Home Posts tagged "Other Blogs"
More"Some meaningless AutoCAD 2011 numbers"
No, I haven't written a post containing a summary of AutoCAD 2011 features. I won't be doing so, either. Instead, I'll just point you at R.K. McSwain's excellent AutoCAD 2011 in 3 minutes post on his CAD Panacea blog. I won't be ignoring the new release; I will be covering selected AutoCAD 2011 features in more detail in future posts. I just don't see much point in doing a "me too" post when somebody else has already done such a fine job of it.
More"Summary of AutoCAD 2011 features"
More"CAD International interview on drcauto and other subjects"
More"More on drcauto, LT Toolkit and CAD International"
More"Hope for drcauto LT Toolkit orphans"
There is a piece of malware out there written as an ObjectARX application, i.e. it will only affect AutoCAD users. It's a China-based adware client, which Andrew Brandt at the Webroot threat blog has named Trojan-Pigrig. For full details, see here. Also, see here for AutoCAD-specific advice from the AutoCAD support team at the Without a Net blog.
More"Not another SpacePilot PRO review"
I've added a link to Without A Net, a new blog on support issues, technical solutions, fixes, and tips for AutoCAD. It's run by Tom Stoeckel, global technical lead for AutoCAD product support. In my limited experience, I've found Tom to be a fine fellow with his customers' needs at heart. This blog promises to be a worthwhile addition to the existing AutoCAD support mechanisms, and I commend Autodesk and Tom for introducing it.
More"New Autodesk blog for AutoCAD support"
Autodesk's Executive Chairman of the Board (who has one or two other little jobs, too) has made a Yahoo! blog post in which she promises to kick a donkey, or something. Yahoo! if of only tangential interest to me; I don't particularly care if it thrives or if it dies. However, it's good to see Carol communicating directly in this way, and it's good to see her emphasise the importance of looking after the customer, placing emphasis on efficiency over innovation for innovation's sake, and promising to do better at listening. Welcome to the blogsphere, Carol.
More"I'm supporting the New Zealand blackout"
You can expect a lot of AutoCAD 2010 news to start appearing in this and other blogs today and over the next few days. I'm just about to start interviewing some Autodesk people about this and other subjects. Watch this space!
More"Look out for AutoCAD 2010 news"


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Rock Stars is a documentary/reality television series that follows a team of rock scalers from a slope stabilization/rock remediation company. The series is produced by Echo Entertainment for the National Geographic Channel. Ten episodes have been created so far, the first airing on November 22, 2011.

Plot
The series portrays a group of rock remediation technicians whose primary objective is to protect the public and their communities from rockslides. As trained professionals, these men suspend on the sides of cliffs that are anywhere from 25 to 200-feet high and remove any unstable rocks or boulders that could pose a potential threat to unsuspecting drivers and hikers below. The crew use scale bars, a crow-bar type of tool with an angled tip, to bring down most of the rock. Often they also utilize rubber airbags inflated by an air compressor to bring down the larger masses of rock. The company also specializes in rock bolting, wire mesh installation, rock net installation, shotcrete, slope monitoring and slope blasting. The company has been around since 1968 and has long been a leader in the rock remediation world.

Location
The first season takes place in two locations, White Pass (Washington) along U.S. Route 12 and Niagara Falls.

Production
The documentary was filmed and produced by Echo Entertainment, a production company out of Studio City, California. Each member of the production crew was required to attend a week-long training course to obtain a certification in ropes access. Cameramen shooting on Sony EX-1s and Sony XDCam-800s were often suspended over the sides of the cliffs while shooting the scalers on the mountain. GoPro helmet cameras were also mounted on the helmets of each rock scaler to capture POV of the scalers on the hill.

Episodes
 "Chaos On The Cascades" – 11/22/2011
 "Deathtrap" – 11/29/2011
 "Meltdown on the Mountain" – 12/6/2011
 "Man v. Boulder" – 12/13/2011
 "Falling Apart" – 12/20/2011
 "Assault On Niagara" – 12/27/2011
 "House of Cards" – 1/3/2012
 "D-Day" – 1/10/2012
 "Bolt to the Finish" – 1/17/2012
 "Blowing Up" – 1/24/2012

References

 Rock Stars Episode Guide. National Geographic Channel.

External links

Watch Rock Stars

2010s American reality television series
National Geographic (American TV channel) original programming
2011 American television series debuts
2012 American television series endings

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Been playing since 2001, Air Force since 2003, and now part time Air Force working full time at Lockheed. Got a wife, 2 kids and the son just picked his first guitar.


Are you ready to celebrate all that God has done over 2018 in Live Out Loud?
We welcome you to join us for an extravagant evening.
Registration is $15, which includes catered hor 'd oeuvres & entrance. Dress code is formal.
No children will be permitted and there is no childcare provided.
This formal event is limited capacity. Registration will close after capacity has been met. So register TODAY!!!


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12 Wasted Years – piąte wideo heavy metalowej grupy Iron Maiden, wydane w 1987. Film przedstawia 12-letnią historię zespołu (1975-1987), 14 najlepszych utworów kapeli (do roku 1987), wywiady z muzykami oraz przebieg kariery zespołu. Reedycja albumu miała miejsce w 2004 roku na DVD pt. "The Early Days".

Lista utworów
 "Stranger in a Strange Land" (wideo promocyjne 1986)
 "Charlotte the Harlot" (na żywo 1980)
 "Running Free" (na żywo 1980)
 "Women in Uniform" (wideo promocyjne 1980)
 "Murders In The Rue Morgue" (na żywo 1982)
 "Children of the Damned" (na żywo 1982)
 "The Number of The Beast" (na żywo 1985)
 "Total Eclipse" (na żywo 1982)
 "Iron Maiden" (na żywo 1983)
 "Sanctuary" (na żywo 1982)
 "The Prisoner" (na żywo 1982)
 "22, Acacia Avenue" (na żywo 1983)
 "Wasted Years" (na żywo 1986)
 "The Trooper" (na żywo 1985)

Linki zewnętrzne
 Okładka
Allmusic.com
Filmweb.pl

Wideografia Iron Maiden
Muzyczne albumy wideo
Albumy muzyczne wydane w roku 1987


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Battle-Hardened Face of 1,000-yr-old Viking Warrior Woman Unveiled
Nov 13, 2019 Ian Harvey
Viking woman
The 1,000-yr-old face of a Viking warrior woman has been recreated and it's stunning. When archaeologists and scientists work together to unravel secrets long buried, the results are sometimes startling.
Such is the case of a Viking female warrior found in Norway, near the town of Solor. When first discovered the remains were scant and inconclusive. Now, thanks to modern forensic and facial reconstruction techniques, the formerly anonymous woman has a face, at least a computer generated one. And a photo of that reconstruction shows the warrior woman looks startlingly like any woman encountered on the street today, albeit with evidence of some serious blow to the forehead.
Experts say the remains are approximately 1,000 years old, and the skull clearly took a terrible blow, perhaps in battle. One of the archaeologists on the team that brought the remains to life is Ella Al-Shamahi. In early November, Al-Shamahi told the Daily Mail that she was thrilled about the discovery, and the recreation. "I'm so excited," she began, "because this is a face that hasn't been seen in 1,000 years – she's suddenly very real."
A facial reconstruction image of the skull of the Viking woman found at Birka shows a large head injury, possibly sustained in battle. Photograph: National Geographic pic.twitter.com/StCtjOPaGA
— Vikingverse (@vikingverse) November 3, 2019
For decades, women were assumed to be on the sidelines of battles, not participants. However, the appearance of her cranium suggests she did indeed take part in combat. Initially, when the remains were found in a large Viking burial site, no one suspected she was a warrior for the sole reason that she was a woman. Now, Al-Shamahi says she is proof that females did indeed take part in battles.
Although the burial site is very important to archaeologists and researchers, it is far from the only Viking grave found in Norway. Neil Price, a professor and archaeology consultant, said he wouldn't be surprised to find more warrior women.
Viking warrior woman
The notion of the Viking warrior women has been portrayed in popular culture such as the TV series Vikings but the archaeology and science of it is just being unearthed and the reality, however small a scale it is so far, can no longer be denied, thanks to this particular find. History notes that this woman was originally assumed to be another male skeleton until Anna Kjellström, an osteologist from Stockholm University, noticed that the remains suggested she was female. DNA confirmed her belief.
Viking warrior is a woman new research study of Viking town of Birka shows https://t.co/1UtC69l6Ta #vikings #women pic.twitter.com/PELXyvCrwx
— Stockholm University (@Stockholm_Uni) September 8, 2017
The find is of such significance, as is the cutting edge technology used to recreate her face, that Al-Shamahi is hosting a National Geographic documentary on the case. During the hour-long program, she will explain the science behind recreation methods, and travel around Norway showing viewers various Viking burial sites.
It airs in Britain in early December and will no doubt make its way to other countries for viewing later this year. The recreation, including items found with the skeleton, are on exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in Oslo.
Further proof of the woman's status as a fighter are the weapons with which she was buried, including arrows, an axe, and a spear. They are also part of the display at the Museum. Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, from the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Uppsala University, Sweden, was the leader of this research.
She is quoted in EurekAlert noting, "What we have studied was not a Valkyrie from the sagas but a real life military leader, that happens to be a woman".
On Display: Stunning Viking Bead Necklace Belonging to a Pagan Sorceress
Historians may have resisted the notion that women were on battlefields because, simply put, they lacked the physical strength to successfully take on an opponent – especially in the Viking Age. However, firing a bow and arrow from a distance or using a spear while on horseback, negates the assumption that women weren't capable of fighting. And now, with the recreated face of a female warrior, there is proof that at least some women stood beside their men in the midst of battle.
« Candid Family Photos of Kirk Douglas Throughout his Incredibly Long Life
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Changes Firewood Regulations to Protect Forests
Contact: Public Affairs Office, (865) 436-1207
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced regulation changes that will help protect park forests by limiting the type of firewood brought into the park. Beginning in March 2015, only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and displays a certification stamp by the USDA or a state department of agriculture will be allowed for use in park campgrounds.
Heat-treated firewood will be available to purchase from concessioners in many of the campgrounds as well as from private businesses in the communities around the park. Certified heat-treated firewood is packaged in 0.75 cu-ft. bundles clearly displaying a certification stamp. The wood is a high-quality hardwood product that has been heated for 60 minutes at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The wood lights easily, burns well for campfires, is safe to cook over, and is already available at over 85 locations near the park that can be viewed on an interactive map by visiting www.nature.org/firewoodmap. In addition, visitors may still collect dead and down wood in the park for campfires.
"The threat of these new pests coming into our forests, both in the park and regionally, compels us to do all we can to reduce the risk to our forests," said Acting Superintendent Clayton Jordan. "While a ban on the importation of non-treated firewood will not entirely halt the spread of destructive forest pests and diseases, it will greatly slow it down. This allows time to develop and implement new treatment strategies to help control the impacts from these non-native pests and diseases."
Non-native, tree-killing insects and diseases can unknowingly be introduced through firewood transported from infested areas. A variety of destructive pests lay eggs or stowaway in firewood. These insects from Asia and Europe have the potential to devastate over 30 species of hardwood trees native to the park. New infestations threaten our forests with widespread tree mortality that could devastate wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and scenic views. The use of firewood that has been heat treated eliminates the threat posed by these pests through the movement and use of wood in campfires.
National parks throughout the Appalachian region have taken action to limit the spread of insect pests in firewood including, in many cases, the banning of imported firewood. For the past three years, the Smokies has prohibited the importation of firewood from areas quarantined by the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service. Park rangers have been working over the past year with numerous partners representing federal and state agencies, conservation organizations, and universities to mitigate the risks associated with movement of firewood including a public education campaign with campground programs and regionally placed billboards. The park also hosted public meetings and developed an informational handout that was provided to all Smokies campers throughout the summer inviting public comments.
For more information about firewood and forest and insect pests in the park, please visit the park website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/firewood-alert.htm.
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Now whenever people try to accomplish something, one of the biggest mistakes people make is that they set their standards of environment to high.
When you want to lose weight, you need a gym. When you want to create something beautiful, you need to right tools, or the perfect setting or mood. Some people rely on superstition(lucky sock, etc), or they rely on repetition. When they did something right, in order for them to do it again, they need the same conditions. Now in order to grow, we need to focus on ourselves, and become fully independent. We cannot rely on external conditions to be perfect in order for us to work or grow. The world has never been and will never be so kind.
Next: Next post: How to Recover from Tragedy, Trauma, and Depression.


As part of the artistic design for Jonathan Seinen's production of The Seagull, I wanted to take a series of portraits with the cast members that could be used for marketing, or serve as standalone images. These portraits aim to capture a hybrid of actor and character, reflecting the metatheatricality of the play and the individuality of each actor. Aesthetic inspirations included cover art for late-20th-century avant-garde and counterculture musical artists, including Patti Smith, Kate Bush, and Bon Jovi.
Featured: Odera Adimorah, Roberta Ahrens, Mitch Connelly, Elly-Anne Ehrman, Elizabeth Howell, Peter Levine, Samantha Proctor, Len Rella, James Tison, Victor Steel, and Yeena Sung.


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Happie assisted Thirst Project's mission to provide clean drinking water for people around the world by finding the perfect hire for a hard-to-fill role.
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Director Peter Brook threatened with legal action over his support for BDS
This is all over the net now but here's The Jewish Chronicle:
The Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv is considering legal action for breach of contract against the veteran British theatre director, Peter Brook, after he pulled out of its annual International Festival of Plays in December.
The Paris-based Mr Brook, 87, is director of Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, which was due to perform The Suit, a play set in apartheid South Africa, at the festival.
"set in apartheid South Africa"? The Israelis can certainly do irony.
There's a mention in the article of "pressure from BDS" but see this:
Mr Brook signed a letter to the Cameri which said: "The fact that the Cameri Theatre has accepted to support the brutal action of colonisation by playing in Ariel [in the West Bank] has made us aware that in coming to your theatre we would appear as a support for that brutal action.
"This forces us to decline your invitation to perform in your theatre. The decision is entirely ours, and not to come to you, it is our free choice.
"We know that there are many amongst you and in your country who share our attitude and it is them we wish to support as well as the people of Palestine."
The front page of the print edition is about how BDS isn't too popular with the UK public but it does seem to be going from strength to strength.
Labels: BDS, boycott, boycott Israel, cultural boycott, Peter Brook
ZioNazi?
I've never liked that expression but what else do you call Netanyahu in this pose?
See this from The Jewish Chronicle:
Abraham Foxman, Director of the New York-based hate-monitor the Anti Defamation League, told The Daily Caller. "I think it is ugly, disgusting, offensive."
I think this is the first time I've ever agree with Abe.
UPDATE (30/9/2012 20:24) with thanks to Deir Yassin in the comments:
A lot of commentators on Netanyahu's appearance, speech and general performance at the UN recently assumed that Bibi doesn't know what he's doing. This picture from Deir Yassin suggests he knows exactly what he's doing.
Labels: Bibi, hasbara meltdown, Netanyahu, zionazi
Jewish "refugees": Fleeing or flying?
The blogosphere is awash with posts on the efforts of zionists and the State of Israel to trade off the issue of the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians against the departure of Jews from Arab states following the establishment of the State of Israel.
Here's an article by Ruth Tenne posted to the Palestine News Network which recalls an earlier post on the same subject on this blog back in 2008.
Fleeing or Flying?
THE ALIYAH OF IRAQI JEWS
by Ruth Tenne
Having witnessed as a child the heady days of the creation of the State of Israel, I wholeheartedly concur with the insightful article of Hanan Ashrawi (7th September 2012) which argues forcefully against Zionist attempts to equate Palestinian refugees of the 1948 Naqba with Jewish immigrants who arrived in Israel as result of the Jewish Agency's special mission of transporting Jewish communities from Arab countries to the newly-established Israeli state.
I believe that my submission, which was published on the website of Jews Sans Frontiers ( July 2008) in response to Lyn Julius's letter in the Guardian (25 June 2008), is providing further support to Hanan Ashrawi's truthful and incisive article:
Lyn Julius's account of the alleged ethnic cleansing of Jewish people by Arab countries (Comment is Free , Guardian 25 June ) seems to be a sheer prevarication. As an Israeli born and bred I remember vividly the well-planed operations which aimed to strengthen the size of the Jewish population in the fledgling Israeli state by flying en masse Jewish communities from Arab countries. Needless to say that in Israel those Arab-originated communities suffered from well-documented discrimination in terms of housing ,education, social mobility and access to the the media, the judiciary system and elitist echelons of the Israel society - indeed this form of discrimination continues to the present day (though in a much less overt way).
The Jewish Virtual Library has documented two of the most prominent 1951 operations which were instigated and organised by the Jewish Agency with the full cooperation of the involved Arab governments. Thus, perhaps the so-called "Jewish Nakba" was no more than a well-planned Aliyah operation of ascendance/immigration to Israel - as the documents below proudly acknowledge.
Operations Ezra & Nechemia: The Aliyah of Iraqi Jews
Some 130,000 Jews arrived in Israel in Operation Ezra and Nechemia. Flying the Iraqi Jews to Israel lasted several months, and started after the Iraqi Government passed a special bill permitting their emigration in 1951. The Iraqi Jews were mostly wealthy and the local authorities gave them special privileges. When the Jews learned about the special permit they had been given, thousands arrived in Baghdad and gathered in registration centers where they registered for immigration to Israel.
According to Iraqi law, the Jews had to sell their property and liquidate their businesses before they could leave. Many sold large properties for ridiculous sums in order to win the right to immigrate.
Waiting in Baghdad was a tense and difficult period. Some 50,000 Jews signed up in one month, and two months later there were 90,000 on the list. This mass movement stunned the Iraqi Government, which had not expected the number of immigrants to exceed 8,000, and feared that administrative institutions run by Jews might collapse. At the same time, the Zionist movement issued a manifesto calling on the Jews to sign up for immigration. It started with the following: "O, Zion, flee, daughter of Babylon," and concluded thus: "Jews! Israel is calling you — come out of Babylon!"
The first planes flew to Israel via Cyprus in mid-May 1951. Several months later, a giant airlift operated directly from Baghdad to Lod airport. Operation Ezra and Nechemia ended at the beginning of 1952, leaving only about 6,000 Jews in Iraq. Most of the 2,500-year-old Jewish community immigrated to Israel.
Operation "Magic Carpet"
In May 1949, when the Imam of Yemen agreed to let 45,000 of the 46,000 Jews in his country leave, Israeli transport planes flew them "home" in Operation Magic Carpet. The Yemenite Jews, mostly children, were brought to Israel on some 380 flights. This was one of the most wonderful and complex immigration operations the state has ever known. British and American planes airlifted the Jews from Aden, the capital of Yemen, when they reached the city from all over Yemen after extremely dangerous and risky journeys. The operation was secret and was released to the media only several months after its completion.
The year 1949 saw massive waves of immigration to Israel. Some 250,000 Jews who arrived that year alone were placed in military barracks and tent camps, and were later moved to ma'abarot [transit camps]. The state nearly collapsed under the burden. Calculations made that year showed that the state needed some $3,000 for the absorption of each immigrant, which meant that the state required about $700,000 for the whole campaign; the entire state budget was less than that. Yet, despite everything, the young state was more than willing to do all that was necessary to absorb the immigrants, believing that this was the reason for its establishment in the first place.
*Ruth Tenne is an Israeli peace activist living in London. She is a member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Labels: Arab Jews, hasbara, Iraqi Jews, Ruth Tenne, Zionism
Iran threatens self-defence, shock!
Here's The Independent today:
Tehran said it will respond with "full force" to any attack on its nuclear facilities after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged global action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Mr Netanyahu warned that the world has less than a year to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, a prediction that will raise fears of a military confrontation.
Iran "is strong enough to defend itself and reserves its full right to retaliate with full force against any attack," said Eshagh al-Habib, Iran's deputy UN ambassador. He insisted the country's nuclear programme was peaceful.
I was impressed by the first comment below the line from an Ian Watson:
Lets look at the evidence shall we...?
Israel has ignored 150+ UN resolutions, Iran has ignored 4.
Israel has attacked openly every one of its neighbours in its short history. Iran has not attacked any neighbour and only defended itself when the US and UK cajoled Iraq to attack them leaving a million dead.
Israel has refused pointedly to sign the NNPT, has refused to allow the IAEA into its Dimona area whilst Iran has allowed the IAEA to monitor its stockpile, facilities and research programmes.
The IAEA has stated recently that Iran's 20% enriched uranium has reduced on a par with produced medical isotopes, not one ounce of Uranium has gone unaccounted for.
The Intelligence communities of the US STILL agree that Iran finally closed down its last research programme into nuclear weapon design and had in fact stopped all proper research some years earlier.
Netahanyu has "predicted" every year since 1992 that Iran would have a nuclear weapon "very soon".
Iran has fairly withdrawn some facility inspections until the IAEA give it guarantees that its inspection will not be used for military intelligence purposes for Israel and the US, this is a fair option seeing as we would not allow the Chinese or Russians to wander round Aldermastion or Fort Lauderdale would we?
Well over a year ago a friend of mine pointed out to me that when Israel threatens Iran the oil price goes up but when Iran responds to the threat the oil price stands still. It could be that the threat and the response are too close together in time to tell but it does look like the serious money is on an Israeli attack on Iran rather than the other way round.
Labels: hasbara, Iran, nuclear weapons
Dodgy definition repatriated to USA
I always thought that the Americans who concocted the bogus EUMC working definition of antisemitism wouldn't dare try to hinder free speech in their own country but it appears I was wrong. Ben White has an article on Electronic Intifada setting out how zionists in the USA are trying to use the dodgy definition to stamp out Palestine solidarity activism on campus States' side.
Top administrators at the University of California are considering what action to take against speech and activities alleged to be anti-Semitic. As part of their discussions, the university may endorse a seven-year-old document, which — despite not having an official status — is often called the European Union's "working definition" of anti-Semitism.
Zionists in the UK have had mixed results trying to impose the dodgy definition here. The Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) rejected it out of hand and when Ben White participated in a Question Time style debate at Birmingham University the event descended into farce when a questioner in the audience was forbidden from even asking a question that included the word "apartheid" when applied to the State of Israel. The discussion took place after BU had adopted the dodgy definition and it didn't help the zionists on that particular occasion.
Anyway, we have a few pieces on the bogus definition here at JSF which, if I say so myself, are worth a look at. A particularly apposite piece was by Gabriel Ash here. He sets how the dodgy definition probably won't be formally adopted but will insidiously be allowed or caused to pass into the language.
Labels: antisemitism, EUMC, hasbara, Israel lobby, working definition of antisemitism
Bibi Netanyahu: an apology
I really must apologise to Bibi. He is even more stupid than I gave him credit for. His silly cartoon of an Iranian bomb was indeed stupid enough for ridicule without his own "red line" addition. But look at the pic. The bomb is a graph showing where Iran is at with its uranium enrichment, ie, 70%, where it needs to be to have bomb grade stuff, ie, 90% and therefore where the red line needs to be to stop Iran being a nuclear arms capable power. The problem, as the Daily Beast, points out, is that Bibi was left to his own artistic handiwork to draw the dreaded red line. And, look at the pic, he drew it above the weapons grade mark.
So apologies to Bibi. I had him down as a 70 to 90% dick. It turns out he's a complete and utter dick. Will no one in power in the west say that finally he has crossed the line?
Labels: Bibi
Barcelona FC persists with Gilad Shalit invite
Well this is very sad given Barcelona's own history but the president of Barcelona FC is persisting with an invitation to Gilad Shalit to be guest of honour at the game on 7th October against Real Madrid.
Here's an English translation of a petition from BDS Catalunya doing the rounds:
Dear Mr Rosell, President of Barcelona Football Club
We were both surprised and saddened to learn that the former Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is to be invited as a guest of honour of Barcelona Football Club to the clásicoagainst Real Madrid [1] on October 7 at Barcelona football stadium.
We understand that this is a gesture of good will by the Club towards a person who has suffered five long years of captivity in the Gaza Strip and who has made known his admiration for the Barcelona team. However, the former soldier Gilad Shalit is not just an Israeli citizen; he's also Sergeant Major of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), an army that since 1967 has illegally occupied the Palestinian territories of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza strip and the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights. The IDF plays a crucial part in the strategy of colonisation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing implemented by the Israeli regime in these Palestinian and Syrian territories over the last 45 years. In 2008-2009 during "Operation Cast Lead" more than 1,400 people were killed by this army in the Gaza Strip in just 22 days [2]. This action was widely condemned by the international community.
Since April, Gilad Shalit is no longer officially part of the Israeli army [3]. However, in the eyes of the Catalan people and the world as a whole he still symbolically represents the IDF.
We are also surprised to see your Club express so much friendship and sympathy towards the only Israeli soldier to be imprisoned in recent years as a result of this conflict while, at the same time, maintaining absolute silence about the 4,660 Palestinian prisoners now confined in Israeli prisons. These include 210 minors, 6 women, 20 members of the Palestinian parliament and 250 people under administrative detention (without charges or trial) [4]. One of the institutions that has denounced the predicament of the imprisoned Palestinian minors and demanded their immediate release is UNICEF [5], the United Nations agency that receives funding from the Club you preside and whose name appears on the players' shirts. Furthermore, inviting this former soldier to Barcelona stadium as an honoured guest constitutes an exaltation of militarism that is contrary to the values promoted by Barcelona Football Club and UNICEF all over the world.
Barcelona football club should know that among the Palestine prisoners there are also many sportsmen. The case of Mahmoud Sarsak is especially revealing of the way the Israeli regime mistreats the Palestinian people and in particular their sportsmen. Sarsak, who comes from the Gaza strip, is a football player who has played in the Palestinian national team. He was arrested by the Israeli army on July 22 2009 and spent 3 years of his life in prison under administrative detention, that is to say without charges or trial. Sarsak achieved freedom on 10 July 2012, after 3 months of hunger strike, which forced the Israeli authorities to recognise that he was being detained illegally. During his hunger strike, in which he came close to death, he received the support of Eric Cantona, Frédéric Kanouté, the President of the UEFA Michel Platini, the President of the FIFA Sepp Blatter [6] and FIFPro (a worldwide professional football players' association).
On July 9 2005, more than 170 organisations from Palestinian civil society followed the example of the anti-apartheid campaign in South Africa and called on the international community to impose boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) on the State of Israel until it complies with International Law and respects universal principles of Human Rights [7].
In response to this call from Palestinian civil society we urge you to withdraw the invitation to the former Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. As people who are concerned about peace, freedom and justice, many of whom are Barcelona supporters, we cannot accept that the representatives of the Club you preside share the presidential box with a person who symbolically represents a military institution that systematically violates international law and the most elementary human rights of an occupied people: the Palestinians.
BDS Catalunya
[1] http://www.libertaddigital.com/deportes/liga/2012-09-16/gilad-shalit-invitado-al-camp-nou-para-ver-el-barca-madrid-1276468679/?utm_source=5&utm_medium=masleido&utm_campaign=masleido
[2] http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/latest-israeli-response-gaza-investigations-totally-inadequate-20100202
[3] http://www.levitt.com/news/2012/04/21/gilad-shalit-released-from-army-becomes-a-civilian-again/
[4] http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=509
[5]http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/10/18/unicef_appeals_to_israel_to_release_minors
[6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63_2qyKyw9M&noredirect=1
[7] http://www.bdsmovement.net/call#.UGCec1aygmI
And here's an open letter from various "Palestinian footballers, athletes and sporting organizations and officials":
Dear President Sandro Rossell
We, Palestinian footballers, athletes and sporting organizations and officials, are dismayed to learn the great team of Barcelona will host Gilad Shalit to the Classico, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, on October 7th ,while more than 5000 Palestinian political prisoners remain rotting, many in isolation, many with no visits, many on hunger strike with no attention or care for them to be released.
The arbitrary arrest of thousands of Palestinians, including Gazan Palestinian National Team football star Mahmoud Kamel As-Sarsak, who was held without trial or indeed public explanation for the arrest, is a routine tool of Israeli occupation. Mahmoud was only released after a 95 day hunger strike. Many others are in Israeli prison on hunger strike as we write, some close to death. Mahmoud Sarsek lost 3 years of his football career and nearly died while protesting with the only means possible to him. He deserves to be hosted!
Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), has expressed "grave concern" towards Israeli practices and its restrictions on Palestinian players, especially those incarcerated in Israeli prisons, or banned from assembling for the national team. And Michele Platini said, "Israel must choose between allowing Palestinian sport to continue and prosper or be forced to face the consequences for their behaviour."
The Israeli illegal military occupation of Palestine and the five- year siege on Gaza has suffocated the aspirations of Palestinian sports men, women and youth for decades. So where are the consequences? Political support for Israel's practices by hosting one of the Israel Occupation Force soldiers from one of the world's greatest clubs?!
More Palestinians in Gaza support Barcelona than any other club, especially among children who make up the majority of the population. We, in Gaza, have all been through so much under a hermetic siege, regular bombardments, and frequent incursions. The use of overwhelming force in Operation Cast Lead in winter 2008-09 was responsible for levelling large swathes of Gaza including the Rafah National football Stadium, and killing football players Ayman Alkurd, Shadi Sbakhe and Wajeh Moshate, as well as over 1,400 other Gazans. National team goalkeeper, Omar Abu Rwayyis, was arrested by Israeli police in 2012 on "terrorism charges," a label used for people whose life was football, not politics. Many times the Palestinian team could not assemble, train or participate in tournaments because of Israeli illegal restrictions on player movement.
Our footballers are continually deprived entry or exit from what many main-stream Human Rights Organizations call the world's largest open-air prison. .You must be aware of the example last year when Israel refused to allow six members of the Palestinian national team to travel from Gaza to a match against Mauritania. Like everyone stranded in Gaza, Israeli spokesmen said the players were denied access for "security reasons", claiming they did not have the correct permit, reminiscent of the notorious racist "pass law" in Apartheid South Africa. This is a continuous systematic policy for all of us that has decimated our involvement in international sport. The uncertainties from refused permissions to leave and enter the Strip and the changing severity of the Israeli Siege and Occupation are a major impediment and as a result the West Asian Union Federation does not always schedule games involving our teams.
In 2007 the national team was prevented from travelling to play a World Cup Qualifier in Singapore and eliminated, and in May 2008 for the AFC Challenge Cup denying them qualification for the 2011 Asia Cup. The Olympic players from Gaza have been barred from entry to the West Bank and the youth teams have frequently been denied exit and re-entry.
During Israel's criminal attacks on Gaza in 2009 our national stadium was targeted and destroyed, as was the Palestinian Football Association building. A new stadium planned to be built in Gaza, Beit Lahiya, was ceased because of the continuing Israeli siege, which still bars concrete from entering the Gaza Strip along with other sports equipment. And theonly grass pitch in Gaza had previously been blown up by an Israeli missile forcing the national team to play matches in a virtually empty stadium in Qatar.
Just as the effective boycott of sports teams from the South African apartheid regime showed, sporting and political life cannot be separated. We ask you to not show solidarity with the army that oppresses, imprisons and kills Palestinian sportsmen and women in Palestine, and instead reach out to those Palestinian footballers with destroyed dreams and broken opportunities due entirely to the Israeli regime's apartheid policies against them.
In the words of Mahmoud Sarsek:
As a released prisoner, Palestinian national team footballer and big fan of FC Barcelona, I strongly condemn the club's decision to invite the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to one of their matches and I call on them to cancel this decision. There are almost 5000 political prisoners held captive in Israeli jails, suffering daily the horrifying Israeli prison practices that violate international humanitarian law and international agreements. Our prisoners, many of whom are footballers and other athletes, are facing some of the most brutal methods and practices of psychological and physical torture. Only former captives like myself know the full story of such oppression and humiliation which will haunt us for many years to come. I call on FC Barca to boycott participation with Israeli sports teams and call for boycott, divestment and sanctions of Israel until it allows Palestinians their fundamental rights, including the right to participate freely in sport and sports competitions. Do not invite the Israel Occupation Forces soldier Gilad Shalit when so many Palestinians rot in Israeli prisons for the crime of being Palestinians who wish to play football and other sports.
Hosting Gilad Shalit is like parading a SADF soldier during the 1980s at a European soccer match. Would you have done that, F.C Barcelona?
FC Barcelona Fans Association in Gaza
Alwehda (unity) Club-Rafah
Alasteqlal (independence) Club-Rafah
Jamaa'i Rafah Club
Alnuseirat Services Club
Deir Elbalah Services Club
Deir Elbalah Union Club
Alsalah Charity Club
Alwehda Club- Jabalia
Jabalia Youths Club
Beit Hanoun Civil Club
Beit Lahyia Club
Albureij Services Club
Alaqsa Club-Alnuseirat
Almaghazi Services Club
Alnuseirat Sefrvices Club
Alzawaida Youth Club
Jabalia Union Club
Ansaar Jabalia Club
Alkarama Club
Gaza Sporting Club
RafahYouths Club
ALtarabot Club- Deir Albalah
Albureij Civil Club
Alredwan Club
Hetteen Club
Alta3awn (Cooperation) Club
Alwefaq Club
Aljazeera Club
Alyarmouk Club
Alrayaan Club
Albureij Youths Club
Alrebaat Club
Alzawaida Union Club
Almaghazi Youths Club
Alqarara Club
Alataa' Althahabi Club
Alshaf3' Club
Alshareqa Club
Canada Club
Alqadessia Club
Tel Alsoultaan Club
Shatti Services Club
Islamic Assembly Club
Khan Younus Union Club
Rafah Youth Club
Sports College—Al-Aqsa University
Players and coaches:
Mahmoud Sarsak (Palestine Soccer National Team Player)
Ghassan Balaawi (Palestine Soccer National Team Ex-coach)
Khaled Quake (Under 20 Palestine soccer Team coach)
Naim Salameh ( Coach)
Naif Abdul Hadi (Coach)
Jamal El Houli (Coach)
Abdul Hai Abu Shammaleh (Coach and Commentator)
I hope and expect that there will be demonstrations against this open siding with racist war criminals.
Labels: Barcelona FC, BDS, BDS Catalunya, boycott Israel, Gilad Shalit
Bibi's bombshell blows up in his face
I thought this was a joke when I first saw it but apparently Netanyahu was serious when he unfurled what purported to be Iran's blueprint for the bomb. Seeing the pic on Times of Israel didn't help me believe it was serious but it is for real after all.
As ToI points out,
Even some supporters of Israel, such as American journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, bemoaned Netanyahu's use of the cartoon.
@JeffreyGoldberg
Jeffrey Goldberg
Okay, it's official: #Netanyahu has no idea what he's doing. He has just turned a serious issue into a joke.
+972 Mag has the responses of various Israeli artists. Here's my fave:
(Noa Angel)
Elsewhere, The Guardian contained just a hint of the ridicule directed at Bibi:
European officials were sceptical about Netanyahu's argument, comparing it to the infamous illustrated presentation about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction made in 2003 by the then US secretary of state, Colin Powell. "It was like Powell and WMD, but much lower quality graphics," one European diplomat said.
Searching "Netanyahu UN" in Google news, it appears that most of the main players in the US media have done Bibi the favour of ignoring him. Certainly the LA Times and Fox News have withheld the pic which makes Bibi look so ridiculous.
Labels: Bibi, hasbara, Iran, Netanyahu, UN, UNGA, United Nations
Avoid this!
Apologies for being so late with this.
Labels: tax avoidance
This year Barcelona...
Here's a bit of a coincidence. I think what has happened here is that Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. was invited to an event at Barcelona FC and an outcry led to the invite being cancelled. Here's Yael Kahn in the comments to the previous post:
There is already some good news from Barcelona -
FC Barcelona President replied that Barca is not inviting Gilad Shalit, though the media that had claimed he is has failed to report he is NOT invited.
If Barca would have hosted Shalit it is quite likely we would have witnessed even stronger BDS protests during the classic on October 7
http://www.setmanaridirecta.info/node/3260
So, this year Barcelona after all. I'm glad we didn't have to wait.
Labels: Barcelona FC, boycott, boycott Israel, Gilad Shalit
Next year Barcelona?
Or maybe Barcelona has already held similar protests against Israel to the one reported on the Alternative Information Centre site:
PHOTOS: Protest at Athletic Bilbao-Hapoel football match
SATURDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2012 15:39 ALTERNATIVE INFORMATION CENTER (AIC)
A strong demonstration for Palestinian rights was conducted during the football match between Athletic Bilbao (Basque country) and Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona (Israel), conducted on 20 September 2012. The demonstration is particularly impressive given reported attempts by Athletic Bilbao authorities to frighten supporters with the possibility of fines and a ban from UEFA. Two supporters' clubs of Athletic Bilbao were actively involved in organising the protest. .
The presence of pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the game could not be ignored (Photo: BDS Bizkaia)
Demonstrators gathered outside the stadium prior to the game (Photo: BDS Bizkaia)
Hapoel players prior to the match (Photo: BDS Bizkaia)
Protesters were strategically located throughout the stadium (Photo: BDS Bizkaia)
Who knows where these protests will pop up next?
Labels: Athletic Bilbao, boycott, boycott Israel, Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona
Mainstreaming the one state solution
Here's another call for the one state solution from, to my mind anyway, an unexpected source. Simon Hughes of the UK's Liberal Democrats has described himself before now as "unequivocally a lover of Israel". George Galloway picked up on it back in 2004 when he said it and so did I.
Well now he's calling for the one state solution on the grounds that Israel has made the two state solution impossible. Here he is in The Jewish Chronicle:
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes has said that the opportunity for a two state solution to the Israel-Palestine dispute is now "near to the end" and the international community should consider a "one state solution".
Speaking on the eve of his party conference, the veteran Lib Dem politician said he believed a single federated state in which Muslims, Jews and Christians had separate constitutional rights may now be the best option.
Mr Hughes's controversial words are a departure from Liberal Democrat and government policy.
The Lib Dem deputy leader said: "We are near to the end of the opportunity of being able to get a peaceful two-state solution because of the extent of the settlements." The separation of Gaza from the West Bank and the increasing encroachment of the settlements meant that an alternative to the two-state model must be explored: "We need to be honest and realistic about having a Plan B and a Plan C as well as a Plan A, as an international community."
It gets a bit weird when he suggests that Jews in the UK should try and persuade Israel of his "new" idea:
Mr Hughes said that the UK Jewish community should press the Israeli government to honour international law. "I call on Jewish friends who are moderate and internationalist and careful about these things to use all their influence to make sure that international law is honoured and particularly that forced removals of people don't go ahead where possible.
"On the minority rights issue, the human rights issue, the international law issue, the United Nations issue: these are things that just stack up against Israel as unnecessary steps that don't enhance its reputation. That's a government of Israel point, it's not an anti-Jewish point."
Not sure why he thinks Jews in the UK would be influential there but when I posted about him back in 2004 I titled the post, "I love ethnic cleansing and apartheid laws": Simon Hughes. Funny then that he specifically mentions the ethnic cleansing though not by name. He appears not to be ready to describe Israel's laws as "apartheid" laws just yet. I'm suggesting that this member of the UK Jewish community has influenced Simon Hughes. It's just curious that he has gone from being a supporter of the State of Israel to flirting with the idea of abolishing it altogether.
Labels: Lib Dems, one state solution, Simon Hughes, two state solution
Free speech in France?
France has banned all demonstrations against the Mohamed cartoons published in the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Here's Reuters:
By Brian Love
PARIS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - France confirmed on Friday it would allow no street protests against cartoons denigrating Islam's Prophet Mohammad that were published by a French magazine this week.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls said prefects throughout the country had orders to prohibit any protest over the issue and to crack down if the ban was challenged.
"There will be strictly no exceptions. Demonstrations will be banned and broken up," he told a news conference in the southern port city of Marseille.
This is a bizarre and hypocritical response given the free speech arguments used by defenders of Charlie Hebdo.
Labels: Charlie Hebdo, Mohamed cartoons
Islamophobia/antisemitism -- same strokes for similar blokes. Or hatemongers are not very creative
Very nicely made video from Colm Ó Broin of Insider Ireland:
original post with transcript
Golda Meir said what?
Deborah Maccoby posted the link to this Independent article by Sir Terence English some time ago but I've only just read it. It's am interesting take on the state of the so-called peace process setting out three scenarios for the future:
I am no politician but it seems that there are only three options with respect to a resolution of the present untenable state of affairs.
The option most commonly promoted is that of a two-state solution, in which a Palestinian state would be formed from Gaza and from what is left of the West Bank after withdrawal of the Israeli occupation. This, however, has been seriously compromised as a result of the remorseless increase in Israeli settlements since 1967. As a result of this there are now approximately 500,000 settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, most of whom would strenuously resist being resettled within Israel's internationally recognised borders. Another serious problem with the two-state solution is the future of Jerusalem. That the whole city should become the capital of Israel has been regarded as "non-negotiable" by the Israelis, whereas Palestinians see East Jerusalem as their capital of a future Palestinian State.
A second option and one favoured by many Zionists, is that Israel should eventually incorporate the whole land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River. This implies that Palestinians living in the West Bank would either have to be displaced to neighbouring Arab countries such as Jordan, or accept living in a Jewish state as second class citizens. The injustice of such an outcome hardly bears scrutiny and I cannot believe the international community would ever allow this to happen.
The third option and one that I think should be given more serious consideration than it is receiving is that of a single democratic, pluralistic, bi-national state. The concept of one state shared equally by the two peoples might seem unacceptable if not impossible to most Israelis and Palestinians living in the region. However, as the two-state solution becomes progressively more problematic and impractical there is a need to look critically at a bolder and potentially more lasting solution.
There then comes the inevitable South Africa comparison:
Growing up in South Africa I had difficulty in imagining how transformation to a post-apartheid democratic state could ever be achieved without bloodshed. However the country was then blessed with two great leaders in Mandela and de Klerk, who managed to persuade their respective constituencies that this was the only way forward. It is similar leadership that is now so desperately needed in Israel and Palestine.
Now look what comes next:
Leaders who, from the Israeli side, can recognise and put an end to the injustices of the present situation and reiterate sentiments once expressed by Golda Meir in a speech to the Knesset in May 1970 when she declared, "We did not come to dispossess the Arabs of the land but to work together with them in peace and prosperity, for the good of all".
She said that? Sheesh! I don't think the word hasbara was used to describe that kind of thing back then but who knows? It could have been. It should have been.
Labels: Golda Meir, hasbara, one state solution
Happy New Year from the Army of Darkness
More here, and (hebrew only) on the IDF's page.
Jewish "refugees" and hasbara
Apparently, now most witnesses are dead or elderly, Israel is using Jews from Arab countries in a new hasbara effort. Here's an article by Ben White from al Jazeera:
A propaganda initiative by the Israeli government is taking direct aim at the core issue of Palestinian refugees through a manipulation of the stories of Jews who left Arab countries in the years after 1948.
The main instigator of this 'Justice for Jewish refugees from Arab countries' campaign - the name of a recent conference in Jerusalem - is Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, whose previous efforts have included laughing in the face of international law over dinner jazz.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Ayalon "called for the recognition of the rights of Jewish refugees from Arab countries… to counter the 'Arab narrative' of the Israeli- Arab conflict". Ynet called it a "new hasbara campaign".
But while some Israeli officials clearly have high hopes for this approach, talking up Jewish refugees as a way of 'balancing out' or neutralising Palestinian claims is a strategy long criticised by many Zionists.
Back in April, former director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry Alon Liel criticised the new focus, saying that "to define [Jews from Arab countries] as refugees is exaggerated". Iraqi-Israeli former Knesset Speaker Shlomo Hillelhas stated: "I do not regard the departure of Jews from Arab lands as that of refugees. They came here because they wanted to, as Zionists."
Another former Knesset speaker, Yisrael Yeshayahu, expressed similar sentiments: "We are not refugees. [Some of us] came to this country before the state was born. We had messianic aspirations." Former-MK Ran Cohen, who emigrated from Iraq, once commented: "I came at the behest of Zionism, due to the pull that this land exerts, and due to the idea of redemption. Nobody is going to define me as a refugee."
As well as encouraging a narrative contested by many Israelis, the attempt to link the two population movements is also illogical. The expulsion of Palestinians and destruction of hundreds of villages in 1948 was a catastrophe (Nakba) for an entire society, while in the case of Jews from the Middle East, their arrival in Israel was in line with the state's Zionist raison d'être.
In the words of Israeli professor Yehouda Shenhav, "any reasonable person" must acknowledge the analogy to be "unfounded" :
Palestinian refugees did not want to leave Palestine...Those who left did not do so of their own volition. In contrast, Jews from Arab lands came to this country under the initiative of the State of Israel and Jewish organizations. Some came of their own free will; others arrived against their will. Some lived comfortably and securely in Arab lands; others suffered from fear and oppression.
There are other problems. Australian professor (and supporter of Israel) Dr Philip Mendes has written how "the Jewish exodus from Iraq and other Arab countries took place over many decades, before and after the Palestinian exodus" and "there is no evidence that the Israeli leadership anticipated a so-called population exchange when they made their arguably harsh decision to prevent the return of Palestinian refugees". In other words: "the two exoduses…should be considered separately".
Furthermore, one person's rights are not 'cancelled out' by another's: the rights of Jews to recognition of and compensation for lost properties across the Arab world are legitimate, and entirely separate from the Palestinian refugees' rights. Yet revealingly, ask Danny Ayalon and Israel advocacy groups if they support full rights for all refugees, Jewish and Palestinian, and you will get prevarication or silence.
In the hands of Israel's Foreign Ministry, this is yet another cynical propaganda ploy that seeks to counter growing awareness of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine with rhetoric of "the other Nakba". As the co-founder of Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa (JIMENA) put it in 2007:
Most of the people advocating campus hasbara, or to general audiences, bring good talking points, but neglect the fact that we have a good balancing narrative, namely that more Jews were made refugees than Palestinians.
In June 1948, with hundreds of Palestinian villages already 'cleansed', senior Jewish National Fund official Yosef Weitz met with Israel's first Prime Minister Ben-Gurion to discuss recommendations made by the so-called "Transfer Committee".
The five specific proposals were to destroy villages, prevent Palestinians cultivating their land, settle Jews in some of the empty communities, pass relevant legislation, and employ propaganda against a return. According to Weitz, Ben-Gurion "agreed to the whole line".
This, to borrow a phrase, colonial present, is what Danny Ayalon's pet project is trying to conceal, and it is particularly ironic coming from a man who unashamedly promotes the continuation of 'Judaisation' policies in Israel today. Perhaps he should stick to YouTube.
We've been here before.
Labels: Ben White, hasbara, Jewish refugees


text:
Q: Execute command multiple times with curly brackets arguments list When I needed to run a command multiple times with a different argument I used this approach (without understanding it fully):
touch {a,b,c}

Which is equivalent of:
touch a
touch b
touch c

I think the same could be accomplished with the following loop:
for file in {a,b,c}; do touch $file; done

However I've stumbled across a case where this does not work:
pear channel-discover {"pear.phpunit.de","pear.symfony-project.com"}

I have a few questions:

*

*What is the name of what is happening in the first example and what exactly is happening?

*Is it better to use this approach for simple things rather than for-in loops?

*Why the pear command is not working like that? Should the command script implement some techniques to handle such arguments or is it the shell responsible for that?

A: The problem is that contrary to your expectation, the brace expansion of
touch {a,b,c}

is equivalent to
touch a b c   # NOT 3 separate invocations.

(Use echo {a,b,c} to verify). It appears that pear channel-discover does not accept two args. You will probably see the same error with
pear channel-discover pear.phpunit.de pear.symfony-project.com

A: That's called Brace Expansion, which expands to a space-separated list of the given strings.
So touch {a,b,c} would be equivalent to
touch a b c

While touch {a,b,c}x would be equivalent to:
touch ax bx cx

You pear command would essentially be run as:
pear channel-discover pear.phpunit.de pear.symfony-project.com

which may not be what you expected. If you want the command to be run once for each string, use a for loop (which answers your 2nd question), or use a combination of brace expansion and xargs.

A: Well, you have two options:
for i in "pear.phpunit.de" "pear.symfony-project.com"
do
  pear channel-discover "$i"
done

Or a one-liner (but calling xargs instead of using bash internals):
echo "pear.phpunit.de" "pear.symfony-project.com" | xargs -n1 pear channel-discover

The former is certainly easier to read by the human, the time efficiency will be basically the same.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Great Single Story Corner lot home sitting on just shy of a half acre lot. Home is located in the most desirable area of the prestigious Norco Bluffs. This home features tile flooring throughout and carpet in 3 bedrooms, with an additional huge bonus/Playroom which can be converted to 4th bedroom. Family room features brick fireplace with open floor plan, perfect for entertaining. Seperate Laundry room located inside home. Backyard features Brick Wall all around along with covered patio, RV parking with side gate access, pool and spa ready for summer BBQ's. Must See.


text:
Second-Quarter 2020 Business Performance Preannouncement
In light of the withdrawal of its annual objectives, bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced preliminary quarterly information about its business activity ending June 30, 2020.
Organic growth of 15.7...
bioMérieux issues a €200 million Euro PP bond
Marcy l'Étoile (France) - June 29, 2020 – bioMérieux, a global leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, announces that it has successfully issued today a €200 million Euro PP new debt with a top-tier European institutional...
CE marking of bioMérieux serology tests for SARS-CoV-2 on VIDAS®
bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced the CE marking of VIDAS® anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology tests to detect...
Information concerning 2019 dividend and the bioMérieux General Shareholders' Meeting
The Board of Directors of bioMérieux met today and decided to hold the annual General Shareholders' Meeting behind closed doors at the bioMérieux registered office on June 30, 2020. During this meeting, it will recommend reducing the 2019 dividend in order to support initiatives in the...
bioMérieux serology tests for SARS-CoV-2 on VIDAS® undergo validation preceding imminent launch
bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced performance validation and the upcoming launch of VIDAS® anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology tests to detect antibodies in people who have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-...
BIOFIRE® Respiratory Panel 2.1 (RP2.1) with SARS-CoV-2 obtains FDA Emergency Use Authorization
bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced that BioFire Diagnostics, its subsidiary specialized in syndromic infectious disease testing, has received Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...
First-Quarter 2020 Business Review
bioMérieux fully mobilized against COVID-19 epidemic
Organic growth of more than 20% at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation over the first quarter:
bioMérieux's Annual General Meeting postponed
Due to the unprecedented circumstances linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of bioMérieux, which met today, has decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting initially scheduled on May 19, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Depending on circumstances when...
bioMérieux receives Emergency Use Authorization for BIOFIRE® COVID-19 test
bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced that its subsidiary, BioFire Defense, has received Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of its BIOFIRE...
First of 3 diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus available from bioMérieux
bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, is announcing the forthcoming launch of 3 different tests to address the COVID-19 epidemic and to meet the different needs of physicians and health authorities in the fight against this emerging infectious disease....


text:
Olympics roundup: CdM's Anae aims for gold
UCI Olympic alumni are featured in the Daily Pilot August 8, 2012
From the Daily Pilot:
The U.S, men's volleyball team that won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, falling to Italy, 28-26, 25-20, 25-20. Team USA, which finished 4-2 in the tournament, included former UC Irvine All-Americans David Smith and Brian Thornton and was coached by former Orange Coast College player Alan Knipe. UC Irvine alum Ryan Bailey scored his 10th goal of the 2012 London Olympics, but the U.S. men's water polo team fell to Croatia, 8-2, in a quarterfinal game Wednesday. With the loss, the Americans, who earned a silver medal in Beijing in 2008, will face Spain in a fifth-place semifinal Friday.
For the full story, please visit http://www.dailypilot.com/sports/tn-dpt-0809-spolyexits-20120808,0,40080....


Description: West Lake is located in Pine Township in Montcalm County, three miles East of Rainbow Lake (166 acres), adjacent to Tacoma Lake (22 acres) and Spring Lake (53 acres).
This Michigan lake consists 44 of acres of surface waters.
Small no public access lake,very shallow.


I currently own a cressi sub framed mask. I would like to by a new mask and use the cressi as a back up. What is the advantages to the frameless masks? Im looking into the Mares Liquidskin or Atomics subframe.
I have heard the Mares liquid skin is very comfortable and I have been considering it, but can't get away from the pano mask for some reason.
I understand that frameless masks have no frames, but what are the advantages or disadvantages of frameless masks?
I tried a frameless a few years ago and that's all I've worn since. Clearly I am a fan so I'll give you the pros, can't think of any cons.
Light weight means feeling better on the face, in some cases less leaks.
Low volume means easier to clear, better field of vision since the lens is closer to your eyes.
Flexible structure allows it to pack tighter, I can get my mask and my computer and compass in mask box. Or tuck in a thigh pocket as a backup. Lack of frame means there isn't a frame to get broken.
I don't know what it has to do with frameless but every one I've tried has sealed on my face better than any framed mask I've had before. I don't even worry about 3 day stubble anymore.
Price tag, that's another thing I love about my frameless masks. You can spend big bucks for big names but I got all mine for under $35 each and they work great.
I have an Atomic frameless and I love it. I think the biggest advantage that a sub frame has over the frameless is that you can get a different lens for each eye if you need to.
One disadvantage with frameless is I have had 2 scubapro frameless fail due to seperation of tyhe skirt from the side of the lens. I still only dive frameless due to good FOV, fit, and comfort but I won't pay MSRP for the high $$$$ models. And all the good things seem to also come with the low $$ knockoffs.
Maybe the lesson is to avoid paying bigger dollars for name brands and go with the cheaper knock-offs, which have served me well for over 100 dives with no problems.
What are some knock offs?
Scubamax offers a decent knockoff for around $30.
Yeah, Scubamax is one and H2O is another but being knockoffs kinda means there isn't a lot of name recognition. You won't tend to find them in your local dive shop. Just visit some online shops and search for frameless masks.
Dive Rite and Sherwood also slap their name on some cheap versions. Few name brands actually manufacture masks.
Thanks everyone..your info has been very helpful!
I would also strongly suggest trying on several different brands and different models. Several months back I was in the market for a new mask and I went over to ST and tried on just about every mask they had and in the end I wound up buying a totally different mask than what I went into the store wanting. I went in wanting one of the new Atomic masks but both models didnt fit me right and caused pressure on my forehead, which I could only imagine how it would have felt at depth. In the end, I chose the Mares Liquid Skin mask. No other mask fit "ME" as good as it did and the feel of that silicone is pretty sweet as well. I also wanted a black mask but the liquid dont come in black so I chose the nontransparent silver and I've been extremely pleased with mine.
Initially I had the Atomic clear frameless, but it was getting increasingly on my nerves due to small leaks. I don't have the luxury of trying things in the pool before I buy them, so I bought the Atomic. Later I found out that I would get water slowly entering the mask all the time. Frankly I had enough.
Bring on the LiquidSkin! A bit different since its got a silver skirt but so far no leaks! An added benefit is that I find it much easier to clear, compared to the Atomic. I was always finding that I had to clear the Atomic a few times to get rid of that last bit. More testing is required, but it looks like that the Atomic is going to be a backup from now on.
alot of the different companies actually buy there products from the same manufacturer... the only difference being what name is put on it in the end.
I loved my Atomic frameless - until the ocean stole it from me. I guess King Neptune wanted it.
I replaced it with an Atomic ARC (Anti-reflective coating sub-frame) and it also fits very well.
I use a hydroOptix mask for the vision correction and field of vision. If not I think I would go frameless.


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Tag Archives: Cartoon Art Museum
Chuck Jones Gallery to "Pop Up" in San Francisco for the Holidays!
The Chuck Jones Gallery announced today that they will open a holiday Pop Up gallery in San Francisco's famed Cartoon Art Museum on Friday, November 23 through Monday, December 31, 2018. Located at 781 Beach Street, just a few steps from the renowned Ghirardelli Square and directly across from San Francisco Bay, the Cartoon Art Museum houses one of the countries finest collections of all things cartoon. Hours will be 11 to 5 PM, closed Wednesdays. Michael Fiacco, director of special exhibitions for the Chuck Jones Gallery, will be on site during December. A grand opening is in the works for Saturday, December 1st.
"We're thrilled to be opening a Chuck Jones Gallery Pop-up at the Cartoon Art Museum this fall and winter in San Francisco. With its unique position in the community as a destination to view and study the best in the fine art of cartoons, animation, and the associated arts, it was a natural selection for us," said Scott Dicken, VP of Retail, the Chuck Jones Companies, "During our six weeks at the Cartoon Art Museum, our core collection will be on exhibit, but we also plan to feature original artwork from Disney Studios, plus original art from the Chuck Jones classic television special, "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Chuck Jones Gallery Pop Up at Anaheim GardenWalk, July and August 2018.
The Chuck Jones Gallery, with locations in Costa Mesa & San Diego, California, as well as Santa Fe, New Mexico is the destination for art collectors and visitors from around the world. Owned by Linda Jones Enterprises, the publisher and distributor of the art of the legendary animation creator and director, Chuck Jones, it is devoted to the art of American Pop Culture.
Founded in 1991 by four-time Academy Award-recipient and animation legend, Chuck Jones, and his daughter, Linda Jones Clough, in Corona del Mar, CA, the Chuck Jones Gallery quickly became the center for the work of not only Chuck Jones, but also all the major animation studios. Linda Jones Clough is credited with helping develop the market for animation art. In 1992 she created the "1 of 1" pairing an original production drawing with a hand-painted cel art edition of one.
Included in the on-going displays at the galleries are art from all major animation studios as well as original paintings and limited edition fine art from a variety of internationally known artists such as Tom Everhart, Fabio Napoleoni, Marcus Pierson, and Fran Lew. All the leading studios, including Disney, Peanuts, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and the art of Star Wars are regularly featured. For more information contact a Chuck Jones Gallery near you or visit ChuckJones.com.
This entry was posted in Chuck Jones Gallery, Events: Past, Present & Future, Notes on Collecting Art, Press Releases/Media Coverage, The Art of Chuck Jones and tagged animation, art of American, art of animation, Cartoon Art Museum, cartoons, Chuck Jones, Chuck Jones Gallery, exhibition, Pop Up gallery on October 22, 2018 by Robert Patrick.
Are You Going to the Grand Opening at the Cartoon Art Museum?
Original layout drawing by Chuck Jones for "The Bugs Bunny TV Show" circa 1961.
Tomorrow night, March 23rd from 6 to 9 PM PDT, the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and the Cartoon Art Museum present the grand opening of the exhibition, "Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination, 100 Years of an Animated Artist. 100 works of art from his early career through his last projects are presented in this retrospective of the genius of Chuck Jones. You'll meet some very hip people: Linda Jones Clough, daughter of Chuck Jones; Marian Jones, his widow; and Craig Kausen, his grandson. You'll also have the opportunity to visit with some old friends such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin Martian, Wile E. Coyote, and the Road Runner. Tickets, from $10.00 to $50.00, are available by clicking here or at the door. The Cartoon Art Museum is located at 655 Mission St. in the SoMA Arts District of San Francisco. Call 1-415-CAR-TOON for more details. Be there or be square!
This entry was posted in Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, Events: Past, Present & Future, The Art of Chuck Jones and tagged 100 years, Bugs Bunny, Cartoon Art Museum, centennial, Chuck Jones, Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, Craig Kausen, drawing on imagination, fundraiser, grand-opening, Looney Tunes, Warner Brothers on March 22, 2013 by Robert Patrick.
Chuck Jones Exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum–March 23rd–Sneak Peek!!
These are two of 100 works of art by Chuck Jones on display at "Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination, 100 Years of an Animated Artist" at the Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission St. in San Francisco. The Grand Opening Gala is scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd at 6 PM. Tickets can be purchased here:http://guestlistapp.com/events/151239. Your support helps fund the educational programs at both the Cartoon Art Museum and the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. The Jones family and everyone at the Cartoon Art Museum look forward to seeing you there!
P.S. Even if you can't make it to the event, buy a ticket anyway (from $10.00 to $200.00) and be loved by thousands of children and adults! What more could you ask for?
This entry was posted in Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, Events: Past, Present & Future and tagged artist, Cartoon Art Museum, cartoons, Chuck Jones, exhibition, fundraiser, gala, grand-opening, imagination, March 23 on March 13, 2013 by Robert Patrick.
Tickets Now on Sale for the Grand Opening of "Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination" Exhibition at the Cartoon Art Museum — San Francisco
Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination
Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 6pm to 9pm
The Cartoon Art Museum and Chuck Jones Center for Creativity will host a special reception for the exhibition, Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Special guests include Chuck Jones' widow, Marian Jones, his daughter,Linda Jones Clough and grandson, Craig Kausen, who is the Chairman of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, as well as other guests from the family and the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cartoon Art Museum and Chuck Jones Center for Creativity.
Tickets are $50 for the VIP portion, $10 for the reception and can be purchased through: http://guestli.st/151239
Additional level tickets offer discount memberships to the Cartoon Art Museum and charter membership to the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Please visit the ticket page for details.
From 6pm to 7pm, the VIP portion will include an exclusive Docent Tour of the exhibit by Linda Jones Clough and Craig Kausen. Exclusive items will be available for auction, including tribute pieces from artists at Pixar Animation Studios and an original Chuck Jones piece. Refreshments courtesy of Square Meals, Shmaltz Brewery and Garden Creamery.
From 7pm to 9pm regular ticket buyers can enjoy refreshments, mix and mingle with our special guests and participate in the auction. Exclusive items will be available for auction, including tribute pieces from artists at Pixar Animation Studios and an original Chuck Jones piece. The auction will close for live bidding at 8pm.
About the Exhibition: February 9 – May 5, 2013
The Cartoon Art Museum presents a centennial retrospective of the art of legendary animation director and creator Chuck Jones, on display from February 9 through May 5, 2013. The exhibition, comprising 100 works of art from the late 1930s through the late 1990s, is entitled Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination—100 Years of an Animated Artist. Artwork for the exhibit is provided by the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity in Costa Mesa, CA.
Chuck Jones, a graduate of the Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts in Valencia), drew $1.00 portraits on Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles before he began his career in animation as a cel washer at Ubbe Iwerks Studio in 1932. He directed his first cartoon, "The Night Watchman," for Leon Schlesinger Productions in 1938 and went to helm such classic Warner Brothers shorts as "What's Opera, Doc?" and "One Froggy Evening." Winner of three animation Oscars and an honorary Lifetime Achievement Oscar for "the creation of classic cartoons and cartoon characters," Jones is today considered synonymous with the "Golden Age" of studio animation and has inspired many of today's most significant film directors, artists, and animators.
"I have been a fan of the Cartoon Art Museum for many years and to finally have such an extensive exhibition presented here is like a dream come true. My grandfather loved San Francisco and its denizens. This exhibition, with many never-before-exhibited works, is a masterpiece to celebrate Chuck's Centennial Celebration," said Craig Kausen, Chairman of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and Chuck's grandson.
"We're thrilled with the opportunity to partner with the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, and to bring our patrons 100 pieces of classic and rarely seen artwork from one of the greatest and most influential cartoonists in American history," said Cartoon Art Museum curator Andrew Farago. "Chuck received the Cartoon Art Museum's Sparky Award for lifetime achievement in 1998, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to further celebrate his extraordinary career and talent."
About The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity
The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is a non-profit 501(c)3 charity located in Costa Mesa, California. Founded in 1999 by four-time Academy Award recipient and legendary animation creator, Chuck Jones, the Center's vision is to inspire the innate creative genius within each person that leads to a more joyous, passionate, and harmonious life and world.
The Center is dedicated to re-invigorating the creative spirit and they are doing it through art classes, exhibitions, lectures, and film festivals, all of which spring from the material in the Chuck Jones archive. Jones was a determined saver and his writings, art, and other ephemera from a nine-decade life along with his philosophy of guiding and nurturing instruction form the basis of their programs.
About the Cartoon Art Museum
Founded in 1984, the Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the western United States dedicated to cartoons and comics. The museum was started by a group of cartoonists and collectors who wanted to share their appreciation of this unique art form with the rest of the world. The museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms to benefit historians, cartoonists, journalists, artists, collectors and the general public.
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Cartoon Art Museum * 655 Mission Street – San Francisco, CA 94105 – 415-CAR-TOON - www.cartoonart.org <http://www.cartoonart.org>
Hours: Tues. Sun. 11:00 – 5:00, Closed Monday
General Admission: $7.00 – Student/Senior:$5.00 – Children 6-12:$3.00 – Members & Children under 6: Free
The Cartoon Art Museum is a tax-exempt, non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the collection, preservation,
study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms.
This entry was posted in Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, Events: Past, Present & Future, Press Releases/Media Coverage and tagged art exhibit, Cartoon Art Museum, Chuck Jones, drawing on imagination, fund-raiser, Get your tickets now!, San Francisco on February 26, 2013 by Robert Patrick.
Chuck Jones Retrospective Exhibition to Open at Cartoon Art Museum–San Francisco
100 Years of an Animated Artist
Cartoon Art Museum
Exhibition: February 9 – May 5, 2013
San Francisco: The Cartoon Art Museum has announced a centennial
retrospective of the art of legendary animation director and creator Chuck Jones, on display from February 9
through May 5, 2013. The exhibition, comprising 100 works of art from the
late 1930s through the late 1990s, is entitled Chuck Jones: Drawing on
Imagination—100 Years of an Animated Artist. Artwork for the exhibit is
provided by the Chuck
Jones Center for Creativity in
Original model sheet for the Chuck Jones-directed "Fast and Furry-ous" 1949. This cartoon marked the debut of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.
Chuck Jones, a graduate of the Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts in
Valencia), drew $1.00 portraits on Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles before
he began his career in animation as a cel washer at Ubbe Iwerks Studio in 1932.
He directed his first cartoon, "The Night Watchman," for Leon Schlesinger
Productions in 1938 and went to helm such classic Warner Brothers shorts as
"What's Opera, Doc?" and "One Froggy Evening." Winner
of three animation Oscars and an honorary Lifetime Achievement Oscar for
"the creation of classic cartoons and cartoon characters," Jones is
today considered synonymous with the "Golden Age" of studio animation
and has inspired many of today's most significant film directors,
artists, and animators.
"I have been a fan of the Cartoon Art Museum
for many years and to finally have such an extensive exhibition presented here
is like a dream come true. My grandfather loved San Francisco and its
denizens. This exhibition, with many never-before-exhibited works, is a
masterpiece to celebrate Chuck's Centennial Celebration," said Craig Kausen,
Chairman of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and Chuck's grandson.
"We're thrilled with the opportunity to partner with the Chuck Jones Center for
Creativity, and to bring our patrons 100 pieces of classic and rarely seen
artwork from one of the greatest and most influential cartoonists in American
history," said Cartoon Art Museum curator Andrew Farago. "Chuck received
the Cartoon Art Museum's Sparky Award for lifetime achievement in 1998, and I'm
grateful for the opportunity to further celebrate his extraordinary career and
talent."
The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is a non-profit 501(c)3 charity located in
Costa Mesa, California. Founded in 1999 by four-time Academy Award recipient
and legendary animation creator, Chuck Jones, the Center's vision is to inspire
the innate creative genius within each person that leads to a more joyous,
passionate, and harmonious life and world.
The Center is dedicated to re-invigorating the creative spirit and they are
doing it through art classes, exhibitions, lectures, and film festivals, all of
which spring from the material in the Chuck Jones archive. Jones was a
determined saver and his writings, art, and other ephemera from a nine-decade
life along with his philosophy of guiding and nurturing instruction form the
basis of their programs.
Founded in 1984, the Cartoon
Art Museum is
the only museum in the western United States dedicated to cartoons and comics.
The museum was started by a group of cartoonists and collectors who
wanted to share their appreciation of this unique art form with the rest of the
world. The museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, study and
exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms to benefit historians,
cartoonists, journalists, artists, collectors and the general public.
This entry was posted in Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, Events: Past, Present & Future, Press Releases/Media Coverage and tagged 100 years of Chuck Jones, Andrew Farago, Cartoon Art Museum, centennial celebration, Chuck Jones, Craig Kausen, retrospective art exhibit, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote on January 22, 2013 by Robert Patrick.


Last night, there was a cat meowing extremely loudly outside an apartment along Spadina. I, along with three others, stopped to figure out why. Having concluded that the cat had fallen/jumped off a story balcony based on a) an open door and b) another cat looking down from there, and c) the cat had a collar, we stopped to figure out how to proceed.


This is the fourth post in a series on My Kid & Religion.
What I miss most about my church attending days is the community. There was a group of people who I would see weekly (or more often) that cared about me. We could talk about faith, but we could also talk about other things too. Food, movies, travel, and a whole host of other things would be covered within the context of this community. I don't miss the preaching or alter calls. Let's be honest, once you've been in the church for a couple of decades you've heard pretty much everything there is to say. Granted the stories and commandments can be interpreted differently, but its all been said before. Be kind. Avoid evil. Do good.
Modern society has islands of community. There are a multitude of opportunities for singles and couples without kids to take part in things like dinner parties, book clubs, sports teams, concerts, nerd clubs and so on. A couple with a new baby in tow is a much different thing. It's not so easy to go out anymore and meet people. It's a hassle to go out with a kid and even more expensive to find a babysitter. Churches are setup to accept families because of Sunday School and youth groups. Its part of why I'm still drawn to attending one.
I miss being in part of a community, but I'm not about to let my son think that I'm okay with discrimination against people who are different from society says they should be. Especially if someone tries to say its okay because "God" or the Bible says so. I want my son to know about good and evil. I want him to do what he can to make the world a better place. I don't want to see him hurt. I know he will get hurt. That's life. It has joys and pain. I just don't want to be the one responsible for letting into his life something that could be so bad for him.
Religion is a paradox I'm not about to figure out. It will be many more years before I feel settled about it. The question is "How will my decisions now about it affect my son's view of it in the future?" I don't know but, no matter my course of action or inaction in this moment, I will eventually find out.
Hi I'm Doug. I've read all of your posts about religion. I agree with a multitude of which you have said. Matter of fact I have said most of it myself time and time again. I am an at home dad with two girls, 6years old and 10 months. I have never exposed my daughters to the realm of the "Church." Our family went to a wedding last spring, before my second daughter was born, and that was the first time my eldest daughter had stepped inside of a church. It was a profound experience for her as she commented only on how pretty the windows and pews looked. When the pastor gave his sermon she could care less. I am a cynic so I listened and laughed when the pastor contradicted his faith and the church in his blessing of the union. I don't think he even realized he did it. I was forced into the religion at adolescent ages and it was a learning experience, as far as "community" goes. I was friends with the pastor's step son and no matter what this kid did it was my fault and I was the culprit of this kids sins. Oh and I have never been to a church where children/babies were accepted for what they are. Noisemakers that don't sit still. Also I know that all religions say they are inclusive, but lets face it, religion is the most exclusive club that one can belong to. You have plenty of time to expose your boy or not expose your boy to the religious experience. In the end you should be there for guidance, love and a realistic approach to the whole experiment known as "Religion." If my girl chooses to look into religion my wife and I have a pact that I will support her but my wife will take her to church because unless your dead or getting married I have no business being there. My job will be to talk to my daughter about what was real and what was fictionalized or exaggerated in the said text of the Bible. First off it is our job to protect our children, second is to teach, and if I can teach both girls to be tolerant of intolerant things or situations then I have done my job as a parent and they will be on there way to becoming happy healthy adults. The world needs more thinkers, dreamers and doers and if we can get this next generation off to a running start that would be great.
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10 Stunning National Parks in Costa Rica
Morpho peleides, Costa Rica Rain Forest | © Armando Maynez/Flickr
Jenn Parker
Costa Rica is home to 5% of the world's biodiversity and is divided into 12 unique ecological zones, including deciduous forests, rainforests, cloud forests, dry forests, mangrove swamps, and coral reefs. There are 27 national parks in Costa Rica that contain thousands of species of trees and plants, fish, and insects along with hundreds of species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. A quarter of the country is made up of protected parks and reserves, a paradise of natural wonders.
Poas Volcano National Park (Central Highlands)
Poás Volcano National Park, Costa Rica | © travelmag.com/Flickr
Poas Volcano National Park is home to one of Costa Rica's largest and most active volcanoes. Thousands of visitors a year visit this breathtakingly beautiful park to witness the still smoking craters, explosive geysers, and rich flora and fauna. Located only 1½ hours from San Jose, a day trip to this area is quite simple and highly rewarding. Aside from the volcanic area, the park is also made up of cloud, rain and low mountain forests. On a clear day, you can actually see both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from some of the high look out points!
Provincia de Alajuela, Costa Rica
Braulio Carrillo National Park (Central Lowlands)
Braulio Carrillo National Park is composed of five different ecological zones, a vast trail system, 6,000 species of plants and trees, 500 bird species, and around 150 species of mammals. There are several peaks that are worth climbing for those looking for a bit of a challenge. Be sure not to miss the San Fernando waterfall, an awe-inspiring spectacle. There is also an aerial tram that can take four passengers at a time up through the forest to a height of 52 meters (170 feet), for a truly amazing viewpoint.
Braulio Carilla National Park/SINAC/Tico Times
Arenal Volcano National Park (Northern Lowlands)
Arenal Volcano National Park has it all! Visitors can hike to and around the country's most active volcano (there hasn't been a major eruption since the late '60s), zipline through lush primary forest, horseback ride to a magnificent waterfall and become enveloped by butterflies, surrounded by flowers and the calls of a wide variety of birds, including the toucan. Arenal Volcano National Park is also famous for its hot springs, where visitors can indulge in a relaxing soak after a long day adventuring.
Arenal Volcano/Barbora Nemcova/Flickr
Tapanti National Park (Central Valley)
Forest, Park
In the clouds and in the forest | © ryanacandee/Flickr | | © ryanacandee/Flickr
A short and easy drive from San Jose, Tapanti National Park is 48 square kilometers (18 sq/miles) of pristine cloud forest. The park offers visitors hiking trails, swimming holes, and scenic picnic areas. Over 400 species of birds call this park their home, along with 45 species of mammals including the elusive ocelot, the social white-faced capuchin monkey, and the endangered jaguarondi. Tapanti National Park is an excellent choice for a day trip, especially when staying near and around the San Jose area. The exquisite beauty of this dense cloud forest is sure to leave an indelible mark on each visitor's memory.
Orosi Valley , Orosi , Costa Rica
Family Friendly, Kid Friendly
Barra Honda National Park (Nicoya Peninsula)
While Barra Honda National Park is worth exploring above ground, it is most famous for its ginormous limestone caves. This is an excursion for the adventurous. Witness glittering stalagmites and stalactites, as well as a few rare species that are found nowhere else, including the blind salamander. The Hall of Pearls, the Hall of the Caverns, and the Hall of Mushroom will surely take your breath away. The immense size of the caves and ancient formations within the depths of the earth in this spot are worth the adrenaline-pumping plunge down.
Deep in the Caves/Andres Montero Conde/B2Crea
Rincon de la Vieja National Park (Guanacaste)
Rincon de la Vieja National Park offers visitors a wide range of activities, including hiking, bathing in mud baths, swimming in pools beneath waterfalls, and embracing the natural beauty of the lush forest, home to monkeys, sloths, and tapirs. This biologically and geologically diverse national park has something for everyone. For the most ambitious adventurer, there is a full day trip available to hike to the summit of Von Seebach. Camping is also permitted within this park for those wishing to spend some more time in the great outdoors.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park | © Miguel Vieira/Flickr
Manuel Antonio National Park (Nicoya Peninsula)
Although Costa Rica's smallest national park, Manuel Antonio National Park is regarded as one of the most bio diverse parks on the planet. The park includes four pristine white sand beaches, flora and fauna-rich tropical forests, and over 100,000 acres of crystal clear ocean, ideal for snorkeling and surfing. The endangered squirrel monkey has its home here, along with 108 other species of mammals and 184 species of birds. Visitors can choose to hike a variety of well-marked trails, go swimming, relax on the beach, or do it all. To avoid large crowds, it is best to visit the park between May and November.
Manuel Antonio National Park | © Playa Manuel Antonio/Flickr
Corcovado National Park (South Pacific)
Playa Blanca, Guanacaste, Costa Rica | © MJaan/Flickr
Corcovado National Park is Costa Rica's largest park. This giant stretch of protected tropical rainforest takes up 1/3rd of the Osa Peninsula and is home to an incredible diversity of plants and animals. There are three main entrances to the park, San Pedrillo, Los Patos, and La Leona. One of the best ways to have a truly authentic experience here is to hike from one entrance to another; this usually takes 2-3 days but trails are well-marked and camping is permitted. Visitors are guaranteed to have some very special wildlife encounters while spending time in this national treasure.
Los Patos Sirena Trail, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
Piedras Blancas National Park (South Pacific)
Red Eye Tree Frog, Costa Rica | © Andy Morffew/Flickr
Piedras Blancas National Park offers visitors a chance to witness immense waterfalls, lush tropical rainforest, pristine and beautiful beaches, untouched coral reefs, and a multitude of mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. This park is one of the top bird watching locations in Costa Rica, as it hosts large gatherings of migratory and residential bird species. Piedras Blancas is also home to all 5 species of cat in Costa Rica. Piedras Blancas is a captivating example of what this country has to offer.
Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
La Amistad International Park (South Central)
Declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 and one of the first international parks (this protected region is shared between Costa Rica and Panama), La Amistad International Park is a truly unique place. There are still areas of the park that are completely unexplored and it is advised that a professional guide is hired prior to venturing out here, many of the trails are unmarked. La Amistad International Park contains cloud forests, lowland rainforests, oak forests and lakes.
Rain Forest, Costa Rica | © Vytautas Šėrys/Flickr
Tortuguero National Park (Caribbean)
Park, Forest
Tortuguero National Park
Tortuguero National Park is one of the most prominent nesting zones for the green turtle. Four of the eight species of green turtles reside here and lay their eggs on over twenty miles of protected coastline. The park is also home to a vast array of other species of animals and due to the extremely high annual average rainfall (often pushing 600 centimeters/200 inches), the rainforest is thick with verdant vegetation. The best way to navigate this wild terrain is by boat, which are very affordable to hire, along with professional guides.
Limón Province, Costa Rica