This thing I have for Heather Bailey seems to be growing stronger.
Methinks I need to get my hands on some of this lovely fabric . . . it is quickly becoming the inspiration for the color scheme in the new sewing room.
What are your latest fabric obsessions?
Sorry for the less than stellar lighting of this photo. I'm always getting itchy to post something and taking pictures after the sun's gone down. ;) I got a wide array of sweet scraps from Tracey and I tried to incorporate as many as I could while still maintaining the integrity of the block. She really picked colors that coordinate well together and there was only one fabric I wasn't able to work in. Hope she doesn't mind too terribly!
This block was a welcome break from the big cushion project of 2008. I actually did finish all of the cushions last night . . . worked my little tail off into the wee hours of the morning. Later on today I found out that my in-laws are actually NOT coming home on Wednesday, but actually sometime next week.
A long time ago (actually much longer ago than I realized before I started writing this post), my mother-in-law "hired" me to sew new covers for her couch cushions. Given my skill level for such things at the time (non-existent), I cannot believe myself that I told her I was capable of doing this.
Then again, I've always had gumption.
I posted some atrociously poor photos back in the day. Just awful.
Hence why I'm kind of NOT really impressed with myself. Sigh.
To be at least a teensy bit fair to myself, I have asked her about them several times over the past few years . . . asking her for a deadline or at least a goal line (have I always been a procrastinator? Um . . . yes). She is so laid back none was ever given. I was pregnant for 10 months out of the last 2 years and I'm pretty sure she didn't want to bother me during that whole time either. And then there was the actual fact that the fabric itself was not in my possession at any point past the initial trial run.
It may not surprise you that recovering a whole couch (and a chair) requires a lot of fabric. She wanted the covers to be washable so that meant that all the fabric needed to be washed prior to sewing. AND then ironed. (Still haven't made a decision about the whole ironing thing yet, by the way.) I remember her telling me many times over that I had better things to do with my time than iron her fabric. But don't we all? It really wasn't that big of a deal. She insisted that she would take care of the washing and ironing and get it back to me. The thing is, I think she has even less time than I do. Every time I asked her about it she told me she hadn't gotten around to it yet and not to worry. I wasn't worried. But I DID want to get it done for her!
This has become utterly long-winded (sorry!) but I felt that I needed to clarify what was happening for those of you that think I am a terrible person for taking 2 years to make some simple cushion covers.
Suffice it to say there were many factors standing in the way of NOT getting them done . . . none of which were actually GOOD reasons for not getting them done.
For the past month, my in-laws have been out of the country visiting relatives. My brother and sister-in-law are house-sitting. I'm not a snooper, but I did entreat my brother-in-law to scout around the house to find the fabric for me so I could take care of just getting them done already. As a surprise. I have the best in-laws in the world and they deserve better than a 2 year time line for a favor from me.
I have 8 cushion covers to make.
The 3 remaining back cushions are sewn up but need zippers installed.
It has just been brought to my attention that my in-laws are due home Wednesday night.
Mel sent me a couple lovelies - - just 2, which is perfect actually because the Shoofly block only really calls for 2 different fabrics. Sometimes less is more and simplifying it really lets the fabrics shine. Plus, these 2 seem to coordinate so nicely together.
This project has gotten me in the sewing room just about every other day for the last week, even if just for nap time. It's been a great motivator to get back into doing more sewing and less thinking about sewing. I think I was kind of caught in that rut for awhile. For those of you with not so much time on your hands per day to sew, making blocks is a nice way to get your fix and still feel like you "finished" something. I know I'm not the only one with a few too many U.F.O.s in the ole project basket.
When I left home for college oh so many moons ago, I bought myself an iron. I'm not sure why actually? I guess because an iron is something that my mom had in her house and I thought, "I'm not going to be at home anymore . . . what if I need an iron and no one has one?!"
Why would I even think that? To this day I live in clothing that requires no pressing. Not because I never accidentally leave the clothes sitting in the dryer too long but because in those instances I just [gasp] run them through the dryer another time. I know. I'm a total energy waster that way.
Don't get too upset with me. I wear jeans and t-shirts on a regular basis and generally don't find a need for the re-dry terribly often.
Anyway, that's not why I need an iron. My old had-'er-since-college Black & Decker that I picked up as a floor model at Target for probably $20 is starting to kick the bucket. You see, she's gotten a lot more of a workout in the last 3 years since I started sewing.
The main issue: she sputters and spews water like it's her job.
Secondary issue: the dang auto shut off feature. I HATE that thing. It's probably good for people ironing a pair of pants or people that often get sidetracked. But it seriously drives me bonkers. I don't mind it shutting off after, say, 20 minutes of non-use. This thing seems to want to shut down after about 5 minutes and it stays off even after you come back to it and flip it horizontal to, you know, let it know you're ready to iron again. Which means, I have to unplug the iron every 5 minutes to get it to turn back on again.
It knows when I'm trying to do a quick unplug-then-plug-back-in maneuver and refuses to comply. I have to literally count to 10 while I'm holding the plug in my hand and then plug it back in. Why? I think that's how long its little iron brain takes to shut down completely and *forget* that it was in auto WE DON'T WANT TO START A HOUSE FIRE shut off mode.
So anyway, I thought I'd just ask you all . . . do you have an iron? Do you like it? Does it shut down on you when you're in the middle of something? Does it spit scathing hot water on your feet when you move it too vigorously across your fabric? Does it make all your dreams come true? Do you love it so much you find yourself ironing things that don't need to be ironed just so you can use it?
See . . . this is the kind of info I need.
Please help. I honestly really do need some direction. Oh, and if it happens to be available at Jo-Ann that would be a bonus. I have a gift card that is burning a hole in my pocket.
Oh, and when you're done commenting away on what iron I should get next (that may not make all my dreams come true but won't be a piece of crap), check out this article I found on my aforementioned Google search.
Made of 4 different fabrics, I opted to change the outer corners this time. I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about this block when I was cutting and moving and cutting and moving and changing my mind a million times. Now that it's done, I would say I'm pretty happy with how it shook out. Originally I was thinking about putting that butterfly front and center, but because there wasn't enough of that fabric left to make the triangle cuts I switched it up for the floral stripes. I didn't want to lose the look of the actual block by mismatching everything.
BTW, these quilt blocks are FUN! Every time I go to my mailbox and see a little package, it feels like Christmas. I know I'm sending them all back, but I get the fun of taking what's been sent and making it into something lovely. Definitely interested in doing some more of these types of activities. WAY better than opening the mailbox and realizing all you got were a couple of bills and your alumni newsletter.
What's this? Craft kit?! HOORAY!
Isn't it time for your nap now, kiddos?
To be fair, the main bathroom was cut in also, but it remained that way for a few weeks while we worked on the myriad of other projects that came up the second that we set foot in the door as the new homeowners. That bathroom has since been completely painted, and much to Mr. Skooks' chagrin (though he's being a good sport about it actually) I have decided I don't like the color in there. It's going to the *bottom* of the list, but painting both bathrooms is back on there. Oops.
*Thankfully* I do love the colors in the kitchen. They were directly inspired by the fabric I introduced to you back here, Small Talk Blackbird by Waverly. It may have seemed odd to the people that came through early on that we chose 2 different colors in the kitchen as the inspiration fabric was nowhere to be seen in the room.
Anyone else been working on home improvement/beautification projects? Send me links! I love peeking into other people's lovely homes.
Linking up to some awesome parties this week. Check 'em out and come join the party here.
At Mel's suggestion, I changed the center block rather than the corners to incorporate that 3rd print. What do you think?
They do live in my new sewing room, however, because Kee-ku would eat them immediately if they lived on our fridge. He puts absolutely *everything* in his mouth. Sorry to those of you who come to my house and find that random things you touch are soggy. No, I don't have a dog. But yes, I do have a Kee-ku.
I did all the adhesing (that's not a word, I know) and cutting, and Little Miss did all the playing. Well, ok. I did some playing too. With her. Mostly.
P.S. If you dig the ones I got as much as L.M. and I do, head on over to Red Velvet Art. Elsie (the artist) was one of my teachers for my Indie Biz class and she is pretty much awesome.
Y'all remember that Sew Mama Sew Giveaway day awhile back? If you're anything like me, you went down the list and entered giveaways crazy style. I'm a complete nerd . . . I treated it like it was my job for 2 days.
The other great thing about giveaway day? Meeting so many more beauty-licious bloggers out there. (Not booty-licious . . . beauty-licious. Totally different.) One giveaway I did NOT win (boo!) led me to something perhaps even better (yay!) . . . a Vintage Sheet Freedom Bee! That I could join!
Ok, I know what you're thinking, "But you don't really know how to quilt . . . right?"
b) I have no vintage sheets.
Seems like I should probably not be a part of this bee, right?
At Deb's encouragement and with her generous donation of some of her own stash of lovely vintage sheets, I will be taken under her wing to learn some simple blocks that I can make as part of the bee. Hooray!
Knowing only as much about quilting as I have learned from reading The Quiltmaker's Gift over and over and over again to Little Miss, I decided to google up some possibilities for simple quilt blocks that I could hopefully not only NOT ruin, but actually do well since my blocks will go on to live at different homes around the globe.
What do you think? I can do this, right?!
Apparently from my ridiculously drawn awesome renderings of the multiple possibilities of tail design, the talented and creative Sammy came up with a party full of tails for all the attendees to enjoy. What a lucky birthday girl!
I am sharing the following images with her permission.
It probably happens to everyone. When you move, there are inevitably things that get put in somewhat random spots because the movers (aka friends and family) are just not sure where they ought to go.
After having lived in your still-being-unpacked-house for about a month, all of a sudden you have that "a-ha" moment. You know the one. The one that says, "THIS doesn't go here!" or "So THAT'S where that was!" There are boxes that you get so used to seeing stacked in a certain spot that you don't even really see them as things that could and SHOULD be moved anymore. Until the "a-ha!" your stuff is kinda stuck, and probably (depending on where those boxes are piled) so are you.
I was having a lot of those "a-ha" moments yesterday. I blitzed a couple boxes of bathroom stuff that had been residing in our kitchen and finally took the time to organize our new medicine cabinet. While the kitchen is not completely outfitted yet to get it all completely in order (some shelves need to be moved around and some cabinet drawers need to be installed which I need Mr. Skooks help to finish), I still decided to try to boogie a couple boxes that had been unceremoniously stashed on top of our fridge.
I have to keep reminding myself, "Just because the boxes are out of the way, it doesn't mean that they GO there."
So I ventured to the top of the fridge and pulled down the boxes to see if, in fact, I could find a place for the items they held . . . you know, NOW.
My lovely and wonderful sister packed up a good amount of my kitchen for me pre-move, so I was not completely sure what this meant.
What I discovered: 3 salt dough handprint plaques that I had made with the kids at the beginning of May and 2 ikea ice cube trays filled with broken crayons that were waiting to be melted down into fun shapes.
A-HA! So THAT'S where those went!
I remember when we did those handprints. I had seen a little instructable over at Fun with Mama and we had worked them up right away. Per Nadia's suggestion we let them air-dry because supposedly then they were not supposed to crack.
We did not find this to be the case.
For one thing, they never fully dried. At least, not while we lived at our old house. They APPEARED to be dry, but I remember flipping them over and seeing that tbe back was still not really done. So I flipped them again with the non-done side up and when they APPEARED dry again I picked them back up. We're talking a week of drying time on each side. Problem was, when I picked them up the second time, the first side (which had previously seemed completely dry) was now NOT DRY anymore. Huh?! The whole thing was counfounding, but I didn't want them to crack so I did not bake them.
Makes no sense because they sat around all month in a state of semi-dry and we couldn't really do anything with them.
Perhaps there was something magical about the move, because when I located the box of Fragile Children's Art Projects those little buggers were completely dry and solid as a rock! Apparently, however, the drying process made LM's hand crack.
Very simple, and yes, very um . . . coordinate-y with my kitchen. But I'm fine with that.
EDITED TO ADD: Recently I came across this tutorial at The Pumpkin Patch that may help you come away with something a touch more polished and less crack-y. Worth taking a look at I would say if you are interested in tackling this project.


This remarkable video above was uploaded to YouTube by the user OrionVIII. In it, he shows the arrival of various TTC work trains, arriving back at Davisville Yard just before the start of the service day on November 10, 2010. The movie was shot atop the Belt Line Bridge that crosses over the yard.
As I am a transit geek, of course I found this video interesting. It's always a rare treat to see the equipment that the public can't use, and most people can't see, unless they're riding the subway system late at night. I have a vague memory, way back when I was younger than eight, of travelling with my parents late at night from Mississauga, by TTC. We left the Bloor-Danforth subway at St. George and were heading up the steps either to transfer to a Unviersity subway train or, if this memory was from before the days the Spadina subway opened, to the bus terminal to catch an Avenue Road bus, which filled in for the University trains before 1978 when all Yonge trains cut back at Union on Sundays or after 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
In this memory, there was this most odd train parked at the University subway platform. Its doors were wider and the windows, unlike every other subway train I knew at the time, was circular. Breaking away from my parents, I rushed in and was surprised that the car had no seats, and was the only car in the train. My parents called me out, and I left before getting into any really serious trouble.
Turns out the car was "Tokyo Rose", or RT-10 as it was officially known — the TTC's garbage train, and I'd been fascinated by its existence ever since. I caught rare glimpses as service trains passed Davisville yard, and once when the car was out in the afternoon rush hour for some reason (at Wellesley station. It didn't stop). It was old, though: built in 1967. By the time I'd found myself online and was partnering with Aaron Adel to build Transit Toronto, the car had been retired, replaced by a new garbage train based on Gloucester subway cars that, ironically, had been serving the system since the 1950s. Aaron put together a movie about this train, and it became one of the first major projects of the Transit Toronto website.
The garbage train service was eliminated by the TTC after a disastrous fire. A number of the work trains today use retired service vehicles, or specially built equipment that look a lot more utilitarian than Tokyo Rose did. But while they might not have the mystique of the service equipment had in my childhood, OrionVIII shows that they remain a fascinating, hardly seen part of keeping this major civic infrastructure operating.


(1) If requested by an applicant, the permitting authority may issue a regulatory order that limits emissions of a particular TAP to a level that is lower than the potential emissions of that particular TAP otherwise allowed under all applicable requirements of chapter 70.94 RCW and the federal Clean Air Act.
(2) Any order issued under this section is subject to the notice and comment procedures in WAC 173-400-171 or the permitting authority's public notice and commenting procedures.
(3) Any order issued under this section must include monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements sufficient to ensure that the applicant complies with any conditions established under this section. Monitoring requirements must use terms, test methods, units, averaging periods, and other statistical conventions consistent with the requirements of WAC 173-400-105.


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Sporting Cats in the 19th Century
May 20, 2016 | 23 comments
The Shooting Party by William Powell Frith, (1819-1909).
When one thinks of a 19th century shooting party, one usually imagines well-to-do sportsmen in plus-fours and tweed caps, accompanied by their loaders, their beaters, and—of course—their sporting dogs. However, according to an article in the October 29, 1880 edition of the Portsmouth Evening News, even the best spaniels and retrievers could not compete with the "great skill" of a sporting cat. As the article explains:
"Dogs cannot climb trees to hunt birds, whereas cats find no difficulty in following game from branch to branch."
As an example, the article references a story previously published in the New York Times which reported the exploits of a sportsman in America who routinely went hunting with only a cat to accompany him. It reads in part:
"He goes forth with nothing but a game-bag and with his faithful and accomplished cat trotting by his side. When he reaches a forest where the squirrels abound the cat hunts eagerly, with its nose on the ground, until it scents a squirrel. Following it to the tree where the squirrel makes his home, the cat nimbly climbs the tree and catches the game."
In some cases, the squirrel would elude the cat for a time, leaping from "tree to tree." The cat would follow in hot pursuit up the tree and along the branches and, after a "brisk chase," the squirrel would ultimately be "overtaken and seized." Occasionally the squirrel opted to "take refuge in a hole" instead of fleeing into the trees. In this scenario, the cat would exercise extraordinary patience, sitting by the hole until, at last, the squirrel "put his head out" and was caught.
Cats and Sparrows
by Byeon Sang-byeok, 1730.
This particular sporting cat did more than merely kill the game. He also fulfilled the role of a faithful retriever. As the article reports:
"The cat also acts as a retriever, bringing the captured game to its master; and in course of a day's hunting, if the sky is overcast and the squirrels rise freely, the hunter usually fills his game-bag with fifty or sixty fine grey squirrels. No dog could rival the success of this cat, and in fact it is a very rare thing for a dog to catch even a single squirrel."
The conclusion drawn from this example is a bit of a stretch (and one that we know today did not come to pass):
"The New York Times thinks that the cat will ultimately supersede the dog as an assistant to sportsmen."
What of British sporting cats? The same article in the Portsmouth Evening News references a British correspondent who had written on the subject for the London Evening Standard. This correspondent relates the story of an "aged cottager" who had once been his neighbor. Their two cottages had been separated by a low, boundary wall. He writes:
"I frequently heard, when in my garden, the discharge of firearms in the direction of the orchard; but I attached no importance to the circumstances, thinking it was my neighbour's way of preventing the depredations of small birds on his crops."
The correspondent reports that his neighbor spent a great deal of time near the boundary wall between their properties. He "expended his ammunition" on blackbirds and thrushes, the majority of which, when shot, fell onto the correspondent's side of the wall. As the correspondent writes:
"There appeared to be no doubt that to possess himself of them he must commit a trespass. Accordingly I looked for, but could never find, evidence of trespass; and I failed to understand how in the long grass, which was more luxuriant than is usual in orchards where stock is kept, he contrived to secure his quarry. It may be also mentioned that I never found a dead bird, although I made frequent search, and this circumstance caused further mystification."
A Cat Bird Hunting by Bruno Liljefors, 1883.
In time, the correspondent's son discovered exactly how it was that the aged cottager managed to gain possession of the birds he had shot. The correspondent explains:
"He had trained a cat to perform the duties of a retriever. Puss would spring from her sheltered position on the wall, and in a series of bounds approach the spot where she had seen the bird fall, seize it, and bring it to her master."
An 1880 edition of the London Evening Standard provides us with another example of sporting cats in one of their letters to the editor. A fellow who signs himself simply as "A Cat's Friend" writes that he has trained his three cats as gundogs. He states:
"If I take my gun in hand they exhibit symptoms of delight, and will retrieve a small bird as well as their constant companion, my Irish retriever from whom they always seek protection."
Despite the entertaining anecdotes in the Portsmouth Evening News, the New York Times, and the London Evening Standard, the jobs of sporting spaniels and retrievers were in no danger from an overabundance of highly skilled sporting cats. The farmer or "aged cottager" with his trusted squirrel-hunting/bird-retrieving feline was the exception rather than the rule. Nevertheless, it does make one wonder. What would it be like to go hunting with a pack of cats instead of dogs? Chaos, I suspect. What do you think?
Snipe Shooting Cats on a Winter's Day by R. Seymour, 1830s.
(Wellcome Trust CC By 4.0)
Thus concludes another of my Friday features on Animals in Literature and History. If you would like to help a cat in need, either by providing a home or by donating your time or money, the following links may be useful as resources:
Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. (United States)
The Cats Protection League (United Kingdom)
Mimi Matthews is the USA Today bestselling author of The Matrimonial Advertisement, The Pug Who Bit Napoleon, and A Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty. She researches and writes on all aspects of nineteenth century history—from animals, art, and etiquette to fashion, beauty, feminism, and law.
"The Cat as a Sportsman's Companion." Portsmouth Evening News. October 29, 1880.
"Civilisation of Cats." London Evening Standard. October 19, 1880.
Fergus, Charles. A Rough-Shooting Dog: Reflections from Thick and Uncivil Sorts of Places. Guilford: The Lyons Press, 1991.
The Pug Who Bit Napoleon:
Animal Tales of the 18th and 19th Centuries
From elaborate Victorian cat funerals to a Regency era pony who took a ride in a hot air balloon, Mimi Matthews shares some of the quirkiest and most poignant animal tales of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Find out more…
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Categories: 19th Century, American History, Animals, Animals – Cats, British History, Victorian England
Tags: 19th century, Animal History, Cats, Hunting, Hunting Cats, Pets, Shooting, Victorian
Noirfifre
I too think it would be chaos going to hunt with cats because
1. I think dogs have that role under lock and key
2. I do not like cats (P.S there was no harming of any cats in the making of this sentence).
:) I agree about dogs being well suited for their role as sportsman's companion. Cats, on the other hand, seem far too curious and independent to fill the position long term.
It's not every cat who can manage squirrels, I've only ever known two. Sophie would only eat the brains, but Merlin used to bring me the tail which was all that remained. He preferred pigeons. I can;'t say the idea of herding cats as helpmates appeals to me, but I can certainly see some cats enjoying the idea of being gun cats. Biff would have loved it.
Cats can be pretty ruthless hunters. I'm most impressed that the cats in the 19th century reports could be trained to bring their catch back uneaten!
igguhs
Perhaps they clattered spoons on food bowls to make them return with catch? Scene from mid 1800s follows: The sound of clattering spoons sifted across the calm air in the valley of Fellindean, Old bent Tom pleats his face in disgust, "Arrr, the genlmen are out with their cats agin, darft toffs." (ps substitute something stronger for toffs)
Ha! I love it. And just think, if anyone wanted to disrupt the hunt, all they'd have to do is clatter some spoons on a food bowl. Or, alternately, sing "Here Kitty Kitty" in a high-pitched voice (which I find works 7 out of 10 times on most cats).
Oh yes! Very Pythonesque. I can see/hear the skit! But how could you disrupt them? Gentlemen in hunting gear dodging low through the bushes bent low as they tap the bowl and purse their lips to make smooching sounds, there's a skill to that. Competing hunters in different gear ditto. They meet…and a crescendo of taps and smooches travels through the air. Perhaps "Kitty!" is called out – so against the rules! A fight breaks out, bowls become shields and spoon clatters against spoon. No more. I'd happily do this all day.
Ashley Nicole Hunter
Didn't Egyptian royalty once go hunting with cheetahs? I'd love to have a pack of those along for a hare hunt!
It would certainly make a much different impression than that of someone hunting with a pack of domestic tabbies :)
Seems like it might have been easy to train a cat that already had a strong hunting skill – along with the wonderful habit of bringing home the kill for you – we had a cat like this – Tar was always happy to bring her 'found' things to us at the most inopportune times! Great article on this little known fact.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it :) And I think you're right about cats with strong hunting instincts. I had a cat like yours a very long time ago. She was always bringing me her "treasures" — usually in the middle of the night, dropped on my pillow!
darlenemarshall
This is a fabulous idea for a historical, and I'd love to read it. Sounds like something Julia Quinn would pen.
A heroine with a sporting cat! I agree, Darlene. It's absolutely quirky enough for a historical romance :)
I had a cat that use to point just as a hunting dog would. We thought it was about her past nine lives ; )
I love when cats exhibit dog behavior :)
That reminds me. Even if I merely took out the trash, she would act like I was back from a long trip and do that "oh you're home ! "happy dance. Cats who act like dogs are great.
They really are :) One of mine plays fetch and brings back his toy (a little stuffed bear) each time I throw it. He could probably play for hours!
Lindsay Downs (@ldowns2966)
If I were a hunter I would much prefer an excellent hunting dog to a cat any day. This would be especially true if I was after ducks, geese or other waterfowl as cats have a natural aversion to water.
Good point, Lindsay! And probably one of the many reasons cats never did replace dogs as a sportsman's companion ;)
Angelyn
I'm scratching my head over how a cat could be trained to retrieve. Learn something new every time I read this blog!
Some really do have a natural instinct for it :) My older cat, for example, retrieves more reliably than my dog!
Pam Shropshire
This article reminds me of several early Catherine Coulter books which featured racing cats, which I read in the pre-internet era. I always wondered if racing cats really was a "thing," and apparently it was. We have 4 cats, only 2 of which seem to have a strong hunting instinct (the other two excel at sleeping). One of our cats likes to play fetch with small balls of paper.
My cats sounds a lot like yours, Pam :) And I had no idea that there was such a thing as racing cats! I will have to read up on the subject.

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District F Dispatch - February 2021
Clark County Nevada sent this bulletin at 02/12/2021 12:22 PM PST
Hello Neighbors!
I am optimistic that there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Clark County Fire Department and Health District staff have been working tirelessly to ramp up vaccinations while also continuing testing, and with hospitalizations on the decline, businesses will be allowed to expand capacity over the coming months. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay diligent.
As always, please feel free to contact me and my team by phone at (702) 455-3500 or by email at ccdistf@clarkcountynv.gov. You can also follow me @JustinJonesNV on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest events in the District.
Team Jones is celebrating Black people, Black voices, and Black history while simultaneously acknowledging there's still work to be done to achieve true equality. The lessons and stories from Black History Month teach us all year, every year how to build a country that works for everyone. From Black history has always been—and always will be—American history. Kiara Musik, a Las Vegas-based musician, kicked off the month with a performance during the Board of County Commissioners February 2nd meeting. Kiara was also a 2019 participant on NBC's The Voice, making it onto "Team Gwen".
How can you observe Black History Month? Here are a few ideas:
Libraries and bookstores — not to mention online repositories and booksellers — are positively overflowing with amazing works of literature, history, and biography. Find a book about a piece of black history that you were previously unaware of and get educated.
One of the best ways to get the ball rolling toward a better society is by contacting members of Congress. Ask them what they have planned for Black History Month and what specific legislative actions they plan to take to ensure that your community never backtracks in its pledge to provide opportunities for each and every person.
History comes alive in our nation's museums, and many of these institutions have events, conferences and celebrations surrounding Black History Month. Virtually attend a museum and see first-hand our nation's collective historical treasures.
A Cycling Tragedy Leads to Action
In December, 5 cyclists were tragically killed and others injured in a terrible accident south of Las Vegas. Shortly after the tragedy, Commissioner Jones, an avid cyclist, joined with the cycling community for a vigil to remember the riders and last month joined hundreds of cyclists and families of the victims to dedicate a "ghost bike." A ghost bike is a bicycle that is painted white and placed in a public place to honor the victims of a cycling accident and to raise awareness for cycling safety. Commissioner Jones is working with the cycling community on cycling safety initiatives, including an enforcement event with law enforcement, expansion of bike lanes and paths, an ordinance clarifying the rights of cyclists on the roadways, and posting of signage notifying motorists that, in certain circumstances, bicyclists may use the full lane.
Town Advisory Board and Citizens Advisory Council Members
With the start of a new term and the return to in-person public meetings, this is a perfect time to recognize the volunteers that serve on the Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils throughout District F. TABs and CACs were established by state law to provide input from the community to the Board of County Commissioners. They consist of 5 members appointed by the Commissioner for two year terms. They generously donate their time and energy to not only attend the actual meetings, but also to review plans, visit sites, and attend training. A huge thank you all of the Board and Council members for your important part in the public hearing process.
Enterprise Town Advisory Board
Wednesday, February 24, 6 pm at the Clark County Commission Chambers
Wednesday, March 10, 6 pm at the Clark County Commission Chambers
Please Note: In an effort to support social distancing practices for the protection of District F residents, Enterprise Town Advisory Board meetings will be held in the Commission Chambers at the Clark County Government Center, 500 Grand Central Pkwy.
Spring Valley Town Advisory Board
Tuesday, February 23, 6:30 pm at the Desert Breeze Community Center
Tuesday, March 9, 6:30 pm at the Desert Breeze Community Center
Goodsprings Citizens Advisory Council
Tuesday, February 23, 7:30 pm at the Goodsprings Community Center
Red Rock Citizens Advisory Council
Wednesday, February 24, 7 pm at the Blue Diamond Rec Hall
Sandy Valley Citizens Advisory Council
Tuesday, March 9, 7:30 pm at the Sandy Valley Community Center
Mountain Springs Citizens Advisory Council
Wednesday, March 10, 6 pm at the Mountain Springs Fire Station
Park Constuction Set To Begin This Summer
The first of several designed parks in District F should begin construction in early summer. Southwest Ridge Park is adjacent to Robert L. Forbuss Elementary School at 8601 South Grand Canyon Drive. The 5 acre nature themed park will include 2 acres of open turf, covered pavilions with picnic tables, nature-play playground and a ½ mile trail loop that will serve as a gateway to the Southwest Ridge Recreation Area which encompasses thousands of public land acres to the west. It is anticipated the bid to begin construction will be awarded at the February 16, 2021 Board of County Commissioners meeting. When completed, the Southwest Ridge Park & Trailhead will provide unique outdoor recreation and education opportunities to students and families living near Forbuss Elementary School as well as large groups of bikers venturing into the Southwest Ridge Recreation Area. Click on the image below to see a bigger view of the park design and landscaping.
Phased Improvements Coming to Ft. Apache Rd.
Ft. Apache is a critical north/south route for many in the Southwest. Improvements to Ft. Apache will be occurring in three phases. Phase I will include widening where there are current bottlenecks and improvements to Ft. Apache from Tropicana to Warm Springs. These improvements are currently under way and are expected to be completed later this year. Phase II will be from Warm Springs to Huntington Cove. These will include widening and addition of bike lanes, allowing a safe route around the mountain outcropping. This project is completing the design phase and will be sent to bid in the next few months. Phase III will include widening and improvements from Huntington Cove to Blue Diamond/SR160. This will also incorporate a crossing for a planned multi-use trail along the Blue Diamond Wash which will run from Durango to Hualapai, where it will connect to the planned Red Rock Legacy Trail. This phase is in the design and acquisition of right-of-way process. We will provide additional updates on the multi-phase project as it progresses.
Knee Deep in Snow in Mountain Springs
Thanks to Mountain Springs resident, Tanya Harrah, for this great picture of snow falling on one of the sculptures installed in Mountain Springs as a part of the recent improvements to State Hwy 160.
Valentine's Day Ideas from the Past
Modern day celebrations of Valentine's Day include roses, chocolates, candlelit dinners, and cards filled with loving sentiments. Valentine's celebrations of the past, including here in Clark County, featured some very different ideas. We'll share just a few with you here. All of these come from the Las Vegas Age newspaper which can be found on-line in the UNLV Digital Archives.
The February 10, 1917 issue provided some menu ideas to help serve up a tasty Valentine's Day party. Some of the dishes suggested included creamed oysters and cold beef tongue. Definitely not what you expect to find on your plate today.
Apparently, in 1910, the ladies of Las Vegas were a hot commodity. Reportedly, "lads" from Pioche were using "daintily scented" Valentines to lure the ladies away. The story was printed in the February 19, 1910 issue of the paper and is included below.
The Ronzone's ad below is from the February 13, 1943 edition and suggests that War Bonds or a partially filled War Stamp Album were a surefire way to win over your sweetheart. They did suggest some more conventional gifts like jewelry and lingerie, too.
In 1936 the sentiments were a bit different than the ones we see today. Here are two that were published in the February 14, 1936 paper.
If I ate a peck of garlic and a ton of onions, too
I couldn't tell you even then how strong I am for you!
I'll sew on your buttons and mend your socks, I'll cook your meals and I'll wind the clocks
I'll not complain when you read the news, And once in awhile I'll shine your shoes
I'll try to be your pride and joy. But when you stay out - so will I, old Boy!
Whether you are serving toast hearts spread with "some potted relish" or just ordering a pizza - we hope you enjoy your Valentine's Day!
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He's the Galápagos penguin of the Texas Legislature. That rarest of birds—an effective liberal—Watson has adapted, Darwin-style, to the inhospitable habitat of the Republican-dominated Senate. This session he emerged as the thoughtful leader of the loyal opposition, armed mostly with a pragmatic survival instinct.
In the battle over reforming the state's insurance regulatory agency, Watson used the Democrats' ability to block debate long enough to win crucial consumer-oriented concessions. Stealth attacks by Senate leadership against his solar energy legislation proved no match for his vigilance.
A former state Air Control Board commissioner and former Austin mayor, he has the self-assurance to act independently. When Perry appointed Republican political operative Deirdre Delisi to the Transportation Commission, Watson chose not a knee-jerk option (using senatorial privilege to block her confirmation) but a counterintuitive one: He met with Delisi and found common ground on how to improve the controversial agency. When the chair of the Finance Committee, Republican Steve Ogden, of Bryan, launched an effort to ban state-funded embryonic stem cell research, Watson joined his effort to create a state database on the endeavor. The more information, he reasoned, the better.
Occasionally, Watson fails to keep his political ambitions in check, giving long-winded speeches more appropriate to the campaign circuit than the Senate floor. Still, his work ethic, intellect, and negotiating skills ensure his continued success.


text:
enum llcp_state {
	LLCP_CONNECTED = 1, /* wait_for_packet() wants that */
	LLCP_CONNECTING,
	LLCP_CLOSED,
	LLCP_BOUND,
	LLCP_LISTEN,
};

#define LLCP_DEFAULT_LTO 100
#define LLCP_DEFAULT_RW  1
#define LLCP_DEFAULT_MIU 128

#define LLCP_MAX_LTO  0xff
#define LLCP_MAX_RW   15
#define LLCP_MAX_MIUX 0x7ff
#define LLCP_MAX_MIU (LLCP_MAX_MIUX + 128)

#define LLCP_WKS_NUM_SAP   16
#define LLCP_SDP_NUM_SAP   16
#define LLCP_LOCAL_NUM_SAP 32
#define LLCP_LOCAL_SAP_OFFSET (LLCP_WKS_NUM_SAP + LLCP_SDP_NUM_SAP)
#define LLCP_MAX_SAP (LLCP_WKS_NUM_SAP + LLCP_SDP_NUM_SAP + LLCP_LOCAL_NUM_SAP)
#define LLCP_SDP_UNBOUND   (LLCP_MAX_SAP + 1)

struct nfc_llcp_sock;

struct llcp_sock_list {
	struct hlist_head head;
	rwlock_t          lock;
};

struct nfc_llcp_sdp_tlv {
	u8 *tlv;
	u8 tlv_len;

	char *uri;
	u8 tid;
	u8 sap;

	unsigned long time;

	struct hlist_node node;
};

struct nfc_llcp_local {
	struct list_head list;
	struct nfc_dev *dev;

	struct kref ref;

	struct mutex sdp_lock;

	struct timer_list link_timer;
	struct sk_buff_head tx_queue;
	struct work_struct	 tx_work;
	struct work_struct	 rx_work;
	struct sk_buff *rx_pending;
	struct work_struct	 timeout_work;

	u32 target_idx;
	u8 rf_mode;
	u8 comm_mode;
	u8 lto;
	u8 rw;
	__be16 miux;
	unsigned long local_wks;      /* Well known services */
	unsigned long local_sdp;      /* Local services  */
	unsigned long local_sap; /* Local SAPs, not available for discovery */
	atomic_t local_sdp_cnt[LLCP_SDP_NUM_SAP];

	/* local */
	u8 gb[NFC_MAX_GT_LEN];
	u8 gb_len;

	/* remote */
	u8 remote_gb[NFC_MAX_GT_LEN];
	u8 remote_gb_len;

	u8  remote_version;
	u16 remote_miu;
	u16 remote_lto;
	u8  remote_opt;
	u16 remote_wks;

	struct mutex sdreq_lock;
	struct hlist_head pending_sdreqs;
	struct timer_list sdreq_timer;
	struct work_struct sdreq_timeout_work;
	u8 sdreq_next_tid;

	/* sockets array */
	struct llcp_sock_list sockets;
	struct llcp_sock_list connecting_sockets;
	struct llcp_sock_list raw_sockets;
};

struct nfc_llcp_sock {
	struct sock sk;
	struct nfc_dev *dev;
	struct nfc_llcp_local *local;
	u32 target_idx;
	u32 nfc_protocol;

	/* Link parameters */
	u8 ssap;
	u8 dsap;
	char *service_name;
	size_t service_name_len;
	u8 rw;
	__be16 miux;

	/* Remote link parameters */
	u8 remote_rw;
	u16 remote_miu;

	/* Link variables */
	u8 send_n;
	u8 send_ack_n;
	u8 recv_n;
	u8 recv_ack_n;

	/* Is the remote peer ready to receive */
	u8 remote_ready;

	/* Reserved source SAP */
	u8 reserved_ssap;

	struct sk_buff_head tx_queue;
	struct sk_buff_head tx_pending_queue;

	struct list_head accept_queue;
	struct sock *parent;
};

struct nfc_llcp_ui_cb {
	__u8 dsap;
	__u8 ssap;
};

#define nfc_llcp_ui_skb_cb(__skb) ((struct nfc_llcp_ui_cb *)&((__skb)->cb[0]))

#define nfc_llcp_sock(sk) ((struct nfc_llcp_sock *) (sk))
#define nfc_llcp_dev(sk)  (nfc_llcp_sock((sk))->dev)

#define LLCP_HEADER_SIZE   2
#define LLCP_SEQUENCE_SIZE 1
#define LLCP_AGF_PDU_HEADER_SIZE 2

/* LLCP versions: 1.1 is 1.0 plus SDP */
#define LLCP_VERSION_10 0x10
#define LLCP_VERSION_11 0x11

/* LLCP PDU types */
#define LLCP_PDU_SYMM     0x0
#define LLCP_PDU_PAX      0x1
#define LLCP_PDU_AGF      0x2
#define LLCP_PDU_UI       0x3
#define LLCP_PDU_CONNECT  0x4
#define LLCP_PDU_DISC     0x5
#define LLCP_PDU_CC       0x6
#define LLCP_PDU_DM       0x7
#define LLCP_PDU_FRMR     0x8
#define LLCP_PDU_SNL      0x9
#define LLCP_PDU_I        0xc
#define LLCP_PDU_RR       0xd
#define LLCP_PDU_RNR      0xe

/* Parameters TLV types */
#define LLCP_TLV_VERSION 0x1
#define LLCP_TLV_MIUX    0x2
#define LLCP_TLV_WKS     0x3
#define LLCP_TLV_LTO     0x4
#define LLCP_TLV_RW      0x5
#define LLCP_TLV_SN      0x6
#define LLCP_TLV_OPT     0x7
#define LLCP_TLV_SDREQ   0x8
#define LLCP_TLV_SDRES   0x9
#define LLCP_TLV_MAX     0xa

/* Well known LLCP SAP */
#define LLCP_SAP_SDP   0x1
#define LLCP_SAP_IP    0x2
#define LLCP_SAP_OBEX  0x3
#define LLCP_SAP_SNEP  0x4
#define LLCP_SAP_MAX   0xff

/* Disconnection reason code */
#define LLCP_DM_DISC    0x00
#define LLCP_DM_NOCONN  0x01
#define LLCP_DM_NOBOUND 0x02
#define LLCP_DM_REJ     0x03

void nfc_llcp_sock_link(struct llcp_sock_list *l, struct sock *s);
void nfc_llcp_sock_unlink(struct llcp_sock_list *l, struct sock *s);
void nfc_llcp_socket_remote_param_init(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
struct nfc_llcp_local *nfc_llcp_find_local(struct nfc_dev *dev);
struct nfc_llcp_local *nfc_llcp_local_get(struct nfc_llcp_local *local);
int nfc_llcp_local_put(struct nfc_llcp_local *local);
u8 nfc_llcp_get_sdp_ssap(struct nfc_llcp_local *local,
			 struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
u8 nfc_llcp_get_local_ssap(struct nfc_llcp_local *local);
void nfc_llcp_put_ssap(struct nfc_llcp_local *local, u8 ssap);
int nfc_llcp_queue_i_frames(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
void nfc_llcp_send_to_raw_sock(struct nfc_llcp_local *local,
			       struct sk_buff *skb, u8 direction);

/* Sock API */
struct sock *nfc_llcp_sock_alloc(struct socket *sock, int type, gfp_t gfp);
void nfc_llcp_sock_free(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
void nfc_llcp_accept_unlink(struct sock *sk);
void nfc_llcp_accept_enqueue(struct sock *parent, struct sock *sk);
struct sock *nfc_llcp_accept_dequeue(struct sock *sk, struct socket *newsock);

/* TLV API */
int nfc_llcp_parse_gb_tlv(struct nfc_llcp_local *local,
			  u8 *tlv_array, u16 tlv_array_len);
int nfc_llcp_parse_connection_tlv(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock,
				  u8 *tlv_array, u16 tlv_array_len);

/* Commands API */
void nfc_llcp_recv(void *data, struct sk_buff *skb, int err);
u8 *nfc_llcp_build_tlv(u8 type, u8 *value, u8 value_length, u8 *tlv_length);
struct nfc_llcp_sdp_tlv *nfc_llcp_build_sdres_tlv(u8 tid, u8 sap);
struct nfc_llcp_sdp_tlv *nfc_llcp_build_sdreq_tlv(u8 tid, char *uri,
						  size_t uri_len);
void nfc_llcp_free_sdp_tlv(struct nfc_llcp_sdp_tlv *sdp);
void nfc_llcp_free_sdp_tlv_list(struct hlist_head *sdp_head);
void nfc_llcp_recv(void *data, struct sk_buff *skb, int err);
int nfc_llcp_disconnect(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
int nfc_llcp_send_symm(struct nfc_dev *dev);
int nfc_llcp_send_connect(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
int nfc_llcp_send_cc(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
int nfc_llcp_send_snl_sdres(struct nfc_llcp_local *local,
			    struct hlist_head *tlv_list, size_t tlvs_len);
int nfc_llcp_send_snl_sdreq(struct nfc_llcp_local *local,
			    struct hlist_head *tlv_list, size_t tlvs_len);
int nfc_llcp_send_dm(struct nfc_llcp_local *local, u8 ssap, u8 dsap, u8 reason);
int nfc_llcp_send_disconnect(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);
int nfc_llcp_send_i_frame(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock,
			  struct msghdr *msg, size_t len);
int nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock, u8 ssap, u8 dsap,
			   struct msghdr *msg, size_t len);
int nfc_llcp_send_rr(struct nfc_llcp_sock *sock);

/* Socket API */
int __init nfc_llcp_sock_init(void);
void nfc_llcp_sock_exit(void);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
A Shocking Number of Dogs in Shelters Are Misidentified as 'Pit Bulls'
Filed to:dogs
Black and white American Pit Bull Terrier. Credit: Shutterstock
Using DNA analysis, researchers have shown that shelter workers frequently mislabel dogs as "pit bulls." They say this is a serious problem given the social stigma surrounding the breed—which, technically speaking, doesn't actually exist.
The new study, published in The Veterinary Journal, shows that animal shelter staff—and even some veterinarians—consistently misidentify dogs, particularly those classed as pit bull-type dogs. Much of this has to do with the fact that animal shelter staff are expected to guess the breed of dogs strictly based on physical appearance alone. And even when dogs are assessed at the same time, staff members often disagree on what breed it actually is.
"Unlike many other things people can't quite define but 'know when they see it,' identification of dogs as pit bulls can trigger an array of negative consequences, from the loss of housing, to being seized by animal control, to the taking of the dog's life," said study lead author Julie Levy in a press statement. "In the high-stakes world of animal shelters, a dog's life might depend on a potential adopter's momentary glimpse and assumptions about its suitability as a pet. If the shelter staff has labeled the dog as a pit bull, its chances for adoption automatically go down in many shelters."
There's really no such thing as a purebred "pit bull," which makes the findings of this study all the more problematic. The catch-all term "pit bull-type breeds" describes any dog derived from the heritage breeds American Staffordshire terrier or Staffordshire bull terrier. The purebred American pit bull terrier is also descended from these breeds, and is often included in the loose definition of "pit bull."
For the study, University of Florida researchers observed four staff members (including some veterinarians) at each of four different animal shelters, recording how they identified incoming dogs. In total, there were 120 dogs involved in the study, comprising 16 different breeds (admittedly, not the greatest sample size, both in terms of staff members and dogs analyzed). After this, the researchers took blood samples from the dogs for DNA analysis; their genetic profiles were then compared to the staff's assessments.
The researchers learned that one in three dogs lacking DNA for pit bull heritage were labeled by at least one staff member as being a pit bull-type dog, while one in five dogs who actually had some kind of pit bull DNA were missed by all shelter staff. Dogs with pit bull heritage were correctly labeled only 33 to 75 percent of the time, depending on which staff member did the judging. And dogs with no relevant DNA were mislabeled as pit bulls anywhere from zero to 48 percent of the time.
According to the ASPCA, nearly four million dogs enter animal shelters in the United States each year, of which 1.2 million are euthanized. About 1.4 million dogs are adopted each year. How many of these dogs are not being adopted because they've been mislabeled?
A muzzled pit bull-type dog. Tatiana via Flickr/CC BY 2.0
Many jurisdictions are enacting legislation restricting certain breeds, including pit bulls and dogs that resemble them. "The restrictions are based on the assumptions that certain breeds are inherently dangerous, that those breeds can be reliably identified, and that restricting these breeds would improve public safety," the authors wrote in their study.
But many dogs are identified based on their physical appearance alone, and these assessments are often wrong—even when made by experts. It's quite difficult, if not impossible, to predict a dog's behavior even when its genetic profile is known.
"A dog's physical appearance cannot tell observers anything about its behavior," said Levy. "Even dogs of similar appearance and the same breed often have diverse behavioral traits in the same way that human siblings often have very different personalities."
Previous studies have shown that injuries from dogs have not decreased in jurisdictions where certain breeds have been banned. Public safety would be better served, argue the researchers, by focusing on other variables, including the supervision of children, recognizing a dog's body language, not approaching an unfamiliar dog in its territory, neutering dogs, identifying "dangerous dogs and reckless dog owners," and raising puppies to be social companions.
As for animal shelter staff, they should simply enter "mixed breed" or "unknown" in their records when a dog's actual pedigree is unavailable.
[The Veterinary Journal]
Email the author at george@gizmodo.com and follow him @dvorsky.


The Yamaha YPC62 Piccolo is the next step up from the student model instruments. Featuring a solid grenadilla wood body and headjoint, this instrument produces a warm and professional sound, suitable for orchestras and ensembles. This piccolo in particular is favoured by many of the top orchestra players for its excellent intonation and response. Included with the piccolo are a case, aluminium cleaning rod and cork grease.
Featuring a headjoint and body both made from carefully seasoned grenadilla wood for a warm full tone with strong projection. Nickel silver makes the keys attractive as well as to create a nice feel for players during use.
Yamaha's YPC62 Piccolo has excellent body strength and precise key action, and can produce a clear and more responsive high E with the features split E mechanism. The double bladder pads now have a longer life and better seating, whilst smoother airflow throughout the instrument results in improved intonation and response.
The Yamaha YPC62 Professional Piccolo has been a favorite for musicians for many years now, and can be found in a variety of top orchestras worldwide. Sharing many of the characteristics of Yamaha's hand-crafted series, this piccolo features a similar design and boasts a high degree of hand-craftsmanship for excellent intonation and playability.
This Piccolo includes professional features such as select grenadilla wood and nickel silver - both materials commonly used on high end instruments. This model is perfect for professionals to express themselves using the conical bore for accurate intonation. Producing warm, full tones this Piccolo is characterized by its superb playability.
The Yamaha Piccolo comes with a wooden case that is ideal for a travelling musician. This case supports the piccolo during its adventures between destinations. Whether it gigs, concerts or just a quick practice this case will keep your instrument looking newer for longer as it protects against scratches and knocks. Also included in this package is an aluminium cleaning rod and cork grease which are both ideal for maintaining your instrument. Play your new Piccolo straight out of the box with everything that you need included.


text:
Five must-read stories—December 3
The stories you can't miss
Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NH National Bureau
Price for dismantling the unified command
"Stopping that practice—45 minutes every single working day around 10am—has had an impact, it appears to me," Chidambaram said at the launch of former NSA and foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon's book, Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy. "That practice helped us to coordinate our analysis and our response." Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the book. India, the target of frequent Pakistan-sponsored attacks in the years leading up to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, did not suffer a single cross-border terror strike after that till 2013, Chidambaram said. Terror attacks that did occur, like the German Bakery blast in Pune in 2010, were traced to local perpetrators, he said. In The Telegraph.
Making sense of Mamata Banerjee's charges
Yet another line of attack was introduced when Mamata accused the Centre of violating the federal structure by seeking information on revenue collection by the Calcutta Municipal Corporation between November 15, 2015, and November 16, 2016, directly from the civic body by bypassing the state government. The Trinamool sources said Mamata's latest round of protests followed a pattern. "This is how she has always built mass movements, stitching together several issues to amplify the impact and widen the support base," a source said. In The Telegraph.
Pay ₹500 and use PM's pic in commercial advertisements
Reliance Jio could likely end up paying a penalty of just ₹500 for using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph in all their advertisements, without his permission. In TheNewsMinute.com.
Now Income Tax is tapping your phones
While the gadgetry was available, previous governments did not give a free hand on its use, fearing leakage of information. Plus a shortage of manpower hindered the use of the technology. "Since the Niira Radia case in which her conversations with well-known people were leaked, the IT department has been wary of using surveillance technology. But now, we have the staff and a free hand,'' a senior IT official said. In New Indian Express.
ATMs short of cash, not temples
A popular Hindu shrine in Rajasthan just got richer by more than ₹9 lakh–all in crisp, new ₹2,000 and ₹500 banknotes. And these new notes were donated by devotees at the Sanwaliya Ji temple in Chittorgarh, within 20 days of the government's shock decision on November 8 to recall high-value banknotes that pulled out an estimated 86% of the currency in circulation. In The Hindustan Times.
Shivshankar Menon
Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy
Calcutta Municipal Corporation
Sanwaliya Ji
Live updates: IAF's Sukhoi, Mirage aircraft crash in MP's Morena; one pilot killed
Priyanka Gandhi joins Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra in J-K


Avi Levine is the Executive Director of the Digital Professional Institute, Chicago's destination for digital skills training.
Now's the time to develop a robust strategy to grow your company next year. Across industries, businesses of all sizes are taking the end of the year to reflect on past successes, analyze failures and figure out how to start the new year on the right track.
By 2018, the U.S. is expected to have around 1.5 million managers and analysts who lack sufficient technical and digital skills to stay up to date on the demands of the workplace. As executive director of the Digital Professional Institute, I've seen firsthand how in business today, it's "digitize or die."
At my company, we train companies and professionals in digital skills, as well as partner with leading high schools and colleges to offer our curriculum to their students. I got involved in digital skills training after realizing how critical reaching customers through online channels and leveraging online tools was to the success of my personal ventures. Every entrepreneur I know, as well as every big company I speak with, faces the same challenge of navigating the ever-changing, ever-expanding digital landscape.
If you're not investing in these kinds of digital training solutions, you're not just losing your advantage -- you're falling behind. Company leaders literally can't afford to wait to invest in digital training. As you define your strategic vision for the future, it's more important than ever to increase your workforce's digital proficiency and move past the competition.
Already have training programs that touch on digital skills that you've been using for years? Unfortunately, those tried and true teachings aren't going to help your employees -- or your company. According to a study by Deloitte, digital skills, including data and analytics, SEO and programming, now have a half-life of about two and a half years due to the increasing pace of technological advancement. In order to keep up with changing digital trends and innovations, it's essential to update training on at least a quarterly basis.
That's why companies like KPMG have reorganized their professional development structure to train employees on which skills aren't just useful in the present, but those that will be relevant in the future. They reassess necessary skills every year and plan proactively to help employees acquire them. By doing so, KPMG is assuring that their workforce has the tools to anticipate new innovations and adapt accordingly. If you're not taking similar steps to plan for the future, you're already falling behind.
According to a study by Capgemini Consulting, over 90 percent of companies stated that their employees lacked necessary skills in social media, mobile and data analysis. While this in itself is shocking, here's the kicker: Of those companies, only 46 percent were actually taking the initiative to invest in developing digital skills in their employees.
What does this mean for your company? If you invest in training your employees in digital skills, you'll automatically have a workforce capable of outperforming the majority of your competitors in the areas that now matter most.
It's true not just in theory, but in practice. This is something Bosch Power Tools realized when faced with a changing e-commerce industry: they trained their sales team to better support their current retail partners who are selling online, helping them understand the tools necessary to merchandise and sell their brands online. As a result, the Bosch sales team wasn't just able to stay ahead of the competition and increase their ability to communicate with buyers; they were also able to work more efficiently in digital sales, collaborate with each other and navigate the digital world with confidence.
The lack of workers missing crucial digital skills is not just here at home either -- similar speculations have been made about the digital skills gap in the United Kingdom. Big data, web analytics, content marketing and social media are all skills that underpin marketing and communication tactics across industries, but they're also the areas where employees fall short. In fact, an Adobe study showed that only nine percent of senior marketers expressed confidence in the effectiveness of their digital marketing campaigns, in part due to their lack of digital experience and skills.
In order to get started on training your employees in digital skills, you need to first isolate what they need training on. Does your sales team need to have a better grasp of e-commerce models to make sales? Does your marketing department need to get up-to-date on the best SEO practices? To assess your needs, consider sending a short survey to your team to determine where their strengths and gaps are. Or you can have a training provider conduct a more comprehensive diagnostic assessment.
From there, you should select a training program that meets the following criteria: duration, delivery (online or onsite), customization, instructor qualification and assessment. Check to see which programs teach the exact skills your employees need, who's willing to tailor or customize their curriculum to best address your specific needs, and who can work within your employees' schedules and locations. Once you find a training solution that does all that, you're well on your way to getting your company competitive in the digital landscape.
The bottom line is that soon, digital skills won't just be useful for getting your company ahead: they'll be essential to keeping your company running smoothly and profitably. Are you investing in the digital training your company needs for the future?


Sony grew up in India at a time when drivers had the luxury of choosing between a Hindustan Ambassador or a Premier Padmini, and the only place to spot exotics was the bedroom wall. No wonder he still thinks it takes three boxes to make a proper car. Being sensible he drives a Camry and his favorite car in the whole wide world is a Jag. Yet he's not a sexagenarian, although he is as far as journalistic experience goes, he is. He's like the wheels uncle, representing a shred of responsibility and wisdom that no one on the team seems to have.
Cadillac is probably one of the last major automakers to enter the lucrative compact crossover market. Is the offering compelling enough?
Honda gives its flagship SUV a mid-cycle update. Is it enough to keep it fresh against tough competition in the segment? We take one for a spin to find out.


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Gympie's Ross Chapman to captain Australian over-70s
"THE young blokes weren't getting a fair go," Gympie cricketer Ross Chapman recalls.
So the man who had scored 10 centuries before he left high school, got together with fellow Gympie enthusiasts Max Walters and Craig Whittaker to form Gympie Gold.
Former Gympie Times sports editor Brad Petersen was the team's first captain.
Now, some years on, Chapman is lining up to captain Australia's over-70s team.
"We'll play three one-day intermediate games against a touring England side," he said yesterday.
The matches will take place in Brisbane next week, on Thursday; in Sydney on October 29; and Canberra on November 3.
But before then, he'll be playing for Queensland at Surfers Paradise on Sunday and at Caloundra on Tuesday.
An enthusiastic Gympie cricketer since primary school, Chapman played for Gympie Central against Chatsworth, continuing with Gympie High.
He went to Brisbane to study and played for Norths for seven years, also working during the day and studying for his engineering career at night.
He made the Metropolitan Colts side at 22 and practised with the state squad, before being called up for National Service.
That made study very important, because if he failed even one subject, his studies would be cut short and he would have to join the Army.
That happened soon enough anyway, after his graduation in 1969.
Cricket followed his career and, while working for an engineering consultancy in Charleville, he played cricket there too.
"I became shire engineer in Kilkivan in 1974 and played for Gympie again for almost 10 years.
"I went to Rocky for five years and was shire engineer for Fitzroy Shire.
"By then my kids were in Brisbane and luckily I got the job back here in 1995, effectively as (engineering director) Bob Fredman's deputy.
"Fortunately I've never really stopped playing cricket.
"If you give up at 40 and try to come back at 60 it can be hard."
In some ways, Chapman has lived a lifetime of Gympie and Queensland cricket and helped pioneer seniors cricket nationally.
"You hardly heard of it in 2009, and there were only 14 people with the Queensland side.
"But in Canberra in 2010, Queensland won the Australian championship."
Chapman looks back on a career which includes eight tests for the Australian Over-60s.
He has scored some 50 centuries in about that many years.
And he hasn't finished yet.
gympie cricket association


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An engraving on an eye stone of onyx with an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II. Anton Nyström, 1901.
Nebuchadnezzar II ( i/ˌnɛbjᵿkədˈnɛzər/; Aramaic: ܢܵܒܘܼ ܟܘܼܕܘܼܪܝܼ ܐܘܼܨܘܼܪ ; Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר Nəḇūḵaḏneṣṣar; Ancient Greek: Ναβουχοδονόσωρ Naboukhodonósôr; Latin: Nabuchodonosor; Arabic: نِبُوخَذنِصَّر nibūḫaḏniṣṣar; c. 634 – c. 562 BC) was a Chaldean king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned c. 605 BC – c. 562 BC. Both the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the destruction of Jerusalem's temple are ascribed to him. He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is mentioned in several other books of the Bible.
The Akkadian name, Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, means "O god Nabu, preserve/defend my firstborn son". Nabu, son of the god Marduk, is the Babylonian deity of wisdom. In an inscription, Nebuchadnezzar styles himself as Nabu's "beloved" and "favorite". His name has previously been mistakenly interpreted as "O Nabu, defend my kudurru", in which sense a kudurru is an inscribed stone deed of property. However, when contained in a ruler's title, kudurru approximates to "firstborn son" or "oldest son". Variations of the Hebrew form include נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר and נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (Nəḇuḵaḏreṣṣar). He is also known as Bakhat Nasar, which means "winner of the fate", or literally, "fate winner".
Nebuchadnezzar was the oldest son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its three centuries of vassalage to its fellow Mesopotamian state, Assyria, and in alliance with the Medes, Persians, Scythians, and Cimmerians, laid Nineveh in ruins. According to Berossus, some years before he became king of Babylon, Babylonian dynasties were united. There are conflicting accounts of Nitocris of Babylon being either his wife or daughter.
Nabopolassar was intent on annexing the western provinces of Syria (ancient Aram) from Necho II (whose own dynasty had been installed as vassals of Assyria, and who was still hoping to help restore Assyrian power), and to this end dispatched his son westward with a large army. In the ensuing Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, the Egyptian and Assyrian army was defeated and driven back, and the region of Syria and Phoenicia were brought under the control of Babylon. Nabopolassar died in August that year, and Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to ascend the throne.
Nebuchadnezzar faces off against Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, who holds a plan of Jerusalem, in a Baroque era depiction in Zwiefalten Abbey, Germany.
After the defeat of the Cimmerians and Scythians, previous allies in the defeat of Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar's expeditions were directed westward. The powerful Median empire lay to the north. Nebuchadnezzar's political marriage to Amytis of Media, the daughter of the Median king, had ensured peace between the two empires.
Nebuchadnezzar engaged in several military campaigns designed to increase Babylonian influence in Aramea (modern Syria) and Judah. An attempted invasion of Egypt in 601 BC was met with setbacks, however, leading to numerous rebellions among the Phoenician and Canaanite states of the Levant, including Judah. Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with these rebellions, capturing Jerusalem in 597 BC and deposing King Jehoiakim, then destroying the city in 587 BC due to rebellion, and deporting many of the prominent citizens along with a sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judea to Babylon. These events are described in the Prophets (Nevi'im) and Writings (Ketuvim), sections of the Hebrew Bible (in the books 2 Kings and Jeremiah, and 2 Chronicles, respectively). After the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in a thirteen-year siege of Tyre (circa 586–573 BCE) which ended in a compromise, with the Tyrians accepting Babylonian authority.
Following the pacification of the Phoenician state of Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar turned again to Egypt. A clay tablet, now in the British Museum, states: "In the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Mitzraim (Egypt) to wage war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected [his army], and marched and spread abroad." Having completed the subjugation of Phoenicia, and a campaign against Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar set himself to rebuild and adorn the city of Babylon, and constructed canals, aqueducts, temples and reservoirs.
According to Babylonian tradition, towards the end of his life, Nebuchadnezzar prophesied the impending ruin of the Chaldean Dynasty (Berossus and Abydenus in Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica, 9.41). He died in Babylon between the second and sixth months of the forty-third year of his reign, and was succeeded by Amel-Marduk.
During the last century of Nineveh's existence, Babylon had been greatly devastated, not only at the hands of Sennacherib and Assurbanipal, but also as a result of Babylon's repeated rebellions. Nebuchadnezzar, continuing his father's work of reconstruction, aimed at making his capital one of the world's wonders. Old temples were restored; new edifices of incredible magnificence were erected to the many gods of the Babylonian pantheon (Diodorus of Sicily, 2.95; Herodotus, 1.183). To complete the royal palace begun by Nabopolassar, nothing was spared, neither "cedar-wood, nor bronze, gold, silver, rare and precious stones"; an underground passage and a stone bridge connected the two parts of the city separated by the Euphrates; the city itself was rendered impregnable by the construction of a triple line of walls. The bridge across the Euphrates is of particular interest, in that it was supported on asphalt covered brick piers that were streamlined to reduce the upstream resistance to flow, and the downstream turbulence that would otherwise undermine the foundations. Nebuchadnezzar's construction activity was not confined to the capital; he is credited with the restoration of the Lake of Sippar, the opening of a port on the Persian Gulf, and the building of the Median Wall between the Tigris and the Euphrates to protect the country against incursions from the north. These undertakings required a considerable number of laborers; an inscription at the great temple of Marduk suggests that the labouring force used for his public works was most likely made up of captives brought from various parts of western Asia.
Nebuchadnezzar is credited by Berossus with the construction of the Hanging Gardens, for his homesick wife Amyitis (or Amytis) to remind her of her homeland, Medis (Media) in Persia. He is also credited for the construction of the Ishtar Gate, one of the eight gates leading into the city of Babylon. However, some scholars argue that the Gardens may have been constructed by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in his capital city, Nineveh.
Nebuchadnezzar is widely known through his portrayal in the Bible, especially the Book of Daniel. The Bible discusses events of his reign and his conquest of Jerusalem.
Daniel 2 is attributed to the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, in which Nebuchadnezzar is said to dream of a huge image made of various materials (gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay). The prophet Daniel tells him that God's interpretation is that it stands for the rise and fall of world powers, starting with Nebuchadnezzar's own as the golden head.
In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar erects a large idol made of gold for worship during a public ceremony on the plain of Dura. When three Hebrews, whose names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (respectively renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by their captors, to facilitate their assimilation into Babylonian culture), refuse to take part, he has them cast into a fiery furnace. They are protected by what Nebuchadnezzar describes as "The son of God" (Daniel 3:25 KJV) and emerge unscathed without even the smell of smoke. Daniel 3 goes on to say that Nebuchadnezzar realized that no man-made god has the power to save and praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He then made a decree that anyone of any nation that would make any accusation against God would be mutilated and their homes be destroyed.
In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar dreams about an immense tree, which Daniel interprets to mean that Nebuchadnezzar will go insane for seven "times" (often interpreted as years) because of his pride. The chapter is written from the perspective of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 4 concluded with Nebuchadnezzar losing his sanity and living in the wild like an animal for "seven times" (usually thought to be seven years) during his reign. After this, his sanity and position are restored. Theologians have interpreted this story in several ways. Origen attributed the metamorphosis as a representation of the fall of Lucifer, Bodin and Cluvier maintained it was a metamorphosis of both soul and body, Tertullian confined the transformation to the body only, without the loss of reason, cases of which Augustine stated were reported in Italy, but gave them little credit. Gaspard Peucer asserted that the transformation of men into wolves was common in Livonia. Some Jewish rabbis asserted there was an exchange of souls between the man and ox, while others argued for an apparent or docetic change which was not real. The most generally received opinion, which was also held by Jerome, was that the madman was under the influence of hypochondriachal monomania by which God could humble the pride of kings.
Modern writers have speculated that the biblical story might refer to an illness with a natural organic cause. Some consider it to have been an attack of clinical lycanthropy or alternatively porphyria. Psychologist Henry Gleitman wrote that Nebuchadnezzar's insanity was a result of general paresis or paralytic dementia seen in advanced cases of syphilis.
Some scholars think that Nebuchadnezzar's portrayal by Daniel is a mixture of traditions about Nebuchadnezzar and about Nabonidus (Nabuna'id) who became confused with him. For example, Nabonidus was the natural, or paternal father of Belshazzar, and the seven years of insanity could be related to Nabonidus' sojourn in Tayma in the desert.
The Book of Jeremiah contains a prophecy about the arising of a "destroyer of nations", commonly regarded as a reference to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 4:7), as well as an account of Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem and looting and destruction of the temple (Jer. 52).
Chapter 14 of the Book of Isaiah refers to what Jewish exegesis of the prophetic vision of Isaiah 14:12–15 identifies as King Nebuchadnezzar II; the Hebrew text says הֵילֵל בֶּן-שָׁחַר (Helel ben Shaḥar, "day-star, son of the morning"). It is a taunting prophecy against an oppressive king. In Isaiah 14, the king is being mocked, as he is struck through with a sword, killed, and thrown into a common grave. Mainstream Christianity reads into this passage to the fall of Lucifer because verse 20 says that this king of Babylon will not be "joined with them [all the kings of the nations] in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever", but rather be cast out of the grave, while "All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, every one in his own house". "Helel ben Shaḥar" may refer to the Morning Star, but Isaiah gives no indication that Helel is a star.
According to Tabari, Nebuchadnezzar, whose Persian name was Bukhtrashah, was of Persian descent, from the progeny of Jūdharz. Some believe he lived as long as 300 years. While much of what is written about Nebuchadnezzar depicts a ruthless warrior, some texts show a ruler who was concerned with both spiritual and moral issues in life and was seeking divine guidance.
Nebuchadnezzar was seen as a strong, conquering force in Islamic texts and historical compilations, like Tabari. The Babylonian leader used force and destruction to grow an empire. He conquered kingdom after kingdom, including Phoenicia, Philistia, Judah, Ammon, Moab, Jerusalem, and more. The most notable events that Tabari's collection focuses on is the destruction of Jerusalem.
Voltaire interprets the legacy of Nebuchadnezzar and his relationship with Amasis in a short story entitled The White Bull.
The opera Nabucco (1842) by Giuseppe Verdi.
The Nabucco pipeline, a planned natural gas pipeline that will transport natural gas from Turkey to Austria, via Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.
Saddam Hussein considered himself to be the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar and had the inscription "To King Nebuchadnezzar in the reign of Saddam Hussein" inscribed on bricks inserted into the walls of the ancient city of Babylon during a reconstruction project he initiated; he named one of his Republican Guards divisions after Nebuchadnezzar.
A bottle of wine with a volume equivalent to 20 standard bottles (15 litres) is called a Nebuchadnezzar.
"Nebuchadnezzar's Furnace" is a type of daylily.
The name of Morpheus' vessel in the films The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded.
Nebuchadnezzar II is a playable character in Civilization V.
Nebuchadnezzar II is mentioned in the Microsoft computer game Age of Empires in the eighth Babylon campaign "Nineveh" in the history section and after the campaign is won.
Nebuchadnezzar is a card in Magic: The Gathering.
↑ Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII, ch. 6–8.
↑ Ronald F. Youngblood; F. F. Bruce; R. K. Harrison, eds. (2012). Unlock the Bible: Keys to Exploring the Culture and Times. Thomas Nelson. p. 347. ISBN 1418547263.
↑ Allen, Leslie C. (2008). Jeremiah: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 472. ISBN 978-0664222239.
↑ Elgood, Percival George. 1951. Later Dynasties of Egypt. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, p. 106.
↑ Smith, William and Fuller, J.M. 1893. A Dictionary of the Bible: Comprising Its Antiquities, Biography, Geography, and Natural History. London: John Murray, vol. I, p. 314.
↑ Foster, Karen Polinger (1998). http://environment.yale.edu/documents/downloads/0-9/103foster.pdf |url= missing title (help) (PDF). Transformations of Middle Eastern Natural Environments: Legacies and Lessons. New Haven: Yale University. pp. 320–329. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
↑ Rollinger, Robert (2013). "Berossos and the Monuments". In Haubold, Johannes; et al. The World of Berossos. Harrassowitz. p. 155. ISBN 978-3-447-06728-7.
↑ "Son of God or a Son of the Gods (Daniel 3:25)?". kjvonly.org. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
↑ "Daniel 3:28-29". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
↑ "Blue Letter Bible—Strongs H5732".
↑ "Daniel 4". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
↑ Kroeger, Catherine Clark; Evans, Mary J. (2009). The Women's Study Bible: New Living Translation (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-529125-4.
↑ Henry Gleitman, Psychology (New York: W W Norton, 2007), 219.
↑ Wolfram von Soden: "Eine babylonische Volksüberlieferung von Nabonid in den Danielerzählungen". In: Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 53 (1935), pp. 81–89.
↑ Calvin's Bible Commentaries: Jeremiah and Lamentations, Part I, John Calvin, translated by John King, Forgotten Books, 2007, p. 168.
↑ "ASTRONOMY – Helel, Son of the Morning.". The unedited full-text of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
↑ Wilken, Robert (2007). Isaiah: Interpreted by Early Christian and Medieval Commentators. Grand Rapids MI: Wm Eerdmans Publishing. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-8028-2581-0.
↑ Gunkel, "Schöpfung und Chaos," pp. 132 et seq.
↑ "Isaiah Chapter 14". mechon-mamre.org. The Mamre Institute. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
1 2 Ṭabarī, Muḥammad Ibn-Ǧarīr Aṭ- (1987). The History of Al-Tabarī. State Univ. of New York Pr. pp. 43–70.
↑ Wiseman, D.J. (1985). Nebuchadrezzar and Babylon. Oxford.
↑ Tabouis, G.R. (1931). Nebuchadnezzar. Whittlesey House. p. 3.
↑ Encyclopedia of the Developing World, edited by Thomas M. Leonard, p. 793.
↑ Archeology Under Dictatorship, Michael L. Galaty and Charles Watkinson, p. 203.
↑ "Nebuchadnezzar (Masters Edition III) - Gatherer - Magic: The Gathering". wizards.com. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
Arnold, Bill T. (2005). Who Were the Babylonians?. BRILL.
Freedman, David Noel (2000). "Nebuchadnezzar". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans.
Lee, Wayne E. (2011). Warfare and Culture in World History. NYU Press.
Wiseman, D.J. (1991a). "Babylonia 605-539 BC". In Boardman, John; Edwards, I. E. S. The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume III Part II. Cambridge University Press.
Wiseman, D.J. (1991b). Nebuchadrezzar and Babylon: The Schweich Lectures of The British Academy 1983. OUP/British Academy.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Nebuchadnezzar". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Nabuchodonosor". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.
Wikisource has the text of the 1879 American Cyclopædia article Nebuchadnezzar.


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Home > Politics > Pourquoi?
Address by Fabien Roussel, elected National Secretary of the French Communist Party on 25 November 2018. Good webinar on Labour fight back today in the USA by CPUSA Taking politics with philosophy With Emmanuel Macron as President, What to Expect? Yellow Vests: The Rich are ever more Rich, and we are Abandoned LEFT. THE PCF MOBILIZES "FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR MONEY" INSTITUTIONS. « IL FAUT ASSAINIR LE SYSTÈME DE FINANCEMENT DE LA DÉMOCRATIE » Red Vests or Yellow Vests, We must be more Numerous to Win European Council. Manipulations around the necessary fight against anti-Semitism The Luxury of Another Political Stance, To Believe in What You Say and Do ... But Damn, it's Hard! Saturday, December 8. Government censorship in the street FABIEN ROUSSEL . A MORALE OF STEEL FORGED IN THE MINING BASIN
ORIGINAL FRENCH ARTICLE: Pourquoi?
by Maurice Ulrich
Translated Tuesday 3 July 2018, by Paula Smith
It has been said that, Churchill, in the midst of the war, was questioned with regards to continuing his support towards the arts and culture in such circumstances. Very conservative as he was, he responded: "But well, why are we fighting?"
We have recently heard, in relation to Aquarius and its passengers, various calls not to mix emotions and reason, humanity and the reality principle, or even not to resume morality and politics. Clearly, it would be justified to worry when we are good-hearted and caring, why cannot be, due to the risk of…of what, actually? To welcome migrants with dignity and respect? To see us invaded by hoards of migrants, or even simply needing a revision of the politics which will put an end to Europe which is protected by a fortress and which is incapable of taking measures to cope with world-wide urgencies. To go as far as Trump, separating children from their parents? One must not mix humanity, morals, and politics. But well, why are we fighting?


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Categories: Astrological terms | Zodiac
Fixed stars such as those that make up the constellations are called fixed to distinguish them from the "wandering stars" or planets. In actuality, all stars are in motion relative the the Earth's rest frame. It is only because stars other than the sun are located very far away that they appear unmoving on the time scale of a human life. It is more accurate, therefore, to refer to these stars as "relatively fixed." The slow motion of a star relative to the celestial coordinate system imposed by astronomers is called its proper motion. Some tropical astrologers have cited the movement of these stars as a weakness of those forms of astrology that use the sidereal zodiac.
It is fairly uncommon for modern astrologers to use fixed stars in their delineations, but ancient and medieval astrologers almost always took them into account, especially those that are particularly bright and close to the ecliptic. Some of the stars most commonly considered in astrological judgments are Spica, Antares, Regulus, Aldebaran, Fomalhaut, the Pleiades, and Algol. The characteristics of the fixed stars were often described by astrologers as combinations of planetary qualities; for example, Spica is described by Ptolemy as having an influence similar to Venus and Mars.
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I am drawn by a sense of intrigue.
Abandoning the burdens of gravity, I am suspended in midwater, free to move effortlessly in the three dimensions of inner space. Beyond physical impressions, I am drawn by a sense of intrigue, an urge to explore the many parts of our water planet that have yet to be seen by human eyes. Even at familiar sites, there are treasures awaiting discovery: a new species in the neighborhood, or a previously unknown behavior. On occasions when nothing new appears,natural wonders still abound: the rhythmic pulsing of a jellyfish, sunbeams dancing on the seafloor, or the riot of color and activity that characterizes a healthy coral reef. Every dive is different, yet there is a common thread, reminding me of what an amazing place the underwater realm can be, and how privileged I am to be among the small percent of humanity who experience it firsthand. Surrounded by such marvels, I am seized by a desire to share with others, to somehow convey the spellbinding beauty and mystery below the waves. Thankfully, photography offers just such a vehicle. While I seldom feel that I've done justice to the subjects, the pursuit of these images has become a driving force, relentlessly drawing me back to the underwater world. This compulsion has been a rich reward in itself, resulting in a lifetime of incredible moments observing and interacting with marine life of every description, from amphipods no bigger than a match head to whales that rival the dimensions of a school bus. This quest has also taken me to some of the world's most exotic locales, including Thailand's Andaman Sea, where I was fortunate to spend many years leading dive expeditions. But wherever I find myself diving and photographing, I hope that my images not only entertain, but also educate and inspire those who don't get to experience the ocean first-hand, helping them appreciate the delicate nature of our marine environment and the urgent need to protect it.
For me, photography is about capturing the essence of nature to inspire greater awareness of the beauty and the plights of our ocean; to invigorate, to educate and to inspire love and change. As underwater photographers, we should self-proclaim as ambassadors of the sea.


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Draw Something
By Bryan Gawinski | March 19, 2012
Categories: android, drawing, game, ios, ipad, iphone, mobile, omgpop, rating-o, simpleidea, word
If you always liked playing Pictionary as a board game with friends, now you can doodle away mobile style with Draw Something. A game very similar to Charadium or XSketch, OMGPOP brings players a socially addicting Pictionary-style game to both iOS and Android platforms (previously featured here when it was first released as a browser game). The game has even become so popular that it could possibly spawn a TV show!
If you didn't like playing board games before video games came along or have never heard of Pictionary, here's the scoop. After finding a person to play with, one of you chooses a word, draws, and sends a video of the drawing process to the other player. The word chosen ranges in difficulty from easy to hard, but for those who are drawing-impaired, even an easy word can seem insanely difficult for your teammate. The drawings can even contain words if you draw them in, but that can occasionally ruin the mystery of guessing. (Words were especially helpful when Skyrim was the word and my teammate drew FUS RO DAH).
Teams are rewarded coins for correct guesses, and if you choose more difficult words, you'll get more coins. You can spend your virtual cash on things like bombs that blow away red herring letters or new colors to draw with. Who wants to stick with black, blue, red, and yellow when you can paint with an army color palette? Sadly though, the colors can only be bought while you are drawing your pretty picture and not from the main menu. A tad inconvenient, but not a deal breaker.
Draw Something gives off the feel of a social Facebook-style game, and its simple design bars no one from enjoying some wholesome fun. Without a timer to put on the pressure, players can enjoy making their drawings as artsy as possible and guessing the word as leisurely as they want. It can be endless fun, literally. Be warned, though, that because Draw Something utilizes random drawing partners, the possibility of catching inappropriate content exists. Usually, though, it's good, clean, Pictionary-style fun!
Play Draw Something (browser version)
NOTE: This game was played and reviewed on an iPod Touch 3rd Generation. Game was available in the North American market at the time of publication, but may not be available in other territories. Please see individual app market pages for purchasing info.
Lizz • March 19, 2012 8:11 PM
It's a lot like words with friends but with pictures. It's quickly becoming my favorite mobile game. :D
snazans • March 19, 2012 8:26 PM
Me too, @Lizz. My whole family spent much of yesterday afternoon trading pics and clues around the room to each other's devices. Lotsa fun.
frickineh • March 20, 2012 1:58 PM
It's just too bad that the app is currently really glitchy. It's fun but they need to work on that.
Bryan Gawinski • March 20, 2012 2:01 PM
It has a hard time finding a random opponent. I got one to play, but when I searched for another, it hasn't stopped searching.
omgbeachbabe • March 20, 2012 8:25 PM
OMG i love this game SOOOOO much! Thank you for posting it!
No problem. I enjoy the game a lot. I would have never found out about it if it wasn't for this site and team.
Nonamegiven • March 25, 2012 2:40 PM
A coworker of my mother's turned her on to this and it has quickly spread like wildfire to everyone we know. It's a ton of fun to play just be careful where you play it as you'll frequently find yourself yelling at your device's screen. Example: "What?! How is that a cat?! It looks nothing like a cat! And what are those weird things sticking off the side?!"
Shudog • March 26, 2012 10:30 AM
This game is making some kind of headlines for the developers' Cinderella story.