text:
Disarmament Diplomacy
Issue No. 86, Autumn 2007
Building Blocks for a WMD Disarmament Regime in the Middle East
Merav Datan
The goal of a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has been repeatedly affirmed by all states in the region, as well as the international community at the highest political levels. Yet instead of movement towards this goal, the actual potential trend continues to be towards proliferation of WMD in the Middle East.
Israel's nuclear arsenal, calculated by sources originating outside of Israel to be some 70-200 nuclear weapons, is castigated in annual United Nations (UN) General Assembly and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolutions and provides a focus for dissent and criticism by various states parties to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which Israel has never joined. Iran, which has been an NPT party since 1970, is now the focus of international headlines because of concerns that its uranium enrichment programme could lay the foundation for development of nuclear weapons. Recently, several Arab countries have announced plans to explore and develop nuclear energy programmes for peaceful purposes, but many analysts outside the region and in Israel suspect that these announcements are linked to security concerns related to perceptions of nuclear proliferation in the region.
In addition, the Middle East remains the region with the greatest concentration of states that are not party to one or more of the international treaties dealing with WMD: the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the NPT, as well as the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).[1] The overwhelming majority of countries in the region have some form of WMD-related research, development or weaponization programme.[2] Moreover and more ominously, WMD, specifically chemical weapons, have in the past been used in the Middle East. [3] Having already crossed the WMD taboo threshold, and in light of deep-rooted political tensions and a frequent resort to the use of force, the potential for nuclear conflict in the Middle East is all too real.
Elsewhere in the world, nuclear weapon free zones (NWFZ) have been successfully negotiated and adopted, and additional such zones are still being pursued. But in the Middle East the goal of a NWFZ came to be linked with a WMD free zone (WMDFZ) in the NPT Review Process and relevant Security Council resolutions, for example. This is because of the de facto link that states in the region have made among WMD,[4] notwithstanding the significant difference in scale of mass destruction between nuclear weapons and biological or chemical weapons.
Rhetoric vs. Reality
The goal of a WMD free zone in the Middle East has been affirmed by the Security Council,[5] member states of the NPT,[6] and by Israel.[7] It has been a topic of discussion at countless conferences and seminars. But such rhetoric is far from the reality.
While acknowledging that this goal has been used as a "political football"[8] with each side holding the others responsible for the lack of meaningful progress towards the objective, it should also be assumed that each side sees this goal as consistent with its long-term security interests and that if any one of the sides indicates a willingness to relax its current entrenched position and explore practical steps towards achieving the goal, others will relax their current positions as well. If so, then a show of flexibility on the part of one or more sides would create a real political opening for exploration of steps towards a WMDFZ and would also serve to increase external political pressure on other sides.
The reality of WMD programmes in the Middle East and the number of states outside of WMD-related treaties pose an enormous challenge. The risks associated with these programmes are the main reason why the Middle East receives the most international attention as a region that needs to work towards a WMDFZ.
The current deadlock on progress towards the stated goal of a WMD free zone in the Middle East and the huge gap between rhetoric and reality reflect how key states in the region have vastly different, even incompatible starting points. These in turn reflect different perceptions of the tensions, as well as the causes and effects of conflict, in the region.
The Arab states' position is essentially that addressing security concerns in the region requires dealing with Israel's nuclear weapons first. This view, that Israel's nuclear capabilities are destabilizing and must be addressed as a precondition to peace and security in the region, is reflected in NPT review process documents and the annual General Assembly resolution "The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East" (sponsored by a number of Arab States), as well as annual requests for inclusion of an item on "Israeli Nuclear Capabilities and Threat" in the IAEA's General Conference agenda.
Israel's position is that peace and stability must prevail in the region before nuclear issues can be addressed: "the establishment of peaceful relations, reconciliation, mutual recognition and good neighbourliness, and complemented by conventional and non-conventional arms control measures"[9] is a precondition for achieving the vision of a WMDFZ or establishing a NWFZ in the Middle East.
These diametrically opposed starting positions are at the heart of the impasse, and were also the basis of the breakdown within the Arms Control and Regional Security (ACRS) working group that had been established in 1991-2 as part of the Middle East peace process. In order to reverse the current trend towards proliferation and to make concrete progress towards disarmament, the prevailing concerns of each of the relevant players must be addressed. Once the parties involved are confident that their security concerns can be addressed through the political process, negotiations on the concrete building blocks of a WMD disarmament regime can have some prospect of moving forward constructively.
Conditions for Progress
The only way to address and overcome these contradictory starting positions - nuclear weapons first vs. normalisation first - is to tackle them in parallel. As discussed by Rebecca Johnson in this issue, building the prerequisites for progress will require the leadership of the key countries in the region to change their perceptions of what is in their real security interests.[10] Here, I will focus on some disarmament building blocks that could be negotiated and agreed as the political changes necessary to break the deadlock are being constructed. In turn, the exploration of such building blocks could feed into the process of establishing the conditions for progress by illustrating the feasibility and value of a WMD disarmament regime in the Middle East.
At the same time, it is essential that the process of establishing the conditions for a disarmament regime address "soft security" issues such as development and human rights throughout the region and within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as these are a frequent and recurring source of insecurity and conflict. Addressing these issues would entail not only identifying mechanisms for the promotion of sustainable development and human rights, but also agreeing on a forum for the airing of past injustices along the lines of - but not necessarily following the form of - truth and reconciliation commissions.
Such a process will be necessary because of the important role that history and historical identity play in the current conflict and because of the enormous significance that all Middle Easterners ascribe to their intertwined histories. Recent attempts to address the present and the future have repeatedly broken down over disagreements regarding the past, including whose version of history is "right" and who was the cause of whose suffering. Without a mechanism for airing grievances about the past, attempts to establish a security dialogue and explore arms control and disarmament options are destined to fail (and have failed). As with truth and reconciliation commissions, the process of giving voice to past injustices, the opportunity to be heard, and the requirement that the other side listen are in reality a form of redress, and often more important than material redress or physical compensation (which might not always be feasible).
Assuming, therefore, that the need for parallel or prior fora for addressing human and historical as well as security concerns is recognized, and that these have facilitated in principle agreement to negotiate, the following analysis explores the building blocks of a WMD disarmament regime for the Middle East.
Even assuming a breakthrough in the current deadlock and a willingness to explore and negotiate the elements of a Middle East WMD disarmament regime, the process of political negotiation and implementation will need to be constantly checked against underlying security concerns and threat perceptions in order to prevent a breakdown, as has so often occurred in the past.
The trust required to place the WMD free zone on the agenda in the first place will likely be fragile and can be strengthened or broken depending on whether the developing process is able to reinforce and build on this trust or not. Therefore, the concrete and quantitatively measurable elements proposed here for pursuing a WMD disarmament regime must be part of an iterative process, supplemented by an ongoing qualitative assessment of the underlying security perspectives and concerns that would emerge from a truth and reconciliation type process. This assessment must constantly take into account each state's threat perceptions and seek to develop confidence and security building measures tailored to those specific perceptions.
In addition, energy security for the region is an essential underlying factor with a direct bearing on the feasibility of non-proliferation and disarmament efforts because of both the involvement of outside players (and their interest in regional energy sources) and the needs of the region itself, particularly the proliferation risks associated with any nuclear programme whether designated for peaceful purposes (energy) or not. Thus a WMD disarmament regime can only succeed if it accommodates energy needs and related security concerns.
Elements of a Middle East WMD Disarmament Regime
The initial elements of a WMD disarmament regime for the Middle East need to include the following:
Ratification of the CTBT by Egypt, Iran and Israel;
Consideration of a Middle East No First Use of WMD agreement as a step towards a WMD Free Zone;
Freezing and prohibiting "sensitive" nuclear fuel cycle activities; and
An informed public debate within each of the states of the region that has or is considering a nuclear programme, addressing the full range of implications, including national and regional security, environmental and health impact, and alternatives, particularly renewable, sustainable energy.
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
The significance of CTBT ratification by all states in the Middle East has been recognized by international authorities and identified as an interim measure in pursuit of a zone free of WMD. Of the 44 states whose signature and ratification are needed for entry into force of the CTBT, four are in the Middle East: Algeria, Egypt, Iran and Israel. Of these, all have signed the CTBT but to date only Algeria has ratified it. The other three have repeatedly expressed their support for the CTBT but continue to voice concerns about its value as a real security and disarmament measure and to link it with the policies and behaviour of other states in the region. As the Report of the International WMD Commission, chaired by Hans Blix, made clear in 2006, "Egypt, Iran and Israel should join the other states in the Middle East in ratifying the CTBT."[11] What, then are the reasons why these three states continue to hold out against ratifying the treaty?
In its statements in various international fora, such as the UN General Assembly and meetings of the NPT and CTBT, Egypt frequently links its ratification to the nuclear policies of Israel, making clear that it sees the CTBT in a regional context in which all aspects of non-proliferation must be addressed. At the 2005 Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, for example, Egypt reaffirmed this view: "[W]hile Egypt supports the principles and objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, we cannot regard the treaty as a secluded legal instrument apart from our common objectives to achieve nuclear disarmament and the universality of non-proliferation. Hence Egypt calls for the achievement of the universality of both the NPT and the CTBT together."[12]
This position was underlined by Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who, according to the Egyptian state news agency MENA, explicitly said "that Egyptian ratification of the treaty was linked to the extent of developments that may occur in regional and international circumstances, including the possibility that Israel may join the NPT."[13] Such concerns are consistent with Egypt's overall position on nuclear issues in the region and Israeli policy. The "all or nothing" approach implicit in this position - that Israel must join both the CTBT and the NPT before Egypt ratifies the CTBT - could be relaxed if Egypt is reassured that regional non-proliferation concerns and disarmament objectives are being pursued in a context that involves Israel and is geared towards disarmament. In this context, it is therefore important for Israel to take the first step of ratifying the CTBT.
Israel participates fully in CTBT activities, particularly in relation to verification of the treaty, and has constructed two auxiliary seismic stations as part of the International Monitoring System of the CTBT. On the matter of ratification, however, Israel continues to express reservations. As expressed in its statement to the 2007 CTBT Conference, for example, "Israel's ratification of the CTBT will be influenced by ... the readiness of the verification regime of the Treaty, especially that of the [on-site inspections] and its immunity to abuse; Israel's sovereign equality status in the Policy Making Organs of the Treaty, including those related to the geographical region of the Middle East and South Asia (MESA) and in the Executive Council of the future CTBTO, and the adherence to and compliance with the ???? by states in the Middle East."[14]
Israel's position as expressed here is consistent with its general security concerns and reflects its mistrust of other states. Concerns over the readiness of the verification regime suggest a belief that a completely foolproof verification system is a precondition for joining the treaty, a position that is impossible to satisfy and ignores the reality that even a less-than-perfect verification system can be a better guarantor of security than no verification system at all. The "sovereign equality" concern reflects Israel's strong interest, apparent in other fora as well, in being recognized and treated as a legitimate and equal state. In the context of the CTBT, this has practical implications, particularly for a country that actively contributes to and participates in the treaty's verification. Questions about compliance with the treaty again reflect Israel's mistrust of other states, specifically in the regional nuclear context.
Notwithstanding these concerns, the fact is that Israel has more to gain and risks little or nothing by ratifying the CTBT. Ratification could enhance Israel's security situation and standing as a responsible state worthy of "sovereign equality"; it would put pressure on Egypt and Iran to ratify the treaty, and would reassure its neighbours and the international community that Israel is willing to engage in multilateral nuclear disarmament.
Moreover, Israel's expressed concerns about the abuse of on-site inspection provisions ring hollow if one considers the requirements that trigger such inspections. Unless Israel actually plans to test nuclear weapons, it need not fear challenge inspections, which are a tool designed to address suspected violations of the treaty.
As the only country in the region and one of the very few in the world not party to the NPT, Israel is in a unique position with respect to the value of CTBT ratification and the message such a positive act would send to the region and the world. Given its unique and deliberately vague policy of "ambiguity" regarding its nuclear capability, Israel has more to gain than anyone by ratifying the CTBT. Ratification of the CTBT would signal a legally binding commitment to the goals of non-proliferation and disarmament, as expressed in the preamble of the Treaty. Unlike Israel, most other states have made such a commitment through NPT membership. Though important, Israel's active participation in the CTBT Organization and its verification system does not have the same symbolic and political value that CTBT ratification would have. In addition, ratifying the CTBT would lay to rest the widespread rumours that Israel has delayed ratifying the treaty because the Bush Administration, with its own reasons for opposing the CTBT, does not want it to do so. Sovereign equality, after all, presupposes sovereign independence.
If Israel were to ratify the CTBT it would become much harder for Egypt to resist ratification, and if Egypt were to follow suit, the pressure for Iran to ratify would intensify. Like the others, Iran expresses support for the CTBT and also participates in its activities, including the hosting of five monitoring stations. Iran implicitly justifies its non-ratification by pointing to the policies of the nuclear weapon states (especially the United States) and Israel, and saying that "states cannot decide in isolation".[15] Iran has also castigated what it calls the "selective approach" used in establishing the verification system.[16] Most recently, Iran listed as one of the negative developments that have jeopardized CTBT entry into force and elimination of nuclear weapons: "Acknowledgment of the possession of nuclear weapons by Israeli regime as a clear violation of the spirit and letter of the CTBT, which faced with the condemnation by a majority of the countries which are Non-Aligned Movement [sic], and regretfully, the silence of the western countries. This is again a clear example of the double standard policy by the West towards nuclear disarmament and non proliferation regime."[17]
For Iran, as for Israel, there is much to gain through the symbolic and political value of ratification. Iran needs to recognize the value of CTBT ratification as a way of demonstrating the peaceful intentions of its controversial nuclear programme. In addition, the policies of the United States and other nuclear weapon states could be more effectively challenged by non nuclear weapon states if these demonstrate their own commitment to disarmament measures such as the CTBT. Ratification of the CTBT sends a signal that the stated position of a country is reflected in its actual policies and actions. Non-ratification undermines the credibility of a stated policy of support for multilateral treaties and measures. Iran, as the focus of international suspicion surrounding its nuclear programme, could claim the moral high ground and counter some of the suspicions by ratifying the CTBT.
Middle East No-First-Use of WMD Agreement
The policy of "No First Use" (NFU) of nuclear weapons refers to the renunciation of any use of nuclear weapons by a state possessing such weapons except in response to the use of nuclear weapons by another state. Over the course of recent decades, NFU policies have been issued by some of the nuclear weapons states (although in some cases these were undermined by actual security policy), while others, including the NATO nuclear states, refused on grounds that NFU would undermine their postures of deterrence. Meanwhile, non-nuclear weapon states have persisted with their calls for the universal adoption of legally binding NFU commitments. Since in the Middle East, nuclear weapons have been linked de facto with the other two categories of WMD, a no-first-use of WMD in the Middle East could be a more feasible confidence and security building measure than the nuclear no first use proposal that has been a long-standing demand made of the other nuclear weapon possessors.[18]
A no-first-use of WMD agreement in the Middle East would be an important practical and substantive step towards WMD disarmament in the region. Given the high level of mistrust among regional players and the relative lack of commitment to WMD-related treaties, combined with the existence of WMD-related programmes, a formal NFU treaty may be unrealistic as a first step. Lack of progress towards any kind of multilateral, legally binding agreement on NFU in the international arena, despite persistent calls from the Movement of Nonaligned States (NAM) reinforces this conclusion. However, individual but parallel NFU commitments by states in the region could pave the way for a legally binding regional commitment, avoiding the problems that insisting on a formal agreement at the outset would undoubtedly provoke. The process of making unilateral but coordinated pledges (and later, if necessary, negotiating a treaty) would be a useful and important confidence and security building measure that would help to devalue all WMD in the region.
In order to assess the feasibility of achieving such NFU pledges within the Middle East, it is necessary to consider the positions of the relevant states. None of the Arab states currently has a nuclear weapons programme and all are members of the NPT, where their standing is not in question. For them, a nuclear NFU pledge would be a practical formality, which would be accomplished through confirmation of their non-nuclear weapon status and their commitment (as affirmed in the NPT) not to acquire nuclear weapons.
With respect to biological weapons, the BWC prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition or retention of these weapons. It does not explicitly prohibit their use (and therefore first use) but "there is no doubt among the [states parties] that any use of biological or toxin weapons in armed conflict or for hostile purposes would be a breach of the convention".[19] The Arab states that are not party to the BWC are Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt (signed but not ratified), Mauritania, Somalia (signed but not ratified), Syria (signed but not ratified), and the United Arab Emirates (signed but not ratified).
According to international law, states that have signed but not yet ratified a treaty are legally prohibited from taking action that would violate the affirmative provisions of the treaty. Thus states that have signed but not yet ratified the BWC would be legally prohibited from using biological weapons according to the prevailing interpretations of both the treaty and of international law. A no-first-use pledge would be consistent with their current legal obligations even if they have not ratified the BWC. Those Arab states that have neither signed nor ratified the BWC do not actually have biological weapons programmes and are not directly involved in the WMD tensions in the Middle East. They could probably be persuaded to join no-first-use pledges by their fellow Arab League members if the states that play a leading role with respect to WMD issues decide to do so and emphasize the political and symbolic importance of these pledges for regional objectives and security.
The CWC explicitly prohibits any use of chemical weapons. The Arab states not party to this treaty are Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, and Syria. These states - and the Arab League as a group - are on the record as linking refusal to join the CWC with Israel's refusal to join the NPT.[20] Egypt has explicitly stated that it would not sign the CWC "because a country in the region has a nuclear programme that is not subject to international guarantees and this country rejects the international efforts to make the Middle East a nuclear free region."[21]
Iran is party to the NPT, the BWC and the CWC and has argued before the International Court of Justice that the existing body of international law indicates a prohibition on the use of nuclear weapons[22] and, more generally, that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is illegal.[23] Its legal commitments are already consistent with a no-first- use pledge. It appears therefore that any reservations Iran would have to such regional pledges covering all WMD would be linked with the CWC reservations of several Arab states and the nuclear policy of Israel, which are inter-related.
Taken at face value, Israel's stated position that it "will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East" is essentially a no-first-use policy. Israel is not party to either the BWC or the CWC, although it has signed the latter. If all states in the region were to make no first use pledges relating to all WMD in parallel, their arguments and counter-arguments regarding one another's WMD capabilities would be cast in a different light.
Even without a strategic and security environment that would allow all the parties to negotiate and verify a collective agreement, no-first-use pledges would have political value as confidence and security building measures. They would raise the threshold of potential WMD use and provide an important political deterrent against any state using such weapons or maintaining policies based on potential WMD use. If the political environment were to improve in conjunction with such pledges as well as prior or parallel security and disarmament oriented efforts discussed here and elsewhere, a collective legally binding commitment could be considered and negotiated.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Activities
The main sources of proliferation concerns in the Middle East are nuclear materials and technology and the suspicions they generate. Recommendation 12 of the WMD Commission identified the importance of addressing nuclear fuel cycle activities in the context of pursuit of a WMD free zone in the Middle East: "All states should support continued efforts to establish a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East as a part of the overall peace process. Steps can be taken even now. As a confidence-building measure, all states in the region, including Iran and Israel, should for a prolonged period of time commit themselves to a verified arrangement not to have any enrichment, reprocessing or other sensitive fuel-cycle activities on their territories."[24]
Such a commitment would need to be coupled with reliable assurances about fuel-cycle services required for peaceful nuclear activities.[25] Nuclear technology was originally developed for weapons purposes, making nuclear programmes of any sort inherently capable of being diverted to weapons purposes and therefore capable of rousing proliferation concerns. The case of Iran illustrates this point, and the reactions to Egypt's announcement in September 2006 regarding the revival of its nuclear energy further support it.[26] Several Arab countries later announced their intention to pursue nuclear energy, including Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Some of these states have turned to the IAEA for assistance in developing their nuclear energy programmes.
Their stated interest is for peaceful purposes, but observers challenge this claim: "The Middle Eastern states say they only want atomic power. Some probably do. But US government and private analysts say they believe that the rush of activity is also intended to counter the threat of a nuclear Iran. By nature, the underlying technologies of nuclear power can make electricity or, with more effort, warheads, as nations have demonstrated over the decades by turning ostensibly civilian programmes into sources of bomb fuel. The uneasy neighbours of Iran, analysts say, may be positioning themselves to do the same."[27]
Although many analysts link the Arab states' recent interest in nuclear programmes more to Iran's nuclear capability than Israel's, the frequent references to Israel's nuclear policy and capability in a range of international fora cannot be ignored.
The military potential inherent in all nuclear programmes must be addressed, and the key to allaying such suspicions lies in addressing the concerns over nuclear materials and technology. Discussions leading to a Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) are a step in the right direction but they do not go far enough because the current proposals would not address existing stocks or the capability to produce weapons-usable material in the future. For this reason, Greenpeace has recently proposed a model Comprehensive Fissile Materials Treaty (CFMT), which it is circulating among members of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.[28]
The proposed CFMT would prohibit the separation or processing of weapons-usable plutonium as well as the production or processing of highly enriched uranium, and would therefore go farther towards addressing proliferation concerns than any of the official proposals currently circulating. Pursuing this more comprehensive approach internationally could cut across the current deadlock on WMDFZ negotiations in the Middle East, since in principle each state in the region could independently engage with this proposal. This kind of comprehensive approach to fissile materials recognizes that achieving a secure, sustainable zone free of WMD in the Middle East will depend on developing better energy options and renewable energy sources, thereby contributing to the vision of a Nuclear Free Middle East.
Energy and Security
National security concerns, including threat perceptions, and domestic energy needs are important drivers underlying the nuclear and WMD policies of Middle Eastern states. There needs to be a deeper understanding of how external energy and security interests affect the Middle East and fuel instability and conflict. This will require an informed debate at the domestic level on how best to address energy needs and options, including renewable energy. In particular, demonstrating the attractiveness and feasibility of energy alternatives would relieve some of the pressure on states to pursue nuclear programmes. Exploring such alternatives may need to be independent of WMDFZ initiatives, but if pursued in parallel it could help pave the way for progress on negotiations.
Besides the specific measures suggested above, it will also be necessary to consider the seemingly entrenched starting points of each of the representative positions characterized by the positions of the Arab states, Iran, and Israel. In each case, internal or domestic factors are inseparable from the national security and foreign policy positions that dictate stated positions in global fora such as the NPT and the IAEA. Threats may or may not originate outside of the states involved, but the perceptions of regional threats are a direct contributing factor - probably the key factor - in each of the representative positions considered here.
How these threat perceptions translate into foreign and security policy is highly subjective and the factors and processes of policy determination are inevitably internal, with high levels of secrecy. There is no "one size fits all" solution to national security concerns, particularly not in the Middle East, which does not offer a level playing field from any political perspective. Therefore one of the conditions for a WMDFZ in the Middle East is a domestic shift, at least within the key states. However it happens (and outsiders might never fully know), some kind of shift is necessary to foster greater openness and flexibility and influence threat perceptions at both the public and decision-making levels. The actual process for bringing about the policy (and perceptual) shifts will of course depend also on political culture and how democratic national security decision-making processes are.
What this means for international and regional efforts to promote a WMDFZ is that the most persuasive arguments and relevant information might differ in the case of each representative position. Within Israel, for example, there is a great deal of attention given to regional nuclear issues but little or no attention to disarmament as a solution or even as a conceptual approach that could reduce regional tensions. In fact there is no word in Hebrew for "disarmament" as such. Rather the term used is closer to "dismantlement", indicating a focus on the physical aspects of the weapons rather than a shift in policy relating to their value or use. The argument that disarmament is a relevant and practical approach to regional security has yet to be seriously entertained in Israel. Domestically, Israel appears almost immune to the enormous amount of international attention given to the issue of a WMD free zone in the Middle East, and many citizens would probably be surprised to learn that this goal is consistent with Israel's official position.
A shift in domestic dialogues surrounding energy needs and options is also essential. The belief of many states in the region that nuclear energy is a sustainable and viable way to meet domestic energy needs is only possible because of ignorance surrounding the realities of nuclear power generation. These include environmental and health[29] as well as economic factors. The true costs of nuclear power are often masked by subsidies and hidden expenses.[30]
Renewable energy alternatives such as solar or wind have not been given anywhere near the attention that nuclear and fossil fuel energy sources have received, globally or in the Middle East. Nor have they received anything like the level of subsidies or investment in research and development routinely pumped into nuclear energy. This is unfortunate given the strong potential for renewable energy - particularly solar and wind technologies - to meet energy needs in the Middle East. From an environmental and economic point of view, renewable energy sources are an option well worth exploring, and from a non-proliferation point of view they would make a decidedly positive contribution to security in the region. Greenpeace and others have already provided research into a renewable energy scenario for the Middle East that could serve to inform domestic dialogues.[31]
The current deadlock over a zone free of WMD in the Middle East is the result of a 'chicken and egg' circularity of logic, in which each side considers action by other(s) as a necessary precondition for making concessions itself. It can be overcome by addressing the core issues in parallel and ensuring that underlying security concerns and threat perceptions are continuously assessed and addressed.
Before the practical building blocks for a disarmament regime can be negotiated, it will be necessary for the states in the region to make far greater progress towards addressing the past, present and future concerns that create and fuel the tensions that lead to the use of armed force and the pursuit of security policies based on possession of weapons of mass destruction (or the potential to develop and use them). Because the mistrust that fuels tension and often sparks conflict in the Middle East is rooted in the past, any attempt to promote security, arms control and disarmament initiatives will only succeed if there is a prior or parallel process for addressing matters of human rights, justice, and history.
A "soft security" process that addresses past grievances is not only an essential pressure valve for the expression of human concerns that would otherwise interfere with diplomatic security negotiations. It can also feed directly into the confidence-building process that is essential for meaningful disarmament. Once such a process has been developed and implemented, the elements of a WMD disarmament regime, including but not limited to those explored above, will be seen as more realistic and feasible.
[1] Building a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East: Global Non-Proliferation Regimes and Regional Experiences, UNIDIR/2004/24, pp. 25, 29. See also Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East (updated September 29, 2006) http://cns.miis.edu/research/wmdme/index.htm
[2] Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute, Weapons of Mass Destruction Capabilities in the Middle East, http://cns.miis.edu/research/wmdme/capable.htm
[3] Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Reported Use of Chemical Weapons, Ballistic Missiles, and Cruise Missiles in the Middle East, http://cns.miis.edu/research/wmdme/timeline.htm
[4] Alan Dowty, "Making 'No First Use' Work: Bring All WMD Inside the Tent," The Non-proliferation Review 8 (Spring 2001): 79-85.
[5] Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3,1991).
[6] NPT 1995 Resolution on the Middle East.
[7] State of Israel, Explanation of Vote on the Establishment of a NWFZ in the Middle East, UN General Assembly First Committee, October 9, 2007. This is the most recent statement of Israel's position: "Israel remains committed to a vision of the Middle East developing into a zone free of Chemical, Biological and Nuclear weapons as well as ballistic missiles. Yet we are also realistic enough to know that in the current realities of the Middle East, this noble vision is not going to materialize any time soon.." Available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com07/EOV/L1israel.pdf
[8] Rebecca Johnson, "Rethinking Security Interests for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East", Disarmament Diplomacy 86 (this issue), Autumn 2007.
[9] Israel, Explanation of Vote on the Establishment of a NWFZ in the Middle East, UN General Assembly First Committee, October 9 2007, above.
[10] Rebecca Johnson, "Rethinking Security Interests for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East", op. cit.
[11] Recommendation 12, Weapons of Terror: Freeing the World of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Arms, Report of the WMD Commission, 2006, p 81. www.wmdcommission.org
[12] Statement by Egypt at the Fourth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, New York, September 23, 2005
[13] "Egypt links ratifying CTBT to Israel's nuclear stance", Pakistan Daily Times Sunday, 28 August 2005, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_28-8-2005_pg4_7
[14] Statement by Israel at the Fifth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Vienna, September 18, 2007
[15] Statement by Iran at the Second Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, New York, 11 November 2001.
[16] Statement by Iran at the Third Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Vienna, 3 September 2003.
[17] Statement by Iran at the Fifth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Vienna, September 18, 2007.
[18] This proposal and the analysis that follow build on the presentation of Eitan Barak, "Regional No First Use Treaty: First Step in the Right Direction?" at the seminar "Nuclear Future in the Middle East? Options for De-escalation" hosted by Greenpeace, Tel Aviv, Israel, 15 February 2007, and on a forthcoming paper by Eitan Barak and Merav Datan on this topic.
[19] Jez Littlewood, "Strengthening the Role of the BTWC and CWC" in Building a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East: Global Non-Proliferation Regimes and Regional Experiences (United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and League of Arab States, Geneva 2004) p. 26.
[20] "Arab League Reiterates Rejection of Chemical Arms Ban Treaty," The Xinhua General Overseas News Service, March 8, 1993, cited in Nuclear Threat Initiative, http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Israel/Chemical/3664.html
[21] "Egypt: Diplomatic Source Says Egypt Not to Sign Chemical Weapons Treaty" Middle East News Agency, 15 August 1996, cited in Alan Dowty, "Making 'No First Use' Work: Bring All WMD Inside the Tent" The Nonproliferation Review, Spring 2001
[22] Written Statement of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the International Court of Justice, Advisory Opinion on the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, 19 June 1995, http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/95/8678.pdf
[23] Oral Statement of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the International Court of Justice, Verbatim Record in the case Legality of the Use by a State of Nuclear Weapons in Armed Conflict and Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, 6 November 1995, http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/95/5933.pdf
[24] Recommendation 12, Weapons of Terror: Freeing the World of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Arms, Report of the WMD Commission, 2006, www.wmdcommission.org
[25] Weapons of Terror: Freeing the World of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Arms, op. cit.
[26] See "Egypt goes nuclear amid regional tensions" International Relations and Security Network http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=16724
[27] William J. Broad and David E. Sanger, "Fearing Iran, Arab states seek nuclear power" International Herald Tribune, April 15, 2007, http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/15/news/nuke.php
[28] Comprehensive Fissile Materials Treaty, 21 February 2006 http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/
comprehensive-fissile-material
[29] An Overview of Nuclear Facilities in Iran, Israel and Turkey, Greenpeace, 2007, http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/
nuclear-facilities-iran-israel-turkey
[30] The Economics of Nuclear Power, Greenpeace, 2007, http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/
the-economics-of-nuclear-power
[31] Energy [R]evolution - A pathway to a sustainable clean energy future for the Middle East, Greenpeace 2007, http://www.greenpeace.org/mediterranean/reports/energy-r-evolution-a-pathwa. See also Egypt and the Great Energy Debate, Greenpeace, 2007, http://www.greenpeace.org/mediterranean/reports/egypt-and-the-great-energy-deb
Merav Datan is the Middle East Political Advisor for Greenpeace International and is currently based in Tel Aviv. She is an international lawyer and a former adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School. She has previously worked for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy, and as a consultant to the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs. Portions of this paper appeared in the Greenpeace Briefing "Conditions for a Nuclear Free Middle East" distributed at the International Seminar on "Steps towards a Middle East Nuclear Free Zone", co-hosted by the Institute for Peace Studies and Greenpeace International, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, March 21, 2007.
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A plain, flat concrete surface provides nothing more than a dull, untextured gray appearance that does anything but excite the senses. To spice up the walls of your concrete building, add texture with an application of stucco. Stuccoing a building involves spreading a thin layer of new concrete over the surface that you can then rough up to create a textured, personalized finish. You can make the final stucco surface as rough as you like, as long as you correctly apply the stucco.
Clean the concrete wall with a power washer to blast away dirt, mud, old paint and all surface contaminants. The concrete must be completely clean before it can accept a new stucco finish, or the imperfections will show through the stucco.
Inspect the wall surface to make sure it is completely firm and structurally sound. Do not apply new stucco if you are not sure the wall can handle the added weight. If you find any holes or cracks larger than 1/8-inch across, fill them in with concrete patch or epoxy. Allow all repair work to dry before continuing.
Cut 3/8-inch-thick wooden pieces to fit across the wall horizontally. Attach one of these pieces to the very top of the wall and one to the very bottom, using masonry nails or screws. These pieces will help ensure you get a flat, level application of stucco. If your wall is taller than 8 to 10 feet, install a wooden piece across the center as well to keep better track of your level.
Mist the surface of the wall with a hose to dampen, but not soak, the wall. The concrete should be damp but not dripping for optimal stucco application.
Put on construction gloves and goggles, as well as long sleeves, to protect yourself from the caustic cement. Pour 1 cubic foot of sand, one-third of a bag of cement and one-third of a bag of lime into a wheelbarrow. Add water and mix the contents until the cement mixture is the consistency of pudding. Add the water gradually so you can stop before the mixture becomes too runny.
Load your cement mixture onto a mason's hawk. Cut some of the mixture off, using a mason's trowel. Working from the bottom of the wall up, hold the trowel at a 45-degree angle to the wall and spread the stucco mixture onto the wall. Spread it in quick, sweeping motions until the area is filled to the top of the wooden screeds you installed early; this will give you a 3/8-inch-thick base layer of stucco. Try not to fuss with the stucco once it's on the wall; you will level it later. Continue to trowel until you have filled in the entire area between the wooden pieces.
Set a long, flat, straight piece of wood or metal vertically against the wall at one end. Walk across the area, dragging the straightedge across the wooden screed pieces to flatten any bumps in the stucco base coat. Walk back to your starting point as well to create a fully level surface.
Inspect the stucco. Use the trowel to fill in any gaps you created with the level and then repeat the process until the base coat is completely flat. When everything is flat, detach the wooden pieces from the wall. Use the trowel to fill in the gaps left by the wooden pieces, scraping with the side of the trowel to keep the new stucco flat with the old. Once the entire base coat is applied, allow the stucco to dry until the shine on the surface is gone but the stucco is still relatively malleable; the time this takes varies by climate.
Gently run a wooden or foam mason's float across the stucco surface in small circles or swirls. Working the stucco again after it has started to dry will reduce cracks and shrinking as the base coat of stucco cures. Allow the base coat to dry overnight before you continue.
Mix up another batch of stucco. You do not have to worry about screeds this time, as the final coat is only 1/8- to ¼-inch thick. Trowel the material onto the surface, using the same methods as before, working in a thin, even layer, until the base coat is completely covered by the top coat.
Roughen up the top coat of stucco with a stiff-bristle paintbrush. Work in swirls, lines or circles as you choose to create a rough finish to the stucco that matches your desired texture. Once you have the desired roughness, allow the material to dry undisturbed overnight.
In general, 1 cubic foot of stucco covers 17 square feet of wall space for the thinned-out base coat. The stucco manufacturer will print on the bag the expected coverage rate for nonthinned stucco.
For large areas or multiple walls, consider purchasing a cement mixer to create the stucco for you.
It's tough to get the consistency of each stucco mixture correct if you haven't done it before. Try mixing up small batches, and keep track of how much of each ingredient you use, then multiply the amounts to create larger batches to apply to the wall.
If you want a really rough surface, consider texturing the first top coat, allowing it to dry and then applying a second top coat that you can texture with a trowel or pointing tool.
Washing any surface with a power washer can potentially create serious damage. Do not use a power washer unless you are experienced with its use; if you are unsure of your ability to use a power washer, scrub the wall with a scrub brush dampened in soapy water or masonry cleaner.
Cement will cause serious skin burns if left exposed. Clean any cement off your skin immediately, and never attempt to work with cement without goggles and gloves.


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Q: QCustomPlot creates wrong curves on Linux I'm drawing curves with QCustomPlot.
Now, on Windows as well as my Linux Machine, my code works fine.
Version from Ubuntu: Here (Windows looks identical)
Now the version from my colleagues machine: Here
My colleague is running Linux MINT.
On my colleague's Linux machine, all of a sudden, it does not any more.
The lines become all spike, the green plot becomes one huge spike, the red line turns into a flat line.
The code is pretty straight forward and looks like this:
vxf::Mode currentMode = readModes->modes[j];
QCPCurve *xCurve = new QCPCurve(current->xAxis,current->yAxis);
xCurve->setPen(p);
current->addPlottable(xCurve);
xCurve->setName("X-Curve");
QVector<double> dataX =  QVector<double>::fromStdVector(readModes->stations);
QVector<double> xValues = QVector<double>::fromStdVector(currentMode.x);
xCurve->setData(dataX, xValues);

(Modes is the data I'm plotting. Each of those windows is one mode.)
(current is a pointer to the plot I'm working on)
(Stations is something from within the mode, it is basically the stations of the x axis at which I have data, the currentMode.x is the data I'm plotting at those places. It might be a bit confusing as to how I use xvalues as y-value for the plot, but that's correct. I'm basically plotting x, y, and z values over time, and stations, or dataX, is my timesteps.)
This goes on three times for each of the three curves that would be in the picture...

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Specter Off-Road is now offering a new Swing Out Tire System made exclusively for Specter by Wilderness Accessories. This exciting new product is a extreme duty tire carrier, and can be expanded to carry a cooler, two jerry cans, axe and shovel and a Hi-Lift jack. The system, is engineered from precision components that are jig fit as a matched set. The main support for this swing out carrier is the rear bumper. The bumper is made from 2-inch x 4-inch steel tube with a 3/16 inch wall thickness. The ends are tapered for maximum departure angle. The bumper is attached to the rear frame crossmember by four 1/4 inch mounting plates each with two 7/16 inch grade 5 mounting bolts. This heavy duty bumper has a fully welded class 2 receiver that extends thru the bumper to it's own mounting plate that bolts to the rear frame rail also. The 1 1/4 inch diameter pivot pin extends top to bottom in the bumper and is internally welded for strength. The pivot has a grease zerk for lubrication and replaceable bushings for long term maintenance.


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@AnGobanSaor Totally. Did you seen "Johnny Rotten's tour of London"? Hilariously scathing of modern architecture.
With a history dating back to the Roman Empire, you might expect London's skyline to be dominated by centuries-old stone behemoths – and to at least a certain extent, you'd be right. Stalwart structures like Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London predate the city's Great Fire of '66 (that's 1666, mind you), adding that quintessential air of medieval grandeur we non-Europeans have come to expect from the continent's western capitals.
But what makes London so architecturally astounding isn't necessarily its remnants of antiquity, but rather what happens when you view them alongside some of the city's more, shall we say, unconventional highrises.
To help introduce you to the London's full on embrace of contemporary architectural design, Spinlister has put together a mapped bike route to some of our favorite buildings throughout the capital. Get yourself a bike rental, then take an afternoon to pedal your way through an urban landscape that's anything but classically British.
More formally known as 30 St Mary Axe (its address), the 180 meter-tall Gherkin is the brainchild of acclaimed British architect Norman Foster. Its futuristic, curved-glass design has won it numerous prestigious awards including the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize, and the building has been featured in everything from Harry Potter to Match Point (Woody Allen).
At just under 310 meters, this glass-covered masterpiece designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano is currently the tallest building in the EU (2016). Provided you're not afraid of heights, you might want to consider taking a ride up to the 72nd floor viewing platform to appreciate a truly unobstructed panoramic view over London.
What started as a London exhibition space to ring in the 3rd millennium has been transformed (internally) into a multi-purpose arena that houses everything from basketball games to Pink Floyd reunion concerts. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can harness up and climb to the top of the dome, which stands some 52 meters above the streets of Greenwich.
British architect Richard Rogers' signature "inside-out" style contributed greatly to the architectural canon of the late 20th century, including the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Lloyd's Building in central London. The concept here is profound yet simple: artfully create a building with its necessary features (ductwork, stairways, etc) on the outside, thereby leaving uninterrupted useful space in the interior. The Lloyd's is one of his most widely celebrated accomplishments.
So dubbed because of its resemblance to the clunky two-way radio transceivers of yesteryear, London's Walkie Talkie (also 20 Fenchurch Street) is an oddly-shaped reminder that not all architectural innovation is good innovation. Adding to public dismay over the building, which won the ignominious Carbuncle Cup in 2014, was the fact that on sunny days in 2013 the reflected sunlight along its southern end was hot enough to melt a car's interior. Oops.
Another creation of Richard Rogers' architectural firm, the tapered Leadenhall Building (or Cheesegrater, for obvious reasons) measures some 225 meters from street to rooftop. Its uniquely designed three-layered glass exterior has internal blinds that adjust to the movement of the sun, making it one of the most sustainable and energy efficient buildings in London.
At a mere 45 m, the tiered, off-centered oval of City Hall is nowhere near the tallest of London's modern buildings. Still, it certainly makes an impression. Like the Gherkin, the structure was designed by Norman Foster, and despite a surprisingly poor energy efficiency rating and a nickname of "The Glass Testicle" it remains a well respected staple of the skyline south of the Thames.


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Last edited by Garisar
6 edition of Alternative histories of English found in the catalog.
Alternative histories of English
Published 2002 by Routledge in London, New York .
English language -- Variation
Includes bibliographical references (p. [245]-270) and index.
Statement edited by Richard Watts and Peter Trudgill.
Contributions Watts, Richard J., Trudgill, Peter.
LC Classifications PE1074.7 .A48 2002
Pagination xiii, 280 p. :
Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report Diana Mitchell Students tire of responding to novels in the same ways. They want new ways to think about a piece of literature and new ways to dig into English Journal 12/9/97 AM Page can be about the characters, where the book took place, or the themes in the book. Twenty. An entire channel dedicated to the 'What If?". Using knowledge of geography, population and other historical facts I predict what could have happened had thi Views: M.
history audiobooks free history audiobooks on spotify history audio books youtube history audio books download history audiobooks on cd best history audioboo. This book is an effort to review the theoretical framework for the use of alternative assessment in EFL contexts and provides a collection of empirical research on alternative assessment for.
Lovers of language will be engrossed by Décharné's (Hardboiled Hollywood) excavation of the history of English-language slang. Based on his work, humans should be grateful for slang, or we wo. The history of Alternative Medicine is an interesting one and has links with many different cultures. However, it's difficult to say exactly when Alternative Medicine began, in part because up until recently the practices that fall under this term were the conventional medical practices of their time.
God bless our aunts
Five bad Chunkies
Reduction of water losses in drinking water supply systems in developing countries
Master Student Becoming A Master Student Plus Student Planner Twothousand And Seven Through Two Thousand And Eight Eleventh Edition
Kentucky Rifles & Pistols 1750-1850
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The product assignment problem in flexible multilines
Modern youth and chastity.
York-Hampton Parish history since 1632
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The Price Tag
Alternative histories of English Download PDF EPUB FB2
Alternative Histories of English and millions of other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device : Paperback.
Histories of the first thousand years or so of the English language obviously have to have a rather narrow geographical focus. Four hundred years ago, inEnglish had no very important role as a foreign or second language anywhere, and was spoken as a native language in a very small area of the globe indeed: it was the native language of the indigenous population in most of England, and Author: Peter Trudgill.
Alternative Histories of English: * reveals the range of possible 'narratives' about how different varieties of 'Englishes' may have emerged * places emphasis on pragmatic, sociolinguistic and discourse-oriented aspects of English rather than Alternative histories of English book traditional grammar, vocabulary and phonology.
The undisputed king of alternative histories is the prolific Harry Turtledove, who has helped guide the genre into mainstream Southern Victory or Timeline series has the Confederates beating the Union.
His Days of Infamy books have Japan occupying Hawaii. Agent of Byzantium has the Byzantine Empire surviving. The Guns of the South has the Confederates equipped with AKs by. Alternate History Books and Media.
Talk about published works of alternate history and post reviews and opinions on them. Discuss, rate, and post links to AH sites on the web.
TL Uniform, weapons and equipment of the Secondary Combatants. Today at AM. Alternate History Maps and Graphics. Post user created images, such as flags and maps. Scandinavian Design: Alternative Histories presents a radically new assessment, a corrective to the persistent mythologies and reductive accounts of Scandinavian design.
The book brings together case studies from the early twentieth century to today. The Mammoth Book of Alternate Histories is a very mixed bag, as I suppose is to be expected from an anthology of short stories by different authors.
It's extremely long, and not very quick to read, which is why I took so long to get through it/5. This isn't your run-of-the-mill alternate history book. Instead of picking a divergent point and speculating on its repercussions, Eric Flint drops a slice of into 17th Century Germany.
This book explores the beliefs and approaches to the history of English showing how the standard English dialect is to the detriment of those which are non-standard or from other areas of the world. Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of English Slang and millions of other books are available for Amazon Kindle.
"Lovers of language will be engrossed by Décharné's excavation of the history of English-language slang. An Alternative History of English Slang on your Kindle in under a minute/5(13).
Time Travel & Alternate History books at E-Books Directory: files with free access on the Internet. These books are made freely available by their respective authors and publishers. This is a collection of their short stories about an alternate history where the US had a communist revolution in the early s instead of Russia.
The stories span the length of the 20th Century and deal with parallels, a war in Australia instead of Vietnam, Texas occupying the same cultural space as Poland in our history, and so on.
complete its task and to take the book to the National Executive Council for permission to publish for use, where permitted by the diocesan bishop, at least until the thirty-second General Synod (scheduled for ).
It may be seen from this brief history that the Book of Alternative. Alternate history writers have a choice: go big or go small. Small means playing in the margins, subtly twisting known history, or exploring secret histories, changing the meaning of events while leaving the timeline more or less : Jeff Somers.
The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century Explore fascinating, often chilling "what if" accounts of the world that could have existed—and still might yet Science fiction's most illustrious and visionary authors hold forth the ul.
Some dictionaries have up towords, although most native English speakers have a vocabulary of up to o words. This complex, frustrating, and fascinating language has had a lengthy journey to become the language we know today. Here are five of our favorite books about the evolution of the English language.
The NOOK Book (eBook) of the Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of English Slang by Max Décharné at Barnes & Noble. FREE Shipping on Brand: Pegasus Books. The history and development of English, from the earliest known writings to its status today as a dominant world language, is a subject of major importance to linguists and historians.
In this book, a team of international experts cover the entire recorded history of the English language, outlining its development over fifteen centuries. With an emphasis on more recent periods, every key stage 2/5(3).
Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books. My library. A list of Alternate History novels.
Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories in which one or more historical events occur differently.
These stories usually contain "what if" scenarios at crucial points in history and present outcomes other than those in the historical record. There are so many references to The Black Sun in culture, history and secret societies.
The Order of the Black Sun was a secret society in the SS, Nazi, Germany. The OTO, an offshoot of The Church of Satan has a Black Sun Lodge.Praise For Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of English Slang Décharné's mind is a trivia trap of the first order, and the book is a bracing historical tour of the lexicons of sex, prostitution, crime, alcohol, drugs, popular music and military slang.
Alternate-History Books for Fans of The Man in the High Castle. The alternate-history TV series The Man in the High Castle, loosely based on the Philip K. Dick novel of the same name, has become Amazon's most-watched original series.
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Home | News | News | Reviews | Tech News | TVs | Upcoming Honor Smart TV to be Launched in August 2019
Upcoming Honor Smart TV to be Launched in August 2019
After carving a name and market for themselves in the budget and mid-range smartphone segment, Honor is looking to make it big in the TV market. The company has recently announced its plans to launch a smart TV. This upcoming Honor smart TV will be unveiled on 10th August 2019, at the Huawei Developer Conference in China. Honor has maintained to keep the Honor Smart TV features under tight wraps. The TV will be launched in the Indian market very soon.
The announcement of this upcoming Honor smart TV has created quite a buzz in the market already. Though no official date on the availability of this smart TV has been announced, there have been more than 100,000 pre-orders already, which have been made based only on the teasers. The key expected specifications of the Honor Smart TV are provided below:
Honor has named its upcoming smart TV as "Smart Screen". This TV is powered by a Hongjun 818 chip which is developed by Huawei in partnership with Baidu. The Hongjun 818 chip is unique as it has been specially designed and developed for smart TVs. It will offer high-quality audio and video output. This chipset runs on an octa-core architecture and can support 8K video playback at 30fps or 4K playback at 120fps. The chip also supports 64MP image decoding, HDR, noise reduction, local dimming, etc. The chip also integrates Histen audio optimization technology to provide a high-quality and immersive surround sound experience.
There were initial rumors that this upcoming Honor smart TV will run on Android OS. However, it is now being believed that it will be running on Hongmeng OS which is Huawei's in-house OS. Huawei was working on their Hongmeng OS for some time now as an alternative to Android OS. Honor plans to position its smart TV as more than just a TV. It is projecting it as a connected device which can seamlessly integrate with your smartphone. It is expected to provide a pop-up selfie camera which will be equipped with AI capabilities with this TV. The AI capabilities of this pop-up selfie camera are likely to be powered by HiSilicon NPU. This selfie camera is being provided for use in video calling and other AI-related things. It is expected that Honor will launch two different types of 55-inch displays for their upcoming smart TV.
After carving a name and market for themselves in the budget and mid-range smartphone segment, Honor is looking to make it big in the TV market. The company has recently announced its plans to launch...
Apple TV Plus Streaming Service Likely...
Apple TV Plus Streaming Service Likely to Debut...


Safety comes first with bounce houses!
No one wants to have their party ruined by an accident or injury. Recently a bounce house blew away in Adelanto, California. At 3:15pm on May 12th police responded to a section of highway 395 in which a bounce house collided with a vehicle. The bounce house became airborne after a gust of wind detached it from the anchoring points. There was one child in the bounce house at the time of the incident. Watch the video below for more details. The child made it out with only minor injuries but the question remains, "how does something like this happen?" Checkout our article below for tips on how to ensure something like this does not happen at your party or event.
You want to look for a rental company which has a good reputation. Having good reviews online is a good first thing to look for but you want to make sure your rental company does not have a record of injuries. In most states, it is required by law for inflatable rental companies to report injuries. For example, in the state of Ohio, inflatable rental companies are required to fill out an accident form as soon as the accident happens and send it to the division of ride safety. Be sure to review the company's history of injuries. A reputable inflatable company should have a very low rate of injury in their bounce houses.
Once you have your party planned and your bounce house or other inflatable booked, it is important to take an interest in how the setup crew places your rental item. It is easy to just let the setup crew handle placement and setup of your inflatable but taking an informed interest will help you ensure that the inflatable is setup safely. Be sure to have the crew setup the inflatable in a wide open area that is level. Ensure that the setup crew is anchoring each inflatable with a large stake or a sandbag at each anchoring point. A good rule of thumb is the larger the inflatable, the more anchoring it will need. In many cases bounce houses blow away because of improper anchoring.
Each inflatable has a set of rules that the riders must follow to ensure safe use of the amusement. In most cases those rules are printed on a panel on the entrance of the inflatable. Be sure to review the rules with all of your party guests. This will ensure that everyone has a fun and safe experience with the inflatable amusement. Make sure the rental company who sets up your inflatable goes over the rules with you to make sure there is no confusion. The second largest source of injuries in inflatables is riders who do not follow the rules and cause injury from improper use.
Inflatable amusements should never be operated in winds exceeding 15 miles per hour. Make sure to keep an eye on the weather for the day of your party. If you need to, reschedule the inflatable for a day in which the wind speeds are low, then do so. A warning sign for a bad rental company is when they show no concern for the weather conditions in which they are setting up an inflatable amusement. Other inclement weather such as rain can also make using an inflatable amusement unsafe. Be sure to review the weather policy with your inflatable company.
Choose a rental company that cares about you and your party guests. Make sure they have a weather policy and a cancellation policy which is considerate to your budget and safety. Ensure that the company reviews all the rules of the bounce house before releasing it to you. Use a rental company which is willing to answer questions regarding their rate of injuries and what their insurance coverage is.
Are you planning a summer bash this year? You might be asking yourself, "How am I going to entertain my party guests". No worry, Executive Events & Entertainment has got you covered. Check out our summer bash suggestions below and see what kind of fun you can bring to your party or summer event.
Treat your summer party guests to a whole series of games. Backyard games include everything from Kam Jams & Badminton to Horseshoes & Bocce Ball. Setup the games and your guests will be challenging each other in no time. You can purchase each of the games yourself or look for a party rental company that will bring the games and set them up for you. Be sure to choose a rental company that has several rental options for you. It is always best to diversify your fun!
Is your party going to take place during the warmer months of the summer? Consider adding some water items to help cool off your party guests. There are many options out there from water balloon wars to sprinklers. Why not crank it up a notch and grab an inflatable water slide or dunk tank for your party? There are a ton of options for you to choose from. Don't go through all the expense of taking your party to the water park when you can bring the water park to your own backyard.
Bounce houses are a great way to keep the kids distracted while you mingle with the adults. Like your water items, there are plenty of options to go with in the world of bounce houses. You can even go for something a little larger like an obstacle course or giant slide! Be sure to choose an inflatable company that is both licensed and insured so you can have a worry free party. Inflatable fun is always at its best when it is safe!
Supersize your party with some giant games. These games will get your guests interacting with one another and stimulate a little competitive game play. There are plenty of ways to make your own giant games but why not save yourself the stress and find a party rental company that offers a giant game package? The benefit of giant games are that they can be placed anywhere in the yard giving you the versatility to setup your party the way you want it!
Carnivals & Fairs are a staple activity of the summer months. Why not go all out and recreate a classic carnival midway in your backyard? You can avoid the crowds and the carnival worker barks by offering your guests a homegrown carnival. There are plenty of gaming options, for example, check out this small sample of carnival games available.


On the first Sunday of every month, the port car park gets taken over by a flea market. It's only small, but I love it. This morning a couple of hours slipped by very fast.
There's an amazing variety of stuff on sale. For some reason there are lots of flowers, plants and vegetables. This morning I stocked up on herbs.
Most of the stuff is cheap, but this stall aimed at the other end of the market, with antique brassware.
Many stalls sell arts and crafts. The island has a lot of German half-hippies who make a living this way. Since their rent and heating bills are far lower than they would be in, say, Munich, the prices are lower too. And at most stalls, you can haggle. These dangly decorations were going for 10€.
But this is my favourite. They serve freshly squeezed sugar cane. You can have it on its own, or with orange juice (also fresh). And I'm told the best of all are the mojitos – sugar-cane juice, lemon, mint and rum. I'd have loved to try one, but I was driving.
Next time I'll have to come on the bus.


text:
The Partly Cloudy Patriot is a book published in 2002, by Sarah Vowell, a contributing editor for the WBEZ / Public Radio International program This American Life. This book is a collection of essays about American history and the author's own reflections on several matters.

The chapters include scenes from Vowell's vacations in history tourism, an open letter to Bill Clinton about his presidential library, and stories about her own past. Also in these readings is a script about her story and love for a young man thousands of miles away named Ray.

Audiobook
The audiobook features music by They Might Be Giants and a cast including:

 Conan O'Brien as Abraham Lincoln
 Seth Green as Congressman Mike Synar
 Stephen Colbert as Al Gore
 David Cross as Theodore Roosevelt
 Paul Begala as George W. Bush
 Michael Chabon as Walt Whitman
 Norman Lear as "Kevin"

References

External links
The Partly Cloudy Patriot at This Might Be A Wiki
Book discussion with Vowell and Ira Glass on The Partly Cloudy Patriot, C-SPAN, November 19, 2002

2002 non-fiction books
Books by Sarah Vowell
They Might Be Giants

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Give your nails a fresh pop of colour and style with an express manicure or pedicure topped with nail art! Match your nails with your favourite outfit, your hair, your make-up, your books, or whatever your heart desires!
Valid Tue – Sat: 11am – 8pm; Sun: 11am - 7pm. Valid on public holidays. Not valid on Mon.
Limited to only first time customers of Jinsen Salon.
RM15 surcharge applicable for gel removal.


We were absolutely shocked. We all lost our bets. It turns out multitaskers are terrible at every aspect of multitasking. They're terrible at ignoring irrelevant information; they're terrible at keeping information in their head nicely and neatly organized; and they're terrible at switching from one task to another.


text:
The new life of the great Villa Beer
Leave a Comment / News / By / September 25, 2021 September 25, 2021
The area of the former "New World", an entertainment district of the monarchy at the gates of the city, is not only a residential area for the wealthy to this day – it is above all a walk-in museum of architecture and building history, but it was created in the parceled area in the piece of cake between Hietzinger Hauptstrasse and Lainzerstrasse between 1870 and the 1930s, some buildings that mark the departure of Vienna from the Wilhelminian era into classic modernism.
"Everything Frank"
Under this motto, the Villa Beer in Wenzgasse can be visited this Saturday and Sunday with experts from the AzW. The garden is also open. Further visits are to follow.
Works by Adolf Loos and Josef Plecnik can be discovered in the territory of the "New World". And the Villa Beer, which has been decaying for years and was realized by Oskar Wlach and Josef Frank between 1929 and 1931, is part of the "New World". "Actually," says the new owner of the villa, Lothar Trierenberg, "the villa was built exactly where the entrance area to the 'New World' was". The trees in the garden of the villa tell a story that goes back well into the 19th century – and at the same time poses a problem for the historical substance, as the areas of the terrace in the garden are deeply rooted in the trees.
A dialogue with nature
"Frank", says the design enthusiast Trierenberg, who among other things founded the well-known Vienna "das möbel" and the associated restaurant, "wanted to set the house in a dialogue with nature". Frank emphasized a very clear distinction between inside and outside, but the different window scenarios and the nesting of the floors always directs the view outside – through very large panes or through the legendary "moon window" to Wenzgasse 8.
ÖNB picture archive / picturedesk.com
When people laughed in Hietzing: Entrance to the "Neue Welt" amusement park between today's Lainzer and Hietzinger Hauptstrasse.
From Wenzgasse you could have a look at the increasingly sad state of this Landmark Buildings throw the classical modern. From the very beginning, Frank's plant was under a bad luck: the industrial family Beer had taken over the building and had to pledge it to the bank as early as the 1930s. According to Trierenberg, the later owner family was smart enough after the war to offer it to the British for their zone of occupation immediately. And so the building became the headquarters of the British secret service in Austria – with a communication center built next door, which today belongs to a large Austrian telephone provider, but is actually also empty.
Photo gallery with 8 pictures
A dispute among the descendants ultimately led to the property being divided into two parts – and to its unfortunate condition up to now. Part of the villa was sold in 2008 – but shared use and thus revitalization of the villa could not be realized.
Buy from your heart and soul
"In 2020 the whole villa was on the market," says Trierenberg, who, as he describes as a fan of classic design, had to strike immediately – despite the time to think about it, which actually wasn't. Now the new owner is there with a property that represents something like a life's work. Neither the federal government nor the city fought for the Villa Beer – probably also in the knowledge that the renovation of a building as a public authority can only fail or make mistakes, which in turn can easily be torn apart in the media.
ORF.at/Carina Kainz
Lothar Trierenberg, right, now often tells us, but with great passion, why Villa Beer should be used primarily by the general public
The spatial experience with Josef Frank
In the last few years, the only thing that has remained is the activism, which the Architekturzentrum Wien is passionately pursuing, to allow the public to take a look at the property on selected days. "Everyone who was in here immediately succumbed to the spatial feeling of this exhibit," says Trierenberg. As often as possible, as now this weekend as part of the AzW "Alle Frank" campaign, Trierenberg wants to open its house – and increasingly raise awareness. The renovation will then begin next year, says Trierenberg, who is currently subjecting the building to an extensive inspection between the monument protection requirements.
A base renovation for the exhibit is just as important as the renovation of the windows and the facade with its cast concrete elements that have become porous. "The roof," says the Josef Frank lover, "is thankfully ok". Otherwise, the following applies to him during the renovation: as gently as possible – and as much preservation of the many details as possible.
Photo gallery with 14 pictures
Different usage scenarios
Trierenberg has different models of use after the renovation in mind. A museum business with a partner such as AzW, MAK or the Historisches Museum. Or alone. Trierenberg would like to turn the bedrooms on the upper floor into three apartments that can be used and rented temporarily. "Anyone who rents here should also be able to go down to the villa after the museum closes and experience the rooms," says Trierenberg, who focuses on charity in all his activities.
As he says, he wants to uphold the work of Frank, who fled the Nazis to Sweden and started a second career there. A combination of the work on the Villa Beer with the conception of the Werkbundsiedlung, which Frank helped to design and completed at the same time as the Villa Beer, is also conceivable for him.
Trierenberg does not want a museum with historical furniture "which one is then not allowed to use". "But", he adds, "as much as possible preservation of Frank's work in these rooms", that is his goal.
If all goes well, Villa Beer could be a museum with the intended use in 2024. Until then, other buildings in the area could be described and explored as part of an architecture walk. Just a course through the neighboring Beckgasse reveals insights into the building history of the turn of the century – and many a renovation case.


Journal of Engineering and Technology, a publication of M M University Mullana-Ambala, is a peer-reviewed online journal with Semiannual print on demand compilation of issues published. The journal's full text is available online at http://www.onlinejet.net. The journal allows free access (Open Access) to its contents and permits authors to self-archive final accepted version of the articles on any OAI-compliant institutional / subject-based repository. The journal does not charge for submission, processing or publication of manuscripts and even for color reproduction of photographs.
Technical papers will be published in the Journal after peerreviewing, under the "Blind Review" process. Authors intending to submit a paper for publication in the Journal are advised to strictly adhere to the guidelines as mentioned hereunder. The papers not conforming to these guidelines may summarily be rejected and subsequently returned to the author. Length of the Papers should not exceed 5-6 pages and should not carry more than 5 illustrations / photographs.
The journal will cover technical and clinical studies related to health, ethical and social issues in field of All areas of Engineering. Articles with clinical interest and implications will be given preference.
The language of the Journal is English. SI units should be used wherever possible. Other units, if used, should be given only in parentheses preceded by SI units.
Mathematical symbols should be typed and care should be taken to differentiate between similar characters (e.g. 1 and I), upper and lower case letters and superscripts and subscripts.
Manuscripts should be neatly typed in double column on A-4 size paper.
Lengthy mathematical proofs and derivations and extensive test data are discouraged. If absolutely essential, they should be given as an appendix.
Title of the paper, Author (s) name (s), affiliation(s) and Corresponding Author (s) business address , Synopsis of the paper in not more than 150 words, covering the objectives of the work, methods used, results obtained and conclusions reached, Acknowledgment, References & Appendices.
B. Franoise, Y. Magid and W. Bernard. 'Application of Neural Networks to Load Frequency Control in Power Systems.' Neural Networks, vol 7, no 1, pp 183, 1994.
D. M. Vinod Kumar. 'Fuzzy Neural Network Based Automatic Generation Control.' Proceedings International Conference on Computer Applications in Electrical Engineering, Recent Advances, Roorkee (India), pp 418, Sept 1997.
A. K. Mahalanabis, D. P. Kothari and S. I. Ahon. 'Computer Aided Power System Analysis and Control.' New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill; 1988.
All figures should be pasted in appropriate place of the paper. Caption for the figures should be printed below the figures and numbered consecutively throughout the text. Tables should be placed closest to the text of citation and the title of the table to be printed on top of the table and numbered consecutively throughout the text.
The papers are considered for possible publication on the understanding that these have not been submitted for the purpose elsewhere. The copyright of papers accepted for publication lies with the M M University Mullana-Ambala and reproduction of the papers or any part thereof is not allowed without the permission of the M M University.
This is to certify that the reported work in paper entitled _____________ submitted for publication in Journal of Engineering & Technology is an original one and has not been submitted for publication elsewhere. I/we further certify that proper citations to the previously reported work have been given and no data/tables/figures have been quoted verbatim from other publications without giving due acknowledgement and without the permission of the authors(s). The consent of all the authors of this paper has been obtained for submitting the paper to the Journal of Engineering and Technology.
No portion of the material published in the Journal of Engineering & Technology should be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Chief Editor or Editor(s).
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There are numerous possibilities to swim in the popular lakes of the Salzkammergut region. It certainly will be a holiday to remember.
In and around Hintersee, which incidentally is also the name of the lake itself, you have the chance to enjoy a bathing holiday as you have never experienced before. The lake is only 5 kms away from Hintersee. The Salzkammergut region also has other lakes like Lake Wolfgangsee, Lake Fuschlsee and Lake Mondsee – all waiting to invite you to dip into their water. Spend a wonderful bathing holiday in the Salzburg Land region – the clear lakes here are without doubt some of the most beautiful lakes in Austria.
Your holiday hotel Gasthof Hintersee has its own bathing place on Lake Hintersee, which you can use free of charge any time during your stay. Lake Wolfgangsee and Lake Fuschlsee, which are close by, also have public bathing places and so you will have the opportunity to spend a perfect summer's day swimming in the Salzburg Land region. Both lakes are only a short distance from your holiday destination. The picturesque scenery with its beautiful blue lakes is like paradise – enabling you to spend a wonderful holiday in Salzburg.
If you want to have some fun then the swimming pool and beach at Lake Fuschlsee are the perfect place for you. You and your family can spend many happy hours here and we can guarantee that you will not be bored. The Lake Fuschlsee swimming pool has many attractions for your bathing holiday in the Salzburg Land region.
Family Ebner at Wohlfühlhotel Gasthof Hintersee is looking forward to receiving your enquiry - no matter whether you want to spend your holiday in the refreshing Lake Hintersee or Lake Wolfgangsee or Lake Fuschlsee. You will certainly have more than one opportunity to go swimming during your bathing holiday in the Salzburg Land region. Come and find your favourite bathing place and try out the different lakes. You can decide which place you like best!


text:
News Articles > Sousveillance project shows, "Technology is making people lose empathy for homeless."
Sousveillance project shows, "Technology is making people lose empathy for homeless."
Tag: cameras, humanity, sousveillance
"A project involving GoPro cameras and people living on the streets of San Francisco has suggested technology is making people feel less compassionate towards the homeless."
"I notice every day that people are losing their compassion and their empathy not just for homeless people but for society in general."
"I feel technology has changed so much where people are emailing and don't talk face-to-face anymore, people are losing social skills…and their compassion.
"I feel like it's a lot easier to be, the best way to put it is, be cold, or have less feelings when you're typing something, than when you're looking someone in the eye…"
Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/gopro-project-claims-technology-making-peo...


text:
David Beckham puts Brooklyn in his place
What's the worst thing about having famous parents? Perhaps it's their ability to troll you on Instagram. Watch David Beckham talk about his funny online comments towards his son, Brooklyn.
Camila Cabello talks about Beyoncé
The Grammys are annual music awards in the USA. What happened when Beyoncé went to the ceremony with her little daughter, Blue Ivy? Singer Camila Cabello tells the story.
Actress Margot Robbie's snake story
Margot Robbie is one of Hollywood's top actresses. But did you know that she's originally from a small town in Australia? Listen to her funny story about a very big snake!
An amazing wheelchair jump
You've heard of extreme sports, but how about WCMX? This is a sport where people ride wheelchairs and do jumps and tricks. Listen to teenager Lily explain how she did an amazing jump.
Yusra Mardini, a young refugee
Yusra Mardini is a Syrian swimmer who competed in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. This is her incredible story.
Ariana Grande before she was famous
Ariana Grande is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But how did she begin her amazing singing career?
Can I power a flashlight without batteries?
At just 16 years old, Ann designed a flashlight which doesn't need batteries. How did she create her invention?
YouTubers and Twitch streamers share tips for Safer Internet Day
In this video YouTubers and Twitch streamers share some really useful advice about how to stay safe on the internet. Watch and listen carefully so you keep safe and enjoy your time online.
Peanut butter and jelly in space
It's a common, everyday American food. But in space, even the ordinary things are amazing! Watch how this astronaut makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in space.
Status of mind
What's the best thing about social media? And what's the worst? In this video, young people say whether they think social media can be bad for your health.
Dog understands 1,022 words
You can teach a pet dog some words like 'sit' or 'stay'. But how many words can a dog learn?
How often do you take selfies? In this video, students at a UK secondary school share their views on selfies and self-image.
What is the tallest statue in the world? Watch the video to find out!
What's it like growing up in a mixed-race family? Watch 15-year-old Tillie talking about her experiences.
How can we solve the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans? Watch this video to find out how a giant ocean 'snake' could help!
Are you a Marvel fan? Watch this video to find out about Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man.
Millions of students around the world are going on strike. Find out all about the movement for action on climate change in this video.
Lioness from Namibia is a superstar rapper who's also a doctor. Watch and find out how she does both jobs!
Play Wordshake and see how many points can you get in three minutes....


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/technology/circuits/01zune.html?_r=1&ref=circuits&oref=slogin

"Iman Hayward is an 18-year-old college student and self-confessed contrarian. She likes to mix Cyberdog T-shirts with platform boots. She prefers vintage horror movies to modern remakes. And she does not like the Apple iPod. “I was kind of anti-iPod because everybody had it,” said Ms. Hayward, who lives in the Bronx. That is not to say she dislikes portable music players. In fact, on Nov. 14 she will wait in line, if needed, to be among the first to own Microsoft’s iPod alternative, the Zune — in the fudge-brown case, no less. “I’m going to be waving it in front of my friends’ faces,” she said. “They all have iPods.” The people at Microsoft are hoping that people like Ms. Hayward will give them reason to gloat this holiday season, too. They are not the only ones. Other makers of portable media players have also introduced new products, hoping to grab a big piece of the market that the iPod dominates."

This article covers the ramp up to the holiday season, and who the players are - among them the Zune. Are there very many people out there like Hayward, who don't own iPods because everyone else does? Not many, but perhaps enough to make a market - or at least the start of one. The reporter is a bit confused about the WiFi functionality though - he mentions being able to transfer videos over WiFi, which of course you can't do...yet. A great article about the challenges that the Zune faces in the market and worth reading.
Just checking...on the forum page, I don't see a link to the article itself. Am I missing it? Thanks.
That's a Zune Thoughts beta bug, and we'll definitely have to patch that in the future. Here's a direct link to the article to save you some browsing.