grass roots resistance including in areas of culture where people can develop the power to speak out and act against the massive attacks on people's right to decent housing in Newham. The group is founded by people that have first hand experience of this brutality. Because of the seriousness of the situation all ways of communicating are experimented with, with a view to increasing the voice of the people and power. The script was added to and developed by members of Focus E15 campaign. Although the characters may seem fantastical all the elements of the story refer to actual recent events happening to people. The events are real but the characters entirely fictitious.
This performance makes use of puppets that have been developed mostly from furniture and domestic timber, they speak back for the proper use of housing.
Below are the words of a former resident of the Carpenters Estate in Stratford, Newham, London E15. After decades in her home, she was forced out by the council in the run up to the Olympics. The Labour Council, led by Robin Wales, was champion of gentrification and social cleansing. It is an outrage, that the homes that people were forced to leave have remained empty ever since. The writer below can still look up at the windows of her beloved home in one of three deserted tower blocks on the Carpenters Estate. Shame on Newham. An apology is long overdue, and reparations are still awaited. The pressure is on the new Mayor and her council to immediately refurbish and repopulate the Carpenters Estate.
The decant out of Dennison Point – Carpenters Estate.
I lived at Dennison for many many years, the decant was a sad day for me. Residents were told by the council that after refurbishment of Dennison Point, those who wished to return would be able to do so. I was moved out in one day, there was no time given to think about leaving. I had no cooking appliance for a few weeks because the new location did not have gas. So I phoned someone who told me that there was money allocated for cooking appliances. One would think that these necessities would have been sorted out before I moved in to the flat.
It is plain to see that Dennison Point has no defect and therefore should not be demolished.
Many of the committee spoke out and the council did not expect the news to be in the open.
I am standing with Focus E15 campaign, who are passionate about the right for social housing. They are giving a voice to the people who are being pushed out of council homes and out of the area where they have lived with their friends and relatives.
Residents ask how much longer will we be left at Brimstone House?
Five years after the original Focus E15 mothers got their eviction notice from Focus E15 hostel, residents from the same building, now renamed Brimstone House, are getting organised and tell Newham council 'it's like living in a prison'.
Focus E15 campaign has been working with residents of Brimstone House for the past couple of months to fight for decent secure housing for all.
Brimstone House is the building where Focus E15 campaign began. Five years later very little has changed, in fact things have seemed to spiral downhill. Brimstone House is now owned by Newham Council and is used as temporary and emergency accommodation but with no end in sight for the residents.
Brimstone House consists of 210 self-contained units with the majority of these homes housing 2+ people per unit. The accommodation is absolutely unacceptable for the residents with no space, damp, disrepair – with lots of residents complaining of no ventilation. The rooms are freezing in the winter and sweat boxes in the summer.
On Wednesday 15 August, five years on from the eviction notices served to the 29 Focus E15 mothers from the same building, we stood in solidarity with residents of Brimstone House and met with Cllr John Gray, members of Newham Council's Housing Department and Brimstone House Property Management. Brimstone House residents voiced their shocking housing stories and demanded decent homes for all!
Cllr John Gray and his colleagues were shown around some of the units of accommodation in Brimstone House – they were shown first-hand the unacceptable conditions residents are living in.
There were many issues reported such as mistreatment from staff both within the building and at the council offices. Stress, depression and isolation from living in tiny accommodation is widespread. Strict door regulations mean loved ones can't visit residents or stay overnight. Even carers have been turned away from entering. Disability rights are being ignored. Children living here have no space to play, yet there is a child's park across the road which remains locked. Tenants are living in fear with fire alarms going off frequently at all hours of the day and night, causing great anxiety levels in the wake of Grenfell. There is 24/7 security on each floor in case of fire but this offers no reassurance to residents as a security guard can't stop a fast-spreading fire… This is one example of the illogical, expensive and inefficient Council/Governmental solutions to straightforward and fixable housing problems.
John Gray said that 27,000 people are on the housing waiting list in Newham. We know that from 2012-2017 over 3000 Newham residents have been housed out of the borough and ironically 2,500 residents from other London boroughs have been moved into Newham by other councils. We also know that there are hundreds and hundreds of empty homes in the borough. These need opening up immediately to house people. The council's aim of 1,000 homes over the next four years is not enough.
The meeting felt empowering with strong and brave residents standing together, making connections, speaking to each other and fighting collectively, all for one another.
The outcome of this meeting is that there will be a follow up meeting in October with Cllr Gray where some answers will be given on the plans for Brimstone residents as well as plans for the Carpenters Estate – where hundreds of council homes lie empty.
Intentional Homelessness and Social Cleansing.
Some residents from Brimstone House have been offered accommodation far out of London away from support networks and families. When they tell the council the housing isn't acceptable as it's so far away, residents have been labelled intentionally homeless and offered no further help from the council.
Social cleansing is alive and well in Newham and affecting Brimstone House residents.
Hideously,some residents have been told if they reject an offer of accomodation deemed acceptable, they will be referred to Children and Young People Services – clear intimidation and bullying tactics from the council.
There are many wrongs in this building but the solidarity and power that comes from within these walls is unbelievable. Courageous, strong, powerful people who are willing to stand together and fight.
We must all stand with the residents of Brimstone House, we must hold Newham Council accountable and we must ensure decent housing for all. Victory to the Brimstone Residents!
Solidarity with the Summerhill Occupation!
Take back ownership of empty properties in Dublin.
35 Summerhill Parade is a property owned by Pat and PJ O'Donnell (owners of POD, and sponsors of the Clare GAA team). It is part of a cluster of properties on Summerhill Parade owned by the O'Donnell family. All properties have issues with overcrowding, insecure tenancies and dodgy cash in-hand dealings. A total of 120 tenants were housed in just five properties, each paying between €350-€450 for a bed in a shared room with 6-8 people in each room. In May, mass evictions occurred resulting in 120 tenants being illegally evicted over the duration of a week.
The O'Donnell's bought Aldborough House, a derelict Georgian mansion in 2016 and have recently been granted approval to develop it into office spaces. No consideration was given to the needs of the local community. Instead, there has been a push from the owners to create slum conditions in the area as a means to get housing prices down and buy up bargain properties to redevelop – after all, the workers in the O'Donnell's new, plush office spaces are going to need equally plush places to live. It's a fine example of gentrification in action. Since the evictions in May, properties have sat empty while the housing crisis in Dublin worsens.
Rents across Ireland have risen by 70% since 2008 and Dublin is particularly being effected. The average rent across Ireland during the first three months of this year was €1,261, a monthly increase of €232 compared to the previous peak in 2008. This is why housing and community activists have taken decisive action and occupied the property of Summerhill Parade because enough is enough! Pat O'Donnell should not be allowed to leave potential homes empty.
Rent hikes, evictions, poor housing conditions, people stuck in overcrowded homes, people sleeping in bunkbeds, or packed into their relative's homes; couch-surfing, sleeping rough, living in hostels or upset by poor quality council provision – we hear about horrendous housing situations every day now, we all know somebody who is affected by housing insecurity. And yet, those in power sit on their hands. There is no political will to make real, meaningful change to the housing crisis we face.
This is why we send our solidarity greetings to the occupation in Dublin. Our immediate demand: houses owned by Pat O'Donnell on Summerhill Parade must be compulsory purchased by Dublin City Council and given back to the local community. Private, vacant properties can and should be put into public ownership. We call on people to take action and get involved in building a housing movement that demands homes for all! People before profit! Victory to the Summerhill occupation!
Those interested in setting up similar occupations, please get in touch. The housing crisis is not a natural disaster and we do not need to accept that this is simply the way it is. Things just won't get better on their own – action is needed, by people and for people. Everyone needs a home!
Every month Focus E15 campaign holds a public meeting at Sylvia's Corner in Stratford. Public meetings are where Focus E15 campaigners network with other groups, share information and meet local residents engaged in fighting for secure housing. The campaign is always trying to find ways to bring housing issues out into the public domain and challenge the local power structures in Newham by exposing the council's appalling record of social cleansing and finding opportunities to take direct action.
In Brazil 6.2 million families (more then 20 million people) do not have a secure home. This number includes people who live on the street as well as those who pay rent which is higher then their wage or where more than one family live in the same house.
In Brazil there was a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. Social movements bravely fought to end the dictatorship.
In 1988 the first constitution was written after the fall of the dictatorship. There was a lull in the amount of social activism but soon new movements appear – housing was soon on the agenda again!
During the 1990's neo-liberal and privatisation policies set in, worsening conditions for the poor. There are a number of growing social movements.
During 1990's there was the Favela-Barrio program which saw new policies of urbanisation of the poorest areas of the city – but only those close to tourist places. Social movements demanded more urbanisation of the favelas as a way of improving the condition of poor quality housing.
1997 MTST – national movement of homeless workers emerges.
2000's – increasing violence against favela dwellers is justified by the government in the name of 'public security'.
2014 World cup and 2016 Olympic games saw the removal of 67,000 people from the poorest areas of Rio. Housing campaigns emerge to resist evictions.
We were struck by some of the similarities of what happens to areas which host the Olympic games as 'regeneration' is used as the buzz word to clear away social housing (in East London the second largest housing coop in Europe was bulldozed to make way for the Olympic Village, which was then sold off to a Qatari ruling family in 2011). We then had a discussion about learning from other struggles, the meaning of effective solidarity and the importance of having a platform to organise from during the savage housing crisis in London. Campaigners from East London were inspired by the active resistance shown by campaigners in Rio and thought that sharing tactics and ideas is an important way of raising awareness of housing struggles that occur internationally. At the end of the meeting we made a video with a message of solidarity to housing campaigners in Rio.