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State Meeting Notes – 2021-06-19
By BlytheJune 30, 2021September 12th, 2021No Comments
MEETING NOTES: June 19, 2021 Arise Coffee, Hanceville, AL
Chris Litteral
Mike Conner
James "Ghost" Johnson
Kris Cook
Shane Coker
Ira "Cowboy" Jones
Brenda Matney
Justin Matney
Matthew Schroeder
Wayne "Wolf" Littrell
Blythe Joslin
Katie Holm hosted the Zoom meeting. Andrew Holm attended remotely.
Kris passed out notes from the last meeting and a treasurer's report. No exceptions were noted. Cowboy moved to approve, Ghost seconded, motion approved. The above documents are now on record.
This meeting was recorded on a Zoom call for later access by link.
Matthew and Shane announced the Dixie ABATE Noccalula Falls Chapter State Park Challenge. The person who turns in pictures of their bike with the challenge poster at the most state parks between now and the December state meeting, wins a $200.00 cash prize. $300.00 if a lifetime member. Alabama has 21 state parks. State parks in any other state count equally. You will notice the payout has increased in both categories by $100.00. Get out there and ride!
Chris thanked everyone who made phone calls to their legislator to discourage the reflective helmet bill. He mentioned Chris Best, "Biker Dad", for what a great influence he is in the motorcycling world. He is a great asset to us.
We talked about H.R. 2141, the Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act. Text below:
117th CONGRESS 1st Session
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a Motorcyclist Advisory Council, and for other purposes.
Mr. Gallagher (for himself, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Young, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Balderson, and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. Short title.
This Act may be cited as the "Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act".
SEC. 2. Motorcyclist Advisory Council.
(a) Establishment.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a Motorcyclist Advisory Council (in this section referred to as the "Council").
(b) Duties.—
(1) ADVISING.—The Council shall advise the Secretary, the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration on transportation issues of concern to motorcyclists, including—
(A) barrier design;
(B) road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and
(C) the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies.
(2) BIENNIAL COUNCIL REPORT.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall submit a report to the Secretary containing the Council's recommendations on the issues described in paragraph (1).
(B) TIMING.—Not later than October 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Council is established, and by every 2nd October 31 thereafter, the Council shall submit the report described in subparagraph (A).
(c) Membership.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall be comprised of 13 members appointed by the Secretary as follows:
(A) Five experts from State or local government on highway engineering issues, including—
(i) barrier design;
(ii) road design, construction, and maintenance; or
(iii) intelligent transportation systems.
(B) One State or local traffic and safety engineer, design engineer, or other transportation department official who is a motorcyclist.
(C) One representative from a national association of State transportation officials.
(D) One representative from a national motorcyclist association.
(E) One representative from a national motorcyclist foundation.
(F) One representative from a national motorcycle manufacturing association.
(G) One representative from a motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in the United States.
(H) One roadway safety data expert on crash testing and analysis.
(I) One member of a national safety organization that represents the traffic safety systems industry.
(2) DURATION.—
(A) TERM.—Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), each member shall serve one term of 2 years.
(B) ADDITIONAL TERMS.—If a successor is not designated for a member before the expiration of the term the member is serving, the member may serve another term.
(C) APPOINTMENT OF REPLACEMENTS.—If a member resigns before serving a full 2-year term, the Secretary may appoint a replacement for such member to serve the remaining portion such term. A member may continue to serve after resignation until a successor has been appointed. A vacancy in the Council shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(3) COMPENSATION.—Members shall serve without compensation.
(d) Termination.—The Council shall terminate 6 years after the date of its establishment.
SEC. 3. Duties of the Secretary.
(a) Accept or reject recommendation.—
(1) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary shall determine whether to accept or reject a recommendation contained in a Council report.
(2) TIMING.—
(A) ACCEPT OR REJECT.—The Secretary shall indicate in each report submitted under this section the Secretary's acceptance or rejection of each recommendation listed in such report.
(B) UNDER CONSIDERATION.—The Secretary may state in a report submitted under this section that a recommendation is under consideration. If the Secretary so states, the Secretary shall accept or reject the recommendation in the next report submitted under this section.
(b) Report.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the Secretary receives a Council report, the Secretary shall submit a report to the following:
(A) The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
(B) The Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate.
(C) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
(D) The Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(E) The Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(2) CONTENTS.—A report submitted under this subsection shall include—
(A) a list containing—
(i) each recommendation contained in the Council report described in paragraph (1); and
(ii) each recommendation stated as under consideration in the previous report submitted under this subsection; and
(B) for each such recommendation, whether it is accepted, rejected, or under consideration by the Secretary.
(c) Administrative and technical support.—The Secretary shall provide such administrative support, staff, and technical assistance to the Council as the Secretary determines to be necessary for the Council to carry out its duties.
SEC. 4. Definitions.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) COUNCIL REPORT.—The term "Council report" means the report described in section 2(b)(2).
(2) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Transportation.
Next, the MRF's position on this bill:
Motorcycle Riders Foundation P.O. Box 250, Highland, IL 62249 (202) 546-0983 / mrfoffice@mrf.org / www.mrf.org MOTORCYCLIST ADVISORY COUNCIL REAUTHORIZATION ACT: H.R. 2141 Background: The Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC) is responsible for providing advice and recommendations to the Federal Highway Administration concerning infrastructure issues related to motorcyclist safety including barrier design; road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies. Representative Mike Gallagher (WI) has introduced a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the MAC after its current term expires in 2021. MRF Position: The MAC provides the U.S. Department of Transportation expert first-hand knowledge of motorcycle issues. The MAC serves as the only official forum for the motorcycle community to have an open dialogue with the federal government to discuss concerns with infrastructure design, issues with automated vehicles, and other areas of safety affecting motorcyclists on the road. It is important to have road designers, engineers and stakeholders convene and review best practices to prevent tragic accidents and make motorcycling safer for everyone. Motorcyclists deserve a seat at the table when issues impacting them are being discussed.
Request: Cosponsor H.R. 2141 and support efforts to include preservation of the MAC in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill.
*************************************************************************************************************************
Blythe would like to clean up the old documents on our website. Kris knows it needs to be done and will try to take a look at it ASAP.
Andrew mentioned our Facebook page – we need to basically leave his posts up and not post much else. We need to post a link when possible, when Chris goes on broadcast TV.
Matt told everyone the bad news about our life member Matt "Doc" D'Errico, who was injured in a crash and did not survive. Kris posted it in the Facebook group.
We discussed H.R. 3684, introduced in the House (06/04/2021)
Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act or the INVEST in America Act
This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Among other provisions, the bill:
• extends FY2021 enacted levels through FY2022 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs;
• reauthorizes for FY2023-FY2026 several surface transportation programs, including the federal-aid highway program, transit programs, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and rail programs;
• addresses climate change, including strategies to reduce the climate change impacts of the surface transportation system and a vulnerability assessment to identify opportunities to enhance the resilience of the surface transportation system and ensure the efficient use of federal resources;
• revises Buy America procurement requirements for highways, mass transit, and rail;
• establishes a rebuild rural bridges program to improve the safety and state of good repair of bridges in rural communities.
• implements new safety requirements across all transportation modes; and
• directs DOT to establish a pilot program to demonstrate a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee to restore and maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and achieve and maintain a state of good repair in the surface transportation system.
The text is too long to reproduce here. This bill has been placed in the Senate calendar as of 7/13/21.
**********************************************************************************************************************************
We talked about the quickly-approaching Meeting of the Minds in Atlanta, the weekend of September 23-26. All ABATE members should attend this convention.
We discussed our billboards, variable message signs in the state, and how the AMA is on board with red light bills, which might be good for us when we decide to bring our Safe on Red bill again. Shane discussed how we brought a "Dead Red" bill a couple of times in past years and got shot down in Montgomery.
Cowboy would like us to get metal Life Member cards for life members. We took it under advisement and will probably do it. KC moved we look into it, Shane seconded. Also looking into challenge coins.
Mike discussed our logo and wanted us to return to the standard ABATE logo that many states still have. Matt said he thought it was copyrighted so that we can't use it. A woman who is now deceased started an ABATE of Alabama organization and her son now holds the trademark, according to Matt. Mike also wants us to be A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments instead of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education. Kris likes the Long Island ABATE name of American Bikers for Awareness, Training & Education. We tabled the question of changing our name. This will have to be changed by a majority vote of the full membership. Or we could just create another DBA name and not formally change anything.
Andrew reminded us that our name is socially acceptable the way it is. We are a non-profit whose voices need to be as one. The education aspect is tantamount. We educate our lawmakers, we educate riders, and we educate drivers. We have one voice collectively. We have to be about training and education, to garner any support from the public at large. It looks good on us that we are working toward a skills test.
Kris commented she needs to get renewal notices out to expired members.
We had a long discussion about how much control the state organization should have over the chapters' activities. Kris thinks supervision should be very minimal. Cowboy said the state should approve everything the chapter does, and the state should have insurance for all activities. At this point, Dixie ABATE has no insurance of any kind. Mike prefers a dues split but the chapter does its own fund raising. Mike and Chris thought it would be a good idea if a member had to join at the state level before joining a chapter. Kris thinks that shouldn't be necessary. Cowboy said if you join a chapter you are automatically a member at the state level in Florida, where he is from. Each chapter sends two delegates to state meetings. Mike said you should be able to belong to as many chapters as you want, but only vote in one.
Matt moved to table the matter, and Andrew seconded. We will ask at the MOTM how other ABATES are structured.
Our next meeting is our summer retreat, at The Secret Bed & Breakfast, 2356 AL-68, Leesburg, AL. The phone number is 256-523-3825. 2 PM, Saturday, August 21, 2021.
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Meeting Notes – February 19, 2022
BlytheApril 11, 2022
BlytheJanuary 3, 2022

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Home » Celebrities » Kendall Jenner Thinks She and Beyonce Should Be Best Friends Because of This
Kendall Jenner Thinks She and Beyonce Should Be Best Friends Because of This
In an interview from her new spring 2020 Calvin Klein campaign, the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star says she'd like to be the singing diva's personal assistant for a year.
AceShowbiz –Kendall Jenner thinks there's a chance for her and Beyonce Knowles to be best friends if they watch the same TV show in the evening. The supermodel makes the comment during an interview from her new spring 2020 Calvin Klein campaign.
During the interview, Kendall confesses that she'd like to become the singing diva's personal assistant for a year. "Just because I want to know what she eats in the morning," the Victoria's Secret model added of her reason, per ELLE. "I just want to know what she has for breakfast. And, like, what TV shows does she watch?"
She continued, "I just really need to know what TV shows she watches. Like, do you watch 'Bachelor in Paradise'? Because if so, we should be best friends."
Elsewhere in the interview, the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star opens up about the struggles she needs to face daily by being a public figure. "People think they know a lot by a photo, [from] what they hear or [from] a fake article that's written about something and they don't actually sit and realize, 'I have no idea what's actually happening or what the truth is,' " Kendall says. "I think that's probably the most frustrating thing."
Fortunately for her, she has a family who understands how hard it is to be in the show business. "They all live in this world with me so they understand the things I go through or I understand the things they go through, it's pretty cool I'm pretty blessed," she goes on saying, noting that she appreciates having her mother, Kris Jenner, as her inspiration. "I was very lucky to have a businesswoman helping me to become a businesswoman and older sisters who are already businesswomen."
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Tagged Best Fr, Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner
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Kate Middleton and Dr. Jill Biden Co-Wrote an Op-Ed About Early Childhood Care
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'Conjuring 3' Keeps Box Office Recovery Moving With $9.8 Million Friday Launch


For EWI Associate Franz-Stefan Gady, recently back from Kabul, the Vietnam War holds lessons for ending the war in Afghanistan.
Click here to read this article in Small Wars Journal.
Despite many critical voices of the overuse of the Vietnam War metaphor when talking about the war in Afghanistan there are many striking similarities between the last years of the Vietnam War and the Obama administration's attempt to extract U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan. I therefore think it is important, given the upcoming NATO Summit in Lisbon in November and the looming withdrawal of NATO forces from the region, to examine the Nixon administration's effort to win the Vietnam War on the negotiation table and to have, in Nixon's words, "Peace with Honor."
Just like President Obama in 2009, Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon came into the White House in 1969 to end the war which, at that point, was already a "bone to the nations throat," to quote a former White House speech writer. Talks with the North Vietnamese had already started under the Johnson administration in Paris but come to no satisfactory conclusion. The main objectives of the United States on the negotiation table were the territorial integrity and independence of South Vietnam, a withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from South East Asia and a withdrawal of Vietcong insurgents in South Vietnam.
Similar to today's situation in Afghanistan, the Nixon administration had to deal with a largely unpopular leader, Nguyen Van Thieu, who was reelected in 1969 after winning a fraudulent election and whose regime was infamous for its corruption. North Vietnam's strategy in a nutshell, again similar to insurgents in Afghanistan, was to outlast the Americans, get rid of the Thieu regime and to take over the country once the United States withdrew.
Comparable to President Obama's surge strategy, Nixon decided to increase military pressure on Vietnam. Henry Kissinger insisted that, "A fourth rate power like North Vietnam must have a breaking point." Upon taking office in 1969, Nixon secretly conveyed to the North Vietnamese that he was seeking peace and willing to negotiate, but that the United States was willing to escalate the conflict should its demands not be met. Over a period of 15 months, the United States Air Force dropped more than 100,000 tons of bombs on North Vietnamese sanctuaries in Cambodia. Nixon's first attempt to gain concessions from the Vietnamese on the negotiating table failed. The major stumbling blocks, the integrity of South Vietnam and the preservation of the Thieu regime, were to stall negotiations for the next three years.
Despite what current proponents of escalating U.S. engagement in Afghanistan claim, North Vietnam in 1969 shifted from an offensive to a defensive strategy. They did this by limiting offensive operations in the South and even withdrawing troops across the demilitarized zone, not due to military setbacks, but to wait Nixon out until public opinion at home forced the U.S. to withdraw combat troops, something sources in Kabul claim is precisely the Taliban's strategy. Frustrated by North Vietnam's unwillingness to make any substantial concessions at the secret negotiations in Paris, Nixon ordered the formation of a secret National Security Council Study Group to come up with "savage punishing blows" for the North Vietnamese. However, the conclusion of the Study Group, chaired by Henry Kissinger, showed that increased military pressure would not yield additional concessions from Hanoi.
The insurgents in Afghanistan, despite being battle weary, will certainly also not be willing to make any major concessions with U.S. troop withdrawal a few months away. This is happening in spite of an increase in drone strikes and special forces operations activities throughout the country. The North Vietnamese, by cleverly manipulating U.S. negotiators, essentially bought time by making vague proposals that amounted to little substance and complaining about procedural matters such as the size and set up of tables at the negotiations in Paris. Their real goal until 1972 was to buy time for North Vietnamese Forces to get resupplied and strengthened for the final military blow against the Thieu regime. The insurgents in Afghanistan, although in no way comparable in size, equipment and capabilities to the Vietcong and the regular North Vietnamese Army, will probably employ similar delaying tactics until the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces. Any initial "willingness" by Taliban leaders to talk has to be seen in this critical light.
The famous Vietnamization policy was a direct consequence of the United States' failed attempt to break the deadlock at the negotiating table with military force and domestic pressure to start withdrawing U.S. combat troops. Without consulting his South Vietnamese ally, Nixon unilaterally announced this policy, frustrated by the lack of military progress and mounting US casualties. Within months the South Vietnamese Military became one of the largest and best equipped Armies in the World (by 1974 South Vietnam's Air Force was the fourth largest in the world). At the same time the United States stepped up its Phoenix program headed by the CIA, and just like its modern successor, the drone strike campaign, aimed at decapitating the leadership of the Vietcong and destroying Vietcong strongholds in the South. The United States claimed big successes and the elimination of over 20.000 Vietcong targets in South Vietnam. However, the Vietcong's command structure and ability to conduct operations remained intact. So far the same is true for Taliban safe havens in Pakistan, which have been targets of drone strikes.
Indeed, there are also striking similarities between Obama's decision to step up the drone strikes into Pakistan and Nixon's controversial decision to invade and bomb Cambodia to buy time for Vietnamization, and destroy North Vietnamese safe havens. In the end, despite having claimed to have killed 2000 insurgents and substantially disrupted North Vietnamese supply bases and "treasure troves" of intelligence (according to Henry Kissinger), it did not alter the outcome of the conflict, but led to the massive destabilization of Cambodia. Events in Pakistan today illustrate the danger of undermining a government's authority on their own territory. The strategic military impact of recent drone strikes remains to be seen, but so far have not influenced the Taliban's offensive capabilities substantially.
In October of 1970 Nixon launched a "major new initiative for peace" which was promptly rejected by Hanoi. More U.S. troops were withdrawn and the process of Vietnamization sped up. Nixon also expanded the war into Laos in 1971 to disrupt enemy supply line and to force a military decision. Talks failed over the same fundamental issue: the future of the South Vietnamese government under Thieu. Later in 1971, Kissinger made yet another secret proposal to the North Vietnamese: Complete US withdrawal in exchange for US POWs held in Hanoi. Again North Vietnam rejected the offer. POWs were one of the few bargaining chips they had when negotiating with the United States and only would give it up last. North Vietnam again insisted on the removal of the Thieu regime, which the U.S. dismissed. North Vietnam proposed open elections in September 1971, on the condition that the United States withdraw support for Thieu. Kissinger and Nixon refused.
In March 1972, North Vietnam launched a large scale invasion of South Vietnam with conventional forces, having carefully prepared its offensive capabilities over the previous two years and stalled negotiations in Paris. Despite some initial progress, North Vietnam was beaten back by massive U.S. air raids in the demilitarized zone on Hanoi and Haiphong. For the first time, Kissinger made secret concessions to North Vietnam that would allow North Vietnamese Forces in South Vietnam after a cease fire, undermining the sovereignty of South Vietnam, but still insisting on the future existence of the Thieu regime. North Vietnam rejected them and Nixon further escalated the air war, and mined Haiphong harbor. In June 1972 alone the US dropped 112.000 tons of bombs.
North Vietnam estimated that it would need three years to recover from the losses incurred during the Easter Offensive (which proved correct) and agreed to shift their war strategy to a "strategy of peace" to buy time and guarantee the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Vietnam. A tripartite electoral commission comprising the Thieu regime, the Vietcong (Provisionary Revolutionary Government), and neutralists such as the Buddhists was to come up with a political solution to the conflict after the U.S. withdrawal. Nixon ordered additional bombing raids over North Vietnam over Christmas 1972 to force the Vietnamese to agree to a settlement and to save face vis-à-vis Thieu and the American people. Despite massive air raids it did not set back North Vietnam's capacity to conduct war in the South. When the United States and North Vietnam finally came to an agreement in Paris in January and February 1973, Thieu who had the least interest in an agreement and withdrawal of US troops did not sign the treaty. The Paris agreement was a compromise agreement securing the return of the majority of US POWs, guaranteeing the US troop withdrawal from South Vietnam and leaving the Thieu regime in power. North Vietnam still had forces in the South and the large question of the political future of Vietnam was unresolved.
Describing the Nixon administration's year-long struggle to extract the United States from Vietnam holds some valuable lessons for the Obama Administration. First and foremost, it shows that there can be no solution to the conflict if the underlying fundamentals causing the insurgency are not addressed. North Vietnam could not accept the Thieu regime. The Taliban will not accept the Karzai regime, especially with the looming withdrawal of NATO-led forces. The only answer will be unconditional Afghan-led talks between the warring factions should any agreement ever be reached.
Second, military escalation of the conflict will not fundamentally influence the negotiation process; it will only prolong the fighting. Temporary military setbacks by either side may delay talks, but the essential issues will remain unchanged: How can the United States extract itself with protecting its core security interests and how can Afghanistan be stabilized?
Third, one of the reasons why Thieu proved a very difficult partner in negotiations was because Nixon and Kissinger never consulted him on major changes in U.S. foreign policy such as Vietnamization. President Karzai was also presented with a fait accompli with the July 2011 withdrawal deadline, and voiced his deep concern that it will empower the Taliban in the long term. An increasingly insular perception of the White House is gaining a foothold in Kabul and among NATO allies. Whether true or untrue when it comes to making peace, allies and partners need to be informed of every aspect of U.S. strategy, since any reconciliation of warring factions has to be based on consensus.
Fourth, the United States in any negotiation should stick to its core national security interests in Afghanistan. The United States made the critical mistake of equating the preservation of the Thieu regime with rolling back communism in South East Asia because it lacked a clear perception of its core national security interest in the region. Supporting Karzai may or may not guarantee the dismantling of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but the United States has to insist that a future government, which may include insurgent/Taliban representation, disassociate itself completely from Al Qaeda. Destroying Al Qaeda is the core national security interest of the United States in Afghanistan. Reconciliation, on the other hand, should be entirely left to the Afghans.
Last, and most important: Afghans on both sides, the government and the Taliban, know that Western Forces will eventually leave. This alone undermines any military credibility sought for the purpose of having a strong negotiating position vis-à-vis the Taliban and guarantees that the United States and its allies may win every battle but in the end lose the war. Vietnamization had its limits, as the United States painfully learned with the fall of Saigon in 1975 and defeat of the South Vietnamese Army. The current capabilities of the Afghan National Army leave little doubt how the tide will turn once U.S. forces have left Afghanistan.
Franz-Stefan Gady is an associate at the EastWest Institute. He has previously worked as an adjunct research assistant at the Institute for National Strategies Studies of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., focusing on regional security issues. He was also an analyst for the Project on National Security Reform, a congressionally funded nonprofit organization founded to reform the national security structure of the United States. He holds an M.A. in Strategic Studies/International Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, and has served in the Austrian Army and the Austrian Foreign Ministry, working on various security issues.


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Ask Auntie – The risks associated with Contract Workers
Dear Auntie,
I am the CEO of a medium sized company which has around 200 employees. We use contract workers all the time because we can hire them more quickly than employees and can get rid of them when we need to without having to worry about the sorts of convoluted processes and procedures that we follow for our employees. But I am beginning to worry about the costs. Added to this, one of our recent exiting contractors made the remark that he would "sue us for discrimination".
Do we really have a risk here?
Mr Concerned
Many businesses like yours rely upon the services of contractors for the perceived advantages that you describe. There is also a feeling that contractors can be recruited quickly and that they allow employees to concentrate on "core" activities.
But there are disadvantages, as you have alluded to. Very often contractors cost more than the equivalent daily rate for an employee. This can lead to resentment among the employed staff. There may also be less control over the quality of the contractor's work and the way in which they represent the business.
It is important to be cautious in the exercise of the perceived flexibility that comes with a contractor resource. Contract workers may have protection under the Equality Act 2010 ("EA"), in which case their rights under discrimination law will similar to those of employees.
It is unlawful to discriminate against or victimise contract workers who qualify for protection in relation to:
the terms on which you allow them to work or continue work;
the way in which you afford them access to benefits; or
by subjecting them to any other detriments.
The duty to make reasonable adjustments also applies.
In order to benefit from the EA protection the contract worker must be employed by a person other than the principle (the end user) under a contract of employment, a contract of apprenticeship or a contract personally to do work. Contractors are likely to argue that their "employment" is either with an agency involved in the supply of with their services or with their own limited company. The key point is that they must be able to establish a relationship with the entity which obliges them to perform the work personally.
The meaning of "employment" for the purposes of the EA was considered by the employment appeal tribunal (EAT) in the case of Halawi v WDFG UK Ltd (t/a World Duty Free) at the end of last year. The case concerned a beauty consultant who was selling cosmetic products at a Word Duty Free (WDF) outlet in Heathrow airport. She provided her services through a limited company which she had formed specifically for this purpose.
The EAT found that there was no employment relationship. They found that there was an absence of control in the relationship which showed a lack of subordination or economic dependency. These are factors which are necessary in order for to have been an "employee" and therefore protected under the EA. An important factor in the decision was that there was a substitution clause. This allowed the consultant to send others in her place, and she had done this on occasion.
There was some unease expressed in this decision at leaving a potential victim of discrimination with no recourse to the law, but the court felt bound by the established principles. The consultant did not supply evidence to allow her to argue that she was employed by her limited company. This could have been an argument open to her and is no doubt one that others will seek to exploit.
The Respondents were fortunate in this case that the facts surrounding the situation, together with the way in which the Claimant had put her case, allowed them to escape the ambit of the EA. Not all businesses will be as fortunate. Very often, the requirement is for personal services may be satisfied because the contractor has been selected for the role purely on the basis of his or her personal skills and experience.
You may have risk here and the need to follow due process should never be disregarded in the case of contractors because it may become important to demonstrate the basis upon which decisions were taken.


The following tools are integrated in the EAGLE Learning Platform. They are all open source and can be implemented independently from the platform.
Argumentation Tool: A tool to help clerks to decide issues for which no clear rules exist (e.g. "undue hardship") and to justify their decisions in a clear way with reasons and arguments. This tool can help ensure that like cases are decided alike, collectively for all clerks deciding such issues, across the boundaries of particular agencies.
Topic Map: The EAGLE Topic Map Tool helps employees in public administrations to quickly find the resources required for the task at hand.
Automatic Item Generation: The EAGLE Learning Platform offers two possibilities to author tests. 1) Tests can be authored manually using the TAO authoring interface. 2) Since employees in PA do not have time to create tests, research was conducted to explore whether the automatic generation of test items from a source is possible. A source is either a text-based OER or a text from a Wiki page manual.
Ontology: The backbone of the EAGLE Learning Platform. Supports the management of OER, including their creation, modification, and history of use. In addition, the EAGLE ontology interlinks OER with the concepts located outside of the Web of Data that are organised in a form of controlled vocabularies.


After more than 60 years spent stuck in the passenger seat, the Gulf kingdom s 15.1 million women can finally take control of the steering wheel when the ban on female drivers is lifted.
Accountancy firm PwC predicts that the number of women on Saudi Arabia s roads will swell to three million by 2020.
Thousands of women have signed up for driving lessons as new female-only programmes have sprung up.
However, those hoping for a quick shot in the arm for the Saudi economy - and its struggling car industry - will have to wait.
New car sales in Saudi Arabia fell 22.3% last year to 536,767 vehicles, according to Matt Gasnier, founder of bestsellingcarsblog.com, which gathers car sales data from manufacturers around the world.
Saudi Arabia fell into recession last year when GDP fell 0.5% due in large part to weaker oil output.
And Mr Gasnier says that the "very difficult" conditions that blighted Saudi Arabia in 2017 have continued into this year.
It may also take some time for enough driving schools that cater solely to women to be set up in Saudi Arabia, though when they are established they will "create a large number of job opportunities for female driving instructors", says PwC.
"It s not all going to happen on day one," says Crystal Worthem, marketing director in the Middle East and Africa for US carmaker Ford, which has set up a driving skills programme for women with Effat University in Jeddah.
She thinks that some Saudi women will take a wait-and-see approach to learning to drive, rather than jumping straight in.
It is like downloading new software for a mobile phone, says Ms Worthem: "You don t want to be the first to download it. You want to wait for three months so all the kinks and glitches have been ironed out."
It is not surprising that women from the ultra-conservative Gulf state are cautious.
While there was no formal ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia women, have been unable to obtain a driving licence. The policy has been in place since 1957 - though that will change on 24 June.
Last year, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a decree stating that the monarchy would start issuing driving licences for women.
His son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has set out a plan, called Vision 2030, to diversify the Saudi Arabian economy away from its dependence on oil.
This includes lowering the kingdom s unemployment rate from 11.6% to 7% and increase women s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%.
A report by the Gulf Research Centre said that lifting the driving ban on women "may help them overcome some of the difficulties they face in accessing job opportunities".


We offer a variety of services and products in addition to weight management. To learn more, contact us or drop by to one of our offices for consultation.
Your first visit lasts between 30-45 minutes with appointment. That includes a physical examination, urinalysis and paper work. A range of vitamin supplements is available for your personal use. Your medical questions should be directed at a licensed medical provider (Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant). She or he is qualified to assist you in your weight loss program. Some patients may need EKG and lab tests.
Protein shake meal replacements in conjunction with a healthy diet plan.
We offer a variety of appetite suppressants and weight loss supplements depending on your medically determined weight loss program.
Amberen is available for pre/post menopausal symptoms as well.
Vitamin B12 is found in foods such as meat, fish, and dairy products. It can also be made in a laboratory.
According to WebMD – Vitamin B12, like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism, normal cell division, and protein synthesis. Anaemia is one of the most common consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency. Vegetarians of all ages are at risk of deficiency and may benefit from a daily vitamin B12 supplement. Vitamin B12 levels can be measured by a blood test. Your doctor can advise you if a blood test or supplement is needed. If you're over age 50, you may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 in its natural form because of changes in the stomach. You may need three-monthly injections of vitamin B12.
Contraindications: Leber's disease, a hereditary eye disease. Because it can seriously harm the optic nerve. Also contraindicated in polycythemia vera, and megaloblastic anemia.
Appetite Suppressants Side Effects: Dizziness, blurred vision, constipation, or restlessness. Contraindicated in heart disease, arteriosclerosis, glaucoma, history of drug abuse or alcohol abuse.
Vitamin B12 Side Effects: In some people, vitamin B12 might cause diarrhea, blood clots, itching, serious allergic reactions, and other side effects.


text:
Tempe history: President Taft comes to town
Tempe has had a good share of visits from the nation's highest officeholders
Jay Mark
Special for The Republic | azcentral.com
No less than 10 sitting and former presidents have dropped in on Tempe over the years
William Howard Taft made an Arizona trip with a Tempe stop in August 1909
Many saw a stop in Tempe as putting the state's best foot forward toward achieving statehood
You can almost hear the collective sight of relief that one of the most divisive and vitriolic presidential elections ever is finally over. Now maybe we can all get back to our regular lives.
Speaking of presidents, Tempe has had a good share of visits from the nation's highest officeholders.
No less than 10 sitting and former presidents have dropped in over the years — along with presidential-wannabes for rallies and debates.
It is and always was a big deal when the nation's president stops by.
Taft coming
A case in point was the 1909 Tempe visit by the country's 27th chief executive.
The first hint of a possible William Howard Taft Arizona trip came in August 1909.
An Arizona Republican headline declared "Tempe Would Entertain President Taft."
"If President Taft and party are to visit Arizona," a correspondent asked, "why not have them stop over in Tempe or…run over (from Phoenix) on the motor cars and make an excursion to our town?
MORE: Arizona's presidential history
"We believe we have such a nice little city that we would not be ashamed to entertain kings, princes, presidents and potentates."
"We have the cleanest streets, nicest lawns," and as if it made a difference, the "handsomest men and prettiest women in the territory."
Pitch for statehood
One reason for a Taft trip was to convince the President the Arizona Territory was worthy of Statehood.
"To secure (Taft's) enthusiastic support," the article continued, "we must show our territory up at her best, and to do that we must have him visit Tempe."
The desire was to provide Taft with an extended tour of the town, and the Territorial Normal School.
Unfortunately the best that could be wrung out of the President's tight schedule was a whistle stop at the Tempe depot — and a few remarks from his Pullman train car.
Organizers were told to expect the President's stay in Tempe "will probably not exceed three or four minutes."
Whatever time was allowed, planners were determined to make the best of it.
They believed their revised plan to have all the students in town turn out to greet the train with banners "… will more impress the president than anything else."
Then the kids would give the chief executive this big, biased, "yell" –
"Hurrah for Taft and statehood,
We'll cheer for both again
In the first of nineteen ten If you help us then,
Hurrah for Taft and statehood."
The entire region was alive with excitement on the warm Wednesday morning of the President's arrival.
The paper reported, "Hours before … people had been arriving in Tempe from all over the south side."
Students showed-up "half or three-quarters of an hour before the arrival of the train and took the space allotted to them on both sides of the track."
Right "on time to the dot," the train pulled into the station at 10:15 a.m.
The account of the President's visit is for next week.
Reach historian Jay Mark atjaymark@twtdbooks.com


Bonding on Netflix is fun. I'm enjoying Micah Stock - he's good to look at 😁.
Going through pics from Japan and hands down the best Marvel movie, is on Netflix and the anesthetic is….
All i'm trying to do is watch American Gangster again on Netflix, but fiberone doesn't want me to be great.
@Gina_Zappa Did they put it on Netflix or something?? My mom LOVED this show!!


With access to objective and validated third party data from over 1.7 million sales professional on 282 attributes, the data findings are customized to your role and become the foundation for your custom development program based on your individual strengths and weaknesses. If you are a sales manager or leader, your team is should also be evaluated in order to coach you on how to coach them. Click here to read about the science that supports this step.
To establish your motivation for change, a comprehensive goal setting session is completed immediately after your evaluation questionnaire. If you are a sales manager or leader, we will also coach you on how to do this with your team. Click here to access the worksheets used.
Once your personally meaningful goals are identified and documented, your coach will share your evaluation findings with you with specific reading instructions, an action plan worksheet, and a scheduled review date. If your individual team has also been evaluated, we will review how to do this step with them. Click here to learn the science behind this step.
Based on your individual findings, we calculate the frequency of sales coaching needed and the length of your development program. We may also recommend specific training courses that you can take online.
Regularly scheduled virtual coaching sessions are short (15 min) and focused on real world opportunities and conversations. Sessions follow a debrief, analyze, and practice framework.
On-demand access to your coach's calendar for when those urgent calls or meetings arise.
Access to a customizable coaching platform for email reviews and recommendations, call recording and analysis, best practice building, and custom skill challenges.
Content and social media coaching to build an online presence and following.
Weekly and monthly reviews of goals, plans, progress, and results.
After 6 months, objective re-evaluation of progress comparison.


text:
Reviewers: Don Mather, Dick Stafford, Marc Bridle, John Eyles, Ian Lace, Colin Clarke, Jack Ashby
Crotchet Midprice
JIMMY DORSEY
DORSEY DERVISH
ORIGINAL RECORDINGS 1936-1940
Jimmy Dorsey - alto saxophone and clarinet with His Orchestra (various personnel).
Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120625
1. The Darktown Strutter's Ball
2. Dusk In Upper Sandusky
3. Serenade To Nobody In Particular
4. Dorsey Dervish
6. Love Is Here To Stay
7. The Yam
9. All Or Nothing At All
10. Whisper While We Dance
11. Dixieland Detour
12. The Jumpin' Jive
13. A Man His Dream
14. Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
15. The Breeze And I
16. On The Trail
17. Go Fly A Kite
18. High On A Windy Hill
19. Boog It
Whilst sounding decidedly of its time this disc contains some very good swinging performances. This is a commercial dance band doing what it did best and playing for both listeners and dancers alike in a series of slick, happy-go-lucky arrangements which are undemanding at the same time as being easy on the ear. The level of musicianship is high throughout these recordings - these players were, after all, the cream of the crop as far as popular sidemen went at that time.
The Jazz content is obviously of a secondary consideration, but each soloist gives of his best to produce adequate and often very pleasing interpretations in what must surely have been the spiritual godfather of what is now called "Smooth Jazz" i.e. Jazz that has a commercial slant and does not make too great an intellectual demand on the performer or the audience. Dorsey himself was a good clarinet player and an extremely facile technician on the alto saxophone as can be heard on "Dusk In Upper Sandusky". No less a saxophonist than Lester Young admired Dorsey and claimed him as an early influence along with Frankie Trumbauer.
One aspect of these recordings which make them stand out from other Swing band's efforts at this time is the excellence of the rhythm sections. Of particular merit are the tracks which feature the drumming of Ray McKinley who was to become a star in his own right. His crisp cymbal work on such selections as "Sandusky " and the overall tightness of his sound would not be out of place in any of the great contemporary Kansas City or Territory bands.
The vocalists are all top class band singers able to give maximum impact to just one chorus without altering the mood or flow of the piece as a whole. In terms of big bands the actual forces employed on these sides are often quite small - on many there are only two trumpets, but through careful and astute orchestration there is an impression given of larger numbers. I enjoyed this disc - against my expectations - and think it is a superb documentation of a working band in the late 30's.
Gerard Hoffnung CDs
Donate and get a free CD
Acte Préalable
Arcodiva
CDAccord
Northern Flowers


text:
FOR MEETING ORGANIZERS
You'll find images, bios, intro scripts, A/V requirements, and even Andrew's allergy alert here.
Images of Andrew
That's okay. We have hundreds of other pictures of Andrew. Feel free to give us a call at (617)290-0480 and we'll find something perfect for you.
Click here to Download (2800 x 4200 @ 300 dpi)
DOWNLOAD ALL HI-RES IMAGES
Andrew's Book Covers
Click here to Download (1000 x 1158 @ 96 dpi)
Click Here for More Details (2800 x 4200 @ 300 dpi)
Andrew In Action
DOWNLOAD HI-RES FILES
Intro Script
NOTE: We've crafted a very specific, short, fun, intro script for Andrew's sessions. Please use this script (instead of a bio) to introduce him to the stage.
Our next speaker wrote for Charles Kuralt and produced for NBC.
He's worked for the Muppets and MTV.
He co-founded, built and sold a marketing agency.
You might have seen him on The Today Show or in the New York Times.
He's a best-selling author and one of the most influential marketers in the world.
He's had more coffee today than you'll drink in a week.
Please give a big, warm {Insert event name here} welcome to Andrew Davis!
Andrew Davis' Bios
Long, medium and short biographies of Andrew Davis for your promotional use.
Medium Bio
Andrew Davis is a bestselling author and keynote speaker. Before building and selling a thriving digital marketing agency, Andrew produced for NBC and worked for The Muppets. He's appeared in the New York Times and on the Today Show. He's crafted documentary films and award-winning content for tiny start-ups and Fortune 500 brands. Today, Andrew Davis teaches business leaders how to grow their businesses, transform their cities, and leave their legacy.
Andrew Davis is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker. Before building and selling a thriving digital marketing agency, Andrew produced for NBC's Today Show, worked for The Muppets in New York and wrote for Charles Kuralt. He's appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and on NBC and the BBC. Davis has crafted documentary films and award-winning content for tiny start-ups and Fortune 500 brands. Recognized as one of the industry's "Jaw-Dropping Marketing Speakers," Andrew is a mainstay on global marketing influencer lists. Wherever he goes, Andrew Davis puts his infectious enthusiasm and magnetic speaking style to good use teaching business leaders how to grow their businesses, transform their cities, and leave their legacy.
A/V Requirements
Andrew doesn't' use PowerPoint. He uses Prezi instead.
A Bag Full of Dongles
As you may already know, Andrew Davis doesn't use PowerPoint to present. Instead, he loves to use Prezi. Prezi is an amazing blank canvas designed to free you from the banal constraints of linear presenting and Drew's used it to great effect. In fact, he's part of an elite team of Prezi Pioneers.
While Prezi works on any machine (MAC or Windows,) Drew prefers to use his own laptop for his presentations. Currently he presents on a 15″ MacBook Air complete with his own bag of cables that includes the VGA, DVI, and HDMI connectors and a wireless presentation "clicker."
Andrew Brings:
A Macbook Air
VGA, DVI, and HDMI dongles
Wireless presentation clicker
A desktop presentation using Prezi
A presentation designed to work on 16X9 screens.
Andrew Needs:
A wireless, lavalier microphone
AC power plug to power his laptop
A projector (VGA, DVI, or HDMI input.)
A speaker system with a mini plug for audio output from the laptop.
A confidence monitor
More A/V Questions?
If your A/V team has questions about Prezi or any of Andrew's requirements, please feel free to put us in touch.
We're happy to help. Please call: (617) 821-3987 or e-mail Elizabeth.
ALLERGY ALERT!
Heads up! Drew is deathly allergic to peanuts. Yes, deathly allergic.
Please let Andrew know if any of the meals being served at your event contain peanuts, peanut oil, peanut shells, peanut byproducts, peanut anything.
Although he doesn't specifically request a peanut-free meal it's nice to let him know. Especially if he's planning to eat before the event (we wouldn't want him dropping dead before he entertains and inspires your audience).
Thanks so much for taking his allergy seriously.
Intro Music Suggestions
I'm often asked if I have any music intro preferences... so here we go.
Turn Down For What
Artist: DJ Snake and Lil Jon
DJ Snake and Lil Jon's pounding intro will give the audience something to get excited about!
DOWNLOAD (iTunes)
So What'cha Want
Artist: Beastie Boys
One of Andrew's all time favorite bands — the Beastie Boys! So What'cha Want?
More Drew?
More Time!!
"Andrew's energy and enthusiasm never disappoint. His Loyalty Loop keynote hit home with our customers and the only complaint we heard was that we didn't give Andrew enough time!"
Hans Uslar | James Hardie
Ryan Brescia
Speaker Relations
ryan[@]MonumentalShift.com
EMAIL RYAN
Reach Out To Andrew
Monumental Shift, INC.
andrew[@]MonumentalShift.com
Elizabeth Davis
elizabeth[@]MonumentalShift.com


text:
Fire wolves and Smokey Bears: a history of fire prevention
AFA - American Forestry Association
Belgian Congo
Cascades Range
CCC - Civilian Conservation Corporation
CFFP - Cooperate Forest Fire Prevention Program
COAL MINE FIRES
CODE NAPOLEON
DESCON (Designated Control Burn System)
DIXIE CRUSADERS
fire management
fire size
incendiary fires
JOB HUNTING FIRES
KEEP GREEN PROGRAM
Mediterranean habitats
military lands
MOONSHINERS
National Fire Prevention Day
NWCG - National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Ozarks
rangeland fires
recreation related fires
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
SCFFP - Southern Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Program
SIMON EL ORO
SMOKE JUMPER
Smokey Bear program
Tillamook Fire
WFCA - Western Forestry and Conservation Association
From the text... 'The outcome of the Southern Forestry Education Campaign was much less devisive. To begin with, its subject was not the internal distribution of agency funds but the promotion of fire protection as a concept. Nor was it concerned with the question of transient visitors; it addressed instead the stubborn question of southern woodsburning. The idea was initially proposed by Ovid Butler, executive secretary of the American Forestry Association in 1925. Since at least 1923 the association had experimented with various mediums for communicating a fire prevention message in addition to its periodical, American Forests, and in 1928 Butler*s idea was approved. Outfitted with the techniques of the Showboats and the peripatetic Wheeler, the 'Dixie Crusaders' hit the road. Their strategy was to concentrate on the states of Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi; to promote their message effectively without relying primarily on printed material; and to demonstrate to the unregenerate southerner that his future belonged with forests rather than with a traditional subsistence economy of agriculture, herding, and hunting. The program ran for three years on a budget of $150,000, some of which was contributed by the states involved.... McCormick estimated that the campaign reached some 3 million people, traveled over 300,000 miles, and disseminated some 2 million pieces of literature. He assured the readers of American Forests that 'the evidence is clear in word and action however, that the woodsburning habit inherent with southern ruralists has been staggered by the assault of the Dixie Crusaders....' Other commentators confirmed that 'a great indignation was sweeping out over the Piney Woods, mobilizing sentiment against the woodsburner.' Pledges notwithstanding, there was no doubt a good deal of backsliding. The issue was clouded further, for just as the Crusaders were adding up their new converts, the scientific evidence in favor of regulated controlled burning began to mount.... Fire prevention entered into a program of reeducation as great as that which brought systematic fire protection in the first place. Like the new fire policies, with their pluralism of responses, fire prevention programs had to address local or regional problems rather than attempt a single national message. they had to cope with the relativity of wildfire, allowing for 'professional' exploitation without giving license to a potentially careless public. They had to account for the inevitability of natural fire in natural systems and the desirability of prescribed fire in managed systems without increasing the likelihood of wildfire in either. What prevention had to address, in short, was the nature of the ultimate source of anthropogenic ignition, the inevitable friction between human beings and their natural environment.' © 1982 by Princeton University Press.
Pyne, S. J. 1982. Fire wolves and Smokey Bears: a history of fire prevention, in SJ Pyne ed., Fire in America: a cultural history of wildland and rural fire. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, p. 161-180.


SHM CDs - What's the big deal about them?
So I was looking to buy some albums on CD, but they seem to be available in only SHM CD format at the moment. SHM CDs seem to be generally quite expensive, and I was wondering why it was so.
Does anyone here own SHM CDs? Are they worth their price? What is the difference between SHM and normal CDs from your experience?
I don't think SHM-CD is a new format at all... It is a term used to describe different manufacturing materials used in the creation of a CD, and as such, is more marketing than format IMHO.
I have a few SHM CDs.
1. CD looks and feels great...That is they look like old Japanese of Germany made Cds. Some have a very light golden shin. Most have rounded edge.
2. If they are the BSCD (Blu-spec) on SHM disc they sound excellent. Those are cut using a blue laser and offers higher accuracy in writing the disc.
I have a few SHM SACDs. They all sound better than other presses of the same titles.
Ah now SACDs in general sound better anyway right?
Yes I understand SHM CDs are much more tangible and better presented than normal CDs. But in terms of SQ, I guess you are saying that normal SHM CDs don't sound significantly better than normal CDs?
SHM CDs apparently have a high quality manufacturing process and probably make them impervious to CD rot/fungus and last longer. All SACDs(not just SHM) will sound better than CDs as they are mastered better with full dynamic range. In terms of sound quality, SHM CDs nowadays are also victims of the loudness wars so they sound equally bad. My friend got suckered into buying some SHM CDs for extra cost and when we we compared normal CD versions of same album/year and they sound identical...so don't believe the hype. It all comes down to the mastering...normal CD pressings from the 80's and early 90's have good dynamic range and will sound way better than any SHM CD mastered today.


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Gently curved beech wood holder will display small seasonal paintings, cards or photographs. Approximately 10" long.


text:
ACT for America
Photo by Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times
ACT for America is the largest anti-Muslim group in the United States, with a purported 750,000 members nationwide.
ACT propagates the hateful conspiracy theory that Muslims are infiltrating US institutions in order to impose Sharia law.
ACT stokes irrational fear of Muslims via a number of false claims, including that headscarves are a sign of radicalization, and that 25 percent of Muslims approve of terrorism.
ACT founder Brigitte Gabriel is a leading voice in the fight against immigration and refugee resettlement.
ACT's hardline stance on Islam and immigration has attracted a number of conservative lawmakers as well as far-right extremists, including white supremacists and militia group members.
ACT for America is the largest anti-Muslim group in the United States today, and claims to have 750,000 members and hundreds of chapters nationwide. ACT purports to advocate for national security and against the threat of radical Islam, but in fact promotes conspiracy theories about all Muslims, including the 3.3 million Muslims living in the United States, the vast majority of whom are peaceful and law-abiding. Its founder, Brigitte Gabriel, has said that every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim, and that any woman wearing a hijab must be an extremist.
Spreading Hateful Propaganda
Gabriel also claims that 25 percent of all Muslims support a radical form of Islam that justifies acts of suicide terrorism. In 2007 she told the Department of Defense's Joint Forces Staff College that "a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah … who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day — this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen of the United States." She told the same group that any new mosque construction should be reported to the FBI, because it should be assumed that the mosque has links to terror organizations.
In recent years, ACT has circulated a document in Minnesota featuring Muslim elected officials and a warning about an imminent Muslim takeover, as well as a training manual that instructs ACT members to read books that demonize Islam. In 2012, ACT issued a report titled "Education or Indoctrination? The Treatment of Islam in 6th through 12th grade American Textbooks," that called out textbooks they felt did not "accurately" describe Islam or the religion's role in history. ACT members were urged to take the fight to their local school boards.
ACT's Founder
ACT for America was launched in 2007 by Brigitte Gabriel, who immigrated to the United States in 1989. Gabriel grew up a Christian in Lebanon in the 1970s and 1980s, and refers to herself as "a survivor of Islamic terror."
Gabriel's personal story strongly informs ACT's mission and agenda. While she claims to be focused on combating the threat of radical Islam, Gabriel also makes it clear she believes every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim. "In the Muslim World," she has said, "extreme is mainstream."
Gabriel considers herself a "9/11 national security conservative." Gabriel has said that, after the 2001 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, she felt that the United States was on the precipice of Islamic radicalization based on what she had experienced growing up in the Middle East. In the subsequent years she has repeatedly stated that "Islamofascism is the issue of our time."
Despite the glaring evidence of their own efforts to spread anti-Muslim rhetoric, Gabriel and her fellow extremists don't think Islamophobia exists – they believe the term was invented by Muslims in order to "vilify anybody who is going to talk about Islam or criticize Islam."
Political Ties and Legislative Agenda
Brigitte Gabriel has said that she and ACT are "fighting for the preservation of our Judeo-Christian culture where everybody can be free and do whatever they want to do as long as they respect the constitution and agree that everyone is equal under the law." Gabriel has always sought, with limited success, to secure lobbying power on Capitol Hill; she organizes legislative briefings on immigration and national security, as well as meetings with members of Congress to advance her anti-Muslim agenda.
A number of elected officials have been featured and honored at Gabriel's events, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Steven King of Iowa, former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, and New York Rep. Peter King, who was given ACT's "Patriot" award in 2010. Gabriel was a guest at the White House in March 2017.
ACT's legislative agenda traffics in paranoia that vilifies the American Muslim community. One of the group's primary legislative goals is to restrict Muslims' religious freedom by propagating the conspiracy theory that Muslim Americans are trying to impose Sharia Law in the United States. ACT demonstrates a weak understanding of Sharia law by attributing the brutal act of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to the set of religious laws. In fact, FGM is neither mentioned nor religiously sanctioned in the Quran or Sharia law, and it is already federally outlawed in the United States. As part of their efforts to denigrate an entire religion, ACT members falsely portray this disturbing cultural practice as a religious practice.
On a state level, ACT advocates for so-called American Laws for American Courts (ALAC), which seek to protect against (nonexistent) foreign threats to U.S. laws. Even if such threats did exist, there is already a law prohibiting the use of foreign laws as a means to interpret the Constitution.
As of June 2017, twelve states have adopted so-called ALAC provisions: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.
March Against Sharia
On June 10, 2017, ACT organized a "March Against Sharia" in 28 cities across the United States, which the group promoted as "the real women's march," to protect women and children from the imaginary threat of Sharia law.
The Facebook event pages for the marches were filled with anti-Muslim rhetoric, and the events themselves provided a platform for other forms of bigotry, particularly anti-Semitism, which was on full display at two marches in California.
"Israel = ISIS" signs were spotted among the anti-Sharia slogans in Roseville, California, as well as images of the USS Liberty, which Israel mistakenly attacked in the Six Day War, with the words "Israel attempts sinking USS Liberty to blame on Egypt." The same sign also showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's head alongside "ISIS," and the words "ISIS Securing Land for Greater Israel." In San Bernardino, marchers carried signs emblazoned with the anti-Semitic trope, "Da Goyim Know."
The marches also attracted dozens of members of right-wing extremist groups, including the white supremacists of Identity Evropa, led in Roseville, California, by group founder Nathan Damigo, and Vanguard America. A spokesperson for Vanguard America, who attended the march in New York City, told the Washington Post that he doesn't "believe in having Muslims in the United States," and that "their culture is incompatible with ours." White supremacists, who are anti-Muslim and anti-immigration in addition to being dedicated to preserving "white culture," found much to like about ACT's mission.
Anti-government extremists, including Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, also showed up, armed with rifles and riot gear, as did "alt-lite" stalwarts the Proud Boys. The Oath Keepers claim that a member of ACT asked them to assist with security, to "help defend free speech."
related to this Resource
Vanguard America
ADL Joins Groups Calling on Mayors to Disavow Anti-Muslim Marches
Extreme Anti-Immigrant Groups Oppose Mass. Bill to Protect Immigrant Rights
Anti-Muslim Group Promotes Offensive Project For Police
Anti-immigrant And Anti-Muslim Groups Join Forces To Host Event In North Carolina
The Decade's Top 10 Moments of Hope
The Decade's Top 10 Incidents of Hate


It's a perfume to wear for a special evening. Dark yet positive, enigmatic yet desirable, passion with reserve, an intimate Summer to memorize.
Theros is composed based on a large dose of genuine Oud oil from Vietnam and Laos. Yet, it is not the sort of Oud notes you have experienced from the main stream creations. The smell of Sun-heated sand, the tender skin under the sun, the sea and the sky. The natural Oud, especially Kyara, has its beautiful velvety and delicate side, which is the main concept of using this precious oil in Theros.
Eau de Parfum Concentrée comes in a flacon hand-decorated with pure silver stain that was produced by a guild, according to an 800 years old recipe, which is the authentic method used for cathedral stained glass.
The interpretation of Summer and Hot Sand is represented in every part you see, you touch, you smell and you hear.
To recall these sensations, we made the hand-painted cap and the hand-painted label remind the hot sand. The flacon itself is contained in a mock burnt charcoal with faintly brushed gold stripes, a symbol of heat, burn and sun is the thought behind this design.
37 suppliers, coming from 12 different countries have worked on this project, and a total of 257 different steps were necessary to finish this perfume.
This perfume is not filtered to allow the entire spectrum of the rare oud and natural oils to shine and further develop their identity.


The new Fortis Rapid Engagement Device, or better known as the Fortis RED™, is a brake that stays true to our brand. Fortis wanted to develop, engineer, and design a military grade accessory that not only functions great, but looks great also. Tested and evaluated by people in the military and law enforcement community – then put to the test by members of the 3 gun community, Fortis came up with this design. Tested under harsh full auto conditions, the RED™ doesn't disappoint.


Just checked my order this morning, it has left Frankfurt and is on its way to Barking. So I will hopefully get them next week sometime.
Understood. It is good (for us Europeans) That you take such good care of us!
This was mainly for anyone without tracking. So people don't expect it should be there already. It might only start for them next week.
The bit above was copied from a message from Jeff summarizing all outstanding orders (worldwide).
I hope I'm just not causing confusion as I tried to do the opposite. Reading through the KS messages you notice a lot of people who seem to want it yesterday if they read about all the happy people who got it.
So I'm trying to aggregate all information related to Europe here.
3)	EU: We intend to complete most EU shipments from Germany by Monday or Tuesday. We will update you with more specifics tomorrow.
Are you suggesting that they will take more than 3/4 days to travel from Munich to the UK and that I will not therefore be getting them next week ??
I got an email telling me I should have all mine next week.
Will post (try and stop me!) when things arrive.
I just got my own shipping notice and spotted 2 more in the comments on the Kickstarter site.
One to the UK as well, one to Switzerland. Mine should go out tomorrow. I assume everything else will go out at the same time / shortly after.
Shipping is from Munich. Please let me know if you are in Europe and get your delivery. Guess Germany will be first. For me it's only the tote bag. More to come next week with a full delivery to my warehouse. I'm sure there will be a surplus set for me - but you might all have it ahead of me.


The health benefits of coffee have been well documented over the years. Studies show the health benefits that coffee offers, and why it is actually very good for you.
While some may argue that the caffeine will make a person jumpy and jittery, the reality is that the magical coffee bean contains all sorts of health benefits, which is why you should be drinking some every day.
Antioxidants: A 2005 posted on Eurekalert.org showed that nothing else even comes close to giving us as many antioxidants as coffee does.
Coffee Smell = Less Stress: Researchers at the Seoul National University examined the brains of rats who were stressed with sleep deprivation, and discovered that those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress. While the aroma of coffee doesn't cure all stress, it has been proven that smelling the bean lessens stress almost immediately.
"Studies have shown that people who use caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's Disease, but this is one of the first studies in humans to show that caffeine can help with movement symptoms for people who already have the disease."
"Consuming coffee seems to have some protective benefits against alcoholic cirrhosis, and the more coffee a person consumes, the less risk they seem to have of being hospitalized or dying of alcoholic cirrhosis."
Lower Levels of Suicide: That's right, as off the wall as this statement sounds, there is a major study from the Harvard School of Public Health to prove it. Drinking between two and four cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50%. The proposed reason is that coffee acts as a mild antidepressant, by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline.
As you can see, coffee is linked to some very interesting studies, and the above benefits of drinking coffee are only the tip of the iceberg.


text:
Shop for Artworks
502 South Croatan Highway
(milepost 8.5 on the by-pass)
KDH Cooperative Gallery & Studios
MON - SAT: 10:00-6:00
(December - March 10:00-5:00)
KDH Cooperative.com
Stephanie Kiker
Stephanie Kiker, a Hatteras Island, NC artist and graphic designer, has used the natural beauty and abundant wildlife on the islands as inspiration for her expressions since first moving to the area in l985.
She graduated from the School of Design at North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design and has since pursued her career as a working artist, working in a number of mediums, including pen and ink, colored pencil, soft pastel and block prints.
Stephanie's interpretations of her subject matter are original and her style is unmistakable. Her work moves from realism to the bold graphic shapes, patterns and colors of her well-known and unique aboriginal style. Along with prints of her art, Stephanie offers pillows, ceramic tiles, cutting boards and even a coloring book with her artwork. As a graphic designer, Stephanie publishes several Art and Craft Gallery Guides.
www.stephaniekiker.com
3_surfers


text:
Prayer for the Departed
October 2, 2012 By Father Alexios Leave a Comment
In our last post, we spoke about the importance of thoughts related to remembrance of death and the relation of those thoughts to repentance. For any thought to have strength to effect a change deep within the soul, it needs to be incarnate in daily life and find expression in human behavior. For the Christian, the remembrance of death is also the remembrance of eternal life; and that remembrance becomes strong only by contact with death and with true life. Saint John Maximovitch, who reposed in 1966, often visited the sick in hospitals. He speaks about the comfort of faith in the time of death and the value that the believer receives in supporting those at death's door: "Limitless and without consolation would have been our sorrow for close ones who are dying, if the Lord had not given us eternal life. Our life would be pointless if it ended with death. What benefit would there then be from virtue and good deeds? Then they would be correct who say: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
But man was created for immortality, and by His resurrection Christ opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom, of eternal blessedness for those who have believed in Him and have lived righteously. Our earthly life is a preparation for the future life, and this preparation ends with our death. "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb 9:27). Then a man leaves all his earthly cares; the body disintegrates, in order to rise anew at the General Resurrection. Often this spiritual vision begins in the dying even before death, and while still seeing those around them and even speaking with them, they see what others do not see."
In other posts, we have spoken about the importance of the Jesus Prayer as a powerful thought that can illumine our spiritual darkness. Another important, laudable and all too often neglected aspect of Christian life today is prayer for those who have reposed. The focus on others heals us of our selfishness and the focus on those who have departed reminds us of eternity and brings a blessed simplicity to our approach to life. Saint John reminded his flock that it is extremely important and beneficial for the reposed if immediately after death the faithful offer fervent prayers for their souls and have them commemorated in the liturgy. "How important commemoration at the Liturgy is may be seen in the following occurrence: Before the uncovering of the relics of Saint Theodosius of Chernigov, the priest-monk (the renowned Starets Alexis of Goloseyevsky Hermitage, of the Kiev-Caves Lavra, who died in 1916) who was conducting the re-vesting of the relics, becoming weary while sitting by the relics, dozed off and saw before him the Saint, who told him: "I thank you for laboring with me. I beg you also, when you will serve the Liturgy, to commemorate my parents" — and he gave their names (Priest Nikita and Maria). 'How can you, O Saint, ask my prayers, when you yourself stand at the heavenly Throne and grant to people God's mercy?' the priest-monk asked. 'Yes, that is true,' replied St. Theodosius, 'but the offering at the Liturgy is more powerful than my prayer.'" There are recorded many wondrous appearances of the dead who provide details about their lives that only they would know, such as the names of Saint Theodosius's parents. Skeptics may scoff, but something deep in the heart confirms that these appearances are truer than life itself. Many who died in repentance, but who were unable to manifest this while they were alive, have revealed that the prayers of the faithful have taken them from a place of darkness and suffering to a place of light and repose.
By extension, panikhidas (i.e., Trisagion Prayers for the Dead) and prayer at home for those who have fallen asleep in the Lord are beneficial to them, as are good deeds done in their memory, such as alms or contributions to the church. In the Church, prayers are ever offered for the repose of the dead, and on the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, in the kneeling prayers at vespers, there is even a special petition "for those in hell."
Every one of us who desires to manifest his love for the departed and give them real help, can do this best of all through prayer for them, and particularly by commemorating them at the Liturgy, when the particles which are cut out for the living and the dead are immersed in the Blood of the Lord with the words: "Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those here commemorated by Thy Precious Blood and by the prayers of Thy saints."
We can do nothing better or greater for the dead than to pray for them, offering commemoration for them at the Liturgy. Of this they are always in need, and especially during those forty days when the soul of the deceased is proceeding on its path to the eternal habitations. The body feels nothing then: it does not see its close ones who have assembled, does not smell the fragrance of the flowers, does not hear the funeral orations. But the soul senses the prayers offered for it and is grateful to those who make them and is spiritually close to them.
So, relatives and close ones of those who have died, do for them what is needful and within your power. Use your money not for outward adornment of the coffin and the grave in which the body is placed, but in order to help those souls in need, in memory of your close ones who have died, for churches, where prayers for them are offered. Show mercy to the departed by continuing to take care of their souls. The path that they have now taken lies before you. And when we have departed, how we shall then wish that we would be remembered in prayer! Let us therefore be ourselves merciful to the dead."
Saint John reminds us all that the remembrance of God through the remembrance of death should necessarily compel us to offer prayers for the dead. Prior to death, if at all possible, pray with the person preparing for death. Psalms may be read, invocations to the Saints may be offered, and holy icons should be in close proximity to the one dying. There is a special canon for the soul leaving the body that should be read as the final moments approach. Once death has occurred, call a priest so that he may read the appointed prayers to be said over all who have reposed. Saint John also reminds us of the importance of the forty days memorial. "Try, if it be possible, to have the funeral in Church and to have the Psalter read over the deceased until the funeral.
Most definitely arrange at once for the serving of the forty-day memorial, that is, daily commemoration at the Liturgy for the course of forty days. (NOTE: If the funeral is in a church where there are no daily services, the relatives should take care to order the forty-day memorial wherever there are daily services.) It is likewise good to send contributions for commemoration to monasteries, as well as to Jerusalem, where there is constant prayer at the holy places.
Let us take care for those who have departed into the other world before us, in order to do for them all that we can, remembering that "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
Filed Under: Christian Hope, Prayer, Spiritual Life Tagged With: death, Jesus Prayer, prayer, prayer for the dead, thoughts
About Father Alexios
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text:
Anomala rufozonula är en skalbaggsart som beskrevs av Leon Fairmaire 1887. Anomala rufozonula ingår i släktet Anomala och familjen Rutelidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Skalbaggar
rufozonula

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Meme Generator Problems I have incorporated a meme generator within a website at:http://www.meetmckenziemason.com/meme.html. I am trying to do various things
1. I want to be able to add a share button that shares the meme after its generated to social media sites like Fb and Twitter
2. I want the font to stay the same on mobile devices in the meme generator where the user types up his or her meme. It looks different on mobile devices.
3. I also want to add text within the meme thats unchangeable ive uploaded a template
Here is the code which I used from https://codepen.io/ninivert/pen/BpLKRx
Code:

// CAN\NVAS.js plugin
// ninivert, december 2016
(function (window, document) {
  /**
  * CAN\VAS Plugin - Adding line breaks to canvas
  * @arg {string} [str=Hello World] - text to be drawn
  * @arg {number} [x=0]             - top left x coordinate of the text
  * @arg {number} [y=textSize]      - top left y coordinate of the text
  * @arg {number} [w=canvasWidth]   - maximum width of drawn text
  * @arg {number} [lh=1]            - line height
  * @arg {number} [method=fill]     - text drawing method, if 'none', text will not be rendered
  */

 CanvasRenderingContext2D.prototype.drawBreakingText = function (str, x, y, w, lh, method) {
  // local variables and defaults
  var textSize = parseInt(this.font.replace(/\D/gi, ''));
  var textParts = [];
  var textPartsNo = 0;
  var words = [];
  var currLine = '';
  var testLine = '';
  str = str || '';
  x = x || 0;
  y = y || 0;
  w = w || this.canvas.width;
  lh = lh || 1;
  method = method || 'fill';

  // manual linebreaks
  textParts = str.split('\n');
  textPartsNo = textParts.length;

  // split the words of the parts
  for (var i = 0; i < textParts.length; i++) {
   words[i] = textParts[i].split(' ');
  }

  // now that we have extracted the words
  // we reset the textParts
  textParts = [];

  // calculate recommended line breaks
  // split between the words
  for (var i = 0; i < textPartsNo; i++) {

   // clear the testline for the next manually broken line
   currLine = '';

   for (var j = 0; j < words[i].length; j++) {
    testLine = currLine + words[i][j] + ' ';

    // check if the testLine is of good width
    if (this.measureText(testLine).width > w && j > 0) {
     textParts.push(currLine);
     currLine = words[i][j] + ' ';
    } else {
     currLine = testLine;
    }
   }
      // replace is to remove trailing whitespace
   textParts.push(currLine);
  }

  // render the text on the canvas
  for (var i = 0; i < textParts.length; i++) {
   if (method === 'fill') {
    this.fillText(textParts[i].replace(/((\s*\S+)*)\s*/, '$1'), x, y+(textSize*lh*i));
   } else if (method === 'stroke') {
    this.strokeText(textParts[i].replace(/((\s*\S+)*)\s*/, '$1'), x, y+(textSize*lh*i));
   } else if (method === 'none') {
        return {'textParts': textParts, 'textHeight': textSize*lh*textParts.length};
   } else {
        console.warn('drawBreakingText: ' + method + 'Text() does not exist');
    return false;
   }
  }

  return {'textParts': textParts, 'textHeight': textSize*lh*textParts.length};
 };
}) (window, document);

var canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
var canvasWrapper = document.getElementById('canvasWrapper');
canvasWrapper.appendChild(canvas);
canvas.width = 500;
canvas.height = 500;
var ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
var padding = 15;
var textTop = 'i don\'t always make a meme';
var textBottom = 'but when i do, i use ninivert\'s generator';
var textSizeTop = 10;
var textSizeBottom = 10;
var image = document.createElement('img');

image.onload = function (ev) {
  // delete and recreate canvas do untaint it
  canvas.outerHTML = '';
  canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
  canvasWrapper.appendChild(canvas);
  ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
  document.getElementById('trueSize').click();
  document.getElementById('trueSize').click();

  draw();
};

document.getElementById('imgURL').oninput = function(ev) {
  image.src = this.value;
};

document.getElementById('imgFile').onchange = function(ev) {
  var reader = new FileReader();
  reader.onload = function(ev) {
    image.src = reader.result;
  };
  reader.readAsDataURL(this.files[0]);
};

document.getElementById('textTop').oninput = function(ev) {
  textTop = this.value;
  draw();
};

document.getElementById('textBottom').oninput = function(ev) {
  textBottom = this.value;
  draw();
};

document.getElementById('textSizeTop').oninput = function(ev) {
  textSizeTop = parseInt(this.value);
  draw();
  document.getElementById('textSizeTopOut').innerHTML = this.value;
};
document.getElementById('textSizeBottom').oninput = function(ev) {
  textSizeBottom = parseInt(this.value);
  draw();
  document.getElementById('textSizeBottomOut').innerHTML = this.value;
};

document.getElementById('trueSize').onchange = function(ev) {
  if (document.getElementById('trueSize').checked) {
    canvas.classList.remove('fullwidth');
  } else {
    canvas.classList.add('fullwidth');
  }
};

document.getElementById('export').onclick = function () {
    var img = canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
    var link = document.createElement("a");
    link.download = 'My Meme';
    link.href = img;
    link.click();

    var win = window.open('', '_blank');
    win.document.write('');
    win.document.write('
Right Click > Save As
');
    win.document.body.style.padding = '1em';
};

function style(font, size, align, base) {
  ctx.font = size + 'px ' + font;
  ctx.textAlign = align;
  ctx.textBaseline = base;
}

function draw() {
  // uppercase the text
  var top = textTop.toUpperCase();
  var bottom = textBottom.toUpperCase();

  // set appropriate canvas size
  canvas.width = image.width;
  canvas.height = image.height;

  // draw the image
  ctx.drawImage(image, 0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);

  // styles
  ctx.fillStyle = '#fff';
  ctx.strokeStyle = '#000';
  ctx.lineWidth = canvas.width*0.004;

  var _textSizeTop = textSizeTop/100*canvas.width;
  var _textSizeBottom = textSizeBottom/100*canvas.width;

  // draw top text
  style('Impact', _textSizeTop, 'center', 'bottom');
  ctx.drawBreakingText(top, canvas.width/2, _textSizeTop+padding, null, 1, 'fill');
  ctx.drawBreakingText(top, canvas.width/2, _textSizeTop+padding, null, 1, 'stroke');

  // draw bottom text
  style('Impact', _textSizeBottom, 'center', 'top');
  var height = ctx.drawBreakingText(bottom, 0, 0, null, 1, 'none').textHeight;
  console.log(ctx.drawBreakingText(bottom, 0, 0, null, 1, 'none'));
  ctx.drawBreakingText(bottom, canvas.width/2, canvas.height-padding-height, null, 1, 'fill');
  ctx.drawBreakingText(bottom, canvas.width/2, canvas.height-padding-height, null, 1, 'stroke');
}

image.src = 'https://imgflip.com/s/meme/The-Most-Interesting-Man-In-The-World.jpg';
document.getElementById('textSizeTop').value = textSizeTop;
document.getElementById('textSizeBottom').value = textSizeBottom;
document.getElementById('textSizeTopOut').innerHTML = textSizeTop;
document.getElementById('textSizeBottomOut').innerHTML = textSizeBottom;
#meme {
  // border: 2px solid #333;
}

.fullwidth {
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 500px;
  max-height: 800px;
}

#imgFile {
  display: none;
}

input[type='text'], input[type='range'] {
  width: 100%;
}

h3 > i.fa {
  margin-right: .2em;
}

Meme Generator

Source Image

From URL

        <input id="imgURL" class="block" type="text" placeholder="Link to image" />
        Memeful.com

From Local Disk

        <input id="imgFile" type="file" accept="image/*"/>

Meme Text

Top Text

        <input id="textTop" type="text" class="block" placeholder="Top text" />

Bottom Text

        <input id="textBottom" type="text" class="block" placeholder="Bottom text" />

Text Size

Top Text: 10

        <input id="textSizeTop" type="range" min="2" max="50" step="2" />

Bottom Text: 10

        <input id="textSizeBottom" type="range" min="2" max="50" step="2" />

Preview Size

        <input id="trueSize" type="checkbox"/>
        Show true size

Export

If the button doesn't work, right-click the image and save it

If you are one mobile, download the source image and directly upload it

        <button id="export">Export!</button>

[enter image description here][1]

A:

As CSS box is used making it user responsive, the font keeps adjusting depending on the user device.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


One family, one town, devastated by one tragic event.
Can you ever know what those closest to you are really capable of?
When Stephen gets a phone call to say his mother isn't well, he knows he must go to her straight away. But he dreads going back. He has never been able to understand why his mother chose to stay in the town he grew up in, after everything that happened. One day's tragic events years before had left no one living there untouched.
Stephen's own dark memories are still poisoning his life, as well as his marriage. Perhaps now is the time to go back and confront the place and the people of his shattered childhood. But will he ever be able to understand the crime that punctured their lives so brutally? How can a community move on from such a terrible legacy?
I'm thrilled to welcome Tom Vowler to the Nut Press today as part of the blog tour for his brilliant second novel, That Dark Remembered Day, which I reviewed here. If you're still looking to add to your summer reading, it's definitely worth including. It's one of the best books I've read this year.
It's Day Two of the GLAZE Blog Tour and I'm thrilled to be taking part by posting my review of Kim Curran's latest book, GLAZE.
Set in a slightly future London, GLAZE is a thrilling and thought-provoking read and one I'd recommend, especially if you're a regular user of any social network. Why?
Petri Quinn is counting down the days till she turns 16 and can get on GLAZE – the ultimate social network that is bringing the whole world together into one global family. But when a peaceful government protest turns into a full-blown riot with Petri shouldering the blame, she's handed a ban. Her life is over before it's even started.
Desperate to be a part of the hooked-up society, Petri finds an underground hacker group and gets a black market chip fitted. But this chip has a problem: it has no filter and no off switch. Petri can see everything happening on GLAZE, all the time. Including things she was never meant to see.
As her life is plunged into danger, Petri is faced with a choice. Join GLAZE… or destroy it.


text:
(-) Justice (62)
(-) Local Government (16)
(-) Management and administration (168)
(-) Risk (42)
Actions for Access to health services in custody
Access to health services in custody
What the report is about This audit assessed whether adults in custody have effective access to health services. The audit examined the activities of Justice Health and Corrective Services NSW. What we found The majority of custodial patients receive timely health care, but a small proportion of patients are not receiving care within target timeframes. Eleven per cent of scheduled health appointments are not attended, and agencies can do more to unde
Actions for Managing climate risks to assets and services
Managing climate risks to assets and services
What the report is about This report assessed how effectively the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) and NSW Treasury have supported state agencies to manage climate risks to their assets and services. Climate risks that can impact on state agencies' assets and services include flooding, bushfires, and extreme temperatures. Impacts can include damage to transport, communications and energy infrastructure, increases in hospital admi
Actions for Responses to homelessness
Responses to homelessness
What the report is about The report assessed how effectively the Department of Communities and Justice is responding to homelessness through the NSW Government's Homelessness Strategy. It also assessed the effectiveness of the department's efforts to address street homelessness in its COVID-19 response. What we found The strategy was designed to build evidence to inform future state-wide action rather than to end homelessness. The department receive


COLONIAL ALUMINUM/VINYL 2 STORY WITH 952 SQ FT GROUND FLOOR LIVING AREA AND 1922 TOTAL SQ FT LIVING AREA, BUILT ABOUT 1919. IT HAS 8 TOTAL ROOMS WITH 4 BEDROOMS, 2 FULL BATHROOMS, A FULL BASEMENT, HEATING IS CENTRAL, AN UNFINISHED ATTIC, 1 FIREPLACE Property sold AS IS. Equal housing opportunity. FHA insurable w/escrow per HUD Appraisal.
I am interested in 862 Oakland Ave, Akron, OH 44310.