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Dissent Grows Among Democrats as Pelosi Refuses to Deal
Author: Greg Valliere
HOUSE DEMOCRATS RETURNED TO WASHINGTON yesterday in a foul mood, bickering over their inability to get a stimulus bill for their reeling constituents. A sizable minority is grumbling about Nancy Pelosi, who refuses to deal.
EVEN THOUGH THE HOUSE has veered leftward in recent years, there are several moderate groups — the Blue Dog Democrats, the New Democratic Coalition and the Problem Solvers. Some of these Democrats are facing tough election fights, and they would support a scaled-backed stimulus.
PELOSI HAS BACKED AWAY from the $3.4 trillion bill that the House passed in May; sources report she would accept something around $2 trillion. Many Republicans want to pass little or nothing, but we're hearing that Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has been authorized by the White House to offer about $1.5 trillion.
THAT'S BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP wants to pass a stimulus bill and believes that it could help the markets and the economy — and, of course, it could help his re-election prospects. He has declared, correctly in our opinion, that Pelosi doesn't want a bill because passage could help him politically.
THESE POLITICAL CALCULATIONS DON'T MATTER to constituents who are facing evictions, bankruptcy, and the collapse of small businesses. They gave House members an earful during the long summer break, and this could motivate Congress to act. "We can't do nothing," one Democrat told Politico.
AS ONE DEMOCRATIC STAFFER TOLD US yesterday, if the White House could accept $1.5 trillion and the Democrats could agree to $2 trillion, there's room for a compromise. "Pelosi is determined to win a political victory, but her refusal to compromise is costing her support among her among her troops," the staffer said.
PELOSI, 80, LIVES ON NOB HILL in San Francisco and may be out of touch with Americans who are struggling, many members complain. And they detect some differences between her and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, 81, who may not agree with Pelosi's vow to keep the House in session for much of October.
OUR BOTTOM LINE is that a stimulus bill isn't totally dead. The need for more relief
has overwhelming support among economists (and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell). Pelosi is getting a clear signal that it's time to deal — she won't talk with Trump, but she's on cordial terms with Mnuchin, who is prepared to try again for a compromise.
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Some of Daniel Avila's critics promote doctrines of demons...
Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of the demonic organization "DignityUSA," and others associated with her dissent group, have issued a statement regarding Daniel Avila's opinion piece on same-sex attraction which was removed from The Pilot, Boston's Archdiocesan newspaper. The statement says (in part):
"The comments made by Mr. Avila are outrageous, and have no place in any official Catholic communication vehicle. While we appreciate his apology, both he and officials from the Archdiocese of Boston have inflicted tremendous damage on the souls and psyches of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and our families. There are still many people, both Catholic and non-Catholic, who will find validation for misguided beliefs about gay people because this material was allowed to be published in the Boston Pilot."
This is the same Marianne Duddy-Burke who called upon the Catholic Church to abandon its teaching that homosexual acts are intrinsically evil acts and who said that, "As long as the doctrine stands [Catholic doctrine which defines marriage as a heterosexual union and which says that homosexual acts are acts of grave depravity], it makes it really hard for the pastoral and the doctrinal aspects of our faith not to come into a clash...The people of the church are changing, and by and large very affirming of gay people, and the hierarchy and the doctrine are lagging behind." See here.
Now as Michael Brown has reported, "Father Gabriele Amorth, the official exorcist in Rome, has warned that wanton consumerism, sexual promiscuity, the occult, abortion, and homosexuality have caused a tremendous outbreak of demonic activity at a time when the Church has stripped itself of weapons to fight it." And one might add: at a time when the homosexual movement is engulfing our society like a plague. Father Jeffrey Steffon warns that, "Satan tries to deceive, entice, enslave, torment (bring into bondage), drive human beings away from God, or defile them even if they are baptized...A major tactic of Satan is to attack our minds and thoughts. He wants to deceive us for '..there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.' (John 8:44)...The followers of Jesus must always be alert because 'the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.' (1 Tm 4:1)." (Satanism: Is It Real, p. 38).
Deceitful spirits. Recall Father John Unni and the "Rainbow Ministry" over at Saint Cecilia's Parish in Boston. One blogger who challenges the Church's teaching has written that, "For those who are dealing with the Catholic church specifically, it is also useful to recognise that for all its apparently homophobic teaching, in its internal culture it is in fact a Homoerotic Catholic Church. It could also be helpful to know that for all the negative material that has come from the modern Vatican, there have in fact been several popes who have either enjoyed their own sexual relationships with men, or who have protected relatives who have done so, or who have lavished generous papal commissions on notable gay artists to produce frankly homoerotic art. Read about some of these in Gay Popes, Papal Sodomites...It is important though to understand the more serious side of Catholic theology, and how it is changing." (See here).
Because we live in an overly-secularized culture, we tend to intellectualize everything while ignoring the supernatural dimension. We are living in a time of diabolical disorientation. It is important that we do not forget this and that we have recourse to daily prayer (especially the Holy Rosary) as well as living a sacramental life. We must arm ourselves with deliverance prayers, sacramentals such as Holy Water and Blessed Salt. We fight an enemy many choose to believe - at their own peril - does not exist.
Labels: Archdiocese of Boston, Critics, Daniel Avila, Demons, Devil, DignityUSA, Dissent, Doctrines, Marianne Duddy-Burke, Promote, Some, The Pilot
I'd like to see Cardinal O'Malley excommunicate members of DignityUSA who refuse to leave the dissenting organization. His Eminence should do as Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz did with dissenting organizations in his Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska and give such people a period of time (such as 90 days) to leave DignityUSA. If they refuse, they are thereby excommunicated latae sententiae.
This would make it THEIR choice whether or not they desire to remain in communion with the Church.
ShrewsburyCatholic said...
More evidence of that disorientation here:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/07/uk-austria-church-idUKTRE7A62SL20111107?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
The link doesn't work. Here is the Reuters article:
(Reuters) - Dissident Austrian Catholics announced lay people will start celebrating Mass when a priest is unavailable, a clear call to disobedience just as the country's bishops hold their autumn conference.
A manifesto adopted by dozens of activists at the weekend said lay people will preach, consecrate and distribute communion in priestless parishes, said Hans Peter Hurka, head of the group We Are Church.
"Church law bans this. The question is, can Church law overrule the Bible? We are of the opinion, based on findings from the Second Vatican Council, that this (ban) is not possible," he said Monday.
The Catholic Church only allows ordained priests to preside at Mass.
Hurka said dissidents had long planned the meeting but were happy it came just before a regular four-day session of the Catholic bishops' conference starting Monday.
He said he wanted bishops, led by Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, to respond to the paper, the latest in a series of challenges by grass-roots Catholic reformers in Austria.
"We basically expect this because the demands for reform are not especially new," he said. The bishops received a copy of the manifesto Saturday, he added.
Bishops planned to discuss proposed initiatives and reforms that have been put forward, according to their website, although the main topic of the session was preparing for parish council elections due in March.
Schoenborn, a former student and close associate of Pope Benedict, has ruled out sweeping changes demanded by dissident priests led by his former deputy, Rev. Helmut Schueller.
Tipped as a possible future pope, the cardinal has said he would not lead his diocese into breaking away from the Vatican by letting clergy flout Church rules after a group of priests issued a "Call to Disobedience" to try to press reform.
The group, which claims to represent about 10 percent of the Austrian clergy, has challenged Church teaching on taboo topics such as priestly celibacy and women's ordination.
The dissident priests, who have broad public backing in opinion polls, also say they will break Church rules by giving communion to Protestants and remarried divorced Catholics.
Reformist Austrian Catholics have for decades challenged the conservative policies of Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, creating protest movements and advocating changes the Vatican refuses to make.
Catholic reform groups in Germany, Ireland and the United States have made similar demands.
A record 87,000 Austrians left the Church in 2010, many in reaction to sexual abuse scandals.
Shrewsbury Catholic,
These purported "masses" celebrated by laypeople have less value than those celebrated by my kids when they were "playing the mass".
My children once wanted to imitate the priest, the altarboys, the attendants, after we came back from a sunday mass. I explained them, and they well understood, that they couldn't consecrate the bread and the wine since only the priest is given the power to do so.
The way these poor austrian catholics are behaving look more like childish games than serious matter
I know that Jac. But it shows nevertheless how confused and disobedient so many Catholics are today. Tragic isn't it?
SisterTemptation said...
LOL...You people are fighting a losing battle. This is a New Age. A Queer Age.
http://youtu.be/pmBdtu1V0l8
You are losing. Join our side. You know you want to.
FCKH8!
All that stuff partakes in the diabolical disorientation which Sr Lucia spoke of.
The times being catholics are crass ignorants about their Faith. When an apostate priest says that women or even laypeople have the power to consecrate the bread and the wine, they trust him. And the hierarchy won't discipline the priest under the false pretense of "charity". I don't remember the cardinal who said "since VatII the Church no longer excommunicates anybody" (except the trad catholics of course). Now Luther (not speaking of Muhammad)looks a better catholic than Archbp Lefebvre whose only error deals with obedience, not with faith or morals.
Isn't that apalling?
I recall the La Salette's prophecy: "Rome will lose the Faith".
Isn't this that we, horrified, are watching while it is slowly happening?
The Church is being attacked from so many different corners now, all across the globe. Humanists are working with Satanists, homosexuals and lesbians, New Age devotees and others to bring the Church down and to install a New Order.
This is indeed a prophecy being fulfilled.
LoveWillConquer said...
http://youtu.be/2sllxczzFXs
Watch and learn. The world has changed. Love like this will conquer your ideology. You belong to the past.
FCKH8
These Catholic schoolgirls have it right.
http://youtu.be/9Ltu07J_09s
This is the beginning of the end for you.
Paul, I'm beginning to think you may have to return to comment moderation. How sad. More disturbing is how many have succumbed to the "gay" agenda.
I'm inclined to agree with you Wendy. Most of those who advance the radical homosexual agenda want to impose their beliefs on the rest of us. As I've said many times before, the Church proposes, the world imposes.
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Let's explore the reasons why parents become overly involved in their children's lives. The reasons are varied. Parents may be overly protective, keeping their children from experiencing failure, wanting to be in control of everything, feel anxious or may be overcompensating for something else. Whatever the reason is, we are producing a generation of children who do not have the coping skills to face failure because their parents are always hovering around them and completing their tasks. Some of us also find it difficult to draw the line between having a healthy relationship and being a control freak!
Of course given the kind of media exposure that today's children have, it is natural for a parent to be concerned about the safety of their child. But instead of equipping them with coping skills to deal with the many challenges, we are making them dependent on us for everything. Achievement and success seem to be more important than the efforts to get there. Children then grow up with a low self-esteem, poor problem-solving skills and lack the ability to face disappointment and failure.
How then can we stop overparenting and become instead an engaged parent allowing our children the space for growth? If you are a helicopter parent, here are some ways to disengage and stop hovering!
Depending on the age of your child, delegate certain responsibilities to them. Children as young as 5 can dress themselves, be mom's little helper by putting away their toys or helping to sort the clothes. Older children can definitely be recruited to lay the table, help out in the kitchen, iron their clothes and pitch in on other household chores. Ensure that you do not micro manage the tasks even if it does not come up to your standards. This will help your child gain confidence to handle tasks around the house and make him more independent.
There will be times when it is going to be difficult to watch your child struggling with conflicts with friends or being frustrated with a challenging project at school. It is of course instinctive as a parent to jump in and find solutions for her. But do force yourself to step back and allow her to deal with it. Be there for her with your support but resist the urge to give her solutions. Don't be afraid to let them fail or stumble for it is in failing that children learn important life lessons and coping skills. In the pursuit of success and happiness, we often underplay the importance of failure and are guilty of not teaching children to be resilient.
If your child has delayed giving in his school assignment or project because he has been goofing off then resist the impulse to call his teacher with explanations to ensure that he does not lose marks. Don't sit up all night completing his project either! Let him explain to his teacher and if he is reprimanded or if this affects his grades, so be it. Allow him to be accountable for his actions. After all when he is an adult you are not going to be able to shield him from sticky situations at the workplace.
Remember the old proverb that says "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". When your child comes to you with a problem or challenging situation try not to give him instant solutions. Instead, ask him open ended questions like "What do you think you can do to manage your time better?", "Why do you think you failed this test?" etc. Help them to articulate their fears and their feelings and empower them to think for themselves. This will let them know that you trust them to come up with their own solutions and that you respect their ability to do so.
Very often we impose our desires on our children or even worse, make them pursue our own unfulfilled dreams as far as academics or choosing a career path is concerned. We force them to take up subjects that they do not really have an aptitude for and later on mourn the fact that they have not lived up to our expectations. Teach them to value and appreciate their own strengths and take personal responsibility for their decisions. Don't decide on their behalf about the choice of a career path. Instead, help them make informed choices by exposing them to the opportunities available.
So if you would like your children to navigate their way to a successful life, stop hovering over them. Instead be an engaged parent by giving them an opportunity to grow, become self-reliant, resilient and confident, and of course allow them to fall and pick themselves up! Be there to offer them love and a warm hug, cheer them from the sidelines but don't run the race for them!


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We'd love your help. Let us know what's wrong with this preview of Fangs & Fins by Amy McNulty.
High school senior Ember Goodwin never had a sister, but after her mom's remarriage, she now has two. The eldest is no stranger to her—Ivy is a witty girl in her grade who's almost never spoken to the shy bookworm before—but she's surprised to A dapper vampire. A sullen merman. Two heirs to a great conflict—and each needs to claim a beloved to become his kindred's champion.
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Fangs and Fins is a great read. It's unpredictable, and will keep you wanting more! The storyline was well written, and I immediately fell in love with all the characters!
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Amy McNulty!
Fangs & Fins is such an interesting concept! I really like that there are vampires and mermaids in this book. I've never read about these 2 creatures combined in 1 book so that made Fangs & Fins definitely original!
I liked the main characters, Ember and Ivy, because they were both opposites but at the same time they weren't a bit shallow. It felt like the characters weren't really persons and I couldn't connect with them. I had the same feeling with Dean and Calder, they both seemed great but they weren't that deep.
The story itself was interesting but slow-paced. I had a hard time reading this book because the writing style just wasn't my thing and I didn't always like the double perspective. Sometimes I didn't want to read in Ember's perspective or sometimes I didn't want to read in Ivy's perspective. I just wasn't feeling the characters.
Two heirs to a conflict that has lasted generations, one a dapper vampire and one a sullen merman, each needing to find a beloved to become his kindreds' champion. After her mother's remarriage, high school senior, Ember Goodwin, suddenly finds herself with not one but two stepsisters, after spending her entire life as an only child. She's familiar with the older of her new sisters as they both attend the same high school. Ivy is a witty, popular girl in the same grade, who's never really spoken Two heirs to a conflict that has lasted generations, one a dapper vampire and one a sullen merman, each needing to find a beloved to become his kindreds' champion. After her mother's remarriage, high school senior, Ember Goodwin, suddenly finds herself with not one but two stepsisters, after spending her entire life as an only child. She's familiar with the older of her new sisters as they both attend the same high school. Ivy is a witty, popular girl in the same grade, who's never really spoken to Ember, so Ember's a little surprised to find that she's friendly and they seem to get along. Their blossoming friendship is quickly put to the test when Dean Horne, a pale somewhat old fashioned new student in a suit, initially shows interest in both girls, planning to reveal his taste for blood to the one he chooses to stand by his side as champion. Seventeen year old Ivy Shepherd is beyond tired of splitting her time between her divorced parents' homes, especially after her father remarried and moves to his new wife's home. But, she decides to try and make the best of it by becoming friends with her nerdy new stepsister. Her life becomes even more stressful when she catches the eye of junior, Calder Poole. She's convinced that she saw him with a mermaid tail, where his legs should have been. Now she finds herself with more than enough suitors and trying to discover the truth about the strange events that are happening around town.
This is the first book in Amy McNulty's "Blood, Bloom, and Water" series, but not the first book I've read by this author. Nor will it be the last. Once again, she's created an amazing storyline that has the perfect amount of action, drama, emotion, and conflict with a bit of romance thrown in. In this story, family is pitted against family and friend against friend as a quiet, small town finds itself the setting of an ancient war coming to a head. Amy did such a great job with her characters and manages to alternate points of view between Ember and Ivy, giving both girl a distinct voice of her own as she tells her side of the story. She does an excellent job at showing the inner turmoil both of them are feeling as they each try to figure out what the right thing to do is while also trying to stay loyal to each other, trying desperately not to let this ancient war keep from splitting their new family and their newly formed bond. Honestly, this story is amazing so now there are two series that I'm going to have to nag for sequels to.
Thank you so much to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review, I really do appreciate it!
So I have been a fan of Amy McNulty and her work for a few years. Since I have read Never Veil, I have just loved all of her writing so I am so glad there is yet another YA series for me to love because reading YA is definitely my addiction... I just can't help myself! I had no idea what to expect with this book, but I am very pleased overall. I have never heard of a vampire vs merfolk story so Thank you so much to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review, I really do appreciate it!
So I have been a fan of Amy McNulty and her work for a few years. Since I have read Never Veil, I have just loved all of her writing so I am so glad there is yet another YA series for me to love because reading YA is definitely my addiction... I just can't help myself! I had no idea what to expect with this book, but I am very pleased overall. I have never heard of a vampire vs merfolk story so that alone caught my attention. I am one who enjoys vampires... have never read too much about merfolk, but I do like the direction this series seems to be going. I devoured this first installment quickly, and I look forward to more in the future.
Ember and Ivy are new step sisters. Their parents have married quickly and now they are family. They seem to get along well. And then there is a new guy in town who catches both their attention...and someone else who also does. All of the sudden, there are cute guys who want the attention of the sisters. And it is about to get a lot more complicated when they find out who the guys are and what they intend for the sisters to do for them. Just... wow. I was enthralled this whole time because I have to admit, I liked all of the characters for various reasons. Ember is so sweet and I could relate to her wanting to fit in. Ivy is strong willed, and I could also relate because I can be the same way at times. I love how I could connect with both sisters for different reasons. I don't find that too much in books so I was even happier to find that here. Even though there are two main guys, I have to admit I was more of a team Calder person. I don't want to spoil it, but he is my favorite and I want him to be the one who has a happiest ending. There was just a spark about him... I just really adore Calder the most of all the male characters so I am biased when it comes to him. McNulty does a superb job with this speculative fiction, raising questions about allegiance and making the choices best for yourself or those you care about. It will grip you and keep you wanting more.
I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next. I just adored this book, and I am sad that I read it so fast but I needed to know what was going to happen. With some many questions and events about to happen, the next book will surely be even better than the first. Of course, I am going to remain loyal to Calder so I can't wait to see how this whole saga will play out!
The merfolk and the vampires have lived in relative Ember's life changes drastically when her mother remarries. She always was an only child, but now has to share her home with her two stepsisters. Adjusting to her new life with her popular stepsister Ivy might take some time, but both girls are willing to make it work. In town strange things are happening and there are two boys who suddenly show a lot of interest in Ember and Ivy. Are these boys genuinely interested or are they hiding something?
I've read a few other books by Amy McNulty and I really enjoyed them and loved the worlds she could come up with. So I was very happy to receive this being part of her review team!
Our two main characters are Ember and Ivy, they've just become step sisters. Ivy the most popular girl at school and Ember the complete opposite lived pretty normal lives until their parents decided to get married and Ivy and her little sister Autumn moved into Ember's house.
There's a new boy in town, Dean and a quiet I've read a few other books by Amy McNulty and I really enjoyed them and loved the worlds she could come up with. So I was very happy to receive this being part of her review team!
There's a new boy in town, Dean and a quiet jock, Calder that are suddenly very interested in Ember and Ivy. They definitely don't see that these two boys will turn their lives upside down. Will Ember and Ivy be split apart or will they stick together till the end? You'll have to read to find out and you may find that you'll root for your own side.
I personally was Team Dean all the way! Calder, seemed like such a pansy to me, while D was a tall,dark and handsome strong gentlemen. You may think other wise though! There's also one other mysterious male in the girls life and I think he was above all my favorite character of the whole story! If you decide to read this I can't wait for you to meet him.
All the characters were fantastically written. I believe Ember was my favorite of the sisters because she was definitely like high school me. Both sisters are extremely powerful in their own way though.
The author sent me a free copy for an honest review. The premise of the story was original. Mere-people and vampires aren't two supernatural creatures normally paired together. I'm not completely sure it worked, but it was readable and interesting. I didn't mistaken it for another YA Paranormal I've already read. I liked the two main characters but I didn't love them. The two male main characters left a decent amount to be desired. I thought the vampire was a better character but he lacked depth The author sent me a free copy for an honest review. The premise of the story was original. Mere-people and vampires aren't two supernatural creatures normally paired together. I'm not completely sure it worked, but it was readable and interesting. I didn't mistaken it for another YA Paranormal I've already read. I liked the two main characters but I didn't love them. The two male main characters left a decent amount to be desired. I thought the vampire was a better character but he lacked depth of characterization. His stuck in the 40s schtick was a little annoying. The mereman was too cowardly and meek to be a leader or prince. I didn't feel like we got to know him at all. The book suffered from too many minor character introductions, therefore, no one was as three dimensional as they should be. I did not enjoy the POV changes between girls. It ruined the flow of the story and the jumping led to some confusion in a somewhat confusing plot. My biggest flaw is that by the end of the first book, we still don't have a good grasp on why we even need a champion, what the feud or war is about, and the general background of either side. Not great world building set in our normal world. With this being said, I want to read the next in the series just to get more info and see what happens. It was a mediocre start that I'm hoping improves.
However, I did enjoy reading about Ember and Ivy. I liked their relationship together and how even though Ivy was always "popular" whereas Ember was on the shyer end of the spectrum, after becoming step-sisters, they seemed to connect with each other fairly well. I also liked how Ivy wasn't the stereotypical popular girl who is nasty to everyone else beneath her and I also liked how her friends were the same way. They were accepting of Ember and her best friend, Journey. In fact, they all became relatively close at the end 👯. So for Ember and Ivy's relationship, I actually did enjoy reading about them.
Two new Step Sisters, one the 'good girl' Ember & one the 'popular girl' Ivy. Though they're very different they seem like they'll be able to get along without too much of a struggle 👍 Ivy is pleased that Ember seems to genuinely like her baby sister Autumn which helps!!
I didn't love this book, I found it slow going.
I enjoyed the storyline and I thought the paranormals were a cool & different take. Merpeople and Vampires in this book was a nice touch that I haven't ever seen before. I felt like there should have been more explaining as to the whole idea of accepting the call of champion. I would have LOVED Calder's character if I didn't feel like he was such a weak, pathetic, scared person. It really took away from him. He could have been fairly submissive or quiet without being cowardly. And truthfully I enjoyed the storyline and I thought the paranormals were a cool & different take. Merpeople and Vampires in this book was a nice touch that I haven't ever seen before. I felt like there should have been more explaining as to the whole idea of accepting the call of champion. I would have LOVED Calder's character if I didn't feel like he was such a weak, pathetic, scared person. It really took away from him. He could have been fairly submissive or quiet without being cowardly. And truthfully the vampires were stuck in the old days? IDK it seems a bit farfetched especially the wearing of suits constantly. Maybe a few here or there but not all. Why wouldn't they conform to fit in? Especially when going to highschool? I loved the sunglasses and contacts aspect that was fun. Ember just basically transforms without any explanation of why or how it happened.
This book surpassed all of my expectations, and I'm not usually too keen on books revolving around mermaids (probably because they're usually cheesy). I was invested from the first sentence and abandoned my half read library book in order to finish this book and am already looking forward to the next in the series.
The characters are realistically written with dialogue that comes across as a conversation someone would actually have. Also, all of the relationships feel natural, and I appreciate th This book surpassed all of my expectations, and I'm not usually too keen on books revolving around mermaids (probably because they're usually cheesy). I was invested from the first sentence and abandoned my half read library book in order to finish this book and am already looking forward to the next in the series.
I absolutely loved this book. I read a lot of paranormal romances and I found this to be a breath of fresh air. It is completely original and unpredictable. I loved our MC's and loved that it is in alternating points of view. Since both of the MC's are female it did get confusing sometimes with the smaller details, like who was told what, but overall very easy to follow. I loved this author's writing style and I found everything to be very purposeful. I'm not sure I would write this book any oth I absolutely loved this book. I read a lot of paranormal romances and I found this to be a breath of fresh air. It is completely original and unpredictable. I loved our MC's and loved that it is in alternating points of view. Since both of the MC's are female it did get confusing sometimes with the smaller details, like who was told what, but overall very easy to follow. I loved this author's writing style and I found everything to be very purposeful. I'm not sure I would write this book any other way. I did find that one of the relationships worked for me and the other didn't. I'm not sure if that was the author's intention or my personal opinion, but I will definitely find that out in book two. Overall, such a great first book to a series and I am definitely, hands down #TeamMerpeople!
I received this arc for an honest review!!
OMG I don't even know where to start!!! This book was utterly fantastical!! I have never read anything by this author but after reading this gem i will be on the hunt for more!! Two stepsisters a vampire and a merman sounds amazing right?? Well it is....Amy has woven a tale with complexity, fantasy and enough intrigue to keep you wondering what the girls are going to do.....if your looking for your next amazing fantasy read look no further then this book I received this arc for an honest review!!
A great idea for a story, with intriguing likeable characters. Vampires, merpeople and the ongoing war was a new concept for me and I was looking forward to reading it.
The story started out well enough. Adjusting to a new family and the introduction to the supernatural world.
Then the story became a little hard to follow. It needed more explanation of the war between the species and why they needed two champions to fight for them. Why these girls and what it was they were expected to do.
It just c A great idea for a story, with intriguing likeable characters. Vampires, merpeople and the ongoing war was a new concept for me and I was looking forward to reading it.
It just contained too little information for me to enjoy.
I thank the author for sending me a free copy for an honest review. This was certainly an original storyline for a book that included both vampires and merfolk. I have to say that this story kept me on my toes during the whole read. I expected none of it and was delighted by the author's creativity with it. I will acknowledge that I didn't really like Ember all that much and found Ivy to be my favorite. I look forward to the next book and seeing how all of it unfolds.
I had a blast reading this YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance. Two warring princes, one a vampire, the other a merman (both incredibly handsome of course), enlist (coerce) the help of two high school stepsisters to champion them in their centuries old conflict. Well written, loads of humor and tension, addresses the difficulties (and benefits) of blended families, and has a very satisfying conclusion. I'll look for the next in the Blood, Bloom and Water series!
I was a fan of Amy's Never Veil series, and that love has carried over to this new world. Fangs & Fins is a well written, highly entertaining book with characters that you'll want to be BFFs with in real life. This book touches on family, friendship, love, and so many other things. I highly recommend you pick up a copy ASAP!
There were some great lines in this book - full of insight about how people think, but the majority of this book was filler while the author tried to stretch this story into multiple books. Nothing really happens in this book past the first two chapters, and it was disappointing. There is such an interesting framework, but the execution was not that great.
I thought this was a very good read that kept one guessing what was going to happen next. I found it had it's share of surprises and look very forward to reading more from this author.
Loved it. A totally different style to keep you interested until the end. Easy reading.


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Events Prompt Shuttle Extension Study
by SpaceNews Editor — June 29, 2004
Space News Business
By BRIAN BERGER
Space News Staff Writer
posted: 09 September 2008
WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Mike Griffin said he was looking ahead rather than responding to political pressure when he asked in late August for an internal assessment of what it would take to keep the space shuttle flying as much as five years beyond its planned 2010 retirement.
Griffin said he remains committed to retiring the shuttle on schedule and putting the roughly $3 billion a year now spent on that program into finishing the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and its Ares 1 launcher, both of which are under development.
"We need to get the shuttle behind us so we can move forward with the new systems that will take us back to the Moon and later on be the building blocks for going to Mars," Griffin told Space News in an interview Sept. 2. "But what I think is important is not the question. The question that matters is if NASA gets directed to continue flying the shuttle, how do we do it in the most prudent and least damaging manner and what will the impacts be? We need to have those answers in some amount of detail because they might influence such a decision."
U.S. politicians are taking increasing notice of the fact that NASA will be completely reliant on Russia for at least several years after the shuttle is retired for transporting U.S. astronauts to and from the international space station (ISS). Further complicating matters, a waiver NASA needs Congress to pass so it can continue to buy Russian Soyuz crew-transport vehicles beyond 2011 has stalled and stands little chance of passage this year.
Three U.S. senators, including Republican presidential candidate John McCain of Arizona, wrote President George W. Bush Aug. 25 to tell him that Russia's recent military incursion into neighboring Georgia made it unlikely that Congress would move any time soon to amend the Iran-North Korea-Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA). The amendment is necessary to permit NASA to negotiate for the twice-a-year Soyuz flights it needs between 2012 and 2015 to keep U.S. astronauts on the space station.
McCain, joined by Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and David Vitter (R-La.), asked Bush to direct NASA not to take any action that would prevent the agency from continuing to fly the space shuttle for several years beyond 2010 should it be necessary.
Three days later, a NASA official in charge of the shuttle launch manifest sent a memo to more than a dozen colleagues to kick off a "shuttle extension assessment" requested by Griffin to find out what it would take to keep the shuttle flying to 2015.
"We want to focus on helping bridge the gap of U.S. vehicles traveling to the ISS as efficiently as possible," John Coggeshall, the manifest and schedules manager at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, wrote in an Aug. 27 memo, a copy of which was leaked to the reporters.
Griffin said during the Sept. 2 interview that he requested the study after Russia invaded Georgia but before he had any knowledge the senators' Aug. 25 letter to Bush.
"Whether you connect it to INKSNA or whether you connect it to an upcoming election and transition, inevitably questions are going to be asked about what it would take to continue to supply ISS logistics via the space shuttle," Griffin said. "I thought it prudent to begin planning now because there are a lot of very difficult questions to answer if somebody does want to continue to fly the shuttle."
Griffin said the answers NASA comes back with might not be all that palatable: "It is almost impossible that we would produce an answer that would be likeable – This is not a pretty picture."
Flying the shuttle may be more risky than previously thought, according to Griffin, who told Congress in April that the odds of losing a shuttle during the 10 remaining missions were 1 in 12. A more recent assessment, he said, shows that the odds are closer to 1 in 8.
Regardless of whether the shuttle flies past 2010, space station crews would have no means of� escape in an emergency without Soyuz since the three-seat vehicles, in addition to providing crew rotation, remain docked to the facility to serve as a lifeboat.
"If one insists on having crew rescue capability, then until we have Orion or until a commercial vehicle emerges and is qualified to do the job, then the Russians are the only game in town for crew rescue," Griffin said.
NASA could limit crew stays to the roughly two weeks a space shuttle is capable of remaining docked to the station before having to come home. But Griffin said that option would provide perhaps "50 days [on orbit] a year for a very high price."
Griffin said he expects the study to take "a few months" to complete, adding that he does not know whether the information will be made public.�
Word that NASA was examining the implications of keeping the shuttle flying past 2010 has rekindled debate over whether shuttle should be retired at all. Wayne Hale, the NASA space shuttle program manager promoted in February to a strategic management position, touched on that debate in a Sept. 4 posting on his official NASA blog.
"If I had a magic wand I would wish to keep flying an upgraded, safer shuttle at the same time we build the moon rocket, and hand out multiple incentives to private industry to develop a robust, economical, and efficient space transportation system," Hale wrote. "But I don't have that magic wand and don't know anybody that does."
Constellation Milestones
NASA's shuttle extension study comes as the agency's Constellation program – which encompasses the hardware that will replace the shuttle and eventually transport astronauts to the Moon and other destinations – continues to delay some of its internal program milestones for Orion and Ares.
Griffin said shifting internal dates to the right does not call into question NASA's plans to deploy Orion and Ares by March 2015. Rather, he said, it is a reflection that the more aggressive September 2013 deployment date NASA has been carrying for a couple years now is no longer achievable, even if Congress were to shower the program with money.
"We maintained for several years – on purpose and at my direction – internal milestones for Constellation that were as early as could credibly be done," he said. "I maintained the earliest milestones that we could, precisely because … there was so much consternation about the length of the gap between shuttle retirement and Ares and Orion deployment and many questions about how much money would be required to accelerate development of the systems by so many months. We had questions like that at every hearing and so in order to have the program appropriately positioned should the Congress have decided to provided extra money to Constellation, I didn't want the issue to be moot."
Griffin testified numerous times in recent years that NASA could move up deployment of Orion and Ares to as early as September 2013 if it were given roughly $100 million for every month of acceleration, or about $2 billion over the next couple years.
But too much time, he said during the interview, has since passed for NASA to be able accelerate the program. As a result, Griffin said, the Constellation program was able to postpone some fast approaching milestones, including a preliminary design review.
"If the money is not there, then making decisions earlier than one needs to … in order to preserve an artificially earlier date that doesn't have fiscal credibility to it would be dumb, and I wasn't going to do that," he said. "Our internal milestones were the earliest credible ones we could propose. But time has gone by, water has gone over the dam and some of the earlier milestones are just no longer credible and we've slipped those out.
"But I still anticipate, absent changes in presidential requests or congressional appropriations – if we continue to get the budgets we are anticipating – our commitment date for Ares and Orion has not changed. It's still March 2015."
Congress is widely expected to adjourn at the end of September without completing work on the pile of spending bills that would fund the federal government for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Lawmakers have been saying all year they likely will pass a so-called continuing resolution instead that would keep the government funded roughly at 2008 levels for at least the first six months of the next fiscal year.
Griffin declined to speculate on how a continuing resolution would impact NASA's plans, saying a lot would depend on the details. However, he pointed out that when Congress passed a nearly yearlong continuing resolution at the start of 2007, NASA was denied a $575 million increase it had been counting on. Human spaceflight programs, including Constellation, felt a disproportionate share of that pain, he noted, since the continuing resolution stipulated increases for aeronautics and science without providing the extra money.
See www.spacenews.com for a complete transcript of the interview with NASA Administrator Mike Griffin. |
MissionsShuttle


The North Coast 500, Scotland (NC500) is a scenic road of over 830 kilometers that begins and ends at Inverness (be sure to pose for some shots, because there is a fantastic view). You do not have to go through it all, of course, but it will be hard for you to resist the temptation! The route collects all the best elements of the Northern Highlands, following wild coastal roads, historic towns like Ullapool and pretty seaside villages. You can also stop at John O'Groats, famous for being the most northerly to the north of Britain.
The itinerary was designed by the "Highland Initiative North", a non-profit organization founded by Prince Charles.


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Home » General Entertainment » Netflix sued for 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' using "Choose Your Own Adventure"
Netflix(LOS ANGELES) -- Netflix is in trouble over its use of a "Choose Your Own Adventure" premise for its new movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a complaint was filed against Netflix in Vermont Friday...
Netflix sued for 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' using "Choose Your Own Adventure"
Netflix(LOS ANGELES) -- Netflix is in trouble over its use of a "Choose Your Own Adventure" premise for its new movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a complaint was filed against Netflix in Vermont Friday by Chooseco, LLC, the children's book publisher that owns the trademark to "Choose Your Own Adventure."
Chooseco has been using the trademark since the 1980s and claims Netflix actively pursued a license to use the phrase but never got one. The company says it even issued a cease and desist to Netflix, asking the streaming giant to stop using the phrase in connection with its marketing efforts for the movie.
Bandersnatch, about a young video game designer in the 1980s who's teetering on the brink of madness, allows the viewer to choose the direction of the plot and play out multiple endings. It's been widely described in the press as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" episode and the phrase is even used in the episode itself.
The main character, Stefan Butler, uses it to describe Bandersnatch, the book that inspired his video game of the same name. When his father says the author must be good because Stefan is always "flicking backwards and forwards," he responds, "No, it's a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' book."
Chooseco alleges Netflix is benefiting from its association with its brand and that Chooseco's reputation has suffered through its connection to the very dark Black Mirror series. The company is demanding at least $25 million in damages or profits, whichever is greater.
Netflix has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
Stephen Iervolino
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package com.jivesoftware.os.jive.utils.collections.oh;

/**
 *
 * @author jonathan.colt
 */
public interface OHEqualer<K> {

    public boolean equals(K a, K b);

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Bunko Junkie Shot Bunco Glasses?
Just when you think you've seen it all when it comes to bunko wear for your house and theme, something else even better comes along. What could possibly be better than marabou tiaras and dice sunglasses? How about a shot glass for each player! Don't lie – some of those bunko nights get pretty wild and shot glasses are the perfect way to make it a perfectly rowdy bunko night.
The Bunko Junkie Shot Bunco Glasses are made from durable plastic that will hold up in the dishwasher. They hold 1 12 oz of liquid. They words "Bunko Junkie" are printed in black on one side of the glass. They glasses also come as a set of twelve, perfect for each and every member of your group. Imagine all of the wonderful things you can serve in your Bunko Junkie Shot Bunco Glasses. Superman Jell-o shots, Oreo cookie pudding shots, hits of tequila, sparkling grape juice or even – heck, live it up with grape kool-aid! The shot glasses will hold whatever liquid you want to serve the gals for the evening.
To make the shot glasses even more special, you can have one waiting for each guest as they take their place at the tables. It is theirs for the taking as a prize at the end of the night. You could also be stingy and keep the set together and give it away to the winner at the end of the night. Dream up a theme – how about a basketball night and make the shots go along. Get it – basketball shot? Shot glass? You could also do the same for hockey, target practice or even make it all about shooting. There's no limit as to what goes with your Bunko Junkie Shot Glasses – because everything does!


Befut Global Inc. commences Befut commnces Preconstruction Phase of a 500 Unit Housing project Near Gaspar Hernandez, DR ?
Contact: Carl Nurse Befut Global Inc.
Befut Global Inc., a real estate project development company has retained the Santo Domingo based Firm of Leon & Rafulto conduct the site survey and title work for its housing project in Gaspar Hernandez., DR.
The Auto-Cad version of the site survey is expected to be completed by early December 2018 and will enable to company to complete the planning and the design for the planned community of 500 affordable housing units and apply for the building permit in January of 2019. .The project is being built pursuant to a previously disclosed JV agreement executed between the property owners and Befut Global. Under the terms of the JV. the land is pledged to the JV. As the units are sold the property owners will be paid on a prorata basis for each lot as the units are sold.The project will be called Gaspar Homes will target the Global expatriate market, specifically aimed at Europe and the US, specifically New York and Miami. The planned community will offer modern hurricane resistant housing built to the rigorous hurricane resistant South Florida Building code standards. Prices start at US$120,000 for a 3 bedroom 2 bath houses of 130 square meters.Carl Nurse, Managing Director of Befut noted 'We expect construction of the model units to start in the first quarter of 2019. The LEED certifiedhouses will feature solar panels for power with backup batteries. Buyers can have a basic unit (loft style without finishes) or a fully completed unit with finishes and appliances at slightly higher prices. We hope we will be able to sell all units from the model units very quickly since the price point would be very attractive to our target market demographic. We offer an affordable deposit structure (40%) and easy progress payments (30%, 30%) or optionally local mortgages may available with 30 to 50 % deposit.Gross sales volume for the completed project is projected to be approximately US$75,000,000.'Construction of the units will be managed by City Building Works, PR., using a construction method patented by Bond Building Systems of Ft. Lauderdale under a licensing agreement with the Bond distributor for the Caribbean .The Bond System allows for construction of the basic housing structure in less than 5 days after foundations are built using shotcrete.
Carl Nurse further noted Befut has other executed JV agreements wherein the company has significant land pledged to support the development of a Hotel and a factory in the Caribbean and South America, execution of each are subject to funding.
The Gaspar Housing project will be the first of two projects in the Dominican Republic.The second project for which will we will start site work in late 2019, is a Beachfront site Barahona and will be a flagged resort Hotel.
Forward Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created thereby. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's future financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," " estimates," "anticipates," or "believes" or the negative thereof or any variation thereon or similar terminology or expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results proposed in such statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, but are not limited to, those factors set forth in the Company's Annual Reportfor the year ended December 31, 2016 and its other filings and submissions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor may there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor may there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Managing Director'305 890 8246SOURCE: Befut Global Inc.
For the original news story, please visit https://prdistribution.com/news/befut-global-inc-commences-befut-commnces-preconstruction-phase-of-a-500-unit-housing-project-near-gaspar-hernandez-dr.html.
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Scott Novack, Founder, President, and Lead User Experience Designer of Up A Notch Design brings 9 years of experience from corporate software house Citrix Systems, utilizing user-centered design techniques and conducting user research toward building the most effective websites, communications, and overall experiences.
Now we bring that experience to you. We feel that small businesses are under-served in regards to research and design, and that not everyone needs the extensive services of a pricey agency.
Novack is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. He also spent years as a software developer, both for Windows and Web, so he appreciates the underlying technology that makes websites and social media possible. Novack brings some of the engineering/coding work to your projects as well, when necessary.
But his great love is the research and design. It is what makes all of us want to get out of bed in the morning.
On a lighter note, Scott plays electric bass guitar, sings as a tenor in the Master Chorale of South Florida, and has a wonderful rescued greyhound named Rosco. Rosco sings, too. So please enjoy the very short video below of Scott's son and dog.
My dog, Rosco, singing along with my son as he plays marimba. This happens all the time. Also happens with the telephone, the coffee grinder, you get the idea.
An initial consultation to determine your needs is free. Let's talk.


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Last night, members from the John Robertson Architects team joined in the celebrations at the Tower of London to honour the biggest architectural firms in Britain at the AJ120 Member's Dinner and Awards.
To commemorate the twentieth year that the AJ100 survey has been running, as well as marking the 120th year of the AJ itself, the AJ100 survey was extended to the 120 largest practices in the UK, for one year only.
JRA are delighted to be placed in the top UK practices for the fourth year running, moving up the rankings by 25 places to reach 57th in the country. This accolade highlights the progress that the practice has made over the last year as JRA continues to grow both in the UK and overseas.
The Architects' Journal noted JRA's growth, with 30 additional staff members in one year and a number of notable projects reaching completion, including Aldwych Quarter, former home to the BBC World Service. JRA were recognised for developments in BIM and expansion in the interior design and residential sectors, areas of focus for the coming year.
The Architects' Journal publishes the shortlist each year according to the number of UK ARB registered architects employed.


Here we are providing the list of Lic Branches in Darbhanga along with phone numbers, Email ID and branch code. The below table illustrates the Lic of India Darbhanga Branch Details..
Balbhadrapur P O Laheria Sarai.
This is angad .I am also mamber in your branch .but write now I got a verry negative response in your branch & and your branch officer .write now I need a money but your procizar is too late .that's why I request to you help us …….?


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January 6, 2015 / 11:39 PM / 5 years ago
Seabridge CEO eyes 2015 deal with gold, copper mine partner
Nicole Mordant
VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Despite weak metal markets, Seabridge Gold Inc's (SEA.TO) chief executive is optimistic the company will find a partner this year to help fund and build its $5 billion KSM mine project, one of the world's biggest undeveloped gold and copper deposits.
Part of Rudi Fronk's confidence comes after the Canadian government gave its blessing to the project shortly before Christmas, only the second new mine approval in British Columbia in five years by both federal and provincial authorities.
"I believe that 2015 can be the year. I can't tell you how important the federal approval was in terms of how the big companies look at this opportunity," Fronk, who is also Seabridge's chairman, said in an interview.
He said Seabridge has signed confidentiality agreements with seven groups interested in its Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) project in northern British Columbia, five of which are major base-metals companies.
With proven and probable reserves of 38.2 million ounces of gold and 9.9 billion pounds of copper, KSM was originally envisaged as a gold deposit with a lot of copper on the side. But recent discoveries of higher-grade deposits, especially copper, has piqued the interest of big base-metal miners.
For Cowen and Co analyst Adam Graf that should make it easier for Seabridge to find a partner, possibly one of the big multinational mining companies.
"To the BHP's, Rio Tinto's and Vale's of the world building a $5 billion project is much more credible at this point than for the Newmont's, the Barrick's and the Goldcorp's," Graf said.
Gold miners, which have been hard hit in the past three years by a 35 percent plunge in the price of gold, have pulled back from buying or building big mines after a series of high-profile cost overruns.
Fronk said there was a lot of interest from Asia in the project and although Asian smelting groups could come in as minority partners, his preference would be for a large, multinational operator.
Seabridge, which has a market value of C$498 million, would like to keep between 30 percent and 49 percent of the project, he said.
Seabridge's stock rose 15 percent last year, outpacing the S&P/TSX Gold Index .SPTTGD, which fell 7 percent, and the S&P/TSX Mining Index .GSPTTMN, which dropped 18 percent.
The stock closed on Tuesday at C$10.51, up 9 percent. It is still well off its high of nearly C$38 hit in mid-2010.
Editing by Steve Orlofsky


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Let's Cut Our Ridiculous Defense Budget
President Biden wants to change the paradigm. That may be easier than changing the Pentagon.,
Credit…Illustration By Nicholas Konrad / The New York Times; Photograph By Getty Images
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President Biden wants to change the paradigm. That may be easier than changing the Pentagon.
By Peter Beinart
Mr. Beinart is a contributing opinion writer who focuses on politics and foreign policy.
April 7, 2021, 5:20 a.m. ET
President Biden loves spending money. Last month, he signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to stimulate the economy. Now he's pushing the $2 trillion American Jobs Plan to rebuild the nation's infrastructure. He vows to follow that with the American Families Plan to improve health care, child care and education, which could cost billions or trillions more.
The more money Mr. Biden tries to spend, the more loudly critics ask where he's getting it. He borrowed the funds for the stimulus. He wants corporations to pay for the infrastructure plan. With every legislative battle, finding the money grows harder. All of which raises a question: Will Mr. Biden try to cut defense?
Early reporting suggests that his administration's first budget, which is expected later this spring, may not reduce military spending at all. That's particularly remarkable given that, according to the Center for International Policy, today's military budget, adjusted for inflation, is far higher than the post-World War II average.
It's not as if there aren't places to cut. In 2016, Bob Woodward and Craig Whitlock of The Washington Post disclosed that, according to an internal study, the Defense Department could save $125 billion over five years simply by trimming its distended bureaucracy. The department, the study found, employed close to 200,000 people in property management alone. After a summary of the report became public, Mr. Woodward and Mr. Whitlock noted, the Pentagon "imposed secrecy restrictions on the data making up the study, which ensured no one could replicate the findings." It remains the only federal agency that has never passed an audit.
Mr. Biden could also save large sums on nuclear weapons. In the coming years, the military plans to develop and purchase more than 600 new nuclear missiles at a potential cost of over $100 billion. But as Elisabeth Eaves has detailed in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, these missiles aren't just wildly expensive. They're dangerous. Because they are designed to fire while enemy missiles are still in the air, former Defense Secretary William Perry warns that they "could trigger an accidental nuclear war." Mr. Perry has proposed phasing out America's land-based nuclear weapons and relying on a safer air- and sea-based deterrent. If Mr. Biden followed Mr. Perry's advice, he could save more than enough money to prepare vaccines for the 50 to 100 viruses most likely to cause the next pandemic.
Advocates of America's mammoth defense budget claim it generates jobs. But academic studies reveal that it does so far less efficiently than government investment in education, clean energy, transportation and health care. Defense hawks also insist that without increased spending, the United States will lose its military primacy. In 2018, the Trump administration warned that America's "competitive military advantage has been eroding," especially in relation to China and Russia. In his confirmation hearing, Mr. Biden's defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, called China "a pacing challenge for our department."
Opinion Debate
What should the Biden administration prioritize?
Nicholas Kristof, Opinion columnist, writes that "Biden's proposal to establish a national pre-K and child care system would be a huge step forward for children and for working parents alike."
The Editorial Board argues the president should address a tax system where "most wage earners pay their fair share while many business owners engage in blatant fraud at public expense."
Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso, writes that "the real crisis is not at the border but outside it, and that until we address that crisis, this flow of vulnerable people seeking help at our doorstep will not end."
Gail Collins, Opinion columnist, has a few questions about gun violence: "One is, what about the gun control bills? The other is, what's with the filibuster? Is that all the Republicans know how to do?"
China, however, spends less than one-third as much on defense as the United States does and has fewer than one-tenth as many nuclear weapons. China's military could indeed be a match for the United States in conflicts near China's shores, but globally, China poses a far greater economic challenge. To meet it, the United States must invest enormously in education and emerging technologies — the very investments that military spending will sooner or later crowd out. The two superpowers also compete ideologically, and the United States gravely undermines the appeal of its democratic system when, amid a pandemic, the dictatorship in China proves better able to keep its citizens alive.
One explanation for Mr. Biden's reticence lies in Dwight Eisenhower's warning about the "unwarranted influence" that America's "military-industrial complex" could amass in "the councils of government." This influence is especially intense in Congress, where many districts rely on military spending and where legislators feel the weight of the more than $100 million per year that the defense industry lavishes on lobbying.
But dollars don't have to be destiny. Over the past decade, grass-roots rebellions have blunted the hold that other powerful industries wield inside the Democratic Party. As a result of Occupy, Black Lives Matter and populist political campaigns by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the days when a Democratic president could easily appoint a Treasury secretary from Goldman Sachs seem to be over. When it comes to defense contractors, however, there has been no similar transformation. So Mr. Biden, with minimal controversy, has appointed a defense secretary, General Austin, who served on the board of Raytheon Technologies.
It's not just General Austin. Mr. Biden's deputy defense secretary worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank whose funders include Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. As Mandy Smithberger at the Project on Government Oversight has noted, more than a dozen members of the Biden administration — including his top Asia adviser at the National Security Council and the official leading the Pentagon's China strategy review — have ties to the Center for a New American Security, which according to a report by the Center for International Policy received more funding from defense contractors between 2014 and 2019 than any other think tank the group analyzed. Before becoming Mr. Biden's secretary of state, Antony Blinken advised a private equity firm that focuses on the defense and aerospace sectors, among others.
None of this means that Mr. Biden and his advisers aren't doing what they believe is best for the country. But their beliefs about what's best for the country have evolved in a Beltway ecosystem in which the military-industrial complex wields enormous power.
Counteracting that power will require a mass movement. In 1967, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned against the "triple evils of racism, economic exploitation and militarism." In this new season of progressive ambition, Mr. Biden is beginning to challenge the first two. It's time for ordinary Americans to make him challenge the third.
Peter Beinart (@PeterBeinart) is professor of journalism and political science at The Newmark School of Journalism at The City University of New York. He is also editor-at-large of Jewish Currents and writes The Beinart Notebook, a weekly newsletter.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We'd like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here's our email: letters@nytimes.com.
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.


If you're trying to flip through songs without having to unlock your iPhone, especially if you have a password lock you can use the little unknown feature that will allow you to control the music playing on your iPhone/iPod Touch while it is locked. If you have any comments or questions please use the comments section at the end of the guide.
Software/Hardware used: iPhone 4 running iOS 4.2.
1. While your iPhone or iPod Touch is locked, press the Home button twice.
2. When you do this you will notice that basic playback controls on your iOS device will appear. If you have an Apple TV on your network you will also see the option to stream the music to that device.
You can always unlock the iPhone and open the iPod app to control your music, but this may save you some time, especially if you're on the road listening to some music.
Do you have any other iPhone/iPod Touch tips to share?


Between Friends is a nonprofit working on ending the cycle of domestic violence in the greater Chicago area.
Breaking the cycle of domestic violence is the driving force for this nonprofit.
Between Friends is a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and building a community free of abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), domestic violence is a "serious, preventable public health problem" that disproportionately affects women and girls (CDC 2014). As an agency, Between Friends focuses on ending domestic violence throughout the greater Chicagoland area — one person, one relationship and one community at a time.
We serve thousands of adults and youth through crisis intervention, crisis prevention and education programs every year. This life changing work is done through connecting with people, who have been abused, to listen and develop services that are responsive, healing and proactive. We also challenge communities to join the movement to end domestic violence. Ultimately, Between Friends envisions a world without domestic violence where all relationships are equitable, safe and just.
Between Friends understands domestic violence affects people of all genders, but with one in four women compared to one in seven men, statistics show women experience domestic violence at much higher rates than men (Breiding et. al. 2014).
In FY17, 91 percent of agency direct service clients identified as female. Therefore, Between Friends recognizes our domestic violence work as rooted in unpacking sexism as we work to prevent this form of gender-based violence. We also acknowledge that domestic violence is intrinsically linked to all systemic forms of violence, including heterosexism, cissexism, classism, racism, ageism, ableism and sizeism and our programs and services support all persons.
The rates of teen dating violence in Chicago are higher than the 10.3 percent national average, where 12.3 percent of youth report having experienced physical dating violence, female students experience dating violence at the rate of 14.5 percent as compared to 13 percent nationally (CDC YRBS 2014). We understand that violence prevention requires a change in the social conditions that impact the community which make violence normal and acceptable. As a result, Between Friends works with young women and young men. Our work with young men focuses on identifying ways in which violence against women impacts them directly as well as the larger community and how they can play an important role to prevention efforts. In addition, our work addresses how they receive, process and enforce messages about relationships, violence and power.
Between Friends takes a strength-based approach to engaging young people in conversations that matter to them. By focusing on identifying unhealthy behaviors and teaching youth how to build healthy relationships, our agency's prevention and education programs can elevate young people's sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Program participants are learning how to treat themselves, their peers and the adults in their lives with respect and dignity, which builds them up as productive citizens. By providing opportunities for leadership activities, these young students are invested in changing their lives and communities for the better. Ultimately, by focusing our violence prevention activities on youth and their adult allies, particularly in some of Chicago's most dangerous and under-served communities, we can create an ongoing movement to reduce domestic violence, gender-based violence and, by extension, violence in all its forms throughout Chicago.


Will Christianity survive in a modern world? How to achieve this survival? This was – and still is – a burning issue in Western Christendom since the Enlightenment. Between 1850 and 1950 the rapidly growing divide between traditional belief and modern ways of thought led all sorts of Christians to rethink the 'fundamentals' of their faith.
The basic issue concernecd the question whether Christianity should adapt to modern culture. How should one cope with the results of modern history, of psychology and sociology, archeology and Darwinism? Would adaptation to modern science mean the end of religion? These questions led to a serious battle, both in Europe and North America, between religious liberals (or modernists as they were commonly called) and conservative believers.Their fight also centered on the fundamental issue of intellectual and academic freedom.
On the basis of close reading of academic treatises, articles in periodicals, autobiographies and biographies students will investigate such major topics as the authority and infallibility of the Bible, the development of dogma, the 'essence' or 'fundamentals' of faith, the role of the early Church, legendary elements in the lives of saints, the role of the laity, and the general notion of 'sacredness'.
These topics can be studied in a comparative perspective, for example, by comparing Roman Catholic and Protestant religious liberalisms, by looking into the impact of the battle on individual Catholic and Protestant liberals, or by focusing on the globalization of religious liberalism, including Jewish and Islamic liberalism.
The MA-seminar will confront students with basic topics concerning the relationship between science and religion in a formative period of Western religious history. They will study the material from the theoretical pespective of the 'warfare thesis' and be urged to reformulate this thesis.
2. a selection from the list of 'recommended general readings'.
3. their contribution to the meetings of the Ecclesiastical History Society S.S.S.
(*)An extensive list with titles will be distributed before the course starts.
Please register before 15 January 2011.
Please contact prof. dr. E.G.E. van der Wall before signing up for this course.
The course will be given only if a minimum of 4 regular students will sign up for the course. Otherwise special arrangements will be made with students.


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UN expert: Facebook's Oversight Board must consider minority rights
GENEVA (23 December 2020) – A UN human rights expert today called on Facebook's Oversight Board to take the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities into account in reaching decisions, particularly on hate speech.
The UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes, welcomed the recent news that Facebook's Oversight Board has accepted its first six cases appealing against decisions to remove content. The Oversight Board, compared by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to the social media platform's own Supreme Court, is an independent body that reviews Facebook moderation decisions.
"Minorities are the most likely target of online hate speech, and we know that online hate speech against minorities often leads to severe real-world harm, and may even lead to ethnic cleansing and genocide," said de Varennes. "Hate speech online is one of today's most acute challenges to human dignity and life.
In particular, the Oversight Board should consider Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN General Assembly's 1992 Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, as well as other jurisprudence on the rights of minorities.
De Varennes also said Facebook's Community Standards should be brought into line with the understanding of "hate speech" in the recent UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech. He also said Facebook's omission of protection for linguistic minorities from hate speech is troubling and contrary to international human rights law.
However, he called the Oversight Board "an innovative and ambitious initiative to regulate online expression, in particular hate speech, which is essential for the effective protection of vulnerable minorities worldwide."
He commended the fact that the Board is made up of prominent experts committed to human rights and freedom of expression, and noted that efforts have been made to ensure impartiality by having an independent trust administer it.
During 2020, de Varennes has made "Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities" his thematic focus. He convened regional fora in Europe and Asia, and presided over the UN Forum on Minority Issues in November 2020. The three fora have made more than 100 recommendations for tackling online hate speech against minorities.
"I look forward to continuing to constructively engage with the Oversight Board, and hope I can assist in its institutional development and on issues related to minorities," de Varennes said.
The full text of the Public Comment can be viewed here.
Fernand de Varennes was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues by the Human Rights Council in June 2017. He is tasked by the UN Human Rights Council, to promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, among other things.
The Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For additional information and media requests please contact: Marina Narvaez (mnarvaez@ohchr.org/+41 22 917 9615) or Hee-Kyong Yoo (hyoo@ohchr.org/ +41 22 917 9723).
For media enquiries regarding other UN independent experts, please contact Renato de Souza (+41 22 928 9855 / rrosariodesouza@ohchr.org), Jeremy Laurence (+ 41 22 917 7578 / jlaurence@ohchr.org).
Follow news related to the UN's independent human rights experts on Twitter: @UN_SPExperts.
Concerned about the world we live in?
Then STAND UP for someone's rights today.
#Standup4humanrights
and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org


This story was written by Charlotte's own Ron Miller. Ron, who was with us as part of Team USA at the HWC, wrote this for Orato, a webpage featuring FIRST PERSON, citizen journalism from around the world. We admire Ron for expressing his feelings and emotions as he chronicles here his battle out of homelessness and playing street soccer with Team USA and with Street Soccer 945.
I'm from Brooklyn, New York. I lived there my whole life. I'm not really comfortable with telling you how I ended up on the street.
I have no experience playing soccer. I just came out there and started playing down at the Urban Ministry, and I just stuck with it. A buddy of mine was already playing soccer there, and he introduced me. I wound up joining in the practices and then I just stuck with it.
It helped me to be more of a people person, interacting with others. On the team, you meet so many other people with different backgrounds and you have to learn how to adapt to these people. The coaches there are also a great help, as far as getting things done, helping you set up interviews – right now, I got steady work and a steady place to stay, so everything has been positive. It's been a good turn around.
Once you take a blow like that and you're down to nothing, you gotta build your self-esteem back up. It's all about building your confidence, with your teammates cheering you on, giving you different pointers on and off the field.
Being out on the street, I've seen a lot of things. There are a lot of young people that are homeless, and some that just have nothing to do with their time. If they get involved something like this and it's positive and will build them up to be a better person, no matter what they've been in the past, then I think it's very much needed.
This year, we traveled to Denmark, Copenhagen for the Homeless World Cup.
When you're homeless, you don't think about flying thousands of miles to somewhere else to play some soccer – that's not the first thing that hits. It's far fetched from the mind at that time.
We had 48 other countries out there. It's really about trying to bring awareness about homelessness and trying to give motivation and show that you can do better with your life. For me, I felt great out there, trying to break the stereotype of what" homeless" is. We're more than just what everybody is brought up to think.
I was representing the USA team, and I went out there and played my best. I just enjoyed the camaraderie of all the other teams, meeting other people from different places, knowing that you're not the only one struggling out there. These guys all have good stories – they've turned their lives around, so all that is an inspiration to you to say you can get back on your feet.
It was a wonderful feeling just to be able to go out there – the shock didn't hit until we came back that we just went across the world and played in a world cup. I don't even know how to really put it. It was a great experience meeting people from different nationalities and being able to converse with them and swap stories. It was about more than just playing soccer.
When you're out here on the street, you build your own little communities – you're networking within the homeless community that you're in, sometimes to get ahead.
I got my job and I got a place to stay, and if a dude that I know looked out for me, showed me where to go, how to get there, what agency does what – if he needs to come take a shower, or he's fatigued and he needs to get some rest because he needs to go to work, then my door's open.
I love my kids. I always got to give them a nice shout out. She's only two and he's one, but I have brought them to soccer practice before - and that's my motivation right now.


We are opening these up for order, BUT, we are in the midst of transitioning from "MADE TO ORDER" to having our entire product line made to our high quality standards here in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks for your patience!!


"No, this picture does not show me in front a series of urine samples on a tray. "
I am the kind of person who's probably not leaning on the cupboard you need to get in.
I collect vintage prison shivs.
Really, I could get by with just Pimp My Ride. And Battlestar Galactica.
Really, I could get by with just The Big Lebowski, The Royal Tennenbaums and A Hard Day's Night. And The Godfather.
Bob Dylan, Orishas, White Stripes, Ludacris, Radiohead, Beatles, Cafe Tacuba, Tomoyasu Hotei, Emmylou, Talking Heads, Carey Bell, Belle and Sebastian (yes, it's wimprock), Cornershop, More Bob Dylan.
White Boy Raps- Great Video!
RUSSIAN OFFICE RAMPAGE - with AUDIO!


text:
A handwashing station serves the users of two latrines in rural Malawi. Photo: Save the Children (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Coronavirus: What Might More Handwashing Mean in Countries with Water Shortages?
contributor: The Conversation
Different strategies for resisting the spread of the new coronavirus have emerged in different countries. But the one that has cut through everywhere is simple and, supposedly, can be done by anyone: "Wash your hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds."
This advice takes plentiful safe water for granted, but in many parts of the world, clean fresh water isn't guaranteed. Where it is, it may be in scarce supply. What will happen in such places if and when the pandemic escalates and the need for proper sanitation grows ever more urgent?
According to the World Health Organization, frequent and thorough hand washing can help reduce your chances of contracting infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Worldwide statistics for 2017 revealed that poor sanitation and limited access to hand-washing facilities contributed to around 1.5 million deaths. Nearly 2.2 billion people are currently living without safely managed water outlets, and around 22 percent of healthcare facilities in the least developed countries lack basic water services.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 75 percent of people living in rural areas lack adequate facilities for handwashing.
Clean water and good hygiene is the absolute minimum that's needed to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. But in sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank reported that around 75 percent of people living in rural areas live in homes that lack adequate facilities for handwashing. One charity working in the Western Province of Kenya found that 95 percent of the households they visited had no access to running water.
UN Women and the Swedish Embassy give food and sanitation kits to a Women's Solidarity Consortium in Kinshasa, DRC, in April 2020. The kits are to be distributed to ̀women and young girls whose income has splummeted since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: John Bompengo/MONUSCO (CC BY-SA 2.0)
It's been known for a while that countries without a reliable system of supplying water to everyone are likely to be more vulnerable to infectious diseases. The mortality rates from diarrhea in 2017 were highest in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Here, unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation were the highest risk factors for developing the disease among people who are 70 years and older.
Likewise, 72 percent of deaths from diarrhea among children under five in 2016 were caused by unsafe water, mostly in drought-prone countries in southern Africa. But even places with a sufficient supply of clean water are likely to face an intolerable strain as frequent hand washing becomes essential.
A tipping point
In Jordan, where over 93 percent of people had access to safe water in 2015, a water sector official recently declared that demand for water has jumped by 40 percent since the government ordered people to stay home as part of a nationwide curfew. That's on top of a steady rise in water demand of 22 percent since 2011, as Syrian refugees have arrived, fleeing the civil war. The growing population has limited each individual's share of water in Jordan to less than 80 litres per day.
The sudden increase in water demand in countries where supply is already strained could cause widespread shortages. But in places where a regular, safe water supply doesn't exist, the risk of infection could multiply.
Like COVID-19, water scarcity is a global problem that needs collective action.
Like COVID-19, water scarcity is a global problem that needs collective action. There is no more urgent a time to address the world's water crisis than now, when people are constantly being reminded to use water to combat the spread of the virus.
Acting on climate change is one way to limit the droughts that are behind many surface-water shortages, as is reforming agriculture to reduce pumping for irrigation. Managing water sources as a commons, with access guaranteed to all, is equally important.
The COVID-19 health crisis has taught us so far that collective action is the proper way to address a common problem, if not the only one. This should compel researchers to do all they can to communicate their findings and expertise, to bridge the gap between the scientific community and everyone else. Sharing knowledge within the community in a more inclusive way would help others devise innovative solutions for protecting water sources, improving sanitation and developing hygiene projects.
Let the COVID-19 outbreak remind us all how important safe running water is in keeping us healthy, and spare a thought for those who cannot count on it always flowing. Ensuring that clean water and hygiene is a right guaranteed to all is an urgent demand for global justice, but it is also vital in preparing the world to resist the development of future pandemics.
Raya A. Al-Masri is a PhD Researcher in Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey in Guildford, Surrey (UK).
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original.
tags : COVID-19, Handwashing, household water, Hygiene
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forfrancis says:
Use /steam/Hot water generated by solar power. It will save both water and soap. Recycle the water by diverting it into a plant patch preferable Aloe Vera
zdzislaw.iwanejko says:
We need a device that allows washing hands in a small amount of water in a hygienic way. What do you think about this device: https://youtu.be/DNmn0-NS0WE?t=210
Engineering for Change's Research Fellow Ignatius Waikwa Wins a Prize and Advocates for Development Tech in a Kenyan Slum
Ask Ignatius Waikwa what he has been up to lately and you may have to settle in. Ignatius has piled success upon success in the few weeks since he graduated from Engineering for Change's Research Fellowship. The short answer is that he won €100,000 in Paris for a solar tricycle design, works as a pro bono consultant for Nairobi's county government developing a slum and earned a spot in a post-graduate...


These remarkable wheels were created specifically for Guzzi V65, V50 and V35, but they can be adapted to various motorcycles.
The front and the rear wheels both undergo a series of extreme CNC machining phases studied and programmed in order to optimize the solidness of the structure and the quality of the surface finishing.
Larry wheels are meant to be a tribute to our territory and to its long-lasting manufacturing tradition which is well exemplified by Moto Guzzi and its exceptional history.