Many of the world's central bankers are meeting in Sydney today, at a secret location, to coordinate their drive to force draconian austerity measures on nations, in order to prop up their failed monetary system.
That's why they are meeting in secret—if the people understood that the central bankers are working out how many people they'll need to kill to save the banking system, the people might object to them being here.
In July 2007, after a decade of warnings by American physical economist Lyndon LaRouche that the world financial system would disintegrate, the U.S. sub-prime crisis triggered the global financial collapse (Bear Sterns), which by September 2008 turned into a full-blown meltdown of the $1.4 quadrillion global derivatives bubble (Lehman Brothers, AIG).
In August 2007, LaRouche proposed the Homeowners and Bank Protection Act: to keep people in their homes; to preserve the functionality of the banking system by putting it into bankruptcy protection, to write off their unpayable derivatives and bad debts; and to return the system to Glass-Steagall regulations.
LaRouche's solution was rejected, and instead in October 2008, the very central banks which created the crisis, led by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, and the European Central Bank, dictated a $24 trillion global bail-out of the system by national governments. In Australia, Kevin Rudd implemented the bank guarantee, stimulus spending and the first homebuyers grant, and the Future Fund was put at the disposal of the banks to prop them up.
By July 2009, it was obvious the bail-out had transferred the bankruptcy of the banking system onto the governments which were propping it up. LaRouche forecast that by October the bankruptcy of national governments would trigger the final meltdown.
In October 2009, Dubai defaulted on debts of US$59 billion; it was bailed out by Abu Dhabi, but 13 other default risks quickly emerged, including the PIGS in Europe—Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain—Great Britain, and the biggest danger of all, the U.S.
2010: on 17th January, Sunday Telegraph economics writer Ambrose Evans-Pritchard revealed advanced plans by the European Central Bank (ECB) to enforce draconian austerity measures on the PIGS, dictating massive cuts to wages, pensions and social services so those nations avoided debt default to save the euro. The ECB intoned sovereignty is a "largely obsolete concept" as it declared it would impose a "permanent limitation" on the PIGS. The chief economist of the IMF, Olivier Blanchard, has since called for the PIGS to impose wage cuts to save the euro. Vicious austerity is on the agenda in other places too: In Australia, Kevin Rudd is blaming the deficit on old people living too long, and in the U.S., Barack Obama is slashing Medicare for the elderly to rein in the U.S. deficit.
The world's central bankers meeting in Sydney are unaccountable powerbrokers, disguised as "independent", who have replaced accountable governments as managers of the economy, and globalised the financial system under private control. Through them, the financier oligarchs in the City of London, and its satellites in Wall Street, Amsterdam and Zürich etc., are in charge of the financial system—not elected governments.
Just like in the 1930s, the austerity measures planned by the central bankers cannot be implemented through democratic means, because people tend to object to being killed. To save their system in the Great Depression, the leading central bankers in the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements, backed the rise of Hitler and Europe's other fascist régimes to impose their austerity program.
What is Sydney's secret central bank gathering planning to do this time?
It's such a big debt they can't repay it, and that's part of the plan, that they can't repay it. And so at some point we economic hit men go back to them and say 'Listen, you owe us a lot of money. You can't pay your debts, so sell your oil real cheap to our oil companies, allow us to build a military base in your country, or send troops in support of ours to someplace in the world like Iraq, or vote with us on the next U.N. vote.' They have to have their electric utility company privatized and their water and sewage system privatized and sold to US corporations or other multinational corporations.
But the economic hitmen aren't just taking contracts out on nations, they have us in their sights too. Just as they give big loans to countries to saddle them with debts, they give big loans to ordinary men and women too. They give them massive mortgages to pay off, and cards loaded with credit (aka debt). Soon enough, you're a slave of the system, with no prospect of escape. You have to keep on the treadmill, you have to scamper forwards with the other rats in the rat race, you have to keep your nose clean, or rather extremely dirty with all that brown-nosing you're having to do. You can't afford to aggravate your employer. You're locked into the system. You're terrified of losing your job because then you won't be able to pay your debts. The economic hitman's silencer is pointing at you right between the eyes.
The Old World Order use the use the same tactics on the big and the small scale: whether it's a nation or an individual, get them into debt and then you own them.
You're not free, You're not human. You're a performing monkey, a rat with no option but to stay in the race. You're a slave, completely under their control, which was their goal right from the start.
But if you buy property at the right time, you can be a partial winner. House prices might shoot up, and you will have a valuable asset. But what of others who didn't get on the property ladder at the right time? They might now be priced out of the market. Ownership of houses generates winners and losers. There's no skill involved, just luck. Did you get your timing right or not? By chance, some do, and others don't. That chance could shape your future. You might rise up the pecking order, or fall down. You might have an asset that your children will inherit and then they will have an advantage over less fortunate children who have nothing to inherit from their parents.
Why should home ownership dictate your wealth and status, your prospects in life, and even that of your children? It shouldn't, but it does. It has nothing at all to do with merit.
One of the classic mantras of the Power Elite to maintain their rule is contained in the principle: divide and rule.
Look at how society is constructed. The basic unit is the family. Each family lives in its own small, square box (house), cut off from others. Each has one or more cars in which they can again cut themselves off from others. Each is determined to do the best for its own members, and to hell with everyone else.
A society based on the family is full of division, of narrow self-interest, of fear and distrust of others. Everywhere, there are barriers between people. No one is cooperating. We are in the most horrific zero-sum game where if one family wins another loses. Families rising up are invariably pushing other families down. Rich families send their children to private schools to ensure that they get a better education than those who can't afford private school. Once you have gone to a private school, and then an elite college or university, you are eligible for the fine things in life: the best jobs, the best houses, the most attractive partners. You are part of a rigged system, a cartel which is designed to favour you and penalize those who don't share your privileged background. In Britain, this is known as "the old school tie". If you walk into a job interview and you have the right tie and the right accent, you will get the job. An equally or more meritorious candidate from a poorer background has no chance. This is how society works. This is the gospel of the family.
Anyone who does not come from a good, stable, prosperous family is in real trouble. They are likely to slip into the dreaded underclass where they will lead a life of grinding misery with little or no chance of improving themselves. They will resort to drugs and crime to get them through.
We have been divided into countless selfish, competing little units and we are being ruled by the elite, dynastic families at the top of the pyramid. We live in a disguised feudal system; the lords at the top and the serfs (us) effectively owned by them.
We are all cutting each other's throats, desperately trying to climb the pyramid and drag down those above us and stand on those below us. No one is ever condemned for saying, "I'd do anything for my family" (this is the principle by which most parents operate), yet Christianity says "Love thy neighbour as thyself"; "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." No well-off family loves the underclass, no well-off family wants to be done to as they do unto the underclass. None of these families are Christians, even though they say they believe in Christ.
Capitalism is a cut-throat ideology, a robber's creed. It's all about how you can get one over your neighbours, how you can get more money, status and power than others. The "American Dream" is about a person or family rising from nowhere to the very top, above everyone else. It's not about a whole nation rising.
Life is very simple in many respects. Would you rather have leaders who think that society is improved by raising up everyone, or by those who seek their own personal advantage at any cost, regardless of the impact on others. Do you think Wall Street operates in your interests or its own? And if it is not operating in the interests of all the people, why is it tolerated at all? "Greed is good," said Gordon Gekko. Perhaps for the likes of him, but not for anyone else.
Why do we sign up for our own servitude? It doesn't need to be like this.
A very simple moral test can be applied to every decision. Is it done to benefit you alone or to help you and everyone else? Wall Street's morality is the former; Washington DC's morality is the former; capitalism promotes the former; the family abides by the former.
The antidote to family is community. The antidote to capitalism is community. The antidote to narrow self-interest is community. The antidote to Wall Street and big business is community. "Christianity" is theoretically (but not in practice) about community. Illumination is about community.
And community is all about trying to create the environment for each and every person to achieve their maximum potential. An underclass would be unacceptable in a society based on community. Racism, sexism, discrimination, privilege would be unacceptable.
At the moment, a tiny elite live as gods while the vast majority of humanity live in grim conditions with only a few dollars a day to survive. Imagine a world where everyone is flourishing, achieving, contributing. What could humanity not achieve? This is the path of light, the way to the True God. What we have at the moment is rule by the Demiurge, based on division, conflict, self-interest, hatred, selfishness and greed. The institutions of the world serve his and their interests, not those of the people. His ideology has triumphed. The Power Elite, the Old World Order, are his Chosen Ones who have implemented his destructive, hateful will to the letter.
Do you think there is a single godly person in Wall Street? They are the high priests of the Demiurge, and their skyscraper offices are his synagogues. Their chosen task in life is to enrich themselves at everyone else's expense.
To this day there are people working for the defunct organisation Lehman Brothers. Their task is to unravel all of the deals that Lehman was involved with before it collapsed. These people, who took huge bonuses while their bank was crashing, caused by their disastrous decisions, are still being given huge bonuses because otherwise they would leave and it would be impossible to clean up their mess. In other words, they were paid a fortune while they were destroying their bank with their recklessness and stupidity, and now they are being paid a fortune to clean up their own disaster. They win no matter the circumstances. That's the way the OWO operates.
A bank robber goes into a bank and steals a million dollars – that's a crime. A chief executive officer goes into a bank, nearly bankrupts it through his incompetence, then takes out a hundred million dollars in salary, share options, benefits in kind and finally an enormous payoff when he finally gets fired. That's business. It's entirely legitimate. But think about it – who's the bigger criminal? Who has done the most damage to the bank? If you are "authorized", you can do anything you like. You have a licence to help yourself to as much money as you like. No one will stop you.
Who are the authorities? Who appoints them? Who monitors and regulates them? Who is allowed to remove them from office? Do the people ever have any say?
At Davos, a luxury ski resort in Switzerland, world leaders gather annually to discuss the economic future of the world. Politicians, bankers, industrialists, media moguls…the entire ruling class, the Old World Order, come together to decide how to carve up the world pie. You have no say in any of it. No one consults you. Your opinions are ignored. This is the way the world works. Why do you tolerate it? Why does anyone put up with this?
It was these people, those fat cats who go to Davos, who wrecked the world's economy, who caused millions to lose their jobs and homes. What makes them think they are experts, that they are "good" for the world, that the world would fall apart without them? The reverse is true. If they vanished, it would be the best thing for the world. As the old joke says, what do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the sea? A good start. The same is true for all bankers, accountants, politicians, stock market traders, advertisers, celebrities.
We won't be free until it's no longer possible to point at someone and say, "There goes one of the Power Elite." There should be no Power Elite, no one with vastly more money than others, no one with vastly more influence, no one who is treated as a king.
It's one thing to counterfeit a twenty or hundred dollar bill. The amount of financial damage is usually limited to a specific region and only affects dozens of people and thousands of dollars. Secret Service agents quickly notify the banks on how to recognize these phony bills and retail outlets usually have procedures in place (such as special pens to test the paper) to stop their proliferation.
But what about gold? This is the most sacred of all commodities because it is thought to be the most trusted, reliable and valuable means of saving wealth.
A recent discovery — in October of 2009 — has been suppressed by the main stream media but has been circulating among the "big money" brokers and financial kingpins and is just now being revealed to the public. It involves the gold in Fort Knox — the US Treasury gold — that is the equity of our national wealth. In short, millions (with an "m") of gold bars are fake!
Who did this? Apparently our own government.
In October of 2009 the Chinese received a shipment of gold bars. Gold is regularly exchanges between countries to pay debts and to settle the so-called balance of trade. Most gold is exchanged and stored in vaults under the supervision of a special organization based in London, the London Bullion Market Association (or LBMA). When the shipment was received, the Chinese government asked that special tests be performed to guarantee the purity and weight of the gold bars. In this test, four small holes are drilled into the gold bars and the metal is then analyzed.
Officials were shocked to learn that the bars were fake. They contained cores of tungsten with only a outer coating of real gold. What's more, these gold bars, containing serial numbers for tracking, originated in the US and had been stored in Fort Knox for years. There were reportedly between 5,600 to 5,700 bars, weighing 400 oz. each, in the shipment!
At first many gold experts assumed the fake gold originated in China, the world's best knock-off producers. The Chinese were quick to investigate and issued a statement that implicated the US in the scheme.
Roughly 15 years ago — during the Clinton Administration [think Robert Rubin, Sir Alan Greenspan and Lawrence Summers] — between 1.3 and 1.5 million 400 oz tungsten blanks were allegedly manufactured by a very high-end, sophisticated refiner in the USA [more than 16 Thousand metric tonnes]. Subsequently, 640,000 of these tungsten blanks received their gold plating and WERE shipped to Ft. Knox and remain there to this day.
According to the Chinese investigation, the balance of this 1.3 million to 1.5 million 400 oz tungsten cache was also gold plated and then allegedly "sold" into the international market. Apparently, the global market is literally "stuffed full of 400 oz salted bars". Perhaps as much as 600-billion dollars worth.
An obscure news item originally published in the N.Y. Post [written by Jennifer Anderson] in late Jan. 04 perhaps makes sense now.
DA investigating NYMEX executive ,Manhattan, New York, – Feb. 2, 2004.
A top executive at the New York Mercantile Exchange is being investigated by the Manhattan district attorney. Sources close to the exchange said that Stuart Smith, senior vice president of operations at the exchange, was served with a search warrant by the district attorney's office last week. Details of the investigation have not been disclosed, but a NYMEX spokeswoman said it was unrelated to any of the exchange's markets. She declined to comment further other than to say that charges had not been brought. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office also declined comment.
The offices of the Senior Vice President of Operations — NYMEX — is exactly where you would go to find the records [serial number and smelter of origin] for EVERY GOLD BAR ever PHYSICALLY settled on the exchange. They are required to keep these records. These precise records would show the lineage of all the physical gold settled on the exchange and hence "prove" that the amount of gold in question could not have possibly come from the U.S. mining operations — because the amounts in question coming from U.S. smelters would undoubtedly be vastly bigger than domestic mine production.
No one knows whatever happened to Stuart Smith. After his offices were raided he took "administrative leave" from the NYMEX and he has never been heard from since. Amazingly, there never was any follow up on in the media on the original story as well as ZERO developments ever stemming from D.A. Morgenthau's office who executed the search warrant.
Are we to believe that NYMEX offices were raided, the Sr. V.P. of operations then takes leave — all for nothing?
LONDON, April 14, 2004 (Reuters) — NM Rothschild & Sons Ltd., the London-based unit of investment bank Rothschild [ROT.UL], will withdraw from trading commodities, including gold, in London as it reviews its operations, it said on Wednesday.
The Gold Antitrust Action Committee (GATA) is an organisation which has been nipping at the heels of the US Treasury Federal Reserve for several years now. The basis of GATA's accusations is that these institutions, in coordination with other complicit central banks and the large gold-trading investment banks in the US, have been manipulating the price of gold for decades.
Weight: minimum 350 fine ounces AU; maximum 430 fine ounces AU, gross weight of a bar is expressed in troy ounces, in multiples of 0.025, rounded down to the nearest 0.025 of an troy ounce.
Dimensions: the recommended dimensions for a Good Delivery gold bar are: Top Surface: 255 x 81 mm; Bottom Surface: 236 x 57 mm; Thickness: 37 mm.
Fineness: the minimum 995.0 parts per thousand fine gold. Marks: Serial number; Assay stamp of refiner; Fineness (to four significant figures); Year of manufacture (expressed in four digits).
The Federal Reserve knows but is apparently part of the scheme. Earlier this year GATA filed a second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Federal Reserve System for documents from 1990 to date having to do with gold swaps, gold swapped, or proposed gold swaps.
On Aug. 5, The Federal Reserve responded to this FOIA request by adding two more documents to those disclosed to GATA in April 2008 from the earlier FOIA request. These documents totaled 173 pages, many parts of which were redacted (blacked out). The Fed's response also noted thatthere were 137 pages of documents not disclosed that were alleged to be exempt from disclosure.
GATA appealed this determination on Aug. 20. The appeal asked for more information to substantiate the legitimacy of the claimed exemptions from disclosure and an explanation on why some documents, such as one posted on the Federal Reserve Web site that discusses gold swaps, were not included in the Aug. 5 document release.
In a Sept. 17, 2009, letter on Federal Reserve System letterhead, Federal Reserve governor Kevin M. Warsh completely denied GATA's appeal. The entire text of this letter can be examined athttp://www.gata.org/files/GATAFedResponse-09-17-2009.pdf.
The above statement is an admission that the Federal Reserve has been involved with the fake gold bar swaps and that it refuses to disclose any information about its activities!
If you are going to print fake money you need to have the special paper, otherwise the bills don't feel right and can be easily detected by special pens that most merchants and banks use. Likewise, if you are going to fake gold bars you had better be sure they have the same weight and properties of real gold.
In early 2008 millions of dollars in gold at the central bank of Ethiopia turned out to be fake.What were supposed to be bars of solid gold turned out to be nothing more than gold-plated steel. They tried to sell the stuff to South Africa and it was sent back when the South Africans noticed this little problem. The problem with making good-quality fake gold is that gold is remarkably dense. It's almost twice the density of lead, and two-and-a-half times more dense than steel. You don't usually notice this because small gold rings and the like don't weigh enough to make it obvious, but if you've ever held a larger bar of gold, it's absolutely unmistakable: The stuff is very, very heavy.
The standard gold bar for bank-to-bank trade, known as a "London good delivery bar" weighs 400 troy ounces (over thirty-three pounds), yet is no bigger than a paperback novel. A bar of steel the same size would weigh only thirteen and a half pounds.
According to gold expert, Theo Gray, the problem is that there are very few metals that are as dense as gold, and with only two exceptions they all cost as much or more than gold.
The first exception is depleted uranium, which is cheap if you're a government, but hard for individuals to get. It's also radioactive, which could be a bit of an issue.
A top-of-the-line fake gold bar should match the color, surface hardness, density, chemical, and nuclear properties of gold perfectly. To do this, you could could start with a tungsten slug about 1/8-inch smaller in each dimension than the gold bar you want, then cast a 1/16-inch layer of real pure gold all around it. This bar would feel right in the hand, it would have a dead ring when knocked as gold should, it would test right chemically, it would weigh *exactly* the right amount, and though I don't know this for sure, I think it would also pass an x-ray fluorescence scan, the 1/16″ layer of pure gold being enough to stop the x-rays from reaching any tungsten. You'd pretty much have to drill it to find out it's fake.
Such a top-quality fake London good delivery bar would cost about $50,000 to produce because it's got a lot of real gold in it, but you'd still make a nice profit considering that a real one is worth closer to $400,000.
Politicians like Ron Paul have been demanding that the Federal Reserve be more transparent and open up their records for public scrutiny. But the Fed has consistently refused, stating that these disclosures would undermine its operation.
The Obama administration is ramping up its use of drone unmanned aircraft to execute targeted killings in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and perhaps in other locations – and, in the process, killing civilians along with insurgents, and risking the compromise of US moral imperatives and foreign policy goals.
That's the view of a leading civil rights organization, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), calling on the president to lift the curtain of secrecy and level with the American people.
The ACLU is asking the government to release basic information about its use of drones to execute targeted killings. The group believes that "the use and proliferation of this tactic must be the subject of public scrutiny and debate." The strikes are reportedly being carried out both by US military forces and the CIA.
The request is seeking information, including who may be targeted and the geographical limits on where drone strikes may occur. It wants information about the scope and consequences of drone strikes, including a breakdown of the total number of people killed, the civilian casualty toll, the number of people killed who were fighters with the Afghan Taliban or al-Qaeda in Afghanistan or who had some other terror-related affiliation or status.
"The public has been kept in the dark and is therefore unable to assess the wisdom or legality of the strikes," the group claimed.
"The use of drones to conduct targeted killings raises complicated questions – not just legal questions but policy and moral questions as well. These are not questions that should be decided behind closed doors. They are questions that should be debated openly, and the public should have access to information that would allow it to participate meaningfully in the debate," according to Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU's National Security Project.
One of the unmanned vehicles, known as the Predator, is capable of flying for hours, armed or unarmed, remotely controlled by pilots who are stationed thousands of miles away. The Predator is part of a growing number of similar craft that includes the Reaper and Raven as well as a new, high-tech video sensor system called the Gorgon Stare, which is being installed on Reapers.
The ACLU charged that the Obama administration has stepped up the use of drones to target individuals not only in Afghanistan, but also in Pakistan and perhaps other countries that are not active theaters of war.
"The use of unmanned drones to target and kill individuals is a profoundly new way of waging war. For the first time, military and intelligence officers can observe, track, and launch missiles at targeted individuals from control centers located thousands of miles away, without any significant US presence on the ground. The technology also permits the United States to target individuals nearly anywhere in the world," the organization claimed.
The ACLU also raised concerns about the wisdom of using drones on policy and moral grounds.
"We hope that the Obama administration will live up to its professed commitments to transparency and openness in government and release this essential information in a timely manner," the group said.
The increasing use of drones by the US has drawn sharp criticism from President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other high Pakistani officials.
Pakistan said the strikes against suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban militants along its northwest violate its sovereignty. The attacks have resulted in serious anti-American feelings in Pakistan, which Washington sees as a critical ally in its war on extremism.
Gilani said the militants in the northwestern tribal areas bordering Afghanistan are strengthened by US missile strikes. "Our policy is to isolate militants from the local tribes, but drone attacks unite them," he said.
His view was echoed by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who told Reuters that intensified US drone aircraft attacks against Islamist militants in Pakistan could endanger relations between the two allies.
But when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, she told a news conference the US was standing "shoulder to shoulder" with Pakistan in its military offensive. And the increased use of unmanned Predator drones is one of the highest profile ways the US is doing that.
US strategy for eliminating safe havens for militants in the region turns on increasing covert pressure on al-Qaeda and its allies in Pakistan, while ground forces attempt to reverse the Taliban's advances in Afghanistan.
Investigative reporter Jane Mayer of The New Yorker magazine has revealed that the number of US drone strikes in Pakistan has risen dramatically under President Obama. During his first 9.5 months in office, Obama authorized at least 41 CIA missile strikes in Pakistan, a rate of approximately one bombing a week. President Bush sanctioned approximately the same number of attacks in his final three years in office.
One of the most high-profile critics of the US drone program has been the United Nations human rights envoy, Philip Alston, the UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions.
Alston told Amy Goodman of the Democracy Now! radio program that the US government's use of Predator drones may violate international law. He also raised the issue in a report to the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee and said the US should explain the legal basis for using unmanned drones for targeted killings.
In June, Alston presented a critical report on the drone program to the UN Human Rights Council, but he said US representatives ignored his concerns.
But the drone program also has its fans. One of them is John Yoo, the former Office of Legal Counsel deputy who wrote the so-called "torture memos. " Yoo appeared at the conservative American Enterprise Institute recently.
He said that in some areas, President Obama has gone beyond George W. Bush when it comes to the use of executive power. Yoo pointed toward the Obama administration's increased use of predator drones overseas as an example.
"If we were still in peacetime, and this were the criminal justice system, police are not allowed to shoot missiles at people who might be criminals, might be about to commit a criminal act or might have committed a criminal act, even if we have a hard time finding and arresting them," said Yoo. He added that in this area Obama has gone beyond Bush.
Two leading US senators are also strong supporters of the drone program. They are Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Joe Lieberman, Independent of Connecticut. Their recent visit to Islamabad underscored tensions between the anti-terrorist allies caused by strikes unmanned aircraft strikes against suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda targets.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari asked the senators to seek a halt to the drone attacks. He said they are undermining domestic support for the war against Islamist militants and asked that the United States give Pakistan the technology to carry out such strikes on its own.
Following the December 30 suicide bombing at a US base in eastern Afghanistan that killed seven CIA officers and contractors, Washington has also increased its use of the controversial strikes near the Afghan border. Suspected US missiles killed four people and injured three in the latest raid on the North Waziristan tribal area. That was the sixth attack in the region in a week, the Associated Press reported. The AP quoted two Pakistani intelligence officials, who said a pair of missiles struck a house and a vehicle in a village near the town of Miran Shah. They did not identify the victims.
It is the civilian deaths that are giving US policymakers serious headaches. The strategy outlined by Gen. Stanley McChrystal – and supported by Obama with the deployment of 30,000 additional troops – centers on protecting the Afghan people. It is unclear how killing civilians with drone attacks furthers that goal.
In a related development, military observers have revealed – and their revelations have been confirmed by the US military – that a new, "stealthy" US drone, nicknamed "The Beast," is operating out of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
It says the speculation is that The Beast may be carrying out missions outside of Afghanistan, with Iran and Pakistan both being possible candidates.
The Air Force has confirmed The Beast's existence to Aviation Week magazine. "Officially, it's an RQ-170 Sentinel, developed by Lockheed and flown by the flown by the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron at Tonopah Test Range in Nevada," the magazine reported.
And, in something of an embarrassment for the US military, The New York Times reported that insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan have hacked into live video feeds from Predator drones, a key weapon in a Pentagon spy system that serves as the military's eyes in the sky for surveillance and intelligence collection.
Though militants could see the video, The Times said there is no evidence they were able to jam the electronic signals from the unmanned aerial craft or take control of the vehicles, according to a senior defense official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Obtaining the video feeds can provide insurgents with critical information about what the military may be targeting, including buildings, roads and other facilities. The military has reportedly known about the vulnerability for more than a decade, but assumed adversaries would not be able to exploit it.
By ADAM SCHRECK, Associated Press Writer.
RAMADI, Iraq – The U.S. Marine Corps wrapped up nearly seven years in Iraq on Saturday, handing over duties to the Army and signaling the beginning of an accelerated withdrawal of American troops as the U.S. turns its focus away from the waning Iraqi war to a growing one in Afghanistan.
In Baghdad, meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden held talks with Iraqi leaders amid rising tensions over plans to ban election candidates because of suspected links to Saddam Hussein's regime.
The White House worries the bans could raise questions over the fairness of the March 7 parliamentary elections, which are seen as an important step in the American pullout timetable and breaking political stalemates over key issues such as dividing Iraq's oil revenue.
The Marines formally handed over control of Sunni-dominated Anbar, Iraq's largest province, to the Army during a ceremony at a base in Ramadi — where some of the fiercest fighting of the war took place.
Iraqi and American color guards stood together at attention as both countries' national anthems were played by a U.S. military band.
Sharing the front row at the handover ceremony with American Army and Marine generals were some of Anbar's influential tribal sheiks in traditional checkered headdresses and gold-embellished robes. Their decision to shift support to the Americans is credited with sapping the insurgency of much of its strength.
Maj. Gen. Terry Wolff, the Army commander who assumed responsibility for the province, said he hoped security gains cemented by U.S. troops and their Iraqi counterparts should ensure a smooth transfer despite the overall drawdown in American forces.
If all goes as planned, the last remaining Marines will be followed out by tens of thousands of soldiers in the coming months. President Barack Obama has ordered all but 50,000 troops out of the country by Aug. 31, 2010, with most to depart after the March 7 parliamentary election.
The remaining troops will leave by the end of 2011 under a U.S.-Iraqi security pact.
But concerns about the success of the election — and perhaps the loss of hard won security gains that the Marines helped cement — are on the rise because of a growing political dispute that could see more than 500 candidates blacklisted because of suspected ties to previous regime.
The changeover at Ramadi, west of Baghdad, leaves the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division with responsibility over both Baghdad and Anbar, the vast desert province that stretches from western Baghdad to the borders ofSyria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The province was once the heart of the deadly Sunni insurgency that erupted after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. In the battles for control of the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, the Marines saw some of the most brutal and deadliest fighting of the war.
Violence began dropping off in the province in late 2006 when Sunni fighters — known as Awakening Councils— turned against al-Qaida and sided with the Marines to fight the insurgency.
As many as 25,000 Marines were in Iraq at the peak, mostly in Anbar province. The few thousand who remain — except for U.S. Embassy guards and advisers in Baghdad — are expected to ship out in a matter of weeks.
The upcoming parliamentary election is also considered an important step toward speeding the U.S. troop pullout and seeking progress on stalled political initiatives. Among them: passing laws clarifying the rules for foreign oil investment and dividing the revenue among Iraq's main groups.
But plans to ban hundreds of candidates have raised deep concerns in Washington that the voting could widen rifts between the majority Shiites who gained power after Saddam's fall and Sunnis who are struggling to regain influence.
Biden, who arrived late Friday, had a full agenda of meetings with Iraqi leaders including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has strongly supported the blacklist and has resisted attempts at possible American mediation.
Some Sunni leaders have accused the Shiite-led government of using the ban as a political tool. But al-Maliki insists that Iraq must purge all ties to Saddam's Sunni-dominated regime. A vetting panel has put 512 names on the blacklist and more are expected.
There was no immediate word from Biden or his aides on the talks.
Biden's schedule also includes a meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who has asked for a legal review on the blacklist. The courts are expected to examine whether the vetting panel has legal grounding because it does not have formal parliamentary approval.
The panel includes two controversial Shiite figures: Ali al-Lami, who was once detained by the U.S. militaryover a 2008 attack in a Shiite district of Baghdad; and Ahmed Chalabi, who is blamed for supplying U.S. officials with faulty intelligence on Saddam's weapons program prior to the 2003 invasion.
Al-Lami is also a candidate in the March elections — raising further complaints from Sunnis about possible political motives behind the list.
Associated Press Writers Matt Apuzzo and Bushra Juhi in Baghdad contributed to this report.


text:
Лилибет () — английское женское имя, изначально — уменьшительное от Елизавета ():
 домашнее детское имя королевы Великобритании Елизаветы II  (1926—2022);
 первое имя () одной из правнучек Елизаветы II, Лилибет Дианы Маунтбеттен-Виндзор (р. 2021).

Английские женские имена
Елизавета II

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The 10-year old compressed air system at the company's main production site was recently reviewed and judged to present future reliability issues. This was deemed crucial, as a constant supply of quality compressed air is essential to the efficient operation of the company's production equipment, such as drills and other air tools, as well as complex CNC machining tasks.
Atlas Copco was called upon to carry out an iiTrak data monitoring exercise to measure the plant's air requirements and assess both the energy usage and performance of the existing compressed air system. As a result of this exercise, a GA26 VSD+ 13 bar compressor and GA22+ fixed-speed 7.5 bar compressor were installed.
A similar data monitoring process was then carried out at the company's second production site. The decision was made to install a GA15 VSD+ machine with output variable from 7 to 42 l/s, together with a refrigerant dryer, filters, air receiver and oil/water separator. The installation also included a complete 40mm AIRnet modular ring main.
Heritage Trade Frames, which was founded in the late 1980s, has manufactured, supplied and installed over one million products in homes and offices throughout the UK. The company produces energy certified windows at a rate of over 50,000 frames a year, in addition to composite doors, bi-folding doors and in-line patios, and its annual sales are in excess of £9 million.


How is a new line started? Well, I wouldn't say it's hard work, but it does take some commitment from at least one person (or hopefully a few). Usually, someone like yourself takes the initiative to start a line because they know a lot of drivers or slugs who have asked "why doesn't the commuter lot closer to where we live have slugging?". The answer is probably because nobody has tried to start a line in that location. It's that simple. The potential for slugging exists in virtually any commuter lot where bus service is available. The key ingredients as you will read later are: 1) a parking area, 2) some sort of backup transportation (i.e. bus, rail, or metro) , and 3) slugs/drivers. But how is it done? Read below and understand that there's no "easy" way to start a line but Slug-Lines.com will help in any way we can to promote your efforts!! Good luck.
Lines started from an existing line: this is the easiest. Many slugs have simply taken small signs to the slug line to announce their destination. Once drivers realize they can get a slug for that location each day, the word speads and eventually a new line develops.
Lines started from scratch: this takes some work and dedication but it is worth it.
1) Pick a location. Its best to have an actual commuter parking lot for a slug location into the city. There are some lines that operate in unoccupied parking areas in a mall but sometimes the owners object. Others operate with permission from the owners until they realize just how many slugs/drivers there are and sometimes they withdraw the permissions. And finally, some use street or curb parking but this doesn't allow for much growth. So, it is better to use a free commuter lot if at all possible to avoid problems.
2) Co-locate with Bus/Metro/Rail stop. Slugs need the safety net of another form of transportation (i.e.the bus, metro, rail). Sometimes people want to leave to/from work outside of normal slugging hours; the bus or metro gives them that flexibility. Others simply like to slug in the morning and bus home. However its done, a backup form of transportation at the slug line is best. Since commuter lots have bus stops that makes it an easy choice.
3) Develop a flyer that gives all the details of a) new location with map, b) new destination c) date you are going to start the new line.
4) Spread the word by starting early. Then make a big push the final few days.
5) Harness the efforts of other drivers/sluggers interested in the new location and get them to help distribute your flyer.
6) Consider making a poster board sign to place at the new location on the day of the event reminding drivers/slugs.
A lot depends on the participation the very first day. If there isn't an adequate mix of drivers or slugs then it will never get off the ground.
It will work! A lady started the Rosslyn line in much the same way. I know, because I use to slug to the Pentagon then catch the Metro to Rosslyn and the reverse each day. It was great when the Rosslyn connection started.
I will forward your email to the local government commuter services offices notifying them of a potential new line.


text:
Q: Firefox: connection determined in PHP script I've set up an Apache Server as localhost in a openSUSE 13.1 64 bit system and I'm currently testing my PHP scripts.
In Konquerer 4.11.5 everything seems fine, but with Firefox 29.0.1 there is a strange phenomenon:
Every 10th time or so the connection fails. Firefox reports: "Connection determined".
The failed connection is listed neither in error_log nor in access_log.
The error must be quite "early". Because my PHP script output.php calls "itself" via
header("Location: output.php?changed_url");

almost immediately, but the Firefox error is BEFORE output.php is opened for the second time.
I have no idea what to do about this. It's a quite annoying issue.
All answers will be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

A: I guess you are missing
exit;

after the header() location change.
So you have an open script, firefox redirecting to the next (itself) and still having one open, ... I think firefox doesn't like this kind of loop ;)

A: Do you have any .htaccess file there? Have you tried using firefox from different OS or computer? I bet it's related to your installation of firefox :) (i ain't pro take it as guess)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Lunch earlier this week at the London outpost of Michelin starred Indian Accent. For refined and progressive Indian cuisine in London, this is at the top of the pile.
With the 6 course lunch at £45 it is also great value.


text:
package com.huibo.mes.ui.main.adapter;

import android.content.Context;
import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.huibo.mes.R;
import com.huibo.mes.ui.main.bean.HandleOrder;
import com.zhy.autolayout.utils.AutoUtils;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * Created by Administrator on 2017/4/6.
 */

public class HandleOrderAdapter  extends ArrayAdapter<HandleOrder> implements View.OnClickListener{

    private HandlerButtonListener listener;

    public void setHandlerButtonListener(HandlerButtonListener listener){
        this.listener=listener;
    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {
        listener.handleClick(v,(int)v.getTag());
    }

    public interface HandlerButtonListener{
        void handleClick(View view,int position);
    }

    private Context mContext;
    private int resourceId;
    private List<HandleOrder> handleOrders;

    public HandleOrderAdapter(Context context,int reourceId, List<HandleOrder> handleOrderList) {
        super(context,reourceId, handleOrderList);
        mContext=context;
        this.resourceId=reourceId;
        handleOrders=handleOrderList;
    }

    @NonNull
    @Override
    public View getView(final int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {

        HandleOrder handleOrder=handleOrders.get(position);
        ViewHolder viewHolder=null;
        if(convertView==null) {
            viewHolder=new ViewHolder();
            convertView = LayoutInflater.from(mContext).inflate(resourceId, null, false);
            viewHolder.tv_order_num = ((TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.tv_order_num));
            viewHolder.tv_order_id = ((TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.tv_order_id));
            viewHolder.tv_order_name = ((TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.tv_order_name));
            viewHolder.tv_order_finish_time = ((TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.tv_order_finish_time));
            viewHolder.btn_detail = ((Button) convertView.findViewById(R.id.btn_detail));
            viewHolder.btn_start = ((Button) convertView.findViewById(R.id.btn_start));
            viewHolder.btn_finish = ((Button) convertView.findViewById(R.id.btn_finish));
            viewHolder.btn_delete = ((Button) convertView.findViewById(R.id.btn_delete));

            viewHolder.btn_detail.setOnClickListener(this);
            viewHolder.btn_detail.setTag(position);
            viewHolder.btn_start.setOnClickListener(this);
            viewHolder.btn_start.setTag(position);
            viewHolder.btn_finish.setOnClickListener(this);
            viewHolder.btn_finish.setTag(position);
            viewHolder.btn_delete.setOnClickListener(this);
            viewHolder.btn_delete.setTag(position);
            convertView.setTag(viewHolder);
        }else{
            viewHolder=(ViewHolder)convertView.getTag();
        }
        viewHolder.tv_order_num.setText(handleOrder.getOrderNum()+"");
        viewHolder.tv_order_id.setText(handleOrder.getOrderId());
        viewHolder.tv_order_name.setText(handleOrder.getOrderName());
        viewHolder.tv_order_finish_time.setText(handleOrder.getOrderTime());
        AutoUtils.autoSize(convertView);
        return convertView;
    }

   class ViewHolder{
    TextView tv_order_num;
    TextView tv_order_id;
    TextView tv_order_name;
    TextView tv_order_finish_time;
    Button btn_detail;
    Button btn_start;
    Button btn_finish;
    Button btn_delete;

}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
New 'Mission: Impossible' dominates the weekend box office
Jason Guerrasio
Aug. 2, 2015, 11:32 AM
Bo Bridges/Paramount Pictures
Tom Cruise proves he's still a box office draw as his latest movie, "Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation," tops the weekend with an estimated $56 million in the US, according to Deadline.
That's the second-highest opening weekend for a film in the "M: I" franchise, just behind "Mission: Impossible II" ($57.8 million).
The $56 million figure tops projections late last week of the film grossing around $40 million for the weekend. This was due not only to positive critical reaction for "Rogue Nation," with an above 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the film also followed a strong $20 million take on Friday (which includes $4 million for Thursday evening screenings), according to Box Office Mojo, with an impressive $19.9 million on Saturday, according to Deadline.
Things were even better for "Rogue Nation" internationally, where it grossed $65 million so far. In 32 markets it was the biggest opening ever for an "M: I" film, while in 27 it's the best opening for a Cruise film, according to Deadline.
The hot weekend temperatures proved to be a success for the other big release out this weekend, as people also flocked to their air conditioned-friendly multiplexes to see "Vacation."
The reboot of the classic Chevy Chase-starring "Nation Lampoon's Vacation" franchise, with Ed Helms now in the lead, took in $14.85 million over the weekend ($21.17 million for it's five-day total), according to BoxOffice.com.
SEE ALSO: Why Tom Cruise is Hollywood's last movie star
NOW WATCH: We unearthed Donald Trump's Vine account from 2013 and it's incredible
More: Movies Mission Impossible Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation Tom Cruise

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Meteor call in a loop. How to prevent multiple call? The method call "Insert All sms data" run more than once I tried to prevent using counter variable but on client side it run once and on the server side it runs x time as shown in the image, thus adding data to db multiple timres which I do not want, this should add to db only once. I want also add another call whith in method call "Insert All sms data" which should run x as the loop. I stuck here.
Meteor 1.8 react 16.8
imports/api/kuser.js
'Find all numbers' (smsText) {
        if(!this.userId) {
            throw new Meteor.Error('not-authorized');
         }
         let counter = 0;
          return userKisandb.find({
            userId: this.userId
         }).fetch().map((Mob) => {
            // return Mob.Mnumber
            if(Mob.Mnumber) {

                Meteor.call('Send to all',Mob.Mnumber,smsText,(err,resp) => {
                  //sms.js
                  if(err){
                      console.log("send all numbers error2", err);
                    } else {
                      console.log("send all numbers ", resp);

                      if(counter === 0) {
                        Meteor.call('Insert All sms data',smsText,counter,(err,resp1) => {
                          //get inserted data id
                          //allSmsdb
                          if(err){
                              console.log("Insert All sms data error", err);
                            } else {
                              console.log("this should run only once ",counter);

                  //Another call to be added which should run x times
                            }
                          })
                          counter++
                        }

                    }

                  });

            } //Mob.Mnumber

         });
    },

and the method 1 is
'Send to all'(mob,text) {
      return "sucess";
  },

method 2 is
'Insert All sms data' (smstext,counter) {
        if(!this.userId) {
            throw new Meteor.Error('not-authorized');
         }
         console.log("Inserted same data x times",counter);
         if(counter === 0) {
            return allSms.insert({
                smstext,
                userId: this.userId,
                updatedAt: moment().valueOf(),
            });
         }

    },

And output is

A: Meteor methods can be called from the front end, asking the back end to do something. It doesn't make sense for a back end method to do a Meteor.call, because it's already on the back end. It will work, kind of, but then you get into trouble because your counter isn't passed around as you expect.
Make your method only work on the server, and just loop around the data, doing all of the work, rather than breaking it up into pieces like you have.


text:
"We cannot trust" Intel and Via's chip-based crypto, FreeBSD developers say
Developers of the FreeBSD operating system will no longer allow users to trust processors manufactured by Intel and Via Technologies as the sole source of random numbers needed to generate cryptographic keys that can't easily be cracked by government spies and other adversaries.The change, which will be effective in the upcoming FreeBSD version 10.0, comes three months after secret documents leaked by former National Security Agency (NSA) subcontractor Edward Snowden said the US spy agency was able to decode vast swaths of the Internet's encrypted traffic. Among other ways, The New York Times, Pro Publica, and The Guardian reported in September, the NSA and its British counterpart defeat encryption technologies by working with chipmakers to insert backdoors, or cryptographic weaknesses, in their products.
The revelations are having a direct effect on the way FreeBSD will use hardware-based random number generators to seed the data used to ensure cryptographic systems can't be easily broken by adversaries. Specifically, "RDRAND" and "Padlock"—RNGs provided by Intel and Via respectively—will no longer be the sources FreeBSD uses to directly feed random numbers into the /dev/random engine used to generate random data in Unix-based operating systems.
The content in this post was found at http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/12/we-cannot-trust-intel-and-vias-chip-based-crypto-freebsd-developers-say/ and was not authored by the moderators of freeforafee.com. Clicking the title link will take you to the source of the post.
« Should TheDirty Website Be Liable For Encouraging Users To Gossip? (Forbes Cross-Post) Ill-Advised Student YouTube Video Leads to Conviction For Misusing Computerized Communication System–In re Kaleb K. »
Date : 11 December 2013
Categories : Digital Rights Management


In our increasingly cashless society, it is the credit card, rather than cash, that is king. This brings many benefits but can cause problems for mobile businesses if their customers want to pay by card and there is no immediate access to a card payment terminal.
Cheques are becoming increasingly obsolete and require the businessman to visit his bank in order to process them. So if payment by credit card is not possible, then the customer is forced to have the cash available, which may cause them inconvenience.
As the mobile businessman collects more cash payments throughout the day, he is faced with the security risks in carrying large quantities of cash, and will be forced to visit his bank to deposit his earnings as soon as possible.
Time spent traveling to, and queuing at, banks is time wasted, and can reduce the earnings of hard working businesses.
Credit card readers have long been available, but until recently these have operated over the WiFi networks at the business premises. We are all familiar with paying restaurant bills using this sort of point of sale technology, but what happens if the business is mobile and their office based WiFi isn't available?
This is where a mobile card reader, such as SumUp comes in handy.
Mobile card readers resolve the problems of accepting point of sale payments at customer premises. They connect to the Internet via a Bluetooth connection to the businessman's smart phone, allowing the credit card details to be securely captured, verified, and the payment taken, in as efficient way as possible.
SumUp, for example, uses this technology and is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Once the card details have been read by the SumUp card machine and verified by the their systems, the payment is immediately transferred to the business bank account.
This makes receiving point of sale payments fast and friction-less, with the only caveat being that there must be a mobile Internet signal available, but mobile black spots are becoming less frequent as the networks continue to improve their coverage.
Mobile point of sale systems like this present many opportunities for small businesses who have previously struggled to accept credit card payments from their customers.
Think of the many craftsmen and artisan producers who frequent craft fairs, farmers markets and Christmas fayres.
These small businesses are often selling expensive items and being unable to accept credit cards can easily prevent sales as their customers may not have sufficient cash, or their cheque books, available.
Lucrative impulse purchases may be missed, which can cost artisan producers dearly from lost sales merely because they could not accept a credit card payment.
If these small businesses used a mobile credit card payment such as SumUp, they could accept point of sale card payments and increase their sales as a result. SumUp only charge a 1.9% transaction fee and there are no contracts, so there are real opportunities for using this technology for commercial advantage.
Think of other service businesses such as gardeners and domestic cleaners. If their clients don't have the cash to pay for their services, then they have to wait to get paid, or waste time chasing their customers for payment.
A quick and easy payment via credit card using a mobile card reader resolves this. Payment has been made and the service provider can move onto the next job, secure in the knowledge that their earnings have been safely banked.


text:
Interview: Alessandra Frezza, Gallery Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
We spoke this month with Alessandra Frezza of Gallery Ethiopia, an online gallery that features works from Addis Ababa and beyond. We are so happy to hear about the vibrant art scene in Addis, and it is a pleasure hearing about the mission of the gallery and a handful of their featured painters. For more about the gallery, visit their website.
Baleagerwa, by Shewa Tamerat
Flash Frontier: When did this gallery start, and what is its mission?
Alessandra Frezza: We opened the virtual gallery a year ago (2017), with the aim to bring more awareness to Ethiopian artists and art.
FF: We read that your gallery showcases artists from all around Ethiopia. Do you think artists in Ethiopia view themselves as individuals or as a collective?
AF: Artists in Ethiopia view themselves more as individuals, as their art is very personal, inspiring from their life experiences. However, they are a very tight knit community, supporting each other in many ways.
FF: Do you think there are central themes that most Ethiopian artists embrace or explore?
AF: In my humble opinion, there cannot be a central theme among artists. Each one gets inspiration from different thing, especially different life experiences. So no, there's not central theme other than an Ethiopian artist's life.
FF: Are there common struggles for artists in Ethiopia?
AF: I think artists in general struggle. Having said that, Ethiopian artists mainly struggle in gaining support from their families. Often and unfortunately, there is the stigma of artists not being able to support themselves and being "dreamers" or "good for nothing". Here, it is maybe even more accentuated, where there is still the mentality that if you do not study to become a doctor, architect, engineer, or any other "good" job, you are basically wasting your life and here even engineers struggle to support their families. It's great to see that some artists follow their dreams regardless and gift us with their work.
FF: We notice there are four categories on your gallery website for the paintings included here: abstract, wildlife, portrait and religious. Could you take one from each category and tell us a bit about the piece and the artist who designed it?
AF: Sure! Here are four artists and their work from this site.
Birtukan Dejene's paintings are all colored with warm and earthy colors. You can see the fiery colors in "The Chant" and almost hear the priests' chants. If you know a bit about Ethiopia, you know the importance of religion and you can feel through this painting the sober yet festive vibrations.
Birtukan is a woman who brings calmness when she walks into the room. All her paintings are colored with Ethiopian earthy colors – you seem to want to know more about the story being told in her paintings.
Birtukan Dejene started her career working as a graphic designer for various organizations and magazine for a number of years. Today Birtukan is a full-time studio artist. Her art has exhibited in numerous art shows in Addis Ababa. She is well known for her use of geometric figures to depict the human form.
Nigatu Solomon's work sold on this site are collages from bits of cloth applied to canvas. You will only notice they are collages when you see them up-close. Nigatu's "Beneath a Warm Shade 2" depicts a woman with distinct Ethiopian features. The warm shades of blues with the fire red hues are his signature colors, and the contrast fits perfectly to make an impressive work of art.
Nigatu comes from a family of artists and gets his inspiration by the natural beauty of the Habesha (Ethiopian) woman. A very humble artist with immense talent.
Nigatu Solomon was born in Dessie, Souther Wollo, Ethioia in 1986. His father was an artist and got him acquainted with art at a very young age. Under his father's apprenticeship he developed a strong curiosity and passion towards art and art making. He graduated from the Addis Ababa University, Alle School of Fine Art and Design in 2011. He is inspired by Habesha women's beauty, especially in market settings. He uses new techniques and employs them with old mediums in order to create a mosaic of colored fabric in various sizes, tones and intensity, and arranges them in ways that bring forth an impressive spectacle.
Eyayu Genet's paintings are mystical and magical. You are transported to places out of this world. He tried to pursue "traditional" jobs, but was quickly brought back to his calling and cannot be happier with the choice he's made. He has managed to make Bahir Dar (a city in the north of Ethiopia) an alternative art corner and has trained more than 80 students in technical and artistic expression at the Bahir Dar University. He is as colorful as his paintings!
"Melody of Beauty" brings an alternative look to the traditional Ethiopian beauty. The colors are warm, putting music into a visual phenomenon. Beauty is personal, but music can connect regardless. A positive energy brings people together in this painting and metaphorically represents a woman as "key" (musical key and people's key) in this religious chant.
Eyayu Genet is a young artist and a teacher. He earned a B.A in Economics from Bahir Dar University. However, after a few years working in the field of economics he decided to divert his efforts in pursuit of his real passion – art. Eyayu's Ethiopian art style focuses on emphasizing themes from Ethiopian culture and daily life by layering strong features and vibrant colors.
Shewa Tamerat is a quiet introvert artist that expresses his blue moods through his art. You will notice that all his paintings have blue as the predominant color. His approach to portraits are completely different and distinct. Complex details compose the "skin" of his subjects, and when seen up close you can see the attention and effort put into each painting.
Shewa comes from the south of Ethiopia, where the Rift Valley crosses and magically transforms the landscapes. Bird life abounds in this area and Shewa has brought the majestic Fishing Eagle to life in "Eagle Eyes" with his intricate signature details.
Shewa Tamerat went to Arsi Negele High School and then attended Abisiniya Sene Tebeb in 2010. In 2012 he attended Teferi Mekonen Fine Art School. Notably, Shewa has participated in many international exhibitions. His Ethiopian Art style is feature by a unique and innovative approach towards people's portraits.
Categories:Interviews and Features Uncategorized
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This property enjoys a quiet farmland location within walking distance of village amenities which include a village shop and a welcoming pub perfect for a stroll out for lunch or an enjoyable afternoon pint. Just 9 miles south of the property the seaside town of Sidmouth offers two sandy beaches stunning coastal walks a range of shops and restaurants and even a donkey sanctuary. Further around the coast the resorts of the English Riviera are not to be missed with their warm micro climate beach front attractions and pretty gardens.
Paignton Zoo is also within an easy drive as is Crealy Adventure Park and the market town of Honiton famed for its lace and pottery production and home to a large array of antiques shops making it the perfect place to spend an afternoon pottering around. This property has been lovingly restored with original features making it a memorable place for a holiday with family or friends. On the ground floor the spacious lounge area has a large inglenook fireplace as its focal point which now houses a woodburner ensuring that the room stays lovely and cosy even in the coolest of months.
There are comfortable sofas from which guests are able to enjoy the TV/DVD or perhaps just relax with a drink at the end of the day. The kitchen/diner is an attractive room with an unusual ornamental Victorian fireplace as well as dining table and a window seat. Guests will find everything they need here to make themselves feel at home including an oven and hob microwave fridge and dishwasher whilst a second fridge a freezer washing machine and tumble dryer can all be found in the separate utility room.
There is also a convenient ground floor cloakroom with WC. On the first floor of the property there are three bedrooms. The first of these is a large family room within which there is a king-size bed a single bed and a cot as well as TV; great for occupying the children whilst adults catch a few extra minutes sleep! Further to this room there is 1 king-size and 1 twin room one of which also has a TV.
The bathroom which is also located on the first floor has a bath with shower attachment and WC. Outside the property has a lovely enclosed garden with spacious lawns seating and a BBQ. The property s private hot tub is situated in its own building and has a changing space and shower so there is no need to dash walk back to the main house in cold swim suits.
A barn located adjacent to the property houses the shared indoor heated pool as well as the shared sauna. Two more barn buildings have been made into games rooms offering a pool table table tennis a Wendy house and a range of toys - there really is something for everyone here. The farm itself occupies 120 acres of land and guests are welcome to watch the cows being fed and milked.
There is private off-road parking for four cars provided.
Get an Ordnance Survey map covering the Sidmouth area.


Holy Jamoly, it has been a whole month since I wrote a blog post. I have a pretty good excuse. Business was booming at More Love Mama. I've been sewing up a storm. Most days I went home from my first job at school and sewed for 3 or 4 hours in my second job at home. So I simply didn't have any more hours or energy to write a blog. I had some many great ideas of things I wanted to write about. So I guess I'd better hurry up and catch up before all my ideas drift back out of my head.
Today I woke up at about 7:30. My bladder wouldn't let me sleep any later. After leaving the bathroom I could hear the girls playing quietly in their room. No one was screaming in agony or calling my name so I let them play. This was a bad plan. A few minutes later Brian went in and discovered they had ONCE AGAIN gone into the closet, emptied all the drawers of the dresser and dragged dozens more pieces of clothing off the hangers. Uggg! It was too early for such a moment of chaos.
Louise, where are your pajamas? And your pull-up?????
However, one of my goals for this holiday vacation time is to purge my house of a great deal of clutter. Because of course, on Christmas Day, we'll be adding a whole new pile of crazy clutter to our mess. So Louise forced me to start in her closet. I managed to sort out a whole diaper box of clothes for the attic. Now I just have to track down the door knob cover that she pried off during her break in and duct tape it back to the door!!!
I then moved onto shoes. In a house with 8 people, shoes are one of the great and annoying challenges of our day. If every person has just 2 pair (which of course is closer to 4 or 5 per person) and all those shoes end up floating around our living room at the same time, it leads to a landmine effect of highly irritating proportions. So after lots of pairing and purging I was able to sort out a whole box of don't fits or won't fit by the time summer comes back around shoes. Ahhhh, I love to box things up and send them to Attic Land!!!
I asked Manny how this happened and he said, "JoJo did it!" Hmmmmmm???
Sorting and eliminating lots of children's books. I never dreamed we could have too many books in our house, but we do! And boy howdy, there are some kids books that never should have been published. We need them out.
Clean and organize my bedroom and closet.
Convince Brian to build a dutch door into your kitchen. The doggy gate we currently use it not cutting it. Our little burglars are masters of the break in!
Clean and re-organize our school area in the kitchen. There are school supplies strewn everywhere and this week Kat managed to steal a dry erase marker and graffiti all over our living room carpet. Oh she is so cute!
Actually get all the boxes of my de-cluttering success out of the garage and up into the attic.
So I've written it all down for the world to see so that all of you will hold me to my list! I'll post a few before and after pics if I have any success!
Have a great Saturday and see you tomorrow for Day 2 of the Fourteen Days of Christmas Vacation!


text:
The Pacific Highway upgrade - Ballina Bypass
Client name: Roads and Maritime Services (RMS)
Duration: September 2007- December 2012
Location: Ballina, New South Wales, Australia
Working as part of the Alliance, Coffey initiated a number of innovative practices that contributed to an early completion date – six months ahead of schedule.
Soft soils creating challenges for Ballina bypass
The Pacific Highway Ballina Bypass crosses the Richmond River floodplain – some of Australia's deepest (up to 28m) and softest soils – which are subject to large and varying rates of settlement. These difficult ground conditions require extensive measures to prevent embankment failure and ensure cut stability. Soils are also acidic, containing naturally occurring heavy metals that pose contamination risks.
This $600m road runs between Ballina and the Bruxner Highway. It includes 11.5km four-lane dual carriageway and 12km of local roads, 3 major interchanges and 19 bridges – including over water structures.
Three-pronged solution: low embankment, cutting stabilisation, and ground treatment
Low embankment strategy – We developed a low embankment strategy to reduce the extent of ground treatment required for lengthy sections. This kept the embankment as low as possible, while maintaining flood immunity for at least one traffic lane in a 1:20 year flood event.
To allow for post-construction settlement, we designed a staged flexible pavement approach, using moisture-resistant pavement and reshaping after one year of operation. The fill was placed as early as possible. A flood gap strategy ensured parts of the embankment could be removed quickly to allow flood water to pass.
Cutting stabilisation – By understanding the geology of the rock cuttings through investigation and geological mapping we were able to significantly reduce the rock support requirements for the major cuttings on the project.
Innovative ground treatment techniques – Following detailed site investigations, we installed extensive ground treatments to control embankment settlements and overcome the difficult soft ground conditions. These included: lightweight fill, surcharging with wick drains, vacuum consolidation (an Australian first), dry deep soil mixing, vibro-replacement stone columns and dynamic replacement.
These ground treatments were also selected to minimise disturbance of the natural soils. In addition, groundwater was extracted and treated to neutralise acid and heavy metals.
Innovative strategy saved $20M and delivered 6 months early
Major cost savings – The low embankment strategy alone saved the project over AU $20m.
Delivered early – This component of the Pacific Highway opened six months earlier than its anticipated completion date. Average road performance is expected to meet or be better than project specifications.
Success despite soft soil conditions – RMS considered Coffey's work on the soft soils pivotal in overcoming the difficult terrain. Our solutions enabled roads to be constructed in areas where it was not previously thought possible.
"Just a brief note to say thanks to the team for a fantastic job, well done. Whilst there are still a couple of important milestones to hit, the major objective of the project has been achieved. Achieved with bells and whistles – achieved early, achieved with a focus on working safely, achieved with an attention to detail and quality, achieved with the interests of the community and travelling public in mind. The project has faced some incredible engineering and construction challenges and I don't think could have achieved this result without the collaboration of the project partners possible through the alliance."
Geoff Fogarty, Director Infrastructure Services
Roads and Maritime Services (formerly RTA)
Australia Geotechnical engineering Testing services Transport infrastructure
Brisbane Waterfront Development
Manning Hospital Redevelopment Stage 1
R8000 - Facilities Requirements for the New Air Combat Capability - Off Aircraft Maintenance Facility
Senior Principal
Have an employment question? Please do not submit here. Visit our careers site for more information – we'd love to hear from you.
Contact Patrick
The Pacific Highway upgrade
The Pacific Highway upgrade - Kempsey Bypass
Ground improvement services


Here at HQ we're coming to the end of the first round of reading for the Exeter Novel Prize and are soon going to have make some tough choices. The long list will be posted on this site on the 1st Jan and I'll announce on Facebook and Twitter when it's live.
It's been an amazing year. Thank you to everyone who has entered our competitions. Thank you to my lovely Friday Writers and Sophie says thank you to her Teignmouth Life Writers. Margaret and I are still thrilled that our text book has proved so popular. You have no idea how thrilling one of those little yellow #No1bestseller flags are they have at Amazon.
Next year is already shaping up to be even more amazing. Entries are coming in for the Exeter Story Prize and Trisha Ashley is looking forward to reading the humorous entries. We hope there will be lots for her to choose from.
If you're stuck for a last minute Christmas present for someone with a writerly nature, think of us. My short story course is a present for someone already. I hope they like it!
Merry Christmas and a Successful Writing New Year!


text:
Q: How can I get exact value from list? I have a list result. It contains:
result[0]
{'id': 'xxxx', 'score': 63.0, 'path': 'frames/212.png', 'dist': 0.0}

and:
result[1]
{'id': 'xxxx', 'score': 58.0, 'path': 'frames/156.png', 'dist': 8.0}

I need to get score, path and dist value from each index. So I imagine it to look like this:
>>> result[0].value('score')

How can I properly get it?

A: No need for the .value, in python you can simply do:
print(results[0]['score'], results[0]['dist'])

63.0 0.0

A: to get all the values you can try a for loop with the get method of a dict class result = [{'id': 'xxxx', 'score': 63.0, 'path': 'frames/212.png', 'dist': 0.0},
 {'id': 'xxxx', 'score': 58.0, 'path': 'frames/156.png', 'dist': 8.0}]
    results = result_list.get('score'), result_list.get(
        'path'), result_list.get('dist')
    print(results)```


text:
— группа вулканов, расположенных на японском острове Хонсю в префектуре Фукусима.

Адатара состоит из стратовулканов и куполов, наивысшая точка которых достигает высоты 1700 м, по другим данным 1718 м. Располагается недалеко от побережья Японского моря, в 15 км к юго-западу от Фукусимы. Сам вулкан и окрестную местность покрывают лесные массивы. Зимой вблизи склонов вулкана Адатара развит горнолыжный туризм.

Адатара входит в комплекс лавовых куполов и других стратовулканов, которые примыкают к вулкану Адзума. Сложен преимущественно андезитами. Вулкан Адатара формировался в 3 периода в эпоху плейстоцена: 550, 350, 200 тысяч лет тому назад. Наиболее активным является кратер Нуманотайра, из которого периодически выходят серные газы и развита фумарольная активность. В 1900 году в результате выбросов серных газов погибло 72 рабочих, которые добывали в окрестностях вулкана серу.

15 сентября 1997 года четверо туристов погибли на склонах вулкана в результате отравления парами серы. Из отряда численностью 14 человек, шестеро женщин потеряли тропу ведущую на вершину и попали в болото. Двоим удалось пройти, но трое следовавщих за ними потеряли сознание. Последняя женщина пыталась спасти их, но так же потеряла сознание. Первые двое вызвали спасателей, но из-за плохой связи помощь пришла слишком поздно.

Последний раз вулкан активно проявлял вулканическую активность в 1996 году. В современный период вулкан извергался или выбрасывал значительные пары газа более 12 раз.

Примечания

Ссылки

 Volcano Live — John Search
 Volcano World — Oregon State University

Вулканы Японии
Стратовулканы
Комплексы вулканов
Активные вулканы


Solar Wind 624km/s peak at 0438z.
7.150 F5MUX 0758 5x4 LP wkg VK3.
Darwin VK8 FoEs 0420z > 7.400Mhz.
Solar Wind 473km/s peak at 0222z.
7.141 CT1EHI 0701 5x4 LP CQ Pacific.
Nothing to Report , bands flat, normal these days !!
14.074 > ( BG2VIA 1057 +09 PM08 ) our sunset on 20M FT8 almost entirely North Asian DX lately.
14.183 VI5MARCONI 0539 5x4 SES YL Op.
Darwin VK8 FoEs 0220z > 5.670Mhz.


SEOUL, South Korea - SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An American Christian missionary slipped into isolated North Korea on Christmas Day, shouting that he brought God's love and carrying a letter urging leader Kim Jong Il to step down and free all political prisoners, an activist said Saturday.
Robert Park, 28, crossed a poorly guarded stretch of the frozen Tumen River that separates North Korea from China, according to a member of the Seoul-based group Pax Koreana, which promotes human rights in the North. Two other activists apparently watched and filmed the entry.
"I am an American citizen. I brought God's love. God loves you and God bless you," Park reportedly said in fluent Korean as he crossed over Friday near the northeastern city of Hoeryong, according to the activist, citing the two who witnessed the scene. Pax Koreana planned to release the footage Sunday in Seoul, he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
No information has emerged about what happened next to Park, who is of Korean descent. The communist country's state-run media was silent. The State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said they were aware of the incident but had no details.
"The U.S. government places the highest priority on the protection and welfare of American citizens," said State Department spokesman Andrew Laine.
The illegal entry could complicate Washington's efforts to coax North Korea back to negotiations aimed at its nuclear disarmament. Park's crossing also comes just months after the country freed two U.S. journalists, who were arrested along the Tumen and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for trespassing and "hostile acts." They were released to former President Bill Clinton on a visit to the isolated country in August. North Korea and the United States do not have diplomatic relations.
Park, from Tucson, Arizona, carried a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il calling for major changes to his totalitarian regime, according to the activist from Pax Koreana.
"Please open your borders so that we may bring food, provisions, medicine, necessities, and assistance to those who are struggling to survive," said the letter, according to a copy posted on the conservative group's Web site. "Please close down all concentration camps and release all political prisoners today."
North Korea holds some 154,000 political prisoners in six large camps across the country, according South Korean government estimates. The North has long been regarded as having one of the world's worst human rights records, but it denies the existence of prison camps.
The activist said that Park, who he described as not belonging to Pax Koreana, also carried a separate written appeal calling for Kim to immediately step down, noting starvation, torture and deaths in North Korean political prison camps.
North Korea's criminal code punishes illegal entry with up to three years in prison. But that could be the least of the missionary's problems in a country where defectors say dissent is swiftly wiped out and the regime sees all trespassers as potential spies.
Kim wields absolute power in the communist state of 24 million people where he and his late father — the country's founder Kim Il Sung — are the object of an intense personality cult.
Demanding Kim step down is "a kind of hostile act," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University.
Similar cases are extremely rare, but any kind of entry deemed illegal leads to serious consequences — as the detention of American reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee earlier this year proved.
In 1996, Evan C. Hunziker was detained for three months after swimming across the Yalu River, also on the Chinese border.
Hunziker, who was 26, said he went there out of curiosity and "to preach the Gospel." Other reports said he got drunk and decided to go for a swim.
He was eventually freed after New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who was then a congressman, negotiated his release.
Analyst Paik Hak-soon of the private Sejong Institute think tank said he doubted the U.S. will be forced to send a special envoy this time as the two countries recently committed to maintaining dialogue on the nuclear issue and may be able to resolve it through existing diplomatic channels.
Still, he thought the incident could hinder warming relations. "North Korea's release of the missionary won't be easy," Paik said.
Park came to South Korea in July and stayed there until leaving for China earlier this week to enter the North, said the Pax Koreana activist. He said Pax Koreana is affiliated with another organization called Freedom and Life For All North Koreans to which Park belongs.
Other activists said Park had become known over the last year in Seoul human rights circles. They suggested that his passion for helping North Koreans may have blinded him to the consequences of his actions.
"I just feel that this was a reckless and misguided adventure," said Tim Peters, founder and director of Helping Hands Korea, a Christian charity group supporting North Korean refugees.
He said Park had a deep and admirable commitment to prayer and the North Korean cause but added he was a "newcomer" to such activism and "out of his depth."
Peter Jung, an official with Justice for North Korea, a Seoul-based advocacy group, said Park frequently met with North Korean defectors to try to learn about the country.
"His unilateral affection, deep attachment and passion were so strong that he was not able to harmonize with the people around him," Jung said.
Associated Press writers Kelly Olsen in Seoul, Cara Anna in Beijing and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.


Trasso Named A First Team All-Star At 141 Lbs.
Providence, RI-Six Rhode Island College Wrestlers Were Honored By The Pilgrim Wrestling League For Their Performance This Past Season. Three Anchormen Were Named First Team All-Stars, While Two Others Garnered Second Team And Honorable Mention Awards, Respectively. Two Grapplers Were Named To The Scholar-Athlete All-Star Team.
Freshman Mike Trasso (Lyndhurst, NJ) was named a First Team All-Star at 141 lbs. He was 23-9 with five pins, 49 takedowns, nine reversals and 14 near-falls on the season. Trasso placed second at the Roger Williams Invitational (Nov. 15), and fourth at both the Doug Parker (Nov. 22) and RIT Invitationals (Dec. 6).


Advertised as "the first all-room train in America, 16 hours between New York and Chicago," the 1938 Century was the last word in luxury travel. Every afternoon the famous red carpet was unfurled in Grand Central Station, welcoming passengers aboard. Taking aim at Pennsy's rival Broadway Limited, which had to cross the Allegheny Mountains to make the same trip, the New York Central promoted itself as "The Water Level Route… You Can Sleep."


usty smell. It originated in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy's Lombardy region.
Cut the beef into long strips of about 8–10 cm, to form a long rectangular shape.
In a metal bowl, combine the juniper berries, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, rosemary and olive oil.
Place the beef into the bowl and rub the mixture all over.
Place the beef and remaining mixture in a bucket.
Take the beef out and rub the sea salt all over it.
Wrap the beef in muslin and tie with string.
Unwrap the bresaola and thinly slice.
Serve with good-quality olive oil.


text:
VSV also lost the second match of CHL – 2: 4 in Krakow
Lillian Shelton September 5, 2022 2 min read
For Fletcher SV, there was no sense of accomplishment in the second game of the CHL. Coach Rob Daum's side narrowly lost to 12-time Polish champion Komarsch Krakow on Sunday in Krakow by 2:4 (1: 1: 1: 1: 0). This means the Blues and Whites are still without a point in Group F, after losing 7-0 to Swedish champions Färjestad BK, also outside.
The omens before the game were poor, as in addition to absentees John Hughes, Felix Maxa and Benjamin Lanzinger, other players including goalkeeper JB Lamoureux, Julian Bayer, Chris Collins and Martin Urbanek had to be introduced due to an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Souf's squad. Unlike Friday's game, the guests withstood it better.
Even an early goal by Martin Kasperlik (ninth) did not allow Villach to throw them off course. After an emotional pass, Blaz Tomazewicz (11) surprised the Polish goalkeeper and immediately responded. After the start of the second half, it was Kasperlik (33) who scored again with his second goal. But in the 5:3 majority position, the "Adlers" were able to tie again through Nicolas Matinen (36).
The third group also followed a similar pattern, with the hosts again advancing. All in all, Villach made too many mistakes to take something that counts with them. Roman Rak (49) made the score 3: 2, and in the end Mateusz Mikalski (59) scored in the empty goal. Continental Cup winners Krakow managed to celebrate their first win after losing 4-0 to the Straubing Tigers.
VSV continues on Friday with a tough home game against Färjestad, and two days later Cracovia is a guest at Carinthia. The eight group winners and runners-up after the first and second rounds are in the round of 16.
See also EM Qualification: The ÖFB team hopes to get a meaningful set
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