text:
Avoiding the cause: Australia and political persecution in West Papua
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"Avoiding the cause: Australia and political persecution in West Papua", APSNet Policy Forum, December 04, 2006, https://nautilus.org/apsnet/0635a-burchill-html/
Scott Burchill *
Essay – Avoiding the cause: Australia and political persecution in West Papua
Nautilus invites your response
In a speech to the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Deakin University's Scott Burchill writes that the responses of the Australian Government to increasing unrest in West Papua have been either comical or disgraceful. "Blaming the messengers and avoiding the root causes of the problem may or may not pacify Jakarta, but they will certainly not resolve a problem which is now in its fifth decade – it will only make matters worse" argues Burchill.
"On the other hand, an immediate solution to the issue is at hand and always has been, though it is studiously avoided – terminate the persecution, rather than the persecuted, and the problem largely goes away. As in the case of the East Timorese, anyone with a view on the subject is consulted except those with a primary interest in it – the West Papuans. The only question never asked is the only one worth posing: what do the people of West Papua want?"
The arrival in Australia last January of 43 asylum seekers from West Papua was a timely reminder that Indonesia's political boundaries were not settled even after East Timor became formerly independent in 2002 – at least as far as those who live behind them are concerned.
By subsequently granting all 43 Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) because it found that they faced a "well-founded fear of persecution" if forced to return home, the Australian Government confirmed that all was not well in Indonesia's eastern province.
Since the decision and its diplomatic fallout on bilateral relations between Canberra and Jakarta, the Australian Government has been struggling to avoid the obvious implications of its own findings. Why is newly democratic Indonesia still producing refugees desperate enough to risk their lives in a bid to escape the country?
In some cases the responses of the Australian Government have been comical – effectively blaming officials for granting the TPVs as if the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs was some rogue bureaucracy of state unconnected to Government.
Or former ASIO head Ambassador Dennis Richardson's claim that "Papua is part of the sovereign territory of Indonesia and always has been" – Richardson is apparently unaware that throughout the 1950s Robert Menzies, Percy Spender and Richard Casey opposed Indonesia's territorial claim to West Papua and until 1961 Canberra preferred that "the Dutch remain in West New Guinea until self-determination can be exercised and hopes that the Papuans would elect some status other than association with Indonesia."
In other cases Canberra's strategy has been disgraceful – Senator Vanstone's bizarre claim that "separatism is a toxic cause" and evidence of "racist sentiment" – stigmatising people fleeing what her own department agreed was political persecution.
And Ambassador Richardson's suggestion that it is "possible to ask the question whether those whose raison d'être was (the independence of) East Timor has now become Papua and perhaps those critics cling to an Indonesia that no longer exists." Surely freedom and human rights in East Timor, Aceh and West Papua are honourable causes? Is he suggesting human rights violation in provinces such as West Papua no longer take place?
Blaming the messengers and avoiding the root causes of the problem may or may not pacify Jakarta, but they will certainly not resolve a problem which is now in its fifth decade – it will only make matters worse. On the other hand, an immediate solution to the issue is at hand and always has been, though it is studiously avoided – terminate the persecution, rather than the persecuted, and the problem largely goes away.
Over recent months politicians, government ministers, conservative newspaper columnists and privately-funded think tanks (what I have previously described as the Jakarta lobby) have issued almost identical denunciations of activists and academics who have brought Jakarta's crimes in West Papua to public attention. These troublemakers are accused of fomenting secession (as if it would otherwise disappear), raising false hopes (West Papuans have no rights to freedom from persecution or to reconsider their political arrangements), and endangering the lives of West Papuans (military (TNI) killings and torture are apparently not Jakarta's responsibility).
To these lobbyists, the West Papua problem isn't Jakarta's crimes in the province. It's their public exposure in Australia. For this group – whose arguments against self-determination in West Papua are a replay of their ultimately unsuccessful attempt to deny the East Timorese their freedom – good relations with Jakarta must be maintained at all costs, including the rights of West Papuans
The persecution of independence activists with legal immunity for those responsible, attacks on Melanesian culture (transmigration, cultural expression), the expropriation of wealth from the owners of the vast resources of the province, and widespread environmental destruction (tailings, logging) are simply the headings. The details are extensively documented and updated every day. They are easily accessed – I receive emails every second day (from groups such as TAPOL and ELSHAM) detailing the latest attacks and atrocities. And yet the lobbyists go to extraordinary lengths – including the demonisation of the refugees – to try and minimise the extent and seriousness of these crimes as if this will weaken the case for self determination.
The opponents of freedom for West Papua misunderstand the basis of the claim. No legitimate act of self-determination has ever been held in West Papua. The fact that Jakarta agreed to one being held in 1969 – the sham known as the Act of Free Choice – and felt the need to rig the result suggests two things. Jakarta was acknowledging the West Papuan's right to self-determination, otherwise why hold a plebiscite. And secondly, Jakarta knew the likely result and therefore needed to corrupt it.
As in the case of the East Timorese, anyone with a view on the subject is consulted except those with a primary interest in it – the West Papuans. The only question never asked is the only one worth posing: what do the people of West Papua want?
In a newspaper article in June, Alexander Downer argued that in Iraq "we are supporting values that deliver practical success for ordinary people. We are delivering tangible outcomes for people who deserve the opportunity to forge a future of their own." It's a commendable commitment, except that in the case of West Papua we are seeking to deny people the opportunity "to forge a future of their own" by opposing their right to self determination. The only "tangible outcomes" for them are persecution if they stay and off-shore processing on Nauru if they succeed in escaping the territory.
According to the foreign minister, "we need to promote moderation at the expense of extremism. We need to foster societies where there is tolerance for everyone except the intolerant" and, it appears, those in Indonesia's eastern province seeking a political future outside the repressive control of Java's political elite. Kopassus and the rest of the Indonesian military (TNI) are known for many things. Moderation towards the country's population isn't one of them.
"In democracies, people can freely express their disagreements with governments," says Downer. "They can exercise their right to influence governments and hold them to standards of accountability through public comment, political activism and, ultimately, by voting." True enough, though in Indonesia democratic rule still permits political repression, larceny, cultural attacks and lengthy prison terms for people who "freely express their disagreements with governments" or merely raise an unofficial flag.
Mr Downer claims that "it is a recurring theme in Australian foreign policy that where an oppressed people stand for freedom and democracy, Australia plays its part." The part that Australia is currently playing in West Papua, however, is helping to deny "an oppressed people" an opportunity to "stand for freedom and democracy," because good political relations with Jakarta are paramount. It is a shameful record.
John Howard and Alexander Downer are more committed to West Papua's retention within the Republic of Indonesia than many of the province's inhabitants. They have successfully kept it off the agenda of the Pacific Island Forum. And they have even been prepared to enshrine their preference into international law via the recently signed Agreement Between The Republic of Indonesia and Australia on the Framework for Security and Cooperation, Article 2, point 2:
The Parties, consistent with their respective domestic laws and international obligations, shall not in any manner support or participate in activities by any person or entity which constitutes a threat to the stability, sovereignty or territorial integrity of the other Party, including by those who seek to use its territory for encouraging or committing such activities, including separatism, in the territory of the other Party.
But it is not for outsiders – in Jakarta, Canberra or Washington – to decide what is best for the people of West Papua. Our responsibility is to see that the West Papuans get the opportunity to make their own choices – whether it be for retention within Indonesia, reunification with PNG or independence. We must also ensure that they are not persecuted for seeking to exercise this right – a right we take for granted ourselves. Their Government may be opposed, but over 75% of Australians support the right of West Papuans to self determination, even if this means separation from Indonesia.
Secession is usually a product of political or military repression. It is never a political whim – the costs are always too high. The fact that many West Papuans want to leave the province, both politically and physically, should remind the Dutch, the US, the Australians, the UN and the Indonesians, that until an historical wrong is corrected, this issue will continue to fester.
Special autonomy, granted by Jakarta in 2001, has utterly failed to improve the situation in the territory for its 4.5 million citizens. Poverty, poor education and declining public health are the lowest of all of Indonesia's provinces. Journalists, politicians and human rights monitors are still banned from West Papua – what is there to hide? Suggestions that a peace process based on the successful Aceh-2005 model have been rejected out of hand by the Indonesian Government.
Forty years ago Robert Komer (US National Security Council, 1961-5 and Deputy Special Assistant to the President Kennedy) described West Papua as "a few thousand square miles of cannibal land" whose only known major resource was "shrunken human heads." Disingenuous or not, he couldn't have been wider of the mark. If the people of West Papua had control over their own political and economic lives, they would be the wealthiest people in the world. In actual fact they are some of the poorest.
I am told that the Freeport gold and copper mine at Grasberg in West Papua is one of the largest human-made objects visible from outer space. How ironic it is then that the rest of the world still cannot see what is actually happening there on the ground and in the surrounding highlands of such a beautiful but sad part of our planet.
Scott Burchill is Senior Lecturer in International Relations in the School of International & Political Studies at Deakin University. His most recent book is The National Interest in International Relations Theory (Palgrave, London 2005).
Contact: Scott Burchill – burchill@deakin.edu.au
Web site: http://scottburchill.net
The Austral Peace and Security Network invites your responses to this essay. Please send responses to the editor, Jane Mullett: austral@rmit.edu.au. Responses will be considered for redistribution to the network only if they include the author's name, affiliation, and explicit consent.
Produced by the Nautilus Institute at RMIT, Austral Peace and Security Network (APSNet). You can review the 2006 archives. You might like to subscribe to the free Twice weekly newsletter.
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The property must be in the name(s) of individuals and not in the name of a company.
When registering, you will be required to provide two pieces of identification: one containing your name and address, the other with your name and signature. In addition to the identification you will need satisfactory proof of ownership in the form of a tax notice, assessment notice or other legal documentation proving property ownership, such as a bill of sale issued prior to Wednesday, September 19, 2018.
Non-resident property electors can only vote once, regardless of the number of properties they own in the City of Port Alberni.
Section 66(1)(f) of the Local Government Act states that the only persons who are registered owners, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, are individuals who are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust.
If you meet all the requirements, you may register on the day you vote at either an advance voting opportunity or on general voting day. However, if more than one person is registered as an owner on the property's land title, a "Non-Resident Elector Consent Form" containing signed consent from the majority of the registered owners is required.
The "Non-Resident Elector Consent Form" is written consent from the majority of the registered owners appointing one of the registered owners as the non-resident property elector for the property.
I own a company or business located within the City, do I get a vote?
No - a corporation is not entitled to be registered as an elector or have a representative registered as an elector. There is no corporate vote in British Columbia.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Slack tax revenues may force govt to tighten fist to nail deficit target
November, 18th 2013
The finance ministry is taking the knife to spending to ensure that the fiscal deficit 'red line' is not breached, as tax revenues look to be falling short of target and other receipts risk coming in below expectation while subsidies mount. North Block hopes the squeeze will not be as severe as last year and a small cut will be adequate. Overall spending was slashed by more than Rs 80,000 crore last year to stay within the budgeted fiscal deficit as ratings agencies threatened to downgrade India. Finance minister P Chidambaram has repeatedly said that the budgeted fiscal deficit of 4.8% of gross domestic product is a "red line" that will not be crossed, and his ministry has got down to the business of ensuring that.
Ministry officials are worried tax revenue could fall short and subsidies will rise, but have not yet given up on disinvestment that is budgeted to fetch Rs 54,000 crore in the fiscal, including Rs 14,000 crore from the sale of residual stakes in privatised companies such as Hindustan Zinc and Balco. Only Rs 1,323 crore of the target has been met so far.
"There will be some cut in expenditure but not as sharp as last fiscal," said a senior finance ministry official though he did not put a number to it. He said the fiscal deficit target would be met. This means that the government is unlikely to fall into the trap of profligacy ahead of elections next year as any fiscal slippage is unlikely to go down well with rating agencies. The finance ministry official said the backlog of funds from the previous year will allow the ministry to make the reduction less severe than the last financial year.
10% cut in non-plan spending
The sale of residual stakes in Hindustan Zinc and Balco is expected to move forward soon with the cabinet note being circulated over the next two weeks. The two are expected to fetch the government as much as 20,000 crore, which ministry officials feel could help the government get closer to the target. A higher dividend from state-owned companies and the Reserve Bank of India will also provide some succour to the revenue-generation drive, which is expected to pick up pace after December. The government also has the fallback option of divesting the stake held by the Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI) in private sector companies. Therefore, as of now, the ministry is looking to cover only the slippage in tax revenue that is likely given the ambitious 19% growth budgeted as the economy struggles with sub-5 % growth.
However, the recent pickup in direct tax collections has given the ministry hope that the slippage could be contained to around Rs 30,000 crore. At the end of September, the growth in gross direct tax collections was 10.7%, which recovered by almost a percentage point to 11.6% by October. The ministry has already issued a diktat to ministries and departments for a mandatory 10% cut in non-plan spending and is now looking closely at plan expenses as it prepares revised estimates to be presented as part of the government's annual accounts. Some of the non-plan spending, essentially subsidies, will also get deferred to the next financial year, as is usually the case. Independent analysts feel the government may have to apply a similar squeeze like the one last year if it is to stay within the budgeted fiscal deficit "We estimate a 22% cut in expenditure to allow the government to meet the 4.8% fiscal deficit target," said Abheek Barua, chief economist, HDFC Bank.
"Disinvestment through buyback, stake sale in Balco and Hindustan Zinc and holdings of SUUTI will be able to provide some buffer." Crisil's fiscal deficit estimate for the financial year is 5.2% of GDP, said DK Joshi, chief economist.
"Some plan spending will have to be axed," he said. "With growth remaining subdued, tax revenues are bound to take a hit. If they use a sledgehammer on spending then they can achieve the target of 4.8% of GDP." Private estimates are based on the already evident slippage in expenditure management. At the end of the first six months of the current fiscal, receipts were just 37% of the budgeted amount, though spending was in line at 48.6% of estimates, yielding a fiscal deficit of 76% of budget estimates. Ratings agency Standard & Poor's recently said that it would review India's rating - barely investment grade BBB - on which it has a negative outlook - only after a new government takes over after next year's elections. However, it has warned that it may review this earlier if there is a sharp deterioration in the fiscal situation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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If you currently have a metal base crown that is causing an allergic response, your tooth will experience symptoms similar to gingivitis. Only you will know it is not gingivitis if you have excellent oral hygiene, floss around the crown daily, and brush along the gumlines. The gum tissue around that specific tooth will remain inflamed and red, regardless of your oral health status.
Your dentist may suggest the use of a full porcelain crown (metal free), or a cast gold crown (for teeth in the back of the mouth.) It's important to let your dentist know if you have metal allergies so that this can be taken into consideration when formulating your treatment plan.
Full porcelain crowns are a functional and beautiful way to enhance the health of your smile. Contact your dentist today to find out about the types of crowns available for your oral health needs.


text:
How a Jewish EMT From Israel Donated Bone Marrow to Save an American Muslim Child
by Yisrael Otmazgin
Members of United Hatzalah of Israel on their way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo: Miriam Ballin.
My name is Yisrael Otmazgin. I am a Jewish Israeli, and this is the story of how I saved the life of a Muslim American boy that I never met.
A year has passed since I made a bone marrow donation. I underwent surgery, fully sedated, in order to donate bone marrow to a boy whom I didn't know — and according to international law, it is forbidden to reveal the identities of the donor or the recipient of the donation.
A few days ago, I received a phone call from the coordinator of bone marrow donations at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital. "Shalom Yisrael," the coordinator began. "The family of the recipient child of your bone marrow wants to contact you, and I know that you have expressed interest in being in contact as well, so please sign a confidentiality waiver and I'll connect you."
Twenty-four hours after I signed the waiver, I received a form with contact details and preferred method of contact for the family of the recipient. I learned that the recipient was a young boy in the United States located in the state of Michigan.
"Insane." "Reprehensible." "Complicit." These are the fierce criticisms being mounted against the New York Times for its coverage of terrorist attacks...
I wanted to immediately contact them, but how could I? I didn't know whether the boy's life had been saved. If the boy died, then contacting them would deepen their trauma.
I decided to send a very carefully-worded message. I identified myself as "the donor," and I wrote that I was very much hoping to save the life of the child who was the recipient.
A few minutes passed and I received a reply. "Hi, This is ******. Israel, thank you so much for saving my son. I cannot thank you enough. I am really excited to meet you too."
At that moment, there was likely no one happier on the face of the planet than myself. We arranged for a video meeting the next day. As soon as the meeting started, the tears flowed as the mother of the recipient told me what happened to her son:
"My son was born with a rare and debilitating physical ailment called SCID. This disease prevents the body from properly developing an immune system. This means that even the tiniest and most insignificant bacteria or viruses can kill our child. Children like him are kept inside of a 'vault' in the hospital to make sure that they do not contract any illness. Their normal life expectancy is less than a year if a bone marrow donor cannot be found. His two older brothers were only a 50% match. But you, from all the people in the bone marrow database, were a 100% match." (There are close to 44 million people in the database.)
The patient's mother continued: "Following the transplant, his body responded well to the treatment and there was an immediate improvement in his medical condition. Since then, he has contracted three separate illnesses that are common for young children and his body overcame the illnesses each time. This means that the transplant succeeded. This means that he is also partly your child. He is alive because of you and we have no way to say thank you."
At this point, we were both in tears.
We continued the conversation, and I introduced their family to my family. They then introduced me to the cute boy whose life I helped save. He was an American Muslim. He is a very sweet boy who is full of life and joy.
I was a bit surprised that here I am in Israel, an ultra-Orthodox Jew, and I saved the life of a Muslim boy in the United States by donating part of my bone marrow to him. After my initial surprise, I realized what kind of connection God made here — a connection of life and love between two people who in regular day-to-day life would likely never meet one another, and if they did meet, might not initially like one another. We all have dreams of what our children will grow to become. Now this family has a chance for their son to realize both his dreams and theirs.
Those who know me know that I am an EMT with United Hatzalah of Israel, the national EMS organization whose volunteers drop whatever they are doing and rush to save lives at a moment's notice. I also serve in the IDF Home Front Command elite rescue unit as a reservist, and often come across death serving as a Zaka volunteer. With that in mind, I am happy to be involved with anything that can save a life.
I am an Israeli and I live in Israel, yet I saved the life of this young Arab boy in the United States. I am incredibly happy about being able to do so, and I sincerely hope that my story will serve as a guide for the sanctity of life to people all over the world.
Yisrael Otmazgin is married with four children, the most recent of which was born during the Corona crisis in the past two months. He works for a toy company and volunteers for United Hatzalah and Zaka, and is a reservist with the IDF Home Front Command's Rescue Unit. He lives with his family in Elad.
The opinions presented by Algemeiner bloggers are solely theirs and do not represent those of The Algemeiner, its publishers or editors. If you would like to share your views with a blog post on The Algemeiner, please be in touch through our Contact page.


text:
Pep Guardiola: Three days...	Pep Guardiola: Three days ago we were done — now we're favourites!
Pep Guardiola: Three days ago we were done — now we're favourites!
by Gavin Brown Published February 5, 2019 Published Feb 5, 2019
PEP GUARDIOLA has accused critics of being too quick to write off Manchester City's Premier League title challenge and urged his players to ignore the hype as they look to successfully defend their crown.
City's defeat at Newcastle last week gave Liverpool the chance to open a seven-point gap with victory over Leicester 24 hours later.
Instead, Jurgen Klopp's men drew and then dropped two more points at West Ham on Monday night, meaning City — who beat Arsenal on Sunday — can go top with three points at Everton tonight.
'Three or four days ago we were already done — the champions were Liverpool. And now we are favourites!' Guardiola (pictured) said yesterday. 'Maybe in three days we will be leading, or we could be six points behind.'
The key, he said, is not getting too carried away with the highs and the lows.
'We try to be calm in this situation. There will be a lot of surprises and it will be tough for teams to win games,' added Guardiola. 'All the teams [in the league] have the abilities and skills to create problems.
'What I'm more concerned about is to never forget who we are as a team. When doing what we have to do we are a strong team.
'That's what I want to watch every single day. After we will see about the results, how the table is.'
The title race has increasingly been seen as a showdown between Guardiola's City and Klopp's Liverpool team, but the Spaniard believes Tottenham — who are two points behind City — Chelsea, and even a resurgent Manchester United also have a chance.
'There are 39 points to play [for] and it is not too much if you are nine or ten behind,' said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.
'I never said Tottenham are not there. United making this run every single week and they will be there.
'Now we see the table and see the first two or three and we don't look further than that. Chelsea can win games in a row and be a contender.'


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Transitioning to College Band
Post on: May 3, 2017
Elizabeth Geli
If you're a high school musician preparing to try out for college marching band, particularly for a spot on the drumline, put your best foot forward by implementing these tips.
Transitioning from high school to college band is one of the most exciting times in a marching musician's career, but it can also be one of the most daunting. Glen Buecker, percussion coordinator for the University of Oklahoma Bands, shares tips for matriculating students.
Halftime: What advice do you give to students about having an open mindset and learning about their new environment?
Buecker: We find the biggest issue that they run into is that when they go to enroll, a lot of people will tell them, "Oh, you're not going to have time for band."
[Since elementary school] they're going to school eight hours a day probably. When you get to college, our average workload for a freshman is 15 hours per week divided over 5 days. So you're going from an eight-hour day of school to just three hours a day [on average]. As long as you can manage your time properly, band fits into everybody's schedule.
Once they sign up for band, the big thing that we reinforce is to make sure that you've got the fundamentals down. Everybody has people who come in to audition, particularly for drummers, that can just play the latest and greatest lick that they learned on YouTube, but they lack that foundation.
They may worry like, "I was the big fish in my pond, and now I'm a freshman and going to be a little fish," but if you just focus on those fundamentals, that's the big transition.
Halftime: How much research and preparation should they do?
Buecker: If you've got a school that you know you want to go to, you should check out some videos and see if you can determine their style. Just as long as they realize that the schools know that people are coming in from all different schools of thought.
We're going to start from scratch in terms of our skill and technique and what we look like. Because we're a school that does six shows a year, we just really break our marching style down to the different nuts and bolts. It's different than high school, but as long as you come into it with the mindset of, "I know this is going to be different, and I just need to adjust," then it works for us.
Halftime: Obviously every school is going to be different, but tell us about your school's audition process.
Buecker: We used to do it all in August, and then we started to get the feeling that there would be lot of apprehension over the summer. We switched to spring auditions. We've got a couple of rounds.
Everybody submits a video or comes to campus for a live audition by the middle of May. From that point we invite people in to a June camp. It's not mandatory because we know people are doing drum corps, vacations or internships and things like that, but having them come in gives us an opportunity to see how they play in a group or line setting. And if they can't make it, then they can submit another video that will have a little more advanced exercises.
From that point you will know if you're in the band or not and will get an official invitation to come to band camp.
The video process is to allow us to see people that might not be successful. And we don't want to lead them on. We want to give them feedback upfront that, "Hey, this might not be something that you're ready for," and because we do it in the spring, they can maybe choose another college. We're not trying to run people off, but we're not trying to string them along either.
Halftime: What about people who might not get the part or instrument they wanted, especially in the drumline?
Buecker: What we do upfront is ask them flat out if they're willing to play anything else, and they select all the instruments they want to audition for. If they don't audition for it, we won't put them in that section.
I always try to relate it to my own life experiences. When I started out in drum corps, I was on cymbals, and I was 14 years old. And what I learned from just being around the other sections was way more than I could have learned by being in private lessons once a week or something.
We won't put people in a position where it's not going to be a win-win where they get better and the band gets better because of that. A kid who's gonna flunk out of his math and English because all he's doing is trying to drum and learn his music doesn't benefit anyone.
Halftime: What about students placed in alternate, reserve or B-band spots?
Buecker: We have alternates in the band—not too much in the drumline—but when I was a grad student at another university, they had alternates in the drumline.
They'll do challenges. Every week the entire band plays off their music for their squad leaders. If they don't pass that, then they get to play off again the next day, but they're going to have to do it for staff or faculty members.
Halftime: How do you help students adjust from competitive marching band to spirit-based athletic band supporting the football team and pumping up the crowd?
Buecker: We try to tell them upfront that we're not a competition-based band. Competition's great, but we're here to support the football team, the university, be great ambassadors. So it's a different kind of gig, so to speak.
It doesn't mean that we expect less of them. We still expect the same level of excellence.
We offer a lot of variety. Each [show is] different. They might not like one show, but it's over in two weeks. And they've got a new challenge. Also, there are opportunities for them if they want to do winter drumline or guard for that competitive aspect.
Halftime: What advice do you give to students about balancing band with schoolwork?
Buecker: We actually sit down with all the freshmen and talk to them about maintaining calendars and making a daily schedule and being able to block time out for things. Part of that is recreation that they've got to have time away from everything including band.
Now some students just can't figure that out, and within the first four to five weeks you notice, "OK, I need to sit down with this person, and I need to literally go through their schedule and plan it out for them during the week to help them."
We'll do that. They're here to get an education first, and that has to happen.
Halftime: Anything else?
Buecker: Just to be open-minded, take a deep breath, relax, but don't wait until it's too late to reach out and get information or help. Sometimes people get audition packets, and they're too afraid to ask questions. Ask, reach out, just don't assume anything, and don't wait until the last minute!
Photo Courtesy of the Pride of Oklahoma
Tags: Drumlinemarching bandHalftime MagazinepercussionbandOUdrum linemarchingYamahaUniversity of OklahomaPride of Oklahomacollegepreparationpracticehigh schoolyamaha corporation of americascheduleauditionsuniversityOU Bandtime managementGlen Bueckerfreshmengraduationgoing to collegevideo auditionsYamaha DrumsYamaha USAstudying
Former Baylor Director to Lead Revamped Stanford Band
Halftime Magazine® is the only lifestyle publication that presents the sights, sounds and spirit of the marching arts in a highly visual format. Our mission involves education, entertainment and inspiration for ourreaders--marching instructors, students, parents, alumni and fans. This bimonthly print magazine showcases marching participants' shared experiences about competitions, school spirit and band traditions with profiles, first-person accounts and thought-provoking feature stories.
Wagner College in NY Restarts Marching Band
After an almost 40-year hiatus, students at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., can join a marching band. From Halftime Magazine, a print publication and ...
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Halftime Magazine®, which premiered in July 2007, is the only lifestyle publication that presents the sights, sounds and spirit of the marching arts in a highly visual format.
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text:
Sebastian Montiel
Go rating 1250 Rank 9 kyu , 9k (weiqi, baduk) B1989
a b c d e f g h j k l m n o p q r s t
Last move : 1-0 2008 March 13 16:3:17
[Event "FICGS__GO__TOURNAMENT_KYU_I__000003"]
[Site "FICGS"]
[Black "Hensen,Erik"]
[White "Montiel,Sebastian"]
[Rating 1 "0658"]
1.q16 d3 2.d16 r4 3.d5 c7 4.c3 c4 5.d4 b3 6.c2 d2 7.b4 c5 8.b2 b5 9.a3 d6 10.f4 g3 11.e3 e5 12.e4 r14 13.g4 h3 14.j5 k4 15.p3 p5 16.m3 m4 17.n4 n5 18.q4 q5 19.r3 s4 20.o4 o5 21.p14 q12 22.o16 o12 23.l17 f17 24.r11 1-0
This go game has been lost on time (started : 2008.01.02 5:38:0)
This is the last move in a Go game played by S. Montiel at FICGS.
The 6 games most recently played are :
17098 17095 17102 17091 17101 17086
Advanced chess 1800 running : 0 won : 0 lost : 0 drawn : 0
Go 1250 running : 0 won : 1 lost : 5
Sebastian Montiel has currently 0 running correspondence chess game(s), did not finish any correspondence chess game yet, does not play advanced chess (fast time controls), does not play big chess, played Go (weiqi, baduk), now 0 running, 1 won, 5 lost, and does not play poker, finally Sebastian finished a total of 6 games and is not playing any game right now.
Please register or login to see the complete list of tournaments played by Sebastian. Montiel.
Last connection : 2014 September 3
Hola, mi nombre es Sebasti�n de Punta Arenas.Chile jugador de Go 1Dan Hi!, mi name is Sebastian from Punta Arenas, Chile. Go player 5kyu Que sea un buen juego... Have a good game...
Member # 2855 Birthdate : 1989 January 01
Favorite game : Go
A few other games played recently by Sebastian Montiel
Last move : 0-1 2008 March 5 15:10:49
[Black "Montiel,Sebastian"]
[White "Suarez-Moreno,Alejandro"]
1.k10 d4 2.f3 e3 3.f4 d16 4.d5 c5 5.c6 d6 6.e5 c7 7.c4 b6 8.d3 b4 9.c3 b3 10.b2 d10 11.q16 q4 12.f17 e17 13.f16 r7 14.c14 c15 15.d14 r14 16.r12 p14 17.o16 q12 18.r11 q11 19.r10 q10 20.r13 q13 21.r8 q8 22.s7 r9 23.s9 s8 24.t8 r8 25.s14 r15 26.s15 r16 0-1
Last move : 1-0 2008 February 28 14:44:59
[Black "Groves,Don"]
1.r16 d4 2.q3 d16 3.p16 r10 4.r6 r14 5.n17 d10 6.k3 k17 7.f3 h3 8.c3 d3 9.c4 c5 10.b5 c6 11.b6 c7 12.c2 d2 13.n4 h5 14.c14 c15 15.c11 d14 16.c13 d13 17.c10 d9 18.b15 b16 19.c17 b14 20.b13 a15 21.d17 1-0
[Black "Ilie,Sebastian"]
1.q16 d4 2.q3 d16 3.f3 d6 4.j4 q5 5.q8 n4 6.p5 p6 7.o5 q4 8.o3 q7 9.r7 r8 10.r6 q6 11.r9 l3 12.f5 p8 13.q9 r3 14.p3 1-0
[White "Carnemolla,Giampaolo"]
1.q16 q4 2.d4 k5 3.k3 e10 4.c16 k17 5.r6 p10 6.o4 q6 7.q7 p6 8.r4 q5 9.r5 r3 10.p3 q3 11.r10 q12 12.n17 g17 13.e17 c14 14.c12 c10 15.d13 d15 0-1
[URL=http://www.ficgs.com/montiel_sebastian.htm]FICGS games server[/URL]


THIS COMBO COMES FULLY TESTED AND INCLUDES. ASROCK 970 EXTREME3 ATX. AMD FX-4100 QUAD CORE CPU PROCESSOR. APPROVED COOLING FAN FOR AMD PROCESSORS. 8GB (2X4GB) OF DUAL CHANNEL 1600MHZ DDR3 MEMORY. Support for Socket AM3+ processors – Support for Socket AM3 processors: AMD Phenom II X6 / X4 / X3 / X2 (except 920 / 940) / Athlon II X4 / X3 / X2 / Sempron processors – Supports 8-Core CPU – Supports UCC feature (Unlock CPU Core) – Digi Power Design – 4 + 1 Power Phase Design – Supports CPU up to 140W – Supports AMD's Cool'n' Quiet Technology – FSB 2400 MHz (4.8 GT/s) – Supports Untied Overclocking Technology – Supports Hyper-Transport 3.0 (HT 3.0) Technology. Northbridge: AMD 970 – Southbridge: AMD SB950. Dual Channel DDR3 memory technology – 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots – Supports DDR3 2100(OC)/1866 /1800 /1600 /1333/1066/800 non-ECC, un-buffered memory – Max. Capacity of system memory: 32GB. 32Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support – Supports "Plug and Play" – ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events – Supports jumperfree – SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support – CPU, VCCM, NB, SB Voltage Multi-adjustment. Audio, Video and Networking. 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec) – Premium Blu-ray audio support – Supports THX TruStudio. PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s – Realtek RTL8111E – Supports Wake-On-LAN – Supports LAN Cable Detection – Supports Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az – Supports PXE. 5 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions. 2 x USB 3.0 ports by Etron EJ168A, support USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s. 5 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors – 1 x IR header – 1 x CIR header – 1 x COM port header – 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header – 1 x Power LED header – CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector – 24 pin ATX power connector – 8 pin 12V power connector – Front panel audio connector – 3 x USB 2.0 headers (support 6 USB 2.0 ports). I/O Panel – 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port – 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port – 1 x Coaxial SPDIF Out Port – 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port – 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports – 1 x eSATA3 Connector – 2 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports – 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED) – HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker / Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone. Other Features / Miscellaneous. ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) – ASRock Instant Boot – ASRock Instant Flash – ASRock APP Charger – ASRock SmartView – ASRock XFast USB – ASRock XFast LAN – ASRock XFast RAM – ASRock On/Off Play Technology – Hybrid Booster: – CPU Frequency Stepless Control – ASRock U-COP – Boot Failure Guard B. Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version), CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, AMD OverDrive Utility, AMD Fusion, AMD Fusion Media Explorer, ASRock Software Suite (CyberLink DVD Suite – OEM and Trial; ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite – OEM). Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield – 2 x SATA Data Cables. CPU Temperature Sensing – Chassis Temperature Sensing – CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer – CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan – CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control – Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore. ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 8.6-in, 30.5 cm x 21.8 cm – All Solid Capacitor design (100% Japan-made high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors). 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit compliant. FCC, CE, WHQL – ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required). DUAL CHANNEL MEMORY DDR3 MEMORY. 8 GB (2X4GB) 240 pin, PC3-12800 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM. 240pin, Non-ECC, Un-buffered DDR3 SDRAM DIMM. 6 Layers Ultra Low Noises Shielded PCB 1.5V Power Supply. AMD FX-4100 QUAD CORE X4 3.6-3.8GHz CPU PROCESSOR. 32NM 95W 12MB CACHE SOCKET AM3+. APPROVED COOLING FAN FOR AMD PROCESSOR. The item "NEW AMD FX-4100 QUAD CORE X4 CPU 970 MOTHERBOARD 8GB DDR3 MEMORY RAM COMBO KIT" is in sale since Tuesday, August 28, 2012. This item is in the category "Computers/Tablets & Networking\Computer Components & Parts\Motherboard & CPU Combos". The seller is "alvio-corp" and is located in Cleveland, Ohio. This item can be shipped worldwide.


So somebody dies next year in Captain America: Civil War.
Want to know who it is?
Of course you do because you're still here.
For now I won't spoil how or when it happens or by whom, but expect T'Chaka to be toe tagged next year in the film.
For those who don't know, in the comics, T'Chaka was the Chieftan of Wakanda, pledged to protect the sacred metal known as Vibranium. From an early age, he excelled in the ways of magic and took a stance to preserve Wakanda's heritage by honoring the "old ways" of magic use despite the technological advancements of Wakanda.
Since Wakanda was independent with no ties to any other nation he was eventually called to a UN meeting in hopes of other countries trading with them. He refused however and was assassinated by Ulysses Klaw while he tried to protect his wife and children. His death made his S'yan the Black Panther. S'yan was later succeeded by T'Challa.
T'Challa will be played by Chadwick Boseman in the upcoming film.


text:
Schwab ETF OneSource™ Expands Offering of Commission-Free ETFs
Schwab Funds/Laudus Funds News
Monday, July 10, 2017 6:00 am PDT
"We're proud of the traction we've achieved so far in the four years since launching the program, and its steady growth allows us to continue to provide more choice and meet investor demand"
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Charles Schwab announced today that Schwab ETF OneSource™, the program that offers the most commission-free1 Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) anywhere in the industry, has added 15 ETFs to its roster. With these additions, the program allows investors and advisors to buy and sell 245 ETFs covering 69 Morningstar Categories with $0 online commissions, no enrollment requirements and no early redemption fees – key differentiators for investors comparing Schwab ETF OneSource to other commission-free ETF offerings.
Beginning July 6, 2017, 15 ETFs from nine existing ETF OneSource providers became newly available to Schwab clients with $0 online trade commissions. Additions to the program include a variety of Morningstar categories such as High Yield Bond, Energy Limited Partnership and Diversified Emerging Markets. Sixteen leading ETF providers participate in the Schwab ETF OneSource program including: ALPS Advisors Inc., Deutsche Asset Management, Direxion, ETF Securities, Global X Funds, Guggenheim Investments, IndexIQ, John Hancock Investments, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, OppenheimerFunds, PIMCO, PowerShares, State Street SPDR® ETFs, USCF, WisdomTree and Charles Schwab Investment Management.
"Schwab ETF OneSource continues to grow as investors and advisors allocate more of their portfolios to ETFs," said Heather Fischer, Vice President, ETF & Mutual Fund Platforms at Charles Schwab. "It's extremely important to offer a broad selection of ETF categories and ETF providers, so that investors have the most choice when evaluating commission-free ETFs."
The new funds that have been added to the program include:
Fund Name Ticker Morningstar Category
Deutsche X-trackers FTSE Emerging Comprehensive Factor ETF DEMG Diversified Emerging Markets
Deutsche X-trackers Japan JPX-Nikkei 400 Equity ETF JPN Japan Stock
Deutsche X-trackers USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF HYLB High Yield Bond
Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF MLPX Energy Limited Partnership
Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF BOTZ Miscellaneous Sector
Guggenheim S&P High Income Infrastructure ETF GHII Infrastructure
IQ S&P High Yield Low Volatility Bond ETF HYLV High Yield Bond
John Hancock Multifactor Developed International ETF JHMD Foreign Large Blend
JPMorgan Diversified Return Europe Currency Hedged ETF JPEH Europe Stock
SPDR® Long Dollar Gold Trust GLDW Commodities Precious Metals
SPDR® Russell 1000 Low Volatility Focus ETF ONEV Mid-Cap Blend
SPDR® Russell 1000 Momentum ETF ONEO Mid-Cap Blend
SPDR® Russell 1000 Yield ETF ONEY Mid-Cap Value
United States Copper Index CPER Commodities Industrial Metals
WisdomTree Continuous Commodity Index ETF GCC Commodities Broad Basket
Schwab ETF OneSource Assets Grew by 22% in First Five Months of 2017 2
Assets in Schwab ETF OneSource reached $84 billion as of May 31, 2017, growing by 22% in the first five months of 2017. May year-to-date flows into ETFs in the program are $10.8 billion, representing 52% of the total ETF flows at Schwab.
"We're proud of the traction we've achieved so far in the four years since launching the program, and its steady growth allows us to continue to provide more choice and meet investor demand," said Fischer.
A complete list of Schwab ETF OneSource ETFs is available here.
About Schwab ETF OneSource
Schwab ETF OneSource offers investors and advisors access to the most commission-free ETFs anywhere in the industry. Commission-free online trading is available to individual investors at Schwab, to approximately 7,000 independent investment advisors who use Schwab's custodial services and through Schwab retirement accounts that permit trading of ETFs.
Schwab offers a range of resources to help clients choose ETFs that fit their investment needs, including the Schwab ETF Select List™, tutorials, education, research and tools available via Schwab's online ETF center and live events at local Schwab branches.
1 Conditions Apply: Trades in ETFs available through Schwab ETF OneSource™ (including Schwab ETFs™) are available without commissions when placed online in a Schwab account. Service charges apply for trade orders placed through a broker ($25) or by automated phone ($5). An exchange processing fee applies to sell transactions. Certain types of Schwab ETF OneSource transactions are not eligible for the commission waiver, such as short sells and buys to cover (not including Schwab ETFs). Schwab reserves the right to change the ETFs we make available without commissions. All ETFs are subject to management fees and expenses. Please see Charles Schwab Pricing Guide for additional information.
2 Source: Charles Schwab & Co., from 1/1/17 - 5/31/17
Investors should consider carefully information contained in the prospectus, including investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. You can obtain a prospectus by visiting schwab.com or calling 800-435-4000. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. receives remuneration from third-party ETF companies participating in Schwab ETF OneSource for recordkeeping, shareholder services, and other administrative services, including program development and maintenance.
Investment returns will fluctuate and are subject to market volatility, so that an investor's shares, when redeemed or sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Unlike mutual funds, shares of ETFs are not individually redeemable directly with the ETF. Shares are bought and sold at market price, which may be higher or lower than the net asset value (NAV).
Diversification strategies do not ensure a profit and do not protect against losses in declining markets.
Deutsche X-trackers ETFs ("ETFs") are managed by DBX Advisors LLC (the "Adviser"), and distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc. ("ALPS"). The Adviser is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG, and is not affiliated with ALPS. Deutsche X-trackers ETFs are not FDIC insured and there is no bank guarantee and they may lose value. MSCI and MSCI Index are service marks of MSCI Inc. (MSCI) and have been licensed for use by DBX. The ETFs are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc. nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the ETFs.
"ETF Securities" is a registered trademark of ETF Securities Limited.
Global X Funds is a registered trademark of Global X Management Company LLC.
John Hancock ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC, and are subadvised by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP. Foreside is not affiliated with John Hancock Funds, LLC or Dimensional Fund Advisors LP.
J.P. Morgan Exchange-Traded Funds are distributed by SEI Investments Distribution Co., which is not affiliated with JPMorgan Chase & Co. or any of its affiliates. SEI Investments Distribution Co. is a member of FINRA/SIPC.
MainStay Investments® is a registered service mark and name under which New York Life Investment Management LLC does business. MainStay Investments, an indirect subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company, New York, NY 10010, provides investment advisory products and services. IndexIQ® is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC. ALPS Distributors, Inc. (ALPS) is the principal underwriter of the ETFs. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is a distributor of the ETFs and the principal underwriter of the IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy Plus Fund. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is located at 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. ALPS Distributors, Inc. is not affiliated with NYLIFE Distributors LLC. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is a Member FINRA/SIPC.
Oppenheimer funds are distributed by OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. Alternative weighting approaches (i.e., using revenues as a weighting measure), while designed to enhance potential returns, may not produce the desired results.
PowerShares® is a registered trademark of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, investment adviser. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (PowerShares) and Invesco Distributors, Inc., ETF distributor, are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Invesco Ltd.
SPDR® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (S&P) and has been licensed for use by State Street Corporation. State Street Corporation's financial products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their respective affiliates and third party licensors and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability in relation thereto, including for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index.
USCF® and the United States Commodity Funds® are registered trademarks of United States Commodity Funds LLC Limited Liability Company Delaware. All rights reserved.
WisdomTree Investments, Inc., through its subsidiaries in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Canada (collectively, "WisdomTree"), is an exchange-traded fund ("ETF") and exchange-traded product ("ETP") sponsor and asset manager headquartered in New York. WisdomTree Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC in the U.S. only.
Schwab ETFs are distributed by SEI Investments Distribution Co. (SIDCO). SIDCO is not affiliated with The Charles Schwab Corporation or any of its affiliates. Learn more at schwab.com/Schwab ETFs.
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is the investment advisor for Schwab ETFs and an affiliate of the Charles Schwab Corporation.
Through its operating subsidiaries, The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) provides a full range of securities brokerage, banking, money management and financial advisory services to individual investors and independent investment advisors. Its broker-dealer subsidiary, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. ("Schwab" member SIPC, www.sipc.org), and affiliates offer a complete range of investment services and products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation plan services; compliance and trade monitoring solutions; referrals to independent fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent, fee-based investment advisors through Schwab Advisor Services. Its banking subsidiary, Charles Schwab Bank (member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender), provides banking and lending services and products. More information is available at www.schwab.com and www.aboutschwab.com
© 2017 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Member SIPC.
(0717-7G1N)
Kaitlyn Downing, 212-403-9240
Kaitlyn.Downing@schwab.com


Football & Cheer Summer Camp - FREE!!!
The Veterans Summer Camp is Linked to our Team Roster and requires an initial set up fee when registering. If you choose to decline , we will have an open registration, the morning of the 25th and you are still welcome to attend camp at no charge. Our Roster is limited to 25 players, and those who register 1st will be given priority.
Practice Fields - Carolina Forest Recreation Center, International Drive Fields.
The CFYSA Veterans Football & Cheer program will be participating in a Raffle Giveaway at the end of July, used to raise additional funds to help reduce the amount each participant is required to pay .


BOTHELL, Wash. – The Associated Students of the University of Washington Bothell (ASUWB) and the Chancellor's Office hosted a Veterans' Day Reception on November 8 to commemorate Veterans' Day 2010.
During the reception, "First Gentleman" Mike Gregoire (Spouse of Governor Chris Gregoire) and Director John Lee from the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs praised the campus for all its efforts in providing assistance to student veterans.
First Gentleman Gregoire, Director Lee and Chancellor Chan signed the Partners for Veteran Supportive Campuses certificate which officially recognizes UW Bothell as a veteran-friendly campus.
For more information, about UW Bothell's veteran services, please visit the veterans' website: http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/veterans.
Photograph 1: (Left to Right) ASUWB President, Amira Davis, Student Veterans' Association President, Sean Alley, "First Gentleman" Mike Gregoire, Director Lee of Washington Department of Veterans Affairs and UW Bothell Chancellor, Kenyon Chan.
About UW Bothell's Veterans' Services: Veterans Services provides assistance to students who are entitled to receive educational benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Whether a student is a new applicant for benefits or has used them at previous institutions, Veterans Services is committed to working in partnership to ensure that the process is simple and well-organized.
About UW Bothell: The University of Washington Bothell combines the benefits of a small campus with the resources and prestige of a world-renowned university. Offering over 30 degrees, options, certificates and concentrations, its curriculum emphasizes close student-faculty interaction, collaboration among students, and hands-on learning. During the 2010-11 academic year, UW Bothell debuted a Bachelor of Science in Biology. It also launched its Bachelor of Science in Nursing at a new Everett location (University Center of North Puget Sound) and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration at its Bellevue-based Eastside Leadership Center.


Carbo-Link enables organisations to move beyond complex engineering challenges.
As a high-tech engineering institution we specialise in the design, engineering and manufacture of structural elements for high loads across multiple market categories. Founded in 2000 as a spin-off from ETH Domain (Federal Institute of Technology Switzerland), Carbo-Link's management have been at the fore-front of composite technology innovation for over 35 years. Drawing on this extensive knowledge and research base, Carbo-Link continues to develop optimized and unique techniques for the production and implementation of lightweight custom cable, tubes and component solutions.
Carbo-Link's innovative carbon fiber structural elements are the ideal choice to safely deliver fully bespoke high stiffness and strength, lightweight and durable solutions to any industry.


The subject of Dark Force and spiritual entities is not a very popular one.
The idea that something– something not you is somehow influencing your actions or affecting your life– that's not a fun thought.
It's maybe even a little bit scary.
Here's good news: Nothing and no-one can harm you without your permission, even if that permission is on an emotional or soul level, rather than a conscious one.
When compared to the physical level, carrying around spiritual entities is kind of like having parasites. Really, they are parasites, but what we regard as dark force is on the spiritual plane.
I have a theory about entity possession: What we call an entity, bad spirit, or even a demon, I believe can safely be termed negative energy. These "bad energy" somethings are "nourished" by negative emotions, like anger and fear.
If you have physical parasites, you would want to make your body inhospitable to them; use herbs or homeopathics the bugs don't like; maybe take away what they like you to eat.
With spiritual parasites, the approach is sometimes similar– do something to run the bugger off, and make yourself a "bad host." This will almost always mean a change in attitude and behavior, sometimes even a change of environment.
Purifying your thoughts isn't always so easy, that may be why we (humans) came up with the idea of group worship services (church, temple, circle). It's a lot easier to maintain a positive persona in a group of like-minded positive people.
So be careful who you hang around with. You never know "who else" might be there, too, just waiting to hitch a ride.
I've been told that a hospital emergency room is a great place to pick up these dark force "hitch hikers." Think about it– like rats leaving a sinking ship, they need somewhere to go if their host is on its way out.
So don't be available for them. Stay in prayer; keep your "vertical connection" with Source (Creator). Sing, or at least, listen to sacred and other high-frequency music. Read sacred text or scripture. Do nice things for people: spread Joy. These actions are your best "vaccine" and make you unattractive to spiritual entities.
You can't tell an angry person not to be angry– just makes them mad. So-called anger issues can be associated with an undesirable entity; it becomes a self-fulfilling circle. The negative emotion (anger) "feeds" the "bad energy" something, which then goes on to create more anger.
Practically ALL of the energy in existence is in the unseen (or unmanifest) world. What you see with your eyes is only a very small percent of Reality.
Spiritual healers "cast out demons" when dealing with the sick and obsessed (Hey- if it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me). Once spiritual entities are removed, the body can recuperate, sometimes even instantly (we call that a miracle), more often in hours, days, or weeks.
Many illnesses have a "dark side" to them. Jesus knew about these dark forces and called them by name.
It appears that one of the Laws of the Universe commands spiritual entities to obey your spoken word. Talk to the unwanted visitor and demand that it leave ("Get thee behind me.."). Ask God (or the Universe or your angels or guides…) to help you to say the right words.
Fasting and prayer can be helpful in establishing and keeping your "vertical" (to the Creator) connection open. Use the power of Faith. Faith is an inner connection between you and the universe. Depression is as unlikely in the presence of faith, as darkness in the presence of light.
And by now, we know that emotions like fear, anger, and depression are both magnet and nourishment for undesirable spiritual entities– Dark Force.
Are you hosting an unwanted guest? An Energetic Wellness Scan can let you know.


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Home/Media Center/Consumer Advocates to CFPB: Don't Destabilize the Mortgage Market in the Midst of a Pandemic
Consumer Advocates to CFPB: Don't Destabilize the Mortgage Market in the Midst of a Pandemic
National Consumer Law Center contacts: Jan Kruse (jkruse@nclc.org) or Alys Cohen (acohen@nclc.org)
Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and 13 other organizations sent a comment letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) urging it not to revamp the rules governing the residential mortgage market—a step that could destabilize the mortgage market in the middle of the pandemic. The CFPB should focus its efforts on the effects of the pandemic and on ensuring that homeowners, especially the Black and Latinx homeowners hardest hit by both COVID-19 and the Great Recession, avoid a tidal wave of foreclosures from the pandemic.
The Dodd-Frank Act, passed in response to the last foreclosure crisis and the Great Recession, required the CFPB to adopt rules ensuring that mortgage lenders cease the risky and predatory practice of making loans without regard to the borrowers' ability to repay those loans. Now, the CFPB is proposing to revise these rules. The two proposals issued on July 10 have rushed comment deadlines: August 10 and September 8, respectively. The CFPB proposals seek to rewrite the basic standards the mortgage market has followed since the end of the last foreclosure crisis, and the CFPB hints that it plans to finalize the new rules—and require compliance with the new rules—by April 2021. By comparison, the original ability-to-repay rules took nearly three years to write and the CFPB allowed a full year for implementation.
"Now is the wrong time to change the rules of the game in the mortgage market," said Alys Cohen, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. "The challenges posed by the pandemic are very real, with a resurgence in cases across the country and projections of increasing economic hardship. The CFPB's focus of resources should be to respond to the pandemic, including the looming foreclosure crisis in Black and Brown communities, not on resetting mortgage rules in a way that can have unintended consequences.
Mandated changes to underwriting standards will inevitably further disrupt a market which the CFPB acknowledges is already disrupted by COVID-19, with more borrowers reporting they are missing payments than making arrangements with their mortgage servicer. Nor has the CFPB done the foundational research needed to ascertain the impact of the changes it proposes on the mortgage market or the larger economy, much less whether its proposal is an adequate measure of borrowers' ability to repay or only a poor proxy.
"Before we make decisions that will affect the financial health of our entire economy and impact the wealth of communities and families for generations to come, we should have adequate data and ample time to consider the consequences of our actions here," said Cohen. "Without further preparation and analysis, a proposal that appears to generously include underserved borrowers could in fact leave victims of predatory mortgage lending with no recourse. The CFPB must extend the comment period and maintain the current rules until the COVID-19 crisis and its economic fallout are better understood and addressed."
Jan Kruse2020-07-27T10:49:52-05:00July 27, 2020|Categories: Media Center|


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Rising up to open opportunities in the arts
Rising Arts Agency is helping young people of colour to break into the cultural sector.
Ideas and Action 18th June, 2018
Sandi Dheensa
Rising Arts Agency is helping young people break into the cultural sector.
Euella Jackson
Rising Arts is appearing at the next Cable event; New Media, New Generation on Tuesday June 19th.
Euella Jackson, 23, is making waves across the city as well as online. Viewed by thousands, her Youtube vlogs feature everything from make-up to sex advice. Now she's part of Rising Arts Agency, a Bristol project helping young people – and particularly young people of colour – get into the creative sector by providing opportunities for freelance work, to mentorship and leadership training.
Rising Arts has just launched a new Bristol City Council-funded project, 'Whose Culture?', focusing on how young people of colour engage with culture in the city and what barriers might stop them knowing about, or getting involved, in opportunities.
'Who's Culture': from idea to a reality
Kamina Walton
Founder and creative director Kamina Walton launched Rising Arts in 2016. Time and time again working in various sectors, she'd heard about young people's shared anxieties and doubts about how to network and find their first work opportunity. It was clear that young people of colour felt especially disenfranchised.
An early piece of work was surveying 30 Bristol arts organisations for data on their engagement with children and young people in 2014/15. "Only five organisations out of 30 had any significant data on diversity" says Walton.
This is despite the fact that many of the organisations are funded by the Arts Council, which embeds 'equality and diversity' into all its goals. "It was a shock to me and the whole sector."
It was through meeting Zahra Ash Harper, a creative producer at Pervasive Media Studio, that 'Whose Culture?' came to fruition. "Zahra had an idea to use tech to collect and explore the data that currently doesn't exist. We went together to Bristol University's Jean Golding Institute, who gave us seed funding," explains Walton.
Exploring the nooks and crannies of the culture scene
One of the first workshops brought together young people and people working in the creative sector.
Attendees did a mapping exercise: young people placed post-it notes on a map of Bristol to indicate where they were engaging with culture in the city. On a separate map, staff indicated where they were offering opportunities to young people.
"If you're from a lower socioeconomic background, it's not encouraged at home, because it's like, 'We don't have money: why are you going to try to do something that's not promised?'"
It turned out the professional's map had Bristol teeming with opportunities, but the young peoples' map was much more sparse.
"To us, there was no access to, or visibility of, these opportunities," says Jackson. She decided that looking at this "mismatch and demystifying young people for the organisations" was something she wanted to do.
Another ongoing project, 'Open Up', enables groups of young people of colour to visit Bristol's big cultural players after hours. Staff at each organisation tell the audience what they do and what careers are available, before letting young people loose.
"We get to explore the nooks and crannies and then come back and do a consultancy, like, 'This isn't working, this is why we don't come here,'" Jackson explains.
The first Open Up visit was to Bristol Museum. Since then, Spike Island and Bristol University have also taken part – with the university wishing to discuss their new Temple Quarter development.
Amplifying young people's voices
From the work they've done so far, Rising find that people living on Bristol's outskirts don't hear about what's going on at central venues like the Watershed. Jackson points out that transport can be a big barrier, and that schools don't encourage careers in the arts. "And if you're from a lower socioeconomic background, it's not encouraged at home, because it's like, 'We don't have money: why are you going to try to do something that's not promised?'" she laughs.
Eli Lower
Eli Lower, Rising Arts' development assistant, identifies another barrier: there's a mismatch between what young people want and the opportunities and schemes available. And one reason for this is that cultural institutions don't involve young people's voices in shaping they opportunities they offer.
"Sometimes you look at the schemes and offers and think, 'I'm going to be the youngest person there and they're going to make me do all the social media because they don't know how to do it,'" she says.
In other words, young people feel tokenised – put in place for the sole fact of being young. Rather than guessing what they want, Lower argues that staff should simply ask young people what they want from an organisation.
To find out just that, Rising Arts will be holding 'Whose Culture?' workshops in Lawrence Hill, St Pauls, Whitchurch Park and Southmead.
Rising Arts is appearing at the Cable event; New Media, New Generation on Tuesday June 19th.
Read more on: arts, diversity
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1. Call to Order and Roll Call. The Landmark Tree Ad Hoc Committee meeting convened at 4:04 p.m. Present: Chair Hillan, Members Costello, Hillson and Vargas.
2. Approval of Minutes of the February 8, 2011 Urban Forestry Council Landmark Tree Committee Regular Meeting (Explanatory Document: February 8, 2011 Draft and Approved Minutes) (Discussion and Action). Upon Motion by Member Hillson, second by Member Vargas, the February 8, 2011 Draft Minutes were approved without objection (AYES: Members Costello, Hillan, Hillson and Vargas).
Committee Members provided suggestions for amendments to the Landmark Grove Draft Nomination Form, Landmark Grove Definition and Criteria, Enumeration of Trees in Landmark Groves, and Landmark Tree Ordinance amendments. Next steps--Member Vargas would add additional requirements to the Landmark Grove Definition and Criteria that would be routed to Committee Members for review and then forwarded to the Council for recommendation. Council Coordinator Hui and Member Vargas would work on amending the Landmark Groves Nomination Form. Council Coordinator Hui and Member Costello would work on Landmark Tree Ordinance language, and Council Coordinator Hui would consult with Department of Public Works legal counsel on Ordinance language.
This agenda item was continued to the April 12, 2011 Landmark Tree Ad Hoc Committee meeting. The Chair would provide a report to the Council on progress made.
4. New Business/Future Agenda Items. (Information and Discussion) Council Coordinator Hui suggested a future discussion on revisiting existing criteria on how to review landmark trees. Committee Members discussed the possibility of holding meetings at a later time as requested by Chair Hillan. The Council Secretary would be asked to research meeting room and member availability for a later time.
6. Adjournment. The Landmark Tree Committee meeting adjourned at 5:36 p.m.