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HomeInternational Affairs
When Were We Winning In Afghanistan?
By New Matilda on	 September 30, 2011 International Affairs
Australian media's coverage of Afghanistan waned very quickly in the first half of 2005. No Australian reporters were permanently based there for any length of time, with the exception of Michael Ware who worked for Time magazine in Kandahar.
The narrative of a quick, clean and righteous victory over the Taliban welcomed by a grateful population was not challenged in the Australian media, especially after the start of the Iraq war. Media attention did not return to Afghanistan for several years.
By the time I began reporting from there in 2005, there had been very little in the Australian press to challenge the Afghan victory narrative. There was a severe disconnect between the realities on the ground and the perception of the conflict as a success by most media commentators involved in covering the defence and policy issues that arose from Australia's redeployment to Afghanistan in 2005.
This is demonstrated by my experience of breaking what turned out to be a very significant story from Afghanistan when I first went there for SBS's Dateline in 2005.
I went to Afghanistan to report on the parliamentary elections that year but it was an incident filmed by my colleague, photojournalist Stephen Dupont, shortly after I departed that became the main focus of my report. I had asked him to provide me with some shots of US troops in Kandahar, as that was where the Australians were then based. He called me in Australia from Bangkok about a week later. He had been too concerned about the US military seizing his footage to reveal, over the phone from Afghanistan, what he had filmed. He told me that he had gone on an operation in Kandahar province with troops from the US 173rd Airborne and a team of US Army Psychological Operations (Psy Ops) specialists.
He had filmed them burning the bodies of dead Taliban fighters and broadcasting defamatory messages over loudspeakers to incite the Taliban to violence: "Attention, Taliban, you are all cowardly dogs. You allowed your fighters to be laid down facing west and burned. You are too scared to come down and retrieve their bodies. This just proves you are the lady boys we always believed you to be."
Dupont was travelling with a Psy Ops unit that drove a Humvee with huge loudspeakers attached to the roof. They had broadcast these messages in Pashtu over the loudspeakers to try and get some reaction from the Taliban they believed to be in the area. Dupont had merely asked the soldiers to repeat the messages in English to the camera, which they did, evidently thinking it was quite funny.
Under Islamic tradition, it is strictly forbidden to burn bodies. Muslims believe that the dead should be washed, prayed over and buried within 24 hours. Yet not only was the soldiers' behaviour offensive, it was also illegal. Article 120, Section III of Geneva Convention III of 12 August 1949, states that the dead are to be "honorably buried, if possible, according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged".
What is so remarkable about the whole episode, is that it was so unremarkable to the troops involved that they made no attempt to prevent Dupont from filming it and even went out of their way to repeat the broadcast messages in English and on camera for him.
The practice of using the enemy's religious and cultural taboos to demoralise, degrade or enrage him had been utilised by US forces time and again in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was central to the sexual humiliations in Abu Ghraib, the use of dogs in Iraq in interrogations and searches, the stripping of detainees, the placing of feet on the heads of detainees, the desecration of the Koran in Guantanamo and other accusations of misconduct.
Covering Iraq the previous year, before the Abu Ghraib scandal broke, I had heard many similar accusations and had trouble publishing them. I had interviewed former detainees in Baghdad and interviewed the families of those detained outside the prison itself, before being chased away by US guards.
The previous year in Afghanistan, an Australian colleague of mine, Carmela Baranowska, had recorded similar accusations made by Afghans against US troops in Oruzgan province. The common theme in all of these complaints, accusations and proven abuses by US troops against civilians and combatants alike in Iraq and Afghanistan, was that the abuses themselves were specifically designed to violate a specific cultural or religious taboo, usually related to Islam.
This was a tactic, along with the interrogation techniques, specifically designed somewhere along the military chain of command for use against Muslims. Somewhere in the US military people were identifying Islamic, Afghan and Iraqi customs, and recommending ways to violate them with a frequency that was only slowly becoming apparent as, occasionally, an incident was caught on film, witnessed or photographed.
Countless more accusations were dismissed on the ground by sceptical and partisan reporters as being complaints of those with an agenda, or were blocked at an editorial level by a press in the US, the UK and Australia that, by and large, supported both wars.
Dupont got his pictures having spent the previous day and night with the Psy Op troops, who fruitlessly searched Afghan compounds near where a firefight had taken place that had killed the two Taliban fighters who would later be burned.
The following morning, when Dupont accompanied the soldiers into the small village of Gonbaz, as they searched the mud brick houses and tried to extract information from the reluctant inhabitants about who or where the Taliban might be, he recorded this exchange:
SOLDIER: That's OK. If you can give us that information, we can actually reward you. If you can give us that information, you will be doing a lot to help the people around here who are innocent and shouldn't be arrested. Because I am trying to do what I can right now, to find the bad guys because we don't want to end up having to punish everyone.
VILLAGER (Translation): I have no knowledge of the Taliban themselves. I do not know the person who reports to the Taliban in this village or who from the Taliban side is asking about the Americans.
SOLDIER: I just have one more question for him. You just tell him, that it's really important that you help me, 'cause I'll say it again. What my commander wants to do with all the forces in this whole area is round up everyone in this town since no-one is helping us and nobody is turning over the people in this village who actually are part of the attack. So I'm gonna be leaving in about five minutes this is going to be your last chance to try to help yourself.
The soldier's threats to round up everybody in the village if no information was forthcoming were almost as damaging to the US cause as the practice of burning bodies and defaming the religion of the local inhabitants.
Such behaviour was turning the population against coalition forces at a time when there were so few foreigners on the ground, that brief raids into villages and exchanges like the one above were often the only time the population had any contact with them. When the foreigners disappeared back to their bases, particularly in Kandahar province in the south of Afghanistan where this village was located, the only regular source of authority seen in the area was the Taliban.
The body-burning footage was broadcast as part of my report on Dateline. It was immediately picked up and rebroadcast by hundreds of television stations around the world. By the next day, it was one of the major headline stories of the day, as well as being carried by all wire services and reproduced worldwide. (In Australia, by contrast, the story was in the news for about 24 hours and then quietly died.)
Almost immediately, Dupont was conducting interview after interview regarding the footage, and it did not take long before there was widespread reaction in the Muslim world. US embassies in all Islamic countries were put on high alert for anticipated violent demonstrations.
The top US commander in Afghanistan was quick to respond to the report: "This command does not condone the mistreatment of enemy combatants or the desecration of their religious and cultural beliefs," Major General Jason Kamiya said.
He announced an immediate investigation by the army's Criminal Investigation Division into whether the actions of the soldiers violated conventions on wartime treatment of corpses or other regulations. Kamiya did not doubt the authenticity of the report, but said it had to be verified that the troops were Americans.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called the allegations "very serious" and, if true, "very troubling". Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that burning bodies "is not anywhere close to our standard operating procedure". But it was the US Secretary of Defense himself, Donald Rumsfeld, who acknowledged the accuracy of the report when he said that "it's always disappointing when there are charges like that. It's particularly disappointing when they're true".
Fearful of a backlash against them, the international community in Afghanistan went to great lengths to distance itself from the US military over the report. UN spokesman Adrian Edwards told a press conference that "such abuses are totally unacceptable. They are an affront to the work of the international community in Afghanistan".
But it was the response of the US military that was the best indicator that these practices were more widespread, and that the incident Dupont had filmed was not an aberration from military procedures then in use.
In an interview with the Marine Corps Times on 28 October 2005, US Afghanistan Commander, Major General Kamiya, acknowledged that on the night following the Dateline broadcast, he "directed in an order that all tactical psyops operations be discontinued pending command review".
In the same interview he acknowledged that a broad review of psychological warfare training was being undertaken, as well as the inquiry into the specific incident Dupont had filmed.
Meanwhile, on the internet, a campaign led by right-wing bloggers and pundits was doing all it could to call into question the facts of the report and to smear, defame and discredit Dupont and I. No matter that the veracity of the filmed incidents had been accepted by the Pentagon, the Afghan government and the UN; consistent efforts were made to denigrate SBS, Stephen Dupont and me as pro-Taliban, anti-American propagandists, efforts that did partially succeed in burying the fallout from the story.
Andrew Bolt of the Herald-Sun, also condemned the story. Drawing on the allegations raised by US bloggers, Bolt deduced that SBS had "misrepresented" what the film had shown. He introduced me as "SBS journalist John Martinkus, who was freed by Iraqi terrorists last year after they looked up his reports and found, as he put it, he 'did not support the occupation'". As though the fact I had not been killed was evidence enough of my sympathies.
The Bolt piece led to questions being asked of SBS management in Senate Estimates committee hearings. The questions related to the so-called inconsistencies in the story that were first dreamt up in the US blogosphere and then regurgitated by Andrew Bolt.
SBS strongly rejected the claims. Then SBS Managing Director, Shaun Brown, accompanied his response to the questions with the results of the US Army Criminal Investigation Division's inquiry into the incident that resulted in disciplinary action against four American soldiers.
The following year, as a result of the burning Taliban story, I was refused accreditation by the US forces in Afghanistan. It did not matter, as NATO accredited me and I was able to travel independently to Tarin Kowt to report on the situation the Australians would be facing.
This is an edited extract from The Information Battlefield: Representing Australians at War, edited by Kevin Foster.
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Tags: afghanistanInternational Affairsjohn martinkusmedia
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New Matilda is independent journalism at its finest. The site has been publishing intelligent coverage of Australian and international politics, media and culture since 2004.
A Living Hell In A Piece Of Paradise: Life Inside Vial Refugee Camp
Standing On Their Own Two Feet


IZŌ is a instrumental stoner-rock band from Lecce, Italy, formed in 2013. After enduring a series of early line-up changes, they've crafted and released their self-titled debut.
The opening track, 'We Are What We Are', is a great starter. You get little tastes of the doom, sludge, and stoner genres in a pleasing and palatable balance, but their main drive comes from a stoner/desert base. No issues with that at all, either. Also, while there are some approaches and textures in the music that may sound familiar to the listener, they offer some interesting atmospheric departures. I think this is one of IZŌ's strengths, as is their intros and outros – the beginning and middle of 'Hikikomori' are good examples. The track 'Kikusai' also shows off a good blend of the heavy and the atmospheric about 5 minutes in.
IZŌ's guitar tones offer an unexpected and flexible beefiness: They pendulate between the distorted fuzziness of doom or stoner textures and the dirty cleans of post-metal. Multiple times throughout the album the guitars are independent, but build layers and textures together that make for full and busy songs. Their bass tone is good, too. It takes on a saturated, doomy, beef-tone but also stands out well with a chorused and clean delivery, where appropriate. IZŌ have some psychedelic noises and soundscapes that have been tastefully added to their songs, not taking away or overpowering at any point. I feel there could be more, too. I like that stuff. Although I feel their drums could have more boom to them, I think they're mixed well. What I really enjoy about this release is that all of their instruments feel measured and balanced – in each performance, not just the final mix. Nothing seems to be getting away from them, nor is anyone in the band trying to do too much or stand on their own. I think this is another strength of theirs.
This being said, I think there were some opportunities. For instance, some fantastic buildups were followed by riffs that either didn't seem to deliver or feel like a good fit. In spaces where the music started to breathe a little, I was expecting something to jump in front of the mix once the foundation was established. Often, that just didn't materialize – but when it did, I felt something definitive was lacking. An example of this is around 5 minutes into 'Hikikomori'. So, while I feel they are very well-balanced in regard to their tone and style, I think their songwriting has some room for growth.
I see a greater potential in future releases. They've laid a strong foundation in their self-titled release, having created a balanced style from a host of influences and tastes. It results in a coherent and pleasing listen for their first recording. I hope to see and hear more of them in the future.


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Threat Matrix
Islamic Caucasus Emirate
Shabaab
Dissident Taliban commander claims Pakistani intel ordered him to conduct assassinations, attacks in Afghanistan
By Bill Roggio | September 7, 2015 | [email protected] | @billroggio
Mustafa Abu Yazid, al Qaeda's former emir for Afghanistan and general manager, and Mullah Mansoor Dadullah, a former senior military commander in the Afghan Taliban, from a video released by As Sahab. Screen capture from the Site Intelligence Group.
A former senior Taliban leader who was ousted by Mullah Omar in 2007 has rejected Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as the new emir of the group and accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate of ordering him to conduct assassinations and attacks in Afghanistan.
Mullah Mansour Dadullah, the former Taliban commander, released a video addressing his complaints about the Taliban and Pakistan's intelligence service to Afghan Islamic Press on Sept. 5. According to Afghan Islamic Press, Dadullah's interview was recorded on Sept. 2, just days after his followers and the Taliban clashed in Zabul province.
Dadullah is the brother of Mullah Dadullah Lang, a revered Taliban military commander who was killed by Coalition forces in May 2007. After his brother's death, Dadullah took over his job as the Taliban's military commander in southern Afghanistan. But within seven months after taking command of forces in the south, Mullah Omar relieved Dadullah and expelled him from the Taliban.
"Mullah Mansour Dadullah is not [in] obedience to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in his actions and has carried out activities which were against the rules of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," Omar said in a statement attributed to him on Voice of Jihad in early January 2008. "So the Decision Authorities of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have removed Mansour Dadullah from his post and he will no longer be serving the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in [any way] and no Taliban will obey his orders any more."
Less than two months after he was expelled from the Taliban, Dadullah was captured by Pakistani forces in Baluchistan province. Pakistan freed Dadullah in the summer of 2013 along with other Taliban leaders who were in custody. While the reason for his release was not disclosed, Dadullah and others were freed at a time when the Afghan government and the West had high hopes of conducting a negotiated settlement with the Taliban.
Taliban leaders "deceived" Muslims
Dadullah, in his latest videotape, accused the current Taliban leadership of being "lecherous, rakish and malicious" and described "intelligence networks," which presumably include Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, as "dirty and disgraced," according to a translation of the Afghan Islamic Press article that was obtained by The Long War Journal. Additionally, he claimed that Mullah Omar, who died in April 2013, months before Dadullah was released, was murdered:
"We have tried from the very first moments of jihad to give control of the Islamic army to a religious, brave, independent and free Muslim. Ever since the relation between His Excellency Amir al-Momenin [Leader of the Faithful] Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid was disconnected and lecherous, rakish and malicious people had entered in the middle, we have raised our voice of truth. Now, the situation is very clear and you see that in the name of the new Amir al-Momenin [Mullah Mansour], the sincere Muslims and mujahideen are being deceived again. The voice of truth, which the religious scholars raise, is prevented and dirty and disgraced intelligence networks once again dominate our faithful and Muslim nation. Thus, we openly made a decision once again and in consultation with religious scholars, and we clearly declared our separation from those lying lecher people, who kept the killing of His Excellency Amir al-Momenin Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid for over two years from all the Muslims and who imposed their hated thoughts in the form of the decrees of the Leader Mullah [Omar] on all the Islamic world. We cannot accept Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as the new Amir based on consultation with and fatwa by the religious scholars."
According to the Afghan Islamic Press, Dadullah left Pakistan after the ISI offered to back him in exchange for favors. Dadullah said the ISI asked him to conduct assassinations and attacks on specific targets in Afghanistan in return for resources.
"The Pakistani intelligence agency summoned me," Dadullah claimed. "They said that they had some demands. They presented their demands to me. One demand was that if they gave me some person or place as a target in Afghanistan, I would have to eliminate it. And similar other demands, which were contrary to Islam. They also offered lots of facilities as well such as one-third of the whole Emirate's [Taliban's] logistical, technical and military aid, but I left everything and came to Afghanistan. I was not ready to do business over the religion and the country."
Dadullah's accusation may be based in truth. He was ejected from the Taliban in late 2007 for unspecified reasons and arrested shortly afterward by the ISI. The Taliban's top leadership, which is based in Pakistan and is known to have close ties to the ISI and the military, may have had the ISI remove an influential disgruntled commander from the complex landscape of Taliban politics.
Dadullah explained that he left Pakistan for Zabul province, Afghanistan. Mawlawi Matiullah, the Taliban's shadow governor, sent a delegation to meet Dadullah once he arrived in Zabul. Matiullah wanted to determine why Dadullah moved to Zabul, and if he wanted to assume a leadership position.
"If I wanted leadership, I would not have come from Pakistan, because the posts of the Emirate are distributed in Pakistan," Dadullah responded.
The Taliban ultimately attacked Dadullah and his followers on Aug. 23. Five people were killed in the clash, according to news reports. Shortly afterward, Mullah Mansour is said to have deployed an additional 600 fighters to Zabul to confront Dadullah and his followers.
A nod to al Qaeda
Despite his opposition to the Taliban, Dadullah has not indicated at this time that he and his followers would join the rival Islamic State's Khorasan province, as other disaffected former Taliban commanders in the region have. And in Dadullah's latest video, images of Osama bin Laden, former al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi, former Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan emir Tahir Yuldashev, and former al Qaeda commander in Chechnya Ibn Khattab are shown. Additionally, photographs of his brother Mullah Dadullah Lang, Mullah Omar, and former chief of the Taliban press Ustad Yasir are displayed. Mansour does not mention or display images of any leaders of the Islamic State.
Dadullah's acknowledgement of eminent slain Taliban and al Qaeda leaders indicates that he maintains a degree of loyalty to both groups, despite his dispute with the current leadership of the Taliban. Al Qaeda's emir, Ayman al Zawahiri, sided with Mullah Mansour when Zawahiri swore an oath to the new Taliban leader.
Dadullah has historical ties with al Qaeda's top leaders. In 2007, Dadullah appeared with Mustafa Abu Yazid (AKA Saeed al Masri), al Qaeda's leader for Afghanistan and general manager who was killed in a US drone strike in 2010. In the video, Dadullah said that "The raids on New York and Washington had a major effect in cementing the ties of the Iman-based brotherhood between al Qaeda and their brothers the Taliban, both commanders and soldiers."
Yazid, who was closely linked to the Taliban, responded that "The ties between the brothers in al Qaeda and brothers in the Taliban have increased."
Five years after Yazid's death, Mullah Mansour cemented those ties when he took the unusual step of publicly accepting Zawahiri's oath of allegiance.
Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.
Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Tags: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Inter-Services Intelligence, Islamic State, Pakistan, Taliban
Arjuna says:
Great report. Dadullah's account is not surprising if true, which I deem highly likely. This bite sums up the Pakistani treachery nicely: "the ISI asked him to conduct assassinations and attacks on specific targets in Afghanistan in return for resources."
The ISI has been killing Americans and hiding America's enemies for years. Not one officer has been brought to book for ignoring (building?) Bin Laden's hideout or hiding Mullah Omar and covering up his death.
Ah, the "Land of the Pure." If there is a closer place to Hell on this hot rock, I'd like to know where it is.
mike merlo says:
Yeah what a bummer. Ole Dadullah bein left out of some of that heroin money. There was no doubt of the emergence of a 3rd Party in this phase of the AfPak milieu. A few weeks ago, give or take, TLWJ published info on some nondescript group unaffiliated with either the Taliban or ISIS/ISIL. Who, at least on paper, demonstrated sustainability. It is now beyond obvious that another player, Dadullah, has emerged with a capable following. With Fall/Winter fast approaching all the players, including the ANA & their backers/supporters, need to creatively & responsibly 'shore up' all available for 'shoring' & then some. This years' 'Fighting Season' is fast coming to a close & once again the Taliban & their allies & affiliates have little to show besides runnin around Afghanistan livin out their yearly version of their 'Three Little Pigs' fable. The Afghan people & their Security Forces continue to demonstrate their resolve & improving prowess/capability in spite of all those who at the outset of every 'Fighting Season' spew out their usual blather. Further exposing just how little they know & their total lack of understanding of Limited Warfare & its various permutations. Pakistan along with their sleazy criminal enterprise, ISI, have once resorted to their customary default move of bashing India with Kashmir as their rallying point. With Central Asia starting to show signs of simmering Russia & Iran along with the rest of the SCO & a couple of 'Observer Status' are ramping up to enter the affray. These guys will not remain idle & allow a repeat of the 90's. IMO if anybody is careening towards a reckoning in that region its Pakistan & rightfully so
No surprise. Pak army been running the Taliban from day one re strategic depth.They also held/ hold major players like OBL, Omar and Zawahiri for a price from the West.
Shadaab says:
When will pakistan stop orchestrating attacks in Afghanistan?? Immediate steps are required in pakistan to dismantle ISI for good. US shld declare ISI a terrorist organization
Good post Shadaab. There must be a reason why US have not declared ISI a terrorist provoking organisation after all the evidence of Afganistan Kashmir and India.
There sure is (a reason). And the reason is called loose nukes. Don't think for a second that when we made threats and issued ultimatums post-9/11, that counter-threats were not made. ISI, and by implication Pakistan as a whole, are holding the whole world hostage by means of nuclear blackmail.
One answer: nuclear weapons.
Siraj Ahmed says:
Its time the world confronts the Nuclear black mailers ( AK Khan network) and Terrorist sponsors. Start with sanctions of the Pak military and intelligence officers and countries political leaders.
Aqap
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This is a list of baronetcies in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. They have been created since 1801, when they replaced the baronetages of Baronetage of Great Britain and Baronetage of Ireland. This list is not currently complete.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U–V

W

Y

See also
Baronet
List of baronetcies in the Baronetage of Ireland
List of baronetcies in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia
List of baronetcies in the Baronetage of England
List of baronetcies in the Baronetage of Great Britain
List of extant Baronetcies

External links
Baronetcies to which no Succession has been proved

References

United Kingdom
Baronetcies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home/Entertainment/Brain computer interface turns 'mental handwriting' into text
Brain computer interface turns 'mental handwriting' into text
A new brain-computer interface (BCI) can turn 'mental handwriting' – the act of imagining yourself writing on a piece of paper – into text on a screen in real time.
The breakthrough system, developed by US researchers, uses a computer to decode attempted handwriting movements from signals in the brain.
The signals are detected by tiny square electrode arrays roughly the size of a baby aspirin pill, which have been inserted into the brain.
Researchers say the system could allow people with paralysis who don't have use of their hands or fingers to rapidly type messages.
In a clinical trial, a paralysed man used the BCI to write text on a computer screen just by thinking about the movements involved in handwriting.
The man was able to copy sentences and answer questions at a rate similar to that of someone his age typing on a smartphone.
Researchers are using tiny electrode arrays (pictured) to record signals from the motor cortex of the brain. Those signals can then be used to control robotic prostheses, computers or other devices. The hope is that such a system may one help restore communication and movement in people with paralysis due to injury or illness
Researchers worked with a 65-year-old man (pictured) who had been paralysed from the neck down. The BrainGate BCI allowed him to identify letters as he attempted to write them in his mind. Then, the system displayed the text on a screen – in real time
WHAT IS BRAINGATE?
BrainGate is a brain implant system, originally developed by researchers at Brown University with bio-tech company Cyberkinetics.
BrainGate is based on technology to sense, transmit, analyse and apply the language of neurons.
It consists of a sensor that is implanted on the motor cortex of the brain and a device that analyses brain signals.
The principle behind the BrainGate system is that with intact brain functionality, brain signals are generated even though they are not sent to the arms, hands, and legs.
With BrainGate, the signals are interpreted and translated into cursor movements and activity on a screen.
This allows someone to potentially control a computer with thought, just as individuals who have the ability to move their hands use a mouse.
In particular, the system is designed to restore functionality for a limited, immobile group of severely motor-impaired individuals.
The new study is the latest phase of a clinical trial called BrainGate, directed by Dr Leigh Hochberg, a professor of neurology at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Frank Willett, a research scientist at Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), led the study.
'We want to find new ways of letting people communicate faster,' Willett said.
'This new system uses both the rich neural activity recorded by intracortical electrodes and the power of language models that, when applied to the neurally decoded letters, can create rapid and accurate text.'
When an injury or disease robs a person of the ability to move, the brain's neural activity for walking, speaking and grabbing objects remain intact.
Researchers can therefore tap into the brain activity of people with paralysis or amputations to regain some of their lost abilities.
For their study, the researchers worked with a 65-year-old man who had a spinal cord injury in 2007 that left him paralysed from the neck down.
Scientists implanted two of the tiny electrode arrays into the part of his brain that controls the hand and arm – the motor cortex.
Each of the electrode arrays is covered with 100 electrodes that pick up signals from neurons firing in the motor cortex.
The authors instructed the man to attempt to write sentences as if his hand were not paralysed, by imagining he was holding a pen on a piece of ruled paper.
During the exercise, a neural network (a type of machine learning) was able to translate attempted handwriting movements from neural activity into text that appeared on a screen in real time.
Two tiny arrays of implanted electrodes relayed information from the brain area that controls the hands and arms to an algorithm, which translated it into letters that appeared on a screen
Using this 'brain-to-text' system, the man answered questions by attempting to write each letter of his response.
A previous system from the BrainGate team demonstrated back in 2015, also using sensors implanted on the motor cortex, gave paralysed people the ability to select letters with a thought-controlled cursor.
Pointing at and clicking on letters in this way let people type about 40 characters per minute, the previous speed record for typing with a brain computer interface (BCI).
In these new trials, the man was able to type more than twice as fast – 90 characters per minute with 94.1 per cent accuracy, which sets a new record.
This is also comparable to typical smartphone typing speeds in people of the same age group as the study participant (115 characters per minute).
This BCI is so fast because each letter elicits a highly distinctive activity pattern, making it relatively easy for the algorithm to distinguish one from another.
In future, researchers envision using attempted handwriting for text entry as part of a more comprehensive system that also includes point-and-click navigation, much like that used on current smartphones, and even speech decoding.
The team intends to work with a participant with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative neurological disorder that results in the loss of both movement and speech.
According to the BrainGate team, further demonstrations of the system's 'longevity, safety and efficacy' will be required before it can be put to widespread clinical use.
The research has been published today in the journal Nature.
BCIs RESTORE SENSORY MOTOR FUNCTIONS BY TRANSLATING BRAIN SIGNALS INTO COMMANDS
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are devices that provide communication pathways between a user's brain and an external device.
BCIs acquire brain signals, analyse them, and translate them into commands that are relayed to output devices that carry out desired actions.
BCIs are not mind-reading devices but enable their users to act on the world by using brain signals rather than muscles.
The main goal of BCI is to replace or restore useful function to people disabled by neuromuscular disorders, such as cerebral palsy, stroke, or spinal cord injury.
BCI technology may allow individuals unable to speak and use their limbs to once again communicate or operate assisitve devices for walking and manipulating objects.
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text:
Be Sensitive But Confident In Navigating Diversity
ROSA HUEY DANIEL
Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council, March 2017–present
Chief Executive Officer, National Heritage Board, March 2013–present
Deputy Secretary (Culture), Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, November 2012–present
Dear young officer,
From my experience over the past 30 years in the public sector, and from where I am today in the arts and culture, I see this to be an important time for us to stand together as a community confident of navigating difficult issues of race, ethnicity and diversity.
Increased racial and religious tensions worldwide show us too many instances of how the fragile peace in a country or a community can be shattered in one careless moment. In the face of such challenges, we can be proud that we belong to a country that has always respected and celebrated our diversity.
We can be confident that we work in a public sector that assures our officers they work in a fair and meritocratic system that rewards all equally, regardless of background. The public sector in turn has the responsibility to ensure that Singapore remains an open, multiracial and multi-religious society. These values must continue to guide our policies, and how we engage the public as well as our fellow colleagues and friends.
At the National Heritage Board (NHB) and the National Arts Council (NAC), we have the opportunity of constantly rediscovering and presenting the richness of our multiracial heritage. Where many sidestep the issue of race and ethnicity, it is at the core of what we do. Our museums and heritage institutions, art galleries and theatres showcase the complex and interwoven nature of our multicultural roots. Race is one among many strands that define us. Our narratives cover the high and low points over 700 years of our history, and grapple with societal issues that can either unify or divide communities. In telling these stories, the arts and heritage contribute to a deeper understanding of where we came from, who we are and where the future could be depending on the choices we make today.
Our work as NHB and NAC officers calls for sensitivity in acknowledging differences, and confidence in drawing out commonalities to bridge divides and celebrate diversity. We undertake research, design inclusive programmes and engage all segments of the community
We can be confident that we work in a public sector that assures our officers they work in a fair and meritocratic system that rewards all equally, regardless of background.
actively so that we understand their concerns and have their support in what we do. We aspire to achieve excellence while seeking to reach out to all. Our work across the visual, performing and literary arts, as well as heritage preservation and commemoration, are anchored on the objectives of building shared experiences to connect communities and build a confident nation.
For Singapore, diversity has always shaped our identities as well as experiences. Even where we share a similar heritage, no one person's history or experience of race is identical to another. Multiculturalism, in this regard, is always a work in progress and hence we cannot afford to be complacent of past successes. We have succeeded thus far as a multiracial and multi-religious community; our actions now and the legacies we leave behind will decide whether we continue to remain so. We have and can come together if we are bound by common aspirations and values.
SG50 was an opportune moment to celebrate our multicultural heritage. Now, two years after, we should hold on to the values that bind us together. Our history as an independent nation is, much like SG50 itself, the sum of many parts and players bound together as one. I hope that like those of us who serve in the arts and heritage, you will in your different areas of work confidently to navigate diversity and in doing so, bring out what unifies us as a country and people.
Lim Soo Hoon: Making An Impact At Work, Reframed
Ang Bee Lian: How To Stay True To Your Work's Purpose
Conviction For Collaboration – A Service-Wide Need
Women In Public Sector Engineering
Let's Talk About Religion
© 2020, Goverment of Singapore Last Updated on 05 September 2018


Minnesota Tele-Media is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) process that seeks funding proposals for two categories of projects. The first category is for innovative projects that provide high value educational technology services that can be implemented in southwestern and west central Minnesota. The second category is for projects seeking funding to support resource development initiatives.
The RFP document and associated narrative and budget templates to use with any proposal are available at the Minnesota Tele-Media link on the following website.
Minnesota Tele-Media will begin to consider proposals for funding on December 14, 2018.
Full details regarding Minnesota Tele-Media, the RFP process and timelines are included in the RFP document.
Questions regarding the RFP process should be directed to me at dan.baun@smsu.edu or at 507.537.6978.


text:
MoviesNewsEntertainment
Film producer Jake Eberts dies at 71.
WENNThe West Australian
Fri, 7 September 2012 5:45PM
Film producer Jake Eberts has died at the age of 71.
The Canadian-born moviemaker died on Thursday following a brief illness, according to the Montreal Gazette.
Eberts worked on a number of critically acclaimed films during his lengthy career, including Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Driving Miss Daisy and Dances with Wolves - which all won coveted Best Picture Academy Awards.
He founded independent production company Goldcrest Films, as well as Allied Filmmakers, and also served as chairman of National Geographic Films. In 1992, he was recognised for his achievements with the Officer of the Order of Canada honour.
Director Denys Arcand has paid tribute to his friend, stating: "He was an extraordinary film producer and an extraordinary man.
"He took filmmaking seriously. He felt cinema should be used to better mankind. This is a lofty standard in an age where movies are being adapted from comic books. He had such noble ideals and morals."
Eberts' most recent project, documentary Jerusalem, is set for release next year.
He is survived by his wife, Fiona, two sons and a daughter.


A short distance from the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, Trout Creek is the huckleberry capital of Montana. Each year this charming community hosts its annual Huckleberry Festival, attracting visitors from around the region to celebrate the coveted purple berry. Trout Creek has accessible recreational opportunities, including camping, hiking, hunting and fishing. Also located nearby—beautiful Vermillion and Graves Creek falls.
For a truly unique experience, plan to stay at The Shire of Montana.


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The curriculum focuses on cognitive and motor skills in the preschool, concepts in the primary school and practical approach in middle school.
At the high school level, the focus of the curriculum is to prepare students for the Board examination and college.


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text:
Classic Goosebumps
The original series from the Master of Fright—now with bonus material and all-new covers!
Classic Goosebumps #1: Night of the Living Dummy
By R.L. Stine
Available in the Scholastic Store!
Or try these other online stores:
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Find Your Local Library or Bookstore
Enter your zip code to find bookstores near you using Google Maps:
For non-US purchasers, please check with your local retailers.
When twins Lindy and Kris find a ventriloquist's dummy in a dumpster, Lindy decides to "rescue" it, and she names it Slappy.
But Kris is green with envy. It's not fair. Why does Lindy get to have all the fun and all the attention?
Kris decides to get a dummy of her own. She'll show it to Lindy.
Then weird things begin to happen. Nasty things. Evil things.
It can't be the dummy causing all the trouble. Can it?
Also available as Audiobook:
Play Sample:
Classic Goosebumps #2: Deep Trouble
Billy and his sister, Sheena, are visiting their uncle Dr. Deep on a tiny Caribbean island. It's the perfect place to go exploring underwater . . . and Billy's ready for an adventure.
There's only one rule to remember: Stay away from the coral reefs. Still, the reefs are so beautiful. So peaceful. Billy can't resist.
But he's not alone in the water. Something's lurking deep below the surface. Something dark and scaly.
Something that's half-human, half-fish. . . .
Classic Goosebumps #3: Monster Blood
While staying with his weird great-aunt Kathryn, Evan visits a funky old toy store and buys a dusty can of monster blood. It's fun to play with at first. And Evan's dog, Trigger, likes it so much, he eats some!
But then Evan notices something weird about the green slimy stuff—it seems to be growing.
And growing.
And all that growing has given the monster blood a monstrous appetite. . . .
Classic Goosebumps #4: The Haunted Mask
How ugly is Carly Beth's Halloween mask? It's so ugly that it almost scared her little brother to death. So terrifying that even her friends are freaked out by it.
It's the best Halloween mask ever! It's everything Carly Beth hope it would be. And more.
Maybe too much more. Because Halloween is almost over. And Carly Beth is still wearing that special mask. . . .
Classic Goosebumps #5: One Day at HorrorLand
Lizzy's family got lost trying to find Zoo Gardens Theme Park. But that's okay. They found another amusement park instead. In HorrorLand there are no crowds. No lines. And the admission is free. It seems like a pretty cool place.
But that was before Lizzy's heart-stopping ride on the deadly Doom Slide. And that terrifying experience in the House of Mirrors.
Because there's something weird about the rides in HorrorLand.
Something a little too creepy. A little too real. . . .
Classic Goosebumps #6: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb
Amazon iTunes Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million IndieBound Google Play
Gabe just got lost—in a pyramid. One minute, his crazy cousin Sari was right ahead of him in the pyramid tunnel. The next minute, she'd disappeared.
But Gabe isn't alone. Someone else is in the pyramid, too.
Someone. Or something.
Gabe doesn't believe in the curse of the mummy's tomb. But that doesn't mean that the curse isn't real.
Does it?
Classic Goosebumps #7: Be Careful What You Wish For
Samantha Byrd is a klutz. An accident waiting to happen. She's the laughingstock of the girls' basketball team. And that mean, rotten Judith Bellwood is making her life miserable on and off the court.
But all of that is about to change.
Sam's met someone who can grant her three wishes.
Too bad Sam wasn't more careful what she wished for.
Because her wishes are coming true.
And they're turning her life into a living nightmare.
Classic Goosebumps #8: Say Cheese and Die
Greg thinks there is something wrong with the old camera he found. The photographs keep turning out . . . . different.
When Greg takes a shot of his father's brand-new car, it's wrecked in the picture. And then his dad crashes the car, nearly totaling it. It's like the camera can tell the future, or worse . . . maybe it makes the future!
Greg's friends don't believe him. Shari even makes Greg take her pictures at a party.
Only Shari's not in the photograph when it develops.
Is Shari about to be taken permanently out of the picture?
Classic Goosebumps #9: The Horror at Camp Jellyjam
Swimming, basketball, roller hockey. King Jellyjam's Sports Camp has it all. Too bad Wendy isn't a sports freak like her brother, Elliot. But how excited can you get about softball? It's just a game, right?
Because Camp Jellyjam is no ordinary sports camp. And Wendy's about to find out why. Why the counselors seem a little too happy. Why they're a little too obsessed with winning. And why the ground is always rumbling late at night. . . .
Classic Goosebumps #10: How I Got My Shrunken Head
What has two eyes, a mouth, and wrinkly green skin? Mark's shrunken head! It's a present from his Aunt Benna. A gift from the jungle island of Baladora.
Mark can't wait to show the kids at school his shrunken head. It's so ugly. So gross and creepy . . . and cool!
But late one night the head starts to glow. Because it's actually no ordinary head. It gives Mark a strange power. A magical power. A dangerous power. . . .
Classic Goosebumps #11: Werewolf of Fever Swamp
There is something weird happening in Fever Swamp. It started with the strange howling at night. Then there was the rabbit, torn to shreds. Everyone thinks Grady's new dog is responsible. After all, he looks just like a wolf. And he seems a little on the wild side.
But Grady knows his dog is just a regular old dog. And most dogs don't howl at the moon. Or disappear at midnight. Or do they?
Classic Goosebumps #12: A Night in Terror Tower
Sue and her brother, Eddie, are visiting London when they run into a little problem. They can't find their tour group. Still, there's no reason to panic. No way their tour guide would just leave them. All alone. In a gloomy old prison tower. No way they'd get locked inside. After dark. With those eerie sounds. And a strange dark figure who wants them . . . dead.
Classic Goosebumps #13: Welcome to the Dead House
iTunes Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million IndieBound Kobo Google Play
Josh and Amanda just moved into the oldest and weirdest house on the block. It might even be haunted.
But their parents don't believe them. You'll get used to it, they say. Go out and make some new friends.
So Josh and Amanda do. But these creepy new friends are not exactly what Mom and Dad had in mind. Because they want to be friends . . . FOREVER!
Classic Goosebumps #14: Welcome to Camp Nightmare
The food isn't great. The counselors are a little strange. And the camp director, Uncle Al, seems sort of demented. Okay, so Billy can handle all that.
But then his fellow campers start to disappear. What's going on? Why won't his parents answer his letters? What's lurking out there after dark? Camp Nightmoon is turning into Camp Nightmare. Something strange is happening, and Billy's in the middle of it.
Classic Goosebumps #15: Ghost Beach
Jerry can't wait to explore the dark, spooky old cave he found down by the beach. Then the other kids tell him a story. A story about a ghost who lives deep inside a cave. A ghost who is three hundred years old. A ghost who comes out when the moon is full. A ghost who is haunting the beach. Jerry knows it's just another silly made-up ghost story . . . Isn't it?!
Classic Goosebumps #16: The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight
Jodie loves visiting her grandparents' farm. Her grandma's chocolate chip pancakes are the best and her grandpa tells the scariest stories. But this summer the farm has really changed. The cornfields are sparse. Grandma and Grandpa seem worn out. And the single scarecrow has been replaced by twelve evil-looking ones.
Then one night Jodie sees something really odd. The scarecrows seem to be moving. Twitching on their stakes. Coming alive . . .
Classic Goosebumps #17: You Can't Scare Me
Courtney is a total show-off. She thinks she's so brave, and she's always making Eddie and his friends look like wimps. But Eddie's had enough. He's going to scare Courtney once and for all. And he's just come up with the perfect plan. He's going to lure her down to Muddy Creek. Courtney believes that silly rumor about Mud Monsters that live in the creek.
Too bad Eddie doesn't believe the rumor. Because it just might be true . . .
Classic Goosebumps #18: Return of the Mummy
After last year's scary adventure, Gabe's a little nervous about being back in Egypt. Back near the ancient pyramids. Back where he saw all those creepy mummies.
Then he learns about an Egyptian superstition. A secret chant that is supposed to bring mummies to life. Gabe's uncle says it's just a hoax, but its sounds like something's moving in the mummy's tomb.
A few words can't wake the dead. Can they?
Classic Goosebumps #19: Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes
Two pink flamingos. A whole family of plastic skunks. Joe Burton's dad loves tacky lawn ornaments. But then he brings home two ugly lawn gnomes. And that's when the trouble starts.
Late at night. When everyone's asleep.
Someone's creeping in the garden. Whispering nasty things. Smashing melons. Squashing tomatoes.
No way two dumb old lawn ornaments could be causing all the trouble. Is there?
Classic Goosebumps #20: Phantom of the Auditorium
Brooke's best friend, Zeke, has been given the lead role in the school play, The Phantom. Zeke's totally into it. He loves dressing up in the grotesque phantom costume. And scaring the other members of the cast. Brooke thinks Zeke's getting a little too into it.
But then really scary things start happening. A message appears on a piece of scenery: "The Phantom Strikes!" A stage light comes crashing down.
Is someone trying to ruin the play? Or is there really a phantom living under the stage?
Classic Goosebumps #21: Vampire Breath
Tough. That's Freddy Martinez and his friend Cara. They're not afraid of anything. But that was before they went exploring in Freddy's basement. Before they found the secret room. Before they found the bottle of Vampire Breath.
Poor Freddy and Cara. They should have never opened that bottle of Vampire Breath. Because now there's a vampire in Freddy's basement. And he's very, very thirsty . . .
Classic Goosebumps #22: Stay Out of the Basement
Dr. Brewer is doing a little plant testing in his basement. Nothing to worry about. Harmless, really.
But Margaret and Casey Brewer are worried about their father. Especially when they "meet" some of the plants he is growing down there.
Then they notice that their father is developing plant-like tendencies. In fact, he is becoming distinctly weedy—and seedy.
Classic Goosebumps #23: A Shocker on Shock Street
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Erin Wright and her best friend Marty love horror movies. Especially Shocker on Shock Street movies. All kinds of scary creatures live on Shock Street. The Toadinator. Ape Face. The Mad Mangler.
But when Erin and Marty visit the new Shocker Studio Theme Park they get the scare of their lives. First their tram gets stuck in The Cave of the Living Creeps. Then they're attacked by a group of enormous praying mantises.
Real life is a whole lot scarier than the movies. But Shock Street isn't really real. Is it?
Classic Goosebumps #24: Let's Get Invisible
On Max's birthday he finds a kind of magic mirror in the attic. It can make him invisible.
So Max and his friends start playing "now you see me now you don't." Until Max realizes that he's losing control. Staying invisible a little too long. Having a harder and harder time coming back.
Getting invisible is turning into a very dangerous game. The next time Max gets invisible will it be...forever?
Classic Goosebumps #25: Night of the Living Dummy II
Amazon Barnes & Noble Indie Bound Books-A-Million Target Kobo Google Play
Amy's ventriloquist dummy, Dennis, has lost his head…for real. So Amy begs her family for a new dummy. That's when her dad finds Slappy in a local pawnshop. Slappy's kind of ugly but at least his head stays on!
Amy loves practicing her new comedy routine. It's like this dummy knows what she's thinking. Like he can move by himself. And it's a lot of fun…until Slappy starts a routine of his own. A nasty, horrible routine that isn't funny at all.
Slappy may have a new owner, but he's up to the same old tricks...
Classic Goosebumps #26: Night of the Living Dummy III
Trina O'Dell's dad used to have a ventriloquist act. That's why he has all those dummies in the attic. He calls it his Dummy Museum. There's a dummy with freckles. And one with a sneer called Rocky. Trina and her brother, Dan, think the dummies are pretty cool.
But now there are voices in the attic. And dummies keep showing up in the strangest places.
No way those dummies could be alive...right?
Classic Goosebumps #27: The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena
Jordan Blake and his sister, Nicole, are sick of the hot weather in Pasadena, California. Just once they'd like to have a real winter with real snow.
And then it happens. The Blakes are taking a trip to Alaska! Mr. Blake has been asked to photograph a mysterious snow creature there.
Poor Jordan and Nicole. They just wanted to see snow. But now they're being chased by a monstrous creature. A big furry-faced creature known as the Abominable Snowman!
Classic Goosebumps #28: The Blob That Ate Everyone
A famous horror writer. That's what Zackie Beauchamp wants to be. He's writing a story about a giant blob monster. A pink slimy creature who eats up an entire town.
Then Zackie finds the typewriter. In a burned-down antiques store. He takes it home and starts typing.
But there's something really odd about that typewriter. Something really dangerous. Because now every scary word Zackie writes is starting to come true.
Classic Goosebumps #29: The Ghost Next Door
Hannah's neighborhood has gotten a little--weird. Ever since that new boy moved in next door.
But when did he move in? Wasn't the house empty when Hannah went to sleep the night before? Why does it still look so deserted?
Hannah can't get any answers from her new neighbor. He just keeps disappearing in the oddest ways. And he's so pale...
Is Hannah being haunted by... the ghost next door?
Classic Goosebumps #30: The Haunted Car
Mitchell Moinian tried to do some homework. But he kept jumping up and going to his bedroom window to peer down at the car.
A street light made the chrome bumpers sparkle and the sleek blue body glow. Mitchell couldn't resist. He had to sit in the car.
Holding his breath he crept down the stairs and out the front door. He stepped around to the drivers side of the car and grabbed the handle.
"Go ahead," a voice whispered. "Climb in." Mitchell had no idea how scary this ride was going to be.
Classic Goosebumps #31: Attack of the Graveyard Ghouls
The fog shimmered up over the dark grass over the bent scraggly trees. Covering the hill covering the old graveyard.
Spencer Levy heard the horrifying moan. Though the windowpane he heard a long low moan floating from the hill.
Human and animal at the same time.
So cold. So sad. So near...
Classic Goosebumps #32: Please Don't Feed the Vampire
You buy something called "Vampire in a Can." At first you think it's just a goofy vampire costume with a cape, plastic fangs, and a tattoo of teeth marks. But then you find a packet in the bottom of the can labeled: DANGER—KEEP AWAY!
If you try to open the packet with your teeth it rips in your mouth. Uh-oh. Looks like you've been transformed into a vampire—and you're really thirsty. If you decide not to open the packet, your dog sinks his teeth into it. Now your cute little poodle has become a ferocious vampire dog! Can you save your pooch before he bites off more than he can chew?
The choice is yours in this scary Goosebumps adventure that's packed with over 20 super spooky endings!


Here they are. I really loved the process. Unfortunately, our Resident Advisors probably won't take too kindly to this particular form of artistic expression once I'm in the dorm, so this is a hobby that will probably have to be put on hold for now.
Maybe I'll take another crack at it next summer …..
PS — if you're one of the observant ones who noticed that the photos of the 2nd painting appear to be upside-down (…what the heck are those floor tiles doing on the CEILING???), you're absolutely RIGHT! But it's intentional, to compensate for the fact that the painting was UNintentionally placed on the floor (and photographed) upside-down. Yes, these things DO have a top and a bottom, thank you very much. Tyler OUT.


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text:
Ohio Legacy Trusts: A New "Protective" Trust Law?
2013 – OUR 21st YEAR OF PUBLICATION!
Volume XXI, Number 2 – February/March 2013
Ohio has joined the growing list of states which have enacted asset protection trust legislation. Chapter 5816, Revised Code of Ohio, enacts the Ohio Legacy Trust Act (the "Act"), which, on and after March 27, 2013, permits the creation of self-settled spendthrift trusts called "Legacy Trusts".
A Legacy Trust must be evidenced by a written trust instrument which appoints a "qualified trustee", states that it is governed by Ohio law as to its validity, construction and administration, states that it is irrevocable, and contains a spendthrift provision applicable to the interests of all beneficiaries, including the settlor. A qualified trustee is a person other than the settlor, who is an individual Ohio resident or a company authorized to conduct trust business in Ohio, who maintains or arranges for at least "some" trust property to be custodied in Ohio, and who maintains records of and files tax returns for, or otherwise materially participates in the administration of, the Legacy Trust.
LOOPHOLES
The Act contains the usual state asset protection trust law exceptions for child or spousal support, alimony, or division/distribution of property to a spouse or former spouse pursuant to an agreement or court order.
FRAUDULENT TRANSFERS.
The Act contains an interesting, if not convoluted, fraudulent transfer section which purports to provide the exclusive remedy (except for pre-recorded liens) for a creditor seeking to "undo" transfers to the Legacy Trust. The complaining creditor must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the subject transfer was made with the specific intent to defraud the specific creditor bringing the action. Compare this with typical fraudulent transfer rules: Any creditor can assert that a transfer was made to defraud any creditor and prove it by the "preponderance of the evidence" standard (a lower standard of proof). The Act's elevated level of proof and the "specific" intent and creditor requirements would seem to make bringing a successful fraudulent transfer action a bit more difficult and available to a narrower group than would be the case under the state's "standard" fraudulent transfer statute.
A claimant who was a creditor of the settlor before the transfer must bring the fraudulent transfer action within the later of two periods: 18 months after the transfer or 6 months after the transfer was, or reasonably could have been, discovered. The latter stated period only applies if the preexisting creditor files a non-fraudulent transfer suit or makes a written demand within 3 years of the transfer. This would appear to leave the statute of limitations for filing the fraudulent transfer claim somewhat open-ended. The limitations period for a subsequent creditor is clear: the claim is extinguished unless brought within 18 months after the transfer (Yes, subsequent creditors can get the Legacy Trust!). In determining the transfer date of property held in the Legacy Trust for purposes of applying the foregoing rules, a "LIFO" rule is applied: Money distributed out of the Legacy Trust is deemed to be sourced from funds most recently contributed to the trust (unless proven to the contrary beyond a reasonable doubt), thus enhancing the "aging" process of money remaining in the trust (a clear and convincing rule applies for other fungible assets). We have always included such a LIFO provision in our asset protection trusts.
FLIGHT PROVISION.
A Flight provision is language in a trust instrument which "relocates" a trust to another jurisdiction under specified circumstances. Here's how this works in Ohio: The qualified (Ohio) trustee is automatically removed by the Act if the Legacy Trust or a qualified trustee is involved in any legal action in which the court declines to apply Ohio law. Under this circumstance, the removed qualified trustee can only convey trust property to the successor trustee, and has no other authority. If an offshore trustee was already serving as a co-trustee, then, upon the automatic removal of the qualified trustee, the trust will have been "moved" offshore. Trust assets must also be relocated, however, andthat may present certain practical issues. Unless the trust instrument is carefully drafted to properly integrate with the statutory flight provision, it is unclear what, if any, protection will be afforded the trust assets.
Finally, as has been the case in some other state asset protection statutes (See, e.g., A Review and Critique of the Asset Protection Aspects of the 2003 Utah Trust Law Amendments), the law protects professionals involved in establishing and administering a Legacy Trust by prohibiting the filing of a suit (relating to a transfer of property to the trust) against "any trustee or advisor of a legacy trust or against any person involved in the counseling in connection with, or the drafting, preparation, execution, administration, or funding of, a legacy trust." The foregoing provision includes such professional services rendered with respect to entities owned by the Legacy Trust.
The Act attempts to remediate the erosions of traditional trust protection resulting from public policy court decisions and statutes occurring over the past several hundred years. In summary, the protective efficacy of the Ohio statute remains to be seen; however, as is the case with any United States based protective planning, it will ultimately depend upon a United States court upholding the planning in the settlor's favor and the inapplicability of the full faith and credit clause of the United States Constitution.
This newsletter is not intended to provide legal or investment advice on the matters discussed herein, such advice should only be obtained from a qualified attorney. Copies of previous issues are available upon request.
Donlevy-Rosen & Rosen, P.A. is a law firm with a focus on asset protection planning and offshore trusts. Attorneys Howard Rosen and Patricia Donlevy-Rosen co-founded the firm in 1991, and have since become recognized authorities in the field of asset protection planning. Let us explain the significant difference our experience can make when protecting your assets. Call 305-447-0061 or simply visit our contact page
By Howard Rosen, By Patricia Donlevy-Rosen, Newsletters
WHO SHOULD BE THE TRUST PROTECTOR OF YOUR ASSET PROTECTION TRUST? IT REALLY DOES MATTER!
OFFSHORE TRUSTS & OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?


text:
Principal: Natasha Clarke
Early Stages |
Main School |
Holiday Workshops |
Class Times & Locations |
School Finder |
Welcome to Stagecoach Staines
With over 700 theatre schools and more than 40,000 students worldwide, Stagecoach is the UK's largest network of part time performing arts schools for children. Since our inception in 1988, our singing, acting and dancing classes have helped to build the confidence of many thousands of children, as well as providing a springboard for some of the country's leading young performers.
Drama, Dance & Singing Classes
Every student participates in all three performing arts disciplines - drama classes, dance classes and singing classes - helping to develop confidence, physical awareness, communication and articulation - as well as being educational and lots of fun! In addition, opportunities exist for students to be offered professional work in film, theatre and modelling by the Stagecoach Agency.
Contact Natasha Clarke
When you complete this form you are giving Stagecoach Staines permission to contact you by email, telephone and (where applicable) mail. Privacy Policy »
* Parent Name:
Child Age(s):
* Postcode:
* Tel No:
and / or Address:
Early Stages } Children Aged 4 - 6 Years
Early Stages classes run alongside the main Stagecoach schools, for children aged 4-6 years. The Early Stages class is split up into three 30 minute sessions, lasting 90 minutes in total. The class sizes are kept small to enable every child to get the most from the skills learned.
Main School } Children Aged 6 - 18 Years
Our Main Schools, which are suitable for kids aged 6-18 years, run every week during term time at the weekends and evenings. Split into groups of similar age ranges each group rotate, where they learn an hour of acting, an hour of drama and an hour of dance. Groups are trained by experienced teachers, who are professional choreographers, performers, directors or musicians.
Further Stages } Children Aged 15+ Years
Further Stages is a separate class specifically for older students aged 15 years and over. It is required that students have a good level of performing arts skills to ensure that everyone can get the best out of the classes. The class aims to carry on the further development of musical theatre skills through more advanced dance, singing and acting training and masterclasses.
Quality Training in a Safe Environment
All our teachers are DBS (formerly CRB) checked so children and teenagers can work in a safe and protected environment. Fees work out at approx £9 per hour, which offers outstanding value for money for quality performing arts training, small class sizes, exams, medals, performances, magazine subscription, optional representation by The Stagecoach Agency which secures professional work for hundreds of children, and the many other extras that are offered by Stagecoach.
Thomas Knyvett College
Entrance via Ashford Clinic
Stanwell Rd
TW15 3DU
Class Times »
Why choose Stagecoach Performing Arts Staines ?
It is a strict policy of the school to employ only experienced teaching staff, many of whom are professionals in their own right. All staff members are screened through the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) for their suitability to work with children. Stagecoach is also dedicated to developing its staff through one day workshops and in-service teaching courses.
Stagecoach has led the way in developing measures to secure the safety of students and is often quoted as an example of Best Practice by specialists in the child protection arena. Stagecoach retains the services of Steve Lowe, a leading child protection expert, who advises and implements the company's child protection protocols.
Since a career in the performing arts is best attained through strict self-discipline, Stagecoach teaches its students in a structured environment and encourages disciplined behaviour. Stagecoach reserves the right to dismiss students who are consistently disruptive. Students are also expected to attend regularly and arrive on time for class.
Stagecoach prides itself in giving the best possible tuition and in order to monitor and maintain this high standard, all Stagecoach schools are inspected at least once a year. This is carried out by an independent School Inspection Agency.
Parents are kept in touch with a student's progress by way of an individual written report. Provided once per annum, each teacher and the Principal gives feedback on the development of every child.
Stagecoach does not reward natural talent and ability, believing this to be a given gift, but rather acknowledges effort and perseverance. Medals and awards are presented to students for long attendance, who have attended Stagecoach in excess of three years. Also every school presents one annual award to a student for exceptional progress or achievement.
Whilst it is not Stagecoach policy to conform to a strict syllabus, classwork covers many recognised board requirements and students may be entered for the Performance Arts Awards, Group Musical Theatre examinations and LAMDA Speech and Acting examinations.
The Stagecoach uniform is compulsory and a stock of inexpensive clothing, bearing the school's logo, is available for purchase. Jazz shoes are also compulsory and can be purchased directly from the school.
Young Performer Magazine
Young Performer is the only national performing arts magazine for young people. The magazine has been inspired and commissioned by Stagecoach itself. Every Stagecoach student, from Stage 1 upwards, receives a complimentary copy once per term.
Contact Stagecoach Performing Arts Staines on: 07802 800633 | Privacy Policy | Mobile site
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ActDanceSing.co.uk is a directory which advertises the services of local acting dancing and singing schools for children and young adults. It acts on behalf of the companies using its services but is not controlled or owned by any of these entities.


text:
pkgboot
=======

Tired of all the setup required to start a new C++ project?  Pkgboot sets up a full work environment for a new C++ project that's built with SCons.

Usage
-----

To use pkgboot:

1. Run `pkgboot NAME` to create an SConstruct file for your project
1. Edit SConstruct to add library dependencies, etc. to the generated file
1. Create a precompiled header file named 'Common.hpp'

The generated project layout is:

    root/
        SConstruct
        src/
        include/
        bin/
        test/
        build/

The `include` directory is optional.  Place your source in `src`.  Tests are
stand-alone programs (one per .cpp file) that are built into executables that
are installed under `bin/test/NAME`

Installation
------------

Clone the repository and run `python setup.py install.`

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Elektra has been lucky in the studio, so much so that a new contender for the throne has to have some special attributes. Does Christian Thielemann have what it takes? Yes, in short. The Dresden Staatskapelle plays for Thielemann with a savage grace. Tempi are not rushed but tension ebbs and flows at key moments, details are exemplary and illuminating, and where horror is needed it lurks just below the surface: the stomach-churning procession that heralds Klytämnestra's entry for example, or the cumulative explosion of Elektra's final dance. Orchestrally this recording is up there with the best. In the casting department, we are spoiled by René Pape's rock-solid, implacable Orest, Anne Schwanewilms's magnificently neurotic Chrysothemis, and Waltraud Meier's compellingly sung - and acted - Klytämnestra. Evelyn Herlitzius is Europe's go-to Elektra and in this live performance her commitment is total, her attack fearless and the occasional misfires doesn't derail her success. With the maids and other small roles well sung, there's no weak link and the eruption of applause at the conclusion tells of an astonishingly intense night. I was unable to break off listening, and I can't really pay this recording a greater compliment.
If you need a palate cleanser after the horrors of Elektra, look no further than René Jacobs' new recording of Handel's Orlando. A counter tenor turned conductor, Jacobs has made recordings of a huge range of baroque music. In opera he is the perfect singer's conductor and, in the studio, he retains an exhilarating sense of theatre throughout. Birds sing, winds howl, but never at the expense of the musical experience, which is perfectly judged. The star name on the cast list is Bejun Mehta, who takes the title role. Mehta's Orlando won plaudits at the Royal Opera House in 2007 when he led the revival of this production (in 2003 he had sung Medoro to Alice Coote's Orlando). Technically assured and dramatically involved from the get-go, it is a very welcome document to have his performance capture on disc. Beyond Mehta the cast is superb, with Jacobs regular Sunhae Im as Dorinda and the excellent Sophie Karthäuser as Angelica. The oddly named B'Rock Orchestra prove themselves an exemplary period band. This brings the number of commercially recorded Orlandos in the catalogue to three, and I would happily place this new recording in pole position.
When Mehta sang Orlando with The Royal Opera, his Medoro was Anna Bonitatibus. A regular and acclaimed Cherubino in David McVicar's Le nozze di Figaro, the mezzo is blessed with a richly expressive voice enlivened with a quick and attractive vibrato. Sony Music has lavishly packed a two-CD set of Ms Bonitatibus in a range of arias all taken from operas inspired by Semiramis, the legendary Assyrian queen. Many of us know Rossini's take on this (and Bonitatibus gives a brilliantly sung 'Bel raggio lusinghier') but much of this repertory is unknown and several of the tracks amount to world premiere recordings. Covering well over a century of music, this is an extraordinary document exceptionally performed by both the mezzo and the excellent Accademia degli Astrusi and La Stagione Armonica under Federico Ferri. A serious achievement, both musically and academically.
What recently released recordings would you recommend?


Hydraulic fluid leak into my bilge. How do I clean the mess?
I have a real mess in the bilge of my 17 ft runabout. Hydraulic fluid leaked into the bilge. I have soaked up most of it but some dried on the sides. Do you have a product that will clean this?
The product that you are looking for is Aurora Bilge Bath; called Bilge Bath because it gives your bilge a bath. In addition to emulsifying the oil so you can pump it out, it will also loosen the sludge on the inside of the hull. It contains Odolime to knock out any smell associated with the oil as well.
Simply pour some into the bilge with some water and take your boat out for a run. Let it sit for a few days and repeat until all the oil is emulsified with the water. Pump it out into a pail and dispose of it on land at the marina. Do not dump the oil into the lake or on land. Even though Bilge Bath is biodegradable, the oil that is in the mixture is not.
You can also give the bilge a scrub with a brush, using Bilge Bath and water to accelerate the action.


text:
Q: Почему для списков del a[i] работает быстрее чем a.pop(i)? Оказывается!
%timeit exp.pop(100000)
43.2 µs ± 16.3 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 10000 loops each)

%timeit del exp[100000]
36.2 µs ± 13.7 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 10000 loops each)

то есть del a[i] работает быстрее чем a.pop(i).  Неужели это из-за того, что a.pop(i) еще возвращает значение? но ведь a.pop(i) - это сишная функция, а del a[i] работает как (внешний) оператор. Кто объяснит?
Между операциями я восстановил исходный список так что дело не в изменении длины.

A: Подозреваю, что это накладные расходы на вызов функции:
In [32]: import dis

In [33]: dis.dis("lst.pop(0)")
  1           0 LOAD_NAME                0 (l)
              2 LOAD_ATTR                1 (pop)   # Replaces TOS with getattr(TOS, co_names[namei])
              4 LOAD_CONST               0 (0)
              6 CALL_FUNCTION            1         # Calls a callable object with positional arguments. argc indicates the number of positional arguments...
              8 RETURN_VALUE

In [34]: dis.dis("del lst[0]")
  1           0 LOAD_NAME                0 (l)
              2 LOAD_CONST               0 (0)
              4 DELETE_SUBSCR                      # Implements del TOS1[TOS]
              6 LOAD_CONST               1 (None)
              8 RETURN_VALUE

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Should I Trust Any Car Repair Shop?
So you've been checking out car dealers in Barbados and decided on buying a new car, during the first year of owning a car is a feeling that we can't seem to leave our car alone.
We would even love to sleep in our cars, and it's like a pet for us that we would provide all maintenance just to keep it in good working condition.
We're very concern about everything that our car might be needing, the maintenance, care, and even regular washing.
As much as we wanted to take care of our car ourselves, but in some point and some unexpected situation, we need to bring our car to a car repair shop to do some tricky jobs and other maintenance.
Our concern in this point is the reliability of a certain shop of our choice.
Well, this is just normal to be concerned and worried about our car since that's the very main reason why we bring our car to them.
But of all the cars that are brought in a shop, are we really sure that each car is treated with special extra care like what we wanted to?
There are some very good mechanics and auto body shops in Barbados, ask around!
IMPORTANT: If your car is still under warranty take it back to the dealer.
With the increasing cost of car repairs in Barbados, it's easy to just ignore the problems you're starting to experience in your car.
Many drivers do not really pay attention to the signs that their car is telling them unless they experience a real trouble.
However, you must know that car repairs negligence has its price.
More serious damage. Been ignoring the puddle of fluid that you often see under your car recently?That could be oil starting to leak, and ignoring it can lead to total oil loss among the various engine parts. And if you're unfortunate, that can damage many of the various engine components and you may face a whole lot more of inconvenience. Car problems often start small.When neglected, they grow bigger until they overwhelm you. Luckily there are lots of car parts dealers in Barbados both selling new and used parts.
Accidents. If you've been hearing your brakes squeal each time you step on the pedal to stop, that's one sign that the brake pads are already worn-out.If you don't take action and don't replace the pads, you may experience a sudden brake failure that may lead to serious road accidents or even death.
More expenses. Of course, smaller inconveniences turned bigger problems are always proportional to simple expenses turned bigger expenditures.Your car is one thing you shouldn't skimp on, or you may one day find yourself facing a bigger expense due to neglect.
All these are serious issues you wouldn't want to deal with throughout your vehicle ownership. Therefore, it's important that you pay attention to your car and address problems whenever you encounter them.
1.) Perform Routine Maintenance and Inspection. Always, always follow the routine maintenance schedule of your car, no matter how busy you are.
Check the level of your car fluids regularly, always inspect the wear components of your vehicle, and keep your auto clean at all times.
Doing these will prevent the onset of damage and this will also help you diagnose problems while they are still at an early stage and not yet so serious.
2.) DIY. Learn the basics of your car so that you can do some of the tasks that you used to leave to your mechanic.
You can learn simple car washing, fluid refilling, or even the installation of simpler components.
3.) Shop Around. That is, for aftermarket auto parts and for a mechanic.
Don't go for the first part or the first shop professional that you find in case you need replacements or a skilled auto technician. Shop for the best value in price and benefits.
With all these pointers, there are no more reasons for car maintenance and car repairs negligence anymore.
In your daily drives, it is but natural to encounter problems such as engine noise, leaks, electrical problems, air conditioning, brake pulsation, transmission problems, and many others.
However, there's no reason to worry a lot because cheap car repairs are now available. Besides, there are a lot of ways by which you can avoid more expenses in your vehicle.
We can't stress on this point often enough, this is easy if you are familiar with all the bits and crannies of your car.
This way, even if the trouble is just in its early stage, you can already smell, hear, see, or feel it. Prevention is also cheaper than cure among cars.
So, fixing any defect early on before it gets worse will save you a lot of dollars.
This is imperative especially if it's the first time you encounter the problem and you don't have any clue about its nature.
You can consult your neighbourhood mechanic or you can ask the opinion of your family or friends who are familiar with automotive to be able to determine the problem.
Proper diagnosis is crucial to finding a solution. Otherwise, you might address a non-existent trouble while overlooking the real problem.
Minor defects such as small car dents or scratches, the installation of some auto parts, and other repairs are easy to deal with and you can do them on your own.
Just read guidelines and manuals or browse the internet to find demos that you can download at no cost at all.
Even before you buy your car, study the make or model well, especially if it's second hand.
Determine what parts of the particular car make or model are prone to wear and tear and check the price of such parts beforehand.
This way, you will be properly guided as to which brand or model is a practical buy.
Also, verify if the spare parts of a particular model or make are widely available because you might encounter problems if they're scarce or already phased out.
Cheap car repairs are possible. All it takes are some patience, resourcefulness, ingenuity, and audacity on your part.
If you're too busy like me then there are lots of mechanics all around Barbados who are willing to assist you.


Under a deal a struck with internet conglomerate Tencent Holdings, HBO shows such as True Detective , Newsroom and others will be available for streaming in China for the first time ever.
HBO, which last year struck a deal with Amazon to make its original programs available for streaming, announced today a partnership with internet conglomerate Tencent Holdings to bring its shows to China for the the first time ever.
The deal, which was announced at a conference in Beijing, makes Tencent the exclusive provider of HBO shows for streaming in China. Included among the shows that will be available to Chinese audiences via Tencent Video are Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Rome, Newsroom, True Detective, and others.
Other terms of the deal were not provided, among them how much Tencent is paying HBO to license its shows, whether all seasons of a show will be available at once or have a staggered release, and if it was negotiated exclusively or if it was an auction process open to other bidders such as Alibaba.
HBO structured its Amazon deal earlier in the year very carefully so as to avoid cannibalizing subscribers to its main pay-TV network. Under that deal, previous seasons of newer HBO shows, such as Girls, Newsroom, and Veep only become available approximately three years after airing on HBO. While neither side disclosed financial terms, using previous deals with other networks and streaming services as a guide, analysts estimated that HBO will receive about $ 200 million per year from Amazon. A source with knowledge of the deal told BuzzFeed News at the time that HBO negotiated exclusively with Amazon and didn't put its content up for auction.
Chinese internet companies such as Tencent, which focuses on social networking via WeChat and gaming, and Alibaba, which dominates e-commerce globally, are in a pitched battle for users and advertisers and view movies and television shows as a way to differentiate their platforms from each other. Those companies and others have collectively spent around $ 1 billion on streaming deals for movies and television shows over the last two years. Shortly after Alibaba's IPO in September, which raised $ 25 billion and ranks as the largest initial public offering ever on a U.S. exchange, its CEO, Jack Ma, met with pretty much every Hollywood studio head with the aim of striking streaming deals.
In September, Guo Guangchang, the billionaire chairman of China's Fosun Group, agreed to invest what reports claim is in excess of $ 100 million in former Warner Bros executive Jeff Robinov's new production house Studio 8. A month later, Japan's Softbank, which owns about one-third of Alibaba and raised about $ 4.6 billion in that company's IPO, struck a deal to invest $ 250 million in Legendary Pictures, which has helped finance or produce such films as Godzilla, 300, and the Dark Knight franchise. Prior to its Legendary deal, Softbank was rumored to be close to buying Dreamworks Animation for $ 3.4 billion. Other, earlier deals have also been struck between Asian companies and studios like Disney, Fox, and The Weinstein Company, among others.
But the companies must balance the desire for foreign entertainment content, particularly from the U.S., against the onerous censorship restrictions of the Chinese government. A number of shows have been deemed "obscene" and ordered to be taken down, among them CBS's Big Bang Theory and The Good Wife. The Chinese government also has strict limits on the amount of foreign content a streaming service can offer.