text:
Siliguri - The Statesman
Sun, 6 Sep 20
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SUNDAY www.thestatesman.com 06 SEPTEMBER 2020 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 | `5.00 |LC* KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR XI'S DILEMMA IN LADAKH WHITE HOUSE TAPES: NIXON'S BIGOTRY TOWARDS INDIANS P5 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. One or two spells of thundershower. Temperature will be in the range of 35-28 degrees Celsius. P7 P5 Two sides should continue dialogue: Rajnath to his Chinese counterpart Max.93% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE TEMPERATURE Max: 34.7°C (3) Min: 27.5°C (1) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:21 hrs 17:50 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 19:54 hrs 7:42 hrs Moon third quarter on 10 September THUMBNAILS President Ram Nath Kovind virtually presents the National Award to Teachers 2020, on the occasion of Teachers' Day, in the Capital.  PIB 80 new special trains to run from 12 Sept: Eighty new special trains will be operational from 12 September, reservations for which will begin from 10 September, Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said on Saturday. He said the trains will be notified later in the day. "This will run in addition to the 230 trains already in operation," he said. Yadav said the Railways will be monitoring all the trains to determine which trains have long waiting list. He said Railways will run trains whenever there is demand from states for exams or other purposes. Pak troops shell three civilian areas along LOC : Pakistani troops on Saturday indulged in intense mortar shelling at three civilian areas along the line of control (LoC) in the Poonch sector. Defence spokesman, Lt. Colonel Devender Anand said that Pakistani army resorted to unprovoked shelling in the Shahpur, Kirni and Degwar sector of Poonch district. Indian Army retaliated befittingly. He said that at about 9.15 a.m, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation. P12 No breakthrough in Govt issues advisory Rajnath-Wei meeting allowing 'testing on RAINFALL: 0.3 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Min. 59% MESSI EXPLAINS WHY HE STICKS WITH BARCELONA 'INDIA WILL MAINTAIN SECURITY IN EXTENDED NEIGHBOURHOOD' NEW DELHI, 5 SEPTEMBER he much-anticipated meeting between Defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe last night failed to break the impasse over the ongoing Sino-Indian military tensions in eastern Ladakh with the Indian side again conveying to Beijing its firm resolve to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity at any cost. The Indian troops have always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, Singh told the Chinese minister while pointing out that the actions of the Chinese side, including the amassing of a large number of troops and their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo, were in violation of bilateral agreements. The two ministers had frank and in-depth discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as their impact on bilateral relations during their over two-hour meeting held in Moscow on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence minister's meeting, the Defence Ministry said today. The meeting was held at the request of the Chinese minister. Singh minced no words while conveying to the Chinese minister India's position on the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including the 15 T Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh meets his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Joint Meeting of the Heads of Defence Ministers of SCO. In Moscow on Friday.  PIB FILE PHOTO Very nasty situation along India-China border: Trump WASHINGTON, 5 SEPTEMBER Describing the situation along the India-China border as "very nasty, US President Donald Trump has said that the Chinese are "going at it much more strongly" than a lot of people understand and he would "love to get involved and help" ease the tension. Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a bitter standoff in multiple places in eastern Ladakh for four months. "While we're at it, we're talking about China and June Galwan Valley clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed while there were an unspecified number of casualties on the Chinese side. He also conveyed India's strong objection over fresh India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It's been very nasty, Trump said on Friday at a White House news conference in response to a question on Indian-Americans and US-India relationship. Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation. And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that, PTI he said. attempts by the Chinese Army recently to change the status quo in the southern bank of the Pangong Lake. India, he said, favoured immediate restoration of the status quo ante at all friction points. The two sides, Singh said, should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest. The current situation should be handled responsibly and neither side should take any further action that could either complicate the situation or escalate matters in the border areas. "It is important for the Chinese side to work with the Indian side for complete disengagement at the earliest from all friction areas, including Pangong Lake, as well as de-escalation in border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols,'' he said. Singh said both sides should take guidance from the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the IndiaChina border areas was essential for the further development of bilateral relations and that the two sides should not allow differences to become disputes Meanwhile, the Chinese Defence Ministry, in a press release on the meeting, saidWei told the Indian minister that relations between the two countries and the two militaries had been severely affected by the border issue. The cause and the truth of the current situation were very clear and the responsibility lay with India, he claimed. demand' for Covid-19 40,23,179 8,46,395 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 SEPTEMBER The Union Ministry of Health on Saturday issued another advisory on Covid19 testing which has further simplified the testing process and given more freedom and flexibility to the State authorities. As per the new advisory, the state governments can decide simplified modalities for on-demand testing for all individuals who wish to get themselves tested. The Health Ministry statement read, "A totally new section has been added in the Advisory on "Testing on Demand" which for all practical purposes does away with prescription by a registered medical practitioner although State governments have the freedom to decide on simplified modalities. No re-testing is recommended prior to discharge from a Covid-19 facility after clinical recovery, including for transfer from a Covid area/ facility to a non-Covid area/ facility," the Advisory states. The development comes as India recorded another 86,432 Covid-19 cases, the highest daily figure yet, over the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 40,23,179 cases. A total of 1,089 deaths were also registered, taking the toll to 69,561. Out of the total confirmed cases, 8,46,395 are active cases, while 31,07,223 patients have recovered from the virus so far, including 77,072 recoveries in the last 24 hours. The recovery rate, meanwhile, has increased to 77.23 per cent. The Ministry of Health also said that there has been an unprecedented upsurge in India's daily testing capacities, adding that for two successive days more than 11.70 lakh tests have been conducted per day. The total Covid-19 test count in the country now stands at 4 crore and 77 lakh till date. There are now 1647 testing laboratories operational which cover all States/UTs. Earlier on Friday, the ICMR suggested that 100 percent of people living in containment zones should be tested by rapid antigen tests, particularly in cities where there has been the widespread transmission of the infection. Under 'routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of 86,432 70,072 69,561 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2020 entry', the advisory recommended testing of all asymptomatic high-risk individuals (people above 65 and those with co-morbidities etc.) in containment zones, it said. The Centre, meanwhile, exhorted Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, accounting for about 46 per cent of active Covid-19 cases and 52 per cent of deaths in the last 24 hours, to focus on aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and keep mortality rate below 1 per cent. The states have been advised to proactively ensure higher testing, effective clinical management along with efficient monitoring at various levels to lower fatality, the Union Health Ministry said. NCB gets Showik's custody; eye on big fish of Bolly drug network Ease of doing business rankings: Andhra tops third time in row; UP jumps 10 places to 2nd No. of fresh cases in Bengal creeps above 3,000 again PRESS TRUST OF INDIA PRESS TRUST OF INDIA KOLKATA, 5 SEPTEMBER NEW DELHI, 5 SEPTEMBER MUMBAI, 5 SEPTEMBER Narcotics Control Bureau, which on Saturday obtained custody of Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik in the drugs case linked to the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, said it has got "inkling" of the narcotics network and penetration in Bollywood. Showik Chakraborty "dealt in drugs with many others", the NCB told a court here as it obtained his custody alongwith that of Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda till 9 September. NCB Deputy Director General of the south-west region, Mutha Ashok Jain, told reporters outside his office that while the agency's mandate is to "look for the big fish" and probe international and interstate drugs transactions, it Rhea Chakraborty's brother 'dealt in drugs with many others', the NCB said as it obtained his custody along with that of Sushant Singh Rajput's house manager till 9 September will "not shirk its responsibility" now that it is getting information about this alleged drugs nexus. "Normally this is not part of our mandate but now that we are getting information... This case has given us an inkling of the network and the extent of the penetration," he said when asked if the agency has evidence on the drugs nexus in Bollywood. The NCB, while seeking remand of one of the accused in this case two days ago, had told the court that it was looking into "the drug citadel in Mumbai, especially Bollywood". "The whole idea of taking custody remand (of Showik and Miranda) is to make people confront each other to clarify their individual role. So, yes we will be asking her (Rhea) to join investigation and may be some other people because we also need to clarity as to who did what," Jain said. Showik and Miranda were arrested on Friday night by the NCB under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after questioning them for 10 hours. The NCB produced them in a court here on Saturday. Abdel Basit Parihar, arrested earlier in the drugs case, was in contact with Showik and Miranda, the NCB told the court. Andhra Pradesh for the third time in a row has topped in the ease of doing annual business ranking of states and Union Territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. The ranking is based on the implementation of the business reform action plan 2019, according to a report released by Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. Registering a jump of 10 places in the rankings, Uttar Pradesh occupied the second position in 2019 as against 12th in 2018. Telangana slipped to the third position from second in 2018. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh (4th), Jharkhand (5th), Chhattisgarh (6th), Himachal Pradesh (7th), Rajasthan (8th), West Bengal (9th) and Gujarat (10th). Delhi's position improved to 12th from 23rd in the last edition, while Gujarat slipped from 5th place in 2018. Among the laggard states and UTs in the ranking, Assam was at 20th, J&K at 21st, Goa at 24th, Bihar at 26th and Kerala 28th place. Tripura was ranked at the bottom 36th. Releasing the report, Sitharaman said that states have taken the exercise in its true sense and it would help states and UTs to become better place to do business. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said these rankings reflect the efforts that states and UTs are doing to better their systems and processes. It is also a wake-up call for those states which have slipped in the ranking, he said. Goyal said that the Ministry is working on steps like creating a single-window system for approvals and clearances. In 2015 Index, Gujarat featured at the top, with Andhra Pradesh grabbing the second position and Telangana 13th. In 2016, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana jointly toppedthe chart.In the last ranking released in July 2018, Andhra Pradesh topped the chart, followed by Telangana and Haryana (3rd). Haryana slid to 16th position in the latest ranking. The exercise is aimed at promoting competition among states with a view to improving the business climate to attract domestic as well as foreign investments. This was the fourth edition of the report, which was first released in 2015. The Business Reform Action Plan 2018-19 includes 181 reform points covering 45 business regulatory areas such as access to information, single window system, labour, and environment. The DPIIT in collaboration with the World Bank conducts an annual reform exercise for all States/UTs under the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP). In the World Bank's latest 'Doing Business' report, India has jumped 14 places to the 63rd position. The daily count of fresh Covid19 cases in West Bengal crossed 3,000 after almost a week today, with 3,042 new cases and 58 deaths being recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the total case count to 1,77,701 and the death toll to 3,510. As many as 3,248 Covid patients were discharged during the same period, taking the total number of cured patients to 1,50,801 and registering a recovery rate of 84.86 per cent, Currently, there are 23,390 active cases, which is 264 less than yesterday's figures. Altogether 45,781 samples were tested for Covid-19 in a day, for a positivity rate of 8.41 per cent. Registering a decrease in fresh cases, North 24-Parganas registered 559 cases and 14 deaths while Kolkata recorded 548 cases and 18 deaths. SNS Covid concerns spread to rural India as cases surpass 40-lakh milestone PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI, 5 SEPTEMBER As Covid-19 cases surge so do worries about how to contain the spread of the disease that is spreading inexorably through India, initially in urban centres and now increasingly into the hinterland where medical infrastructure is scarce. Though there are no exact numbers about the spread of the virus into rural areas, there is enough evidence to suggest it has reached most corners of India and there is community transmission, say experts. Just two figures could tell the story: an estimated 65 per cent of India's 1.3 billion population lives in rural areas. And, according to the web- site How India Lives, 714 districts in India have coronavirus cases, putting 94.76 per cent of the population at risk. Increasingly, Covid-19 positive persons are being reported from small-sized towns, as well as from rural areas. Serosurveys have revealed that the disease has spread to most parts of the country indicating community transmission of Covid-19," a group of public health experts said in a statement earlier this week. The experts, from the Indian Public Health Association, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine and the Indian Association of Epidemiologists, also expre-ssed concern that reports of stigma, COVID FURY  An estimated 65 per cent of India's 1.3 billion population lives in rural areas. And, according to the website How India Lives, 714 districts in India have coronavirus cases, putting 94.76 per cent of the population at risk  In the face of the relentless march of the disease India took just 13 days to go from 30 lakh to 40 lakh fear and discrimination continue even after six months. In the face of the relentless march of the disease India took just 13 days to go from 30 lakh to 40 lakh. A higher number of infections are being reported from semi-urban areas, said a Health Ministry official as India's Covid-19 tally raced past the 40 lakh mark on Saturday with 86,432 fresh cases.The death toll also climbed to 69,561 with 1,089 fatalities in a day. Experts also stress the need for more data. "There is not enough data yet to do a detailed comparison, but anecdotal reports suggest that testing is limited and not accurate enough to be a good measure of trends," Gautam Menon,professor, Departments of Physics and Biology, at Ashoka University said. Explaining the trajectory of the disease, Sitabhra Sinha, professor atChennai's Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), said, "As of now, the bulk of the active cases are centred in the major urban-metropolitan areas and their immediate surroundings." "Places like Odisha which are still low in terms of numbers have a high R value~ which means over the next few weeks, if the growth rate continues unabat- ed, they may well turn out to be the new frontline in the fight against Covid," he cautioned. R value is the reproductive number that indicates the number of people getting infected by an already infected person on an average. The incidence of the disease in the eastern state demonstrates the vulnerability of those in rural areas. Since more than 75 per cent of the state's population lives in the rural areas, it is natural the infection rate is also high among villagers in comparison to urban areas, an official in Bhubaneswar said. More than 60 per cent of Odisha's cases are from rural areas and the number is rising as the pandemic gets prolonged, he said. In neighbouringWest Bengal, too, the incidence went up after the migrants started returning. As of 26 August, there were 7,03,823 cases of Covid-19 in Maharashtra, of which 5,07,022 (72.03 per cent) were from municipal corporation areas. But now the picture is changing, with sizeable number of people have travelled to rural areas, the infection has spread there as well resulting in more deaths, the official said. Efforts are on to ramp up infrastructure at the grassroots level to meet the escalating challenge. According to government data, about 40 per cent of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks have been reported fromruralareas. In Andhra Pradesh, for instance, every primary health centre (PHC) and community health centre (CHC) in semi-urban andruralparts area is doubling up as a Covid Care Centre. "We have accordingly improved the infrastructure in PHCs and CHCs, so much so that they are now equipped with oxygen facilities as well to handle the caseload," state Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar said. The 104 service (mobile medical units) that makes rounds of villages is also coming handy to treat coronavirus patients at their doorstep.
The Statesman is one of India's oldest English newspapers. It was founded in Kolkata in 1875 and is directly descended from The Friend of India (founded 1818). The Englishman (founded 1821) was merged with The Statesman in 1934. The Delhi edition of The Statesman began publication in 1931. The Statesman Weekly is a compendium of news and views from the Kolkata and Delhi editions. Printed on airmail paper, it is popular with readers outside India. The Statesman (average weekday circulation approximately 180,000) is a leading English newspaper in West Bengal. The Sunday Statesman has a circulation of 230,000.
06 TH SEPTEMBER 2020 of Siliguri - The Statesman
Siliguri -...
Sun, 06 Sep 20
06 TH SEPTEMBER 2020
About Siliguri - The Statesman Siliguri Edition


The purpose of this paper is describe the authors' pedagogical framework for the twenty-first-century learning practices in teacher education. The authors argue that teacher education has been challenged by the need to enhance the new teachers' ability to implement new pedagogical approaches and take advantage of ICT for teaching and learning. Since the current way of working in teacher education does not match well enough the needs of twenty-first-century learning environments, such as inquiry-based learning approaches that focus upon collaboration and social forms of learning, as well as the use of ICT. According to the authors' approach, pre-service teachers are educated in a way they are supposed to teach their future students.
This study investigates the process of collaborative knowledge construction when technology and pictorial knowledge representations are used for visualizing individual and groups' shared ideas. The focus of the study is on how teacher-students contribute to the group's collaborative knowledge construction and use each other's ideas and tools as an affordance for their jointly evolving cognitive systems.


Cloudy Collaborations, LLC was founded by Kurt Loeblich and Neal Knebel, two fellow Illinoisians with a passion for vaping. Neal, an experienced Brick and Mortar owner, and Kurt, founder of Cloud Chasers Inc., both wanted to have an online shop where people could purchase quality vaping gear for affordable prices. They launched their website on January 1st, 2015, and have been happily serving their customers ever since.


From the ground up the PT series TWT amps are built to withstand rugged handling, whether it's being shipped to you or hauled around from site to site. Our amplifiers feature modular construction and this concept of modular design minimizes internally produced EMI signal leakage and provides easy access for field service and rapid turnaround at depot level repair facilities. Redundant thermal and airflow sensors prevent the TWT from overheating. In addition, high VSWR protection is built in.


Huelva Spain Motorhome have Motorhomes available in Seville and faro in Portugal. Huelva is a city in the south of Spain, in the Andalusia region. The city is very old, and it is believed to have been continuously inhabited for 3000 years. The city is host to a football club, Recreative de Huelva, which is the oldest football club in Spain.
Among the attractions to visit in this province are the Columbus sites. These sites include the city of Huelva itself, Moguer, Palos de la Frontera, and the Rábida Monastery. La Rábida is where Columbus sought the aid of the Franciscan brothers in advancing his project of discovery. They introduced him to local rich sailors (the Pinzón brothers), and, eventually, arranged a meeting in Seville with Ferdinand and Isabella.
Huelva Spain Motorhome offer excellent Motorhome or Campervan hire rates for Huelva Spain. To get a Motorhome hire quotation simple go to the Motorhome Hire section on our website and use our quotation and campervan booking engine.
RV/Campervan hire is an ideal way to discover the long sandy beaches of Spain. As you are not tied to a hotel, you can use your camping car to stay at more remote locations.


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Share this Story: 'I'LL FIGHT HIM': Logan Paul challenges Chris Hemsworth to boxing bout
'I'LL FIGHT HIM': Logan Paul challenges Chris Hemsworth to boxing bout
WENN - World Entertainment News Network
Chris Hemsworth and Logan Paul. Photo by File Photo /Getty Images
YouTube star Logan Paul has challenged Thor actor Chris Hemsworth to a fight in the boxing ring.
Paul is set to face off with undefeated former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. next month for a "special exhibition fight", and he's already looking ahead to his next opponent.
'I'LL FIGHT HIM': Logan Paul challenges Chris Hemsworth to boxing bout Back to video
Responding to a social media video uploaded by Chris showing himself working on the pads, Logan commented: "I'll fight him after Mayweather."
Hemsworth has yet to respond to the remark, but he is a big Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fan and has used martial arts in his training regimes.
However, he has never had a professional fight, unlike Logan – who lost by a split-decision against fellow YouTube star KSI in 2019.
Meanwhile, Logan's younger brother Jake is not convinced about his brother's chances of beating Mayweather, and believes that the match-up will damage boxing's reputation.
He said: "My brother's f—ed. It's bad for the sport. I think it's just for clout.
"I wish him the best of luck. I just like – don't get in there with a guy who's never even been knocked out…"
Jake has enjoyed a more successful start to his boxing career after tasting victory in his first two fights, and he hopes to take on Mayweather after his sibling's bout.
Weighing in on Logan's challenge to Hemsworth, Jake quipped: "And then I'll fight Mayweather."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


From 11 – 13 September 2019, this specifically designed trade fair will be dedicated to the fast-growing segment within the booming cruise and ferry market – the interior design of passenger ships, from ocean to river cruise ships to ferries and mega yachts. In the beautiful maritime metropolis of Hamburg, the event will welcome the "Who is Who" of the world's leading cruise and ferry lines, shipyards und interior design studios.
"By launching MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, we are responding to a request expressed by many of you to establish a stand-alone fair dedicated entirely to this segment. With more than 300 exhibitors from this sector, SMM 2018 impressively demonstrated the great demand for a specialised platform to present trends, innovations and services to a high-class audience of decision-makers", says Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress.
MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo is co-located with the 10. Seatrade Europe – Cruise & River Cruise Convention, which is attracting thousands of high-ranking industry representatives to Hamburg. This partnership is part of our ongoing ambition to use the experience and the extensive network of SMM for the benefit of the industry.
Take a look at our brochure to find out more about our exhibitor packages and to see the whole spectrum of product categories from the fields of interior design as well as interior equipment & technology to the areas of galley, restaurant, bar equipment & hospitality, and various services.
From February onwards, you can book your stand online at marineinteriors-expo.com. However, if you can't wait to get hold of one of our attractive exhibitor packages and benefit from Early Bird Rates, please contact Verena Jahn verena.jahn@hamburg-messe.de / +49 40 3569-2142 or Simone Nakötter simone.nakoetter@hamburg-messe.de / +49 40 3569-2146.
As the organiser of SMM, the leading international maritime trade fair, and the driving force behind MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo, we cordially invite you to become part of this leading event. Please follow this link and register your interest, so that we can keep you updated about the latest news.


Download Chasing Midnight A Doc Ford Novel Book 19 ebook PDF or Read Online books in PDF, EPUB, and Mobi Format. Click Download or Read Online button to CHASING MIDNIGHT A DOC FORD NOVEL BOOK 19 book pdf for free now.
In the new novel from New York Times bestselling author Randy Wayne White, Doc Ford is the only hope for an island of hostages. On one of Florida's private islands, a notorious Russian black marketer is hosting a reception. Doc Ford only wanted to get an underwater look at the billionaire's yacht. But when he surfaces, he gets a look at something he'd rather not see. A group of violent, armed men have taken control of the island, their true identity unknown. Whatever the motive, they threaten to kill the hostages one by one unless their demands are met—after which they might kill everyone anyway. Communications from the island have been cut off, and Ford knows he has to act. Luckily, the militants do not know Ford's capabilities, or that he is still on the loose. But that situation won't last for long…and the clock is ticking.
Author : Bill Mesce, Jr.
A couple of generations ago, the movie industry ran on gut instinct—film schools, audience research departments and seminars on screenwriting were not yet de rigueur. Today the standard is the analytical approach, intended to demystify filmmaking and guarantee success (or at least minimize failure). The trouble with this method is that nobody knows how to do it—they just think they do—and films are made based on models of predictability rather than the merits of the script. This insider's look at the craft and business of screenwriting explodes some of the popular myths, demonstrating how little relevance the rules have to actual filmmaking. With long experience in film and television, the author provides insightful how-not-to analyses, with commentary by such veterans as Josh Sapan (CEO of AMC Networks), bestselling author Adriana Trigiani and Oscar–nominated screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas).
Booklist Editors' Choice. Honorable Mention, Rondo Hatton Award. Booklist Starred Review. "Handsomely produced new edition is the premier reference for this subject...all of the essays are newly revised...highly recommended."--Booklist "Impressive work...highly recommended."--Library Journal "One-of-a-kind"--Midwest Book Review Long recognized as the definitive reference work on the hundreds of science fiction movies that from 1950 through 1962 terrified and fascinated a generation with zombified teenagers, robots, invading aliens and monsters of every kind, Bill Warren's Keep Watching the Skies! is greatly expanded in this 21st Century Edition. With new entries on several films, it also revisits, revises and expands the commentary on every film in the 1982 and 1986 two-volume edition. In addition to a detailed plot synopsis, cast and credit listings, and an overview of each film's critical reception, Warren delivers richly informative assessments of the films and a wealth of insights and anecdotes about their making, often drawing on remarks by the filmmakers that have emerged in the quarter century since the original edition. The book is arranged by film title, contains 273 photographs (many rare, some in color), has seven useful appendices, and concludes with an enormous index.


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Q: REST API payment.create not creating payment I have a backend webservice (not a web page) that is attempting to create a payment from a front end client. After a couple of goes where I did not quite have the data matching between details and transaction list, where I got suitable error messages from the sandpit explaining what was wrong, I eventually got the payment.create method to execute without throwing an exception. Unfortunately, while I can see the existence of SSL traffic between the test web service and the paypal, when the routine returns I have no links and no status of created. I may have completely misunderstood the mechanics of the api, but in the absence of any error or exception from the call, I am a little stumped.
Here is the code I am using:
    var config = ConfigManager.Instance.GetProperties();
    var clientid = config[BaseConstants.ClientId];
    var clientSecret = config[BaseConstants.ClientSecret];
    var accessToken = new OAuthTokenCredential(clientid, clientSecret, config).GetAccessToken();
    var apiContext = new APIContext(accessToken);
    var itemList = new ItemList() { items = new List<Item>() };
    using (var context = new PETTEntities3())
    {
      SubscriptionType subType = context.SubscriptionTypes.FirstOrDefault(s => s.SubscriptionTypeID == Subscription.SubscriptionTypeID);
      itemList.items.Add(new Item()
      {
        name = subType.SubscriptionName,
        currency = "NZD",
        price = (Subscription.Amount / (decimal)1.15).ToString("0.00"),
        quantity = "1",
        sku = subType.SubscriptionTypeID.ToString()
       });
       var payer = new Payer() { payment_method = "paypal" };
       var redirectUrls = new RedirectUrls()
       {
         cancel_url = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["PaymentConfirmationURL"] + Subscription.PaymentApprovalID,
           return_url = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["PaymentCancellationURL"] + Subscription.PaymentApprovalID
       };
       var details = new Details()
       {
         tax = (Subscription.Amount - decimal.Parse((Subscription.Amount / (decimal)1.15).ToString("0.00"))).ToString("0.00"),
         subtotal = (Subscription.Amount / (decimal)1.15).ToString("0.00"),
         shipping="0"
        };
        var amount = new Amount()
        {
          currency = "NZD",
          total = Subscription.Amount.ToString("0.00"),
          details = details
        };
        var transactionList = new List<Transaction>();
        transactionList.Add(new Transaction()
        {
          description = "PETT Subscription.",
          invoice_number = "PETT1420" + Subscription.SubscriptionID.ToString(),
          amount = amount,
          item_list = itemList
        });
        Payment payment = new Payment()
        {
          intent = "sale",
          payer = payer,
          transactions = transactionList,
          redirect_urls = redirectUrls
        };
        payment.Create(apiContext);
.... At this point the payment state is still null and no links are present even though I appear to have a successful call with no exceptions.

Any clues or insight as to what I am missing would be greatly appreciated.

A: Doh, blindingly obvious. Wasn't paying attention to the function signature payment.create, it returns a new payment. Its that which you need to use, not the payment used to invoke create eg:
Payment paymentToUse = payment.Create(apiContext);
paymentToUse has all the goods im after.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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RouteNote Blog
RouteNote.com
China launches a new 'Music Industry Legal Professional Committee'
Jacca-RouteNotein
Artist / Label News
China have brought together people representing some of the world's biggest labels and music companies to form a new legal force for music.
China has launched a brand new committee formed for the legal protection of music. They have brought together representatives from major labels in Universal Music and Warner Music as well as reps for Chinese streaming giants like Tencent, NetEase, and Baidu.
The panel is made up of 30 people in total who will be involved in discussing and enforcing legal and business measures for music in China. It's not yet clear what this might mean for music copyrights in China.
Whilst music copyright exists to largely the same framework as countries like the US, their is more space to maneuver within it. It has been the cause of controversy with some of their massively popular emerging software developers who have avoided licenses with copyright holders to make progression easier.
The Chinese government have helped to enforce more strict measure around licensing, forcing music search engines and services to license music or shut down recently. Hopefully this new board will help to streamline decisions and enforce them with a legal basis for the benefit of musicians and rights holders.
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Jacca-RouteNote
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Officially launched in 2007, RouteNote began as a digital music distribution platform for independent artists and labels to get their music online,
Designed and built to take advantage of the shift towards independent and self-publication through online and mobile music or video outlets.
RouteNote is partnered with some of the biggest retailers on the web to give artists massive and immediate availability for their products.
RouteNote has since grown into a full digital media management service providing artists, labels and creators instant access to a large proportion of the online market.
Onsite, artists, labels and creators can upload content to the RouteNote catalogue and enter into a non-exclusive agreement permitting us to distribute their music to a worldwide audience.
Our rates for providing a distribution service are currently the best in the market and our ever expanding catalogue gives us increasing muscle with which to negotiate deals from which everyone, artists, clients and distribution partners included will all benefit.
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Superman: Man of Steel comes to theatres this weekend, and these are perfect if you are headed to a party to celebrate!! The cupcakes are super easy and can be done no matter what your skill level of cake decorating may be! I've heard mixed reviews about the movie, but I'm sure if you're die hard Superman fan, you will love it!
Cupcakes that can be coloured blue, such as our vanilla cake batter, or something similar.
Prepare your cupcakes and buttercream. You will also need to download the logo sheet, which is attached below. The logo sheet should be placed on a baking sheet, and covered with wax paper. Use tape to secure the edges. After melting the chocolate/candy melts, put them into the piping bag, snip off a tiny bit of the tip and trace the red portion of the logo. The chocolate logo's will then need to set. To speed this up, place them in the freezer or fridge until solid. While you are waiting for the chocolate to solidify, pipe the yellow buttercream onto the tops of the blue cupcakes, and place the logo on top!
HELLO ! COOKIES CUPCAKES AND CARIDIO. I AM ANGELICA FROM MACAU. I WANT TO ASK YOU : CAN YOU GIVE ME THE RECIPE OF THE BLUE CUPCAKES / HOW CAN IT ALL DONE?


When you try to open the Winshuttle Excel Add-in you get an error message "License Checkout Error"
Solution 1 - This error usually occurs when the user is attempting to open the Winshuttle Excel add-in before activating the software. To resolve you will need to have the user activate the Winshuttle application directly from the desktop icon. After activating the license, the user should be able to access the Excel add-in without error.
Solution 2 - If the Winshuttle software is already activated and the user is still receiving this error, the user likely has both the developer and runner software installed. Having both applications installed can cause Excel to read the wrong add-in. To resolve you will need to confirm which application the user is licensed for. If the user has a developer license they will want to uninstall the runner software. If the user has a runner license they will want to uninstall the developer software.


Design Within Reach is hosting a summer-themed event at their studio in the LCDQ on June 22 to celebrate the design house's newly released catalog. The soirée includes a charitable silent auction, the proceeds of which will be donated to Inner-City Arts, an award-winning, Los Angeles-based space where children receive instruction on visual, performing, and media arts.
Participants of the auction will have an opportunity to bid on ten items and experiences donated by Besler & Sons, Museum of Ice Cream, Sqirl, fellow LCDQ member Woven, and many other LA-based businesses and artists. These auction items and design experiences were selected in relation to the content of DWR'S June catalog and online platform, both of which feature Los Angeles-based creatives and sites of interest.
– Meet architects Clayton Taylor and Jai Kumaran of West of West at Alfred Coffee on Melrose Place, adjacent to the firm's newly designed pop-up store for Garrett Leight California Optical. Alfred Coffee and Garret Leight have both donated $100 gift cards to be used with this experience.
– 6 tickets to the SOLD OUT Museum of Ice Cream and a complimentary ice cream from Coolhaus.
– A group of Terrazzo tchotchkes designed and handmade by Besler & Sons in Downtown L.A.
Curious about more of the items and experiences up for grabs? Click here for more information.
RSVP by June 20th at dwr.com/rsvp!


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Richard Sandoval tweaks concepts as he expands
Lisa Jennings | Nov 08, 2010
Richard Sandoval has opened 10 restaurants in the past 15 months, and he's not ready to slow down.
The chef-restaurateur is riding a wave of interest in contemporary Latin cuisine. He has become known for putting a modern spin on the flavors he grew up with in Mexico.
The son of a veteran restaurateur in Acapulco, Mexico, Sandoval is a Culinary Institute of America graduate who initially went home to work with his father. There, he earned the National Toque d'Oro, or Chef of the Year award.
But it didn't take long for him to be lured back to the United States, where he landed in New York.
"I wanted to see if I could make it," he said.
Now, Sandoval has 22 restaurants, including multiple concepts across the United States, Mexico and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, under Richard Sandoval Restaurants. His business partners include famed Spanish tenor Placido Domingo.
Most recently, this summer, Sandoval has opened three restaurants in Southern California — his first in the region, which is also home base for the chef and his family.
At the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Sandoval developed the high-end Raya featuring pan-Latin dishes. In Santa Monica, Calif., Sandoval has installed two of his concepts on the rooftop of a newly renovated Macerich lifestyle center called Santa Monica Place. One is the casual-dining La Sandia Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar, a fourth location for the more traditionally Mexican concept in which Domingo is partnered. Right next door is Zengo, also a fourth location for that concept. At Zengo, Sandoval's playful small-plates menu fuses Latin and Asian flavors with dishes like Peking duck daikon tacos or achiote-hoisin pork arepas.
Sandoval's other concepts include Maya, with locations in New York and Dubai; Pampano in New York, Mexico City and Acapulco; Tamayo in Denver; and Isla in Las Vegas.
Title: chef and founder,
Richard Sandoval Restaurants
Birth date: Sept. 19, 1967
Hometown: born in Mexico City; now living in Newport Beach, Calif.
Career highlights: winning National Toque d'Oro, or Chef of the Year, in Mexico; being listed among "Best Chefs of 2003" by New York Magazine; Pampano being named among "Best New Restaurants in America" by Esquire magazine in 2003
This fall, Sandoval is opening a concept similar to Zengo in Mexico City, which he is calling Tuna. Also there, Sandoval is developing a Mediterranean concept for next year, as well as another new project in Dubai to be called Toro Toro.
You're a busy man. How do you manage all of your restaurants?
People ask me where I live, and I say, 'on a plane.' Four days of the week I fly to various cities, and I come home on the weekends.
You're really only as strong as your last link. It's all about the people who work for you.
You've just opened restaurants in Southern California for the first time. Do you find your audience is different here?
Californians are much more savvy about what real Mexican food is. They know more than just the mom and pop with authentic salsas. For me, it's good because people understand what I do.
You opened Maya, the first of your current concepts, in 1997. How did it stand out?
Maya was something new in Mexican food at the time. What people saw in the U.S. then was Tex-Mex with the combination plates; it was very standard. But that was not what I was used to in Mexico.
Maya was traditional recipes that I modernized. I didn't reinvent them — a mole is a mole — but instead I worked on presentation and made them more appealing for today's diners. Now, you see a lot more of that — food that is more representative of what you might see in Mexico, now.
How did you get involved with
Placido Domingo?
Placido, at that time, had a restaurant called Domingo's in New York, and I knew him from Acapulco, where he vacationed. We met in New York and decided to reconcept Pampano, and that was the first one he got involved in. Now, he's involved financially in nine restaurants. He loves food.
Why open two restaurants right next to each other, as you've done in Santa Monica?
They asked me to do one restaurant in a 15,000-square foot space, but I decided it would be better to break it up and do two. You get the cross marketing benefit because people have to walk through La Sandia to get to Zengo and its beautiful
terrace.
The two concepts also offer price point options. At La Sandia, the average check at dinner is about $27-$28 per person, where at Zengo it's about $45.
What was appealing about fusing Asian and Mexican dishes at Zengo?
The two cuisines naturally blend together. Both use rice as a base, and both combine spicy with sweet. When I was developing the menu, I brought in an Asian chef who I had met in Singapore. He would do an Asian dish and I would Latin-ize it, then visa versa.
And the menu is all about smaller plates for sharing. This is the direction the culinary world is going toward.
How are your restaurants faring in this recession?
As a whole, we were down about 17 percent in 2009 compared with 2008. This year, so far we're up 4 percent to 5 percent store to store.
We did readjust our menus and move toward smaller plates and prix-fixe. We offered a wider variety of options. We're seeing a lower check average but higher traffic.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]
.
Chef's tips:
• Taste your food while you are cooking.
• Travel! Each one of my restaurants comes from my memories of a different adventure, different flavors or different people.
TAGS: Archive Menu Food Trends Emerging Chains


This creature's hide is tougher than most.
Benefit: The creature's natural armor bonus increases by +1.
Special: A creature can gain this feat multiple times. Each time the creature takes the feat, its natural armor bonus increases by another point.


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Home / Science & Tech / Gas flaring threatens health of Kaduna residents
Gas flaring threatens health of Kaduna residents
June 14, 2013	Comments Off on Gas flaring threatens health of Kaduna residents 1,004 Views
Residents of Kaduna in northwest Nigeria, especially those living close to the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), have expressed reservations over a potential health hazard posed by gas flaring from the nearby refinery.
The smoke emitted by the refinery's chimneys, according to them hovers over their area and goes beyond 10 kilometers in radius, affecting many residents in the southern axis of the city.
A resident who lives close to the refinery, Nasiru Suleiman, said the gas which is being
flared on a daily basis has saturated the area and is causing serious health concern to the locals.
"It smells badly," he remarks, adding:
"The emission of the carbon dioxide is a serious disaster on our part. In the morning, the gas always descends on the whole environment, making it difficult for us to breathe; it is also the same thing in the evening. And it has a very powerful and unbearable odour; if we are eating, it is as if we are swallowing the substance along with the food."
Another resident, Jacob Zango, expressed fear that if immediate measures are not taken by concerned authorities, "the residents might not be able to bear it for long."
ALSO READ: Investments in green tech increase knowledge of environmental impact
"We are calling on government and management of the KRPC to take immediate action to stop this flaring, because what we are inhaling in this place is poisonous and is capable of killing us," laments Zango.
Managing Director of KRPC, Bolanle Ayodele, who acknowledged the act, said they are concerned over its effect on both humans and the environment, and are working towards minimising the black smoke being emitted. He was however quick to say that it was not possible for the company to stop gas flaring completely.
"We are aware of this problem and, very soon, we will correct it because we are also concerned about the environment."
Nigeria is the largest oil producing country in Africa and the sixth in the world. More than 40 years after oil refineries were established in Nigeria, gas flaring still persists despite known health and environmental hazards.
Gas flaring is not peculiar to Kaduna; it is more common in the Niger Delta region where cities like Warri and Port Harcourt also experience the same hazards. Experts estimate that Nigeria currently flares between 1.3 and 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day. This is only second to Russia which flares three times the size of what Nigeria burns.
ALSO READ: Pollution kills 1.7m children yearly, says WHO
The gas being flared is a constituent of crude oil which observers say can be efficiently utilised as a valuable source of energy, but it is being continuously burnt and worsening the case of global warming.
Although subsequent administrations in the country have set up laws and datelines to stop the flaring, the oil firms have opted to paying fines instead of adopting modern technologies to end it.
A report by Justice in Nigeria Now (JINN), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), says since 1969, the dateline to stop gas flaring has been shifted more than five times. An environmentalist, Aisha Okunade, discloses that the damage of gas flaring on the environment, land, water habitat and humans cannot be quantified. She stresses that although adequate research has not been concluded on the effects of gas flaring on humans, the effects are sometimes visible on people residing in areas close to refineries. The sign and symptoms, according to her, include vomiting, cancer diseases, lung diseases and Asthma.
ALSO READ: Pressure to publish in peer-reviewed journals hurting early career scientists
The emitted gases, she adds, include nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxide, which mostly combined with rainfall to cause damage to soil. She calls on the Nigerian government to allocate enough funds to research institutions for a comprehensive research on such gases. The concern on the flaring and environmental degradation has led to many mass movements and activism, especially in the Niger Delta region.
In 1995, a renowned novel writer and activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was executed by the Nigerian government for oil-related activism on the environment.
Despite the hue and cry, Nigerian government has not taken notable steps at impressing on the oil companies to stop the practice. Early last year, a United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Report indicted the giant Shell Oil Company operating in the Niger Delta region for contaminating the soil and environment of Ogoniland in the past 50 years.
The Federal Government said it would clean up the area, but that is yet to commence.
By Shingdon Bala
Air pollution gas flaring health hazard Kaduna refinery pollution	2013-06-14
msimire
Tagged with: Air pollution gas flaring health hazard Kaduna refinery pollution
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London - South Africa captain Graeme Smith was delighted by the "perfect" way his side replaced England as the world's No 1 Test side as they held their nerve in a 51-run win at Lord's on Monday.
Victory gave South Africa the three-match series 2-0 after they'd crushed England by an innings and 12 runs in the first Test across London at The Oval before the second Test in Leeds was drawn.
England, set an imposing victory target of 346 to win, were bowled out for 294 on Monday's final day, with Man of the Match Vernon Philander taking two wickets in two balls to end the contest as he finished with an impressive innings return of five for 30.
But there was a period when Matt Prior, who made a typically dashing 73 and Graeme Swann, with a rapid 41, threatened to take the match away from the tourists during an eighth-wicket partnership of 74 at better than a run-a-ball.
Previously the Proteas, who only needed to avoid defeat in this match to replace England at the top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings, might have stumbled or even "choked" - a derogatory term for squandering a winning position that has been applied to many other South Africa sides.
But they still had the new ball up their sleeve and with Smith, who took the slip catch to remove dangerman Prior off Philander's bowling, calmly leading his side there was no panic out in the middle.
"The way it finished was perfect for us," said Smith, who led South Africa to victory in England in 2008 - the last time England lost a home Test series.
"The biggest thing for us is to win when it's tough and you are not always ahead of the game.
"We came here with England the No 1 team in the world. They are an outstanding team in their own conditions and to beat them at home is one of the great achievements of my career."
The opener was wearing a shirt bearing the words 'We miss you Bouch', a tribute to former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher who was ruled out of the series after suffering a career-ending eye injury in a warm-up match against Somerset in Taunton.
"This was meant to be his 150th Test. He's been such an integral part of getting us to this point and been an integral part of the Protea family for so long," said Smith.
South Africa's two previous tours of England have seen Smith's opposite number resign, with Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan both giving up the England captaincy.
Andrew Strauss, the current Test skipper, was equivocal about his own future.
"I've great faith in the team; I've great faith in the set-up. I've still got a lot of desire there. We'll see how things go."
The build-up to this match, Strauss's 100th Test, was dominated by England's controversial decision to axe star batsman Kevin Pietersen.
England dropped the South Africa born shotmaker, despite a superb 149 in the second Test, after it was revealed he'd sent "provocative" texts to Proteas players, allegedly including criticisms of Strauss.
Pietersen's place was taken by Jonathan Bairstow, who impressed with innings of 95 and 54.
"I don't think anything is going to be happening straight away," Strauss said of the chance of 'showdown' talks with Pietersen.
"I said before the match, the issues that need to be resolved will take a while to be resolved and we'll be looking to do that away from the public eye as much as possible in the coming weeks."


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After her sensational single "Tears in your eyes" (over 3 million streams on Spotify and 1 million views on YouTube), the reigning queen of House music is back with a brand new, can't-miss tune: FEVER
During summer, Nora en Pure brought her incredible show in some of the most important international festivals and clubs across the globe and was the only female artist to be featured on Tomorrowland's MainStage DayBreak Session. The name "Nora en Pure" is increasingly synonymous with fancy and the emotional house music that Nora brings in every corner of the world (from Ibiza's Usaïa to Garden Of Madness Party).
For her new single Nora is revisiting the style of some of her best tracks, such as Convincing and Waves: the powerful bassline and the engaging instrumental will grab you from the earliest notes. This song is marked by a sophisticated male vocal and Nora's unique refined house touch, that swept away fans and insiders all around the world!
1. NORA EN PURE - FEVER
2. NORA EN PURE - FEVER - ORIGINAL CLUB MIX
3. NORA EN PURE - FEVER - INSTRUMENTAL MIX
℗ ENORMOUS TUNES, A DIVISION OF GNKP GOODNIGHT KISS PRODUCTIONS GMBH/SIRUP MUSIC GMBH UNDER EXCLUSIVE LICENSE TO DO IT YOURSELF MULTIMEDIA GROUP S.R.L. UNIPERSONALE (ITALY)
© DO IT YOURSELF MULTIMEDIA GROUP S.R.L. UNIPERSONALE (ITALY) UNDER EXCLUSIVE LICENSE FROM SIRUP MUSIC GMBH
06/10/2017 by DOIT in NEWS ARCHIVE COMMENTI
TIMmusic
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text:
Баканово — деревня в Великолукском районе Псковской области России. Входит в состав сельского поселения «Пореченская волость».

Расположена у южного побережья озера Псово, в 37 километрах к югу от райцентра Великие Луки и в 8 километрах к северо-востоку от волостного центра Поречье.

Постоянное население по состоянию на 2000 год в деревне отсутствовало.

Примечания

Ссылки
 Сайт Великолукского района. Пореченская волость

Населённые пункты Великолукского района

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


All beef and the finest spices available. We never use fillers or msg. Once you try a Pearl you will agree that Pearl All Beef Knockwurst is the Knockwurst that all others should be measured by.
Orders received by3:00 PM EST will be processed within 24 hours, then shipped the following day. If your order is received after 3:00 PM EST on Wednesday, it will not be shipped until the following Monday. If your order is received on the day before a FedEx holiday, you order will not ship until the next FedEx business day. FedEx Standard Overnight will be the only shipping method available to ensure prompt delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery, as your safety is top priority and we want to ensure that the products you receive are of the same high quality as the day they left our facility. All order are shipped in sealed, insulated containers containing ice packs.
Immediately refrigerate the product when it is received.
If you have any questions please contact us at 1 (800) 462-3022 and ask for customer service. Minimum order is 10 pounds in any combination of items. A small handling fee is added to every shipping total for cold container packaging.


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Home / Lifestyle / 'Machismo' is risky business . . . Toxic masculinity leading to health issues among men
'Machismo' is risky business . . . Toxic masculinity leading to health issues among men - by Barbados Today November 19, 2019
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Monday said the life expectancy for men in the Caribbean is 5.8 years below that of women, partly because societal expectations contribute to risk-seeking behaviours.
The new report titled Masculinities and Health in the Region of the Americas was launched on the eve of International Men's Day to be observed tomorrow.
The report notes that societal expectations of men to be providers, to engage in risk-seeking behaviours, to be sexually dominant, and to avoid discussing their emotions or seeking help, behaviours commonly referred to as "toxic masculinity," are contributing to higher rates of suicide, homicide, addictions, and road traffic accidents, as well as chronic non-communicable diseases among men.
"We must not lose sight of the fact that women bear differential risks associated with their status as women," said Anna Coates, PAHO's Chief of the Equity, Gender and Cultural Diversity.
"But the socialization of men also leads to a broad range of health problems that can only be addressed through responsive health policies, programs and services that focus on their particular needs."
The report also highlights that one out of five men die before the age of 50 and many of the leading causes of death in the Americas, including heart disease, interpersonal violence and road accidents are directly related to socially constructed "macho" behaviours.
According to the report, the gender roles, norms and practices socially imposed on men reinforce a lack of self-care and neglect of their own physical and mental health.
It said that this concept of masculinity, or "machismo" as it is known in the Americas, leads to three overarching risks; risk to women and children, in the form of violence, sexually transmitted infections, and lack of shared responsibility in the home; risk to other men, such as accidents, homicides and other violence; risk to self, such as suicide, accidents, alcoholism and other addictions.
"Not only does this affect the health of men themselves, but it also leads to negative outcomes for women and children in terms of interpersonal violence, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, imposed pregnancy and absent paternity," PAHO said.
The report also highlights that discrimination around age, ethnicity, poverty, employment status and sexuality further compound these negative health outcomes for men.
Differences in male and female mortality in the Americas begin to emerge at around the age of ten and rapidly increase from the age of 15 when violent causes of death, such as homicide, accidents and suicide, predominate. As a result, the mortality rate of young men is around four to seven times higher than that of young women.
While global data for some causes of death, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lower respiratory infections and diabetes remain similar between men and women, three of the leading causes of death show significant variations between men and women.
PAHO notes that from the age of 50, chronic non-communicable diseases begin to disproportionately affect men, who are less likely to engage in self-care or seek medical attention early.
"As a result, while there are more boys than girls born in the world — 105 boys for every 100 girls — this number starts to invert between the ages of 30 and 40, and by the age of 80, there are 190 women for every 100 men as men die at younger ages."
PAHO said to address issues around male socialisation and achieve gender equality in health, women and men need access to health services that take their particular needs into account.
The report calls on countries to implement nine recommendations to help improve the health of men.
These include improve, systematise and disseminate data on masculinities and health, develop public policies and programmes for health to prevent and address the main problems affecting men through the life course as well as eliminate the barriers that prevent boys and men from accessing care.
PAHO also recommends the development of inter-sectoral initiatives that incorporate health in all policies, particularly in education, promote existing positive health practices that men already engage in and ensure the participation of all communities.
It also recommends measures to promote capacity building on gender and masculinities for health sector workers, strengthen prevention and health promotion programmes directed at children and young people and ensure that institutions, including the health sector, universities and civil society focus on preventing the impact and costs of rigid/toxic masculinities. (PAHO)
Starting from infancy . . . CIBC FirstCaribbean assists with Books for Babies
Research has proven that children who are read and sung to in early infancy become better communicators and readers and are...
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BARP at 25 'to continue mission' to help older Bajans
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Broadcast the best of us . . . PM Mottley urges Barbadians to promote their country
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has called on Barbadians to imitate the Right Excellent Errol Barrow and become a "promoter...
Raising mental health awareness in Barbados
The public will have an opportunity for their questions on mental health to be answered. Starting in February, two...
Be on the look out . . . PAHO issues alert on Novel Coronavirus for the Americas
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) has issued an alert to its member countries on the Novel Coronavirus (nCoV),...
Help Barbados win! . . . Vote online in USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards
USA Today's 10 Best provides users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to...
Helping the gardens grow . . . Massy United Insurance donates to the Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre
The students of the Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre as well as those of the John Payne School for Exceptional Children can...
Facing a crisis together . . . Sagicor says it's there for you
"With the right planning and the right resources you can face any challenge and overcome it." This was the message from...


Infosim StableNet is Performance, Fault and Configuration Management all-in-one product that provides automated Service Fulfillment and Service Assurance solutions for Telcos, ISPs, Managed Service Providers and Corporations.Infosim has been developing and providing StableNet® to Telco and Enterprise customers since 2003.
Infosim is privately held with offices in Germany (Wuerzburg – Headquarter), USA (Austin) and Singapore.
The two editions are tailored to address the specific needs of each market segment. Both editions can be installed locally or in the cloud.
The Infosim StableNet licensing model is based on the number of measurements monitored per device. Infosim sells the product directly and through channel partners.
When installed locally, at the Network Operations Center (NOC) or the IT department, StableNet can use the StableNet appliance, a ready-to-run systems platform consisting of a pre-configured hardware server (128GB RAM, 6 HDD disks in a 1RU form factor), loaded with CentOS 7 operating system.
All-in-One installation containing the StableNet server, and Embedded Oracle or MySQL database and a StableNet Agent.
Boxed Server, containing the StableNet server, and Embedded Oracle or MySQL database but NO StableNet Agent.
Alternative to the appliance, users can use their own server infrastructure for installing the StableNet server, agent and GUI components on different bare-metal or virtual machines.
The StableNet server can be installed in a cloud environment, supporting monitoring out of the cloud.
This is very useful for small enterprises that do not want the installation, operation and maintenance cost of the monitoring solution.
With a cloud installation, StableNet users monitor the resources and services using web clients that are customized to their preferences and privileges. The StableNet administrator uses a Rich Client (Windows) for administration.
For certain types of data collection, including synthetic performance testing, local agents must be deployed at each monitored location. To simplify this procedure, Infosim has created the Embedded Agents, very small factor LINUX boxes, similar to the Rasberry Pi devices.
The Embedded Agents come pre-configured and can be added to the StableNet server using as ID a barcode. This almost zero effort installation procedure is a key benefit in using the embedded agents.
Infosim StableNet enables network availability monitoring coupled with network performance management and network change and configuration management features.
Inventory and asset management features.
The platform discovers network and non-network devices via SNMP and Internet Control Message Protocol. Its discovery features also find Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPNs, virtual LANs and servers — including hypervisors. It can assemble discovered resources automatically into topology and dependency maps.
StableNet's core fault management feature monitors the health of network resources. It automatically correlates alarms and events to perform root-cause analysis and business-impact analysis. It also gives network managers information on how to take action on a network failure. In addition to monitoring non-network devices, such as servers and storage, StableNet can monitor external cloud resources, making it suitable for hybrid cloud infrastructures.
The system can produce customizable real-time and historical reports via its web-based dashboard. It can also output those reports in a variety of formats for presentation in a user portal or distribution via email.
Infosim StableNet's performance management capability uses synthetic transactional performance measurements to analyze end-user experience. Its traffic-analysis feature collects and analyzes network flow data, including NetFlow and IPFIX, to report on traffic conditions, with quick insight into top talkers, quality of service and application performance.
StableNet integrates with a wide variety of event management systems, service desk systems, cloud and virtual management systems, and configuration management databases.
Infosim offers a free, fully functional 30-day trial of StableNet.


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Courts Have Next Moves on Marriage Equality
The past year has been very, very good for marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples in the United States. In a 13-month period (November through November), the number of states recognizing marriage rights for same-sex couples more than doubled from six (plus the District of Columbia) to 16; the number of people living in marriage equality states more than tripled from about 35 million to 118 million.
But hold the applause. Despite that progress for gay rights supporters, somewhat more than 60 percent of Americans still live in states where same-sex couples cannot marry. And the barriers to marriage equality in almost all of those 34 states are formidable. All but a few have Republican-controlled legislatures and Republican governors, and the Republican Party has yet to get the memo that most Americans now support marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.
In addition, most of those states have constitutional amendments defining marriage as "one man and one woman," provisions that cannot be repealed by simple legislation. Voters approved most of those anti-gay measures in the decade from the mid-1990s through 2004 while gay marriage supporters were focusing mostly on court cases.
Gay marriage was terra incognita for the voters at that time. As of November 2004, Adam and Steve could get married in only one state: Massachusetts. It was easy for anti-gay groups to depict this uncharted terrain as hostile to traditional marriage, unhealthy for children, and unsettling for public morality. Through 2004, all the amendments but one (Oregon's) won approval with more than 60 percent of the votes cast.
Since Massachusetts, gay marriage supporters have turned to and succeeded in the political sphere. Along with the District of Columbia, 12 states have decided to allow same-sex marriages by legislation, not by judicial fiat. That number includes Maine, Maryland, and Washington, where voters last year rejected referenda aimed at overturning the legislative enactments. And it includes five more states that enacted same-sex marriage legislation since November 2012: Minnesota, Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, and Illinois.
The political route, however, appears now to be, if not at a dead end, at the start of a steep incline. So attention turns to the courts, which yielded two of the state victories in the past year. Most significantly, the Supreme Court in late June greenlighted gay marriage in California by leaving on the books a lower federal court decision that struck down the state's anti-gay marriage initiative Proposition 8 (Hollingsworth v. Perry).
On the same day, the court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which barred federal marriage-based benefits to same-sex couples even if legally married in their home states. The ruling in United States v. Windsor provided the basis for a New Jersey trial-level court three months later to strike down the state's ban on same-sex marriage. The court reasoned that New Jersey's law, by denying federal benefits to same-sex couples, violated the state constitution's own equal protection requirements. Advised that the New Jersey Supreme Court would likely affirm the decision, Gov. Chris Christie decided the state would not appeal.
Gay marriage supporters sense another possible victory in New Mexico, where the state supreme court heard arguments on the issue on Oct. 23. News accounts viewed the questions from the justices as favoring the gay marriage advocates. Meanwhile, marriage equality supporters in Oregon say they have enough signatures to qualify a proposal to repeal the state's gay marriage ban for the November 2014 ballot.
Meanwhile, federal court suits are pending in 17 states, including Oregon, aimed at judicially overturning gay marriage bans, according to a compilation by the national advocacy group Freedom to Marry. One other federal court suit, in Tennessee, is limited to seeking to force the state to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. These suits are pending in federal courts in some of the reddest of the red states, such as Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. A comparable suit is pending in state court in Colorado. Some suits are far along—notably, those in Nevada and Michigan; others have just been filed.
In all of these cases, the Supreme Court's decision in Windsor is potentially powerful support for gay marriage advocates. Admittedly, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy took care in his opinion for the 5-4 majority to acknowledge the states' "unquestioned authority" over marriage law. In the critical passages, however, Kennedy said that the federal government's refusal to recognize same-sex marriages places those couples "in an unstable position," burdens their lives "in visible and public ways," and "humiliates tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples."
Suppose, for a moment, that you are a federal judge, with those passages before you, trying to write a decision upholding a state's ban on same-sex marriages. What arguments are still open to you? Harm to traditional marriage? Harm to children? Harm to society? In the first cases after Massachusetts, state high courts in New York and Washington accepted those arguments, in closely divided decisions. Now, almost a decade later, they fail, by experience as well as logic.
Opponents of gay marriage are losing in the court of public opinion and being pushed back in political forums. With so many suits pending, federal courts may not all agree. But the arc of history is bending toward marriage equality. And the Supreme Court's ultimate role in this litigation may only be to ratify a consensus that Americans have already accepted.
Refugee Crises Challenge World for New Solutions
Mandela Leaves Liberating Rule of Law as Legacy
Alabama's Lightning-Strike Death Penalty System


After his career as a dancer at renowned companies such as Opera de Lyon, Russel Maliphant and Angelin Preljokaj, Miquel de Jong gained extensive experience as a teacher. Miquel has developed his own training method, improXchange, combining improvisational techniques with contact improvisation, martial arts and composition tools. His training forms the basis for the movement vocabulary of the Panama Pictures performances.
Jeroen Strijbos and Rob van Rijswijk are a composition duo who make nationally and internationally successful work for dance and theatre. Their autonomous work consists of a variety of electro-acoustic compositions for concert performances as well as diverse sound installations. Over a period of more than 15 years, they have worked intensively with Pia Meuthen on performances in which music and movement are created simultaneously and are balanced vehicles of intention, emotion and atmosphere for the performance.
Sanne Reichert, who graduated from the Art Academy Den-Bosch in Fashion, is a designer with extensive theatre, film and styling experience. Her costumes are characterised by a realistic tone with a twist and a special colour palette.
For many years this inspiring dramatist, dancer, singer and teacher has accompanied the creation process of Panama Picture's performances. Angelique is currently a lecturer at Concordia University in Montréal. Prior to that she was coordinator and teacher at ESAC, the renowned Belgian circus school. In addition to her extensive experience with celebrated dance choreographers such as Wim Vandekeybus and Alain Platel, Angelique has worked with various circus companies.
Sammy van den Heuvel studied architecture and scenography in Antwerp. After his studies he went to Germany where he assisted designer Annette Kurz and developed various scenographies, including those for the Thalia Theater, the Bayerische Staatsoper München and the Schauspielhaus Kiel. 'Go north and see what these strangers do' is his first collaboration with Panama Pictures.


Tucked away within the shimmering frozen chasms of the Ice Caves, the Ice Crystal shop is home to many wondrous weapons carved from the walls of the Caves themselves. The secret to crafting such "brilliant and beautiful" weapons has been carefully guarded, passed down through each owner of the Ice Crystal shop.
"The legends and the map seem to say we don't have too far left to go, Rothe."
The two brothers were a dark speck against the pure white landscape, trudging through waist-high snow towards the icy caves that lay buried to the north. The two Shoyrus, one golden, the other silver, had studied the art of combat under the same master, and once hearing the legends of old, had developed the same dreams. The golden Shoyru was Kiole, the younger brother, who wielded spells while his silver brother Rothe had a preference for steel. Together they had discovered ancient texts speaking of incredible weapons carved from resilient ice and infused with mystical snow, and together they had embarked on a journey from their distant home to learn the craft of ice weaponry.
Across their shoulders were strapped travelers' packs containing among other things craftsmen's tools, small chisels and hammers and even soft polishing cloths for delicate magicians' work. Within their minds burned a strong will to see the quest through. Closer they drew to the entrance to the Caves, and closer they drew to the secrets that had driven them thus far.
The ongoing snowstorm made no sign of ceasing as the brothers approached a sheer cliff face, covered with huge runes carved into the stone.
"The map, the map..." Kiole muttered, fumbling with the thick woolen gloves that obscured his hands. Unfolding the tattered piece of thick canvas, he scanned the surface for the runes that revealed the hidden entrance.
Rothe grunted irritably. The silver Shoyru was not particularly patient, and when his brother wordlessly pointed to a curled, twisted symbol, he eagerly shoved at the stone with almost unnecessary force.
A creak, a gush of stale air, and cracks appeared in the cliff face, outlining a door of stone, its center marked by the symbol Kiole had indicated. The stones groaned, as if unwilling to yield.
"Too easy!" Rothe crowed, and rushed inside, just as a particularly fierce gale of frost howled across the Terror Mountain landscape. Kiole shook his head and followed his brother, darting through the door just as a chill blizzard wind began to push it closed.
The sight that greeted them on the other side was strange and otherworldly.
They were in a large workshop of sorts, lit here and there by a series of bottles scattered across wooden workbenches, shelves, and tables. The walls were white stone; at the far end of the huge room was a door of carved stone, inlaid with steel, spiderwebbed with frost. Oddly enough, while their breath fogged in the air, the two did not feel cold. Rothe seemed disappointed by the lack of weapons, but Kiole practically (and quite literally) flew across the room to examine a row of cylindrical bottles.
"Brother, this is Fire Snow!" Kiole excitedly tugged an ancient tome from his traveler's pack, opening the book slowly, reverently, until he found the page he was looking for. "It's the reason there's light here. Fire Snow, enchanted to burn without the need of—"
"Kiole, forget your magicks, we came here to find the secret to weapons of ice, and there are no weapons of ice here..." Rothe griped, irritably shedding his own pack and giving the bottles a look of disdain.
His brother's reply was to uncork the bottle of Fire Snow and launch some of the stuff at Rothe's face.
"Arghhhh!" Rothe crashed to the floor and rolled around in agony (punctuated by cries of "getitoffgetitoff" and "itburnsitburns" and more "aarrgghhhh"s) while his younger brother stifled a small smile and peacefully continued his reading.
"Fire Snow is certainly a weapon, Rothe, just look how effectively it works," the golden Shoyru turned a page, ignoring his brother rolling around on the ground. "And the legends say that the recipe of sorts is simple enough, all it requires is snow from the inside of the Caves and an incantation, a diagram drawn in the ice, but there's nothing written about the actual incantation, what kind of diagram..." Kiole looked at the steel and stone door. "Perhaps that is our way inside..."
Rothe had recovered enough to look up. "Inside... to the Ice Caves? Do you know what lies beyond this door? Monsters, warriors, sorcerers, evil undead beasts meant to keep the unworthy from stealing the precious ice and snow?"
Kiole grimaced and flipped through a few more pages in his book. "No, I don't think there's anything as exciting as that. Let me see." The golden Shoyru carefully placed his book on a table, then walked around the workshop. In the dim light cast by the bottles of Fire Snow, he could barely make out the shapes of roughly-hewn wooden shelves, stocked with countless empty bottles. Empty bottles, and strange, twisted shapes of what appeared to be glass, glass dripping water.
"Brother, all these shelves... perhaps some held the weapons you were looking for. But it seems as if..."
The silver Shoyru understood. "Indeed! It seems as if nearly all the ice has gone and melted. Hmm... Kiole, do you remember the technique those Air Faeries taught you, those years ago?"
The younger brother nodded. Concentrating, Kiole brought his hands together, conjuring a small pulse of white light. "Diamond Dust," he muttered, bringing his palms outward as a maelstrom of tiny snowflakes gathered, warped, danced in the soft light. Directing the ability towards one of the shelves, Kiole winced as there was a faint hissing sound—and the walls began to light up.
A chandelier carved of deep blue ice flickered into sight, lit with ethereal fire ("Snow Flame," Kiole whispered in wonder) and runes began winding their way through the walls, brightening the large workshop, tracing the designs of weapons once designed, now forgotten.
"It was said that the first crafters of ice left behind a legacy, which would be revealed only to the worthy," Rothe raised a hand to trace the carving of an ice sword, burned into the walls. The runes and drawings, which had been outlined in blazing blue light, had faded to a charcoal black, dark against the walls. And so the brothers realized, this was why there were no books, no charts, no written records of the weapon designs. All the secrets were hidden within the workshop's walls.
Kiole stared. "They're beautiful," he whispered as his eyes raced across the runes, reading the script, deciphering the curling symbols and the secrets they held.
"What are we waiting for?" Rothe crowed, and seized a handful of carving tools from the floor of the workshop. "Stop staring at those Snow Flame fire lights or whatever they are. We have weapons to craft!"
Not too long later, after a rather raucous shouting match that nearly shook icicles from the cavern walls, the two brothers agreed to open the heavy steel door and take a look at whatever lay outside. It surprised them both when the door swung open smoothly; the hinges made no creak, no groan.
An eerie sight lay before them. Tunnels, miles upon miles of ice-encrusted tunnels, winding mazelike deep into the mountain, illuminated here and there by crevices in the walls and ceiling through which shafts of sunlight trickled through. Kiole dashed back into the workshop and returned with a torch lit with Snow Flame, as well as several unlit torches. And so the two set off into the tunnels, noting in awe the enormous shimmering icicles that dangled from the ceiling.
The brothers busied themselves finding the tunnel with the most icicles. As Kiole carved indents to hold the snow torches to mark a path back, Rothe hacked away at two icicles to bring to the workshop, and picked some snow grapes for later.
"How do you fare, brother?" Rothe sighed, throwing aside a hammer and knocking away the chisel he had been using with it.
"Not too well. And you?" Kiole had buried his face in his book. The Ice Scepter he was attempting to carve was crudely made, lacking the refined detail of the picture on the wall he had been facing. Rothe's Snowball Club possessed similar defects.
"Our own tools are too clumsy for such work," Rothe stated. "There was a village we passed through at the foot of the mountain. Perhaps we should purchase tools as well as food the next time we visit there."
Kiole shook his head. "It was written that the walls of the Ice Caves, the ice of the Ice Caves, is touched with magic. I think there is something we are doing wrong."
Weeks passed. Sleeping bags were laid out and folded neatly each day. Icicles were cut down and shaped. The two brothers continued to hone their craft, but while they improved in the art of carving ice, their works still looked like little more than crude imitations of the intricate weapons whose pictures were carved into the workshop walls.
"Rothe, what do you think happened to whoever carved the images on the workshop walls?" Kiole asked one particularly challenging day, when he'd shattered three glass bottles in a row failing to create Fire Snow.
"Perhaps they gave up their practice... or were trapped outside by an avalanche... I can't imagine why they would spend so much time putting pictures into walls, though."
"Magical pictures... they wanted to teach someone, but what if that someone never arrived?" Kiole lobbed a snowball at the ceiling, watching it soar upwards and then splat somewhere near his brother's foot. Rothe gave him a dark look. Regardless of how warm it was in the workshop, ice and snow never melted within it, and that fact made for many pranks Rothe would have preferred to do without.
The Snow Flame chandelier flickered and dimmed. Kiole noticed and directed a stream of Diamond Dust at it; the blue-white light returned to normal.
"We need to keep learning."
Their food supplies dwindled. Eventually both brothers spoke of giving it up, spoke of returning home to pursue some other long-winded quest. Yet both remained stubborn, and one day, Kiole stumbled upon something that changed their fate.
He had been throwing out the latest batch of roughly-hewn, already-melting icicles, and something on the tunnel wall caught his eye. It was a series of runes, etched into the ice, above a section of wall which seemed to be missing some pieces.
Kiole bent closer. S... SH... SHAR... SHARDS.
In the flickering light of the Snow Flame torch, Kiole read the secret to the soul of the ice weapons, and knew not what it meant. What he remembered, however, was that there had been a drawing of shards, or rather, a shard, somewhere on the walls of the workshop.
Rothe was stretched out on the floor, snoring soundly, when Kiole threw open the door and dumped a snowball on his brother's face.
The silver Shoyru woke with a mangled (and slightly comical) yell, and after swatting at his face, he glared at his brother, who had carefully dumped a pile of ice chunks onto a table.
"Kiole, there are better ways of asking someone to wake up," Rothe grumbled.
But Kiole was too busy looking at what he had brought back from the Caves. "Brother, look at this. I can't believe we'd missed it."
Rothe was only slightly interested. He sidled over, glancing at the chunks, no, pieces of ice Kiole had brought back. Wrapped with simple lengths of cord, the tiny fragments showed no clear significance. "Kiole, what have you found?"
The golden Shoyru pointed at part of the wall, where a pictograph showed a perfect replica of the shards, surrounded by small depictions of every weapon that was explained in the workshop. "Ice Shards. These are the tools we need. The only intact relics left by the original masters, because..."
"...because that was all the next masters should have needed." Rothe picked up one of the shards, careful to only touch the cord, and examined it. "...this is razor-sharp, brother. Where did you find them all?"
Kiole shrugged, but grabbed an icicle he had been attempting to carve earlier. "I found these scattered in the tunnels, hidden in niches carved into the walls, packed with snow. It seems like they were regularly harvested, and only from places marked with runes. Small runes. But I think..."
Rothe had seized the icicle. Exchanging a glance with his brother, he brought ice to ice, shard to shaft. He carved.
Slowly, almost with a sigh, the ice yielded to the shard, and by Rothe's hand the former chunk of icicle changed, morphed, was shaped into a blade, shaped into an intricately-curved scimitar. When Rothe stepped back, the weapon that gleamed on the table was a perfect mirror image of the one depicted in stone on the wall across the room.
"So that's the secret," Kiole breathed. He picked up another ice shard, and something occurred to him. "Brother, I had been carving a staff. What made you decide to craft a blade instead?"
Rothe was still shaken. "I... I had nothing to do with it." He picked up the scimitar in awe. "It was as if... the ice carved itself." He swung the scimitar. "It's perfect. Light, balanced, Kiole, throw a snowball at me."
The golden Shoyru was surprised, but complied. A whoosh, a whistling sound, and two halves of snowball struck the ground.
Rothe stared. Kiole stared. Both said nothing, as the remains of the snowball collapsed on the floor and the ice scimitar winked in the light of the snow flames. The weapon slipped from Rothe's hand, it clattered to the stone floor, where it came to rest without a scratch.
It was golden Kiole who finally broke the silence. "Well... at least we won't need to worry about money for food anymore."
Again, time passed. Rothe took over the task of carving weapons, while Kiole gradually taught himself to whittle enchanted gloves, which he used to create the magical items of the snow and ice: snowflakes, rings, magical shields. Rothe found that carving ice with the enchanted ice shards was more like shaping clay than carving. Kiole found that snow scraped from the walls using ice shards created perfect Fire Snow. They traded with the village at the foot of the mountain, traded with visitors who came to see the mountain.
Eventually they discovered that a portion of the Ice Cave tunnels led from the workshop to an "ice arena" currently being constructed. So at that tunnel entrance the brothers built a small shop from bricks carved of ice, and at that shop (Kiole named it, Rothe didn't know why it was called "Ice Crystal" but it certainly sounded impressive) they began to sell their items to whoever happened to pass their way in the Caves.
Gradually the runes on the walls of the workshop faded, but it mattered little as both brothers had virtually memorized the designs of each weapon they had learned to craft. (and as it was, Rothe found out that Kiole had been sketching the designs into a book anyway) The brothers kept a few extra ice weapons on hand for when the shop needed restocking, and always, there was a shelf dedicated to ice shards and only ice shards, the essential tool and heart of ice weaponry.
It was some time before Kiole had the idea to sell the shards themselves. Rothe scoffed at first, but then agreed good-naturedly.
Of course, the shards never sold particularly well. But the day came, sooner than the brothers expected, when another Shoyru, younger than both of them, glanced over the ice swords and snowflakes, looked past the weapons and magical Frost Healing bag, and picked up an ice shard. He paid for it, and quietly, almost hesitantly, asked the brothers if they would tell him their story, perhaps tell him the use of such a seemingly simple piece of ice.
Rothe and Kiole, who had been talking together about maybe finding an apprentice someday, exchanged glances.
"Of course," they replied in unison.
Tomos had never had a lock pick that was more than a bent bit of wire, and now that he was in a position to actually afford real ones he had no need for them.