CO2 emissions from transport are still rising. If immediate action is not taken, more radical measures will be unavoidable in the future. This is the top line conclusion from the newly released joint report by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), REN21 and the Berlin-based think-tank Agora Verkehrswende. Titled Towards Decarbonising Transport – A 2018 Stocktake on Sectoral Ambition in the G20, this new report provides a summary for each G20 nation, including data on CO2 emission trends in the national transport sector, climate policy targets and measures for lowering emissions. The data make clear that only three countries from the G20 have set targets for reducing emissions in the transport sector: Germany, France and Japan.
REN21 is once again at the climate talks, taking place in Katowice, Poland 3-14 December. Go to our COP24 page to see the events that we are organising and are participating in. We also have a booth #33 in the Spodek Arena. Stop by, say "hello" and get a copy of one of our publications.
The REN21 Community is growing and much is happening within the Secretariat and the Community. Our September version of the newsletter will guide you through the latest news that should not be missed. You can access the newsletter here. In the future you can receive it directly in your inbox by subscribing here.
Thanks REN21 member the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), the GSR2018 Highlights are now available in Chinese. Now more people than ever will be able to keep updated on the status of renewables. The highlights can be downloaded free-of-charge here. Please spread the word!
The REN21 Community is growing and much is happening within the Secretariat and the Community. Our July version of the newsletter will guide you through the latest news that should not be missed. You can access the newsletter here. In the future you can receive it directly in your inbox by subscribing here.
This year's Renewables 2018 Global Status Report GSR reveals two realities: one in which a revolution in the power sector is driving rapid change towards a renewable energy future, and another in which the overall transition is not advancing with the speed needed. Click here to access the GSR 2018 microsite where you can read all about specific market, investment and policy development. The site allows you to read the full report on-line and link directly to all the references, you can even translate the site into another language. A separate link allows you to download the full report as a PDF if that is your preferred option. There is also a link to the Highlights 2018 document which outlines the broad trends that defined the renewables sector in 2018. Click here to get started.
Policy frameworks need to take a systems approach with more fully integrated policies across sectors if we are serious about achieving the energy transition. To do this: measures are needed to support the integration of variable renewable energy policies need to be more comprehensive than those devised for the energy sector alone These are two key conclusions from this latest report on Renewable Energy Policies in a Time of Transition Renewables have experienced a remarkable evolution over the past decade now forming the cutting edge –with energy efficiency– of a global energy transition. The growth in the deployment of renewable energy technologies now outpaces that of any other energy source. But progress has not been homogenous. Uneven uptake, barriers ranging from technology and financial risks, and integration challenges in markets with high shares of renewables persist. This new joint publication of REN21, the IEA and IRENA outlines the options available to policy makers to support the development of renewables. An updated policy classification and terminology provides a global reference for policy instruments. The final chapter, "The Way Forward" proposes a holistic approach for policy making. Download the publication here.
REN21's 2017 Annual Report is now available online. The report summarises REN21's activities throughout 2017, including our latest publications, activities, and presents the organisation's 2016 accounts as well as its focus for 2018. The Annual Report 2017 is available here.
The Mini-grid Policy Toolkit is for policy makers to navigate the mini-grid policy design process. It contains information on mini-grid operator models, the economics of mini-grids, and necessary policy and regulation that must be considered for successful implementation. The publication specifically focuses on Africa. Progress on extending the electricity grid in many countries has remained slow because of high costs of gird-extension and limited utility/state budgets for electrification. Mini-grids provide an affordable and cost-effective option to extend needed electricity services. Putting in place the right policy for min-grid deployment requires considerable effort but can yield significant improvement in electricity access rates as examples from Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania illustrate. The toolkit is available in English, French and Portuguese.
The Renewable Energy Tenders and Community [Em]power[ment]: Latin America and the Caribbean report, looks at community [em]power[ment] in the context of renewable energy tenders in the LAC region.
Despite comprising over 300 million inhabitants and representing 4.9% of the world's GDP, 17 UNECE countries in South and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia had only 0.2% or USD 0.4 billion of global renewable energy investment in 2015.
This year's edition reveals a global energy transition well underway with record new additions on installed renewable energy capacity, rapidly falling costs, and the decoupling of economic growth and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions for the third year running. But despite these positive trends the pace of the transition is not on track to achieve the goals established in the Paris Agreement. Read about the evolution of renewables over the course of 2016 here.
Participate in REN21's Asia and the Pacific RE Status Report!
REN21's March Newsletter is Out!
REN21's December Newsletter is Out!
REN21's Latest Newsletter is Out!
GSR 2017 Highlights now in Vietnamese!
Check out the new GSR microsite!
Renewables Rising: What is driving uptake?
REN21 now a Friend of the OECD Forum!
Vacancy: REN21 is looking for a new Data and Social Media Intern !
UNECE Status Report now available in Russian!
NEW! REN21 June 2016 Newsletter released!
NEW! REN21 March 2016 Newsletter released!
UNECE Report: Open for Peer Review – Your expert input needed!
New Website & Renewables Interactive Map launched!
REN21 Renewables Global Status Report 2014 (GSR2014) now available in Mandarin!


text:
On Yale & Yale alumni.
A $25 million gift—and a new name for the HGS tower
Yale's skyline is dominated by buildings named Sterling, Harkness, Kline, and Whitney—honoring people who gave money to the university in the... Read on
Mark Alden Branch '86 | March 25 2015 11:32am
By reason of insanity
Ketema Ross came to Yale with a dream of changing the world as a civil rights lawyer. But during his first year as a law student, Ross lost his faith in the law as a tool for... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | March 18 2015 10:40am | 1 comment
Undergrad playwright makes a splash with 'Dry Land'
Ruby Rae Spiegel '15 had her first full-length play produced last March by the Yale Dramat. Six months later, that show, Dry Land, is on stage in New York... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | September 15 2014 05:08pm
Wolfgang Leonhard, historian of Soviet Union, dies at 93
Wolfgang Leonhard, whose lectures on the history of the Soviet Union packed the Yale Law School auditorium and inspired students from future president... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | August 18 2014 04:44pm | 2 comments
In honor of Dr. Death
My sophomore year, I lived in the Saybrook tower downstairs from Robert Parker. It took a while to learn that was his name. Everyone called him Dr.... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | August 14 2014 03:51pm
Guns and abortion: two rights, one Constitution, judge says
A decade ago, US District Court Judge Myron Thompson '69, '72JD, gave a Yale Law School lecture on "Judging in Alabama: Deciding the Tough... Read on
Tricked by Facebook? Thank Arthur Melton '32PhD
In 1996, first-year students at Yale Law School gathered in the auditorium for a lecture on legal writing and research. Imagine the biggest library in the... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | August 4 2014 05:37pm
What to do with an AmStud major: start your own museum
A friend used to poke fun at what she considered our children's impractical choices of college majors by saying that my daughter was going to open a... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | July 21 2014 04:40pm | 1 comment
'Hardwood philosopher' studies religion on the court
Onaje Woodbine '02 quit the Yale basketball team to find himself as a scholar and a human being. Now a newly graduated PhD, he's telling the... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | July 10 2014 04:38pm
A year of silence comes to an end
On July 9, 2013, Greg Hindy '13 celebrated his 22nd birthday by seting up a video camera in his backyard and explaining how he would spend his... Read on
Colin Groundwater '15 | July 11 2014 11:07am | 1 comment
Yalie filmmaker scrutinizes the Ivory Tower
A trillion dollars of student debt. Higher price increases for college tuition than for any other good or service. College grads moving back in with their parents... Read on
Carole Bass 83, '97MSL | June 26 2014 02:16pm | 2 comments
English prof moonlights as bicoastal rock star
"In ways, it's a lot like my academic work. We're endlessly revising," says Yale English professor R. John Williams, talking about his side... Read on
Colin Groundwater '15 | June 20 2014 03:55pm
Teach it forward: four alumni who are firing up their students
From time to time, we've asked Yale alumni to share their recollections of memorable Yale professors and of the one course they'll never... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | June 16 2014 04:55pm
The early bird gets the rave
They could have danced all night . . . but instead, they got up early and went to Daybreaker, "a morning movement that will start your day off unlike... Read on
Carole Bass '83,'97MSL | June 11 2014 04:55pm
From Big Blue to Old Blue, after a 45-year hiatus
Stewart Palmer graduated from Yale College yesterday. Next week, he'll speak at his 45th class reunion. Palmer, who's 68 years old, first... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | May 20 2014 04:38pm
Commencement 2014: enter the banjo
In case anyone had forgotten that this is Peter Salovey's first commencement as president of Yale, the banjo notes twanging over the public... Read on
Mark Alden Branch '86 | May 19 2014 03:43pm
Hoops are out, tux is in as Sherrod joins Whiffenpoofs
On the Yale basketball team, Brandon Sherrod '15 plays forward. But next year, he'll probably find himself standing in the back. That's because... Read on
FBI adds Yale graduate to its Ten Most Wanted list
Thirty-eight years after he allegedly bludgeoned his family to death, the FBI has added William Bradford "Brad" Bishop '59 to its Ten Most... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | May 6 2014 05:04pm | 1 comment
Toad hunting with the Peabody's new director
On Thursday, President Salovey tapped ecologist Dave Skelly, a veteran professor at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, to be the next... Read on
Bruce Fellman | May 5 2014 12:14pm
It's a bird, it's a plane—it's a commercial drone litigator
Brendan Schulman '96 has "a garage full of drones, much to my surprise." Most of us know them as model airplanes, and Schulman has been flying them... Read on
Carole Bass '83, '97MSL | April 10 2014 02:56pm
A. Schapiro on Picture of lilies
Tom fuentes on Internal medicine
Mark Branch on Seeing the light
Stewart Landefeld on Seeing the light
Elaine C. Carroll on Musical morning
ELSEWHERE ON THE BLOGS
Daily Snap: Picture of lilies
Memories: One loss—of many—in the Great War
Newsmaker: Soram Khalsa '70: celebrity doc with a twist

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
U.S. Supreme Court upholds MN breath test law for DUI
Bob Collins June 23, 2016, 9:34 AM Jun 23, 2016
Listen Bob Collins discusses the court's decision
The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday struck down part of Minnesota law that forces people suspected of driving under the influence to submit to blood tests without a warrant or risk potentially more severe penalties.
At the same time, however, the high court affirmed a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that authorities can force a person to submit to breath tests without a warrant by criminalizing their refusal to do so.
The court ruled in three consolidated cases, one of which involved William Bernard, who was stopped by police in South St. Paul after they received a tip that three drunk men had jumped in a pickup truck at the public boat launch on the Mississippi River.
By the time they got there, Bernard was walking dazed in his underwear, his pickup truck hung up on the edge of the boat ramp. All smelled of alcohol.
Bernard, who had four previous convictions for DUI, admitted to drinking, but said he wasn't driving the truck, and he refused to take a chemical test.
In upholding the validity of the breath test without a warrant in February 2015, Minnesota Supreme Court chief Justice Lorie Gildea said "the breath test was a search of Bernard's person that would have been no more intrusive than the myriad of other searches of the body that we and other courts have upheld as searches incident to a valid arrest."
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court said essentially the same thing.
"Because the impact of breath tests on privacy is slight, and the need for BAC testing is great, the Fourth Amendment permits warrantless breath tests incident to arrests for drunk driving.
Blood tests, however, are significantly more intrusive, and their reasonableness must be judged in light of the availability of the less invasive alternative of a breath test. Respondents have offered no satisfactory justification for demanding the more intrusive alternative without a warrant.
In instances where blood tests might be preferable — e.g., where substances other than alcohol impair the driver's ability to operate a car safely, or where the subject is unconscious — nothing prevents the police from seeking a warrant or from relying on the exigent circumstances exception if it applies.
Because breath tests are significantly less intrusive than blood tests and in must cases amply serve law enforcement interests, a breath test, but not a blood test, may be administered as a search incident to a lawful arrest for drunk driving. No warrant is needed in this situation.
Five Supreme Court justices said motorists cannot be criminally punished for refusing to submit to a blood test, however. It ruled in a case involving a North Dakota man who refused to allow blood to be drawn.
"It is one thing to approve implied-consent laws that impose civil penalties and evidentiary consequences on motorists who refuse to comply, but quite another for a State to insist upon an intrusive blood test and then to impose criminal penalties on refusal to submit.
There must be a limit to the consequences to which motorists may be deemed to have consented by virtue of a decision to drive on public roads.
Refusing to submit to breath testing in Minnesota carries consequences often more severe than a DUI conviction, particularly in cases with previous DUI convictions. In Minnesota, 1 in 7 drivers has such a conviction.
And that, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his opinion (joined by Justices Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy, Elena Kagan and John Roberts) is the way it needs to be.
"If the penalty for driving with a greatly elevated BAC or for repeat violations exceeds the penalty for refusing to submit to testing, motorists who fear conviction for the more severely punished offenses have an incentive to reject testing. And in some States, the refusal rate is high.
On average, over one-fifth of all drivers asked to submit to BAC testing in 2011 refused to do so," he said.
Alito said Minnesota's law is why the state's refusal rate is half the 24% rate reported for 1988, the year before its first criminal refusal law took effect.
Bernard's attorney argued, however, that even the breath test is intrusive and should require a warrant.
Alito was unmoved, saying the test is neither painful nor difficult, sucking on a straw more than four times.
"The use of a straw to drink beverages is a common practice and one to which few object," he wrote.
Besides, he maintained, air isn't part of our bodies and the test only reveals one thing: how much alcohol is in a person's breath.
"Humans have never been known to assert a possessory interest in or any emotional attachment to any of the air in their lungs," he said. "The air that humans exhale is not part of their bodies. Exhalation is a natural process—indeed, one that is necessary for life. Humans cannot hold their breath for more than a few minutes, and all the air that is breathed into a breath analyzing machine, including deep lung air, sooner or later would be exhaled even without the test."
But blood tests are a different matter entirely.
"It is significantly more intrusive than blowing into a tube," Alito wrote. "Perhaps that is why many States' implied consent laws, including Minnesota's, specifically prescribe that breath tests be administered in the usual drunk-driving case instead of blood tests or give motorists a measure of choice over which test to take."
The court overturned the conviction of a North Dakota man for refusing to submit to a blood test, declaring it an unreasonable search.
Why the rush to draw blood without a warrant? Authorities say in the time it takes to get one, it's possible alcohol in a person can dissipate.
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor focused on the South St. Paul case.
She said most breath tests in Minnesota are not performed roadside, but usually 45 minutes after a person is detained, long enough, for example, for a driver to contact an attorney. That's plenty of time to also get a warrant, she argued.
While Alito argued doing so would overburden judges, Sotomayor's math showed that on average, judges would be required to issue one more warrant a week in Minnesota.
"This Court has never said that mere convenience in gathering evidence justifies an exception to the warrant requirement," she wrote.
Justice Clarence Thomas objected to "splitting hairs" between breath tests and blood tests. He proposed that neither blood nor breath tests require warrants.
Here is today's decision.
DUI DWI Implied consent Supreme Court of the United States
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So I read the article, I'm confused…so there is no criminal penalty for refusing but the police can force people to submit to the breath test? How does that work?
Laurie K.
You cannot be criminalized for refusing to submit to a blood (and I would argue, in Minnesota, urine) test. You CAN be penalized for refusing to provide breath.
Then we have a whole other set of issues, the software code in the breathalyzers are quite unreliable:
http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2012/06/minnesota_supreme_court_limits/
http://www.fox9.com/news/84641683-story
Gillatar
those machines are a joke.
Unfortunately so is the education system so its a hard sell to the public to understand why
REALConservative
No kidding. They actually believe it's rational to use a dog to generate probable cause.
But the dog barks and scratches where it's handler taps his fingers repeatedly.
Nothing prevents an attorney from offering up the defense that the code is unreliable, however.
why use something unreliable?
why not just stick to a blood draw that is reliable?
I do hope a court will force a company to release the code, it would be interesting to take a look at. I'm still not sure how a company could get a patent on that device without having to release the code to the patent office…unless they're keeping it secret and not filing a patent which is sort of shady for something that needs to be viewed in a court of a law.
Mike Worcester
I keep thinking this issue has been adjudicated previously, so hopefully someone will fine a more recent article than this one.
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/27/2766.asp
Code is generally covered by copyright rather then patent.
The first link your provided in your earlier post was about a 2009 case in which the MN Supreme Court ruled that the source code for the Minnesota Model of the Intoxilyzer 5000EN was discoverable. Defense attorneys have been able to get the code since 2009. It's irrelevant though due to another MN Supreme Court Case that upheld a district court judge's opinion that although the source code may have some problems, they did not rise to a level that would allow the exclusion of the tests results. I think MN law enforcement agencies all now use the DataMaster rather than the Intoxilyzer 500EN. Regardless, the case law and the statutes of MN hold that as long as the State can prove that the test was administered by a certified operator who testifies that the instrument was in proper working condition, this constitutes a prima facie case of reliability and it is up to the defendant to show why the test is untrustworthy.
datamaster essentially has the same source code as the intoxilyzer.
there are still over 200 different methyls the machine will detect and report as alcohol.
the other problem is the data for calculating the BAC is the same as it is based on the average person. The average person in the world at the time of it being written is asian, female and now deceased.
its unreasonable to believe that we are all deceased female asians
J-dawg
You can always request a blood or urine test if you don't have faith in the reliability of a breath analysis.
when will they get rid of the civil dui (implied consent) portion and just roll it all into a criminal charge.
It is ridiculous that you are essentially charged twice for the same crime.
I believe it becomes a felony after multiple DUIs.
if you do not file a motion with the civil dui to contest it (without a jury) and you are found not guilty of the criminal dui (with jury) the civil dui can be counted against you in the future.
3 in 10 years i believe is a felony
I LOVE READING THESE DECISIONS. Truly.
It really seems like the justices are attempting to "split the baby" on all these 4th Amendment cases. I still feel that any sort of "implied consent" requirement feels completely outside the scope of the 4th Amendment even if it only applies to a breathalyzer test. In my perspective the police should get a warrant for the tests or make the case in a court of law that a person is impaired using video footage and field sobriety tests; you shouldn't have to submit to a "search" (even it's just your breath) by obtaining a driver's license.
Here's the ruling:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/15pdf/14-1468_8n59.pdf
lindblomeagles
Alas Jeff, you are right; justices do try to split the baby on 4th Amendment issues because as much as country loftily, virulently talk about Constitutional Rights, we're incredibly sensitive to crime. That's why, for example, people fight to the death to stop greater gun control laws. When it comes to drunk driving, many attorneys remind courts of the tragic loss of life, ESPECIALLY THAT OF CHILDREN, from people who routinely, excessively, drive drunk. The courts are sensitive to that and are not about to have a group of parents lay blame for dead children who were hit by a drunk driver who had already been arrested several times before for driving while drunk. The courts would, instead, rather have us take that blame and anger to our legislative houses, and hold them responsible for inaction.
You know I posted the ruling above, right?
I didn't refresh my page for a while so I still had the original story…
reasonable field sobriety tests should be more than enough evidence for a jury to review and determine sobriety.
the .08 rule is overkill and varies so much from person to person.
in the event of an accident a warrant and blood draw could be used.
otherwise its just another form of revenue generation
if the police and law makers really cared about stopping intoxicated drivers a blow and go would be in every vehicle (i disagree with this)…but then where else would they randomly tax Americans through citations?
This ruling wasn't based on implied consent. In dicta, the court approved of attaching civil penalties via implied consent. But they ruled that a breath test was a per se reasonable exception to the warrant requirement under the search incident to arrest doctrine, and therefore refusing to consent/cooperate was criminally punishable like any other obstruction of a valid search.
How could a Supreme Court ruling be based on implied consent?
If they had upheld the validity of criminal penalties for refusing a breath BAC test in light of the argument that drivers consent to such tests in exchange for a license, like many people seem to think happened. Perhaps you should clarify why you think that particular court would be precluded from such a ruling.
I'm not sure what you're saying. You used the phrase "ruling based on implied consent". I didn't see how a RULING could be based on implied consent.
The question before the court was whether criminal penalties to coerce either blood or breath test violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable
searches.
The POSSIBLE criminalization of refusal for a breath test in MN is still intact. For the moment, the POSSIBLE criminalization of refusal for a blood test in MN is not on the basis that you cannot be compelled to participate in an unreasonable search.
Beyond that, I'm not sure what you're saying.
Implied consent is both a label for the type of law and an argument for why it is constitutionally valid. Basically, the argument would be that it isn't coercive, because you voluntarily agreed to that condition to get your license, and therefore the Fourth Amendment isn't implicated. The court today affirmed that that logic is all well and good when it comes to civil penalties, while holding that it does not hold up as applied to criminal penalties.
Huh. I've never seen an argument that a warrantless search is constitutional because of implied consent. But I don't spend a lot of time looking for those arguments, either. I've always seen it framed w.r.t. the validity of the search under the 4th Amendment.
and, yes, as I said in the All Things Considered segment that will air in a little bit, nothing changes w.r.t. civil penalties for refusal in either breath or blood cases.
The bottom line, of course is if a warrantless search fits the 4th Amendment, MN — and other states may criminalize the refusal to comply with testing. If it doesn't, it can't.
Do you always just remove people's posts when they show the error of your comments?
No. Only when people are childish and uncivil toward each other
It's funny how I agree with Sotomayor and Ginsberg on this one and I'm completely opposed to Thomas on this issue…all three dissented from the court's majority ruling (Alito, Kennedy, Kagan, Breyer and Roberts were in agreement with the ruling above). Sotomayor & Ginsberg argued that there should be no implied consent and that all tests should require a warrant. Thomas sees no problem with any of these warrantless searches, including taking of blood.
I can't believe I am about to agree with Justice Alito. That has never happened to me. But, he's right. Human beings cannot lay claim to their own breadth simply because scientifically, none of us can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that our breadth originated from us. We draw air into our lungs where it undergoes a process to extract oxygen, which is then pumped to our cells, and whatever else is left from the air and the gases and bacteria from our bodies mixes together and is breathed out into the air, whether we consent to it's release or not. That's why breath mints were created; to control what we do not have control of. That's also why we have oxygen tanks attached to our bodies when we go deep sea diving, or climb and fly to greater altitudes, or are stricken by various lung diseases. Our society already controls second hand smoke from tobacco, air, that, if you'll remember, comes from our mouths and is dangerous to public health. If you're so drunk your breadth smells like a brewery, anybody close to you already knows you had too many because you can't stop your breadth from being released into the atmosphere.


I had a terrible time when I had my first child -- just like so many of the people who have pooped themselves during childbirth. I was unable to sleep for days before the birth, and I had been chowing on leftover sweet pork, hum bao, bird's nest soup, and dim sum. I was droppin' bung dumplings like a Chinese bakery!
But then it stopped -- and that's when *it* began. I could feel the rumbling and slushing of a chutnied liquid turning about. Then the terrible feeling like ten pounds of sphincter froth dropping down the dingy empty elevator shaft in my innards. By the time we got to the hospital, I was so nervous about the baby that my stomach was peptic. Everyone told me, "Oh, it's completely normal. Don't worry!" The contractions were still a while apart, so everyone wanted to come in and visit before they booted everybody out and got down to business.
When the grandmas came in, Mom said, "Well, isn't this a picture?" As everyone gathered around me, Mom reached for her camera to capture the party, and I let loose with some party favors of my own. Poo was coming out like gooey reams of butterscotch-colored silly string -- which, I suppose, was appropriate, in that we were celebrating new life; yet I think we all had something more sanitary in mind.
Everyone had disgusted looks on their faces, and the nurse told me she would be back with some towels, but I just wanted to leave. I was so humiliated I started to cry and told everyone to leave, that it wouldn't be a big deal if they weren't there, and that they had NO idea what I was going through. They reassured me, but then they were forced to eat their words (and the stench of my burnt offerings) as the sludge began to nudge.
With every moan and contraction I would grow nervous and lose concentration, allowing a stream of sharts that ran down my legs and into the memories of all unfortunate enough to attend.
It was a long night, but at last a baby arrived. At nine pounds and two ounces, he was about the same weight as his gooey twin that came out the other hole. But we were only taking one home that day.
In the end, it was all worth it. I was finally a father!


The SPCA worker knew about the frightened little pit bull running through her neighborhood, and frequently tried to get her in off the streets. Due to sheer determination on the part of the SPCA worker, the little pit bull finally ended up in the shelter, afraid, heartworm positive, and very pregnant. Within a week, little pit bull puppies were born. As is too often the case, the puppies were adopted, but mom was left behind. One of those puppies went home with Ashley Rogers, but had to return to be microchipped. During that return trip, the shelter worker asked Ashley if she would like to meet her puppy's mother. Ashley said "yes" and was led to an office where the little mommy pit bull was residing during her heartworm treatment. When Ashley sat down, the mommy pit bull placed her head in Ashley's lap. The shelter worker started crying, because this was the first time that the little pit bull had voluntarily gone near someone, much less put her head in someone's lap. It was fate, and the little pit bull was adopted and named Raja.
Raja was still nervous, and life was still overwhelming; she would go to the pet store with her mom and cower the entire time. About a year later, Ashley became involved in dock diving, a sport where dogs jump off a dock into a body of water, and are judged by the distance that they soar. Maybe dock diving would be the thing to build confidence in Raja.
At first, Ashley had some concerns about taking a pit bull into a sport dominated by labs and Chesapeake Bay retrievers, but the community was very supportive of her. Soon, Ashley had a winner on her hands, and Raja won the senior title! Currently, Raja is the #1 pit bull in the country, with a personal best jump of 19 feet.
Dock diving did the trick, and Raja gained confidence. And don't think that the accomplishments stopped at dock diving – Raja has also earned her Canine Good Citizen certificate and passed her therapy dog test! How amazing is that?
Congratulations to Ashley and Raja, two amazing champions!


The Patriots' bye week will give offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels the chance to interview for multiple head coaching jobs.
The Jaguars, Rams and 49ers will all reportedly interview McDaniels on Saturday at a hotel near Gillette Stadium. McDaniels' only stint as a head coach was a quick one, as he went 8-8 with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and then was fired after a 3-9 start the following season.
After serving as the Rams' offensive coordinator in 2011, McDaniels came back to the Patriots in 2012.
It's been reported that the 49ers consider McDaniels as their top option. If any of these teams want to interview him again, they would have to wait until the week after the AFC Championship Game if the Patriots make it to Super Bowl LI.
Losing McDaniels would obviously be a big blow to the Pats, as they've thrived under his offense. If he leaves, one of his potential replacements could be tight ends coach Brian Daboll, who has a big fan in Martellus Bennett.
Music, you say? Tell me more.
"He listens to a little bit of everything," Bennett said. "I come in sometimes, and he'll have on Biggie and 2Pac, and he asks me if I know who this is, and I'm like, 'Nah, coach. I don't know. It's only part of my heritage and my history, but I have no idea what that is.' He listens to a little bit of everything. The other day he was talking about Meek Mill, and I was like, 'I like Meek Mill.' He was like, 'He has a new album out.' It's like, where do you get this guy from?
Daboll is in his second stint with the Patriots organization, originally joining them in 2000 as a defensive assistant. He left to become the New York Jets quarterbacks coach in 2007 and bounced around the league until he wound up with New England again in 2013. He's been on the staff ever since.


text:
package org.supercsv.cellprocessor;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
import static org.supercsv.SuperCsvTestUtils.ANONYMOUS_CSVCONTEXT;
import static org.supercsv.SuperCsvTestUtils.date;

import java.util.Date;

import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.supercsv.cellprocessor.ift.CellProcessor;
import org.supercsv.exception.SuperCsvCellProcessorException;
import org.supercsv.mock.IdentityTransform;

/**
 * Tests the FmtDate processor.
 *
 * @author Dominique De Vito
 * @author James Bassett
 */
public class FmtDateTest {

	private static final String DATE_FORMAT = "dd/MM/yyyy";
	private static final Date DATE = date(2011, 12, 25);
	private static final String FORMATTED_DATE = "25/12/2011";

	private CellProcessor processor;
	private CellProcessor processorChain;

	/**
	 * Sets up the processors for the test using all constructor combinations.
	 */
	@Before
	public void setUp() {
		processor = new FmtDate(DATE_FORMAT);
		processorChain = new FmtDate(DATE_FORMAT, new IdentityTransform());
	}

	/**
	 * Tests unchained/chained execution with a valid date.
	 */
	@Test
	public void testWithValidDate() {
		assertEquals(FORMATTED_DATE, processor.execute(DATE, ANONYMOUS_CSVCONTEXT));
		assertEquals(FORMATTED_DATE, processorChain.execute(DATE, ANONYMOUS_CSVCONTEXT));
	}

	/**
	 * Tests execution with a null input (should throw an Exception).
	 */
	@Test(expected = SuperCsvCellProcessorException.class)
	public void testWithNull() {
		processor.execute(null, ANONYMOUS_CSVCONTEXT);
	}

	/**
	 * Tests execution with a non-Date input (should throw an Exception).
	 */
	@Test(expected = SuperCsvCellProcessorException.class)
	public void testWithNonDate() {
		processor.execute(123, ANONYMOUS_CSVCONTEXT);
	}

	/**
	 * Tests execution with a invalid date format (should throw an Exception).
	 */
	@Test(expected = SuperCsvCellProcessorException.class)
	public void testWithInvalidDateFormat() {
		CellProcessor invalidDateFormatProcessor = new FmtDate("abcd");
		invalidDateFormatProcessor.execute(DATE, ANONYMOUS_CSVCONTEXT);
	}

	/**
	 * Tests construction of the processor with a null date format (should throw an Exception).
	 */
	@Test(expected = NullPointerException.class)
	public void testWithNullDateFormat() {
		new FmtDate(null);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Brazil will once again look to their best player of the Fifa World Cup 2018 so far – Philippe Coutinho –for inspiration, with some help from Neymar, of course, when they play Serbia in their final Group E match in Moscow on Wednesday.
Like so many of the top teams in this World Cup, Brazil has also found it difficult to get properly going in Russia.
After a draw with Switzerland, they were on their way to having to settle for just a point once again, before Coutinho notched a timely winner against Costa Rica.
Neymar then added the gloss to the scoreline, but the standout player for Brazil in this Fifa World Cup 2018 has undoubtedly been Coutinho.
Maybe what that will do is take the pressure a little off Neymar, who, after the final whistle went against Costa Rica, broke down in tears, with the weight of expectations, perhaps, getting to him.
However, that goes with the territory when you play for Brazil, particularly in a World Cup, and Neymar and the rest of the side just need to get on with it, find the result they need against Serbia and prepare for the last 16.
The Serbs were on the receiving end of a late goal in their last match when Switzerland pulled off a come-from-behind victory. Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri scored the goals in a politically-charged match for Switzerland, a result which has put Serbia in a tricky position.
They now know a win is required to guarantee qualification – a draw might be enough, but then they will be relying on Switzerland vs Costa Rica result – and maybe that will turn this Brazil vs Serbia match into a classic.
Douglas Costa, who came on for Willian to start the second half against Costa Rica, and had a big influence. However, the Juventus winger will not feature against Serbia, after picking up a hamstring injury in that game, which means he hasn't travelled with the squad to Moscow.
That injury means Willian, disappointing against Costa Rica, is likely to keep his place in Brazil starting XI.
Danilo, who started the World Cup as the first-choice right-back, will miss a second straight game with a thigh issue, which means Fagner, decent in his first World Cup match, will get another go down the right of Brazil's defence.
The key for the Selecao will be Coutinho and Neymar. If those two find a way to receive the ball often and dominate Serbia, they will create chances and score goals. Serbia needs to find a way to keep both of them quiet.
While a lot of the Serbia players are on yellow cards – which means suspension for the next match, if there is one, if they pick up another – the focus for Mladen Krstajic will be on getting the right result on Wednesday and then worrying about that later.
There could be a change in Serbia's defence for the Brazil match, with Branislav Ivanovic moving to the centre of the defence, just to shore up that crucial area a little bit more. If that is the case, then Nikola Milenkovic could make way for right-back Antonio Rukavina.
Brazil: Alisson Becker; Fagner, Miranda, Thiago Silva, Marcelo; Casemiro, Paulinho, Philippe Coutinho; Willian, Gabriel Jesus, Neymar.
Serbia: Vladimir Stojkovic; Antonio Rukavina, Branislav Ivanovic, Dusko Tosic, Aleksandar Kolarov; Dusan Tadic, Luka Milivojevic, Nemanja Matic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Filip Kostic; Aleksandar Mitrovic.


text:
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Current time: January 16, 2021, 1:33 am
Atheist Forums › Discussion › Gaming
Skyrim: Empire vs Stormcloak discussion.
The disillusioned
Religious Views: Apatheist/Antitheist
The more I play Skyrim, the more I think about the morally grey choices you can make. One is which side you choose during the Civil War. I know there have been debates in other places, but they're usually dated years ago, when the games first came out. I, on the other hand, didn't start playing until it came out on the switch.
I've given this topic more thought than it probably deserves. Given that it's not very fleshed out for being one of Skyrim's major events, I've probably given it more thought than even the developers expected. I'd like to get my thoughts out, but I'm not sure how many Skyrim fans we got that actually want to get into this topic. So, does anyone want to hear my thoughts?
Poe's Law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing."
10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/
Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50
A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html
Shell B
Her Majesty Mrs. Tiberius
Religious Views: Who needs 'em?
RE: Skyrim: Empire vs Stormcloak discussion.
Sure. I mean, I didn't give it much thought as I played through it. It may give me the urge to play again. Wish it was compatible with the One.
Religious Views: Siempre con todo
(July 31, 2019 at 3:50 pm)Shell B Wrote: Sure. I mean, I didn't give it much thought as I played through it. It may give me the urge to play again. Wish it was compatible with the One.
Skyrim Special Edition works on the Xbox One.
FWIW, I find both to be morally ambiguous and in several playthroughs, I've declined to get involved with either, beyond ambushing their patrols.
(July 31, 2019 at 3:54 pm)Jackalope Wrote:
Goes to show how much time I've found to play video games. I'll have to grab that.
My initial knee jerk reaction was to side with Stormcloaks, given what happens in Helgen, but after doing some stuff in Whiterun, because of the dragon stuff, and going to Windhelm, I run into a snag. First there's the dude at the gate that's threatening to break into a woman's house at night, and torture her because she might be a spy. Or worse. Go into the Palace where Ulfric and Galmar are talking, and Galmar suggests running a sword though Baalgruf's gullet. The guy that made me Thane, and gave me his niece as a Housecarl. At that point I'm thinking is agreeing with Balgruuf, and "Siding with Whiterun". Granted he won't die if you side with Ulfric, but if it's your first time playing, and you're going in blind, you don't know he won't die.
So I look into it more. The main reason the Stormcloaks fight is freedom of religion. That's all fine and good, but it falls a little flat when you find out the Empire didn't want to do it, and didn't enforce it before the Markarth incident. It was more like "There's an official ban on Talos, but as long as you aren't pulling a Heimskr, and waving around your Talos Amulets, we're cool". It was a temporary measure, until the Empire was ready to shred the Concordat, and invade the Summerset Isles. The fact that Ulfric attacked the forsword leads me to believe he doesn't really believe in FoR on principle. Only his desire to worship the god he wants. Granted, the Forsword worship Daedric Princes, but so do the Dark Elves, and that's a playable race. Although the Nords do have a bad history with the dark elves too.....
Looking at the Jarls, in most cases I like the Imperial supporting one over the stormcloak one anyway. And a few Stormcloak supporting Jarls don't even like Ulfric. He killed Torygg, who considered him a friend, and planned to fight Balgruuf, who is no fan of the Empire, but apparently that doesn't matter. The guy is violent to people who could be his greatest allies, and was captured within months of General Tullius coming on scene. Not to mention he's pretty uch responsible for the Dragon Crisis happening. No True Nord would be ignorant of the prophesy of Alduin's return.
The Empire has problems, and it's really sad to see how far they fell once the Septims were gone, but I still imagine siding with them over the Stormcloaks. I imagine my character eventually becoming High King, possibly marrying Elisif, and enacting some changes within the Empire in exchange for my help against the Thalmor. That's work best if I help the Empire, rather than kill one of its best generals.
Education: None. Skills: None. Merits: None
Religious Views: the Disc's first ligthning proof atheist
(July 31, 2019 at 3:49 pm)Chad32 Wrote: The more I play Skyrim, the more I think about the morally grey choices you can make. One is which side you choose during the Civil War. I know there have been debates in other places, but they're usually dated years ago, when the games first came out. I, on the other hand, didn't start playing until it came out on the switch.
Empire. While both sides are very grimy indeed, as far as my personal opinion goes, from playing through most of the game (I stopped about half way through ending the civil war a year ago, planning on going back and finishing), I can't get past the fact that the Stormcloaks are simply a bunch of nazi wannabes with a powermad leader who used his gifts for his personal aggrandisement.
Yes, there is a lot wrong with the empire, but its basic structure and it's ideologies show that it can be better, and with a right leadership it can be brought to a better state. The Stormcloaks will never be but what they are now.
Plus you've got the Aldmeri Dominion breathing down the necks of the whole of Tamriel. These guys are the actual nazis of the whole Elder Scrolls canon, and the only crowd that could stand up to them realistically are the Empire.
Happy feetz!
Religious Views: Outdated
I fairly recently, about three months ago, started a new game of Skyrim (I'm about 17th level which shows how often I get a chance to play).
In the initial stageof the game I always make sure I kill the Imperial captain who decides to execute you even though you're not on the "list".
Then I usually stay neutral in the war, ambushing both sides as Jackalope said.
I have joined the Imperial and Stormcloak sides in the past but find I prefer the Imperial side.
Sanity adjacent.
I like that it's possible to kill the woman who decided not only to put you on the block, but make you go as early as possible. Karma. Honestly I blame her for that, more than the Empire in general.
And yeah, a bunch of battle hungry nationalists aren't going to be good for overall unity on the continent. Granted the Empire did get its start through conquest, but I think a new alliance of independent states can be born out of the ashes. Independent states that actually want to work together, instead of shouting "My province first!". Hell, that's what caused part of the problem before. The Emperor and Council deciding to prioritize Cyrodiil over Morrowind, or Hammerfell.
Shouting. No pun intended.
In my prebious game I killed Aldmeri patrols as often as I could (which led to some high bounties).
They would occasionally send a squad to kill me. Then I would attack their embassy in retaliation and kill as many of them as I could.
July 31, 2019 at 6:01 pm (This post was last modified: July 31, 2019 at 6:32 pm by Chad32.)
I'm real tempted to kill the patrols, but I think you get a bounty for murder unless you kill the prisoner too, and any other witnesses. Best I can do is just any mission that puts me at odds with them, until they attack me on sight anyway.
Also the idea that they're up in arms about not being able to worship Talos publicly, even while they're allowed to do it privately, reminds me of when Christians get up in arms because they can't have mandatory prayer in schools, and similar things. If Talos can't hear you pray quietly in your home, then he's not much of a god, is he?
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