349,000 Tourists Visited Israel in April – Highest Figure Since 1948.
In April 2017, 349,000 tourist entries were recorded, constituting a 38% increase over April 2016. In the four months January-April 2017, 1.09 million tourist entries were recorded, a 28% increase over the same period last year.
There was a 38% increase in tourist entries in April 2017, compared with April 2016, and a 21% increase over April 2015. 309,000 of the April, 2017 tourist entries were by air, an increase of 36% over April 2016, and a 21% over April 2015.
40,000 tourist entries were recorded via Israel's land crossings, of which 34,000 came through Jordan and about 6,000 through Egypt. This represents an increase of 56% over April 2016 and 22% over April 2015. There were about 24,000 day visitors in April 2017 – an increase of 27% over April 2016 and 13% over April 2015.
In the period of January to April 2017, 1.09 million tourist entries were recorded, an increase of 26% over the same period in 2016 (850,000) and 22% more than in 2015. 964,000 tourists arrived by air, 24% more than in the same period in 2016 and 22% more than in 2015.


The 2017 Inter-Provincial Championship was the fifth edition of the Inter-Provincial Championship, a first-class cricket competition played in Ireland. It was held from 30 May to 7 September 2017. It was the first edition of the competition to be played with first-class status, following the outcome of a meeting by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in October 2016. Leinster Lightning won the tournament, their fifth-consecutive, and completed a domestic clean-sweep in the process.
North West Warriors won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
Ross Allen, Rickie-Lee Dougherty, Aaron Gillespie, Niall McDonnell, David Rankin, David Scanlon (North West Warriors); Adam Dennison, Christopher Dougherty, Shane Getkate, Nathan Smith, Lee Nelson and Nikolai Smith (Northern Knights) all made their first-class debuts.
Points: North West Warriors 11, Northern Knights 10.
Leinster Lightning won the toss and elected to field.
Gareth Delany, Max Neville, Eddie Richardson, Simi Singh, Jack Tector, Lorcan Tucker (Leinster Lightning) and John Matchett (Northern Knights) all made their first-class debuts.
Points: Leinster Lightning 10, Northern Knights 9.
North West Warriors won the toss and elected to bat.
Andrew Austin, Steve Vijay Lazars and Johnny Thompson (North West Warriors) all made their first-class debuts.
Points: Leinster Lightning 11, North West Warriors 8.
No play was possible on day 2 due to rain.
David Barr (North West Warriors); Jamie Magowan and Jacob Mulder (Northern Knights) all made their first-class debuts.
Points: Northern Knights 10, North West Warriors 8.
Reece Kelly, Ryan MacBeth (North West Warriors) and Tyrone Kane (Leinster Lightning) all made their first-class debuts.
Points: Leinster Lightning 23, North West Warriors 4.
David Delany (Leinster Lightning) made his first-class debut.
Points: Leinster Lightning 24, Northern Knights 4.
^ "2017 Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Fixtures Announced". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
^ "Leinster Lightning win Three Day Inter-pro title for fifth straight year". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
^ "Joyce Hits Unbeaten Century as Lightning Secure Hanley Energy Title". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
^ "Points Table". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
This page was last edited on 22 August 2018, at 15:14 (UTC).


And again, (lih. 21. Cap. Seneca fay: very well in his Morals they war/hip the images of the Gods, jays he, hneel to them and adore them they are hardly ever from them, either plying them with oferings, or facri/iees andyet after all this reverence to the image, they have no regard at all to the ewsrhnzan that made it.
on DeathA Sermon, on Occasion of the Death of the Rev.


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This article suggest for more climate-smart agriculture can bolster food security in the MENA region and is featured in Orient I/2023.
Climate change continues to attract significant research and policy interests, as a result of the large impacts of extreme weather and climate events on smallholder production and farming systems. Climate change leads to significant yield losses and renders smallholder farmers more vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region which represents a hotspot for extreme weather events, these impacts of climate change are already increasingly felt, especially in the yields of staple crops, such as wheat and maize. The effects are particularly exacerbated by water scarcity and the aridity of the region. Climate-smart agriculture (CsA) as opposed to conventional agriculture offers to reverse some of these losses and build resilient farming systems. specifically, CsA aims to offer the triple wins of (1) increased productivity with ensuing implications on incomes and food security; (2) improving resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, and (3) reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (climate mitigation). We examine these linkages and highlight the relationship between CsA and food security in the MENA region. We discuss how CsA can be leveraged to achieve these triple wins paying some attention to a burgeoning literature that has documented these positive implications. We end with a discussion on some of the entry points to increase the adoption of CsA to enable viable food security in the region.
Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong is a Development Economist and works as an Associate research Fellow at the Development, strategy, and Governance Division of the International Food Policy research Institute (IFPrI), and is based in Cairo, Egypt. Passionate about international development, poverty reduction, and shared prosperity, his research focuses on selected strands in development, agricultural and behavioural economics using econometric impact evaluation. Previously, he has worked on issues covering agricultural transformation and rural development as well as aspirations and rural poverty. His ongoing work includes climate change adaptation, food security, social protection and labour market outcomes, digitalization in agriculture, and socioemotional skills. Martin holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Bonn,
Germany. He also holds an Msc in Agricultural and Food Economics from the same university where he was awarded the Hans H ruthenberg award for an excellent thesis from the Foundation Fiat Panis in 2019. He has advised and consulted for the World Bank, World Fish, ICrIsAT, the German Development Institute, Global Crop Diversity Trust, and, the Alliance for Bioversity and CIAT. He is highly skilled at data collection through household surveys with fieldwork and research stays in Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Egypt, and Cote d'Ivoire.
Despite the growing alienation between Turkey and the EU: A continuation of the accession process remains the best option
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Welcome to the Hampton Inn Iowa City hotel. Situated along the Iowa River and within minutes of the University of Iowa Hospital and Campus, the friendly and inviting Hampton Inn Iowa City hotel offers easy access to many popular Iowa attractions. Discover the beautiful historic downtown area - home to Iowa's first capital building as well as many fantastic shopping and local dining spots. Hampton Inn Iowa City/University has everything you need to enjoy your time away from home. Start your day right with Hampton's free hot breakfast and even if you're in a rush, grab one of the free Hampton On the Run™ Breakfast Bags, available Monday through Friday. Re-energize with a workout in the modern fitness center or enjoy a revitalizing swim in the indoor pool and whirlpool. Catch up with work in the free business center and enjoy free high-speed internet access throughout the hotel.


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Emerald Cruises to Build Second Superyacht Emerald Sakara
Not only does Emerald Cruises have another brand new superyacht on the horizon, but they've got a brand new place to sail it as well! The cruise line announced today that Emerald Sakara would join the fleet by 2023 and will offer cruises to the gorgeous Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It will be the 11th ship in Emerald's ocean and river fleet.
The newbuild comes as a result of high demand for ocean voyages. According to the cruise line, Black Sea itineraries sold out within two weeks, an impressive feat given the global pandemic.
"We've received enormous interest in yacht cruising since announcing the launch of Emerald Azzurra, and we're thrilled to be able to announce the building of our second luxury superyacht, Emerald Sakara. The yacht's name is Sanskrit for the idea of 'thoughts becoming things,' and refers to the philosophy that positive thoughts can manifest into reality. We love this idea, which underscores Emerald Cruises' brand promise of making our guests' dreams of taking a luxury yacht vacation for an exceptional value come to life," said David Winterton, global director of brand & marketing, Emerald Cruises. "Just like we did eight years ago on the rivers, we are bringing our own style of innovative and contemporary cruising to the world's celebrated oceans, and we cannot wait to welcome guests on board our two superyachts to explore some of the world's most incredible regions with them."
About Emerald Sakara
The new ship, currently under construction inHa Long City, Vietnam, will be a sister ship to Emerald Azzurra and the name is a Sanskrit mantra meaning "thoughts become things". At just 100 guests, the ship stays true to Emerald's award-winning focus on personalized service and guest satisfaction. Like her sister ship, Emerald Sakara will have 50 staterooms, 88% of which have a balcony. Other features include an infinity pool, spa, gym and marina platform with paddleboards and snorkeling equipment.
RELATED: VIDEO:Emerald Azzurra Float Out Ceremony
When the ship does set sail, the eight-day Tropical Charms of the Seychelles itinerary will call on Port Victoria (Mahé Island), Sainte-Anne Island, Cousin Island, Praslin Island, Grande-Soeur Island, Curieuse Island, La Digue Island and Aride Island.
Have you cruised with Emerald before? Let us know in the comments!
cruise/cruise news/Emerald Azzurra/Emerald Cruises/Emerald Sakara/Indian Ocean/luxury cruise/Seychelles/Superyacht/Travel/vacation/Yacht Cruise
By Steve Leland
Cruise ViewsFeatured
It Must Be Something In The Water
CruisinSit down with anyone who has worked on a cruise ship and you will inevitably hear stories abo
Silversea Announces Grand Voyage Arctic 2021
Sailing is among the most rewarding experiences a person can have. There's no better way to see ne
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Cultural Getaways in the U.S.
One of the joys of traveling is the ability to immerse oneself in different cultures. From food to a


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This article explains how to accurately block all TeamViewer remote connections on your network. We include information on the TeamViewer Port, IP Addresses, and DNS Records needed to block this application. These instructions should protect you against all usage of this common remote desktop application.
TeamViewer requires no configuration or any special firewall rules to allow it to connect. All a user need to do is to download the EXEs from the website and run them – this makes it very easy for anyone to setup and to circumvent security restrictions. Corporate networks probably don't want to allow such easy remote access. With such an easy installation process, how do you block TeamViewer?
Ensure you are entitled to block this application and your end-users are aware of your corporate policy against this sort of access. You should always have written policy to back up these enforcements.
The first step is to block the resolution of DNS records on the teamviewer.com domain. If you run your own DNS server (such as an Active Directory server) then this is easy.
Create a top-level record for 'teamviewer.com'.
Ensure the only DNS connections allowed on your network are to your own internal DNS servers (which contain this dummy-record). This removes the possibility of the TeamViewer client checking DNS records against their own servers, instead of yours.
Add a new outgoing firewall rule to disallow TCP & UDP port 53 from all source IP addresses, EXCEPT the addresses of your own DNS servers.
This means clients will now only be able to resolve the DNS records you allow through your own DNS server (and these servers can forward requests on to external servers, of course).
The TeamViewer client will still sometimes be able to connect to known IP Addresses, despite the DNS Record being blocked. To overcome this, you need to block access to their IP Address range.
The TeamViewer IP Address Range is 178.77.120.0/24, which translates to 178.77.120.1 – 178.77.120.254.
Download the TeamViewer EXE file from their website.
Open your your Group Policy Management Console, and create a new GPO.
In your GPO go to Software Restriction Polices found under User Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Software Restriction Policies.
Right click and choose "New Software Restriction Policies".
Select "Browse" in the New Hash Rule popup window. Find the TeamViewer setup EXE and open it.
Close those windows and link your new GPO to the domain and make it apply to everyone.
If all of these steps fail you, you may need to implement a firewall which performs Deep Packet Inspection and Unified Threat Management. These devices are specifically trained to look for common remote access tools and block them. They also cost a lot of money.
These steps should help you reliably block TeamViewer on your network. This protects you against users trying to gain remote access to your network using this software, or getting to their own PCs at home to circumvent filters. It is worth checking your setup regularly to ensure it is still functioning as expected, as the ports and IP Addresses may change in the future. You should also apply similar restrictions to all of the other common remote access tools. When it comes to security, you can never be too sure.


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WHY TRUMP WON: PART THREE (END)
In Bureaucracy, Business, History, Politics, Social commentary on November 18, 2016 at 10:22 am
Donald Trump owes his victory to a wide range of circumstances. Among these:
#10 Hillary Clinton gave only one memorable speech during the campaign–and then she quashed any benefits that might have come from it.
This was the "basket of deplorables" speech, delivered at a New York fundraiser on September 9. It was the only Clinton speech to be widely quoted by Democrats and Republicans.
She divided Donald Trump's supporters into two groups. The first group were the "deplorables," for whom she showed open contempt:
"You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic –you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.
"He has given voice to their websites that used to only have 11,000 people–now 11 million. He tweets and retweets their offensive hateful mean-spirited rhetoric. Now, some of those folks—they are irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America."
Hillary Clinton (Gage Skidmore photo)
But the second group, she said, consisted of poor, alienated Americans who rightly felt abandoned by their employers and their government:
"But the other basket–and I know this because I see friends from all over America here….but that other basket of people are people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures, and they're just desperate for change. It doesn't really even matter where it comes from.
"They don't buy everything [Trump] says, but he seems to hold out some hope that their lives will be different. They won't wake up and see their jobs disappear, lose a kid to heroin, feel like they're in a dead-end. Those are people we have to understand and empathize with as well."
After giving this speech, Clinton threw away the good it might well have done her.
First, the day after making the speech, she apologized for it: "Last night I was 'grossly generalistic,' and that's never a good idea. I regret saying 'half'–that was wrong."
Many of Trump's followers were racists, sexists and xenophobes–who deserved condemnation, not apologies. By apologizing, she looked weak, indecisive.
Second, having eloquently reached out to many of the men and women who were a prime constituency for Donald Trump, she made no effort to follow up.
She could have used this moment to offer an economic package that would quickly and effectively address their vital needs for jobs and medical care.
But that would have required her to put one together long ago. And all she had to offer now was boilerplate rhetoric, such as: "Education is the answer."
Worst of all, Trump turned her speech against her, tweeting: "Wow, Hillary Clinton was SO INSULTING to my supporters, millions of amazing, hard working people. I think it will cost her at the Polls!"
#11 Neither the Democrats nor the TV networks dared reveal the full intensity of hatred and violence that were hallmarks of Trump's rallies–and campaign.
Three New York Times reporters who covered Trump's rallies for over one year routinely witnessed his supporters hurl vulgar taunts such as:
At Hillary Clinton: "Trump that bitch!" "Kill her!" "Lock her up!" "Hillary is a whore!" "Hang the bitch!"
At protesters: "Get out of here, you fag!" "Get him!" "Get the fuck out of here!"
At Latinos: "Build a wall–kill them all!" "Fuck those dirty beaners!" "Send them bastards back. I'm sure that paperwork comes in Spanish."
At Muslims: "Fuck Islam!" "Islam is not a religion, partner. It's an ideology." "You don't come and talk about America when you're supporting Muslims."
At President Barack Obama: "Fuck that nigger!"
H. Allen Scott, a reporter for Fusion, attended a Trump rally and overheard conversations that startled him.
In one, a man marked Arabs as the enemy: "Those sand niggers are out to get us. We need to bomb the hell out of them."
In the other, the supposed threat came from a different source: "The Donald will get all those Jews out of Washington."
When protesters were ejected, Trump supporters went wild–and usually turned violent. Protesters were beaten and kicked–often with Trump's encouragement.
Protesters and supporters duke it out at a Donald Trump rally
Audiences at Trump rallies were overwhelmingly white. Not all were racists, but many of those who were advertised it on T-shirts: "MAKE AMERICA WHITE AGAIN." Confederate flags were commonly displayed.
TV news networks and the Hillary Clinton campaign could have aired–repeatedly–such footage. Had they done so, Americans would have gotten a brutal, firsthand look at the anger and racism inherent in Trump's candidacy–and followers.
Instead, Trump was allowed to appear on late-night shows like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show where he was treated with kid gloves for fun and laughs.
Thus, it is pointless to blame any one person (such as Hillary Clinton) or group (such as those who voted for third-party candidates) for Clinton's loss. Many factors played a part–including some that, to keep this series at a reasonable length, could not be mentioned.
WHY TRUMP WON: PART TWO (OF THREE)
Fans of Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders have loudly claimed that if he had gotten the Democratic Presidential nomination, he would have crushed Donald Trump at the polls.
Since he didn't get the nomination, we will never know.
But Sanders would have carried his own negatives–which the Republicans would have gleefully exploited. Among the issues he championed:
Make college tuition free and debt-free.
Medicare for all.
Strengthen and expand Social Security.
Although worthy positions, they would have allowed Republicans to label him a "big-spending liberal."
In addition, Sanders had labeled himself a "democratic Socialist." For millions of proudly ignorant Americans, "socialist" means "Communist." And Fox News and the Republican party would have gladly assured them they were correct.
Liberty Maniacs, a Minnesota-based brand that designs and sells political and satirical apparel, literally cashed in on this image with an eye-catching T-shirt.
It depicted Sanders' face alongside those of Karl Marx, Freidrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong. And underneath were the words: "Bernie IS MY COMRADE."
No doubt Republicans would have flooded the airways with similar images.
Sanders' partisans continue to insist he was "cheated" out of the nomination by Hillary Clinton. But this still leaves unanswered the question:
If Sanders couldn't prevail against the alleged ruthlessness of Clinton in the primaries, how could he have done so against Trump in the general election?
As the saying goes: "Politics ain't beanbag."
#5 Democrats and liberals fell prey to hubris. They dismissed Donald Trump as a bad joke: Surely voters would reject a bombastic, thrice-married "reality show" host who had filed for corporate bankruptcy four times.
If comments on Facebook are any guide, many liberals believed Clinton would bury him at the polls: Blacks, women, youth and Hispanics will turn out huge for her. Democrats will retake the Senate, and maybe even retake the House.
If many Democrats/liberals didn't vote, one reason may be that they expected others to do it for them.
#6 The coalition that twice elected Barack Obama deserted Hillary Clinton.
Clinton did worse-than-expected among all the groups she was counting on to support her: Blacks, women, youth and Hispanics.
In 2012, Obama got 93% of the black vote; in 2016, Clinton got 88%.
In 2012, Obama got 55% of the women's vote; in 2016, Clinton won 54%.
In 2012, Obama got 60% of the vote of those under 30; in 2016, Clinton got 54%.
In 2012, Obama got 71% of the Hispanic vote; in 2016, Clinton got 65%.
Clinton proved less popular even among whites than Obama: In 2012, Obama won 39% of their votes; in 2016, Clinton won 37%.
#7 For years, Republicans had waged a vicious campaign to demonize Hillary Clinton.
This included even falsely accusing her of conspiring to murder American diplomats in Benghazi, Libya.
Kevin McCarthy, a Republican member of the House of Representatives unintentionally admitted this on Fox News on September 30, 2015:
"Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee. A select committee. What are her [poll] numbers today?
"Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she's untrustable. But no one would have known that any of that had happened had we not fought to make that happen."
Thus, McCarthy revealed that:
The House Select Committee on Benghazi was not a legitimate investigative body.
Its true purpose was not to investigate the killings of four American diplomats during a 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.
It's actual purpose: To destroy the Presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton.
#8 Republicans attacked Clinton for using a personal email account–while ignoring that her two Republican predecessors had done the same.
General Colin Powell served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He not only used a private email account but advised Clinton to do so as she was about to move into the same job in 2009.
Powell's successor as Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, similarly used a private email account during her tenure (2005-2009).
Yet while Republicans hounded Clinton, accusing her of recklessly endangering national security, they totally ignored Powell's and Rice's uses of private email accounts.
#9 Trump, adopting the role of a populist, appealed to blue-collar voters. Clinton offered a "love-your-CEO" economic plan–and suffered for it.
Trump visited "Rustbelt" states like Michigan and Pennsylvania and vowed to "bring back" jobs that had been lost to China, such as those in coal mining and manufacturing. Clinton didn't deign to show up, assuming she had those states "locked up."
Most economists agree that, in a globalized economy, such jobs are not coming back, no matter who becomes President.
Even so, voters went for the man who promised them a better future, and shunned the woman who didn't come to promise them any future at all.
In May, Democratic pollster CeLinda Lake had warned Clinton to revamp her economic platform.
"Democrats simply have to come up with a more robust economic frame and message," Lake said after the election. "We're never going to win those white, blue-collar voters if we're not better on the economy. And 27 policy papers and a list of positions is not a frame. We can laugh about it all we want, but Trump had one."
WHY TRUMP WON: PART ONE (OF THREE)
Since November 8, Democrats and liberals (the two are not always the same) have been in shock.
"How could this happen?" they keep asking–themselves and others. "How could the country go from electing a brilliant, sophisticated, humane man like Barack Obama to electing an ignorant, coarse, brutal man like Donald Trump?"
Efforts have been made to blame one person/group or another. But the truth is that many factors were involved, and the fallout will be felt for months–if not years–to come.
#1 Hillary Clinton was an uninspiring candidate. When Barack Obama ran for President in 2008, NBC Anchor Tom Brokaw compared his rallies to Hannah Montana concerts. Audiences were excited by his charisma, eloquence, relative youth (47) and optimism ("Yes We Can!").
Clinton radiated none of these qualities. She was 67 when she declared her candidacy for President–and looked it. Her speaking voice grated like the proverbial fingernail on a blackboard.
She seemed to have been around forever–as First Lady (1993-2001), as Senator from New York (2001-2009) and as Secretary of State (2009-2013). Those born after 2000 thought of the Clinton Presidency as ancient history. She was offering a resume–and voters wanted an inspiration.
#2 Clinton brought a lot of baggage with her. In contrast to Obama, whose Presidency had been scandal-free, Clinton–rightly or wrongly–has always been dogged by charges of corruption.
During the Clinton Presidency, a failed land deal–Whitewater–while Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas triggered a seven-year investigation by a Republican special prosecutor. No criminality was uncovered, and no charge was brought against either Clinton.
After leaving the White House, she and her husband set up the Clinton Foundation, a public charity to bring government, businesses and social groups together to solve problems "faster, better, at lower cost."
As Secretary of State, more than half of Clinton's meetings with people outside government were with donors to the Clinton Foundation. If a "pay-to play" system wasn't at work, one certainly seemed to be.
She cast further suspicion on herself by her unauthorized use of a private email server. This wasn't revealed until March, 2015–after she was no longer Secretary of State.
She claimed she had used it to avoid carrying two cell-phones. But, as Secretary of State, she traveled with a huge entourage who carried everything she needed. Her critics believed she used a private email system to hide a "pay-for-pay" relationship with Clinton Foundation donors.
Finally, as a candidate for President, she "secretly" worked with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, to ensure that she would get the nomination.
As DNC chair, Wasserman-Schultz was expected to be impartial toward all Democratic candidates seeking the prize. This included Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Clinton's chief competitor.
So Sanders and his supporters were outraged when WikiLeaks released 19,252 emails and 8,034 attachments hacked from computers of the highest-ranking officials of the DNC.
The emails revealed a clear bias for Clinton and against Sanders. In one email, Brad Marshall, the chief financial officer of the DNC, suggested that Sanders, who is Jewish, could be portrayed as an atheist.
#3 The Obamas' support proved a plus/minus for Clinton. Understandably, President Obama wanted to see his legacies continued–and she was the only candidate who could do it.
So he–and his wife, Michelle–stormed the country, giving eloquent, passionate speeches and firing up crowds on Clinton's behalf.
So long as either Obama stood before a crowd, the magic lasted. But once the event was over, the excitement vanished. Hillary simply didn't arouse enough passion to keep it going.
And when Obama supporters compared the President and First Lady with Clinton, they found her wanting–in attractiveness, grace, eloquence, trustworthiness and the ability to inspire.
#4 Not enough Democrats entered the Presidential race. Among those few who did:
Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland;
Lincoln Chaffee, former governor of Rhode Island;
James Webb, former U.S. Senator from Virginia;
Lawrence Lessig, professor at Harvard Law School;
Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders;
and former First Lady/U.S. Senator/Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Of these candidates, it's worth noting that O'Malley withdrew during the primaries. Chaffee, Webb and Lessig withdrew before the primaries started.
Many liberals wanted Massachusetts U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren to run. As a specialist in consumer protection, she had become a leading figure in the Democratic party and a favorite among progressives.
But, without giving a reason, she declined to do so.
Thus, at least on the Democratic side, the stage was already set at the outset of the race.
No matter who the Republican nominee would be, the Democratic one would be Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
Sanders fans have loudly claimed that if only he had gotten the Democratic Presidential nomination, he would have crushed Trump at the polls.
But Sanders would have carried big negatives as well–which the Republicans would have gleefully exploited.
These will be explored in Part Two of this continuing series.
ABC NEWS, BARACK OBAMA, CBS NEWS, CNN, COLIN POWELL, CONDOLEEZA RICE, D-DAY, EMAIL SERVER, FACEBOOK, GEORGE S. PATTON, GEORGE W. BUSH, GREAT BRITAIN, HEINZ GUDERIAN, HILLARY CLINTON, NAZI GERMANY, NBC NEWS, NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI, REPUBLICANS, STALINGRAD, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE PRINCE, THE WASHINGTON POST, TWITTER, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT, WAFFEN-SS, WORLD WAR 11
WIMPS ON THE LEFT, BULLIES ON THE RIGHT
In Bureaucracy, History, Military, Politics, Social commentary on November 2, 2016 at 12:04 am
Most Americans believe that Nazi Germany was defeated because "we were the Good Guys and they were the Bad Guys."
The United States–and its allies, Great Britain and the Soviet Union–won the war for reasons that had nothing to do with the righteousness of their cause. These included:
Nazi Germany–i.e, its Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler–made a series of disastrous decisions. Chief among these: Attacking its ally, the Soviet Union, and declaring war on the United States;
The greater material resources of the Soviet Union and the United States; and
The Allies waged war as brutally as the Germans.
On this last point:
From D-Day to the fall of Berlin, Americans often shot captured Waffen-SS soldiers out of hand.
When American troops came under fire in the German city of Aachen, Lt. Col. Derrill Daniel brought in a self-propelled 155mm artillery piece and opened up on a theater housing German soldiers. After the city surrendered, a German colonel labeled the use of the 155 "barbarous" and demanded that it be outlawed.
German soldiers at Stalingrad
During the battle of Stalingrad in 1942, Wilhelm Hoffman, a young German soldier and diarist, was appalled that the Russians refused to surrender. He wrote: "You don't see them at all, they have established themselves in houses and cellars and are firing on all sides, including from our rear–barbarians, they used gangster methods…."
In short: The Allies won because they dared to meet the brutality of a Heinz Guderian with that of a George S. Patton or a Georgi Zhukov.
This is a lesson that has been totally lost on the liberals of the Democratic Party.
Which explains why they lost most of the Presidential elections of the 20th century.
It also explains why Hillary Clinton finds herself on the defensive in the last week of the 2016 Presidential race.
Throughout her campaign, the Democratic Presidential nominee has been stalked by her use of a private email server at her home in Chappaqua, New York, while Secretary of State (2009-2013).
She did not use, or even activate, a State Department email account, which would have been hosted on servers owned and managed by the United States government.
Republicans have portrayed this as a criminal act–and their Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has threatened to send her to prison for it if he's elected.
It wasn't.
When she became Secretary of State, the 1950 Federal Records Act mandated that officials using personal email accounts turn over their official correspondence to the government.
Clinton maintains that most of her emails went to, or were forwarded to, people with government accounts, so they were automatically archived.
In November 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments, which require government officials to forward any official correspondence to the government within 20 days. But even under this new law, the penalties are only administrative, not criminal.
In May, 2016, the State Department's Inspector General found that:
Clinton's email system violated government policy;
She did not receive permission in setting it up; and
The agency wouldn't have granted approval had she asked.
Nevertheless, her behavior did not constitute criminal conduct.
Clinton's use of a private email system became a major political issue when The New York Times broke the story in March, 2015.
Since then, Republicans have attacked her as having endangered national security as a result.
In doing so, they have totally ignored two embarrassing facts:
First: During the George W. Bush Presidency, Clinton's two Republican predecessors as Secretary of State–Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice–also used private email accounts; and
Second: Government computer systems are not secure–and have been repeatedly hacked. Among the agencies attacked:
The White House (2014)
Federal Aviation Administration (2015)
Department of Defense (2015)
Internal Revenue Service (2015)
Pentagon (2015)
Department of State (2014)
As soon as Republicans began attacking Clinton's use of a private server, Democrats should have threatened to convene hearings spotlighting similar behavior by Powell and Rice.
Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice
Powell and Rice–both still highly influential figures within the Republican party–would have pressured their fellow Republicans: Knock this off–now.
Even if Republicans had continued to hound Clinton on her email server, Democrats could have summoned and publicly grilled Powell and Rice.
This would have served Republicans a lesson on Realpolitik straight out of Niccolo Machiavelli's primer, The Prince:
From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved than feared, or feared more than loved.
The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved….
And men have less scruple in offending one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared; for love is held by a chain of obligations which, men being selfish, is broken whenever it serves their purpose; but fear is maintained by a dread of punishment which never fails.
For Democrats to win elective victories and enact their agenda, they must find their own George Pattons to take on the Waffen-SS generals among Republican ranks.
ABC NEWS, BILL CLINTON, CBS NEWS, CNN, COLIN POWELL, CONDOLEEZA RICE, DAVID GERGEN, EYEWITNESS TO POWER, FACEBOOK, HILLARY CLINTON, IMPEACHMENT, KENNETH STARR, MONICA LEWINSKY, NBC NEWS, REPUBLICANS, RICHARD NIXON, Ronald Reagan, SECRECY, SOREN KIERKEGAARD, STONEWALLING, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TWITTER, WATERGATE, WHITEWATER
SECRECY PAST IS SECRECY PROLOGUE: PART TWO (END)
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Politics on August 9, 2016 at 12:20 am
The Washington Post was angry.
Its reporters and editors believed they had been stonewalled by the 1992 Bill Clinton Presidential campaign.
And now that he had been elected President, they wanted access to a treasury of documents relating to potential irregularities in Whitewater and a gubernatorial campaign.
David Gergen, a conservative adviser to Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, had been hired by Clinton in 1993 to provide a counterbalancing perspective to his liberal team members.
Gergen had served in the Nixon White House during Watergate. He knew firsthand the political dangers of stonewalling–or merely appearing to stonewall.
So he advised Clinton: Give the Post the documents. Yes, it will be temporarily embarrassing. But in a little while the bad stories will blow over and you can get on with the job.
If you don't hand over the documents, you'll look like you're hiding something. The press will raise a stink. The Republicans will demand a Special Prosecutor. And there will be no end to it.
Clinton agreed with Gergen. But there was a catch: He didn't feel he could make the decision alone. Hillary had been a partner in the Whitewater land transactions.
"You'll have to speak to Hillary and get her agreement," he told Gergen. "If she agrees, we'll do it."
Gergen promised to see her.
Two days later, Gergen called Hillary Clinton's office and asked for an appointment.
"We'll get back to you," her secretary promised.
Hillary never did. Finally, two weeks after the canceled December 10 meeting with the Clintons, Gergen got the news he had been dreading: Bruce Lindsay, Clinton's trusted adviser, would deliver a one-paragraph letter to the Post, essentially saying; "Screw you."
Events quickly unfolded exactly as Gergen had predicted:
The Post's executive editor, Leonard Downie, called the White House: "Nothing personal, but we're going to pursue this story relentlessly."
The New York Times and Newsweek–among other news outlets–joined the journalistic investigation.
Coverage of Whitewater intensified.
Republicans began demanding that Attorney General Janet Reno appoint an independent counsel.
On January 20, 1994–exactly a year after Clinton took the oath as President–Edward Fiske, a former federal prosecutor, was named independent counsel.
In August, Fiske was dismissed by a Federal judge who considered him too liberal and replaced with Kenneth Starr, a former solicitor general and federal appeals court judge.
Starr unearthed Clinton's salacious affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, which culminated in an unsuccessful Republican impeachment attempt in 1998.
Starr resigned in 1999, and was replaced by Robert W. Ray.
The investigation continued until 2002, but no criminal charges were ever filed against either Clinton.
In his 2001 book, Eyewitness to Power, Gergen summarizes the meaning of this episode:
If the Clintons had turned over the Whitewater documents to the Washington Post in December 1993, their history–and that of the United States–would have been entirely different.
Disclosure would have brought embarrassing revelations–such as Hillary's investment in commodity futures.
"But we know today that nothing in those documents constituted a case for criminal prosecution of either one of the Clintons in their Whitewater land dealings…
"Edward Fiske and Kenneth Starr would never have arrived on the scene, we might never have heard of Monica Lewinsky (who had nothing to do with the original Whitewater matter) and there would have been no impeachment.
"The country would have been spared that travail, and the President himself could have had a highly productive second term."
Gergen blames President Clinton rather than Hillary for refusing to disclose the documents. Voters elected him–not her–to run the government. He–not she–ultimately bears the responsibility.
Still, his comments about Hillary are telling, considering:
That she is likely to win election to the White House this November; and
That she continues to reflexively stonewall instead of opt for transparency when facing questions.
As Gergen puts it: "She should have said yes [to disclosure] from the beginning, accepting short-term embarrassment in exchange for long-term protection of both herself and her husband.
"She listened too easily to the lawyers and to her own instincts as a litigator, instincts that told her never to give an inch to the other side. Whitewater was always more a political than a legal problem."
The same might be said of her lingering credibility problem with the use of a private email server as Secretary of State.
Both of her predecessors, Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, used private servers, and neither has been subjected to Republican inquisition.
She could have easily avoided the turmoil that has dogged her for years by simply admitting at the outset: "Yes, I used a private server–just like my two Republican predecessors did. Everyone knows government servers are compromised."
Instead, she fell back on Nixonian stonewalling tactics–which proved fatal to Richard Nixon and almost fatal to her husband.
This is, in short, a woman who has learned nothing from the past–her own nor that of her husband.
It's a safe bet that as President Hillary Clinton will continue to stonewall over matters whose disclosure is embarrassing only in the short-term–thus jeopardizing her tenure as Chief Executive.
SECRECY PAST IS SECRECY PROLOGUE: PART ONE (OF TWO)
"History can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."
So wrote the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. And with history–in the form of a second Clinton Presidency–about to repeat itself, useful lessons may be found by studying the first one.
Since her debut as a potential First Lady in 1992, Hillary Clinton has aroused strong passions–for and against.
David Gergen is one former staffer who has viewed her up close and yet offers a balanced perspective of her strengths and weaknesses.
He did so in his 2001 book, Eyewitness to Power, in which he chronicled his experiences as an adviser to Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan–and a Democratic one: Bill Clinton.
In 1993, then a conservative political commentator, Gergen returned to the White House.
The liberal Clinton, sensitive to criticism on the Right, wanted Gergen's advice on how to defuse it.
In December, 1993, Gergen got a call from Bob Kaiser, the managing editor of the Washington Post: "We're getting the runaround over there on Whitewater and I want you to know about it."
"Whitewater" encompassed the Arkansas real estate investments of Bill and Hillary Clinton and their associates, Jim and Susan McDougal in the Whitewater Development Corporation, a failed business venture in the 1970s and 1980s.
A Post reporter had sent a letter to Bruce Lindsay, a trusted Clinton adviser, raising questions about the finances of the Clintons in the years before they came to Washington.
Two weeks had passed, and there had been no reply.
Gergen assured Kaiser that this was the first time he had heard about the letter: "I'll look into it and get back to you."
Gergen and Kaiser shared a Watergate past–Gergen had worked in the Nixon White House, Kaiser at the Washington Post, whose reporting had ultimately brought Nixon down.
Both men, Gergen later wrote, "remembered how destructive the stonewalling of those days had been." And Gergen respected Kaiser, believing him "fair but tough–and, if misled, very tough."
Gergen immediately consulted with Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty, Clinton's White House Chief of Staff. He advised McLarty that a trio of White House officials should visit the Post and find out what the reporters wanted.
McLarty agreed.
When the White House officials arrived at the Post, they were met by a chorus of hostile reporters.
They felt they had been stonewalled throughout the 1992 Presidential race. And now they wanted access to a treasury of documents relating to potential irregularities in Whitewater and a gubernatorial campaign.
Gergen and Mark Gearan, the White House director of communications, agreed that the best course was to give the Post all the documents it was requesting.
The next day, Gergen laid out his case to Chief of Staff McLarty:
The Post should be allowed to view the documents and report on them. Then the papers should be made available to the entire White House press corps.
Yes, said Gergen, a lot of negative stories would probably result. But if Watergate had taught any lesson, it was that it was better to admit mistakes and not try to hide them. Stonewalling only brought on criminal investigations–and potential criminal charges.
McLarty agreed to set up a meeting with President Clinton where Gergen and Gearan could make their case.
On December 10, Gergen and Gearan were scheduled to meet with President Clinton, his wife, and possibly their lawyers.
But when the appointed hour arrived, they found that the meeting had been scrubbed.
The Clintons had had their lawyers come in early for a private discussion of the documents, had heard their arguments, and had decided not to discuss anything. They didn't even want to hear a case for disclosure.
Gergen was furious. He had been hired months earlier with the promise of full access to the President. And now he insisted on it.
McLarty arranged for him to see Clinton the next morning.
Gergen laid out three reasons why the Post should be given the documents it wanted.
First, he believed the paper had tried to be fair in its coverage of the Clintons.
Second, Watergate proved that it was politically lethal to be accused of a cover-up.
And, third, having won international renown with Watergate, the Post would never back down on Whitewater.
Gergen warned that the Post "would sic a big team of investigative reporters on the White House" and that would lead other news organizations to follow.
"I agree with you," said Clinton. "I think we should turn over all of the documents."
But there was a catch: He didn't feel he could make the decision alone. Hillary had been a partner in the Whitewater land transactions.


text:
by: JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gangsta Boo, a Southern rapper who was a former member of the hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, has died. She was 43.
Lola "Gangsta Boo" Mitchell was found dead Sunday in Memphis, Tennessee, her hometown. The cause of death has not been released.
The rapper launched her career at age of 14 when she was noticed by DJ Paul, a founding member of Three 6 Mafia. By 15, she joined the rap collective, which included notable members DJ Paul, Juicy J, Crunchy Black and Lord Infamous.
In 1998, she branched out with her debut solo album "Enquiring Minds." The album was highlighted by "Where Dem Dollas At," featuring Juicy J and DJ Paul.
After Three 6 Mafia released "Choices: The Album" in 2001, she left the group to focus on her solo career. She dropped her sophomore album, "Both Worlds (asterisk)69," which reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart. Her third album, "Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera," was released in 2003.
During her career, Gangsta Boo collaborated with popular artists including OutKast, Eminem, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, E-40 and T.I. This year, she appeared on Latto's "FTCU" that also included GloRilla.
Last month, Gangsta Boo said she was on the verge of releasing her fourth studio album "The BooPrint," this year. Last week, she filmed an unreleased video, "Imma Mack," with producer Drumma Boy.
UPDATE: Four-day school week approved in Acadia Parish


The MOT test is the Ministry of Transports road safety measure, ensuring all vehicles over 3 years old are roadworthy, properly maintained by the owner and meet minimum safety and environmental standards.
Everyone who uses a vehicle on the road is required to keep it in a roadworthy condition at all times.
The roadworthiness is checked in the interests of road safety and the environment by the test we call the MOT. The first test is required once a car is three years old. (There are different rules if you use it as a taxi or if it has more than 8 passenger seats).
Use the 5-step service below to book your car in for its MOT. Once received a member of our service department will be in touch to confirm the booking with you.


text:
Schlomer ist der Familienname folgender Personen:

 Abraham Schlomer (1810–1883), deutscher Kaufmann und Abgeordneter
 Ignaz Schlomer (1875–1923), deutscher Arzt und Abgeordneter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
by Rex Orange County (featuring Tyler, the Creator)
Album: Who Cares? (2022)
Penned by Alex O'Connor (aka Rex Orange County) during the pandemic era, this string-laden song finds the English singer stifled by the lockdown. Frustrated at being stuck at his parents' home in Surrey away from all he loves, he pines to escape his confines.
So can I open a window?
Can somebody open the door?
There's so many reasons
I can barely take it anymore
O'Connor's longtime pal, Tyler, the Creator, takes the third verse. He's sympathetic towards his friend's predicament but would deal with it differently himself. Rather than getting stressed out, Tyler would just move on to a place that serves him better.
O'Connor did eventually get away from lockdown England. He drove to Amsterdam with his bassist and friend Joe MacLaren, where they visited Benny Sings, the Dutch songwriter and producer who worked on Rex Orange County's 2017 single "Loving Is Easy." Together they sketched out three songs, including "Open a Window" and his "Keep It Up" single. Later in the year, he returned to The Netherlands, and in a 12-day stint recorded the Who Cares? album with Sings.
"Open a Window" marks the fourth collaboration between Rex Orange County and Tyler, the Creator. Rex featured on two tracks off the hip-hop star's 2017 album Flower Boy: "Boredom" and "Foreword," and provided backing vocals on a third song, "Garden Shed."
More songs from Rex Orange County
More songs from Tyler, the Creator
More songs about getting away
Lyrics to Open A Window
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill MeU2
U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" from Batman Forever was nominated for both a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and a Razzie for Worst Original Song.
Part-Time LoverStevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder was 12 years old when he released his first #1 hit, "Fingertips (Part 2)." He had to wait 22 years for his next one: "Part Time Lover."
Never Tear Us ApartINXS
"Never Tear Us Apart" was a live favorite for INXS, who would often extend the second pause for a while as the crowd went crazy.
Losing My ReligionR.E.M.
"Losing My Religion" isn't about religion, but unrequited love. The title is based on a Southern expression meaning "at my wit's end."
Ring Of FireJohnny Cash
Johnny Cash's wife, June Carter, wrote "Ring Of Fire" about their relationship.
Head FirstAerosmith
Geffen Records made history on June 27, 1994 when Aerosmith's "Head First" became the first major label song made available for exclusive digital download. Download speeds at the time were so slow it took around 75 minutes to download the track.
Band NamesFact or Fiction
Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?
American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing
What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?
Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing
Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.
Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. TelevangelistsSong Writing
When televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart took on rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, the rockers retaliated. Bono could even be seen mocking the preachers.
Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews
Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.
The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing
Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.


Creates a Cabinet in Folder view.
Creates a Folder in Folder view.
ʍ Folders cannot be created under [My ScanSnap] folder.
programs such as Windows Explorer, it is shown as [Cabinet] in ScanSnap Organizer.
Creates an optional Folder Link (Shortcut).
Sorts files displayed in File View according to name, size, or date.
Copies PDF or JPEG files in other folders to the selected folder.
Copies the selected PDF or JPEG files to other folders.
program with the selected PDF or JPEG file attached.
he selected PDF or JPEG file.
he selected file or folder.
the selected file or folder.
e cut or copied file/folder.
he selected file, folder, or Cabinet.
e image of the file.
page to see the thumbnail.
files are displayed as thumbnails in the File view.
Other files are displayed as icons associated with their applications.
displayed on the lower left-hand corner.
an image from one page of PDF document and paste it into in C# demo code below, we will explain how to cut image from doc, Target document object, Can't be null.
The file name can be changed.
, the pop-up thumbnail is reduced.
, ad d nces by 1 page.
, advances to the last page.
, goes back by 1 page.
The selected file is copied to the location.
, goes back to the first page.
[Settings] from the menu that appears.
=> The "Scan and Save Settings" window appears.
2. Select "ScanSnap Organizer" on the "Application" tab.
3. Click the [OK] button.
=> The "Scan and Save Settings" window closes.
Load the document onto the scanner.
ʍ The initial setting is [My SnapSnap Folder] under [My Documents].
scanned files to the Cabinet and folder.
them according to subject to sort out the documents.
1. On the [File] menu, select [New] -> [Cabinet].
=> Under [My ScanSnap] folder in Folder View, [New Cabinet] is created.
2. Enter a name for the Cabinet.
Enter the name "Investigation Report" here.
change and click it. Or, select the name and then select [Rename] on the [File] menu.
3. Select the Cabinet created in Step 1.
4. On the [File] menu, select [New] -> [Folder].
, [New Folder] is created.
5. Enter a Folder name.
6. Repeat Steps 4, 5 to create folders as needed.
As an example, create two folders named [July 2004] and [August 2004].
7. Select [My ScanSnap] folder, and then select the file you want to move.
=> The selected file is shown in a red frame.
8. Drag-and-drop the selected file to the destination folder.
The selected file is moved to the destination folder.
When you drag and press the [Ctrl] key before dropping, the selected file is copied.
to store files in the destination folders.
1. Select the files you want to copy or move in File View.
In case of folders, select in Folder View.
● You can select several files at one time when you press and hold down the [Ctrl] key.
● You cannot copy/move a Folder Link.
3. Select the destination cabinet or folder in Folder View.
=> The selected file/folder is copied/moved to the destination Cabinet or folder.
Cabinet or folder in [My ScanSnap] folder.
1. In Folder View, select the Cabinet or folder you want to copy to.
=> The "Open" window appears.
3. Select the file, and click the [Open] button.
1. In File View, select the file.
=> The "Browse for Folder" window appears.
3. Select the destination folder for the file, and click the [OK] button.
is copied to the folder.


'A Ghost Story' Review:. Docs and Tupac 15 Best Movies and Performances of 2017 Sundance Film Festival 'Pete's Dragon' Review: Finally, a Summer-Movie Remake That.Film Review: A Ghost Story A wrenching, remarkable masterpiece about love and loss, life and death, from one of America's great directors.Read the Empire review of Ghost In The Shell (2017). Find out everything you need to know about the film from the world's biggest movie destination.IndieWire has identified 17. The majority of the screen time we get with British actor Adeel Akhtar in "Ghosted" is dominated by. Sundance Film Review:.When a ghost-hunting book she co-wrote with Abby Yates. Movie reviews: From Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to Dunkirk, summer films that sparkled.Reviews: Ghost Villa, Malayalam movie directed by Mahesh Kesav starring John Jacob, Parvathy Nambiar, Kottayam Nazeer, Baiju, Kochu Preman, Balaji, Jayan, Rajmohan.
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Justin Chang reviews 'A Ghost Story' directed by David Lowery, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. Video by Jason H. Neubert.
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For all the liberties the new Ghost in the Shell takes with its source material, it's more invested in that title, specifically the "ghost" soul of its cyborg. According to a report, Fox has order the horror comedy 'Ghosted' which stars 'Parks and Recreation's' Adam Scott and 'The Office's' Craig Robinson, to series. The.Absorbing docu about snow leopards has mild peril. Read Common Sense Media's Ghost of the Mountains review, age rating, and parents guide.'The Forgiven's' Debbie Sherman on Acting, Learning and Helping in our Exclusive Interview; Blade Runner 2049 – Film Review [IMAX] Ghosted – 'Pilot' Review.Review: Ghost in the Shell. Ghost. Since the release of Masamune Shirow's seminal manga in 1989 and Mamoru Oshii's arguably more influential 1995 film. The.
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Ghost Town is a Capra-esque romantic comedy about the redemption of a mean-spirited misanthro. Film Reviews: orphaned talent in 'Ghost Town' and 'Appaloosa.Beautiful and deeply affecting, A Ghost Story is easily the greatest movie ever made with an Oscar winner standing around in a white bedsheet for most of.L.A. Times film critic Justin Chang reviews "Ghost in the Shell. in the Shell' is fascinating, and not without its glitches. Justin Chang reviews "Ghost In The.Film is often as uncomfortable as it is stirring given its. Review: A Ghost Story is ingrained with. A Ghost Story is ingrained with nostalgia, loss and.
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Q: How do I maintain my app running and doing the same thing without the app´s window opened? It's probably pretty obvious, but I'm completely new to programming or asking a question at stackoverflow, so I apologize in advance if I can't explain myself properly. Also, there are some parts I have no idea what they are for anymore since the code is basically a mix of tutorials.
What I need the app to do is for it to keep doing what it's doing (the handler part), but while it's is closed (not minimized). But instead of changing the background, I need it to send a notification instead.
In other words, every 10 minutes, if the value of temperBU is 19, I get a notification even if the app is closed.
For that, if I'm not mistaken, what I need is a service, but I don't understand what type is better for this situation. I tried some tutorials, but nothing seems to work, and if it's possible to start the service as soon as the app gets started.
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
ConstraintLayout layout;

class Weather extends AsyncTask<String, Void, String> {

    @Override
    protected String doInBackground(String... address) {

        try {
            URL url = new URL(address[0]);
            HttpURLConnection connection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
            connection.connect();

            InputStream is = connection.getInputStream();
            InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(is);
            int data = isr.read();
            String content = "";
            char ch;
            while (data != -1) {
                ch = (char) data;
                content = content + ch;
                data = isr.read();
            }
            Log.i("Content", content);
            return content;

        } catch (MalformedURLException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        return null;
    }
}

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

    String content;
    Weather weather = new Weather();

    {
        {

            try {
                content = weather.execute("https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=budapest,hu&units=metric&appid=ce2fd10cdcc8ab209f979f6a41c27cfe").get();
                JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject(content);
                String mainData = jsonObject.getString("main");
                Log.i("mainData", mainData);

                JSONObject object = new JSONObject(mainData);
                Double temp = object.getDouble("temp");
                Log.i("temp", String.valueOf(temp));
                int temperBU = (int) Math.round(temp);
                Log.i("temperBU", String.valueOf(temperBU));

                layout = findViewById(R.id.hs_n);

                if (temperBU == 19)
                    layout.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.hungry_summer_premium_yes_simple);
                else layout.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.hungry_summer_premium_no_simple);

                Handler handler = new Handler();

                Runnable r = new Runnable() {
                    public void run() {

                        String content;
                        Weather weather = new Weather();

                        try {
                            content = weather.execute("https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=budapest,hu&units=metric&appid=ce2fd10cdcc8ab209f979f6a41c27cfe").get();
                            JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject(content);
                            String mainData = jsonObject.getString("main");
                            Log.i("mainData", mainData);//*

                            JSONObject object = new JSONObject(mainData);
                            Double temp = object.getDouble("temp");
                            Log.i("temp", String.valueOf(temp));
                            int temperBU = (int) Math.round(temp);
                            Log.i("temperBU", String.valueOf(temperBU));//*

                            layout = findViewById(R.id.hs_n);

                            if (temperBU == 19)
                                layout.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.hungry_summer_premium_yes_simple);
                            else
                                layout.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.hungry_summer_premium_no_simple);

                        } catch (Exception e) {

                            e.printStackTrace();
                        }

                        handler.postDelayed(this::run, 600000);

                    }
                };
                handler.postDelayed(r, 600000);
            } catch (Exception e) {

                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
}

}
Thank you so much for the help.

A: Please note that AsyncTask is deprecated, so use the following to do a background work:
Android AsyncTask API deprecating in Android 11.What are the alternatives?
In order to continue doing something after the user closed your app try using foreground service, like this:

*

*in Android manifest, add
uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE"
this inside the application tag:
service android:name=".services.WorkerSvc"

*add this class:
 class WorkerSvc : Service() {

 override fun onBind(intent: Intent?): IBinder? {
     return null
 }

 override fun onStartCommand(intent: Intent?, flags: Int, startId: Int): Int {
     LogUtil.i("onStartCommand")
     startForeground(
         NotificationUtil.NOTIFICATION_ID,
         NotificationUtil.makeForeGroundNotification(getString(R.string.please_wait))
     )
     processIntent(intent)
     return START_STICKY
 }

 private fun processIntent(intent: Intent?) {
     if (intent == null) {
         stopSelf()
     } else {
         // DO YOUR WORK HERE. USE INTENT EXTRAS TO PASS DATA TO SERVICE
         // NOTE THIS IS EXECUTED IN MAIN THREAD SO USE ONE OF THE SOLUTION PROVIDED IN A LINK ABOVE
     }
 }

}

*To start the service:
 val svcIntent = Intent(App.instance, WorkerSvc::class.java)
 svcIntent.putExtra(
 //DATA TO PASS TO SERVICE
 )
 if (context != null) {
 ContextCompat.startForegroundService(context, svcIntent)
 }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Porsche Design Tower is a dream residence for any devout gearhead.
The Porsche Design Tower in Miami is a boon to wealthy auto enthusiasts and is one of the many multimillion dollar high-rises that dot the Florida coastline allowing for the most luxurious of lifestyles. Aside from its name, any gearheaded residents of the 132 units are able to indulge in one awesome feature that intrigues us most: an elevator that allows in-car access to a personal garage on any of the building's inhabitable floors, giving owners the ability to keep their rides close by.
With 60 stories in the Porsche Design Tower, it's safe to say that many of the supercars housed here (because anyone that can afford a $40 million luxury property will not want to emerge from such a grandiose elevator in a Honda Accord every morning) will have a better view that most postcard recipients.
Mike from Mike Supercars TopSpeed was lucky enough to tag along with Lamborghini Miami as the dealership's employees went to the 56th floor to pick up a collection of supercars. Inside, we get a peep of the dream life, one that costs $40 million to buy into and only implies a seven figure supercar collection is somewhere around. Starting on the bottom floor, it was a bit surprising to see a garage full of Mercedes, Maserati, and Rolls-Royce's finest languishing at ground level and not up top in the car garage. Leftovers perhaps? The elevator itself is a work of art because after all, there's not much more that can crimp your morning routine than descending in your Lamborghini Aventador SV on an elevator that looks ugly.


text:
Osborne Files: Mille Miglia ~ A Truly Incomparable Experience
The Mille Miglia 'Storica'
There are arguably a score of excellent multi-day vintage rally and tour events held around the world each year, many held in wonderful places with terrific roads and contested by exciting and beautiful cars. However, it can be definitively declared that all the rest exist as a tribute to the greatest historic driving event of them all, the historic Mille Miglia of Italy.
The Mille Miglia 'Storica' – Italian for 'historic' – is in most ways very different from the original Mille Miglia 'di velocità' or 'speed' contests held between 1927 and 1957. What once was a non-stop blast through city, town, village and open country, a test of not only machine but the endurance of the driver and navigator is now a four-day 'regularity trial', the modern versions of which began in 1982, following a 50th anniversary commemorative run in 1977.
Image Source: Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR in 1955 Mille Miglia (100Motori.it)
A Brief History of Mille Miglia
In 1927, the winner completed the distance in 21 hours, 5 minutes at an average speed of 48mph. The fastest was Stirling Moss' 1955 victory, done in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, averaging 98mph on everyday streets, across bridges, up mountain passes and through towns and cities. It would never be beaten. Today's event is a rather more leisurely affair, but that doesn't mean it's not without its challenges.
It's difficult to believe that a race only held 24 times could have become so legendary that it still excites millions of people across thousands of kilometers in Italy. The photos you may have seen of crowds standing on the roadside, snapping photos, waving flags and urging the teams and cars on are neither staged nor rare.
Image Source: Alfa Romeo 1900 Super TI de 1953 par Laurent-B (Donald Osborne)
In every town, at all times of the day and well into the night eager and thrilled spectators ranging in age from toddlers getting their first taste of speed to nonagenarians remembering seeing Fangio, Ascari, Moss and Taruffi flash through their town as youngsters all come out to party with the entrants.
I have had the great good fortune to participate in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions of the Mille Miglia. In 2013, I was co-driver for a friend and client for whom I had found a 1949 Maserati A6 1500 Pinin Farina coupe. He invited me to join him in the car and of course I accepted. Our event was short- we dropped out on the second of three days with radiator trouble after driving through pouring rain from the start.
Image Source: 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint (Donald Osborne)
The Magic of the Mille Miglia
But the magic of the event had imprinted itself on me. The next year I was not in a car, but as a guest of the organization stood on the storied departure ramp, welcomed the cars back to Brescia on the finishing ramp and sang the Italian national anthem at the prize ceremony at the ornate baroque opera house in Brescia.
In 2015, I was once again back in a car, with another friend and client for whom I had found a 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint. It was an early, column shift car, one of only 1500 made and one of the few survivors. We shared driving and navigating duties and completed the route. I also once again sang at the prize ceremony and life doesn't get much better than that.
The Mille Miglia Experience
The experience of participating in the Mille Miglia cannot be adequately described to anyone who hasn't done it. It is truly a live-changing event. That's not to say it's always fun, sometimes it's downright unpleasant. But that's what life is, isn't it? While it's not a non-stop run from start to finish, the schedule is demanding. You'll spend a lot of time in the car, sometimes driving on roads crowded with support vehicles, everyday traffic and sports car club interlopers from across Europe who descend in droves on the Mille Miglia route to misbehave in traffic as they dare not do back home. You have to keep your wits about you at all times.
From Brescia, the first cars begin leaving at 2:30pm. Those are the oldest cars from the 1920s, led by OMs, the brand that won the first Mille. Three per minute the remainder of the field departs, in chronological order, until the last 1957 car is on its way. Our 1956 entry was number 412 and we left at about 4:45pm.
Image Source: 2015 Mille Miglia (ansa-it.com)
The first segment was 8 hours of driving, from Brescia to Rimini, where we arrived around midnight. The second day saw us in the car and off at 8:30am for a scheduled 13 hours of driving down to Rome. We were delayed en route and arrived in Rome close to 11:30pm, just making it to the checkpoint before it closed. A very late dinner – or perhaps very early breakfast saw us in bed around 1:30 and up and out at 8:00am for 15 hours of driving up to Parma. Driving past the Leaning Tower in Pisa made up for any exhaustion and after excellent Parma Ham, cheese and wine it was another nap in a hotel before leaving at 8:30am for the final push back to Brescia, another 8 hours away.
On the way, we stopped at the Autodromo di Monza where a time trial was a lap of the full track- including the no longer used but recently restored banked oval! What a thrill.
We arrived in Brescia, beat but exhilarated, around 3:30pm. We met our other halves for a quick late lunch, I repaired to the opera house, washed at a sink in a backstage dressing room, changed clothes and strode out to sing 'Fratelli d'Italia' for a packed house.
Image Source: Parked in Parma During 2015 Mille Miglia (Donald Osborne)
That evening, in our hotel in the Franciacorta wine country, I was drained and emotionally spent- and quite certain I need never do that again. A week later I began to muse on what it might be like to do the Mille in a pre-war car 'next time'. Yes, there will be a next time. It's the spell of the Mille Miglia that has me completely entranced. There is no escape once you've been exposed, no vaccine to protect you. And you'll never be happier.
Image Source: Donald Osborne and David Word at the end of the 2015 Mille Miglia (Donald Osborne)
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Since 1997, Premier Financial Services has been helping clients obtain their dream vehicles through the PFS Simple Lease program, earning Premier the distinction as the nation's leading lessor of exotic, vintage, highline and luxury motorcars. With a standard of excellence that is unsurpassed in the industry, largely due to the committed team of specialists , Premier is ready to assist you every step of the way. Contact us today and make the car you dream about a genuine reality.
Written by Donald Osborne, ASA of Automotive Valuation Services


text:
The ATSB is still determining the final sequence of events in the lead-up to the accident. The limited information provided in this preliminary factual report is based on the evidence collected to date, including witness accounts. The final sequence of events will be determined by the collection, analysis and examination of further evidence.
On 21 March 2018, at about 1500 Eastern Standard Time,[1] the pilot and four passengers of a Eurocopter (Airbus Helicopters) EC120 B helicopter, registered VH-WII and operated by Whitsunday Air Services Pty Ltd, departed Hamilton Island Airport, Queensland, on a charter flight. The flight included flying over coral reefs and beaches, then landing on the Hardy Reef floating helicopter landing site (HLS) (Figure 1). The HLS (pontoon) was located about 72 km north‑north‑east of the Hamilton Island Airport situated between Hardy Reef and Hook Reef, in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Area. After landing, the passengers were to be ferried from the HLS by a small boat to 'Reefworld', a large pontoon used to view aquatic life and a base for water sports. This was the second flight that day, by the pilot in VH-WII, to Hardy Reef. The earlier flight was conducted without incident.
Figure 1: Proximity of Hamilton Island Airport to the Hardy Reef HLS
Source: Google earth, modified by the ATSB
While approaching the pontoon, at about 1535, the pilot reported noticing a warning message illuminate in the upper vehicle and engine multifunction display (refer to section titled Helicopter information). As this was a high workload phase of flight, the pilot was unable to verify the nature of the warning. However, in response, the pilot elected to conduct a go-around. When the helicopter was at an altitude of about 40 ft (12 m) above the pontoon, the pilot recalled feeling a 'thud' and the nose of the helicopter yawed sharply left (anticlockwise from above). In an attempt to arrest the yaw, the pilot reported that he made a number of control inputs, which included lowering the collective[2] and pushing the cyclic[3] forward and to the left. The pilot was unable to regain control of the helicopter and it collided with the water. A passenger reported that soon after impact with the water, the helicopter rolled onto its right side in a mostly inverted orientation.
The pilot and two of the rear passengers exited the helicopter soon after the collision. After swimming free from the upturned helicopter, the two passengers reported donning their life jackets from a waist belt mounted pouch.[4]
The remaining rear passenger was evacuated by one of the surviving passengers and the front passenger (in the copilot seat) was evacuated from the helicopter by the pilot. At about that time, personnel from Reefworld arrived and assisted with first aid and resuscitation until emergency services arrived. The two passengers that were unable to exit the helicopter unassisted were fatally injured. The two other passengers sustained minor injuries, and the pilot was uninjured.
The helicopter was observed in a semi-submersed state for some time after the occupants had been evacuated and was drifting inverted in a northerly direction away from the landing pontoon. The helicopter's emergency float system was not deployed (refer to section titled Helicopter information).
On 26 and 27 March 2018, under water sonar operations were initiated by the Queensland Police Service in an attempt to identify the helicopter wreckage location. The sonar detected what was believed to be a man-made object in about 58 m of water (Figure 2) about 1.2 km north‑north‑west of the landing pontoon. The location was consistent with the tidal flow and wind conditions at the time of the accident. The length of the object was about 11 m, which was also consistent with the length of VH-WII.
Figure 2: Sonar image of a man-made object with a scale against the sonar shadow
Source: Queensland Police Service, modified by the ATSB
The pilot held a current Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Licence and had completed a flight review on 7 March 2018. The pilot also held a Class 1 Aviation Medical Certificate which was valid until 24 May 2018. Distance vision correction was to be worn and reading correction was to be available while exercising the privileges of the licence.
Helicopter information
The Eurocopter (Airbus Helicopters) EC120B 'Colibri' is a five-seat helicopter fitted with a single Turbomeca Arrius 2F turboshaft engine. The helicopter incorporates several of Eurocopter's trademark technologies including a 3-bladed Spheriflex® main rotor head and their 8-bladed Fenestron® anti-torque tail rotor.
Cockpit instrumentation includes a dual screen vehicle and engine multifunction display. The display monitors and displays a number of operational parameters including information on engine and electrical systems, fuel quantity, and outside air temperature.
The pilot and copilot (or front passenger) positions have high-back energy absorbing seats with four-point safety restraints. Doors adjacent to the front seated occupants can be jettisoned. In the rear, there is a three-person capacity energy absorbing bench seat fitted with three-point safety restraints, and a sliding door located adjacent to the left rear seated passenger.
VH-WII (Figure 3) was manufactured in 2009 and first registered in Australia on 18 February 2010. Whitsunday Air Services Pty Ltd has been the registered operator since 19 May 2015.
VH-WII was fitted with landing gear skids equipped with an emergency float system.[5] The skid floats were capable of inflation when the float deployment lever safety pin was removed and the lever was activated by the pilot. The float deployment lever was attached to the helicopter's collective and could only be triggered if the safety pin was removed.
Figure 3: VH-WII
Source: CQ Plane Spotting
Operator information
Whitsunday Air Services Pty Ltd conducts a significant number of flights to the reef and surrounding area utilising a fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fitted with various floatation systems. A Civil Aviation Safety Authority air operator's certificate (AOC) was re-issued to the operator on 17 April 2015, valid until 30 April 2018. The AOC stipulated that the certificate holder was authorised to conduct charter and aerial work operations in the EC120 helicopter in Australian territory.
Meteorological information
The nearest Bureau of Meteorology weather station was located at Hamilton Island Airport. At 1530 on the day of the accident, the routine report of the meteorological conditions at the airport indicated that the wind was 24 kt (45 km/h) from the south-east.
Hardy Reef floating helicopter landing site
The Hardy Reef floating HLS consisted of two pontoons (Figure 4). The pontoons were capable of accommodating two helicopters each. The pilot of VH-WII was attempting to land at 'pontoon 2', the most northern pontoon.
The operator's HLS instructions noted that birds were a known hazard on the pontoons. Further, pilots were instructed to verify the wind conditions by observing the flags at Reefworld, but they could approach and land at the pontoons in any direction, depending on wind direction.
Figure 4: Hardy Reef HLS and bird hazard (inset)
Source: ATSB
Ongoing investigation
The ATSB investigation is continuing and will include consideration of the following:
an underwater survey using a remotely operated vehicle to establish if the man-made object located by sonar is the accident helicopter
depending on the outcome of the under water survey, the ATSB may recover the wreckage for inspection and recovery of recorded information
helicopter maintenance history
helicopter performance and handling characteristics
pilot qualifications, training, experience and medical information
preperation of passengers, including briefings, for possible emergencies
survivability of the accident
operator policies and normal and emergency procedures
Civil Aviation Safety Authority operator surveillance records
environmental influences
similar occurrences in Australia and internationally.
The ATSB will continue to consult the engine and airframe type certificate holders. Accredited representatives from the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), and their advisor Airbus Helicopters, have been appointed to participate in the investigation.
The ATSB acknowledges the support of the Queensland Police Service, Cruise Whitsundays, the management and staff of the Reef View Hotel and Palm Bungalows, and Hamilton Island Enterprises for their assistance during this investigation.
The information contained in this preliminary report is released in accordance with section 25 of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 and is derived from the initial investigation of the occurrence. Readers are cautioned that new evidence will become available as the investigation progresses that will enhance the ATSB's understanding of the accident as outlined in this web update. As such, no analysis or findings are included in this update.
Eastern Standard Time is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) +10 hours.
Collective: a primary helicopter flight control that simultaneously affects the pitch of all blades of a lifting rotor. Collective input is the main control for vertical velocity.
Cyclic: a primary helicopter flight control that is similar to an aircraft control column. Cyclic input tilts the main rotor disc, varying the attitude of the helicopter and hence the lateral direction.
The pilot was already wearing a life jacket as part of the standard operating equipment specified by the operator, however, elected not to inflate his lifejacket.
Emergency floatation system: inflatables fitted to the helicopter to provide water buoyancy in an emergency.