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text:
Local Authorities Elections
SUNDAY POLITICS
Talks successful : Sajith agreeable to Ranil's conditions! Featured
The talks held at Temple Trees yesterday between the UNP Leader Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa are very positive and favourable, according to PM's Office sources.
The meeting commenced at 9.30 pm and took around an hour while Ministers Kabir Hashim, Malik Samarawickrama, Ranjith Maddumabandara and Rajitha Senaratne also participated.
During the meeting the tactics used for the election by the UNP and the party's needs to form a broad coalition to win the election irrespective of who the presidential candidate is, was also discussed at length.
All present at the meeting had been in favour of continuing in the future as the United National Front (UNF).
Favourable results within a short time- Sajith
Subsequent to the meeting Sajith Premadasa expressing his views to the media said favourable results would be obtained within a short period and several rounds of talks would take place within the next few days.
When asked about his nomination for the presidential candidacy, Premadasa said that talks regarding the UNP presidential candidate with Ranil Wickremesinghe had gone well and that all issues could be resolved through cordial discussion.
He assured that the party would forge ahead as a united group, adding that no demands were made during the meeting.
Premadasa also noted that within the next few days a positive response would be announced, adding that internal talks were positive, but he had no deals with any party or faction but his deal was with the people. He also noted that he was no eagle or vulture but a full blooded elephant.
He noted that even to attain enlightenment one must yearn for it and as Ranil Wickramasinghe is a positive thinking person, he expects a positive response very soon.
Sajith denied speculation that there were internal disputes within the party, adding that whatever differences exists, he is certain they could be resolved amicably through dialogue.
He also denied speculation that there are now two factions within the UNP, the Ranil faction and the Sajith faction and said that continued discussions would be held during the next few days.
He said that all parties would support him including the SLPP, adding that it was important to act patiently.
Sajith is the presidential candidate -Harin
Meanwhile, the Sajith faction claimed that it had been agreed upon at the meeting to nominate Sajith as the candidate this weekend.
In a Twitter post Harin Fernando of the Sajith faction stated that the talks with the Prime Minister had been fruitful and that Sajith's nomination would be announced over the weekend.
More in this category: « PC members - Duty-free vehicle permits shelved again Arrested JMI members handed over to the TID »
EU-funded demining project launched in Muhamalai
Keheliya, fmr. SPC chairman released from court case
Releasing of industrial and domestic waste into waterways banned
FR petitions on Easter attacks: Ex-President & PM granted time to file objections
Sri Lankan Black Panther rediscovered
Copyright © 2020 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: mv renaming files deleted it if i had a playlist filled with music, i would want it to shuffle and play because i wouldn't want to hear the same song order over and over again as it gets old real fast.. same thing here but with pictures
so i wanted my files randomized
and i looked up a command to randomize file names and i got this
for file in *.jpg; do
mv -- "$file" "$RANDOM-$RANDOM-$RANDOM.jpeg"
done

it worked well but the problem was that it only changed jpeg so i did this
for file in *.jpg; do
mv -- "$file" "$RANDOM-$RANDOM-$RANDOM.jpeg"
done

for file in *.jpeg; do
mv -- "$file" "$RANDOM-$RANDOM-$RANDOM.jpg"
done

for file in *.JPG; do
mv -- "$file" "$RANDOM-$RANDOM-$RANDOM.png"
done

i ran this command as a shell script and it removed all files from the folder. And no where to be found.
i also ran it in a removable disk
EDIT:
It just turned out to be a visual glitch and a power outage fixed it.
The reason why i took so long to edit this is cause my boot got corrupted and it took really long to fix it.
Thanks to anyone who tried to help.

A: You can utilize the Python programming language for this very easily:
import glob
import random

# reads in from the current folder the files with the pattern *.mp3 and assign it to a variable of type list.
music_files = glob.glob("*.mp3")

# is picking randomnized a file from the variable.
random_music_file = random.choice(music_files)

Python is installed up front on each Ubuntu installation.

A: To possibly locate your files, with five digits and a dash in the name, with a name end with jpg:
First do
$ sudo updatedb - to freshen the database...  then
$ locate --regex "[0-9]{5}-.*jpg$"
Oh, and prior to those you need e.g.
$ sudo apt install mlocate - if you haven't already done it.
One more thing: if PRUNEPATHS= in /etc/updatedb.conf happens to contain the path where the files are, they won't be shown.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
NewsRailways
VANDE BHARAT EXPRESS
Vande Bharat Express: From fastest to slowest semi-high speed trains in India - Full List HERE
While the top speed of the semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express is claimed to be 180 kmph, all the five trains have achieved an average running speed less than 100 kmph.
Written By Zee Media Bureau|Edited By: Arjit Garg|Last Updated: Nov 15, 2022, 03:20 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Vande Bharat Express are semi-high speed trains launched by the Indian Railways on several routes to reduce travel times between important cities in India. Till now, the trains have been inaugurated on five strategic routes, all inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the importance of these trains for the government and for the passengers. Recently, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated South India's first Vande Bharat train on Mysuru-Chennai route on November 12 during his Bangalore visit. While the top speed of the Vande Bharat Express is claimed to be 180 kmph (as achieved in trial runs), most of these trains are yet to reach their top speed.
In fact, the average speed of all the five trains is below 100 kmph, which is higher than any other fast running trains, including Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains, but hasn't still reached the peak performance due to various factors. Among these, the slowest is the newest Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai Vande Bharat, which can only run at 130 kmph due to track conditions.
Here's the average speeds of Vande Bharat trains in India
1) New Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express has the top average speed of 95 kmph
2) Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar runs at an average speed of 84 kmph
3) New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express runs at 82 kmph
4) New Delhi-Amb Andaura runs at an average speed of 79 kmph
5) Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat runs in a range from 75-77 kmph
Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express
The Vande Bharat Express train will give a boost to tourism for passengers who travel regularly on Chennai – Bengaluru – Mysuru corridor. The Vande Bharat train would cover Chennai – Bengaluru (336 Km) in 4 hrs and 30 minutes and between Chennai – Mysuru in 6 hrs and 40 minutes as against 4 hours and 45 minutes (Chennai –Bengaluru) and 7 hours (Chennai –Mysuru) being clocked by Shatabdi Express.
The average speed of Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat ranges from 75-77 kmph. However, Indian Railways is now working on increasing the average speed of the Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express train within the next 6 months.
Vande Bharat Express: Features
All the coaches in the Vande Bharat Express trains are equipped with automatic doors, a GPS-based audio-visual passenger information system, onboard hotspot Wi-Fi for entertainment purposes, and comfortable seats. The executive class has rotating chair and the train is focused on increased safety and reducing accidents on railway tracks and hence employs the indigenous train collision avoidance system KAVACH.
With agencies inputs
Vande Bharat Expressvande bharat trainSemi-high speed trainChennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat
IND: 68-3 (13.3) | IND VS NZ 2nd T20 LIVE Score: Tripathi Departs, IND 3 Down


# Details: she was working in Nigeria trying to collect some of her stuff. Ran out of money at the hotel and still had a couple days to wait on her stuff. needed money for hotel bill, food and plane ticket. she has a US passport to show you that she is a citizen. Im guessing it is fake but it looks real. She lives with a friend named Annie she says in Cleveland North Carolina.


text:
Dibakar Banerjee
Dialogue | Director | Screenplay | Producer | Lyrics | Story | Directors | Music
Top First Day India: 1. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy 2. Shanghai 3. Love Sex Aur Dhokha 4. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! | See Full List
Top Nett Gross India: 1. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy 2. Shanghai 3. Love Sex Aur Dhokha 4. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! | See Full List
Top Grosses Overseas: 1. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy 2. Shanghai 3. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! 4. Khosla Ka Ghosla | See Full List
Top Grosses Worldwide: 1. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy 2. Shanghai 3. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! 4. Khosla Ka Ghosla | See Full List
Dibakar Banerjee Top Overseas Grossers
Rank Film Release Date Gross $ Gross
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy
3 Apr 2015 $1,510,000 9,36,20,000
8 Jun 2012 $530,000 2,91,50,000
Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
28 Nov 2008 $160,000 79,20,000
22 Sep 2006 $65,000 29,73,750
1. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy
Release Date: 3 Apr 2015
Gross $: $1,510,000
Gross: 9,36,20,000
2. Shanghai
Release Date: 8 Jun 2012
Gross $: $530,000
3. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
Release Date: 28 Nov 2008
Gross: 79,20,000
4. Khosla Ka Ghosla
Gross $: $65,000
Top First Week Grossers Worldwide
Top Fifth Week Grossers India
Top Sixth Week Grossers India
Top Grossers CP Berar
Top Grossers US / Canada
Top First Weekend Gulf
TOP OVERSEAS FIRST WEEKEND ALL TIME
1. Padmaavat $10,590,000
2. Dhoom 3 $10,320,000
3. Sultan $9,550,000


put it on a napkin!: can we make it out alive?
can we make it out alive?
the new video for the diana jam, "born again", is the definition of what every night should be capped with. an assault of beauty on the ears and a mess for the eyes, indulge yourself and try to soak it all in.
put it on a napkin.
i only require a handful of things in life: eyeliner, coffee, acai bowls, whiskey, nicknames, hugs and minimal eye contact.


Alessandra Armetta '18, in traditional Japanese garment, Kimono, and colleagues from the Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, in June 2017.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded funding to Sunghee Lee, Ph.D., Board of Trustees endowed professor and chair of Chemistry, to promote an international research collaboration with Shoji Takeuchi, Ph.D., of the University of Tokyo, Japan.
This summer, Alessandra Armetta '18, an ACS Chemistry major, joined a globally renowned scientific team in Tokyo to perform research in the field of biophysical chemistry. Armetta's contribution to the work has led to the publication of its proceedings at the renowned International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (MicroTAS 2017). Armetta presents her research finding titled "Characterization of Monoolein Bilayer Thickness Using Specific Membrane Capacitance" at the conference in Savannah, Ga., from October 22-26.
"It is a tremendous opportunity for our students to experience a true intellectual collaboration," said Dr. Lee. "Each year, research partners in Japan have been very impressed by our students' contribution; hence our fruitful partnership continues. Their summer experience will provide an even greater level of confidence and strength toward their careers in science in the future. I am very proud to be able to offer this opportunity, and they deserve it!"
Armetta followed Peter J. Milianta '16, a Biochemistry major; Michael McGlone '17, a Physics major; and Jacqueline Denver '17, a Biochemistry major, in the program. The Iona students all traveled over the past two academic years to the University of Tokyo for the month-long research project.
The NSF awards the funding to promote their vision of a "nation that creates and exploits new concepts in science and engineering and provides global leadership in research and education."
Armetta describes the experience in her own words.
My experience in Japan was, most importantly, a confidence boost. I love being a chemistry major, and I love working and performing research in the lab as a member of Project Symphony, Dr. Lee's Research Group. However, chemistry is by no means easy, and I often find myself second-guessing my future. In school at Iona there is a plethora of guidance and support, and I pride myself on the support system I have around me. In Japan, however, this support system was cut down to only two people – Dr. Lee and Dr. Osaki (the lab manager in Japan), two people I certainly did not want to disappoint.
Nothing went right the morning I left. At 4 a.m., my flight across the Pacific was canceled and I was placed on a much later flight. As a result of this initial experience, perhaps, I did not pause to acknowledge this was the first time I was really alone. I am a very shy person and often have others who will take charge around me. But it was not until I was sitting on the futon in my residence in Tokyo where I would spend the next five weeks, that I realized that no one would be there to take charge other than myself. Through what I can only say must have been the grace of God, every weekend when I would travel around town to go sightseeing, I gradually became a highly independent individual. I knew how to get around, what I would need, when I would need it, and was more than comfortable talking to new people. Being alone far away from home gave me confidence in myself, enough to know that I was capable of this kind of independence.
During my time at KISTECH (Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, an associated academy to the University of Tokyo) everyone was very warm and friendly; they were excited to learn about me and to talk about themselves and Japan. On my last day, as I was departing, I was told they enjoyed having me working with them. I knew while I was there I had done considerably well with my research. Everything I thought would be difficult ended up working out. What I did not expect was that someone as shy as me would be as well-received as I was. Being told my presence was enjoyed gave me confidence to know that I could work as a chemist after college. I cannot fully explain it but, when I was told this, I knew it was because of a combination of the work I had done and that by some means a shy person was able to be personable, two things that before this experience I previously believed I was unable to do. Because of this, I have a great amount more of confidence in the major I have chosen and my ability do well in my future. I love being a chemistry major and I feel that because I love what I do that it pushed me to do what I needed to do to thrive in my time working at KISTECH and being in Japan.


text:
AAA Innovations recalls promotional cooler/grills due to fire hazard
Details: This recall involves a wooden cabinet, and comes with a separate cooler and grill compartment. The grills are used as display enhancers in retail, liquor, convenience and other stores and may have been received by consumers as promotional giveaways and at charity auctions. The cooler/grill units measures approximately 35 inches high 44 inches wide and 16 inches deep. The words "Tito's Handmade Vodka" are inscribed on the front of the product.
Why: The wooden cabinet surrounding the grill can catch fire, posing a fire hazard.
How many: About 275
Incidents: The firm has received two reports of the wood surrounding the grill burning. No injuries have been reported.
Used as display enhancers in retail, liquor, convenience and other stores from June 2016 through September 2016 and may have been received by consumers as promotional giveaways and purchased at charity raffles after that time. Importer(s): AAA Innovations, of Norwood N. J. Manufactured in China.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cooler/grills and contact AAA Innovations to receive a $125 incentive or a full refund.
For more: Contact AAA Innovations online at www.aaainnovations.com and click on Cooler/Grill Recall or call 800-426-7446 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday for more information.


text:
Mateusz Fałkowski · 12 February 2013
Mateusz Fałkowski
Involved in historical sociology and sociology of the economy. He recently published a monograph on the underground publishers CDN, entitled Biznes patriotyczny [The patriotic business]. In Collegium Civitas he co-runs a research group on the Solidarity movement.
Class struggle in classless Poland emerged in stages in the period after August 1980 and combined reflections on the philosophy of history with reporting on the events in Poland. Magala wrote in English, describing the class struggle which he observed from close up as a thirty-year-old scholar and member of the counter-culture and Solidarity movements, and he sent successive fragments to his publishers across the ocean. He published the book in the United States under the penname Stanisław Starski shortly after the Martial Law was introduced in Poland. Thanks to the European Solidarity Centre (ECS) we can now enjoy its Polish translation (ECS, Gdańsk 2012).
Solidarity from the Anglo-Saxon perspective
The book where Magala tells the story about the class of state-employed workers revolting against the class of state owners, reads very well. The colourful style is rich with brilliant comparisons but we have to be aware that they result in a slightly glorified picture of the drab world of "really existing socialism". Moscow as a "Mecca for Marxist crusaders" and as "a Rome of the communist movement" undoubtedly make us smile at the author's agile penmanship. Even the "owners of the state" as a description of the higher party nomenklatura somehow sound ennobling. The reporting fragments of the essay are peopled by figures straight out of texts by Kuśmierek, for example "comrade Żywica, a former functionary and now chairman of the local party organisation in the Pomet Works".
The book is Anglo-Saxon in spirit, not just because of the language of the original (although the use of English undoubtedly entails not only stylistic implications – the circle of intellectuals connected with KOR are "specialists"!). First, it is an essay with a well articulated thesis – a genre widely represented in the United States and Great Britain but much less present in Polish social sciences. It is also a bold essay. Enough to say that one of the leading motifs is the comparison between the owner class in the People's Republic and the politically and economically active Polish gentry in the 16th century, with its economy based on farming and serfdom. In Poland few dare to attempt such very American constructs, let alone thirty-year-olds. By the way, it is a pity that the Polish translation did not appear immediately after the original as an underground publication in the 1980s. Alongside with the essays by Tadeusz Łepkowski or Jadwiga Staniszkis, in that period Magala's text could count on a grateful readership and more debate than today.
I think that adopting an Anglo-Saxon convention for the sake of the American reader had one more substantive, rather than stylistic, consequence. Magala explains Solidarity to Western left-liberal readers, using references familiar to them. He suggests in his book that the "Solidarity" caption embraced "all contemporary actions aimed at liberation", that is the cultural revolution of university and high school students, struggle for women's rights or the demands of left-leaning social movements against the establishment. Among the ideas promoted by the Solidarity movement he highlights those which can be more vividly perceived and better understood across the ocean. Solidarity is not just an umbrella term for various initiatives, organisations and structures but also something potentially easy to comprehend for American campus dwellers. Rather than an anti-communist movement invoking religious themes, it is a wide-ranging emancipation movement, with which a left-liberal reader in the US could identify: "All contemporary actions aimed at liberation – be it the cultural revolution of university and high school students, the women emancipation movement or the left-wing political struggle against self-interested establishment – they all find their expression in Solidarity and they all rightly regard the state, of which the ruling class is the owner, as the main enemy of social development and enlarging the scope of social justice, political liberty and economic democracy," writes the author, committed to the subject of his analysis, and comments that he is proud of the fact that Poland after August 1980 belongs to the few countries making decisions about their fate through the voice of the majority.
Public sociology
The committed character of the study is underlined by the author already in the introduction. Class struggle in classless Poland is sociology, written by an activist of a movement, which should be applauded. The problem is that public sociology [in English in the original] can easily become an crude weapon. The American publishers of Magala's book treated it rather instrumentally and used it, for example, to draw an analogy between Reagan and Brezhnev.
But all these reservations notwithstanding, it is the personal and at least partly American perspective and point of reference which make this book interesting. Analogies between youthful protests in the People's Republic and the United States, showing that cold war rhetoric is no longer attractive either in the States or in the countries of the communist block, as well as the remarks on the role of 1968 and the generational sense of group identity, are inspiring.
Equally inspiring is the peculiar way of looking at the role of religion, the Catholic Church and the Papal visit in Poland. Magala writes that the sense of autonomy in organising and coordinating various undertakings independent of the state was far more important than the spiritual and community-building aspect of John Paul's visit. And the story of the democratic opposition in the 1970s is told from a specific, personal perspective and set against the background of the experience of the post-March-1968 generation. The reader should keep these simplifications at the back of his mind but they allowed the author to maintain a coherent narrative and drive his arguments home more efficiently.
Challenges for a historian
The book describes August 1980 in the form of a journalistic report/diary showing the story of the strike and negotiations with the government day by day. The cultural, economic and social consequences of August 1980 are analysed in the heat of the moment rather than processed after the fact; the notes are an interesting document of the moment and a testimony to the way of thinking of a person involved in Solidarity. So for historians the book may now be an interesting aid in ordering and interpreting archive materials.
Even after so many years Magala's essay shows a number of interesting uncharted research areas, for example the hardly analysed process of the emergence of the ruling class after 1944, acquiring numerous privileges by that class and the mechanisms governing it. The essay also helps to ask the question about the role of generation – however we define it – in a revolt against the owners of the state or about the relation between the Solidarity movement and the mechanisms of direct democracy and the creation of local associations and initiatives. These associations and initiatives were often only loosely connected organisationally with Solidarity but without it they would have never emerged.
So it is good that Sławomir Magala's book was brought back from relative oblivion and presented to the Polish reader after thirty years. Its paradoxical (for invoking the language of class struggle) and well articulated thesis, the Anglo-Saxon form of the essay as well as the witty style make it worth reading despite the fact that many books have been published analysing the social and political changes in the communist Poland more extensively or more profoundly. We should read it also in order to understand the current social conflicts better.
Sławomir Magala, Walka klas w bezklasowej Polsce, European Solidarity Centre, Gdańsk 2012.
LIBERAL CULTURE DEBATE. The lost symbol of '89
Brzozowski, Bielawski, Borcuch, Pinior ·	20 May 2015
Why has Poland's turning point of 1989 not earned its own visual symbol yet? How are the times of the transformation perceived by both younger and older generations? Grzegorz Brzozowski in conversation with…
The Festival of Insignificance – an escape from Central Europe. On the new novel by Milan Kundera
Piotr Kieżun ·	22 July 2015
Something has gone wrong with the creative force that once was Milan Kundera, something all too plain to see in his latest novel The Festival of Insignificance (2014). This is the fourth book he has written in…
Polish voodoo
Łukasz Jasina ·	6 August 2013
We probably all remember from school – and if not from school then either from Stefan Żeromski's Ashes or its film adaptation by Andrzej Wajda – the story of Polish legions who after the Treaty of Campo Formio were handed on to the Austrians by the treacherous French commanders. However, there was one Napoleonic treason far more emotionally loaded and further deepening the disappointment of the Polish people with the legendary emperor.
Religious temptations. A review of Michel Houellebecq's new novel
Piotr Kieżun ·	17 February 2015
The description of happiness brought about by living in accordance with Islam, as described by Houellebecq, leaves no room for doubt – it reminds us of a holiday brochure for a package holiday in Sharm el-Sheikh. Hence, the process of Islamisation in his new book Submission goes surprisingly smoothly, while the titular process has the subtle flavour of baklava.


text:
Protesters challenge proposed rules allowing media consolidation
Friday, May 30th 2003, 12:00 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Demonstrators around the country marched, chanted and scrawled messages on pink slips urging federal regulators not to allow large media companies more control over the nation's newspapers, television and radio stations.
Thursday's demonstrations were staged just four days before the Federal Communications Commission was to consider eliminating many restrictions on media ownership in the same city.
Another proposal would raise an existing market cap that prevents any one company from owning a combination of TV stations that reach more than 35 percent of U.S. households.
In Los Angeles, about 60 people marched outside Clear Channel talk radio station KFI with signs reading, ``No Choice, No Voice: Reclaim Our Airwaves.''
``We're frozen out,'' said Karen Pomer, a member of the group Code Pink, which organized the protest and also rallied for peace during the war in Iraq. ``All of this is benefiting conservative voices.''
About a dozen people protested outside the Clear Channel building in Pittsburgh. Protesters carried a woman's pink slip scrawled with the words, ``You are canceled for assault on free speech.''
A Clear Channel spokesman said the media coverage of the protests is evidence that diverse viewpoints are not ignored.
``Americans today have more diverse choices for entertainment, news and information than ever before,'' said Andrew Levin, Clear Channel's senior vice president for government affairs. ``Radio is the only medium I know where the customer can switch providers at 60 mph.''
The San Antonio-based chain has become a favorite target for those who oppose deregulation. The company now owns 1,200 stations nationwide, including nine in Los Angeles.
FCC Chairman Michael Powell has said the regulatory changes are needed to reflect a market altered by cable TV, satellite broadcasts and the Internet. If the FCC fails to act, outdated rules will be swept away by court challenges, he said.
A protest in New York was organized by United for Peace and Justice NY, an anti-war group. About 150 people picketed outside station WWPR and carried signs that read, ``Farewell Free Speech, We'll Miss You'' and ``The Airwaves Belong to the People, not Clear Channel.''
Relaxing restrictions on media ownership is opposed by the two Democrats on the FCC and backed by the three Republicans, including Powell. The FCC hearing was set for Monday in Washington.
Proponents include large media companies such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., which owns television stations as well as the Fox network. Murdoch is also seeking regulatory approval for his purchase of a controlling share of the satellite television service DirecTV.
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Demonstrators around the country marched, chanted and scrawled messages on pink slips urging federal regulators not to allow large media companies more control over the nation's


If Secretary of State John Kerry is looking for a new agenda, he might want to focus on forging closer integration with Mexico rather than beating his head against the rocks of Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan or Syria. Better integration of Mexico's manufacturing and innovation prowess into America's is a win-win. It makes U.S. companies more profitable and competitive, so they can expand at home and abroad, and it gives Mexicans a reason to stay home and reduces violence. We do $1.5 billion a day in trade with Mexico, and have been spending $300 million a day in Afghanistan. Not smart.


Over on All Things Upper Elementary, I wrote about my first attempts to use Edmodo with my class. To sum up, it has some great features for my fourth graders, and they were very excited about it. However, because I have more experience with Weebly as a classroom blog, I feel as though I need to decide for next year: will I use Edmodo, Weebly, or both? Today I weighed the benefits of each in order to come to a decision.
Allow teachers to publish text, photos, documents, and links. It's great to have a "home base" when you want students to go to a new website ("go to our page and click the link" instead of "type in this long address"). It's also great for kids to use at home as a study tool if you post your anchor charts, Educreations videos, or YouTube videos of demonstrations you've shown in class.
Allow students to post replies.
Allow teachers to "moderate" comments (which means they are not published until the teacher approves them) if you wish, as well as turn off moderation (so kids' comments appear immediately) if you wish.
Any post or comment can be deleted at any time.
Get kids excited about reading and typing for an authentic purpose.
Edmodo appeals to kids because it looks like Facebook.
Edmodo is much more "social" as opposed to Weebly, which is more teacher driven. That is, on Weebly the teacher writes posts, and the kids can click "reply" to respond. Kids can view each other's comments by clicking "comments." On the other hand, on Edmodo, kids can see all replies at a glance. They can write their own posts, not just reply to the teacher's. They can even upload pictures and links. All that felt really scary to me at first! However, as my instructor said, most kids are not going to post inappropriate things right in front of their teacher any more than they are going to stand up in the middle of class and say inappropriate things or display inappropriate photos. (Of course, if your students are the sort who would, see above regarding how to moderate posts).
Edmodo has built in online storage. They can save a document they are working on in class into their Edmodo "backpack," then save it onto their computer at home.
Privacy. The kids and I can post photos on Edmodo. When I used Weebly the only photos I posted had their faces cropped or digitally covered. Now they can see their pictures of class parties, showing off projects, and so on.
Polls. This is a niche thing, but for fourth graders to see their votes turn into a bar graph is a great learning experience in and of itself. Edmodo also makes voting easy, private, and fun.
Quizzes. Like Google Docs, it is possible to create a "form" that can be used for online quizzes. The idea of having it all integrated is nice.
Teaching communities. It's not just the kids who benefit from Edmodo. If you participate in the online communities, you will be surprised what ideas and resources teachers from around the world can offer you in no time!
Features I haven't mastered yet. There are alerts, assignments, and a calendar on Edmodo.
I can keep more control. I fear that if the kids can post whatever they like, there will be too much junk to weed through to get to the content I want them to see at home. There are filters on Edmodo, such as "view posts from the teacher," but for fourth grade it seems like one step too many in terms of accessing information.
I can keep posts more organized. Although both sites allow posts to be organized (such as math posts, science posts, and so on), I don't think I have the ability to move a post if the kids (or I) post in the wrong area by mistake. There are also archives by month in Weebly that I don't see in Edmodo.
I can schedule posts. In Edmodo, when you post there is a time stamp and to my knowledge those posts can not be reordered; it's there the moment you click "send." And if I'm up very late on a school night, I don't like having my students see that reflected in the time I post (it just sets a bad example). In Weebly, although I can't schedule posts in advance (to my knowledge) I can move posts around. So if I write 3 posts and I want the math one to appear at the top, I can change the dates to post date the other two.
It's not the most profound reason, but as much as the kids like the look of Edmodo, I don't. My Weebly blog has a lot more "personality" with the background image, custom banner, my choice of fonts, and so on.
I can create pages in Weebly. I like to have important information on separate pages, such as "How to Log in to Study Island" and "News for Parents." I don't see that on Edmodo. I feel like those things we talk about at the beginning of the year that I want them to access all year will get lost in the mix.
No username and password hassle. On Edmodo, with every child using a different password (and forgetting) it adds an extra management piece that is more of a hassle.
I'm not sure I need those extra features (alerts, assignments, and a calendar). I have to admit I don't love kids seeing things on there that I'm not updating; it makes me feel like a slacker!
I think that next year I'm going to do exactly what I did this year. Start out with the Weebly blog. It's easier to manage. Then, as with all good teaching, the time will come for "gradual release of responsibility." We will switch over to Edmodo when they have seen me model what a good post looks like, (informative, but encourages a response from readers) I feel that their comments are on topic, and I can trust them to represent themselves well online. It's working for us this year, so I will do the same next year.
Do you use either of these online platforms with your class, or have you tried one of the others?
I appreciate your pros and cons on these two platforms. I am currently using www.joyfullyteaching.bogspot.com and have been pretty successful with allowing the kids to blog and add information themselves. Mrs. Yolis' Classroom Blog was a great source of inspiration and gave me a tip about allowing the kids to post and add photos on this blog. I will be thinking about the choice of blog or website to use for this next year. I love using technology in the classroom and want a secure website for my third grade students.
Your website is very cute! Thanks for the tip about Mrs. Yolis' Classroom Blog.
Thank you. I have also taught my kids to use Google docs to first write there posts or comments since they are only third graders and need some help with writing complete sentences and spelling. Students d not need to have email accounts because I created one gmail account for our entire class and therefore when they are working on writing using the google docs in class I can see all their documents. This helps to correct for them any errors and saves automatically. Then when they have my approval, I allow them to copy and paste their comments into the blog. At the end of the semester if they do a good job with this, I am making them a blog under another name as a class and using blogspot allows me to create as many blogs for my students as I need. I cannot moderate, but that is the only thing I do not like. My parents will have to sign a permission slip for having their blog on the class blogspot site, but I really want the kids to have a portfolio and add their essays, stories, and poetry there on their blogs. It will be anxious to see how it works out this year.
I'll be working with fourth graders this year and am leaning towards using Kidblog. I've used it with small groups before and was happy with it, so I'm excited to try it with a whole class.
I've heard great things about Kidblog too, although I have never tried it. I'd love to read a post on the pros and cons of Weebly vs. Kidblog!


text:
f Changes in Health-Seeking Behavior Did Not Result in Increased All-Cause Mortality During the Ebola Outbreak in Western Area, Sierra Leone
Sabine Vygen1,2,3, Amanda Tiffany4, Monica Rull5, Alexandre Ventura5, Anja Wolz5, Amara Jambai6, Klaudia Porten7
Affiliations: 1 French Institute of Public Health Surveillance, Alerts and Regions Coordination Department, Regional office in Aquitaine, Bordeaux, France. 2 European Program for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden. 3 Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany. 4 Epicentre, Geneva, Switzerland. 5 Médecins Sans Frontières, Geneva, Switzerland. 6 Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 7 Epicentre, Paris, France.
* Address correspondence to Amanda Tiffany, Epicentre, 78 Rue de Lausanne, Geneva 1202, Switzerland. E-mail: amanda.tiffany@geneva.msf.org
Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 95, Issue 4, 5 Oct 2016, p. 897 - 901
Little is known about the residual effects of the west African Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic on non-Ebola mortality and health-seeking behavior in Sierra Leone. We conducted a retrospective household survey to estimate mortality and describe health-seeking behavior in Western Area, Sierra Leone, between May 25, 2014, and February 16, 2015. We used two-stage cluster sampling, selected 30 geographical sectors with probability proportional to population size, and sampled 30 households per sector. Survey teams conducted face-to-face interviews and collected information on mortality and health-seeking behavior. We calculated all-cause and Ebola-specific mortality rates and compared health-seeking behavior before and during the Ebola epidemic using χ2 and Fisher's exact tests. Ninety-six deaths, 39 due to Ebola, were reported in 898 households. All-cause and Ebola-specific mortality rates were 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29–0.76) and 0.19 (95% CI = 0.01–0.38) per 10,000 inhabitants per day, respectively. Of those households that reported a sick family member during the month before the survey, 86% (73/85) sought care at a health facility before the epidemic, compared with 58% (50/86) in February 2015 (P = 0.013). Reported self-medication increased from 4% (3/85) before the epidemic to 23% (20/86) during the epidemic (P = 0.013). Underutilization of health services and increased self-medication did not show a demonstrable effect on non-Ebola-related mortality. Nevertheless, the residual effects of outbreaks need to be taken into account for the future. Recovery efforts should focus on rebuilding both the formalized health system and the population's trust in it.
/deliver/fulltext/14761645/95/4/897.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.4269/ajtmh.16-0295&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah
World Health Organization (WHO), 2015. Origins of the 2014 Ebola Epidemic. Available at: http://who.int/csr/disease/ebola/one-year-report/virus-origin/en/. Accessed June 26, 2015. [Google Scholar]
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Changes in Health-Seeking Behavior Did Not Result in Increased All-Cause Mortality During the Ebola Outbreak in Western Area, Sierra Leone
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 95, 897 (2016); https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.16-0295
Received : 15 Apr 2016
Accepted : 13 Jun 2016
Published online : 05 Oct 2016


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Conyers will retire today, recommending his son take his seat.
John Conyers announced his retirement after multiple women came forward with sexual harassment charges.
After sexual harassment settlements came to light, calls for Conyers to step down came from all sides.
Carl Conyers was last seen at his apartment on Tuesday afternoon.
Rep. Conyers: Why Are Witch Hunts GOP's Top Priority?
Sen. John Conyers reminds Republicans of the host of other issues they ought to be spending time on rather than wasting tax payers' money on another Clinton email witch hunt.
Rep. John Conyers hits Republicans for spending tax payer dollars on yet another Clinton witch hunt instead of holding hearings on gun violence, civil rights and a host of other issues they've been ignoring this session.
Following the recent revelations from whistleblower turned fugitive Edward Snowden and more and more Americans turning sour on these government surveillance programs, The Daily Show's John Oliver opened this Monday's program by letting the viewers know we've finally found an issue that will bring liberals and conservatives together. But as Oliver noted, something about it didn't feel right.
Looks like old "terror babies" Louie Gohmert is still working hard to make sure he remains one of the most obnoxious members of the House of Representatives we've got, and given the current crop of wingnuts that are serving now, that's saying a lot.


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OpenSSL fixes serious flaw that could enable man-in-the-middle attacks
Amazon releases open source cryptographic module
Upgrade now: Older OpenSSL versions vulnerable to FREAK attack
OpenSSL mystery patches due for release Thursday
OpenSSL tells users to prepare for a high severity flaw
Patches will be released on July 9 for a high severity vulnerability in OpenSSL's widely used cryptographic library
Server admins and developers beware: The OpenSSL Project plans to release security updates Thursday for its widely used cryptographic library that will fix a high severity vulnerability.
OpenSSL implements multiple cryptographic protocols and algorithms including TLS (Transport Layer Security), which underpins encryption on the Web as part of protocols like HTTPS (HTTP Secure), IMAPS (Internet Message Access Protocol Secure) and SMTPS (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Secure).
[ Build and deploy an effective line of defense against corporate intruders with InfoWorld's Encryption Deep Dive PDF expert guide. Download it today! | Stay up to date on the latest security developments with InfoWorld's Security newsletter. ]
The project didn't say which part of the library is affected, but high severity flaws in OpenSSL are usually a big deal, especially if they impact TLS.
OpenSSL is used by a large number of applications and systems, from Web servers to embedded devices, some of which can take a long time to patch.
Months after the critical Heartbleed vulnerability was announced in OpenSSL last year, hardware and software vendors were still identifying affected products and were releasing updates.
According to the OpenSSL Project's security policy, the flaws that are flagged as high severity affect common configurations and are likely to be exploitable. Their impact includes things like server denial-of-service, significant leak of server memory or remote code execution.
The issue to be patched Thursday affects the 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 versions of OpenSSL. These are the library's releases that support TLS v1.1 and TLS v1.2, the newest versions of the protocol. The patched versions will be called 1.0.1p and 1.0.2d.
OpenSSL 0.9.8 and 1.0.0, which the project will still support until the end of this year, are not affected.


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§ 86-1 Adoption of Fuel Gas Code by reference; copies to be on file.
§ 86-2 Additions, deletions and modifications to Code.
Chapter 86 Fuel Gas Code
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of Caln 5-27-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-16. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Electrical standards — See Ch. 77.
Energy conservation — See Ch. 79.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 83.
The Board of Commissioners of Caln Township hereby adopts the International Fuel Gas Code, 2003 Edition, as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised, as published by the International Code Council, Inc., with Appendices A, B, C and D. Not fewer than three copies of the International Fuel Gas Code, 2003 Edition, have been and now are filed in the Office of the Department of Code Enforcement, and the same is hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein.
The following amendments, additions, deletions, and changes are hereby made to the International Fuel Gas Code, 2003 Edition:
Section 101.1 shall be amended by the deletion of the words "[NAME OF JURISDICTION]" and the replacement thereof with "Caln Township."
Section 103 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: "103 Department of Code Enforcement."
Section 103.1 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
"103.1. Code Official: The Department of Code Enforcement shall be responsible for administering and enforcing this Code. The executive official in charge of the Department of Code Enforcement shall be known as the Code Official."
Section 106.5.2. shall be deleted and replaced with the following:
"106.5.2. Fee schedule. The Board of Commissioners shall, by resolution, adopt a schedule of fees which shall be kept on file by the Township Secretary and shall be reviewed and revised as necessary by the Board of Commissioners."
Section 106.5.3 shall be deleted in its entirety.
Section 108.4 shall be amended to state as follows:
"108.4. Violations and penalties: Any person who violates or permits the violation of any provision of this Code or shall fail to comply with any order issued pursuant to any section thereof shall, upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be subject to the payment of a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution. Upon default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment in the county prison for a period of not more than 30 days. Each section or provision of this Code that is violated shall constitute a separate offense, and each day or portion thereof in which a violation of this Code is found to exist shall constitute a separate offense, each of which violations shall be punishable by a separate fine imposed by the District Justice of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 plus the costs of prosecution and, upon default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment in the county prison for a term not more than 30 days."
Section 108.5 shall be amended by the deletion of the words "[AMOUNT]" and the replacement thereof with "$100.00" and "$1,000.00."


Thanks Randy, Chris C., and Adam for joining us to play games at my place yesterday Tuesday March 12th 2013.
We played Merchant of Venus (second edition), the Classic Version. Randy was the first to arrive and we were talking about trying something crunchier, one of the longer games. He and Adam participate in the Monday's Hudson games meetup, where they played a few lighter games and it seems the mood was for a heavier one. Several were suggested including Puerto Rico, Small World, and The Manhattan Project – these games will need to wait for another game night.
Merchant of Venus (second edition) is a classic Pick-up and Deliver that has been recently re-published by Fantasy Flight Games in a beautifully done presentation. The game can be a bit long (we took 3 hours, including instructions), and it can be even longer if you play the newer version of the game. It takes a while to learn all of the intricacies of the game, I am still learning them. But I think by the end of the game we were all getting to figure out all of the intricacies and interesting/different paths towards victory that made the game a classic. Hopefully we will all get a chance to play it in the future (maybe at a Convention). If you are curious about the game, you may want to look at the video from Eric (Dice Tower).
Playing it gave me the chance to get the components out and organize them in the tackle box that Ura got for me. It is amazing how easy it may be to set it up now that things look more organized.
See you at the next regularly scheduled game night March 26 or at any other gaming event that we can find ourselves in between now and then.
Please remember that Randy is trying to organize a game event for Saturday March 30th (International Tabletop Day). It has been suggested to do it at Legends & Comix in Maynard, MA (he is trying to get the venue to host the event). Contact him for more details or ways in which we can help him. More information about this on the Guild.


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Tag: dfis
New "Indie Studio" Plans to Release 12 Feature Films Per Year at Budgets of $10M or Less – Guaranteed Distribution!
Posted on June 17, 2009 by Jon Reiss
Honestly, I saw this on Indiewire Monday and could not be more excited. While some indie film companies are packing up shop and throwing in the towel, Mary Dickinson, Ted Hope, and others are actually starting something anew. This is such exciting news for the indie film world. As much as I like to promote the DIY and hybrid distribution channels, I cannot ignore the potential this endeavor is sure to have for those wanting to go a non-DIY route. From Indiewire, June 15th, 2009.
Established Producers Join Emerging Indie "Studio"; 12 Movies Per Year, Distribution Guaranteed
Eugene Hernandez by Eugene Hernandez (June 15, 2009)
DF INDIE STUDIOS LAUNCHES A PRODUCER-CENTRIC VENTURE WITH GUARANTEED U.S. THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION FOR FILMS BUDGETED UP TO $10 MILLION
Led by Mary Dickinson and Charlene Fisher, and Guided by an A-List Management Team, Consultants and Advisory Board; the New York-Based Venture is Working to Greenlight a Starting Slate of Commercially Viable Films with Producing Partners Scott Free, This is that Productions, RedBone Films and Producer Jennifer Fox.
NEW YORK, JUNE 15, 2009 – Offering a new, producer-centric studio model for the independent film industry, entertainment finance and business development experts Mary Dickinson and Charlene Fisher have announced the launch of DF Indie Studios (DFIS). The New York-based venture, guided by seasoned industry consultants and an experienced advisory board, embraces a transparent and unlevered business model that combines the best features of major studios with the cost efficiencies of independent film.
DFIS aims to finance and distribute between 10 to12 multi-genre, commercially viable films per year, budgeted up to $10 million and backed by a guaranteed U.S. theatrical release, $150 million in distribution guarantees, foreign sales, P&A revolver, as well as distribution across all platforms. This "new" film financing model contains a core value that is very appealing to investors, and unique to the industry – investors' return will be based on all the revenue streams of the company, including distribution fees and exit value.
DFIS' mandate is to serve as a home for a carefully selected group of producers, providing the tools to give their commercially viable films in this price bracket the best chance for national and international success. DFIS films will be produced by a team of established producers with successful box office track records including: This is that Productions – Ted Hope and Anne Carey (Adventureland, In the Bedroom, 21 Grams, The Ice Storm, The Savages); Scott Free – Ridley and Tony Scott's shingle (Gladiator, The Taking of Pelham 123, Thelma & Louise, American Gangster); Jennifer Fox (Michael Clayton, Good Night and Good Luck, Duplicity, Syriana); and RedBone Films whose co-founder, Samara Koffler, ran Harrison Ford's production company for eight years.
Dickinson and Fisher are joined by Rita Chiappetta-Thibault (CFO), who, as executive vice president of finance and accounting for New Line Home Entertainment, helped grow revenues from $150 million to more than $1 billion.
The DFIS distribution strategy was developed in conjunction with veteran Ira Deutchman, a three-decade distribution and marketing expert who has worked on over 150 films and helped launch Fine Line Features and Cinecom Entertainment Group. Foreign sales and output deals are managed by another industry veteran Glen Basner, who is CEO of FilmNation.
For the last two years, the DFIS founders have engaged respected studio finance executive John Hadity, to guide them through the intricate world of film financing, tax incentives and production planning. Hadity, currently the chairman of the Producers Guild of America East, served 12 years as EVP of production for Miramax and currently heads Hadity & Associates. He will work closely with DFIS EVP of Production Amy Slotnick, a studio production executive and independent film producer who recently concluded her tenure with Miramax as Senior Vice President of Production.
The DFIS advisory board includes Ben Silverman, Co-Chair of NBC Universal; David Wiederecht, President of Investment Strategies and Chief Investment Officer for GE Asset Management; David Spieler, Global Head of Duff and Phelps Technology and Entertainment Practices; and Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton.
"DF Indie Studios is set to become an invaluable saving grace of a currently endangered species: the intelligent, ambitious and commercially viable independent film – maybe even of intelligent, ambitious and commercially viable independent filmmakers themselves," stated Tilda Swinton. "It is my honour and my personal pleasure to be working alongside Mary and Charlene in shaping this inspired and inspiring company."
"To launch a completely unlevered company in the current climate is the right way to go for our investors, partners and producers," said Mary Dickinson, who serves as CEO of DF Indie Studios. "Our investors appreciate that they will share in all the revenue streams of the studio. They love that we will also be generating 10,000 to 15,000 film jobs over the next five years, and pumping millions of dollars into local economies with DFIS."
"We couldn't be launching the company at a more perfect time. There is a huge opportunity in the independent film world and we believe we have found a singular place in the market," said Charlene Fisher, President and COO of DF Indie Studios. "There is a growing demand for commercial features, and a lack of quality products at the right price. At DFIS we have worked with our production partners to provide end to end financing, a rigorous greenlight process and guaranteed U.S. distribution to meet this increasing demand. No one else is supporting films produced for up to $10 million in this way."
Mary Dickinson (CEO) has 20 years of experience in business building, investment and restructuring in entertainment and sports. She restructured and ran the leading extreme sports film production company, Teton Gravity Research, taking it from near bankruptcy to stability. Among other initiatives, her efforts included producing two NBC primetime pilots with Ben Silverman's production company Reveille. She consulted on the development and financing of RedBone Films (now a DFIS partner), and negotiated content and representation deals with ABC's "The View," British Telecom, and William Morris.
Charlene A. Fisher (President/COO) has 16 years of experience in business development and restructuring in the entertainment, sports and internet arenas. Most recently, she restructured and managed a portfolio company for GE Asset Management and then worked with RedBone Films to develop a dynamic new independent film production business model. She has also worked with clients that include ABC, NBC, HBO, ESPN, The Golf Channel, NBA, NHL, MLB, and PGA and LPGA Tours, among others.
Quotes from DFIS' production partners, advisory board and consultants:
"I have known Charlene and Mary for almost ten years and cannot think of two more creative, honest and determined people to run DF Indie Studios," stated David Wiederecht, President/CIO of Investment Strategies for GE Asset Management. "I have seen both of them pull off what others thought was impossible, and they always keep the interests of their financial partners first and foremost in importance."
"We have been working with the DF Indie Studios team for over a year now to make sure their model is designed to help the producer create great films," said Ted Hope of This is that Films. "Having guaranteed distribution through Ira and his team, working with other key DF Indie Studios team members like John Hadity on production finance and Amy Slotnick on slate development, as well as significant P&A to support their films is something we emphasized and they are delivering."
"I am so excited about your plans. Just back from Cannes where it is clear that your timing is perfect. The current environment really pleads for this sort of new venture! You've got an amazing team – all people I have known, respected and worked with for years," stated Pat Kaufman, Executive Director, New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture & Television Development.
"DFIS offers its equity investors an unprecedented opportunity by providing an unlevered business model with 105% downside risk protection and guaranteed North American distribution for all greenlit films," explains advisory board member and investor David Spieler. "And best of all, equity investors will share in all revenue streams of the studio including distribution fees and any exit."
Says John Hadity, "I recognized immediately that DFIS was going to shift the asset class back to the producer, where it belongs. It has been tremendously exciting to participate in the process of bringing this new model to life."
"The reason I have spent the last year helping to develop the unique and effective DF Indie Studios distribution plan is that the co-founders, Mary and Charlene, have created an industry-changing studio model for indie film with an exceptionally talented executive team, a passion for film and impressive partnerships," says Ira Deutchman.
"International distributors will respond very positively to a new U.S. distribution company that can supply films with a guaranteed theatrical release and at budget levels that make sense in today's economic climate," stated Glen Basner.
"DF Indie Studios fills a missing niche, providing a unique way for investors to participate with independent filmmakers making films that will be distributed," says Christopher Dixon, Managing Director of Media Investments at GGCP, Inc.
"I wanted an opportunity to get involved in independent film with a partner that treats its investors as exactly that – partners. The DF Indie Studios business model has been designed as an old-fashioned, unlevered model that ensures investors share in all revenue streams of the studio including distribution fees and any exits. Additionally, their veteran management team and producing partners are exactly the people who can deliver on the DF Indie Studios promise," says investor Sue Callaway, former General Manager of Jaguar Cars North America, and a current contributing editor at Fortune and CNNMoney.com.
Posted in Uncategorized	| Tagged Charlene Fisher, dfis, Filmmaking, guaranteed release, independent distribution, Independent Film, independent film distribution, indie studio, Mary Dickinson, Ted Hope, theatrical release	| Leave a comment


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Democrat Eva Putzova mounting primary challenge to Rep. Tom O'Halleran
Eva Putzova, a former Flagstaff councilwoman, is challenging Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., in the 1st Congressional District's Democratic primary.
Democrat Eva Putzova mounting primary challenge to Rep. Tom O'Halleran Eva Putzova, a former Flagstaff councilwoman, is challenging Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., in the 1st Congressional District's Democratic primary. Check out this story on azcentral.com: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/02/18/democrat-eva-putzova-mounting-primary-challenge-rep-tom-ohalleran/2849788002/
Alexis Egeland, Arizona Republic Published 6:00 a.m. MT Feb. 18, 2019 | Updated 7:55 a.m. MT Feb. 18, 2019
Eva Putzova, a former Flagstaff city councilwoman, is challenging incumbent Rep. Tom O'Halleran in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. (Photo: Handout art)
A former Flagstaff city councilwoman and Slovakian immigrant is focusing on the need for immigration reform as she mounts a Democratic primary challenge to Rep. Tom O'Halleran in Arizona's 1st Congressional District.
Eva Putzova, 41, came to the United States from Slovakia in 2000 and became a U.S. citizen in 2007.
It took that long, Putzova said, because of a broken immigration system that she says sets applicants up to fail.
"I saw a lot of disrespect, especially for people of color, during the procedures," Putzova said. "I saw how officers treated people who came from Mexico and Central America, it was a lot of disrespect. And I think we are better than that."
Putzova, who announced her candidacy in January, said her top priority in Congress would be to address the process immigrants have to go through to become citizens. She said the current system takes too long and leaves people at the mercy of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers for far too long.
She also wants ICE restructured.
"Nobody is saying that enforcement in immigration is not important, but ICE as an agency is rogue," she said. "It needs to be completely restructured."
O'Halleran challenged from the left
Putzova is running as a progressive Democrat against the incumbent O'Halleran, one of the most moderate Democrats in the House who has supported President Donald Trump on several fronts.
What in the #GreenNewDeal? pic.twitter.com/j3UB55qYzu
— Eva For Congress (@CongressEva) February 8, 2019
"A #GreenNewDeal should be every candidates priority in 2020," she tweeted Feb. 10 in support of the "Green New Deal" environmental plan championed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Her campaign website lists other top issues: universal health care, tuition-free college, indigenous peoples' rights, "meaningful climate action," "no more wars," women's reproductive health and workers' rights.
Putzova's "for the people" campaign platform is "not anything special," she said. Rather, it simply focuses on what she characterized as popular ideas.
"Nobody is saying that everybody agrees with these policies, but a majority of Americans are kind, a majority of Americans are generous and a majority of Americans want to see their neighbors and friends thrive in life," she said. "And those are the kinds of policies that I want to champion."
Putzova called on current and future members of Congress to use their platform to speak up against injustice.
"We need to help educate the population of the issues they see in our districts, and in the nation as a whole," she said. "Congress needs more courage, transparency, and integrity in talking about these things, and that's what I hope to bring."
DCCC is helping incumbent O'Halleran
O'Halleran, the two-term incumbent, appears to have the support of national Democrats.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently added him to its "Frontline" program.
The DCCC's Frontline program is designed to help provide Democratic members of Congress with the support they need to win re-election. O'Halleran is now one of 44 members of Congress in the program.
"Tom O'Halleran wins tough races because he understands the concerns of hard-working Arizonans, and because he never forgot where he came from," Rep. Cheri Bustos, the 2020 cycle's DCCC chairwoman, said in a written statement.
"We're proud to stand with Tom as a member of our Frontline program to ensure he has the support he needs to win and keep working for Arizona," Bustos, D-Ill., added.
GOP want O'Halleran pushed to left
The nonpartisan "Cook Political Report" in Washington, D.C., rates Arizona's 1st Congressional District race as "likely Democratic" in 2020, at least with O'Halleran as the incumbent.
Generally, the 1st Congressional District, which covers rural northeastern Arizona, is considered a competitive district.
O'Halleran announced last week that he will be seeking re-election in 2020, but did not address his challenger.
Tom O'Halleran addresses the Arizona Republic editorial board on Oct. 3, 2016. (Photo: Tom Tingle/The Republic)
"Over the past two years, I have had the unique opportunity to represent our beautiful, diverse district and give rural Arizona a voice in Washington," O'Halleran said in a written statement.
"It has been the greatest honor of my life," he said, adding that he hopes to continue his work in Congress.
The National Republican Congressional Committee said they expect Putzova's campaign to push the typically moderate Democrat further to the left, which potentially could hurt him in a general-election match-up against a GOP challenger.
"Tom O'Halleran's liberal base wants these socialist policies, and now they have another option in Eva Putzova," said Torunn Sinclair, a NRCC spokeswoman. "So, Tom has nowhere to go but to the extreme left."
Putzova's priorities: immigration reform, indigenous peoples' rights
In addition to making immigration reform a priority, Putzova is running as a champion for Native Americans.
In her time on the Flagstaff City Council, Putzova helped to create the Indigenous Circle of Flagstaff, which holds listening sessions at City Council meetings and offers recommendations for how the council can better represent the Native American population.
This led to the adoption of Indigenous People's Day, as well as a new staff position that focuses on indigenous people, which Putzova said was filled by a Native American member of the community. This advocacy could help Putzova in the 1st Congressional District, which has the most Native Americans in the country.
Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/02/18/democrat-eva-putzova-mounting-primary-challenge-rep-tom-ohalleran/2849788002/
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