Is there going to be a bar?
Yes. There is a cash bar. Wayzata Country Club can only accept cash or check.
Can I use my credit card for auction items I purchase?
Yes. We will accept credit cards at checkout. However, please note that using a credit card will result in an additional processing fee.
Tickets are $60 per person. Gather together a group of 10 and we will reserve a table for you for $450.00 so you can sit together.
I will not be able to attend the event. Can I still make a donation?


Have the kids color these first and then cut them out.
Just print on peel and stick paper.
Just print on peel and stick paper or use for magnets by printing on magnet paper. Try using them for cupcake toppers by cut them out and taping a toothpick to the back of the picture and sticking down in cupcake.
Just print and cut out. Take the template and fold over a snack filled ziplock bag and staple on left and right side bottom. Laminate before you do this if you want. These make fun give out bags or snacks for kids during Sunday school or Children's Church.


What's the characteristic of awamori?
Japan's oldest spirits, Awamori is said to have a history of 600 years.
It uses Thai rice (Indica rice) to make koji (mold), ferment it by adding water and yeast and then distilled by using pot stills.
It is said that this manufacturing method hasn't changed much from 600 years ago.
Awamori's special characteristic is using black koji.
Black koji mold produces a large amount of citric acid in the process of making alcohol, which has a great feature of suppressing decay caused by germs. It must have taken a long time for predecessors to master and realize black koji mold is the most suited for making alcohol in warm and humid Okinawa.
The raw ingredient of Thai rice is made into rice koji by using black koji, and then add water and yeast to make moromi (solid mass of swollen rice grains), then it is fermented for about 2 weeks. This is a simple production recipe called "whole koji preparation" (in Japanese Zen-koji shikomi) which a distinctive process in awamori making.
The distillation machine is determined to use "pot stills". This is because the pot still allows the ingredients in moromi to blend well with the steam, and the flavor of the raw ingredients is reflected on to the spirit without losing its flavor.
The greatest feature of kusu is that the ingredients are aged by long-term preservation. As the year adds on, it improves its flavor and mellowness.
Awamori that preserved for more than 3 years is called "Kusu". It is possible to preserve 100 years or 200 years but it is very rare to see alcohols like this in the world.
Most of kusu over a hundred years old were lost in the World War II but awamori made after the war, which are 20 to 30 years old are also rich in flavor and sweet scented that are highly valued.


text:
Peace Process 2
The Last Briefing by Ian Martin
January 17, 2009 UWB	26 Comments
Ian Martin, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Nepal speaks at the Meeting of the Security Council on 16 January 2009
The request of Nepal for United Nations assistance in support of its peace process
Mr President,
This is the tenth and last time I am briefing the Council on the assistance of the United Nations in support of Nepal's peace process, and in particular the work of UNMIN. Although neither the peace process nor the Government's desire for the support of UNMIN has come to a conclusion, it is an appropriate moment not only to consider developments since the last briefing in November, but also to reflect on the achievements and remaining challenges in sustaining peace in Nepal.
First, let me report on developments, positive and negative, since the report of the Secretary-General was written. Most importantly for the mandate of UNMIN, political agreement has finally been reached regarding the composition and terms of reference of the special committee to supervise, integrate and rehabilitate Maoist army personnel, and its first meeting was held today. Each of four major parties, including the Nepali Congress which remains outside the Government coalition, has two representatives, and the Prime Minister is presiding personally. This will be especially welcome to the Council, as the effective functioning of the special committee is of critical importance not only to the completion of UNMIN's mandate, but to the overall success of the peace process.
There has been progress, too, regarding the work of the Constituent Assembly and cooperation among the political parties towards the drafting of a new constitution. Chairpersons of the committees of the Assembly have been chosen, on the basis of agreement among the larger political parties, although not to the satisfaction of all smaller parties. The former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the UML, Mr Madhav Kumar Nepal, agreed to the proposal of the Maoist leadership that he should accept nomination to the Assembly and chair its Constitutional Committee, which has the central responsibility for reaching agreement on the overall draft constitution, and the challenge of enabling its completion by May 2010.
There have been discussions among the major parties, including between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – now renamed the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) following its merger with a smaller communist party – and the Nepali Congress, about establishing a greater degree of cooperation in completing the peace process and drafting the constitution. The Nepali Congress ended its boycott of the Legislature-Parliament after the Prime Minister reported to Parliament that fresh instructions had been given to implement his undertakings in response to its demands, including the return of property and ending the paramilitary activities of the Young Communist League, which will be monitored by a parliamentary committee.
The Government's efforts to bring an end to the violence by armed groups operating in the Tarai through negotiations have now resulted in initial agreements, setting forth conditions for talks, being signed with four such groups, while other informal contacts have taken place and continue.
However, there have been fresh clashes between the Maoist Young Communist League and the UML's Youth Force, in one case leading to the amputation of the leg of a Youth Force member. Maoist trade unionists have used violence or threats of violence against media critical of Maoist conduct. The horrific murder last Sunday of a woman journalist in the Tarai, by a gang of perpetrators so far unidentified, has further exemplified the weak rule of law and the threats faced by journalists, especially outside Kathmandu, from various sources. Public discontent is mounting with the inability to maintain electricity supply, now reduced to eight hours a day for many consumers, although the major responsibility rests with previous governments throughout decades of under-investment and neglect. This power shortage is now combining with trade union action to seriously threaten the operation of factories, and thus employment opportunities.
A recent controversy of particular concern to UNMIN and the peace process relates to recruitment by the Nepal Army and its recognition of the authority of the elected government, and has a potential seriousness which requires me to explain its background. The code of conduct agreed at the outset of the ceasefire in 2006 committed both parties "not to recruit new people." When the Agreement on Monitoring the Management of Arms and Armies was being negotiated in November 2006, with the United Nations acting as secretariat to the negotiation, the Nepal Army argued that it should nonetheless be permitted to continue to fill vacancies. This was initially supported by the Government side, but it was resisted by the Maoist side and was not agreed. The stipulation of the Agreement that "recruiting additional armed forces" is prohibited unless mutually agreed by the parties should thus be understood to apply to any recruitment, including the filling of vacancies. The Maoist army was the first to breach the Agreement by bringing thousands of new recruits, many of them minors, into their cantonments: they eventually either left the cantonments or were disqualified by UNMIN's verification, although as the report of the Secretary-General emphasizes yet again, the discharge of those disqualified who remain in the cantonments is long overdue.
Meanwhile, in mid-2007 the Maoist side complained to the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC) that the Nepal Army was undertaking recruitment. The Nepal Army then confirmed that they were recruiting to fill vacancies; regrettably, they had not informed the JMCC of this at the outset. The JMCC, which operates by consensus, could not resolve the issue, and referred it to me. I wrote to the then Prime Minister, who was also Minister of Defence, setting out UNMIN's view that this recruitment was a breach of the Agreement, and met with the Chief of Army Staff to communicate this to him. Eventually the Secretary of Defence responded, maintaining that recruitment to fill vacancies, up to the standing strength of 95,753 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed, was not a breach of any agreement.
In November 2008 the Nepal Army again placed advertisements for further recruitment. The Army states that they had written to the Ministry of Defence to notify that they intended to recruit to fill vacancies, and went ahead after having received no reply. Again, UNMIN and the Maoist army were not informed through the JMCC, or otherwise. At a time when no progress was being made regarding the future of Maoist army personnel, this was the subject of strong exception within the cantonments. The Deputy Commander of the Maoist army stated publicly that the Maoist army would itself recruit to fill vacancies. I stated UNMIN's consistent position that any new recruitment by either army is a breach of the Agreement. Following a Cabinet discussion, the Ministry of Defence wrote to instruct the Nepal Army to suspend its recruitment; the Nepal Army is reported to have replied that the process was almost complete and suspension would be inappropriate. The Minister of Defence, one of the CPN (M) members of the Government, criticized a public statement by the Chief of Army Staff and threatened action against him. Other political actors publicly supported recruitment by the Nepal Army to fill vacancies. The Minister of Defence and the Chief of Army Staff have since met to discuss the issue, but it is not clear that it is resolved. I have expressed concern to the Chief of Army Staff that the Nepal Army has not acted in this matter with good faith towards the United Nations, as the mandated monitor of the Agreement.
This controversy, at a time when what is needed is cooperation among the political actors and between the armies to resolve issues through the special committee, is symptomatic, and I fear may be indicative of difficulties ahead. Before I address further those difficulties, I want to reiterate recognition of the great achievements of Nepal's peace process to which the Secretary-General and I have paid tribute on numerous occasions, as indeed has the Council. When I went to Nepal more than three and a half years ago, in May 2005, to open the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the armed conflict was heading into its tenth year, with grave violations of international humanitarian law being committed by the Maoists and by the security forces, and the Government headed by the then king was curtailing democratic rights. It is the Nepalese political and civil society leaders who brought the armed conflict to an end, negotiated the holding of an election which has produced an inclusive Constituent Assembly, and peacefully introduced a republic.
Nepal's peace process was founded on mutual commitments by the Maoist and non-Maoist political parties, enshrined first in the 12-Point Understanding of November 2005 and eventually in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of November 2006 and the Interim Constitution. The CPN(M) committed itself to democratic norms and values, including the competitive multi-party system of government, fundamental human rights, civil liberties, press freedom and rule of law. The parties elected to the 1999 Parliament committed themselves to the election of a constituent assembly, the restructuring of the state and progressive socio-economic change. Regarding the armies which had fought the ten-year armed conflict, without either being defeated, Maoist combatants were to be "integrated and rehabilitated", while the Nepal Army was to be "democratized", through an action plan which would determine its appropriate size, develop its national and inclusive character, and impart training in accordance with the norms and values of democracy and human rights. All parties agreed to act on the basis of political consensus until a new constitution had been framed by the Constituent Assembly.
Mr. President,
For all the important achievements of the peace process, I fear that there is now a danger that these fundamentals are being challenged and eroded. Actions of Maoist cadres which involve violence or threats of violence and do not respect pluralism or the rule of law, the failure of the party leadership to take firm action against those who commit such acts, and internal ideological debates which do not convey a clear long-term adherence to multi-party democracy – all these lead some to question the sincerity of the strategic choice the CPN(M) committed itself to in the 12-Point Understanding, or the ability of its leadership to ensure that the party as a whole respects it. It is crucial, now that the CPN(M) leads the Government, that it acts consistently in a manner which allays these doubts. And the party which leads the Government has a particular responsibility to strive for the political consensus required for completion of the peace process and the drafting of the new constitution.
But this responsibility rests too on other parties, which fought the election on a promise of continuing cooperation in government, within the framework of an Interim Constitution which promised socio-economic change and inclusion. The distribution of votes in the Constituent Assembly election, of approximately 30 per cent to the CPN(M), and a little over 20 per cent each to the Nepali Congress and the UML, can best be interpreted as a mandate for change, but with an expectation that parties would cooperate, as promised, on the basis of their respective support. The emergence of Madhesi parties in the Tarai was a strong reminder that the commitment to inclusion of all groups in all aspects of the state must be carried out if continuing disaffection is not to lead to further violence and ethnic division – perhaps the greatest threat that could lie ahead for Nepal.
Most immediately, however, I believe that the spirit of the original agreements regarding the armies must also be maintained if a critical post-conflict challenge is to be successfully overcome and a stable peace is to be achieved and sustained. As the Secretary-General says in his report, the peace agreements did not fully negotiate the future of the armies, but confined itself to defining processes – the special committee to supervise, integrate and rehabilitate Maoist army personnel, and the action plan for democratization of the Nepal Army. But there was an informal understanding among the negotiators that "integration" meant the incorporation of a significant number, but by no means all, of the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army. And the action plan for democratization of the Nepal Army was a significant parallel aspect of the agreements, including a commitment to inclusion, the importance of which has been reinforced by later undertakings in agreements with Madhesi parties. Only if both armies are respected by negotiators on all sides, and if both armies recognize their need for change and their subordination to democratic multi-party governance, is the special committee likely to reach an outcome which will stabilize the peace.
One need for change to which no political party and neither army is yet truly committed is the need for an end to impunity. I say this with particular regret, as I went to Nepal as Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, yet in more than three and a half years since then, not a single perpetrator of a major human rights violation, whether committed during the armed conflict or since its end, has been properly brought to justice. In May 2006, I was responsible for the publication by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal of a report of investigation into arbitrary detention, torture and disappearances at the Maharajgunj barracks in Kathmandu of the then Royal Nepalese Army in 2003-2004. No action has resulted. Paragraph 39 of the Secretary-General's report refers to the recent release by OHCHR of its investigations into disappearances in Bardiya district in 2001-2003, citing 156 cases of disappearances linked to State authorities, mostly after detention by the then Royal Nepalese Army, and 14 similar cases attributed to the CPN(M). The report documents the systematic use of torture in the Royal Nepalese Army's Chisapani barracks, and I urge members of the Council to read its chilling details.
The promise to investigate disappearances was first made by the parties in May 2006; it has been reiterated time and time again in later agreements, but only now is legislation to establish a commission to investigate disappearances about to be considered by the Legislature-Parliament. It remains to be seen whether appointments made to this commission will indicate a serious intent to uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice, in the face of the denial and obstruction which has so far characterized the response of the Nepal Army, in particular. Efforts are being made to provide compensation to victims of the conflict, but victims who suffered at the hands of the Maoists, as well as victims of the security forces, are still in distress. The wounds of Nepal's conflict will not be healed by denial or by compensation alone, and require the effective implementation of the promises made to pursue truth and justice.
Meanwhile impunity continues to prevail for violations committed since the end of the conflict. The CPN(M) and other political parties are quick to protect their supporters from justice, rather than to support the impartial application of the rule of law. Even in cases where the perpetrators are known, such as the killings of members of the YCL in Dang district two days before the Constituent Assembly election and the killing of a businessman in a Maoist cantonment site, highlighted in paragraph 44 of the report of the Secretary-General, they are not brought to justice.
The great strength of Nepal's peace process has been the capacity of the Nepalese actors to pursue dialogue to bridge their differences. Such dialogue brought about the 12-Point Understanding which led to the People's Movement and the end of the armed conflict; it produced the peace agreements and the Interim Constitution, and paved the way for the Constituent Assembly election; it maintained the framework of the Seven-Party Alliance and eventually overcame substantial disagreements and delays. Very recently, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" has spoken publicly of the need for a new 12-Point Understanding. That is a matter for the political parties to consider, but in my own view there is indeed a need to re-establish the basis for cooperation among political parties, some of which have emerged since the original Seven-Party Alliance was formed, towards successful completion of the peace process and drafting of the constitution. Competitive politics must not be allowed to derail these over-riding national priorities.
The weakness of the peace process, however, has been the failure to implement commitments made. In my opinion, the need now is therefore not only for a renewed basis of understanding and cooperation, but also for a continuous mechanism for ensuring such implementation. Past agreements have provided for a High-Level Joint Monitoring Committee to monitor whether all understandings and agreements are being implemented, a High-Level Peace Commission, and a High-Level Monitoring Committee to monitor implementation of the agreement between the then Interim Government and the United Democratic Madhesi Front. None of these have ever been formed: the JMCC convened by UNMIN remains the only implementation mechanism which has met regularly, to fulfill its limited mandate relating to the management of arms and armed personnel. My strong parting advice to the parties, whether they enter into a new understanding or recommit themselves to those they are already bound by, is that they now establish such a comprehensive implementation mechanism.
If I have one particular regret, it is that the parties did not take up our offer in late 2007 that the United Nations could assist by supporting the implementation of peace process commitments more generally than in the case of arms monitoring alone. It could, for example, have assisted the impartial monitoring and implementation of the return of property, which has been a constant impediment to political cooperation. This would in no way have detracted from the fact that the peace process has always been a Nepalese process or infringed upon national sovereignty. The parties have not made full use of what the United Nations has to offer, notwithstanding their recognition that UNMIN's presence has had a value well beyond its specific electoral and arms monitoring functions.
I shall leave Nepal with some anxieties, but few regrets. It has been a privilege to be responsible for the role of the United Nations in supporting two of the basic demands of the people of Nepal: respect for human rights, and lasting peace. The two most remarkable moments have been those when the people of Nepal took their future in their own hands: in the nineteen days of the People's Movement of April 2006, and in the Constituent Assembly election of April 2008. Their demand for peace, for change, for inclusion, was and is unmistakable. I hope that their political leaders will not let them down. I hope too that the international community understands that long-term stability is far from having been achieved in Nepal, and despite the many demands upon it, will remain concerned for 27 million of the poorest people in Asia, who deserve a better future.
maoistsnepali armynepali maoistsnepali peace processPeace Process
Previous PostBurning Effigies [in the Name of Lord Shiva]Next PostHail the Republic: How Indians Wrote the Constitution
26 thoughts on "The Last Briefing by Ian Martin"
sfrdr says:
The Maoists party at one time back in early '90s ran in general elections and was even able to win few minor seats in parliament. Then they went to jungle with hopes of overthrowing the publicly elected government with armed revolt. Now, they have successfully done that and established themselves as rulers of Nepal. They do not show any sign of reform or rebuilding of the country. Their attack continues on the society, and rampant killing goes on. Nepal has now been pushed to pre-industrial age with full-day power shut-downs. Maoists are solely responsible for this as they themselves destroyed many of the power plants during their insurgency. With no plan for next election due to unclear constitutional situation, majority of Nepalis fear that the Maoists will linger on with their violent ways in the name of constitution making.
xyz says:
Hey sfrdr bro, how about relating bird flue with Maoist Party coming into power?
condolences says:
eroded peace progress.
Yes the fact that the king of jungle is working in the jungle makes it not so easy to work.
endimpunity says:
there is a logic in all democratic societies and there can only be one reason why impunity is not ended it is too early, 2. there are guilty rulers 3 India did it alone.
For society to be healed and peace process to continue the next step will be done in the next non maoist government?
Human rights violations do not bear party stickers. There are no politically correct torturers or killers. not on the moon not on earth.
Bitter Truth says:
If as least one murderer is hanged that will
send some message to the criminals.
Murderer of 1.) UMA SINGH ,
2.) two Youths of Bhaktapur
3.) Ram Hari
all are moving freely.
They are not punished because if
they are punished then the turn of
so many criminals will come. Guess
vlgr says:
Ian Martin is clearly very biased in his speech. Did he not see the killings and attacks still going on by cadres of the ruling party itself?
I think we have a movement like in Argentina. Movement for democracy. But one likes to blame military and they have guilt too and one likes to blame the police and they also have a reputation.
Pacification is a better word and make like the Neurenberg trials? Bring them to The Hague Court? I have not heard a practical beginnin. In Argentina I was familiar with author of process Ernesto Sabato old writer painter directed a truth commission and it was horrendous. They ( military) raped threw from planes lovely young people. And how they raped and this that is like the nazis did. So most people had too much nervous breakdown from the horrors but Sabato coninued and he did also for Chile. The book is called NUNCA MAS never again. report on process. Himself lifelong in his village he needed police protection and his wife Matilde died from the stress. He is still alive blind. To overcome his own suffering he painted like apocalyps. I have seen similar paintings in Kathmandu of gods in cages.
Say Cheese says:
Killers are moving freely as if nothing has ever happened? Doesn't Mr. Ian Martin know about these incidents?
What is representative of different parties good opinion on impunity?
maybe a non nepalese journo can ask this since they should remain alive and kickin
holy beings says:
It is never late to pray for the truth
Agreed with @ Bitter Truth.
It seems the other side of the story has been lost. Even the UN seems numb about these "unheard stories".
We will miss Ian Martin in Nepal. Whatever he did (some criticize it while others appreciate), he did it good for Nepal. I prey for the success of the peace process in Nepal and wish good luck for Martin for his next assignment in New York.
country says:
Countries are composed of different groups. Typically when abroad those who never had a voice like to use it.
Unfortunately there was a time when I was shut up in this blog because we were going to have actual government and remember all believed the mao ideology was going to serve their cause.
I used to be thinking those thoughts and had to readjust them because of the reality of those countries where those ideologies ruled.
UNMIN understands this.
Nonetheless it is a wisdom solution to have put the creators of the jungle on board.
I do not think Prachandra is the king of the jungle he is GOD he co created it? Now this too is not true. In the end media people ngos and the likes can do what they can do . The fact of making an illiterate nation vote its first ever democratic chosen govenment without an absolute Monarch with too much power made the outcome reasonable and the future projections similar. Why we suffer under the too slowness of the reparation of the damages is because there is too much damage. Acknowledge this collectively the germans were called a nation unable to mourn they themselves shot jews and so on.
There is a culture of blaming others which is not good for business, education. Surely you don't really think obma baburam or prachandra are gods?
we are all gods.
SAY CHEESE MR. IAN MARTIN.
change (human right, prosperous nepal) says:
is it true about indian movies claming regarding birth place of BUDDHA? ……………………………………………..
……………………………………………………….. why are indian medias so illiterate …………………………………………. demonstrators in nepal, dont be stupid………….. dont attack properties in nepal ……………………………. hand dissatisfaction to indian embassy ……………………………
ask support and inform to embassies of japan, korea etc their media. ……………………………… act like a pro. ……..
……………………………………. do the right thing …………………
………………….. tell the world how india has been treating nepal ……………………….. this is how we are suppose to play the game
Well said Change!!!!
I wish we had protested with this little wisdom in Hrithik Roshan case,
Ok when I visited Lumbini some 15 years back, and compared the
scenerio there with Buddha Gumba in KIRTIPUR, I couldn't
think how the birth place of Buddha can be like this. There was no
concrete road. The original building was destroyed, a bizzare looking.
The govt never did something to high light and develop the area.
Isn't it the failure of state to neglect Lumbini ?
yeah they sold the tree to Japan and not one mala for sale.
Since then it became a lot better. Many stupas and monasteries and sight seeing opportunities nonetheless hindus call the shots and maoists will put tikka for cuteness sake or what.
Now the world has a modern president and a team of workers with four million email adresses who believe in God and democracy. I think we move towards a better world of hope, yet markets crush more. We will all become more friendly poor people have to be nice. People will survive on neighbour services and an economy of helping each other without money like Che Guevara wanted for Cuba and Bolivia. Some parts of old dreams are good…
scoop says:
This martin is part of the problem. he also cosies up to the maos. Although mentioning faults of maos and army and party – I like the way he tries to give equal blame even after the peace deal when we know that maoists have committed 90% of the violations after the so called peace agreement. The army to say the least has been the best. It's a shame that martin brings up violation of agreement by army recruiting – what has he done about maoist recruitment enmasse kids as well – nada. He has no regrets – we have regrets as he has been a total failure. Send him to the dustbins of history please – the sooner the better.
further to martin's claim on the voting process – shamefeul – has'nt he read reports of blatant rigging, threats etc. why not report that to the un headquarters – shameful man.
Agreed with Scoop,
Where was this Martin when Ram Hari was killed in Cantonment.?
What about the UN registered arm seen in Parliament ?
What about PLA roaming out of the cantonment and intimidating
people?
He is shit and should be sent back
more jobs says:
YES WE KEEP PEACE MYSELF ALONE ALL LEAVE THE COUNTRY
not to mention the ammunition stored by maos near pepsico koteshwor area, during peace agreement in barrels – widely known but no effort by unmin to check and discover it.
ok in peace keeping you cannot take sides you you close one eye here and another there and then you go home.
bahun says:
There have been unforeseen factors of course a foreigner cannot foresee what nepalese will do.
nepalese are profoundly divided by language and cultures and economical history of class, tribe etc.
Then you expect a school teacher or an army to babysit what the country cannot.
Like Italy sent their garbage to the newly poor germany nepal sent his sons and daughters to dubai, maleisia. Yes and the atmosphere went more grim and do not expect miracles from former bandits who read half a library and are otherwise not magicians. Magician is also not Obama he is just young and has a good team. Does our Prachandra have a good team? Hardly comparable former superpower international context with or without economic crash or cute farmer country that had a royal drama, despotism, illiteracy, and institutionalized slavery yet no tradition of colonialism. The racism in Nepal is how to say classism .
Gender problematic in Nepal has not been looked at, asian women do well abroad because they are multi adaptable never had the right to their own soul. The men do not do so well abroad coming from spoiled conditions with no working culture at all.
There are no jobs the people like to be lazy and fight , rob. So yes I pity a few ngos and do gooders in the increasingly cynical environment. The good old days went forever seems and we are scared of the future.
Dhurba says:
good bye Martin
Traumatized nation says:
Recovering from a long war takes so much time. We are stuck with a culture of violence.
Now send in an army of buddhists and peace trainers dealing with agressivity….
To protect the peace progress.
Have they left too soon?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In most cases, people utilize SQL Server features and capabilities in a common and typical usage pattern. But there are some instances where environments do something just a little different, or fill the bucket to the absolute brim. With the advent of AlwaysOn Availability Groups, it is such a robust high availability and disaster recovery solution that as time goes on database professionals are going to think of really cool and interesting ways to stretch it wide, solving problems that we may not have originally thought of. What brought on the deep dive of this specific topic was that a customer was looking to see what potential CPU problems could arise with 40+ availability groups, and a multiple of that of availability group databases. One of the most devastating bottlenecks is when you start running into exhausted CPUs, but with proper planning and focused monitoring you can minimize that risk and ensure existing functionality.
Take an instance where you want to create and implement a large number of availability groups and/or availability databases. You might be far exceeding what others have published and tested with. When doing this, you will want to keep a close eye on what's called the HADR Worker Pool. This is basically the shared pool of workers across HADR databases. For more information on specifics of what these tasks would include, please see Bob Dorr's blog post on the topic. Regardless of what these workers are doing, the overconsumption of them could lead to less-than-optimal performance. As my peer, Denzil Riberio, previously wrote about in his blog post on actual worker threads exceeding max worker threads the contention may not surface itself in the form of a hard cap (although the max worker threads does contribute largely to the calculation of the worker limit, as explained below), but in other forms of CPU/resource contention.
When we run into resource contention, we instinctively do our basic troubleshooting on waits and queues, but the root of the problem may not be completely evident with traditional means. So in order to fill in the blanks, we can look at a handful of corner strategies for troubleshooting HADR worker thread contention.
SQL Server lends us a handful of ways to monitor and troubleshoot this, including XE events. The first one I want to look at is hadr_worker_pool_task. Bob mentions this in his blog post, and it's not necessarily the actual data and task information I'm concerned with normally (although this information is valuable and vital in dissecting specific problems and abnormal behavior). It's the count of worker pool tasks that I will utilize for a few reasons: baselining during normal operation, and troubleshooting during abnormal situations. All I pull is the count of these events (utilizing the event_counter XE target), and a comparison of current vs. baseline can provide whether or not HADR is simply doing more now than it typically does.
Now I have a nice chart of the HADR activity for this time period, and if/when something goes awry I can execute the same query for the current time span and compare the two charts.
Another piece of data that I like to keep an eye on is the hadr_thread_pool_worker_start event. This event fires when SQL Server starts up a new worker if there are no idle workers, or if the amount of required workers exceeds the active worker count (all the while staying within the bounds of the worker limit count). We can consume a couple of things from this event: (1) the recordable demand that HADR is putting on the system by requiring additional workers, and (2) we can watch for the event where we simply can't create another HADR worker, possibly due to hitting the worker limit (that limit is going to be the effective max worker threads [minus] 40, as explained by Bob Dorr). If SQL Server is unable to start a new HADR worker then it will conveniently tell you this in the event's output.
As an aside, where does worker_limit come from? It is effective max worker threads – 40. So on my single CPU VM, that'll be 512 – 40 = 472.
This above query will give you a count of all current waiting tasks' associated wait types.
This will be the cumulative stats from the last time the instance started (or this DMV was explicitly cleared), so you may need mold this query into a delta query from a start time to end time (or manually clear this DMV) instead of grabbing the wait stats in its entirety. For all intents and purposes, the above query will give what percentage of the summation of time spent waiting that the signal wait time is. This value should be frequently baselined and compared when troubleshooting possible CPU contention. This could bring to light a higher amount of time waiting on the CPU to pick the task back up, possibly indicating CPU pressure.
I have illustrated a few possible approaches to monitoring and troubleshooting possible HADR worker thread issues and tying it all back to generic CPU contention problems. With the right approach, you can maximize visibility on a commonly foggy aspect of HADR worker thread contention.
I'd been searching google since some time to find some information on this and thanks to this post I've got it! This will help me get my web site (www.figurinesanimaux.com) working better !
Looking to implement SQL Server 2012 Always On Availability Groups for a busy SharePoint environment with 130 databases – what kind of Worker Thread Consumption / CPU usage would this add?
Would 20 threads per database sound right?
We have a customer with 5000 small databases. He has some avaliability requeriments and the idea to use AlwaysOn sound good but I started to prepare a lab and I'm facing some problems. The replication seems to hang and seems that the problems is that you described in your post. Do you have any experience with this amount of databases. The definitive database servers will have 16 cores so how I have to configure the workers for them ?
Could you share some of your experience with related high number of databases (500-800 DBs per AG)?
I'm looking to AG with 500 to 800 small database size.


Down on your luck? Drowning in printer paper? This video tutorial presents a complete, step-by-step overview of how to make a lucky paper crane or swan using origami, the traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding. For more information, and to get started making your own paper birds, watch this arts-and-crafts guide.


Three canoes on dock at Pyramid Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada (texture overlay).
A broken glass on a deep black background. Useful texture for overlay.
Distressed overlay texture of weaving fabric, cloth knitted. Grunge black and white abstract background.
Tree Branches - background, pattern, texture, overlay. monochromatic. white and black.
Photo illustration. Square format, painterly looking pink dahlia with texture overlay based on my original photograph.
A very old grunge, rusty metal like background texture image distressed with marks and scratches.
Easter lily bloom with light rays and texture overlay.
Background for web page, graphic design, catalog or texture. overlay filter effect grunge, rough or retro.
Fountain in Front of the Vatican, Vatican City, Rome Italy. A texture overlay has been used to give the image a painterly effect.
Architectural business glass building background with a concrete texture overlay.
Golden retriever puppy on wooden step with soft texture overlay.
Grunge urban texture as background. Messy overlay distress backdrop.
Grunge retro urban texture. Abstract vintage distressed background. Overlay texture for any urban, vintage, retro design posters, banners.
A broken glass on a black background, shattered pieces not too far away from each other. Useful texture for overlay.
love flower rose in the basket vintage retro with dirty grain texture overlay for background.
Cottonwood tree in California's high desert backlit with clouds and shadows processed with texture overlay for a vintage look.
Textured wall with cracks and scratches on it, could be used for editing an image as an overlay background or texture.
Young woman wearing a hat in beach grass with vintage texture overlay.
Colourful canvas type background ,texture,overlay.
Red tulips with distressed, grungy texture overlay, which adds aged or weathered effect to the photo.


text:
// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
// Licensed under the MIT License.
// Code generated by Microsoft (R) AutoRest Code Generator.

package com.azure.resourcemanager.automation.generated;

import com.azure.core.util.Context;

/** Samples for SoftwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRuns List. */
public final class SoftwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRunsListSamples {
    /*
     * x-ms-original-file: specification/automation/resource-manager/Microsoft.Automation/stable/2019-06-01/examples/softwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRun/listSoftwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRuns.json
     */
    /**
     * Sample code: List software update configuration machine runs.
     *
     * @param manager Entry point to AutomationManager.
     */
    public static void listSoftwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRuns(
        com.azure.resourcemanager.automation.AutomationManager manager) {
        manager
            .softwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRuns()
            .listWithResponse("mygroup", "myaccount", null, null, null, null, Context.NONE);
    }

    /*
     * x-ms-original-file: specification/automation/resource-manager/Microsoft.Automation/stable/2019-06-01/examples/softwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRun/listSoftwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRunsByRun.json
     */
    /**
     * Sample code: List software update configuration machine runs for a specific software update configuration run.
     *
     * @param manager Entry point to AutomationManager.
     */
    public static void listSoftwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRunsForASpecificSoftwareUpdateConfigurationRun(
        com.azure.resourcemanager.automation.AutomationManager manager) {
        manager
            .softwareUpdateConfigurationMachineRuns()
            .listWithResponse(
                "mygroup",
                "myaccount",
                null,
                "$filter=properties/correlationId eq 0b943e57-44d3-4f05-898c-6e92aa617e59",
                null,
                null,
                Context.NONE);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The bar and restaurant at Cacique Beach, Contadora Island has been temporarily closed from October 1, 2023 due to its annual scheduled maintenance.
It was originally expected to be ready on October 27th, but now we expect it to be ready in the middle of November 2023.
The good news is that this year a new Bar-Restaurant has opened in Playa Larga and we are carrying out our day trips in that location.


The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments in your knee. It connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) and controls / limits the motion between these bones. Basically the ACL prevents your tibia from going too far forward or rotating too much. In addition to being a mechanical stabilizer, it also provides input to your nervous system about joint position. Simply put, it provides information on position of your knee without having to look at it. Without a fully intact ACL, stability is compromised and can lead to feeling "loose", unstable and weak. In the event of a tear, surgery might be indicated depending on the severity and what level of sport / activities the person plans to return to. Conservative treatment (no surgery) can be just as effective (Frobell et al., 2010) depending on the above variables. A consultation with an orthopedic surgeon and physical therapist is recommended to decipher this. Regardless of the treatment pathway, a few goals are going to be the same.
First step is to reduce swelling & pain – This can be achieved with R.I.C.E.
–Rest: This doesn't mean just sit on the couch though!
–Ice: Approximately 15-20 minutes every couple hours. Our GameReady Cryocuff works great for this.
–Compression: Use a tensor wrap to limit how much swelling builds up but careful to not restrict too much blood flow.
–Elevation: Get gravity on your side! Gentle range of motion (ROM) exercises should be initiated to keep your knee moving and help push swelling away. Heel slides work great for this.
The second goal is to improve knee ROM – This doubles on the previous point about gentle ROM exercise. Initially you want to prevent it from becoming too stiff. These exercises should be progressed under the supervision of a physical therapist to ensure it is safe for the knee. The goal is to have near full ROM pre-surgery but this doesn't mean making it more unstable.
The third goal is to improve strength, particular in the quadriceps muscles (front of thigh) – Preoperative quadriceps strength is the single most important predictor for knee function two years following surgery. Some researchers have even suggested postponing surgery until the quadriceps on the injured side has returned to 80% strength of the uninjured side (Eitzen et al., 2010). Depending on the surgery performed, if a hamstring graft is used, hamstring strength will be quite important too. Furthermore, a physical therapist can use a neuromuscular stimulation device to help improve your quadriceps contraction and help with the strengthening process.
The final goal is improving balance and proprioception (sense of joint position) – This goal may not be achieved prior to surgery due to the surgical date however there is some current research to suggest it can also improve post surgical outcomes (Failla et al., 2016). This is an important goal to reach to ensure the knee feels more stable and you feel confident with quick movements. Enhancing your unconscious motor response and your nervous systems ability to generate optimal muscle firing is key for stability. This is a critical step that should not be missed!
Prehab before surgery has been shown to improve outcomes and return to sport rates after surgery (Failla et al., 2016). Your physical therapist can help construct an appropriate prehab program with modalities to reduce swelling, exercise selection for each goal (ROM, strength & propriception / balance), and neuromuscular stimulation to improve muscle firing.
Stay tuned for a blog post on Post ACL surgery goals.
Eitzen, I., Moksness, H., Synder-Mackler, L., & Risberg, M. (2010) A progressive 5-week exercise therapy program leads to significant improvement in knee function early after anterior cruciate ligament injury. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 40(11): 705-721.
Failla, M., Logerstedt, D., Grindem, H., Axe, M., Risberg., M, Engebretsen, L., Huston, L., Spindler, K., & Synder-Mackler, L. (2016). Does extended preoperative rehabilitation influence outcomes 2 years after ACL reconstruction? A comparative effectiveness study between the MOON and Delaware-Oslo ACL cohorts. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 44(10): 2608-2614.
Frobell, R., Ross, E., Ross, H., Ranstam, J., Lohmander, L. (2010). A randomized trial of treatment for acute anterior cruciate ligament tears. The New England Journal of Medicine, 363: 331-342.


Where is The Bat in America?
The Bat is situated in the region New York in America!
Here you will find the location of The Bat on a map.
All places in the world called The Bat.
Where is The Bat on the map?
Harlem River Houses: Macombs Dam Bridge.
Colonial Park Houses > North: W.161st Street.
Where is The Bat relative to other places?
Top 10 cities in New York and distance from The Bat.
Top 10 cities in America and distance from The Bat.


This is the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough - a beautiful Art Deco theatre and cinema. I was there for a wedding, and it made the perfect venue for a modern, secular ceremony. There's something magical about this style of building for me - a perfect fusion of art and utility.


Thank you for investing in our Prudential International products.
If you're looking to make any changes to your plan, get in touch with us, you can find our contact details at the bottom of this page. We will send you regular statements but you can also request a fund valuation online.
Tax-efficient growth - note that the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back what you put in.
This is based on our current understanding of current taxation, legislation and HM Revenue & Customs practice, all of which are liable to change without notice. The impact of taxation (and any tax relief) depends on individual circumstances.
Range of funds - depending on your investment, there is a wide choice of fund to choose from.
If you would like more information on the features of your plan visit the Prudential International product page.
Access to the Prudential PAC Sterling, PAC Euro and PAC US Dollar With-Profits Funds is no longer available to new customers investing in either Prudential International Investment Bond (PIIB) or International Prudence Bond (IPB) on or after 11/09/2017.
However, if you are an existing customer pre 11/09/2017, you will still be able to top up or switch into the Prudential With-Profits PAC Sterling, PAC Euro and PAC US Dollar Funds.
This bond offers you a wide choice of risk-graded funds from Prudential and other leading fund managers. If you would like more information please see the Fund Guide.
You can invest a minimum of £20,000 and the minimum top up is £15,000.
A portfolio bond that offers you the opportunity to select from over 1,000 assets in addition to five Dynamic Portfolios. If you would like more information please see the Fund Guide.
You can invest a minimum of £50,000 and the minimum top up is £5,000.
The minimum top up is £15,000.
A portfolio bond that offers you the opportunity to select from over 2,500 funds from the Full Market Fund Choice and five Dynamic Portfolios.
The minimum top up is £5,000.
This is a single premium bond that offers whole of life cover with a range of investment choices and other options.
This is a regular premium plan that offers whole of live cover with a number of added options and tax benefits.
The minimum increase for regular premiums is £5 per month or £50 per year.
For more information about making any changes to your plan, please speak to your financial adviser.
You can also give us a call on: + 353 1 476 5000 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, calls will be charged at your international call rate) or you can send us a secure email.
Write to us at Prudential International Assurance plc, Montague House, Adelaide Road, Dublin 2, Ireland.
* If we are paying any ongoing charges to an adviser on your behalf and you are also taking regular or one-off withdrawals from your bond, these will be added together for the purposes of the tax-deferred allowance. If the total in any year is more than the 5% allowed, it will create a "chargeable event" and you will normally be liable for income tax at your highest rate on the excess amount. This could also affect your entitlement to personal tax allowances and certain tax credits. Ask your financial adviser for more information.


text:
Ron Gilbert's Cave Is Deeper Than I Thought
Kirk Hamilton
What? It is.
There's a special type of anxiety that arises when you have to solve one of Ron Gilbert's puzzles in front of him. This is the guy who made Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island, for gosh's sake. And here I am, poking and prodding at a new puzzle he made, stuck but not wanting to ask for help.
On Wednesday, I visited Double Fine to play through the PAX build of Gilbert's new adventure game The Cave. As I played, I found myself stuck on the first major puzzle. I switched between my three characters, poking and prodding at objects in the environment, trying to figure out the best way to remove a fire-breathing monster from my path. As minutes passed and I made slow progress towards an eventual solution, I began to suspect that The Cave is going to be a larger, more finely wrought game than I may have thought.
Ron Gilbert's New Game Mixes Maniac Mansion With a Little Metroidvania
Wait, I'm sorry. I think you just said, "Maniac Mansion and Metroidvania." Did you say that? Or was
Eventually Gilbert chimed in and helped me solve the puzzle. And thank God, really.
Okay, let's bullet-point this sucker. Some of this stuff is already known, and then I'll get to the new stuff I played.
When it was first unveiled, The Cave looked as much like a puzzle-platformer like Trine or even Shadow Complex than a traditional adventure game like the ones with which Gilbert is commonly associated. I described it as Metroidvania meets Maniac Mansion. Which, yeah, OKAY, THAT SOUNDS COOL.
In the game, players take on a crew of three of a possible seven avatars. There's the monk, the knight; the time-traveler and the adventurer, the hillbilly, the twins, and the scientist.
Each character has come to this mythological cave for a different reason, and must puzzle their way through the entire underground labyrinth.
The map contains one unique zone for each character that only they can explore—and find what it is that they really want.
None of these characters speak—in fact, the only speaking character in the game is the Cave himself.
The cave is, in fact, a man, and will be played by Stephen Stanton, who played Agent Nein in Psychonauts.
There was some question as to whether the Cave would be a man or a woman, but in the PAX demo I saw, Gilbert confirmed that the voice actor I was hearing was the final voice actor.
The Cave will be the narrator of the tale, and regularly interjects with humorous asides and observations about the group's progress. For example, when you "die," the cave will joke about how he's the only one who doesn't seem to want someone to die, before quickly bringing your character back from the dead.
From the very beginning of the game, you'll be in-engine—there are no loading screens, menu screens, or any other type of general user interface. The camera begins looking at the nighttime sky before panning down to a clearing in a forest, in which stand the seven protagonists.
Character selection is nifty—you'll be able to cycle through the characters using the D-pad, and hitting Y will give you a clue as to each character's special power. For example, the Knight sprouts a set of angelic wings, and the Time Traveler shoots out a beam of blue light.
As you select a character, The Cave will tell you about him or her, giving a hint as to what they're looking for down within.
In a humorous touch, the first thing you do in The Cave is head into a room and grab a crowbar. Because of course the first thing you do is grab a crowbar! After that you'll come up against a set of boards described in the game as a "shoddy barricade," which of course easily comes apart with the crowbar.
One of the linchpins of The Cave's design is that you're controlling not one but three characters. My time-traveler broke open the shoddy barricade with the crowbar, but then she climbed down a little ways and came to stand upon a weak but not-quite breaking set of boards. Clearly I'd have to send down some more characters.
I used the D-pad to hop back to the character-selection screen, and quickly I chose two more characters—the monk and the adventurer. Each character was assigned to one of the top three points on the D-pad, making it a snap to navigate between them. Once I had all three standing on the boards, they broke, and my three protagonists went tumbling down, down, down, down into a pool of water far beneath the earth.
Gilbert told me that at this point, the three characters for the playthrough would be set, and players couldn't turn back.
I was expecting to find another puzzle, but I wasn't expecting to find another speaking character—and yet, as I climbed my adventurer out of the water, that's just what I found. I heard a man crying. I came out into a large, gaudy "THE CAVE" gift-shop. Something about it felt, well, entirely appropriate for this kind of game. "I hope you're not here to visit the Cave," a ruddy man behind the counter said through tears, "because.. we're closed!" There had been a horrific accident, and they were forced to close. What was the disaster? Oh, they had "no trinkets to sell."
Guess what? I had to go get some trinkets.
I then had to bypass a gate that forced me to use the three-character setup: First, two characters had to pull a lever at the same time—after I'd pull it, I'd switch to another character, and the character I'd been using would keep pulling the lever. It was a good warm-up for what will doubtless be the game's defining mechanic.
With that, I was off to the left and face to face with the monster-bypass puzzle I'd seen in a demo back when the game was unveiled.
The setup was classic adventure game: There's a monster, and if you try to get around him, he'll kill you instantly. There's a huge crane-claw located above him, and clearly you have to lure him underneath the claw and catch him in it to proceed.
I had: A sparking fusebox that killed me when I touched it, two wells, a pit in front of a monster, a broken-down crane, and a vending machine with no power. Sound adventure-gamey enough for you?
The eventual solution was simple enough, but after I poked and prodded at it for a while, Gilbert walked me through it in the interest of time. (Or at least, that's what I'm telling myself).
"I like when people are stuck and confused, I find that more fascinating than frustrating," Gilbert said.
Here's the solution: Take a bucket from the well, put it over the water to stop the fusebox from shorting out, take the fuse down to the other fusebox next to the vending machines, plug it in, buy a hot dog, carry the fuse back up to next to the crane, plug it in, get the crane set, and then—I'm ready.
Now here's the thing—two things made this all more interesting than standard adventure game fare: One, I had more direct control of the characters—I could run and jump with them, which simply makes the game a bit more involving than pointing and clicking. Second, a lot of the puzzles required hopping between my characters in mid-action.
Once the claw was powered up, I had my adventurer toss the hot dog out into the pit. When the monster came running out to eat it, I hopped up to my monk, who was standing up at the crane's controls, and had him drop the claw. It snagged the monster, and I was free to go on my way.
I was struck by how complex this first puzzle was—I asked if the game would feature a lot of these more involved puzzles, and designer JP LeBreton confirmed that yep, it would. Some of the character-specific regions, he said, would feature several of them at the same time, and players would be able to tackle them in whatever order they want, like the hubs in classic adventure games.
Since each character has a special ability—the adventurer has a grappling hook, the time-traveler can warp through walls, etc—there are multiple solutions to each puzzle. Gilbert told me that he wants the game to be about experimentation and discovery—as you play, you'll figure out things you can do with special abilities that you didn't think were possible.
I was impressed with the depth of the first major puzzle in The Cave, and have a feeling that this game is going to be bigger size-wise than I'd anticipated it would be. Particularly given the fact that there will be seven large, distinct puzzle areas, not all of which will accessible on a first playthrough. Gilbert's Cave appears to run deeper than I thought.
Man, it's really hard to say that with a straight face.
Hey, okay, here are some screenshots!


text:
Japan notifies WHO of new Covid-19 variant found in travelers arriving from Brazil – RT
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it was notified by Japan about the detection of a new Covid-19 variant there, as the government extends the state of emergency declared to control the virus in Tokyo to other areas.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that the Japanese health authorities had informed the UN health agency of the new strain at the weekend, after it was detected in four travelers from Brazil's Amazonas state.
The variant has 12 mutations, one of which has been found in the strains discovered in South Africa and the UK. The Brazilian Health Ministry said this implied the variant was more transmissible.
"The more the virus spreads, the higher the chance of new changes to the virus," Ghebreyesus said at a WHO briefing on Monday. "Notably, transmissibility of some of the variants appears to be increasing. This could drive a surge of cases and hospitalizations."
Also on rt.com Lockdown 'INEFFECTIVE' against spread of COVID-19, may even increase risk to vulnerable populations, research claims
On Monday, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the declaration of a state of emergency in Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo due to the increased spread of coronavirus and decreased hospital capacity in those locations.
Just days earlier, he had announced the measures for Tokyo and its surrounding area after the capital saw an increase in Covid-19 cases of almost 500 in one day. The restrictions are to remain in place until February.
In the past 24 hours, Japanese health authorities reported 4,875 new Covid-19 infections and confirmed that 864 people are now critically ill with the virus – a new record high for the country.
d9a95efa0a2845057476957a427b0499 l-99999993 Million Dollar Page
d9a95efa0a2845057476957a427b0499 l-99999994 Email Campaign
d9a95efa0a2845057476957a427b0499 l-99999996 Webinar Software
Thai govt files royal insult complaint after criticism of its vaccine strategy – Yahoo News
Trump delivers final remarks as president – Yahoo News


Order Samurai Lip Spoiler – Carbon Fiber at this amazing price. High Quality and durable Exterior Body Kits And Extension only available here at Eauto.
Universal fits for most cars and trucks.
Stick it on car tail fins, body kit, side skirt etc.
Flexible enough to conform to different car body types.


M&M'S World® has issued a safety recall in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). M&M'S World® is offering a full refund for glass and metal M&M'S® branded jewelry items sold at M&M'S World stores from May 2015 through June 2016 after some glass and metal components were found to contain high levels of lead content.
The jewelry range includes bracelets, necklaces, and earrings with the M&M'S® logo or the M&M'S Characters. The items were sold exclusively at M&M'S® World stores in New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, Henderson, Shanghai, and London and were not available online.
Examples of some of the jewelry items can be found below.


text:
Cory Turner Wraps Up Successful 2018 Season With Championship Celebration
Monday - December - 2018
Cory Turner (centre) with his SOS championship hardware along with crew chief Nathan Jackson (left), girlfriend Dayna (right) and supporter Brennen Hagar (front). (CTM team photo).
CTM Team Looking Forward to 2019
CAISTOR CENTRE, Ont. (December 3, 2018) – Cory Turner officially brought his 2018 season to a close with a pair of banquet celebrations during the month of November where he was officially crowned the 2019 Southern Ontario Sprint champion while also accepting accolades for finishing third overall in Ohsweken Speedway's weekly point standings.
In total, Turner drove his KT Gas & Variety/Silo Wireless No.97 car to a pair of wins, 12 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s in his 28 starts this season.
"It was by far our most successful season in a Sprint Car," Turner said. "We were extremely fortunate to have Miles, Pam and Alex as car owners for the past three seasons. They run a top-notch program and got us to another level with the quality of their equipment and the knowledge that they have in their shop. We are going to miss seeing them day in and day out and can't thank them enough for the opportunity they gave Nathan Jackson and myself working with them and their crew. They were more than excellent car owners for us during our time together and we had a lot of fun with them at home as well as on the road."
"I also have to thank Daryl, Trevor, Nate, and of course, my girlfriend Dayna for all of their support. I also have to thank everybody from our Team Turner Racing family too, including Bobby and Peter Turford. We had help from a lot of different people this year, which was great."
On Saturday, November 24, Turner attended the Southern Ontario Sprints year-end banquet at the Lasalle Yacht Club in Niagara Falls, NY where he officially received his championship hardware. With the SOS, Turner had one win at Brighton Speedway on July 7 and six top-five finishes in eight races.
"We had a really good year. Our worst finish on the tour with the SOS was sixth and that's ultimately what got us a championship,' Turner explained. "We were definitely fast at times, but when we weren't the fastest car we finished the race."
Turner's Crew Chief, Nathan Jackson, also earned the series' Crew Chief of the Year award for his hard work that helped propel the team to the title.
"Nate wasn't expecting the award, so he was pretty excited," Turner added. "It was a nice feather in his cap after a good season."
The SOS title was Turner's first championship of any kind, he said.
"It went right down to the wire in Thunder Stocks one year at Ohsweken and Humberstone and it didn't work out," Turner said. "This time it all worked out and we had a good time doing it. We work hard on our racecars, but we always make sure we have fun too."
With the 2018 season now in the rearview mirror, Turner is looking ahead to the 2019 campaign. Turner will not return to Hill's Racing in the new year in order to pursue another opportunity to be announced in the coming weeks.
"We really appreciate everything Miles, Pam and Alex did for us over the last three years," Turner said. "We're definitely going to miss them. They were more than excellent car owners for us during our time together."
The new season will bring a fresh scorecard for Turner, who hopes to improve once again on his career year. While the Caistor Centre driver will be in a different ride next season, his plans are to race in familiar places.
"Right now our plans are to have our car in the Mobil 1 booth at Motorama next March," Turner said. "We plan on competing weekly with the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak Sprint Cars at Ohsweken on Friday nights in 2019 and trying to repeat as SOS champions. We'll try to go to Ohio, Michigan and New York as well when we have time."
For the latest information on Cory Turner Motorsports throughout the off-season, follow Cory at the social media links below. For more information on Cory Turner Motorsports, visit www.coryturnermotorsports.com.
97 Cory Turner – 28 Starts: 2 Wins, 12 Top-5s, 22 Top-10s
Cory Turner would like to thank the following dedicated marketing partners for their support during the 2018 race season, including KT Tobacco, Insta-Panels, Braemar Building Systems, Silo Wireless, Mobil 1, Kings Wood Products, Gale's Auto Aftermarket, Skyway Lawn Equipment, Pyett Spring & Alignment, DSE Performance, Six Nations Bingo, Malabar Super Spice, JNE Recovery, V&R Recycling, Plazek Auto Recyclers, Hauser's Pharmacy, KT Gas & Convenience, The Truck Toppers, CJ Mulholland Mattress Factory, Rondex, Silverdale Gun Club, Barlow Farms, Mike Morris Holdings, Bryan's Farm Supply, Total Coatings, Hitchman Trailers, V&R Hose & Hydraulics, RCM Racing Equipment, Top Flight Wings, Tetra-Chem Industries, Wix Filters, Creative Edge Signs & Graphics, Northern Performance, Charlie Bee Honey, and ImageFactor.ca.


text:
Q: javascript focus() method change value I want to make cell behavior like in Excel. If I click on cell and cell's attribute expression is not empty I want to put this expression's value into cell and focus on this cell.
Code:
// In this point tdElm.innerHTML = 1
    if (tdElm.getAttribute('expression') != "") {
        tdElm.innerHTML = tdElm.getAttribute('expression'); //expression = '=1'
        tdElm.setAttribute('contenteditable', 'true');
        tdElm.classList.add('focused');
        console.log(tdElm.innerHTML); //print =1
        tdElm.focus();
        console.log(tdElm.innerHTML); //print 1
        return;
    }

My question:
Why is cell's innerHTML value changed back after invoking focus() method? How to fix this weird behavior? I need pure javascript solution.
Thank's for any help.

A: focus() method won't make any changes to element's value.
I think you may check focus event handler you created for that element.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
'Star Trek' at 50: The Sun was not so much into 'boldly going where no man has gone before'
The command crew of "Star Trek" included Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Engineer Scott (James Doohan). The series premiered 50 years ago this month, and sadly, The Sun was not among its biggest fans. (Baltimore Sun)
Fifty years ago Thursday, TV started boldly going where no man had gone before. And The Sun happily went along for the ride.
Sort of.
It would be nice to report that The Sun was an unabashed fan of "Star Trek" from the beginning, that this paper immediately embraced the pioneering science fiction series, which remains a cultural force a half-century later. But truth is, the series was embraced with what could, at best, be called lukewarm praise.
Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, wishing us all to "live long and prosper" -- much as "Star Trek" has.
"This one looks like the son of 'Twilight Zone,' cousin to 'The Outer Limits' and neighbor of 'Lost in Space,' combining the better elements of all those shows," Evening Sun critic Lou Cedrone wrote in the paper's Sept. 9 edition, the day after the show's premiere. "It has some sophistication."
Hey, to be mentioned in the same breath as a contemporary classic like "The Twilight Zone" was high praise indeed, even if many would argue with the "Lost in Space" comparison. And in Cedrone's defense, that premiere episode, "The Man Trap," about an alien life form that sucks the salt out of humans as a means of survival, was not among the series' best.
But at least Cedrone liked it better than Donald Kirkley, longtime critic for The Sun (which published in the mornings), did. Kirkley was not impressed.
" 'Star Trek' was heralded as an adult science-fiction program, but it doesn't make the grade on either count," Kirkley sniffed in the Sept. 23 Sun, writing three shows into the series' run.
"Like 'The Time Tunnel,' the premise is plausible enough, but there the resemblance ends," he added. (That suggests he preferred "The Time Tunnel," which -- to anyone who remembers that time-jumping series -- is sort of unfathomable.)
Kirkley didn't stop there. The show, he said, "sinks to the status of a Class C horror movie." He complained about the "monsters" that would attack the Enterprise, calling them "superpsychopathic villains with occult powers." And he compared the show unfavorably to another series that was premiering on TV that month.
The bad guys, he said, would "precipitate fights replete with boffs, klunks and kazapps. It reminds us of a bad hour on 'Batman.' "
Happily, The Sun did not remain a naysayer when it came to "Star Trek." In fact, in 1972, when two 11-year-old girls wrote to the paper to ask then-critic Judy Bachrach if she liked anything on television, she said yes.
"There is a pretty good show on the air," Bachrach wrote, "and it's called 'Star Trek.' "
Latest Retro Baltimore
Then and now photos: Druid Lake
Retro Baltimore Trivia: Where was the premiere for John Waters' film 'Pink Flamingos' held?
The moon landing had The Sun's attention in 1969
This week in Baltimore sports history: Orioles let down largest regular-season crowd at Camden Yards
Ocean City vs. Rehoboth: Sizing up the beaches historically and presidentially
Of course, 'Star Trek' had been off the air since June 1969, and it's sorta sad that Bachrach, who went on to have quite a career as a journalist and is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair, had to go depend on re-runs for an answer. But at least she knew quality.
Most Read • Retro Baltimore


Titania Kumeh's performances are meditations on her family, ancestry, and experiences as a first-generation, Liberian-Bahamian American maneuvering through the world in the body of a black woman. Kumeh has performed with the Brontez Purnell Dance Company and in productions by Lisa Rybovich Cralle, Sophia Wang, Wura Natasha Ogunji, and Tropic Green/Adee Roberson. She was the lead singer in the punk rock band Ugly.


This will be our 10th Anniversary or to be more precise the last Friday of the month ten years since the month in which we had our first (0th?) meeting.
Having announced it as such last month and having received a plaudit at the recent Dyalog'18 ConfUser meeting I feel a bit of a fraud because I can't come.
'though to be honest not much is expected of us as Paul's description had us as not much more than a bunch of drunks.
Next - 25 January and the last Friday of all subsequent months except December.


text:
Q: jQuery object unsupported methods errors I'm having a nasty problem with jQuery. I made a collapsable treeview using this: http://docs.jquery.com/Plugins/Treeview
The problem was it had to be used with a generated HTML. So I made another jQuery-script too edit the HTML to be compatible with the treeview script. The HTML has to have li's and ul's with certain classes, but the generated HTML was just an empty UL with LI's.
You can see my script here: (it's quite well documented and thus understandable I guess)
$(document).ready( function () {
    loadPage();
});

function loadPage() {

    //Loop through all wanted li-elements
    $('div.treeContent ul li').each(function(index) {

        //If the li doesn't have an ul-element, we replace it's content with a span around the original content
        $(this).not($(this).has('ul')).wrapInner('');

        //If there are ul-elements available
        if($(this).has('ul').length > 0) {
            var el = null;
            for(var i=0; i<$(this).contents().size() && el==null; i++) {
                el = $(this).contents().eq(i); //We take the i-element
                var text = el.text(); //We take the textnode out of it.
                if(text.length < 1 || text.match(/^\s+$/)) {
                    //The text doesn't contain anything, or only whitespaces. Let's take the next element!
                    el = null;
                }
            }
            if(el.is('a')) {
                el.wrap('');
            }
            else {
                //If the el-var is filled with something NOT empty and NOT only containing spaces:
                text = '' + text + ''; //We change the textnode.
                el.replaceWith(text); //We put the textnode back into it.
            }
        }
    });

    /*
     * Since the scripts were loading at the same time and this is unwanted
     * I open the other one when document is ready
     */
    $(document).ready(function(){
        $("#treeMenu").treeview();
    });
}

function openPathMenu() {
    //First we get the current URL to look for
    var pathname = window.location.href;
    var splittedPath = pathname.split("xenit.eu");
    //Now the first element of splittedPath will contain the part BEFORE xenit.eu, the second one will contain the part we are looking for!
    var URL = splittedPath[1];

    //Next we are going to try to find this URL in our tree
    $('ul.treeview').find('a').each(function() { //Look for the a-elements in the tree
        if($(this).attr('href') == URL) { //Check whether the href-attribute is equal to the URL we're looking for
            $(this).addClass('selected');
            $(this).parents('li.expandable').each(function() { //Look for li.expandable parents and put them on expanded.
                $(this).children("div.hitarea").click(); //By clicking on them.
            })
        }
    })
}

This works great in Firefox. When I checked it in IE8 and Chrome it appeared that they give errors. IE8 gives me "Object doesn't support this property or method  Collaps.js, line 14 character 9" and Chrome gives me "Uncaught TypeError: Object # has no method 'has'"
So it seems they are not recognizing the jQuery object or something like that.
I had a suspicion it had to do something with the way things were loaded. As you can see I had a problem with the treeview script loading before my Collaps.js, which ofcourse doesn't work, since the html has to be formatted with Collaps.js, otherwise the treeview script won't work.
In the treeview-script I changed a few things: I wanted my script to close the entire tree when loading the page, so I added a function to close a li and a .each() to close all li's in the "treeview"-function.
At the end of that "function" I put another $(document).ready() to call a function in Collaps.js: openPathMenu(). (To open the tree at the current URL) I was thinking this might cause the problem, but when I comment this out, it still isn't working.
You can see those functions, that I added in the treeview.js (at the end of the "treeview: function(settings)" ) here:
//Close all the collapsable li's in the ul.treeview
            $("ul.treeview").children("li.collapsable").each(function() {
                closeElement($(this), true);
            })

            /*
             * @Author: Trinorae
             * A function to close a certain li.collapsable element (and all it's children)
             * parameters:
             *      el: li.collapsable element to close
             *      childrenToo: close all children too?
             */
            function closeElement(el, childrenToo) {
                if(childrenToo) {
                    //Search all "ul li.collapsable"-children of our element
                    var liCollapsers = el.children("ul").children("li.collapsable");
                    if(liCollapsers.length > 0) { //If there are "ul li.collapsable"-children
                        liCollapsers.each(function() {
                            closeElement($(this)); //Close them too
                        })
                    }
                }
                el.children("div." + CLASSES.hitarea).click(); //Close the element!
            }

            //Do something after everything is loaded:
            $(document).ready(function(){
                openPathMenu();
            });

If it would be important: I'm using jQuery 1.5.1
I am running this on a Drupal 6 website. I tried my scipt (partly) locally with this short HTML

            <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" />
            <title>A Collapsible test</title>

            <link href="files/css/treeview.css" rel="stylesheet" />

                        About document models and metadata

                        About Fred

                        Advanced user functions

                                Browse as user

                                Data dictionary

//And so on..

And it runs perfectly. I can't really test whether the "openPathMenu()" is working, but I suppose that doesn't matter. The point is that this is loading in the first place and is editing the HTML with my script making the treeview work!
So I'm afraid it could be a Drupal issue too..
I hope someone sees something I did wrong and can help. (It's perfectly possible it's something stupid, since I never used jQuery before) Excuse me for the ridiculous long explanation, but I didn't know how to explain it shorter.

A: The problem is solved by upgrading the jQuery to a new version. I thought I already did this, but it seems Drupal managed to use another file (/location) in IE, Chrome and Safari than in Firefox..
Drupal seems to make a big problem of this. When I manually overwrite the file, it suddenly works!
Overwriting the jQuery-file in Drupal can be tricky, since some other modules can rely on old jQuery versions. For example: my views-module is totally screwed, since it uses jQuery to make it more comfortable to use, but I can live with that (since it's fixed by disabling javascript)


text:
Recovering After A Break-up
by Joyoti Mahanta | February 5, 2014, 18:26 IST
While you might not be able to sing about your break-up like Taylor Swift, don't get bogged down by the myriad emotions. We tell you what is normal to feel when a relationship ends.
In 1995, singer Alanis Morisette got dumped. How do we know that? Well, she recorded You Oughta Know in her anguished voice about the blinding anger in the face of being dumped. On the other hand, Adele handed it a lot better and won Grammys for songs like Set Fire To The Rain. Clearly, whatever the reason for the split— and whether you wanted it or not—the emotions accompanying a break-up can be overwhelming, and can trigger all sorts of unsettling feelings. Mostly, it's all normal and many have been there, sung that.
You can feel sad: The part of our brain that governs emotional reactions doesn't care whether or not the break-up was for the best. It just knows there's been a loss. "Even though I was the one who decided to walk out of the relationship, I felt miserable," recalls chartered accountant Prajul Desai. "Obviously, no one goes into a relationship anticipating the end. But my girlfriends made me feel better. We karaoked to songs like Beyoncé's Single Ladies and Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive." Psychiatrist and relationship guide Dr Shefali Batra says, "This is when you realise how human you really are. But don't let bitterness get the better of you. Use the pain to heal yourself and move to better things and better people."
It's okay to feel guilty: When media professional Natasha Baruah broke up with her ex, she felt like she was committing a crime. "Even though the break-up was mutual, I construed it to being wrong," she says. "There were times when we both wanted to make amends, apologise and forgive." Mumbai based psychiatrist Dr YA Matcheswalla says, "Even if the relationship was a mistake, it is often worth the time because it teaches you something. You become more seasoned about emotions and you learn what not to do in a relationship."
It's okay to feel excitement: Though this is not the first emotion most people feel after a break-up, as time goes by, there are new things and people to look forward to. "Though initially I was hurting a lot, it graduated to excitement, especially when my girls threw a break-up party! It was almost like a bachelorette party, without any hang-ups," says Prajul. Dr Matcheswalla adds, "Excitement is a blessing; we're not betraying anyone by looking forward to the next chapter."
It's okay if it takes time: Are you impatient with yourself, or maybe just sick of feeling miserable? Whether fast or slow, the process of getting over someone takes as long as it takes. But there really is no other answer than to let your recovery run its course. "All my friends were telling me to move on after I broke up," says Kala Nitin. "I didn't know how to explain to them that it would take some time. My only advice is to be patient."
Most Popular in Love & Sex
Effective Ways To Rekindle The Romance In Your Relationship
Expert Speak: What Does 'No' Mean When It Comes To Intimacy?
Things To Discuss With Your Partner Before Saying 'I Do'
Romantic Christmas Movies Can Rescue Your Sulking Single Self
Signs That Prove That Your Partner Needs Some Space
Detox Your Sex Life With These Clean Essentials In your Bedroom
Innovative Foreplay Ideas You Must Try To Please HER In Bed!
Ways You Can Enjoy Period Sex
Debunking Myths About Safe Sex & Its Armours – Condoms & Lubes


At Muddy Waters Cafe, Monday, December 1.
Blitzen Trapper's Eric Earley (left) and Marty Marquis (right) led the Portland-based band through a set of folk-tinged rock-outs on Monday night at Muddy Waters Cafe.
Blitzen Trapper are an experimental folk band from Portland, Oregon, and on Monday night they managed quite a feat-filling a club to near capacity on a school night. Their sound is steeped in 1960s and '70s rock 'n' roll, evoking thoughts of a post-electric Bob Dylan hitting the stage with the Doobie Brothers, and featuring a guitarist mentored by Jimi Hendrix.
I went into the evening expecting revivalist tunes aplenty, but the band's atmospheric, experimental guitar licks caught me delightfully off-guard. Starting off their set with "Sleepy Time in the Western World," the upbeat opening track off their latest album, Trapper filled the coffeehouse with the pounding sounds of old-school organ and driving guitar riffs.
Other highlights included the record's title track, "Furr," which started off slow and soft, with lead singer Eric Earley's voice accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. But in between the verses, the whole band came roaring in, as Earley's harmonica fought loud and strong against the fast beat they created. As the band dropped out, Earley's sweet voice purred back in, crafting a whimsical fable about transforming from man to wolf to man again. The song embodied a perfect combination of Trapper's folk and rock elements; quiet enough during the verses to hear the complex, poetic lyrics (one of their greatest strengths), but upbeat enough during the interludes to keep everyone's feet stomping.
"Saturday Nite" was another short and sweet standout in which classic guitar and electro-pop synth riffs dueled against each other, as if lodging a battle over what era Trapper's music would fall into, 1960 or 2008. As Earley's voice came back in, though, it was clear that the quarrel would end in a stalemate.
The band pulled a great crowd from Santa Barbara's folk and rock lovers both young and old on Monday. Flannel jackets and artistic beards peppered the crowd, as did the graying heads and Dockers, indicating just how wide-reaching and timeless the band's sound really is. Trapper's music is evocative of the outdoors, partly because nearly all of their lyrics have some reference to the woods, hills, wind, or some other natural beauty. But their instrumentation and arrangements seem to suggest something natural, too. Throughout the show, one couldn't help but want to see Trapper doing their thing at some intimate outdoor fest, rocking out with the wind in their already-mussed hair. But in the meantime, they had no problem fitting into the funky atmosphere of Muddy Waters on Monday-they could have used just a wee bit more elbowroom to do it.


text:
About TCH
Department Leaders
Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Senior IOP Program
TCH Health and Rehab
Insurance Provider Coverage
24/7 Emergency Room (662) 837-9221info@tc-hs.org
Outreach Clinics
On-Site Specialists
Family Healthcare
Our specialities have evolved over the years and we are proud to offer a variety of critical services.
Patient Portal Online Bill Pay
Patient Portal Instructions
You now have access to medical information both from our affiliated clinics, and also from the hospital.
In an effort to make managing your personal medical life more convenient, we are proud to introduce patientaccess. This new product now gives you the ability to see your own personal medical information quickly and securely. When you log into your new patientaccess account you'll now be able to view you medical records, schedule appointments, request prescription refills, view test results, and better manage your family's healthcare.
Find Your Login Information (with discharge papers)
Request Login (if not provided already)
Login To Portal and Access Your Information
Use the form to request access to the portal.
F name
L name
-- State -- Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
1005 City Avenue North
Ripley, MS 38663
info@tc-hs.org
Monday - Friday8:00 - 5:00
7 Days a Week7:00 - 7:00
Emergency: 24/7
Copyright 2023 Tippah County Hospital


Keep those outdoor toys tidied away discreetly with this bench. The seat lifts up to reveal ample space for use, making it a stylish space-saving solution. The strong shorea wood bench accommodates 2 people comfortably.
When you buy a Whitehaven Outdoor Timber Storage Bench online from Temple & Webster in Australia, we make it as easy as possible for you to find out when your product will be delivered to your home in Melbourne, Sydney or any major city. You can check on a delivery estimate for the Woodlands Outdoor Furniture Part #: STB-300 here. If you have any questions about your purchase or any other Outdoor Benches product for sale our customer service representatives are available to help.Whether you just want to buy a Whitehaven Outdoor Timber Storage Bench or shop for your entire home, Temple & Webster has a zillion things home.
Easy to put it together and looks beautiful. Quite confy and I love the storage space. In case the bench is in a very sunny spot I would recommend putting a coat of furniture oil.


text:
The exchange of payment for access to channels the marketer does not own for the purpose of distributing the marketer's message; advertising. Examples include buying ad space during commercial breaks within TV shows and radio programming, buying banner space on websites, running native advertising ads on Facebook and appearing within mobile apps in designated ad spaces.
Back to Glossary
Hub Study Finds Voice Command Is Commonplace Among Consumers
Every year, voice control technology and usage continue to advance for media uses, home appliances and…
The Future Of Sports Marketing With Learfield's Jennifer Davis
Jennifer Davis is the chief marketing and communications officer at Learfield, which has been around for…
January 12, 2022 10:37am
2022 State Of Customer Data Platforms Report
The combination of the uncertainty of COVID-19, accelerated digital transformation and the impending end of third-party…


text:
Sit Mamudpur is a village in Bangladesh. This village is in Tarafpur Union, Mirzapur Upazila, Tangail District. There is a High School in the Village, Sit Mamudpur High School.

References

Villages in Tangail District
Populated places in Tangail District

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
How Democrats stayed on message and defended Obamacare in Monday's hearing
By Lauren Fox, CNN
Updated 3:46 PM EDT, Mon October 12, 2020
Poster boards of people who may lose their health insurance if the Affordable Care Act is repealed are set up prior to start of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice on Capitol Hill on October 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Pool/Getty Images
Senate Democrats were united in driving home one message in the opening day of Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing: President Donald Trump's nominee could threaten the future of the Affordable Care Act.
In a series of statements Monday, Democrats stuck to a script that was crafted by members of leadership and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden weeks ago, a message that Democrats hope will win them political support at the polls even if it cannot keep Barrett off the bench.
The Supreme Court hears a challenge from GOP-led states and the Trump administration to Obamacare one week after Election Day.
"Republicans finally realized the ACA is too popular to repeal in Congress, so now they are trying to bypass the will of voters and have the Supreme Court do their dirty work," Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said. "If Republicans succeed in striking down the ACA, insurance companies will be able to deny coverage to children with serious conditions."
Every single Democrat on the committee brought with them a photograph and a story of at least one constituent for whom the Affordable Care Act had made a difference.
Leah Millis/Pool/Getty Images
Democrats argue Barrett threatens Obamacare at confirmation hearing while GOP touts her abilities
"Children like Myka," Harris said – speaking about an 11-year-old Southern California girl who Harris showed in a photo next to her.
Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, talked about constituents "Merritt and Michelle."
"They know what a future without the ACA looks like. It looks like 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions – from cancer survivors to people with disabilities – being charged more or denied coverage completely. It looks like 20 million people losing their access to potentially life-saving care in the middle of a pandemic that has killed over 214,000 Americans," Booker said.
"In New Jersey, where we've lost over 16,000 people to Covid-19, 595,000 people would lose their coverage without the ACA," he added. "For millions of Americans, a future without the ACA looks like being forced to sell your house if you want to afford your health care, it looks like not having access to a doctor when you're sick, it looks like having to choose between paying for groceries and paying for medicine."
Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris speaks during the vice presidential campaign debate with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence held on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., October 7, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Kamala Harris, the tenacious former prosecutor, faces a complicated role as she questions Barrett
Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, said people in his state are afraid of what Barrett's confirmation could mean for health care.
"They're scared, Judge Barrett. They're scared that your confirmation would rip from them the very health care protections that millions of Americans have fought to maintain, and which Congress has repeatedly rejected eliminating," Leahy said.
'Pretty surprising, huh?'
An aide to the committee told CNN that after multiple member-level discussions, members of the committee agreed that not only health care, but the personal stories of people across the country would be the most effective strategy for day one.
"Senators knew from the beginning they wanted to make this as tangible to people as possible, focusing on the what's at stake message and the real-life effects of a Justice Barrett's decisions. That goal and subsequent member conversations led to the decision to use the personal stories," a Democratic aide on the committee said.
Asked after the hearing about the Democrats staying on message, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin responded: "Pretty surprising, huh?"
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said it wasn't difficult to decide to emphasize health care.
"It's something we're all hearing. My Republican colleagues are hearing it too," the Connecticut Democrat said. "It's such a powerful message because it's rooted in the real world and what we're hearing and seeing when we go home. I don't think it took deep thought or strategizing for us to say, you know the American people really are scared about this pandemic and they want action."
Those discussions also came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Biden spoke shortly after Barrett was nominated and decided focusing on health care was the best strategy, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts leaves after day five of the Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol January 25, 2020 in Washington, DC.
John Roberts faces a new round of legacy-defining turmoil
For Democrats, the confirmation hearing for Barrett offers little opportunity to stop her nomination. Republicans have already shown they already have the support they need to push Barrett's nomination through committee and on the Senate floor. But, the fact the Supreme Court will hear a case on the future of the Affordable Care Act the week after the election gave Democrats an opportunity to further highlight their campaign message.
"Serious illness can hit anyone unexpectedly – it did for me, and when it does, no one should have to worry about whether they can afford care that might save their life," said Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
Meanwhile, Republican senators mostly stayed on their message backing Barrett, emphasizing her experience as an appeals court judge and criticizing previous Democratic comments about her Catholicism, and didn't hit back at the Democrats' health care speeches, something Trump noticed.
During the hearing, the President tweeted: "Republicans must state loudly and clearly that WE are going to provide much better Healthcare at a much lower cost. Get the word out! Will always protect pre-existing conditions!!!"
CNN's Ted Barrett, Clare Foran, Manu Raju and Jasmine Wright contributed to this report.