Disclaimer: this is my very first mod for Skyrim. Please take that into accout when posting your comments. Moreover, this is my first ever upload to Nexus Mods, I might mess up in some places, please be understanding with that. Thank you!
Papich, the day you were born, the very forests of Lordaeron whispered the name Velichayshiy.
This mod acts as any follower mod would, just adds Papich to Skyrim based on Wraith King from Dota 2.
Since Papich has a deep connection with the one true King – Wraith King from Dota 2, his abilities are based on that exact character.
[*]When Papich gets resurrected his outfit disappears for a couple of seconds, making him naked. This is because his inventory gets reset when he is resurrected, to avoid that I needed to store his items elsewhere for the duration of resurrection and give it back to him when he is resurrected. This is absoutely fine!
[*]Papich spams his stun spell instead of waiting for a cooldown. Since Skyrim does not have spell cooldowns this is the case for now, until I find a way to put it on a cooldown.
Please, do not pressure me if you ever want more to this mod. It took me 2-3 months to do research from scratch and get into modding. I am currently working on my University project and the modding is more like a hobby of mine. I do it when I have free time.


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An Opportunity for Globalist Centrist Liberalism
Source: National Review
The world may appear to be sharply divided among the far left and the far right on the social media, and even on the mainstream media these days. However, you could make the case that with the election of Emmanuel Macron as the French President, some hope has been revived in centrism and globalist liberalism. Because the polls in late April were nothing less than a scare with Marine Le Pen ending up neck-a-neck.
One of the features of the shifts to far left and far right camps in public discourse has been the cynicism toward centrism and pragmatism. Candidates such as Hillary Clinton have been condemned as "neo-liberal" by progressive and leftist activists, who could have prevented the Trump Presidency by turning out in greater numbers for her favor. The shift toward absolutism might sound romantic to some in a twisted way, but it has given us politicians such as Nigel Farage, Marine Le Pen and perhaps even Trump on the right and Jeremy Corbyn and Tulsi Gabbard on the left. Of course, each honest in their own dangerous way. I am deliberately not mentioning Bernie Sanders in this list, whose proposals of single payer healthcare is anything but an extreme view for a centrist liberal, but he has a rather unhealthy obsession with the Wall Street.
While still both the left and right in the West are variants of liberalism, relatively speaking, but both have seemed to lose the essence of its ideals of late. The left continues to demonize the idea of private property while the right frequently compromises the liberties of people who either look different or are less fortunate. And another group simply refuses to pay for just about anything. Did I mention Ron Paul in the list?
Since when have these ideas become abominations to the people?
There is no wonder even today a majority of the population might agree on centrist ideas and fortunately that is still what a lot of voting pattern around the world follows. Though that voting pattern has been consistently shifting rightward, evident in Turkey, India, and Israel. Common sense, yes, you hear this expression very frequently in the campaigns of more conservative politicians in the West. But actually, you would rather associate this term with more centrist and pragmatic liberals beyond party lines.
The disillusionment and cynicism of the recent years have particularly been on the rise as a "people's awakening" of sorts. This has been generally true for the attitude toward the United Nations but the precarious unity of the EU has particularly brought it into light. Blame it on the operational and bureaucratic flaws of these globalist bodies but there is no reason why the ideals behind them should be targeted without anyone putting up a reasonable defense for them.
On the other hand, there is really nothing about centrism or economic liberalism that necessitates apathy toward those who are less fortunate in the society. This ideological direction does not necessarily eliminate a social democracy. It is not as if most of the moderate British conservatives would be effectively killing the NHS, despite their fiscal conservatism. Certainly, not the Liberal Democrats. I guess centrist liberals would only be more respectful of private property and freedom for businesses than obsessing over bringing the budget into surplus too much.
Most moderate Republicans would not dare criticize late night host Jimmy Kimmel making a case for healthcare safety nets by bringing up his sick child. It is precisely the mindset that attacked him for it that a centrist liberal would discourage. Long story short, centrist liberals are more likely to side with a pragmatic, practical direction, keeping a balance between the bleeding heart and the facts of the world. Most of them would at least entertain the idea of a single payer healthcare approach while respecting private caregivers for humanitarian reasons, despite the controversy around its ideological correctness.
Another reason why globalist and centrist liberals are important is their interventionism, another point that gets under the skin of people on both extreme left and right. While there is no point getting behind a warmonger, an isolationist progressive or libertarian would be as caustic to world peace as a relentless hawk.
As much as we would like to hate President Bill Clinton and President George H. W. Bush, their timely humanitarian action in Bosnia and Kuwait goes unappreciated. It is amazing how the critics of American imperialism completely fail to recognize how the intervention has saved the freedom for the people of South Korea and West Germany. Furthermore, globalist liberals would be all for aid and accepting refugees and intervening to prevent a genocide, while an isolationist nationalist or an apathetic progressive could prove to be a humanitarian disaster. But enough of what they might mean for a government.
Despite the apparent lack of enthusiasm, the ideological polarity itself ironically presents an opportunity to the third way liberalism to bring people from left and right together. At least as a practical electoral alliance holding your nose. In a way, the rise of Donald Trump represents that possibility as opposed to someone like Sen. Ted Cruz who could become the President too. Although some could argue the same about Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton.
The person of Donald Trump has always appeared to be pragmatic and centrist, even liberal, in his approach to things but it is unfortunate that he relied on more far right policies and people to run his campaign. Perhaps that was the only way he could win this election. The policies he is enacting are not any more encouraging either. But who knows, that might change with time as he is beginning to figure out the realities of the political world and governance. And say, if Jared and Ivanka do not stay too far. Hanging on to a thread, are we not?
But don't get too depressed. The world may still give sanity a chance.
It's not too late.
Filed under: Articles, Commentary | Tagged: Bernie Sanders, centrism, conservative, Donald Trump, economic liberalism, Emmanuel Macron, far left, far right, fiscal conservatism, France, governance, isolationis, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, left wing, liberal, liberalism, Marine Le Pen, military intervention, neo-liberal, politics, pragmatism, President Bill Clinton, President George H. W. Bush, Presidential elections, progressive, realism, right wing, single payer healthcare, Ted Cruz, third way, United States |	Leave a comment »
Liberalism in Retreat
Posted on January 31, 2017 by Haroon Riaz
Liberal ideas seem to be in retreat around the world, but this effect is not perceived stronger anywhere more than in the United States.
What went wrong? The United States is supposed to be the leader and preacher of liberal ideas around the world. How could it expect to inspire change in the more regressive parts of the world with this sort of display?
Since the 1980s, people such as Donald Trump were celebrated by TV and American pop culture in general. They were supposed to be a product of American capitalist prosperity in the 1980s. How can such a figure become such an anti-liberal, populist force?
Of course, Trump sees it differently. He merely sees his steps of trade protectionism as necessary amends to terribly negotiated trade deals. He is merely helping local businesses survive. While that sounds all good in the context of the trade balance, which I am not sure you can force into the positive zone, but not when you are preventing corporations from conducting their business freely. Threatening businesses to not flee is probably the last thing they are going to convince them to stay for too long.
Trump's idea of negotiating from a position of strength seems to be coercing trade partners and companies into caving into his administration's demands. He threatens companies with tariffs for moving their construction plants to other countries. And he's a Republican President.
Now it may sound fair to him and his supporters. But what does it tell the world about the new United States? What does it tell the world about the new Republican Party? Clearly not the bastion of freedom anymore.
The Republican Party leads the free world in terms of its support for economic liberalism. I wonder where the ideology of the party has vanished, as they watch Trump signing away one reckless executive order after another.
How can the United States pull out of TPP and NAFTA on Speaker Ryan's watch? Something I don't expect to happen but it is becoming a great possibility. And where is the fiscal conservatism in a trade tariff paying for a border fence wall? Oh wait, Trump is not a fiscal conservative.
Furthermore, Donald Trump's executive order banning Muslim refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim majority countries including Iran and Syria is also a cause for great concern. If you were a liberal leader fighting regimes such as Iran and Syria, then you kill the cause by blocking refuge to freedom-loving individuals in those countries.
And what is with all the executive orders? Where are all the Republicans screaming about Obama's imperial Presidency?
Let it be refugees, immigrants, jobs, or political and economic unions. The world seems to be going downhill and fast.
The exit of Britain from the European Union and right wing nationalist pro-exit movements all around the Europe are the signs of the rising unpopularity of liberal ideas around the world. The United Nations seem to be under fire in democracies like Israel which are increasingly falling into regressive hands.
But enough of the Republican version of liberalism. But due to the rise of conservative powers around the world, socially regressive policies are also dominating from Turkey to India. But the reason for the election of the rivals of center left parties is perceived to be economic. See the likes of Prime Minister Modi and you would keep on wondering why. But primarily because liberal leaders have failed to convince the voters why their ideas could lead to a prosperous world.
Liberals need to resist terrible ideas from both progressive leftists and right wing populists in order to move toward an actually open and free market economy on a global scale. However, they must first exhibit confidence in them. They must first believe these notions and put them into practice.
People who put the problem of the loss of manufacturing jobs, which may eventually become redundant, ahead of a more progressive, freer trade environment would not grow to be as competent. An idea which threatens a lot of people. Even more than losing access to the best quality of goods the market could offer them.
But good ideas should not need coercion. The vast advantages of globalized, free trade have been overlooked by too many when governments themselves contribute to the conditions leading to businesses fleeing. But what is far worse is that people do not believe that free trade is eventually going to be of benefit to them. While not every business in every market is able to compete with the global competition, free trade eventually favors the consumer.
But such liberal ideas such as reaching markets beyond borders and uniting politically are in retreat. Despite the world's economic and scientific prosperity being a direct result of them.
But they won't be for long.
Because it's often liberalism that cleans up the mess made by nationalism, fascism, populism, and trade protectionism. It would again.
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: Britain, center left, Donald Trump, European Union, free market, free trade, Iran, left wing, leftists, liberal, liberal ideas, liberalism, Muslim majority countries, NAFTA, negotiations, open markets, pop culture, populism, President Obama, President Trump, progressive, regressive, Republicans, right wing, Syria, TPP, trade protectionism, TV, United States |	Leave a comment »
Pitfalls of the Two Party System
Source: directionsmedia.net
The American media is never short of opinions expressing shock at the several fringe political movements appearing in the country from time to time.
Over the years, we have seen the emergence of progressive Green Party enthusiasts backing a Ralph Nader presidency in the wake of progressive discontent from the Clinton years, arguably costing the Democrats the 2000 election. We have witnessed the Occupy Wall Street movement standing up to the role of financial corporations in the recession of the 2000s, and ending with the disappointment of more corporate bailouts from the liberal Democrat leadership. And we have seen the rise of the much demonized libertarian-leaning Tea Party movement standing up against the rising taxation and regulatory policies of the progressive Democrats and President Obama. This group has been voicing its dissatisfaction and frustration over a Republican Congress failing to reflect their demands, despite a massive mid-term victory in 2014.
The latest "fringe" wave of the populist anti-immigration sentiment rising ironically with the Presidential campaign of billionaire businessman Donald Trump is yet again shocking the world. Something which absolutely must have no place in the discourse of American politics, which should remain absolutely confined to the Democratic and Republican party.
There is really nothing new about the anti-immigration sentiment. We have seen political parties in Europe winning on the anti-immigration, anti-Euro platform, and some could argue that the recent remarkable voting performance of the UKIP and the ultimate victory of the Conservative Party is one such instance in the very liberal United Kingdom.
Regardless of the morality of this political view, reasonable questions should be asked why it cannot find its due place in the American representative politics. Especially considering the fact that what is painted the anti-immigration stance of the Donald Trump campaign is actually not against immigration, but only for taking strict action against illegal immigration. This is not just a right wing phenomenon, as we have seen such sentiment in the campaign of progressive Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders, who considers open borders a "right wing proposal," probably referring to the libertarian movement. But there really should be no mentions of any such proposed policy, with the only accepted versions being the official positions of the Democratic and Republican parties.
Any candidate that deviates from the establishment positions is an extremist and must not get the party nomination. Regardless of the fact how many among the general public support those positions. Marijuana legalization, on which the positions of the Libertarian and Green party are pretty clear, is one issue which has garnered overwhelming support from the American public lately. However, on the federal level, both establishment parties oppose the legalization, and are funding the controversial and unpopular war on drugs.
Even for the fans of obstructive government mechanism in the Presidential system of the United States like me, the two party system seems too exclusive for comfort. I am a strong proponent of separating the executive branch from the legislative, as opposed to the blurring lines in the Parliamentary system. However, you cannot help but marvel at the inadequacies of the two party system. Granted that America has a proud two-party political structure, that is apparently as simple as it is complex, but is it truly reflective of the ideological diversity of the country?
The two party system sounds like the sort of absolutist scenario that offers almost unlimited powers to the executive in the Parliamentary system. Either you are for an issue or against it, with no ifs and buts in between. Which does not even make any sense, because on most issues, both parties agree where it matters, and in the recent years, there really has not been any regulation with the exception of the Affordable Healthcare Act that significantly altered the state of affairs in a partisan manner.
Undoubtedly, both Democratic and Republican parties have room for a variety of ideas and positions on various issues. However, the candidates that eventually win nominations for the executive branch often have centrist and moderate views, and opinions which could be referred to be aligned with the establishment positions. This could also be said to be reflective of the moderate and centrist political approach of the people of the United States, but does this notion hold true on every issue?
Of course, there are more than two political parties in the United States, but what if they had the representation in the federal legislature as well? In any case, there really is no reason why a multiparty system should not work in a Presidential system in the United States. It might change the clear role of majority for one party and minority for another. I think it just does not work because the electoral system and media do not offer any margin for it, discouraging independent voters to even consider the option due to the lack of electability. But what if it becomes a possibility one day?
Maybe it would shock the US media less about certain fringe political positions, or unconventional Presidential candidates.
Filed under: Articles, Commentary | Tagged: anti-immigration, Bernie Sanders, centrist, Democratic Party, Democrats, Donald Trump, establishment, independent voters, issues, left wing, Libertarian, media, Occupy Wall Street, parliamentary system, politics, progressive, Ralph Nader, Republican Party, Republicans, right wing, Tea Party, third party candidates, Two Party system, United States, US Presidential System |	Leave a comment »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"Glutaredoxin-2 Is Required to Control Proton Leak through Uncoupling P" by Ryan J. Mailloux, Jian Ying Xuan et al.
© 2013 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. Used by permission.
Glutathionylation has emerged as a key modification required for controlling protein function in response to changes in cell redox status. Recently, we showed that the glutathionylation state of uncoupling protein-3 (UCP3) modulates the leak of protons back into the mitochondrial matrix, thus controlling reactive oxygen species production. However, whether or not UCP3 glutathionylation is mediated enzymatically has remained unknown because previous work relied on the use of pharmacological agents, such as diamide, to alter the UCP3 glutathionylation state. Here, we demonstrate that glutaredoxin-2 (Grx2), a matrix oxidoreductase, is required to glutathionylate and inhibit UCP3. Analysis of bioenergetics in skeletal muscle mitochondria revealed that knock-out of Grx2 (Grx2–/–) increased proton leak in a UCP3-dependent manner. These effects were reversed using diamide, a glutathionylation catalyst. Importantly, the increased leak did not compromise coupled respiration. Knockdown of Grx2 augmented proton leak-dependent respiration in primary myotubes from wild type mice, an effect that was absent in UCP3–/– cells. These results confirm that Grx2 deactivates UCP3 by glutathionylation. To our knowledge, this is the first enzyme identified to regulate UCP3 by glutathionylation and is the first study on the role of Grx2 in the regulation of energy metabolism.
Supplemental Table 1 (.docx, 14 KB) - Circulating metabolite levels.
Supplemental Figure 1 (.pptx, 174 KB) - Protein levels of antioxidant enzymes and ANT.
Supplemental Figure 2 (.pptx, 352 KB) - Validation of Seahorse protocol for measurement of mitochondrial bioenergetics.
Supplemental Figure 3 (.pptx, 171 KB) - Seahorse trace for analysis of bioenergetics of liver and muscle mitochondria from wild-type and Grx2-/- mice.
Supplemental Figure 4 (.pptx, 242 KB) - Mitochondrial energetics of liver and muscle mitochondria from wild-type and Grx2-/- mice using succinate as energy substrate.
Supplemental Figure 5 (.pptx, 143 KB) - Contribution of ANT to proton leak in liver and muscle mitochondria from wild-type and Grx2-/- mice.


We stock a wide range of wind gauges (anemometers) available with fast dispatch, including the option of next day delivery.
Handheld wind gauges are pocket sized making them easily portable. Often used in commercial situations such as for health and safety where high wind speeds could be dangerous. Also popular with sporting activates where wind speed is a crucial factor.
Fixed wind gauges often come in a complete weather station kit and are designed to be mounted on a pole. These will generally show wind direction and speed in various formats such as mph or meters per second. Many stations will record this data and come with software to allow the data to be interrogated on a PC in spreadsheet or graph format.


Biltmore Vision Center has an independent doctor of optometry that performs comprehensive eye exams on premises.
Our Optometrist and the Biltmore Vision Center team take even routine eye exams very seriously. During a yearly or bi-yearly examination, our patients will receive a patient history review, a series of vision and eye tests, assessments of eye focusing and movement, and an eye health evaluation. Our optometrist will discuss any additional testing that may be required to diagnose an eye disease or condition. Call us today at (828) 665-0603 to schedule an appointment.
Not sure that glasses are for you? Ask our staff in Asheville about contact lenses. Advances in the field of optometry have produced a variety of different types of contact lenses with a range of benefits. Rigid gas-permeable (RGP), daily-wear soft, extended-wear, extended-wear disposable, and planned replacement are the various types of contact lens options available today. Our optometrist will discuss the various options with you to determine which type will best fit your needs and lifestyle. Schedule your examination today by calling (828) 665-0603. They are many advantages to consider when determining if contact lenses are right for you and our knowledgeable staff is here to answer any questions.


My face loooooks @.@.... Hahaha.
I won't be sharing my insights regarding the Avenger movie coz' I am no movie critic, nevertheless I enjoyed the movie.
Thank you Patrick for waiting for my sprain to heal so we could go see the movie together... also thank you for the day!


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Linus Schäfer (* 6. Juni 2003) ist ein deutscher Fußballspieler des VfB Oldenburg.

Karriere
Nach seinen Anfängen in der Jugendabteilung des JFV Bremen, des SC Borgfeld, für die er 14 Spiele in der B-Junioren-Bundesliga bestritt, und nochmals des JFV Bremen wechselte er im Sommer 2020 in die Jugendabteilung des JFV Nordwest, des gemeinsamen Jugendfördervereins der Vereine VfL und VfB Oldenburg. Im Dezember 2021 hatte er dort seinen ersten Einsatz im Seniorenbereich in der ersten Mannschaft des VfB in der Regionalliga Nord.

Am Ende der Spielzeit 2021/22 gelang ihm mit seiner Mannschaft der Aufstieg in die 3. Liga, da er sich mit seinem Verein in den Aufstiegsspielen gegen den Meister der Regionalliga Nordost, BFC Dynamo, durchsetzte. Seinen ersten Profieinsatz hatte er am 12. August 2022, dem 4. Spieltag, als er bei der 0:2-Auswärtsniederlage gegen den Halleschen FC in der 84. Spielminute für Rafael Brand eingewechselt wurde.

Erfolge
VfB Oldenburg
 Meister der Regionalliga Nord und Aufstieg in die 3. Liga: 2021/22

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Fußballspieler (VfB Oldenburg)
Deutscher
Geboren 2003
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The New oxford Picture Dictionary contextually illustrates over 2,400 word. The Book is unique language learning tool for students of English. It provides students with a glance at American lifestyle, as well as a compedium of Usefull.
An interactive multimedia picture dictionary in American English.
Charts have illustrations of everyday items on the front and the English word for each item on the back.
Published in 1988, this dictionary continues to be a favorite of many teachers.
4,000 words and phrases are organized thematically within 163 topics. Includes English to Vietnamese translations of vocabulary throughout, and an extensive index in Vietnamese at the back of the book. A fully integrated vocabulary development program in American English, progressing from essential words to the more complex, delivered in short thematic units. Realistic scenarios and modern artwork are easy to relate to and these, together with story pages and practice exercises, have been applauded for their success in promoting critical thinking skills. Content is fully supported by a range of components (in English only) - including Workbooks, Classroom Activities, Audio and website.


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Execution of Jews in Korma
Trench dug in the ravine
Viktor P., born in 1928, remembers : "Germans, armed with machine-guns, who were stationed in Korma, chased away the Jews from their houses and brought them up to the school building. On the way, they were beating the Jews. They had dogs. It was summer; the weather was very beautiful, in 1941. The Jews were gathered at first in front of the school building, then pushed inside. On this day, the Jews had distinguishing signs, they were wearing yellow stars on the chest." (Witness N°790, interviewed in Korma, on June 13 , 2014)
"The innocent civilian population was interned in a camp installed in the stone building of the school and surrounded with barbed wire, people were imprisoned and subjected to cruel torture, to the blows, they were forced to carry out superhuman tasks. More than 700 Soviet citizens were interned in the camp and the prison, including women, the elderly and children. To exterminate the Jewish population, the German executioners had created a special cemetery in an anti-tank ditch 500m from Korma, where they carried out the mass shootings. Before bringing people to the cemetery to shoot them, we made them undress themselves, we tore out their gold teeth, we struck them with rubber bats, then we brought them, beaten, to the cemetery, we obliged them to dig their own grave and then we shot them. Between November 7-8, 1941, the mass shooting of civilians and the Jewish population of Korma was organized, supervised by the military governor Rosmeisel. The investigation established that at night, from November 7-8, more than 700 Jews from Korma were shot." [Act of The Soviet Extraordinary State Commission, drawn up on November 25, 1944, RG- 22.002M.7021-85/215]
Korma is a city located about 110 km north of Gomel. The first mention of the Jewish community in Korma dates back to the 19th century. The majority of Jews lived off of craftsmanship and small trade. On the eve of the war, 981 Jews lived in Korma, making up 40% of the total population. There were 2 wooden synagogues, closed before the war, and Jewish schools. Before the war, it was already a district center. The German occupation of Korma began on August 15, 1941.
After the occupation of the town by German forces, many Jewish shops and private apartments were looted.
In September 1941, two closed ghettos were created. One was located on Chkolnaya Street, in the building of the Jewish school; the other on Abaturov Street, in the administrative buildings. In this second ghetto, there were mostly Jews gathered from neighborhood villages. The ghettos were under the guard of local police. While in the ghetto, the Jewish inmates were subjected to different kinds of forced labor.
The Jews were shot on November 8, 1941, 1km away from Korma, in a trench. According to eyewitnesses interviewed by Yahad, the Jews had to dig the pit themselves. It was stated that 68 Jews who were too elderly to walk were killed a few days before the liquidation of the ghetto, near the same place. In total, there were around 700 victims.
Jewish corpses were exhumed after the war and reburied in the Jewish cemetery.
Chechersk
Zhuravichi


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The Tomes of Magic
By Cody J. Sherer
Fantasy | eBook
Cody J Sherer
Return to the continent of Canai and rejoin our heroes as they embark upon a new batch of adventures! The dragons have returned and the land is in turmoil. Paul, Janessa, Rolin, Melissa, and James have all mindmelded with dragons and must get used to their new bond and the possible ramifications of serving under the dragon King. Only the strong-willed can survive and thrive after forming a connection with a dragon. Will the Wizards find a way to work with their new master or will his rule push them to the brink? Amidst her troubles with the dragon King, Janessa finds that the Gloomvale Isles have problems of their own. Rodric's political acumen is both an asset and a threat as the two attempt to work together for the betterment of the people of the isles. Rumors of uprisings on the outlying isles threaten to topple the new authority. Will Janessa be able to rein in her underlings or will the upheaval leave her without a home and throne? Sev leads an army on a mission to rescue the dwarves. The dangerous underground passages hold foes both known and unknown. With the help of Borfin and his men, the elves seek to forge an alliance and create an army powerful enough to protect their interests within the Old Forest. Can Sev lead the two people to victory or will their differences explode like a powder keg? Septimus is well underway on his quest for the fabled "Tomes of Magic." His travels have taken him to the Valorian Isles, where he finds himself at odds with a resident Warlord with greater aspirations. Will his requests for help go unheard or will the Warlock find a way to usher in a new era of magical prominence with the assistance of the Tomes of Magic? Cormac finds himself in the company of the gnomes. Their usual peaceful demeanor gives way at the mention of their mortal enemies: the naga. Can the Archwizard find a way to conquer this shadowy menace or will his abrasive manner bring doom to the gnomes? Thanos receives a request for assistance from the Warlock Septimus. The power that surges within the death magic master is only amplified by his skeletal dragon companion. Will the Archwizard assist in the finding of the Tomes of Magic or will petty bickering stop the quest dead in its tracks? On the Valorian Isles, a powerful Warlord named Leoth has great aspirations. With his wife at his side, the man seeks to become the first Emperor of the mainland of Canai. Will his conquest prove fruitful or will it doom him and the people of the Valorian Isles? A world of intrigue awaits!
Return to the continent of Canai and rejoin our heroes as they embark upon a new batch of adventures! The dragons have returned and the land is in turmoil. Paul, Janessa, Rolin, Melissa, and James have all mindmelded with dragons and must get used to their new bond and the possible ramifications of serving under the dragon King. Only the strong-willed can survive and thrive after forming a connection with a dragon. Will the Wizards find a way to work with their new master or will his rule push them to the brink? Amidst her troubles with the dragon King, Janessa finds that the Gloomvale Isles have problems of their own. Rodric's political acumen is both an asset and a threat as the two attempt to work together for the betterment of the people of the isles. Rumors of uprisings on the o...
Born and raised in Southern California, Cody Sherer was always fascinated with Science Fiction, Fantasy, and other similar genres of movies, books, and shows. He began seriously writing at the age of 20 and mostly writes Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but also tends to dabble in Mystery and Detective genres as well. You can find three of his books on Amazon. Cody Sherer is currently working on more books that are scheduled to be released out in the coming months and years. He is also hoping to release board games and video games of his books in the future.
Born and raised in Southern California, Cody Sherer was always fascinated with Science Fiction, Fantasy, and other similar genres of movies, books, and shows. He began seriously writing at the age of 20 and mostly writes Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but also tends to dabble in Mystery and Detective genres as well. You can find three of his books on Amazon. Cody Sherer is currently working on more books tha...


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What You Need to See From CES 2017 in 6 Minutes [Video]
Peter H. Diamandis, MD
I just returned from Las Vegas, after walking 20,000 steps on the floor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
It's huge. For reference, CES showcases 2.47 million square feet of exhibit space, hosts 180,000 visitors, and welcomes 8,000 members of the media from around the world.
If you didn't get a chance to go this year, here's a three-minute video summary on drones and a three-minute summary on other tech.
These were my top highlights—the 0.1% that I think are worth your time.
Check them out:
Video 1: DRONES
Video 2: AR, Cars and Robots
Also, in case you missed it, last week I reviewed the past 365 days of technology breakthroughs and published a review of the top 10 "tech trends" transforming our world over the last year. >>>Take a look here.
This is the sort of conversation we explore at my Executive Mastermind group called Abundance 360.
The program is highly selective. If you'd like to be considered, apply here.
Share this with your friends, especially if they are interested in any of the areas outlined above.
Head here for my full archive of tech insights
Image Credit: Peter H. Diamandis/YouTube
SU Faculty
Dr. Peter Diamandis was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders.
He is Executive Founder of Singularity University, a Silicon Valley institution that counsels the world's leaders on exponentially growing technologies.
He is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive co...
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Arriving from Vancouver and Vegas to Grand Cayman made it feel like I was flying to a tiny, barely inhabited island, in the middle of nowhere. After a week there, its busyness surprised me, but I started to see the same people, recognize all the main streets, and finished visiting every where there was to visit (some places, more than once). This made it seem smaller and smaller as time passed.
Then I flew to Little Cayman Island, which really is a tiny, barely inhabited island in the middle of nowhere, and it couldn't really get much smaller with time.
Little Cayman from the air
It has a resident population of 120 people, its about 12 miles long and one mile wide, and only 90 miles from Cuba. To get there, one takes a 35 minute flight in a 12 seater plane, with the luggage stowed away behind the last row of seats. Though there were only 9 passengers traveling, they still managed to forget one of my bags, which was a waterproof dive bag and carried my books and a volleyball called Wilson – three very important things when on a remote Caribbean island (ever seen Castaway?).
Out of the 120 residents, few are Caymanian, and the island blends a mix of ex-pats who refuse to live in colder climates. They host and run an expensive tourism industry, fueled by scuba diving, snorkeling, and most recently, kite surfing. Visitors stay at one of the resorts, enjoying hobie cats, kayaks and hammocks, and add a fluctuating 80 more to the population number.
the ultimate beach pad
Resorting isn't really in my price range, and the only 2 couchsurfers on the island couldn't host, but one dive master tipped me off on a fun fact – the bartender at Little Cayman Resort was Icelandic. I asked some questions, found him on facebook, had a mutual friend, and three days later, arrived in his skyloft to crash with Marieke, my host from Grand Cayman.
He was an excellent host, taking us on many adventures. The first was a kayak expedition to abandoned Owen Island, against fierce winds and white water waves. We walked the last 200m after capsizing, but made it back down wind in no time.
We learned how to Hobie cat sail. Well, we watched him hobie cat sail. We
Owen Island by Kayak
snorkeled. We played dodgeball. We biked to the end of the island. We tried to kitesurf, but failed when the wind calmed. I tried fire dancing.
Our biggest advneture was a 2 am mission to Owen Island on his friends boat, which we grounded twice in the shallow water. Or it may have been the excess wait in the boat (we were 8 in 5 seats). Or it may have been the pitch darkness, although there was an eerie glow from the full moon which made everything seem like a Pirates of the Caribbean scene. We tried (and failed) to light a bonfire of wet palms and bamboo, and almost used all our spare gas trying, but managed to avoid getting stranded.
Ingvar was working most days we were there, but it made no difference since we ended up at his bar every evening anyway to hang out. This was also where we had most of our meals, and met half of the Island since people came thru all day long. Some were iguana-walk tour guides, others were kitesurfers, the dodgeball guy and his dog, and even the airport arrivals guy who was better known as 'ninja' (he was an incredible fire dancer).
fire dancing by the failing bonfire
When we had to leave the island, we simply walked to the concrete strip of road they cal their 'airport.' Noone was there til 20 minutes before our flight departure, and he just showed up with our boarding cards and luggage tags and handed them out to us standing around. He knew who was who, didn't care what we had packed, checked no ID and didn't even have a security check for us to go through. It seemed too quick and easy (if only all air travel was that laid back), but, magically, they lost my bags again, somewhere between Little Cayman and Grand in that 45 minute window, on that tiny plane…
I stood in Georgetown trying to make my connecting flight to New York, and when they told me my bags would have to arrive a day later, I begged not to be sent to New York without them. I was wearing flipflops, shorts and a shirt, and had nothing else until getting back home to Iceland, where it was -15 degrees and snowing. They agreed that was tough, so delayed my flight by one day, upgraded me to business class, and let me have one last night in Grand Cayman. I could certainly think of worse places to be stuck…
World Travels Caribbean, Cayman, kayaking, kite surfing, paradise 1 Comment
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One thought on "Little Cayman"
peter hillenbrand
As a Little Caymanite for 17 years this was a fun read for me Katrin. Good luck on your quest. If you are ever back on Little Cayman, you have a place to crash.


text:
<?php

namespace KevinGH\Box;

use ErrorException;
use KevinGH\Amend;
use KevinGH\Box\Command;
use KevinGH\Box\Helper;
use Symfony\Component\Console\Application as Base;

/**
 * Sets up the application.
 *
 * @author Kevin Herrera <kevin@herrera.io>
 */
class Application extends Base
{
    /**
     * @override
     */
    public function __construct($name = 'Box', $version = '@git-version@')
    {
        // convert errors to exceptions
        set_error_handler(
            function ($code, $message, $file, $line) {
                if (error_reporting() & $code) {
                    throw new ErrorException($message, 0, $code, $file, $line);
                }
                // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
            }
            // @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
        );

        parent::__construct($name, $version);
    }

    /**
     * @override
     */
    public function getLongVersion()
    {
        if (('@' . 'git-version@') !== $this->getVersion()) {
            return sprintf(
                '<info>%s</info> version <comment>%s</comment> build <comment>%s</comment>',
                $this->getName(),
                $this->getVersion(),
                '@git-commit@'
            );
        }

        return '<info>' . $this->getName() . '</info> (repo)';
    }

    /**
     * @override
     */
    protected function getDefaultCommands()
    {
        $commands = parent::getDefaultCommands();
        $commands[] = new Command\Key\Create();
        $commands[] = new Command\Key\Extract();
        $commands[] = new Command\Add();
        $commands[] = new Command\Build();
        $commands[] = new Command\Extract();
        $commands[] = new Command\Info();
        $commands[] = new Command\Remove();
        $commands[] = new Command\Validate();
        $commands[] = new Command\Verify();

        if (('@' . 'git-version@') !== $this->getVersion()) {
            $command = new Amend\Command('update');
            $command->setManifestUri('@manifest_url@');

            $commands[] = $command;
        }

        return $commands;
    }

    /**
     * @override
     */
    protected function getDefaultHelperSet()
    {
        $helperSet = parent::getDefaultHelperSet();
        $helperSet->set(new Helper\ConfigurationHelper());
        $helperSet->set(new Helper\PhpSecLibHelper());

        if (('@' . 'git-version@') !== $this->getVersion()) {
            $helperSet->set(new Amend\Helper());
        }

        return $helperSet;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Singer celebrating 10 years at Monterey Car Week
August 7, 2019 August 7, 2019 Self Drive CarsSelf Drive Cars
Singer, the restoration and design house that was instrumental in stoking the popularity of older Porsche models, is turning 10. To commemorate the occasion, the company is hosting a celebration at this year's Monterey Car Week.
The famed Monterey Car Week is the perfect setting for Singer's 10-year anniversary party. It was on the Monterey Peninsula back in 2009 that Singer showed off its first 911 Reimagined by Singer.
First Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer, 2009
Back then, Singer was a relatively unknown company working out of a small shop in Sun Valley, California. But in the 10 years since, Singer has transformed into a global company that's universally revered for its ability to turn 964-generation (1989-1994) 911 sports cars into modern machines with the latest hardware and beautifully tailored interiors. To date, Singer has sold more than 150 of its Reimagined 911s to customers across the globe.
"Singer began as our own personal philosophy, but we seem to have resonated with something in the world of 21st century design," said Rob Dickinson, founder and creative director for Singer Vehicle Design. "It's incredibly affirming and humbling to discover how so many of us think as one, as car enthusiasts."
Singer's 10-year celebration will kick off on Aug. 14 with an event at McCall's Motorworks Revival. Singer will also host events on Aug. 16 at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and the Werks Reunion.
As part of the celebration, Singer says more than two dozen owners will be descending on Monterey to enjoy the peninsula's picturesque coastal roads.
The 2019 Monterey Car week will also see the first Singer ever to go to auction. It's the Singer "Mountain View" car that was built in 2016, and the auction house, Gooding & Company, estimates it will fetch between $ 800,000 and $ 1 million.
High Gear Media Network Feed
celebrating, Monterey, Singer, week, Years
The Porsche 911 GT3 turns 20
Lyft hikes revenue forecast as price war with Uber eases, ridership rises


text:
International Latest News Pakistan
Pakistan pledges to work for upholding of UN principles
APP – October 04, 2020
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday said that its active and prominent participation in the United Nations General Assembly's opening session and allied meetings manifested its support and commitment to the UN's purposes and principles.
In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan would continue to participate actively in that endeavour, in cooperation with other member states, to build a world where conflict was outlawed and equitable prosperity for all was pursued in conditions of peace and security.
He said as noted by Prime Minister Imran Khan in his address to the General Assembly on Sept 25, the United Nations should be made fully responsive to the challenges of present times. He said Pakistan participated at the highest level in the opening segment of the General Assembly's annual session from Sept 21 to Oct 1, 2020.
He said this year's session was of enhanced significance due to the United Nations 75th anniversary celebrations. The limitations imposed by Covid-19 necessitated the conduct of meetings in a virtual format.
Prime Minister Imran Khan reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to multilateralism; exposed egregious violations of human rights and international law in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK); called for realisation of the Kashmiris right to self-determination; and articulated Pakistan's perspective on a host of contemporary global and regional challenges.
FO calls for a world where conflict is outlawed
He also participated as one of the key speakers in four other high-level events organised on the sidelines, pertaining to poverty alleviation; illicit financial flows; financing for development; and bio-diversity summit.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi took part in numerous activities including the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the UN and the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, as well as the ministerial meetings of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation; Uniting for Consensus group; and the UN Alliance of Civilisations.
The prime minister highlighted the developments in the IIOJK, and demanded peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
← At least 15 killed in east Afghanistan car bomb attack
Bodies of Rajouri labourers exhumed, laid to rest in hometown →
SPOTLIGHT: PAKISTAN'S TURKISH SWEETHEART
June 28, 2020 June 28, 2020 Yahya 0
Pakistan set 282-run target for Zimbabwe in first ODI at Pindi Stadium
Imran Khan should not instigate Judiciocracy – Hashmat Habib


text:
UPDATE: victim in deadly Camden County shooting identified
1 year 2 months 1 week ago Tuesday, November 20 2018 Nov 20, 2018 Tuesday, November 20, 2018 3:38:00 PM CST November 20, 2018 in News
By: Greta Serrin, KOMU 8 Digital Producer, Ethan Illers & Daniel Perreault, KOMU 8 Reporters
Christine Zahn
CAMDENTON - The Camden County Sheriff's Office identified the victim in Monday's early morning homicide as Derek Ray Harrelson, 34, from Camdenton.
Prosecutors filed murder and armed criminal action charges Tuesday in connection with the shooting. Christine Zahn, 47, has been arrested and charged for shooting Harrelson at a residence just north of Greenview around midnight.
Helms said Harrelson and Zahn had an on-again, off-again relationship. Zahn claims Harrelson aggressively moved toward her, causing her to shoot him. Helms said they are not investigating this as motive for self-defense and found inconsistencies in Zahn's story.
According to the probable cause statement, Zahn originally told deputies she had come back from a bar and was getting ready for bed when she heard her dogs barking. Zahn said she saw a man running toward her from the kitchen "in an aggressive manner," so she grabbed a rifle and shot him. After she fired, Zahn reportedly ran, leaving the rifle behind.
During a later interview, Zahn's story changed, telling deputies she found Harrelson in her home and the two got into an argument "because he had accused her of cheating." When Harrelson started "raising his voice and growling," Zahn apparently grabbed the rifle and shot him "because she was scared." Deputies said Zahn told them she didn't actually run away after the shooting, but called her current boyfriend.
Zahn reportedly said she shot Harrelson because she was scared and had never seen him that angry. She never claimed there was any physical contact, but there had been prior domestic incidents.
Deputies said the investigation was ongoing.
Zahn is in jail with her bond set at $500,000 and charged with second degree murder and armed criminal action, said Helms. A judge ordered Zahn to be monitored by GPS and to not have any weapons in possession.
[Editor's note: This is a developing story. KOMU 8 News will continue to update it as more information becomes available.]


text:
The Iowa Caucuses Are In 17 Days. What's Going On In The Early States?
Jan. 17, 2020 , at 10:21 AM
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY FIVETHIRTYEIGHT / GETTY IMAGES
Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup.
Poll(s) of the week
Throughout the primary, we've been tracking polls in the four early states to better understand how the race differs in each of them, as each state tells its own story about how the 2020 Democratic primary could shake out.
For instance, Iowa is a very tight race between former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. And New Hampshire is really competitive, too, with less than 10 percentage points separating Sanders and Biden in our forecast. (Warren and Buttigieg aren't too far off either.) Nevada, on the other hand, appears to be more of a two-way race between Sanders and Biden, while South Carolina remains — at least at this point — in Biden's column, as our forecast gives him a 3 in 5 shot at winning the most votes there.
Of course, things could once again shift before the voting starts in Iowa, but here's a deep dive on where things stand as of Friday morning in each of these states.
Biden, Sanders neck and neck In Iowa
All VideosYouTube
Iowa and New Hampshire are really competitive
Remarkably, Biden, Sanders, Warren and Buttigieg are all in the hunt in both Iowa and New Hampshire: No one has more than a 35 percent chance of winning either state, according to our forecast.
And our state polling averages illustrate just how close things are. Sanders and Biden are essentially tied in Iowa, with Buttigieg and Warren trailing, but within about 5 points of the lead. And Sanders holds a slim lead over Biden in New Hampshire, although one might expect the Vermont senator to have an advantage there — New Hampshire tends to favor politicians from neighboring states. In New Hampshire, too, Warren and Buttigieg aren't too far behind the leaders.
Iowa and New Hampshire are wide-open contests
Democratic presidential candidates' polling averages in Iowa and New Hampshire, as of Jan. 17 at 9 a.m.
Bernie Sanders 20.1% Bernie Sanders 19.6%
Joe Biden 19.5 Joe Biden 18.5
Pete Buttigieg 16.8 Elizabeth Warren 15.1
Elizabeth Warren 15.2 Pete Buttigieg 13.9
Amy Klobuchar 6.7 Amy Klobuchar 6.7
Andrew Yang 3.5 Tom Steyer 3.8
Tom Steyer 3.1 Tulsi Gabbard 3.7
Michael Bloomberg 2.2 Andrew Yang 3.7
Tulsi Gabbard 1.7 Michael Bloomberg* 2.9
Michael Bennet 0.1 Michael Bennet 0.4
John Delaney 0.1 Deval Patrick 0.3
Deval Patrick 0.0 John Delaney 0.2
*Michael Bloomberg didn't file to run in New Hampshire, but some pollsters have included him when surveying the state.
Source: Polls
But the dearth of state-level polls in December means that some of the polls feeding our averages may no longer reflect the current state of the race, so let's take a closer look at some of the bigger polls released in the last 10 days. Monmouth University's latest Iowa poll underscored how important voters' ideological leanings could be in that state, as many caucus-goers will end up backing their second-choice candidate — not their first — in the realignment process. (If a candidate does not have enough support, usually at least 15 percent of voters at a caucus site, their supporters are asked to align themselves with another candidate.) Overall, Biden was first in that poll with 24 percent support, but he also had the most support (35 percent) among voters who said they were moderate or conservative — and that group made up a majority of the poll's respondents. Buttigieg came in second among these voters at 15 percent, followed by Sanders at 13 percent. By contrast, among very liberal voters, Sanders led with 29 percent support with Warren in second at 25 percent, while Buttigieg had 14 percent and Biden had just 11 percent. But among the "somewhat" liberal voters in between, Buttigieg actually led with 22 percent, followed by Sanders at 20 percent. In other words, a different candidate led in each ideological "lane," with a ton of overlap — in particular, Sanders and Warren — which could play to either Sanders's or Warren's detriment.
Similarly, a new poll from RKM Research and Communications on behalf of Franklin Pierce University, the Boston Herald and NBC 10 Boston showed New Hampshire has some of the same ideological divides. Overall, the survey found Biden in first with 26 percent, but once again Biden did best among more moderate (and conservative) voters with 27 percent, compared to 16 percent for both Sanders and Warren. Meanwhile, Sanders led among liberal voters with 29 percent, followed by Biden at 26 percent and Warren at 20 percent. (The pollster didn't separate "somewhat liberal" and "very liberal" like Monmouth did.)
So as some progressives have feared, it's possible that Sanders and Warren are hindering each other because of the ideological overlap among their supporters. After all, a new Quinnipiac University national poll found that more than 50 percent of Sanders's and Warren's supporters picked the other progressive as their second choice. And in New Hampshire, there's another way they might be holding one another back: Since they both represent neighboring states, they could be limiting each other's home-field edge.
Nevada's close, Biden dominates South Carolina
Nevada and South Carolina look a bit different from the first two states in that their polls are less top-heavy, with fewer contenders in the mix. However, Nevada is still very much up for grabs — Biden and Sanders are separated by about 3 points in our polling average, and our forecast gives them both about a 1 in 3 chance of winning. But Biden still has a notable advantage in South Carolina, where he leads the polls by more than 20 points and has nearly a 60 percent chance of winning, per our forecast.
Nevada is competitive, but South Carolina is Biden's to lose
Democratic presidential candidates' polling averages in Nevada and South Carolina, as of Jan. 17 at 9 a.m.
Joe Biden 22.7% Joe Biden 35.2%
Bernie Sanders 19.6 Bernie Sanders 14.5
Elizabeth Warren 14.4 Elizabeth Warren 11.0
Tom Steyer 8.2 Tom Steyer 9.8
Pete Buttigieg 6.4 Pete Buttigieg 4.2
Andrew Yang 3.9 Michael Bloomberg* 3.8
Amy Klobuchar 2.8 Andrew Yang 2.3
Michael Bloomberg* 2.2 Amy Klobuchar 1.7
Tulsi Gabbard 1.4 Tulsi Gabbard 1.4
John Delaney 0.4 John Delaney 0.3
Deval Patrick 0.2 Deval Patrick 0.2
*Michael Bloomberg didn't file to run in Nevada or South Carolina, but some pollsters have included him when surveying those states.
Part of the reason the dynamics of these two states are so different is that Iowa and New Hampshire still haven't voted, which could dramatically shift the race, and that Nevada and South Carolina's electorates are just much more diverse than those of the first two states to vote — and Biden has made the most significant inroads with voters of color, followed by Sanders and Warren.
Nevada is a particularly interesting case because even though Biden tends to lead among nonwhite voters nationally because of his strong support from black voters, nonwhite voters in Nevada are more likely to be Hispanic, and two recent Nevada surveys found Sanders narrowly ahead of or tied with Biden among Hispanics.
First, a Nevada survey from Fox News found Biden in first overall with 23 percent and Sanders in second at 17 percent, but both attracted the same share of Hispanic voters (24 percent); Biden's edge among white voters (22 percent) might have been what tipped him over the edge, as Sanders attracted only 13 percent of that group. Meanwhile, another Nevada poll by Suffolk University, conducted for USA Today and the Reno Gazette-Journal, found Biden and Sanders essentially tied for first with around 20 percent support and neck and neck at about 20 percent among nonwhite voters. Biden had an ever-so-slight edge over Sanders among white voters (19 percent to 16 percent).
As for South Carolina, Biden has consistently led there due to his strong support among black voters, who made up about 60 percent of the Democratic primary electorate in 2016. A Fox News poll released late last week found Biden's edge in South Carolina mostly holding as he led the field with 36 percent overall, including 43 percent of black voters. Billionaire Tom Steyer did make noise by coming in second with 15 percent overall, though that may partly be the result of him flooding the airwaves in South Carolina. Still, Steyer got support from 16 percent of African American voters, which could be evidence that some black voters are open to alternatives other than Biden. For now, the Biden firewall in the Palmetto State is holding up, though that could, of course, change if he performs poorly in earlier contests.
With just over two weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, there's definitely a traffic jam at the top of the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire that makes those states fairly unpredictable at this point. And whatever happens in those initial contests will likely affect Nevada and South Carolina, too, so stay tuned as we keep a close watch on how the polls move once the voting starts.
Other polling bites
Speaking of Biden's base, a new national poll from The Washington Post and Ipsos found 48 percent of black Democratic registered voters supported Biden. Sanders was second with 20 percent support, and no other candidate reached double-digit support. There was a noticeable age difference in Biden and Sanders's supporters: Among registered voters 50 years and older, Biden captured more than 50 percent support. He also led Sanders, 41 percent to 16 percent, among voters 35 to 49 years old. Yet among those under the age of 35, Sanders attracted 42 percent support versus Biden's 30 percent.
An LX/Morning Consult poll asked Americans about Iowa and New Hampshire's role in the nominating process and found that only 41 percent felt that these states represented their views in the presidential primary "very well" or "somewhat well" while 59 percent said "not very well" or "not at all." Still, 59 percent said they were "very" or "somewhat" satisfied with the tradition of Iowa and New Hampshire kicking things off, compared to 41 percent who were dissatisfied.
In the wake of reports that Sanders told Warren in 2018 that he believed a woman couldn't beat President Trump, YouGov asked Americans about their views on this issue. Fifty-three percent of respondents said that either a man or woman could defeat Trump, while 11 percent said that a man could beat Trump but not a woman. Another 20 percent said that neither a man nor a woman could defeat Trump, including 60 percent of Republicans.
In a new poll from Pew Research Center, 48 percent of Americans said that the airstrike that killed Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani was the right decision while 43 percent said it wasn't. However, 54 percent felt that the Trump administration's approach to Iran has increased the chances of a military conflict between the U.S. and Iran and a plurality — 44 percent — said it has made the country less safe.
A HuffPost/YouGov survey asked Americans their views on trade and the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, finding that many Americans are relatively unaware of the trade deal, which the Senate passed on Thursday. Forty-four percent said they favored the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, another 44 percent said they weren't sure what they thought of it and 11 percent opposed it. Two explanations for why so many Americans weren't sure? Four out of five respondents said they had heard little or nothing at all about the trade deal. And Americans are also generally somewhat uncertain about trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries — 43 percent said such deals are a good thing, while 20 percent said they were a bad thing and 37 percent said they weren't sure.
In a survey of American attitudes toward vaccines, Gallup found that there is still uncertainty about the debunked claim that vaccines can cause autism. Although only 10 percent said that certain vaccinations can cause autism and 45 percent said they do not, a plurality — 46 percent — said they weren't sure. However, 86 percent said that the diseases vaccines prevent are more dangerous than the vaccines themselves.
In a new poll from YouGov measuring attitudes toward the Confederate flag among Americans, a plurality of respondents in two former Confederate states — Arkansas and Louisiana — said that the flag represented heritage more than racism. Of the other nine states that were part of the Confederacy, pluralities in seven said that the flag represented racism more than heritage, while respondents in Alabama and Florida were split evenly.
Trump approval
According to FiveThirtyEight's presidential approval tracker, 42.4 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 52.9 percent disapprove (a net approval rating of -10.5 points). At this time last week, 41.9 percent approved and 53.3 percent disapproved (for a net approval rating of -11.4 points). One month ago, Trump had an approval rating of 43.2 percent and a disapproval rating of 52.5 percent, for a net approval rating of -9.3 points.
Generic ballot
In our average of polls of the generic congressional ballot, Democrats currently lead by 5.9 percentage points (47.0 percent to 41.1 percent). A week ago, Democrats led Republicans by 6.6 points (47.5 percent to 40.9 percent). At this time last month, voters preferred Democrats by 6.6 points (47.2 percent to 40.6 percent).
2020 Election (1205 posts) 2020 Democratic Primary (711) Polls (471) Pollapalooza (199) Iowa Caucus (141) New Hampshire Primary (80) South Carolina Primary (41) Nevada Caucus (38)


This study examines quality performance among community health centers (CHC) on three key measures of primary and preventive care — diabetes and blood pressure control and timely Pap tests — using quality in Medicaid managed care organizations (MCO) as a benchmark. The study also identifies factors that differ significantly between high- and lower-performing health centers. Most health centers perform better than 75% of all Medicaid MCOs on the two chronic care measures, and more than 1 in 10 exceed this benchmark on all three quality measures. Few health centers lag behind average Medicaid MCO performance on all three measures. Lower-performing health centers have very high uninsured and homeless rates, while high performers have higher rates of Medicare and privately insured patients, a finding that suggests that the ACA expansion of Medicaid and private insurance may foster gains in health center quality performance.


Served steaming hot, the aroma and chunky consistency are irrestible!
This is a BIG HIT dish. Consider making an oven-ready 2nd batch.
Yes, grown men will ask for the recipe.
Chop the fresh onion. Drain canned artichokes and chop.
Peel and mince gresh garlic.
Empty into a medium sized oven safe cassarole dish.
Serve immediately surrounded by pita chips, bugles, melba rounds or corn-chip-scoops.


Brain imaging may help to improve objective measures of football-related injuries.
The concern for concussions, especially for repeated concussions in young athletes, is on the rise. According to the National Institutes of Health, sports are the second leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people who are between 15 and 24 years of age—only motor vehicle crashes cause more. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 248,000 children and teens land in the emergency department each year as the result of a concussion suffered during sports or other physical activities, such as bicycle riding. Among sports, football carries a particularly high risk; despite wearing protective headgear, football players have a 75% chance of sustaining a concussion, according to the Sports Concussion Institute.
Not only are the numbers alarming but also "in children and in young adults, there have been cases of second impact syndrome, where a second concussion can result in dramatic and accelerated swelling of the brain, which can lead to death," says Alexander Norbash, MD, a professor and chair of radiology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. "We're not only concerned about the long-term effect of concussions if they're ignored; we're also concerned about the short-term effect of concussions and when we can safely have players return to play."
Traditionally, concussions have been diagnosed by symptoms, which can include a headache that gradually worsens, nausea, dizziness, confusion, forgetfulness, insomnia, and irritability. The problem with this method of diagnosis is that players often believe that they have to stay active to be valuable to their team and may not always be totally honest about how they feel, Norbash says. Neurologists and radiologists agree that there needs to be a better way to diagnose concussions and their impact on brain health in both the short and long run.
"We really need an objective way to understand when a person's cognition is affected by a concussion and, of greater immediacy, if their life is at risk because of a head injury," Norbash says.
To help address this need, imaging may be able to play a significant role. Because of the siting requirements of MRI and the time it takes to complete a scan, imaging may not be a solution to diagnosing concussions on the sidelines of any football field—high school or professional—at least not currently, although two National Football League (NFL) stadiums have MRIs on site. However, a number of research projects are under way across the country that use imaging to better diagnose concussions and their impact on athletes' brain health.
A number of studies show that concussed players demonstrate changes in blood flow to their brains as a direct result of concussion and recovery, and imaging is proving to be very good at showing those changes, the researchers say. One study that is being conducted by University of California, Irvine (UCI) researchers at the Toshiba MR Research Center in Irvine, California, is looking for links between cerebral microbleeds and head trauma. Cerebral microbleeds are relatively common in people older than 60, and the risk for microbleeds continues to increase with age, says lead researcher Mark Fisher, MD, a UCI professor of neurology. But cerebral microbleeds should not be present in high school students, he says. Noncontrast MRI is a safe and effective way to examine youth athletes for early signs of cerebral microbleeds, which may be an early sign of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a well-documented potential result of subconcussive head injury, Fisher says.
"As a consequence, we are looking for the presence of cerebral microbleeds in students who are high school football players," Fisher says. "We think that the presence of microbleeds in the high school football population will be a marker for head trauma and could be a biomarker for risk of CTE."
The UCI researchers are recruiting 100 high school football players as test subjects and 50 control subjects who do not play football. "We're in the midst of recruiting and relatively early in the study," Fisher says. The study subjects will undergo noncontrast MRIs throughout the season with Toshiba's Vantage Titan 3T MR system, which was chosen for its ability to provide noncontrast neuroimaging. The Titan 3T system has a suite of advanced neuroimaging sequences that are sensitive to blood flow as well as blood products, says Jon Furuyama, PhD, product manager in the MRI business unit at Toshiba America Medical Systems.
One of the sequences is Toshiba's Flow-Sensitive Black Blood (FSBB). T2-weighted sequences are particularly sensitive to microscopic susceptibility differences, but when using longer echo times, overall image quality begins to suffer. The FSBB sequence applies motion-probing gradients to generate significantly improved vessel contrast, without suffering from excessive T2 decay.
"We're looking for very slowly moving blood which could be a sign of microbleeds," Furuyma says. While slowly moving blood could be an indication that the player has a microbleed, it's too soon to say what the research will show, he adds.
Fisher also can't "make any firm statements one way or another" at this point in the research, but he, too, is hoping "to be able to offer guidance regarding the safety of players returning to the field based on our findings."
In July, researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin presented a study at the American Academy of Neurology's Sports Concussion Conference in Chicago that found concussed football players had significant blood flow reduction in the brain after clinical recovery. Their study was a follow-up to one they presented in November 2015 at RSNA. "The main finding of the study we presented at the Sports Concussion Conference was consistent with what we presented at RSNA last year," says Yang Wang, MD, PhD, an associate professor of radiology at the Medical College.
The first study examined 18 concussed players and 19 nonconcussed players. All of the players underwent baseline studies before the football season. The players who were concussed underwent an MRI within 24 hours of their injury and had a follow-up MRI eight days later. These players showed significant impairment on clinical assessment at 24 hours after their injury, but they returned to their baseline levels at eight days. While their clinical assessments showed that their concussion symptoms improved, the MRIs of their brains showed that the concussed players had significant decreases in blood flow eight days postinjury. Players who had not been concussed had no change in cerebral blood flow between the two MRIs.
"The MRIs showed that even those in clinical recovery still had neurophysiological abnormalities," Wang says.
The cohort for the second study was about one-third larger, and the researchers used an advanced arterial spin labeling sequence with multiple postlabeling delay to measure blood flow for this study, Wang says. The second study also involved more MRIs at 24 or 48 hours after the head injury, and at eight, 15, and 45 days out. "This way, we can see the full picture of what's going on after a concussion," Wang says. Wang says he's hoping the studies, which are ongoing, can contribute to the discussion about whether athletes, young athletes in particular, should be concerned about potentially increased susceptibility to long-term effects from a second concussion.
Researchers from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas; Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., have also added to the growing body of literature about the long-term effects of blows to the head from contact sports and their effects on young people's brains. In May, the researchers published a study in the Journal of Neurotrauma that found youths who play a single season of high school football can have brain changes, regardless of whether they are diagnosed with physical symptoms or concussions. The researchers evaluated approximately two dozen players who underwent pre- and postseason tests: cognitive (reaction time, memory, and executive function), MRI, and magnetoencephalography. During the season, the players wore special helmets embedded with sensors that detected impacts the players received.
The National Institutes of Health-funded study, in its third of five years, is looking at five consecutive seasons individually.
"It's [also] important to conduct longitudinal studies to see if there are changes that persist beyond the end of the season," says Joseph Maldjian, MD, chief of the neuroradiology division and director of the Advanced Neuroscience Imaging Research Lab, which is part of the Peter O'Donnell Brain Institute at UT Southwestern. "That's where we want to go next."
One of the MRI techniques that the researchers used is diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), which is being used to detect normal development as well as pathological changes in neural tissues. DKI measures water inside the brain cells and allows researchers to measure abnormalities in white matter. White matter is made up of fibers that connect brain cells and can speed or slow nerve signals. Damage to white matter may be what limits the ability of the brain to make proper connections after a traumatic brain injury, Maldjian says. Combining cognitive evaluation, biomechanics, and imaging helps "our understanding of the effects of subconcussive impacts on the brain," he says.
Because they use helmets with sensors, the researchers are limited to studying helmeted sports. However, Maldjian says, "we are looking at alternate sensor technologies, such as mouth guard-based sensors, that will allow us to study other sports that don't use helmets, such as girls' soccer." The goal of their work, he says, is not to alarm parents but to "understand what's going on and to try to keep football and other contact sports safe for millions of youth and adolescents, whose brains are still developing. We're hoping that we can look at our results in terms of particular activities or drills … to see if we can help shape the future of some of these sports so they're safer activities."
Hunt Batjer, MD, a professor and chairman of neurological surgery at UT Southwestern, an expert on brain injury, and an advisor to the NFL, says researchers might also get more useful information on the effects of concussions using PET imaging to detect tau proteins in the brain. Alzheimer's disease researchers have found that they can use a new agent that binds to tau and makes it visible on PET scans. It is believed that the buildup of two proteins, amyloid beta and tau, causes cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's.
"If I were a betting man," Batjer says, "I believe it will be a combination of techniques like this that will help us eventually to definitively identify brain disorders and the effects of trauma on the brain."
In addition, UT Southwestern is one of a number of participants in a sports concussion registry in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The registry, which opened at the end of December, is for anyone over the age of 5. Researchers are hoping the registry, by capturing comprehensive data on sports-related concussion and mild traumatic brain injuries, can help to identify the best ways to standardize care and evaluate different treatments of this population.
Researchers also are using ultrasound to examine the long-term effects of concussions in young athletes. A study that used ultrasound to map changes in blood flow in the brain after concussions was presented at the American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) 68th annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada, in April. For their study, the researchers employed an advanced version of transcranial Doppler found in neuro ICUs. The researchers developed a series of algorithms that enabled them to measure very small changes in blood flow when patients had mild injuries or concussions.
For the study, a group of 66 high school athletes who played contact sports and had recently been diagnosed with concussions were compared with a control group of 169 high school athletes from contact sports (football, soccer, basketball, hockey, water polo, and lacrosse) and noncontact sports (cheerleading, cross country, cycling, tennis, and track). About 30% of both groups were female. Brain blood flow was measured in the concussed athletes within an average of six days after their injury. The concussed athletes also underwent a general concussion evaluation and had their blood pressure checked.
Using traditional ultrasound, changes in cerebral blood flow reactivity could only differentiate between the concussed and control groups 60% of the time, but advanced software improved this overall accuracy to 83%. "Our research suggests that the advanced form of ultrasound may add important information for clinicians," says Robert Hamilton, PhD, a member of the AAN. Hamilton also presented his study at the AAN's Sports Concussion Conference in July.
Hamilton says he and his colleagues were very encouraged by their initial results and are going to continue to develop the technology. "There are future applications for what we're doing, although more research is needed."


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Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168 (Passa comptes, paraula retronant!), és una cantata religiosa de Johann Sebastian Bach per al novè diumenge després de la Trinitat, estrenada a Leipzig el 29 de juliol de 1725.

Origen i context
El llibret és de Salomo Franck, secretari major i poeta oficial de Weimar, la seva ciutat natal, aparegut en el Evangelisches Andachts-Opfer de l'any 1715, i en el coral final empra la vuitena estrofa de l'himne Herr Jesu Christ, dü höchstes de Bartholomaüs Ringwaldt (1588). Molt probablement la versió actual d'aquesta cantata estrenada a Leipzig és basada en una d'anterior de l'època de Weimar, ja que conté moltes analogies ––nombre i seqüència dels moviments, el cor només participa en l'últim número i tampoc no conté cap citació bíblica – amb la BWV 164. El llibret al·ludeix a l'evangeli del dia Lluc (16, 1-9), que narra la Paràbola de l'administrador astut, en què un administrador que malversava els béns del seu senyor, en ser descobert perdonà als deutors per tal que l'ajudessin quan el seu amo el fes fora de la feina; el Senyor lloà la seva actitud perquè havia actuat amb astúcia, dient: "Guanyeu-os amics a costa del diner, que és enganyós, perquè, quant to s'hagi acabat, us rebin a les estances eternes". El passatge es pren com a exemple del menyspreu al diner i a la riquesa material, al déu Mammon, citat en els números 4 i 5 del text. Per a aquest diumenge es conserven, a més, les cantates BWV 94 i la BWV 105.

Anàlisi
Obra escrita per a soprano, contralt, tenor, baix i cor; dos oboès d'amor, corda i baix continu. Consta de sis números.

 Ària (baix): Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort (Passa comptes, paraula retronat!)
 Recitatiu (tenor): Es ist nur fremdes Gut (Només són que béns impropis)
 Ària (tenor): Kapital und Interessen (El capital, fins i tot l'interès)
 Recitatiu (baix): Jedoch, erschrocknes Herz, leb und verzage nicht! (Emperò, cor commòs, viu i no et desanimis!)
 Ària (duet de soprano i contralt): Herz, zerreiß des Mammons Kette (Les cadenes del diner desfés-me, O cor!)
 Coral: Stärk mich mit deinem Freudengeist (Que em reforci el teu esperit joiós )

El primer número és una ària de baix molt expressiva i amb unes imatges sonores d'acord amb el text que parla de trons que destrossen les roques i congelen la sang. Segueix un recitatiu de tenor acompanyat pels dos oboès, situació poc freqüent en les cantates de Bach, que es converteix en arioso a partir de Ihr Berge fallt! (muntanyes enfonseu-vos!). El número 3 és una ària, també de tenor, en què els dos oboès toquen a l'uníson, dividida en dues parts de tres versos cadascuna, separades per un ritornello. El recitatiu de baix, número 4, no té gaire aspectes a destacar, a no ser l'ascens al punt més alt de la tessitura sobre Himmemlshütten (estança celestial). El número 5 és un duet per a soprano i contralt només amb el continu, sense cap altre acompanyament instrumental, en la que es destaquen, mitjançant diferents formes musicals retòriques, els mots Kette (cadena), Sterbebette (jaç de la mort) i ewig bleiben (per sempre). El coral final amb el text indicat, dona gràcies al Senyor i al seu sacrifici, clou la cantata que té una durada aproximada d'una mica més d'un quart d'hora.

Discografia seleccionada
 J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk. Sacred Cantatas Vol. 9. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien, Tölzer Knabenchor (Gerard Schmidt-Gaden, director), Helmut Witek, Christian Immler (solistes del cor), Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl. (Teldec), 1994.
 J.S. Bach: The complete live recordings from the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage. CD 35: Duomo di S. Nicolo, Merano; 19 d'agost de 2000. John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Katharine Fuge, Daniel Taylor, James Gilchrist, Peter Harvey. (Soli Deo Gloria), 2013.
 J.S. Bach: Cantatas and Sacred Masterpieces. John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Katharine Fuge, Daniel Taylor, James Gilchrist, Peter Harvey. (Archiv Produktion), 2010.
 J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 9. Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Johannette Zomer, Bogna Bartosz, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens. (Challenge Classics), 2004.
 J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 40. Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Yukari Nonoshita, Robin Blaze, Makoto Sakurada, Peter Kooij. (BIS), 2008.
 J.S. Bach: Church Cantatas Vol. 50. Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Nancy Burns, Verena Gohl, Theo Altmeyer, Siegmund Nimsgern. (Hänssler), 1999.
 J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the Liturgical Year Vol. 17. Sigiswald Kuijken, La Petite Bande, Elisabeth Hermans, Petra Noskaiova, Christoph Genz, Jan van der Crabben. (Accent Records), 2013.

Referències

Bibliografia
 Edmon Lemaître. "Guide de La Musique Sacrée et chorale profane. L'âge baroque 1600-1750". Fayard, París, 1992.
 Enrique Martínez Miura. "Bach. Guías Scherzo". Ediciones Península, Barcelona, 2001.
 Daniel S. Vega Cernuda. "Bach. Repertorio completo de la música vocal". Cátedra, Barcelona, 2004.
 Alfred Dürr. "The Cantatas of J. S. Bach". Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2005.

Enllaços externs
 La Ruta Bach de Catalunya Ràdio ,
 Bach Cantatas Website
 J.S. Bach Home Page

Cantates de Johann Sebastian Bach
Obres del 1725


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Home/News/Tina Turner Sells Catalog, Name & Likeness For Estimated $50 Million
Tina Turner Sells Catalog, Name & Likeness For Estimated $50 Million
Gibson Precious October 9, 2021 News Leave a comment
Tina Turner has sold her immense catalog, name, and likeness to BMG for an estimated $50 million.
On Wednesday, the Queen of Rock & Roll released a statement confirming that she'd inked the new deal with the German music company. She will continue to be signed under the Warner Music record label, but BMG will be handling the safekeeping of all her past work, which spans 60 years.
"I am confident that with BMG and Warner Music, my work is in professional and reliable hands," the 81-year-old said in a statement.
The news sent fans into an emotional whirlwind, with many of them believing that the deal was done in response to the singer's declining health. Robbie Montgomery of "Sweetie Pies" recently did an interview with Black Enterprise, where she stated that her longtime friend, whom she used to sing backup for, was "not well." Turner suffered a stroke in 2013, and in 2016, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. The following year, the international star suffered kidney failure.
No matter her reasoning for the new deal, BMG says they are "honored" to be managing the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers musical affairs.
"It is a responsibility we take seriously and will pursue diligently. She is truly and simply the best," stated CEO of BMG, Hartwig Masuch.
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