Once you fill enrollment form mechanical engineering level 2 by david salmon penny powdrill ebooks are offered via our partner websites, information can be found. Indeed Salary Estimate Please note that all salary figures are approximations based upon third party submissions to Indeed. Although you need not have studied engineering previously you will still be expected to show an aptitude for the subject. Imagine that you threw a party for your friends and bought 5 pizzas, each with 10 slices. If you can remember to do that first, then the rest of the problem will be easy. During the qualification, you will receive 8-10 visits from one of our assessors.
The written content of the book alongside useful real world examples enables the learners to work at their own pace and access information in a various ways. Edinburgh's Telford College was named after , the great Scottish civil engineer, and was established in 1968 at Crewe Toll. Operations management is one of the central functions of all organisations. This is the date by which we must have decided to extend, withdraw or replace a qualification. This is the date by which we must have decided to extend, withdraw or replace a qualification. See Learning outcomes for details of what is assessed in relation to each goal and Assessment for details of how the outcome is assessed.
The Telford College campus, in the area of north Edinburgh, now forms one of the four main sites of the new college and is called Edinburgh College Granton Campus. During the qualification, you will receive 8-10 visits from one of our assessors. Some documents may be password protected. The sample material for unit 5 looks great! We'll come back to the problem of the leftover pizza in a minute, but first let's look at the rules for performing these mathematical operations with decimals. Independent Study: In order to complete assignments and to understand the concepts and applications presented students will be required to engage in self-study. Safe Operating procedures Week 11 Economical operations and managment considerations. The courses are diverse with many routes of progression such as introductory courses to higher national courses offering students higher levels of understanding and practical work that will enable them to find employment after graduation or to continue further by entering into degree courses at year 2 or 3 at partner universities.
Then, count the number of digits after the decimal in both of the original numbers and place the decimal in the answer so that it has this same number of digits after the decimal. The team are based at the Old Mill Lane site. To learn more, visit our. Miah, owner of the award-winning Raj Restaurant and founder and promoter of the International Indian Chef of the Year competition which is held annually at the college, will promote the partnership in Bangladesh and help to recruit applicants. To multiply two numbers that contain decimals, first just multiply them and ignore the decimal point altogether. If you are new to university level study, find out more about the types of qualifications we offer, including our entry level and. Some may be more about practice activity.
Target Group This vocational training course is intended for employees that are seeking recognition of their competence in one or more of a wide range of activities. To divide two numbers, you need to carefully follow these four steps: 1. To finish this problem, you need to add zeros to the shorter number so that each number has the same number of digits after the decimal. See Attributes for details of practice provided for each goal. Note that not all goals are necessarily part of assessment.
Hundreds of illustrations demonstrate the practical application of the procedures described. Most courses offer variations between two or three study choice options. Please help by removing and inappropriate , and by adding encyclopedic content written from a. In addition, this OpenLearn course discusses the role of operations managers and the importance of focusing on suppliers and customers. Target Group This vocational training course is intended for employees that are seeking recognition of their competence in one or more of a wide range of activities.
Edinburgh College Granton Campus in West Granton, Edinburgh Edinburgh's Telford College was a college in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is fully up-to-date with the latest technical information and best practice and also includes chapters on n-technical but equally essential subjects such as health and safety, personal development and communication of technical information. The qualification is based around the world of engineering and aims to introduce students to the various strands available within the field. The University has authorised and mandated the use of text-based similarity detecting software for all text-based written assignments. Details of the Assessment Policy are available on the Policies website at.
The text includes worked examples for calculations and key points to aid revision. Earning College Credit Did you know… We have over 160 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. Course Year s Offered , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Course Goals This unit contributes to the achievement of the following course goals: Attribute Practiced Assessed No 0% No 0% No 0% No 0% No 0% No 0% No 0% No 0% These goals are selected from which defines overall goals for courses where this unit is primarily offered. First, look at the divisor, the number that is doing the dividing. A team presentation of the finding of this project is part of the assessment. Going back to the problem of the leftover pizza, we can now also determine exactly how many pizzas you have left over. Interested in delivering this qualification? Adding with Decimals When adding or subtracting two numbers with decimals, you want to remember one important rule: always line up the decimals before doing anything else! Units offered include engineering maintenance procedures and techniques, industrial plant and process control, and monitoring and fault diagnosis of engineering systems.


Forbes recently highlighted how Facebook co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz established grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs) to transfer significant amounts of wealth tax-free. In 2008, Zuckerberg and Moskovitz established GRATs which will enable the Facebook executives to transfer as much as $185 million to future offspring or others without paying any gift tax. Most wealthy individuals recognize that this year offers a golden opportunity to transfer $5.12 million in assets without incurring any gift tax. However, the Facebook executives followed a similar tax strategy to the Walmart founders, the Walton family, by funding their GRATs with their rapidly appreciating Facebook shares.
GRATs function by allowing a grantor (Zuckerberg and Moskovitz) to place shares or other assets into an irrevocable trust and retain the right to receive an annual payment back from the trust for a period of time. Typically, to avoid the risk of premature death, advisors select a shorter time period of 2 to 4 years. If the grantor survives that period, any property left in the trust when the annual payments end passes to family members, other beneficiaries, or another trust.
A crucial aspect is determining the value of the remainder interest in the annuity. In calculating how much value will be left at the end of the annuity term (the remainder) — and thus how big a gift the grantor is making — the IRS does look at the performance of the actual stock (or any other asset) in the trust. Instead, the IRS assumes the trust assets are earning a meager government-determined interest rate. With a zeroed-out, or "Walton" GRAT, the grantor receives an annuity that leaves nothing for heirs if assets grow only at the IRS' lowly interest rate. If the assets grow faster, the excess goes to the heirs gift tax free. If assets or stock under-perform or decrease in value, there is no downside for the grantor because the annuity can be paid by returning some shares each year to the grantor.
As a result, a GRAT is an ideal instrument to shift assets you expect to suddenly increase in value. Hence, rapidly appreciating stock of technology giants (Facebook) or growing retails empires (Walmart) have proven to be the perfect assets to utilize within a GRAT. President Obama and Democrat legislators have targeted zeroed-out GRATs as tax loopholes of the wealthy and have proposed legislation which would eliminate their use. Until that time, the GRAT remains a valuable wealth transfer tool.
The idiom "pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered," is directly relevant to the current, generous gift tax exemption. During 2011 and 2012, don ors may gift up to $5 million in assets without paying any federal gift tax. The limited window of opportunity, depressed real estate prices, and liberal exemption amount are enticing factors for donors to transfer highly appreciated and/or highly valuable real estate. Typically, the giver transfers the real estate to one or more family members.
Despite the fact that gift tax is not owed on many of these real estate transfers, the giver must report any gift in excess of $13,000 to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"). The donor must file Form 709 to report U.S. gift taxes to the IRS. Irrespective of whether tax is due and payable or the transfer is made to a family member, Form 709 must be filed for gifts in excess of the annual exclusion amount.
A recent Wall Street Journal article noted that the IRS is scrutinizing gifts of real estate to family members. The IRS has obtained real property transfer information from 16 states. The small sample size revealed noncompliance rates in excess of 50% which will likely spur on additional IRS examinations of real property. While this is a favorable time to make gifts of real estate, seek assistance from trusted counsel to properly transfer real estate.
by: Jason C. Morris, Esq.


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Sony says its USB hub is the world's fastest SD card reader
Leica's V-Lux 5 is a high-end, travel-friendly camera
Canon's G7 X III can shoot vertical video for your Instagram
Latest in 120megapixels
Canon's 120-megapixel camera plumbs the depths of your pores
Kris Naudus, @krisnaudus
In case you thought current cameras didn't expose your physical flaws enough, this week's Canon Expo featured a prototype of the company's EOS series packing a whopping 120 megapixels. For contrast, Canon's current offerings top out around 20 to 50 megapixels. But 120? That's enough to capture every pore, wrinkle and even distinct reflections in a person's eyeball.
Gallery: Canon 120M Camera System | 9 Photos
The EOS 120M Camera System (also known as the Y038) may have not have been consumer-ready, but it certainly acted the part. The camera was hooked up to a 24-70mm lens and set up to capture images of artfully arranged knick-knacks like antique books, playing cards and a feather. The resulting photos, displayed on a monitor nearby, seemed almost surreal -- they were sharp, incredibly detailed and colorful, but something about them felt more like realistic paintings. I found myself looking between the physical objects and the digital image, not sure if they were the same thing. Zoom in on the photo, though, and every blade of straw and speck of dirt could be picked out in fine detail.
Another image on display was that of a young girl and, while she wasn't physically there for comparison, there was an incredible sense of intimacy as I zoomed in on her face, making out blonde hairs on her cheek and small creases in her skin. Look into her eyes and you could make out a reflection of the lighting equipment, stands and all, behind the photographer. You know how in crime shows they'll "enhance" a photo of a murder scene, to the point where they can now identify the killer via the reflection in the victim's eye? This could make that a reality.
However, as the 120MP EOS camera is only a prototype, we won't be seeing consumer models heading into creepy hyperrealism any time soon. But, given that Canon also announced a 250-megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor this week, it won't be long before we all have good reason to be self-conscious about our microscopic faults.
[Image credit: Canon]
In this article: 120megapixels, canon, CanonEOS, CanonExpo, CanonExpo2015, EOS, EOS120M, EOSY038, photography, Y038

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Deer Leader: It's a rollercoaster descent that ebbs and flows
Posted by Keira Brown | 15 October 2020 | Features, Music | 0
Last Night From Glasgow is proud to release the single Crocodile by Deer Leader. Deer Leader is the moniker used by Stuart McQuarrie, Ross Prentice and Robin Pringle who are three multi instrumentalists who produce introspective soundscapes, fusing loud guitars, spliced up beats, vocal samples and warm layers of reverb. Ross and Robin from the band spoke with The Fountain about the track and 2020 plans in more detail.
TF: What can we expect from Crocodile?
Ross: It's a rollercoaster descent that ebbs and flows: totally linear in structure. Crocodile is definitely one of my future favourites to play live, and to have put together in a writing/production context. To challenge oneself and the band to make the prettiest, spookiest and heaviest sounds possible (in that order) in the context of a single track was really exciting.
Robin: Thematically, Crocodile was inspired by the amount of self aggrandisement that we see around us everyday and the fallacy involved in constantly trying present ourselves as authentic; its superficiality and the way it's resulted in the commoditisation of our personal lives; we promote the "idea" of ourselves rather than the reality.
We now live in a feedback loop where insecurity breeds insecurity and where we simultaneously sell and consume ourselves at the same time and we're all guilty of it. I don't think we're saying anything that people haven't already realised, but maybe that's the point: the irony behind our awareness and willingness to participate is probably what's more worrying. Musically, the track presents this sheeny surface that masks the murkier feelings at the bottom. I also totally agree with Ross, it was great to create something that started in one place and ended in another. Andy (Miller), who produced the track with us, called it "a pure trip" when he heard it; I think we'd agree.
Robin: Trying to run away from your own ghost.
TF: What is your plan for the remainder of the year, after this single release?
Robin: We'll be looking at finalising mastering and artwork for our debut record, which comes out next year. After that, there will be initial discussions about where we are going in terms record number two, which is also really exciting.
Ross: Luckily, we've become pretty well-versed in working and creating remotely so will continue to write too. With live music in uncertain circumstances, we're considering what is actually possible and trying to make provisions for the future: prepare some semblance of performance, in other words.
TF: Where is your favourite venue for playing live?
Robin: Of all time? That would be the QMU. Deer Leader haven't played there, but Ross and I have performed there with previous musical projects. It's a criminally underused venue with a great history. It also brings back some lovely personal memories too.
Ross: Robin's picked a good wild card there actually. I've got a lot of love for a fun wee space like Sneaky Pete's, Captain's Rest (fun while it lasted!) and in terms of bigger shows there is just something about the Barrowlands, right?
TF: Where is the next place you look most forward to gigging?
Robin: There's obviously a lot of uncertainty about the future of live venues at the moment, so we're hoping a good few of our favourites are holding on. We stopped playing live a few years ago and purely focused on recording, so it would be great to play somewhere with a decent sized live room, as we're ready to blow off the cobwebs and fill the room with some pretty swells and big noise.
Photo courtesy of Rachael Stephen
PreviousAdenine: I'll be hunkering down and writing some new material through the winter
NextThe VCR: It's good to see new people giving our music a listen
Karl Jonas Winqvist: That opening band was our own ever-evolving The Second Hand Orchestra
Catriona Macdonald: Yes, being involved with Tradfest has been really great
Review: The RSNO at the Movies – The Music of Star Wars
Low Island: It's the first music we've put out for more than a year


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Pills to help poor children in poor schools
October 9, 2012 October 9, 2012 annejjacobson17 Comments
Suppose the problem really is in the environment, but you can medicate your child to help them cope. A lot of people may medicate themselves to help them through a bad situation. Facing an MRI in a closed machine (i.e., you're in the clanging tunnel for possibly an hour)? Xanax can seem reasonable if you are claustrophobic. A wedding with your most difficult relatives? Maybe xanax there too, or a martini or whatever. How about a bad work situation? A pill a day to keep anger away?
For myself I'd say absolutely not in the last case (clarification added in light of comment one). For a healthy child with a poor school environment that makes concentration and learning really too hard? C/D unmedicated, A/B on pills. I feel fortunate not to have to decide this one. Some people do have tO choose between these alternatives:
CANTON, Ga. — When Dr. Michael Anderson hears about his low-income patients struggling in elementary school, he usually gives them a taste of some powerful medicine: Adderall.
The pills boost focus and impulse control in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although A.D.H.D is the diagnosis Dr. Anderson makes, he calls the disorder "made up" and "an excuse" to prescribe the pills to treat what he considers the children's true ill — poor academic performance in inadequate schools.
"I don't have a whole lot of choice," said Dr. Anderson, a pediatrician for many poor families in Cherokee County, north of Atlanta. "We've decided as a society that it's too expensive to modify the kid's environment. So we have to modify the kid."
Dr. Anderson is one of the more outspoken proponents of an idea that is gaining interest among some physicians. They are prescribing stimulants to struggling students in schools starved of extra money — not to treat A.D.H.D., necessarily, but to boost their academic performance.
It is not yet clear whether Dr. Anderson is representative of a widening trend. But some experts note that as wealthy students abuse stimulants to raise already-good grades in colleges and high schools, the medications are being used on low-income elementary school children with faltering grades and parents eager to see them succeed.
"We as a society have been unwilling to invest in very effective nonpharmaceutical interventions for these children and their families," said Dr. Ramesh Raghavan, a child mental-health services researcher at Washington University in St. Louis and an expert in prescription drug use among low-income children. "We are effectively forcing local community psychiatrists to use the only tool at their disposal, which is psychotropic medications."
Dr. Nancy Rappaport, a child psychiatrist in Cambridge, Mass., who works primarily with lower-income children and their schools, added: "We are seeing this more and more. We are using a chemical straitjacket instead of doing things that are just as important to also do, sometimes more."
What Is the Current State of Feminism's PR?
October 9, 2012 Stacey Goguen16 Comments
I hope everyone had a very nice Let's-Glorify-Imperialism Day.
I came across this screen shot on failbook (which surprising takes quite a few shots at oppressive cultural patterns) and at first I had myself a mighty wince over seeing all the hackneyed stereotypes of feminism get thrown around. But then I found the article that the screen shot comes from, and that adds a whole new context: the #sorryfeminists hashtag was created by feminists. To mock these stereotypes. (here's the article on Slate):
One of the most frustrating parts of being a feminist is how negative stereotypes created to discredit feminism are now pretty much conventional wisdom. Like the population at large, actual feminists can be funny and sexy, despite our bad rap as sexless and dour. It's like living in Oz but repeatedly being told you're in Kansas. That frustration boiled over this morning when Deborah Needleman, the editor of T Magazine (and the stylish wife of Slate's own Jacob Weisberg), put up this joking tweet suggesting that feminists dislike women being sexy:
At this point, stereotypes of feminists are mocked so thoroughly that it's impossible to determine if someone who invokes one is trying to reinforce it, making fun of it, or playing up the ambiguity so that you get a little from both camps. Anna Holmes, the founder of Jezebel, and Irin Carmon of Salon (full disclosure: real-life friends of mine who are, may I say, ridiculously sexy ladies) decided to respond in a way that the Internet does best: embracing the confusion by creating the hashtag #sorryfeminists on Twitter.
It worked. The #sorryfeminists meme is, as I type, expertly tearing apart the idea that feminists hate fun, hate sex, and hate beauty. (It's also, like any other Twitter meme, devolving into layers of irony and meta-jokes that pretty much stop making sense altogether.
So it seems like there are both people using the #sorryfeminists hashtag to make fun of stereotypes and makes fun of feminists.
Okay and now there's yet another level. If you actually look on twitter (#sorryfeminists) there's a lot of people using this hastag to critique the white-washing and middle-class-centrism of feminism and its public face. For instance:
#sorryfeminists is fun/funny to people who can afford to be that stereotype, or who have the knowledge to refute that stereotype.
Cutesy side of 2nd wave. What #sorryfeminists is NOT addressing? Those OTHER labels: at worst oppressive/racist, at best willfully blind.
You gotta stop this echo chamber of white feminists who are given book deals to recycle the same tired ideas. #sorryfeminists I'm not sorry.
If I was introduced to white feminism 1st I would've NEVER been a feminist. Thank goodness for Black/brown feminist scholars
Feminism has a double PR problem. It still hasn't shaken some of these ridiculous stereotypes but it also all too often puts forward white middle class women and issues that are particularly (or only) pertinent to white middle class women–so they become interpreted as "the" issues of feminism.
(I sometimes catch myself doing this still: abortion is not the only issue for women's reproductive rights and health; balancing work and family is not a "new" issue for lots of families; fighting to gain respect for not changing your last name has little resonance for people whose marriage isn't recognized as legitimate no matter what they do with their name, etc.)
So in the name of helping improve feminism's PR, I'm giving a shout out to some of my favorite blogs that join in the dismantling of anti-woman oppression and that address issues that aren't often given the spotlight:
Because We're Still Oppressed
Womanist Musings
Geek Feminism
fbomb
Racialiscious
The Jaded Hippy


Mental health, online bullying, performance anxiety, and self-care in drag & National Coming Out Day.
Yesterday was World Mental Health Day. Today is National Coming Out Day.
Two big days that mean big things to me.
Yesterday, i decided to release part II of my interview with Lillith Grey for The Drag Show Podcast early because the topics we covered (online bullying, performance anxiety, and self-care) needed to be a part of the national conversation.
If you struggle with self-care or living with anxiety and mental health issues, these two episodes are JAMMED PACK with nuggets of wisdom, encouragement, an empowerment.
They are MUST listens when comes to starting to take better care of ourselves as artists and humans. You can listen to the episode below (but i HIGHLY recommend you listen to Part I on Mental Health and Trauma first. Listen here).
Today, i decided to rerelease my award-winning article, On Marriage, Being Gay, and Asking Your Born Again Parents For Their Blessing On Your (Gay) Marriage on Medium.
Because in our current-social political climate we need to hear and read about each other's stories of perseverance and triumph over adversity.
It's not easy being an out, loud, and proud only child queer with born-again parents. And if my story can help JUST ONE PERSON not feel so alone then it would have been worth it.
My hope is that either one or both of these things i created in love serves you in some way.
Go forth in bravery, diversity, and self-love!


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About Men Radio
Tag Archives: kids with cancer
Mele's Musings
THON at Penn State Banishes Despair
February 17, 2018 Christopher Mele
It is nearly 3 in the morning on the Saturday of Presidents' Day weekend and the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University in State College, Pa., looks to be hosting a celebration that is a cross between a rave and Mardi Gras.
The circular corridor teems with college students wearing leis, beads or frilly tutus (guys included), brightly colored T-shirts and sporting glitter on their cheeks or the letters "FTK."
Inside the arena, music loudly thumps and lights flash. The stands are filled with more students who gyrate and jump to the music.
Large cutout letters representing the names of various sororities and fraternities are outlined with strands of glowing Christmas lights.
I am still trying to figure out how they kept them lit without plugging into a outlet. Probably engineering students.
The arena floor is an ant hill of activity, with more students dancing, clapping and chanting.
The energy level at this hour is at a 7 and by the time the weekend finishes, it will be cranked to a 12 and the students will have torn off the dial.
Instead of heading to ski slopes or heading home for the holiday weekend or returning to their dorms after a night of drinking, these students instead dedicated themselves to a charity fundraiser known as THON.
THON is a 46-hour dance marathon and the capstone of a year's worth of raising money and awareness in the fight against childhood cancer. It is two days of no sitting and no sleeping.
And that's no kidding. Even spectators from the public who come to observe are expected to stand in a gesture of respect and support.
THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, involves more than 16,000 students in various capacities, and on this weekend, 707 dancers will be supported by members of 16 committees.
Some of the dancers had to raise a minimum of $2,800 to be eligible to be entered into a random drawing so they could have the privilege of being on their feet for nearly two days.
Last year alone THON raised $10 million for the Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pa. Since 1977, it has raised more than $146 million.
Reaching that level of success is an audacious undertaking requiring enormous planning and dedication.
And it shows.
A colleague who went to Penn State told me he had a cold dead heart but that THON touched him deeply.
I can now see why.
This will sound corny, but I was immediately moved by the good will that THON represented. Maybe I was tired from the three-hour drive, but I was an emotional basket case as soon as I stepped inside.
The cheer and verve on display would melt the heart of any cynic.
Testaments to the cause were everywhere.
Of particular note were T-shirts dedicated to certain children and others that read: "One day we will dance in celebration. Until then we will dance for a cure."
THON keeps the families of children with cancer in the forefront, with families actually attending the event and given a private setting to gather.
The logistics of pulling this off cannot be overstated.
We are talking Disney-scale behind the scenes planning for a weekend involving a core of 3,300 student volunteers who oversee everything from security to sanitation.
Dance relations committee members partner with designated dancers to see to their care and feeding, going so far as to sneak in pizza and steak dinners for those who have pledged not to sit for 46 hours.
The volunteer committee members, like my son Daniel, who is a sophomore and made the unusual catapult to the rank of captain of the public relations team, get two four-hour sleep breaks. Not that they take full advantage of the down time, of course.
Dan Mele explains things to his old man.
Daniel led us a through a backstage tour of the maze of hallways and stations that make up THON and introduced us to a number of key players along the way.
And here is the thing: To a person every single volunteer and student we met embraced the challenge of the weekend with a smile and an enthusiasm reserved for little kids on Christmas Eve.
Penn State's school spirit is legendary, bordering on cult-like. So chalk up that cheeriness and can-do spirit to youthful energy and naïveté and maybe whatever they put in the water in Happy Valley?
But that is the cynic's view.
In a week scarred by the loss of 17 lives in a shooting at a Florida high school, visiting THON was a chance to renew my faith in selflessness and humanity's desire to do good.
THON shows a cause can transcend politics, party affiliation, divisive beliefs and cultural and ethnic divides and we can rally to do something good FTK: For the Kids.
To donate, go to THON.org.
CancerFTKkids with cancerPa.Penn StateState CollegeTHON
Adirondack Daily Enterprise
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About Men
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Dispatches From Australia
Guest Blogger: John Roche
Guest blogger: Linda Fite
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Not All Men. Just Us Men.
About Men Radio is a show about men. Not all men, mind you, but specifically about a group of lifelong friends coping with rapidly changing gender roles and how they interact with their partners, their kids, their co-workers and each other. It's funny, feisty, smart-assed and very, very real.


Many factors have contributed to the decline of so-called haute cuisine over the past number of years. The worldwide recession played its part, of course, but even before that, the stereotype of Michelin star-chasing chefs, snooty waiters and stuffy dining rooms had taken a beating. Though Toronto's restaurant landscape has thus shifted toward the casual, a number of excellent eateries still manage the perfect mix of fine—very fine—fare and friendly yet discreet service.
Colborne Lane remains a standout in this category thanks to its restrained use of molecular-gastronomic techniques to create innovative taste and texture combinations. At the other end of the spectrum is One, where the simple ingredients—USDA Prime beef, fresh fish and more—speak for themselves. Venerable Scaramouche has trafficked in modern, French-influenced decadence for 30 years, while recent additions Aria and Scarpetta feature Italian flair in designer settings.
Foodies in the Entertainment District can find the distinctive upscale offerings of chef David Lee at lively Nota Bene or head to his former haunt, Splendido, where chef Victor Barry continues to serve up top-quality dishes with a farm-fresh philosophy.
Enjoy eating inspired by the country where fine dining was born.


A unique partnership between Marie Curie Cancer Care, British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde is being extended to June 2015 due to its continuing success.
The Caring Together programme, which was officially launched in March 2011, aims to improve the quality and access to palliative care for any patients in the advanced stages of heart failure. Since launching, the programme has already helped more than 230 patients and their families.
Every patient referred to the programme has benefited from a comprehensive assessment of their palliative care needs, a review of their cardiological management, and the allocation of a care manager who coordinates and manages the care for these patients.
The programme has ensured that heart failure patients with supportive care needs now have access to advice, support and services, including benefits and hospice day services, at an appropriate time in the progression and deterioration of their illness. The referral and support of these patients has been crucial in allowing them to stay in their preferred place of care and avoid hospital admissions where possible.
As part of the programme's extension, the provision of care to heart failure patients at the end of their lives will continue as well as the continuation of mentoring and training to support staff involved in their care which has been part of the programme since it began. During the extension the Programme will be evaluated for effectiveness. The programme will continue to fund the lead nurse clinical role and project manager based at the Marie Curie Hospice, Glasgow.
Marie Curie is the leading charity providing care to people with any terminal illness in their own homes or in one of its nine hospices. The charity is also a leader in research into the best ways of caring for people with a terminal illness. In addition to this the charity designs and advises on end of life services and works to ensure that the best possible care and patient choice is at the heart of commissioning end of life care across the UK. All Marie Curie services are completely free of charge. Around 70% of the charity's income comes from donations with the balance of funds coming from the NHS.
Coronary heart disease is Scotland's single biggest killer. For over 50 years we've pioneered research that's transformed the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions. Our work has been central to the discoveries of vital treatments that are changing the fight against heart disease. But so many people still need our help. From babies born with life-threatening heart problems to the many mums, dads and grandparents who survive a heart attack and endure the daily battles of heart failure. Join our fight for every heartbeat in Scotland. Every pound raised, minute of your time and donation to our shops will help make a difference to people's lives.


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Pissed Jeans - Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds - Gigs - Reviews - Soundblab
Pissed Jeans - Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds
by Andy Brown Rating:10 Release Date:2011-11-23 Label: Polyvinyl
It's Sunday night, traditionally a time to relax, watch something on Netflix and try to distract yourself from the thought of Monday morning. Except, I'm on holiday at the moment and I've come to see Pennsylvania's finest, Pissed Jeans, at the Belgrave Music Hall. Sometimes, life is pretty good.
I'm stood on the roof terrace when tonight's first band takes to the stage but I can feel the seismic vibrations through the floorboards as they burst into life. Along with the likes of Super Luxury, Blacklisters and Pink Rick, Irk play the kind of bludgeoning noise-rock that would make David Yow proud.
The sheer volume coming from the three-piece is impressive enough, their line-up consisting of drums, bass and throat-shredding vocals. The bassist stands in front of an array of effects pedals with a few of them presumably marked with the words loud, louder and really loud. The song's confrontational dirge combines the energy of hardcore with the tight rhythms of math rock; all smothered in a satisfyingly heavy, doom-laden rumble. It's dark, heavy-duty noise of the highest order.
The noise isn't about to let up with the arrival of York's Fawn Spots. The band offer up a set of passionately played, high-energy punk that manages to recall the likes of Husker Du, Mission of Burma and Rites of Spring. Stripped to the waist, singer, Jonathan Meager looks utterly possessed as he pours every ounce of available energy into each furiously delivered, vitriolic moment.
There's barely a seconds gap between songs and the set gains a hair-raising momentum as they launch into each three-minute, punk prayer. The vocal interplay between Meager and second guitarist Oliver Grabowski works particularly well, further adding to the song's sense of frantic urgency. In a nod to their influences the band rattle through a faithfully energetic rendition of Mission of Burma classic, 'That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate'. It's a genuinely exciting set and as they reach peak, in-the-red intensity during their final song I realise I'm sweating just watching them.
I've been lucky enough to see Pissed Jeans a couple of times before tonight's show, both times were an absolute riot. In fact, the first time around 2007 in the small upstairs room at The Fenton actually felt like a riot. But, you know, a fun one. With past glories in mind, I had pretty high expectations for tonight but wasn't too concerned; despite all the apparent chaos inherent in their music Pissed Jeans have been consistently ace since I first heard them.
Matt Korvette is on form from the beginning as he introduces the band as 90's Emo types, The Get Up Kids and apologises that Pissed Jeans couldn't make it ("we hope you like our Get Up Kids Music"). Suffice to say, The Get Up Kids never sounded like some unholy combination of Black Flag, The Jesus Lizard and Bleach-era Nirvana.
The band is animated from the start but no-one more than Korvette; strutting, sneering, gyrating and screaming his way through every song. We're only a minute in when Korvette attempts some kind of dance routine with an extension cable, wrapping it around himself like some drunken stage invader at a strip club. Despite the obvious aggression in the music and performance there's always an impish sense of humour at the core of Pissed Jeans, a sly wink that lets you know that they're actually having the time of their lives.
Of course it helps that the songs are so addictive too; guitarist Bradley Fry supplying riff after riff. The sound comes on like a juggernaut of sludge riffs and adrenaline, the repetitive bounce of King of Jeans classic 'False Jesii Part 2' sweating and screaming alongside the explosive joys of 'Health Plan', 'Cathouse' (the best song about cat allergies ever?) and 'Romanticize Me' from their last LP.
At one point Korvette jokingly complains that the singer never gets to sit down, this leads to the drummers stool being passed around the band during the next song. Punk is nothing if not a democracy. The set ends with a riotous 'Bathroom Laughter' but they're back on seconds later for one last sweaty encore. The last song is enveloped in feedback as Korvette prowls the stage eating a banana and ad-libbing some lyrics about his Puma underwear.
I leave slightly deaf but safe in the knowledge that Pissed Jeans are still one of the best live bands around.
Cloud Nothings - Last Building Burning
By Tim Sentz
Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams
Pissed Jeans - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Pissed Jeans - Why Love Now
By Rob Taylor
Pissed Jeans - Shallow
By Steve Reynolds
Pissed Jeans - Honeys
The Soft Boys - A Can Of Bees
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Wishbone Ash - Argus


Welcome to "Your Small-Town" USA!
If you are like me and grew up in a small-town you know how wonderful and horrible it can be.
Wonderful because of the quirky characters, nosy neighbors and all around friendliness and caring that people who live in a small-town have for each other.
Horrible because…well…the quirky characters (who always seem to be around when you're trying to impress a new boyfriend), nosy neighbors (who feel compelled to tattle when you skip school FOR THE FIRST TIME to meet said boyfriend) and friendliness that sometimes seems oppressive when you're young but that you appreciate way more when you get older.
Writing about small-town isn't really a challenge when you've lived in one for most of your life. I grew up in Fenton, Michigan and attended a Catholic school until eighth grade. I literally could ride my bike there every day until I went to high school, when I had to catch a bus for the first time.
I attended the University of Michigan for two years and took a couple anthropology classes. (And some others that I don't much remember…hey, it WAS the 70's!) It was there that the seeds for Heart of Stone were planted….
Shortly after I met and married my husband, we moved to Houston, Texas and…ba da boom!
Eventually, we got used to the traffic and hustle and bustle and heat of a large metro area…but after 14 years my husband longed for that small-town atmosphere again. Soooo…we moved to tiny Cheboygan, Michigan and froze our who-ha's off for 10 years. That's where I worked in the small rural hospital and got my background ideas for Finding Precious.
And yes…many of the characters are based on people I met there.
Our Michigan home needed to be a summer-only home.
Soooo…we moved back south in 2007, this time to Austin, where we bought a home just east in a small-town called Manor.
My small-town stories include pancake breakfasts and Fourth of July parades and friends who help each other out when times get bad.
And that leaves lots of memories for a few more small-town romance stories that have yet to be written!
Share your small-town memories with a comment or two here and please follow me on Facebook and Twitter!
Love the website and love your blog post! You have a great writer's voice and your books sound like a lot of fun.
Thanks you so much April…I am continuing to find my voice. ARWA has been the best choice I made this year!
I did grow up in a small town. Phone numbers were just four digits! Can't wait to read your books.
Appreciate the encouraging words! Thanks!
Hey Sandi! Great website (Kudos to Cheryl) and yes, after reading 'precious' snippets from "Finding Precious", I have to say you captured small town Michigan very well (e.g., the tourists, the fudge, & nosy landladies). I only endured 5 winters in Michigan, but that was enough for me. I'm glad we both found ARWA!
Thanks Evelyn! And yes, I am glad to back where it's warm!
Kudos to you and Cheryl Rae. Your website looks great! And I would like to commend you on your sticktoit-ness with getting those manuscripts done. I joined about the same time as you and unfortunately, my work keeps interfering with my writing. I want to retire so bad, but I have 5 more years. Meanwhile, once this class I am taking for work is over, maybe I can get back to focussing on my manuscript. GREAT WEBSITE! You keep chasing after those dreams, you are easily more than half-way there.
Thanks Laura! I too work fulltime and probably have to a few more years. I try to carve out time in the morning or after work, even if it is only 30 minutes, to write. It is bliss when I have a weekend to spend in my office with no interruptions. Few and far between I'm afraid.
Don't give up! Take what you can and keep on keepin' on!
Hi Sandi! Love the new site! Especially the super cute chalkboard on your "My Books" page. And I've gotta tell you that I'm mighty impressed with your book list. Can't wait to see what you cook up next!
Thanks Tammy…it was fun working with Cheryl to set everything up. Have a few other stories in my head, just need to get them on the paper!
Very nice! Your website is professional and comfortable – exactly the feel one wants when looking for a new book to read on those lazy summer days at the beach. And, considering that I am living in one of those small towns north of the state of Michigan freezing my who-has off; anything that can make me think of lazing on the beach or summer has to be well written! I congratulate you on a job well done.
I grew up in a small town too! Except I still consider myself "in recovery." I am a city girl at heart. Enjoyed your post!
Yes, I am small town still. But that's okay, it makes it easier to write about the characters that I remember…like the girl across the street who got into a fight with her boyfriend and he threw her purse in a tree! Never forget us trying to get it down that afternoon….:?
Well, I thought I'd already stopped by and commented, but I guess not! Site looks great! Congrats!
Hi Sandy! LOVE your website! Very tasteful:) Can't wait to read your books!


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What Does Electrical Engineering Consist Of
Home/ Electrical Engineering/What Does Electrical Engineering Consist Of
Questions for What Does Electrical Engineering Consist Of
What kind of jobs can you get with an electrical engineering degree?
A degree in electrical engineering can qualify you for a number of jobs in the electrical engineering field, including electrical engineer, electrical engineering technician, and electrical engineering technologist.
What classes will I take in electrical engineering?
In electrical engineering, you will likely take classes in circuits, electromagnetism, signals and systems, microelectronics, and digital systems.
What is the difference between electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology?
The main difference between electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology is that electrical engineering is a more theoretical field, while electrical engineering technology is more applied. Electrical engineers design and analyze electrical systems, while electrical engineering technologists build and maintain those systems.
What is electrical engineering used for?
Electrical engineering is used for a variety of purposes, including the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; the design and manufacture of electrical equipment; and the study of electrical phenomena.
What are the opportunities for electrical engineers?
There are many opportunities for electrical engineers. Some include working for a large company or corporation, working for the government, or starting your own business.
What is the future of electrical engineering?
The future of electrical engineering is bright. There are many new and exciting technologies that electrical engineers will be working on, including renewable energy sources, smart grids, and electric vehicles.
What are the challenges in electrical engineering?
There are many challenges in electrical engineering, including designing and creating new devices and systems, managing and optimizing energy usage, and ensuring safety and security. Additionally, electrical engineers must continually keep up with rapidly changing technology.
What are some famous electrical engineers?
Some famous electrical engineers include Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and Benjamin Franklin.
What is the electrical engineering salary range?
The electrical engineering salary range is between $50,000 and $200,000 per year.
How many years does it take to get a degree in electrical engineering?
It usually takes 4 years to get a degree in electrical engineering.
What are the prerequisites for electrical engineering?
There are no specific prerequisites for electrical engineering, but students should have strong math and science skills.
What are the best schools for electrical engineering?
The best schools for electrical engineering are MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Georgia Tech.
One of the challenges in electrical engineering is the management of large projects. Electrical engineering projects can be very complex and require a lot of coordination. Another challenge is staying up to date with the latest technology. Electrical engineering is a rapidly changing field and new technology is developed all the time.
There are many opportunities for electrical engineers. Some of these include working for a company that designs and manufactures electrical equipment, working for a company that installs and maintains electrical equipment, working for a company that sells electrical equipment, or working for a company that uses electrical equipment.
The future of electrical engineering is constantly evolving with new technology. It is important for electrical engineers to stay up to date on the latest advancements to ensure they are able to design and implement the most efficient and effective systems possible.
What are the jobs of an electrical engineer?
Some common jobs of an electrical engineer include designing and developing electrical equipment, systems, and components; maintaining and repairing electrical equipment; and conducting research and development on new electrical technologies.
What is the electrical engineering workload like?
The workload of an electrical engineering student is typically heavy. In addition to the normal coursework in math, science, and engineering, electrical engineering students must also learn how to design and analyze electrical circuits, systems, and equipment. They must also be familiar with the principles of electrical and electronic systems, including microelectronics, optoelectronics, and digital systems.
What are the skills of an electrical engineer?
An electrical engineer is skilled in the design, development, testing, and evaluation of electrical systems and products.
What is the electrical engineering curriculum?
The electrical engineering curriculum generally includes courses in circuit analysis, digital systems, electromagnetics, microelectronics, and signal processing.
The main difference between electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology is that electrical engineering is a more theoretical field while electrical engineering technology is more applied. Electrical engineering involves developing and designing electrical systems, while electrical engineering technology involves working with and maintaining those systems.
There are many opportunities for electrical engineers. Some include working for a company that designs and manufactures electrical equipment, working for a telecommunications company, or working for a government agency that oversees electrical safety.
The future of electrical engineering is bright. It is constantly evolving and becoming more and more important in our lives.
The challenges in electrical engineering include designing and prototyping electrical circuits, systems, and devices; understanding and predicting the behavior of electrical signals and systems; ensuring the safety and reliability of electrical systems; and managing the enormous amount of data generated by electrical systems.
The electrical engineering workload is typically heavy. Students are often required to take a large number of classes in order to complete the degree.
An electrical engineer must be able to work with electronics and circuitry, as well as have strong math and physics skills. They must be able to design and analyze electrical systems, and be able to troubleshoot and repair electrical problems.
The electrical engineering curriculum prepares graduates to work in the electrical engineering field. Students in the electrical engineering curriculum learn about the principles of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. They also learn about the design and application of electrical systems and devices.
Prerequisites for electrical engineering include a strong foundation in mathematics and physics.
There is no definitive answer to this question as different students have different preferences and opinions on what constitutes the "best" school for electrical engineering. Some prospective students might prefer universities with well-known and respected electrical engineering programs, while others might prefer schools with strong research programs or schools with a more hands-on approach to learning. Some of the most highly ranked universities for electrical engineering include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley.
The main difference between electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology is the focus of the education. Electrical engineering is the study of the principles of electricity and how to design and create electrical systems. Electrical engineering technology is the study of how to use electrical equipment safely and effectively in a practical setting.
There are many opportunities for electrical engineers. They can work in the electrical engineering field or in other industries, such as telecommunications, computer engineering, and biomedical engineering. Electrical engineers can also work in research and development, government, or education.
What Does And Electrical Engineer Do
Mechanical Engineering And Design Jobs


REDDING, Calif. - For three semesters, Simpson University students have partnered with third-graders at Juniper School for some old-fashioned pen-pal letter-writing.
The collaboration between Dr. Mardy Philippian's English students and the elementary-school students is part of Juniper's "No Excuses University" initiative, a national program that seeks to prepare students for college.
This spring, 19 students and teacher Paula Venegas, who is filling in for third-grade teacher Karen Lawrence, visited Simpson's campus for a tour and a chance to meet and have lunch with their grown-up pen pals.
AJ Valles, an English for Teachers major who transferred to Simpson as a junior, exchanged letters with 8-year-old Heaven Crosman. The two wrote a lot about space and the planets, one of Heaven's favorite topics.
Venegas said her third-graders couldn't wait to visit campus. In addition to lunch with their pen pals, they toured the campus and were given a quick lesson on DNA in the Science and Nursing Center when a student noticed fractions on a board in Dr. Trent Smith's classroom.
The students wore Simpson University T-shirts, which they wear most Mondays at school. As part of "No Excuses University," each class at Juniper "partners" with a college. Many of the teachers link up with their alma mater, including Lawrence, who earned her bachelor's degree and teaching credential from Simpson University.
Teachers spend time talking about various aspects of college life with their students and doing activities, such as online virtual college tours. A couple of years ago, Lawrence proposed a pen pal partnership with Dr. Philippian, whose sons attend Juniper.
Philippian said the handwritten correspondence provides an opportunity for his students to connect with something lost in an era of digital communication. It has also been valuable for students pursuing teaching careers, as it gives them a closer connection to young learners, he said.
Top: Simpson University students in Dr. Mardy Philippian's English classes meet their third-grade pen pals from Juniper School outside the dining center.
Middle Left: Biology professor Trent Smith gives a lesson on DNA to Juniper School students visiting campus.


text:
package com.lithium.mineraloil.jmeter.test_elements;

import org.apache.jmeter.testelement.TestElement;

import java.util.List;

public interface JMeterStep {
    <T extends TestElement> T getTestElement();

    List<JMeterStep> getSteps();

    boolean isReportable();

    void setReportable(boolean value);

    void setOutputFilePath(String userFileName);

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The loss of life of a loved one is a particularly agonizing and psychologically tolling experience, regardless of whether they were family or friend. If you are here, then you must be hunting for welsh funeral poems in order to honor the rememberance of your cherished one. As much as we all wish to craft our very own welsh funeral poems in order to read and also share with others, it can be pretty difficult for a person in the situation of having just lost a close adored one to be able to completely focus on writing welsh funeral poems. You do not need to go through any further emotional pressure in order to find the most appropriate welsh funeral poems. Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep is a stunning assortment of over 250 meaningful welsh funeral poems.
Anybody who is in your situation right now has a lot of issues to fret about, from burial plans to finding isolated time to reflect your loss to being a pillar of support for other friends and family members who will be grieving as well. Being called upon to recite welsh funeral poems with short notice presents you little time to be able to find a suitable poem together with the rest of the turmoil you and your family and friends are going through. Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep will be able to save you precious time that you should really be spending with others that need you right now.
In the event that you really want some thing that is personalized with regard to your loved one, it will be a lot simpler to modify the welsh funeral poems from Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep instead than creating your personal poetry from scratch. Discovering the most appropriate words to express your emotions and love could certainly not be easier than with this book. The appropriate words in a time of loss will be able to help calm both your own heart and soul, as well as the spirits of the others affected by the passing of your beloved one. Because you often do not have much time to prepare your personal welsh funeral poems, Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep is available instantly to download. No matter when you want to compose your poetry, you can immediately have access to this great resource.
No matter what purpose you happen to be searching for welsh funeral poems for, whether it be a funeral, memorial service, obituary, condolence letter or sympathy card, this useful book will end up being a tremendous resource for you.
Click here to visit the Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep website to be able to download your copy right now so that in this time of difficulty and loss, searching for welsh funeral poems is one less thing of which you need to worry about.


Go directly to the websites of top hotels in Cleveland TN - from discount deals and affordable hotel rooms for the budget traveler to the best luxury four star and top five star hotels. You can also search for lodging that caters to your specific needs, such as extended stay hotels, family friendly, hotels for business traveler / event planning, suite / boutique hotels and much more. Find Cleveland hotels with features such as Internet Access, Outdoor Pool, Restaurant, Wireless Internet, and more.
Welcome to beautiful Cleveland, TN. Cleveland is the home of breathtaking mountain views, the Tennessee River and numerous other scenic attractions. As one of America's fastest growing communities, Cleveland is the home of a variety of major industries including Amazon.com, Whirlpool, Wacker, Arch Chemicals and LifeCare Centers of America just to name a few. A popular vacation spot, Cleveland particpated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, hosting the river and whitewater events. Lee University and Cleveland State College are two ot the state's finest Educational Institutions and the Church of God and Church of God of Prophecy International headquarters both call Cleveland home. Less than 15 minutes to Chattanooga and one hour to Knoxville, Cleveland is considered to be a partner in business with both of these larger metropolitan cities. Come visit Cleveland, TN for an enjoyable time in the heart of the South.
Find hotels rooms, hotel booking, hotel deals, Cleveland hotel reservation, motels, hotels cheap, hotel reservations, Cleveland hotels deals, hotel offers, booking hotels and more!!


Rapid Capital Funding has a special cash advance program for transportation businesses, allowing you to receive up to $250,000 in working capital per location in as little as 48 hours.
The competitive landscape in the transportation space is getting more competitive by the minute. Now more than ever is it important for limousine and taxicab companies to maintain the newest fleet of vehicles and employ reliable and trustworthy drivers to help provide the ultimate in comfort to their customers. The cost to meet this need coupled with the fluctuating cost of fuel and repair costs can make it difficult to maintain positive cash flow. That's where Rapid Capital Funding can help. We have a business cash advance program tailored specifically to small transportation business owners.
Alternative to traditional bank loan, with Rapid Capital Funding, you can be approved for a business cash advance of up to $250,000 against future sales without a stringent application process, or the strict requirements of collateral or good credit, both of which are required by your traditional bank. Plus, we aim to build long-term partnerships with our merchants and look forward to meeting all of their funding needs, both current and future.


AMMAN-Arab News- The Jordanian government has taken steps to ease the plight of Palestinians living in the country and to bolster the civil defense guards at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Wasfi Kilani, director of the Hashemite Fund for Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Arab News that the actions come as part of a combined effort to support Jerusalemites.
"With instructions from His Majesty, we have endeavored to provide administrative support to Jerusalemites by reducing passport fees by a third, and by increasing the number of guards and administrators of the Jordanian waqf in Al-Aqsa Mosque to 1,000," Kilani said.
Fawaz Shahwan, head of Jordan's Passport Department, told Arab News that the Cabinet has accepted recommendations to reduce passport fees and allow Jerusalem's Palestinians to renew their passports without the burden of travel to Amman.
"Now a Palestinian in Jerusalem can go the nearest Jordanian waqf office to apply and the approved passport will be delivered to his or her East Jerusalem home," he said.
Shahwan confirmed that the passport fees have been reduced from 200 Jordanian dinars ($280) to JD50, the same fee paid by Jordanians.
In another step to bring Jordanians and Palestinians closer, the Jordanian army's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Freihat, launched a program funding and coordinating the travel of about 24 Jordanian military officers and their families to Christian holy places in Palestine.
Gen. Emad Haddad led a delegation of Christian army officers to Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem.
Haddad told Arab News that the three-day visit and was made in parallel with the participation of Muslim officers in the annual Hajj pilgrimage to the Saudi holy places.
"Our visit was unique and emotional. People were moved by this positive initiative that showed equality in the Jordanian armed forces and contributed to Palestinian-Jordanian brotherly relations," he said.
Jerusalemites interviewed by Arab News welcomed the moves, saying they would contribute to the steadfastness of the people of the holy city.
Khaleel Assali, editor of the Jerusalem-based website Akhbar El-Balad, told Arab News that the actions of the Jordanian government will strengthen the morale of Palestinians.
"With so many placing Jerusalem's Palestinians under siege, it is a scent of fresh air coming from the East that gives people hope," he said.


Empower hourly employees with mobile access to their work schedule and the ability to swap shifts, track earnings and more.
How does Branch empower your employees?
With Branch, employees receive their schedule to their mobile device and maintain access at all times. Gone are the days of having to drive into work to see when their next shift is.
Employees use Branch to pick up shifts, VTO requests, request time off and communicate other scheduling needs with the click of a button.
Branch enables employees to communicate with the company like never before, creating an empowered and continuously learning employee.


Learn from one of London's top jazz guitarists!
Guitarist Max O'Rourke of the Rhythm Future Quartet will be presenting a clinic centered around the art of rhythm playing within the Gypsy jazz genre.
For this workshop, Jason will examine a standard swing tune and various classic licks and phrases to help you start improvising over that tune. Phrases will be taught by ear but will be supplemented with sheet music. He'll also cover various stylistic approaches (vibrato, bowing, etc.) to help you get that authentic swing sound achieved by jazz violin greats like Stephane Grappelli and Joe Venuti.
Learn about Brazilian Choro style of guitar playing from two masters!


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The Crown Jewel Of The Embassy
Jimmy Rave
On October 2nd 2005, I attended my first Ring Of Honor show. It was held at the PA National Guard Armory in Philadelphia. ROH was something that I had heard of for a few years, but I had never been to a show before that, or even seen a full match from one of their shows. YouTube had just come into existence about six months earlier, so the only exposure I had to their product was a few grainy video highlight clips of their wrestlers.
The draw that brought me to this show was the main event. Japanese wrestling legend Kenta Kobashi had come to North America for the first time in his career that Fall, and the October 2nd show was just his third match ever in the United States. However, while Mr. Kobashi may have been the factor that motivated me to buy my first ROH ticket, the rest of the talent roster is what kept me coming back
The third match of that night featured two guys who I had never heard of back in 2005 - Matt Sydal and the leader of a group called The Embassy, Jimmy Rave. It didn't take me too long to sort out who was playing the role of the villain in their match.
ROH fans had adopted the practice of wrestling fans in Japan by throwing colored streamers in the ring during the entrance of the good guys. They generally didn't throw anything for the villains, but Jimmy Rave was the exception to the rule. As soon as he set foot in the ring, streaming rolls of toilet paper came flying at him from all directions. When this happened, Jimmy lost his mind with anger and screamed at the fans until his face was as red as a stop sign while catching rolls of toilet paper out of the air and firing them back at the audience. I had never seen any wrestler/fan reaction for a heel entrance to the ring come anywhere close to his, before or since. He played the role perfectly!
He wrestled at most of the ROH shows that I had been to in the years that followed, and he never failed to get a big reaction from the fans. I had heard that he signed with TNA Wrestling right around the same time that I went back to college and, consequently, had to cut back on going to shows. I didn't watch TNA, and my free time and spare cash in those days were pretty limited, so I lost touch with Jimmy's career progress and with professional wrestling in general for a few years.
Jimmy spent much of the past decade touring with independent promotions. Things sadly took a turn for the worse last November. In a post on Twitter, Jimmy announced his retirement due to an infection which resulted in the amputation of most of his left arm. Unfortunately, it did not end there, as the infection had spread to both of his legs. He shared this message on Twitter just seven weeks ago:
This morning, I learned that Jimmy Rave, whose real name is James Michael Guffey, passed away on Sunday night. He was only 39 years old.


19 What happens when I reanimate a creature with protection from black with Animate Dead?
17 Can I ask for Wastes like basic lands in Limited?
11 What happens with multiple copies of Humility and Glorious Anthem on the battlefield?
10 How does Sundering Titan handle snow lands?
7 What is the correct way to shuffle?
1 Insertar tabla dinámica en BOOTSTRAP el 12 feb.


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G.I. Joe 2 | Cobra Strikes
Homecomic-book-movies
With the Transformers franchise coming to a stand still it gives Hasbro some dedicated time to make G.I Joe 2 the movie the first one should have been.
G.I Joe Rise of Cobra was a pretty cool movie even it didn't have the best reviews. They made the most out of the franchise and it worked pretty well. For the sequel they will take what worked from the first movie and improve it catch up with the standard of other comic book movies.
Ray Park will return as Snake Eyes. Sienna Miller who played the Baroness wont be returning but Adrianne Palicki the actress who played Wonder Woman in the pilot has been cast and may very well be the new Baroness.
Going off these early reports it looks like the movie will take a much more darker and less cheesy direction.
Posted by Adi Mursec on July 4, 2011
More G.I. Joe 2 | Cobra Strikes News
G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation Trailer in HD
If Wonder Woman joining G.I. Joe wasn't enough the new trailer has the first shots of Bruce Willis joining the gang.
Eternals movie news
The Eternals is part of Marvel Studios Phase Four of their plan for world domination. It's based on a team of immortal celestial beings who are hidden from the modern world but defend it from the evil Deviants. The first movie was released in November 2021 with no sequel yet confirmed.
Blue Beetle Movie
The Blue Beetle is a movie which is going into production is based on the comics and set for release on HBO Max
Black Adam Movie News
It's been in the works for nearly a decade but the Black Adam movie starring Dwayne Johnson is finally in production. The target release date for the movie will be sometime late 2021.
Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead.


Office Design: Wood Desk Home Office. Mission White Solid Wood Writing Desk Home Office Computer Desk. Solid Wood Corner Desk Home Office. Wood Home Office Desk Chairs. Solid Wood Desk Home Office. Wood Desk Home Office.


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UPI based P2P fund transfers may soon attract charges
Priyanka Pani Mumbai | Updated on April 01, 2019 Published on April 01, 2019
Person to person UPI transactions likely to be chargeable from May 1, 2019. - Getty Images/iStockphoto
Google Pay transactions hit $81 b in March
Banks to charge customers after first 30 UPI transactions
Person to person (P2P) fund transfers using Unified Payments Interface (UPI) may soon be charged. Currently, the UPI transactions, for both person to person or person to merchant, do not attract any charges. However, some banks have already started sending notifications to their customers stating that person to person UPI transactions would be chargeable from May 1, 2019 onwards.
Kotak Mahindra Bank, for example, has told its customers that there would be charges after first 30 P2P transactions on UPI. Fund transfers to any bank using account number and IFSC code, would be included within the first 30 UPI transactions. After the first 30 free UPIs, every UPI transaction below or equal to Rs 1,000 will be charged Rs 2.50 and above Rs 1,000 will attract a fee of Rs 5 per transaction with an 18 per cent GST.
The bank has, however, clarified that while the merchant payments, online shopping , bill payments etc will continue to remain free and only the person to person (P2P) fund transfers would be chargeable irrespective of the bank accounts and wallets (PhonePe, Paytm, Google Pay) the customers use.
Rohit Rao, Chief Communication Officer, Kotak Mahindra Group said, "We continue to promote UPI as a convenient way to pay. More than 95 per cent of our customers do an average of 5-10 UPI transactions per month. While we continue to offer the first 30 P2P UPI transactions per month at no cost, charges are being introduced only for all subsequent UPI P2P fund transfers, beyond the monthly 30 free transactions. This is intended to prevent abuse of the UPI system and will not impact genuine customers. Receiving money through UPI as well as all merchant transactions continue to be free."
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for all retail payments in India and creator of UPI, could not be reached for comments. Other banks such as ICICI, HDFC and SBI are likely to follow the suit, said sources within the banking industry. In all 139 banks are offering UPI payments as of today.
Experts feel that 30 free transactions are good enough as the charges post that would be only for P2P fund transfers and it would not obstruct normal merchant payments.
According to Worldline India, a global company providing services for electronic transactions, the total volume of UPI transactions in 2018 was 3.7 billion transactions, a 769 per cent increase from the previous year. In terms of value, that translates to transactions worth Rs 5.79 trillion, up by 922 per cent from the previous year.
Worldline India's report further states that the number of transactions done on mobile wallets in 2018 was 3.98 billion, an increase of 33.4 per cent over 2017. Meanwhile, the value of transactions in 2018 was Rs 1.73 trillion, an increase of 81.46 per cent over the previous year despite the regulatory challenges faced by the wallets with regard to KYC. Though there is no data on how much of this accounts for P2P transactions, industry experts said UPI's growth has been largely led by P2P transactions.
Pranab's Presidential years
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana needs to be extended
Nizamabad turmeric farmers take to the streets; demand MSP of ₹15,000 a quintal
US Treasury and its voodoo economics
regional elections
Aadhaar and cash transfers


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Franklin, NC
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin
unitarian universalist, liberal, interfaith Franklin, NC
89 Sierra Drive
Franklin, NC 28734
Founded in 1974: The Franklin Fellowship was organized as a religious community in 1974 under the auspices of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA). The purpose of the Fellowship as stated in its Bylaws shall be to pursue the study of and to practice the principles and purposes of the UUUA which includes the free quest of high values in religion and life.
Lay-led Fellowship: Throughout our history we have been a "lay-led" congregation offering numerous opportunities to participate fully in the life of our Fellowship family.
Purchased property in 1982: The Fellowship purchased its first property in 1982 where it remains to this day. Membership at that time was about 25.
Current Membership: Current membership exceeds 80. Major programs of the Fellowship in addition to Sunday services include religious education, community outreach, and a Caring Connections Network for members and friends.
Green Sanctuary Certification 2005: We received formal recognition in 2005 by the Unitarian Universalist Association as a Certified Green Sanctuary Congregation, joining a growing network of liberal religious churches who seek to act as trustees of the planet. Moreover, members are encouraged to visualize environmentally sound practices as a core value of the Fellowship.
New Green Sanctuary 2008, new social hall 2010: In November 2008 we moved into our new, round, green sanctuary with a dedication in January 2009. In April 2010 we moved into our new social hall on the lower-level of the sanctuary.
Welcoming Congregation 2010: Built on a long-standing committment to equality and engaging in the Welcoming Congregation process, we received certification in 2010 by the UUA's Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns (OBGLT).
New Logo 2012: Our new logo was created in 2012 to reflect our beautiful pendant lighting and craftsman style. It also celebrates our commitment to the arts and the environment.
We, The Member Congregations Of The Unitarian Universalist Association,
Covenant To Affirm And Promote:
1.The inherent worth and dignity of every person,
2.Justice, equity and compassion in human relations,
3.Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations,
4.A free and responsible search for truth and meaning,
5.The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large,
6.The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all,
7.Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are all a part.
The Living Tradition We Share Draws From Many Sources:
•Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder,affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life,
•Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love,
•Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life,
•Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves
•Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit,
•Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision.
•As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.
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I haven't posted much for a few months and that's quite simply because I've been absolutely snowed under with work. Switching from Illustration to Textiles and Surface Design for the Final Year of my degree has been such a massive learning curve, it's utterly wonderful to learn something new, but at times it has also felt overwhelming. I'm now in my last week before having to submit the entire body of work I've created in the last few months. Our module has been all about Innovation and Experimentation. Quite honestly, each and every new process I've learnt… and there have been quite a number of them, has for me been experimental in itself. There are so many new skills to learn and get up to speed with, from seemingly simple things such as how to make a collection cohesive to different dye techniques and fabric surfaces and a huge variety of different technical processes. Gradually, very gradually I am getting there, although I still have a huge amount to learn.
For now though, I thought I would leave you with a development on my New Year design which has sparked so many new creative ideas of its own.


In the world of fast paced social media, you could be forgiven for thinking that blogging is out-dated. Almost everyone, from your grandmother to your potential business partner, is on Facebook – and anybody who is anybody is tweeting on a daily basis (including Presidents and Prime Ministers) Social media is now so dominant that the Modern Language Association have published guidelines for how to reference tweets in an academic paper.
Nevertheless, blogging still has its part to play, not least because the popularity of these social media platforms is also one of its disadvantages. Facebook is extremely overcrowded and, while paid ads can make a difference, beating the algorithm and rising to the top of news feeds is a constant struggle. This is before you even consider the jungle that is Twitter, where getting a tweet noticed requires split second timing.People are also reluctant to interact with long form text on these platforms and almost all algorithms have a propensity to favour images and videos.
For businesses, a blog serves as both a platform for original content and a series of continuous demonstrations of the value you bring. Potential customers are more likely to trust a business which engages with its audience directly through blogging. A blog can also keep established customers abreast of new information and developments in the service. Add to this the changes coming with GDPR making email marketing more difficult and a blog becomes a vital part of your communication toolkit. Not only does it increase your visibility in the marketplace, but also keeps existing customers engaged.
For individuals, blogs are a great way to share your personal journey, and build your personal brand. This beats social media because, for a start, your blog posts are more easily found using a search engine. That means someone under similar circumstances to you is more likely to discover your story online. Your blogs are hosted on one place unique to you, which makes it much easier for followers to find and read similar posts. You can still share blog entries on social media to raise awareness , but blogs are still a better platform for sharing your stories.
For charities and non-profits, blogging is an inexpensive way to increase interest in your cause and feature case-studies and success stories. Encouraging volunteers from the people you've helped to write guest blogs can also serve to drive up engagement. Their friends are more likely to read and share something if it's written by someone they know. In addition, blog hosting is usually free, with potential for adding a fully fledged websites and custom email domains at reasonable rates.
Finally, if you're writing about something with which you're familiar, the whole process is easy! To write a good blog you don't need to be a professional writer or a journalist. You just have to be enthusiastic about the topic and write from the heart.


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Creature Feature: Coquí guajón
Posted by The Ethogram on November 23, 2021 November 23, 2021
On a small island in the Caribbean, ancestrally known as Borinkén, a demon lives in the Guajonales mountains on the southeast of the island. Or so says the folklore legends told by those who were haunted by the echoing calls [5] of the coquí guajón (Eleutherodactylus cooki) of Puerto Rico. This evil spirit of the mountains is the second largest species of the 17 species of Eleutherodactylus that can be found in Puerto Rico.
Listen to the haunting call of the coquí guajón! [Source]
This species is also known as the Puerto Rican rock frog [4], a reference to its endemic habitat, the Guajonales. The Guajonales are a unique rock formation in the southeast of Puerto Rico. Some believe that the name of the rock formation comes from a Taino word meaning piles of rocks with small crevices [3]. This is a fitting name, as those crevices are home to the coquí guajón where they help amplify male's matting calls and solidify this little frog's place in legend [2,4]. Guajón are well-adapted to their unique cave homes. Their eyes are the largest reported of the species found in Puerto Rico, which helps them see in the especially dark caves they call home [2,3]. To aid them in climbing, they have especially large distal discs (or finger tips) and the longest arms known to the genus [2,3].
Like the rest of its genus, coquí guajón has exclusive male parental care [1]. This means only the male takes care of the clutches of eggs. Also, like the rest of its genus, the young go through direct development [2]. Contrary to most other frogs, coquís don't go through a tadpole phase, but are instead born fully formed. What makes the coquí guajón unique in these aspects, is that one male can take care of up to four egg clutches from up to four different females [1]! The females know which male is going to make the best dad, because the guajón has a distinct difference between the males and females that no other coquí has. The best dads have more brightly colored yellow bellies in comparison to other males of the species [1]. And good dads they are; many researchers that study the guajón have stories about how this toothless amphibian does his best to bite the fingers of anyone who comes near their eggs [3]. Likewise, the males protect their clutches against predators and competing males, which I think makes them good candidates for the "Dad of the Year" award.
A male coquí guajón protects a clutch of eggs [Source]
Of course before the female has the opportunity to assess the male's coloration, she has to find him. The males sing to make themselves easier to find, but what makes the guajón song unique is its haunting reverb that gets amplified by the caves. On top of that, the guajón has a relatively quiet time all to himself to sing. Unlike most frogs native to the island, the male of the guajón sings the most during the late afternoon while the sun is still out [3].
Sadly, our little demon of the mountains is endangered [4]. Their limited native range, land development, climate change, and diseases have done a number on the species. But not all hope is lost. Various organizations like Projecto Coquí and Para la Naturaleza have made strides in bringing consciousness of the species to the public and protecting its land. Additionally, local scientists are bringing attention to the importance of the guajón both as a biological indicator to the health of the forest [2] and a pivotal predator to control insect populations [3]. Only time can tell if these efforts will be successful in preserving the coquí guajón. But in the meantime, those of us that live in Borinkén should feel privileged to be haunted by this beautiful spirit of the mountains.
Boricua born and raised, Sofía Meléndez Cartagena is a PhD student at UC Davis who specializes in running after bees and observing their beehaviours. She believes that computational thinking is not just for computer scientists, and that many biological problems have computational solutions. Currently, she's become especially obsessed with observing the origins of social organizations in insects.
[1] Burrowes, Patricia A. (2000). Parental care and sexual selection in the Puerto Rican cave-dwelling frog, Eleutherodactylus cooki. Herpetologica, 56(3), 375-386.
[2] Barrios González, Marla M. & López Colón, Jonathan Alfredo (2019). Coquí guajón o demonio de Puerto Rico (Eleuctherodactylus cooki). Perspectivas en Asuntos Ambientales, 7, 10-21.
[3] Joglar, Rafael L. "Coqui Guajon." Proyecto Coqui, https://proyectocoqui.com/es/coqui-guajon/. Accessed 6 October 2021.
[4] U.S Fish and Wildlife Services. "Puerto Rican rock frog or coquí guajón Eleutherodactylus cooki." U.S Fish and Wildlife Services, https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/amphibians/puerto-rican-rock-frog/. Accessed 11 November 2021.
[5] Villanueva, Luis J. "Coquí guajón (Eleutherodactylus cooki)." CoquiPR, https://coquipr.com/coqui-guajon.html. Accessed 4 October 2021.
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This is essentially a threat to Congress – if you don't pass something soon (in the lame duck session, for instance), we're going to bypass you and go directly to the states. This has been coming for some time.
Gives new meaning to the PoliBlog. Doesn't it? Tom Tauke writes there.
Franchise fees, which are right now negotiated on a town by town basis will be flattened to 3%, which is less than most municipalities currently get. That means a local tax hike for most communities.
There will be no buildout requirements, which currently exist when franchises are negotiated on the municipality level. This means Verizon can "skim the cream" and leave huge areas unserviced — a broadband ghetto. . . .
Courtesy Community hookups for municipal services will no longer be required. This means that Libraries, Municipal Services, Emergency Serivices, and others will have to purchase their broadband services. This is another cost that will be passed on to the taxpayer.
Community TV and local access will no longer be a requirement, further distancing content providers from local residents and further marginalizing communities.
In most cases prices will stay the same or go up.
There will be very little additional competition.
FiOS is still Asynchronous, unlike similar Fiber Optic networks in other countries.
Verizon is notorious for its small print, so if you buy "unlimited access" or "unlimited bandwidth" don't for a second believe you'll get it.
The Senate Commerce Committee released yesterday, and posted on its web site today, a Verizon-funded push-poll that not surprisingly finds 1. Most Americans want competition in cable and 2. Most Americans are opposed to "onerous" (that's the word used by the supposedly independent "bi-partisan" write-up of the poll results) net neutrality regulations.
Faced with this choice, is it any surprise that 66% of the 800 registered voters surveyed (91% of whom were clueless about net neutrality) opted for the delightful delivery of benefits of new video choices over the insidious barring of cool new services such as faster broadband and better security?
The survey, conducted by not one but two bought-and-paid-for political polling firms, Public Opinion Strategies and The Glover Park Group, is just routine message manipulation by the pollsters . . . But the fact that once again, the United States Senate is disseminating corporate propaganda on one of its most powerful committee's web sites, funded by stiffs like you and me, should get everybody hopping mad.
. . . The Senate Commerce Committee has given up even a thin veneer of working for the public. It's working for Verizon now.
Republican Sen. George Allen is deceiving constituents about his recent vote AGAINST Net Neutrality and Internet freedom–and he's doing it using taxpayer dollars.
Allen has accepted $113,000 in campaign cash from phone and cable companies AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and Time Warner. Last week, he voted to let them put tollbooths on the Internet and have more control over what you see and do online–a blow to Internet freedom.
Allen is now using his taxpayer-funded website to say he "voted yes" on a bill that "addresses the issue of Net Neutrality." Indeed, as MyDD's Matt Stoller also points out, the bill Allen voted for "addresses" Net Neutrality by putting it on the road to elimination. He voted no on preserving Net Neutrality.
If the telcos don't soon match cable's three-product package of phone, Internet, and video service, they risk falling dangerously behind in the race to win customer loyalty over the next decade. "We expect accelerating access line losses (from phone companies) throughout the next three years" as cable companies are able to market their full lineup of products to their customers by 2007, Bernstein's Jeff Halpern told analysts in a recent conference call.
FAST TRACK TO TV. Another crucial element of telecommunications law centers on the process of applying for licenses to sell TV services in new markets. Currently, phone companies must apply for franchise licenses on a city-by-city basis—a process that could take years and slow the telcos' TV rollout to a crawl. AT&T and Verizon want legislation that lets them apply for a nationwide license.
The Senate committee, hoping to stimulate competition, is open to putting phone companies' TV plans on the fast track. Its bill essentially allows for TV franchising to be determined at the national level by setting a time limit of 90 days for local government to grant the franchise. If not acted upon after 90 days, the franchise is deemed approved for 15 years. But again, Stevens needs full Senate approval, and leaving TV licenses in the hands of national regulators looks as though it faces opposition among some in the full Senate.


Welcome, readers, as always, and, if it's part of your culture, Happy New Year!
thereby losing the massive empire he had built up in the early 19th century.
His many enemies had a number of possibilities as to what to do with him. They could, for example, have imprisoned him, as Edmond Dantes is in Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo (serialized 1844-46), in a fortress like the Chateau d'If.
Or, more radically—but certainly very effectively—they could have permanently removed him by the same means by which revolutionary France removed his predecessor, Louis XVI.
Instead, they allowed him not only to live, but even to continue to be a kind of monarch—although only of a tiny island, Elba, off the west coast of Italy.
They thought they'd seen the last of him, leaving him to spend the rest of his life as a sovereign of a ragged collection of fishermen and farmers.
That being the case, Napoleon lived on Elba for less that a year before he planned and accomplished his escape.
marched north to deal with his nearest enemies, Prussia and England, and was finally—and permanently—defeated at Waterloo, 18 June, 1815.
where he died in 1821.
and then, in 1804, Emperor.
In every case throughout history, no conqueror has ever had enough and, if we move out of this earth to Middle-earth, we find Sauron, a figure in many ways like all of these earthly conquerors, who, although defeated by an alliance of Elves and Men in the past, has returned and, in time, reacquired immense power. To begin with, he has the entire realm of Mordor.
and the Morannon and all of the other inner and outer works of Mordor.
as well as allies from the Harads and Umbar.
All of which he has done, it seems, by whatever innate powers he possesses—without the Ring. And this made us wonder: what is it that the Ring actually does for its wearer that Sauron wants it back?
Certainly, the only power Gollum appears to have gotten from the Ring is that of invisibility (and the side-effect of longevity).
and, again, on Ammon Hen, he is put into direct contact with the Ring's real owner.
So, then, just as Napoleon, exiled on Elba, could plot and accomplish return, given the Ring, Sauron, defeated before, could return and, with a greed for conquest as insatiable as that of the French emperor, reappear again and again in Middle-earth, where there was no St Helena to keep him for good.
In a previous posting, we mentioned the Corsairs of Umbar.
It's a US Navy WW2 fighter—but hardly what was sweeping to attack the south coast of Gondor in Sauron's massive campaign.
which is definitely a bit better, but he looks so 18th-century. As we have discussed in many of our postings, Middle-earth is Middle Ages (more or less), even if it mixes High Medieval (things like the plate armor of the Prince of Dol Amroth) with Anglo-Saxon (the Rohirrim). So "corsair pirate" is too late in time. Another word (with a much-discussed origin) for "pirate" is "buccaneer", so, how about "corsair buccaneer"?
Ooops! Okay—clearly that doesn't work!
So what will—and what are we really looking for? Well, what do these corsairs look like according to JRRT?
For Anduin, from the bend at the Harlond, so flowed that[,]from the City[,] men could look down it lengthwise for some leagues, and the far-sighted could see any ships that approached. And looking thither they cried in dismay; for black against the glittering stream they beheld a fleet borne up on the wind: dromunds, and ships of great draught with many oars, and with black sails bellying in the breeze.
In The Lord of the Rings, unfortunately not.
But all of this to us suggested a model from our own world (as always): the Barbary Pirates. So how about the search terms "corsair barbary"?
and the wall of the Pelennor, the Ramas Echor.
We would imagine those corsairs, then, as looking like the infamous "Barbary Pirates".
and, if you wanted a big port city, as Umbar was supposed to be, here's Algiers.
What about ships—that is, "dromunds and ships of great draught with many oars"?
"Dromund" is a medieval form of the Byzantine Greek dromon, literally a "runner"—a word you'd recognize from the English word "hippodrome"—the "place where horses run". This was the common larger Byzantine warship.
Here's a Renaissance-era engraving of a Turkish galley.
There's a difficulty with "ships of great draft with many oars", however. Draught (also spelled "draft") is the distance between the waterline and the bottom of the keel, as in this diagram.
and galleys commonly have a shallow draft—both to allow for maneuver in shallow waters and to allow for the oars to do their job most efficiently. So, we presume that all of the Corsairs' vessels were actually galleys of various sizes.
depiction of the Corsairs, unlike that of Rohan and the Rohirrim, is not even close to the little we have learned so far from the text.
The Barbary Pirates, to us, not only match point of origin and vessels, but are much more exotic and colorful, whereas those in the film look to us more like dingy Vikings.
of the Moroccan ambassador to the court of Queen Elizabeth I (notice that, in the caption he's called Legatus Regis Barbariae, "deputy of the King of Barbary"—a splendid figure with a splendid name: Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud ben Mohammed Anoun—imagine him facing Aragorn from the deck of a galley—we think that the Oath-breakers would have had little fear for him, even as they overwhelmed him and his crew.
So, as always, we ask you, readers, what do you think?
Just a thought, but, if Sauron, as one of the Maiar, was virtually immortal and had the kind of power which is displayed in the forging of the Ring, why did he need vast fortresses and armies and fleets? Something to think about in a future posting!
Being clever, you can tell immediately where this posting is going to go. Yep, the corsairs of Umbar.
A corsair is another word for pirate. And, when we think "pirate", first there's the late-19th-early-20th-century work of Howard Pyle.
And the silly pirates from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance.
And Long John Silver, from Treasure Island.
And then there is Captain Hook and the Jolly Roger.
And Errol Flynn in the 1935 movie, Captain Blood.
And who could forget Jack Sparrow and The Black Pearl?
We think that Tolkien has something rather different in mind, however. Let's start with a little history.
As Damrod has said, Umbar is to the far south.
Here is a view of it as imagined by the Czech artist, Scharb.
To us, this resembles cities along the southern Mediterranean coast, especially as seen in old engravings of the Barbary Coast.
Take, for example, this copperplate of Tunis, from 1778.
There are all kinds of ships depicted here, from three-masters to a galley, in the center, to a small xebec, to the far right.
The galley seemed once to be the characteristic ship of the pirates of the Barbary Coast, coming from earlier Turkish galleys.
is the model for the corsairs' vessels.
Jackson's corsairs look like this (including Jackson himself, mugging to the left).
This makes perfect sense, as these are North Africans, and very tough people, as European mariners came to know. Their swift, daring ships attacked any vessel which might bring them profit.
The young United States first paid them tribute to keep them away from US ships.
But, as the government somewhere found the money, it began a shipbuilding program to provide the country with its first national navy.
This particular ship was the ill-fated USS Philadelphia, which ran aground and was captured by the pirates.
in a daring raid by Stephen Decatur, seen in this miniature.
The United States fought two wars against the Barbary pirates, 1801-5 and 1815, doing a great deal of damage to the pirates.
Ultimately, however, it was a combination of governments and navies, including the US, the British, and the Dutch, which put a stop to piracy in the southern Mediterranean after the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815.
we imagined the corsairs to look like this.