text:
Strange Hotels Around the World
Dingy hostels, while comfortable enough, get old. Sometimes we were able to find some interesting accommodations beyond your normal hostel that were cultural experiences in and of themselves. These places were usually upgrades from the normal hostel or AirBnB. One such unusual place was the Propeller Island Hotel in Berlin, where each room was a work of conceptual contemporary art (click here to read our previous blog post all about Propeller Island). The others were vastly different from each other and a welcome change from the usual hostelworld.com slog.
Ryokan - Pax Yoshino - Hakone, Japan
One of our favorite experiences was staying at a traditional Japanese inn called a Ryokan. True Ryokans are very luxurious (read:expensive) but we were able to find an affordable one in the hills of the area near Mt. Fuji. It has the feel of a spa, and most people chose to wear traditional robes around the building (provided in the rooms) which is quite an interesting site to behold. One of the special elements of most ryokans is the onsen, or thermal bath. Similar to other traditional baths, this one was particularly nice because it was outdoors. The water was almost too hot to stand for our allotted hour but luckily the outside temp was refreshingly cool. Before bedtime, the staff came in to lay out our pallet-style beds, which were much more comfortable than expected. Breakfast was one of the best spreads I've ever seen, but unfortunately, we couldn't figure out what almost anything was. I eagerly poured myself a cup from a hot carafe only to bring it up to my mouth and inhale the distinct smell of soy sauce. Only later did I find the coffee pot. From start to finish of our one night in the ryokan, we felt immersed in the beauty of Japanese culture.
Cave Hotel - Canyon View Hotel—Goreme (Cappadocia),Turkey
The idea of sleeping in a cave, bathing in a cave and breathing in a cave sounded claustrophobic to me. However, staying in so-called "Cave Hotels" is one of the quintessential experiences when visiting Cappadocia in Turkey. The bizarre landscape and unique rock formations have been used as dwellings for local people, especially monks seeking solitude, for millennia. How could we miss this experience? Beautifully carved into the natural rock and enhanced with modern features, our cave hotel was charming and run by a lovely family. The room was actually quite spacious and to ease my claustrophobia, there was even a decent-sized window. Our room had at one time been used a pigeon room of a monastery (ironic since I despise pigeons) and retained the pigeon perches carved into the walls. Not my favorite detail about the place, but an interesting part of a room with a real history!
Treehouse - Ten103 - Koh Ta Kiev, Cambodia
From one natural setting to another, the treehouse we slept in was by far our most rustic accommodation of the trip. The bed was draped with mosquito netting that was for more than just decoration. It was less of a house and more of a platform in the treetops with a roof. It overlooked a small bay and a mangrove forest and the only word that fits to describe the view is paradise. The island was minimally populated and there was no electricity or running water, which is my idea of true luxury in some ways. Luckily, there was a bar with surprisingly great food and umbrella drinks. Who needs WiFi in such a situation? This was also the island where we could see the bioluminescent plankton and there was an organic Absinthe distillery in a make shift cabin footsteps away. The only real problems with a treehouse are climbing up the ladder in the dark (headlamp was handy!) and nighttime bathroom trips (bottles are handy!).
Salt Hotel - Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia
Located in the world's largest salt flat, there are several hotels built entirely out of salt. The bricks, tables, bed frames, chairs and chandeliers are from the salt flat. The floor was even loose gravel sized salt. Surprisingly, of our three nights in southern Bolivia, the salt hotel we stayed in was by far the most comfortable. These hotels are mainly set up to accommodate tour groups with dormitory-style bedrooms and bathrooms and because of the cost of water, it cost $3 to use the shower. After a few smelly days of going without, it was well worth it. It was however, incredibly drying because of the high altitude and the natural salt. Maybe it had some therapeutic properties!
Coming at Us Like a Freight Train (Peru)
After a bus and train ride into Machu Picchu town, we were excited to stretch our legs and explore the area as Jed, my brother Dan, who came to visit us, and I set off to go see a waterfall by walking along the train tracks. Now before anyone thinks we are reckless and crazy, it must be known that the guy at our hotel told us to follow the train tracks. Maybe he didn't mean it so literally, but as we headed off, straddling the rail, we met another threesome that further confirmed what the hotel guy told us: this was the path to the waterfall.
While chit chatting with our new friends, we pondered whether these train tracks were still in use. We figured they must be abandoned tracks, but quickly realized we were mistaken when a large train came speeding past us and we had to jump up against the rock wall face to our side to avoid being hit. It was not long after that we came to a long, dark, narrow tunnel. since a train had just passed us two minutes before the tunnel, we rationalized that surely another one would not pass so soon after. We stopped just before entering the tunnel to discuss. We could barely see the opening on the other side. It was difficult to gauge how long it was and the track curved right after the tunnel so you couldn't see past the opening. If we were going to go through, we would have to do it as quickly as possible.
Walking along the tracks....
Dan and Jed looking happy before we enter the tunnel
Pretty quickly we began to question our decision. It was incredibly dark as we stepped inside. You couldn't even see your feet. Feeling like we had made a bad mistake, a few in our group started running through. Nervous to run into someone in the dark and knowing I would be slow, I hung back a minute with Jed to let the others get a head start. It's not easy to run across train tracks in the dark. I felt like I could trip at any moment. As Dan and another person reached the end, they went out of sight. Then Dan reappeared. He was shouting something we couldn't understand and motioning violently. We couldn't understand or really see what he was motioning, but we knew it couldn't be good. Cold there possibly be another train coming? Terror and adrenaline flooded my body. Jed and I were only halfway through the tunnel and had no idea how much time we had until the train came. Do we run forward and try to beat the train or run back where we came from? The few remaining people in the tunnel who were a bit ahead of us started running forward, but we decided it was best to turn around and run back towards the opening.
Any doubt about whether or not a train was coming was soon answered when I looked over my shoulder to make sure the others had all made it out and a train appeared in the tunnel blocking all light. Steam bellowing out and horn blaring, we literally ran for our lives out the other side of the tunnel. When we finally got past the opening, we scrambled to find a space where we would be out of the way. I was terrified about Dan and the others on the other end of the tunnel. I looked around for Jed and found him in a Jed-sized hole in the ground, from which he was climbing out! So much adrenaline ran through our bodies he barely even noticed he had fallen in a narrow 5 foot hole!
Jed looking confused at this well hidden, but surprisingly deep, hole he had just climbed out of
A train like the one that was barreling down on us
As the train cleared the tunnel, we hastily walked back into the tunnel to make sure the others were OK. Fortunately, all the others started running back through towards us. There was a very, very close call though. Like something straight out of a movie, apparently the girl of the group was just about to clear the exit when she tripped badly right as the train was about to enter the tunnel. A hero friend of hers ran over and picked her up and pulled her out of the entrance within seconds of the train arriving.
Knowing my brother, I assumed this terrifying incident would not deter him from wanting to continue down the tracks. He told us that another tunnel, one that curved around the side of the mountain making it impossible to see the end, was not far ahead of the tunnel we had just escaped from. The whole incident had sufficiently spooked us all, so we all turned back and headed to town. Luckily, we found an alternate path that skipped this harrowing stretch of rail, and eventually found our way to the waterfall. Unfortunately, it was absolutely pouring rain on us the whole way there and back. With no umbrellas, our clothes and shoes were wet for days. Although highly memorable, the waterfall was probably not worth the terror or soak, and it left us exhausted before embarking on the real reason we were there in the first place, to see Machu Picchu.
Dan enjoying the well-earned spoils of our adventure
Salar De Uyuni (Bolivia)
We didn't know much about the Salar De Uyuni and the sights in that region because descriptions were vague but enthusiastic. So despite the crazy adventure to even get to the start of it, we concluded it must be worth it. We mustered up the strength to take another long bus ride and overnight train to the small town of Tupizia to start a 4 day tour, the only real option for independent travelers to see it.
The trip got started early on day 1 and we were placed with a another couple, from the Netherlands, for the duration of the trip (a last minute switch occurred when our original pair came down with the standard "Bolivian Stomach Bug"). As we began, I started to feel uneasy as the mud roads and sheer drop offs had my pulse racing. The scenery was worth it though; desert landscape with red rock faces reminiscent of Arizona or Utah in the foreground and snow-capped mountains in the backdrop. This is the area made famous in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! After visiting an ancient abandoned town, we got as high as 16,000 feet (4855 meters) before settling down for the night in very basic accommodations (one bathroom for 20+ people).
The second day was definitely a highlight. It started with a couple of beautiful lakes, complete with mountain reflections and pink flamingos enjoying it all. We then arrived at a volcano with a seafoam green lake in front of it. Despite its beauty, it is not a good idea to touch the green lake as it is full of arsenic. There were some interesting sites at the lake too, including a very cuddly-looking wild fox and a band which randomly decided this was a good place to jam.
After a while outside in the cold air, it was time to check out a small hot springs. From there, the unique landscape continued to change as we visited some very cool looking geysers. The sulfer smell was pungent and the steam and boiling mud rising from the earth certainly made this look like a hellish landscape. There were points were mud was literally flying out of the ground and over our heads.
It seemed like we had already packed in a full day, but we still had one place left to visit; one of the strangest natural phenomenons I have seen. You could see the red color from a distance as we pulled up and it became jaw dropping when we stopped in front of the massive, red lake. And I don't mean just a little red tint, it was pure, blood-red. The color apparently comes from the billions of algae in the water. Although the lake is quite expansive, it is very shallow and so you can see the colored algae shining through. In the morning, the algae are not colored, but the sunlight powers them and by the end of the day they are bright red, giving the lake its truly unique color. There is also a mountain in the background and thousands of flamingos in the water to enhance the beauty of the landscape even more. Truly a rare and wonderful site .
After an eventful second day, and the main event tomorrow, this was a bit more of a relaxing day through still some nice mountain scenery. We stopped at some more lakes, inlcuding a "black lake" (but the effect of the coloring here was quite lackluster compared to the red and green lakes we had seen previously) and saw some interesting petrified rocks that had some unique shapes due to erosion.
We woke up before sunrise to get into the Salar De Uyuni on our last day. What exactly is the Salar de Uyuni? It is a massive salt flat that was created when an ancient ocean dried up and left behind the salty earth. It is 100 meters (330 feet) deep of pure salt and it stretches as far as the eye can see (it took hours to drive through it all). The pure white surface and mountains in the backdrop makes it seem like you are in some sort of glacier, but the warm temperatures snap you back to reality. In the winter season, the shallow water surface and white ground causes a spectacular reflection of the sky that is one of the craziest things I've seen...in pictures. Unfortunately, we were there in dry season but the scenery is still incredible. The dry salt forms a unique pattern on the ground and the expansive white landscape is still amazing
Our first stop in the salar was an island in the middle. Originally an island in the ocean, this ancient island still exists in the middle of the flat gives an excellent view of sunrise and the vast landscape. Then we traveled for hours across the salar, stopping a few times to take some photos.
One of the most fun things to do in the salar is to take some "loco" photos, as our guide called them. They are photos that make you or other objects look very small (see above). There is no photo editing tricks with these...they are all done with perspective. Since the salar is so flat and pretty featureless, you can really play with perspective, tricking your brain a bit.
After a quick stop at a random train "graveyard," our four day trip was over. Besides the salar, we didn't know quite what to expect on these four days. It was nice being surprised along the way. It is quite the pain to make it to the south of Bolivia, but if you are in the country, you definitely have to make the journey; it was one of the highlights of our trip.
Savoring Small Towns and Small Moments in Ecuador
Going to Ecuador was really just a stopover to get from Central America to South America but we allowed about two weeks there. Most people who visit head straight for the Galapagos but we stuck to the middle of the country with beautiful mountainous scenery and small, lively towns. Everything we did in Ecuador was low key. No volcano boarding or climbing mountains or wonders of the world. Nonetheless, we had some of our most authentic and satisfying travel there, while enjoying the natural beauty of the country.
Small Town Charm
Latacunga is not exactly a nice town. Most of it is dirty and polluted. There's not much for a traveler outside of a nice town square and a handful of picturesque parks. Like many other times in our year abroad, we read about and ventured to some dinky museum to find it inexplicably closed. What I really liked about this place were the lovely people at our hostel and a friendly cafe owner that went out of her way to make sure we knew the town was special. She also happened to sell the best chocolate bars we'd had in a long time. Our hostel/motel was run by a family that greeted us warmly at every turn. They insisted on giving us Ecuador bracelets to remember them by on our last morning as we sat at their kitchen table sharing breakfast. Nothing big, but it just made me like the place.
The Lake and the Dog
There are numerous beautiful lakes to hike around in central Ecuador. Our favorites were Quilotoa and Cuicocha Lake. As we started up the hill to hike Cuicocha Lake, the park ranger told us there were no dogs allowed. "He's not ours," we shrugged, as a local stray led us on the path. It was clear he knew the way, and we figured he would turn back at some point, but 1/4 of the way around (and a few biscuits for bribery) and we realized he wasn't going anywhere. Rick Perro became his name and he stuck with us the whole way. When we got tired, he would wait for us. When a menacing pack of 6 mangy dogs (blood stains on some of their snouts) showed up to protect their turf, Rick snarled and took them all on to protect us. We shared our PB/Nutella sandwiches with Rick under a gazebo on the trail so we would all have some energy for the last 2 hours. One of the saddest sights of the trip was Rick Perro galloping full speed to catch up to the back of the truck we hopped in, hoping for one last biscuit or for us to take him home.
Dancing in the Square
Costumes. Children. Dances. An irresistible combination for a traveler. In Quito we stumbled upon an elaborate solstice celebration complete with kids in traditional Quechua costumes doing dances. The lovely folk songs have stuck in our heads since then and we only wished they were Shazaam-able. The grand finale involved one little character, in a mask of el Diablo, encircling the other dancers. The poor kid could barely see out of his mask but he held his own as el Diablo and totally made my day.
Little El Diablo
Juice at the market
Every town in Ecuador has an indoor market, usually consisting of two floors. Municipally owned and operated, the bottom floor is typically fruit, veg, meat, fish and the top floor is little stalls of restaurants and juice sellers. Blessed with a climate that produces tons of fruit, the markets of Ecuador offer enough different juices to allow you to try a different one each day. While some don't sound quite palatable, like alfalfa, most are sweet and refreshing and we found ourselves at the market on many afternoons. Particularly mora (blackberry) juice became our favorite, and it was even better when mixed with coconut.
Caitlin looking scary
Artistic Highlights
Beyond the juice and dogs, Ecuador has beautiful colonial architecture and a strange but delightful tradition of lighting up their churches in colorful spotlights at night in even the smallest towns. Art museums were also abundant and while the English was slim, we gleefully discovered one of South America's most renowned artists, Guayasamin, as well as historical peculiarities, like the shrunken heads of the archaeological museum in Cuenca.
Shrunken head
Caitlin giving the shrunken head a staredown


Children have suffered ill-treatment, even death, as a result of possession accusations. This paper is not about these terrible actions, which are already unlawful. However, accusations are not in themselves unlawful; government guidance does not even identify them as a form of child abuse.


text:
Dancing with Cuba
In 1970 a young dancer named Alma Guillermoprieto left New York to take a job teaching at Cuba's National School of Dance. For six months, she worked in mirrorless studios (it was considered more revolutionary); her poorly trained but ardent students worked without them but dreamt of greatness. Yet in the midst of chronic shortages and revolutionary upheaval, Guillermoprieto found in Cuba a people whose sense of purpose touched her forever. In this electrifying memoir, Guillermoprieto–now an award-winning journalist and arguably one of our finest writers on Latin America– resurrects a time when dancers and revolutionaries seemed to occupy the same historical stage and even a floor exercise could be a profoundly political act. Exuberant and elegiac, tender and unsparing, Dancing with Cuba is a triumph of memory and feeling.
Alma Guillermoprieto

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Issued 3 am Mon 22 Apr 2019 local time.
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* NOTE: not all weather observatories update at the same frequency which is the reason why some locations may show data from stations that are further away than known closer ones. We also include passing Ship data if it is recorded close to Ushba and within an acceptable time window.


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Babies, toddlers and preschoolers and an adult are invited for an early literacy program.
Learn how to choose and plant the right tree in the right place as a DNR-certified tree steward also shows you some of the basics of pruning trees. Attendees can wear closed toed shoes if they want to work.
Hi, I'm Amy Griffin, Branch Manager for College Avenue. My favorite book is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. I hope you'll visit our location soon. For questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. We are always happy to help!


This is the catalog shot of my favorite. They call it "Genesis". They say "With dual uplight and downlight LED engines, Genesis combines functional performance with ambient light for a truly unique pendant." They are so right! I think it's gorgeous, and it's also amazingly bright!
This is an image of Genesis all by itself. The price on it is $285.25, and it uses only 5 watts of power.
This is the catalog page for "Quest". It is also beautifully bright. These are the brightest LED pendants I've seen so far.
This is the Quest all by itself, and it is $245.65, and this one is only 4.5 watts.
And then we also put out their LED puck light. You also would not believe how bright and beautiful this little guy is! It's at least as bright as its xenon counterpart.


text:
Q: Why are results of "test -f" displayed on the terminal and included in parameters passed to a subroutine? I'm trying to write a bash subroutine that will work like the "echo" command, except to display the text both on the terminal and to write them to a log file.  Seems simple enough, but it isn't working like I think it should--it's including the names of the files in the current directory.
Here's a sample script with the "myecho" routine:
    01 #!/bin/bash
    02 logfile="/tmp/testif.log"
    03
    04 myecho () {
    05   echo $*;
    06   echo $* >>$logfile;
    07   }
    08
    09 src="/tmp/testdir"
    10 FILE=$src'/afile'
    11
    12 if test -f "$FILE"; then
    13    myecho '--------------------------------------';
    14      echo '***' $FILE 'exists! ***';
    15 #  ^^ Setting to "myecho" results in the "test -e" displays the file names
    16 else
    17    myecho 'Sorry,' $FILE 'does not exist'
    18    exit
    19 fi

There are 2 issues:
The script above works fine.  But if I change line 15 to start with "myecho" instead of "echo", the results of the test -f command on line 12 are included in the $* arguments the subroutine sees.
The output to both the terminal and the log file when line 14 starts with "myecho" is:
--------------------------------------
afile bfile cfile dfile /tmp/testdir/afile exists! afile bfile cfile dfile

If line 15 starts with just "echo", the output is as expected (but not written to the $logfile):
--------------------------------------
/tmp/testdir/afile exists!

Q1) Why does output of the "test -f" (and I've tried other forms, and seen it elsewhere), include the names of all the files in the current directory?
(There are 4 files in this current directory are "afile", "bfile", "cfile" and "dfile".  If I "cd /tmp" and then run the script, all of the file names in the /tmp directory are displayed.)
Q2) How does changing line 14 from "  echo " to "myecho" cause them to be part of the arguments logged?

A: $* is unquoted. $* expands to ***** which expands to files in current directory. Just like ls *, or a='*'; ls $a.
Quote variable expansions.
Check your scripts with shellcheck.
In this case, I would use "$@" instead of "$*" to have the output joined by spaces by echo, not by IFS.
myecho () {
   echo "$@"
   echo "$@" >> "$logfile"
}

A: Another alternative might be
myecho() {
  tee -a "$logfile" <<<"$@"
}

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The Government has started a consultation called, "Improving mobile communications to UK rail passengers: Call for evidence".
Sounds a bit daunting, but you don't have to answer all questions (or do them all at once). It's your chance to have a say, don't give them an excuse to let profiteers have the service because you didn't respond!


text:
Camas urges BPA officials to look at transmission line alternatives
City Council approves resolution opposing plans for transmission line project
By Heather Acheson | March 20, 2012 12:00 am | comments
STEVEN LANE/Columbian files The first of Fort Vancouver's annual lantern tours is tonight. Other tours will be Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and 19.
City of Camas leaders are making their voices of opposition heard when it comes to the Bonneville Power Administration's plans for the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project and its potential impacts on the city and its current and future residents.
BPA is proposing running a 500-kilovolt transmission line from Troutdale, Ore., to Castle Rock, Wash. Several of the project's segments travel through the Camas area.
Lines 41 and 50 cut across Lacamas Lake and into the North Urban Growth Area, which is the focus of the city's 20-year plan for future development; lines 40, 44 and 46 run through Camas Meadows Corporate Center; and line 52 is in the Goot Park area. In addition, a river crossing from Troutdale to Camas is the only Columbia River crossing that is being considered for the project.
Last night the Camas City Council approved a resolution requesting consideration of alternatives to placing the 500 kilovolt power lines within city limits. The document also outlined concerns about the project, which were detailed in length in a letter to the BPA from Mayor Scott Higgins.
"We urge the appropriate authorities to insist that Bonneville Power Administration consider and select alternatives, through the alternatives analysis portion of an environmental impact statement," the resolution reads, "that route the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project away from the urban area known as the City of Camas, and to further insist that no alternative be considered that includes routing of power lines above ground through the city of Camas."
A proposed "grey line" northeastern route alternative, which would not have impacted land within Camas, was ruled out as an option by BPA in January.
"The suggested route may have affected slightly fewer homes compared to the existing alternatives, but with significant consequences," said the BPA response. "The suggested route would adversely impact small private landowners and homeowners not yet aware of the project, the timber industry, trust lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the natural environment; and would increase costs."
Higgins said during an interview on Friday that he would like to see this option reconsidered.
"We don't feel like it got its fair shake and we'd like them to look at it again," he said.
Higgins explained that having the BPA route run through the recently annexed land north of Lacamas Lake could seriously affect planning efforts that have been going on for several years.
"We have worked too hard and planned too much to allow that to happen," Higgins said. "We will fight to protect that area."
Councilwoman Melissa Smith, who has been a vocal opponent of the BPA project, agreed.
"That is going to kill a lot of our potential plans in the future for growth," she said.
Higgins said if transmission lines must go through the NUGA area, the preference would be that they are placed underground as is required by a city ordinance that was put into place in 1995.
"We are not asking [BPA] to do all 70 miles underground," Higgins explained. "We are just asking them to do three."
This concept was also addressed in the letter to BPA officials.
"We value our environmental resources; our recreational resources are prized, and where people live, work and breathe absolutely matter," the letter states. "Any alternative method would have a significant negative effect on our values, municipal infrastructure costs and maintenance, and the use and enjoyment of our protected open spaces."
Smith said she also does not want to see the proposed larger towers come to the heavily populated and established Goot Park neighborhood, which is already home to several BPA towers.
"I think there are better alternatives for [BPA] to consider," she said. "It does not need to be in a populated area. They can't just pick the most convenient and cheapest route."
Camas leaders' opposition to the project is also being communicated in other forums.
On Thursday, Higgins spoke up during a Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce luncheon where the keynote speaker was Mark Korsness, BPA transmission services project manager.
In addition, communication has been make with elected leaders including Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Jaime Herrera. City Administrator Lloyd Halverson will also have the issue on his "to do" list as he heads to Washington D.C. this week.
"We can say all we want, but in the end they can do what they want," Higgins said. "But, we can make it very difficult for them."
According to the BPA, the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project is necessary due to growing populations, and increasing demand for electricity from a variety of sources ranging from industrial and commercial to residential entities.
A draft environmental impact statement from BPA is expected this spring.
Smith said she feels confident the city's opposition to the currently proposed project have been and will continue to be heard. Whether the efforts produce any results have yet to be seen.
"We've done everything we can," she said.
To view the resolution and the city's letter to BPA, click on this story at www.camaspostrecord.com.
Heather Acheson


text:
Q: Passing array from .jsp to javascript function I have a Liferay portlet where I pass a String array from action phase to render phase in my .jsp file. I am able to access the array and iterate through it like this:
<c:forEach var="item" items="${arrayItems}">
    <p>${item}</p>
</c:forEach>

This is just to check that passing the data works fine... However, I would like to pass this whole array to my javascript function (that handles rendering the data to canvas). Any idea how to do this?
So far, I have tried the following:
<%

String[] items;
items = new String[((String[])request.getAttribute("arrayItems")).length];
items = ((String[])request.getAttribute("arrayItems"));

%>

<script>
    displayItems(<% arrayItems %>);
</script>

and also
<script>
        displayItems(${arrayItems});
</script>

I know that this is probably very basic question, but there are not many tutorials about passing data in portlets on web (and when I found any, the approach worked only for single Strings, not arrays). Thanks for any tips!
PS: I checked that my javascript function works correctly:
<script>
    displayMessages(["One", "Two", "Three"]);
</script>

A: You need to have a method that outputs a string of the array in javascript array format.
The jsp code is run on the server side and then returns html and javascript code in text. Then that code is executed on the client side.
<%!
public static String getArrayString(String[] items){
    String result = "[";
    for(int i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
        result += "\"" + items[i] + "\"";
        if(i < items.length - 1) {
            result += ", ";
        }
    }
    result += "]";

    return result;
}
%>

Of course you can do this with a StringBuffer for better performance, but this shows you the idea.
Then you do something like this
<script>
    displayItems(<% getArrayString(items) %>);
</script>


text:
The West Georgian
The Gift of Christmas Ballet Tour Coming to Carrollton in November
By Erin / November 11, 2019
Moscow's Ballet will be performing a Great Russian Nutcracker in Carrollton on Nov. 26 at 7:00 p.m as part of their holiday tour. The 2019 Gift of Christmas Tour will be spreading holiday spirit to over 150 cities across the U.S. and Canada, and one of their stops will be right here on campus. The performance will include over 200 extraordinary hand-made costumes, breathtaking sets and performances that have been rehearsed all year.
The Russian Nutcracker is a Holiday Classic that tells the story of Masha and her Nutcracker Prince and their journey through the Snow Forest. Moscow Ballet's version of the Nutcracker ballet, known as the "Great Russian Nutcracker," includes other unique elements in the telling of the traditional holiday tale. The show promises to be acceptable for all ages, and to create family holiday memories that last a lifetime. The production has received praises from The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and CNN News.
Participating in the holiday fun won't just benefit you and your family, as it also supports UWG and the City of Carrollton. The Gift of Christmas Ballet Tour will be performing at the Maurice K. Townsend Center for the Performing Arts. The Townsend center is located on campus off of University Drive across from the UWG bookstore, and is also home to many theatre performances put on by the university.
Photo Courtesy of Moscow Ballet
The Moscow Ballet has also invited children from the Carrollton Academy of Dance to join them on stage. This studio specializes in age-appropriate costuming, musical selections and choreography, and has been doing so since 1977. The children have been given the opportunity to dance alongside the full professional Russian cast. This adds a personal and local touch to the worldwide holiday classic.
Carrollton is a beloved college town, but not commonly known for new fun things to do in between classes. Since the Townsend center is on campus, this performance could be a fun way to give your brain a break from studying for finals, or spend some quality time with your classmates before parting ways for the Holidays. Tickets are on sale now and military, senior citizens and group discount rates are available.
To purchase tickets, or learn more about the history of the production visit https://www.nutcracker.com/buy-tickets
'Jingle Jangle': A Christmas Movie Review
By Terrion Newton / November 20, 2020
Nexflix's 'Rebecca': When Love is a Crime
UWG's Theatre Virtually Produces 'I and You'
By Alma Beauvais / November 20, 2020
'Citation' Shows That Sexual Assault Is Everyone's Problem
Confronting Past Trauma in 'His House'
On-Campus STD Testing Begins
Will you have it Mike's Way?
Check out our friends in the Mass Communications Department


UK gas consumers are celebrating today after the Department for the Environment issued its first fracking licence in the UK to Cuadrilla. The technique of extracting gas reserves from deep within the earth is expected to release billions of cubic meters of natural gas and cause gas prices to plummet this winter.
Residents living near Mr Pickles are however concerned and have formed an action group called No Fracking Pickles Round Here. A spokesman for the group denied they are just a bunch of NIMBYs and explained "with this amount of gas being released it is inevitable there will be serious pollution and earthquakes not to mention the effect on house prices and threat of explosions".
Cuadrilla have now moved north to an area of Hull known as John Prescott for further exploration.


So would you recommend a visit to Armenia? I like to go to more obscure places.
Sure, the people are very warm and welcoming. There are other activities to do and definitely more to discover then what I was able to show.
Enjoyed this one, found some nice people to hang out with :D Do many people speak english there?
At 9:25 "khachapuri"(full name Acharuli khachapuri ( name one of the region of Georgia where this pastry is baking)) is Georgian!!!
Relax! :) Nobody says it's armenian!
You are very welcome brother, keep on traveling. Left the old country back in 1987 and I am missing it every single day.
Hey Aron, love your video, i just alweys wondered how you decide to visit eastern countris so often? That was a strange santance. Lol.
awesome. that meal, those paintings. smiles back to you.
good stuff Aaron, you're an ambassador.
Thanks Stephen, you are a legend!!
Hi Ur Instagram dont work ?
Seriously bro, you are the only travel channel I watch. It's amazing how much genuine bang you get out of pretty much anything fate puts on your path. The world needs more people like you. PS. I recommend Emma starts a shop on Etsy.
+onewaybadtrip then they don't know what they're saying.


text:
Goosebumps: Monster Blood by R. L. Stine
March 10, 2022 Amy A. Cowan
This episode is about R. L. Stine's Goosebumps: Monster Blood. Topics include whether or not girls can like science, starting a new life as a lumberjack, and women disguised as cats.
Hi! I'm Amy A. Cowan and I'm on a mission to reread every Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps, and Fear Street book and reexamine my childhood in the '90s. This is Rereading My Childhood - The Podcast.
For a list of every Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps, and Fear Street book review I have written, go to RereadingMyChildhood.com or follow RereadMyChildhd on Twitter. For more information about me, Amy A. Cowan, visit my website AmyACowan.com or follow my Twitter: amyacowan.
Most of my teachers had some kind of twenty-minute quiet time after lunchtime recess. At around 11:30, my entire class and I piled into the hallway and stood in line (if you wanted hot lunch). We paid the lunch lady our $0.75 each at the front or used one of those punch cards the kids with pre-paid lunch had. We grabbed our food, sat down, and ate as fast as we could so we could get outside and run around like little idiots as quickly as possible. After a full thirty minutes of mindless laughing and cavorting with our fellow classmates, the bell rang and forced us back into the green walls of the school, away from the sun and into tedium. Then our teacher made us read. At least we got to choose the book.
"Read one chapter of a book," she demanded.
We had a book. We had a popular book. It wasn't cool to read unless you read R. L. Stine's Goosebumps.
"Read one chapter of a book."
I see why these books were popular — there are 128 pages in Monster Blood and 29 chapters. That's an average of four pages a chapter.
That was easy and only took a minute.
Of course, I wasn't that child. I had a cold lunch, so I had to sit by myself on the other side of the cafeteria. The school separated "hot lunch" students (those who paid money) and "cold lunch" students (those who brought their lunch from home). All my friends brought money to school (eventually, I started asking my mother for money just so I could sit with my friends), and we had to sit in specific seats that a fifth-grader designated for us (it wasn't a bully situation — the school lunch ladies bestowed onto them that power). I enjoyed the thirty-minute recess because I could read whatever I wanted, instead of what my teacher wanted me to read. When the bell rang, it was more of a relief for me. It was time to get up from the ground, brush off the dirt, and read inside — a minor location change. I didn't mind a long chapter and I never stopped reading after only one chapter. I read until I was the last one still reading and my teacher had to ask me to come back to the boring real world.
I don't remember the small chapters of Goosebumps, but I remember the cliffhangers. For a while, I was convinced that every horror book had to have a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter and each book. Some writers haven't grown out of this, as evidenced by adult novels with knives and guns and scantily clad women victims on the covers. R. L. Stine's cliffhangers are on full display in Monster Blood. There are some good ones with genuine danger — mostly at the end of the book. However, the most prevalent ones are the frustrating ones where it turns out to be someone making a sandwich (really) or a dream sequence. I wasn't sure if I wasn't going to like this one until I reached the end. Everything goes bonkers. The cliffhangers involve actual danger, and the short chapters are a minor inconvenience, rather than a jarring interruption.
We start with Evan Ross and his dismissive mother. Mrs. Ross is dropping off her son at his Great Aunt Kathryn's spooky house. Aunt Kathryn is a deaf septuagenarian who raised Evan's father. Evan doesn't want to stay with her because he thinks she's "weird." That's no reason to not want to stay with someone, but I guess Evan's apprehension is not unfounded — she does pose a danger to our young protagonist. What this book says about weird people is not particularly hopeful, especially for weirdos like me. (I didn't call myself a weirdo. I accepted my weirdness. I was proclaimed a weirdo when I wanted to read instead of play tag and enjoyed the quiet time after lunch recess.)
At the end of the first chapter, a mere seven pages later, we have our first cliffhanger:
And as she said this, facing Evan with her back to the house, the front door was pulled open, and Aunt Kathryn, a large woman with starling black hair, filled the doorway.Staring past his mother, Evan saw the knife in Kathryn's hand. And he saw that the blade of the knife was dripping with blood.
End of chapter one. Even a child wouldn't be fooled by this obvious cliffhanger. Stine is not going to kill off the protagonist and his mother in a brutal stabbing at the beginning of page eight. Although, if that did happen, it would be surprising.
"I was slicing beef," she said in a surprisingly deep voice, waving the blood-stained kitchen knife.
I'm reminded of a slasher flick from the early aughts whose name escapes me in which a yellow-haired lady was spooked by a coat rack. She literally bumps into a coat rack and screams. I don't remember anything else about the movie, but I remember that coat rack. I think I audibly cried, "Oh, come on!" when it happened. I felt the same way at the end of these fake-outs. As bad as the beef slicing is, there is another one later that made me want to put down the book and go back to the Baby-Sitters Club, where Martin doesn't try to fake me.
I don't see as many fake-out scares in horror movies anymore. The fear comes from an actual threat. I just want to take a moment and tell modern horror movies that don't do bullshit scares that I appreciate their efforts.
While Mrs. Ross speaks with Aunt Kathryn, the old woman grabs Evan's arm and jerks it around. Evan complains that she hurt him and Mrs. Ross completely dismisses her son's concerns. I get that Evan is a whiny kid, but if he thinks the woman was rough with him, she should listen to him and admonish Aunt Kathryn. If Aunt Kathryn is worth anything, she'd apologize and promise to try to be softer with her nephew.
Mrs. Ross doesn't do anything. She's a terrible mother. There. I said it. She drops her kid off with this woman she barely knows so she and Mr. Ross can look for a house. I think Evan should have some say in the house they choose — after all, Evan is going to live in it also. Of course, if she were a better mother, we wouldn't have this book.
She leaves and Evan explores his temporary living quarters. He finds a library of science books and assumes Aunt Kathryn was once married (hey, Evan, women can like science, too, buddy). Then a demon attacks him at the end of the chapter. No. Not a demon. No actual danger. It's a cat — Aunt Kathryn's cat named Sarabeth. At first, I read that as "Scarabeth." I wish it was "Scarabeth."
Evan takes his dog (Trigger) out for a walk and a hand touches his shoulder. End of chapter. The hand belongs to a neighborhood girl named Andrea, but she hates that name and prefers "Andy." I liked that she went by Andy and liked to joke around. Evan quickly sexualizes her and describes her clothing every time he sees her, but as a character, I found her bravery and sense for adventure interesting. This stark difference between the two made me wish the book was about her instead of Evan. Intrepid Andy and her new-kid-in-town sidekick Evan.
Andy takes Evan to a toy store run by a misanthrope who seems to especially hate children. Hey, guy, if you hate children, don't open a toy store. When a child expresses interest in something, he won't sell it to them. Evan finds a container with the words "Monster Blood" on it. He is willing to buy it, but the owner says it's "not good" and won't sell it to the boy. If he knew there was something cursed with the monster blood, that would make sense. It would force Evan into theft or some other plot point. However, the owner acquiesces and sells the container to him without much coaxing. I don't know why the man didn't just sell it to the kid. I don't know why R. L. Stine spent so much time with this man. The store closes later in the book and we never see this guy again. It's no surprise to me why the store shut down.
Evan takes the monster blood and Andy to Aunt Kathryn's house. He shows his old Aunt the container. She rolls it around and gives it back to him without any trouble. They pop it open and it falls out like Flubber. It bounces around and they take it outside to play with it some in a charming scene that ends with Trigger swallowing a large chunk of it. They wonder if it's poison.
The next chapter starts three days later, so I guess Trigger is okay and the monster blood isn't poison. Evan brushes his hair and thinks obsessively about a phone call he received from his parents sometime between when Trigger swallowed monster blood at the end of chapters eight and nine. I honestly thought his parents weren't going to return and used "house hunting" as a ruse to lose the kid and start new lives in Europe as jewel thieves.
Later, Evan meets the neighborhood bullies — two hulking twins named Rick and Tony. Andy intervenes before the twins can attack Evan, but they steal her bike. They go back to his house and find Trigger suffocating. He rips off the dog's collar and the kids notice that Trigger has doubled in size.
Chapter thirteen starts with Trigger running after Rick and Tony as Evan tries to catch up with his dog.
Suddenly, as Evan watched in horror, the dog raised up on his hind legs. He tilted his head to the sky and let out an ear-piercing howl. Not the howl of a dog. A creature howl.And then Trigger's features began to transform. His forehead burst forward and enlarged. His eyes grew wide and round before sinking under the protruding forehead. Fangs slid from his gaping mouth, and the uttered another howl to the sky, louder and more chilling than the first."He's a monster! A monster!" Evan cried.
Oh, boy, this is getting good!
And woke up.
Fuck you.
A harmless dream. Except that something still wasn't right.The bed. It felt so uncomfortable. So cramped.Evan sat up, alert, wide awake now.And stared down at his giant feet. His giant hands. And realized how tiny the bed seemed beneath him.Because he was a giant now.
That makes sense. The monster blood made Trigger larger, so, logically, it would make him bigger. I see wacky giant-child shenanigan afoot.
Because he had grown so huge, so monstrously huge.And when he saw how big he had become, he opened his mouth wide and began to scream.
Oh man! A cliffhanger! Is Evan now going to wreak havoc on his crazy aunt? Will he get revenge on the bullies? I can't wait for the next chapter.
His screams woke him up.This time he really woke up.
Oh, fuck off! Slams book down. Walks out the door. Leaves her life free from dream sequences. Starts a new life book-free in the mountains of Oregon. Is a lumberjack now.
I was livid. Something interesting was finally happening and I was interested to see how Evan deals with his new demon dog. It was all a dream. Fine, whatever. Then I wanted to see how Evan acclimatizes to his new size in what would be a wonderful, yet obvious, allegory for puberty. Maybe he could overcome the neighborhood bullies and stand up to his mother ("how could you leave me with a crazy woman and not ask for my input regarding a house — I live there, too!") — it's all part of growing up.
No. I get a dream fake-out.
I wanted to give up. I wanted to put the book down and give my review without having read the rest of the book. But I kept going. I kept reading. I recently read the first Goosebumps book Welcome to Dead House (long before I decided to write these, I'll get around to it). I loved Welcome to Dead House. It was the kind of spooky book that got me into horror as a child. I had to give him a second chance. And, well…
The ending is okay. It's an improvement over the dream fake-outs, but my expectations were pretty low. Let's get to the ending, but first, we have some quick events to get through.
Evan and Andy take Trigger to the veterinarian. I don't know who paid for the visit. I can't imagine the kids footing the bill and there wasn't a scene where they abscond with the dog — like a vet visit and dash. Aunt Kathryn has nothing but disdain for Trigger, so she's not paying. The vet says that Trigger is healthy, but he is a little large for the breed. Nothing to worry about.
The monster blood gets bigger and spills out of its container. The twins actually beat up Evan. Andy helps with Evan's injuries. They knock over the monster blood. Andy goes home. Evan stumbles around the garage. He falls into a bathtub filled with the monster blood. Andy shows up. They haul the monster blood in a garbage bag back to the toy shop. The toy shop is shut down. They drag the monster blood back. Trigger is the size of a pony.
Got it? Now we're at the end.
The monster blood spills out of the garbage bag and turns into a huge ball. It starts to move like it has a mind of its own and consumes everything it touches. As it bounces around, it swallows the bully twins, and corners Aunt Kathryn. We are treated to this twist:
Andy's hands tugged at the sides of her hair, her eyes wide with growing fear as the seething green blog made its way steadily closer to Evan's aunt."Get out!" Kathryn repeated shrilly. "Save your lives! I made this thing! Now I must die for it!"
What a twist! Although, if she made it, why didn't she stop Evan when she rolled the monster blood container in her hands? Evan believes that's when she cast a spell on the monster blood, but Aunt Kathryn points at Andy and says that the young girl made her do it. End of chapter.
She wasn't pointing at Andy, but Sarabeth, the cat. Then something batshit happens.
All eyes were on the cat as it rose up, stretched, and grew. And as it grew, it changed its shape.Became human.With shadowy arms and legs in the eerie darkness.And then the shadow stepped away from the darkness.And Sarabeth was now a young woman with fiery red hair and pale skin and yellow eyes, the same yellow cat eyes that had haunted Evan since he'd arrived. The young woman was dressed in a swirling black gown down to her ankles.She stood in the doorway, staring accusingly at Kathryn."You see? She's the one," Kathryn said, quietly now. And the next words were intended only for Sarabeth: "Your spell over me is broken. I will do no more work for you."
The fucking cat had control of Aunt Kathryn and was trying to kill Evan with her spell on the monster blood. Sarabeth orders the blob to kill the children, but the large and in charge Trigger pushes Sarabeth into the blob. It shrinks, throwing up the twins and the robin it swallowed.
The mother returns. I thought she was going to leave him there. Frankly, with how dismissive she is, Evan might be better off with his new and improved Aunt Kathryn. Then we are treated to this after Evan and Andy vow to keep in touch:
"Could I ask one small favor?" Andy asked."Yeah. Sure," Evan replied, curious."Well, it's going to sound strange," Andy said reluctantly. "But can I . . . uh . . . can I have the little bit of Monster Blood that's left? You know. Sort of as a memento or something?""Sure. Okay with me," Evan said.They both turned their eyes to where it had come to rest on the carpet."Hey-" Andy cried in surprise.It was gone.
There are three more Monster Blood books in the Goosebumps series.
Most of the end of chapter cliffhangers are ridiculous. I understand making smaller chapters to accommodate a child's attention span, but Stine does this in Fear Street also. I haven't read his venture into adult novels, but I can't imagine he'd stray from his unnecessary cliffhangers. Just make longer chapters, dude.
Despite the frustrating cliffhangers, I'm happy I finished the novel. Even though the ending comes out of nowhere, I enjoyed the fast pace and crazy twists. This isn't as good as Welcome to Dead House, the first in the Goosebumps series. (Again, I promise I'll get around to that one, which will be a glowing review.) I'm still looking forward to reading all the Goosebumps books, even if some of them aren't the caliber of children's literature that I remember.


Keep up with me on Facebook and via my newsletter for news about my next novel, book giveaways, and more! Sign up here.
I hope you've had a fantastic summer soaking up the sun and enjoying great reads. So many to choose from. Thank you again, friends, for your continued love, support, and encouragement. Hope to have news on my next novel soon. Stay tuned!


text:
Ambasada Kultury co-author
Anna Chistoserdova co-author
Oxana Gourinovitch co-author
Valentina Kiselyova co-author
Aleksander Komarov co-author
Lena Prents co-author
Antonina Stebur co-author
Maxim Tyminko co-author
Natasha Chychasova curator
Tatiana Kochubinska curator
PATRIARCHY AND WAR
2022. group project, international event, overseas event
[ author, organizer ]
2022. overseas event, group project
Documenta Fifteen
2022. overseas event, festival headquarters
2022. international event
[ author, owner ]
International Coalition of Cultural Workers Against the War in Ukraine is an open online platform that collects, shares and distributes statements against war created by artists from all over the world. Driven by the Russian aggression and war against Ukraine, this platform presents an opportunity to protest against war, dictatorship, and authoritarianism. It is an opportunity to express solidarity with those in Ukraine who are affected by the Russian military aggression, and with those resisting colonial, patriarchal, imperialistic, and political repressions and terror elsewhere.
Our goal is to position the war in Ukraine in a more complex global context which is subject to ubiquitous local wars and the ongoing processes of colonisation. The war in Ukraine is only a part of the imperialist invasive policy that Russia has been pursuing since 1991 by occupying nearby territories such as Chechnya, Southern Ossetia in Georgia, Transnistria in Moldova, Belarus etc. We are focusing today on the war in Ukraine as an event that affects the whole world especially in terms of the threat of a nuclear war. As a network of solidarity, the International Coalition of Cultural Workers Against the War aims at building lines of tension and resistance though providing a critical perspective on the colonial context and the hierarchical worldview that led to this war. We are including international voices from countries and territories that have themselves been war zones in order to discuss issues of inequality and the consequences of resource economies.
HOW WE WORK:
We strongly believe that contemporary art is a catalyst for discourse and civic engagement. Coalition means cooperative efforts that through a range of public exhibitions, actions, and discussions generate a cultural and socio-political space for reflection, debate, participation and action about war in Ukraine in a more complex global context.
We work as:
Online platform that invites cultural workers worldwide to publish their anti-war, anti-dictatorial statements through submitting artworks such as posters, videos, audio etc.
Public tool that distributes artwork offline in art institutions, large art events and festivals, indoor and in public spaces through screenings and discussions.
Archive that provides opportunities for research and operates as a well-programmed collection of anti-war statements.
This platform was initiated by Ambasada Kultury and a group of Belarusian cultural workers: Anna Chistoserdova, Oxana Gourinovitch, Valentina Kiselyova, Aleksander Komarov, Lena Prents, Antonina Stebur, Maxim Tyminko, who left the country between 1994 and 2021 due to dissent with the political regime. Later two Ukrainian curators Natasha Chychasova and Tatiana Kochubinska joined the team.
"Today we observe in аwe and despair how the dictatorial regime is using the territory of the Republic of Belarus as a staging area for the Russian army, their military equipment, and their combat operations. We feel confusion, frustration, and numbness as a result of the monstrous aggression being waged against the Ukrainian people, against our friends and relatives, and the involvement of Belarus in this terrible war."
We are initiating this platform with the hope of creating a force of artists around the world, joined together against war and dictatorship.
Ambasada Kultury is an initiative of Belarusian culture workers and activists with a goal of supporting and developing connections within and outside Belarusian cultural community, promoting cooperation and collaboration of artists and activists from different fields of culture. Based in Vilnius (LT), Berlin (DE)
European Pavilion
Antiwarcoalition.art is a part of The European Pavilion, an international programme of the European Cultural Foundation that brings together art and culture initiatives that encourage critical thinking and radical imagination, and fuel bold perspectives on Europe and our common future. The European Pavilion is developed in collaboration with, and with the support of Camargo Foundation, Kultura Nova Foundation, and Fondazione CRT. The participating organizations include: Ambasada Kultury (Lithuania/Belarus), ARNA (Sweden), Brunnenpassage (Austria), INIVA (London), OGR Torino (Italy), State of Concept (Greece), Studio Rizoma (Italy), and L'Internationale (Ljubljana, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, and Poland).
Last modified 1/12/2023
INDEX Maxim Tyminko


It was 24 hours after the official release of my book, An Encounter with the Spymaster in July 2017 that I received an invitation from a top retired Airforce officer for a meeting with the then director general of Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Daura.
Though I was not sceptical or apprehensive about the scheduled meeting that day, I nevertheless told the retired military officer that I wouldn't be able to attend because I was on a casual dress of Jeans and T-Shirt instead of my usual traditional attire for public outings and visitations.
The Officer countered that my dress did not matter. I, therefore joined the team comprising top retired officers from the Nigerian Airforce, Navy, Army, intelligence Services and a strategic officer. Present at the meeting were top DSS directors with the Director-General himself.
Meanwhile, that visit to the DSS Headquarters afforded me the second opportunity of a face-face encounter with Lawal Daura. I had previously met him at Heathrow Airport, London on the night of May 14, 2017, probably after he might have met President Muhammadu Buhari who was then on Medical Vacation in Britain.
Though one could have misgivings on some of his official roles, Daura naturally wears infectious smiles, decked with disarming contour of glowing white beards. The aura projected him as a harmless and innocent person who cannot hurt a fly. I walked up to him and surprisingly, he responded calmly and briefly to my penetrating questions about his office, especially on his refusal to appoint a spokesperson for his agency and other contentious issues. With reassurance, he gave what he called genuine reasons for the excuses and excesses.
That visit to his office, afforded him the opportunity to inform us about major accomplishments and some misgivings about his office. Ever-smiling, Daura was eloquent, smart and intelligent in response to some of the issues we discussed.
Daura who was sacked a few days after his 65th birthday, was born in Daura, Katsina State and started his career in the State Security Service in 1982 and rose to the rank of Director. He was once a spokesperson of the agency and Deputy Director Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre at the Abuja. He also served as the State Director of Security Service at various times in Kano, Sokoto, Edo, Lagos, Osun and Imo States.
It's not unlikely that some of his achievements may have been overshadowed by the many controversies trailing his tenure as the Director General of the agency. He was particularly responsible for the release of many hostages from the Boko Haram gulag. In fact, the release of UNIMAID lecturers, including a group of oil explorers and policewomen that were held captive for more than half a year could be attributed to his efforts. His agency played prominent roles in the alleged exchange of Boko Haram Commanders with many Chibok and Dapchi Girls. The agency was also directly involved in the arrest of major kidnap kingpins and top ritualists and provided intelligence to other services for such arrests nationwide.
He was also responsible for the arrest of a member of the controversial AVM John Ode Presidential Arm Probe Panel for alleged extortion on behalf of other members and for money laundering and illegal possession of firearms. The suspect, retired Air Commodore Mohammed Umar was nevertheless illegally detained for five months by DSS before he was released after a threat by Justice Dimgba.
There was also the glaring inter-agency rivalry among security agencies which triggered the DSS to submit two damning 'security report' on EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Magu to the Senate, warning lawmakers not to confirm his colleague's appointment. Lawal Daura only reported directly to President Muhammadu Buhari and no one else.
It is an undeniable fact that in the three years of Muhammadu Buhari's administration, the DSS under Lawal Daura has succeeded in some of its statutory mandates but unfortunately, it is notorious in defying the constitution by disobeying court orders and detaining citizens arbitrarily.
While it sounds childish the claim by political elements that the recent siege on NASS was a conspiracy between Lawal Daura and Senate President Bukola Saraki, the question on the lips of many and begging for an answer is: could the Kwara man be more influential and sophisticated than the Number One man from Katsina?
Could the same Senate President influence the flagrant disregard of court orders by DSS in the illegal detentions of former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, and a leader of the Shiite movement, Ibrahim el-Zakzaky since 2015?
Could Saraki have engineered the October 2016 dead-in-the-night invasion of homes of senior judges across the country by the DSS with the arrest of seven judges, including two of the Supreme Court who were later discharged except one that died during the trial?
Who could have also influenced the violation of a court order and forcible ejection of Former DG DSS, Kayode Are from an Ikoyi property in December 2015?
Have we forgotten in a hurry how in November 2017, the EFCC secured an order to arrest Ita Ekpeyong, a former DG DSS and this action was scuttled due to the activities of DSS under Lawal Daura and the roles he played in the saga involving Ayo Oke, the erstwhile DG of NIA?
Could another opposition element to President Buhari also used DSS to clampdown and arrest several lawmakers of Ekiti State House of Assembly in March 2016 and the invasion of the National Assembly and stealing of the Mace of the Senate of the Federal Republic by thugs suspected to have been procured by an APC Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, from Delta State in April 2018?
On whose directive was the unconstitutional attempt to remove Governor Samuel Ortom in Benue State in July 2018 when DSS and the police provided security for eight lawmakers to take over the House of Assembly of 30 members? What about the incident in 2015 when DSS operatives raided the Government House Uyo, Akwa Ibom State purportedly in search of arms, ammunition and a huge stash of United States dollars, and which till date, no charges have been filed three years after? Whose footprints were those?
Were journalists spared the fangs of the white-bearded man? Was it the opposition that ordered Daura's DSS to detain Jones Abiri, a journalist from Bayelsa State from July 2016 to July 2018 without being charged to court? Were the 'wailers' also responsible for the detention of Tony Ezimakor, a journalist with Daily Independent who was threatened to disclose his sources of information?
By the way, who could have influenced the naked display of nepotism where 51 candidates from Katsina were recruited into DSS as against 44 successful candidates from the entire South-East of five states in 2016?
Could Lawal Daura have attained and achieved some of the feats, the pros and cons without the knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief since he only took orders from one person? Or should we agree with the political permutations that his positive deeds are attributed to President Buhari while his negative actions were influenced by the 'Sarakis' of this world and other opposition elements?
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.


Weekends still mean something in Australia – a night out with friends, catching a match or playing with your kids. But for people who serve us in restaurants, fill our prescriptions, care for our elderly and keep us safe, weekends are just another work day.
Australians have always been about the fair go, that's why people are paid a little bit extra for missing out on weekends when the rest of us are relaxing with friends and family. It's a boost that for many is all that keeps food on the table. Getting rid of weekend rates is a sudden pay cut to workers who are already struggling.
It's time to stand up for weekend rates and help protect our Australian way of life.


1. Like QueenB's FB page and insta account.
Our collection of cosmetic product is growing alongside the rapid rise of global cosmetic industry. Different brands and products are being introduced, and of course ladies, we might as well grab some for testing. With that, cosmetic bags are also a necessary addition.
A cosmetic bag or makeup bag keeps all our makeup in place. If you will travel with all these makeup stuff, it's the best bag to hold everything organized and neat. As common as they may seem, there are functions that should be considered in choosing the best bag.
First of All, you should decide whether your cosmetic bag is going to be large or portable enough to store all your makeup brushes and essentials. The QueenB's Portable Makeup bag capacity is ideal for people with many brushes.The bag has plenty of storage space where you can store other beauty products.
It is constructed from a durable oxford nylon fabric. Besides durability, it is water proof and shake proof.
Additional enclosures elongate the life of makeup brushes by shielding them from dirt, and dust. To add, it has a hard plastic cover that gives it an easy to clean nature.
It's clapboards help you customize the compartment according to the size of your makeup. You can also remove the clapboards if you feel like storing other stuff other than makeup products like gadgets.
What I have is the Large Makeup Bag. As a freelance Makeup Artist, a bag as large as the one I have is truly helpful. I can carry more variety and even bring hair tools. I'll do a video on this soon! Going back, if you're they type who will travel with your vanity kit or who wants to give some of your babies they're own safe home, the Portable Travel Makeup Bag is going to be an awesome purchase.
This is a feature item in QueenB Online Store. Check it out!
Every makeup artist should have their own set of tools and products that can address any cosmetic problems. Whether you are beginner or not, it's best to own tools that will make the job easy and right. Imagine, dipping your fingers in different eye shadow color to contour and blend. While it's possible, it won't be easy getting all the colors on the right place.
As we progress in our craft, we need the right tools to boost our performance. With that, I put together a list of 5 tools we absolutely need in our kit. An investment of P 500 can already get you the basic products you need to level up your makeup game.
And I quote "A woman's makeup kit is one of her most prized possessions." Your success in this business will largely depend on the kit and the tools that you own, in addition to your skill.
I mentioned in my previous post that I bought new supplies in good volume.
Painting requires different types of paint brush. We know for a fact that expressing one's feelings though painting requires different strokes. There's a right brush for the right purpose. Similarly, in beauty industry, your desired finish will also depend on the right tools. Don't get me wrong. Applying with fingers can work as well, but getting the right tools will take you to the next level.
Makeup Brushes can make a difference. If you never know where to begin, you can check out these 10 pcs of unbranded makeup brushes that are selling hot for 180 pesos or roughly $ 3.5. You do not want to spend a lot of money just for tools, right?
These affordable and quality brushes are so soft and are designed to blend out eye shadows and buff your way to that flawless foundation.
Any eye makeup looks more dramatic with long curly eye lashes. The problem is, however, not every one is gifted with thick eye lashes. Mascaras were invented for that. Unfortunately, this product can only do so much. That leads us to false eyelashes.
Do you own a cream foundation? Or a variety of shades to mix? If yes, this stainless steel mixing palette will make your work neat and clean. I personally need this palette to avoid wasting product at the back of my hand.
The Brush Egg is used for deep cleaning makeup brushes. Before, I plainly use my palm and swirl over my makeup brushes. That is cleaning but not deep cleaning. There are smaller knobs on the top that are used for foaming and lathering. The grooves on the bottom, on the other hand, are to agitate the bristles to release dirt and oils.
An eyelash adhesive holds your eyelashes securely in place. This DUO is the best selling eyelash adhesive in the world.
It's October! We're now approaching my favorite month of the year <3 Aside from that, I'm getting closer to that special moment where we get our most awaited 13th month pay. Before we splurge any further, you might want to check out my recent haul from DETAIL! I have here products that you might want to consider buying in the day of treating yourself with all the makeup products in the world.
Detail Make Over is a Filipino brand that provides high-quality and affordable makeup. The first product that I ever got from their line was from my BeautyMLA loot. It's an eye primer. While it's not the product that I turned to like, I intriguingly tried others just to avoid leaving a bad final impression on the brand.
Let me tell you that all these stuff that I hoarded are amazing! At first, I was really hesitant since the eye primer failed to perform the job. When Detail had their sale, I grabbed a few to test out. Given that they're on 50% off, why not give it a try right?
For more details review of the products, watch out for my future post.
Quick Tour in Carousell + Haul!
Technology surely made shopping a lot easier. We can now browse through a wide selection of clothing, gadgets and even furniture in the comfort of our homes. I have shared with you my experience with BEAUTYMNL few weeks ago. Now, it's time to check out another marketplace Carousell.
The Carousell is a community marketplace that encourages everyone to sell items. It's not just plain selling, but it encourages us to make lists of items that we don't use anymore. Indeed, Carousell President Marcus Tan hit the nail on the head when he said that its a sustainable approach to buying and selling. Clear out the clutter!
This is how it looks on Mobile. There are different categories to make buying quicker and easier.
I made an account here using username JameilaB (Click the Link). It's really easy to register. It's simply filling up the information boxes and verify using your email. Presto! You can begin buying and posting items.
These are the products I sell in Carousell. All of them are brand new.
As a beauty blogger and freelance makeup artist, I buy loads of makeup and cosmetic tools and stuff. I then realized that I can get them a lot cheaper if I buy in good volume. Of course that means getting more than what I need. The excess items are now posted in Carousell.
This marketplace creates an opportunity for anyone to sell items, whether used or brand new. It also allows people to like an item and track its availability. Lastly, you can inquire and receive inquiry. You will also receive email copies of your messages. It's easy!
If you are one of those who prefer shopping online and haunt good deals, this application is for you. It is available in play store and you can download it for free.
Review: L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation. Is it worth the hype?
L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation is greatly hyped for it's great coverage at an affordable cost. Almost everybody loves this foundation, especially those with oily-skin. The question is, Is it really worth the hype?
Today, I'm reviewing this foundation. My shade is in 104 Golden Beige and I also have 103 Natural Buff.
Packaging is a squeeze-tube type and contains 30 ml of the product. This is absolutely travel friendly. You won't need to worry about the foundation breaking out of its container and spilling inside your bag.
The product instantly gives your face a second layer of smooth and even skin tone. It concealed the redness around my nose and brightened my dark under eye area. It's like giving life to that tired looking face.
In terms of consistency, it can work with both buffing brush and sponge.This product can be cake-y when you load up too much product on your face. You have to apply a little amount first and buff it out. Then apply more product to satisfy the coverage you want. Its build-able.
What makes this foundation a great product is that it is long lasting! It dries beautifully on the skin. It looks like it sticks nicely on the face. After an hour battle getting in the train with all the sweat and a 6-hour sun exposure during a field work, I must say this foundation worked hard. You can still identify that I'm wearing makeup despite countless wiping of sweat.
You will observe that without moisturizer and multiple layers of this foundation can actually make you look like its El Nino.
Moisturize! This product sets very fast and can be drying. Moisturizing the face will help the product with your dry patches as well as give your face more life. You don't want to look flat matte.
Use with a primer. This product gives a beautiful finish and you should help it out blur those large pores and fine lines.
Work quickly and layer by layer. You can warm up the product first by using your fingers. You may use a buffing brush, but you have to be good at working on not leaving streaks. If you have a problem applying, use sponge instead.
Set with translucent or settingpowder.
it has light to medium coverage.
Grab yours during sale! It's a great product to work with. Especially those who has client exposures, this seals the deal.
Hi Ladies! Few days ago, I posted on my BeautyMNL Shopping Experience (Read here) and how it caters to our beauty needs, especially on those days we feel trapped in our respective beds. I mean seriously, it's raining frequently and who would want to sacrifice her outfit and shoes just to grab some products?
Today, I'll be showing you the items that I got from BeautyMNL. Hooray for Online Shopping!
Pink Sugar is a Filipino beauty brand that offers high quality products. One of their highlights is that their products are free of parabens. Parabens are commonly used as preservatives in makeup, which can interfere with the body's hormone. If given an option to choose your makeup, reach for the ones that are paraben free.
To tell you honestly, I thought it's a foreign brand. Aside from being conscious with the ingredients, the packaging is catchy in embossed zigzag print.
You get 10 gorgeous colors perfect for Day-to-night beauty looks.
The color payoff is nice and I love that this sweetie is a mix of matte and shimmer eye shadows. All colors are definitely wearable.
As you can observe, it enhanced the pigmentation of the eye shadow color. It brought out the vibrancy of the eyeshadows.. Also, with the thick formula, it will make any eye makeup last longer. It's a great steal for P 180.
Detail Make Over is on Birthday Sale until July 31. Check them out!
Kilay is Life! It is believed that eyebrows are the important facial features because they're a feature of expression. Not only that, they define your facial structure. I'm actually a brow powder user, but I reached for this product so I can test if it is beginner friendly. The testing is for my wonderful Mom.
Moving on, this Eyebrow Pencil from a Korean cosmetic brand Dearberry comes with retractable brown pencil on one end and a spoolie brush at the other end. Retractable pencil means no need for a sharpener.
What I love about BeautyMNL is their wide selection of skincare products. Mostly, from Filipino brands that you won't see that much in Malls.
Well, I realized that I've been using too much makeup and less on the skin care products. That realization included this Aloe Vera Refreshing Mist (Double Strength) in my cart.
This hydrating mist is said to be formulated with 99.8% certified Aloe Vera. This should explain the somewhat vinegar smell. Putting that aside, I love how it refreshes and hydrates my skin.
We are done with the makeup and skincare, now let's see what I got for Hair product. It's not always that the face gets all the attention. With that, I got myself a strong-hold Hairspray for that salon finish hairstyle - that should complete that Plakada look.
You see, Tresemme is a popular and trusted brand when it comes to hair products. You can never go wrong.
This Hairspray holds my hair without giving it an electrocuted appearance. I have used many Hairspray before, but it ends up damaging my hair. With this product, I can redo curling or ironing without making my hair crunchy. Take note that I already have damaged hair so a product such as this is a game changer.
My FOTD using my BEAUTYMNL haul items.
That's it for my BeautyMNL haul!
Shopping at the comfort of our homes is one of the best things this digital era offers. It's just a matter of few clicks that you get to choose from a wide variety of products and make a good purchase without hurting your feet. Indeed, an era of convenience and a little of no-time-to-mall.
I have to admit that I'm one of those self-labeled "the busy women of the century" and an online beauty shop is an amazing tool to keep that vanity spirit well fed and alive. I already made different trips to different online stores and not all offers convenient shopping.
So which online shop to go? Lo and behold, the perfect beauty site to spend a gloomy day - BeautyMNL! <3❤ It's the largest beauty destination in the Philippines and your one-stop-shop for all your beauty related needs.
Bloom Magazine is BeautyMNL's lifestyle section where you can find amazing articles, reviews, guides and tips on beauty.
As a practical woman (practicality is subjective), I read a lot of reviews before making a purchase that led me to their official magazine Bloom. This magazine is full of stories and articles on beauty that are helpful and trendy. That's when I get to explore BeautyMNL. And guess what? I was offered to experience their version of online shopping. Yey! How blessed, right? And who can resist shopping? I'm sure many of you do as well.
BeautyMNL has lots of products to offer that I only discovered upon too much browsing. They offer a comprehensive selection of skincare, hair care and makeup products that some I haven't seen on the counters before like Skin Genie. The best part? They give you the BEST PRICE. Sweet.
For those who have trouble choosing the right product or shade, there are reviews from real users to serve as your guide. You can also do others a favor by sharing your assessment. Honestly, I relied heavily on their review system, the reason for picking up the Eye Candy Palette and Aloe Vera Refreshing Mist. And hey, you don't get the to ask people around you for product evaluation when buying in a physical store.
If you're feeling trendy, best sellers are award stamped so you simply add them to your cart.
Aside from Order Tracking, they will also keep you posted on any delay that may arise through email. Delays are inevitable. Well, I check both my personal and work email every now and then. This helped their customer care team with the unexpected delivery interruption. There was a slight hiccup in their site that enabled me to order a product that is unavailable. But boy, their team acts fast. They sent me an email on a Monday for some clarification and was able to ship the package the following day. You'll definitely get all the assistance you need.
Another feature to love is the Order Tracking in your account. You won't be guessing delivery status with regards to the items you ordered. The status box will indicate if it's "processing" , "on it's way" and "delivered".
As you can see from the photo above, I placed an order the night of June 29 (Thursday) and received it July 4 (Tuesday).
Please be reminded that the delivery schedule runs from Mondays to Fridays only. There's no deliveries on weekends and holidays.
As for the package, it came in a resealable bag with the fragile items bubble-wrapped.
Different Modes of Payment such as Paypal, Credit Card and Bank Deposit.
Overall. They deliver an incredible shopping experience with exclusive deals, customer reviews and ratings, the ability to track order and so much more. These kinds of services causes the online-shopping trend to gain momentum at top speed. These should also gain your confidence to try online shopping.
I'm happy with the whole experience with BeautyMNL especially with how they communicate with their customers. I can surely get all my beauty needs regardless of where and when.
Ladies, now you know now where to translate that splurging urgency! And oh, sign up first. :) Thank you BeautyMNL for the opportunity to try your service! A Beauty Destination indeed.
All products that are mentioned and reviewed here on my blog are of my own personal opinions based on experiences and product testing. All photos and contents are property of ©JameilaB unless otherwise stated. Please do not steal or re-post without my permission.


"4 Step Social Credi Solution".
1. Set up a National Credit Account. At present we have only a National Debt Account; the banks having usurped all our National Credit—to create our National Debt which "they" own.
4. Allow a Just Price Discount on all personal purchases, out of income, for final use or consumption—to adjust book prices to actual incomes. (This counters inflation and guides and motivates society as a whole to increase or decrease production).
A NATIONAL debt crisis, such as the one Ireland is now suffering, tends to follow a four-stage pattern. We see these stages playing out in every episode of national bankruptcy — whether in Latin America, Asia or Western Europe. In Ireland, we are moving towards the third phase.
There is no escaping this pattern because the mathematical corollary of a housing boom is a debt bust. It is only a matter of time.
Now those suggesting that the endgame will be debt repudiation are taking the flak. But it will happen.
Let's briefly examine the four stages of national bankruptcy.
The first phase is rapid: highly leveraged banks go bust alarmingly quickly. This leads to massive state intervention to prevent a bank run, political upheaval and inklings of just how deep the mess might become.
The second stage is a period of unusual calm. The remedial action taken by the State calms things down, banks don't collapse, there is no run on the banks and the economy settles in to the grinding reality that falling incomes and too much debt don't mix.
During this period, vested interests, powerful "insiders" in society, move to protect themselves. Supposedly binding agreements are signed. Likewise, the banks do deals with debtors in the hope that they can postpone the day of reckoning.
Issuing Eurobonds to swap for existent Government debt is equivalent to attempting to treat debt overhang by relabeling the debt. While it might reduce the interest burden on the sovereigns suffering from more severe debt overhang, but that is a relatively shallow improvement, especially given that the heavier-indebted sovereigns are already being financed or about to be financed from a collective funding source of ESM.
Issuing Eurobonds to create capacity for new borrowing is equivalent to fighting debt overhang with more debt. In addition to being seriously problematic in terms of logic, there is also a capacity constraint. Eurozone will sport 89.964% debt/GDP ratio this year and under current IMF projections this debt will remain above 90% (+/-1%) bound for 2012-2015. At these levels, debt exerts long term drag on future growth potential for the Euro area as a whole.
Greece has shown us in Ireland that we should have defaulted a long time ago our gutless politicians conned us the citizens to take on private bank debts and to guarantee massive gambling debts thus ballooning our national debt. After witnessing the largest default in history last Friday by Greece the markets did not collapse as our clueless politicians told us would happen, the Greek ATM,s are still working and Greece is better off to the tune of 100 billion .Now if we only had an Irish politician who had the Balls to confront the gangsters in Europe and tell them to get stuffed we might have a chance to get our country back on its feet and have a future for our children and the rest of our citizens.The time has come for our politicians to represent the interests of the people of Ireland and not the interests of financial gangsters in Europe!
This is Irelands opportunity to rid ourselves of this ODIOUS Debt.
Default now ……………..If Greece can do this so must we !
The French Government Creates A Bank Run?
You know, if it wasn't so damn destructive, it would actually be funny how regulators appear to find it genetically impossible to learn from mistakes – whether it be theirs or somebody elses. In 2008, when the US foolhardedly decided to allow banks to misreport their long term toxic assets bought with excessive, short term leverage, said banks collapsed. It was not as if this was unforeseen. France is anxious to repeat that exercise with its banks and sovereign debt. In 2008, when the US foolhardedly decided to ban shorts on insolvent financial companies, I made a small fortune constructing synthetic short positions with options that skyrocketed in value because regulators dabbled in markets in which they really had no clue. ZeroHedge reminds us that the short ban in the US ended in a 48% drop in financial company share prices.