This page discusses the Bucket Lock feature, which allows you to configure a data retention policy for a Cloud Storage bucket that governs how long objects in the bucket must be retained. The feature also allows you to lock the data retention policy, permanently preventing the policy from being reduced or removed. For examples of using this feature, see Using Retention Policies and Bucket Lock.
This feature can provide immutable storage on Cloud Storage. Bucket Lock can help with regulatory and compliance requirements, such as those associated with FINRA, SEC, and CFTC. Bucket Lock may also help you address certain health care industry retention regulations.
You can add a retention policy to a bucket to specify a retention period.
If a bucket has a retention policy, objects in the bucket can only be deleted or overwritten once their age is greater than the retention period.
A retention policy retroactively applies to existing objects in the bucket as well as new objects added to the bucket.
You can lock a retention policy to permanently set it on the bucket.
Once you lock a retention policy, you cannot remove it or reduce the retention period it has.
You cannot delete a bucket with a locked retention policy unless every object in the bucket has met the retention period.
You can increase the retention period of a locked retention policy.
Locking a retention policy can help your data comply with record retention regulations.
Caution: Locking a retention policy is an irreversible action. Once locked, you must delete the entire bucket in order to "remove" the bucket's retention policy. However, before you can delete the bucket, you must be able to delete all the objects in the bucket, which itself is only possible if the all objects have reached the retention period set by the retention policy.
You can place holds on individual objects which prevent them from being deleted or overwritten.
You can include a retention policy when creating a new bucket, or you can add a retention policy to an existing bucket. Placing a retention policy on a bucket ensures that all current and future objects in the bucket cannot be deleted or overwritten until they reach the age you define in the retention policy. Attempts to delete or overwrite objects whose age is less than the retention period fail with a 403 - retentionPolicyNotMet error.
For example, say you have a bucket with two objects in it: Object A you added a month ago, and Object B you added two years ago. If you apply a retention policy to your bucket that has a retention period of 1 year, you cannot delete or overwrite Object A for another 11 months: it is currently 1 month old, but must be a least 1 year old to delete or overwrite. Object B, on the other hand, can be deleted or overwritten immediately, since its age is greater than the retention period. If you decided to overwrite Object B, this new version of Object B has an age that restarts at 0 years.
To help track when individual objects are eligible for deletion, objects in a bucket with a retention policy each have retention expiration time metadata. This piece of metadata shows the date and time when an object fulfills the retention period.
Unless the retention policy is locked, you can increase, decrease, or remove the retention policy from a bucket.
Changing a retention policy is considered a single Class A operation, regardless of the number of objects affected.
An object's editable metadata is not subject to the retention policy and can be modified even when the object itself cannot be.
A retention policy contains an effective time, the time after which all objects in the bucket are guaranteed to be in compliance with the retention period.
To see the earliest date when a given object is eligible for deletion in a bucket with a retention policy, view the retention expiration date portion of the object's metadata.
Retention policies and Object Versioning are mutually exclusive features in Cloud Storage: for a given bucket, only one of these can be enabled at a time. Any versioned objects remaining in a bucket when you apply a retention policy are also protected by the retention policy.
You can use Object Lifecycle Management to automatically delete objects in a bucket, including in a bucket with a locked policy. A lifecycle rule won't delete an object until after the object fulfills the retention policy.
You use constraints in organization policies to require that retention policies with specific retention periods be included as part of creating a new bucket or as part of adding/updating the a retention policy on an existing bucket. For more information, including instructions for setting this organization policy, see Setting Organization Policies.
A day is considered to be 86,400 seconds.
A month is considered to be 31 days, which is 2,678,400 seconds.
A year is considered to be 365.25 days, which is 31,557,600 seconds.
You can set a maximum retention period of 3,155,760,000 seconds (100 years).
For gsutil, when specifying a retention period, you use a [NUMBER][UNIT] format, where [UNIT] can be s, m, d, or y to signify seconds, minutes, days, or years, respectively. Only one unit of time can be used in a command. For example, you can use 900s or 15m, but you cannot use 15m30s.
When you lock a retention policy on a bucket, you prevent the policy from ever being removed or the retention period from ever being reduced (although you can still increase the retention period). If you try to remove or reduce the policy duration of a locked bucket, you get a 400 BadRequestException error. Once a retention policy is locked, you cannot delete the bucket until every object in the bucket has met the retention period.
Locking a retention policy is irreversible, and you should be familiar with the implications of doing so prior to using this feature. When you use an unlocked retention policy, you have the ability to remove the policy, allowing you to still delete objects when desired. When you lock a retention policy, you must delete the entire bucket in order to "remove" the policy. However, you can't delete the bucket if there are objects in it that haven't fulfilled their retention period. Thus, to "remove" a locked retention policy, you have to wait until every object in the bucket has fulfilled its retention period, at which point you can delete the bucket.
Additionally, when you lock a retention policy, Cloud Storage automatically applies a lien to the projects.delete permission for the project that contains the bucket. While in place, the lien prevents the project from being deleted. To delete the project, you must first remove all such liens. Note that removing a lien requires the resourcemanager.projects.updateLiens permission, which is part of the roles/owner and roles/resourcemanager.lienModifier roles.
For information on how locking a retention policy can help your data comply with record retention regulations, see the compliance section.
Event-based holds can be used in conjunction with a retention policy to control retention based on the occurrence of some event, such as holding loan documents for a certain period after loan was paid. Temporary holds can be used for regulatory or legal investigation purposes, such as holding trading documents for legal investigation.
An event-based hold resets the object's time in the bucket for the purposes of the retention period.
A temporary hold does not affect the object's time in the bucket for the purposes of the retention period.
Say you have two objects - Object A and Object B - in a bucket with a 1 year retention period. When you added the objects to the bucket, you placed an event-based hold on Object A and a temporary hold on Object B. A year passes, and while you'd normally be able to delete them at this point, because both objects still have a hold on them, you can't delete either of them.
Let's say at this point you release the hold from both objects. For Object A, its time in the bucket starts from scratch for the purposes of the retention period. This means it must stay in the bucket for another year before it can be deleted or overwritten. Object B, on the other hand, can immediately be deleted or overwritten, because the temporary hold has no effect on when the object fulfilled its retention time.
In addition to placing holds on individual objects, you can enable the default event-based property on your bucket. When you do this, each new object that subsequently gets added to the bucket automatically has an event-based hold placed on it.
This behavior is useful when you want an object to persist in your bucket for a certain length of time after a certain event occurs. For example, your bucket may be meant to store loans that you must retain for a certain number of years once they've been paid off. With a suitable retention policy and the default event-based hold property enabled for your bucket, when you upload a loan document to your bucket, it gets an event-based hold placed on it. When the loan is paid off, you can release the hold, at which point the retention policy ensures the loan remains stored and unchangeable until it fulfills the retention period set in your retention policy.
Securities and Exchange (SEC) Rule 17a-4(f).
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Rule 1.31(c)-(d).
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Rule 4511(c).
If a Google Cloud customer determines that any of the aforementioned regulations are applicable to them, they should complete their own compliance assessment against the specific requirements with the oversight of their own legal counsel and financial regulator. To assist with your assessment process, Google Cloud engaged Cohasset Associates, Inc. ("Cohasset") to obtain an independent and objective assessment of the compliance capabilities of Cloud Storage. Cohasset has determined that Cloud Storage, when properly configured and used with the Bucket Lock feature, may help users address certain US record retention regulations, such as: SEC Rule 17a-4(f), CFTC Rule 1.31(c)-(d) and FINRA Rule 4511(c). The Cloud Storage Bucket Lock feature includes integrated control codes that can provide you with WORM (write once read many) compliant, immutable storage on Cloud Storage. You may find the report here.
Important: To maintain your retention policies and object holds, you must keep your current GCP account active and in good standing. Before discontinuing your account, you must transfer your data to another compliant service to maintain compliance. Any individual tasked with removing a project lien associated with a locked bucket should be someone with legal or compliance accountability and outside of your IT department's accountability chain. For more information, see the Service Specific Terms for Cloud Storage.


This is the first module in the Introductory Training course. This module is designed to help you get set up correctly to make Expert Agent work correctly for you. You can read the course notes by going to the Personalising your EA page of the manual.


How much does the bomber's young widow, Katherine Russell, know?
When tragedies like the Boston Marathon bombing occur, a curious thing happens: We become just as interested in the lives of the suspects (and what will happen to them) as we do the lives of the victims (and those that were lost) — perhaps even more so. I reached out to my Facebook network for some insight into this phenomenon, and the general opinion was that when people commit such horrific crimes, we feel compelled to understand why.
As the media, we understand this morbid curiosity and feed into it. I admit to sniffing out every bit of information over the past few days like a bloodhound, trying to piece together this grim puzzle. For every article about 8-year-old victim Martin Richard, there seem to be 10 more about Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed in a shootout with police this week. But very little has been written about another significant figure in this case: Katherine Russell, the 24-year-old widow of the elder Tsarnaev — and mother to his toddler daughter. Yes, he was married with a child.
What we do know about Russell is that she's an American who converted to Islam after meeting Tsarnaev. In a message released to the public, Russell's family expressed shame and disbelief that their son-in-law could be repsonsible for such a horrific terrorist attack. Online commenters were divided. Some refused to believe she could not have known that her now-deceased husband was a religious radical with murder on his mind. Others came to Russell's defense, arguing that partners of rapists, swindlers, philanderers and even murderers are often completely unaware of their significant others' devious sides — especially if said sociopaths are clever enough to keep a low profile.
Though Tsarnaev's wife was a newly inducted member of Islam, it's important to note that true Islam and extremism are two very different things. That said, is it fair to accuse the spouse of a terrorist of guilt by association — is that part of what "for better or worse" entails? Is it a person's responsibility to be in tune with her/his partner's state of mind? Or is it more important to give Russell the benefit of the doubt?
Readers, what do you think? Does Katherine Russell know more than she's letting on, or is it fathomable to be married to a terrorist and not even know it?
Why Do Men Get Married, Anyway?


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by Sir Walter Scott
The idea of a hero going home, wooing his true love, and fighting bad guys wasn't original to Scott—it's the oldest story in the world. Nor was the idea of framing the story in an historical setting—the Icelandic sagas are essentially historical novels. The blend of actual historical figures and events with legend and pure invention was unique to Scott. Some of the best parts of Ivanhoe feature the Outlaw of Sherwood and his merry men, including a particularly aggressive and hungry Friar Tuck.
By uniting myth and historic fact Scott lends context to both, building a vivid stage for his story. Today's historical novels focus on the setting itself, piling detail on detail after months of research; we get a feel of time and place, but often the narratives are less than compelling. It's not Richard the Lionheart or the futility of the Crusades Scott wants us to think about, it's something more human and universal. These elements offer credibility and realism, not the substance of the novel.
Ivanhoe is about race relations. Central is the tension between Norman and Saxon in post-conquest England, as the Saxons are oppressed by the French newcomers. This uncomfortable situation is present from the beginning, when members of both races converge at the castle of Cedric the Saxon. There's also the more remote struggle between Christian and Muslim in the Holy Land, which serves as a foil for the Norman/Saxon relationship, as all Christians were united against the heathen Arabs.
But Scott is much more bold for his time. Throughout Ivanhoe, the eponymous knight is helped and abetted by the Jew Isaac and his daughter Rebecca. In Scott's day, but even more in the Middle Ages, Jews in Europe were considered a sub-race, at the best second-class citizens filled with avarice and cunning. Scott's treatment is sympathetic, even positive, portraying Isaac and Rebecca as the most human, most caring individuals in a crowd of self-serving, vicious knights and churchmen.
There's fun stuff too, not just incisive commentary. Lots of action—meleés, jousts, fistfights, sieges, and battles. Romance, too, and sinister villains (Brian du Bois Guilbert is one bad baddie), intrigue, chases, damsels in distress, the works. Wamba, Son of Witless, Cedric's jester, is lovable and hilarious, especially his priest-impersonating exploits. And though Scott's style is dense, his prose is careful and suited to his subject. Ivanhoe is deservedly remembered as one of the great adventure novels.
FLAWS: Fighting/violence
Summary: This archetypal historical adventure follows Wilfred of Ivanhoe as he fights evil side-by-side with Richard the Lionhearted and Robin Hood.
High Middle Ages (1066-1300)
BookAngles Review
A conservative Christian review.
Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Ambleside Year 7
Honey for a Child's Heart
Guy Mannering

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
More FM
MediaWorks NZ Ltd
All Win
Barfoot & Thompson - Low February property sales show emerging buyers' market
Recent sales data has Barfoot & Thompson suggesting Auckland's property market is becoming a buyers' market, but a top economist says it isn't there just yet.
On Monday, the property company announced its February sale numbers were the lowest for a month since December 2008 at the high point of the global financial crisis.
There were 474 sales for the company in February, which Barfoot & Thompson manager director Peter Thompson said showed the market was failing to gain momentum.
"In the first two months of the year, sales numbers at 1,127 are down 10.4 percent on what they were for the first two months of last year," he said.
"While sales activity was limited it had only a minimal impact on the average sales price which, at $918,496, was down less than $9,000 (0.9 percent) on that for January and $1,000 (0.1 percent) less than that for February 2018."
The change in median price to $801,000 was greater, being down $26,500 or 3.2 percent from January. The median is also down $19,000 or 2.3 percent from February last year.
"The market is progressively hardening into a buyers' market with a number of vendors preferring to take their property off the market when they cannot achieve their asking price."
But former ANZ chief economist Cameron Bagrie told The AM Show on Tuesday that it isn't time to call it a buyers' market just yet.
"Buyers' market I think is a little bit of a stretch. If you are a buyer out there and you are still trying to buy your first home, and the first home is trading about nine times income, it is kinda hard to characterise it as a buyers' market," he said.
"Your prices are starting to come back, and I think that has been a good, healthy adjustment so far. But to say it is a buyers' market, a bit of a stretch, but it is moving in the buyers' favour".
Barfoot & Thompson also confirmed that sale by auction was the most common sales method, with two thirds of auctions resulting in sales.
In February, a ASB Housing Confidence Survey found that, for the first time in more than five years, more respondents thought it was a good time to buy than a bad time.
Newshub.
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South Korea's Biggest Credit Card Patents Blockchain Payments System
South Korea's leading credit card firm Shinhan Card has been granted a patent for a blockchain payments system.…
LG Applies for 'ThinQ Wallet' Crypto Wallet Trademark in the U.S.
South Korean technology behemoth LG applied for the "ThinQ Wallet" trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.…
Chinese Central Bank's Blockchain Trade Platform Processed $4.36B
The People's Bank of China blockchain trade finance solution processed $4.36 billion in foreign exchange transactions since its inception.…
President Maduro Orders The Bank of Venezuela to Accept Petro Crypto
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro ordered the country's leading bank, Banco de Venezuela, to accept the nation's cryptocurrency El Petro at all its branches.…
Economist Joseph Stiglitz: Only a Fool Would Trust Facebook's Libra
Nobel laureate in economics Joseph Eugene Stiglitz claimed that "every currency is based on trust, but only a fool would trust Facebook's Libra." Nobel prize-winning economist, Joseph Eugene Stiglitz, claims that "every currency is based on trust, but only a fool would trust Facebook's Libra" in an article published on July 2.Stiglitz also notes that "in just a few short years, Facebook has earned a level of distrust that took the banking sector much longer to achieve." He appears to fear that Facebook's cryptocurrency could be hospitable to a shadow economy:"The last thing we need is a new vehicle for nurturing illicit activities and laundering the proceeds, which another cryptocurrency will almost certainly turn out to be."Still, the economist also acknowledges that the current financial system has a problem, which is the lack of competition in payments.…
Dutch Ministers Call for Cryptocurrency, Cash Use Regulations
Dutch ministers have called on the government to introduce new regulations on money laundering that would include cryptocurrency-related stipulations.…
French Central Bank: Facebook's Libra May Need Banking License
The Bank of France Governor said that Facebook's Libra must comply with anti-money laundering regulation and seek banking licenses if it offers banking services.…
Appetite for Blockchain Tech Builds Among Korean Banks, but Without Crypto
Korean banks push for blockchain adoption as former high-level officials join the space. In recent weeks, major South Korean financial institutions have rolled out a number of services incorporating blockchain technology, especially in the areas of Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and security.…
Spanish Law Enforcement Arrests 35 Suspects for Bank Fraud, BTC Money Laundering
Spanish law enforcement arrested 35 people for allegedly counterfeiting banking cards and laundering the proceeds through bitcoin.…
FT: Facebook Hires Standard Chartered Bank's Head of Public Affairs for Crypto Project
Facebook hired Standard Chartered Bank's head of public affairs Ed Bowles for its cryptocurrency project, dubbed "Libra." Facebook has reportedly hired Standard Chartered Bank's head of public affairs Ed Bowles for its cryptocurrency project, the Financial Times reports on June 14.Per the report, Facebook hired the senior bank lobbyist in anticipation of the greater regulatory scrutiny in Europe over its plans to launch its own crypto asset and other financial services to its 2.4 billion users.…
Bank to Basics: USC Project Seeks to Disrupt Traditional Wholesale Banking
The Utility Settlement Coin (USC) project has the potential to disrupt the banking sector with crypto payments.…
3 Top Executives Depart Online Lending Fintech Startup SoFi
Fintech startup SoFi — known for its online lending services — has seen three top executives depart from the company.…


Nowadays, an increasing number of students need to get an MBA degree. This costs approximately $20,000 to $100,000 for a period of two years. If you are seeking a better future, there are many ways to reach success; one of the most important is to definitely getting a master's degree. However, that is not all, because you must keep in mind the prestige of the institution and other important things that will help you to make a better decision.
Turkey is a country that offers a large range of MBA programs; it produces a significant competition between the US and Turkish universities to draw as many students as possible to their MBA programs. So, representatives from MBA programs in the US arrive to Turkey each year to promote their programs. Each university provides attendees or students with detailed information about their MBA programs; time, cost and all that is necessary to get an MBA degree.
There are universities in Turkey that offer MBA programs with a duration of two years, but to study in one of them, you have to schedule your time because they require you to be a full-time student. For people who don't have much free time, there are also MBA Programs with duration of 16 months that requires part-time students. To apply to one of the varied types of MBA programs, first you have to choose a program that relates to your career and fits your needs.
The online education makes sense for a wide range of reasons. In our days, no matter if you are interested in health care education or business schools, getting a bachelor degree online is not an impossible task. There are online courses that offer more flexibility and allow you to obtain your degree in a short time.
As most people know, a bachelor's degree is referred to as a B.A. (bachelor's of arts) or B.S. (bachelor's of science) and covers a large range of areas and professions such as computer science, English, film studies, management science, accounting science, finance and banking, marine biology and much more.
If you want to review other MBA options or bussiness programs in other cities as business schools in Florida to learn more about MBAs, you could use the internet to find more resources that you may need.


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The Day of the Doctor - Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special
The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary has come and gone but this week at Fruitless Pursuits we're not quite ready to hang up our Fez's and say it's over.
Join me under the cut for a reaction post to the wonderfully light and funny 50th Anniversary special The Day of the Doctor.
BEWARE: SPOILERS BELOW!
The Day of the Doctor sees Matt Smith's Doctor and his companion Clara picked up by UNIT to investigate a letter from Queen Elizabeth I. A painting called; No More or Gallifrey Falls intrigues the Doctor. The painting is of the day the Doctor destroyed all of the Time Lords and the Daleks during the Time War but isn't actually just a painting, it is a moment trapped in time.
As the Doctor remembers that day we are introduced to John Hurt's War Doctor, and his lead up to his final act in the Time War. The Time Lords discover that he has stolen The Moment; a device so powerful that it became sentient and could pass judgement on its user. The Moment appears using the avatar of Rose Tyler, mistakenly believing that the Doctor will recognise and sympathise with her when John Hurt's Doctor has never met her. She refers to herself as Bad Wolf Girl and tells him that his punishment, should he destroy Gallifrey, will be to live. In an attempt to show him his future, she opens a portal in time and space to both Matt Smith and David Tennant's Doctor's.
Meanwhile, Matt Smith's Doctor discovers that a previous incarnation of himself, David Tennant's Doctor, has changed history and married Queen Elizabeth I - previously known as the Virgin Queen. While investigating other paintings that appear to have been broken from the inside, a portal opens and the Doctor remembers that he needs to throw his Fez through and greet himself on the other side.
David Tennant's Doctor has proposed to the Queen in a bid to reveal her as a Zygon - a red alien, covered in suckers that can take human form. He is mistaken (the Zygon ends up being his horse) and the creature chases them through the woods and takes on the Queen's form. This leads to all three Doctor's meeting each other and racing against time to prevent the Zygon invasion of future Earth and the potential destruction of both London and Gallifrey.
Tributes to the early series were amazing. The opening credits that were ground breaking at the time were used to open the episode. The TARDIS was parked in the same junkyard as in the first series and Clara was teaching at the same school that Susan went to. It was pretty magical and certainly added value to long time fans whilst not detracting from the experience of newer fans.
Matt Smith's Doctor was funny and played off David Tennant's Doctor especially well. Even when they were matching actions, their styles of movement were so authentically their own Doctor's and so casually performed that it was often mind blowing. Smith managed to carefully walk the line between being the oldest and wisest of them and also being the most childlike in his desire to forget.
David Tennant's Doctor slipped back into his charming self, getting snogged left and right and saying very strange things at break neck speed. How he managed to transform himself completely back into his Doctor I have no idea. I had missed him but having him standing right next to Matt Smith further confirmed for me why I love Matt Smith's Doctor more (even though choosing between them is like choosing between children). This is why Clara's comment when she sees her Doctor about to do something terrible really resonates. She tells him that John Hurt is the warrior and we already have enough of those. She tells him that David Tennant is the hero and given that his Doctor had a serious hero/God complex it seemed fitting. She told him to be what he has always been; a Doctor.
For me, this is the fundamental difference between David Tennant and Matt Smith's Doctors; the man who regrets tries to save everyone and tries to defy free will and the power of the universe. The man who forgets tries to get back to basics and remember who he is at his heart. I think Matt Smith is more like Christopher Eccleston's Doctor in this way - sometimes; everybody lives. Eccleston's Doctor was trying to make up for the Time War and be the Doctor again, but when the Dalek's came back it opened up the internal dialogue and the regret that needed to happen. Matt Smith brings elements of that man back and I love that connection.
John Hurt's War Doctor was simply magical. I desperately want to see his stories and yet it seems clear that so much of what he would be doing would not be compatible with the series. I wondered if he had ever had a companion and I think not. I think this is what the Doctor can become if he is left alone for too long and certainly what the Doctor knew he couldn't do in front of a companion. I loved the older and crankier moments intermingled with the spark of humour. I loved both the wisdom and vulnerability in his portrayal and this is making me so excited for the 13th Doctor - yes; because John Hurt's confirmation as an authentic Doctor puts him in the 9th Doctor position, Christopher Eccleston in the 10th, David Tennant in the 11th and Matt Smith in the 12th; making Peter Capaldi the 13th and final incarnation of the Doctor in this set of regenerations.
The three Doctors interacting included a lot of fan-service yes; but it was also gold. The Doctor arguing with himself and then acknowledging that this is what he's like when he is alone was brilliant. The differences between the man who regrets what has happened and who he has become versus the man who wants to forget because it's too painful was so beautifully illustrated. When they come together to press the button and destroy Gallifrey together it's a really heart breaking scene; all of these different men, one and the same, trying to take responsibility for what they have done. John Hurt's comment: "great men are forged in fire, it is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame" nearly tore my heart out... and then Rose/the avatar telling the Doctor that the sound of the TARDIS gives hope to anyone who hears it... even him, was just perfect. Prompted by Clara, the team of Doctors think of a way to not have to destroy Gallifrey at all, thus allowing them all to continue to be the Doctor including John Hurt.
The humour between the three Doctors was brilliant. All the comments about sand shoes, chins and pointing the screwdriver were hilarious and not overdone. I liked when they discovered a likeness or did things at the same time just because they could... and that John Hurt's Doctor just would not play ball. I loved John Hurt mistaking both of his future selves as companions and commenting that they get younger and younger. My favourite joke though (aside from the bunny, I don't know why that was so funny but it was) was when they flip their levers and yell their catch phrases! Matt Smith goes "Geronimo!" David Tennant goes "Allonsy!" and John Hurt goes "Oh for GODSAKE... Gallifrey Stands!" I love you old man. I LOVE YOU.
Jenna-Louise Coleman's Clara was actually pretty great in this episode. I found Clara in season 7 to be more miss than hit. As Oswin she had so much promise and even in the Christmas special The Snowmen she was really good. From that point on, the only hint of a great companion came in Nightmare in Silver. At least this episode developed her into more of a strong companion and gave her a different outlook. Wonderfully, post The Name of the Doctor, Clara now knows and trusts the Doctor much more than before. Having been scattered across his timeline she completely trusts him and understands him. It makes sense that she can look at him and know what he is feeling, that she feels protective of him and that she is a true and constant friend. It's a real shame there is only one episode left with the two of them together now that they have really hit their stride.
Billie Piper returned as the avatar for The Moment and it actually worked pretty well (especially on second viewing) because it reversed the idea that her character was reduced to her love for David Tennant's Doctor. The Rose I really loved was Christopher Eccleston's Rose and this performance harks back to that time. She get's to be a true guiding voice again but interacts primarily with John Hurt's Doctor. It's a breath of fresh air for both of the characters. Her appearance not only brings back the Bad Wolf saga but also ties in nicely with Christopher Eccleston's Doctor choosing her to be his companion. Although he might not remember how he knows her, he has seen her before.
As companions then, in a Doctor heavy episode, both Clara and Rose brought back the main idea behind companions generally; to keep the Doctor true to his name, to open up possibility and to help him see what might not be immediately obvious. Both of them had magical moments in suggesting ideas to their Doctor's and wanting to see them succeed. Clara was resourceful, brave and vulnerable. Rose was sensitive, kind and guiding. It was a pretty great use of companions in an episode that could have easily had them completely overshadowed and reduced to screaming background fixtures.
The female contingent was also bolstered by the return of UNIT and Kate Stewart as well has her assistant Osgood who was sporting a Tom Baker Doctor Who scarf (clearly given to her by the man himself!!!!). Kate Stewart was fantastic in The Power of Three and the idea that she might become a recurring character, especially in Capaldi's season, is really exciting. I loved the wall of companions in the Black Archive. If you look closely you can see all sorts of previous additions to the TARDIS crew. This is also our only inclusion of Rory and Amy in the 50th Anniversary episode; probably a good thing.
Although it was fantastic to see the montage of all of the Doctor's contributing in the end to the rescue of Gallifrey, that part didn't make total sense. All they really needed was a line that suggested that these Doctor's had sent a message through time and space to their past selves to come to this point and help. It makes sense that they might not remember given the crossing of time streams (wibbly-wobbly) but without the message it doesn't make sense that any Doctor, from 8th backwards, would be there. On the other hand, it makes complete sense that Peter Capaldi's Doctor would be there, as it seems that Matt Smith's Doctor is the only one who will retain memory of the event. Let me tell you, in the cinema, at the moment when it was said that all 13 Doctor's were there and Peter Capaldi's face came into view there was a lot of whooping and screaming. What a fantastic addition and moment. Oh my God I am excited for that regeneration!
At the end of the episode, when Matt Smith's Doctor is the only one left he comments that he could become a curator of the art in the place where the painting No More/Gallifrey Falls is stored. A man appears behind him and says that maybe he will. I totally expected it to be Peter Capaldi but it was Tom Baker!!!! He tells Matt Smith's Doctor that the real name of the painting is 'Gallifrey Falls No More' and that this means that Gallifrey is still out there, in a pocket universe. He explains that the Doctor revisits some of his old favourite faces in the later years - hence why he is Tom Baker again. Matt Smith's Doctor asks if this is what he is supposed to do now; find Gallifrey. This scene is important for a lot of reasons. Firstly, one can ascertain from the re-appearance of Tom Baker and his comment that the Doctor is successful in obtaining further regenerations. We now know that Gallifrey still exists and given that they are the only ones, aside from the Sisterhood of Karn, who can grant more regenerations, Peter Capaldi's Doctor is probably going to spend his season trying to find them. We also know that the Doctor can control his regenerations in the future - hence picking some of his old faces. The Sisterhood of Karn mentioned this skill in the Night of the Doctor special as advanced Time Lord science. If the Doctor can now control his regeneration then random assignment is no longer a detail; in fact he can choose to be a woman if he wants to. This is all very exciting. Bring on next season!
As a side note; if you didn't get to see the episode in the cinema, there were extra bits and pieces that you will hopefully be able to find online/on the DVD. There is a skit with the Sontaran's and Strax which details cinema etiquette and also talks about popcorn being feasting on the corpses of tiny exploded corn people and hearing their screams when you chew. The other is of Matt Smith as the Doctor greeting us for the 100th episode in 12D which he is quickly corrected about, telling us that there are Zygons in the audience and he can't help us, and switching us over to 3D - at which point David Tennant's Doctor appears to warn us to watch out for the chin when Matt Smith switches to 3D. Hilarious.
All up, a really fun cinema experience and generally speaking, episode and celebration. I'd say the episode was like Swiss cheese - there might have been holes but it's still enjoyable.
Posted by Vanessa Randolph at 2:43 AM
Labels: Billie Piper, David Tennant, Day of the Doctor, Doctor Who, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Matt Smith, movies, television, Vanessa Randolph
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Toby Frost
Straken - out in paperback!
Thread starter Toby Frost
The Warhammer 40,000 novel I wrote, Straken, is now out in paperback. It's a tale of war, intrigue, space monsters, large killer robots, crazed preachers, dubious political officers, spaceships and explosions set in the far future.
Plucked from a catastrophic war against the monstrous tyranids, Colonel 'Iron Hand' Straken and his Catachan Jungle Fighters are sent to the cavern world of Dulma'lin to clear it of an ork infestation. Ranged against an overwhelming force of greenskins, and with the hostile attentions of Commissar Morrell upon them, the Catachans must overcome internal divisions and hold the line against the alien menace.
It's available from Black Library (the publishers), Amazon, Waterstones and, I'm reliably informed (thanks Baylor) Barnes and Noble.
Straken (Warhammer 40, 000): Amazon.co.uk: Toby Frost: 9781784964467: Books
Reactions: Boneman, Hex, Droflet and 4 others
Neat. Someone better shout "Get to da Valkyrie!"
A Commissar? Don't Commissars assigned to Catachan regiments have a tendency of having "accidents"?
HareBrain
Smeerp of Wonder
West Sussex, UK
Congrats! How much difference to readability/understanding would it make if you haven't read a Warhammer 40k novel before? (I'm familiar with quite a few of the concepts etc.)
Yes, political officers don't tend to do terribly well with Catachan regiments. They seem to explode or hack themselves to death by mistake quite often.
Not a huge amount, to be honest, HareBrain. Imagine the wider world of Dune but Medieval Catholic instead of Islamic and you're a fair way there. Straken is largely set on one planet and there are no space marines, so there's not a bewildering range of factions and the really intense background stuff doesn't appear. Because of the slightly low-tech nature of the fighting, the really wacky stuff doesn't really come into play. It probably helps to know the background, but this one is pretty self-contained.
Reactions: HareBrain
Bick
A Member of the Forum
Auckland, NZ
Black Library approached you to write this, Toby? It's not like your other well known series of books, in mood, I would suspect. Just interested how this came about.
It came about in a rather roundabout way. A while ago, I was at an SF convention and happened to end up sitting next to James Swallow, who writes space marines books for GW. We got talking, and he suggested that I contact them. I did a couple of short stories for them, and it was proposed that I wrote a novel. Certainly, having written anything full-length did me some good here, as it showed that I could organise and keep going with a proper book.
I found the tone quite hard to get, partly because when I was very into GW's world, about 20 years ago, the tone was different and the audience too. Warhammer Fantasy and 40k were much less of an established brand, and included a lot of in-jokes and nods to other franchises. When I started, Warhammer even had its own heavy metal label! Since then, the franchise had consolidated and the setting was taking itself much more seriously. The wry quality was gone and grimdark was in. So I found it quite hard not to crack jokes, partly because of the Smith books and my instinct to find the absurdity in SF (and you will be astonished to learn that 40k is a bit absurd in points) and partly because I was planning to write a book that was 20 years out of date.
It was also helpful to be writing about people who weren't conformists, and whose background nodded as much to old war films as to Warhammer itself. Interestingly, when an advert for Straken appeared in White Dwarf, mention was made of it containing black comedy. So it is there, just very toned down. But then, if you were stuck in the 40k world, you probably would develop a certain black humour, just as a defence mechanism.
Reactions: Boneman and Bick
Very interesting, thanks Toby. I would not normally read this sort of thing at all, the idea of Warhammer doesn't especially float my boat, and the covers they give them are a bit 6th form, for my liking. That said, I know you write very well having read Captain Smith, so your addition to this somewhat geeky world makes me wonder about giving (at least your book) a try at some point.
Reactions: Toby Frost
To be brutally honest, I think they vary and I would probably not recommend starting with anything with space marines as the lead characters: they tend to be more Mary-Sue-esque and are very intensely 40k and rather hard to relate to. Dan Abnett's Imperial Guard books always get a very good write-up, and I've heard that his "Inquisitor" novels are good too: less military and more undercover work, although probably weirder.
Droflet
I don't teach chickens how to dance.
Just spotted this. All the best of luck with it, Toby.
There Are Always new Things to Learn.
Bick said:
Bick, I've read it and it's terrific !
Reactions: Toby Frost and Brian G Turner
Droflet said:
Droflet, You would definitely enjoy this book.
When I like a book , I tell the world.


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Press Release (ePRNews.com) - Miami, USA - Apr 27, 2017 - As the center of America's executive, legislative and judicial branches, Washington D.C. is home to more lawyers than any other city in the country, and possibly the world. A staggering one in 12 D.C. residents is a lawyer, charging an average rate of $250 per hour. Provided you are not among the over 100,000 Washingtonians living in poverty, finding an attorney in the District of Columbia is not exactly a needle in a haystack exercise. But the level of competition presents its own difficulties to clients hoping to separate those firms that merely talk a big game from those that achieve real results.
Huddles Jones Sorteberg Dachille, P.C.
A very, very, unfair advantage.
Premonition software has begun to shed light on the overall court performances of lawyers across the globe and has regular access to data on individual attorney win rates, case durations and settlement averages.
Law firm Huddles Jones Sorteberg Dachille tops D.C.'s list of high volume practices, subsisting on a diet of construction law and, appropriately for the capital, government contract resolutions. Meanwhile, Delwin Realty maintains a busy Real Estate Legal Services branch that handles a large number of cases with a relatively quick duration. According to Premonition data, they have one of the highest win rates in the D.C. area.


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Armenian parents dream of having a son
15 September 2017 by Armine Avetisyan Leave a Comment
Этот пост доступен на языках: Русский
Zhanna Tepanyan with her daughter (Armine Avetisyan/ OC Media)
Despite their number slowly decreasing, Armenia still has one of the highest rates of sex-selective abortions in the world. OC Media talked to a number of women who faced pressure from their families after falling pregnant with a daughter about the decision they were forced to make, and the consequences they've had to live with.
[Read in Armenian — Հոդվածը հայերեն կարդացեք]
An unexpected daughter
'I got married at the age of 17, and five months later I was already pregnant. The pregnancy was expected in our family, it was even considered late because my husband's family subscribes to the view that the purpose of a bride is to have a baby, and she should get pregnant after the first night of sleeping with her husband', says Gayane (not her real name), a resident of Aragatsotn Province in the west of Armenia.
Gayane started to visit a local clinic with her mother-in-law to monitor if everything was fine with her pregnancy.
'We went to the doctor very often — so often that [at one point] they wouldn't even receive us telling me all my tests were fine. I was already ashamed to go, but my mother-in-law made me go saying "I'm afraid something will happen with my boy" ', Gayane recalls.
By 'boy', her mother-in-law meant the baby her daughter-in-law was waiting for. The mother-in-law was convinced Gayane would have a boy. During one of the visits, when she was 13 weeks pregnant and the doctor was able to see the baby's sex, Gayane was told she would have a baby girl.
'It was probably the most terrible day of my life. When my mother-in-law learnt I was going to have a girl, she did not say anything to the doctor and we came home in silence, but I felt there was going to be a quarrel at home. And it happened. My mother-in-law was screaming that her son didn't want a wife who was going to have a girl. She was shouting that she would be ashamed before her family, that she had already told everybody her son's wife was pregnant and she was going to have a boy. My father-in-law was listening silently, but from his look I could see he agreed with his wife's words. Even my husband's sisters, who were not married at the time, looked at me with disapproval. I was looking forward to my husband coming home from work so at least he could defend me', says Gayane.
Gayane's husband, however, joined her mother's side after he returned from work, claiming he was not the kind of a man from whom a girl would be born. There was a family gathering during which Gayane was not allowed to speak; they discussed the issue of having a girl and decided she was not a desirable child and should be removed.
'They forced me to go to the hospital… I had an abortion… God has punished me for that day, but I am not guilty for it, they forced me', says Gayane crying.
12% of Armenia's population considers sex-selective abortion acceptable, according to a 2016 United Nations Population Fund report Men and Gender Equality in Armenia. More women (13%) than men (11%) consider sex-selective abortion acceptable.
The number of people who consider selective removal of a female embryo acceptable is higher in rural areas — 18% of respondents in rural areas and 13% in urban areas consider sex-selective abortion acceptable. The report also links higher acceptance with lower levels of education.
Once done abortion can become fatal
Six years have passed since Gayane had an abortion. For all these years Gayane has been trying to get pregnant again, but in vain. She has undergone many tests which have shown she has acquired fertility problems due to the abortion, which is why she can't get pregnant. She is now undergoing treatment.
'Now my husband and mother-in-law pay a lot of money so I can at least have a girl. They are very sorry for what they did. And I'm suffering because I couldn't find enough strength in myself. I killed my unborn baby with my own hands. I was a child, I was stupid'.
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Naira Vardanyan spoke with OC Media about some of the complications women face after having an abortion.
'After abortion, women face a number of complications: directly and indirectly. Direct complications occur during abortion or several days after it, such as uterine perforation, bleeding, remains of the embryo in the uterus cavity, acute inflammation of the uterus, and others. The indirect complications arise over the years, and the most important one is infertility, as well as miscarriages and future complications in pregnancy', Vardanyan says.
Two years ago, the government decided to combat sex-selective abortion. On 2 July 2015, the Armenian parliament approved a package of draft amendments to the law on 'Human reproductive health and reproductive rights'. The law prohibits sex-selective abortion, applying penalties to doctors who carry them out. On 19 June 2016, the law was adopted by parliament.
According to Vardanyan, however, the law is vague and is difficult to apply. She says adopting legislation alone cannot be successful in combatting sex-selective abortion because society is not ready to change its attitude.
We broke up because I was going to have a girl
'I was 34 when I got married. I loved my husband very much. We were so happy when we got married I didn't even imagine one day we would break up or that the reason could be a baby girl we were going to have', Zhanna Tepanyan from Gyumri tells OC Media.
Zhanna explains that when her husband and mother-in-law learned she would have a daughter, they immediately ordered her to terminate the pregnancy. The reason they gave was that before marrying Zhanna, her husband had been married to another woman, and he had two daughters from the first marriage. He now dreamt of having a baby boy.
'I was told either I have an abortion or we would divorce. I chose the second option. Now my daughter is one and a half years old. I'm happy. Although I do not have a house, I live in very bad conditions, there is a miracle living here with me. My parents help me. Soon, I'll take my baby to preschool and I'll start to work, my child should live well', says Zhanna.
Zhanna's husband did not recognise the child as his own — his surname was not given to the girl. He saw her only once, about a year ago, but has since passed away.
'My daughter was eight months old when her father was dying. I took my girl to her father. He saw her. But there was no reaction from his family. Shortly afterwards he died. I have no contact with his mother. She doesn't need us', says Zhanna.
Zhanna's story is not uncommon in Armenia, which is why doctors try to work with men when they notice a danger that a future father is not inclined to have a baby girl. Usually, doctors ask women to attend a consultation with their husbands and during the echocardiogram, they start talking specifically to the men, showing them details of the baby's body on the screen, thus preparing the man for the idea that he is waiting for a miracle, that he is going to become a father, and that the baby's sex doesn't matter.
According to Armenia's National Statistical Service, 112 boys to 100 girls were born in 2016. Although the number of sex-selective abortions is three times lower now than in 2005, the current sex ratio is still considered one of the most unequal in the world. According to the CIA World Factbook, the number is also high for Azerbaijan and Georgia with 111 and 108 boys born respectively for every 100 girls. The world average is 103 boys to 100 girls.
[Read from Georgia on Chai Khana: Georgia's missing girls]
Filed Under: Gender, Top Tagged With: abortion, abortions, Armenia, sex selective abortions, women, women of armenia, women's rights
Women's rights advocates demand Georgian official resign over rape joke
Activist and journalist arrested and 'tortured' in Ingushetia
The 'clan' in Georgia's judiciary reattempt lifetime appointments
ვიტალი საფაროვის დედა: უნდა ვიცოდე, რის გამო მომიკლეს შვილი


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Terror Danjah
Label: Tru Thoughts
Buy Digital Stream
'Invasion' is the sixth, highly-anticipated, album from grime veteran and production mastermind, Terror Danjah. One of the most well-respected producers and key players in the grime world, London-based Terror Danjah is known for his work with some of the highest calibre of MCs in the scene, such as Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and N.A.S.T.Y. Crew (which included Jammer, D Double E and Kano).
An exceptional instrumental LP, 'Invasion' features Terror's trademark heavy basslines, intricate programming and kinetic productions, with a sonic output that is brash, neon-bright and hyperactive. Lead single "Module" is a deep dancefloor-tested tune layered like a colossal sonic wall, featuring Terror Danjah's idiosyncratic presence of a gremlin-meets-robotic crackle – a secret formula to the success of his sound. 'Invasion' also boasts collabs with producer, BBC 1Xtra DJ and close friend Sir Spyro on album opener "TBC" and fresh new talent, Nii-Teiko featuring on "Scene 1".
The use of Caribbean steel pan drums on "Wavy" creates euphoria-laden rhythms, "Snowfall" is an agro-distorted dub attack, while "After Dark" showcases Terror Danjah at his finest, ominous and hard-hitting with wobbly bass backdrops and chopped vocal clips scattered around the room eerily.
Red Card Riddim feat. Hitman Hyper
Buy Stream


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Bembidion cnemidotum is een keversoort uit de familie van de loopkevers (Carabidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1883 door Bates.

cnemidotum

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Roller-type gins provided the first mechanically aided means of separating lint from seed. Types of roller gins include the Churka, the reciprocating knife and the rotary knife. The ginning rate of the rotary-knife gin is about 20% of the saw-ginning rate per unit of length. Seed cotton conditioning equipment in roller gins is the same type used in saw gins. Lint cleaning in current reciprocating knife roller gins is typically done with cylinder and impact cleaners similar to those used for seed cotton as well as air-jet cleaners. Roller-type gins provided the first mechanically aided means of separating extra long staple cotton lint from seed. The Churka gin, the origin of which is unknown, consisted of two hard rollers that ran together at the same surface speed, pinching the fibre from the seed and producing about two pounds of lint a day. In 1840, Fones McCarthy invented a more efficient roller gin that consisted of a leather ginning roller, a stationary knife held tightly against the roller and a reciprocating knife that pulled the seed from the lint while the lint was held by the roller and stationary knife. A rotary-knife roller gin was developed in the United States in the late 1950s. The roller ginning process does less damage than saw ginning when separating fibre from cottonseed. However, roller ginning is a much slower process.


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Home Breaking The Berlin school devours its children
He is powerful in words, the man who juggles Berlin's billions: SPD budget spokesman Torsten Schneider likes to talk everyone down to earth. Last week, Schneider went back to the microphone. His task: to smash the CDU motion for disapproval against the SPD education senator.
Schneider praised the Berlin teaching staff, only to inadvertently tear down the backdrop of the good Berlin school in the last sentence when he certified the senator to "hang into the Moloch".
juggernaut? The word that Schneider tumbled out of his mouth has it all. Because the Moloch is a "cruel power that constantly demands new victims and threatens to devour everyone," says the dictionary – derived from the Bible, where "Moloch" meant the burning of children as offerings. So that's how it is: Schneider credits the criticized senator with the fact that she at least opposes the cruel power: "She hangs herself in the Moloch."
Schneider said something very true about that. Because the Berlin school actually devours its children. And that has to do with the party for which the Parliamentary Secretary spoke in the plenary session.
Because the social democracy has deprived the schools of their offspring with a mixture of a lack of study places and refusal to become civil servants, which is unique in Germany: 1000 positions will remain vacant for the summer. In addition, around one in three teachers came into office without a teaching degree.
What do these career changers know about learning processes and behavioral disorders? How do you teach migrants German? Who of you knows how to recognize dyslexia? In the next school year, to add to all the evils, there will be a shortage of even more special education teachers.
The SPD bears the main responsibility for this situation because it has been determining education policy for over a quarter of a century. Their senators were also wedged between their party friends in the finance department, in the parliamentary group and at party conferences.
At no other point is this more evident than with the shortage of teachers: although all other states nationwide gradually returned to civil servants in order to counteract the emigration of teachers, the Berlin SPD stuck to its party doctrine.
Even when in 2019 not even lateral entrants were enough to fill the gaps, the party congress said "no" to civil servants. He later had his education experts buy his "yes" in return for a promise to waive teaching from employed teachers who cannot or do not want to be civil servants – an impossibility under collective bargaining law.
But how do you call it when you have to take a party for fools by making proposals that are impossible to implement, just so that they agree to the only way at the moment to secure the teachers in Berlin, namely civil servants?
In view of this disaster, the Greens are often accused of spurning the office. But this rejection also falls back on the SPD, because it has damaged the Berlin school in such a way that this department only produces losers.
Torsten Schneider must have thought of all of this when he slipped out the horrible word. juggernaut If the SPD still believes it can defeat the juggernaut, that could already be proven at next Sunday's party congress – through Realpolitik.
Previous articleIncumbent Hilbert in front of mayor election in Dresden
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If, for once, the cars don't jam
Macron camp heading for majority
North Korea apparently fires missiles from rocket launchers
Stoltenberg dampens hopes of rapid NATO accession
US Senate agrees on better protections against gun violence
What does Scholz want to achieve – and what does he have in his luggage?
The foxes end the season with a defeat – and still celebrate


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Fear is Negotiable: Business Survival Skills 101
May 27th 2014:Special Encore Presentation: Helping Our Nations Peacekeepers: K9's For Warriors
In our continuing series on the challenges facing our nations soldiers and veterans, we switch the focus to the "four legged" support available to those struggling with post-traumatic stress as a result of combat or service to this country. Join us as K9s For Warriors explains how they rescue dogs, train them, and then provide them to veterans. We will also be joined by retired Staff Sargent David Moore, the recipient of a K9s For Warriors dog, and he will explain how having one of these highly trained dogs has changed his life for the better.
K9s For Warriors
K9s For Warriors is dedicated to providing service canines to our warriors suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result of conflicts and war after 9/11. Sandi Capra of K9s For Warriors will explain how they involve the veteran in the training of their new service canine partner, allowing them the opportunity to be part of the solution to their recovery. K9's For Warriors provides a service canine, training, certification, equipment, seminars, vet care, most meals and housing, free of charge. K9s For Warriors is supported by The Wounded Warrior Project, Birdies for the Brave, Warrior Gateway, and many other military organizations. Staff Sargent David Moore recently retired from the G


It has been described as a varicose vein, yet Australia's oldest inter-settlement road has never been considered inconsequential. Everything Must Go is a series of documentary photographs, which explores the decline of small businesses through the microcosm of a stretch of Parramatta Road in Sydney's inner west.
Running 23km from east to west, Parramatta Road was once a bustling thoroughfare, densely lined with a multitude of thriving businesses. This 'Battler's Road' was once the primary route for Sydney's food supply. Numerous Australian industries such as wool and flour mills, biscuit makers and car manufacturers began in premises along Parramatta Road, many of these buildings becoming landmarks in their own right. Today, a disproportionate number of shops stand empty in a strange limbo. Not worth restoring and not worth selling, they slowly decay.
While clearways, shopping centres and modern expressways have undoubtedly had an impact, Parramatta Road's decline is especially poignant in the wake of the recent Global Financial Crisis.
All that remains are the traces...everything must go.


Chief Executive Officer ANIMA, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France, 1991—1994. Research assistant Lausanne Polytechnic Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland, 1995—1999. Professor University Luxembourg, Luxembourg-Kirchberg, since 1999.
Nicolas Guelfi, French information scientist, educator. Member of European Research Consortium Informatics and Mathematics (associate; executive committee 2003-2006).
Guelfi, Nicolas was born on November 29, 1965 in Paris. Son of Julien Daniel Guelfi and Sylvia Guihéneuc.
Doctor of Philosophy, University Paris XI, Orsay, France, 1994.
Member of European Research Consortium Informatics and Mathematics (associate. Executive committee 2003-2006).
Married Bénédicte Legout, July 6, 1991. Children: Xavier, Clara, Loïc.


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ESG drives asset growth at Foresight
by Joe McGrath 26 Nov 2019
Group claims it has seen a marked increase in advisers adopting defensive positions
A top investment boutique has credited ESG-focussed investing for the strong growth in its assets during the past two years.
Foresight Capital Management, set up in 2017 as part of the private equity investment management firm Foresight Group, said it has raised £500m in less than 24 months since the launch of its first open-ended investment company (OEIC).
The team cites the growing demand for ESG and sustainable investing, predictable cash yields, and lower market volatility as key drivers for its success.
Foresight's first OEIC, the FP Foresight UK Infrastructure Income Fund (FIIF), achieved total returns of 11.65% in its first year, exceeding its target full-year yield of 5% with a total return since inception currently above 27%.
The fund focuses on renewable energy and infrastructure investment companies in the UK.
Meanwhile, its FP Foresight Global Real Infrastructure Fund (GRIF), has raised a significant £72m since launch in June – equating to around £15m a month.
The GRIF fund invests in publicly traded shares of companies that own or operate real infrastructure and renewable energy assets globally.
Due to the turbulence in equity markets over the past 18 months, Foresight said it has witnessed a marked increase in advisers adopting defensive positioning for clients' portfolios, adding to the success of both funds.
Nick Scullion, head of Foresight Capital Management, said the funds are on track to raise a record amount in 2019.
"Both funds are well placed to cater to the strong appetite for infrastructure as an asset class in the UK and globally, which shows no signs of slowing down.
"There is an exciting future for GRIF, which has the potential to be a multi-billion pound fund due to its unique access point into global infrastructure assets," Scullion added.
Read More: Foresight


M. D. Ronsheim, C. K Zercher, J. Org. Chem., 2003, 68, 4535-4538.
A zinc carbenoid-mediated chain extension of β-dicarbonyl compounds provides access to α,β-unsaturated-γ-keto esters and amides with complete E selectivity via an intermediate zinc enolate, which is treated sequentially with iodine and DBU.
W. Lin, R. J. McGinness, E. C. Wilson, C. K. Zercher, Synthesis, 2007, 2404-2408.


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Guide to taxis and private hire
Find out more about what to expect from your taxi and private hire journey.
London has the world's oldest regulated taxi service, with a great tradition of quality, value and safety. Our taxi drivers must pass the world-famous Knowledge of London, and our taxi and private hire drivers must pass Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously known as a Criminal Records Bureau, or CRB checks), as well as medical fitness checks.
Black taxis & private hire - the difference
Black taxis are purpose-built vehicles which can be any colour, not just black. Private hire vehicles cover a wide range of vehicles, including minicabs, chauffeur and executive cars and limousines.
Black taxis
There are quite a few differences between black taxis and private hire vehicles. Black taxis:
Are also called hackney carriages, or black cabs, although they can be any colour
Have a 'for hire' light on their roof. This means they can be hailed on the street or from a taxi rank
Can be pre-booked
Accept card and contactless payments without surcharge
Must carry assistance dogs free of charge and are 100% wheelchair accessible. Taxis have an induction hearing loop, high-visibility grab handles, and minimum vehicle dimensions for safer access; and must carry wheelchair users. Find out more
Have fares which are regulated and set by us and are calculated by meter (known as the taximeter
Are purpose-built vehicles specially designed to navigate London's tricky streets
Drivers must pass enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) background checks and regular medical checks
What to look out for - black taxis
A green or yellow badge
If you want to know if the taxi and driver you're using is licensed by us, these are the things to look out for:
Drivers must have a badge and they must wear it while working. A badge shows that they have passed the Knowledge of London exam. Drivers with a green badge are licensed to pick passengers up anywhere in London and drivers with a yellow badge specialise in local suburban areas
A green or yellow licence
Your driver must display one of these licences in the front and rear windscreens of their taxi. This licence shows the driver's badge number. If it is green, it means that you have an All London taxi driver and if it is yellow, your driver can work in local suburban areas.
The taxi plate
As well as the driver's badge number, your taxi must display this white plate on the back of the vehicle. As well as the vehicle's licence number, it shows the licence expiry date, vehicle registration number, and number of passengers the vehicle is licensed to carry.
Private hire vehicles
Are a wide range of vehicles including minicabs, chauffeur and executive cars and limousines
Must be pre-booked through a TfL-licensed private hire operator, who must provide a booking confirmation to a passenger before their journey starts; the booking confirmation must contain, as a minimum:
The vehicle registration mark
The driver's first name
The driver's private hire licence number, as shown on the ID the driver is wearing
Where the passenger can receive it, a photo of driver
Cannot ply for hire or use taxi ranks
Must give you an accurate fare estimate before your journey starts (unless you've pre-agreed a fixed fare). We don't regulate private hire fares, although they are typically distance based
Are no more than 10 years old (to help improve air quality)
Must carry assistance dogs free of charge, and if they are designated as wheelchair accessible vehicles must carry wheelchair users. Find out more
Drivers must pass enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) background check and regular medical checks
What to look out for - private hire vehicles
If you want to know if the vehicle and driver you're using is licensed by us, there are a number of things to look out for:
Private hire ID
Private hire drivers must wear their ID, like this, while working. This shows the driver's name, photo and licence number.
Yellow disc
Private hire vehicles must have licence discs displayed on the front and rear windscreens. They will show: the TfL licence number, licence expiry date, vehicle's registration number, and the number of passengers the vehicle is allowed to carry. Vehicles and drivers are licensed separately, so make sure to check both.
Pre-booked sticker
Sometimes, private hire vehicles will have a pre-booked sticker on display. This is optional and should not be taken as proof that it is a licensed vehicle.
Taxi and private hire drivers are obliged to carry assistance dogs for no extra charge. Our taxis are also wheelchair accessible, and enable the user to travel easily around London - find out more.
If a taxi driver helps you to enter or leave their vehicle, or secure your wheelchair in the passenger compartment, they should not leave the meter running. Drivers who refuse to help with wheelchairs or assistance dogs face prosecution. If this has happened to you, please contact us.
Black taxis are designed with a range of accessibility features specifically included to help disabled and elderly customers. These include: an induction hearing loop, high visibility grab handles and minimum vehicle dimensions to enable safe access.
If you have mobility impairments and have trouble using public transport, you may be able to get subsidised taxi and minicab travel in London. The two schemes are called Taxicard and Capital Call.
If you have a complaint, comment, or just want to let us know that your driver provided a great service, please let us know.
If you are making a complaint, please include the driver's licence number or vehicle registration number, if possible. This helps us to identify them.
Taxis & minicabs navigation
Find a taxi or minicab
Taxicard


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Q: ImportError when trying to execute command "from senti_classifier import senti_classifier" I'm pretty sure that I've correctly installed the sentiment_classifier package on python. I have to use the package on one of my codes. The problem is that the import command is throwing an error. This is what shows up in my command prompt.

from senti_classifier import senti_classifier
      Traceback (most recent call last):
        File "", line 1, in
        File "build\bdist.win32\egg\senti_classifier\senti_classifier.py", line 229, in
      ImportError: No module named collections

However when i execute the command "import collections" no error is thrown. I've only recently started learning python and I'm relatively new to it. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
PS the solution from Sentiment Analysis using senti_classifier and NLTK is not working for me.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Students register to vote just in time for primary
Jordan Wilson
Greg Christy wants his students to pick up a habit. He wants them to vote.
The principal at Metamora Township High School sat down with seniors on Monday morning and helped them fill out the necessary paperwork.
Christy said he expected more than 60 students to register to vote Monday, just in time to vote for the Feb. 5 Illinois primary. Today is the last day to register.
"Habits start young and they stick with you," said Christy, a deputy registrar. "Hopefully they'll get in the voting habit."
For some in Kevin Hicks' Contemporary Issues class at Metamora, it didn't take much persuading.
"I've been 18 since March, so I've been waiting for this," said Katie Harker, who said she will support Hillary Clinton.
Hicks said, among other things, his Contemporary Issues class is a chance to introduce students to real politics. Real politics as in, you don't always have to vote the same way your parents do. He said his main goal is to inform. He pays special attention not to champion one side of the race.
"If anything, it unlocks their curiosity," Hicks said.
Nate O'Neil appreciates the non-partisan crash course. Coming from a Republican family, he supports Rudy Giuliani but at least appreciates knowing there are other candidates out there.
"I usually get one view at home, but I get both sides here," he said.
One of the ways Hicks got students involved is through the Internet. He said the teenagers visited questionnaire Web sites that churned out a potential presidential candidate based on their responses to a set of questions.
"Nowadays kids are so techno-savvy," Christy said. "It's easier than it used to be."
So not only did they register on Monday, but students already had a strong idea of which candidate was their favorite.
Abby Wyztic didn't hesitate to rattle off Barack Obama as her candidate of choice.
"He gives really good speeches and overall he appeals to the youth crowd," she said. "The youth crowd could take it."
When Wyztic casts her vote, which she plans to do, she'll have her school to thank. If Metamora didn't make an effort to register students, Wyztic said she probably wouldn't have signed up.
"If this (registration) didn't happen, I would probably just forget about it," Wyztic said. "We're seniors in high school. We have a lot to do. I wouldn't know where to go."
Jordan Wilson can be reached at (309) 686-3251 or jwilson@pjstar.com.


Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) essential to sustainment logistics. We do see a strong connection between logistics / supply chain and condition based maintenance. This connection can strongly contribute to the F-35 program as well as other programs.
Some of the OneLogistics partners such as WCM – world class maintenance as well as TKI-Dinalog are very active in this field. Both TKI-Dinalog and WCM are active in multiple sectors including aerospace & defense, maritime, process industry, energy and infrastructure. As a result, many Dutch organizations are currently developing and sharing best practices in cross-sectoral, open innovation projects, resulting in disruptive innovations in various domains.


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Q: How to open previous fragment when we are switching from one fragment to another using addToBackStack() I have two Fragments - A and B.
When I replace Fragment A with Fragment B, how do you go back to Fragment A from Fragment B without adding or replacing Fragment A again?

A: try below code:-
@Override
public void onBackPressed(){
    FragmentManager fm = getFragmentManager();
    if (fm.getBackStackEntryCount() > 0) {
        Log.i("MainActivity", "popping backstack");
        fm.popBackStack();
    } else {
        Log.i("MainActivity", "nothing on backstack, calling super");
        super.onBackPressed();
    }
}

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/FragmentManager.html#popBackStack

A: I always use popbackstackimmediage.
Using support library inside class extending fragment(Api <11):
getActivity().getSupportFragmentManager().popBackStackImmediate();//returns a boolean

For api level >11 inside class extending fragment:
    getActivity().getFragmentManager().popBackStackImmediate();//returns a boolean

For class extending activity you dont need getActivity() context:
getFragmentManager().popBackStackImmediate();//similar for support library


Corpus Christi is a port on Corpus Christi Bay about 230 miles southwest of Galveston in Nueces County. A 21-mile channel links the city with the Gulf of Mexico.
The first European to visit the area was Spanish explorer Alonzo de Pineda in 1519. Corpus Christi began as Kinney's Trading Post, founded in 1838-39 by the adventurer and impresario Colonel Henry Lawrence Kinney. A seawall, with steps to the water, was built in the late 1930s as part of a major landfill that created Shoreline Boulevard.
Today, Corpus Christi is a major deep-water port and one of Texas' most popular seacoast playground cities; the Corpus Bay area temperature average is 71.2 degrees. Padre Island National Seashore boasts more than 130 miles of beaches. The Water Garden at Bayfront Arts and Science Park consists of approximately 150 fountains that are illuminated at night. The USS Lexington and Texas State Aquarium also are major attractions. Texas A&M University has a campus at Corpus Christi.


In August 2010, author Kevin J. Anderson and musician Neil Peart met to seriously discuss the novelization of a future Rush album as they hiked up Mt. Evans in Colorado. As friends for more than two decades, they had often talked about the possibility of tying prose, music, and lyrics together as Anderson's work had been inspired by Rush on more than one occasion.
Peart had already written most of the Clockwork Angels lyrics in 2009 and Rush had already recorded the first two songs, Caravan and BU2B. But it wasn't until their hike that Peart described the basic plot line and characters that Anderson was immediately inspired to flesh out with a skeleton draft.
Clockwork Angels is a steampunk story that begins in an imaginatively diverse utopia.
Most people will think of the Albion region as a dystopia, but Peart sees it differently. Despite the oppressive precision of the Watchmaker, who sees the world and all its people as interconnected gears, Peart retains his passion for a region filled with magically mechanical and sometimes mystical things. As for the people who live there, none of them know any different.
All of them accept their preplanned and finely-tuned lives. That is, of course, except for one boy. Owen Hardy was destined to become the region's chief apple orchardist, marry his childhood sweetheart, and raise a family to succeed him. But instead, Hardy frequently finds himself dreaming of faraway places, inspired in part by a book his late mother had written.
This seemingly small spark of free will gives Hardy his color in an otherwise vanilla existence. It's also what attracts the attention of the Watchmaker's nemesis, the Anarchist. Once a talented pupil and the secret protege of the Watchmaker, the Anarchist has dedicated his life to either wake up or disrupt the overtly organized lives that have been so carefully aligned to become a well-oiled machine.
If this story line seems somewhat familiar, it's because Peart has frequently visited the conflict between two extremes over the course of his career. And while the most apparent comparison can be made to the album Hemispheres, Peart also includes notes from previous epics such as A Farewell To The King's quest for immortality and the sense of discovery wonderment in 2112.
And it is here in such a setting, right in the middle of two opposing forces, that the story of Hardy unfolds. In one innocent but spontaneous decision to jump a train and visit the region's famed capital city, he sets out to discover the world on his own — a choice that he believes to have made on his own.
Clockwork Angels both soars and struggles to tell a story.
Although Anderson is talented as an author, Clockwork Angels takes significant time to find its lift. In building the world that Hardy will eventually explore, the opening chapters are surprising passive and often stuck in the past tense. He takes too literally the notion that the future is best written as a history.
Perhaps the only way that the slowness and sometimes repetitiveness works is in that it mirrors the lives of the people who live there. Everything is constructed with so much purpose that it never feels purposeful. It's only until Hardy makes it beyond the Watchmaker's sphere of influence and out of Crown City that the story starts. Even the quirky carnies in Crown City aren't quirky enough. Much like Hardy, they are slightly more colorful than the populace they entertain, but still too obedient.
That is not to say that Anderson and Peart haven't invented some wonderful steampunk additions, some of which are as beautiful as they are frightening. More accurately, Anderson tends to hit his stride when when he is moving (both figuratively and literally). All four major destinations — Poseidon, Atlantis, Seven Cities of Gold (despite the lack of an explanation), and the unnamed Wreckers island of sorts — become more interesting settings as Hardy begins to lose his idealistic upbringing and naivety.
A thumbnail sketch of two storytellers.
Science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson is no stranger to the genre. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., Dune, and books related to The X-Files as well as several originals, including Resurrection Inc., which was inspired by Grace Under Pressure. Originally from Wisconsin, all he ever wanted to do was write science fiction. He sold his first story for $12.50 in his senior year of high school (although other stories were accepted and paid for in copies).
Neil Peart is a prolific author in his own right, having published several books. But where his talents truly shine as a storyteller have been as a lyricist for Rush. Few if any have been more successful in weaving science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy into music. He is easily one of the most accomplished lyricists in rock with an affinity for fitting large and cumbersome stories into a few lines of lyrics.
Clockwork Angels: The Novel Turns 2.9 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.
Decidedly cool, given its ties to the album of the same name, Clockwork Angels: The Novel adds another layer to what will long be remembered as one of Rush's finest triumphs. Unfortunately, the novel reads more like backgrounder than it could have. While it does stand on its own as a novel, the unevenness provides too many holes, unneeded devices, fairytale tones, and trite resolutions.
Anyone who enjoyed the album or has an affinity for the steampunk genre as a fable will find reasons to enjoy it, and Anderson and Peart do impart a few pearls of wisdom that are universally true. The real treasure earned in any life is measured in love and respect. Therein lies where the work edges out the above average marker as a concept to be included for review.
Clockwork Angels: The Novel can be found on Amazon or the book can be ordered from Barnes & Noble. It can also be downloaded for iBooks or as an audiobook, narrated by Peart himself. You can expect several references to Rush lyrics throughout and Peart's afterthoughts share many other influences that helped shape the book. The album review is here.


Happy Quilting: TNT Thursday with Dorian's Gift Bag Tutorial!!!
I am so excited this TNT Thursday to have Dorian guest posting with her fabulous Gift Bag Tutorial!! This is something new that I totally want to try!!! Thanks again Dorian and take it away . . . .
With Christmas arriving soon, I though a cute gift bag would be in order. You can fill it with some small things like Legos or mini dolls, and give it to a child. Or fill it with some yummy chocolates for a favorite coworker or friend. Maybe even some cute sewing things for your sewing buddy.
1 piece of 18"x 27" batting or interfacing of your choice (depending on how stiff/soft you want your bag.
1 piece of 18"x27" lining fabric.
Lay fabric A strip wrong side up in front of you, going lengthwise. Measure up from the bottom 1" and from the side 2" and mark a 1 1/2"x1/2" rectangle. Do this on both ends. Draw a line down the center and from each corner to the center.
Cut on the drawn lines inside the rectangle. And press to the inside.
And sew the pieces down.
You will need nine prairie points (PP's for short) Cut out nine 4" squares. I used fabric C, but you can use whatever color you want, or even make them all different.
Fold from one corner to the other, and press. And then fold one bottom corner to the other, and press again. So the two sides of the triangle, are folds, and the bottom is raw edge.
Open up the corner where the last fold was made, just a little bit to slip in the next triangle. I like to put it in about an inch. Then sew, using a scant 1/4" seam (some people use 1/8"). Stopping about halfway thru the triangle, to put the next one in.
I leave my small ruler right there next to my needle, so I can easily measure as I make my chain.
Sew all 9 PP's together.
Put fabric B face up on your table,. lay the PP's down along it, matching the bottom of the PPs to the top of fabric B. Lay fabric A face down on top (make sure the slits lay along the PPs).
Pin and sew 1/4" seam.
Press the seam up, towards fabric A. This will make sure your PPs' are pointing down.
Sew fabric C to the bottom of fabric B. Right sides together, 1/4" seam.
I laid my interfacing down on the back of my project, and marked about an 1 1/2" of space that covers the slits, then cut the strip out. You don't want to cover up the slits. This area has to be open (not ironed to the lining).
Iron on my interfacing to the back of your pieced project. Then place the lining on it, WRONG sides together. If using interfacing that irons on both sides, go ahead and iron your lining down. If not, or if you use batting. Pin it and quilt it anyway you want to.
Then fold the top down about 1/2" and sew a seam.
Fold your project so that the right side meets the left side, with the WRONG sides together. Pin and sew a scant 1/4". Down the side and along the bottom.
Turn your bag inside out. Smooth it all flat and sew a 3/8" seam down the side and along the bottom.
Using a 4"x wof strip. Fold strip in half lengthwise and press. Open up, fold one long side to the middle fold line, press. Fold other long side in, press. Then fold the whole thing in half lengthwise.
Press and sew. I like to sew all around mine, but you can just sew the one seam to hold it all together, if you want.
Put a safety pin in the end of your strip and thread it thru the slits you made in the bag. This tie might be too long for you, if so, cut it to the length you want and sew the end up.
I hope you've enjoyed my tutorial. Thanks again Melissa, for having me here.
And Thank You Dorian for taking the time to put together such a fabulous tutorial and then being willing to share it with all of us. I am sure quite a few of us will be adding it to our list of New Things to Try!!!
So what did I do new this week??? I tried out my new mat and practiced squaring up on a rotating mat, and my oh my, I love it!!!
What an adorable bag, thanks to the tutorial!
Cute bag, great tutorial. I love the prairie points.
I am TOTALLY making this bag!! Teacher gifts!!! Woot! Thanks!
Cute tute - Love making bags of all kinds!
Cute Gift Bag! Love the Prairie Points on the bag. Really makes it cool!


text:
Posts Tagged 'Bernie Madoff'
And Somehow Even More Still for Friday
* Cut from the top to save UC.
The current University of California Office of the President, or UCOP, is a labyrinthine bureaucracy that takes money from the 10 campuses where actual teaching and research happen. Instead of investing more authority in a president whose ambit is already absurdly huge — an annual budget of $24 billion, 230,000 students, 191,000 faculty and staff — the regents should scale back UCOP and empower each campus to make even more of its own decisions.
* The case for S4 of Arrested Development as masterpiece.
* Why Didn't the SEC Catch Madoff? It Might Have Been Policy Not To.
* And MetaFilter has a big post up about major universities running afoul of the Clery Act.
Tagged with academia, administrative blight, Arrested Development, art, Bernie Madoff, class struggle, Clery Act, Dartmouth, finance capital, How the University Works, masterpieces, Occupy Cal, rape, rape culture, scams, SEC, television
Good News for Mets Fans
While the hated Yankees look likely to win the World Series, Mets fans can take solace in the fact that at least the Mets may not have lost money to Bernie Madoff.
Tagged with baseball, Bernie Madoff, Mets, Yankees
Thursday!
* I'll be posting this year as a HASTAC Scholar at the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboatory. My first post is about status update activism of the sort that is all over your Facebook newsfeed today.
* Speaking of health care, Olympia Snowe now runs your health care.
* LRB makes an impressively desperate bid for my attention with Fredric Jameson's review of Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood alongside reviews of Inglourious Basterds and Inherent Vice.
* Madoff-mania: The SEC—which he claims he was shortlisted to chair (!)— now admits it badly mishandled multiple investigations of his company. Still more here.
* Kevin Carey nicely notes the difficulty inherent to blogging about a book you're two-thirds through with. Another post or two on Infinite Jest soon. The total collapse of blogging at A Supposedly Fun Blog is one of the great disappointments of Infinite Summer, I think.
* Hiding adjuncts so the U.S. News rankings can't find them. Meanwhile, this year's Washington Monthly undergraduate rankings leave Duke out of the Top 25.
* So you've invented a board game. (via)
* 68 Sci-Fi Sites to See in the U.S.
* And Gawker declares the Michael Cera backlash has officially begun.
Tagged with adjuncts, Bernie Madoff, colleges, Duke, Facebook, HASTAC, health care, How the University Works, Infinite Summer, Inglourious Basterds, Inherent Vice, Jameson, Margaret Atwood, Michael Cera, Olympia Snowe, politics, Ponzi schemes, science fiction, status update activism, the SEC, The Year of the Flood, U.S. News
Kim Stanley Robinson and 'We Are All Madoffs'
'We Are All Madoffs': David P. Barash writes in the Chronicle of Higher Education that the relationship of technological civilization to the natural world is that of a Ponzi scheme. Kim Stanley Robinson makes the same point in the interview we conducted with him for the upcoming Polygraph issue, which will eventually wind up on the website and likely also on this very blog:
KSR: …I've been trying to use standard economic terms to describe the situation in ways capitalists might have to come to terms with, that might serve as entry-points to a larger discussion: that the implicit promise of capitalism was that a generation would work so hard in the working class that its children would be in the middle class, and that if extended this program would eventually lift everyone on Earth; but now, resource analysis makes it clear that for the three billion living on less than two dollars a day, this promise can never be fulfilled; so that capitalism is really nothing but a big Ponzi scheme, and would be illegal if run in a single state or community.
Then also, the pricing we put on things, carbon especially, does not include the environmental costs of making the thing, so that we are practicing systemic predatory dumping, and the competitors we are predating on are our own children and the generations to come. So we are predatory dumpers, out-competing non-existent people, which is easy enough; but they will suffer when they come into existence, and we are cheaters.
More on the Polygraph issue soon. (via)
Tagged with Bernie Madoff, capitalism, ecology, Kim Stanley Robinson, politics, Polygraph, Ponzi schemes
Monday Night Links
Monday night links.
* After a brief flirtation with "top five" status, Brüno is back to being a box-office disappointment.
* Top ten comics cities. #2: Chris Ware's Chicago. Via MetaFilter.
* xkcd tackles the frighteningly addictive power of TV Tropes.
* SF by the numbers. Via Boing Boing.
* Why are we so fat?
* Also in the New Yorker: profiles of Al Franken and Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, last seen ratifying nature's right to exist.
* And allow me to offer my heartiest gerrycanavan.blogspot.com welcome to North Carolina's newest resident.
Tagged with Al Franken, America, Bernie Madoff, books, Brüno, Chicago, Chris Ware, comics, ecology, Ecuador, fatopia, fatpocalypse, film, health, North Carolina, obesity, science fiction, TV Tropes, xkcd
Tuesday!
* Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in jail on Monday. I think what I enjoy most about this is the absurd dialogue, oddly ubiquitous, over whether the punishment is "too lenient" or "too harsh"—as if, that is, it were a sentence one might possibly serve out and not more years than any human being (much less any 71-year-old human being) has ever lived. They might as well have sentenced him to a million jillion years.
* Uranium on the Moon! We need to secure it before the Russians Chinese Martians Islamofascists get their hands on it; clearly we have no choice left but to blow up the Moon.
* The World Clock will depress you in any number of ways. Only 14,766 days of oil left; forty years, less than a third of Madoff's prison sentence. (via @charliejane)
* Obama spoke today to the controversies over gay rights that are rapidly disillusioning so many of his supporters. Via LawDork, who seems reasonably pleased with the speech, if at the same time anxious for real action to be taken.
* 'Iraqis jubilantly celebrate U.S. troop withdrawal': U.S. forces handed over formal control of Iraq's major cities today … "a defining step toward ending the U.S. combat role in the country."
* Twitter Politics: With the Iranian election, we've seen a privately owned technology becoming a vital part of the infrastructure supporting political activity. That's a problem.
* Debating the public option: Will it just turn into a giveaway to the private insurers? Do you really have to ask?
* It seems like only yesterday that Obama was being accused of orchestrating the coup in Honduras. Now he's a communist for opposing it.
* And Ezra Klein has your chilling vision of things to come.
Tagged with Barack Obama, Bernie Madoff, Don't mention the war, Drudge, futurity, gay rights, Glenn Beck, health care, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, oil, places to invade next, politics, prison, the Moon, Twitter
AIG: Numbers Don't Lie:
Let's start off with xkcd's lesson in how numbers lie.
As I've been saying both up top and in the comments the significance of this AIG bonus outrage is being badly overblown. The bonuses are a nice red-meat issue for the media circus but they're basically a rounding error with regard to the scale of the bailout as a whole. Nate Silver is basically right here precisely because, as the cliche goes, "hard facts make bad law"—though his comparison to the Terry Schaivo case flounders at the fact that this silly thing the Congress is doing has wide popular support. (Nate and Josh Marshall both have more on the possible unintended consequences of this poorly thought-out new tax.)
As I've been trying to argue, the only relevant consideration regarding the bonuses is whether they were legal contracts, negotiated in the proper way and not predicated on fraudulent accounting or other illegal activity. Andrew Cuomo and Eric Holder should be investigating the bonuses, in other words, not Barney Frank. If they were legal, and their terms were met, pay them out; if they were fraudulent or predicated on fraud, arrest people.
What angers me about this situation is the widespread assumption that of course the bonuses are legal (just ill-advised), just like of course everything AIG did was legal but ill-advised. See, for instance, Ezra Klein on Madoff:
Madoff knew his investment scheme was a fraud. Wall Street should have known their investment schemes were a fraud.
Give me a break. Plenty of people on Wall Street knew their investment schemes were fraudulent. Those people are crooks, not dupes, and criminal prosecutions are the way we find out who they are.
(EDITED TO ADD: You can draw a distinction between AIG and Madoff, but it's the distinction between two separate categories of crime, not between the guilty and the innocent.)
Repeating what I wrote in answer to Shankar's question "Criminal Prosecution for what?" last night:
Well, that's the job of state and federal prosecutors to determine. But there's plenty of reason to think that (say) underwriting billions trillions of dollars in insurance obligations you know you have no capacity to pay out on is an abrogation of your fiduciary obligations — just for starters. Fraud and dishonest account methods were rampant in the banking industry, which has strict rules about this sort of thing that plainly weren't followed. It's not *just* stupid — in many cases it was stupid and illegal. Or so it seems to me.
…To add the obvious disclaimer, I'm not a lawyer, much less a prosecutor. But the treatment of the issue in the media tends to frustrate me on this point. Generally speaking the operative assumption seems to be "Oops, and they all got away with it" — that what they did was obviously legal, just slimy, and so we're all just going to have to swallow our anger and move on. I don't know that it *was* legal in all cases, and if CEOs and CFOs broke the law in chasing these bogus returns then DOJ and state AGs absolutely need to get involved. It's a much higher priority for me than retributive taxation of contracts that are obscene (but probably legal) in an industry where the payment of obscene salaries is already (and still) an unchallenged norm. The bonuses are peanuts compared to the amount of money that's already vanished.
Tagged with actually existing media bias, AIG, Andrew Cuomo, Barack Obama, Bernie Madoff, bonuses, CEOs, class struggle, hard facts made bad law, law, liquidity crisis, politics, populism, recession, the bailout, Wall Street, xkcd