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The Floating World of Feudal Japan
Posted On 7th August 2018 26th October 2018 By Alexander Deniston
"The Floating World" refers to the pleasure-seeking, urban lifestyle of the Edo period of Japan (1600-1868). This period of relative stability under Tokugawa Shogunate was one of prolific cultural output, especially in large cities such as the capital, Edo, which is now Tokyo.
Haiku poetry found increased popularity during this period, propagated by master poets such as Matsuo Bashō. Haiku was developed from Haikai, an earlier form of writing that was derived from puns and satire. Bashō spent much of his life elevating Haikai into a more serious literary genre, playing an essential role in producing the modern Haiku. The poet's work was hugely popular in Japan during their isolation period and found a global audience long after his death.
Around the same time as Bashō was writing, another writer, Ihara Saikaku, was publishing works of Ukiyozōshi (books of the Floating World). Written in vernacular Japanese, as opposed to the Chinese and classical Japanese that the elite utilised, these books first focused on the pleasure quarters of Edo, before branching out into tales of the townspeople and Samurai. Due to their subject matter, Ukiyozōshi was not considered to be high literature and was not widely read by the upper classes, though they did become popular with the ordinary people of Japan.
Another important aspect of the Floating World was Ukiyo-e, a genre of woodblock printing that flourished during the Edo period. Woodblock printing was not new, having originated as early as the eighth century, though printing was restricted due to the high costs involved. By the 17th century, mass production had become possible, allowing a much greater proportion of the population to purchase prints. In its earlier period, from the late 17th to early 18th centuries, Ukiyo-e most commonly depicted ordinary people, in a similar vein to Ukiyozōshi, with dancers, courtesans and the city itself taking centre stage. Later period Ukiyo-e illustrated nature and landscapes, moving away from the luxury and excess of the Floating World. This later period's work was particularly influenced the Impressionism movement in Europe, as is evidenced by the framing of much of Claude Monet's work.
Theatre also thrived during the Edo period. Both Kabuki (live actors) and Bunraku's (puppets) live performances enthralled the townspeople, to the extent that Samurai would sometimes watch in disguise, as their attendance at plays was strictly prohibited. Kabuki theatre evolved over the period, starting out as parodies of Buddhist prayers performed by all-female casts, to the more familiar form of all-male performers with more serious, dramatic performances. This alteration reflected the same societal change that impacted Ukiyo-e, the move away from luxury and excess to a more moralistic, reserved art form.
'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', Accessed: wikipedia.com
One of the most famous examples of late period Ukiyo-e – Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1831
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The 20 Best Horror Films 1989-2009
Over at Entertainment Weekly's site, critic Owen Gleiberman has ranked what he considers to be the 20 Best Horror Films of the last twenty years and just thinking about what films that list can't include makes me feel more than a little old. When I was in my teens, a list of the best horror films of the last twenty years would've included the original Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, The Exorcist, Halloween, Alien, and, well - you get the picture. Back then, listing the Top 20 Horror Movies of recent vintage was a no-brainer. But the past twenty years? That's more of a challenge. Despite his picks being greeted with plenty of outrage by horror fans (then again, what isn't greeted with outrage by horror fans?), I don't feel that Gleiberman's list is so bad - it's just very heavy on 'pop' fare, like Shaun of the Dead (2003) and Drag Me To Hell (2009). And he also fudges the twenty year timeline with the inclusion of Ringu (1998).
For the record, here's his picks:
20. Dead-Alive (1992)
19. Darkman (1990)
18. Event Horizon (1997)
17. The Kingdom (1994)
16. The Descent (2005)
15. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
14. Hostel Part II (2007)
13. Misery (1990)
12. From Hell (2001)
11. Planet Terror (2007)
10. Ringu (1998)
9. Alien 3 (1992)
8. Drag Me To Hell (2009)
7. The Sixth Sense (2009)
6. What Lies Beneath (2000)
5. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
4. Scream (1996)
3. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
1. Audition (1999)
There's a lot of titles on that list that I wouldn't go for myself - at least not for the top 20 - but personally I think it's interesting to see what recent horror movies someone who isn't necessarily a fan considers to be the 'best' (Darkman? What Lies Beneath? Sure, why not?). Others, though, apparently feel otherwise - they're a little beside themselves over what is or isn't on this list. If any group of fans likes to take things personally, it's horror fans. Most of the time, that's a positive, other times not so much. In looking at how some readers have fumed on EW's site, I see that some people never fail to lose their shit if a film doesn't conform to their definition of what horror is ("This list is a JOKE! The Sixth Sense is a supernatural thriller - NOT HORROR! Learn something about movies, OK?!") or if - god forbid! - a movie be included that didn't personally scare them. Given all that, I still felt motivated to take my own shot at a top twenty. In putting this together, I debated including titles that were obviously important, popular or influential but that I didn't personally care for. And in the end, I opted to not bother. I don't discount the importance of films like Hostel, Scream, or Saw - or Twilight, for that matter - and in most cases, I also like those movies. But I just happen to like the 20 films on this list more.
Here's my Top 20:
20. Candyman (1992)
Still the best adaptation of a Clive Barker story to date. Director Bernard Rose (Paperhouse) delivered a real stand-out film here. Why he didn't continue to build a bigger body of work in the genre is a mystery as he clearly had a killer instinct for it - not just in knowing how to shock an audience, but in being sensitive to the deeper mythological potential of horror (the imagery in this film is wonderful - from the use of graffiti to the swarms of bees). Although Tony Todd as the Candyman may look like a typical slasher villain with his blood-encrusted hook, he's really a cursed, romantic soul (who will just happen to gut you). And Virginia Madsen as graduate student Helen Lyle is one of the bravest of doomed horror heroines (you sure wouldn't catch me crawling into a bonfire).
19. Exorcist III (1990)
After watching this at a matinee showing the first day it came out, I walked out into the mid-afternoon sun feeling that I had watched the first really serious horror movie in far too long (remember that Exorcist III came out the same summer that lighter offerings like the 'thrill-omedy' Arachnophobia was released). That feeling was not shared by my fellow moviegoers, however, who were grousing on the way out about how lame the movie was but even in the middle of the day, I was chilled by it (is the hallway murder the greatest 'jump' scare ever?) and I'm glad to see that over the years, Exorcist III's reputation has steadily grown (and it's still influencing other films - there's a shot of an old woman crawling across a ceiling in the upcoming film Legion - ironically the original title of Blatty's novel - that's straight out of this film). I wish William Peter Blatty would direct more movies because, well, I think he's pretty great at it. With this and The Ninth Configuration (1980), he's two for two in my book.
18. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
When this came out, I thought it could've been just a little better than it was. After all, for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to team up on a vampire film - that had to be a classic, not just a fun movie. But thirteen years later, the fun of FDTD does feel pretty classic. This is just a good time - and it's so much better than Tarantino and Rodriguez's later collaboration, the double-feature Grindhouse (2007). In its own way, this is a double-feature of it own with a crime film and a monster movie split down the middle. Some of the lines here are cornier than I care for and some of the effects come off better than others but it's rowdy, raucous, eager to please, and it has no less than Harvey Keitel, Fred Williamson, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo and Tom Savini as vampires - not just vampires but unholy, hell-spawned bloodsuckers - and how awesome is that? Oh, and Salma Heyek as Santanico Pandemonium is not too shabby, either.
17. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
In some ways, Carpenter stepped out of his comfort zone with In the Mouth of Madness' warped-reality narrative. But that the end of the world should come in the form of slimy tentacles and rubber monster suits appears to have been too good a joke for Carpenter to pass on telling. There might be better horror films than In the Mouth of Madness out there but none of them have Frances Bay (Blue Velvet) as a creepy hotel inn-keeper with a naked old man inexplicably handcuffed to her ankle. And none of them have Julia Carmen (Fright Night 2) doing a kind of 'crab-walk' that out-Exorcist's The Exorcist. Oh, and none have the classic line "every species can smell its own extinction", which has been burned into my brain since I saw this in 1994. For all that and more - "Did I ever tell you my favorite color is blue?" - In the Mouth of Madness swallows its competition.
16. Safe (1995)
Watching how Julianne Moore's character in Safe becomes progressively more unable to deal with even the most casual contact with her environment for fear of acerbating her phantom illnesses is genuinely hard to watch without feeling your inner hypochondriac start to hyperventilate.
15. Silent Hill (2006)
I always hear a lot of disparaging talk about this Christophe Gans-directed movie and for the life of me, I just don't get it. I'm not familiar with the video game this is based on but I love the images in this film. Even if the film is flawed, it shows you things you just can't see anywhere else - ghastly, horrible things - and that, to me, is something worth celebrating. Just look at that picture above - no other horror movie has got that in it. While most films would be lucky to have one memorable monster to their credit, it seems there's no end to the bizarre apparitions that call Silent Hill home.
14. Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Director Adrian Lyne made a brilliant choice to reimagine the demons that torment Vietnam vet Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) from the traditional notion of horned devils as described in Bruce Joel Rubin's script to figures of twisted, morphing, vibrating flesh (inspired by the paintings of Francis Bacon). Even almost twenty years later, we're still seeing new movies employing Jacob Ladder's disturbing 'vibrating' head effect. As a fan, I hope that someday a longer, alternate cut of this film - with the excised footage of Jacob receiving a 'cure' for his visions and the reappearance of Elizabeth Pena's character at the end - will emerge but even if that never comes to pass, Jacob's Ladder remains a cinematic puzzle that can leave your heart in pieces.
13. The Ring (2002)
I know it's heresay to say so, but I prefer the US remake to Hideo Nakata's 1998 original. Nakata's film is obviously fantastic but I liked Gore Verbinski's take on the material much better. I think a lot of it comes down to preferring Naomi Watts' character to that of Nanako Matsushima's character in Ringu. It's likely due to cultural differences between East and West but I thought Watts played a much stronger woman and the bond between her and her son was more affecting than that seen in Ringu. Outside of that, I thought Verbinski proved to have a great handle on the horror genre. He showed a natural instinct towards making this film visually striking while still keeping it about the characters and the story, and of how to amp up the scares of the original without - to my mind, at least - making them cheesy. I also liked how this really grabbed the imagination of the American public. While I don't think the public is always 'right', I do think that when so many people respond so genuinely to a movie that there must be something there worth noticing. At the very least, The Ring scared the shit out of a lot of people and that counts for something. Oh, and the horse taking a dive off the ferry - God, what a sight!
12. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
I would've bet money that a remake of Romero's zombie classic would've been an easy film to hate on and an impossible one to love but yet I think director Zack Synder nailed this movie. You could debate the differences between the two films but why bother - both are great in their own ways. In regards to Synder's film - I can't help but get off on what a bad-ass zombie movie this is. This is the kind of full-out zombie apocalypse that I always wanted to see on screen and this delivered on that and then some.
11. American Psycho (2000)
Almost ten years since its release, this adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel is still something of an underappreciated item. While I think some viewers felt gypped by the suggestion at the end that Bateman's crimes were only in his imagination, I feel that what the ending implies is that the killings were all real but yet when evidence of his crimes was inevitably discovered by others at Paul Allen's apartment building, it was disposed of by the building's management rather than risk a scandal and investigation (after all, it'd make it difficult to entice high paying tenants if the building gained a sordid reputation). And when Bateman's lawyer claims that Paul Allen couldn't be dead because he had lunch with him twice recently, it continues the film's running joke about how none of these people are able to discern one from the other – the implication being that he must've had lunch with someone he only assumed to be Paul Allen. The hell that Bateman finds himself in at the end is a hell of total isolation in which even his most atrocious acts mean nothing in a world too self-absorbed and driven to be troubled by monsters.
10. Inside (2007)
Back in the day, films like Alien and The Exorcist had people fainting in the aisles. You don't hear much of that happening these days, sadly - except at film festivals, it seems, where the audiences are probably not too seasoned when it comes to horror films. But if this had gotten a wide release, I guarantee it would've made those kind of headlines.
9. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
It was tough trying to decide which David Lynch film of the last twenty years fucked me up the most. This, Lost Highway (1997) or Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992). This won, obviously - but it was neck and neck to the end. Cinching the win for Mulholland Dr. is that this is the only time I had to flee to the lobby during a movie. For those who've seen Mulholland Dr., it was the scene in the alley at the back of the diner that did it - when that derelict suddenly comes around the corner and the sound drops out of the movie, I seriously had to get out of the theater for a moment. I still haven't seen Lynch's most recent film, Island Empire (2006), by the way. I have it on DVD but I'm just too scared to watch it. Even though it's been eight years since Mulholland Dr., I still can't go back to Lynch. If I do, I know that eventually he's going to really hurt me.
8. Se7en (1995)
When talking about why Se7en is so great, everyone always talks about David Fincher's direction (after all, this is the film that cleared his name after the - unfair, I believe - debacle of Alien 3) and Andrew Kevin Walker's darker-than-dark script, but I'd just like to give a shout-out to Rob Bottin's underappreciated FX work in this. Bottin's '80s work in films like The Thing, Legend, and Robocop is always cited as being classic, which it is, but his work in Se7en is right up there with his best stuff. I can only imagine how Fincher's eyes must've lit up when Bottin showed him the animatronic puppet for the sloth victim - at least I hope that was an animatronic puppet. If it was make-up on an actor, then damn - Bottin's even more of a genius than I thought.
7. Irreversible (2002)
Director John McNaughton's Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) was described at the time of its release as being "too bloody for the art crowd but too arty for the blood crowd" - or something along those lines - but here is where the art house really meets the grindhouse. This Gasper Noe film that tells the story of a man out to avenge the rape of his girlfriend (a crime that unfolds in real time, over the course of nine agonizing minutes) is beautifully made but almost impossible to watch. In telling its story in reverse chronological order, the film has an almost transcendent effect. Its final images remind me - of all things - of the 'stargate' sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
6. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
A lot of people would say that Peter Jackson made the best splatter movie of the last twenty years with Dead-Alive (1992) but they'd be wrong. In fact, he didn't even make the second best splatter movie - that honor belongs to Sylvester Stallone with Rambo (2008). Beating all comers is Mel Gibson with his Biblical bloodbath (and he didn't do so badly with his 2006 Mayan bloodbath Apocalypto, either). It might strike some as sacrelige to put this on a list of horror movies but this is the Cannibal Holocaust (1980) of Jesus movies. On top of the on-stop torture of Christ (a character so abused that by the end they have to replace actor Jim Caviezel with an animatronmic puppet - how horror movie is that?), the recurring images of the devil are every bit as disturbing as those of the glimpses of Captain Howdy in The Exorcist.
Every mention of this film seems to come with an acknowledgement that it isn't for everyone. But while this will always remain a divisive film, I love it and will never hesitiate to say how badly it scared me. This is as pure as horror gets. I think it's the closest horror has ever gotten - or ever will get - to being about fear itself.
4. Let The Right One In (2009)
Just when I thought I'd rather vomit out my entire intestinal tract rather than watch another vampire movie, along comes one of the best ever made. I second every bit of praise that's been directed towards this movie.
Rather than discuss this Takashi Miike movie - the Asian answer to Fatal Attraction (1987) - I think a transcript of my reactions during the final twenty minutes should do it: "No, no, no, no, no.....ohmygod....ah,ah,ahhhh....FUCK! FUCK! Nooooooooo!!! AAAAAAAA!!! Mommmeeeee!!!" Cue whimpering and...done.
Yeah, it swept the Oscars. Yeah, it's become a part of the cultural vocabularly - in other words, this is an easy movie to take for granted. It's sure not a movie a fan would pull out to prove their deep knowledge of the genre. But you know why almost everyone on the planet knows about Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal 'the Cannibal' Lecter? Because this movie is frigging great - it deserves all the acclaim it's gotten. If Jaws (1975) was the 'A' version of the B-monster movies of the '50s like Creature from the Black Lagoon (producer Jack Harris once called Jaws "The Blob with fins"), then Silence of the Lambs feels like the 'A' version of the kind of gritty psycho fare of the '70s like Deranged or Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
1. The Mist (2007)
Frank Darabont's long-awaited Stephen King adaptation got a mostly hasty brush-off by fans and critics when it was released in 2007 but The Mist has been on my mind lately. Watching footage on the news over the last few months of the tea baggers, 'birthers', and health care protestors bringing their vitrol to the streets and town halls of the country, I can't help but think of the character of Mrs. Carmody, as played here by Marcia Gay Hardy. When The Mist was released one of the biggest criticisms towards it was that Darabont had made Carmody's religious zealot into an unfair caricature and that the film's portrayal of how some of the townspeople were so quick to be mobilized to her bloodthirsty cause was unrealistic.
But looking at the public displays of white hot rage and hysteria of many people in our country, right now, is scarily like looking at Mrs. Carmody and her followers. This isn't about how people are being portrayed or demonized by the media, it's how they're actually acting and the things that they're actually saying - on camera for the world to see. To say that people wouldn't or couldn't react as violently to the situation in The Mist as some of the character here do is a case of wishful thinking. When the world stops making sense to some people, they lose it. The idea of responding with rational action goes off the table quickly and The Mist nails that. As its tagline stated, "fear changes everything".
As for the controversial ending, some have criticized it for being too bleak, or for making Thomas Jane act in a way that his character shouldn't have, but I disagree. A lot of people confuse the fact that as viewers we have an omniscent perspective on the story that the characters themselves don't. I think that Darabont does everything he can to sell us on the idea that hope has bottomed out by the end of The Mist. The world is gone. Gone like the generator in The Thing gone. Given all that these characters have witnessed and with the suggestion of even greater horrors awaiting them, it's not so unbelievable that Jane's father would take the action that he did.
And although the subsequent restoration of normalcy is cited as proof that Jane's dad was a fool for, um, jumping the gun, I think the suggestion is there that it was potentially the "blood sacrifice" that brought the world back. Had Jane and his son sat in that car for another day, or another week, the mist might've remained around them but it's only after Jane pulls the trigger that it clears and the world returns. Was it just shit luck, was it fate, or was Mrs. Carmody right all along? Whatever the case, I think Darabont gives the viewer more to consider than just a cynical twist.
Oh yeah, and The Mist also looks terrific in black and white. That's good enough for #1 for me.
Labels: Best of 1999-2009
kindertrauma said...
I laughed out loud (with joy) when I got to #1
This List RULES!
seriously brilliant!
Love the inclusions of Mulholland drive and Irreversible as both of those movies scared the crap out of me
and its about time Jacob's Ladder got some recognition... people have been ripping off that movie for 20 years and never giving it any credit.
Personally, I hate OG's list because his lack of enthusiasm for the genre is apparent throughout. As a horror fan I'm just tired of reviewers like him and their prejudiced attitude. I'm sick of having to add an extra star or two to their reviews to make up for the bias. This is the same guy who recently called the ending of JC's HALLOWEEN "a bogus corporate plot twist" Don't mind me if I hate him forever for that ignorant remark. He's entitled to his opinion for sure but the end result is useless to me. (If I wrote a list of the 20 best rap songs of all time I'd expect to get an equal amount of flack.)
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to make a list that comes from an enthusiastic fan who knows what he is talking about and can back up his choices without insulting the films & filmmakers not chosen. The end result, unlike OG's, is a fascinating pleasure to read. -Unk
Thanks Unk! I'm so glad to hear you liked seeing The Mist at #1. As long as you're cool with it, I feel I must've chosen wisely! As for OG, I've been rolling my eyes at his reviews of horror movies for years now (I still remember him giving The Prophecy - one of my faves - an F!). It's nice when he gives a rave to a deserving film like Drag Me To Hell but by and large he just doesn't get the genre.
So many of my favorites... and nothing I'd take serious exception with... except maybe Candyman.
Very happy that Silent Hill and Mulholland Drive made the cut.
I've never even heard of Safe... which I'm gonna have to check out despite my allergy to Julianne Moore.
Thanks, Knob - glad you're mostly happy with the list. Give Safe a look sometime - it's a quiet movie but seriously disturbing.
J. Astro said...
Great list, friend, and I personally agree that EXORCIST III's hallway scene = greatest jump-scare ever. The buildup is so tortured & slow, you finally get lulled, and then *SKREEEEEE!!!!* jarring music and smash cut, in your FACE!!! hehe.
Thanks, J! Yeah, I remember flying out of my theater seat when that hallway murder occured. And even though the final exorcism was a studio-mandated addition, I thought Blatty did a great job with it.
Pax Romano said...
Terrific list - Agreed with you about Mulholland Drive-that film stayed with me for months, and that damn monster/bum behind the dumpster haunted my dreams (As for Inland Empire - it's brilliant, just be ready to have a good three hours of your life to devote to it - and it might not be a bad idea to keep the remote handy to pause as needed to catch your breath).
The only film on your list I have not seen is Inside. Just put it in my Netflix queue.
Thanks, Pax! And thanks for the recommendation on Inland Empire - I'll catch up with it eventually. I almost sold my disc awhile back on ebay but I held off 'cause I know that one day I'll give it a watch.
Matt-suzaka said...
As I would expect, your list is mad tight, Jeff and I would agree with most of it.
I concur that Silent Hill is a great piece of genre work, and doesn't get enough recognition from fans who only give the visual aspects of the film there due. The full body skinning scene is one of the most wild and amazing things I have seen in a horror movie in quite some time!
I still have yet to see Noe's Irreversible, but it has been on my must see list for a while now, and I too have never even heard of Safe. But it's "Safe" to say that I will be seeking it out soon!
Thanks for the awesome list!
Yo Matt, thanks for giving my picks a thumbs-up! I know that Silent Hill catches it share of shit from people but I think it blows the doors off most horror films. There's images in this film that just floored me - like the sight of the little girl joyously twirling and dancing under a rain of blood as a woman is ripped to pieces by barbed wire above her.
As for Irreversible and Safe - definitely give them a look. I have a feeling you'll like them!
Ugh, thanks for bringing politics into it, douche.
Just happened to stumble upon this recently, so I know I am a bit late, but the slot victim in Se7en was an actor in make up. He was very thin and they made him look worse with make up and prostheses. Eerie, no?
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text:
package org.apache.calcite.test;

import org.apache.calcite.jdbc.JavaTypeFactoryImpl;
import org.apache.calcite.plan.RelOptUtil;
import org.apache.calcite.plan.RelOptUtil.Logic;
import org.apache.calcite.rel.RelNode;
import org.apache.calcite.rel.logical.LogicalJoin;
import org.apache.calcite.rel.logical.LogicalProject;
import org.apache.calcite.rel.type.RelDataType;
import org.apache.calcite.rel.type.RelDataTypeFactory;
import org.apache.calcite.rel.type.RelDataTypeField;
import org.apache.calcite.rel.type.RelDataTypeSystem;
import org.apache.calcite.rex.LogicVisitor;
import org.apache.calcite.rex.RexBuilder;
import org.apache.calcite.rex.RexInputRef;
import org.apache.calcite.rex.RexLiteral;
import org.apache.calcite.rex.RexNode;
import org.apache.calcite.rex.RexTransformer;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.fun.SqlStdOperatorTable;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.SqlTypeName;

import org.junit.After;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;

import java.math.BigDecimal;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.is;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
import static org.junit.Assert.fail;

/**
 * Tests transformations on rex nodes.
 */
public class RexTransformerTest {
  //~ Instance fields --------------------------------------------------------

  RexBuilder rexBuilder = null;
  RexNode x;
  RexNode y;
  RexNode z;
  RexNode trueRex;
  RexNode falseRex;
  RelDataType boolRelDataType;
  RelDataTypeFactory typeFactory;

  //~ Methods ----------------------------------------------------------------

  /** Converts a SQL string to a relational expression using mock schema. */
  private static RelNode toRel(String sql) {
    final SqlToRelTestBase test = new SqlToRelTestBase() {
    };
    return test.createTester().convertSqlToRel(sql).rel;
  }

  @Before public void setUp() {
    typeFactory = new JavaTypeFactoryImpl(RelDataTypeSystem.DEFAULT);
    rexBuilder = new RexBuilder(typeFactory);
    boolRelDataType = typeFactory.createSqlType(SqlTypeName.BOOLEAN);

    x = new RexInputRef(
        0,
        typeFactory.createTypeWithNullability(boolRelDataType, true));
    y = new RexInputRef(
        1,
        typeFactory.createTypeWithNullability(boolRelDataType, true));
    z = new RexInputRef(
        2,
        typeFactory.createTypeWithNullability(boolRelDataType, true));
    trueRex = rexBuilder.makeLiteral(true);
    falseRex = rexBuilder.makeLiteral(false);
  }

  @After public void testDown() {
    typeFactory = null;
    rexBuilder = null;
    boolRelDataType = null;
    x = y = z = trueRex = falseRex = null;
  }

  void check(
      Boolean encapsulateType,
      RexNode node,
      String expected) {
    RexNode root;
    if (null == encapsulateType) {
      root = node;
    } else if (encapsulateType.equals(Boolean.TRUE)) {
      root = isTrue(node);
    } else {
      // encapsulateType.equals(Boolean.FALSE)
      root = isFalse(node);
    }

    RexTransformer transformer = new RexTransformer(root, rexBuilder);
    RexNode result = transformer.transformNullSemantics();
    String actual = result.toString();
    if (!actual.equals(expected)) {
      String msg =
          "\nExpected=<" + expected + ">\n  Actual=<" + actual + ">";
      fail(msg);
    }
  }

  private RexNode lessThan(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.LESS_THAN, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode lessThanOrEqual(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.LESS_THAN_OR_EQUAL, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode greaterThan(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.GREATER_THAN, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode greaterThanOrEqual(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUAL, a0,
        a1);
  }

  private RexNode equals(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.EQUALS, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode notEquals(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.NOT_EQUALS, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode and(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.AND, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode or(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.OR, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode not(RexNode a0) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.NOT, a0);
  }

  private RexNode plus(RexNode a0, RexNode a1) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.PLUS, a0, a1);
  }

  private RexNode isNotNull(RexNode a0) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.IS_NOT_NULL, a0);
  }

  private RexNode isFalse(RexNode node) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.IS_FALSE, node);
  }

  private RexNode isTrue(RexNode node) {
    return rexBuilder.makeCall(SqlStdOperatorTable.IS_TRUE, node);
  }

  @Test public void testPreTests() {
    // can make variable nullable?
    RexNode node =
        new RexInputRef(
            0,
            typeFactory.createTypeWithNullability(
                typeFactory.createSqlType(SqlTypeName.BOOLEAN),
                true));
    assertTrue(node.getType().isNullable());

    // can make variable not nullable?
    node =
        new RexInputRef(
            0,
            typeFactory.createTypeWithNullability(
                typeFactory.createSqlType(SqlTypeName.BOOLEAN),
                false));
    assertFalse(node.getType().isNullable());
  }

  @Test public void testNonBooleans() {
    RexNode node = plus(x, y);
    String expected = node.toString();
    check(Boolean.TRUE, node, expected);
    check(Boolean.FALSE, node, expected);
    check(null, node, expected);
  }

  /**
   * the or operator should pass through unchanged since e.g. x OR y should
   * return true if x=null and y=true if it was transformed into something
   * like (x IS NOT NULL) AND (y IS NOT NULL) AND (x OR y) an incorrect result
   * could be produced
   */
  @Test public void testOrUnchanged() {
    RexNode node = or(x, y);
    String expected = node.toString();
    check(Boolean.TRUE, node, expected);
    check(Boolean.FALSE, node, expected);
    check(null, node, expected);
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleAnd() {
    RexNode node = and(x, y);
    check(
        Boolean.FALSE,
        node,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), AND($0, $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleEquals() {
    RexNode node = equals(x, y);
    check(
        Boolean.TRUE,
        node,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), =($0, $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleNotEquals() {
    RexNode node = notEquals(x, y);
    check(
        Boolean.FALSE,
        node,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), <>($0, $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleGreaterThan() {
    RexNode node = greaterThan(x, y);
    check(
        Boolean.TRUE,
        node,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), >($0, $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleGreaterEquals() {
    RexNode node = greaterThanOrEqual(x, y);
    check(
        Boolean.FALSE,
        node,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), >=($0, $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleLessThan() {
    RexNode node = lessThan(x, y);
    check(
        Boolean.TRUE,
        node,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), <($0, $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleLessEqual() {
    RexNode node = lessThanOrEqual(x, y);
    check(
        Boolean.FALSE,
        node,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), <=($0, $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testOptimizeNonNullLiterals() {
    RexNode node = lessThanOrEqual(x, trueRex);
    check(Boolean.TRUE, node, "AND(IS NOT NULL($0), <=($0, true))");
    node = lessThanOrEqual(trueRex, x);
    check(Boolean.FALSE, node, "AND(IS NOT NULL($0), <=(true, $0))");
  }

  @Test public void testSimpleIdentifier() {
    RexNode node = rexBuilder.makeInputRef(boolRelDataType, 0);
    check(Boolean.TRUE, node, "=(IS TRUE($0), true)");
  }

  @Test public void testMixed1() {
    // x=true AND y
    RexNode op1 = equals(x, trueRex);
    RexNode and = and(op1, y);
    check(
        Boolean.FALSE,
        and,
        "AND(IS NOT NULL($1), AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), =($0, true)), $1))");
  }

  @Test public void testMixed2() {
    // x!=true AND y>z
    RexNode op1 = notEquals(x, trueRex);
    RexNode op2 = greaterThan(y, z);
    RexNode and = and(op1, op2);
    check(
        Boolean.FALSE,
        and,
        "AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), <>($0, true)), AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($1), IS NOT NULL($2)), >($1, $2)))");
  }

  @Test public void testMixed3() {
    // x=y AND false>z
    RexNode op1 = equals(x, y);
    RexNode op2 = greaterThan(falseRex, z);
    RexNode and = and(op1, op2);
    check(
        Boolean.TRUE,
        and,
        "AND(AND(AND(IS NOT NULL($0), IS NOT NULL($1)), =($0, $1)), AND(IS NOT NULL($2), >(false, $2)))");
  }

  /** Test case for
   * [CALCITE-814]
   * RexBuilder reverses precision and scale of DECIMAL literal. */
  @Test public void testExactLiteral() {
    final RexLiteral literal =
        rexBuilder.makeExactLiteral(new BigDecimal("-1234.56"));
    assertThat(literal.getType().getFullTypeString(),
        is("DECIMAL(6, 2) NOT NULL"));
    assertThat(literal.getValue().toString(), is("-1234.56"));

    final RexLiteral literal2 =
        rexBuilder.makeExactLiteral(new BigDecimal("1234.56"));
    assertThat(literal2.getType().getFullTypeString(),
        is("DECIMAL(6, 2) NOT NULL"));
    assertThat(literal2.getValue().toString(), is("1234.56"));

    final RexLiteral literal3 =
        rexBuilder.makeExactLiteral(new BigDecimal("0.0123456"));
    assertThat(literal3.getType().getFullTypeString(),
        is("DECIMAL(6, 7) NOT NULL"));
    assertThat(literal3.getValue().toString(), is("0.0123456"));
  }

  /** Test case for
   * [CALCITE-833]
   * RelOptUtil.splitJoinCondition attempts to split a Join-Condition which
   * has a remaining condition. */
  @Test public void testSplitJoinCondition() {
    final String sql = "select * \n"
        + "from emp a \n"
        + "INNER JOIN dept b \n"
        + "ON CAST(a.empno AS int) <> b.deptno";

    final RelNode relNode = toRel(sql);
    final LogicalProject project = (LogicalProject) relNode;
    final LogicalJoin join = (LogicalJoin) project.getInput(0);
    final List<RexNode> leftJoinKeys = new ArrayList<>();
    final List<RexNode> rightJoinKeys = new ArrayList<>();
    final ArrayList<RelDataTypeField> sysFieldList = new ArrayList<>();
    final RexNode remaining = RelOptUtil.splitJoinCondition(sysFieldList,
        join.getInputs().get(0),
        join.getInputs().get(1),
        join.getCondition(),
        leftJoinKeys,
        rightJoinKeys,
        null,
        null);

    assertThat(remaining.toString(), is("<>(CAST($0):INTEGER NOT NULL, $9)"));
    assertThat(leftJoinKeys.isEmpty(), is(true));
    assertThat(rightJoinKeys.isEmpty(), is(true));
  }

  /** Test case for {@link org.apache.calcite.rex.LogicVisitor}. */
  @Test public void testLogic() {
    // x > FALSE AND ((y = z) IS NOT NULL)
    final RexNode node = and(greaterThan(x, falseRex), isNotNull(equals(y, z)));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(node, x, Logic.TRUE_FALSE),
        is(Logic.TRUE_FALSE));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(node, y, Logic.TRUE_FALSE),
        is(Logic.TRUE_FALSE_UNKNOWN));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(node, z, Logic.TRUE_FALSE),
        is(Logic.TRUE_FALSE_UNKNOWN));

    // TRUE means that a value of FALSE or UNKNOWN will kill the row
    // (therefore we can safely use a semijoin)
    assertThat(deduceLogic(and(x, y), x, Logic.TRUE), is(Logic.TRUE));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(and(x, y), y, Logic.TRUE), is(Logic.TRUE));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(and(x, and(y, z)), z, Logic.TRUE), is(Logic.TRUE));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(and(x, not(y)), x, Logic.TRUE), is(Logic.TRUE));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(and(x, not(y)), y, Logic.TRUE),
        is(Logic.UNKNOWN_AS_TRUE));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(and(x, not(and(y, z))), z, Logic.TRUE),
        is(Logic.UNKNOWN_AS_TRUE));
    assertThat(deduceLogic(or(x, y), x, Logic.TRUE), is(Logic.TRUE_FALSE));
  }

  private Logic deduceLogic(RexNode root, RexNode seek, Logic logic) {
    final List<Logic> list = new ArrayList<>();
    LogicVisitor.collect(root, seek, logic, list);
    assertThat(list.size(), is(1));
    return list.get(0);
  }
}

// End RexTransformerTest.java

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Hi all, can anyone please advise or have any list in sg for outdoor photoshoot. With beautiful scenery and back drop. Thank you.
Are you doing your own photoshooting or you signed up with a bridal shop?
Signed up with bridal shop.
The outdoor photo shoot is trending now and people are looking for the best location for the photoshoot. So the hill stations or the beaches are always the best choices for the photoshoot. The Manali and the Jammu are the best places for the photoshoot whereas if you want to choose the sea sight location then the Goa is always a better choice. If you want to go to this location at an affordable rate here is the list of tour operators Nagpur who will plan your tour with all the travelling expenses and accommodation.


text:
Photo: Paul Schlesinger
Joey Bada$$ brings socially-conscious rap to Syracuse University concert
By Georgiana Volturo
The concert was part of 'Cuse for Good: Social Justice, an event that aimed to bring social justice discussions to campus.
At 23 years old, Joey Bada$$ performed Saturday night at Syracuse University with a swagger and skills beyond his years. From the moment he stepped on stage he created an energy with the crowd in Goldstein Auditorium that lasted throughout the entire performance.
The concert was just one part of 'Cuse for Good: Social Justice, an event presented by University Union, National Panhellenic Council and Student Association that aimed to bring social justice discussions to campus.
Phil the Artist, the opener for the Joey Bada$$ concert at Syracuse University.
Student performers DJ Zel, the Outlaws and Phil the Artist opened for Bada$$ and helped to create a night that was a showcase of talent and energy.
On his most recent album, All-Amerikkkan Badass, Bada$$ is informed by political thought by touching heavily on police brutality and systemic racism. The focus of his music made his performance a fitting end to a day dedicated to discussing the issues Bada$$ raps about.
Bada$$ said he was honored to be at the event in "places and spaces where we're opening up the conversation, and continuing to have the conversation."
He said this just before performing "For My People," a song about the socio-political issues black Americans face. Bada$$ was a panelist on the 'Cuse for Good panel Saturday afternoon, where he spoke about his influences for the album.
Bada$$ took the audience through his experience growing up as a black man in America with an old school sound reminiscent of the 90s New York City hip hop scene.
The crowd sang along to Bada$$' lyrics and the two mutually fed off each other's energy. At times, Bada$$'s songs took him through complex verses that he held for long acapella stretches, showcasing his lyrical skill and finesse.
Bada$$ seemed to satisfy his "day one" fans, such as SU junior Jessica Johnson.
"I've always been a huge Joey Bada$$ fan because he isn't like most mainstream rappers now a days," she said. "His lyrics always serve a purpose, he speaks up about social issues, and his concerts are always loads of fun."
Bada$$ also won over some few new fans, such as SU junior Jason Gruber.
"This concert was really fun actually," he said. "As someone who didn't know the artist, I was really impressed by him."
Bada$$ closed with his Platinum single "Devastated," and the the crowd sang along with every word. Bada$$'s stage presence and lyrical skill had an impact on the crowd, but it was his passion that left a lasting impression on an audience that is not much younger than him. Toward the end of the show, he urged the crowd to spread more love, positivity and unity.
"If one of us ain't good," said Bada$$, "Then we all ain't good, you know?" Joey Bada$$ brings socially-conscious rap to Syracuse University concert
Cuse for Good
University Union
Orange Westcott Theater Ryan Nassib Syracuse Orange Rick Jackson University Lectures Kris Joseph University Union C.J. Fair basketball Hendricks Chapel Tyler Ennis Scoop Jardine Dion Waiters Jim Boeheim food Syracuse Football New York John Desko Syracuse Basketball Rakeem Christmas Jerami Grant ACC SU football film Syracuse Athletics theater Syracuse University Brandon Triche Syracuse fashion Big East CNY Shows art dining hall concert Doug Marrone Fab Melo men's basketball football review Trevor Cooney Scott Shafer music Carrier Dome


text:
Nonviolent Movements for Social Change Considered More Moral and Supportable
Reformists in Iran were more willing to support and join a hypothetical Green Movement in the future if it were to use nonviolent rather than violent strategies.
In this issue, some of the articles focus on intractable conflicts, like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or civil wars of the recent past, like Sierra Leone or Côte d'Ivoire. While conflict is persistent in these settings, there are examples of peacebuilding at the interpersonal and local levels. The choice between violence and nonviolence is highlighted in two other articles, though in quite different contexts. Research conducted in Iran finds that nonviolent resistance garners more support than violent resistance does even after the previous failure of a nonviolent movement. Other research reveals that the inclusion of armed groups in negotiations can move them away from the use of violence, while their exclusion makes a return to violence more likely. Additionally, national governments continue to play a powerful role in shaping outcomes for peace and security, from decisions about whether to participate in negotiations with armed groups to decisions about how much to allocate towards defense spending.
More Civilian Casualties, Less Support for Military Action
Diaspora Support for Militant Groups Contributes to a Shift Towards Nonviolence


text:
Resident Institutions
Rental of venues
Dani Nel·lo, Marcos Valle, Gerard Quintana, and Clara Peya are the headliners of Sant Pau's Summer Concerts cycles. From 4th to 25th July, music comes back to the Art Nouveau Site. Tickets are now on sale.
Patient and doctor
from Narration
to Objectivity
A journey through the innovations that paved the way for modern medicine
Home to high
social-impact
The Art Nouveau Site is home to leading institutions in the fields of innovation, sustainability, health, education and culture. At Sant Pau, these organizations carry out their own programmes and activities and undertake joint initiatives.
The Europe's Largest
Art Nouveau Site
Sant Pau, the Europe's largest Art Nouveau Site, is one of the crowning achievements of the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. A visit to Sant Pau takes you right inside the spirit of Modernisme and the history of one of Europe's oldest hospital institutions.
A UNESCO World
Heritage Site
The Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site is one of the outstanding landmarks of Barcelona's heritage and culture. Conceived by its architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner as a city within the city, a hospital made up of widely-spaced pavilions, well ventilated and oriented amid gardens to help the sick get better sooner, it was declared a Historic Artistic Monument in 1978, and recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
An exceptional
The Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site has special areas of great artistic and heritage value. Its unique charm and the variety of formats on offer make Sant Pau the perfect place to hold conferences, workshops, corporate events and professional meetings.
An institution steeped
With more than six centuries of history, Sant Pau is one of the oldest institutions in the country. The Historical Archive of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau conserves an invaluable collection of documentary materials that bear witness to the evolution of medicine and the history of Barcelona and Catalonia.
The Art Nouveau Site is just waiting to be discovered. The union of history and architecture in the greatest work of Lluís Domènech i Montaner takes visitors back to the early years of the twentieth century.
Live music, talks... The programme of activities opens the doors of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site to show you Lluís Domènech i Montaner's architectural complex from a different point of view.
The Art Nouveau Site is the headquarters of leading institutions in the fields of sustainability, health and education. These organizations carry out programmes to find responses to the challenges facing society today.
With over six centuries of history, Sant Pau is one of Europe's oldest hospital institutions. Its evolution is closely linked to the development of medicine and the history of Barcelona.
New edition of Sant Pau's Summer Concerts
Guided visits every day over the Easter period
La Hora del Planeta en el Recinto Modernista
Niños y jóvenes en riesgo de exclusión tienen entrada gratuita al Recinto Modernista
Summer Concerts: Gerard Quintana
Gardens of the Art Nouveau SiteThursday 18 July21:00 to 23:30+ info
Summer Concerts: Clara Peya
Memory space
Sant Pau in pictures
— 1 day 5 hours ago
— 5 days 5 hours ago
— 1 week 15 hours ago
— 1 week 1 day ago
— 1 week 3 days ago
The Historical Archive of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau,which conserves documents dating back to the fifteenth century and earlier, is one of the most important hospital archives in the world today.
Visits, concerts, conferences... The Art Nouveau Site allows you to buy your tickets online. Check if your rate is available.
The Administration Pavilion has a range of spaces of great heritage value, ideal for hosting corporate events, professional meetings, courses, seminars and other activities.
The Mediaeval Hospital
The Art Nouveau Hospital
Espace of memory


Global Alloys is an Australian manufacturer, importer, wholesaler and retailer of alloy products. Their product line has grown from a conservative 100-200 items to a stock list of over 4,000 products.
Having outgrown their MYOB Premier system in 2005, Global Alloys sought a new system that met specific requirements such as inventory management; customer reporting and easily customisable features to fit their business needs. They chose MYOB Exo.
The decision to go with Exo has included many benefits for Global Alloys, including stock management over multiple locations and the ability to calculate shipping and landed costs.
To find out what other benefits Global Alloys has enjoyed, please read their Case Study.


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text:
Iran's Involvement in Iraq
Iran's influence in Iraq is the subject of enormous speculation. The United States is taking steps to counter that influence.
Backgrounder by Lionel Beehner and Greg Bruno
Last updated March 3, 2008 7:00 am (EST)
This publication is now archived.
The United States frequently expresses concern about Iran's involvement in Iraq, and analysts note that the Shiite-led country is filled with figures, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who spent time during Saddam Hussein's tenure exiled in Iran. Some even fought in Iranian-armed military units against Iraqi forces during the long, bloody Iran-Iraq War. But the United States has worried less about such political ties and more about evidence of tactical support being supplied by Iran to the Iraqi Shiite insurgency. Last year, President Bush said the United States had evidence of Tehran supplying "material support," including mortars and elements of sophisticated roadside bombs, to insurgents in Iraq who in turn target and kill U.S. forces. Bush promised to respond firmly if Iran extended its influence in Iraq and vowed to "seek out and destroy" weapons-supply networks used by Iranian agents. Some say the standoff with Iran reflects the White House's desire to project a position of strength and send a message to Tehran not to meddle in Iraqi affairs. Others say the gestures aimed at Iran may portend a military clash ahead, though such fears have subsided somewhat since the release of a U.S. intelligence report on Iran's nuclear program.
What is Iran's involvement in Iraq?
Enormous controversy swirls around this issue, and much of the evidence the United States cites as proof of Iranian involvement remains secret and in some cases is disputed by the Iraqi government, too. This has created an uncomfortable analogy to the period before the Iraq invasion, when secret intelligence ultimately discredited pushed the United States toward war.
Sheila A. Smith
Don't Overlook Japan's Diplomatic Heft
Paul B. Stares
Conflicts to Watch in 2023
Nonetheless, the United States alleges Iran is involved in Iraq on a number of fronts:
Military. The Quds Force, a special operations wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, is accused by U.S. officials of furnishing Shiite militias (USA Today) with explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), or roadside bombs, as well as rocket-propelled grenades and Katyusha rockets. Specifically, the United States alleges that it supports, trains, and finances militias like the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of one of Iraq's most religious Shiite parties whose base is in southern Iraq. "The Quds Force is to the Shiite militias as al-Qaeda in Iraq is to the Sunni insurgent groups," writes Rick Francona, a retired military intelligence official and former U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, on MSNBC.com. Some experts estimate as many as thirty-thousand Iranian operatives may be in Iraq. In October 2007 the U.S. State Department designated the Revolutionary Guard and the Quds Force supporters of terrorism, and imposed sweeping economic sanctions on both.
Religious. Iran has sent more than two thousand religious students and scholars to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. One-third of them belong to Iranian intelligence (PDF) and some are operatives sent to Shiite shrines to influence voters ahead of elections, writes Mounir Elkhamri, a military analyst for the Foreign Military Studies Office at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. There is also a booming cross-border religious tourism business. Tens of thousands of Iranians and Iraqis cross borders to visit holy sites each year; Iran is even building an airport in Najaf to facilitate this exchange of religious visitors.
Economic. Iran has emerged as one of Iraq's largest trading partners, with Iranian exports to Iraq topping $1.8 billion (PDF) in 2006, according to the Iranian Custom Administration, up from $800 million in 2004. A free-trade zone in southern Iraq has brought a surge of Iranian goods into shops in Basra, including kerosene and cooking gas. Anoushiravan Ehteshami, a professor of international relations at Britain's University of Durham, says southern Iraq is the only place outside of Iran where Iranian currency—the rial—is used. "That demonstrates Tehran's economic influence on its neighbor," Ehteshami told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Iran is constructing a highway to link Basra with Iranian commercial centers across the border. Tehran also plans to build a branch of its national bank in Baghdad and provide assistance for Iraq's economic reconstruction, according to Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Iran's ambassador to Iraq.
Social. Many powerful Shiite political parties made Iran their home base during the reign of Saddam Hussein's Sunni Baath Party. One of the most prominent was Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of Iraq's largest Shiite political party and commander of the Badr Brigade, its military wing. After a brief uprising by Iraq's Shiites in the southern port city of Basra in 1991, the group returned to Iran and competed for influence with other exiles. When Saddam was ousted in 2003, Iraqi Shiites returned, followed by Iranian leaders seeking to cement ties (PDF) with a new era of Iraqi politicians. Those relationships continue to dominate Iraqi politics in Baghdad.
Are there signs of intensified Iranian interference in Iraq?
U.S. officials insist that Iranian involvement in Iraq, particularly the arming and training of Shiite militants, increased in early 2008 (ChiTrib). But many experts, including Joost Hiltermann, Middle East deputy program director of the International Crisis Group, say Iranian activity in Iraq is not a new phenomenon. Tehran, for example, has had intelligence operatives in northern Iraq for the past two decades, including base offices in Irbil and Sulaymaniya, and enjoys close ties with Kurdish leaders. Iran's most recent alleged transgressions—support for Iraq's Shiite militias—stretches back to at least 2004, experts say. Lawrence J. Korb of the Center for American Progress believes the Bush administration is pushing a strategy to get more aggressive on Tehran. "This is not about Iraq," he says. "It's about Iran."
What are Iran's motivations in Iraq?
To create a security buffer zone. "Iraq is considered to be the first line of defense (PDF) for Iran against any foreign invasion, especially since Iraq has been the invasion route for military attacks on Iran in the past," writes Elkhamri. Tehran wants to establish good relations with its one-time enemy, keep the government in Baghdad weak, and prevent a Saddam-like strongman from seizing power. "They were attacked by Iraq and gassed by Saddam's forces for five years," Hiltermann says. "They have no interest in this happening again."
To strengthen Iraq-Iran relations. Iran has longstanding ethnic, religious, and political ties to Iraq. Iraq's leading religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is a native of Iran. Tehran also enjoys close ties to the Iraqi Shiite leadership, many of whom were exiled to Iran during the Saddam era, as noted above.
To curtail U.S. influence in the region. Iran's mullahs do not want to see democratization spread across the region or a U.S.-backed client state to emerge on their western border, experts say. Nor does Tehran seek a failed state. Some have called Iran's policy one of "managed chaos"—enough instability to eject U.S. forces from Iraq but not enough to engulf Iraq's neighbors in a wider sectarian war. Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy says of such a policy: "To a degree, this keeps [U.S. forces] tied down and not available for use in Iran."
Is Iran's involvement in Iraq impeding U.S. progress there?
To some degree, experts say. The Bush administration accuses Iran of abetting various groups in Iraq that carry out terrorist attacks against U.S. forces. "Parts of the Iranian government are engaged in activities that have the end result of posing a threat" to U.S. forces, says State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack. Others say Iran provides a useful scapegoat, or distraction, for the Bush administration. "If Iran were to go away today, the situation in Iraq would not change dramatically," says Korb.
Are Iranians abetting the Iraqi insurgency?
Iranian influence is most prevalent in Baghdad, the Kurdish areas of the north, and Shiite areas in the south. Further, Iranian agents appear to be supplying technical, financial, and material support for Shiite militias, and not Sunni insurgents. If anything, experts say, Iran is abetting political parties and their offshoot militias—groups like the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)—which is nominally aligned with the United States. However, Kenneth M. Pollack of the Brookings Institution tells CFR.org it is possible that Iranian-supplied arms may get sold on the black market and end up in the hands of Islamist extremists or Iraqi insurgents. Many of the car bombs used in Iraq bear traces of previous explosives used by Hezbollah, which were made in Iran.
How have U.S. forces counteracted Iranian influence in Iraq?
The White House has sought to limit Iran's interference in Iraq's political and military situation but has not sought to disrupt the two countries' economic ties. U.S. forces have received authorization to capture or kill Iranian operatives based in Iraq. Juan Cole of the University of Michigan warns in Salon.com this measure "raises the risk of open warfare," given the large presence of Iranian pilgrims in Iraq who may accidentally be ensnared by U.S. forces. U.S. troops have also raided an Iranian consulate in northern Iraq, detained a number of Iranian operatives, and seized a trove of documents. The U.S. Air Force has also intensified its patrols of the Iran-Iraq border. President Bush, in a January 2007 interview with NPR, warned the United States would "respond firmly" if Iran continued to endanger U.S. personnel in Iraq, but Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters he felt the standoff with Iran could still be solved "diplomatically." Making good on such promises, the U.S. military in November 2007 released nine detainees originally thought to be Quds Force members. The move followed a pledge by Tehran that it would stop arming, funding, and training extremists in Iraq, according to the Washington Post.
How solid is the U.S. evidence on Iran's involvement in Iraq?
U.S. officials have said they can trace serial numbers on mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and EFPs to sources across the border, but have resisted blaming the Iranian leadership. "We don't assess necessarily that the central government of Iran is behind this but we are certain there are elements, including the Quds Force (of Iran's Revolutionary Guard), who continue to train, finance and equip these people," a military spokesman told the Chicago Tribune in February 2008. But some experts remain skeptical of U.S. intelligence on Iran and stress it is difficult to track the flow of funds, arms, and personnel across Iraq's porous border with Iran, especially given Washington's lack of consular presence in Tehran.
Is Iraq in danger of becoming a puppet state of Iran?
Experts say there is potential, particularly in parts of Iraq's religious south that lean heavily toward Iran, but they discount perceived threats that Iraq's Shiite majority-led government will fall under the thumb of Tehran. Instead they say Iraq, despite being primarily Shiite, identifies itself as an Arab state, as opposed to Iran, which is predominantly Persian. "We should remember that the Shiite militias and the Shiites [in Iraq] really don't like the Iranians," says Pollack. "So it's difficult for the Iranians to buy their influence." Yet others say Iran's strategy is focused longer term and for the eventual day when U.S. forces exit Iraq. "The Iranians will always be there," Salameh Nematt of Al-Hayat newspaper tells PBS. "And they feel that, once the Americans leave, the Iraqi government is going to be more willing to cooperate on matters that serve Iran's regional policies andIran's regional domination."
Explore More on Defense and Security


It was go time in heaven. The ultimate, "Let's do this people" moment, with angelic actors scurrying about behind the scenes. But what, this fantastic news dispatched to lowly shepherds? Are you kidding me? But the angels' instructions came from on high.
The scene quickly transitioned from the lowly manger to the lonely fields, now illuminated by a gleaming unnamed angel messenger (why not Gabriel?) who outshined that unusually large star in the sky.
But that's God's style, to pass on the high and mighty, and use the most unlikely actors in the most unlikely settings. Like a lowly virgin and lowly carpenter from lowly Nazareth huddled around a lowly manger with a lowly baby.
But it makes perfect sense when you think about the remarkable purpose of the incarnation: for the Son of God to step out of heaven, shedding his regal robe for swaddling clothes, to bring himself low, in order to meet lowly me face to face, where I am, to lift me up.
It's hard to believe, but that's the real story of Christmas.
This entry was posted in Devotionals and tagged carpenter, Christmas, incarnation, Luke 2:7, manger, Nazareth, shepherds, virgin. Bookmark the permalink.


Tor Browser Android. Easiest Way to being Anonymous in Android.
Home Hacking Tor Browser Android. Easiest Way to being Anonymous in Android.
Being an Anonymous is not an easy task, We have to take all precautions to be an anonymous.Android is the favorite OS of hackers because it can be modified easily.Many peoples think that "I can hide my activities from the web on a PC by Tor Browser but Is it possible in my mobile". But before proceeding about Tor Browser Android, You should know 2 things from my old posts 1) What is Tor Browser and How To Use it? and 2.) How To be Anonymous?
Why Should you use Tor Browser Android?
If you are using an Android Device that's why you are here, that's why you want to know about Tor Browser Android. I know that you can hide yourself from Tor Browser of PC and take the precaution that nothing get sync into your mobile by your social media accounts or Email Accounts. But Unfortunately if this would happen than you will not more an anonymous and may be face a big trouble. As our old folks say Prevention is better than cure , So I will prefer you to use Tor Browser in your Android.
There are just a few steps to use Tor Browser in your Android Device.If you have used Tor Browser on your PC then you must know this that the default search engine in Tor Browser is DuckDuckGo but in the app, you can easily switch between search engines like Google, Bing etc.
Orbot: OrBot is used to change the proxy of your device or we can say install a temporary VPN in your device.It is used to change the IP of your device frequently to make you anonymous.
Orfox: OrFox plays the role of Browser, After changing IP from Orbot you can use OrFox for browsing safely.
Step:2 After installing both, open Orbot and click on Start, You have successfully changed your IP.
Step:3 Now, You can browse the web by clicking browse button or directly Open OrFox.
Step:4 You have changed IP successfully but you can confirm it by typing "My IP address" in the search engine of Orfox.You will see a random IP.
Researching is a good habit and you can do this with Tor also .There are lot of things in Tor Browser android which is useful for you.But before using any feature, confirm it that it will not harm your anonymity.
Now Use Tor Browser Android to make your work easy and safe.
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