text:
Capitalism vs Ecology: Hyperconsumption or Hyperaccumulation?
Another critique of the ecological views of the author of How the Rich are Destroying the Planet
After Climate and Capitalism reviewed Hervé Kempf's book How the Rich Are Destroying the Planet, a reader drew our attention to this article by Marc Bonhomme, a long-time activist in socialist and independentist movements in Quebec, published on August 28 in his blog, under the title L'écologie, d'Hervé Kempf à Françoise David. Many thanks to Marc for permission to publish here, and to Richard Fidler for the translation.
by Marc Bonhomme
On August 26, on the web site of Québec solidaire, the party's chief spokeswoman, Françoise David, posted a small essay entitled "Ecology without justice is not ecology." This essay completely ignores the post-Kyoto objectives, although these are the main topic of the current international debate on ecology issues. One might have thought that the QS spokeswoman would stand on the objectives in the final report for 2007 of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body, which Greenpeace-Canada summarizes as follows:
.".. to maintain the Earth's average temperature increase below this 2% ceiling, global greenhouse gas emissions will have to be reduced to the 1990 level by 2020 and reduced by a further 50% by 2050.
"For Canada and the other industrialized countries, the objective is still more radical: greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 30% from the 1990 level by 2020 and by 80% by 2050."
Keep that under your hat. She prefers to base herself on the positions of Hervé Kempf, the environmental columnist for the centre-right French newspaper Le Monde. We can understand why when we observe the degree of generality, imprecision and above all lack of audacity in the spokeswoman's proposals. In January 2007, Le Devoir published a front-page interview with Hervé Kempf. I reacted with a short critical essay. I drew attention to the ambiguity of Kempf's analysis concerning anticapitalism, the standard of living of ordinary people, and especially the closures of profitable factories. The Québec solidaire leadership is strangely silent about the latter, notwithstanding the frequency of such closures or mass layoffs.
Le Devoir's anticapitalist punch: The better to serve the bosses
"Capitalism said to be at the origin of the social and ecological crises" was the subtitle on a page one article in Le Devoir on January 6, 2007. The only way it could be said more clearly would be to make the allegation a simple factual statement. Indeed, says the author of this statement, Hervé Kempf, Le Monde's environmental columnist:
"The social system currently governing human society, capitalism, is blindly bracing itself in opposition to the indispensable changes that must be made if we want to preserve the dignity and promise of human existence…. We cannot understand the concomitance of the ecological and social crises if we do not analyze them as two facets of the same disaster."
However, isn't it the case that capitalism, far from being blind, is simply obeying the laws of valorization of capital?
Politically, global capitalism, says Kempf
"relies on crises such as that of September 11 to appreciably reduce the human rights won through struggle and to neutralize, if not eliminate altogether, the democratic mechanisms that allow free public debate on choices of projects, the choices of society that are raised repeatedly by the workings of the economy."
However, isn't it the case that capitalism constrains parliamentary democracy within the narrow limit of private ownership of the means of production and circulation?
Similarly, Kempf notes the inanity of the actually existing alternatives:
"But he notes as well that a large part of the European left has not seen how deeply related the two problems are, just as many ecologists, who cling to an environmentalist approach, miss half the problem if not its primary cause."
But isn't it true that pinks and greens alike, accepting the electoralism inherent in parliamentary institutions, thereby abandon any challenge in the streets to the sacredness of private property?
Kempf's solution to the evils of capital?
"To end this race to conspicuous consumption, he advocates radical controls on wealth by 'putting limits on the maximum wage and the accumulation of inherited wealth,' a sort of counterpart of the minimum wage but from above. …
"We must add to the ecologist principle 'Think globally, act locally,' initially so useful in creating awareness, the principle that the situation imposes: 'Consume less, distribute better.' …
"That is why, he says, it is necessary to 'lower the rich' instead of raising up the poor, and to begin to respect the irreversible thresholds of deterioration of the planet's resources."
There is no disputing this "model of hyperconsumption that the lower classes, and especially the middle class, are now trying to imitate, just as the developing countries try to imitate the western countries…." Like a plague of obesity that deforms the body, it is only too clear that our cities are swimming in garbage and pollution, and that the ecological balance of the earth is on the verge of breaking down.
Hyperconsumption or hyperaccumulation?
But it is still necessary to discover the origin of this self-destructive hyperconsumption. By rejecting Marxism as an anti-humanist ideology, Kempf deprives himself of an essential tool; Marx, after all, laid the foundations of a science of history that has provided the key to understanding the barbarities of the past and present.
Hyperconsumption is nothing other than the caricature by the world's middle classes — petty bourgeoisie and labour aristocracy — of the accumulation of capital. With warmongering neoliberalism, this accumulation of capital has become hyperaccumulation both of the means of production (not only in the old auto industry, now in a crisis of overproduction but above all in the new teleinformatics, where planned obsolescence is systematic), and of the means of destruction on a basis of permanent (and no longer cold) war.
Until the 30 golden years of postwar expansion (1945-75), the supposed marvels of consumerism were not generally accessible to the mass of the world's proletariat, despite the anticipatory innovation of the "American way of life" in the USA that Thorstein Veblen had announced in 1903 in The Theory of the Leisure Class, in which he had demonstrated the counter-revolutionary political function of conspicuous expenditures in the gilded age of the robber barons described by Mark Twain and denounced by the muckrakers:
"The workers do not seek to displace their managers; they seek to emulate them. They themselves acquiesce in the general judgment that the work they do is somehow less 'dignified' than the work of their masters, and their goal is not to rid themselves of a superior class but to climb up to it." (Robert Heilbroner, The Worldly Philosophers, Fifth edition, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1980, pages 230-231)
If conspicuous consumption marks a break with the puritanism and Victorian moral hypocrisy of the British Empire, which until then had restrained the consumption of the new middle classes generated by the rising imperialism, it really only began to extend to them during the "Roaring Twenties," only to be brutally interrupted by the Great Depression of the Thirties followed by the Second World War. Even after that, the mass consumption of the proletariat,[1] the offspring of the conspicuous spending of the leisure class, was not the driving force of the postwar boom although it does explain no doubt its longevity and even more so its end.
The principal driving force of the effective demand of the postwar boom was not in fact mass consumption but the huge reconstruction effort in the wake of the devastation of the war, financed by the victors (e.g. the Marshall and Dodge plans), not to mention the immense work of re-equipping the industry of the Anglo-Saxon countries exhausted by the war effort. Then came the pent-up demand of the middle classes, fueled by victory bonds and mortgage credit, which in turn necessitated a major deployment of public works financed by the public debt.
Proletarian mass consumption, financed by the generalization of credit and stimulated by a new wave of advertising that developed during the postwar boom, simply prolonged this massive primary effective demand. However, it was not so much an economic means as it was the political response, predicted by Veblen, to the resurgence of the postwar trade-union struggles in the victorious countries against a backdrop of revolutionary upsurge in the conquered countries other than Germany, former colonies and dependent countries, from the Chinese Revolution of 1949 to the decolonization of the Sixties. It was not conceded in good grace by Capital, therefore, but out of corrupting necessity.
The crumbling of socialist hope, as a result of the Stalinist degeneration and the collapse of actually existing socialism, created the conditions for the victory of this ideological and political corruption. Proletarian solidarity found itself disarmedboth by the strangulation of monthly payment deadlines and by the individualism of the suburban bungalow and car. Neoliberalism took advantage of this to substitute for the proletarian mass consumption of the imperialist countries, which responded poorly to some genuine needs, the hyperconsumption of the global middle classes, which responds poorly to some virtual needs. The other side of the coin is the generalization of massive poverty and inequalities in the third world, including in the high-growth countries, and a generalized cancer in the imperialist countries.
That is how Capital was able to re-establish a compromised rate of profit[2] without, however, creating the conditions for a stabilization of the new paradigm, which lacked an effective engine of demand. This could be the (re)equipment of the production apparatus of the major third world countries if imperialism managed to recolonize them in order to gain control over their surplus value,[3] hence the necessary conversion of free-trade neoliberalism into warmongering neoliberalism. Hyperconsumption, while it is necessary to warmongering neoliberalism to provide it with a social basis in the middle classes and to dangle as a carrot in front of the proletarian donkey, is far from sufficient to guarantee an effective demand heralding an ascendant phase of the long wave[4] but it does, as a corollary of hyperaccumulation, help to disrupt the major ecological balances.
To fight hyperconsumption in isolation is reactionary
While Le Devoir's subtitle challenged capitalism, such was not the case with the main headline "The rich on trial" (Les riches au banc des accusés). Who are the rich? Rich can, of course, be defined as a synonym for capitalist or bourgeois, but it is usually understand as the opposite of poor. Are the so-called middle classes poor? Is the majority of the proletariat in the imperialist countries poor? To ask the question is to answer it. So it is the majority of the inhabitants of the imperialist countries, or almost, who are said to be on trial. It is true that, assessed by that yardstick, the majority of the globe's inhabitants could be considered poor… but they are even more guilty than the super-rich because they produce too many children:[5]
"Hervé Kempf is quick to acknowledge that [soaring population growth] certainly has a greater impact globally than all the hyperconsumption of this oligarchy composed of a few hundred thousand millionaires and billionaires, who control the bulk of the incomes and financial capital."
So that is what, in this context, is meant by "lower the rich" without "raising up the poor." Should we abolish Law 142 in order to raise the wages of the state employees who have been the victims of a two-year wage freeze?[6] Isn't that instead a great opportunity to reduce the consumption of the rich? Should we pity the 800 Goodyear workers in Valleyfield who have lost their jobs? Weren't they too well paid when, according to the mayor of Valleyfield, " regionally, we even suffer a shortage of skilled labour in some areas."[7] to which the chief of regional economic development added: " For the fifteen or so employers [in the metalworking and reinforced concrete industry] who are looking for workers, it is good news."[8] Now, there's a new lowering of the rich that will also contribute to regional development!
Using Kempf's reasoning, the thing is not to raise the minimum wage but to decree a maximum wage, no doubt set at the level that Goodyear — or the countless textile and clothing businesses that shut down in 2006, so many that the FTQ no longer wanted to talk about them in its year-end balance sheet — would consider adequate to avoid shutting their doors after having forced concessions from the union in 1999 in return for promised investments in modernization that were never implemented.[9] Quebec employers will no doubt be happy to have found a new ally in this scourge of capitalism who volunteers his services to the implacable imperatives of competitiveness on behalf of the ecological struggle.
"Prohibit all layoffs"
If you really want to look at France for a left response to wage stagnation and layoffs by profitable companies, you would be better off to follow the example of the emergency program of the candidate of the Ligue communiste révolutionnaire for President, Olivier Besancenot, who is polling between 4 and 5%. Concerning factory closures, his emergency program proposes a complete "ban on all layoffs":[10]
"What is needed is a straightforward incursion into capitalist property by outlawing layoffs, making employment contracts permanent irrespective of changes in position or skills; employment contracts to be the complete responsibility of the employer, the professional field or local employers irrespective of the vagaries of this or that activity. …Such choices can only be imposed on the bosses.
"It is the prohibition of all layoffs that we demand, therefore, the outlawing of dismissals by imposing the maintenance of the employment contract. To finance potential incongruities in these rules, an occupational social security fund might be established, financed by employer contributions pegged to wages and managed (as the whole social security system should be) by representatives of the workers."
The unfortunate reality in Quebec remains the everlasting committee of survival or reclassification in which the employers, local officials, provincial and federal governments, and labour leaders, each blaming the other, work in unison to pressure the union ranks to wrest still more concessions, ending up at best with a solution like the one in Paccar[11] based on huge government subsidies with a bonus investment from the so-called Solidarity Fund… with the same employer, no doubt. As to the leadership of Québec solidaire, let us hope for more than silence, and at least support for the trade-union leaders.
[1] The mass consumption of the proletariat meets the needs for housing and transportation through the bungalow and the automobile, and not collective housing or mass public transit. The hyperconsumption of the middle classes is reflected in monster houses and SUVs, once the bungalow and the so-called family car proved ill-suited to those needs.
[2] See http://www.marcbonhomme.com/page0/files/page0_blog_entry42_2.pdf.
[3] See the paragraphs "Les conditions économiques d'une sortie de crise sont partiellement réunies" et seq. in http://www.marcbonhomme.com/page0/files/page0_blog_entry37_2.pdf.
[4] For a theoretical explanation of the concept of "long waves," see http://hussonet.free.fr/mandel05.pdf.
[5] On the question of overpopulation, the following comment by Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums, is very relevant:
"The paramount question is not whether the population has grown too large, but: how do you square the circle between, on the one hand, social justice with some kind of equitable right to a decent standard of living, and, on the other, environmental sustainability? There aren't too many people in the world – but there is, obviously, over-consumption of non-renewable resources on a planetary scale. Of course, the way to square that circle – the solution to the problem – is the city itself. Cities that are truly urban are the most environmentally efficient systems that we have ever created for living together and working with nature. The particular genius of the city is its ability to provide high standards of living through public luxury and public space, and to satisfy needs that can never be meet by the suburban private consumption model. …
[T]he question of whether certain cities become monstrously over-sized has less to do with the number of people living there, than with how they consume, whether they reuse and recycle resources, whether they share public space." (http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/interview-with-mike-davis-part-2.html)
[6] Translator's note: Law 142, enacted by the Charest government in December 2005, imposed a 33-month wage freeze (retroactive to June 30, 2003) and annual wage increases of 2 percent in the last four years of an almost seven-year contract. It applied to 500,000 hospital workers, teachers, civil servants, school support staff and other provincial public-sector employees.
[7] Denis Lapointe, mayor of Valleyfield, Radio-Canada news, January 5, 2007.
[8] Janic Tremblay notes that the news created a shock wave, Radio-Canada, January 4, 2007: http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Economie-Affaires/2007/01/04/001-goodyear-emplois-pertes.shtml.
[9] For the unrealized promises, see http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/29/29242.htm, and for the union concessions, see http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/22/22116.htm.
[10] See http://www.fluctuat.net/3841-Programme-d-Olivier-Besancenot.
[11] [Translator's note] In the mid-1990s, Paccar, a multinational company, announced it would close its Kenworth truck manufacturing plant at Ste-Thérèse, laying off 850 workers. Jean-Marc Piotte describes the end result of the lengthy negotiations:
" The union had to accept all the employer demands but one: it was able to retain the union seniority clause. Of the 850 workers employed when the plant closed, 350 would be recalled in 1998 and 350 were placed on a recall list while the others would take early retirement. How can one seriously talk about a union victory and respect for the dignity of the workers? The multinational Paccar, which garnered a profit of $295 million in 1995, obtained the cancellation of millions of dollars of fines for non-compliance with the automobile pact incorporated in the NAFTA, a no-interest loan of $13.5 million from the federal and provincial governments, a Quebec government grant of $8,000 for each job "created" and a loan from the [FTQ] Solidarity Fund of $26.5 million…. There was one winner, Paccar, before which the union and our two governments had to kowtow in order to negotiate keeping 350 workers employed."– Jean-Marc Piotte, Du Combat au Partenariat : Interventions critiques sur le syndicalisme québécois (Montréal: Les Éditions Nota Bene, 1998, pp. 208-211.)
Marx and Engels on ecology: A reply to radical critics
Why capitalism is addicted to oil and coal
Unions and the climate justice movement
Ecosocialism and the fight for free public transit
Books & Reports • Capitalism • Consumers • Marxist theory
Everyone's Downstream II: Stop Playing Games With Our Lives
FAO: Food Crisis + Financial Crisis = Catastrophe


text:
from __future__ import division

import os, io

import sys
from kivy.core.image import Image as CoreImage
from kivy.lang import Builder
from kivy.properties import ObjectProperty, StringProperty
from kivy.uix.boxlayout import BoxLayout
from kivy.uix.image import Image
from enum import Enum

Builder.load_string('''
#:kivy 1.9.1
#:import win kivy.core.window

<BookSlide>:
    padding: 10
    orientation: 'vertical'
    BoxLayout:
        height: 64
        size_hint_y: None
        orientation: 'horizontal'
        Image:
            source: root.image_path
            width: self.height
            size_hint_x: None
        Label:
            font_size: self.height - dp(15)
            text: root.title
            text_size: self.size
            halign: 'left'
    Label:
        text: root.description
        halign: 'left'
        valign: 'top'
        text_size: self.size
        font_size: sp(20)
''')

class BookSlide(BoxLayout):
    title = StringProperty("")
    image_path = StringProperty(None)
    description = StringProperty("")

    def __init__(self, session=None, cursor=None, load_mode=None, **kwargs):
        super(BookSlide, self).__init__(**kwargs)

        self.file_id=cursor.file_id
        self.session = session
        self.title = cursor.filename
        self.image_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]), "resources", "icons", "book.png")

        self.load_content()

    def load_content(self):
        impl_name = 'sqlite_book_manager'
        book_mgr = self.session.lookup(impl_name, 'BookManager')
        details=book_mgr.get_list_detail(self.file_id)
        description=""
        for file_id,name,position in details:
            description+="{}. {}\r\n".format(position,name)
        self.description=description

    def reset_zoom(self):
        pass

    @property
    def zoom(self):
        return 1

    @zoom.setter
    def zoom(self, value):
        pass

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sleepless in Susa (Esther 6) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
Once upon a time a man was shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. He was the lone survivor. Over several months, he constructed a shelter from pieces of wood salvaged from the wreck and from whatever he could find on the island. That little hut was the only protection he had from the elements. It was the only place he cold safeguard his meagre possessions. Upon returning from a lengthy search for food, he was distraught to find the hut engulfed in flames. He spent that night despondent, sleeping on the sand and feeling like God had completely abandoned him. He awoke early the next morning to discover a ship anchored off the island. A crew member stepped ashore and said with a smile, "We saw your smoke signal and came to rescue you." What seemed to be destruction turned out to be deliverance. And such was the case with Mordecai. He had been shipwrecked by an undercurrent of anti-Semitism on an island of injustice. Now he stood in the shadow of death. Every hope that may have sheltered him had gone up in smoke. But, as we shall see, things are not always as they seem.
1. When all seems lost, it isn't.
2. When no one seems to notice, God does.
3. When everything seems great, it's not.
4. When nothing seems just, it is.
(And I am enormously grateful to Charles Swindoll for 4/5s of this outline and the inspiration for much of the content).
For the Jews living in Persia in Mordecai's time, it seemed as if all was lost. Their protection had evaporated, their Queen ineffectual, their enemies gaining in power and confidence. The sand in the hourglass was running out fast. Genocide seemed inevitable. It was only a matter of time. Yet in spite of the way things seemed, that is not the way things were.
We read in verse 1, "That night the king could not sleep" (Esther 6:1). The very night before Mordecai is to be hung. "That" night… not the night before… not the night after… but that night… the king couldn't sleep!
I'm sure He tried everything. He tried counting sheep, chariots, the number of his concubines… but nothing worked. Don't you find it interesting that on the very night that Haman was getting ready to kill Mordecai… that was the night the King couldn't get to sleep? You know sometimes God's miracles aren't so much in what He does… as when He does them! Behind the scenes God was at work. His providential plan to deliver the Jewish people was fitting into place. The king had given Esther an audience. He had offered her anything she requested, up to half his kingdom.
But none of the Jews knew what was happening behind the palace doors. Not even Haman knew. Consumed by his desire for revenge, he was too busy building the gallows for Mordechai. It would have been easy at this point for Mordecai to get discouraged – even depressed. No one seemed to remember how he once saved the king's life. Now it was his life that was at stake and no one remembered his service to king and country. But remember, when all seems lost, it isn't. Because.
Just when the shadow of death seemed at its darkest, a ray of hope shone into the king's bedroom.
isn't it amazing that the one chosen contained the account of Mordecai's uncovering the assassination plot in Esther 2:21-23? That's what was read to the king, on the night he couldn't get to sleep… the night before Mordecai was to be executed. I know, I know… coincidence right? Let me ask you … Can God direct us in the "little things" of life? How many of you would say yes? Can God direct in the books that people pick up and read? Yes, He can.
Late in February 1916, a student bought a book at a used-book store on a railway station. He'd looked at that book and rejected it at least a dozen times before, but on that day he bought it. It was called, 'Phantastes', by George MacDonald.
You have probably never heard of him but he is one of the finest writers of children's books from the 19th Century… and reading that book eventually led to that young man's conversion. His name? C.S. Lewis, probably the greatest and most popular defender of the Christian faith in this century.
He later wrote to a friend that he had picked up the book "by hazard," Chuck Swindoll in his book on Esther writes that… "Often momentous events hang upon the slenderest of threads.
Here the deliverance of the Jews was precipitated by something as insignificant as insomnia. While all of Susa slept, the king lay awake – a reminder that God is not distant or indifferent. He sees. He cares. He intervenes on our behalf." While the king tossed and turned, Mordecai slept. So in spite of the fact that no one seemed to notice, God did.
Can you empathise with Mordechai? Do you feel like you have been overlooked? Have you been bypassed or sidelined in the company? Others rewarded or given promotion when it was actually your hard work that gave success to the project? Have others ever been given credit for something you did? Sadly, it can even be true in the church. Dedication and sacrificial service is not always acknowledged or appreciated in the way that it should. If you can identify with Mordechai, don't become resentful.
Though we may feel abandoned, we are never out of God's watchful eye or far from His protective care. Remember, when all seems lost, it isn't. Because when no one seems to notice, God does.
As soon as the king heard that nothing had been done to reward Mordecai, he immediately set out to rectify the situation.
Its ironic that the king sought advice from the very person who was in the Palace seeking Mordecai's destruction not decoration. Thinking he was the person the king wanted to honour, Haman let his greedy imagination run free.
Haman's jaw drops when the king reveals the name of the recipient.
Try and reward yourself. That's what Haman was trying to do. That is what most people do. Fiddling expenses, embellishing CVs, the photos of you with famous people on the piano or board room wall. This is the root of all temptation. More people have destroyed their lives trying to reward themselves, than any other way.
Let others reward you. This is better than doing it yourself , but it doesn't last very long. The trophy you get today will be sold in a charity shop tomorrow.
Allow God to reward you. This is the best way, because although no one else may know in this life, God knows and it will last for eternity.
Allow God to reward you in his time in his way.
"Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honour." (Proverbs 18:12). The first half describes Haman, the second half describes Mordechai.
Proverbs 29 says the same thing: "Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honour." (Proverbs 29:23).
It has been said that the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small. Haman found himself to be but tiny grist in those mills. His life was under judgement, and it was only a matter of time and he knew it.
Almost before the warning from his wife could sink in and before Haman could pour himself a stiff drink, he is whisked off to the royal banquet. And the fateful end he had so meticulously planned for Mordechai would be his own.
Things are indeed not always what they seem are they? Lets summarise.
1. When all seems lost, it isn't. Don't give up – You can have the victory through Jesus Christ.
2. When no one seems to notice, God does. His Presence Power and Providence are all over this book -every page. He is working in your life right now even though you may not realize it.
3. When everything seems great, it's not. Haman is a tragic figure. He was filled with hatred and yet was given many opportunities to repent. But his hard heart just got harder. Beware of a hard heart!
4. When nothing seems just, it is. In the end God will work things together for good. He will reward the faithful and punish the disobedient and rebellious in His own time – perhaps in this life, but certainly in the life to come. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). The lesson from the reversal in the fortunes of Haman and Mordechai is really simple.
And if you have not got it already, let me leave you with some advice from the pen of a senior demon. In C.S. Lewis', The Screwtape Letters, we read a warning that a senior demon gives to a fledgling demon that that could have been inspired by lessons learnt from Mordechai.
Will you still obey him when you have no earthly reason to? Remember, things are not always what they seem. Do not give up. For when God seems absent, it is more to do with our perception than reality, for God is indeed truly present.
This entry was posted in Bible, Sermons, Theology on June 26, 2011 by Stephen Sizer.


"We're The 99" Played On The Thom Hartmann Show!
We're The 99 Up On You Tube!
Hey Rock 'n' Rollers! Here's a song Richard and I wrote and recorded this weekend for the Occupy Wall St. protesters!! Please sing and share!!


text:
DVI is Digital Visual Interface, a video interface for digital displays.

DVI may also refer to:

Science and technology
 Device independent file format, a file format used by the TeX typesetting system
 Direct voice input, human computer interaction by voice command
 Digital Video Interactive, a 1980s standard for full-motion desktop video
 Digital Visual Interface
 dvi (prefix), a prefix used to make provisional names of undiscovered chemical elements

Music
 Daemon Viam Invenient, a 2007 album by Czech black metal group Root
 Double Vulgar II, the fourth album by Thighpaulsandra

Organisations
 District Court of the Virgin Islands, a United States territorial court
 Deuel Vocational Institution, a California state prison

Other uses
 506 (number) in Roman numerals
 506, the year
 Disaster victim identification, an international system for the identification of victims of a disaster; see forensic archaeology

See also
 D6 (disambiguation), including a list of topics named D.VI, etc.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Dockerized app with Nginx (via docker-compose) - 502 Bad Gateway Error I have a Phoenix app, MyApp, which I am attempting to Dockerize and deploy on Ubuntu 18.04. I have tried to follow some guides to set up Nginx properly, but I either receive a 502 Bad Gateway error or cause too many redirects depending on how I have tried to set up the Nginx reverse-proxy.
The ideal situation is that I can use docker-compose up and it will initialize the web app and Nginx. This is my current docker-compose.yml file:
docker-compose.yml
version: '3.5'

services:
  nginx:
    image: nginx:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - ./data/nginx/app.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
      - ./data/nginx/error.log:/etc/nginx/error_log.log
      - ./data/nginx/cache/:/etc/nginx/cache
      - /etc/letsencrypt/:/etc/letsencrypt/
    environment:
      - ENV=production
      - APPLICATION_URL=http://myapp.domain
    ports:
      - 80:80
      - 443:443

  ...

  web:
    depends_on:
      - nginx
    image: "myapp:0.1.0"
    restart: unless-stopped
    expose:
      - "80"
    env_file:
      - config/docker.env

Without including Nginx the same image-version of myapp works with ports: - 80:4000 as Phoenix is configured to expect traffic on port 4000. The following is my nginx app config specified, I believe, by the volumes in the docker-compose.yml.
data/nginx/app.conf
events {

}

http {
  client_max_body_size 20m;

  proxy_cache_path /etc/nginx/cache keys_zone=one:500m max_size=1000m;

  server {
      proxy_cache one;
      listen 80;
      listen 443 ssl;
      server_name myapp.domain;

      location / {
          proxy_pass http://localhost:4000;
          rewrite ^/myapp.domain(.*)$ $1 break;
      }

      ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/myapp.domain/fullchain.pem;
      ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/myapp.domain/privkey.pem;
      include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf;
  }
}

I don't know exactly how to set up the ports so that the web traffic is sent properly through Nginx and reverse proxied to myapp. I believed the localhost would work because when I run docker-compose up I see Running MyAppWeb.Endpoint with cowboy 2.6.1 at http://localhost:4000.
When I do attempt to access the site I see this on my server logs
[error] 6#6: *1 connect() failed (111: Connection refused) while connecting to upstream, client: 162.158.119.89, server: myapp.domain, request: "GET / HTTP/1.1", upstream: "http://127.0.0.1:4000/", host: "myapp.domain"
Any advice is appreciated.

A: You need to link web service on nginx container, docker-compose will look like:
services:
  nginx:
    image: nginx:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - ./data/nginx/app.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
      - ./data/nginx/error.log:/etc/nginx/error_log.log
      - ./data/nginx/cache/:/etc/nginx/cache
      - /etc/letsencrypt/:/etc/letsencrypt/
    environment:
      - ENV=production
      - APPLICATION_URL=http://myapp.domain
    ports:
      - 80:80
      - 443:443
    links:
      - web

  web:
      depends_on:
        - nginx
      image: "myapp:0.1.0"
      restart: unless-stopped
      expose:
        - "4000"
      env_file:
        - config/docker.env

Then update data/nginx/app.conf
events {

}

http {
  client_max_body_size 20m;

  proxy_cache_path /etc/nginx/cache keys_zone=one:500m max_size=1000m;

  server {
      proxy_cache one;
      listen 80;
      listen 443 ssl;
      server_name myapp.domain;

      location / {
          proxy_pass http://web:4000;
          rewrite ^/myapp.domain(.*)$ $1 break;
      }

      ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/myapp.domain/fullchain.pem;
      ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/myapp.domain/privkey.pem;
      include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This end-points gives access to the Packages (membership plans) section.
Returns a JSON string containing a list of the packages currently available.
On success, the end-point will contain a JSON string representing the created package.
A PUT request should append a valid package ID to the end-point url, as such: "/api/packages/12".
On success, the end-point will contain a JSON string representing the updated package.
Deletes a single package from the application.
A DELETE request should append a valid package ID to the end-point url, as such: "/api/packages/12".
On success, the API will return a message confirming deletion of the package.


The drama and quest for fame continue in this sequel to Tia's "It Chicks."
What's hot? There's an episode of MTV's "My Super Sweet Sixteen" happening, and everyone wants a piece of the spotlight.
Add your review of "Sixteen Candles" in comments!
I enjoyed the first one but this was better because the author trims down her characters. Regina gets a girlfriend. This is a just a great fun series.


text:
Sega Mega Drive Limited Edition
Sean Tirman
Most gamers that grew up during the home console revolution had either a Super Nintendo or a Sega Genesis. Over time, Nintendo continued to flourish and many of their follow-up consoles supported at least some measure of retro gaming capabilities. Sega did not enjoy the same success. In fact, they eventually folded their console development subdivision. But thanks to the resurgence of retro gaming popularity, Sega has finally licensed out their classic 16-bit console. And the limited edition reissue is going through Brazilian company Tectoy.
Though they dubbed it the Sega Mega Drive Limited Edition, it's a Genesis at heart. Although it has a few massive upgrades. It can play old-school cartridges and comes with the brand's classic 3-button controller, but it's also pre-loaded with 22 classic games (including Alex Kidd, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Sonic 3). The hard drive is also expandable via a mini SD card. This limited run of this retro console rebirth is selling for just $126 USD. But you'd better act quickly if you want to get your hands on one, because they won't last for long. [Purchase]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Question: When Did Twerk Get Added To The Dictionary?
1 When was the word twerk added to the dictionary?
2 When did twerk get added?
3 Did people twerk in the 1800s?
4 Is twerk a bad word?
6 What does it mean to twerk on a guy?
7 Who started twerking trend?
8 What country invented twerking?
9 Who is famous for twerking?
10 Why is twerking a thing?
11 What twerking means?
12 Can you lose weight from twerking?
When was the word twerk added to the dictionary?
But in a 2015 update, the Oxford English Dictionary entry for twerk gave 1848 as the first date the word is used as a verb, meaning "to move (something) with a twitching, twisting, or jerking motion." As a noun, it was first used in 1820 (albeit with a different spelling) in a letter to Frankenstein author Mary Shelley
When did twerk get added?
Did people twerk in the 1800s?
'Twerking', the act of dancing to the tunes of a popular music in a sexually provocative fashion, has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary. Although the term was widely used in recent times, historians claim that it was first used in the 1800s to describe a 'twisting jerking movement'.
Is twerk a bad word?
Even then, twerking has known to be more focused amongst African-American populations. Some may argue that twerking is terrible and degrading, as it tends to have a negative connotation against individuals who decide to twerk in clubs—the dance move is often considered to be too suggestive and not classy.
You might be interested: Question: How To Twerk With A Small But Lessons?
What does it mean to twerk on a guy?
1. To move the body in a sexually suggestive twisting or gyrating fashion. verb.
Who started twerking trend?
It started in the 1990s, got name-checked by Beyonce and Justin Timberlake over the years and then exploded into the stratosphere this week when Miley Cyrus did it all over Robin Thicke's crotch at the 2013 VMAs.
What country invented twerking?
The origins of twerking can be traced to Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, where a similar style of dance, known as the Mapouka dance, was originated. The dance has existed for centuries and consists of a series of movements emphasizing the buttocks.
Who is famous for twerking?
Lady Gaga, Beyonce and even fellow youngins like Taylor Swift and Vannessa Hudgens have gotten their twerk on. Take a look at the top 10 twerkers in pop music. Some get a reluctant pat on the back for effort. Others get a round of applause for skill.
Why is twerking a thing?
The goal of twerking, as the Internet delights in explaining, is to move your hips and butt in the most sexually provocative way you can muster. If things go well, this results in a rippling of muscle that somehow translates into "this is why I'm hot. (I work out)."
What twerking means?
The term 'twerking' refers to a dance move in which a person has to shake his behind in an up-and-down bouncing motion. According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, 'twerk' is a verb which means 'dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance'.
You might be interested: Readers ask: Does It Feel Good When You Twerk?
Can you lose weight from twerking?
Using guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine, Bohn estimated that "vigorous dancing" burns about eight calories a minute, but twerking burns between five and eight calories per minute for a 150-pound individual. "Dancing burns calories, but you have to do it regularly to see results," she said.
What Year Did Miley Cyrus Twerk On Robin Thicke?
Question: Where Did Word Twerk Come From?


text:
Joe Pesci Reveals if He'd Do a Third Home Alone Movie
Christmas is almost approaching, so many people will want to see the two Home Alone movies again, as they do yearly. Macaulay Culkin starred in this renowned comedy from the 1990s. Thanks to the efforts of the entire ensemble, especially the thieves—the renowned Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern—the movies became true milestones. Joe Pesci, talking to People, reveals if He'd Do a Third Home Alone Movie.
While you should never say never, it would be challenging to replicate not only the success but also the overall innocence of the originals. It's a different time now; attitudes and priorities have changed over the past 30 years.
In the same interview, Pesci discussed his friendship with Macaulay Culkin while filming Lost the Plane.
I remember Macaulay being lovely and very professional, even at his age. I intentionally limited my interactions with him to preserve the dynamic between his character Kevin and my character Harry. I didn't want him to see on the screen that we were somehow on good terms. I tried to maintain the integrity of the adversarial relationship. Pesci further claimed that he sustained a significant injury in a memorable scene where Kevin's booby traps set Harry's hat on fire.
In addition to the expected bumps, bruises, and general aches, you'd associate with that kind of physical humor. I suffered severe burns on the top of my head during the scene where Harry's hat was set on fire. I was lucky enough to have professional stunt performers doing the heavy stunts.
← The Addams Family Movie Cast | Where are they Now?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 | James Gunn confirms the Easter Egg, and it's Not Among Us →
Russo Brothers say Disney's Live-Action 'Hercules' will be Inspired by TikTok
Bryan Cranston Talks about Working on Wes Anderson's New Movie
An official Trailer for Damien Chazelle BABYLON has been Dropped
Bruce Almighty Writers Reveal Idea for an Unmade Sequel
Worst Things about MCU Disney+ Shows
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has had several successful shows...
Emma Myers as Spider-Gwen in a live-action Spider-Man Film
Emma Myers, the breakout star of Wednesday, has expressed her...
Henry Cavill & Gal Gadot Cameos Reportedly Cut from The Flash | Here's Why
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill's Superman and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman will no longer appear in the next...
Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman 3 has been Cancelled by DCEU | Here's Why
Gal Gadot celebrated the anniversary of being cast in the Wonder Woman role just a few days ago. Gadot even...
Next James Bond: 10 actors who could replace Daniel Craig as 007
The 25th installment of the James Bond franchise ended with the release of No Time...
House of the Dragon season 2 writer says Blood and Cheese Plot won't Disappoint
The Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon ended a few months ago....
Jeremy Renner Accident – Update
A few days ago, Jeremy Renner, who rose to fame as Hawkeye in the Marvel...
Jeremy Renner in critical condition after Snow Plowing Accident
Jeremy Renner, who rose to fame as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), suffered...


Travelling has become very frequent be it for business or leisure. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, international travel involves risk. The risk of accidents increases due to frequency of travel. Any accident would affect your finances either due to medical expenses incurred or loss of income to the family due to unfortunate circumstances like death or disability.
Medical treatment abroad can be expensive & one never knows when one would require it. There are other difficult situations also, that one might face like loss of passport or baggage, and With Travel Insurance you get comprehensive and convenient protection when travelling overseas.


Philip Cushen's family has been creating fine woollen blankets, scarves and throws at the foot of the Backstairs Mountains for over five generations.
"Our wide luxury lambswool stole in a range of soft hues is ideal for any outfit whether your're going to a party or just taking a walk in the woods. The perfect width for style and extra warmth. Made from 100% lambswool; designed, dyed, woven and finshed at our mill in Graignamanagh."
Lambswool baby blanket perfect for wrapping up the little one.
"The clean and simple design of our Irish wool banded throws will complement any living space. Made from 'Galway' sheep fleece blended with lambswool; carded, spun, designed dyed, woven and finished at our mill in Graignamanagh."
Add some luxury and colour to your living or bedroom space with high-quality non-shed throws.
"Our soft textured mohair throws will add luxury and warmth to your living or bedroom space. Our colour pallette and unique designs can be the perfect finishing touch for your home. Made from 70% mohair/30% wool dyed, woven and finished at our mill."
The rich, shifting colours of the evening landscape translate into the fine tones of their wool and mohair - which are all spun and dyed in the family mill in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny. Cushendale mill creates modern woollens of the highest quality by the banks of the river Barrow, in the vein of the abbey mills that spun their yarns here since medieval times.
Cushendale Woollen Mills pure water supply, taken from the River Duiske, is the mill's most valued natural resource and one of the principal reasons why they can produce textiles of such distinctive colour and texture. They support Irish sheep farmers, selecting their finest wool to produce products that are both serviceable and aesthetically pleasing.


text:
HomeNewsNPF presents the Woman of Distinction Award
NPF presents the Woman of Distinction Award
By the CFMWS Staff –
On March 9, 2018 at CFMWS HQ, in honour of International Women's Day, Ms. Diane Brine, Manager Health Promotion at CFB Winnipeg received the 2018 Woman of Distinction Award.
The award is presented to an employee of the Staff of the Non-Public Funds, Canadian Forces regardless of position, to someone who shows passion for her work, demonstrates excellence at work and in the community, exhibits integrity, ethical behavior, and is a role model to others.
Since first joining CFMWS in 1996 as part of the 17 Wing Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) and later moving on to Personnel Support Programs (PSP), her passion, energy, enthusiasm and creativity are evident to all those who work with her in planning and implementing programs and events in the community. Her dedication goes well beyond her job description into local events such as the Canada 150 playlist, Commuter Challenge, the Jack Frost Challenge, Canada Day festivities, FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 and organizations such as Canadian Blood Services. She has also been involved with Skate Canada and continuously involved with Ste. Marguerite Bourgeoys Chapel at 17 Wing, where she sits as president of the Catholic Women's League (CWL).
Also on hand was keynote speaker, Clare Beckton, currently the Executive Director of the Centre of Women in Politics and Public Leadership at Carleton University and author of Own It: Your Success, Your Future, Your Life.
Ms. Beckton gave an inspirational talk about the importance of finding one's purpose in life by playing to personal and professional strengths to achieve goals and build networking opportunities, and emphasized the high value she places on not giving up on one's dream, regardless of one's age, by continuing to be open and curious to new opportunities.
Photo: Commodore Sean Cantelon presents the Woman of Distinction Award to Ms. Diane Brine. CFMWS
AwardsHonoursPersonnelPSPRecognition
Play soccer this summer with CFSU(O)
Mapping and Charting Establishment celebrates "The Big 200"
Achieving Recognition – A CAF Member's Story in Celebration of Latin American Heritage
Canadian War Museum Historian Tim Cook Elected to the Royal Society of Canada


Zenon is delighted to be commissioned by one of the UK's Premier FBO & Line Maintenance Organisations to source a number of A Licensed Engineers on a permanent basis for their facilities based at Luton Airport.
If the above opportunity is of interest to you, please forward your CV to us in confidence.
Alternatively, for a confidential call with our Senior Account Manager Ashley Ewen, please phone our office.


text:
News: Theatres Trust statement in response to the UK Government's rescue package for the arts
With the news being published tonight announcing the £1.57 billion rescue package for the arts, Jon Morgan, director of The Theatres Trust, a national advisory public body for theatres, has released the following statement:
"Theatres Trust greatly welcomes the government's announcement of £1.57bn additional support for the arts and cultural sectors. It is a strong message from government that it recognises the importance of these sectors to the UK economy, to national life and to communities across the country. We hope that this package can be distributed swiftly in order to avoid further redundancies and closures and to bring many of the UK's theatres back from the brink.
We are also pleased to see investment in capital projects included in this announcement. Maintaining and improving the UK's unrivalled national network of theatre buildings, which act as vital community hubs across the country, is essential if they are to remain fit for purpose. Our research has shown that there are more than 100 theatre capital projects worth almost £800m that have been stalled by the pandemic by anywhere between 3 and 18 months at a cost of upwards of £66m. These projects will keep theatres operational, improve their environmental sustainability, and provide new and improved facilities for engaging with their local communities.
We will need to know more detail of how this money will be allocated across the different areas to fully assess its benefit – we would hope that a significant proportion will be reserved for the performing arts. Theatres have been amongst the hardest hit industries by the pandemic and are still at risk as they are unable to operate viably while social distancing is in place. We also hope that funding will reach beyond London and support the UK's many brilliant local theatres that serve their communities so well.
The majority of this money will be needed to cover ongoing staffing and overhead costs as the furlough scheme tapers from August and ultimately ends in October. While this is an extraordinary sum of money whether it will be sufficient to keep the nation's theatres alive will depend on when they will be able to reopen fully. The theatre sector is keen to return and welcome audiences again safely and as soon as possible."
Theatres Trust is the national advisory public body for theatres. Jon Morgan sits on the Entertainment and Events Working Group which is working with DCMS and health officials to determine how theatres can reopen with minimised risks to staff, performers and audiences.
theatre, Theatres Trust
News: Ruthie Henshall, Darren Day, Sam Tutty and more star in Godspell 50th Anniversary concert
News: Theatre Support Fund + launch face masks to raise money for Acting For Others


Referee: Thanks to Tracy Helton and Shawn Selleck for serving as referees and to Dave Hornberger for serving as a lineman!
*Only players on this list are guaranteed playing time in the Midkiff Challenge.
and bring your donation to the game!


text:
unless defined?(JRUBY_VERSION) || (defined?(RUBY_ENGINE) && RUBY_ENGINE == "ironruby")
require 'spec_helper'
require 'gherkin_lexer_en'

module Gherkin
  module Lexer
    describe "C Lexer" do
      before do
        @listener = Gherkin::SexpRecorder.new
        @lexer = Gherkin::CLexer::En.new(@listener)
      end

      it_should_behave_like "a Gherkin lexer"
      it_should_behave_like "a Gherkin lexer lexing tags"
      it_should_behave_like "a Gherkin lexer lexing doc_strings"
      it_should_behave_like "a Gherkin lexer lexing rows"
      it_should_behave_like "parsing windows files"
    end
  end
end
end