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'Dear George…' A letter from Ed Balls about tax avoidance
Posted by Mike Sivier in Conservative Party, Corruption, Politics, Tax, UK
Ed Balls, George Osborne, letter, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, tax avoidance, Vox Political
Labour really isn't going to let the Tories off the hook about tax avoidance. Ed Balls wrote a letter to George Osborne today, outlining what he considers to be the main issues. Here's the text of that letter in full. Feel free to compare and contrast with the interpretations in the mass media.
It has now been over a week since the full story about tax evasion and HSBC became public. There are a number of questions which you have failed to answer over the last eight days and which cannot continue to be brushed under the carpet:
1. Why has there only been one prosecution out of 1,100 names? Was the "selective prosecution policy" a decision made by Ministers?
Detailed information was passed to this government in May 2010 about 1,100 HSBC clients allegedly guilty of tax evasion or avoidance and yet since then there has been just one prosecution.
In November 2012 a senior HMRC official told The Times that the government had adopted "a selective prosecution policy" towards cases related to HSBC. Later that month HMRC told the Public Accounts Committee that "another dozen" criminal prosecutions were to follow. However, there have been none since.
Given the scale of the alleged wrongdoing, can you explain why only one prosecution has been made and what role Ministers played in deciding on "a selective prosecution policy" for those accused of tax evasion? People would expect you to have been either involved in, or at least aware of, a decision of this seriousness.
Why did the Financial Secretary to the Treasury claim in the House of Commons last week that the government was provided this data "under very strict conditions", when the French Finance Minister has since suggested otherwise?
2. When were you first made aware of these files, what action did you take and did you discuss it with the Prime Minister?
While a Downing Street spokesperson claimed last week that "no government minister" had any knowledge of what happened at HSBC, the Chief Executive of HMRC has since revealed that Ministers were in fact informed about these files after they were received:
"We are confident we will have told Ministers that we were about to receive a big tranche of operational information," she said. "We will have told people, including Ministers, I suspect some time in the next few months [after the data was received]."
Lin Homer, Chief Executive HMRC, Public Accounts Committee, 11 February 2015
When were you and Treasury Ministers first made aware of these files and did you take any action as a result? If not, what were the reasons for this inaction? Did you ever discuss this with the Prime Minister?
3. Why did you and David Cameron appoint Lord Green as a Conservative peer and Minister months after the government received these files?
Lord Stephen Green was Chairman of HSBC 2006-2010 and was appointed a Conservative Peer in September 2010 and then as Trade Minister by David Cameron in January 2011.
This was several months after the government was given information from the French government in May 2010. There had also been extensive public coverage of this investigation since 2010.
For example, on 26 September 2010, the Sunday Telegraph reported that HMRC is investigating more than 200 "extremely wealthy" British taxpayers suspected of tax evasion totalling "many millions of pounds". It adds that they are "believed to have failed to declare huge sums of interest from private deposit accounts with HSBC's bank in Switzerland." (Sunday Telegraph, 26 September 2010,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/expat-money/8025527/HMRC-launches-tax-evasion-probe-into-Swiss-account-holders.html).
Why was Lord Green appointed months after the government had this information? Can you provide details of the due diligence carried out by the government in advance of Lord Green's appointment?
4. Did you and David Cameron discuss tax evasion at HSBC with Lord Green, or did you turn a blind eye? Did you discuss allegations of money laundering at HSBC during Lord Green's time at HSBC which led to the bank being fined $1.9bn?
Did you or Treasury Ministers ever discuss what happened at HSBC with Lord Green in the almost three years in which he was a Conservative Minister? The Prime Minister failed to answer this question four times in the House of Commons last week.
Did you or Treasury Ministers ever discuss allegations of money laundering at HSBC during Lord Green's time in charge of the bank, which first became public in July 2012 following an investigation by the US Senate Homeland Security Sub Committee and which led to the bank being fined $1.9bn in December 2012? When were you and Treasury Ministers first made aware of the findings of this inquiry?
If you or your Ministers did not ever raise any of these issues with Lord Green while he was a Minister or before his appointment, would this not be remiss given the scale of wrongdoing which you would have been aware of?
5. Why did you sign a deal with the Swiss authorities in 2012 which prevents the UK from actively obtaining similar information in the future?
The Swiss tax deal, which you heralded in the 2012 Autumn Statement, has not only raised a fraction of the sums promised, it also seems to tie the hands of HMRC and the UK government for the future. The following declaration was made by the Treasury:
Declaration of the United Kingdom concerning the acquisition of customer data stolen from Swiss banks:
The Government of the United Kingdom declares on the occasion of the signing of the Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Swiss Confederation on cooperation in the area of taxation that it will not actively seek to acquire customer data stolen from Swiss banks.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/356884/declaration-acquisition.pdf
This deal means that the government may never again be able to get hold of the sort of information it received in 2010 about tax evasion and which is at the centre of this scandal. This deal was also made while Lord Green was a Conservative Minister and years after this government was first given information about tax evasion in May 2010.
Why did you sign this declaration and what advice were you given about how it would impede HMRC and the government's ability to act in the future?
Did Lord Green have any involvement in the Swiss tax deal while he was a Trade Minister and did he ever give any advice to the Treasury on it?
Given the significant public interest in this matter, I am making this letter public. It is notable that you have not given any live broadcast interviews or given a statement in the House of Commons on this issue. However, these questions cannot continue to be ignored and I look forward to hearing from you.
Ed Balls
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11 thoughts on "'Dear George…' A letter from Ed Balls about tax avoidance"
M de Mowbray said:
Well done Ed Balls, please keep up the pressure!
Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) said:
Thank you for posting this excellent request for information and I hope that the Labour party will now keep up the pressure.
Do we care about a minority of the population of criminals and even fewer super rich using foreign banks to aid tax evasion, even if within the letter of the law but not the spirit?
A tax barrister has informed of a far bigger, but entirely legal tax loophole, that permits employers to evade National Insurance and PAYE on huge numbers of the low waged, leaving them out of the welfare state and with no state pension in the future.
This is the return of the Truck System that is now called the salary sacrifice system.
This is when it can be seen that work does not pay.
I'll look into this as I'd not heard of it.
This was on the Ipswich Unemployed blog in a comment.
That spoke of a Channel 4 Dispatches programme called
Low Pay Britain on 19 January 2015.
http://www.recruiter.co.uk/news/2015/01/dispatches-investigates-low-paid-workers-and-tax-avoiding-employers/
Half of UK's part time staff are falling out of the welfare state as they are below the lower entitlement level to pay NI contributions or get automatic NI credits if between the LEL and the primary threshold for NI.
And Channel 4 told us that 30 per cent of jobs created since 2008 have been part time.
These are the people that are within my flat rate state pension petition as now just 1 year NI record gives you a pro rata state pension.
But the flat rate state pension for those retiring from 2016, gives them nil state pension for less than 10 years NI credits / contribution history.
But even if in the primary threshold then there is another change that is cutting NI record that also cuts substantially or ends state pension.
See why under my petition, in my WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT at:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/state-pension-at-60-now
The Tories should be held accountable, and every government since 1979. It's a good old political punch up and it makes good press, but what is anyone in power going to do about it? We are too focused on 'shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted'. We need to focus on what we need to do now and no one in Westminster is suggesting anything radical.
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/tax-spending/what-we-need-to-do-is-obvious/
https://www.accountancymagazine.com/uk's-17000-page-tax-code-should-be-burned-–-cbi
You're seriously suggesting an article from the Adam Smith mob calling for the state to be shrunk, Tory-style, is the answer to Tory-style tax avoidance?
I'm just showing the fact, that if writer's for the Guardian, the CBI, Adam Smith.org and a host of others think it's an overblown mess then there is a strong case to start again. And not just add to the current mess of loopholes, which may well happen as Ed Balls is taking advice from PWC! Of course if the tax system were simple then lots of over paid accountants would be out of a job. And yes the state is far too big and has been interfering in peoples lives far to much and in the most draconian ways i.e. the bedroom tax for starters! I'm very much a libertarian, having said that I do not agree with very much that is on adamsmith.org, I think Adam Smith would be turning in his grave if he could see what they are writing in his name. If you haven't read 'The Wealth of Nations' you should Mike.
I'm not going to argue about any advice given by PwC, of course.
The problem with your argument is the same as with all 'simplification' arguments. Why not have a flat rate of tax for everyone? Because the rich will benefit and the poor will be harmed.
Your argument that the state is too large is undermined by your use of the Bedroom Tax as an example – it was created by the Tories, whose aim is – you guessed it – a smaller state.
I could quote many other arguments against what you're saying, but I think the point is made.
Yes, the UK tax code is overcomplicated, but don't ally yourself with small-staters who have their own personal agendas in mind.
A-brightfuture said:
Is there no end to the Tory agenda!
So now we know why The little people are being brow beaten regarding their own tax concerns..We are paying for the tory glory.
The tax evasion/avoidance by the rich, have run the pot dry, and its the working poor that has to prop it up. No wonder Osborne wants to shrink the state, and privatise everything that's not nailed down.
Leaves a nasty taste.
Michele Witchy Eve said:
As they rightly point out in their latest issue, Private Eye have been publishing about the Swiss/HSBC tax question for several years now, not to mention several other HSBC naughty goings-on. As they also point out, Private Eye is read within the walls of Westminster – so how could it *not* be known about until now? Someone is being a bit disingenuous.


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Food industry aim:
Get adolescents to eat and drink products binge-like as an automated behavior on cue,
The brain converts a sequence of actions into an automatic routine ["chunking"]. The basal ganglia store the habit.
Habits emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort [effort-saving instinct]. Duhigg (2012): "An efficient brain … allows us to stop thinking constantly about basic behaviors, such as walking and choosing what to eat".
either by internal cues [emotions or experiences are associated with a product so that the product is consumed when these emotions or experiences occur]
Eyal (2014): "Feelings of boredom, loneliness, frustration, confusion, and indecisiveness often instigate a slight pain or irritation and prompt an almost instantaneous and often mindless action to quell the negative sensation."
or by external cues [product producer content that triggers consumption of the product].
Living Loud (2017): "Great advertising is designed to quietly influence people, to go consciously unnoticed, that's why 62% of people think advertising doesn't affect their purchase decisions."
Living Loud (2017): "A study by Yale university showed that children, aged 7-11, watching cartoons with food ads ate 45 per cent more snack food than children watching the same show with non-food related ads."
An et al. (2014): "In this study, exposure to advergames promoting HFSS products among children 7–12 years old was linked with increased consumption of HFSS products in general, not just the advertised brands or products. This study also found that children who were exposed to advergames promoting fruit subsequently consumed more fruit, but not at the expense of HFSS foods. In other words, children who played advergames promoting either healthy or unhealthy foods consumed more snacks than children who played games promoting non-food related products or did not play advergames at all. An and Kang (2014) have argued that the impact of advergames for unhealthy food products is potentially twofold: on the one hand these games promote the advertised brand or product, but on the other hand they also promote a type of food and eating habits that are nutritionally at odds with a recommended child diet."
Food industry means:
(1) Marketing
Provide external cues
and forge internal cues
by means of immersing adolescents online in a branded environment, own and on social network sites, for longer periods of time by sending multimedia messages, personalized interactivity, and providing one-on-one communication.
British Heart Foundation (2011): "The internet enables advertisers to capture children's attention for longer periods of time compared with traditional forms of advertising. By developing integrated marketing strategies across a variety of media, including websites for children that are playful and highly interactive, companies are able to immerse children in their brands. Social media channels enable companies to build relationships on a one-on-one basis by communicating directly with children. Social sites also extend marketing messages into children's social media feeds when they opt to 'follow' or interact with a brand – effectively expanding their reach to the child's social network."
British Heart Foundation (2011): "we developed a checklist of commonly used marketing techniques listed below:
Children represented on the website
Cartoon characters including licensed or brand-owned (characters created by marketers to appeal to children)
People, personalities or celebrities whose name or image may be familiar or of appeal to children
Cartoons, animations or videos — competitions, games or apps with appeal to children.
Free gifts or prizes e.g. downloads or merchandise, toys or other items with appeal to children
Links to social networking websites."
Cheyne et al. (2013): "Compared to traditional marketing, online marketing is perceived to be offering children an 'immersive environment' where children are exposed to the advertised brands or products through a variety of multimedia formats, some of which allow the child to interact with the brand. Based on a content analysis of 17 websites targeted at children, researchers argued that there was a positive relationship between immersive environments and popularity and engagement. The researchers found that websites with more content and higher levels of multimedia content, interactivity and personalisation had higher visitor numbers and that children engaged for longer with the content on these websites."
Rideout (2014): "The interactive nature of the internet is believed to make children's engagement with marketing material more meaningful, entertaining and personal. Studies with children have found that interactive advertising content can establish positive brand associations."
Rideout (2014): The overall critique of marketing to children on websites targeted at or popular with children is that the marketing material is perceived to be integrated into the overall content, thereby blurring the boundaries between entertainment and advertising.
Rideout (2014): Marketing formats such as banner ads, integrated videos and games, downloadable branded content, competitions, giveaways and links to social media sites are frequently used by companies to maximize exposure and engagement with the brand on websites children visit.
Bucy et al. (2011): "the emotional attachment to animated characters that children develop may be increased by the opportunity to interact with the character through competitions and games. … the non-linear nature of content consumption online compared to, for example, that via the television may lead children to have a longer and deeper sense of engagement with the brand and the advertising content."
Kervin et al. (2012): "A review of Australian magazine websites targeted at children found that, in addition to banner ads, marketing messages were also included in the editorial content, such as in sponsored recipes and games, where it was suggested that children would find it more difficult to recognise advertising."
Staiano et al. (2012): "Websites containing entertaining and immersive content appealing to children help promote positive attitudes towards the brand rather than a specific product, potentially making the child more able to recall and request the brand over other competing brands."
Staiano et al. (2012): Advergames combine two social issues associated with obesity: media use as a part of overall sedentary behavior and exposure to marketing for unhealthy food and beverage products.
Staiano et al. (2012): Due to the immersive nature of game playing, it is argued that this format allows repeated and longitudinal exposure to the brand and marketing message and previous research has suggested that increased levels of brand identifiers are linked with increased brand recognition and recall among children.
Harris et al. (2013): "Engagement tactics included posting images or videos, asking questions, hosting competitions or posting links to either company or third-party websites."
An et al. (2014): "Similar to television advertising and online marketing in general, it has been found that the products and brands advertised through advergames are likely to be low in nutritional value. A recent content analysis of 131 gaming websites that are popular with children found that 22 of these contained advergames and that of these 12 contained advergames that promoted food products. The majority of these games promoted products that were high in calories and low in nutrition. 11 of the 12 websites were listed among the 20 most popular gaming websites for children."
Waiguny et al. (2013): "One of the few studies attempting to measure long-term effects did this by revisiting children who had been exposed to advergames for Nesquik two weeks later and asking them whether they had requested the advertised products from their parents. It was found that 30% of the 149 participating children reported having asked their parents for the advertised cereal. The same study also found evidence to suggest that the narrative in the advergame influenced the children's brand beliefs. Children who had played the advergame where the Nesquik bunny was seen jumping higher after eating cereal were found to be more likely to think the product 'made you fit' compared to children who had not played the game."
Rifon et at. (2014): "a recent American study found that after exposure to a cereal advergame, the younger children in the sample (5-7) were more likely to have positive expectations of the advertised brand's taste and to believe that eating the advertised cereal would make them healthy."
These marketing techniques are supported by low youngster digital literacy.
Holmberg et al. (2014: "teenagers had a low awareness of the amount of advertising they had actually seen, and that they frequently understated that amount."
Provide variable rewards
This tool is described by Eyal (2014) as the third phase of the process of habit formation: "Experiences with finite variability become increasingly predictable with use and lose their appeal over time. … Variable awards must satisfy users' needs while leaving them wanting to reengage with the product."
Dow Schüll (2012) sees the tool of variable rewards as one of the key elements in gambling addiction. Following Turkle (1984) she writes: "The degree of fascination that a given machine holds for its users … is directly related to the degree of unpredictability and aliveness that it conveys." As a result of their "irreducibility", machines are perceived to take on a life on their own, becoming agents who can take players to a "zone" of insulation from a capricious, discontinuous, and insecure human society.
Dow Schüll (2012): "While designers' orientation is calculative, rational and focused on a distant statistical future in which profit is guaranteed, gamblers' orientation is experimental, affective, and focused on the unpredictable outcomes of their next spin; as their involvement in play deepens, they are likely to become less invested in winning than in continuing to play."
for reacting to external cues by means of social media interaction and gamification elements
that evoke the production of dopamine in the brain's reward center
Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook stated: "The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them, … was all about: 'How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible? … And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that's going to get you to contribute more content, and that's going to get you … more likes and comments. … It's a social-validation feedback loop … exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology. … The inventors, creators — it's me, it's Mark [Zuckerberg], it's Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it's all of these people — understood this consciously. And we did it anyway."
According to Chamath Palihapitiya, former vice-president Facebook of user growth, social networks have created "short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops" that lead to the destruction of "how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation, misinformation, mistruth."
Jane McGonigal (2011) tells us that games provide us every two minutes with opportunities to experience "fiero", an emotional high on dopamine: "fiero is one of the most powerful neurochemical highs we can experience. It involves three different structure of the reward circuitry of the brain, including the mesocorticolimbic center, which is most typically associated with reward and addiction. Fiero is a rush unlike any other rush and the more challenging the obstacle we overcome, the more intense the fiero."
so that the effectiveness of the external trigger is reinforced.
(3) Biology
Provide rewards following-up on the automated behavior that is triggered by the cues
by means of adding ingredients to products that evoke the production of dopamine in the brain's reward center [nucleus accumbens]
Avena et al. (2011): "the taste of sugar can increase extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens without fail in animals on a dietary regimen that causes bingeing and sugar dependency. … dopamine is released repeatedly in response to taste when bingeing on sweet food".
Avena et al. (2008) "The reviewed evidence supports the theory that, in some circumstances, intermittent access to sugar can lead to behavior and neurochemical changes that resemble the effects of a substance of abuse. According to the evidence in rats, intermittent access to sugar and chow is capable of producing a "dependency"."
Page: "consuming fructose relative to glucose activates brain reward regions and may promote feeding behavior. When volunteers consumed the fructose drink (compared to when they consumed the glucose drink), it led to greater activity in brain reward areas, including the orbitofrontal cortex".
Klenowski et al. (2016): "sugars such as sucrose potentially have addictive properties following long-term, binge-like consumption".
Ahmed (2013): "Available evidence in humans shows that sugar and sweetness can induce reward and craving that are comparable in magnitude to those induced by addictive drugs. … sugar and sweet reward can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine, but can even be more rewarding and attractive. At the neurobiological level, the neural substrates of sugar and sweet reward appear to be more robust than those of cocaine …"
so that the relation between cue and automated behavior is reinforced.
Duhigg (2012): the reward helps the brain figure out whether a particular loop is worth remembering.
Page, homepage: "Dr. Page and team found that obese young adults reported more hunger and a greater desire to eat when they viewed pictures of high-calorie foods such as chocolate cake … These images triggered the appetite and reward centers in the brain, and these neural and behavioral responses to high-calorie food stimuli may promote eating."
Disrupt the adolescent's digestive equilibrium by adding ingredients that induce the automated behavior to occur more frequently.
Living Loud (2017): "the main meals we now eat are much higher in refined carbohydrates, such as pasta, bread and rice and much lower in high-density wholegrains and good natural fats such as animal fats and dairy. Our gut rapidly digest refined carbs into glucose, which courses through our body sending our pancreases, liver and other organs into overdrive. Your body is so concerned by the damage that high glucose (think sticky blood) could cause that it releases extra insulin to burn the glucose and rapidly turns the excess glucose into fat. The big problem is a couple of hours later your fully revved engine has burned through all that fuel, your blood glucose drops and your brain switches to emergency lifesaving mode, it powers down all non-critical energy-burning functions, releasing hormones to make you feel lazy and hungry. So you reach for the quick energy-fix carb snacks, burn through those until lunchtime, then tea, dinner, and a bedtime snack all the while knackering your metabolic system, piling fat on your organs and setting yourself up nicely for diabetes. This is all no accident of nature. It is the creation of extraordinary food scientists working in laboratories. They have refined the perfect blend of salt, sugar and fat to feel great in the mouth, stimulate the pleasure sensors in the brain and still leave us feeling hungry."
The food industry activities to promote the adolescent habit of (binge-like) eating and drinking involving high sugar consumption might lead to metabolic effects (obesity, diabetes) as well as neurological and psychiatric consequences.
Malik et al. (2010): "In addition to weight gain, higher consumption of SSBs [sugar-sweetened beverages] is associated with development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. These data provide empirical evidence that intake of SSBs should be limited to reduce obesity-related risk of chronic metabolic diseases."
Meng et al. (2016): High fructose intake by rats changed at first two genes in their brains and then, through these changes, more than 700 genes in the hypothalamus (the brain's major metabolic control center) and more than 200 genes in the hippocampus (which helps regulate learning and memory). This led to memory impairment, much higher blood glucose, triglycerides, and insulin levels. "Those results are significant because in humans, elevated glucose, triglycerides and insulin are linked to obesity, diabetes and many other diseases."
Klenowski et al. (2016): "In line with the increased risk of developing metabolic effects it is also possible that neurological and psychiatric consequences affecting mood and motivation may also result from these behaviors."
WHO (2015): "Free sugars contribute to the overall energy density of diets, and may promote a positive energy balance. Sustaining energy balance is critical to maintaining healthy body weight and ensuring optimal nutrient intake. There is increasing concern that intake of free sugars – particularly in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages – increases overall energy intake and may reduce the intake of foods containing more nutritionally adequate calories, leading to an unhealthy diet, weight gain and increased risk of NCDs [Noncommunicable diseases]. Another concern is the association between intake of free sugars and dental caries."
Some claim more certainty:
Taubes (2016): "The sugars and refined grains that make up such a high proportion of the foods we consume in modern Westernised diets trigger the dysregulation of a homeostatic system that has evolved to depend on insulin to regulate both fat accumulation and blood sugar. Hence, the same dietary factors – sugars and refined grains – trigger both obesity and diabetes. By focusing on the problems of eating too much and exercising too little, public health authorities have simply failed to target the correct causes."
But others propose caution:
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2015): "The majority of the evidence on sugars, sugars-sweetened foods and beverages is derived from cohort studies. There are very few data on individual sugars such as glucose, fructose or sucrose. Due to the paucity of studies, there is a lack of evidence to draw conclusions on the impact of sugars intake on the majority of cardio-metabolic outcomes in adults, including body weight."
Long-term adolescent obesity can have lifelong effects.
Reinehr (2017): "Those who have obesity during adolescence usually have obesity into adulthood, which causes many medical and psychological issues that can result in premature death. Furthermore, obesity in adolescents is associated with a range of social problems, including difficulties securing an apprenticeship or a job or finding a partner. Adolescents with obesity are also at increased risk of having children with obesity later in life. All these consequences lead to high costs for the health-care system."
There are indications that the food industry suppresses negative research outcomes.
Kearns et al. (2017) "The sugar industry did not disclose evidence of harm from animal studies that would have (1) strengthened the case that the CHD risk of sucrose is greater than starch and (2) caused sucrose to be scrutinized as a potential carcinogen." The Verge on this article: "About 50 years ago, the sugar industry stopped funding research that began to show something they wanted to hide: that eating lots of sugar is linked to heart disease."
Kearns et al. (2016): ""our findings suggest the industry sponsored a research program in the 1960s and 1970s that successfully cast doubt about the hazards of sucrose while promoting fat as the dietary culprit in CHD. Policymaking committees should consider giving less weight to food industry–funded studies and include mechanistic and animal studies as well as studies appraising the effect of added sugars on multiple CHD biomarkers and disease development." The New York Times writes: ""They were able to derail the discussion about sugar for decades," said Stanton Glantz, a professor of medicine at U.C.S.F. and an author of the JAMA Internal Medicine paper."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Power of Classical Music
If you frequent the Philadelphia Orchestra, you are probably familiar with David Kim, First Violin and regular soloist. Named Concertmaster in 1999, Kim not only performs each season with the Philadelphia Orchestra, but he also plays with orchestras around the world.
And yet, every May for the past few years, Kim treats an intimate group of about 100 people to a private performance at The Hill at Whitemarsh.
Kim's performance at The Hill is one of about nine classical performances that happen each year as part of The Hill's Classical Music Program, which is run by Hill resident Nancy Hess. Kim's performance this coming June will mark the 12th anniversary of the concert series, for which Hess has managed to wrangle incredible talent over the years. In fact, the Resident Council of The Hill at Whitemarsh presented Hess with an award in June 2018 honoring her contributions to the community by way of the classical music series.
When Hess moved to The Hill shortly after its opening in 2007, she decided to take the initiative and launch a concert series for her fellow residents. She had spent her entire professional life working in music, serving as the Director of Music Preparatory and Extension for Temple University before her retirement in 2003. With her connections, booking the concerts was easy; getting the residents involved, however, was a challenge.
"One of the first concerts I produced for The Hill was renowned Icelandic soprano Disella Larusdottir, who was marvelous," recalls Hess. "But we were getting close to showtime and there were mostly empty seats. I couldn't let that happen, so I had friends run into the dining room to bring people out to the performance. They all loved it. These days, we have at least 100 people at each performance, and sometimes even have to turn people away!"
According to Hess, the classical music series at The Hill has created many memorable performances.
"In September 2018, we hosted a four-piece ensemble from the Philadelphia Orchestra, who were all principle players – the bassoon, the violin, the viola and the cello," says Hess. "It was truly remarkable. There were 130 people in attendance for that concert, and the musicians stayed afterwards to chat with the residents. It was fabulous."
In March, The Hill will be hosting the DePue Brothers Band, which, as the name implies, is a group of four brothers who all play the violin and blend classical, bluegrass and rock genres when they play together. One of the brothers, Jason DePue, plays for the Philadelphia Orchestra and was a member of the Temple faculty with Hess.
"They are all so talented as solo artists, and it will be great to have all four of them play here at The Hill," says Hess. "It's so fun to watch them play together. They have a varied repertoire, and everyone really loves them!"
Hess handpicks all of the acts herself. She keeps an eye—and an ear—out throughout the year and makes notes of performances she'd like to see come to The Hill. By August, the full program for the next calendar year is complete and all of the acts are booked. Hess handles all of the details herself, from booking the talent, to setting up the performance room and equipment, to taking care of all the musicians' needs.
"We attract lovers of classical music and those with an interest who are looking to get more into it," says Hess. "The only requirement is showing up with an open mind—and open heart. We have a beautiful rebuilt Steinway piano here that we use for performances. I have the technician at Temple University come to The Hill to tune the piano and make sure that the sound is perfect for our musicians."
According to Hess, it is also equally important to have the experience be perfect for the guests in attendance at each performance. Classical music is an emotional experience that is felt as much as it is heard; it can be very sensitive to the person listening. This is especially true of those who have an untrained ear. There's a good mix of classical music lovers and those who are experiencing the genre for the first time in the audience for performances at The Hill.
Issue 3: 2019
Morris Arboretum: The Intersection of Nature & Art
Camaraderie & Card Games
A Joint Effort To Save the Monarch Butterfly
The Magnetic Appeal of Contemporary Poetry
The Hill at Whitemarsh | 4000 Fox Hound Drive, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444 | 215.402.8725
©2021 The Hill at Whitemarsh


text:
Have they proved Jesus had a wife?
Does a tiny, recently unveiled scrap of papyrus prove that Jesus Christ had a wife? If so, it would contradict the Gospels and throw the entire New Testament and Christianity itself into doubt.
However, the fragment itself is increasingly in doubt with the Smithsonian Channel postponing indefinitely the airing of an hour-long documentary on the document – and reports that a prominent academic journal scheduled to publish findings on the fragment has decided to hold off.
The papyrus fragment
The first announcements about the discovery came from a professor at Harvard University Divinity School, Professor Karen L. King, a historian of early Christianity, who announced that an anonymous German collector had provided her with the fragment of ancient Coptic text – but could provide no details of when or where it was unearthed or by whom.
On the fragment, Jesus is quoted as using the words "my wife."
Amid the flash of cameras and hubbub of a dazzled news media, Dr. King picked her words carefully and stopped short of endorsing the authenticity of the fragment. She declared she was making the finding public "despite many unresolved questions" – so that her academic colleagues could weigh in, according to Laurie Goodstein reporting in the New York Times.
"And weigh in, they have," noted Goodstein. "A few said that the papyrus must be a forgery. Others have questioned Dr. King's interpretation of its meaning. Some have faulted her for publishing a paper on an item of unknown provenance. And many have criticized her decision to give the scrap of papyrus the attention-getting title 'The Gospel of Jesus's Wife,' as if it had equal weight to other, lengthier texts."
In Rome, the Vatican called the piece "problematic" and falsified, according to Elisabetto Povoledo, also reporting in the Times.
The Smithsonian Channel was the first to back away from the fragment – postponing the broadcast of a quickly thrown-together Continued on Page 2
Dallas cops give hookers a choice: jail or Jesus


text:
NewsDubbo Water Crisis
news, dubbo-water-crisis,
Construction of Dubbo's cross-city pipeline may take less than four months. Tenders for the multimillion-dollar project opened this week. Dubbo Regional Council chief executive officer Michael McMahon says they will remain open until February 18. "Given the short tender period, we anticipate construction on this pipeline will begin in early March, and the completion scheduled for June 2020," he said. READ ALSO: The pipeline is among projects being developed by the council to boost potable groundwater supplies in the event Burrendong Dam runs dry later this year. They are being funded with $30 million from the state government. The pipeline will bring recycled water from the Dubbo Sewage Treatment Plant into the city to replace non-potable groundwater used for irrigation, and in turn take the groundwater to the John Gilbert Water Treatment Plant. The council also hopes the pipeline can help provide big water users who don't need "full potable water" with recycled water, and make it possible to trade it for groundwater belonging to irrigators. Its ambition for the pipeline extends to the storing of recycled water in the Upper Macquarie alluvial aquifer. The pipeline project will involve the laying of 19 kilometres of pipes. "Dual" pipes for the separate movement of groundwater and recycled water will cover eight of the 19 kilometres. "The pipework will be installed underground along the road corridor that council manages or on council-owned land," Mr McMahon has told the community previously. The tender documents can be found at www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au.
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/VhRhYBURsc4DwFNb9LkP5k/5c00ff95-461d-4113-b05e-4970aa022767.jpg/r3_0_1198_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Dubbo's cross-city pipeline set to be built by June 2020
Kim Bartley
RECYCLED WATER: The pipeline will move rigorously-treated effluent at Dubbo Sewage Treatment Plant into the city to replace groundwater being used to irrigate public spaces. Photo: File
Construction of Dubbo's cross-city pipeline may take less than four months.
Tenders for the multimillion-dollar project opened this week.
Dubbo Regional Council chief executive officer Michael McMahon says they will remain open until February 18.
"Given the short tender period, we anticipate construction on this pipeline will begin in early March, and the completion scheduled for June 2020," he said.
'Potentially toxic' blue-green algae in Macquarie River near dam wall
Royals step back from family tasks
Whopping 71.6pc jump in non-urgent presentations at Emergency Department
The pipeline is among projects being developed by the council to boost potable groundwater supplies in the event Burrendong Dam runs dry later this year.
They are being funded with $30 million from the state government.
The pipeline will bring recycled water from the Dubbo Sewage Treatment Plant into the city to replace non-potable groundwater used for irrigation, and in turn take the groundwater to the John Gilbert Water Treatment Plant.
The council also hopes the pipeline can help provide big water users who don't need "full potable water" with recycled water, and make it possible to trade it for groundwater belonging to irrigators.
Its ambition for the pipeline extends to the storing of recycled water in the Upper Macquarie alluvial aquifer.
The pipeline project will involve the laying of 19 kilometres of pipes.
"Dual" pipes for the separate movement of groundwater and recycled water will cover eight of the 19 kilometres.
"The pipework will be installed underground along the road corridor that council manages or on council-owned land," Mr McMahon has told the community previously.
The tender documents can be found at www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au.
Discuss "How Dubbo will have more drinkable groundwater in a matter of months"


- Northeast Skiing & Snowboarding Trip Reports. Discussing and buying/selling outdoor-related gear and equipment. Skiing and hiking-related news and featured articles.
This listing of the Top 10 Cross Country Skiing Areas in the United States is constantly being revised. So, if you feel we are missing one, please email us and let us know!


text:
Doctor Who 4×11 Turn Left
Doctor Who is in the home stretch of the fourth season, with only two more to go after this newest one. After a largely companion-less episode last week, we get a largely Doctor-less one this time. Here's a review of "Turn Left," with spoilers.
Writer: Russell T. Davies
What's Going On:
The episode opens with the Doctor and Donna shopping in an Asian-alien market on some far-flung planet. Donna wanders into a fortune teller's stall and becomes the victim of a time-leeching bug that takes her back to before her initial meeting with the Doctor. It forces her to turn her car right instead of left at a critical juncture, causing the meeting never to occur.
Through the rest of the episode, we see an alternate universe as things would have happened had Donna never met the Doctor. As it turns out, quite a few things would have gone awry, not the least of which being the deaths of the Doctor, Martha, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Sarah Jane, all of London, a big chunk of America, and likely the entirety of the planet. The events of past episodes are revisited in more catastrophic settings, from the Titanic crashing onto London to the Adipose successfully ascending to the Sontarans destroying Torchwood and capturing Jack Harkness.
Donna encounters Rose Tyler, somehow dragged through time and space back to our world. Rose is trying to guide Donna back to the correct reality so that the world will be set right.
Lessons Learned Here:
Donna apparently never has heard of the Holocaust.
Playing It's A Wonderful Life with Donna Noble is a lot more effective than playing it with James Stewart.
Rose's favorite hobby is throwing people under the bus. Literally.
Billie Piper has been replaced by a Skrull.
How It Ends:
Rose sends Donna back to the point in time at which she made the "right turn" choice so that she can make her past self turn left, averting all the resulting disasters. Donna realizes she can't make it to the intersection in time, so she sacrifices herself, leaping in front of a truck to cause a traffic jam. As Donna is dying, Rose comes to her and tells her to tell the Doctor two words when she returns. The world then rights itself, and the Doctor finds Donna in the fortune teller's stall after she has killed the time-leech. She repeats the two words to him: "Bad Wolf."
Overall this was a brilliant episode. Doctor Who does alternate universes remarkably well, and it's always neat to see past events replayed in a butterfly effect manner. It reminds me of the Marvel What If? comic books that alter one event and then show how everything else would have played out. It seems that Donna has something Special (yes, with a capital "S") about her that draws parallel universes and fortuitous meetings to her.
Rose tells Donna that she's going to die, something that also was hinted in the Library two-parter. Donna believes she's fulfilling the prophecy when she leaps in front of the bus at the end of "Turn Left," but I doubt it's that simple. Things never are easy in the Whoniverse, and letting Donna off the hook by having her sacrifice an alternate universe self would be a lot simpler and less dramatically imposing than what probably awaits her.
The return of Bad Wolf was a neat touch, even if it does portend the apocalypse. I'm intrigued to find out how Rose pulled it off this time, given that she didn't seem to be infused with the power of the TARDIS like she was in season one. Perhaps back then, when she was able to see all realities and possibilities, she went ahead and seeded "Bad Wolf" into this time and place?
And finally, what the heck, Billie Piper? Granted, it's been a long time since she's played Rose Tyler, but her voice and mannerisms were completely different from her two seasons as a companion. After watching the episode, I read in an interview about Billie having trouble remembering how she did Rose's voice, but this seemed like something more. Rose sounded like she'd had her wisdom teeth extracted the previous day, and that surely wasn't something Billie Piper did intentionally. I hope her future appearances in the series aren't as jaw clenchingly sibilant.
doctor who, Reviews, TV
Soundtrack Review: Doctor Who – The 50th Anniversary Collection
Recent and Upcoming Geek Music Releases for April 2014, Part One
Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet DVD Review
Doctor Who: Series 7 Soundtrack Review
Doctor Who: The Snowmen Soundtrack Review
Jason is the founder and managing editor of Fandomania. He is severely into toy collecting, plays a worryingly large amount of games, watches way too many movies and TV shows, and reads more than his fair share of books and comics. He also likes guacamole.
blaidddrwg June 24, 2008 at 2:16 am
Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who. Don't watch Doctor Who.
John Reid Adams July 8, 2008 at 6:59 pm
isn't it hypocritical to denounce Doctor Who when your handle is taken from it?


text:
<?php

namespace Sabre\DAV\Auth\Backend;

use Sabre\DAV;
use Sabre\HTTP;

require_once 'Sabre/HTTP/ResponseMock.php';

class AbstractDigestTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {

    /**
     * @expectedException Sabre\DAV\Exception\NotAuthenticated
     */
    public function testAuthenticateNoHeaders() {

        $response = new HTTP\ResponseMock();
        $server = new DAV\Server();
        $server->httpResponse = $response;

        $backend = new AbstractDigestMock();
        $backend->authenticate($server,'myRealm');

    }

    /**
     * @expectedException Sabre\DAV\Exception
     */
    public function testAuthenticateBadGetUserInfoResponse() {

        $response = new HTTP\ResponseMock();
        $server = new DAV\Server();
        $server->httpResponse = $response;

        $header = 'username=null, realm=myRealm, nonce=12345, uri=/, response=HASH, opaque=1, qop=auth, nc=1, cnonce=1';
        $request = HTTP\Sapi::createFromServerArray(array(
            'PHP_AUTH_DIGEST' => $header,
        ));
        $server->httpRequest = $request;

        $backend = new AbstractDigestMock();
        $backend->authenticate($server,'myRealm');

    }

    /**
     * @expectedException Sabre\DAV\Exception
     */
    public function testAuthenticateBadGetUserInfoResponse2() {

        $response = new HTTP\ResponseMock();
        $server = new DAV\Server();
        $server->httpResponse = $response;

        $header = 'username=array, realm=myRealm, nonce=12345, uri=/, response=HASH, opaque=1, qop=auth, nc=1, cnonce=1';
        $request = HTTP\Sapi::createFromServerArray(array(
            'PHP_AUTH_DIGEST' => $header,
        ));
        $server->httpRequest = $request;

        $backend = new AbstractDigestMock();
        $backend->authenticate($server,'myRealm');

    }

    /**
     * @expectedException Sabre\DAV\Exception\NotAuthenticated
     */
    public function testAuthenticateUnknownUser() {

        $response = new HTTP\ResponseMock();
        $server = new DAV\Server();
        $server->httpResponse = $response;

        $header = 'username=false, realm=myRealm, nonce=12345, uri=/, response=HASH, opaque=1, qop=auth, nc=1, cnonce=1';
        $request = HTTP\Sapi::createFromServerArray(array(
            'PHP_AUTH_DIGEST' => $header,
        ));
        $server->httpRequest = $request;

        $backend = new AbstractDigestMock();
        $backend->authenticate($server,'myRealm');

    }

    /**
     * @expectedException Sabre\DAV\Exception\NotAuthenticated
     */
    public function testAuthenticateBadPassword() {

        $response = new HTTP\ResponseMock();
        $server = new DAV\Server();
        $server->httpResponse = $response;

        $header = 'username=user, realm=myRealm, nonce=12345, uri=/, response=HASH, opaque=1, qop=auth, nc=1, cnonce=1';
        $request = HTTP\Sapi::createFromServerArray(array(
            'PHP_AUTH_DIGEST' => $header,
            'REQUEST_METHOD'  => 'PUT',
        ));
        $server->httpRequest = $request;

        $backend = new AbstractDigestMock();
        $backend->authenticate($server,'myRealm');

    }

    public function testAuthenticate() {

        $response = new HTTP\ResponseMock();
        $server = new DAV\Server();
        $server->httpResponse = $response;

        $digestHash = md5('HELLO:12345:1:1:auth:' . md5('GET:/'));
        $header = 'username=user, realm=myRealm, nonce=12345, uri=/, response='.$digestHash.', opaque=1, qop=auth, nc=1, cnonce=1';
        $request = HTTP\Sapi::createFromServerArray(array(
            'REQUEST_METHOD'  => 'GET',
            'PHP_AUTH_DIGEST' => $header,
            'REQUEST_URI'     => '/',
        ));
        $server->httpRequest = $request;

        $backend = new AbstractDigestMock();
        $this->assertTrue($backend->authenticate($server,'myRealm'));

        $result = $backend->getCurrentUser();

        $this->assertEquals('user', $result);
        $this->assertEquals('HELLO', $backend->getDigestHash('myRealm', $result));

    }

}

class AbstractDigestMock extends AbstractDigest {

    function getDigestHash($realm, $userName) {

        switch($userName) {
            case 'null' : return null;
            case 'false' : return false;
            case 'array' : return array();
            case 'user'  : return 'HELLO';
        }

    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Turning You Inside Out Since 2008
Speak Loudly and Carry a Large Spork
24Mar 2009 14 Feb 2014
I was hoping to have a review of Flash to Bang Time's show at the Caledonia for you today but the band canceled and the venue didn't have enough time to tell the rest of us. I should've known it was going to be one of those nights when "Piano Man," the song that's been stuck in my head all freakin day, came on the radio. I was SO screwed.
I got to the Caledonia around 9:45 and met G at the door. We conversed for a bit until he broke the bad news. No Flash to Bang Time. GAH! I had already heard the other bands on the bill and none of them were worth staying for so I headed out for a walkabout on the nice Spring evening.
Patterson Hood's birthday party at the 40 Watt was pretty empty when I passed by the first time on the way to Little Kings. I stopped and made a mental note to check back in. It felt good just to be outside on Monday night. You could see the stars through the streetlights. Then things got a little creepy. NO ONE was out. Downtown Athens was as empty as my head during finals. I swear, I thought I saw tumbleweeds.
I made it to Little Kings in time to catch a friend who was leaving "Trivia Night." Apparently there were only a few people there so the whole thing ended quickly.
"I WILL FIND MUSIC!" I swore loudly to the heavens above the Georgia skyline. The heavens just laughed at me. There would be no satisfaction this night.
With no other options, I headed back to the 40 Watt. I passed through the smoker's ring in time to catch the last 3 minutes of a really long jam session. Then a dj came on and played "Piano Man." Yes, the same freakin song I've been trying to get out of my head for days now. I'm afraid I've done permanent damage to my ear canal trying to gouge out my brain with a spork.
So I left. I walked briskly across the parking lot to the Caledonia and commenced several conversations with G. The band inside was loud and just plain boring. But we did have a nice conversation about "Around the Sun." It was nice catching up with him again but this night was a complete bust.
I came back home, typed up an important email, blogged this, and am currently looking at my bed longingly. *SIGH* At least I have the radio show tomorrow.
dammit
little kings
Previous There Will Be Bloodkin
Next Well That Was Random: tunabunny at WUOG
Chris McKay says:
Sorry we missed you, too. But hey, as for "Piano Man"? I had a worse one appear in my head in the middle of the night. Have you ever heard Paul McCartney's "Spies Like Us"? Oof! It is NOT one you want to wake you up and keep spinning in a loop. That is some torturous experience. Good luck on the show tonight. And I'm looking forward to taking you up on a Darlings' issue of it soon!Thanks again for the Sustainapalooza review and the pics!Here's "Spies Like Us" if you want to check out MY special version of Hell. It's not even so bad it's good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ATt3FXAUYSee you soon!C
lizzybknits says:
Leave a Reply to Chris McKay Cancel reply
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athensmusicjunkie.com


text:
Q: How to edit header of tar.gz file that has been split I downloaded a tar.gz file which is approx 50gb, and it is part of a larger tar.gz file that is 500gb that was split up into ten 50gb sections. When I try and decompress the 50gb file, I get an "unexpected end of file error" because I'm trying to decompress a single section of the file. However I dont want to download all 10 files and then concatenate them together, so I wondering if it is possible to edit the header of the separate files to reflect their actual individual sizes?

A: No. The tar header is in the beginning of the 1st section. you will have to download and reassemble the file, at least up to the section you want.
See https://www.fileformat.info/format/tar/corion.htm . Adding gzip compression makes the file harder to uncompress in the middle.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
1,500 Strong at Rally for Adult Literacy
On May 31, 2017, 1,500 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students and community supporters rallied at City Hall Park in support of $12 million in funding for Adult Literacy programs in the upcoming New York City budget. Currently, 1/3 of the entire adult population of NYC, 2.2 million adult New Yorkers, lack English proficiency and/or a high school diploma. Literacy can lift these adults to new heights as higher education and career growth will be closer in reach when a person understand's English in the United States.
Although ESOL classes can make the world of difference for these adults, ESOL programs are severely underfunded. Less than 3% of those in need can access Adult Literacy programs. Joining fellow New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy allies, 100 CPC students joined 1,500 rally participants urging the New York City Council and the Mayor's Office to restore funding for Adult Literacy programs in the coming fiscal year budget.
For coverage by Sing Tao Daily click here
CPC Resource Navigators Support Rapid Testing Sites in Brooklyn
CPC SYEP Cohort Focuses on Health Education and Advocacy Projects
CPC is Thankful for Our Community


It can be difficult to find the relevant and reliable information you need to know after a Louisiana car accident. Here, the legal team at the NBA Law Firm shares articles on pertinent accident topics to help you learn more about your rights, including common accidents, determining fault, the kind of compensation available, what to expect from a lawsuit, and more.
Compensation for Hearing Loss After a Car Accident In some cases, car accidents can cause hearing loss. Learn how to protect your right to compensation for this life-altering injury.
Protecting Your Rights Following a Road Rage Accident Accidents caused by road rage can result in severe injuries to innocent drivers and their passengers. Learn how to protect your right to compensation.
Car Accidents Caused by Improper Passing Improper passing can cause serious accidents, especially in high traffic areas. A personal injury attorney can protect your right to compensation.
Seeking Compensation for Accidents Caused by Road Debris Accidents caused by road debris are much more common than many drivers believe. Learn how to protect yourself after this type of accident.
Passengers Injured in Drunk Driving Accidents If you were injured as a passenger in a car driven by a drunk driver, retaining a personal injury attorney is a smart move.
Receiving Compensation for Accident Involving a Parked Car A personal injury claim involving a parked car is similar to one when both vehicles are moving, but where you were parked may be relevant to the case.
Receiving Compensation for a Sideswipe Collision If you were injured in a sideswipe collision, you may be entitled to compensation for your accident-related expenses.
Personal Injury Claims for Car Fire Injuries Car fires can cause severe burn injuries. Learn how to protect your right to compensation for accident-related expenses.
Personal Injury Claims After Roof Crush Accidents Learn how to protect your right to compensation for accident-related expenses after a roof crush accident.
Injury Claims for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a serious injury following a car accident. Learn how to protect your right to compensation.


text:
using System;
using System.Xml;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Net;

/// <summary>
/// Handles sign out
/// </summary>
class TableauServerSignOut : TableauServerSignedInRequestBase
{
    /// <summary>
    /// URL manager
    /// </summary>
    private readonly TableauServerUrls _onlineUrls;

    /// <summary>
    /// Constructor
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="onlineUrls"></param>
    /// <param name="login"></param>
    /// <param name="user"></param>
    public TableauServerSignOut(TableauServerUrls onlineUrls, TableauServerSignIn login)
        : base(login)
    {
        _onlineUrls = onlineUrls;
    }

    /// <summary>
    ///
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="serverName"></param>
    public void ExecuteRequest()
    {
        var statusLog = _onlineSession.StatusLog;

        //Create a web request, in including the users logged-in auth information in the request headers
        var urlRequest = _onlineUrls.UrlLogout;
        var webRequest = CreateLoggedInWebRequest(urlRequest);
        webRequest.Method = "POST";

        //Request the data from server
        _onlineSession.StatusLog.AddStatus("Web request: " + urlRequest, -10);
        var response = GetWebReponseLogErrors(webRequest, "sign out");
        using(response)
        {
            //No work to do....
        }

    }
}


text:
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';

import { SharedModule } from '../../shared/shared.module';
import { SidebarComponent, ToolbarComponent } from './index';

@NgModule({
  imports: [
    SharedModule
  ],
  declarations: [
    ToolbarComponent,
    SidebarComponent
  ],
  exports: [
    ToolbarComponent,
    SidebarComponent
  ]
})
export class CommonLayoutModule { }


Washington DC (USA) Dec 6: Eight months ago Khloe Kardashian and Canadian basketball player Tristan Thompson welcomed their first baby, and the reality TV star wants to become a mom again!
Kardashian and Thompson are trying for another baby, she isn't pregnant yet, but they are actively trying. Khloe loves being a mom. She wants True to have a sibling, a source told US Weekly.
The source further added that nothing will stop the Good American designer from expanding her family with Thomson. In her mind she and Tristan are fine, informed the source.
There have been reports about their relationship going through a rough patch in recent times.


Using mud from my palette, (various mixtures of greens, blues and browns) I begin to add some cast shadows on my leaves.
I know that I will add a glaze of color or two to the leaves again later, but I want to add some dimensionality to them. This helps the viewer to see the depth due to the light direction, which will cast shadow shapes on many of the leaves.


HENDERSONVILLE, NC, August 9, 2018 – United Way of Henderson County is encouraging community members to help local students this fall by donating food items for MANNA's Packs for Kids and school supply items for Henderson County Public Schools' students. Donations will be collected on Friday, Aug. 17 from 8:00am – noon at all Henderson County Public Schools campuses, as part of the third annual Day of Action sponsored by Pardee/UNC Health Care. Needed school supplies and non-perishable food items are listed below.
Canned pasta: Spaghetti O's, ravioli, etc.
During Day of Action, over 500 volunteers will complete half day service projects at 24 local schools. These donations and the work that volunteers will complete at the schools that day will create positive change at each school and throughout our community.


Most e-bikes or e-scooters comes with an electronic throttle control these days. Its the same technology that car accelerators come with too although on a different scale and complexity.
If you ever do (please don't!) open up your electronic throttle control on your electric scooter, you will see 3 main components: A spring, a rotary magnet, and a magnetic sensor (sometimes called a Hall-effect sensor). As your thumb presses on the throttle and the spring moves the magnet closer or farther away from the sensor, the sensor continually reads the strength of the magnetic field and feeds it back to the controller. The controller then has algorithms to determine how much power (current) to send to the motor based on the throttle position relative to the sensor. This form of non-contact sensor reduces wear and tear as compared to a contact sensor which has movable and frictional parts that wear out faster.


My office, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, has partnered with many Friends of our Empowering Healthcare Consumers Campaign to bring you this website to provide information about price transparency in health care, why you should consider the price of healthcare services, and directs you to your health insurance company's online cost estimator.
Until recently, consumers weren't able to get prices of healthcare services ahead of time. Now your health insurance company in Massachusetts has an online cost estimator and phone number to provide the price of commonly used medical procedures and services before you get them.
Using these cost estimators will allow you to know how much a healthcare service will cost you—your out-of-pocket cost—based on how much you've spent on your deductible, your co-pay, and your particular health insurance plan. This can be especially helpful if you have a high deductible plan or you have to pay a percentage of total medical expenses. You could even compare doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers by price.
I urge you to use this important price information as one factor to help get the best value for your healthcare dollar and consider price when you most need it—before you obtain healthcare procedures or services so you can make the best choice for you and your family.
In addition, this website gives you a way to obtain quality information about the doctors you choose through The Massachusetts Health Quality Partners' Healthcare Compass website at healthcarecompassma.org.
You are not just a patient. You are empowered.
The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation is committed to empowering all healthcare consumers to more fully engage in decisions affecting their choices of healthcare services and products.
The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness of the price and quality tools and resources available and help you make more informed decisions about your health care.
We would like to thank the "Friends of the Campaign," listed below, for their collaboration and support.
Get the deal on care.
These are models and these statements are not attributable to them personally but only to the price transparency campaign.


text:
Q: Size of content of a frame I have a frame with a width of, say, 200 pixels. The content inside that frame is bigger than 200 px. How do I find the size of the content?
I can scroll the content using,
<iframe id="frame_name" src="bla bla"></iframe>
t = document.getElementById ("frame_name");
t.contentWindow.scrollTo(x,y);

but I don't know when to stop since I don't know the width of the content. Please, no jquery, thanks.

A: In Chrome and Safari, you can use t.contentWindow.document.width and t.contentWindow.document.height.
In Firefox, IE and Safari, you can use t.contentDocument.body.scrollWidth and t.contentDocument.body.scrollHeight.


text:
Fatal Fortnight
Fatal Fortnight von Marlor, Duncan (eBook)
Verlag: Frontline Books
Numerous books have been published about the First World War but few have focused on the machinations in the British parliament and the role it played in the decision to go to war. Britain, after all, could not have entered the conflict without clear approval from MPs. One hundred years on, Fatal Fortnight re-examines the arguments which Parliament heard against British war entry and reflects on how the world might have been had the decision gone a different way. At the centre of the stormy debate was the enigmatic Arthur Ponsonby. Born into the heart of the aristocracy, the son of Queen Victoria's Private Secretary and pageboy to the Queen, Ponsonby was a champion of social reform and of democratic foreign policy. His grandfather fought at Waterloo and his brother was a Brigadier who served on the Western Front, he himself loathed war and sought alternatives, and as Chairman of the Liberal Foreign Affairs Committee he led the backbench battle to try to keep Britain out of the 1914 war. Alongside the unravelling political drama a human story emerges of how family support for Ponsonby and his allies sustained them as the world closed in. As seen in the Derbyshire Times and Matlock Mercury. Featured on BBC Radio Derby.
Marlor, Duncan
Hatchett, Louis
Fortnight of Infamy
Burton, John
Fatal Isolation
Keller, Richard C.
Fatal Dive
Stevens, Peter F.


text:
package org.hildan.livedoc.springmvc.readers.mappings;

import java.lang.annotation.Annotation;
import java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElement;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.function.Function;

import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotatedElementUtils;

class PathExtractor<A extends Annotation> {

    private final Class<A> annotationClass;

    private final Function<A, String[]> pathsExtractor;

    private PathExtractor(Class<A> annotationClass, Function<A, String[]> pathsExtractor) {
        this.annotationClass = annotationClass;
        this.pathsExtractor = pathsExtractor;
    }

    static <A extends Annotation> PathExtractor<A> of(Class<A> annotationClass,
            Function<A, String[]> pathsExtractor) {
        return new PathExtractor<>(annotationClass, pathsExtractor);
    }

    List<String> extractPaths(AnnotatedElement element) {
        A annotation = AnnotatedElementUtils.findMergedAnnotation(element, annotationClass);
        if (annotation == null) {
            return Collections.emptyList();
        }
        List<String> paths = new ArrayList<>();
        Collections.addAll(paths, pathsExtractor.apply(annotation));
        if (paths.isEmpty()) {
            paths.add("");
        }
        return paths;
    }
}


With the opening of our new shop, we have officially ended Season 5 and gone on to Season 6! Normally, we have a month-long break between seasons, but this year with two operations to run, we will not be closing (which means more diving fun for you!). However, as low season is upon us, we thought we would take this opportunity to introduce our new season prices** (and some updated policies) and our 2018 low season specials, valid from now through December 15th, 2018.
As always, our prices include equipment and taxes, but what they also now include is credit card fees! If you pay by cash, we offer 5% off all diving prices (fun diving and PADI courses).
Night dives will be offered on Monday and Thursday nights with Roatan Divers West End and Wednesday and Friday nights with Roatan Divers Sandy Bay.
*These low season specials cannot be done in conjunction with our great low season Dive + Stay packages with The Beach House and Caribbean Colors Vacation Rentals. Make sure to check those out to see what great accommodation deals you can get!
We hope you'll take the opportunity to join us in West End and Sandy Bay to see some of the best dive sites that Roatan has to offer!


text:
import hashlib
import tempfile
from Crypto.Cipher import AES
from Crypto import Random
import base64
import struct
import gzip
from StringIO import StringIO

class SimpleAES:
    """
        >>> from simple_aes import SimpleAES
        >>> enc = SimpleAES('test')
        >>> encrypted = enc.encrypt('test')
        >>> enc.decrypt(encrypted)
        'test'
    """

    BLOCK_SIZE = AES.block_size
    CHUNK_SIZE = 2 ** 15

    KEYGEN = {
        128: lambda x: hashlib.md5(x).digest(),
        192: lambda x: hashlib.sha224(x).digest()[:24],
        256: lambda x: hashlib.sha256(x).digest(),
    }

    def __init__( self, key, use_salt=False, key_size=256):
        keygen = self.KEYGEN.get(key_size, None)
        if keygen is None:
            raise ValueError('Key size must be: {0}'.format(", ".join([str(i) for i in self.KEYGEN.iterkeys()])))

        self.key = keygen(key)
        self.use_salt = use_salt

    def _get_salt(self):
        return Random.new().read(AES.block_size)

    def _get_cipher(self, iv=None):
        if self.use_salt:
            return AES.new( self.key, AES.MODE_CBC, self._get_salt() if iv is None else iv)
        else:
            return AES.new( self.key, AES.MODE_ECB)

    def _pad(self, s, block=BLOCK_SIZE):
        length = len(s)
        to_fill = length + (block - length % block)
        return s.ljust(to_fill, '=')

    def encrypt(self, data, binary=False):
        data = str(data)
        padded = self._pad("{0}{1}".format(struct.pack('I', len(data)), data))
        cipher = self._get_cipher()
        if self.use_salt:
            out = '{0}{1}'.format(cipher.IV, cipher.encrypt(padded))
        else:
            out = cipher.encrypt(padded)

        return out if binary else base64.urlsafe_b64encode(out).rstrip('=')

    def decrypt(self, enc, binary=False):
        enc = str(enc)
        if not binary:
            enc = base64.urlsafe_b64decode(self._pad(enc, block=4))

        if self.use_salt:
            iv, data = enc[:self.BLOCK_SIZE], enc[self.BLOCK_SIZE:]
        else:
            iv = None
            data = enc

        cipher = self._get_cipher(iv=iv)
        decrypted = cipher.decrypt(data)
        size = struct.unpack('I', decrypted[0:4])[0]
        out = decrypted[4:]
        return out[:size]

class EncryptIO(object):
    CHUNK_SIZE = 2 ** 25
    COMPRESSOR = gzip.zlib

    def __init__(self, key, fd=None, key_size=256, compress=True, compression_level=6):
        """
        This is the file encryption and compressing class.
            >>> f = EncryptIO('secret', open('test', 'wb+'))
            >>> f.write('Hello world 1024 times. ' * 1024)
            >>> f.close()
            >>> d = EncryptIO('secret', open('test', 'rb'))
            >>> data = ''
            >>> for i in d.decrypt():
            ...     data += i
            >>> print data

        also you may use StringIO for encrypting and compressing strings:
            >>> from StringIO import StringIO
            >>> io = StringIO()
            >>> f = EncryptIO('secret', io)
            >>> f.write('Hello world 1024 times. ' * 1024)
            >>> f.flush()
            >>> d = EncryptIO('secret', io)
            >>> data = ''
            >>> for i in d.decrypt():
            ...    data += i
            >>> print data
            Hello world 1024 times. Hello.....
            >>> f.close()
            >>> d.close()
        """
        self.fd = fd
        self._acc = StringIO()
        self.compress = compress
        self.compression_level = compression_level

        if self.fd is None:
            self.fd = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='encrypted', suffix='.aes')

        self.key = key

        if (isinstance(self.fd, StringIO) and self.fd.len) or \
           (isinstance(self.fd, file) and self.fd.mode.startswith('w')):
            self.cipher = SimpleAES(key, use_salt=True, key_size=key_size)
            self.fd.write(struct.pack('B', key_size - 1))
            self.fd.write(struct.pack('I', self.CHUNK_SIZE))
            self.fd.write('\x01' if self.compress else '\x00')

    def _write_to_fd(self, data):
        if data:
            data = self.COMPRESSOR.compress(data, self.compression_level) if self.compress else data
            enc = self.cipher.encrypt(data, binary=True)
            self.fd.write(struct.pack('I', len(enc)))
            self.fd.write(enc)

    def _encrypt(self):
        chunk = self._acc.read(self.CHUNK_SIZE)
        while len(chunk):
            self._write_to_fd(chunk)
            chunk = self._acc.read(self.CHUNK_SIZE)
            if len(chunk) <= self.CHUNK_SIZE:
                break

        self._acc.seek(0)
        self._acc.truncate()
        self._acc.write(chunk)

    def write(self, data):
        assert isinstance(data, str) or isinstance(data, unicode)

        self._acc.write(data)

        if self._acc.len > self.CHUNK_SIZE:
            self._acc.seek(0)
            self._encrypt()
        else:
            return

    def flush(self):
        if self._acc.len:
            self._acc.seek(0)
            self._encrypt()

            self._acc.seek(0)
            data = self._acc.read()

            self._write_to_fd(data)

    def close(self):
        self.flush()
        self.fd.close()

    def _read_chunk(self):
        ctl = self.fd.read(4)
        if not ctl:
            return ''

        size = struct.unpack('I', ctl)[0]
        chunk = self.fd.read(size)

        return chunk

    def decrypt(self):
        self.fd.seek(0)
        key_size = struct.unpack('B', self.fd.read(1))[0] + 1
        self.CHUNK_SIZE = struct.unpack('I', self.fd.read(4))[0]
        self.compress = True if self.fd.read(1) == '\x01' else False
        self.cipher = SimpleAES(self.key, use_salt=True, key_size=key_size)

        chunk = self._read_chunk()
        while chunk:
            data = self.cipher.decrypt(chunk, binary=True)
            data = self.COMPRESSOR.decompress(data) if self.compress and data else data
            yield data

            chunk = self._read_chunk()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    f = EncryptIO('secret', open('test', 'wb+'))
    f.write('Hello world 1024 times. ' * 1024)
    f.close()
    d = EncryptIO('secret', open('test', 'rb'))
    data = ''
    for i in d.decrypt():
        data += i

    print data


text:
Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Trust
Rewild RWB
Protected road verges in RWB
Sustainable RWB
Save our Country park
Wildlife in the Country park
Solar PV Discount
The fields are now mown annually, often in June, and the cuttings are removed which allows wildflowers to grow. Although some of the wildflowers have retreated to the margins, there are still many vivid displays of colour throughout the year. First to flower are the meadow and creeping buttercups which turn the fields yellow in May. When the buttercups fade the vetches bloom. Common, bush and tufted vetch dot the field with purple clumps along with yellow meadow vetchling and the less common grass vetchling. More commonplace wildflowers include daisies, hogweed and great willow herb. Along the edges of the fields at the bottom knapweed, ragwort, yellow hawkweeds and teasels grow.
The land has changed here over the years but it still creates a complex eco-system that provides habitat, food and shelter for the wildlife in our town. It offers us a green space in which to appreciate nature and restore our own well-being. This is what we're fighting to protect. Let's help save our Country park together.
#Battleforbrynardshill
The land around Brynards Hill was originally used for pasture and grazing for cattle and sheep up until about 2000. As animals graze they can open up gaps in the soil and remove excess vegetation to give wildflowers and other plants the space they need to grow. The farmer then used to cut the grass at the beginning of August which allowed the seeds to drop and reseed for the following year. This sort of management creates the type of species rich, wildflower meadows that were common through the U.K. Since the 1930s we've lost about 97% of our wildflower meadows, or about 7.5 million acres.
Elm trees used to fence the edges of the fields until 1975 when they were decimated by Dutch Elm Disease which killed about 25 million trees in the U.K. alone. The elm trees at Brynards Hill were felled and replaced by hedgerows of blackthorn and hawthorn. These hedges along with oak, field maple, ash and willow trees support many species of birds. These include magpies, wood pigeons, blackbirds, robins, chaffinches, bullfinches, greenfinches, great, blue and long-tailed tits, sparrows and starlings. Greater spotted woodpeckers can be heard hammering away on dead trees whilst red kites soar overhead. Kestrels and buzzards hunt for voles and shrews in the fields. In the summer whitethroats can be seen perched on the remains of the fencing posts. In the winter redwings and fieldfares survive on the berries from the hedges.
These flowers and plants provide food and homes for insects, including butterflies and moths. Look out for coppers feeding from the ragwort, and meadow browns, gatekeepers, ringlets and commas amongst the bramble in the hedges. Yellow brimstones and small, large and green veined whites are often seen flitting around. Some years common blues, speckled woods, peacocks and red admirals can also be spotted. These insects in turn provide a food source for small mammals, reptiles and birds.
Bee orchid
Six spot burnett moth
Forester moth on ragged robin
Stonechat
Marbled white butterfly


text:
The point of this May of 2020 article became more significant with the so-called "Uber" decision of the Supreme Court of Canada ("SCC") on 26 June 2020, which stressed the potential for unfairness in standard-form contracts. You'll want to read this website's companion article titled "Unconscionability" and may want to review the SCC decision, which can be found here: https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/18406/index.do .
May, 2020: The B.C. Court of Appeal ruling on the question of window replacement expense found as a side issue that the Orchard House lease is "a standard form agreement", which has political significance as well as legal. Of course, the appeal court's ruling means that the other nine B.C. long-term residential leases that Hugh Trenchard put before the court and that the justices found to be the same are also standard-form agreements or contracts. The Orchard House "head lease" that is assigned to each suite's lessee can be found here (opens new tab): OH Head Lease from LTO .
B.C. Ministry of Housing staff have for decades advised ministers of housing that we lessees are complaining signatories to a private or a commercial contract, while our true situation—recognized by the Court of Appeal—is that we are subject to a contract drawn up by others in their exclusive interest, that we did not and could not negotiate the lease, and that to obtain our housing we had only a take-it or leave-it choice.
The B.C. Court of Appeal decision (28 May 2020, docket CA46417) reads in part, "I (for the panel) agree with the appellant that they are in substance identical to the Lease in question (the Orchard House lease). The nine leases, each for a different building, reflect many multiples of leaseholders. It is reasonable in these circumstances to characterize this Lease as a standard form agreement. The interpretation of the Lease will have precedential value for the holders of substantially identical leases." The many multiples the justice refers to is 840 leasehold suites in addition to the 211 at Orchard House.
There also are numerous other long-term residential leases in B.C. that have minor differences, so Mr. Trenchard did not present them, but which are arguably also standard-form-contract leases. All of the individual long-term residential lessees affected should tell their MLA that B.C.'s highest court directly contradicts how the leases have been portrayed by the Ministry of Housing. These leases were all created in 1974 by a landlord with no input or negotiation on behalf of lessees. A list of the leasehold buildings considered by the Court of Appeal is here, excerpted from Hugh's affidavit (opens new tab): List of 'same leases .
A key aspect of standard-form contracts is that they reflect inequality in bargaining power. It is this inequality between the lessees and the lessor companies and the take-it-or-leave-it foundation underlying it that justifies the Province legislating regulation of B.C.'s long-term residential leases.


Regardless of whether or not you believe in climate change and global warming, tapping into clean, renewable energy offers nothing but upside. Besides making Mother Nature and future generations happy, renewable energy is the future and represents a wonderful opportunity to create many, many great new jobs! FYI, this one small offshore wind farm is powering 17,000 homes.