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Sinister Urge
A little blog about the things I love, and the things I love to rant about.
First, Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers, both of you. (I'd say the more PC Happy Holidays, but, let's face it, it's December 24th, Chanukah has passed, and since everything is closed tonight and tomorrow, we're all pretty much forced to celebrate Christmas one way or another anyway. Expect a longer piece, probably tomorrow, on how the whole "true meaning of Christmas/religious holiday" stuff is a bunch of hogwash, anyway.)
Today, though, I want to recommend a particularly cool comic I just got yesterday: Hawaiian Dick, published by Image Comics. Written by B. Clay Moore and beautifully drawn by Steven Griffin, set in 1953, this first issue tells the tale of Byrd, a former mainland US cop exiled to Hawaii as the result of some sort of unspecified scandal. Working as a PI, he finds himself hired to recover a car stolen from some mobsters working to blackmail their boss. The story is lean and taut without going by too quickly, and the art is just gorgeous, combining pen and ink line art with some beautifully painted colors that bring the setting and characters to life. For want of a better hgh-concept catch-phrase, I'll say it's LA Confidential meets Magnum, PI. I don't know how accurate a portrait of 1950s-era Hawaii this is, but it feels the way you'd expect it to feel. This is the first of three issues, and hopefully we'll see many more stories after that. Check it out! (Or, check out these preview comic strips.)
Posted by Penelopecat at 12:23 PM No comments:
Saw the new Lord of the Rings movie, The Two Towers, yesterday. Definitely another great installment. I refuse to do the Internet thing of announcing whether or not I thought it was better than the first one, because:
I hate that sort of NASCAR-type evaluation that insists that it isn't enough whether something is enjoyable or not, but whether it's more or less enjoyable than something else. I mean, the logical conclusion to that line of thinking is that there should only be one thing that people should go to for entertainment, because it is the single piece of entertainment to which all others are inferior, and why settle for second best?
The Lord of the Rings movies aren't really meant to be individual films, any more than the books are individual stories rather than one really long book published in three volumes because the publisher thought the binding would have been unwieldy if the manuscript wasn't split up. It would be like just reviewing the middle third of a story, and ignoring how the first and last parts put the middle into context.
And finally, what's the point? Anyone who enjoyed the first one should go see the second one, because it's the next part of the story. Anyone who hated the first one should probably avoid the second one, because it's the next part of the story.
I also watched the last (and first) episode of Firefly last night. The first episode, because this is the original pilot episode, the one where the story starts, which Fox had held off showing because they didn't think it would hook audiences. The last, because it's been canceled. (As have Birds of Prey and Robbery Homicide Division.) It's difficult to tell how this episode, "Serenity," holds up as a first episode, because I come to it with the benefit of hindsight. I'm already familiar with, and have affection for, the characters, and I have seen how many of the hints about the future will play out. It's definitely frustrating, knowing that we won't get any new stories about these folks or this setting, barring a miracle. Hopefully, we'll have the opportunity to at least see what we had again, either through reruns on the SciFi Channel or, even better, on DVD.
Speaking of quality telefantasy being canceled, next month starts up the final run of episodes of Taken, the 20-hour miniseries about alien abductions produced by Steven Spielberg, they aren't going to follow it up with another miniseries or regular series. And they do show Stargate SG-1, which has matured into one of my favorites. But it's hard not to be disappointed when they stop making something I enjoy. Particularly when it's premature, like with Firefly,FarScape, or even Birds of Prey.
Speaking of BoP, I was watching this week's episode and saw one of those annoying anti-marijuana ads that have been popping up more and more frequently these days. You know, the ones talking about the evils of the Demon Weed, like how it slows your reflexes and dulls your senses. Which may be true, and are things that potential pot smokers should probably be aware of. What bothers me was that the very next commercial showed what a great time could be had by drinking beer--a substance which slows the reflexes, dulls the senses... And let's not forget that, unlike perfectly legal tobacco cigarettes, marijuana doesn't cause cancer.
Finally, I have come up with my own Star Wars tie-in product, and I post the notion here before somebody else starts manufacturing it: Force-in-a-Box. The great thing is, anyone who is convinced that they just have purchased an empty box obviously doesn't have enough midi-chlorians, and that'll show up in a medical test.
Posted by Penelopecat at 10:04 AM No comments:
Just another quick one right now: Thanks fo the Giant Colon tour, now everyone in the world can see what it feels like to completely disappear up one's own rectum. (As opposed to everyone who voted the Republicans into power, who already have their heads so far up their own... ah, it's just too easy, and not really any fun today.)
Posted by Penelopecat at 7:55 AM No comments:
First, please ignore the aborted post from 11/26/02. For whatever reason, I can't seem to delete it.
Second, the last few days, I've been getting an average of seven or eight telemarketer calls a day, according to my caller ID. Plus the usual spam in my inbox. So it's nice to see that someone out there is working on a way to make all this junk mail work for me.
Sorry for the prolonged absence. Between my computer being down and some other stuff, this journal just sort of fell by the wayside. With most of that behind me now, expect more frequent (hopefully, almost daily) doses of vitriol and pointless meandering.
And to bring things back in style, let me speak briefly about the government's Big Brother plan to fight terrorism. The whole thing certainly makes me feel a mite queasy (okay, more than a mite), because, after all, aren't the sorts of freedoms that this sort of plan abridges just the things that are supposed to set America above other nations? And is anyone else bothered by the notion that "it would only take one more terrorist attack and public support is assured?" Not that our government would even consider manufacturing some sort of terror threat to allow them to trample on citizens' freedoms in order to further the agendas of special interest groups at the expense of the public at large...
Okay, another dilemma solved: Once Birds of Prey ends, I wasn't sure whether I'd go back to watching The West Wing, which I really haven't missed this year, or whether I'd stick a finger in the eye of traditional big network programming and watch UPN's BlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Yes, it's been quite a while since I've updated anything here. Blame it on a couple of factors: First of all, the Republican landslide victory in the last election still leaves me reeling. I'm sorry; call me opinionated, call me a left-wing communist hippie freak, but giving free reign to the party most self-interested and sympathetic to big business and with a pretty clearly demonstrated disinterest in the welfare of the people--ALL the people--of this country cannot be a good thing. And shame on the Democrats for not effectively presenting themselves as a calmer, more intelligent, informed, and level-headed alternative to the sort of war-mongering, fear-mongering distraction tactics the other guys have been using to cover up their own evil doings. Because, let's face it, the one sure thing the Middle East could do to keep the US from getting involved in any of its affairs is to simply declare that they're out of oil.
Speaking of our greedy, oil-consuming citizenry, I recently heard of a church-based campaign to better the environment by reducing the number of SUVs in the world. And I can't help but feel a little conflicted. I mean, on the one hand, any efforts to remove these schoolbus-sized monstrosities from the face of the earth is a good thing. (I drive a small pickup truck, and I can't find it in parking lots.) On the other hand, isn't the fact that these gas-guzzling behemoths are major contributors to the destruction of our environment, let alone the oil dependency that is helping fuel (pun intended) the conflicts in the Middle East and terrorist activity enough? I mean, if someone can't be bothered to pay attention to that sort of evidence, what does it say about their simple-minded inability to form coherent thought if they will be pushed over the edge once Jesus's name is dragged into it? Gah!
Okay, clearly things have been building within me the past few weeks, and it feels good to finally say them. And I hope to be posting more regularly soon, but my computer still hasn't been fixed since the viral attack. (Nothing to do with Al Quaeda terrorists, honest.) Apparently, what needs to be done is I need to format the hard drive and reinstall everything. I had a friend who was going to help me with that, but it hasn't really worked out. So, I'm going to go it alone. I figure, if my goal is to wipe out all the data on my hard drive, how can I screw that up?
One or two TV tidbits, before I go: Birds of Prey has been canceled, and that's disappointing. It would seem that Robbery Homicide Division will probably go the same way, since CBS opted to show a rerun of CSI in its place last Friday. And it would seem Firefly is hanging on by a thread as well. So please, watch these shows while you can.
Posted by Penelopecat at 5:57 PM No comments:
According to this news item, researchers have uncovered physical differences between the brains of gay and heterosexual sheep. Which, I suppose, is interesting, unless you happen to be a gay sheep, in which case it's probably sort of frightening, because it means you're that much more likely to have someone cut your head open to examine your brain for
What's up with this Boy Scout excommunication thing? To be clear: I understand that they are a private organization and can make whatever stupid, homophobic, narrow-minded, exclusionary rules they like. I mean, realistically, expecting an organization called the Boy Scouts of America to not exclude folks who, say, aren't male would be pretty silly. But to exclude athiests, while accepting belief in any sort of higher being whatsoever? I just don't get it.
Tomorrow being election day, Las Vegas--like everywhere else in the USA, I'm assuming--is being barraged with an onslaught of political ads. I saw one last night that completely faked me out. You see, there's a measure on the ballot that would require Nevada to acknowledge same-sex marriages. The commercial talked about how a similar law was enacted in Vermont. Now Vermont health or sex-ed classes include discussion about sexual orientation, and they talk about families that include same-sex partners just like they were any other married couple. And I'm thinking that sounds all fine and dandy, and that this is a pro-Issue Number Whatever commercial. And then comes the final line: "We don't want to make the same mistake as Vermont."
Yeah, heaven forbid that we should have our kids learning that the concepts of "right," "wrong," or "normal" are not always simple, black and white issues, or that differences--at least the ones that don't result in unwanted open wounds--are things to be appreciated and understood. Heaven forbid that we take one step closer to abolishing this apparent yardstick of normality that we're supposed to judge others against, and treat them accordingly. Because if we started doing that, it might be harder to justify things like, oh, getting all worked up about an unpopular, unjustified, foolhardy attack against a bunch of foreigners instead of lookin inward and judging our leaders by their own actions, instead of being blinded by a bunch of distracting rhetoric all dressed up in emotionally-charged buzzwords like "terrorism" and "patriotism."
And yes, I am voting for the issue that recognizes same-sex marriages, and the one that makes medicinal marijuana legal. If supporting the things that increase freedom for our citizens isn't patriotic, then I think I've been reading the wrong Constitution.
Okay, it turns out that my computer contracted some sort of virus, so expect few updates here over the next week or so until that gets fixed. I have a friend who will help me do so for free, but I'm at the mercy of her schedule.
In the meantime, anyone reading this who agrees with bunches of what I have to say might want to check out a new comic, Global Frequency, which just premiered this past week. Written by comics' bad boy Warren Ellis, this may be the best example to date of the post-9-11 comic book story. It features big comic-booky, sci-fi menaces like--in the first issue--a guy who can use his powers to blow up San Francisco, but these powerful threats are combatted by a group of ordinary people. The series is scheduled to run for twelve issues, with each issue a completely self-contained story drawn by a different, high-profile artist. Certainly worthy of attention.
And now that we're a month or so into the new TV season, I'm going to once again urge everyone reading to watch Firefly on Fox on Friday nights. Of all the new shows I'm watching, this is easily one of the best, and the most likely to die a premature death. Which is unfortunate, because this is a show that seems to get better and better with each episode. The characters are becoming more and more distinct from one another, and the show seems to be finding its own voice. However, it's not the voice of a science-fiction show at all, and therein may lie the problem. I know plenty of sci-fi fans for whom the surface trappings are the important bits. They want science fiction that explores and embraces all the weird things possible. I think the various Star Trek series are probably a good metaphor: most fans seem to prefer Star Trek: The Next Generation because it had the best science-fiction stories about the characters encountering weird aliens and space anomalies and whatnot. Me, I prefered Star Trek: Deep Space Nine because it focused on stuff I could relate to: interaction between characters, politics, religion, war... only all dressed up as a science fiction show. And, like I said last week, Firefly is a Western dressed up as a science fiction show. It's going to disappoint the people who want lasers, aliens, and plots based around discovering a hole in space. And it's going to repel people who are looking for a good, solid, character-based drama because they'll see the spaceships in the ads and assume it's about all that crap they don't care about, like lasers, aliens, and plots based around discovering a hole in space. Which is a shame, because it's a very good television program about people. So please, watch it while it's still here.
Last week, I was all fired up to write a thing about the Criminal Bush's lack of support for ballistic fingerprinting, and specifically some really stupid, ignorant-sounding pinheaded comments coming from a White House spokesperson. But then my computer stopped working--temporarily, hopefully--and so I can't get to my notes, including the URL for the aforementioned quote. (I'm writing this during a lull at work.) Plus, I seem to have contracted some sort of cold/flu/bug thing, and my head hurts, so I can't really be bothered. Besides, complaining about the Criminal Bush just snowballs any more. I mean, do I complain about the stupidity, the corruption, the warmongering... So hard to pick.
So, instead, I'm going to say that I'm getting a huge kick out of watching Birds of Prey. It is completely, totally, and utterly what it seems intent on being, which is a comic-book superhero series, and it's nice seeing a network television series embrace that. Also still getting a kick out of American Dreams, even though I apparently can't be bothered to look up a link for it right now. Liking it may be completely unhip, because it's just a really good family drama (though not as good as Once & Again; damn you, ABC) but I don't much care. Sundays at 8 pm on NBC, plus they rerun the previous week's episode Sundays at 7 pm. Check it out.
And, while you're at it, check out Firefly, the sci-fi Western from Buffy/Angel creator Joss Whedon. This show seems to be getting a bunch of stick from internet sci-fi fans, as well as comics writers like Peter David and "I'm so hip and British; just ask me" Warren Ellis, and here's my thinking why: it's a science fiction series that's not really a science fiction series. David, in particular, seemed upset that it wasn't turning enough sci-fi cliches on their head. Me, I think it's obvious. It's not a science fiction show. It's a Western. It's a post-Civil War ensemble drama made by people who understand that it's easier to market a science fiction show than a post-Civil War show and who probably don't want to be ham-strung by historical reality. It doesn't break new ground in sci-fi programming because that's not one of it's goals. To paraphrase--badly--Neil Gaiman, it's like ordering a pizza and then complaining that it's this round, flat, bready thing with tomato sauce and cheese all over it. I do agree that the dialogue and characters are more interesting than some of the plots, but it's still a show worth watching, says I.
Somedays, it just depresses me to be living in the land of the free.
Okay, so it's been more than a few days since I've written anything. Chalk it up to working nine days in a row. When I finally got time off, I just didn't feel like writing anything. (Some days it flows better than others, you know?) I had actually started an aborted rant about Ain't It Cool News last week, but it felt like too much griping that would only result in my paying too much attention to a bunch of geeks. So it never went anywhere. Tonight, though, I'm in the mood to talk about TV and stuff (which tangentially touches on some of what I was going to say about Ain't It Cool News, but in a less intense way). And there's some brief political stuff at the end, but you can skip that if you like.
First, Birds of Prey. Now, this isn't going to be a review of this new show on the WB, because I haven't actually seen it yet. It premiered last Wednesday night, and I work Wednesday nights, and it's on in the same time slot as White House drama The West Wing. Now, I've been watching The West Wing since the very first episode, and love it. I even own the first season on DVD. No way was I going to miss one of the best shows on TV.
But Birds of Prey... First, some background: I don't remember where I first encountered Batman. It would have either been reruns of the 60's Batman TV series starring Adam West or in episodes of the cartoon Superfriends. Either way, he must have made a strong impression on me, because while I occasionally drift away from the character and all his assorted, related comics, I always find myself coming back. And without getting into the realm of too much information, Batgirl, as played by Yvonne Craig made quite an impression on my young mind. A few years later, so did Black Canary, the superpowered girlfriend of ace comic book superhero archer Green Arrow. (I'm sure it was the fishnet stockings; Zatanna had similar appeal.) In the comics, Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon was ultimately shot by the Joker and lost the use of her legs, but this didn't end her superhero career. Trapped in a wheelchair, she became the superhero networking agent/information clearinghouse known as Oracle. At some point in the mid-nineties, writer Chuck Dixon brought Oracle and Black Canary together as a team, starring in their own comic book, Birds of Prey. The comic quickly became one of my favorites, between Dixon's skill at balancing characterization and action, and his decision to have the series read more like a non-powered action-adventure book instead of a superheroes-vs-supervillains comic. It was the sort of comic that seemed like it could be turned into a TV series without much trouble. And now it has.
So, my dilemma: The West Wing or Birds of Prey? It seemed like a fairly easy choice. I had been watching The West Wing for the past three years, and it had won my loyalty. Birds of Prey sounded intriguing, and I loved the characters, but it wasn't an exact adaptation of the comic (set in the future, the Black Canary character is now a teenager named Dinah--the Canary's real name--the comic book character Huntress is a series regular, but she's the daughter of Batman and Catwoman like in her original origin, not her current, revised one, blah blah blah), it was getting mixed reviews, and I can only watch so much TV. As the premiere date grew closer, however, I felt like I was deliberately snubbing an old friend, so I asked a friend at work to tape it for me. She did, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. I did, however, get home that evening, in time to see the last 20 or so minutes of the show. And I've decided that I'd rather watch it than The West Wing.
When I turned on the TV, the first thing I saw was the image of Batgirl. And I knew then that I'd rather be watching this show. It's got nothing to do with the relative quality of the shows; from what I can tell, The West Wing is still a better-made television program. But what I saw of Birds of Prey wasn't particularly bad. Yes, the dialogue is a bit melodramatic, and the sets and characters and direction are very stylized in the same hyper-surreal vein as the Batman movies. Which, of course, is a problem, because if there's one thing I look for in a TV show set in the future of a world where a man dresses up as a flying rodent to fight a clown, it's realism... But the thing is, I don't care about its shortcomings. I don't care that, on an objective level, The West Wing is almost certainly a better show. What I care about is this: I love the Batman comics. I have a great deal of emotional attachment to them, and I enjoy the feelings that I experience when reading them. Seeing Batgirl, Batman, the Huntress, Harley Quinn, and this world that I know so well come to life on my TV screen prompted the same reaction. And as much as I enjoy The West Wing on an intellectual level, it doesn't reach me in quite the same way. So, my inclination--and remember, I haven't seen a whole episode of Birds of Prey yet--is to watch Birds instead of The West Wing. Crazy as that sounds.
So here's what I'm thinking about: we have these critically-reviled but popular shows like, say, JAG (another personal favorite, but one I can't watch because it's on at the same time as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls, and I refuse to get a second VCR so I can watch that much more TV). Is it the case that the critics are right, that the huge masses of people who watch and enjoy these shows are dull-witted sheep who don't have the sense to realize that what they're watching isn't very good? Or, is it possible, just maybe, that those audiences are looking for something else in those shows, something the critics don't get? I'm not saying that television shouldn't be good. But I didn't see anything in those few minutes of Birds of Prey to drive me away, either. More importantly, it connected with me on a level quite separate from acting, writing, direction, whatever, in a way that The West Wing doesn't quite equal. And that's something I wouldn't have known if I hadn't seen it. It's something no review would ever have been able to tell me.
Okay, here's the brief political bit: I'm pretty sickened by Congress's capitulation on this whole letting the criminal Bush have his way with Iraq thing. I swear, real-world politics shouldn't feel this much like watching Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. (If that makes no sense, the movie comes out on video next month; rent it, watch it, think about it, then ask me to explain if you still don't get it. I'm tired.) Well, apparently I'm not the only one turning away from The West Wing, and I suspect the reason for the show's declining ratings is this: compare Martin Sheen's President Bartlett to what we've got in the real world. Personally, if I'm going to watch a show that's a complete and utter work of fantasy, I'd rather it be about a hot chick fighting crime in a bustier.
Another joke:
An elderly man lay dying in his bed.
In death's agony, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies wafting up from the stairs.
He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands.
With labored breath, he leaned against the door-frame, gazing into the kitchen.
Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven: there, spread out upon newspapers on the kitchen table, were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Was it heaven?
Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture.
His parched lips parted; the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth; seemingly bringing him back to life.
The aged and withered hand shakingly made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.
"Stay out of those," she said, "they're for the funeral."
From Douglas Clegg's newsletter. Clegg
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Call off the search! Apparently, the world's funniest joke has been discovered, and here it is:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other man pulls out his phone and calls emergency services.
He gasps to the operator: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator in a calm, soothing voice replies: "Take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead."
There is a silence, then a shot is heard.
Back on the phone, the hunter says, "Ok, now what?"
According to this story, a Christian conservative organization is all up in arms because Lifetime Television ran an ad for Applebee's during a show called "Gay Weddings." Please. Like this is anywhere near as upsetting as the Jimmy-Olsen-coming-out-of-the-closet thing mentioned last week. Like anyone really cares about where Applebee's commercials show up. I mean, isn't Applebee's the restaurant people go to when TGI Friday's and Chili's are just too fancy for them? (This venom comes from a really atrocious meal I had at an Applebee's one night, right before I took the GRE.)
And, of course, Applebee's is desperately backpedalling, insisting that they had requested that their ad not run during "controversial shows" like "Gay Weddings." Because, of course, if they advertise during a show like "Gay Weddings," well, the next thing you know, gay people might start coming to Applebee's, and all the nice, good, pure, Christian, Focused-on-the-Family folks might get gay cooties, or whatever the heck it is they're afraid of. And it's possible that if people of all sorts of different beliefs--sexual, religious, whatever--started associating with each other, it might just lead to some sort of horrible understanding of one another, which might consequently lead to hightened awareness and sympathy for the diversity and complexity of life, which would just be awful. Because, after all, if people start thinking that the world isn't just black and white, but a million shades of gray--or, even better, an explosion of an infinity of colors--then they might start realizing things like how maybe, just maybe, there's more to consider about stuff like going to war with Iraq beyond simple rhetoric like, "This country is determined to disarm Iraq and thereby bring peace to the world." And that just opens a whole new can of worms.
And, no, I'm not saying that this Applebee's thing is tied into the war-drum-thumping at all. But willful ignorance is a bad thing, in whatever form it takes, and I'm getting sick and tired of seeing people use it to gain the upper hand.
Something positive: To help our library promote Teen Read Week (the theme of which is Get Graphic @ Your Library), Dark Horse Comics sent us a bunch of posters and buttons.
First, a note about TV reviews: I won't write them. Same goes for movies, comics, books, music, whatever. There are plenty of sources for "thumbs up/thumbs down" sorts of reviews, and I'm sure there's at least one out there that has something interesting or insightful to say. As far as I'm concerned, it's okay to like something despite its flaws (this is pretty much the basis of most relationships), and that's what I'll write about. It doesn't matter so much to me whether or not The Tuxedo was a good movie (which it wasn't); what matters is whether or not I had a good time watching it (which I did). So, with that said, here's my comments about last night's TV:
I have fond childhood memories about Sunday night television. I remember the whole family gathering around to watch The Muppet Show and The Wonderful World of Disney. In recent years, much has been made about cable TV (particularly HBO) dominating Sunday night television. Well, as much as I love The Sopranos, it's not the only thing on Sunday nights any more, and in even more recent years, I've actually found myself watching more network shows on Sundays. And now I'm adding two new ones to the list: American Dreams and Boomtown.
A confession: I'm a sucker for sixties pop music. (Not sure how my friends who work at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame will react to that, but there you go.) So the idea of American Dreams, a family drama set in the sixties, revolving at least partially around American Bandstand and produced by Dick Clark had some obvious initial appeal. Plus, I needed something to fill the emotional void left by the shameful cancellation of State of Grace. Heck, American Dreams even stars Tom Verica, who had a recurring role on State of Grace. And, the good news is, I liked it. Not a perfect show--the father was painted a little too broadly as a complete jerk, for example--but the characters were likeable and believable. There's enough timeless family drama to keep it relevant, but enough historical detail to keep things interesting. I was caught off guard when the family's oldest son gave a typically heartfelt speech to his priest/Catholic high school football coach about how he doesn't want to play football any more because he no longer finds it enjoyable or fulfilling, only to have the priest tell him to get his head together, that it doesn't matter what he feels, just that he has a duty to his family, his school, and his parish. A few minutes later, we see the father of the family, who has spent most of the show throwing his authority around, lamenting that his family is unhappy even though he has achieved almost everything he ever dreamed of. Why, he wonders, isn't that enough for them? These are the sorts of things that wouldn't play in a contemporary drama, but in a historical context, when the world was a lot more comfortable pretending that a woman's place was in the home, and her husband was the king of his castle, it works. And, of course, there's the music. And next week: Michelle Branch!
For a show being touted as one of the most impressive new series, I was less impressed than I expected to be with Boomtown (although I loved the opening credits). The gimmick is that they show the investigation of a crime--or whatever the week's story might be, I guess--from the perspectives of a bunch of different characters: beat cops, detectives, a paramedic, a DA, and a reporter. I like the diversity of roles the characters represent, and I liked watching the pieces come together, instead of seeing the story unfold in a straightforward, linear fashion. And it's a good cast. But the actual story was nothing spectacular, and there was one scene in particular (a cop, played by the usually fantastic Gary Basaraba, runs into an old woman in the middle of a police chase, and the dialogue exchange is just embarrassing) that really turned me off. And although the show started off with a soliliquy about the Los Angeles River, it didn't have the same sense of LA-place-ness as Robbery Homicide Division on Friday. Nevertheless, I'll be back next week.
And, of course, sandwiched between these two new shows came the season premiere of Alias. If I refuse to offer an objective review of anything, that goes double for this show. I love it so. It's the only TV show I turn the phone ringer off during. It's a great action show, and it's a fantastic family drama, and everyone in the world should watch it and love it. 'Nuff said.
From the fanboy/geek department: It seems that one of my favorite comics from my childhood, The New Teen Titans, is being Cartoon Network, home of the excellent Justice League cartoon, as well as the unwatchable He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Transformers revivals. Only they're going to set it in the future and make it more of a science fiction story. And, of course, die-hard fans are already complaining. Hey, maybe there'll be a petition...
And then there's the Roomba Intelligent Sweeper Vac... As it happens, I have to vacuum today. And I'm sure the cat would get a huge kick out of it, considering how terrified she is of the regular vacuum...
I didn't think anything could top yesterday's story about the cheerleader-lawsuit mom. (That's not entirely true; what I didn't think was that I'd accidentally stumble across anything better.) But here it is, from Warren Ellis's blog at http://www.diepunyhumans.com/: Woman sues God!.
From the "this is why I'm a librarian" department: Everyone knows that every piece of information in the known universe can be found on the Internet using Google. As it happens, I work part-time for a local community college at their reference desk, which is located in the computer lab, which is in a separate building from the college library, because the college administration apparently believes that more students will be doing research online than at the library. Which is probably true. Which is why it's nice to read things like this, because it justifies my existence.
Okay, I was going to steer clear of the politics today and just talk about TV. But then I read this, and I can't help thinking that if this new sort of war (against, well, whoever) is going to be won through intelligence and information, we are so completely screwed it isn't even funny any more.
On the lighter side, I received this in my e-mail this morning from a friend:
"Well, just a little something that a friend passed on to me. It was somewhat entertaining, though I suggest you make sure to turn down the sound if you're at work...
http://www.rathergood.com/punk_kittens/"
Now, I'm not saying I advocate any sort of political stance or anything like that. Because heaven forbid anyone should have an actual informed opinion when they could wave a flag instead. But if we're beating the war drums, shouldn't we be considering points like these?
So, once again, we see that the American answer to not getting your way is to sue somebody. On one level, I'm sickened, but on another, I'm trying to see the glass as half full. Maybe my new pick-up line should be, "Go out with me, or I'll sue you."
Watched the premiere of Robbery Homicide Division last night. Yeah, I know, like I need another cop show to watch, but this one is executive-produced by Michael Mann, and it stars Tom Sizemore, plus it got good advance notices in Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide, although neither of them seem to be putting those reviews online. I did come across negative reviews in the NY Post, which found the show "confusing" (I'm no rocket scientist, and I had no trouble following the story...) and hated the violence (Hello? It's a crime show?) and the Miami Herald, who paid so much attention to the show, they couldn't get the creator credits right (Mann executive-produces the show, but Barry Schindel is credited as creator). So take that for what it's worth.
Me? I liked it. I thought it was stylish and entertaining, with an involving story. The dialogue sounded like real people talking, and it was nice to see a cast reflecting the ethnic diversity of Los Angeles. I'll check it out next week.
It also got me thinking--again--about the difference in feel between cop stories set in New York (or other East Coast cities) versus Los Angeles (or other Western cities, like Vegas). I had similar thoughts while reading Stephen J. Cannell's first Shane Scully novel, The Tin Collectors. When done right, there's a definite feel that the regions have, and it's nice seeing a cop/detective show set in LA, especially produced by the writer/director of perhaps the greatest LA crime movie in recent history, Heat. The New York cop shows are fine, but there's a certain claustrophobic, old-world feel they have by virtue of being set in an older, more congested/urbanized part of the country. The LA stories have a more sprawling feel, and I think there's a certain energy that comes from being set in a place where most things are less than a hundred years old. I need to figure out how to articulate this better, but I like that Robbery Homicide Division actually communicates LA as a sense of place, rather than just being a cop show set in LA because films and television are made in LA, and therefore set in LA by convenience. (Used to be everything was set in LA, and now that's a rarity, isn't it?) The only other show currently on that I can think of that treats LA like a distinct place is Angel, and that show does it in a manner reminiscent of Raymond Chandler. Only with demons.)
Anyone still laboring under the impression that comics are just simple stories for little kids should probably check this out. (They should probably also be reading Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, plus a slew of other pretty literate comics, but that goes without saying.)
This is something you just don't see in the big cities: a town's own personal superhero.
I saw The Tuxedo today, the new Jackie Chan movie. Does it make sense if I say it wasn't particularly good, but I still enjoyed it? The characters were shallow, the tone of the bad-guy stuff was way too serious, it felt like huge chunks had been edited out, or nobody every bothered to fill in the holes in the first place, and there were some sequences (*cough* James Brown cameo *cough*) that felt shoehorned in from another, even worse, movie. And there wasn't as much action as there could have been, making this film more like Gorgeous than Project A. But, unlike a lot of American action heroes, Chan has the charm and chops to carry off a relatively actionless action movie, and Jennifer Love Hewitt was fun, too. Yes, certainly mostly eye-candy, particularly at first. But, as the movie wore on, I found myself smiling at her bitchy, snippy lines, which didn't come off like the usual tough grrl crap that we see in movies like, say, Ballistic. And while the main villain was pretty humorless, Peter Stormare's mad scientist character was more in line with the general tone of the piece.
So, bottom line: Not anywhere near as good as Shanghai Noon, and too weird to have the mainstream appeal of the Rush Hour movies. And HK purists are going to hate it just on principle, even though Chan has said he knows he can't keep making the kinds of movies he used to make. But I had fun.
And I heard the Madonna for the new James Bond movie, Die Another Day on the radio tonight. Not spectacular, but it'll probably sound just fine playing over a bunch of images of nekkid chicks.
When I went out for dinner tonight, I passed by the newly-opened Cheesecake Factory store. Apparently, there is absolutely no other place to get cheesecake in Las Vegas, so everyone in the city had to come to this cookie-cutter chain restaurant. Either that, or they were giving away free samples, plus drinks. (I shouldn't make fun of the folks flocking to the franchise food store, since I was getting dinner at Jason's Deli. And, now that I look at their menu, apparently Cheesecake Factory serves a great deal more than Cheesecake. However, can it really be line-of-at-least-thirty-people-out-the-door great?)
Okay, I must confess, I just read the online petition protesting the Superman movie. (I wasn't even really curious; I was just testing the links for my last blog entry.) They list a series of problems they have with the script, and the number one problem, the very first one they have listed, is that, in the script, Jimmy Olsen is apparently gay. Not only did someone think that this Superman script is an important enough issue to circulate a petition about, but the first reason they want people to read, the deviation from established Superman history that they want to point out before anything else, is that Jimmy Olsen is not gay. Because, apparently, for these people who are so concerned that Superman be translated faithfully to the big screen, for these people for whom this is an important enough to rally the world behind, one of the key, defining factors of the Superman concept is Jimmy Olsen's frelling heterosexuality. God.
And, so far, over 6000 people have "signed" this.
Earlier this week, a friend pointed me to an alleged review of Alias creator JJ Abrams' script for the upcoming, yet to be made, new Superman movie. Friday, he points me in the direction of an online petition to prevent the script from being filmed. At this point, I e-mailed him that I was declaring a moritorium on information about the Superman movie. Not just from him; if I happen to come across a news item about the movie during my too-frequent daily web crawls, I'll skip right over it. Because if I start paying attention now, I'm going to have to listen to somewhere in the neighborhood of eighteen months or so of whining, bleating, moaning, wailing, and gnashing of teeth about how Hollywood/Warner Bros/DC Comics/director Brett Ratner/JJ Abrams/producer Jon Peters/Criminal George W. Bush/Osama bin Laden/Kermit the Frog are responsible for trashing the great, brilliant, wonderful, fantastic, perfect American Icon that is Superman, and what a horrible, awful, miserable, evil crime against humanity it is that this movie should ever see the light of the inside of a darkened movie theater, yadda, yadda, yadda. As if this is the most important thing in a world where the Criminal Bush is stumping for a war nobody wants in order to bolster his political clout and wholeheartedly supporting the commercial rape of our national forests.
I mean, there's a petition, for God's sake. On the Internet. As if, first of all, anyone pays attention to those anyway. Say this petition collects a thousand "signatures," never mind that since they're electronic without any real verification anyway they might as well not count at all. Say a thousand real people actually sign it. Most movie theaters seat, what, three or four hundred people? So those signatures represent, what, the equivalent of three or so empty theaters around the world for one showing of the movie? Say each signature represents ten people. How many theaters are there in the country? We're probably talking about the equivalent of one or two unsold tickets at a fraction of the theaters around the country. And it bothers me on some level that there is this small but vocal group of people that would probably be willing to write their Congressman to stop production of this script before they'd protest Criminal Bush's Healthy Forest Initiative.
Too early to post anything new today, but I wanted to post a link to another friend's blog, High Dudgeon.
Welcome to my brand-new blog, written by a 30-something children's librarian living in Las Vegas, NV. I love comics, movies, TV, books, the internet, and complaining about stuff, and you'll read all about that and more right here. So welcome, and enjoy the ride!
I just finished watching the season premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it seems like we're off to a good start this year. The show is--amazingly, considering it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it's really good--now entering its seventh season, and this episode serves to establish a new starting point, new characters, and new plots that will presumably run through the season. The main story is wrapped up--more or less--but there are plenty of questions left to be answered. I got a kick out of it, but I'm sure you won't have to look very hard to find people on the 'net already declaring this to be the worst season ever. Especially over at Ain't It Cool News, about which you'll hear more in the future.
In the meantime, check out my friend Jim's blog, Strange Interlude, and the San Francisco Chronicle's Daily Fix.
Penelopecat
First, Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers,...
Saw the new Lord of the Rings movie, The Two Tower...
Just another quick one right now: Thanks fo the Gi...
First, please ignore the aborted post from 11/26/0...
Sorry for the prolonged absence. Between my compu...
Okay, another dilemma solved: Once Birds of Prey e...
Yes, it's been quite a while since I've updated an...
According to this news item, researchers have unco...
What's up with this Boy Scout excommunication thin...
Okay, it turns out that my computer contracted som...
Last week, I was all fired up to write a thing abo...
Somedays, it just depresses me to be living in the...
Okay, so it's been more than a few days since I've...
Another joke: An elderly man lay dying in his b...
Call off the search! Apparently, the world's funn...
According to this story, a Christian conservative ...
First, a note about TV reviews: I won't write them...
From the fanboy/geek department: It seems that one...
And then there's the Roomba Intelligent Sweeper Va...
I didn't think anything could top yesterday's stor...
From the "this is why I'm a librarian" department:...
Okay, I was going to steer clear of the politics t...
Now, I'm not saying I advocate any sort of politic...
So, once again, we see that the American answer to...
Watched the premiere of Robbery Homicide Division ...
Anyone still laboring under the impression that co...
This is something you just don't see in the big ci...
I saw The Tuxedo today, the new Jackie Chan movie....
Okay, I must confess, I just read the online petit...
Earlier this week, a friend pointed me to an alleg...
Too early to post anything new today, but I wanted...
Welcome to my brand-new blog, written by a 30-some...


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The Republican Commitment to America
Stefanik Announces $12.9 Million for North Country Hospitals
Stefanik Stands Up for Second Amendment Rights
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik
About Congresswoman Stefanik
Vote Record
Email Congresswoman Stefanik
Parents: We Want To Hear From You
Border Security and Immigration
Economic Growth, Small Businesses, and Jobs
National Security and Defense
Standing Up For Law Enforcement
Veterans And Military Families
Military Service Academy Nominations
Tours and Tickets
Community Project Funding Requests
Travel and Visas from Afghanistan
Past Community Project Funding Requests
Telephone Town Hall Sign-Up
New York's 21st Congressional District shares hundreds of miles of border with Canada, and the economic partnership between the U.S. and Canada is vital to North Country small businesses, manufacturers, tourism, and communities.
Strengthening our U.S. - Canada Partnership
As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Northern Border Caucus, Congresswoman Stefanik has consistently worked with Canadian officials, state and local stakeholders, trade organizations, manufacturers, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Border Patrol to improve immigration, trade, and economic relations and partnerships across the Northern Border. She helped pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), which President Trump signed into law in 2018; and she led the effort to pass the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act, to increase commerce and border security between Canada and the United States. Congresswoman Stefanik has led and participated in numerous bilateral delegations and events highlighting the vital importance of Northern Border issues.
Supporting Border Law Enforcement
Customs and Border Protection and Border Patrol Agents protect the American people and the national security of the United States, as well as ensure strong economic commerce, tourism, and trade across the Northern Border. Congresswoman Stefanik continues to deliver important resources and funds to support them in this critical mission.
Fixing Our Broken Immigration System
Congresswoman Stefanik is strongly against amnesty and has continually voted in favor of measures to strengthen America's security on both the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders. On behalf of North Country farmers, Congresswoman Stefanik continues to strongly advocate for reforms to the broken H-2A program for agricultural labor.
More on Border Security and Immigration
Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Year 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 Filter by Issue Label -- Issues -- Agriculture Border Security and Immigration Economic Growth, Small Businesses, and Jobs Education Environment and Energy Health Care Infrastructure and Transportation National Security and Defense Second Amendment Spending Cuts and Debt Standing Up For Law Enforcement Supporting Seniors Veterans and Military Families
7/16/21 Stefanik Joins Fischbach in Letter to President Biden on Northern Border Closure
7/13/21 Stefanik Cosponsors Resolution in Support of DHS, ICE, and CBP
6/9/21 Stefanik Cosponsors Northern Border Reopening Transparency Act
6/9/21 Stefanik Urges President Biden to Discuss Northern Border During G-7 Summit with Prime Minister Trudeau
4/15/21 Stefanik, Katko Request Answers From President Biden on Northern Border Staffing Crisis
3/19/21 Stefanik Statement on President Biden's Proposal to Fly Illegal Immigrants to Northern Border States
3/18/21 Stefanik Votes Against House Democrats' Illegal Immigration Amnesty Bill
3/4/21 Stefanik Cosponsors Farm Workforce Modernization Act
2/23/21 Stefanik Again Urges President Biden to Discuss Northern Border Reopening with Prime Minister Trudeau
1/28/21 Stefanik & Higgins Lead Bipartisan Push for Action on US-Canada Border Policy
« First < Prev Next > Last »
137 Margaret Street, Suite 100
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
5 Warren Street, Suite 4
Watertown, NY 13601

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Washington Park is the second of Newark's original public commons. Like Military Park it is a long, narrow triangle, but lies on the opposite or west side of Broad Street. It is bounded on the south by Washington Place and on the west by Washington Street.
At the southeast corner of the park, on a sloping mound of turf, stands a bronze statue of Washington, heroic size, a bequest of the late Amos H. Van Horn (J. Massey Rhind, sculptor).
Washington is represented standing by his horse, and making his farewell address to his army at Rocky Hill, N. J. near Princeton, in 1783. The statue was unveiled in 1912.
To the east of the Washington statue and facing Halsey Street is a boulder with bronze tablet, commemorating the site of Newark's first Academy (erected May, 1916).
The inscription is as follows: "The first Academy in Newark was erected near this spot in 1774, by the gifts of generous citizens. Dedicated to learning, it found in time of war a new mission in the cause of liberty, giving useful service as a barracks and hospital for American troops. On the night of January 25th, 1780 it was burned to the ground by a raiding party of British, who crossed from N. Y. on the ice and surprised the town. This school was the forerunner of the present Newark Academy, which erected its first building in 1792, at the corner of Broad and Academy Streets. Placed by the trustees, teachers, graduates and students of Newark Academy, June, 1916."
Near the middle of the park is a bronze statue, heroic size, of the inventor Seth Boyden (1789-1879). Erected 1890, by the citizens of Newark (Karl Gerhardt, sculptor).
The statue represents Boyden as a mechanic, with a leather apron and with shirt sleeves rolled up. He stands beside an anvil, holding in his hand the model of the first locomotive built in New Jersey.
Among Mr. Boyden's notable achievements were (1810) a machine for cutting wrought iron nails; (1813) a machine for cutting and heading tacks; (1816) a machine for splitting leather, which is still used in splitting bookbinder's stock; (1819) the first patent leather ever manufactured in the United States; (1826) a process for making malleable cast iron; (1837) the first locomotive ever built in New Jersey.
North of the Boyden statue is a bronze bust of Dr. Abraham Coles, presented to the city in 1897, by his son, Dr. J. Ackerman Coles (J. Q. A. Ward, sculptor).
Dr. Coles was born in 1813 at Scotch Plains N. J. He came to Newark in 1836, devoted himself to the practice of medicine, and was for several years President of the Medical Society of New Jersey. He was also author and translator of numerous books, and is most widely known for his translations of Stabat Mater and Dies Irae.


Stratford-upon-Avon is internationally renowned for being home to the world famous Royal Shakespeare Company and the Shakespeare houses: five beautifully preserved Tudor homes and gardens which are all directly linked with William Shakespeare and his family.
A trip to Shakespeare's Birthplace is a must see for all visitors to the town as is a visit to Shakespeare's Schoolroom and Guildhall.
In the heart of England and surrounded by glorious countryside, Stratford-upon-Avon is a quintessentially pretty English town and a stroll through the streets lined with historic buildings, is a wonderful way to while away the hours. The River Avon runs through the heart of this historic town, so why not visit and soak up the atmosphere of this buzzing cultural town riverside and either take a boat trip with Avon Boating or simply relax with a picnic and enjoy the river views.
Well known for a fantastic variety of restaurants, bars and tea-rooms, foodies will be spoilt for choice with the selection of fine dining options on offer. Visit Eat & Drink for information on the best places to eat and drink in Stratford-upon-Avon.
In the surrounding countryside and historic towns you will find plenty to do to suit all tastes and all budgets. From unique attractions, theatres, historic buildings, museums, galleries and stately homes to idyllic villages, cycle paths, boat trips and guided walks, you will be spoilt for choice for things to see and do in and around Stratford-upon-Avon. Visit Things To Do for more information.
See Accommodation for recommended places to stay.


This Oracle Sales Cloud training is designed to provide those new to Sales Cloud with an overview of this solution's business benefits and capabilities. Through functional demonstrations, you'll gain an understanding of the navigation, key product features, and analytic capabilities of the Sales Cloud solution.
You'll learn about the key features and functionality offered by the different modules within Sales Cloud, including: Sales Force Automation, Sales Forecasting, Territory Management, Importing and Exporting Data, Creating custom Object and fields, Reporting & Analytics etc.
Oracle Sales Cloud is a customer relationship management solution that offers capabilities and features enabling companies to significantly grow through accelerated sales, improved customer engagement, and more. The software empowers your sales representatives to sell more because they are now driven by high value and very actionable insights.
Oracle Sales Cloud is also a perfect pipeline building solution as it enables you to utilize all channels at your disposal to stay ahead of your customers and deliver exceptional customer experience at every opportunity. Every individual in your company is involved in making sales, from field reps and operations to team leaders. Oracle Sales Cloud bridges all individuals and departments and helps address their customer data challenges, allowing them to improve and constantly deliver positive experiences with sales, marketing, and service.


For all taxes, ask to pay by monthly instalment, prelevement mensuel. It hurts a lot less.
Taxe fonciere is due in September, if you speak directly with the Tresor Public you can arrange for both it and the Taxe D'habitation to be paid monthly by a direct debit from a french bank account.


WordPress – change widget sidebar background colour – How do I ?
How do I in WordPress change the widget sidebar background colour to the custom colour appearance I want?
WordPress – change menu text and background colour – How do I ?
How do I in WordPress change the menu text and background colour to a custom appearance?


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Bridges New York Travel USA
High Bridge, New York
By Liv on Tuesday, July 28, 2015
After being closed for over 40 years, The High Bridge reopened as a pedestrian walkway this summer. Originally constructed as an aqueduct in 1848 (originally named the Aqueduct Bridge), it is the oldest bridge in New York City. Standing over the Harlem River, its eastern end connects the western tip of the Bronx near West 170th Street, with its western …
Events New York Travel USA
Smorgasburg Queens
By Liv on Sunday, July 12, 2015
Brooklyn has been home to Smorgasburg since May 2011. Every weekday from April through November, Smorgasburg features more than 100 regional and local food vendors. 2015 marks the year that this gastronomical fair came to the borough of Queens. I dropped by briefly to find never-ending lines for long-waits for diminishing supplies and choices of food. This was barely 3 …
New York Parks Travel USA
Socrates Sculpture Park
By Liv on Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Nestled amongst the mix of gentrification of new condos and old factories in Astoria is Socrates Sculpture Park. Its unassuming location and entrance makes it easy to miss, but it's certainly a must see. With ample shade-bearing trees, benches, picnic tables, and sprawling grass, it's a great way to spend an afternoon. The rotating sculpture collections always offer an eccentric …


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Дрегічану () — село у повіті Джурджу в Румунії. Входить до складу комуни Гогошарі.

Село розташоване на відстані 71 км на південний захід від Бухареста, 24 км на захід від Джурджу.

Населення
За даними перепису населення 2002 року у селі проживали  осіб, усі — румуни. Усі жителі села рідною мовою назвали румунську.

Примітки

Села повіту Джурджу

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


If you want to stay longer in Vietnam but your Vietnam Visa need to be extended, this article will help you with information how to apply to their visa extension for the temporary staying permission in Vietnam with the aim for traveling, visiting relatives, business or others.
Visa Extension means after having it, you will be permitted to have new staying duration in Vietnam. Please keep in your mind that you are allowed to stay more in Vietnam but reentering if you exit Vietnam before your visa invalid. This means after living Vietnam, if you want to come back, you must apply a new visa. Luckily, extension fee is not as expensive as renewal fee.
To the Vietnam visa extension fee, it's determined by your nationality, status of visa, types of the visa, port of entry, length of extension….
Your current kind of visa must be correspondent to your staying extending demand.
Stay in one additional month: If your current visa is one month single, one month multiple, three month single or three month multiple entry visa, you're allowed apply to extend visa in one additional month.
Stay in three additional months: If your current visa is three month single or three month multiple entry visa, you'll apply to extend visa in three additional months.
You must apply extending Vietnam Visa some days before your visa date expires, it'd better before at least 1 week (for 3 months visa, preferably 2 weeks). Because it takes you 7 days to finish as submitting your passport and requirement at Vietnam Immigration Department Office, so applying soon may help you active in some ways.
For Diplomatic, Official visas, and other kinds of visa ought to be applied through the official agencies or government or business sponsors or contact the Vietnam Immigration Department personally.
Where to get Vietnam visa extension?
In Ho Chi Minh City, the Immigration Department of Ho Chi Minh City will handle visa extension for foreigners.
If you are in India, you can get your Vietnam visa extension in Consulate/ Embassy of Vietnam near your house or let a visa agent do it. Below is address of Vietnam Consulate and Vietnam Embassy in India.
For more information of The Vietnam Embassy in India, you can take a look on this website https://india-consulate.org.vn, it is provided for news and service purpose.
Beside Extending Vietnam Visa, the Indian who have not had a Vietnam Visa before but want to enter Vietnam all need a visa. Instead of going Embassy/ Consulate, they can apply for a visa in an easy way: Just staying at home, accessing the Internet and doing some simple steps, you, as well, will get a Vietnam Visa. That means they can get a Visa Agent to help you get Vietnam Visa on Arrival and Visa stamped at Vietnam International Airports.
With the above information, we hope that we supply you the information about Vietnam Visa Extension in India. If you have any question, please feel free to contact us!


1903: In response to U.S. Navy reports of the killing of massive numbers of seabirds at Midway Island and complaints about Japanese squatters and poachers, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order No. 199A, placing Midway Islands under control of the Navy. Roosevelt sent 21 U.S. Marines to stop the slaughter of seabirds for feathers and eggs and to secure Midway as a U.S. possession.
1909: President Roosevelt issued Executive Order No. 1019 creating the Hawaiian Islands Bird Reservation around islands from Nihoa Island to Kure Atoll, to further protect these islands and their resources.
1940: FDR signed Presidential Proclamation No. 2416 changing the name of the Hawaiian Islands Reservation to the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge and broadening refuge purposes to protect all wildlife.
1967: Under President Johnson, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated French Frigate Shoals, Gardner Pinnacles, Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Necker Island, Nihoa Island, and Pearl and Hermes Reef and surrounding submerged lands within the Hawaiian Island National Wildlife Refuge as Research Natural Areas.
1988: President Reagan signed legislation designating Midway Island as a National Wildlife Refuge to protect and manage its biological and historic resources.
1996: President Clinton issued Executive Order No. 13022, transferring full jurisdiction of Midway Atoll and surrounding reefs from the Navy to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
2000 and 2001: President Clinton issued Executive Order No. 13158 directing the development of a plan to protect the NWHI coral reef ecosystem, and called for public participation in the design of additional protection measures for the NWHI. As a result of public comments and negotiations between President Clinton and Congress, the 2000 Amendments to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act authorized creation of a NWHI Reserve. President Clinton issued Executive Orders No. 13178 and No. 13196 in December 2000 and January 2001, creating the NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve.
2002: President Bush continued the 100-year history of presidential protection for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. His Administration prepared interim management measures designed to protect the Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. NOAA also held a series of public meetings to define an appropriate level of protection for the proposed NWHI sanctuary and disapproved rules allowing harvest of precious corals as inconsistent with the fishing restrictions established by the Executive Orders.
2004: Under President Bush, NOAA released draft goals and objectives for the proposed NWHI sanctuary. NOAA identified the purpose of the proposed sanctuary as the "long-term protection of the marine ecosystems in their natural character." The Administration's draft EIS for the proposed NWHI sanctuary is expected to be issued in Winter 2005 and a final decision is expected by the President in 2006.


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3587 WILSHIRE, Eugene, OR, 97405
Listing Agent: Karen Douglass
Courtesy of: Century 21 Nugget Realty
Address: 3587 WILSHIRE
City: Eugene
Beautiful, well maintained family home with a secluded, terraced, back garden. Lots of updates in the last few years, including roof in 2016. Radiant ceiling heat, no AC, upper decks, and lower covered patio. Close to schools, bus lines, nature trails, and shopping. Wildlife cruising by daily. Appliances to stay.
MccornackElementary School
KennedyMiddle School
ChurchillHigh School
Listing Agent: Karen Douglass Courtesy of: Century 21 Nugget Realty All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. The content relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the IDX program of the RMLS™ of Portland, Oregon. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Hybrid Real Estate are marked with the RMLS™ logo, and detailed information about these properties includes the names of the listing brokers. Some properties which appear for sale on this website may subsequently have sold or may no longer be available. Listing content is copyright © 2022 RMLS™, Portland, Oregon. Updated: 2nd February, 2023 1:07 AM (UTC)


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Visualization of a central bleed jet in an axisymmetric, compressible base flow
Bourdon, C. J. & Dutton, J. C., Feb 2003, In: Physics of fluids. 15, 2, p. 499-510 12 p.
Visualization of blast waves created by exploding bridge wires
Murphy, M. J., Adrian, R. J., Stewart, D. S., Elliott, G. S., Thomas, K. A. & Kennedy, J. E., 2005, In: Journal of Visualization. 8, 2, p. 125-135 11 p.
Visualization of construction progress monitoring with 4D simulation model overlaid on time-lapsed photographs
Golparvar-Fard, M., Pea-Mora, F., Arboleda, C. A. & Lee, S., 2009, In: Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. 23, 6, p. 391-404 14 p.
Visualization of convective fluid flow in a porous medium
Howle, L., Behringer, R. P. & Georgiadis, J., Jan 1 1993, In: Nature. 362, 6417, p. 230-232 3 p.
Visualization of early chromosome condensation: A hierarchical folding, axial glue model of chromosome structure
Kireeva, N., Lakonishok, M., Kireev, I., Hirano, T. & Belmont, A. S., Sep 13 2004, In: Journal of Cell Biology. 166, 6, p. 775-785 11 p.
Visualization of electrolytic reactions at a plasma-liquid interface
Rumbach, P., Griggs, N., Sankaran, R. M. & Go, D. B., Oct 1 2014, In: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 42, 10, p. 2610-2611 2 p., 6823181.
Visualization of events using Twitter and Instagram
Giridhar, P. & Abdelzaher, T., May 2 2017, 2017 IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops, PerCom Workshops 2017. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., p. 82-84 3 p. 7917530. (2017 IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops, PerCom Workshops 2017).
Visualization of focal nuclear sites of DNA repair synthesis induced by bleomycin in human cells
Tomilin, N. V., Solovjeva, L. V., Svetlova, M. P., Pleskach, N. M., Zalenskaya, I. A., Yau, P. M. & Bradbury, E. M., 2001, In: Radiation Research. 156, 4, p. 347-354 8 p.
Visualization of G1 chromosomes: A folded, twisted, supercoiled chromonema model of interphase chromatid structure
Belmont, A. S. & Bruce, K., Oct 1994, In: Journal of Cell Biology. 127, 2, p. 287-302 16 p.
Visualization of gene activity in living cells
Tsukamoto, T., Hashiguchi, N., Janicki, S. M., Tumbar, T., Belmont, A. S. & Spector, D. L., 2000, In: Nature Cell Biology. 2, 12, p. 871-878 8 p.
Visualization of hoar frost with confocal microscopy
Georgiadis, J. G., Greywall, P. & Tenbusch, A., Dec 1 1994, In: American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Heat Transfer Division, (Publication) HTD. 284, p. 171-175 5 p.
Visualization of injection molding
Ellson, R. & Cox, D., Nov 1988, In: SIMULATION. 51, 5, p. 184-188 5 p.
Visualization of large data sets using high-resolution 3-D tools for improved geologic mapping and modeling
O'Keeffe, A., Napier, B. & Keefer, D. A., 2011, Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America. Boulder, CO: Geological Society of America, Vol. 43. p. 39
Visualization of large-scale chromatin structure and dynamics using the lac operator/lac repressor reporter system
Belmont, A. S., Li, G., Sudlow, G. & Robinett, C., 1999, In: Methods in Cell Biology. 58, p. 203-222 20 p.
Visualization of material stiffness in geomechanics analysis
Wotring, D. C. & Hashash, Y. M. A., Jan 1 2006, In: International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics. 30, 1, p. 21-44 24 p.
Visualization of mixing at density current front with laser-induced fluorescence
Parsons, J. D. & Garcia, M. H., Jan 1 1995, p. 998-1001. 4 p.
Visualization of natural convection in ordered and disordered porous layers
Howle, L. E., Behringer, R. P. & Georgiadis, J. G., Dec 1 1993, Experimental and Numerical Flow Visualization. White, F. M. (ed.). Publ by ASME, p. 387-395 9 p. (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fluids Engineering Division (Publication) FED; vol. 172).
Visualization of perforin/gasdermin/complement-formed pores in real cell membranes using atomic force microscopy
Liu, Y., Zhang, T., Zhou, Y., Li, J., Liang, X., Zhou, N., Lv, J., Xie, J., Cheng, F., Fang, Y., Gao, Y., Wang, N. & Huang, B., Jun 1 2019, In: Cellular and Molecular Immunology. 16, 6, p. 611-620 10 p.
Visualization of pore level flow fields in porous media via lattice gas automaton
He, X. S., Georgiadis, J. G. & Hartman, R. W., 1993, Experimental and Numerical Flow Visualization. White, F. M. (ed.). Publ by ASME, p. 377-385 9 p. (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fluids Engineering Division (Publication) FED; vol. 172).
Visualization of power system data
Overbye, T. J. & Weber, J. D., Jan 1 2000, Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. IEEE, 1 p. (Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences).
Visualization of power system wide-area, time varying information
Gegner, K. M., Overbye, T. J., Shetye, K. S. & Weber, J. D., Apr 25 2016, 2016 IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois, PECI 2016. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 7459263. (2016 IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois, PECI 2016).
Visualization of R410A Flow Boiling Inside Horizontal Smooth Tubes under Diabatic Conditions
Yang, C. M. & Hrnjak, P., 2021, In: Heat Transfer Engineering. 42, 15, p. 1237-1248 12 p.
Visualization of semileptonic form factors from lattice QCD
Bernard, C., Detar, C., Di Pierro, M., El-Khadra, A. X., Evans, R. T., Freeland, E. D., Gamiz, E., Gottlieb, S., Heller, U. M., Hetrick, J. E., Kronfeld, A. S., Laiho, J., Levkova, L., MacKenzie, P. B., Okamoto, M., Oktay, M. B., Simone, J. N., Sugar, R., Toussaint, D. & Van De Water, R. S., Aug 21 2009, In: Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology. 80, 3, 034026.
Visualization of Taylor-Couette and spiral Poiseuille flows using a snapshot FLASH spatial tagging sequence
Moser, K. W., Raguin, L. G., Harris, A., Morris, H. D., Georgiadis, J., Shannon, M. & Philpott, M., Feb 2000, In: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 18, 2, p. 199-207 9 p.
Visualization of the Bulle-Effect at river bifurcations
Dutta, S., Fischer, P., Van Moer, M. W. & Garcia, M. H., Jul 22 2018, Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2018: Seamless Creativity, PEARC 2018. Association for Computing Machinery, a107. (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series).
Visualization of the effects of spiral angle on the enhancement of in-tube flow boiling in microfin tubes: Discussion
Mathur, G. D. & Hrnjak, P., 2002, In: ASHRAE Transactions. 108 PART 2, p. 516 1 p.
Visualization of the intensity field of a focused ultrasound source in Situ
Nguyen, T. N., Do, M. N. & Oelze, M. L., Jan 2019, In: IEEE transactions on medical imaging. 38, 1, p. 124-133 10 p., 8413139.
Visualization of the intensity field of a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) source in situ
Nguyen, T., Do, M. & Oelze, M. L., Nov 13 2015, 2015 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, IUS 2015. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 7329415. (2015 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, IUS 2015).
Visualization of the nanospring dynamics of the IκBα ankyrin repeat domain in real time
Lamboy, J. A., Kim, H., Lee, K. S., Ha, T. & Komives, E. A., Jun 21 2011, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 108, 25, p. 10178-10183 6 p.
Visualization of tropical cyclone-ocean interactions
Bock, D., Jul 9 2017, PEARC 2017 - Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2017: Sustainability, Success and Impact. Association for Computing Machinery, a79. (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series; vol. Part F128771).
Visualization of trustworthiness graphs
Mayhew, S. & Roth, D., May 18 2015, WWW 2015 Companion - Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on World Wide Web. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, p. 959-964 6 p. (WWW 2015 Companion - Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on World Wide Web).
Visualization of two-phase flow of R410A in horizontal smooth and axial micro-finned tubes
Yang, C. M. & Hrnjak, P., Aug 2019, In: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. 138, p. 49-58 10 p.
Visualization of two-phase flow through distributors and effect on performance of evaporators
Yao, Y., Konepudi, R. & Hrnjak, P., 2019, ICR 2019 - 25th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration. Minea, V. (ed.). International Institute of Refrigeration, p. 1215-1222 8 p. 840. (Refrigeration Science and Technology; vol. 2019-August).
Visualization of two-phase refrigerant and refrigerant-oil flow in a microchannel
Field, B. S. & Hrnjak, P. S., 2007, Heat Transfer, Fluid Flows, and Thermal Systems. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Vol. 8. p. 1647-1656 10 p.
Visualization reference models
Butler, D. M., Almond, J. C., Bergeron, R. D., Brodlie, K. W. & Haber, R. B., Oct 25 1993, Proceedings of the 4th Conference on Visualization, VIS 1993. Bergeron, D. & Nielson, G. (eds.). Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, p. 337-342 6 p. (Proceedings of the 4th Conference on Visualization, VIS 1993).
Visualization Research on Low-Temperature Ignition and Combustion Characteristics of Diesel/Gasoline Blends under Cold-Start Conditions
Shi, Z., Lee, C. F., Wu, H., Li, H., Wu, Y., Zhang, L. & Liu, F., Jun 1 2020, In: Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power. 142, 6, 061011.
Visualizations: Speech, language & autistic spectrum disorder
Hailpern, J., Karahalios, K. G., Halle, J., DeThorne, L. & Coletto, M. K., 2008, p. 3591-3596. 6 p.
Visualizations and measurements of axisymmetric base flows altered by surface disturbances
Bourdon, C. J. & Dutton, J. C., 2001.
Visualizations for power system contingency analysis data
Sun, Y. & Overbye, T. J., Nov 2004, In: IEEE Transactions on Power Systems. 19, 4, p. 1859-1866 8 p.
Visualizations of cross-cultural bibliographic classification: comparative studies of the Korean Decimal Classification and the Dewey Decimal Classification
Choi, I., 2017, NASKO. Vol. 6. p. 39-55
Visualization Study of the Relationship between the Orientation of Tube and the Flow Regimes near the Expansion Valve
Zhang, Y. & Elbel, S., Apr 14 2020, In: SAE Technical Papers. 2020-April, April
Visualization study on the impacts of duct length on macroscopic spray characteristics of ducted fuel injection under nonvaporizing conditions
Li, F., Lee, C. F., Wang, Z. & Pei, Y., 2019, In: Atomization and Sprays. 29, 9, p. 821-839 19 p.
Visualization techniques for engineering mechanics
Haber, R., 1990, In: Computing Systems in Engineering. 1, 1, p. 37-50 14 p.
Visualizing, Measuring, and Tuning Adaptive MPI Parameters
Diener, M., White, S. & Kale, L. V., 2019, Programming and Performance Visualization Tools - International Workshops, ESPT 2017 and VPA 2017, Revised Selected Papers. Bhatele, A., Boehme, D., Levine, J. A., Malony, A. D. & Schulz, M. (eds.). Springer, p. 219-230 12 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 11027 LNCS).
Visualizing actor programs using predicate transition nets
Miriyala, S., Agha, G. & Sami, Y., Jun 1992, In: Journal of Visual Languages and Computing. 3, 2, p. 195-220 26 p.
Visualizing a sphere eversion
Francis, G. & Sullivan, J. M., Sep 2004, In: IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. 10, 5, p. 509-515 7 p.
Visualizing audio in group table conversation
Karahalios, K. & Bergstrom, T., 2006, Proceedings of the First IEEE International Workshop on Horizontal Interactive Human-Computer Systems, TABLETOP'06. p. 131-132 2 p. 1579204. (Proceedings of the First IEEE International Workshop on Horizontal Interactive Human-Computer Systems, TABLETOP'06; vol. 2006).
Visualizing biological complexity in cephalopod skin: A synergy of art and science technologies
Kripke, E., Senft, S., Mozzherin, D. & Hanlon, R., Oct 25 2015, In: Leonardo. 48, 5, p. 486-487 2 p.
Visualizing building performance in the design of the envelope
Brakke, A. P. & Velasco, R., 2013, Envisioning Arhcitecture: design, Evaluation, and Communication. Rome: Edizioni Nuova Cultura, p. 109-116 8 p.
Visualizing chromosome dynamics with GFP
Belmont, A. S., Jun 2001, In: Trends in Cell Biology. 11, 6, p. 250-257 8 p.


This occurs when specific permission is not granted. The permission is named "Write and delete call history". Follow the steps below to solve this.
1. Open Security app -> Permissions.
2. Find Truecaller app in the list.
3. Scroll to "Write and delete call history" permission, tap to it and select Accept option.


text:
5 practices to make your hybrid workplace inclusive
View source: Grace Lordan, Teresa Almeida, Lindsay Kohler
Summary. As you craft your company's hybrid work plans and policies, be aware of the inequities hybrid work can create or make worse. Designing with five practical dimensions of inclusion in mind is critical for creating an equitable organization. First, create a positive…more
As pandemic restrictions ease, it's clear that one big change to the way we work is here to stay: hybrid working. However, these environments run the risk of creating new inequities and exacerbating those that already exist. For employers to ensure fairness, maximize performance, and maintain cultural cohesion in hybrid work arrangements, they need to consider these five practical dimensions of inclusion when designing hybrid policies and navigating new ways of working.
Recruitment and Remote Onboarding
With recruitment and onboarding practices shifting to virtual in the last year, many new hires had never met their future teams in person before accepting their jobs. Many HR decision-makers believe they will continue interviewing graduates virtually in the future. This approach has benefits: First, it reduces the cost of entry for graduates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who may not be able to relocate for a job. It also provides an opportunity to review existing onboarding practices and take into account the different experiences, backgrounds, and expectations new team members bring in.
To create a more consistent onboarding experience, we can take lessons from what we learned during the pandemic about how people best received information while at home. For example, universities that moved their teaching online found that chunking long lectures into approximately 15-minute bursts worked best. Firms can create a catalog of short videos that describe all aspects of onboarding, such as walkthroughs on how to set up technology and navigate processes. The employer can then bring together new joiners for a session where they ask questions about the videos in small groups of five people or fewer. Together, the video catalog and intimate seminar set the scene for a consistent onboarding experience while catering to individual needs.
An important part of being successful at work is having the right setup and training to do your job. Remote work places increasing value on being technically capable, and getting up and running when working from home has become an essential skill. For those who are less tech savvy, setting up a makeshift home office did not come naturally. Others may not have even been provided with the necessary equipment or have the means to purchase it — exposing an equity gap. Before the pandemic, an onsite IT technician would typically set up an employee's laptop, phone, and monitor; troubleshoot any network or software issues; and generally be on hand for those prevalent "How do I do…?" questions. Giving people an option during onboarding to self-select their level of technological savviness can help employers determine and schedule remote IT assistance so employees are provided for.
Furthermore, once in the role training may be inconsistent and dependent on the quality of one's manager. In an office, it's easier to pick up information and the ways of working via osmosis. Remote workers' learning curve could be steeper than those who go into the office frequently — and thus they might get labeled as less competent or productive than their onsite peers.
Companies can implement a buddy system, pairing new starters with a more experienced employee. This person becomes the go-to for the day-to-day informal questions and company information, which helps ensure that remote employees don't miss out on the informal learning those in the office benefit from.
Physical distance can lead to psychological distance. It's much easier to check in on colleagues when sharing a physical space. Often, one glance is enough to tell if Sarah over in finance is having a bad day. Office exchanges with colleagues outside immediate working areas or departments have a positive effect on organizational functioning and can impact effective performance. These informal communications contribute to an organization's culture and functionality more than communication tools like email and instant messaging do.
One solution is to open the virtual office door. In the past, an open physical door signaled that it was okay to walk in and speak with your colleague. Without visible cues for how busy a colleague is, people might hesitate to reach out to them. When working remotely, make use of the trusty status bar. A message like "Open for chats!" along with a green status circle gives permission to bridge the distance gap. Companies can also develop a sense of place with virtual reality and virtual meeting rooms to create a sense of belonging and sharing. The virtual meeting technology space is burgeoning, giving employers more and more options for how to bring these rooms to life.
Another inclusion impact of hybrid working is the potential for silent bullying. While one advantage of remote work is that it's somewhat easier to avoid the office bully, a downside is that it can also lead to more interpersonal conflict in general. When someone already feels marginalized, it may be harder for them to speak up. Losing those perspectives decreases the quality of a team's performance, particularly on high-complexity or creative tasks where alternatives and discussion can be pivotal.
Fostering an environment where all voices are heard requires increasing psychological safety so that your people feel they can speak up when there's interpersonal conflict. One way to do this is to show what healthy conflict looks like. Employees must feel they can have the necessary hard conversations in a productive and judgment-free zone. After all, engaging in civil debate is healthy! It shows that people within teams can hold conflicting viewpoints, and that that's okay.
Team Cohesion
Additionally, in times of economic uncertainty, employees are more likely to form in-groups, usually along some dimension of similarity. While the impact of these in-groups on belonging may be obvious, the business impacts are less so. Unfortunate side effects include exclusion from key conversations and reluctance to share information. These groups can even dictate who gets assigned key projects or accounts. Team members who return to the office while others work remotely might form a "group within a group" where those at home are less involved in resolving team issues and knowledge sharing and can be seen as less helpful than colleagues in the office.
One effective way to break up these in-groups is to ensure information flows smoothly and diffusely through an organization by identifying "weak ties." In social networks, ties are the relationships between different people, and their strength depends on the amount of time, intensity, and proximity between people. Strong ties, such as those between colleagues on the same team, form part of dense networks and are important for building intra-team cohesion. However, weak ties, such as acquaintances or casual contacts, should not be overlooked, as they're critical in diffusing information throughout organizations: They provide unique connections between two points, acting as a bridge between information silos.
Within teams, it's also important to ensure people don't fall into the fundamental attribution error, where personal or co-located workers' failures are attributed to the situation while the failures of those working from home are attributed to their dispositions. It's harder to understand the context of people who are far away, so encouraging people to provide an explanation for their actions can help others understand their situation and build stronger team cohesion.
Proximity to managers has been shown to increase promotion rates when men report to other men. This may be caused by a perceived relationship between productivity and visibility, even though no such relationship has ever been established. In the end, it's the beliefs about productivity and performance that determine pay, promotions, and opportunities. In a post-pandemic world, we may well see unexplained gaps between those who work remotely and those who get onsite face time with the boss.
Productivity — and therefore performance — varies widely based on one's environment. For example, you really are more creative in the neighborhood coffee shop. Having plants in the workplace can improve attention and productivity levels. And working in a space with good ventilation and air quality improves performance.
In a hybrid working world, one's home environment will play a starring role in terms of output. Those with money and privilege likely have a dedicated home office, whereas others may be more likely to be in a shared apartment and work from a less-than-ideal space, like the kitchen counter. As the number of people working together in a space rises and the square footage per person decreases, a decline in productivity can be expected. This also causes another problem: the fight for Wi-Fi bandwidth. In an internal study of Microsoft employees, 59% reported having to use their phone as a hotspot in order to avoid connection disruptions. Whether children are in the working environment also impacts productivity. According to one study, 85% of women with childcare responsibilities reported that their caregiving responsibilities were making it somewhat or much more difficult to attend to work, as did 70% of men who were caregivers.
In a hybrid world, it's also natural to see shifting reward mechanisms, some of which can leave people out. How has who gets paid attention to and why changed? Traits that were perceived as valuable in an in-person office and subsequently rewarded may not be as effective virtually. For instance, having a greater willingness to communicate and feeling comfortable initiating social relationships may be harder to see in remote environments.
One way to keep an eye on the impact of shifting reward mechanisms is to audit who gets what and why — and make sure people know about it. This accomplishes two things. First, you'll start to see patterns emerging that favor one group over others. Second, drawing attention to the fact that this monitoring of who gets promoted is happening encourages managers to pay attention to their allocations.
As you craft your company's hybrid work plans and policies, be aware of the inequities hybrid work can create or make worse. Designing with these practical dimensions of inclusion in mind is critical for creating an equitable organization.


STOCKTON � Stockton developers and a building industry lobby shop have sued the city, challenging its recent adoption of a requirement that those who pave over farmland must pay to preserve farmland elsewhere.
Developers A.G. Spanos Construction Inc. and Grupe Investment Co. Inc., claimed in a lawsuit filed late last week that the rule unfairly burdens them �� and not other residents �� with the task of preserving farmland. The Building Industry Association of the Delta filed a similar lawsuit on the same day.
City officials said the rule is legal and an appropriate way to compensate for farmland lost to development.
For more of this story, pick up Friday�s Record.


text:
package Archivos;

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    }

    public String getUsuario() {
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Erich Schaeder (22 December 1861 – 18 February 1936) was a German Protestant theologian.

He studied theology at the universities of Berlin and Greifswald, where in 1891 he qualified as a lecturer. In 1894 he became an associate professor of theology at the University of Königsberg, and later on, served as a full professor at the universities of Kiel (from 1899) and Breslau (from 1918).

Schaeder was a leading advocate of theocentric theology. Through his criticism of 19th-century theological anthropocentrism, he was one of the founders of dialectical theology.

Selected works
 Die Bedeutung des lebendigen Christus fur die Rechtfertigung nach Paulus, 1891 – The importance of the living Christ for justification to Paul the Apostle.
 Die Christologie der Bekenntnisse und die moderne Theologie : zwei Vorträge (with Adolf Schlatter; 1905) – The Christology of confessions and modern theology: two lectures.
 Das Evangelium Jesu und das Evangelium von Jesus, 1906 – Jesus the Evangelist and the Gospel of Jesus.
 Der Moderne Mensch und die Kirche, 1907 – Modern man and the church.
 Natur und Christentum : vier Vorträge (with Karl Bornhäuser, Wilhelm Lütgert and Georg Lasson; 1907) – Nature and Christianity: four lectures.
 Schriftglaube und Heilsgewissheit : Vorlesungen, 1908 – Scripture faith and assurance of salvation: lectures.
 Theologie und geschichte, 1909 – Theology and history.
 Theozentrische Theologie : eine Untersuchung zur dogmatische Prinzipienlehre (2 volumes, 1909–14) –  Theocentric theology: an investigation into the dogmatic doctrine of principles.

References

1861 births
1936 deaths
People from Goslar (district)
University of Greifswald alumni
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni
Academic staff of the University of Kiel
Academic staff of the University of Breslau
Academic staff of the University of Königsberg
19th-century German Protestant theologians
20th-century German Protestant theologians


Keeping thorough records of work-related expenses can save you loads of cash come tax time.
In fact, eTax revealed that real estate agents topped the list of Australian occupations when it comes to claiming the most tax deductions. Real estate agents on average claim $8,634 on annual tax returns, compared to the average Aussie who claims $3,041.
This is put down to the nature of working as a real estate agent where a lot of work-related expenses are incurred day to day that the employer typically doesn't offset.
We've put together a short list of the most common deductible expenses you may be entitled to claim on your 2017-18 tax return, so you don't miss anything this tax time.
Remember to make any of the following claims you MUST have personally spent the cash and not been reimbursed, the expense is directly related to earning your income and you have the records to prove it.
You can claim public transport fares and running costs of a car for trips between two places of work (i.e. inspections and the office), but not for journeys to and from work and home. To keep track of your travel expenses you can use the cents per kilometre method or keep a logbook to track distances travelled for work.
Travel expenses can also include meals and accommodation for work duties, and a portion of petrol, car services, car wash, registration, tolls and parking costs.
If you work from home you can claim a number of home office expenses. Any work-related items that cost less than $300 can be claimed as a deduction (i.e. stationary, ink cartridges and printers). For work-related items that cost more than $300 you claim a deduction based on the decline in its value over time (i.e. office furniture and computers).
You can also claim a percentage of the running costs of your home office (i.e. electricity for lighting, heating and cooling, work-related phone costs and internet). However, you can't claim your mortgage, rent or insurance costs.
To claim any clothing related expenses (including purchases, laundry, mending and dry cleaning) they must be related to a compulsory uniform or corporate wardrobe which bears a business logo that is unique and distinctive to your employer (such as a tie, shirt or blazer).
This is where a lot of people trip up and attempt to claim expenses they're not entitled to. Just a reminder you can't claim cosmetics, haircuts, grooming products or the cost to buy or clean plain clothing that you only wear to work.
If you're claiming clothing remember to keep evidence including receipts and how you calculated the claim.
You can claim deductions on gifts (e.g. wine, flowers and hampers) & greeting cards for clients, but only if you earn income from commission. Note: You can't claim deductions for entertainment gifts (e.g. sporting events, movie tickets or holiday vouchers), so be strategic when choosing your settlement gifts!
Property presentation costs (cushions, plants, flowers etc.).
Professional publication subscriptions and reading materials (e.g. Elite Agent Magazine or newspapers with property sections).
Annual renewal of Certificate of Registration (except for the initial Certificate of Registration).
Briefcases or handbags used primarily to carry work-related items.
A portion of fees for education, conferences and training.
We hope these tips help you maximise your tax return and prevent you from missing any work-related expenses from last financial year.
Disclaimer: This is only a general guide to common deductions real estate agents make at tax time and is not intended as a substitute for financial advice. Check out ato.gov.au and consult with an accountant or tax agent to check the finer details of your tax return if you're unsure about what records are required to make certain deductions.
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