text:
Quavo's Video for 'Lamb Talk' Features Many Lamborghinis, as the Prophecy Foretold – Rolling Stone
Following his surprise release of three tracks last Friday, Migos' Quavo dropped the visuals for one of the songs — "Lamb Talk" — on Wednesday. As the title suggests, its 3-minute running time is dominated by a convoy of Lamborghinis, all filing through the streets of Atlanta (and, at the 1:15 mark, the Lambos appear to drive by Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a blurred-out Mercedes logo). Quavo co-directed the clip alongside Keemotion, and fellow Migos Offset and their Quality Control labelmates Lil Baby and Yung Miami of the duo City Girls all make cameo appearances.
Quavo released "Lamb Talk" last week alongside the Auto-Tune-laden "Bubble Gum" and "Workin Me," a bouncy track about being at the mercy of the woman he's dating.
The releases come as the Quavo and the Migos join Drake on his Aubrey and The Three Amigos Tour, which kicked off its first date this week and will run through November. The tour was initially set to begin in Salt Lake City at the end of July, but was delayed (and had many of its dates rescheduled) due to production difficulties.
Kinks' Ray and Dave Davies Reunite in 2015, Perform You Really Got Me – Rolling Stone July 18, 2019


Fundamental analysis is the cornerstone of investing. In fact, some would say that you aren't really investing if you aren't performing fundamental analysis. It is all about getting an understanding of a company, the health of its business and its future prospects. It includes reading and analyzing financial statements, to get an understanding of the company's comparative advantages, competitors, and its market environment.
It evaluates a security, by attempting to measure its intrinsic value by examining related economic, financial and other qualitative and quantitative factors.
It is built on the idea that the stock markets may price a company wrong from time to time. But, by analyzing the financial reports of companies, we can understand the value of different companies and understand their pricing in the stock market. Profits can be made by finding underpriced stocks and understand that whether the price of the stock is under-valued or over-valued at the current market price.
If the current market price of a stock is lower than the intrinsic price, the investor should purchase the stock because he expects the stock price to rise and move towards its true value.
If the current market price is above the intrinsic price, the stock is considered overbought and the investor sells the stock because he knows that the stock price will fall and move closer to its intrinsic value. To determine the true price of the company's stock, the following factors need to be considered.
Earnings: This is the key element for consideration by all investors. Before investing in a company, you want to know how much the company is making profits. Future earnings are a key factor, as the future prospects of the company's business and potential growth opportunities are determinants of the stock price. A simplified view of the earnings is - earnings per share (EPS). EPS denotes the amount of earnings for each outstanding share.
Profit Margins: Revenue doesn't tell the entire story. Increasing earnings are good, but if the cost increases more than revenues, then profit margins are not improving. The profit margin measures how much the company keeps in earnings out of every dollar of their revenues. This measure is therefore very useful for comparing similar companies, within the same industry.
To get a better understanding of profit margins it is good to compare two companies with alternative margins, see table below.
Higher profit margin indicates that the company has better control over its costs.
Profit margin is displayed in percentages and a 10 percent profit margin denotes that the company has a net income of 10 cents for each dollar of their revenues.
Company A and company B both generate net profits of $1 Million, but company A has equity of $10 Million, but company B has equity of $100 Million.
Their ROE would be 10% and 1% respectively meaning that company A is more efficient as it was able to produce the same amount of earnings with 10 times less equity.
Price-to-Earnings (P/E): As the name suggests, it is the current market price divided by earnings per share (EPS). It is an easy way to get a quick look at a stock's value. A high P/E indicates that the stock is priced relatively high to its earnings, and companies with higher P/E, therefore, seem more expensive.
The PE ratio can be a very informative figure, especially for fast-growing and cyclical companies. In this one ratio, you get an understanding of the company's earnings, growth expectations and whether it is trading at a reasonable price relative to its fundamentals.
Price-to-Book (P/B): A price-to-book (P/B) ratio is used to compare a stock's market value to its book value. It can be calculated as the current share price divided by the book value per share, according to the previous financial statement. In a broader sense, it can also be calculated as the total market capitalization of the company divided by all the shareholder's equity.
This ratio gives an idea of whether you are paying too high price for the stock as it denotes what would be the residual value if the company went bankrupt today.
A higher P/B ratio than 1 denotes that the share price is higher than what the company's asset would be sold for. The difference indicates what investors think about the future growth potential of the company.
Watch the video on how to do ratio analysis.
The end goal of fundamental analysis is to produce a value that investors can compare with current market price in the hope of figuring what sort of position to take in that particular stock/company.
So, if the security is under-priced, then go for 'Buy', and if the security is overpriced then, 'Sell'.
It is the forecasting of future financial price movements based on an examination of past price movements. Like weather forecasting, technical analysis does not result in absolute predictions about the future. Instead, technical analysis can help investors anticipate what is "likely" to happen to prices over time. Technical analysis uses a wide variety of charts that show price over time.
Technical analysis is applicable to stocks, indices, commodities, futures or any tradeable instrument where the price is influenced by the forces of supply and demand over a specific time frame. The time frame can be based on intraday (1-minute, 5-minutes, 10-minutes, 15-minutes, 30-minutes or hourly), daily, weekly or monthly price data and last a few hours or many years.
A technical analyst believes that it is possible to identify a trend, invest or trade based on the trend and make money as the trend unfolds. Because technical analysis can be applied to many different time frames, it is possible to spot both short-term and long-term trends. The objective of the analysis is to forecast the direction of the future price.
Technical analysts consider the market to be 80% psychological and 20% logical. Even though there are some universal principles and rules that can be applied, it must be remembered that technical analysis is more an art form than a science. As an art form, it is subject to interpretation.
In light of the above, we can conclude that analysts use both fundamental and technical analysis to determine which stock to buy and which to sell. Both the methods of analysis have their own well-established set of concepts and theories for analyzes.
Where on one hand, fundamental analysis is based more on facts and figures, on the other hand, technical analysis is based more on graphs, chart, and economic factors. Hence, a wise investor should use both the methods for determining the value of stock and invest its funds in the market.
Great article! I am a newbie in stock market and I was seriously looking for something on fundamental analysis of stocks to gain an insight. It was worth reading.
Thanks Bijay. I'm glad you liked the post.


text:
Susan G. Komen Charity Starts to Enter the 21st Century
Rachel Alexander
Posted: Feb 06, 2012 12:32 PM
The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez School of Economics
Conservatives Love McSally's Brutal Media Diss
Western civilization has gradually progressed away from barbaric practices. By the 20th century, most developed nations stopped torturing people and executing them in cruel ways. In the US, only humane ways of execution are permitted for executing the most notorious criminals.
Similarly, support for abortion decreased in recent years as awareness spread of how horrific the procedure is. A nationwide ban on partial-birth abortion finally made it into law in 2003, and was upheld by the Supreme Court. The younger generations have become more pro-life than older generations; 23-year old Lila Rose is one of the biggest names today in the pro-life movement. In 1990, 65% of Americans supported legalized abortion. In 2009, a Gallup poll found for the first time that more Americans call themselves "pro-life" on abortion than not. 51% now consider themselves pro-life compared to 42% who consider themselves pro-choice. In 2011, 62% or all of Americans surveyed told Gallup they wanted all or most abortions made illegal.
This past week, the well-known Susan J. Komen breast cancer charity started to back away from its ties to abortion. Komen contributes about $680,000 per year to Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the US. Komen has been under pressure for years by pro-lifers to disassociate itself from Planned Parenthood. On January 31, 2012, Komen announced it would cut funding to Planned Parenthood. At first it appeared that the decision to stop funding came as a result of a new policy not to fund organizations under investigation. Planned Parenthood is under investigation for several reasons, including providing abortions to minors. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) is investigating Planned Parenthood for using taxpayer funding for abortions, a violation of the Hyde Amendment. Planned Parenthood receives over $300 million per year in taxpayer funding, one-third of its budget.
26 members of Congress, mostly feminists, responded with an angry letter to Komen demanding that it reconsider. Abortion supporters also put pressure on Komen. Komen issued a clarification backing off somewhat from its decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood. The organization stated that it would only stop giving to groups under criminal investigation, and that the reason for dropping Planned Parenthood was because it does not provide mammograms. Planned Parenthood only provides breast exams, and sends women who come in for mammogram screening elsewhere. Komen said it would continue giving existing grants to Planned Parenthood, but made no promises to provide future grants.
This is not about "women and their healthcare" as abortion supporters are trying to spin in the media. There are already plenty of clinics around the country where low-income women can receive free or very discounted breast exams and mammograms. Planned Parenthood's primary mission is to provide abortions; women's healthcare is a smokescreen it uses to disguise the distastefulness of abortion. Planned Parenthood provides about one-quarter of all abortions performed in the US. It has been increasing the number of abortions it performs each year, even though abortions overall are declining. Planned Parenthood receives one-third to 40% of its income from performing abortions. Even if Planned Parenthood directs federal funding and charitable contributions from Komen to services other than abortions, that frees up more of its funds for abortions.
There is a link between breast cancer and abortion; women who have had an abortion have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. It is understandable why the number one breast cancer fighting organization might no longer want to fund the number one abortion mill. Over one million babies are aborted each year in the US, and one quarter of those abortions take place at Planned Parenthood. An organization that seeks to save the lives of women really has no business funding an organization that causes the deaths of hundreds of thousands of unborn women each year. Planned Parenthood does not even provide mammograms, so it makes little sense to pay Planned Parenthood to refer women to other organizations to have them done.
Komen is a private charity and entitled to spend its funds any way it wants. Feminists in Congress should not be pressuring it on how to spend its money. Let's hope Komen does reconsider giving future grants to Planned Parenthood. Many pro-lifers gave contributions to Komen after the announcement that it would no longer fund Planned Parenthood. It would not be right to use that money for the exact opposite purpose of what it was intended. Otherwise it may find its supporters moving to organizations like Respect Life Cancer Foundation instead. There is a good chance Komen will do the right thing. Komen quietly stopped funding embryonic stem cell research last October. Welcome to the 21st century, Komen.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
import { OAuth } from 'oauthio-web'

const PUBLIC_KEY = '7K2VEvGvev8x_5DXL8kE12nonos'

/**
 * i can singleton xDDD
 */
export default class FacebookConnector {
  static instance = null
  static getInstance = () => {
    if (!FacebookConnector.instance) {
      FacebookConnector.instance = new FacebookConnector()
    }
    return FacebookConnector.instance
  }
  connection = null
  constructor () {
    OAuth.initialize(PUBLIC_KEY)
  }
  login = () =>
    new Promise((resolve, reject) =>
      OAuth.popup('facebook')
      .done((result) => {
        this.connection = result
        return resolve(this)
      })
      .fail(reject)
    )
  fetchMe = () =>
    new Promise((resolve, reject) =>
      this.connection.get('/me')
      .done(resolve)
      .fail(reject)
    )
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Victoria and Albert Museum's "Hollywood Costume" exhibition features costumes from the Ransom Center
October 30, 2012 - Edgar Walters
Costumes from the Robert De Niro collection are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. ©V&A images.
The rich history of costume design and its most visionary personalities takes center stage in Hollywood Costume, the latest exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, which opened October 20. Some of Hollywood's most iconic characters are the focus of the exhibition, which spans a century of film history. Seven costumes featured in the exhibition are on loan from the Harry Ransom Center.
Costumes are significant to a film production because they allow an actor to inhabit the character. In the words of Martin Scorsese, "The costume of the character is the character—the tie a man wears can tell you more about him than his dialogue." Four of the Center's costumes on loan to the V&A are from Scorsese films, specifically Raging Bull (1980), Casino (1995), The King of Comedy (1983), and Taxi Driver (1976).
For Robert De Niro, donning the costume was part of the transformation process necessary to fulfilling his role in Taxi Driver. Ruth Morley, costume designer for the film, said, "When I finally found the plaid shirt Bobby wanted to wear, when I found the army jacket, the pants, well he wanted to wear them." That army jacket and plaid shirt, part of the Ransom Center's Paul Schrader collection, is on display at the exhibition. A fifth costume worn by De Niro, from Frankenstein (1995), is also featured.
Hollywood Costume is made up entirely of loaned objects, which made the curators' job of featuring the "most enduring cinema costumes from 1912 to the present day" especially challenging. Historically, there has been a significant lack of documentation regarding Hollywood costumes, which compounds the difficulty of research in the field of costume design. Following the decline of the Hollywood studio system after its peak in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, many props, costumes, and related ephemera were sold off in public auctions. Not surprisingly, many of the more than 100 costumes displayed are on loan from passionate private collectors.
Two costumes from Gone With The Wind, part of the Ransom Center's David O. Selznick collection, also feature prominently in the V&A exhibition. The green curtain dress and the burgundy ball gown, both worn by Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), are particularly fragile and required special care, including customized textile boxes that would mitigate any movement or abrasion that might be caused by motion in transit. Jill Morena, the Center's Assistant Curator for Costumes and Personal Effects, couriered the costumes and oversaw their installation at the V&A. Cara Varnell, an independent costume conservator who performed conservation work on the dresses, also assisted with the installation.
The exhibition offers a chance to explore what V&A Assistant Curator Keith Lodwick calls the "often misunderstood role of the costume designer." That role, ever adapting to changes in the industry, is powerful enough to influence culture and memory far beyond the scope of a 90-minute film. Ultimately, the costume designer can develop a character into a cinematic icon.
Filed Under: Exhibitions + Events, Film Tagged With: Cara Varnell, costume design, Costumes and Personal Effects, David O. Selznick, Exhibitions, Film, Gone with the Wind, Hollywood Costume, Jill Morena, Keith Lodwick, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Ruth Morley, Scarlett O'Hara, Taxi Driver, V&A, Victoria and Albert Museum
Conservation work completed on "Gone With The Wind" dresses
October 25, 2012 - Alicia Dietrich
In 2010, the Ransom Center raised funds to conserve original costumes from Gone With The Wind, which are part of the Center's David O. Selznick archive. Donors from around the world graciously contributed more than $30,000 to support the conservation work, which will enable the Ransom Center to display the costumes safely in a fall 2014 exhibition, loan the costumes to other institutions, and display the costumes properly on custom-fitted mannequins.
Prior to the collection's arrival at the Ransom Center in the 1980s, the costumes had been exhibited extensively for promotional purposes in the years after the film's production, and as a result were in fragile condition.
The Ransom Center's detailed and careful conservation work took more than 180 hours and occurred between fall 2010 and spring 2012.
Label in the green curtain dress reading "Sprayed with Sudol." Photo by Anthony Maddaloni.
Both the green curtain dress and the burgundy ball gown had vulnerable areas stabilized to prevent further damage. The conservation work allowed the Ransom Center to loan the green curtain dress and burgundy ball gown to the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London for the exhibition Hollywood Costume, which runs from October 20, 2012, through January 27, 2013.
The conservation work will also enable the Ransom Center to display the original burgundy ball gown, green curtain dress, and green velvet dressing gown as part of a 75th-anniversary Gone With The Wind exhibition in 2014.
"The majority of the conservation work performed on these costumes would not be obvious or visible to one viewing the costumes on a mannequin," said Jill Morena, assistant curator for costumes and personal effects. "It is the interior of the costumes where meticulous work occurred and vulnerable areas were reinforced with archival support material and extra stitching."
A more detailed description of some of the conservation work conducted on these costumes is available, and the four videos here give a behind-the-scenes look at the work done on the green curtain dress, the burgundy ball gown, the wedding veil, and the green velvet dressing gown.
Filed Under: Conservation, Film Tagged With: burgundy ball gown, Conservation, Costumes and Personal Effects, David O. Selznick archive, Gone with the Wind, green curtain dress, green velvet dressing gown, Jill Morena, V&A, Victoria and Albert Museum


text:
Is This 'Proof' the Loch Ness Monster Exists?
Puff Published: November 11, 2020
(Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
2020 has been a wild year, to say the least. And if you've been keeping up with the world of cryptozoology, it's been especially crazy. There's been literally dozens of hard to explain scientific discoveries and UFO sightings. Now, it appears there has been a major breakthrough on the Loch Ness Monster front.
Let's start with the Smithsonian Magazine - the official journal of the Smithsonian Institute. On November 6th, they published a story on the discovery of a new prehistoric reptile that resembles a "mix of Loch Ness Monster, alligator and toothy T. Rex". The article claims that the newly discovered reptile, called the Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis, is the smaller 'cousin' of 16 foot monster nothosaurs. While this, in itself, doesn't prove the existence of Nessie...it does prove that nothosaurs have relatives that we don't have a lot of information and are still being discovered. You can read the full article on the discovery here.
Now, on top of the discovery of this new Loch Ness Monster looking reptile, Ronald Mackenzie was running sonar over the Loch last month and made a "compelling" discovery. According to Mackenzie, there's some sort of 33 foot long creature in the depths of Loch Ness. Here's what he told the Sun: "It was right in the middle of the loch at about 558ft down. It was big – at least 33ft. The contact lasted 10 seconds while we passed over. I've been on the loch since I was 16 years old and I have never seen anything like it." You can read that story here.
But, that's not all. Just a few days ago, retired Captain Rod Michie came forward with his own story and sonar photos that are similar in nature to Mackenzie's. Michie told the Sun, "I used to see surprising things visually or by sonar, but every time there was a logical explanation. But this contact was different. It really is unexplained. I passed over this point many times later but never saw anything again."
However, unlike Mackenzie who believes that Nessie might be legit, Michie offered the Sun a more reasonable explanation. He believes "there is something unexplained down there. My guess is that it is big eel – 20 to 30-feet long."
So, clearly there is SOMETHING in Loch Ness. Whether Nessie is some sort of pre-historic creature or just a giant eel is yet to be determined. But, every day, it seems that we're getting a bit closer to the truth.
By the way, just in case you were wondering, there have been 10 'accepted' sightings this year by the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register.
Filed Under: folklore, Loch Ness Monster, Nessie, paranormal, unexplained mysteries
Categories: Weird News
How Many of These Different 'Occult' Groups Are Here in East Texas?
Want to Join the Ghost Hunt at the 'Haunted' Bowers Mansion in Palestine, TX?
Join the Team Investigating the 'Haunted' Bowers Mansion in Palestine, Texas
Hair Growing Out of 100-Year-Old Grave in St. Joseph's Cemetery
Feeling Brave? Spend a Night at this Haunted Texas Inn on Salado Creek
Do Aliens Exist? The US Government Says Evidence is Inconclusive
WATCH: Ominous Mirror Message Makes Two Historic Jefferson Hotel Guests Leave in the Middle of the Night
U.S. Navy Video from 2019 Shows UFO Hovering Over and Diving into the Ocean


text:
List of Foreign Fisheries
NOAA's List of Foreign Fisheries lists foreign commercial fisheries that export fish and fish products to the United States and that have been classified as either "export" or "exempt" based on the frequency and likelihood of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals.
About the List of Foreign Fisheries
Developing the List of Foreign Fisheries
Impact of the List of Foreign Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries has published its final 2020 List of Foreign Fisheries, as required by 50 C.F.R. § 216.24(h) implementing the Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions Section 101(a)(2) of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Final List of Foreign Fisheries (with References and Detailed Information), 2020
Final List of Fisheries Deleted, Added or Switched in Classification, 2020
Final List of Intermediary Nations and Products, 2020
Final List Wherein MMPA Import Provisions Rule Not Applicable, 2020
Federal Register Notice on the final 2020 List of Foreign Fisheries
International Affairs Information Capture and Reporting System (IAICRS)
MMPA Import Final Rule
The Import Provisions, which aim to reduce marine mammal bycatch associated with international commercial fishing operations, require foreign fisheries exporting fish and fish products to the United States to be held to standards comparable to those U.S. commercial fishing operations are governed by.
The 2020 final LOFF identifies over 2,800 foreign commercial fishing operations, within 131 nations, that export fish and fish products to the United States and classifies those fisheries based on the frequency of incidental and intentional mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in those fisheries.
An essential component in implementing the import provisions of the MMPA Import Provisions Rule is the List of Foreign Fisheries. It lists foreign commercial fisheries that export fish and fish products to the United States and that have been classified as either "export" or "exempt" based on the frequency and likelihood of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals. The entire list of these export and exempt fisheries, organized by nation (or subsidiary jurisdiction), constitutes the List of Foreign Fisheries.
By January 1, 2022, a harvesting nation must apply for and receive a comparability finding for each of its export and exempt fisheries on the list to continue to export fish and fish products from those fisheries to the United States.
To develop this list, NOAA Fisheries reviewed and considered, when available, multiple sources of information, including documentation provided directly by the nations or subsidiary jurisdictions. Fisheries are classified, based on their frequency of marine mammal bycatch, as either "exempt" or "export" fisheries. Exempt fisheries are fisheries that have no known or a remote likelihood of marine mammal bycatch and are exempt from instituting a regulatory program. Export fisheries are those fisheries with more than a remote likelihood of marine mammal bycatch or insufficient information available on marine mammal interactions.
The LOFF is organized by harvesting nation and other defining factors including the geographic location of harvest, gear type, target species, or a combination thereof. It also includes a list of the marine mammals that interact with each commercial fishing operation, where known, and, when available, indicates the level of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in each commercial fishing operation.
The LOFF is the first comprehensive list of its kind. Publication of the LOFF is an important milestone because it provides the global community a view into the marine mammal bycatch levels of commercially relevant fisheries. In addition, it offers us a better understanding of the impacts of marine mammal bycatch, an improvement of tools and scientific approaches to mitigating those impacts, and establishes a new level of international cooperation in achieving these objectives.
Draft List of Foreign Fisheries (with References and Detailed Information), 2020
Draft List of Fisheries Deleted, Added or Switched in Classification, 2020
Draft List of Intermediary Nations and Products, 2020
Draft List Wherein MMPA Import Provisions Rule Not Applicable, 2020
Federal Register Notice on the 2020 Draft List of Foreign Fisheries
Draft List of Foreign Fisheries - Abridged, 2017
Federal Register Information on the Draft List of Foreign Fisheries, 2017
Challenges of Global Tuna Fisheries (Abbreviations and Acronyms)
Marine Mammal Annotated Bibliography
Federal Register Notice Seeking Information to Develop a List of Foreign Fisheries (LFF), 1/2017
MMPA Import Final Rule Compliance Guide
Fact Sheet: Seafood Import Provisions Under the MMPA, also in Spanish
Last updated by Office of International Affairs & Seafood Inspection on 10/07/2020
Leading the Fight Against IUU Fishing
Searching for Type D: A New Species of Killer Whale?


Have a burning question about Photoshop.com? Want to know what is planned next for the Photoshop Express app for iPhone or Android? The Photoshop.com and Photoshop Express teams are in Las Vegas, October 1st-3rd, attending the Photoshop World conference. Find us at the Adobe booth or cruising the conference expo and ask us anything you'd like. For more information about specific events, follow @Photoshop and @Lightroom on twitter.
I also recommend you spend some time looking around the Adobe booth. It is an amazing timeline of Photoshop history (complete with hardware) from Version 1 all the way through CS5. Really amazing to see how far it's come over the past 20 years.


Hot Dog Guy Minifigure Plush551.
Grab the funniest hot dog around and tell a joke together!
Cuddle up with this tasty-looking LEGO® Iconic 853766 Hot Dog Guy Minifigure Plush. This 12" (33cm) tall cuddly toy is an up-scaled version of the hilarious Hot Dog Guy minifigure and features brushed tricot fabric and printed face details.
This up-scaled minifigure-style stuffed toy features brushed tricot fabric and printed face details.
Hot Dog Guy stands over 12" (33cm) tall.


text:
Michelle Trauring
Header Social Media Profiles
Burying Ground Preservation Group Finishes Restoring 22 Revolutionary War Monuments
Picture an eerie, centuries-old burying ground. The headstones are cracked and tilted, leaning at dangerous angles toward the grass. Lichen and mold inch up their sides. Names, dates and epitaphs carved into the stone, weathered by wind and rain, slowly fade back into time.
Many people assume graveyards are supposed to look like this — but the truth is, they're not, explained historian Kurt Kahofer.
The retired Sag Harbor Elementary School teacher was guilty of that mindset, too, until he started working in burying grounds — restoring, cleaning, fixing and straightening headstones — and quickly realized he had it all wrong.
"The people who put those markers in for their loved ones, they did not imagine that, over the period of 150-plus years, they would end up looking like this," he said. "They put them in as pristine and new, and they expected them to always look like that."
For 22 Revolutionary War patriots buried between the 1780s and 1840s in the Sag Harbor Old Burying Ground, their headstones look the best they have in decades, largely in thanks to the efforts of Mr. Kahofer and longtime local historian Zach Studenroth — who, together, founded the Burying Ground Preservation Group, which works to protect these delicate and often overlooked historical and sacred sites.
"Prior to the 1880s, there's no consistent record-keeping except for the headstones," Mr. Studenroth explained. "These, from our point of view, are vital records. They're not written records, they're carved records, but it's the same thing. That's one of the primary motivations for wanting to preserve and stabilize the stones themselves, because they are ultimately records — and they happen to be outdoors and extremely vulnerable."
Earlier this week, after years of planning and nearly a month of work, Mr. Kahofer, Mr. Studenroth and Joel Snodgrass, a materials conservator, finished restoring the nearly two-dozen Revolutionary War monuments in the burying ground, which is home to about 350 grave markers total.
Outside of conservation efforts by the Sag Harbor Old Burying Ground Committee in the 1990s, the site had remained largely untouched for two decades.
Kurt Kahofer scrapes lichen off of a headstone. Michael Heller photos
"It's always important to acknowledge those who came before, so we're not inventing anything here, nor are we the first to get in there and try to make a difference," Mr. Studenroth said. "The project, it's a little out there, admittedly, but we're really into it."
Situated next to the Old Whalers' Church, the Sag Harbor Old Burying Ground is one of the oldest cemeteries on the South Fork, though it did start as a burying ground, as its name suggests. The difference lies in the Colonial era's understanding of death — and its grim finality — which was a bit harsher than the 19th century's softer interpretation that implied it was more of an eternal rest.
The shift from burying ground to cemetery occurred long after the Revolutionary War ended in 1783. And while the site was, initially, for its local fallen soldiers, the majority of the monuments are for veterans who lived out the rest of their lives in the village, Mr. Studenroth said.
"Some of them survived the war, went on to do other things, lived to a ripe old age and died 40 years later," he said. "In that sense, the kinds of stones — because there are types of stone that are used for carving — and styles of stone carving evolve over time. So we see big changes in all of that."
The earliest headstones — comprising about half of the 22 patriot monuments — are made of brownstone, which was the more typical material used in the late 18th century. Gradually, marble came into style and pushed brownstone out, establishing itself as the predominant stone type used throughout the 19th century.
And both require a different kind of care.
"When I first started this endeavor, I thought, 'Oh, this is very difficult,'" Mr. Kahofer said. "But, actually, when you make the right plan and prioritize the process of restoring the headstones, it turns out that it's not as difficult as it seems, although it does take a very careful approach."
In the stone world, marble is famous for its excellent hosting skills — be it lichen, mold, fungi and all sorts of living debris that float through the air and cling to its surface, often turning its pristine white façade to gray.
The team uses an anti-microbial solution and gently scrubs the marble surface, which not only improves the appearance and longevity of the stone, but also makes the inscriptions more legible.
"If you were to walk into the site now and look at the ones that we've treated, you would see a very definite difference between the ones that have been cleaned and the ones that haven't," Mr. Studenroth said.
The most dramatic intervention involved a hoist that lifted a roughly 500-pound marble headstone to reaffix it to its broken base, which proved to be complicated, as did quieter efforts for the brownstone grave markers. They often came paired with a diminutive footstone with inscribed initials — a tradition that was a sign of the times and gave the team double the work.
Guiding a broken headstone into place with the hoist.
Because these are among the first stones in the graveyard, their exposure to the elements is that much more severe, explained Mr. Studenroth. Looking at the stone from the side, it resembles thin phyllo dough layers — one stacked on top of the next, 30 layers deep, each susceptible to water seeping in between.
And when it does, and then freezes and thaws, it pushes the layers apart — over and over again, for now 240 years.
"It's just heartbreaking," Mr. Studenroth said. "And, of course, it's happening on the front where the carving was done, not on the back where you're not gonna lose the inscription. So that's why when you walk around and you see the fronts of some of these brownstones, you're like, 'Oh, for God's sake, half of it's falling off!' And there's absolutely nothing you can do about that."
Short of molding a new headstone and carving an epitaph, the team conserves the eroding stones in the best way they know how: by strategically drilling holes into the hollow cavities and injecting them with liquid grout using a syringe. After drying into a solid, the 10 headstones that needed this treatment are officially reinforced.
Joel Snodgrass and Zach Studenroth inject a liquid grout compound into a brownstone headstone.
"That was very lucky because, oftentimes, you don't get to these stones in time and they have already fallen apart," Mr. Studenroth said. "We had quite a few that we were able to stabilize in that way, and you can still read them."
In total, the restoration effort cost $20,000, jointly funded by the Southampton Colony Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. As the project neared its completion, Mr. Kahofer reflected on its significance — an honoring of the artisans themselves, the men and women buried there, and the families left behind.
"Basically, we all do love the old look of these old burying grounds, but we need to be respectful of the people who put them in, especially if they buried their children," he said. "They need to look like they were looking when they were first installed. I evolved into that. I didn't have that initially, but now I do."
Come September, the burying ground will host public walking tours and Sag Harbor Elementary School visits that supplement the students' lessons on the Revolutionary War. Across Long Island, at least 40 elementary schools are within walking distance of their own community burying ground, and Mr. Studenroth said he hopes this project sparks similar restorations.
"Orient, for example, their elementary school is right across the street. For Setauket, it's a three-minute walk down the street," he said. "We find this to be a very memorable way for students to connect to their local history."
Kurt Kahofer cleans a headstone.
Last week, when Mr. Kahofer was working at the site, Deanna Lattanzio — a fellow retired Sag Harbor Elementary School teacher and secretary for the Sag Harbor Historical Society — was leading a fourth grade walking tour and stopped at the burying ground. Without hesitation, he jumped into action, launching into an impromptu lesson.
"That felt very satisfying to me. I felt like I was back in the saddle, so to speak," he said, having retired in 2017. "That kind of outdoor learning is exactly what we want to have happen at Sag Harbor Elementary — not just in-class learning, but outside, in the field, seeing and learning about real things."
Being about to hear, read, see and touch the history of a place guides its future, Mr. Kahofer said, and working in the burying ground really allowed him to feel that.
"The first time that I dug up a headstone and I removed it, I felt a little odd," he said. "But after a couple more and resetting and straightening and fixing, I felt really good about it and I thought, 'Well, you know, if it were my headstone, I'd be like, "Thank you very much."'"
As published in the Sag Harbor Express and the Southampton Press
burying ground burying ground preservation group east end hamptons headstone repair headstone restoration kurt kahofer long island new york old burying ground preserving history revolutionary war revolutionary war monuments revolutionary war patriots sag harbor sag harbor old burying ground stewards of history zach studenroth
Defying All Odds: 'Becoming Dr. Ruth' Explores Origin Story of Renowned Sex Therapist
Alexis Rockman's 'Shipwrecks' Reaches New Depths
A Night Inside 'Bubby's Kitchen' With Shira Ginsburg
A Man Of Many Talents: Isaac Mizrahi Overcomes on Bay Street Stage
Finding Their Way Back: Spin Doctors to Play Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
Michelle Trauring is an award-winning journalist based in the Front Range of Colorado. When she isn't writing, this avid hiker is usually lost in the wilderness, daydreaming about her next trip, or giving her mischievous cat, Shelby, a head rub.
Journalist + Editor + Explorer
Footer Social Media Profiles


The Secret of Vigor can help you with 4 out of 5 of the most popular resolution goals, so I'll be posting excerpts from the book for the next several weeks – so please stay tuned for each installment. If you simply can't wait, then you can certainly get a copy at http://amzn.to/1eju3wu or at your favorite library or bookstore.
One of the fundamental biochemical facts you need to know is this: Chronic stress robs you of vigor. The unrelenting, chronic stress that most people put up with every day can wreak havoc with their sleep, weight, and general health—and it can also lead to serious medical problems, ranging from diabetes and osteoporosis to cancer and heart disease. In Chapter 1, you'll find out some of the ways stress affects the body—and why stress is the nemesis of vigor.
Your biochemistry affects you not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. In fact, the second key insight in the science of vigor is this: Biochemistry drives emotions—and behavior. Not only that, but your brain chemistry also affects your actions to a much greater degree than has ever been recognized before. Chapter 2 covers all these issues.
After reading about the basics of biochemistry in Part I, you'll be ready to drill down a little deeper into the hidden chemistry taking place on the cellular level of your body. These biochemical activities—the Four Pillars of Health—are the focus of Part II.
Finally, in Part III, you'll discover how you can apply these concepts about biochemistry to your own daily life by engaging in Vigor Improvement Practices—and that is where you will find the real value of the science of vigor.
Conventional wisdom and countless commercials bombard us with the idea that the way to get healthy is simply to exercise more and eat a better diet. Both these habits are certainly important parts of being healthy, but from my perspective as a biochemist, I'm going to tell you something you'll hardly hear from anyone else: If you truly want to improve your health, it is just as important to get your stress levels under control as it is to eat a healthy diet and to get physical activity! Quite simply, stress has a bigger impact on your life and well-being than almost anything else you encounter. Most people don't understand this fact, or else they ignore it. Worse, some people think they're "tough" enough to handle all the stress in their lives. Nothing could be farther from the truth, because stress sets off major biochemical changes in the body. And that is why I call stress the number-one enemy of vigor.
The stressed-out feeling that many people experience may seem "typical," simply because everyone else is experiencing it, too. But that does not mean it is "normal" in a physiological sense, nor is it an indicator of good health or well-being. The body, including the nervous system and endocrine (hormonal) system, was simply not meant for the chronic stress that people face as part of their everyday lives in the twenty-first century. Most people simply endure this "twenty-first-century syndrome," that familiar feeling of always being "on," of being rushed, harried, and frantic. That is what chronic stress feels like, and it leads to a state of low vigor or "burnout," with its accompanying fatigue, depression, and mental fog.
As just one indication that chronic stress is taking a toll on the populace, consider this: The incidence of depression and anxiety in modern society is now ten times higher than it was just a generation ago. Some researchers attribute this staggering increase to physicians' diagnosing psychological "diseases" at a higher rate, because they now have drugs to "cure" them. But it could also be due to the fact that many people are simply living lives that feel constantly out of control. Not only are levels of depression and anxiety on the rise, but close to ninety million cases of diseases with "no known cause" have been diagnosed. These diseases range from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), vital exhaustion ("burnout"), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to recurrent yeast infections, autoimmune disease, chronic back pain, and other "nonspecific" conditions. The never-ending stress under which people toil on a daily basis plays a role in all these illnesses and conditions, yet Western doctors and researchers are often slow to admit that "mental" conditions, such as stress, can have physical effects upon the rest of the body. They fail to recognize that stress, which leads to biochemical imbalances, is the underlying cause of poor health and low vigor.


text:
White Helmets call on UN to save trapped volunteers
Senior members of the Syrian White Helmet rescue workers have called on the United Nations to save their colleagues trapped in the south-west by advancing government forces.
Western powers helped evacuate 422 White Helmets and their families from Syria into Jordan last week but others were unable to make it out because of Assad regime's checkpoints and the expansion of ISIS in the area.
"We want the UN or any international agency to remove the White Helmet volunteers from Daraa to Idlib so we can continue to work in the north of Syria", said Majd Khalaf, one of the founders of the White Helmets. "It is so hard when White Helmets have to leave people behind – and they also have to start their lives over," he told Reuters by phone from Istanbul, Turkey.
He declined to say how many White Helmets were still at risk in the area, but said the group has more than 3,700 women and men in Syria and that more than 200 volunteers have been killed in the seven-year war.
In an interview with Russian news agencies on Thursday (July 26), Assad said members of the group would be killed if they did not turn themselves in.
"Either they can lay down their arms as part of an amnesty ongoing for four or five years, or they will be liquidated like any other terrorist," he said.
"After the control of the regime on all borders and the whole area, we are trapped and cannot move," one White Helmet in Daraa, who declined to give his name, said via WhatsApp, adding that he feared being arrested.
Raed Al Saleh, the director of the White Helmets, said his volunteers were "helpless" as they were a civilian organisation, Guardian reported.
"Unfortunately we wish we could stay in these areas, but it is not in our hands," he said by phone from Turkey.
"We are asking for their evacuation to protect them."
Assad regime, backed by Russia, have captured most of the southern province of Daraa in an offensive that began in June.
White Helmets Syrian Civil Defense Syria Trapped Volunteers Daraa UN USA UK


text:
Home Amazon Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom announce open source Overture Maps Foundation
Overture Maps Foundation.
Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom announce open source Overture Maps Foundation
A new open-source initiative founded by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom has, via the Linux Foundation, created the Overture Maps Foundation, a new collaborative effort to develop interoperable open map data as a shared asset that can strengthen mapping services worldwide.
Today, developers delivering map services face many challenges. Sourcing and curating high-quality, current, and comprehensive data from disparate sources are difficult and expensive. Multiple datasets reference the same real-world entities using their own conventions and vocabulary, which can make them difficult to combine. Map data is vulnerable to errors and inconsistencies. Open map data can also lack the structure needed to easily build commercial map products and services on top.
Overture Maps Foundation aims to deliver reliable, easy-to-use, and interoperable open map data that allows developers to build new map services that leverage the combined contributions of Overture members.
Members will combine resources to build map data that is complete, accurate, and refreshed as the physical world changes. Map data will be open and extensible by all under an open data license. This will drive innovation by enabling a network of communities that create services on top of Overture data.
"Mapping the physical environment and every community in the world, even as they grow and change, is a massively complex challenge that no one organization can manage. Industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all," said Jim Zemlin, executive director for the Linux Foundation. "We are excited to facilitate this open collaboration among leading technology companies to develop high quality, open map data that will enable untold innovations for the benefit of people, companies, and communities."
Overture, along with other contributors, aim to deliver:
Collaborative Map Building: Overture aims to incorporate data from multiple sources including Overture Members, civic organizations, and open data sources.
Global Entity Reference System: Overture will simplify interoperability with a system that links entities from different data sets to the same real-world entities.
Quality Assurance Processes: Overture data will undergo validation to detect map errors, breakage, and vandalism to help ensure that map data can be used in production systems.
Structured Data Schema: Overture will define and drive adoption of a common, structured, and documented data schema to create an easy-to-use ecosystem of map data.
Map data today underlie thousands of applications for local search and discovery, routing and navigation, logistics, mobility, autonomous driving, and data visualization. In the future, map services will power augmented reality applications merging the digital and physical worlds to deliver rich social, gaming, education, and productivity experiences.
The availability of open map data empowers developers and map creators to build new compelling applications. The project will seek to integrate with existing open map data from projects such as OpenStreetMap and city planning departments, along with new map data contributed by members and built using computer vision and AI/ML techniques to create a living digital record of the physical world.
While Overture has been founded by AWS, Meta, Microsoft and TomTom, the goal is to expand membership and contributors to include a wide range of signals and data inputs to improve map data. By joining, members accelerate progress and influence prioritization and decisions around investments, technical innovation, and timing.
Overture expects to release its first datasets in the first half of 2023. Initially, this release will include basic layers including buildings, road, and administrative information. To support next-generation map products, Overture will steadily improve the coverage, resolution and accuracy of existing data, as well as introduce new layers such as places, routing or 3D building data.
For more information, contact info@overturemaps.org.
SOURCELinux foundation
Previous articleMicrosoft announces a major addition to Windows Search for enterprise users
Next articleMicrosoft Teams Premium preview now available for commercial customers


Wonderful service, extremely friendly staff. This is a very nice hotel with wonderful services.
I definitely enjoyed my stay at the Fairmont. I did not have any complaints about the staff or hotel itself. The location is convenient to everything.
ideal location,right on main road,access to everyplace.staff courteous,overall above average.but why they charge 120 AED per person breakfast everyday .
This hotel is excellent in all aspects. It's location is perfect and the amenities are great. Excellent restaurants and bars. Fitness center, pools and spa were exceptional. Concierge staff was very helpful. All staff from housekeeping to management went out of their way to assist and to inquire as to how our stay was going. Room was on the 30th floor with great views of Dubai. Great place to stay.
Located in Trade Center, Fairmont Dubai is adjacent to Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and within a mile (2 km) of other popular sights like Dubai World Trade Centre. This 394-room, 5-star hotel welcomes business and leisure travelers with 2 outdoor pools, a full-service spa, and 12 restaurants. It's connected to the convention center in central Dubai and also close to Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.
Have a drink at the sports bar or enjoy dining at one of 12 onsite restaurants, such as Dokuz, which specializes in Turkish cuisine and serves dinner. Savor a meal from the comfort of your room with 24-hour room service, or get a quick energy boost at the 2 coffee shops/cafés. Start each morning off right with full breakfast served for a fee.
Guests can expect to find 42-inch an LCD TV with satellite channels and pay movies, along with free WiFi and wired Internet. Beds are dressed in premium bedding and the bathroom offers a soaking tub, a hair dryer, and designer toiletries. Other standard amenities include a sitting area, a minibar, and an espresso maker.
Guests of Fairmont Dubai have access to a full-service spa, 2 outdoor pools, and a nightclub. Free valet and self parking are available, or if you're not driving, take the airport shuttle (available 24 hours) for AED 250 per vehicle one-way. Multilingual staff at the front desk are standing by 24/7 to help with concierge services, dry cleaning/laundry, and securing valuables. Other amenities at this luxury hotel include a children's pool, a health club, and 2 spa tubs.
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback with us. We are glad to learn that your overall stay at our hotel was enjoyable and we look forward to welcoming you back soon for another memorable experience.
Dear Anonymous, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback with us. We are glad to learn that your overall stay at our hotel was enjoyable and we look forward to welcoming you back soon for another memorable experience.
great hotel in prime location.
Full breakfast is served daily for a fee.
Dokuz - Poolside restaurant and bar specializing in Turkish cuisine. Open daily for dinner. Alfresco dining available (weather permitting).
Noire, Dining in the dark - Restaurant specializing in international cuisine. Open select days for dinner. Reservations required.
Cascades - Buffet restaurant specializing in international cuisine. Open daily for breakfast and lunch.
The Exchange Grill - Steakhouse open daily for dinner. Reservations required.
Trophy Room - Sports bar specializing in Italian cuisine. Open select days for dinner. Reservations required.
The hotel has 2 outdoor swimming pools and 2 spa tubs. A children's pool, a health club, and a sauna are other recreation options.
Guests with plans to arrive after midnight must make arrangements in advance by contacting the property using the information on the booking confirmation.
Guests must follow local laws and visitor policies. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.


Happy Wednesday, almost the weekend day.
Today's video is using three different stamp sets. The Petite Petals Punch set from the Occasions Catalog is super cute.
Here are a few photos of today's card.
And don't miss out on these amazing deals...Check out the latest clearance rack items (Click here to add to cart), also the latest Weekly Deals can be found here (Click here to add to cart).


text:
"Cut me a piece of my divided soul, Cry me a river, call it rock and roll..." - Man of a Thousand Faces
North American Tour 2012
We are pleased to announce the dates for our North American Tour in 2012.
Head over to http://www.marillion.com/tour/index.htm to check them out!
MARILLION SET TO TOUR NORTH AMERICA FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2004
The British are coming! Marillion have announced their long awaited return to North America, for a 13-date summer tour. Having maintained a continuous touring schedule through the rest of the world, as well as the high profile Marillion Convention Weekend events, this will be the band's first visit to the US since 2004. The tour will hit several cities across North America, with 2-consecutive-night events planned in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. To mark the occasion of these special events, Marillion will be performing different set-lists over the consecutive shows in these cities. Fans travelling to these destinations will witness unique sets as the band set-up camp in select markets.
As legions of fans that regularly flock to see the band live or buy their records are all too aware, there really is no other band like Marillion. Hailed as Internet pioneers for their game-changing use of technology to unify and mobilize their global fan community, Marillion have been un-compromising with their music and vision. With their revolutionary presale campaigns, in-house label and their own Racket Records recording studio, Marillion have remained uniquely independent.
The overwhelming demand to bring Marillion back to the States once resulted in a fan-sponsored tour fund and a series of legendary dates for rabid fans in 1997. For their 2012 return to North America though, everyone's invited to experience the unforgettable show that only Marillion can deliver. Currently in the studio, creating their 17th studio album, Marillion look forward to unveiling their latest collection in mid 2012 as they hit US shores.


text:
'Apprentice' contestant's Trump defamation suit can proceed
Posted: Mar 14, 2019 / 04:51 PM EDT / Updated: Mar 14, 2019 / 04:51 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump isn't immune from a defamation lawsuit filed by a former "Apprentice" contestant who accused him of unwanted kissing and groping.
A panel of judges on the Supreme Court Appellate Division said in their ruling, in a case brought by Summer Zervos, that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution doesn't require trials in state court to be delayed until the president is out of office.
Citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling two decades ago in a case involving alleged sexual misconduct by President Bill Clinton, a majority of judges on the panel said presidents can be sued in state courts over things they did that aren't related to their official duties.
"The current sitting President attempts to shield himself from consequences for his alleged unofficial misconduct by relying upon the constitutional protection of the Presidency," the judges said in an opinion written by Justice Dianne T. Renwick. "We reject defendant President Trump's argument that the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution prevents a New York State court — and every other state court in the country — from exercising its authority under its state constitution. Instead, we find that the Supremacy Clause was never intended to deprive a state court of its authority to decide cases and controversies under the state's constitution."
The decision, which increases the prospect that Trump could have to sit for sworn questioning in the lawsuit, was not unanimous.
Two of the five justices on the panel, Peter Tom and Angela Mr. Mazzarelli, said in a dissent, written by Mazzarelli, that subjecting the president to a state trial court's jurisdiction "interferes with his ability to carry out his constitutional duty of executing the laws of the United States."
Trump's lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, said he planned to respond to the ruling Thursday afternoon.
Zervos was among over a dozen women who came forward during Trump's 2016 campaign with allegations of sexual misconduct years earlier.
He called the women "liars" trying to harm his campaign with "100 percent fabricated" stories, and he retweeted a message specifically calling Zervos' claim "a hoax." He also issued a statement denying it.
Trump's lawyers have said the case shouldn't go forward while he is in office. They also say his remarks were opinions that he had a free-speech right to express in the course of a heated campaign.
Zervos' lawyers said Trump's words were factual falsehoods that subjected her to threats and cost her business at her Southern California restaurant.
Zervos appeared on "The Apprentice" in 2006, when Trump was the reality show's host. She says he made the unwanted advances the next year during get-togethers she hoped would yield career advice.
She says she didn't go public with her allegations for almost a decade because she admired Trump as a businessman and thought he had had just a couple of episodes of bad behavior with her. Both Trump and Zervos are Republicans. Her resolve to stay quiet changed, she said, after an "Access Hollywood" recording emerged in October 2016 of Trump boasting about groping women.
Zervos is seeking a retraction, an apology, and compensatory and punitive damages.
Both sides have continued gathering evidence while awaiting the appeals court's decision. They face a June 28 deadline for any depositions — pretrial questioning under oath — of Trump and Zervos by each other's lawyers.
More U.S. & World Stories
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A man scaled several floors down the side of a 19-story building in Philadelphia to escape a fire that injured four residents and three police officers.
The fire at the Holden Tower apparently began in a trash chute about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, causing flames to shoot out and spread heavy smoke to all floors of the high-rise.
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — When you first lay eyes on the new 2020 Corvette, a modern version of the classic American sports car isn't the first thing that pops into your head.
Instead, you think Lamborghini, Lotus, McLaren.
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (AP) — A 37-year-old Oklahoma man has been jailed on rape complaints after authorities said he sexually assaulted a 4-year-old girl in a bathroom at a McDonald's play area, which the child was visiting during a day care field trip.
Midwest City police say a day care worker knocked on the locked bathroom door Tuesday after the girl didn't return promptly. A police affidavit says a man eventually came out and said, "I was just washing my hands."


was 1300x607 pixels. To look for some pictures by collection are on below this picture. Find the other picture or article about Idee Per Tanti Auguri Di Buon Compleanno Immagini Che Decora Per Una Casa here. you will get information of the picture.


>Clioquinol< This compound is used as an antiinfective agent, as an antiamoebic agent and as an intravaginal trichomonacide. It is used to impregnate cotton bandages for antibacterial purposes. It is used in animals as an intestinal antiinfective agent. May cause brown discoloration of the nails and erythema multiforme like eruptions. UCU >Chlorquinaldol< Fungistat and antibacterial agent in topical pharmaceutical preparations. (5,7-dichloro-2-methyl-8-quinolinol, Sterosan).
Mix of antidegradants used in natural rubber, styrene-butadiene, nitrile-butadiene, butadiene and chloroprene rubber.
Mix of various fragrance ingredients commonly causing dermatitis from perfumed products. Some may cause photoallergy.
Mix of synthetic nitro musk compound for use as fragrances and fixatives in after shave lotions, perfumes etc.
Mix of substances used as local or topical anesthetic agents or in dentistry.
Mix of tars occuring in some pharmaceutical preparations.
Mix of three lichen acids which are naturally occuring in certain lichens in nature. Atranorin and usnic acid can also be present as components in extracts of oakmoss used in certain perfumed products.
Mix of ethyleneurea + melamineformaldehyde used in textile finish. Contains 5% sorbitansesquioleate as emulsifier.
Mix of Budesonide, Tixocortol-21-pivalate and Hydrocortisone-17-butyrate used as a marker for corticosteroid allergy.
Mix containing Propyl gallate, Dodecyl gallate and Octyl gallate at 0.5% each.


The Triple Helix is a student society that aims to raise the standard of debate surrounding issues of science and technology in society. To this end we publish a termly, academic-reviewed journal entitled "The Science in Society Review", organise outreach workshops with schools and run this series of lectures.
The aim of these panel debates and talks is to present a range of different perspectives on an issue, so that the science is considered along with its legal, political and ethical implications. All our events therefore feature distinguished academics and policymakers, so you can hear from experts in each field.
Our focus is also on audience participation. In panel debates after a 5-10 minute talk from each speaker, the debate is opened to questions and comments from the floor so you can have your say. In our talks, a question and answer session will follow a longer presentation.
For more information, go to www.camtriplehelix.com and come to our events.
If you have a question about this list, please contact: Adam Esmail; Martha Henriques; E. Emma; Oliver Marsh. If you have a question about a specific talk, click on that talk to find its organiser.
0 upcoming talks and 37 talks in the archive.


Handheld Microphone. Perfect for singer-songwriters.
For crisp sound that cuts through every mix.
For trouble-free use with on-stage monitoring.
Eliminates any kind of handling noise.
For elimination of pops and wind noise.


text:
Reformed smoker and Blayney councillor Scott Denton has entered the smoking shelter at Blayney Health Service debate detailing his own struggle with cigarettes. Cr Denton was contacted by the Blayney Chronicle following the publication of an article in which a resident at Blayney Health Service, Elizabeth Meekin-Moxham, was requesting an outside shelter to smoke in. Cr Denton says that as a nicotine addict himself he really feels for the resident, and that it's not a simple issue. READ MORE: "When you try to give up you're really scared, and no doubt she's really scared too," he said. "I'm also really worried for her because during winter time and she's out there several times a day, there's a good chance she'll end up with pneumonia and then she's in deep trouble. "So we do have a responsibility for that as well which makes this a really complex issue." Cr Denton said that he tried numerous methods to try and give up cigarettes and those that have never smoked may have difficulty in understanding just how hard it is. "I was a pack a day smoker and it's still something I struggle with," he said. "You never really give it up, but for me I just wanted to live, plus I was tired of spending the money and being treated as a social outcast, much like this woman is being treated." Western New South Wales Local Health District Acting District Smoking Cessation Coordinator Nakarri Ferguson said that it is never too late to give up smoking. "Quitting at any age is worth doing and will increase your life expectancy and improve your quality of life," she said. "Within 20 minutes your heart rate decreases and after only a few weeks without smoking your risk of heart attack begins to reduce and your lung function improves."
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/8iYYyszipmQZWgRTx8MGY6/5286710c-2986-492d-a6c0-90a50452de8c.jpg/r3_0_5757_3251_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
July 11 2019 - 12:00PM
Cr Scott Denton weighs in on smoking shelter debate.
Mark Logan
Reformed smoker and Blayney councillor Scott Denton has entered the smoking shelter at Blayney Health Service debate detailing his own struggle with cigarettes.
Cr Denton was contacted by the Blayney Chronicle following the publication of an article in which a resident at Blayney Health Service, Elizabeth Meekin-Moxham, was requesting an outside shelter to smoke in.
Cr Denton says that as a nicotine addict himself he really feels for the resident, and that it's not a simple issue.
Request for shelter outside Blayney Hospital
Call to help disadvantaged to quit smoking
Smoking on the nose with Victorians
"When you try to give up you're really scared, and no doubt she's really scared too," he said.
"I'm also really worried for her because during winter time and she's out there several times a day, there's a good chance she'll end up with pneumonia and then she's in deep trouble.
"So we do have a responsibility for that as well which makes this a really complex issue."
Cr Denton said that he tried numerous methods to try and give up cigarettes and those that have never smoked may have difficulty in understanding just how hard it is.
"I was a pack a day smoker and it's still something I struggle with," he said.
It's still something I struggle with.
Cr Scott Denton
"You never really give it up, but for me I just wanted to live, plus I was tired of spending the money and being treated as a social outcast, much like this woman is being treated."
Western New South Wales Local Health District Acting District Smoking Cessation Coordinator Nakarri Ferguson said that it is never too late to give up smoking.
"Quitting at any age is worth doing and will increase your life expectancy and improve your quality of life," she said.
"Within 20 minutes your heart rate decreases and after only a few weeks without smoking your risk of heart attack begins to reduce and your lung function improves."
Milestone marked by Regis as DA for gold mine submitted
Hostel residents are growing up with new garden beds
Red hot idea for Fire Festival at 'new' tourist park
$782k up for grabs in the community
Reviving our planting day
Frank sheds some light on shipping containers
Blayney Chronicle


This book tries to tell you that people often less able to balance their individual and social behaviors in life. They usually pay more attention to the small stuff, on the contrary, some critical points are forgotten. Such an attitude causes serious abruption in their lives, such as Suicide.
Romantic poem of Varghe and Golshah includes two thousand verses and it is believed to be of an Arabic origin. This poem is written once in Arabic and then in Persian but the Persian version from the number of characters and some subjects mentioned in it is different from the Arabic one.
Did you not Lose a Child?
This book includes a short text, beautiful illustrations and attractive story that teach children the concept of finding common points for being a friend and making up.
This book includes a short text, beautiful illustrations and attractive story that tries to teach children the way they can be others' friends.
The book enjoys a simple and eloquent text without using complex terms and statements. The events narrated from the perspective of the first person means by Ismail. The events are somewhat tangible and believable as though they are the author's memories described beautifully the details and events.
The Symphony of Potatoes has a very simple eloquent prose and is fluent and good to the reader's eyes. Everything starts from a (big) sack of potatoes. He is separating the potatoes which are sprouted. He pays particular attention to the shape of the potatoes that resemble weird deformed creatures.
This book includes eight fluent and easy-to-read short stories that challenge children's thinking power about different children issues. The titles of the book stories are A Snowflake, Butterfly, Stupid Lines, Wolf, Sweet Berry, Sangak Bread, Roundy and Berry Tree.


text:
January 27, 2017 Electronica, New Tracks, News, Soul/R&B
AR Ferdinand announce debut album 'Wild Fiction', share new single "Lately"
Salvadoran artist Fernando Arroyo, aka AR Ferdinand, recently share a chill and groovy single that features the sweet vocals of Daphne. "Lately" is the firt track taken from the upcoming debut LP "Wild Fiction."
This track is absolutely beautiful. It features some jazzy vibes that, despite the saturation of the genre, succeed to stand out. "Lately" is a real fusion between elements taken from the beats, hip-hop, and groove worlds. It is a bridge between the universe of an intimate band that would play a smooth jazz jam and the talent of a producer that is able to give a modern twist to it without altering completely the essence of the genre. In this decor made of velvet, Daphne naturally appears as the perfect jazz singer.
As AR Ferdinand detailed:
I started to work on the idea for Lately after a vacation on my favorite place on earth, Lake Coatepeque. Having spent so much time there, I feel like I'm in paradise surrounded by my friends everytime.
Then, he added:
"Lately" is one of the many tastes that the album has to offer, I think it's a perfect representation of what I've been working on for the past 3 years.
AR Ferdinand's debut album "Wild Fiction" is due for release in March 2017. The lead single is now available via Wubadubdub.
Connect with AR Ferdinand on Facebook, Soundcloud, and Twitter.
Arnaud Marty
– I love your personality!
– Oh really, which one?
Tags:AR Ferdinand, Daphne, Fernando Arroyo, Wild Fiction, Wubadubdub


Buzzing Nigerian singer, Simi who recently dropped her music album has spoken on how she met two of her close music friends.
A lot has been said about the alleged love triangle between singer, Simi, and her colleagues, Adekunle Gold and Falz. But no one really knows how the trio actually met. Well, Sunday Scoop is set to tell you.
In a chat with a Punch correspondent, she traced the genesis of their relationship. "I met Adekunle Gold while I was performing at an event centre in Lagos. Unknown to me, he had been listening to me since I was a gospel artiste and he said he was a fan of my music. At that time, I just knew him as a graphic artist, popularly referred to as the 'King of Photoshop;' I didn't even know he was a singer, but we just became close from there. As for Falz, he heard one of my works, and he reached out to me on Twitter. From there, we hooked up in the studio and did some things together. Soldier was actually my song, and when he heard it, we decided to work together on it," she said.


We've recently been getting hit by (Apparently Hacked) but legitimate email servers that are sending our Employees forged header emails with attached Macro Virus "Doc" files attached. Since we have a number of Employees that aren't "savvy" enough to realize these are bogus, and then proceed to attempt to open the infected file, we've started Quarantining all Doc and Xls files.
Now this is causing problems because we have a large number of suppliers and vendors that insist on sending spreadsheets and documents via email, and we are now spending way too much time releasing these emails.
When I attempted to create a rule to allow certain named spreadsheets - It seems to accept the rule, but the rule then disappears right away.
Shouldn't I be able to whitelist, or create allow rules for these files??
Should I place a support ticket for this?
We have also tried to get it to allow inter-office emailing of these files, and it quarantines those as well.
OK, Update! I just downloaded and installed the most recent version - 10.2.0.2 - Now my file name rules are staying in place, and seem to work. In addition, the internal allow settings seem to be working as well.
I'll probably add this as a feature request, but is there a way to "Whitelist" incoming emails?


This was my delicious pudding tonight! Nic and I treated ourselves to a Monday night ice cream whilst watching the Simpsons. Because sometimes, you just need these things!
Now that my colleague Jon has left, work is slightly more hectic.. It's super exciting as I'm getting involved in a lot more of the planning and organisation stage of things, but still, very busy! But I'm back cycling which is great, and already tucked up for an early night! Good night!


"Every important city in the world boasts of one or more hotels that give prestige to the community, hotels that cater to discriminating travelers. The Mark Hopkins was built for this purpose." This statement is every bit as true today as when it was first made by world-renowned hotelier Pierre Bultinck, who became the managing director of the hotel during the 1950s. With an extensive restoration, the famed Mark Hopkins highlights its historic grandeur and secures its place among the most prestigious hotels to be found in the city of San Francisco.
Opened in 1926, the hotel is located at Number One Nob Hill on the site of the former 40-room mansion of Mark Hopkins, one of San Francisco's "Big Four" who founded what became the Southern Pacific Railroad. Hopkins built this grand house at the insistence of his socialite wife, Mary, but died before the house was finished in 1878. Destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, the mansion was replaced by a more modest structure built by the San Francisco Art Association (now known as the San Francisco Art Institute), who received the property from Mary Hopkins' second husband, bequeathed upon his death in 1893. In 1925, mining engineer and hotel investor George D. Smith who had long admired the site, bought it and built a luxury hotel, which he opened on December 4, 1926. Upon completion, San Franciscans declared it "architecturally perfect, flawless in its erection, comprehensive in its accommodations… strikingly representative of the best there is in modern hostelry."
The Mark Hopkins became an immediate part of San Francisco's rich and colorful history and continues to hold its place in the city today. Events such as the meetings for the historic founding of the United Nations in 1945 took place at the Mark Hopkins. Royalty, statesmen, political personalities and celebrities with backgrounds as diverse as the places they come from have stayed at the Mark Hopkins since it opened, including five American presidents and heads of state from around the world. Locals and visitors alike come to visit the Top of the Mark, the 19th-floor sky-lounge atop the hotel, with its panoramic views of the ever-changing San Francisco Bay Area landscape.
InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, a member of Historic Hotels of America since 2011, dates back to 1926.


This work is the only complete compilation of polls taken by the Gallup Organization, the world's most reliable and widely quoted research firm, in calendar year 2015. It is an invaluable tool for ascertaining the pulse of American public opinion as it evolves over the course of a given year, and—over time—documents changing public perceptions of crucial political, economic, and societal issues. It is a necessity for any social science research.
Frank Newport is editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. He is the author of Polling Matters: Why Leaders Must Listen to the Wisdom of the People and co-author of The Evangelical Voter.


text:
Satrapi bezeichnet:

 (308197) Satrapi, ein Asteroid des inneren Hauptgürtels

Satrapi ist der Familienname folgender Personen:

 Marjane Satrapi (* 1969), iranisch-französische Comikzeichnerin, Illustratorin und Filmemacherin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
List of Children Raised by Wild Animals
May 7, 2006 - 7:59 pm Chris	3 Comments
From Feralchildren.com:
These are children who have supposedly been raised by animals: there are monkey boys, wolf girls, gazelle boys and even an ostrich boy. Click on the child's name to read more about that child. The information available varies greatly from child to child. Where the name is in bold, there is a considerable amount of information here.
8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas – 1895
This is the eighth-grade final exam* from 1895 from Salina, Kansas. It was taken
from the original document on file at the Smoky Valley Genealogical Society
and Library in Salina, Kansas and reprinted by the Salina Journal.
This is the arithmetic section of the test:
Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts. per bu, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $.20 per inch?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10.Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.
Snopes has this as false. (Thanks Brendan)
Cartrivision, the First VCR
May 7, 2006 - 7:39 pm Chris	1 Comment
The year was 1972. This is the first VCR made in the U.S.A. for consumers. The product flopped horribly ~ of course. Shown in the photos above, is a beautiful example of an end table model. These were large machines and had they had to blend in with the living room decor. The Cartrivision VCR was typically intended to be built into a console style 25″ color TV, a popular screen size at that time. Sets like that were produced by Sears, Montgomery Wards, Curtis Mathes, just to name a few. The third photo is of the interior front of the mechanism.
Very few Cartrivision VCRs were sold new. Thousands were sold surplus through outlets like Olsen Electroncis or private clubs. Initially they were sold here in the San Jose / south bay area (Silicon Valley, where else?). Steve Wozniak had one, as well as the fellows who founded Newtek, makers of the Video Toaster! I wonder if they still have their Cartrivision VCRs?
The Cartivision Site
Cartrivision – The First VCR with Prerecorded Tapes
The Most Complex Chinese Character in Current Usage
May 7, 2006 - 6:55 pm Chris
And it happens to be a type of noodle according to Wikipedia.
Google Video of a Bicycle Crash at 110MPH
(via Digg)
Project Gutenberg Audio eBooks
The Critic writes:
It's something near and dear to my heart, audiobooks provided for free from project gutenberg. Some of decent amateur recordings by people, some are group efforts by people all tackling parts of a big work, and some are (horrible of all horribles) mp3s of audiobooks read by computers. This last category is what is widely available to a lot of blind people who order books from the Library of Congress (at least that last trivia bit is my surmise from what the project's site had implied). There are also a variety of links there to other for free audiobook sites. Worth a gander.
I didn't know that Project Gutenberg also made audio eBooks available.
Cardinal Urges Legal Action Against Da Vinci Code
Um guys, the keyword here is FICTION. But enough about the bible..
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – In the latest Vatican broadside against "The Da Vinci Code", a leading cardinal says Christians should respond to the book and film with legal action because both offend Christ and the Church he founded.
Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Nigerian who was considered a candidate for pope last year, made his strong comments in a documentary called "The Da Vinci Code-A Masterful Deception."
Arinze's appeal came some 10 days after another Vatican cardinal called for a boycott of the film. Both cardinals asserted that other religions would never stand for offences against their beliefs and that Christians should get tough.
BTW, I got the impression while reading the DV Code that somewhere during writing it, Dan Brown thought it would make a pretty good movie and started adding in all these cliched chase scenes. I kept expecting to see notes like:
EXT. THE LOUVRE, PARIS FRANCE – DUSK – ESTABLISHING
The sound of somebody running and out of breath juxtaposed against the backdrop of a Parisian sunset.
But then it has sold something like 40 million copies so what do I know.


Anyone who's spent time with a toddler knows that few crises compare with the (even temporary) loss of a favorite blankie. Here, in her humorous, bold graphic style, Leslie Patricelli plays up this scenario, surely near and dear to every toddler's heart. BLANKIE is an affectionate ode to that special object that comforts many a child through the dramas of each day.


Gates of Fire is quite pertinent to resilience. It provides exceptional insight into what made the Spartans such feared and effective fighters in a life filled with mental and physical challenges. In the end, their ability to overcome was the result of a few key tools and techniques that were introduced and reinforced through a training regimen (agoge) required of all young Spartan men.
Fighting cancer – or facing any source of adversity – can sometimes feel like battling Xerxes' huge Persian army. So can the emptiness that comes if you lose a loved one. In these cases, purposeful work can protect the mind from katalepsis, in this case possession by any number of the emotions triggered by challenge and loss: anger, bitterness, depression. The list is endless. This very concept inspired Adam La Reau to start One Summit as a way to reflect on and overcome the loss he experienced as both a SEAL and a son (see May Profiles in Resilience blog).
Through Climb for Courage and other initiatives, One Summit encourages its like-minded warriors to share which tools are enabling them to reflect, recharge and overcome. Whether it is humor, purposeful work, music, journaling, meditation or rock-climbing, no one tool is better than the other, but rather a matter of how it fits into your own story of resilience.


text:
Q: UIView transform base arc I want to apply a transform to UIView to make it look like curve or arc from a rect (like it is).
Here are 2 images before and after.
http://i.stack.imgur.com/QNWxv.jpg
http://i.stack.imgur.com/xA7Sd.jpg
How can I make it?
Thanks in advance.

A: The easiest way doing this is create the UIView and convert that to an image (UIView). There are numerous functions to transform images.
The following captures a UIView in an Image
UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(myView.frame.size);
[myView.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *viewImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
NSData *data=UIImagePNGRepresentation(viewImage);
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *strPath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"myimage.png"];
[data writeToFile:strPath atomically:YES];

Transforming images can be done like:
UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(newSize, NO, 0.0);
[theImage drawInRect:CGRectMake(0, 0, newSize.width,newSize.height)];
UIImage *newImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag Archives: TikTok Settlement
Notes and Materials on TikTok from MusicBiz Conference
By Chris Castle
I was pleased to moderate a panel on TikTok's situation for the Music Business Association with an all-star panel of experts on September 25. You can access our voluminous panel materials here including the panelists biographies.
The following is my opening statement followed by the panel outline with some page number cross references to the panel materials.
TikTok has become a major marketing tool for artists in the music business. It has also been accused of some pretty serious consumer issues as well as massive copyright infringement. We care what happens to TikTok for many of the same reasons we cared about what happened to Napster—ideally we would bring TikTok into a professional business reality that is safe for fans and where artists and songwriters can be paid. In other words, we come here to save TikTok, not to bury it.
It appears that a potential deal with TikTok could be unraveling. See your materials at p. 92 for a summary of deal points. It's a bit cloudy to decipher the positions of the parties without pre and post money cap tables, but we try.
What we know is that the Commerce Department has delayed the ban on downloading new versions of TikTok until midnight Sunday. TikTok has asked a federal court to block the download ban, and DC District Court Judge Carl Nichols told the US Government yesterday that it has until 2:30 pm ET to show cause why they need the ban or the Court will hold a hearing Sunday morning. TikTok's official statement is a p. 91 in your materials. UPDATE: After the MusicBiz panel, Judge Nichols granted a preliminary injunction allowing TikTok to be downloaded and holding that TikTok's operations fit in a loophole. Read the order here.
In China, the Chinese government recently changed its technology export controls to cover TikTok. TikTok is required to obtain government approval of the deal by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce which it has not yet granted. The Chinese Communist Party has "slammed the deal as 'dirty and unfair'" and "modern piracy" according to the Wall Street Journal.
TikTok is the subject of a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (or "CFIUS") which is a cabinet level group that reviews M&A activity from a national security perspective. CFIUS was established by Congress in 1988 as an amendment to the Defense Production Act of 1950. (See p. 83 of the panel materials)
As a matter of process, CFIUS conducts a review of a covered transaction and makes a recommendation to the President about whether the transaction should be approved or unwound based on national security concerns, including data security.
CFIUS review can be also be done before an acquisition, but Bytedance elected not to request a pre-acquisition review by CFIUS which created substantial investment risk for Bytedance shareholders as we have seen play out with TikTok.
CFIUS has required divestment of various acquisitions in the past decades, such as Aixtron, Ralls, Mamco, StayInTouch, Qualcomm, PatientsLikeMe, Grindr, and Moneygram.
CFIUS review of Bytedance is based on the company's 2017 acquisition of Musical.ly. CFIUS concluded that the acquisition "threatens to impair the national security of the United States" and recommended divestiture. The CFIUS review began November 1, 2019, which resulted in two executive orders requiring the divestiture of Musical.ly or substantial mitigation to satisfy CFIUS requirements (extensively covered in Sec. 2 of the August 14 Executive Order. (p. 76 of materials).
There has been some negotiation of a potential sale of TikTok which is premised on two opposing views: The US will not permit TikTok to operate in the US unless it is controlled by
Americans, all data is hosted in the U.S. meeting CFIUS inspections, and US companies have access to all TikTok's technology. The position of the government of the Chinese Communist Party is essentially the opposite of the U.S. view.
If a resolution cannot be reached, the President has the power to stop Americans from engaging in transactions of any kind with TikTok under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act which would apply to employees, vendors, advertisers and users. (Cited in 8/14 Executive Order and discussed at p. 65)
And even if TikTok can get past the CFIUS problems, it still has to deal with its failure to license substantial numbers of copyrights, and that implicates a foreign infringer's ability to use various safe harbors to copyright. The copyright infringement issues will extend outside of the U.S. and we will discuss implications for Canadian artists and potential class actions against TikTok.
It must also be noted that there is currently a class action against TikTok in Illinois for child endangerment and violations of child privacy protections through TikTok's biometric data collection. Of course, TikTok already paid the largest fine in FTC history for violations of Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. We won't discuss this topic today, but relevant documents are included in your materials at p. 177.
There's also the potential for a TikTok IPO to be blocked because China refuses to comply with US public company accounting standards based on national security concerns (which essentially means any government contract). This makes it impossible to compare Chinese and all other public companies, and opens the door to financial fraud such as with Luckin Coffee. The Senate has passed the "Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act" and the bill is sponsored in the House by Rep. Brad Sherman. (At p 105 in the materials). It is doubtful that the Chinese government would allow TikTok to comply with that US law either.
Closer to home, commenters have asked whether TikTok should be permitted to operate without implementing infringement controls at least as strong as YouTube's Content ID and a transparent repeat infringer policy. But first, we will discuss the functionality of TikTok and how we got to this place.
Panel Topics
1. TikTok Data Functionality: Trent Teyema and Chris (10 mins) (p. 83)
–What about TikTok creates a national security problem for a CFIUS review?
—What is the connection between Bytedance, TikTok and the Chinese government?
—How does China's National Intelligence Law create requirements of TikTok executives to disclose user data?
—What is involved in a CFIUS pre-clearance?
2. The TikTok Executive Orders: Rick Lane and Chris (10 mins) (p. 75) (TikTok statement p. 91)
—What is the legal authority for the EO?
—Does the Oracle and Walmart investment solve TikTok's data security problem?
—Has TikTok already engaged in or promoted election interference?
—What safe harbors does TikTok benefit from under US law? Section 230 and DMCA
3. Copyright Infringement on TikTok: Chris and Gwen Seale (10 mins) (p. 130)
—What is the functionality that creates copyright infringement on TikTok?
—Is TikTok eligible for the new blanket mechanical?
—Is TikTok eligible for DMCA protection?
—How does TikTok's DMCA takedown process work?
—How extensive are TikTok's licenses?
—Should TikTok be allowed to continue operations without implementing a system at least as effective as YouTube's Content ID and CMS?
—How does TikTok's infringement problem compare to Napster? To Spotify class action?
4. Copyright Infringement Class Actions in the US and Canada: Chris and David Sterns (10 mins) (p. 138)
—Compare US copyright infringement class action in Lowery v. Spotify to TikTok
—Discuss Canada's UGC exception, non-commercial and moral rights issues
—Compare US vs. Canadian class actions for copyright infringement
5. Discussion:
—Impact of allowing foreign companies using safe harbors like 230 and DMCA in US. US/UK bilateral US/EU bilateral.
—Can a US TikTok IPO be blocked based on accounting standards, see Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, SOX, and Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act
Posted in Artist Rights, TikTok, TikTok Drug Dealing
Tagged Chris Castle, David Sterns, Gwen Seale, Music Business Association, Rick Lane, TikTok Settlement, Trent Teyema
TikTok Gets an NMPA Special Out the Back Door as the FBI Comes in the Front Door
It's becoming more apparent with each passing day that TikTok is about to get shut down by the U.S. Government for any one of a variety of crimes like it has been in India and other countries. Which means that they are a perfect candidate for an "NMPA Special" which is where a handful of insiders decide on the terms and a pool of money is paid by the infringer to the NMPA for what amounts to a promise not to sue the infringer by the insiders and whatever useful idiots the NMPA can get to opt in to their deal. (Or at least the deal they tell you about–and remember that some running dogs are more equal than others.)
Then some impenetrable claiming portal is set up for the average dog to "claim" a share of a revenue pool they had nothing to do with negotiating while being forced to give up any rights to sue (because the last thing that the NMPA wants is getting shown up again by a David Lowery, Melissa Ferrick, Randall Wixen or anyone represented by Richard Busch), and then the money just kind of disappears. The amount of the pool is always so low it makes you wonder if that's all there is, but in any event it has a distorting effect on the market place to drive down the rates paid to songwriters.
In a world where Cox Communications, a stupid but largely legitimate company, pays $1 billion for copyright infringement on a handful of copyrights, TikTok should pay $1 billion to get a meeting. And if the FBI is right that TikTok is a front for the Chinese Communist Party, they could easily pay $1 billion for a meeting. Anyone want to bet the over/under that the NMPA settlement is less than $1 billion?
How much the NMPA gets to keep out of the gross on the front end or the unclaimed after the claiming period expires is never disclosed and as you will see, the NMPA deal with TikTok, like all other NMPA deals, only applies to NMPA members. So if you want to participate, you most likely will have to join the NMPA and pay a fee (sometimes based on market share). And as came up in The MLC designation, The NMPA members may have a large market share of revenue but not necessarily on the number of songs.
Here's the twist: TikTok has no way to track what music has been used, much less account for it. TikTok has no Content-ID type technology or control over what music is used so has no way to count or monitor what uses are made of which songs. So unless that gets fixed, it's a bit unclear exactly what you would be claiming from the NMPA's claiming portal Based on the NMPA's YouTube and Spotify settlement portals, this one is almost certainly going to be absolute shite.
So what is the deal? According to MusicAlly:
The deal "accounts for TikTok's past use of musical works and sets up a forward-looking partnership" according to the announcement.
"This new partnership will give NMPA members the ability to opt-in to a licensing framework that allows them to benefit from their works included on TikTok and is effective retroactively as of May 1, 2020."
The deal comes a day after TikTok announced a licensing deal with independent distributor Believe, and its TuneCore subsidiary.
"We are pleased to find a way forward with TikTok which benefits songwriters and publishers and offers them critical compensation for their work," said NMPA boss David Israelite.
"Music is an important part of apps like TikTok which merge songs with expression and popularise new music while also giving new life to classic songs. This agreement respects the work of creators and gives them a way to be paid for their essential contributions to the platform."
That might be true–but remember, there's nothing in it for anyone who is not an NMPA member. And a lot of people are not NMPA members regardless of what they tell judges. So what happens to the great unwashed who are not NMPA members? Unclear, but NMPA has likely set the market rate for TikTok settlements, so unless you plan on suing, they'll just jam that deal down your throat. Which works out well for TikTok.
But some lobbyist at TikTok has a friend when they are in need.
Posted in Artist Rights, Songwriter News, Songwriter Rights, TikTok
Tagged NMPA, TikTok Settlement