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Advent Day 20: Joy as new youth centre in Perthshire opens
A new youth centre aimed at bridging the gap between church and community has officially opened in Perthshire.
The Breathe Centre in Aberfeldy is described as a safe "home from home" where young people can come together to explore topics of Christianity together in fellowship and worship.
Local politicians, business owners, young people and their families and church members attended the opening of the centre at the Old Library on Crieff Road on November 30.
The Breathe Centre in Aberfeldy is a safe, "home from home" where young people can explore faith and learn new skills.
Established in 2006, Breathe is part of Aberfeldy Parish Church which is led by Rev Neil Glover.
He said he is "delighted" that young people from different backgrounds now have a separate space that they can call their own.
Youth leaders and volunteers work with around 150 young people, aged 8-25, across Highland Perthshire who are encouraged to maximise their potential.
Dynamic youth work
Sam Wittmann, who leads the project, said: "This is an exciting next step for us as a project and as a church.
"This neutral space aims to bridge the gap between the church and community by being a safe and functional space to support one to one work, drop ins, and other events.
"The centre is an environment where young people feel comfortable and embrace a sense of ownership and belonging.
"We have a unique youth work and ministry model and this new space grew out of the young people's own expressed wish for a home from home location."
Mr Wittmann said the idea for the centre came directly from members of Breathe's youth voice committee.
"Our centre models the structure of a traditional home by incorporating a dining space for eating together and a recreational space for developing hobbies and skills," he added.
"The core of the lounge is a spacious seating area where young people can relax, talk or simply be."
Breathe engages and supports many young people who have had adverse childhood experiences, involved in risk-taking behaviour and academically underachieving.
"We have a unique youth work and ministry model and this new space grew out of the young people's own expressed wish for a home from home location." Sam Wittmann
Written across the walls are affirmations which tell all who walk into the building that they are deeply loved, precious and full of purpose.
Mr Wittmann said: "Our hope is that the lounge will be a place young people can come to experience and enjoy these truths.
"We aim to have a wider impact too and on the days that we aren't open for youth work, we are encouraging other community groups to use the space.
"We hope it will become a well-used and helpful resource to them as well and for the benefit of the whole community."
Mr Glover said: "The centre is the fruition of 15 years of consistent, high quality youth work, initially involving Franny McGrath and now Sam Wittmann and a team of staff and volunteers who do a brilliant job.
"I am delighted that young people now have a separate space that they feel belongs to them."
Breathe has seen a significant number of young people from non-churched backgrounds attending youth services over the last year.
It enjoys the support of nearby churches and a new partnership between Aberfeldy, Dull and Weem, Pitlochry, Kenmore and Rannoch parishes has been formed.
Mr Wittmann said: "There are more partnerships on the horizon and we pray this will allow us to further expand our work and ministry and increase the quality of all we do."
Minister calls for free bus fares for young carers in rural Scotland
Kirk youth work nominated for top awards
Conference will support healthy relationships for young people


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Report: Facebook Working With South American Online Marketplace For Crypto Project
By Riyo on June 17, 2019
Latin America's most popular e-commerce market place by the number of visitors Mercadolibre.com, has partnered with Facebook's forthcoming cryptocurrency project dubbed "Libra". The news broke out through one of the executives on June 14.
As reported earlier, Facebook recently collaborated with top organizations and financial institutions which are providing the backing to the social media giant for its Geneva-based cryptocurrency and other financial services project. Along with MercadoLibre, the few names are Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Uber, Xapo who allegedly invested over $10 million and chipped in the Libra project. Once again, Facebook with its endeavor wanted to set a benchmark with the global networking platform by its payment services and blockchain project while infusing the big business ventures. In a way, the authorities of the upcoming project forming a consortium of governance to support this pervasive initiative where in organizations such as venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, and non-profit organizations including Mercy Corps are also included.This kind of collaboration would make the Libra project perform beyond the state of the art and ostensibly would also help in derailing the centralized social media networking structure towards complete decentralization.
Purportedly, MercadoLibre would be supporting Facebook's native cryptocurrency while integrating with its payment system, as one of the forms of payments option in exchange of good and services. Along with it, the Argentina, Buenos Aries based famous e-commerce platform is excepted to perform "as a node" towards the growth of Facebook's global cryptocurrency. However, further in-depth details about the partnership and the operational functionalities are yet to be disclosed. The executive while providing the internal information of the joint cooperation among both the firms also requested to maintain the secrecy about his/her identity to avoid any reprisal.
As per the online data, MercadoLibre operates in over 18 countries and has five main business units. MercedoLibre market place- a user-oriented platform to sell the products, Mercado Pago- an online payment platform designed for online sales, Mercado Publicado- an advertising segment of Mercado Libre, Mercado Shops- a place which is designed to enhance the platform's overall ecosystem by providing various tools to the businesses, and Mercado Crédito- a credit company for investments. At present, Mercado Libre has over 200 million users in Latin America. The number of users would definitely be on the higher side if calculated all the five business ventures together.
There are various other resourceful collaborations which Facebook is trying to obtain in order to deliver the best possible experience to its billions of users with its new-fangled upcoming business. In an effort, to capture the universal attention, the company along with the sharpest minds from well-recognized business ventures is trying to hit-hard the existing and conventional central structure while bringing the new economy which would be having the long-lasting impact on the people and the governments.
Tags: Facebook, Mercadolibre.com, MercadoLibre, South American Online Marketplace, Crypto Project, Libra, Blockchain, Global Coin, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Uber, Xapo, Consortium of Governance
Published in Altcoin and cryptocurrency news

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Ms. Gao is the president and founding Partner of Magnolia Capital Group. Catherine brings over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. She had served as investment advisor and consultant at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. She successfully advised several cross border private equity and M&A transactions and also managed assets for companies and high-net-worth individuals.
Catherine earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Computer Science from the Beijing Institute of Technology and a MBA degree from the Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore.
Catherine maintains her FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations.
Email: caterine@magnoliacapitalgroup.com
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Mr.Hsu is the founding partner of Magnolia Capital Group.
Mr. Hsu has a long history of serving as industry executives in both US and China. He has completed a number of cross border M&As and private equity placements for his own companies.
Mr. Hsu is a seasoned serial entrepreneur and a proven leader. Currently he is the Chairman of Beacool Corp., President of SuperKlean and Custom Industrial Manufacturing, Inc.. Prior to this, Mr. Hsu served as the Chairman of Orisil Corp. a fabless semiconductor design company which was acquired by Avago Technologies in 2008. Prior to Orisil, Mr. Hsu was the CEO of Fiberxon Corp. In 2004 Fiberxon was named the fastest growing company in China and the 4th fastest growing company in the entire Asia Pacific by Deloitte. Fiberxon was later acquired by MRV Communications for $131M in 2007.
Mr. Hsu received his BSEE from UCLA and his MSEE from USC.
Email: li@magnoliacapitalgroup.com
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Mr. Knowles' core competencies are the sourcing, selling and diligence of land and real estate. He has a deep transactional history and understanding of the closing process.
Mr. Knowles has been a licensed California real estate broker and land developer for 35 years
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Mr. Erickson brings approximately 20 years of extensive real estate acquisitions, finance, development and joint venture equity investment experience. Mr. Erickson was involved in nearly $1 billion of commercial real estate investments involving a variety of product types, geography and investment structures on behalf of numerous clients. Bill Erickson is a Licensed California Real Estate Broker and maintain my FINRA Series 7, Series 63.
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The New American Way: Forgiveness is the Healthy Thing
> Voices > Guest Blog > The New American Way: Forgiveness is the Healthy Thing
By Octaviano Merecias-Cuevas (July 4, 2018)
If I ask you to think ten positive things that come to mind when you think of people on the opposite political spectrum, how long would it take you to mention them? What if I ask you to think 10 negative things? Is it easier to add negative dimensions as you consider the other?
Psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov tell us that when judging faces after an exposure time of 100 ms, we perceive trustworthiness and competence; meaning how safe that person looks to us or how threatening. Other researchers tell us that in one-twelfth of a second we can identify someone based on race, age, gender (Susan Fiske, Amy Cuddy, Peter Glick, et, al.) We judge, sometimes without knowing; not all the judgments are negative, but it is our actions of distancing ourselves that creates that gap in time and space. We live in times of continued distancing and intimate and uncomfortable real feelings. I was inspired to write these words from many conversations that I hosted with friends and family; some conversations look similar to the following video: Can Trump Supporters And Immigrants See Eye To Eye?
I live in the Portland metropolitan area, the epicenter where ideas are clashing. Just a few days ago, Antifa and Proud Boys clashed violently in what I can better describe as the symptom of our socio-political times.
There are extreme examples but also everyday ordinary examples of an air that feels and breeds separation. What's the most radical thing that we can do today? I asked a group of friends. Almost all of them added fuel to the fire; except for a few, they all mentioned that they are sick and tired of navigating these stressful toxic times. I think both sides of the visible political spectrum may feel the same: anger, frustration, increased isolation, depression, anxiety…
New findings provide evidence that sociopolitical events can impact the psychological and physical functioning of people.
Lindsay T. Hoyt, an assistant professor of psychology at Fordham University studied young adults in the United States experiencing an increase in biological stress after the 2016 presidential election. Professor Daniel P. Keating has led several studies to monitor the nation's health related to toxic stress; he mentions that the principal drivers of stress and anxiety are fear, uncertainty, and a lack of control over one's life and future, and these have grown markedly over the past year. Professor Steven Stanton at Duke University conducted a study on the stress hormone cortisol response in people on both sides of the political spectrum in 2008 after the elections in North Carolina and Michigan. The results: John McCain voters had increases in post-outcome cortisol levels, whereas Barack Obama voters had stable post-outcome cortisol levels. I'm not sure about the studies related to independent voters; Google it.
Family separations cause anger, depression, anxiety worry, clashes in your city between opposite sides of the political spectrum. The added constant negative newsfeed on social media adds more fuel to the fire. Worst yet, families, friends, neighbors that I know for many many years stop talking to each other. Their distancing has created a bittersweet emptiness. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Yes, some knew each other for 20 years, 16 years, and most recently, a social media argument between two superb friends ended dramatically.
In February 1865, 400 people were executed as crowds, reporters and politicians observed; this was after the end of the civil war. This was an unusual execution. However, during that time, Lincoln, a fervent Republican, issued many pardons for war-related offenses. Weeping mothers claimed for their husbands. Many generals did not agree with Lincoln on the pardons because it was a sign of "weakness." Many historians have documented the limits of Lincoln's mercy, but what we often hear is the triumph and the victory of the Union over the Confederates. It's extremely hard, to listen, to hear, to even look at the opposition when so much pain, suffering, and acts of cruel and inhumane can be attributed to them. Trust me; I'm angry right now at family separation and many other things.
What's the most radical thing we can do now then?
Perhaps the new American way is not the distancing and affirming our ground and holding on to our flag to be right (no matter the cost), but the freedom to explore righteousness; not only because the whole world is watching but because the wellbeing of the next generation depends on our actions today.
In 1961, Dr. King delivered a sermon at Central Methodist Church where he argued that Jesus' command to love one's enemies was not "the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer" but the words of a "practical realist."
He then follows with the words "Put us in jail, and we will go in with humble smiles on our faces, still loving you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we will still love you. . . . But be assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer." We can also look at the movement lifeafterhate.org a group that was founded by former violent extremist committed to compassion, education and countering hate and discrimination.
As people of color, we know what is like to suffer constantly. I think is time to give the new American way the chance to be healers and unifiers; however painful and awkward is the beginning of the conversation. Of course, this may apply to a micro-level and inter-personal level; the macro level requires a more complex conversation.
George William Russell wrote once as he reflected on forgiveness: "Our common sorrow, like a mighty wave, Swept all my pride away, and trembling I forgave!" I'm not saying that suddenly neighbors, friends and distancing militants will drop everything and hold hands to dance kumbaya (I don't even know how to spell it) I'm saying that a new door or window of potential courageous opportunities awaits. It's 4th of July; first impressions last longer, small but significant gestures of positivity can lead to gigantic socio-political-cultural changes. We have more in common in our political diversity that what we have with the barons that are profiting monetarily and politically from our division.
On April 3rd, outside of Petersburg Virginia, Lincoln rode his horse past the lifeless bodies of a bloody war; he quietly turned to Ulysses Grant and said in a reflective tone… "We made it possible for one another to do terrible things." He then instructed for a peaceful transition; the painful and intimate decision to forgive and at some time to apply justice.
In Italy, six researchers conducted a study on forgiveness employing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) looking at the response to painful emotions, anger, hostility, and the desire for revenge. "Granting forgiveness was associated with the regulation of affect through cognition, which comprised the precuneus, right inferior parietal regions, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex." Translation: forgiving is a healthy thing to do.
To my friends and neighbor's: What's the most radical thing that we can do? We can begin a small difficult, courageous, and controversial conversation with those who we perceive as different than us yet… so close to us; the new American Way.
PS: I'm an indigenous immigrant with radical ideas on my mind when it comes to community healing, diplomacy, and courageous conversation; you know where to find me… extending my hand. No, I do not have my bbq grill on today.


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Get Super Rad
Rob Cousineau & Chris Rosik are Get Super Rad, a video prouduction company based in Metro Detroit. Their work includes a short documentary on the making of the "Ride It Sculpture Park."
Russ Turner
Russ Turner is an Alternative, Steampunk, Fantasy and live event photographer based in Metro Detroit. He specializes in concept and thematic shoots in a variety of genres. Some specialties include steampunk and fantasy genres. He also does photo-manipulation work for use in posters, advertisements, book and album covers.
Georger Morris &
The Gypsy Chorus
George Morris and the Gypsy Chorus are an Indie-Rock-Pop based in Detroit featuring George Morris, Helena Kirby, Zach Pliska and Aaron Nelson. In October 2013, George Morris & The Gypsy Chorus were invited to perform at the famous Cobo Hall in Detroit for TEDxDetroit. Shortly after, CBS Detroit interviewed George for a feature article.


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Actress Bio
Lexi Underwood (Actress) Wiki, Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Net Worth, Boyfriend, Career, Facts
Actress BioBiographySinger Bio
Who is Lexi Underwood? She is an American actress and singer. She is better known as the Stage and screen actress who got her start portraying Young Nala in Disney's National Tour of The Lion King. She then joined the cast of the Broadway version before beginning her screen career on shows like Henry Danger, Code Black and Person of Interest. Tune in bio and know more about Lexi Underwood's Wiki, Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Net Worth, Boyfriend, Career and many more Facts about her.
Lexi Underwood Height & Weight
Lexi Underwood Age
Lexi Underwood Boyfriend
Lexi Underwood Instagram
Lexi Underwood Career & Net Worth
Facts about Lexi Underwood
How tall is Lexi Underwood? She stands at a height of 5 ft 3 in tall or else 1.6 m or 160 cm. She weighs around 55 Kg or 121 lbs. Her body measurements are 34-26-35 inches. She wears a bra cup size of 33 C. She is a fitness freak as well.
How old is Lexi Underwood? Her birthday falls on August 28, 2003. At present, she is 17-yrs old. She holds American nationality and belongs to mixed ethnicity. Her birth sign is Virgo. She has black eyes and hair.
Lexi Underwood
Real Name Lexi Underwood
Nick Name Lexi
Famous As Actress, Singer
Birth Sign Virgo
Height approx 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m)
Weight approx 55 Kg (121 lbs)
Body Measurements approx 34-26-35 inches
Net Worth Approx $35 m (USD)
Who is the boyfriend of Lexi Underwood? She has not given any insights about her dating life. At present, she is single and very focused on her career. Someday, she wants to win Oscar as an Actress.
Her Instagram account is packed with her hot, curvaceous and gorgeous images. She often shares images and videos with her fans. She loves reading novels.
promise this my mood 4 eva photo cred: @christianhogstedt
A post shared by lexi underwood (@officiallexiunderwood) on Jul 31, 2020 at 11:19am PDT
How much is the net worth of Lexi Underwood? Before fame, she began taking ballet classes at the age of four and not long after had begun taking acting lessons. In 2016, she appeared as a kid red carpet reporter on FTS Kids News. She also Guest starring in an episode of Henry Danger, she appeared alongside stars Sean Ryan Fox and Ella Anderson. As in 2020, her net worth is estimated over $35 million (USD).
Wiki & Bio: She made her television debut on the CBS series Person of Interest in the role of Queen Bee, in 2014.
She launched her professional theatrical debut in November 2013 at the age of 10 years old.
She also played Athena in Will Vs The Future, a comedic science fiction series.
She performed in Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol for the Actors Fund of America's one night only benefit concert, in 2014.
She loves travelling and photography.
She is an avid pet lover.
She is active on social media platforms.
She has thousands of followers under her instagram accotun.
Black is her favourite color.
Read Also: Kaia Gerber (Model) Net Worth, Boyfriend, Dating, Age, Bio, Wiki, Height, Weight, Career, Facts
Related tags : Lexi Underwood Age Lexi Underwood Height Lexi Underwood Weight
Auli'i Cravalho (Voice Actress) Wiki, Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Boyfriend, Sexuality, Career, Net Worth, Facts
Gabby Morrison (TikTok Star) Wikipedia, Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Boyfriend, Net Worth, Career, Facts


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John Wilder Miles ( - ) est professeur-chercheur de mécanique appliquée et de géophysique à la Scripps Institution of Oceanography de l'Université de Californie à San Diego. Il est connu pour son travail de pionnier en mécanique des fluides théorique et apporte des contributions fondamentales à la compréhension du transfert de l'énergie éolienne aux vagues .

Carrière
Les 20 premières années de recherche de Miles sont consacrées au génie électrique et aéronautique. Il tourne ses capacités mathématiques vers la dynamique des fluides géophysiques lorsqu'il rejoint Scripps et apporte de nombreuses contributions à tous les aspects de la dynamique des fluides, notamment l'écoulement supersonique, les marées océaniques, la stabilité des courants et des vagues d'eau et leurs interactions non linéaires, ainsi que des travaux approfondis dans l'application des méthodes mathématiques.

Tout au long de sa carrière, il écrit plus de 400 publications. Il est le seul chercheur en mécanique des fluides à avoir publié plus d'une centaine d'articles de recherche scientifique (117) dans Journal of Fluid Mechanics .

Une bourse postdoctorale est établie en son honneur à l'Institut d'océanographie Scripps .

Références

Liens externes

Professeur à l'université de Californie à San Diego
Étudiant du California Institute of Technology
Dynamicien des fluides
Décès en octobre 2008
Naissance en décembre 1920
Décès à 87 ans

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Johnnie Ferro - Johnnie Storms In With Shelter
Guest Review by Dan Robinson aka EtherGun of the X-Ray Poetz
So, I like this guy, he's onto something. The song and video is Shelter.
Lights up, we see him in a lo-tech concrete domicile unit, cement walls, dog, penning the words. It's how it should be, what I myself was looking for when I moved to New York to be a rock musician. But Johnnie has moved from West New York to LA to do the thing.
Music whirrs in the background, as if headphones were left out on the toaster, then kicks in for real, and there we go. There's the band, like jamming in the world's last bomb shelter with a working outlet.
And then with a steely look Johnnie roams the world. He sees the world, meets up with the other band members on the mean streets. Nice dark look to the video, some slo-mo, red filters, some blurriness here and there make it float in time, float in location. Johnny throws a blurry frisbee. This is Anytown, this town has happened before, and now is happening again. What is this place, Anytown, all about? The video isn't about drama or plot -- it's having a good time with the attitude that's the draw here. It is, refreshingly, about viewpoint. It's mostly Anytown shots, Johnnie's multihued Mohawk against the sun, the guys in the band, the song.
Cool song. Nice sloppy, bracing groove -- lockstep click-track playing would ruin the fun. Guitar line snakes around like a python, holding the sound together. The drums really do rock out, it all flies by in moments, stays interesting throughout.
Ferro uses his voice well, prompting thoughts of, of course, Eddie Vedder. Nothing against Vedder, but this singer just puts me in a good mood. It's a nice anthem, in "gold and green and red and white..."
We end with him writing on and staring at a handwritten paper on the floor. It's now got "SHELTER" on it. Guess we'll have to stay tuned. Meanwhile, Shelter, song and video, only get better with repeated plays.
-D.R.
Ferro's new album, Cockeyed Optimism, is available on iTunes.
Johnnie Ferro--Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Bass
Kari Ashdown--Backing Vocals
Beau Evans--Drums
A ParadymePix production. Directed by Robyn August
For more information on Johnnie Ferro please visit www.johnnieferro.com
Lane Eddington - Poetical, Musical, Inspirational
Lane Eddington of Nashville, Tennessee started writing songs when she was a child and her music today carries with it that same innocence and wonder and spirit of play that usually only children possess. Yet there is much to say about the maturity of Eddington's work which tackles large themes and makes them accessible. Poetry runs throughout her work, most evidently in her single "Tears Of This Fire," which addresses the subject of love in a very emotionally moving way while demonstrating her poetic nature. Even the music video for "Tears Of This Fire" is a powerful example of Lane Eddington's style and aesthetics which encompass poetry tied intimately to instrumentation and offers a very important glimpse into a prevalent theme of hers: nature itself.
It is very peaceful and relaxing, yet inspirational to listen to a Lane Eddington recording. She puts you right into a place meant for the sun and the trees and distant waters. Her music combines aspects of artists such as Joni Mitchell or Richard Marx and yet expands into more modern sounds of electronic and techno. She has pursued her passion for music and poetry as a lifelong endeavor, leaving a trail of many poems and songs in her path. Besides music and poetry Eddington is also a pianist, producer, composer, and dancer. Like the butterfly which graces her website design, Lane Eddington does not fly, she gently glides into your being.
To discover more of Lane Eddington's music and poetry please visit her website: www.laneeddington.com and also her Sound Cloud page: www.soundcloud.com/badassbutterfly
Deedee O'Malley - Her Perfect Love for Music
Deedee O'Malley is a true renaissance woman. She is an author, songwriter, musician, music producer, actress and is a fantastic singer with one of the loveliest voices around. She is a true professional who has graced the stage with such stars as Willie Nelson and LeAnn Rimes, counts Sheryl Crow and Nancy Cartwright as fans, as had her music featured in television shows like Dawson's Creek, films and commercials, and has created a unique musical style which uplifts, inspires and leaves you breathless.
A lot of Deedee O'Malley's music reminds me of some of the great female singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez. She hits you with songs packed with emotion, dealing with subjects as simple as love and as complex as the holocaust. It is obvious that her works carry a message of hope and redemption, of moving forward. She is credited with writing over 1,000 songs, many of them winning awards from some very significant sources. She has won two Lennon songwriting awards, her first album was the #1 Indie CD of the Year by Music Connection Magazine and she was the Singer-Songwriter of the Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards.
Deedee has a perfect love for music because she has spent so much of her life making it. Even when she was acting she acted in over 60 musicals! When she writes, it's about music too. She's written a book about Songwriting called "10 Easy Steps to Writing a Song" and her latest book "The Lemonade Maker" is accompanied by a CD of songs. There is no escaping the discovery of passion and love for music in every ounce of the artistry of Deedee O'Malley. Her career is one filled with song and fortunate for us, she has many more in her.
For more information on Deedee O'Malley you can go to her website: www.deedeemusic.com
To get Deedee O'Malley's help with your songwriting go to: www.songwritingbootcamp.com
Watch Deedee O'Malley's "Perfect Love" below:
Michelangelo once said, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." At Artists Run This Planet we see Earth as our marble and we hold a chisel and hammer up to it every day. This beautiful canvas of a planet waits for us to paint it daily. Gone are the days of suppressing art, of pursuits less noble than creating. We have the technology available to create in any medium, and faster than ever before. As artists we are the creators of every new innovation and idea that takes shape. We are mankind's continual hope and driving force — "Artists Run This Planet." - David Carus, Art Planet CEO & Founder
David Carus
Deedee O'Malley
Isy Hunter
Joseph Ady
Lane Eddington
Marc Berger
The Great American Album


Not everyone can perform the ever so popular squat whether it's due to an injury or weak knees.
So here are 6 alternatives that will get you one step closer to a killer booty-possibly better than squats ever would!
Stand in front of a plyo box or a large step with either a barbell positioned on your upper back shoulders or dumbbells in your hands and down by your sides.


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La  des  (), décernés par l', a eu lieu le , et a récompensé les films réalisés dans l'année.

Palmarès
 Meilleur film :
 Argo

 Meilleur réalisateur :
 Ben Affleck pour Argo

 Meilleur acteur :
 Daniel Day-Lewis pour le rôle d'Abraham Lincoln dans Lincoln

 Meilleure actrice :
 Jessica Chastain pour le rôle de Maya dans Zero Dark Thirty

 Meilleur acteur dans un second rôle :
 Philip Seymour Hoffman pour le rôle de Lancaster Dodd dans The Master

 Meilleure actrice dans un second rôle :
 Anne Hathaway pour le rôle de Fantine dans Les Misérables

 Meilleur premier film :
 Benh Zeitlin – Les Bêtes du sud sauvage (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

 Meilleur scénario original :
 Moonrise Kingdom – Roman Coppola et Wes Anderson

 Meilleur scénario adapté :
 Argo – Chris Terrio

 Meilleur film en langue étrangère :
 Amour

 Meilleur film d'animation :
 Les Mondes de Ralph (Wreck-it Ralph)

 Meilleur film documentaire :
 Sugar Man (Searching For Sugar Man)

 Plaisir coupable :
 21 Jump Street

 Body of Work :
 Joseph Gordon-Levitt – The Dark Knight Rises, Lincoln et Looper

 Pire film (Obviously Worst Film) :
 That's My Boy

 Pire film pas si évident (Not-So-Obviously Worst Film) :
 Prometheus

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes

Liens externes

07
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards


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June 28, 2017 8:00AM EDT
Philippines: Duterte's First Year a Human Rights Calamity
Summary Killings, Prison Overcrowding, Assaults on Critics
A victim's relative cries behind the police line at the site of a drug-related shooting in metro Manila, Philippines, June 19, 2017.
(New York) – President Rodrigo Duterte has unleashed a human rights calamity on the Philippines in his first year in office, Human Rights Watch said today. The government's murderous "war on drugs," drug-related overcrowding of jails, and the harassment and prosecution of drug war critics has caused a steep decline in respect for basic rights since Duterte's inauguration on June 30, 2016.
Security forces and "unidentified gunmen" have killed at least 7,000 suspected drug users and dealers since July 1, including 3,116 killings by police, according to government data. Yet the Duterte administration has rejected all domestic and international calls for accountability for these abuses, and instead has denied any government responsibility for the thousands of drug war deaths.
Philippines' 'War on Drugs'
Since taking office in June 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has carried out a "war on drugs" resulting in the deaths of over 12,000 Filipinos.
Essential Background
"President Duterte took office promising to protect human rights, but has instead spent his first year in office as a boisterous instigator for an unlawful killing campaign," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director. "Duterte has supported and incited 'drug war' killings while retaliating against those fearless enough to challenge his assault on human rights."
Human Rights Watch field research found that government claims that the deaths of suspected drug users and dealers were lawful were blatant falsehoods. Interviews with witnesses and victims' relatives and analysis of police records expose a pattern of unlawful police conduct designed to paint a veneer of legality over extrajudicial executions that may amount to crimes against humanity.
While the Philippine National Police have publicly sought to distinguish between suspects killed while resisting arrest and killings by "unknown gunmen" or "vigilantes," Human Rights Watch found no such distinction in the cases investigated. In several such cases, the police dismissed allegations of involvement when only hours before the suspects had been in police custody. Such cases call into question government assertions that the majority of killings were carried out by vigilantes or rival drug gangs.
The "war on drugs" has also worsened the already dire conditions of Philippine jail facilities, including inadequate food and unsanitary conditions. Government data indicates that the country's jail facilities run by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which have a maximum capacity of 20,399, currently hold nearly 132,000 detainees, an overwhelming majority of them awaiting trial or sentencing. The bureau attributes the overcrowding to the arrest of tens of thousands of suspected drug users and dealers since the anti-drug campaign began. The drug war has also boosted the number of "secret jails" in which police unlawfully detain suspects and demand bribes in exchange for release.
March 2, 2017 Report
Philippine Police Killings in Duterte's "War on Drugs"
Download the full report
Download the summary and photo insert
Download the summary and recommendations in Tagalog
The Duterte administration has subjected prominent critics of the government's anti-drug campaign to harassment, intimidation, and even arrest. In February 2017, the police detained Senator Leila de Lima on politically motivated drug charges. Her arrest followed a relentless government campaign against her in evident response to her outspoken criticism of Duterte's "war on drugs" and her calls for accountability. Other critics of the killings – including activists, journalists, international officials, and ordinary Filipinos – have been threatened online by pro-Duterte supporters and trolls. Among those targeted were Agnes Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, and international experts on drug dependency.
"During his first year in office, President Duterte and his government have demonstrated a fundamental unwillingness to respect rights or provide justice for people whose rights have been violated," Kine said. "A UN-led international investigation is desperately needed to help stop the slaughter and press for accountability for Duterte's human rights catastrophe."
March 2, 2017 News Release
Philippines: Police Deceit in 'Drug War' Killings
April 28, 2017 News Release
Philippines: Release and Protect "Secret Jail" Detainees
"You Can Die Any Time"
Death Squad Killings in Mindanao
July 17, 2019 Dispatches
Russia Fined for Anti-LGBT Actions


Can modern eyes (and hearts) blinded by digital-age special effects take in the Transfiguration of Christ? Have we lost the ability to be stunned into silent reverence before God's glory? Kenneth Cavara, a seminarian from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, shares how we can reclaim our sense of wonder in God's holy presence.


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Training in Csákvár 18. August 2015.
In this presentation you can get to know which exercises have done the U19 in this day to improve their abilities.
In Csákvár the boy get a special task called 'Velocity Sub dynamic'.
If you want to know more let's click on the link below!


> I show you using port 4570 and IP address .195.
> So it looks good now?
>> was only there for temporary testing.
>> > Did you configure the allstarlink server that you are using 4570?
>>> your ISP. I would check it by using http://whatismyip.com.
>>> server that you are using 4570?
>>>>> node connect to you they would use port 4570.
>>>>>> It show registered, but not on the correct port ???


text:
Dr James Morton autism activist receives Order of Australia honour w/video
Australia, Good News, Profiles
Screenshot taken from the AEIOU Foundation YouTube video
Queensland, Australia – The doctor responsible for creating the World's Greatest Shave is now being recognized for his work in autism treatment and therapy.
Dr Morton founded the Autism and Early Intervention Outcomes Unit Foundation (AEIOU) in 2005 after his son Andrew was diagnosed with the disorder. Dr Morton and his wife Louise chose to address the issue head-on yet admit that their desire to take action was partially motivated by the fact that at the time, they knew little about autism. He states:
"I remember going to the paediatrician and walking back with Louise afterwards. We didn't know what it was."
However today, the esteemed specialist has not only gained a fuller understanding of ASD, he has also managed to found an organization that has helped over 1000 families receive early intervention therapy for their children.
Dr Morton has therefore received the Order of Australia for his tireless work on behalf of families impacted by autism and believes that significant strides have been made thus far. However he argues that more federal funding will be needed in the next four years in order to provide children on the spectrum with the services that they need. As a result, Dr Morton is calling for the nation's two major political parties to commit to addressing the issue at hand.
The AEIOU Foundation can be found by clucking here
Source: Jorge Branco on the Brisbane Times website: World's Greatest Shave founder, autism leader honoured
A Cut Above the Rest: tHAIRapy Family Salon
Brigid Rankowski July 23, 2014
Anna Tuzzolo Raises $5,800 for autism charity
News In Brief October 5, 2019
MSU swimmer and science undergrad plan to research autism
ADN January 1, 2015
Spectrum Academy principal is inspired by her family
ADN November 29, 2014
Giant Step, A Non Profit Organization Train First Responders and General Public About Autism
ADN March 13, 2018
Author Justine Edward on her book 'Shine'


Former STV political editor Stephen Daisley has written a piece for the Daily Mail claiming he was removed from his role after complaints from two SNP MPs.
Daisley stepped down from his role as comment editor for STV last month.
He had previously written comment for the STV website which, unlike its broadcast output, is not regulated by Ofcom so does not have the same obligation to be impartial.
Daisley believes he was "denounced" by SNPs Pete Wishart and John Nicolson at a briefing for Westminster MPs held by STV chief executive Rob Woodward in spring last year.
He notes that Nicolson sits on the Westminster media committee and claims that following the briefing: "I was summoned to a meeting with STV's head of digital and head of news and told my role was being changed.
He said that when reports emerged that he had been effectively gagged the National Union of Journalists in Scotland dismissed them, without consulting him.
Speaking out in general about the SNP's dealings with the press, he noted that the Mail, Express and Telegraph were banned from Alex Salmond's resignation press conference as First Minister following his Scottish referendum defeat.
Talking about STV's relationship with the SNP, he said: "STV is drunk on access and stumbles over the line so many times it no longer remembers that the line exists.
But rather than criticise him, he feels that the Scottish nationalists had him removed.
Daisley is to write a weekly column for the Scottish Daily Mail.
Nicolson told Press Gazette last month that he objected to the notion of STV publishing comment, rather than the nature of that comment.
He said: "Claims I had a series of meetings with STV at my request to complain about Stephen Daisley is entirely untrue. Way back last Spring I was invited to chair, by STV, an all party House of Commons and House of Lords breakfast. It was STV's invitation not mine. A couple of people – not me – raised the issue of Stephen Daisley and his inappropriate tweets. I was chairing the meeting. They also raised football and boundary restrictions and a whole host of other issues.
I fail to see how journalism gains from what Daisley is doing here. He's well known in Scotland for how shall we say – rather right wing views – and it's no surprise his bosses reigned him in given Scotland, and almost their entire audience, is very much not right wing!
No one was surprised when he pitched up at the Daily Mail, a newspaper that attacks Scotland, the SNP – and therefore the people who gave the SNP a strong mandate to govern and call an indy ref – on almost a daily basis.


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INSIGHTS > New Articles > SECURE 2018 > SECURE SYNOPSIS: 26 MARCH 2018
SECURE SYNOPSIS: 26 MARCH 2018
Category:	SECURE 2018 SECURE SYNOPSIS
NOTE: Please remember that following 'answers' are NOT 'model answers'. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.
1) The socio-cultural regeneration in nineteenth century India was occasioned by the colonial presence, but not created by it. Analyse. (250 Words)
Bipan Chandra India's Struggle for Independence, Page 83, Chapter – 6
Background:-
The social and cultural regeneration of the 19th century was, however, qualitatively of a different order than the pre-colonial manifestations of reform like Bhakti movements which did not play a socially transformative role but confined their activities to a number of self-contained sects without much communication or interaction with one another.
How colonial presence helped the socio cultural regeneration in the nineteenth century:-
While the pre-colonial movements were trapped in feudal ethics, the 19th century regeneration occurred in the context of an emerging middle class which mainly developed its social vision, political beliefs and cultural ethos from the history of Western societies, received through the medium of the ideological apparatuses of the colonial state.
They were drawn towards a new cultural situation through their association with the colonial rulers
All socio-religious reformers whether Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Parsis aimed at the
spread of modern education. They believed that education was the most effective tool to awaken and modernize
The British conquest and the consequent dissemination of colonial culture and ideology had led to an inevitable introspection about the strengths and weaknesses of indigenous culture and institutions. The response, indeed, was varied but the need to reform social and religious life was a commonly shared conviction.
Because of the indefatigable efforts of the reformers, a number of administrative measures were adopted by the Government to improve the condition of women like Abolition of Sati , against female infanticide, widow's remarriage ,against child marriage etc.
Along with enlightenment and rational thought of the reformers of the 19th century ,the circumstances created by British triggered the reform movements like for instance British used the position of social conditions like the status of Indian women, illiteracy, superstitions etc which were practised then to justify the enslavement of India. So it became imperative for the Indian intelligentsia to contest the tag of backwardness. Along with that the Orientalism brought forth archaelogical excavations of India's rich cultural heritage like the discovery of Indus valley civilisation.
However British has not created it:-
The Indians took the role played by Christian missionaries propagating Christianity as an onslaught on their religion and social customs and questioned many of their own social and religious practices. They wanted to reform it so that evil social practices could be removed from society
Reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Jyotiba Phule, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Pandita Ramabai understood that ignorance and backwardness in the society was responsible for hindering its progress and development.
They studied the religious scriptures and criticized the prevalent religious and social practices. According to them, society should be based on the concepts of liberty and equality both for men and women and this was possible only by the spread of modern and scientific education especially among the women.
They considered the caste system as irrational and unscientific. They felt it was against the basic rules of humanity. The untiring and relentless efforts of the social reformers helped people to become more tolerant towards each other.
They cited the scriptures to show that the practices prevalent during nineteenth century like Sati find no sanction in them.
Two important intellectual criteria which informed the reform movements were rationalism and religious universalism. In the Brahmo Samaj, it led to the repudiation of the infallibility of the Vedas, and in the Aligarh Movement, to the reconciliation of the teachings of Islam with the needs of the modern age.
Topic: Functioning of judiciary
2) Special courts, fast-track courts and tribunals are panacea for for judicial efficiency. Critically analyse. (250 Words)
There are over 2.8 crore cases in the subordinate judiciary, which is the most out of the three tiers of the judiciary subordinate, high courts and the Supreme Court. So there are alternate mechanisms like fast track courts ,tribunals, special courts created to dispose off this arrears.
Merits of Special courts,fast track courts and tribunals:-
India has several specialised Courts and Tribunals to reduce the burden of pending cases. These special Courts and Tribunals specialise in certain area/laws and ensure that the citizens are not overly inconvenienced in the resolution of minor disputes
In order to reduce the Non-Performing Assets of the Banks and Financial Institutions in the public and private sector, the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) was established for expeditious adjudication and recovery of debts due to banks and financial institutions. Prior to the introduction of Debt Recovery Tribunal, petitions had to be filed separately for adjudication of cases and execution proceedings in different courts depending upon their jurisdiction.
Make the dispute redressal process quick and less expensive.
Fast track courts were created to deal with this problem of arrears in judiciary.
Increases the quality of judicial process as judges with expertise related to respective fields are appointed.
Demerits:-
Supreme court still being the highest court of appeal defeats the purpose of these courts as people can appeal there.
Special courts:-
While there is sufficient discussion around fast track courts and tribunals, the same cannot be said about special courts. This vacuum in research and analysis with respect to special courts has led to inconsistencies in legislation and operation.
What the legislature intends to accomplish by creating special courts is not clear.
For instance, there seem to be more special courts under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 as compared to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 despite data showing the former having a tenth of the number of registered cases as the latter (2015)
Tribunals :-
But a tribunal which is biased, incompetent and unfair, cause more harm than serve such intended purposes
Problematic because in majority of the cases government is the
Tribunals bypass the constitutional mandate of high courts and SC.
Fast track courts:-
The central government and state governments have decided to disband the fast-track courts because they are too expensive
Experts were concerned with the declining standards of these courts and have defined it as 'fast-track injustice.'
These courts are given unrealistic targets of cases to finish.
Judges (were) cutting down on evidence, not allowing full cross-examinations, proceeding in the absence of lawyers in many cases has been common in fast track courts.
These deal with specific cases like rape, IPR etc so judicial pendency of cases is not resolved
Conclusion :-
Parameters such as the frequency and number of effective hearings and calculating the number of pending cases need to be developed to study the workings of special courts. Along with this the alternative redressal mechanisms like arbitration, mediation, negotiation etc need to be encouraged.
Topic: Security challenges and their management in border areas
3) Border security is one of the most vital component of national security of any country and in this regard, the Indian government has been pushing for technological solutions through Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) project. In this light, discuss the limitations, cost-effectiveness and suitability of technological solutions to manage India's borders. (250 Words)
Repeated acts of terror from across the border led to rigorous introspection in the Government for developing measures to avoid such tragedies.
The use of high-tech solutions for border security was being considered by India since 2012 and the trigger for implementing the CIBMS was the Pathankot terrorist attack.
The CIBMS is touted as a more robust and integrated system that is capable of addressing the gaps in the present system of border security by seamlessly integrating human resources, weapons, and high-tech surveillance equipment
Limitations of technological solutions :-
The experiences of countries such as the United States that have employed high-tech devices demonstrate that not only are the costs of such devices prohibitive but that they also fail to provide a comprehensive solution to border security problems.
Even US is weighed down by the economic burden caused by implementation of the 'virtual fence' on the US-Mexico border.
Infusion of large funds for acquiring the CIBMS at a time when economy is struggling with slow growth, is also going to be a challenge before the government.
The exorbitant cost of the electronic devices and the lack of easy availability of spare parts act as a deterrent against their use.
The army is also using some imported, sophisticated technical equipments, but its optimum use is hampered by its incompatibility with terrain and border security infrastructure.
Erratic power supply and adverse climatic and terrain conditions in the border areas could potentially undermine the functioning of the sophisticated system.
The effectiveness of the equipments is further curtailed by the lack of training, repair and maintenance facility and smart users.
BSF does not have the required technical expertise to offer clear guidelines to the vendors so that they can provide suitable products. This fact is further evidenced by media reports that the two attempts at testing the CIBMS system were stalled due to technical mismatch and budgetary projections.
Operation and maintenance of the existing sophisticated equipment remain a problem. At present, many of the high-tech surveillance devices deployed by the BSF are not optimally utilised because the required technical expertise is not uniformly available among the force's personnel.
Being manpower intensive, the system was not effective in providing rest and relief to BSF troops
Centralised decision making could hamper timely and effective response on the ground given that detection and interception of infiltrators at the border require a quick response which is achieved only through a decentralised decision making process.
Advantages:-
Cost effectiveness and suitability :-
Technical solutions are necessary to augment and complement the traditional methods of border guarding.
They not only enhance the surveillance and detection capabilities of the border guarding forces but also improve the impact of the border guarding personnel against infiltration and trans-border crimes.
Smart borders will not only strengthen security infrastructure but also can go a long way in reducing the loss of valuable lives of our soldiers.
Besides, the idea has a potential to boost innovation in Indian companies and research institutes, which could develop cost-effective technologies.
Way forward:-
A strong initiative to utilize this existing infrastructure to their optimum capacity can go a long way in improving border security without additional cost.
There is a need for setting up a border security operation cum intelligence centers, for better cooperation and coordination among various agencies involved in border security. Operations should be intelligence driven.
Conclusion:-
Instead of high-cost and innovative technological solutions that require extensive technical expertise, a judicious mix of properly trained manpower and affordable and tested technology is likely to yield better results.
Topic: Conservation; Environmental pollution
4) Discuss the origin and significance of Chipko and other similar movements. Do you think development has trumped environmentalism today? Comment. (250 Words)
India's environment movement is a product of its democratic system. Indian environmental groups have organised numerous protest movements against deforestation ,construction of high dams, mining, pollution and nuclear power plants with varying degrees of success.
Origin of Chipko movement :-
Spearheaded by the Dasholi gram swarajya mandal a Gandhian organisation, the Chipko Movement began as a protest movement in 1973 against the policy of the government of Uttar Pradesh to auction forests.
Chipko activists stood for people's rights in forests and have since gone on to organise women's groups for afforestation.
The name of the movement 'chipko' comes from the word 'embrace', as the villagers hugged the trees and encircled them to prevent being hacked.
In no time it spilled onto other states in north India.
Significance:-
In India environmental movements arose out of the imperative of human survival. This was an environmentalism of the poor, which married the concern of social justice on the one hand with sustainability on the other. It argued that present patterns of resource use disadvantaged local communities and devastated the natural environment.
Chipko Movement:-
It is best remembered for the collective mobilisation of women for the cause of preserving forests, which also brought about a change in attitude regarding their own status in society.
Due to Chipko movement new laws to control pollution and to protect natural forests were enacted. There was even talk of restoring community systems of water and forest management.
As a sequel to the above movement several wild life sanctuaries have been carved out and poaching in these areas has been made a cognizable offense.
The movement triggered a worldwide thinking in favour of forest management. Concepts such as community forestry arose in Indonesia, Malaysia.
Save silent valley movement:-
First major campaign against a dam in India.In 1980, the M.G.K. Menon Committee set up to review the hydroelectric project against which the protests were going on and came out with a recommendation to scrap it.
Environmental movements like Narmada Bacha andolan , Chipko movement etc attributed their success to commitment to social justice and environmental concerns linked to people.
These movements have inspired critical and intellectual assessments of the country's ecological concerns.
Development Vs environmentalism:-
The debate of whether environment or development is favoured by the countries and has nations accorded secondary importance to environment is a question to be discussed.
Development takes precedence :-
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is regarded by other ministries as a 'negative' force that impedes 'development 'and most often the environment is relegated to a secondary position.
The argument is that the protection of the environment is important, but not at the cost of development. In the 'development versus environment' debate, the demand is always for a compromise on environmental concerns but never moderation of developmental activities.
The destruction of aquifers, rivers turning into sewers, rampant deforestation ,not respecting rights of indigenous people as projects like Vedanta are sanctioned , the looming water crisis even in states with water abundance like Kerala, pollution in cities show that environment was sidelined with respect to development.
A NASA study in 2009 identified a third of the world's major aquifers to be in distress, with the Indus basin which includes Punjab and Haryana, India's granaries ranked the second-most over-stressed.
The catastrophic environmental impacts of economic growth like climate change, deforestation, pollution and toxicity, etc are putting in place new and more urgent limits on the production and consumption of these resources.
The levels of air pollution were now shockingly high in all Indian cities. Across India, the untreated waste of cities was dumped on villages.
All these instances confirm that environment has been neglected.
However India is increasingly moving towards serious environment conservation like the recent initiatives like commitment towards Paris agreement, International solar alliance , investment in renewable energy etc show that India is trying to move towards sustainable growth .
Integrating natural capital assessment and valuation into economic system is critical to usher in a truly sustainable future for India.
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
5) Government procurement can be used to improve the nature and quality of production in the economy, and improve business culture. Analyse. (250 Words)
Background :-
Government procurement in India is around 30% of GDP, which currently is around $2.1 trillion.
Public/government procurement broadly refers to the process by which government (at the Central, State and local levels), its agencies/departments and State-owned enterprises procure goods and/or services only for their own use, and not for sale/resale commercially
How can government procurement be used to improve the nature and quality of production in economy, business culture :-
Public procurement has a significant impact as it plays a key role in the creation of both social and economic infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals, provisions for drinking water and sanitation etc.
If public procurements are competitive, they would result in the selection of the most efficient/competitive seller to the buyer (the Government) ensuring maximum savings for the latter and, consequently, the tax payer.
An efficient procurement system appears as a strong element of the public expenditure management systems by helping an entity in taking appropriate budgetary decisions and identifying the required investment opportunities
China has used procurement by its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as an effective tool for benefitting local enterprises. Given that SOEs are major players in the Chinese economy both from production and consumption perspectives, many producer SOEs have benefitted from procurement policies favouring local enterprises.
The latest Indian policy aims to encourage procurement from local suppliers with substantive local content set at a minimum of 50% of value addition.
The policy hopes to incentivise firms to shift to greater sourcing of inputs raw materials, intermediates and components domestically for satisfying the local content criteria necessary to qualify for preferences in public procurement.
This was to push the 'Make In India' initiative
Ensure greater flow of capital and technology into domestic services and manufacturing
Boost job creation locally as well as promote small enterprises.
Privatisation per se will not lead to greater competition and references to the case of Russia and China show that privatisation there has led to oligarchy.
The government of India has emphasized information technology (e-procurement) as a tool for enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the public procurement.
An effective procurement management information system (PMIS) is important for a sound and sustained procurement system.
PMIS not only helps in tracking the ongoing as well as completed procurements but also provides information to any procuring entity in executing different procurement activities primarily in bid preparation and evaluation.
It, thus, serves as a data centre to assess and track the past tenders to identify and weed out the anticompetitive elements as well as narrow down the procurement cycle
Despite its emergence as a crucial element of good governance, the public procurement system in India continues to suffer from several weaknesses:-
The ways in which these goods and services are purchased the procurement process can sometimes be inefficient and opaque to citizens. The procurement data is not easy to find or easy to understand; the policies are not always clear.
One of the biggest challenges for the observatories in India has been access to data. Many states still use manual procurement, and even when they use e-procurement systems, it is not possible to get back-end data.
Rules are unable to counter corruption. They do not reflect many imperatives which public procurement regimes need to satisfy to meet the complex needs of a modernising economy, especially in their tendering modes and transparency rules, which are not helpful in promoting the small scale sector.
Besides, what is lacking are provisions to encourage sustainable public procurement, mechanisms to redress grievances of bidders andmarket access norms.
Unlike many countries, India does not have a comprehensive procurement legislation, and the procurement regime in the country appears to be fragmented and inconsistent in terms of rules, regulations, and procedures
In addition, the system in India is aimed at achieving socio-economic developmental objectives including promotion of MSEs through price and purchase preferences and reservation of sector-specific products. These lead to complexities due to multiple interpretations of rules and regulations at the discretion of the procuring entities.
Presence of anti-competitive elements
The existence of anti-competitive practices by the bidders' community tends to hamper the procurement process by negating the best value of money. Competition issues in India mainly concern with collusive bidding, bid rigging, cartelization, and abuse of dominance
Low participation of the domestic MSEs
Despite the MSEs provisions, the participation of domestic MSEs in the public procurement activities remains low in India. A
World Bank initiative centers around a set of small, civil society organizations called "procurement observatories" that have started collecting government procurement data and presenting it to the public in an understandable way. This needs to be promoted.
Formulating a contemporary, scientific and consolidated 'public procurement policy' would be better.
Topic: Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
6) Discuss the features of the draft Defence Production Policy, 2018. (250 Words)
With the aim of creating up to 30 lakh jobs and a total turnover Rs. 1.7 lakh crore in defence goods, the Union government has prepared its draft Defence Production Policy, 2018.
The vision of the policy is to make India among the top five countries of the world in the aerospace and defence industries, with the active participation of the public and private sectors, fulfilling the objective of self-reliance as well as the demand of other friendly countries
The draft policy says the government's aim is to achieve a turnover of Rs. 1,70,000 crore (approximately $26 billion) in defence goods and services by 2025, involving additional investment of nearly Rs. 70,000 crore (about $10 billion) creating employment for nearly 2-3 million people.
It also hopes to achieve exports of Rs. 35,000 crore in defence goods and services by 2025
The policy aims to create an environment that encourages a dynamic, robust and competitive defence industry as an important part of the 'Make in India' initiative".
The policy also hopes to reduce current dependence on imports and to achieve self-reliance in development and manufacture of several weapon systems/platforms.
The policy proposes to increase the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in niche technology areas to 74% under the automatic route.
Private sector:-
The government will list its requirements in terms of platforms and weapon systems for the next decade to help private sector companies understand the opportunities
It will also simplify procedures for private firms to enter defense production, i.e., liberalize the regime by issuing licenses in 30 days and pruning no-go areas to a small 'negative list' for licensing
The government will also do away with capacity assessment, except for critical projects
Taxes:-
In the area of taxation, the government has proposed rationalization of taxes on import of capital goods for services and inputs for defense and aims to prevent inversion of taxes
The policy also plans to export defence goods worth $5 billion to other countries. It also plans on setting up Defence Export Organisation in partnership with the industry and market domestically produced goods overseas.
Positives:-
By giving a leg-up to defense manufacturing, India hopes to transform itself into a global leader in cyberspace and AI (artificial intelligence) technologies.
It pushes for increased indigenisation of defence production not just for purposes of self-reliance, but also to widen India's export to other nations.
The policy also attempts to make it easier to do business. It calls for increased participation of MSMEs, start-ups and other players from the private sector in the defence industry.
The Government also wants greater interaction between private and public sector.
This policy aims at fusing together technologies from Ordnance Factory Board, Defence Public Sector Undertaking and private players.
It aims at advancing and boosting the existing public sector defence production units through skill development and overall program management.
It creates open competition in the industry. By opening the sector to private players, the policy is determined to create a driving force for increased productivity and innovation.
By inviting the private actors, India sees an opportunity to maximise returns on money.
The document also seeks to take advantage of the fact that India has emerged as a top destination for Research & Development (R&D) in the world. It proposes that India utilise this opportunity and catapult itself as a hub for defence related Intellectual Property (IP).
The Simplified Make-II would be facilitated easily through this draft policy and will launch itself as an initiative to make it easier for industries to enter defence sector.
The broad policy accelerates domestic defence production and thereby makes it feasible for India to have its own market . Indigenous defence production will attract more investors which eventually will lead to massive market creation.
Negatives:-
Private defence industry has welcomed the announcement of explicit targets, but points out that close oversight would be needed to achieve them. The key to its success lies in how vigorously it is implemented.
R&D incentivisation across industry is falling. Earlier, there was tax exemption of 200 per cent of the R&D spend, which will be fallen to 100 per cent from 2020.
There is scepticism within industry above how exports can be scaled up fifteen fold in just seven years, from the current level of about $330 million.
To boost defence exports to $5 billion, there is a need for a body like Israel's SIBAT, in which the military and the highest levels of government together facilitate arms sales abroad. The draft policy unfortunately limits itself to export promotion by DPSUs/Ordnance factories.
Its success will lie in its implementation strategy, a periodic review mechanism, and ensuring accountability for non-compliance.
There must be a higher targeted incentivisation for defence R&D and product development.
It must contain a formal commitment that orders will not be given on "nomination" to DPSUs and ordnance factories, so that there is a true level playing field.
It should mention export promotion initiatives such as providing low-cost capital to defence exporters from the growing foreign exchange reserves which could be detailed in separate export facilitation guidelines.
Topic: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions;
7) Why hard-coding ethics is important in both building and using mobile apps. (150 Words)
Answer:-
Creators of business intelligence and analytics applications bear responsibility for ensuring that people can reach the right conclusions from the facts and the way they are presented. Mobile developers are leveraging third-party code to quickly build and deploy apps, but many of those developers do not understand the code they are implementing or the ramifications of using them. It is getting very easy to build a mobile app, but it is harder than ever to build one well.
Issues such as spamming users for reviews to forcing users to log in with social networks so additional marketing can be sent to users friends and followers are common and now, sadly expected.
It would be unethical to leave judgment about data quality to the user. For instance if a retail store publishes an incorrect price the brand has to honour it. Thus, the retailer incurs the cost of the wrong data. Similarly it is app creators responsibility to provide such assurance
People use apps to make decisions quickly, in many cases deciding instantly based on what they see. Given this, any embellishment or design that can lead to incorrect perceptions are unethical as they divert attention from the app's core purpose of fueling better decisions. The goal is absolute clarity and lack of ambiguity so that decisions can be made quickly.
People respect their privacy and the apps need to guarantee the trust put by the user's is not misused by collection of data without consent .If the application will do something in the background, let the user know, and let them turn it off.
The danger lies in the combination of smartphone technology aimed at reinforcing app usage, and a business model based on attracting and keeping our attention. This combination co-opts our time and freedom and directs us towards information and advertisements which often add little value to our lives.
The developer should be self-moderating i.e.,they need to put care and thought into how their software interacts with a user's data. The publisher, Apple and Google, for example, also have oversight and guidelines for approvals, which have several sections overlooking privacy as well as malware.Finally the consent of the users need to be mandated. Tech companies large and small must push for social responsibility as a necessary parallel to innovation.
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Claus Lundekvam (* 22. Februar 1973 in Austevoll) ist ein ehemaliger norwegischer Fußballspieler. 2007 beendete er als amtierender Kapitän des damaligen englischen Zweitligisten FC Southampton seine Spielerkarriere.

Zuvor hatte er den Großteil seiner Karriere bei den "Saints" verbracht.

Vereinskarriere

Karrierebeginn
Geboren auf der Insel Austevoll, kam Lundekvam bereits im Jugendalter aufs Festland in die Jugendabteilung von Brann Bergen. Dort unterschrieb er 1993 auch seinen ersten Profivertrag und erlangte ab 1994 auch einen Stammplatz in der Bergener Defensive. Bis 1996 absolvierte er 53 Spiele mit einem Torerfolg in der höchsten norwegischen Spielklasse, ohne jedoch einen Titel gewinnen zu können.

Lebende Legende der "Saints"
Im Herbst 1996 wurde er daraufhin im Doppelpack mit Landsmann Egil Østenstad vom Premier-League-Cub FC Southampton verpflichtet. Es sollte der erste und auch zugleich letzte Vereinswechsel in seiner Karriere werden. Der frischgebackene Southampton-Manager, Graeme Souness hatte ihn bereits zu Galatasaray-Zeiten beobachten lassen und plante mit ihm als Stützpfeiler in der Abwehr der Saints. Sowohl Østenstad wie auch Lundekvam schlugen von Beginn an ein und erhielten einen Platz in der Stammformation der Mannschaft.

In Folge bildete Lundekvam über Jahre mit Ken Monkou eine zuverlässige Innenverteidigung, die die traditionell offensivschwache,- mit Ausnahme von Superstar Matt Le Tissier, im Mittelfeld der Premier League hielt. Als Monkou zur Saison 2000/01 aus altersbedingten Gründen an Huddersfield Town verkauft wurde, übernahm der Marokkaner Tahar El Khalej dessen Part, ehe sich dieser zur Folgesaison schwer verletzte. Ihm folgten eine Riege an verschiedenen Innenverteidigern, wie die der Schweden Michael Svensson und Andreas Jakobsson, die jedoch allesamt nicht restlos überzeugen konnten. Über all die Jahre blieb lediglich Lundekvam die Konstante in der Innenverteidigung der Saints, welcher nach dem Rücktritt von Le Tissier zum uneingeschränkten Chef und Kapitän avancierte. Nach dem Karriereende Le Tissiers fehlte es der Mannschaft jedoch im Mittelfeld an Substanz. Der frühere Starspieler Jamie Redknapp entwickelte sich zu einem kapitalen Flop und auch die Defensive, die bisher zur größten Stärke der Saints zählte, strahlte nicht mehr die Sicherheit vergangener Tage aus. So stieg man am Ende der Saison 2004/05 nach 27 Jahren Ligazugehörigkeit aus der Premier League ab. Der Abstieg kam für die Verantwortlichen der Saints mehr als überraschend, hatte man doch zum ersten Mal seit Jahren mit Kevin Phillips, James Beattie und Peter Crouch eine durchschlagskräftige Offensivabteilung geformt.

Als es daraufhin zum Ausverkauf bei Southampton kam und fast der gesamte Kader das Weite suchte, blieb Lundekvam dem Verein treu. Vor allem ein Wechsel zu Ex-Trainer Gordon Strachan, der Lundekvam unbedingt zu Celtic Glasgow holen wollte, war so gut wie sicher, ehe er sich Lundekvam für einen Verbleib entschied. Diese Entscheidung wurde ihm von den Fans hoch angerechnet.

In Spielzeit eins nach dem Abstieg taten sich die Saints schwer und erreichten nur einen enttäuschenden 12. Tabellenendrang. In der Folgesaison erholte man sich wieder, hatte mit 53 Gegentoren die beste Defensive der Liga und erreichte mit Tabellenplatz 6 die Relegationsspiele für die Premier League. In den Entscheidungsspielen musste man verletzungsbedingt auf Lundekvam verzichten und schied im Elfmeterschießen gegen Derby County aus.

Zuvor hatte er sich im entscheidenden Spiel um die Relegationsplätze Southend United einen Bruch des Fußgelenks zugezogen und war bis zum Februar 2008 rekonvaleszent. In Folge versuchte er noch einmal ein Comeback, was aber durch chronische Fußgelenksschmerzen vereitelt wurde. Im März 2008 gab er daraufhin sein Karriereende bekannt. Bis zuletzt war er Kapitän der Mannschaft geblieben. Er gilt neben Matt Le Tissier als die prägendste Persönlichkeit des Vereines in der Neuzeit. Am 18. Juli 2008 wurde er in einem Abschiedsspiel gegen Celtic Glasgow offiziell als Southampton-Spieler verabschiedet. Zuvor hatte er seinen Verein um £100,000 einen neuen Rasen gespendet.

In seiner langen Karriere bei den Saints trug er sich auch mehrfach in die Annalen des Vereins ein:

 Mit insgesamt 412 Einsätzen für Southampton in Bewerbsspielen ist er der meisteingesätzte Legionär des Vereins.
 In der ewigen Einsatzstatistik der Saints wird er auf Platz 9 geführt.
 In der Premier League lief er insgesamt 256 Mal für Southampton auf. Damit war er der norwegische Rekordspieler in der Premier League, bevor er von John Arne Riise abgelöst wurde.

Ein Titelgewinn blieb ihm in seiner gesamten Karriere verwehrt. Als Höhepunkt kann das FA-Cup-Finale 2003 gewertet werden, welches Southampton mit 0:1 gegen den FC Arsenal verlor.

Nationalmannschaft
Anders als die meisten norwegischen Nationalspieler wurde Lundekvam für keine Jugendauswahlmannschaft seines Landes nominiert.

Im November 1995 debütierte er für Norwegen im Freundschaftsspiel gegen Jamaika. Daraufhin zählte er bis 2002 zum erweiterten Kreis der Nationalmannschaft, ohne sich jedoch gegen die etatmäßigen Innenverteidiger wie etwa Henning Berg, Ronny Johnsen oder Kjetil Rekdal durchsetzen zu können. So kam es auch, dass er nicht in den norwegischen Kader für die Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 1998 in Frankreich nominiert wurde.

Als mit Ronny Johnsen und Erik Hoftun zwei Defensivspieler für die Fußball-Europameisterschaft 2000 in Belgien und den Niederlanden ausfielen, rechneten viele mit der Nominierung Lundekvams, der zu dieser Zeit ansprechende Leistungen in der englischen Premier League zeigte. Doch der damalige Nationalmannschaftstrainer Nils Johan Semb nominierte überraschend, die auf internationaler Bühne weitestgehend unerfahrenen André Bergdølmo und Bjørn Otto Bragstad in den endgültigen Kader und ignorierte Lundekvam.

Erst ab 2002 kam es zur regelmäßigen Einberufung ins Nationalteam. Als 2003 Åge Hareide zum Nationalmannschaftstrainer ernannt wurde, erlangte er endgültig einen Stammplatz. Am 9. Oktober 2003 führte er daraufhin im Freundschaftsspiel gegen Portugal zum ersten Mal die Nationalmannschaft als Kapitän auf den Platz. Zu Beginn noch als Ersatz für Henning Berg, teilte er sich ab 2004 das Amt mit Martin Andresen, bis dieser von Hareide zum etatmäßigen Kapitän ernannt wurde.

Sein letztes Länderspiel bestritt er in der Qualifikation zur Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 2006 bei der 1:2-Niederlage gegen Schottland.

Einen Meilenstein setzte er mit einem Tor beim 2:0-Sieg gegen Bosnien im Qualifikationsspiel für die Fußball-Europameisterschaft 2000. Es war das 1000. Tor in der Historie der norwegischen Fußballnationalmannschaft.

Insgesamt kam er zu 40 Länderspieleinsätzen mit 2 Torerfolgen. In 11 Länderspielen durfte er sein Land als Kapitän aufs Feld führen. Die Teilnahme an einem großen Fußballturnier mit Norwegen, blieb ihm verwehrt.

Erfolge
 Inhaber der Goldenen Uhr (40 Länderspieleinsätze)

Weblinks
 Lundekvam als Spieler vom Southampton
 Lundekvam als Kapitän von Norwegen
 Länderspielstatistik von Lundekvam

Einzelnachweise

Fußballnationalspieler (Norwegen)
Fußballspieler (Brann Bergen)
Fußballspieler (FC Southampton)
Norweger
Geboren 1973
Mann


Maridi is a town in South Sudan.
Maridi is located in Maridi County, Maridi State, near the international border between South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This location lies approximately 295 kilometres (183 mi), by road, west of Juba, the capital of South Sudan and the largest city in that country. The coordinates of Maridi are: 4° 54' 36.00"N, 29° 27' 0.00"E (Latitude: 4.9100; Longitude: 29.4500).
Maridi has been a regional center of government since colonial times. It is also reputed to be a center of education in South Sudan.Yambio is the state capital of Western Equatoria State, which is 140 km from Maridi. Khazana Lake is a popular picnic spot and one can find NGO and UN staff enjoying the scenic beauty on a typical Sunday. The County remains lush green during the rainy season with Mango trees full of fruits. The habitat boosts of a diverse fauna, most common of them being the baboons, deer and the black mamba.
In 2011, the population of Maridi was estimated at approximately 18,000. Maridi County is further divided into five Payams which have a total 17 Bomas under them. The population of the county is a mixed of many tribes prominent being, Zande, Baka, Mundu, Muro Kodo and Avokaya.
The town is served by Maridi Airport. The airport sits at an elevation of 700 metres (2,300 ft), above sea level. It has a single unpaved runway, the dimensions of which are not publicly known at this time. Roads (murram base dirt roads) to and from Maridi have been reconditioned and are quite good for South Sudan.
In September 2015, an oil tanker exploded on a road about 20 km from Maridi, at Bahir Naam Payam, killing over 170 people. The truck had gone off the road and overturned. People were approaching the truck in order to siphon petrol from it when it exploded. Injured were taken to Maridi Civil Hospital and Olo Primary Health Clinic in Mambe Payam, according to Radio Tamazuj.
Maridi Power Sector - A locally operated electric membership company was inaugurated in 2011. The system is served by a 1.2 MW diesel generation station. Electricity is distributed at 11 kV and customers served 230/415 V, 50 Hz power, for approximately 12 hours per day. As of this edit there are approximately 600 electric meters installed on the system.
Maridi water treatment plant - A water treatment plant and distribution system was inaugurated on 2010. This plant serves much of the town through water points located near roads and populated areas.
^ Nashion, Joseph (16 February 2016). "Maridi State Government Releases 40 Youth Previously Arrested In Connection To Rebellion". Gurtong. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
^ "South Sudan oil tanker blast 'kills 170' - BBC News". Retrieved 2015-09-19.
^ "Explosion of fuel tanker near Maridi kills dozens, wounds nearly 100". Radio Tamazuj. 2015-09-17. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
This page was last edited on 3 December 2018, at 17:21 (UTC).