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The Aging Process
A lot of us are getting older and we can't do much about it. Every seven-and-a-half seconds another baby boomer turns fifty. At that rate, by 2030, the senior citizen population in the United States is expected to reach eighty million, outnumbering the population of young people for the first time in history. Seems to be happening to a lot of folks I know.
There are unprecedented changes confronting America as advanced age goes mainstream and more and more of us catch it. One book on the market puts it out there plain and simple: "The reality of aging will force us to come to terms with the fact that longevity doesn't mean eternal youth. America is a society in collective denial of aging. We appreciate vintage in wine, not people." *
Vaccination clinic in the Coachella Valley
For a while back in January and February, Southern California seemed to be at the epicenter of the corona virus epidemic. Death and dying was a daily, hourly, every couple of minute occurrence, at least in Los Angeles County. The on-going mantra seemed to be: 'Don't get sick here because it might kill you.'
Hardest hit seemed to be the elderly who have a host of their own health issues anyway. The virus is an unfortunate addition to the challenges many of us face during the aging process.
I recently got a notice of my 60th high school reunion. Either by fortuitous foresight or a slip of the computer keys, the sender reminded us oldsters to: "Mark your calendars! This may be our last reunion so please plan to attend!!! Sounds like someone has written us off after the tender age of 78.
Growing older is a process that has a form and function of its own. We can only control it to a certain degree. Most of us had a pattern of behavior set before us from our parents and grand-parents years ago. Now it's our own generation that is dealing with the myriad of issues associated with growing old. Some folks maneuver through their life changes with grace and calmness. Others with a sense of sadness and finality.
For most of us, it's become a journey in which health has become more important than wealth and we are more aware of the concept of time passage. There is a coming recognition of life's end and for some a reflection on a life lived. During this journey, many turn to religion, 'making up for lost time' or 'making amends for past sins committed.'
One business executive I know, when told he had six months to live, wanted to keep working until the end and he did. Another decided that all traveling was off the table after age seventy. Others downsized after a lifetime of material accumulations and moved into senior housing.
Many decided to slow down their lives as most past generations have done. They've taken to heart the old mantra of 'acting their age' and have accepted many of the limitations placed on them by past generations (if only in their own heads.)
My prejudice toward growing older is simple enough. It's too easy to follow past generations and the traps they left behind. To be fair, for many of them it wasn't a trap but rather a recognition that after a lifetime of hard work, there awaited the reward of being able to slow down and do little to nothing.
That usually translated into watching a lot of television, a heightened interest in sports (Monday morning quarterbacking), distrust and disdain for politics and worst of all, a gradual isolation from the 'real world' that continued on around them. It's almost as if retirement had sidetracked them from the ever-changing rhythms of modern life.
There's a reason why senior retirement communities like 'The Villages' and 'Sun City' emphasize their tons of leisure activities and self-imposed isolation from the real world outside their guarded gates. It's a collection of like-minded individuals who want to continue on with their well-earned leisure lives and damn the obstacles ahead like the aging process.
It's interesting to note that in the last ten or so years, a plethora of books have been written about finding 'new life' in retirement and how to handle old age. Unlike the generations before them, many in the boomer generation have embraced this new attitude toward growing older.
It's not the Frank Sinatra version of 'Young at Heart' but rather a sober, rational analysis of options available and choices to be made. Primarily it means staying engaged in the world around you and keeping your mind and body active.
While our bodies change and the world continues on, mind still matters. An active intellect can help ward off negative thoughts and offer a wide range of options for anyone even as their body inevitably slows down. Friendships, new and old, can refurbish the soul and reaffirm life's beauty and charm.
All through her youth and middle age, my mother loved to dance. Then as her body slowed down, she turned to cards to keep her mind active and activated. Now that was one smart lady. I'm not much of a dancer but these feet can still take me up a mountainside and my fingers can still keep tapping computer keys. Mind and matter; we've got to keep them both moving.
*'Aging in America' written by photographer Ed Kashi and writer Julie Winokur which began as an award-winning story published by the New York Times Magazine.
Posted by Author Denis J. LaComb at 12:00 AM No comments:
Labels: AARP, Baby Boomer Generation, COVID-19, cretin high school, Senior Retirement Living, The Villages
I'm tripping over the tangled roots of retirement again… and loving the stumbles. Some folks my age find themselves facing an uncertain future in retirement. They're limited by their economic, physical and social resources. Their past is history and little on the horizon looks promising. So it's not surprising that a lot of folks in that predicament turn back in time and try, in one fashion or another, to relive, revive or review segments of their yesteryears that brought them pleasure and pleasant memories.
Then there is another group of folks who feel they have their feet set solidly in the present but relish a return to times gone by and the adventures lived or imagined there. I'd put myself in that latter category. Like one of my favorite songs, 'Across the Great Divide' by Kate Wolf, I want to keep crossing borders and boundaries and explore past interests and loves.
I have always had a lifelong interest in folk music. First brought to my attention by the Kingston Trio then Tom Paxton, Bob Dylan, P, P, & M and a whole host of musical artists. Now that genre of music has branched out into a much wider umbrella called Americana music. Musical tastes have moved on with the decades and today what I consider good music might be akin to calling pen and paper ancient but still effective. Nevertheless, the music still touches me like no other.
Granted, there has always been a limited interest in old time music. But that narrowing of the audience has never dissuaded me from telling a story if I am truly interested in it. So it was about a year ago with the subject of folk music, retirement and unrequited love, lost and found. I decided to write a play loosely centered on the concept of new 'old time' music. I would call my play 'Tangled Roots.'
Folk music or more aptly called 'Americana music' is as old as this country itself and before that the counties where our forefathers came from. It embodies the American spirit, the Great Depression, riding the rails, an awareness of civil and social causes long before the general public was able to grasp those attacks on freedom and liberty for all.
It includes but is not limited to:
Folk music, Delta blues, Chicago blues, Country Western, Swing, Hillbilly, Zydeco, Appalachian Music, and so forth. It is often bunched together under the title: Roots Music.
I was eager to explore this new kind of play. It would be an intermingling of singing, musical demonstration and an intriguing background storyline for the characters involved. It would be a concert, musical theory class and coming-of-old-age saga wrapped up in a small theater. Black Box would be perfect.
The storyline was simple enough. An aging folk singer who never quite made the grade in Greenwich Village finds employment elsewhere and abandons his dream as a singer-songwriter. He is now facing an undetermined future in his retirement. In his mind there is nowhere to go with his life. His fellow band members are of little help. They've grown tired of playing their sets at retirement homes, cheap bars and free summer concerts. There's no money to be made and little appreciation from their mixed audiences. So along with the conundrum of one's future life there are no encouraging signs on the horizon for the path presently taken. Add in the first inclining's of romance and all the elements were there for my storyline.
So it begins and ends with my main protagonist. Music was his life back then and he wonders if he can go back to that carefree period when he was young and hungry and eager to take on the world. He can still play the guitar and sing the songs. He thinks he can still pen a tune if given enough time and coffee. Whiskey and wine won't do it anymore.
He wants to explore this option but he is all alone. The other band members see a future only replete with repeat performances and shrinking audiences. Most of them would rather spend their mornings at the coffee shop and evenings staring at the tube. Then a mysterious woman steps into his life or at least the fringes of it and another layer of confusion, conflict and contrasting lifestyles is added to the mix.
There is a lot more work to do before my fingertips tap out 'The End.' Aside from workshopping the play to work out the rough parts, other production challenges abound. There is the challenge of finding an actor who can sing and play the guitar. Finding other actors who can back him up might even be even harder. Selecting a musical lineup that shows a good sampling of that musical genre will be daunting. Then there is the challenge of securing a small venue like a black box theater.
None of these obstacles changes the fact that the core premise of the play is sound. I believe there is an audience out there for my storyline. Now the fun will be to put the whole package together. I still believe that many folks still care about old time music. At least some of us old timers do.
Now I just have to prove it.
Labels: Americana music, Delta Blues, folk music, Roots music
Trippin' No More
One of the many casualties of Covid-19 has been traveling. The travel industry, especially ship traffic, has been particularly hit hard. Over the years, whether in a group or alone. Sharon and I have been very fortunate to have covered a good part of the globe. We're certainly not seasoned travelers like a lot of our friends. But the miles traveled have been fascinating and satisfying; what more could you ask for? Unfortunately, I don't expect to be traveling anytime in the near future.
A couple of years back, we did several river cruises in Europe. With concern for Sharon's adverse reaction to motion sickness in mind, we found that these flat-bottomed river boats satisfied our need for slow speed and scenic vistas with a total lack of concern for the ebb and flow of the river.
The first river tour we did was called 'The Great Rivers of Europe.' It was our first introduction to European river cruising and we were hooked. Unfortunately, it may be a very long time before either one of us is willing to share tight quarters with a group of complete strangers again. So for now, we have our memories, some good pictures and a real appreciation for the beauty of river cruising in a foreign land.
Once the most efficient and fashionable means of travel throughout Europe, river cruising continues to be an ideal way to discover the culture, cuisine and unique characteristics of the many countries traveled through. Two of the primary water ways we traveled were the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. Yet for all their similarities, the Rhine and Mosel wear two very different masks.
There's a reason one is called Father Rhine and the other Mother Mosel. Two rivers, each harboring different personalities, yet both are life vessels to their pass-through countries.
Beyond the bucolic landscapes dotted with fairy-tale castles, terraced vineyards and rust-covered maritime facilities, the Rhine and the Mosel provide a glimpse into their respective history of the region. As economic engines, both rivers continue to provide a wealth of economic infusion into the local communities hugging their banks.
For over 2000 years, Father Rhine, as it is called by the locals, has been Europe's most important commercial waterway. Its scenic beauty has inspired countless myths and legends. By introduc-ing vines to the region, the Romans paved the way for the excellent vintages that are a further source of the Rhine's international reputation.
The Rhine River rises in south-east Switzerland and reaches the North Sea after a journey of over 1230 km. While industrialization has left its mark on some parts of the river, most of the water-way provides an idealistic pass-through of towns and villages that have existed there for over hundreds of years.
Mother Mosel wears a very different moniker. Since the days of the first Romans, over 2000 years ago, the most exquisite asset of the Mosel countryside has remained its wine production. Generations upon generations have nurtured, embellished and refined a giant open-air amphitheater to the honor of Bacchus, the God of Wine. The towering slate cliffs store the day's warmth for the cool evenings that follow while the grapes ripen at just the right angle to the sun.
Leaving Basel, Switzerland, our ship followed what seemed like a meandering path along both the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. It was one river seemingly indistinguishable from the other. It was a daily tapestry of colors, images, sights and sounds that captured our attention and imagination. Walking tours included the obligatory market plazas, cathedrals, historical sites and opportunities for shopping.
The Mosel like so many rivers in Europe unmasks different personalities as it passes through many different regions of Germany. Beyond the bucolic landscapes dotted with fairy-tale castles, terraced vineyards and rust-covered maritime facilities, the Mosel provides a glimpse into its storied history of the region.
Mother Mosel (aka Moselle) River begins its journey in France and flows into Germany where it twists sharply for 150 miles and deposits itself into the Rhine on its way to the North Sea. Along this winding river gorge are found some of the most classic Riesling wines in the world.
Because of the northerly location of Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit 'flowery' rather than 'fruity' aromas. It's most common vineyard soil is derived in main from various kinds of slate deposits which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor.
Generations upon generations of craftsmen have nurtured, embellished, and refined a giant open-air amphitheater to the honor of Bacchus, the God of Wine. The towering slate cliffs store the day's warmth for the cool evenings that follow while the grapes ripen at just the right angle to the sun.
In the middle ages, whole villages sprung up that were centered on the region's wine industry. These 'wine villages' included paths from the town center up to the area's vineyards. Nothing much has changed over the centuries except that now those footpaths have been widened and paved over for heavy transport to ascend the heights to harvest the grapes.
Dating back hundreds of years, castles dot the countryside and add to the beauty and charm of the region. The castles are a throwback to the age of kings and queens, lowly peasants, feudal lords fighting for territory and knights in dented armor.
After two river cruises crossing central Europe, we opted for a smaller boat and a trip to the South of France. Our trip began in Paris and ended in Nice. In some strange sort of way, it was deja-vu all over again for me, at least the Paris part of the journey.
It had been a long time since I'd been tramping down the narrow streets and grand thoroughfares of old Parie. Paris has always been a seductive mistress. As the song title goes, 'The Last Time I saw Paris,' it was a much different time in my life. My first sojourn into the city of lights was supposed to be a simple pass-through as part of a full-blown retreat from the harsh reality of winter in Denmark.
The experience of living in Denmark had been exhilarating at first. But gradually the daily work routine had grown stale with a lack of friends and no clear direction in my life. Then as the first snowflakes powdered my apartment steps, I realized another Minnesota winter was in my near future unless I split for someplace warm.
The south of France seemed a logical answer to a young pup ill equipped to face that Nordic reality. Tall tales of warm sunshine, topless sun bathers and easy work was enough to lure me into the false sense of road security. I was assured that a quick thumb and ready smile would take me there in just a couple of days.
By the time I got to Paris, all bets were off. I trudged through the city in hope of enlightenment but instead only got hustled by Gypsies. After three days of aimless wandering I was ready to cash in my pocket money for a ticket home and three steady meals a day. I found a travel agency, got a one-way ticket home, and left on a silver bird the next day.
Paris has always been that stand-alone, a bit standoffish kind of friend. At once it can be charming, brash, conceited, seductive, alluring and always surprising. Taken on its own terms, the city offers sunlight and sin on an equal basis.
The city is different now than back in the 60's. Ornate low-rise buildings have been toppled by towering glass hi-rise commercial enterprises. There are more tourist boats on the Seine than commercial traffic. Bike-sharing stations pepper the city with their light blue bikes while the new tour buses squeeze into narrow side streets that even an old donkey cart had a hard time maneuvering.
The city has evolved and changed yet feels much the same as it did back in the Fall of Sixty-Seven. The locals have long grown used to the artists, vagabonds, tourists and people of the streets who wander by their doorsteps in search of enlightenment. The smell of cooking, cleaning, and daily living still permeates the side streets and dark alleys.
There's a Parisian phrase that goes: 'On the Left Bank, we think and on the Right Bank, we spend.' I have little interest in the Right Bank where towering glass institutions of commerce and wealth line the Seine. My heart and my head are back on the Left Bank where Montmartre and the Latin Quarter still attract all kinds of creative spirits. While there's no time to retrace Hemingway's Paris haunts; I find the quaint cafes, dark narrow alleys and winding streets are
still filled with the polished and unwashed alike. And while the new Bobos (bohemian bourgeois) fake their artistic lineage at gallery openings, true artists continue to live in squalor and strive to find meaning in life itself.
Montmartre still holds an allure for me. Climbing its hill brings back the same sense of wonder along with deep breaths and dampness across the brow. Parisians talk about the place the way New Yorkers talk about the village. Hemmingway is no longer lingering at some corner café but other bohemians, artists and lost souls have taken his place.
Some places never change. Paris is one of them. Like other great cities that are constantly evolving with the times and different flavors of humanity that crowd its sidewalks and fill its cafes, the City of Love continues to hold an allure that is impossible to describe. Every visitor has their own version of its magical pull on their senses. For me it is the storied history of writers, artists, and bohemians who have haunted its shadowy recesses since Celtic Gaul's walked its shores.
The first time I stumbled into Montmartre, I ordered a coffee at some small corner café. It was a thick black muck that gripped my spoon and burned my throat. No wonder all the pretty young girls were sipping theirs so slowly and taking forever to finish their thimble-sized drink.
This time around, I ordered a beer and slowly sipped it, taking forever to finish the warm liquid. Crowds brushed past my chair and dropped cigarette butts at my feet. The rush of humanity flowed unabated in a steady stream past our café. They were all looking around but not seeing a thing. It was just another day in Paris for them. Me…I was home again.
After three days of touring Paris, we were on a riverboat meandering south along the Saone River. The trip South to Nice was uneventful, restful and easy on the feet. It gave me plenty of time to ponder the times gone by and the journey I never completed back in '67.
For me the best part of these trips were the periods of cruising the waterways. Ensconced in a lounge chair on top of our ship, I was surrounded by an IMAX presentation of surround sounds and slowly moving images. It became a place for me to get lost inside my head and let my imagination flourish. It was a time to reflect, appreciate, access and plan for the future.
Unfortunately, it's probably going to be a long time before we venture back onto the low seas again. The quarters were comfortable but cramped, cozy but close and nearly impossible to social distance. Until we're vaccinated and the world is close to herd immunity, I doubt we'll set sail on those fascinating rivers again.
Labels: European River Cruises, germany, Grand Circle River Cruise, The Mosel River, The Rhine River
Like the emptiness of a Paris winter, we often times don't see what's all around us as we trudge through the streets of life. In 1929, the great French architect Le Corbusier turned from designing houses to the planning of cities. His classic book shocked and thrilled a world already deep in the throes of the modern age.
One of Le Corbusier's favorite arguments was that there is an order to things and an order in our lives whether we know it or not. Growing up in Saint Paul, I was hardly aware of the urban changes going on all around me. It signaled the end of one period of growth for the City and a slow painful aging process that followed. Old St. Paul was gradually being replaced with a newer version of itself. Turns out there were subtle changes going on all around me while I was pondering third grade math in grade school downtown.
Old Saint Paul proper was going through its last death rattles as I boarded a city bus each day to attend 'the little French school' on a hill overlooking downtown. The city, which had once prided itself as the steamboat capitol of the upper Midwest, had long ago thrown on the cloak of growing wealth and opulence of its early pioneers. Thus had begun a new period of brick and mortar replacing stick buildings with turn-of-the-century modernism. Yet by the mid-to-late-forties, time and a changing demographic had spelled the end of its downtown area as a core of business, social and economic growth.
Le Corbusier had defined the parameters of a great city back around the turn of the century and metropolitan areas like the Twin Cities and New York were struggling to find and define a new definition of a livable city. Urban development ran rampant and old neighborhoods were falling victim to the times.
Old St. Paul was a Midwestern repeat of New York City's Jane Jacobs and her continuing battles with transportation czar Robert Moses fighting to save whole neighborhoods from being swept away by elevated highways slashing through their communities. Only in the case of Saint Paul, Interstate Highway 94 won out and the Rondo community fell by the wayside.
From 1943 through 1949, I was living on the outskirts of downtown, moving from one rental to the next. Growing up near downtown St. Paul, I was too young to understand the organic changes happening all around me. Even after we moved to the Highland Park neighborhood, I was still too young to understand the ever-changing cityscape from 1949 through 1957, as I traveled to downtown St. Paul each day.
photo courtesy of Jerry Hoffman
From 1957 through 1961, I was pretty much cloistered in my own neighborhood with frequent trips to first ring suburbs like Roseville. After 1961and high school graduation, downtown St. Paul had become a place to avoid because there was nothing there of interest for me.
My horizons broadened with time in the service, living abroad, and finally settling into a hovel near the University of Minnesota. The West Bank, Como area, and Dinkytown became a place of refuge for me. Little did I know at the time that the entire area, especially north of Dinkytown, was going through revitalization with dozens of old mansions like my ghetto being torn down for modern student apartments.
Fast forward many years later and I was working at our public television's new digs in downtown St. Paul. By the late seventies, the Lowertown area of St. Paul had started to come out of its century's old shell of neglect and decay. The area east of the downtown core began to take on the accoutrements of an urban village; at least in the minds of developers and real estate speculators.
By then I was settled into a third ring suburb and raising kids in a modest yet comfortable environment. The thought of living in the cities never occurred to me. Jump ahead another twenty years and my daughter now lives in St. Paul, less than five blocks from where I was raised. She and her husband love their home, their neighborhood, and new St. Paul.
Sharon and I now have to travel to my old stomping grounds to see our grandchildren in a neighborhood filled with young families eager to enjoy the benefits of living in the city.
I guess it's true; what goes around comes around.
Labels: dinkytown, Jane Jacobs, Le Corbusier, Mpls, old saint paul, Robert Moses, st. louis grade school, urban renewal, west bank


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shall be effected by the bankers or by the intervention of billbrokers? and probably the new rule adopted by the Bank of England will have the effect, at least for some time to come, of throwing more business into the hands of the London joint-stock banks.
We will next advert to the practice of the re-discounting of bills, against which so much has been said in condemnation. This practice ought to be clearly distinguished from one to which its name is often most idly and improperly given. If a person obtains a loan, offering as security a parcel of bills of exchange, to an amount sufficient to cover the loan which he has obtained by discounting them, and which bills are to be returned to him if he repays the sum advanced before their maturity, but if not, the proceeds are to be received by the lender and holder of the bills as they arrive at maturity, and the offer is accepted; this is an advance upon the security of bills of exchange, but it is not a rediscount, because the borrower does not place his name on the bills, and does not make himself liable upon them. A re-discount takes place when a person who has already discounted a bill for A, takes the bill to B, and gets him to discount it again, A, as owner of the bill, placing his name upon it, for security to B in the transaction. The London joint-stock banks, it is said, never re-discount in the proper sense. One of the charges made against the bill-brokers, before the committee of last year, was founded on their excessive re-discounts. They were in the habit, it was alleged, of recklessly re-discounting bills discounted by the provincial joint-stock banks, and transmitted by them for re-discount in London, and of re-discounting them solely on the faith of the name of the provincial bank which appeared upon them, and without any regard to the names of the other parties to the bills; and the Borough Bank of Liverpool was said to have had, at the time of its suspension, no less than 2 millions worth of their discounted bills held in London-paper which they had discounted, with the discredit attaching of having very bad names on it, and which had been
1 Evid., p. 152, Q. 2245, p. 73, 88. VOL. VII. NO. XIII.
re-discounted. This practice seems to be regarded with much disfavour in the commercial community; but the grounds of objection are not at all clearly disclosed, and on principles of law it does not seem easy to discover any impropriety in it. The question has the appearance solely of one of prudence and knowledge—the elements of decision in all questions of money dealings. It is said to tend to encourage a bad class of bills ; that, however, must necessarily be a consequence of the abuse of re-discounting—it is not the object of it—it is no necessary part of the business of re-discounting. Yet, before it is abolished, something inherently vicious ought to be stated and proved in this great machine, by the working of which the superabundant capital of the agricultural districts is transferred to the centres of manufacturing, mining, and commercial enterprise. That credit may be abused by the creation of fictitious bills is, no doubt, true, but that such bills occasionally get into circulation is no new discovery; nor is it unlikely that neither brokers nor bankers should be able at all times to detect such impositions ; hence, they are sometimes deceived, and suffer loss accordingly. The estimate generally received of the amount of the bills of exchange, existing together at any given time in England, appears to be from two hundred to three hundred millions' worth; therefore, the transactions of this class being so enormous, it is not surprising if there are occasionally losses from imprudence, inadvertence, recklessness, or fraud. The subject of re-discounts by bankers seems very seldom to come before the courts, Pollard v. Ogden is, we believe, one of the last cases under this head, and may be referred to for the rights and liabilities of bankers on occasions of this kind. We will close this branch of the subject by stating that, while the inquiry before the committee of last year clearly showed that the joint-stock banks which have lately stopped payment were brought into that state by misconduct and want of integrity in the persons managing them, and not at all by reason of any defects in the principles on which the system is founded; on the other hand, there appears still to linger in some
* 2 Ell. & B., 459.
quarters an indisposition to admit the applicability of the jointstock principle to the purposes of banking. Sir G. C. Lewis (the late Chancellor of the Exchequer), and one or two of the witnesses, seem to be inclined to think the principle to be much less adapted for banking than for others of the great undertakings in which it has achieved such signal success. On this point it is curious to compare the settled opinon of the father of English political economy?—"The only trades which," he says, "it seems possible for a joint-stock company to carry on successfully without an exclusive privilege, are those of which all the operations are capable of being reduced to what is called a routine, or to such a uniformity of method as admits of little or no variation. Of this kind is—First, the banking trade ; secondly, the trade of insurance from fire, and from sea risk, and capture in time of war; thirdly, the trade of making and maintaining a navigable cut or canal; and, fourthly, the similar trade of bringing water for the supply of a great city."
With respect to limited liability in banking, there is not as yet any thing of a useful character to be stated, in the absence of experience. Since the passing of the late act (21 & 22 Vict., c. 91), extending the principle of limitation of liability to banking, too short a time has elapsed to have discovered evidence of its workings. We may, however, observe that
discordant opinions were given by the practical men examined before the committee of last year, as to the merits and claims to public confidence of limited liability as applied to banking.
The system of open credits, or "foreign banking," as it is termed, deserves some brief notice before we close this article, with the subjects treated in which it has some connection. This system has been much extended of late years in this country, and has led to great abuses, and much loss and disaster. On the continent such business as the following is not considered objectionable, and the persons following it are called bankers. Thus A, having his house of business in Paris, draws upon B, his
1 Wealth of Nations, 3rd Vol., 146. Edit. 1789.
? See Evid., pp. 258, 262, 276, 279, 283, 284, 305,
agent in Hamburg (or wherever it may be), having no assets in B's hands to meet the bill when due, but on the understanding between them that the credit so opened shall be covered by the transmission of bills upon Hamburg, by obtaining the amounts of which, when due, B will be put in funds in time to enable him to provide for the bill drawn upon him. In such case, A is called, on the continent, a banker; when he draws such a bill for any one who wants a bill upon Hamburg, his profit consists in the difference between the price he pays for the bills he buys in the market to remit to the agent, and the sum which he charges on his own draft. The agency house, it will be seen, accepts solely on the faith that remittances of bills will be sent in time, so as to save it from the neces. sity of making cash advances out of its own funds. A commission is paid to them on the acceptance. Several houses in England were found in 1857, to have engaged largely in this system of open credits with houses in the north of Europe, chiefly in Sweden and Denmark; and those English houses fell in consequence of the remittances not being sent forward in due time. But these English houses were not banking establishments in our sense of the term, and there is no proof of any English bank having ever taken part in this description of business. It is material to observe that the system is not wholly new; exchange operations are as old as commerce—that is, the practice of drawing a bill upon London, and the remittance of a bill from abroad, at a lower rate of exchange than that at which the bill on London sells for, and which last meets the other when it becomes due. The difference between the two species of transactions is in the object of the latter, and the mode of remuneration of the operator. On the system, of which so many instances came to light in the failures of 1857, the acceptance is undertaken for the sake of the commission, and not with reference to any action upon the exchanges. The one transaction is looked upon by commercial men here as regular, long custom having established and sanctioned it-the other has, of late, grown up to be an abuse of
1 See Evid., pp. 112, 116, 119, 121, 130, 158.
great magnitude, until the instances of it have become so numerous as to constitute a public evil. There have been cases in which it was discovered that a certain circle of houses co-operated in this business—one remitting its neighbour's bills upon their agent in London, they, at the same time, drawing bills upon their own agents, and giving them as remittances to the other house, thus acting in a vicious circle, and raising money
in the discount market in London. This mode of action is said to have been the principal cause of most, though not all, of the commercial failures of 1857.1
We must not omit some reference to the banking crisis and commercial panic which occurred in the United States of North America, and particularly among the banks of the State of New York, in 1857. There were in that State, in the beginning of the year, sixty-three banks established in business; of these sixty-two had suspended payment by December. Discounts rose to an unprecedented height; in some extreme cases realizing 20 per cent. Securities generally were much depreciated throughout the States. The prices of produce fell. Cotton fell from 16 cents to 92 cents. What is described as a general scramble for money took place in the State of New York. The cause assigned is, that the banks above-mentioned had made such large advances, and discounted so freely, that they became alarmed at their own position; and in their struggles to strengthen that position, by curtailing their discounts and refusing the usual facilities to the merchants, and by demanding the repayment of the advances which they had made upon ships and different securities, they caused first great difficulties among the merchants, and later some failures; and this was followed by a general collapse of confidence or panic, and then by a run on the banks. Now, in New York, the system of banking is by law (with the exception of the old corporations whose charters are unexpired) uniform in this respect. Every bank is allowed to issue any amount of notes, provided it first deposits with a Government department State stocks at least to the same amount. Avoiding details, this
1 See Wealth of Nations, Vol. i. p. 465, 471.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


How do I install Windows 8 Consumer Preview in VMware Player?
Windows 8 Consumer Preview works great in a VMware Player virtual machine, but is a little tricky to install. You need the latest version of VMware Player, a downloaded ISO image from Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO images and a product key – also from that site.
Detailed installation instructions are given in the post Windows 8 on VMware Player on my This 'n That blog.
Also see my post Windows 8 Consumer Preview – First Impressions for additional thoughts.


The appointments will be contractual, with consolidated emolument of Rs. 25,000/- pm for sl.1, Rs. 15,000/- for sl. 2 & 4 and Rs. 20,000/- for sl. 3. The Contract will be for a period of 2 (two)years. However, it may be extended further or theincumbent may beabsorbed in suitable executive grade subject toconduct and competenceand also requirement of the Company.
Interested candidates having relevant experience may apply within 15 days to The Senior Manager (P&IR) on the above address. Age limit would be 35 years subject to relaxation for deserving candidates and reserved category. Retired persons, below 62 years of age, having proven track record in the desired field may also apply. For further details of BBUNL visit the Company's website at www.bbunl.com. Email: rrk@bbunl.com. Fax: 033-24797046.


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University museums are once again finding themselves in the spotlight as the issues of deaccessioning art and leveraging collections to raise money for operating costs draw criticism from curators, philanthropists and other art experts.
EW YORK—University museums are once again finding themselves in the spotlight as the issues of deaccessioning art and leveraging collections to raise money for operating costs draw criticism from curators, philanthropists and other art experts.
This past summer the University of Iowa campus sustained an estimated $231 million in flood damage—including $4 million in damage to its art museum and about $12 million in damage to its three-year-old Art Building West, a prize-winning building designed by architect Steven Holl. Most of the 13,000 works in the museum collection were safely evacuated to an undisclosed location in Chicago and were not damaged.
The highest price paid for a Pollock—or for any painting, for that matter—was the reported $140 million for a drip painting sold by entertainment mogul David Geffen in late 2006. According to the New York Times, the buyer of the work was Mexican financier David Martinez. The Pollock painting in the Iowa collection is worth $100 million or more, according to a recent appraisal by Sotheby's that was carried out for insurance purposes, a spokesperson for the museum confirmed.
Several museum associations have publicized their opposition to a possible sale. In an August 12 letter to Iowa Board of Regents president David Miles, Association of Art Museum Directors president Michael Conforti, who is the director of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass., wrote that "deaccessioning is a serious issue for which very strict professional standards apply. The AAMD guidelines state clearly that deaccessioning is not to be used to provide operating funds, and that such proceeds be treated as acquisition funds. . . . The idea of Mural being sold is an alarming one to museum professionals and art historians, and should be as well to those who appreciate art . . . The possibility of the work passing into private hands and becoming unavailable for study and enjoyment alike is a particularly frightening one." Other groups that have criticized the Iowa decision include the Association of College and University Museums and Galleries (ACUMG).
Pamela White, interim director of the University of Iowa Museum of Art, told ARTnewsletter that along with Mason, she has emphatically expressed her opposition to selling the painting. However, "we all have to make certain to fulfill the requirements of the Regents and assist them in preparing a thorough report on this matter," she said.
Meanwhile, after more than two years of litigation, Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., is forging ahead with its efforts to gain legal approval for an art-sharing agreement with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the institution founded by Wal-Mart heiress and art collector Alice Walton. Crystal Bridges is scheduled to open in Bentonville, Ark., in 2010.
On August 8, Fisk filed a 65-page appeal with the Court of Appeals of Tennessee, Middle Section at Nashville, objecting to a Chancery Court ruling last March that denied a sharing or selling arrangement. Under the terms of the proposed Crystal Bridges agreement, Fisk would give the museum a 50 percent undivided interest in its Alfred Stieglitz Collection of 101 modern artworks in exchange for $30 million.
Fisk, which has struggled financially in recent years, argues that the agreement would allow it to obtain fiscal stability. Furthermore, Fisk officials say, the Crystal Bridges agreement would be in keeping with the condition artist Georgia O'Keeffe imposed when she gave the collection of Stieglitz, her late husband, to Fisk in 1949: that the works be kept together.
A response to the Fisk appeal from officials of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, N.M., which oversees the O'Keeffe estate and had sued Fisk over its attempts to leverage the collection, is due Sept. 8.


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Summit deal to focus on give-and-take over Yongbyon complex
Whether the Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong-un is ready to give up his Yongbyon nuclear complex or not, and what US President Donald Trump will give in return will be the center of their Hanoi declaration, Yonhap News reported.
VNA Thursday, February 28, 2019 12:17
Trump, Kim dive into nuclear talks
Thursday, February 28, 2019 11:55
Vietnam wants to contribute to peace on Korean Peninsula: Spokeswoman
DPRK leader affirms readiness for denuclearisation
Free air tickets, accommodation offered to summit covering reporters
DPRK leader Kim Jong-un (left) and US President Donald Trump during their one-on-one meeting in Hanoi on February 28 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Whether the Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong-un is ready to give up his Yongbyon nuclear complex or not, and what US President Donald Trump will give in return will be the center of their Hanoi declaration, Yonhap News reported.
At the close of their second summit in Hanoi, the two leaders are expected to adopt a declaration that many anticipate will put their countries' checkered relationship on an uncharted yet promising trajectory.
The focus of their talks will be how to flesh out the agreement they signed in their historic first meeting in Singapore last year. At that time, they agreed to work toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, establish "new" bilateral relations and make joint efforts to build a "lasting and stable peace regime" on the divided peninsula.
The Hanoi declaration is expected to detail on how the two countries can make progress on the denuclearisation front. Speculation has been growing that the DPRK's pledge to freeze or dismantle key facilities in the Yongbyon nuclear complex, or give up its future nuclear arms would make it into the declaration.
Meanwhile, the US-based media outlet Vox said that the DPRK may agree to stop producing materials for nuclear bombs at the Yongbyon complex. In return, the US would loosen economic sanctions against the East Asian country so that inter-Korean economic projects can move forward.
Yonhap quoted Moon Chung-in, special foreign policy adviser for RoK President Moon Jae-in, as saying that if the DPRK agrees to permanently dismantle the Yongbyon complex, it would "sufficiently" deserve the partial lifting of sanctions.
He once told reporters after a forum in Washington that the US may well give partial sanctions relief if the DPRK permanently dismantles the Yongbyon complex because it is the first step towards an irreversible denuclearization phase. However, he said that complete sanctions relief may be difficult.
Other U.S. concessions may include increased humanitarian aid and an easing of restrictions on its citizens' travel to the DPRK.
On the "new relations" part, the Hanoi declaration could include an agreement to install a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang and a DPRK one in Washington. The establishment of such offices is seen as an initial process toward normalizing bilateral ties.
Also, Vox reported that the two countries may reach consensus on the signing of a peace declaration to symbolically end the 1950-53 Korean War.
As another concession, the DPRK may agree to repatriate more remains of US troops who died during the Korean War, according to Vox. Last year, it returned the remains of 55 US service members.-VNA
Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un Yongbyon nuclear complex US President Donald Trump Hanoi Korean Peninsula Vietnam VietnamPlus Viet Nam News Related stories Korea (DPRK) Related stories United States
Lao NA approves series of personnel adjustments
The Standing Committee of the 9th Lao National Assembly (NA) approved a host of personnel adjustments at its monthly regular meeting on December 30.
Thailand, Laos boost negotiations on trans-border rail link
Thailand and Laos are in negotiations about the potential of a China-Laos-Thailand railway link which could cut cargo transport costs by 30%-50% in three to five years, according to the Thai Department of Rail Transport (DRT).
Indonesia kicks off 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship
President Joko Widodo officially kicked off Indonesia's 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship at a launching event in Jakarta on January 29.
Fifth Thai-Lao bridge to open next year
The Thai government on January 28 announced that the fifth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is set to open early next year which should help boost border exchanges not only between localities between Thailand and Laos but also trade in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), as it will speed up imports between Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China (Yunnan).


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Home / Posters / Frames / Photo CDs / Crafts / Mac Games / Contact Us /
Imagic Place Mac Games Page
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Try our addictively fun games for the Macintosh™. All our games are shareware: full versions; we ask you to donate to our game fund only if you think they're worth it.
Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPod and iTunes are tradmarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a tradmark of Apple Inc.
Imagic Games
Games from Imagic Place try to combine fun, addictive play with ease and sometimes even a little education. Our goal is to provide entertainment that can be shared by the entire family.
Imagic Place games produces shareware only for the Macintosh OS X operating system. While there are other fine OSes in circulation, OS X provides for the great combination of stability and security with ease of use.
Current Game Lineup :
Games from Imagic Place made exclusively for the iPhone™ and iPod touch™:Cross Number and Add Em Up, as well as the iPad exclusive game Memory Burn. Or download on the App Store on youriPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
Imagic Solitaire - only $0.99!
Get the numbers in order from top to bottom. Use powerups to make it happen faster. Made exclusively for the iPad™.
Make It Ten - Free!
Solve the equations to 10. Do it fast and score the best time.
Memory Burn - only $0.99!
The goal of the game is simple, remove all the tiles from the game board. Do you have the memory to remember where all the colors are? Made exclusively for the iPad™.
Cross Number - only $0.99!
The goal of Cross Number is to match the series of numbers in ech row and column to the total found at the end of each respective row and column. Touch and drag a number to swap them them (or touch the first, then a second to swap them). Three rounds of 4x4, 5x5, and 6x6 test your ability to solve the puzzle quickly. Now, with the ability to start, stop and change music from within the applciation!
Add Em Up - only $0.99!
Add Em Up is simple. Just touch and drag across one to many cells, then release. If the amount is less than the Total, those cells are removed from the board. If it is equal, they are removed and you get a bonus. The cells must be contiguous. Clear the board fast and you get a bonus. Play three rounds to try to get the high score.
Coordinate Challenge - only $0.99!
Play against a friend or by yourself. Travel around the coordinate system to get the highest score. There's a timed version or a move limit version. Either way, it will test your math skills and teach you more about the coordinate system.
Equation Time
A fun and educational game for the Macintosh™. Swap tiles to match totals using addition, subtraction or multiplication. It a great way for kids and adults to spend a few minutes keeping up on their math skills while having fun. If you're tired of the violence and just need a game to pass the time, Equation Time is for you. Try it for free. If you like it, a $5 donation gives you a free upgrade to Version 2.0 when it comes out later this year.
For bug reports and suggestions, email Michael.
Piece It Together
A new twist on the color matching game theme. Take a collection of boxes (2 or 4) and place them on the game board. When the board is full, all the areas with at least two of the same color next to each other are cleared. The game ends when no more pieces can be laid down. Addictive and fun. Play for minutes or hours.
Ireland Photos This wasn't my first trip to Europe, not even to Ireland or Scotland, but it was a great time of year to be there. These photos from an August 2006 trip to the Emerald Island and the land of bagpipes and haggis display the rich history and brilliant scenery that Ireland and Scotland have to offer. You won't be disappointed by the sweeping vistas and historic castles. Come join us on our voyage of fun and excitement.
Paris Photos I have been to Paris more than 20 times in my life. I never tire of the City of Lights. From the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower to Sacre Coeur and the Arc de Triomphe, these photos from my many journeys to and through Paris show you the city where love is always lurking around the next corner. Whether you've been there or just want to see what you're missing, take this wonderful trip with us.
Pillows Are you looking to redecorate? Do you want to upgrade your existing living room set? Or are you just in the need for something to add to a wonderful new sofa and loveseat? No matter the occasion, Pillows are a great addition to any couch, davenport, sofa, loveseat or chair. Nothing works better to enhance your decor than custom made pillows. Imagic Place is about being creative and practical. All our crafts are specially made by hand for each individual's needs.
Baby Blankets Is a new addition to your family on the way? Are you planning for a Baby Shower? Is your baby's hand me down blanket looking the worse for wear? How about giving the gift that is sure to be a hit? Custom made baby blankets are a fun and unique way to show your love. Whether it's specific colors, patterns or fabric, Imagic Place is ready to provide you with the Baby Blanket that makes your gift the one that lasts.
About Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact Us| ©2007 Imagic Place, LLC


Todays media landscape stresses the importance of companies, small companies especially, being where their customers are. With billions of Internet users spending more and more time online each day, the Internet is the place to be.
Sidetrack! Wishing to help up-date the look for my current business. Musings on the nice branding at https://www.milesofsmiles.net? Honestly a shocking Temecula based orthodontist with heart whenever desired in the CALIFORNIA vicinity. Offer a remark. Thanks!
Using social media tools allows companies to participate in a two-way conversation with current and potential clients. This you already knew. Social media also provides businesses with a channel to interact with industry leaders and contribute to industry-related dialogue, dialogue that is taking place whether or not said businesses are involved.
Interacting personally on public sites and engaging in this dialogue is a great way to put a face to your company and increase awareness simultaneously. As biased as I am, blogs are especially effective, as they allow for link-posting and attract a very specific and oftentimes niche audience.
As with all things fun and interesting, there are rules to be followed.
Whether you already participate online, or are planning to start, you will represent your company. Insipidly enough, you must comply with rules of engagement. The following guidelines will explain the expectations of readers and will assist you in interacting effectively.
Be yourself and be transparent. Social media users are not patient when it comes to content, and are highly aware of honesty and dishonesty. While you represent your company, your communications should avoid direct promotion. Point out who you work for and explain your role, but be (or at least appear to be) personally interested in your online relationships.
Be judicious and practical. Once content is online, it is there forever. Even LinkedIn is only somewhat private. Avoid mentioning coworkers without permission and avoid discussing proprietary or privileged information. While all companies keep their secrets in-house, being perceived as a classified or secretive is never good.
Only speak the truth if it can be proven. Do not make unsubstantiated claims. Rather, direct all inquiries about product performance or pricing to relevant and qualified coworkers. Your goal should be to saturate social networks with information that is proven. In general, it is best to avoid using language that implies faultlessness.
Be polite and timely. While they are referred to as relationships, online communication does not follow the same rules as those relationships you brag about on your Facebook profiles. Oftentimes, a single rude or derogatory comment will create a negative perception of you that is difficult if not impossible to then alter. Not every issue will be comprehensively agreed upon. Stay respectful, and point out mistakes with logical and clear evidence. Furthermore, timeliness is important. Social media allows for real time communication and, again, people are not patient. If you are asked a question, or you offer a response, reply as soon as possible.
For the most part, social media follows the same interpersonal standards and norms as the workplace. Courtesy, transparency, and timeliness are all key factors in being perceived as a professional and quality source of information. Without credibility, your goals won't be met.
Remember, if you are unsure if your post adds value to the conversation or if your post violates one of these guidelines, ask someone. While the main goal is to collaborate with potential leads, the first step to an effective social media campaign is to have everyone involved on the same page.
Having had a front-row seat to a few different social media campaigns in my day, I can tell you one thing for certain: It isn't easy. Creating content for social media networks is largely a conceptual practice, and teaching concepts can be quite difficult.
The best thing you can do is make sure your team is on board and on top of things. Make the rules and enforce the rules.
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Practice Nursing Award
Entries are now open for Practice Nursing Award as part of honours that celebrate excellence in primary care.
The 13th annual General Practice Awards, run by Nursing in Practice publisher Cogora, recognises the remarkable work carried out by Britain's primary care professionals.
Categories include the Practice Nursing Award for an individual or team 'who have made an outstanding contribution to patient care in their practice'. Meanwhile, the GP Team of the Year looks for teams 'who are striving to improve patient care, enhancing services offered, and working to develop their skill mix'.
There are also three Clinical Improvement awards for nurses and other staff who have 'demonstrated excellence' in chronic conditions, mental health and public health and prevention.
Overall, the judges are looking for entries from those who go the extra mile, who have successfully implemented a project or initiative to improve patient care or deserve some overdue recognition.
The deadline for entries is 1 June, with the ceremony taking place on 10 December.
In 2020, the University Health Service Nursing Team in Sheffield won the Practice Nursing Award for being proactive, innovative, open to change and putting the patient at the heart of all they do.
For example, they created a drop-in sexual health clinic, group asthma sessions that helped students manage their asthma more effectively and provided support for international student new mothers.
In an interview with Nursing in Practice, nurse practitioner and team leader Emma de Chenu from the Sheffield team said: 'It was great to win the award, especially after such a tough year during the pandemic.'
Other award winners included:
Parkrun Practice for the Clinical Improvement Award: Public Health and Prevention
Market Weighton Practice Team for the Clinical Improvement Award: Chronic Conditions
Western Avenue Medical Centre for the Clinical Improvement Award: Mental Health
To qualify for submission, projects will need to have been completed during the past 18 months.
The awards will be judged by an independent judging panel including the Cogora Events Team. Partner organisations will have no influence on the selection of shortlisted entries.


Southeastern Printing has an immediate need for an estimator at its commercial sheet fed facility in Miami, Florida.
Qualified candidate must be accurate and detail-oriented. Prior print estimating required with the ability to understand press layout, sheet size, paper stock, prepress, bindery and finishing.
• Creating estimates for total print packages, from fulfillment to wide format jobs.
• Ability to quickly learn specialized software related to the position.
• Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Analyze production problems with the appropriate managers and supervisors when dictated by the EVA (Estimated vs actual cost).


Ninjamint9 hasn't collected any medals so far.
Is there a gender difference between the maneki meowstick?
How rare are the machine parts in the prof. Rowan quest?
well its been so long since i play this ... well hi.


Pineapples have become a staple in home decor. This 3 Pineapples Decorative Pillow features three pineapples embroidered on a gorgeous green poly blend material with jute trim border.
The material in this 3 Pineapples Decorative Pillow is treated to be UV-resistant and waterproof. It is safe to keep outdoors but also can be used indoors. It is perfect for the patio and outdoor parties and will hold up to rain, wind and other weather conditions.
This 3 Pineapples Decorative Pillow would look fantastic resting on your stylish outdoor furniture, in a breezeway, or even your couch.
The classic pineapple pattern featured on this 3 Pineapples Decorative Pillow is always on trend and will brighten any space. The pillow measures 13 inches tall and 22 inches wide, making it the perfect size to make an impact without overwhelming your room.
When it comes time to clean your 3 Pineapples Decorative Pillow, please spot clean only. Please do not machine wash or dry, as it may not hold up.


Bollywood's latest diva, Sara Ali Khan was recently roped in as the Brand Ambassador of Fanta. Earlier, Fanta was endorsed by Shruti Hassan. Fanta will be running a 360 degree marketing campaign across digital, outdoor, print and television with Sara.
Owned by the Coca-Cola Company, Fanta is the second brand association of Sara's career. Earlier this year, she was roped in as the main face of advertising of hair removal products brand – Veet.


As a nation with some deeply pagan roots, we love any excuse to set fire to things while bashing away at drums. Thank goodness, then, for the Beltane Fire Society, which not only shares these passions, but manages to foreground them twice a year. This month it's Samhuinn, commemorating the death of the Green Man (summer) and the rise of the Horned God (winter). Head along to catch the epic symbolic battle, accompanied, naturally, by drums and fire.
Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Sun 31 Oct.
Celtic celebration of summer's pass into winter at this afterparty from the Beltane Fire Society.


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Manish Tewari Deserves Credit For Even The Partial Revelations He Makes About The UPA's Dark Decade
by Akhilesh Mishra - Nov 26, 2021 06:40 AM
Author Manish Tewari and his book cover.
Manish Tewari acknowledges the cowardly response by the then Indian government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh in response to the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
10 Flashpoints; 20 Years: National Security Situations That Impacted India. Manish Tewari. Rupa Publications. Pages 320. Rs 595.
Manish Tewari, once a pillar of the Congress system, but now considered disgruntled, has come out with a new book titled, 10 Flashpoints; 20 Years: National Security Situations That Impacted India.
A passage from the book has already made it to news headlines where Tewari is acknowledging the cowardly response by the then Indian government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh in response to the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Tewari says:
There comes a time when actions must speak louder than words. 26/11 was one such time when it just should have been done. It, therefore, is my considered opinion that India should have actioned a kinetic response in the days following India's 9/11.
While this may sound mea culpa, the truth is the full account of how national security was imperilled under 10 years of UPA rule is yet to be written. The country is still paying the price because of the forces unleashed during the Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh rule. Consider the following.
Nepal used to be firmly under the Indian ambit and our overall civilizational ethos. In 2006, driven by the Faustian bargain that the Congress had done with the Left to be in power, Nepal was allowed to go into Marxist territory with mainstreaming of forces who felt ideologically closer to China, and many of whom detested India and actively stoked anti-India feelings in the country. Since then, China has gained a greater foothold in Nepal than it ever had and has posed many challenges to India.
The Communist hangover was not limited to Nepal only. The entire Naxal leadership was surrounded in 2007 by our brace security forces. However, at the last moment, apparently due to a high-level intervention, they were let go. In the years following that, the Naxals would massacre 76 security forces in Chhattisgarh, among other deadly attacks, while Manmohan Singh would lecture his own government on how we should be tough on Naxals!
Rahul Gandhi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2008. Also present in that signing was a leader who is now the President of China. We still do not know the contours of what was directly and secretly agreed to in that agreement.
But here is a data point. In 2004, the trade deficit with China was $1.1 billion. By 2014 this had ballooned to $36.2 billion, an increase of 33 times!
It was during this same period when CPI and CPM used to be guests of CCP, that the Chinese electronics, toys, mobile phones and a host of other manufacturing units penetrated India and started dominating our markets. Make no mistake, this was not because of any fair competition but because of stifling of any chances of manufacturing in India that would take on these Chinese brands. All proposals to kick start Indian manufacturing were simply killed.
AK Antony, defence minister during much of UPA's period, and who gained a reputation for doing nothing, admitted as much in Parliament in 2013 when he conceded that India was no match to China because of the rapid pace at which China had built border infrastructure while India was simply sleeping at the wheels. That it was by design or mere accident is for anyone to guess.
But here is another data point. In 2013, the UPA government signed nine agreements with China. China was parallelly occupying, unchallenged, 640 sq. km of Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh, including the Depsang plain.
But if China was the end of the muddled national security spectrum, then Pakistan was an even more septic end.
The first proud proclamation of UPA government, when it assumed power, was the dismantling of the anti-terror legislation Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Our security forces were stripped off the only weapon they had against Pakistan nurture and funded terror. The message went out to the terrorists that they now had a free run, for now, they had their "own government". Soon enough, it became a monthly recurrence of deadly terrorist attacks.
Manish Tewari mentions 26/11 Mumbai attack. But consider just a small sample of what preceded it. Beginning with the Dheemaji school bombing in Assam on 15 August 2004, the next few years were like living hell.
The July 2005 attacks on Ram Janmabhoomi, the Delhi Diwali bombings just a few months later in October, the March 2006 attacks on Sankatmochan Temple in Kashi, the July 2006 bombings of the local trains in Mumbai, the September 2006 attacks in Malegaon, the February 2007 attacks on Samjhauta Express, the series of bombings later that year in Hyderabad, Ajmer, and the series of bombings of court houses in Uttar Pradesh to round off the year.
2008 was a particularly horrible year with the emergence of Indian Mujahedeen (IM) – Pakistani funded and trained but manned by local jihadis. They executed, without challenge from UPA, the May 2008 bombings in Jaipur, the July attacks in Bangalore and Ahmedabad and the September bombings in Delhi.
When the IM terrorists were neutralised by Delhi Police in an encounter following leads from Gujarat Police, the entire Congress machinery close to Sonia Gandhi sprung into action to defame the police and brand the terrorists as innocent boys.
Of course, 2008 ended in the gruesome and macabre dance of the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, and all the while, the then UPA government sat and silently watched. Or strike that. It was not silently watching. Digvijay Singh, the closest in Congress circles to the Gandhi dynasty, got busy getting a book written as to how 26/11 was an RSS conspiracy!
It is not as if the free run to terrorists was the only sin of that UPA government. A far more insidious and dangerous plot was the open field given to ISI and Pakistani handlers to cultivate Indian opinion makers. Indian polity had been fractious and divided even before the advent of UPA under Sonia Gandhi in 2004.
But on one issue, there was always unanimity – that Pakistan was an enemy nation, because of its own actions, and that designs of Pakistan must be defeated by using all and any means.
That changed after 2004. Pakistani propaganda started finding place in Indian discourse. The method was the Track-II diplomacy, a fancy term for essentially recruiting and grooming useful Indian idiots in exotic locales like Thailand and sometimes directly in Islamabad. The government of the day was willing to let this happen, so all kinds of actors – journalist, think tankers, retired military and intelligence personnel looking for personal aggrandisement and other shady characters all got along on this gravy train.
The contacts that the Pakistani and surely along with it the Chinese intelligence built during these recruitment junkets, have continued to serve them till this day to the detriment of India. Consider, for example, the breadth of people who are opposed to the Chardham project. For the first time in perhaps recorded history, the Indian military has had to give in writing in Supreme Court that it wants to deploy missiles in forward areas and so the project be allowed to be completed. Such forward deployment is always away from public eyes in any country in the world.
And yet, such is the pervasiveness of the ecosystem of China and Pakistan in India that the Army has been pleading its case for border infrastructure, and yet NGOs, with support of high-pitched voices raised and feted during Sonia Gandhi era, are deploying all their might to sabotage this crucial project. The Supreme Court, in its wisdom, and despite Army's pleading, is also patiently listening to the case of these NGOs.
China, whose ability to rapidly create border infra we marvel, faces no delays in its defence preparedness while NGOs and their lawyers groomed in the UPA era are using our democratic freedoms to delay our preparations!
It is these same actors, all groomed during UPA period and many of them part of Track-II with Pakistan (and obviously China), who mobilise at a rapid scale to disrupt India's civil life. Look at the actors who rioted in many parts of the country after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).
Or the forces that use the liberties of democracy and functioning courts to litigate every action, thereby delaying India's growth trajectory. Or the Padma Awardees who took macabre pleasure in plastering the world with images of burning pyres during the COVID-19 pandemic while simultaneously lobbying for pharma companies from countries that have fared far worse than India in either containing cases or fatalities.
Or take the case of the Indian Air Force, which had long pleaded for the fifth-generation fighter jets to keep up with China and even Pakistan. The deal never materialised during the UPA period for reasons now only too obvious. And when it did during the Modi government, the Congress ecosystem, nurtured during the UPA years, deployed every trick in trade to sabotage the deal. One can only guess their motivations.
There were other implications of the Sonia Gandhi era. For the first time ever, as a direct consequence of grooming of useful idiots in India by Pakistani Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, terrorism became a domestic secularism issue.
Congress was in power before 2004 as well and their policies were hotly contested then also. But on Pakistani directed malevolent action, no one accused them of disregarding India's interests. That could no longer be said post 2004. In fact, it could plausibly be argued that Congress dispensation had become overtly ant-India.
Ishrat Jahan case, where a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed terrorist became an icon of secularism and was used to hound honest Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers, is just the most high-profile case. Incidentally, this case led to an unprecedented revolt by the IB in 2013 when UPA was hell bent on prosecuting a fine officer who neutralised Ishrat and her Pakistani accomplices. It was only after the revolt by the entire IB, did UPA backed down. But this was not all.
An entirely new bogey of Hindu terror was conjured in the secularism project of that UPA era, and innocent men and women were framed and destroyed for political benefits. The world, after 9/11, was for the first time recognising the threat of jihadi terror while India under UPA, long a victim of exactly the same forces, was busy in repudiating any theory of jihadi terror and fabricating the bogey of Hindu terror.
With this sequence in mind, it is not difficult to imagine why Rahul Gandhi reportedly said to the United States ambassador in 2009 that "radical Hindu groups as bigger threats than LeT".
The malevolence Sonia Gandhi era is not over yet. It was during this very period that, for the first time and only time in India's history, a serving chief of staff of the defence forces was corrupted and co-opted to become part of the scam gravy train that ran through much of UPA. Corruption had reached the highest echelons of India's security apparatus.
Look closely, and almost all of these malevolent actions that made a mockery of India's safety, security and territorial integrity, can be traced to the first term of UPA itself, when it was in bed with the Communists.
Sometimes I wonder as to how we survived those years? But then I remember our own long, multi-millennia history. Every time we have been on the brink, we have found it within ourselves to rescue ourselves from imminent oblivion. It is how we have survived and continue to be the oldest living continuous civilisation which has neither fallen to Abrahamic forces nor to Communists. Sometimes it has been Shivaji, other times, it has been Ahilya Bai Holkar.
In 2014 people rallied behind Modi and reduced Congress to just 44 seats. We must credit Manish Tewari for at least partially writing about that dark decade of UPA and specifically about those horrendous first five years. For it must serve as a reminder to us that never again shall we allow our fate to be put in the hands of such evil forces.
Akhilesh is CEO, Bluekraft Digital Foundation.
UPA corruption
UPA government
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Border Infrastructure
India's National Security
Intelligence Bureau (IB)
India Pakistan
26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack
Communist Party of India (CPI)
Ishrat Jahan encounter case
Serial Bomb blasts
Congress MP Manish Tewari
India -China
Pakistani ISPR


We've always found that Steinberg's UR interface series have proven to be solid options at their respective price points, normally proven to be extremely capable all-rounders with great pre-amps & signal path, as well as having a general tank-like construction.
Production packs have always been popular with users who are just starting out and with this one we see what looks to be a complete solution for anyone wishing to get started with writing and recording music at home.
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Today the political world is in a state of uncertainty and change. USA bills itself as the only superpower, dictating to all States of a unipolar world order. However, the role of some countries in specific regions and in world politics as a whole increases. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation are among such States.
On the relationship of war, militarisation of science and the revolution in military Affairs: what the answer is philosophy, and how does it work in practice?
War is sustainable and the most acute phenomenon of resolving social conflicts, and thereby attracts the attention of philosophers of various historical periods. Philosophers approach the study of war from all sides: someone is talking about the moral side, morality, religion, psychology, and someone who considers the relationship between war, industrialization, use of achievements of science and technology. Technological development goes forward in this regard, the problem of war does not lose its relevance. The current state of development of military technology and adequate openness of States to innovation are new challenges to philosophy. Today the understanding of the war is impossible without understanding what causes the willingness of States to accept the concept of revolution in military Affairs (RMA) and that contribute to the successful implementation of the latter.
The first thing worth noting, speaking of the military-political leadership is the factor of military power in contemporary foreign policy strategies of the leading world powers. You must admit, at the moment the role of military force in US foreign policy undergoes significant changes. Her character is in many aspects based on the new balance of forces that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the context of a violation of the system of international relations existed before this (largely under the influence of the fault States) and a shift in the views of the leading powers on the forms, methods and scope of the use of force, as well as the development of new technologies and forms of warfare.


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In the Air with Blue Skies Helicopters
We've been up in a Cessna, floated in a hot-air balloon, and even tried out paragliding, but neither Jürgen nor I had ever been in a helicopter. With colorful towns and diverse nature packed into a small area and framed by clear Caribbean waters, Curaçao is a perfect candidate for a helicopter tour. So we were thrilled when Blue Skies invited us on a trip around the island's eastern coast.
Update: We've been notified that Blue Skies has ceased operations in Curacao. But please enjoy our pictures from the air!
The view over Punda
Based in Otrobanda on the Saint Anna Bay, Blue Skies is the island's only helicopter tourism company, and their chopper is a familiar sight in the skies of Curaçao, easy to recognize with its bright blue body. They've been in operation since 2007, and offer a number of different tours in a Bel 206 Jetranger (which, according to their website, is the safest chopper in the world).
Looking over the map in their office, they showed us the route we'd be taking, over Spanish Waters and the Eastpoint, before returning over Punda. Sounded good to us, but it was hard to concentrate since my mind was on a hyperactive loop. "Chopper chopper chopper," as though I was five-years-old again. I just couldn't wait to get inside the thing and get going!
The Seaquarium
Lifting off was strange at first; this is a totally different experience to flying in an airplane, but we adjusted quickly. The tour was perfect. The entire southeastern section of Curaçao, a huge swath of land known as Oostpunt, is private property. The owner has steadfastly resisted selling it off, prohibiting access to practically everyone. The result is a pristine, untouched natural environment, and one of the few ways to see it is from the air. We flew high above the region, and then came down low to inspect some of the highlights. Once, hovering just a few meters above a large lagoon, we saw a turtle swimming along, unconcerned about the giant machine whirring above its head.
Jürgen was in a state of photography panic. As we coasted over Punda and Otrobanda, it looked as though he had eight arms and four cameras, so fast was he turning from side to side to snap pictures. There's nothing like taking pictures from the air, and the helicopter permits a freedom of movement not possible in an airplane; our pilot was able to hover, circle a specific target, and lower or raise, depending on what we were trying to shoot.
The eastern coast of Eastpoint
The tour was everything we could have possibly hoped for, and we had fun with the team behind Blue Skies, who were very friendly. It's a shame that they're no longer in operation, but I'm sure that other helicoptering opportunities will take their place.
–Cheap Flights To Curacao
Avila Beach Hotel
Mambo Beach
Fort Beekenburg with the Kabrietenburg behind it
Spanish Waters
Santa Barbera Golf Resort & Tafelberg
Salt Flats at Eastpoint
The Eastpoint Lagoon
St. Joris Bay
Queen Juliana Bridge
Otrobanda
Rif Fort in foreground
Aerial Curacao,Blue Skies,Blue Skies Helicopters,Curacao,Curacao Nature,Eastpunt,Helicopter Flight Curacao,Helicopter Tour,Helicopter Tour Curacao,Hubschrauber Flug Curacao
The Cliffs and Caves of Hato Plains
The Coastal Walk from Otrobanda to Piscadera
A Hike Around Patrick
Christoffelpark's Zevenbergen and Seru Bientu
The Hato Caves
Boka Pos Spanjo and Boka Hulu
In the Air with Blue Skies Helicopters We've been up in a Cessna, floated in a hot-air balloon, and even tried out paragliding, but neither Jürgen nor I had ever been in a helicopter. With colorful towns and diverse nature packed into a small area and framed by clear Caribbean waters, Curaçao is a perfect candidate for a helicopter tour. So we were thrilled when Blue Skies invited us on a trip around the island's eastern coast.
WOW! Stunning photos! The standard map of Curacao doesn't show its true topography, and of course, its beauty, but this aerial tour you've shared helps fill in the gaps (and gasps).
That was fun! I've never been in a helicopter before either. What a great way to see everything from a different perspective.


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Q: Add Reference dynamically to my project I am Developping an Add-In for Microsoft Word.
In my Add-In i am using a reference to file "Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.dll" so i can use word objects.
In case the development machine has word 2007 installed, the file to be included in references is version 12
in case word 2010 is installed, the file should be version 14.
how can i build my add in and make  it work regardless of which version of Word is installed on the machine (in other word tell my application to automatically detect which version of office is installed and use the appropriate interop file automatically)?

A: If your actual code is making reference to the items in the given assembly, trying to hook into a different version could actually cause errors (e.g. if certain method signatures have been changed). In most cases, the best strategy would be to produce different builds to target the different DLL versions, and install the correct build on the user's machine.
There are strategies you can use to make this easier, like wrapping your calls to this library in a set of interfaces, and then having two main "plugin" assemblies that provide implementations for the interfaces, but which target different DLLs when they implement them. The software can load the implementation bindings dynamically by configuration, similar to the way popular Dependency Injection frameworks do. That way, if a method signature changes from one version to the other, you can just change a single class and the rest of your code will still work as-is.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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MOI WRITES
ANALYSIS | OPINION | REVIEWS
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Writing it Right!
Tag: Kashmir
Meet the youngest female author from Kashmir: Ayesha S. Khan
June 2, 2018 June 2, 2018 moiwritesblog
"If you want to be a good writer, be a good reader," says Ayesha S. Khan, who has become the youngest female published author from Kashmir.
1. Tell us about yourself?
My father named me AYESHA. Since to him, this is the most beautiful name a girl can have. My pen name is Ayesha S. Khan. I hail from Muzaffarabad- the capital city of State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. I am 22-year-old and currently, I am a student of BS(English Language and Literature) at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad.
2. What were your feelings when you became the youngest author from Kashmir?
Obviously, I was over cloud nine. But, the most important thing which I would always cheer is that KASHMIR part in this whole phrase. "The youngest published female author from KASHMIR". I can't describe in words that how does it feel to be recognized by the name of your motherland.
3. Tell us briefly about your book without giving any spoilers?
My book "The Freezing Point" is a cause and effect tragedy. As we all know that the effects are the result of some causes. The problem is we mourn over effects without paying heed to the causes. We want to mitigate effects and their drastic by-products but what about causes? Causes are the root of all effects. They need to be focused.
"The Freezing Point" sheds light upon the character's life journey from bright and pleasant to the dark and bleak. It highlights the scenarios or causes which transform a normal human into an evil one. To know more read the novel and leave your reviews at https://www.meraqissa.com/book/510
4. Who inspires you to write?
In my direct family, my brothers have always been an inspiration to me whether it be a writing or doing something else. My brother once told me that: "I can see an excellent writer in you". I realized his words later when attracted a lot of appreciation for "The Freezing Point".
5. Which authors from Pakistan and abroad have been your favorite?
Being a voracious reader, I read a lot of authors from Pakistan as well as abroad. In Urdu Literature, Ashfaq Ahmad, Mumtaz Mufti, and Qudratullah Shahaab are the most adored ones. In English Literature, I love to read Khalil Gibran, John Green, Khaled Hosseini, and Nicholas Sparks. Moreover, I couldn't resist applauding Elif Shafak for infallibly portraying the companionship of Rumi and Shams in her magnificent work 'The Forty Rules of Love'.
6. What motivates you to write?
Social injustice in the world and particularly in our own country -Pakistan is my biggest motivation to pen down stories and articles. I want readers to take home something worth pondering. I think other writers should also take inspiration from the issues which are deteriorating society in one way or another, and start working on them.
7. What message will you give to aspiring writers?
Getting published was not a plain sailing job. I know people think it's easy to write something and you'll get published in a month or so. This was not a case with me. I had to wait patiently to go through the processing of writing, editing, and publishing. Even, I was so desperate to have a glimpse of my book's cover. The point is good things take time. If you really want to write and become a published author first practice the skill of patience. Secondly, Never think about the monetary benefits. Just excel in the skill, and give your hundred and ten percent. Our teacher once told us to, view money, fame and success as a by-product. Lastly, If you want to be a good writer, be a good reader. Reading gives you a lot of stuff to mull over. You can't become a good writer if you aren't a good reader. Here, the important thing is choosing reading stuff. Always try to choose the material which makes you think positive. So, that your writings may impact the masses.
Tagged #MOIWrites, #Pakistan, Author, Ayesha, AyeshaSKhan, Daastan, FemaleAuthor, Interview, Interviews, Kashmir, MOIWritesBlog, MuhammadOmarIftikhar, Omar, Omar Iftikhar, Reader, Super, SuperSaturday, SuperSaturdayInterviews, TheFreezingPoint, Writer, Youngest
Pepsi Battle of the Bands: When the legends returned!
September 19, 2017 September 19, 2017 moiwritesblog
Image Source: trending.pk
Pepsi Battle of the Bands first rocked and shocked the industry in 2001. It was the first edition of the show that crowned Aaroh as the winners while Entity Paradigm came at second place. Over time these bands, after producing a number of hit singles, faded away but were never forgotten. During the Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2017, these two bands and others resurfaced to put on a show music lovers were dreaming to witness. While winners, Kashmir and runner-up, Badnaam, must be credited for their hard work, dedication, teamwork, and persistence, all other bands did give it a try and must be applauded for their efforts. However, the highlight of Season 2 of Pepsi Battle of the Bands has to be the reuniting of Call the band, Aaroh, and EP.
Kashmir – Winners of Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2017 – Image Source: behtareen.pk
Ali Azmat, the celebrity judge of the finale, sang Pataal Say, which he composed with Ahsan Bari. Shahi Hassan's song, Namumkin, which he dedicated to Juned Jamshed was a soulful one while Meesha Shafi's Speaker Phaar is a song you can listen on repeat. Josh created a celebratory scene with their performance of Haseena Baliye while Atif Aslam's Mere Watan stirred the crowd. In season seven when Call performed on Jilawatan, it sent viewers and the audience to yesteryears. In episode two, Aaroh reunited to perform on Raag Neela whcih was a pure thrill. However, the finale was even better. When Aaroh and EP took on stage, it was 2003 and the new boys in town were creating magic on stage. If Aaroh's slow and steady Na Kaho was enough to bring back old times, EP's head banging, It was fourteen years since Aaroh and EP came up with their respective albums. However, fourteen years later, both bands are still looking in their prime.
Runners-up – Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2017 – Image Source: http://www.desiblitz.com
EP stole the show with its meticulously engineered music when it performed on Hamesha. It felt the entire band had been preserved to be released for this performance. Their vocals and every single musical intonation was perfect while Ahmed Ali Butt's rap was as good as it was fourteen years ago. Now that the episode is on Youtube, I will watch all these performances and that of the top two bands over and over again. I always enjoyed having Pepsi, now I guess Pepsi's third edition of Battle of the Bands will only increase my love for this brand. Let's see! Till then, rock on!
Tagged Aaroh, Badnaam, Calltheband, EntityParadigm, Kashmir, Pepsi, PepsiBattleoftheBands, Season2