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#022 Where Have You Gone Colin Kaepernick?
September 30, 2017 October 1, 2017 ~ russmac0818 ~ Leave a comment
Where Have You Gone Colin Kaepernick?
Colin Kaepernick's protest has been silenced by the noise from the latest media frenzy. Kaepernick is out of football, blackballed from the NFL not because of his ability to quarterback but because of his "unpatriotic" sit/kneel during the National Anthem. The fact that he is not Tom Brady or Cam Newton does not help his cause but two years ago he was a starting NFL quarterback and last year he ranked 17th of 30 in quarterback ratings.
Kaepernick began his protest before the August 26, 2016 preseason game between the San Fransico 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. The protest was in response to unfair treatment of blacks by the police. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," said Kaepernick explaining the basis of his protest to reporters.
The NFL and team owners appears to have concluded that the league is better off without him. Just like the Boxing Associations shunned Mohammad Ali for his protest in the 1960's. Removing Kaepernick from the NFL did not stop the protest that he had started. Earlier in the season some NFL players continued the protest with little media coverage.
The intensity of media coverage changed drastically after President Trump made some remarks challenging those players' patriotism, the owners tolerance and their inability to control the player's actions. Trump, being Trump, created a divisive environment in which both the owners and players believed that their character, actions or motives were attacked by the President.
A protest that started as a response to police treatment against blacks has morphed into a patriotic litmus test. This controversy has come to fuison over the traditional ritual of playing the National Anthem before sporting events.
Forced "patriotism" and blind "patriotism" are the catalyst for the latest media over exposure. The President's suggestion to fire SOBs that refuse to stand for the National Anthem has exposed a bigger issue, an increasingly hostile nationalist agenda.
History – The National Pastime and Patriotism
In Chicago, on September 5, 1918, during Game 1 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs the Star Spangled Banner was introduced to American sports. What began with an active duty soldier saluting the flag grew into a tradition that is common in professional, college, high school and youth sports.
The US had just entered World War 1 a year and a half before that day. More than 100,000 U.S. soldiers had died fighting in the war overseas. A day before Game 1, a bomb had exploded in Chicago killing four people and injuring dozens more. The U.S. government had recently announced that it would begin drafting major league baseball players to go to war.
During the seventh-inning stretch, the U.S. Navy band began to play the Star Spangled Banner. As the song began, Red Sox infielder Fred Thomas—who was in the Navy and had been granted furlough to play in the World Series turned toward the American flag and gave it a military salute. Other players turned to the flag with hands over hearts, and the already-standing crowd began to sing. At the song's conclusion, the fans erupted in thunderous applause.
The song would be played at each of the Series' remaining games, to increasingly rapturous response. It was "patriotism" that started this American tradition., The Red Sox continue the patriotic spirit by honor wounded veterans and giving them free tickets. In Boston, for the decisive Game 6, the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner was moved to the start of the game.Thus, the association of sports, the flag and patriotism was hatched.
In 1931, President Hoover made the Star-Spangled Banner officially the U.S. national anthem. By the end of World War II, NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden ordered that it be played at every football game. "The National Anthem should be as much a part of every game as the kick-off. We must not drop it simply because the war is over. We should never forget what it stands for." Influenced by post-war patriotism the tradition quickly spread to other sports
The NFL Goes Over the Top
The NFL discovered that patriotism was good for business, and nothing is more patriotic than supporting our troops—especially when they are overseas at wartime. The league doubled down on the military and support for its mission both home and abroad.
"It was a conscious effort on our part to bring the element of patriotism into the Super Bowl," Pete Rozelle, former NFL commissioner, said about the past Super Bowls that he reigned over.
In the 1960s, Pete Rozelle continued to align the NFL with the military even thought there was a political and generational divide caused by the Vietnam War. His loyalty to the military paid off in the 1990s with the rebirth of "patriotism" mustered by the Middle East invasion. The 1990's also brought a tremendous increase in TV revenues.
In the 1981 Super Bowl, during the Iran hostage crisis, the NFL wrapped the entire Superdome in one giant-sized yellow ribbon. The league handed out smaller ribbons at halftime to facilitate the singing of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree," a song about loved ones coming home that has long been synonymous with bringing those loved one's home during times of crisis.
Tracing the history of all of this, it seems that the fork in the road for the NFL and patriotism began in post 9/11 America. The NFL supersized patriotism. A corporate brand of patriotism found its way into all walks of life and into the NFL's broadcast and corporate partners.
The NFL became the standard-bearer for what many of us believe to be patriotism. "We've become the winter version of the Fourth of July celebration," said another past commissioner of the NFL, Paul Tagliabue.
Patriotism Becomes Mandate
It's the kind of patriotism that gets warped into needing to exhibit patriotism not as a choice, but by mandate. An example of this can be found in the actions taken by a CBS's broadcast crew after 9/11. One of CBS's broadcasting crews voluntarily wore flag pins on their lapels. The network like that patriotic symbolism so much they made it a requirement for all their NFL broadcasting crews.
In 2009, due to timing concerns for the television networks, the NFL changed the protocol for the National Anthem. The players' location for the primetime games was moved to the field during the anthem. In all other games the players had already been stationed on the field for the national anthem. This change afforded the NFL, the networks and their sponsors a national audience for "the show."
At about the same time that the players were told to stand for the National Anthem, the Department of Defense (DOD) was ramping up its recruitment for support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The DOD began paying sports teams millions in U.S. tax dollars for what amounted to "paid patriotism," for mega-military spectacles on the playing field before the game.
Do I Really Have to Give Credit to Senator McCain?
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a veteran and considered by many as a patriotic man and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) headed a congressional investigation into the DOD funding of professional sports.
Their investigation found that between 2012 and 2015, the DOD shelled out $53 million to professional sports—including $10 million to the NFL—on "marketing and advertising" for military recruitment. The report labeled many of the ceremonies honoring heroes and flyovers as federal funded propaganda.
Their report revealed that the DOD could not accurately account for how many contracts it awarded or how much money was spent. Their official response was that the NFL secured 62 percent of its 122 contracts with major league teams and 70 percent of the more than $10 million. The DOD indicated that the purpose of these contracts was to support recruiting.
The NFL's is one of the DOD's top cheerleader and recruiter for the warfare state. The national anthem has been used as a prop in this near-religious convocation from soldier parading, flag-waving and flyovers by Blue Angels fighter jets to jumbo Tron shout-outs to warriors deployed around the world protecting the United States' Empire.
The NFL became a promotion tool of the DOD. The defense contractors use the media to hawk their billion-dollar war wares as the DOD actively recruits patriotic men and women (not cross genders) to "defend democracy, freedom and justice".
Il Duce – Italian for the " Leader of a Movement"
Does the President have the authority to dictate policy and procedures of a "private" corporation? Why not? After all the governmental expects some sway from Crony Capitalism! (notice the "Crony")
When a company takes money from the government it become beholden to them. Mussolini called it Fascism or "The marriage of corporation and state.". Trump calls it "Make America great again."
When the government subsidizes a "favorable" company, it can exert a strong influence over the company's internal and external workings. Money encourages a regulatory role and makes private property and private initiative contingent upon their service to the state.
Standing or kneeling for the National Anthem should be the policy of the private corporation and their ownership, not the Federal Government. The line of sovereignty becomes blurred when governmental "contracts" are involved. The NFL created a relationship by shilling for the warfare state and using Americans patriotism to cash in on the gravy train that governmental contracts bring.
Accepting federal funds is an endorsement for the increasingly paternalist role of the Federal Government. From public education to health care "we the people" have become subservient to Washington DC. Taxes, regulations and directives are not only expected of the favorable but have become requirements to maintain a privilaged status.
"Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" john prine
Standing for the National Anthem might be a symbol of patriotism for many but there are dozens of things that are more patriotic than standing for a song about a flag. Real patriots take a stand, speak out, kneel, protest and challenge the government whenever it steps out of line.
There is nothing less patriotic than a mandate to do so, patriotism has become overexposed. Forced patriotism is a bastardization of the intended purpose. Forced patriotism is alive and well in the NFL. Patriotic displays will continue to be calculated and designed to unite rather than divide.
Kaepernick's protest was not designed to be unpatriotic but it upset a sterilized version of patriotism. It was a challenge to the NFL's homogenized, "one size fits all" patriotism. Colin Kaepernick was a victim of propaganda and the ratings game.
Today's NFL cannot afford to offend half of its audience to please the other half. Even the current unified stand against Trump's comments has that collective fuzzy feeling. Standing up to the President for calling NFL players SOBs. Really, as US bombs and drone murder civilians it is name calling that hurt our feelings?
Patriotism in Perspective
The Commander and Chief orders, supports and initiates sanctions and blockages used to starve Yemeni and North Korean civilians of food and medical supplies as US bombs kill civilians in Syria and Afghanistan. It is comforting to know that our perspective of patriotism is well directed.
A United States Patriot should be a person who regards himself or herself as a defender of the Constitution, especially of individual rights against the interference by the government. It is anti-American to be anti-freedom.
A "Nationalist," is a misguided patriot, with a zealous and aggressive enthusiasm for governmental support over individual rights. It is a blind obedience to what an authority dictates. It is the first step towards creating an authoritarian regime.
There is nothing patriotic about nationalism. When Americans allow the government to dismantle the Constitution we will watch as a democratic republic becomes a police state protected by a standing army.
That was Colin Kaepernick's original message? "I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed." The national television audience, the NFL, the flag and patriotism may be overwhelming opponents but the message is crystal clear.
#021 "War on Peace"
September 2, 2017 ~ russmac0818 ~ Leave a comment
"You can't always get what you want"
Wars usually begins in response to an "incident", in other words, for revenge or restitution. The "incident" typically moves a nation beyond its saturation point of tolerance, or the "incident" becomes a reason for a nation to declare a war that it "wanted". Whatever the motivation, the scope of the war that follows become unexplainable and is not the war "you want".
The Spanish-American War started when the USS Maine blew up in Havana Harbor. The United States' Civil War began when Confederate forces fired on Union forces at Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. World War 1 began when a Serbian assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. World War 2 was declared after Germany invaded Poland. The Korean War was in response to North Korean troops crossing over the 38th parallel. The Vietnam War began after the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The Iraq War was to secure weapons of mass destruction being held by a madman. The Afghanistan War was in response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
The USS Maine explosion turned out to be a spontaneous combustion of coal that ignited the Maine 's ammunition stored below deck. This war led to the slaughter, torture and 50-year occupation of the Philippians. The Fort Sumter's bombardment had no casualties but the Civil War devastated the South. The assassination in Serbia led to 8 million dead in WW1. The invasion of Poland, began the murdering spree of 3% of the world's population. In Korea, 2.8 million Koreans, Chinese and Americans lost their lives and the 38th parallel still divides Korea. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was a fabrication that became responsible for the death of 1.35 million real people. In Iraq, the search for WMD came up empty at a cost of $1.7 trillion dollars, as many as 1 million dead, the destruction of a country and a group of head choppers.
Ah, but Afghanistan was the good war. US forces would kill bin Laden and destroy the al-Qaeda camps reeking terrorist attacks all over the globe. bid Laden was killed in 2011 and by 2010 al-Qaeda in Afghanistan was being described by the Obama administration and CIA Director Leon Panetta, as "its presence in Afghanistan as minimal". The Bush War that became the Obama War is now the Trump War.
The Taliban
In the 1980's the US supported the mujahedeen, (Afghan "freedom fighters") Osama bin Laden's and some Arab/Islamic jihadist. In 1980, the jihadists were a little-known group of maybe a few hundred members calling itself al-Qaeda. The mujahedeen were the major resistant force against the Soviets with al-Qaeda providing limited support.
The Soviets had invaded Afghanistan in December of 1979 to prop-up the failing Soviet backed Afghan government. The US supported and supplied the "freedom fighters". That makes sense, they were anti-communist and engaged in warfare against our Cold War enemy. The mujahedeen were victorious and by February of 1989, send the Soviets packing back to Moscow to discover that their little war in Afghanistan cost them their empire.
The Soviet backed government in Afghanistan failed and a power vacuum ensued. Tribal Warlords, drug kingpins, corruption, violence and chaos emerged from the ashes. A Pashtun-Islamic fundamentalist group calling themselves the Taliban, a name derived from the Pashtun word for student, emerged as the alternative to the corrupt factions.
The Taliban is an Islamic group mostly made up of Pashtun tribal members from the Kandahar Province in Southern Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan. The Pashtun tribe makes up about 40% of the country's population. By 1994, the Taliban had become the most powerful opposition group. Their rule would require a strict adherence to a combination of traditional Pashtun culture and Islamic sharia law.
The Taliban expanded their rule from the Kandahar Province toward the governmental capital in Kabul. The Taliban ruthless enforcement of the Pashtun-Sharia Law attracted a lot of negative attention from the Western media. Eventually the Taliban captured Kabul. The seizure of Kabul, combined with the assassination of Ahmad Massoud, an ethnic Tajik from the rival Northern Alliance, the Taliban's only viable opponent, moved Afghanistan into a fundamentalist Islamic Republic.
The Taliban continued to enforce its brutal rule upon the Afghans. Reports of their extreme and repressive regime, especially towards women, were seen quite often on the US national news. Many of the Taliban laws were considered unjust and in violation of civil and individual rights. The media did a fine job to demonized and expose the Taliban abusive rule while ignoring similar violations in Saudi Arabia.
Osama bin Laden, the terrorist
After the Soviets left Afghanistan, bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia to resume working for his family's construction firm. During the 1990 Iraq invasion of Kuwait a bin Laden offered the king of Saudi Arabia to mobilize his al-Qaeda warriors and to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. The King rejected his offer and turned to the US.
This situation may have launched bin Laden's radicalization toward world-wide terrorism against the West. Bin Laden directed his outrage at the Saudis that allow US "infidels" into the holy land and the US government for remaining in the Saudi bases well after the war. Bin Laden's public criticism against the Royal Family would not be tolerated.
The Saudi's expelled Bin Laden. He relocated to Sudan taking with him as much as $20 million. The Sudan Government hired him to build several infrastructure projects. While in Sudan, he began a web of terrorist plots. Bin Laden's terrorist network became associated with the training of the Somalian rebels that killed U.S. troops (Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu); the 1993 first bombing of the World Trade Center: an assassination attempt on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and suicide bombings at the Egyptian Embassy in Pakistan.
The Sudanese officials expelled bin Laden from their country and in 1996 he moved back to Afghanistan. His terrorist activities continued with the bombing of the Khobar military complex: the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; truck bombs at U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Tanzania and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, in Yemen.
During his "terrorist years" Bin Laden's declared a holy war against U.S.; endorse a fatwa calling for Muslims to kill Americans anywhere in the world. These activities placed him on the FBI's top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List.
Bi Laden and the Taliban
In Afghanistan, Bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda presence was not fully embraced by the Taliban. Well before the 9/11 attack, the Taliban had thought seriously about expelling al-Qaeda from their country. Many of the Taliban leaders viewed bin Laden's and his jihadists as a rival foreign force distracting from their political influence and objectives. They were barely tolerated but the Taliban refused the US access to him.
Bin Laden and the al-Qaeda organization continued their terrorist plots and train terrorist in the camps along the Afghanistan and Pakistan border. Then in 2001, after 9/11, a trail of evidence indicated that bin Laden was not the architect of the plan but he approved it and that he added financial support for the hijacking terrorist. (the plot was planned in Indonesia, the Philippines, Germany and the United States)
Bush's Wars on Terror, bin Laden, al-Qaeda, Taliban, Iraq, Freedom etc.
The trail of the financial aid, directed to the terrorist, also led to Saudi Arabian royal family members and Saudi government associates. The Bush administration choose to fly the Saudi royal family members out of the United States while declaring a war on terrorism and bin Laden.
President Bush demanded that Afghanistan's Taliban government capture and extradite bin Laden to the United States. The Taliban did not refuse this request but instead asked the United States for proof of bin Laden's involvement. Bush declined to address the Taliban's request and issued an ultimatum demanding that they either turn him over or the US forces would take care of it.
Again, the Taliban responded with a "no" but offered to turn bin Laden over to a third county. This counter proposal was unprecedented for a Pashtun group to make. According to Pashtunwali, the ethical code and lifestyle of the indigenous Pashtun people, expelling bin-Laden could be interpreted as a violation of Nanawatai.
Nanawata (asylum) is the code to protect a person against his enemies, protection is required at all costs; even those running from the law must be given refuge until the situation can be clarified (this tradition saved the life of US Navy Seal, Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell) The counter proposal was rejected by the Bush administration. Bush ordered an invasion to capture bin Laden and destroy the al-Qaeda training camps.
"But if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need"
Why was this counter proposal not approved? Would accepting the Taliban's proposal have prevented this 17-year old war? We will never know and besides the fury of 9/11 and the thrust for revenge would not have been satisfied.
In 2001, the US invaded Afghanistan and allied with the Northern Alliance to swiftly overthrow the Taliban government. The Bonn Conference replaced the Taliban government with Hamid Karzai. Karzai, a Pashtun rival of the Taliban, was selected to head the Afghan Interim Administration and most key positions in the government were given to Tajik members of the Northern Alliance
Karzai's is rule ushered in a new of government under a new constitution called the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Karzai would later be elected president in 2004 and then re-elected in the 2009 elections. In 2014, Karzai was replaced with the newly elected Ghani, an ex-World Bank economic hitman.
After the Taliban's 2001 ousting, the Taliban vowed to continue an armed resistance against a "foreign occupation". Their claim is that the Bonn Conference's constitution is illegitimate and un-Islamic. They will continue their campaign is against the "puppet government" of the West. Some Taliban remained active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many crossed the border into the safe zones along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. There they receive support and supplies from the ISI.
In 2002, the US focused their efforts on al-Qaeda and bin Laden and by the end of 2003 the US forces had moved bin-Laden and the al-Qaeda operatives out of Afghanistan into hideaways in Pakistan. This could have been a good time to withdraw from Afghanistan. Washington passed on this opportunity to and choose to continue with its war and occupation of Afghanistan.
The US's war strategies have changed over the years; from the invasion to the support of an insurgent force, to a counterinsurgency surge (Obama's 2009 100,000 troop invasion) to "clear and hold" villages to "nation building" projects to "winning hearts and minds", to policing and to "training" of Afghans. All initiatives have proven to be fruitless. Could it be the mission?
To answer this question "the mission" must be clearly defined. What is the mission? When the war you get is not the war you "wanted" change the mission. Senator Rand Paul describes this process; "there was significant mission creep in Afghanistan. We went from striking back against those who attacked us, to regime change, to nation-building, to policing their country for them."
So, by 2001, the US had overthrown the Talban regime, the government was replaced with a democratically elected president (2004), bin Laden was dead and the al-Qaeda terrorist camps were removed. Mission accomplished! Time to go home. No, mission creep, time to "Nation Build".
When a foreign military force hangs around to tell, ask, direct, suggest or coerces the citizens it is not a humanitarian effort it becomes an occupying force. The military and economic, infrastructural and humanitarian efforts and personnel become targets. Occupation promotes dissent, dissent metastasizes into violence and the violence of an underdog is terrorism because that is their most powerful weapons.
Afghanistan is an impoverished nation with over half the population illiterate. Rural Afghanistan depends upon its local economy. Most villages are isolated by its mountainous terrain and harsh climate. At the time of the US invasion only 3% of the roads were paved.
Kabul and other major cities were worlds away. Most Afghans had no connection to the international economy nor to the central government, in Kabul. It is landlocked nation mostly comprised of Islamic fundamentalist and members of regional ethnic tribes with very basic needs. The Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, tribes' have their list of priorities and territories to rule. Being left alone to provide and protect their family is high on the tribal list.
After the Taliban's regime was removal from Kabul they returned to their power base, the villages of rural Afghanistan and into Pashtun Pakistan. The Taliban in these environments they grew in strength and recruitments. Many Afghans began to prefer the Taliban's strict requirements over the coercive and corrupt central government that was supported by a foreign super power.
The Taliban lived among the villagers, became active in tribal disputes while carrying out a hit and run type war against the abusive local police, government forces and US occupying forces. The growth in the Taliban's support and their intimidation of those villages that did not comply, allowed the Taliban to gain control over much of rural Afghanistan.
Obama's War – The Surge
By 2009, Afghanistan was spiraling out of control. President Obama agreed to a surge in US reinforcements. The "Peace President" believed that a surge was needed to provide security for the Afghan government, military, police and the in country foreign forces. The surge would be a counterinsurgency against the Taliban. This counterinsurgency would be a clear-hold-build strategy.
The clear, hold and build strategy evolved into cycles of, what the Israeli refer to as "mowing the lawn" in which commanders continuously conquered territory only to have their adversaries return. Another problem with the hold and build phase was the who. Who would be doing the hold. The inability to recruit qualified Afghans became problematic. The new security was prone to shakedowns and corruption inflicted upon the locals.
In 2010, the Afghan Local Police formed a Village Stability Organization (VSO) program to provide the stability at the local level. The recruits would be from the village they would later secure. This group was trained by US special forces and provided limited success that allowed the local Afghans to avoid Taliban intimidation.
The US military leaders deceptively reported that the new stabilization effort stemmed the tide of support for the Taliban. Over time, the Taliban benefited by the fact that the people would see the police force as an extension of the predatory Afghan central government. The Taliban promoted this notion and continued their community involvement and random act of violence against the police force.
The escalating battles became a struggle for authority, the Taliban's versus Kabul's, local versus international and Islamic idealist warriors versus Western "infidels".
Beginning in 2011, with the counterinsurgency and the "success" of the surge began a drawdown of troops. The transition of power was scheduled to be completed in 2014. The hold and build phases proved to be a false hope.
The Taliban patiently waited for the completion of the 2014 withdrawal They continued to be successful in their portrayal of the security forces as governmental extortionist sent to bribe the villagers with gifts and promises in return for support, cooperation and loyalty to its illegitimate government.
The withdrawal of combat troops was competed by December of 2014. Since the withdrawal, violence has continued and the Taliban's rule has expanded. Today, in 2017, the Talban control 40% of the country.
This Taliban is not the same rag tag fighters the US fought against in 2000's. The Taliban is more veteran, better trained, better supplied and more capable military force. They have learned from the US; they have read the US military books on war strategies; they have the night vision goggle left behind, they know how to use the armament left and they drive around in the Humvees that were once driven by the US and NATO forces.
The Afghan War has some new and some old combatants. Presently include, ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the government forces with Pakistan, ISI and India watching closely. It is a hornet's nest and is does not make sense to "mow the lawn" when angry hornets are swarming.
Trump's War (officially entering its 3rd Presidential Regime)
There are a few statements in the Trumps' War speech that I found most infuriating.
One: The newest deployment of troops will not be number based but it will be condition based.
This is an open check book with no accountability and no limit to lives and spending. Do we the people deserve answers? What are the conditions? What are the numbers? Trump will be sending more troops to Afghanistan but won't tell the public how many. Just trust me?
Two: The same old false flag waving reason is being used to create a quilt upon our "American Exceptionalism" public and a military mentality. We owe it to those that sacrificed their lives for such a noble cause.
This lie is both deceptive and immoral. The reality is that our sons' and daughters' lives are payment for the Generals to have another chance in getting their war "right"; another star; more fruit salad, more scrambled eggs and more notoriety.
It is immoral that Americans lives are spent to perpetuate war crimes; to hone the art of deception so that they will be better qualified for a job in the US government upon retirement. The fact that our taxes will be payment to government cronies that supply and manufacturer the weapons of war. Just Trust me?
The last time I fell for "just trust me" I woke up with my head in the toilet covered in puke. This time it could be the Constitution of the United States.
Conclusion – Let's declare a "War on Peace"
Sovereignty is the authority of a state to govern itself. A sovereign nation gets to make choices for itself. The Taliban reflect the Pashtun culture. I vehemently disagree with many of their traditions and culture. As citizens of the liberal West, we have the right to speak, assemble, boycott and protest traditions and cultures of an illiberal non-Western country. The Taliban's actions, customs and control are local to Afghanistan, not to the United States.
Afghanistan has been fractured by internal conflict and foreign intervention for centuries, However, as a sovereign and neutral nation, in the 1950s and 1960s, the biggest strides toward a more liberal and westernized lifestyle occurred. The era was a brief and relatively peaceful. The Afghans traded with the Soviet for machinery and weapons, and with U.S. financial aid the Afghans constructed modern buildings in Kabul. Afghanistan appeared to be on a path toward a more open, prosperous society, while maintaining, a respect for the more conservative factions and traditional cultures of its multi-tribal population.
The U.S. must admit that the "Good War" turned into an attempt to reshape the structures of Afghan societies, politics, and economies has failed and it is time to leave. Let the people of Afghanistan take ownership of their future, Let the Afghans prepare their defense against the next invading force. (ISIS, AL-Qaeda, ISI, Pakistan, India …)
Hewaad (Pashtun for country) is another Pashtun culture obligation. It is to protect the land of the Pashtuns. To them defense of the nation means the defense of Pashtun culture. ISIS, al-Qaeda, Pakistan, India, will become another victim to add to the pile of previous empires that have expired in Afghanistan. Hopefully, the US will not be in that pile.
The US lost 58,228 lives in Vietnam for entering a civil war against the illiberal Vietcong. Shortly after the last US troops withdrew the civil war ended, Vietnam united and won its sovereignty. Vietnam rebuilt and modernized at a pace that they decided upon.
The US now has a strong diplomatic relation with Vietnam. Vietnam has the 47th highest Gross Domestic Product. (GDP out of 211) It is one of the most attractive retail markets in the world and has become a prime US trading partner that prospers from an increasing US tourist industry. The French and US intervention delayed the ultimate result of Vietnam by 25 years and millions of lives.
Vietnam was for a "War on Communism", Afghanistan a "War of Terrorism" and the opioid crisis a "War on Drugs." Declaring war strengthen the "enemy". I am declaring a "WAR on Peace!"


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Hospital issues at heart of General Assembly health debates (Daily Press)
Hospital issues at heart of General Assembly health debates
By Dave Ress, Daily Press
A long-simmering notion about hospital regulation, and a shorter-simmering resentment of Gov. Terry McAuliffe's aggressive push to convince the General Assembly to expand Medicaid with Obamacare dollars, will come to a boil this year.
At the same time an unprecedented offer by state hospitals to kick in some of their money to a new health fund should keep the debate about health care for the uninsured front and center.
In the background is McAuliffe's bruising, two-year battle to expand Medicare and tap federal Affordable Care Funds to cover more than 350,000 uninsured, low-income Virginians — an effort adamantly opposed by the House of Delegates Republican leadership and almost all Senate Republicans.
Two measures seen as a financial hit on hospitals – ending the state's Certificate of Public Necessity (COPN) program that free-market advocates say protects medical monopolies, and a new assessment the hospitals themselves proposed as a way to to draw down more federal Medicaid dollars – could be the basis of a health care deal. Or they could simply clear the way for more political posturing.
"We're getting set for another year of gridlock with even more fireworks," said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.
The reason, he said, is that House Republicans see the new assessment that hospitals proposed as part of "McAuliffe's relentless push for Medicaid expansion," a push the hospitals have backed aggressively.
"In politics, there's a saying that the friend of my enemy is my enemy," Farnsworth said.
McAuliffe has factored the hospital offer into his budget, as an amount of no more than 3 percent of hospital's revenue from patient payments, and estimated it could save the state nearly $157 million over the next two years. The idea is that using that money for some health care costs would mean a dollar for dollar match from the federal government – and a $9 for $1 match if the state expanded Medicaid.
"I do tilt at windmills, but I don't think I am going to this session," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Emmett Hanger,R. Mount Solon, who was one of three Senate Republicans who tried, unsuccessfully, to find a compromise alternative to Medicaid expansion that would still let the state tap Obamacare funds last year.
If the hospitals' proposed assessment isn't be going anywhere, ending the certificate of public necessity program may not either, Hanger believes. Many legislators, including him, have reservations about doing away with the program, he said.
"We have COPN for a reason," Hanger said. "I know many here share my belief in free markets, but health care is not a free market. It's not: 'If you can pay you get care, and if you can't, you die.' We don't do that."
Even if a bill ending the COPN program were to pass both House and Senate, Farnsworth says, McAuliffe is likely to veto it.
But Olusoji Akomolafe, head of the political science department at Norfolk State University, isn't so sure either idea is a non-starter.
"It is not unreasonable to assume that a compromise might be in the offing whereby the expansion is rejected as usual but in its stead, Republicans would most likely make provision to increase in some fashion or another the health care budget," Akomolafe said
"Should that be the case the Republicans' strategy to gut COPN may turn out to be a smart political move," he said.
The certificate of public necessity program is based on an obscure state law that says the health commissioner must approve before anyone builds or expands hospitals, outpatient surgery clinics, rehab and nursing facilities or diagnostic imaging services, such as MRIs.
Deep down, the fight over the program is a battle over money.
On one hand, as the House of Delegates' Republican leadership argues, letting people freely compete for customers – patients, in this case – brings prices down.
On the other, the hospital association says, certificates of necessity keep businesses – including competing hospitals — from cherry-picking the profitable businesses that hospitals rely on to make up for losses on key services such as psychiatric care, obstetrics and charity care. Hospitals say they're forced to lose money because of federal requirements to provide emergency care and the tendency of Medicare and Medicaid to pay less than the real cost of care.
The COPN issue came to a head last year over a bid by the giant Hospital Corp. of America to build a freestanding emergency care center in New Kent County. To make the idea work, and provide the only such care in the county, HCA argued it needed MRI and CT imaging equipment.
State health department staff said there was no need, since the 36 scanners in health planning district 15 – an 80-mile-long swath of central Virginia stretching from Goochland to New Kent Counties — weren't busy enough.
The state health commissioner later gave a green light to the project – but the whole process bugged Del. Chris Peace, R-Hanover, who represents the county.
"Far too often, local communities are denied increased access to basic services such as outpatient emergency rooms, CT scanners or MRIs by healthcare regulators based on decisions made by unelected bureaucrats," he said.
Virginia is one of 36 states that have some form of a certificate of need requirement.
The idea is to prevent hospitals and clinics from building more facilities than are needed, on the theory that the cost of unused beds and equipment would have to be covered by increasing charges actual patients must pay.
But the effect is to reduce competition, argues Del. John O'Bannon, R-Henrico, the House GOP's point man on health policy.
That is because two criteria the state health commissioner must consider before issuing a certificate of public necessity include the availability of other facilities nearby and the impact on the use and efficiency of existing facilities.
The debate has brought big money into play: hospitals gave a total of $684,400 to legislative candidates in the latest election cycle.
The hospital association itself gave $301,000 while the for-profit Hospital Corp. of America separately gave $251,000.
The association believes the certificate of public necessity requirement should remain intact, although it supports recommendations to streamline the process itself..
But one of HCA's lobbyists, Tyler Bishop, told a state Health Department task force on the issue last fall that the COPN process "should not be held as sacred" and that reform would do little if the result was to "continue to restrict access to care."
In last year's Florida battle on the issue, HCA's 22 lobbyists argued that certificate of need regulations hindered its operations.
Lobbyists say other differences could also be a factor – health systems like Northern Virginia's Inova or Norfolk-based Sentara that have in-house insurance arms and statewide ambitions might like the idea of more competition, at least outside their home turfs. Smaller hospitals already facing competitive pressures tend to be firm supporters of the system. Doctors and clinics interested in setting up MRIs or CT scans, which can be very profitable, are inclinded to oppose the system.
But Bishop believes it needs to be retained, to ensure that the right facilities are built in the right places.
Both Inova and Sentara are financial powerhouses – each reported net income exceeding $145 million in their most recent filings with the Internal Revenue Service, for 2013. Inova's net worth was $1.9 billion; Sentara's $980 million. Newport News-based Riverside Healthcare didn't fare as well: its expenses exceeded revenue by $4 million that year, while its net worth was $581 million, its IRS filing showed.
Republicans over the past two years regularly cited hospital profits as an indication that hospitals were overstating the impact of charity and money-losing care they provided when arguing Medicaid expansion would ease that financial strain. Hospitals say their net income reflects prudent management, accumulating resources they'll need to improve service in years to come.
Also complicating hospitals' position is that House Republicans are proposing a range of reforms, from repealing only requirements for CT-scan and MRI facilities, to an immediate repeal of all certificate requirements except for rural hospitals and nursing homes. Nursing home companies and employees gave nearly $395,000 to candidates in the last election cycle.
Some hospitals might be able to live with some change to certificate of necessity regulation, while there could be a range of views on whether compromise now would avoid a complete elimination of the program, lobbyists say.
"I do think there's a range of opinion," said Alan Witt, chairman of Riverside Healthcare. But, he added, "from my perspective, and from Riverside's, there's a belief that the process needs to be streamlined."
And, he said, he's not comfortable with the idea of going along with ending the certificate of need requirement for particular types of facilities or equipment.
"There's a question of if you do, where does it stop," he said.
Asked about potential differences within the hospital association, Julian Walker, vice president of the hospital association, said the group's position should remain intact as a result of an in-depth review by member hospitals.
"Virginia hospitals and healthcare systems are well versed in COPN – how the process works and applies to them," Walker said.
That review's conclusion, that the certificate of necessity program should be kept, though streamlined, was the same position reached by a task force of hospitals, health plans and businesses convened by the state Health Department to study the issue, he said.
This entry was posted in Media, sfarnswo, UMW in the News on January 6, 2016 by Steve.
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The second major cause of changes in the level of working capital is because of policy changes initiated by the management. There is a wide choice in the matter of current assets policy. The term current asset policy may be defined as the relationship between current assets and sales volume. A firm following a conservative policy in this respect having a very high level of current assets in relation to sales may deliberately option for a less conservative policy and vice-versa. These conscious managerial decisions certainly have an impact on the level of working capital.
Finally, technological changes can cause significant changes in the level of working capital. If a new process emerges as a result of technological developments, which shortens the operating cycle, it reduces the need for working capital and vice-versa.


Empyreal eSports signs Counter Strike team!
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text:
De Orde van de Draak (Duits: "Drachenorden", Latijn: "Ordo Equestris Draconis in Hungaria", "Societas Draconistarum" of "Societas Draconis" genoemd) was een in 1408 opgerichte Hongaarse adelsorde.

Oprichting van de Orde
De Orde van de Draak werd door keizer Sigismund, koning van Hongarije, en zijn tweede echtgenote Barbara von Cilli op 12 december 1408 - naar het voorbeeld van de Orde van Sint-Joris, die in 1326 door Karel I van Hongarije was gesticht - ingesteld.

Als schutspatroon koos Sigismund Sint Joris de drakendoder en patroonheilige van de ridderstand en Margareta van Antiochië. Deze Heilige zou volgens de Legenda Aurea in levenden lijve door een draak zijn verzwolgen maar, door de genade Gods, weer ongekwetst zijn uitgespuugd.

Zinnebeeld van de Orde was een draak. De door de ridders gedragen draak had zijn staart om de hals geslagen als een Ouroboros, het symbool van de eeuwigheid. Ridders droegen, zo blijkt uit afbeeldingen een dergelijke draak van goud aan een keten om de hals of geborduurd op de kleding. Ordesterren en linten bestonden in Europa in deze tijd nog niet. Na 1418 kreeg de Orde het motto "O quam misericors est deus justus et pius" (Latijn:"O hoe barmhartig is God, rechtvaardig en toegewijd").De ridders verplichtten zich om het Christendom te verdedigen. Sigismund, de eerste grootmeester van de Orde, liet zich in 1437 met de draak om de hals begraven.

In de loop der jaren werd het teken van de Orde vaak veranderd, maar draak en kruis bleven steeds zichtbaar. In het begin als een rood kruis op een zilveren achtergrond, later op een zwarte achtergrond.

Lezing van de oorsprong van de Orde van de Draak
De oorsprong van de Orde wordt door sommige bronnen gezien in een in voor 1389 ingesteld geheim genootschap in Servië. Deze "Geheime Orde van de Draak van Sint Joris" zou door Miloš Obilić zijn ingesteld en twaalf ridders hebben geteld. Zij zouden hebben gezworen dat zij de sultan van Turkije ter dood zouden brengen en droegen een draak op hun helm. Er is een afbeelding van Miloš Obilić bekend waarop hij een schild waarop een zon met 12 stralen is afgebeeld. Zijn helm is met een draak versierd.

Op 15 juni 1389 werd Murat I door Miloš Obilić in Kosovo vermoord. Miloš wist onder het voorwendsel een deserteur te zijn in het Turkse legerkamp binnen te dringen en stak de sultan daar met een mes neer. Murads zoon en opvolger, sultan Beyazid I, nam wraak door alle Servische krijgsgevangen en ook Miloš Obilić ter dood te laten brengen.

Slechts een van de twaalf samenzweerders overleefde, hij werd de leraar van de Servische prins Stefan Lazarević, zoon van de in Kosovo gesneuvelde koning Lazar.
Prins Stefan Lazarević, na de verpletterende nederlaag van zijn vaders leger een vazal van Hongarije, was in 1408 een van de eerste 24 ridders van de door Sigismund ingestelde Orde van de Draak en werd op de lijst van ridders als eerste, voor de koningen van Napels en Denemarken, genoemd.

In de bovenstaande lezing wordt het ontstaan van de Orde van de Draak gekoppeld aan de Servische geschiedenis en de verbeten strijd van de christelijke koninkrijken op de Balkan tegen de oprukkende Turken. Het is niet duidelijk of het hier om een legende gaat. De gedeelde naam en het helmteken in de vorm van de draak kunnen ook toevallige overeenkomsten zijn.
De oudste gedrukte bronnen over de Orde stammen uit 1707 zodat wij naar de ontstaansgeschiedenis alleen kunnen gissen. De lijst van de ridders is wel historisch betrouwbaar.

De eerste 24 ridders van de "Societas Draconistrarum" in 1408
Sigismund van Luxemburg, keizer van het Heilige Roomse Rijk, koning van Hongarije.
Stefan Lazarević.
Koning Alfons V van Aragón.
Koning Ladislaus II van Polen.
Vytautas de Grote, groothertog van Litouwen.
Hertog Ernst I van Oostenrijk.
Koning Christoffel III van Denemarken, ook hertog van Beieren.
Pipo van Ozora.
 Graaf Hermann II. von Cilli, schoonvader van keizer Sigismund.
 Graaf Friedrich II. von Cilli, zwager van keizer Sigismund.

Groei van de Orde in de 15e eeuw

In 1431 werden nieuwe ridders benoemd. Een opvallende benoeming was die van Vlad II van Walachije, die regeerde en bekend werd als Vlad II Dracul. Vlad II was heerser van Transsylvanië en Wallachije. Misschien verwijst zijn bijnaam "Dracul" (Roemeens: "Met de draak"), in het Nederlands in verbasterde vorm doorgedrongen als "Dracula", naar het door hem gedragen ordeteken. Het Latijnse kruis wordt bij Vlad een Hongaars dubbelkruis. Vlad liet munten slaan met zijn beeltenis en op de keerzijde een draak.
De zoon van Vlad was de beruchte Vlad Ţepeş, bijgenaamd "de spietser". Deze wrede heerser was geen ridder in de Orde van de Draak. Vlad Ţepeş werd door Bram Stoker als model voor zijn fantastische "Dracula" roman gekozen.
Andere ridders waren:
Nicolae von Gara
Stibor von Stibericz
De Ban van Severin
Oswald von Wolkenstein
Wladyslaw II Jagiello, koning van Polen
Hendrik V, koning van Engeland

Ook leden van de Italiaanse families Scaliger en Gara werden in de Orde opgenomen.

De gegroeide Orde voerde ook graden in en de ridders droegen nu kleinoden die bij een bepaalde rang in de Orde hoorden. Een Hongaarse geestelijke, Eberhard bisschop van Oradea, kanselier van het gerechtshof, schreef de statuten van de Orde waarin de strijd tegen heidenen en Hussieten (maar uitdrukkelijk niet tegen de orthodoxe christenen) en de trouw aan de koning en de koninklijke familie als doelstellingen van de Orde werden beschreven.
Tijdens de regering van koning Sigismund speelde de Orde van de Draak een grote rol in het politieke leven van Hongarije.
Deze statuten zijn in een kopie uit 1707 bewaard gebleven in de bibliotheek van Boekarest. De Orde heeft geen ordetekenen en weinig documenten nagelaten. Op het portret van Oswald von Wolkenstein staat de Orde van de Draak duidelijk afgebeeld, maar er is helaas geen enkel authentiek kleinood van de Orde bewaard gebleven. Wij moeten afgaan op tekeningen van zoekgeraakte kleinoden.

Kleinoden van de Orde

Duidelijk is dat het insigne van de Orde een draak was. Deze draak had zijn staart meerdere malen om de eigen hals geslagen. Op de rug van de draak bevond zich een gouden veld met een kruis van Sint-Joris. De leden droegen te allen tijde een draak of een medaillon met een afbeelding van de draak en namen de draak ook op in hun wapenschild. Menigeen werd ook met zijn draak begraven.

De draken waren voorzien van inscripties.  (Latijn: "O hoe genadig is God") en  (Latijn: "Rechtvaardig en vredelievend") zijn bekend.

De dood van Sigismund in 1437 was een zware slag voor de Orde. De Orde van de Draak geraakte in de daaropvolgende jaren, een periode waarin Hongarije grotendeels door de Turken werd veroverd, in vergetelheid.

Een hedendaagse draak
Het Keizerlijke en Koninklijke Drakenhof en de Drakenorde (Engels: The Imperial and Royal Dragon Court and Order) is een hedendaagse Orde die in zichzelf de voortzetting van de oude Orde van de Draak ziet. De Orde is als een Pseudo-Orde te beschouwen die de draak steekt met de oude Europese ridderorden.

In spelletjes en in de popmuziek is de Orde van de Draak terug te zien. Voorbeelden zijn:
De metal band Cradle of Filth heeft een officiële fanclub die The Order of the Dragon heet.
De Orde van de Draak figureert in Elizabeth Kostova's roman The Historian. In dit boek zijn de ridders de trawanten van Ţepeş die hier ook Dracula heet te zijn. De roman is een fantasie.
In het spel World of Darkness komt een gezelschap voor dat Ordo Dracul heet en door Dracula gesticht zou zijn.
Ook komt de Orde aan bod in de Netflix Original Hemlock Grove, als een stel weerwolvenjagers.

Afbeeldingen
 Th. v. Bogyay: Artikel "Drachenorden" , in: Lexikon des Mittelalters, Band 3, München 1986, ISBN 3-7608-8903-4, S. 1346
 Wladyslaw Kuzdrzal-Kicki: Der Drachenorden: Genese, Gründung und Entartung. Dokumentation und Schlußfolgerungen, Bd. 1, München 1978, ISBN 3-921513-15-4
 Georg Janesch-Troll / Hans Mendgen (Hrsg.): Marienburg im Burzenland: Zur Geschichte der einstigen Ritterorden-Gemeinde in Siebenbürgen, Bielefeld 1987, ISBN 3-7694-0419-X
 Ralf-Peter Märtin: Dracula, Das Leben des Fürsten Vlad Tepes, Neuausgabe der ersten Auflage, Berlin 2004, ISBN 3-8031-2396-8
 Abbildung und Beschreibung aller Ritterorden in Europa, Reprint der Orig.-Ausg. Augsburg 1792, Holzminden 1999?, ISBN 3-8262-1807-8

Bronnen
 Zwü neuer Zeyttung, unnd noch vil grössere christenliche Victoria, so die Christen mit Gottes hilff unnd beystandt widerumb bey 500000 Türcken bey Ostrahitz inn Croatien den 29. Octobris, anno des 87. Jar aberhalten, unnd uberwunden haben. Mehr ein neue Zeyttung, auß Constantinopel den 27. Nov., Anno 1587. Jar, das auch die Georgianer unnd Ianitscharen, vil taussendt Türcken erschlagen an zweyen orden, Augspurg: [Drucker:] Wörly, 1587
 Regesta Imperii - Abteilung XI: Die Urkunden Kaiser Sigismunds 1410/11-1437, München: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Externe links
 Encyclopaedia Humana Hungarica 03.
 (Informationen in ung.)
 Oswald von Wolkenstein und der Drachenorden
 Regesta Imperii

Draak
Draak
Draak

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Location: AgriCenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis TN : At the intersection of Walnut Grove Road and South Germantown Parkway at Shelby Farms.
Join us for Rhea Lana's of Germantown and Collierville SPRING 2019 EVENT!
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Corporate sponsor spots are limited so contact Carmen today!!
Would you like more information about how your business can advertise during the event? We have many opportunities for businesses to partner with us. Email Carmen@RheaLana.com for information about this.
Rhea Lana's is a bi-annual consignment sale event (one week in the spring and one week in the fall) specializing in high quality, gently used children's items (clothing, shoes, toys, books, furniture, equipment), maternity clothes, and much more! As a shopper you can expect to find great deals on some of your favorite children's brands like GapKids, Gymboree, Ralph Lauren, Matilda Jane, Tea, Mimi Maternity and more!
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Start cleaning out your closets! To get started start pulling out your kids best Spring/Summer clothing they no longer wear. Keep in mind our shoppers also LOVE to buy furniture, infant equipment, large toys, playsets, etc!
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Market your business to moms with young children!
Include your marketing materials in our goody bags which are given to the first shoppers!
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We cannot wait to see you at our SPRING/SUMMER event! Please, as always, let me know if you have any questions! I am here to help and LOVE doing so!


text:
Denver Outlaws to Host 14th Annual Mile High Fourth of July Game on Thursday
July 3, 2019 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL) - Denver Outlaws News Release
DENVER - The Denver Outlaws (4-1) will host the team's 14th annual Mile High Fourth of July fireworks game, presented by Xcel Energy, on Thursday at Broncos Stadium at Mile High (7 p.m. MDT faceoff). Fans are encouraged to arrive at the stadium early as large crowds and heavy traffic are expected for Thursday's game.
Tickets for the game against the Chesapeake Bayhawks (2-1) start at just $15 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 303-OUTLAWS. The Outlaws have won three consecutive games coming into Thursday's matchup and currently sit at first place in the league standings.
Produced by world-renowned Zambelli Fireworks, Mile High Fourth of July offers fans a unique experience with close-proximity pyrotechnics launched from inside the stadium bowl and the surrounding area. More than 10,000 fireworks rounds will be ignited and paired with a music video tribute on the stadium's 220-foot-long by 40-foot-high ThunderVision screen.
'Thunderstorm,' the official skydiving team of the Denver Broncos, will also make a night jump from 5,000 feet into the stadium. The entire show will begin following the game and is ope-n to all ticketed fans.
Thursday's game will be broadcast live on Altitude2 and available to stream live through AltitudeNOW.com and the AltitudeNOW mobile app. The game will be also be broadcast live nationally on WatchStadium.com.
MOBILE TICKETING:
The Denver Outlaws have transitioned to a mobile-only ticketing platform for all fans for the 2019 season. Ticket holders will access their tickets through their account manager via their mobile device. Printed at home PDF tickets will no longer be available for entry.
Outlaws fans will receive multiple benefits associated with mobile tickets, including:
Quick and easy entrance to the stadium using a smart phone
Improved control and convenience by having the ability to manage, transfer or sell tickets at any time
Reduced risk of lost, stolen, counterfeit or forgotten tickets
Fans are encouraged to view the Outlaws' Digital Ticket How-To Guides or contact the Outlaws Ticket Office (720-258-3600, Brianna.Holliday@denveroutlaws.com) with any questions prior to arriving to the stadium on Thursday.
Parking permits still need to be printed in advance of heading to the game and should be displayed at intersections near the stadium for directional purposes. Parking permits do not need to be printed in color.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from July 3, 2019
Game 4 Preview: BayHawks Travel to Denver for Outlaws' Mile High Fourth of July - Chesapeake Bayhawks
Denver Outlaws to Host 14th Annual Mile High Fourth of July Game on Thursday - Denver Outlaws
Kavanagh, Madalon and Runberg Garner the Honors This Week - MLL


text:
PLANTS Profile
Arundina Blume
bamboo orchid
Last revised by:
John T. Kartesz, Biota of North America Program
Curated and maintained by:
USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center
Data Documentation
Liogier, H.A., and L.F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent Islands: A systematic synopsis. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico PR Literature
Luer, C.A. 1975. The native orchids of the United States and Canada, excluding Florida. New York Botanical Garden, New York HI Literature
Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i, 2 vols. University of Hawaii Press, Bishop Museum, Honolulu HI Literature


Here are all of the answers for the trivia, plus a bit of explanation.
Horseback riding, Pottery, Bronze Working, The Wheel, Ceremonial Burial, the Alphabet, and Masonry are the 7 civilization advances with no prerequisites. Horseback riding leads to Chivalry (with Feudalism); Bronze Working Leads to Iron Working and Currency; The Wheel leads to Engineering (with Construction); Ceremonial Burial leads to Monarchy (with Code of Laws) and Mysticism; the Alphabet leads to Code of Laws, Mapmaking, and Writing; and Masonry leads to Construction (with Currency), Mathematics, and Feudalism (with Monarchy). The only one left is Pottery. The fact that Pottery leads to nothing can be confirmed using the manual, the civilopedia, the civilization advances poster, or the civilization advances reference chart (on this site). The other advances that share this property are Chivalry, Religion, Robotics, Conscription, Labour Union, and Recycling, but none of these is an advance you start with.
I know this because early versions of the manual contained explanations of all of the computer opponents. One such version, the earliest, included a description of the Turks, who were apparently supposed to be in the game originally. You can confirm this by reading the READ.ME file (Go to the manual section, select plain text version and scroll straight to the bottom. The readme file is there. Or you can just find the file in the directory of your own copy of the game), which states the correction to the manual. Note that the manual I have here does not contain this error or any descriptions of the other civilizations.
This was one of the easier ones. Most people who have been playing for a while should know this.
I usually avoid developing Communism until I absolutely need to because these two wonders are so powerful.
Oasis on Desert produces the most food. I don't know why any part of a desert would produce more food than grasslands or rivers, but they do in civilization. Maybe it's to represent the resourcefulness of the desperate desert-dwellers.
You can prove this only by playing the game on a low difficulty (chief works for sure, I'm not sure about any others) and establishing an embassy with the English. You will get this description when you view the intelligence report on them.
7. C: "In the beginning"
Note that B and D both appear in the intro poem, but C is the opening line.
8. D: "World is Round Columbus Claims"
Ooh, cheap shot. If you recognize this line, it sort of appears on papers, only worded slightly differently: "Earth is Round Columbus Claims". I guess if you play the game night and day like I do you'd notice this.
Confirm this with the Civilopedia again, or the reference charts on this site. Come on, anyone who has played this game enough should have all of these values memorized. Either that or I just really need a life.
He is built into the game, although the game never shows his name and there is no stored picture for him. Want me to prove it? Go to my cheats page, and follow the instructions for hacking the save game file. Open it up and just view it. There is an area of the hex values which lists the names of all of the leaders, and Atilla is among them. Now use the "Switch Sides" cheat and become the barbarians. Use a diplomat to enter an enemy city and select "Meet with King". The enemy king will address you as Atilla.
Too hard? I had some more questions which were about as difficult as 10, but I decided it would be better to mix some easy ones in. For those of you with a desperate obsession with trivia, try these on for size: "Who wrote the theme for Civilization?" (which plays during the startup), "What does the third digit in the version number represent?", and "What coastline-related geographical anomaly appears in the built-in Earth map, but not in any computer-generated maps?". If you want to tell me your answer, or badly need an anwser, E-mail me for them. Make sure to state clearly that you are making reference to this quiz.
This quiz is copyright ©2000 Greg Viers (A.K.A. The TTG Guy).


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May 14, 2013 |Jeremy Rabkin, Obamacare, PPACA, reptile fund
Government as a Reptile Fund
by Michael S. Greve|1 Comment
Last Saturday's Washington Post carried a front-page article on the IRS's enforcement choices ("IRS targeted tea party groups for tax scrutiny"). We'll hear more about that matter. Right underneath the IRS piece, still above the fold, the Post had this: "HHS asking firms for money for Obamacare." Secretary Sebelius, we learn, has called health industry executives and other "stakeholders" for money to promote Obamacare and to enhance enrollment.
Unless you've spent six months in a coma, you know the background: Obamacare's "Exchanges" aren't ready for prime time (this coming October). The administration has asked for additional start-up money, but Congress has said "no." "So," an HHS assistant secretary explained, "we've had to come up with a Plan B." (Not the contraceptives Plan B—that's also HHS policy, but different.) But there's nothing to worry about, a spokesman elaborated: "Sebelius did not solicit funds directly from industries that HHS regulates, such as insurance companies and hospitals, but rather asked them to contribute in whatever way they can." Indeed.
Yesterday over lunch, my colleague Jeremy Rabkin reminded me of an intriguing historical precedent: Chancellor Bismarck's "reptile fund." The link is in German, so I'll summarize: in the 1860s, after Prussia's annexation of Hanover, Bismarck confiscated the private assets of the dethroned Georg V and used the funds to ensure cooperation from union bosses, assorted would-be potentates (Ludwig II), and above all the press, the better to promote public understanding of the government's far-sighted objectives. Parliament wasn't pleased, but what the heck. The notorious Emser Depesche, which helped trigger war with France, was part of the scheme: it was published in one of Bismarck's slush-funded papers.
Admittedly, differences exist. It's more difficult now to expropriate kings, so corporations will have to do. The money isn't being parked in the government's off-budget accounts; it goes directly to the administration's friends, such as Enroll America (according to the Post, the "most prominent" Obamacare shill, whose president "joined the group in January after serving as the White House's deputy director for public engagement"). HHS isn't trying to start a war with France. And finally, dethroned royals can be expropriated only once; regulated industries, from here to eternity. So the HHS enterprise is more like a reptile annuity than a fund.
The term ("Reptilien Fonds") stuck in the 1860s and 1870s, but it changed its connotation. The "reptiles" Bismarck had in mind were malcontents who babbled about liberty, the constitution, and other distractions from important public purposes. (The Beer Party Patriots?) To Bismarck's considerable chagrin, the word was soon taken to describe the folks who took the money. So far as I've been able to learn, the term was never applied to the officials who ran the system. But then, no one would have called the Iron Chancellor a "reptile," and he was the only guy around. He never had a deputy director for public engagement.
The Professionally Political IRS
Curbing the Regulatory State: The Search for a Second-Best
WEDNESDAY MORNING EDITION | God & Caesar says:
[…] Government: Reptile Fund – Michael Greve, Liberty Law Blog […]


What an exciting start to the year we have!
This term our topic is Space. We will be learning about our solar system, day and night, seasons, and phases of the moon. We will make an orrery, create wonderful artwort.
RE this half term is focused on Harvest and harvest festivals around the world. We will create our own non-chronological reports on facts we discover.
PE will include Badminton and Dance. We are already looking forward to having a competition with Year 6 to show off our skills!
This term we have PE on Tuesday and Wednesday. Please make sure you have the appropriate kit on these days.
Please aim to read at home as often as you can. Read 10 times to an adult and win some reading treasure!
We took time to look after our own mental health and all had a fantastic giggle during our laughter therapy session! Pass your smile on!


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"Resilience is the key," says Abhay2 actor Bidita Bag in a recent video on pandemic
Sharmistha Ghosal
Published: | 14th August 2020 12:00 AM
A still from Bidita Bag's latest video on Instagram
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz fame actor Bidita Bag, who is also acting in the web series Abhay2 that released today on Zee5, recently shared a video to express the tumultuous experience of living amidst a pandemic.
The nationwide lockdown, being observed since March this year to control the spread of the coronavirus, is causing restlessness including depression and even suicide among many.
The Bengali model-turned-actor, who is based out of Mumbai, took to her Instagram account to share the message, which read, "A Pandemic. A Lockdown. Life upturned. Humanitarian crisis. A feeling of being caged. Switch from physical to virtual. Uncertainties all around. The collapse of the expected. Yet, from the ashes rise a breed of heroes. The resilience of the human persists, defying all odds." This message is accompanied by a video that begins with showcasing various struggles faced by human beings during the pandemic.
She urges all to stay courageous for humanity in unison. She adds, "It's a step towards self-reliant India. Now each and every individual of the nation is battling on the frontline. The citizens of India admire each and every sacrifice our heroes make for us, the blood, tears, pain, sweat, and fear involved in protecting the nation to make it a better place. With the hope of love and life, spirit and safety, Wishing all soldiers a happy independence day!"
Bidita has also acted in Sholay Girl, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, Bouma and Bhaukaal.


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Woman charged with exploiting elderly man asks court to examine her mental state
By Jim Hagerty On Jun 5, 2019
ROCKFORD – A woman accused of financially exploiting an elderly man wants an expert to examine whether she's fit to stand trial.
According to a motion for fitness examination filed by Assistant Public Defender Margie O'Connor, her client, 49-year-old Anita White, has symptoms of depression that are interfering with her ability to make decisions about her case and to assist in her own defense.
"The defendant has signs of severe depression exhibited by constant crying and a flat affect," O'Connor's motion states. "She's exhibiting inability to make decisions when meeting with her attorney due to depression. When the defense attorney attempts to speak to the defendant, she can't stop crying and can't focus on serious issues related to her case."
The motion says White is a victim of a serious crime and may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
White is charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person and theft. The state alleges that between March 1, 2014 and May 1, 2017, she was in the position of trust with 77-year-old Thomas Hillenburg and knowingly, by deception, took control of his property, including money, with a value greater than $5,000 but less than $50,000. Prosecutors say that between April 1, 2014 and April 7, 2017 she stole more than $10,000 but less than $100,000 from him.
Hillenburg's family told The Times in a previous report that he and White were in a dating relationship that eventually led to a brief marriage when the alleged theft took place. The marriage was later dissolved when a judge ruled Hillenburg, who had been diagnosed with dementia, was not of sound mind when the wedding took place. Hillenburg died in 2018.
Financial exploitation of an elderly person and theft are Class 2 felonies punishable by three to seven years in prison and fines of up to $25,000.
White has pleaded not guilty. She rejected a plea agreement earlier this year and is due back in court Thursday for a status hearing.
Your Horoscope – June 5, 2019
NIU Extension gives tips to control mosquitoes
Masks will be optional at Rockford Public Schools beginning Feb. 22
Court dismisses Pritzker's appeal to keep school mask mandate in place


"The College trusts students who enroll at Earlham to be honest seekers of truth and knowledge. This trust is extended to all students by other students and by teachers, and is manifested in a variety of forms. Exams are rarely proctored, and then usually after consultation with the class and the Academic Dean or Associate Academic Dean. Unlike many colleges and universities, Earlham does not ask students to sign an oath affirming that they did not cheat on an assignment, since this would imply that people are either inherently dishonest, or will be honest only when they explicitly swear to it.
Those who believe they have witnessed violations of academic integrity should feel the obligation to speak about this to the suspected offender. The witness also should feel obligated to report the suspected offender to the instructor if the person fails to offer a satisfactory explanation and refuses to report him or herself."


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HomeAncient HistoryTelemachus: The Original Greek Coming of Age Story
Telemachus: The Original Greek Coming of Age Story
Telemachus was a young Greek hero whose adventures are seen as the Greek version of the coming-of-age story. Read on to discover his adventures from childhood to adulthood.
Oct 30, 2021 • By Bethany Williams, BA Classics and English, MA Literature
The coming-of-age narrative arc is a popular and widely recognized theme for storytelling. Telemachus had a famous father — Odysseus — who traveled most of the known Greek world, generating many fascinating myths. Likewise, Telemachus himself had many adventures on the journey to adulthood. The first four books of the Odyssey are also known as the "Telemachy" as they relate to the story of the young hero's travels in search of news about his father. Parallels with the modern conception of the coming-of-age narrative are clear. In this story we can see the basis of the genre — its birth lies in Greek myth.
Who is Telemachus?
Telemachus and Mentor by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1730-50, via Rijksmuseum, Amsterda
Telemachus was the son of Penelope, and Odysseus, who ruled the kingdom of Ithaca in ancient Greece. His name means "far from battle" which alludes to his first appearance in Greek myth as a baby who Odysseus had reluctantly left behind to go to war far away on the plains of Troy. Odysseus did not return home for another twenty years and his story is told in the Odyssey.
Telemachus was born to Penelope and Odysseus just before the outbreak of the Trojan War. When recruiters came to summon Odysseus to the war, he pretended to be mad; he attached an ox and a donkey to his plow and began driving up and down the fields in a frenzy. When a man named Palamedes took Telemachus from his crib and placed him in front of the plow, Odysseus immediately ceased the act to protect his son. In another version of the myth, when Odysseus was feigning madness, Palamedes snatched Telemachus from Penelope's arms and drew his sword as if to kill the baby. Odysseus then confessed his act in order to stop Palamedes from killing his child.
Telemachus grew up without his father in the picture. At home, he lived with his mother, Penelope, but their house was soon invaded by suitors who wished to marry Penelope in Odysseus' absence. As a result, he had to endure the rude behavior of the suitors who insulted him and refused to listen to the young boy in his own house. Coming-of-age stories often begin with a turbulent time — for Telemachus, this was the suitors, who were squandering his home. The protagonist often wishes for a way to change their situation, and so this young man dreams of changing life on the island.
Athena: An Immortal Guide
Bronze Statuette of Athena Flying her Owl, ca. 460 BCE, MET Museum
Telemachus did have one advantage on his side: the goddess Athena. In Greek mythology, Athena was the goddess of wisdom, skill, and war. She appears in many Greek myths helping heroes (such as Perseus, Achilles, and Odysseus) giving them wise advice.
Athena was also the patron goddess of the House of Odysseus due to the family's propensity for intelligence. Athena particularly favored those with a keen and intelligent mind, and she saw potential in Telemachus. Role models are a key feature of coming-of-age stories. The need for someone to look up to, a trusted advisor, is key for the development of the psychological and social relations of adolescents moving into adulthood. Athena takes this role.
Athena disguises herself as a family friend named Mentor, which is where the modern word "mentor", comes from. In this form, Athena gives valuable advice and guidance to Telemachus. As a goddess who symbolized wisdom, she often inspires the development of wisdom in mortals. It is apt then that Athena is involved in the life of our young hero, whose youth is of particular importance — he is still developing the wisdom that Athena so admires in his father, Odysseus.
Telemachus and the Suitors
The Sorrow of Telemachus by Angelica Kauffmann, 1783, via the Met Museum
In the Odyssey, Telemachus is first introduced as an inexperienced teenager, lost in his own thoughts. He despairs due to his lost father, the grief of his mother, and the disrespect from the suitors, who are plundering his house and hounding his mother with marriage proposals when his father is not even confirmed dead.
He was just one young man against 108 suitors, fully-grown men. These men had taken up residence in his house with designs to marry Penelope. Therefore he was in a fragile position: if his father was confirmed dead, he could rightfully claim his title as heir and head of the household. But Telemachus could not confidently claim this, because Odysseus' whereabouts were unknown, and Penelope's son was unsure how to get rid of the suitors by himself.
In one attempt to disperse the suitors, Telemachus organizes a meeting for the elders of the island to discuss the suitors' bad behavior.
"My distinguished father is lost…
My home and all I have are being ruined.
My mother wanted no suitors but like a pack
[…] They squander everything…
Expel them, yes, if only I had the power…
My house is being plundered: is this courtesy?
Where is your indignation? Where is your shame?"
(Odyssey 4.49-80)
Some of the elders are impressed with Telemachus' speech, but the suitors rudely mock him for his youth and inexperience. As a result, his speech is unsuccessful, and he is placed in an even worse position; the suitors hate him even more and secretly make plans to kill him. He is encouraged by Mentor-Athena to set out on a journey to discover news about his father. According to Athena's standards, Telemachus must first gain knowledge, to increase his strength, before finally returning home with the ability to defeat the suitors.
Telemachus' Travels
Telemachus Arming by Luigi Bienaimé, 1835, via Sotheby's
Telemachus and Mentor-Athena set off on a journey to visit the great kings of Greece, who were old friends and comrades of Odysseus. This is the beginning of the hero's coming-of-age narrative. His first stop is at the kingdom of Nestor, in Pylos. Just before getting off the ship, he hesitates, doubting his skill at speech and worrying that he will appear rude and uneducated to Nestor.
"Mentor, how can I do it? How approach him?
I have no practice in elaborate speeches, and
For a young man to interrogate an old man
Seems disrespectful…"
This self-doubt is key to the coming-of-age trope; many characters in this narrative begin with doubt and grow in confidence as they learn from new experiences. Mentor-Athena notices his uncertainty and tries to rouse his confidence. Athena assures him that he has the ability: "reason and heart will give you words, Telemachus, and a spirit will counsel others."
And so, Telemachus approaches Nestor and asks about his father. Nestor is very impressed with the young man's speech — he praises him for having the eloquence of his father. This is a very high compliment as Odysseus was known among the Greeks for his silver-tongue. Among other things, Nestor teaches Telemachus about the importance of loyalty, and faith in the gods. This enhances the young protagonist's psychological growth as a maturing young man.
After this, Telemachus visits King Menelaus and Queen Helen, who live in Sparta. Here he learns that his father is alive but trapped on the island of Calypso. Menelaus also admires the likeness of Odysseus in Telemachus, which helps him gain confidence in his parentage, which he sometimes doubts. Inspired by the news that his father is alive, Telemachus is reinvigorated with hope and self-assurance.
Return Home: Reunion with Odysseus
Reunion of Odysseus and Telemachus by Henri-Lucien Doucet, 1856-95, via Public Art Collection
Whilst Telemachus had been traveling, the suitors had been plotting "the death plunge for Telemachus." (Odyssey 4.897) Telemachus avoids the ambush that he had expected by taking shelter with a swineherd. Unbeknownst to Telemachus, his father Odysseus has also arrived from his twenty-year-long journey and is resting inside the same swineherd's shelter. Odysseus is disguised as an old man — a magic trick courtesy of Athena.
Telemachus is gracious to the "old man" and shows the exemplary behavior of a young prince on the verge of adulthood. He accepts the responsibility of care for the old man but shows concern regarding his ability to keep his guest safe in his own home due to the presence of the violent suitors. During their conversation, Telemachus mentions how much he misses his father, which is heart-warming for Odysseus to hear.
"If men could choose, and have their choice, in everything, we'd have my father home."
(Odyssey 16.172-3)
Odysseus, having waited to gauge his son's character, eventually reveals himself once he is proud of what he has seen. A happy reunion ensues.
"Then, throwing his arms around this marvel of a father,
Telemachus began to weep. Salt tears
Rose from the wells of longing in both men,
And cries burst from both"
Reunited, father and son begin to devise a plan to eradicate the suitors and finally reunite their family.
Reuniting with Penelope
Telemachus Returning to Penelope by Angelica Kauffmann, c.1770-80, via the Chrysler Museum of Art, Virginia
Odysseus (once again disguised) and Telemachus, keeping a low profile, return to the palace. Once there, Telemachus secretly creeps into the palace and gathers weapons. He stores them in a hidden but accessible location so that they can arm themselves against the suitors when the time is right.
First, Penelope is reunited with Telemachus. He shows personal growth — key to coming-of-age narratives — in his improved attitude towards his mother. At the beginning of the story, he appeared impatient and brusque, chiding her for her laments. However, Telemachus' attitude towards his mother changes by the time he returns home. He shows newfound respect for her, being courteous and apologetic.
"Mother… I know the meaning of these actions now, both good and bad. I had been young and blind."
Telemachus also shows concern for her mental health; one of his first thoughts when reaching the island is a desire to let Penelope know that he and Odysseus are alive so that she will not despair. He later shows a protective attitude concerning his mother. In one scene, he commands Penelope to leave the courtyard and return to her room to continue her weaving. He then has her locked in the room. This appears to the onlookers as if Telemachus is being rude, however, Telemachus knows that a battle is about to commence, and so his actions ensure that Penelope is out of danger, and as safe as possible.
Reclaiming Home
Ulysses' Revenge on Penelope's Suitors (with Telemachus) by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1814, via the Hirschsprung Collection, Denmark.
In the courtyard, Telemachus sets up the trial of the bow: Penelope had announced to the suitors that whoever could shoot an arrow through twelve ax-heads with Odysseus' old bow, would become her new husband.
There is symbolism in Telemachus' own attempt to fire the arrow. He fails three times to string the bow, but on the fourth attempt, it appears that he could have been successful. However, upon a secret signal from Odysseus, he retreats from the challenge. The plan was for the suitors to fail at the challenge, and for Odysseus to step up last and reveal his identity. Telemachus' almost-victory shooting the arrow conveys how he has almost completed his passage from childhood to adulthood, and that he is undeniably the heir of Odysseus.
Once Odysseus completes the challenge, Telemachus and his father begin the purging of the suitors. It soon becomes apparent that the door to the room with the weapons has been left open, and the suitors are able to arm themselves. Without hesitation, Telemachus owns up to this mistake.
"It is my own fault, Father, mine alone. The storeroom door — I left it open. They were more alert than I."
His humble acceptance of his own mistake shows maturity, and his responsible nature speaks to his growth into adulthood. Nevertheless, with the magical aid of Athena, Odysseus and Telemachus are able to kill all the suitors in a violent battle.
Parallels with Other Coming-of-Age Narratives
Minerva (Athena) in the Clouds Above Telemachus by Abraham Raimbach, via the British Museum
A vital part of the coming-of-age storyline is the personal growth the protagonist experiences on the way to becoming an adult. In particular, Telemachus' example highlights Homeric Greek society's expectations of what psychological changes an adolescent may experience when growing up: self-doubt to confidence, arrogance to humility. Telemachus learns responsibility and respect.
Telemachus' journey across the sea, from his hometown to mainland Greece, is considered dangerous. As such, the journey proves that he has grown in bravery. The physical journey reflects the psychological journey. A major part of Telemachus' growth is about confidence. He begins the journey unsure of himself because he had been unable to send away the suitors, as they had overpowered him in the meeting. When first arriving at Pylos, this self-doubt almost stops him at the beginning of his journey.
With the support and encouragement of a role model (Athena in the disguise of Mentor) Telemachus is slowly able to overcome his insecurities. On his return, he is able to confidently assume his place in the household and rid his property of the suitors. Doubt does not hold him back this time.
Emotional responses are a huge part of growing up. Telemachus gets angry at his mother and the suitors at the beginning of the Telemachy — this is manifest frustration at an inability to claim independence and power in his own home on the brink of adulthood. However, on his return, his naive lack of appreciation for his mother has become humble respect. With regards to the suitors, Telemachus is able to calmly deal with them and claim his power in the house as the rightful heir of Odysseus.
A Hero's Growth
Pallas Athena appearing to Telemachus by Tako Hajo Jelgersma, via the British Museum
By the end of the Odyssey, Telemachus has grown into a responsible young man who is accepting of his flaws and yet wise in his efforts to improve himself. The end of the Odyssey is by no means the end of Telemachus' story, but the conclusion to his coming-of-age arc, and the beginning of his life as an adult.
The Epic Tale of the Trojan War Described in 15 Artworks
By Bethany WilliamsBA Classics and English, MA LiteratureBethany is a Masters student, currently studying the adaptation of Greek myth in modern literature. She is a graduate of Classics and English (BA), during which she studied Ancient Greek language, classical reception within its own time and throughout history, as well as Greek and Roman history. Apart from her studies, she has an appreciation for art, philosophy, and travel. She may be based in England, but her heart is in Greece.
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