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Indeed the judgements in the link above show how much attention was paid to the Swedish legal process and the obligations of the EAW. It also shows how the UK legal system has bent over backwards to give Assange every possible benefit of the doubt.
19th June 2016, 12:30 AM #242
KDLarsen
It's the fifth anniversary of Assange walking into the Ecuadorean embassy, and incredibly, there are still celebrities out there who are arguing he should be allowed to leave - which, as has been said time and time again, he's absolutely free to do.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...london-embassy
Find More Posts by KDLarsen
It's kind of ironic that he has now served longer in the embassy than he would have if he'd just gone to Sweden.
I hope they'll conclude the evening with some juicy leaks. Insurance is already distributed.
I've always found the idea of an 'insurance'-file to be quite amusing. I guess WikiLeaks arent dedicated to exposing everything after all, if they're willing to keep stuff under wraps, just in case.
19th June 2016, 12:08 PM #246
I stand with Julian Assange!
If Julian gave himself up, he'd be shipped to the US and tortured - and we all know it.
And for you Sheeple who think Julian's plight is about Rape - shame on you. Julian was framed at a very convenient time and you know it! Grow up! Quit whining and sniveling!
Last edited by Jules Galen; 19th June 2016 at 12:12 PM.
Being amused in an armchair must be a nice and safe state of being, yet totally inconsequential.
I wonder how many of his "celebrity supporters" back him enough to vote "Exit" on Thursday.
Sweden has a long history of harboring American spies and traitors. Sweden even has laws forbidding the extradition of political criminals. I can think of no agency less likely to turn Assange over to the US than Swedish law enforcement.
But Assange didn't stay in Sweden. He fled to the UK, where there are far less protections for American political criminals.
And he was even detained in the UK, but was not shipped to the US.
So much for your conspiracy theory. Julian Assange is the Roman Polanski of whistleblowers. I understand what you're going through. I really like The Ninth Gate. You really like Wikileaks. It's possible to like Wikileaks, without having to defend the bad things Assange has done, and without having to invent bizarre conspiracy theories to avoid having to admit that he's done them.
Last edited by theprestige; 19th June 2016 at 07:41 PM.
So much for your conspiracy theory.
Prove it.
The US doesn't even bother requesting extradition now.
the extradition treaty between the United States and Sweden does not allow extradition for spying.
"Espionage is considered a 'political offense' that, therefore, falls outside the scope of Sweden's extradition treaty," said Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd.
Well...that's because the woman was a citizen of Sweden. However, if you are not a citizen of Sweden, then it's off to Torture Land for you: https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/11/09/...-cia-rendition
This whole Julian Assange thing ain't about rape folks - it's about being able to ship a guy off to be tortured and then tried by secret courts...something that Sweden has been complicit with in the past.
Also...the number of bleating sheep on this board is starting to sicken me. Too bad so many of them refuse to be men.
Last edited by Jules Galen; 20th June 2016 at 08:06 AM.
Well...that's because the woman was a citizen of Sweden.
Lie. As stated in the article and a fact you can look up easily is that the extradition treaty between Sweden and the USA specifically excludes political and military crimes.
However, if you are not a citizen of Sweden, then it's off to Torture Land for you: https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/11/09/...-cia-rendition
Do you understand the difference between extradition and rendition? Hint: they are different things. And because I actually pay attention when things happen I recall the massive political stink this participation in rendition caused in Sweden. Remember that?
This whole Julian Assange thing ain't about rape folks - it's about being able to ship a guy off to be tortured and then tried by secret courts.
It's so refreshing to have someone spout this without bothering to read up on the case. He left Sweden which has laws protecting him from extradition to the USA for the UK which, I am ashamed to say, has demonstrated a strong desire to be the USA's bitch, a long-standing cross-party tradition. Now he refuses to go to stand very public trial and be protected not only by that treaty but also by the EAW which requires that the UK would also have to agree to his extradition.
The USA didn't want him, despite his ego he's just the public face of the publisher. They wanted Snowden who actually had the guts and conviction to get that data out despite knowing what he would face.
No...I guess I really don't care to know the difference between two terms that end up with the same consequences: Torture and Secret Trial. And like I've proven, Sweden has been the USA's bitch for this.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/11/09/...-cia-rendition
Edited by Agatha: Edited to remove breach of rule 12
Last edited by Agatha; 20th June 2016 at 11:39 AM.
No...I guess I really don't care to know the difference between two terms that end up with the same consequences: Torture and Secret Trial.
If willful ignorance is your thing.....
And like I've proven, Sweden has been the USA's bitch for this.
Did you actually read my reply?
Edited by Agatha: Edited to remove quote of rule breaching material and response to same
Sweden harboring American military defectors during the Vietnam War.
Sweden harboring a CIA defector because their extradition treaty doesn't permit them to return him to the US
That second case is especially relevant, because it plays out exactly the scenario you imagine for Assange: The fugitive seeks asylum in Sweden. The US demands his extradition. The Swedish government detains him.
But the scenario has some key differences from what you imagine: First, the US hasn't actually demanded Assange's extradition. Second, after detaining the fugitive, the Swedish government set him free again. Third, the fugitive in question was an actual defecting spy, not a publisher.
There are other problems with your conspiracy theory, too. For example, the US generally does not go after publishers of classified information. Earlier in the thread I cited a military college paper that recommends this policy. Go after the person responsible for the original leak, but do not go after the person(s) who publish the leaked material after the fact. And that's exactly what we see in the case of Assange: Bradley Manning is in a US prison. Julian Assange is a free man, and has been for years, as far as the US is concerned.
Then there's the problem that you can't explain why the US didn't get Assange when he was detained by Swedish police on 30 August 2010.
And you can't explain why the UK authorities didn't pick up Assange and turn him over to the US when he fled to the UK from Sweden.
And finally, of course, there's the problem that you haven't provided any evidence at all that any of your claims are true, or even likely. So now it's your turn: Prove it.
Blah. Blah. Blah.
Tell me Guantanomo....Secret Courts....Secret Warrents....A Worldwide Archipelago of CIA Torture Camps are a conspiracy.
I laugh in your face.
None of that requires framing anyone. If you want to claim that the US can just snatch people from anywhere and send them off to be tortured in secret, fine. I wouldn't actually dispute that claim.
But if that's what they want to do with Assange, there's no need to go through all the trouble of a fake rape charge. The US could just snatch him any time. In fact, given the Swedish legal prohibitions against political extradition, and given the Swedish history of giving asylum to American defectors, involving the Swedish authorities would be counter-productive.
Once Assange is in Swedish custody, the US would have to go through a lot of extra effort to snatch him away for secret torture. It'd be much easier to let him live free, and then kidnap him off the street.
Which they didn't do. They didn't do it in Sweden. They didn't do it in the UK. But somehow you believe--without evidence--that they've done something much more complicated and unnecessary instead. Why would they bother?
Why not fake a rape Charge? Such a charge would have done wonders for discrediting Edward Snowden...but Fast Eddie was just a bit too fast!
The conspiracy theory we're talking about is your theory that the US is conspiring with Swedish police to frame Assange for a crime he didn't commit. Your theory is problematic due not only to your refusal to provide evidence, but it also is contradicted by Swedish history and laws, and is also completely unnecessary to accomplish the goal you allege.
ETA: I see you've moved the goalposts, and are now alleging a different goal. Still no evidence for the frame, though.
Last edited by theprestige; 20th June 2016 at 10:52 AM.
One reason not to do it is because it would require secretly and illegally influencing the Swedish police to create the frame. Discrediting Assange doesn't seem worth the effort and the risk, assuming the US even has the leverage to do it at all--something for which you've shown no evidence.
What about your claim that the purpose of the frame was to get Assange into Swedish custody so that he could be transferred to American custody? Are you abandoning that claim?
You know what is funny? I'll tell you.
If someone from 20 years ago had a time-machine PC that could look forward in time and read the last few posts of this thread, they would be utterly horrified. I mean, for one, nobody on this thread questions the existence of Secret Prison Camps, Secret Courts, Secret Warrants or a a USA Worldwide Torture Archipelago - this is all accepted. Really, if someone from 20 years ago had read that as a "post from the future" they would have been utterly flabbergasted.
But what what would even have been stranger still would have been to read postings on "Extradition" vs "Rendition" and other such legal drivel. Because, once a Global System of Secret Detention and Torture has been set up, what the hell good does it do to argue about the finer points of law?
Bro...somewhere there is a boiling pot of water with a dead frog in it....and you look like that frog.
I'm not arguing about finer points of law. I'm asking you for your evidence that the US is conspiring with Swedish police authorities to frame Julian Assange. I've explained why this frame doesn't seem plausible, because of Swedish history, Swedish law, lack of evidence, and lack of necessity.
Anyway, now you're back to the extradition/rendition claim. So let's focus on this one.
I'm also not disputing the idea of the US Torture Archipelago. I think it exists, and I think it's a serious problem. I also think you've found a really good name for it. But what we're talking about here is whether Assange is being fitted for the Archipelago.
I've looked at the available information. Not just the existence of the Archipelago. Not just the prior instances of extraordinary rendition. I've also looked at Swedish law and history. I've looked at the several detailed analyses of the case in Sweden. I've looked at the analyses of the UK court decision to extradite. I've looked at translations of the Swedish police authority documents and statements themselves. I've looked at the actions taken against Assange by the US government. I've looked at US policy recommendations for this kind of situation.
All of this stuff is available throughout this thread, along with extensive discussion by the membership here. And taking all the available information together, my conclusions are these: The Torture Archipelago exists. Extraordinary rendition really happens. Assange is not at risk of extraordinary rendition. Assange cannot be extradited from Sweden to the US. Assange is not being framed for sex crimes.
If you have new information to add to what I've already considered, I would be happy to consider it. Evidence that the US is actually conspiring with Swedish authorities would absolutely change my mind about the framing. A leak of secret US orders to rendition Assange would absolutely change my mind about his risk of rendition. A legal or diplomatic statement overturning Swedish law and history on the subject of political extradition would absolutely change my mind on that subject. Do you have any of these things?
Simply repeating one or two pieces of information that I've already considered, and already inform my conclusions, does nothing to alter my conclusions. You will need to provide something more, something new.
In other words: Prove it.
21st June 2016, 01:29 AM #267
I see the pro-Assange lot are still trying to argue that it would be easier for the US to extradite from Sweden than the UK.
And it's still just as much a bollocks argument now as it was when he walked into the embassy all those years ago.
It's bollocks all the way down.
The idea that the US has some compelling need to kidnap Assange, and put him on trial, doesn't even make sense to begin with.
21st June 2016, 12:37 PM #269
I work in and around the US government and have for the majority of my adult working career. Assange is barely a footnote in the whole situation; sure, some people wanted to see him pay in some way for releasing the documents, but once the Justice Department dismissed the idea nothing more has even been said about the man by the very people who were originally calling for his head.
Do you know what our politicians care about right now? The election and how certain key issues are going to play out, NONE of which involve Julian Assange. We've forgotten about him, more or less; him and his supporters (and there's relatively few of those in the grand scheme of things) are the only ones who are dead certain we're foaming at the mouth to get him back. Hate to break it to you, Julie baby, but you are NOT that important.
It's also about rape.
Just because you're a hero to many for standing up to the United States doesn't mean you get a pass on rape.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
I think Assange is too high profile to disappear into some hidden torture location
Evidence of one bad thing doesn't stand in for evidence of a completely different bad thing.
Wow...so that's the state of "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" now, huh?
Low Profile= Maybe disapear into a hidden torture location.
High Profile = Something else.
Originally Posted by Mycroft
It worked for Thomas Jefferson when he stood up to Britain!
I'm just talking about Assange
22nd June 2016, 04:51 AM #276
It works for ISIL and their treatment of Yazidi women too.
Are you actually arguing he should get a pass on rape? Or are you just saying random crap just to be saying anything at all?
I can certainly draw my own conclusions.
That does appear to be the state of it, yes. So much for your theory that the US is conspiring with Sweden to frame Assange.
16th September 2016, 09:34 AM #279
A sad day for Assange as he learns that he'll be staying put for another month at least.
The Swedish Court of Appeal have upheld the Arrest Warrant.
Ecuadorian Authorities have agreed allow Swedish Prosecutors to interview him, but while they are allowed to sit in, they have to give the questions to the Ecuadorian Prosecutor, who will then ask them to Assange. This is due to occur on Oct 17th.
I wonder how long they will take to hand him over if (when) the Swedish Prosecutor says they want to formally charge him.
His Swedish Lawyers have declared they'll appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.
Some Comments...
"Sadly, Sweden has a long history of compromising its rule of law where the perceived interests of the United States are concerned"
In fact it's actually the other way about, they have a very good track record of telling the US to jump in the lake, other than in a single case where a pair of "refugees" who lost their case and denied asylum, were then sent back to Egypt at the CIA's request before they could appeal.
"It is a matter of considerable concern for them that the court declined to apply the UN Working Group's finding that Mr Assange is in fact detained at present, and that this detention is illegal"
That's because the UN working group's findings were a joke based entirely on the brief provided by Assange's legal team. The Court considered it and stated...
"Julian Assange cannot be deemed to be unable to leave the Embassy," the judgement said. "His stay, as such, is not to be regarded as an unlawful deprivation of liberty."
This is totally correct. Assange can leave the Embassy whenever he wants. The trouble is that he doesn't want to face the consequences of his act of breaking bail. Seems like he has a habit of refusing to face the consequences of his actions.
"The court also failed to give sufficient weight to the fact that Julian is not to blame for the delays in the investigation; six years is simply too long to investigate one allegation, for which he was already cleared by the previous prosecutor."
Incorrect. Firstly, it is entirely Assange's fault, first he run away to the UK, then he fought the extradition back, then he fled to the Embassy instead of returning.
Secondly, the previous prosecutor didn't clear him, in fact he was never cleared.
The First Prosecutor set up an arrest warrant for him for two counts of sexual molestation. The second reduced the actions for what he was wanted and removed the arrest warrant, but the accusations remained in their reduced capacity of sexual misconduct. The Third Prosecutor, and the previous one to the current one, reinstated one of the charges and increased the other to rape.
"These delays are incompatible with his presumption of innocence, and right to clear his name in an expeditious manner."
If he wants to clear his name, there is a really easy way to do that, has been for the last 6 years.....
"It is also disturbing that the court failed to refer to Ecuador's decision to grant him asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention. Sweden is a state party to this convention, and cannot ignore the fact that Ecuador has, after a thorough assessment, determined that Julian requires effective protection against the risk of torture and persecution presented by the ongoing US investigation against him and Wikileaks."
Along with the National Enquirer and the Onion. I have a bridge for sale, any takers?
Last edited by PhantomWolf; 16th September 2016 at 09:39 AM.
Questioning of Julian Assange by Swedish authorities postponed.
One month ago the Swedish prosecutors agreed to question Assange in the UK.
The date was set, the Ecuadorians agreed it, Assange agreed it, presumable Assange's shysters agreed it.
October 17.
It is now deferred to November 17. Why?
A spokesman for Assange's legal team said: "The attorney general's office of Ecuador considered that a deferment was necessary to ensure the presence of Mr Assange's attorneys."
Why did they not consider this a month ago when the October date was set?
Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle Mr. Assange.


text:
3,000KM ACROSS THE ROOF OF THE WORLD | On assignment in Eastern Tajikistan
By Christopher Wilton-Steer
PAMIR ENERGY, KHOROG
I'm beckoned into Daler Jumaev's office and offered a seat.
Daler is on a call with one of his engineers and is giving him some heat down the phone, his fists thumping his desk with each word. He's speaking in Tajik but I think I understand the message: "I'm not interested in excuses. Get. It. Done." I remember Daler once telling me, to get things done in Tajikistan, you need to be tough.
He hangs up, the momentary frustration has passed and he comes to greet me in that typical Daler way, with a huge grin and a bear hug. "Welcome Chris-tow-feerr! How was your flight?"
Daler Jumaev is the General Director of Pamir Energy; an off-grid energy company that owns and operates several small scale hydropower plants and a network of distribution lines spanning 4,300km across Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon (VMKB); the eastern half of Tajikistan to you and me. Of the many hats Daler wears this is perhaps the most important one; over 250,000 people are relying on him to provide their electricity in this remote mountainous part of the world.
Where is Tajikistan? In the centre of this map, at the heart of Central Asia .
Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon makes up the eastern half of Tajikistan and borders Afghanistan, China and the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Pamir Mountains cover VMKB.
It is home to some 200,000 people, many of whom live in remote mountain valleys.
Daler has invited me to VMKB to photograph the Pamir Energy network and the people whose lives it touches. The company has a great story to tell.
Pamir Energy was established in 2002 to respond to the region's dire energy needs that followed the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the ensuing civil war. At that time, only 13% of the population had access to electricity. Wood being the only readily available fuel, 70% of the region was deforested. Living standards and the quality of life declined dramatically throughout the 1990s.
This was the context in which the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the Government of Tajikistan and the World Bank established Pamir Energy; Central Asia's first public private partnership. It's mission: to turn around a post-Soviet utility to provide clean and affordable energy 24 hours a day to the poor communities in the region.
Pamir Energy's Pamir 1 Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) in Khorog which is the main town of VMKB.
Today, 96% of the population of VMKB are able to access energy; a remarkable achievement. In 2008 the company began to export electricity across the border to northern Afghanistan. Some villages are receiving electricity for the first time in their history.
Some of Pamir Energy's recent installations. Electricity is being exported to Afghanistan on the other side of the river.
Standing in front of a large map of VMKB, Daler and I survey the Pamir Mountain range. Once home to the formidable warriors, the Scythians, the famous Silk Route traders, the Sogdians, and a key theatre of 'The Great Game', it is a region full of myth, intrigue and legend.
Standing in front of a huge map, Daler traces a route across the Pamirs, "you will visit places ninety-nine percent of people have never seen."
The land route which started in Khorog and ended in the capital, Dushanbe.
His finger stops at Zorkul, named Lake Victoria by the agents of the British Empire. "Here is the place where your people divided the Badakhshans and my people," he says with a mischievous smile. "You must go. It is important that you understand your history."
"Here is the place where your people divided my people"
The majestic Vanj valley; a typical Pamiri valley.
THE ROAD TO MURGHAB
The following day we set off from Khorog – the main town of VMKB – at 4:30am. It's a long way to Murghab, one of the most remote and, at 4,000 metres above sea level, one of the highest towns in Tajikistan.
After a few hours, we stop near Yashikul ('the green lake') where Pamir Energy has a regulating dam. This system ensures there is enough water flowing in the winter to drive turbines and generate the electricity needed to serve Pamir Energy's customers. Two Pamir Energy staff live here in near isolation for shifts of 15 days after which they can return to their villages.
Yashilkul – a freshwater lake
Pamir Energy regulating damn employees
Daler Jumaev, general Director of Pamir Energy
Before continuing eastward we stop off in nearby Bulunkul village to join a ceremony to mark the opening of a new tourism centre. A young Tajik girl performs a mesmerising dance to open the event. Locals, some wearing traditional clothing, have congregated to watch. Yak, horses and Bactrian camel graze nearby.
Scenes from the opening of the new tourism centre in Bulunkul
This centre is one part of AKDN and its partners' broader efforts to attract tourism to the region and generate economic opportunities for locals. The US Ambassador and AKDN's Resident Representative to Tajikistan are here to speak about their respective commitment to this endeavour and hope for the future. AKDN's tourism promotion activities span centres like this one, hotels and the restoration of historic monuments. It is not inconceivable that one day this beautiful and relatively unknown part of the world could attract more than just the most adventurous of tourists.
After a lunch of typical Pamiri food – gartha (roundels of flat bread), kharvo (a vegetable soup with a piece of meat) and trout (introduced to the nearby lakes by the Soviets) – we continue on our way.
As we climb higher up and further eastward the landscape appears increasingly dusty and moon-like and vegetation becomes more sparse. Above 3,000 metres there are no longer any trees. The air is thin. A short walk from the car has me gasping for breath.
Landscape on the road to Murghab near Yashikul. 'Kul' means 'lake' in Tajik.
Unlike the rockier Pamirs to the west that burst out of the earth's surface in dark browns and deep ochres, the mountains here are softer and glow purple, pink and blue. "The rockier the mountains, the younger they are," my friend Dastanbui later tells me. The valleys too have become wider; at times vastly so.
"The rockier the mountains, the younger they are"
In the distance, we see Kyrgyz yurts at the base of snow capped peaks. The semi-nomadic herdsmen are here with their yak, making the most of the rich summer pastures. In winter they will return to Murghab town where they can stay warm.
Semi-nomadic Kyrgyz herders on the 'Jailoo' summer pastures
Parallel to the road is an endless chain of telegraph poles. Not so long ago, they were the only communications link between Mughab and the outside world. Built by the Soviets in the 1950s, the poles still stand proudly for hundreds of kilometres even though their original use is long since past; unlike the road we race along, also Soviet-built.
The Soviet built road and communications line to Murghab.
"Everything good about Tajikistan came from the Soviet Union," says Igor one of my travel companions. I understand his point. Schools, hospitals, roads, water works, energy and more: all were invested in by the Soviets even in this most remote corner of their empire. Across the the border in Afghanistan and beyond the Soviet sphere of influence, there is nothing like this. Barely a light can be seen at night; a situation Pamir Energy is working to address through its cross-border energy programme.
"Everything good about Tajikistan came from the Soviet Union"
As we enter the late afternoon, a wide and fertile valley opens before us. We are close to Murghab town and not far from the Chinese border; the primary reason for the town's strategic importance to the Soviets.
Murghab town, 4,000 metres above sea level, two hours from the Chinese border.
Of the 6,000 people who live in Murghab town, most are semi-nomadic Kyrgyz people, the rest are Pamiri Tajiks. Our first stop is the site of Pamir Energy's new 1.5MW hydropower plant that is due to open in June 2018.
An old Soviet military runway near Murghab town. The town was founded by the Russians as Pamirsky Post in 1893 as their most advanced military outpost into Central Asia.
As we arrive at the construction site, huge diggers and industrial machinery are preparing the way for the new turbines that will generate the district's energy needs. After completion, this will take Pamir Energy's coverage to 99% of VMKB. The few remaining unconnected valleys will follow soon after.
The construction site of Pamir Energy's new hydropower plant in Murgab and its reservoir.
It's easy to forget the impact electricity has on our lives. Imagine having to spend several hours each day collecting wood to heat your homes and to cook your food or having to hand wash your clothes. Imagine the lost time. Imagine not having the internet, or your phone or a TV. Imagine what you wouldn't know.
This is why UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has called sustainable energy, "the golden thread that connects economic growth, increased social equity and an environment that allows the world to thrive" and why Pamir Energy is investing in this essential catalyst to the development of human life.
MURGHAB TO ZORKUL
The following morning we head into the town centre where Kyrgyz men, with their distinctive Kalpak hats, and women greet one another on their morning stroll.
Residents of Murghab out on a morning stroll.
I meet a famous local embroiderer – Rahima – who has been supported by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) to set up her business. Rahima now employs 10 women who clean wool, prepare the dyes and are learning the craft. Her pieces are sold in local markets and exhibited across Tajikistan. Across VMKB, AKF supports many female artisans like Rahima to start businesses and earn an independent income. Slowly, women like Rahima are helping reshape the role of women and their perceived value within their communities.
Master embroider Rahima at work with her daughter and mother.
Back on the road we start a 300km leg south to Zorkul; the site Daler was so keen for me, a British man, to see. As the altitude decreases, the mountains become rockier and the valleys narrower. To my surprise we pass about 15 mountain bikers making the several hundred mile journey from Ishkashim to Murghab. The mind boggles.
A surprisingly common and encouraging sight!
A further four hours drive south, Afghanistan and its majestic snow-capped peaks come into view. To reach Zorkul we pass a military checkpoint. Being so close to the Afghan border we need to be accompanied by an armed guard.
A military outpost; beyond it Afghanistan.
The road to Zorkul runs parallel with the Panj river which marks the Afghan-Tajik border. The river is so narrow at points you could jump over it into Afghanistan. Zorkul, named Lake Victoria by the British, marks the spot where in 1895 the British and Russians signed the 'Pamir Convention'; an agreement that ended years of suspicion and paranoia between the powers and formally demarcated their respective spheres of influence in Central Asia. Using the Panj river as their guide, the empires separated Badakhshan province into what would become Tajikistan and Afghanistan and sent these respective nations onto vastly different development trajectories; socially, cultural and economically. Families were separated and a people and culture divided.
The 1895 'Pamir Convention' formally divided the mountainous region of Badakhshan into separate entities under Russian and British/Afghan influence
Zorkul/Lake Victoria. The other side of the lake is where Afghanistan begins.
Surrounding landscape near Zorkul.
To begin the loop back to Khorog we need to take the Ghudera pass; a frighteningly narrow road that clings to the edge of the steep mountains. After several hours driving, the valley floor opens out majestically into the Wakhan Corridor. The trees have returned.
We're staying at a basic hotel near the hot springs of Bibi Fatima. "They have paper in the toilets, you don't have to use rocks like Tajik men and womens," giggles Igor. It is late and I am exhausted but I don't want to miss the opportunity to visit the spring which Igor describes as "a mystical experience". I am not disappointed. Sitting on a mountain face, in a pool of hot water high up in the Pamirs, it is awe-inspiring. We bathe a while, talk a little and enjoy this natural wonder.
The next day we set off back to Khorog via Ishkashim. We pass Zamr-i atish parast (Fortress of the Fire Worshippers) which sits majestically overlooking the Wahkan and the mountains of Afghanistan. This crumbling fortress, that dates back to the third century BCE, once guarded the trade route to the north of the river Panj. Not much remains although there is talk that it could be restored one day.
The legendary Zamr-i atish parast – Fortress of the Fire Worshippers – near Yamchun, overlooking the Wakhan Corridor and beyond it the mountains of Afghanistan.
Zamr-i atish parast from above; beyond it the Wakhan Corridor and Afghanistan.
Closer to the river basin, farmers are harvesting fields that lie adjacent to the vast river basin. They grow wheat and potatoes; the latter this region is famous for.
Suhrob collecting potatoes for which Ishkashim is famous. Suhrob is one of many farmers in VMKB who are working with AKF to increase the productivity of their fields and increase their incomes.
Further north, we visit Deh; a village that has just started receiving electricity again after 20 years without it – since the fall of the Soviet Union. "It's the first hot shower we have had in a long time," the head of the village council tells me.
I meet Hamida who migrated to Russia in 2006 but has recently moved back to Deh with her family. I ask her why they have retuned. She tells me it is simple: "because the village has electricity now." She elaborates: "I used to have to wash clothes with my hands, now it's 30 minutes in a washing machine so I have lots of time to do other things like spend time with the children. Before I would have to spend all day collecting wood now there's no need. We have TV so the kids can watch cartoons and we can watch the news. We're more aware of what's going on in the world. It's good to be back."
In the context of today's migration crisis, this strikes me as significant. If families can live in peace and with access to basic services, like electricity, and opportunity many would never choose to leave in the first place.
"I used to have to wash clothes with my hands, now it's 30 minutes in a washing machine so I have lots of time to do other things like spend time with the children"
Hamida who moved back to Deh village from Russia with her family because there is now electricity, after 20 years without
From Darvaz, our last stop, we make way for the capital Dushanbe; the final stretch of our 3,000km journey. The mighty mountains begin to recede and give way to gently undulating farmland. The remainder of the journey provides time for reflection.
Much has been and is being done by Pamir Energy, the Aga Khan Development Network, the international donor community and others to improve the living conditions of the people of the Pamirs and encourage inward investment. Great strides have been made in literacy and life expectancy.
Investments in energy, markets, a new university, water and sanitation, health clinics, and agriculture amongst others are bringing prosperity to VMKB.
The construction of new energy lines, bridges and markets are helping catalyse economic development and are reconnecting eastern Tajikistan with Northern Afghanistan once more allowing them to share in their limited resources, trade with each other, and prosper together. Ultimately, to support one another.
Vanj cross-border bridge encourages trade between Afghanistan (left of river) and Tajikistan (right of river). Specially designated markets at each end allow for cross-border trade to occur without the need for passports or visas.
In many respects, these initiatives are working to undo some of the damage caused by the imperial policies that divided this region whilst making the most of its Soviet legacy. With sustained support, it is possible that this remote and often misunderstood corner of the world may again claim its place as the economic, social and cultural hub of Central Asia and thrive once more.
Words and photographs by Christopher Wilton-Steer
More information about visiting Tajikistan's Pamir mountains can be found via the Pamir Eco-Cultural Tourism Association website.
Map of the journey starting in Khorog then to Yashikhul, Murghab, Zorkul, Yamchun, Ishkashim, Khorog, Vomar, Bartang Valley, Deh, Vanj Valley, and back to Dushanbe.
Local life on a journey through Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains
Tajikistan from above

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Receiving Blood Donation Buses on World Red Cross Day
On 8 May 2021, the National Blood Centre (NBC), the Thai Red Cross Society (TRCS), organized the World Red Cross Day 2021 Fair under the concept of "Together We Are #UNSTOPPABLE" at NBC, TRCS. Mr. Tej Bunnag, Secretary General of the Thai Red Cross Society, presided over the opening ceremony and received two blood donation buses from Ms. Kathryn Clarkson, Head Country Cluster Delegation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Category: Blood Transfusion Services 27/05/2021
Limited Edition T-Shirt for Blood Hero
Thai Red Cross Society Provides Sinopharm COVID-19 Vaccines to Migrants
Blood Challenge Campaign for Blood Donation
Calling Healthy Thai People to Donate Blood during COVID-19 Pandemic
Voluntary Blood Donation Campaign in Commemoration of the Birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Thai Red Cross Society Donates Oxygen Concentrators to Support the Myanmar Red Cross Society's operation against Covid-19
China presents 100,000 Doses of Sinopharm Vaccine to HRH Princess MahaChakri Sirindhorn
Red Cross Youth Volunteers Provides Assistance to People
Energy Day for Efficient Energy
Relief Assistance to Affected People in Nakhon Sawan and Lop Buri
provide the proactive COVID-19 vaccination rollout for displaced persons
U.S. Chargé d'Affaires visits the Secretary General of Thai Red Cross Society to discuss Covid-19 vaccination among migrant people


text:
Q: line-height for paragraph spacing not working in Yahoo Mail For some reason, line spacing is not working for separating paragraphs, when sending e-mails with this code to my yahoo mail account, or any yahoo mail account.  How can I fix this?
Here's what I'm using, but isn't working:

Caro [Membro],

Estou escrevendo com uma atualização importante para os membros de N sobre o Programa de Garantia de Obrigações CDFI.

Looks like this:

How do I fix this?  Hell, I even put a margin-bottom on it, and that doesn't even seem to work!

A: I would advise you not to use
 in HTML email.  In general I would use
 instead.  Optionally you may wish to use
, but I don't.

 varies quite a lot in each web based email/email client, and is much harder to standardise than .
To perfectly line up the space between paragraphs, I think the most consistent option is to use a transparent image to control the height of the
.  It should look something like this:

  Lorum Ipsum

  Lorum Ipsum

  Lorum Ipsum

3px.png would be a 3px transparent image.  If you create emails often enough you will end up with a collection of heights of transparent pngs.

A: The problem is in the Line Height Setting in your Word Processor.
To fix this problem:
1) Open your Word Processing program.
2) Open your Document.
3) Go to Edit.
4) Go to Select All.
5) Go to Format.
6) Go to Paragraph.
7) Go to Line Spacing
8) Select Proportional
9) Set to 150%
10) Click OK
11) Paste the Text into your Email Program.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Variant Mining creates world's largest ore chute
New chute is designed by Sudbury firm for world's largest copper / gold mine in Mongolia
Aug 7, 2019 3:53 PM By: Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal
1 / 1 Some key members of the Variant Mining Technologies team in Sudbury involved in the creation of the world's largest mining chute included, at left, Derek Meloche, the manager of business development and sales; Stephen Scott, manager of projects and Paul Chamberland, Variant's general manager.
A manufacturing shop in Greater Sudbury has created the largest ore chute in the world that will soon be shipped out and installed in one of the largest copper and gold mining operations in the world, the Rio Tinto Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia.
The massive steel chute, as big as a house and with built-in safety features, was manufactured at Variant Mining Technologies in Lively. It is the prototype for several other chutes that will be installed at the mine in the coming months and years.
An ore chute is a device that allows chunks of rock (muck) to be transported by force of gravity from one level of the mine to another level. The chute is used to control the flow of muck, or waste rock, so that haulage equipment such as scooptrams, ore trucks or even underground rail cars can be loaded quickly and safely.
Variant's website describes the company as a global leader in loading chute systems, which can explain why company designers decided to go so big.
"The size of the chute was driven by the size of the material they are actually processing and the tonnage that will be processed. It is 800 by 800 by 1200 millimetres, which is the maximum dimension of rock we are working with and the tonnage is an instantaneous rate of 10,000 tonnes per hour," said Variant general manager Paul Chamberland in reference to the size of chute's "throat".
Despite its size, Chamberland said the entire chute can be broken down into individual modules, making it easier to be moved. He added that the dismantled components can be transported down a mine ramp or loaded onto the cage in the mine shaft. That way the chute can be bolted back together and installed deep in the mine.
The project has been a few years in the making according to Derek Meloche, Variant's manager of business development and sales.
"So we started pursuing the client in 2016, which was our first trip to Mongolia," said Meloche.
"Strategically we believe that to conduct business in certain countries you need representation there to do it effectively. So we went over there with the intent of finding a partner, which we have found. We have a partner in Ulaanbaatar, which is Mongolia's capital city."
He said he was pleased that Ulaanbaatar is a large manufacturing hub with enough technical and industrial expertise to carry on the work.
"Our contract for Rio Tinto is to build five of these systems. We have four them being built in parallel to this one being built in Canada," said Meloche.
He said Rio Tinto wanted the prototype put together in Sudbury so that all the functional testing could be carried out on such things as the electrical, mechanical and hydraulic engineering. He said that took place in February.
Meloche said there were challenges for Variant, not just in functionality, but also in safety designs.
"This will be the first of its kind. It is a patent pending chute with the arc gate on the end of the lip. That is a fallen object protection for operators coming through the loading zone."
Meloche credited Rio Tinto for putting such a high priority on safety that Variant developed new technological solutions to meet that need.
Chamberland said it was something that Variant anticipated.
"The design of this chute is all oriented towards safety. This a design we worked on for some time and basically it was the biggest selling feature with the client. We already had a design that was control-reliable and functionally safe, developed by the time this project came out for tender," said Chamberland.
"So that is a pretty big challenge in the mining environment. There are a lot of factors that are difficult to predict. We have quite a bit of experience working in that environment with this product. So we had a pretty good understanding of what we were up against," he added.
Meloche said the project is a success for the Variant team and the hope is that the new chute will be adopted by other mines in Canada. Variant held an event in May to showcase the chute to a select group of mining professionals. He said mining insiders will be watching the project closely over the next few years to gauge the long-term success of the project.
"This is the early stages of this particular operation in Mongolia," said Meloche. "By the end of the day there will be 29 to 38 systems going into this particular mine over the next seven years. So we received the order for the first five, to develop the technologies and work out any kinks and find adjustments to make it technically perfect."
From there he said Variant will continue to move forward on building the best mining chutes available.
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Following this unforgettable proposal, the couple held their wedding at Miramare Gardens in Terrey Hills, taking their wedding photos in the picturesque gardens, followed by their reception party inside. The reception styling was a classic black and white theme, with an abundance of white and ivory flowers and touches of green foliage adorning the space. Reflecting on their experience, the couple told Wedded Wonderland, "The staff we very accommodating and they make you feel like family from the moment you walk through their doors." One unique aspect of their wedding, which their guests LOVED, was a gelato cart that was wheeled in as a special surprise for their guests!


text:
Quotes about Over Friendship
13 Written Quotes
quotepixel.com
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The friendship of Shostakovich cast a brilliant light over my whole life and whose spiritual qualities captured my soul once and for all time. Votes: 2
I'm losing friendships over forgetting to get back to people. But you can't keep up with everything. I've got a 13-year-old, a nine-year-old and a baby. Votes: 2
A lot of ink is given over to mythologizing female friendships as curious, fragile relationships that are always intensely fraught. Stop reading writing that encourages this mythology. Votes: 2
It's funny, I'd rather be known as a writer who crafted a really nice piece about women's friendships over time. But that doesn't roll off the tongue like 'YouTube sensation.' Votes: 2
Some of the choicest blessings of my life have been the close friendships I have experienced over the years. Often, these friendships have been forged in the fires of shared experience. Votes: 2
Most of my good friends are my friends from high school or childhood, and they're not actors - they have 9-to-5 jobs. But I've obviously, over time, developed friendships with actors. It's two completely different worlds. Votes: 2
Emily Meade
Over the years, I have created close friendships with many successful men, many of whom I have made a lot of money for through deals that I brought to them or business counsel that I have provided. Votes: 2
Carol Roth
There have been some friendships lost over this. That's the most difficult for me. I find it very uncomfortable to know that I was at one time close friends with someone, and because of jealousies and misunderstandings and so on, these friendships have dissolved. Votes: 2
Donald Johanson
I said, wouldn't it be nice, instead of having these women fight with each other over men, which seems to be more of a cliche, wouldn't it be wonderful if they were the true comrades and it took these men much more time to infiltrate their friendships. Votes: 2
Jennifer Beals
I'm just talking specifically of women's friendships. If two women go to a bar and they are fighting over men, it makes it much easier for the men. If two women are very close and they act as it makes it very difficult for the men to pull one over on anybody. Votes: 2
Yeah, I miss it. You don't just break off a friendship you've had with a sport, and with all those you've met all over the country. We've got some friends, some very close friends, and you just sit back and think how fortunate you were having a career like that. And, actually, there's nothing in the game of baseball that hasn't happened to me. Votes: 2
Guys kick friendship all over just like a soccer, nonetheless it does not appear to crack. Girls deal with it like glass and it goes to items. Votes: 0
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Friendship is to be purchased only by friendship. A man may have authority over others, but he can never have their hearts but by giving his own. Votes: 0
Thomas F. Wilson
Friendship (578 quotes)
A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. Votes: 4 Lois Wyse
Over (539 quotes)
Over my pile of ashes Votes: 3 Stephenie Meyer
Quotes on Over
Abusive government
Accepting its over
Action over thought
Action over words
see all 301 categories on over
Quotes on Friendship
Age and friendship
Amazing friendship
Anger friendships
Anniversary of friendship
see all 301 categories on friendship
Friends And Friendship
Difficult friendships
Friendship and time
Friendship over
Friendship over time


How we can make more spce in phone memory Tips and trick##2018.
OppoA5 with 19:9full view display,4320mAh battery launched:price spesification.
Tecolgy news and its use.
All about e-pan new fetures.
Yutube music preamium functions etc..
Psc most recently asked questions.


text:
  Arzon est
      une ville située dans le département de Morbihan en Bretagne. Elle totalisait 2 170 habitants en 2008.

Le nombre de logements, à Arzon, était réparti en 2011 en 2 761 appartements et 3 345 maisons soit
 un marché relativement équilibré.

À coté de Arzon sont positionnées géographiquement les villes de
Larmor-Baden située à 4 km, 847 habitants,
Bono localisée à 10 km, 2 112 habitants,
Baden à 8 km, 3 899 habitants,
Île-d'Arz localisée à 8 km, 254 habitants,
Arradon localisée à 10 km, 5 125 habitants,
Locmariaquer à 4 km, 1 598 habitants,
 entre autres. De plus, Arzon est située à seulement 15 km de Vannes.

La commune compte de nombreux  équipements, elle propose entre autres trois bassins de natation, quatre terrains de tennis, un centre d'équitation et trois boucles de randonnée.

À Arzon, le prix moyen à l'achat d'un appartement s'évalue à 4 439 € du m² en vente. Le prix moyen d'une maison à l'achat se situe à 4 110 € du m². À la location la valeur moyenne se situe à 13,65 € du m² par mois.

À Arzon le salaire moyen mensuel par individu se situe à environ 2 045 €  net. Ceci est au dessous de la moyenne du pays.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This is the perfect costume for world book day or mini beasts dress up. Based on the infamous book 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle's. This outfit consists of a green and yellow stripey Tunic complete with legs and caterpillar headpiece.


This is an original divided-back real photo postcard of the Cornwall & Lebanon Railroad station in Cornwall, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. A porter dozes on the luggage cart while waiting for the next train.
Please check out the other items I have for sale. If you are the winning buyer on more than one item in a single day, I will combine shipping charges. In that case, please wait until I have sent you an invoice before paying, since I can't refund the shipping if you've already paid.


text:
Q: Render N times component based on the data in object I am new at React. Will be glad if someone can help:
I have parent (Dashboard) which contains all data. This data is passed to the children component (OnBoardingCard).
How can I render n times the OnBoardingCard component based on the data in the object at Dashboard without using the [num](in this case 3 times - 3x OnBoarding Cards;)?
Thank you!!
Parent- Dashboard
const cardData = [
{
    svg: icon1,
    title: 'Add',
    content: 'add more'},
{
    svg: icon2,
    title: 'remove',
    content: 'remove'

},
{
    svg: icon3,
    title: 'move',
    content: 'move down'

}];

class Dashboard extends Component {
render() {
    return (

           <OnboardingCard listData={cardData}/>

    );
} }

Children- OnBoardingCard
import Dashboard from "../../../../screens/Dashboard/index.js";
class OnboardingCard extends Component {
render() {
return (

{this.props.listData[0].title}

        {this.props.listData[0].content}

); }}

A: You can use map function,
like this,
{this.props.listData.map((item)=>

{item.title}

        {item.content}

)}

A: When you are using a map inside render assign a unique key to its child component.
render(){
 return(
    {this.props.listData.map((item, i) =>

{this.props.listData[0].title}

       {this.props.listData[0].content}

   )}
 );
}

A:

   {cardData.map((card, i) => (
     <OnboardingCard {...card} key={i} />
   ))}

This is what I meant (and wanted to do). So this solves my question. Thanks everyone!!


"empowering kids to reach their potential"
So what do we play with?
I know it can be tough to find that gift that everyone in the family will enjoy playing together and will entice you to put away your tech-gadgets for a few hours. Using my experience, knowledge and expertise gained from years of playing with kids I provide you with several great toys and games to give your kids and your family for the holidays this year. These toys and games were selected from my list of favourites for their ability to encourage more interactive family playtime.
NAEYC.org – Why This Toy?
How did I choose the toys I am about to present?
I do most of my shopping online these days, so for this task I did the same. I found most of these toys and games at Indigo.ca, but you may also find them at MasterMind Toys, Toys R Us, Walmart or Amazon (click toy photo to link to store site). Other great resource for classic toys (including some that are discontinued) are ValueVillage, The BargainShop, and Giant Tiger. Some of the toys I mention are basic toys that don't have a specific store link, but they are tried and true toys that I always enjoy playing with kids and lend to very rewarding play experiences.
I have categorized the toys by age-group; 3 and under, 4 to 6 years, and 7 and older. I will also mention one or two games which have been good for our family of pre-teens and teens. With each toy or game, I will provide the description, then I will describe how I use the toy or game, giving specific tips and ideas for you to try. One more tip – forget about gender biases, girls play with trucks and boys play with dolls, if they are given the freedom to do so.
This group of toys is a staple for every child of this age group and may even last into the all of the next stages. You can find dolls, doll clothes, toy food and dishes in any store that sells toys, including sometimes dollar stores.
If your child is closer to age three and over and speaking in sentences you may engage in more role-playing games. This feels very similar to saying lines in a play or playing improv – e.g. child: "it's okay baby, don't cry, daddy will be home soon", parent: "I'm home! What's wrong with baby?" child: "she missed you daddy" parent: "oh come here baby. I missed you too. It's okay. Shhhhh." It is essential that your child initiates and you focus on responding appropriately and enthusiastically.
I love this toy because it's a building toy and a pretend play toy in one. It allows for lots of interactive play because it comes with two vehicles and two people – one for the parent and one for the child. With LEGO Duplo toys you can add to this set with other sets that the whole family can play with together.
Spend time putting the pieces together with your child. Remember to follow their lead, the pieces do not need to go together like the instruction book says. Observe what your child does with the toy. If he starts driving the tow truck around, pick up the car and do the same thing. Imitate your child's actions, sounds and words. Pretend your car has broken down…now what? Wait for your child to respond.
If you have more Duplo sets you can add more cars and people to the game. They don't even have to be Duplo! Any toy cars and people will do. Make the toys available to your child, but allow them to make their own choices. Let them lead you into an adventure of crazy broken down cars for hours of family fun!
Perhaps you remember the game Kerplunk from your childhood? This game is a very fun version of the same game. It gets the prize for most popular game among my young therapy clients. It is still basic, but has very cute little bees in place of marbles, a honey tree in place of a plastic tube, and green plastic branches with leaves on the end in place of sticks. There are few rules and the game is simple to play. The biggest challenge is getting the bees to go back in the box – they always seem to want to fly away instead!
There is not much of my own spin that I can add to this game. It stands the test of time all on its own, game-play after game-play. You and your child will love playing with all the bees. They are pesky little fellows that seem to want to go anywhere but in the tree. Sometimes we had to guide them in by flying them through the air and buzzing so their friends would follow!
The most important thing to remember when playing this type of game with this age group is to show excitement and enthusiasm. Make a big deal every time a bee falls through the branches or a branch seems to wiggle all the bees around. Use the element of suspense and anticipation to the max and everyone will have a great time.
Indigo.ca – "A smaller, transparent Quercetti set – for fun you can clearly see!" This toy is so great for imaginative building and there is always the reward of dropping the marbles through your creation when you are done; and because this set is transparent, you can see where your marbles are going! It takes some problem-solving skills to make sure the marble goes to the right places in your design. The possibilities are endless with a marble run toy.
Like the LEGO, you do not need to use the instructions to build your towers. Trial and error is a great learning strategy to use while you are trying to figure out how to put the pieces together so your marble will make it all the way down to the bottom. Avoid giving too many instructions, no matter how tempting it may be; sometimes the best towers come from the ashes of the greatest failures. Is this not a valuable lesson to teach your children for later in life?
You can build one tower cooperatively with your child (remember who is leading…) or have a competition and see who can build the tallest tower or the longest run or the fastest tower. Have races with the marbles once your towers are completed. Build bridges across furniture or slides that go from the coffee-table to the floor. Design a space-age town where the people ride inside the marbles like futuristic cars. Play whatever game your child wants with this toy. You will be amazed at what they can come up with themselves!
Okay, so although I said in the beginning that gender biases do not matter, sometimes in order to get older girls to play with building toys you need to appeal to their "style". Of course this does not apply to all girls!! My oldest daughter asked for the K'Nex version, but what I love about the Roominate toys is that they were create by two female engineers to attract girls to the science, technology, engineering and math fields of study (STEM) – so I must give them kudos for that!
Either of these toys are great for learning about physics, math, design and building. You made need to refer to the instructions at first for these sets because they are quite a bit more complicated at this level (at least for me they are!). They are the kind of toys that may take a few days to complete – so perfect for the week after New Year's Day when all the kids are getting bored!
Like the marble run game – once you become familiar with how the pieces all work together – you can use your imagination and start designing new and innovative structures with your kids. Again, trial and error is an important strategy to learn, as well as persistence, patience, and starting over when the entire design fails!!
You want to let your child be the project manager here. Let them make their own mistakes. Talk things through and help them problem solve, but refrain from giving them the answers to the challenges they will run into. Avoid too much frustration though, because you do not want it to be so difficult that they are no longer having fun. It is a fine balance between giving support and allowing them to be independent. With this type of toy, asking questions may work more to your advantage because it will help move your child forward when they get stuck while you encourage them to think it through. It is fun when you both get stuck on what to do next, because your child can watch how you solve a problem too, and you become real partners in figuring it out!
All right, I confess, this is the first time I've seen a pretend food-truck – and I think it is awesome!! Ignore the recommended age on the box because this is great for kids up to the tween years. No really, it is! It is a mistake to discourage kids from pretending when they get older. It should not stop after kindergarten! Just think, with this tent, you could be developing some real entrepreneurs in the family!
In any case, the point I want to make here is pretend with your kids! Pretending is so much fun, you can be anyone and do anything you want. Let your imaginations run wild.
This is a simple game, not many rules, very little set-up, and can lead to hours of hilarity!! As a speech-language pathologist, word games like this are a gold-mine for increasing vocabulary and learning higher-level language skills, such as language ambiguity (double-meanings), figurative meanings vs literal meanings, innuendos, inferencing, word associations, etc, etc, etc… Playing this game is not only immensely fun, it is a brain-workout. Have fun watching your child's "wheels-spin" as they try to come up with the most imaginative answers.
I have another confession to make…I had forgotten about this game and it was my 14-year-old daughter (turning 15 in January), who was sitting next to me reading my blog as I am writing it that said, "You need to tell them to get Apples to Apples". So this is a recommendation coming straight from a teenager! If you have older kids this game is a must for your family!
What will you play this holiday season?
These are only a few examples of some of my favourites. I hope this post, as well as the others in my "Families That Play Together Grow Together" series have inspired you to go "no-tech" this holiday – at least for a few hours. It is not as difficult as you think (well maybe the fist time you tell them to put their gadgets down – be persistent!), but any effort that goes into getting the family to interact face-to-face with each other is well worth it when you are fully engaged with each other and can feel that magic moment happen.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas: May you have many happy, playful, magical moments this holiday season!
Previous PostPrevious Families That Play Together Grow Together: Part Three – How Do I Play With My Child?


God created man, so says the Bible. One of, if not, the most significant events in history. Here's The Explanation you've never heard before.
God created man. The story of Yahveh's hands-on forming of the first human man.
God created man is the translation of Genesis 1.27 from Elohim bara adam. I'm simplifying, but not changing, the original Biblical Hebrew presentation. This follows on from verse 26 which states Elohim asa adam, God made man. Bara means created ex-nihilo, from nothing, instantly. On the other hand, asa is a very common verb literally meaning to make in the largest, literally and figuratively, sense possible.
In Genesis 2.7 we have a totally different format. YAHVEH Elohim formed man. Yahveh Elohim yatsar adam. The addition of Yahveh and a new verb, yatsar. In English, and any other language, we just read over this, mostly with not much thought. This is a historic event of prime importance.
The Explanation has already shown that Yahveh is the Word, Jesus Christ who is The Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15.47). What we have in Genesis 2.7 is the future Jesus Christ, the Son of God forming the first Adam. We have the Messiah forming the man whom He knew He'd have to come and die for, and save some 4000 years later. We have the beginning of the most Machiavellic plan, in the most positive way, you can imagine. This is the most uplifting intrigue that whips any modern novel. It's the story of Yahveh creating a man who would immediately stab his very creator in the back. With his progeny, humankind would commit the most heinous crimes for whom this same Yahveh Creator would die ignominiously in order to save the man from himself. The whole plan of God is wrapped up in this one scenario.
God created man. Yahveh formed man. Here's the verse.
7 And the LORD God formed (H3335) man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed (H3335).
Here's Strong's definition for formed. Especially notice the King James translator's renditions of this Biblical Hebrew word yatsar.
KJV – ⨯ earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r), potter, purpose.
KJV – be distressed, be narrow, be straitened (in straits), be vexed.
This is the first time the Biblical Hebrew word is used and we want to pay particular attention to it. Yatsar summarizes the entire plan of God, the Maker, forms man from the earth. The Potter has a purpose in fashioning man. Shortly, we'll see something else, very important, that Yahveh also purposefully fashioned with regard to humankind. It has to do with this same verse 7 but, you'll have to be patient for that.
Yatsar is also used in Genesis 2.8 and one other time in this book, in 2.19 where it says God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air. Some would say this indicates animals and humans are of the same stuff. Not by a long shot, as we shall see. The ground brought forth the animals (Genesis 1.) whereas Yahveh hand-crafted the first man. When God created man it was literally a hands-on experience. And, in one sense, He's never taken His hands off since then.
Notice that H3335 has the Biblical Hebrew root H3334. This root adds significant comprehension to how a potter crafts his wares. He presses it or narrows his piece of clay. The potter deftly applies pressure with their fingers, each finger, even the palms of their hands to shape the final creation. Only the potter's hands can accomplish such artful work. Figuratively, this is referring to God molding and shaping our spiritual character. There's so much in the Bible about this subject. Here, I cannot get into it but, can you see that when the author of Genesis wrote in Genesis 1 God created man he was talking generally. Whereas, in Genesis 2 Yahveh formed man is so much more descriptive of the relationship of Jesus Christ to every single human being.
A companion Biblical Hebrew word of yatsar is tsur (using the same two letters: צ and the ר). Notice how the meaning is so similar to press, narrow, and straighten. Here it's compressed and confined. It is also translated fashioned like yatsar. This becomes very clear when you understand the 7 Keys to Master Biblical Hebrew.
KJV – edge, ⨯ (mighty) God (one), rock, ⨯ sharp, stone, ⨯ strength, ⨯ strong. See also H1049 (בֵּית צוּר).
KJV – adversary, assault, beset, besiege, bind (up), cast, distress, fashion, fortify, inclose, lay siege, put up in bags.
This verb yatsar is used in Deuteronomy 32.3-4. Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe you greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock (H6697), his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
Yahveh, the LORD, the Word, the One who was compressed and fashioned by His Ministry on Earth to be our Rock. He is the Petra (Matthew 16.18), the foundation of the Church. I don't have time to expand this here. Do you see how God created man? How Yahveh fashioned humans? How He Himself was fashioned to become that solid Rock the foundation of the Church and how the Rock continues to fashion humans. The entire Gospel narrative is wrapped up in just one Biblical Hebrew word. And The Explanation of yatsar is far from being exhausted.
Yatsar is also used in Isa 45:18 which will now take on a much deeper meaning for you.
For thus says the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed (H3335 yatsar) the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed (H3335) it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
We know that earth was established in the Universe billions of years before man was formed by Yahveh. God says He formed Earth to be inhabited. Humans were part of His plan from the start! Remember from Strong and the KJV translators, yatsar means to determine, form a resolution, have a purpose. Yahveh had and definitely still has that same purpose for both Earth and Humankind whom He has placed on Earth starting when God created man.
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it (H3335), He had no understanding?
Is the world saying, God is not in the picture? He didn't put us here? Has humankind got it upside down? God did create man and all humans through Adam and Eve. He had, and certainly still has, a purpose for both Earth and humankind today. The Explanation is here to help you understand what Yahveh, through His Words, especially the Biblical Hebrew, has to say about these major questions that need answers. Remember.
Another derivative of yatsar is tsar (without the yod), in this case, it becomes a two-letter root. Bible readers are familiar with this because it is the name Tsur or Tyre, today, the city is also known as Sour on the coast of Lebanon. Look at the Biblical Hebrew and compare the letters. But, especially notice the meaning.
KJV – flint, sharp stone.
There are a number of other derivatives of H3335, formed that like this one refer to pressed. Think about the history of Tyre, a narrow (something pressed becomes narrow) strip of land that stretched into the sea where it was a well-protected rock fortress. Do you see the relationship with the Rock forming and sometimes pressing us to into the shape He wants us to have?


Aimee Weber served as Project Manager for the American Cancer Society's virtual Relay For Life event in July of 2006. Aimee's design featured a 12 sim "walk around the world" theme that immersed visitors in different cultures and nations of the world. To create the largest centrally planned project in the history of Second Life, Aimee managed a 26 person team and had to overcome major obstacles with cost and time limitations.


This program of study is offered in collaboration with the Glion Institute of Higher Education in Bulle, Switzerland. The program emphasizes individual and team based teaching and learning; the development of teaching and management competencies critical to organizational objectives; the methods of institutionalizing and maximizing learning; and forms of instructional leadership applicable to a variety of enterprises. Students are prepared for careers in training, education delivery, and management within the field of hotel, restaurant, and other affiliated service industries.
NOTE: A Masters Thesis is required for successful completion of this program.


Pachamama creatively produces many attractive and gorgeous designs of rugs on. All of the products are handmade from original leather which is imported from Italy since it is an Italian company. They are decorated with brass, mirrors, and horn that make it incredible and luxurious. Pachamama rugs are the true art works in the form of floor covering.
One of the Pachamama rugs collections is Eclipse collection which is made of many circles in various sizes made from leather over dyed and decorated with studs. They are combined together to form a big circle. Cosmic is one of eclipse collections having contemporary design. A cosmic optic and cosmic wineberry with multiple colors and textures inspire the design of "cosmic". Thus, it has a range of attractive solid colors. This design is available in six of color choices which are called cosmic black, cosmic brown, cosmic red, cosmic gold, cosmic mineral brown and cosmic bronze. Another design in eclipse collection is called sunshine with two kinds of choices. They are sunshine orange and sunshine gold. Sunshine orange is modern circular concept. It's like a concentric circular carpet with a decoration in the core. It is combined from brown, orange, and yellow colors. While sunshine is also as the same with the sunshine gold, but it is made with metalized bronze and color of gold dominates the rug. The other product out of Eclipse collections is Malinka. This rug is made from antiqued leather with handmade decoration and decorative ribbed elements. Different from the previous designs, Malinka has rectangular shape instead of round. The other rugs with rectangular shape are Next Step, Mallorca, Nirvana Brown, Nirvana Black and many others.
The good news from Pachamama rugs is that it serves customizable design options in nearly all of the designs for the customer. Actually, this brand of rugs covers both contemporary and traditional design. The detail of the production process and the quality of the material make the Pachamama collection has the gorgeous rug products.
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Thank you so much for the opportunity and congrats on the upcoming book! I loved reading the excerpt. Arkay sounds like such an interesting character. I will for sure be checking it out!
Thank you for being a part of the tour, Victoria. It's been wonderful having you join in!
I was really enjoying following this tour, thank you and happy holidays!


The CECS programme focuses on the region composed of Germany, Austria and the Visegradcountries (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary) with overlapping interest in neighbouring countries. It offers a thorough comparative and multidisciplinary understanding of historical, political, economic and cultural developments in the above-listed countries. The programme is offered either in the form of a full-time programme of study or as part-time study (optimised for working people with classes held on Friday afternoons).


text:
Meet the boss who gets to sign bank notes: Clydesdale chief on how it aims to give bigger rivals a 'poke in the eye' - with trendy Apple store-style branches
By Simon Watkins And Alex Hawkes, Financial Mail on Sunday
Published: 16:50 EST, 1 July 2017 | Updated: 08:34 EST, 3 July 2017
David Duffy, chief executive of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group, thinks there is at least one good reason why bank branches should survive – cyber attacks.
Duffy is a huge believer in new technology, but as British business is battered by successive waves of internet attacks, he cites the old-fashioned bank branch as a safety net for fearful customers.
'It is interesting the ransomware thing has happened. Inevitably, hacking will happen and it could get to a bad stage and somebody could get badly hurt.
Signing on: Chief executive David Duffy's name appears on Clydesdale bank notes
'But there is then a reaction after the event in which people think, "Yes I am delighted to have this convenience of technology, but if it all goes to hell in a hand basket, I need to talk to someone face to face and know my money is safe." It is as simple as that.'
So far the ransomware attacks, which most recently hit another swathe of firms across Europe, has not led to a crisis in a major company, let alone a bank. But with technology taking over banking, it is perhaps only a matter of time.
App-based bank, B, unveils new low-rate credit card which... Banks' nice little earner: Lenders charging homeowners up to... Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks to close another 50 branches... Arrivederci, UK: Heading for the exit...billions of pounds...
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But while Duffy suggests hacking is inevitable, he clearly feels the benefits of the technological revolution far outweigh its risks. And he argues that contrary to popular myth this is not a generational issue. 'Millennials want absolute digital convenience.
But, when it comes to credit decisions they want personal interaction. Secondly, it is a mistake to assume older customers do not want digital, absolutely they do. They would like to maintain a relationship with whoever they know in the branch, but they do want digital convenience too.'
Clydesdale and Yorkshire are old names in the banking industry.
Clydesdale is one of only a handful of banks allowed to print its own banknotes. Signing one was 'one of the treats of my life' Duffy says.
Until 2016 the pair were owned by National Australia Bank, but were then split off with a separate group through a stock market flotation.
Duffy, Irish born but with worldwide banking experience, was brought on board to lead the separation and take the bank into a new future challenging the bigger high street names. Or, as he puts it, 'give them a poke in the eye'.
It is the largest of the challenger banks, with a £30 billion balance sheet and three million customers. While its branches are mostly in Scotland and the North, half its mortgages are to customers in the South.
And that is where we meet – at Clydesdale & Yorkshire's unique experimental branch-cum-technology centre called Studio B, in Kensington, not far from Duffy's London home. Its entrance is a giant multi-coloured letter B. Inside are rows of high desks like in a coffee bar.
Passers-by are confused by what the psychedelic shop front is for. 'It looks like a cyber cafe,' says one. 'An Apple store?' says another.
The inside does indeed look like the invention of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs rather than a banker. Tablet computers everywhere. Not a cashier in sight. And an Alexa device, Amazon's voice-controlled computer interface.
This is the kind of thing that Duffy wants to show off. Customers signed up for the service can walk in and, simply by speaking to Alexa, move money, make payments and do most bank branch actions. This, he says, is not about replacing humans but about adding something. 'Our manager here is blind, so he is demonstrating Alexa, to show how convenient it is for him.'
Duffy calls Studio B an incubator – a site where new technology is adapted and tested. 'We are developing Alexa here, but later this year we will roll out voice-activated capability to all our branches.'
After the Alexa demonstration we retire to a side room dominated by a whiteboard covered with scribbled phrases, arrows and a forest of post-it notes. It looks like the office of an internet start-up and one suspects that this is exactly the look they are aiming for.
Meanwhile, Duffy, 55, styles himself somewhere between formal businessman and relaxed computer geek – a jacket, an open-necked shirt and jeans (albeit smartly ironed). To most people his conversation would sound like that of a geek, talking about 'open APIs' and 'machine learning'.
Over coffee, Duffy outlines the group's core product, called B. Launched last year, it is not billed as just a bank account, though it does include one, but rather a financial services platform.
Idea: David Duffy's plan is that Clydesdale & Yorkshire will create a portal for customers
Duffy's plan is that Clydesdale & Yorkshire will create a portal for customers enabling them to access a range of services and that the bank will be able to draw in the best ideas from the finance world and the tech sector.
Banks, he says, should be worried about the threat posed by new technology, particularly as new European directives will force them to share customer data with rivals to improve competition.
'You have to look at who else is doing banking now. Amazon is a big lender, it has credit cards. Facebook got its lending licence in Ireland more than six months ago. So, let's not delude ourselves. Banks do not have a right to customers.'
At the same time he believes banks should be more than capable of meeting the challenge. 'All the small start-ups that people say are going to disrupt and eliminate banking, that presumes that a bank can't replicate what they are doing. That's why we have Studio B. We can compete, no problem.
'I don't think Clydesdale is going to eliminate Facebook next week, but I do think that we must be ready for any technological outcome.'
For many though, there is a more immediate revolution than even the breakneck one of technology – Brexit and the economy's future.
'We have said we are a little concerned about a risk to the downside on Brexit. We might see inflation because of the exchange rate and you might see some suffering on component costs for manufacturers here. We also might see some inertia around smaller businesses unsure about where to invest.'
The result of that caution has been a more considered approach to growth. 'After the Brexit result, we decided that instead of growing at 8-10 per cent a year, we will pull in our horns and grow at mid-single digit with thoughtful risk. We will be very selective. In an environment of very low interest rates people might see a lot of cost if the interest rate changes.'
That approach may well be vindicated as the Bank of England issues increasingly regular warnings about consumer debt and the risk of higher interest rates. In practice this means CYBG is a very modest credit card lender and is very cautious in the buy-to-let market.
'People talk about BTL and the risk. That I think is tinged with the professional element in buy-to-let. Ours aren't like that. We insist on 25 per cent equity up front and do not count the rental income in affordability calculations. So our typical buy-to-letter is a professional couple with two properties.'
Innovative: David Duffy's Studio B project takes shape
Duffy has some first-hand experience of banking crises. After a career in banking in far flung corners of the world – mostly for Dutch bank ING – he returned to Ireland in 2011 to head Allied Irish Banks, a group then mired in the Irish banking crisis.
After a multi-billion bailout, AIB was returned to health. Duffy had been planning a break, but was then approached about the CYBG job.
The first key step was the flotation of the bank in 2016 on the London and Australian stock markets.
The latest half-year results showed pre-tax profits down, but the underlying profits (once costs of restructuring are excluded) showed a 15 per cent rise to £123 million.
The bank had been linked to a possible bid for Co-op Bank. No bid was made and Duffy refuses point blank to discuss takeover options other than to say the plan for the group is to grow without having to buy anything.
A key test for whether the City is impressed with Duffy – who earned more than £2 million last year for his efforts – is of course the share price. 'We did the initial public offer in February 2016 at 180p a share,' he says. Then slightly disconcertingly, he looks at his watch. 'It's now at 275p,' he says.
It is, of course, an Apple watch.
Duffy enthuses: 'You get all your email and texts on it.' Then he quips: 'And if the share price is going down, I can check my heart rate.' At 275p he looks relaxed.
Clydesdale boss aims to give bigger rivals 'poke in eye'
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