Since the 1940s, clashes between the secular Ba'ath Party of Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood were common. The city of Hama became known as a Brotherhood stronghold and the centre of anti-regime uprisings.
Between 1979 and 1981, rebels associated with the Muslim Brotherhood orchestrated attacks against the regime; hundreds of people were killed. In turn, operations by the army killed thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members and their sympathisers.
Measures to quell any uprisings, such as increasing the salaries of civil servants and other attempts to root out corruption, did little to deter the people of Syria. President Hafiz Al-Assad (the current President's father) soon became the face of repression in doing what he could to crush the insurgency. Military units armed with heavy weapons were deployed to cities to hunt for militants and to send a clear message to the population that their loyalty would mean that they would be left alone to get on with their lives.
On 26 June 1980, an assassination attempt on Assad's life during an official state reception for the President of Mali would prove to have serious consequences. In revenge, Assad executed hundreds of opposition prisoners being held in Tadmor Prison.
Pockets of uprisings would continue with attacks against the regime, which looked for ways to quell dissent once and for all. In 1982, the opportunity arose. By 2 February, the centre of the country's revolution, Hama, was surrounded by over 12,000 government forces lead by Assad's brother, Rifaat. Laying siege to the city, government forces called for the inhabitants to surrender and warned that they would be treated as insurgents if they ignored the call.
Army units rolled into the city in search of insurgents and anti-government sympathisers; tens of thousands of innocent Syrians were killed. The first week of the regime operation in the city was intended to regain control and then purge the city of anti-government rebels.
For three weeks, though, the infrastructure in Hama was bombed to allow infantry and tanks to enter relatively easily, destroying most of the old city. Boots on the ground allowed for soldiers to identify members of the Muslim Brotherhood and their families. Torture and mass executions of suspected sympathisers resulted in the deaths of thousands within a very short period.
Rifaat Al-Assad made sure to boast about the number of casualties, to show Syrians how dissent would be dealt with. He was proud to point out that 38,000 people had been killed during the operation.
As a result of the three-week-long siege and killing spree, the regime was successful in quelling the uprising and ensuring that any opposition in the country was annihilated. The cost of that repression was an estimated twenty to forty thousand Syrians murdered in Hama.
Rebels in Hama were broken by the massacre and the fact that sympathisers in the rest of the country had failed to use the opportunity to rise alongside them against the regime. Most fled the country soon after or exiled themselves to Jordan, Iraq, the US and Britain.
Talk of the massacre was repressed in Syria by the Assad regime, which referred to what happened as "events" or the "incident" at Hama. Since 1982, Syria has experienced another Hama and a lot worse. In March 2011, as the Arab world became enthralled by the Arab Spring, Syrians joined the uprising by taking to the streets peacefully to call for political changes after a group of boys were tortured to death for writing anti-government graffiti.
Following in his father's footsteps, Bashar Al-Assad made sure to repress the first protesters in Deraa violently in the hopes of preventing the demonstrations from spreading, but he failed. Cities like Homs and Hama soon became the heart of the protest movement, and as more people rallied peacefully for Bashar to step down across the country, so too did the government's violent crackdown increase in intensity. In the seven years since the uprising started in 2011, the Assad regime has been guilty of using barrel bombs and chemical gas attacks against civilians as well as mass torture and the execution of thousands. To date, in fact, around 500,000 Syrians have been killed.


The bi-annual New York Fashion Week, held at Lincoln Center since 2010, is been forced to find a new location after a settlement was reached between the city and park advocates who had filed a lawsuit demanding the event leave its Upper West Side venue due to its encroachment on a small adjacent park, with trees damaged during the course of the events setup. Ian Fried the spokesmen for New York City's Economic Development Corporation said that the city was actively engaged with event sponsor IMG to determine the new location and acknowledged the powerful economic impact the event generates every year for the city.
London based designer Marios Schwab has announced he will not be doing a catwalk show in London next year, instead pursuing the labels boutique roots through a series of intimate personal showings for the autumn/winter 2015 collection. Speaking about the decision, Marios Schwab revealed his desire to create more artisanal personal environments for his collections and that this method of showing would lead to a more personal dialogue between the pieces and the viewers.
Currently the world's highest paid DJ, Scottish born Calvin Harris is set to be the face of Emporio Armani's spring/summer 2015 campaign, shot by UK based photographer Boo George in Los Angeles. Giorgio Armani, speaking about the campaign, commented on how his is non-model roots led to a sincere and engaging bond with the viewing public.


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Key Insurance Company Selects Accenture to Help Drive Product Development and Expansion
Personal Lines P&C insurer will use Accenture Duck Creek Software to support rating and quoting for underwriters and agents
NEW YORK; Jan. 22, 2013 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) announced that Key Insurance Company has selected Accenture Duck Creek Rating property and casualty (P&C) policy software to support their product development and expansion initiatives. The insurer offers personal automobile coverage in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, Arizona, and Alabama and will use Accenture Duck Creek as its core rating system.
Key Insurance will also use the Accenture Duck Creek Express platform to support web-based quoting for their expanding agency network. Express is Accenture Software's user interface configuration tool that enables companies to easily deploy multiple, tailored user experiences. Rating, product definition, and the user experience are all managed with a common toolset – a single point of change. This capability gives Key Insurance greater product development flexibility and helps accelerate the product implementation process as they move to write in additional states.
"Our focus is on providing the best service to both our customers and agents," said Ed Sitz, IT Manager, Key Insurance. "We had two priorities in our software selection – making product development and maintenance easier and giving agents faster and more direct access to those products. Our extensive vendor evaluation process made it clear that no other product in the market could deliver these benefits as well as Accenture Software."
"We're pleased that our software was selected by Key Insurance to help support their product development and geographic expansion goals," said Michael A. Jackowski, global managing director of Accenture Software for P&C Insurance. "With its high velocity rating and rules engine, Accenture Duck Creek Rating can help insurers move quickly into new markets by providing outstanding support to both internal and external users."
About Key Insurance Company
Key Insurance Company was chartered in June of 2007 as a Kansas domiciled, admitted carrier to insure private passenger automobiles. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Med James, Inc., a Managing General Agency and Wholesaler located in Overland Park, Kansas. Med James, Inc. has been providing dependable products and excellent service to its private passenger automobile policyholders since 1991 while operating as a Managing General Agency writing through fronting carriers. The establishment of Key Insurance Company completes our evolution to a linear organization, which includes a field marketing staff, a dedicated in-house information technologies department and specialized claims services required to operate profitably in this class. Key Insurance Company is licensed in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, Arizona and Alabama, with plans for expansion in the near future. Its home page is www.keyinsco.com.
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with 259,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$27.9 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2012. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
Accenture Software combines deep technology acumen with industry knowledge to develop differentiated software products. It offers innovative software-based solutions to enable organizations to meet their business goals and achieve high performance. Its home page is www.accenture.com/software. For P&C Insurance software, its home page is www.accenture.com/pcsoftware
Francois Luu
francois.luu@accenture.com
Sean Conway
sean.k.conway@accenture.com
Julie Bennink
julie.l.bennink@accenture.com
Client Wins/New Contracts

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I've dragged my M's around for large parts of my professional life, from the M4-P to my new M. I always cherished the little camera, even for its immense size-to-weight ratio. But I like my cutlery to be heavy and the doors of my car to weigh a ton.
I got the M9 when it first came out. And I was really happy. But I remember thinking it was a little unfinished, a little slow and loud. That old M4-P was built for stealth. Only minute details though. I still love my M9, don't get me wrong. The M9 was a beauty, but the new M is a beast. It was heavy, well built, silent and small. With the optics touched by a God.
The M9 has been with me at all times. I mainly use the S2 for studio-work, but sometimes I cannot help myself. I love to break out the little black thing and shoot heavy stuff in the studio. Just because I imagine people seeing the M's as a «shoulder-camera». Actually, in the studio, other DSLR's got nothing on the M. It's like having almost nothing in your hands whilst giving directions to subjects, it does not even cover my whole face, which is perfect when talking to people, and the files smokes!
From portraying Tony Bennett to rattling around the top of an armoured vehicle in Afghanistan, in 55 degrees celsius, it's been around to say the least. These days it looks like a wreckage, and has been serviced several times. «Signs of heavy use» is what the people in Solms always finishes the service-report with.
The new M though, is built for war. Like my friend Paal Audestad's legendary M4, which I contemplated stealing once a late night. I would never dare to use it as a football, like he did at the Roskilde Festival. Also possibly a very late night. I'm pretty sure.
The M9 is a beautiful camera, but the new M is a true warmblooded M. In all senses. It's heavy, dead silent, sturdy and robust. Like a good quality car door. I've compared, and the shutter seems even more silent than my M7. The sound stretches a little more, but has a lower pitch. If you ever played in a band, you'll understand. The design is truly M, even with the new controls. They integrate like nobodys business, and they finally removed the obsolete frame-selector-crank-thing. Now for the nerdy lovers: the old circular bottomplate lock-thing is back. I find that disturbingly important.
It just feels right. And for me, that's where the rubber hits the tarmac. All the new tech-features and all that, I leave to other testers to evaluate. I hardly use the back screen, but I've noticed a significant upgrade there too. I just like to use it as my old M's: shutter, f-stop, focus and the «no-camera» feeling. And I can shoot video with the Noctilux at f/0.95! That's nothing short of unique.
The new M is going full circle, and it will surely become a staple. A classic like M, M4 and M6. And it will never leave my vicinity. The other day it fell off my motorbike in Thailand, and I'm still oblivious to where it hit the ground. It just seems more robust, there's no nicks or dents. Nothing. It just feels right!
I did a quick casting the other day. Just daylight thru a window over two days. No makeup, no retouch. And that takes some balls for both photographer and model these days. These are as pure as they get. I just slightly colour corrected them, as they were shot in two different kinds of lighting conditions.
© Bjørn Opsahl – Leica M, Summicron-M 75mm f/2. Click for larger image.


House Calls Home Inspections - House Calls Home Inspections Binder!
Welcome to House Call Home Inspections, located in El Sobrante and Vallejo, CA.
We have been in licensed business since the year 2000.
Dan Traylor, the inspector, has over 30 years of building experience in residential and commercial building, which brings you an extremely knowledgeable, informative home inspector. He encourages the buyer/seller to attend the inspection to gain the most knowledge about the property; questions are welcomed during and following the inspection.
Cynthia Traylor, is the office administrator with 20 plus years of real estate experience in corporate real estate law, and financial lending institutions. She will answer your phone call to schedule your inspection and to answer any questions you may have about House Calls.
Please continue through these pages for all the information you need to know about our services and products.


Norges Bank Investment Management has updated and supplemented the report on risk-adjusted returns for the Government Pension Fund Global.
The report is a broad analysis of different measurements and focuses particularly on the historical returns and risk. The report was last published in March 2014. There is no single number that can capture all risk, and we thereby present a broad set of measurements in this report. The modest active risk is reflected in the risk-adjusted return numbers, where the figures for Government Pension Fund Global is in line with the benchmark.
The report is updated with a simple linear regression that shows numbers for market beta, which represents the fund's exposure to the broad market, and an estimate for the alpha of the investments, which is interpreted as the portion of the relative return that is not explained by the systematic and random movements in the market. We have also included an estimate for the alpha as part of the multivariate factor regressions. Since alpha and beta are estimated based on historical observations, they have a statistical uncertainty which may be represented by confidence intervals.
The numbers we have presented on risk and return in our annual reports have been relatively static. We supplement our annual report with a broader report on historical risk and return. There might be some key figures or analysis that are not included in the report. This is a dynamic document that can be altered to include new methods or requests for other analysis and numbers.


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var gulp = require('gulp');
var pug = require('gulp-pug');
var inject = require('gulp-inject');

var config = require('./config');

gulp.task('inject', ['inject:dev']);

gulp.task('inject:dev', ['sass:dev'], function () {
    var dest = config.dev.DEST;
    return injectFiles(config.pug.dev, dest);
});

gulp.task('inject:dist', ['sass:dist'], function () {
    var dest = config.dist.DEST;
    return injectFiles(config.pug.dist, dest);
});

function injectFiles(options, dest) {
    return gulp.src(config.SRC + '/index.html')
        .pipe(inject(gulp.src([config.SRC + '/**/*.js', '!' + config.SRC + '/**/systemjs.config.js'], {read: false})))
        .pipe(inject(gulp.src(dest + '/**/*.css', {read: false}), { ignorePath: dest }))
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}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Revealed: The extent of Norfolk's bizarre 'Thetford Oranges' sign battle
PUBLISHED: 10:42 12 July 2019
David Hannant: Local Democracy Reporter
The Thetford Ranges sign, which has been sporadically changed to read Thetford Oranges over the years. Photo: Luke Powell
It is a bizarre war that has raged on for years - on one side a serial prankster and on the other the nation's highway authority.
Another sign for the Thetford Ranges without any graffiti. Photo: Google
Anybody travelling into the county via the A11 will likely have spotted the road sign pointing out the Ministry of Defence's rifle range in Thetford, the 'Thetford Ranges'.
And those who noticed the sign may also have picked up on the fact that, often, mystery pranksters have added the letter 'o' to the sign, leaving it instead reading 'Thetford Oranges'.
Now, a Freedom of Information Request has revealed that in the past two years, Highways England - the authority responsible for maintaining the sign - has been called to change it back on three different occasions. The most recent time was in the past few weeks.
With the authority changing its contractor in 2017, details of the number of occasions was only available from April 1 of that year.
But it appears the saga has rumbled on for years.
Janet Adkins, senior business co-ordinator for Highways England, said: "We hold no records of the period of time that the 'Thetford Ranges' sign has suffered changes.
"However, long-serving colleagues have suggested it has occurred sporadically for several years."
While it is unclear just how long the battle has continued, social media posts relating to it date back as far as October 2015.
Mrs Adkins said generally the changes are not reported to Highways England by members of the public, but that they tend to be picked up on by members of the team during route inspections.
They are then changed back as part of a general maintenance work, which includes general repairs, graffiti removal, road sweeping, grass cutting and pothole repairs.
Mrs Adkins added: "As it is not a safety issue it would just tend to be dealt with routinely, rather than as a major priority - generally it just tends to make people smile and they drive on."


Whether your washing machine is not draining, not filling, or not spinning, if your unit is showing signs of malfunction, you'll want to call in a washer repair professional before the problem gets any worse. At Action Appliance Service, our technicians are here to bring you prompt, precise washing machine repair results no matter what the problem may be. We have more than 30 years of experience, and we'll put that expertise to work to provide you with the careful attention to detail your washer and dryer repair deserves. Give us a call today for expert service!
Over our three decades in the washing machine repairs business, Action Appliance Service has developed the extensive, hands-on knowledge to tackle problems large and small. Our repair specialists are highly experienced, and we're available to provide washer repair for virtually all makes and models. From replacing water pumps to adjusting drive belts and beyond, we can successfully pinpoint and resolve your washing machine's malfunctions.
Don't let your laundry keep piling up because your washer is not draining! Call in Action Appliance Service to get the washing machine repair you need in the Lansing area. We are committed to putting our knowledge to work to bring you effective washer repairs coupled with fantastic, friendly customer service.
Action Appliance Service is a family-owned, local washing machine repairs company, and we are dedicated to serving the Lansing community. We understand how frustrating it can be to have a broken washing machine, and we work hard to ensure you get reliable washer repairs that are completed both quickly and correctly. Let our fully insured technicians tackle your washing machine repair service today and get your laundry routine back on track!


ABCO Automation has built a reputation as a leader in Bag in Box filling for over 25 years. We pride ourselves in designing and building the best equipment available. By blending proven designs with technological innovations, we regularly set the standard for Bag In Box equipment. Our willingness and ability to customize your Bag In Box filling equipment to provide you with a real competitive advantage sets us apart from other suppliers. Our clients include the biggest names in food, beverage, and household products. All of our equipment is designed, built, and fully tested in our 150,000 SF facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Contact us today to discuss your Bag In Box requirements.


This week has been CRAZY! I've been busy every single day, except today (Saturday). Needless to say I'm a wee bit exhausted. And if you haven't heard the news I got a job! Yep, a real, adult, big girl job. Kat, who I had been working for with my summer internship offered me a position as her assistant for the fall time. I am beyond excited to continue to keep working with her and learning more!
So to celebrated my last week of summer by going to dinner at the Melting Pot which if you've never been you are seriously missing out, going to my first ever Royal's game #RoyalsNation, seeing some of my KC blogger friends at The Blog Guild's launch party and catching up with old friends before they head back to college. Even though it was crazy busy it was a lot of fun and I wouldn't have traded it for anything!
Enough of me talking, I know you wanna get to the good stuff so here is my Weekend Reading list!
The best drugstore skincare products. Gotta check some of these out!
The Notebook is becoming a TV show. Not quite sure how I feel about this.
Have Google Analytics but have no clue what it all means? Here's a great article that breaks it all down to English.
Going off to college for the first time? Here are Shannon's must haves.
Loving the boxy chambray, high waisted denim, floppy hat and simple sandals.
This red blazer is too cute! Love how it pops against the neturals!
A twist on the classic fishtail braid. This would be so cute for a girl's night out!
The Beauty Department's top makeup hacks. So trying out some of these.
You guys know how obsessed I am with stripes and this skirt needs to get into my closet.
16 very important relationship and dating lessons TV shows have taught us.
Guys Toy Story 4 is happening and it's, wait for it.....a love story between Woody and Bo Peep!!! Who else is excited?!?!
My 21st birthday is next month which means it's Pinterest time to start stocking the bar cart.
Stripes, a classic blazer and white jeans make the perfect back to school outfit. I would totally wear this on my first day of school.
So excited for the launch of The Blog Guild! Can't wait to see what's to come!
I hope you guys enjoyed this week's list! Lots of great links to check out!
What have you been loving on the Internet lately? Leave me a comment sharing the links!


Here is a sweet little post with some of my favorite design and business "apps". These have each taken on an important role for the marketing and day-to-day management of my business. This isn't fluff. I really use these!
VSCO: Mobile photo editing like a pro. With filters that can be made to look "unfiltered" through smaller adjustments. This is a popular mobile editing app with professional photographers, and I love it for making subtle adjustments to my images. Here is the difference between and original and a VSCO edited photo. VSCO gives you more control over editing than Instagram.
Paper by WeTransfer: Paper is my favorite digital sketching app. I've used it for years in its various generations on iPads and mobile phones. It used to be owned by a company called "53". My current application of Paper is for sketching ideas out on my phone. Even though I don't have much surface area there, I use an inexpensive stylus pen to jot down my ideas quickly as thumbnail sketches. You can also save sketches to your camera roll. I've thought about doing all my drawing digitally, but I still love the feel of watercolor paper under my fingers and the unpredictability of paint drips and splashes. However, — as you can see below (click for enlargements), you can get some pretty organic looking brushstrokes and lines if you want with this app.
FaceTune: I have to admit - when I first heard the suggestion to use this app for photo editing of flatlay arrangements I kind of gagged a little. I'm not into the selfie culture. I have to remind myself with intention to show my face in my marketing once and a while. But what we're doing here is taking advantage of this app for its ability to help with "spot" editing. You know how Facebook, Instagram, and even your phone's editing options apply a change to the whole image you're working on? With Facetune you can lighten areas with the "tooth whitening" feature and sharpen select areas with the "Details" feature. This is a great (quick!) little app for working on flatlay photographs - those trendy images that display a collection of things and always seem to be perfectly lit. I took a little challenge and tried out Facetune for myself. The first image below is the unedited iPhone image. The second image is after Facetune editing and the third is the final Instagram product. The differences are subtle, but important. Do you see the boxes becoming less "yellowed" and some of the flowers, twine, and moss becoming more crisp?
Canva: One stop shop app and web-based platform for designing everything from advertisements to proposals (for smart phones and computers). Can't say it enough. Use Canva. Upgrade to a business account to add your own fonts and build a "brand" library. It can also pull images directly from your Instagram account for use in making advertisements or other Canva design pieces. We use it for all our proposals. I'll be really floored when I can embed a spreadsheet in there for invoicing purposes! For now, we just add click-able links.
Hyperlapse: It's still so easy to make time-lapse videos with this app. Choose a chore that takes a long time and film yourself doing it. We've had some of our best social media engagement with these kinds of videos. People really enjoyed seeing me dig all that snow on January 20th. If only we could do it that fast in person.
Unfold: Use Unfold to make polished Instagram "stories" and sequential story posts. See my Instagram story collection titled "weddings" for an idea.
MileLogger: Keep track of all your tax-deductible business milage. This GPS-enabled smartphone app tracks your car trips and logs them so that you can save time reporting travel for business. Love it. If you have Quickbooks Mobile you already have this feature!
What are your favorite apps for business? Please share the ones you find most helpful or interesting for creative work in the comments below.


All about the moving Industry Part 2.
A lot of moving companies have fake web-sites, not showing real people doing the real job of moving. You can visit www.aaffordablemovers.com web site and go to photo gallery tab and see how real movers load and unload trucks.
If a company doesn't have a web – site something is usually wrong with that company.
If the company is to cheap with there pricing structure, not competitive with the rest of the companies, that indicates a red light (which means they don't know what they are doing).
and will not show-up for the job.
A lot of those online companies are just moving scheme/scammers. Aafforable-movers know that for a fact.
How to load a truck, to utilize all the space.
Make sure that the movers knows how to cube the space", without making 3 or 4 trips.
If you can see the front of the truck in the first load, they are not loading the truck right.
Mover must present pads, dolly's, shrink-wrap and straps.
A good mover will pad your furniture during loading.
You must be honest with your movers, by telling them everything that has to be move, upon arrival of the movers.
You can call the moving company for a free estimate and they tell you everything that's needed.
Most important, if you have a specific budget, you must inform the movers.
Most companies pay for their clients move.
It will be wise to inform the movers of how much allowance the company is paying for the move.
with there paperwork prior to hiring them.
A lot of movers off "Craig-List" have been in prison for theft/and or/sexual crimes.
They will ask the client to rent the truck, there for they have no responsibility or liability to the client. Unless they fall or hurt their self, then you become liable for injuries.
Ask them to bring out a legit contract and read it over to cover yourself and your items.
Make sure the movers ask you to check the truck upon completion of the job.
All good movers should have floor runners to keep the carpet clean.
Some companies bid so low for the moving job they don't show up for the move itself.
Again, ask for a free estimate for the move. Most movers don't have experience in properly moving furniture.
If you want your move handle right with no rushing and damages leave it to the professionals at: www.aaffordablemovers.com or call Aaffordable-movers at: 517-819-0184 or 517-819-6633 24/7 Local or Statewide.
A lot of people get into the moving business, thinking that it is quick easy money, have not experience, cannot load a truck professional way. Some movers even show up with pick up trucks and trailers. Most customers call a company trying to acquire the cheapest rate possible. They then come to find out that cheaper is not always better. You get what you pay for. When customers call a mover on the phone for an estimate, 9 times out of 10 they try to get the cheapest price. Then find out when the mover show up they are inexperienced in loading their furniture. Having to make 2 or 3 trips or more to complete the job. Taking smoking breaks on customers time. Some of them even smile like alcohol. The client should ask the company to come and give them a free estimate and do the company have a website showing their work. Also reviews. The clients should ask the company do they have the proper moving materials to protect their furniture. Also are they experience in moving Pianos and gun safes, etc.
do a walk through of the house to make sure that the company knows whats to be moved and whats not to be move...unless its the whole house.
the agreements between the company and the client.
that if any damages might occur the company agrees to cover those damages.
the clients must let the movers know how many hours they want to put into the move.
99% of Professional moving companies charge extra for packing, unpacking, safes,and appliances.
Some big name movers don't even move appliances.
For more info on "All about the moving Industry check back with our part 2 of this blog listing.
I have been in the moving business since 1980, moving local and statewide. We here at Aaffordable movers pride ourselves in getting the job done right at an affordable price. If you have to choose, choose Aaffordable.


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Home Destinations Asia Thailand Celebrates Special Month for Womens Journey
Thailand Celebrates Special Month for Womens Journey
Bangkok (Thailand) – August 2, 2016 (travelindex.com) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) today officially launched the highly-anticipated Women's Journey Thailand campaign in a grand welcome reception, graciously presided over by H.E. General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, and H.E. Mrs. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports. The event was presented by Mr. Kalin Sarasin, Chairman of the Board of TAT, together with TAT Executives and representatives from leading players in Thailand's tourism industry.
TAT also invited more than 150 famous celebrities, bloggers and photographers from around the world to come to Thailand to enjoy and share their experiences during the one-month campaign, from 1 to 31 August. Making special appearances at today's welcome reception were Sheikha Hend Fausal Al Qassemi, Princess of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Ms. Wanda Corazon Teo, Tourism Secretary, Department of Tourism, The Philippines; Ms. Madeline Gay Cowe, Miss World Australia 2016, along with the four runner-ups; Ms. Xu Yun Fang, Miss Universe China 2015; Ms. Michelle Yim (嚴惠玲), Hong Kong SAR movie stars; Ms. Chalita Suansane, Miss Universe Thailand 2016, as well as Rawan Bin-hussain and Amy Kitchingman, both from Dubai.
H.E. General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand said, "We have chosen to dedicate August 2016 as the month for the Women's Journey Thailand campaign as a way of commemorating Her Majesty Queen Sirikit's 84th birthday on 12 August. This very special initiative is also to mark the royal benevolence of H. M. the Queen of Thailand, especially in her promotion of the well-being for the Thai people and the foundation of arts and crafts."
Among the activities and events to mark the royal benevolence of H.M. the Queen of Thailand is the 84 Perspectives of Thailand familiarisation trip, from 1-5 August. A total of 84 journalists, bloggers and social media influencers are invited to visit Thailand, to experience firsthand the many royal projects that have been initiated up and down the country, as well as enjoying local Thai experiences. The five-day journey highlights a number of royal initiative projects that were established to boost local economies, help promote water conservation, self-sufficiency and the preservation of Thailand's natural heritages, in the Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern Regions.
Meanwhile, The Passage of Thai Fabric a Tribute to Her Majesty the Queen event is being organised to strengthen the recognition of Thai fabric and to honour Her Majesty's continuous contributions to the conservation, development, and promotion of a wide variety of Thai fabric to international awareness. The event will take place in Bangkok from 20-21 August at Siam Paragon and from 23-28 August at the Plearnary Mall. Highlights will include fashion shows of top-quality Thai fabric clothes by leading and emerging Thai designers, exhibitions on Thai fabric, and showcase of handicraft products.
H.E. Mrs. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports said, "I am very excited to support the TAT's Women's Journey Thailand campaign, being a woman myself, and I encourage all women to strike a work–life balance by taking the time to travel to recharge your life. Travel is a rewarding experience, and while Thailand is a year-round travel destination for all travellers, August is a very special month for all women travellers as there are numerous offers, discounts and privileges especially prepared for women travellers."
To enhance Thailand's positive image as one of Asia's most female friendly destinations, TAT is inviting 33 professional lady photographers from around the world to join the Thailand through Her Eyes 2016 activity from 2-7 August. During the six-day trip, they will enjoy uniquely local Thai experiences; such as, the local communities' way of life, Thai massage, Muay Thai lesson, Thai cooking class, shopping, spa, tuk-tuk night food tour, and many more, in five routings across Thailand. Some of the participating photographers are USA's Alison Wright, Qatar's Andrea Buenafe, China's Zhang Xiao Mei; Japan's Asaoka Megumi, Australia's Heather Marie Udy, and India's Deepti Asthana.
TAT is also organising the Lady Golf Challenge project, a joint effort between TAT's overseas offices and local travel agencies in their respective markets to offer special golf packages to more than 100 lady golfers from around the world. As well as the chance to enjoy special golf tournaments in Thailand, they will get to play alongside famous female professional golfers, including Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum and India's Vani Kapoor on 9 August at the Alpine Golf and Sports Club, Pathum Thani.
Last but not least, TAT is organising the Lady Celebrities to Thailand familiarisation trip in cooperation with Thai AirAsia. The project will bring international bloggers and social media influencers to enjoy a variety of exceptional products and services geared to meet the needs of all women travellers in three routings across Thailand.
Mr. Kalin Sarasin, Chairman of the Board of TAT said, "These five projects are just some of the many exciting activities and events that TAT has been planning to turn August 2016 into an extremely special month for all women travellers in Thailand. This will surely help strengthen Thailand's positive image as a welcoming destination for women from all over the world, as well as one of Asia's most female friendly destinations."
In July 2016, TAT released a mobile application "Women's Journey Thailand," that enables users to navigate the offers and promotions and to plan their travel schedule in Thailand accordingly. The products, services and events are listed under five categories: Beautiful Look, Beautiful Shape, Beautiful Mind, Beautiful Retreat, and Beautiful Experience. The Women's Journey Thailand application can be downloaded from Play Store and iStore.
In addition, TAT is working with a range of partners in the health and beauty sector as well as hotels, airlines, hospitals, gyms and sports clubs to offer discounts and offers to women visiting Thailand from 1 to 31 August, 2016. To support the Women's Journey project, the special deals from the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale will be extended to 31 August, 2016.
Finally, for the month of August 2016, TAT has worked with the related authorities to designate a special immigration lane for ladies (women travellers' fast track) at Thailand's major international airports in Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang), Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai.
Visit www.tourismthailand.org/womensjourney for further details on Women's Journey Thailand.
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1600 New Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathevi
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Email: prdiv3@tat.or.th
Website: www.TATnews.org
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It's 2011, which, by my calculations, is the centenary of China kicking out the corrupt Ching dynasty.
It's the one event that both Republicans and Communists can agree on as being positive. It's why Dr Sun Yat-sen is such a uniting figure for all Chinese, as the father of the nation.
I can't speak for all expatriates, but personally, I think this is an anniversary worth celebrating.
Twenty-eleven might be the time to put aside the usual animosity and all the political rhetoric. Like New Year, we can look forward to some unity surrounding the formation of a Chinese republic.
And since we're unlikely ever to get the two sides agreeing on much more, then maybe a Chinese commonwealth is an idea we should entertain?


Robyn Foster Kitchen, 2019-03-20 02:09:38. When you take a modern-art centric approach, you will want to focus on clean lines. Clean lines are incredibly important to the modern art design. Kitchen designers will tell you that, if you want a modern arty 'feel' to your kitchen, you will want clean and straight lines. You want clean counters and clean walls. In this design, modern kitchen will be free of knick knacks or other decorations. Any counter top appliances, like a toaster, a coffee maker or a microwave, will match the kitchen's color scheme and either blend in to the walls and counter surrounding them or stand out starkly in contrast. These kitchens, according to modern designers, are free of wall decorations, flowers or other superfluous elements.
Lana Jones Kitchen, 2018-11-01 07:58:43. If the chairs in your kitchen can serve many purposes while still being chairs they are modern chairs. If the chairs can be used as works of art, they are modern/contemporary chairs.
Beverley Finch Kitchen, 2018-10-29 07:57:31. Typically, in a kitchen, there is little decoration. The most decoration will come from the color chosen for the cabinetry, furniture and appliances. Some choose to paint everything a single color. Others choose to paint the walls and cabinets a single color while choosing appliances and cookware that is painted in a sharply contrasting color. If your kitchen space is small, you can create the illusion of space by choosing a single color for your walls and appliances. If your kitchen is larger, you can create textures and a decorative feel by choosing contrasting colors.
Dee Kelley Kitchen, 2018-10-26 06:55:26. Most modern furniture serves more than one purpose. This is not just because the modern art movement calls for this, it is because humans are creative! Do you use your coffee table to store blankets or games? Do you use bookcases as places to display your photos and plants? You have just helped your furniture become modern furniture! To consider your chairs modern kitchen chairs, they need to pull double or triple duty: do you use them as stepstools or as small tables? You have modern chairs in your kitchen!
Sophia Fulton Kitchen, 2018-10-30 22:46:27. Integrated appliances - those interested in modern kitchens often want their homes to match their contemporary, on-the-go lifestyle. If you don't cook a lot, drawer dishwashers (designed for smaller loads) and under-counter fridges are perfect - and they look good in modern kitchens!


Today,April 13,2018 ,exactly one month before;a national demonstration having as slogan "Greece cannot be imprisoned" is being announced and will take place on Sunday,May 13, at Syntagma square.The time has arrived for our people to arise demanding the immediate liberation of our two soldiers and the cessation of the biased negotiation concerning the selling out of Macedonia which may lead to the dismemberment of our country.Further demands concern the restoration of Democracy,that has been altered,in order to allow the adoption of the illegal memoranda and to change the NO vote of the referendum of July 5,2015.The Constitution has been violated and our national sovereignty has been illegally given away .Our country has been ruined financially and is at the mercy of looting from our lenders and of unfriendly neighbors.Public property has been mortaged until 2099.
The initiative is taken by the new patriotic movement of citizens "DIEXODOS" and it includes academics,artists,athletes, Greeks of the diaspora,military,diplomats ,workers,activists journalists,representatives of Cultural associations,Panmacedonian Associations,Peloponesian Associations,Associations of Thessaly,Pancypriot Associations,Agricultural Unions,Women Associations,Representatives of Associations of people with disabilities,representatives of vulnerable groups,pensioners,families with many children, university and student associations.
United we will demand the return of our country,free,democratic and independent with the Greeks becoming once more citizens and not only voters.They will decide,participate,control and manage the future of their life and that of their children.
The initiative,which was being prepared in the last months,was to have been announced yesterday,but Greece mourned the first victim of the war between Greece and Turkey.who was killed after preventing turkish planes from entering Greek airspace,Captain Giorgos Baltadoros.
The citizens of Greece thank and trust the Greek Armed forces but the time has come for the people to speak in a decisive way.Freedom is not given away,it is conquered.We shall not live as slaves and prisoners in our own country.and we shall not allow Greek blood to be shed in vain because of political purposes.We recognize as emblem the Greek flag and with this in our hands and hearts we start our fight by activating and implementing article 120 of the Greek Constitution.
A detailed press release will be prepared during the week and press conferences will be given in all the big cities of Greece.The first one will be held symbolically in Mani,an area that remained always free like the Greek soul,that has no limits.


text:
Adding All Nine
Make a set of numbers that use all the digits from 1 to 9, once and once only. Add them up. The result is divisible by 9. Add each of the digits in the new number. What is their sum? Now try some other possibilities for yourself!
N000ughty Thoughts
How many noughts are at the end of these giant numbers?
DOTS Division
Take any pair of two digit numbers x=ab and y=cd where, without loss of generality, ab > cd . Form two 4 digit numbers r=abcd and s=cdab and calculate: {r^2 - s^2} /{x^2 - y^2}.
A mathematician goes into a supermarket and buys three items.
It has been a while since she has used a calculator and she multiplies the cost (in pounds, using the decimal point for the pence) instead of adding them.
At the checkout she says, "So that's £5.88" and the checkout attendant, correctly adding the items, agrees.
Can you find the values of the three items?
Once you've had a chance to think about the problem, you may like to look at Getting Started, where you can watch some video clips of Alison working on the problem.
I wonder if the same can happen with other values?
Alison wrote a computer program, and found three values that add together and multiply together to give £5.49.
Can you find them?
Alison's program also found three values that add together and multiply together to give £5.55. Can you find these?
You may wish to write a program of your own - if you do, we would love to hear about it. Remember, if you send us a solution to any of these problems, be sure to explain your thinking!
A mathematician goes into a supermarket and buys four items.
At the checkout she says, "So that's £7.11" and the checkout attendent, correctly adding the items, agrees.
Find four possible prices of the items.
Very Challenging Extension: Prove that the costs giving rise to £7.11 are unique.
This problem has been adapted from the book "Sums for Smart Kids" by Laurie Buxton, published by BEAM Education. This book is out of print but can still be found on Amazon.


Recently, I spoke at the Great Lakes Awareness Event hosted by Patagonia Chicago.
The workshop and ensuing panel discussion was incredibly helpful to the people in the audience. Based on conversations I had with audience members, the point they found most interesting was the amount of pollution caused by the sewer water overflow that is created every time it rains. Most people are unaware that our stormwater systems are combined with our sewer systems and untreated sewer water is dumped into our local water ways when it rains.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes received a $10,000 grant from Patagonia for restoration efforts.
Refreshments were provided by Goose Island with live music by Laura Glyda.
I am excited to be participating in the Great Lakes Awareness Event with Patagonia, the sportswear and outdoor apparel retialer in Chicago.
Have a Voice in the Future of the Great Lakes and Award a $10,000 Grant. Click here to read more….
Did you know there is a movement to privatize the Great Lakes, that they are plagued with invasive species, that raw sewage is regularly dumped into Lake Michigan from the city of Chicago?
Join us and the Alliance for the Great Lakes at Patagonia Chicago for a workshop and panel discussion by local experts about these issues and others surrounding our Great Lakes, and help us to decide which environmental group should receive a $10,000 Patagonia grant for restoration efforts.
This event is free. Refreshments will be provided by Goose Island with live music by Laura Glyda.


A friend of mine is working to set up some house churches. I have always liked the idea of house churches or house church networks. I have always greatly preferred them to cell churches. Cell churches utilize aspects of house churches, while disempowering them (which often is rather sad). That being said, I have to admit that a lot of this is a matter of taste. Ultimately, I believe different situations lead to different types of churches– be they house churches, house church networks, cell churches, parishes, Sunday school churches, cyberchurches (?) or others.
But the example of house churches got me thinking about theology. I like to say that missions and missions methods should be drawn from a theological foundation. However, some of the works I have read on house churches make me step back for a moment. A good idea (like house churches) can be built off of a poor foundation.
1. The "Primitive Church" Theology. Some like to point out that the New Testament churches were house churches (or at least house church networks). There is some truth to this… at least physically. However, the first place the church met was in the temple, and then attempts were made to work through the synagogues. Houses were a back-up plan, along with schools, caves, and fields. When centralizing church buildings were an option, Christians tended to choose that option. Nothing in the New Testament writings, nor the practice of the NT Christians suggests that they were compelled theologically toward a house church model.
Essentially, there are two problems with the Primitive Church Theology. The first is that just because something was done a certain way in the New Testament, does not mean necessarily that it is the way churches should be today. The New Testament church commonly held services in Greek, Latin, or Aramaic. The reason was that the culture required the language. That does not necessitate us following the same pattern. In fact, a better principle would be that vernacular language should be the language of the church (whatever that vernacular language might be). In the case of house churches, their existence in the New Testament says more about the culture and social situation in the New Testament. The second problem is that we tend to create the early church in our own image. Even cultic groups like to say that they have "restored" the New Testament church even if their beliefs and practices appear to have no historical connection to primitive Christianity. In these situations, the absence of evidence becomes evidence of a "cover-up" by the "official" church. The early church had variety and had characteristics that are like no church today. That is good, since no church today lives in a culture that is identical to the New Testament Roman Empire (or Parthian, or any other, for that matter).
2. Spiritualization of Ministry. House churches are useful, but some have tried to describe them in terms of spiritual movement. Some of this has been tied to a Charismatic Eschatology… tying house church movement to the so called 1st, 2nd, and 3rd waves of the spirit (or Spirit) as described by some in that branch of Christianity. Obviously, being a proud card-carrying NON-Charismatic, I would have trouble with this. But I would think that even if I was a Charismatic (theologically speaking) I would be cautious as well. Why? First, there is an unhealthy reductionism to it. Everything was wrong in the church until <BAM> God does something and things are good… but still wrong. Then God does something else and <BAM> things are better… but still wrong. Then <BAM> something new…. we can keep going with this, but it is just hugely simplistic and a bit dishonoring of the Church and God's work in the Church throughout history. (To be fair, I am Baptist, and we are often guilty of ignoring vast swaths of Christian history as well. Shameful and disrespectful). God has been working in the church throughout history. He has done it in different forms and ways in different places. One is not necessarily best, and it is best to recognize no form is… necessary.
Second, spiritualizing a certain form of ministry puts one in an awkward position of potentially rejecting God. If house churches is God's new spiritual wave, then to not be involved in house churches is to reject God. Spiritualizing encourages people to turn off their reasoning capacity. We don't weigh benefits or problems with a certain direction. We don't see, in this case, if house churches make sense in a certain community or not. We do it or not be part of God's new spiritual breeze. Spiritualizing Example: Here in the Philippines, an American "prophet" declared that a certain Charismatic (and charismatic) religious leader was going to be President of the Philippines. This has created the crazy situation of pastors and other religious leaders working to try to make that prophecy come true. While I don't know why anyone would want a religious leader to go into politics, I understand even less why anyone would feel the need to try to make such a prophecy come true. If it doesn't come true, the prophecy and the prophet is false… not a problem at all. But when we try to overspiritualize, we tend to shut our minds down and go off in directions as if doing it means aligning with God while doing something else means rejecting God. That is a heavy burden. Best not to spiritualize stuff.
OKAY now. Where are we. I have said that Missions should be grounded on Theology. But I have to do some more thinking. Clearly, it needs to be based on GOOD Theology, not just any theology (or prooftexting). However, maybe it is better to to be Pragmatic (doing something because it appears to work) then create a bad theology around a certain ministry, strategy or program. At least that is where I am right now on this.
Book (or is it booklet? It's not very long) based on my dissertation. Feel free to look it over. Plan to expand it in the next few months and remove some more of the stilted dissertation-ese language.
We know Joseph gets downplayed at Christmas. I suppose it is understandable. But let's just take a moment to think about his role.
1. Villain. As I noted in my book "Theo-Storying" is is not true that Satan is the primary villain of the Bible. We sometimes like to read it that way (very selective reading at that). Satan may be the villain in the heavenly realms, but on earth, we really have no competition. We fit the role of villain better. Satan is more of a partner of ours in our role.
2. Victim. While we may be the villain… we commonly are also victims in the Bible. Special place is given to the poor, the widow, the orphan, the alien, the marginalized. However, we all live in a world that is messed up, a world that we did not create. We sin, but we also are sinned against.
3. Witness. Mankind may be an active player in the drama… but we also serve as witnesses of what is going on on stage. In the Bible, we are called to act, but also to witness and report.
4. Partner. The position of hero in the Bible is already filled, but we have the option of partnering with God. In comic books, there are superheroes and sidekicks. The sidekick doesn't take the limelight of the superhero, but helps bring success.
A. Joseph was a Witness and Victim. He had no choice in this. He did not create the problem but found himself experiencing it.
B. Joseph rejected the role of Villain. It would have been easy to do. He could have rejected Mary… "putting her away"… quietly. He could have felt justified (legally and culturally) to be vengeful.
C. Joseph also rejected the role of Witness and Victim. Just because one is given a role, one still has a choice to embrace that role or reject it. Joseph could have passively focused on the injustice he found himself in. He could have backed away– a sulking victim, an uninvolved witness. But he didn't.
D. Joseph embraced the role of Partner. He accepted the word of the angel, and accepted Mary. In so doing he chose to be the partner of Mary, with all of its joys and pains, and partner of God and His work.
We find ourselves dealing with these roles too. We are victims… not sure there is anyone who is not. We are witnesses of what God is doing. We can embrace the role of the victim. We can embrace the role of a witness (whether involved or uninvolved). We can take on the role of the villain, seeking to thwart God's work. Or we can partner with God. The choice is always there.
Pleasant Christian thoughts recycled by authors of books they wrote before (or had written for them before).
These books attract interest (and buyers) by talking about things that either aren't that important or aren't that true… or both.
Jesus managed to contextualize theology to the hearers of 1st century Judea. One way is in stories (usually here called parables). But stories can be boring and unmemorable as well. One method to attract attention used was (and is) humor/shock.
We often don't see Jesus as being humorous. We have (at least) four challenges to finding humor in the stories of Jesus.
The stories are too well known for us to feel the shock in them. While, I disagree with the reductionist view that humor is simply a form of shock, shock (or the "twist" in the tale) is often where humor is found in stories. No one gets surprised to learn that firemen keep their pants up using suspenders because the twist in the joke is too well-known… it lacks shock..
We lack the cultural reference points. So much of humor is culturally laden. Some humor has a universal quality to it, but much is tied to current events and local culture. I listen to old-time radio. I tend to like listening to "Fibber McGee and Molly" and "The Jack Benny Show" rather than "The Bob Hope Show." Although Bob Hope was a comic genius, much of his humor was "current" humor. That is, it was tied to what was going on with local events and contemporary personalities. Since the show was done in the 1940s and 1950s, much of those references are unknown to us now. Even if they are still known, it is hard to see the humor in many of them. With Fibber McGee and Jack Benny there is a greater focus on human foibles and the universal human condition. Therefore, there is more of a universal quality to the humor, and is more accessible today, although created in the same time as Bob Hope. But in nearly all cases, humor breaks down with greater time and culture gaps.
We often identify humor through voice inflection and visual cues. Much of the art of the great storyteller is lost in written text. To make the humor obvious, one needs to find cues of the humor in the text and reconvert it into live storytelling. When Jesus talks about religious leaders carefully removing dirt from the outside of a cup and then swallowing a camel by mistake, this hyperbolic situation clearly demands exaggerated vocal inflection and gestures to pull out the true absurdity of the scenario.
We like to "theologize" or "spiritualize" what Jesus says. We read of the Kingdom of Heaven being as a tiny mustard seed that, when planted, grows into a tree that the birds perch on. We then like to argue about what the birds "mean." If the seed is the kingdom of God, what are the birds? Yet, most likely, Jesus added birds to emphasize contrast and reversal. A seed that a bird would barely waste its time to eat because it was so small becomes something so big that the same bird could now sit on, along with its friends. This absurd (and yet mundane) event is like God's Kingdom which starts so insignificantly, and yet will expand and grow until it cannot be ignored.
Consider the story of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23-35). It has elements of the absurd that humorously contrasts with the culturally mundane aspects of the story.
E. The twist. The first debtor's actions have not gone unnoticed. The king is notified and brings in the first debtor, giving him the punishment he so richly deserves. The irony is complete. Because the first debtor could not give a small bit of grace, he lost the enormous amount of grace he was given.
F. The reversal of affection. Most of the hearers, then and now, can relate to being in debt to a king, or rich person, or powerful bank or corporation. Few can relate to the king (or powerful equivalent). Because of this, people are more likely to feel sympathy for the first debtor. Few feel happy for such a person being punished, and few would feel a positive connection with a despotic ruler. Yet the story develops an ironic twist in our attachments. We feel sorry for the king for being duped by such a selfish unmerciful man, and feel a rush of (righteous?) joy when that same man gets his comeuppance. One of the most effective stories to use reversal of affection to make a point is the book of Jonah.
The humor in the parable (in the forms of shock, hyperbole, and irony) help make the story memorable. Then Jesus added the final twist that ties it to the story. If God is the king, and we have been granted mercy by God, then we are the first debtor. We have no choice regarding that role, but we have choice in how we play out that role. We can act like the man in the story, or we can make a new story.
Effective contextualization, translation, and transmission of God's message should not be afraid of utilizing story and humor. However, it really does take an insider to master the art of story and humor.
Maybe that is the real challenge. Maybe theologians do not understand the culture that they seek to minister to to the extent that they can adapt God's message in a culturally interesting and humorous way.
1. Community Care. Care and development of people within the church family.
3. Missions. Activities that focus on expanding the kingdom of God without necessarily expanding the local church family.
Ideally, these should work together symbiotically. Community care should train people to be involved in church growth and missions. Likewise, community care should make the church family a desirable place to be a part of. Church growth should increase the community and the ability to care for itself, and the pool to draw from for missions work. Missions trains church members for community care and church growth and gives added purpose for the church.
Sadly, they often do not function symbiotically. Sometimes they are at war with each other.
1. Community Care can become the end function of the church. Budgets and manpower are utilized to have great facilities and activities for its members. Resources set up for outreach (either church growth or missions) are deprioritized and reduced.
2. Church Growth can become the primary focus. Members are not taken care of. They may also not be trained for fear that they might leave the church and minister elsewhere. Budgets are centralized on bringing more people in and preventing them from leaving. Missions is seen as pointless since it does not directly benefit the size of the church.
3. While less common, missions can be the central focus. Activities are focused on distant ministries and the church members don't minister locally, but just pool resources for other people to serve God.
For the ministries of the church to be effective, there must be intentionality in having these work together. Many in Missions and in Church Ministry complain about how few churches are truly "on fire" for ministry or fail to be involved effectively in missions. In fact, however, many church leaders create this environment. They focus on "church leadership," "church growth," "closing the back door of the church," and this develops a certain… well… ecclesiastical selfishness. The members see little value in focusing on God's Kingdom when everything they are taught focuses on their own little fiefdom.
What would be the best way to get the ministries of the church to work together for the good of the church family, the local community, and world… all three of which are to be important parts of God's Kindom??
William of Ockham is well-known for his quote, "Plurality should not be posited without necessity." It is the basis for "Ockham's Razor" or the Principle of Economy, or the idea that the simpler of two theories is most likely the correct one. So for example, if one of my students comes to class without his homework, I might theorize that he forgot to do it. Suppose he says that my theory is incorrect, and offers a competing narrative/theory where Space Ninjas came to his house the night before to steal his homework because he had inadvertently discovered the secret to the ultimate weapon that could be used by the beautiful Princess Hezaria and her rag-tag rebels against the Space Ninjas and their vicious ruler, Lord Jurggon. My student, sadly, had to destroy the homework rather than allow it to get into the clutches of pure Intergalactic Evil. I might consider applying Ochham's Razor to the situation and suggest that since my theory (his forgetfulness) is simpler than a political battle with alien lifeforms, it is LIKELY that my theory is correct. Now, on the other hand, if my student came and said that his computer crashed so he could not print it off that morning, both theories are equally simple, so I must use other methods to discern the truth (like evaluate his record of trustworthiness).
I have heard Ockham's Razor used to argue about Cosmogeny… the birth a the Universe. There are a few problems with sloppy use of this principle.
1. Ockham's Razor is far from proof, it just provides insight. Complicated things happen all of the time. If one's homework was destroyed in a battle with aliens, it is likely that one will not be believed… but that does not change the fact that it was true. Quantum Mechanics is far from simple, but (unless new work comes in and offers insight) it appears to be generally true (God DOES play with dice) despite thousands of years of simpler theories.
2. The simplest is not always the best. In Cosmogeny, the simplest theory is that the Universe has always been. That theory has been embraced by many different groups at different times. However, with the inductive development of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, the doubt regarding static equilibrium within the Universe (since there appears to be no balancing force against gravity), and the observation of doppler shift in the viewing of the stars, the simplest explanation has taken a beating. Some have, however, rehashed it with the the slightly more complicated oscillating Universe (big bang, big crunch, big bang, big crunch, etc.).
Cosmogeny has the same problem. History can't be tested scientifically (again, in the strictest sense) so one has to use other methods. We lack a huge amount of knowledge about the start of the Universe (we weren't there when the Universe came to be, we know of no alternate "universes" to compare to). The oscillating Universe, for example, assumes that the gravity field in the Universe is strong enough to reverse the bang to give us a crunch. Estimates can be made to determine if this is likely, but there are still an awful lot of unknowns here. Also, for the oscillating Universe to work, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics must be violated. Is that possible? Who knows? Should the reversal of the 2nd Law crush the idea of an oscillating Universe or not?
The Phlogiston Theory (of combustion) and the Ether Theory (of light propagation) of previous centuries became more and more fanciful and complicated to try to deal with new evidence. Some appeared to be self-contradictory. In Phlogiston, how come some materials combust/rust and gain weight while others lose weight? This contradictory behavior caused great problems. With Ether, how could a medium to transmit light be extremely hard (allowing rapid propagation) while being extremely soft (allowing solids to move through it). These and other contradictions eventually crushed these theories. However, the Wave and Particle models for Light theory have so far been held onto in paradox. Is this justified or do we need something better? Simple is NOT always better.
3. Ockham's Razor often has a hidden component… cultural reasonableness. Because of lack of data and limited knowledge of all of the possible scenarios, one is forced to consider reasonableness. That is why in courts of law we don't seek "proof" but "guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." Reasonableness is the hidden component in Ockham's Razor. The problem is that Reasonableness is heavily culturally laden. For example, consider angels versus aliens. Angels are messengers of God, from outside of space-time. They presumably are able to defy the natural laws of space-time (that is essentially what supernatural means). Aliens, on the other hand are beings of the natural realm of space-time and limited by natural laws.
So suppose beings come to earth with appearances and abilities that are outside of what is found on earth. What label would be applied. A Theist might call them angels while a Naturalist might call them aliens. Each would have good reasons to come to their conclusions based on Ockham's Razor.
A Naturalist would question the necessity of even considering the supernatural if a natural explanation is possible. We know nature exists so embracing a supernatural theory is unnecessary as long as a theory could be brought up that is consistent with the naturalist paradigm. As Arthur C. Clark said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." So if being show magical abilities, that is just proof of how advanced technologically they are.
A Theist on the other hand can equally strike at the implausible nature of aliens. The vastness of space, and the fact that as far as we know faster than light transportation is impossible, makes alien visits from anything farther than say 100 light-years unlikely at best. Wormholes seem doubtful or at least unreliable (if they exist). On the other hand, angels, not being part of space-time can simply be in a parallel universe or dimension so coming to earth involves interacting with the human plane of existence (much like a 3-dimensional object would interact with "Flatland" or a 4-dimensional object would interact with "Sphereworld." There is no need for believing in interstellar travel that appears to be impossible.
In each case, a member of each group can easily point out the unreasonableness of the alternate view. However, in each case, the unreasonableness results from the sub-culture he or she is part of.
4. Ockham's Razor has little value for paradigm shift. People work within a worldview or paradigm. A well-grounded paradigm is almost impossible to contradict. Some people talk about God "in the gaps." The idea is that as science advances, it explains the world around us and so God becomes more unnecessary… finding relevance only in the gaps of human/scientific knowledge. This is an amazingly flawed idea. The idea is that natural law is in the realm of some sort of atheistic science and the miraculous is the realm of God. So as miracles are debunked, or at least found unnecessary, God becomes unnecessary. In fact, God is the god of natural law. God may be the god of miraculous (non-normative) events, but God is declared in the heavens not in the odd events. Theists sometimes seek to give credence to this way of flawed thinking. When I was young, people would tell me how a bumblebee was proof of God because science claims that a bee lacks the structure and aerodynamics to fly. The logic seemed to be that God miraculously made every bee fly, and if we discovered a natural explanation why a bee could fly non-miraculously, that would lessen the likelihood that there is a God. Yet it is in the amazing design of the bee that appears (at least) to defy evolutionary chance that best argues for a God. God is not in the gaps.
But a naturalist paradigm or a theist paradigm is almost impossible to contradict because almost any bit of evidence could be forced into either paradigm. The simple reason is Ockham's Razor. That is, any explanation/theory that involves changing one's paradigmatic stance will almost invariably appear to be less simple than any explanation that allows one to maintain that stance. Thomas Kuhn's work on paradigmatic shifts in science can be applied to other areas of thought and culture.
So what does Ockham's Razor tell us about God and the beginning of the Universe? Not much. What it does tell us… is about us. Knowing what seems reasonable to each of us doesn't necessarily tell us much about what is reasonable on an objective level, but it does instruct us as to what our worldview is.
In missions, our role is NOT to play the game RELIGION VERSUS SCIENCE. Much of the battle between the two is really the battle between Theism and Atheism (or Supernaturalism and Naturalism). However, in Christian missions it is wise to know the field of play regardless. Faith should never be about "turning off your brain." In fact, historically, humankind has generally operated in a paradigm (or one of many paradigms) of belief in god, gods, or God. Intellectuals believed in the divine throughout history, and the statement in the Bible that "a fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'" was more than a statement of moral foolishness. It was also a rejection of what the intellectually wise believed. The Greek Philosphers of millenia ago tended to reject the curious legends of the Greek pantheon. Yet they typically still believed in Deus ("The One"). Thomas Hobbes, the patron saint of modern atheism, did believe in a god of sorts, just not one that was supernatural.
Christians, and those in Christian missions, need to understand the intellectual paradigm they hold and the intellectual paradigms of those who live around them. It is unlikely one can intellectually compel someone to change paradigm (as I said, paradigms are resilient and are maintained in part by Ockham's Razor). However, it does help to be able to demonstrate that one's worldview and faith is an intellectually sound alternative.


Errol: When we were in OryCon, we got to meet so many people it was awesome! ^_^ And I had dinner with another awesome, geeky, filk band, PDX Broadsides! They were crazy amazing! So much fun!
Debs: Aww. We had a show just after dinner and I really needed the recharge time. I had a nap and yummy chicken soup and I'm pretty sure I talked to Kari on Google chat. I love you guys though!!!
one of these days we're going to get a comic where Comic Debs aka Princess Debs gets her revenge. Any ideas Your Highness?
I love naps. I wish I had one right now. NAAAAP.


In present scenario, sometime it happens that Job A takes much time to execute i.e its execution time conflicts with prod regions timings at which these regions go live.
In present if it happens we manually terminate the job A so that it should not affect prod region.
Please let us know the possible solutions for it so that we don't require to manually terminate it in case it crosses 4.55CT.
Maybe it will end normally in the remaining 35 minutes?
The amount of elapsed time a job will take depends upon a great number of factors, including (but not limited to) how many other address spaces (batch jobs, TSO users, CICS regions, started tasks, Unix System Services processes) are running in the LPAR, the CPU utilization, the I/O utilization, and the Workload Manager policies. You could schedule a job to start at 4:55 that cancels the job you want out of the system; if the cancel command failed then the job has completed.
Are you trying to say that there is some "test Job" which conflicts with Production resources?
Suggest you discontinue the practice of cancelling jobs that run "too long". If the job is to be canceled and run later, just schedule the job to run After the problem time?
Are you asking for an automated way to cancel the job if it's running?
Do you have a scheduler involved, or can you get one involved?
If I had to do what you are talking about, I would schedule a job at 4:55 that checks for the test job, then cancels it if needed. You could have a whole string of job names.
Alternately, I know that Control-M has parms in the schedule that will perform tasks based on time of day. If you run the problem job(s) in the scheduler, then you could have IT start the cancellation at 4:55.
Whatever you do, DON'T run a looping job waiting until 4:55. That will tie up an initiator and CPU cycles. Not to mention it will incur the wrath and scorn of the folks here.
Not to mention it will incur the wrath and scorn of the folks here.
As well as Your Support people . . .
So why you are talking about 5.30 in your 1st post?
He said his region goes live at 5:30. That means the start up deck(s) submit at 5:00 and it takes about a half hour to gather up its skirts and get ready for business.
I do wish he would have answered my question about the scheduler instead of just explaining about the start time though.
Right Ed, I didn't consider that. But is taking 30 minutes not a bit long ?
Seems long to me, but my guess is that's an operational target. So the published 'get out of the water' time is 5:00 and they have 30 minutes to overcome any problems and be active for the users. Problems are probably crashed logs and/or cancelling pesky test jobs that have prod resources held.
Again, I wish Avinash would answer about the availability of a test scheduler.
Isn't the "test" aspect down to Anuj's unanswered question?
Wouldn't the time be better spent on working out a secure way to ensure JOB A completes in a timely manner? If it is a planned part of Production batch operations, it should "fit" within the schedule which allows "whatever" time for availability of user-access to their "online" systems.
Then JOB A will rarely require cancelling for late start, and it will become somewhat moot as to how that is carried out in practice, but almost certainly any Scheduler software will be able to do something to assist.
As per your suggestions can the actvity be preformed in Schedular ?
If my job A completes successfully then new job B won't perform anything . In case job A is crossing the threshold i.e 4.55 CT, then job B will cancel the running job A . Pls let me know Robert if I am correct..
No there is no Test job which is conflicting the production resources.
Job A deletes the rows from various tables and sometimes it crosses the 4.55 CT. In that case we have to manually terminate the job.
We can't do beacuse after completion of job A our regions go live.
Technically, they probably do. However, as seems to be increasingly common judging by the traffic on this and our sister board, it's likely staffed by inexperienced analysts with no knowledge of their environment.
Yes, you are correct. You schedule a job that starts at 4:55. That job will run a command to cancel the OTHER job.
So...do you, or do you not, have access to a scheduler that can run a job at 4:55?
If you do, then we can help you set up the cancel job.


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Home Internet Top 10 Most Followed Person On Instagram 2022
Top 10 Most Followed Person On Instagram 2022
Social networks are important tools today, whether for communication, dissemination of various information, or everything that involves the relationship between human beings, users, and content creators. For all this, social platforms have become essential in every way.
Taking this into account, networks have emerged that have been able to capitalize and attract millions of users, such as Instagram, created in 2010 by Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, which is more than a decade has exceeded one billion active users.
It should be noted that the account with the most followers in the world on Instagram is the Instagram platform itself, which currently has 528 million followers who enjoy its content and publications. However, beyond the profile of the platform in the top 10, there are also athletes, actors, singers, models, influencers, and more that we will talk about below.
Who are in the top 10 Instagram accounts with the most followers in 2022?
Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock'
The social network of the little camera, the same one that hosts this app is undoubtedly the most followed in the world. It has more followers in the world and currently has 528 million followers who enjoy its content and publication.
After the official Instagram account follows, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most followed person on this social platform since he has 464 million followers on Instagram.
She is the second most followed person in the world on Instagram and the third in the top 10. In addition, the influencer star of reality shows and American businesswoman Kylie Jenner is the woman with the most followers on an Instagram network with 356 million followers.
Without a doubt, soccer is a sport that moves millions of people, and proof of this is that within the top 10 there is another soccer player. He is known to the world as Leo Messi, whose real name is Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini, he is an Argentine striker or midfielder who plays for the Paris Saint Germain team in France. His career and the admiration he arouses in many for his sporting achievements have led him to have 346 million people following him on Instagram.
American singer, actress, and businesswoman with Latin roots, Selena Gomez. Since last year, her followers had supported her in the midst of a virtual contest with those of the singer and actress Ariana Grande to occupy a better position on this platform, Now Selena Gomez occupies this position thanks to her 334 million followers.
The American actor of action movies Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock' has become popular, thanks to his film projects in Hollywood, however, the former wrestler has also been able to capitalize on his personality, charm, and occurrences in networks which allowed him to get 326 millions of people want to follow him on this platform.
The American socialite, influencer, reality star, and businesswoman Kim Kardashian is one of those with millions of followers on her various social media profiles on different fashion platforms. Therefore, it was to be expected that the ex-wife of rapper Kanye West has 322 million followers on Instagram, which places her in the 7th position on this list.
The American singer, songwriter, producer, and actress Ariana Grande has always stood out in the top 10 of this platform, so it was expected to find her here thanks to the constant support of her followers who number 321 million on Instagram and counting.
The renowned American singer Beyonce is one of the music stars who has impregnated social networks with her brilliance. Her musical successes, development, and style have allowed her to be admired and followed by 266 million followers on Instagram alone.
Khloe Kardashian, is a social media personality, reality TV star, and businesswoman who closes the top ten with 260 million followers on Instagram.
Despite the fact that Khloe closes the general top ten of the accounts with the most Instagram followers, More and the account that would close the top ten most-followed people would be Justin Bieber.
This is how the list of positions of the profiles with the most followers on Instagram is maintained so far, however the number change constantly, so you have to keep a close eye on how the year ends.
Top Level Domains (TLDs)
Priyanka Sharma - July 26, 2022
List of shortcut keys (Hotkeys) for all Web Browsers
List of 50+ Most Useful Websites on the Internet
Team ONH - October 23, 2016


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SerenityServers
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SerenityServers


Within the last few years, as additive manufacturing has burgeoned with new and optimized 3D printing equipment, materials development has been surging along as well.
In fact, experts in the technology have long professed that in many respects materials hold the key to the advancement of additive manufacturing—particularly as the trend toward short-run manufacturing grows. Two companies have recently introduced new materials.
Stratasys has added to two new materials to its 3D printing materials portfolio—one designed for the FDM process, and one for the PolyJet process.
● FDM Nylon 12CF, is a carbon fiber-filled thermoplastic strong enough to replace metal components in a range of applications. It is said to be ideally suited for a wide range of final part and tooling applications where the combination of stiffness, strength and low weight is critical to the performance. Examples include drill guides, end-of-arm tooling, brackets, jigs, fixtures, and even metal-forming tools.
"We believe that the impressive strength-to-weight ratio of the FDM Nylon 12CF is transforming for many industries from consumer goods and recreational goods to automotive and aerospace… it enables designers to develop more practical and functional designs and gets them to market faster, without worrying about how to prototype those parts using metal or molding," said v.p. Zehavit Reisin, head of Rapid Prototyping for Stratasys.
The FDM Nylon 12CF is designed for the Fortus 450mc Production 3D Printer and is compatible with soluble support SR-11-. It requires and updated version of Insight software and a hardware upgrade. The material can produce parts in a layer thickness of 0.010 in. (0.254 mm). It is expected to start shipping in Q2 2017.
● The Agilus30 family—Agilus30 and Agilus30 Black—is designed for designers and engineers that need to simulate flexible materials. It is said to allow for greater freedom to handle and test flexible parts and prototypes while delivering excellent accuracy, fine details and enhanced product realism.
The Agilus30 family's all-around rubber-like performance and compatibility with soluble support (SUP706) reportedly makes these materials an excellent choice for modeling delicate parts that undergo flexing and bending. It is expected to generate interest for mechanical engineers, RP managers and industrial designers. Examples of applications include overmolding, soft-touch, and living hinges, hoses, seals and gaskets, as well as knobs, grips, pulls, and handles. Agilus30 is compatible with Objet260/350/500 Connex1/2/3 Printing platforms and is available for shipping now.
"The First Polyamide 11: The High Performance Material of Choice," by technical polymers development manager Arnard Lemaitre, entails Arkema's Invent nylons for powder bed fusion and specifically address the mechanical properties required for manufacturing end-use parts.
"Block Copolymer Assembly for 3D Printing," by William Wolf, technical service engineer for Sartomer, an Arkema subsidiary and leading global supplier of specialty acrylates and methacrylates, will address new developments in the N3xtDimension product line for photo-curable 3D printing materials. The company commercially launched this family of UV-curable materials last November. Said to represent the best in class performance for acrylate-based systems, this family of resin now spans a large range of viscosities offering broad tailorability—from formulation flexibility to drop-in systems to meet individual user requirements.


The Securities and Exchange Commission is giving financial services companies more time to comply with some parts of a new market-timing prevention rule.
The SEC has included the compliance extensions in the final version of the rule, "Mutual Fund Redemption Fees," which explains how fund managers should implement another rule, Rule 22c-2.
The SEC adopted Rule22c-2 under the Investment Company Act in March 2005, in an effort to curb abusive market timing, or efforts to profit from variations in the flow of financial information by making several large trades in a short time period.
Under Rule 22c-2, fund managers must decide whether to impose a redemption fee of up to 2% on the value of shares that investors redeem within 7 days of purchasing the shares.
Fund managers also must enter into agreements with financial intermediaries, to give managers the ability to work with the intermediaries to identify investors who violate restrictions on short term trading.
The new final rule, based on a proposed rule released in March 2006, which established a compliance date of Oct. 16, 2006.
The final rule still requires fund boards to decide by Oct. 16 whether to impose redemption fees or use other means to discourage marketing timing.
But the SEC has extended the deadline for negotiating shareholder information agreements with financial intermediaries 6 months, to April 16, 2007.
The SEC also has given intermediaries more time to set up systems that can quickly respond to funds' requests for shareholder identity and transaction information. The new intermediary information compliance deadline is Oct. 16, 2007.
The American Council of Life Insurers, Washington, has been one of the groups asking the SEC to push back the fund redemption fee compliance deadline.
The final rule excludes those plans that are viewed by a fund as an individual investor.
"If a fund, for example, applies a redemption fee or exchange limits to transactions by a retirement plan (an intermediary) rather than to the purchases and redemptions of the employees in the plan, then the plan would not be considered a 'financial intermediary' under the rule, and the fund would not be required to enter into an agreement with that plan," SEC officials write in a preamble to the new final rule.
Additionally, the final rule clarifies what agreements should be in place when "chains" — multiple layers of direct and indirect intermediaries — exist.
Under the revised rule, a mutual fund must execute a shareholder information agreement only with those financial intermediaries that submit purchase or redemption orders directly to the fund or its transfer agent.
The revised rule does not require the "first-tier intermediary" to execute shareholder information agreements with any indirect intermediaries. Instead, a mutual fund would have to make a specific further request for information from the first-tier intermediary about certain shareholders. The first-tier intermediary would then be required to make its "best efforts" to determine if an account was an indirect intermediary.
"If an indirect intermediary that holds an account with a first-tier intermediary does not provide underlying shareholder information, the agreement must obligate the first-tier intermediary to prohibit, upon the fund's request, that indirect intermediary from purchasing additional shares of the fund through the first-tier intermediary," SEC officials write.
Officials report in a footnote to the final rule preamble that the ACLI and other commenters have worried about the effect of a redemption fee requirement on investors who invest in funds through insurance company separate accounts.


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Tag Archives: Einstein
in Cybersecurity News, News
Report: DHS Expects to Spend $640M on Cyber Procurement Efforts Through Fiscal 2020
The Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity and communications office has estimated it will obligate as much as $640M through fiscal year 2020 for cyber-related programs across five components, FCW reported Friday. CS&C presented eight investment plans at an industry day that took place Thursday in Arlington, Va. The emergency communications office plans to launch a solicitation in the […] More
by Nichols Martin August 21, 2018, 12:09 am
Federal Times: DHS Plans New 5-Year Gov't Cybersecurity Support Contract
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security could award a classified five-year contract for the development, operations and maintenance of federal cybersecurity tools by the end of August or early next month, Federal Times reported Thursday. Aaron Boyd writes DHS will seek contractors to help manage DHS' National Cybersecurity Protection System as well as update the […] More
by Mary-Louise Hoffman August 21, 2015, 8:07 am
CenturyLink"™s Tim Meehan: Small Businesses Turn to NSA-Aided Antivirus Tool
Tim Meehan, CenturyLink"™s government senior vice president and general manager, has said more small businesses are starting to adopt a government-backed cyber surveillance tool following the Office of Personnel Management"™s data breach, Nextgov reported Friday. Aliya Sternstein writes CenturyLink has observed an increase in the number of companies that enter into an agreement with the […] More
by Jay Clemens July 13, 2015, 9:23 am
MIT to Work on USAF Transparent Computing Program Against APTs
The U.S. Air Force has selected the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop a new way to catch advanced persistent threats inside a network under a $7.1 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract, Defense Systems reported Tuesday. Kevin McCaney writes that the service tasked MIT to apply transparent computing technology to help IT personnel tag and track network activities, as […] More
by Anna Forrester July 1, 2015, 8:33 am
in Cybersecurity News
Infected Govt. Computers Facing March 8 Shutdown
Computers used by nearly half of the government"™s major agencies may be forced offline early next month. Researchers from the security firm Internet Identity reported at least one computer or router within 27 of 55 government entities was infected with the DNSChanger virus. The virus works by forcing infected machines to communicate with fraudulent and […] More
by Admin February 27, 2012, 6:00 pm
NSA, AT&T picked for cybersecurity plan; Chertoff weighs in
In the event you missed it, big news hit before the start of the holiday weekend. On Friday, the Obama administration announced that it would tap the National Security Agency to help screen government computer traffic on private sector networks. AT&T, meanwhile, would reportedly test the system. In case you think this is deja vu […] More
by Admin July 7, 2009, 12:00 pm
in Government Cloud
Obama Cyber Monitoring Plan To Use NSA Technology
President Obama plans to build upon the Bush Administration's Einstein 3 cyber security plan using National Security Agency (NSA) technology, according to Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reports. The telephone company AT&T Inc. will most likely be used for the Einstein pilot test site, according to government officials. The Einstein program began in 2003 through the Department of Homeland […] More