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You are here: Home / Current Events / The Law: Tool of Acquisition, Redistribution, or Justice?
The Law: Tool of Acquisition, Redistribution, or Justice?
September 10, 2010 by Mike Wilson Leave a Comment
How To Keep The Law In Its Rightful Place
The only legitimate purpose of legislation is to establish some level of justice in society. However, it doesn't take long for that proposed intent to be abused.
Human beings have a tendency to self-interest and legislators are no different.
The French physiocrat Frederic Bastiat, popularized the phrase "legal plunder" in his essay The Law. Legal plunder means to use legislation to accomplish exchanges of money, capital, labor, resources, etc. that one could not do without the law.
This legalization does the following:
"And, as law cannot exist without the sanction and the support of a preponderating force, it must finally place this force in the hands of those who legislate."
Historically, how has this been manifested? How do we understand it today? What can we do about this problem in order to increase our liberty and prosperity?
Tool of Acquisition
Suppose that laws exist in nature prior to the institution of the state and call these natural laws. What happens next?
In Tolstoy's Resurrection, the old Russian makes a cameo as a crazed man who is just crazy enough to make us think. When this man is asked what to do with those who refuse to obey the law, he states:
"'The law!' he repeated contemptuously. 'First, he robbed everybody, taking for himself all the land and all the wealth that belonged to the people — converted it all to his own use — killed all those who resisted him, and then wrote laws forbidding men to rob and kill. He should have made the laws first.'"
Bastiat attacks a couple of groups for using the law for plundering others in society. Although he wrote at a time of rising socialism, he recognized that it was those who owned capital who initially used "legal plunder" to obtain financial advantage for themselves:
"But the law is made, generally, by one man or by one class of men, and…it is easy to conceive that, according to the power of the legislator, it destroys for its own profit and in different degrees amongst the rest of the community, personal independence by slavery, liberty by oppression, and property by plunder."
Adam Smith recognizes this tendency among businessmen, merchants, capitalists, stating in The Wealth of Nations:
"The interest of the dealers…in any particular branch of trade or manufactures, is always in some respects different from, and even opposite to, that of the public. To widen the market and to narrow the competition, is always the interest of the dealers.
To widen the market may frequently be agreeable enough to the interest of the public; but to narrow the competition must always be against it, and can serve only to enable the dealers, by raising their profits above what they naturally would be, to levy, for their own benefit, an absurd tax upon the rest of their fellow-citizens.
The proposal of any new law or regulation of commerce which comes from this order, ought always to be listened to with great precaution, and ought never to be adopted till after having been long and carefully examined, not only with the most scrupulous, but with the most suspicious attention.
It comes from an order of men, whose interest is never exactly the same with that of the public, who have generally an interest to deceive and even to oppress the public, and who accordingly have, upon many occasions, both deceived and oppressed it."
This abuse of law to generate an advantage over another (the opposite of the purpose of the law, which is to attain some level of justice) then leads the this point from Bastiat:
"All the plundered classes tend, either by peaceful or by revolutionary means, to enter in some way into the manufacturing of laws.
These classes, according to the degree of enlightenment at which they have arrived, may propose to themselves two very different ends, when they thus attempt the attainment of their political rights; wither they may wish to put an end to lawful plunder, or they may desire to take part in it. Woe to the nation where this latter thought prevails amongst the masses, at the moment when they, in their turn, seize upon the legislative power." (emphases added)
Tool of Redistribution
Bastiat saw in his day the transition from legislative "plunder" that further enriched the rich at the expense of the poor and working classes to legislative "plunder" that redistributed property by force.
"Now, legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways.
Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits, minimum wages, a right to relief, a right to the tools of labor, free credit, and so on, and so on.
All these plans as a whole —with their common aim of legal plunder — constitute socialism."
Options and Solutions
It is absolutely necessary that this question of legal plunder should be determines, and there are only three solutions of it:
when the few plunder the many (corporatism),
when everybody plunders everybody else (state socialism)
when nobody plunders anybody (freedom)." -Bastiat (italicized words are mine)
In order for the third option to win, a few things must happen:
War of Doctrine
In order to defeat an ideology or doctrine, one must "make against it…a war of doctrine." In order to do so, we must engage in the debate, ask questions of ourselves and others.
Putting state socialism (or any other doctrine or ideology) on the "shelf of evils things not to be touched" allows the doctrine to grow and promote itself. This has been a huge problem with the doctrine of communism.
Many Americans put in on that shelf and refused to engage it openly, and thus it returns again and again as a viable economic option in poor countries.
Cease Inflammatory Presumptions
We also must be very careful about questioning the intentions of those who promote certain doctrines or ideologies; hence the problem with implying a vast conspiracy behind some of these doctrines. Bastiat states it very well:
"Thus, whether I am believed or not, I declare that I do not mean to attack the intentions or the morality of anyone.
Rather, I am attacking an idea which I believe to be false; a system which appears to me to be unjust; an injustice so independent of personal intentions that each of us profits from it without wishing to do so, and suffers from it without knowing the cause of the suffering.
The sincerity of those who advocate protectionism, socialism, and communism is not here questioned. Any writer who would do that must be influenced by a political spirit or a political fear.
It is to be pointed out, however, that protectionism, socialism, and communism are basically the same plant in three different stages of its growth.
All that can be said is that legal plunder is more visible in communism because it is complete plunder; and in protectionism because the plunder is limited to specific groups and industries.
Thus it follows that, of the three systems, socialism is the vaguest, the most indecisive, and, consequently, the most sincere stage of development."
Recognize Reprisals Masquerading as Laws
Again from Bastiat:
"See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime.
Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil itself, but also it is a fertile source for further evils because it invites reprisals. If such a law — which may be an isolated case — is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system."
This warning applies not only to state socialism, but also to corporatism or any other doctrine that promotes the interest of one person at the expense of another.
Responsible Citizenship
If we are truly intent upon promoting freedom, prosperity and peace, we must identify the uses and abuses of the law.
We must hold accountable those who legislate so that they eliminate laws that take from the low and middle classes to give to the corporate rich or take from the middle and upper classes to give to the lower class.
We also must involve ourselves in the legislative process enough and be statesmen enough to promote the general welfare, not the interests of one group over another.
Finally, we must engage in the debate without questioning the motives of those who promote ideologies different from those we hold, attacking and debating only the ideas, not their "morality."
Mike Wilson received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Brigham Young University and pursued graduate work at the University of California, San Diego, where he earned a M.S. degree in Biomedical Sciences prior to obtaining his M.D. at the UCSD School of Medicine.
He lives in Cedar City, Utah with his wife Jenni and their six children and practices emergency medicine in St. George, Utah while working on a Ph.D. in Constitutional Law at George Wythe University. He is also an Associate Mentor at GWU.
Mike's passion is promoting idea that the common man has power and capacity to affect grand change in the world through true principles of love, goodness, and virtue. Because of his Jeffersonian trust in the common man, he considers himself a "little d" democrat (an ideal, not a political party).
He believes that the cause of liberty is founded essentially in widespread powerful education, checks on power, and promotion of virtue and goodness. Force is never a real solution to problems for Mike and the statesman's role is to understand the ideal, see where society is, and then put himself in a position to move society in the direction of the ideal.
Filed Under: Current Events, Economics, Government, Leadership, Liberty, Politics
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In April-May 2012 Lviv Consulting Group conducted an annual pay survey of manufacturing companies operational in Western Ukraine.
23 manufacturing companies from Lviv. Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattiya regions participated in the survey. These companies embrace assembly operations, food processing, textile and garments, metal working, building materials and chemicals.
The Pay survey was focused on salaries, bonuses and benefits on jobs related to Manufacturing as well as Quality, Material Supply and Logistics, Finance and Human Resources.
Compared to 2011 the average basic salary of top managers in production went up by 14%-15%; the average basic salary of engineers and accountants grew by 24%-25%. Average basic salary of Mechanics and Machine Set Up Workers on average earn only a 2% higher salary compared to last year, while non-skilled workers enjoy average basic salary at the same level as in 2011 or even 1% lower.
As of April 2012, the average salary gross of Accountant with 2 years experience is 4350 uah; Design Engineer with 3+ years of experience earns on average 3959 uah per month; Line Operators have the average salary of 2000 uah gross.
Salaries of top managers in manufacturing companies have reached the level of 2008 before the downfall.
You can find more information in a short presentation of the Pay Survey.
If you questions or a request please do not hesitate to contact Oksana Abramenko at Lviv Consulting Group, ph.2971390, cel.0503701316, oksana.abramenko@lvivconsult.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Phillip Whitley, Ph.D., received the 2018 John Paul Stapp Award for his 35 years of experience in developing requirements and protective means for humans in the extreme environments of sustained acceleration, pilot ejection, helicopter crashes, and aircraft vibration, including the assessment of injury risk and severity.
Whitley's developments of advanced manikins, comprehensive biodynamic models, and spine and neck injury criteria have helped predict and mitigate injuries during aircraft operations. The award was presented during AsMA Honors Night Ceremonies, May 10, 2018, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, in Dallas, TX.
The award is named after Colonel John Paul Stapp (1910-1999), M.D., Ph.D., who was an American career U.S. Air Force officer, flight surgeon, physician, biophysicist, and pioneer in studying the effects of acceleration and deceleration forces on humans. He was a colleague and contemporary of Chuck Yeager, and became known as "the fastest man on earth" subjecting himself to sled and aircraft tests to better understand the acceleration tolerance of humans.
Dr. Whitley was born and raised in North Carolina and attended North Carolina State University, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Biochemistry. He received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering, with minors in both Electrical and Computer Engineering, from Clemson University in 1983. He has worked at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Warminster, PA, in a variety of positions. He held the position of professor at multiple universities in the Neurosurgery Department as well as Biomedical and Electrical Computer Engineering departments. In 2009 he took his current position as Manager of Soldier Protection Programs at CFD Research Corporation.
A Fellow of AsMA, Dr. Whitley is a Past President of the Life Science and Biomedical Engineering Branch (LSBEB) and a recipient of both the Professional Excellence Award in 2008 and the A. Howard Hasbrook Award for safety, survivability, and crashworthiness. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE. He has published several peer-review articles and book chapters, and made dozens of presentations including many at AsMA meetings.


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package cn.dipingqi.processor;

import java.util.Iterator;

import org.dom4j.Document;
import org.dom4j.Element;
import org.harvest.crawler.framework.BaseProcessor;
import org.harvest.crawler.util.StringUtil;
import org.harvest.crawler.util.XmlUtil;
import org.harvest.crawler.util.format_tool;
import org.harvest.web.bean.UrlContent;

import cn.dipingqi.wrap.ScraperWrapper;

public class ListUrlProcessor extends BaseProcessor {

	private Long pgmOrder;

	@Override
	protected void extractContentUrls(UrlContent curi) {
		super.extractContentUrls(curi);

		pgmOrder = Long.parseLong(format_tool.getToday() + "99999");

		String currentUrl = curi.getUrl();
		String contentStr = "";

		contentStr = ScraperWrapper.extractContent(this.getRulefile(), currentUrl);
		if (!StringUtil.isEmpty(contentStr)) {
			content2database(curi, contentStr);
		} else {
			curi.setOper_flag(4);
		}

	}

	@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
	@Override
	protected boolean content2database(UrlContent curi, String content) {
		Document dom = XmlUtil.str2dom(content);
		Element root = dom.getRootElement();
		for (Iterator iter = root.elementIterator(); iter.hasNext();) {
			Element element = (Element) iter.next();
			if ("item".equalsIgnoreCase(element.getName())) {
				String url = element.elementText("url").trim();
				if (this.controller.getFrontier().addNew(url, pgmOrder, curi.getTag(), "")) {
					this.controller.getCrawlerInf().addAllUrl();
				} else {
					this.controller.getCrawlerInf().delProUrl();
				}
				logger.debug("process url : " + url);
				pgmOrder--;
			}
		}
		return isContentAccord;
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Intel R Centrino R Ultimate-N 6300 AGN is a Network Adapters device. The Windows version of this driver was developed by Intel Corporation. PCI/VEN_8086&DEV_422B&SUBSYS_11018086 is the matching hardware id of this device.
You can download from the link below the driver installer file for the Intel Corporation Intel R Centrino R Ultimate-N 6300 AGN driver. The archive contains version 15.8.0.5 dated 2013-04-25 of the driver.
This driver was installed by many users and received an average rating of 3.6 stars out of 58871 votes.
Take a look at the list of detected driver updates. Scroll the list down until you locate the Intel Corporation Intel R Centrino R Ultimate-N 6300 AGN driver. Click the Update button.


Beautifully handcrafted timber shell and purple barnacle crosses by Raw Treasures. Each cross has a meticulously handcrafted shell design including Australian coral and is offered here in either a raw timber or shabby chic timber finish.
Delicately hand crafted from driftwood pieces, collected from 'Burleigh Heads' Beach', our Driftwood Crosses are a magnificent piece of wall hanging art.
Each cross is locally hand designed & crafted by ourselves.
Labelled by Interior designers as 'Raw Treasure's Master Piece' this product gracefully decorates any wall space.
As an entrance piece, end of the hall way, office or bedroom, our 'Raw Timber Cross' creates captivating wall hanging art.
Locally hand-crafted and designed by ourselves, we source recycled old rustic timber and create our signature design of Australian coral and clusters of white ocean shells.
Exquisite in design, these crosses all carry their own unique designs.
The Australian coral species, shells and Recycled timber pieces' colours, shapes and designs all vary due to the nature of these natural products.
Beautifully handcrafted ready to hang timber crosses with shell, coral, sea fan, barnacle and a standout pearl nautilus shell feature are individually made by Raw Treasures.
Each cross has a meticulously handcrafted shell design including Australian coral and is offered here in either a black or cement blue timber finish. Each design includes a unique painted style blue shell or barnacle standout feature and all vary due to the nature of these natural products.
Ready to hang, these exquisite designs all carry their own unique features and are made exclusive by Raw Treasures.
The Australian coral species and shell colourings, shapes and designs all vary due to the nature of these natural products.
The shabby chic cross comes in either a white or black timber finish.


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Brewers' Star.
Responsible consumption
Support for regions
Visit our breweries
Pilsner Urquell
Radegast
Velkopopovický kozel
About beer
Plzensky Prazdroj appointed new Marketing Director
21.4.2009 Uncategorized
Tom Verhaegen comes from Belgium. He is a Commercial Engineer and graduated with distinction in 1996 from the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium. He obtained Master in Business Economics & Strategy.
Before joining Plzensky Prazdroj, Tom held Marketing, Sales and Trade Marketing positions in both local operational roles and international strategic roles. He worked in several countries in Europe and North & South America mainly. During his career he was living in Belgium, Netherlands, Brazil and now Czech Republic.
He was acting as International Brand Manager in the British American Tobacco, where he started his career as a Sales Representative. After over 5 years he joined InBev as a Global Manager. During 7 years with the company he changed several position and ended up as a Sales Director On-Trade Belgium. Tom joined SABMiller and Plzeňský Prazdroj this year.
Tom Verhaegen is married to Laura and has no children. He speaks English, Dutch and French fluently, and German and Portuguese on conversational level. He is also aspiring to learn some Czech.
His interests include football, cycling, books, history and travel. Once he would like to make a trip around the world.
With total sales of over 10.7 million hectolitres in the calendar year 2008 (including licensed production abroad) and exports to more than 50 countries around the world, Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s., is a major beer producer in the region and the largest exporter of Czech beer.
Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s. is a member of the global group SABMiller plc. Pilsner Urquell is the international flagship of the SABMiller brand portfolio.
SABMiller plc is one of the world's largest brewers, with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents. The SABMiller brand portfolio consists of international brands such as Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell, as well as almost 200 other successful regional and national brands.
Jiri Marecek
Manager external communication
Plzensky Prazdroj
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Zdeněk Kovář
created by: Inspiro


Another rough and boisterous day for us. Mother Ocean gave me two late birthday presents though. 1. Our fastest day ever, 182 miles in 24 hours, and 2. A gorgeous blue tuna. The kids were joking around a bit more today but are still a bit wobbly on their feet. We are still doing well on, and grateful for the prepared food that Vick made before we left.
We expect the seas to settle down tomorrow. All is well.


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DNN members Always Wear Red collaborate with British monarchy embroiderers and narrow their offer to experimental, rare and classic knitwear
Always Wear Red (AWR) clothing and accessories are narrowing their actual offering down to experimental, rare and classic knitwear only. The core purpose of the brand and its founder Mike Owen is to make their customers feel so confident that they do what they were born to do.
As part of their move, AWR are collaborating with two embroiders. One is Hand and Lock in London, who have been trading since 1767 and are considered by many to be the best embroiderers in the world. They are working for the British monarchy, Mick Jagger, Kate Moss and who also embellished the dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
The other new partner of AWR is Melanie Kyles, based in the North East and trained with Hand and Lock. AWR and Melanie have recently started to produce teeshirts in Scotland from 100% Merino tool. which will be launched in March.
AWR is a valued member of Design Network North. Design Network North is part of RTC's new programme called 'Designing Better Business' – launched in 2016 - which will provide support for north east businesses looking to continue to innovate and design better world leading products.


Blog » Are there different types of facelifts?
Are there different types of facelifts?
How many different ways are there to perform a facelift? How are doctors able to match a certain technique with an individual patient?
The answer to your first question is too many to count. Facelifts differ by incision type and the amount or way the SMAS (submuscular aponeurotic system) is handled. In general though the most important differentiating item is how the SMAS is handled. It can be by suture suspension only, eg. MACS lift, placation where it is overlapped and sutured, imbrications where it is incised and the sutured over, or incised and undermined for a varying distance. In our practice we make the incision around the ears always and in about half the cases also under the chin also where the lift is combined with neck liposuction and a midline muscle tightening called a platysmaplasty. Then we decide how much undermining of the SMAS we are going to do based upon how heavy the face is and how much lift is required which answers your second question about matching the technique. We look at the degree of aging the patient has and match the appropriate degree of intervention to each patient.


The Leamington Spa council has just given the go-ahead for new student accommodation to be built in the town centre. It can be daunting moving away from home for the first time, especially as there are so many things you have to do for yourself, instead of relying on your parents to sort you out.
When it comes to choosing a dentist, the Clarendon House Dental practice prides itself on being student friendly. We welcome student patients and will worry about keeping your teeth healthy and clean, whilst you let your nutritional standards slip occasionally and order a takeaway or perhaps overindulge in fizzy drinks such as Coke, lemonade and Prosecco!
Students are commonly accused of living off takeaway curries and if you recognise that this could well become a habit of yours, are you aware of the staining potential curry can have on your teeth? Worry not though, because our revolutionary teeth whitening system will be able to whiten your teeth by several shades. Red wine and coffee are also known for their staining habits.
Without your parents nearby to tell you not to eat so many sweets and chocolates, do you suspect you might indulge in sugary treats more often? If that is the case, you'll probably benefit from one of our Leamington spa based dentists examining your teeth regularly to ensure you're not suffering from the effects of tooth decay. Fillings can be unsightly and unpleasant to fit, but regular examinations are a good preventative measure.
The convenience of having a dentist based in Leamington Spa means you won't have the inconvenience of travelling home when you experience tooth pain, or if you need a check up. Our hygienist will also ensure your breath remains sweet smelling; an important factor in making new friends!
If there's anything bothering you about the appearance of your teeth; such as alignment problems, chips or cracks, we offer a number of cosmetic treatments that could give you more confidence in your smile. Please ask us for more details when we meet.
If you're looking for a dental practice in the Leamington spa area, please give our reception team a call to find out more about registering with us, the benefits we offer and how little you'll have to pay. Let us remove at least one stress for you during this transition to living independently! We look forward to looking after your teeth.


We would like to introduce you the Google Enhanced Ecommerce add-on.
Google Enhanced Ecommerce add-on gives additional opprtunities to configure analytics, not included in default CS-Cart. On switching the add-on and tweaking Google Analytics account you'll see not only number of product views and clicks (this data is collected with default add-on), but also stats on adding/removing product to/from cart, stats on checkout funnel steps, stats on adding to wishlist, etc. You are also able to track info on almost any event, i.e. pictures browsing (src tracking), clicking on URL (href tracking), clicking on a certain block (id tracking). The add-on has built-in system of notifications for users about stats collecting, but no personal data is sent to any third-party services.
Simple config and integration with Google.
Collects stats on user's actions with products.
Collects stats on sales effectiveness, internal promotions, product coupons, etc.
Detailed info on order funnel.
Create your own events to track.
Pop-up with warning about stats collecting without personal data usage.
Does it send all orders regardless of it's status? I mean as long as the customer places the order it will be sent to GA?
Yes, the add-on sends the information about all orders placed by regardless the order status.


text:
Testing the Ballmer Curve
Drugs, harm, and how the Brits are following America's lead.
Date Tue 28 December 2010 Tags alcohol / drugs / prohibition
Recently the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs published a report in The Lancet ranking twenty popular recreational drugs based on the harm caused to the both user and others around them. The drugs were judged individually on sixteen total harm criteria covering physical, psychological, and social harm. The categories were then weighted by importance (likelihood to cause death is worth more points than likelihood to cause family problems, harm to society is worse than harm to the individual, etc.) The results ended up ranking alcohol as the most harmful by far (72/100), followed by a close battle between heroin and crack cocaine (55 and 54/100, respectively), then methamphetamine at the #4 spot (32/100) and trailing off from there down to hallucinogenic mushrooms at #20 with 6/100.
These results should be unsurprising to anyone who has read any similar reports in the past. They also line up quite well with the arguments often made in favor of loosening or eliminating existing drug laws (the "alcohol is legal, why isn't this?" argument). Unfortunately they have almost no association with the rankings used in modern drug laws almost anywhere in the world. In the majority of the world alcohol and tobacco are legal and often sold directly by or under the close watch of the government, yet in the name of "reducing harm" the majority if not all of the rest of the drugs on this list are not only illegal but also carry stiff penalties for mere possession.
Of course the logical thing to do when science indicates policy is wrong is to amend policy, right? After all, the UK has a scientific board involved with their drug policy, unlike the USA where the DEA is free to basically set policy as they see fit (fox watching the henhouse, anyone?). Nope, of course when a government is shown to be wrong by its scientists, the first thing they do is fire them, then change the law so they're not needed, and finally go entirely in the opposite direction and not only remove the requirement that harm be demonstrated but instead assume any newly discovered recreational drugs should be restricted until they are determined to be OK by unspecified criteria.
It seems another country is following America's lead of ignoring scientific evidence for political gain: When the scientists don't come up with the answers you want, don't change your ideas, just get rid of the scientists.
I don't get it. Why is it so hard to get a government to admit that when compared to legal recreational drugs many illegal ones are less harmful, sometimes to a significant extent?
Here are my thoughts on how to structure sane drug laws:
NEVER criminalize personal drug possession. All this does is give criminal records to those who are in most cases otherwise productive members of society and restrict those who may have real problems from getting help for fear of persecution and/or prosecution.
Base ALL policy on science and science alone. Media and politician fueled fear rarely makes for accurate policy, so standards should be set and then followed without special treatment for any substances.
Regulate the drugs you do allow, but only as necessary to ensure quality and safety
Revisit all policies regularly. New studies bring new evidence to light all the time and sometimes changes will be needed.
On top of that, something I believe applies to all laws rather than just drug policy, is to have goals for the law based on testable criteria. If after a certain time the goals have not been met, maybe it's time for another look. Is the goal still worthwhile? How close did this policy come to meeting the goal? If it came close, can it be tweaked? If it missed by a lot or made things worse, what's a different approach?
Current policy is sold to us as reducing harm to society and cutting back on crime, when in reality it's wasting billions in enforcement and correctional resources, ruining lives, and fueling an enormously profitable black market which funds almost all levels of crime. Science and policy are at odds and two of the most powerful countries in the world are working to keep it that way. We need to keep pressure on our politicians to resolve this.
fundamentalists
nutbags
law ignorance
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Content licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where indicated otherwise.


The West Highland Way is one of the Worlds famous way marked trails. Its stretches 154km from the outskirts of Glasgow in the South to the foothills of the UK's highest mountain – Ben Nevis – in the North.
The Way takes you along the shores of Loch Lomond and into the very heart of the Scottish Highlands.
From central Glasgow you will catch a train to Milngavie from where your tour begins.
Today you will depart the Scottish Highlands by train back to Glasgow or stay an extra few days and explore further the Scottish Highlands.


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the ICNK
ICNK
News on ICNK Members
NK Human Rights Issues
Home > News > NK Human Rights Issues
Date : November 7, 2012
Repatriation of Legal Visitors Overstaying in China
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=10000 [728]
North Koreans overstaying their legal visas in China are in danger of being arrested by North Korean authorities in China as the regime attempts to crack down on those that do. The Daily NK reports that approximately 50 agents have been dispatched to China to locate those who have overstayed their visas.
A source in China stated that there are a lot more North Koreans staying past their visas in an attempt to earn money. The source said that the team of agents was sent to Dandong and Shenyang, two popular cities for North Koreans to go to. While a team from the NSA to tackle the 'problem' is not unusual, the sheer scale of the operation is, with the Daily NK's source stating, "Just now the number of non-returnees is growing, so they sent over a larger team this time."
A second source said the reason for overstaying was because of the chance to earn money. The visitors stay with relatives, but the relatives themselves are often having financial problems. The source said, "Many of the families aren't having a good time of it, either, so it is not always easy to get that help. That's why many of them end up overstaying their visas in order to get money." The visas to travel cost money and the source explained that that is often a reason for overstaying as the visitors want to recoup the cost of the visa.
The attempts by the regime to repatriate people who have overstayed have seen at least four people deported.
Source: the Daily NK


I remember being in 4th grade at a public school. I was unmotivated and unchallenged; the environment was not stimulating. At Clintonville Academy I was almost instantly transformed into an eager student, striving for excellence. Because each teacher at Clintonville Academy brings a professional knowledge of his/her subject, the students get so much additional exposure than at a public school.


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As you may have seen on television (that thing that kills time while your phone is charging), American Idol is about to enter its FOURTEENTH season (another year and it can get its learners driving permit), and like any show that has been on for so long, the team at Idol is implementing some changes to help attract new viewers and keep the old ones. Using my top-secret entertainment industry connections I was able to obtain a list of these changes for you, my loyal readers.
American Idol Season 14 Changes:
• American Idol's infamously rotating cast of celebrity judges will bump up from rotating every season to now rotating every 15 minutes. Things get especially dramatic when Mark McGrath gives the approving vote to put a contestant through to Hollywood only to have the "rotate judge" alarm go off, with replacement judge Kevin Federline voting the other way for the unlucky contestant.
• In addition to searching for talent in New Orleans, Nashville, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and New York City; the show will also be holding its trademark ten-thousand-person auditions in Metropolis, Atlantis, The Emerald City, Mount Olympus, The Alternate 1985 timeline from Back to the Future 2, and The Negaverse from Sailor Moon.
• In an effort to boost ratings, American Idol will declare every show day also Opposite Day, turning their 1.7 into a 7.1 and "a 25% decrease" into "a 25% increase" and "beating a dead horse" into "entertainment."
• Keith Urban has agreed to a cross-promotion with a hip, young clothing store, legally changing his name to Keith Urban Outfitters.
• Going to just start referring to itself in all graphics, conversations, and materials as "The Voice" and see if anyone notices.
• Taking its well-known list of mentors like Randy Jackson and Scott Borchetta and adding other legendary mentors such as The P90X Guy, Mister Miyagi, Mother Teresa, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Professor Dumbledore, Your High School English Teacher, Dina Lohan, Rafiki from Lion King, and Gandalf the Grey.
• End every show with one uncut five-minute block of lemmings mindlessly walking to their demise by the ton and see if even a single viewer picks up on the irony.
• Putting Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, and Taylor Hicks in fake Groucho disguise mustache-glasses and sneaking them back into the competition.
• Following up all eliminations with on-air, real-time executions of whoever is voted off that week.
• Brian Dunkleman.
• Do a Mythbusters-style special on whether or not Ryan Seacrest has ever said anything sincere with all that feigned enthusiasm in the past 13 years.
• Airing all episodes at once, Netflix style, to help induce binge watching like the kiddies enjoy so much these days.
• Regardless of what the votes say, just declaring Ruben Studdard the winner anyway.
…Should be a fun season!
casual pic of Brian Dunkleman, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson
…Want more Mind Bullets? New posts go up every Wednesday at noon PST (or as close to that as I feel like), and you can subscribe if you want them delivered right to your inbox! …Or if you're too impatient to wait that long you can follow me on twitter, instagram, youtube (new videos every Monday), and my boring personal website. Whew, that's a lot of self promotion…even I don't like me enough to keep up with all that.
Tagged adaptation, AI, American Idol, blog, changes, contest, Dustin, fun, Heveron, host, Music, ocdustino, pardoy, satire, season 14, show, singing, television, tv, Writing


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Q: Altium Database and Footprint density I am currently trying to use the database in Altium, but I have one big question:
I was expecting to get one database entry per resistor value. But, for a single 100k 0805 resistor (for example), there are three footprint choices, by density:

*

*IPC High Density

*IPC Medium Density

*IPC Low Density

Why three choices for the footprint? How do I choose?

A: The IPC Density setting has to do with how tightly-packed with components your design will be.  In Altium (and other software) this will affect both the land patterns and also the clearances.
For example, "high density" is to be used if you need to place components very close to each other.  A high-density footprint will have smaller soldering locations and also will allow parts to placed closer together without raising any errors.
I would recommend low-density unless you run out of room.  The primary reason is for ease-of-soldering.  The low-density pads are generally large enough to solder to by hand, whereas the high-density pads can require reflow soldering.
Also, some assembly houses charge a premium for tightly-packed component placement.

A: If I understand a question correctly, maybe this could help. Regarding to component density on your board (layout) there are some small changes in the footprint size (not only pads but also overlay and mask expansion for example).
Check IPC-7351

A: From the IPC-7351 (Generic Requirements for Surface Mount Design and Land Pattern Standard) section 3.1.5.4:
``The suffix letters L, M, and N have been reserved to signify when the land protrusion is at their minimum (least), maximum (most), or median (nominal) protrusion or use environment as follows:

*

*M – Maximum (Most) Material Condition (Density Level A)

*N – Median (Nominal) Material Condition (Density Level B)

*L – Minimum (Least) Material Condition (Density Level C''

From Tables 3-2 to 3-14 in the same standard, choosing M, N, or L sets the dimensions of the copper pads and the courtyard excess (minimum electrical and mechanical clearance around the component). If you average over the tables, you find that two L components can be packed as close as 0.2 mm (4 thou) apart, N components as close as 0.5 mm (20 thou) apart, and M components as close as 1 mm (39 thou) apart.
We've found that most fabrication and assembly houses can handle N land patterns. Expect to pay more for assembly using L land patterns (you need a pick and place machine, laser cut stencils, ...).
If you are hand soldering, M is easy to do, and N isn't too bad. M and N aren't bad to rework. If you are using L land patterns to increase component density,  it's hard to get an iron between components.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Regret is one of the worst feelings in the world. And while you can't avoid this feeling altogether, when it comes to booking entertainment for an event, you can limit your disappointments in the future.
With that in mind, we've put together a list of three unique comedians who will always make you feel you've made a great decision when picking the entertainment.
Jimmy Tingle's style of comedy has been described as a mixture between that of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
One of the reasons is that, although he approaches current issues and events, Jimmy's comedy has a certain timeless allure to it which makes it incredibly appealing for audiences.
Clever and insightful, Jimmy's comedy-infused keynotes will leave guests with a fresh perspective on today's hottest topics. If you are looking for clean, intelligent humor which will make audiences laugh and think, Jimmy's is an excellent pick.
Another thing you should know is that he has plenty of experience as a comedy speaker, having performed at a wide array of events, including non-profit events, private parties, and corporate celebrations.
With more than 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, making people laugh with stand-up comedy is still John's greatest passion.
Furthermore, he is one of those unique comedians who has made it a priority to provide high-quality comedy without the use of foul language.
So if you're looking to balance your entertainment with enrichment and insightful jokes, consider John for your event. He is extremely flexible when it comes to his program, meaning he can tailor it to fit the peculiarities of your event and the target audience.
As a comedian, songwriter and inspirational speaker, Paul Aldrich is one of those unique comedians who is also extremely versatile on stage.
What this means is that whether you're looking for the best entertainment to spruce up a corporate convention or a community event, you can turn to Paul. He will put his arsenal of talents to good use to shape an unforgettable experience.
The audience will leave feeling relaxed, thoroughly-entertained and motivated to live life to the fullest. So because Paul's brand of comedy is 100% clean, you won't have to worry about some of your event guests taking offense with the language used on stage.
You can watch some of his past performances captured on video and get a better sense of his style of humor by clicking this link.
Which One of These Unique Comedians Caught Your Eye?
If you are after an original comedian with more to share than just humor, then you should consider the comedians we've suggested in this article. Each one of them brings something special to the table and can help your event stand out from the rest.
However, if you are looking for more options, check out the other amazing comedians featured in our portfolio. We also have a phone number you can use to reach out to us in case you have any questions. This is it: 615 283 0039.
America's Got Talent is known for featuring many talented performers, including gifted musicians, impressive visual artists, mind-blowing magicians, and some of the best comedians.
Today's article will focus on detailing the background of three comedians who appeared on the show. We recommend you consider them if you want to energize your guests and uplift them at an event you're organizing.
We know how much the type of entertainment you book for an event matters. So we want to give you a few suggestions when it comes to hilarious entertainers you can hire.
Keep reading to find out all about some of the best comedians seen on America's Got Talent.
Bob Stromberg is one of the most talented corporate entertainers. He seamlessly blends stand-up comedy and storytelling to create amazing comedy shows.
His comedy style can be described as timeless, unique and engaging. Fortune 500 companies such as General Mills, Cargill, Sonic, and American Family Insurance have already seen him perform and they were all impressed by Bob's shows.
He connects. Bob is a multi-talented performer; this helped him become one of the best comedians in the country. At the same time, he's genuine in front of his audience, and people know this, which is why he will connect with them exceptionally easily.
He understands. Bob delivers the type of comedy that doesn't offend people, so you'll have nothing to worry about.
He delivers. Bob knows that it's important to engage your audience and keep them entertained.
Ross Bennett is the master of smart comedy. Audiences from all over the country love his clean comedy style and the fact that he makes them think right before he makes them laugh.
Ross has been performing stand-up comedy shows for the last 30 years, which makes him a veteran in this industry.
One of the reasons why he's so successful is that he focuses on topical humor. Ross shares tales of what it was like growing up with a military father, about his school days, as well as his disastrous attempts at sports.
He also uses witty and crisp observations about the world around him to get the audience hooked on his unique blend of humor.
Cory Kahaney has been named the Best Comedian in NYC by Backstage and Best female comedian NYC by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets.
One thing we can say about her is that she's one of America's premier stand-up comedians.
Cory became extremely popular after she appeared on NBC's hit reality show "Last Comic Standing" and ended up being one of the finalists.
More recently Cory appeared on Conan, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and America's got talent. Other television credits include the late show with David Letterman, The View and a record seven appearances on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
If you want to impress your audience by bringing in a talented female comedian, then you should consider Cory Kahaney.
Your guests deserve to have a fantastic time, which is why we recommend including these three amazing comedians on your list of possible event entertainers.
We guarantee that if you hire one of the best comedians seen on America's Got Talent they will take your event from good to great.
Want to discuss your event's entertainment needs? Then don't hesitate to get in touch at (615) 283-0039.
Whether you're planning a corporate event or a fundraiser to support a cause that is important to you, you'll want to create a mood that is both memorable and engaging for your guests.
There's no need for fireworks or expensive champagne to make an event stand out.
The right choice of entertainment will jazz up your event and make it more exciting and livelier. Anyone of the amazing comedians we've included in this article will help you with that, so read on to learn more about them.
Jeff Allen provides top-shelf comedy that makes people laugh harder than they ever did – and he's been doing so for more than three decades now. A favorite with corporations, Jeff has earned a reputation as a leading clean comedian in the industry.
His charming brand of humor focuses on the realities of marriage, family, and other everyday situations to which he gives a hilarious spin that is sure to spruce up any event.
In that way, his style of humor is very similar to that of Jerry Seinfeld, but most importantly, his jokes are extremely honest and relatable.
If you're shopping for amazing comedians who will instantly generate excitement for an event, Dan's your guy!
During his shows, Dan pokes fun at a wide array of topics that resonate with his audiences – and makes them burst into laughter. Also, his smooth mixture of self-deprecation and unmitigated grouchiness makes him an instant hit among audiences of all types.
His commanding presence, a result of his 25+ years of experience in the industry, is another quality that people in the audience notice right away.
After becoming the first comedian ever to reach the finals of NBC's "America's Got Talent," Tom Cotter started being a frequent face on major television shows such as The Tonight Show, "Last Comic Standing," The Today Show.
Tom is one of those amazing comedians who have a natural knack for performing both in front of the camera – and in front of a live audience. Audience interactivity perfectly plays into his acts, which is one of the reasons your guests will love him!
His style of humor that incorporates sharp satire and rib-tickling wordplay is well-suited for a wide array of comedy events, from awards banquets to recognition dinners and more.
Book One of These Amazing Comedians Today!
If you're serious about invigorating your next event and making it more unique, consider getting onboard one of the top comedians mentioned here.
Remember high-quality entertainment books fast, so go ahead and tick the entertainment box on your planning list as soon as possible.
If you have any questions regarding the booking process or want to talk more about your upcoming event, we encourage you to contact us at this number: 615 283 0039.


Ever wonder why an auditing company would divorce a client?
Here's what John O'Connor, vice chairman of services at PricewaterhouseCoopers, had to say in early May of 2004 at a forum on auditor independence this week at NYU's Stern School of Business.
Dissatisfaction with how PwC personnel are being treated.


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Home » Technology Insider » Real Estate Technology » Anyplace Snags .5 Million Seed Round - Somehow
Featured News, Real Estate Technology
Anyplace Snags $2.5 Million Seed Round - Somehow
By Phil Butler | May 11, 2019
Anyplace, a marketplace startup that offers people find flexible-term furnished housing, aims to draw digital nomads and other temporary residents to the fold. A recent email outreach from their PR company (EZPR) prompted the following early assessment.
Anyplace landing page
Started back in 2015 with angel capital from East Ventures, Anyplace works with extended stay hotels, serviced apartments, furnished rentals, and co-living companies to supply turn-key mid-term accommodations, has just raised another $2.5 million. The round, headed by UpHonest, FundersClub, East Ventures, and others, should extend the startups reach.
The startup, which prides itself on its B2C core logic, is being billed as a predictability value over Airbnb and other shared property innovations. With a growing roster of longer-term stays from San Francisco to Guadalajara in Mexico, the company says they're looking to expand to Europe and Asia by 2020. This may, in fact, come to pass, but "listing"
50+ properties in 9 cities for any rental marketplace should not be seen as a market takeover. The market for such an endeavor exists, but here's where I see Anyplace in the current scheme of things.
Anyplace at iTunes I cannot find out if theres an Android version
The website traffic numbers at Anyplace do not speak of massive volumes of business people relocating at Anyplace offerings, but this says nothing for the company's mobile app numbers. But, 6 reviews at the iTunes app store do indicate slow uptake, however. A slim Facebook (under 500 likes) presence, along with one social post per 3 months does not a modern digital age game changer make. Ditto for Twitter (111 followers), Instagram (35 subscribers - no posts), and LinkedIn (No posts). The lack of effort here is symbolic of companies I've seen hit the TechCrunch "dead pool" before.
If you can afford $4000 a month in rent you may not need a rental app
In addition, the fact the Anyplace team is searching for backend and full-stack engineers willing who are founding members does not bode well for the extended development this far into the funding. What this means to me is that the CTO and co-founder Kouichi Tanaka is probably doing most of the app and backend development with a very small team. And while this is not a bad thing, it is not $2.5 million dollar investment level staffing. Looking at LinkedIn profiles for Anyplace employees I found the front-end user interface developer, a freelancer from Germany named Martin Broder, iOS engineer Arpit Agarwal, and front-end developer, Michal Ittah of the 17 employees listed for the startup.
The digital world is not without places to book extended stay each city has its own solution
I hate pouring cold water on a PR outreach since I once owned one of Europe's most successful boutique hotel tech PR companies, but there's some homework left to do at Anyplace, PR and otherwise. Short version, Anyplace needs to step up its game now. The fact they closed this round in 2018 and are only now reaching out for media is another negative for anybody who looks close. Given the massive potential for Alt Living innovations, Anyplace has a big potential, so my cautions should be taken with a grain of industrial salt.
This report at NFX reveals the positive side for Anyplace's founder and investors. Lifestyle shifts, non-traditional transactions, technology empowered markets, and so forth - make Anyplace a good prospect. The downside is the lack of commitment of both funding and human resource. One thing I really like about this startup is its B2C heart - which flies in the face of Airbnb and the customary access economy giants. In my former business, hoteliers were literally freaking out over lost business to Airbnb. Anyplace-like value can mitigate at least some of this lost revenue. But that's far off in my view, at a point when this startup has $100 million in funding and 25,000 Facebook fans.
Silicon Valley legend Jason Calacanis
As it stands, Anyplace needs a solid product, a solid marketing team, and a tech PR firm listed at O'dwyer's if they can afford it. A final note, an old associate of mine, Jason Calacanis of East Ventures, has invested in some of the most successful startups in Silicon Valley history including; Uber, Facebook, and many others. One of Silicon Valley's most ethical and intelligent investors, I'm surprised Anyplace is not farther along. Jason, get these boys some help, will you?
Phil Butler
Phil Butler is a former engineer, contractor, and telecommunications professional who is editor of several influential online media outlets including part owner of Pamil Visions with wife Mihaela. Phil began his digital ramblings via several of the world's most noted tech blogs, at the advent of blogging as a form of journalistic license. Phil is currently top interviewer, and journalist at Realty Biz News.
Latest posts by Phil Butler (see all)
Four Top Newark Agents and How They Leverage Digital Marketing - December 28, 2022
Four Top Agents in Jacksonville for the Tough Times Ahead - December 22, 2022
A Look at Four of Wichita's Best Real Estate Professionals - December 15, 2022


Five Branches University: Graduate School of Traditional Chinese Medicine aims to provide a professional medical education in the art, science and practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine through classroom courses and clinical training. The program emphasizes traditional Chinese medical theory and diagnosis, acupuncture, herbology, and Western medicine as applied to integrated healthcare.
Providing a community of learning and TCM healthcare, Five Branches University is dedicated to making the views and methods of traditional Chinese medicine a part of world medicine.
Five Branches University is dedicated to providing the highest level of education in traditional Chinese medicine. For decades, Five Branches' TCM faculty and practitioners have successfully practiced and taught in both the United States and China.
The attainment of this goal is reflected in Five Branchesi consistently high rate of graduates who pass the National Certification and California State Licensing exams - and in their development of successful TCM practices throughout the nation.
Five Branches University's education is threefold, focusing on: (a) the art, science and practice of TCM as rooted in the classics, (b) TCMis success in modern clinical practice, and (c) the integration of TCM with the best practices of Western medicine.
Five Branches' faculty are chosen for excellence demonstrated in their specialized fields. They also must be skilled as teachers, and passionate about teaching. Students are chosen for their academic competence, and for their commitment to serving people through traditional Chinese medicine. TCM philosophy views medicine as a compassionate response to human suffering.
Five Branches provides not only TCM skills, but also an environment where kindness prevails. In thus balancing a studentis program, Five Branches encourages the constellation of qualities needed to become a successful TCM practitioner. Students enjoy a respectful camaraderie with their extended Five Branches family, while nurturing relationships in the local and global community. Together with their faculty mentors, Five Branches students offer TCM to the widest population possible.
To preparegraduates to diagnose, prescribe and provide medical treatment within the parameters of traditional Chinese medicine.
To provide graduates with sufficient knowledge of TCM's non-technical modalities of diet, massage, taijiquan, and qigong to become capable advisors to their patients on lifestyle issues that influence their state of health.
To instill in itsgraduates universal and professional medical ethics and the social responsibilities of providing primary healthcare.
To impart to each graduate the knowledge to make, whenever necessary, appropriate referrals of patients to other healthcare professionals.
To give each graduate the knowledge and skills to prepare for the National Certification and California Licensing exams.
Since its inception in 1984, the Five Branches family of doctors, faculty and staff has dedicated themselves to providing the highest quality education possible in the art and science of Chinese Medicine.
Five Branches Institute first received candidate status from the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 1992. It was accredited in 1996, and was reaccredited in 1999 and 2003. A branch campus of the college opened in San Jose in 2005, and was granted candidate status in October 2005.
Five Branches' coursework concentrates on five academic departments, representing the branches of TCM: acupuncture, herbology, tuina (Chinese medical massage), energetics (qigong and taijiquan), and dietary medicine. In addition, students receive a wide range of in-depth clinical practice, comprising one-third of the curriculum. Five Branchesi TCM Clinic assists over 100 patients a day. In this setting, students observe faculty practitioners diagnosing and treating patients with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. In their final year, students diagnose and treat patients under direct faculty supervision. The clinicis herb room, stocked with 350 bulk herbs and 300 patent medicines, provides students with hands-on experience in Chinese herbology and pharmacology.
The curriculum is taught on a semester system, allowing students to complete the program in four yearsoor three and a half years, if students continue their clinical training during summer and winter inter-sessions. Throughout their coursework, students assimilate and cultivate the TCM practitioneris skills: observing, listening and becoming sensitive to the human energy flow. To further supplement study, specializations such as gynecology, pediatrics and traumatology are offered. Electives, including Five Elements and advanced study of TCM specializations, round out the curriculum.
Five Branches also offers specialty certificates in medical qigong, sports injury, Five Element acupuncture, and tuina massage.


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By Madhusre Das
A dismembered door stood in a sea of rubble. The walls that had once existed around its wooden frames were transformed into a pile of concrete, but somehow the door had survived—the solid wood intact, untouched by the force that had flattened homes, roads and trees into debris. Submerged between them, severed arms and legs peeked out like cigarette stubs. There was the occasional shoe and spectacles littered for effect and a pink chiffon weighed down by cement.
In the horizon, an old drunk danced through the rubble singing a sad Hindi number, his voice quivering with each teetering step.
"CUT! Who's that? What's going on?"
They almost had it and now this —Tanmay couldn't believe their bad luck. "Get him out now!" he barked on a loudspeaker.
The old man erupted in an agonizing scream, collapsing at the door. The door that symbolized the guilt of those who had escaped unscathed in the 1993 earthquake of Killari.
The assistant director hurried to the door. As everyone watched with bated breath, she bent down to check on the old man lying face down.
"I-I think he's dead!"
Tanmay
Tanmay sat in the car, feeling the weight of his disappointment. The gruelling ten-hour journey from Mumbai to Killari in Maharashtra had left him feeling tired and irritable. His back was still weak from the slip disc he had suffered two years ago and he regretted not stopping on the way. But any delays would only serve to put them over budget, and his producer, Manu, had already cut their funds down to the bare minimum. As he stared out the window, watching the barren fields pass in a blur, he felt overwhelmed by the weight of expectations on his shoulders.
Tanmay's thoughts turned to his film career, which wasn't much to begin with. He had always dreamed of making films that would captivate people but, so far, he had only managed a few forgettable ones. This could be his last chance to prove himself. He knew that Manu was already beginning to lose faith in him. Manu had warned him about overshooting budgets when Tanmay suggested they shoot the final scene in Killari where the two lead characters meet their ends in the 1993 earthquake.
"To place their deaths among the ten-thousand who died that night…just makes the story so much more believable", Tanmay had said passionately. But recreating a natural disaster was expensive business.
When Manu suggested a studio set-up to cut costs, Tanmay had argued, "But nothing reeks superficiality like art directed sets—it lacks realism. Either we do the real deal or you can find some kid to fake an earthquake with homemade shake-tables".
Sure, Manu had no artistic vision but losing his director would cost him the film itself. They had already cut deals for the premier and the box-office predictions looked impressive on paper. Manu agreed to sign off on the additional budget if Tanmay would direct two ad films for free. They were both in bad taste but Tanmay relented, "Anything for you Manu". Between the feature and the ads, Tanmay was stretched thin and it began to reflect on his work.
Tanmay had put everything on the line for the film. He had spent years toiling at the story, paying dialogue writers out of his own pocket, slowly depleting his savings. And just when the stars had aligned despite all odds, all he wanted was to be done with it. Secretly he had hoped that Manu would refuse that final request and he would walk out, blaming his failure on him. At least then Tanmay would remain 'a new voice with potential', like the magazine had written. As the car pulled into the village of Killari, he took a deep breath and couldn't help but feel like he was way in over his head.
When Manu and his assistant, Saswat, arrived in Killari two days ahead of the rest of the crew, they were in for a shock. Despite the sarpanch, Dr Jagannath Potdar, promising the best accommodation and food for the crew of fourteen, the ground realities were far from expectations. The twenty-bed dorm room, which had previously been a government rehabilitation centre for orphans of the earthquake, had no electricity or running water. The beds were clearly meant for fifteen-year-olds, and the aluminium cupboards on either side of the room were covered in rust. There were no curtains on the windows but the cement floor looked freshly scrubbed and the sheets faintly smelled of detergent. It reminded him of an old army infirmary even though he had never stepped foot in one.
Manu had been warned about a delinquent farmer who was often found lying in a drunken stupor on the steps at the entrance. Harmless as a fly, Dr Potdar had said, leave him be. The land on which the dorm was constructed had originally belonged to the farmer—a thriving sunflower field once. But after the earthquake, the government had seized it without notice or compensation driving the poor farmer to the edge of his own property where he now lived in a tin shed. His whole family was entombed in the 1993 earthquake and the only reason he was spared was a bottle of country liquor that had kept him out drinking all night. Sometimes he walked in the dark, wailing old sad songs, secretly hoping the ground would give way under him.
It wasn't that Manu was untouched by the stories he'd heard about the earthquake—he simply had his hands full. He had already made arrangements for extra provisions for the crew. Crates of the freshest produce, the likes of which this village hadn't seen for years, were ordered. There were toilet paper rolls, tubes of Odomos, soaps, towels, and even vials of antivenom in the medical kit like Dr Potdar had advised. Brand new bulbs were hung from the ceiling and a portable generator was stationed outside to power them.
Making a film was a lot like trying to herd a group of cats. No one stays in line and everyone has a mind of their own. Just when you think you have everything under control, something goes off script like no running water and everything falls apart.
But Manu was what his friends called, a fixer-upper. Union troubles, absconding talent, difficult actors—nothing was beyond Manu's powers, not even the budget extension that had threatened to derail the film. In Manu's world, there was always a way. Like how he'd found a way to convince the people of Killari that the film would benefit them. The sarpanch had been wary of their project from the start, "You people from big cities know nothing of our lives".
But think of the business we'll bring in, Manu had said to Dr Potdar. "There's rent money, payments for permits, not to mention the daily wages for at least a dozen people. It'll be more than what Killari earns in six months. All we need is one week." In reality, the stay, food, and the wages came up lesser than the usual catering budget for a week back in Mumbai. Manu even made a namesake donation to the civic development fund, a meagre ten thousand rupees. "For your troubles", he said to Dr Potdar. But trouble did follow in the guise of water shortage.
Manu sat down with Dr Potdar under a large acacia tree. The respect the old sarpanch commanded was evident in the way people crowded around him, urging the children to be quiet and bringing them tea. Tara, his daughter, joined them as well. She was to be Manu's coordinator and, he suspected, the panchayat's insider as well.
"Tell me, you know Sunny Deol? And Bobby? Juhi? Madhuri?" Tara asked.
Manu nodded.
"Then why didn't you take one of them?" Tara went on.
Manu disliked her already—what did she know about filmmaking. He deftly changed the subject, "Dr Ji…we have a problem. There's no water". Dr Potdar nodded knowingly, "There never is…"
"What about the village then? Where do you get your water?" Manu asked.
Dr Potdar recited the phone number of a supplier who brought in a tank for the village once a week. "I'm sure you can afford a fresh one every day", he added.
"Why not just make bore wells? Wouldn't that be simpler?" Manu persisted.
The current settlement of Killari was rebuilt five kilometres from its original place, Dr Potdar began. Though the area was prone to droughts, the old Killari enjoyed certain luxuries like piped water. But the same couldn't be said for the new Killari. After the earthquake, donations poured in and money began to exchange hands quickly. Soon the rehabilitation construction turned into a profit-making scheme for contractors and builders. The fifteen bore wells that were installed overnight, ran dry in five years. The groundwater level had been conveniently overlooked. But it was too late. By then Killari had disappeared from the country's collective memory and all their grievances fell on deaf ears.
There were two vehicles—one Tata Ace carrying film equipment, and a large vanity van with the cast and crew that rolled in. Tara was waiting at the steps of the dorm with the cook, Malti, who had been hired at one-thousand rupees a day. She could have charged three times the amount if only she'd asked. What was pocket change in Mumbai was a small fortune in Killari.
Tara counted four women—bug-eyed and sleep deprived, they were dressed in oversized t-shirts and denims. Chic like the women in the magazines she hid under her mattress. No customary hi or hello, there were far more pressing matters like the direction to the toilet. The dorm had only one outhouse for all fourteen people and within minutes a long queue formed outside the tin shed. Water was piped from a tanker behind, giving people a sense of running water. A few at the back of the line broke out into the sugarcane field. Tara rushed to warn them about snakes but the words got caught in her throat.
Malti brought out cups of hot tea and Marie biscuits but it was cold drinks that they wanted. "Who has chai in this heat?" someone moaned. Everyone, Tara wanted to say. But she'd rather be liked than be right, and so she nodded in agreement.
As everyone settled into the dorm, they quickly found things to complain about. "This place is a dump!" someone griped picking at the rust on the cupboard. "They don't even have wi-fi here", another said. One even suggested they take turns to enjoy the air-conditioning in the vanity van, prompting a heated debate over who gets to use it and in what order.
Before long, the dormitory was a chaotic mess, with everyone bickering over petty issues. "Where the hell is Manu?" one of them muttered. Yes, where was Manu, Tara wondered with some annoyance.
Manu arrived with Tanmay. He must have been waiting on the main road. Neither noticed Tara as they made for the dorm, engrossed in a heated argument.
Tanmay was anywhere between thirty and fifty, with oily black shoulder-length hair. He was like an exotic specimen whose every bearing, movement and expression was so far removed from Tara's world that it confused her. He saw beauty in the most unexpected places, like cracks on cement walls or the way light catches a piece of trash on the street. He would ask people for their opinions and when they were vague and disparate, he'd say, "What does Manu think?" which begged the question—why didn't he ask Manu in the first place. Tara wasn't alone in her confusion.
She overheard the actors grumbling about Tanmay's lack of direction, "It's like he makes things up as he goes". Even though he was a quiet person, his temper could fly off at the slightest departure from realism, like when he sent the make-up artist in tears to the vanity van for using too much eye-shadow on the actor. "Would a woman on the run be so vain as to do her eyes?" Tanmay screamed after her.
But every once in a while, the diva-like veneer cracked and pure genius leaked out. On their first night in Killari, Tanmay sat everyone down in a circle. He passed around small paper cups of whiskey and took out a large folio of photographs. It had taken him months to collect them—scouring libraries and government offices, rummaging through newspapers and magazines from twenty years ago. They were going to play a little game where he'd hold up pictures and people would have to guess the year from when those were taken.
The first was a picture of a family cramped under a tin shed in a field, the evening light throwing long shadows over their sharp features.
1993, someone said.
Wrong. It was taken in December, 1992, Tanmay corrected him.
Almost a year before the 1993 earthquake, the locals from across the Latur district complained of low rumblings, like mini blasts that would go off randomly. People built makeshift sheds in the field to spend the night. But the team of geologists who investigated the region at the time, found no existing fault lines and declared an earthquake unlikely. At the behest of the panchayat, people returned to their stone huts in June 1993.
The next was an image of the devastation left behind by what people called the 'black day'.
The answer was a unanimous 1993.
Correct, Tanmay said.
On September 30, 1993, the final day of Ganesh Chaturthi, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake ripped through Maharashtra's Latur-Osmanabad region at 3.56 am. The ground shook for forty-seconds, killing over ten thousand people. And Killari which was the epicentre was reduced to rubble. The photo was taken two days later, on the afternoon of Gandhi Jayanti at a sugarcane field that was converted into a mass grave. Rows of bodies covered in pristine white sheets awaited burial. The afternoon sun cast an eerie sharpness, separating the darkness of the living from the whiteness of the dead.
Mudit, the cinematographer held the photo up to the light. He looked at it from different angles. "Guys, this light is just…Perfect! Hard shadows, gritty contrasts…it's white-hot reality!" he said enthusiastically.
There were more photos of the raw devastation left by the earthquake. The art department took a particular interest in the mutilated body parts that peeked out of the rubble. They discussed skin textures and hand gestures. It all felt incredibly surreal to Tara as though she was being removed from her own history. Someone unpacked a bodiless arm from a trunk, replete with fingers and bangles on the wrist. It was grotesque—the skin coarse and wrinkled, the elbow twisted abnormally and a missing thumb with the bloodied base. Fascinating as it all was, Tara had had enough for the day. It was time to go home.
Mudit
The film was a simple story about an inter-caste romance. They had filmed across the country, from Punjab to Agra to Mumbai and now in Killari, as the lovers fled from the girl's devout family who vowed to exact revenge on the boy for tarnishing their daughter's honour. Just when peace seemed impossible, the couple found refuge in the quiet village of Killari where they were married. But the famous 1993 earthquake would deal them the final blow, uniting them forever in death. Even though the story was nothing out of the ordinary, Mudit had agreed to take the job because he had tired of ad films that were a poor excuse for art. He was yet to manage a feature in his twenty-year-old career and Tanmay's film had seemed like a good starting point.
But the whole production had a ragtag look about it from the start. As the working days became longer—the inevitable result of an underfinanced film—crew members would occasionally walk off the job. Tanmay assumed the role of co-producer and cajoled people into staying, with the help of Saswat who was both assistant producer and production manager. Manu who spent sleepless nights obsessing over the money Tanmay was wasting, came to the shoot every day to check on his investments.
On the third day, as the crew began filming the wedding ceremony in Killari's old temple, the locals gathered around in a crowd. Every once in a while, someone pushed the makeshift trolley track and they would have to retake the entire scene from the top. It was nearly dusk but a suffocating heat clamped down on them.
Tanmay was losing his cool, hollering "Action! Cut!" from the top of his lungs, sending the villagers into a giggling fit. The art department, the make-up artist and the assistant managers created a body barrier, pushing people away from the frame and Tara deftly cornered the women and children to the far side. Still, over fifty people were cramped into the small courtyard of the temple and by the time someone spotted a young boy fiddling with the electrical cords behind the gaffer—it was too late. The lights went out with a boom and the portable generator whirred down to a menacing rattle. The villagers panicked, rushing to the narrow exit. Everything began to fall apart—the equipment teetered on rickety tripods and the bamboo scaffolding to hold the overhead lights crashed on the small ceremonial fire at the centre of the courtyard.
Almost every member of the cast and crew suffered some sort of injury. Tanmay had a bruised arm from the boom stand that fell over him. Manu and the make-up artist Seema almost got trampled by the crowd. The gaffer slipped on his own cords and twisted his lower back. Saswat who had been standing close to the ceremonial fire burned his face. And the pandit officiating the ceremony, who was indeed the local priest, narrowly missed death as a large bamboo toppled next to him. He squealed like a baby calling out for his mother.
Mudit kept the camera rolling through it all. It didn't matter that the lights had changed and there were traces of filming equipment in his frame because there was no faking the fear that ran through the villagers' faces. The fading evening light would mirror the time of the earthquake in the early hours of the morning. The scaffolding falling was a masterstroke of luck. The whole courtyard shook with the impact, sending embers flying in the air. It was cinematic gold. They only managed a few usable takes for the wedding ceremony but the rest was more than he could ask for. No amount of propping or setting equals the real deal.
The whole incident at the temple put everyone on edge. The next day, Ranji, the gaffer, had intentionally picked a fight with Mudit. The assistant director, Riya, had absconded for an entire evening and when Tanmay had asked her whereabouts, she said that he was a brain drainer and just walked off. But nothing spurred the fire more than water. There was a perpetual shortage of drinking water as well as water for the sole restroom that they were all forced to share. The final nail in the coffin was dealt by the utter and complete water crisis that Tanmay woke up to on their fifth day in Killari.
They had suspected someone was siphoning water from their personal tanker during the night. But on that day, the whole tanker had disappeared. The word was that the village had taken a particular dislike to their filming after what happened at the temple. Your presence is a bad omen, the priest declared. Even the old man who delivered the water tanker every day stopped picking up Manu's calls. It seemed the village had turned on them.
"I told you we should've done it in a studio", Manu said.
Tara suggested they talk to her father, "If there's anyone here on your side, it would be him".
As the three walked through the village square, they crossed a group of children rolling cycle tyres with sticks and screaming "Akshun-Cut!" dispelling each word with the same forceful burst like Tanmay did.
Dr Potdar quietly listened to Manu and Tara explain the business of the tanker. He nodded his head from time to time but kept his head down, never once meeting their eyes.
"You've put me in a difficult spot Manu", finally Dr Potdar spoke. "I will call the supplier and I will talk to the people so you can carry on. But you must make peace first. You must make a donation to the panchayat—a sizeable one this time. And you will need to buy the poor supplier a new tank."
"But father, it wasn't their fault what happened at the temple", Tara interjected. "Be quiet child. This village has been through enough. You should've been more careful", and with that Dr Potdar got up, signalling the conversation was over.
On their way back, Tanmay wanted to stop at the gully where they would be filming the next day. Mudit met them at the entrance of a small one-room house. The old couple who lived there had blocked the doorway—stalling work.
"No. We won't allow it. You can't remove our door", they shook their head vehemently.
Manu tried to explain in his broken Marathi that they would reinstall their aluminium door. He even offered to leave the better solid wood door once they were done filming. Think of it as a gift, he said. Still they refused.
"Can't we just use their aluminium door?" Tara asked.
"The old Killari had houses with wooden doors. So no, it cannot be aluminium", Tanmay said, sounding annoyed.
When Tara tried to explain this to the old couple, the woman finally erupted, "Are you on their side or ours?"
Before Tara could respond, Manu stopped her, "Let your father talk to them. Come". As they made their way out of the village square, Tanmay felt the long disapproving looks bore holes into his back. People walked out of their homes which resembled lifeless barracks. Even though it had been twenty years, they still lived like refugees with cattle and livestock packed into the same tiny room.
It was hardly by choice. During the rehabilitation, speed had been the ultimate objective. Foregoing the necessary planning, the government completed housing in six months, earning praise from the media. However, there was no provision for some of the most basic things—like the chullah they used to cook or the livestock everyone owned. While some constructed additional tin sheds, most couldn't afford it and were forced to share their living quarters with hens and cows. Tanmay knew nothing of their reality and assumed the worst—how horrible, have they no sense of hygiene.
The People of Killari
Carl Sagan had said that the nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth and the iron in our blood were made in the interiors of a collapsing star. We are all made of star stuff.
We might belong to different castes and geographies but that doesn't make us any less equal. Then why did the people of Killari feel as though they were second-class citizens in their own homes.
Dr Jagannath Potdar called a meeting in the small community hall that evening. There was a sense of dissent in the air. People broke into groups discussing the director's antics, the water shortage and the scarcity of fresh produce on account of the outsiders.
Dr Potdar was a kind and reasonable man. Born and educated in Pune, he had come to work as a young surgeon at Killari's Public Health Centre. He was attuned to the way business was conducted in bigger cities. So, when the production of the film began to create unrest, he was not surprised.
"I know you are angry. I also know who all are behind the missing tanker but that is not important. What is important is that we don't lose the money that fate has favoured us with. Let us cooperate one last time", Dr Potdar said.
But the people objected in anger.
"We could have died at the temple!"
"Do you not care for our lives?"
"These outsiders are bad news!"
Dr Potdar tried to calm everyone down, "I understand, but we must prepare for the drought that is already upon us. The producer has agreed to make a donation to our cause". The last part seemed to get everyone's attention.
"Two lakhs! Imagine what that money can do for us—new bore wells, repairs to the school, new shed for cattle." Gaining more confidence, he carried on, "And when the film comes out, Killari will once again re-enter the national headlines. Maybe then the government will stop ignoring our grievances. The compensation for your land, approvals for civic projects—everything that we have been fighting for the last twenty years. All this for just one more day of shoot". Yes, the doctor was right, the people decided.
The next morning everyone gathered in the gully where the crew was removing the aluminium door from the old couple's home. This time they didn't resist.
Tanmay and his assistant, Riya, held up a picture of the old Killari—houses made of stone and mud with solid wood doors. The art department installed the wooden door, the surface of which was carefully aged by superficial scratches. A fabric that replicated the visual texture of the house in the picture was stapled along the exterior. A thatched roof was laid over the asbestos sheet. The village watched the concrete house transform into a figment from their past.
As Tanmay meticulously worked through each shot, more and more people crowded around to catch a glimpse of the house. People began to grow restless. To the young who had only heard of the old Killari, it was like black magic; to the old, it was a cold reminder of everything they'd lost. As the crew packed up to move to the next location, Tara breathed a sigh of relief. She climbed in with Tanmay in the back of the Tata Ace.
"Couldn't you possibly let the two characters live out their lives? Do they have to die in the film?" Tara wondered aloud.
"Yes. Tragedies just make for better stories", Tanmay replied, distracted on his phone.
It was late afternoon and light was fading over the vast horizon of rubble that once dotted the skyline of old Killari. Even after twenty years, the abandoned stone houses still lay crumbled, and broken corridors from the old school stood between the debris in haunting silence.
The crew had cleared a section of the wild grass and vines that had taken over the rubble to eliminate the passage of time. The same solid wood door was placed in the frame with stones carefully arranged in orchestrated chaos. Prosthetic limbs were propped between the debris as Tanmay and Mudit debated the most natural-looking positions with the art department.
The villagers had followed on foot behind them. They stood in a long line, an audience to their own past. There were farmers who had returned early, shopkeepers and vegetable sellers, administrative workers who had taken the afternoon off and school teachers carrying satchels of homework. There were children and young people who weren't yet born in 1993, men and women who were orphaned in the earthquake and old people who lost their future generations. The police were also there at Manu's request.
Tanmay sat on a chair, holding a loudspeaker in his hand, barking orders to a frazzled crew.
"Move that stone to the left!"
"Let's try one from another angle."
"Cut! That cloud is blocking the light."
It was past the twentieth take and still the director seemed displeased. The police, bored and restless, started walking up and down the long stretch of the audience, brandishing their lathis.
"Is the police really necessary?" Dr Potdar asked Manu.
"They are just here to keep everyone in line", Manu said curtly.
"You mean keep us in line? This is our home. You seem to forget that too easily."
Does the re-enactment of reality make it less real?
The mind is like a split-screen. On the left, the present and on the right, a constant rolling reel of memories. When the poor old drunk saw the dismembered door, standing on the mound of rubble that was once his home, the split between past and present dissolved. Memories from that fateful morning addled his mind and overwhelmed his weathered heart. He had returned home to find a door just like the one that stood before him now. His terrifying scream punctured the sunset's last silvery glow. It was as much from heartbreak as it was from a kidney ravaged by country liquor.
The police hurried to investigate the death but something in the people of Killari had snapped. In a moment of irrational fear (or was it anger?) hundreds burst forth screaming murder. The ground shook and the trees, still hung with autumn's dead leaves, made a strange rattling sound. Shrubs whose shrivelled roots snaked around broken concrete came dislodged. Assumptions were made in split seconds and sticks and stones were flung without remorse. The place that had been quiet for twenty years woke up to fresh tremors.
Image source: Maharashtra Times
Madhusre Das is a freelance writer. She has previously worked as an Associate Creative Director at an advertising agency in Mumbai. Read more of her works at MADTROTTER.
Posted in Fiction, Opus #4Tagged 1993 Latur earthquake, Art direction, Cinematography, filmmaking, Indian Cinema, Killari, Madhusre Das, Pre-production, production design, screenwriting
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