Old Truism: "A bear market is the author of a bull market and a bull market is the author of a bear market".
During our interview on MacroVoices with resource investing legend Rick Rule, Rick made a core observation that natural resource investing is different than most mainstream forms of investing. To paraphrase, resource investing it is particularly capital intensive and unusually cyclical. Mature resource companies seem fundamentally cheap at the peak of a cycle, due to high commodity prices. Correspondingly, they appear particularly overvalued at bottoms because commodities are trading at such low prices.
This cannot be any more true than for Canada's largest diversified resource company, Teck Resources (TSX:TECK.B). Over the last 2 decades, Teck Resources has demonstrated extraordinary cyclical swings in which we demonstrate with a chart showing the percentage magnitude of the different cycles.
The criteria for each cycle was that it need to be longer than 2 months in duration and bigger than 20% (higher or lower) in magnitude looking at data from 1997 to present.
Of the 30 cycles measured, the average length of cycles was 8-9 months with declines averaging over 50 percent losses during the declines and the gains averaging greater than 250% during the rises.
Certainly, this has been a volatile rollercoaster for the long-term buy and hold investor.
When I observed this chart, it dawned on me that if there was ever a stock where the investor could gain asymmetry from long-term options, this would be the stock.
While this is by no means a forecast, observing Teck Resources historical cycles, suggests that it is not out of the realm of possibility that over the next 8 to 9 months that the stock is capable to dropping 50% toward $16.00 or rising to $85.00 on the upside. How can use an option to reduce the volatility experienced?
This is where buying a protective put to hedge your underlying shares will allow an investor to stay the course without enduring the proverbial rollercoaster ride.
As an example, an investor that purchases 1000 shares at $33.82 outlaid a cash investment of $33,820.00. With the purchase of 10 contracts of the February 2019 $32.00 put options at $2.25, our investor paid $2,250.00 as an insurance policy to remove the downside risk below $32.00.
From the upside perspective, the trade is straight forward. The stock is capable of extraordinary gains, and our investor would participate less the cost of buying the put options as insurance. Therefore, the real benefit is focusing on the scenario in which the stock declines.
On the surface, it appears to be rich premium for protection, until you reflect on the magnitude of a decline the stock is capable of. What most investors fail to account for is the tactical ability for our investor to reposition if in fact the Teck Resources was to decline. In our hypothetical scenario where Teck Resources declines to $16.00 before the February expiration, the $32.00 put option would have built a $16.00 intrinsic value ($32.00 – $16.00). By our investor selling the put options, they are credited the $16,000.00 ($16.00 x 1000) cash. Our investor then proceeds to use the cash to dollar cost average and buy an additional 1000 shares at the prevailing $16.00 price. Despite the stock declining more than 50%, our investor now owns 2000 shares with a market value of $32,000.00.
For stocks and securities with this kind of volatility, options offer a mechanism to reduce the volatility, reduce the stress associated with the investment and give the ability to readjust the position. Investors can only achieve this kind of optionality when they learn to incorporate options into their investment portfolios.


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Jean Eyeghe Ndong (* 12. Februar 1946) war bis zum 17. Juli 2009 Premierminister von Gabun. Er ist Mitglied der Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG).

Ndong hatte am 20. Januar 2006 die Nachfolge von Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane angetreten. Er war von Staatspräsident Omar Bongo nach dessen Wiederwahl im Dezember 2005 eingesetzt worden. Ndong ist inzwischen aus der Regierungspartei ausgetreten und in der Opposition gegen Ali Bongo. Im November 2011 rief er zum Boykott der umstrittenen Parlamentswahlen in Gabun 2011 auf, die erwartungsgemäß mit einem überwältigenden Sieg der Regierungspartei endeten.

Quellen

Premierminister (Gabun)
PDG-Mitglied (Gabun)
Gabuner
Geboren 1946
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Blog Post: LEITF Members Receive a White House Briefing on the Humanitarian Crisis at the Border
In light of humanitarian crisis at the Southern border – and particularly the recent increase in unaccompanied migrant children seeking asylum at the border – the White House provided a briefing for members of the National Immigration Forum's Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF) and Council on National Security and Immigration (CNSI) on Monday, March 15th. This briefing provided LEITF members with the opportunity to learn more about the Biden administration's response to the influx in migration at the border, and the ramifications for the health and wellbeing of the public.
In the briefing, members of the Domestic Policy Council and National Security Council outlined (1) the Biden administration's policy goals for the border; (2) the current situation at the border; and (3) the steps taken by the administration to ameliorate this humanitarian crisis. Below is a summary of the points discussed, and the way forward.
The Biden Administration's Goals for the Border
According to members of the Domestic Policy Council, the Biden administration plans to:
Invest in Central American countries to directly address root causes of migration and ensure that those who want to stay in their countries are able to do so.
Establish better, more efficient legal processes to process those seeking asylum.
Crack down on smugglers and traffickers who take advantage of migrants and exploit migrant routes to bring drugs across the border.
Strengthen U.S. anti-drug policies.
Strengthen and expand the use of technology at the border to create a better infrastructure for border security.
The Biden administration is taking initial steps to execute these goals and will seek support from Congress to obtain the necessary resources as needed.
The Current Situation at the Border
According to members of the Domestic Policy Council, the Biden Administration is:
Urgently addressing unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the border, many of whom are attempting to unite with their families.
Capitalizing on bed space provided by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), while respecting COVID-19 capacity guidelines. At 13,000, ORR has more beds than they have ever had, but due to COVID-19 restriction, the Biden administration is not able to utilize this capacity to its entirety. The Biden administration anticipates that 2,000 additional beds will be available now that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is aware of the severity of the situation.
Directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist in expanding HHS's capacity to shelter unaccompanied children under the leadership of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Revitalizing the Central American Minors program, which will allow parents of children seeking asylum to apply while their children are still in their country of origin. This program has the potential to alleviate pressure on the border.
Actively attempting to reduce the amount of time children are being held.
Additional Planned Actions
According to members of the National Security Council, the Biden administration will also:
Gradually wind down the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) – or "Remain in Mexico" program – which will allow for a measured re-opening of the border to asylum seekers. In using a triage system, the administration will also be able to effectively screen for national security threats.
Make overall improvements to the asylum system so it operates more efficiently while adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
Moving forward, the Biden administration is planning to roll out resources to facilitate communication on the humanitarian crisis at the border and hopes to develop an authoritative source for current border policies and how they should be implemented. Administration representatives also stated that they are committed to transparency, accountability, and communication with concerned communities directly affected by the border surge. For more information on the White House's plan to address this humanitarian crisis, please see Secretary Mayorkas' recent statement regarding the situation on the Southwest Border, in which he describes the state of play and expands upon many of the actions described above.
As the humanitarian crisis at the border continues – with apprehensions expected to increase in the coming months – it will be imperative for the Biden administration to seek the input and partnership of local and state law enforcement. This briefing marked a positive first stride towards improved communication and coordination between federal officials and their counterparts at the state and local level.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Displaying items by tag: licensing
Open licensing of real time data
Municipalities are under growing pressure to become "smart". In other words, they will reap the benefits of sophisticated data analytics carried out on more and better data collected via sensors embedded throughout the urban environment. As municipalities embrace smart cities technology, a growing number of the new sensors will capture data in real time. Municipalities are also increasingly making their data open to developers and civil society alike. If municipal governments decide to make real-time data available as open data, what should an open real-time data license look like? This is a question Alexandra Diebel and I explore in a new paper just published in the Journal of e-Democracy.
Our paper looks at how ten North American public transit authorities (6 in the U.S. and 4 in Canada) currently make real-time GPS public transit data available as open data. We examine the licenses used by these municipalities both for static transit data (timetables, route data) and for real-time GPS data (for example data about where transit vehicles are along their routes in real-time). Our research reveals differences in how these types of data are licensed, even when both types of data are referred to as "open" data.
There is no complete consensus on the essential characteristics of open data. Nevertheless, most definitions require that to be open, data must be: (1) made available in a reusable format; (2) prepared according to certain standards; and (3) available under an open license with minimal restrictions or conditions imposed on reuse. In our paper, we focus on the third element – open licensing. To date, most of what has been written about open licensing in general and the licensing of open data in particular, has focused on the licensing of static data. Static data sets are typically downloaded through an open data portal in a one-time operation (although static data sets may still be periodically updated). By contrast, real-time data must be accessed on an ongoing basis and often at fairly short intervals such as every few seconds.
The need to access data from a host server at frequent intervals places a greater demand on the resources of the data custodian – in this case often cash-strapped municipalities or public agencies. The frequent access required may also present security challenges, as servers may be vulnerable to distributed denial-of-service attacks. In addition, where municipal governments or their agencies have negotiated with private sector companies for the hardware and software to collect and process real-time data, the contracts with those companies may require certain terms and conditions to find their way into open licenses. Each of these factors may have implications for how real-time data is made available as open data. The greater commercial value of real-time data may also motivate some public agencies to alter how they make such data available to the public.
While our paper focuses on real-time GPS public transit data, similar issues will likely arise in a variety of other contexts where 'open' real-time data are at issue. We consider how real-time data is licensed, and we identify additional terms and conditions that are imposed on users of 'open' real-time data. While some of these terms and conditions might be explained by the particular exigencies of real-time data (such as requirements to register for the API to access the data), others are more difficult to explain. Our paper concludes with some recommendations for the development of a standard for open real-time data licensing.
This paper is part of ongoing research carried out as part of Geothink, a partnership grant project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Published in Geospatial Data/Digital Cartography
Citizen Science Licensing and Data Management Issues
A 2016 European Commission report titled Survey report: data management in Citizen Science projects provides interesting insights into how such projects manage the data they collect. Proper management is, of course, essential to ensure that the collected data can be used and reused by project leaders as well as by other downstream users. It is relevant as well to the protection of the privacy of citizen participants. The authors of this report surveyed a large number of citizen science projects. From the 121 responses received they distilled findings that explore the diversity of the citizen science projects, and that reveal a troubling lack of thorough data management practices. A significant shortcoming for many projects was the lack of appropriate data licences to govern reuse of either raw or aggregate data collected.
There has been growing pressure on those carrying out research using public resources to make the fruits of the research – including the research data – publicly available for consultation, verification or reuse. But doing so is not as simple as a binary open/closed choice. There are a number of different questions that researchers must address: Should the raw data be made open or only the aggregate data? Should it be immediately available or available only after an embargo period? Is all data suitable for release or should some be protected for public policy reasons (such as protecting privacy)? And what, if any, terms and conditions should be imposed on reuse?
The authors of the EC report, Sven Schade and Chrysi Tsinaraki, found that overall there was a relatively high level of data sharing from citizen science projects. Significantly, 38% of the respondents to their survey provided access to their raw data; 37% provided access to aggregate data and 30% provided access to both. One interesting observation in this respect was that 68% of those respondents who provided access to their raw data also included within this dataset personal identifiers of citizen contributors to the project. Such data might be advertently collected, as where individuals provide personal information with their data uploads. In some cases, the scope of personal information might be significant. Contributions to a project might include geolocation information and geodemographic details. Schade and Tsinaraki asked respondents about their practices when it came to obtaining informed consent to data collection from project participants; they found that 25% of respondents did not obtain such consent whereas 53% relied upon a generic terms of use document to obtain consent. It was not entirely clear whether the consent being sought related to privacy issues or to obtaining any necessary rights to use or disseminate the data being collected (which might, for example, include copyright protected photographs). In any event, the results of the survey suggest that there is a significant lack of attention to both privacy and IP rights issues in citizen science projects.
On the issue of data licensing, Schade and Tsinaraki found that the conditions imposed on reuse by different projects varied. A majority of those who made data available believed that the data was in the public domain, while others imposed conditions such as non-commercial or share-alike restrictions. When asked which license they used to achieve these goals, 32 out of 56 respondents indicated that they used one of the commonly available template licences such as Creative Commons or Open Data Commons. A surprising number of respondents indicated that no particular licence was used. While data released in this way might be presumed to be "open", the usefulness of the data might well be hampered by a lack of clarity regarding the scope of permitted reuse.
In addition to providing access to data, the authors of the Report asked whether citizen science researchers allowed open access to research results (presumably in the form of published papers and other output). While the overwhelming majority of projects indicated that they used open access options (ranging from public domain dedication to open access with conditions), Schade and Tsinaraki also found that 14 of the projects they considered used licences with terms that were not consistent with the reuse conditions that the researchers had identified. Clearly there is a need for greater support for projects in developing or choosing appropriate licences.
Although many of the projects indicated that they provided access to their data, the duration of that access was less certain. The authors found that 42% of projects intended to guarantee access to their data only within the lifespan of the project. The authors also found that 40% of projects that provide data access do not provide comprehensive metadata along with the data. This would certainly limit the value of the data for reuse. Both these issues are important in the context of citizen science projects, which are often granted-funded and temporally-limited. The ability to archive and preserve research data and to make it available for meaningful access and reuse should be part of researchers' data management plans, and is something which should be supported by research institutions and funding agencies.
Overall, the Report provides data that suggests that the burgeoning field of citizen science needs more support when it comes to all aspects of data management. Proper data management practices will help citizen science researchers to meet their own objectives, to share their data effectively and appropriately, and to protect the rights and interests of participants.
Note: In 2015 I drafted a report, with Haewon Chung, for the Wilson Center Commons Lab titled Managing Intellectual Property Rights in Citizen Science. This report addresses many licensing issues related to the collection, sharing and reuse of citizen science data and outputs. It is available under a Creative Commons Licence.


This program is for boys and girls ages 9 - 14 that are interested in developing proper warm-up, stretching, and running techniques, and in practicing various track and field skills. This program focuses on the development of athletic skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Instruction is provided by dedicated coaches.
New this year, we will be a part of the Central Utah Track & Field Association. This will give kids an opportunity to compete in more track meets.
The club will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays for six weeks from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Richfield High School track, beginning April 2nd.
Register in person at the Parks and Recreation office.


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40 thoughts on "Reader Reviews"
C.M. Sheridan on April 1, 2014 at 6:49 pm said:
It took me to a time and place of hope. Where culture is different, yet the desire to love and be a part of something bigger than yourself means more than the those differences. A time where love is the bond that helps you get through the fight and where the fight is what defines who you strive to become. I enjoyed this book very much.
Laurie on April 19, 2014 at 6:58 pm said:
Thank you so much for your thoughts.
Jody Hilderman on April 13, 2014 at 12:33 pm said:
I absolutely fell in love with this story! I don't know how much of this book is true, but I wish I did. I loved every character!! The story was beautiful, sad, frustrating, hopeful – sometimes all at the same time.
At some times I wanted to hop on a plane and go to Turkey, at other parts I decided it was the last place I would want to go. I even took a break one day to do some google – mapping to find the towns.
I loved this book. It truly moved me.
Laurie Fraser on April 13, 2014 at 12:36 pm said:
Thank you Jody. I'm not sure myself sometimes, but definitely far more is true than untrue.
Chris Young on April 13, 2014 at 12:59 pm said:
The settings are unique, the protagonists are audacious and interesting, the plight of the Kurds is fascinating, and the ending is innovative.
Lynn Bray-Levaac on April 13, 2014 at 1:07 pm said:
What a truly awesome book… as in, I am in awe. It's the kind of book that gets under your skin and that you don't want to let go of. It's is still sinking in… I learned some history and got a close-up glimpse into another culture. I laughed and I cried. I found I could identify with the female characters. I was deeply moved and I know it will stay with me for a long time. Very thought-provoking, as only good writing can do. I want to and will read it again.
Thank you for the beautiful lessons and for a great read,
Thank you Lynn!
Lynn was my first fan- she took me out to lunch to chat and look at Turkey photos, she bought a second copy and donated it to her library, she read the book twice in a month…and most touching to me- she dreamed about it twice!
KYLIE AYRES on April 13, 2014 at 5:25 pm said:
What a fantastic read! I couldn't put it down and finished the book in three days. My daughter bought the book for me for Christmas because she thought I would enjoy the memories, having spent a few years in Turkey in the past.
The way the author described the experiences and life in Turkey was truly amazing. From the sleezy Turkish men who told lies to tourists for their own gain, to the Hamams and the small pleasures that they bring, to the scenery, language, culture and food. All was written by the author with amazing insight.
The characters in the book came alive as if you were apart of their adventure, feeling their pain and rejoicing with the small wins that they had in their fight to remain individuals in a very small and closed minded community.
You don't have to have travelled through Turkey to get lost in this book – the author does this for you! I have and will again, recommend this book. Awesome,
Laurie Fraser on April 13, 2014 at 7:32 pm said:
Thanks Kylie- it means a lot coming from someone who's been there. My experience was a narrow slice of Turkey, I realize, but I wrote what I saw. And then I made some stuff up! But it was easy, and fun, to create with those characters in that place- "What would they say/do if …. happened?"
Thank you for your thoughts and recommendations too.
Faith Chapman on April 19, 2014 at 6:51 pm said:
Not only was it incredibly well written, but the story itself and the way it was told was just so touching and … Well … Real. I felt as if I was experiencing the journey alongside Laurie. I understand that parts of the book were fiction but as a whole it was Laurie's story… And it was beautiful.
I hope she has great success with the book and that many other lucky readers get to experience her journey as I had the pleasure of doing.
Isabelle Smits on April 23, 2014 at 8:38 pm said:
I just finished reading "The Word Not Spoken", greatest novel I've read thus far…beautiful piece. It took me less than a month. I laughed often, and cried a lot, especially in the last 50 pages. Me and my husband discussed parts of it, he interpreted Leigh as a strong woman and I completely identified with her. A must read; the style of writing aroused many feelings as in…a love story…psychological thriller…action/adventure…drama…spiritual surprises…even war and politics (which is easy to take an interest in this book).
rawaz on May 30, 2014 at 9:56 am said:
Laurie is the best word player in the novel writing field.She tells us her true story in such a beautiful and humorous way that forces us to take a couple days off work to finish it .The word not spoken is about the clashes of western-eastern mentalities regarding love,courage .fighting for freedom,respect,hospitality,marriage , family relationships.and the beauty of nature.It could not have been written better than that . Seems like she has taken the brains out of her head to push the reader finish her 588-paged novel at a time when we do have enough leisure to reply our daily emails.
Laurie Fraser on July 5, 2020 at 9:41 pm said:
By far, my favourite review. Thank you Rawaz.
Bailey on June 2, 2014 at 8:40 pm said:
I loved your novel. I thought it was an incredible story and an amazing book. I could not put it down. I like the photos too- it looks beautiful, so different from here. I have lent the book to some friends who really liked it also.
Tara on June 4, 2014 at 10:37 am said:
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your book. The emotions it brought out in me and the way it inspired me to continue to be a voice for my voiceless people. It was such a beautifully well-written story, journey. I didn't agree with everything written but I loved every bit of it.
rawaz on June 8, 2014 at 2:24 pm said:
Dear Laurie
I loved your novel as much as a mother loves her new-born baby. It was perfect in every aspect. Though Hemingway has said that writers are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master , but you have proved him wrong .You have recalled the childhood of my Kurdish nation by writing THE WORD NOT SPOKEN.
Laurie on June 12, 2014 at 12:55 pm said:
Thank you Rawaz! Quite a number of Kurds have told me that reading the book is like going home for a visit. It is an unexpected and gratifying reaction.
Vivian on June 12, 2014 at 12:51 pm said:
Loved this book. Turkey is a part of the world I know I will never be able to visit, and now I feel like I have been there. The book describes the places, the culture, the people so well– I feel I have experienced it vividly.
Thank you Laurie for the trip!
Jeff on June 30, 2014 at 2:00 pm said:
Hello Laurie
I just finished reading The Word Not Spoken. And I have to get the self-congratulations out of the way since it's the longest piece of fiction I've ever read. Alas, my mental block when it comes to fiction was only confirmed when I saw your website had discussion questions. The teacher in me wishes I'd seen those before reading to give me more focus, although I do remember you mentioning the water.
The other thing I'll get out of the way is a comment I've not seen on Amazon, Goodreads, or your website: The Word Not Spoken has the most sexual references in a book I've ever read. But it really is more a comment of my reading choices since I rarely ever read fiction.
Your book created very strong visuals for me about the landscapes. I was happy to look at your pix on the website after reading to see the towns and your pink kitchen. But it was the characters that made the strongest impression on me like Alba (yikes!), Ismail, Anne, and Chegi…. Poor Chegi, where's Chegi?? It's been fun to live with these characters for the past month. The section about Jess was a page turner too.
And, naturally, because I know you, it was the relationship between Leigh and Ahmet that was the focal point for me. They were so vivid. As a reader I went through something I've never experienced before: knowing the "real Leigh" and knowing the ending but constantly wondering what was or wasn't true. Everytime I smiled at Ahmet's bravado, felt the heat of their passionate debates, and saw the cuddly moments with the exchanges of the Turkish affectionate "Bey" or "Benim Janim", I also got that sense of foreboding because I knew what was going to happen.
I don't think I fully understood what you were feeling when you came to my place after the Korean church service. Of course, I recognized a friend who needed consolation and a safe place. After reading the book, my memory of that evening in Osaka has changed and has added layers.
I always take it as some sort of sign from the universe when I see links between what I'm reading for leisure and the news. With the craziness that's happening in Iraq again and ISIS insurgents, there have been some articles in the paper about the Kurds. Your book and the Douglas College "Words and Kurds" event that I attended in Vancouver have given me more context. I could've read it when I got it months ago, but it turned out to be more prescient by reading it now.
Congrats again on your work! I hope the word spreads.
Laurie on June 30, 2014 at 2:19 pm said:
Ya, there's negligible sex in the non-fiction you're reading these days!.
Sex is huge in the relationship for Leigh and Ahmet, esp. at the beginning. It shows the chemistry, impulsiveness, motivation even lack of judgement. I read a lot of fiction, but I hate stuff that skips the sex, closes the door and fades out the scene. At the same time I don't want to face the nasties- fluids or blunt language or too much visual…it's a balance and personal taste.
Some people (women) have commented that they like the way I wrote the sex- they like the frankness and sometimes the beauty of it, the intimacy. Four people over 70 said it was "too much", most people don't comment on it at all.
Over time, there is less sex and it is mentioned in less detail "Soon they were rolling all over the carpet" The reader by then knows what that means. But as well, other intimacies replace sex. At one point Jean (Lenihan, the editor) noted in the margin "I'm surprised they're working on the book right away here, usually they'd have sex at this point". Part of it is the natural flow of evolving intimacy and maturing relationships.
Yes, poor Chegi. He was just a palm-full. Something must have eaten him. "Innocence" in the story. "That's the thing about bunnies. Once they're gone they never come back."
Anyway, lots of the book is pure fiction and plenty of truth was omitted. Always more complicated, harder in real life– I didn't think the reader could take it.
Yes, my instinct was to go to you that evening. "Muslims don't come in heaven." So you are in Nicole. So are some other friends. Nicole is lots of travellers, lots of stories in one skin.
Thanks for reading Jeff.
Teri on July 3, 2014 at 12:58 pm said:
I thoroughly enjoyed your book and I have recommended it to all of my book friends on Goodreads. It was amazing, Laurie – I couldn't put it down all weekend!! Fascinating story, well done!"
Ali on July 13, 2014 at 3:38 pm said:
Dear Fraser
I am writing you this message to show my appreciation for sharing your page-turner novel with me.
I was very amazed and excited throughout the whole time reading your novel. Your novel particularly excited my imagination due to the familiarity of the stories to me. Most of the time I felt like I was an actor, because of your lucid depiction.
Let me to thank you again for sharing this treasured work of yours with me. I really enjoyed reading it.
Ali (Iraqi Kurdistan)
Anne on July 19, 2014 at 9:55 am said:
As a young woman and an avid traveler, I highly enjoyed The Word Not Spoken. The beautifully constructed sentences created a vivid picture in my head, as if I were the one experiencing what Leigh did. I enjoyed the political aspect of the book as well because I learnt about some things that I was unaware of. Reading this book temporarily satisfied my own travel bug, as I felt as though I was on the journey with her. The tales of love were moving and highly relatable. The book had me smiling, laughing, crying, yearning, anticipating and feeling downright intrigued.
Crystal P. on September 30, 2014 at 10:14 am said:
What an wonderful read full of adventure and excitement.
Loved every minute of it! Kudos Laurie!!
Alan on October 4, 2014 at 5:36 pm said:
Great insight and a great read!!
The book helps shed light on a very complicated situation with a real human touch to it.
Alan Siad on October 27, 2014 at 4:32 pm said:
Cindy, Victoria, B.C. on November 6, 2014 at 10:18 am said:
Our book club read your book and met last week. For the first time in quite a long time, everyone finished the book. That's saying something. Often at least one of us doesn't like the book enough to finish it. We had great discussions about it, the characters, the Kurdish situation, the locations, and of course the food (we bring food the book makes us think of). Lots of discussion regarding the current ISIS situation. Thanks so much for enabling this!
Diane Dick-Wilkinson on March 4, 2015 at 2:40 pm said:
This book was sent to me in Australia by a Kurdish friend in Canada – I read it just now, in about 2 weeks, whilst working on some Kurdish/English translation with this same friend.
Having lived in a Kurdish family myself over a period of 5 years, but in Iraqi-Kurdistan, 'The Word Not Spoken' was a fascinating, often frustrating, and at the same time, special read for me. My familiarity with Eastern Turkey, the Kurdish struggle for identity and the politics of the region added to how I related this book. I loved the way it was written in an easy often intimate style revealing the characters in such a way that you had to keep reading to learn more about their lives, even if it was hard to separate true life from the fiction.
Leigh's impulsive decisions, her precipitous marriage to the charismatic Ahmet and her way of being in the country as revealed throughout the book served well to show the chasm between East and West in areas of thinking, relationships, religion, politics and life in general. Naivety, ignorance, ingenuousness and innocence take the reader on a fascinating journey.
The book as a whole is a great tool opening the door for those who have no understanding of the Kurdish struggle for a homeland, country, freedom and recognition – giving them a glimpse inside that struggle as it was in the 90s. Well done Laurie, for using your own personal experience as the foundation of a wonderful read.
Laurie on March 4, 2015 at 3:01 pm said:
Thank you Diane for that thoughtful review.
Hajir Sharifi on March 22, 2015 at 10:26 am said:
Deeply and impressively subversive in a way or another… Through her words Laurie Fraser makes the readers laugh and cry, it's an adventures journey through joy and sorrow. A love story that gives a comprehensive introduction about Turkish costume, politic, human rights and the Kurdish issue.
Highly recommended especially for us that had lived in those areas that story takes place,
L.C. on September 28, 2015 at 10:50 am said:
Hi Laurie,
Thank you so much for coming to our book club meeting several weeks ago. I had great feedback from the gals and having the author there was not only a first for our group, it was also enlightening and added a wonderful, lively dimension to it which I thoroughly enjoyed.
-L.C.
hunar barwari on February 12, 2016 at 9:59 am said:
I recently started reading your book and have been enjoying it greatly. The reading continues…I came across your book at an event at the Ottawa downtown library. Hope to see you again at future events.
Laurie Fraser on March 24, 2016 at 11:06 am said:
Thank you so much for letting me know!
Emma on January 25, 2018 at 3:34 pm said:
Wow! It seemed very personal to me… all the detail. Fabulous dialogue. You really have an ear for dialogue. Amazing that it is your first book. Congrats. Beautiful writing, loved the prose. Great action too, pulling me along. It was a fully occupying experience for me: the writing, the story, the place. Thank you for writing this!
Laurie on January 25, 2018 at 3:36 pm said:
Thanks Emma. I think from your comments that you are a writer yourself….
Laurie on June 29, 2018 at 10:27 am said:
Just finished your novel and enjoyed it very much. Very insightful on cultural differences. For example, the warmth Leigh receives from her Kurdish family after two years on her final return, her initial Bayram claustrophobia now replaced by a feeling of home, underlines for me at least the frustrating loneliness of Canadian life I've often heard expressed by newcomer students in Canadian ESL classes.
Of course, the novel is also a memorable story of love.
Terry Giffin on September 4, 2019 at 3:58 pm said:
So, this was a fabulous book, written by a good friend of my husband's. I went into it with some trepidation, knowing the basic subject matter & not knowing if I would "relate" or not. Well, I suppose I didn't really "relate", but that didn't matter – I had such a vivid picture of Leigh's situation and her Kurdish husband, Ahmet, was such a clearly drawn character – they leapt off the page, to coin a phrase. I would have crashed and burned within 30 seconds of finding myself in Leigh's shoes, and the patriarchal/sexist/sometimes abusive social norms made me really, really angry – but that should be what happens when we read about such things. What was interesting was the way it was explained from the Kurdish/Turkish point of view and why it makes sense to them, even if it doesn't make much sense to us Canadians. I learned a ton about the history and culture of Turkey and enjoyed reading about some of the familiar sites in Istanbul, from my own very brief visit a few years ago. It's a place I would love to go back to someday.
I know that this story very closely mimics Laurie Fraser's real life experiences with her real life husband, and that makes it even more disturbing, fascinating, scary, realistic, and emotional.
A very highly recommended read to all of my friends. Do Laurie a favour and read this book & get her discovered. She deserves it.
Lindsay on September 4, 2019 at 3:59 pm said:
Wow, what an amazing story! I didn't want it to end but sadly it did. I loved the characters, Leigh and Ahmet and the locations in Turkey felt rather familiar as I'd visited Goreme and Istanbul last year. Unfortunately I wouldn't have had the courage of Leigh to stay there. The sense of heat and odours, food and drink and differences in cultures came alive through the writing. The last few chapters were quite a roller coaster ride but I think the way it was done helped make the ending more acceptable to me. My favourite line spoken often by Ahmet is, "If it is true, I must say it." If you've read the book, you'll understand the humour in that line.
Heather King on September 4, 2019 at 4:00 pm said:
I cried when the book was done, I didn't want it to be over. The writing was so beautiful, I could see, and hear, and taste, and smell the surroundings. And it's amazing that it's almost all true. The ending was heart-wrenching and beautiful. I hope the author writes other books as well.
Lynne on June 13, 2020 at 5:26 pm said:
BEST book I ever read and I've read a lot of books in my life, so I know what I'm saying. I would never go to that place, Turkey, NEVER.


WELL, ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT QUITE as simple as that. You know how they used to ask 'have you ever seen an honest accountant?' well I reckon the same can be said about solicitors and barristers. 'Oh yes, you've got a really strong case. Of course we can't guarantee you will win but the odds are really in your favour.' Until many thousands of pounds and an unfavourable judgement later it becomes 'well, that point was always going to be a problem' or 'I can't believe how he arrived at that decision, you've got a really strong case for an appeal'. And then there's the fact that even if you win, and are awarded costs, you still end up paying a third of your costs anyway. Let's face it, a lawyer telling you not to sue is like a turkey voting for Christmas.SO, OK WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT win or lose taking legal action will cost plenty. Now let's look at what we're up against. Firstly this would be a fight on behalf of something less than 8,000 retailers (exclude company-owned sites and exclude the hypers, who I'm sure will have sorted out very adequate compensation arrangements – this is one little select band of retailers that the oil companies definitely wouldn't risk fighting in court). Now 8,000 retailers aren't exactly going to decide whether Uncle Tony does or doesn't get returned to Number 10, so you can forget any help on the political front. Then there's the fact that winning or losing won't affect what the motorist pays, so that's another dead end as far as getting sympathy or help. Add to this that the Chancellor isn't losing a single penny through our being shafted and you start understanding why nothing has ever been done about this problem.OF COURSE THE REASON that hot product costs us so much isn't so much the cost of the fuel but the 47.10p/litre duty we pay on every lost litre. The same 47.10p/litre that ends up as profit for the oil companies. A quick, back-of-an-envelope calculation of 8,000 retailers, average volume 2.5m litres and 0.2% shrinkage, gives the tidy little sum of £18.8 million pounds per year. Now in the oil companies' general scheme of things £18.8m ain't worth getting out of bed for – and even if an award was backdated for six years we're still only talking petty cash to the likes of BP, Shell, Texaco, Total and Esso. But when it comes down to the micro level of the UK retailing arms of these companies, £18.8m IS a significant sum, and certainly helps fund a legal fees war chest that buys an awful lot of obfuscation and big-hitting experts fees.THE FINAL KNEE IN THE GROIN must surely be the recent Esso case. All the way through we were hearing very optimistic noises about how the judge was ripping Esso's QC apart over hot product. Here at last was a judge who wasn't going to get rolled over by big business. The result? Sorry, lads, don't really see this as a problem. IN FACT, THE ONLY REAL PLACE I think we would ever stand any chance of getting any sympathy from is the European Court of Human Rights (oh how that hurts a Euro-sceptic like me to have to admit). And that would emanate from the unfairness of us not being allowed to measure that which we are buying.SO WILL I OR WON'T I? Of course – provided we're talking less than £1,000, how can I ever complain again if I'm not prepared to do something about it!


text:
UMCOR USA
Nutrition/Food Security
UMCOR nutrition/food security activities
The UMCOR Nutrition department was founded at 1999. All programs of the Nutrition department have the same goal: to combat hunger and support and empower vulnerable/disadvantaged people living in state institutions (special/boarding schools for handicapped and socially vulnerable children, retirement centers, orphanages, mental hospitals, and kindergartens for socially vulnerable children) and in targeted rural communities.
In1999 the Nutrition department started its programs with "Free cheese distribution programs" that still exists today. Over ten years this US State Department funded program distributes cheese to special institutions to improve diets of beneficiaries living in the institutions and to promote the market for local cheese producers.
Later (2000-2003, the Nutrition department implemented "Social Transition Program", which aimed to improve diets of schoolchildren and university students by providing seasonal food assistance. 6,000 schoolchildren were supported with daily lunches.
In 2011 the Nutrition department started to work on the community level. Foods Resource Bank made it possible to work not only in special institutions, but also at Semyonovka, Anipemza and Ahnidzor communities of Armenia. The project addresses the vulnerability of families and the lack of self-sufficiency in food procurement of state-run institutions for their residents through provision of agricultural inputs and technical assistance.
As a short-term result, UMCOR envisions that the communities and institutions supported through the project will achieve food security through increased food accessibility and availability and utilization of more nutritious products for consumption. As a long-term result, families will obtain valuable knowledge and afford better healthcare for their dependents through generated incomes while institution staff will continue to provide nutritious diet to future residents. In the process, beneficiaries will develop self-confidence and fewer people will seek labor opportunities away from their homes.
PHAIP
FHSLD (2011)
Small Reconstruction
Disater Risk Reduction
All rights reserved © 2023 UMCOR Armenia


text:
Q: How do you append to a text file instead of overwriting it in Java? I am trying to add a line to a text file with Java. When I run my program, I mean to add a simple line, but my program is removing all old data in the text file before writing new data.
Here is the code:
 FileWriter fw = null;
  PrintWriter pw = null;
    try {
        fw = new FileWriter("output.txt");
        pw = new PrintWriter(fw);

    pw.write("testing line \n");
        pw.close();
        fw.close();
    } catch (IOException ex) {
        Logger.getLogger(FileAccessView.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    }

A: Change this:
fw = new FileWriter("output.txt");

to this:
fw = new FileWriter("output.txt", true);

The second argument to FileWriter's constructor is whether you want to append to the file you're opening or not.  This causes the file pointer to be moved to the end of the file prior to writing.

A: Change this:
fw = new FileWriter("output.txt");

to
fw = new FileWriter("output.txt", true);

See the javadoc for details why - effectively the "append" defaults to false.
Note that FileWriter isn't generally a great class to use - I prefer to use FileOutputStream wrapped in OutputStreamWriter, as that lets you specify the character encoding to use, rather than using your operating system default.

A: Use
fw = new FileWriter("output.txt", true);

From JavaDoc:

Constructs a FileWriter object given a
  File object. If the second argument is
  true, then bytes will be written to
  the end of the file rather than the
  beginning.

A: Two options:

*

*The hard way: Read the entire file, then write it out plus the new data.

*The easy way: Open the file in "append" mode: new FileWriter( path, true );

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
'Jersey Boys' brings hit songs and documentary-style story back to the Morris
Jack Walton
Some jukebox musicals get by on merely the barest bones of a plot, just enough to move the story into the next hit song. One of the appeals of "Jersey Boys" is that it's better than that: "Jersey Boys" comes across more as a documentary, albeit one with a ton of hit songs in it.
Put together by the team of Bob Gaudio, Bob Crewe, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, "Jersey Boys" debuted in 2005 and has secured a spot among the most popular contemporary musicals. The subject is the progress of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as the group goes from singing under streetlamps to selling millions of records in the 1960s and '70s. On Sunday, the current U.S. tour of "Jersey Boys" makes a one-night stop at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.
Rather than revolving around one unified central narrative, "Jersey Boys" employs the "Rashomon effect," with several different characters each giving his side of the same story. The first of the Four Seasons to give his personal account of the events is Tommy DeVito, played in this production by Corey Greenan.
"Tommy gets the whole thing started, but he also gets kicked out of the band," Greenan says by phone from Washington, D.C. "It's fun to do it, because he starts the show and he gets the first say, because he knows that the other guys are not going to have the best things to say about him."
DeVito brags about how he was singing with his group, The Variety Trio, when he took a young kid under his wing and showed him the ropes. That kid, Frankie Castelluccio, will go on to become Frankie Valli, eventually eclipsing DeVito in the big picture.
There's also a delightful tidbit in which DeVito's friend, a young Joe Pesci (who would go on to become the famous actor) introduces him to a songwriter named Bob Gaudio, and DeVito is kind enough to give Gaudio a chance to write for the group.
In Gaudio's portion, he's quick to point out that he'd already had a massive hit, as the co-writer of "Short Shorts," which The Royal Teens had taken to No. 3 on the Billboard charts in 1958.
"Jersey Boys" depicts the soaring highs and depressing lows that almost any tale of stardom has, but the situation with this group allows the story to go into an area so endlessly beloved in Hollywood and pulp fiction: the Mafia. Mobsters stalk the storyline the way they do in a Scorsese movie, and it's all mostly true.
"You get to hear the music you know and love, but you also learn about what went on behind the scenes," Greenan says. "It wasn't always pretty."
The first three iconic singles — "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man" — arrived in 1962 and 1963, and they show up in "Jersey Girls" by midway through the first act. Amid the personal chaos that's unfolding in their lives, the musicians go on to have a run of hits that continues through 1975's "Who Loves You" and "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)."
The effect of all those familiar lyrics and melodies can hit boomers and millennials with the same degree of impact.
"When certain songs start up, you'll see someone reach over and grab their partner's hand. It might be that they got married to this song or they fell in love to this song," Greenan says. "It's equally rewarding, though, when the younger kids come out. They're waiting at the stage door, saying, 'I didn't know those songs were them!' It's just as exciting."
Being thrown into close quarters with one another has helped the cast bond like the original band, especially as they pass through the Midwest in cold and flu season.
"Sometimes, we'll hit six cities in a week, so it's nice to settle down in one city for a while," Greenan says. "Of course, then you start to get a little antsy. Time to get back out on the road."
• What: Broadway Theatre League presents "Jersey Boys"
• Where: Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N. Michigan St., South Bend
• When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12
• Cost: $105-$40; subject to change based on demand
• For more information: Call 574-235-9190 or visit morriscenter.org


text:
package edu.upenn.cis.ppod.thirdparty.dao.hibernate;

import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
import java.util.List;

import org.hibernate.Criteria;
import org.hibernate.Hibernate;
import org.hibernate.LockMode;
import org.hibernate.LockOptions;
import org.hibernate.Session;
import org.hibernate.criterion.Criterion;
import org.hibernate.criterion.Example;

import edu.upenn.cis.ppod.thirdparty.dao.IDAO;

/**
 * From http://www.hibernate.org/328.html.
 *
 * @param <T> transfer object type
 * @param <ID> the type of the Hibernate PHYLO_CHAR_ID_COLUMN - usually
 *            {@link Long}
 */
public abstract class GenericHibernateDAO<T, ID extends Serializable>
		implements IDAO<T, ID> {

	/** No arg constructor. */
	public GenericHibernateDAO() {
		Class<?> curClass = getClass();
		// We're looking for the first {@code ParametrizedType} in the class
		// hierarchy.
		while (true) {
			if (curClass.getGenericSuperclass() instanceof ParameterizedType) {
				// tempPersistentClass is there just to use SuppressWarnings
				// with as little scope as possible.
				@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
				final Class<T> tempPersistentClass = (Class<T>) ((ParameterizedType) curClass
						.getGenericSuperclass()).getActualTypeArguments()[0];
				persistentClass = tempPersistentClass;
				break;
			} else {
				curClass = curClass.getSuperclass();
			}
		}
	}

	/** DAO transfer object type. */
	private Class<T> persistentClass;

	/** Hang on to a session for this DAO. */
	private Session session;

	/**
	 * Call {@link Session#clear()} on this GenericHibernateDAO's
	 * session.
	 */
	public final void clear() {
		getSession().clear();
	}

	public final List<T> findAll() {
		return findByCriteria();
	}

	public final List<T> findByExample(final T exampleInstance,
			final String... excludeProperty) {
		final Criteria crit = getSession().createCriteria(getPersistentClass());
		final Example example = Example.create(exampleInstance);
		for (final String exclude : excludeProperty) {
			example.excludeProperty(exclude);
		}
		crit.add(example);

		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
		final List<T> suppressUncheckedWarningTs = crit.list();
		return suppressUncheckedWarningTs;
	}

	/**
	 * Call {@link Session#flush()} on this GenericHibernateDAO's
	 * session.
	 */
	public void flush() {
		getSession().flush();
	}

	public T findById(final ID id, final boolean lock) {
		checkNotNull(id);

		T entity;
		if (lock) {
			@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
			final T suppressUncheckedWarningEntity =
					(T) getSession()
							.get(
									getPersistentClass(),
									id,
									new LockOptions(LockMode.PESSIMISTIC_WRITE));
			entity = suppressUncheckedWarningEntity;
		} else {
			@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
			final T suppressUncheckedWarningEntity = (T) getSession().get(
					getPersistentClass(), id);
			entity = suppressUncheckedWarningEntity;
		}
		return entity;
	}

	public final Serializable getIdentifier(final Object o) {
		return getSession().getIdentifier(o);
	}

	/**
	 * Get the {@link Class} of the entity that this {@link IDAO} manages.
	 *
	 * @return the {@link Class} of the entity that this {@link IDAO} manages
	 */
	public final Class<T> getPersistentClass() {
		return persistentClass;
	}

	public final void evict(final T entity) {
		getSession().evict(entity);
	}

	public final void evictEntities(final Iterable<? extends T> entities) {
		for (final T entity : entities) {
			evict(entity);
		}
	}

	public final void makeTransient(final T entity) {
		checkNotNull(entity);
		getSession().delete(entity);
	}

	public final void makePersistent(final T entity) {
		checkNotNull(entity);
		getSession().saveOrUpdate(entity);
	}

	/** {@inheritDoc} */
	public final void setSession(final Session session) {
		checkNotNull(session);
		this.session = session;
	}

	/**
	 * Use this inside subclasses as a convenience method.
	 *

	 * By criteria, find {@code T}s.
	 *
	 * @param criterion 1 or more criteria for the search
	 *
	 * @return persisted {@code T}s that match {@code criterion}
	 */
	protected final List<T> findByCriteria(final Criterion... criterion) {
		final Criteria crit = getSession().createCriteria(getPersistentClass());
		for (final Criterion c : criterion) {
			crit.add(c);
		}

		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
		final List<T> suppressUncheckedWarningTs = crit.list();
		return suppressUncheckedWarningTs;
	}

	/**
	 * Get this IDAO's session.
	 *
	 * @return see description
	 */
	protected final Session getSession() {
		if (session == null) {
			throw new IllegalStateException("no session set for dao");
			// setSession(HibernateUtil.getSessionFactory().getCurrentSession());
		}
		return session;
	}

	public final void initialize(final T entity) {
		checkNotNull(entity);
		Hibernate.initialize(entity);
	}

	public final String getEntityName(T entity) {
		return getSession().getEntityName(entity);
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Seaweed is a series A2 screen prints celebrating the shapes, colours and textures washed up on our local beaches on the East coast of Scotland.
Seaweed 1 is an open edition signed A2 screen print, printed in charcoal, grey, green, tan, coral pink and pale blue on beautifully speckled heavyweight 200gsm Favini Corn Crush paper.
Our screen prints are hand-pulled using waterbased inks in our British print workshop. Sold unframed, rolled in acid free tissue paper and packaged in a cardboard postal tube.


text:
At first Democratic debate, sparks fly over health care
From left, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
Whether Democratic presidential candidates endorse Medicare-for-all or favor keeping health care private emerged as a key issue during the opening salvo of the first debate on Wednesday night.
In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, a line has been drawn between more progressive Democrats who want to sweep health care under the arm of the government — and those who want to keep it public.
Front-runner Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., endorsed Medicare-for-all during the debate in Miami, although she's previously dodged questions about whether she supports a single-payer system or not.
"I'm with Bernie [Sanders] on Medicare-for-all," she said to raucous audience applause. Sen. Sanders, I-Vt., has tried to draw distance between himself and Warren when it comes to health care, painting himself as the true progressive on the issue. Instead, he suggests Warren might hedge about supporting Medicare-for-all.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar seemingly took a swipe at Warren about health care.
The Minnesota Democrat has billed herself as a pragmatic moderate who's willing — and able — to work across the aisle. She previously called Medicare-for-all an "aspiration," but has not committed to overhauling private health insurance.
She further explained her stance during the debate, calling a single-payer system "a bold approach."
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"I am just simply concerned about kicking half of America off their health insurance in four years, which is exactly what this bill says," she said.


Josef Seibel's Malena 03 is a stylish and contemporary trainer in an unusual light blue-green leather with a crescent of tan leather wrapping around the heel. The side shafts are finished with an attractive textured effect as well as a zigzag of white stitching that is picked up at various points across the upper where the sections of leather meet. The vamp of Malena 03 is decorated with a number of small punched holes that radiate out towards the tongue.


text:
IBM brings text-to-speech to the Linux desktop
By Patricia Daukantas
IBM Corp. researchers are bringing text-to-speech capabilities to the Linux desktop.
Previously, production versions of IBM's text-to-speech engine had been available only for the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh platforms, said Rich Schwerdtfeger, an IBM software group accessibility strategist and chairman of IBM's Accessibility Architecture Review Board.
A few years ago, the company had made a beta Linux version of the speech engine available for downloading, but took it offline when it stopped working with later versions of the Linux kernel.
The speech engine, together with a screen reader, converts text on a computer screen to sound but does not enable users to issue voice commands to the computer, Schwerdtfeger said.
Wizzard Software Corp. of Pittsburgh is distributing the IBM-developed ViaVoice speech engine as a standalone product and a component in its Interactive Voice Assistant line of products.
List pricing for the standalone ViaVoice text-to-speech engine is $5 per individual user license with a minimum order of 200 licenses. Volume discounts are available.
(Posted Feb. 16. Corrected Feb. 17)


text:
Q: How to show grid in mid of screen with with vertical slide option I have seen that some applications have grid view or form visible on alert box with vertical slide but really do not have any idea of how to achieve this.
Upto my knowledge i think this is possible with jquery..
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance..

A: You can use jquery ui-dialog
An example of login form inside a modal will look like this
jQuery(document).ready(function() {
    jQuery("#dialog").dialog({
        modal: true,
        buttons: {
            SUBMIT: function() {
                $('#loginForm').submit();
            }
        }
    });
});

FIDDLE


text:
class="selected" >
Uncertain States – Affective Societies Zones of Conflict and Pain:
Online Media Witnessing and Its Affective Dynamics
Images of conflict, war, and escape are omnipresent in our daily life. Although media witnessing is not a new phenomenon, the internet era has significantly intensified the affective dynamics of images from zones of political conflict.
On the basis of their artistic and scholarly work on images from the internet and social media, Reza Aramesh and Kerstin Schankweiler discuss the de- and recontextualizing of iconic images of violence.
How can one approach and engage with these affecting images, and what role do we play as the spectators? What is the political of affectivity? How can media witnessing be aesthetically reflected in the arts? And which new perspectives can be offered by artistic practices remediating images from zones of conflict and pain?
Reza Aramesh is a painter, photographer and sculptor, born in Ahwaz (Iran), lives in London. He draws on war photography taken from the internet that report on historical and contemporary political conflicts in Vietnam, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan or Korea.
Kerstin Schankweiler is an art historian and postdoctoral research fellow in the Collaborative Research Center "Affective Societies", where she is researching the affective dynamics of images in the era of social media.
As part of the lecture series "Emotions and their Effects. Affective Dynamics of Flight and Migration".
A cooperation between the Akademie der Künste and the Collaborative Research Center "Affective Societies" at FU Berlin.
What role does affectivity play in the social and cultural upheavals presently shaping our globalised world? How do emotions contribute to the impression of social stability and security, and how do they provoke insecurities, threats and marginalisation? Which affective dynamics accompany the loss of familiar environments, and which emotions promote or hinder arrival in a new life? How is emotion used to shape the political agenda, and why it is often so difficult to counter this by argument?
This series of lectures and talks looks at contemporary art as an outstanding location for investigating and reflecting on emotions and affectivity in the context of flight, migration and mobility. In the process, academics and scholars involved in the "Affective Societies" Collaborative Research Center at Freie Universität Berlin enter into a dialogue with the artists, works and topics in the Uncertain States exhibition.
The interdisciplinary "Affective Societies" research centre at Freie Universität Berlin is investigating the fundamental importance of emotions and affectivity for social life in the mobile, networked and mediatised worlds of the twenty-first century.
Friday, 28 Oct 2016
Hanseatenweg
Discussion between artist Reza Aramesh and art historian Kerstin Schankweiler
In English language
As part of the lecture series "Emotions and their Effects. Affective Dynamics of Flight and Migration", a cooperation between the Akademie der Künste and the Collaborative Research Center "Affective Societies" at FU Berlin
Admission with exhibition ticket (€ 8/5)
Further dates:
11 Nov, 25 Nov, 9 Dec, 6 Jan and 13 Jan, 4 – 6:30 pm
Tel.: (030) 200 57-1000
E-Mail: ticket@adk.de
www.adk.de/uncertain-states
www.sfb-affective-societies.de
Pariser Platz 4
+49 (0)30 200 57-1000
Mon–Sun 10 am – 8 pm
Archives sites
Hanseatenweg 10
ticket@adk.de
www.adk.de/tickets
Bookshop Pariser Platz
Mon 11 am – 5 pm,
Tue–Sun 11 am – 7 pm
and during events till 8 pm
Bookshop Hanseatenweg
and during events


Karnataka PSC – KPSC Recruitment 2016 invites application for the post of 2039 Junior Accounts Assistant, Bill Collector & Various Vacancies in Karnataka . This is a great chance for interested candidates who are looking for Sarkari Naukri /Government Jobs. They all can apply online before or on 01 April 2016.
All Govt job applicants can apply through online applications or offline mode for the Junior Accounts Assistant, Bill Collector post from the official website. Get complete information regarding this Sarkari Naukri i.e. age limit, qualification, selection procedure, pay scale (pay band), how to apply, Syllabus & exam pattern, written test, examination date, application fees are given below.
For Junior Accounts Assistant : Candidates must Must have passes PUC in Commerce with Accountancy as Optional Subject.
For Bill Collector : Must have passed SSLC or its equivalent examination.
How to Apply KPSC Vacancy : Interested candidates may apply Online through KPSC website www.kpsc.kar.nic.in from 03.03.2016 to 01.04.2016.


Check out this podcast on how to get rich in business. You can make a ton of money in your business if you control your thoughts and invoke the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction is like a secret weapon for business success. Learn how employing the law of attraction will help you get rich in your business. Change your thoughts and change your income.
This entry was posted on March 24, 2014 at 6:31 PM and is filed under Abundance, Abundance Alchemy, action, alchemy life coaching, get rich in business, Law of Attraction, law of attraction coaching, law of attraction Robert Zink, motivation, prosperity, Uncategorized.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


1. It takes me about 5 days to eat 4 pounds (POUNDS) of M&Ms. That's a record or something.
2. Ground Turkey and my stomach are not, nor will they ever be, best friends or even pleasant acquaintances.
3. Chuck loves Celine Dion (okay, so I've known that for years, but it's just so freaking ridiculous, it gets me every time).
4. In a foreclosure situation, people will just leave. With or without their junk.
It's #4 that will be the focus for this post, in case you needed some sort of thesis statement (we'll revisit #3 at a later date, no worries).
Some people lose their house (I know terrible, tragedy, whatever. Like Chuck and I would live here otherwise), and what they go through is beyond me. What I know they DON'T go through, quite often, is their junk. They leave that to us. In moving to The House, Chuck and I acquired a ridiculous amount of items. Here's the highlight reel: A urine soaked Dog kennel, an antique sewing machine, bicycle, elliptical, and a comprehensive family tree which clearly shows Moms side and Dads side shared a Great-great-great grandpa. Whoops.
The incestuous family tree: We'll keep that. The sewing machine will go to Chuck's artistic sister and there are fading dreams of fixing up the bicycle. For the elliptical, the hope was that I would actually use it for some sort of exercise and I was 100% on board. Then I remembered that exercising is against my McDonald's religion, so, um, pass.
Chuck's spearheading this operation. He posted his ad last night.
"Pro-Form 545e elliptical machine in very good condition. $50. The 545e is the manifestation of the highest level of ellipticality that mankind has achieved to date. Interesting and/or hilarious trades considered."
Only Chuck would consider trades or award humor with an elliptical. Who are we kidding? I so support this, it's not even funny.
Leave it to Chuck to find his doppelganger. We got this little gem of an email tonight, our first suggested trade, and we are highly considering the offer because it's awesome.
1. His name is Egbert.
2. This response is better than I ever could have expected.
3. His product is solid, his web site is funnier than the ad, and the question is, what kind of sign would we want?
Any help or insight you could give would be great. Chuck thanks you in advance.
You def. need to get a sign for your car... not sure what it should say, but I think it's a must!