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US Intelligence Community: From Past to Present Essay
The US Intelligence Community can be traced back to the yearss of the 1776 Revolution. The nation's foremost spyhead. General George Washington used undercover agents to accurately nail the motions of the British Army during the Revolutionary War. The British Army besides employed undercover agents to place possible dissenters in the largely loyalist South. The Revolution besides produced the country's foremost cryptographer. Dr. Benjamin Church. Dr. Church posed as a member of the Boston 'school' while supplying indispensable intelligence about Rebel activities to General Gage. the British commanding officer of Boston.
After his assignment as head sawbones of the Continental Army. he continued to supply necessary information to the British. Dr. Church place was compromised after Samuel West deciphered a missive the former sent to the British. Dr. Church was sent into expatriate. What by and large struck me was the engagement of Benjamin Franklin in spy games. Franklin became the head of the country's foremost formal intelligence-gathering bureau – the alleged 'Committee of Secret Correspondence. ' This bureau was formed in 1775 with the primary end of garnering information about sentiments towards the Revolutionary War in Europe.
However. the bureau extended its authorization. It authorized its 'employees' to utilize necessary methods in 'influencing support for the Revolution in Europe. ' Franklin. through a secret dialogue. asked France to supply Gallic military personnels. France offered both its ground forces and naval forces to back up the American revolutionists. After the Revolution. the American Intelligence Community adopted an isolationist stance. The bureau became one of the primary organisations tasked to the edifice of a state.
Espionage was viewed as a tool for defence – ne'er a public-service corporation for increasing colonial influence. As a consequence. the Gallic. Spanish. and British had small problem larning American activities. During the War of 1812. US governments were able to nail British motions in the continent ( and the purpose of firing Washington ) . However. no one knew how to utilize the procured information. American intelligence was awkward and supra-inefficient. The first major spring in the development of a sophisticated intelligence system came during the American Civil War.
Both Union and the Confederacy used undercover agents non merely for information-gathering but besides for sabotage. Allan Pinkerton formed an intelligence community tasked to supplying war information to General McClelland. In the South. General Robert E. Lee relied on the alleged 'Canadian Cabinet' – a group of Southern leaders who directed espionage against the Union. Although both sides were able to develop efficient intelligence systems. many military commanding officers belittled the importance of intelligence in military runs.
It was merely during American's entry to the First World War that American military commanding officers began to see the existent advantages of an effectual intelligence community. This can be exhibited by the creative activity of the convoy system. American undercover agents in Europe sent critical information about the activities of U-boats in the Atlantic ( its motions. possible marks. and scheme ) . Based on the information. the President ordered the creative activity of a convoy system which could protect merchant ships traversing the Atlantic Ocean. After the First World War. the United States had a really efficient and effectual intelligence community.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: How do I turn off text padding inside layout rectangle performed by Graphics.DrawString? When I write a string with Graphics.DrawString, passing a StringFormat object (carrying StringAlignment.Near) and a layout Rectangle, the text starts some number of pixels to the right of the edge of the Rectangle. This padding is related to size of the Font used, so it makes it impossible to programmatically align strings written in different sizes.
Is there a way to avoid this, and start the text immediately at X=0 relative to the layout rectangle?

A: You can resolve this by using GenericTypographic:
...
g.DrawString("Hi", font, Brushes.Black, 0, 0, StringFormat.GenericTypographic);
...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Mattracks: From drawing to the drawing board!
Mattracks was started in the early 1990's in northwest Minnesota after the founder's son "Matt" drew a picture of a vehicle with tracks on it. Today it has customers all over the world. Vice President Dan Laux tells us the story and what new products they have this year.


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Q: Reducing Dataframe Using Weights I have a pandas dataframe in the following format that I would like to reduce.

Index                CITY   YEAR   MONTH   HOUR   TEMP   DP   CC   ASTR   BSTR
2018-04-10 00:00:00  AAA    2018   4       1      20     10   0    hd     pv
2018-04-10 01:00:00  AAA    2018   4       2      10     10   10   fg     pv
...
2018-04-10 00:00:00  BBB    2018   4       1      30     20   5    cv     er
2018-04-10 01:00:00  BBB    2018   4       2      20     20   5    hd     fd
...
2018-04-10 00:00:00  CCC    2018   4       1      20     30   10   cv     fd
2018-04-10 01:00:00  CCC    2018   4       2      10     10   5    df     ee
...

Then the output should be something like:

Index                 YEAR   MONTH   HOUR   TEMP   DP   CC   ASTR   BSTR
2018-04-10 00:00:00   2018   4       1      24     20   5    cv     er
2018-04-10 01:00:00   2018   4       2      14     14   6.5  hd     fd
...

Where the TEMP, DP, and CC columns are a weighted average of each CITY's value for each unique index (the index is a datetime), and ASTR and BSTR is just the value of BBB. YEAR, MONTH, and HOUR should stay the same.
The weights for the above example could be given by the following dictionary:
weights = {"AAA" : 0.3, "BBB" : 0.4, "CCC" : 0.3}
My actual data has over 4 years worth of hourly data for multiple cities, so I would like some help coming up with an efficient solution, thanks!

A: Given the following dataframe:
df = pd.DataFrame([['2018-04-10 00:00:00',  'AAA',    2018,   4,       1,      20,     10,   0,    'hd',     'pv'],
                ['2018-04-10 01:00:00',  'AAA',    2018,   4,       2,      10,     10,   10,   'fg',     'pv'],
                ['2018-04-10 00:00:00',  'BBB',    2018,   4,       1,      30,     20,   5,    'cv',     'er'],
                ['2018-04-10 01:00:00',  'BBB',    2018,   4,       2,      20,     20,   5,    'hd',     'fd'],
                ['2018-04-10 00:00:00',  'CCC',    2018,   4,       1,      20,     30,   10,   'cv',     'fd'],
                ['2018-04-10 01:00:00',  'CCC',    2018,   4,       2,      10,     10,   5,    'df',     'ee']],
                columns = ['Index','CITY','YEAR','MONTH','HOUR','TEMP','DP','CC','ASTR','BSTR'])

And weights:
weights = {"AAA" : 0.3, "BBB" : 0.4, "CCC" : 0.3}

You can do the following:
w_a = lambda x: np.average(x, weights=list(weights.values()))
new = df.groupby('Index').agg({'TEMP': w_a, 'DP': w_a, 'CC': w_a})
new = new.join(df[df['CITY']=='BBB'][['Index','YEAR','MONTH','HOUR','ASTR','BSTR']].set_index('Index'), on='Index')

Which gives:
                     TEMP  DP   CC  YEAR  MONTH  HOUR ASTR BSTR
Index
2018-04-10 00:00:00    24  20  5.0  2018      4     1   cv   er
2018-04-10 01:00:00    14  14  6.5  2018      4     2   hd   fd

Note that this solution assumes that the keys in your weights dictionary are provided in the same order that the cities appear in the CITY column of your original df (i.e. sorted alphabetically).


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Podcasts Cities
Biophobia in the city: Are people who are fearful of nature less willing to protect it?
Eco-Business talks to environmental psychologist Dr Denise Dillon about Singapore's uncomfortable relationship with nature, whether loving nature is essential for conservation, and why climate anxiety might actually be a good thing.
https://eb.news/30dcIG_PQK6A
By Robin Hicks
2 min read April 7, 2021
How do people relate to the natural world, and where does their fear and love for it come from? If people fear nature, are they less likely to want to protect it?
In cities, where people are less exposed to natural settings, there is a risk that the innate human affiliation with nature — known as biophilia — is lost, and a fear of nature — known as biophobia — becomes the primary state of mind for city-dwellers.
Biophobia is not uncommon in cities like Singapore, where in the 1960s the majority of the population moved out of kampongs, rustic villages fringed by forest, and into high-rise apartments, as the city has rapidly modernised and developed many of its wild areas into housing blocks, shopping malls, and neatly manicured parks.
To listen to this podcast and continue reading this story for free
A fear of nature is a learned behaviour, and can be passed on to children, explains Dr Denise Dillon, an environmental psychologist. "Here in Singapore, some people are afraid of letting their children get into nature. This leads to children not liking ants or grasshoppers — and children typically love these insects. It's a learned response to think that nature is uncomfortable."
If people see a forest as a source of danger or discomfort, they're less motivated to want to protect it, and might instead support arguments for development.
Dr Denise Dillon, associate dean of research and research education, James Cook University
Dillon, who is associate dean of research and research education at James Cook University in Singapore, joins the Eco-Business Podcast to talk about people's relationship with nature, a month after the clearance of a patch of forest made national headlines, and stirred a debate about the city-state's ambition to be a "city in nature".
Tune in as we talk about:
Biophobia, and how it spreads
Singapore's relationship with wilderness
The evolutionary preferance for parks
Is a love of nature essential for conservation?
Why climate anxiety is a good thing
Singapore's future: a city without wilderness?


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Tag Archives: RCV
Political Overtime in Georgia & Maine
Note: Last week in the polling recount Update, a typographical error was made in one of the quoted Iowa polls. The Siena College/New York Times survey should have read: Sen. Joni Ernst (R) 45%, Theresa Greenfield (D) 44% (not 55-44%). We apologize for the mistake.
Oct. 26, 2020 — There has been discussion about seeing a great number of political campaigns not being called on Election Night, thus creating what could become a rather long "political overtime" period. Laws in two states, however, could send key Senate races into political overtime, but for a different reason than not having all of the ballots either received or counted.
Georgia and Maine have unique laws that create a secondary election period should no candidate receive majority support in the general election. Many states employ runoff contests in nomination battles, but Georgia and Maine are two entities with special laws governing the general election should no majority be achieved. In this particular year, three US Senate races, in a cycle where the battle for chamber control is close and intense, could be forced into political overtime in just those two places.
In Georgia, all contenders failing to reach the 50 percent mark sends the contest into a general election runoff. Considering the 2020 calendar, that secondary election date is scheduled for Jan. 5, meaning that the current election cycle would then be expanded for an additional two months. If the majority hinges on the two Georgia seats, it won't be until the new year until we would have the opportunity of knowing which party would lead the Senate in the next Congress.
In the Georgia-A seat, polling hasn't yet put one of the candidates, Sen. David Perdue (R) or Democratic nominee Jon Ossoff, at or over the 50 percent mark. In the last 10 polls of the Perdue-Ossoff race, neither man has reached 50 percent when any of the three minor party or independent candidates were listed, or referred to, in the survey questionnaire.
The Georgia-B campaign, which is the special election to fill the balance of resigned Sen. Johnny Isakson's (R) final term, is certainly headed for political overtime. Here, the candidates are placed on the same ballot regardless of political party affiliation.
Polling throughout this election year suggests that none of the four major candidates, appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R), Rep. Doug Collins (R-Gainesville), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D), and businessman Matt Lieberman (D), are anywhere close to majority support. Therefore, the top two finishers on Nov. 3 would advance to the secondary election on Jan. 5.
Posted in Election Analysis, Polling, States and tagged Election Night, Georgia, Jon Ossoff, Lisa Savage, Maine, Matt Lieberman, Max Linn, Ranked Choice Voting system, RCV, Rep. Doug Collins, Rev. Raphael Warnock, Sara Gideon, Sen. David Perdue, Sen. Johnny Isakson, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Sen. Susan Collins on October 26, 2020 by Jim Ellis. Leave a comment


An established and privately owned property business are looking to hire a Development Manager to oversee the delivery of their portfolio based in central Auckland.
The role will have a substantial development pipeline over the next number of years with an ambitious growth plan in NZ. The role will require the individual to drive the development and delivery of their portfolio as well as manage the strategic assets across Auckland.
This is a great role for someone who has broken into a development management role and keen to expand their experience alongside a very knowledgeable property professional.
Undertaking detailed feasibility and financial analysis of prospective developments to be presented to the board for approval.
Coordinate with real estate agents on sales and leasing programmes.
Help to deliver high quality projects that maximise the company's return on investment.
Proven development management experience across either commercial and/or residential.
This is genuine opportunity for an ambitious individual who wants to push their development career to another level based on the scope of works available for the right person to manage.


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The Syria Dilemma: A Critical Dialogue
Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies and Associate Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics, University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies
Bassel Korkor, US Legal Advisor to the Washington and United Nations, National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch
Michael Walzer, Professor Emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton
Moderator: Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology and Co-Chair of the Committee on Global Thought
The nightmare in Syria remains unresolved – and with no end in sight. The world has largely averted its gaze from the Syrian conflict since early September, when Russia's diplomatic intervention on the chemical weapons issue removed what seemed to be an imminent US military strike from the equation. Yet the key elements of the conflict remain firmly in place – indeed the Assad regime has emerged stronger than ever in the wake of the Russian deal, the violence in Syria has escalated, and the humanitarian situation has deteriorated dramatically, with colossal human, regional and geopolitical costs.
So what is to be done? This elusive question will be explored and debated in this momentous forum with several of the leading thinkers and practitioners in the world.
Back to Event Videos


A MUM who drove her car off a cliff and into a reservoir last year, killing herself and her three young children, did it deliberately, officials confirmed on Friday.
Suicidal Noel Bankhead drove a Land Rover off a 50-foot cliff with her two daughters and son inside. The motor then sank 40 feet into the depths of Lucky Peak Lake in Idaho.
The June 2, 2016, deaths were ruled a triple homicide-suicide by the Ada County Coroner's Office, the office said in a statement.
The 40-year-old's body along with those of her three children Anika Voermans, 13, 11-year-old Logan Voermans and Gwyneth Voermans, 8, were recovered from the reservoir along with the crushed 4x4.
The cause of death for all four was drowning associated with blunt force trauma.
Authorities said that witnesses told investigators that Bankhead was driving down the state highway when she turned off and positioned the car toward the cliff, then suddenly accelerated.
Officials said they found nothing mechanically wrong with the vehicle, but were unable to recover information from a water-damaged device on the vehicle that records speed, acceleration and breaking.
The Ada County Sheriff's Office cited witness statements and lack of skid marks in making its determination that Bankhead acted deliberately.
Toxicology tests found no medication or alcohol in Bankhead's system.
Sheriff's spokesman Patrick Orr declined to comment on Bankhead's motive.
Bankhead went through a divorce about two years before the crash.
Her obituary described her as an avid runner and full-time working mom who had worked as a paralegal and legal secretary for more than 20 years.
Obituaries described her children as active and curious with various interests and hobbies.


ZURICH.- Galerie Gmurzynska is presenting a retrospective of the six-decade career of the groundbreaking modernist painter Wifredo Lam (1902-1982). Presented in collaboration with the estate of the artist, the show includes an important group of major paintings ranging from rarely seen masterpieces from the1930s and '40s to signature works from the 1960s.
Lam travelled constantly throughout his long life, living and painting alongside many of the mostimportant artists of the 20th century. His early training as an artist in Havana and Madrid shows thepowerful influence of Matisse before in 1938 he moved to Paris where he joined Picasso and the Parisian avant-garde and his work takes a turn towards abstraction and Surrealism. He returned to Cuba in 1941 to escape the depredations of World War II and there painted one of his greatest masterpieces "The Jungle" (1943), which the Museum of Modern Art, in New York, acquired under its founding director Alfred Barr in 1945, and "Untitled" (1945), which is included in this show, a radically mono-chromatic, minimal reinterpretation of the jungle theme that is also linked to "The Antillean Parade" (1945), a major painting in the collection of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.


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Assault weapons manufactured for the civilian market, equipped with detachable high-capacity ammunition magazines, are virtually identical to their military counterparts designed for the battlefield. The difference is that military assault weapons are selective-fire. That is, they are capable of fully automatic fire (firing rounds continuously as long as the trigger is depressed by the shooter)—or three-shot bursts—as well as semiautomatic fire. Civilian assault weapons are semiautomatic-only firearms (the trigger must be pulled back separately for each round fired). In the civilian world, this is a distinction without a difference in terms of public safety. The unique design features of semiautomatic assault weapons allow the shooter to efficiently kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time available. In fact, increased lethality is the exact purpose for which these weapons were designed.
There is no reason for assault rifles, assault pistols, and assault shotguns to be sold on the civilian market. Nevertheless, these weapons have become a primary sales focus as the gun industry markets its products to a shrinking customer base.
In 1988, the VPC first warned of the threat posed by assault weapons. Our research continues to expose the public safety threat assault weapons represent as well as the need to ban their sale to civilians. Issues addressed in our research include: specific weapons that are used in mass shootings; how the firearms industry markets these weapons; and trends in assault weapon manufacture, such as the marketing of next-generation assault pistols, some of which are even capable of piercing the body armor worn by law enforcement. Some of our major reports can be found below.
Assault Weapons Primer
Backgrounder on Daniel Defense (May 2022)
The Militarized Marketing of Bushmaster Assault Rifles (April 2018)
Understanding the Smith & Wesson M&P15 Semiautomatic Assault Rifle (February 2018)
SKS Assault Rifles: A Menace to Law Enforcement (June 2017)
Key Points About Assault Weapons (June 2016) | Puntos claves sobre armas de asalto (de junio de el año 2016)
Understanding the Sig Sauer MCX Assault Rifle Used in the Orlando Mass Shooting (June 2016)
AR-15 and AK-47 Assault Pistols: Rifle Power in a Handgun (March 2015)
Freedom Group's Militarized Marketing (January 2014)
Assault Pistols: The Next Wave (January 2013)
Bullet Buttons: The Gun Industry's Attack on California's Assault Weapons Ban (May 2012)
VPC Backgrounder: The Ruger Mini-14 —The "Poor Man's Assault Rifle" (July 2011)
The Militarization of the U.S. Civilian Firearms Market (June 2011)
Target: Law Enforcement — Assault Weapons in the News (February 2010)
United States of Assault Weapons: Gunmakers Evading the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (July 2004)
A Further Examination of Data Contained in the Study "On Target" Regarding Effects of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban
Illinois: Land of Post-Ban Assault Weapons (March 2004)
Bullet Hoses: Semiautomatic Assault Weapons — What Are They? What's So Bad About Them? (May 2003)
"Officer Down"—Assault Weapons and the War on Law Enforcement (May 2003)
Target America: Can the Flood of Foreign Assault Weapons be Stopped? (March 1998)
That Was Then, This Is Now: The NRA and the Gun Industry Talk About Assault Weapons — From Both Sides of Their Mouths (December 1997)
Assault Weapons and Accessories in America (1988)


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Valiantho.com
Cosplay Gallery
The Promised Neverland manga will be adapted into a live action
Recently, information about The Promised Neverland comic book series will have a live action has been officially confirmed. Accordingly, 19-year-old actress Minami Hamabe will play the female lead Emma. Jyo Kairi and Rihito Itagaki will play Ray and Norman respectively.
Film content will tell the period from 12 to 16 years of the 3 characters. The film is expected to be released in the winter of 2020.Shirai and Demizu released The Promised Neverland series on Shonen Jump Weekly from August 2016, and have entered the ending since September last year. The series has also been adapted into anime. The first season of the series aired on January 10 this year. The second season of the film is expected to air in 2020.
Emma and her friends are enjoying the happy days at the orphanage with cozy accommodation, delicious food, moments of fun together, difficult tests and gentle mother. However, one night, the terrifying secret behind that pink life was discovered by Emma and her friends …. And from that moment, the children began to search for a way out. this place.
An energetic, active, strong, brave girl with incredible agility. However, she is quite naive, innocent and outrageous. She lives very emotional, especially always worried, helping friends. She is determined to save all the children in the camp and find a land for everyone to live happily. It can be said that Emma is an 11-year-old child because of her simple behavior and thinking, but she is the most reliable.
This orphanage has a rule: before 12 years of age, children will be allowed to choose foster parents and leave. However, the trio of Emma, Norman and Ray are 11 years old but have not yet been arranged to meet anyone. One night, Emma and Norman returned the toy to a newly adopted girl who forgot to bring it. But when they arrived, the two people saw only a body, the abdomen was plugged by a tree branch. That girl was killed by the demons to eat meat.
This entry was posted in Event and tagged characters, season, The Promised Neverland on October 7, 2019 by Rosemary Curtis.
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Happy Birthday Ringo!
May 15th we celebrate Ringo's birthday (arrival date). But how do you photograph a birthday party, which is one of
the happiest events in a young child's life, when the boy in question has a perpetual frown, and can't ever smile?
It's Ringo's birthday, and all the children have arrived at his house for the party.....
Holly has brought a special balloon and a lovely gift she's chosen especially for him ....
Everyone gathers round to watch Ringo open his gifts....
"It's a Rubik's Cube!" he exclaimed. "I know you always wanted one", she replied.
Ringo was touched that Holly had remembered. He started to play with the cube right away.
Then Leona came in with the beautiful birthday cake she had made.
Everyone gathered around to look at the cake. "Wow, a Dinosaur cake!"
But Ringo just couldn't leave his Rubik's Cube alone...
"Now I want to take a picture of just the birthday boy with his cake..."
"Do you think you could just leave that toy alone for a minute and look at the camera, please?"
"All righty then. And now for a group picture...."
"Wow, what a great cake!" said Efreet, who also loved dinosaurs, "I want a slice with a T-rex."
"I can't wait to taste a velociraptor!" said Coco.
The girls started to enjoy a slice of cake, but Ringo continued to be preoccupied with his Rubik's Cube.
"How do I make it go back so each side is just one colour?"
Ringo got himself a slice of cake, but couldn't take his eyes off his new toy...
He watched as everyone took a turn trying to 'fix' the Cube....
...but no one could get it back so each side was just one solid colour...
"Here, let me try", said Holly, and Ringo handed her the Cube....
A turn here, and a turn there, and soon she had it all good as new....
"Here you go......all fixed".
Ringo smiled "Thank you!", and thought to himself " not only is she super cute, but she's so smart too!"
Copyright © 2015 Martha Boers
(return to Favourite Photos 2015)


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METALLIC BACKPACK, $68, at TOPSHOP. EDITH OXFORD, $248, at COACH.
ALICE BAG, $898, by FURLA. FAUX FUR PHONE CASE, $30, at TOPSHOP.
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The dramatic release of Pastor Andrew Brunson saw the American going from detention in Turkey to sitting in the Oval Office in less than in 24 hours (see a moving video below of the meeting).
Brunson, an American citizen who was a pastor in Turkey for 23 years, was arrested in October 2016 in a sweep of Turkish judges, police officers, soldiers, university professors, civil servants and more in Turkey's Islamist President Erdogan's post-coup crackdown against perceived dissidents.
"We don't pay ranson – at least not any longer – otherwise bad things will happen, lots of bad things will happen," ostensibly referring to the $400 million cash payment the Obama Administration released to Iran when the Islamic Republic released four Americans they were holding prisoner.
The payment to Iran was part of a larger $1.7 billion payment, which a number of sources noted was same amount as the increase in the Iranian defense budget for the 2017 fiscal year.
Ergodan indicated on a number of occasions he was holding Brunson for in exchange for his arch rival Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamic cleric living in the U.S. whom Erdogan maintains was behind the July 2016 attempted coup.
While we will never know the entire story behind the release, Trump's sanctions against Turkey, which were contributing to the free fall of the Turkish lira, surely played a big part in the release.
Trump was careful to thank Erdogan (twice) in his remarks at a meeting with Brunson, his family, Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton and a numerous members of Congress and his staff who had supported Brunson throughout his ordeal.
"It wasn't easy to him, if you know what I mean," Trump commented.
Turkish officials originally asked for a prison term of 35 years for Brunson. Yet (as presumably directed by Erdogan), a Turkish court sentenced Brunson to no more than three years in prison and released him with time served.
Clearly, pressure from above had been applied to the Turkish court.
Trump also noted that since he took office, he has been successful in getting 19 American released from overseas prisons, including some held in North Korea and Egypt.
It is a figure worth mentioning. America's power makes it's mark most clearly when it comes from a position of strength and moral clarity. The actions of Trump in securing the release of Pastor Brunson as well as many of his other accomplishments in fighting radical Islam – including pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and sanctioning the Islamic Republic, halting financial aid to the Palestinian Authority over their payments to terrorists and trouncing ISIS in Iraq and Syria, to name a few – have made significant and positive differences in the world.


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i want some. jolly ranchers i mean. the green apple ones are my favorites but the grape is a close second.
hope everyone had a nice easter. the easter bunny stopped by and left sam some new shoes, a couple of outfits, bubbles, a book, stuffed animal and lots of candy that was mostly consumed by mommy. the weather was lovely and well, it was a good day.
today is the accountant's birthday! i don't think he's too keen on my advertising it but geez, it's your birthday dude, i gotta do something. so happy birthday to you babe. i know these things have gone by with less and less fanfare as we get older and busier but i love you more and more each year. how's that for romantic eh? kiss kiss.
i'm not feeling creative or introspective or much of anything except just here so have a nice day out there and be well.
Happy Birthday Accountant!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the grape jolly's myself as well, I will save the greenapple one's for you, too tart.


Calling all dino fans! Do you want to know more about the T-Rex, or become a stegosaurus expert? Read up on all your favourite prehistoric creatures with this selection of the best dinosaur books – perfect for dino-mad kids!
Is your kid mad about all things dino-related? Well, look no further than our collection of books to keep them entertained. From board books for babies to chapter books for independent readers, or how about encyclopaedias to learn even more dino facts – our dinosaur books list has something for everyone.
And don't forget to download our FREE dinosaur word search – a great way to keep the kids entertained!
You may wonder why dinosaurs became extinct, well here is the answer…they were all wiped out in a mighty Pants War! Find out all about T-Rex and the gang in this hilarious follow on from the popular Aliens Love Underpants.
There are several books in the Dinosaur That Pooped series, all as funny as the next, as Danny and Dinosaur team up for lots of EXPLOSIVE adventures!
Join in with Triceratops, Stegosaurus and their friends as the dinosaurs stir up a dinosaurumpus! The rhyming text and fun illustrations make this a great tale for young dino fans.
Part of the Usborne Touchy-Feely series, these board books are ideal for babies and toddlers who love the variety of tactile elements.
Featuring more than 35 stunning pop-ups, this is an awe-inspiring tribute to the world's most celebrated extinct animals. Packed with fascinating information about popular dinosaurs, as well as many lesser-known varieties, there is plenty in this book to keep your dino fan happy.
Explore the prehistoric world with this great encyclopedia for kids. Packed with bite-sized facts, quizzes and special 'turn-and-learn' features kids love getting their teeth into, there's lots to see and explore.
The new edition of the popular Nat Geo Kids Dinopedia includes all the latest species and is the most complete, up-to-date dinosaur reference available. There are more than 600 dinos featured, as well as reports from palaeontologists.
Bursting with fun facts and age appropriate information for 4-8 year olds, each page features a different dinosaur, along with simple text in big type that is perfect for little kids.
It's time to meet Captain Teggs Stegosaur and the crew of the amazing spaceship DSS Sauropod. The Astrosaurs fight evil across the galaxy in more than 20 books your independent reader will love.
A stomping, chomping dinosaur romp from the creators of the multi-award-winning, bestseller, Ten Little Pirates. With lots of things to count and spot, little dino fans will be delighted!
Albie is a normal little boy who has extraordinary adventures. When he helps his mum in the garden by planting some seeds, he can't quite believe his eyes the next morning…!
A fun adventure tale as the Mr Men hunt to find dinosaurs with some extraordinary encounters between the two – including when Mr Tickle meets a Tyrannosaurus Rex!
An exciting series for your dino fan! Welcome to the Cretaceous! It's a pretty awesome place, as Jamie and Tom discover when they find the fossilized footprints which lead them to the world of dinosaurs.
For more than 50 years, Puff the Magic Dragon has been a phenomenally successful and critically-praised picture book. Available in board book or paper back, take a trip down memory lane!
When Katie visits the Natural History Museum, she finds a very mysterious door…and steps back in time to the world of the dinosaurs for a prehistoric adventure! Part of the hugely popular Katie series.
Imagine a world where dinosaurs have survived and evolved as supersaurs! This is the world that Bea Kingsley lives in, a world where humans live side by side with supersaurs – sometimes in peace but often in conflict.
Winnie and Wilbur are at the museum looking at dinosaur bones. But Winnie would love to see a real dinosaur so she waves her magic wand and zooms off with Wilbur to the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Mad-cap humour and fun illustrations make the Winnie the Witch books a real family favourite.
Just one of the books from the Harry and the Dinosaurs series, which are perfect for preschoolers and young children.
Budding paleontologists will love this authentic notebook filled with labeled drawings and notes. With reference to 40 dinosaurs, marine reptiles, flying reptiles and prehistoric mammals, this is great for enthusiastic dino fans.
What are your child's favourite dinosaur books? Leave a comment below and let us know – we'd love to hear from you!


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Easy Dinner from Thyme for Cooking: Chicken Tarragon Risotto.
I often hear comments about risotto being difficult - it's not; and high in calories - it doesn't have to be. I remember watching a chef in the US finishing off a lovely risotto with 3 tbs of butter to make it creamy. Absolutely not necessary. No extra butter required to make it creamy and unctuous! And you don't have to stir constantly - just often.
Whatever is in season and looks good.


text:
La nazionale Under-17 di football americano di El Salvador è la selezione Under-17 maschile di football americano della SAAIF che rappresenta El Salvador nelle varie competizioni ufficiali o amichevoli riservate a squadre nazionali Under-17.

Dettaglio stagioni

Amichevoli

Riepilogo partite disputate

Confronti con le altre Nazionali
Questi sono i saldi della nazionale di El Salvador nei confronti delle nazionali incontrate.

Saldo negativo

Nazionali di football americano di El Salvador

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
The Energy Revolution That Started In 1954 Is Reaching Its Crescendo
3:13 PM UTC on May 5, 2020
Apr 23, 2020, 6:06 AM
By Nathaniel Bullard
We just marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and as I sat writing this column at home, I could gaze out the window at a day that would have made its founders proud.
Washington, D.C. is currently enjoying its cleanest air in at least 25 years, thanks to decades of local, state, and federal policies combined with a wet, windy spring. Bicycles abound; there's almost no car traffic. Birdsong awakens us, sometimes far too early. There is, of course, a global pandemic element to the quietness, and pandemic-induced shutdowns are really not the way to way to get clean air. The same way an economic collapse is really not the best way to get cheap gasoline.
There's another thing I can see that Earth Day's founders would be delighted by. On my roof, barely visible through a skylight, is a solar-power system that will more than meet my power demand for the day. It's a small thing now, but it would have been an unimaginably big deal in 1970. Five decades on from the first Earth Day, an energy revolution that started low and slow is now changing the world in real time.
It all started 16 years before the first Earth Day, in 1954, when Bell Laboratories unveiled the first photovoltaic cell. They called it the "solar battery," and the ads for it are charming. "The same kindly rays that help the flowers and the grains and the fruits to grow," reads one, "also send us almost limitless power." But the early marketing also contained a strong dose of realism: "There's still much to be done before the battery's possibilities in telephony and for other uses are fully developed."
Much to be done, indeed. Photovoltaics were wildly expensive, complex to produce, and tiny. There wasn't even a commercial application for them until 1962 with the Telstar 1, the "first privately sponsored space-faring mission" and the first satellite to relay a transatlantic television signal. Now solar power is standard on satellites.
Other uses followed—power for weather stations, pipeline monitoring systems, and off-grid homes—until developments in the mid-1970s made it possible to put a commercial value on PV cells. Make no mistake, they still weren't cheap. The earliest data BloombergNEF has on solar costs shows that panels went for more than $100 per watt in 1976. A residential solar installation needs output of at least several kilowatts. That means a few years after the first Earth Day, a pioneering solar homeowner would have had to spend tens of thousands just on panels, not to mention the costs of engineering, installation, and power equipment.
What a difference four decades makes. Last year, one PV panel cost $0.23 per watt—a 99.3% decrease. Entire systems now cost less than what the PV module alone cost just seven years ago. Today's panels are also much better than what came before: more efficient, more reliable, more durable, and lighter-weight. I could heft a solar panel on my own if I wanted to. My neighborhood is now dotted with "We went solar!" signs.
To put that in context, let's look at another energy revolution underway prior to Earth Day No. 1: nuclear power. In 1954, just a few months after Bell Labs brought its Solar Battery to market, Lewis Strauss, the chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, gave a speech to the National Association of Science Writers in New York. There's a key section, one that's been bandied about often since (emphasis mine):
Transmutation of the elements–unlimited power, ability to investigate the working of living cells by tracer atoms, the secret of photosynthesis about to be uncovered–these and a host of other results all in 15 short years. It is not too much to expect that our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter, will know of great periodic regional famines in the world only as matters of history, will travel effortlessly over the seas and under them and through the air with a minimum of danger and at great speeds, and will experience a lifespan far longer than ours, as disease yields and man comes to understand what causes him to age. This is the forecast for an age of peace.
Needless to say, the harnessing of the atom didn't give us energy that's "too cheap to meter." Building a new plant now costs tens of billions of dollars, meaning that newly built nuclear power has a hard time competing in many power markets. But the PV module has fulfilled Strauss's vision and then some: it gave us energy that's so cheap, people are being paid to use it.
Negative prices are a feature of a properly functioning energy market, and perhaps you noticed on Monday that the key U.S. oil benchmark closed trading at -$37.63 a barrel. Those are cases where the market must pay someone to take product away in order to balance supply and demand. It's happening now in electricity, too, thanks to solar and wind power.
Clear skies over Germany meant that intraday wholesale power prices were negative earlier this week. In the U.K. on April 19, electric vehicle charging platform Ohme said that its customers were paid 69 pence to add 130 miles of charge to their vehicles.
This is bigger than the market havoc of the pandemic. It's just the beginning, really, of an energy world with more and more moments of being better than too cheap to meter. People will get paid to charge. Services will crop up, on-demand, to use free or negatively-priced electricity. Fleets of electrolyzers will use renewable electrons to produce hydrogen and help reduce emissions in steel, cement, and glass production that are right now a tremendous environmental challenge.
And that's the revolution. It would have seemed ridiculous even 10 years ago, much less 50, and yet here we are.


text:
Wedding Ceremony & Reception
27 Wedding Planners You Need to Follow on Instagram
Get your digits ready for a double-tap marathon.
By Emily Platt
Michelle Leo Events via Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK--ci6hLxS
As a soon-to-be-wed, prepping for your celebration is tip-top on the to-do list, and following industry experts on social media is a surefire way to get inspired. Though florist, cake-baker, and photographer accounts are great on their own, wedding-planner pages are like a one-stop wedding-planning shop. When it comes to visualizing your big day, Instagram is undefeated, but filling your feed with just anybody does no good. To optimize your scrolling experience and follow services that match your aesthetic, look no further than our list of Insta favorites (in no particular order!). These wedding planners, hailing from coast to coast, offer unmatchable visual inspo to help you get organized. Prepare to double-tap to your heart's content, and don't forget to read the planners' captions for vendor suggestions! Beyond the incredible ideas, you may just decide on who to hire.
Get Our List of Top Wedding Planners
1. @michelleleoevents (seen above)
Follow For: Unique takes on timeless wedding ideas, like these creatively-packaged ladyfinger sweets. Want Michelle Leo Events for your wedding? The company covers destination celebrations and nuptials based in Utah.
2. @sinclairandmoore
Follow For: A glimpse into the beautiful life of Steve and Jamie Moore, the husband-and-wife duo of planning company Sinclair and Moore. The couple offers coordination and design services in Seattle, San Francisco, and beyond.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNXGnh6hguj
3. @ginnyau
Follow For: Breathtaking portraits styled by creative director, teacher, and stylist Ginny Au. Her wedding service covers destination celebrations, and her feed is also notable for its minimalist flair (and gorgeously-designed tablescapes).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLSVH4vhH1s
Follow These Wedding Photographers on Instagram
4. @bluebirdproductions
Follow For: Excellent seasonal inspiration from the Aspen-based event-planning firm.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKZvCfdgWmo
Get Seasonal Ideas for a Fall Wedding
5. @labellefleurevents
Follow For: Happy, pretty, and romantic wedding details (think: cheery florals, gorgeous cakes, and great wedding portraits). La Belle Fleur Events is based in Chicago.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFpWMSjGyfo
Follow These Floral Designers on Instagram
6. @jacinfitzgerald
Follow For: The planning, designing, and consulting work of Jacin Fitzgerald Events, plus cameos from the company founder's adorable pups. Though the business is based outside of Atlanta, it holds satellite locations in both New England and Napa Valley, and destination weddings are a strength of the team.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMHBzYCDPp_
See Our Favorite Creative Wedding Signs
7. @lafeteweddings
Follow For: Decorating and detail inspiration from the Southern California-based mother-daughter duo behind La Fete Weddings.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK3tBrejnr_
Get More Unique Seating Card and Display Ideas
8. @jessicasloane
Follow For: Stunning nature-inspired creative direction and event design with a minimalist eye and mood-driven, awe-inspiring photography. Love Sloane? She's based in Nashville, but has worldwide influence.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPGEZ2QBOwx
9. @lauriearons
Follow For: Great wedding ideas for diverse locations (you'll love the scenery shots). Laurie Arons is a full-service destination planner and San Francisco-based event designer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNh7B5hgIGX
See Overhead Wedding Decoration Ideas We Love
10. @eastonevents
Follow For: Especially-gorgeous big-day ideas for outdoor weddings (or weddings that bring the outside in). Greenery is a major player in the celebrations planned by Easton Events, which offers design and planning services to couples worldwide.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMctmWfB9aU
11. @karsonbutler
Follow For: An inside look at the wedding-planning lives of twins Emily Butler and Amber Karson. Karson Butler Events has offices in both D.C. and California, and the company feed features great wedding ideas with designs tied beautifully into their surroundings.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIlTmf2gJpo
Get Tips for Using Rentals to Decorate Your Big Day
12. @pineappleprodc
Follow For: One-of-a-kind details, close-ups of beautiful wedding venues, and a curated selection of photographs featuring the things Pineapple Productions planners (based in D.C.) love.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEa6fVyJFnZ
Follow These Cake Makers on Instagram
13. @greenwoodevents
Follow For: A focus on florals and dining details. Greenwood Events lives in Montana and serves western America.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BM-HmdwDPdh
14. @calderclark
Follow For: Above-and-beyond details imagined up by wedding planner Calder Clark. Want Clark for your wedding? She's based in Charleston and Raleigh, but offers her design services to destination weddings.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLeEsDMAlAz
15. @taraguerard
Follow For: Images showcasing the wedding planner's knack for formal design. Tara Guérard has offices in Charleston and New York City, but travels around the world to help couples with their celebrations.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLLgOaGg2xD
16. @goldleafevent
Follow For: Beautiful, colorful ideas for every aspect of your wedding, from the fashion, to the stationery, to the florals, to the food and drink. Gold Leaf Event Design and Production provides planning for destination weddings, with bases in Aspen, Palm Beach, and New York City.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLv5e39geoo
17. @rroseevents
Follow For: A light and dreamy feed with pops of deep and vibrant color, mirroring the mood of weddings planned by Rebecca Rose Events. The design and production team is based in North Carolina, but offers its services both near and far.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPEP69mAkl8
18. @birdsofafeatherevents
Follow For: Rich color schemes and outstandingly-pretty wedding details, put together by the traveling dream team at Dallas-based Birds of a Feather Events.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLO_v6DjLaf
See Wedding Table Numbers That Scored at Real Celebrations
19. @bethhelmstetter
Follow For: A diversified mood board that finds wedding inspiration everywhere. Beth Helmstetter Events works in Los Angeles and worldwide.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNeyXl3jbNe
Get Wedding Getaway Car Ideas
20. @jennalamevents
Follow For: Destination event specialist Jenna Lam's inspired eye-and, of course, her planning successes and daily life.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLxL2JdD7JX
See More Great Wedding Favors
21. @laurynprattes
Follow For: A+ food-and-drink inspo, from cocktail hour to dessert time. D.C.-based Lauryn Prattes Styling and Events does a full range of wedding planning, though, so there's more than just the sips and bites.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHYInGiDoCj
22. @duetweddings
Follow For: A consistent aesthetic with muted shades and sweet ideas, organized and planned by Duet Weddings in Los Angeles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BC0wBE5MVyk
23. @brookekeegan
Follow For: Lots of wedding-white, whether in dresses, venue designs, or details. Head over heels for Brooke Keegan Special Events? The planning company serves destination weddings.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNy047WA4mp
These Dogs at Weddings Are So Cute, We Can't Take It
24. @bashplease
Follow For: Wedding-day elegance at its finest, blended with creative, eye-catching add-ons. Bash Please Events and Weddings reigns from Los Angeles and San Francisco.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO2smenlhbT
Get More Fruit Wedding Cake Ideas
25. @amorology
Follow For: Romantic designs and a peak at Amorology founder Heather Balliet's home and family. This feed provides inspiration for pretty weddings and beyond, serving as a visual journal of Balliet's life and her San Diego-based company's work.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNLFGIfhz7C
Get Candle Centerpiece Ideas to Light Up Your Ceremony
26. @fireflyevents
Follow For: Jaw-dropping stylings for both ceremonies and receptions, plus venue scenery to inspire your destination and ideas for the rest of your wedding. Firefly Events offers its worldwide planning services out of New York, California, and Wyoming.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOlpBhiAeHr
27. @thewildflowers_com
Follow For: Photography ideas, beautiful and unique event design inspo, and fashion and beauty suggestions. The Wildflowers provide full-service planning and design and are based in Texas.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIA8Ii6ANZN


text:
Inside Harvard's effort to survey and improve early education in the Berkshires and beyond
Katrina Ouelette supervises preschoolers at play at Berkshire County Head Start. Berkshire County Head Start is one of the agencies participating in a landmark study by the Harvard Graduate School of Education on learning environments serving 3 and 4 year olds in Massachusetts.
BEN GARVER - THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
Bev McDermott leads her classroom in song at Berkshire county Head Start. Berkshire County Head Start is one of the agencies participating in a landmark study by the Harvard Graduate School of Education on learning environments serving 3 and 4 year olds in Massachusetts.
Max Ostrander reads to preschoolers in his classroom at Berkshire County Head Start. Berkshire County Head Start is one of the agencies participating in a landmark study by the Harvard Graduate School of Education on learning environments serving 3 and 4 year olds in Massachusetts.
Bev McDermott reads to a student at Berkshire county Head Start. Berkshire County Head Start is one of the agencies participating in a landmark study by the Harvard Graduate School of Education on learning environments serving 3 and 4 year olds in Massachusetts.
By Jenn Smith , jsmith@berkshireeagle.com
PITTSFIELD — There's been a lot of clamor over the state of early childhood education in the commonwealth over the past year, including the give-and-take battle to raise investments in programs, teachers, resources and infrastructure.
Compounding the issue is the fact that there's not a lot of solid science and data to define a "high-quality" early childhood education experience for all the different kinds of children and family needs that exist. It's estimated that some 40 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds are not in a formal preschool, but there is no true count or register of all the school and care settings that exist in the commonwealth and whether they're helping children progress developmentally and socially.
So no one really knows the full range of settings preschoolers are spending their days in, and how well that time's being spent.
This summer, however, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, announced a long-term partnership with the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative, supported through a $35.5 million gift from the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, to take a first-of-its-kind deep dive into examining and documenting what's happening in school, agency, and home-based settings over time. The hope is that the results will teach educators, caregivers, agencies and legislators how to effectively scale and wisely invest in their time, money and also shape policies around early childhood programs in Massachusetts.
Children and families are already being registered to voluntarily participate in what's known as the Early Learning Study at Harvard, which will include approximately 5,000 Massachusetts-based children who will be between the ages of 3 and 4, as of Sept. 1. Surveyors will then keep in touch with the children and their families at least twice a year, over the next four years, to track their growth and movement through various kinds of settings and activities. A Massachusetts-based research organization called Abt Associates is working with Harvard researchers to carry out the study and manage the data collected.
Being counted in the county
The Berkshire County communities of Dalton, Lee and Pittsfield are among the target ZIP codes researchers are using to ensure that their survey sample represents the diverse demographic data for this age group. Children from about 100 communities are participating in total.
Berkshire County Head Start Executive Director Stacy Parsons confirmed that children and families from her agency are participating in the study, and she said she's looking forward to the ultimate findings.
"Just being in school doesn't count. Quality matters in making a difference in children's lives," she said.
Parsons attended a July 19 articulation agreement signing ceremony between Berkshire Community College and the Massachusetts College of Arts to create a pathway with transferable credits to help aspiring early childhood educators easily transfer as graduates of BCC's associate degree program to MCLA's bachelor's degree program in the field.
There, she and Patricia Kay, an assistant professor of early childhood education at Berkshire Community College, agreed that having well-educated and enthusiastic early childhood teachers can help children develop a love of and interest in learning.
Kay said having a longer-term study will help determine whether that early influence has a lasting effect. "You want to see the changes over time," she said.
"Kids and families change educational settings often, so you want to know what happens when they get to kindergarten and grades 1 and 2," Parsons said.
Having that information alone can greatly influence how a child is received and supported throughout their transition from an early childhood setting into their first years in elementary school.
"The data on kids between 3 and 4 years old doesn't tend to follow them, so their kindergarten teacher doesn't see that data," said Doug McNally, who co-chairs the Berkshire United Way's Early Childhood Impact Council with Karen Vogel.
"The way you provide experiences and environments differ in early childhood, but the bottom line is how you get kids to be interactive and be curious," McNally said. Those are the qualities, he said, that lead to lifelong learning.
McNally has previous worked with the study's coordinators, Nonie Lesaux and Stephanie Jones, in other Massachusetts early childhood groups and councils. Both based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Lesaux is the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society, and Jones is the Marie and Max Kargman Associate Professor in Human Development and Urban Education. Together, they bring a broad range of experiences and thoughtful perspectives to the table on how to conduct a study over several years, knowing that the subjects will be prone to changes in their family, education and care settings.
Meeting children where they're at
Based on census estimates, there are approximately 160,000 children between the ages of 3 and 4 years old living in Massachusetts.
Lesaux says that, "One of the shortcomings in all of the current research is that we haven't had a good look at formal care settings, be it a community based center, a 4-year-old room in a preschool, or Head Start. We also know that in Massachusetts, about 40 percent of 3- to 4-year-olds are in informal care; an arrangement with a neighbor up the street, a church, a drop-in program, etc. Our commitment with this study is to find out what it's like inside all of these settings."
To do so, researchers will meet with children in person and have them do different activities that will essentially gauge the rate at which kids' skills and behaviors are developing.
Another thing the researchers are trying to better understand is how well a family's priorities for early education and care are being met by the choices that are available to them. This means looking at how parents choose a child care or preschool setting based on their schedules, income levels, proximity to various early childhood settings, and goals and preferences in terms of what parents and guardians want for their children, be it structure, rigor or more relaxed opportunities for play.
"The reality is that most parents today need some type of preschool for their children and high quality options are not available at scale," Jones said.
Lesaux said that as communities and states look to expand and improve early childhood education and care offerings to families, it's important to base policies, as well as strategies for expansion and enhancement on up-to-date research that reflects and details a region's specific needs.
"If you're going to make the move to put money into it, you have to justify the investment," McNally said.
And it can't be about investments alone, said Jones. "We need to work on solving the problem of improving quality as we increase access. It's a simple supply and demand issue," she said.
Jenn Smith can be reached at 413-496-6239.
More on the Early Learning Study at Harvard
https://zaentz.gse.harvard.edu/early-learning-study-harvard or 1-888-738-6663, facebook.com/ELSAHStudy
TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES
Pittsfield's Imperial Bowling Center is reopening and getting a major makeover with a new name: K&M Bowling
Here's where the 'well loved' Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is heading next in Pittsfield
East Side Cafe, Magic Touch Spa and a Pittsfield resident's car all take damage from plow truck drivers after a recent snowstorm
A Pittsfield woman accused of abandoning 15 cats during a storm last January is expected to enter a plea deal
Residents of two Pittsfield neighborhoods find a new way to be heard about their quality of life
Letter: Trump and his attorney get a fitting reprimand from US District Court judge
Mezze owner Nancy Thomas and Williamstown venture capitalist Bo Peabody pair up to buy Powder Hounds at Jiminy Peak
Where will the Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum be built in North Adams? This well-known spot was discussed as a potential location
Town administrators once went to school here. Now, the former Cheshire Elementary School will become town hall where they can do business
Williams College has pledged to pay $5 million toward the town's proposed $22.5 million fire station
Photos: Hitting the slopes at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
Photos: PHS vs Chicopee girls basketball
Photos: McCann Tech hosts Mount Everett in girls basketball
Photos: Cheshire Town Offices will move into the former Cheshire Elementary School
Photos: A look back at skiing in the Berkshires
Readers share their Berkshire snow day photos
Photos: Community Health and Wellness Fair at the Berkshire Athenaeum
Gillian Jones: Becoming a Parent to My Mom
Photos: Today in History for Jan. 27
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If you've been following the Elephant Room 2 spectacle with Pastor James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel, you know there has been some shakeup within the elder ranks. More drama recently unfolded. Below, you will find the link to the video of MacDonald and four of the elders from Harvest Bible Chapel issue statements on behalf of all of the church elders and publicly excommunicate two former elders. It's pretty brutal.
But first . . . . . check out this excommunication scene from the movie, Becket with Richard Burton. Maybe you can compare notes from the two videos.
A special thanks goes to my behind-the-scenes-elf who transcribed the nearly 6-minute video. I encourage you to watch the video. The words are below if you'd like to read along.
Pastor James MacDonald: I am so thankful to be a part of this church. This church is such a great blessing to me and our family and I just want to remind you that God has entrusted a spiritual authority to the local church and every local church has an authority under God. We believe that the Bible that the authority of the church is vested in the elders. And that when the elders speak collectively in agreement, they speak for God to our church. That's about as serious as serious gets. Here are four of the elders in our church that have a message for us that we would do well to take heed to, so listen very carefully. These four men are speaking on behalf of the entire elder board of our church on every campus – listen now.
My name is Paul Inserra.
Paul Inserra: All but one member meeting is successfully behind us. We come to you today further fulfilling our pledge for greater transparency with a sad but necessary message from our entire elder board of our church. We need to communicate with you regarding the discipline of two former elders and their combined effort with other former elders, all outside Harvest working to discredit our elder board and destroy our pastor.
Jamie Harrison: Three elders who broke with the rest of our 30-member elder board in June have continued to spread discord through their false and unrelenting viewpoint. It was unanimously rejected by the elders over many months and with finality in our June meeting. They made their point, we rejected their opinions, but they refused to submit to elder consensus, choosing instead to sew discord and create division. This is a very, very serious sin, one that we are told in Proverbs 6 that our Lord hates.
Steve Huston: This week, the elders received a letter with 13 accusations against our pastor and his integrity, all of which the elders have already unanimously rejected multiple times, nothing new, just a continued refusal to accept the consensus of the elders of Harvest Bible Chapel.
If these men would express even a fraction of the constant and ongoing grace and humility that we see so frequently in our pastor, they could move beyond their bitterness to healing. Their current refusal to do so is defiling many people and that is great sin.
Randy Williams: Scott Phelps and Barry Slabaugh have been notified that they are under church discipline and no longer welcomed in our church until they repent. A copy of our board resolution regarding their conduct was given to them personally, and can be seen online under Elder Updates. Please pray for their repentance and victory over persistent spirit of superiority and self-righteousness.
Paul Inserra: Together these men continue to lead and seditiously promote an attack on the credibility of the church elders, our governance of church staff and the integrity of our pastor.
Jamie Harrison: Their goal is to discredit our pastor and to divide this church and we call upon the people of the Harvest family to make sure this does not happen. This problem is not new.
Steve Huston: Church matters are not to be tried in the court of public opinion. Publicizing viewpoints rejected by the elder majority, for any reason, is satanic to the core and must be dealt with very directly. Those who have no standing in a local church, but continue to assault it from outside with factious messages must be rejected according to the word of God. We warn the people of Harvest Bible Chapel to separate themselves from these false messengers. Don't stand in the middle, don't seek to mediate. Please avoid these former Harvest elders at all cost, lest you incur great detriment to your own soul.
Randy Williams: To be clear, the elders of Harvest Bible Chapel – 30 men – who meet frequently and closely with Pastor James and know first-hand his character and conduct, want you to hear that we the elders of Harvest Bible Chapel are completely satisfied with Pastor James' growth and grace, including the way he responded to the three dissenting elders from January through June, and sought reconciliation with former elders as directed. Pastor James has gone out of his way repeatedly, to seek counsel, submit to consensus, and welcome and even solicit contrary opinion for the betterment of the church. The elders of Harvest stand behind his character and integrity without reservation or ongoing concern of any kind. Great pains have been taken to review and learn from these accusations. But there are no ongoing issues of any kind. We are satisfied and grateful to our pastor for his Christ-like behavior.
Randy Williams: Before honor, comes humility. In one week, we gather in one service to celebrate God's amazing 25-year faithfulness to this church, but God is winning a mighty victory in and around us today. Nothing is covered, nothing is unresolved, nothing is ongoing – only this attack from the enemy. Let us examine ourselves, for unconfessed sin and seek to live in fear of the Lord, lest bitterness overtake us.
Ok – – so, this is a Learn and Discern post. What do you see? Does anything strike you as off? Is this appropriate way to handle church discipline?
Now, I know there are a bunch of sleuths here and no doubt someone will come across a recent article from the blog, The Elephant's Debt, telling the other side of this story. I'll post the link later on in the day, but I'd love to first see what you think of the video. Can you resist the urge to find that article? LOL You're on Scout's honor.
Note: I found the video on YouTube thanks to Paul Dohse and was able to embed it in this article (previously was only a link to the original video).
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Thoreau – Welcome! I don't think you will find many here disagreeing with your sentiment.
The authority of God is vested in His Word, the Bible; not in a bunch of men who claim to speak for God. If what they are saying (and doing) is not absolutely in line with the Word of God, it is false at the least, and blasphemous at the worst.
FYI, it's Huston, not Houston.
Thanks for the correction. I greatly appreciate it.
I love how the original video was removed from the HBC website. Almost like they wish to deny it ever existed. Fitting.
Whatever you do DO NOT let them make you take this transcript down! I am so ticked… these men blaspheme the Lord with this behavior. Seriously.
My last pastor had to pay $60K dollars in legal fees. It's not very wise to sue Believers. It's against Scripture. It makes you look like a fool.
we left HBC many years ago because i was following protocol and alerted them that they were about to let someone become a member that still had serious unresolved sin in a leadership role elsewhere. i was treated horribly for doing my duty to that church because i believe they felt more highly of this person than to listen to his sin issues or me. finally one of the elders, that has since left, came to my aid. so it seems that they don't even play by their own rules. i truly believe God whispered to us to leave HBC. i pray for james heart alllllllllll the time.
Hi Alyssa, Welcome! Looks like you are new here. Thanks for your comment from your life experience. Yes, disheartening when you try your best and your efforts are rejected by those who should be listening and should know better. Sounds like you are in a much better place now.
We are affected here, in Romania too, by the LEADING of James on Harvest.
Out church, here, was part of Harvest Bible Fellowship until february 2013.
I found out that the politics in Harvest Churches is that no matter what, the vision of the senior pastor is a MUST. If you are in "the way", than it means that you must be removed. If you say something against the RULER, you will be silenced. It is very easy to use Scripture to motivate your speech and behavior.
It is not clear how God gave the authority to James. Is he a kind of a POPE?
It is hard to believe that such things are happening in Church. What kind of people are those who follow such a model?
In the last speech in our church, instead of a sermon, the pastor spoke 45 min. about James's life, trying to defend him and his behavior. After that he took the audio recording of that fiasco service.
I our church, the senior pastor said that he must be treated like FIRST AMONG EQUALS. I am sure that he is no good in maths. It is painful!
I think it is time to learn that in Church is not about LEADING, but is about SERVING.
into other flocks with slick branding and enticement. This is showing discord among brethren.
Warn of wolves and other predators with sirens blaring.
"Criticize privately" means not warning those who are attracted by outer winsomeness, get pulled in and then are damaged or destroyed by the poison within. Yes, if there are wolves in sheeps' clothing, they must be pointed out. There are churches we will not attend, in our search for a new church, because of the warnings of others we have come across in our research. Not just one dissenting voice (a disgruntled person with an ax to grind), but a chorus of agreement and personal testimonies of hurt.
It appears that in many of these cases, a lot of private criticism has gone on, and been dismissed or ignored. Even Matthew 18 keeps expanding the circle, from private confrontation, eventually to public disclosure.
Keeping criticism private is actually a great tool for abusers. They can keep on abusing and destroying without much, if anything, to deter them.
Dysfunctional, destructive bodies that bear the name "church" can look so attractive from the outside. Satan, after all, is the father of lies, and can make himself appear as an angel of light.


RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Muslim civil rights organization said Tuesday it plans to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal government's terror watch list system, including a newly disclosed program in which air marshals have secretly monitored air passengers with no known terrorism links.
Gadeir Abbas, senior litigation attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the group will file the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on behalf of more than 10 Muslim travelers who allege they faced harassment at airports and suffered other consequences because of being placed on a terror watch list. The plaintiffs are from Maryland, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Kansas, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
Abbas said the defendants named in the lawsuit will include the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration and other government agencies.
The suit claims the travelers' due process rights were violated and asks the court to grant an injunction to "prevent the federal government from putting innocent people, people who have not been charged, arrested or convicted of any crime, on any type of watch list," Abbas said.
Abbas said the lawsuit will underscore both travel-related and non-travel related consequences of being on a watch list, including being subjected to searches and interrogations at airports, having electronics seized, not being able to get a license to transport hazardous materials or not being allowed to enter a military base.
The TSA, created after the Sept. 11, 2011, terrorist attacks, recently acknowledged a program called "Quiet Skies" in which air marshals conduct secret observations of passengers for behavior including using the plane restroom repeatedly or displaying nervousness.
Michelle Negron, a spokeswoman for TSA, said the agency is unable to comment on the pending litigation. "However, any traveler who believes he or she has been unfairly or incorrectly delayed or denied boarding can work though the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program to resolve the issue," Negron said in a written statement.
The DHS said that as a matter of policy, it does not comment on pending litigation.


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We all have those foods that we just can't live without and always keep stocked in the kitchen, and I certainly have a few favorites that turn up again and again in my recipes. While some of them are commonly used, others are a little obscure or used only in certain types of ethnic cooking, so I wanted to provide some additional instructions and information. Here are just a few of my favorite ingredients with some thoughts about why I find them so awesome and a few tips for using or substituting for some of the less common ingredients.
Agave Nectar. This liquid sweetener comes from the same lovely agave plant that gives us delicious tequila for our margaritas. It has the consistency of thin honey, and I use it as a substitute for honey. It is also great as a sweetener for cold drinks, since it dissolves quickly.
Balsamic Vinegar. This is my favorite vinegar, favorite salad dressing and favorite marinade ingredient. You really can't go wrong with balsamic vinegar. When using it for cooking, don't buy the fancy expensive bottles. Go to Trader Joes and get it in the big jug or go to Costco and get Kirkland brand balsamic vinegar. Honestly, Kirkland is probably my favorite, and it tastes better than a few of the more expensive varieties.
Chili Paste. A Vietnamese friend once told me to always buy the chili paste with a rooster on the bottle. I'm not quite sure why, but he's a great cook, so I didn't argue. You can usually find this in the Asian section of the grocery store or in an Asian market if you have one. I usually buy Vietnamese varieties of Chili Garlic Sauce or Sambal Oelek both of which are fairly similar chili pastes. You can substitute some chopped hot peppers, other hot sauces or chili pepper flakes.
Coconut Milk. Believe it or not, there is a world of difference between different brands of canned coconut milk. I used to think they were all pretty much the same until the guy who owns my favorite vegan Thai food cart, The Ruby Dragon, told me that he uses Chaokoh coconut milk with Maesri curry paste. When I tried the Chaokoh coconut milk, I was shocked at the difference. I'm lucky enough to live in a city where we have a huge Asian population and many Asian markets, so those of you living elsewhere might have to make do with what you can get.
Coconut Oil. This is a great choice for vegan baked goods, and despite what you may have read to the contrary, it's a healthy choice as long as you avoid the hydrogenated versions and buy virgin coconut oil. We've used it in cookies and cupcakes in place of a more traditional vegetable oil.
Crushed Red Pepper. These are the same red pepper flakes that you see on the table of most pizza joints and Italian restaurants and are sometimes called crushed red chili pepper, red pepper flakes or chili flakes. They are my favorite quick and easy way to add a little spice without the effort of chopping those spicy peppers that make my fingers burn.
Coriander. This often overlooked spice goes great with vegetables and Middle Eastern foods. Coriander, the seed from the cilantro plant, is a small, round, light brown seed about the size of a peppercorn. Freshly ground coriander is so much better than the ground coriander than you buy in the little spice bottles, so I have a pepper grinder that I keep filled with coriander. You can even grow your own coriander if you grow cilantro and let it go to seed. At that point, the cilantro won't be much good, but the coriander will be fresh and delicious!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We use extra virgin olive oil for almost everything, except for dessert. This high-quality oil has a really nice, rich flavor. It's more expensive than most oils, so if you're short on cash, you can substitute other vegetable oils in most of the recipes.
Flax Seeds. While you don't see flax seeds in any of my recipes, I do eat them frequently to add some omego-3 fatty acids into my diet. To get the most benefit from flax seeds they should be ground, so we keep a small amount in a pepper grinder on the counter. Since flax seeds go bad fairly quickly at room temperature, we keep most of the whole flax seeds in the refrigerator and refill the grinder often. I grind them on top of salads or other meals where they won't interfere with the flavor.
Garlic. With the exception of some of the desserts and other sweets, most of these recipes have garlic. I love garlic, and it adds a lot of flavor. For those of you who aren't big fans of garlic, you could probably reduce the amount of garlic used in most recipes or even leave it out entirely.
Ginger Root. A lot of people don't buy fresh ginger root. It comes in huge pieces, and since most recipes only need a little ginger, it tends to go bad before you can use all of it. I love fresh ginger, and we've found that we can keep it for a really long time in the freezer. If you have a good microplane grater, you can even grate the frozen ginger without worrying about thawing it. We also buy jars of grated ginger for when we're feeling a little lazy, but it isn't nearly as good. Freshly grated ginger is great in most Asian dishes, but I also like to add ginger to my tea occasionally by grating a little fresh ginger into my pot of green tea or by itself in hot water to make a pure ginger tea.
Minced Onions (Dried). I know, I know. I'm always telling people not to buy all of those spices in the little bottles, but this is one big exception. Dried minced onions are a little sweeter than onion powder, and they add some texture when they soften and take on liquid after sitting a while. Fresh onions are better for most things, but for something that doesn't get cooked, like onion dip or marinade, minced onions add a more subtle flavor than raw onion. They can also be used in a pinch when you are making a quick meal and don't want to take the time to slice an onion.
Nutmeg. Did you know that nutmeg doesn't come from a little bottle? It's actually a seed about the size of an acorn and can be easily grated using a fine microplane grater. Like so many other freshly ground spices, or in this case grated, fresh makes a big difference. Try grating a light dusting of nutmeg on top of your favorite dessert or a spiced holiday drink.
Nutritional Yeast. This is the powdered cheese of the vegan world, but unlike the processed powdered cheeses, nutritional yeast is healthy and naturally full of B vitamins. It comes in flakes, which look too much like fish food for my taste, so we always get the powdered variety. I use it to give pesto a cheesy taste, as a popcorn topping and to make my version of Craft Mac and Cheese.
Olives. Do not, I repeat, do not buy olives in a jar or a can. I don't know what they put in those little jars, but they aren't something you should eat. Really good olives usually come from a bulk olive bar at a local grocery store and can make a huge difference when cooking or just for snacking. If you don't have a bulk olive bar, you can usually find plastic tubs of decent olives in the deli or produce section. Most of my recipes call for kalamata olives because they are a really nice olive and are the kind that can be most commonly found already pitted and ready to use, but I encourage you to experiment with other varieties. For those of you who think you don't like olives, I challenge you to go to the bulk olives at your local market and try one of each different variety and see if you can find at least one you like. Castelvetrano olives are my current favorite for snacking.
Pepper. Never buy ground pepper out of the shaker bottle. Seriously. Buy your pepper in bulk at the grocery store, keep it in a pepper grinder and have freshly ground pepper in seconds. If you buy some extra pepper that doesn't fit in the grinder, you can store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
Quinoa. This is my absolute favorite grain … well, it's really a seed, but it acts like a grain from a culinary perspective, so let's just call it a grain. You can use it in place of rice or any other grain to serve with food. It cooks more quickly than any other whole grain, is high in protein and other vitamins and most importantly, tastes delicious! It comes in white and red varieties, and I use both depending on what color I think would work best with a particular food. I eat it by itself, put it on salads, serve it with Thai curry and use it as a bed for vegetables and tofu. Whenever you need a whole grain and don't quite have time to make brown rice, quinoa is the grain for you.
Sage. I like to use rubbed sage, which has a velvety, textured consistency, rather than ground. The flavor is a little more subtle and fresh, but you should still use sage cautiously because it can easily overpower other flavors in large quantities.
Salt. Despite having so many low-sodium variations, I'm a huge fan of salt, and the type of salt you use can make a big difference. The standard table salt is perfect for baking and pizza crust, but for most other things we use a course kosher salt. You can also buy some really interesting finishing salts that add flavor and color for those special meals. Finishing salts used to be available only at specialty stores or online, but lately I've been seeing more of them in the local health food stores and larger grocery stores. Turkish black pyramid, red alaea volcanic, pink murray darling and smoked salts are a few of the more interesting varieties. You don't use them in cooking, but you can sprinkle them over the finished dish to add a little extra color and flavor. I regularly use a course fleur de sel on my popcorn. I also like to serve finishing salt with a really good Italian bread and flavorful olive oil as an appetizer or snack.
Sun Dried Tomatoes. This is probably my favorite ingredient, and I use sun dried tomatoes in almost everything. Sun dried tomatoes can usually be found either packed in oil in jars or completely dried in a plastic bag or the bulk bin. I always buy the dry ones, but using them comes with an extra step. To reconstitute the tomatoes, you need to put them in hot water until they are softened. I usually put them in a glass measuring cup with about twice as much water as sun dried tomatoes, and microwave them for 1 or 2 minutes depending on the quantity. You can also pour boiling water over them and let them sit for a few minutes. The benefit of using the dry tomatoes and reconstituting them is that you end up with a nice tomato broth that you can use in the recipe.
Tahini. Tahini is a little like the peanut butter of the sesame seed world and is made by grinding sesame seeds into a paste with the end result looking a little like peanut butter. If you can, buy a good, authentic tahini, like Joyva, but be prepared to do some aggressive stirring because the oil and solids tend to separate. We usually dump it out of the container and put it in a mixing bowl to give us a little room to stir or you can dump it in a food processor to get it back to a creamy consistency. Use it in hummus, to make sauces or spread it lightly on crackers or bread.
Tamari. I almost always use a gluten-free tamari, instead of soy sauce when cooking. Most soy sauce has wheat in it, which seems to dilute the soy a bit, and tamari just seems to have a stronger soy flavor to me. Some of the commercial soy sauces also have a very distinctive flavor that can be a little overwhelming at times. This is strictly a personal preference on my part, so in any of my recipes, you can substitute your favorite soy sauce or shoyu.
Tempeh. If you think tofu is too squishy, you should give tempeh a try. It's made out of soybeans and sometimes other grains that have been fermented and pressed into a hard block. It holds up well in cooking and is high in protein. I use it on salads or cooked by itself as a side dish.
Tempeh Bacon. Tempeh bacon is really more like tempeh then actual bacon. It retains the texture of tempeh, but has a smoky flavor that seems a little like bacon without getting too fake meaty. I've tried a few different brands, and my favorite is Lightlife Fakin' Bacon. I eat it just out of the pan as a side dish, put it in recipes, crumble it on salads and put it on sandwiches.
Thai Curry Paste. As a vegan, Thai curry pastes can be a little difficult, since so many of them contain shrimp paste or other meaty bits. My biggest advice is to read the ingredients very carefully or order your curry paste from a vegan store, like Food Fight Grocery. My favorite curry paste is Maesri, but you can only find them in Asian grocery stores, and you need to very carefully read the ingredients because some varieties are vegan and some aren't.
Toasted Sesame Oil. This oil has a very distinctive flavor and is used in many Asian foods to add a slightly smoky flavor. Make sure that you buy the toasted sesame oil, which should be a dark brown color, and not just regular sesame oil because the two have very different qualities. If you don't have toasted sesame oil and don't want to buy yet another oil, you can substitute regular vegetable oil, but you might want to add a dash of tamari or rice vinegar to replace the flavor.
Tofu. Ah, the vegan staple food loved and hated by many. I'm a huge fan of tofu, and you'll find it in many of these recipes. I generally buy the firm or extra firm tofu that you find in a little tub with a plastic cover packed in water in the refrigerator section. It's great in stir-fries, on the grill, as a salad topping and in many other recipes. For those tofu haters in the crowd, you can probably substitute tempeh or even leave it out of most recipes and add a few extra vegetables. Warning: do not freeze tofu, since it completely changes the texture and gets really weird.
I wanted to have a whole section for the non-dairy substitutes because they can be pretty tricky for anyone not familiar with using them in cooking. I can also tell you that I have tried a lot of non-dairy products, and they range from really good to completely repulsive. The goal of this section is to point you to the really good ones and give some tips for using them.
To be perfectly honest, I have a really strong dislike for most vegan cheese. Most of it smells so foul that I can't get it past my nose to eat it. But take this with a large grain of salt, since I've always been a little weird about eating cheese even before I went vegan.
Pizza is generally the only thing I make with vegan cheese, and there are a couple of really good vegan cheeses for this purpose. My favorite is Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella, which actually tastes good and melts really well. The only caveat is that it takes longer to melt and requires a higher temperature than regular cheese, so make sure you plan for this when baking pizza or using it in other recipes.
Another good alternative is Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds. The nice thing is that these come pre-shredded, which saves a little time for pizza, but I don't like the flavor quite as much as the Follow Your Heart brand.
Most of the vegan ice creams these days are pretty good, so try a wide variety to figure out what you like best. Lately, my favorites have been the soy and coconut milk varieties, and I tend to avoid the rice milks, since they rarely taste creamy enough for me.
Purely Decadent makes both soy and coconut ice creams and is probably my favorite brand. Their Peanut Butter Zig Zag ice cream and Minis ice cream bars are a bit addictive. Other favorites include Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss and Tofutti Cuties.
It isn't hard to find a really good vegan margarine in tubs or sticks depending on how you want to use it. I generally look for one of the many expeller pressed varieties with no trans fat, like Earth Balance. Lower fat versions of vegan margarine (probably true with any margarine) tend not to work well in cooking, so if you plan on cooking with it, make sure that you find one with an amount of fat similar to what you would find in regular margarine.
Most vegan mayonnaise is pretty good, since it's really not that difficult to remove the egg from mayonnaise and still have something that has a good consistency and tastes great. I usually get one of the many varieties of Follow Your Heart Vegenaise brand, since they have expeller pressed, non-hydrogenated varieties with added goodies like Omega-3's.
Tofutti makes a really nice non-dairy sour cream in two varieties. Both are equally delicious, but I buy the non-hydrogenated Tofutti Better than Sour Cream in the blue container. However, there are a couple of things you should know.
First, it freezes really easily, and when it freezes, it turns the consistency of a really watery and disgusting cottage cheese when it thaws. I've had it freeze when nothing else in the refrigerator did just by being too close to the back wall. To prevent freezing, keep it in the door or near the front of the shelves.
Second, go easy with heat on the other extreme. When using it in cooking, add it near the end and heat it to warm, but never let it boil.
Sweetened. Most vegan milks contain sweeteners to make them taste yummy, which is great if you want to drink them or use on cereal, but it is less than optimal if you want to make something savory, like mashed potatoes. You really need to read the ingredients to find out if sweeteners have been added, since even the "original" or "plain" varieties are usually sweetened. Most brands also have an unsweetened variety, which is what I buy for cooking. Even when making desserts, it can be difficult to gauge how much sugar to add if you are using sweetened milk, and the results can be disastrous when using it to make something that shouldn't taste sweet.
Flavored. Similarly, you can also find vanilla, chocolate and other flavored milks, which taste delicious and are great for drinking. But like the sweetened milks, you should avoid them for cooking.
Coconut Milk (not the canned kind). This is made by So Delicious and is my new favorite vegan milk. It has few calories, very little sodium and an almost completely neutral taste with none of the chalky or beany consistency that you sometimes find with other vegan milks. Now, just to be clear, this is nothing like those cans of coconut milk that you use in Asian cooking. It has the consistency of regular milk and is great on cereal, to drink or for cooking. You can find it in the refrigerator section near the other non-dairy milk.
Soymilk. Soymilk is higher in protein than coconut or rice milk, so this is a good choice if you are looking to add a little more protein to your diet. Some of the flavored varieties are great to drink, and it's also good on cereal. However, I usually try to avoid cooking with soymilk, since it can be a little beany and the taste sometimes comes through a little too strongly, especially in more delicate recipes.
Rice Milk. This is my second favorite milk for cooking, right behind the coconut milk listed above. It has a fairly neutral taste and is thinner than soymilk, so it works well in most recipes. One big advantage of rice milk is that if you don't use it very often, you can buy it in shelf stable packages that don't need to refrigerated and can be kept in the pantry for long periods of time.
Other milks. It seems like every time I go to the store, I see more and more other vegan milks made from almonds, hemp, oats and more. I recommend experimenting with a few of these other milks to see which one you like best.