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SACRED INTIMATE - An integrative approach to sexual healing
Sexual healing has a long and distinguished tradition, up to and including being the name of Marvin Gaye's last great record. But the term "sacred intimate" has a very specific and recent origin. It was coined by Joseph Kramer, who was the founder of the Body Electric School of Massage in Oakland, Calif. In 1987 Joe Kramer created a pioneering weekend workshop called "Celebrating the Body Erotic," teaching the basic principles of tantra, conscious breathing, and Taoist (non-ejaculatory) erotic massage to groups of gay men across the country, largely in response to the fear and sex-phobia that the AIDS epidemic generated. A charismatic teacher and erotic visionary, Kramer decided in 1990 to develop a week-long intensive retreat for graduates of the weekend workshop. When the first one was held at Wildwood, a gay retreat center near the Russian River in northern California, he half-jokingly called it the Sacred Prostitute Summer Camp.
He was inspired by what he'd heard and read about the tradition of the sacred prostitute or temple whore, which dates back to pre-Christian times. These were people -- men and women, although historical references mostly refer to women -- who were available for sexual encounters in ritual space as selfless service or spiritual practice. Joe Kramer would say, "These are the people you go to when you want to have sex with God." Nancy Qualls-Corbett wrote a very good book called The Sacred Prostitute, published in 1988, that details the historical and anthropological documentation on this tradition and how it worked in several cultures.
Joe Kramer found, though, that most people had negative reactions to the word "prostitute" and didn't want to be associated with it in any way. So he met with a corporate image consultant in the Bay Area, and they came up with the designation "sacred intimate," which first appeared in public in 1991, when Joe Kramer offered the first Sacred Intimate training, an eight-day workshop specifically devoted to helping interested gay men develop their skills as sexual healers. At that time a big part of sacred intimate work, in the training and in real life, had to do with being midwives to the dying -- tending to the body, mind, spirit, and erotic energy of friends who were preparing to leave their bodies.
Since that time, the concept of sacred intimate work has slowly but steadily entered the culture as Body Electric graduates began to offer their services professionally as sacred intimates. I did a Google-search the other day and came up with about 100 listings for men and women who call themselves professional sacred intimates, some but not all of them Body Electric graduates.
What does a sacred intimate do? I like to say that sacred intimates combine the roles of priest, prostitute, and psychotherapist. In other words, they approach sexuality with the understanding that it's related to soul work and to spirituality. They use mindfulness and integrity to help people identify, embrace, and practice desire as holy, sexual embodiment as an expression of the soul. They hold the body as sacred and view erotic energy as a crucial component of human life and spiritual health. Their primary intention is that of healing -- and by healing I mean not just addressing the wounds to the spirit and the flesh caused by sexual abuse, addiction, or disease but also acknowledging that the fun and the pleasure, the vitality and the divine mystery of sex have nourishing properties in and of themselves. That's a message that easily gets lost in a culture that is as ambivalent or sex-negative as ours.
A lot of people who are sex workers and sexual surrogates are sacred intimates, but not all of them. Sex workers can be mercenary -- they're in it for the money. And often their clients like it that way, because they just want to get off as soon as possible. I don't judge that as wrong or bad -- it just lacks the healing dimension of sacred intimate work. I think about the line in Luis Bunuel's film Belle du Jour where Catherine Deneuve asks her husband to explain the concept of brothels to her. He says, "You find a beautiful woman, you spend half an hour with her, and you're depressed for the rest of the day." A sacred intimate is something else -- someone you're transformed by, or with whom you have an experience of unconditional love that changes you.
Sacred intimacy has a relationship to sex therapy as it developed in the second half of the 20th century with the work of Masters & Johnson and Helen Singer Kaplan, who performed a great service by bringing accurate information about sex to the American public and developed effective treatments for sexual disorders. Surrogates are trained to interact with patients who have sexual dysfunctions, under the supervision of a clinical psychologist, and they often use the same skills and techniques that sacred intimates do, working with breath and presence and sensate focus. One major difference is that most sexual surrogates are women who work with heterosexual men, whereas Body Electric-trained sacred intimates are primarily men who work with men. Also, surrogates work specifically with sexual disorders within a medical model. Sacred intimates may or may not treat dysfunctions, and they generally work from a wellness perspective, not fixing problems but encouraging and expanding sexual joy.
Although it would seem like psychotherapy is the field most appropriate for sexual healing, in practice many psychotherapists are terrified of dealing with sexuality, either because they have their own unresolved sexual conflicts or they are afraid of legal liabilities. How often do psychotherapists acknowledge that they themselves have sex lives? How often do they share information about erotic resources or facilitate detailed explorations of masturbation or sexual fantasies? Today psychotherapists are intensely focused on boundaries and shy away from sexuality lest they be perceived as provocative, seductive, or harassing. However, it's possible that deflecting or avoiding sexual issues reinforces shame and cultural repression.
Every person in the healing professions brings a different set of tools based on his or her training, experience, and personality. Same goes for sacred intimates. No two of us work exactly the same way. For me, when I first heard Joe Kramer talk about sacred prostitutes, he made it sound like the noblest calling in the world. Hearing him spin out his fantasy of the vocation called "sacred intimate," I recognized in his words a description of myself that I'd never heard before. It pulled together my childhood as a Catholic altar boy -- some kind of temple slave operating behind the scenes of the Mass, carrying props for the ritual priest -- with my experience of taking care of close friends as they got sick and died, as well as my long history of committed domestic partnerships with lovers, not to mention my enthusiastic career as an exhibitionistic connoisseur of communal reveling in sex clubs. Joe Kramer's talk about sacred intimates connected the dots, and I got a picture of my destiny.
I got trained as a massage therapist and began doing Body Electric-style erotic massage professionally. When I started out, I was thrilled to take off my clothes to go to work. I loved observing men's sexuality, encouraging it, celebrating it, admiring it, indulging it, extending it. I wanted to make up for the culture's lack of encouragement of gay men's sexuality and self-esteem. I began to understand that my desire to have sex with someone is often profoundly transpersonal. Not impersonal. Impersonal would mean it didn't matter who the person was -- I'm just using them like a Kleenex to shoot my wad into. But transpersonal means actually having the experience of…sounds so corny to say, but MAKING LOVE TO GOD through having sex with a person. In other words, when I have sex with someone who's not my intimate partner, if I have any consciousness about it, I'm choosing to have sex with the spark of divinity that he is. In that sense, sex is a form of prayer, no less precious for being abundant.
I know that this concept became part of my experience through Body Electric work. I wanted to add to the amount of pleasure experienced in the universe. I wanted to make love, with my hands -- literally, like making a loaf of bread. I wanted to pitch in to the communal ocean of love and in doing so receive what I needed, exactly like the Christian concept of communion. The exchange was not personal and quid-pro-quo but symbolic and transpersonal. The feelings were no less real for being generated by a symbolic action. I wanted to be a sexual Good Samaritan -- make love unto others as you would have them make love unto you.
And that's what I act out with my clients on a daily basis, a symbolic act of communion. Body Electric made me a sex priest, and since I began I don't feel entirely complete unless I've said my daily Mass, performed my daily ceremony of anointing a man's body on the altar of my massage table and receiving the blessing of flesh and blood made holy -- made whole -- by the ritual of touch and prayer. Give us this day our daily bread.
After a few years of doing bodywork, I wanted to get more skillful about handling the emotional issues that massage clients showed up with, and I eventually undertook a four-year clinical fellowship and got trained as a gestalt psychotherapist. With its intrinsic focus on body-awareness, tracking the breath, and concentrating on what's happening right here right now, gestalt work was perfectly compatible with my massage and sacred intimate training. So I've developed parallel practices as an erotic masseur and a psychotherapist. I don't call all the work that I do sacred intimate work, though I do approach all my clients with a sacred intimate perspective. There is a big overlap between therapy and erotic bodywork, and that's what I consider sacred intimate work.
I've come to understand that much of the healing that takes place in sacred intimate work happens on very, very simple levels. Simple, nurturing touch is so important. Touch that includes genital touch plus breath plus presence feels like acceptance. Giving permission is a big part of sacred intimate work. It's about giving permission to receive pleasure, to feel your whole body, to speak desires, to bring consciousness to sex and touch, to live your spirituality without blocking your sexuality and vice versa, to be seen naked, to see another man naked. All these are opportunities to heal shame, isolation, erotic malnutrition, and touch deprivation.
Sacred intimates can help people keep their erotic bodies alive in a long and loving but sexless marriage. I'm thinking of a man named Derek who came to see me who's been in a relationship with another man for 22 years. (All names and identifying details in this article are changed to protect client confidentiality.) Derek and his partner have never had a sexual relationship because his partner is not into it. Now at the age of 55, Derek is starting to feel the deficit of not living out his sexuality. He took a Body Electric workshop and found it exhilarating, but he ejaculated almost immediately, without even feeling it, as soon as someone touched his cock. His only sexual experience had been masturbating as quickly as possible to get it over with. I did a couple of sessions with him, working on his breathing, moving energy around his body, and he was able to hang out much longer in a high erotic state without squirting or squelching his erotic energy. He left transported with joy.
In my practice I see a lot of men whose stories are a variation on Derek's. They're getting to be middle-aged and they're looking for adult sex education, or erotic mentorship. This is an area sacred intimates are well-suited to address. Many guys, especially those who identify as married or heterosexual, have strong desires to experiment sexually with men. Because these fantasies have been strongly repressed, they consumed a huge amount of energy. In a sacred intimate session, a middle-aged married guy can try out his fantasy of sucking cock or getting fucked and often will discover that the fantasy plays better than the reality. And they can learn this not by having bad or painful sexual encounters with strangers but by exploring consciously with a sacred intimate, experimenting playfully with simulated butt-fucking or verbal fantasy or having the actual experience of being naked with another man and checking out the true extent of his desires. Would he rather suck a hard cock, or would he rather fantasize about sucking a hard cock? Sometimes the reality is physically unpleasant, and sometimes it simply triggers too many fears to be pleasurable - the two biggest being fear of disease and fear that if he likes sex with men, that means he's gay and he'll have to leave everything he cherishes in his life behind and get his nipples pierced.
I'm thinking of Alfred, a twice-married man with grown children. He desperately wants physical contact with men, but he tends to go about it in a way that is guaranteed to be frustrating. He refuses to name desires, saying instead that he wants to surrender to another man. But what that means is surrendering consent -- a recipe for violation. So then he can disown his desire and blame the other person: I didn't want it, he forced me. He told me that when he was in his 30s he was coerced into sex once with his uncle, a Catholic priest, and once with a friend of his uncle's. I was curious about this, since a man in his 30s is well past the age of consent. It turns out that he grew up in a traditional Italian family and his older brother tormented him from an early age -- whenever he showed signs of being soft or sensitive, his brother would say, "Don't you be a faggot!"
This told me a couple of things. From an early age, Alfred's permission to say yes to his gay desires was taken away from him, and that took away his no as well, leaving him vulnerable to coercion. It also got him to internalize his brother's homophobia, which manifests by disdaining gay men who aren't "straight-acting" and advising his gay son not to go around telling people he's gay. Some of the work we've done together has been about supporting him in naming desires in an inhabited, emotionally authentic way -- "I'd like you to be naked" as opposed to "Nudity is appropriate." I've also worked with him to increase his ability to tolerate naming desires, postponing the need to attach identity to sexual feelings or behavior, and giving him permission to play in an erotic zone and really experience it directly. When that happened, his need/desire for intensely sexual contact diminished, and he discovered that a big part of his yearning is simply for another man to be nice to him (which is what he didn't get from his father or his brother).
Exploring anal pleasure is another task for sacred intimates. Many heterosexually identified men are curious about anal pleasure and long for a safe playground to explore. Plenty of gay men, too, have apprehensions about buttplay, based on fear of disease or bad experiences with insensitive lovers. As one client said to me in an email, "My first gay experiences were with my friend Steven who had a huge dick and he needed attention. He used to fuck me and rip me apart - no real lube, just a little saliva. It has taken me years to get over the pain association." My extensive training and experience as an erotic masseur has equipped me with the information and ability to bring men through their fears at their own pace to arrive at the place where pleasure is available.
So much of sacred intimate work has to do with adult sex education, sharing information and teaching. All of the clients I'm describing are people who did not and probably would not seek out clinical sex therapy, nor were they simply looking to get off. They mostly found me through the avenue of bodywork, and we developed a personal relationship that created a safe container for both of us to experiment with the sacred intimate work we do.
For me, sacred intimate work is a constant dance between the sex-worker side of me, concentrating on healing through pleasure, and the psychotherapist, processing emotional issues. And all this takes place within the context of my own grounded spiritual practice, a consecrated ritual space, and my own sense of purpose, to wake people up to the joy of life in a body. I want to live in a world that honors and supports sexual freedom, erotic abundance, and healing through pleasure. And certainly one of my essential supports is creating and experiencing community with people who are willing to join this conversation.
(This article is adapted from a talk delivered at the First National LGBTI Health Summit in Boulder, Colorado, in August 2002.)
RFD, Winter 2003
See also: bodyandsoulwork.com


my house is. Now, if it could just stay that way.
So tell me, what links have caught your eye??
I need a whole day or weekend to do nothing but clean!
ah the old switching of closets. gotta love it! i don't have that anymore being down here but i always loved how organized it was at first :) and that how to style like a parisian girl - bookmarked!
I love Reese so much! I just want to scoop her up and put her in my pocket, lol! Have a marvelous Monday!
Cleaning out your closet is always the best feeling! I need to do that this weekend. I'm going to check out the interview with Reese. She is one of my favorites! Happy Monday!
Thanks for sharing. Aw, I love Reese! I really need to watch Big Little Lies with her still.
Excited to check out some of these links! Glad you had a good, productive weekend!
Thanks for sharing! Also, I might be a freak but I love switching my closet over - especially to Fall!
I need that cheaper and healthier PSL! I'm way too addicted to the Starbucks one!
Yay for a cheaper and healthier PSL! I try never to have PSL because I KNOW how bad it is for me! Hope you had a great weekend!


To reserve your free place for this webinar and enjoy unlimited access to the whole of bizibl.com, simply log in or join free.
A decade ago, programmatic enabled the buying and selling of digital ads in real time - this was a revolution. But in 2017, marketers are operating in a different paradigm. Consumers use more devices, channels, and platforms than ever before, so simply targeting devices is no longer delivering ROI.
To succeed in this new paradigm, marketers need to stop targeting devices and start targeting individuals. In this way, they can serve the right ads at the right time - this is people-based marketing.
Join our webcast to hear from industry heavyweights, LiveRamp and AppNexus, on how they're helping clients rethink the programmatic landscape using people-based marketing.
LiveRamp's UK MD, Richard Foster, and AppNexus' VP of Strategic Development for EMEA, Nigel Gilbert will help you understand the challenges that have emerged with programmatic ad buying in 2017 and the evolution of programmatic in the UK.
To reserve your free place for "Powering Programmatic with People-Based Marketing", and enjoy unlimited access to the whole of bizibl.com, simply log in or join free.


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Literacy is an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, to compute, to solve problems necessary to function on the job and in society, and to achieve one's personal goals.
Literacy is important in our community because improved literacy means a better qualified workforce, and a stronger economy.
Being functionally illiterate means being unable to fill out a job application, get a driver's license, read a medicine label, or read to kids at bedtime — factors that severely limit one's opportunities for employment, advancement, and potential for a happy, fulfilling life. Being literate means being able to read the newspaper or a medicine bottle, complete a job application, balance a checkbook, and help kids with their homework.
For the individual, having a GED and WorkKeys certificate means being more competitive in the local job market. For the community, having a more educated workforce means less money spent in public assistance and more money put into the local economy. Being literate means a better life for everyone.
With the help of more than 200 volunteers and dozens of community collaborative partners, Trident Literacy Association serves approximately 1,500 students annually. Founded in 1972, Trident Literacy Association's mission is to help adults reverse the cycle and impact of generational poverty and illiteracy through the acquisition of vital life skills.


Here is a fantastic diorama made by Brian.
He tells us how he made it and explains some of the techniques. One of the things I really like is the way he uses a wire brush to get a great stone wall look.
My thanks go to him for all the pictures and information!
The large part of the wall was done from pink foam board. I carved the bricks out with an exacto knife and then took a steel wire brush and beat the foam to put a stone texture I then painted and dry brushed.
The Back walls believe it or not I used some flora craft bricks. The bricks look horrible if you use them out of the box unmodified they look like sponge blocks.. I Glued them into the structures I wanted I then pressed and crushed them to get them to look aged and match the ruin theme. I then took a mixture of White glue / sand/ and acrylic and made my own morter base. This is what gives it the real looking 3-d texture.
I did the same thing with the floor tiles. I took foam board from the dollar store cut out the tiles and painted them with the same morter mixture. White glue/sand/Acrylic paint and then i dry brushed it.


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International Practices
LEG-ACCELERATOR
Profile Firm
Advising Middle East Power (MEP) for the Operation and Maintenance of Deralok Hydropower Plant in KRG
The firm advised Middle East Power (MEP) in respect to the drafting and review of the Operation and Maintenance Agreement for the Deralok 37 MW hydropower plant located in Duhok, Kurdistan Region Governorate, Iraq.
The Deralok hydropower plant has costed USD 129,000,000 and was financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
This is not the first power plant awarded to MEP in KRG. This project comes in addition to the other two power plants MEP operates in Erbil and Duhok.
All rights reserved. 2023 .By Koein

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Gorgeous brand-new coastal inspired homes by Ashton Woods located on the lake in Sparrow Cay. The options in this home have been meticulously selected by interior designers to ensure the latest in design throughout the home. Inside you'll find a sunny bright, open kitchen and living room with plenty of upgrades such as beautiful 42" white shaker style Wellborn kitchen cabinets, all stainless steel Whirlpool appliances including 36" cooktop, refrigerator, washer and dryer, walk in pantry, white tile backsplash, and enormous quartz counter-top island perfect for gatherings. Main living space features 9x35 wood look tile and the bedrooms feature upgraded Shaw stain resistant carpet for comfort. Other notable features include impact windows throughout, tray ceiling in master, frameless doors in master shower, covered lanai and 10 year limited structural warranty!


While on his whirlwind visit to Cayman last week, here to discuss both natural and man-made disasters, Lord Tariq Ahmad offered reassurance — and a bit of a reality check — regarding Parliament's decision to compel Cayman and Britain's other overseas territories to create public registries of company ownership.
Lord Ahmad, who is minister for the territories, understands the U.K.'s unique responsibilities to our jurisdictions. He arrived last Wednesday to review hurricane preparedness protocols and continue discussions of the beneficial ownership registries, which Parliament has decreed we must make public — voluntarily or by force.
This board has written voluminously of that betrayal, which began with a House of Commons amendment directing the U.K.'s overseas territories (but not Crown dependencies) to publish the private information of beneficial owners of companies registered in their jurisdictions by Dec. 31, 2020. If they do not, Mother Britain will issue an order in council. A few weeks later, the House of Lords assented to the language in an act, it must be noted, Lord Ahmad did not support.
As he told his peers in the House of Lords during their discussion of the Commons amendment to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill last month, the act of compelling territories to open company registries by issuing an order in council would not only decimate our economies, it would run roughshod over our constitutions and disenfranchise our elected representatives.
Despite his eloquent arguments, the Lords agreed to the bill's wording, allowing the amendment to stand. During his visit, Lord Ahmad was appropriately candid about where we stand as a result of that decision.
He realistically advised that there is no way to "undo" an act of Parliament. This is the path before us. He spoke to government's plans to review the constitution, particularly Section 125, which grants Her Majesty's government "reserved powers" to legislate for our territory on local matters — effectively to override local control.
Lord Ahmad advised that any proposals for constitutional change would be given "due consideration," but warned that those reserved powers have traditionally been an important element for the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office in its agreements with overseas territories.
"If there are issues [the territories] wish to raise about the constitution, we will look to address them," he said, urging everyone to remain calm as events unfold.
By all accounts, Cayman and other offshore jurisdictions have a tough fight ahead of us. We need the facts in our arsenal.
And we need friends in London, like Lord Ahmad, who will help our leaders realistically chart a path forward.


Hadrien's "Maria Pamplona" proves that he really is good to women. Yapacc's track features Big Bully and it is an end-of-the-night track. When the sun comes out, you better turn your face to the floor. Finally, Audire wants you to "Lick It Fast" with a catchy vocal that is truly inspiring.


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Relatos franquistas. Vivencias personales es un libro de la escritora Paquita López Arroyo publicado y presentado en video conferencia en 8 de junio de 2021 con la participación de José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Cristina Manzano, Luis Cobos, Angel Alvarez Rodríguez e Isabel Cuerda entre otros.

Sinopsis
Relatos franquistas. Vivencias personales son historias vividas en primera persona por la autora, desde la guerra civil española cuando era niña de seis años, a las persecuciones y el exilio posterior a Francia. Los relatos se acompañan de análisis desde el feminismo de las políticas durante el franquismo, el espíritu de lucha compartido por su generación por las aspiraciones democráticas y el sueño de una sociedad mejor.

La autora relata, entre otras, la vida junto a su padre, que como carabinero republicano se desplazaba por toda España por motivos de trabajo. Entre estos trabajos el que le llevó por ferrocarril con cuadros del Museo del Prado empaquetados para salvarlos de los bombardeos que arreciaban sobre Madrid.

Datos de la obra
Relatos franquistas. Vivencias personales recoge las vivencias madrileñas de la autora, Paquita López, durante la Guerra civil española. Paquita López vivió  en Madrid la llegada de los moros a caballo, recorrió la calle Fernández de los Ríos, en el actual distrito de Moncloa Aravaca, cuando era una zona de primera línea de frente de guerra, corría a casa de la mano de su madre con su hermano Vicente, ante el miedo por la fama de las actuaciones de la caballería africana.

Relatos franquistas. Vivencias personales, se presentó en junio de 2021 de forma telemática con una mesa en la que participaron José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Cristina Manzano, Luis Cobos, Lourdes Lancho, Angel Alvarez, así como amigos, familiares y todos los que se inscribieron a la convocatoria del encuentro por videoconferencia, realizada también desde la federación estatal de los foros por la memoria histórica.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

 Relatos franquistas. Vivencias personales
 Presentación del libro 'Relatos franquistas'

Libros acerca del feminismo
Libros de España
Libros del siglo XXI

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This sprawling, one-bedroom loft in the upscale Broughton Street District is the best value you'll find in the heart of downtown Savannah! Steps away from the heart of Savannah's nightlife and entertainment, this location is perfect for a weekend getaway with family or friends. Did we mention free parking? Free, private parking in the city parking garage close by is included, a true rarity downtown.
Style and relaxation meet in this large loft with twelve-foot ceilings and an open floor plan. The neutral toned decor uses natural textures for an inviting clean, modern look. The living room has a comfortable sleeper-sofa and cable television. The gorgeous gourmet kitchen has stainless steal appliances and a state-of-the-art wine fridge.
The bedroom has a comfortable queen bed and a large closet, so you can unpack and settle in when you arrive. The modern bathroom has an overhead rain shower with a built-in seat. Just outside of the bedroom is a full-sized washer and dryer.
Surrounded by so many of Savannah's incredible dining options, you'll never need to cook during your stay! In the morning, head down the street for breakfast at Goosefeather's Cafe, listed as one of the top 16 bakeries in Georgia. Looking for something extraordinary? Go underground to The Ordinary Pub for classic favorites with a twist, or try The Grey, one of Savannah's newer restaurants, was named one of the top 5 restaurants in the country by Food & Wine Magazine. Both are nearby.
- A free, private parking spot is provided with this rental.
- You'll have all the conveniences of a downtown hotel with triple the living space!
- Located on the lane (back) side of the building, what you give up in Broughton Street views you'll make up for in a more peaceful night's rest.


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/Alexander Kurepin
MATI Russian State Technological University (1994–2000)
Russian State Academy of Intellectual Property (2001–2003)
Federal Institute of Industrial Property (2000–2004)
Manufacture of pumps, compressors and hydraulic systems
Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment
Manufacture of machinery and equipment for agriculture and forestry
Manufacture of tractors and farming equipment
Manufacture of machine tools
Manufacture of portable hand-held power tools
Manufacture of mechanical tools for metal working
Manufacture of equipment to forge and press metal
Manufacture of wood-working equipment
Manufacture of machinery and equipment for metallurgy
Manufacture of machinery for mining, quarrying and building
Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers
Manufacture of internal combustion engines for motorized vehicles
Manufacture of trucks
Manufacture of special-purpose motorized vehicles
Manufacture of railway locomotives and railway tram ways
Manufacture of rail, tram and other cars for the goods transportation
Production of parts for railroad locomotives, tram and other motor carriages and rolling stock; production of equipment and devices for railroad, tram and other tracks, mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment for traffic control
Manufacture of furniture and other similar products
"Is it Necessary to Think About the Evidence of Violation of Rights to an Invention and Utility model at the Stage of Filing an Application?" (16th annual seminar "IP protection strategies for successful company development", Moscow, April 2018)
Consulting a Russian company, railway equipment manufacturer, on choosing the potentially patentable subject matters in Russia and filing patent applications.
Consulting large European and Japanese companies (equipment and tools manufacturers in a wide range of industries) on the strategy of using their patents by third parties` production and using third parties` patents for their production.
Representation of a large Japanese automaker in appealing against patent grant in the Russian PTO.
Representation of Russian companies, working in a wide range of industries, in the Russian PTO in order to provide a most effective and reliable protection of their patents or invalidation of third parties` patents.
Representation of large Russian companies working in the services sector (banking services, advertisements) in third parties` patents cancellation cases.
Representation of large Russian companies (equipment and tools producers in a wide range of industries) in courts in cases.


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There's Nothing Bipartisan About Medicaid Cuts
Republicans looking to Bill Clinton to defend cuts to the health-care program for low-income Americans are distorting history.
By Gene B. Sperling and Chris Jennings
Gary Cameron / Reuters
With Republican senators' Affordable Care Act replacement, the Better Care Reconciliation Act drawing as little as 12 percent approval nationwide—and even majorities of Republicans disapproving of their assault on Medicaid—it is understandable that the plan's defenders would be looking far and wide for political cover. But arguing that the approach is "borrowed from a nearly identical 1995 proposal by President Bill Clinton," as Avik Roy recently did in The New York Times, distorts Clinton's efforts to protect Medicaid from then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich beyond recognition.
Republicans Need to Stop Being Jerks
McKay Coppins
The Logic Behind Biden's Refusal to Negotiate the Debt Ceiling
Ronald Brownstein
Clinton's singular goal in this period was to defend Medicaid from the exact same Republican attack we see today: an effort to finance tax relief for the top 1 percent of Americans (and, in this case, pharmaceutical companies and health insurers as well) under the guise of thwarting allegedly out of control Medicaid cost growth. Clinton's tactical measures, and ultimate commitment to holding the line on the defense of Medicaid, can only be used as historical support for standing firm on Medicaid—not as cover to fundamentally undermine the program—as is sought by defenders of Trumpcare today.
There is no question that defending Medicaid was a harder battle in 1995. The program was far less popular, perhaps because fewer people understood its critical role in helping children get coverage or Americans in nursing homes and with disabilities get the care they need. And while Medicaid today is extremely efficient—with lower per-person cost growth than the private sector—in the mid-1990s it was far more vulnerable to arguments that its growth needed to be reduced.
Despite all of this, Clinton knew from his time as governor of Arkansas that block granting and imposing excessive caps on and cuts to Medicaid—as the Republican leadership was proposing in 1995—would be devastating to the most vulnerable, and shift costs and risk to the states. As a result, he launched a full-court press to defend Medicaid, refusing to sacrifice the program in exchange for a win on Medicare. Indeed, it was an argument on Medicaid that was the triggering event in his decision to shutdown the government that year.
Today as the Trump administration and the Republican leadership are trying to provide cover for their harsh and unpopular Medicaid cuts to pay for tax cuts for the most well-off, they are using the fact that Clinton also had a per-capita-cap proposal as a means to suggest their proposal is less harsh, and even "bipartisan." That is false.
First of all, the Clinton per-capita-cap was not proposed as a means to cut Medicaid and undermine its ability to provide affordable health care for millions of Americans, but rather as part of a strategy to counter and defeat the Gingrich-led effort to block grant and gut Medicaid to finance tax cuts. Clinton's move was to insist on fully guaranteeing Medicaid's entitlement status while also demonstrating a policy response to Medicaid's high growth rates through a version of what he called a per-capita-cap that still allowed for a generous growth rate.
Indeed, this was so well understood during the government shutdown that every single Democratic senator—from Paul Wellstone to Ted Kennedy to Tom Harkin—signed a letter to the president praising his per-capita-cap proposal and noted the president's commitment to "veto any budget not containing a fundamental guarantee to Medicaid for eligible Americans."
Opposition to the Republican Medicaid policy was so strongly felt by Clinton that it was his refusal to bend on Medicaid on the evening of November 13, 1995, that was the triggering event in his decision to shut down the government. As senior policy aides to Clinton at that time, we can vouch for what happened in the cabinet room that night. Nevertheless, we will rely on the account reported by the Pulitzer Prize winning journalists David Maraniss and Michael Weisskopt in their book, Tell Newt to Shut Up, as to what when down after Dick Armey suggested Clinton's criticisms of the Republican Medicaid and Medicare policies "had frightened his mother-in-law and her friends." President Clinton responded:
"[L]et me tell you there are a lot of older women who are going to do pretty darn bad under your budget … I want to make one thing clear. I am not going to agree to your Medicaid package no matter what … If you want to pass your budget, you're going to have to put somebody else in this chair. I don't care what happens. I don't care if it all comes down around me. I don't care if I go to five percent in the polls. I am not going to sign your budget. It is wrong. It is wrong for the country."
As the journalist Julie Rovner reported in her article "Medicaid divide drives US budget battle," Clinton was committed to protecting Medicaid. In his December 9, 1995, radio address he said: "If the Republican cuts in Medicaid take effect, the blunt reality is that as many as four million children will simply be denied needed medical care. That is unacceptable in a country that cares about its children. And I will not permit it to happen."
Second, in sharp contrast to the current proposal, which would sharply reduce Medicaid spending by $772 billion over 10 years, the Clinton proposal would was never meant to produce significant cuts. Indeed, when it was scored in 1997, it was projected to produce only $6 billion in savings over five years. According to an unpublished 2017 Urban Institute analysis, if one applied the same per-capita-cap index the Clinton Administration proposed (a 5-year average of historical growth in nominal gross domestic product per capita plus 2 percent in the first year, and 1 percent thereafter) to the current Medicaid program, the policy would actually allow for an increase in current federal spending by over $200 billion over 10 years, if necessary. Such a level would leave significant room for states to accommodate unforeseen health crises or expensive improvements in treatments and cures, and the burden they would otherwise impose on patients, providers, and taxpayers.
Contrast that with the latest Senate Republican BCRA proposal—which is ultimately indexed to general inflation, which has historically risen more slowly than medical inflation. Together with the elimination of the ACA expansion, and other Trump budget proposals, it would produce cuts as high as 45 percent by 2026.
Third, while Medicaid spending per enrollee today is significantly below private health insurance per person spending, this was not the case during the first several years of Clinton's presidency. In the years running up to the budget fights in the 1990s, Medicaid's per-beneficiary costs were only beginning to show a bit of improvement after averaging 9.5 percent annually—a rate faster than that of Medicare, GDP, and inflation. In fact, in the late '80s and early '90s, the growth rate of the program's cost was extraordinarily high, sometimes exceeding 25 percent a year. As discussed in a previous piece in The Atlantic, this was driven by higher medical inflation, but, in particular, financing practices by the states that attempted to manipulate the federal matching rate. While the Clinton Administration preferred more targeted approaches to ensuring Medicaid's per beneficiary growth rate stabilized—and while there was never justification for harsh caps or block grants of any kind—a generous per-capita-cap was a way for the administration to publicly communicate a commitment to constraining Medicaid growth without relying on block grants or deep cuts.
As the years drew on, the structural policy debates over Medicaid produced a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats, and Clinton agreed to only minor Medicaid savings in the 1997 Bipartisan Balanced Budget agreement with no type of cap. After that, Clinton as well as the Bush and Obama administrations worked to implement targeted policies to mitigate financing abuses and to work with the states to administer the program through creative delivery reforms, and more movement towards managed care in the Medicaid program.
The real legacy was that even at a time when Medicaid was less popular and harder to defend politically than today, holding strong was the right thing to do.
As a result of these measures, the program's growth rate substantially declined. The annual average growth rate of Medicaid spending per enrollee dropped from 5.9 percent between 1991 and 1999 to 2.8 percent between 1999 and 2005. Over the last 15 years, Medicaid had zero real spending growth per enrollee, much lower than private-sector health spending growth. And because the growth rates are projected to consistently be below private sector health care growth rates, there is absolutely no defensible policy case today for any harsh cuts or caps on Medicaid, other than as a piggy-bank to fund tax cuts for the highest income Americans.
There is no part of the story of Bill Clinton and the Democratic congressional resistance to gutting the fundamental guarantee of Medicaid in the mid-1990s that can be seen as providing justification for harsh cuts to Medicaid over 20 years later, or providing cover for the per-capita-caps now being embraced by President Trump and the Republican Congress. The real legacy was that even at a time when Medicaid was less popular and harder to defend politically than today, holding strong was the right thing to do.
Rather than allowing the Medicaid guarantee to be gutted, President Clinton—with the encouragement of Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Jay Rockefeller, Henry Waxman, John Dingell and others—protected the program and skillfully and forcefully got an all-Republican-led Congress to agree to and support the enactment and adequate financing of the Children's Health Insurance Program. In the intervening years, Medicaid and CHIP have only grown stronger, more efficient, and more publicly appreciated. There is a bipartisan lesson on Medicaid from the 1990s—and it is to defend, strengthen, and expand Medicaid, not to dismantle, cap, and cut the program.


This three day conference was held to publicise the network's research achievements at the end of the project. Network fellows and partners were encouraged to give presentations to publicise their research achievements throughout the network. The meeting also featured talks by international researchers. Participants included fellows whose fellowships had ended, as well as associated partners and external visiting scientists.
This ensured that the conference was a major international event in Quantitative Immunology, with significant participation from outside, and so assisted dissemination of the ITN, and helped the fellows to build international contacts.


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È altresì cofondatrice dell'Associazione Internazionale di Psicoterapia di Gruppo.

Biografia
Allieva di Jacob Levi Moreno e Françoise Dolto, la sua esperienza è nota a livello internazionale soprattutto nell'ambito della psicoterapia di gruppo e dello psicodramma. Ha lavorato al fianco di Margaret Mead, Gregory Bateson e Carl Rogers. Ai suoi studi si deve lo sviluppo della tecnica del genosociogramma: albero genealogico che tiene conto, oltre che dei legami di parentela esistenti, anche del ripetersi di particolari traumi psichici e fisici di generazione in generazione.

Il suo lavoro è essenzialmente mirato alla psico-genealogia, alla comunicazione non verbale e ai legami familiari.

Inizia i suoi studi di psicologia presso l'Università di Parigi subito dopo la seconda guerra mondiale e viene introdotta alla teoria psicoanalitica da Robert Gessain. Nel 1950 riceve il premio Aide Alliee conferito per la resistenza durante gli anni dell'occupazione nazista. Nel 1951 si trasferisce in America per osservare i processi di interazione e le dinamiche di gruppo intraprese da Kurt Lewin e contemporaneamente conosce Jacob Levi Moreno. Rimane colpita dalla personalità di Moreno e si dichiara da sempre figlia adottiva del fondatore della sociometria e da quel momento gli rimane vicina sostenendolo fino agli ultimi mesi di vita.

Jacob Levi Moreno riconosce in lei l'elevata capacità di osservazione e la vuole come rappresentante dello psicodramma nel mondo accademico. In venti anni di lavoro ha raccolto innumerevoli dati sulla comunicazione non verbale dei gruppi traendone una tesi conclusiva per il suo dottorato. Dal 1976 è Professore emerito in Psicologia sociale presso l'università di Nizza.

Nel 2001 viene riconosciuta come Membro Onorario della FEPTO (Federation European of Psycodrama Training Organization).

I suoi studi si approfondiscono sull'importanza di conoscere la vita degli antenati per capire la rilevanza della trasmissione inconscia e involontaria nei legami transgenerazionali. Nel 1998 pubblica in Francia Aïe, mes aïeux ! : Liens transgénérationnels, secrets de famille, syndrome d'anniversaire, transmission des traumatismes et pratique du génosociogramme, tradotto in Italia nel 2004 col titolo La sindrome degli antenati e numerose ristampe.

Il 5 maggio del 2008, la trasmissione Voyager, trasmessa da Rai 2 si occupa della sindrome degli antenati, intervistando Schützenberger e Maurizio Gasseau sulla psicoterapia transgenerazionale e sulla piscogeneaologia.

Dal 2016 l'Associazione Moreno Museum (presidente Marco Greco) provvede al riordino e schedatura dell'archivio e della biblioteca professionale ricevuti dalla studiosa, per preservarli e renderli disponibili per la ricerca.

Note

Bibliografia
 Il piacere di vivere, Di Renzo, Roma 2010 ISBN 978-88-8323-232-9
 Lo Psicodramma, Di Renzo, Roma 2008 ISBN 88-8323-209-7
 La sindrome degli antenati, Di Renzo, Roma 2004 ISBN 88-8323-076-0
 Uscire dal lutto, Di Renzo Roma, 2009 ISBN 88-8323-228-3
 Una malattia chiamata "genitori (coautore: Ghislain Devroede), Di Renzo, Roma, 2006 ISBN 88-8323-167-8
 Il corpo e il gruppo, Astrolabio, Roma, 1978
 Psicogenealogia, Di Renzo, Roma, 2011
 Esercizi pratici di Psicogenealogia, Di Renzo, Roma, 2012 ISBN 978-88-8323-269-5

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni


A Winnebago County Sheriff's deputy pulls me over on the shoulder of 251 in Machesney Park.
If there has ever been an example of "do as I say, not as I do," last night was it.
I am a man of following the rules of the road. They make the roads safer for cyclists and drivers. I always wear a helmet. I stop (or at least slow down) at stop signs. When riding at night, I use bright lights. I even use hand turn signals when other vehicles are on the road.
Last night, I let some of those rules slide.
DJ and I met up for the weekly Rebel Ride. Apparently we were the only two with the guts to ride in the cold. Since we had the luxury of picking whatever route we wanted, we really detoured and rode out to Cherry Valley. On our way back north, we reconnected with the Perryville Path, continuing the regular route. However, as it was getting late, DJ turned off at his home and I continued to ride home myself.
By this time (after midnight), I was extremely cold. My feet were frozen numb. My hands were in pain. Every time I stopped moving, I froze a little bit more. So it made perfect sense in my head when I rolled up to and through the stoplight at Roosevelt onto 251 in Machesney Park. I could see infinitely in every direction. The coast was clear.
I was heading south on 251 when I saw something I never thought I'd see. In my helmet rear view mirror, the red and blue lights started blinking. I kept riding for a second thinking the sheriff's deputy was speeding past heading to a call. Nope. He paced with me.
When he got out of his car, he said "I appreciate you having these lights but you know you need to follow the rules of the road when you ride on them." Yes. I knew. But I was cold!
He asked for my license I assume to check for warrants or something and then let me go.
Luckily I only hit green lights the rest of the way home.
So call me a hypocrite if you'd like but I encourage all cyclists to follow the rules of the road. If you're cold like I was, cross through red lights at your own risk. And remember, I told you so.


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Chen, Weiqin and Nils Magnus Djupvik. "Supporting the Comprehension of Complex Systems with Video Narratives." Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native. IGI Global, 2010. 412-431. Web. 22 Jan. 2020. doi:10.4018/978-1-61520-678-0.ch023
Chen, W., & Djupvik, N. M. (2010). Supporting the Comprehension of Complex Systems with Video Narratives. In M. Ebner, & M. Schiefner (Eds.), Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native (pp. 412-431). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-61520-678-0.ch023
Chen, Weiqin and Nils Magnus Djupvik. "Supporting the Comprehension of Complex Systems with Video Narratives." In Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native, ed. Martin Ebner and Mandy Schiefner, 412-431 (2010), accessed January 22, 2020. doi:10.4018/978-1-61520-678-0.ch023
Supporting the Comprehension of Complex Systems with Video Narratives
Weiqin Chen (University of Bergen, Norway) and Nils Magnus Djupvik (Mindlab AS, Norway)
Source Title: Looking Toward the Future of Technology-Enhanced Education: Ubiquitous Learning and the Digital Native
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-678-0.ch023
Complex systems are difficult to understand, and without extended training and experience, people tend to misperceive these systems. Although current simulation tools illustrate what is happening in complex systems, they lack the means to represent the narrative aspects of the exhibited behaviours, in order to provide an account for the behaviours. The goal of this research is to provide visualizations of complex dynamic system behaviours with multimedia, focusing on video narratives, and to study the implications and added values of the video clips. The target users are primarily university students in System Dynamics. The method could also be of value both to lower level school students as well as to policy makers and general population who must deal with challenging complex problems. A pilot study was conducted and the findings confirmed our prior expectations; namely, that providing the users with video clips facilitates their learning process.
The world we live in is dynamic and complex. The complexity lies in interconnected components whose behaviour is not explained exclusively by their properties. Rather, the behaviour emerges from the interconnectedness of these components (Bar-Yam, 1997; Sabelli, 2006). According to the Journal of Advanced Complex Systems, a complex system is a system comprised of a (usually large) number of (usually strongly) interacting entities, processes, or agents, the understanding of which requires the development, or the use of, new scientific tools, nonlinear models, out-of equilibrium descriptions and computer simulations. For example, the housing prices might be influenced by the expenses of building new houses, the prices of land, the number of jobs, the availability of workers, and the number of new houses which are built. These factors interact with each other and the interactions contribute to the fluctuations of the housing prices. In fact examples of complex systems can be found in a wide variety of domains including climate, ecological networks, insect colonies, neural networks in the brain that produce intelligence and consciousness, social networks comprised of transportation, utilities, and telecommunication systems, as well as economies.
Understanding and reasoning about complex systems places a huge burden on working memory resources and is often counterintuitive or conflicts with commonly held beliefs (Casti, 1994; Feltovich, Coulson, & Spiro, 2001; Hmelo-Silver & Azevedo, 2006; Narayanan & Hegarty, 1998; Wilensky & Resnick, 1999). Computer simulations allow formal and experimental investigation of various complex systems. For example, simulations are designed to model the spread of infectious disease on social networks. Users can use the simulation to explore the effects of complex pharmaceutical interventions and non-pharmaceutical interventions on the spread of the disease (Barrett, Bisset, Eubank, Feng, & Marathe, 2008). Computer simulations are also used to model climate changes and interpret the changes in the past and predict the future (Hansen et al., 2007; West & Dowlatabadi, 1999). In Artificial life simulations are used to study the phenomena of living systems to understand the complex information processing that defines such systems (Bedau, 2003; Langton, 1995). In most of these simulations data visualization with charts and graphs is one of the most important aspects. Users can explore the simulations by manipulating parameters and observe the changes in the data visualization. However, it is not common to include videos in the visualization of simulations.
The current best understandings and analytical tools in the physical and social sciences (informed by complex systems) are continuing to expand beyond the reach of the working knowledge of professionals, policy makers, and citizens, who must deal with challenging social and global problems in the 21PstP century (Jacobson & Wilensky, 2006). Learning scientists have identified opportunities to help address the these challenges, calling for, among others, a systematic study focusing on what types of scaffolds or other learning aids are needed to support the understanding of complex systems (Sabelli, 2006). This involves both formal and informal learning as well as lifelong learning. The key issue is the teaching and learning of complex system knowledge and understanding of system thinking.


The key objectives of a project discovery are to collect requirements/understand collaboratively. But, sometimes, it is difficult to decide where to start and what to focus on. Story mapping is an interesting activity that engages all the participants involved in the process of building the product backlog on a whiteboard/other project tools if working with a remote team than the traditional way of writing technical documentation.
In this session, the attendees would learn how agile teams create user story maps to better understand their customers and communicate delivery milestones with internal stakeholders. We will walk through the practice of story mapping and share how a product manager can effectively run a story mapping session with their own team.


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Tag Archives: Whitecross
'Sons of Hell' bikers Andrew Stevenson and Michael Mckeon attacked man in Porters Ale House pub
MEMBERS of a biker gang kicked a man in the face after attacking him in a town centre pub and brandished a knife at customers who tried to come to his aid.
Michael Mckeon and Andrew Stevenson dragged their victim from Porters Ale House before beating him up in an early hours 'drink and drug fuelled' attack, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday, July 6.
The pair, members of biker gang the Sons of Hell, were drinking in the Buttermarket Street pub at around 2.30am on Saturday, January 27, when Chris Forshaw became involved in a dispute at the bar.
Mr Forshaw claimed that he had dropped some money and was bending down to pick it up, but a female customer accused him of attempting to steal her cash.
He was then dragged outside to the smoking area at the rear of the pub by Mckeon and Stevenson, who were wearing Sons of Hell branded jackets – with CCTV of the ensuing 'totally unprovoked and unnecessary' attack played in court.
Mckeon, of West Avenue in Stockton Heath, pushed Mr Forshaw to the floor and kicked him in the face before punching him.
Stevenson, of Lovely Lane in Whitecross, pointed a knife at customers who attempted to come to Mr Forshaw's aid and elbowed him in the face and chest.
The 34-year-old was also seen taking hold of another unidentified victim by the throat.
Mr Forshaw suffered bruising and bleeding to his eyes after the assault.
On Friday, recorder Stephen Riordan sentenced Stevenson to two years and nine months behind bars but spared Mckeon from serving time in jail after the pair admitted actual bodily harm.
Stevenson also admitted possession of a bladed article and breaching a suspended sentence handed to him for affray in 2016.
The court heard that the Northwest Spartans Ltd business owned by Stevenson, who has 14 previous convictions for 36 offences, which employs six people would fold if he was jailed.
He claimed he had branded a bevel edged work tool in the pub rather than a knife.
Barrister Desmond Lennon, representing Mckeon, told the court that his client had served in the Royal Engineers between 2008 and 2012.
The 28-year-old, who has one previous conviction for being drunk and disorderly, was employed as a welder before being made redundant eight months ago.
He has since trained to work in the security industry.
Mckeon was given a 15-month jail sentence suspended for two years, handed a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days and ordered to complete 120 hours unpaid work.
Sentencing, recorder Riordan said: "This was a disgraceful incident of violence and a sustained assault.
"For little or no reason, the victim was removed from the bar and attacked by both of you.
"You continued to attack him when he was on the floor, and he received nasty injuries.
"There is one very significant difference between the two of you, a difference which must be reflected in the sentences I pass today.
"Mr Stevenson, you have a quite appalling criminal record while you Mr Mckeon are effectively of previous good character.
"There has to be some disparity in the sentences in this case."
Warrington Guardian


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Why use Stellar over Ethereum for Payments
Aug 17, 2020 1:36:24 PM
Recently edChain, one of the first distributed networks for education, switched from ethereum to Stellar for payments on its content distribution platform. Ethereum, the most popular blockchain for payments, with thousands upon thousands of transactions occurring per day, has run into problems, due to its popularity, particularly high cost, which is the prime reason edChain made the switch.
For edChain, which strives to "democratize" and "lower the cost" of global education, any savings in that process is extremely valuable. On a high level, educators and institutions publish education content on the edChain network, and in return receive payments as the content is distributed to a larger, worldwide market. Other than a small transaction fee (approximately 1%) the educator receives full revenues from his or her published content. These revenues are much more than third party platforms which can charge anywhere from 25–50% (Udemy for instance, takes 50%). Also, the transaction fee is less than many payment processors which can charge 1.5–2.5%. Learners benefit in that they can access content from anywhere in the world, even without a broadband internet connection, opening up opportunity, particularly in poor and remote areas.
Savings incurred by the switch to Stellar can be passed along to all of the players in the edChain network. In addition to the above, these may include institutions, publishers and more. Transactions on the Stellar blockchain cost just over a fraction of a penny whereas it costs more than $1 to process an Ethereum transaction. With the larger and larger numbers of Ethereum transactions waiting to be processed, miners need more money to be incentivized to process transactions before others in the queue. With a narrower market, however, does not have such demands.
Stellar is also economical as it supports simple programming so companies do not need to hire expensive solidity developers. Knowledge of the solidity programming language is often needed to write the complicated smart contracts with Ethereum, which uses Turing-complete programming language. However, many applications, including the majority of token sales, also known as ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) don't require the full generality of Turning Smart Contracts.
Even at a lower cost, speed and security are not sacrificed. Transactions on the Stellar blockchain can settle in 2 to 5 seconds whereas it can take more than a minute to settle Ethereum transactions. Stellar's limited system for smart contracts prevents people from writing exploitable code which can have pitfalls and be targeted for hacking schemes. Stellar is secure enough to be used for ICOs, which have traditionally been with ER20 tokens on the Ethereum network. Mobius Network was the first to do an ICO on Stellar, raising more than $39 million at the beginning of this year. Even for more general purposes, companies are utilizing Stellar. For instance, Kik, a social messaging platform, recently announced its switch to Stellar from ethereum. IBM, also, is using Stellar's network for cross-border payments and Deloitte is a partner.
To find out more about how edChain is democratizing education, head over to www.edchain.io
Topics: payments education edchain Blockchain
Preparing For Finovate: The Largest FinTech Conference in the World


Body language reveals a lot about what a person is really thinking. Non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, gestures and movement are therefore powerful tools for actors.
words" messages, meaning that nonlinguistic codes such as body language, facial expression, prosodic vocal features, time, touch, space, physical appearance, and environment are used to communicate meaning.
Gestures, facial expressions, body movements and posture, and intonation can all convey a message or add something to it. They are almost more important than verbal language! They are almost more important than verbal language!


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Q: Difference between `CMPixelFormatType` and `CVPixelFormatType`? The CMPixelFormatType constants are a subset of the CVPixelFormatType constants.
Additionally, in the CMPixelFormatType comments, it says:

In general, CoreVideo CVPixelFormatType constants may be used too.

What's the difference between these two groups of constants? Why are the CMPixelFormatType constants only a subset of the CVPixelFormatType constants? Are they special?

A: Update: Nope, kCVPixelFormatType_420YpCbCr8BiPlanarVideoRange (not defined in CMPixelFormatType) is also supported.

My guess is that the subset of pixel formats defined by CMPixelFormatType are the ones that are actually supported in macOS/iOS whereas the pixel formats defined by CVPixelFormatType are all the known pixel formats in the world.
This is hinted in the Pixel Format Identifiers documentation:

Core Video does not provide support for all of these formats; this list defines only their names.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Serena Williams perfectly shuts down a reporter who asks why she's not smiling
Rebecca Vineyard
Reporters of the world, be advised: Serena Williams does not have time for your nonsense.
Tuesday night during a press conference, after defeating her sister Venus in a quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, Serena was asked the silliest of questions: why aren't you smiling?
According to Mashable, the reporter says, "You just won a match. Normally you smile when you win." He goes on to ask, "Is it because you beat Venus or because you're thinking about what is going on next? What's wrong?"
Now, sure, Serena might not celebrate as much after beating her older sister as she would after defeating a different, non-blood-related opponent. In fact, she took to Instagram Wednesday to share a beautiful message about her love for her sister.
It's also likely that Serena is under some pressure: she's got the potential to become the fifth player in the history of tennis to win a Grand Slam within a calendar year. In fact, she's a mere two wins away from that achievement.
However, the question itself is, without a doubt, inconsiderate at best. GQ brings up the sexism of the phrase, noting that men frequently ask women to smile, or why they're not smiling, and—this one is awful—tell women that they would look prettier if they smiled. They go on to say, "…it reflects a manipulative, falsely courteous impulse that's very nearly as chauvinistic [as catcalling]."
While we can't know if the reporter asking the question did so knowing or understanding that it was veiled in sexism, it doesn't matter: after Serena's response, he'll think twice before asking anything like it again.
She says, "It's 11:30. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't want to be here. I just want to be in bed right now and I have to wake up early to practice and I don't want to answer any of these questions. And you keep asking me the same questions. It's really… you're not making it super enjoyable."
Several reporters in the room laugh as Serena smiles and states simply, "Just being honest." Not that Serena wasn't already our hero for being and incredible athlete, but she just became even more heroic in our eyes.
The reporter does attempt to ask another question, but Serena cuts him off, saying, "Is it about Venus again?"
After all, with repetitive questions, her early morning, and—according to CNN—"standing on the brink of history," Serena doesn't have time for more ridiculous questions.
(Image via Shutterstock)
Why Serena Williams' Vogue cover matters
Serena Williams just shut down her haters in the most glorious way
By Rebecca Vineyard
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Meghan Markle was called a "nightmare" for wearing jeans at Wimbledon, which is 100% wrong
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All Topics in mic drop


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* Pre-order bonus DLC code will be sent by email when your order is dispatched and saved in your order History.


Sourced Market is a unique concept of a farmer's market, with artisan food and drink suppliers, which has been brought to the convenience sector. The company began life as a nomadic fresh food market, showcasing the best of London's small independent food producers at summer events. Following its success, the search began to find a permanent location and, in 2009 St Pancras station became Sourced Market's flagship site which spans over 1,600 square feet and serves over 12,000 commuters and tourists each week.
A successful Crowdcube campaign, led to the opening of two further sites in Marylebone Station and, most recently, Victoria Station. Sourced Market is a place for eating, drinking and filling up the larder with impeccably procured food and drink from, mostly, small independent British food and drink producers. There's a deli counter, juice bar, a coffee shop with guest beans on monthly rotation, a bakery, hot food and a large selection of wraps, sandwiches and salads.
"Over the last 5 years we have changed the expectations of food served in rail station outlets and offer real food-to-go. Our stores stock produce from over 100 small artisan food and drink suppliers and customers can eat in or take-away from a daily changing menu," says Ben O'Brien, founder of Sourced Market.
Having worked with Sourced Market on its first two sites in St Pancras and Marylebone, GS Foodservice Design has recently designed and fitted out its catering areas at the new site in London's hottest neighbourhood for foodies, Nova, Victoria. The project has included installation of two double-glazed deli counters, a drop-in ceramic hot plate, bespoke stainless steel benches and the creation of a central deli bar. GS Foodservice Design has also provided a back bar within the coffee area, to house beer kegs and coffee equipment, which had to fit seamlessly with the adjacent concrete counter tops.


One high quality crystal clear acrylic base designed for the Devil's Run War Rig or your own customised War Rig. This base is not needed for the game, but we know a lot of people like to base their models. And as we have designed and made the bike and flying bases specifically for Devil's Run, we thought we had better do the same for the Rig (and the cars) Bike not included (shown for scale).


text:
December 28, 2018 | General News
Boko Haram resurgence: Borno Governor calls emergency extra ordinary security meeting with diverse groups, institutions
By Ahmed Abu, The Nigerian Voice, Maiduguri
In his continued multidimensional response to resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in parts of Borno State, Governor Kashim Shettima has called an emergency extraordinary security meeting in Maiduguri to be attended by heads of security establishments, leadership of the Civilian JTF and hunters, traditional rulers, Borno elders, all three Senators, 10 members of House of reps and 28 state assembly, selected chairmen and commissioners from local government areas affected by recent attacks, leadership of the University of Maiduguri and selected tertiary institutions, chairmen of the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, National Council of women societies and the Nigerian Legion in Borno State.
Governor Shettima's spokesman, Isa Gusau, who announced this in a statement issued on Friday, said the meeting will hold at 4pm on Monday at the government house in Maiduguri.
The statement said during the meeting, participants will review the situation in view of recent developments, make suggestions and come up with a resolution that will in writing be delivered to President Buhari by a delegation, as soon as possible while the state government and other institutions that may be concerned by some aspects of the resolutions, will take necessary and immediate actions.
In the meantime, Governor Kashim Shettima has continually approved government measures to support the fight against the insurgents and to contain humanitarian needs of fellow citizens who are unfortunately affected by recent attacks.
While Governor Shettima commiserates with all victims, he is assuring the good people of Borno State that his administration is deploying every available means to compliment the efforts of the Federal government.
Gusau recalled that Governor Kashim Shettima has on different occasions, including in recent weeks, met with President Muhammadu Buhari and other security stakeholders over matters of security in Borno State and the President has regularly proved his empathy, commitment and determination to end the Boko Haram crisis in order to create enabling environment for the aggressive rebuilding of destroyed communities, rehabilitation and resettlement of victims which the Borno government has been carrying since 2015. Thousands of displaced victims from 14 local government areas were, without compulsion, returned to safe and rebuilt communities in which all key public services like water installations, hospitals, schools and livelihoods were restored.


Georgia's Defence Minister said today he had no orders from President Eduard Shevardnadze to use force to suppress the opposition's "velvet revolution", but the army was ready to stop a political crisis from escalating.
In a sharp contrast to the Foreign Office statement that Pakistan was willing to hold talks with India on the basis of Simla and Lahore accords, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said there was no change in the country's policy of insisting on a solution of the "core" issue of Kashmir first in any dialogue with New Delhi.
Suspected terrorists in London tried to buy half a ton of saponin, a toxic chemical that could have been used to kill thousands of people, media reported today.
As a first step towards reviving peace talks with the Palestinians, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today appointed five senior ministers of his Cabinet to conduct negotiations, media reports said.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is monitoring anti-war demonstrations to identify anarchists and "extremist elements" plotting violence, according to a confidential memorandum of the bureau.
Thanks to an aggressive and innovative strategy and special promotion drive, Malaysia is again beginning to attract more tourists after it faced a downward trend in its number two foreign exchange earning tourism sector in the wake of September 11 attack on WTC, SARS and the US-led war in Iraq.
Michael Jackson fans held candlelight vigils around the world to support the pop megastar as he faces allegations of child molestation. Faisal Malik, 29, a Los Angeles fan who helped organise a gathering near Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said he believed the performer was innocent.
The USA solemnly remembered President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, exactly 40 years ago, yesterday. Pensioners, families and schoolchildren crowded around Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, where an eternal flame has burned for 40 years.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who flew into Tbilisi overnight, met opposition leaders and later Shevardnadze to try to broker a solution after protesters stormed parliament yesterday and drove the veteran leader to his residence.
Shevardnadze's opponents, who turned discontent over alleged fraud in a November 2 parliamentary poll into a mass movement demanding his removal, said talks with Ivanov were "good" and they had told him the people would not back down.
Defence Minister David Tevzadze, speaking for the first time since the storming of parliament, implied that the army was still under Shevardnadze's control.
Earlier, Shevardnadze said if parliament did not back his state of emergency decree, as the constitution requires, the army would take control of the Black Sea state.
Local television suggested Shevardnadze might try to summon enough deputies loyal to him at his residence. Saakashvili said that would be tantamount to "an attempt at counter-revolution".
Russia, the main power in the region, and other ex-Soviet states said seizure of power by illegal means was unacceptable. "It is critically important for us that everything proceeds according to the constitution and the law," said Ivanov.
Ivanov was cheered by opposition supporters outside parliament despite Georgians' traditional opposition to interference from Moscow, their former Soviet ruler.
The United States, Britain and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan have urged all parties to exercise restraint.
"Kashmir is the core problem and it has to be solved. The Foreign Office is not the last word as far as we are concerned. If somebody has given his opinion, that is something different," Jamali said in an interview on the completion of one year of his government.
The plot came to light when staff at Amersham Plc, a medical diagnostics and bio sciences company based in Buckinghamshire, became suspicious about the quantity of its products being ordered through an obscure London Post Office box address.
The terrorist group attempted to buy saponin, usually used as a biological agent in laboratories to enhance the transmission of molecules through cell membranes. But it can be used to enable poisonous chemicals to penetrate human skin, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
Saponin, commonly obtained from foxgloves, can be mixed with toxins such as ricin and smeared on surfaces in public places to cause widespread poisoning.
The terrorist group, which has not been named, made the approach in October last year pretending to be a limited company based in London.
Amersham's employees became suspicious because the order was 1,000 times the size of a normal request from a university laboratory.
When asked what the saponin was going to be used for, the terrorists said that it was intended as a "fire retardant on rice intended for human consumption", an incredible explanation by biologists.
Amersham officials examined the company making the order, and discovered that it was being funded by an obscure Islamic group.
Meanwhile, a suspected Al-Qaida terrorist of foreign nationality was detained last month after detailed intelligence reports that he posed a "significant" threat.
The man is the 16th person to be held under emergency anti-terrorism laws without trial under the legislation over the past two years.
Industry and Trade Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and Justice Minister Yosef Lapid will conduct negotiations on the US-backed 'road map' which calls on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territory and on Palestinians to rein in militants ahead of the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.
The talks will also include providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, transferring cities and towns to Palestinian security control and possibly taking unilateral steps as confidence-building measures, Army Radio reported.
Mr Sharon met with these ministers prior to the weekly Cabinet meeting today and discussed his planned meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia.
The memorandum, which the FBI sent to local law enforcement agencies last month in advance of anti-war demonstrations in Washington and San Francisco, detailed how protesters have sometimes used "training camps" to rehearse, the Internet to raise money and gas masks to defend against tear gas, the New York Times said.
The memorandum analysed lawful activities like recruiting demonstrators, as well as illegal activities like using fake documentation to get into a secured site, the paper said.
Malaysian Tourism sector, which earned 25.8 billion Malaysian ringetts (approx $ 6.9 billion) in 2002, started facing a negative trend from 2001 when the international war was launched against terrorism.
Bali bomb blasts, SARS outbreak and then the US-led war against Iraq discouraged tourists all over the world but the Malaysian policy planners, undeterred, stuck to their strategy of concentrating on new markets and new regions.
India and China were identified and the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) in close consultation with the Malaysian Airlines, developed a long-term strategy to woo tourists away from neighbouring Singapore.
While the MTPB earmarked a special fund for bringing print and television journalists and film makers along with tour operators from India, Malaysian Airlines decided to employ Indian cabin crew to make its Indian passengers comfortable.
Seventeen young Indian boys and girls, completed their four-month training at Malaysian Airline Academy on November 19 and have become part and parcel of an airline which ferried 16 million passengers to Malaysia in 2002.
Already negotiations are going on with Air India to increase the number of flights and new destinations in India, Senior General Manager Sales, Distribution and Marketing Fuaad Dahlan said adding that Kolkata was soon going to be on Malaysian Airlines operational plan.
As economic ties grow between India and Malaysia, passenger profile is also changing from low-colour workers to professionals and business managers which is bound to bring in more revenues.
Michael Jackson fans held candlelight vigils around the world to support the pop megastar as he faces allegations of child molestation.
Rallies were scheduled through the weekend in more than a dozen cities, including New York, Budapest and Rome. Others were planned over the next week in China and Australia.
In Paris, about 60 fans gathered on the Champs Elysees and marched through crowds of shoppers to the Arc de Triomphe. They held candles and banners with slogans of support and sang "We are the world," the 1985 African famine relief anthem written by Jackson and Lionel Richie.
The USA solemnly remembered President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, exactly 40 years ago, yesterday.
Pensioners, families and schoolchildren crowded around Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, where an eternal flame has burned for 40 years. Some had waited since dawn to lay flowers.
In Dallas, Texas, onlookers gathered at the site of the shooting, Dealey Plaza, under skies as blue and splendid as on that day four decades ago, at exactly 12:30 pm.
Besides the somber and spontaneous commemorations, publishers, broadcasters and artists have contributed their own remembrances. The Kennedy family had requested there be no official commemoration acts.
"We obviously have tried to give the focus and attention on the President's birthday in the Spring," JFK's brother, Senator Ted Kennedy, told CNN television.
The US Senate has stalled a $ 32 billion energy bill which Republican backers say would bolster a creaky power grid and cut US dependence on foreign oil.
At least one soldier was wounded in the Jaffna peninsula in a stand-off with Tamil students who were putting up a decorative arch to honour more than 17,500 LTTE war dead, officials said today.


text:
Former Senator Arlen Specter Dead At 82
Doug Mataconis · Sunday, October 14, 2012 · 2 comments
Arlen Specter, who served as a Senator from Pennsylvania for some thirty years and found himself in the middle of some of the most contentious political battles of the past thirty years or more, has died at the age of 82:
Former senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, one of the nation's most durable political figures, who during three decades in the Senate became known for his command of constitutional law, died of cancer Oct. 14 at his home in Philadelphia. He was 82.
His son Shanin Specter confirmed his death to the Associated Press.
Sen. Specter was long a voice of Republican moderation, but he handed Democrats a supermajority in the Senate by switching parties in 2009. He lost the Democratic primary the next year in an anti-incumbency movement that swept many veteran politicians from office. He had also exposed himself to charges of political opportunism by changing his party allegiance.
As a young Philadelphia prosecutor, he first gained national attention as assistant counsel to the Warren Commission, which investigated the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was the chief architect of the commission's controversial "single-bullet theory," which held that the same bullet that killed Kennedy also wounded then-Texas Gov. John Connally.
Sen. Specter parlayed the exposure he received on the commission into a political career, first as a combative and outspoken Philadelphia district attorney and then as a five-term U.S. senator.
Arriving on Capitol Hill in 1981, he became a dominant force during the Judiciary Committee's rancorous Supreme Court nomination battles. More than anyone else, he helped defeat conservative nominee Robert Bork in 1987, and his aggressive questioning of law professor Anita Hill four years later — he accused her of "flat-out perjury" — helped secure Clarence Thomas's confirmation.
Sen. Specter was respected for his well-prepared and persuasive arguments that were rooted in the law, with little regard for political expediency. He sided with liberals on some divisive issues and with conservatives on others, leaving him with little support on either ends of the spectrum.
He consistently drew challenges from the left and the right in his centrist state, and his career was marked by narrow victories. But Sen. Specter, never a natural politician, was savvy on the stump, somehow always finding a way to win.
"I had a rocky road getting here," he once said, "and I'm going to do my damnedest to stay here."
In 2009, Sen. Specter was one of three Republicans who negotiated with Senate Democrats over President Obama's economic stimulus bill, but his vote for the $787 billion measure left him politically vulnerable among Pennsylvania's unpredictable electorate.
"I believe that my duty is to follow my conscience and vote what I think is in the best interest of the country, and the political risks will have to abide," Sen. Specter said at the time.
Acknowledging that he could not win his 2010 reelection battle against Republican primary challenger Patrick J. Toomey, the former head of the conservative Club for Growth, Sen. Specter switched parties. He became the 60th Democratic senator, giving Obama's party a filibuster-proof majority. But he immediately drew a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak, whose run from the left forced Sen. Specter to assert liberal positions on issues such as health-care reform.
Sen. Specter was the rare lawmaker who catered to the interests of his state while also playing a starring — and often controversial — role in fractious debates over important national issues.
"Arlen Specter may be the most masterful politician in the history of this state," said G. Terry Madonna, a political scientist at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. "He won't be outworked, he won't be out-hustled, and he understands his state better than any other politician in modern history."
The longest-serving senator in Pennsylvania history, Sen. Specter aged dramatically while in public office, suffering serious health problems over the years. He survived bouts with benign brain tumors in 1993 and 1996, and then cancer in the form of Hodgkin's disease in 2005 and 2008. Despite his medical issues, he never missed a Senate session, and he co-wrote a book on the subject in 2008 called "Never Give In: Battling Cancer in the Senate."
When Sen. Specter arrived in the Senate, he found a home among moderate Republicans, often voting with Democrats. He supported the death penalty and opposed most gun-control measures, but favored affirmative action and voted against some tax cuts for wealthier Americans. He also was a leader in strengthening civil rights laws.
"He was a Rockefeller Republican, a liberal Republican, and was willing to take on Presidents Reagan and Bush, and became a true leader in the bipartisan efforts that strengthened all the civil rights laws and defeated Bork," said Ralph G. Neas, a longtime civil rights and health-care advocate.
"Then you had a line of demarcation," Neas said, beginning with Thomas's Supreme Court nomination and continuing with the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate after the 1994 midterm elections. "Arlen Specter became an especially cautious politician," Neas said.
When the Republicans took control of the Senate in 1995 with a new cast of conservatives, Sen. Specter was a leader of the moderate wing. He sought the party's 1996 presidential nomination to challenge President Bill Clinton, arguing that the nation could not afford "a Republican candidate so captive to the demands of the intolerant right that we end up reelecting a president of the incompetent left."
But he could not woo enough Republicans, and he suspended his campaign just before the primaries began, endorsing Sen. Robert J. Dole (Kan.).
In the years that followed, Sen. Specter's breed of moderate Republicans vanished in Congress and he became a more cautious politician, but he gained considerable influence after becoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee in 2005.
After Sen. Specter warned President George W. Bush not to nominate judges who would overturn Roe v. Wade — the 1973 Supreme Court case that essentially legalized abortion rights — conservative Republicans protested his appointment to the Judiciary Committee. Sen. Specter later said he would not use a "litmus test" to deny confirmation to abortion opponents.
He presided over the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices John G. Roberts Jr. and Samuel A. Alito Jr. and was a key force behind passage of some of the Bush administration's controversial anti-terrorism laws, including the Patriot Act. But as controversy erupted over the government's handling of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Sen. Specter became a leading proponent of habeas corpus rights for unlawful combatants.
And in 2007, when Bush's attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, was accused of having political motivations in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, Sen. Specter concluded that the Justice Department would be better off if Gonzales resigned.
Specter also made a name for himself before becoming a Senator when, as a staffer for the Warren Commission during its investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy, he developed what came to be known as the "Single Bullet Theory," or "Magic Bullet Theory" as critics called it, which was an attempt to explain how both Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connolly could have been struck by the same bullet. Perhaps his most controversial role, though, was when aggressively cross-examined Anita Hill during her testimony before the Judiciary Committee during the Clarence Thomas Confirmation Hearings. In his later years, of course, Specter became somewhat of an outcast in his own party to the point where he switched parties in an effort to avoid losing a Republican primary against Pat Toomey. In the end, Specter ended up losing the Democratic Primary in 2010 to Congressman Joe Sestak, who himself was defeated in the General Election by Pat Toomey. Specter was the longest serving Senator in Pennsylvania's history at 30 years of service, a record that is unlikely to be matched any time soon.
FILED UNDER: Congress, Obituaries, US Politics, abortion, Affirmative Action, Arlen Specter, assassination, Associated Press, Bill Clinton, Bush Administration, cancer, Civil Rights, Clarence Thomas, Cuba, Death Penalty, debates, elections, filibuster, George W. Bush, Guantanamo, Joe Sestak, Justice Department, liberals, Pat Toomey, PATRIOT Act, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Robert Bork, Roe v. Wade, Stimulus, Tax Cuts, Texas
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.
Stormy Dragon says:
Sunday, 14 October 2012 at 19:40
Specter also made a name for himself before becoming a Senator when, as a staffer for the Warren Commission during its investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy, he developed what came to be known as the "Single Bullet Theory," or "Magic Bullet Theory" as critics [, or nutters as non-conspiracy theorists call them,] called it, which was an attempt to explain how both Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connolly could have been struck by the same bullet.
bookdragon says:
Monday, 15 October 2012 at 07:14
He was my senator. I didn't agree with him on many issues, but I respected him – the decisions were made out of conviction, not calculation. He was the last Republican to earn my vote for a national office, and until the GOP returns to welcoming people like him, he'll be the last.
Arlen Specter Switching Parties – 'Loyal Democrat'
The Fall Of Arlen Specter
Specter Stripped of Seniority
Arlen Specter Says Terrell Owens Treated Unfairly
Specter: Supreme Court Acting as Super Legislature


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So reads the handbill thrust on Car Fairfax. He is literally down and out, for the soles of his shoes had gone long ago and the uppers show a crack which mean doom to his hopes of a job. And he has just met Isobel: Isobel whom he had not seen for three long, weary years.
Beggar's Choice was originally published in 1930. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.


text:
Q: How do I get the current limits of a matplotlib axis? Given a matplotlib axis, how do I find its current min and max limits; e.g., as might have been previously set in ax.set(xscale='log', xlim=...)?

A: xmin,xmax = ax.get_xlim()
ymin,ymax = ax.get_ylim()


text:
<?php
/**
 * (c) Vespolina Project http://www.vespolina-project.org
 *
 * (c) Daniel Kucharski <daniel@xerias.be>
 * This source file is subject to the MIT license that is bundled
 * with this source code in the file LICENSE.
 */

namespace Vespolina\WorkflowBundle\Model;

interface WorkflowBuilderInterface
{
    /**
     * Build the runtime workflow
     *
     */
    function build(WorkflowInterface $workflow);
}