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2014 Year in Review Quiz
Posted on January 16, 2015 in Friday's News Quiz
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TRUE/FALSE. Directions: For the bolded section of each of the following statements, write true or false. REWRITE ALL FALSE STATEMENTS to make them true.
EBOLA — In 2014, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola epidemic an international health emergency. Ebola was first identified in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ebola is a deadly viral infection that may kill 60%-90% of humans that it infects.
1. _______________ The 2014 Ebola outbreak began in Germany and then spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.
2. _______________ In an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, Liberian authorities introduced an ongoing nationwide curfew and put one neighborhood in the capital under temporary quarantine.
3. _______________ In an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, the government of Sierra Leone imposed a three-day nationwide Ebola quarantine in which all residents were made to stay in their homes.
4. _______________ In 2014, there was no safe/effective vaccine to prevent the disease.
5. _______________ After the first Ebola case was reported in Nigeria, the government's aggressive program to contain and eradicate the disease was successful. By the Fall, the WHO officially declared that Nigeria was free of Ebola virus transmission.
6. _______________ The only way to stop the spread of the disease is to treat infected patients with the "Ebola antidote."
7. _______________ In a major announcement in September, President Obama called West Africa's deadly Ebola outbreak a looming threat to global security and announced he was deploying 3,000 U.S. troops to the region to build tent hospitals.
8. _______________ The Obama administration called for a ban on air travel to and from West African countries affected by the Ebola virus.
9. _______________ Kaci Hickox, the American nurse from Maine, who upon returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa was placed in mandatory quarantine in NJ, said she understood the necessity of such a requirement and placed the well-being of Americans ahead of her own comfort.
ISIS — The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a Sunni Islamist rebel group that controls territory in Iraq and Syria and also operates in eastern Libya, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, and other areas of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
10. _______________ In January, after ISIS fighters took over the city of Fallujah in Iraq, President Obama referred the terrorists as a "JV team."
11._______________ In June, the group proclaimed itself to be a worldwide caliphate and claimed religious, political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide.
12. _______________ ISIS grew significantly under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and after entering the Syrian Civil War.
13. _______________ Despite the Obama administration calling the group ISIL, in 2014 ISIS renamed itself SHAZAM.
14. _______________ The goal of ISIS is to establish a Sunni Muslim caliphate across the Middle East. Like other Islamic extremist groups, it imposes strict Sharia law in territory it controls.
15. _______________ ISIS forces all Shia Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and anyone who isn't a Sunni Muslim to convert to their brand of Islam or die.
16. _______________ ISIS terrorists beheaded American soldiers James Foley and Steven Sotloff and have also carried out mass beheadings of soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Syria.
17. _______________ In 2014, Austrian security forces prevented an Islamic State plot to carry out a filmed beheading of a random person in one of the major cities as part of a series of gruesome public executions.
18. _______________ ISIS fighters began attacking the Kurdish city of Kobani, Syria in 2014. Unlike Iraqi soldiers who ran away when confronted by ISIS, the Kurds of Kobani took a stand and continue to fight against ISIS.
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Directions: Circle the correct answer.
19. Which country(ies) experienced horrific attacks/murders against civilians by Islamic terrorists in 2014?
a) Nigeria – by Boko Haram
b) Iraq – by ISIS
c) Pakistan – by the Taliban
d) Syria – by ISIS
e) Somalia – by al Shabaab
f) all of the above
20. It was reported that many of the almost 300 teen girls kidnapped from their school in Nigeria in April were forced to marry their Islamic extremist abductors. The terrorist group Boko Haram – whose name means "western education is sinful" – has been waging a deadly five-year insurgency aimed at creating a hardline Islamist state there. In response to the kidnappings, President Obama:
a) wished President Jonathan "good luck" in finding the girls
b) sent a task force of U.S. military advisers and hostage negotiators to help the government rescue the girls
c) re-tweeted #bringbackourgirls
d) called on the leaders of the world to form an international coalition to fight Boko Haram
21. In March, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared without a trace. The reason for the plane's disappearance was:
a) terrorism
b) pilot error
c) mechanical failure
d) a disgruntled employee
e) investigators have no idea, only speculation
22. In July, all 298 people on board another Malaysia Airlines passenger plane died after the airliner crashed in eastern Ukraine. Western nations said there was growing evidence that the plane was shot down by a missile. Who is believed to be responsible for shooting down this plane?
a) Russian-backed Ukrainian rebels
b) Ukrainian government forces
c) Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists
d) North Korea
23. In March, more than 50 countries attended the National Security Summit at the Hague organized by the U.S. Over 30 of these countries signed an agreement to adopt guidelines to improve nuclear security to prevent nuclear and radioactive material from falling into the hands of terrorists. The countries that have nuclear weapons but did not sign the agreement include:
a) Pakistan, China, North Korea, Russia and France
b) France, the U.S., UK, Russia and China
c) Russia, China, India, Pakistan and North Korea
d) China, India, North Korea, Israel and Russia
24. The government of which country banned the national anthem from being performed at weddings, funerals, commercial and other non-political events as a way to "standardize proper etiquette" for the anthem?
a) the U.S.
b) Russia
c) Canada
d) China
25. American journalist Michael Wilner was the only White House correspondent who applied for a Saudi visa to cover President Obama's 2014 trip to the Gulf country to be denied one. The Saudi Arabian government prevented Mr. Wilner from covering President Obama's trip by denying him a visa because he is Jewish. The Obama administration reacted to the Saudi government's blatant anti-Semitism by:
a) saying the U.S. was "very disappointed by the Saudi decision"
b) threatening to cancel the President's stop in Saudi Arabia unless all White House reporters were granted visas
c) urging the entire White House press corps to boycott the trip
d) inviting Saudi King Abdullah & Mr. Wilner to a beer summit at the White House
26. It was reported in March that over 16% of German companies generate their own electricity (went off the electric companies' grid) because of increased electricity costs due to:
a) the cold winter weather
b) the increase in the number of employees who charge their phones and tablets from work
c) a 22% government-mandated levy on all electricity bills to fund renewable-energy sources
d) the increased use of coal to power electric plants
27. Tens of thousands of protesters, made up mainly of high school and college students, staged a months-long peaceful protest in _______________ from September to December. They called for full democracy, including open nominations for political candidates.
a) Russia
b) China
c) the U.S.
d) Hong Kong
28. Which countries passed laws against homosexuality in 2014?
a) France, Canada and the Netherlands
b) China, Japan and Thailand
c) Nigeria, Uganda and Chad
d) Colombia, Argentina and Mexico
29. Which country's president first issued government ID cards for shoppers, then passed rationing laws that force citizens to use a fingerprint scanning system in supermarkets? Customers were/are limited, electronically, to the amount of items they buy each week.
a) Venezuela
b) Cuba
c) North Korea
d) Colombia
30. In _______________ the government, private companies and the public took steps to keep noise to a minimum near exam test locations (as they do every year) to help the over half a million high school students taking annual university entrance exams.
a) India
b) Afghanistan
c) South Korea
d) Japan
31. In November, the governments of Finland and Estonia came to an agreement to link their gas markets by building two liquefied natural gas [LNG] terminals, connected through a pipeline. This move aimed to reduce both countries' reliance on natural gas from _______________, (which currently supplies all of Estonia and Finland's natural gas imports), due to that country's recently more aggressive foreign policy.
b) Canada
c) Russia
d) Ukraine
32. In _______________, November celebrations for their 25th anniversary of the fall of communism turned into protests against the president due to his public support for Russia in the Ukrainian conflict. (The protests that led to the fall of communism in this country in 1989 were nicknamed the Velvet Revolution.)
a) Poland
b) the Czech Republic
d) Germany
33. The _______________ ruled in May that individuals can ask Google to remove links to news articles, legal judgments and other information that comes up during a name search. It was ruled that Google must amend some search results at the request of ordinary people in a test of the so-called "right to be forgotten."
a) United Nations Security Council
b) European Union Court of Justice
c) U.S. Supreme Court
d) International Criminal Court
34. Which of the following is not true about events in Ukraine in 2014?
a) Ukraine's pro-Russian president fled the capital amid protests; parliament removed him from power and appointed an interim president
c) protests in Ukraine began when its President backed out of a deal with the European Union in favor of Russia
b) Media sources reported the presence of military personnel equipped with Russian weapons and in Russian-made uniform without insignia in Ukraine
d) the governments of Ukraine and Russia have signed a peace treaty after Russia agreed to give Crimea back to Ukraine
35. During the summer of 2014, Israel launched a military operation (Operation Protective Edge) in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The stated aim of the Israeli operation was to stop rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, which had increased after an Israeli crackdown on Hamas in response to the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers by two Hamas members. At the end of August, _______________ brokered a permanent cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians.
b) Iran
c) Egypt
d) Britain
MATCHING. Directions: Write the letter of his/her description next to each leader's name.
36. _______ Juan Carlos
37. _______ Ian Khama
38. _______ Nicholas Maduro
39. _______ Narendra Modi
40. _______ Juan Manuel Santos
41. _______ Abdul Fattah al Sisi
42. _______ Kim Jong Un
43. _______ Guy Scott
44. _______ Tayyip Erdogan
45. _______ Dilma Rousseff
46. _______ Haider al-Abadi
47. _______ Blaise Compaoré
48. _______ Evo Morales
a) a white Zambian of Scottish descent; was appointed acting president of Zambia upon the president's death; the first white leader of any African nation since F.W. de Klerk, the last president of South Africa under apartheid ended there in 1994
b) socialist president who won an unprecedented 3rd term in office; became Bolivia's first indigenous leader in 2006. He will now continue his program of "indigenous socialism"
c) became prime minister of Iraq when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki finally agreed to step down in August
d) leader of Turkey who "pulled a Putin" by running for president after term limiting out as Prime Minister. He chose his replacement and is said to call the shots.
e) The former head of Egypt's armed forces and now president of Egypt. Came to prominence as a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which governed after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.
f) president of Colombia, won re-election in June; engaging in peace talks with the guerrilla group FARC
g) socialist who won re-election in Venezuela
h) resigned as President of Burkina Faso after 27 years in the wake of massive protests due to his attempt to amend the constitution to extend his 27-year term
i) announced that he was abdicating, after nearly 40 years on the throne, saying it was time for a new generation. His son, Crown Prince Felipe became the new king of Spain.
j) leftist president of Brazil; first woman to hold the office – barely won re-election in October
k) Supreme leader of North Korea. Won election with 100% of the vote (and "100% of the constituency" voted)
l) won re-election for a second term; the son of Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president after independence
m) Hindu nationalist, elected 15th Prime Minister of India
49. Jeremiah Denton died in March, 2014, at the age of 89. Denton was an American military officer captured by the North Vietnamese in 1965 and held as a POW for seven and a half YEARS. Denton was awarded the Navy Cross for blinking the word _______________ in Morse Code during a propaganda interview conducted by his North Vietnamese captors.
a) SURRENDER
b) HELP
c) OK
d) TORTURE
50. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who was held captive by the Taliban for 5 years, was released on May 31 when the Obama administration traded him for 5 Taliban terrorists being held at Gitmo without notifying Congress in advance (as required by law). Bergdahl's release was also controversial because:
a) he wanted to stay with his Taliban friends
b) he deserted his military outpost
c) he was captured by the Taliban after being left behind while on patrol
d) his father had grown a long beard and tried to communicate with the Taliban
51. Andrew Tahmooressi, a decorated U.S. Marine with two tours of combat experience was imprisoned in Mexico after he got lost driving near San Diego, California when he took a wrong turn and accidentally crossed the border. At the crossing, Tahmooressi told Mexican border guards he had three guns he legally purchased in the U.S. in the back of his truck. He thought the guards would let him turn around and head back to the U.S., but instead he was arrested and was held in a Mexican jail for 8 months. In response to requests for help in getting him released, President Obama:
a) took the same action he took for Bowe Bergdahl – swapped 5 Mexican prisoners for Tahmooressi
b) personally called Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and asked him to secure Tahmooressi's release
c) urged Congress to put a hold on all aid to Mexico until Tahmooressi was released
d) there was no report that President Obama took any action on Sgt. Tahmooressi's behalf to help secure his release
52. Which leader said to the new ambassadors sent to his country: "If we ignore them [ISIS], I am certain that after a month they will reach Europe and, after another month, America. These terrorists do not know the name of humanity and you have witnessed them severing heads and giving them to children to walk with in the street."
a) Saudi King Abdullah
b) British Prime Minister David Cameron
c) U.S. President Barack Obama
d) French President Francois Hollande
HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES
53. Over 25 years ago, in June 1989, after seven weeks of peaceful, student-led protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, China's Communist government ordered the military to disperse the protesters. Chinese army troops moved into Tiananmen Square and attacked the crowds, killing and imprisoning thousands. The Chinese government marked the 25th anniversary in 2014 by:
a) launching an official government "History of Tiananmen Square" website
b) teaching about the democracy movement in schools across China
c) barring democracy activists from holding any type of commemoration in the square
d) releasing all dissidents from prison
54. In June, British and American veterans gathered in England to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion during World War II. The Normandy landings took place on June 6, 1944 (termed D-Day). The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the liberation of France from Nazi control, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war. The beaches Allied forces landed on on the coast of France on D-Day were codenamed:
a) Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword
b) Utah, Sheboygan, Gold, Juno, and Sword
c) Nevada, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword
d) Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Silver
55. In November Germany marked the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall — the wall that separated communist East Berlin from democratic West Berlin. When giving a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, President Ronald Reagan famously said "_______________, open this gate…tear down this wall."
a) Vladimir Putin
b) Checkpoint Charlie
c) Mr. Stalin
d) Mr. Gorbachev
56. 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI in Europe. _______________ is commemorated every year on November 11 to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.
a) Veterans Day
b) Armistice Day
c) Memorial Day
57. 2014 marked the 200th anniversary of our national anthem. The Star Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships during the Revolutionary War. The fourth stanza of the Star Spangled Banner includes the line:
a) "And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'"
b) "The British are coming, the British are coming!"
c) "No tax on tea!"
d) "Taxation without representation"
AGENCIES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
58. Department of Veterans Affairs: In April, whistleblower allegations of wrongdoing by employees responsible for appointment scheduling at a VA hospital in Phoenix led to high-profile congressional hearings. Soon, investigators from both the department and other federal agencies documented systemic problems across the nation. These problems included employees tampering with official records to hide long wait times for veterans seeking health-care appointments and managers punishing whistleblowers who tried to highlight problems. VA officials had created multiple lists separate from the official electronic waiting list for treatment – fake waiting lists to understate the amount of time veterans had been waiting for medical care – in part _______________.
a) because officials were afraid of President Obama's reaction
b) so officials could help more veterans get the medical treatment they deserve
c) so officials could get their bonuses
d) because the officials don't support the use of military force
59. A study, released in April and paid for by the federal government, concluded that biofuels made from corn are worse than gasoline for global warming in the short term.
An Associated Press (AP) investigation last year found that a/an _______________ analysis of corn-based ethanol failed to predict the environmental consequences accurately.
a) Big oil
b) EPA
c) Shell Oil
d) Corn Farmers' Association
60. In October, the FAA for the first time authorized the use of commercial drones by allowing six movie companies to use them for films and television shows. The government chose the movie companies first, according to the FAA's director, because:
a) "Who doesn't like a good movie?"
b) "the perks from movie studios are better than those from other groups"
c) they were "thoroughly satisfied these operations would not pose a hazard to other aircraft or to people and property on the ground"
d) "it is a lot more interesting to work with movie people than farmers or law enforcement"
61. The U.S. Department of Transportation gives money to the states for federal and state/local roads through The Highway Trust Fund. Since 2008, Congress has given the Highway Trust Fund billions of dollars to keep it afloat. Congress secured the extra funds by:
a) investigating and eliminating fraud and waste in the current system
b) new borrowing that added to the national debt
c) passing a law to increase the national gas tax
d) using money allocated for Obamacare subsidies
62. Coal is currently used to produce _______________ of our nation's electricity–more than any other fuel. Because it is cheap and abundant and can be stored on power plant grounds, it helps keep prices stable and power flowing even when demand spikes. In June, the EPA proposed a rule designed to cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal plants by as much as 30 percent by 2030.
a) 4 percent
b) 40 percent
c) .4 percent
d) 94 percent
63. In 2014, the _______________ rolled out nationwide calorie labeling rules requiring businesses that sell prepared foods and have 20 or more locations to post the calorie content of food and beverages "clearly and conspicuously" on their menus, menu boards and displays. Calorie labeling became law as part of Obamacare 4 years ago; companies will have one year to comply with the new regulations.
a) FCC
c) FAA
d) FDA
64. In December, Orion, NASA's newest spacecraft for carrying humans beyond low-Earth orbit, passed its initial flight test. This is the first craft designed to carry humans to leave low-Earth orbit since the Apollo program's final manned trip to the moon in December _______________.
65. In December, the Democrat-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee chose to make public its report on CIA detention and interrogation in the wake of 9/11. This was done despite the fact that U.S. intelligence agencies and foreign governments have said privately that the release of the report on CIA interrogations a decade ago will be used by extremists to incite violence that is likely to cost lives. In an op-ed piece, several former CIA directors expressly refuted the accusation that the CIA's interrogation program was ineffective in producing intelligence. The former CIA officials listed three successful outcomes of the CIA interrogation program. Which one was not on their list?
a) Interrogations led to the capture of senior al Qaeda operatives, thereby removing them from the battlefield
b) Interrogations led to the disruption of terrorist plots and prevented mass casualty attacks, saving American and Allied lives
c) Interrogations led to the rehabilitation of most of the senior members of al Qaeda
d) Interrogations added enormously to what we knew about al Qaeda as an organization and therefore informed our approaches on how best to attack, thwart and degrade it
66. In May, 49 of 53 Democratic Senators wrote to the NFL asking the organization to force the Washington Redskins to change the team's name because the Senators consider it racially offensive. In a letter to Democratic Senator Harry Reid responding to the Senators' letter to the NFL, Redskins president Bruce Allen:
a) told Senator Reid to mind his own business
b) cited a respected poll to prove that Native Americans are not offended by the team name
c) asked why the name should matter because Native Americans don't play pro-football
d) offered to give Senator Reid lifetime season passes
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION POLICIES
67. In June, President Obama promised he would use executive action to change U.S. immigration policy by summer's end because he wasn't able to work with Congress to implement immigration reform. In September, the White House announced that President Obama would only take action on immigration reform:
a) if he could convince Congress to agree to his changes
b) if he could also permanently secure the borders
c) on his last day in office
d) after the midterm elections
68. During the UN General Assembly this year, President Obama attended a meeting on global warming where he discussed his own "climate action plan" and urged other countries to follow through. Of significance was the fact that the two countries with the largest populations in the world _______________ and _______________ did not attend.
a) India and China
b) Indonesia and Bangladesh
c) Saudi Arabia and Japan
d) China and Egypt
69. President Obama has dragged out approval of the Keystone XL pipeline for his full six years in office, giving various excuses along the way. The reason supporters of the pipeline's construction think President Obama has delayed approval of Keystone XL is:
a) to appease environmentalists in his party
b) to appease Saudi Arabia's oil-rich government
c) to appease electric car makers, who need oil prices to remain high as a way to increase sales
d) to appease U.S. workers who would benefit from the jobs Keystone construction would provide
70. President Obama announced in October that he would use executive action to increase the program to unite _______________ already living in the U.S. with family members abroad in 2015. This will allow as many as 100,000 _______________ to immigrate to the U.S. without a visa and legally apply for work permits. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley opposed the President's executive action, saying it is "an irresponsible overreach of the executive branch's authority" and that "the president's continued push to circumvent Congressional authority and ignore the rule of law sets a bad precedent for the future." (same answer for both blanks)
a) Saudis
b) Somalis
c) Mexicans
d) Haitians
71. When the Affordable Care Act enrollment began its second year on Nov. 15, a number of low-priced health insurance plans:
a) were made available to all Americans, regardless of their income
b) maintained the same rates for 2015
c) lowered rates for 2015
d) increased rates for 2015
72. In December, after 18 months of secret talks, President Obama announced he would normalize relations (ease restrictions on travel and trade) with the Communist-run island of Cuba. He then released three Cuban intelligence agents who served long U.S. prison terms for spying on Cuban exile groups in Florida. What did he say Cuba would do in return that they did not immediately do?
a) lift the embargo
b) take "significant steps toward democracy," including the freeing of all political prisoners in Cuban jails
c) send a box of Cuban cigars to every member of Congress
d) publicly apologize to the "Ladies in White"
73. During the first week of school in September, over 100 students in a NYC public high school – Tottenville High – were pulled out of the hallway for breaking the school's dress code. The dress code crackdown forced the students to either cover up, or wait in the auditorium until a parent arrived with appropriate attire. The new principal:
a) fired the custodians who decided to enforce the dress code policy
b) implemented the dress code as part of an overall enforcement of existing school rules and discipline code
c) does not approve of the new dress code
d) responded to complaints by changing the policy
74. The school's dress code policy reads: "All clothing and accessories must not be disruptive to teaching and learning." The principal explained that the regulations are necessary to prepare students for college and the workforce. The dress code policy is named:
a) "What Not to Wear"
b) "Tottenville High School Dress Code Policy"
c) "Dress for Success"
d) "Say Yes to the Dress"
75. A growing number of lawmakers want to pass laws in their state that, in order to graduate from high school, students would have to pass the _______________ test given to immigrants who want to become citizens. (According to a recent Annenberg survey, only 36 percent of American adults could name all three branches of government; 35 percent couldn't name any.)
a) civics
b) math
c) U.S. geography
d) English
76. In November, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request from Kansas and Arizona which asked that the federal voter registration form include proof of _______________ from those registering to vote in Arizona and Kansas. The states asked the Court to intervene with the U.S. Election Commission because they had passed laws making this a requirement to vote but it is not a requirement on the federal voter registration form.
a) valid drivers license
b) high school graduation
c) U.S. citizenship
d) a college degree
77. In April the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a _______________ state constitutional amendment banning racial preferences. The Court ruled that voters had a right to ban affirmative action in their state via a ballot initiative.
a) Massachusetts
b) Oklahoma
c) Michigan
d) Louisiana
78. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Hobby Lobby's challenge to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Hobby Lobby's owners objected to a provision requiring businesses to include coverage of certain "contraceptives". The Green family had no moral objection to the use of 16 of 20 contraceptives required in the mandate, and Hobby Lobby would continue its longstanding practice of covering these preventive contraceptives for its employees. They only objected to being forced to provide 4 potentially life-threatening drugs and devices. These drugs include the morning-after pill and the week-after pill. They argued that this portion of the Obamacare law violated their _______________.
[In their ruling, the justices broke new legal ground by affirming that corporations, not just individual Americans or religious nonprofits, may claim these rights.] a) right to choose
b) religious rights
c) freedom of speech
d) 5th amendment rights
79. By November, the Supreme Court had agreed to hear another case against Obamacare regulations. This one focused on whether residents of states that use the _______________ are entitled to insurance tax credits. At stake are subsidies that make plans cheaper for millions of consumers, and are critical to making the law work.
a) federal insurance exchange
b) state insurance exchange
c) both a and b
d) neither a nor b
80. The _______________ ruled in May that city councils and other public boards are free to open their meetings with an explicitly Christian prayer, declaring that judges may not act as "censors of religious speech" simply because the prayers reflect the views of the dominant faith.
a) Obama administration
b) U.S. Attorney General
c) Secretary of State
d) U.S. Supreme Court
PRIVACY/SECURITY/TECHNOLOGY
81. It was revealed in 2014 that the NSA can record _______________ of a foreign country's telephone calls, enabling the agency to play back conversations up to a month after they take place.
a) some
b) none
c) most
d) all
82. The revelation that police departments across the country are tracking vehicle tags/license plates across the U.S., regardless of whether the drivers are being investigated by law enforcement, has angered many who say their _______________ are being violated.
a) civil rights
b) civil liberties
c) free speech
d) freedom to assemble
83. Government and law enforcement officials say the collection of license plate data across the U.S. is needed to help with _______________, either to incriminate or exonerate a suspect.
a) civil lawsuits
b) private investigations
c) criminal investigations
d) government control of the people
84. In September, CVS stores stopped selling _______________ in all of its stores.
a) tobacco products
b) alcohol
c) Plan B pills
d) candy and soda
IN THE STATES
85. Nearly 69,000 unaccompanied children, mainly from Central America, streamed across the southwest border in 2014, a 77% increase from the previous year. Roughly as many migrants, typically mothers and children, came in family units, a 360% jump. In June, scores of illegal immigrants from Central America were released at bus stations in Tucson and Phoenix over several days after they were flown by _______________ to Arizona from Texas.
a) Texas Governor Rick Perry
b) Federales
c) U.S. federal officials
d) coyotes
86. The illegal immigrants were flown to Arizona and released at bus stops because:
a) they were meeting family members at the bus station
b) Greyhound had a special deal on one-way tickets
c) because this was the most responsible and lawful action that could have been taken
d) detention facilities were full after a surge in immigrants crossing the border illegally
87. In November, a federal appeals court upheld traditional marriage laws in four states, setting up the prospect of Supreme Court review. At least 30 states had approved marriage laws and/or state amendments stating that marriage was between one man and one woman only. Why are these laws, passed by a large majority of voters, no longer in effect in most states?
a) because the voters passed a second law which made same-sex marriage legal
b) because federal judges struck down the legislation and/or amendments, calling them unconstitutional
c) because U.S. Congress passed a federal law legalizing same-sex marriage across the country
d) because President Obama took executive action to make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states
88. In February, _______________ Governor Jan Brewer vetoed legislation that would have protected businesses, corporations and people in her state from lawsuits if they deny services based on a sincere religious belief. The main issue Gov. Brewer had to decide was whether she believed the law was necessary to protect religious freedom.
a) New Mexico
b) Arizona
c) Texas
d) Arkansas
89. The U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation announced in February that _______________ in California's Central Valley would get none of the water they requested from a federally controlled system because of the drought.
a) cities
b) environmentalists
c) farmers
d) florists
90. In 2014, Maryland utility companies began installing digital meters, which transmit usage and other data wirelessly, in all homes and businesses. Customers opposed to having smart meters installed in their homes expressed concerns over privacy, data security and the low level radiation the meters emit. The Maryland Public Service Commission (government regulators) announced in February that customers who don't want smart meters installed in their homes will:
a) have to pay their power company an up-front fee, plus a monthly charge to opt out
b) can opt out without penalty
c) cannot opt out
d) get a discount on their bill if they opt out
91. In 2014, Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy of _______________ signed into law a measure that would raise his state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, making it the first state to pass legislation establishing a $10.10 minimum wage.
a) California
b) Connecticut
c) New York
d) Florida
92. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in May that Texas leads the nation in job growth and the number of housing units built. The industries that are causing such enormous growth in Texas are:
a) automotive, agriculture and tourism
b) gambling, tobacco and firearms
c) technology, finance and oil
d) health care, telecommunications and government jobs
93. This year's historic midterm elections saw the GOP pick up nine Senate seats. Republicans will hold 54 seats in that chamber in the next Congress, to the Democrats' 46. The Democrats' Senate loss represented the biggest in the chamber that any president's party had suffered since 1958, during Dwight Eisenhower's second term. In the House, the GOP will hold 247 seats, the largest majority either party has held since 1931. Republicans also made sweeping advances in:
a) governorships
b) the federal court system
c) state legislatures
d) the U.S. Supreme Court
94. In October, _______________ became the first state in the nation to ban grocery stores from handing out plastic bags with customers' purchases. Opponents of the bill banning the use of plastic bags said the statewide ban is government overreach.
a) Colorado
b) Massachusetts
c) California
d) Washington
95. Voters in Berkeley, California have passed a law that will impose a 1-cent-an-ounce tax on soda. Which one of the following is also included in the tax?
a) chocolate milk
b) 100% juice drinks
c) diet sodas
d) energy drinks
96. Which issue was not on a ballot measure in any state in the 2014 elections?
a) abortion
b) raising the minimum wage
c) marijuana legalization
d) bans on smoking in public places
97. In 2014, health officials in the town of Westminster, Massachusetts proposed banning privately owned businesses from selling _______________. After a huge public outcry, the 3 member board, which would have implemented the ban for the whole town, voted 2-1 to drop the proposal. Opponents had said the proposed ban, which would have been the first of its kind in the state, was a sign of excessive government interference in private life.
a) any tobacco product
b) lottery tickets
c) snack foods
d) sugary drinks
98. Voters in all but which one of the following voted on whether to legalize recreational marijuana in the 2014 elections?
a) Washington D.C.
b) Texas
c) Alaska
d) Oregon
99. In October, the Colorado Health Department recommended that marijuana regulators ban many _______________ forms of marijuana, and limit legal sales of pot-infused food to lozenges and tinctures because many forms of this type of marijuana "are naturally attractive to children."
a) drinkable
b) sprayable
c) edible
d) smokable
100. After a 3 month investigation, USA Today reported in November that _______________ could not even say how much marijuana has been grown and sold in the state since it became legal on Jan. 1. In multiple cases, _______________ found stores had far more marijuana than they were disclosing – believed to be a way for the store owners to avoid paying taxes on those sales or selling the extra on the black market. (same answer for both blanks)
a) Colorado pot shop owners
b) pot "tourists"
c) Colorado state marijuana regulators
d) federal regulators
EXTRA CREDIT QUESTIONS
(Teacher to determine length/content of answer required for the extra credit, and number of extra points to be given)
What do you think was the most important national news issue/event of 2014? Explain your answer.
Obamacare architect calls Americans "stupid": The revelation that Jonathan Gruber said the government could rely on the American people's stupidity to push Obamacare through. Several videos surfaced in which he called American voters "stupid," suggesting that a "lack of transparency" in the Affordable Care Act contributed to passage of the law, and his comments that there was a need to conceal the Obamacare tax on health insurance in order to get it passed. One video showed Mr. Gruber saying Obamacare passed in part because "the American people are too stupid to understand the difference."
The long wait times at the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities due to corrupt VA officials.
The VA scandal: Officials at the Phoenix VA hospital were accused of keeping a secret wait list of veterans who were seeking health care. This list was kept out of sight of federal regulators, who were instead sent documents that vastly underreported how long it took for patients in Phoenix to see a doctor. An official investigation found the wait list contributed to deaths as many as 40 veterans. VA officials didn't report those long wait times to the federal government because they wanted to get pay bonuses hospitals receive for keeping wait times short. The scandal at the Phoenix hospital also led to greater scrutiny of other VA-run facilities and whether they also have unacceptable wait times for patients. Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs resigned as a result of the scandal.
White House security breech – fence jumper makes it across the lawn, through an unlocked door, past the staircase to the first family's residence and into the East room of White House after running past one secret service agent then overpowering a female agent. The Secret Service originally misrepresented how far into the White House the intruder got, saying at first he only made it inside the door. Julia Pierson, the first female director of the Secret Service, resigned in the wake of a subsequent congressional inquiry uncovering other security lapses.
Thomas Frieden, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Incompetent response to the Ebola cases in the U.S. Calls by many for his resignation.
Border crisis: Unaccompanied children from Central America illegally entering the U.S., and the Obama administration's response.
The historic wins made by the Republicans in the midterm elections
The controversial executive actions / executive orders made by President Obama
More states legalizing recreational marijuana; subsequent fallout over dangers of edible marijuana…
The Sony hacking; controversy over The Interview movie mocking Kim Jong Un
What do you think was the most important world news issue/event of 2014? Explain your answer.
the disappearance of the Malaysia airplane
the Ebola crisis
the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria; their barbaric atrocities committed against Yazidis, Christians and anyone who doesn't follow their strict brand of Islam; their televised beheadings of American journalists and the U.S. response
The continued atrocities committed by Boko Haram, an Islamic Jihadist and terrorist organization based in northeast Nigeria, including the murder of schoolboys, threats against other schools which led to the closure of schools in one Nigerian state, the April kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls – their forced conversion to Islam and forced marriages to Islamic fighters.
The murder of 3 Israeli teenagers by Hamas terrorists, and subsequent Israeli/Palestinian war and the follow-up attacks on Israeli civilians (running over people waiting for a bus; a knife attack and murder of four rabbis praying in a synagogue, etc.)
the crisis in Ukraine
Recent Friday's News Quizzes
News quiz for week ending 1/15/21
Christmas quiz 2020
News quiz for week ending 12/18/20


Last month Margaret explored Zanzibar, the last stop on her 'topping' 10 week tour up the coast of Africa. In this instalment, she finally docks in Mombasa, and takes the train to Nairobi with her Post Office colleagues.
Nairobi at last, I'm sitting in the Bungalow now and must just review the past few days, the railway journey, the arrival and subsequent settling. The old Cluny arrived in Kilindini harbour on Friday morning early, we were interviewed by an Official who got the signatures of the eight of us, afterwards Mr Pearson the Postmaster of Mombasa came aboard.
No train to Nairobi that day – shock number one. All hotels full – shock number two. We got a bigger shock in the evening when we heard that there was no room for us on Saturday's train! We raved about, were so disgusted with having to stay an extra day on the Cluny and the Stewards and Stewardesses were horrid to us, they had been getting nastier and nastier as we drew nearer Kilindini.
Mr Jessop was a proper sport, saw us all safely through the Customs and of course we just relied upon him for everything with his knowledge of Swahili.
We journeyed twice to the Customs that day, having to return to the Cluny for lunch – and incidentally a lot of cheek. At night it was rather comical, how we all raged and determined to leave the boat and seek rooms anywhere if we had to wait for another train, and how we'd fight the Government!
Next morning we left and found that our berths were booked right enough, we were bundled into taxis by Mr Jessop and packed off to the Immigration Office, then Mombasa station to see to our luggage. We got a great sendoff at noon, the departure of the train is a great event at Mombasa. We were in first class carriages together, four in each, it must have been because there was no second class accommodation available, so we scored after all.
The journey up was strange, rushing out at certain stations for meals, jogging along at a snail's gallop, rocking and jolting through jungle and waste land, stopping at wayside stations where only a few natives were visible wearing blankets and carrying native spears. No towns lie between Mombasa and this, the land is wild and bare and uncultivated, a vast game preserve.
There were herds of Zebra and of Springbok, many Ostriches and great Giraffes a d Buffalos to be seen from the train, but we didn't see a lion!
At last we got into Nairobi station and were met by Mr Dyer our supervisor.
I like the Bungalow and think I'll like the life A.1. More anon. Have been making my room homelike today and it's looking so nice I've been rushing the others in by turns to see it.
It's strange but true that I'm the first of the eight to get my room put right. Mother and Jean made me covers for boxes and things like that, Miss Low here lent me her machine to run up curtains and I was in luck's way all round as usual. We start work tomorrow.
Next month Margaret spills the beans on her new life in the Post Office Bungalow – full of social events, new friends and more soldiers!
The Uganda Railway (named after its final destination, although most of the track lay in British East Africa as Kenya was then known) was built between 1896 and 1901. Nearly all the workers who built the railway were from British India, and large numbers of them died during its construction. As it was the only way of reaching the country's interior from the coast, the long railway journey which Margaret took featured prominently in many people's first impressions of Kenya, its landscapes and wildlife.


Infertility does a number on your taste buds. The no gluten, no dairy, no sugar commandments are to be followed with utmost scrutiny. Food labels are to be read and then re-read, and vegetables are to be consumed in copious amounts. As a result, good flavor is often relinquished to the savory infusion of cardboard and lemongrass. Tasty, I know! Unless, of course, last month's "I give up; give me a doughnut" day has turned itself into a "I give up; give me a doughnut" month, of which I am completely guilty.
This recipe, which hails from my mother-in-law's genius brain, has added all of the benefits of good taste without breaking any of the infertility commandments (well… almost). So, here it is. I present to you The Best Darn Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, (almost) Sugar-Free Cherry Coconut Bars on the Planet!
With hands, mix flour, coconut oil, and confectioner's sugar until smooth. Spread thin with fingers in 8″ square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 mins.
Stir the rest of the ingredients into eggs. Spread over top of baked pastry (no need to cool). Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 mins.
Enjoy with a cup of piping hot coffee!


Please be informed that Privacy Legislative Decree No. 196 dated June 30th 2003 is a Code meant to protect Personal Data of persons and other legal entities; according to the quoted Decree, Personal Data will be processed on the basis of principles of fairness, lawfulness, transparency and utmost safeguard of your privacy and your rights.
you can excercise your rights in the matter of your data management according to Art.7 of Decree 196/2003 by giving communication in writing to the holder of your data.
The person concerned has the right to obtain confirmation about the existence or non-existence of his Personal Data (even if they have not been registered yet) and to get their communication in an understandable form.
the recipients or categories of recipients to whom these data may be transmitted or that may get to know them because of their position of: nominated representative within the State area, responsible persons or appointees.
statement that the actions as to letters a) and b) (including their contents) have been duly brought to attention of those subjects to whom these data have been transmitted or released, with exception of the specific situation when such a fulfilment turns out to be impossible to be carried out or it requires an effective disproportionate effort in relation to the right to be protected.
the management of his personal data in relation to mailing of advertising material or direct sale or the accomplishment of market researches or commercial information.


Exactly 1,200 of the 1,090 special education professionals employed in Rhode Island, work in Providence. There has been a 29% decline in the number of special education professionals in Providence between the years 2006 and 2010. Overall employment in Providence has increased.
As the number of special education professionals in Providence has shrunk, salaries for special education professionals have increased. In 2010 Providence special education professionals earned an average yearly salary of $62,160. Four years earlier in 2006, the average salary for special education professionals in Providence was $56,020 per year. The growth in the salary of special education professionals in Providence is slower than the salary trend for all careers in the city.
Special education professionals in Providence earn a median salary of $63,900 per year. The 10% of special education professionals in the lowest pay bracket earn less than $38,880 per year, while those in the highest pay bracket earn approximately 115% higher salaries.
On average special education professional salaries in Providence are lower than salaries earned by their professional counterparts in related professions.
There are 2 accredited special education schools in the city. Many of Providence's special education professionals are graduates of one of these schools.
There are a total of 5 degree and certificate programs in special education offered by Providence's special education schools.
In 2010 approximately 232 students graduated from special education courses.
We are in the process of collecting data for the number of special education faculty, growth in the field of special education academia and special education faculty salaries in Providence. Please enter your information in the form below if you are involved in teaching special education courses to students at the certificate in special education, bachelors degree in special education, and masters degree in special education levels. This will help us build a valuable free database resource for the benefit of current and future faculty in the field of special education in Providence. All information you submit will be anonymous. Once you have submitted your information an outline of the data we have collected up until now will be available for you to view.


text:
Robin Richmond: Melody All the Way
BBC Radio 2, 29 July 1974 19.02
Producers ROBERT BOWMAN and CHARLES CLARK-MAXWELL
Producers: Robert Bowman
BBC Radio 2 is a radio service which began broadcasting on 30 September 1967. It replaced Light Programme.
Feedback about Robin Richmond: Melody All the Way, BBC Radio 2, 19.02, 29 July 1974
Please leave this link here so we can find the programme you're referring to: http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/93e819b47ec747b08bd5bc2f1cd4ce1f

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


No 1 Leeds, 26 Whitehall Road, Leeds, LS12 1BE — 55 yards to the west.
mirpur-1, Dhaka, 1216 — 1124 yards to the northeast.
Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS1 6 — 1463 yards to the east.
Unit 3 Tristram Centre, Brown Lane West, Geldard Road, Leeds, LS12 6BF — 1625 yards to the southwest.
Leeds — 1138 yards to the east.
107-111 Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6AZ — 1362 yards to the northeast.
New Station St, Leeds, LS1 4PR — 864 yards to the east.
6-7 South Parade, Leeds, LS1 5QX — 1036 yards to the northeast.
897 yards to the east.
Leeds — 1237 yards to the northeast.
406 Trinity Leeds, Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5AY — 1084 yards to the east.
Park House, Leeds, LS1 2PW — 785 yards to the northeast.
Wellington Bridge St, Leeds, LS3 1LW — 541 yards to the north.
Leeds city centre — 1096 yards to the northeast.
No 1 Leeds, 26 Whitehall Road, LS12 1BE, Leeds, LS1 1UR — 15 yards to the north.
14 The Light, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 8TL — 1277 yards to the northeast.
Eastgate, Leeds, LS2 — 1629 yards to the northeast.
422 Trinity Leeds, Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5AY — 1051 yards to the east.
Leeds — 997 yards to the northeast.
102 Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS3 1JA — 1190 yards to the northwest.


It's a bonanza weekend in the Funk Zone next weekend!
Start off your Friday night at wall space gallery with Jennifer Greenburg's Artist Reception from 6 to 8pm.
From 5 – 8pm, head over to Koplin/Levin for a bonanza of creative goodness.
The Santa Barbara Arts Fund opens it's newest exhibition, curated by one of Santa Barbara's most creative and wacky people, Ted Mills.
The exhibition features the talents of Tracey Beeles, Dan Levin, Michael Long, Ted Mills, Jim O'Mahoney, Norm Reed, Matt Stroka, Ethan Turpin, Dug Uyesaka, and Sue Van Horsen.
of course all will be present for the opening.
Koplin/Levin will be open from 5 to 8pm, so if you miss Friday's party, you can catch up on Saturday night.
← Bohemia at the Beach!


We have been in the Faroe Islands for a little bit over two months now. A house in a little village of 1200 people called Vestmanna has been our home.
My mum was asking me about the food here etc so thought I'd do a blog post on Faroese life.
The first, most obvious, thing here is the natural beauty of the landscape. Going for a short walk or drive you will pass many waterfalls that end up being 'just another waterfall' but it's crazy to see so many beautiful ones. As well as the tree-less mountains!! The wind is just too strong for trees to grow. I'd also think another reason would be because of the lack of sunlight too.
The next thing has to be the sheep. There are 70 000 sheep that call these islands home compared to 50 000 people. You do have to be careful whilst driving to avoid hitting sheep! Sometimes they just walk along in the middle of the road. Other times it'll be pitch black, with the wind blowing a gale and they'll be sitting on the side of the road chomping on some grass.
Lack of sunlight is another major thing. There have only been a handful of days the whole time we've been here where we have actually seen the sun. It's crazy! And I really miss it. It makes me realise how much I really love a warm climate and sunny days. Since it is winter here at the moment, the sun rises at about 9:30am, although it's not a bright day, especially with the snow and clouds. It's more like it's just lighter than night time. The sun sets around 3pm now. We have problems sleeping due to the lack of vitamin D we get so we generally sleep in a bit. So we wake up and then before you know it, the sun is setting!!! I noticed at the beginning of being here, I'd start to get hungry when the sun would go down. So now I check my watch and see that, nope, another few hours before dinner time!
Let's talk about food! Breakfast is usually some toast from a brown loaf of bread (kind of like the types of bread they commonly have in Germany or Denmark) usually topped with cheese. I'm not too sure what a typical lunch is but dinner is definitely meat and potatoes! And gravy, of course. The type of meat can be half rotten fish, half rotten sheep or there is farmer here who has cows for beef. Chicken, pork and other beef products are imported and available in the supermarket. The half-rotten meat products are basically where the animal is hung up and stored in a cold, dry place for a period of time (most Faroese homes have a storage section for this purpose). The meat is then usually boiled or put in the oven with the potatoes. The smell is unlike anything I have ever smelt before. The smell of the food cooking is definitely worse than the actual taste of the meat. However since our taste buds have never tasted this type of food before they definitely got an overwhelming taste and it was not pleasant haha. Apparently this type of preserving meat is only done here because the air is so dry.
Pilot whale meat is another type of meat commonly eaten. Most people that we know, at least, might have heard of the Faroe Islands from Sea shepherd regarding whaling. Whales have been hunted and eaten here for many, many years but while it continues to go on, more people are becoming aware of the mercury in the meat which does deter some people from eating it.
Sea Shepherd have created quite a stir here in the Faroe Islands and the majority of people here hate them! A French guy visited here before us and had a long beard and long hair (hippy-ish looking) and got stopped by a policeman asking if he was from Sea Shepherd. Kel gets many looks from people due to his hair and I'm sure many wonder if we are from Sea Shepherd. After speaking to locals of what they think of whaling and what they think of sea shepherd, we learned that like most countries, they don't want to rely on importing food and whales are one type of animal that are around for them and they see it as a sustainable food source. They kind of see it as their right to hunt whales. They also really don't like being told by an organisation what they can or can't do with animals in their environment. We've spoken to the boys that live here and they said if Sea Shepherd hadn't come to the Faroe Islands and made such a fuss in the media, there wouldn't have been as many hunts this year.
What usually happens is that someone sights a pod of whales and calls the head whaler of the village. Then that person calls someone who calls someone else until the whole village knows. Apparently it has to be a quick process since the whales can move on. Everyone who wants to hunt, stops working (even teachers! Children are sent home!). We've heard that these days hunting whales is a lot better than before as they are focussed on killing the whale in the quickest and pain-free way. The images you can see on the internet of the whale hunts are so graphic due to the water turning red and it's so shocking since that type of scene is so foreign to us. It's been very interesting learning about this issue. All this info has been from some Faroese locals.
The weather here is pretty much like England. Eg lots of rain, not too much sun and that's what we were prepared for. Unlike typical English weather is the amount of heavy wind here!!!! I've never felt the wind be so strong before coming here. One time I crossed the road to get to the neighbour's house and I was huffing and puffing just because I was trying so hard to stay upright walking while this gale was pushing me!!! The scariest thing is driving in it. Since I can only drive automatic cars, Kel always drives but I am soooo happy for that. Being in the car when it's windy, you can hear the wind but also feel the wind AND, if it's raining, see the rain going horizontal instead of vertical and it really does move the car. When Kel is saying 'geeees!!' that really freaks me out since that means he is scared too!! It is possible cars can be blown over!! Many people place rocks in their cars to weght it down! We were driving to a tourist spot the other day called Gjogv which there are two ways to get there. The first route we took we ended up having to turn around because the wind was THAT strong. It was like being in a hurricane or something, it was incredible to feel how strong it was. We found out later from a local that the road to Gjogv we were taking was advised not to take the route on the radio. The houses here must be built in a special way because there are hardly any house problems due to wind considering the other night wind speed got up to 170 km per hour!!!
Wind isn't the only thing you have to worry about while driving here. Other drivers are the main issue! Both of us rate Faroese drivers as the worst drivers we have come across. Ok maybe on par with the bus drivers in Nepal and India. But to say that they come close in terms of dangerous driving says something!!! You'd think that heavy downpours of rain and strong gusts of wind would make drivers slow down and perhaps not overtake on corners/blind spots…. NOPE!!! Not here! Here there are only one lane roads for each direction of traffic so a lot of overtaking takes place especially as there are trucks on the road. There have been many times where there are cars oncoming towards us because they are overtaking traffic in the other lane so we have to quickly brake. Many times! Even the other night (since it's pitch black at like 4pm so it feels weird to say afternoon) we came out of a tunnel and turned a corner and a SLOW truck was trying to overtake cars at the last minute and we had to slam on our brakes while it's raining strongly. Crazy! The other thing is that many leave their headlights on while driving even if other cars are coming their direction.
The Faroese language is veryyyy difficult to learn! The sounds of the letters are so so different to English and it's even hard just to pronounce the letters let alone words. Natascha, who I mentioned in a previous blog, came to the Faroes 15 years ago and learnt the language and I really admire her for that! It really must've been hard! One word I do know, yet I know I don't pronounce properly is bíða pronounced kind of like boo ya. I kept hearing boo ya boo ya especially when someone was talking to the dog haha it's my favourite word. It simply means wait.
We had planned to stay in the Faroes for three months but feel it's time to move on. It's been a massive learning experience with the culture which has been difficult at times as well as living with this type of weather and feeling the cold which we hadn't really felt since last years winter – if you can properly call that a winter!
I feel very grateful to have met the people that we have (truly amazing) and there are a few who we will definitely keep in contact with!
We were meant to get the ferry yesterday to Iceland but because of a storm in Denmark it's been delayed for a few days. Not looking forward to the swaying of the boat but at least it's only for one night and not in a couchette this time!
Current weather in the village where we will be staying in Iceland is -2 degrees and snowing. Tonight a storm is meant to be hitting Iceland which is said to be one of the worst storms in 24 years so that'll be interesting!!! Onto Iceland… woohoo!!!


The Nike core set has just been released and is now live on the site.
You can check out all the recipes, boosts and get a complete item list from the Nike Core Set page here.
Or load it straight into the Core Builder so you can get customizing with different gem combos. Click here to load the Nike Core set into the Core Builder.
The Nike Core Set is a massive Infantry Missile Set with huge attack boosts and debuffs. Alongside Ares (Cavalry) and Poseidon (Ranged) it forms a trio of high-power troop specific missiles. The overall power level is the highest we've seen. It effectively replaces Zeus as the primary Infantry attack set.
Here is a table of the total boosts (for regular troops).
All the new Nike Cores and Pieces are here and on the Best Cores and Pieces Page here.
Previous Game of War Weekly Roundup – 28th June, Nike core set, Level 14 March research and more!


text:
Taking Down the 980 Freeway to Make Way For Equity
Laura Klivans
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA - JULY 25: Traffic backs up at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza along Interstate 80 on July 25, 2019 in Oakland, California. The State of California and four of the largest automakers in the world - Ford, VW, Honda and BMW - have struck a deal to reduce auto emissions in the State of California ahead of the Trump administration's plans to eliminate an Obama-era regulation to reduce emissions from cars that are believed to contribute to global warming. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The 980 freeway, a two-mile span that bisects Oakland, has been called a "freeway without a future." Its critics want to see the highway replaced and turned into a multi-lane boulevard with open spaces so that historically black West Oakland can be reconnected to downtown. With an infrastructure bill on the table in Washington, advocates say now is the time for this project. We'll talk about the plan, its cost and what it will take to make a reality.
Jonathan Fearn, co-founder, Connect Oakland, an advocacy group seeking to replace the 980 freeway
Warren Logan, Policy Director of Mobility and Interagency Relations, Office of the Mayor, Oakland


The V3 Movement is dedicated to seeing five-fold ministry, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers, thrive in the Church. Our friends at Missio Alliance are hosting a crucial event to discuss the role of evangelism in the missional church.
This year's Missional Learning Commons will focus on the oft forgotten member of the 5-fold gifts: the Evangelists. While the Attractional Church focuses mostly on Pastors and Teachers, the Missional Church often gravitates toward the Apostles and Prophets. But what of the Evangelists?
On Nov. 7th and 8th we will focus our attention on the Practices of Proclamation & Presence as we seek the Kingdom of God among us in personal spaces, social spaces, and public spaces.
Register Today! How can I plant a V3 Church?


LibreOffice cannot fetch a file from a server which is configured with HTTPs.
On Windows 7, I'm configuring a local Apache Tomcat server with HTTPs (created a self-signed certificate, added it to Tomcat's keystore), place a HTML document on it, which contains img elements which refer to images on the server.
When I issue OpenOffice to connect to the server and convert the HTML document to PDF, it creates the PDF, but the images are missing.
If the server is not configured with HTTPs, OpenOffice can fetch the images and then place those images into the generated PDF.
I assume OpenOffice considers the local server's certificate untrusted, and will refuse to connect to it.
I added the certificate to the personal key store, but the issue still persists.
Embed the images instead of linking them.