The term "self-care" is making its way around wellness circles as an easy way to enhance happiness and decrease stress. Self-care is associated with warm baths, yoga, massages, meditation, or journaling about what you're grateful for.
It's encouraged for people who feel run-down or overstimulated. And, let's face it, a lot of us feel this in the age of 24/7 emails and a never-ending stream of social media!
However, while there are plenty of healthy ways to improve normal stress levels, when it comes to mental health issues like anxiety and depression, self-care isn't necessarily the best path to wellness.
Self-care can be fantastic for alleviating normal, everyday tension. But still, you can feel anxious and depressed even if you do exercise and eat greens, take baths, and do yoga.
There's a misconception that self-care is a magical way to treat these concerns. While studies have shown that meditation can help to relieve anxiety, it's not a cure-all for everything that ails us.
When it comes to mental health, self-care isn't necessarily the best path to wellness.
It's vital to remember that stress and occasional sadness are different from anxiety and depression. We often see the word "anxiety" used loosely to describe basic stress instead of the more serious health concern that it is.
Claims that self-care can cure anxiety often refer to this watered-down version of the word, creating confusion.
1. Are you relying on self-care when you should be seeing a therapist or doctor?
Ignoring a problem is like adding fuel to a fire or putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. Short-term solutions aren't effective in the long run.
For someone struggling with these issues, surface-level "treatments" that don't actually improve your state of mental health can create a feeling of incompetence. It can also encourage false comfort, distracting from the fact that what's actually needed is professional help.
2. Are you neglecting social activities in the name of self-care?
But do you constantly cancel plans with close friends, avoid colleagues, or skip family dinners because you need more "me time" or don't want to interact with anyone?
3. Is your self-care sustainable?
Can you continue your self-care rituals long-term?
Sure, a massage can be a great way to boost your mood and bask in the calm of a quiet, dark room. But do you have the time or money for consistent massages?
4. Do you actually feel better?
Self-care can be a terrific treat if it's practiced in a healthy way. However, if your morning exercise ritual makes you feel more anxious, then it's time to figure out why.
If you find certain exercises that help combat your anxiety or depression, that's fantastic. So, definitely make time for them!
However, when you're scrolling through an inspirational Instagram feed filled with beautiful posts inferring that wellness is solely about nutrition and exercise, it's important to remember that wellness involves mental health as well.
"Self-care" is a buzz-word in the wellness world, but true wellness involves getting help when you need it.
Sure, meditation can help with anxiety . . . but is it helping YOU?
"Self-care" is a buzz-word in the wellness world, but true wellness involves getting help when you need it. If you're struggling with anxiety or depression, you don't have to rely solely on self-care.
We encourage you to seek the advice of a qualified health professional. And we hope you feel better ASAP!
All included information is not intended to treat or diagnose. The views expressed are those of the author and should be attributed solely to the author. For medical questions, please consult your healthcare provider.
This article has been read 7K+ times. Feelin' the love!
Cannabis is a natural substance with many healing properties including pain management and reducing inflammation. Here's how it can help your mental health.
Kara Beussink is a writer, runner, and proud University of Kansas graduate in New Jersey (but has called seven different states home!). She writes with the goal of empowering others to pursue their own healthy lifestyle and is a passionate advocate for maternal health issues. Follow her journey at KaraRuns.com!
Self-care is necessary. These 7 self-care rituals are free or low cost and don't take a lot of time. They will help you reset, recharge, and feel great.


text:
Q: Despite requiring dotenv to load environment variables from .env file, they still get loaded from the machine /etc/environment I am using dotenv to load environment variables from .env file when I am in the development environment.

server.js

const { config } = require("dotenv");
config();
console.log(" ~ file: server.js ~ line 7 ~ config()", config());
console.log(
  " ~ file: server.js ~ line 10 ~ process.env.ADMIN_DB_URI",
  process.env.ADMIN_DB_URI
);

This is what gets logged:
 ~ file: server.js ~ line 7 ~ config() {
  parsed: {
    ADMIN_DB_URI: 'URI_THAT_IS_SAVED_IN_DOTENV_FILE',
  }
}
 ~ file: server.js ~ line 10 ~ process.env.ADMIN_DB_URI URI_THAT_IS_SAVED_IN_/ETC_/ENVIRONMENT_FILE

So apparently loading the environment variable ADMIN_DB_URI from .env file works correctly as you can see in the log of the result of executing the config function.
But, when I log process.env.ADMIN_DB_URI right after that, it logs the value that is stored in /etc/environment.
This is confusing and I don't understand why it's happening.

A: After a few days I found out why this happens.
If you have an environment variable that exists both in .env file and in /etc/environment, nodejs will load the one /etc/environment.
So all I had to do is rename the variable in .env.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package connect.ui.activity.chat.model.more;

import android.support.v4.view.ViewPager;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.ImageView;

import connect.ui.activity.R;
import connect.ui.activity.chat.bean.BaseAction;
import connect.ui.activity.chat.bean.RoomSession;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * more panel
 * Created by gtq on 2016/11/24.
 */
public class MorePanel {

    public void init(View view) {
        final ViewPager viewPager = (ViewPager) view.findViewById(R.id.more_pagerview);
        final ViewGroup indicator = (ViewGroup) view.findViewById(R.id.more_indicator);

        List<BaseAction> actionList = new ArrayList<>();

        int roomType = RoomSession.getInstance().getRoomType();
        actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.chat_bar_picture, R.string.Chat_Photo));
        actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.chat_bar_camera, R.string.Chat_Sight));

        if (roomType == 2) {

        } else {
            actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.chat_bar_trasfer, R.string.Wallet_Transfer));
            actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.chat_bar_redbag, R.string.Wallet_Packet));
            actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.message_send_payment2x, R.string.Wallet_Receipt));
            if (roomType == 0) {
                actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.message_send_privacy_chat3x, R.string.Chat_Read_Burn));
            }
            actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.chat_bar_contract, R.string.Chat_Name_Card));
        }
        actionList.add(new BaseAction(R.mipmap.message_send_location3x, R.string.Chat_Loc));

        MorePagerAdapter moreAdapter = new MorePagerAdapter(viewPager, actionList);
        viewPager.setAdapter(moreAdapter);

        int count = moreAdapter.getCount();
        if (count == 1) {
            indicator.setVisibility(View.GONE);
        } else {
            indicator.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
            initPagerListener(viewPager, count, indicator);
        }
    }

    /**
     * init PageListener
     *
     * @param viewPager
     * @param count
     * @param indicator
     */
    private static void initPagerListener(ViewPager viewPager, final int count, final ViewGroup indicator) {
        viewPager.addOnPageChangeListener(new ViewPager.OnPageChangeListener() {
            @Override
            public void onPageScrolled(int position, float positionOffset, int positionOffsetPixels) {

            }

            @Override
            public void onPageSelected(int position) {
                setIndicator(indicator, count, position);
            }

            @Override
            public void onPageScrollStateChanged(int state) {

            }
        });
    }

    /**
     * Set the page number
     *
     * @param indicator
     * @param total
     * @param current
     */
    private static void setIndicator(ViewGroup indicator, int total, int current) {
        indicator.removeAllViews();
        if (total > 1) {
            indicator.removeAllViews();
            for (int i = 0; i < total; i++) {
                ImageView img = new ImageView(indicator.getContext());
                img.setId(i);
                if (i == current) {
                    img.setBackgroundResource(R.mipmap.page_selected);
                } else {
                    img.setBackgroundResource(R.mipmap.page_unselected);
                }
                indicator.addView(img);
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Entertainment, Style
One Direction will take break but not split, say members 25 августа 2015, 10:56
British-Irish boyband One Direction is to take a break next year, quickly reassuring the group's passionate fanbase that they had no plans to split up.
One Direction will take break but not split, say members
British-Irish boyband One Direction is to take a break next year, two members said on Monday, quickly reassuring the group's passionate fanbase that they had no plans to split up, AFP reports.
The comments followed a report in British newspaper The Sun citing a "1D source" that the band was to separate for at least a year, leaving the band's enormous global teenage following devastated.
"Ok so lots of rumours going round. We are not splitting up, but we will be taking a well earned break at some point next year," Niall Horan, a member of the four-piece boyband, wrote to his 23 million followers on Twitter.
"Don't worry though, we still have lots we want to achieve!" the 21-year-old said.
Fellow band member Louis Tomlinson, 23, wrote: "Your support is truly indescribable! It's just a break :) we're not going anywhere!!"
"Promise," Tomlinson added. "Don't worry."
A spokesman for the band had declined to comment on the report in The Sun, which followed speculation the band might break up after popular former member Zayn Malik, 22, quit due to stress in March.
Fans took to social media to express their shock, with Twitter user Lexie Noel posting that "I've never cried harder".
Battle-hardened fans offered advice to those going through their first boyband split.
"It's ok One Direction fans, I went through this with Take That & Boyzone," wrote Twitter user @LisforLia.
"You may feel like your heart is in a blender, but you can do this."
No tour scheduled
The band is due to release its fifth album before Christmas, and fulfil promotional commitments by the end of February, the report in The Sun said.
There is no tour scheduled for the new album.
One Direction's last scheduled concerts are at the Sheffield Arena in northern England on October 29, 30, 31.
They are currently touring North America and are due to perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday.
Put together for a British television singing contest in 2010, Horan, Tomlinson, Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles swiftly developed a giant, fiercely loyal following of young girls worldwide.
The chart-toppers have sold more than 50 million records around the globe.
Malik has signed a new recording deal as a solo artist since quitting in March.
"I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight," he said at the time.
The Sunday Times newspaper's Rich List 2015 reckoned the band members were worth £25 million ($39 million, 34 million euros) each.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sidney Poitier, first Black actor to win best actor Academy Award, dies at 94
todayJanuary 7, 2022	9	5
The entertainment world mourns Sidney Poitier, the first black man to win best actor Oscar, after his death aged 94
One of Hollywood's greatest actors, Sir Sidney Poitier, has died. He was 94 years old. Poitier starred in such films as In The Heat Of The Night, Blackboard Jungle, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and They Call Me Mister Tibbs!. Poitier also directed Uptown Saturday Night and Let's Do It Again—two films he also starred in alongside Bill Cosby. He later called the shots for Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder in Stir Crazy. Poitier is celebrated as the first Black performer to win a "Best Actor" Academy Award, for 1963's Lilies On The Field. His passing was confirmed by Eugene Torchon-Newry, acting director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Bahamas. No other details, including cause of death, were provided.
Though born in Miami, Florida, Poitier was raised in the Bahamas, where his family lived. As a teenager, he relocated to the States—first in South Florida, then New York City, where he pursued acting. By the 1950s, Sidney became a star of the screen. His films, such as Blackboard Jungle, often dealt with racial tensions and social issues reflective of times in America and beyond.
Poitier's off-screen commitment to racial equality is reflected in his roles. In 1964, Poitier's lead role in Lilies On The Field earned him a "Best Actor" Oscar in a field of competition that included Paul Newman and Rex Harrison. 1967's In The Heat Of The Night saw Poitier's "Virgil Tibbs" character respond to a racist slap from a white character with the same in an iconic exchange. The film spawned two sequels, centered around Poitier's character. That same year he played a Black man in an interracial relationship with a white woman in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, opposite Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
By the 1970s, Poitier moved behind the lens. His second film, 1973's Uptown Saturday Night, starred Sidney, Bill Cosby, and Harry Belafonte. The film featured Richard Pryor and Flip Wilson. Its impact resonated through Hip-Hop, spawning the name of Camp Lo's 1997 debut album. Though their character names shifted, Poitier and Cosby maintained the chemistry in 1975's Let's Do It Again and 1977's A Piece Of The Action. The first of the sequels featured a Curtis Mayfield and Staple Singers soundtrack. It also features a character, "Biggie Smalls," that spawned the original name that The Notorious B.I.G. tried to use for his career. The film and soundtrack inspired The Jungle Brothers to make "Because I Got It Like That," initially intended for Prince. During this period, in 1974, Poitier was granted knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II.
In the 1980s, Poitier published his first of two autobiographies. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Poitier took several roles and directing opportunities. He later won a Grammy Award for "Best Spoken Word Album" for The Measure Of A Man, his second memoir. He accepted a Kennedy Center Honor in 1995 and a 2001 honorary Academy Award.
Poitier is survived by his spouse, Joanna Shimkus, and six children.
Written by: iLive UK
07 January 1955 - Marian Anderson becomes first African American to perform at the Met Opera On the evening of 7 January 1955, the curtain at the Metropolitan Opera in New York rises to reveal Marian Anderson, the first African American to perform with the Met. By then, Anderson was in the twilight of a career that was equal parts acclaimed and hamstrung by racism. First noticed by […]
todayJanuary 7, 2022	1


text:
DeKalb County, Georgia Accused of Raising Money by Prosecuting Violations Outside its Jurisdiction
Angela Brown—voteangelabrown.com; Burrell Ellis—Wikipedia
A county just outside Atlanta has been accused of making money off violations that are outside its jurisdiction.
DeKalb County enforces violations of local ordinances through its Recorder's Court (DCRC). But starting a few years ago, plaintiffs say, officials began using the court to prosecute individuals who had broken state laws, even though the Recorder's Court lacks the legal authority to do so.
The county is now being sued in a class-action case claiming the court was used to bolster local revenues as part of a "scheme to generate revenue for a cash-strapped local government."
The county began pushing cases through Recorder's Court after DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis took office in 2009. "Ellis and other county officials began searching desperately for untapped sources of revenue," the complaint says. "They found one such source in the DCRC, which reportedly had a backlog of about $500,000 uncollected traffic citations going back to the late 1990s."
The plaintiffs say county officials were aware of the problem. "DeKalb policy makers knew, at least as early as 2011, that the DCRC was usurping authority that it was not given under state law, but they took no action to correct the problem and instead attempted to paper it over by falsely declaring the DCRC to be a 'municipal court,' which it is not and never has been," according to the complaint.
The plaintiffs say the expanded use of the court allowed the county to reap "tens of millions of dollars per year in unauthorized fees and fines that were being collected on state law citations by DCRC and its private probation services." Two of the private companies involved were Judicial Correction Services (JCS) and Integrity Integration Services, which are also named in the suit.
One way district attorneys could do this was by using a state law allowing prosecutors to establish a pre-trial diversion program to charge offenders up to $1,000 in exchange for dropped charges, Courthouse News Service reported.
One DCRC judge, Angela Brown, had 300 probationers before her on a docket that the DCRC mockingly titled, 'Animal Control,'" the lawsuit states. In addition, according to the suit, Brown "took the JCS representative's statements at face value without evidence, and then asked the probationer whether they could pay the amount immediately. If they said no, they were immediately and summarily jailed."
The lawsuit says prosecutors "referred as many accused persons as possible to this program under threat of a state law charge and penalty, in order to generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue for DeKalb County."
Ellis was sentenced earlier this month to 18 months in prison on unrelated corruption charges.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, Steve Straehley
Class Says Georgia Court Gamed System for Profit (by Aimee Sachs, Courthouse News Service)


"Planning is everything" is the most misunderstood suggestion that I had ever heard . It is not false but it is not completely true either . It is just half true ,not long ago I used to over analyse things , and tried to maintain a lot of small notebooks for planning each and everything , I used to write everything that I had to do the next day,the next month , the next year, what to study , what not to study,what to eat , what not to eat ,etc in extreme detail and finally ended up doing only the trivial things instead of the most important works , in other words I was unable to cope with the dynamic challenges that were getting generated which I could not include in my plan. Planning is important ,in fact it is very important , but I believe in dynamic planning (instead of the traditional static planning) and it helped me become more productive and responsive to situations out of my control . The main disadvantage of too-much-detailed planning is that there would be many external circumstances that can make you feel as if your main plan is not getting executed.
Suppose you planned to study for 12 hrs the next Sunday and you get excited about the idea and try to allocate the timings in the following way : 6 am to 8 am – study , 8 am to 8.30 am – Rest, 8.30 am to 9 am – breakfast , again 9 am to 12 am study and so on . Saturday night you set an alarm for morning 6 am , you get up at 6 am and started studying ( you get a feeling that everything is going according to the plan) , when it gets 6.30 am your friends call you and order you to come to play badminton and after that guilty filled session of badminton , your mom asks you to bring eggs and milk from the local grocery store and after a few hours of poor execution & nothing going according to the plan you get dejected and loose the enthusiasm to proceed further . Of course this is a simple and harmless example but the principle is same for some life changing decisions involving serious planning.
On parallel lines, With static planning you are in complete discord with the external changes and it is akin to rowing a boat upstream.
Another major disadvantage associated with over-detailed planning is that you get a feeling that you already completed the tasks and tend to procrastinate more . This is particularly in the case of study plans and anything that involves mental efforts. So from the next time whenever you wish to accomplish something , have a simple and clear overview plan with vague details and get into execution with dynamism !!


text:
Streptocalyx est un genre de plantes de la famille des Bromeliaceae.

Taxonomie
Pour certains auteurs, le genre Streptocalyx n'existe pas ou la plupart de ses espèces doivent être intégrés aux genres Aechmea ou Ronnbergia :
 Streptocalyx arenarius Ule = Aechmea arenaria
 Streptocalyx biflorus L B Smith = Aechmea biflora
 Streptocalyx brachystachys Harms = Aechmea brachystachys
 Streptocalyx colombianus L B Smith = Aechmea colombiana
 Streptocalyx colombianus var. laxus Gross = Aechmea colombiana var laxa
 Streptocalyx curranii L B Smith = Aechmea curranii
 Streptocalyx floribundus (Martius ex Schultes filius) Mez = Aechmea floribunda
 Streptocalyx fuerstenbergii (E Morren & Wittmack)E Morren = Aechmea fuerstenbergii
 Streptocalyx geminiflorus Harms = Aechmea geminiflora
 Streptocalyx kentii Luther = Aechmea kentii
 Streptocalyx lanatus L B Smith = Aechmea lanata
 Streptocalyx laxiflorus Baker = Aechmea blanchetiana
 Streptocalyx longifolius (Rudge) Baker = Aechmea longifolia
 Streptocalyx lugoi Gilmartin & Luther = Aechmea lugoi
 Streptocalyx murcae L B Smith = Aechmea murcae
 Streptocalyx pallidus Luther = Aechmea napoensis
 Streptocalyx poeppigii Beer = Aechmea beeriana
 Streptocalyx poitaei Baker = Aechmea poitaei
 Streptocalyx seidelii Leme = Aechmea seidelii
 Streptocalyx squamiferus (Philcox) Philcox = Aechmea napoensis
 Streptocalyx subintegerrimus Philcox = Ronnbergia brasiliensis
 Streptocalyx williamsii L B Smith = Aechmea williamsii

Certaines espèces seraient toutefois valides :
 Streptocalyx subintegerrimus, synonyme de Streptocalyx laxiflora Philcox
 Streptocalyx squamiferus, synonyme de Streptocalyx geminiflorus Philcox

Notes et références

Liens externes

Genre d'Angiospermes (nom scientifique)
Bromeliaceae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Is the U.K. Finally Getting Serious About Cracking Down on Dirty Money?
Casey Michel	 15 April 2020
The United Kingdom has long been infamous as a money-laundering haven, with hundreds of billions of dollars in dirty money passing through its financial system just in recent years.
In 2017, the British government decided to deal with all this dirty money by enacting the Unexplained Wealth Orders, a series of regulations allowing authorities to identify and seize assets related to potential corruption and money-laundering cases. But in their three years of existence, the government has pursued a grand total of just one case under the orders, against the wife of a prominent former banker from Azerbaijan, who had fallen afoul of the regime in Baku. It identified less than $50 million in suspect payments—a small fraction of the total suspicious transactions processed by British financial institutions.
Yet the promise of the Unexplained Wealth Orders may now be coming to fruition. Last month, British investigators from the National Crime Agency began legal proceedings to seize assets belonging to two relatives of Kazakhstan's former dictator, Nursultan Nazarbayev: His daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva, and his grandson, Nurali Aliyev. According to British authorities, the two own some of London's toniest properties—a huge Chelsea apartment, a mansion in Highgate overlooking one of the most exclusive golf clubs in all of Europe, and another mansion nearby along one of the most expensive stretches of real estate in Britain, on what is known as the city's "Billionaires' Row"—all acquired with questionable financing. British investigators claim that the houses were financed with proceeds from crimes committed by Aliyev's father, Rakhat Aliyev, a former deputy head of Kazakhstan's state security services.
There is any number of similar properties scattered across London. Corrupt figures from around the world—including post-Soviet states, the Persian Gulf and sub-Saharan Africa—use high-end real estate as a way to give their ill-gotten gains a veneer of legitimacy, and to keep their pilfered loot safe from the populations they're pillaging. Tens of thousands of properties in London alone are controlled by offshore companies. For years, the oligarchs and kleptocrats behind those extravagant property purchases faced no consequences for hiding their dirty money. But the proceedings against Aliyev and Nazarbayeva are now a major step forward for Britain's anti-corruption efforts.
They are also significant because of Aliyev and Nazarbayeva's profile. While Nazarbayev formally resigned as president of Kazakhstan last year, he has continued to steer policy from behind the scenes. Nazarbayeva, Aliyev's mother, is the current chairwoman of Kazakhstan's Senate, and has long been seen as a potential future leader of the country.
The British government's willingness to target Kazakhstan's first family, especially after years of effectively turning a blind eye to its own role in facilitating corrupt transactions, sends a powerful signal that no corrupt figure is untouchable. One British investigator even outright accused Aliyev, who is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, of having "been involved in money laundering."
The move is especially remarkable considering that Nazarbayev and his regime have for years relied on white-shoe PR firms in both London and Washington to promote Nazarbayev's image as a benevolent leader who is steering his country toward some kind of a liberal democracy. In reality, Nazarbayev presided over a repressive police state that locks up journalists and dissidents. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair became the poster-child for Nazarbayev's efforts at laundering his reputation, with Blair pocketing millions of dollars as a consultant to help whitewash Nazarbayev's brutality. Blair even served as Nazarbayev's speechwriter after Kazakh security forces gunned down at least 14 unarmed protesters in the city of Zhanaozen, in western Kazakhstan, in 2011.
There seems to be a shifting understanding in London about its damaging role in global money-laundering webs, which has allowed kleptocratic networks to flourish.
As it is, Aliyev's alleged offshoring of his money first surfaced in 2016 when the so-called Panama Papers leaked. Among the assets linked to Aliyev in those millions of documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca was a 23-meter-long yacht called "Nomad."
Unsurprisingly, Aliyev used a number of Caribbean-based shell companies to purchase the ostentatious London properties, one of which includes an in-house cinema and an underground pool. According to documents obtained by money-laundering investigators, British lender Barclays approved a mortgage for these shell companies in 2014, with Aliyev and his wife named as the occupants of one of the London mansions. "The complexity and deliberate obscurity of the way in which the Aliyev assets were handled… indicates they had a criminal origin," one British investigator claimed in written testimony.
Lawyers for Aliyev and Nazarbayeva have denied the charges thus far, claiming, somewhat ludicrously, that Nazarbayeva had earned her wealth through legitimate means. Last week, the U.K. High Court denied the government's request to seize the properties, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that the houses had been bought with Rakhat Aliyev's money. The National Crime Agency plans to appeal the case.
But even if Nazarbayeva and Aliyev manage to escape with their properties intact, the reputational damage has been swift, both at home and abroad. Not only has Kazakhstan's leading family now been accused of outright money laundering by British investigators, but Kazakhs themselves—who face jail time, or worse, for trying to investigate Nazarbayev's family's assets—now have brand new clues about how the first family has moved their money. Nazarbayeva has reportedly enlisted multiple crisis communications firms to handle the fallout. The case also shows that British authorities are now willing to use the Unexplained Wealth Orders to target politically connected figures. There are reportedly multiple other anti-corruption cases in the pipeline, whose targets include former officials from Russia and corrupt governments in Africa.
The Unexplained Wealth Orders are one of the most promising tools in Britain's efforts to crack down on flows of dirty money through its financial system, and they should be replicated elsewhere. A similar policy in the U.S., for example, would be an effective complement to the Treasury Department's Geographic Targeting Orders, which force property purchasers to reveal their identity in several jurisdictions across the country.
Regardless of what comes next in the case against Aliyev and Nazarbayeva, there seems to be a shifting understanding in London about its damaging role in global money-laundering webs, which has allowed kleptocratic networks to flourish and propped up regimes in places like Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. If the case against Aliyev and Nazarbayeva is the first of many to come, other politically powerful, corrupt figures will begin to feel the heat.
Casey Michel is a writer, analyst and former investigative reporter at ThinkProgress. His writing has also appeared in The New Republic, Foreign Policy and The Atlantic, among other publications. Follow him on Twitter at @cjcmichel.
Original source: WPR World Politics Review


The third volume of the VORACIOUS trilogy, is set to be released in May 2019 as a 5-issue series from Action Lab Entertainment. A trade paperback collection will be published one the series concludes.
The 5-issue follow-up series to VORACIOUS, was published by Action Lab Entertainment in 2017. VORACIOUS: Feeding Time was named "One of the Best Series of 2017" by Graphic Policy in 3 categories – Favorite Single Issue (1st), Favorite Limited Series (2nd) and Favorite Writer (3rd)!
The trade paperback collection, VORACIOUS: Feeding Time, was released in June 2017. You can order it direct from my store and I'll sign it for free. Also available in comic shops and on Amazon.
My very first comic book series, published by Action Lab Entertainment. I co-created it with my friend and artist Jason Muhr. VORACIOUS was named "One of the Best New Series of 2016″ by Comics Alliance!
VORACIOUS #1-4 came out in early 2016. The trade paperback collection, VORACIOUS: Diners, Dinosaurs and Dives was released in August 2016. You can order it direct from my store and I'll sign it for free. Also available in comic shops and on Amazon. Click on the image below to see some preview pages!
Click on each image for the high-resolution version.


text:
Q: Convert a parameteric plot from mathematica to python I have a small parametric plot that I am trying to convert to python from Mathematica. The problem is that my python script does not match this, I am struggling to get the list plot to work as it would be used in Mathematica.
How would you write this in python using matplotlib?
With[{r = 2.1, dt = 0.5, tfinal = 7.0},
 x = 1;
 y = 0;
 xylist = {{x, y}};
 Do[
  x = x - r y dt;
  y = y + r x dt;
  AppendTo[xylist, {x, y}];
  , {i, 0, tfinal, dt}];
 p1 = ParametricPlot[{Cos[t], Sin[t]}, {t, 0, 2 \[Pi]},
   PlotStyle -> Dashed];
 p2 = ListPlot[xylist, Joined -> True, AspectRatio -> 1];
 Show[p1, p2, PlotRange -> All]
 ]

# ========================= Python  ========================= #
# Parameters

r = 2.1
tfinal = 7.0
dt = 0.5
n = int(tfinal/dt)

# Containers
tspan = np.linspace(0, tfinal, n)
xtraj = np.zeros(n+1)
ytraj = np.zeros(n+1)

x0 = 1 # Initialize X
y0 = 0 # Initialize Y

value = odeint(f1, [x0,y0],tspan) # ODE values

# Euler scheme to calculate trajectory

# Initialize
xtraj[0] = x0
ytraj[0] = y0
for i in range(n):
    xtraj[i+1] = xtraj[i] - r*ytraj[i]*dt
    ytraj[i+1] = ytraj[i] + r*xtraj[i]*dt

fig, ax1 = plt.subplots(figsize=(9, 9))

# Plot ODE result portion

plt.plot(xtraj ,ytraj ,label='simulation $\Delta t = 0.1$, $r=1$, $T = 7$ ', color='#96CDCD', marker='o', linestyle='dashed', alpha=0.7)

theta = np.linspace( 0 , 2 * np.pi , 150 )
radius = 1

a = radius * np.cos( theta ) + 0
b = radius * np.sin( theta ) + 0

ax1.plot( a, b , label='actual, r=1', c='k')
ax1.set_aspect( 1 )
ax1.set(xlim=(-1.5, 1.5), ylim=(-1.5, 1.5), );

A: The issue is that in your Mathematica, the value of x is being updated each iteration through the "do" loop. Replace
ytraj[i+1] = ytraj[i] + r*xtraj[i]*dt

with
ytraj[i+1] = ytraj[i] + r*xtraj[i+1]*dt

and you'll see the same results (up to plot formatting, like color and linestyle, of course):

And note that as it stands, your python is a correctly implemented Euler integrator; it's your Mathematica that isn't quite 'Eulerian' (it's close to an Euler-Cromer method, though not quite)


Lona was so disgusted with the people, and especially with the women, that she wished to abandon the place as soon as possible; I, on the contrary, felt very strongly that to do so would be to fail wilfully where success was possible; and, far worse, to weaken the hearts of the Little Ones, and so bring them into much greater danger. If we retreated, it was certain the princess would not leave us unassailed! if we encountered her, the hope of the prophecy went with us! Mother and daughter must meet: it might be that Lona's loveliness would take Lilith's heart by storm! if she threatened violence, I should be there between them! If I found that I had no other power over her, I was ready, for the sake of my Lona, to strike her pitilessly on the closed hand! I knew she was doomed: most likely it was decreed that her doom should now be brought to pass through us!
Still without hint of the relation in which she stood to the princess, I stated the case to Lona as it appeared to me. At once she agreed to accompany me to the palace.
From the top of one of its great towers, the princess had, in the early morning, while the city yet slept, descried the approach of the army of the Little Ones. The sight awoke in her an over-mastering terror: she had failed in her endeavour to destroy them, and they were upon her! The prophecy was about to be fulfilled!
When she came to herself, she descended to the black hall, and seated herself in the north focus of the ellipse, under the opening in the roof.
For she must think! Now what she called THINKING required a clear consciousness of herself, not as she was, but as she chose to believe herself; and to aid her in the realisation of this consciousness, she had suspended, a little way from and above her, itself invisible in the darkness of the hall, a mirror to receive the full sunlight reflected from her person. For the resulting vision of herself in the splendour of her beauty, she sat waiting the meridional sun.
Many a shadow moved about her in the darkness, but as often as, with a certain inner eye which she had, she caught sight of one, she refused to regard it. Close under the mirror stood the Shadow which attended her walks, but, self-occupied, him she did not see.
The city was taken; the inhabitants were cowering in terror; the Little Ones and their strange cavalry were encamped in the square; the sun shone upon the princess, and for a few minutes she saw herself glorious. The vision passed, but she sat on. The night was now come, and darkness clothed and filled the glass, yet she did not move. A gloom that swarmed with shadows, wallowed in the palace; the servants shivered and shook, but dared not leave it because of the beasts of the Little Ones; all night long the princess sat motionless: she must see her beauty again! she must try again to think! But courage and will had grown weary of her, and would dwell with her no more!
In the morning we chose twelve of the tallest and bravest of the boys to go with us to the palace. We rode our great horses, and they small horses and elephants.
The princess sat waiting the sun to give her the joy of her own presence. The tide of the light was creeping up the shore of the sky, but until the sun stood overhead, not a ray could enter the black hall.
He rose to our eyes, and swiftly ascended. As we climbed the steep way to the palace, he climbed the dome of its great hall. He looked in at the eye of it--and with sudden radiance the princess flashed upon her own sight. But she sprang to her feet with a cry of despair: alas her whiteness! the spot covered half her side, and was black as the marble around her! She clutched her robe, and fell back in her chair. The Shadow glided out, and she saw him go.
We found the gate open as usual, passed through the paved grove up to the palace door, and entered the vestibule. There in her cage lay the spotted leopardess, apparently asleep or lifeless. The Little Ones paused a moment to look at her. She leaped up rampant against the cage. The horses reared and plunged; the elephants retreated a step. The next instant she fell supine, writhed in quivering spasms, and lay motionless. We rode into the great hall.
The princess yet leaned back in her chair in the shaft of sunlight, when from the stones of the court came to her ears the noise of the horses' hoofs. She started, listened, and shook: never had such sound been heard in her palace! She pressed her hand to her side, and gasped. The trampling came nearer and nearer; it entered the hall itself; moving figures that were not shadows approached her through the darkness!
For us, we saw a splendour, a glorious woman centring the dark. Lona sprang from her horse, and bounded to her. I sprang from mine, and followed Lona.
"Mother! mother!" she cried, and her clear, lovely voice echoed in the dome.
The princess shivered; her face grew almost black with hate, her eyebrows met on her forehead. She rose to her feet, and stood.
"Mother! mother!" cried Lona again, as she leaped on the daïs, and flung her arms around the princess.
An instant more and I should have reached them!--in that instant I saw Lona lifted high, and dashed on the marble floor. Oh, the horrible sound of her fall! At my feet she fell, and lay still. The princess sat down with the smile of a demoness.
I dropped on my knees beside Lona, raised her from the stones, and pressed her to my bosom. With indignant hate I glanced at the princess; she answered me with her sweetest smile. I would have sprung upon her, taken her by the throat, and strangled her, but love of the child was stronger than hate of the mother, and I clasped closer my precious burden. Her arms hung helpless; her blood trickled over my hands, and fell on the floor with soft, slow little plashes.
The horses scented it--mine first, then the small ones. Mine reared, shivering and wild-eyed, went about, and thundered blindly down the dark hall, with the little horses after him. Lona's stood gazing down at his mistress, and trembling all over. The boys flung themselves from their horses' backs, and they, not seeing the black wall before them, dashed themselves, with mine, to pieces against it. The elephants came on to the foot of the daïs, and stopped, wildly trumpeting; the Little Ones sprang upon it, and stood horrified; the princess lay back in her seat, her face that of a corpse, her eyes alone alive, wickedly flaming. She was again withered and wasted to what I found in the wood, and her side was as if a great branding hand had been laid upon it. But Lona saw nothing, and I saw but Lona.
"Mother! mother!" she sighed, and her breathing ceased.
I carried her into the court: the sun shone upon a white face, and the pitiful shadow of a ghostly smile. Her head hung back. She was "dead as earth."
I forgot the Little Ones, forgot the murdering princess, forgot the body in my arms, and wandered away, looking for my Lona. The doors and windows were crowded with brute-faces jeering at me, but not daring to speak, for they saw the white leopardess behind me, hanging her head close at my heel. I spurned her with my foot. She held back a moment, and followed me again.
I reached the square: the little army was gone! Its emptiness roused me. Where were the Little Ones, HER Little Ones? I had lost her children! I stared helpless about me, staggered to the pillar, and sank upon its base.
But as I sat gazing on the still countenance, it seemed to smile a live momentary smile. I never doubted it an illusion, yet believed what it said: I should yet see her alive! It was not she, it was I who was lost, and she would find me!
I rose to go after the Little Ones, and instinctively sought the gate by which we had entered. I looked around me, but saw nothing of the leopardess.
The street was rapidly filling with a fierce crowd. They saw me encumbered with my dead, but for a time dared not assail me. Ere I reached the gate, however, they had gathered courage. The women began to hustle me; I held on heedless. A man pushed against my sacred burden: with a kick I sent him away howling. But the crowd pressed upon me, and fearing for the dead that was beyond hurt, I clasped my treasure closer, and freed my right arm. That instant, however, a commotion arose in the street behind me; the crowd broke; and through it came the Little Ones I had left in the palace. Ten of them were upon four of the elephants; on the two other elephants lay the princess, bound hand and foot, and quite still, save that her eyes rolled in their ghastly sockets. The two other Little Ones rode behind her on Lona's horse. Every now and then the wise creatures that bore her threw their trunks behind and felt her cords.
I walked on in front, and out of the city. What an end to the hopes with which I entered the evil place! We had captured the bad princess, and lost our all-beloved queen! My life was bare! my heart was empty!


It is common for victims of domestic and family violence to be court ordered to co-parent with their ex-partner. Just like separated families who have not experienced domestic or family violence, regular communication with your ex-partner is necessary for co-parenting. Even if visitation has been court ordered to occur on regular days, there are still special occasions and extra-curriculum activities that require both parents to communicate. For a person who has experienced domestic violence, this can be very daunting and possibly expose them to serious risks.
Common tactics used by perpetrators to harass their victim include endless, unnecessary communications that are under the pretence of co-parenting. Using technology to intimidate and exercise coercive control over their victim. For example, using technology to have access to their victim 24 hours a day 7 day a week, which manipulates their victims time, creating a sense of harassment and controlling their victim's personal space. But the use of mobile phones is only a part of the story. Social media platforms such as Facebook was developed to help people stay in close contact with their friends and loved ones. However, these are also tools abusers can use to stalk not only their victims but the family and friends of the victim.
Also, camera and recording devices put into children's toys can be used to invade their victim's personal space. The list of new technology products is extensive and even though the products weren't designed with the intention for someone to use them abusively. Such technology products also include spyware in everyday house items, computer spyware, computer viruses, drones and cameras.
Never before in history have victims of domestic and family violence been so exposed to ongoing abuse after leaving the relationship than with the unsolicited use of technology-facilitated abuse used against them.
So what are some ways you can protect yourself if you feel you are experiencing technology facilitated abuse?
Use a safe and secure online communication platform such as Our Children Australia to communicate with your ex-partner. By using such a website, you are protected by their security systems, which in turn protects you from receiving unwanted viruses. Also, everything written on Our Children Australia cannot be deleted or manipulated, this helps to decrease unnecessary conflict.
Stay on top of your Facebook security settings. Block people that you need to block and make sure that you think twice before posting on Facebook as your safety can be compromised if you constantly publicize your location.
Check your children's toys for recording devices if you believe something doesn't feel quite right. It is better to check and put your mind at ease than to worry yourself about possible recording devises invading your privacy.
If this article has raised any concerns for you, please contact 1800 RESPECT the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling phone service providing 24hour support.


They had a film project for a thriller called "Die Informatin" , the script required locations to double for Turkey and Bulgaria.
Scouting began in early April, and with only two days to shoot all the necessary scenes it was imperative that the locations (although very different) were close to each other and the unit base in San Jose Almeria in order to reduce travel time to set.
The tech-recce with Director, DOP and Producer was in the last week of April, locations were considered, the best were approved and shooting dates were set for the beginning of June.
Most of the crew and actors arrived the day before shooting was to commence, once more Almeria was ideal for locations, action vehicles and local bi-lingual crew.
Shooting commenced early on day one with some special effects and gunfire scenes. The day sped by and by mid afternoon thanks to some great scheduling we were wrapped and on our way back to the hotel.
Day two saw us out in the desert near one of the sets from the last Ridley Scott film, by ten o clock it was nearly forty degrees and rising.
Shooting went fast and the Spanish and foreign crew worked well together. Art department had done a great job with the set building and vehicles.
Once more we wrapped on schedule (what a pleasure!) equipment was packed up for shipping back to Munich and Malaga. Crew ferried back to base and a well-earned drink for their hard work.
Thanks very much guys, it was a real pleasure!


text:
Current: Licence status
Licence status active
Licence status
There are several reasons why an adviser's licence may not be current. Find out what these terms mean.
Surrendered
A licensed immigration adviser with a current licence is permitted to provide immigration advice in line with the code of conduct.
Licences are valid for one year.
Licences must be renewed annually. If no application to renew the licence is made on or before the licence expiry date, the licence is considered expired. It must then be recorded in the register of licensed immigration advisers.
Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 — Section 33(external link)
New Zealand Legislation
A licensed adviser can at any time voluntarily surrender that licence by written notice to the Registrar of Immigration Advisers. The surrender takes effect on the date given in the notice or, if no such date is given, on the day the notice is received by the Registrar.
To obtain and hold a licence, advisers will have to meet competency standards, adhere to a code of conduct, pay any relevant fees and/or levies, and be "fit" to practise. An applicant's personal history will be considered, including criminal convictions, immigration offences, bankruptcy or other issues that might make them unsuitable to provide immigration advice and receive a licence.
Should an applicant not meet these conditions, they may be refused a licence (refused applicants have the right to appeal to the Registrar of Immigration Advisers).
All refused applicants must be listed on the register of immigration advisers.
Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 — Section 18-21(external link)
Immigration Adviser Licensing Act 20017 — Section 78(external link)
The Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal can suspend an adviser's licence as a disciplinary measure.
A licence can also be suspended by the Tribunal if all the following conditions are met:
A complaint has been made against an adviser;
The complaint has been referred to the Tribunal;
The complaint is being prepared for submission to the Tribunal; and
The Tribunal considers that suspension is in the public's best interest.
A person whose licence has been suspended may not apply for a further licence throughout the duration of the suspension.
Licences can be cancelled if:
the licensee is prohibited from holding a licence under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act;
the licence was granted on the basis of false or fraudulent information;
the licence or renewal application fee (or Adviser's levy) was paid by means that have subsequently been dishonoured; or
the licensee has died.
Advisers who breach the code of conduct can also have their licences cancelled by the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal.


text:
Two expats in Senegal spin "wax" into Western lifestyle brand
20 Comments Posted by ML Awanohara on February 6, 2014
Clockwise from top: Six Bougies logo; Kim at the fabric market in Dakar; Megan at a craft fair in Dakar. Photo credit: Six Bougies.
Having repatriated some years ago to the United States, I occasionally still crave the adventure of living abroad. But then I console myself by recalling the Internet journeys I make every week on behalf of the Displaced Nation, in search of international creatives. Those virtual journeys can open my eyes to whole new worlds full of breathtaking color—rather literally in the case of Six Bougies, a siteI landed on from Pinterest several weeks ago.
It turned out to be the companion blog for a business of the same name, run by two American expats in Senegal, the equally bedazzling Kim Rochette and Megan Carpenter.
Kim and Megan are my guests today and will talk about how they came to a life of spinning Western clothes, accessories and home wares out of gorgeous West African fabrics.
In addition, Kim and Megan have kindly agreed to GIVE AWAY A SIX BOUGIES DUFFEL BAG (see photo below) TO THE PERSON WHO LEAVES THE BEST COMMENT! (Wow, a non-book giveaway, a first…)
And one more: Displaced Dispatch subscribers will receive a discount code for use in the Six Bougies Etsy shop. How cool is that? (What, not a subscriber yet? SIGN UP NOW!!)
But before we proceed, I want to make sure you know how to pronounce "bougie." I initially made the mistake of pronouncing it with a hard "g"—which led to a vision of two American women in colorful garb boogying down the streets of Dakar, Senegal's capital city.
Outlandish, I know. (Besides, who were the other four?) So take my advice and start practicing now practicing how to say "bougie" with a soft "g": boo-gee boo-gee boo-gee boo-gee boo-gee boo-gee.
As for why there are six boo-gees, read on. Almost needless to say, it's a colorful story!
Greetings, Kim and Megan. Before we get to the meaning of "Six Bougies," something we're all curious to know, let's cover a few of the basics. How long have you been running the business?
KIM: For a little under a year. And don't forget: it's "boo-gee."
In your Etsy shop you describe Six Bou-GEES as "a lifestyle brand that fuses West African textiles, colors and patterns with a Western aesthetic." What do you mean by a "lifestyle brand"?
MEGAN: We've conceived of Six Bougies as a brand that appeals to people who yearn for travel and love to surround themselves with beautiful objects from around the world. Our pillows, neckties and bags can add a little of that spice to everyday life.
I understand that you have a blog that supports this brand?
KIM: Yes, as I try to show with the Six Bougies blog (I'm the the writer of our team, while Megan is the artist), the concept goes far beyond a selection of home wares and accessories for sale. I post about fashion, expat life in Africa, local decor, cultural events in Senegal, and related topics. A few months ago I did a post full of tips on how to have Western clothing made by African tailors. Dakar, where we both live, has affordable tailors at every street corner and a wealth of vibrant textiles for sale at the fabric market. Soon I will write about my attempt to commission furniture for my apartment with local materials from Senegalese artisans, but with a Western aesthetic.
Ah, that sounds like a good example of "African-Western fusion"—true of your product line as well?
KIM: Yes. We use fabrics purchased (and mostly made) in Africa and rely on the expertise of local tailors to execute Megan's Western-influenced designs, with an international audience in mind. The duffel bags Megan designed are a perfect example of this African-Western fusion, as is our line of neckties in wax.
Six Bougies products: cushion, tie, and duffel bag (we're giving one away!). Photo credit: Six Bougies.
Please tell me what "wax" is.
KIM: "Wax" is short for "wax print," which is similar to batik printing. In Africa, these prints are made on colorful cotton cloths, which are mostly industrially produced.
When life gives you scraps…
So, where did the idea for Six Bougies originate?
MEGAN: I had been teaching in Senegal for about a year, acquiring (stockpiling?) wax fabric, beads, and other locally produced goods. It was everywhere, in just about every room and closet of my apartment. But I never had anything made because I was nervous as to how my vision would be executed. But at the end of my first year, I decided to bite the bullet and have 15 pairs of size 8 shorts made in wax. Most of my friends and family (females) are the same size-ish, and I would just give them out as gifts when I went home. They were a huge hit: some friends and family actually wanted more than one pair! That gave me the confidence to start making more products, and eventually transition this into a business.
KIM: About a year ago, I felt the itch to start my own blog on life in Senegal—but beyond the travel blog I had previously updated for family and friends, I wanted to create a space for telling the story of what it's like for a young, international woman to live in West Africa and travel the region for work, trying to carve out a place in this sometimes crazy and always invigorating place. I also have a great love for design and textiles, which has grown exponentially living in such a tactile, sensory locale. Megan and I decided to join forces and build a brand that melds our passion for West African textiles while also empowering women in the process.
Before we get to the topic of women's empowerment, it's high time we learned how you got that unusual name…as I think it relates to that goal?
KIM: We named the business "Six Bougies" after an iconic African pattern by Vlisco that depicts six bougies (spark plugs). A person would wear this fabric to signal that they had a six-cylinder car, a sign of wealth. Eventually, the fabric came to symbolize female empowerment in Africa. Thus "Six Bougies" perfectly marries our passions for design and women's rights.
Tailors Penda and Adji at work in Dakar. Photo credit: Six Bougies.
Please tell me that I'm not the only one who mispronounces "bougie"?
KIM: People do mispronounce it sometimes, but it was a risk we were willing to take!
Moving over to your decision to donate a portion of your business's profits to support and empower women: why that cause in particular?
KIM: In Senegal, tailoring is traditionally a male-oriented career path. Honestly, there aren't a lot of jobs out there for women, especially single women and/or mothers. So when I meet a female tailor, I try to help them out by giving them business because I know how hard it is to branch out and do something different. And, as Megan and I are both involved in education, we hope to steer our business efforts to this cause as well. We are both very inspired by Della, a similar business based out of Ghana and LA which has really taken off in the past year, partnering with Apple, Urban Outfitters, and Vans to build a veritable social enterprise in Hohoe, Ghana.
"Sew" very happy in Dakar!
Moving on to your expat life in Senegal. What brought you to Dakar originally?
KIM: I first studied abroad in Dakar when I was a junior in college and returned after I graduated. I've been living here for nearly four consecutive years. I had always been drawn to African literature, film, and history; and then when I had the opportunity to live in Africa for a semester, I was drawn to Senegal for its complex history with France (I am half-French) and role as as a hub for development in West and Francophone Africa. After studying in Dakar, I was hooked.
MEGAN: I was working at an inner city charter school is Los Angeles as a teacher and decided it was time to teach in a different part of the world to have more access to places that would otherwise be difficult and expensive to reach. There were lots of offers for the Middle East and one for my current school in Senegal. I chose Senegal because the school is highly regarded as a stand out in the region and the country seemed like a fascinating mix of modern yet traditional ideologies. I've been here three years and am so happy I took the leap.
What do you like most about life in Dakar?
KIM: I love so much about it! I love the inspiration at every turn—the textiles and local arts, the warm and embracing people, the ocean and cliffs, the music scene. I also love living outside all year round in this coastal, tropical climate, especially after growing up on the East coast with such frigid and long winters! I love how nearly every experience, even and especially the challenges I encounter as an outsider, lead to personal growth. But in many ways, Dakar is also easy; as an expat, I am able to live a comfortable life, eating out, living in a spacious apartment, enjoying all the cultural events the city has to offer, and escaping much of the patriarchy to which most Senegalese women are subject. I am privileged in Dakar and I try not to take that for granted.
MEGAN: Even after three years, there is still so much to discover in this city. I am constantly finding new inspiration in the culture and the people.
Do you ever feel "displaced"?
KIM: I know what you're saying: what's a nice girl like me doing living in a boisterous, developing African capital?! It has taken four years, but I have definitely found my niche in Dakar—sometimes to the surprise of friends and family back in the U.S. and France. But there are inevitably moments I feel "displaced," especially as women living in a patriarchal society. I encounter sexism on a daily basis and there are still cultural nuances that boggle my mind. I've written about Dakar's "Bottom Ten" on the blog.
I also travel throughout West Africa for my "day job," which entails working extensively in the male-dominated commercial sector. I've fielded many advances that might border on sexual harassment in the U.S., and sometimes I don't feel taken seriously as a woman. In certain settings, I have to be very aware of how my "Western" actions (like direct eye contact!) might be interpreted by men and women of vastly different backgrounds. But learning how to carry myself and to pick up on cultural cues in these extremely diverse settings has also become some of my greatest strengths. I wouldn't trade these formative experiences for the world!
MEGAN: I'm not going to lie, the first year was tough. The Air France flight I was on landed in the middle of the night, which is when most flights arrive and depart from Dakar. The director of my school picked me up from the airport, which is probably one of the most depressing ones I've ever seen, and then drove me through the main thoroughfare, La Corniche, to my apartment, which, in the dead of night, looked like block after block of deserted burnt-out buildings. I thought to myself, "I think I've made a terrible decision and how the $@&*% can I get out of here!?" Luckily, my impression of the city has changed dramatically. Getting to know a bit of the culture and cultivating meaningful friendships with locals as well as the expat community has helped me feel at ease.
Do you sometimes feel more comfortable in Dakar than you do back in the U.S.?
KIM: For now, Dakar is home to me. I have a solid group of friends, a real sense of community, and I live here with my boyfriend. But I'm able to travel back to the U.S. two to four times per year for work and holidays, and I relish these opportunities. To be honest, I feel comfortable in both countries. I grew up living between countries—France and the U.S.—and I think this has conditioned me to adapt easily to new environments and transitioning between them. That being said, I do plan to "settle" in the United States eventually, and suspect that reintegrating into American life will be challenging as I moved to Dakar right after graduation and haven't really lived a typical adult life in the U.S. I'm sure it will be more difficult to build the kind of community you find easily with fellow expats living abroad. We'll see if life goes according to plan!
MEGAN: When I first moved to Senegal I was in the downtown area people watching and spotted two young talibé boys, probably around seven or eight years old, having an argument. It escalated into blows but then was quickly broken up by a passerby, who was only a few years older than the boys. Watching this teenager mediate the fight instead of walking by like nothing was happening (or worse yet recording and posting it on YouTube) made me feel good about being here. The way people treat each other feels a little more humane, a little more civilized.
Words to sew by…
Was opening up your own business something you always wanted to do?
KIM: Honestly, its not something I had ever really considered! I studied Political Science and envisioned working in the development sector. And now I'm doing both… building a creative business while working as a consultant on various development initiatives.
MEGAN: Being an entreprenuer is in my blood. My dad has started several companies and family dinner conversations often included new business ideas. When I went to Summer Art Camp in high school I used my fake ID to sell cigarettes. I had a streak of badass in me back then 😉 I also set up a impromptu face-painting stand with my friends at an art festival, donation based. Between those two enterprises I made a killing that summer and was able to afford…you guessed it…more art supplies!
During college I studied fine art, mostly drawing and painting, which I now teach. Making paintings for example can be extremely consuming (time and otherwise) and has the possibility to take over your life, while making jewelry is instantly gratifying as well as therapeutic. So I really enjoy making jewelry and designing totes and accessories in my spare time.
What has been the biggest challenge?
KIM: With a demanding "day job," it has been challenging giving Six Bougies the time and dedication the company really needs to get off the ground. I'm transitioning to pursuing freelance projects so as to devote a lot more time to Six Bougies in 2014—which I'm very excited about!
From a business perspective, it has also been very challenging developing reliable systems to support our creative pursuits. For example, it can be difficult to find tailors who are consistently available for work or willing to teach other women the skills necessary for making our products. In Senegal, most tailors are men so we are still trying to develop the most sustainable system for training women that we can work with longer term.
MEGAN: Kim summed it up pretty well. We are working on sustainability and exposure!
The most fulfilling aspect?
KIM: As the primary blogger in the duo, I absolutely love connecting with people through my posts, especially women who are moving to Dakar or are interested in following a similar path. And as Six Bougies' social programs develop, I really look forward to the deeper connections and impact we will hopefully make in our Senegalese community.
MEGAN: I love it when people buy my products and really LOVE them. When I see customers wearing the products I make, it makes my heart smile 🙂
"Sew" much fabric, "sew" little time!
If you could do anything else, what would it be?
KIM: I already feel rather stretched, so for now I'd just like to work on Six Bougies and my other professional endeavors to my best ability and see the fruits of that labor!
MEGAN: I think I have the best of both worlds right now, but I would love to be able to be in my studio more and really dedicate time to my personal artistic pursuits.
What's on your bucket list?
KIM: I have always wanted to live in Madrid and become fluent in Spanish—need to brush up on those high school courses! And I want to attend graduate school in the next couple of years. Let the applications begin…
MEGAN: Actually taking the leap and traveling for a year…or longer.
Do you have any advice for others who are thinking about setting up their own lifestyle brand and selling fashion/homewares? For instance, you're selling your merchandise through an Etsy shop. Is that working for you?
MEGAN: Etsy is great for where we are at right now, very small scale. I think if business continues to grow and we need to do more shipping overseas, we may have to change our distribution system.
Do you have any big plans, travel or business wise, for 2014?
MEGAN: I'm traveling to Nigeria next month for a volleyball tournament with my students. Then the trifecta of New York, Texas, and California to see family and friends later this summer. As far as the business goes, I'd like to focus on perfecting the quality of our goods and hopefully getting them into boutiques in Dakar and New York.
KIM: I miss traveling for pleasure! I have a trip to South Africa planned for April with my mom and I'm thrilled. I also look forward to growing Six Bougies and pursuing my professional passions more freely. 2014 is going to be good, inshallah 😉
Inshallah, indeed. Readers, has this interview boo-gee-ed, I mean sparked, any thoughts or questions? Make your comments colorful, why don't you…there's an African-Western-fusioned duffel bag on offer!
STAY TUNED for next week's fab posts.
Talking to Sharon Lorimer about starting up a business on the art of being an expat
Entrepreneur Daniel Abrahams: From London to Israel, start-up nation of the world
Talking to expat entrepreneur Alison McGowan about cracking the hard nut of Brazil's tourism market
RANDOM NOMAD: Mark Wiens, Traveling Entrepreneur and Street Food Addict
Entrepreneurs, Features Activists, Africa, Dakar, Entrepreneurs, France, global philanthropy, Senegal, TCK, Third Culture Kid, USA
← And the January 2014 Alices go to … these 3 international creatives LOCATION, LOCUTION: Chris Pavone, author of "The Expats", on why story and location are inseparable →
20 responses to "Two expats in Senegal spin "wax" into Western lifestyle brand"
wanderingeducators February 6, 2014 at 10:50 pm
Not an exciting comment, but I have to say i AM excited by both the entrepreneurial spirit AND the way these amazing women are spreading both color and employment! Very impressed, and in the midst of this very cold winter, those colors look especially happy. Thanks!
Reader February 8, 2014 at 4:57 pm
No kidding! One of the the things I miss the most when I live in the States is all the colors–sometimes it seems like people here tend to wear black and grey all winter long, I guess because it's available, but these colors are so cheerful! And these women are doing something really cool by making it available to us!
worldairtravelandtours February 7, 2014 at 1:18 am
wow looks great
Jennifer Avventura February 7, 2014 at 5:51 am
Such a fabulous spirit these two women have. The 'Just do it' attitude they've made their dreams come true. A colourful company with personality for colourful and bright people. Well done ladies. Keep up with brilliant work.
Kim February 7, 2014 at 10:35 am
Thank you so much for offering Megan and I the opportunity to share with you all about life in Dakar and Six Bougies! It was a pleasure sharing with likeminded international creatives 🙂 And thanks for the kind comments, everyone. Feel free to check out our blog and shop, too 😉 TGIF!!! xx Kim @ Six Bougies
Dee February 7, 2014 at 12:22 pm
I receive so many compliments on my Six Bougies bags and pillow cases. Friends and strangers mostly enjoy the story behind them. Amazing work, ladies!
hR February 7, 2014 at 12:49 pm
such beautiful, different fabrics and love the creations you've come up with – i want EVERY bag! and very cool that you support female workers locally. suggestion for your expansion: clutches for ladies – so we can have a cool accessory at fancy events to accompany guys in their 6bougies ties 😉
Kelly Valdmanis February 7, 2014 at 8:44 pm
Hot diggity! Such talented ladies!!!! Love hearing you both explain your work and creations! Such talent for fusing beautiful wax fabric with western style! I think that bag would look PHENOMENAL on me 😉 Wishing you all the best. Alhumdoulilah. xo
Nan Carpenter February 8, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Awesome effort by two incredible ladies! Love the way you want to "spark" the lives of local women. The two of you DO make a Difference! Love the path you're carving!
marieb2014 February 10, 2014 at 1:31 pm
This is so inspiring, the way you both explain your passion for what you do, how you've explained the true meaning of your work. I am a student in Mrs.Megan's class who loves creativity and the concept of making things on your own and this truly inspires me to try a project like this in the future. I really love your work and the fact that you try empowering women with it as well. I also do agree about Dakar being a place for creativity 🙂 keep up with the great ideas
msprimrose February 10, 2014 at 3:17 pm
Megan & Kim! Thanks for the gifts that you create. I love you dedication and hard work. Eric loved the tie! It was a big hit. Keep the creations coming.
Caroline February 11, 2014 at 5:20 am
Wow! I love this! I'm finishing up a six month study abroad program in Dakar and have a love affair with wax fabric. I'm trying to stock up before I leave for the US 🙂 You guys are so talented and take in the craziness of Dakar with so much grace!
Twolff February 12, 2014 at 8:42 am
Lovely textiles and inspiring ideas! Women empowering women and changing the world! xo
Pingback: Discounted West Coast Wardrobe Spin
Olivea February 13, 2014 at 5:26 am
WOO! Go Six Bougies. These ladies have such a eye for spicing up a Western look with a little Senegalese flavor. Love love love! Big up to the female tailors. They are hard to find in Senegal but the ones that I know do incredibly clean and stylized work. So happy to learn that six bougies is supporting women in this country. I hope to see this company grow and grow, and I'm not just saying that so I will win the bag…though I wouldn't mind. LOL! 😉
Lura Taylor February 14, 2014 at 12:09 am
An inspiring group of women making beautiful African-inspired fashion!
Audrey March 26, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Simply Wonderful! What you are doing is a new dream of mine! I just returned from Dakar and other areas of Senegal with my family, including my younger daughter, who is currently doing her junior year semester abroad in Dakar. It was our first trip to Africa. I embarked on the trip with a desire and a question of how one from the west could help the people of Senegal, especially the women, with a mutually beneficial idea, on a big scale. I was also eager to see the fabrics which I had heard about, but had never seen. I must say I have never seen such beautiful fabrics! I adore the simplicity and artistry of the Scandinavian fabrics, but in my view they cannot hold a candle to those I saw in Senegal, both on the people and in the market. Now 48 hours removed from Dakar, I just googled "Senegalese fabrics", just to immerse myself again, in their colors, their patterns, and I came across your site and I am so pleased that I did. I am envious of your endeavor. I applaud you, your dream, your use of women tailors and I wish you the very best ! Western young women helping Senegalese young women and spreading the wealth of their collective talents. How very heartwarming! My best, Audrey
Anna April 25, 2015 at 5:29 pm
I love how they use those African patterns to create contemporary designs. I live in Peru and have also met here many entrepreneurs, both locals and foreigners, who use traditional Peruvian patterns to create something new and interesting -and have even interviewed some of them for my blog.
I think it's important to keep the tradition alive and innovate at the same time.
naijaprincess007 March 2, 2016 at 11:30 pm
Reblogged this on Black N Business.
mbène SARR February 17, 2017 at 9:23 am
Bonjour ma chère
J'ai fait ta connaissance par l'intermédiaire de Martine COMMON qui est une amie depuis 2013 et qui me parlais souvent de tes expositions que j'ai jamais eu l'occasions d'assiter.
Et j'avoue que tu as de l'expérience dans la confection de ce tissu très utilisé par les africains
J'aime le mariage de couleurs et les motifs.
toutes mes félicitations et bonne continuation.


I've spent the last year in a relationship believing that I was constantly the one at fault. You wanted to separate, and you did. It might turn out that psychopathy is causally associated with functional and structural deficits, but for now the jury is out. Not Helpful 31 Helpful A Anonymous Jul 3.
The majority of sociopaths are not killers, sadists or monsters; they're human beings who need to be handled with care.
Within the first hour, he encountered his first psychopath, an inmate he calls Ray. And reading the other points on this site, he fitted the bill perfectly. They are usually terrible at reading facial expressions, and feel weak in groups, since most people can read their facial expressions. In fact, some of them are successful CEOs and business leaders. For example, a sociopath may pretend to leave "to go to work" every single day even if that person is unemployed.


text:
Seeking Happiness Chapter 66
Posted by Dreamer in seeking happiness
Chapter 66 Keep watch at night
Du Qiu didn't let him kneel. Gu Xihe stood there at loss. He didn't know what to do. He only scratched his head with his hand.
When he was about to scratch his head for the fifth time, Gu Xiran couldn't stand it anymore. He said coldly, "Is there louse in your hair?"
Gu Xiran said that with a stern face, but Gu Xihe was immediately relieved and moved closer to Gu Xiran, "Second big brother, you are joking again. How could that be?!"
Gu Xiran said, "Who is your second big brother? Stand a bit farther and don't give me all smiles!"
Gu Xihe obediently took two steps away from Gu Xiran and continue to scratch his head.
It was very hard for Shu Huan to hold in her laughter after seeing this scene. She couldn't help but have malicious speculations. Was it that Gu Xiran let him stand a bit farther because he was afraid that the dandruff would flew on him…?
Gu Xihe laughed bitterly, "It wasn't that I meant to throw a temper. Wasn't it all a misunderstanding…? Second big brother, don't be angry anymore, alright?"
Gu Xiran also couldn't put on a straight face anymore after being plead-coaxed by a child. He turned, sat up and looked at him, "This time, I will forgive you. The next time when you want to throw a temper, think first. I am your family and can tolerate your willfulness. However, if one day you left home and be willful regardless the circumstances, others wouldn't yield to you like this."
No one had told Gu Xihe this before. In fact, even if someone had told him, he wouldn't have put it in his heart. But now he was nodding like when a small chicken pecked the rice. It couldn't be seen whether he remembered it or not. He only answered, "I know, I know…"
"Also, you are not a baby. Don't be the fox that exploits the tiger's might and bring out old madam at the drop of a hat to pressure people. When you encounter something, you don't think of how to solve it yourself but cried and say that you will tell old madam. Is that very pleasant to hear and impressive?"
The fox exploits the tiger's might: use powerful connection to intimidate people
Gu Xihe's face turned red and pale after hearing that.
"I will ask you one last question," Gu Xiran glanced once at him. "Do you still want to learn martial arts? If you don't want to learn, you can go play. No one would restrain you. If you want to learn, be a bit more conscious and don't show a face of reluctance and that people had forced you."
Gu Xihe nodded desperately, "I will learn! I want to learn!"
"Answering so fast?" Gu Xiran raised an eyebrow. "You better think it through. As a man you have to have perseverance and be responsible for your actions. If you don't want to learn, don't force yourself. If you want to learn, you can't give up halfway."
Gu Xihe thought for a while with lowered head. In the end, he still insisted, "I want to learn! What second big brother learns, I will also learn!"
It seemed that he (GXR) talked for nothing!
After all that trouble, this little brat hadn't understood that learning things was for himself and not for Gu Xiran! However, Gu Xiran was someone impatient to reason with people and teach them. He also felt very tired after talking so much this time. He lazily glanced once at Gu Xihe and didn't say anything.
The meal consisting of insects was delicious and nutritious, but there were not many people that dared to eat. Gu Xiran and Ji Danqing attempted half-heartedly. Gu Xihe and Shu Huan didn't touch it. The two shared the bamboo partridge.
Don't think that it was warm in the summer. When the sun went down, the cool air of the mountain came. It would be very cold at night. To prevent the wild animals from attacking, they didn't dare to put out the fire. Hence, everyone picked enough firewood and branches after eating. Then, they sat down nearby the fire to rest.
Fortunately, the long grass next to the fire had been cleaned up by Du Qiu during the day. Not only was the mud on the ground very dry, even the cut grass had been sundried. Putting the grass on the ground would make a good place to sit.
They chatted for a while. Gu Xiran's body was a bit weak. He was the first one to feel exhausted. He lay on the dried grass, closed his eyes and said hazily, "Wake me up in the second half of the night. I will keep watch."
Keeping watch was to guard against wild animals and the fire also needed firewood. It was a boring and tiring task. Du Qiu said, "I will keep watch the first half of the night. You all can go to sleep."
Shu Huan picked up a branch and stirred the fire. She shook her head, "No, you go sleep. I will keep watch. I have slept in the afternoon and am not sleepy now."
Du Qiu didn't want to let a woman keep watch at night, but seeing that she was persistent, he gave up and said, "If there is something, wake me up immediately."
Shu Huan promised. Seeing that Ji Danqing was not sleepy, she began to talk with him. They didn't know how, but the two of them somehow talked about the four arts. However, aside from painting, she didn't know anything about the other three. Ji Danqing picked up a branch and draw a chessboard on the ground. He also picked up some stones as the pawns and briefly taught her the technique.
Although, Gu Xihe had gone a few years to school and the household also hired teachers to teach him these things, but he wasn't someone who liked to study. He didn't listen to their explanation at all. Now, he found out that he couldn't even discuss with them. The more he listened, the more interest he lost. He even had a feeling of inferiority and shallowness. Hence, he put on a stern face and fell asleep dejectedly.
It was reasonable to say that all arts were interlinked, but Shu Huan was only interested in painting. Zither and chess were a floating cloud here. Now, she learned to play chess was not because she wanted to increase her own cultivation or pretend to be a versatile talented woman, but it was because it was too boring. By learning something, she could let the long night get by sooner. However, after Ji Danqing went to sleep, she threw aside the chess and played five-in-a-row with herself.
After playing for a while, she felt bored. She saw that everyone was already in a deep sleep. She picked up the cane made from a branch that Gu Xiran found for her and jumped to the bundle. She took out the cloak and the thick clothes and put it on the four of them. She then went to sit in front of the fire. Aside from feeling a bit cool on her back, she didn't feel too cold. Hence, she didn't need to put on more clothes.
The cliff that was not far away looked rugged and malevolent at night. The forest was especially eerie mixed with the humming of the night birds and the sounds of insects crawling on the grass. There was a kind of mysterious feeling in the quietness. It made her feel that something would sneak out suddenly and devour them. She had to look away and avoid looking at the forest. She raised her head to look at the sky.
That was a deep darkness that couldn't even be lit by the countless of stars. However, the stars were very bright, and she seemed to be able to touch them when she reached out her hand. She had never seen such a clear and pure night sky before. Hence, she did a stupid thing that countless of people had done. She began to count the stars. While she counted, she suddenly felt a warmness in her eyes. She reached out and touched it. Tears unconsciously had fallen from her eyes.
She missed her home, missed the parents in the modern age that she may never see again. She couldn't even have the comfort that they live under the same sky. Who let her time-travel to an unknown and inexplicable time and space?! She didn't know whether this sky was the same one that her parents would see…
She slowly wiped her tears with her sleeves. She lay down, stared at the sky and thought about nonsense.
Suddenly, there was a light sound coming from the forest. When she became alert and listened to the sound, it disappeared. Shu Huan laughed at herself. It was probably the wind or perhaps a small animal that passed through grass to go to the nearby spring to drink.
She lay quietly in the night for a while. She felt a hazily sleepiness come at her. She was afraid that she would fall asleep and mess up the task of keeping watch at night and watch after the fire. She quickly sat up. She didn't expect that she happened to see a black shadow flash by when she looked in the forest. She didn't see it clearly yet when it already disappeared. It scared her. When she reached out to wake Du Qiu and saw the light of the fire jump on his calm face, she hesitated….
Forget it. It was better for her to observe for a while. If there was really something wrong, it wouldn't be too late to wake him up.
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3 thoughts on "Seeking Happiness Chapter 66"
yadane said:
oh, could it be an assassination in progress…
Pingback: Seeking Happiness Chapter 65 | rosyfantasy


text:
Q: Create a CALayer mask by combining multiple paths I'm trying to create a mask for a CALayer containing an image. This mask shall be able to use the union of multiple paths or the inverse of the union. In terms of a venn diagram that would be a disjunction or a joint denial (look here for graphics of the venn diagram that I can't post: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_connective#Common_logical_connectives).
I also started a thread in a dedicated iOS-forum with lots of graphics and even more example code: http://www.raywenderlich.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7155
I do succeed to create the first case: a union of multiple paths (disjunction).
You can copy the code into a new single screen app to try it out (don't forget to include the Quartz framework):
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.

    // create a yellow background
    UIView *bg = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:self.view.bounds];
    bg.backgroundColor = [UIColor yellowColor];
    [self.view addSubview:bg];

    // create the layer on top of the yellow background that will be masked
    CALayer *imageLayer = [CALayer layer];
    imageLayer.frame = self.view.layer.bounds;
    imageLayer.backgroundColor = [[UIColor blueColor] CGColor];

    // create the mask that will be applied to the layer on top of the
    // yellow background
    CAShapeLayer *maskLayer = [CAShapeLayer layer];
    maskLayer.fillRule = kCAFillRuleEvenOdd;
    maskLayer.frame = self.view.frame;
    CAShapeLayer *maskSubLayer1 = [CAShapeLayer layer];
    maskSubLayer1.fillRule = kCAFillRuleEvenOdd;
    maskSubLayer1.frame = self.view.frame;
    CAShapeLayer *maskSubLayer2 = [CAShapeLayer layer];
    maskSubLayer2.fillRule = kCAFillRuleEvenOdd;
    maskSubLayer2.frame = self.view.frame;

    // add the paths to sublayers of the mask
    maskSubLayer1.path = CGPathCreateWithRect((CGRect){{100, 140}, {100, 150}}, nil);
    maskSubLayer2.path = CGPathCreateWithEllipseInRect((CGRect){{80, 40}, {190, 190}}, nil);
    // add the sublayers to the mask
    // (instead of using CGPathAddPath())
    [maskLayer addSublayer:maskSubLayer1];
    [maskLayer addSublayer:maskSubLayer2];
    // apply the mask to the layer on top of the yellow background
    imageLayer.mask = maskLayer;
    [self.view.layer addSublayer:imageLayer];

}

However, the inverse seems untamable, for instance with a masked mask:
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.

    // create a yellow background
    UIView *bg = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:self.view.bounds];
    bg.backgroundColor = [UIColor yellowColor];
    [self.view addSubview:bg];

    // create the layer on top of the yellow background that will be masked
    CALayer *imageLayer = [CALayer layer];
    imageLayer.frame = self.view.layer.bounds;
    imageLayer.backgroundColor = [[UIColor blueColor] CGColor];

    // create the mask that will be applied to the layer on top of the
    // yellow background
    CAShapeLayer *maskLayer = [CAShapeLayer layer];
    maskLayer.fillRule = kCAFillRuleEvenOdd;
    maskLayer.frame = self.view.frame;
    CAShapeLayer *maskSubLayer1 = [CAShapeLayer layer];
    maskSubLayer1.fillRule = kCAFillRuleEvenOdd;
    maskSubLayer1.frame = self.view.frame;
    CAShapeLayer *maskSubLayer2 = [CAShapeLayer layer];
    maskSubLayer2.fillRule = kCAFillRuleEvenOdd;
    maskSubLayer2.frame = self.view.frame;

    // add the paths to sublayers of the mask
    maskSubLayer1.path = CGPathCreateWithRect((CGRect){{100, 140}, {100, 150}}, nil);
    [maskLayer addSublayer:maskSubLayer1];
    maskSubLayer2.path = CGPathCreateWithEllipseInRect((CGRect){{80, 40}, {190, 190}}, nil);
    [maskLayer addSublayer:maskSubLayer2];
    // use the maskLayer to mask the maskBackgroundLayer
    CALayer *maskBackgroundLayer = [CAShapeLayer layer];
    maskBackgroundLayer.frame = self.view.layer.bounds;
    maskBackgroundLayer.backgroundColor = [[UIColor greenColor] CGColor];
    maskBackgroundLayer.mask = maskLayer;

    // apply the maskBackgroundLayer to the layer on top of the yellow background
    imageLayer.mask = maskBackgroundLayer;
    [self.view.layer addSublayer:imageLayer];
    // just for testing: instead of the 2 lines above look at the maskBackgroundLayer
//    [self.view.layer addSublayer:maskBackgroundLayer];

}

I'm looking for ideas how to achieve this effect.
Similar questions are:
iOS - Clipping union of two paths using UIBezierPath appendPath
(not applicable in my case since the intersection can be irregular)
Combining Intersecting CGPaths on iOS
(unresolved)


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Google Suite (prev Google Apps) is a service from Google providing independently customizable versions of several Google products under a custom domain name.
Google Groups is a place to set up a group space that lets you discuss online or over email, create rich, custom pages and customise your look and feel.
Where social networking and collaboration meet.
Secure Workspaces for File Sharing, Project Management & Collaboration for teams in the Cloud.
All your team tools in the cloud.
Your own social website within minutes.
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Social intranet software and collaboration tools.
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Get the best project management tool for technology teams.
Engage employees to collaborate. A private social network with group work tools.
Microsoft Teams is the chat-based workspace in Office 365.
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Make social work for your business to increase productivity, lower costs and grow your business.
Ning's scalable hosted platform gives you the tools and expertise you need to publish and connect with your community – all in one place.
Customizable workspaces for online collaboration.
Easy-to-use web-based software to connect your team, lead your business and grow your revenue.
Online collaboration space for your team.
PBWorks (previously PBwiki) is a hosted collaboration solution suitable for businesses and education. Capture knowledge, share files, and manage projects within a secure, reliable environment.
Collaborate. Get it done. Better tools to stay on target.
Using familiar wiki technology, your entire team can collaborate to create, capture, correct and continuously improve its work processes, activities and results.
Empower your teams to create plans, organize their work, and track personal tasks. In one place.
Collaborate and manage projects like never before. Redbooth is project management reinvented.
Equip your business with powerful and easy-to-use team collaboration tools. Manage and increase team productivity with Glip by RingCentral.
Online collaboration tool for education and research.
SharePoint is an integrated suite of products from Microsoft to create a social intranet and collaboration portal.
A Private Social Network… for You or Your Business.
The work collaboration tool for businesses of all sizes.
Unlock the collective power of your organisation Enterprise social network.
Social Engine is one way to create your own social website or online community.
Creating your own social network is no longer a dream. Whether you are a beginner or web developer, you can create your social network in minutes!
Transform your business with social software from SocialText.
Sosius is a leading online collaboration and team workspace platform for SMEs and large enterprises.
The Social Network for Your Company.
Every task involving your business in one place. The most powerful and simple way to collaborate with your team to get work done.
ThoughtFarmer provides social intranet software.
Tiki is the Free / Libre / Open Source Web Application Platform with the most built-in features.
Trello is a fast and easy way organise anything – from your day-to-day work, to a personal project. It is available for both personal and collaborative use.
TWiki® is a flexible, powerful, and easy to use enterprise wiki, enterprise collaboration platform, and web application platform.
A social learning and collaboration platform for the workplace. It encourages users to learn and collaborate with their peers through a system of badges.
Manage your site and collaborate with your team. In one place.
Wikidot is a place to build wiki-based websites. Use it to publish content, share your documents, collaborate with friends or coworkers, create a place for your community!
Wikispaces is a wiki hosting platform providing community wiki spaces, visual page editing, and discussion areas – for collaborative working and learning.
First generation wikis are used to collaborate on content. Second generation wikis can be used to create collaborative web applications. XWiki can be used either as a first generation wiki or a second generation one.
Microsoft's Enterprise Social Networking platform has become a popular social collaboration and knowledge sharing platform both in businesses and education.
YoolinkPro is a customizable communication platform that enables you to create a corporate social network, to easily manage external communities or to boost your team productivity.
Increase productivity with a complete set of collaboration tools while maintaining total control over your company's security and privacy.
A feedback and collaboration tool for eLearning teams to review projects and track tasks on, whether that's an ID, SME, or project manager.


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Power Rating Availability: 9kW and 9.8kW.
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Minimum running Pressure: The appliance is designed to operate with a minimum maintained inlet pressure of 70 kPa (0.7 bar) up to a maximum static inlet pressure of 1000 kPa (10 bar).
This Mira electric shower fully meets expectations, in fact my wife says it is the best thing I have done for a long time. She enjoys a shower at a constant regular temperature that is just right for her and this thermostatic shower does just that. My only worry is that now she spends too long in the shower, so a positive result may well have a negative element if this continues since I prefer a more moderate temperature setting.
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Bought this unit to replace a lower power unit that we had had for many years and was beginning to fail, very easy to fit, likewise to use and does what it needs to.
I have fitted these showers before and my customers have always been very happy with them.
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Gold is one of the most fascinating of all rare metals. Throughout all history it has been given a special, at times sacred or spiritual value, since six thousand years ago when the Egyptian Pharoahs' tombs were filled with it to accompany the dead on their journey. In times of world financial crisis as in the 1930's, gold is preferred by central banks and ordinary citizens as a store of value when paper money loses value. We are approaching another of those times when the accumulated paper debt of the dollar system is debasing the worth of paper dollars. What's highly significant in this light is to see which central banks are buying all the gold they can get.
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