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CINQUE, SUNK AND SCOT FREE
This is an excerpt from the book "Life On Marsh" Available for purchase at the bottom of this page
Dungeness and the surrounding area have seen massive changes in their topography in the last 1000 years. These changes contrast with most other areas in the UK which only morph slowly through millennia. The constant threat of the land being totally reshaped could be viewed as similar to living on the slopes of an active volcano.
Two thousand years ago the whole area of Romney Marsh was open sea, apart from a single long thin spit of shingle stretching from Rye to where Dungeness is now.
At the time of the Roman invasion nearly two thousand years ago the sea level was still dropping as a consequence of the last ice age. The Romans quickly recognised the potential value of this fertile land, and started a drainage programme that continues to this day. Initially the Romans built large walls to drain the areas easily defended from the sea. After the Romans left in 400AD the locals, having fewer resources and less manpower, resorted to 'inning', which involved very small-scale draining and flood protection by individual families. This practice resulted in a patchwork system of tiny fields, some of which can still be seen today.
NANNY GOATS AND NAZIS
The isolation of Dungeness has not only encouraged and fostered but protected smuggling and other illegal activities over the years. The off the beaten track situation and somewhat mysterious reputation kept most people away and allowed a whole range of unusual practices and customs to develop, some of which persist to this day.
As with many isolated locations with difficult and dangerous access, Dungeness had and to some extent still has a very healthy barter economy. Most of the locals not only fished, but also kept goats for fresh milk, which roamed the shingle eating everything in their path – so much so that the area was locally known as Nanny Goat Island until recently. The area was also grazed by flocks of Lydd sheep within living memory. Both sets of ruminants helped to keep the shingle bare of all but the hardiest vegetation, allowing the area to evolve some of the unique flora and fauna it now boasts. Paradoxically, since the area has become more and more protected grasses have taken root. It is said that very soon they will have carpeted nearly all of the shingle, strangling out most of the unique plants and animals that are supposed to be protected.
A PRETTY KETTLE OF FISH
Today it is common to observe rows of self-absorbed and anoraked anglers sitting like sentinels on shingle along the coast, wistfully wishing for a codling. These are the spiritual descendants of a once thriving fishing community that led a harsh existence here, clinging to these beaches in hope of a profitable catch.
Herring fishing was the 'gold standard' of the local economy right back to the medieval period, when salted herring was traded from the Cinque Ports at the annual fair at Great Yarmouth. Remains of 'herring hangs' (towers for smoking fish) can still be seen in Lydd and Dungeness. With Jim Moate's retirement this year we have unfortunately witnessed the last of this traditional fish smoking method on the Romney Marsh coast.
Along the coast are dotted net boiling ketches. These look like large laundry ovens, complete with chimneys and copper bowls, used to infuse nets with a tar solution to protect against the salt water.
In its heyday the fishing industry of Dungeness was serviced by a standard gauge railway service to Billingsgate. Remains of this railway, the narrow gauge railways from the beach to the road and railheads can still be seen today.
THE LIFEBOAT AND LADY LAUNCHERS
The Dungeness lifeboat has a long and distinguished history, being on one of the busiest shipping routes in the world until the advent of shipping lanes and modern navigational methods. It was one of the most used lifeboats in Britain. Most lifeboats in Britain have a slipway that allows them to be launched at any stage of the tide. The constantly shifting shingle at Dungeness does not allow this so, like the fishing fleet, the lifeboat had to be launched by being pulled over lengths of hard wood placed at intervals on the shingle. These 'woods', as they are known, are 8 foot lengths of oak or ash, with ropes attached so they can be pulled out after the boat has passed over them and be quickly run round to the front of the boat to be reused in its journey to or back from the sea.
This method of launching is still used by the local fishing boats today. In addition to this laborious task the lifeboat had to be pulled from and back into its shelter. The local tradition of women being responsible for the backbreaking and dangerous task of launching the lifeboat and the fishing boats is not, as it may seem, a misogynistic one. They traditionally did this job in order to make sure that the men stayed dry; to get wet before going out in an exposed boat in winter was hazardous in the extreme, and could even result in death. For that reason, not only were the boats launched by women but in rough seas women would carry their men to the boats to prevent them from getting wet. Women launched and retrieved the lifeboat until surplus American tractors found their way to the Marsh in the 1950s. The lifeboat is now launched and retrieved by a custom-built tracked vehicle.
OWLERS, SCARECROWS AND WITCHES IN EGGSHELLS
Dungeness and Romney Marsh have a long tradition of mystery, hauntings and supernatural goings on. To a large extent the area was a no-go area for much of the last couple of thousand years. Although the area was largely inaccessible because of its geography and topography, not to mention its reputation for being a very unhealthy environment (the Marsh was the last place where malaria was endemic in Britain and it was only eradicated in the early twentieth century), a large part of its unwelcoming reputation was deliberately cultivated by the local population, including its upper classes. It would have been virtually impossible for a high volume of contraband to be processed through the area without the involvement or compliance of nearly everybody resident there. This deliberate isolation was essential for the wide range of illicit goings on, which needed to be carried out in secrecy so there was as little risk as possible (even the penalty for wool smuggling was death).The area was considered so ungovernable by the Crown that it boasted its own currency and parliament until well into the nineteenth century.
THE DUNGENESS LIGHTHOUSES
Dungeness lies at the southernmost point of Kent; it is an enormous flat triangle of sand and shingle, possibly the largest area of its type in the world. Because of its flatness and, until recently, lack of habitation, coupled with its many sandbanks, unpredictable currents and sudden changes in weather, the whole area has seen thousands of shipwrecks over the years with countless lives lost. The presence of a light at the end of the peninsula has been an important navigational aid. Before any official lighthouse was built it is highly likely that the locals were paid to maintain a light (large bonfire) in order to warn shipping of the position of this highly dangerous hazard. As was the norm in those days, when times were hard (which they very often were), locals either 'forgot' to burn the warning fire or lit it somewhere else, giving a false impression of where the danger actually was. This practice became known as wrecking, for obvious reasons. The locals were then faced with a dilemma. They could either rescue the crew and passengers, hoping for a reward, together with any pickings that might be washed ashore, or – more often than not – they could murder any survivors and take everything.
FOREWORD BY SIR DONALD SINDEN
I had been a neighbour in Chelsea of actor and author Russell Thorndike, who told me of the magic of Dymchurch and the Marsh so, at his instigation, in 1954, I bought the house in which I still live.
Later, in 1960, Russell played the pirate Smee to my Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Scala Theatre in London. It was then that he presented duly inscribed copies of his Dr Syn books to my son Marc, but it was back in 1954 that I visited Dungeness for the first time and immediately fell under its spell – and I use the word 'spell' advisedly – perhaps 'mesmerism' could be even better. Of course this was before the power station defined its limits and ruined the scale.
Thank goodness The Pilot is still there, with Niko at the helm, its signpost showing the direction to 'the other Land's End' and, blessing upon blessing, no terrible muzak!
Niko Miaoulis and Andy Holyer, sharing their combined knowledge, have produced an enchanting book on this fascinating promontory.
My thanks and best wishes to them both.
Sir Donald Sinden, CBE
UK – £5.99 + £2 Delivery
WORLDWIDE – £5.99 + £4 Delivery

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Evaluation of Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Samadera indica Using In vitro Models.
1Amrita School of Pharmacy, AIMS, Kochi, Kerala.
2Pusphagiri College of Pharmacy, Thiruvalla, Kerala.
Antioxidant has gained importance in the current scenario as it has an ability to trap free radicals which are produced during the degenerative diseases. Natural antioxidant is considered superior to synthetic as it is safe and produces a prominent action. Samadera indica a bitter plant widely distributed throughout India, and mostly found in evergreen forest of Western Ghats and along river shore, the bitterness is due to the presence of flavanoids like Quassinoids. Literatures showed the presence of Quassinoids and therefore, plant may show the antioxidant activity which is not yet ruled out. Hence the present study was focused out to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Samadera indica by in-vitro models. Method: The plant leaf was extracted using methanol and acetone as solvent. The extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging assay using DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging assay, FRAP, DCF/AAPH assay and was expressed as IC50. Result: All the methods showed a prominent antioxidant activity but were comparatively lower than standard Quercetin. Antioxidant activity of extracts produced increased scavenging activity in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: The evaluation of antioxidant activity of Samadera indica concludes that the plant extracts showed activity and this may be due to the presence of flavanoids. Hence, further work should be done on the isolation and identification of other antioxidant components of Samadera indica.
Vidya Viswanad, Aleykutty NA, Zacharia SM, Thomas L.


It's spring! And with the warmer weather comes a mixture of outdoor activities and adventures. From the hitting the slopes to the biking and hiking trails Rev3 Energy® fans are taking our cleaner, smarter, stronger energy drink in the most amazing and entertaining of places.
Here are the latest… Enjoy! And be sure to read on for an exciting new initiative we're starting and that we want YOU to be a part of!
Carissa Hills had a Rev3 table at a bike swap in Boise, Idaho. "It was a hit!" she says.
In early March, the Rev3 can made its debut in Australia-New Zealand to much fanfare.
Here are some shots via USANA, Word!, the USANA Australia & New Zealand blog, from the launch. Check out these other Rev3 posts, as the ANZ continues to get Rev-ed Up!
Sam Kumar and his USANA team took the opportunity with the launch of the new Rev3 can to supply the St Georges Lions Cricket Team with the product at Moore Park. During the morning drinks session, the team and the umpires were all given a Rev3 can and USANA promotional material for their interest. The Lions went on to win the game came, and said afterward how much they enjoyed the drink and how it had given them extra energy. Sam will be supplying the team with Rev3's each week from now on and the Lions offered to include the USANA logo on their uniform. Photo provided by Barry Collins.
Nick Kelly put Rev3 to good use at the during the ANNUAL 'LOOK GOOD NAKED' EVENT 5K to benefit The House, Inc.
Check out this amazing picture posted by Joshua McGowan. It's the Rev3 Energy sunset barrel with Silver Director Jeremy Wright.
Thanks to everyone who sent in photos. As always, you are helping spread the word about Rev3 Energy and you have the pictures to prove it.
With the advent of Facebook Timeline, we thought we'd change things up and take advantage of your amazing images in a new way. Once a month we'll be trading out our cover image with one of your submissions! Check out Adam and Erica's picture on our Facebook page. This could be you!


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Brenda Bloodgood and 3 Others at UC San Diego Win Funding from Obama's BRAIN Initiative
Glial cells surround neurons in the central nervous system.
Thomas Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research at UC San Diego
Brenda Bloodgood, an assistant professor in the Section of Neurobiology, and three other scientists at UC San Diego are among 36 recipients nationwide who have been awarded early concept grants for brain research from the National Science Foundation.
The awards were made to fund research projects that the federal science agency determined could produce "potentially transformative insights into understanding the brain." The funding comes from the agency's allocation for President Obama's BRAIN Initiative, a multi-agency research effort that seeks to accelerate the development of new neurotechnologies that promise to help researchers answer fundamental questions about how the brain works.
The four awards to UC San Diego faculty add to the growing portfolio of neuroscience research programs establishing the campus as one of the world's major centers for brain research. UC San Diego faculty, for example, played a major role in the creation of Obama's BRAIN initiative in April 2013 and also led a similar state initiative that, two months ago, was awarded $2 million in the budget signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown. The state's research grant effort, known as Cal-BRAIN – short for California Blueprint for Research to Advance Innovations in Neuroscience – aims to "accelerate the development of brain mapping techniques, including the development of new technologies."
"These awards are yet another manifestation of the excellence of our neuroscience faculty and our long tradition in neuroscience research, which were key factors in building the number one ranked neuroscience graduate program in the nation and establishing our Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind," said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla.
More information about the awards at the UC San Diego News Center Release
UC San Diego News Center Release
Brenda Bloodgood Faculty Profile


Jayson and Michelle have a combined proven record of experience and success for over 33 years. We are professional, proficient and expedient to quickly provide you the relief that you need so you may move on with your life. You will be treated with the respect that you deserve and honesty that you would expect. You will not be treated like a number or just another case, we will work personally on each case and you will have access to us and our paralegal staff who are fully bilingual and at your convenience. We understand the difficulty of your decision to not only to file bankruptcy but also to feel comfortable with the attorney that you are entrusting your future. We understand the additional stress that financial concerns brings with your sense of security and well-being…sleepless nights, anxiety over each phone call, dreading to open your mail and explaining away creditor calls who calls family and co-workers. Our experience and accessibility will provide you with a confidence that you will not find with other law firms. We will fight for your right to be debt free. We have provided a new financial life for thousands of clients….what are you waiting for? Regain your financial freedom and future…Let go of all of the debt that is keeping your from pursing your dreams.


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Etnia Barcelona Fall/Winter 2018
For its new Fall-Winter collection, Etnia Barcelona unveils the latest addition to its ongoing global brand campaign. This time, taking inspiration from the artist Gustav Klimt and his intricate details.
Etnia Barcelona continues to flaunt its DNA to the world by way of its global brand campaign, #BeAnartist – inspired by the art world to express its own creations. On this occasion, the campaign for the new FW2018 collection takes inspiration from the concept of "The Art of Details", taking as its reference point the symbolist art of Gustav Klimt.
For this season, the brand presents a total of 75 new additions: 40 optical glasses and 35 sunglasses. More than ever before, the new Etnia Barcelona collection focuses on the intricacies of design: from delicate frames with neat details to singular color combinations to subtle shapes both in acetate and metal, all of which clearly reflect the brand's DNA.
When it comes to color, this season's collection takes its inspiration from three key trends used by Etnia Barcelona to create its eyewear acetates in 76 color combinations for this launch, inspired by Street Details, Flashing Lights and Pure Nature.
Once more, Etnia Barcelona and the photographer Biel Capllonch have got people talking about their work. Pieces that subtly share what they have to say to those that let themselves be carried away by the details, or to those that lose themselves in the quest for something more: those that dare to break the rules. Blinded by our daily grind, many of us don't see the smallest details of life that are right in front of us. But, when we do finally notice them, we can't take our eyes off them. They shine bright like Klimt's gold. Also of special note in this campaign is the use of simple, everyday elements like microchips, cables, motherboards and hard drives that transmit our intention to democratize art. Because we can all be artists – rather, we can all be Anartists.
The new Etnia Barcelona collection can be likened to a Klimt painting. Just take a closer look to realize that this is far more than just eyewear. The delicate color and shape details – made of pure materials, unique textures and mineral lenses – make them a work of art. Because we know that the difference is in the details; through art, we can get closer to the truth and be encouraged to be our true selves.


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Ivy League Lawyer Who Firebombed Cop Car Will Spend a Year and a Day in Prison
New York's Dem Governor Fails To Avert Nurses' Strike as Thousands Walk Out on Job
Andrew Cuomo Connives Comeback
'Luv Guv' ads will start reappearing on New York TV screens
Former governor Andrew Cuomo (D.) / New York Governor's Office
Andrew Cuomo ads will start reappearing on New York TV screens, likely indicating that the disgraced ex-governor is planning a return to politics.
The New York Post reported Thursday that the Cuomo campaign committee is behind a series of ads aimed at "clearing Andrew's name," according to an insider. Political-advertising tracker Medium Buying reported the same day that a pro-Cuomo political action committee also bought airtime.
Cuomo, once called the "Luv Guv" for the media's infatuation with him in the pandemic's early days, resigned last year after a state attorney general's investigation found that he sexually harassed at least 11 women. He also ordered New York nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients and then hid the number of nursing-home deaths, according to a separate investigation.
Cuomo may be feeling bullish about a comeback because five district attorneys decided not to bring cases against him, although the DAs and New York attorney general Letitia James (D.) found the women's allegations "credible."
New Yorkers haven't softened on Cuomo, however. Nearly 60 percent of the state's voters say the ex-governor "has not been vindicated," according to a Tuesday Siena College poll.
The ads begin airing Monday.
Published under: Andrew Cuomo , New York


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Anti-illegal immigration editorial censored
INDIANA– When LeAnne Manuel wrotean unsigned editorial for her high school paper on the immigration debate, shewas hoping it would spark a discussion among students.
"I feelextremely passionate about illegal immigration," said Manuel, a risingsenior at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. "I mean, it just makes myblood boil."
But when Manuel'santi-illegal immigrationeditorial ran in the student newspaper on April 28, administrators confiscatedthe paper, and the discussion quickly turned to how the piece ever made it inthe paper in the first place.
Opinions on the newspaper'sconfiscation varied. Some staff members of theSpotlight said they felt censored.Administrators said the editorial caused a disruption at school and they weredoing their job when they pulled the papers. Student press advocates sayadministrators missed a teachable moment.
Administrators placed newrestrictions on student journalists at Ben Davis as a result of Manuel'seditorial, including requiring prior review of theSpotlight by an assistant principal.Student editors said the paper had been operating as a forum for studentexpression for years and was not regularly reviewed by administrators. A newstudent publications policy set to be approved by the school board sometime thissummer could make some of the new restrictionspermanent.
Manuel's editorial, titled "Migrant slack-offday also known as May 1," encouraged students to come to school and notparticipate in the nationwide immigration strike.
"Really, thisentire day of protest is nothing but a reason to skip school," she wrote."If immigrants want to show that they are a major part of society, settingthe example at school and work by coming is their bestoption."
Manuel goes on to advocate in the editorial thatimmigrating illegally to the United States should be afelony.
"Illegal immigrants are doing nothing but breaking ourlaws," she wrote. "If these illegal aliens think they are making adifference to our society, they have another thingcoming."
Looking back on the column, Manuel said it"could have been toned down," but she still thinks she should havethe right to express theopinion.
Issue hitsracks
The Friday the paper came out, Ben Davis Principal JoelMcKinney was at a meeting on the east side of Indianapolis. But when he got windof the editorial, he said he left the meeting and returned to campusimmediately.
"Many students were upset, voiced being angry atthe tone of the editorial," McKinney said. "There were rumors goingaround that the school doesn't care for [Hispanics] because theyallowed" the editorial to be printed in the studentpaper.
McKinney said he beefed up security that day as aprecaution.
"I'm in charge of making sure the environmentisn't disruptive," he said. "There was no violence, but therewas some verbal confrontations we had to deal with."
To"help diffuse the tension," McKinney said administrators did removethe papers.
A meeting was held with Hispanic students in theauditorium the day the paper came out about the "proper way torespond" to the editorial, said Tom Langdoc, a spokesperson for theMetropolitan School District of Wayne Township, of which Ben Davis High Schoolis a part.
Most of theSpotlight staff was at a journalismconvention that Friday at Ball State University, about 60 miles away from thehigh school.
"From what people told us, after it wasdistributed, people were upset, a lot of people were talking about it,"said Brent Fowler, a photo editor for the paper. "When we got back toschool they told us to get our stuff and leave because the administration wasupset.
"I understand that they thought it was a distraction,anything can become a distraction at school. We spent three weeks planning it,and I don't think it was right for them to take it away and destroy itwithout us knowing. We put hard work into that."
Mike Beam, thepaper's editor, refused to comment for this story.
Manuel, theeditorial writer, said school officials told her to stay home the Monday andTuesday following the day the editorial was printed "because of safetyconcerns."
AlthoughMcKinney said he's not interested in controlling the paper, he institutedwhat he said was a temporary prior review policy to "err on the side ofcaution."
McKinney said the assistant principal will provideextra review for the student newspaper because the paper's adviser, JanetMcKinney, failed to do her job.
Janet McKinney, who is not relatedthe principal, declined to comment for this story.
"All theprevious newspapers she had done her part in making sure she had proofread,anticipated anything out of the ordinary," Joel McKinney said. "Onthis particular issue she didn't make that determination. She wasn'tdoing the sponsor's role of letting me know that there might be apotential problem."
As a result of the immigration editorial,Fowler, the student photo editor, said administrators made the paperchange a statement in itsmasthead. The paper previously printed in the masthead that it was an open forumfor student expression, but administrators made the paper change it to read inpart, "The Spotlight representsand exemplifies Ben Davis High School and is not a public or openforum."
"I don't think that's righteither," Fowler said of the masthead statement change. "Theydidn't consult staff, editors, adviser…it's our newspaper, and weshould have some say in it.
"They're censoring us.It's pretty much what they want the paper to be."
But theprincipal said he is not trying to censor the paper.
"Idon't want to change the paper," McKinney said. "I don'tthink they hear me. I just think they are upset about the whole situation. Ireassure every student who has asked me, I don't have any desire to changethe students' practices whatsoever, I just need my sponsor to be moreprepared to point out things that could cause adisruption."
Right tospeak?
Through the whole ordeal, Manuel said there was notmuch talk of free speech or the First Amendment.
"I reallydon't understand the whole free speech in this," she said."What's been shoved down my throat is that the administration toldme I was wrong, I was bad."
And that message is dangerous foraspiring student journalists, student press advocates said.
JohnBowen, chairman of the Journalism Education Association's Scholastic PressRights Commission, said he read the editorial and does not feel it should havebeen censored.
"I think it sends a message that some ideas justcertainly shouldn't be discussed in society," said Bowen, who isalso a journalism professor at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
"Even though it's an unpleasant topic, it's notthe worst I've seen on the subject," he said, referring toManuel's editorial.
Bowen said administrators oftentimes takethe easy way out in dealing with these types of situations, punishing thestudents who speak instead of the students who are makingthreats.
"Students learn very quickly if they are censored thatthey don't have a right to speak," he said. "It is far betterfor a principal to use this as a springboard for discussion of logic rather thanemotion."
Adam Maksl, a journalism graduate student at BallState University and former editor of theSpotlight at Ben Davis High School,echoed Bowen's feelings and said the principal missed a teachablemoment.
"How can they be expected to practice ethical decisionmaking when they are not given the opportunity to do so. That's whatscares me," Maksl said. "When you have a higher power coming in andsaying 'by my estimation you messed up, you took that responsibility anddidn't live up to what you are suppose to do with it, now you don'thave those rights anymore,' students aren't learning from it,because they aren't given the right to make any ethical decisionsagain."
Diana Hadley, assistant director of the Indiana HighSchool Press Association, said her organization did not want to take sides onthe incident. But she said the IHSPA is opposed to a new publications policycurrently before the school board that could limit students' free pressrights even further at Ben Davis High School.
"We really hateto see policy made after one incident, which they don't believe they aredoing, but that's what it looks like," Hadley said. "Idon't want this to become us against them. IHSPA really wants to work withadministration so that we can all teach the First Amendment and responsiblejournalism."
A newpolicy applying to "SchoolSponsored Publications & Productions" was introduced at the schoolboard's May 15 meeting, said Langdoc, the district spokesman. Langdoc saida new policy should be in place before students return for school nextyear.
A portion of the new proposed policy reads, "Thepublications and productions of the School District are not a public forum forthe use of non-students or for the expression of values contrary to the valuesinherent in the curriculum established for students by theBoard."
Unsigned editorials would also be banned if theproposed policy is adopted.
Hadley said the proposed policy could bedangerous for student journalists depending on how it isinterpreted.
"Two different people could look at this policyand go in very different directions as far as still allowing student voice andlooking at everything they do," she said.
Hadley said althoughManuel may not have proceeded in the right way with her anti-illegal immigrationeditorial, everything should not be censored from now on because of it. Sheimplied that more coaching on the adviser's part could have avoided thesituation entirely.
"I think controversial topics are certainlyimportant to discuss," she said. "I think that the problem oftenarises when people feel that a side has not been expressed. Clearly fairness isa major factor as you work through those controversialtopics.
"Students want to be fair, but because they are young,they might not have considered all the angles of the issue. It's importantin those opinion pieces to help them think through opinions, express themselvesin the best way they can."
Hadley said her organization is worried about effortsacross Indiana to reign in control over student speech.
In late 2005,a high school newspaper in Columbus, Ind., ran a story about oral sex which ledto the school board voting on whether administrators should have more controlover content in the student newspaper. In a success for high school studentnewspapers, the Columbus North Consolidated School Board voted against placingtougher restrictions on what the student paper can run.
Studentjournalists in Noblesville, Ind., 70 miles from Columbus, have not been so luckywith their oral sex article. In February, Noblesville High School principalAnnetta Petty informed students hours before deadline that the article wouldhave to go before a committee that would decide whether the topic wasappropriate. Weeks later, the committee recommended the article should run, onlyto have the superintendent, Lynn Lehman, decide the article had no place in thestudent paper.
"I think that at the IHSPA our concerns revolvearound what seems to be the circling of the wagons among school corporations tocontrol all of the messages," Hadley said.
She said herorganization is afraid administrators look at them as "taking advantage ofthe First Amendment." Because of this perception, she said IHSPA is tryingto make inroads with administrators.
"We're supportive ofthe staff and advisers without making administrators think we are out to getthem," she said.
By working more with administrators, Hadleysaid she hopes her organization will be better equipped to protectstudents' First Amendment rights.
But in the case of Ben DavisHigh School, the First Amendment may have been lost in the storm of outrage thatfollowed the publication of Manuel's column.
"I think weare going to be held back in our learning process because we have to be soworried about what our assistant principal is going to think about ournewspaper," Manuel said of the new prior review policy. "Theadministration is making us feel dumb, like we all have done something wrong.But none of us did anything wrong. We did what we have done the entire year. Wehave a quality newspaper, and we are a really goodprogram."
McKinney, the principal, agrees the school has aquality newspaper. He said the April 28 issue was reprinted a week later withoutManuel's column because it was "so welldone."
Because of the potential for self-censorship in thefuture, Maksl said he worries about students' ability to take oncontroversial topics in his alma mater's paper.
"Ofcourse students should be able to write about a topic, especially one that has aclear political value and is being discussed in the professional media aroundthe country right now anyway," he said. "But as with any member ofthe press, any journalist, there should be some thoughts from the writer,what's the best way to do this in an ethical way. How do I say this in away that is going to make people not only understand what I am trying to say,but think about it for themselves, question their own thoughts and beliefs, anduse that as a tool to spark discussion."
Overreacting tostudents' pieces and instituting harsh restrictions is not the way toteach responsibility, Maksl said. Allowing students to make mistakes and lettingthe discussion play out in the community is the best way for student reportersto learn, he said.
—by Evan Mayor, SPLC staff writer


There's a Full Moon at 7 degrees Virgo on February 25th, and it will be tense. Jupiter in Gemini will be squaring this Moon exactly, and Jupiter always means "more".
Full Moons are intense anyway, because they're about culmination. Picture a buildup of energy that peaks in Virgo, the sign of perfection, details and getting it right. Now, imagine that energy pushed to its frenetic limits by Jupiter. This is FIX IT, times one thousand.
The mood will be high-strung. It will be tempting to go overboard with the worrying, the extreme purifying, the fixating on one, tiny detail. Gemini and Virgo are both ruled by Mercury (communication, information and intellect) so much of the action could involve conversations/emails. Or, it all might happen in your head.
Adding interest to the mix, Mercury will have gone retrograde (in Pisces) on February 23rd. I'll write a post on this, but for now, know that this energy (combined with the Full Moon) will be about re-considering, correcting and going back to what was missed or put off.
Hammer away at one phrase that your boss/lover/friend/family. member/neighbourhood barista said 3 weeks ago. Confront them. What did they mean by that?
Hammer away at yourself for a mistake/personal failing/missed deadline/weight gain. Go overboard attempting to correct things and apologize incessantly.
Make a tense relationship even more tense by harping on what's wrong.
Remind yourself that perfection is an illusion.
Tackle the disorganized mess/unpleasant task/duty that you've been putting off.
Help someone (but only if they want you to).
Push forward where you've been telling yourself that you're not good enough or not ready.
Jupiter is the planet of optimism, and this energy can (if used correctly) empower you. But a square from Jupiter can distort perspective, so you'll have to differentiate between improvement and obsession. Ask yourself if what you're doing is making things easier, or more complicated. Your ultimate goal, on this Virgo Moon, is to simplify.
If you have planets/angles between 6-9 degrees Virgo, Pisces, Gemini or Sagittarius, you'll feel these energies most strongly.


Spring recently announced updates of their Web Services project versions 2.3.1 and 2.4.0.
Version 2.4.0 has refactored the code base to run on the latest versions of Spring Framework 4.3 and Spring Security 4.1. It was also designed to be forward compatible with Spring 5.0. Applications still running Java 7 can take advantage of this new version.
Spring Web Services (Spring-WS) is a product of the Spring community focused on creating document-driven Web services. Spring Web Services aims to facilitate contract-first SOAP service development, allowing for the creation of flexible web services using one of the many ways to manipulate XML payloads.
People use Spring-WS for many reasons, but most are drawn to it after finding alternative SOAP stacks lacking when it comes to following Web service best practices. Spring-WS makes the best practice an easy practice. This includes practices such as the WS-I basic profile, Contract-First development, and having a loose coupling between contract and implementation.
Firstly, it's completely focused on contract-first Web service design. This basically means that you have to write your own XSD schema that defines the XML messages. You can refer to that schema in a WSDL (though Spring Web Services can also generate the WSDL from the XSD), and possibly use it for validation purposes.
Secondly, Spring Web Services provides a loose coupling between contract and implementation: there is no wsdl2java tool which directly ties the contract to a class; instead, you implement endpoints which handle the incoming XML in any way you want to (DOM, SAX, StAX, or even XML marshalling techniques such as JAXB, Castor, JIBX, or XMLBeans). The way you map incoming request to the endpoints is completely up to you: by default, we supply mappings that are based on message content, or the SOAPAction header. The main idea is that you're not handling method calls, but rather XML messages.
As Poutsma stated then, writing custom XSD schema is part of what defines the contract-first web service design, and the Spring Web Services Getting Started guides on how to consume and produce SOAP-based web services are still implemented this way today.
Refer to Concretepage.com for a comprehensive SOAP-based example application that consumes its own produced web service for tracking student data. The entire project can be found on the GitHub repositories, webservices-soap-produce and webservices-soap-consume.
Spring Web Services remains unique today as it was almost ten years ago. Like all Spring projects, Spring Web Services is well integrated into the Spring ecosystem. It takes advantage of features such as Spring Security and configuring application contexts available to any project within the Spring Framework.


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Spider-Man and stars to lead WWF's largest Earth Hour event from Singapore
Singapore – the home of Earth Hour, leads groundbreaking global campaign to empower people across the world to "Use Your Power" and save the planet.Singapore, 27 February 2014 – WWF-Singapore today announced the director, producers, and cast of the highly anticipated upcoming motion picture The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be coming to Singapore to celebrate this year's global flagship event for Earth Hour, the world's largest environmental grassroots movement, to be held at The Float@Marina Bay on Saturday March 29 at 8:30PM, putting the country at the heart of Earth Hour celebrations worldwide.
Spider-Man will join the film's stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Jamie Foxx in the event, helping to switch off the lights across Singapore's signature Marina Bay skyline.
Spider-Man was recently announced as the first Super Hero ambassador for Earth Hour. Traditionally, the lights out activity has been a symbolic act of one's commitment to saving the planet and conserving the environment. This year on Saturday March 29, Singapore's iconic Marina Bay area will be plunged into darkness from 8:30PM to 9:30PM, making this Earth Hour event one of the world's largest ever.
"Earth Hour is a movement that is driven by the power of the civic society and the ordinary man on the street. This year we are inspiring everybody to use his/her power and become a Super Hero by driving a positive change for the planet," said Ms Elaine Tan, CEO of WWF-Singapore. "Earth Hour in Singapore will empower everybody to pledge and commit to one or more of the four key initiatives that WWF-Singapore is pushing forward to help make Singapore a sustainable city. With the collective power of each person in Singapore, we can all help drive the positive change and be the ambassadors of sustainability."
"Spider-Man is the first Super Hero ambassador for Earth Hour and we are thrilled that he will join us for our global celebration in Singapore. Since moving to Singapore, one of the world's greatest hub cities, Earth Hour has positioned itself in the region with a rapidly growing digital presence that has helped power our movement. Earth Hour Blue, the world's first crowdfunding platform for the planet, enables an everyday action that can inspire individuals to do something so powerful from the palm of their hand," said Mr Andy Ridley, CEO and Co-Founder of Earth Hour.
Considering Singapore's massive carbon footprint and urban consumption patterns, WWF- Singapore has launched a huge on-the-ground and online campaign for four key action initiatives and is urging everybody to pledge and commit to turning their air-conditioning up by one degree, switching to LED lighting, using fewer plastic bags and taking shorter showers. Individuals, educational institutions and public and private organisations can, therefore, all pledge their support for WWF-Singapore's sustainability efforts at the pledging microsite: http://earthhour.wwf.sg
WWF-Singapore is targeting to collect about 20,000 pledges and is urging the people of Singapore to do their bit by pledging to make this collective effort a success.
Earth Hour 2014's "Use Your Power" campaign kicked off earlier in mid-February with the launch of an Instagram competition for students in Singapore, inviting youths to showcase how they could be Super Heroes and use their powers to save the planet.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 director Marc Webb is also a judge in WWF-Singapore's film competition "Use Your Power", which will engage young filmmakers across Singapore toproduce engaging, innovative, and creative short films that show the connection between people and environmental issues.
This year's Earth Hour 2014 will be graced by Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, Chief Negotiator for Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and will showcase world-class dance and percussion performances and several homegrown bands. The lights off will also coincide with the culmination of Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) iLight Marina Bay festival, thereby making this year's Earth Hour celebration in Singapore, a remarkable visual treat. WWF- Singapore is also delighted to announce that WWF International Director General Designate Marco Lambertini will attend the Singapore event.
In addition to the lights off event, WWF-Singapore has also announced its first crowdfunding project on the Earth Hour Blue platform. The project called Stop the Killing!aims to stop animal trafficking in Southeast Asia.
"Southeast Asia is an illegal wildlife trade hotspot, with surging demand for animal parts in the region. With this crowdfunding campaign, we are making a very bold and strong effort of bringing down the numbers of wildlife crimes in the region," said Ms Elaine Tan."We are very happy to see organisations coming together and going beyond the hour to pledge their own initiatives to save the planet. This year, Marina Bay Sands has taken the lead locally with their commitment as a business to turn their air conditioning one degree up, conserve freshwater, reduce the use of plastic bags and switch to LED lights. Commitment to actions like these are true to the spirit of Earth Hour, and a genuine reflection of business best practices."
Earth Hour 2014 in Singapore has been made possible with the support of URA – the Official Venue Partner for The Float@Marina Bay, National Environment Agency (NEA), National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) and Marina Bay Sands, the Associate Partner for Earth Hour 2014.
The Major Sponsor for this year's Earth Hour campaign in Singapore is Singapore Post, while IKEA and NTUC FairPrice are the Sponsors. The Official Radio Stations are Hot FM91.3, Kiss 92FM and UFM 100.3. Media partners are Clear Channel, SMRT and SMRT Media. Other partners include Energy Floors, The Hoffman Agency, Kevin Ou Photography, Leica, The Singapore Scouts Association and Yahoo! Singapore, the Official Online Partner for Earth Hour 2014.
– Ends –
Notes to Media:
· Earth Hour 2014 in Singapore will take place at The Float@Marina Bay on Saturday, 29 March 2014 from 5:00PM onwards.
· Be a superhero for the planet, use your power and pledge your support athttp://earthhour.wwf.sg/
· Amplify your voice on social media with Earth Hour hashtags: #useyourpowersg, #earthhoursg and #wwfsg.
· Take part in the Short Film and Instagram competitions. Visithttp://earthhour.wwf.sg/ for more details.
· Earth Hour is the world's largest environmental campaign, and is run in over 154 countries and 7,000 cities from Singapore.
· Kevin Teng, Director of Sustainability, Marina Bay Sands: "Sands Eco 360 is more than
just a corporate sustainability programme – it is part of Marina Bay Sands' DNA and drives the ways in which we operate our business and engage with our community. We will continue to deepen our outreach and spread the message of environmental conservation through working with like-minded people, organisations and the sustainability community including WWF and Earth Hour. Similar to previous years, Marina Bay Sands is lending our support and committing to 'go beyond the hour' as well as inspiring our employees, partners and suppliers to do the same. Besides switching off non-essential exterior lights during Earth Hour, we are taking concrete and measurable actions including helping WWF offset the carbon emissions from Earth Hour 2014, which could be as much as up to 14 tonnes. As part of Marina Bay Sands' ongoing efforts with WWF, we are also pledging to further reduce our own carbon footprint by an additional 14 tonnes per month for the rest of the year. We hope that our long term commitment is able to raise awareness for core environmental issues and encourage others to adopt environmentally-friendly lifestyle habits."
· Jason Chen, Director of Place Management, Urban Redevelopment Authority: "We are pleased to continue our collaboration with like-minded partners such as WWF-Singapore. The message of sustainability is central to i Light Marina Bay and coinciding the Festival with Earth Hour amplifies the importance to save energy through individual and collective actions."
For all media queries on Earth Hour and WWF-Singapore, please contact Wai Yi, Miko and Qi Hua from The Hoffman Agency at (65) 6361 0260 or wwfsg@hoffman.com.
WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. www.wwf.sg
About The Amazing Spider-Man 2
We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider- Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: Oscorp. Directed by Marc Webb. Produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach. Screen Story and Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner. Based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The film will be released in theaters internationally beginning April 16, 2014, and in the U.S. on May 2, 2014. #SpiderMan
About Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing, including licensing the Spider-Man universe to Sony Pictures. For more information visit marvel.com. ©MARVEL
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global environmental movement of WWF. As one of the first open-sourced environmental campaigns, Earth Hour has grown from a symbolic event in one city into a global movement, crowdsourcing actions from individuals, businesses, organisations and governments to generate environmental outcomes. In 2014, the Earth Hour Blue sees the movement enter the most exciting stage of its evolution, to be at the forefront of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing for causes, innovation and creativity for the planet.


Data acquisition boxes are installed in Chrysler cars and trucks to measure their usage. The data is transmitted wirelessly and stored for future analysis. The resulting individual vehicle files are large, with about 20 million time-stamped records for 40 to 50 data channels collected at a rate of one and five readings per second for about a year. Traditionally, engineers have used tools like Microsoft® Excel® to analyze this data, but Excel is limited to 1,048,576 rows of data. This presentation discusses how Chrysler uses MATLAB to read and analyze the data and project customer usage.


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Vladislav Kurasov Tour Dates & Concert Tickets
Vladislav Kurasov Tour Dates and Concert Tickets
Vladislav Kurasov (March 13, 1995) - an aspiring singer, finalist of the show The X-Factor -2 Ukraine and the winner of the show "Star Ring" (TV Channel STB-Ukraine).
VLADISLAV KURASOV Vladislav Kurasov (March 13, 1995) - an aspiring singer, finalist of the show "The X-Factor-2 "(TV Channel STB-Ukraine) and the winner of the show "Star Ring" (TV Channel STB-Ukraine), songwriter. EARLY YEARS Vladislav Kurasov was born on March 13,... read more
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VLADISLAV KURASOV
Vladislav Kurasov (March 13, 1995) - an aspiring singer, finalist of the show "The X-Factor-2 "(TV Channel STB-Ukraine) and the winner of the show "Star Ring" (TV Channel STB-Ukraine), songwriter.
Vladislav Kurasov was born on March 13, 1995 in the city of Brest (Belarus). He has two sisters and a brother and is the youngest child in the family. In 2006 the Kurasov family moved to the city of Krasnodar in Russia. In the same year, Vladislav began his studies at the Interschool Aesthetic Center of the city of Krasnodar in the class of pop vocals and piano. He is the winner of many national and international competitions, such as: "Blue-Eeyed Anapa", "Star Youth of the Planet", "Little Stars", "Eaglet Lights Up A Star" and many others.
In 2007, Vlad launched his own band which was based at the sound recording studio "MUZ";. The band traveled to many competitions and performed throughout the city and region. Later the group broke up. In the same year Vlad took part in the TV show "Minute of Fame" (TV channel "Channel One"), in which he performed Elvis Presley song "Blue Suede Shoes". In 2008 he took part in the International Festival of humor and pop art "Yalta-Moscow-Transit".
"Х-FACTOR"
Vladislav learned about the "Х-factor" while surfing the Internet and finding the You Tube video of one of the participants of the first season, which he liked very much. After that, Vladislav began to watch the "Х-factor" and having learned about the auditions for the second season, he immediately decided to go for it. Vlad's family took his decision with understanding, saying, "If this is what you want, then go for it!"
The X-Factor auditions in the city of Donezk aired on August 27, 2011 on STB, where Vlad performed Celine Dion's song "My Hеаrt Will Go On". Prior to this broadcast, a commercial advertisement promoting the "X-Factor" was aired on STB, and Vladislav Kurasov became this ad's main character.
Having successfully passed the first three rounds of the selection process (preliminary and TV auditions and the training camp), Vlad began competing in the fourth and deciding round for a place in the "Boys" category which was mentored by Igor Kondratyuk. Vlad's performance of Mariah Carey's song "I Can't Live Without You" at the judge's house was judged by his future mentor Igor Kondratyuk and a star guest Laima Vaikule and it won him the right to compete in the finals against eleven other finalists.
After Kurasov's powerful performance of Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" during the first live show of "X-Factor" on October 22, 2011, Vlad's fan base began to grow rapidly. Vlad had found himself in the nomination at the end of the 7-th live show, but he won the battle against his opponent decisively and proceeded to the next round. Vladislav made it all the way to the top, finishing in the third place and landing a contract with Sony Music Entertainment Russia..
On March 6, 2012 a new show "Star Ring", was launched on the TV channel STB, where the finalists of the two seasons of the shows "X-Factor" and "Ukraine Got Talent" were competing against each other. The winner of each round of the show was determined by viewers' voting. Vlad competed against Vyacheslav Korsak in the semifinals and then, against Roman Veremeychik in the finals and became the winner of the "Star Ring".
LIFE AFTER THE SHOW
In 2012 Vlad toured Ukrainian cities with solo concerts. His fans in the cities of Lugansk, Poltava, Odessa and Kiev enjoyed Vlad's repertoire, which consisted of some of the songs from the X-Factor and Star Ring as well as many new songs.
Also, Vlad performed as a guest singer at the International Festival of Young Reporters in the city of Dnepropetrovsk and the Charity Concert in the city of Ternopol.
Vladislav's first author song "Farewell, My Town" was released online on 06/22/2012. It was favorably received by his fans and is getting very good reviews from online listeners around the world.
On December 2, 1012, as a winner of the contest at the "Yatalant.ru", Vladislav Kurasov presented his song "Farewell, My Town"; aThe Golden Gramophone Award in St Petersburg, Russia. The Golden Gramophone Award is a yearly national Russian music award, established by Russian Radio in 1996. It is one of the most prestigious musical events in Russia. He was singing in front of 11000 people in The Ice Palace!
His second author song "Zero Love Squared" became a semifinalist of The International Songwriting Competition -2012 in Nashville, TN in Teen and Dance categories. There were over 20,000 songs entered from over 119 countries [in all genres].
On December 22, 2012 Vladislav was an invitational guest at the X FACTOR-3 Ukraine. He performed a new song "Shopot Dozhdey".
On February 26, 2013 Vladislav released one more song "Zabudesh" that was successfully played in radio stations in Ukraine, Germany, USA.
Categories: Music | Dance | Pop
Vladislav Kurasov Official Website


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Hajj - An Inward Journey
Hajj is a journey on many planes. Abdal Hakim Murad takes us through the emotions inolved in connecting with the unseen.
Featured in Issue 51, page 40 to 43: emel magazine
Everything in existence has a centre; and if what matters to Heaven is the worship of devoted Muslim souls, then the centre of this terrestrial universe is surely the Ka'bah. No other place on earth is the magnetic centre of so much piety, love, and yearning. The Ka'bah represents, for the believing heart, the eternity of God, who we worship and serve and adore – utterly unlike any created being. He is the final mystery, around whose unimaginable throne the unimaginable angels turn. But as the pilgrim approaches the Ka'bah, the 'Ancient House', he knows through some mysterious symbolic logic in his heart that this is the truest representation of something – absolutely beyond representation or imagining.
Muslims are faithful to the second commandment: no graven images. Abraham, who broke his father's idols and was expelled into the desert, came here to establish the purest sanctuary of the worship of the one true God. Later generations forgot this simplest of all commandments, and 300 statues were set up around the house that Abraham, together with his eldest son, built in this lonely valley. When the Prophet Muhammad entered the city after 30 years in exile, he rode his camel around the shrine, and pointed with his staff to each ugly, shameful image. As he did so, each one fell forward on its face. And the Prophet raised his voice, reminding the world: 'Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished; truly falsehood must ever pass away.'
Muslims, privileged heirs of the purest monotheism, are honoured to bow towards the Ancient House five times in every day. The House thus becomes a great vortex of prayer. If one were to view this earth from above, with a light visible in the heart of every Muslim at prayer, one would see an endless series of luminous ripples and waves moving around the globe. As the people of the West are increasingly honoured by the presence of Islam, formerly dark regions are now filling up with points of light, as the absolute call of 'No god but God' is heard triumphantly in the spiritual ruins of materialistic cities. Five times a day and more, the Qibla draws our attention away from what matters so much less. 'Allahu Akbar', God is Greater, means: turn towards the symbol of His unknowable, unfathomable, majestic Unity and Beauty.
As the Muslim stands to pray, rising above and beyond those who are trapped in their own desires, he pushes behind him everything that has made him forget God's power and scrutiny and mercy. Sleep facing the Qibla; never relieve yourself facing the Qibla, die facing the Qibla, lie in your grave on your right side, facing the Qibla, awaiting the final call, which will raise you to life, just as the Adhan raised you from spiritual death in the world.
Such a place is held in fear and awe. But in our Abrahamic religion, we move towards that place, through our fear and awe, to find love and stillness. Where the greatest crowds on earth come together, we find peace. The faces of those who have just returned from Hajj reawaken the desire for the House in all who see them. 'And truly with hardship comes ease.' Abraham is told this: 'And announce the Hajj to mankind! They will come on foot, on every lean beast, from every narrow ravine.' God commanded, and promised; and the Hajj shows how He honours His promises.
The 'valley without crops' is sterile and austere, ringed by jagged peaks: Uqhuwana, Khandama, Thawr, Hira'. The culmination of Hajj, at Arafat, is the simplest and most ancient of rituals: simply standing 'where tears fall and prayers rise', with two million broken hearts. The beauty is in the rigorous ancient austerity of the rites, but also in the faces of a thousand races, all filled, as the sun sets, with the light of knowledge, and the hope for forgiveness.
The City draws in these lovers of God each year, and then sends them home, like a heart pumping blood through the body. Most pilgrims have not come before, and as they approach, chanting the reply to God's command to Abraham: 'At Your service, here I am!', their hearts begin to melt at the unfamiliar sights and rituals. Stripping away all their pretentiousness, they wind on the ihram, as though ready for the grave and its questioning angels. At once, memories long suppressed bubble up to the surface.
The light of the Ka'bah makes us see our sins, and as we look within we are horrified by what we see. Forgetfulness, stupidity, laziness, cruelty, and more, in sins repeated year after year. Wrongs never put right, hearts still unhealed, come to mind painfully. The entry to the City is a time of fear, for there is no fear greater than that we might go to our graves unforgiven.
The forms of Hajj must be obeyed; but acceptance is God's alone and is not in our power. 'Here I am', and the pilgrim stands before the House of God. The mood of Madinah is Beauty (jamal); but the mood of Makkah is Rigour (jalal). The Ka'bah seems like an optical illusion, growing vast and majestic as one approaches, the eye disoriented by the velvet blackness of its coverings. Everyone seems to be talking – but the voices are of men and women engrossed in private prayer.
While walking around the House, there are no set formulas, one speaks what comes to the heart. Qur'anic verses, prayers and litanies of the Holy Prophet, or words of contrition of one's own devising: all may be heard. Some pilgrims are in tears. And at the most highly-charged place of all, the Multazam, beside the golden door, the atmosphere of hope, fear, love and yearning, cannot be described. 'The accepted Hajj has no reward other than the Garden', the hadith tells us.
The Hajj is a purgation: uncomfortable and physically exhausting. Following the rules crushes the ego. Once round the Ka'bah can take an hour, but the pilgrim must circle it seven times. The crowds are immense, the heat staggering, the accommodation basic. Many who find a scrap of cardboard on which to sleep consider themselves fortunate. But at the end: a new birth, as the successful pilgrim 'leaves his sins behind like a newborn child.'
Part of the spiritual power of the Hajj lies in its inculcation of wisdom. We may return to many of our ugly habits. But the memory of a sudden encounter with the 'clear signs of God', and of the power of repentance, stays with the pilgrim, as a reminder of the urgency of our need to remain pure of heart, and close to our Lord. Often, decades later, a memory of the Hajj can pull a sinful man or woman out of apparently hopeless vice. In that sense, the Hajj never comes to an end.
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Chile's Data Center Boom Puts Country and Connectivity on World Map
For years, Chile has been at the forefront of Latin America's data center industry.
The digital-first mindset of successive governments, coupled with investment into a national digital highway and expansive connectivity has produced a country in which digital experience, knowledge and know-how can be consolidated and offered for international use.
Google, Microsoft, Huawei and Amazon Web Services are among the big names that situate themselves in the South American country with data centers, and with additional projects in process, Chile's data center boom looks set to accelerate.
Josue Ramirez, Director of Business Development LATAM for the Uptime Institute
"Chile is the standout market in Latin America for data centers," Josue Ramirez, a data center expert and Director of Business Development LATAM for the Uptime Institute told Nearshore Americas.
"It's maturity and infrastructural stability brings big names to the country. Besides Brazil, there is no other country in Latin America that can offer the same level of data center service," he added.
The Beginnings of the Boom
Data centers are essential for the storage and processing of data and applications. Cloud computing at the "digital transformation" rush has seen the need for data center connectivity climb, and global companies are driving efforts to increase their global coverage through cloud regions.
There are currently 31 data centers in Chile. This isn't a huge number globally – 10th placed Russia is home to 145 data centers. But with major new private projects, alongside government-led transnational projects, this number is set to increase, with Nearshore being a benefactor.
Juan Pablo Garnica, Investment Promotion Officer at InvestChile
"In the last five years, Chile has invested heavily in digital infrastructure," said Juan Pablo Garnica, Investment Promotion Officer for Global Services and Digital Economy at InvestChile. "A focus of that has been submarine fiber optic cables. We now have five sub cables in Chile, as well as Google's Curie cable [an 18Tbps, 10,500km submarine cable connecting from Valparaiso, Chile to with California, US, by way of Panama]."
The Humboldt submarine cable, which will connect South America with Asia, is part of a joint effort between Chile and Brazil, and will extend global coverage from the country.
This activity was initially driven by the state, said Ramirez.
"Successive governments have put emphasis on digital technologies and the digitization of government processes. For example, most forms citizens need can be accessed and filled out online. Other pieces of civil administration, like driving license applications, can also be done digitally. The experience of the pandemic and the tight restrictions the country was put under only emphasised this need," he explained.
Government services were not the only internal source of demand for data centers and enhanced connectivity. Chile's highly-competitive banking sector market pushed banks to differentiate via technology and digital services, while the country's state-run healthcare system – 77% of the population is covered – relied on digital infrastructure. The necessity was clear from the start.
Global organisations are now propelling demand.
Tomás Barthold, Infrastructure Strategy Manager at Grupo GTD
"The main driving force behind the opening of data centers in Chile today are major IT companies like Microsoft, Google, Oracle and large cloud providers which are implementing massive operations in Santiago, as well as in Queretaro, Mexico," explained Tomás Barthold, Infrastructure Strategy Manager at data center provider, Grupo GTD.
One year ago, Microsoft announced its "Transform Chile" plan, which will see the tech company make its largest ever investment into Chile, as the country becomes a cloud region. The plan intends to train 180,000 people in digital technologies and is estimated to create some 51,000 jobs up to 2025.
"Three data centers will be constructed with an investment of US$500 million," explained Garnica.
Aside from the major cloud companies themselves, there is an ecosystem of other companies built around providing the necessary services for a company to choose and set up in a new region. Ascenty, a Brazilian unicorn, is operating in Chile, while ODATA and Scala are others.
Only yesterday, Google Cloud inaugurated its new cloud region in Santiago.
Business really is thriving.
Extended Coverage and Essential Offerings
The negative environmental impact of digital technologies has become ever more clear over the last few years, and companies are being pressured to do more to reduce the pollution their operations generate. For its part, Microsoft has set a goal to be carbon negative by 2030. Other major tech companies are following suit with similar aims.
"All the cloud providers and service providers are looking for carbon neutral operations," said Barthold. "Because of the investment and legislation that has been undertaken in Chile, we can assure companies that the energy for data centers will come from renewable sources like wind and solar farms."
"Chile's strongest source of renewable energy is solar energy. We estimate that 70% of Latin America's solar energy capacity comes from Chile. These companies are looking for clean energy, and we fit the bill," added
Microsoft's "Transform Chile" plan will help train 180,000 people in digital technologies and is estimated to create some 51,000 jobs up to 2025
Connecting the north and south of Chile – 2,653 miles in length – has been a challenge. Grupo GTD is among the major data center providers that have promoted the need for country-wide connection and the delivery of digital services to clients, regardless of where they are.
"We have equipment and connectivity that reaches the US and we are located in the NAP of the Americas in Miami, which is a data center meant for the interchange of traffic. From there we can reach any network that goes anywhere else in the US or Europe," Barthold explained.
In 2019, the company opened a data center in Puerto Montt, in Chilean Patagonia.
"Internally, our connectivity network is really strong, even in faraway places. Connectivity is supported by GTD's wholly-owned submarine cables Prat and FOS, which work as a back up in our long and thin country. So even in Patagonia, where you can see mountains and glaciers, there is still strong broadband service for customers," he said.
Nicolás Carrillo, Head of Infrastructure Planning and Business at Grupo GTD
Though we now think of the cloud as being unrestricted by borders or geographies, the location of the data center still matters: "The latency of the connection changes depending on distance, so by moving closer to customers in the south, there is less latency and the connection works more quickly."
And diversification of geography also offers other benefits, including disaster recovery.
"There are external factors in Chile that can disrupt services, such as earthquakes or tsunamis. This extended network provides disaster recovery options and also means second cities have extremely strong connections, not just Santiago," said Nicolás Carrillo, Head of Infrastructure Planning and Business at Grupo GTD.
With another 20 data center projects being discussed right now according to Garnica, Chile's data center boom will continue for some time yet. With 32 separate trade agreements and 26 double taxation agreements alongside its ever-expanding digital infrastructure, Chile looks an attractive base for any global organization wanting to increase its connection in The Americas.
carbon negative Chile connectivity Data center Microsoft pollution renewable energy
Relationship Red Flags: Eleven Reasons Why Vendor Managers Fire Providers
CITY PROFILE: Cochabamba Brims With Potential, Hoping to Build a Wider Foundation


text:
Redshift is an application that adjusts the computer display's color temperature based upon the time of day.  The program is free software, and is intended to reduce eye strain as well as insomnia (see Sleep#Circadian clock and Phase response curve#Light).

Redshift transitions the computer display's color temperature evenly between daytime and night temperatures to allow the user's eyes to slowly adapt. At night, the color temperature is low and is typically 3000–4000 K, preferably matching the room's lighting temperature. Typical color temperature during the daytime is 5500–6500 K.

Features
Redshift is primarily distributed for and used on the Linux operating system.

Redshift can be used to set a single color temperature and brightness ("one shot mode") or can adjust the temperature and brightness continuously to follow the sun's elevation, in which case it will transition to the night color temperature settings near twilight. The temperature and brightness settings for daytime and night can be user-configured.

To determine the Sun's elevation the software requires the user's location in form of latitude and longitude.

On Linux and BSD operating systems, Redshift supports multiple monitors through the X extensions RandR (preferred) or VidMode, or through the Direct Rendering Manager. Because Redshift can only be configured to use the same gamma correction on all monitors it controls, it is usually desirable to run one instance of the program per monitor.

Interfaces
Redshift originally possessed only a command-line interface, but now has graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that support most Linux desktop environments. Those GUIs include redshift-gtk, redshift-plasmoid, and nightshift.

redshift-gtk is included in Redshift's source tree. In addition to a windowed interface, it provides a tray status icon that can enable or disable Redshift or adjust the screen's color temperature automatically.

Redshift can be opened with the use of terminal, panel launchers or startup commands: the command 'redshift -O #TEMP' (#TEMP being a number from 1000 to 25000) will set the temperature and the command 'redshift -x' to exit Redshift.

A simple script can be made and called upon to set the colour temp manually via a shortcut or panel launcher:

 Create a new file and copy in the following:#!/bin/bash
shouldloop=true;
while $shouldloop; do
    read -p "What temp would you like? 1000-25000K: " scale

    if "$scale" -ge 1000 && "$scale" -le 25000; then
        redshift -O $scale
        shouldloop=false;
    elif $scale = "x"; then
        exit
    elif $scale = "X"; then
        exit
    else
        echo "Invalid value or outside range. x to exit..."
    fi
done
 Save the file in your /home/$user directory.
 Change the properties of the file so it can be executed (using chmod or context menu permissions).
 Create a new launcher ("set temp") referring to the file you have named above and select "Open in Terminal".
 Create a new launcher ("exit redshift") with the command redshift -x (no need to open this in terminal).
 Use the launcher to set temperature or exit Redshift.

Reviews
Redshift has been positively reviewed by Linux users, who note that Redshift has some installation and user interface advantages compared to the f.lux Linux port xflux. However, f.lux's systems have since been updated to enhance its dimmed display.

Ubuntu MATE provides Redshift installed by default since their 17.10 release.

Linux Mint Cinnamon provides Redshift installed by default since their 18.3 release.

See also
 F.lux
 Red Moon (software)
 Night Shift (software) – a feature of macOS and iOS that provides a similar function

References

External links
 Project website on GitHub

2011 software
Free software
Ergonomics
Sleep

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How do I load SCNMorpher targets from a Collada .dae file's morph controllers into SceneKit? According to WWDC 2013 What's new in SceneKit target geometries for morphers can be contained in a .dae file:

All the morphing information and animations can be loaded from a DAE file or you can create everything programmatically."

I have a collada .dae file that contains morph controllers. The file was created by Blender's Collada exporter, with "Include Shape Keys" selected. This converts Blender's shape keys into Collada's morph controllers. When I inspect the resulting file, I can see the shape keys listed after the main geometry in <library_geometries>. The headers look like this:
<geometry id="Octopus-mesh_morph_Rest" name="Rest">
  <mesh>
    <source id="Octopus-mesh_morph_Rest-positions">

where Rest is the name of the shape key. The geometry for the shape key/ morph target then follows this header.
After all the geometry is defined, there's the <library_controllers>:
<library_controllers>
<controller id="Octopus-morph" name="Octopus-morph">
  <morph source="#Octopus-mesh" method="NORMALIZED">
    <source id="Octopus-targets">
      <IDREF_array id="Octopus-targets-array" count="1">Octopus-mesh_morph_Rest</IDREF_array>
      <technique_common>
        <accessor source="#Octopus-targets-array" count="1" stride="1">
          <param name="IDREF" type="IDREF"/>
        </accessor>
      </technique_common>
    </source>
    <source id="Octopus-weights">
      <float_array id="Octopus-weights-array" count="1">0</float_array>
      <technique_common>
        <accessor source="#Octopus-weights-array" count="1" stride="1">
          <param name="MORPH_WEIGHT" type="float"/>
        </accessor>
      </technique_common>
    </source>
    <targets>
      <input semantic="MORPH_TARGET" source="#Octopus-targets"/>
      <input semantic="MORPH_WEIGHT" source="#Octopus-weights"/>
    </targets>
  </morph>
</controller>
</library_controllers>

How can I access these morph controllers from within SceneKit? In the Xcode Scene Editor, there's no indication that the morph controllers have been recognised, eg pressing play does nothing, the animations folder is empty, and there's no additional geometries besides the base geometry.
When I load the node, it has no morpher property attached, and no animation keys. I've tried searching the tree for entries named "Rest" but nothing is there.
    let collada = SCNScene(named: "octopus.dae", inDirectory: "art.scnassets", options: nil)
    let octopus = collada?.rootNode.childNodeWithName("Octopus", recursively: true)
    octopus?.position = SCNVector3(0,-2,0)
    print(octopus?.morpher?.animationKeys) //nil
    print(octopus?.animationKeys) //Optional([])

Has anyone managed to load SCNMorpher targets from the morph controllers of a Collada .dae file? Could it be an issue with the Blender .dae exporter? Objective-C answers as well as Swift welcome. Thanks.
EDIT
I also tried using NSBundle to load the .dae, and placing the .dae both inside and outside the art.scnassets folder, to see if it makes a difference, but still no dice:
    let collada = NSBundle.mainBundle().URLForResource("octopus", withExtension: "dae")!
    let sceneSource = SCNSceneSource(URL: collada, options: [
        SCNSceneSourceAnimationImportPolicyKey : SCNSceneSourceAnimationImportPolicyDoNotPlay
        ])
    let octopusDae = sceneSource?.entryWithIdentifier("Octopus", withClass: SCNNode.self)
    //let deform = sceneSource?.entryWithIdentifier("Rest", withClass: SCNGeometry.self)
            print(sceneSource?.entriesPassingTest(){(entry, id, stop) in return id.containsString("Rest") })
    print(octopusDae!.morpher)
    print(octopusDae!.animationKeys)

EDIT 2
I have managed to get this working with .obj files, by saving each shape-key as a separate .obj file. But I would really like to get this working with Blender's .dae files as it would make iterative development and working with models with lots of shape-keys that much easier (plus, there are some strange quirks to working with Blender .obj files in SceneKit, eg all the texture coordinates seem to be flipped vertically). All the geometry I need is in the .dae file. I just can't get SceneKit to see it.

A: Blender isn't writing instance_controllers under the nodes that need them. See Blender issue: T50807.
If you just want to load SCNMorphers from shape keys, you can replace the instance_geometry elements under affected nodes with an instance_controller that refers to the appropriate entry under library_controllers.
<node id="Cube" name="Cube" type="NODE">
    <matrix sid="transform">1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1</matrix>
    <instance_geometry url="#Cube-mesh" name="Cube">
      <bind_material>
        <technique_common>
          <instance_material symbol="Material-material" target="#Material-material"/>
        </technique_common>
      </bind_material>
    </instance_geometry>
  </node>

Becomes:
  <node id="Cube" name="Cube" type="NODE">
    <matrix sid="transform">1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1</matrix>
    <instance_controller url="#Cube-morph" name="Cube-morph">
      <bind_material>
        <technique_common>
          <instance_material symbol="Material-material" target="#Material-material"/>
        </technique_common>
      </bind_material>
    </instance_controller>
  </node>

SceneKit has its own issues. As far as I know, it won't properly import a Collada file with a node that has both an SCNSkinner (aka Blender armature) and an SCNMorhper (aka Blender shape key). Blender won't export this, but you can see the problem by using the Collada CTS test files. Morph_on_skin, skin_on_morph, morph_on_morph all have issues in SceneKit.
I made a tool that fixes the simple case of missing SCNMorphers. It can be found here: https://github.com/JonAllee/ColladaMorphAdjuster

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The solvency and liquidity test ("the test") is a new concept which was introduced into the Companies Act ("the Act") and applies to distributions, share repurchases, financial assistance, mergers and acquisitions as well as cash payments in lieu of capitalisation shares.
Prior to making one of the above transactions the board of directors must acknowledge that it has applied the test and has reasonably concluded that the company will satisfy the test immediately after completion of the transaction. The duty of the board of directors has become onerous as at the time when the transaction is approved and when the transaction occurs is not immediate in practice. A result of the delay in the two steps will cause the resolution acknowledging the test to lapse.
The test will lapse if the distribution has not been completed within 120 business days and a new assessment must be done. The continuous re-assessment of the test may be unnecessary and it may be more practical to only re-consider the test just before the transaction is completed.
The test is made up of two elements, namely solvency and liquidity. The solvency aspect of the test is a balance sheet test and one can easily look at the financial records of a company to determine if their assets exceed their liabilities, the second part of the test is a cash flow examination. The difficulty experienced by companies is that when applying the test they will need to foresee that the company will be able to pay its debts 12 months after the test has been considered and the test must again be satisfied immediately after a distribution has been completed. The Act uses the term "foreseeable" and "foresee" on numerous occasions but fails to elaborate on an accurate manner to determine a company's future financial position.
Section 46 of the Act specifically deals with distributions and expands on the manner in which the board of directors must pass the resolution approving the distributions. A resolution must be passed authorising the distribution as well as one indicating that the board of directors has acknowledged having applied the test and has reasonably concluded that the test can be satisfied after the distribution is complete. The Act goes further and states that once the resolution has been adopted the distribution must be fully carried out. A distribution may be carried out at a later date when the directors who passed the resolution authorising the distribution are no longer part of the company.
Section 46 (a)(ii) states that the first board resolution was to authorise the distribution, later on in section being 46 (a)(c) the board must by resolution acknowledge the solvency and liquidity test. Therefore, there should be two resolutions passed by the board of directors, one for the authorisation and a subsequent resolution for the acknowledgement.
The next problem which may arise in respect of the resolutions is the liability of the directors. The question may arise as to who will incur liability at a later stage if the resolution acknowledging the test is re-passed. The directors who authorised the distribution may differ to those who acknowledged the test as only the resolution acknowledging the test will need to be re-passed if the 120 business days have lapsed.
Section 77 of the Act deals with the liability of directors and prescribed officers and extends liability to persons who are not only directors in the strict sense. When dealing with liability for any loss, damage or costs sustained by the company the Act narrows the liability to directors only. In order for a director to incur liability he would have had to be present at a meeting, participated in the making of a decision and failed to vote against the resolution approving the distribution. However Section 77(3)(vi) only refers to a director incurring liability for the approval of the distribution and fails to mention liability for the acknowledgement of the test.
Section 77 read in conjunction with Section 46 expands on liability. The liability in respect of the failure to vote against the resolution will only arise, if immediately after making the distribution contemplated in the resolution( referred to in section 46) the company does not satisfy the test and it was unreasonable at the time of the decision to conclude that the company would satisfy the test .
Section 46(6) of the Act cross referenced with section 48(7) of the Act refers directly to a director's liability being associated directly to the "approval" which authorised the transaction and no mention is made to the liability for the acknowledgement of the test. From a reading of the Act it is clear that the directors who initially authorised the distribution should act with a greater degree of care and skill due to the liability which could be imposed on them.
and (b) it appears that the company will be able to pay its debts as they become due in the ordinary course of business for a period of—(i) 12 months after the date on which the test is considered; or (ii) in the case of distribution contemplated in paragraph (a) of the definition of 'distribution' in section 1, 12 months following that distribution.
irrespective of whether or not arising as a result of the proposed distribution, or otherwise; and(ii) may consider any other valuation of the company's assets and liabilities that is reasonable in the circumstances; and(c) unless the Memorandum of Incorporation of the company provides otherwise, a person applying the test in respect of a distribution contemplated in paragraph (a) of the definition of 'distribution' in section 1 is not to be regarded as a liability any amount that would be required, if the company were to be liquidated at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon liquidation of shareholders whose preferential rights upon liquidation are superior to the preferential rights upon liquidation of those receiving the distribution".
company by one more holders of any of the shares of that company or of another company within the same group of companies, but does not include any such action taken upon the final liquidation of the company".
 n 2 Section 77 (3).
 n 2 Section 77 (e).
 n 2 Section 77 (4).
 (6) A director of a company is liable to the extent set out in section 77(3)(e)(vi) if the director— (a) was present at the meeting when the board approved a distribution as contemplated in this section, or participated in the making of such a decision in terms of section 74; and (b) failed to vote against the distribution, despite knowing that the distribution was contrary to this section.
 (7)A director of a company is liable to the extent set out in section 77(3)(e)(vii) if the director— (a) was present at the meeting when the board approved an acquisition of shares contemplated in this section, or participated in the making of such a decision in terms of section 74; and (b) failed to vote against the acquisition of shares, despite knowing that the acquisition was contrary to this section or section 46.


The race chosen for the same is 'Potato Race'.
In this event, the students will be given a small bucket in which they will have to collect potatoes and run to the finishing line.
Please ensure that your child remains present in school on the said day.


There are 20 Wiltshire Wedding Venue suppliers from which to choose. Overall, they have an average rating of 5.0 out of 5. Couples usually enquire with 6 vendors in this category and books 10 months out from their wedding date, typically before a Wedding Planner. Given UK weddings typically cost £21,585, this means UK couples spend % of their wedding budget on Wedding Venue.
Leigh Park has its own unique atmosphere specialising in personal service together with caring and attentive staff and offers you a warm and friendly welcome.
Winkworth Farm is set on the edge of the beautiful Cotswold countryside.
Longleat House and estate offers a magnificent and romantic setting for your wedding ceremony,<br />reception or evening celebration,making your dreams come true for your special day.
There's nothing like experiencing Abbey House and it's fabulous gardens firsthand, we would welcome the chance to show you around and talk through your plans.
Bishopstrow's professional and attentive team are committed to delivering you an exquisite experience that will remain in the memories of your guests and you forever.
Set in the heart of the beautiful Wiltshire countryside, Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort is a unique setting for your wedding.
We aim to make the task of organising a wedding as easy as possible for you.
The peace and tranquillity of this delightful Victorian manor house provides a truly romantic setting for both Civil Ceremonies and Wedding Receptions.
The Red Lion Hotel is where dreams come true and we promise it will be perfect, right down to the last tiny exquisite detail.


text:
The non-virtual elephant in Paul Mason's postcapitalist sharing-economy room
Tue 21 Jul 2015 14.54 EDT Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 09.13 EST
Apple CEO Tim Cook, right, takes a photo with an Apple employee. 'It has taken thousands of years of human ingenuity to build a smartphone, and every link in that vast chain – from rare-earth mines to polymer labs to the farmers who feed the delivery drivers who put the smartphone through your letterbox – expects payment for their property and their effort,' writes Nigel Pollitt. Photograph: Tony Avelar/AP
Since I can't sprinkle Wikipedia on my porridge, clothe myself with an open-source pattern for jeans, or access the internet by data alone, I'm puzzled about Paul Mason's postcapitalist proto-utopia (Welcome to a new way of living, Review, 18 July).
How does he propose dealing with the non-virtual elephant in the middle of his sharing economy: ie that the means of production – the factories, mines, farms and power plants that make the stuff we need and use – are all owned by someone who expects payment? Is the missing detail to his argument the abolition of private property? Because surely it would take that, even to access the internet and its wealth of data for free, and be clothed, housed, etc.
It has taken thousands of years of human ingenuity to build a smartphone, and every link in that vast chain – from rare-earth mines to polymer labs to the farmers who feed the delivery drivers who put the smartphone through your letterbox – expects payment for their property and their effort.
Much, not all, technological innovation depends on the desire to make profit. Is the proposition, seriously, that the myriad corporations and companies and individuals who build the robots that will make work vanish and abundance continuous, will give up their robots, and their robots' products – be these phones or fishmeal – for free?
In the meantime, for every robot that comes online, that's several humans who lose their wages, unable to buy what the robot is making or vending. It doesn't add up, does it? Please come out of your peer-to-peer data cloud and tell us the answer, Paul Mason.
Nigel Pollitt


text:
angular.module('starter.controllers', [])

.controller('DashCtrl', function($scope) {})

.controller('AccountCtrl', function($scope, $user, $facebookLogin) {
  $scope.user = $user;
  $scope.facebookLogin = $facebookLogin;
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


She advanced straight towards the town centre, and now Alysia had immediately come to the castle gate. A deep moat and a drawbridge, grey stone and brick fortified the castle walls. All making whole castle's nobility feel strong. The drawbridge was lowered so that Alysia could speak with a spear-holding soldier. When the young girl donning a wonderful scarlet dress looked up at the relatively large castle, everybody thought it was strange.
Alysia's spoke in a tone more polite than usual. Perhaps the matter between the King and her will be remembered, she told her name in order to meet with him.
The drawbridge was crossed, they went through a garden, Alysia was shown to a wide room where a circular desk and chair lined up. It seemed like she needed to wait here for a moment. Looking around the room, many ornaments and decorations were put up on the wall. Looking around like this, Alysia killed time. Some time ago, words were caught, however, they were inconsequential times and were instantly driven into the corner of her mind.
Ten minutes passed in the room, and the soldier, from a short while ago, finally came back. According to the what he said, the King cheerfully consented to meeting with Alysia. While going towards the King, the guide soldier, who was silent until now, suddenly spoke to Alysia.
Hearing that, the soldier's words fell silent again. Troubled by something, his eyebrows furrowed. Thinking that it was strange, Alysia spoke to the soldier.
And then, before Alysia faced forwards.
Suddenly, the soldier came and thrust the spear, aiming for Alysia's back. It was a sudden thing, but it was somehow possible to avoid by shifting diagonally.
A black thread danced in the air -no, it was Alysia's hair. Perhaps even crossing the spear, it would be cut off. Letting the black thread flow in the wind, it settled on Alysia's right hand.
Eventually asking a waiter the way to the King, and walking for about five minutes, they arrived at the location of a huge double door made of iron and wood. By the way, when asking for the way, the waiter conversely asked about the soldier, but it was ignored.
Although a human alone would have trouble opening the door, Alysia pushed it open very easily with two fingers. Both sides of the door opened with great force and made a large sound on the wall.
The King looked at Alysia entirely up and down. Alysia certainly grew a considerable amount compared to the time when she was eight.
The King turned his attention behind Alysia to the front of the open door. There was the shabby form of the soldier with a portion of his armour attached to his body peeled off and fell. And yet, the spear was still not released, it was tightly held by his right hand which trembled. It seemed, to Alysia, that that guy had strong willpower.
The main question was urged by Alysia by speaking a softer tone than usual. The King's soldier was still a matter of concern, but the King showed Alysia the way to the next room.
Something like Earth's black tea was carried to a sofa in the room where two people sat. When entertaining a guest, it's the general tea you serve. Of course, if it's taken from the Royal castle, something quite good would be used to make the flavour and taste.
That said, the King puts sugar into his cup. So far, Alysia didn't notice the many small decorations of the cup.
And then, Alysia started to speak concerning the attack in detail. At twelve years old, when she was going to the academy via carriage, and then, the soldier from just some time ago. Most of the time, she finely described the situations at those times.
The King made a marvelous expression. By no means did he think that the aims of Alysia included sleeping pills.
The King fell silent for a while from Alysia's answer which was saying as though it was a good way to be praised.
It was certainly a very natural thing to say. Even though things may appear this way, Alysia could say with confidence that she was originally a man. It was likely that for her whole life, Alysia wouldn't get married.
"Hou, how regrettable. The guy's man-hating daughter…how troubling. Although it's likely just cute curiosity. Try to meet my son and daughter sometime?
At the same moment Alysia said so, somebody opened the door and entered.
Coming into the room was a young girl with long, light golden hair, and considerably well-ordered young man. As soon as the young girl entered the room, for some reason she strongly embraced Alysia. The person she was touching was probably the King's daughter, and Princess. Standing behind the King with an amazed expression seemed to be the King's son, the Prince.
Thanks, always glad to see another new chapter.
Woohoo~! Nice~! New character appeared=new possible developments~! haha~ XD!
— Thank you for the chapter~ ^^.
sorry for being late meatbun have unexpected group assignment and need to playwork with other dumpling friends..
No, you are dango, no meatbuns here, okay? Such evil dango, lusting for young girls.
mouu.. meatbun is meatbun! meatbun no lusting! …but meatbun do have habit of snuggling to young girls..
meatbun what happened to phoenix that you have been dating for atleast 20 years?
that's true~! haha xD! Meatbun bun is cheating~!
…. Another maniac type character? I mean… Yuri chara?
Thanks and I'm new here.