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All about Africa
Dear President Macron, it's time to let go your outdated African policies!
Posted by Inemarie on zondag, september 10, 2017 · 12 Comments
For more than 50 years, the citizens of 14 francophone countries in Africa are using an outdated French monetary system. They pay the price of it with their democratic rights and wealth, leaving their own countries in poverty. Whereas France is still benefitting from a joint currency they introduced during colonial times. It's about time for us to change.
Photo: Macron and Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (19 May 2017) – @StephanieT4901
The newly elected President of France – Emmanuel Macron – is to be a promise for change, "lifting France into the 21st century'': a more modern socio-economic system in France, a new role for France in uniting European Union countries and – as the 163 million inhabitants of francophone Africa hoped for – a more equal relationship with France.
Why? Please, continue reading.
France controls francophone African economies after more than 50 years of independence
In the early 1960's, 14 French former colonies in West and Central Africa gained independence:
Graphic: CFA-franc zone – Banque de France
To this day, it is this currency that all these French-speaking countries are using: the CFA-franc, introduced over 70 years ago. Ndongo Samba Sylla, a Senegalese development economist, says: "It is a mechanism of the colonial era that is still in place." At the Review of African Political Economy Sylla adds: "Membership of the franc-zone is synonymous with poverty and under-employment."
Regulations around the CFA-franc are determined in the so-called Monetary Cooperation Agreement. An agreement between France and the West and Central African francophone countries which was established immediately following independence. In a Skype-interview, Ndongo Samba Sylla explains the four core principles of the Monetary Cooperation Agreement and the influence it has on francophone Africa's finances, economies and sovereignty:
1) A fixed exchange rate with the euro.
The French-speaking African countries are using the CFA-franc. A currency that has a fixed exchange rate to the euro (and previously the French franc). For instance, from 1972 to 1994 1 French franc was always 0.02 CFA.
Decisions of the French Central Bank and the European Central Bank (since 1999 the very start of the introduction of the euro) affects the economy of all francophone African countries. Whereas the fast-developing Southeast Asian countries could decide for themselves to protect or open their markets by increasing or decreasing the value of their money, these African countries can't. Ndongo Samba Sylla says: "The African central banks are always dependent on the European Central Bank and thus have no monetary autonomy."
Sylla explains further: "And since the CFA-currency is strong – because linked to the euro – it means that importing is relatively cheap, while exporting is expensive. So, it makes it more difficult to export, which does not help our industrialisation."
2) A centralisation of foreign exchange reserves in an account of the French Treasury.
The French Treasury in Paris holds 50% of each of the CFA-member countries' foreign exchange reserves. (Immediately following independence, this was a 100% and from 1973 to 2005, it was 65%).
Moreover, every CFA in the African Central Banks must be backed with 20 CFA cents in foreign exchange reserves (which is a ratio of 20%). It means that African countries cannot access their foreign exchange reserves stocked in Paris, when the total amount at the Central Bank equals 20% of the total number of euros in Paris, which is almost always the case.
Consequently, it puts a pressure on the amount the banks can use for lending credits to entrepreneurs and citizens, the economist Sylla explains. "In CFA-countries credits involve 25% of the national yearly income (GDP), whereas in non-CFA countries this is 60%! Without credit, there is no economic growth and no jobs."
3) A French guarantee of the unlimited convertibility of CFA francs into euros.
France agreed to pay the difference whenever the amount of foreign exchange reserves is below the 20%. But France never did.
It happened once that the African franc-zone came below the agreed 20% line. The Central Bank of France – Banque de France – mentions in its publication that on 11th January 1994 the CFA-franc was only worth 50% of its former value. Banque de France devaluated the currency (and so automatically the reserves are higher). Ndongo Samba Sylla says: "[So] France didn't guarantee anything! In fact, Africa guaranteed itself."
Imagine that all of a sudden, your savings and cash are cut in half. Sylla: "Devaluation is harmful for the population. The price of imported products will explode – as will the foreign debt – and so the purchasing power of consumers will be weakened." Serious devaluation can easily generate uprisings.
4) The principle of free capital transfer within the franc zone.
Within the franc zone "capital can come and go when it wants", Ndongo Samba Sylla says. The official aim is to facilitate trade between the franc-zone countries. However, only 15% of the total trade is among the West African franc-zone and less than 10% in the Central African franc-zone, according to the Togolese economist Kako Nubukpo in Le Monde.
Correction: Export from francophone Africa to France used to be around 60%, like Nubukpo says, however nowadays it has declined to on average 5,3% only. Import from France is on average 13,9%. See new graphic:
Besides, the free flow of capital "means no capital control, which destabilizes the economy," Sylla explains. French enterprises can freely transfer their profits to Europe and secure it by converting it into euros. It is revealing, Nubukpo adds, that on average, 60% of the franc-zone's export is going to France.
Ndongo Samba Sylla concludes that in reality the monetary system means: "France controls the francophone African economies over controlling their money supply."
The French monetary system has "No equivalent in the world," as Banque de France says proudly in its publication. It's true and there's nothing secret about these monetary agreement and practices. It's out in the open that it leaves the countries concerned without monetary control.
But why? Who is benefitting?
The beneficiaries are France, French companies and the African elite
Nobody knows the exact benefits in euros. An overview of what I know and checked:
The French Treasury holds around 9,5 billion euros of foreign exchange reserves of the 14 African countries, according to the annual reports of the West African Central Bank and the Central African one. Although many articles say otherwise (unfortunately without mentioning sources), newspaper Le Monde mentions that the money is not used for investments.
For over 50 years, the interest of all these foreign reserves has accumulated. Chimurenga Chronic found a report stating that in 2005 the total amount equals €72 billion (which would be a coverage rate of around 400%, instead of the obliged 20%.)
A pressing question remains: Where are these billions of euros?
NB: There is no such thing as a colonial tax. There are myths going around at the internet, saying that francophone countries are 'repaying' infrastructure that was put in place during colonial times. This, if true, would be against International Law.
French political interference through secret 'diplomacy'
In this story, I focus on economic facts more than the political ones. But I must mention the role of politics since it has an enormous impact on the room to manoeuvre of African leaders and African citizens. In an article at Al Jazeera, professor Lansine Kaba – expert on politics in Africa – explains that the monetary system goes together with secret diplomacy called Françafrique:
"Françafrique builds relations that rely on close personal connections woven between the French leadership (the president and his close aides) and individual African leaders who depended on French assistance and security forces. […] Françafrique has operated in secrecy. […] Its goal, consistent from 1960 to 2013, has been to promote and protect French interests in Africa, by all means necessary."
To this date, the President at the Élysée is closely advised by experts on France-African relations. Franck Paris is the newest so-called 'Mr. Africa' and advisor to Emmanuel Macron.
Stories about French political interference in African politics are widely spread. From the 1960's up to at least 2011, during the elections in Ivory Coast: like blocking the payment of civil servants, supporting pro-franc-zone leaders, and orchestrating coups and even killings.
At the Review of African Political Economy Sylla analyses: "Economic development – as in the creation of a political system that meets the preoccupations of the majority of citizens – is impossible in such circumstances."
Commercial benefits for French companies …
French trade and companies in francophone Africa
So, we must conclude there is a lot at stake. Since the benefits from the CFA-monetary system itself aren't huge, compared to the French GDP (0.4 or 3.9%), the largest part of the French benefits must be for the French companies.
Many speak of huge commercial benefits for French companies "Having access to raw materials on cheaper terms and possibility to repatriate currencies," provided by the CFA-system Ndongo Samba Sylla explains. (it will be the topic of a follow-up story).
… and the African elite
Another beneficiary of the system is the African elite in the 14 countries. At the Review of African Political Economy Sylla says: "Elites [who] acquired their wealth legally or otherwise." Since CFA's can move freely through the franc-zone, they stock their money in foreign banks or invest it in apartments in Paris. For example, half of the GDP of Equatorial Guinea goes abroad, according to Kako Nubukpo.
The price is paid by the franc-zone citizens
The citizens of 14 francophone countries in Africa are paying the price of this monetary system. Their countries are poor and under-developed:
Kako Nubukpo in Le Monde adds: "We have dramatic records: over the last 70 years the franc-zone has low productivity, 11 out of 14 countries are among the least developed countries in the world and except for Ivory Coast – having steady income from cacao-trade – all CFA-countries have a deficit balance." At the Review of African Political Economy Sylla adds: The CFA-system hinders "those hoping to export competitive products, obtain affordable credit [or] find work.
The monetary system denies citizens' democratic rights and participation
In addition, the citizens of the 14 francophone African countries cannot hold their own (financial) leaders to account since francophone Africa lacks financial control and sovereignty (As it shows from "the devaluation of 1994 and the status of African Central Banks," says Nubukpo in Le Monde). And since the European Central Bank decides over African citizens, but does not provide accountability whatsoever towards them. In the end, it means that citizens are denied a chance to democratic rights and participation by an outdated ancient currency.
Times are changing: citizens demand change
More and more citizens are aware they are still using a colonial currency. "It used to be known and discussed between intellectuals. Now ordinary people talk about it, although not everyone might be familiar with all the technical details," Ndongo Samba Sylla tells.
Social movements are coming up that ask for change and reform. Sylla: "We want sovereignty: political space to take decisions and actions serving the public. Policies that are beneficial to the majority of our citizens." One of the more controversial movements is Urgence Panafricanistes. The leading organiser Kemi Seba, risks 5 years in a Senegalese prison for burning a CFA-note in public. They have organised two manifestations this year on 17 January and 19 August in 10 different countries. Sometimes dozens, sometimes thousands participated.
Institutional change
Sylla explains why change is hard to achieve: "It's complicated. No government will change by itself: In Central Africa, there are more dictatorships – like Chad and Congo – and those leaders won't change. They are benefiting from the monetary system too. West Africa is more democratic, but leaders have short mandates only and different priorities, because it is beneficial to be on good terms with France."
Although it's not always easy, many believe that we are on the brink of change, since:
A shift of power towards francophone African countries, for instance because they found new allies like China (Al Jazeera and Le Monde).
France is less powerful now than it was 50 or 70 years ago and perhaps wonders if and why it should continue this monetary system. It shows from recent statements, as well as a questionnaire on the topic among African political science students in Paris (Chimurenga Chronic).
French interests changed since its main African trade-partners are currently non-CFA countries: Nigeria, Angola and South Africa. So, they now know how to do without the CFA. (Kako Nubukpo).
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is working on an alternative currency for ECOWAS-members. "The new currency was due to enter circulation in 2015, but this has since been deferred until 2020" or later. (Review of African Political Economy).
Ndongo Samba Sylla concludes: "France cannot maintain these relationships. France knows it is no longer defendable. And it is no longer accepted."
EU-citizens must know before they can help to accelerate change…
While working on this story, I noticed that my colleagues working in development cooperation hardly know anything about the relation between France and the francophone countries in Africa. Sylla adds: "Many EU-citizens just don't know! My friends in Europe even portray my vision as no longer relevant." Anneke Verbraeken, a Dutch journalist and living half the time in France, agrees that many French don't seem to know much about the topic: "In France, there is hardly any critique about their relationship with the former colonies."
Ndongo Samba Sylla calls for action: "Being world citizens, Europeans have to take a share in the fight too! If you cut the rules that are harming us, we do our part of the job here also. Here, we'll fight for more democracy to hold our leaders to account."
As European citizens, we can hold our leaders to account too. How? We can figure out. But the first step towards change is: getting the topic public, for as many people as possible to know. Sylla: "We do want more people to know, because it accelerates change."
…and explain their leaders
Once we know, we can explain our leaders. And explanation is needed, the latest statements of the French President shows:
Dear President Macron, please show us, that you cannot only lift France into the 21st Century, but also the French African policies. The citizens of francophone Africa deserve better. They already gained independence 50 years ago!
You may help me by gathering facts and submitting supporting documents for the follow-up stories I am working on:
What can citizens (and NGOs) do to generate change?
What are the specific benefits of French companies?
What can politicians (French, EU and African) do to create change?
Please share your information and contact me through inemarie[@]svikaworks.nl.
Special thanks to Ndongo Samba Sylla in Senegal, for helping me separate facts from myths with both explanations and links to valuable factual information, Abdal-Sulleyman Hafiz in Ghana for the English editing and Boubacar Sy in Mali for the French translations.
Also read: How much money does France make in French-speaking Africa?
Read all stories at All about Africa.
Category: Blog · Tags: Africa, civic driven change, eradicate_poverty, Global citizenship
12 Responses to "Dear President Macron, it's time to let go your outdated African policies!"
Inemarie schreef:
Joseph Seh on Facebook: The issue is well known in France. President Macron and Ouatara ( Côte d' Ivoire) just hosted a meeting about this issue. Last week Khemi Seba one of the most important activist adressing this issue was deported from Senegal to France.
Ndongo Samba Sylla: Addition to 2) A centralisation of foreign exchange reserves in an account of the French Treasury:
Monetary issuances must be covered by foreign reserved at 20% at least. Actually, in the cases of West Africa and of Central Africa (before the fall in oil prices), this ratio was close to 100%. This shows that African Central Banks were overcommitted to maintain the monetary parity with the Euro. They could have with such an amount of reserves stimulated credit…i.e. more FCFA money could have been injected into the economies backed by the "excess" foreign reserves.
Ndongo Samba Sylla: Addition to 'Monetary Cooperation Agreement':
"We all use this shortcut. But we must actually say "exchange rate cooperation agreement" as "monetary cooperation agreements" refer to agreements involving countries using (or aspiring to use) the currency of another country/bloc."
Rosemarie B J Merz op Facebook:
Mijn contacten in Benin zijn hier ook heel kritisch over. Zoals de CFA economische ontwikkeling in de weg staat en Frankrijk bevoordeelt. Groot probleem is daarbij dat de Afrikaanse machthebbers zich dit laten aanleunen en geen gezamenlijke vuist maken
On LinkedIn:
Albert Dodoo: "Let's hope he is listening"
John Otini: "I honestly dont understand how these nations have gone along with these repressive monetary policies in an age when they have a lot of options in the global market."
Philip Ifejika: "You share an important information wish exposes the root cause of poverty in Francophone countries in Africa."
Alice schreef:
Zo waarom stappen deze landen niet uit de CFA?
Het is niet de oorzaak van de armoede.
De CFA is ingesteld om er voor te zorgen dat er geen hyper inflatie zou komen.
Wat wel gebeurd is in Zimbabwe en waar de valuta nu US dollar is.
As far as I understand, it's not only France, but also African leaders and elite who keep the system like it is. But for the citizens it's very bad news… As for me, a Malian colleague told me about it, and I was astonished. Moreover, my colleagues in Holland didn't seem to know much about it either. I think we should know, since as EU-citizens we have a shared responsibility over what France is doing. And as aid/development-workers we must know – how can we work on development, if we don't understand fully what's hindering it…
Macron said: https://svikaworks.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Quotes-Macron.png
And fighting the African Elites, good luck, it is so dangerous that not many will try it.
If you want to stay alive and don't want to hear the knock on the door in the middle of the night.
I call aid/development workers colonists and it is not their responsibility to work on development…..unless they immigrate and invest their own money and their own energy. These countries are Independent so get out and let them develop themselves. They can succeed of fail but that is not your nor mine problem.
@Alice – we can have different opinions, that's alright. However, it is a fact that the CFA is working against the development of the franc-zone countries (I couldn't find any information that says the opposite – and I have been reading a lot and checking with experts. For me, the point is that France DOES intervene in economics and politics of African countries, and they should not (so in that case we share opinions ;))
@Inemarie, where is the proof that France is intervene in economics and politics of the ex-french African countries? In which way! And why don't these countries get out of the CFA? As far I know, the CFA is tagged to the Euro and that makes the currency quite stable.
"Guinea is a rare former French colony in Africa which has its own currency. But it regularly faces currency shortages and its central bank struggles to ensure its stability."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41094094
That sounds like Zimbabwe where they are now even running out of the US dollar and the Rand. Zimbabwe gave up their own currency after the highest note of one trillion dollar couldn't even buy 6 eggs.
Dear Alice, please read the article and my earlier reactions, where it's just factual information,verified with docs and economists (otherwise I feel I start repeating myself).
And like I already said on FB: Zimbabwe is quite a different case, with different root causes, like Mugabe printing money, dictatorship etc. – but that is not the theme of the article here).
Egon De Bruin op Facebook: Zo, dat is een eye-opener! Zou ook in De Correspondent passen.
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Второе командование () — группировка сухопутных войск японской императорской армии, находившаяся на собственно Японских островах в конце Второй мировой войны.

Второе командование было образовано 8 февраля 1945 года путём разделения бывшего Главного командования обороны на Первое и Второе командования. В состав Второго командования вошли 15-й фронт (районы Кансай и Тюгоку, остров Сикоку) и 16-й фронт (остров Кюсю). Командованию предстояло руководить боевыми действиями в западной части Японии в случае высадки Союзников. Как и в прочих войсках обороны Японских островов, части, входившие подчинённые Командованию, были укомплектованы слабо подготовленными резервистами, молодыми призывниками либо бойцами территориального ополчения, не имевшими нормального оружия и снаряжения.

После потери Окинавы штаб-квартира Командования был перемещён в Хиросиму, поэтому 6 августа в результате атомной бомбардировки большинство высших командиров погибло. Уцелевшие добрались до военной базы Удзина в пригороде Хиросимы, и через военную базу в Куре сумели 7 августа сообщить в Токио о случившемся (это была первая полученная японским командованием информация об атомной бомбардировке), а затем взяли на себя руководство спасательными операциями и поддержание общественного порядка после введения в Хиросиме военного положения. Тем не менее, атомная бомбардировка уничтожила Второе командование как организационно-командную структуру. После капитуляции Японии сохранившиеся структуры командования продолжали действовать ещё некоторое время, поддерживая порядок до прибытия оккупационных сил и осуществляя демобилизацию и роспуск Императорской армии.

Список командного состава

Командующие

Начальники штаба

Источники
 Хаттори Такусиро «Япония в войне. 1941—1945», — СПБ: ООО «Издательство Полигон», 2000. ISBN 5-89173-085-5

Вооружённые силы Японии во Второй мировой войне

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Stoke Holy Cross Primary School
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Stoke Holy Cross Primary School Governing Board for September 2018 - July 2019
Full Name Governor Term of Office Type of Governor Specific Roles Profile
Paula Allard ________________ 5th May 2017 – 4th May 2021 Co-opted Governor SEND, Cluster Paula is a teacher at a local secondary school, she has been a co-opted governor at the school since May 2017. Paula sits on the curriculum and personnel committees.
Peter Barber ________________ 18th Sept 2018 – 9th Sept 2022 Co-opted Governor Vice-chair of Governors, Safeguarding Peter is retired after 47 years working in commercial property management mainly for Aviva (Norwich Union) and latterly for various clients throughout the UK. He is married with 2 grown up children and has lived in Stoke Holy Cross most of his life. He has obtained a Diploma in English Local History (UEA) and has a continuing involvement in local history research particularly the built environment. He also has an interest in heritage aviation. He has been a Governor since 2013 and attends the Premises and Finance committees
Chris Boss ________________ 18th Sept 2018 – 9th Sept 2022 Co-opted Governor Chris is an Actuary working for Aviva. Chris joined the school as a governor in 2010. He chairs the Finance committee and also sits on the Curriculum committee
Jeannette Chaney ________________ Headteacher
Stuart Claxton ________________ 3rd July 2018 – 3rd July 2022 Co-opted Governor Deputy Headteacher
Cassie Davies ________________ 1st Oct 2018 – 1st Oct 2021 Co-opted Governor Cassie is a Co-opted governor and joined the board in the autumn of 2018. She has been a primary school teacher for 16 years with experience of teaching Reception through to Year 6, SENDCo and KS2 phase lead. Cassie lives in Stoke with her husband Matthew and their two boys.
Claire Henry ________________ 23rd May 2016 – 22nd May 2020 Co-opted Governor Well-being I have been a daily visitor at Stoke Holy Cross Primary School since 2005 when my first child joined Foundation Class. I was involved in the School Association and even worked as a Teaching Assistant for a couple of terms to help out before opening School's Out. I joined the school governors in September 2016 with the aim of doing my best for every child at the school
Roger Higgins ________________ 20th Oct 2018 – 20th Oct 2022 Parent Governor Roger is Director of Norwich Research School and East Anglian Schools' Teaching Alliance (both based at Notre Dame High School). Both of his sons are currently at the school
Steve Hurrell ________________ 18th Sept 2018 – 9th Sept 2022 Co-opted Governor Chair of Governors Steve is the director of a furniture making and woodworking business based locally. Steve joined as a parent governor in December 2011 and is currently the Chair of Governors and sits on the Premises and Personnel Committees.
Lyn Marsh _______________ 10th Jan 2017 – 9th Jan 2021 LA Governor Lyn works as an Administrator at the University of East Anglia. She has lived in Stoke Holy Cross since 1998 with her husband Gary. She is a Parish Councillor and Curate (Assistant Minister) in the Venta Group of churches which includes Stoke Holy Cross. Both her two children attended the school. Lyn has been a governor since 2013 and sits on the Personnel committee.
Nick Mayhew ________________ 10th Feb 2015 – 9th Feb 2019 Parent Governor E-safety, Pupil Voice Nick is a Supply Chain Manager at Aviva. Nick joined the school governors in 2015, and sits on the Premises and Personnel Committees.
Julia Moncrieff ________________ 23rd Feb 2017 – 22nd Feb 2021 Staff Governor Julia joined as a staff governor in February 2017. Julia currently sits on the Curriculum committee.
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Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)
Pope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, has been crucial to the clarification of Roman Catholic views on embryos and abortion in recent history. His 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae" spoke to the regulation of birth through various methods of contraception and sterilization. This encyclical, a result of Church hesitancy to initiate widespread discussion of the issue in a council of the Synod of Bishops, led to much controversy in the Church but established a firm Catholic position on the issues of birth control and family planning.
Subject: People, Religion, Reproduction
St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274)
Widely known as a key contributor to the Roman Catholic Church's body of doctrine, St. Thomas Aquinas also published an opinion on the moral status of embryos and fetuses that seems contradictory to the Catholic Church's current standpoint on the matter. Born in Naples, Italy, around 1225 (scholars debate the exact year of many of his life events) to wealthy nobility, Thomas Aquinas quickly proved himself a pious and astute scholar with an insatiable desire for logic and understanding.
Subject: People, Religion
Horatio Robinson Storer (1830–1922)
Horatio Robinson Storer was a surgeon and anti-abortion activist in the 1800s who worked in the field of women's reproductive health and led the Physicians' Crusade Against Abortion in the US. Historians credit Storer as being one of the first physicians to distinguish gynecology, the study of diseases affecting women and their reproductive health, as a separate subject from obstetrics, the study of pregnancy and childbirth.
Subject: People, Reproduction, Religion
Pope Gregory XIV (1535-1591)
Pope Gregory XIV, born Nicolo Sfondrati, reversed the bull of Pope Sixtus V, Effraenatum, under which an abortion at any time of gestation can be punished by excommunication. He supported the Aristotelian distinction between an "animated" and "unanimated" fetus, making abortion of an unanimated fetus punishable by lesser means. This decision contributed to the historical debates within the Roman Catholic Church on when a fetus has a soul, and when abortion was punishable by excommunication.
Father Frank Pavone (1959- )
Father Frank Pavone, a key proponent of the Roman Catholic Church's pro-life movement, has devoted his life's work to ending abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and other techniques and procedures that he believes threaten human life from conception to death. His contributions to the pro-life movement include founding a new religious order called the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life and participating in high-profile protests and television interviews for the pro-life cause.
St. Augustine (354-430)
St. Augustine of Hippo, born Aurelius Augustinus to a respectable family in the year 354 CE, is now considered one of the foremost theologians in the history of the Catholic Church. His writings, including his philosophy regarding life in the womb and the moral worth of embryos, influenced many other great thinkers of his time and throughout history.
Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)
Pope John Paul II's views on abortion and embryology have been very influential to the Roman Catholic Church. He strictly forbade abortion and other threats to what he regarded as early human life in his encyclical entitled "Evangelium Vitae," meaning the "Gospel of Life." His authority on moral and social issues was highly regarded during his lifetime.
Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
Pope Pius XII was born Eugenio Maria Giuseppi Giovanni Pacelli on 2 March 1876 in Rome, Italy, to Virginia and Filippo Pacelli. Known for his oft-disputed role in the Roman Catholic Church's approach to the Nazis and World War II, Pope Pius XII also contributed a number of important documents regarding conception, fertility, abortion, and reproductive control to the Vatican's collection of writings and doctrine on procreation.


My performance has generally been good, but I've been making some mistakes lately. My manager told me that he is keeping an eye on me, and unless I improve, he is going to take serious action, meaning that I will be fired. It makes me nervous to have him watching over me. Do you think that's a good way to manage?
I was recently told by my manager that my pay increase for this year is going to be two percent. I am not at all satisfied with this, but I know I should be happy to get any raise at all. What is the best way to voice my dissatisfaction?
I just noticed that I am being overpaid by about $50 a week. We are a big company and this is not going to break it. I am wondering if I should say something.
One of the employees who report to me asks question after question, to the point of disrupting meetings and general conversations. I have been patient with him and tried to help him become a better listener, but nothing works. Can you offer any help?
My manager says I ask too many questions, but I feel I would rather do this than go off on a project and make a bunch of mistakes. I sense that he is becoming less and less available to me, but I am only trying to do a good job. What can I do?
I was staring into the distance and thinking about how to handle a certain part of an assignment when my manager walked by and told me to stop daydreaming and get to work. I told him that I wasn't daydreaming, but he laughed and walked away. Is it worth saying anything further to him?
I just had a job interview that lasted about ten minutes. When it was set up, I was told to plan on spending an entire afternoon, but the interviewer said he was behind and if there's interest, he'll contact me. I don't think I said or did anything wrong. Should I send him a note to stay in the process or just move on?
We were discussing operations in a departmental meeting when our manager misinterpreted some information and made a questionable recommendation. I gingerly corrected him, but he has been upset with me since then, and I'm not sure what to do about it.
I was very surprised when one of the employees in my department told me that she believes I have been picking on her. Her work has been slipping lately, and I have had to discuss it with her more frequently. How do I deal with her claim?
I work at a company in a position that I love, and my superiors are just wonderful. I work alone, but the problem is the co-workers. Some of them play games and say things to me that are hurtful, and others just ignore me. I talk to my co-workers but I don't get very far. I would like to get along better. What should I do?
We are getting a new boss in 2 weeks. I am wondering if there are any tips that can help me make a better first impression on him.
There is a person who reports to me who needs to be micromanaged. He spends too much time wandering around, and if I don't check up on him regularly, very little gets done. He complains about this, but I see no other way to deal with him. Do you?
I was offered a job in a company that has around 300 employees, and I think I will be the oldest person or close to it. I am going to accept the offer, but I was wondering if you see the age differential presenting any particular problems, and, if so, are there some steps I should take?
I manage a department of twelve people, and three of them wrote a letter to my manager saying I insist on having everything done my way. That is not true, but my manager believed everything they wrote and came down hard on me. What should I do?
I work in a bank, and some of the other women I work with claim that I flirt with the male customers. I'm friendly to all the customers, and I resent being called a flirt. How can I change this false image of me?
One of the people I work with makes himself the center of everything that's discussed. He shrugs off what we say, but we are expected to listen as he talks endlessly about himself. How do we change this?
Practically every time I come into the office, my manager tells me that I look upset. I am not, and I don't hear this from anyone else at work. Is there any significance to it?
I am a manager and have four people reporting to me. The other day, my manager said I have been taking too much time at lunch. I resent this comment, and since I am on salary, I can take as long a lunch as I want. That is my prerogative as a salaried person. What should I tell him?
My CEO is a workaholic who comes to work when she has a fever. When she coughs, she doesn't cover her mouth, and this spreads germs to everyone. I have tried to diplomatically tell her, but she does not listen. Now I have missed two days of work because I caught her cold. How should I deal with her?
My manager keeps asking me if I am happy working here. I tell him that I am, but then a day or two later, he asks the question again. I don't know what he is getting at or why he is doing this, and I don't know how to find out. What do you think?
One of my co-workers has a way of prying private or personal information out of me, but he never tells me anything. After we talk, I always feel bad, and I know that I have said too much. I don't want to wreck communication with him, especially since our jobs require contact with each other, but I want him to stop trying to draw this information out of me. What can I say?
My manager sends me emails several times a day, and he is usually seeking information on the status of projects or on problems that have arisen. I write thorough answers to his questions, but his responses indicate that he doesn't read what I send. Instead, he just gets upset with me. What should I do?
When I walk into my manager's office, he stands up. I know this is polite, but it makes me feel uncomfortable. He rarely sits down when I am there, and this cuts our conversations short. I don't think I should just take a seat, but maybe then he would get the hint. What do you think?
I feel like the dumping ground in this company. When there are projects that no one else wants, whether important or trivial, they get dumped on me. Many of these projects waste my time and in some cases embarrass me. Is there anything I can do, or should I just sit back and let them rain down on me?
My manager called me into his office and made some critical comments about my performance and handed me a copy of a write-up he placed in my file. I defended every criticism that he made, but that did not matter. What should I do now?


According to Media Play News, our very own action blockbuster The Hurricane Heist made to No. 5 in US TOP 20 RENTALS, and in just five days since its official release. Source: Media Play News Watch The Hurricane Heist official trailer here. See The Hurricane Heist backlot set, that we built specially for the shooting of the movie.
Pre-order The Hurricane Heist now!


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Use of 5-azacytidine in a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the impact of pre-natal and post-natal exposures, as well as within generation persistent DNA methylation changes in Daphnia
Gonçalves Athanasio, Camila , Sommer, Ulf, Viant, Mark R., Chipman, James Kevin and Mirbahai, Leda (2018) Use of 5-azacytidine in a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the impact of pre-natal and post-natal exposures, as well as within generation persistent DNA methylation changes in Daphnia. Ecotoxicology, 27 (5). pp. 556-568. doi:10.1007/s10646-018-1927-3
WRAP-use-5-azacytidine-proof-of-concept-study-evaluate-impact-pre-post-natal-exposures-within-generation-persistent-DNA-methylation-changes-daphnia-Mirbahai-2018.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10646-018-1927-3
Short-term exposures at critical stages of development can lead to delayed adverse effects long after the initial stressor has been removed, a concept referred to as developmental origin of adult disease. This indicates that organisms' phenotypes may epigenetically reflect their past exposure history as well as reflecting chemicals currently present in their environment. This concept has significant implications for environmental monitoring. However, there is as yet little or no implementation of epigenetics in environmental risk assessment. In a proof-of-principle study we exposed Daphnia magna to 5-azacytidine, a known DNA de-methylating agent. Exposures covered combinations of prenatal and postnatal exposures as well as different exposure durations and recovery stages. Growth, the transcription of genes and levels of metabolites involved in regulating DNA methylation, and methylation levels of several genes were measured. Our data shows that prenatal exposures caused significant changes in the methylome of target genes, indicating that prenatal stages of Daphnia are also susceptible to same level of change as post-natal stages of Daphnia. While the combination of pre- and postnatal exposures caused the most extreme reduction in DNA methylation compared to the control group. Furthermore, some of the changes in the methylation patterns were persistent even after the initial stressor was removed. Our results suggest that epigenetic biomarkers have the potential to be used as indicators of past chemical exposure history of organisms and provide strong support for implementing changes to the current regimes for chemical risk assessment to mimic realistic environmental scenarios.
Q Science > QH Natural history > QH426 Genetics
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Biomedical Sciences > Cell & Developmental Biology
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Biomedical Sciences
Epigenetics, Daphnia, Methylation
5 April 2018 Available
14 March 2018 Accepted
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant ID
RIOXX Funder Name
Funder ID
CAPES/BEX8572-12-7 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002322
NBAF863 [NERC] Natural Environment Research Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000270
UNSPECIFIED university of birmingham UNSPECIFIED


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Q: Fedora16, ekiga just works in superuser mode I've got a fedora16 running and I'd like to use ekiga as a softphone.
Now I'm running into some problems.
Starting ekiga as a normal user gives me

could not register (globally not acceptable)

So I was pretty stuck.
Now I tried running ekiga with sudo and it worked.
So I asume, that it is a problem with the rights-management about the network settings.
I also have problems when I try running some server applications like apache and try to connect from a pc in the local network.
So it would be nice if someone could explain me, what to do, to get ekiga running as a normal user.

A: You can try adding the regular user in some groups like audio, video, if it's not already present.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


No, the inode thingy is only true for 0.2.4.x builds.
I'm not too familiar with the windows builds – what exactly changes when you run it in debug mode?
You can always set the debuglevel to 9 for maximum verbosity, regardless of any other options.
I suggest you delete/move your songs.db file, set the debuglevel to 9 and fire it up in normal mode. Then check the log for hints.
If i recall correctly firefly is run as a windows service, and that would imply permission issues. "local system" doesn't have access to any shares whatsoever by default.
© 2019 FireFly Media Server. All Rights Reserved. Boxmedia. Powered by WordPress.


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UK CRYPTO APP TAP GLOBAL BECOMES THE FIRST LISTING ON THE AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE IN 2023 |1300 HKT | 0600 UKT | 11 January 2023
UK crypto app Tap Global announced in a press release on 10 January that it became the first listing on the Aquis Stock Exchange in 2023. The listing was achieved through the acquisition of the crypto app by a listed company Quetzal Capital, which traded $24.9 million of its own stock in return for control over the company. Quetzal also issued new shares to raise a further $3.8 million. Tap Global CEO David Carr said the company determined to continue the listing process despite the negative market sentiment as it would like to provide a regulated option for UK residents.
Source: https://cointelegraph.com


Saturday 12th November 2016: 'Young, Gifted, and Black': Sassy Tees First Birthday: Purchase Tickets HERE.
Sunday 13th November 2016: 'Freetown Sounds': Introducing The Salone Collective: Purchase Tickers HERE.
Wednesday 16th November 2016: 'Writing to Resist': Poetry Masterclass with Siana Bangura: More details HERE.
Saturday 3rd December 2016: 'Writing to Resist': Poetry and Performance Masterclass with Siana Bangura: Purchase tickets HERE.


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Seventh Day Slumber / Way of The Worshiper!
Well, it has been not quite a year since I was privileged to attend a live concert, thanks to the current pandemic we are suffering through. The industry itself has for the most part been completely decimated, and live streaming events are nice, but nothing can take the place of the live experience. Thanks to a few brave souls who have chosen to stand in opposition to the state of the world and ultimately by the grace of God overcome any fear, live music is not dead yet.
As I set out on the two-hour trek to Bakersfield CA, I could barely contain myself. Tonight would mark a first for me, i.e. the first time I've ever been able to see Seventh Day Slumber perform. What exactly has taken me so long I could not tell you. The band has only been around for twenty years and released a dozen albums but for some reason, they have eluded me when it comes to catching a live show. This evening changed that.
As previously stated, there are very few bands currently on the road, but Seventh Day Slumber have toured consistently since the pandemic began, often catching a lot of heat from those who do not agree with their stance on things. Now, most bands even if they do manage to play out grab what little gear they can put together and head out. Not the case with Seventh Day Slumber, they pull out all the stops and brought their full production with them. Lights, sound, and pyro!! With no support act, the evening belonged solely to one band and they put on a great show in spite of vocalist and band founder Joseph Rojas having come down with some respiratory problems after breathing a whole lot of blowing dust from their gig the previous night in Barstow CA.
The turnout for the event was slightly lacking but what can you say, the show was held in a church and currently California is attempting to keep attendance at both churches and concert venues shut down. That being said, nothing can stop the power of our God and for those who were led to attend, their lives were certainly changed for the better if to just spend some time in fellowship and worship.
The guys are currently touring in support of their latest worship album titled Unseen: The Lion and the Lamb. Several songs were played from this album which takes many of today's contemporary worship songs and presents them just a tad heavier than you would be likely to hear at any given Sunday morning service. The band's Alt Metal stylings included were an extremely powerful version of "Waymaker," the heartfelt "Eternity," and a rather emotionally charged rendition of the title track "Lion and the Lamb. The guys had everything nailed down with precision timing to coincide with their light show, the screen backdrop that had imagery and lyrics strewn across it throughout the night, and the intense bursts of, yes you guessed it, pyro!
While Joseph had to struggle to maintain his voice and could not hit some of the high notes his heart and humor made it easy to forgive. Making lite of the situation he cracked jokes about trying to lose weight in California when we have In-N-Out and tacos! There was also something about Filipinos (directed at bassist Ken Reed) having the secret to curing any ailment. After a few members from the audience began calling out a request for the song "Caroline," the guys figured if they brought out an acoustic guitar and tuned it way down, they could probably pull it off. Joseph shared his very moving testimony of escaping his addictions at one point and also plugged the band's effort to help get patrons to sponsor a child to make sure they have clean water and food. He offered to give one of everything on their merch table if anyone would choose to help in this manner.
The band concluded with a few more rockers to finish off the night including one of my favorite tunes "Man Down" which pays homage to our veterans and really anyone who has served in the U.S. military and struggled with suicide. The guys had hoped to play a few more tunes but Josephs's voice was just not up to it. All in all, a great night and worth the time spent. I hit the merch table before the show so after saying a few goodbyes, I hit the road as it was getting to be way past my bedtime.


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REIT-volution: REITs Continue to Adapt to Dynamic Economy
5/28/2014 | By Allen Kenney
When President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Cigar Excise Tax Extension Act of 1960 into law, the bill authorized REITs in the United States. In the beginning, the industry primarily consisted of companies owning mortgages. Yet, over time, the REIT approach to real estate investment has demonstrated the capacity to evolve to fit the changing demands of the economy at large.
"During my tenure in the real estate world for the last 40 years, the advent of the public real estate company in the last 25 years has been the decisive landmark development for the real estate industry," says Richard Ziman, chairman of Rexford Industrial Realty Inc. (NYSE: REXR). "I think the REIT format especially with the ability to use the UPREIT structure was a key catalyst that really brought real estate into the business as well as the public mainstream."
For their first 30 years in existence, U.S. REITs bore little resemblance to the industry seen today. Since the early 1990s, however, owners and operators in a growing number of real estate sectors have opted to set up shop under the REIT banner.
Real estate companies seeking refuge from turbulent capital markets following the savings and loan crisis found life as a REIT to be more than just a safe harbor. It offered a better way to do business. The immigration started with the initial public offering of shopping center REIT Kimco Realty Corp. (NYSE: KIM) in 1991, the first equity REIT IPO following a prolonged dry spell. A year later, regional mall REIT Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE: TCO) went public. Soon thereafter the two companies' peers in the retail sector began following their lead and became REITs. Plenty of companies in real estate's major food groups—industrial facilities, offices and apartments, to name a few—eventually followed.
The REIT universe has continued to expand to include areas such as health care facilities, storage facilities, timberlands, cell towers and charter schools. Some of the newest members of the club illustrate REITs' diversity.
Just What the Doctors Ordered
If you want to know the story behind Milwaukee, Wisc.-based Physicians Realty Trust (NYSE: DOC), look no further than its ticker symbol, "DOC," says John Thomas, the company's CEO. The health care REIT maintains the view that, fundamentally, its role is to serve as a partner to doctors and medical practices.
"We interface with our tenants from a real estate perspective," he notes, "but we approach them with a holistic way of being their partner and working with them for the future. For us, it's not a landlord-tenant relationship. It's a health care delivery relationship."
Physicians Realty touts the extensive experience of its management team across all facets of the health care system from policy to law to management. The chairman of the company's board of directors, former Governor of Wisconsin Tommy Thompson, headed the Department of Health and Human Services in President George W. Bush's administration from 2001 to 2005.
According to Thomas, that familiarity with all aspects of medical care puts Physicians Realty in a unique position to better understand and accommodate the real estate demands of the hospitals and practices that lease space from the company.
"If you look across our leadership team, most are health care guys who got involved in real estate, not real estate guys who got involved in health care," he notes.
Physicians Realty held its initial public offering in July 2013, raising nearly $120 million. Since going public, the only problem that the company has faced is "a good one to have," according to Thomas.
"Raising capital in the public market is not an easy thing to do, but we've had substantial opportunities to deploy capital and invest it accretively," he says. "Our biggest challenge so far is just being able to keep up with the opportunities for investment."
Southern California Dreaming
Geographically targeted companies aren't uncommon in the REIT industry. Rexford Industrial Realty, which also went public in July 2013, is bringing that business model to Southern California's industrial sector.
Richard Ziman, Rexford Industrial's chairman and the former founding chairman and CEO of office REIT Arden Realty, rattles off a wide range of industries when talking about the diversity of businesses in the region and the opportunities presented for development and growth in what is considered the largest industrial market outside of China.
"Southern California is the largest manufacturing base in the country. Southern California is the home to the two largest ports in the country. Southern California is home to communications, entertainment and media of the U.S. Southern California has a huge concentration of aerospace. With an enormous technology concentration in Southern California, you can imagine, especially related to the entertainment and media industries and biotech," he says.
The firm's tenant base reflects that variety. Although Rexford has many large tenants, the average tenant in its portfolio is 10,000 square feet of space. The advent of e-commerce and "just-in-time" distribution has enabled companies to work in smaller confines and requires larger users to seek smaller "close-in" facilities, Ziman notes. As a result, the demand from small-business entrepreneurs and large users in Rexford Industrial's bread basket is boosting demand for smaller spaces in multitenant facilities and smaller buildings, he says.
A significant benefit of Rexford Industrial's business model is the ability to hedge its risk through diversification, according to Ziman.
"I would never put all of my eggs in one or two or even five baskets, especially where you have such a diversified economy as here," he says. "There's no tenant that can really hurt you, or even a sector that can hurt you because it's so diversified—not just by the enormous number of tenants, but by business and industry sectors."
Big Data, Big Business
The amount of data being generated around the globe has accelerated with the proliferation of laptops, tablets, smartphones and the like. The rise of sophisticated, high-performance computing applications has expanded the output of data, too. As Gary Wojtaszek, president and CEO of data center REIT CyrusOne (NYSE: CONE), points out, just how big the growth of data has become is staggering: 90 percent of the data that existed in the world in 2013 had been created in the previous two years.
CyrusOne, which elected to operate as a REIT at the beginning of last year, is working to partner with the companies that are driving that growth as they refine their IT environment needs. CyrusOne specializes in enterprise-class, carrier-neutral data center properties. The company provides mission-critical data center facilities that protect and ensure the continued operation of IT infrastructure for customers.
"Outsourcing is accelerating as customers become more and more comfortable with the idea of third-party data center facilities," Wojtaszek observes. "We estimate that 10 to 15 percent of enterprise data center requirements are currently outsourced. Over time, we expect nearly all enterprise data center business will be outsourced to a provider like CyrusOne."
CyrusOne counts 135 Fortune 1000 companies among the 630 tenants that lease space in its 25 facilities comprising more than 1.1 million square feet of space. The firm's portfolio space grew by 13 percent in 2013, and as part of its continuing expansion, CyrusOne is developing a site in Northern Virginia that represents its first foray into the East Coast.
With the infrastructure demands of tenants expected to evolve and become more specific, Wojtaszek says his company is focusing on ensuring that its data centers are flexible and customizable.
Chief information officers "are looking at information technology options more critically than they were in the past because so many more exist," he says. "They will examine IT options and determine the best solution based on the application."
Storming the Wireless Castle
The decision for Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE: CCI), which owns, operates and leases towers and other infrastructure for wireless communications, to organize as a REIT wasn't a difficult one, according to Ben Moreland, the company's president and CEO. The company went public in 1998, but it didn't begin operating as a stock exchange-listed REIT until the beginning of 2014.
"We think about ourselves as a real estate company," he comments. "In fact, the company was founded in 1994 by two real estate professionals. We think it's the right long-term corporate structure."
The company has made a significant investment in that real estate, nearly doubling in size in the last two years. Crown Castle's business centers around "shared infrastructure," according to Moreland. Crown Castle's objective is to aid wireless carriers in their push to improve their networks by leasing them more antennas on their current cell towers and offering them space on towers where they don't have a presence already.
"It gives them the benefit of the low cost of occupancy," he says.
Moreland also touts the "resilient business model" sported by his company. Since 2007, the company has grown its adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share by 18 percent annually. As such, he says the company effectively experienced no disruption as a result of the recession. "We had access to capital all along and we put it to good use."
Rather than look abroad for opportunities, Crown Castle is keeping its sights set on North America: "So far, it looks like American consumers have an insatiable appetite for wireless data and continue to use more data applications and Internet services."
Healthpeak Properties' Core Business Segments Provide Stable Cash Flow Growth
STAG Industrial Says Energy Efficiency Focus Helps Buildings Run More Efficiently


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Resilient Virginia News: March 2018
Resilient Virginia's First Three Years
Sea Level Rise Preparedness: An Intergovernmental Pilot Project as a Blueprint for Community Resiliency
KidWind Challenges: The Best Program You've Probably Never Heard Of!
Don't Just Talk About Backup Power From Your Electric Car — Make It Happen!
Resilient Events Calendar
Your Membership Counts!
Resilient Virginia's First Three Years and a Look Ahead
Three years have gone by rapidly since Resilient Virginia set out on its mission to accelerate resiliency planning in communities across the Commonwealth. We had an opportunity to give an overview of Resilient Virginia's accomplishments at our February 2nd Virginia Sustainable Future Meeting. We appreciate the time and ideas that our expert guests contributed. We especially appreciate that Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring and Secretary of Natural Resources Matt Strickler participated in the event.
Priorities for the future highlighted at the meeting include:
The need for a state-level resiliency framework under which to organize state, regional, and local policy and programs;
The need for education and coalition building to foster the positive public will to support action on resiliency policies and programs;
Investigating innovative financing mechanisms for infrastructure adaptation strategies;
Establishing commonly accepted models for risk assessment and consistent standards for resiliency;
Creating a clear business case for resiliency actions;
Building an understanding of rural and urban interdependence;
Fostering an understanding of the role of clean energy and resilient building design in providing solutions;
Highlighting the role of healthy communities and attention to vulnerable populations as components of resilient communities.
Resilient Virginia will take these priorities into consideration as it creates its workplan for the next four years. We will explore expanded ways to assist communities in both urban and rural areas with understanding the need for resiliency planning and to help them access tools for adopting action plans.
You can assist Resilient Virginia in formulating and carrying out our third Resilient Virginia Conference and other new initiatives by becoming a member or sponsorand by joining our working committees. Contact Annette Osso, Managing Director, at osso@resilientvirginia.org.
Editor's note: In 2014, a Hampton Roads initiative to learn more about and create solutions to sea level rise and flooding was initiated by public, private, and academic leaders in that community. We will share an overview of this initiative, along with the final report. In subsequent newsletters, we will focus attention on other parts of the state where community leaders are starting down the path toward resiliency. The author of this article, Rear Admiral Ann C. Phillips, US Navy (Retired), chaired the Infrastructure Working Group for the Hampton Roads Intergovernmental Pilot Project from 2014–2016. See highlights of the article in this newsletter and the complete article here.
The Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness and Resilience Intergovernmental Pilot Project (IPP) (convened by Old Dominion University and launched in June 2014) was one of four National Security Council pilots and three Department of Defense pilots established to prepare the United States for the impacts of a changing climate.
Hampton Roads localities (including Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach), four Cabinet Departments of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, 11 Federal Agencies (including DOD, Army, Navy, Air Force), DHS (U.S. Coast Guard), DOT, DOE, Port of Virginia, VDOT, HRPDC, HRTPO, HRSD, and a variety of private businesses and non-profits worked together over two years to develop recommendations and strategies for cooperative resilience planning. Throughout the process, more than 200 regional professionals participated in voluntary working groups, committees, and stakeholder events.
Storm surge map courtesy of chesapeakeclimate.org
The IPP's stated mission was that upon completion of the two-year effort, Hampton Roads would have a path to establish a regional Whole of Government and Whole of Community organizational framework, along with recommended procedures to effectively coordinate sea level rise preparedness and resilience planning for the region. Further, the IPP's vision and the National Security Council's objective included the development of this regional framework for Hampton Roads as a template that could be used for other regions.
Desired Outcomes: The Pilot Project identified five key desired outcomes to help Hampton Roads move forward in adapting to this challenge, shown here as synthesized from case studies and findings across the committees and working groups, and including lessons learned from South Florida, New Orleans, and the Netherlands. They are as follows:
Develop and implement common Regional Planning Standards — including, but not limited to common first floor elevation/building codes/GIS attributes/sea level planning scenarios — to facilitate effective regional planning and execution of adaptation efforts.
Establish support from a Consortium of Universities — ensure the best possible science, data, and engineering expertise from a non-partisan trusted agent.
Establish a Regional Data Center — ensure an independent, centralized ability to collect, analyze, distribute, and respond to regional data needs.
Ensure collaborative, prioritized planning and execution — create formalized relationships between Federal/State/Cities/Municipalities/Businesses/Non-profits and Citizens
Identify funding strategies and create funding instruments for regional program needs — bring together and prioritize opportunities from multiple sources including federal, state, local government, private industry and non-profits.
Community members learn about sea level rise from Michelle Covi, Assistant Professor of Practice, Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Old Dominion University.
The Future: While there are actions and activities underway across the region at every level, the need for the regional collaboration and oversight entity identified by the IPP grows as water levels continue to rise and the land subsides. The IPP showed the tremendous value of regional partnerships working in collaboration across the whole of government and community. Now, it is up to Hampton Roads to seize this opportunity to take the lead in developing collaborative adaptation and mitigation strategies and actions to address to this existential threat — and we have no time to lose!
To view the entire IPP final report and case studies on line, visit ODU Digital Commons.
About the author: Rear Admiral Ann C. Phillips, US Navy (Retired) chaired the Infrastructure Working Group for the Hampton Roads Intergovernmental Pilot Project from 2014-2016. She is now a member of the Advisory Board for the Center for Climate and Security. The opinions expressed are her own.
Paul Hawken, Executive Director of Project Drawdown and one of the fathers of the sustainability movement, presented an overview of a major new publication at the Champions of Change Sustainability Symposium, held January 8, 2018. The book, Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, is the product of work conducted with over two hundred scholars, students, scientists, researchers, and activists who analyzed extensive data gathered from around the world. They produced what they consider the one hundred most substantive solutions than can cumulatively reverse global warming by reducing and sequestering greenhouse gases.
By "doing the math" and focusing on technological, ecological, and behavioral solutions, the research team produced their results. Top categories of solutions include those associated with food (changing production methods, reducing food waste, switching to plant-rich diets), electricity generation (ramping up wind and solar production), and land (including proper land management and reforestation).
Thanks to GreenBuilder Media, the conference hosts, I am sharing both an article by CEO Sara Gutterman and Paul Hawken's presentation here and on the Resilient Virginia YouTube channel.
Farm photo courtesy of regenerationinternational.org; renewable energy photo courtesy of Financial Tribune.
KidWind Challenge: The Best Program You've Probably Never Heard Of!
Kids from middle and high schools around Virginia will be showing off their knowledge about designing and building wind turbines again this year during March events that make up the 2018 KidWind Challenges. This program, hosted by the James Madison University Center for Wind Energy, has been an opportunity for children to "learn by doing" since 2012, and has involved over 1,300 students, coaches, judges, and volunteers and 170 schools.
The students are judged in three areas: 1) turbine performance, 2) turbine design quality and process, and 3) knowledge of the wind industry. The CWE hosts three regional qualifying KidWind Challenges:
March 5 at the Science Museum of Western Virginia In Roanoke
March 16 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly
March 23 at the Nauticus in Norfolk
The top three teams in each Middle and High School division from each regional Challenge will be invited to compete in the National KidWind Challenge in Chicago, IL at the American Wind Energy Association Windpower Conference in May 2018.
See what Virginia students think about wind energy on our Clean Energy video playlist.
Kids from middle and high schools around Virginia will be showing off their knowledge about designing and building wind turbines again this year during March events that make up the 2018 KidWind Challenges.
You may be considering how to make sure you have backup power in the event of some extreme weather, like 60 mile-per-hour winds that knock out power lines, as happened recently in the Commonwealth. A colleague, Charlie Behrens, whom I met at the Champions of Change Symposium, shared how he utilized the "big battery" in his driveway, i.e. his Nissan Leaf. He used some do-it-yourself expertise to successfully provide emergency power for his Orlando home during recent hurricane-induced power outages. Key ingredients, besides the car, were a 3000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter by Power Tech-On, a circuit breaker to prevent damage to the car's system, and power cables.
Read the full account here.
— Annette Osso, Editor
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Audi A6 allroad vs. Subaru Outback
When we compare the Audi A6 allroad to the Subaru Outback, the Audi A6 allroad has the advantage in the area of base engine power. The Subaru Outback has the advantage in the areas of new vehicle base pricing, fuel efficiency and interior volume. Based on this comparison of the Audi A6 allroad versus the Subaru Outback, the Subaru Outback is a better car than the Audi A6 allroad.
Audi A6 allroad versus Subaru Outback Pricing
For a new model, the Audi A6 allroad's price is between $69,826 and $81,913, with the Subaru Outback priced between $32,795 and $44,141.
For engine performance, the Audi A6 allroad's base engine makes 335 horsepower, and the Subaru Outback base engine makes 182 horsepower. The A6 allroad is rated to deliver an average of 24 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 579 miles. The Outback is rated to deliver an average of 28 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 592 miles. The A6 allroad uses premium unleaded, and the Outback uses regular unleaded.
The Subaru Outback, a crossover/compact SUV, has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front shoulder room, front leg room, rear shoulder room, rear leg room, and trunk space. The Audi A6 allroad, a midsize car, has the advantage in the area of rear head room.
When comparing crash test ratings from NHTSA, both the Audi A6 allroad and the Subaru Outback have the same average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars. When comparing IIHS evaluations, both the Audi A6 allroad and the Subaru Outback have the same Top Safety Pick+ award.
2023 Audi A6 allroad
quattro Premium Plus 55 TFSI, quattro Prestige 55 TFSI
Cargo Space, 3rd-row seat folded down:
Audi A6 allroad vs. BMW iX
Audi A6 allroad vs. Audi A6
Audi A4 vs. Audi A6 allroad
Audi A4 allroad vs. Audi A6 allroad
Subaru Outback vs. Volvo V60 Cross Country


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Brisbane office crowned a champion at regional green building awards
A Brisbane office has been recognised for its sustainable design and performance, after snagging an international award from the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).
69 Robertson Street in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley was crowned a champion of green building at the WorldGBC's Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards for 2016 at a ceremony in Mumbai.
Engineering firm Floth, which designed and occupies the building, was presented with the Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance (Commercial) award.
According to the Green Building Council of Australia's Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew, 69 Robertson Street was the first building in Australia to achieve a 6 Star Green Star – Design & As Built v1.1 rating.
"69 Robertson Street is an energy-efficiency powerhouse – and we are delighted that Floth, a long-time member of the Green Building Council of Australia, has been recognised for its regional leadership in sustainable design," Ms Madew says.
"Floth understands that green buildings are not only better for the environment – they can also attract quality tenants, reinforce a company's brand and future-proof its assets," Ms Madew adds.
The WorldGBC's Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance Award is presented to green building projects that set new benchmarks for sustainability, with three sub-category winners for residential, commercial and institutional buildings.
Energy modelling has predicted that 69 Robertson Street generates 53 per cent fewer operational carbon emissions than a building built to code. A roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system offsets 28 per cent of the building's final operational energy, and the building will also be zero carbon in operation through the purchase of 100 per cent GreenPower supply.
Other winners at the WorldGBC's regional leadership awards include India's Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, as well as two projects in Hong Kong: Construction Industry Council's Zero Carbon Building and Double Cove.
Green building projects and companies were nominated by the 15 green building councils which make up the WorldGBC's Asia Pacific Regional Network.
"Four nominations really pushed the boundaries on sustainability, and in the eyes of our judges stood out as true green building leaders. They have raised the bar for others to follow and are deserved winners of the awards," says Terri Wills, chief executive officer of the WorldGBC.
The Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards are biennial awards, first held in 2014, which showcase and celebrate the achievements of companies pushing the envelope on sustainable buildings in the region. See: www.worldgbc.org
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Kristin Ann King
← On choosing a (Hugo) winner
I stand with educators →
An Etymology of Sad Puppy Terms
Now that the Sad Puppies have failed in their strategy to take over the Hugos by manipulating the nomination process, I thought I could safely ignore the rest of their sci fi and fantasy backlash. But the Wired article I've been discussing for several posts tells me I'm wrong. It took some of the terms coined by Sad Puppies and used them with a straight face. Other mass media outlets have done the same.
Some words are sneaky. They say more in connotation than denotation. (In other words, they say more by implication that by direct, concrete meaning.) They become shorthand for a whole set of assumptions. Sometimes digging into their pasts can help illuminate those assumptions. (For an example, see my analysis of the term "political correctness.")
So let's take a quick look at what those Sad Puppy words mean, and how they came to be. I'll cover "trufan," "CHORF," and finally "Social Justice Warriors."
Trufan
Trufan is the funny one, so let's start there. Both Wired and Popular Science have latched on to it. It's been around a while, but starting in February 2015, Sad Puppy supporters Sad Puppies started use it as shorthand to defend themselves against the claims that they're not "real fans."
Only one problem with that: I can't find any evidence that more than one person ever made that claim.
I don't know who that one person was, but I do know that they made it in the comments thread of some post or another. Somebody apparently accused a blogger named Patrick Richardson of not being a true fan, and he defended himself in the blog post "Not a Real Fan."
However, I can't find the accusation itself. The only thing I can find is a conversation in the comments thread. One person asked what had sparked this post, and Patrick Richardson replied that Larry Correia had been labeled "not part of fandom." Another person then said, "I can find plenty of examples of Larry *claiming* people called him not a real writer or not a real fan. What seems thin on the ground is actual pages where people *did* so." Author John C. Wright, Puppy supporter and beneficiary, then replied, "The comment that sparked this was in a private email which the recipient is unwilling to reproduce publicly."
So the accusation of which Patrick Richardson was complaining came in a private email from one person to another.
Next up was a post by blogger Mike Glyer saying with the ultimate message that (1) if you try to attach yourself to fandom, you are a fan; and (2) you don't need anyone's permission to be there. The post, "Why You're Not a Fan" began ironically, however, with a silly list of qualifications you must hold to be a fan. You have to read fanzines, join a club, own Star Wars action figures, join a Bardic Circle, AND do cosplay.
This irony is over-the top and obvious. Who could possibly meet these qualifications? It's obvious, that is, unless you're expecting a fight. And some people were, so the Internet exploded with outraged bloggers, from Bob Colfax's "So I'm Not Cool Enough to be a Fan" to Brad Torgersen's "My FANifesto."
That's "trufan" in a nutshell: a tempest in a teapot.
CHORF
Next up, CHORF. The etymology is simple. Puppy leader Brad Torgersen coined it in March 2015 to mean "Cliquish, Holier-than-thou, Obnoxious, Reactionary, Fanatics." It was first used to refer to Teresa Nielsen Hayden, after an argument in the comment thread of "Distant Thunder, and the Smell of Ozone." It is now broadly applied to a larger group of people.
"Social Justice Warrior," like "CHORF," is used broadly. The term has been around since at least 2009, when the Will Shetterley began the blog Social Justice Warriors: Do Not Engage. It's also been used (very rarely) by activists to refer to themselves.
But in 2014, Gamergate happened. That was a backlash against female video game programmers and players. It appears to have been orchestrated by a small number of Twitter users, who also strategically planned the use of hashtags such as #notyourshield. The term "Social Justice Warrior" and its shorthand "SJW" was officially intended to apply to the worst form of Internet troll, but in actual usage it applied broadly to anybody who disagreed with Gamergaters. This meant that Gamergaters could imply somebody was a troll without actually saying so. Also, naming somebody as a warrior provided a pretext for attacking them.
In 2015, the term it made its way into the science fiction and fantasy blogosphere. Here are a couple of examples.
From "Sad Puppies, If I must" on Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog:
For the last several years, a vocal minority of Social Justice Warriors has wrecked havoc on the fabric of the science fiction community. Taking their clues from the Alinskyite "direct action" tactics of far-left political activists, they've carried out a virulent campaign against anyone unwilling to toe the political correct line on victimhood identity politics.
From "Why I Don't Like Social Justice Warriors" on Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Nation blog:
The issue with the Social Justice Warrior contingent isn't just that they've got their causes, it is that they take those causes and use them to brow beat not only their opposition, but also the innocent bystanders, the undecided, and newcomers.
When a person uses the term "Social Justice Warrior," it looks to me like they're trying to start a fight. When a mass media journalist uses it, they're setting the stage for that fight and taking a side. For example, here's a quote from the Wired article "Who Won Science Fiction's Hugo Awards and Why It Matters":
But from the start, Correia had some serious complaints. He felt that the Hugos had become overly dominated by what he and others call "Social Justice Warriors," who value politics over plot development.
It was lazy journalism to use the term without trying to provide an actual definition. I get why it happened, though: there isn't a definition. Social justice warriors are [who?] who do [what?] That question can't be answered.
When faced with words like these, it helps to have a critical eye and a handle on what's being implied and what's being hidden. It's worth the time to look for more accurate replacements and advocate for their use. For example, "Social Justice Warriors" means "left-leaning Internet troll" in some cases and "feminist" in others. And finally, hold the mass media accountable.
Words have power. Use them with care.
This entry was posted in books, movies, tv, music, dreaming politics and tagged journalism, SFF backlash. Bookmark the permalink.
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Retro Tactical! A look back at Crusader: No Regret
by Andy Mills, 20 July 2012
Back in 1996, I spent weeks playing one of the last great PC games of the DOS era - Crusader: No Regret. This game remains a true classic in the world of isometric tactical combat and even now, more than a decade later, many players are still discovering the fun of this venerable title.
History of the Crusaders
The two games in the Crusader series (No Remorse and No Regret) pit a renegade soldier against a corrupt and brutal empire...err... I mean government, known as the World Economic Consortium (WEC). The soldiers in the game are known as "silencers" because they systematically eliminate rebels and those who dare speak out against the corrupt WEC regime. The "silencer" at the centre of the Crusader series turns against the regime when he refuses an order to kill innocent civilians. This sudden change of heart greatly disappoints the leaders of the WEC and he is slated for termination. Unfortunately, for the evil leaders of the WEC, our hero decides to work with the resistance to exact his own form of run-and-gun justice against his former employer.
While No Remorse established the backdrop for the action, No Regret allowed the game designers to develop various aspects of the Crusader universe in greater detail. While some of the designers denied that the Crusader universe shared a common lineage with other Origin Systems titles, such as Wing Commander and System Shock, there does appear to be some loose connections. For instance, the game uses the same calendar system as in Wing Commander and a newspaper article in the game mentions SHODAN and the disaster that took place at Citadel Station which was the setting for System Shock 1. These tie-ins and even some cleverly recycled dialogue from Star Wars worked to hold the interest of the player and make the experience more enjoyable.
Going Tactical
Like No Remorse, No Regret was a third person shooter that required the player to use a mix of strategy, cunning and good 'ole brute force to achieve his goals. Sticking with the same basic engine as the original Crusader, this game followed the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy and worked to provide the player with a familiar interface to explore 10 sprawling, multi-level environments. This second installment in the series featured enhanced combat maneuvers, such as the forward roll, which added to an already impressive repertoire of tactical possibilities. No Regret also added to the number of weapons in the already jam-packed Crusader arsenal, which included sub-machine guns, rocket launchers, micro-wave broilers, Bouncing Betties, det packs and autonomous robot spider mines. Setting enemies on fire, freezing them, or turning hapless troopers into puddles of goo just never seemed to get old. Added touches, such as allowing the player to access scout droids or gun turrets, kept the action fresh and allowed for many missions to be accomplished in a variety of different ways.
Hey! You Got Your FMV In My Video Game!
Like other games at the time, No Regret followed a standard intro, gameplay and full-motion video (FMV) cut-scene formula, but it was done very well. Cutscenes just didn't take place between missions, several also occurred during the in-game action. These short sequences often punctuated missions to provide the player with intelligence updates, hints or access codes. The acting was well done, but no big name FMV actors of the era, like Malcolm MacDowell or Mark Hamill made an appearance. Despite this lack of star power, the use of the FMV clips added value to the game play and served to immerse the player in the world of the "Silencer."
Let's Get It On!
In the process of playing through all ten settings, which range from space freighters to massive industrial complexes, the ingenuity of the games keyboard command scheme became readily apparent. A variety of key combinations allowed for the effective navigation of each environment without making things overly complex. This well thought-out balance let the player experience in-depth game-play without becoming distracted by an overwhelming number of movement options or key combos. In addition to using keyboard commands, joystick (as bizarre as that may seem) and gamepad options were also available. All of these commands were highlighted on a large reference card that could be placed beside the player for easy reference. Other documentation that shipped with No Regret, outlined the specific parameters of various weapon or munitions, while a mock hardcopy newspaper of the future served to maintain the suspension of disbelief and offer subtle gaming hints.
Problem solving "Silencer" style.
Crusader Shock
After completing the game and reflecting on the whole experience, I couldn't help but to compare No Regret to System Shock. Whether intentional or not, the quality and "feel" of the experience in both games was similar. The in-game graphics were well done (for that time period) and sound effects both demonstrated high production values. Both games also required the player to focus on strategy and the careful use of inventory items which played a critical role in the success or failure of the player. By taking advantage of various surroundings and creating traps, with items such as spider mines and Bouncing Betties, the player could offset some of the numerical advantages enjoyed by the enemy.
Despite the enjoyable and consuming nature of the game, it certainly could have used some work in the areas of AI and mission design. Enemy troopers often failed to notice major explosions in the near vicinity or walked over scores of their dead comrades waiting to be picked-off like ducks in a shooting gallery. Like most games from this time period, the majority of the action took place inside corridors and passageways. This led to some heavy redundancy in backdrops and tile sets used in the game. Outdoor missions would have added value to the game, but the relative lack of computing power at the time it was released probably relegated the game to being set indoors.
End of the Crusades
Overall, Crusader holds-up well and is a solid and time tested offering for fans of the third person tactical shooter genre. As Martha Stewart would say "that's a good thing," as there has never been a spiritual successor to the franchise. Both games in the Crusader series are available at GOG.com and are highly recommended. Go retro and see what the future of tactical combat looked like in 1996!
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Our Aunt Stella's Authentic Polish Garlic Dill is the pickle recipe I grew up eating as a child, Aunt Stella Konyecsni is my great aunt on my mother's side.
This generations old family recipe combines the simplest of ingredients.. fresh firm cucumbers, fresh garlic cloves, fresh dill weed and dried dill seed. Each spear is hand cut and packed into jars by our team of amazing people who are passionate about keeping food wholesome, authentic and simple!!


The Trident Single Zone Controller is the next generation of high-performance, low-power controller technology from Phytotronics, Inc. Designed from the ground up, the new Trident controller features a solid-state memory chip and a new, user-friendly digital display.
Easy user interface, outstanding reliability and set-and-forget programming brings you unprecedented peace of mind.
With a 24-hour clock and up to 8 programmable events, the Trident allows almost endless ON and OFF options. If you want loads of features at a low cost, this is the controller for you.


Muslims & Halloween: Celebrate or Not?
Many in our Muslim society including myself at one point believed that Halloween is nothing more than a harmless festival that allows kids to collect candy. But is it? No. It is not.
Reading up I learnt that the Druids who were a religious order amongst the Celts would try to appease their Lord of Death. These Druids also believed that witches rode on broomsticks and that ghosts were the cause of supernatural occurrences.
On Halloween or October 31, the souls of the dead people were presumed to roam the land of the living. The Devil, spirits and witches were also believed to be moving about and at the height of their power.
There were games and rituals which involved fortune-telling. Young people, for instance, would try to see what their marriage prospects were.
Its origins lie deeply rooted in the belief of the supernatural world therefore, Muslims should stay away. Christian and Jews practicing their religions have also advised so.
In most western countries we have freedom to practice our faith without any interference. This freedom is one of the blessings of Allah. We must learn and teach our children to practise the peaceful message and not to indulge in the forbidden practices.
As Muslim parents, it is our responsibility to keep our children focused on the good and as far away as possible from the bad. We will be held accountable for how and what we teach our children about their religion. This includes days we celebrate.
Occasionally, as parents we ourselves can get confused between the good and the bad. Only through knowledge, are we able to differentiate what is right from wrong.
Unfortunately, the 'human weaknesses' allure us to anything that seems to be attractive and enjoyable and not what is right or correct.
However, we cannot forget that we must strive to abide by our religious boundaries.
So after establishing this, what is a reasonable mindset regarding the celebration of Halloween since it is this time of the year?
Some may argue that there is no lasting benefit to ignore a holiday that exists around us. Others believe it does harm to celebrate Halloween as it has originated and grown over the centuries.
To counter the influence of Halloween, and the hype surrounding it we need to teach our children to celebrate the reality of the heroic efforts of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing upon him) and his Companions. Make them familiar to our true heroes; our real role models.
Talking to them now as opposed to on the morning of October 31 will give them some time to think about it too, and get used to the concept of not having to go trick-or-treating just because their friends are.
Rather than order them, explain to them patiently concepts like angels and Jinn. Talk to them about the story of Satan and its effort to tempt humans. Tell them that life following our Prophet and with our Quran can thwart all the devil's tricks.
Bear in mind that those who celebrate Halloween either are unaware of its roots, or are intentionally promoting a world where evil is lauded and viewed as an ultimate power. Instill in them that this is nothing we want.
Do not condemn those who celebrate Halloween. Instead, explain to your child what it is calmly, point out its dangers, and let it register. Let them think about it. Explain that every group or culture has its own celebrations, and we, as Muslims have our own. Halloween is a pagan celebration. However, when Eid comes, that is our celebration.
As the day approaches provide an alternative and focus the day away from ghosts, witches and other 'haunted' experiences.
As opposed to hiding in the face of evil, we should create a substitute that is positive and uplifting. Show them that as Muslims we celebrate good over evil and the triumph of Adam over Shaytan.
We need to provide an environment that also makes room for plenty of fun while using the day as an 'educational moment' to celebrate Allah's protection, provision and purpose for our lives.
As mentioned earlier, living in the West, we are blessed with so many things. There are many many good things that we learn and adapt from these countries. However, there are some habits that are unacceptable in the Islamic culture. Halloween is one such tradition.
Friends may argue that this is a non-harming, non-threatening, very fun and simple tradition. Agree, on the face value, it may appear that children are just having fun, dressing up and collecting some candies.
However, as Muslims, we are supposed to consider and think about everything that we do. There is no blind following in Islam. We are not supposed to follow something blindly without thinking or pondering about it.
Muslims need to come to terms with an Islamic identity and the fact that we are ordered by Allah not to imitate others.
Perspectives on the observance of Halloween are highly divided. Some people think it is just a fun night to dress up and get candy, while others believe it is an acceptance of the things that represent the demonic world.
If you feel it necessary to explain yourself to other adults, you can choose to be as informational as you like. However, in the commotion and busy hype Halloween seems to bring, others may not be fully able to hear your message.
It may be easier to keep the explanation simple and offer to talk more about it after their sugar high has passed. A simple, "As Muslims, we choose not to participate in an event with Pagan origins. I'd be happy to tell you more sometime," may suffice and will go further than something more rigid may.
While we do not celebrate Halloween, we can still celebrate the gorgeous autumn season in a fun, delicious and respectful way.
After all, it is an honour, responsibility and blessing to be a Muslim. You see, as Muslims we are placed in this world to be a light in a world of darkness. Be that light.


An authentic 1950s beauty, this chiffon dress features a floral print in deep blues, greens and purples. Fitted bodice with scoop neckline. Three quarter length sleeves. Lined in a coordinating rayon floral print fabric. Full gathered skirt. Full back metal zipper.
***Photographed with a petticoat that is not included.