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Category: Missouri Bootheel
Griggs-Smith-Staples Cemetery
This tiny, well-kept cemetery earned a whoa-back, if not a U-turn when I was driving down Hwy HH in Mississippi county. (Click on it to make it larger.)
Some name confusion
There's an inlay into the steps leading up to the graveyard that says "Smith-Griggs," but this marker calls it the Griggs, Smith and Staples Family Cemetery. It was established in 1866.
I couldn't find much information on it. FindAGrave lists 30 interments.
Morley Mystery Marker
I was photographing the Morley Community Building – a structure that may have been a bank in an earlier life – and looked down at my feet to see a strange disk that looked like a survey marker. The only thing is that I had never seen one that looked exactly like this one.
Who or what was Norman Lambert?
The round marker bore "Norman Lambert" across the top, some indecipherable marks in the middle, an arrow which pointed approximately north and "LS 1492" or "LS 1402" on the bottom. Click on the photo to make it larger.
A Google search for that name turned up two references: a 2008 Missourian story said the Scott county commissioners met with Norman Lambert of Lambert Engineering and Surveying, engineer for the Scott County Consolidated Drainage District No. 2, during their regular meeting Tuesday. He's a logical candidate, but I still don't know what the marker marks.
The other Norman Lambert to pop up was the Lambert who first started tossing rolls in Lambert's Cafe, which eventually became known as the Home of Throwed Rolls.
Center has seen better days
A peek through the glass front door shows that the roof must be leaking. It's a shame that such a beautiful building from the outside is being allowed to deteriorate inside.
City dates back to 1868 or 1869
Depending on which source you believe, the city was laid out in 1868 or 1869 by John Morley, a railroad engineer (the civil kind, not the kind that blows a whistle), and it was named for him.
Railroads intersected here
The Iron Mountain Railroad and Louis Houck's M&A Railroad intersected here. Later, the Missouri Pacific would pass through the town.
Cotton gins are gone
Melons and cotton were important crops in the latter part of the 19th Century and into the 20th. Several cotton gins were built in the town, but none remain today.
These silos are still dominate the skyline, though.
Holland, Missouri
The two most prominent feature in many Bootheel communities include the city limits sign and the water tower. Holland, in Pemiscot county, is not exception. Click on the photos to make them larger.
The 2010 population of Holland was 229 people in 98 households and 62 families. In the 2000 census, the numbers were 246, 96 and 71.
May have been named for J.W. Holland
Place Names of Six Southeast Counties of Missouri identifies Holland as a town in the eastern part of Holland Township on the Frisco Railroad. The first known settlement, which was made in 1871, was known as Middleburg because it was midway between Upper Cowskin (later known as Covington), and Cooter.
The town was laid out in 1902 by J.C. Winters and J.W. Holland and named for the latter. A post office was established in the same year. No proof exists for Eaton's statement that the town was so named because, like much of the country of Holland, it was built on reclaimed land formerly submerged; however, the selection of Mr. Holland's name rather than Mr. Winter's was doubtless influenced by the name of the country.
Unusual house
The first thing I saw when I drove into Holland was a pair of strange-shaped houses, apparently abandoned. My guide, David Kelley, said the builder was trying to provide housing with a bare minimum of materials. Instead of a single building, this one is a series of rooms joined together by hallways.
Preying Mantis and Winter Wheat
While cruising around the Bootheel this afternoon, I noticed lots of fields sporting what looked like green, green grass. I asked my guide, David Kelley, what had been planted.
He's gotten used to my total lack of farming knowledge, so he didn't even give me the head-shake, eye-roll I deserved. "It's winter wheat."
"We've already had one night below freezing. The cold weather doesn't hurt it?"
"Nope." (I discovered that wheat planted in autumn needs the cold weather to make it "head" in the spring.)
The irrigation system made me think of a huge preying mantis making its way across the field. (Clicking on the photos make them larger.)
Trucks at night
I was a little drowsy, so I pulled into the truck stop at the intersection of I-55 and 80 in New Madrid county for a short nap. It was still light when I stopped, but the sun had just dropped below the horizon when I headed out of the parking lot.
Even though it's the same intersection where Curator Jessica spotted a Padiddle last year, I couldn't pass up shooting a picture that will help me illustrate how the Interstate has siphoned traffic off Highway 61.


John McCain, Vietnam war hero, former Republican presidential nominee, pragmatic conservative and one of the most influential American statesmen of his generation, has died after suffering from brain cancer.
The six-term senator from Arizona, who was 81, four days shy of his 82nd birthday, had been absent from the Senate since December, but continued to be a voice of reason and pragmatism, railing against the extreme paleoconservative agenda of Donald Trump and urging the defence of the post-war liberal democratic world order, laid out by the Bretton Woods agreement of 1944.
McCain was a traditional Reagan Republican who was liked and respected—for who he was. His belief in putting country over party—a belief rarely seen in Trump-era American politics—made him a popular figure amongst people of all ideological stripes. He was seen by the public as not only a man above politics, but a man with the guts to challenge his own party at a time where loyalty to Trump has become a party litmus test, and challenging Trump is political suicide.
John McCain leaves behind a momentous, and complex, legacy for American politics. Two images of his legacy, taken 50 years apart, bookend his journey.
One is of McCain being an iconoclast, leading charges against ideas which his party was a proponent of. Being America's most famous prisoner of war, the former Navy pilot was shot down over Vietnam and spent 5 ½ years as a POW (Prisoner of War) in the north, choosing to endure torture over an easy out from a Vietcong prison, out of loyalty to his fellow prisoners. McCain carried the injuries for the rest of his life.
His personal experience with torture also inspired another signature issue stance of his—a steadfast years-long effort against torture committed by the American government. After revelations that the Bush administration had permitted torture tactics in interrogations, McCain helped lead the charge for legislative changes, eventually getting his McCain Detainee Amendment passed as part of the Defence appropriations bill for 2005 after months of opposition from the Bush White House. In his later years, he voted against President Trump's nominee to be director of the CIA, Gina Haspel, for her role in a CIA black site where prisoners were tortured with enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding.
President Trump has never gone forward with his immoral, inhumane and ineffective 2016 campaign promise to bring back torture, in part because McCain clearly indicated that it was a no-go zone for him. His passing puts soldiers at risk, and puts the lives of innocent people in jeopardy. The more serious question raised is who, if anyone, can be capable of mounting a politically effective anti-torture push in Congress were Trump to change his mind on this.
Torture was, to McCain, a unique evil and something he took very personally—part of a larger pattern of his personalised view of the political landscape and country over party belief.
Another issue which John McCain took personally was campaign finance. A deregulation of elements of the big banking industry in the early 1980s led to a boom in new lending activity from savings and loan institutions, many who ended up going bust because of taking on unwise risks—at the expense of taxpayers.
One of the more than 700 saving and loans associations that went bust was Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, whose chair Charles Keating was a donor to numerous politicians' campaign funds. Beginning in 1985, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board began to look into Keating's activities, and Keating called in political favours to get the regulators called off. The climax was a 1987 meeting between FHLB officials and five US Senators — Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John McCain (R-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), and Donald Riegle (D-MI)— at which it was alleged that pressure had been placed on regulators to back off.
Lincoln ended up going bust, and after a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee concluded that McCain had exercised "poor judgement" but not done anything wrong.
The incident, however, became a black mark on his reputation and from the 1990s, he became a leading opponent of dark money in politics and a proponent for campaign finance reform. In an era where neither the Democratic nor the Republican parties were enthusiastic about the idea and, unlike today, there was no significant grassroots movement behind the reform, McCain's skill and persistence brought attention to the issue and moved his bipartisan McCain-Feingold bill through a largely uninterested Congress, under an ambivalent president.
The key issue that led to this miraculous bill passing was that while federal regulations capped individual donations to a campaign, they allowed for unlimited donations to a political party. Prominent politicians would thus engage in extensive raising of unlimited contributions known as "soft money", which could then be used to buy ads or engage in other political spending.
The legislation that McCain championed to close this loophole in the 1990s, the McCain-Feingold bill—was passed into law in 2002. But in the following years, as the relatively liberal minded Rehnquist Court evolved into the Roberts Court, a strong proponent of the baseless interpretation of the First Amendment as business-friendly, this provision was slowly unwound, and ultimately discarded entirely in Citizens United. In the worst decision ever made in the history of the Supreme Court, the court held that money is free speech and that corporations are people that have the same right as individuals to fund ads supporting or opposing a candidate, as long as they operated independently. This ruling led to the creation of the modern-day Super PAC (Political Action Committee)—an institution with lack of formal affiliation with a party that can raise unlimited, unregulated sums of money.
McCain may well be the last Republican to attempt to limit money in politics, and with his passing at a time when American politics has become increasingly hyper-partisan in all branches, it is hard to see campaign finance reform gaining traction in Congress. Unless the Republican Party wakes up to reality and works with Democrats to overturn a system that has morally corrupted politics and divided Americans throughout the nation, America will continue to be politically dysfunctional. So much for being the greatest democracy on Earth.
John McCain deserves great admiration for his signature legislative achievement. But it's unfortunate that over the long period in which the Arizona senator dominated the cause of campaign reform, his range of solutions designed to solve a prevailing problem in American politics was blocked by partisan, uncompromising ideologues within his own party.
The second image of McCain is of an 81-year-old senator, already suffering from aggressive brain cancer that would claim his life, stretching out that war-injured right arm, making a dramatic thumbs down signature, to kill the cynical, anti-human rights attempt to repeal Obamacare.
Had one of the other two dissenters from the Republican Party, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) voted to kill Obamacare, McCain's vote, although significant—considering how McCain was opposed to Obamacare in the first place—would have proved worthless, as the repeal bill would have passed nonetheless on a tiebreaker vote cast by Vice President Mike Pence. Passage of the bill would have destabilised Obamacare by knocking out the individual mandate to purchase health insurance and sending premiums skyrocketing.
But that was not the only act of defiance from McCain. Alongside killing any attempt to oppose Obamacare, he criticised the party line approach the Republicans used to try to pass the bill, calling for the return to the correct way of legislating. The correct legislating that McCain called for is one which has been done in the past before the Citizens United decision, and characterised by: sending the bill back to committee, holding hearings, receive input from both sides of the aisle and heeding recommendations of the nation's governors.
It was against Mr Trump that McCain would make one last political stand. McCain watched in dismay as the Republican Party that he once knew, a party that once had character and pragmatism, instead turned into one plagued with conspiracy theorists, white supremacists, religious fanatics, pro-Russia politicians and irrationality. In a speech to accept the 2017 Liberty Medal Award, McCain defended the values he long championed and which he believed were threatened by the rise of Trump's dangerous right-wing populist, nationalist agenda. He derided the "America First" policy as unpatriotic and a move away from the United States' duty as the "the last best hope of earth". This was his last political battle, to rein in Donald Trump.
Sadly, his death serves as an almost perfect metaphor for the death of the old Republican Party, the one personified by the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower. He had the ability guide the nation through a troubling time, to remind his country and his party of genuine American greatness. With his passing and the retirement of another pragmatic conservative from McCain's home state of Arizona, Senator Jeff Flake, the Republican Party will be unable to return to its former glory as a compassionate conservative party.
McCain was the first person to learn from his own mistakes — including times when he was not the pragmatic conservative that he had in mind — but he was a true statesman, acting with a kind of honor that is important to the functioning of American democracy, rare in 21st century America's polarising political environment. That will be his legacy.


HQ's new floor - Moruya Antique Tractor & Machinery Assoc. Inc.
Bob McColl presents our local member and State Treasurer, Andrew Constance, with a Certificate of Appreciation for his assistance with the grant. Also in the pic are Barry Hickson, Dave Hartwig, Mal Hill & our recently restored Southern Cross engine. Photo courtesy of "Bay Post"
Dust doesn't mix at all well with vintage machinery and our headquarters at "Old Mogo Town", had lots & lots of dust.
It was constanty covering our machinery, getting into moving parts and causing damage. It was also pretty unpleasant for any members of the public interested enough to take a stroll through the shed. It had been a problem for many years.
Something had to be done and recently, one of our members, Bob McColl, with computer/interweb assistance from Rob Patterson, was successful in securing a State Government "Community Building Partnership" Grant, designed to suppress the dust levels in the shed. It should be noted that throughout the application process, we had great support from our local member Mr. Andrew Constance and his able staff members.
The securing of the grant was just the beginning, as it meant that much hard work lay ahead. The entire contents of the shed had to be removed, protected from the elements and stored in the back yard for the duration of the job. As the MOO's only meet on Tuesdays, it took 3 weeks until the shed was completely empty, clearing the way for the next stage of work to proceed.
52 tonnes of Decomposed Granite was brought in and spread by Bob-Cat with the team doing the final raking. Being well watered and compacted using a 2 tonne vibrating roller meant that it was going to be well packed down. Once everyone was satisfied with this stage, a further 11 tonnes of Crusher Dust was spread over the top to a depth of about 1". It too was watered and rolled to a smooth finish. Some engines have been running on the new floor, and the motion of the running engines has had no effect on the floor, so we have finished up with a very good surface for operating machinery.
After some delays, due to bad weather, work started on the big job of putting all the engines and farm machinery back in the shed. At this time it was decided to alter the layout of the shed a little, and now, all the farm Machinery is on one side, and the engines and pumps on the other. This layout is far more pleasing. The final bits and pieces were put in place and the massive job is now complete.
As mentioned earlier, our local member, Andrew Constance was of great assistance in securing this grant, so it was vital that he see the finished job. With his elevation to the position of "State Treasurer", and after three false starts, we finally got him to come down to see where and how the money had been spent. Like most politicians his time is valuable and consequently we only got him for about half an hour. He was genuinely interested in what we are about, and asked a lot of questions. Before he left, Andrew promised he'd be back and as the son of a farmer, he requested that when he does return, that some of the engines be running. He was well and truly assured that it would be our pleasure to do so.
This job would not have been completed without a very special effort from our members, (both old and new) and they all should be very proud of the outcome.
The images above show the shed before work started with dust EVERYWHERE.
The other pics show the members moving the machinery out, the laying, spreading and the compacting of the new floor.
Click on any image to see the bigger picture.


Rosy lives in Penrith and is a Legal Sector Director at Armstrong Watson.
Having joined Armstrong Watson in 2012, Rosy has specialised in working exclusively within the legal sector since 2014.
Based in Carlisle, Rosy provides compliance support such as accounting, tax and SAR services to law firms throughout the UK, as well as specialist pro active advice in order to help them improve. This advice includes structure reviews, mergers and acquisition assistance, the implementation of bonus schemes, lock-up reviews and valuations.
Rosy enjoys building close working relationships with her clients and understands the topical issues and challenges they face due to the continuing changes within the legal sector.
Legal Sector Director, Rosy Rourke, answers the most common questions around SRA Accounts Rules complaince and what impact the new rules might have.
Legal Sector Director, Rosy Rourke, answers the most common questions around SRA Accounts Rules complaince, particularly around how the new rules may have an impact on such things as accounting processes and the definition of client money.
Legal Sector Director, Rosy Rourke, answers the most common questions around SRA Accounts Rules complaince, particularly around residual client balances and rules on providing banking facilities.


Zach McGowan signs up for a recurring role in the second season of Shameless.
Zach McGowan has signed up to appear in the second season of Shameless.
The actor has landed a recurring role in the Showtime drama, TV Line reports.
He is expected to play Jody, a new friend and potential love interest for Karen (Laura Wiggins).
The news suggests that there could be some rivalry between Jody and Lip (Jeremy Allen White), who also has feelings for Karen.
Jody, who rides a motorcycle, is described as "hot beyond belief" and the kind of boy that "all parents hate".
He is also said to be "the quiet and mysterious type that all girls fall for at least once in their life".
McGowan has previously appeared in episodes of shows including Numb3rs, CSI: Miami, Cold Case and, more recently, Body of Proof.
The first season of Shameless is currently airing in the UK on Thursdays at 10pm on More4.


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Merck Announces Findings for Investigational Triple-Combination Chronic Hepatitis C Therapy Showing High Rates of Sustained Virologic Response in People with Genotypes 1, 2 or 3 Infection
Phase 2 Data Presentations at The Liver Meeting ® Detail SVR12 Rates from Two Studies as Well as SVR8 Rates in Patients for Whom Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment Previously Failed
November 13, 2016 – KENILWORTH, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced the presentation of results from three Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating MK-3682B (MK-3682/grazoprevir/ruzasvir1), the company's investigational all-oral, triple-combination regimen for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection (informally referred to as MK3). Results from Part B of C-CREST 1 & 2 demonstrated high rates of sustained virologic response2 (SVR) 12 weeks after the completion of therapy (SVR12, considered virologic cure) in patients with chronic HCV genotype (GT) 1 or GT3 infection who received eight weeks of treatment with MK-3682B. Findings from C-CREST 1 & 2 Part B also demonstrated high rates of SVR12 in GT1, GT2 and GT3-infected patients who received MK3 for 12 or 16 weeks. Findings from Part C of C-CREST 1 & 2 and interim results from the ongoing C-SURGE study showed high rates of SVR12 and SVR8, respectively, in chronic HCV patients who had failed prior treatment with investigational or approved direct-acting antiviral regimens. These results will be announced in oral presentations at The Liver Meeting® 2016 today (C-CREST 1 & 2 Parts B and C) and tomorrow (C-SURGE).
"Across the chronic hepatitis C treatment landscape, incredible progress has been made in a remarkably short amount of time, but there remains a need for more options, particularly for patients who do not achieve sustained virologic response with treatment regimens available today," said Dr. Eliav Barr, senior vice president, global clinical development, infectious diseases and vaccines, Merck Research Laboratories. "The strong findings observed following treatment with MK-3682B are an encouraging step towards Merck's goal of developing and delivering a shorter-duration, pan-genotypic next-generation treatment regimen for more patients with chronic hepatitis C infection."
C-CREST 1 & 2 Part B Overview and Findings
Part B of C-CREST 1 & 2 – ongoing, open-label Phase 2 clinical trials – was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MK-3682B in patients with chronic HCV GT1, GT2 or GT3 infection, with or without cirrhosis. Patients with GT2 or GT3 infection received MK-3682B with or without RBV. All patients with GT1 or GT2 infection were treatment-naïve. Fifty six percent (189/337) of patients with GT3 infection were treatment naïve and 44 percent (148/337) were previously treated with peginterferon/ribavirin (RBV). The primary endpoint of the study was the proportion of patients in each treatment arm who achieved SVR12.
Eight weeks of treatment with MK-3682B resulted in SVR12 rates of 95 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent in GT1, GT2 and GT3 patients, respectively. A 12-week treatment duration resulted in high SVR12 rates in all genotypes (GT1, 99%; GT2, 97%; GT3, 97%). Efficacy was comparable in patients with and without cirrhosis. There were no virologic failures in the patients with GT1 or GT2 infection who received 12 weeks of MK-3682B. Efficacy results are presented in the table below. Results from Part A of C-CREST 1 & 2 were previously reported at The Liver Meeting® in November 2015.
Summary of SVR12 Findings
Population N MK-3682B
+/- RBV
MK-3682B
GT1a 90 93% (39/42) 98% (47/48) –
GT1b 86 98% (45/46) 100% (40/40) –
GT2 151 86% (54/63) 97% (60/62) 100% (26/26)
GT3* 337 95% (98/103) 97% (155/159) 96% (72/75)
*28 percent (29/103), 36 percent (58/159) and 81 percent (61/75)
of patients with GT3 infection receiving eight, 12 or 16 weeks
of therapy, respectively, were previously treated with peginterferon/RBV
Among patients who received at least one dose of MK-3682B with or without RBV, the overall most common adverse events (AEs) reported (greater than 10% incidence in either treatment arm) were headache (22%), fatigue (19%) and nausea (13%). There were two drug-related serious AEs, both considered related to RBV only. Nine patients discontinued study drug due to AEs, four of whom discontinued RBV only. One patient died due to AEs not related to the study drug.
"As a scientist and physician who regularly treats patients with chronic hepatitis C, the importance of continuing to research this complex disease and its many complications is evident," said Dr. Eric Lawitz, vice president, scientific and research development, The Texas Liver Institute and clinical professor of medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. "The virologic cure rates observed in Part B of C-CREST 1 & 2 clearly demonstrate the potential for MK3 and support further study of this investigational regimen."
C-SURGE Overview and Preliminary Findings
C-SURGE is an ongoing, open-label Phase 2 clinical trial designed to evaluate MK-3682B with or without RBV in chronic HCV GT1 patients who previously failed therapy with either ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) or ZEPATIER™ (elbasvir and grazoprevir). The study enrolled 94 patients randomized to receive 16 weeks of MK-3682B plus RBV (n=45) or 24 weeks of MK-3682B without ribavirin (n=49); one patient in the 16 week arm withdrew prior to starting treatment. Of the 93 patients who received treatment in this study, 61 percent (57/93) had previously received 12 to 24 weeks of treatment with LDV/SOF; 15 percent (14/93) had received 8 weeks of LDV/SOF; and 24 percent (22/93) had received 12 weeks of ZEPATIER. A majority of patients (84%, 78/93) had at least one baseline NS5A resistance-associated variant (RAV) at positions 28, 30, 31 or 93.
Interim results from the modified full analysis set (mFAS), which excludes one patient in the 16-week arm who withdrew due to administrative reasons after receiving three doses of study medication, show all patients (43/43) who have completed treatment with MK-3862B plus RBV for 16 weeks achieved SVR8. All patients (49/49) in the mFAS who received MK-3682B for 24 weeks have completed treatment and remain subject to follow-up; the interim results show of those in the 24-week arm who have reached follow-up weeks four and eight, 100 percent have achieved SVR4 (38/38) and SVR8 (30/30), respectively. SVR12 is the primary outcome measure of this ongoing trial. Final results will be presented at a future scientific congress.
Among patients who received at least one dose of MK-3682B with or without RBV, the overall most common AEs reported were fatigue (35%), headache (13%), diarrhea (9%), rash (9%) and pruritus (5%). There were no drug-related serious AEs, and no patients discontinued due to a drug-related AE.
C-CREST 1 & 2 Part C Overview and Findings
Part C of C-CREST 1 & 2 was designed to evaluate retreatment with MK-3682B plus RBV for 16 weeks among patients who previously failed an investigational triple-therapy regimen (MK-3682/grazoprevir/ruzasvir or MK-3682/grazoprevir/elbasvir). The study enrolled 24 patients with GT1 (n=2), GT2 (n=14) or GT3 (n=8) infection. All patients (23/23) who completed treatment achieved SVR12. One GT2 patient discontinued treatment after a single dose due to drug-related serious AEs. Among patients who received at least one dose of MK-3682B plus RBV, the most common AEs reported (greater than 20% incidence) were headache (33%), fatigue (25%), nausea (25%), rash (21%) and insomnia (21%).
About MK-3682B
MK-3682B (informally referred to as MK3) is Merck's investigational triple-combination therapy in Phase 2 development for the treatment of chronic HCV infection. MK-3682B combines an HCV nucleotide analogue NS5B polymerase inhibitor (MK-3682), an HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor (grazoprevir, MK-5172) and an HCV NS5A inhibitor (ruzasvir, MK-8408).
About ZEPATIER™ (elbasvir and grazoprevir) 50 mg/100mg tablets
ZEPATIER is a fixed-dose combination product containing elbasvir, an HCV NS5A inhibitor, and grazoprevir, an HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor. ZEPATIER is indicated with or without ribavirin (RBV) for treatment of chronic HCV genotypes 1 or 4 infection in adults.
Selected Safety Information about ZEPATIER
ZEPATIER is not for use in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment (Child Pugh B or C). ZEPATIER is also not for use with organic anion transporting polypeptides 1B1/3 (OATP1B1/3) inhibitors (e.g., atazanavir, darunavir, lopinavir, saquinavir, tipranavir, cyclosporine), strong cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) inducers (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin, rifampin, St. John's Wort), and efavirenz. If ZEPATIER is administered with RBV, healthcare professionals should refer to the prescribing information for RBV as the contraindications, warnings and precautions, adverse reactions and dosing for RBV also apply to this combination regimen.
Elevations of alanine transaminase (ALT) to greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) occurred in 1% of subjects, generally at or after treatment week 8. These late ALT elevations were typically asymptomatic and most resolved with ongoing or completion of therapy. Healthcare professionals should perform hepatic lab testing on patients prior to therapy, at treatment week 8, and as clinically indicated. For patients receiving 16 weeks of therapy, additional hepatic lab testing should be performed at treatment week 12.
Patients should be instructed to consult their healthcare professional without delay if they have onset of fatigue, weakness, lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting, jaundice or discolored feces. Healthcare providers should consider discontinuing ZEPATIER if ALT levels remain persistently greater than 10 times ULN. ZEPATIER should be discontinued if ALT elevation is accompanied by signs or symptoms of liver inflammation or increasing conjugated bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, or international normalized ratio.
The concomitant use of ZEPATIER with certain drugs may lead to adverse reactions or reduced therapeutic effect due to drug interactions. Certain strong CYP3A inhibitors may increase the plasma concentration of ZEPATIER, leading to possibly clinically significant adverse reactions. Moderate CYP3A inducers may decrease the plasma concentration of ZEPATIER, leading to reduced therapeutic effect and possible development of resistance. Coadministration of ZEPATIER with these drugs is not recommended. Physicians should consult the Prescribing Information for potential drug interactions.
In subjects receiving ZEPATIER for 12 weeks, the most commonly reported adverse reactions of all intensity (greater than or equal to 5% in placebo-controlled trials) were fatigue, headache and nausea. In subjects receiving ZEPATIER with RBV for 16 weeks, the most commonly reported adverse reactions of moderate or severe intensity (greater than or equal to 5%) were anemia and headache.
Selected Dosage and Administration Information for ZEPATIER (elbasvir and grazoprevir)
ZEPATIER is a single tablet taken once daily. The recommended dosing is 12 or 16 weeks with or without RBV, depending on HCV genotype, prior treatment history and, for patients with genotype 1a infection, presence of certain baseline NS5A resistance-associated polymorphisms. See Prescribing Information for ZEPATIER for specific dosage regimens and durations. Refer to RBV prescribing information for RBV dosing and dosage modifications when ZEPATIER is given with RBV. To determine dosage regimen and duration of ZEPATIER for genotype 1a patients, testing for the presence of virus with one or more baseline NS5A resistance-associated polymorphisms at positions 28, 30, 31, or 93 is recommended prior to initiating treatment.
Merck's Commitment to HCV
For more than 30 years, Merck has been at the forefront of the response to the HCV epidemic. Merck's chronic HCV clinical development programs have included more than 135 clinical trials in approximately 40 countries and have enrolled nearly 10,000 participants. As part of our longstanding leadership in infectious diseases, Merck collaborates with the scientific and patient communities to develop and deliver innovative solutions to support people living with chronic HCV worldwide.
For 125 years, Merck has been a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).
Please see Prescribing Information for ZEPATIER (elbasvir and grazoprevir) at http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/z/zepatier/zepatier_pi.pdf and the Patient Information for ZEPATIER at http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/z/zepatier/zepatier_ppi.pdf
1 MK-3682 is an HCV nucleotide analogue NS5B polymerase inhibitor. Grazoprevir (MK-5172) is an HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor. Ruzasvir (MK-8408) is an HCV NS5A inhibitor.
2 Measured as HCV RNA less than 15 IU/mL.
SOURCE: Merck

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Clausen Miller P.C. Announces The Retirement Of Its Florida Managing Partner, Anne E. Kevlin
October 11, 2021 / News
The Clausen Miller family sends its warmest congratulations and best wishes to shareholder Anne E. Kevlin on her retirement, which is effective October 29, 2021.
We thank Anne for her invaluable contributions, especially for her leadership in helping firm President Dennis D. Fitzpatrick launch our Florida practice. We are grateful for her efforts expanding and cultivating our presence across the Sunshine State, which now includes Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Pensacola, Naples, Sarasota, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach.
We will certainly miss Anne's scholarship, mentoring, and good counsel.
Clausen Miller is also pleased to announce that moving forward, Mr. Fitzpatrick will expand his current supervisory role in Florida to include the day-to-day management of our Florida offices. If you have questions about how Clausen Miller may be of service to you in Florida, please feel free to call Dennis at (312) 606-7473, send him an email at dfitzpatrick@clausen.com, or reach out to any one of our twenty Florida-based partners and associates.
Clausen Miller P.C. is a national law firm with offices in Chicago, New York, California, New Jersey, Indiana, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Florida that has proudly counseled the insurance industry since 1936. Clausen Miller LLP is based in London, England, and together with Clausen Miller P.C. and affiliates in Brussels, Paris, and Rome, forms Clausen Miller International.
Private: Anne E. Kevlin
Dennis D. Fitzpatrick


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Home News Canadians Is Smart
Canadians Is Smart
Canadians may drink a lot of second-rate beer and think that curling is a sport, but that doesn't mean they're easy to fool. Our neighbors to the north know a snow job when they see one.
This week the little port of Kitimat, at one end of a proposed Enbridge tar sands pipeline, voted overwhelmingly to keep it from passing through their bit of heaven. According to Bloomberg News, the opposition was due to the near impossibility of cleaning up tar sands bitumen once it spills. An Alberta labor group called the vote proof that Canadians are not in favor of the " 'rip it and ship it' model of exporting bitumen" to Asian markets, the Edmonton Sun wrote.
The vote is not binding on the Canadian federal government, which will make the ultimate decision on whether to allow the pipeline to be built. But opposition has been vocal since the pipeline was first proposed. Environmental organizations, including indigenous groups across whose land the line would run, have actively sought to scrap the project because of both environmental dangers and the undermining of native peoples' sovereignty over their lands.
The promise of 170 or so permanent jobs was not enough to fool Kitimat residents, who had apparently been barraged by Enbridge advertising in recent months, with claims that the sludge would never spill. Enbridge is the pipeline company responsible for the tar sands spill that ruined 40 miles of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan in 2010 and has still not been cleaned up.
Not In His Backyard
Hypocrisy, thy name is Rex.
ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson has defended gas well fracking for years. Rolling Stone listed him among the top 17 "climate killers" in 2012 for his many attempts to curb global warming efforts. Meanwhile, countless unsuspecting residents have had to endure his company's drilling near their homes.
Several weeks ago, Tillerson joined a lawsuit to block construction of a 160-foot water tower near his family's $5 million home in Denton County, for fear the tower will lower property values. Although a water supply company official has said he doesn't expect to sell much water to gas drillers, critics still think it's pretty ironic that the Exxon bigwig is worried about a relatively innocuous water tower, considering what his company wreaks on neighborhoods every day.
Wonder if Tillerson will admit that the fracking, water trucks, noise, and pollution that come with every ExxonMobil natural gas well property devaluations for poor homeowners?
gas well
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Delaware County task force narrowing in on mysterious odor
WPVI
By Dann Cuellar
MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A mysterious odor that's been detected in parts of Delaware County...continues to concern residents there.
But, investigators believe they're getting close to identifying where the sickening smell is coming from.
In the first meeting of the newly formed Delaware County task force aimed at identifying the mysterious odor, authorities have now determined but not named, two potential sources in the investigation.
Federal agencies including the National Weather Service have now joined state, county and local agencies in trying to identify the culprit.
The 30 agencies from Delaware, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties have now been joined by New Castle County, Delaware in the response and investigation of the mysterious foul odor.
"We're in a better position to respond and I think it's going to increase our capabilities in the region if there was a release anywhere in the five-county or six-county area, we're gonna be better prepared," said Delaware County Emergency Services Director Timothy Boyce.
Delaware County officials create task force to track down mysterious odor
Officials originally thought the source of the foul odor, believed to be petroleum-based product, was coming from a five-mile stretch along the Delaware River from Tinicum to Marcus Hook. An area that is home to a number of industries.
New information coming from the National Weather Service in terms of wind direction amd other factors has caused them to expand the area. They now have two suspected sources for the odor but they are not yet identifying them.
"We talked about this being along the river, we're still focused on those most likely being the points of origin but as you know, Delaware County borders New Castle, Delaware and New Jersey and that's what we're looking at right now," said Boyce.
A big part of Tuesday's discussion centered on getting $10,000 portable air pollution detectors to first responders to help identify the odor.
"We have a wide array of meters and technology that could read down to the parts per billion range," said Delaware County Hazmat Official Bob Marchisello.
"If we can get the readings that'll help us kind of narrow down the sources," said John Paul Shirley, a member of the response team.
MYSTERIOUS ODOR: Petroleum leak from Sunoco pumping station prompts investigation
And then there is the public's role in all of this which officials say cannot be underestimated.
"If you see something, say something. If there's someone cutting drums or someone dumping product, or abandoning something, that would be the illegal environmental crime that we'd go after," said Boyce.
So whistleblowers are welcomed. And again, if you smell a strong foul odor in your community, please call 911 immediately so they can respond quickly and hopefully track down the culprit once and for all.
delaware countyhealth
Copyright © 2020 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.


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4.7 from 5. Votes: 11.


Chapter 1, Introducing the REST Architectural Style, covers the REST software architectural style and core architectural elements that form a RESTful system.
Chapter 2, Java APIs for JSON Processing, gives an overview of the JSON message format, and the popular tools and frameworks around JSON.
Chapter 3, Introducing the JAX-RS API, introduces JAX-RS APIs. This chapter will explain how to build RESTful web services with JAX-RS APIs.
Chapter 4, Advanced Features in the JAX-RS API, takes a deeper look into the advanced JAX-RS APIs, along with many real life use cases and code samples.
Chapter 5, Introducing the Jersey Framework Extensions, discusses some of the very useful Jersey framework extension APIs that are not yet a part of the JAX-RS standard.
Chapter 6, Securing RESTful Web Services, explores how to secure RESTful web services using the HTTP basic authentication and OAuth protocols.
Chapter 7, The Description and Discovery of RESTful Web Services, describes popular solutions that are available today for describing, producing, consuming, and visualizing RESTful web services.
Chapter 8, RESTful API Design Guidelines, discusses the best practices and design guidelines that developers will find useful while building RESTful web services. Learning the best practices will help you avoid common pitfalls that others might have faced before.
Appendix, Useful Features and Techniques, covers various useful features and techniques that we had deferred while discussing specific topics in this book. This section explores tools and techniques for building, testing, extending, and packaging JAX-RS web applications.


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Tourism Pilgrim Centers Temples Kerala Alappuzha
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple
: Haripad, Alappuzha
One of the most important and ancient centers of snake worship in Kerala.
September and October
Traditionally, Hindus practice of serpent worship and naga (snake) worshippers have always built their temples in serpent groves. Of these, Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple is the largest with 30,000 images of snake gods, and hundreds of snakes living around the temple.
One of the most important and ancient centers of snake worship in Kerala, it is situated at Mannarassala 35 Km away from Alappuzha near Harippad in NH 47 on the Alappuzha-Kollam route.
Nestled in a forest glade an area of about 16 acres like most snake temples, the main deity here is the serpent God Nagaraja (King of Serpents). The temple is claimed to be 6000 years old and is believed to have been built by Sage Parasurama. Now it is under the patronage of a brahmin family, headed by a priestess.
There are many legends associated with the temple. It is believed that the first priestess of Mannarasala gave birth to a five-headed snake referred to as 'Muthassan' or 'Appoppan' (grandfather), which is believed to reside in the cellar (Nilavara) of the ancestral house to safeguard the family. The asterism 'Ayilyam' of Malayalam months- Kanni, Tulam and Kumbham - or the months of September and October, is celebrated with great fervor here. Mahasivaratri festival is also celebrated with great religious fervor.
It is believed that the Nagaraja deity installed here is an artistic form of Hari (Lord Vishnu) and the spirit of Lord Shiva. There are also shrines for 'Sarpa Yakshi' and 'Naga Yakshi', the beloved consorts of Nagaraja and also for Nagachamundi, his sister. The serpent shrine is maintained by a Brahmin family headed by a priestess better known as 'Valia amma' (The great mother). The rituals of the temple are presided over by this priestess.
The entrance to the temple, surrounded by about 16 acres of thick green forest, is lined with rows of stone images of serpents reportedly 30,000 of them. Left side of entrance is the seva ticket counters. There are shops on the right side of entrance where one can purchase of any sort of puja items, cloths, food etc.
On the eastern side of the temple 'Pulluvans' (a community) sing 'Pulluvan Pattu' (serpent songs) with ardent faith. On the south west of the shrine is the 'Thevaram chamber' where the great mother worships Nagaraja. The main sanctum houses two mini temples for the Sarpayakshi and Lord Nagaraja.
The temple is credited with surprising cures. Prasadam made of turmeric paste given from this temple is believed to be effective for recovering from many types of diseases or conditions including leprosy, poison infections etc. Childless women come her for blessings and return for a thanksgiving ceremony when they get a child. Gifts equalling the weight of the child are offered to the diety. Also, they bring new snake images as offerings. But the most popular offering of this temple is 'Uruli Kamazhthal', the placing of a bell metal vessel upside down in front of the deity, which is believed to restore fertility to childless couples.
The most important offering in the temple is noorum palaum which is available at the temple is credited with curative powers. This is the mixture of rice powder, turmeric powder and milk.
Treatment for snake poison and rat poison is rendered at the temple.
The major festival here is the Ayilyam festival which falls on the Ayilyam asterism in the Malayalam month of Thulam( October / November). Ezhunellathu (procession) in which all the serpent idols in the temple and the sacred grove are taken to the illam (the Brahmin ancestral home) that manages the temple. The priestess will carry the golden deity (Thidambu), which is the presiding deity of the temple to the Illam. Special prayers which continued till late in the night ended with the offering of 'thattil noorum palum' are performed at the illam.
The temple has a seperate parking space for vehicles.
Sri Krishna Temple Ambalapuzha


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Stepping into Darkness
It's been quite a week. I was feeling raw and wounded after last Saturday when I had to say goodbye to my dog. Then Election Day hit and it seems the nation made a rapid descent to Hell. Wildfires are burning all around me. Literally and figuratively. The forests are aflame, clouding visibility and making it hard to breathe. Acts of hatred and aggression are erupting all over. People are angry, indignant, confused, threatened, and terrified. The grief I was already feeling has magnified into a dark and painful despair.
In the last week, I have struggled to fall asleep at night. I awaken each morning with a sickening pit in my stomach. I move through my days laden with a heavy sadness that I am struggling to overcome. This feeling is the result of many factors, both personal and collective. But regardless of the cause, it's definitely hellacious.
I'm upset with people who tell protestors to stop whining; people who think the outrage is the result of their candidate not winning. I'm annoyed by platitudes like, "everything is going to be ok" and "we'll get through this." I'm frustrated by the reassurance that all we need is love. I'm angry with people who say that we need this upheaval, or that white guilt is insufficient recompense. In other words, I'm mad at everyone (including myself).
I typically tend to be an optimistic person. I'm a glass-half-full, silver lining kind of girl. I try to love my neighbor and treat people with kindness and respect. Lately, going out in public has me feeling like a paranoid Neurotic. I find myself guessing who people voted for, wondering if they would be treating me differently if my skin were darker or I was wearing a hijab. I'm watching everybody very closely. I don't trust anyone. (Shit, pretty soon I'm going to start swatting at things that aren't even there.)
I can hear it now, the voices imploring me to get up off my ass and fight. To defeat my own invisible demons as well as the real ones threatening me and others. I hear the voices telling me to love, to organize, to motivate. Make no mistake, I WILL. I have always been a warrior, and I will fight and love harder than ever before (which is pretty damn hard). But, GIVE ME A MINUTE. I'm not ready yet.
I feel like a frightened child. I want mommy and daddy to hug me and reassure me that I'm safe and protected. But it seems everyone is wandering around either angry or terrified or blissfully ignorant, and no one has any genuine solace to offer. I want to run away and hide in a secret fort and to stay there peacefully removed from reality until it's safe to come out.
But I'm not a child, and there is nowhere to hide. I am an adult, a parent, and an educator, and I have to be present for all of my kids. I've been peering into the shadows a lot these last few days, timidly exploring what's really inside, preparing myself to confront whatever it is that holds me in fear; praying that doing so will help me guide the children through their fear too.
I cannot offer the kids platitudes. I can't tell them everything is going to be ok. I can't pretend that I know what's going to happen next or that I believe that love is all we need. But I can include them in conversations and listen to them. The kids I've spoken with so far feel frustrated. They are upset with adults for behaving horribly and creating situations that cause them to feel unsafe. They feel powerless because they can't vote, they don't have their own money, and no one cares what they think. I told my kids that they have the power to educate themselves so that when they are old enough to vote, they will be able to make informed choices. I told them they can contact politicians and lawmakers to express their concerns and ideas. I told them they can stand up for people who are being discriminated against and to always treat others with dignity and kindness. I told them that many small acts can make a real difference. I hope I'm right.
The encouragement I gave the kids was helpful for me too. In mothering them, I also mother myself. As I said, though, I must also give myself time to grieve and process. I'm working hard to shut out the noise. I have no choice but to step into the darkness so I can understand myself (and society) better. This is a terrifying endeavor (I'll keep you posted). These are sad and fearful times. I'm taking comfort in my friends and loved ones. I'm welcoming lots of hugs. That's about all I can do… for now.
And I miss my dog like crazy.
With Love & Compassion,


Feel good all day, every day, everywhere you go!
To diffuse means to spread out. To diffuse an essential oil means to cause the aroma of the oil to be dispersed in a room (for room diffusers) or around the person wearing their own personal pendant diffuser. This is referred to as aromatherapy.
Why would someone want to diffuse essential oils?
Essential oils have been been known and used for centuries not only for their health benefits, but also for the sheer enjoyment of the natural scents. Aromatherapy through the use of essential oils is a natural way to strengthen ones overall health and well being. Each different all natural essential oil has it's own aroma and benefits. For example, Lavender essential oil is one of the most common and widely used oils because of its ability to relax, help with headaches, and help with insomnia.
It is becoming more understood everyday how the mind and body are connected. You've heard the saying "mind over matter." It is very true. Using essential oils is a proactive way to feeling, being, and staying healthier. Our brain processes what we smell, and this immediately brings back certain memories of how we felt at a certain time. If we constantly smell an essential oil that brings up good feelings, then we are being proactive about our health!
Think about it, have you ever been having a really bad day and been feeling down only to smell something wonderful that suddenly perked you up? That's the basic purpose of aromatherapy. It is a noninvasive approach to holistic well-being and health. Don't forget, this is nothing new. The use of essential oils for health can be traced back centuries.
A personal diffuser pendant can also help if you have recurring problems. Simply by choosing the right essential oil you can help decrease stress, anxiety, migraines, allergies, and more!
Even if you don't have any of those concerns, there are oils such as peppermint that are the perfect pick-you-up to get you through the day or tea tree oil that helps to disinfect the personal air that you're breathing in, especially good during flu season!
As a high school science teacher I love having a personal diffuser pendant to inhale from any time I feel stressed during the day or especially when the boys come to class straight from gym!
No matter what, diffusing essential oils with a personal diffuser pendant that effectively disperses the oil into the air you are breathing all day long is proactive way to support your personal health goals.
Yes, they are surprisingly safe if used properly and according to the directions. Essential oils are concentrated oils that are usually either distilled or cold pressed from different plant parts. In their undiluted form, some can be very strong and should be used with caution and others can be applied right to the skin (called neat) with no problems (a skin test should always be done first). Some essential oils are corrosive similar to nail polish remover and will dissolve the finish on furniture if one is not careful. However, like anything else, all essential oils are safe if used properly. It is also important to always make sure you are buying 100% pure, quality essential oils.
Learn more about the basics of using essential oils HERE.
how can you tell if it is a quality essential oil?
A quality essential oil MUST have clear and accurate labeling and tamper evident packaging.
The latin name of the oil will be on the bottle label. For example, there are 30+ different types of lavender plants. That means there are 30+ different lavender oils as well and each one will have a different scent. It is important to make sure that the latin name is present as certain lavender essential oils are better and/or more popular than others. Even if you don't know which one is better, the business selling it to you should and they should NOT be keeping that information to themselves. Not only that, but if the company is not disclosing the latin name, chances are they are either providing low quality cheaper lavender oil, or mixing different lavender oils.
The origin of the the oil should also be on the label. If you are buying essential oil it is important to know where it comes from. Essential oils originate all over the world. Is it from France, Spain, or somewhere else? This is very important. Even if you personally don't care, it should not be something the company is keeping a secret.
It should also state on the label that it is 100% Pure Essential Oil. If it does not state this, then chances are it is diluted. There are certain oils that are only affordable if they are diluted. For example Jasmine and Sandalwood are often diluted at about 3% or sold as essential oil fragrances. However most essential oils, especially the common ones, should only be purchased if they state that they are 100% Pure Essential Oil on the label.
The quantity should be clearly visible in both milliliters and ounces.
The label should include both the uses and any cautions.
The label should have an identifying upc bar code and number. This is one way to distinguish if it is being bottled by a legal/valid company or not.
Lastly, the bottles should be doubly protected with a tamper evident cap and a shrink wrap seal.
Why use A personal diffuser pendant?
They are a personal way to enjoy the aromatic and therapeutic benefits of essential oils all day, every day, everywhere you go!
The pendant is worn around the neck. It holds one drop of your essential oil or blend of choice.
It is worn all day long and goes with you every where you go. The oil diffuses from the pendant slowly over 1 - 2 days. You will not always smell it while you are wearing it, but it is there helping you.
If you have a particular moment during your day where you start to feel anxious, or are around someone that was sick, you can quickly lift the pendant to your nose and inhale a stronger dose of the diffusing oils. Thats the best part of wearing a diffuser pendant: it is always with you and ready to be inhaled at a moments notice. No waiting until you get home, or digging through your pocketbook or glove compartment to find it!
They are great for teachers who deal with stress and a multitude of different smells all day long.
They are also great for warding off colds and the flue in your personal space on public transportation (trains, buses, planes, etc.).
What makes our pendants better than others out there?
Handmade by myself right here in the USA! Other pendants, especially the ones made of stainless steel, are imported from China.
The back has a deep felt lined well to absorb the oils. Many clay pendants available from others are designed so that the oils are dropped directly onto the clay. This can soften and discolor the clay over time. Theirs can also be very messy if you accidentally put too many drops on.
Our felt lines wells are also deep enough that the oils cannot get on your clothes or skin. Other pendants have the oil dropped directly onto the pendant risking the oils staining clothing and or getting on your skin.
Our pendants are sealed with an epoxy on the back. Many oils are very corrosive and have the ability to literally soften and dissolve the clay pendants over time. After much experimentation and trial and error, we have developed a recipe that is like glass. This is applied to the back of every pendant, before the felt is added, so the oils can not get into the clay.
The pendant hangs on a faux suede cord that is so comfortable you will absolutely forget you are wearing it!
They come in many styles and colors!
Just add one drop of oil to the back and enjoy the benefits all day long!


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I bid you welcome gentle readers, and as always a warm and sincere Hey Y'all to our assigned NASCAR reader today. For those to whom I haven't yet moaned and groaned, there's been a "slight" change at Race Fans Forever. My partner, Jim Fitzgerald, has gone back to school to get edjumicated some more, which leaves poor little me doing the entire site. Be sweet; be kind; bring coffee; bring wine! If I screw something up, consider the source.
OK, with that out of the way, let's get back to racing, if that's what they're calling it these days. Is everyone having fun with the new point non-system? Do you have it all figured out and know where every driver stands? Where your driver stands? Don't feel alone. Someone asked me on Twitter why one of the drivers got no playoff points for a stage. I took a swing at that and said that only the stage winner gets a playoff point, and the race winner gets 5. The other points we see awarded for positions 1 through 10 are race points, which is what makes the final outcome look like a numerical version of alphabet soup.
I "think" I got that right, but I even qualified it that way when I answered because quite frankly, a non-system where the winner is not always the winner just makes no sense whatsoever to this orderly mathematical mind. I much prefer a system where 2+2=4… always! New math, core math and anything else they've dreamed up since I was in school are just wrong. In real mathematics, there is only one right answer… and NO participation trophies!
Please just click right around here somewhere and you'll see full results from the Pocono race. Look at the column labeled "Points." As I said, it's numerical soup… and that doesn't even include the "Playoff points", which are kept in a separate fund, to be added in later on, after Richmond. In this instance the winner, Kyle Busch, did receive the most points. However, when one looks down the column to the 6th place, occupied by Clint Bowyer, you'll find that winning one stage now places him ahead of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th finishers in points. As a race fan of long standing… far longer than Brian France has been on this planet… it's a huge disappointment that finishing order now means nothing in this once great sport.
In the world according to PattyKay, a race starts and ends on the start/finish line. He who gets there first on the final lap is the winner. The next in line is second, and so on down the line. Points are awarded in descending order, with the most going to the winner and the least going to the last place finisher. As they used to say back in the days of common sense, which isn't as common as it used to be, "That's racin'!"
There is no need whatsoever for an "Overtime line", a "Start zone" or the mythical "Scoring loops." Any such argument is easily settled by reverting to the last green lap. Whether the race is advertised as "500 laps", "500 miles" or whatever, when the given distance is reached, the race is over, and I don't care if the flag flying at that time is sky-blue-pink with purple polka-dots. Racing is a simple sport… or should be.
(Author's note: This article was written two days in advance of the announcement that NASCAR is doing away with the Overtime line and will instead use the Start/finish line as the Overtime line. What a concept!)
That leads your scribe to another thought. Give the flagman back his job. They don't call that man the "Starter" for fun. Flag waving should be at his discretion, not leave him waiting for a wink and a nod from David Hoots in the tower while most of the field wrecks on the front stretch, but the tower is waiting for the leader to cross the "Overtime line" on the back stretch. For a sanctioning body that preaches "Safety-first", that mess at Indy was a real embarrassment to a lot of folks, this one included.
If it's Brian France's intent to make us so confused we'll take his word for about anything, he's doing a fine job, but it's backfiring. When a diehard "core fan" (That's NASCAR speak for old school or just plain old) like me loses interest in race-related things, that's a signal that someone better start bailing because this ship is sinking.
Have any of you looked at the standings lately? That presents a whole other comedy. In any stick and ball sport, the standings are a list of who's won the most games, in declining numerical order. In NASCAR, an entity whose CEO attempts to emulate every facet of all stick and ball sports wrapped into one, we have a list of standings. We have Driver standings, Playoff standings, Owner standings and Manufacturer standings, and yes, they are all different. So who is leading whom? I don't believe anyone has the slightest idea. Let's just stick with Clint Bowyer for a moment, as he was mentioned at the beginning. Clint is 10th in actual point standings, or as actual as they get this year with those stage points added in. That's not a great year but it's not a bad year compared to his 27th place finish last year with Harry Scott Racing. However, when we look at Playoff standings, Clint is in 17th place and out of the game at this time. Then let's look at Kasey Kahne, who won last week at Indy, courtesy of that late caution flag. Kasey is in 19th place in driver points, yet 12th in Playoff points. Who knows how anyone will stand by the time the Richmond race ends? In this crazy world of NASCAR, 2+2 now equals 7.3333, and don't argue with that!
Please allow my train of thought to jump the tracks to a completely unrelated matter before we wind this one down. Joe Gibbs, I was a fan since your early Red Skin days, but at Indy, my respect for you dwindled to a mere pilot light compared to the laser beam it once was. If NASCAR saw nothing worth even mentioning, let alone punishing, why is it up to you to suspend two crew members from an opposing team for a mild incident incited by the crew chief of your #18 car? What you accomplished was a great lesson in unsportsmanlike conduct… on your part… and confirmation of what the fans have taken for granted for years, that your "alliance" with FRR is not merely an alliance at all or you Sir, would have no authority whatsoever over what anyone on that team says or does. Both you and NASCAR are free to describe the incestuous relationship in the manner of your choosing, but remember, perception has a way of becoming reality. We now perceive the cars and crews of Furniture Row Racing to be cars #5 and #6 on the JGR team. Four-car maximum limit? Whatever is that? Just another NASCAR joke, and like so many, it's not the least bit funny!
Of course, those wonderful old instruments mean it's time for our Classic Country Closeout. This week we have another of those wonderful Country Shows featuring the stars of the 1950s. I do hope many of you are enjoying these shows as much as I am. The 1950s were such a wonderful time to be growing up.
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling. It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay
Email PattyKay
Follow @MamaPKL


Nigeria will this year increase corn output by as much as 9 million tons driven by increased farmers' participation and hectarage, as well as a N6 billion investment from Kellogg's, an American cereal maker, farmers' body said.
This puts Nigeria's corn production to about 20 million tons this year, up from 11 tons million from last year by US department of agriculture estimation. The Nigerian government official record says Nigeria produced 20 million tons of corn last year.
"We are increasing land cultivation by 2.3 million hectares to make a total of 6.3 million this year and we expect about 200,000 farmers to join our existing farmers cultivate those hectares. Bear in mind, we have more than 500,000 farmers producing maize in Nigeria," Bello Abubakar, National President of the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN), said by phone from Kaduna, the nation's largest corn producing state.
"Right now we produce 4 tons per hectare and we expect that the addition of 2.25 million heatares will significantly boost our production," he said, seeing increase in output reaching 9 million tons.
Increase in output is seen driven by Kellogg's, the breakfast cereals producer, seeking to produce more than 10,000 tons of breakfast cereals annually in the West African nation, in partnership with the Nigerian food manufacturer, Tolaram Africa.
The American company last year launched a 6 billion naira factory that will see local production of breakfast cereals and snacks are handled in Nigeria; two years after paying about $450 million for a 50 percent stake in Multipro, a member of Tolaram group and the group's premier sales and distribution company in Nigeria and Ghana.
"Kellogg's' investment is just one of the factors driving increase in production," Irede Ajala, Senior Technical Adviser on Investment Promotion and Agribusiness to Audu Ogbeh, minister of agriculture said in the capital, Abuja.
"Maize is also heavily required for animal feeds and Olam in 2017 opened the largest animal feeds plant in Africa in Kaduna, coupled with maize being included in the anchor borrower's programme," Ajala said.
Although the Nigerian government has not signed any agreement with Kellogg's to off-take corn from its farmers, it encourages "the states where the factories are located to have talks and agreements with the company in the best interests of their farmers," according to Ajala.
Nigerian corn producer's association said it sees growth in domestic demand for animal feed boosting corn outputs this year, on government's policy to produce 50 million table eggs daily to halt dependency on eggs and corn imports introduced mid last 2018.
"As you know, Nigeria launched a plan to produce 50 million table eggs per day and that will definitely see a huge growth in corn production starting this year and we expect to see more in the coming years," Miftah Adeniran, a member of the association said from Oyo state, where he has over 10,000 hectares cultivating cash crops such as corn, cashew and cassava.
Local farmers who begun harvesting this January said they are cultivating more than 6.3 million hectares this year, up from 4 million hectares from last year, on improved access to farm implements including planter, threshers, and harvesters provided from the anchors borrowers' scheme, according Abubakar.
"We have a joint program with the Nigerian Central Bank and the ministry of agriculture that will help us increase productions in the number of hectares produced this year and we are happy with the numbers of farmers who are showing interest to produce maize this year," Abubakar said.
If Nigeria meets it target, the oil dependent economy will overtake South Africa's annual 15.5 million tons output as well as Indonesia's 19 million tons and France's 17.1 million, despite the country's three year war with fall army worms.
Fall army worms in the last three years have ravaged hundreds of cornfields across Nigeria's 36 states, affecting farmers' yields but the government says there is an ongoing plan to fight the pest this year on new partnerships with international organisations including Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The Nigerian government late last year inaugurated a 23-member National Task Force Committee on fall army worm management and control, launching one of its own control strategies to curb the devastating effect of the pest in the country.
"The committee have started working on it already, and we have already taken serious action on army worm this year. And all the farmers know the problem of army worm has drastically come down," Abubakar said.
Nigeria is eleventh largest producer of corn in the world, and Africa's second largest corn producer after South Africa, according the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).


text:
require "testup/testcase"

class TC_Sketchup_InputPoint < TestUp::TestCase

  # Set this to true to enable verbose debugging output.
  DEBUG_OUTPUT = false

  def setup
    start_with_empty_model
    @path = create_test_instances
    # TODO(thomthom):
    # Some test runs would fail without this. It is not known why, something
    # can get out of sync with the code the computes view.screen_coords.
    # Only particular order of tests would trigger this, and only upon the very
    # first run of this test. Otherwise it'll pass.
    # This is logged as SU-35668. This line can be removed once that issue
    # is resolved. For now its left in in order to reduce noise.
    view = Sketchup.active_model.active_view
    view.zoom_extents # Ensure all entities are within the viewport
    view.refresh
  end

  def teardown
    # ...
  end

  # Model > ComponentInstance > Group1 > Group2 > Group3 > Edge
  def create_test_instances
    model = Sketchup.active_model
    definition = model.definitions.add('TC_Sketchup_InputPoint')
    group1 = definition.entities.add_group
    group2 = group1.entities.add_group
    group2.transform!([10, 20, 30])
    group3 = group2.entities.add_group
    edge = group3.entities.add_line([10, 10, 10], [20, 20, 20])
    tr = Geom::Transformation.new([20, 30, 40])
    instance = model.entities.add_instance(definition, tr)
    [instance, group1, group2, group3, edge]
  end

  def compute_expected_transformation(path)
    instances = path.select { |entity|
      entity.is_a?(Sketchup::Group) || entity.is_a?(Sketchup::ComponentInstance)
    }
    tr = Geom::Transformation.new
    instances.each { |instance| tr = tr * instance.transformation }
    tr
  end

  def edge_mid_point(edge)
    pt1 = edge.start.position
    pt2 = edge.end.position
    Geom.linear_combination(0.5, pt1, 0.5, pt2)
  end

  class CustomInputPoint < Sketchup::InputPoint
    def custom_valid?
      valid?
    end
  end

  # ========================================================================== #
  # class Sketchup::InputPoint

  def test_introduction_api_example
    # TODO:
  end

  # ========================================================================== #
  # method Sketchup::InputPoint.instance_path

  def test_initialize_subclass
    skip("Fixed in SU2019") if Sketchup.version.to_i < 19
    inputpoint1 = Sketchup::InputPoint.new
    assert_kind_of(Sketchup::InputPoint, inputpoint1)
    inputpoint1.pick(Sketchup.active_model.active_view, 0, 0)

    inputpoint2 = CustomInputPoint.new
    assert_kind_of(Sketchup::InputPoint, inputpoint2)
    assert_kind_of(CustomInputPoint, inputpoint2)
    inputpoint2.valid? # Test a method call.
    refute(inputpoint1 == inputpoint2, 'ip1 != ip2')
    inputpoint1.pick(Sketchup.active_model.active_view, 100, 100)

    inputpoint3 = CustomInputPoint.new
    inputpoint3.copy!(inputpoint2)
    assert(inputpoint2 == inputpoint3, 'ip2 == ip3')
    assert_kind_of(Sketchup::InputPoint, inputpoint3)
    assert_kind_of(CustomInputPoint, inputpoint3)
    inputpoint3.valid?
  end

  # ========================================================================== #
  # method Sketchup::InputPoint.instance_path

  def test_instance_path
    skip("Implemented in SU2017") if Sketchup.version.to_i < 17
    path = @path
    # Compute the screen coordinate of one of the entities in the path.
    view = Sketchup.active_model.active_view
    # view.zoom_extents # Ensure all entities are within the viewport
    # view.refresh # Need to force the view to update before proceeding.
    tr = compute_expected_transformation(path)
    edge = path.last
    local_point = edge_mid_point(edge)
    point = local_point.transform(tr)
    screen_point = view.screen_coords(point)
    if DEBUG_OUTPUT
      puts 'TC_Sketchup_InputPoint#test_instance_path'
      puts ">   Num Entities: #{Sketchup.active_model.entities.size}"
      puts "> Transformation: #{tr.to_a}"
      puts ">  Local Edge Mid Point: #{local_point.inspect}"
      puts "> Global Edge Mid Point: #{point.inspect}"
      puts ">          Screen Point: #{screen_point.inspect}"
      puts ">      Edge Start Screen Point: #{view.screen_coords(edge.start.position).inspect}"
      puts ">        Edge End Screen Point: #{view.screen_coords(edge.end.position).inspect}"
      puts ">      Edge Start Screen Point: #{view.screen_coords(edge.start.position).transform(tr).inspect}"
      puts ">        Edge End Screen Point: #{view.screen_coords(edge.end.position).transform(tr).inspect}"
      puts ">              Viewport: #{view.vpwidth}x#{view.vpheight}"
      puts "> aspect_ratio: #{view.camera.aspect_ratio.inspect}"
      puts "> center_2d: #{view.camera.center_2d.inspect}"
      puts "> direction: #{view.camera.direction.inspect}"
      puts "> focal_length: #{view.camera.focal_length.inspect}"
      puts "> fov: #{view.camera.fov.inspect}"
      puts "> fov_is_height?: #{view.camera.fov_is_height?.inspect}"
      puts "> height: #{view.camera.height.inspect}"
      puts "> image_width: #{view.camera.image_width.inspect}"
      puts "> is_2d?: #{view.camera.is_2d?.inspect}"
      puts "> perspective?: #{view.camera.perspective?.inspect}"
      puts "> scale_2d: #{view.camera.scale_2d.inspect}"
      puts "> eye: #{view.camera.eye.inspect}"
      puts "> target: #{view.camera.target.inspect}"
      puts "> up: #{view.camera.up.inspect}"
      puts "> xaxis: #{view.camera.xaxis.inspect}"
      puts "> yaxis: #{view.camera.yaxis.inspect}"
      puts "> zaxis: #{view.camera.zaxis.inspect}"
    end
    # Make the instance point pick this entity.
    inputpoint = Sketchup::InputPoint.new
    changed = inputpoint.pick(view, screen_point.x, screen_point.y)
    assert(changed, 'InputPoint.pick did not indicate change')
    assert(inputpoint.valid?, 'InputPoint instance not valid')

    result = inputpoint.instance_path
    if DEBUG_OUTPUT
      puts ">      valid?: #{inputpoint.valid?}"
      puts ">        face: #{inputpoint.face}"
      puts ">        edge: #{inputpoint.edge}"
      puts ">      vertex: #{inputpoint.vertex}"
    end
    assert_kind_of(Sketchup::InstancePath, result)
    assert_equal(path, result.to_a)
  end

  def test_instance_path_no_pick
    skip("Implemented in SU2017") if Sketchup.version.to_i < 17
    inputpoint = Sketchup::InputPoint.new
    result = inputpoint.instance_path
    assert_nil(result)
  end

  def test_instance_path_incorrect_number_of_arguments_one
    skip("Implemented in SU2017") if Sketchup.version.to_i < 17
    inputpoint = Sketchup::InputPoint.new
    assert_raises(ArgumentError) {
      inputpoint.instance_path(nil)
    }
  end

end # class

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
https://sputniknews.com/20190902/israeli-army-launches-spy-balloon-into-south-lebanon-airspace-1076703434.html
Israeli Army Launches Spy Balloon Into South Lebanon's Airspace - Reports
BEIRUT (Sputnik) - The Israeli military has launched a reconnaissance balloon over the Lebanese border settlement of Meiss El Jabal, the Lebanese National News... 02.09.2019, Sputnik International
https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107083/74/1070837422_0:267:4662:2904_1920x0_80_0_0_c5fdedc1761cd0238d475dc4c747ce69.jpg
https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107083/74/1070837422_0:120:4662:3051_1920x0_80_0_0_8c9617ad9e68cc54bbb4172ae15d4954.jpg
world, news, middle east, israel, lebanon, israeli army, hezbollah
© AP Photo / Hussein MallaIn this Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 photo, Israeli military equipment works on the Lebanese-Israeli border in front of the Israeli town of Metula, background, near the southern village of Kafr Kila, Lebanon. As Israeli excavators dig into the rocky ground, Lebanese across the frontier gather to watch what Israel calls the Northern Shield operation aimed at destroying attack tunnels built by Hezbollah. But Lebanese soldiers in new camouflaged posts, behind sandbags, or inside abandoned homes underscore the real anxiety that any misstep could lead to a conflagration between the two enemy states that no one seems to want.
© AP Photo / Hussein Malla
BEIRUT (Sputnik) - The Israeli military has launched a reconnaissance balloon over the Lebanese border settlement of Meiss El Jabal, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the device was sent over the border in the early hours of Monday.
The report comes after the Lebanese Army said on 1 September that Israel had fired over 40 missiles near the settlements of Maroun El Ras, Aitaroun and Yaroun.
The shelling followed Hezbollah's anti-tank missile destroying Israeli armoured vehicles in the border area in retaliation against Israel's drone attacks. Lebanon has also accused Israel of being behind Sunday drone strikes on Hezbollah's headquarters near Beirut and Palestinian military positions in eastern Lebanon.
For months, Lebanon has objected to Israeli anti-Hezbollah operations in its airspace, insisting that they violate the country's sovereignty and UN Security Council Resolution 1701 intended to resolve the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. Israel, in turn, considers Lebanon-based Hezbollah its key rival in the region and conducts regular air raids against it.
Israeli Army
reconnaissance flight


text:
Guest opinion: Ron DeSantis knows things, Critical Race Theory isn't one of them
Ted Thornhill
USA TODAY Network-Florida
Ron DeSantis knows things. He knows how to ensure that Republican donors in exclusive Key West enclaves and individuals in predominantly white, affluent communities are prioritized for the coronavirus vaccine. He's proven himself adept at working with the Republican-controlled state legislature to advance their antidemocratic agenda, such as HB 1/ SB 484, which the ACLU says silences dissent and criminalizes peaceful protest for racial justice, and SB 90, which severely limits voting by mail. That takes know how.
During a recent press conference in Naples, he demonstrated his facility for stoking racial resentment for political gain by mischaracterizing Critical Race Theory before an eager, largely white audience.
Indeed. Ron. DeSantis. Knows. Things.
Reading from prepared remarks announcing his new civics education initiative, DeSantis said, "Florida civics curriculum will incorporate foundational concepts with the best materials, and it will expressly exclude unsanctioned narratives like critical race theory and other unsubstantiated theories." Once the audience finished applauding, DeSantis continued, "There's no room in our classrooms for things like Critical Race Theory. Teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other is not worth one red cent of taxpayer money." This is dangerous, calculated race-baiting nonsense.
More:Guest opinion: Civic literacy program is essential, so is engagement with racism in America's history
Every American of conscience should have a love-hate relationship with this country – kids, too. There are unquestionably things about the United States worthy of both love and hate. Two of the latter are white supremacy and systemic racism.
Refusal to engage with and accept the damning and readily available historical, social scientific and journalistic evidence of systemic white racism in the U.S. doesn't change the facts – white Americans continue to derive manifold unmerited advantages, resources and opportunities. Many whites have worked diligently for decades, in public and private, to ensure it remains that way. Thankfully, over the same period, a multiracial group of insightful antiracists worked hard to accomplish the opposite.
By the mid-1970s, in the wake of the modern civil rights movement, it had become apparent to a number of civil rights attorneys, legal scholars and activists that white Americans' commitment to racial equality had largely waned. White liberals had grown weary, most were unwilling to support further changes in law and policy necessary to ensure that Blacks were fully and equitably incorporated into the body politic. The belief that enough had been done for Blacks and other Americans of color was a widely shared sentiment among whites during the period.
Critical Race Theory emerged when scholar-activists began to theorize the ways that U.S. jurisprudence had the effect of maintaining whites' privileged position in the social order, under the pretext of a color-blind law that no longer made explicit distinctions based on race or color.
According to Critical Race Theory, racism doesn't simply reside in the heart and mind, but in law and policy. Further, racism is understood as a constituent element of U.S. society, not an aberration. Therefore, it encourages us to dispense with the tired "few bad apples" and "isolated incidents" tropes that many whites and more than a few confused people of color parrot out to deny the systemic nature of racism. Another central feature of CRT is the importance of counternarratives and story-telling to give voice to the experiences of the racially minoritized.
More:Guest opinion: Racial respect. If not now, when?
An additional tenet of Critical Race Theory is interest convergence – the idea that white support for antiracist changes in law and policy that benefit racially minoritized groups tend to come about only when whites benefit, too, not because of a moral imperative to do so.
Over the past couple of decades, Critical Race Theory has found its way into other disciplines and fields such as education, sociology, communication, cultural studies and more.
Ultimately, Critical Race Theory is a conceptual framework, a lens through which to view honestly the terrible racial legacy in this country. It provides us with important tools to make sense of and hold accountable a nation that pretends itself the quintessence of a post-racial democracy, while simultaneously maintaining a structure that keeps Black, Indigenous, People of Color disproportionately economically disadvantaged, politically precarious, educationally deprived, violently policed, residentially ghettoized, medically disserved and subject to the ever-present disapproving gaze of whites.
More:Comments made about 'Black excellence' at FGCU Student Government meeting lead to protest
I'm not sure where Ron DeSantis received his introduction to Critical Race Theory, but as a practitioner and proponent of CRT, I know that his representation of this rigorous, multidisciplinary, racial justice-oriented body of theoretical and empirical scholarship is deeply flawed, dangerous and promotes white racial resentment. Isn't racial justice something that "not racist" people like DeSantis and those in the audience who applauded his comments want?
Ron DeSantis says and does outrageous things. That's what overly ambitious, calculating politicians who crave power do. So, it comes as no surprise to hear him arrogantly speak about things he knows nothing about. I would encourage those who want to understand Critical Race Theory to consult the many scholarly sources and tune out the ramblings of Ron.
By his speech and actions, Ron DeSantis shows he doesn't truly care about civics or civics education. Consider that while DeSantis is enthusiastically advocating for broader civics education in Florida's public schools, and putting public money behind it, he is simultaneously working with Republican legislators to effectively disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Floridians through a Jim Crow-esque bill that would radically restrict mail-in-voting under the pretext of ensuring election integrity. Yet, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Florida, or any other state. Such lies have been thoroughly debunked in bipartisan fashion by local, state and federal election officials and agencies charged with administering and securing the nation's elections.
It seems fairly obvious that DeSantis's misstatements about Critical Race Theory were crafted by political advisors to promote white racial resentment and generate national headlines for the ambitious governor – which they did, as he positions himself for reelection and higher office.
Sadly, DeSantis's inaccurate and inflammatory statements about Critical Race Theory will have real impacts on the opportunity of Florida's students to receive a robust civics education, which would necessarily include not only exposure to concepts like systemic racism, but also a vigorous critique of the very type of antidemocratic speech and practices in which he routinely traffics. Perhaps some courageous educators who cherish democracy will defy the retrograde governor and ensure that their students are taught an authentic account of civics.
Ron DeSantis may know something about some things, but he knows nothing about Critical Race Theory, or what a proper civics education looks like.
Ted Thornhill is an associate professor of sociology and the director of the Center for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University.