(07.1.17) Fine Impressions Again Wins FSEA Awards!
Fine Impressions is a winner again, capturing gold and silver honors at the recent Foil and Specialty Effects Association Gold Leaf Awards! With the addition of these two awards, Fine Impressions ran its tally to 25 awards won over the last seven years.
In the laser cutting category Fine Impressions took top honors for a mailer sent to attendees of the National Catholic Development Conference. The conference was held just outside of Washington D.C., so the intricate laser cut wrap featured recognizable landmarks from the capital city, layered over a foil stamped invitation representing the sky filled with colorful 4th of July fireworks.
In the Best Use of Foil and Embossing - Self Promotion category, Fine Impressions earned a silver award for a promotional kit highlighting finishing processes, all in a Minnesota theme.
The FSEA Gold Leaf Awards celebrate specialty finishing excellence, through the use of color, dimension and eye-catching effects, judged in three categories: design, execution and level of manufacturing difficulty. See more about the 2017 FSEA awards by clicking HERE.
Fine Impressions specializes in custom printing and finishing of greeting cards and invitations, and the manufacture of envelopes and napkins. The company's technology and artistry brings products to life with sparkling foils, creative die-cuts, intricate laser cuts, and sculpted embossing. The Fine Impressions team averages over 14 years of experience, with knowledge that can only be gained from millions of successful press runs. Through this solid experience and motivated work ethic, Fine Impressions continually exceeds the expectations of customers with its high-quality "Made in the USA" products.
(04.28.16) Fine Impressions Wins Six FSEA Awards!
Fine Impressions has continued their award-winning ways, taking home six awards in the 2016 Foil and Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) Gold Leaf Awards; totaling 23 awards that Fine Impressions has earned over the last six years. Among the six awards Fine Impressions received were one gold, one silver and four bronze awards for product manufactured.
As in previous years, a Pumpernickel Press card manufactured by Fine Impressions won top honors, taking home a gold in the "Best Use of Embossing" category. The card features a deeply embossed stone bridge with the sunset reflected in a stream.
In the category of "Best Use of Thermography with Foil and Embossing", Fine Impressions took home a pair of awards, a silver and a bronze. The silver recognition was for an art-deco design graduation announcement, while the bronze was awarded to Fine Impressions for a second graduation announcement.
The remaining bronze awards were in the categories of "Best Use of Holographic Foil", "Best Use of Laser Cutting/Etching", and "Difficult Use of Foil/Embossing on a Greeting Card".
The FSEA honors companies for outstanding craftsmanship in the use of color, dimension and eye-catching effects, judged in three categories: design, execution and level of manufacturing difficulty. See more about the 2016 FSEA awards by clicking here.
(07.16.15) Fine Impressions Wins Five FSEA Awards!
It was an award-winning weekend for Fine Impressions at the recent Foil and Specialty Effects Association awards gala. Product manufactured by Fine Impressions captured one gold award, one silver and three bronze awards!
Top honors from the FSEA went to Fine Impressions in the category of "Best Use of Embossing with Print". Winning the gold leaf award was "Fishing Buddy", a deeply embossed/four color printed entry manufactured by Fine Impressions for Pumpernickel Press.
Fine Impressions also picked up a silver leaf award in the category of "Best Use of Laser Cutting" for White Pearl Invitation Suite featuring a laser-cut invitation and a unique laser-cut envelope liner. The three other FSEA honors came in the categories of "Best Greeting Card", "Best Announcement or Invitation" and "Best Use of Holographic Foil".
The Foil and Specialty Effects Association honors companies for outstanding craftsmanship in the use of color, dimension and eye-catching effects, judged in three categories: design, execution and level of manufacturing difficulty. See more about the Foil and Specialty Effects awards by clicking here!
Fine Impressions has won seventeen FSEA awards in the last five years.
A group of North Mankato employees get together each month outside of work, not to socialize, although many enjoy the camaraderie and team bonding; this group of volunteers are part of their local fire department, giving back their time and talents to the community.
"Currently, with 34 members on our North Mankato Fire Department, you can see that Taylor employees make up about 1/4 of our department," said Tim Pohlman, production manager at Fine Impressions. "Rich Inman and I have been the Chief/Assistant Chief combo leading this department for the last nine years and we both held officer positions on the department for four plus years prior to that." Pohlman proudly shared.
Listed below are the Taylor company employees who are part of the North Mankato Fire Department, along with their position being held.
These employees go above and beyond to help their community. With our companies' support for these efforts, this group may be called away from work at any given time. We recognize their efforts as well as those of employees who are also making a difference in their community, wherever that is across our family of companies.
As part of our values, we are committed to always finding a better way and extend this same sense of commitment to our communities, our culture, and our environment.
Fine Impressions has added two more awards to its list of honors, being recognized again for design and manufacturing excellence. This makes twelve Foil and Specialty Effects Association awards won by Fine Impressions in the last four years! Fine Impressions award-winning cards were selected from among 300 entries in 33 categories at the 21st Annual Gold Leaf Awards, presented by the FSEA.
Fine Impressions was awarded a Silver Leaf Award for "Best Use of Laser Cutting" for "Laser Treeline", a card designed for greetingcardcollection.com by Occasions Group designer Deb Knutson and fulfilled by Tatex. The card features UV-printing and laser die-cutting. The second Silver Leaf Award was presented to Fine Impressions for the card "Birthday Package with Glitter" designed by Jeremy Schultz of The Occasions Group. This card features four-color process, glitter and UV coating.
Entrants in the annual Gold Leaf Awards Competition are judged on the most creative, brilliant and technically difficult use of foil and other specialty finishing effects.
For more information about the Foil & Specialty Effects Association and the Gold Leaf Awards visit FSEA's site: http://www.fsea.com/.
It was a day of service to the greater Mankato community for a group of managers and supervisors from Fine Impressions and Carlson Craft Catalog. The group of seventeen dedicated a day to working on behalf of VINE-Faith in Action on a project coordinated through the Mankato Area United Way. The group spent the day preparing the former Nichols office center in Mankato for remodeling into an adult community center. VINE is creating a "one-stop shop" for aging adults to improve physical health, socialize with peers, volunteer to help others, and access needed services.
Work performed included removal of furniture from the building and loading it into a truck, preparation of windows for replacement, organization of recyclable building materials and removal of demolition debris. In noting the importance of giving back to the community, Fine Impressions and Catalog General Manager Mike Schmitt commented: "It will be rewarding to see the project progress to completion and know that we had a small part in making it happen."
Remodeling of Nichols into the community center is expected to be completed by summer, 2015.
Continuing its record of award-winning excellence, Fine Impressions was presented three Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) awards for 2012. Fine Impressions has won ten FSEA awards in the last three years. This year, there were nearly 250 entries in 29 categories that demonstrated the best in foil stamping, embossing, and other specialty effects this past year.
Fine Impressions was awarded a Gold Leaf Award for its promotional folder "Made in Minnesota" featuring foil stamping, die–cutting, foil overprint and embossing, highlighting specialty effect processes for which Fine Impressions is renowned. The folder was designed by Julie Brass, designer with The Occasions Group.
Fine Impressions was also recognized with two Bronze Leaf Awards for greeting card excellence; the first for "Snowflake Dazzle" in the category of Creative Use of Special Diecut. The second Bronze award recognized Fine Impressions achievement in the category of Greeting Card – Most Difficult Use of Foil Stamping/Embossing for "Vision of Christmas". Both Bronze award winning cards were designed by Occasions Group designer Jeremy Schultz.
Entrants in the annual Gold Leaf Awards Competition are judged on the most creative, brilliant and technically difficult use of foil and other specialty finishing effects. For more information about the Foil & Specialty Effects Association and the Gold Leaf Awards visit FSEA's site: http://www.fsea.com/.
It was an honorary day when Gary Wiese, Warehouse Supervisor at Fine Impressions, was presented with the "Patriot Award" from the ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve).
Wiese was recommended for this national honor by Fine Impressions employee Jacob Boerboom — Healthcare Specialist in the 730th Area Support Medical Company, South Dakota Army National Guard based in Vermillion, SD. Boerboom returned from training two days prior to handing Wiese the framed award.
"You have supported me from the beginning and have been super lenient with all my guard duties, I appreciate it a lot," Boerboom said to Wiese.
"We appreciate all the military does for us, so it's nice to help them out when we can," Wiese said humbly. "It feels good."
In addition to this recognition for an individual supervisor, Fine Impressions received a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve — a program seeking to inform and educate employers about their rights and responsibilities toward their employees who serve, and to recognize and reward those employers who go "over and above" the legal requirements.
FI currently has three employees serving in active duty. Mike Schmitt, President of FI, accepted the award for the company.
Promote an understanding of Guard and Reserve service.
Enlist support of employers in development of human resource policies and practices that support and encourage employee participation in Guard and Reserve programs.
Disseminate information to improve knowledge of, and voluntary compliance with, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) among Reserve component leaders, members, and their employers.
Sustain willingness of employers to support their employees called to military service for the Global War on Terrorism over potentially longer periods of time and greater frequency.
To learn more about ESGR, visit http://www.esgr.org/site/AboutUs.aspx.
There was much cause for celebration when Masterpiece Studios, Fine Impression's retail boxed holiday card division, won this coveted "Louie" award at the 24th Annual International Greeting Card awards ceremony, presented by the Greeting Card Association in New York City on May 20th.
The winning card of the "Oscars of the greeting card industry" is a laser cut forest scene, conquering the category of "Boxed or Catalog Christmas/Seasonal" greeting card with a price point below $2.50. Cards entered in the Louie awards are judged by a panel of industry experts and retailers on criteria including originality, impact, design excellence, send-ability and value.
Designed by Occasions Group designer Jeremy Schultz and manufactured by Fine Impressions, the card is sold under the Intricuts brand. Customers include major U.S. department stores and independent card and gift stores.
Masterpiece Studios sales and marketing executive Tamra Sundboom accepted the award on behalf of Fine Impressions. Sundboom called the winning card a "classic holiday scene that captures in a traditional way the feeling of the season." Sundboom noted the Masterpiece Studios card beat out two other finalists—cards from American Greetings and Great Arrow Publishing.
Awards are given in 54 categories of greeting cards and invitations and are named for Louis Prang, the originator of the first U.S. greeting card in the early 1870's. Since being acquired by Taylor Corporation in 1993, Masterpiece Studios has won several Louie Awards, including winning the prestigious "Card of the Year" in 2002.
For more information, contact: Doug Faust of Masterpiece Studios: dafaust@masterpiecestudios.com.
Fine Impressions (FI) was awarded five Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) awards for 2011. The annual Gold Leaf Awards Competition is a culmination of the most creative, brilliant and technically difficult works in the industry. FI submitted its pieces for the competition which are judged on design, execution and level of difficulty. More than 200 pieces were received from the United States, Canada, Finland, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, China and the United Kingdom. After 18 years, FSEA continues the competitions' commitment to gaining visibility throughout the graphic arts community.
Foil stamping, embossing and specialty effects on a product can compose a level of quality, added value, shelf presence, brand recognition and security – attributes that can stand out above the crowd and provide eye-catching piece of work that FSEA strives to exemplify in the Gold Leaf Competition.
FI was awarded two Gold Leaf Awards for the "Bows & Bells" holiday card in the Greeting Card – Most Difficult Use category and for the "Poinsettias" card in the Laser–cutting category. The "Branches & Berries" card was awarded with a Silver Leaf in the Greeting Card – Most Creative Use category and the "Peacock Feathers" birthday card also received a Silver Leaf in the Ink Over Foil category. The "Butterfly Birthday" card was also submitted in the Ink Over Foil category and was awarded a Bronze Leaf.
For more information about the Foil & Specialty Effects Association and the Gold Leaf Awards visit FSEA's site.
Fine Impressions has acquired the assets of the Social Announcement and Greeting Card product lines (branded as Williamhouse) from National Envelope Corporation effective April 19, 2011. Williamhouse has been a key competitor for many years within the wedding, holiday and all occasion markets and channels. The assets being acquired include all design dies, artwork and base inventory necessary to support this business.
This fold in acquisition provides Fine Impressions the opportunity to add to their core business by growing their existing customer base as well as attaining new customers to gain greater market share.
For more information about this acquisition please contact Mike Schmitt, General Manager of Fine Impressions, 507-344-2053, mjschmitt@fineimpressions.com.
Foil Stamping, embossing, holography, special coatings, laminates and laser cutting are all attributes that allow a product to stand out above the rest.
The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) recently announced their 2009 Gold, Silver and Bronze Leaf Award winning entries obtained from companies all over the world exemplifying top quality craftsmanship and expressions of excellence in the areas of foil stamping, embossing, specialty effects and design.
More than 200 pieces were judged on design, execution and level of difficulty. Fine Impressions, located in North Mankato, received two silver leaf awards for their winning pieces; Red Covered Bridge and Stain Glass Dove.
"Fine Impressions takes pride in the quality and workmanship in the products we produce. Our team is very excited not only for us, but also the customers who recognize our products by our quality, award-winning designs and attributes," states Mike Schmitt, Fine Impressions General Manager.


Download a copy of Windsor Management Insurance Brokers' Financial Services Guide. Before you make any decisions about insurance cover, you should read the Product Disclosure Statement specific to each policy (where applicable) and the Financial Services Guide relating to Windsor Management Insurance Brokers.
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Второ́й Щеми́ловский переу́лок — улица в центре Москвы в Тверском районе между Краснопролетарской улицей и 3-м Самотёчным переулком.

Происхождение названия
Ранние названия Тупой переулок, Щемиловский тупик показывают, что первоначально переулок не имел выхода на Пименовскую (ныне Краснопролетарскую) улицу. Современное название, известное с XIX века, вероятнее всего, от фамилии Щемилов (названия Щемилово, Щемиловка не раз встречаются в топонимии России).

Описание
2-й Щемиловский переулок начинается от Краснопролетарской улицы, проходит на восток, слева от него отходит 1-й Щемиловский, затем поворачивает на северо-восток, справа к нему примыкает 1-й Самотёчный переулок, заканчивается на 3-м Самотёчном.

Примечательные здания
По нечётной стороне:
 № 5/4, строение 1 — Научно-техническое издательство «Радио и связь»;
 № 5/4 — Ростуризм; информационно-технический центр «Эко-Трендз»;

По чётной стороне:
 № 4, строение 5 — детский парк «Тверской-2»;
 № 6, строение 3 — Лесэнерго.

См.также
 1-й Щемиловский переулок

Ссылки
 Официальный сайт управы Тверского района
 Общемосковский классификатор улиц Москвы  ОМК УМ

 2-й Щемиловский переулок: учреждения и организации.

Щемиловский 2-й

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Why i am not being able to delete topic using Zookeeper? I am using zookeeper version 3.5.8. when I delete a topic using the zookeeper delete topic command, it throws an error:

A: Latest Kafka CLI has deprecated Zookeeper flag. Please use kafka-topics --bootstrap-server instead, as shown in the Kafka documentation
You should also use the Zookeeper version bundled with Kafka since that's what it is tested against

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


What i have trouble with is understanding what the hell you're saying.
How do you know you have no power to the fuel pump? Why would you change the "crank positing senser"?
I'm sure you have spell check available. You might want to start using it.
because the pump dosent cut in and i have checked it with a tester there is no power,,i changed the sensor because i was told that stood a good chance of being the trouble.
You might want to read up on how the pump works before jumping to any conclusions. It only powers for 2 seconds when the key is first turned on and then again when the computer sees a tach signal from cranking. You need a fuel pressure gauge to know if it's working or not.
ok thanks alot i will check into it..
but i still have no fire anywhere on the truck eaither.


Tricia oversees all media planning, research, strategy, placement and analytics for Paradise and manages the four-person Media department. She brings more than 28 years of knowledge, success and experience to the post. Her hands-on approach and creative strategy have realized maximum media impact for various regional and national accounts such as Southeast Toyota Dealers, Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Sun City Center, Holler Automotive Group and more.Tricia is a well known figure in the Tampa Bay advertising industry and has strategized, planned and bought media in the top markets across the country including Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham and Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota). A graduate of the University of Florida and Florida Blue Key Leadership Honoree, Tricia is a past member of AWRT (American Women in Radio & Television) and Ad 2 Tampa Bay.


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Infosecurity Magazine Home » News » FOI Report: UK Police Probe 700+ Cases of Data Misuse
26 Jul 2017 News
FOI Report: UK Police Probe 700+ Cases of Data Misuse
UK police investigated nearly 800 cases of misuse of data by staff last year, but the figure could be a reflection of improved scrutiny and internal monitoring, according to Huntsman Security.
The SIEM vendor sent FOI requests to 45 police forces across the UK, 11 of which didn't hand over any information.
It found that between 1 January 2016 and 10 April 2017, 34 forces undertook a combined total of 779 cases of potential misuse of data by personnel.
There were 603 confirmed investigations last year and 176 in the first 100 days of 2017. Given that several forces weren't able to reveal details of ongoing cases this year, it's likely that the figure will be even higher.
On the face of it, the stats would seem to suggest a worryingly high number of cases where police and staff have flouted data protection laws and infringed on the privacy rights of citizens.
However, Huntsman believes the figures should be viewed more positively.
All 34 forces taking part in the FOI study claimed to have implemented plans to ensure they can investigate such internal misdemeanors, as per the recommendations of the PEEL: Police Legitimacy 2016 report.
All but one of them have also rolled out IT monitoring tools designed to flag when systems are being misused by staff, the findings continued.
Huntsman Security head of product management, Piers Wilson, sought to downplay concerns over the expanded surveillance and data collection powers law enforcers have been granted via the Investigatory Powers Act.
"In some ways the research highlighting the steps that are being taken to improve monitoring and oversight, coupled with the fact that forces are clearly identifying cases of misuse, should actually give confidence in their ability to handle sensitive intelligence and personal information - however it was gathered or received," he told Infosecurity Magazine.
"No matter the volume of information the police can view, and how they receive it, they must be able to demonstrate that it is only being used for its intended purpose. The same holds true for any organisation with access to sensitive data – they must expect to be held account, whether by their customers or the authorities, and to demonstrate that they are following the most rigorous standards possible."
However, a Big Brother Watch report from 2016 uncovered widespread cases of police and staff abusing their position to access data inappropriately.
Receiving a 95% response rate from all UK forces, it found a total of 2,315 recorded incidents of data breaches between June 2011 and December 2015, either by police or civilian staff.
Over 800 individuals accessed personal info without a policing purpose and over 800 shared information "inappropriately" with third parties during the period.
In more than half (55%) of the cases no disciplinary action was taken.
UK Police in the Dock as Device Losses Soar 150%
Government Security Analysts Submerged with Threats
#Cloudsec2016 Ransomware Hits NHS Trusts, Police Forces and Councils
Privacy International Takes Police Phone 'Hacking' Case to IPC
Rights Group Calls for End to Police Facial Recognition

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The study of Social Sciences can be a pretty interesting field, especially when you enjoy researching facts and keeping tabs on current events. And the Internet has become a hub of information for scientists and researchers, making it easier to obtain facts and opinions. If you find analyzing historical facts and their effects in the short-term and long-term composition of societies interesting, then you should enroll in a Social Science course.
Students can now earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in their chosen fields, and even go so far as to earn a doctorate title in any of the social sciences disciplines or a certificate on one of the short courses. Different academic institutions are expanding into the online degree programs to reach out to more students who must juggle work, family, and education and to provide students with the chance to pursue education without having to leave their respective states.
The field of Social Sciences has a wide scope of disciplines, and all of them are available in online degree programs offered by various universities and colleges. These academic institutions are, of course, required by the law to apply for licenses, permits, and accreditation. This is how the government regulates online degree providers. The applicant must always be aware of these procedures. The fields include Criminal Justice Degrees; History Degrees; Law Degrees; Paralegal Degrees; Political Science Degrees; Public Administration Degrees; Public Policy and Administration (PPA) Degrees; Sociology Degrees; Social Work Degrees; and Interdisciplinary Degrees; among others.
Graduates of any Social Science degree program may establish careers in the government as policymakers and researchers or in corporations whose core competency is research of population demands and market behavior.


It would go a long way to caution and direct people in their use of the world, that they were better studied and knowing in the Creation of it. For how could [they] find the confidence to abuse it, while they should see the great Creator stare them in the face, in all and every part of it?
LOL, this might be the dumbest conspiracy theory ever.
Maybe it's not true or I made that up on the fly.
Coffee is a drug. I'm sure Switzerland isn't stockpiling heroin either. Maybe painkillers.
VERY nice, sir!!! Would, perchance, your "real" first name be Thufir?
Solace for those who have visited the political threads.
The number of climate change deniers in Finland is then, by the election result, c. 25%-32% of the voting public. This makes it difficult to make up a government that would take science seriously. Won't start to analyse furthet here.
In Sweden most people don't deny climate change anymore, compared to a decade ago. The groups seems to have moved a notch: Deniers -> Skeptics -> Incrementalists. The Realists are still few.
The good things; I've mainly encountered the top three myths lately and that (reported) CO2 emissions went down by one percent between 2017 and 2018 (preliminary numbers not including useless numbers from emissions abroad).
The bad things; Deleted to keep this short and positive.
The traditional publishing of discarded votes appeared today.
Votes not counted included the traditional ones for Donald Duck, Moomin papa and mama, Phantom, Jesus, Santa Claus and Cthulhu. This time around some recent real persons were also tried to be voted for :Juice Leskinen, Vladimir Putin, Urho Kekkonen, and Adolf Hitler, only one of them alive but a resident of another country.
Personally I liked the one voting for a Bicycle and specially the one voting for Shaun the Sheep.


I don't subscribe to the philosophy of winners and losers in negotiation – unless you are talking about used-car negotiation – but there's no doubt that responding too quickly limits your ability to fully appreciate the manager's or company's limitations with regard to meeting your request for an increase.
That's why I recommend in Part 2 of this series that after you state your salary request and your manager responds – no matter what your manager responds with, you simply quote back (verbatim) what she said and then say nothing. Simply shut up.
The power of that silence is immense. It will be filled by your manager, and she will reply with either a counter proposal or a justification for why they can't meet your request.
If it's a justification, then you now have additional information to help you understand the situation.
What is your salary range for someone in this position?
Is that range fixed, or is there flexibility?
Have much do you have budgeted for the roles you're hiring?
What's the process you use to determine where to start someone within a particular range?
Have exceptions been made, and if so, what characteristics did the candidates possess?
What's really important to the company within the first three months of me joining?
What skills and level of responsibility / impact are required for the next pay grade?
These are all questions that will promote back-and-forth discussion between you and your manager. This will help you not only better understand what's going on within the company, but also help develop the rapport and relationship between you and your manager.
Notice the focus on "we" not "you"! This is the core of collaborative negotiation.
Within this framework, there aren't winners and losers – just you and your manager figuring out ways to create a true win-win.
Remember, the company wants and needs you.
They wouldn't have made you an offer – or kept you employed – if that weren't case. So, collaborative negotiation is simply a way to find a solution that keeps you motivated and enthusiastic while at the same time meets the cash needs of the company.
And remember, salary is just one element of negotiation. You can also consider other items such as benefits, extra time-off, flex hours, sign-on bonus (if you're a new hire), or incentive pay (for achieving certain milestones within a given timeframe).
But if the company can't budge on any of your requests – and you still want to work there – then ask for a review in six-months time to assess your contribution. Be sure to ask what would need to be accomplished in that time frame to warrant an increase.
In Part 4 of this series, I'll detail what you should never, ever, ever say before you have a written offer and some unorthodox techniques to substantially increase your chances of success.


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Some thoughts on silly bards in 5e D&D
Ron and I were talking on Discord about D&D play culture, especially the contemporary play culture among younger people (people for whom 5e is their first experience really playing and for whom 3.5e would be considered old). Ron suggested that I post about it. For a bit more context, we were talking about the origins of the kind of bipolar silly/killing squad style of play (with plenty of GM railroading, often seemingly out of the terror that play with devolve into the players making jokes and randomly killing every NPC they meet), and especially the way bards are played.
It makes sense that this would be associated with 5e. A month or two ago I did a kind of anthropological investigation on YouTube of popular D&D content and was kind of horrified at what I found. This mostly revolved around 5e ("4e is terrible! 3.5 is too old"). There are videos on YouTube with millions of views describing how to play D&D with what we are talking about as the desired goal, or perhaps, the grim reality, with plenty of GM complaining about how terrible and unruly players are. It is kind of reminiscent of the shift in liberal dialogue from before the collapse of the Soviet Union to after (before, capitalism was almost Utopian in the liberal economist's mind, after it became the best of the bad options, a grim and broken thing but better than nothing) when viewed in contrast to the OSR community fetishization of D&D play.
I also linked to a video, which has 4 million views and is a prime example of this. Watch with caution, and if you dare go further, look up "Abserd" on google images.
This kind of widely viewed, and mostly unchallenged content is what I think is primarily defining the strange type of play that seems rampant in the generation of players mentioned above.
Submitted by Sam on Wed, 07/07/2021 - 12:47
I have watched a lot of Puffin Forest and I realized it was largely disaster porn. Some of the videos have good things to say and some merit. And in some he admits that he has made a troll character. Troll as in meant to derail not the mythological creature. I wonder how anyone played with him twice, because his behavior is abhorrent based on his absurd (Abserd) videos. And it is clear that this kind of play, if it can be called that, is incoherent. But then my experience with Adventure League and other similar organized play suggests that "play" at those tables is not indicative of all play. It is a toxic situation.
And I think unchallenged is a great way to put it. Everyone thinks this is D&D or RPGs because 90% of content creators are trash.
I do not have the necessary
I do not have the necessary context to join Ron and Sam (and the other conversationalists on Patreon) in dissecting "the gross aspect" of misogyny and disrespect for consent in play-cultures around the bard, but I hope to see more discussion of it.
And it is clear that this kind of play, if it can be called that, is incoherent.
Sean, I guess what I want to say is that this video strikes me as very coherent. It shows an unwavering, unconcealed contempt for RPGs-as-a-medium, apparent in every word. System does not matter here. It is completely unrelated to the 'trad' v. 'indie' or D&D v. PBTA dichotomies. It's not about tone or genre (witty comedy this ain't). It will not be fixed by conducting a session 0 or using the X-Card.
Each instrument of play (character backstory, in-game choices, etc.) is used for a cheap laugh or a vacant pop-culture reference. Even details that hint at whimsy (notwithstanding the topic under discussion, I rather like the idea of a tribe of wild "bard-barians") aren't given the slightest consideration or elaboration. The entire activity of play is treated by this person and their group as only capable of producing a har-dee-har-har anecdote about the time someone really got one over on their fellow players.
It's like seeing someone research and purchase a saxophone, seek out fellow instrument-owners with available garages or basements, meet weekly to practice for four hours, and very sincerely spend that time improvising various fart noises together, insisting all the while that it is fun, hilarious and successful.
And I think unchallenged is a great way to put it.
The fact that this video is nearing 5 million views indicates to me that this activity of ours may be attaining greater visibility within the culture while still being the object of utter scorn. It makes me think that the best parts of our hobby still qualify as underground art. In bringing up the various buzzwords above (trad v. indie, session 0, etc.), it occurred to me that a lot of the ways we have of talking about RPGs aren't really useful for challenging what's gone wrong in this kind of play, but that the vocabulary we're developing here at Adept Play may.
I'm trying to avoid getting
I'm trying to avoid getting into terms "actually" alleys and byways. So even if I'm wrong in what I say next, we should probably drop the issue of coherence.
OK, one and done: I think Sean is talking about coherence as Walt Freitag used it at the Forge, to mean playing on purpose, which at the time used the language of Creative Agenda. The more general meaning, which in this case means the non-play purpose of expressing contempt for the activity, applies as Noah is saying but still agrees with Sean because there is no playing on purpose. So I'm seeing agreement rather than disagreement and we shall not let that one word stop us.
Noah, I completely agree with you and Sean that this is not play at all. It's performative sabotage toward others trying to play, or if done by everyone present, performative contempt toward anyone trying to play.
During my most active contact with the social hobby, as a DJA member, GenCon booth person invested in outreach, and similar things, I found that many, many role-players were convinced that non-gamer society actively despised them. My contrasting take was that the non-gamer society was mostly a little baffled, and either completely indifferent or curious in a very positive way. My take also included the unwelcome point that the people who actively despised role-playing were most prevalent right there in its own social space: both in adjacent pop culture and at the tables. Even less welcome, I suggested, that if people wanted to address social appreciation for the hobby, the first thing to do was to find some among their own.
Ron, thank you for nipping a
Ron, thank you for nipping a potential misunderstanding in the bud....Sean, I absolutely intended my post to express alignment with yours, beyond a verbal quibble. This topic clearly touched a nerve for me, so apologies if my aim was off and any aspects of it seemed like I was taking substantive issue with your statements.
Ron, after watching the video my first question was how far "up" into the larger culture this kind of contempt extends. Maybe a better (and harder) question would have been how far "down" it goes into the hobby itself.
Noah, you are wondering how
Noah, you are wondering how much this kind of not-play defines our hobby. To look at harsh reality for a second--how could anyone new to the hobby know anything else unless they knew a person who was actually playing? These people do not (and are not taught to) read and play the games they buy--just like you said Noah, no matter what game they are supposedly playing, they aren't. This sucks to say: everyone I have ever met in person who has had prior experience with RPGs plays in this way (besides my girlfriend: yay!). How many people is that? Maybe only about 10 (I don't really hang around the types of people who play RPGs...the American RPG scene that I have access to is truly miserable, maybe there is a better one but I can't find it). The only people I have ever played with who were worth playing with again had either never played an RPG (and never listened heavily to an RPG podcast, that's key!) or were willing to put aside their past BS and learn all over. I know this is a low number, I wish it was 30 because then it might be considered more statistically significant.
To be honest, I have come to despise mainstream "actual play" shows. I think would be hard to underestimate the horrific impact of shows like Critical Role, and especially The Adventure Zone (the 180th most popular podcast in America right now according to the Apple Podcasts charts, number 4 for fiction, number 1 for comedy), etc. on players of my generation, for whom these shows are their first experience of RPGs; these shows are often the reason that people my age start playing, and they don't know that they are just entertainment. I don't care about the intentions of the creators, or whether they are good or bad people or anything of the sort. They're making their money, and at least they aren't like...engineering missiles for Raytheon or something so whatever.
I know multiple people who have terrible habits of play and bizarre expectations. Most of them have barely ever played (some of them have only played with me). All of them listened to/watched these shows before they ever actually tried playing. The saddest thing is that we all know that the best players are usually the ones who have never played before and don't have a bunch of "experience" holding them back. Now, people who have never actually played have listened to possibly hundreds of hours of other people pretending to do it or doing it really terribly. This seems like a genuinely new problem.
Are these shows (and YouTubers like PuffinForest) the main reason for this weird new brand of non-play? I don't know. All I know is the huge impact they have had on my experiences with playing.
Sorry that this comment was a rant, but I love this hobby, and I am genuinely angry that the influence of this weird type of non-play has reached people I know who have never even played before.
The gross aspect
... which is what prompted me to ask Sam to post about this. Please be warned about unpleasant content, on the way.
What hit me began in the "Debriefing" discussion held by the participants about their game of Blueholme using The Lost City - when Sam talked about play culture which I had thought was more of a historical artifact and present only on the margins. Specifically play which turned interactions with NPCs into ogling and guffaws and, basically, casual sexual harassment grading into assault. The "new" twist to me came with associating this specifically with bards, and the fact that my social media is just RPG-oriented enough to bring tons of unwelcome memes my way ... and here, I realized how prevalent this whole idea of the bard as comedic lecher has become.
I looked again, and the fact is, it's really prevalent. To the point where if you say, "I'll play the bard," then the "the" is so fixed and understood and expected that it's a lot like saying, "I'll play the dwarf." There's only one way to do it and that's what everyone else is fine with you doing ... and not fine with you doing anything else. And in looking at what this means during play, well, it means using the game mechanics to have the bard attempt to have sex with anything and everything, in terms of resolution - rolling to addle NPCs and monsters and whatnot to "defeat" them with sex, specifically against whatever intention or goals or way-to-play they stepped into the scene with.
Yes, that. for which there is, incidentally, a name. And is apparently, we are told, hilarious.
So, Sam confirmed to me that yes, date-rape-to-real-rape is what he's looking at too, actually at the tables and not just in the memes ... and as the old guy in the conversation, to me, that meant two historical nuances.
This sort of activity during play was known and reviled in the "early days," so that by the mid-80s it was anathema. The RPGA scrubbed it out of D&D as hard as they could - granted, unfortunately by sanitizing and neutralizing everything into oblivion, but at least this detail of what they eradicated, I can support.
The bard as a character option dates all the way back to the mid-late 70s, but it was a terrible/optional option and generally derided through several unsuccessful rules retoolings into the mid-1990s. Since people really wanted to play musical trickster-ish types, big surprise, rules from Rolemaster, Fantasy Hero, Rifts, and GURPS Fantasy were pressed into D&D service at the tables all the time. ... and I recalled no instance of this version of "bardness" being involved. Even if the group was into social interactions and possible sex as content for play, it wasn't this rapey-hilarious standardized thing, and it wasn't articularly associated with being a bard.
These points saddened Sam. It means yet another bit of reprehensible nastiness in nerd-fantasy cool-geekness is found to be recent, and thus counter to the comfortable narrative that bad old sexist gaming has steadily and upwardly evolved into good new woke gaming.
I took it to the Patreon and gained hive-mind information beyond my own experiences which generally confirmed and helped formulate my two points above, specifically that although mind-affecting powers had been more formalized for bards in 3E and 4E (the latter being more about combat, though), what we're seeing here is very much a 5th edition phenomeon
The more sensitive aspects of the issue remain in conversation at the Patreon, within a small and trustworthy conversational space, as I type this. If you're interested in the thickets of ethics and sex in role-playing, that's probably where you should consider going. Here, I want to point out that both Sam and I lean toward sex-positive, often explicit content in our role-playing games, whether playing together or separately. The sanitizing and denial that characterized role-playing through a fair portion of its history isn't my thing at all, as my writings and games demonstrate all too clearly. I even take some credit for blowing off a few lids in the early and mid-2000s about it.
But I hope you can see through our respective participation here that Sam, I, and others always tune this mild preference within a collective understanding per group, and always in the context of the fiction we are enjoying, rather than as a trapdoor opening and "fun! sex! bard! rape!" appearing out of nowhere.
I don't go into moral guardian mode often, and I wish I lived in a hobby-world in which I didn't do it at all and could embrace an ideal of "free spirit, free speech, anarchy first" ... but here, I find my red line - saying "as long as it's fun for you at your table" is not good enough for me in this case. It's wrong.
Helma
some thoughts (rather a lot of them, sorry, but they wanted out)
It took me a while to calm down and get reasonable, and it didn't really help that it is so easy to find the bad examples. I'd like to make a couple of points that I think are important in case we want to be able to continue playing the way we do like (which I gather is different for each of us) with people we do not know yet.
Yes, the first thing I did see in the Reddit subgroup Sam linked to somewhere was somebody describing the type of player I encountered 30 + years ago when I first tried to figure out if role-playing is for me and as somebody else pointed out at Ron's Patreon, the phenomenon of idiots trying to destroy everybody that is not like them is absolutely not special for our hobby (Gamergate is a very good example from another hobby). Something else that I would like to emphasize: Trolls come in all shapes as do their victims, which I think is important to keep in mind.
Sam has a point in his rant above, a lot of people coming new to the hobby do so because they have watch some of the existing "TV-shows" that use D&D 5e and other games for entertainment and to some degree are led to think that that is what role-playing means. Even I did encounter Chritical Role (in the form of cosplayers, I know that is what it was because it said so on the convention schedule) and I actually liked the variety of different "races" that were depicted in a positive way (which is what is obvious when you don't know anything about the topic). At the same convention I walked into a room where people could make a D&D 5e character and spend some time there – I'd like to share some of my observations from that. This still is the place and time where I encountered the most women (or maybe better, not men) in my contact with role-playing, both among the hosts and the participants. Another thing I observed was that most newbies there had some "experienced" friend with them (and keep in mind, gender is not an issue here!) and nearly all of the experienced friends did freely share advice about how things should be done and I think this is where the core of the problem may lie. Expectations, stereotypes and the like are inherited. They do not need to be in the text to exist, neither do they need TV-shows. I was somewhat dissapointed when I walked away from that place, but mostly because the whole D&D thing seemed so extremely complicated and I did not see, if that was role-playing, how I would fit in. Fortunately for me I decided to give it another try when Ron announced at Spelens Hus that he would be there during the "Halloween special events" with some friends and games that were not D&D and Ron was qick enough to catch me before I lost my courage and stole away from that room.
All of that said, I think it is possible to find others (or let them find you) that are interested in trying new things or in challenging their own expectations and the stereotypes they were told are integer to "fun" play. I mean, we don't do "auditions" for the Spelens hus group or put out advertisements and still, so far a lot of people who came and saw us play did stay until they moved away, and so far new people come in all the time and a lot of them stay.
Another thing to keep in mind, I'm right now on a quest to explore different kinds of "D&D" and I do think that I sometimes can see stereotypes and expectations peeking out from some corner. Right now I've started to play a half-orc barbarian which I guess invites a lot of stereotypes, I decided that she grew up with her human mother and I decided to start imagining her by thinking of vikings, but I did not want to mould her after "Assassins Creed Valhalla" or anything similar but after what I know about places like Birka or Haithabu (go google it). Does this lead to "culture clashes"? Hopefully only in fiction.
So, lets just try to be "good examples" when venturing outside of the "nature reserve" that Adept Play is, I'm sure, that way we will all be able to find others that we can enjoy playing with. And lets continue to record our play and put it out there to show that there is more to role-playing then the "trolls" we despise.
Words to learn from and live
Words to learn from and live by.
Classes about role-playing
Sign-ups for Introduction to Design and Playing with The Pool are available!


In this ongoing new feature, RIJ will ask and answer questions that pertain to retirement advisors and their clients. Our first Q&A concerns Medicaid annuities, which middle-class Baby Boomer couples who face nursing home costs should know about.
What is a Medicaid annuity, exactly? A Medicaid-compliant annuity is a "restricted" period-certain annuity that couples can use if one of them is going into a Medicaid-covered nursing home. The healthy spouse can buy a payout annuity with assets that would otherwise have to be spent before the patient could qualify for Medicaid nursing home coverage. The income from the annuity does not count as income for Medicaid purposes.
Who uses Medicaid annuities? The typical clients are in their 70s or 80s, with $200,000 to $300,000 in savings, according to Michael Denton, COO and president of Clarke Financial Group, an Irvine, Calif.-based insurance marketing organization. "They are at the point where they didn't buy long-term care insurance and they have no other means to pay for long-term care costs," he told RIJ. When one spouse enters a nursing home, the care without insurance might cost $7,000 to $9,000 a month. Instead of paying those bills with savings, "they can put money into a restricted annuity and start an income payout for the healthy spouse. That income doesn't count toward Medicaid," Denton said.
How do they work? As a rule, the Medicaid annuity must be a period-certain contract with the healthy spouse as the owner and annuitant, and the term equal to the healthy spouse's life expectancy. The healthy spouse is the sole payee and state Medicaid department is the primary beneficiary. If the healthy spouse dies before the annuity term is up, the state would recover its costs from the remaining assets and the balance, if any, would go to secondary beneficiaries.
"This saves the healthy spouse from being destitute," Denton said, with no assets other than the amount allowed by the state. For example, a wife with $230,000 in assets might live in a state where she can keep up to $120,000 for herself without disqualifying her husband, who is in a nursing home, from Medicaid. If she uses the excess $110,000 to purchase a Medicaid annuity, she would receive a monthly income for the length of the term and her husband would qualify immediately for Medicaid nursing home coverage.
Who sells Medicaid annuities? Only a handful of U.S. insurance companies are reported to sell Medicaid annuities. They include Allstate, Allianz Life, ELCO Mutual Life & Annuity, Genworth Financial, Nationwide and MetLife.


Established in the 1950's to promote the enjoyment of photography through a better understanding of the technical and creative aspects of the art.
The purpose of the Lafayette Photographic Society club is to bring people interested in photography together to help educate and inform them about how to become better photographers.
The mission of LPS is to advance and promote the art of photography in the River Parishes of south Louisiana.


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Last updated: 4 March 2020
Date: 16-DEC-1995
Registration: N3862V
Location: S Padre Island , TX - United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature: Private
Departure airport: Harlingen, TX (HRL)
The non-instrument rated private pilot had accumulated a total of 215 hours of which 3.4 hours were simulated instrument time. The last simulated instrument time recorded was April 24, 1993. Witnesses observed the airplane descend out of the 'broken fog' at approximately 500-550 feet above the water. They reported that the airplane circled (360 degrees) as though trying to 'avoid flying into the fog.' As the airplane turned toward a southerly direction, it began a gentle descent and slight left turn as it disappeared below their line of sight. The witnesses reported the engine was 'running fine.' Another witness heard an explosion, and when he looked in the direction of the sound he saw what he thought was a boat breaking up and sinking. The witness proceeded to the area to search for survivors and recovered a wheel that was later identified as belonging to the accident airplane. The wreckage was located approximately 300 yards east of the Port Isabel north jetty. The Coast Guard transported divers to the site to search for survivors. The Coast Guard also dispatched a helicopter. However, it was unable to conduct a visual search due to fog. CAUSE: VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude (or clearance) above the surface of the water. Factors relating to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions (low ceiling and fog), and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
NTSB: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001207X04995
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added


The third installment of Dominique Morisseau's acclaimed trilogy "The Detroit Project," Skeleton Crew follows four co-workers—Faye, Dez, Reggie and Shanita—at a Detroit auto factory in 2008. This play highlights the layered relationships and drama of blue-collar workers navigating the instability and uncertainty in their personal lives and at work. Each character's patience and loyalty are tested as the plant's future comes into question, and they are forced to make hard choices to ensure their individual survival.


The original water supply system from the main Todd pipeline had a deteriorating 32mm water line running through another farmer's property to the boundary of Richard's property. With a system that was at the end of its life, increasing issues with poor water flow and leaks Richard decided in 2008 to replace the system. At that time Richard was concentrating on his sheep enterprise and experiencing issues of sheep overgrazing around troughs in large paddocks while other areas were under grazed.
Prior to Richard installing a new water system he attended a number of workshops including a Prograze course and realised the benefits of rotational grazing, better feed utilization and reducing erosion by subdividing paddocks and installing a new water system with better flow rates across the property.
With advice from Robin Dixon Thompson it was decided that there was no option but to lay 8km of new 50mm pipe running through the farm to the property. The first 5 kilometers was buried however in the limestone country that was not possible. In past experiences ripping trenches in limestone causes stones with sharp edges eventually cut the pipes. In this situation leaks are much harder to detect. To help counteract high temperatures above ground, Richard has used white Solar Block pipes. On 30 degree days the water will still get hot.
The property was originally subdivided into 16 paddocks with 50% of these paddocks over 100ha. Richards's first step was to start subdividing the larger paddocks for better grazing. He has now divided three more paddocks, two in haves and one into four smaller paddocks with an upgraded water system.
Richards first paddock was 120 hectares which he took out of cropping and subdivided into three 40 ha sections using permanent electric fencing. He installed a central water point in a 3 way central yard.
This allowed sheep to be watered from any of the three paddocks simply by opening the right gate when rotationally grazing these paddocks.
The Bushman cup and saucer tank combines water storage with stock watering in one product has a 25mm outlet which does restrict the flow to the trough. As a results of seeing the benefits of improved water flow into troughs any trough that needs replacing will have a 50mminlets/float valves. Standard float valves are also being replaced with high flow float valves.
Richard believes that the investment in improving water infrastructure, using large diameter poly pipe, header tanks and cup and saucer tank and troughs with a 50 mm inlet riser has paid off. He placed one tank trough in the center of each paddock to water 3 or 4 paddocks instead of investing in new troughs in each paddock.
Improved water flows with less pressure means there are less leaks and blow outs on the line. Previously the PRV was always set at around 75psi where now it is set at 25 to 50 psi depending on temperature. However, if pipes are not monitored regularly water loss can be significant if there is a leak.
Richard has been able to run bigger mixed aged mobs saving time on trough cleaning, checking sheep and is getting better feed utilization. He has run mobs up to 1,000 however 600 sheep was normal. Currently he runs two mobs of approximately 360 breeding ewes and 360 hogget's at a stocking rate of 5DSE/WgHa. The ewes are set stock during May – June when lambing.
Calcium deposits continue to be an ongoing problem particularly in summer time when the pressure is turned up dislodging calcium deposits which can restrict the flow rate. Making repairs on pipes causes calcium chunks to be dislodged where the pipe is cut.
There is still five kilometres of spur line off of the main 50mm line with 25-32mm pipe. To manage water flow a number of tanks will be installed and the water points shifted to a more central location. Richard plans to introduce more tanks to feed troughs on the spur lines. All tanks with 25mm outlets will be replaced with 50mm outlets as the smaller rises from tanks have less flow than the 25mm rises off the main line.


These cables provide outstanding electrical and mechanical performance for Ethernet Cat5e requirements compared to standard quad cables. Gore's low-dielectric materials and cable geometry maximize the performance of quad-cable constructions while providing increased durability in challenging aerospace conditions.
An ideal solution for a variety of high-speed data protocols.
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The unique design our cables offers significant size and weight savings when compared to conventional constructions such as twisted pair or standard quad cables. Our quad design is approximately 40% smaller than common dual-twisted-pair constructions and has saved as much as 11.5 pounds per aircraft. The small cable diameter also increases flexibility with a tight bend radius making initial routing easier.
These values demonstrate the electrical, mechanical and environmental performance of GORE Aerospace HDMI 2.0 Cables.


We are coming to the end of the Book of Numbers in our daily Bible reading and I can't help contrasting the wilderness wandering of Israel and the apostolic mission we are seeing in Acts on Sundays.
Yesterday we saw the story of the church, individuals believing in Jesus, made into a family meant for mission. They carried the gospel to hostile territory and preached in seasons of success and times of great tension. Paul was even stoned and assumed dead by the hoards. Then the crew reserved course and encouraged the believers formed into family by retelling what Jesus had done, celebrating the exploits of the gospel.
We hear in this example a call to adventure with Jesus, to die to self and follow him, making him known and living for the renewal of others and all things. Brining grace to hard places, in seasons of success and tension.
This is the church, the family I hope we will be. Trusting in the Spirit's power to guide, help and sustain us in the gospel. Not by our own scheming but supernatural strength.
But then there is the "example" of the camp of Israel waiting to move into the place that was promised for them. There are tales of giants and fear is the order of the day. The people choose to avoid the giants and for their disobedience spend a generation waiting to take what has been given to them.
In our day we might hide our fear more strategically. We are more likely to negotiate with the giants to ensure they won't eat us. But it is a lack of trust, and fear that keeps us from this mission, from the adventure Jesus invites us on and promises to be with us for every moment.
How might we repent of our fear today? How might we set aside our own ability and intellectual vigor and instead desire to see the power of God at work? What corner of your life needs the light of the gospel?
Resolve to give up your fear. Resolve to trust in Jesus and his mission for the family that is the church. Resolve to let the gospel shape all of life from this moment on.
Where are you willing to go for the glory of Jesus? Shall we go together?


The US Internal Revenue Service has clarified its position on convertible virtual currencies, including Bitcoin. The agency noted that Bitcoin will be treated as property, rather than currency, for tax purposes.
A FAQ section of the document explains the types of reporting that you'll need to file if you're trading in Bitcoins and other convertible virtual currencies. For instance, if you receive Bitcoins as payment, you'll need to count them toward your gross income by calculating the fair market value in US dollars based on an exchange price.
If you'd like to provide feedback to the IRS and the Treasury Department about Bitcoin, the agencies are soliciting comments from the public. You'll have to mail your thoughts in or submit them in person.
The notice comes just in time for Tax Day, so you can get right to work calculating how much you'll have to pay Uncle Sam for all those Bitcoins you've been mining all year.


For vulnerable refugee families living outside of camps, cash assistance meets their needs in an effective, sustainable and dignified way.
When people are forced to flee their homes, they have no time to prepare, and often leave with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. They lose everything familiar to them: their home, their job, their community.
Refugees are often forced to flee to countries with few economic opportunities, and in many countries, they are not legally permitted to work. And because 85 percent of refugees do not live in camps, work or a reliable source of money is extremely important for refugee families. Struggling to earn money to support their families, refugees living outside of camps are forced to make unimaginable decisions. They send their children to work instead of to school. They skip medications in order to provide another meal for their family. And home is any shelter, no matter the condition.
A small amount of cash assistance can be transformative. An allowance of just $185 per month can help one family pay rent and purchase food.
Refugee families are interviewed to establish eligibility. Once their application is approved, assistance is provided through existing banking systems. Each beneficiary can withdraw cash from an ATM, thus reducing the time between refugees' assessment and receiving vital assistance.
"The cash is very useful, especially for buying winter items, such as heaters. I can't get a job, or when I do it only pays $10 per day, which is not enough to provide for my family."
USA for UNHCR donors have enthusiastically supported the cash assistance programs that address the unique needs of Syrian refugees living in Jordan and Lebanon—raising millions since 2015. Cash assistance programs have expanded beyond the Middle East to help refugees in 60 countries all around the world.
As a monthly donor, you will become one of our most valued partners, and you'll know that every single day you are helping to bring hope, comfort, and support to the inidividuals and families who need it most.
War, violence and persecution have forced millions of families from their homes. They urgently need shelter, protection and safety. You can help rush critical supplies like medicine, clean water, food and tents to desperate children and families. You can provide refugees with emergency support, long-term care and hope for the future.


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Home » Vision » Vision, April/May 2022 (unthemed) » Simple chaplain interventions make a measurable difference
Simple chaplain interventions make a measurable difference
By Marty Folan, BCC, MPS
Chaplains play an essential role in the healing of patients. But anyone outside the ministry, including administrators, will ask, "What do chaplains do with patients?"
While most other healthcare workers provide meds, take tests and readings, poke, prod, and wheel them around, a chaplain's primary duty is to enter into the suffering, pain, despair, hopelessness, and, sometimes, joy of a patient's experience and be with them.
To listen. To feel. To reflect. To spiritually assess. To empower. To pray with. To support.
The healthcare industry is slowly shifting toward measuring the quality of care. Under the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began reimbursing hospitals based on quality of care delivered – above quantity.
And so it goes with the chaplain profession. We were once required to meet daily quotas for patient visits, distribution of Bibles, rosaries or prayer cards, but the shift to quality outcomes regulates our ministry as well. Quality outcomes are observed and measurable changes in a person's ability to cope.
Below are four tools for measurable changes.
TOOL 1: A Stool
The University of Kansas Hospital at Kansas City conducted a randomized controlled study of 120 adult post-operative patients. One physician was selected to visit all patients. For 60 of them, he stood by their bedside. For the other 60, he sat down beside them. Patient perceptions on the quality of visits differed significantly.
Patients who got a seated visit believed the doctor remained with them longer than he actually did. They believed he answered all their questions, was not in a hurry, was fully present, concerned, and listened to them.
Patients who met with the doctor who stood over them at the foot of the bed reported opposite results. They believed his visits were shorter. They experienced him as rushed. They felt he did not have time to answer all their questions and that he was not as concerned as they wished (2).
Sitting down beside patients sends spiritual messages: I am with you. I am on your level. I am close with you. I am not rushed. I care.
As a director of spiritual care, I purchased stools for all chaplains to sit on during patient visits.
TOOL 2: An Intervention
An 80-year-old woman fought long and hard against cancer. Her son was her greatest support. Her provider and patient care team admired her courage and persistence, yet they knew the end was near. Day after day, visit after visit, the patient's son remained with her, as his mother battled back.
A chaplain who had ministered to and supported the patient from the time of admission returned for a visit. The son excused himself from the room. At the end of the visit, after the chaplain departed and the son returned at his mother's bedside, she passed away.
A measurable outcome? In the son's own words, The chaplain aided her in letting go.
TOOL 3: Prayer
With resources diminishing in both the Catholic Church and Catholic healthcare, collaboration is more important than ever. When I served as director of spiritual care services at St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan, WI, I reached out to prayer groups at five local Catholic churches, and they offered to pray for patients who requested prayer. Chaplains would inform patients that the prayer groups volunteered to take one day of the week each and pray for them on a first-name basis. Over the course of nearly eight years, the average percentage of patients who asked for prayer ranged from 80 to 99 percent each week.
Did prayer provide a measurable outcome?
Harold Koenig, associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine and senior author of the Handbook of Religion and Health¸ said traditional religious beliefs have a variety of effects on personal health. Koenig's book documents roughly 1,200 studies on the effects of prayer on health. The results are mixed and controversial.
However, he said, results of studies show that religious people tend to live healthier lives and people who pray become sick less often. Other results include:
Hospitalized people who never attended church have an average stay of three times longer than people who attended regularly;
Heart patients were 14 times more likely to die following surgery if they did not participate in a religion;
Elderly people who never or rarely attended church had a stroke rate double that of people who attended regularly;
In Israel, religious people had a 40 percent lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer;
and, Koenig said, "people who are more religious tend to become depressed less often. And when they do become depressed, they recover more quickly from depression."
TOOL 4: A Gift
He was a grumpy patient in ICU. Noncompliant. Didn't say much. No visitors came to see him. After a meeting with the patient care team, Chaplain Bob stopped by and introduced himself. A wave of the hand indicated no interest.
Familiar with the signal, Bob said, "I know you've been here a while, so I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. But if you'd rather not talk, I understand."
The patient rolled over and looked up at Bob and motioned for him to stay. Bob sat down and listened. The patient spoke of his love of hunting and a memorable fishing expedition. Bob expressed interest and asked the patient to share memories. The patient recalled his catch of a 300-pound Atlantic bluefin tuna in detail. As the patient told Bob how it took more than three hours to reel in the catch, Bob noticed his patient's smile grow wider, his eyes beamed, and he relaxed back in his bed.
The patient discovered meaning in sharing his story with someone who cared to listen.
Chaplain Bob returned to the patient's room before his shift ended. He brought a gift from the hospital gift shop: a plaque with a fisherman on a boat.
Grumpiness was replaced with a smile and kind words for his patient care staff. He expressed appreciation to them and apologized for his bad attitude.
At the next patient care meeting, Bob was asked, "What did you do that helped?"
Bob said, "I sat down. I listened to his story and let him know I cared. His fishing outing was a meaningful experience, and he simply wanted to tell someone. I connected with him, and he appreciated it."
Marty Folan, BCC, is former director of mission integration and spiritual care at St. Joseph Medical Center in Brainerd, MN.


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The Kean Miller lawyers listed in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business include: G. Blane Clark, Jr. (Corporate / M&A); Isaac McPherson "Mack" Gregorie, Jr. (Real Estate); Maureen N. Harbourt (Environmental); A. Edward Hardin, Jr. (Labor & Employment); Erin L. Kilgore (Labor & Employment); Leonard L. Kilgore, III (Environmental); Katherine W. King (Energy & Natural Resources: Utilities); Charles S. McCowan, Jr. (Environmental: Litigation, Senior Statesman); and J. Randy Young (Energy & Natural Resources: Utilities).
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If you found that one or more of your Mac apps failed to launch over the weekend, then it's possible that the app(s) in question fell afoul of an issue which impacted some of the biggest apps around, with developers large and small impacted.
As experienced by many, some apps simply crashed on launch, with the culprit being an expired certificate which is assigned by Apple for apps that are not downloaded via the Mac App Store.
Users of apps such as Soulver, 1Password, and PDFPen discovered that their apps refused to launch this weekend, and as developers have shown, the problem came about after a number of Apple-provided certificates expired.
These certificates are given to developers for use with apps which users download via the web rather than the Mac App Store. Previously, these certificates could expire without issue as they were only needed when an app was downloaded. A change last year however means that apps check the certificate each time they are launched, hence the issues this weekend.
The idea of the certificates is a simple one – it provides confirmation that apps are legitimate, and gives them access to "entitlements," with the common denominator amongst those which failed over the weekend being that they were all granted access to iCloud.
The fix for the issue is easy enough though. Those impacted were requested to download the latest version of the affected software, which certainly worked with the copy of 1Password we experienced the problem with on Sunday evening.
As 1Password's developer, Agilebits pointed out, the whole episode took them somewhat by surprise.
We knew our developer certificate was going to expire on Saturday, but thought nothing of it because we believed those were only necessary when publishing a new version. Apparently that's not the case. In reality it had the unexpected side effect of causing macOS to refuse to launch 1Password properly.
Lesson learned for developers around the world then.


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Q: displaying mysql data using dynamic url parameters i have a gallery of images in the main view, and I want to be able to click each image to open a new child view showing details (eg text such as image title). my hardcoded version -- where images and text are stored in frontend -- works. but when I store the data in a MySQL database, i'm running into a problem -- eg unable to drill down into the details when an image is clicked.
the data seems to be fetched properly from backend to frontend because the images of the gallery are showing up. in my mind, the difference (between the hardcoded version and database-connected version) lies largely in react router v4's setup, perhaps a syntax issue that is preventing the paths from matching or preventing data from being passed to the child view:
ReactDOM.render(
..
<Route path="/articles/:PostId" render={(props) => (<Post articles={this.state.blurbs} {...props} />)} />

when it comes to errors, I get different messages depending on the browser:
one says
"TypeError: Unable to get property 'blurbs' of undefined or null reference;"
other says
"TypeError: this.state is undefined"
for brevity, my array state is initialized as such:
class App extends React.Component
..
this.state = {
  blurbs: []
}

the value of the array state is updated as such:
componentDidMount()
..
let self = this;
..
return response.json();
...
.then(function(data) {
  self.setState({blurbs: data});
})

in child component, data is rendered based on unique id in database as such:
render
..
return
..
{this.props.articles[this.props.match.params.PostId].Title}

so going back, what's wrong with the syntax in react router assuming everything above makes sense? tia

A: The issue is that the data coming from the API (eg: MySQL) is likely an array. However, you're treating it like a js object.
In your child component's render function, you need to use the findIndex method to find which element of the array that contains the value of your PostId URL parameter (docs). This is assume your table has an id element that is your primary key.
render() {
  const idx = this.props.articles.findIndex(x => x.id === this.props.match.params.PostId);

  const article = idx > -1 ? this.props.articles[idx] : {};

  return (
    ...
    {article.Title}
    ...
);

A: to bring "closure" to this thread, i'm sharing what worked for me. instead of passing all props from parent to child via react router, i ended up passing some props from parent to child through the image link.
the issue -- that props was not completely getting from parent to child -- was not immediately clear to me. i narrowed down my issue by tinkering around (eg substituting parts of the project with hardcode to identify the problematic parts of the code).
i found a thread where someone else was experiencing similar blockage in data transfer via react router. after several roadblocks, here are the changes that got me moving forward again.
in parent component, state reference was removed from react router to look as such:
ReactDOM.render(
..
<Route path="/articles/:PostId" render={(props) => (<Post {...props}/>)} />

in parent component, state reference was added to image link to use Link as a data transfer medium as such:
render() {
return (

  {this.state.blurbs.map(image => (
    <Link key={image.PostId}
    to={{pathname: `/articles/${image.PostId}`,
    state: { blurbs: this.state.blurbs }
    }}>

    </Link>
    ))
    }

in child component, this.props.location.state.blurbs was added as replacement to make the data (originally fetched in parent) accessible to child as such:
render
..
return
..
{this.props.location.state.blurbs[this.props.match.params.PostId].Title}

here's the link to the other thread:
How do i pass state through React_router?


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World, Chase Me Down
By Andrew Hilleman
Category: Literary Fiction | Historical Fiction | Western Fiction
About World, Chase Me Down
Winner of the 2018 Nebraska Book Award for Fiction
A rousing, suspenseful debut novel—True Grit meets Catch Me If You Can—based on the forgotten true story of a Robin Hood of the American frontier who pulls off the first successful kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history
"A kidnapper with a social-justice mission" (Time), Pat Crowe was once the most wanted man in America. World, Chase Me Down resurrects him, telling the electrifying story of the first great crime of the last century: how in 1900 the out-of-work former butcher kidnapped the teenage son of Omaha's wealthiest meatpacking tycoon for a ransom of $25,000 in gold, and then burgled, safe-cracked, and bond-jumped his way across the country and beyond, inciting a manhunt that was dubbed "the thrill of the nation" and a showdown in the court of public opinion between the haves and have-nots—all the while plotting a return to the woman he never stopped loving. As if channeling Mark Twain and Charles Portis, Andrew Hilleman has given us a character who is bawdy and soulful, grizzled, salty, and hard-drinking, and with a voice as unforgettable as that of Lucy Marsden in Alan Gurganus's Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All—an antihero you can't help rooting for.
About Andrew Hilleman
Andrew Hilleman was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1982. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English at Creighton University, in Omaha, and his M.F.A. in fiction from Northern Michigan University. He has been published by The Fiddlehead and was… More about Andrew Hilleman
Published by Penguin Books
Jan 24, 2017 | 352 Pages | 5-1/16 x 7-3/4 | ISBN 9780143111474
Jan 24, 2017 | 352 Pages | ISBN 9781101992784
People Who Read World, Chase Me Down Also Read
"Thrilling . . . A fun read . . . It's action the whole time, much like a Louis L'Amour Western . . . with wry humor throughout." —Outside
"Violent, funny, and unpredictable, with taut, authentic first-person prose and cinematic scope, World, Chase Me Down is a Western that begs to see itself on film. . . . As outlaw tales go, [it] ranks alongside the likes of Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and Billy the Kid." —Interview
"An exciting adventure tale told with style and humor. It's a campfire tall-tale with an antihero protagonist as interesting as he is despicable. . . . [A] fine debut novel." —Mystery Scene
"Electrifying." —USA Today's The Gleaner
"A fast-paced and darkly funny adventure yarn [with] an antihero of eloquence and humanity, remorseful over his mistakes yet unable to stop making new ones. He's the kind of character (and this is the kind of book) that could make a great movie." —Omaha World-Herald
"The national manhunt became known as 'the thrill of the nation,' and Hilleman brings it to gritty life." —The Sacramento Bee
"A rollicking great read that careens between funny and poignant, intimate and epic, action-packed and romantic. And like the best historical fiction, its themes are as contemporary as breaking news." —Michael Punke, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Revenant
"I envy you, reader, because you're in for at least two treats. First, World, Chase Me Down is a rollicking, elegiac page-turner that depicts a time and place I've not seen before in fiction and that stars a one-of-a-kind antihero you'll keep thinking about days and weeks later. Second, you get to be among the first to experience the debut of a great new talent in Andrew Hilleman. So: Buy and enjoy this novel right now." —Kurt Andersen, New York Times bestselling author of Turn of the Century and Heyday
"A riotous and righteous read—part poetry, part penny dreadful—World, Chase Me Down grips you with an originality that will keep you rooted to your chair." —Craig Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of the Walt Longmire mysteries
"World, Chase Me Down brings a patch of history forward, depicting a wide range of humans living and laughing, making mistakes and trying to do right—or sort of right. The vigor of the writing puts the story on the page with memorable bursts of power and subversive wit." —Daniel Woodrell, New York Times bestselling author of Winter's Bone
"The kidnapping that was called 'the crime of the century' in the early 1900s later became just a footnote in Omaha history, but Andrew Hilleman has again given it fascination and life in this elegant, meditative, beautifully written novel." —Ron Hansen, bestselling author of The Kid and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
"Andrew Hilleman is a fine stylist with a great sense of fun and an impressive grasp of popular culture in the early twentieth century." —Mary Doria Russell, bestselling author of Doc and Epitaph
"A brilliant mix of pulp and balladry, narrated by an adventurous, philosophical, lovelorn outlaw, World, Chase Me Down reminds me of my favorite portraits of criminal lives—Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me and Ron Hansen's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford—and proves Andrew Hilleman to be as good a writer as any there is." —Timothy Schaffert, author of The Swan Gondola
"A first-class page-turner, layered with ambition, greed, promises made and broken, and the powerful bond of friendship. The writing is pitch-perfect, the dialogue pops, the flashes of humor are just right, and the courtroom scenes are not to be missed. Best of all is the sophisticated portrait of the kidnapper, a complicated and unforgettable character. Bravo." —Ann Weisgarber, author of The Personal History of Rachel DuPree and The Promise
"Supremely compelling. Gleaming with dark beauty in every line and gritty truth in its portraits of both haves and have-nots, World, Chase Me Down is that rare thing: a novel paced like a blazing page-turner and crafted like a finely woven tapestry. Brilliant on all counts." —Elizabeth Rosner, author of Electric City, Blue Nude, and The Speed of Light
"A thunderous debut: a raucous gallivant through the wild heartland of our American myth, an indictment of big beef money, and a portrait of the twentieth century's first great outlaw. This book will raise laughs from your belly and stab the wild meat of your heart. It sounds the barbaric yawp of a great new voice in American fiction." —Taylor Brown, author of Fallen Land
"A riveting read that brings a turn-of-the-century crime into shivering reality. Pat Crowe, butcher turned kidnapper, is a fascinating combination of high hopes and dark desires." —Jonis Agee, author of The Bones of Paradise and The River Wife
"The crime at the heart of this novel reverberates from dirty back streets to the halls of power. Once World, Chase Me Down grabs you, it won't let go." —Brent Spencer, author of Rattlesnake Daddy
"Unforgettable: a raucous and engaging story told by a voice so convincing you'll think the author must be channeling his turn-of-the-20th-century antihero, with all his imagination, boldness, wry humor, and natural eloquence. Rich historical details bring the sights, sounds, and smells of rough-and-tumble meat-packing Omaha to life in this suspenseful and surprising novel." —Mary Helen Stefaniak, author of The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia and The Turk and My Mother
"Lively . . . A raucous example of narrative invention. Pat makes for an enthusiastic narrator, and he ends his story on a surprising note that affirms man's infinite capacity for resilience in the face of life's harsh vicissitudes." —Publishers Weekly
"This one's a winner. . . . Crowe's remembrances of his five wild years on the run are especially fun. . . . The attention to historical detail is illuminating throughout. . . . The supporting cast is pleasingly despicable. . . . [An] action-packed debut." —Kirkus Reviews
"Riveting . . . Colorful, real-life American outlaw Pat Crowe, the most wanted man in America at the turn of the century, is masterfully resurrected in [this] epic, action-packed Western. . . . The author's version of events is so thrilling that the reader immediately becomes engrossed in Crowe's dramatic tale and looks forward to each extraordinary chapter of his life. Gory, violent and occasionally shocking, Hilleman's novel is also darkly comic, moving and extremely entertaining. A standout work of fiction." —Lancashire Post
"Fabulous." —Book Riot's All the Books! podcast


New Delhi [India], Nov. 21 : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday was seen speaking to people standing in the queues outside ATMs and banks, which began forming in the wee hours of morning in Delhi.
Interacting with the locals, Rahul asked them about the inconvenience they were facing and called on them to voice their indignation against the Centre's move of demonetisation, saying that it has become a major hassle in day to day life for the common man.
Rahul met with people in queues at Jahangirpuri, Inderlok and Zakira area.
This move by the congress leader came right before the huddle by the opposition in both Houses of Parliament today at 9:30 a.m. to discuss fresh strategy to counter the Centre's move to demonetise high value currency notes.
Bhiwandi (Maharashtra) [India], Nov. 16 : Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will on Wednesday appear in a court in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi over a criminal defamation case filed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
A local RSS functionary Rajesh Kunte had filed the case against Gandhi for claiming at an election rally on March 6, 2014, that the right wing organisation had killed Mahatma Gandhi.
Though the Supreme Court has stayed the proceedings against him, Gandhi appeared before magistrate D.P. Kale in Bhiwandi on July 8 last year.
Gandhi had in September withdrawn his petition filed in the apex court, challenging the case and said he would face the trial.
"I am really astonished by the kind of language Rahul Gandhi has used for the Indian Government and the Indian Prime Minister. By saying that the surgical strike and the aftermath was nothing but 'khoon ki holi', he had in fact made the joke out of the martyred brave soldiers and Indian Army," said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.
Patra further said that Gandhi is an immature leader and his immaturity provided a handle to Pakistan today to accused India.
New Delhi, July 25 : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena is based on a politics of hatred and of bullying people, and that both parties were harmful for the country.
"The ideology of the BJP and the Shiv Sena is based on a politics of hatred and of bullying people. They are harmful for the country," said Gandhi.
The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party have formed an alliance to contest the polls in Maharashtra which is to take place in October this year.
Kochi: Unremorseful over his controversial 'joker' remarks against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi despite his suspension, former Kerala Minister TH Mustafa on Tuesday said he had not committed anything wrong.
Mustafa, suspended from the party for his May 28 remarks, told reporters here that he had not called Gandhi a 'Joker', but only said he was 'acting like a joker' and "there is nothing wrong in saying so."
His remarks (in the backdrop of Congress' debacle in Lok Sabha polls) had triggered a debate in the party with several others also airing their views against Gandhi, Mustafa said.
New Delhi: Congress on Monday went into damage control mode over party general secretary Digvijay Singh's purported comment that Rahul Gandhi does not have the temperament of a ruler even as BJP attacked the Congress Vice President saying he was "not Prime Minister material".
"Digvijay Singh has said a correct thing (sic) that he (Rahul) is not Prime Minister material. He is talking about leader material. The country should know that he (Rahul) is not PM material," said BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain.
Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh), May 6 : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday accused the BJP of indulging in "divisive politics" and benefitting a few industrialists while failing to work for the masses.
He was addressing an election rally here.
"They indulge in politics of hate and anger and pit Hindus against Muslims. They divide people on caste and religious lines to get votes. We don't believe in such ideology," Gandhi said.
"Their idea of India shining is to let a few corporates loot the country while the masses remain jobless," he added.
Amethi, May 3 : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi gave away more money to businessman Gautam Adani than what the Congress-led UPA Government invests in the MNREGA scheme in one year.
" Modi gave away more money to Adani than what we invest in MNREGA in one year i. e. 30000 crore rupees. We are giving 30000 crore rupees to farmers through MNREGA but he has given 40000 crore rupees to one business," Rahul said while addressing a public meeting here.
Amethi, April 29 : The Congress party's star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi Tuesday said her brother Rahul, seeking re-election to the Lok Sabha from here, has the same vision of development as their father Rajiv Gandhi had.
"My father used to be the MP from here. He developed Amethi and always thought about long-term, holistic growth. Rahul, who is now your MP and my brother, also has the same vision and thinks of long-term development," Priyanka said at an election meeting here.
Bathinda (Punjab), April 28 : Attacking Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's family, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Monday said only one family had progressed and benefited in Punjab while the rest of the state could not progress much.
"We (Congress) unite everyone and make them part of progress. It is not that only two-three families should progress and other people remain poor. In Punjab, only one family has benefited," Gandhi said, without naming the Badals, at a rally for Congress-backed candidate Manpreet Singh Badal on the last day of campaigning.
Warangal (Andhra Pradesh), April 25 : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday promised to develop Warangal as the second information technology hub of Telangana after Hyderabad.
"Telangana's second IT city will be Warangal," he told an election meeting at Madikonda in Warangal district.
New Delhi, April 21 : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will hold rallies in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Tuesday, his office said.
Gandhi will first hold a public meeting in Alwar in Rajasthan.
The party candidate from the parliamentary constituency is Minister of State for Sports and Defence Jitendra Singh, who is considered to be close to Gandhi.
After his meeting in Alwar, Gandhi will then address a rally in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.
His last rally will be in Bemetara district that falls in Durg parliamentary constituency in Chhattisgarh.