Michael struggled a bit last night, but had a much better day today. His gums are looking better, as well. Me- I'm still trying to get by on the less-quantitative, less qualitative sleep than I've been getting for the past few nights (which is never quite enough on a good night, as it is), so I'm feeling too lazy and tired to come up with anything substantive to write about.
But, I've been collecting Abby snippets to share over the last week or so, and tonight is as good a night as any to just get them all out there in a nice, unstructured way.
I'll start with last week's little gem, that Tom emailed me a line about to ensure that he would remember to relate it to me at some point. As he paid for his pre-Thanksgiving groceries in the Wegmans checkout line the on the Sunday preceding it, the cashier asked him if he would like any cash back. Abby, carefully observing the interplay, chose that moment to begin singing, "I want my money back! I want my money back!"
On the following Tuesday, when Tom brought Michael into Abby's room with him to bring her downstairs for breakfast, Abby declared, "I need to change Michael's diaper."
Then there was the Friday after Thanksgiving, when Abby got cute and creative in an empty box.
Then, she was so amazingly cooperative during finger-and-toenail clipping time that I had to get a record of that, too.
She's gotten better and better about it, particularly in recent months, and was actually getting her toenails clipped per her request. Tom started off interested only in her sharp little fingernails.
We had our share of moments today, too. This afternoon was a big one for Tom. He had to go into the office for part of the day today, and did not arrive home until close to dinnertime. As he descended the stairs to greet us upon his return, Abby cried out, "Daddy's home!"
The grin that spread across Tom's face was priceless. But then, he asked for a hug and kiss, which Abby was not inclined to give, having already fixed her interests elsewhere (though, she did continue to chant, "Daddy's home," as she went about her business). That is, until she saw her daddy swoop down to pick up her little brother. Suddenly, it seemed there wasn't nearly enough of Daddy to go around.
Jealous as she gets of her little brother, she can be so sweet with him, too. I was trying to sneak some semi-sweet chocolate chips after dinner when Tom brought Abby into the living room. Michael was already crawling around the floor there, still blessedly oblivious to what I am eating most of the time (outside of meals, anyway), so long as he finds other things to distract himself with. Abby, however, is far more observant. She made a beeline for me, and my little bowl of chocolate, so of course, I had to cough some up. However, after reaching out to grab a second piece from me, Abby turned right around to her brother and said, "Michael, would you like some chocolate?" It was so precious, I hated to intervene, but I had to explain to Abby that Michael is not old enough for chocolate just yet. I made sure to tell her how proud I was of her, though, for offering to share.
In other news, as of 6:27 pm (Central Time) on November 25th, 2012, Abby and Michael have a new little cousin. Congratulations, Michael and Aimee!
Is it weird that I feel so much more grown up now, having suddenly become an aunt, than I ever did becoming a parent?


Aum Sri Matre Namaha. Thank you in advance for all your help and service during this grand mahotsav, We truly appreciate all community members like you and your efforts towards our temple.
Prana Pratishtapana is a rare opportunity to participate in the ceremony of instilling the Divine Spirit into a Vigraha that gets transformed into a Deity. This is an event that occurs only once for each Vigraha. The vigrahas are ready to be shipped and we are gearing up for the Grand Pratishtapana Mahotsav. Yantra japas and Yantra pujas are currently being performed at the temple and devotees' homes.
Being a part of this event will be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity for many of us. The ability to participate in the event firsthand and witness it up close is an experience that will stay with your family for a lifetime. Having a temple in a small town like ours enables a very personal experience throughout the Prana Prathisthapana and will rejuvenate our body and soul. This is an opportunity for the whole family to get engaged with our temple and contribute in all ways.
Maybe you have a God or Goddess, whose Mandap, Stubhi or Yantra you would like to sponsor, or maybe you would like to sponsor a Kalash or Annadaan. You can sponsor lamps, puja utensils, mangalsutra and other items that will be utilized in the temple rituals on a daily basis. There are enough and more choices for all of us. The temple requires all the resources it can get and together, we can truly make lasting contributions to our temple. The temple will have a donation wall that shall have names of all donors who have contributed $1001 and above.
Prana Prathista ceremony is the only opportunity to be up close with the vigrahas inside the garbhagriha. After this event, only priests are allowed in the garbhagriha. The Board of Trustees and Board of Directors invite you to utilize this unique opportunity to create a legacy of service for this and future generations by your contribution to our temple. Again we would like to thank you for all your help.
Kalash / Stubhi Sthapana – The kalash or stubhi are installed at the top of the mandap or shikhar during this ritual. Shrine kalash and stubhi sponsors will be invited to participate in the installation.
Homams / Havans – Throughout the Mahotsav, multiple homams / havans are conducted for the various deities to prepare the temple to be the abode for the deities. All sponsors will be included in the sankalpa.
Vigraha Adhivaasa – Adhivaasa involves immersing the vigrahas in various materials such as Panchagavya (five materials from cow), water, grains, etc. The last adhivaasa is Shayanaadhivaasa, where the vigrahas are laid to rest on a mattress. Everybody will have an opportunity to make these offerings to each vigraha.
Yantra Sthapana – This ritual involves the installation of the energized yantras at the base of each vigraha. The yantra is believed to be the storage for all the prayers offered by the devotees, and the source of the deity's powers. Yantra sponsors will have the opportunity to install the yantras in each mandap.
Netronmeelanam –In this event, the sthapati opens the eyes of the vigraha, preparing the vigraha to be installed in the shrine.
Vigraha Sthapana – This is the installation of the vigraha at the shrine, along with Ashtabandhana or sealing of the joint between the vigraha and the base using a special paste of clay mixed with herbs. Mandap sponsors will be invited to participate in the Ashtabandhana.
Prana Pratishta – This ritual is the key event during which the almighty is invoked in the vigraha through the chanting of various vedic mantras including the bija mantras.
Kalashabhishekam – The various kalashas are filled with water from various rivers and oceans and set up to invoke the divine powers of the gods throughout the Mahotsav. The water from the kalashas is poured on the deities as the first abhisheka to the deities. Kalash sponsors will carry the kalashas around the temple and offer them to the deities.
The Sri Mata Hindu Temple is laid out in the Devi Panchayatana style with Sri Mata in the center along with Sri Lakshmi and Sri Saraswati, with shrines for Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha and Lord Aditya in the four corners. The Moola Vigrahas (main Murtis) are carved in black stone, and are being procured from artisans in India.
Along with the Moola Vigrahas, we will also have Utsava Vigrahas (procession Murtis) made of Panchaloha for Ganesha, Sundareswarar accompanied by Parvati, Balaji accompanied by Sri Devi and Bhu Devi, Ram Parivar (Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman), Radha-Krishna, Subrahmanya accompanied by Valli and Devasena, and Navagrahas.
Each shrine is structured with a Gopuram or Shikhar on the Mata shrine, and individual mandaps for the other shrines. A Kalash or Stubhi connects the garbhagriha to the sky, with an energized yantra at the bottom forming the connection to the earth. Each vigraha will be adorned with an intricately carved brass Prabhavali, and each shrine will have a set of brass lamps and bells.


A California park known for its waterfalls, Yosemite National Park has 262 species of birds, 90 species of mammals, and rich vegetation zones providing resources for all its fauna. Recognized as a Global Important Bird Area, Yosemite is home to many bird species, such as the Steller's Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Sooty Grouse, warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and tanagers. By 2050, the park could provide refuge for 16 bird species highly sensitive to climate change across their range; it's recommended that parks focus on supporting these species.


Protein shakes for weight loss is not the primary factor in the process of losing weight , but only becomes its essential catalyst, helping to quickly get rid of excess weight, while maintaining muscle tone and skin elasticity. To get the best results, the use of protein shakes should be combined with the right balanced diet and sports training.
One of the most frequent complaints of those who want to lose weight is: "I was on a diet, I was able to lose weight to the desired weight, but after stopping the diet, the pounds returned." Who is to blame and what to do?
The solution to the problem is the regular consumption of protein foods. However, protein foods are usually rich in fats. It is necessary to find the optimal balance of high protein content and low-fat content. And this will help us with protein shakes for weight loss.
What are the advantages of protein shakes for weight loss?
The fact is that proteins are digested by the body longer than carbohydrates, so a glass of protein shake will relieve you of hunger for a much longer time than, say, a plate of pasta. Also, the use of protein shakes for weight loss will help to maintain muscle mass because when losing weight , it usually goes along with fat. A protein shake is very convenient: you can dine at work or have a drink instead of dinner in the evening – and do not have to waste time standing by the stove.
To make protein shakes for weight loss at home is very simple, for this, you can take as basis milk, kefir, yogurt and add fruit. Protein shakes from vegetable components are cooked from sprouted wheat, oats, soy and other plant crops. Ready-made protein shakes for weight loss can be purchased at specialized stores, and they are popular in the US and Europe.
Who can use protein shakes for weight loss?
First of all – athletes and bodybuilders who are trying to build muscle mass quickly. Also – people who want to lose weight fast and at the same time save the result for a long time. Also, protein shakes are recommended to be used by pregnant women – so that the weight gain does not go beyond the limits of the norm.
How to make a home-made protein shakes for weight loss.
The basic recipe for a protein shake is straightforward: you need to mix 350 ml of milk and 1 pack of fat-free cottage cheese in a blender. This shake is suitable for athletes, and just thin people. There are only 244 calories, 32 g of proteins, 27 g of carbohydrates and absolutely no fats.
For those who do not exercise regularly, such a shake will be helpful: add 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, half a cup of strawberries to the basic recipe. Such a shake will contain 33 g of protein, 36 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of fat. Total: 306 calories.
After a busy day at work or after physical exertion, it's effortless to prepare a protein shake for energy recovery: add 2 teaspoons instant black coffee to the basic recipe. The drink will contain 32 g of protein, 27 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of fat. Total: 244 calories.
You can also add bananas, honey, oat flakes, cottage cheese, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, egg white, walnuts, raisins, dried apricots, linseed oil , etc. to the basic recipe.
Protein shakes for weight loss can be prepared not only from whole milk products but also on milk powders. Here is a classic recipe. A third of a cup of skimmed milk powder, 2 teaspoons of protein powder, 1 teaspoon of cold pressed sunflower oil , 1 cup of water. Such a cocktail will turn out to be tasteless and watery, for density add guar or xanthan gum. For flavor – the fillers, which we listed above.
Turning to a protein diet, you should remember that it is not as safe as it might seem at first glance. You should know the rules and contraindications and be sure to consult a doctor or fitness instructor.
When and how to drink protein shakes for weight loss.
The most important thing is that you can not eat only proteins , so you will not lose weight, but will also severely damage your health. Daily with food a person should receive including fats and carbohydrates. Protein shakes for weight loss can be replaced only 1-2 meals.
As a rule, protein shakes are consumed instead of breakfast or after training. For the body to get the right portion of carbohydrates, you can supplement the intake of food with fruits, walnuts or a slice of bread (bread is preferred). By the way, such a breakfast will be much more substantial than traditional tea with a sandwich with butter.
Do not forget about the drinking regime. It is recommended to drink a glass of plain water before each meal and, of course, regularly during the day. Total – not less than 3-5 liters per day. After all, in the case of dehydration, the body will accumulate water in the cells, and this can lead to cellulite.
Experienced qualified fitness instructors will consult you according to your body condition and your lifestyle, suggest the best variants of protein shakes for weight loss and make up a mode of their use.


text:
Q: Is there a way to have test framework typescript declarations only resolve within test files in VS Code? This question applies to each of the following source file organisation strategies:
Tests completely separate
/src
/tests

Tests per feature
/src/feature/
/src/feature/__tests__

Tests per file
/src/feature/foo.ts
/src/feature/foo.test.ts

Installing @mocha/types makes those test-only declarations available as valid identifiers throughout the entire codebase. It's easy enough to update tsconfig.json and specify "types": [] to exclude it, but the moment you manually reference it in just one single file, whether via import 'mocha' or /// <reference types="mocha" />, suddenly it infects the entire codebase again.
Is there any way at all to have type declarations that are only valid for unit tests resolve correctly in test files and appear as invalid in other source files?
Note that I'm using VS Code here. Naturally I could have a separate tsconfig file for external build setups, such as via gulp or whatever, but I'm editing the actual code in VS Code, and the red squigglies and "problems" don't seem to be resolvable. Either I accept invalid autocompletion of unit test identifiers throughout the entire codebase, or my unit tests show up with module resolution errors.

A: Not an easy one... this is the best I've come up with. You'll not like it, but it works:
Create a file mocha.ts, where you'll want to re-export the runtime-available globals and (the bit you won't like) redefine the typings for them - going as far as you want to go:
declare var global: any;

export const describe = global.describe as (msg: string, cb: () => void) => void;
export const it = global.it as (msg: string, cb: () => void) => void;

Now, just import describe and it from ./mocha and away you go. Doesn't pollute the global namespace.

The type redefine is fugly; but you could simply c&p the relevant parts you want to use from definitely typed. I don't think you'll be able to import the typings directly and not incur the globals because its typed that way.
Something else I looked at was to make use of the mocha "require" as the documentation alludes to you being able to grab describe like so: require('mocha').describe... I tried this (running with mocha cli) and couldn't get it to work. see: http://mochajs.org/#require Still... I think you get hit with the global types anyway.
Addendum
complete mocha.ts with copied typings:
declare var global: any;

export const describe = global.describe as IContextDefinition;
export const it = global.it as ITestDefinition;

// following is from DefinitelyTyped

interface IContextDefinition {
  (description: string, callback: (this: ISuiteCallbackContext) => void): ISuite;
  only(description: string, callback: (this: ISuiteCallbackContext) => void): ISuite;
  skip(description: string, callback: (this: ISuiteCallbackContext) => void): void;
  timeout(ms: number): void;
}

interface ISuiteCallbackContext {
  timeout(ms: number): this;
  retries(n: number): this;
  slow(ms: number): this;
}

interface ISuite {
  parent: ISuite;
  title: string;

  fullTitle(): string;
}

interface ITestDefinition {
  (expectation: string, callback?: (this: ITestCallbackContext, done: MochaDone) => any): ITest;
  only(expectation: string, callback?: (this: ITestCallbackContext, done: MochaDone) => any): ITest;
  skip(expectation: string, callback?: (this: ITestCallbackContext, done: MochaDone) => any): void;
  timeout(ms: number): void;
  state: "failed" | "passed";
}
interface ITestCallbackContext {
  skip(): this;
  timeout(ms: number): this;
  retries(n: number): this;
  slow(ms: number): this;
  [index: string]: any;
}

interface MochaDone {
  (error?: any): any;
}

interface ITest extends IRunnable {
  parent: ISuite;
  pending: boolean;
  state: 'failed' | 'passed' | undefined;

  fullTitle(): string;
}

interface IRunnable {
  title: string;
  fn: Function;
  async: boolean;
  sync: boolean;
  timedOut: boolean;
  timeout(n: number): this;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
https://sputniknews.com/20210828/i-got-them-trump-boasts-of-taking-out-monsters-nastier-than-bin-laden---soleimani--al-baghdadi-1083737350.html
'I Got Them': Trump Boasts of Taking Out 'Monsters Nastier' Than Bin Laden - Soleimani & al-Baghdadi
As a terrorist attack targeting the perimeter of Kabul airport by Daesh*-Khorasan killed 13 US service members and scores of Afghan civilians trying to flee... 28.08.2021, Sputnik International
qasem soleimani
https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/03/1083302217_0:0:3075:1731_1920x0_80_0_0_c21e06cb67a27b7efad45ebf535ff0ca.jpg
Former President Trump, who has not minced words in his vehement criticism of his successor Joe Biden's handling of the troop pullout from Afghanistan, has weighed in on the volatile situation in Kabul.As scores of civilians and 13 US servicemen died in the Thursday terror attack on the perimeter of the Afghan capital's airport amid the botched evacuation, he boasted that while he was in the White House his administration had wiped out two "monsters": Qasem Soleimani, former head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, and Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.Trump, speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday, compared the al-Qaeda leader and mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, killed by the US under then-President Barack Obama, to the two "nastier" terrorists he had successfully gone after.The ex-POTUS bragged that Osama bin Laden "had one hit," while the terrorists whose elimination he oversaw were much "bigger."The 9/11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda that killed 2,996 people in the US. Hijackers crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, hijacked another that failed to reach its target, crashing in Shanksville, Pa., and a third that struck the west side of the Pentagon.In the aftermath of the attacks, suspicion fell onto al-Qaeda, with the United States formally responding by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which had not complied with Washington's demands to expel al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and extradite al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was killed in 2011 by a group of Navy SEALs who raided his compound in Pakistan.Donald Trump then touted his administration's success in dealing with Al-Baghdadi, the founder and leader of Daesh, and one of Iran's most powerful commanders – General Soleimani.Leader of Daesh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who came to prominence in 2014, when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria, killed himself on 27 October 2019. According to General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander who oversaw the operation, Baghdadi detonated a suicide belt when cornered by US commandos in northwest Syria. Trump had touted the operation as a major victory amid criticism over his decision to pull US troops out of northern Syria.General Qasem Soleimani, the former head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike ordered by former US President Donald Trump on 3 January 2020. Soleimani was heading to the Baghdad International Airport to meet Iraq's prime minister. The assassination was condemned by Tehran as a terrorist act that saw the slain commander hailed as a "martyr".Afghanistan 'Embarrassment'During his appearance on The Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump reiterated that what was unfolding in Afghanistan was a fiasco that was "the most embarrassing moment for our military and for our country." He slammed Joe Biden who, in his opinion, doesn't know "what's happening." He underscored his own decisiveness in dealing with terrorists.Referencing his peace agreement negotiated with the Taliban in February 2020, Trump told Hewitt he would have "bombed the hell" out of them had they violated the deal, and "they never would have come into Kabul."Trump once again ripped Biden for having "pulled the military out first" in Afghanistan, before the civilians and "before we get all of our equipment back.""A five-year-old child would leave the soldiers. Anybody would leave the soldiers," argued Trump.The host asked Trump the question that has been uppermost in people's minds regarding the evacuation from Kabul airport as the deadline draws near, "What is your advice to President Biden about leaving Americans behind?"Donald Trump concluded by saying that anything Washington does now is "made a thousand times tougher because of the worst decision" by Joe Biden.* terrorist organisations outlawed in Russia and many other states.
Svetlana Ekimenko
https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/03/1083302217_174:0:2905:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_7118447d7bc888b670c12cc91edf7df2.jpg
us, world, news, donald trump, osama bin laden, osama bin laden, qasem soleimani, abu bakr al-baghdadi, al qaeda, al qaeda, daesh
© AFP 2021 / BRANDON BELLFormer President Donald Trump looks on before speaking during a tour to an unfinished section of the border wall on June 30, 2021 in Pharr, Texas. Gov. Abbott has pledged to build a state-funded border wall between Texas and Mexico as a surge of mostly Central American immigrants crossing into the United States has challenged U.S. immigration agencies. So far in 2021, U.S. Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 900,000 immigrants crossing into the United States on the southern border.
© AFP 2021 / BRANDON BELL
All materialsWrite to the author
As a terrorist attack targeting the perimeter of Kabul airport by Daesh*-Khorasan killed 13 US service members and scores of Afghan civilians trying to flee Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, a chorus of voices has been questioning US President Joe Biden's decision to pull forces out of the war-torn country.
Former President Trump, who has not minced words in his vehement criticism of his successor Joe Biden's handling of the troop pullout from Afghanistan, has weighed in on the volatile situation in Kabul.
As scores of civilians and 13 US servicemen died in the Thursday terror attack on the perimeter of the Afghan capital's airport amid the botched evacuation, he boasted that while he was in the White House his administration had wiped out two "monsters": Qasem Soleimani, former head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, and Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Trump, speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday, compared the al-Qaeda leader and mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, killed by the US under then-President Barack Obama, to the two "nastier" terrorists he had successfully gone after.
The ex-POTUS bragged that Osama bin Laden "had one hit," while the terrorists whose elimination he oversaw were much "bigger."
"Osama bin Laden had one hit, and it was a bad one, in New York City, the World Trade Centre. But these other two guys were monsters. They were monsters. And I kept saying for years why aren't they getting them? For years, I said it. I got them," said Trump.
The 9/11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda that killed 2,996 people in the US. Hijackers crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, hijacked another that failed to reach its target, crashing in Shanksville, Pa., and a third that struck the west side of the Pentagon.
© AP Photo / RAHIMULLAH YOUSAFZAIIn this Dec. 24, 1998, file photo, al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden speaks to a selected group of reporters in mountains of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
In this Dec. 24, 1998, file photo, al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden speaks to a selected group of reporters in mountains of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
© AP Photo / RAHIMULLAH YOUSAFZAI
In the aftermath of the attacks, suspicion fell onto al-Qaeda, with the United States formally responding by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which had not complied with Washington's demands to expel al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and extradite al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was killed in 2011 by a group of Navy SEALs who raided his compound in Pakistan.
Donald Trump then touted his administration's success in dealing with Al-Baghdadi, the founder and leader of Daesh, and one of Iran's most powerful commanders – General Soleimani.
© Photo : Telegram / @qasemsoleimani_irQasem Soleimani (left) pictured alongside Iraqi Shia militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (center).
Qasem Soleimani (left) pictured alongside Iraqi Shia militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (center).
© Photo : Telegram / @qasemsoleimani_ir
"We took out the founder of Isis, al-Baghdadi, and then of course Soleimani. Now just so you understand, Soleimani is bigger by many, many times than Osama bin Laden. The founder of ISIS is bigger by many, many times, al-Baghdadi than Osama bin Laden," Trump told the radio host.
Leader of Daesh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who came to prominence in 2014, when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria, killed himself on 27 October 2019. According to General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander who oversaw the operation, Baghdadi detonated a suicide belt when cornered by US commandos in northwest Syria. Trump had touted the operation as a major victory amid criticism over his decision to pull US troops out of northern Syria.
General Qasem Soleimani, the former head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike ordered by former US President Donald Trump on 3 January 2020. Soleimani was heading to the Baghdad International Airport to meet Iraq's prime minister. The assassination was condemned by Tehran as a terrorist act that saw the slain commander hailed as a "martyr".
Afghanistan 'Embarrassment'
During his appearance on The Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump reiterated that what was unfolding in Afghanistan was a fiasco that was "the most embarrassing moment for our military and for our country." He slammed Joe Biden who, in his opinion, doesn't know "what's happening." He underscored his own decisiveness in dealing with terrorists.
"Isis is tougher than the Taliban, and nastier than the Taliban. And Isis was watching, and then they were, they didn't exist anymore," Trump said.
Referencing his peace agreement negotiated with the Taliban in February 2020, Trump told Hewitt he would have "bombed the hell" out of them had they violated the deal, and "they never would have come into Kabul."
Trump once again ripped Biden for having "pulled the military out first" in Afghanistan, before the civilians and "before we get all of our equipment back."
"A five-year-old child would leave the soldiers. Anybody would leave the soldiers," argued Trump.
"I would have gotten all of the people that helped us out that were in danger… I would have taken the Americans out. I would have taken other deserving people out… then would have taken all military equipment. I then would have, with the exception of Bagram, bombed all of the bases. I would have bombed every base. I would have evacuated them," said the ex-president.
© REUTERS / US MARINESFamilies board a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 24, 2021
Families board a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 24, 2021
© REUTERS / US MARINES
The host asked Trump the question that has been uppermost in people's minds regarding the evacuation from Kabul airport as the deadline draws near, "What is your advice to President Biden about leaving Americans behind?"
"Number one is never leave our people behind – soldiers, Americans. And they're leaving, I believe, thousands, thousands. This is before you get to loyal Afghans, which is a very big subject in itself. You can't do it. Can't do it."
Donald Trump concluded by saying that anything Washington does now is "made a thousand times tougher because of the worst decision" by Joe Biden.
* terrorist organisations outlawed in Russia and many other states.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We realize you may have a few questions, like what size dumpster do I need or how much is this going to cost. Just give us a call and one of our specialists in Fieldale, Virginia will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
If your looking to rent a roll off container in Fieldale, don't accept slow responding companies or late deliveries. For over 15 year's we have delivered our dumpsters on-time, when and where our customers need them. Give us a call today to experience why we're the #1 affordable dumpster rental company nationwide.
Hints For Renting a Roll Off Dumpster in Fieldale, Virginia.
Nobody considers the details involved in renting a dumpster until the day comes when you desperately need one, and then you may find yourself wanting a summary on basic dumpster rental tips. Some people in Fieldale are just looking to get rid of some junk that's been littering their land, while others are starting on a big construction project. It isn't always as simple as just picking the biggest dumpster you think will do the job, since you may end up spending a lot more money than you have to if you don't do a bit of homework first.
Garbage disposal jobs can become a challenge if you don't accurately calculate the amount of trash you'll be producing. You'll need to think about fuel costs for moving the dumpster, correct disposal grounds and sometimes even permits to correctly dispose of your garbage. It's always easier to rent a dumpster than it is to make multiple trips with your own vehicle, but you'll want to make a list of the costs involved so you can anticipate cost accordingly. The cost of your removal process will be determined by the size, weight and materials your waste is made up of. Potential permit costs in Fieldale can also make a different into you budget concerns.
Roll-off dumpsters in Fieldale are sold in a assortment of sizes and you will usually find rentals anywhere between 10 and 40 cubic yards. If you've never rented a dumpster before you may be uncertain of what size you require for your specific job. In general, a 10 yard dumpster will be suitable to clean out a garage or dispose of waste from a one room project. If you're only cleaning out a large portion of garbage or doing some spring cleaning with a lot of smaller items, you could probably get away with a 10 cubic yard dumpster. A 40 cubic yard dumpster would be best for a large home improvement task, such as replacing a roof, or construction work. Any decent dumpster rental company can help you with this decision as well.
Another point you'll want to consider when selecting your dumpster is weight restrictions and capacities. It's not just about the size of your dumpster, as you could have a fair amount of room left over yet still exceed your weight limit. If you go over your weight restrictions then you may end up paying more than you anticipated for a rental. Weight restrictions will be based on local regulations in Fieldale in addition to possible landfill fees. Be careful not to overload your dumpster, as it could actually damage our property or crack your driveway. It's a good idea to talk about your project and the materials you'll be getting rid of with your dumpster rental company first, that way they will be able to anticipate your weight requirements.
To decide what size and type of dumpster you need, you'll want to first think about the types of trash you'll be putting in it. Junk removal services may end up being a more cost effective choice if you only have a few large items. A 10 cubic yard dumpster is good for basement or garage cleanouts with a limited amount of trash. Another thing to think about is if the types of waste you're disposing of are going to be accepted by your dumpster company in Fieldale. Often times items like refrigerators, batters, mattresses and food waste like grease won't be accepted.
Estimating your dumpster rental cost will involve several different factors. Fortunately, most rental businesses will give you an estimate at no cost, but you should still know how it is determined. Larger containers, regardless of how full they are, will always cost more. This is because the larger dumpsters will require additional manpower, fuel to transport and dumping costs, which the rental company will have to incur.
When deciding on a dumpster rental company it's typically best to go with one in the local Fieldale area. This is because locally owned companies can save you a lot of time and effort going through paperwork, since they will already work with local recycling and waste disposal locations. They will also know where certain waste materials can be disposed of. Take your time when browsing dumpster rentals to choose the best one for your job, and plan accordingly to provide your rental company with as many details as you can.


This skating classic from 1974 is back with a platform update. Featuring a floral canvas upper with polka dot detailing, star branding on the side and an elevated signature rubber sole. This iteration comes in a 'Black nectarine, egret, polka floral' colourway.


text:
SONG PICK: Holy Motors – Honeymooning
Listening to the quietly gorgeous "Honeymooning", visual fragments of 60s Western classics come to mind for which this super laid-back, beautifully wistful song would make the perfect soundtrack. "Honeymooning" is the first single and opening track of Holy Motors' upcoming debut album "Slow Sundown". The shoegaze and psychedelic rock influenced band is based in Estonia and it is surprising how much restraint they show on the enigmatic "Honeymoon". Their full length album "Slow Sundown" will be out on 2/9/18 on Wharf Cat Records and definitely something to look forward to in the new year.
Listen to "Honeymoon", our Song Pick of the Day:
Stream it also on Spotify:


text:
Home#SPFBO6 Interview – Brandon M Lindsay
#SPFBO6 Interview – Brandon M Lindsay
Brandon, welcome to Lavender Lass Books. Thank you for agreeing to this interview and best of luck in the competition!
Shoreseeker is the first book in The Farshores Saga. Here's the blurb:
The #1 Epic Fantasy in Japan
It was supposed to keep them safe.
For six hundred years, Andrin's Wall protected the remnants of humanity from a scourge that devastated them: beastly monsters called the sheggam. But centuries of relative peace have relegated the sheggam to myth and superstition.
Tharadis, the Warden of the independent city Naruvieth, must protect his people and their homes from threats more immediate than ancient legends. The Council of the Wall aims to finish building the Runeway, a magical construct spanning the whole of the Accord, no matter who gets in their way.
But after a knight with sheggam magic flowing through his veins seeks protection in Naruvieth, Tharadis uncovers a menacing secret: the Runeway itself is built from sheggam magic, magic that isn't supposed to exist on this side of Andrin's Wall.
Not only must Tharadis confront scheming politicians, rogue knights, and ominous prophecy, he must draw his blade for the greatest battle humanity has ever faced.
For the sheggam are already here.
Thanks for the interview! It's a pleasure to be here. Yes, it is my first time. Shoreseeker is the first novel I've finished, so it's the only one eligible for SPFBO. I've known about the contest for a little over a year, and it definitely seems like something worth entering. I'm really glad to finally take part.
For the first 22 years of my life, I was a sci-fi snob and sneered at any book having to do with swords or magic. But then I actually decided to read one, and I realized that I'd been missing out on the best genre there was. I'd been writing since I was in high school, so it only seemed natural for me to switch to my new favorite genre.
There are a number of reasons, but foremost among them is timing. I was actually sending out query letters for Shoreseeker for a while, and all that time it was sitting on my desk collecting dust. One response came about nine months after I queried, and it was a rejection. I knew Shoreseeker was a good book and would eventually find someone willing to represent it, but that search could take years. It simply wasn't worth it anymore. I wanted to see it published before I died. It took a lot of work to get it to where I was happy with it, but after that I uploaded it, and then it was available. And I hadn't even aged that much!
Besides the fact that it's much faster, I also had a lot more control over the layout and cover art. The interior I did entirely myself, and it was a chore, but still satisfying. The three main challenges of self-publishing are financing everything, marketing everything, and having no one to blame but myself if it's terrible. I don't mind the third one so much, but the first two are certainly challenging for me.
I haven't as much time to read as I would like these days, so I'm mostly catching up on later volumes of series I started years ago. But I do try to read newer books, too. One trend I've noticed since I fell in love with the genre is that books are getting shorter. I tend to like bigger books, but I have read some shorter ones that were really good, too. I don't know how much it's stayed the same. I think it's always changing, and indie publishing is a huge mover of that change.
I had a post-apocalyptic alien invasion unicorn story published in an anthology a few years ago, and I have another more straightforward sci-fi short that's under consideration for another anthology with the same publisher. So I like dabbling in sci-fi, but after switching to a pure fantasy diet, I'm pretty far removed from it, so it's hard to get back in that mindset. One sci-fi subgenre I'd really like to try is time travel. One of my hobbies as a kid was picking apart the bad logic of time travel movies.
Two things are key for me: immersion, and pacing. I love detailed worlds, detailed characters, and detailed stories, because I crave the experience. If a book doesn't work for me, it's likely because the author is summarizing rather than letting me experience. I'm all about that "show don't tell." As for pacing, there has to be a good balance between all those lush details and the story moving forward. Any author who can pull off both of those things at once is a winner in my *ahem* book.
I'm hard at work on the sequel to Shoreseeker, called Drawingpath. It's a pretty big book like the first one, but judging but my crude outline/first draft, I'd wager I'm over halfway through it. I'm hoping to finish it this year, but that really depends on how well I juggle work/family/writing. My writing group has said that my best writing is in this new book, and there are some scenes in it that they've wanted since book one (Patterner battles!), so I'm really excited to get it out there.
There are writers who are far more well-versed in publishing and marketing than I am, so I guess I'll have to offer some craft advice. Voice and POV are the two most important skills you can master. That immersion I mentioned? That's only possible if you've got a clear POV. Regarding plot and character, take your favorite, most sympathetic character and ask, "What's the worst that could happen to them?" Do that to them. Then figure out something even worse, and do that next. Keep doing that until the suffering is unbearable, and have them find a way out of at least some of those problems. If you do that, you've got yourself a story that I'll want to read.
You can find Brandon M Lindsay's book on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/Shoreseeker-Farshores-Saga-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07XCWYRW7


text:
TN Visa Process
TD Visa for Family Members
A TN visa worker's spouse & children may accompany him/her to the U.S. under TD visa status. Here are the basic requirements, procedures, and filing fees for TD visa status.
Basic Qualifications for TD Visa Status
A TN visa worker's spouse and children (unmarried children under the age of 21) may accompany or subsequently join the TN visa worker in the U.S. under TD visa status.
Applicants for TD visa status must demonstrate a spousal or parent-child relationship to the principal TN visa worker in order to qualify for TD visa status.
Like the TN visa worker, family members will also be issued an I-94 record governing their period of stay. The family member's I-94 record will be issued for the same period of stay authorized for the TN visa worker.
Dependents do not have to be citizens of Canada or Mexico to be eligible for TD status.
Procedure for Initial TD Visa Status
The application process for TD visa status differs depending on the citizenship of the TN visa worker's spouse and children.
U.S. Border - Canadian Citizens:
Canadian citizen spouses and children may obtain TD visa status directly at a U.S. port-of-entry.
TD status may be obtained either while the principal application is applying for his/her TN visa status, or after that individual has already obtained his/her TN status.
Family members should have the following items to secure their TD status:
A valid, unexpired passport for each family member. (Canadian citizen children under age 16 entering by land or sea from Canada may present an original or copy of his/her birth certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.)
Original marriage certificate plus certified translation if not in English (spouse).
Original birth certificate listing both names of parents plus certified translation if not in English (children).
Copy of the TN visa worker's valid I-94 record (if seeking TD status separate from TN visa worker).
Suggested: Recent letter from TN visa worker's employer and/or recent pay-stubs confirming his/her TN employment (if seeking TD separate from TN visa worker).
Following review of the family member's documentation, the inspecting officer will issue each dependent an I-94 record under the classification symbol TD for the same period as the principal TN visa worker.
If a family member's passport is valid for less than the time granted to the TN visa worker (up to 3 years), CBP will issue an I-94 card with an expiration date coinciding with the expiration of his/her passport. INA § 212(a)(7)(B)(i); Inspector's Field Manual § 15.2. Prior to this expiration date, the family member must renew his/her passport to obtain a new I-94 record. CBP will issue a new I-94 card for the duration of the TN visa worker's initial approval period after the family member has returned to the border with the new passport.
U.S. Embassy / Consulate - Mexican Citizens & Non-Canadian Citizens:
Unlike citizens of Canada, who are generally exempt from the visa stamp requirement, citizens of Mexico and other countries must first file for a TD visa stamp at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate prior to seeking entry to the U.S. under the process described above.
In addition to assembling the documents required for TD status listed above, each family member must first electronically file a DS-160 application.
In most cases, applicants will submit their documents at a local Application Support Center, and then an attend an interview at the U.S. Embassy / Consulate.
It is important to review the instructions of the U.S. Embassy / Consulate's website for instructions on the application process as procedures may vary. Generally, family members will need the following documents when applying for their TD visa stamps:
DS-160 application filing confirmation page.
Passport valid for the duration of proposed stay in the U.S.
Receipt for payment of the TD visa application fee.
Proof of relationship to the TN visa worker (see above).
Proof of the TN visa worker's status (see above).
If approved, a TD visa stamp will be affixed to the applicant's passport. For Mexican citizens, TD visa stamps are currently valid for only a 1-year period. Other validity periods may apply depending on the family member's citizenship.
TD visa stamp holders must then present themselves for admission to the U.S. at a U.S. port-of-entry. In addition to their valid TD visa stamps, family member should also have on hand the documents outlined for Canadian citizens above.
Upon satisfactory review, a CBP officer will then issue an I-94 record to each family member as described in the process for Canadian citizens above.
Change or Extension of TD Status
If already present within the U.S. under a different non-immigrant category (e.g. F-2, H-4), the spouse and/or children of a TN visa worker may also change status to TD visa status by filing an I-539 application.
If already present within the U.S. under TD visa status, the spouse and/or children of a TN visa worker may also extend their TD visa status by filing an I-539 application.
Border Applications - Canadians Only: $6 (as of 8/28/2018).
U.S. Embassy / Consulate - Mexicans and non-Canadian citizens: $160 (as of 8/28/2018).
Employment Authorization
The spouse and/or child of a TN visa worker "shall not accept employment in the United States unless otherwise authorized." 8 C.F.R. 214.6 (j) (3).
If a TD dependent wants to work in the U.S., "he or she must independently seek change of status to an employment-authorized nonimmigrant classification." 58 FR 69205, 69209 (Dec. 30, 1993).
Attending School
Spouses and children in TD visa status are permitted to study: "Dependents in TD status may attend school in the United States on a full-time basis, as such attendance is deemed to be incidental to their purpose for being in the United States, which is to accompany the TN alien." 58 FR 69205, 69209 (Dec. 30, 1993); 9 FAM 41.59 N13; INS Manuals § 15.5. See also 67 FR 18062, 18062 (April 12, 2002).
TD Visa Blog Articles.
8 C.F.R. § 214.6 (j).
58 FR 69205 (Dec. 30, 1993).
Revised Aug. 28, 2018.


Do local and state officials tune out when you try to talk to them about bicycling? Are they unconvinced by arguments about public health, transportation options, or clean air? Do business leaders send you packing when you suggest building new bike lanes and bike parking, fearing that the loss of car parking will keep customers away?
Then show them the money.
Bikes can mean big business, and businesses are beginning to realize it. At a Bike Summit panel Wednesday on the economic boost cycling can provide cities, speakers highlighted another strong message cyclists can bring to politicians when making their case for investment in bike/ped facilities.
Far and away, the biggest reason business owners resist the addition of bike infrastructure is that they're afraid it will limit parking. Once they realize they can get 12 bike parking spaces for each car spot, sometimes they begin to change their tune. Even better, they begin to discover that cyclists can be their best customers. "We tend to shop closer to home and shop more often," said April Economides, a consultant who helped the city of Long Beach, California build bicycle-friendly business districts. Rather than jumping in the minivan and heading to the suburbs to go to the big shopping malls, cyclists patronize the businesses in our neighborhoods.
That closeness has a dollars-and-cents value. Cyclists travel at what Portland Bike Coordinator Roger Geller calls a "human-scale speed" that allows them to "stop and buy something." Besides, Economides said, if you're car-free you've got an extra $6,000 jangling around in your pocket that you otherwise would have spent on gas and car maintenance (actually, $8,776 if you believe AAA). According to researchers with Intelligent Communities, a program of the National Building Museum, only 16 percent of household car expenses stay within the local economy.
Free bike portraits, taken in a bicycle-friendly district in Long Beach.
The four bicycle-friendly business districts Economides helped develop in Long Beach provide a model of how to encourage cycling without adding infrastructure. Local businesses see bike access as a boon for local shopping and dining. They have an informal merchant bike-share program, so the business owners themselves can enjoy the benefits of biking around town. The program created the nation's largest citywide bike discount program, where customers get better prices if they arrive by bike. The program also brought the districts community bike rides, free bike repairs, bike valets at local events, and even free bike portraits, where you can get your picture taken with your bike (see left). The programs have brought a flood of new customers into participating stores.
Two of the four districts didn't even have a lot of good bike infrastructure to begin with – but there's more demand for it now, even from businesses that used to be bike-averse.
Long Beach got a stimulus grant to create the districts, and the term of the grant expired just last week. But Economides said participating merchants are now so jazzed about cycling that they'll carry on the work. And it's a diverse group of businesses: Organizers reached out to Spanish- and Khmer-speaking merchants in the area and got their full participation. They also left paper flyers and postcards on people's doorsteps, since not everyone is wired.
"Open Streets," or ciclovias – events where streets are closed to motorized traffic and become the domain of bicyclists, pedestrians, skateboarders, rollerbladers, jugglers, dog-walkers – are another way to bring money to local businesses. Washington University in St. Louis was able to quantify the economic benefit of Open Streets programs: 73 percent of Open Streets participants spent money at a restaurant or store on the route, and 68 percent became aware of a restaurant or store that was new to them.
Business Improvement Districts are another good place to seek support for pro-bike policies, said Andy Hanshaw of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Local shopping and dining is what they're all about, and they might be happy to sponsor community bike rides and new bike parking.
After all, in downtowns turning car lanes over to people can be a great moneymaker. Its most stunning success, perhaps, has been Times Square, "the ultimate end vision of how to pedestrianize the most pedestrian-heavy place in America," according to Mike Lydon of the Street Plans Collaborative. According to a recent study commissioned by the local BID, Times Square helps generate more than one-tenth of the city's economic activity– on less than one percent of its land.
From park(ing) day, where people create ephemeral parks in parallel parking spaces, to parklets that make those tiny parks more permanent, to pop-up cafés, adding outdoor public space draws people and adds life to the street. Those spaces also often become de facto additional seating for nearby establishments, giving them more capacity for free.
Add to that the fact that bike lane construction creates about twice as many jobs as road-building for the same amount of money, and you've got yourself a great economic argument to take to local leaders and politicians when you ask them to support walking and biking – even (or especially) in tough economic times.
We are pleased to work alongside Bike Saturdays in using discounts for cyclists as one more way to help sustain our counties, state, nation, and world.
Great article, Tanya! Here in NYC, we've had great success with the first wave of the Bike Friendly Business campaign, getting businesses to hang stickers in their front window that proclaim themselves a "Bike Friendly Business." It was not hard to convince businesses – all I had to say was "Do you welcome the business of customers who arrive on a bike?" Answer: YES! "Have you noticed more folks riding to your store lately?" Answer: YES! Final question: "Would you like to become a bike friendly business: most often, the answer was YES!
Way less cargo capacity on bicycles compared to automobiles.
@96f349e8b6a15ade91901dc135acc313:disqus douglasawillinger Is that an advantage or a disadvantage? I stop at the grocery on my way home. It's like 30 feet off my path. I walk my bike into the store, fill the basket with heavy stuff like drinks, buy other stuff that goes in my back pack. After paying I'm out the door and riding again. In contrast, If I have to circle for parking or park at the far end of a lot, pffft! Why bother, I can go a few days without Diet Coke.
Bigger trunk != greater convenience.
There's a restaurant nearby that recently replaced a single automobile parking spot pout front with a bike corral. The place is always packed. The corral always has 10-12 bikes locked in it (as does the nearby bike rack). That's 10-12 customers. If it were just a parking spot, that's 1, maybe 2 customers. 4 customers an optimistic upper limit.
What a smart business, to remove a car parking spot and install a bike corral!
KillMoto, love some bike corrals!!! We have to think in terms of how many Customers can we fit not how many cars, and bikes give the biggest bang for your buck!
We want to install bike corrals on 9 th avenue, but the DOT tells us not before 2013 !!!!
Check out the Streetfilms "Copenhagen Cargo Bikes" to see the incredible schlepping potential of the bicycle.
On my bike with an Xtracycle I routinely carry home five bags of groceries along with a twelve-pack of toilet paper. In the past some of the loads I have carried are two lawn chairs, a Kentucky Derby hat in a huge hat box, irrigation tubing, two preteen girls, six iron Japanese tea pots, and a Tai Chi sword. I have ridden next to people carrying surfboards and cellos on bikes. Mostly I just use my regular bike with two panniers to haul home what I need.
I have definitely changed my shopping patterns so as to patronize stores I can bike to. When stores and restaurants have bike racks out front, I am more inclined to think they are bike-friendly and feel I am welcome.
Thanks for the statistic that only 16% of car-related expenses stay within the local economy. As gas prices rise, communities organized around cars where walking and biking are a nightmare will find their economies drained as more and more of everyone's wealth goes toward carting their 5000lbs of steel around. Communities that make walking and bicycling pleasant will find that their citizens have more money to spend and that they spend that money locally.
Tanya~ Thank you so much for taking interest in our BFBD panel and for such a great article.
Mari and Ben~ Kudos on your discount programs. From what we've researched, NYC's is the largest program and it spans five boroughs, Monterrey has the largest countywide one, and LB has the largest citywide program. I hope our success in this area inspires other cities, counties and regions to start and grow theirs even larger! Hope to meet you both in person soon – come to Pro Walk/Pro Bike in LB!
12 cyclists or one motorist for your customer base: Which would you choose?
The 22nd Annual Sea Otter Classic (bike races, recreational rides, expo, and festival), Bicycle Leadership Conference, Interbike IBD Summit, and a California protest ride about distracted driving all take place in Monterey County in April. We're grateful to have so many bike-friendly businesses all rolling out the red carpet for cyclists next month, and year-round.
Oh, I guess all those merchants didn't think of that and are actually going broke, and merely imagine that their sales are up.
Or, maybe people don't need three passenger seats and a trunk for every purchase they make and so your comment is irrelevant.
Thanks, Mattymat. In Tips for Bicycling Monterey County's "Why Bike?" section http://marilynch.com/blog/tips-for-tourists/why-bike I have a link to Bikes Belong's stats. Now there's a link to West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition's summary too.
I hope the city government of London will read this article. I'm a bit tired seeing ho busses are stuck following bicycles, just because there is no other lane for them.
Get the right equipment and your bike will carry anything that you need!
When I ride my bike I get hungry and thirsty, so I will stop at any local convenient store or eatery. It is not that hard to explain to the commerce folks.
Just back from Cape Town where 35,000 cyclists plus an equal number of family members, support, etc. turned a quiet Sunday into the busiest of the year for all the towns and suburbs along the route. They really get it – a cycling event is good business!
• Bike customers are healthier, which gives them more time and money to spend.
Awesome! I live in a rural ag area w/ no bike trails and it's downright dangerous to try to ride on roads w/ no shoulder! I have been researching bike trails in Sacramento, so I can go take a ride. But none of them seem to be near any biz disctricts to stop for a snack or beverage without having to go several blocks on streets (busy ones!). I'm not a fitness rider, per se, so would love to have trails that pass within a block of, or right through, places with cafes or shops that cater to the bike crowd.
bike lane construction creates about twice as many jobs as road-building for the same amount of money…" Who's with me?
Dads push strollers, too. Otherwise, a great article.
I ride my bike more, especially to True Value, the bank, Library,, and to the Carniceria. I ride slow and on the sidewalks on busy streets and in residential streets. I wait at the signals and cross like a pedestrian. No left turn for me. I ended up on Broadway going the wrong way on a one way bike lane. Screw that. My main fear is car doors opening or people coming out of shops with the doors on the sidewalk. I've got great legs, but those shorts for a younger person, don't you think?.
According to researchers with Intelligent Communities, a program of the National Building Museum, only 16 percent of household car expenses stay within the local economy.


Are you looking for an experienced electrician in Redcar and Cleveland? If you need any form of electrical work carried out on your home or business premises, we can help you find a fully-qualified electrician. The organisations listed are Government-approved bodies that ensure registered electricians in Redcar and Cleveland comply to the required standards and codes of practice when carrying out any commercial or domestic work.


text:
Home/Digital News/Digital: Blocking offshore pirate content sites – the Philippines is joining a growing international consensus
Digital: Blocking offshore pirate content sites – the Philippines is joining a growing international consensus
adobo magazine Send an email May 21, 2021
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Hugh Stephens shares his insights with Globe Telecom and adobo magazine on international copyrights. With more than 35 years of government and business experience in the Asia-Pacific region, Mr. Stephens currently is the Vice Chair of the Canadian Committee on Pacific Economic Cooperation (CANCPEC), Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Executive Fellow at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, and an associate faculty member in the School of Business at Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC.
In the ongoing struggle against content piracy, a global scourge that undermines and competes unfairly with legitimate content producers and distributors, blocking offshore web and streaming sites that distribute pirated content has proven to be an effective tool in many countries. It provides a remedy to deal with scofflaws that cannot be reached by domestic laws or regulation. Now the Philippines, an important market for domestic and international content, is about to join a growing international consensus by implementing its own site blocking regime.
It was announced in mid-April that the major ISPs in the nation of over 100 million, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the telecom sector regulator, have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will institute a fast, efficient and effective site blocking regime. The targeted site blocking process has a robust framework that will guide IPOPHL's consideration in determining what constitutes flagrant infringement and ensure that only egregious piracy websites are blocked. Upon receipt of a rights holder's referral and supporting documentation, IPOPHL will conduct a further investigation to confirm that an identified site is indeed distributing infringing material before referring the case to the NTC for issuance of a blocking order. ISPs have agreed to comply with these orders.
The Philippines has a vibrant domestic film and television industry but also one of the highest rates of piracy in Asia. In a YouGov survey dated September 2020, 49 percent of Philippine respondents admitted to accessing piracy streaming sites, with the total being over 50 percent in the 25 to 34 year age bracket. Almost half of these consumers indicated that, after accessing pirated content, they had cancelled subscriptions to local and international content services, an estimated annual loss of $120 million to the legitimate subscription OTT video industry alone, according to Media Partners Asia. This situation is in marked contrast to the situation in neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, where site blocking measures instituted over the past couple of years have helped to reduce significantly what previously were similar levels of consumption of pirated content by local consumers and migrated many of those consumers to legal services.
What has brought about this change in the Philippines? It is a combination of alignment of the interests of the key players, combined with strong local leadership and some external assistance, prompted by a realization that consistently high levels of piracy serve no-one's interests. The lesson from last year's Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) no doubt played a role as a catalyst. The Festival has been highlighting the best of Filipino talent since the 1970s. In 2020, because of COVID-19, it went virtual. COVID had already forced many theatres to close, thus leading to a surge in consumption of streaming content. Last year the MMFF tried to offset the loss of box office revenue through Video-on-Demand streaming but the result was a disaster. Because of widespread piracy, receipts totalled less than two percent of 2019 revenues. The Manila Times reported that;
"MMFF 2020 Best Picture "Fan Girl" executive producer Quark Henares revealed that his team closely monitored illegal online streaming and found 10 to 20 pirated links every hour."
Often the enemy of introducing new measures to fight piracy is inertia and bureaucratic process, sometimes combined with misguided arguments that any attempt to deal with pirated content through blocking orders amounts to "internet censorship". While the experience of the MMFF may or may not have been the spark that lit the fire, the leadership of key local players in the Philippines to address the serious piracy issues was critical. Among these is Globe Telecom, the largest telecom company in the country and a major distributor of online content. Several years ago, Globe launched a public awareness campaign against piracy and illicit content on the internet called "#Play it Right". The objectives of Globe's campaign are to combat illicit content on its networks, including pirated content and online child exploitation, and to protect its customers from malware, ID theft and ransomware, often by-products that come with accessing pirate sites.
This new interactive Google Doodle lets users run their own milk tea shop
Kumu upgrades 'Send a Gift' feature, now allows supporters to send virtual tokens anytime
AVIA, the regional video industry association based in Hong Kong and Singapore, has also played a constructive role. AVIA has signed a separate MOU with the Philippines Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) to support the initiative and will be active in providing the Office with information on egregious piracy sites. AVIA has also worked on site blocking mechanisms with authorities in other Southeast Asian countries and has useful experience to share. The mechanism envisaged for the Philippines is an administrative process, with the major ISPs (Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communications Inc., PLDT Inc., Sky Cable Corp., Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and DITO Telecommunity Corp.) participating voluntarily. IPOPHL under its proactive Director-General Rowel Barba–former Undersecretary at the Department of Trade and Industry—has played the lead role in formulating the site blocking mechanism.
Administrative site blocking regimes have been instituted in a number of places, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, and some European countries while other countries (e.g. Australia, France) have required specific legislation to enable blocking. In yet others blocking orders have been issued by the courts applying existing legislation (UK, Canada). While the immediate priority in the Philippines is to put the MOU into action, a parallel legislative initiative is also underway in the Philippine Congress and Senate. Legislation, however, takes time and is subject to many pressures and uncertainties such as election cycles and legislative agenda in terms of eventual outcome, in the Philippines as elsewhere. In the meantime, the MOU between the ISPs, IPOPHL and the National Telecommunications Commission offers a widely supported way forward to deal effectively with the issue now.
The piracy situation in the Philippines needs urgent action, a situation recognized by all the stakeholders. The first blocking orders should be issued soon and then the Philippines will join the more than fifty countries world-wide that have adopted site blocking mechanisms in one form or another. Philippine creators, cultural industries content distributors and consumers will all benefit from this long-overdue step.
About the author, Hugh Stephens:
Mr. Stephens has more than 35 years of government and business experience in the Asia-Pacific region. Based in Victoria, BC, Canada, he is currently Vice Chair of the Canadian Committee on Pacific Economic Cooperation (CANCPEC), Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Executive Fellow at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, and an associate faculty member in the School of Business at Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC. Before returning to Canada in December 2009, he was Senior Vice President (Public Policy) for Asia-Pacific for Time Warner for almost a decade, located at the company's regional headquarters in Hong Kong. In this capacity he managed Time Warner's public policy program in Asia Pacific for Turner Broadcasting, HBO, Warner Bros, Time Inc. and AOL.
Mr. Stephens has been an active leader in a number of regional business organizations in Asia. He served on the Executive Committee of the Board of the US National Center for APEC and is a past Executive Committee Board member of the US-Korea Business Council. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the US-ASEAN Business Council, Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Vice Chair of the Quality Brands Protection Committee, a coalition of more than 180 multinational companies engaged in strengthening IPR protection in China.
In recent years, he has written and commented extensively on Canada's engagement with the Asia Pacific region and has testified before the Foreign Affairs and International Trade committee of the Canadian Senate.
Prior to joining Time Warner in 2000, Mr. Stephens spent 30 years in the Canadian Foreign Service with the Department of External Affairs, later the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). His last Ottawa assignment was as Assistant Deputy Minister for Policy and Communications in DFAIT. He also served abroad as Canadian Representative in Taiwan (Head of Mission-Canadian Trade Office in Taipei), Counsellor and Charge d'affaires at the Canadian Embassies in Seoul, Korea and Islamabad, Pakistan, among a number other overseas and headquarters assignments, including service at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing and Mandarin language training in Hong Kong.
Mr. Stephens was educated at the University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Toronto and Duke University, and has a Certificate in Mandarin from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Globe globe telecom Hugh Stephens Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines IPOPHL National Telecommunications Commission NTC piracy
Sustainability: Dramatic rise in numbers of people concerned about nature loss as 'eco-wakening' grips the globe
Travel: Unity in diversity elevates at The Apurva Kempinski Bali
Google Doodle honors traditional paper cutting in Year of the Water Rabbit release
Coachella live stream returns exclusively on YouTube
Google offers exciting features for the Lunar New Year
H&M brings its playful garments to Roblox avatars with the 'Looptopia Experience'
Tinder introduces Relationship Goals for the busiest 'Swipe Day' of the year


Peppermint, Rosemary, Grapefruit, Lemon & Orange awaken the senses. Use in the morning or afternoon for a quick pick me-up! Apply a few drops to the cotton pad of the car diffuser or in the aroma lamp. Diffuser sold separately.


text:
The Broadcast 41
Women and the Anti-Communist Blacklist
Hunt, Marsha
By Jeremiah Favara and Carol A. Stabile
Marsha Hunt is a film, stage, and television actress. Hunt's acting career spanned eight decades and she appeared in six Broadway productions, forty-eight television series and sixty-seven films.1 Hunt dedicated much of her later life to humanitarian work. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California.
1. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marsha-hunt-45984; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402554/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Hunt was born Marcia Virginia Hunt in Chicago on October 17, 1917. 1 Hunt's father was a scholar and her mother was a vocal coach.2 Growing up in New York City, Hunt first performed on the stage as a young child in Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore.3 Hunt modeled and auditioned for radio shows before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a film career.4 Hunt attended Theodora Irvine's Studio for the Theater in Los Angeles. She came to the attention of film studios after photos of her were published in the Los Angeles Times under the headline "Model Spurns Films."5 Shortly after the photos were appeared, Hunt was offered screen tests with four studios.6
Hunt's film career began in 1935 when she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and appeared in the film The Virginia Judge (1935).7 Hunt went on to make a number of pictures with Paramount before working as a freelancer and later signing a contract with MGM Studios. Hunt appeared in over fifty films in the 1930s and 1940s.8 Hunt debuted on Broadway in Joy to the World in 1948, performing in five other Broadway productions in the 1950s and 1960s.
Hunt married Jerry Hopper, the assistant head of the music department at Paramount, in November 1938.9 Hunt later married the writer Robert Presnell Jr.10
1. Anthony Slide. Actors on Red Alert: Career Interviews with Five Actors and Actresses Affected by the Blacklist. Filmmakers Series, No. 67. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1999.
2. Ibid.
7. Slide, Actors on Red Alert.
8. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402554/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
10. Ibid.
In October 1947, Hunt, along with other actors including Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Garfield, and Edward G. Robinson, flew to Washington, D.C. in support of the Hollywood Ten.1 Her support of the Hollywood Ten as a member of the Committee for the First Amendment, along with public support for the Hollywood Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions, led to her being listed in Red Channels in 1950. Being blacklisted negatively influenced Hunt's ability to continue her film career as did her subsequent refusal to apologize.2
Hunt refused to apologize for publicly supporting the Hollywood Ten in the late 1940s, saying that
I was told all I had to do to get my career back was take out a full page ad in the Hollywood trades and apologize, but I refused.3
Told to renounce her friends and name the names of communists, Hunt also refused to lie. 4 Hunt's film career slowed significantly following her being blacklisted in 1950.
1. http://deadline.com/2015/03/marsha-hunt-hollywood-blacklist-kat-kramer-stanley-kramer-1201396015/
3. http://www.dailynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20140925/dennis-mccarthy-unfinished-film-documents-life-of-blacklisted-actress-marsha-hunt
4. McCarthy, "Dubbed a 'Communist Sympathizer,' This 'Danger to America' Transformed a Rundown San Fernando Valley Motel into the Area's First Major Homeless Shelter."
The Virginia Judge (1935)
The Arizona Raiders (1936)
The Accusing Finger (1936)
College Holiday (1936)
Easy to Take (1936)
Gentle Julia (1936)
Desert Gold (1936)
Hollywood Boulevard (1936)
Annapolis Salute (1937)
Born to the West (1937)
Thunder Trail (1937)
Murder Goes to College (1937)
Easy Living (1937)
Come On, Leathernecks! (1938)
These Glamour Girls (1939)
Star Reporter (1939)
Winter Carnival (1939)
Long Shot (1939)
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939)
The Hardys Ride High (1939)
Irene (1940)
Flight Command (1940)
Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940)
I'll Wait for You (1941)
Blossoms in the Dust (1941)
Unholy Partners (1941)
The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941)
Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941)
The Penalty (1941)
Kid Glove Killer (1942)
The Affairs of Martha (1942)
Panama Hattie (1942)
Joe Smith, American (1942)
Seven Sweethearts (1942)
Cry 'Havoc' (1943)
Lost Angel (1943)
The Human Comedy (1943)
Pilot ♯5 (1943)
Thousands Cheer (1943)
Bride by Mistake (1944)
None Shall Escape (1944)
Music for Millions (1944)
The Valley of Decision (1945)
A Letter for Evie (1946)
Carnegie Hall (1947)
Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman (1947)
Raw Deal (1948)
The Inside Story (1948)
Mary Ryan, Detective (1949)
Take One False Step (1949)
Jigsaw (1949)
The Happy Time (1952)
Actor's and Sin (1952)
Diplomatic Passport (1954)
A Word to the Wives (short) (1955)
No Place to Hide (1956)
Back from the Dead (1957)
Bombers B-52 (1957)
Legend of the Lost (1957)
Blue Denim (1959)
The Plunderers (1960)
Fear No Evil (1969)
Jigsaw (TV Movie) (1972)
Terror Among Us (1981)
Chloe's Prayer (2006)
The Grand Inquisitor (short) (2008)
Empire State Building Murders (2008)
Studio One in Hollywood (1949-50)
The Philco Television Playhouse (1949)
The Ford Theatre Hour (1949)
The Silver Theatre (1949)
Danger (1950)
Sure as Fate (1950-51)
Cosmopolitan Theatre (1951)
The Ford Television Theatre (1953)
The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1957)
The O. Henry Playhouse (1957)
Climax! (1957-58)
Panic! (1958)
Matinee Theatre (1958)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958)
Peck's Bad Girl (1959)
Laramie (1959)
Grand Jury (1959)
The Detectives (1960)
Zane Grey Theater (1957-60)
The Americans (1961)
Cain's Hundred (1962)
Sam Benedict (1962)
Breaking Point (1963)
Gunsmoke (1964)
Channing (1964)
The Outer Limits (1964)
Profiles in Courage (1964)
Ben Casey (1965)
Run for Your Life (1966)
My Three Sons (1967)
Accidental Family (1967)
The Name of the Game (1969)
Marcus Welby, M.D. (1970)
The Young Lawyers (1970)
Ironside (1970-71)
Police Story (1974-75)
Harry O (1975)
Medical Story (1975)
Police Story (1975)
The Mississippi (1983)
Murder, She Wrote (1985)
Matlock (1986)
Shadow Chasers (1986)
Atwater, Edith
Caspary, Vera
Christians, Mady
Fitch, Louise
Gordon, Ruth
Graham, Shirley
Hagen, Uta
Hobart, Rose
Holliday, Judy
Horne, Lena
Keath, Donna
Kelton, Pert
Klein, Adelaide
Lee (Gilford), Madeline
Lee, Gypsy Rose
Lev, Ray
Logan, Ella
MacMahon, Aline
Mundy, Meg
Parker, Dorothy
Pious, Minerva
Revere, Anne
Royle, Selena
Scott, Hazel
Sergio, Lisa
Shepherd, Ann
Sondergaard, Gale
Sondergaard, Hester
Tamiris, Helen
Todd, Betty
Vaughn, Hilda
Washington, Fredi
Webster, Margaret
Wicker, Ireene
Winkler, Betty
Woods, Lesley
© University of Oregon. Privacy Policy. Developed by Development Services.


text:
1 – 10 of over 14000
Expert briefing
Libya insecurity will push migrant workers to Europe
Migration patterns and dynamics.
DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB212690
ME/NAF
Using the adapted cities framework to evaluate per capita expenditures in small U.S. municipalities
Robert D. Eskridge and P. Edward French
Researchers have generally compared council-manager municipalities against mayor-council forms when seeking to measure the efficiency gains envisioned by early twentieth…
Researchers have generally compared council-manager municipalities against mayor-council forms when seeking to measure the efficiency gains envisioned by early twentieth century reformers. Many studies have used per capita expenditure levels of municipalities as a proxy for efficiency, associating lower spending levels with greater efficiency. This study utilizes the "Adapted Cities Framework" advocated by Frederickson, Johnson, and Wood (2004) which classifies municipalities into five, rather than two, institutional types to analyze per capita expenditure data from a national survey of 1,000 small municipalities. Using OLS regression and other statistical analyses, the authors demonstrate that there is a significant difference between the per capita expenditure levels of the five city types. As municipalities more closely conform to the pure reformed councilmanager model of government, higher per capita expenditure levels are evidenced.
Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. 23 no. 3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-23-03-2011-B002
Publication date: 28 August 2015
Political Systems and Financial Reform Process: A Comparative Study of China, Taiwan, and New Zealand
Ian Tsung-yen Chen
This paper proposes that if a political system is more like to facilitate a unified government, to establish a strong executive body and to respond to the needs of the…
This paper proposes that if a political system is more like to facilitate a unified government, to establish a strong executive body and to respond to the needs of the majority, financial reforms are more likely to emerge from the policymaking process and produce positive results. On the contrary, political systems that discourage those governing features are less likely to produce reforms. This chapter compares financial reform processes in China, Taiwan and New Zealand. All of them performed low level of financial reforms in the early 1980s but resulted in different situations later. In the mid-2000s, New Zealand heralded the most efficient and stable financial system; while Taiwan lagged behind and China performed the worst. Evidence showed that China's authoritarian system may be the most superior in forming a unified government with a strong executive, but the policy priority often responds more to the interests of a small group of power elites; therefore the result of financial reform can be limited. Taiwan's presidential system can produce greater financial reform when the ruling party controls both executive and legislative bodies, but legislative obstructions may occur under a divided government. New Zealand's Westminster system produces the most effective and efficient financial reform due to its unified government and a strong executive branch with consistent and stable supports from the New Zealand Parliament.
Asian Leadership in Policy and Governance
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S2053-769720150000024014
unified government
A Unified Model of Political Risk ☆
Benjamin A. T. Graham, Noel P. Johnston and Allison F. Kingsley
Political risk is a complex phenomenon. This complexity has incentivized scholars to take a piecemeal approach to understanding it. Nearly all scholarship has targeted a…
Political risk is a complex phenomenon. This complexity has incentivized scholars to take a piecemeal approach to understanding it. Nearly all scholarship has targeted a single type of political risk (expropriation) and, within this risk, a single type of firm (MNCs) and a single type of strategic mechanism through which that risk may be mitigated (entry mode). Yet "political risk" is actually a collection of multiple distinct risks that affect the full spectrum of foreign firms, and these firms vary widely in their capabilities for resisting and evading these risks. We offer a unified theoretical model that can simultaneously analyze: the three main types of political risk (war, expropriation, and transfer restrictions); the universe of private foreign investors (direct investors, portfolio equity investors, portfolio debt investors, and commercial banks); heterogeneity in government constraints; and the three most relevant strategic capabilities (information, exit, and resistance). We leverage the variance among foreign investors to identify effective firm strategies to manage political risk. By employing a simultaneous and unified model of political risk, we also find counterintuitive insights on the way governments trade off between risks and how investors use other investors as risk shields.
Strategy Beyond Markets
Unified Licensing: Facilitator for ICT Empowerment and National Development in Nigeria
Stella E. Igun and Festus Prosper Olise
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the positive development experienced in the telecom sector since 2001 when neutral licensing was granted to the Global System…
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the positive development experienced in the telecom sector since 2001 when neutral licensing was granted to the Global System Mobile Communication operators (MTN, Vmobile, Globacom and Mtel) to operate for five years.
Discusses the unified licensing regime in Nigeria.
At its expiration a new licensing order; unified licensing regime was introduced by the Nigeria Communication Commission to replace the neutral license. The introduction of the unified licensing means an advancement in the country's information and communication technology (ICT) development. This technological advancement will make the nation e‐ready in the communication arena and further help to shrink the international divide.
The paper proviedes insights into how unified licensing has acted as a facilitator for ICT empowerment and national development in Nigeria.
Library Hi Tech News, vol. 25 no. 2/3
Cost ramifications of municipal consolidation: A comparative analysis
Joseph Martin and Eric A. Scorsone
In 2001, the first municipal consolidation occurred in over 100 years in Michigan between two cities and one village in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula, forming the City…
In 2001, the first municipal consolidation occurred in over 100 years in Michigan between two cities and one village in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula, forming the City of Iron River. The three units of government combined to have a population of 3,391 within the newly incorporated boundaries. Driving the consolidation was continual population loss and erosion of the economic tax base of the individual municipal governments since the 1960s. This study sought to assess whether, five years after the consolidation, the governments had saved money as compared to a peer group of governments in Michigan. The findings indicate that the new city of Iron River was able to provide some evidence of cost control and savings following the consolidation.
Budgeting for national security: A whole of government perspective
Douglas A. Brook
There is a current argument that "national security" and "national defense" are no longer synonymous terms-that there is a new and broader definition for the activities…
There is a current argument that "national security" and "national defense" are no longer synonymous terms-that there is a new and broader definition for the activities that contribute to "the common defense." A whole of government approach is suggested as a means for integrating and coordinating national security policies and programs. To support this approach, recommendations have been made for an integrated national security budget. Focusing on the executive budget process, three approaches to an integrated national security budget are examined: organization-based, program-based and function-based. Though there are questions about the importance of budget structure and the effectiveness of program budgeting, a whole of government integrated unified national security budget could facilitate the fiscal trade-offs required between alternative means of pursuing national security objectives in the executive budget.
The Greater Toronto area revisited: From metropolitan government to unicity
P.S. Reddy
The former municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was Canada's largest government and a unique body. It was abolished on 31 December 1997 and a new unified City was ushered…
The former municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was Canada's largest government and a unique body. It was abolished on 31 December 1997 and a new unified City was ushered in on 1 January 1998. It consists of all the former municipalities of the Metropolitan Council and has reduced the former two‐tier system to a single tier. There was considerable opposition initially to the establishment of a unicity by local politicians and the citizenry at large. This has to be seen against a background of general opposition to some of the policy decisions of the Ontario Provincial Government at that particular point in time. Despite the opposition, legislation was enacted establishing the new City. The councillors initially elected in late 1997, the top management team of the Council and virtually all the residents have since accepted the decision on unification and have committed themselves to building the new City. The transition team appointed by the Province and the political and management component of Toronto have done considerable groundwork in developing the unified City to meet present and future challenges locally, regionally and internationally. The amalgamation of the municipalities has resulted in savings of $150 million resulting from inter alia, reduction of departments and divisions, staff, information technology systems, office space, consolidating of the corporate fleet and the City Service Boards. It should be noted that amalgamated programmes only constituted 27 per cent of the budget of the new City. However, coincidental with the amalgamation process was the implementation of the "Who Does What" policy introduced by the provincial government and the Council had to take on significant additional responsibilities. Provincial assistance was provided by way of a one‐off grant of $50 million and a $200 million loan. Consequently, any actual savings achieved initially will have to be viewed in this context.
International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 15 no. 1
Artificial intelligence and social responsibility: the case of the artificial intelligence strategies in the United States, Russia, and China
Anton Saveliev and Denis Zhurenkov
The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze how the development and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for social responsibility are defined…
The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze how the development and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for social responsibility are defined in the national AI strategies of the USA, Russia and China.
The notion of responsibility concerning AI is currently not legally defined by any country in the world. The authors of this research are going to use the methodology, based on Luciano Floridi's Unified framework of five principles for AI in society, to determine how social responsibility is implemented in the AI strategies of the USA, Russia and China.
All three strategies for the development of AI in the USA, Russia and China, as evaluated in the paper, contain some or other components aimed at achieving public responsibility and responsible use of AI. The Unified framework of five principles for AI in society, developed by L. Floridi, can be used as a viable assessment tool to determine at least in general terms how social responsibility is implied and implemented in national strategic documents in the field of AI. However, authors of the paper call for further development in the field of mutually recognizable ethical models for socially beneficial AI.
This study allows us to better understand the linkages, overlaps and differences between modern philosophy of information, AI-ethics, social responsibility and government regulation. The analysis provided in this paper can serve as a basic blueprint for future attempts to define how social responsibility is understood and implied by government decision-makers.
The analysis provided in the paper, however general and empirical it may be, is a first-time example of how the Unified framework of five principles for AI in society can be applied as an assessment tool to determine social responsibility in AI-related official documents.
Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/K-01-2020-0060
National strategies
Proposing a framework of barriers to opening government data in China: A critical literature review
Ruhua Huang, Tong Lai and Lihong Zhou
This paper reports on a critical literature review, which aimed to identify, understand and qualify barriers that hinder the release of open government data (OGD) in…
This paper reports on a critical literature review, which aimed to identify, understand and qualify barriers that hinder the release of open government data (OGD) in China. Moreover, the purpose of this paper is to develop and propose a theoretical framework, which can be adopted as a basis for empirical investigation in the future, and to articulate mitigating strategies.
This study adopted an inductive qualitative approach, retrieving 42 academic articles from three main Chinese academic databases: CNKI, Wanfang and CQVIP. A thematic analysis approach was employed for the literature analysis.
The literature analysis pointed to 15 barriers to the release of OGD in China. Furthermore, the barriers emerged in the following three main themes: institutional barriers, data integrity and quality barriers, and user participation barriers.
This paper reports on one of the early research efforts into the problems of releasing OGD in China. Although this study focusses on Chinese context and issues, the findings and lessons learnt can be shared across international borders.
Library Hi Tech, vol. 35 no. 3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-01-2017-0014
Theoretical framework
Last 12 months (1503)
All dates (14649)
Article (10788)
Book part (2649)
Expert briefing (445)
Case study (120)
Executive summary (92)
Graphic analysis (3)


text:
The Undercut: Winners and losers in F1's corona world
Andrew Maitland
It's a measure of the mess not only Formula 1 but the entire world finds itself in to observe the reaction to Ferrari's latest threat to quit the sport.
In the past, although it was precisely the 748th time in history they've warned that one foot is outside the paddock gate, there would be gasps of shock, horror and utter despair and desperation among true F1 believers to consider a grid without the red cars.
This time? The reaction seems to be something along the lines of: "Uh huh."
Now, that's just not just because we've all seen this movie before. It's because, apparently with the exception of those pulling the same old levers of brinkmanship behind closed (correction: locked down) doors at Maranello, the thought of a grid of cars of any colour whatsoever seems so very, very distant at this point.
"No red cars on that grid? But there's a grid, right? Just not the red cars? Oh right. Well that's something." That seems to be the average sentiment post Ferrari's most ludicrous of all ludicrously empty threats.
How out of touch can a great name like Ferrari really be?
About as out of touch as F1's other major star, as it happens. While Lando Norris gigglingly positioned himself as the Hamilton of the virtual racing world, and Charles Leclerc tries to do the same by dressing himself up as a banana (do you even Twitch, bro?), F1's megastar six-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, is apparently holidaying on the Indonesian island of Bali – better known in Australia as a cheap way to do the five-star resort life.
I haven't done any particular research into what coronavirus-life is like in this third world paradise, but blood-red sunsets and crisp waters aside, I can imagine it's not particularly hunky dory outside the safety of the most expensive resort. It's not a stretch to describe Bali's economy as one built 100% on tourism – and at the moment that would mean tens upon tens of laid off hospitality workers who even at the best of times were struggling to earn $300 a month.
Yes, I said $300 a month. In comparison, Hamilton takes about 2 minutes to earn that much. And yes, I did the maths. Even when he's sleeping on extended holiday, let alone when he's bringing a millionaire another pina colada or cleaning his toilet or making his bed, Lewis Hamilton is not going broke … ever. Not even if the Great Depression enjoys an even more powerful sequel than The Terminator or Star Wars: A Lost Hope.
So what pearls of wisdom has Lewis got for us as he rides out a global pandemic in the glitziest five-star resort amid the crumbling economy of a third world country? Well, according to a Twitter rant, apparently he's happy there are now "clearer skies" because global economies are forcibly shut down. He's also really relieved that there are "less animals being slaughtered" because farmers are broke and supply chains are shaken to the core, and he's just delighted that there's a chance the world will be "kinder, more generous and gracious and caring" than it was when people had – you know – jobs.
At the risk of being rebuked by a fanboy, I have just one comment to make about that: Shut up.
If you agree with me that Hamilton's "positives" can go and eff themselves, don't worry – there are actually quite a lot of real positives to focus on as Formula 1 struggles to fire its engine during this global hissy-fit. How about Red Bull, whose Dietrich Mateschitz – you can be sure – is quite happy to dip into his own deep pockets to help Liberty Media out of a bind and kick-start the 2020 season.
Dr Helmut Marko, ridiculed for daring to suggest that a young man like Max Verstappen shouldn't be too afraid of a respiratory illness, has been an absolute star of the pandemic as he works every day from 9am to 12pm on navigating a course through the mine-field of racing in July, and then spends his afternoon hacking through logs in an Austrian forest at the grand age of 76. I'm not kidding – the guy's a maniac, and F1 can thank its lucky stars that warriors like him are still fighting in its corner.
What's going to happen next? If I was to have an educated guess, you almost certainly don't want to hear it. So I'll follow the advice I just gave to Lewis and shut the hell up. But I don't think it's too pessimistic or alarmist to suggest that the Formula 1 that we all knew and – to varying degrees – loved is definitely gone. It's gone, guys. Just like tennis, golf and the various football codes, there will be a pinnacle of motorsport again.
But I've warned before that cars powered by fuel whizzing around tracks simply do not fit in the 'woke' world of veganism and clear skies and social justice that Lewis Hamilton seems to dream about. This 'corona situation' has just magnified that by 1000. If the guy down the road from me who runs the local gym is unable to earn a buck at the moment because public safety is much more important, what hope is there for a sport that relies almost exclusively on mass gatherings and almost non-stop international travel?
Oh well. While there is food in our bellies and electricity coming out of the walls, at least we can find out what happens together. Hang in there, everyone.
2020assetto corsaauto racingautomobilistacancelcanceledcancelledCoronavirusCOVID-19esportsf1formel 1formula 1formula oneformula umformula unogamegamesgplgrand prixhealthiracingmotorsportonlinepedalspostponepostponedproject carsraceroomracingrf2rfactor 2rfactor2rigsafety simrace247seasonserfversimsim racesim racingsimmsimmingsimracesimracingsimulationwheelworld championship
COVID-19: German Grand Prix could make a comeback
Todt: Worst case scenario would see Formula 1 become 'Super Formula 2'