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Prince Reza Pahlavi (; born 31 October 1960) is the oldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, and his wife Farah Diba. Before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he was the crown prince and the last heir apparent to the throne of the Imperial State of Iran. Today, Pahlavi resides in Great Falls, Virginia.

Pahlavi is the founder and leader of the self-styled National Council of Iran, an exiled opposition group, participates in the Iranian democracy movement, and is a prominent critic of Iran's Islamic Republic government.

Early life and education

Reza Pahlavi was born in Tehran as the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran and Farah Pahlavi, the Shahbanu of Iran. Pahlavi's siblings include his sister Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 1963), brother Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi (1966–2011), and sister Princess Leila Pahlavi (1970–2001), as well as a half-sister, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi (born 1940).

When he was born, the Shah pardoned 98 political prisoners and the government declared a 20% reduction in income tax. He studied at the eponymous "Reza Pahlavi School", a private school located in the royal palace and restricted to the imperial family and court associates. He was trained as a pilot; his first solo flight was at the age of 11, and he obtained his license a year later. He was a supporter of Taj Abadan football club.

As a cadet of the Imperial Iranian Air Force, he was sent to the United States in August 1978 to continue his pilot training, and was one of 43 cadet pilots in the one-year pilot training program at the former Reese Air Force Base, TX, which included flying the Cessna T-37 Tweet and Northrop T-38 Talon. As a result of the Iranian Revolution, he left the base in March 1979, about four months earlier than planned.

Pahlavi began studies at Williams College in September 1979, but dropped out in 1980. He then enrolled at The American University in Cairo as a political science student, but his attendance was irregular. In 1981, it was reported that he had dropped out of the program and continued his studies privately with Iranian professors, with a focus on Persian culture and history, Islamic philosophy, and oil in Iran.

Pahlavi obtained a BSc degree in political science by correspondence from the University of Southern California in 1985. He is fluent in English and French in addition to his native Persian.

Political activities in exile

Reza Pahlavi came to Cairo, Egypt, in March 1980 with his family. When his father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ill and in the last weeks of his life, media reported that some monarchist elements had advised the Shah to oust Reza in favor of his younger son Ali Reza (who was 13 at the time) and a regency council, suggesting that Reza's background, training and interest in public affairs was too limited to become his successor. The Shah was understood to have rejected the idea, as well as to abdicate himself in favor of one of his two sons. When the Shah died on 27 July 1980, Farah Pahlavi proclaimed herself as the regent, a title in pretense. On his 20th birthday on 31 October, Reza Pahlavi declared himself to be the new king of Iran, Reza Shah II, and the rightful successor to the throne of Pahlavi dynasty. Immediately afterwards a spokesman for the United States Department of State, John Trattner, disassociated the U.S. government from Reza Pahlavi by stating that his government did not intend to support him, assuring that they recognized the Iranian government.

During 1981, Pahlavi remained in the Koubbeh Palace and developed close ties to pro-monarchy groups while facing rejection from other opposition groups, including left-wing dissidents. In March, he issued a statement for the Persian New Year and urged all opponents of the Iranian government unite behind him and wage a "national resistance", but chose to remain silent and made no reaction when President Abolhassan Banisadr was deposed and the assassination of tens of officials including Chief Justice Mohammad Beheshti took place in June. In August, Pahlavi announced that he had been secretly planning to overthrow the Iranian government, stating "So far I have been unwilling to unveil the existence of the concerted plans for I do not wish to jeopardize the lives of some of our best children... many of our actions have been unknown to you, but I want to assure you that the necessary steps are being taken in the best orderly way to save Iran".

In 1982, Yaakov Nimrodi told BBC in a radio interview that along with Adolph Schwimmer and Adnan Khashoggi, he was involved with Pahlavi and Gen. Said Razvani to scheme a coup d'état and install him in Iran. According to Samuel Segev, the plan had the approval of both the CIA and the Israeli cabinet but it was abandoned when Menachem Begin resigned in 1983 and the new leadership "thought Israel should not be involved in a new adventure".

On 1 May 1986, Pahlavi disclosed that he had recently formed a government-in-exile with an aim to establish a constitutional monarchy once again in Iran.

On his website, Pahlavi has said that the state of Iran should become democratic and secular, and human rights should be respected. Whether the form of government would be that of a constitutional monarchy or a republic is something that he would like to leave up to the people of Iran.

Pahlavi has used his high profile as an Iranian abroad to campaign for human rights, democracy and unity among Iranians in and outside Iran. On his website he calls for a separation of religion and state in Iran and for free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular Iranian government.

In February 2011, after violence erupted in Tehran, Pahlavi said that Iran's youth were determined to get rid of an authoritarian government tainted by corruption and misrule in the hope of installing a democracy. "Fundamental and necessary change is long overdue for our region and we have a whole generation of young Egyptians and Iranians not willing to take no for an answer", he told The Daily Telegraph. "Democratization is now an imperative that cannot be denied. It is only a matter of time before the whole region can transform itself."

In June 2018, he made this comment: "I believe Iran must be a secular, parliamentary democracy. The final form has to be decided by the people." In a presentation at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in December 2018, Pahlavi called for non-military support of those in Iran who were trying to replace the Islamist regime with a secular democracy. According to a news report, he was "not openly calling for the restoration of the Peacock Throne ... He casts himself more as a symbol than a politician, but has called himself 'ready to serve my country'".

Succession
Reza Pahlavi II is first in the line of succession to his late father, while his younger brother Ali-Reza Pahlavi II was second in line until he committed suicide in 2011. Prior to his birth, the presumptive heir was Patrick Ali Pahlavi, the crown prince's cousin.

In February 2019, he launched an initiative called the Phoenix Project of Iran. According to the National Interest, this is "designed to bring the various strains of the opposition closer to a common vision for a post-clerical Iran".

Within Iran
A report published by the Brookings Institution in 2009 said that Pahlavi lacked an organized following within Iran since there was no serious monarchist movement in Iran itself. The report described Pahlavi as having "little in common with the intellectuals and students who make up the core of the reform movement".

During 2017–18 Iranian protests, some videos on social media showed demonstrators chanting slogans in favor of Pahlavi's grandfather and calling for his return. On many occasions the videos indicated the royalist slogans prompts others in the crowd to shout the slogans down.

Among Iranian expatriates
Pahlavi enjoys wide popularity with the older generation of Iranian expatriates that left Iran at the time of the 1979 revolution and with some people in Iran. In 2006, Connie Bruck of The New Yorker wrote that Los Angeles is home to about 600,000 Iranian expatriates, and said it was a monarchist stronghold.

A 2013 survey of Iranian-Americans conducted by George Mason University's Center for Social Science Research found that 85% of respondents did not support any Iranian opposition groups or figures. Of the remaining 15% who expressed support, 20% backed him.

Support during the Mahsa Amini protests
In a recent attempt in 2023 to garner support for Reza Pahlavi, as a representative for transition, a petition was created on the platform Change.org that has amassed over 160,000 signatures.

Reza Pahlavi asked Iranians around the world to protest against Islamic Republic on its 44th anniversary, February 11, 2023. As a result, people rallied in multiple cities in the US, Europe, Australia and Canada. Reza Pahlavi himself participated in LA rally where a massive crowd of more than 80,000 showed up.

Foreign support
Bob Woodward wrote in 1986 that the Reagan administration authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to support and fund Iranian exiles, including Pahlavi. The agency transmitted his 11-minute speech during which he vowed "I will return" to Iranian television by pirating its frequency. The Tower Commission report, published in 1987, also acknowledged that the CIA was behind this event while a group in Paris calling itself 'Flag of Freedom' had taken responsibility for the act in September 1986.

James Mann wrote in February 1989 that when he asked the CIA about whether they help Pahlavi, they refused to comment and a spokesperson of the agency told him "We would not confirm nor deny an intelligence matter".

In 2006, Connie Bruck of The New Yorker wrote that "Pahlavi had CIA funding for a number of years in the eighties, but it ended after the Iran-Contra scandal". Andrew Friedman of Haverford College states that Pahlavi began cooperation with the CIA after he met director William J. Casey and received a monthly stipend, citing Pahlavi's financial advisor and other observers. Friedman also connects his residence in Great Falls, Virginia to its proximity to George Bush Center for Intelligence, headquarters of the service.

In 2009, Pahlavi denied receiving U.S. government aid or any foreign aid in an interview with The New York Times. Pahlavi said "No, no. I don't rely on any sources other than my own compatriots" and denied allegations of working with the CIA, calling the allegations "absolutely and unequivocally false". However, in 2017 he told Jon Gambrell of the Associated Press: "My focus right now is on liberating Iran, and I will find any means that I can, without compromising the national interests and independence, with anyone who is willing to give us a hand, whether it is the U.S. or the Saudis or the Israelis or whomever it is."

Personal life

Relationships and marriage
According to a People article published in 1978, Pahlavi dated a "blond, blue-eyed Swedish model he met in Rome". The same publication also reported that he lived with his girlfriend while living in Lubbock, Texas. As of 1980, he had an Egyptian girlfriend who was a student of The American University in Cairo, reportedly "closely guarded" by bodyguards.

Pahlavi began a relationship with Yasmine Etemad-Amini in 1985, and a year later married her, then aged 17, at 25 years of age. The couple have three daughters: Noor (born 3 April 1992), Iman (born 12 September 1993), and Farah (born 17 January 2004).

In 2004, Pahlavi was named as the "unofficial godfather" of Princess Louise of Belgium, the eighth granddaughter of King Albert II of Belgium.

Hobbies
Pahlavi was a keen football player and spectator. He was fan of the capital's football club Esteghlal, then known as Taj () and his support was even televised by the National Iranian Radio and Television. The club performed in annual rallies organized on his birthday, which as a result identified the club with the Pahlavi regime.

In 1981, UPI reported that Pahlavi attended the elite Gueziro Club in Cairo to watch tennis and was occasionally seen in discotheques at hotels in the vicinity of the Nile.

Religious beliefs
When interviewed about religion, Pahlavi said, "That's a private matter; but if you must know, I am, of course, by education and by conviction, a Shia Muslim. I am very much a man of faith." Iranian writer Reza Bayegan also notes that Crown Prince Reza is allegedly "deeply attached" to his Muslim faith. He has performed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca.

Financial and legal issues

Occupation
In 1989, The Washington Post reported that Pahlavi was unemployed. Asked about his sources of income, he replied that he had been financially supported by "friends and family" in the past seven years. In 2017, he told the Associated Press that since 1979 he had had no "side occupation" (with regard to political activities), adding that his money came from his family and "many Iranians who have supported the cause". According to a December 2018 news report by Politico, "he is thought to live mainly on what's left of his family wealth, his only full-time job being speaking out about Iran".

Shahbazi v. Pahlavi
In 1990, Ali Haydar Shahbazi, a former Imperial Guard member who worked for Pahlavi as a longtime bodyguard filed a lawsuit in the district court of Alexandria, Virginia, accusing Pahlavi of breaching Iranian tradition by breaking his pledge to take care of him financially. Shahbazi, then aged 58, said in the court he abandoned more than $400,000 in property in Iran because Pahlavi assured him "I'm going to pay your expenses and everything. I'm going to take care of you better than my father [did]" when he was hired, and then fired him with a handshake and $9,000 in 1989. Shahbazi asked compensation for the $30,000 in taxes and penalties as well as an undetermined amount of money for his retirement. Pahlavi's attorney dismissed the claim, saying that Shahbazi has received gifts worth several thousand dollars and was allowed to live luxuriously in Pahlavi's house in Great Falls, Virginia, adding that the servant was fired because his client ran out of money. Pahlavi agreed that Shahbazi was a loyal friend but he offered support as long as he could. He also told the judge "I was not involved in the day-to-day handling of my financial affairs".

In 1991, District Judge Albert Vickers Bryan Jr. argued that Pahlavi "had little knowledge of how his estate's money was spent and could not be held personally accountable for employment agreements with servants", declaring the case dismissed. According to media reports, Pahlavi began to cry in the court when the judge threw out the case.

Ansari v. Pahlavi
In 1990, Pahlavi and Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, his close aide and financial adviser, filed lawsuits against each other. Pahlavi accused Ansari of embezzlement amounting $24 million, while Ansari claimed $1.7 million lien against Pahlavi. During the trial, Pahlavi's attorney told the court "[d]ue to the demands of his political responsibilities and his lack of experience in financial matters, Pahlavi had to trust completely in Ansari for the management of his funds... over the years, no one supplanted Ansari in any way in Pahlavi's trust. Conversely, no one betrayed Pahlavi's trust any more than Ansari", going further to accuse Ansari as "an agent" for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ansari denied the accusations and blamed Pahlavi for squandering the money with his extravagance, stating he faithfully carried out orders that Pahlavi was aware of.

The court asked Ansari to provide a complete accounting of his handling of the money, but he alleged that the documents have been destroyed to prevent a potential seizure. In 1996, the court ruled that Ansari should repay $7.3 million to Pahlavi and fined him an additional $2 million.

Television network
In November 2014, Pahlavi founded his own television and radio network called Ofogh Iran; in July 2017 it was reported that the Ofogh Iran International Media telethon no longer belonged to Pahlavi.

Bibliography
Gozashteh va Ayandeh, London: Kayham Publishing, 2000. (in Persian)
Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran, Regnery Publishing Inc., 2002, .
Iran: L'Heure du Choix, Denoël, 2009. (in French)

Honours

National
  Sovereign Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of Pahlavi (26 September 1967, Iran)
  Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi Coronation Medal (26 October 1967, Iran)
  25th Centennial Anniversary Medal (14 October 1971, Iran)
  Persepolis Medal (15 October 1971, Iran)

Foreign
  Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (24 November 1970, Sweden)
  Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (15 December 1974, Italy)
  Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (19 April 1975, Spain)
  Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (14 December 1976, France)
  Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1976, Austria)
  Grand Collar of the Royal Order of the Drum (Rwanda)
 : Knight of the Order of Muhammad

Other recognitions
 Radio Farda's Person of The Year online poll (2011)
 Key to the City of Beverly Hills (23 January 2017, Los Angeles, California)

References

External links

Reza Pahlavi's website

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People of Pahlavi Iran
1960 births
Living people
Williams College alumni
Iranian dissidents
Iranian anti-communists
Critics of Islamism
Iranian democracy activists
Iranian emigrants to the United States
Iranian royalty
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
People from Potomac, Maryland
People from Tehran
University of Southern California alumni
Heirs apparent who never acceded
Iranian monarchists
Iranian secularists
Pahlavi pretenders to the Iranian throne
20th-century Iranian writers
21st-century Iranian writers

Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Collars of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Recipients of the Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the United States
Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in Egypt
Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in Morocco
Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in Panama
Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in Mexico
Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the Bahamas
Mazandarani people
People from Great Falls, Virginia
People from Bethesda, Maryland


The touch interface came to me as a very refreshing change from the primarily stylus based interface that I had to contend with on the TyTN. I know that Microsoft is making very good progress in this field with Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7. However, having played around with the HTC HD2, which runs Windows Mobile 6.5, I can say that the touch interface in Android is much more touch friendly and easier to use all over.
I must accept though that my opinions may be biased by the extensive experience I had fiddling around with the TyTN's stylus.
The browser on Android is a winner! It is fast, crisp and rendered all web-pages fluidly and without issues. Add the pinch-to-zoom feature and text re-flow, and the browsing on Android turns out to be pure pleasure. I have never had such a great browsing experience out of the stock Windows Mobile browser. I must say that ever since I got my Desire, the frequency with which I open my Laptop for pure browsing has reduced significantly!
The Android Market consolidates all applications for the Android platform into a single location. By browsing the market users can easily find interesting and useful applications that enhances functionality of their Android device.
I do have some complaints about the Android market, which I will discuss a bit later.
The System stability is another thing that was immediately apparent to me. When I was on Windows Mobile, I had to soft reset my device every week at the least! Having now switched to Android, I have rarely faced the need to restart my device! The system just works!
The Developer community working with the Android platform is extremely enthusiastic and innovative. This passion, which is evident if you visit some of the established Android forums such as Modaco, Cyanogen or XDA, can only be good for the platform as a whole.
The Bluetooth stack on Android does not support voice dialing using a Bluetooth headset. I was surprised to note this and immediately started googling for a solution. It was then that I realized that the Android Bluetooth stack doesn't support this feature yet!
Calendar reminders can only be snoozed by 5 minutes! In Windows Mobile, I was accustomed to being able to snooze reminders using options such as '5 minutes before the event', '15 minutes', etc. These options just aren't present in Android. Thankfully there is an application you can buy from the Market — Calendar Snooze — that introduces this feature for you. However, I would've still expected such a feature in stock Android and not have to pay extra for this.
Many of these features are easily supplemented by adding applications from the market. However, features such as a file-manager, bluetooth voice-dialing, reminder snoozing are far too basic for a smartphone OS to ignore!
No support for tasks. Android does not support Outlook tasks as part of the PIM. This is very inconvenient for people like me who have extensively used Outlook tasks to manage our day to day activities. I am yet to find an effective alternative to manage tasks on my Android.
The Android market isn't open to users in all countries for making purchases! Users in countries other than a select few are limited to only the free apps. Sure there are alternatives. However, I would have assumed that the official channel established by Google would be available for users in all countries where Android based phones are being actively sold!
No out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Office is a real let down. There is an excuse of an application called QuickOffice which allows users to view Microsoft Office documents.
As always, there is a rather expensive application — Documents To Go — that helps you solve this problem. However, you will have to shell out the $14.99 cost of this application. For a smartphone OS, I would have expected Android to have basic support for viewing and editing office documents.
The need for Rooting and Apps2SD. Android has many limitations; some of which I mentioned above. However, the biggest of them is probably the inability to install apps into the SD Card. Unlike Windows Mobile, stock Android will install all applications into the phone memory, which is usually in short supply!
This problem has been solved by the Android developer community with a system called A2SD. However, to implement this system you need to have root access to your phone.
The need to root arises out of the limitations such as these. In effect, this is similar to jailbreaking an iPhone. It will void your warranty and you also run the risk of bricking your phone.
All in all, Android is a great platform with amazing dedication and passion from its community. However, Android still has some way to go in terms of ironing out the small details of what should be catered for by a Smartphone OS.


On the 4th of April 2018 7pm CEST you can challenge Unicorns of Love Kold to a 1v1.
But playing against Kold is not all there is. Everyone that manages to win his/her game will be awarded a free 12-pack of eNgage & diseNgage (the winner must have a European shipping address, prizes cannot be exchanged for money). The whole event will be live broadcasted on our twitch channel, so make sure to follow us and tune in.
What map will be played?
What other things are happening during the event?
During the event you will have the chance to win some exclusive Unicorns merch as well as to participate in some special twitch giveaways.
You want to play againgst Kold?


With trembling fingers he picked up the bookmark from the threadbare arm of his favourite chair – companion of his nights for five decades – and stared at the bookmark once again. It had been painted by his three-year-old granddaughter, "Beanie", and it showed the two of them holding hands, only they looked like two symbols of the feminine – a cross with a circle on top – one big, and one small.
'Maybe,' thought Morris, 'we all become female when we're holding hands.' The thought pleased him.
What Beany didn't know, because he hadn't told her, was that this bookmark was one of the very best presents he had ever received.
He used it every single day.
It reminded him that he was loved.
One of the best things about being old, thought Morris as he put the bookmark back into the book, was that for the first time in his adult life he had slowed down enough to truly appreciate things.
He put the book on the table beside his chair, then sat for a while staring straight ahead, adrift in some comfortably vague sense of self.
He sat for ten minutes like that, neither thoughtless nor thinking, inhabiting that blurry zone where self met world without words, serene almost in the sense of having finished something important, until the pain in his wrists and ankles dragged him back to the concrete confines of his eighty-four year old body.
"A bath," he whispered, regaining the shape of the present. He began edging his buttocks closer to the front of the chair. Only from the edge was he able to pull himself up. What he certainly didn't like about being old though, was this arithmetic in his hands and feet.
Arithmetic? He knew it wasn't the right word, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what the right one was. Anyhow, at least he knew what he meant. He chuckled grimly to himself as he pulled himself up with his walking stick.
Amelia would have known the right word, but she was dead – wherever that was. She had been there for years, he couldn't quite remember how many.
He used to enjoy trying to imagine where she was, but not any more.
He thought about death, of course, but that was nothing new. He had thought about death his whole life. Only nowadays he didn't take his thoughts on the subject very seriously. How could he, when surely he was getting so close to being proved wrong in his assumptions, one way or another.
The bathroom, like the rest of the house, was old and cold. Amelia had threatened for years to have it modernised but it never happened.
He pushed the plug in with the end of his walking stick so he didn't have to bend over and turned on the hot tap. The bath was a free-standing enamel tub on balls and claws, with taps perched on the end, which was fortunate since it meant he didn't have to lean over the bath to turn them on. At Beatrice's house Beanie had to help him with the taps.
His rule was to let the hot water run while he was getting undressed so that the steam would heat up the bathroom. He only turned on the cold water when he was down to his underpants and socks.
One defence of Capitalism, he mused, as he bowed low to pull his jersey and shirt over his bony back and head, was that it allowed the citizen's future to remain a mystery to him, for better or for worse, while socialist or communist systems attempted to protect the majority by stripping them of mystery. Science was no different, he decided, battling his belt-buckle lose with trembling fingers. There were two kinds of scientists: those who loved mysteries, and those that hated them. Those who saw mysteries as adventures into places unpopulated by information, and those who felt threatened by the holes in our knowledge and wanted the holes filled.
By the time he was down to his underpants the bathroom was so misty he couldn't see the door. He switched on the cold tap, and using the basin for support, did snail pace battle to remove his underpants and socks. It was this battling with his clothes that put him off bathing, and why now days he only bathed to help the arthritis.
"Arthritis." There it was. Funny thing the brain.
When the suspense became unbearable he let himself go, sliding in and sending half the bathwater out the other end. Emerging, he gasped and spat.
It always gave him the most dreadful fright but there was no other way to do it. His arms were no longer strong enough to lower him in gently and he was damned if he was going to bath in one of those geriatric bath chairs.
If Beatrice found out about this method he'd catch hell.
Beanie would like it though.
He laughed out loud. He'd survived it again.
He turned on the taps to top up then lay back like an emperor, resting his head on the smooth and reassuring solidity of the tub.
He was grateful for so much. His life had even been meaningful. Imagine that. This was because he had discovered relatively early on – mid forties perhaps – that meaning was not a linear business, not a path leading to victory or defeat. Instead, the energetic repercussions of one's actions sort of went out sideways into time, forever, like a boat's wake went out into a lake.
Afloat in the wombish warmth of his bathwater he remembered a cleaner at the University who always blessed him with the most enigmatic and knowing smile. There was a lot of mileage in that smile. He wondered what had become of the man. What became of anyone?
One sent one's music out into the universe, quite unwittingly, all the time, with everything one did. And the quality of this music, he believed, was the full extent of one's responsibility.
He was getting too hot, and slowly sat up to get his head and chest out of the water, and turn the taps off. He looked down at his wrinkled old member. "Honourable Member Midgely," as Amelia used to call it.
Poor old chap, thought Morris, as he had many times before.
No more than plumbing now.
He reached out for the soap.
But it hadn't had a bad innings, he thought with a certain endearment.
Tonight his thoughts kept returning to her. A life, he supposed, only really ended when it no longer had any influence on other lives.
He put the soap on the edge and lay back against the bath, closing his eyes.
And for a life to stop influencing others could take a very long time indeed. For a while he was lost in trying to imagine the moment when the very last trace of a life disappeared. Then he wondered what such an event – no insignificant matter after all – might be called.
A "fnibwil" he decided, after some time. That was the name of the moment when the very last trace of your existence ceased to be. He smiled although it wasn't a particularly cheerful thought.
He was drawn from his reverie by cold. How he could be cold under the circumstances he couldn't imagine. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see that there was no more steam about. None what ever! He sat up and leaned forward for the hot tap. But something felt odd. The bathroom felt odd. He turned his face towards the door and then he froze. He wanted to shout but his mouth hung open, empty.
There was no bathroom floor.
Everything that had been on the floor was gone too: the chair, his clothes, his shoes, his walking stick.
Instead of a bathroom floor, there was space. An immensity of darkness with pinpricks of light from stars. It was beautiful, no question about it, but it was overwhelming. It was terribly overwhelming.
He felt an urgent need to look under the bath. The idea that he was separated from an overwhelming infinity of space by the thickness of a bathtub was more than his tired heart and mind could bear.
When he was ready he sat up, keeping his eyes on the soothing normality of the taps. For a while he sat like that, calming himself, and when he was ready he turned his shoulders towards the side of the tub, and pushed his chin over the edge. But when he brought a hand up for balance he knocked off the soap. He froze, watching it fall.
Almost instantly it was gone.
This sight didn't do his heart any good. He slowly sank back into the water and stared at the wall behind the taps again.
For once his mind was silent, a blank slate, white and clear with fear – like ice.
For ten minutes he lay there, staring at the wall, thoughtless and numb, until the water reached room temperature. He sat up just long enough to switch the hot on again, then sank back down. But his silence was growing oppressive.
He thought about Beanie. Beanie at the public swimming pool in her little pink swimming costume. And then Beanie being gone, and Beatrice running about with that wild look in her eyes and asking everyone if they'd seen her. And him looking up and there she was on top of the diving board – halfway up the sky – and Beanie waiting for him to see her, with a finger to her lips. And then stepping off the edge, and falling and falling and falling, straight as a rod – and gone in a splash.
Then he stood up – naked, cold, old and wet – and carefully sat on the edge of the bath. With great effort he raised one leg over the edge, then the other, and got out.


text:
Korallenschlange ist eine umgangssprachliche Bezeichnung verschiedener giftiger und ungiftiger Schlangen, unter anderem:

 Südafrikanische Korallenschlange (Aspidelaps lubricus)
 Dreiecksnatter, Milchschlange, Unechte Korallenschlange (Lampropeltis triangulum)
 Korallen-Königsnatter (Lampropeltis zonata)
 Arizona-Korallenschlange (Micruroides euryxanthus)
 Korallenottern (Gattung Micrurus), z. B.
 Harlekin-Korallenotter (Micrurus fulvius)
 Texas-Korallenotter (Micrurus tener)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type;

use InvalidArgumentException;
use PhpParser\Node;
use PhpParser\NodeTraverser;
use PhpParser\NodeVisitor\NameResolver;
use PhpParser\NodeVisitorAbstract;
use PhpParser\Parser;
use ReflectionClass;
use ReflectionException;
use ReflectionFunction;
use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Identifier\Identifier;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflection\Exception\InvalidConstantNode;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Ast\Locator as AstLocator;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Exception\InvalidFileLocation;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\FileChecker;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Located\AliasLocatedSource;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Located\LocatedSource;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\AutoloadSourceLocator\FileReadTrapStreamWrapper;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Util\ClassExistenceChecker;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Util\ConstantNodeChecker;

use function array_key_exists;
use function array_reverse;
use function assert;
use function defined;
use function file_get_contents;
use function function_exists;
use function get_defined_constants;
use function get_included_files;
use function is_file;
use function is_string;
use function restore_error_handler;
use function set_error_handler;
use function spl_autoload_functions;
use function strtolower;

/**
 * Use PHP's built in autoloader to locate a class, without actually loading.
 *
 * There are some prerequisites...
 *   - we expect the autoloader to load classes from a file (i.e. using require/include)
 *   - your autoloader of choice does not replace stream wrappers
 */
class AutoloadSourceLocator extends AbstractSourceLocator
{
    private Parser $phpParser;

    private NodeTraverser $nodeTraverser;

    private NodeVisitorAbstract $constantVisitor;

    public function __construct(?AstLocator $astLocator = null, ?Parser $phpParser = null)
    {
        $betterReflection = new BetterReflection();

        parent::__construct($astLocator ?? $betterReflection->astLocator());

        $this->phpParser       = $phpParser ?? $betterReflection->phpParser();
        $this->constantVisitor = $this->createConstantVisitor();

        $this->nodeTraverser = new NodeTraverser();
        $this->nodeTraverser->addVisitor(new NameResolver());
        $this->nodeTraverser->addVisitor($this->constantVisitor);
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     *
     * @throws InvalidArgumentException
     * @throws InvalidFileLocation
     */
    protected function createLocatedSource(Identifier $identifier): ?LocatedSource
    {
        $locatedData = $this->attemptAutoloadForIdentifier($identifier);

        if ($locatedData === null) {
            return null;
        }

        if (! is_file($locatedData['fileName'])) {
            return null;
        }

        if (strtolower($identifier->getName()) !== strtolower($locatedData['name'])) {
            return new AliasLocatedSource(
                file_get_contents($locatedData['fileName']),
                $locatedData['name'],
                $locatedData['fileName'],
                $identifier->getName(),
            );
        }

        return new LocatedSource(
            file_get_contents($locatedData['fileName']),
            $identifier->getName(),
            $locatedData['fileName'],
        );
    }

    /**
     * Attempts to locate the specified identifier.
     *
     * @return array{fileName: string, name: string}|null
     *
     * @throws ReflectionException
     */
    private function attemptAutoloadForIdentifier(Identifier $identifier): ?array
    {
        if ($identifier->isClass()) {
            return $this->locateClassByName($identifier->getName());
        }

        if ($identifier->isFunction()) {
            return $this->locateFunctionByName($identifier->getName());
        }

        if ($identifier->isConstant()) {
            return $this->locateConstantByName($identifier->getName());
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * Attempt to locate a class by name.
     *
     * If class already exists, simply use internal reflection API to get the
     * filename and store it.
     *
     * If class does not exist, we make an assumption that whatever autoloaders
     * that are registered will be loading a file. We then override the file://
     * protocol stream wrapper to "capture" the filename we expect the class to
     * be in, and then restore it. Note that class_exists will cause an error
     * that it cannot find the file, so we squelch the errors by overriding the
     * error handler temporarily.
     *
     * Note: the following code is designed so that the first hit on an actual
     *       **file** leads to a path being resolved. No actual autoloading nor
     *       file reading should happen, and most certainly no other classes
     *       should exist after execution. The only filesystem access is to
     *       check whether the file exists.
     *
     * @return array{fileName: string, name: string}|null
     *
     * @throws ReflectionException
     */
    private function locateClassByName(string $className): ?array
    {
        if (ClassExistenceChecker::exists($className)) {
            $classReflection = new ReflectionClass($className);

            $filename = $classReflection->getFileName();

            if (! is_string($filename)) {
                return null;
            }

            return ['fileName' => $filename, 'name' => $classReflection->getName()];
        }

        $this->silenceErrors();

        try {
            $locatedFile = FileReadTrapStreamWrapper::withStreamWrapperOverride(
                static function () use ($className): ?string {
                    foreach (spl_autoload_functions() as $preExistingAutoloader) {
                        $preExistingAutoloader($className);

                        /**
                         * This static variable is populated by the side-effect of the stream wrapper
                         * trying to read the file path when `include()` is used by an autoloader.
                         *
                         * This will not be `null` when the autoloader tried to read a file.
                         */
                        if (FileReadTrapStreamWrapper::$autoloadLocatedFile !== null) {
                            return FileReadTrapStreamWrapper::$autoloadLocatedFile;
                        }
                    }

                    return null;
                },
            );

            if ($locatedFile === null) {
                return null;
            }

            return ['fileName' => $locatedFile, 'name' => $className];
        } finally {
            restore_error_handler();
        }
    }

    private function silenceErrors(): void
    {
        set_error_handler(static fn (): bool => true);
    }

    /**
     * We can only load functions if they already exist, because PHP does not
     * have function autoloading. Therefore if it exists, we simply use the
     * internal reflection API to find the filename. If it doesn't we can do
     * nothing so throw an exception.
     *
     * @return array{fileName: string, name: string}|null
     *
     * @throws ReflectionException
     */
    private function locateFunctionByName(string $functionName): ?array
    {
        if (! function_exists($functionName)) {
            return null;
        }

        $reflectionFileName = (new ReflectionFunction($functionName))->getFileName();

        if (! is_string($reflectionFileName)) {
            return null;
        }

        return ['fileName' => $reflectionFileName, 'name' => $functionName];
    }

    /**
     * We can only load constants if they already exist, because PHP does not
     * have constant autoloading. Therefore if it exists, we simply use brute force
     * to search throughout all included files to find the right filename.
     *
     * @return array{fileName: string, name: string}|null
     */
    private function locateConstantByName(string $constantName): ?array
    {
        if (! defined($constantName)) {
            return null;
        }

        /** @var array<string, array<string, scalar|list<scalar>|resource|null>> $constants */
        $constants = get_defined_constants(true);

        if (! array_key_exists($constantName, $constants['user'])) {
            return null;
        }

        /** @psalm-suppress UndefinedMethod */
        $this->constantVisitor->setConstantName($constantName);

        $constantFileName = null;

        // Note: looking at files in reverse order, since newer files are more likely to have
        //       defined a constant that is being looked up. Earlier files are possibly related
        //       to libraries/frameworks that we rely upon.
        foreach (array_reverse(get_included_files()) as $includedFileName) {
            try {
                FileChecker::assertReadableFile($includedFileName);
            } catch (InvalidFileLocation) {
                continue;
            }

            /** @var list<Node\Stmt> $ast */
            $ast = $this->phpParser->parse(file_get_contents($includedFileName));

            $this->nodeTraverser->traverse($ast);

            /** @psalm-suppress UndefinedMethod */
            if ($this->constantVisitor->getNode() !== null) {
                $constantFileName = $includedFileName;
                break;
            }
        }

        if ($constantFileName === null) {
            return null;
        }

        return ['fileName' => $constantFileName, 'name' => $constantName];
    }

    private function createConstantVisitor(): NodeVisitorAbstract
    {
        return new class () extends NodeVisitorAbstract
        {
            private ?string $constantName = null;

            private Node\Stmt\Const_|Node\Expr\FuncCall|null $node = null;

            public function enterNode(Node $node): ?int
            {
                if ($node instanceof Node\Stmt\Const_) {
                    foreach ($node->consts as $constNode) {
                        if ($constNode->namespacedName->toString() === $this->constantName) {
                            $this->node = $node;

                            return NodeTraverser::STOP_TRAVERSAL;
                        }
                    }

                    return NodeTraverser::DONT_TRAVERSE_CHILDREN;
                }

                if ($node instanceof Node\Expr\FuncCall) {
                    try {
                        /** @psalm-suppress InternalClass */
                        ConstantNodeChecker::assertValidDefineFunctionCall($node);
                    } catch (InvalidConstantNode) {
                        return null;
                    }

                    $argumentNameNode = $node->args[0];
                    assert($argumentNameNode instanceof Node\Arg);
                    $nameNode = $argumentNameNode->value;
                    assert($nameNode instanceof Node\Scalar\String_);

                    if ($nameNode->value === $this->constantName) {
                        $this->node = $node;

                        return NodeTraverser::STOP_TRAVERSAL;
                    }
                }

                return null;
            }

            public function setConstantName(string $constantName): void
            {
                $this->constantName = $constantName;
            }

            /**
             * @return Node\Stmt\Const_|Node\Expr\FuncCall|null
             */
            public function getNode(): ?Node
            {
                return $this->node;
            }
        };
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


If you're looking for a reliable website hosting company that is affordable, easy to deal with and hassle-free, your search is over. Reliability, fast speeds, affordable hosting prices and, most importantly, great customer service is what we offer. Our 99.9% uptime guarantee ensures that your website is readily available and our server speeds will deliver your content quickly.
One important question you must ask when selecting a hosting provider is: where is your data located? With the rise of cloud hosting nobody really knows where their data is being stored; they simply say that it's in the cloud. The reality with cloud hosting, or if your web provider "outsources" their hosting to another company (typically in the US), is that your data can be stored in many different locations around the world; meaning your data is subject to laws outside of your country that may allow people to snoop through it and posing a major security risk. So again, where do you want your data stored?
Our servers are located safely in Canada and we always work hard to keep your data safe.


text:
class NullTranslationFunction : public TranslationFunction {
	private:

	protected:
	virtual GenomeTemplate translate(GenomeTemplate target);

	public:
	virtual Genome* createTranslatedGenome(
		Genome* target,
		std::string targetNode
	);
	virtual bool isNull();
};

#endif


text:
Five Famous Footballer who have shown signs of decline in 2021
Category : Football
Many great players in the game right now had humble beginnings. With their incredible show and consistency over the years, these players have become an iconic players in football.
They have lost some significant aspects of their game or struggled to create magic like they once used to earlier, becoming pale shadows of their former oneself. With the turn of the year nearing, here's a look at five great footballers who have shown signs of decline this year:
It appears age is catching up with midfielder of Barcelona maestro Sergio Busquets. Following a disappointing 2020-21 season, Busquets seemingly rolled back the years at the European Championships this summer. However, he is struggling once again.
The Spaniard has struggled to impact Barcelona's midfield this season. He has become slow in the field, finding it difficult to match the power of opposition teams, and is often caught out in position in the area.
Luis Suarez was critical as Atletico Madrid beat Madrid and Barcelona to the La Liga title last season. He scored 21 goals in 32 games as the Rojiblancos won the first league title in seven years.
However, the Uruguayan has been dropped below that level this season and has shown a noticeable decline in recent weeks. He hasn't scored his longest goal drought in seven years in his last seven matches for Atletico Madrid.
Read More: The club Bengaluru FC extended a footballer's deal till 2023 for Sunil Chhetri
Zlatan Ibrahimovic AC Milan striker is another professional goalscorer whose game-changing abilities seem to disappear.
The Swedish seems to be losing the battle with injuries these days. He couldn't participate in the EC in the summer because of a knee problem. He has also missed a massive ten games this season due to fitness issues.
Ibrahimovic has made 15 for AC Milan across competitions this season, contributing two assists and seven goals. It is noted that all his efforts were in front of the goal have come in Serie A.
Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a sensational return to Manchester United this summer. This season, the Portuguese forward has rescued the Red Devils with several vital late goals. However, his overall impact has dropped significantly, especially in big games.
In October, Ronaldo was helpless as Liverpool humiliated Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford. He also fired blanks against Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester City, and Aston Villa.
Ronaldo's reputation as a big-game player is making a dent. Gone are the days when he would single-handedly tear opposition defenses apart with his sharp dribbling skills and sheer pace. Nowadays, he spends most of his time trekking in the penalty box, waiting for opportunities to pounce on. It goes without mentioning that his lack of pressing has cost the team significantly this season.
Lionel Messi has endured a difficult time since joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona this summer. The Argentine's spell in the French capital has left a lot to be desired. He has especially struggled in the French top flight, scoring just once in ten games.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has had a better outing in the Champions League, scoring five times in as many games.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


More than a motto on a photo, you are facing the decline of modernity each and every day. What is left to choose is in which side of the walls you shall stand.
On the outside obeying orders, or behind the walls obeying consciousness.
To those they still has it, a mighty hail..
Αναρτήθηκε από Θησέας Λύκος στις 11:24 π.μ.
Πάνας, ποίημα από τον Χ.Φ.Λ.


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Our target through West Yorkshire & York Phase 2 Project is to improve broadband speeds so that there is 100% coverage throughout the county area, at a minimum of 2 megabits per second (2Mbps) and 95% coverage of next generation access (NGA) technology that the European Commission determines capable of providing 'superfast' broadband speeds (minimum 24 Mbps) by 2017.
It is widely known that the focus of broadband providers tends to be in urban areas where there is commercial viability through an established demand base of residential and business customers, connected to an existing communications infrastructure. However, across West Yorkshire, our latest projection is that there are estimated to be c.46,600 premises which are poorly served.
As the West Yorkshire and York Phase 2 Project will benefit from up to £13.8m of Public Sector funding to stimulate the considerable private infrastructure investment required, UK and European state aid rules and other relevant legislation must be taken into account. This is to ensure that the funding is being targeted at the correct areas for the correct reasons and that public sector monies will not displace planned investment by commercial providers. Hence, our project will only invest where it is permissible to do so within these rules to leverage the best outcome.
maximising competition in the market where possible to drive down costs and promote local economic growth.
In its recent public consultation on a Superfast Extension Programme for broadband provision published on 8 December 2014, the West Yorkshire & York Phase 2 Broadband project informed stakeholders that it intended to conduct a further procurement exercise to deliver extended coverage of superfast broadband to as many additional premises as possible, using public funding of £6.9m UK government funding (from Broadband UK, BDUK) and £6.9m of European funding (from the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF).
The West Yorkshire and York Phase 2 Broadband project is now looking to secure additional funding of up to £3.2m to further extend coverage which could be included in this procurement exercise in addition to the £6.9m BDUK/£6.9m ERDF already announced.
The maps that have been created from the information provided show which areas currently have services and where known future plans of commercial providers – plus identification of perceived under-served areas. These maps will form the basis of our intervention plans to discuss with potential suppliers interested in investing and contracting to deliver improved broadband services.


text:
Home » News » Supercars » Supercars stick to Gardner Circuit for second Sydney event
Supercars stick to Gardner Circuit for second Sydney event
By Simon Chapman
Thursday 2nd July, 2020 - 3:40pm
Supercars will continue to use the Gardner Circuit at Sydney Motorsport Park
Supercars will continue to use the Gardner Circuit configuration for its second Sydney Motorsport Park event this month.
As first revealed by Speedcafe.com, the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship will host it's second straight event at the western Sydney circuit this season.
The possibility of running on the shorter Druitt Circuit was rumoured amid discussions Sydney Motorsport Park would replace Winton Motor Raceway on the calendar.
The Druitt Circuit bypasses the traditional Turn 5-6-7 section, instead, turning left at Turn 4 over a crest and rejoining at what is Turn 8 on the Gardner Circuit.
The inaugural Sydney SuperNight in 2018 was initially set to run the shorter eight-turn configuration until a decision was made to use the 18-turn Gardner Circuit.
Speaking with Speedcafe.com, Australian Racing Drivers' Club CEO Glen Matthews said the idea was floated but ultimately scuppered.
"That was certainly something that we put forward and something I think (Supercars) did consider," said Matthews when asked if the Druitt Circuit was a possibility.
"But I think it's better racing for spectators on the longer circuit. If you have just the short circuit, I think there are three passing opportunities you eliminate out of the equation.
"It becomes a bit harder for cars to pass. I think this a really good solution."
While Supercars will race under lights for the first time this year, the new permanent lighting fixtures won't be at full capacity for July 18-19.
It means part of the circuit will be lit by temporary lighting, much like the circuit was in the original Sydney SuperNight.
Matthews said it will give fans "a bit of a taste" of what to expect in December when the Supercars season is concluded at the Sydney circuit.
However, it will mean contractors are working non-stop to get the circuit lighting infrastructure to its most complete state possible.
"The night race will be a combination of some of the permanent lights and we'll supplement them with some temporary lighting as well," he said.
"By (July), what will be completed is pretty much the north circuit. The lights on the inside from Turn 18, the last turn, all the way to Turn 1, Turn 2, all on the inside of the track will be done and then most of them on the outside.
"It's really up around Turn 4, Turn 5, Turn 6, around there we'll light that up using temporary lights out the back.
"I had a chat with our project manager last night, it's just the electrical contractors and they'll do double shifts and work around the clock.
"For us, it's a bit of a test, it's not the full-on lights like we're going to see in December, which are themed.
"They'll be different colours down the main straight. Nevertheless, it's going to be great to see tremendous opportunities for spectators as well."
The Truck Assist Sydney SuperSprint will take place on July 18-19.
Fan attendance has been confirmed with ticket information and daily limits expected to be announced in the coming days.
Next Story ARDC hopes for 10,000 spectators at Sydney Previous Story Why second Sydney event was Supercars' only option
More Supercars News
» Supercars tests locked in at QR, Winton
» Blanchard signals two-car Gen3 expansion plan
» Pither looking at 'new opportunities' after Supercars exit
» Supercars grid finalised for 2021
» Reynolds/Youlden in line for Bathurst 1000 reunion
» Tander: Why paddle shift is a must for Supercars
» WAU confirms co-naming rights sponsor line-up
» Team Sydney confirms Jacobson signing
» POLL: Who will have the upper hand at Kelly Grove Racing?
» Grove: My son won't race a KGR Supercar


text:
Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace and Security
Event Video:
Karin Landgren, the Executive Director of Security Council Report and the first woman to have led three United Nations peace operations, was talking about her 35 years of experience at the UN working with men and how to make that partnership more effective in the future.
"I'm convinced that men hear other men more effectively than they hear women," she said. "Like it or not, the world over, there seems to be widespread male discounting of truth spoken in a female voice. One way forward is more female voices, but for now it galls me, if we want effective communication and outreach, there need to be more male voices not simply relating the evidence but persuading others at a more visceral level of the value of women holding power."
Ms. Landgren was addressing a policy forum on Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace and Security held at IPI on March 20 and co-sponsored by Our Secure Future.
Sounding a similar note was Ana Maria Menéndez, Senior Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Policy, who said, "Male allies use their power to provide a platform to amplify the voices of women." She said the broad goal was to have "more women leading their communities, changing the face of the security sector and having an equal say in how we reconstruct societies, how we heal from conflict, and how we prevent it in the first place." She added: "We're not even close."
IPI Senior Fellow Sarah Taylor said, "If we are going to move forward on the core of the women, peace and security agenda and everything that means, on ensuring that this is recognized and implemented as a universal agenda, then these difficult tasks are necessary tasks, tasks to be done in a considered, even humble, and certainly in a feminist way."
Fatima Kadhim Al-Bahadly, Director of the Al-Firdaws Society in Basra, Iraq, spoke of how she worked to deradicalize young boys in her country through social cohesion campaigns on peace and coexistence and warned of the consequences of inaction. "Ignoring women and children will expand the base of extremism and violence all over again and will help establish new extremist organizations," she said.
Donald Steinberg, the executive director of Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace and Security, said the failure to involve women at all levels of leadership constituted "an emergency. And it requires nothing less than a wholesale reordering of our male-dominated global security priorities. There has been impressive progress on international norms and practices…but our success can't be measured on how many Security Council resolutions we pass, how many national action plans we adopt, or even now many women have served in peace processes. Instead our success will be measured by whether these peace processes can actually bring just and lasting ends to conflict.
Several speakers reported instances of "push back" from men resisting advances by women. "If I ever broached the idea of quotas for women, as I sometimes did," said Ms. Landgren "even my extremely reasonable male friends would—metaphorically speaking—reach for their revolvers and start to talk about 'lowering standards,' as if current selection processes for male leaders are all about high standards," she remarked, in a comment that drew knowing laughter.
She acknowledged the fear that men, if given the opportunity, might try to wrest leadership from women and the reality that "women can be reluctant to propel themselves to front lines." But she asserted: "We need both men and women to pull other women into leadership roles."
Mirsad "Miki" Jacevic, Vice Chair of the Institute for Inclusive Security, expressed impatience with those calling for more study of the issue. "The news I have for those who say we need more research, we've researched enough. We have enough case studies and data. We just need to now translate this into making this happen. I recognize the push back, but I think we need to recognize the enormous power of the potential that women have from letting war take even more lives."
Noting that gender inequality impacts us all negatively, IPI Vice President Adam Lupel cited the findings of research by Valerie M. Hudson of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University that showed that the best predictor of a country's peacefulness is not its economic status, nor its level of democracy nor its religious or ethnic composition, but how well its women are treated. "It's not just about the rights of women," he said, "but a more peaceful and prosperous world for everyone."
Sahana Dharmapuri, Director of Our Secure Future, said that to further her organization's mission of strengthening the women, peace and security movement, she was looking for strategic entry points. "There can be nothing more strategic than leveraging the principles of partnership and equality," she said.
Anwarul K. Chowdhury, a former UN Undersecretary-General and High Representative, alluded to the necessity of including women in furthering the peace agenda. "Half of humanity bring a new breadth, quality, and balance of vision to our common efforts to move away from the cult of war towards the culture of peace," he said. "Women's equality makes our planet safe and secure…If we are serious about peace, we must take women seriously."
The discussion was moderated by IPI Senior Fellow Sarah Taylor.


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Tariff Evasion among Elites in Tunisia Reached US$1.2 Billion
Evidence indicates that since the revolution evasions have declined among firms connected to the former Ben Ali regime, but overall tariff evasion has risen.
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2015— A new World Bank report documents the widespread practice of avoiding import duties by firms with privileged connections to the regime of former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. By underreporting the price of imports, Political Connections and Tariff Evasion: Evidence from Tunisia calculates that between 2002 and 2009, these connected firms managed to evade at minimum an estimated US$1.2 billion in tariffs
The report identifies tariff gaps by comparing data on exports from Tunisia's trade partners with the value of imports reported at Tunisian customs. The declared value of imports by Ben Ali connected firms was found to be 18% higher than average firms, with declared quantities of imports 21% higher, but reported unit prices were found to be on average 4.8% lower. For imported goods subject to high tariffs, the reported prices were even lower at 8.1%. This type of underreporting allowed connected firms to evade US$217 million in taxes in 2009 alone.
"This report reveals the economic damage caused by tariff evasion over the last decade, with losses to the state reaching into the billions of dollars," said Eileen Murray, World Bank Country Manager for Tunisia. "The Ministry of Finance with support from the World Bank has been preparing a set of customs reforms, to simplify procedures and make them more transparent, which will both boost exports and leave fewer opportunities for tariff evasion."
Apart from fiscal losses, the avoidance of import duties by connected firms also undermined competition and created an uneven playing field. It gave connected firms an unearned advantage over ordinary firms that was based neither on higher productivity nor greater efficiency. It also contributed to inequality by allowing wealthier, politically connected elites to amass greater profits by paying lower import duties.
"The fiscal losses we calculated are based strictly on the underreporting of prices, and do not factor in other forms of tax fraud such as underreporting the quantity of imports, or the bypassing of customs entirely through smuggling," said Bob Rijkers, World Bank Economist and lead author of the report. "The revolution has led to a decline in price underreporting by previously connected firms, but this has been coupled with a rise in tariff evasion among ordinary firms and an increase in informal trade."
The report identifies a 16.2% decrease in tariff evasion following the revolution, in product lines where connected firms were dominant. However, the report also documents a simultaneous increase in tariff evasions of 5.7% in other product lines.
William Stebbins
wstebbins@worldbank.org
In Tunis
Sadok Ayari
sayari@worldbank.org
For Broadcast Requests
Mehreen Sheikh
msheikh1@worldbankgroup.org
Political Connections and Tariff Evasion: Evidence from Tunisia


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Will series digital home game for cleveland lin
That interview was simultaneously on TV on ESPN's and also streamed on .
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" Disgusting cigarette smell in the room, we could not sleep. And the only thing staff did was air freshener :-( Be shure that you have 2 tea cups and 4 glasses, or you will have problem in check out as we had. "
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List of the most popular artists from Pakistan, listed alphabetically with photos when available. For centuries artists have been among the world's most important people, helping chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of the earliest forms of entertainment. Whether they're known for painting, sculpting, etching or drawing, the famous Pakistani artists on this list have kept that tradition alive by creating renowned pieces of art that have been praised around the world. You can find useful information below about these notable Pakistani artists, such as when they were born and where their place of birth was.
Artists on this list include Syed Abdul Mujeeb and Sadequain.
This list answers the questions, "Which famous artists are from Pakistan?" and "Who are the most well-known Pakistani artists?"
For further information on these historic Pakistani artists, click on their names. If you're a fine art lover use this list of celebrated Pakistani artists to discover some new paintings that you will enjoy.
Shahzia Sikander is a Pakistani artist who works in drawing, painting, animation, large-scale installation, performance and video, on an international stage.
Eqbal Mehdi, PP was a Pakistani painter. He is famous for his line etching drawings.
Ghulam Farid Sabri was a major Qawwali singer, and a leading member of the Sabri Brothers, a leading qawwali group.


The ESQ-M is an eight voice poly-timbral Digital Synthesizer. You'll find that it is a tool of enormous power and versatility for performing, recording and composing music.
The Synthesizer With three Digital Wave Oscillators per voice, thirty-two sampled and synthetic Waveforms to choose from, and 15 routable Modulation sources, the ESQ-M is capable of producing a wide variety of rich, complex sounds. The five-octave, velocity sensitive keyboard can be split for different sounds on each half, layered for two sounds playing together, or even programmed for a Split'Layer mode in which two totally different pairs of sounds play on each keyboard half.
Forty Programs, or 'patches', are stored in the Internal Memory, with another eighty available on an external, plug-in Cartridge, giving you 120 sounds to select from instantly. In addition, the eighty-character fluorescent Display shows the names of ten programs at a time, making it easy to quickly scroll through all the sounds, to find the one you want. These programs can be played as is, or they can be modified to suit your taste and then renamed and stored, either in the Internal or the Cartridge Memory.
Editing of all programs and 'global functions is handled from the informative display which shows at a glance all the parameters associated with a selected function. Audio outputs are provided for true stereo. Programs can be panned continuously between the left and right channels.
The ESQ-M also has an Amplitude Modulation (AM) mode which can produce bell and ring-modulator type effects. and a Sync mode for hard sync effects.


Our first seminar is this coming Friday!
As hosts of the event which draws attendees from several states away, we'll need everyone to help visitors.
We'll be going over etiquette & volunteer opportunities at class this Mon and Wed.
Set-up and clean-up duties exist, so please show up early if possible (~4:30PM).
Registration starts @5:15 on Fri Night, and the first Session at 6:00PM.
More Seminar Details already posted on this blog.
Please feel welcome to complement the snack tray with home-cooked cookies (or brownies :) ).


Guitar linings used to strengthen the glue joint between the top or back plates and the sides of the guitar; sometimes referred to as "kerfing", are a very important component of any acoustic guitar. At first glance these elements of the design don't seem all that important, I mean after all, they are inside the guitar and most people don't even see them right? However, if we look closely and carefully analyze how they are functioning within the guitar system, we can begin to catch a glimpse as to how far-reaching and important the choices we make in the design and make-up of our linings can go in shaping the tonal and responsive qualities of our guitars.
Let's start with some basics in case you're thinking more seriously about the guitar's linings for the first time. If you're like me, when you built your first guitar you just used whatever type of linings that the book or luthier you were learning from recommended. No problem there, that's where we all start and it's a good place to be. Even though I started there, as time went on I began to think more deeply about every element of the guitar and began to wonder how each of them worked within the guitar's unique system. In the case of guitar linings, I took the same approach as I always do which is: learning by doing.
I wondered what the effect of using different designs or woods for the guitar linings would be on my guitars and I knew there was only one way to find out. So I started to build guitars with different styles of linings, some with kerfed linings, some with reverse kerf, some with mahogany, some with basswood, etc. Then came my custom made versions; walnut, Spanish cedar, oak, and on and on. After that, I even went on to listen to and test different types of glues applied to different linings (each glue has its own sound too). As the years went by, I carefully planned out my experiments so I could measure the results of each new change in each new guitar (not just in linings but in all different components of the acoustic guitar). Each time I used something different, I paid close attention to the results and effects, and took detailed notes of what I observed. This process went on for many years until I hit a point where I felt like I had the perfect combination that I loved for both the construction of the linings and also the way it drastically improved the feel, responsiveness, and voice of my guitars. I started building full time in 1998 and this process of learning by doing is still going strong now as I continue to refine and test every single component of my design, and probably will continue as long as I'm alive.
I also had the good fortune of talking with some brilliant luthiers like Greg Byers and others who generously shared with me some other valuable information on this topic of linings that helped to guide me and also helped to verify my observations and data that I was collecting. It's really important to share these things with one another because it is easy to lose perspective when working so closely on your own guitars and hearing them day in and day out. Having another experienced and intuitive luthier to give you their own feedback they observe in their work is critical to making sure you stay on course and grounded in reality and rooted in a traditional sound too.
Before I get into more detail about what I do, why I do it, and how I do it; let's take a look at some different types of linings and I'll share my take on them and their uses.
Just to clarify my language here, I 'm defining all the different designs of this category as "linings". Sometimes they are referred to exclusively as "kerfing", but I think calling the who group "linings" is the best way to address the group as a whole for the purposes of this series.
Let's look at the most common group first, the kerfed linings, and I will also be giving a brief overview of the effect that each has on the guitar as well. It is briefly touched on here because we will be looking much more deeply into the physics behind why I feel the linings are important to consider when designing your guitar in Part 2 of this series.
Also, please keep in mind that what I 'm discussing here is based on my personal observations as I used the different styles of linings in various guitars through the years. I also took note when playing guitars by other builders to attempt to understand and digest this as best as I could intuitively and intellectually. So far, my observations have served me well in the progress and of my own work and my hope is that it will benefit you and your guitars too.
This traditional style used by the old Spanish masters such as Torress, is done by simply gluing each piece in one-by-one, and holding them in place until the glue is beginning to set. This style adds the least amount of stiffness to the guitar sides and also adds the least amount of strength or support to the perimeter of the soundboard or guitar back plate. Most often it seems that a lighter wood such as basswood (lime) or spruce is used for this type fo lining. I found that it produced a lighter weight guitar with a softer perimeter. Giving the soundboard a more spring-like boundary seemed to reduce sustain and make the guitar more prone to deformation of the top as the guitar sides and body shape gradually shift under string tension over the years. This type of lining helps to produce the wonderful and traditional Spanish guitar sound and feel we all know and love in those instruments.
I haven't researched the history of guitar kerfing in this regard, but it is my assumption that installing the tentallones one by one was not the kind of thing that could efficiently be done in production settings such as the early luthier shops trying to produce more guitars. So how could one install the tentallones faster, be sure they were glued properly to the guitar sides, and be able to bend them into shape without heat or other equipment? By kerfing them of course!
The triangular kerfed lining is probably the most traditional for steel string guitars and might still be the most commonly used, though I don't know for sure. The interesting feature to note is that the un-kurfed portion gets glued to the guitar side. This adds the least amount of stiffness and rigidity to the guitar's rim and does little to hold the body shape in place structurally. With this style of kerfed lining installed, the guitar sides must remain in the mold until the top and back are glued in place in order for them to keep the desired shape as this type of linings isn't sufficient to hold the guitar sides in place by themselves.
This style helps to give the guitar the traditional Martin type of sound and feel that we all know and love as well as remains lightweight and easy to work with. Because of the triangular shape the stiffness and mass along the perimeter of the soundboard is minimal and it retains much of the qualities found in the Tentallone style of guitar linings.
This style of kerfed lining is glued in place with the un-kerfed side out toward the inside of the guitar body. First and foremost it's just a whole lot easier to glue and clamp in place than the triangular style of kerfed linings, which in and of itself is a great benefit especially for a new builder just starting out. Having the kerfed side glued to the guitar side has other benefits too, it helps to add stiffness and strength to the body shape and also stiffens the perimeter of the guitar in the critical point where the top or back plates meet the sides. I feel this takes some of the structural load off of the top and back plates as well since the stiffer rims can hold its shape more independently.
I feel this adds more sustain to the guitar and a clearer more defined bass and stronger trebles too. Overall more efficient and responsive, and again remember these are my personal observations and tastes. When I switched to this style I felt it was a step in the right direction moving closer toward the sound I was dreaming of in my heart and mind for my guitars.
Lastly, the solid linings are made from one or more strips of wood bent to the actual shape of the guitar body. They can be a single piece or several thinner pieces that are laminated together for even more strength.
There are no Kerf cuts (with some exceptions that you can see in my Luthier's EDGE step by step tutorial on how to make these solid linings coming in part 2 of this series) with this style since the shape is pre-bent into the wood with steam and heat.
This style adds the most stiffness and strength to the guitar sides and perimeter of the soundboard or guitar back plates. Switching to this style of linings was a wonderful breakthrough for my guitars and is what I currently use for all of my models.
Why Are The Guitar Linings So Important?
1 – On its most basic level, the linings help to increase the gluing surface area between the guitar sides and guitar top or back plates. Without the linings, the thin sides wouldn't have much of a glue joint to make a strong connection to the top or back plates and would likely fail. Not only that, but since often times we route channels into the top/side and back/side joints to inlay the decorative binding and purfling strips, the guitar world literally fall apart when we cut into them there if it weren't for the linings to add the needed thickness of material.
2 – The second thing is a little less obvious, a lot more important, and is really the thing I want to focus in part 2 of this series; it is the way the design and make-up of the linings affect the tonal signature and responsiveness of the guitar.
Whats Comming Up Next In Part 2?
In Guitar Linings Part 2 – Physics – we'll be covering the physics of Guitar Linings and explore why each style is affecting the guitar's system in such a way, PLUS an exclusive step by step tutorial for Luthier's EDGE members only.
My hope is that understanding this on a deeper level will help you to avoid the years of trial and error I went through to discover this information, and ultimately empower you to confidently choose which lining style and material is the best choice for your guitars or at least give you a firm starting point for your own experiments.
Learn all about guitar linings, choosing the right style for your guitars, and how to make them in this 53 page ebook containing Part 1, Part 2, and part 3 of this series, PLUS the Luthier's EDGE Exclusive Step By Step Tutorial walking you through every detail of my special method for making my two part solid linings that I use on all of my guitars.
Click below to find out more details about this eBook and how to download it.


We went to llangollen for a special day trip the other Sunday, From where we are was around a 1hr 30min drive, Llangollen is a small town in North Wales, the river Dee runs through the town, it is a very Beautiful place, the view of the river dee from the Llangollen bridge is spectacular, on the one side of the bridge is the train station, you can take a stream train trip through the Dee valley, we didn't go on this as was £11 each and would have took around 2hours.
We decided to go on the horse drawn canal boat ride. this leaves from the Canal wharf, this takes around 45mins on a trip down the canal, because it is pulled by a horse the ride is very smooth and very quite, the price was £6 each adult. It is a very nice relaxing trip, but can be a bit boring as the trip is I would say about a mile, but you see the same scenery. There is also another trip that leaves from the canal wharf that goes over the Llangollen Aqueduct, not sure of the price of this but the journey is approx 2.5hrs.
We then spent some time looking around the shop, I have to admit it is a lovely town, We then took a trip up the horseshoe pass, It is great driving up there with great views, we stopped at a layby just near the top, the view from the top is just spectactular you can see the whole valley and all the surronding areas for miles. Going towards trhe horseshoe pass there is also the ruins of a Abbey, sorry not sure of the name at time of writing.
Just outside of the town there is the horseshoe falls, it took us a few attempts to find this, it is just off the A5 towards Berwyn and behind a little hotel / pub, the river runs behind the hotel, if you walk for approx 10mins to the right of the hotel then you come to the man made horseshoe fall this is a large semi circle waterfall, approx 2-4ft high, this would be a great place just to relax as loads of open grassland to just sit and relax.
Llangollen is a great place to visit for the day or even a few days, my only critism is that there are no road or street signs directing you to all the different attractions.
From Llangollen we decided to visit another waterfall that was close by, I had seen a picture on a postcard from one of the shops, so look on the net on my phone (that's when i could get a signal 🙂 and found the website, the place was called Pistyll Rhaeadr, on the website it said was in a town called Llanrhaeadr, so i had copied and pasted this name into the googlemaps on my phone, and gave me directions, but this is where a few problems started, as the googlemaps said it was north of Llangollen approx 15miles, so again over the horseshoe pass and we eventually after all the winding roads got to Llanrhaeadr, but unfortunately after speaking to a few people in this very small village we was in the wrong Llanrhaeadr, as there are two places of the same name by Llangollen.
Eventually after going back over the horseshoe pass, back trough Llangollen, and back on the A5, went trough Oswestry and then onto the correct village of Llanrhaeadr, it is at the end of a very tight windy road at times we wasn't sure if heading in the right direction, but when we pulled up was really worth the wait, The Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall is a amazing sight it is approx 80 mtrs high and is just spectacular to look up from the bottom of the waterfall to the top, there is a little bridge that runs across the bottom the the waterfall stream.
Three of the four of us decided to walk to the top, if you are going to visit and want to walk to the top be warned is a very long and tiring walk, and would recommend good footwear and having a drink. It is well worth going to the top as the views of the surrounding Berwyn Mountains, and even some more smaller waterfalls at the top that you cannot see from the bottom.
See my photos from the day out by clicking the photo's below or go to my full photo albums from the menu link at top of page.
All in all was a great day out, but a very long day out. I would definitely recommend anyone looking for a day out or if passing in the area. to have a visit to Llangollen and even more the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall as you wont be disappointed with the amazing views.


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Star Trek: Picard – Countdown
IDW Publishing has released Star Trek: Picard – Countdown, a deluxe 3-issue miniseries written by Mike Johnson and series Supervising Producer Kirsten Beyer. This countdown event centres around a mission that would go on to change the life of beloved Star Trek captain Jean-Luc Picard – widely considered to be one of the most popular and recognizable characters in all of science fiction.
Star Trek: Picard – Countdown Issue 1
You've seen the trailer… now, witness the events leading to CBS All Access's Picard. Before he retired to his vineyard, Jean-Luc Picard was the most decorated admiral in Starfleet. Then one mission changed his life forever. The Countdown starts here!
As the situation on the Romulan colony continues to unravel, Picard finds himself faced with a difficult choice that will affect millions. The official countdown to the Star Trek: Picard series on CBS All Access continues here!
Jean-Luc Picard has traveled to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, defeated impossible foes, and survived in the face of unthinkable odds, but it's the end of this one mission that will change his life forever. The official countdown to CBS All Access's Star Trek: Picard ends here, and things will never be the same…
Issues 1 & 2 available now from ComiXology


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September 8, 2017 10:45AM PT
Oscars: David Rubin Returning to Produce Governors Awards
CREDIT: Ryan Miller/REX/Shutterstock
David Rubin will return to produce the ninth annual Governors Awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Academy president John Bailey made the announcement on Friday. Honorary awards will be presented to writer-director Charles Burnett, cinematographer Owen Roizman, actor Donald Sutherland, and director Agnès Varda at the Nov. 11 ceremony at the Hollywood & Highland Center's Ray Dolby Ballroom.
"David's continuing and passionate commitment to the Governors Awards assure us that the evening will be a memorable tribute to this year's four distinguished filmmakers," Bailey said.
Rubin has casting credits on more than 100 films and TV programs, including "Trumbo," "Wild," "Lars and the Real Girl," "Hairspray," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Men in Black," "Romeo + Juliet," "The English Patient," "Get Shorty," "Fried Green Tomatoes," and "Four Weddings and a Funeral." He has received six Emmy nominations, most recently for 2017's "Big Little Lies," and won an Emmy for the HBO movie "Game Change."
Rubin also spent six years developing and producing films with Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella at Mirage Enterprises. He serves on the Academy's Board of Governors, representing the casting directors branch.
"I'm thrilled to once again be entrusted with producing this extraordinary event, which manages to be both a stirring awards ceremony and one of the year's most buoyant celebrations," Rubin said.
Governors Awards


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