text:
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - If you could .....
Posted: 1/3/2007 10:05:39 AM EST
Change the candidate requirements for US Senate/Congressman, name one requrement you would add/change or delete. (Ex: college, miltary service, prior leadership)
Thuban
AL, USA
That they have been in the private sector for at least 4 years. (It effectively gives us term limits too.)
DoubleFeed
Bad Cheeky Little Monkey
They must think higher of the US Constitution than the Communist Manifesto.
Is it possible that he put his sabre into the wrong slot?
Triumph955i
Arfcoms best breeding stock
Must be a gun owner and would fight FOR citizens rights to own SBRs, suppressors and full auto.
How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual,as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of. - Rep Hupp
Carhlr
They would be bound by Federal law to never take money from ANYONE PERIOD. Just their base salary.
Hokie
"Fucking Savages!"
Bench press 200 lbs
Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.
-Theodore Roosevelt
The One Man Wrecking Machine
I'd suggest that when considering making new laws, they fully examine previous applicable laws, ensure they are being enforced, and only then, in special cases (like when the Internet came around, there were some laws required for that, that the Founding Fathers hadn't forseen ), they can make new laws.
Contrary to Kofi Annan's idiotic assertion from late last year, man can indeed suffer from too many laws.
Join the NRA It's for the children.
Go Red Wings!
Originally Posted By Hokie:
You just eliminated 95% of Arfcom
That's not necessarily a bad thing...
DzlBenz
Not available in stores.
Their stickers must be 100% recycled and CFC-free, and in colors that do not clash with my Beetle.
Also, androgynous.
ONLY PEOPLE WHO LACK A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE AND CAN'T COME UP WITH A DECENT ARGUMENT TYPE IN ALL CAPS.
kitwulfen
no u
I'd change some things around. There is no pay for serving your country; you are provided housing in Washington and your meals and such are seen to. The housing is neither extravagent or craptacular. You are not provided with personal security forces. If you want someone with a gun to watch your ass, you either pay for it yourself or you are that person with a gun. You are not allowed to accept campaign money from anyone but your constituents; no corporations. Term limit imposed to ensure fresh ideas continuously circulate through the House and Senate. No felons allowed. Misdemeanors may also bar you from service. Remove age limits.
"And now, I have to hurt you."
Originally Posted By macman37:
How about "bench press your own body weight"
Faustieah
I'm guessing you just raised the bar by using body weight, so to speak.
Hebrew_Battle_Rifle
Senators selected by their respective state legislators. Congressman elected every 3 years instead of two. Ineligible for election/re election after age 70.
SCotUS Justices serve a single 10 year term.
Lessee here ... 235 (probably closer to 240 after the holidays) yeah I can pull that off. Once or twice.
kar98k
My Avatar is Staring at You.
Court of Political Justice
From Lone Star Planet, H Beam Piper (copyright expired, available free on the net)
Well, those nine men are judges," she began. "The one in the middle is President Judge Nelson. You've met his son--the Ranger officer who chased you from the spaceport. He's a regular jurist. The other eight are prominent citizens who are drawn from a panel, like a jury. The men at the table on the left are the prosecution: friends of the politician who was killed. And the ones on the right are the defense: they'll try to prove that the dead man got what was coming to him. The ones in the middle are friends of the court: they're just anybody who has any interest in the case--people who want to get some point of law cleared up, or see some precedent established, or something like that."
"You seem to assume that this is a homicide case," I mentioned.
"They generally are. Sometimes mayhem, or wounding, or simple assault, but--"
There had been some sort of conference going on in the open space of floor between the judges' bench and the three tables. It broke up, now, and the judge in the middle rapped with his gavel.
"Are you gentlemen ready?" he asked. "All right, then. Court of Political Justice of the Confederate Continents of New Texas is now in session. Case of the friends of S. Austin Maverick, deceased, late of James Bowie Continent, versus Wilbur Whately."
"My God, did somebody finally kill Aus Maverick?" Gail whispered.
On the center table, in front of the friends of the court, both sides seemed to have piled their exhibits; among the litter I saw some torn clothing, a big white sombrero covered with blood, and a long machete.
"The general nature of the case," the judge was saying, "is that the defendant, Wilbur Whately, of Sam Houston Continent, is here charged with divers offenses arising from the death of the Honorable S. Austin Maverick, whom he killed on the front steps of the Legislative Assembly Building, here in New Austin...."
What goes on here? I thought angrily. This is the rankest instance of a pre-judged case I've ever seen. I started to say as much to Gail, but she hushed me.
"I want to hear the specifications," she said.
A man at the prosecution table had risen.
"Please the court," he began, "the defendant, Wilbur Whately, is here charged with political irresponsibility and excessive atrocity in exercising his constitutional right of criticism of a practicing politician.
"The specifications are, as follows: That, on the afternoon of May Seventh, Anno Domini 2193, the defendant here present did arm himself with a machete, said machete not being one of his normal and accustomed weapons, and did loiter in wait on the front steps of the Legislative Assembly Building in the city of New Austin, Continent of Sam Houston, and did approach the decedent, addressing him in abusive, obscene, and
indecent language, and did set upon and attack him with the machete aforesaid, causing the said decedent, S. Austin Maverick, to die."
The court wanted to know how the defendant would plead. Somebody, without bothering to rise, said, "Not guilty, Your Honor," from the defense table.
There was a brief scraping of chairs; four of five men from the defense and the prosecution tables got up and advanced to confer in front of the bench, comparing sheets of paper. The man who had read the charges, obviously the chief prosecutor, made himself the spokesman.
"Your Honor, defense and prosecution wish to enter the following stipulations: That the decedent was a practicing politician within the meaning of the Constitution, that he met his death in the manner stated in the coroner's report, and that he was killed by the defendant, Wilbur Whately."
"Is that agreeable to you, Mr. Vincent?" the judge wanted to know.
The defense answered affirmatively. I sat back, gaping like a fool. Why, that was practically--no, it _was_--a confession.
"All right, gentlemen," the judge said. "Now we have all that out of the way, let's get on with the case."
As though there were any case to get on with! I fully expected them to take it on from there in song, words by Gilbert and music by Sullivan.
"Well, Your Honor, we have a number of character witnesses," the prosecution -- prosecution, for God's sake! --announced.
"Skip them," the defense said. "We stipulate."
"But you can't stipulate character testimony," the prosecution argued. "You don't know what our witnesses are going to testify to."
"Sure we do: they're going to give us a big long shaggy-dog story about the Life and Miracles of Saint Austin Maverick. We'll agree in advance to all that; this case is concerned only with his record as a politician. And as he spent the last fifteen years in the Senate, that's all a matter of public record. I assume that the prosecution is going to
introduce all that, too?"
"Well, naturally ..." the prosecutor began.
"Including his public acts on the last day of his life?" the counsel for the defense demanded. "His actions on the morning of May seventh as chairman of the Finance and Revenue Committee? You going to introduce that as evidence for the prosecution?"
"Well, now ..." the prosecutor began.
"Your Honor, we ask to have a certified copy of the proceedings of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee for the morning of May Seventh, 2193, read into the record of this court," the counsel for the defense said. "And thereafter, we rest our case."
"Has the prosecution anything to say before we close the court?" Judge Nelson inquired.
"Well, Your Honor, this seems ... that is, we ought to hear both sides of it. My old friend, Aus Maverick, was really a fine man; he did a lot of good for the people of his continent.
"Yeah, we'd of lynched him, when he got back, if somebody hadn't chopped him up here in New Austin!" a voice from the rear of the courtroom broke in.
The prosecution hemmed and hawed for a moment, and then announced, in a hasty mumble, that it rested.
"I will now close the court," Judge Nelson said. "I advise everybody to keep your seats. I don't think it's going to be closed very long."
And then, he actually closed the court; pressing a button on the bench, he raised a high black screen in front of him and his colleagues. It stayed up for some sixty seconds, and then dropped again.
"The Court of Political Justice has reached a verdict," he announced. "Wilbur Whately, and your attorney, approach and hear the verdict."
The defense lawyer motioned a young man who had been sitting beside him to rise. In the silence that had fallen, I could hear the defendant's boots squeaking as he went forward to hear his fate. The judge picked up a belt and a pair of pistols that had been lying in front of him.
"Wilbur Whately," he began, "this court is proud to announce that you have been unanimously acquitted of the charge of political irresponsibility, and of unjustified and excessive atrocity.
"There was one dissenting vote on acquitting you of the charge of political irresponsibility; one of the associate judges felt that the late unmitigated scoundrel, Austin Maverick, ought to have been skinned alive, an inch at a time. You are, however, acquitted of that charge, too.
"You all know," he continued, addressing the entire assemblage, "the reason for which this young hero cut down that monster of political iniquity, S. Austin Maverick. On the very morning of his justly-merited death, Austin Maverick, using the powers of his political influence, rammed through the Finance and Revenue Committee a bill entitled 'An Act
for the Taxing of Personal Incomes, and for the Levying of a Withholding Tax.' Fellow citizens, words fail me to express my horror of this diabolic proposition, this proposed instrument of tyrannical extortion, borrowed from the Dark Ages of the Twentieth Century! Why, if this young nobleman had not taken his blade in hand, I'd have killed the sonofabitch, myself!"
He leaned forward, extending the belt and holsters to the defendant.
"I therefore restore to you your weapons, taken from you when, in compliance with the law, you were formally arrested. Buckle them on, and, assuming your weapons again, go forth from this court a free man, Wilbur Whately. And take with you that machete with which you vindicated the liberties and rights of all New Texans. Bear it reverently to your
home, hang it among your lares and penates, cherish it, and dying, mention it within your will, bequeathing it as a rich legacy unto your issue! Court adjourned; next session 0900 tomorrow. For Chrissake, let's get out of here before the barbecue's over!"
"Why, the purpose of that court seems to be to acquit murderers."
"Murderers?" She was indignant. "That wasn't murder. He just killed a politician. All the court could do was determine whether or not the politician needed it, and while I never heard about Maverick's income-tax proposition, I can't see how they could have brought in any other kind of a verdict. Of all the outrageous things!"
Second law they had in the story: A person can only be tried once for any particular act. No double jeopardy from the state acquitting and then the feds trying the man again for the same acts.
Third law: Dueling legalised. A defense to prosecution is that the feller needed killing and it was a fair fight.
There's more, but those will do for a start.
No situation is ever so bad that the government can't make it worse.
MrKandiyohi
Posted: 1/3/2007 12:04:59 PM EST
I think old Teddy can drink his own body weight in Scotch.
Every provision suggested, every amendment proposed, every bill passed, the Congressman must make a public speech, televised or otherwise broadcast by the media, explaining why each point in the legislation is constitutionally appropriate, why it is worth spending money on, and why we should support it.
Suffering KLR withdrawal symptoms
MT, USA
[Last Edit: 1/3/2007 12:37:00 PM EST by Airwolf]
Originally Posted By Horseman:
"Why, if we had to do that we could not pass most of the laws we enact around here."
[Sen. John Glenn 1996-07-16, in opposition to a proposed law requiring all new laws to cite their explicit constitutional authorization]
I remember this being quoted before but I can't come up with any "official" type of confirmation on Google.
I agree with Horseman on this one. You have to quote the section of the Constitution that permits the law you're proposing. No cite, no bill. If you submit more than x number of bills with unsupported cites, you receive sanctions. Keep doing it and you're expelled from government office.
Fuck Mexico, fuck illegals, fuck South America, fuck the U.N., and fuck our traitorous politicians who won't enforce our own sovereignty.
In fact, fuck the fucking fuckers.
-Swindle1984
Kylaer_
I'm thinking making them sign a contract saying they will not serve more than two terms in any single government position, nor more than four terms in all government positions combined. None of this senator-for-life business like Byrd and Teddy Kennedy.
Two terms is the limit for Presidents, why not for other levels of government?
MC_Man
Help. Send money.
Add honesty to the list.
History teaches us that man learns nothing from history - Hegel
NonConformist
NonConformis-Politicus Incorrectus
Sign an oath to never violate the Constitution or be put to death if ArfCom decides you are in violation of such
There's a storm coming...
ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Towely
Posted: 1/3/2007 1:05:45 PM EST
Woot only 137lbs! I should run.
Originally Posted By MC_Man:
Oops. No more politicians.
The difference between genius and supidity is.... genius has its limits.
9/11 Never Forgive, NEVER Forget.
82ndAbn
[Last Edit: 1/3/2007 1:25:30 PM EST by 82ndAbn]
English must be the candidate's primary language.
The candidate must speak English fluently.
POOR_MAN
Snakes On The Internet
Originally Posted By DoubleFeed:
I second the motion!
Covert8645- ARFCOM runs the Internet, and if you run the Internet you run the world.
-Absolut-
JBT in Training
Be a Republican.
I'm trying this new fad called uh, jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild.
Originally Posted By -Absolut-:
Hey, if we're playing make believe then why not shoot for the stars, right?
Originally Posted By 82ndAbn:
IanK
NB, CAN
that lone star book sounds awesome.
new rules: no liberals
being able to punch people that make you mad.
MissFiend
Hoobajadooble Woman
Has an ass-kicking roundhouse kick ... for all the libtards of course ...
...Diamonds (and guns) are a girl's best friend...
Originally Posted By MrKandiyohi:
That's why we just need to find a way to revive him, he's well preserved
The world needs Teddy right about now.
Fatbert
[Last Edit: 1/3/2007 3:45:54 PM EST by Fatbert]
I think that he's talking about Jabba the Kennedy.
[Last Edit: 1/3/2007 3:50:24 PM EST by Hokie]
Originally Posted By Fatbert:
lol....oops. Major miscommunication. My apologies, I'm on a "What would Teddy Roosevelt do" kick.
Dirty minded pervert
Senators would receive, in addition to the existing medical benefits, transportation and housing allowances, an annual salary equal to, but no more than the average annual wage of a citizen of their state, for the duration of their terms - such a term to be no more than six consecutive years;
Congressional Representatives would receive, in addition to the existing medical benefits, transportation and housing allowances, an annual salary equal to, but no more than the average annual wage of a citizen of their congressional district, for the duration of their terms - such a term to be no more than four consecutive years.
OK - tried to sneak in a twofer...
Ammo at a gunfight is like bubblegum in grade school: If you haven't brought enough for everyone, you're in trouble - Kharn
"Sleep well, O bard of our times"
RIP Warren William Zevon 1947-2003
كافر


text:
{% extends "base.html" %}
{% block content %}
{% include "header.html" %}

 Are you sure you want to delete {{genre.name}}?

  <form action="#" method='post'>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default delete" id="submit" type="submit">	Delete</button>
  </form>

        <button class="btn btn-default delete"> Cancel</button>

{% endblock %}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Axiom Cloud Raises $2.5M from Momenta Ventures, Leadout Capital, Vela Partners, and Lorimer Ventures
OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Axiom Cloud, a company that develops software solutions to solve commercial refrigeration's biggest energy and maintenance problems, today announced that it has raised over $2.5M from Momenta Ventures, Leadout Capital, Vela Partners, Lorimer Ventures, and others. The funding will primarily be used to grow Axiom Cloud's team to make its offerings more scalable, while simultaneously fulfilling its backlog of orders from grocery chains and cold storage companies. The funding will also be used to develop new controller integrations, which will allow Axiom to provide its "apps for refrigeration" to an even broader set of customers.
"While solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries were the first wave of intelligent assets to be connected to the power grid, the next wave will be large energy consumers like refrigeration and HVAC equipment," said Lee Carter, Principal Partner of Momenta. "Digitizing existing refrigeration systems, which may account for up to 70% of a supermarket's total energy consumption, will provide a significant opportunity for building owners to lower energy costs and overhaul their maintenance workflows."
Axiom Cloud's three apps, Facilities Analyzer, Virtual Technician, and Virtual Battery, all address one or more of the largest problems plaguing the commercial refrigeration industry. These problems include rising energy costs, a shortage of qualified refrigeration technicians, refrigerant compliance requirements, and supply chain constraints that make emergency equipment replacements extremely challenging. Axiom Cloud believes these problems can be diminished with better utilization of the hundreds of data streams being generated by the average commercial refrigeration system.
"The commercial refrigeration industry is both massive and vastly underserved by great software innovation," said Steve Brownlie, General Partner at Leadout Capital. "The energy and maintenance costs for a large commercial refrigeration system can and often do exceed net profits for their operators. The team at Axiom Cloud has built a suite of solutions for the ecosystem, including cloud analytics and machine learning products that we believe will unlock incredible value from both an economic and a sustainability perspective for the industry."
Axiom Cloud currently provides its apps to several leading grocers, including Whole Foods and Grocery Outlet. With this funding, Axiom will be able to expand to more facilities for these customers and many others.
"As a relatively young company, deployment speed and the operational scalability have been challenges for us as more and more customers subscribe to our apps," said Amrit Robbins, CEO of Axiom Cloud. "We're looking forward to working with this great set of investors to learn from their experiences as we work to transform the refrigeration industry and move the needle on climate change."
In addition to reducing operational costs, Axiom's apps can significantly reduce a facilities' Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by transforming refrigeration systems into more flexible energy consumers and reducing the prevalence of HFC refrigerant leaks.
"We see Axiom Cloud as a precise fit to enable the much-needed digital transformation of grocery refrigeration, and their large number of successful deployments at customer sites strengthens our conviction," said Yigit Ihlamur, Co-founder and General Partner at Vela Partners. "Axiom Cloud is on a mission to make the world's cooling systems sustainable, and we are proud to be part of this journey."
About Axiom Cloud
Axiom Cloud's mission is to use software and automation to transform how the world's cooling systems are powered, operated, and maintained, in order to generate significant climate and financial impact. Axiom's team of refrigeration experts, data scientists, energy nerds, and software developers solves retail grocery's biggest energy and maintenance challenges by layering intelligence onto their existing refrigeration systems. https://axiomcloud.ai
Turner Anderson
SOURCE Axiom Cloud
ObservSMART Continues Rollout of Patient Safety Technology
ObservSMART, a patient safety compliance solution, announced today that AltaPointe Health in Mobile, Alabama, has recently started using its technology to ensure patient safety while reducing risk, errors, and costs. An easy-to-use observation tool,...
Transparency Technologies LLC Announces the 2022 Top 100 Most Transparent Companies in the World
Transparency Technologies LLC ("Transparency®"), a company with a mission to accelerate the world's adoption of transparency, today announced the top 100 transparent companies in the world, tracked by the Transparency Indextm. The Transparency...
MYCON General Contractors, Inc. Completes Construction of New Coordination Complex Center for Brazos Transit District
Dallas-based MYCON General Contractors, Inc. (MYCON) completed construction on The Marvin Tate Coordination Complex Center, Brazos Transit District's (BTD) new corporate headquarters located at 2117 Nuches Lane in Bryan, Texas. After writing six...
RVW Wealth Merges with Eva Barberi Financial Planning
RVW Wealth is pleased to announce that Eva Barberi Financial Planning has merged into RVW Wealth, LLC effective Jan. 1, 2022. Eva Barberi Financial Planning brings more than 15 years of experience working with women to build collaborative and...
OptionTrax Simplifies Shareholder Due Diligence and KYC Requirements
Jonathan Miller, CEO of Plan Management Corp., the developer and licensor of the OptionTrax® System used worldwide, released the following information today: OptionTrax has unveiled new functionality to simplify shareholder engagement and...
Zegna Group to Report Full Year 2021 Revenues on Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. ("Zegna Group" or "the Company") today announced that it will report its unaudited revenues for the full year 2021 on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, at approximately 6:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. CET). On the same day, at 8:30 a.m. ET...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A haunting new film Children of Men, based on the P.D. James novel, depicts a bleak future world without children. Reviewed by Damian Wyld.
No children. No future. No hope. This is the central message of the recently released film Children of Men, adapted from P.D. James's 1992 novel of the same name.
This film shows a world much like our own, with 2027 not boasting the usual futuristic staple of flying cars and the like. The only difference in the world portrayed from our own is the complete and utter absence of children.
"Baby Diego", a major celebrity by virtue of being the last human born, has just been accidentally killed at the age of 18. The public outpouring of grief in the opening scenes shows the depth of despair evident in a world splintering and dying.
Putting together the pieces, we learn that civil wars are commonplace, countries such as Kazakhstan have been nuked, several U.S. cities have been inexplicably wiped out, and Seattle has been suffering a siege for three years. "Only Britain", its government's propaganda says, "soldiers on".
Indeed it does, though the country is being swamped by "Foogies" (refugees), mainly elderly Europeans. Britain has become a police state, packed with detention camps and watched by a brutal paramilitary force, whose duty is to maintain order and seek out Foogies and "Fishes", a terrorist group bent on overthrowing the government.
Even among Britons, the sense of hopelessness is everywhere. Graffiti, such as "Last one to die, please turn off the light", couples well with TV adverts for an ominously named euthanasia drug called "Quietus" - "It's your life. It's your choice."
In this sad environment lives Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a nine-to-five, world-weary bachelor. He correctly points out that the human race has 50 years, then "it's all over".
Tempering his gloomy outlook are his discussions with friend Jasper (Sir Michael Caine), an ageing hippie with a fairly laid-back view of the situation. While the rest of the world falls apart, Jasper smokes dope and amuses himself with cynical jokes.
Theo's world is soon turned upside down when he is asked to smuggle a young Foogie to the coast. He later discovers that, miraculously, she is pregnant and he has been entrusted the task of getting her safely to "The Human Project". This semi-mythical group of the world's greatest scientists is working to save mankind from extinction.
It should be pointed out that this film is not for the faint-heated. Even if one overlooks the coarse language, blasphemy and regular violence, the film imparts to the viewer an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair.
This is no doubt accentuated because, unlike the dystopias of 1984 or Brave New World, the scenario presented by Children of Men is not only possible, but has already begun.
Birth rates in most of the developed world, including Australia, have long been below replacement level, populations being propped up by immigration programs. In all of Europe, only Ireland and Malta are above replacement level, while countries such as Japan have already begun to contract in size, ahead of projections.
Just for starters, who will be left to man the defence forces? What will happen to government revenue (and, hence, all services, pensions, government wages, etc.) when the taxable income starts to dry up? Will all the schools and universities simply close? Will property prices crash and investments become worthless? Will euthanasia be advocated as a public duty?
What Children of Men does is accelerate the process by which these issues come to a head. Killing off an entire generation brings on the breakdown of society in less than 18 years, as opposed to the 50–100 years if present trends continue.
Even the dire predictions made by American political commentator and former White House communications director under President Reagan, Patrick J. Buchanan, in his book The Death of the West (2001), pale in comparison beside the dark world of Children of Men.
This film is quite unsettling because it leaves the viewer wondering whether, in fact, such a situation could actually occur.
While factors could be suggested for declining birth-rates in the real world (e.g., the prevalence of abortion and contraception, economic pressures and the deferral of marriage and children until later in life), the film doesn't spoil the tension by revealing the reason. One of the few clues is given by Theo when he observes that "it all went wrong before the infertility thing happened".
The great value of this film lies in its ability to demonstrate vividly the horrible consequences of a world where the schools lie in ruins, the playgrounds all silent. Children are the future, offering both joy and hope to an otherwise old, and cold, world.
- Film reviewed for News Weekly by Damian Wyld.


Technology has already taken its important place in an individual's life and has been showing its beneficial contribution in the upliftment of the standards of living in a particular society. In short, we can state that we have entered a digital world where we are surrounded with the advancement of electronic media in our lives. From our daily life activities to our professional work, we are totally indulged in adding ease and comfort in our lives with technology. The best part of being a part of technology driven society is that it adds the smartness quotient in our lives. Yes, technology makes our moves smarter as compared to the traditional ways of carrying out the activities.
To make it more clear and vivid, we have ample of live examples that shows how intensively we are a part of digitization. Going ahead with technology, our society has been raising its living standards and is in a process of changing the outlook of people and the different associated process .One such example of switching to digital era is the introduction of E – Government. As the name suggests, it represents the electronic conversion of different official procedures of a running government.
Like a two side coin, the introduction of e- government has its own pros and cons. In this article, we will be throwing some light on many of the positive as well as negative impacts of e- government in the society.
To start with the domains of positive impacts, we can highlight the enhanced efficiency of the current system with the switching of the processes in electronic media. The efficiency could be justified with the cost effectiveness of the processes, transparencies of the operations and the high quantity of saving of the time of the government.
Earlier, the traditional ways of working in a government were surrounded with the lots of piles of papers for every operation. It requires the involvement of heavy manpower that makes the process complicated and costly. On the brighter side, if e- government is introduced, the paper work would be replaced with the electronic interference. It makes it possible to cut down the need of heavy employment and hence reducing the cost behind the operations. Moreover, electronic advances allow the process to be completed faster as compared to the traditional ways of working. Henceforth, it allows a great reduction between the huge time gaps for completing the task.
The other added asset of having e- government is the easy accessibility of the government to all. We all are well equipped with the extensions of electronic media in our hands. Be it the mobile or the laptop, we are always at an easy reach of electronic media. This easy accessibility makes it comfortable for a common man to get in touch with the e- government. It is yet another important perspective that outweighs the benefits of having e-government in our society.
The easy connectivity between the government and the common man will definitely be an added advantage that can serve the purpose of having a transparency of various processes of the government. It will also end up in reflecting the various associated and upcoming policies of the government to be in front of the people through the open medium.
As mentioned above, the presence of e- government has its own positive as well as negative influences on the society. We have already discussed the added advantages of e- government. Let's have a look on the opposite side of the coin also. If we talk about the negative effects associated with the introduction of e- government, we have a list of various considerations. The eye opening aspect is that with the e–government, there are chances of having inequality among the public. It can be justified with the fact that the reach to internet is though high in starts but what about those, who are not in touch with internet. A government is meant to be for all. Before implementing all the processes on electronic media, government should be sure about offering the open access to all.
The second constraint of having e- government is that it requires a heavy amount of financial contribution to convert the government processes into electronic medium. Moreover, no one is sure about the flawless accessibility to the various sites on the internet. Hence, all these important steps should be kept in mind before going ahead with the decision of e- government.
As a conclusion, the above discussion could be summed up by acknowledging the potentials as well as restraints of having e- government .


Sam Raimi's 10-episode television followup to the cult horror classic The Evil Dead has a trailer and it is 3 minutes of over the top gore and one-liners; everything you were hoping for. I was trying to figure out a way to work … Continue reading →View the whole post: Watch: 'Ash vs Evil Dead' Official Television Series Trailer is Bloody Perfection over on BOOOOOOOM!.
Can Fascination Reveal "Past" Experience?
Another chill video from Johnny Wilson, who has developed quite a following from his last couple offerings. Watch "Sure" below.View the whole post: Skate Video of the Day: "Sure" over on BOOOOOOOM!.
Ballpoint pen, marker, and colored pencil drawings by artist Edwin Ushiro. The show entitled "The Study of Life as Things" references Wailuku, the town he grew up in on the Hawaiian island of Maui. It opens at Giant Robot 2 on July … Continue reading →View the whole post: "The Study of Life as Things" Drawings by Artist Edwin Ushiro over on BOOOOOOOM!.


Procrastinating All-Nighters Are you cardinal of those spate that try to pull an solely-wickednesser the meritless before a prominent test or a major project is oerdue? Do you sit up each darkness gluing and pasting friendship into your brain or your note of hand of f atomic military issue 18 board? Do you sit up all night for wiz square(a) thing that you made into roundthing tall(prenominal)? why waste abruptly good sleep? thither are several solutions that you hold come forward do to avoid all-nighters. establish prudence in screen out derriere wangle a great(p) difference in experienceing what to theme for. If you listen and contract a bun in the oven attention in class, you coffin nail hear the nurture. Hearing it goat help you remember some instruction, not all of it. If you repulse laid something that you learned while audition in class that demos you one less thing to study for. You already know the information to it because you were listening. Write down all(prenominal)thing the instructor writes down. Take notes as she tells you to. If the teacher doesnt require you to happen upon notes, still take notes for your advantage. Notes go past you something to study over. It gives you all the information you need to study. Even if it dewy-eyed information write it down, scarce in case you inadequateness remember it later. Study over all your notes every night, not just the night before.


text:
ExposeFacts
Venezuela Intervention: Pretexts and Solutions
FRANCIS BOYLE,fboyle at illinois.edu
Secretary of State Pompeo has announced he is going to New York for a UN Security Council meeting Saturday regarding Venezuela. Boyle is professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He said today: "The U.S. government refusing to withdraw its officials from Venezuela may well set up a pretext for further intervention or blockade." Boyle's books include Foundations of World Order (Duke University Press).
ALEX MAIN, via Dan Beeton, beeton at cepr.net, @ceprdc
Director of international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Main was recently interviewed on FAIR's program "CounterSpin": "U.S. Administrations Have Been Intervening in Venezuela Since at Least the Early 2000s."
In a new segment with The Real News, "The U.S. Strategy for Regime Change in Venezuela," Main states: "The case of Cuba is sort of emblematic of how Latin American governments both on the right and the left have been very much opposed to the U.S. strategy of regime change in Cuba for a very long time. … Venezuela is not just an outlier in political terms in the region now, but is a country that represents a real threat to the right regionally, to the extent that if they recover economically, if oil prices go up again, it can become once again a regional powerhouse as it was under Chavez."
STEVE ELLNER, sellner74 at gmail.com, @sellner74
Ellner lives in Venezuela and is currently in the Washington, D.C. area. He is associate managing editor of Latin American Perspectives and is the editor of The Pink Tide Experiences: Breakthroughs and Shortcomings in Twenty-First Century Latin America. He appeared this morning on the program "Democracy Now!" He signed the statement: "An Open Letter to the United States: Stop Interfering in Venezuela's Internal Politics."
He said today: "Obama issued an executive order calling Venezuela a threat to U.S. national security and created a list of Venezuelan officials who were sanctioned. The Trump administration's escalation included financial sanctions against the Venezuelan government and measures against the nation's oil industry. In addition, top administration officials have played an openly activist role by traveling throughout the continent to promote the campaign to isolate Venezuela. …
"When Secretary of State Pompeo offered $20 million of 'humanitarian assistance' to the Venezuelan population. Many Venezuelans see this as humiliating and nothing short of a bribe designed to pressure the country into submission. …
"Never since the Cuban revolution, has the U.S. government played such an overtly activist role throughout the continent in favor of the isolation of a government that is not to its liking. In the process it has further polarized Venezuela and the continent as a whole. The moderates in the Venezuelan opposition, including two former presidential candidates of the two main traditional parties, Claudio Fermín and Eduardo Fernández, have favored electoral participation and recognition of the legitimacy of the Maduro government. Washington's actions pull the rug from under the moderates and strengthen the hands of the extremists in the opposition. …
"But just as there are moderates in the Venezuelan opposition who support dialogue, which the mainstream media have pretty much ignored, there are moderates in the international community who are also in favor of dialogue. These figures include Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Pope Francis, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, and the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights and ex-president of Chile Michelle Bachelet."
See IPA Twitter list on Venezuela for updates.
Rep. Ro Khanna tweeted: "Let me get this straight. The U.S. is sanctioning Venezuela for their lack of democracy but not Saudi Arabia? …" Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: "The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don't want other countries to choose our leaders — so we have to stop trying to choose theirs."
Rep. Ilhan Omar: "A U.S.-backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire issues they face. Trump's efforts to install a far right opposition will only incite violence and further destabilize the region. We must support Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican's efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue."
Search News Releases
Key term:
By Date Range:
Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Day 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Day 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Most Recent News Releases
MLK Today: Voting Rights, Racism, War, Poverty
National Progressive Groups' Unity Statement on Democratic Primary
Biden and War: "Lies all the Way Down"
Biden's Iraq War Lies: Off the Hook?
Completing the Circle? Biden Helped Bush with Iraq Invasion; Is Trump Resurrecting Biden's Iraq Partition Scheme?
War Powers Resolution "Riddled with Holes"
Killing of Soleimani: "Another Gulf of Tonkin Deception"?
Trump Fulfills Israel's Wishes
* Trump Lies on Iran * Biden Iraq War Lies
Was Soleimani Killed Because He Was Trying to Avert Conflict?
1714 Franklin Street #100-133
Oakland, CA 94612-3409
ipa[at]accuracy.org
Washington Office (journalist contact)
915 National Press Building


This is the nineteenth of the twenty-eight chapters of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. The previous chapter talked about the merit and virtue of rejoicing in accord with the Sutra. In this chapter we hear about a Dharma Master who explains and lectures on the Dharma Flower Sutra, who writes it out, receives and upholds it, reads or recites it aloud. The Merit and Virtue derived from these acts is greater than that of one who newly rejoices along in accord.
What is a Dharma Master? "Dharma" refers to the Buddhadharma. We take the Buddhadharma as our "Master." A Dharma Master takes the Buddhadharma as his guide. A Dharma Master also gives the Buddhadharma to living beings.
1. Dharma Masters Who Receive and Uphold the Sutras. They conduct themselves in accord with the meaning of the Sutras. They receive them with their minds and practice them with their bodies.
2. Dharma Masters Who Lecture the Sutras. They expound on the texts and speak the Buddhadharma.
3. Dharma Masters Who Read the Sutras.
4. Dharma Masters Who Recite the Sutras from Memory. They can do it without the text.
5. Dharma Masters Who Write Out the Sutras. After they write them out they may place them in a jeweled stupa, or print them and circulate them throughout the world. When the Sutras are placed in the stupa, people can come, bow and make offerings to them. The merit and virtue obtained by writing out the Sutras is inconceivable. If you can write out the Sutras and circulate them in the world, your merit and virtue will abide forever.
D2. Explaining the first kind of merit and virtue as an exhortation to propagation.
E1. General listing of merits.
At that time the Buddha told the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, Ever-Vigorous something more about merit and virtue. When he had finished chapter eighteen, he went on to chapter nineteen, which discusses the merit and virtue of a Dharma Master.
If a good man or a good woman, one who has taken the Five Precepts and practices the Ten Good Deeds, receives and upholds the Dharma Flower Sutra, whether reading it, reciting it from memory, explaining it to others, or writing it out, that person will obtain eight hundred meritorious virtues of the eyes.
Basically, each of the six sense organs has a potential of twelve hundred meritorious virtues. They divide into the three periods of time—past, present, and future—and the four directions of north, east, south and west. In the front there are three hundred meritorious virtues; in the back there are three hundred meritorious virtues; on the left there are three hundred meritorious virtues; and on the right there are three hundred meritorious virtues. That makes twelve hundred meritorious virtues.
Now why do we say that the eyes have only eight hundred meritorious virtues? Because our range of vision is limited. If we look straight ahead, we cannot see behind at the same time. While we are looking to our left, we cannot see what is to our right.
I do not believe that. You tell us that if one opens the Five Eyes, one can see in front and behind at the same time," you protest.
Yes, but that is a functioning of the Five Eyes. Here we are talking about our ordinary eyes, not the Five Eyes.
making only eight hundred meritorious virtues for the eye.
Twelve hundred meritorious virtues of the ears. Whether the sound is coming from above or below, right or left, the ears can still hear it. They can hear from any direction, and so they are perfect and unobstructed and are given twelve hundred meritorious virtues.
There are eight hundred meritorious virtues of the nose. The nose has 400 meritorious virtues when breathing in, and 400 meritorious virtues when breathing out, which gives it 800 meritorious virtues. But in between breathing in and out, the nose does not smell and so it is deficient by 400 meritorious virtues. The nose is not a "perfect organ."
There are twelve hundred meritorious virtues of the tongue. No matter what comes in contact with the tongue, the tongue can taste it. Therefore, the tongue has twelve hundred merits.
1. according, which refers to pleasurable contact.
2. opposing, which refers to unpleasurable contact.
Pleasurable touch carries 400 meritorious virtues, and unpleasurable touch carries 400 meritorious virtues. They add up to eight hundred meritorious virtues possessed by the body. Since touch does not take place when there is separation, the body id deficient by 400 meritorious virtues.
And there are twelve hundred meritorious virtues of the mind. We are talking about the sixth (mind) consciousness, not the eighth consciousness. The thoughts of the mind take place regardless of conditions, so it is very perfect and gets twelve hundred points.
The person who receives, upholds, reads, recites, writes out and explains the Dharma Flower Sutra derives six thousand meritorious virtues from the six sense organs.
By means of these meritorious virtues, he adorns his six faculties, causing them all to become pure. By means of these six thousand meritorious virtues, his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind become clear and pure.
His eyes shall be very clear and pure.
All of this he will completely see.
E2. Specific explanation of the merits and virtues.
This good man or good woman thus purifying the ordinary physical eyes which he or she was endowed with at birth, will see throughout the three thousand great thousand world system, inside and out, all the mountains, forests, rivers, and seas.
The flesh-eye sees obstacles and does not penetrate.
While the Buddha-eye blazes forth like a thousand suns.
"Mountains" can refer to our bodies. "Forests" can refer to the hairs on our bodies. Our blood veins are the "rivers," and our inner organs are the "seas." A person who gains six thousand meritorious virtues to adorn his sense organs can, with his flesh eyes, see the three thousand great thousand world system. Arhats who have attained the Fourth Fruition can see the three thousand great thousand world system. First Ground Bodhisattvas can see one hundred Buddhalands. Bodhisattvas on the Second Ground can see twice as many Buddhalands. Sages have varying ranges of vision.
This person can see below to the Avici hells. "Avici" is Sanskrit and means "unspaced." This hell is a place of uninterrupted punishment. The Earth Store Sutra lists the five reasons why the hell is called Avici—"unspaced". You can read about it in detail here.
This person can see above to the Peak of Existence--the Heaven of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception, which is the highest point in the three realms. Such a person will also see all the living beings therein, as well as their karmic causes and conditions, rewards and retributions, and places of birth. He will see what delusions they give rise to, what karma they create, and what retribution they must undergo. All of those he will see and know completely.
If, within the great assembly, one speaks this Dharma Flower Sutra, with a heart free of fear, listen to me tell of his merit and virtue: In this chapter concerning the merits and virtues of a Dharma Master, Shakyamuni Buddha talks about speaking Dharma in a large assembly. That is not particularly easy, because a great assembly has a kind of awesomeness about it. Unless you have a fearless heart, you will be frightened and unable to speak Dharma.
To be able to lecture on the Buddhadharma in front of a lot of people is no simple matter. But the person described here uses a heart that is free of fear because of the merit and virtue he has gained from listening to and lecturing on the Dharma Flower Sutra. If you are afraid, you would not be able to lecture on the Dharma properly. A Dharma Master like this, however, has no fear of the great assembly. He expounds on the Dharma Flower Sutra, explaining it so that everyone can understand it.
This person will gain eight hundred supreme meritorious virtues of the eyes. The eyes have only eight hundred meritorious virtues, because one's range of vision is limited. There are 250 meritorious virtues to the left, 250 meritorious virtues to the right, and 300 in front, making eight hundred in all. A Dharma Master who explains the Dharma Flower Sutra obtains these supreme and meritorious virtues of the eyes.
We all have eyes, but ordinary people's eyes have no merit and virtue. They just see things on the physical and material plane. But the merit and virtue of this person's eyes enable him to see throughout the three thousand great thousand world system--everything inside and outside. He does not need to gain the Heavenly Eye to see these things, either.
And because of this adornment, his eyes will be very clear and pure. The eyes he was born with will become clear and pure. With the eyes given him from birth, he will see throughout the three thousand great thousand world system. This is an inconceivable state. He will see the living beings both inside and out, as well as Mount Meru—"Meru" is a Sanskrit word which means "light"—Sumeru, and the Iron Ring Range. Sumeru means "wonderfully high." Mount Sumeru is at the center of the world, and the Iron Ring Mountains are just beyond the fragrant seas.
4. Shedding a Buddha's blood.
5. Breaking up the harmonious Sangha.
"Breaking up the harmonious Sangha" occurs when one goes into a Sangha dwelling where everyone is basically getting along very well, and proceeds to indulge in a lot of gossip and get everybody upset. "Shedding a Buddha's blood" also includes damaging or destroying Buddha images. If a Buddha is in the world and you injure him and shed his blood, you fall into the Avici hell. If a Buddha has entered Nirvana, the offense is the same if you break or damage a Buddha image.
If you fall into the Avici hell, and try to get out, you won't be able to. There is no way out. It is not known when you will ever escape. A Bodhisattva or a Buddha might emit light to shine on you and you will be able to get out. But such things happen only very rarely.
The " Peak of Existence" is the Heaven of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception--the highest place in the three realms. An astronomer cannot even think of a place like this, let alone get there. No matter how far advanced science gets, it is not going to get there! However, one who lectures on the Dharma Flower Sutra can see this place, the highest of the heavens.
And he will see all the living beings within—from the pits of hell to the highest of the heavens. All of this he will completely see. Although he has not yet gained the Heavenly Eye, his flesh eyes will have powers such as these. His ordinary physical eyes will have that much merit and virtue.
"Furthermore, Ever-Vigorous, if a good man or a good woman receives and upholds this Sutra, whether reading it, reciting it, explaining it to others, or writing it out, that person will obtain twelve hundred meritorious virtues of the ears.
With his pure ears he will hear throughout the three thousand great thousand world system, inside and out, below to the Avici hell and above to the Peak of Existence, all the various sounds and voices, such as sounds of elephants, horses, cows, and carriages; sounds of sobbing and sighing; sounds of conches, drums, gongs, and bells; sounds of laughter and talking; sounds of men, women, boys, and girls; sounds of Dharma and non-Dharma; sounds of suffering and joy; sounds of common people and sages; sounds of happiness and unhappiness; sounds of gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, and mahoragas; sounds of fire, water, wind; sounds of hell-beings, animals and hungry ghosts; sounds of Bhikshus and Bhikshunis; sounds of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas.
Furthermore, Ever-Vigorous, if a good man or a good woman who keeps the Five Precepts and cultivates the Ten Good Deeds, or a Bhikshu or Bhikshuni who has taken the Complete Precepts, or a Bodhisattva who has taken the Bodhisattva Precepts, or a Shramanera who has taken the Shramanera Precepts, receives in the mind and upholds with the body this Sutra, whether reading it, reciting it from memory, explaining it to others, or writing it out, that person will obtain twelve hundred meritorious virtues of the ears.
The ear is complete in its meritorious virtues because it can hear sounds from all directions. With his pure ears, that is, the ones he was born with, he will hear throughout the three thousand great thousand world system, inside and out, below to the Avici hell and above to the Peak of Existence, all the various sounds and voices, such as sounds of elephants, horses, and cows. Hearing your sound he will know if you were an elephant in your last life, or if you are going to be an elephant in your next life; whether you were a horse in your last life or whether you are going to be a horse in your next life. Simply by hearing your sound, he knows your former causes and latter effects.
He can know, "Oh, originally that person was an ox in his last life, and so now his sound still has that bovine touch to it." Or he can tell, "Oh, no, that person sounds like he is on his way to being an ox in his next life." He does not even have to see the person. He can just listen with his eyes closed to the sound of the voice and know what a person is going to be in the future. He can also pick out the various sounds in one single voice: "Oh that voice contains human sounds, and horse sounds, ox sounds, pigeon sounds--all kinds of sounds rolled into one!"
He will hear the sounds of carriages and sounds of sobbing and sighing. Some people's voices sound very whiny, as if they are going to cry. There is no resonance to them. Some people sound as if they are sighing and whimpering every time they say something. This Dharma Master will know why they sound so miserable, too. He will know that they sound so miserable because in the future they are due for such and such an accident. Perhaps, they are soon to die in an automobile accident. Or perhaps at present they have some problem they cannot solve.
He hears the sounds of conches, drums, gongs, and bells. He hears the sounds of laughter and talking, sounds of men, women, boys, and girls. "Oh, that is a man talking, but in the future he is going to be a woman." Or perhaps someone was a man in a former life and is now a woman. Everyone sounds different when talking. There are sounds of Dharma and non-Dharma. "They are just rapping confusedly. Do not listen!" There are sounds of suffering and happiness, sounds of common people and sages. Just by hearing your voice, he can know you are a common person who has not been certified to the fruit; or "Ah! That person is a sage." So you cannot fool this Dharma Master.
Sounds of happiness and unhappiness--all these he knows, and so the ears have twelve hundred merits.
He will hear the sounds of gods who inhabit the heavens of desire, form, and formless realms.
How does one get born in the heavens? By keeping the Five Precepts and cultivating the Ten Good Deeds, one will receive the blessings of the heavens. Just by hearing a person talk, the Dharma Master can tell, "Oh, that person is going to be born in the heavens in the future." Or he can tell, "That person came from heaven. It is a god who has become a human being."
He will hear the sounds of dragons. Hearing the sound, he is able to know what the dragon did in the past that caused him to fall into the body of a dragon. Or he can tell that a person is going to turn into a dragon in the future. He knows if one was a dragon in the past, is one now, or will be one in the future. Just hearing the sound, he can tell the former causes and latter effects.
He will hear the sounds of yakshas. Yakshas are "speedy" ghosts. There are earth-bound yakshas who can travel on the ground, and there are space-travelling yakshas that can fly. They travel very fast.
He will hear the sounds of gandharvas. He knows their past, present and future. Perhaps this was a person before, and now he has turned into a gandharva. Or maybe he is a person now, but will be a gandharva in the future. Hearing his sound, the Dharma Master will know his past causes and present effects, and his future effects, too.
"Gandharva" is also Sanskrit and means "incense inhaling spirits." They love to smell incense. The Jade Emperor has a certain kind of chandana incense, and when he lights some, the gandharvas all show up to make music in his court. They also dance.
This Dharma Master will also hear the sounds of asuras. "Asura" is also Sanskrit. It means "ugly." They are extremely ugly. They have the blessings of the gods but not the virtue of the gods. They are very feisty and love to fight. Just on hearing these sounds, the Dharma Master is able to know their past, present, and future retributions.
He will hear the sounds of garudas. The garudas are great golden-winged peng birds. They eat dragons in the same way that we eat noodles. Dragons are pretty large. They are one of the largest varieties in the class of worms. Birds all eat worms, you know. Small birds eat small worms, and big birds eat big worms. The wing-spread of this bird is 360 yojanas. With one flap of his wings, he can dry up the waters of the sea for a radius of 360 yojanas.
That leaves all the dragons exposed--perfect garuda meals! The garuda prefers the tender young dragons, and besides the older dragons tend to be better at concealing themselves. Seeing all their young being devoured, the older dragons decided it was time to start a "save the dragons" movement, but they could not think of what to do. They thought, "Shakyamuni Buddha is greatly compassionate. Let us go ask him to help us."
"Buddha," they said, "the golden-winged peng bird has been indiscriminately slaughtering our young for food. Our dragon-race is about to become extinct. Please be compassionate and save us."
Shakyamuni Buddha said, "Here, give each of the dragons one thread from my robe, and you will be okay."
The next time the garuda bird flapped the sea dry, there were no dragons to be seen. The sea was dried up, but all the bird could see was little threads. The garuda had a bit of spiritual powers himself. He knew that the Buddha must have helped the dragons. He went to the Buddha and said, "Shakyamuni Buddha, you are being very compassionate to the dragons, but you are not being compassionate towards the great golden-winged peng birds. If we do not eat dragons, we are going to starve. We eat a lot, and only dragons are big enough to provide us with sufficient nourishment. You are not being impartial and fair about this."
The Buddha said, "In my Dharma, we liberate life and stop killing. Eating dragons is a form a killing. You kill dragons now, and in your next life they kill you. Things just get worse and worse. You should quit eating dragons. You should be vegetarians. Do not eat meat anymore."
"Where am I going to get vegetables?" asked the bird. "After this," said the Buddha, "whenever my disciples eat lunch, they will make an offering of food to you, so you do not have to eat dragons anymore." And so the garuda and the Buddha signed that agreement. The dragons could live without fear of being eaten, and garudas did not starve to death. Even up to the present when we eat lunch we send out some food for the garudas. If you have opened the Five Eyes, when you send the food out you will see the great golden-winged peng birds come and eat it. Wherever they go, when Buddhist disciples eat lunch, they should send out a portion to the garudas.
Kinnaras are one of the eight-fold divisions. Translated from Sanskrit, "kinnara" means "doubtful spirit." They are also musicians in the Jade Emperor's court. When the gods have parties, they call in the kinnaras who make extremely fine music.
And mahoragas are big snakes, pythons, one of the eight-fold divisions. The Dharma Master who lectures the Dharma Flower Sutra can know all the sounds of the eight-fold divisions.
Sounds of fire, water, and wind. This means he knows the sounds of past, present, and future fires. He knows of the sounds of the three periods of time. He knows that a certain place was, is, or will be flooded. He can know the sounds of hurricanes of the past, present, and future. "Ah! A hurricane is approaching from ten thousand miles away." He knows why the wind is blowing and when it will blow in the future.
Sounds of hell-beings. Just on hearing a person's voice he can tell, "That person is going to fall into the hells," or "that person just came out from the hells." He can also hear the sounds of the hells at the present period of time.
Animals. Hearing a person's voice he can tell, "That person was an animal," or "That person will be an animal in the future." He can hear an animal's sound and know, "That one is going to continue being an animal."
1. Consider the amount of work involved in bringing the food to the table.
2. Reflect on whether or not your virtuous conduct is sufficient to entitle you to receive the offering.
3. Guard against mental transgressions, principally that of greed.
4. Regard the food as medicine to prevent the body from collapsing.
5. Take this food only in order to accomplish your work of the Way.
If you hold these Five Contemplations while you eat, you will digest your food very well. If you do not, then, as the saying goes, "If the three minds are not ended, it is hard to digest water." If you have not ended the thoughts of the past, present, and future, you will have a hard time digesting even an offering of a cup of water. On the other hand, "If the Five Contemplations are understood, you can digest gold." So when left-home people eat, they recite the Offering Mantra and then hold the Five Contemplations. They do not indulge in polluted thinking, but instead "respond to offerings," as they eat.
Sounds of Bhikshus. He knows who was a Bhikshu in a previous life, who is about to become a Bhikshu in the present life, and who will become a Bhikshu in the future life, just by hearing his voice.
one of the largest varieties Perhaps she was a Bhikshuni in the past and is not one now, or is one now and will be one in the future.
Sounds of Hearers. Hearers awaken to the Way when they hear the Four Noble Truths: suffering, origination, extinction, and the Way.
Pratyekabuddhas awaken through cultivation of the Twelve Causes and Conditions.
This Dharma Master knows who was a Bodhisattva in the past but is now an ordinary person, who will be a Bodhisattva in the future, and who is now a Bodhisattva.
And Buddhas. Hearing a voice he knows, "That is the Buddha sound."
In general, although he has not yet obtained the Heavenly Ear, by using the pure ordinary ears given to him at birth, he can hear and know whatever sounds there may be inside and outside the three thousand great thousand world system. In this way he distinguishes between all the various sounds, and still his hearing is not impaired. Even though he hears all these sounds, he is not turned, defiled, or influenced by the sounds. Because he is not attached to them, his faculty of hearing is not damaged. If he were to get attached to them, his hearing would be harmed.


An ice cream company banned from using an advert showing a pregnant nun has vowed to defy regulators by placing similar posters along the route of the Pope's London visit.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced today it had banned the ad for the Antonio Federici brand for "making a mockery" of the beliefs of Roman Catholics.
The advert, which appeared in The Lady and Grazia magazines earlier this year, showed the heavily pregnant nun standing in a church holding a tub of ice cream and a spoon, with text stating "Immaculately conceived" and "Ice cream is our religion".
Ten readers complained that the advert was offensive to Christians, particularly those who practised Catholicism.
A spokeswoman for Antonio Federici said the company intended to defy the ban by publishing another advert portraying "a continuation of the theme".
She said: "We intend to defy the ASA's ban and will publish another advert from the series before the Pope's visit later this week.
"We are in the process of securing a series of billboards close to and along the planned route of the Pope's cavalcade around Westminster Cathedral."
The ASA said its rulings "must be followed".
A spokesman said: "ASA rulings must be followed and we are taking steps to ensure Antonio Federici do so.
"We do not comment on the likely compliance of ads that have not yet appeared. However, we are continuing to conduct work behind the scenes, including with the advertiser, to ensure they comply with the rules."
Defending the banned ad, Antonio Federici said the idea of "conception" represented the development of their ice cream, and their use of religious imagery stemmed from their strong feelings towards their product.
The company said it also wished to "comment on and question, using satire and gentle humour, the relevance and hypocrisy of religion and the attitudes of the church to social issues".
The publishers of The Lady received eight complaints made directly to them and said that, in hindsight, it had been a "misjudgement" on their part to publish the ad.
The magazine told the ASA that it "regretted the offence that had been caused to readers", adding that it would not publish the ad or anything similar to it in future.
Grazia magazine said it considered that the advert was intended to be lighthearted and not mocking of any religious groups.
The ASA noted that advertising rules stated ads "should contain nothing that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence".
It said: "We considered the use of a nun pregnant through immaculate conception was likely to be seen as a distortion and mockery of the beliefs of Roman Catholics.
"We concluded that to use such an image in a lighthearted way to advertise ice cream was likely to cause serious offence to readers, particularly those who practised the Roman Catholic faith."
The number of complaints was relatively small, but the advert had been placed in only a small number of publications.
It ruled that the advert must not appear again in its current form.
The ASA banned another advert for Antonio Federici in July last year that showed a priest and a nun looking as though they were about to kiss.


Men's crimson shirt with stripes with an unusual collar.
Men's crimson shirt with stripes with an unusual collar on the buttons. Collar Button Down. The shirt makes your style individual. And this style adds unusual collar on the buttons and double-sided cuffs. The shirt can be worn by wrapping the cuffs on the wrist or by the elbow. The shirt is combined with jeans and trousers. Over the shirt can be worn Casual blazer or in a pattern. The color of the jacket under the shirt can be chosen in accordance with your wishes and mood, but that would be the same shade as on the shirt.
Great store, great range, great service. I like everything. Constantly buying only here. I advise you to look here.


Amsterdam is a perfect place to visit for the arts of the seventeenth century. The city center and its canals are an open-air museum of golden age-architecture. But there is one site especially you shouldn't miss. The Royal Palace on Dam Square might be the best example the Dutch glory of the past. And it houses some of Amsterdam's best-hidden art gems.
To achieve this, the city council turned to prominent architect Jacob van Campen. He designed the building and its sculpted decorations to form a universe on a small scale and a tribute to God's creation. He worked in the style of Dutch Classicism. It meant that Van Campen reinstalled the building principles of the Antiquity, with elements like building in a symmetrical fashion and adding classical decorations and pilasters. This explains why the front of the palace looks like a classical temple. Inside, the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans revived through the marble sculptures and paintings featuring classical scenes and figures.
Since the building was so large, it housed a number of functions in the seventeenth century. First of all the mayors and city councils, but also an exchange bank, insurance offices, even a court and several jail cells. Many people entered the building on a daily basis to settle their affairs. But while the seventeenth century was a golden one for the Netherlands, the eighteenth had a different theme. The Republic entered a crisis, with many people questioning and eventually opposing its leaders. When the French Revolution erupted in 1789, shock waves were felt throughout Europe. Amsterdam was no exception. In 1795 Dutch Governor William the Fifth fled from to England. French troops entered the country, proclaiming the Batavian Republic and effectively making the Netherlands French territory.
In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte made his brother Louis the first King of Holland. He needed a place to live. What building could be better suitable for the needs of a king than that grand, wonderful town hall of Amsterdam? He started living here, transforming it from a draughty, cold business place to a comfortable city palace. And the building has stayed royal ever since. Louis Bonaparte was sent off the Dutch throne by Napoleon in 1810, making it the imperial palace of the French Empire for a short amount of time. Napoleon and his wife even stayed here for a few weeks in 1811. When the son of Governor William V returned to the Netherlands in 1813 and became the first Dutch king (William I) in 1815, it was only logical he was offered the royal palace.
The Royal Palace was sold to the Dutch State in 1936. Ever since, carefully planned restorations have made the interior the hidden gem it is today. The Empire furniture has been restored. The patterns in the carpets are the same as those of Louis Bonaparte's. In other rooms, a seventeenth-century pattern decorates the walls and curtains. Paintings representing the Dutch Royal family were added to the interiors. Today, the Royal Palace serves as an official palace. The present Dutch King Willem-Alexander uses it for official events, like state visits and other official receptions. It is also the setting for the monarchy's most important moments such as royal weddings and the abdication and investiture of the head of state of the Netherlands. In between these events the palace is open to the audience for up to nine months a year. It is a unique opportunity to wander about in the only Dutch palace in official use that allows visitors. For a sneak preview of its marvelous interior, visit the excellent virtual tour online through their website.


It was a moody evening on the Loch Broom shore and I was trying to catch the dark atmosphere. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch with a name derived either from the yellow gorse flower that I found also in Italy or from Scottish Gaelic, loch of rain showers.
The rain wasn't a real shower but enough to drain any enthusiasm. Only a curious seal brought me a smile.
Suddenly, the pipe sounds filled the air.
Following the music, here is the story of a Scottish evening, full of singing and dancing, energetic or bored children.
I've found after a year that they are quite famous and talented, Ullapool & District Junior Pipe Band.


text:
After Checkmate: The Use and Limits of the Chess Analogy Regarding Syria
Ranjit Singh and CDR Youssef Aboul-Enein, USN
The Value of the Chess Metaphor
Many commentaries have shown that the temptation to view Syria as a regional chess match is strong. The chess metaphor is often invoked to analyze the potential benefits and risks of the decision towards US intervention, too.[i] Perhaps, then, we shouldn't be surprised that in May, the Russian leader of the World Chess Federation, Kirsan Ilyumizhinov, met with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, purportedly to discuss an end to the conflict.[ii]
That said, it is worth questioning the value of the chess metaphor itself, to the analysis of the Syrian situation more generally. This article contends that chess does indeed help us to understand the stakes involved in the Syrian conflict. However, it does not do so in the manner commonly assumed. Chess is a useful way to model conflict, but doing so requires an understanding beyond the simple dimensions of the game, and into the psychology, culture, and sociology of a game played over centuries.
Rules? What Rules?
Chess itself varies considerably by time and place in ways that can affect the metaphor's utility. Surveying the muddled, extremely fluid, and very data-poor "board" of the Syrian conflict, who can say who is a pawn, a rook, a bishop, or a knight? Indeed, who are the two queens, the game's most powerful actors? Are there even only two sides at play? Of course not; there are multiple players, and the queen may not be a person but a key city or stronghold, as we have seen with the pro-Assad forces retaking the strategic city of Qusair and attempting to recapture the city of Aleppo. For the Alawites, the port city of Latakia is key to their survival.
Psychologically, too, chess is played differently in the United States from Russia or the Middle East. For instance, historically the queen is known as the wazir or fers (minister or councilor), and before the evolution of modern western chess, this piece moved only one space and was not the powerful piece we know today. However, the minister psychologically supports the lesser pieces in addition to the king, it is not a co-partner in the sole defense of the king. In Syria, this means that Bashar al-Assad and his inner-circle rely on "ministers" that enable him to remain in power. These ministers may also be in Iran, and one would be Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. When anti-Assad forces detonated a bomb using a suicide bomber within a conference room packed with Assad's inner-circle taking out the head of intelligence, armed forces chief of staff, and several other key figures to include Assad's brother in law Asaf Shawkat, this was as if a pawn took out two knights in two moves, before sacrificing itself.
Whose Rules? If Any?
Furthermore, the rules of chess are not fixed across cultures. Some rules the authors have encountered playing chess in the region include a prohibition on castling, and granting victory when the only piece left to the opponent is the king. Another peculiar rule permits opening the game by moving two pawns two spaces, instead of our usual option of moving one pawn two spaces or two pawns one space each. It is not always easy to ask the chess opponent in an Arab coffee shop which rules they would like to follow, because basic rules are taught from childhood.
For the Syria analogy, as for all war, there are no real rule books. Even if there were, rules are often set aside in the heat of war, even more so in an insurgency. Yet Arabs typically view with favor the opponent who arrays the pieces on the board to maximum advantage by not focusing completely on the pieces and their intrinsic worth, but on space. This strategic emphasis may derive from the importation of proto-chess from India. The Arabic word for chess, shatranj, comes from the Sanskrit chaturanga, and the idea of dominating space and maneuver typifies an eastern view of the game. Playing chess in the Near East is more nearly like combining chess with the Asian game of Go. As in the latter game, Syria must be viewed in terms of terrain and dominance on a landscape, with border areas being a source of supply, and with the added complexity of air-space. Depriving Bashar al-Assad from access to spaces undermines his ability to resupply.
After Checkmate
Perhaps no aspect of the chess metaphor is more problematic than how the game ends. Ideally, the game of chess ends with "checkmate." Checkmate, from the Persian "shah mat," means "the Shah – or King – is dead." In the game, this occurs when the cornered King is done for and must resign. It has no other outlet and all options on the 64 square board have been exhausted.
In Syria, the obvious candidate for "King" is dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose father built the current regime, starting in 1970. Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, can be viewed as having rewritten the rule-book for the game, transforming Baathism into a mechanism by which the Alawite minority ascended to the pinnacle of power from among the minorities favored during the French Mandate (1920-1946). We may want to see Bashar al-Assad's departure as the logical conclusion of Syria's chess match. But, as students of the game know, and a peek into any chess manual reveals, one typically arrives at the "end game" stage only after most of the other pieces are eliminated. Let this be a sobering thought for any actors now contemplating direct intervention in Syria: rarely is the checkmate of the king accomplished in the early stages of the game.
Moreover, the fact that one wins the game by defeating the king tells us nothing about what happens afterwards. Chess simply doesn't go that far. For all its analytical rigor, after checkmate there simply aren't any post-conflict resentments, blowbacks, or bloody sectarian reprisals that demand more, possibly graver decisions be made – and may require more intervention.
Therefore, imagine the remaining pieces after checkmate carrying on the fight, wearing down the opponent on the 64 square board. Envision the squares of this board being influenced by other independent boards that represent neighboring states like Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Iran. Or picture an influx of pawns and rooks onto a square or squares of the board; i.e., non-state actors such as Lebanese Hizbullah, as well as Iraqi Sunni and Shiite factions filtering across the border. Victory in the game of chess is simple and conclusive. But the many concerns that will undoubtedly appear should al-Assad be checkmated are real, probably horrific, and absolutely crucial to the quality of current US decision making on Syria. What will happen to the Alawites, Christians, Kurds, and even Sunnis who supported the old regime, and is the US prepared to intervene on their behalf should violent sectarianism persist?
Finally, chess also incorporates the not-uncommon outcome of the draw, where neither side wins. The draw is manifested by Bashar al-Assad remaining in power on parts of the board, while the insurgency against him rages on. What do we do then? Or should the Russians equip him with advanced anti-air weaponry complicating attempts to enforce a no-fly zone, likely a topic of discussion in the G-20 Summit this month in Ireland.
It is the responsibility of decision makers and advisers, especially those who advocate direct intervention in the Syria conflict, to consider these questions as fully as possible. The US is morally obligated to assist refugees and lead efforts to find diplomatic solutions to the civil war. But, as we learned in Iraq and Afghanistan – and this may be the ultimate value of the chess metaphor – it is far easier to upset the board than later to rearrange the pieces to our liking. We also cannot play the game we wish to, but are driven by the reactions of the opponent, but in the international arena there are various degrees of opponents. Other players, like Russia and China, will manipulate the pieces, and – as in the case of the al-Assad regime's use of chemical weapons – will not play according to the rules we like.
The views expressed in this essay are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
Both authors thank CAPT Chandler Swallow, USN for his encouragement and edits that made this essay possible.
[i] Examples include http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-charles-g-cogan/syria-the-threelevel-ches_b_1261068.html; http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2013/03/31/syrias-multi-sided-chess-game/; http://www.realclearworld.com/2013/06/01/the_syrian_game_of_great_power_chess_148607.html; and http://world.time.com/2013/05/31/the-syrian-chess-board-behind-the-game-played-by-russia-israel-the-u-s-and-other-powers/.
[ii] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/world/middleeast/kirsan-n-ilyumzhinov-chess-leader-visits-assad-in-syria.html?_r=0.


Cool, I get to finish it off. So the wizard, he casts this spell that changes the way the prince looks, makes him look like somebody else, one of the guards maybe. That way the prince gets to sneak in, and the king won't know about it. The wizard goes to the king's room to tell him he couldn't find the prince, that he thinks the prince was killed by the wolves. The king is sitting alone on his throne, drinking some wine and eating a leg of lamb or some pheasant, and whatever else kings eat. The wizard tells his story, but the king ain't buying it. He knows what's really going down, and he knows some magic of his own. The wizard starts to do a spell, but the king shoots some electricity out of his fingers and fries the wizard right there on the spot. The king is going to go search the castle because, with the wizard dead, that means his spell will have worn off and the prince will look like himself again. But the king only gets two steps and falls down dead. See, the prince had snuck in the room and crushed up some of the poisoned berries in the king's wine. Then the prince uses the magic the wizard had taught him to bring the princess, the wizard, and Lionel back to life. They live happily ever after and rule the kingdom forever and ever. The end.
There, are we done? Was that good enough?
I was sure that would be good enough this time. It had everything -- excitement, romance, betrayal, a happy ending. Why wasn't that good enough?
Probably Rachel's fault. Her part was crap.
Shut up, Stan. If it's anyone's fault, it's yours, with all that unnecessary over-the-top violence.
Look guys, if we're going to get out of here, we're going to have to work as a team. All the parts of the story have to work if we want that door to open. Those are the rules. Let's just try again.


text:
Die UN-Generalversammlung hat die Jahre von 2005 bis 2015 zur Internationalen Aktionsdekade "Wasser – Quelle des Lebens" erklärt. Die Dekade begann am Weltwassertag, dem 22. März 2005. Ihr Ziel ist ein stärkerer Fokus auf wasserbezogene Fragen und die Durchführung entsprechender Programme und Projekte. Ein Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf der Einbeziehung von Frauen in diese Prozesse.

Von 2011 bis 2020 steht die internationale Aktionsdekade unter dem Motto "biologische Vielfalt".

Siehe auch
 Weltdekade
 Internationales Hydrologisches Programm

Einzelnachweise

Wasser Quelle Des Lebens
Gedenkjahr
Veranstaltung 2005
Wasser in der Kultur

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Smiths Detection has been chosen to supply its line of advanced security scanners at Terminal B and Moscow Cargo Complex at Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow, Russia.
The new facilities are part of the airport's plans to handle the increased passenger volumes expected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup; and one of the most important stages in a larger-scale development of the airport, which will continue through to 2026.
"In a relationship stretching back over 20 years, this is by far the largest single order we have fulfilled for Sheremetyevo Airport" explained Tony Tielen, vice-president EMEA, Smiths Detection. "We look forward to helping make the World Cup a safe and successful event and beyond that, safeguarding the airport, its passengers and staff".
Negotiated by Smiths Detection distributor, NEOSCAN Russia, this substantial contract includes a total of 91 advanced X-ray inspection systems delivering a broad array of screening functions, from passenger checkpoint and hold baggage through to cargo.
Seventeen HI-SCAN 100100T systems will screen larger, out of gauge items in the passenger terminal.
In the Cargo Complex, seven HI-SCAN 180180-2is pro models will take care of large-scale, consolidated and palletised goods, two HI-SCAN 100100V-2is scanners will handle break bulk and other cargo, and visitors will be checked using a further three HI-SCAN 6046si scanners.
Terminal B has been developed for domestic airlines and is expected to cater for the potential 20 million passengers predicted to pass through the airport in 2018.
The majority of equipment was installed by December.


Santé en français via the Université de Saint-Boniface, provides French courses to employees working in designated bilingual health and social services organizations and facilities recognized under a service agreement. The following information is reserved for persons responsible for implementing quality French language services in these organizations and facilities.
Be committed to actively participating in French language training in order to achieve the level required to provide an active offer of quality French services within a limited timeframe.
For information on eligibility requirements, how to apply and other details about this service, download the document below.
All courses are offered at Université de Saintt-Boniface.
Don't live or work near St. Boniface? You can also take the language training via videoconference from any Manitoba Telehealth site! Find the site nearest you by visiting the Locations section of the Manitoba Telehealth website (English only).
The next session begins January 7 2019. The registration deadline was November 26.
The following session will be in the spring.


Jade Goody plans to marry boyfriend Jack Tweed after being told that her cancer is terminal and she may only have weeks to live. The courageous star got engaged on Saturday (Valentine's Day) and has since been shopping for a wedding dress.
The couple, expected to wed later this week, have been offered Sir Elton John's £20 million mansion to hold the ceremony by the singer.
"I love Jack with all my heart and I want to be his wife more than anything in the world. And I will be. He's devastated but he's really trying to hold it together for me.
"But as soon as he found out I was going to die he just said, 'Right then we're getting married. You're a special woman, I love you and I would be honoured to call you my wife. And I don't care if it's just for a few weeks'."
Jade is expected to sell the pictures of her wedding to a magazine and put the money into a trust fund for her two young boys.
"I just screamed and cried and said, "Can't anyone do anything to help me!"
"I've lived in front of the cameras. And maybe I'll die in front of them.
"I know some people don't like what I'm doing but at this point I really don't care what other people think. Now, it's about what I want."


A grounds maintenance helper at a Texas school district was accused of repeated sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl, according to information released Wednesday by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. However, the alleged abuse appears to have gone on for several years, resulting in a second, more serious charge that may call into question the suspect's U.S. immigration residency status.
A South Texas teen was charged for allegedly smuggling five people into the United States, say law enforcement officials in Sullivan City.
A previously deported illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old was allegedly attempting to flee the United States to Mexico at the time of his apprehension Saturday, say police in Montgomery County, Texas.
An Ohio substitute teacher faces public indecency charges after he was caught allegedly masturbating in a middle school classroom in front of the students.
At the close of FY2018, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced it investigated 429 cases of inappropriate relationships between teachers and students during the 2017-18 academic year, a 42 percent increase from the 302 the agency launched in 2016-17. It also represented nearly a 250 percent uptick in cases since 2008-09, the first year TEA began tracking these incidents and reported 123 cases.


bring nonperishable items, and place them in the box in the foyer, you are helping our own neighbors who are in need.
You can find out more about Good Neighbors at the following link.
This delicious chocolate cake is a perfect summer treat and made without using eggs—perfect for vegans or those who don't eat eggs.
Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into ungreased square cake pan. Bake in 350° oven for 30-35 minutes. Frost or serve with ice cream!
*This recipe taken from An Apple A Day Cookbook.
The Happy Cow Food Store now carries Vibrant Life Vegetarian Bologna, Chicken, and Turkey Slices. These slices are a perfect replacement for your favorite discontinued Worthington Slices in subs, appetizers, wraps, and other favorite recipes. Try a taste of these new slices as appetizers at potluck July 4.
On Saturday July the 25th, Homer Trecartin and his wife Barbara will be guests at our church. He will be preaching for the 11:00 am worship service and again at 2:00 pm following a fellowship potluck meal.
Homer is an associate secretary of the General Conference and is the Director of Adventist Volunteer Services. Many years ago Homer was a student missionary in Brazil. Since then, he and his wife, Barbara, have lived in Kenya, Zambia, Lesotho, and most recently spent several years in Cyprus where they worked for the Middle East Union.
Their great longing is to see the gospel go to every man, woman, and child on earth so that Jesus can come. You will not want to miss his engaging presentations with stories of how the Gospel is being carried to the remotest parts of the world.
Theme: Are there groups of people that are beyond the reach of the gospel? Has probation already closed for some? Just how much sacrifice does Jesus expect of us anyway? A new twist on a familiar parable may place you in an uncomfortable situation – until you see the promise.
Theme: The Apostles Paul and John walked the streets of Turkish villages. Stories from their day and pictures and stories from today will show that God is still at work in that fascinating land. But they will also illustrate how much more we need to do.


text:
Q: Cannot search in all columns of differing types This looks like an old question but it's actually not. I couldn't find an answer on SO or elsewhere.
I have this table:
n (number) | s (varchar2)
-------------------------
200        | some string
201        | some other string

I can cast the number n to a string and select it without problems like so:
SELECT n FROM t;
SELECT TO_CHAR(n) FROM t;

But I need to search in all columns for a string value. What I've tried (and it works generally, meaning the DB is an 11g) is UNPIVOT:
SELECT * FROM t UNPIVOT (anywhere FOR col IN (...));

However, what does NOT work is mixing data types (numbers and character-based types such as varchar2). What I get is:

ORA-01790: expression must have same datatype as corresponding expression

That's ok, I understand this and the solution is obvious. Cast numbers to characters. But that doesn't work either. For the immediate solution:
SELECT * FROM t UNPIVOT (anywhere FOR col IN (s, TO_CHAR(n)));
                                                        ^

I get this unexpected error:

ORA-00917: missing comma

The problem here is that TO_CHAR is not interpreted as a function at all, it is thought to be a column name like s or n.
So, how can I use UNPIVOT with mixed data types or how can I cast all columns to varchar2 or how else can I solve this problem?

A: Try using:
SELECT *
  FROM (SELECT to_char(n) as n, s FROM t)
UNPIVOT (anywhere FOR col IN (...));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The R&A introduces a pop up accommodation village at The 146th Open.
For the first time ever, golf fans can now glamp at The Open, thanks to Caboose & Co.
Last year saw The R&A introduce The Open Camping Village providing up to 500 under 25-year old's and their families with free accommodation. This year The R&A is taking the service they provide for under-25's to the next level with a bigger and better accommodation offering. Once again, The R&A will provide pre-erected tents free of charge for purchasers of a youth ticket (16-24 year olds) but now the campsite has capacity for up to 1,000 per night. Adult golf fans can also stay and enjoy the fun atmosphere The Open Camping Village provides for only £40 per night.
The R&A has also commissioned a new glamping facility within the camping village, located at Southport's Victoria Park, with the introduction of the latest development in event accommodation – The Caboose. This July, Caboose & Co. will be unveiling 20 luxury en-suite bedrooms, conveniently located close to The 146th Open venue, Royal Birkdale, suitable for the more discerning golf fan and key event staff. Housed entirely within a 20ft shipping container, each Caboose provides the perfect retreat to relax after a day of golf watching.
The Open Camping Village offers a friendly family, festival vibe – it is where the true golf fan stays! There will be showers, toilets and a Clubhouse Tepee where the campers and glampers will find food, drink and entertainment each evening. It's convenient location in the idyllic Victoria Park, within walking distance of Royal Birkdale where the Championship will be played, makes it ideal for thousands attending the event from 16 – 23 July.
"We are delighted to be providing the glamping option at The Open this year. The R&A wants to attract the next generation of golf fans to the Championship and we are grateful they have put their trust in Caboose & Co. to help support this goal. As golf fans ourselves, we commend their proactive and innovative approach to delivering what will certainly be a new and amazing experience for fans of The Open", said Tom Critchley (Director – Caboose & Co).


We know, quality is, when the customer returns, not the goods.
We know that your success depends on our effort.
Therefore from the first moment on, we regard your success as our success.
We provide an all-in-one solution for our customers.
We are convinced that the realisation of these objectives is of high interest for our customers as well as suppliers. Therefore we provide you with excellent products and a first-class service.