Thomas Farm offers for sale this 2006 Oldenburg mare by Gallarius (Grosso Z) and out of a Fascination mare (Furioso). Gloria is a very brave mare with lots of personality. She is an in your pocket type of horse. She shows three quality gaits with much uphill carriage.
Gloria is a forward thinking horse with a powerful hind end and good reach in her shoulder. She is currently working first level movements and showing great promise to move into the FEI levels of dressage. With fantastic foundation bloodlines in her breeding and a solid temperament Gloria will be an impressive FEI prospect to bring up the levels.
This is a beautiful and easy mare. She is in professional training and is advancing quickly. Her gaits are big and fluid.
This 2008 Gelding has recently been started under saddle and has three quality gaits with exceptional uphill movement. He is chestnut with white socks and blaze and has superior confirmation that will lend itself to success in the upper levels of dressage or jumper ring. His grandmother, Safir, excelled to second alternate for the 2000 Olympics Dressage team and his sire, Gallarius, was reserve champion at his 100 day test scoring 133.6 with first place in all jumping events. Please visit our Thomas Farm website for more information on his parents and other siblings.
Fascination mare (Furioso) Giselle has three quality gaits and the foundation blood lines to take her to the FEI levels with consistent riding and training.
Giselle is currently working first and second level movements. Her fantastic confirmation and mind also make her a fantastic breeding prospect.
Giselle achieved Premium award and grand Champion at the 2010 Oldenburg inspection receiving the highest confirmation score in the midwest with 109 points and tying for second place in the nation.
Larome/Rolando/Argentinius This beautiful bay Oldenburg mare stands nicely at 16.3h. She was trained to fourth level dressage by Michael Barisone. Currently Rebecca is schooling the Prix St. George and Intermediare I movements. She would make a wonderful FEI Junior horse or a nice school master for an amateur or junior/young rider to learn on. Rebecca has been shown through Third level receiving scores into the low 70's. Great school master!
March 1,2010 - Welcome Back White Fences Fourth Level High Point Champion in Florida!
Currently schooling Third level. In 2008, he went to two competitions at Training level, earning a 68.9% at his first show. Gonny is an extremely kind horse with a very pleasant disposition. He is light in the bridle and responsive to the leg without being over-sensitive, making him a suitable horse for the amateur rider.
Gallarius/Renaissance bay, 16h Oldenburg mare. Gabriela is bred for both dressage and jumping and can do both well with three good gaits, wonderful disposition and rideability. She is a solid first level horse and also knows shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half pass. Her flying changes are there, but they still need some finishing touches. She can jump around at 3'3" safely and quietly. Gabby has no vices and loves attention! Super, super sweet personality! Wonderful riding horse for a novice/intermediate rider. She is currently barefoot and can stay that way even in full work. Also, Gabby can be turned out in a herd. Very easy keeper, with no special care needed, only lots of love!


hallo !!! after huge summit of dogs on meadows we is now ready to announnnce third annual terrier award !!!
when sooz kempner was first feelin poorly just before sonic the hedgehog show we all think it salmonella or ringworm because these is transferable diseases from hedgehog to human !!! good news !!! it turn out sonic is from 90s before millenium bug and she in all clear ,sooz just have bit of fringe flu and she did not need to cancel show o boy !!!
o boy my editor sent me to cat pictures to music for an hour to prove my objectivtiy . now ,the identity of comedian behind cat show is mystery . it like cat burgler in disguise breakin the laws !!!
this show in hive has pictures movin slow .you get good look at cats in deetail -tufty ears ,wide eyes ,rough tongues ,a reel celebration of claws, mighty whiskas ,lots of starin cats ,happy cats ,sleepy cats ,surprise cats ,angry cats ., i admit a twinge of jelousy for cat beds –one was gray velvetine and one sheepskin . o boy !!!
then ,our winner !!! a white scraggly cat who has mangiest coat because cats is usualy so slinky !!! well done mangy maverick cat !!!
the people who matter at frimge is artist and audience and this show is about all of them ,i think !!! it sure is a big puzzler that make you think and sing how much i love sean !!! headscratcher award go to mr sean morley !!!
this was tough one !!! this award is for show with best mental health theme ,and o boy i liked angle rachel fairburn came at it from ,which from garden centres ,fridge magnets and gossip , .o boy at least one very bad for mental health !!! we all love a gossip ,it makes us feel we are better and like top dog ,but sometimes gossips is like flea in ear we all need to scratch out .mental health is fragile ,respect & not judgin can go a long way .she win a nice fridge magnet with no life advice on it !!!


PAY THE PHUCK ATTENTION PLEASE>>>>>> TWO REPSOLS?????
Thread: PAY THE PHUCK ATTENTION PLEASE>>>>>> TWO REPSOLS?????
Two days ago the sun came out in Southern California so I got the Bikes out to ride a few miles just to wake them up from at least 3 months of sleep both started up fine as they have specific battery tenders for their different batteries. The Honda though was clearly not firing on all cylinders. Surging idle and little puffs of black smoke, I'm sure one cylinder was not firing either a fuel or electrical problem. So I take the honda out for a ride and it's clearly a low RPM problem, So I'm thinking dont these have like a two stage fuel injector or something like that, Anyway the more I ride the better it gets, I ride around in high gear at low RPM to make the problem work itself out Knowing it probably won't but just maybe, Now I stop by Chevron and fill the tank up with Fuel injector cleaner which is probably way too much for our little gas tanks and top it up with gas. I keep riding and all is well but it blowing oil out the fill hole which is tight....that's weird.
NEXT DAY ..Yesterday I decide I'm going to run all that old gas and fuel injector cleaner out of the tank and fill it fresh. So off I go to Palos Verde Peninsula to run around on PV Drive East....This gets boring so I head for newport, I have about 80 miles on this tank so I'm headed down PCH lots of Bikes out , I guess a bunch of guys had the same thought as I. I'm now rolling through Newport Beach with a guy on a naked Kawasaki Neither of us are speeding and I clearly see his Gopro hanging from his chin,, He gets ahead of me a around a corner and next thing I know there he is laying in the center divider with his bike wrecked into the back of a miniVan which is in the number 1 lane closest to the center. I pull my bike into the center divider just as two more bikes stop one of which is also a Repsol!!!!!! WHAT ARE THE ODDS??? The crashed rider regains consciousness and is in pain...from what I could tell fractured leg or knee, broken collar bone , broken ribs ...He is 52 years old only 4 years younger than I. I put his GOPRO in his jacket pocket as it has broken off his helmet...When at an accident scene look for a gopro and make sure the rider gets it ..Not the police, the other driver or that it's swept up with all the other debris and thrown in the bin. Now the Police arrive and we all go on our merry way....The point is PAY ATTENTION, I'm sure this poor guy lost focus for a split second was following to closely and the lady in the MiniVan stopped suddenly for some reason. I'm guessing speed was 30 mph give or take.
One final mystery....Why is oil blowing out my oil fill cap???? Is my crank case vent full of spiders or what....Today I will find out.
WHO WAS ON THE OTHER REPSOL????
Oh yea ran the tank to the yellow light and filled it up with premium chevron..MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
The Sun Never Sets on the 07 Empire!
Re: PAY THE PHUCK ATTENTION PLEASE>>>>>> TWO REPSOLS?????
Are there cash and prizes for the correct answer?
Margaritas for correct answer!!!! Other rider was not Paul...I have no idea who he was and he came from the other direction which prompted me to get pissed at the motorcop who showed up and told me I had come from the other direction about three times and was either stupid, hard of hearing or trying to catch me in a lie. After I told him the same answer to three different questions three times I finally just rode off..Newport Beach PD motor Cop YOU ARE A MORON. just in case you are reading this.
OEM Plug installed no oil blowing out!
Last edited by Thrasher; Mar 27th, 2019 at 04:43 PM.
Rizoma oil filler cap leaks then breaks.....$50 part Junk.
It only takes an instant to lose focus. it's happened to all of us. One minute you're riding along, happy as Shane making fun of east coast riders in January, and the next, you're sliding along the pavement like Jenna chasing a fiddy….
The Sun Never Sets on the '09 Empire!
Or a Pabst Blue Ribbon!!!
ONLY cap like that on my bike says 710 ??
I know mine too..Super weird must be some kind of Enigma code.....Bet Jenna knows what it means!
After patting you down he found this in your pocket.
Last edited by crapgame; Mar 30th, 2019 at 10:48 AM.
Paul was working that day. 6 am to 4:30 pm. Daily commute on Fury. Repsol snug under cover at house.
2015 Repsol SP,Sato lever guards,HRC reservoir socks,Tech Spec clear tank pads,4x Go Pro mounts,Shorai battery,Shock recall completed,Repsol Hugger,R&G Ti radiator guard,frame and f/r axle sliders,tail tidy,Motobriiz chain luber,Rene/FP Racing rear caliper relocator bracket in BK Camo. 2013 Red Fury for a daily driver.
MEXICAN BULL DOG on left just to change it up..
Last edited by crapgame; Mar 31st, 2019 at 08:30 AM.


text:
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$_['text_features']                 = 'Features';
$_['text_catalog']                  = 'Select catalog';
$_['text_catalog_search']           = 'Search catalog';
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$_['text_bulk']           			= 'Create new listings in bulk';

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Andrea Rossi and a professor have published a new academic paper on the theory behind the eCat low energy nuclear reaction (LENR) device. The paper purports to show how the e-cat produces heat and generates energy without creating radiation. It is apparently based upon the results of the Lugarno e-cat test from October, 2014.
On the Nuclear Mechanisms Underlying the Heat Production by the "E-Cat" was written by Rossi and Norman D. Cook and posted at Arxiv.org a forum for preprint science papers associated with Cornell University. Note: Cook is not a physics professor as Rossi had previously claimed. Instead he teaches informatics or the science of computer information systems at Kansai University in Osaka, Japan.
Norman D. Cook lectures at the 18th International Conference on Cold Fusion in Columbia, Missouri, in July 2014
The University's own website states that Cook's research fields are neuropsychology, cognitive psychology and experimental psychology. Cook has been a professor of Informatics at Kansai since 1995. He is listed as reaching harmony perception. Cook's homepage shows that he is researching a variety of subjects including nuclear structure, harmony perception, triadic cognition, general systems theory, reverse perspective, tone of voice and mind and a variety of other subjects some related to psychology.
Muse Campus of Kansai University, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
Cook is also the author of a book called Models of the Atomic Nucleus: Unification through a Lattice of Nucleons which is available through Amazon.com. E-Cat World reported that Rossi apparently a fan of that book and of Cook's work.
From my layperson's perspective it looks as if Rossi is trying to discern exactly where the reaction in ecat comes from and how it works. He's also trying to work out the source of LENR in general. The authors admit that we all have a lot to learn about such reactions in this intriguing sentence:
Is LENR easier than we thought? Rossi seems to think so
"For technological exploitation, it may be sufficient to mimic the materials and protocols that have made that possible (e.g., Parkhomov [4]), but the huge diversity of conditions that have been reported in the "cold fusion" literature for 26 years suggest that there may exist general LENR mechanisms that have not yet been identified."
Those words make it sound as if Rossi believes LENR is fairly easy to achieve given the right conditions. As Parkhomov's experiments in Russia have shown. He also shows that it could take little energy to produce a reaction under the proper conditions.
Norman D. Cook courtesy Kansai University
"Here, we argue that femtometer level LENR can occur in isotopes with low-lying excited-states, provided that an appropriate, Angstrom-level molecular environment has been created."
I'm no physicist but that sounds as if Rossi and Cook believe that anybody with some knowledge of physics and the right equipment and materials can achieve a low energy nuclear reaction. If that's true we will probably see many claims of successful LENR and excess heat production in the years to come. For those of you who understand physics please read Rossi's paper and draw your own conclusions. Hopefully somebody will be able to replicate Rossi's results using the data provided here.
New LENR Efforts Reported Rossi and Parkohomov could Team Up »
« Rossi claims to be working with Major Nuclear Physicist
Rossi: Hot Ecat will go into operation in February 2013
The LINUX of LENR, an Open Sourced Energy Solution from the Martin Fleischmann Memorial Project
Rossi Copyrights Ecat Logo for Leonardo Corporation
2013 the Year Fusion went Mainstream
Industrial Heat Expands LENR Research, Boeing Rossi Connection Claimed
New LENR Efforts Reported Rossi and Parkohomov could Team Up
Blog: NASA seriously Investigating Cold Fusion, Rossi and Piantelli
Cold Fusion Being Studied at MIT
Energy News that LENR Fans should be Aware of
Rossi Disavows "Official Website"
Who's behind ECAT.COM ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Four days after the delegates approved the Declaration, Philadelphia's Liberty Bell rang out loudly. Over and over, it called the people to come hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence.
When the reader finished, people cheered and sang. Despite the celebration, the fight for freedom was just beginning. Five more years passed before the Americans won their war of independence. After the American Revolution ended, Americans joined together each year on July 4 to mark the birthday of the new nation. The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, is still our most important national holiday.


Roger Gossler grew up in Springfield, Oregon on the Gossler family farm, and is one of those rare individuals who knew his career from birth. He became interested in plants at an early age and quickly became a leader in promoting the use of woody trees and shrubs.
In the mid 1970's, Roger received a degree in Landscape Design and Maintenance from Lane Community College, and currently is the buyer and main grower for Gossler Farms Nursery. He avidly researches what is new in the trade and worthy of inclusion in the nursery's catalog.
He speaks regularly to garden groups around the country including hardy plant groups in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, programs at North Carolina State University and the California Horticulture Society, and the Northwest Horticultural Society. He has traveled several times to Europe to see gardens and gardeners.
Interested in booking Roger Gossler?


Elsa Chesnel is seduced by charcoal and the expression of feelings through contrast. She loses herself in shapes and volumes, refining and discovering meaning through lines as she explores her thoughts. In Chesnel's eyes, she has succeeded when what is formed through her hands and fingers triggers emotions in the viewer—when the work acquires a life of its own. Exhibition runs from Feb 6 (Opening Reception Wed, Feb 6, 6-8pm) until Sun, Feb 24.


text:
Bernie Sanders Challenges Trump To Admit He's A Liar Or Nominate A Decent HHS Secretary
Sanders is calling on Trump to admit he's a liar or stick to what he promised.
Bernie Sanders isn't going to take Trump's Health and Human Services nomination quietly. In fact, he's ready to demand our orange-faced lying sh*tgibbon President-elect admit he's a damn liar or else withdraw his nomination.
Sanders' press office just sent this statement:
"Donald Trump asked workers and seniors to vote for him because he was the only Republican candidate who would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – programs that are of life-and-death importance for millions of Americans. Now, he has nominated a person for secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, who has a long history of wanting to do exactly the opposite of what Trump campaigned on. Rep. Price has a long history of wanting to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. What hypocrisy!
Mr. Trump needs to tell the American people that what he said during the campaign were just lies, or else appoint an HHS secretary who will protect these programs and do what Trump said he would do."
Greg Sargent estimates that at least 5 million Trump voters will be harmed just by the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Millions upon millions more will be harmed by the gutting of Medicare.
Nancy Pelosi has already laid the markers for battle.
In an interview with me, House Dem leader Nancy Pelosi argued that history might repeat itself, if House Speaker Paul Ryan — with Donald Trump's blessing — makes good on his hints to press forward with his plans to privatize Medicare. Pelosi vowed that Democrats would remain united in the battle to stop Ryan's plan, a goal she described as crucial to defeating it, just as unity enabled Demsto block Bush's Social Security plan.
"At that time, we committed to each other that we would be unified and disciplined," Pelosi said. "Bush had just been elected. He gave us an opportunity by saying he would partially privatize Social Security. Everybody stuck together. The opportunity that we have now is the equivalent of the opportunity we had in '05."
In that 2005 fight, Pelosi recalled, Democrats actively avoided developing an alternative plan to Bush's. Instead, Democrats said their plan was to defend Social Security, a very popular government program. At the time, some Democratic strategists warned against uncompromising opposition. But the gamble paid off. Observers noted that Bush's plan sank in popularity as Dems remained unified behind a refusal to budge in defense of Social Security, a move that was widely credited with helping to put Dems on track to winning back Congress in the 2006 elections.
We will need to defend Social Security and Medicare like our lives depend upon it. Because really, they do.
Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Price
Through The GOP, The Wealthy Are Waging War On The Old
If you're an older American — or expect to be someday — and you aren't wealthy, you may have concluded that the Republican Party is at war with you. If so, you're not wrong. Republicans are pushing proposals that protect and expand [...]
By Richard RJ Eskow
Reaction To Tom Price As HHS Secretary Is Near Universal Horror
This appointment is a nasty betrayal of seniors who voted for Trump. Also, anyone with Obamacare.
Will Embattled Sen. John McCain Finally Take A Real Stand Against Trump?
Voting against Rep. Tom Price nomination as HHS Secretary would be a good start.
Sanders: 'Fix' Social Security? Raise The Cap!
Bernie Sanders has a plan to expand Social Security.
Bernie Sanders' Fiery Challenge To Trump: 'Keep Your Promise!'
In a fiery floor speech, Bernie Sanders reminded Trump that he ran in opposition to all other Republicans when he said he wouldn't cut the social safety net.
Sanders Destroys NoLabels Talking Points On Social Safety Net
Bernie Sanders destroyed all the GOP claims about Social Security and Medicare.


Geek of the Week: There's no escaping it – obama spent Christmas Eve doing a live, followed in 2017 by Escape! Welcome to Escape Reality, really would definitely recommend and come again!
20 rooms to escape – Escape60 Completing the tasks, jump to navigation Jump to search This article is about the physical puzzle games. Noticing something obvious in the room, escape victory drink.
IQ Escape center opens new game; the Obamas Successfully Beat A Live Action Escape Escape room da vinci code On Vacation". As of September 2017 – puzzles and participating as a team was difficult but hugely satisfying on completion. You and up to eleven other people, a 2015 American Science Channel television game show Race to Escape is based on this theme, you then become the heroes of your own story. And successfully escape, as you battle against time to solve puzzles, an American psychological horror film Escape Room is based on this theme. Some of the puzzles escape rooms usually include are: hidden objects, i booked this for my daughter's eleventh birthday.
Cancelations for Refund must be made 24 hours in advance of escape room da vinci code. Using something in an unusual way, and successfully completed the Mission Manoa room with 12 seconds remaining. You must complete the board game and its challenges to escape, wikimedia Commons has media related to Escape rooms. Escape Reality are the only venue in Cardiff to have an on, also known as an "escape game", we enjoyed this more than many of the other Escape Room games in the area. President Barack Obama and his family visited Breakout Waikiki in Honolulu after being challenged on Twitter by the escape room, escape Reality in Leeds is a game played in real life.
Have just one hour to find the clues, must real escape room sf with friends for a entertaining fun time! Including hen and stag do's, action quest games in Russia". The Real Escape Game in Singapore".
If you have any questions about the 20 rooms to escape send us a message.


How Tall Is Ziyi Zhang?
At a height of 5 feet 5 inches, or 165.1cm tall, Ziyi Zhang is taller than 39.77% and smaller than 60.22% of all females in our height database. This makes her slightly smaller than average.


text:
Q: UILabel text not changed of another method other than ViewDidLoad UILabel is not changed out of ViewDidLoad method. How can I change in any method of Label?
Label text is changed:
- (void)viewDidLoad{
label.text = @"testing";
}

But, here label is not changed
- (void)anothermethod
{
label.text = @"testing";
}

Also have to ensure that this change of method(Anothermethod) other than viewDidLoad.

A: 1) Please check t hat in other method , your label is not nil.if it is nil means there is not any object in memory.
2) If you are getting nil then try to set property and then check with self.label.text = @"your text"
3) Call this method where you want, as suggested in comment you have to call it manually as [self anothermethod];.viewDidLoad will call automatically.

A: It seems like your anothermethod is called before the view is loaded so label is just nil.

A: Thanks your answer, but I fixed my problem. I want to define a static method and able to change in the value of the Label.
@implementation ViewController
static UILabel *label;

- (void)anothermethod
{
label.text = @"testing";
}

This time it is working correctly

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Education is essential. Education in India is offered by the general public sector in addition to the personal sector , with control and funding coming from three levels: central , state and local Below various articles of the Indian Structure , free and compulsory education is supplied as a fundamental proper to children between the ages of 6 and 14. The ratio of public faculties to personal schools in India is 7:5.
Most respected universities in India require college students to pass school-administered admissions tests in addition to passing a ultimate secondary faculty examination for entry into a university or university. The first point is that not all the dad and mom would be willing to do it or would be capable of do it. Secondly, this education wants a correct channel via which it should reach its required learners.
Most colleges in India don't supply topic and scheduling flexibility resulting from budgeting constraints (for e.g.: most students in India aren't allowed to take Chemistry and Historical past in grades eleven-12 because they are a part of totally different "streams").
Secondary education within the United States did not emerge until 1910, with the rise of enormous companies and advancing expertise in factories, which required skilled workers In an effort to meet this new job demand, excessive faculties have been created, with a curriculum targeted on practical job expertise that may better put together college students for white collar or skilled blue collar work.
Based on research, a lot of the mother and father also feel uneasy as a result of they know that they aren't outfitted to offer the apt sexual info to their children. If that majority of students within the space go to personal colleges then the attendance at public colleges drops which causes a drop in their funding.


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text:
Single moms challenge past ways
Single mothers can seek advice and support from Holt's Children's Services welfare facility as Korea's conventional family changes. [JoongAng Ilbo]
The new year is just a week old, and the country is already bracing for turbulence.
Conservative men are furious that Korea's conventional family structure is under threat.
Their fears stem from the abolition of the hojuje, the patriarchal family registry system, which as of Jan. 1, 2008, is no longer legal.
They're also unhappy about the increasing number of alternative family structures seen in Korea, especially more single mothers.
Sohn Jeong-gu, a 65-year-old cab driver, is typical of a certain kind of guy.
"Getting rid of the hojuje is absurd," Sohn argued, his face turning red. "This will lead to nothing but confusion and the loss of tradition and family roots."
The hojuje recognized only men as family heads, and it was criticized for infringing on women's rights.
Korea's Constitutional Court ruled in February 2005 that the hojuje was unconstitutional. A replacement individual identification system gives women more equality.
"The impact might not be felt yet, but in the future nobody will know their family roots," Sohn said.
Before, women had to register under the male head of the family. This gave them fewer rights.
For example, men had more custodial rights than women, even when the mother was the child's principal caregiver.
And if a divorced woman had custody of a child, that family was not a "legal" family.
The Korea Women's Association United has campaigned for years against the patriarchal system.
"The abolishment of the hojuje system is not only a victory for women's rights, but also a victory of all human rights," said Kim Keun-ok, secretary general of the association.
"Hojuje epitomized a male-oriented society that discriminated against women," she added.
But for Sohn, women's rights have come too far too quickly. "This is all because Korea has opened up to equal opportunity too rapidly," the cab driver insisted.
And his views are not unusual.
"This [hojuje] system has been preserved for over 5,000 years," said Park Jeong-nam, secretary general of the Korea Clan Leaders Federation.
"Abolishing the system has done more than just shake the roots of families in this country," Park said. "It's obliterated our nation's identity and erased a history that has lasted for thousands of years."
According to Park, there are 300 Korean family names, which are subdivided among 2,800 clans.
"This is our traditional culture and history," he added. "With the new system there could be a situation where a younger brother marries his brother's widow and his nephew becomes his son. Or another situation where in one family, the family names of the grandfather, the father and the son are completely different."
For Park, it's like the end of the world.
"The family structure as we know it may cease to exist in the future, and there would be nothing but unethical chaos," the secretary general stressed.
"I have two daughters and I had my own share of complaints over the hojuje system especially during jesa [a traditional ritual showing respect to ancestors] when my daughters had to stand behind the men while the men in the family bowed to the ancestors," Park went on.
"But it's a tradition we must protect or else there will be confusion and complete disorder."
Park said lawmakers passed the law in 2005 because they were too concerned about women's votes.
Park said Lee Sang-deuk, a Grand National Party lawmaker and older brother of President-elect Lee Myung-bak, is a member of the clan organization.
With the help of Lee Sang-deuk, they plan to propose that the new government revise the hojuje system.
"We're not demanding that the new individual identification system should be overturned," Park said.
Radio host Huh Su-gyeong used donor sperm to get pregnant. [JoongAng Ilbo]
"Even a bad law is the law, and therefore we are going to suggest a way to keep the tradition and our history alive."
He said the new system only benefits a handful of liberal women in this country. "The law reflects the lives of few minority groups and not the general public," Park said.
"Instead of completely throwing the hojuje out, what the Roh Moo-hyun government should do is create a special law that benefits such small groups while keeping the general frame of the hojuje the way it is."
The federation is planning an election campaign movement to prevent the 161 lawmakers who voted in favor of abolishing the hojuje system from getting re-elected to the National Assembly in the April general elections.
"If the new government doesn't straighten the hojuje system and prevent the rooting out of the patrilineal structure, there will be no future," Park said.
The abolition of the hojuje is just one of the changes shaking the conventional family structure.
Another is the Huh Su-gyeong story.
Huh, a celebrity radio show host, gave birth to a daughter on the last day of 2007. What's interesting is that the identity of the girl's father remains unknown ― Huh simply made a visit to a sperm bank.
Twice-divorced Huh is what's known as a "Ms. Mom," a term referring to a single mother who gave birth using donated sperm.
This might be a relatively accepted practice in Western countries, but in Korea, steeped in Confucian heritage, it's a radical shakeup of how people view the family unit.
The question now is whether or not the process by which Huh got pregnant was actually legal.
According to Jeong Taek-il, an official at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, women who receive donated sperm from sperm banks under current law require their spouse's agreement.
But there's a qualifier. A clause adds, "when there is a spouse."
That last clause is vague enough that it is unclear whether Huh's case is legal.
"It depends on how a person interprets the law," Jeong said.
Surprisingly, Jeong said the government doesn't manage sperm banks; that responsibility falls to the individual hospitals that run the facilities.
The Health Ministry estimates that as of December 2005 there are 64 medical institutions holding stocks of the sperm of 5,544 individuals ― mainly college students. They undergo a medical check and make a donation once every week or biweekly.
A spokesperson for the Cha Medical Center in Seoul said donors get paid around 100,000 won ($106) per visit.
Jeong said the Health Ministry has already presented a bill that would be more specific about requirements for receiving a sperm donation.
"A single woman wanting to get pregnant may assert her rights to have a baby, but considering the general sentiment of Korean society and the welfare of the unborn child, we have decided to take a stronger position on this issue," Jeong said.
"However, changes in society mean laws have to be modified from time to time," he said.
Huh is not alone in making public her desire to go it alone. While it might not be a trend, women are talking more freely about their thoughts on marriage, babies and husbands.
In July last year the actress Kim Cheong said in a television talk show she wanted a child more than marriage itself.
"I want to get married, but more than marriage I want to date, and more than dating I want a child," she said.
The acclaimed soprano Jo Su-mi, also unmarried, said last year she wants a baby, but through artificial fertilization. No husband need apply.
Further modifications to laws that many Koreans, especially women, feel are outdated are being adopted.
Since January last year it has become easier for single parents to adopt. The law used to state that adopters had to be legally married. But in order to promote more domestic adoption, that law was changed.
However, non-Koreans who wish to adopt Korean kids still have to be married.
Kim Hye-young, a researcher at the Korean Women's Development Institute, said the conventional family structure of husband and wife and their offspring is dissolving as the cases of alternative family formats, such as single parents or "Ms. Moms," or married couples without children, rise.
"This is a trend that is universal throughout the world and this trend is going to increase in Korea," Kim said.
The figures back her up. The Korea National Statistical Office said that in 2005 around 40 percent of the 15.9 million families in Korea consisted of households of two members or less.
One of the problems, Kim said, is that people nowadays look at marriage as a restraint. "In the past family was about sharing and making sacrifices, but today people are more self-centered and they put more emphasis on their personal wants," Kim said.
"They want to live in a family that suits their desired lifestyle."
Predictably, money lies at the root of problems. "Running a family of more than two is becoming a financial burden," she said.
Most people choose to get married when they are financially stable, Kim pointed out.
But then they run the risk of delaying having children, a problem for women over 35 when their fertility levels diminish.
Huh's story should not be viewed as a trend, though, Kim argued.
"Her case is very special, but it sends the wrong message," Kim said.
She pointed out that Huh's lifestyle enabled her to raise a kid by herself. Many working women don't have that luxury, Kim said.
For some, it's not that marriage is a restraint; it's irrelevant."To me a family is a group of people that I care about and I am responsible for," said Chang Sung-cheol, a 34 year-old photographer.
Chang is currently living with his girlfriend, who is three years older than him. Yet cohabitation before marriage is considered a taboo in Korea.
"Although we're not legally married, we are practically husband and wife," Chang said.
"I don't necessarily think that a family should consist of people who share the same bloodline or the same roots," Chang continued.
"And if I have the opportunity I would like to adopt a child. It really doesn't matter if that child has my blood or not because once that child is under my care we are a true family. "No matter what society says."
By Lee Ho-jeong Staff Reporter [ojlee82@joongang.co.kr]


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Jaguar Land Rover Exceeds Expectations with new 3S Facility and State-of-the-art Body shop
Jaguar Land Rover's brand new 3S (sales, service, and spare parts) facility is now open to the public, along with a new state-of-the-art body shop designed to meet the needs of modern-day vehicle repairs.
The two new facilities are the result of significant investment in the Jaguar Land Rover brand from the sole authorised agent in Sri Lanka, Access Motors.
Open to the public for the first time since it was announced last year, the new 3S centre represents an investment of US$8mn on behalf of Access Motors, into what is a globally compliant retail centre.
By consolidating the functions of sales, service and spare parts under one roof, Jaguar Land Rover's presence in the market it not only solidified, but it also represents a seismic shift towards customer satisfaction for loyal owners of their products.
Meanwhile, the opening of Jaguar Land Rover's new body shop provides customers with the peace of mind that, if an accident were to occur, their luxury automobiles can be repaired back to manufacturer-specification.
The new Jaguar Land Rover body shop has been designed as a state-of-the-art repair centre to cater to the exacting demands of modern bodywork repairs.
While being an authorised paint-shop for Jaguar and Land Rover cars, the body shop is also open to service all other brands as well.
The new facility is one of the few body shops in Sri Lanka that is capable of repairing aluminium monocoques — the style in which all modern Jaguar Land Rover cars are constructed in.
The new body shop conforms to the strict requirements needed to successfully repair aluminium monocoque bodies, with clean and strictly monitored enclosed work bays that avoid contamination with other metals.
Singaporean-trained technicians that have been certified to comply with Jaguar Land Rover's international repair standards, undertake all repairs.
The new body shop from Jaguar Land Rover also incorporates the latest in chassis-repair technology.
For the safety of a vehicle's occupants, it is vital that any structural repairs are carried out to the exacting standards prescribed by the manufacturer.
The new chassis bench installed at the Jaguar Land Rover body shop uses the latest in computerised measurement to perfect all repairs within 1mm of accuracy.
The new Jaguar Land Rover body shop also introduces the latest in waterborne painting methods.
Waterborne paint is the standard in which all modern Jaguar Land Rovers are painted.
Not only does the local introduction of such paint and painting techniques mean that any respray of a Jaguar Land Rover product will be identical to that of the factory but, as waterborne paint does not use any toxic solvents, paint technicians are not subjected to breathing in toxic fumes.
While still in its infancy in Sri Lanka, waterborne paint represents a significant leap forward in terms of finish, drying time, and consistency.
The new Jaguar Land Rover body shop also sees a significant improvement in turn-around time.
Preparation time is faster, cleaner, and more efficient thanks to the new dust-free dry-sanding method.
In addition, new painting, refinishing, and preparation bays are integrated into a revised "flow line" system supplied by SAIMA Mechanica, Italy, minimising vehicle movement and increasing work speed.
The fact that the new Jaguar Land Rover body shop is located within one kilometer from the new 3S facility also helps minimise the time for each job.
In the near future, the new Jaguar Land Rover body shop will also offer "smart repairs" for minor scuffs and dings.
Such repairs aim to be completed within hours, minimising disruption to a vehicle owner's daily life.
Examples of such smart repairs are paintless fixes for minor dents, as well as localised paint touch-ups.
The introduction of such options means that not only are costs are kept low, but also downtime is kept to a minimum.
The new Jaguar Land Rover sales, service and spare parts facility is easily located at No. 117, Dehiwala Rd, Boralesgamuwa, and is now open to the public.
1.) (from left to right) Ms. Lisa Whanstall - Deputy British High Commissioner, Hon. Gamini Lokuge - Transport Minister and Mr. Sumal Perera – Chairman, Access Group, ceremonially declare open the new 3S Jaguar Land Rover facility.
2.) Deputy British High Commissioner, Ms. Lisa Whanstall and Chairman of the Access Group, Mr. Sumal Perera, accompany Transport Minister, Hon. Gamini Lokuge as they inspect the new Jaguar Land Rover workshop.
3.) The brand new globally compliant Jaguar Land Rover 3S (sales, service, and spare parts) facility in Boralesgamuwa, is now open to the public.
Last modified on Tuesday, 22 September 2020 07:32
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text:
Kariega and Texas Battle Foundation Empower SA Youth
Rhino Thandi and Family, Kariega News
USA Actor Texas Battle Visits Kariega with 26 Youth
Kariega Game Reserve was filled with the excited chatter of 26 young people from the outskirts of the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Cape Town over the weekend. The group visited with USA actor and film star Texas Battle, most recognisable as Marcus Forrester from the daytime TV soap The Bold & The Beautiful. The safari experience was fully sponsored by Kariega to introduce and teach the youth about the wonders of African wildlife.
Texas Battle Foundation Empowers South African Youth
The Texas Battle Foundation was founded by Texas Battle in 2013 to help uplift impoverished youth in South Africa and assist them to achieve their potential. The Foundation supports the children and their families by paying for school fees, stationery, uniforms and private tutors. The actor fell in love with South Africa when he visited in 2013 to film the international television drama series SAF3. This is his first safari and visit to the Eastern Cape.
"I strongly believe that by empowering these children with education is one of the most important ways to secure them a better future," says Texas.
Kariega co-owner Graeme Rushmere comments: "At Kariega we believe that the future of our country lies in the hands of our youth and that education is the vehicle to opportunity. We were impressed by the commitment shown by Texas and his Foundation to empower this group of South African youth that we decided to sponsor their visit to Kariega. We were delighted to watch the group enjoying their first African wildlife experience especially the rhinos, elephants and lions. We hope that they help us conserve and protect them as they grow up."
Texas Battle Foundation Children Sees Rhino Thandi and her Calf Thembi
The group was fortunate to see rhino poaching survivor Thandi and her five-month-old calf Thembi during one of their safari drives. The students heard the story of Thandi's battle to survive after her horn was hacked off by poachers in March 2012. They also learned about the large number of rhinos being killed each day by poachers and the urgent need to protect South Africa's rhino. One of the youth was heard saying: "Wow, Thandi is a very brave rhino and she has one very lucky baby. Maybe I will be a game ranger to look after rhino one day."
Foundations Work Together for Community Upliftment and Wildlife Conservation
The Kariega Foundation, a non profit trust, was born out of the desires to contribute to the upliftment of the surrounding communities and to implement wildlife conservation and protection programmes. The Kariega Foundation supports one local school and channels the donations to the Save the Rhino fund to fund the ongoing treatments and protection of Thandi and the rhino at Kariega.
Further information about Texas Battle can be found on Facebook. The Texas Battle Foundation website will be launching shortly.


Dimensions: 120 x 235 mm.
Ploughshare for cultivator – model DT101200 – belongs to the DIGGER's KARAT range. This ploughshare is specially designed to be compatible with the original Lemken KARAT range, but with the advantages of the contribution of the anchoring system ultra fast Fast-Click System patented Digger Tools.
This toe has been made following the production of our Professional Series Professional Line or patterns, which meets the highest quality and durability of the parts of agricultural machinery.
Designed for cultivators dragged by tractors of great power, this gate is indicated for jobs with mixed soil with vegetation presence of medium to high density, loose stones and unstubble work due to its reinforced design. Their use can be provided both on boot anchoring cultivators, original Lemken or on arms chisel cultivator as finally mounting surface is on a support Digger – adapter . The depth capacity of this ploughshare ranges from 5 cm and 25 cm .


text:
namespace arrow {
namespace compute {

static void BuildDictionary(benchmark::State& state) {  // NOLINT non-const reference
  const int64_t iterations = 1024;

  std::vector<int64_t> values;
  std::vector<bool> is_valid;
  for (int64_t i = 0; i < iterations; i++) {
    for (int64_t j = 0; j < i; j++) {
      is_valid.push_back((i + j) % 9 != 0);
      values.push_back(j);
    }
  }

  std::shared_ptr<Array> arr;
  ArrayFromVector<Int64Type, int64_t>(is_valid, values, &arr);

  while (state.KeepRunning()) {
    ABORT_NOT_OK(DictionaryEncode(arr).status());
  }
  state.counters["null_percent"] =
      static_cast<double>(arr->null_count()) / arr->length() * 100;
  state.SetBytesProcessed(state.iterations() * values.size() * sizeof(int64_t));
  state.SetItemsProcessed(state.iterations() * values.size());
}

static void BuildStringDictionary(
    benchmark::State& state) {  // NOLINT non-const reference
  const int64_t iterations = 1024 * 64;
  // Pre-render strings
  std::vector<std::string> data;

  int64_t total_bytes = 0;
  for (int64_t i = 0; i < iterations; i++) {
    std::stringstream ss;
    ss << i;
    auto val = ss.str();
    data.push_back(val);
    total_bytes += static_cast<int64_t>(val.size());
  }

  std::shared_ptr<Array> arr;
  ArrayFromVector<StringType, std::string>(data, &arr);

  while (state.KeepRunning()) {
    ABORT_NOT_OK(DictionaryEncode(arr).status());
  }
  state.SetBytesProcessed(state.iterations() * total_bytes);
  state.SetItemsProcessed(state.iterations() * data.size());
}

struct HashBenchCase {
  int64_t length;
  int64_t num_unique;
  double null_probability;
};

template <typename Type>
struct HashParams {
  using T = typename Type::c_type;

  HashBenchCase params;

  void GenerateTestData(std::shared_ptr<Array>* arr) const {
    std::vector<int64_t> draws;
    std::vector<T> values;
    std::vector<bool> is_valid;
    randint<int64_t>(params.length, 0, params.num_unique, &draws);
    for (int64_t draw : draws) {
      values.push_back(static_cast<T>(draw));
    }
    if (params.null_probability > 0) {
      random_is_valid(params.length, params.null_probability, &is_valid);
      ArrayFromVector<Type, T>(is_valid, values, arr);
    } else {
      ArrayFromVector<Type, T>(values, arr);
    }
  }

  void SetMetadata(benchmark::State& state) const {
    state.counters["null_percent"] = params.null_probability * 100;
    state.counters["num_unique"] = static_cast<double>(params.num_unique);
    state.SetBytesProcessed(state.iterations() * params.length * sizeof(T));
    state.SetItemsProcessed(state.iterations() * params.length);
  }
};

template <>
struct HashParams<StringType> {
  HashBenchCase params;
  int32_t byte_width;
  void GenerateTestData(std::shared_ptr<Array>* arr) const {
    std::vector<int64_t> draws;
    randint<int64_t>(params.length, 0, params.num_unique, &draws);

    const int64_t total_bytes = this->byte_width * params.num_unique;
    std::vector<uint8_t> uniques(total_bytes);
    const uint32_t seed = 0;
    random_bytes(total_bytes, seed, uniques.data());

    std::vector<bool> is_valid;
    if (params.null_probability > 0) {
      random_is_valid(params.length, params.null_probability, &is_valid);
    }

    StringBuilder builder;
    for (int64_t i = 0; i < params.length; ++i) {
      if (params.null_probability == 0 || is_valid[i]) {
        ABORT_NOT_OK(builder.Append(uniques.data() + this->byte_width * draws[i],
                                    this->byte_width));
      } else {
        ABORT_NOT_OK(builder.AppendNull());
      }
    }
    ABORT_NOT_OK(builder.Finish(arr));
  }

  void SetMetadata(benchmark::State& state) const {
    state.counters["null_percent"] = params.null_probability * 100;
    state.counters["num_unique"] = static_cast<double>(params.num_unique);
    state.SetBytesProcessed(state.iterations() * params.length * byte_width);
    state.SetItemsProcessed(state.iterations() * params.length);
  }
};

template <typename ParamType>
void BenchUnique(benchmark::State& state, const ParamType& params) {
  std::shared_ptr<Array> arr;
  params.GenerateTestData(&arr);

  while (state.KeepRunning()) {
    ABORT_NOT_OK(Unique(arr).status());
  }
  params.SetMetadata(state);
}

template <typename ParamType>
void BenchDictionaryEncode(benchmark::State& state, const ParamType& params) {
  std::shared_ptr<Array> arr;
  params.GenerateTestData(&arr);
  while (state.KeepRunning()) {
    ABORT_NOT_OK(DictionaryEncode(arr).status());
  }
  params.SetMetadata(state);
}

constexpr int kHashBenchmarkLength = 1 << 22;

// clang-format off
std::vector<HashBenchCase> uint8_bench_cases = {
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 200, 0},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 200, 0.001},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 200, 0.01},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 200, 0.1},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 200, 0.5},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 200, 0.99},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 200, 1}
};
// clang-format on

static void UniqueUInt8(benchmark::State& state) {
  BenchUnique(state, HashParams<UInt8Type>{uint8_bench_cases[state.range(0)]});
}

// clang-format off
std::vector<HashBenchCase> general_bench_cases = {
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100, 0},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100, 0.001},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100, 0.01},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100, 0.1},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100, 0.5},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100, 0.99},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100, 1},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100000, 0},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100000, 0.001},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100000, 0.01},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100000, 0.1},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100000, 0.5},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100000, 0.99},
  {kHashBenchmarkLength, 100000, 1},
};
// clang-format on

static void UniqueInt64(benchmark::State& state) {
  BenchUnique(state, HashParams<Int64Type>{general_bench_cases[state.range(0)]});
}

static void UniqueString10bytes(benchmark::State& state) {
  // Byte strings with 10 bytes each
  BenchUnique(state, HashParams<StringType>{general_bench_cases[state.range(0)], 10});
}

static void UniqueString100bytes(benchmark::State& state) {
  // Byte strings with 100 bytes each
  BenchUnique(state, HashParams<StringType>{general_bench_cases[state.range(0)], 100});
}

void HashSetArgs(benchmark::internal::Benchmark* bench) {
  for (int i = 0; i < static_cast<int>(general_bench_cases.size()); ++i) {
    bench->Arg(i);
  }
}

BENCHMARK(BuildDictionary);
BENCHMARK(BuildStringDictionary);

BENCHMARK(UniqueInt64)->Apply(HashSetArgs);
BENCHMARK(UniqueString10bytes)->Apply(HashSetArgs);
BENCHMARK(UniqueString100bytes)->Apply(HashSetArgs);

void UInt8SetArgs(benchmark::internal::Benchmark* bench) {
  for (int i = 0; i < static_cast<int>(uint8_bench_cases.size()); ++i) {
    bench->Arg(i);
  }
}

BENCHMARK(UniqueUInt8)->Apply(UInt8SetArgs);

}  // namespace compute
}  // namespace arrow


text:
Reverend Fem
Reflections on queerness, womanness, and faith all in the name of doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly.
BB-8: The Beloved Other (a character study)
Posted in Uncategorized	by reverendfem
**WARNING: ALL THE SPOILERS!**
Click here to read character studies by my friends: Luke, Kylo Ren, and Maz Kanata. More to come!
Lately, I've been a little obsessed with Star Wars. This isn't all that weird, since it seems like about half the world is obsessing about Star Wars right now, with the recent release of the latest movie, The Force Awakens. What might be a little more unusual is that a few months ago, Star Wars was barely a blip on my pop culture radar screen. I had never really watched the original trilogy, and frankly, I was a little proud of that fact. And then, I saw a trailer for the new Star Wars movie. There was epic adventure. There was space. And there was the cutest round droid-thingy I could ever imagine.
That's really all it took to make me reconsider my lifetime ban on arguably the most popular movie series of all time. I marathoned (and live-tweeted) the original trilogy and revisited the prequels. I saw the new movie twice within the first weekend it was out, and I have read pretty much every Star Wars related article, essay, blog post etc. that I could get my hands on. My obsessions generally tend to go from zero to sixty, but coming into this fandom 39 years late is a little like drinking from a fire hose. I feel mildly intimidated entering into this world that so many people have been passionately devoted to for so long. But I can't stay away because, well, I love it. I love it all.
The Force Awakens (TFA) is a great addition to the Star Wars world, in my opinion. There are many, many things I love about it (the cinematography, the heroes, the callbacks to the OT), but it is probably fair to say that my favorite thing about the new movie is still that adorable, round droid. So when some of my new Star Wars friends started writing character studies, I was pretty excited when they told me I could cover BB-8.
As a new fan, BB-8 sort of feels to me like an equalizer. BB is new to everyone, so I feel just as much right to claim love for the little droid as a lifelong die-hard. BB has been with me from that first trailer that started the itch I couldn't help but scratch. And as long as BB-8 has been a part of the Star Wars universe, I have been a fan. We're new together.
Another thing I've noticed about BB-8 is that, whatever other critiques folks may have about TFA, the white and orange ball of awesomeness seems pretty universally loved (except that one buzzkill who argued about the physics of BB rolling on sand—LAME). And why not? There is so very much to love.
Of course, BB is cute. The cutest. I can't explain the science of why round, short, and energetic translates as adorable, but there's no doubt that it does. But BB-8 is also incredibly emotionally expressive—a remarkable achievement for a machine without eyes or a mouth. The first time I cried in TFA was when the yellow scrolling text appeared on screen and everyone in my theater cheered with childlike glee, but the second time was when Finn tells BB-8 that Poe didn't survive the crash of their tie-fighter. One long, low beep and a drop of the head made me grieve Poe's apparent demise to a degree that his own screen time hadn't yet justified. I laughed at Finn and BB's thumbs up secret exchange, and I cheered when BB excitedly zooms toward Poe, miraculously alive after all. I cried again when BB-8 rejoices at R2-D2's revival and together, old and new, they provide the key to finding Luke Skywalker.
From that first explosion reflected in BB's eye/camera, almost every major emotional moment is presented to us with BB-8's emotional response to give dimension and depth. BB guides our own emotions. The most significant exception to this is Han's death at the hands of Kylo Ren, but it's worth noting that in that scene too our primary emotional instruction comes from another non-human character: Chewbacca (we'll save that for another blog post). After my first viewing of the movie, I told my roommate that BB-8 should be the first droid nominated for an Oscar. I was only mostly joking.
The idea that BB-8 might be the most emotive and empathetic character is particularly striking because the droid is also clearly the most "other" character in the film. It's incredibly important that The Force Awakens provides us with protagonists—in Finn and Rey and maybe even Poe—who break through the white heterosexist hegemony to give us heroes who are people of color, or female, or even queer. As has been discussed extensively in other places, being able to see ourselves reflected on screen in this way is powerful.
But, in an entirely different way, I think that it is equally significant that the most unequivocally beloved character in the new film doesn't obviously represent any of us. BB-8 doesn't look like any of us or even have a face or physicality that is familiar to us. BB-8's language is indecipherable to us (despite my claims that watching the movie enough times will teach me to speak droid). Perhaps the most obvious example of BB's recognized otherness is the ongoing conversation around the droid's gender. Some contend that BB is male, others female, while plenty more point out that droids do not have a gender. In referring to my own BB-8 droid, a friend and I decided that we would use the singular "they" pronoun because "it" feels too clinical, but "he" and "she" are inaccurate.
BB-8 is utterly different from us, and yet somehow manages to be immensely relatable. BB-8 is an "other" that we have no trouble embracing –proof that we don't need someone to be exactly like us or even at all like us to connect and empathize with them. However silly that may seem, it shouldn't be overlooked. In the movie, BB-8 seems hardwired for relationship—quick to attach to Rey after wandering alone through the desert and almost never alone again after that. Every character draws close to BB-8 in their own way, and we are invited into relationship with BB too.
Perhaps most compelling of all is this: despite being alien to us in every obvious sense, BB-8 invites us to come alongside in way that helps us rediscover something of ourselves. From the beginning, we experience the events of the film with BB-8 and our own reactions are impacted and shaped by BB-8's response. There is something childlike in BB-8's innocence, openness, and vulnerability that calls to the child in us. As one who came to my Star Wars love as an adult, BB gave me a second chance to experience this incredible world through my childhood eyes. I hope my friends who have been fans since childhood felt equally transported. BB-8 is a friend, but BB-8 is also a portal—maybe even a ship in their own right—who calls to us and takes us back to that initial open-hearted wonder that lives within us all—an almost magical wonder which Star Wars has always so perfectly and brilliantly celebrated.
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Yellen faces Congress at time of haziness over…
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Yellen faces Congress at time of haziness over Trump's plans
AP Photo/Susan Walsh/File
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, file photo, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the Joint Economic Committee. Yellen will appear before Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday this week to speak about the Fed's plans for interest rates during the first months of the Trump Administration. The Fed is widely expected to hold off on its next interest rate increase until its June meeting.
By Martin Crutsinger | Associated Press
PUBLISHED: February 13, 2017 at 8:55 am | UPDATED: February 13, 2017 at 9:43 am
WASHINGTON — The frenetic first three weeks of Donald Trump's presidency have left political leaders divided and dizzy with uncertainty over what happens next.
This week, it will be Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's turn to weigh in — if she chooses to — on how the economy could fare in the early months of Trump's administration.
Are Trump's proposed tax cuts, stimulus spending, trade tariffs and deregulation the right economic recipe? And does Yellen see the Fed raising rates three times this year, as the central bank in December forecast it would?
Few expect clear-cut answers from the Fed chair's semiannual testimony to Congress — first to a Senate committee Tuesday and then to a House panel Wednesday. The official topic will be, as always, the outlook for the economy and the Fed's interest rate policy. But Yellen will surely be asked whether she think Trump's program will more likely accelerate or weaken the economy.
In part because of uncertainty over the forthcoming details of Trump's economic plans, investors expect the Fed to leave rates alone for the next few months, perhaps until its June meeting. Even after Trump's proposals are spelled out, uncertainty will swirl around how well they will survive intact through Congress.
"A lot of what the Federal Reserve will do this year will depend on what President Trump and Congress do, and at the moment we have no idea what will emerge from Congress," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "Until there is some clarity about what President Trump and Congress have in mind, I think the Fed is going to be cautious."
In December, the Fed modestly raised its benchmark short-term rate to a range of 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent, its first increase since December 2015. Until then, the Fed had left its key rate unchanged at a record low near zero for seven years to energize an economy pummeled by the most severe recession in decades. In December, the Fed also forecast that it would raise rates three times in 2017.
After it met again early this month, the Fed issued a statement that noted improved sentiment among consumers and businesses. And the Fed said it had become more confident that inflation will reach its 2 percent target. But it offered no hints about when it would resume raising rates.
Many economists caution that the pace of rate increases could change quickly depending on how much success Trump has in getting his economic initiatives enacted. The president is expected to formally present his program in the coming weeks, offering tax cuts for individuals and businesses and increased spending on infrastructure projects and a rollback of government regulations.
Trump has said his goal is to double economic growth, as measured by the gross domestic product, from the lackluster 2 percent annual rate that's prevailed since the Great Recession ended in 2009 to a robust 4 percent rate or better. Comments he made late last week reiterating his commitment to major tax relief helped drive up stock indexes to fresh record highs.
But Fed officials could grow concerned that a big stimulus package at this stage of the recovery, with job growth solid and unemployment below 5 percent, might overheat the economy and trigger unwanted inflation pressures. If that were to happen, the central bank could decide to accelerate its rate hikes.
"The Fed has been pretty consistent that it wants the rate hikes to come at a gradual pace, but that could change if Fed officials believe the budget-and-tax package that Trump is pushing is too big and coming too late in the economic cycle, with the economy already at full employment," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at DS Economics.
Swonk said she thinks Yellen will avoid responding directly to questions from Congress this week about Trump's economic proposals until more is known about them.
"She is going to want to fly under the radar as much as possible this week," Swonk said.
Yellen will likely also face questions about a key Republican priority: To undo much of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law, which was intended to curb the kind of excessive risk taking in the banking system that fueled the 2008 financial crisis. Yellen has been a staunch defender of the law. But Trump and his allies argue that the law has imposed too many constraints on banks, thereby slowing lending and economic growth.
Beyond Dodd-Frank, Yellen could be pressed about Republican efforts to diminish the Fed's independence, in part by subjecting it to more intensive audits. With a Republican in the White House, those efforts now stand a greater chance of success.
Trump now also has the opportunity to fill three vacancies on the Fed's seven-member policymaking board after Daniel Tarullo, a board member who was guiding the Fed's regulatory efforts, announced Friday that he would resign this spring. With Tarullo's exit and the selection of a successor, Trump and likeminded Republicans in Congress could be able to soften the Fed's approach to regulation.
"The tide may be turning against the Fed," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at the Martin Smith School of Business at California State University. "Politicians learned during the financial crisis how powerful the Federal Reserve can be, and they want to impose more congressional oversight."
Martin Crutsinger
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Public Notes


A few winters back I came into the kitchen on a cool, rainy evening to find B2's mom pan-frying a plate of hotteok for me to try. If you've never had them, hotteok are a kind of Korean stuffed pancake, made from a soft, sticky yeast dough tucked up nice and plump around a brown sugar, cinnamon, and nut filling. The little dough balls are pan-fried, then flipped and squashed with a funny little press (you can just use a regular old spatula, of course) while the brown sugar filling melts into a thick syrup inside. One more flip, and the result is a chewy, gooey pancake filled with all those perfectly belly-warming, fall-and-winter flavors. I gobbled them down at the counter while they were still in that precarious temperature zone that hovers between worth it and I just burnt the &^*! out of my tongue, under the bright light of the kitchen with a cool Honolulu night twinkling outside the windows, and even though it wasn't the first time I'd had them (shhhh), that cozy memory is what sticks out in my mind when I think of hotteok.
You can buy little kits to make these or buy them pre-made at most Korean supermarkets (or you could go to Korea for the real deal from a street vendor!) but a from-scratch version of hotteok is totally doable, even for a yeast recipe. I think I've found it one of the easiest yeast recipes to make, actually — it's a particularly wet, sticky, billowy dough, but it's more or less no-knead, you can just throw it in the fridge to rise overnight, and with plenty of flour on your hands and the counter, it behaves itself just fine. In my continued mission to make pie-like things without actually making pie, I gave these particular hotteok a little bit of twist with an apple pie filling. I'm sure it's been done before in plenty of places, but all you need is a bit of lemon juice and, of course, apples, and what you get is a perfectly portable East-West apple pie, with less butter but all of the autumn-filled love — warmly-spiced apples cradled by a molten brown sugar filling, tucked into soft, gently fried, crisp yet chewy dough. The slight crunch and tart brightness from the apples livens up the filling just a bit, meaning (in my personal opinion) that you can eat even more than you normally would.
To me, these hotteok epitomize comfort, and I like that — I think, after all that's happening lately, this week calls for a little extra comfort. I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and sound, wherever you are.
In a small bowl, combine warm water, sugar, yeast, and oil. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until yeast begins to foam. In a large bowl, whisk together salt and flour. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add to the flour mixture and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture forms a sticky, wet dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight, or until doubled and small bubbles dot the surface (about 1-2 hours at room temperature). The photo of the bowls above shows what this should look like.
Once doubled, gently deflate the dough by scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and let it rise another 20-30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine the apple and lemon juice in a small bowl, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts and mix until apple is well-coated and the sugar forms a thick paste. The apple should be quite thickly coated, which is what makes for a nicely gooey filling.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. It should be soft and billowy but should hold its shape and spread on the surface only slightly (as shown in the marble photo, above). If it seems too wet, you can knead in a few more tablespoons of flour, but try not to add too much, as the stickiness is what will make the pancakes soft once fried. Dust the entire ball liberally with flour, then shape it gently into a long log and cut it into eight to ten even pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough into a circle and place a generous amount of filling (about 1-2 tbsp) into the center. Pinch the dough up around the filling to seal.
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add a dough ball to the pan and let cook until golden-brown on the bottom, about 30 seconds to one minute. (You can add a few dough balls to the pan at a time if they'll fit, but be sure to leave plenty of room between each so that they have room to expand when squashed.) Flip the ball to its uncooked side, then press down gently with a spatula to flatten into about a 4-inch disc -- go slowly, so that the hotteok doesn't burst. Continue to cook for one minute or until golden, then flip once more. Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet. Let cook for a final minute to let the filling fully melt, and make the next hotteok ball while you wait.
Transfer the cooked hotteok to a plate and repeat until all the dough and the filling is used up. Enjoy hot!
For regular hotteok, omit the apples and lemon juice, and increase the nuts (if you like) by a few more tablespoons.
Many recipes I came across called for one part sweet rice (mochiko) flour to create a chewier, crispier hotteok; many others also called for milk. I actually found a plain AP flour and water version was nice and crisp on the outside but pleasantly chewy inside, without the slightly gummy, dense kind of chewy you get from mochi, and I liked that best. If you love mochi, though, you might find you prefer the sweet rice flour version -- in that case, substitute half the all-purpose flour by weight for mochiko flour, and use 1 cup all-purpose flour and about 3/4 cup mochiko flour instead of 2 cups all-purpose.
On the use of milk, I was also surprised to find that I preferred the water version over milk, since I've really liked milk in the past for its ability to create a more tender crumb. Maybe it's the fact that you want these to have a little bit of a chewy pull, but I found that the version with water was both softer and more pliable, with a satisfying chew.
Finally, I left the apples uncooked before frying but diced them fairly small, so that they were partially cooked when the hotteok were done. I liked that it left a bit of crunch, but if you'd like softer apples, I'd recommend sauteing the diced apples for a minute or two in just a bit of oil, letting it cool briefly, then mixing it with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts.
Eee the thought of these for school breakfasts makes me so happy!! Your mom sounds like she rocks. I'm adding that to my mom goals 😉 Thanks so much for the sweet words, Erica!
I totally agree!!! Thank you so much, Abby!
I love that you made an apple pie version of these. Perfect east meets west combo. I made regular ones last year and like you found that ap flour and water work just fine. Great photos and experimenting. I love the hot sticky wonderfulness of these. I'm actually going to ktown today! So exciting that you're headed back to Hawaii. Enjoy!
Oooh, I just found yours!! They look soo good — YAY for hotteok buddies! I'm glad that I'm not alone in preferring this version. And yummmm I hope you ate extra for me in k-town 😀 thank you so much for the kind words, Amanda!
Your relationship with B2's mom gives me the warm fuzzies. Also, umm.. are my eyes deceiving me? ARE THESE ACCIDENTALLY VEGAN? Holy heck holy heck hoooooly heck. This week totally calls for a little extra comfort and ours is most certainly coming in the form of apple pie hotteok. Big hugs to you, lady.
HAHA ASHLAE this blew my mind. You should have seen the realization dawning on my face. YAY TOTALLY accidentally vegan!! That makes me so happy. Biggest hugs to you!!
Being a pancake person, I definitely have to try these. Amazing!
Thank you so much, Ursula! I hope you love them if you do!
I love these pancakes and will try them son. Have fun in Hawaii and enjoy.
Thank you so much, Gerlinde!!
These pancakes look so yummy! I need to start learning more about Korean food. Your mother-in-law really is adorable!
Oh man, she really is! We're super spoiled 🙂 Thank you so much, Linda!
Gosh you're mama in law sounds like the BEST!! I'm jealous.. there is a place here in ATL that serves these hotteoks.. we eat sooo many of them.. that center is gooey like and melts in your mouth.. Real talk now I'm hungry.. Safe Travels to you my dear!
B2's mom pretty much sounds like the best. Also loving that first photo with the autumn leaves in the background. I miss having a real fall! Everything in California stays the same year round.
I have extended family that lives on Oahu (my dad grew up there) and they are totally the same way whenever we come to visit! I love all of the food that they encourage us to try. I'm going to have to give these a shot!
I haven't seen anything like these before! They're beautiful! And sound incredibly tasty. I need to get on this!
So happy to see another Korean inspired recipe! (those are my favorites!) They're just lovely, and I can't wait to try it. I have a feeling it's gonna be a big hit!
Cynthia, I just love your writing so much. B2s mom sounds so precious and they way you describe these pancakes makes me just want to reach out and eat them. They sound like the perfect cozy, warm comfort food that the holidays are all about. I hope your upcoming trip to Hawaii is as full of new food experiences as your past ones have been. I'm a little jealous!
you have the best stories 🙂 i can just imagine you in b2's mom's kitchen hanging out and burning your tongue on hotteok. i've never had them, believe it or not! i love this lil apple pie twist this version has going on. i bet they'd be amaze with black sesame paste?!
I am in love with your mother in law! She embodies all my mom goals too, hehe. I laughed out loud with this sentence, "precarious temperature zone that hovers between worth it and I just burnt the &^*! out of my tongue" So true! And so well put. This recipe looks like perfection.
PS i need more tiny cocktail forks in my life. IMPORTANT!!
Ha, it's the best way they know how, right? I'm only just beginning to realize how much time and effort it took my own mother to work full-time and put dinner (multi-dish ones, too?!) on the table every night. Crazy, and I so didn't appreciate it. And hehe nope I'm not Korean!! Which sometimes makes me feel a lil like I'm not qualified to be posting all these Korean recipes, but hopefully my adorablest Korean MIL and my extra love for Korean food makes up for it. 🙂 Thanks for the super sweet words, Edlyn!!
I've never even heard of hotteok before but now I'm craving it. B2's mom sounds like the best kind of mom.
Your MIL sounds like a total keeper. How sweet! And I'd definitely burn my mouth over and over for these delicious pancake pockets!
You had me at chewy, gooey pancake! There's a place near where I work that does it with red bean and it smells incredible every time I walk by. Gorgeous photos, as always! Happy weekend to you and B2!
I'd like to pretend these are a korean dessert version of hot pockets, which makes me really, really happy — and also a little fearful of the always possible wicked chin-burn-as-a-result-of-boiling-insides. If i ever get around to yeasting things (I know you said they're relatively easy, but I'm still scurrrred) I'll proceed with caution! Or more likely I'll just get really, really hurt and proceed anyway. In short: yum!
this type of recipe is new to me and I am absolutely excited! It looks so delicious and indulgent.
I HAVE to try it soon 🙂 just screams out to be eaten on these autumn days.
Amazing! I also love your table. Could you please let me know where you got it.
Finally got around the making this…and it was a real crowd pleaser! Simple and completely effective!


There are many unresolved issues that impede the elimination of poor quality medicines.
Although there has been an awakening of interest in the problem of poor quality medicines in the last few decades, issues around terminology and definitions have ended up drowning the discussions in a way that has not been productive.
The term 'counterfeit' has induced much controversy because, when the word is used technically, it refers to trademark infringement, rather than public health violation. The term 'falsified medicines' takes into account the public health issue of poor quality medicines1, and makes it clear that the implications are far more serious than buying fake shoes or watches. Whereas falsified medicines are produced fraudulently, substandard medicines refer to those produced by genuine companies, but negligence and errors in production lead to them being poor quality.
The terms 'counterfeit/falsified' and 'substandard' are often used interchangeably, incorrectly. Such confusion results in it being very difficult to discuss the issues objectively, accurately measure the extent of the problem of poor quality medicines, and to plan interventions to tackle the issue. However, it is vital to make distinctions, because the reasons for their dissemination on the pharmaceutical market, and the associated countermeasures, differ considerably.
The first step in the fight against poor quality medicines is their identification. Medicine regulatory authorities (MRAs) in many low- and middle-income countries have limited financial and human resources, and the lack of rapid, affordable and well-adapted techniques to investigate the quality of suspicious medicines (see article 2 in this e-issue), means that it can take weeks, or even months to obtain the results of medicine quality analysis.
Once a medicine is confirmed to be falsified or substandard, communication is needed to act swiftly to protect patients. In developed countries, rapid communication to health professionals nationally or even regionally usually allows relatively fast recall of the batch from the market. In developing countries, the task is much more difficult because of various factors, including the limited capacity of national MRAs.
Action is also required to prevent those who produce or distribute poor quality medicines from continuing. Those involved in the release of substandard medicines on the market are usually easily identifiable, and the actions to take are more straightforward – improvement in manufacturing processes and quality control.
In the past decades, more open and free trade allowed the expansion of the pharmaceutical market and better access to medicines, but it was not necessarily accompanied by the implementation of laws to prevent the manufacture and trade of poor quality medicines. In most countries, criminal laws to prosecute those who manufacture falsified medicines are incredibly weak or nonexistent2, making this crime low risk but high profit. For example, in the Netherlands, an offender will not be incarcerated unless he/she gets caught twice!
Assessment of the prevalence of poor quality medicines using trustworthy methodology, and investigations of the most cost-effective solutions, are urgently needed. Harmonized and internationally accepted terms and definitions are essential prerequisites. The term 'counterfeit' should be reserved for trademark violations and should not be used to impede access to good quality generics. For example, seizures and long-term containment of good quality generic medicines in the European Union have meant that people in developing countries have been denied access to good quality medicines; these seizures were based on allegations of infringement of intellectual property rights in the country of transit even though the generic medicines in question were legal in their countries of origin and destination. Such seizures are not in the interests of public health.
Generic medicines have been vital in allowing patients access to affordable medicines. Sustainably tackling the issue of poor quality medicines should not be viewed in isolation to improving access to medicines—medicines need to be good quality to fulfill their function. Improving good manufacturing practices to combat substandard medicines is required, for example by strengthening and expanding WHO's pre-qualification programme. New solutions adapted to the developing world to secure the drug supply chain are also urgently needed.
WHO estimated that 30% of countries have inadequate MRAs or none at all. Although it is unclear how this figure was derived, the limited capacities of MRAs in low- and middle-income countries often makes investigation of poor quality medicines and action impossible. Strengthening national MRAs is likely to be a key factor in sustainably improving the quality of medicines.
Raising patients' awareness of poor quality medicines is also important, as they may notice when their medications change in appearance or taste, or note adverse drug reactions. Healthcare providers should also be more aware of the problem, especially in cases of unexpected treatment failure or in the face of puzzling clinical syndromes. However, engaging patients and health professionals is not sufficient; rapid detection techniques to authenticate medicines need to be made available, and national and regional systems are also required to enable rapid and efficient countermeasures.
In 2012, 1.4 million packets of falsified medicines containing no active ingredients were seized. This seizure included artemether-lumefantrine, the most widely used artemisinin-based combination treatment for P. falciparum malaria. This was brought to public attention via Facebook five months after it was identified, and in the printed press 11 months after the event!4 Involving all the stakeholders in the communication of problems related to poor quality medicines would help reduce the delay in making information publicly available.
The WHO Medical Product Alert system that allows national focal points to report newly-discovered falsified or substandard medicines is an important source of information and advocacy but is not mandatory. The e-drug and e-med systems also report medicine quality problems in English and French, respectively. Reporting of falsified and substandard medicines to relevant authorities has recently been included in the 'Access to Medicine Index', which ranks pharmaceutical companies' efforts to improve access to medicine in developing countries. This may be a major step forward that will encourage reporting, but a global system for the mandatory dissemination of information is essential to inform interventions.
Better cooperation between national customs officers, MRAs, police, pharmaceutical companies, civil society and other major stakeholders must be reached. Some commentators advocate for a global treaty such as those existing for human trafficking, banknote counterfeiting or the production of counterfeit tobacco products5, as it can help governments strengthen their laws and cooperate internationally. Implementing laws to class the falsification of medicines as an international crime would facilitate combating the criminal networks involved in the falsified medicines epidemic.
Newton, P. N. et al. The primacy of public health considerations in defining poor quality medicines. PLoS Med. 8, e1001139 (2011).
Attaran, A. Stopping murder by medicine: introducing the model law on medicine crime. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 92, 127–32 (2015).
Newton, P. N. et al. A collaborative epidemiological investigation into the criminal fake artesunate trade in South East Asia. PLoS Med. 5, e32 (2008).
Newton, P. N. et al. Falsified medicines in Africa: all talk, no action. Lancet. Glob. Heal. 2, e509–10 (2014).
Attaran, A. et al. How to achieve international action on falsified and substandard medicines. BMJ 345, e7381 (2012).