We at Liberty Marketing Solutions provide our clients with high-quality representation and professional service combined with proven experience, dedication, and knowledge needed to build a profitable, sustainable and successful business. It's our vast years of experience and expertise that bring a unique and value-added collection of industry insights and advice that will increase our client's profit and sales potential.
We strive to constantly maintain and improve upon our high-quality standards by the most efficient means possible so that our services are competitive throughout the markets we serve. The growth and success of your company is our main priority!
Liberty Marketing Solutions will add value to your company because we are focused on sustainable growth, eliminating waste, acting with a sense of urgency, and building trust with our commitment to sharing continuous learning.
Simplemachine had such a great experience on this project for LMS. Working together with our clients, we are dedicated to building and maintaining long-term partnerships by delivering customized client solutions and unparalleled execution. We provide our clients with the knowledge and experience they need to feel confident that their business will excel in the retail market. See our innovative designs here.


text:
Камзас — река в России, протекает по Аскизскому району Республики Хакасия. Устье реки находится в 7 км по левому берегу реки Балыксу. Длина реки составляет 14 км.

Данные водного реестра
По данным государственного водного реестра России относится к Верхнеобскому бассейновому округу, водохозяйственный участок реки — Томь от истока до города Новокузнецк, без реки Кондома, речной подбассейн реки — Томь. Речной бассейн реки — (Верхняя) Обь до впадения Иртыша.

Код объекта в государственном водном реестре — 13010300212115200007528.

Примечания

Топографическая карта

Притоки Балыксу
Реки Аскизского района

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I'll try to find my copy of the game so I can join.
That's great ! I will add you to the list of members in the french topic (here) !
Well oh right, I'm in PSN ID same as my RG nick. Just let me know wich hours are we playing (I've got a pretty big family so I'll have to reserve the TV earlier ).
I'm really happy too that you have changed your mind . No problems, i'll specify which hours we are playing the next week. I will add you to the list .
I'm always playing UYA online I hope that RG members make another RG clan.


Each of us is unique. We have different strengths and weaknesses and excel at different martial arts. Our bodies are all a little different. If men's jeans don't ever fit quite right you're not going to be comfortable in a men's martial arts uniform either. That's why finding gear made for women is just as important as finding the right martial art.
Made4Fighters offers the UK's best selection of high-quality, durable martial arts uniforms and equipment for women. Whether you're looking for women's training clothes, protective gear, or casual clothing we carry gear suited for all martial arts and fitness disciplines. Our collection of women's martial arts apparel and gear will carry you from the street to the gym to competition in style.
Shopping for a women's martial arts uniform? We carry an extensive range of BJJ Gi and Karate Gi, as well as martial arts uniforms for Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing athletes. Looking for other women's training clothes? You'll find women's training apparel, Muay Thai shorts, and grappling spats. Need something to wear to and from the gym? We carry casual streetwear including beanies, hoodies and more from leading athletic brands.
Safety is essential for every woman in martial arts. The better your protective gear, the safer you are - in training and competition. Shop our collections of all the martial arts gear you need to maintain peak fitness as a martial artist. Find ladies' boxing gloves, rash guards, head guards, gel knee pads and shin guards, hand wraps, and more.
Made4Fighters also provides a full range of Kid's & Men's Spats & Leggings.


Mandy went for a job interview yesterday which could turn out to be a good thing. She's been unemployed for the past couple of years after some extremely bad panic attacks and general depression brought about by problems in her family. She was also severely agoraphobic for a while; but now she's out and about so much more than she used to, and I don't get panicked calls from her saying she's somewhere outside and could I come meet her and walk her home.
For some reason, I always seem to go out with girls with an interest in the occult or fortune-telling or somesuch. I'm not sure why this is, since as a person with a strong interest in writing science fiction (as opposed to, say, fantasy) I have little regard indeed for superstition. The world's plenty interesting without having to imagine up spectres and spells. If you disagree, time you packed a bag, chucked your job and went out and did something with your life.
She looks like she'll be working part-time for a fortune-reading hotline, of all things. Apparently it seems very relaxed; you sit there, and occasionally someone calls up your premium-rate number (some appalling amount of money per minute) and you get your tarot read. Yes, I agree, it's a scam, but I could say the same thing about the Vatican, about Mecca, about anything church-like, etc etc etc. But it's good to know she'll at least be making money, keeping busy, and doing something she enjoys.
On book matters; trundling ahead. Perhaps ten chapters outlined. It's coming together - no lack of plot ideas, it just takes time to get everything nailed down in terms of consistency, etc. I've just been reading Altered Carbon, by a local writer; his first novel, and already optioned for Hollywood. Dammit.


This is for business functions, parties, speeches, etc.
Steffanie is a fantastic photographer. She really captured ever detail of our amazing day. I would highly recommend her to be your photographer.
Steffanie has now taken Christmas photos for me and shot my wedding. I have a photography background myself and can tell you: Prost! Is legit. She's got the right equipment and she knows how to get the most out of it. She elevated my wedding to a whole new level of elegance with her tasteful and creative photography. She was efficient and knew exactly what shots to get so we could get on with our special day. I'll never hire another photographer in Gainesville.
Stefanie was amazing to work with. Very professional, on time, kept in touch, and provided us with quality work for a short notice photography job. We will definitely be contacting Stefanie again for future projects!


James Francis Tearney, P.E., passed away December 15, 2018, at his home in Leawood, KS. He was born in Kansas City, KS, on December 19, 1926, after his identical twin brother, Ralph; they were the sons of Ralph and Mary Tearney. Jim grew up in Saint Joseph, MO, and graduated from Central High School in 1944. He then attended and was a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. There he earned a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve in 1947. Jim served as a cadet and mid-shipman aboard the S.S. Pierre Victory carrying cargos of bombs, machinery, and construction material to Tinian and Wake Island in the Pacific theater during WWII. Upon the conclusion of the war, he continued to serve as a mid-shipman on a cargo ship carrying general cargos from New Orleans, LA to Havana, Cuba, then returning with cargos of sugar from Cuban ports. After graduation from the Academy in December of 1947, he signed on a cargo ship in New Orleans as a ship's officer, and sailed the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. During the Korean War, he was on active duty in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Walker, operating in the Sea of Japan with Task Force 77. After an Honorable Discharge from the Navy in 1952, he joined Burns and McDonnell Engineering. During his tenure, he managed numerous power plant construction projects, including the Kaw Power Station in Kansas City, KS, James River Power Plant in Springfield, MO, and multiple power plants for Alabama Electric in Andalusia, AL. In addition to powerplants, he was heavily involved in the construction of Washington Dulles International Airport and Kansas City International Airport, to name a few. He was Vice President General Manager of Air Quality Control Division until his retirement in 1989. While he was working in Springfield, MO, he met his wife, Mary Ruth Asher. They married in August of 1958, their son Phil was born the following year. Jim was an accomplished pilot, avid golfer, and enjoyed vacationing in Destin, FL, and at their lake home in Cape Fair, MO, on Table Rock Lake. Jim was preceded in death by his father Ralph Edward Tearney, mother Mary Fellman Tearney, twin brother Ralph Tearney Jr., and sister Elaine Tearney. Jim is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Asher Tearney, son Phil Tearney, daughter-in-law Sherri Doepke Tearney, and granddaughter Rachael Tearney, as well as many other family members. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Missouri State University Foundation, James F Tearney Engineering Scholarship. Donations by mail can be sent to 300 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806, 417-836-4143. Private family service in Ozark, MO.


text:
The Clarity Blog
Clarity First Newsletter,
Mitch Anthony
"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." – Malcolm X
Clarity First
A notebook about how we work, and learn, and love and live.
Here's some of the ideas and learnings that I fished out of the data stream this week. Happy Friday.
Learning, Media Literacy, Citizenship
Another thing Finland is getting right
"Finland has faced down Kremlin-backed propaganda campaigns ever since it declared independence from Russia 101 years ago. But in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea and backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, it became obvious that the battlefield had shifted: information warfare was moving online."
"As the trolling ramped up in 2015, President Sauli Niinisto called on every Finn to take responsibility for the fight against false information. A year later, Finland brought in American experts to advise officials on how to recognize fake news, understand why it goes viral and develop strategies to fight it. The education system was also reformed to emphasize critical thinking."
Students in Valentina Uitto's social studies class research the issues at play in the upcoming EU elections as part of their critical thinking curriculum.
Today Finland ranks first out of 35 countries in a study measuring resilience to the post-truth phenomenon.
Article: Finland Is Winning the War on Fake News. What It's Learned May Be Crucial to Western Democracy.
Personal Development, Social Connection
The science is in: social connection improves physical health and mental and emotional well-being.
"We all think we know how to take good are of ourselves: eat your veggies, work out and try to get enough sleep. But how many of us know that social connection is just as critical?
" One landmark study showed that lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.
"On the other hand, strong social connection:
– leads to a 50% increased chance of longevity
– strengthens your immune system(research by Steve Cole shows that genes impacted by loneliness also code for immune function and inflammation)
– helps you recover from disease faster
– may even lengthen your life!"
Article: Connectedness & Health: The Science of Social Connection
Tedx Talk: The Power & Science of Social Connection: Emma Seppälä TEDx
Learning, Media Design
The child psychologist who helped shape "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"
"Nearly everyone knows about Fred Rogers, the beloved host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" who taught millions of children about love, kindness and the magic of make believe. But far fewer people are familiar with Margaret McFarland, the child psychologist who mentored him and helped shape his groundbreaking television show."
"She and Rogers met nearly every week to discuss scripts and songs that Rogers had written. Her advice became so valuable to Rogers that he took "extensive handwritten notes" and recorded their meetings on audiocassettes, 'which I often overheard him replaying in his office,' recalled Arthur Greenwald, a producer and writer who worked with Rogers."
Article: Overlooked No More: Margaret McFarland, Mentor to Mister Rogers
Purpose, Brand Promise, Advertising
Big box, big responsibility
You know those minutes (and sometimes hours) when you are just waking but you are still moving between the dream state and awake state? While tossing and turning this Tuesday morning, I noticed myself thinking about Ikea. (Really, I care about this stuff.) In mid-toss I considered Ikea's less than stellar eco-footprint. My brain said "It's cool. They know the power the've earned. They are going to use it responsibly."
That same evening I stumbled upon this article. It seems that they do know, from the bottom-line up, that the only economy that wins is a truly circular economy, and they are acting on it. While we may still be trashing cheap furniture in a land-fill, I won't be forever. They are designers. They figured out how to pack it flat in a box. I know they can figure out how to make it green.
Article: Ikea Puts Purpose First in New Campaign Designed to Tell More of Its Brand Story
How should we think about our thinking and make it more accurate? The virtue of intellectual humility
"David Dunning, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, has devoted much of his career to studying the flaws in human thinking."
About what he's learned along the way he says: "If there is a psychological principle that I think people should know more about, it's the principle of naive realism. [It means that] even though your belief about the way the world is just seems so compelling or so self-evident, it doesn't mean that it really is [true].
"Whenever we reach a conclusion, it just seems like it's the right one. In fact, a lot of what we see and conclude about the world is authored by our brains. Once you keep that in mind, hopefully, it does give you pause, to think about how you might be wrong, or to think about how another person might have a case. And you might want to hear them out."
Article: An Expert on Human Blind Spots Gives Advice on How to Think
From the future of third-party cookies, to the dearth of digital talent, there is plenty of opportunity and challenge in digital marketing this year.
"While everything from TV to SEO has been pronounced dead, the apocalyptic marketing prediction will live forever.
"I also add the caveat that I recognize digital is not everything for marketers, however tightly marbled in the multichannel sausage it is nowadays."
Article: This Year's Predictions from the Digerati
When you rip the moral rudder from the Constitution you can accuse the Chinese of stealing IP while you steal IP.
The new Space Force logo (left) and the Star Trek logo for Starfleet Command (images via White House and Wikipedia)
Last week President Trump unveiled the new logo for the US Space force. Gee, I feel like I've seen this before. But our leader would never take credit for something he didn't do, would he?
Article: New US Space Force Logo Looks a Lot Like Star Trek's Starfleet Logo
This week I got an email that every music-loving parent cherishes: a shout-out from one of our kids for a band he knew I would like.
Our son Devan's subject line dropped an F-bomb, followed by the words "This is good". His note was short: "The whole band is super tight and vibing well. And the lead singer has a funny delivery style – it's like the music is singing her, and sometimes surprises her with what's coming out of her mouth. And, she throws in a powerful progressive call to action for white people in the middle of it."
He led me to Moonchild's Tiny Desk Concert, and I was in love before the title cards were done. This is Neo-Soul, meaning that it feels really, really familiar, but you've never, ever heard it before. It is so brand new and comfortable at once.
Moonchild – "The Truth" (Official Music Video)
This is soothing music for jangled times. The musicians' calm and natural grace reminds me that humans are way smarter and way cooler than our leaders. And that some of us can conjure music and groove that connects and heals.
Video: Moonchild, NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Article: Everyone from Jill Scott to 9Th Wonder is a Fan of L.A. Neo-Soul Trio Moonchild
The image of the week is of two snowflake crystals. The image was shot Wilson Bently.
"'Snowflake Bentley' was born and raised on a farm in Jericho, Vermont. At the age of 15, he received a microscope from his mother, and he soon became obsessed with the idea of illustrating snowflakes for the public. However, drawing the snowflakes was nearly impossible since they melted far too quickly. Thus, Bentley decided to photograph the snowflakes. He obtained a bellows camera, and he attached it to his microscope. Realizing that he could not look through the viewfinder and make adjustments to the focus of the microscope simultaneously, Bentley created a set of extenders that permitted him to stay behind the camera at all times, while still fine-tuning the microscope.
"On January 15, 1885, at the age of 19, Bentley successfully photographed his first snowflake. Over the course of his lifetime, he would photograph more than 5,000. While he is not officially credited with taking the first photograph of a snowflake, his life's work is unrivaled. A pioneer in photomicrography, Bentley's photographs were so precise that his images continued to appear in Nature, National Geographic, Encyclopedia Britannica, and Popular Science for decades after his demise. His eye-opening book Snow Crystals is still in print today. His original albumen prints and negatives are owned by the Smithsonian Institute and the Buffalo Museum of Science."
Book Review: Snow Crystals
What's Clarity First?
If you're new to Clarity First, it's the weekly newsletter by me, Mitch Anthony. I help people use their brand – their purpose, values, and stories – as a pedagogy and toolbox for transformation. Learn more.
If you get value from Clarity First, please pass it on.
Not a subscriber? Sign up here.You can also read Clarity-First on the web.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (GDBA) program at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, is delivered entirely online. Students interact with their instructors and other students in Canvas, the university's preferred online learning platform. Course modules consist of multi-media learning objects, online reading materials and regular synchronous interventions using Blackboard Collaborate.
The GDBA is based on a collaborative learning model. Balanced teams are constituted at the beginning of each course and these teams remain together for that course.
An important learning outcome for the program is how to operate effectively in virtual teams, a critical competency in modern distributed businesses. However, the research literature indicates that many business students do not like studying in a team, especially where their efforts are likely to be graded. The research literature also indicates that business students are generally not especially good at reflection, synthesis and consensus building.
To address these issues, Tom Brown, the program's academic director, borrowed from the Team-Based Learning (TBL) literature to develop a structured process of within-team peer evaluation. This process holds team members accountable to each other, while surfacing issues that may be affecting team performance. While the output of the process does contribute to the student's final grade, the principle goal of the peer evaluation is formative. The design of the overall assessment scheme in the program reflects the commitment to provide students with the opportunity to work on individual and group assignments. An example of such an approach from a course is illustrated in this diagram.
The GBDA has seven courses delivered over three semesters, aimed mainly at part-time students. During the program students are required to work on group assignments. The assignments themselves are graded by the instructor, but students are also required to evaluate the other students in their group on their contribution to the group work.
designed on the logic of team-based learning i.e., in group projects, the highest score that an individual student can earn is equal to or less than the highest team average score in that group submission. In other words, no student can perform better than his or her team.
The tool collects student feedback data and uses it to adjust the grades for the group assignments using the logical structure of team-based learning (TBL).
In the peer evaluation assignment students assess their group members on teamwork dimensions that are pre-identified by the instructor for example, "preparation", "contribution" and "collaboration." Students evaluate each of their teammates on a Likert scale and provide written comments that surface practices which are perceived to help or hinder team performance.
The final grades for group assignments are automatically adjusted by the feedback from the group members received through the peer evaluation assignment(s) using the team based learning logic.
After screening by the instructor, each student receives an anonymized summary of qualitative comments from group members and the instructor receives a compiled report for the whole class.
Finally, to close the loop, students write a short, graded reflection on what they have learned from the process of giving and receiving feedback.
This approach to peer assessment is now used in all seven courses on the GBDA, and a some early adopters are trialing the methodology in other MBA and UG courses.
Peer assessment and evaluation in other contexts has often been problematic, as many MOOC providers have found. Separating the assessment of an assignment itself (done by the instructor) from the assessment of teamwork skills contributing to the assignment (done by individual team members) gives greater confidence in the final assessment, and avoids criticisms from the students of unfairness or arbitrary grading.
Experience in teaching these courses and this program has indicated that students need lots of practice to develop effective teamwork skills.
It was essential to identify the different skills needed for teamwork in order to develop the rubrics for peer evaluation; the Team-Based Learning Cooperative and ListServ were invaluable resources in this regard.
The next step is to find ways to reduce the amount of administration and further customization of the technology tool to better support this assessment process, and provide more frequent feedback to the students.
A further challenge is to find a way to scale up this method so it can be used in a wider range of courses and programs by other instructors.
Teamwork skills are important in a wide range of discipline areas, not just business. Group work is not only valuable in itself, but is also a cost-effective way of assessing students, requiring less overall time from an instructor than individual student assessment. However, peer assessment needs to be carefully managed, to ensure reliable and valid assessment.
This methodology enables peer assessment to be applied effectively and reliably in an online and blended-learning contexts.


Social Work is a career committed to improving the lives of all people. I can entail working with individuals in a variety of settings, or on a broader level to impact increased quality of life for all people through advocacy.
The Bachelor's of Social Work (BSW) program prepares students for entry into professional social work practice and entry into graduate programs in social work. With a focus on diverse populations, students gain knowledge needed for responsible entry into professional social work practice including a foundational understanding of humans and cultural diversity, ethics, practice standards, values and skills.
Our program has been developed following the standards set by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE), a nationwide accrediting body. The BSW program is fully accredited by CSWE. One of the key features that sets us apart from other Social Work programs is our small interactive courses and emphasis on individual mentoring by social workers with considerable practical experience.


text:
Hero Cop Saves Toddler In Distress
On October 12th, 2016, a Granbury police officer saved a three-year-old boy, and it was caught on tape and later shared on YouTube reports Chron.
The officer, Chase Miller, was responding to a 911 call that came from the boy's father. The family was at a local restaurant about 40 miles southwest from Fort Worth. The father pleaded with the 911 operator, stating his son was not breathing, reports The Washington Post.
The dispatcher was already sending ambulances to the KFC. The boy was unresponsive, and his mother could be heard in the background shouting his name.
The officer was listening to the dispatcher from his vehicle and decided not to wait for paramedics. Because he was only a short drive away, he headed to the restaurant, says The Washington Post. His dash cam video is what caught the moments where the officer pulls into the restaurant parking lot to find the mother holding a limp toddler in her arms. Other people were around attempting to revive the child, but with no response.
In the video, the officer takes the child from the mother, places him on the ground, and begins CPR. The boy's father is kneeling just a few feet away from him. Officer Miller would not stop CPR until the boy started breathing again, says Chron.
There was a moment the officer instructed the boy's father how to properly give CPR so that he could take over while Officer Miller ran to his vehicle to retrieve a CPR mask. Per the Washington Post, Officer Miller had learned in training that the boy would need a CPR mask to survive. In total, CPR was performed for three minutes.
When the boy began to breathe, the moment was caught on the dashboard camera. He was then taken to the local hospital where he made a full recovery, reports KTLA 5. The Washington Post reported that the boy had suffered a seizure and high fever, which caused him to stop breathing.
Awarded By The City
The officer was later given a Life Saving Award at Tuesday's Granbury City Council meeting by their Mayor Nin Hulett. The boy's mother stated that the officer deserves as much recognition as possible because he saved her son's life, reported Chron.
The boy, Brayden, loves the show Paw Patrol and his favorite character is "Chase." So, the officer presented Brayden with his version of Chase to remember the event by. It was a toy police dog, just like the character on the boy's favorite TV show, says The Washington Post.
Even though the world is calling him a hero, Officer Miller is humble and doesn't consider himself such. He hadn't even told his wife about the event because he just assumed it was part of his job. He was gracious for all the recognition he received, including the video that was shared on YouTube, reports The Washington Post.
News 119 U.S. 86
Powerful Earthquake in Italy this Sunday
Former Microsoft CEO Says He Won't Buy Twitter


Wilson Health is a full service community hospital serving residents of Shelby County and some of the surrounding communities. The hospital is accredited by the Healthcare Facility Accreditation Program (HFAP). Wilson strives to provide high standards of care for outpatients, inpatients and those served in business and industry.
The healthcare industry in America provides the most advanced medical technology and services available in the world. Wilson's Board and Administration are committed to offering state-of-the-art equipment for diagnosing and treating medical conditions and services that are well planned and executed for the best results possible for patients. Since Wilson is a community hospital, its goal is to offer as many services as feasible so patients will not have to travel far for care.
The Sidney and Shelby County communities have always supported their community hospital. Leaders throughout the county volunteer their time and talents to serve as hospital trustees and also serve on the hospital's foundation board. In addition, 300 women and men currently volunteer their time to the hospital through the Auxiliary, hospice services and chaplain's program. Wilson appreciates and depends upon the goodwill of the community for its continued mission of providing quality care to those in need of medical services.


text:
package org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test;

import com.google.common.util.concurrent.Uninterruptibles;
import com.typesafe.config.Config;
import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory;
import com.typesafe.config.ConfigRenderOptions;
import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
import org.apache.juneau.json.JsonParser;
import org.apache.streams.config.ComponentConfigurator;
import org.apache.streams.config.StreamsConfigurator;
import org.apache.streams.fullcontact.CompanyEnrichment;
import org.apache.streams.fullcontact.FullContact;
import org.apache.streams.fullcontact.PersonEnrichment;
import org.apache.streams.fullcontact.api.*;
import org.apache.streams.fullcontact.config.FullContactConfiguration;
import org.apache.streams.fullcontact.pojo.CompanySummary;
import org.apache.streams.fullcontact.pojo.PersonSummary;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.testng.Assert;
import org.testng.SkipException;
import org.testng.annotations.BeforeClass;
import org.testng.annotations.BeforeMethod;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;
import org.testng.collections.Lists;

import java.io.File;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

import static java.util.Objects.nonNull;
import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
import static org.testng.Assert.assertEquals;

/**
 * Integration Tests for all implemented fullcontact.com endpoints.
 */
public class FullContactIT {

    private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(FullContactIT.class);

    private static String configfile = "target/test-classes/FullContactIT/FullContactIT.conf";

    private static FullContactConfiguration config;

    @BeforeClass(alwaysRun = true)
    public void setup() throws Exception {
        try {
            File conf = new File(configfile);
            Assert.assertTrue(conf.exists());
            Assert.assertTrue(conf.canRead());
            Assert.assertTrue(conf.isFile());
            StreamsConfigurator.addConfig(ConfigFactory.parseFileAnySyntax(conf));
            config = new ComponentConfigurator<>(FullContactConfiguration.class).detectConfiguration();
            Assert.assertNotNull(config.getToken());
            Assert.assertTrue(StringUtils.isNotBlank(config.getToken()));
        } catch( Exception s ) {
            throw new SkipException("Skipping FullContactSocialGraphIT because no api.fullcontact.com token has been provided", s);
        }
    }

    @BeforeMethod(alwaysRun = true)
    public void delay() throws Exception {
        Uninterruptibles.sleepUninterruptibly(config.getDelayMs(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichCompanyByDomain() throws Exception {
        CompanyEnrichment companyEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String domain = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichCompanyByDomain.domain");
        EnrichCompanyRequest req = new EnrichCompanyRequest()
                .withDomain(domain);
        CompanySummary response = companyEnrichment.enrichCompany(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty name", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByEmail() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String email = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByEmail.email");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
            .withEmail(email);
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByEmailHash() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String email = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByEmailHash.emailHash");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withEmail(email);
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByEmails() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        List<String> emails = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getStringList("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByEmails.emails");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withEmails(emails);
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    /*
      Disabled because this feature does not work.
     */
    @Test(enabled = false)
    public void testEnrichPersonByTwitterUserid() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String userid = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByTwitterUserid.userid");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withProfiles(
                        Lists.newArrayList(
                                new ProfileQuery()
                                        .withService("twitter")
                                        .withUserid(userid)
                        )
                );
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByTwitterUsername() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String username = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByTwitterUsername.username");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withProfiles(
                        Lists.newArrayList(
                                new ProfileQuery()
                                        .withService("twitter")
                                        .withUsername(username)
                        )
                );
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByGithubUrl() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String url = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByGithubUrl.url");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withProfiles(
                        Lists.newArrayList(
                                new ProfileQuery()
                                .withService("github")
                                .withUrl(url)
                        )
                );
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByLinkedinUsername() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String username = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByLinkedinUsername.username");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withProfiles(
                        Lists.newArrayList(
                                new ProfileQuery()
                                        .withService("linkedin")
                                        .withUsername(username)
                        )
                );
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByPhone() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String phone = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByPhone.phone");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withPhone(phone);
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByPhones() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        List<String> phones = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getStringList("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByPhones.phones");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withPhones(phones);
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEnrichPersonByNameAndLocation() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        Config location = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getConfig("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByNameAndLocation.location");
        LocationQuery locationQuery = JsonParser.DEFAULT.parse(location.root().render(ConfigRenderOptions.concise()), LocationQuery.class);
        Config name = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getConfig("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testEnrichPersonByNameAndLocation.name");
        NameQuery nameQuery = JsonParser.DEFAULT.parse(name.root().render(ConfigRenderOptions.concise()), NameQuery.class);
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withLocation(locationQuery)
                .withName(nameQuery);
        PersonSummary response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getFullName());
        assertThat("response contains a non-empty fullName", StringUtils.isNotBlank(response.getFullName()));
    }

    @Test
    public void testHandlesMissCorrectly() throws Exception {
        PersonEnrichment personEnrichment = FullContact.getInstance(config);
        String email = StreamsConfigurator.getConfig().getString("org.apache.streams.fullcontact.test.FullContactIT.testHandlesMissCorrectly.emailHash");
        EnrichPersonRequest req = new EnrichPersonRequest()
                .withEmail(email);
        EnrichPersonResponse response = personEnrichment.enrichPerson(req);
        nonNull(response);
        nonNull(response.getStatus());
        assertEquals(response.getStatus(), new Long(404));
        nonNull(response.getMessage());
        assertEquals(response.getMessage(), "Profile not found");
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
search filter Books & JournalsAll JournalsMediterranean Quarterly
Search Results for iraq
European Studies (362)
Middle East Studies (12)
Mediterranean Quarterly (387)
Research Article (289)
1-20 of 387 Search Results for
Turkey's Policies Toward Kurdistan-Iraq and Iraq: Nationalism, Capitalism, and State Formation
Mediterranean Quarterly (2006) 17 (1): 48–72.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1215/10474552-17-1-48
...Robert Olson 2006 Robert Olson is professor of Middle East politics at the University of Kentucky. Turkey's Policies Toward Kurdistan-Iraq and Iraq: Nationalism, Capitalism, and State Formation Robert Olson In this essay I analyze Turkey's...
Relations among Turkey, Iraq, Kurdistan-Iraq, the Wider Middle East, and Iran
...Robert Olson Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2006 Robert Olson is professor of Middle East Politics at the University of Kentucky. Relations among Turkey, Iraq, Kurdistan-Iraq, the Wider Middle East, and Iran Robert Olson In this essay, I...
From the EU Project to the Iraq Project and Back Again? Kurds and Turks After the 22 July 2007 Elections
...Robert Olson This essay argues that from the first of January 2007 to Turkey.s general elections on 22 July the ruling Justice and Development Party.s (AKP) major focus was on the .Iraq project. rather than the established .EU project.. The Iraq project refers to the challenge of Kurdish...
Examining the Case for War: Allegations of Iranian Interference in Iraq
Mediterranean Quarterly (2008) 19 (4): 1–13.
..., are its roles as a regional hegemon and as a participant in the political development of neighboring Iraq. Iran's policies in Iraq sometimes appear to be directly in conflict with US initiatives. In spite of considerable angry rhetoric, however, any actual evidence for Iranian hostile interaction in...
American Foreign Policy After Iraq
Robert J. Pranger
...Robert J. Pranger Copyright 2008 by Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2008 Robert J. Pranger is a private consultant with extensive experience in national security affairs. He was formerly associate/managing editor of Mediterranean Quarterly . American Foreign Policy after Iraq...
Middle East Vortex: An Unstable Iraq and Its Implications for the Region
Ted Galen Carpenter
...Ted Galen Carpenter The United States seems committed to withdrawing its forces from Iraq by the end of 2011. Experts worry that the relative calm since mid-2007 might not last once US troops depart. Indeed, there are serious questions about whether Iraq can be a viable state in the long run. If...
The "Omnibalancing" Proposition and Baghdad's Foreign Policy: Reinterpreting Contemporary Iraq-Iran-Us Relations
Jason E. Strakes
Mediterranean Quarterly (2011) 22 (3): 95–108.
...Jason E. Strakes Iranian influence and interference in the internal affairs of Iraq have become central US policy concerns since the election of a Shiite-majority political elite in 2005. Yet observers have rarely addressed the strategic pursuit of support from both the US and Iranian governments...
The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq
Mediterranean Quarterly (2005) 16 (4): 145–148.
...Robert Olson Brendan O'Leary, John McGarry, and Khaled Salih, eds., The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq , University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005. 307 pages. ISBN 0-8122-3870-2. $45.00. 2005 Robert Olson is professor of Middle East politics and history at the University of Kentucky...
Plain Talk about Iraq
...Robert J. Pranger Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2006 Robert J. Pranger is a private consultant with extensive experience in national security affairs. He was formerly associate/managing editor of Mediterranean Quarterly . Plain Talk about Iraq...
The Goat and the Butcher: Nationalism and State Formation in Kurdistan-Iraq since the Iraqi War
...Robert J. Pranger Robert Olson: The Goat and the Butcher: Nationalism and State Formation in Kurdistan-Iraq since the Iraqi War . Costa Mesa, Calif.: Mazda Publishers, 2005. 278 pages. ISBN 1-56859-186-1. $35.00. Reviewed by Robert J. Pranger. Robert J. Pranger is a private consultant with...
Iraq and Vietnam: Some Unsettling Parallels
... Mediterranean Quarterly . Iraq and Vietnam: Some Unsettling Parallels Ted Galen Carpenter For the generations that experienced the Vietnam War, the current conflict in Iraq frequently brings about a sense of déja vu. True, there are some signifi- cant differences between...
"Our Most Dependable Allies": Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Eisenhower Doctrine, 1956–1958
Gregory Brew
... conservative states, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, played prominent roles in the implementation of the Eisenhower Doctrine, yet while US policymakers were eager to mold King Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud into a regional leader, they were decidedly ambivalent toward the ambitions of the Hashemite regime in Iraq and...
Nation Building in a War Zone: The US Record in Iraq, 2003–2007
Mohamed A. El-Khawas
...Mohamed A. El-Khawas The essay examines Bush's strategies to democratize Iraq. Failure to draft a plan for Iraq's stabilization led to costly mistakes that drove many Sunnis to join insurgent groups, fueling sectarian strife. Holding multiparty elections was a major accomplishment, but it did not...
Doing It All Wrong in the Middle East: Iraq
Edward Peck
...Edward Peck Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2001 Edward Peck, a retired U.S. ambassador, served as chief of mission in Baghdad from 1977 to 1980. MQ 12.4-02 Peck 10/16/01 1:05 PM Page 13 Doing It All Wrong in the Middle East: Iraq...
Iraq, Terrorism, and the New Pax Americana
Vincent M. Cannistraro
Mediterranean Quarterly (2002) 13 (2): 1–8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1215/10474552-13-2-1
... through 1990. Iraq, Terrorism, and the New Pax Americana Vincent M. Cannistraro The Bush administration has garnered deserved credit for its management of the war against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and the fostering of an international coalition against...
Ruining the Neighborhood: War with Iraq and the Neighbors
Patrick Theros
...Patrick Theros Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2003 Patrick Theros served as U.S. ambassador to Qatar and currently is president of the U.S.-Qatar Business Council. Ruining the Neighborhood: War with Iraq and the Neighbors Patrick Theros...
The Iraq Problem Will Remain with Us
...Robert J. Pranger Mediterranean Affairs, Inc. 2003 Robert J. Pranger is an international management consultant based in Washington, D.C., and former associate and managing editor of Mediterranean Quarterly . The Iraq Problem Will Remain with Us Robert J...
The Emerging Security Environment: Preemptive War and International Terrorism after Iraq
... Environment: Preemptive War and International Terrorism after Iraq Vincent M. Cannistraro The terrorist assault against the United States by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization in September 2001 provided the propulsive force for a series of...
Iraq in the Context of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy
Nikolai Zlobin
... executive coeditor of Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization . Iraq in the Context of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy Nikolai Zlobin The relationship between Moscow and Baghdad, like Russia's foreign-policy relationships throughout the Persian Gulf...
Zarqawi's Legacy: Al Qaeda's ISIS "Renegade"
Anthony N. Celso
...Anthony N. Celso This essay studies the rise, decline, and rebirth of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and its transformation into the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). It first examines AQI's distinctive vision and its defiance of al Qaeda central. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's anti-Shiite jihadist...
About Mediterranean Quarterly: A Journal of Global Issues


(ALL) October 3 PACA Forum – Sports and More!!
Lower School Parent Night – Thursday, August 30, 7:00 – 8:00pm A time to meet the teachers/administrators and learn about the upcoming school year.
Kids-4-Kids- School-wide Project in second quarter where our students work together to help families.


text:
MASTER BUILDERS: How ISU's Class of 2017 and other current seniors turned "hope" into "reality"
Rob Gray, Aug 09 •	0 Comments
Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Iowa State's O'Rien Vance (34) and Anthony Johnson Jr. (26) celebrate a turnover against Oregon during the second half of the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Breen-Arizona Republic Ncaa Football Oregon At Iowa State
Anthony Johnson excitedly accepted the recruiting card from Iowa State assistant coach Tyson Veidt, then set it aside.
The then-junior at St. Petersburg (Fla.) High School had some Googling to do.
He frowned at the results.
"I saw 3-9," Johnson said Monday during the Cyclones' annual media day. "I went to class. One of my friends asked me (about it). I threw the card away and said, 'I'm not going there. 3-9? I'm not going way down there for that.' And lookie here, I'm here — and a lot has changed."
Indeed it has.
The standout senior cornerback will enter ISU's Sept. 4 season-opener against Northern Iowa on a 28-game start streak. He was one of four true freshmen not to redshirt in 2018 and perfectly epitomizes how no one — or no program — should be strictly evaluated based on the recent past.
Not without a deep dive into what undergirds the superficial numbers.
Not without understanding that success is not a static concept, regardless of the starting point.
"I think as the program gains confidence and success, you gain it in yourself, too," said All-American Class of 2017 senior tight end Charlie Kolar.
In 2016, Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell pitched a fresh start with a new staff. In 2017, the proffered vision centered on hope — a message that resonated then with the vast majority of ISU's current 26 seniors, who have helped turn Googling the Cyclones' profile and results into a much more pleasurable viewing experience.
"It wasn't really much (about) convincing," said senior wide receiver Tarique Milton, who plans to return to his play-making ways after an injury-riddled 2020 season. "It was just more me seeing an opportunity to change the program around. That's what I wanted to be a part of. … I wanted to go somewhere where I could help change the program and turn that into a big school."
Mission (partly) accomplished. ISU went 8-1 in Big 12 play last season. The Cyclones played in and convincingly won their first Fiesta Bowl game, upending Oregon, 34-17. They're broadly considered to once again be the primary threat to knock Oklahoma off the Big 12's top pedestal — and most of the players doing the nudging were the hope buyers of the past.
But Campbell and his staff weren't just selling hope in the early years. They were also providing it.
"They were one of the ones who took a chance on me when nobody else would," said three-year starting linebacker O'Rien Vance, who despite having a tremendous high school career at Cedar Rapids Washington, had one major conference offer in ISU's. "At the end of the day, even if we weren't to have had the success we've had, I still would have stayed. I still would have been here because of the fact when someone takes a chance on you, you don't back out on them. You don't try to let them down."
Vance — a big part of the Class of 2017 — recently spoke to the team about his experience with the program. He's clearly one of the success stories, but it's a decidedly two-way street. And as Vance articulated that transformational, not transactional relationship he and so many others have built with Campbell and his staff, offensive coordinator Tom Manning listened approvingly.
"Man, I sat there really just in amazement of, wow, he really gets it," Manning said. "What a great leader and (he) just appreciates how hard it's been and also I think he just really appreciates his experience here, and for us, that's really what it's about. We couldn't be more proud of those guys and we're certainly excited to play football with them (again)."
So is everyone, whether coaching, playing or watching. The construction project never ends. There's never a finished project regardless of what the scoreboard or standings say — and that's what makes it so intriguing and enticing.
"It's true in all aspects of life, but especially in football, the more you play and the more you take reps and stuff — and it's not that, at least not for me personally, I don't think I ever have it figured out," Kolar said. "I just think of more things I can get better at. The better I get at football, the more ways I see I can improve at football. I think as a team, it's kind of the same way. When you're just trying to win six games and get to a bowl game, or win eight games, then 10 games, or whatever — that's never been our goal. We never set a goal on wins. You just take a win. But when you get better as a team, you also look at wins and find more and more things wrong with them — not in a negative way. Just so you can get better. So I think it really is good for our team that everyone's really driven and we have most of our starters back. I think a lot of guys are built the same way on the team, which is nice."
It's also essential. Good can't be good enough unless it's time to stop. And the Cyclones aren't remotely interested in standing still now, or ever.
"You look at this year's senior class and you look at some of these guys that came in, and you were selling hope," Campbell said. "You were selling an opportunity and I think that's where your emotion and appreciation for the guys who believed that this could happen and then, man, they went to work to make it happen. I think that's, to me, what you're so grateful for — a group of young men that really demanded to create change. It wasn't easy, especially through the early part of it and it certainly hasn't gotten any easier as you continue to try to build it. So just a sincere appreciation for that group of guys, because they really came in when there was no reality. There was just a hope. And those guys made the vision a reality."
That cadre of players includes early doubters such as Johnson and lifelong fans such as senior center Colin Newell, who grew up in Ames. They're all believers now — and it's not just because of Campbell and his staff. It's because of who they see when they look right, left and center. Google might not have an answer for what that means, but Newell can provide a satisfying one without any technological assistance.
"I think the biggest thing is since day one it's truly been about the culture of this place," Newell said. "That's everything that's been instilled in us. It's what we believe in. It's why we believe in each other. It's why we've had the success we've had. Everyone on this team is really good friends. We hang out outside of football. It's not like it's just here. We want to hang out with each other and I feel like that drives everybody to dig a little deeper and be the best person that we can be."
The best team, too. Eventually, Johnson saw the glimmers of hope that 3-9 team provided and committed before the 2017 team broke through for an eight-win season. So while that recruiting card almost certainly went out with the trash and recycling, what it signified transcended hope. It was destiny.
"We've all got the same goals, the same mindset," Johnson said. "(Campbell) recruited the same people, just different variations. That's really what it is."
Previous Kolar and 2021 Cyclones looking to strike balance between confidence and cockiness
Next Cyclones ranked No. 8 in preseason coaches poll
THE BRIDGE BUILDERS: ISU's seniors create a "fairy tale ending" in their last game at Jack Trice Stadium
SENIOR DAY: On 17 Cyclones who "came here on hope" and "(gave) back hope to everybody else"
NOTEBOOK: Campbell raves about 2017 signing class during media day


George Bush has defended his country's espionage programme and denied he is delving into people's personal lives.
The US president was responding to criticism on Thursday after a newspaper report alleged that the National Security Agency (NSA) had access to billions of phone calls made by American citizens.
Bush said that any intelligence activities he had authorised were legal and that the government was not eavesdropping on phone calls without court approval.
"The privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities," Bush said at a hastily called press briefing. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans."
The White House also criticised this latest leak to the media regarding intelligence, suggesting it could hinder the fight against terrorism.
"As a general matter, every time sensitive intelligence is leaked, it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy," Dana Perino, the White House spokeswoman, said.
The USA Today newspaper reported that the NSA was amassing a database that used records provided by three major US phone companies - AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth.
But the newspaper said the NSA was not listening to or recording phone conversations.
USA Today said calls originating and terminating within the United States had also been included in the database.
This contradicts a declaration by the president last year that eavesdropping only applied to communications from inside the US to overseas.
The paper quoted one source as saying: "It's the largest database ever assembled in the world."
The claims have provoked some Democrats to suggest that the confirmation of Air Force General Michael Hayden as the new director of the CIA could be complicated.
Hayden was head of the NSA between 1999 and 2005 and USA Today said he would have overseen the call-tracking programme.
Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said he was shocked by the revelations, declaring that "it is our government, it's not one party's government. It's America's government. Those entrusted with great power have a duty to answer to Americans what they are doing."
"We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans"
The White House played down the controversy, saying the nomination of Hayden was going "full steam ahead."
Hayden proceeded with meetings with individual senators who will be considering his nomination.
The NSA and phone companies declined to comment at length on the report.
Don Weber, the NSA spokesman, said it would be "irresponsible to comment on actual or alleged operational issues," but added: "It is important to note that NSA takes its legal responsibilities seriously and operates within the law."
Jeff Battcher, BellSouth spokesman, said: "To the best of our knowledge, the NSA has not requested any confidential customer information from BellSouth in the last several years."


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Privacy is maintained via data minimization (keeping only the data required, and retaining only as long as required, to fulfill processing tasks) and access restriction (only allowing data access as required to facilitate processing).
3. Request that their personal data be completely erased with verification that the erasure has taken place.


Home Buying - Cash or Credit?
I've been saving up for a house for a while. I heard it's better to wait to actually be able to afford things than go into debt.
How's it going guys?! As you've noticed by the title we'll be discussing home buying today! One of my favorite topics and one many people have questioned for years. I'll toss some numbers at you today and you can continue deciding your plan from there. The biggest point of controversy is whether to save save save save save and buy your house outright OR take on a sizable amount of debt to get into your dream house early. Right now we'll be discussing the facts, and my personal opinion on the situation.
No debt hanging over your head to stress you out.
If repairs come up you'll be more financially flexible enough to tackle it.
If you decide home buying isn't for you a couple thousand dollar hit on the resale won't sink you.
Could require much more upfront costs than expected as houses are known to generally appreciate in value over the years.
No guarantee you'll save money going interest fee (I'll explain).
If you're going to save up 100K, there are much better things you could do with it.
If I'm going to be paying a monthly payment for something I would at least like a portion of that go to an end state of owning that item instead of some business mans pockets.
Leveraging large amounts of other peoples money effectively boosts your financing report.
Time to get down to the facts. These numbers are very generic as interest rates and home prices change all the time.
This is a tough argument to have because I don't really know anybody saving the kind of money it would take to actually be able to grab a house in cash. There are always things that come up that the money could better be used for at the time. This is immediately a huge flaw with this option, but for arguments sake, lets say you can save perfectly for 10-20 years and make this happen. During this time you'll be renting or living with parents(weird) and that living costs money. As you can see above we parked this number at $500/m. I know, that number is extremely reasonable and it supports your argument. So that takes 500 out of our monthly budget leaving us with $1000 to save for a house each month. $100,000 / $1000 = 100 / 12 = 8.3 means you'll have enough money to purchase your house after 9 years. 9 years living in your "cozy" 2 bed / 1 bath apartment. At an assumed 3% appreciation per year for that dream home you'll be looking at $100,000 * 3% = $3,000 x = $27,000 with a variable rate that brings us to around $22,000 / $1000 which means you'll need an extra 2 years to buy this home you've been eyeing. 11 years later you have your dream home! $22,000 over budget with $500 * 12 = $6,000 * 11 = $66,000 in "Interest" / Lost Money paid in rent that could have gone to your home bringing you to a grand total of $188,000 for your $100,000 you saved so religiously for.
Back to traditions. With todays interest rates you're looking at about 4.5% on your first home coupled with a 4% down payment. You're buying your home today meaning you have to fork up $4,000. You spend a couple months at home saving your full $1500 bringing you into your budget after 3 months of saving(woohoo). 3 months worth of saving to buy a home. $100,000 - $4,000 = 96,000 financed over 15 years. Reinventing the wheel ending somewhere in B.C.'s so listed to the left of this post is an image of an online mortgage calculator including Private Mortgage Insurance and home owners insurance along with interest paid. You automatically come out saving a little over $200 a month if you take the full 15 years to pay down the loan. If you'd like to pay that down earlier you easily have room for that option as well. With the current plan, you'll pay $161,000 total and you'll be occupying your beautiful hand picked residents the entire time. Even with interest and home insurance you still come out paying less than the amount you would have paid for rent plus savings.


text:
Acts of Parliament >
1931 Finance Act
Finance Act 1931 (Part 3) - Land Value Tax
This is a summary of the section of the 1931 Finance Act that deals with Taxation of Land Values.
Note that information in square brackets [ ] has been added for clarification.
Land Value Tax
7. Charge of Land Value tax
A annual charge of 1d per £1 [0.42%] of the land value [capital value] of every land unit. [from section 15 below it is implied that this is approx 8% of annual rent]
8. Ascertainment of Values
(1) The land value determined by the Commissioners of the Inland Revenue is the open market value of the land unit without any buildings or other additions.
(2) For agricultural land a cultivation value is also ascertained.
(3) Each unit of land is valued separately.
(4) The surroundings are taken exactly as they are.
(5) The owner can supply his own estimate.
(6) If there is a change of use for exempt land [see section 19 below] it will be valued as soon as it becomes taxable.
9. Recording and registration of values
(1) The Commissioners will keep a record of every land unit with a description, land value and cultivation value (for agricultural land).
(2) Copies of the register will be kept by each Local Authority.
(3) Owners will be notified of the entries.
(4) Valuations at times other than the valuation date will be added to the register and the owner notified.
10. Division of units and apportionment of values
(1) If the Commissioners discover that units of land have been divided then revisions will be made in the register.
(2) The owners will be notified.
11. Objections to and appeals from valuations.
(1) If an owner objects to the valuation he can give his own estimate. The Commission can either accept this and amend the register or refuse.
(2) The owner can appeal against the refusal to a panel of referees.
(3) Only the land owner or his representatives and the Commissioners may attend the appeal.
(4) A Reference Committee shall make the rules pertaining to the operation of the appeals.
(5) The Referees can direct the Commissioners to alter the entries in the register.
(6) The Referees can order the costs of the appeal to be paid.
12. Amendment and keeping of registers
(1) Following objections and appeals the Commissioners can amend the registers.
(2) Following any amendments owners of the land will be notified.
(3) Local authorities who hold registers will update them and allow access to them free of charge.
13. Values in force for assessment of tax.
(1) For land values and cultivation values the values taken are those in force on January 1st of the financial year in question.
(2) Any amendments made to the register will be backdated to the previous 1st January.
14. Assessment and Recovery of tax
(1) For any financial year the tax falls on the owner on January 1st.
(a) Where there is a building on the land with a number of owners the tax will be apportioned between them.
(b) Where the site is mortgaged and the lender is in possession of all or part of the site the tax will fall proportionately on them.
(2) The value of any land unit is reduced by the amount of the cultivation value.
(3) If the owner dies the tax falls on his personal representatives.
(4) If the tax is assessed before the 1st June it is payable on 1st July and if assessed after 1st June it is payable one month after the assessment.
(5) An assessment may be made up to six years after the date of charge.
(6) Any person aggrieved by an assessment can appeal with 42 days to the county court for values less than £100 or to the High Court.
(7) The amount of tax payable shall be recoverable as a debt to His majesty and as a charge against the land in respect to which it is charged.
(8) The Commissioners shall make any repayments and assessments as are necessary under the above arrangements.
15. Recoupment of tax to leaseholders by lessors
(1) Where land is leased at a rent, on paying the tax for a year the leaseholder can recover from the lessor (reversioner) either the tax or one twelfth of the year's rent, whichever is less, by a deduction in the rent paid.
(2) If the lessor was themselves a leaseholder then the same applies to them.
(3) The above apply notwithstanding any previous agreement made before the passing of the Act.
(4) The "reversioner" means the owner or mortgagee.
(5) References in the register or appeals etc. to the owner refer to the reversioner.
16. Tax paid by mortgagee charged on mortgaged estate
(1) For a mortgaged estate the tax shall be a charge on the estate in addition to the mortgage money with priority over other charges and with interest charged at 5%.
17. Ultimate incidence of tax assessed on persons not having whole beneficial interest
(1) Where the person on whom the tax ultimately falls does not have a beneficial interest for the whole year in question the way the tax falls follows the way rent would be due. "Relevant estate" is defined as the land being taxed either directly, indirectly through a tenant or through a mortgagee.
(2) If the tax is only chargeable for part of a year then that should be taken into account.
(3) [from point 14 above, the tax falls on the owner on Jan 1st.] When the person is not the owner for the whole year then he recovers what he has paid from the new owner.
18. Procedure as to assessment and collection.
(1) The Commissioners may make regulations with respect to the assessment and collection of the tax including adapting existing legislation that applies to income tax.
(2) Aspects of earlier Finance Acts relating to income tax can be adapted in relation to the recovery of unpaid tax. Unpaid amounts of less than £50 can be recovered as civil debts.
19. Exemptions
(1) Land not subject to a lease of greater than 50 years shall not be taxed for the following reasons: If it is
(a) Land owned by the Government or public bodies and used for public purposes
(b) Land owned by local authorities
(c) Land owned by the National Trust
(d) Land used for public infrastructure - railways canals, docks, etc.
(e) Land used for public worship
(f) Land used for hospitals run by charities or for care of the elderly or invalids
(g) Land for churchyards and for burial
(h) disused burial grounds on which no building has been erected
(2) If the land is exempt for these reasons for only part of a year the tax will be charged for the portion it was not exempt.
(3) Where land has no value at the time it is valued no tax will be charged for that year.
20. Relief from tax in certain cases
(1) Land subject to a lease of greater than 50 years which is exempt for one of the above reasons then it will be relieved from paying.
(2) A lessee leasing land from an owner which is exempt for the above reasons does not have to pay.
(3) If the total amount payable is less than 10 shillings then nothing need be paid for that year.
(4)The commissioners may give relief by repayment or discharge of part or whole of the assessment.
21. Tax not to be included amongst impositions payable by lesees.
(1) If it was part of a lease agreement that all tax would be borne by the lesee it will not apply in the case of this tax.
22. Power of commissioners to obtain information.
23. Production to Commissioners of instruments transferring land
24. Service of documents
26. Definition of owner
27. Definitions
28. Application to Crown Lands
29. Provision as to Expenses
30. Application to Scotland
First Schedule: Incumbrances from which land is not deemed to be free for the purpose of valuation.
Second Schedule: Requirements in connection with production of instruments of transfer
Third Schedule: Enactments Appealed
Source Material - The Original Parliamentary Documentation
1931 Finance Act - Part III (Land Value Tax): Section 1 Section 2 Section 3.
"The Land Value Tax. A Guide to Part III of the Finance Act 1931"
by W. E. Wilkinson (solicitor of the Supreme Court)
Solicitors Law Stationary Society Limited, 1931


text:
Nate Washburn
Frank Kaminsky, why the hell not
The Sacramento Kings continue their bargain bin shopping spree this week by adding another NBA veteran as center Frank Kaminsky has reportedly signed a one-year nonguaranteed deal at the veteran minimum to join the team and battle with the recently inked Hassan Whiteside for minutes in the middle.
Drafted in 2015 out of Wisconsin by the Charlotte Hornets with the ninth overall pick, Kaminsky was never able to establish himself in the league. Over five seasons he has career averages of 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 points. He was projected to be an outside threat at both the 4 and 5 positions but has only hit 34.7 percent of his three-pointers and basically flamed out of the NBA by the end of the 2019-20 season as a forgotten member of the Phoenix Suns.
General manager Monte McNair is apparently hoping the 7-*footer can be re-invented in Sacramento. The team needs more outside shooting from their bigs as Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes, Jabari Parker, and Whiteside all struggle outside the paint. If Frank can find his outside shot, it would open the middle up for the bigs to work down low and allow De'Aaron Fox to drive in for easy buckets.
Clearly this team is focusing on the core and evaluating the youth, while filling the edges with cheap vets on 1-year deals to pass the time.
Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
Frank Kaminsky
Marvin Bagley
Richaun Holmes
Monte McNair
Ramsey out 2-3 weeks with groin strain
Wrist injury to sideline Haliburton for multiple games
Sprained ankle will keep Jeffries out another six weeks


Daniel Ricciardo upstaged his Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen with a dazzling record lap in the final seconds of Saturday's thrilling qualifying shootout for the Mexican Grand Prix, as the title-chasing Lewis Hamilton took third.
After seeing his young Dutch teammate dominate every practice session, the Renault-bound Australian produced a stunning riposte as he took pole and Red Bull swept the front row of the grid.
It was their first lockout since the United States Grand Prix in 2013 and on a day that record-breaking speed gave them the initiative for a race won by Verstappen last year.
World championship leader Hamilton, seeking to clinch his fifth drivers' title, was third for Mercedes ahead of his only rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, with Valtteri Bottas fifth in the second Mercedes and Kimi Raikkonen sixth.
German Nico Hulkenberg was seventh ahead of his Renault team mate Carlos Sainz and the two Saubers of Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson.
Verstappen had been hoping to become the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history and was clearly disappointed at being outpaced by Ricciardo.
"Thanks, legends," shouted a wildly happy Ricciardo over team radio before adding later: "I knew it was in there somewhere -- I just knew the pace was in the car... Shout out to the team to get a one-two."
Verstappen could not hide his feelings as he made a gentle collision with a number board as he parked his car. "The whole qualifying was crap," he said.
Hamilton, who only needs to finish seventh to secure the championship, was satisfied with third.
"I am really happy with it," he said. "We had a difficult day yesterday and it was a big improvement."


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text:
Colton Dunn (Normal, 30 de junho de 1977) é um comediante, ator, roteirista e produtor de televisão norte-americano. Um de seus trabalhos mais conhecidos é o papel de Garrett na telessérie Superstore, da NBC. Ele também escreveu, produziu e ocasionalmente atuou em Key & Peele, série de esquetes do Comedy Central, ao longo de cinco temporadas.

Vida e carreira
Nascido em 1977 em Normal, Illinois, Dunn mudou-se ainda criança para St. Paul, Minnesota, com sua mãe. Enquanto estudava na St. Paul Central High Scholl, ele se envolveu com teatro e se juntou a um grupo de comédia de improvisação. Em 1988, Dunn mudou-se para Nova Iorque, onde trabalhou no programa Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Mudou-se para Los Angeles em 2004 e tem atuado e lecionado no Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre desde 1999.

Dunn trabalhou como roteirista e ator no humorístico MADtv entre 2005 e 2009, fez parte do grupo de comédia Boom Chicago em Amsterdã e, posteriormente, envolveu-se com a produção de Key & Peele, série de comédia produzida e estrelada por Jordan Peele. Ele também apareceu em The League, Parks and Recreation, Happy Endings Drunk History, um pequeno papel na esquete "If Google Was a Guy" do CollegeHumor e, a partir de 2015, passou a integrar o elenco principal da série Superstore, da NBC. Foi apresentador do talk-show humorístico Rooster Teeth Entertainment System e estrelou a comédia de ação e ficção científica Lazer Team (2016), duas produções da Rooster Teeth. Entre os outros filmes nos quais atuou, estão o terror independente Hatchet II (2010) e a comédia dramática Dude (2018).

Reconhecimento
O trabalho de Dunn como roteirista em Key & Peele rendeu-lhe três indicações consecutivas ao Prêmio Emmy do Primetime de Melhor Roteiro para uma série de variedades (2014, 2015 e 2016), bem como duas nomeações ao Writers Guild of America Award (2013 e 2016) e uma ao NAACP Image Awards (2016).

Ligações externas

Atores de cinema dos Estados Unidos
Atores de televisão dos Estados Unidos
Atores de teatro dos Estados Unidos
Naturais de Illinois
Roteiristas de televisão dos Estados Unidos
Roteiristas de comédia dos Estados Unidos
Produtores de televisão dos Estados Unidos


Kathy Wrensch, Carl Junction, gives a donation for a Buddy Poppy to Volney Bill Phillips, left, and John Tipton, both from Joplin VFW Post 5293, at the 7th Street Walmart on Friday. Donations for the poppies go to help veterans in need. VFW members will be handing out poppies today at the 15th and 7th street Walmarts.


text:
Spencer Named Foundation Trustee
The Sudbury Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Bill Spencer to its board of trustees. Mr. Spencer is a long-time Sudbury resident with a variety of personal and professional attributes that will enhance the work of the Foundation.
Mr. Spencer grew up in Sudbury and is a graduate of Colby College. He has completed advanced courses of study at Boston University in financial planning, risk management, investments, taxation, and estate planning. Mr. Spencer holds the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation and is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®).
An active community member and businessman, Mr. Spencer is the owner of Spencer Financial, LLC, a financial planning firm in Sudbury known for its generous support of local nonprofits and community groups.
Mr. Spencer lives in Sudbury with his wife Jennifer, and two children, Kendra and Will. He enjoys coaching soccer and lacrosse and has run in the Boston Marathon, raising funds for Children's Hospital Boston's Miles for Miracles program. He has also been involved with the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation where he serves on the finance committee.
Board Chair Jill Stansky welcomed Mr. Spencer to the board, noting that the Foundation's nominating committee recommended him from among a strong group of candidates. "In Bill, we've found an individual with a solid financial background and sense of community who we believe will embrace the Foundation's work with care and integrity."


There are still plenty of work to be done, Currently all links are simply for versions available in Nokia store, however, the plan is to publish source codes at Github, and provide signed versions here for downloads, though this migth take some time to accomplish.
Y-Tasks is a collection of development helper tools for Symbian S60 3rd edition smartphones. As the version number shows all application parts are beta versions. All application parts are tested with Nokia S60 smartphones only, but essentially they should work with any other 3rd & 5th edition S60 mobile devices, with and without touch screen.
Your Alarms is a free multialarm applications designed for OS 9.1 S60 Symbian smartphones. OS 9.1 Symbian mobile phones usually do not have the multialarm applications implemented with native software.Y-Alarms should also work with other 3rd edition S60 smart phones as well, and has been tested with Nokia devices with OS 9.2.
This version is definetely a beta, I have tested that it works, but just with few devices, anyway, this application is also self-signed, which means that it can not have WriteDeviceData capability, and because it is missing it, you can not modify alarms made by any other application, thus you should first use the normal clock application to delete all alarms, and then use this applications to re-set them.
Fake Calls is an application which with you can fake incoming phone calls, no actual call is made thus the calls are free of charge. All parts of the application are using device themes, thus the Fake Calls Display also shows the native looking UI that uses the currently selected theme. Also ringtones used with the Fake calls display are fetched from the device settings. If the contact selected for the Fake Call is having own ringtone, it will be used just as with native incoming call, and if it does not then the current profiles ringtone is used. Also if the selected contact has an image or thumbnail picture, they will be shown in the Fake call Display.
Note that if you don't want to receive any actual calls while using the Fake calls, you can turn your device Offline, and if you do so, please add the Operator name & Fallback ringtone from the Settings, otherwise you will not have the operator name shown, as well as the ringtone will not be played.
Fake Messages is a fake message sending application that allows timed "sending" of fake SMS messages. SMS messages are handled inside the device, so no network connection is needed, thus sending fake SMS messages are completely free of charge..
Designed for S60 OS 9.1 Symbian smartphones, and tested only with Nokia S60 devices. This version should work with All S60 3rd & 5th edition devices, including Nokia 5800 and N97.
The basic functionality of this simple application is to show your vehicle angles while off-roading using the Device accelerometer. Just Fix your mobile phone in a secure cradle and then launch the app!. To keep the backlight on, select "Light on" from options menu, as well as there is a reset option, which with you can reset the angle values to zero level.
Key Lock Clock is a Clock application that is shown while the device's key lock is on. The idea was inspired by the feature found from E71 & E66. Very simple to use, just click the application icon, set the "Clock screen" on, exit the application and lock the key lock normally. Note that the Clock screen runs in a separate background process, thus any changes made to the settings are effective only after you exit the UI application. This version was designed 5th edition touch devices such as 5800 & N97 in mind, but should work just as well with all Symbian S60 3rd edition non-touch devices.
Profile Scheduler is Designed for S60 OS 9.1 Symbian smart phones, and tested only with Nokia S60 devices. This version should work with All S60 3rd & 5th edition devices, including Nokia 5800 and N97. With Profile scheduler you can automate your profile changing with timer, so you can enjoy your good night sleep being off-line without disturbing phone calls, and be back on-line automatically even before you actually wake up.
Also if you wan to get your theme changed same time with the profile, then do download the Theme Scheduler available as well. Note that when you are flying, they do say that you need to shut down your phone, Profile scheduler does not work when the device is off, but if you just turn your device off-line, the scheduler might turn the profile on again, thus if you don't want to turn your device on while flying, do remember to turn the profile scheduling off.
FlashSMS Scheduler is a simple but effective SMS scheduling application, which with you can schedule outgoing SMS messages with timer, either to be sent once, or with different repeat options. The options also include sending normal SMS messages as well as Class 0 Flash SMS messages, that are shown to teh receiver immidiately, and only stored into the inbox if the receiver clicks the save button.
Theme Scheduler is a theme scheduler application that allows automated theme scheduling with timer. It also has option on scheduling themes with profile changes, and if you wan your profiles to be automatically scheduled as well.
With this application you can easily have your business theme on while at the office and automatically get it to more relaxed one when your work day ends, or simply use the random themes to get your phone appearance to surprise you. This application is designed for S60 OS 9.1 Symbian smart phones, and tested only with Nokia S60 devices. It should work with All S60 3rd & 5th edition devices, including Nokia 5800 and N97.


text:
YOUNG AUSTRALIANS in
An old-new frontier of great power contest
Tom Grein | Middle East and North Africa Fellow
Image Credit: Glenn Fawcett (CC)
If you visit the Israel-Syria border today you may stumble across a Brutalist style building or two. These ghostly bullet-riddled concrete slabs are relics of a bygone era—an era when Moscow and Washington vied for ascendency in the Middle East. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the United States was left as the sole great power in the region. But a quiet geopolitical shift has occurred of late, as a different force from the East now challenges American authority.
In 2015 China became the world's largest importer of crude oil, with approximately half of its supply emanating from the Middle East. The Belt and Road Initiative, declared to be "the most significant and far-reaching initiative that China has ever put forward", places Beijing at the heart of Eurasia, connecting markets from the East China Sea to the Mediterranean. Upon its completion, China will have economic ties to countries that comprise over approximately half the world's population and one-quarter of global GDP.
Beijing's ambitions in the Middle East and North Africa are outlined in two key government documents—the Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt (2015) and the Arab Policy Paper (2016)—with investment, infrastructure and energy paramount. China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships with the region's main players including Egypt, Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, while the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council have shifted their foreign policies in recent decades to meet emerging markets to the east.
Strategically speaking, Chinese presence in the region offers a land-bridge to its Maritime Silk Road which runs up the east African coast into Europe. Influence around the Straits of Hormuz and Suez Canal—two of the world's major economic waterways—is critical, as it augments China's pull and diminishes Western dominance.
The nature and extent of China's intentions in the region are still relatively unclear, but like other domains, Beijing's movements are largely dependent on, and often shaped by, American activity.
The Obama Administration's tilt toward Tehran gave Saudi Arabia—and by extension the Arab world—reason to doubt the U.S.-Saudi partnership. This prompted Arab states to diversify their extra-regional relationships, allowing China to slip its way into the picture. Moreover, isolationist rhetoric is the flavour of the month in American foreign policy debate on both sides of the political aisle, and has destabilised confidence in historic regional partnerships.
The moral efficacy of Western alliances with Middle Eastern states has become a talking point of late, too. Senior members of American and British parliaments have labelled their governments complicit in the deaths of Yemeni civilians due to their sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders declared his intention to halt weapons sales if elected in 2020, while UK Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn stated likewise in 2019. A British court even ruled UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful.
At the root of this lies the question of whether Western states should cooperate with governments they may consider morally repugnant. There are strong arguments against maintaining Saudi Arabia as a close ally—not least of which include opposition to the Kingdom's bloody war in Yemen, the assassination of a journalist on foreign soil and internal persecution of political dissidents. But China's regional ambitions may give cause to curb moral indignation.
The problem is, an economic and political vacuum created by a Western withdrawal from the Middle East is likely to be filled by China. Deeper entry into the region would generate competition between Washington and Beijing and, like Iran's galvanisation and subsequent surreptitious activity, potentially pave the way for further proxy conflict in an already fractured region.
The Trump Administration has, intentionally or not, taken significant steps to minimise this outcome. Trump's first international trip as President was to Saudi Arabia, where he signed a ten-year $350 billion arms deal, while in 2019 he vetoed several bills attempting to block weapons sales. He has consolidated ties with Cairo, and united Arabs and Israelis against Iran. His goal has been clear from the outset—revitalise Arab confidence in America.
But will this be enough to effectively check China's advance in the region? It's unlikely.
With this emergent Sino-American frontier in mind, Western policy-makers must weigh the lasting strategic and economic effects of divesting from the region against fleeting populist-isolationist appeals and moral objections in the here and now. The fact is autocratic regimes play by different rules—they are largely free of moral condemnation from their constituents and outside observers—which gives them an advantage in maintaining regional partnerships.
While moral objections are profound, China's rapid inroads and long-term ambitions impel policy-makers to place Beijing front-and-centre when debating retraction from the Middle East. To do otherwise is to not only undercut Western interests, but also invite an incessant regime into a region that could do without another incessant regime.
Tom Grein is the Middle East and North Africa Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs.
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Cappello, Mary, James Morrison and Jane Walton. "Buffalo Trace: A Threefold Vibration", Spuyten Duyvil, 2018.
three wonderful share how the became who they are (Nietzsche—a person "becomes who one is."). I have, like the three writers here, always felt that "love, self-becoming, and thinking cannot be separated." Now I could give you a summary of what each of our trio of writers have to say about this but then you would not have to read the book and I think that is such a beautiful book that it cries out to read and handled with care. While this is a book about our three writers, it is also a book about education. It is also a look at a generation; a generation that came of age, came out and discovered themselves in the process. They share with us the mysteries of their lives which also just happen to be the mysteries of our lives and as we share their consciousness, they become part of ours (and we have never met).
Is there a correlation between intellectual and sexual awakenings? Is there an answer to that question? We forget sometimes that we must embrace ourselves with all of our contradictions and limitations. If love is the highest goal in love, are we aware of how to really reach it? I was so reminded of learning how to deconstruct a piece of literature in order to get to its inner meaning and in this love story between three friends, we see their own personal smart, honest, and beautifully written, deconstructions as was favored by themselves and each other. This was how we once lived— amid the craziness and the belief that we could change the world. The book is subtitled "A Threefold Vibration" and I understood this to mean that we would vibrate as we read.
As a former student of the liberal arts and philosophy, these are the kinds of books I love to read. I also love to agree and disagree with some of what I read. I did that here throughout. As I read James Morrison's contribution, I so identified especially the desire to write about almost everything. There is one statement that I have always agreed with my father about and that is when there is nothing left to learn, it is time to close the coffin. Not only do we see that practically in James Morrison's piece but also in the writings of Mary Cappello and Jean Walton. I could go on and on but I must lave some of the brilliant surprises to be found here. It is a bit early to think about "My Bests" lists but I have a feeling that this will be among the top ten. I close the book feeling invigorated and hopeful and ever so lucky that I got to read "Buffalo Trace".