text:
Revenge of the GOP consultants
Romney-linked firms are making a come back. | M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO
By Kenneth P. Vogel
Ten of the consulting firms that formed the core of the push to elect Mitt Romney — reaping a combined $1 billion in the process — have survived a tea party assault and are again among the highest-grossing and best-positioned players in Republican politics.
The firms and their consultants have been paid more than $19.6 million for 2014 campaign work through January , according to a POLITICO analysis. They've also cemented relationships with some of the GOP's rising stars, setting up the firms for even bigger paydays headed into the fall, when costly advertising and mail campaigns begin, and for a 2016 presidential campaign expected to be the most expensive in history.
It's both vindication for top Republican operatives — who were ridiculed by tea partiers for squandering hundreds of millions of dollars and blamed for blowing the party's chances at capturing the White House and the Senate — and an illustration of the irreversible privatization of politics.
The firms of Romney's digital director Zac Moffatt and political director Rich Beeson — Targeted Victory and FLS Connect, respectively — as well as the firm that made huge sums buying ads in 2012 for Karl Rove's American Crossroads helped establishment favorite Bradley Byrne defeat a tea party primary rival and then a Democrat in a closely watched 2013 Alabama special congressional election.
Targeted Victory, FLS and a handful of other Romney-linked firms are also working for Sens. John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio; Rep. Paul Ryan; the Republican National Committee; the National Republican Congressional Committee; and a variety of establishment-oriented super PACs like Rove's American Crossroads, while FLS and the firm of Romney's top strategist, Stuart Stevens, helped New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie win reelection.
"People are either doing good work or they're not and, if they're not, the market will ultimately correct itself," said Moffatt, whose firm was paid $112 million in 2012, and has collected $3 million in fees through January, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service. "This is really a professional's profession. A lot of people can talk about it, but not everyone can do it. A lot of these people think they can play in the NFL because they play Madden on the weekends, but it's not that easy."
Elite political consultants have long been a subject of fascination, partly because they're in a hyper-competitive field that draws the biggest cash in politics, and also because they can wield major influence for years or even decades, even as the politicians and groups they serve come and go. Consultants are romanticized as masterminds in Hollywoodand the political press, envied by would-be rivals and either lionized for their candidates' triumphs or blamed for their defeats.
That scrutiny has taken a harsher turn in recent years, particularly on the right, where tea party allies have blasted elite Republican consultants for steering the GOP away from its conservative moorings. The criticism comes as a trend toward outsourcing key campaign functions like fundraising and ad buying has collided with regulatory and legislative shifts and court decisions that sparked a tidal wave of cash into a shadow party system ruled by consultants outside the parties and the campaigns.
Obama's campaign was celebrated, along with its supportive super PACs and consultants, for successfully navigating this new environment, even as it similarly steered huge sums to independent firms to buy digital and television ads. On the losing side, donors privately pressed Rove and his allies about how his Crossroads groups spent the $325 million they raised. And rival consultants anonymously criticized the Romney effort, alleging the party establishment had enabled a consulting cartel to have a de facto monopoly on the biggest contracts, amassing too much power with too little accountability.
"The consultants are like cockroaches — they're always going to survive," said the popular conservative pundit Erick Erickson, a leading tea party voice who emerged as a vocal critic of the GOP consulting class in the wake of 2012. "There is a self-perpetuating racket." On his influential Red State blog shortly after Election Day, Erickson blasted several top consultants as enforcers of an out-of-touch GOP establishment who fought both the tea party and Democrats, and "raked in millions along the way with a more fractured, minority party in their wake. And they show no signs of recognizing just how much a part of the problem they are."
A few months after the election, a decidedly anti-establishment vibe coursed through the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference. One panel, entitled "Should We Shoot All the Consultants Now?" featured a fiery speech from erstwhile Democratic pollster Pat Caddell that " blew the lid off CPAC," according to Rush Limbaugh, who joined the hate-parade, calling the GOP's elite consultants "a very close-knit, closed group" who are "making filthy amounts of money — $150 million a campaign — whether the candidate wins or loses."
Particular fire was directed at Romney's highly touted — and expensive — voter-targeting platform ORCA, which was plagued by widespread snafus on Election Day, while the campaign and its supportive super PACs were called out for paying higher advertising rates than Democrats. Even the RNC's post-election analysis suggested that the profit motive may have crept into some spending decisions. "Our friends and allies need to fundamentally address the incentive structure for their consultants to encourage a balanced approach to spending," the RNC wrote in its so-called autopsy of the 2012 election, concluding "the incentive system rewards expensive TV buys."
Few in the consulting world on either side of the aisle dispute that a certain amount of cronyism — or, at least, inertia — plays some role in determining who gets which contracts. The National Republican Senatorial Committee in November went so far as cut off a firm that was dong business with a tea party group challenging GOP incumbents. And both parties' congressional campaign arms have close relationships with certain firms, which tend to have an advantage in winning work with individual campaigns.
Likewise, consultants affiliated with their party's most recent presidential nominee tend to have an inside track for work from their respective national parties and supportive super PACs and nonprofits. Consultants who worked on President Barack Obama's campaigns are pre-eminent in Democratic politics, just as those with links to Romney enjoy strong ties with the RNC.
Of course, the Romney consultants have fewer connections to tea party favorites like Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, so if either senator wins the 2016 Republican nomination, it could crown an entirely new set of operatives, much as Obama's victories reordered the Democratic consulting world.
POLITICO's analysis focused on firms that played major roles in the pro-Romney effort, whose consultants have continued working in GOP politics. Among the highest-grossing consultancies are:
Mentzer Media Service: a Baltimore-based ad-buying firm that was paid $280 million in 2012, primarily by unlimited money outfits including Crossroads, the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future and Koch-backed nonprofits Americans for Prosperity, American Commitment and American Future Fund. It's been paid $2.2 million in 2014.
Crossroads Media: an Alexandria, Va.-based ad buying firm that was paid $248 million in 2012, primarily by American Crossroads and a sister nonprofit called Crossroads GPS. It was paid $494,000 in 2013 by Byrne's campaign — its only payments of the cycle disclosed to the Federal Election Commission.
American Rambler Productions: an ad hoc umbrella consultancy created by the Romney campaign for 2012 that was paid $241 million to handle a variety of key functions, including crafting ads and buying airtime. It effectively dissolved after the campaign. But some of the consultants, including Stevens and Russ Schriefer, formed a new firm with Romney ad director Ashley O'Connor and Austin Barbour that handled Christie's campaign and is working on Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson's campaign, among others.
Targeted Victory: a digital firm that in 2012 served the Romney campaign, the RNC, Crossroads and other unlimited-money super PACs and nonprofit groups. Co-founded by Moffatt in 2009, the firm has experienced explosive growth since the Romney campaign, more than doubling its staff to 85 employees and signing over 100 new clients in 2014 — more than the total number it had prior to the cycle. It raised $10 million for clients in 2013. Plus, it branched out into general consulting, running Byrne's campaign in Alabama last year.
FLS Connect: a Minnesota-based phone-banking and data firm that was paid $68 million in 2012 by the Romney campaign, a host of congressional candidates and big-money committees and the RNC, where one of its founding partners, Jeff Larson, served as chief of staff, prompting allegations of profiteering, which RNC chairman Reince Priebus denied. Larson is now running the independent expenditure advertising program at the NRSC, which is not among the various party committees, super PACs and candidates that have combined to pay FLS $10 million for 2014 work.
"The people on our team were very, very good," said Romney's former deputy campaign manager, Katie Packer Gage. "I would go into battle with my team any day of the week, and the political world knows that they're smart, honorable people, so that's why you see them continuing to get work," said Gage.
Her firm, WWP Strategies, which was included in POLITICO's analysis, was paid $5.5 million by the Romney campaign and the state Republican parties in Michigan and Nebraska during the 2012 cycle, according to FEC filings.
They don't show any payments for 2014 work to WWP nor a firm Gage started with O'Connor to help Republicans court female voters. But payments for direct mail — — WWP's political specialty — typically don't start rolling in until later in the cycle, while FEC reports don't reflect the corporate work that forms the bulk of the firm's business and supplements many a political consultancy.
Gage said that both WWP and Burning Glass are doing well, adding that the folks who choose political vendors never bought into the post-2012 criticism.
"You aren't going to continue to be successful if you aren't good at what you do," she said. "You won't continue to get business just because someone is your friend."
Some consultants' work could dry up, however, if the flow of megadonor checks slows, as it has with Rove's Crossroads groups, which are well off their blistering 2012 pace, or if a client shifts away from a once-favored vendor. The Crossroads groups, for instance, haven't placed ads through Crossroads Media since the 2012 cycle, when 93 percent of the $248 million in payments to the firm were from the Crossroads groups, which aren't formally affiliated with the firm despite the name.
Crossroads Media's founder and president, Michael Dubke, said "Crossroads Media is doing just fine," listing a number of clients that haven't or won't show up in FEC filings , including Dan Sullivan's Senate campaign in Alaska and state and corporate clients he wouldn't name. "We have not laid off any employees and are in the process of bringing a few new hires on board as we ramp up for the elections," he said. "Much the same as we have done for the last dozen years we have been in business."
While ad buys typically constitute the biggest portion of campaign budgets — often adding up to eye-popping sums like the $419 million paid to Seattle-based GMMB in 2012 by the Obama campaign and various Democratic party and campaign committees — most of the advertising cash gets passed through to television stations for airtime, or online services for Web ads, with consultants usually keeping a flat fee or commissions of up to 15 percent. It's all but impossible to decipher the consultants' cuts from public records.
But Stevens said that, in the case of the Romney campaign, in-house ad buyers were paid on a fee-basis and did not receive a percentage commission. He dismissed suggestions that anyone got rich off the campaign, or that the Obama campaign gained a significant edge from tactical superiority.
"I am often amused by the way in which campaign myths get immediately written and then when serious data is analyzed, there seems to be too little interest in gaining the knowledge afforded by the work," said Stevens. He pointed to an analysis published last month by political scientists at Harvard University and the University of Chicago concluding that "whatever technological advantages the Obama campaign had did not significantly manifest themselves in GOTV effects."
Stevens conceded that, "some programs proved overly ambitious and didn't deliver. Lessons to be learned. But the total effort seems to have been remarkably competitive with the larger Obama effort."
While the animus toward the GOP's reigning consultants continues to simmer among the tea party ranks, it was much less prominent at this year's recently concluded CPAC, though Caddell did get some raucous applause when he revisited his 2013 stem-winder.
"I was here last year and caused some problems because I attacked the Republican consultant-lobbyist class as a racketeering operation that had not only blown the election, but had looted the system," Caddell said, during a panel on electoral trends. "And I don't want to reprise that other than to say they understand one thing — if they can just hold on, they will get all the money back, and that's what's happening. So the people who lost for you before — and are willing to lose as long as they can preserve their situation — are now in charge of your great hopes for 2014."
Mitt Romney,
Campaign Finance,


A varicocele is an enlargement of the veins of the spermatic cord. The anatomic differences between the left and right renal veins predispose to the development of a varicocele on the left side.
In some men, the varicocele can lead to the poorer development of the affected testicle and can cause it to shrink. Later, it can negatively affect fertility.
Varicoceles are treated surgically by either sclerotherapy or laparoscopic varicocele ligation.
The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. During the procedure, 3 small incisions measuring up to 1 cm are placed: one at the belly button and two in the groin area. With the help of laparoscopic instruments, the abnormal veins are identified, separated from the surrounding tissue, and ligated with special clips.
After the surgery, sometimes the scrotum can be swollen due to the gas that passed during the procedure. The swelling usually subsides within a few days.
After the surgery, abdominal pain or pain radiating to the area above the collarbones can be experienced due to the gas used to inflate the abdominal cavity during laparoscopy.


I still need to clean up the formatting of this post.
6.1 EAP, you can change the use of multicast communication to unicast.
in each node, configure 3 JGroups channels.
in the node1 Live HornetQ and node2 Backup HornetQ.
in the node2 Live HornetQ and node2 Backup HornetQ.
channel and N live->backup channels .
1. Upgrade the CA IdentityMinder server to 12.6.3 on all systems where it is installed.
a. Click Launch Upgrade from the Upgrade Wizard.
b. Select the Full Upgrade option.
c. Respond to the prompts that appear.
the standalone.bat or standalone.sh file.
the <hornetq-server> section of the file.
but you can have multiple nodes on the same system using different ports.
you have 3 or more nodes, follow a similar procedure to link the nodes.


text:
Police: 12 juveniles arrested in connection with several carjackings
TOTALING HER CAR. SHE NOW WANTS OTHER'S TO BE VIGILANT. >> AS I REACHED MY PORCH, I HEARD THE SOUND OF RUNNING BEHIND ME. AND WHEN I TURNED AROUND, I SA A YOUNG MAN WITH TWO OTHER YOUNG MEN BEHIND HIM RUNNING UP TOWARDS ME. DALAUN: STILL SHAKEN BY THE INCIDENT, THE VICTIM DIDN'T WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED, BUT SAYS THEY TOOK HER KEYS AND FLED WITH HER HONDA CRV. MINUTES LATER, THE SUSPECTS LED POLICE ON A CHASE -- LEAVING HER CAR TOTALED. >> AS A WOMAN, YOU'RE MORE VIGILANT, AND YOU EXPECT TO HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION MORE TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS. YOU JUST DON'T EXPECT THAT IN YOUR DRIVEWAY, IN A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. DALAUN: SATURDAY'S CAR-JACKING IS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL RECENTLY ACROSS THE METRO. JUST YESTERDAY, A WOMAN WAS ATTACKED AT MILLER PARK. OPD FOUND THE CAR FULL OF JUVENILES HOURS LATER IN GRETNA. WE SPOKE WITH THE MAN WHO RECORDED THIS VIDEO. >> THERE WERE A FEW GIRLS OUTSIDE THAT WERE DANCING IN FRONT OF IT, AND THEY WERE GOING INTO THE GAS STATION AND COMING OUT. >> IT DEFINITELY HAS ME ON MY GUARD, AND I THINK IT HAS MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE STORY AT THIS POINT ON THEIR GUARD. IT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL VULNERABLE. DALAUN: OPD IS SENDING A FIRM A -- A FIRM REMINDER -- REMAIN AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS, AND PARK IN WELL-LIT AREAS. IF YOU SUSPECT SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS, DON'T GET OUT OF YOUR
In the last 72 hours, Omaha police have arrested 12 juveniles in connection with different carjackings.Officials said the 12 juveniles have been arrested in connection with four different carjackings dating back to Monday, May 13. Police arrested five juveniles on Saturday for carjackings near 78th and Meredith Avenue and north 90th Street and Maple Street. An additional seven juveniles were arrested Monday night for a carjacking in Miller Park. KETV spoke with a woman who says she was the victim of a carjacking on Saturday."As a woman, you're more vigilant and expect to pay more attention to your surroundings," said the victim who wanted to remain anonymous. "You don't expect to be carjacked in your driveway, in the middle of the day." Police said they have recovered the white Kia Optima that was stolen last week.Officers said they located the vehicle Saturday, when officers arrested the juveniles in the investigation. OPD is still attempting to locate a silver Honda Pilot. Anyone with information is urged to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers. Police have arrested five juveniles in connection with multiple recent carjackings in the last week.Officers arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion for robbery and flight to avoid arrest. A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery. A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery. A 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery. A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of to commit robbery. Detectives continue to investigate recent carjackings to attempt to determine if any other incidents are related. Anyone with information about carjackings in Omaha is urged to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers. Previous storyPolice are investigating three carjackings and the theft of a purse, all in the Omaha area.All of these cases were reported within five days of each other and all of the victims were women who were exiting their cars, police said.Detectives recovered one vehicle and are looking for the two other stolen cars.The first is a white 2018 four-door Kia Optima with a Colorado plate 335QHN.The second is a silver 2005 Honda Pilot with a Nebraska plate VNE062.Police want to remind individuals to be aware of their surroundings and to park vehicles in well-lit, populated areas.Anyone who suspects something suspicious should not get out of the car and should instead move to another location and call 911.Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, www.omahacrimestoppers.org, or the P3 Tips mobile app.
In the last 72 hours, Omaha police have arrested 12 juveniles in connection with different carjackings.
Officials said the 12 juveniles have been arrested in connection with four different carjackings dating back to Monday, May 13.
Police arrested five juveniles on Saturday for carjackings near 78th and Meredith Avenue and north 90th Street and Maple Street.
An additional seven juveniles were arrested Monday night for a carjacking in Miller Park.
KETV spoke with a woman who says she was the victim of a carjacking on Saturday.
"As a woman, you're more vigilant and expect to pay more attention to your surroundings," said the victim who wanted to remain anonymous. "You don't expect to be carjacked in your driveway, in the middle of the day."
Police said they have recovered the white Kia Optima that was stolen last week.
Officers said they located the vehicle Saturday, when officers arrested the juveniles in the investigation.
OPD is still attempting to locate a silver Honda Pilot.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers.
Police have arrested five juveniles in connection with multiple recent carjackings in the last week.
Officers arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion for robbery and flight to avoid arrest.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of to commit robbery.
Detectives continue to investigate recent carjackings to attempt to determine if any other incidents are related.
Anyone with information about carjackings in Omaha is urged to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers.
Police are investigating three carjackings and the theft of a purse, all in the Omaha area.
All of these cases were reported within five days of each other and all of the victims were women who were exiting their cars, police said.
Detectives recovered one vehicle and are looking for the two other stolen cars.
The first is a white 2018 four-door Kia Optima with a Colorado plate 335QHN.
The second is a silver 2005 Honda Pilot with a Nebraska plate VNE062.
Police want to remind individuals to be aware of their surroundings and to park vehicles in well-lit, populated areas.
Anyone who suspects something suspicious should not get out of the car and should instead move to another location and call 911.
Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, www.omahacrimestoppers.org, or the P3 Tips mobile app.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Derived from the ancient art of henna body painting, these 63 striking patterns are based on authentic Indian, African, and Middle Eastern sources. Exotic birds and butterflies, hypnotic paisley prints, and flowers galore -- these dramatic designs offer colorists an array of exciting challenges. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display.
Cat fanciers and coloring enthusiasts will be enchanted with this gallery of original designs. More than 30 full-page portraits of pretty pussycats form a rich tapestry of motifs that includes hearts, flowers, and paisleys in various patterns. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display.
Inspired by fashions of the 1920s, '30s, and early '40s, this book offers a gallery of smart-looking styles to color. More than 30 full-page illustrations depict models in vintage day and evening outfits, each highlighted by background patterns of flowers and other Art Deco designs. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display.
Set your imagination free with this mesmerizing gallery of full-page illustrations. Your creativity will be challenged by 63 dynamic designs inspired by the works of M. P. Verneuil, Alphonse Mucha, and other Art Nouveau masters. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display.
PEPIN Artists' Colouring Books contain 16 different sheets (format 25 x 34.5 cm; 10 x 13.5 in) of superior acid-free drawing paper, printed with exceptional designs in very light lines. The printing is done in such a way that, depending on the techniques used, the original outline will be hardly visible after colouring.
This photo-filled guide offers youall the information you need to begin the fascinating ancient art of illumination, and then to improve your skills. A short history of the art, including photos of some of the world's great medieval masterpieces, gives you context, and then you're introduced to the materials and basic techniques.
Put your own creative spin on renowned architectural masterpieces! "Landmarks of the World "lets you color in famous religious buildings, museums, seats of government, castles, and more across the globe.
An ingenious coloring book that reveals math's hidden beauty--and contemplative power--as never before Publisher's note: Find even more mathemagical coloring in Visions of the Universe, new in December 2016!


In this session, we examine the whole surface of the new app diagnostic APIs, how the API hierarchy models the kernel and platform runtime functionality, and what's here in the Creators Update and coming in the next release. We also walk through building a UWP version of Task Manager.
Great introduction to these new API's, thanks. It's good to see this new functionality come to UWP.
please help me get out of this error.


text:
You are here: Home » Blog » Alayedotbiz » Ghana: Brazil Fiasco as a metaphor
Ghana: Brazil Fiasco as a metaphor
Posted by By Akogun Akomolafe at 15 July, at 16 : 55 PM Print
Heavens know that we have use this column to lament the outrage we feel about how things are done in this blessed republic of ours.
We have chronicled the ills we perceived in the land, and we have (where possible) offer some suggestions on what we believe could be done to alleviate some of the problems we diagnosed.
But heaven forbids that the Powers That Be listen to us.
Of course, our arrogant officials believe that every criticism, however well-intentioned, is akin to sedition. They see every contrary suggestion as the handiwork of political opponents or, worse, enemy of state, or of progress. They are quick to anger and to resort to insults.
But, mindful of Mark Twain's admonition: "Do not argue with stupid people. They will drag you into the gutter and beat with you with experience," we shall remain focused and unmindful of the insult-hurlers.
If people disagree with what we write or posit contrary factual roofs to counter what they read, we can engage with them, but how do you argue with insults?
That is just by the way.
Which patriotic compatriot will not have his/her head roiling in sheer embarrassment by the show of shame our dear republic put up at the ongoing Football Fiesta in Brazil?
We have said, times without numbers, that what pains most is not that we are so far behind the rest of humanity, but that those that rule us seem blissfully unaware of how far behind we are.
That really pains and it is difficult to fathom. More so since many of these officials studied abroad. Almost all of them have travelled to foreign countries where they must have seen the incredible technical, technological, scientific, engineering and agricultural feat other human beings have registered.
On occasions, we have even published some pictures to show some of these marvels other people have created.
We have published a pictorial tour of the tiny North European country of the Netherlands, showing marvelous flower fields and incredible waterways.
The population of the Netherlands is around seventeen million versus our twenty-five million. But the 17 million Dutch have managed to join the league of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. They are self-sufficient in almost any engineering department. Although cramped into a tine patch of real estate, agriculture earn them about US$36 billion.
In contrast, we have not even entered the agrarian age, not to mention the industrial, not to talk of the information and communications age.
Our elite, spiritual and political, continue to tell us ungodly lies about a "Sky father" and his imaginary son who are coming to save us.
They don't tell us from what we needed salvation.
Our officials have stayed in countries where provision of electricity, gas and water are considered too basic that citizens no longer even think about them; they are just there.
They have been to countries where citizens have enough to eat and drink that they could employ their brains in creative efforts.
On unaccountable instances we have lamented how we in Africa continue to sentence our brains into exile and resort to supplicating to gods, to Chinese, to Americans, to Europeans, to Arabs for help.
Lamentably our lives continue to be governed by abject lack of planning, gross indiscipline, insane corruption, primitive acquisitiveness and ridiculous bigmanism.
Like the naked Emperor, we continue to dance silly while others laugh at us.
Let's consider the debacle in Brazil 2014.
How on earth did we end up becoming the butt of international joke by the stupidest display of ineptitude ever exhibited by a government?
Like seriously!
In this age and time, a President authorized the withdrawal of money from a bank, charter a plane to ferry US$3 million to striking football players in faraway Brazil.
This was at a time when the country faces a scarcity of one of our premier export, petroleum.
I almost died of embarrassment as I read the crude jokes the birthplace of the Osagyefo was subjected to on the social media, by our primitive way of effecting paymnets in this age of instantaneous wire transfer and things.
Meanwhile, the International Chartered Account of Ghana has since come out to say that the manner in which the money was sent breached sections of the country's law. Government is yet to counter the accusation.
And was it not just few weeks ago that the Bank of Ghana came of with statement that the cedis is the only authorized legal tender for business transaction in the country? How did the government become the wilful law-breaker?
The fundamental question that should agitate us is why a president should be dragged into issues that ought to be dealt with by his ministers.
The country is currently buffeted by myriads of very serious challenges. Yet, the president had to step in to solve a football problem?
But were it even to be legal, there are vast ethical and moral consideration that made the transaction totally unacceptable.
We can understand government efforts to create distraction at these times of terrible economic mess, but how do justify paying US$100,000 to football players when many workers are gnashing teeth for unpaid salaries?
How many years will it take a doctor or a full professor to earn that much?
The Brazilian fiasco or debacle should not be viewed in isolation. It should be seen as clear reflection of the huge mess we have made of things in this country.
We have a country that is almost sixty (60) years old, very hugely blessed with enough mineral resources to make other people salivate like starved hyenas. Yet we cannot feed ourselves, we cannot generate enough electricity to power the few disarticulate industries we have in the country. Many of our people go through life without tasting pipe-borne water.
Despite all the bombasts of our rulers, we still lack the capacity to produce even bicycle spokes.
That, however, did not stop our officials from riding in the latest high-tech Four-wheel jeeps.
What do they care?
What exactly do our officials in Africa care as long as their personal comfort, and those of their families, are guaranteed?
They do not care.
Not only do they not care, but they are simply beyond irony. And they are also beyond shame, that thing that should inhibit human being from going into excesses.
That explains why African leaders can attire themselves in the most expensive designer clothes, drives around in the most expensive of cars and wave to hungry, starving, badly-clad citizens.
That is why presidents in our clime think nothing of owning or two or ten presidential jets while their nations lack a national airline.
That is the only explanation we have for the Chief of our police, the Inspector-General, to think nothing of driving citizens out of his way with siren and police outriders, rather than ensure that his men do the job they are paid to do – make sure our traffic flow smoothly.
That is why we have officials running abroad for medical checkups, rather than work assiduously to fix our hospitals.
That is the only reason we can adduce for Ministers and presidents sending their children to foreign schools abroad, or the International schools here, rather than make sure that our own schools are up to speed.
That explains why the President of the Ghana Football Association can travel with his wife and children in the Business Class of a plane, while his players are cramped in Economy Class.
What exactly was the man thinking?
Does he expect the players to be happy seeing him enjoying the luxuries with his family when they are the ones going to do the arduous job?
What exactly is wrong us in Ghana/Africa?
There is a saying that if you fail to prepare, you have prepared to fail.
Although I used to love the game, I am no longer into football. I remembered watching the Great Pele with the Fluminese Football Club at the Lagos National Stadium many years back. But since Big Money and Bigger FIFA took over, I have lost all respect for and all interest in football.
So, I only look on in amusement as I saw compatriot losing sleep over the World Cup.
I felt absolutely nothing when the Black Stars lost out. I get worried only when I heard the amateurish and utterly shambolic ways officials went about organizing things.
The world cup is a quadrennial event. That means our officials have four (yes, 4) years to sort themselves out, and adequately prepare themselves for the big event.
But like the mindless little children that we are, we approached it in our lackadaisical manner and left everything to the last moment. Then in desperation, we started to scurry around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Any employer knows that he court serious trouble if he jokes with his workers salary. Our Football officials knew that players must be paid, they had all of four years to make all the arrangements, and ensure that the monies are banked in the players accounts, so that they can have total concentration in prosecuting their assignment.
This year fiasco is not the first time players have had issues with payment. So why did officials of the Ghana Football Association and its myriads of committees failed to do the right thing this time around?
Why was no lesson learned from previous debacles?
I refused to join those that blame players for lack of patriotism. How many of us that hypocritically condemn the players harbor any patriotic traits?
It is good and jolly to tell us about Greek Players donating their bonuses to the state or of Tunisian players donating theirs to the people of Occupied Gaza, but charity should begin at home. Good conduct should begin with people at the helm.
If our Ministers and officials of the GFA have demonstrated discernible sense of patriotism, players would have emulate them. But when players see their Ogas jostling for benefits for their families and concubines, it will be foolhardy to expect them to demonstrate patriotism.
I found the press conference the GFA boss addressed a big slap in the face of citizens.
In other climes, shame alone would have compelled the man have resigned for the huge embarrassment registered under his watch.
His endorsing the coach also leave a bad taste in the mouth and called into question his sense of judgment.
How coach a could absolved himself from such utter fiasco and blamed his players for indiscipline.
What was the man thinking? No shame?
He was given a mandate with a contract to select players train them and send them to represent the nation at a major tournament. For reasons that still remained obscured, the players rebelled and everything went awry in Brazil.
Should we not ask Mr. Coach who selected the undisciplined payers, who took them to Brazil?
No, this is Ghana where people do not understand how to accept responsibility. Things are blamed on devil, on government, on insubordination, or on tools or implements but never on personal short-coming.
If we accept Mr. Coach's fairy tale of insubordination, what guarantee do we have that it will not happen next time?
Femi Akomolafe is a passionate Pan-Africanist. A columnist for the Accra-based Daily Dispatch newspaper and Correspondent for the New African magazine. Femi lives in both Europe and Africa, and writes regularly on Africa-related issues for various newspapers and magazines.
Femi was the producer of the FOCUS ON AFRICANS TV Interview programme for the MultiTV Station.
He is also the CEO of Alaye Dot Biz Limited Dot Biz, a Kasoa-based Multimedia organisation that specialises in Audio and Video Production. He loves to shoot and edit video documentaries.
His highly-acclaimed books ("Africa: Destroyed by the gods," "Africa: It shall be well," "18 African Fables & Moonlight Stories" and "Ghana: Basic Facts + More") are now available for sales at the following bookshops/offices:
Freedom Bookshop, near Apollo Theatre, Accra.
The Daily Dispatch Office, Labone – Accra
WEB Dubois Pan-African Centre, Accra
Ghana Writers Association office, PAWA House, Roman Ridge, Accra.
African Kitchen in Amsterdam Bijlmer
Where to buy them online:
On Lulu Books:
18 African Fables & Moonlight Stories https://goo.gl/Skohtn
Ghana: Basic Facts + More: https://goo.gl/73ni99
Africa: Destroyed by the gods: https://goo.gl/HHmFfr
Africa: It shall be well: https://goo.gl/KIMcIm
Africa: it shall be well
on Kindle books: https://www.createspace.com/4820404
on Amazon books: http://goo.gl/QeFxbl
on Lulu Books: https://goo.gl/SQeoKD
Africa: Destroyed by the gods
on Amazon books: http://goo.gl/1z97ND
on Lulu Books: http://goo.gl/KIMcIm
My Lulu Books page: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/FemiAkomolafe
Get free promotional materials here:
Africa: it shall be well: http://alaye.biz/africa-it-shall-be-well-introduction-in-pdf/
A FREE Chapter of 'Africa: It shall be well' could be downloaded here: http://alaye.biz/africa-it-shall-be-well-a-free-chapter/
Africa: Destroyed by the gods (How religiosity destroyed Africa) http://alaye.biz/africa-destroyed-by-the-gods-introduction/
A FREE Chapter of 'Africa: Destroyed by the gods' could be downloaded here: http://alaye.biz/africa-destroyed-by-the-gods-free-chapter/
Read a review here
Contact Femi:
Femi's Blog: www.alaye.biz/category/blog
Website: www.alaye.biz
Femi on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/author/femiakomolafe
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ekitiparapo
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/alayeclearsound;
Gmail+: https://plus.google.com/112798710915807967908;
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/femiakomolafe
Email: fakomolafe@gmail.com
Kindly help me share the books' links with your friends and, grin, please purchase your copies.
Comradely,
Femi Akomolafe
Alayedotbiz, News, Polemics, Random Musings, Satire, Uncategorized femi akomolafe, fifa world world, ghana black star, ghana foorball, satires on football
Rent a Londoner
Introduction to Femi Akomolafe's 5 Books
IMF SAPIEN
Chinese Restaurant, pardon, Ghana Parliament
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African misrulers on my mind April 30, 2020
If Only African Misrulers will read Fanon April 25, 2020
The truth we refused to tell ourselves April 24, 2020
Battling Epidemic of Presidential Plagiarism April 4, 2020
On Seeking Equivalences March 24, 2020
Archives Select Month April 2020 (4) March 2020 (2) February 2020 (2) July 2019 (3) June 2019 (1) April 2019 (1) March 2019 (5) February 2019 (6) January 2019 (10) December 2018 (9) November 2018 (2) October 2018 (2) September 2018 (1) August 2018 (1) June 2018 (4) March 2018 (4) February 2018 (2) December 2017 (3) November 2017 (3) October 2017 (2) September 2017 (1) August 2017 (4) July 2017 (2) June 2017 (1) May 2017 (2) March 2017 (1) February 2017 (4) January 2017 (1) December 2016 (1) November 2016 (1) September 2016 (2) August 2016 (2) July 2016 (3) June 2016 (3) April 2016 (1) March 2016 (5) January 2016 (3) November 2015 (1) October 2015 (3) September 2015 (1) August 2015 (2) July 2015 (4) June 2015 (3) April 2015 (2) March 2015 (1) January 2015 (2) December 2014 (5) November 2014 (5) October 2014 (3) September 2014 (4) August 2014 (5) July 2014 (4) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (4) April 2014 (6) March 2014 (3) February 2014 (6) January 2014 (4) December 2013 (4) November 2013 (7) October 2013 (8) September 2013 (5) August 2013 (5) July 2013 (4) June 2013 (4) May 2013 (6) April 2013 (6) March 2013 (7) February 2013 (2) January 2013 (5) December 2012 (2) November 2012 (4) October 2012 (2) September 2012 (1) August 2012 (5) July 2012 (6) June 2012 (5) May 2012 (4) March 2012 (2) January 2012 (1) December 2011 (3) November 2011 (4) October 2011 (1) September 2011 (1) August 2011 (1) July 2011 (2) June 2011 (2) May 2011 (5) April 2011 (9) March 2011 (6) February 2011 (7) January 2011 (8) November 2010 (2) October 2010 (5) September 2010 (3) August 2010 (3) July 2010 (7) June 2010 (2) May 2010 (1) April 2010 (1) March 2010 (2) February 2010 (5) January 2010 (1) December 2009 (15) April 2009 (9) December 2008 (5) October 2008 (5) July 2008 (4) April 2008 (3) March 2008 (9) February 2008 (6) January 2008 (5) December 2007 (1) November 2007 (5)
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#AfricanMisrulersOnMyMind Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of emotional states. Types of empathy include cognitive empathy, emotional (or affective) empathy, and somatic empathy." – Wikipedia […]
Akogun Akomolafe
When I search for Man in the technique and the style of Europe, I see only a succession of negations of man, and an avalanche of murders. The human condition, plans for mankind and collaboration between men in those tasks which increase the sum total of humanity are new problems, which demand true inventions.
Did Fanon not warn us that no one treats his imitator or inferior like an equal? Against very sound advice and angry polemics from some of us, Ghana Telecom, including its fiber optics facilities and its university, was sold for a pittance to British Vodafone. Of course, within a few years, Vodafone has recouped its […]
Imperialism April 24, 2020
I cannot believe that any aide would have had the audacity to present Kwame Nkrumah with a plagiarized text. The reason is simple: the aide would have had enough respect for his boss's intelligence not to do any dimwit piece of work and hand it over. Of course, there would also have been a system […]


The Union Army wants former Confederate Army general Beau Kerry for alleged war crimes, but he's hiding out where the Yankees least expect to find him: in the United States Cavalry. Beau is fighting Apaches out West and praying nobody recognizes his famous face.
But Lieutenant Kerry's luck changes when he runs into Sergeant Ike Jefferson and says, "The last time I saw you, I had you bent over a barrel and I was whipping you." Ike is not only Beau's best friend (or worst enemy, depending on the day), he's Beau's former slave — and Ike knows there's a $5000 price on Beau's head.
Caroline Dietrich has vengeance on her mind. Married to Colonel Wesley Dietrich, the Union fort commander, Caroline believes the best path to getting revenge against the Yankees, her husband included, is seducing her husband's officers. Especially Beau.
From the killing fields of the Civil War, to the savagery of the Indian wars, the characters are also battling each other and searching for what it means to be human.
Posted: April 10, 2019 April 10, 2019 .


Relaxing at the Hollywood Roosevelt Pool.
Our L.A. bartenders are back from Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and boy, are they beat. Lots of cocktailing, partying, schmoozing, debauchery…and cocktailing in humid, high temperatures. Fortunately, Aidan Demarest of Hollywood Roosevelt's Spare Room knows just how to cure what ails them.
Next Tuesday the 30th, he's throwing an exclusive pool party at the Hollywood Roosevelt for 100 or so of his bartender friends, as a follow-up to his infamous Recovery Room at Tales.
Aidan was quick to remind me that studies show that drinking is actually healthy. Well, that's all I needed to hear!
At this pool party lucky attendees will also be treated to a stress-relieving yoga class by the Roosevelt's Donna DeCoster (Runyon Canyon Yoga), a massage by Gabriel Kimson (Conceptual Wellness) and a mini facial. Bonus is that girls will get a makeover after their facial so they can return to the party gorgeous.
Leave a comment below saying what's your favorite hangover cure. I'm always on the lookout for a new one!
Post on my Caroline on Crackheads Facebook page what's your favorite hangover-relieving cocktail and you must tag Cointreau and Hollywood Roosevelt in your post (you have to like their pages to be able to tag them).
I'll randomly pick 5 winners via Random.org on Friday at noon and notify them via email. If I don't hear from you by 5pm this Friday, I'll draw another winner so check your email, crackheads!
The best cure to any hangover is to keep drinking the next morning. Bottomless Bloody Marys are my cure.
I can't eat anything if I'm hungover, so I make sure to drink water (and lots of it) and pop two tylenols before I hit the sheets after a long night of drinking. Nothing new, but it sure does help.
I was recently told that if prior to heading out for an evening of intense boozing one drinks down a full glass of OLIVE OIL the next morning there will be NO hangover or nausea…although I think I'd probably throw up before even finishing the olive oil!
Pedialyte works damn well for dehydrating after a rockin night!!!
Coconut water before I go to bed and another one in the morning!
coffee and aspirin. it's hard to argue with science (link below).
coffe and aspirin. It's hard to argue with science (link below).
My surefire hangover cure is a cheeseburger from Tommy's.
Fried egg sandwich, with cheese and a diet Sprite. Cures what ails you every time.
My favorite cure for a hangover is a piping hot bowl of pho!
I'd love to go- sounds awesome!
Hit enter too soon- my favorite hangover cure is cupcakes- the more icing the better!
Yunnan style "crossing the bridge noodles," aka guoqiao mixian, at Yunnan Garden in Alhambra!
I swear by: guzzling as much water as you are capable of ingesting in one sitting, then drinking more water; sleeping in as long as possible (seriously, if friends attempt to drag me out for brunch before noon, I'll cut them, right before yaking all over them); remaining in as much darkness as possible- I swear the sun just exacerbates any hangover symptoms. The most important cure-all, though, is having a loved one who can fetch you breakfast & coffee so you can languish in bed all day.
Vitamin B complex is my go to Hangover cure!
Contest has ended. Stay tuned to hear who won! Thanks for playing!


text:
Overijssel (baix saxó: Oaveriessel) és una província del nord-est dels Països Baixos, amb capital a Zwolle. Es troba a l'est del país, fent frontera amb Alemanya i entre Drenthe al nord i Gelderland al sud. A l'oest limita amb l'IJsselmeer, el riu IJssel i els turons del Veluwe.

Geografia
La província té un terreny sorrenc, trencat per petits rius, excepte al nord-oest, on hi predominen els pòlders. El seu territori correspon més o menys amb el de l'antiga Senyoria d'Overijssel, una de les Set Províncies Unides.

La seva superfície és de 3.421 km², incloent-hi un 3% d'aigua; on viuen 1.105.512 habitants (1 gen 2004), amb una densitat de població, 323 hab./km² pràcticament equivalent a la mitjana estatal. Enschede és la principal ciutat de la província, més grossa que la capital. Altres ciutats importants són Deventer, Almelo i Hengelo.

Govern

El Comissionat del Rei d'Overijssel és Ank Bijleveld. És el cap de l'executiu Gedeputeerde Staten i dels Estats Provincials (parlament) d'Overijssel, compostos de 47 diputats escollits cada quatre anys. Les últimes eleccions provincials es van dur a terme el 2007

Municipis

Galeria d'imatges

Vegeu també
 Mestre de les Banderoles

Enllaços externs

 Web d'Overijssel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Laurence Kerr Olivier (født 22. maj 1907, død 11. juli 1989) var en engelsk oscar-belønnet skuespiller, instruktør og producer.
Mange teater- og filmkritikere anså ham for at være den største skuespiller i den 20. århundrede , og han var Englands førende Shakespeare-skuespiller og -instruktør. Han fik sit Hollywood-gennembrud som den mørke, romantiske helt i Stormfulde højder (1939) og Rebecca (1940). Han var en meget produktiv perfektionist, der i løbet af sin karriere spillede mange forskelligartede roller både på teatret og på film, fra Shakespeares Othello (1966) til nazistisk tandlæge i Marathonmanden (Marathon Man, 1976). Han medvirkede i næsten 60 film, og på teatret nåede han at spille mere end 120 roller, heriblandt Shakespeares Macbeth, Romeo, Hamlet, Othello og Tjekhovs Onkel Vanja. Han var gift med skuespilleren Vivien Leigh fra 1940 til 1960.

Noter

Eksterne henvisninger

 Laurence Olivier.com

Skuespillere fra England
Filminstruktører fra Storbritannien
Filmproducere fra England
Briter i 1900-tallet
Oscar for bedste mandlige hovedrolle
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Modtagere af Sonningprisen
Ærescesar


text:
static int sceneIdx=-1;
static NSString *transitions[] = {
	@"ZwoptexGenericTest",
};

Class nextAction(void);
Class backAction(void);
Class restartAction(void);

Class nextAction()
{

	sceneIdx++;
	sceneIdx = sceneIdx % ( sizeof(transitions) / sizeof(transitions[0]) );
	NSString *r = transitions[sceneIdx];
	Class c = NSClassFromString(r);
	return c;
}

Class backAction()
{
	sceneIdx--;
	int total = ( sizeof(transitions) / sizeof(transitions[0]) );
	if( sceneIdx < 0 )
		sceneIdx += total;

	NSString *r = transitions[sceneIdx];
	Class c = NSClassFromString(r);
	return c;
}

Class restartAction()
{
	NSString *r = transitions[sceneIdx];
	Class c = NSClassFromString(r);
	return c;
}

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark ZwoptexTest

@implementation ZwoptexTest
-(id) init
{
	if( (self = [super init]) ) {

		CGSize s = [[CCDirector sharedDirector] winSize];

		CCLabelTTF *label = [CCLabelTTF labelWithString:[self title] fontName:@"Arial" fontSize:26];
		[self addChild: label z:1];
		[label setPosition: ccp(s.width/2, s.height-50)];

		NSString *subtitle = [self subtitle];
		if( subtitle ) {
			CCLabelTTF *l = [CCLabelTTF labelWithString:subtitle fontName:@"Thonburi" fontSize:16];
			[self addChild:l z:1];
			[l setPosition:ccp(s.width/2, s.height-80)];
		}

		CCMenuItemImage *item1 = [CCMenuItemImage itemWithNormalImage:@"b1.png" selectedImage:@"b2.png" target:self selector:@selector(backCallback:)];
		CCMenuItemImage *item2 = [CCMenuItemImage itemWithNormalImage:@"r1.png" selectedImage:@"r2.png" target:self selector:@selector(restartCallback:)];
		CCMenuItemImage *item3 = [CCMenuItemImage itemWithNormalImage:@"f1.png" selectedImage:@"f2.png" target:self selector:@selector(nextCallback:)];

		CCMenu *menu = [CCMenu menuWithItems:item1, item2, item3, nil];

		menu.position = CGPointZero;
		item1.position = ccp( s.width/2 - item2.contentSize.width*2, item2.contentSize.height/2);
		item2.position = ccp( s.width/2, item2.contentSize.height/2);
		item3.position = ccp( s.width/2 + item2.contentSize.width*2, item2.contentSize.height/2);
		[self addChild: menu z:1];
	}
	return self;
}

-(void) dealloc
{
	[super dealloc];
}

-(void) restartCallback: (id) sender
{
	CCScene *s = [CCScene node];
	[s addChild: [restartAction() node]];
	[[CCDirector sharedDirector] replaceScene: s];
}

-(void) nextCallback: (id) sender
{
	CCScene *s = [CCScene node];
	[s addChild: [nextAction() node]];
	[[CCDirector sharedDirector] replaceScene: s];
}

-(void) backCallback: (id) sender
{
	CCScene *s = [CCScene node];
	[s addChild: [backAction() node]];
	[[CCDirector sharedDirector] replaceScene: s];
}

-(NSString*) title
{
	return @"No title";
}

-(NSString*) subtitle
{
	return nil;
}
@end

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark ZwoptexGenericTest

@implementation ZwoptexGenericTest

-(id) init
{
	if( (self=[super init]) ) {

		CGSize s = [[CCDirector sharedDirector] winSize];

		[[CCSpriteFrameCache sharedSpriteFrameCache] addSpriteFramesWithFile:@"zwoptex/grossini.plist"];
		[[CCSpriteFrameCache sharedSpriteFrameCache] addSpriteFramesWithFile:@"zwoptex/grossini-generic.plist"];

		CCLayerColor *layer1 = [CCLayerColor layerWithColor:ccc4(255, 0, 0, 255) width:85 height:121];
		layer1.position = ccp(s.width/2-80 - (85.0f * 0.5f), s.height/2 - (121.0f * 0.5f));
		[self addChild:layer1];

		sprite1 = [CCSprite spriteWithSpriteFrame:[[CCSpriteFrameCache sharedSpriteFrameCache] spriteFrameByName:@"grossini_dance_01.png"]];
		sprite1.position = ccp( s.width/2-80, s.height/2);
		[self addChild:sprite1];

		sprite1.flipX = NO;
		sprite1.flipY = NO;

		CCLayerColor *layer2 = [CCLayerColor layerWithColor:ccc4(255, 0, 0, 255) width:85 height:121];
		layer2.position = ccp(s.width/2+80 - (85.0f * 0.5f), s.height/2 - (121.0f * 0.5f));
		[self addChild:layer2];

		sprite2 = [CCSprite spriteWithSpriteFrame:[[CCSpriteFrameCache sharedSpriteFrameCache] spriteFrameByName:@"grossini_dance_generic_01.png"]];
		sprite2.position = ccp( s.width/2 + 80, s.height/2);
		[self addChild:sprite2];

		sprite2.flipX = NO;
		sprite2.flipY = NO;

		[self schedule:@selector(startIn05Secs:) interval:1.0f];

		[sprite1 retain];
		[sprite2 retain];

		counter = 0;

	}
	return self;
}

-(void) startIn05Secs:(ccTime)dt
{
	[self unschedule:_cmd];
	[self schedule:@selector(flipSprites:) interval:0.5f];
}

static int spriteFrameIndex = 0;
-(void) flipSprites:(ccTime)dt
{
	counter ++;

	BOOL fx = NO;
	BOOL fy = NO;
	int i = counter % 4;

	switch ( i ) {
		case 0:
			fx = NO;
			fy = NO;
			break;
		case 1:
			fx = YES;
			fy = NO;
			break;
		case 2:
			fx = NO;
			fy = YES;
			break;
		case 3:
			fx = YES;
			fy = YES;
			break;
	}

	sprite1.flipX = sprite2.flipX = fx;
	sprite1.flipY = sprite2.flipY = fy;

	if(++spriteFrameIndex > 14) {
		spriteFrameIndex = 1;
	}
	[sprite1 setDisplayFrame:[[CCSpriteFrameCache sharedSpriteFrameCache] spriteFrameByName:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"grossini_dance_%02d.png",spriteFrameIndex]]];
	NSLog(@"Sprite 1 Displayed Frame: %@", [sprite1 displayFrame]);

	[sprite2 setDisplayFrame:[[CCSpriteFrameCache sharedSpriteFrameCache] spriteFrameByName:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"grossini_dance_generic_%02d.png",spriteFrameIndex]]];
	NSLog(@"Sprite 2 Displayed Frame: %@", [sprite2 displayFrame]);

}

- (void) dealloc
{
	[sprite1 release];
	[sprite2 release];
	[super dealloc];
}

-(NSString *) title
{
	return @"Zwoptex Tests";
}

-(NSString*) subtitle
{
	return @"Coordinate Formats, Rotation, Trimming, flipX/Y";
}
@end

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark AppDelegate

// CLASS IMPLEMENTATIONS
@implementation AppController

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
	[super application:application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:launchOptions];

	// set FPS at 60
	[director_ setAnimationInterval:1.0/60];

	// Display FPS: yes
	[director_ setDisplayStats:YES];

	// 2D projection
//	[director_ setProjection:kCCDirectorProjection2D];

	// Enables High Res mode (Retina Display) on iPhone 4 and maintains low res on all other devices
	if( ! [director_ enableRetinaDisplay:YES] )
		CCLOG(@"Retina Display Not supported");

	// If the 1st suffix is not found, then the fallback suffixes are going to used. If none is found, it will try with the name without suffix.
	// On iPad HD  : "-ipadhd", "-ipad",  "-hd"
	// On iPad     : "-ipad", "-hd"
	// On iPhone HD: "-hd"
	CCFileUtils *sharedFileUtils = [CCFileUtils sharedFileUtils];
	[sharedFileUtils setEnableFallbackSuffixes:YES];			// Default: NO. No fallback suffixes are going to be used
	[sharedFileUtils setiPhoneRetinaDisplaySuffix:@"-hd"];		// Default on iPhone RetinaDisplay is "-hd"
	[sharedFileUtils setiPadSuffix:@"-ipad"];					// Default on iPad is "ipad"
	[sharedFileUtils setiPadRetinaDisplaySuffix:@"-ipadhd"];	// Default on iPad RetinaDisplay is "-ipadhd"

	// Default texture format for PNG/BMP/TIFF/JPEG/GIF images
	// It can be RGBA8888, RGBA4444, RGB5_A1, RGB565
	// You can change anytime.
	[CCTexture2D setDefaultAlphaPixelFormat:kCCTexture2DPixelFormat_RGBA8888];

	return YES;
}

// This is needed for iOS4 and iOS5 in order to ensure
// that the 1st scene has the correct dimensions
// This is not needed on iOS6 and could be added to the application:didFinish...
-(void) directorDidReshapeProjection:(CCDirector*)director
{
	if(director.runningScene == nil){
		// Add the first scene to the stack. The director will draw it immediately into the framebuffer. (Animation is started automatically when the view is displayed.)
		CCScene *scene = [CCScene node];
		[scene addChild: [nextAction() node]];
		[director runWithScene:scene];
	}
}
@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Rev. of Coronado National Memorial: A History of Montezuma Canyon and the Southern Huachucas
April 29, 2017 April 29, 2017 Posted in HistoryTagged Book Review, Non-fiction
Joseph P. Sánchez
University of Nevada Press – April
http://www.unevadapress.com/books/?view=author&author=Sánchez,%20Joseph%20P.
[from the publisher]
Coronado National Memorial explores forgotten pathways through Montezuma Canyon in southeastern Arizona and provides an essential history of the southern Huachuca Mountains. This is a magical place that shaped the region and two countries, the United States and Mexico. Its history dates back to the expedition led by Conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1540, a mere 48 years after Columbus' first voyage. Before that time Native Americans occupied the land, later to be
joined by Spanish and Mexican period miners and ranchers, prospecting entrepreneurs, missionaries and homesteaders.
Joseph Sánchez is the foremost historian of the area, and he shifts through and decodes a number of key Spanish and English language documents from different archives that tell the story of an historical drama of epic proportions. He combines the regional and the global, starting with the prehistory of the area. He covers Spanish colonial contact, settlement missions, the Mexican Territorial period, land grants, and the ultimate formation of the international border that set the stage for the creation of the Coronado National Memorial in 1952.
Much has been written about southwestern Arizona and northeastern Sonora, and in many ways this book complements those efforts and delivers fresh and illuminating details about the region's colorful past.
Joseph P. Sánchez worked for the National Park Service for 35 years. He is the founder of the Spanish Colonial Research Center at University of New Mexico, and founding editor of Colonial Latin American Historical Review. He is the author of several books, including most recently, Early Hispanic Colorado, 1678-1900. He lives in Albuquerque, NM.
Rev. of Papi: My Story
Chicanonautica: Altermundos: Latinoid Culture Goes Speculative


text:
Moral superiority
"Report: 'Unite the Right' Organizer Jason Kessler Was Obama Supporter Involved With Occupy Movement".
"Charlottesville Postmortem: This Was Not an Isolated Event, It Was an Extremist Reaction." The Nazi stuff does come off as a prearranged set piece for television.
"Racial supremacy and the Zionist exception" (Weiss). "Israel's Chorus Sings Again" (Giraldi). They only get one month off all summer and they have to spend it kissing ass!
"Charlottesville protests and the 'Car Terror'" (Rehmat)!
"Charlottesville: What You Wish Upon Others, You Wish Upon Yourself" (Moon).
"The Battle of Charlottesville?":
"But for those of us who are NOT sophists and understand Nazism as Germany's particular expression of fascism, we recognize that there is a seamless continuity between Bush, Clinton, Baby Bush, Obama and the White House's current occupant.
Was Obama's failure to prosecute a single police officer for the murders of black and brown people that occurred on his watch some kind of testament to liberal democracy?
That wasn't Obama who showered billions of dollars on the very bankers who defrauded black Americans of more wealth than at any time since the emancipation proclamation? Who declared the Palestinians "un-people" and campaigned aggressively against their sovereignty at the UN? Allowed Baby Doc to run for president but not Aristide? Installed, LITERALLY, Nazis as the rulers of Ukraine?
As for Trump's singular moral failings, was it Trump who was told by his own state department that if he sold skin-melting white phosphorous to Saudi Arabia, they would use it on Yemeni women and children, and responded by saying, in effect; "And your point?"
Or what about that amusing little war he started in Africa's most prosperous country at the behest of Goldman Sachs, in which "white" Africans lynched "black" Africans from light poles, like rednecks in the Jim Crow South?"
These un-rare moments when American liberals are particularly full of themselves, confident in their moral superiority, and comfortable in their exceptionalist skins are particularly enlightening (the classic still being 'We came, we saw, he died' Killary's 'Deplorables' speech). It is all part of The Clarification.
"Charlottesville" (Roberts):
"Charlottesville has many aspects that are ignored by NPR and the rest of the presstitutes. For example, how does the Bush/Cheney/Obama/neoconservative assertion that Americans are the "exceptional people" whose country is the "indispensable country" differ from Trump's proclamation of "America first"? No one among the liberal/progressive/left was disturbed when Obama proclaimed to the world that Americans are the exceptional, indispensable people. Doesn't Obama use much clearer language that puts America first? If Americans are exceptional, everyone else is unexceptional. If Americans are indispensable, everyone else is dispensable."
Trump's second speech. Also.
Note how Lang's way of thinking here is a particularly vile example of American assumptions, this time from the 'realist right': "Guam rejoices!". The problem is bipartisan and extremely deep-seated.
Curious how Charlottesville is just an American Exceptionalist sideshow, while at the exact same time the rest of the world digs itself out from the effects of American Exceptionalism: "Hezbollah and Syrian Army Finishing off Terrorists of Al-Nusra". "What's Really Happening in #Venezuela – From Someone Who Knows". "Turkey Reversing on Syria – Will End of Support for Syrian Rebels as 'Goodwill Towards Damascus'" (wow!). "Oh, the US Department of State's Annual Report on Religious Freedom found this evidence of anti-Semitism in Syria"! "Yes, Syrian refugees can return to Aleppo… and do so in their 100,000s". "Recolonization Rears Its Ugly Head" (Madsen).
"What CIA Hid from the Rockefeller Committee". It never fucking ends: "Jerusalem Post lies about Russia and Iran" (Alexis). "U.S. envoy says Iran cannot 'hold world hostage' with nuclear deal" (this isn't even slightly coherent!).
"How War Pollutes the Potomac River" (Swanson). Funny how you almost never see this most obvious point: "War Not Only Kills People: It's the Single Biggest Destroyer of the Environment".
"Leaked Emails: Saudi Power Behind the Throne "Wants Out of Yemen"". Note all the sleazy players involved in this 'leak'!
"Is this the beginning of the end for Canada's Rebel Media?: Tim Harper". I have to note that the following two pieces are Onion-style satire: "Ezra Levant confident riled up, far-right mob won't turn against Jews this time" (prescient!) and "After years of race-baiting rhetoric and Islamophobia, I was beginning to suspect the Rebel might be racist" (inspired, perhaps, by the classic from pre-Haim days).
Be evil
On the tracks
Patently unethical
Peaceful right-wing demonstrators
Full-blooded Cherokees
Empty vault
Bump on the head
Full reenactment
Shut them down
My personal warning to Icelanders
Ancient Cambodian temple architecture
The assassination/ressurection of Steve Bannon
Drunken dwarf/mobile death ray/Copernicus
Bipartisan allies 4evah!
Theory and praxis
Redneck Revolt
This took guts
Bands of grifters
Strategic depth and sunk costs
WannaCry?
From below
Half his mustache
Easier to do it now
Occupying Power news
War and its cause
AIPACing
I live in the real world
People like that
For two months?
Mess Sucks


Top seeds Lorenzo Musetti and Clara Tauson clinched the Junior titles at the Australian Open. Musetti saved a championship point before claiming the decisive tie-break in the boys final, while Tauson won the girls title.
Italy's Lorenzo Musetti came back from a set down to beat US Emilio Nava 4-6 6-2 7-6 (14-12) in the final of the Australian Open Junior final. The 16-year-old Italian player saved a championship point in the tie-break of the third set.
Musetti won the first Grand Slam Junior title of his career four months after losing the US Open Junior final against Brazil's Seyboth Wild last September. Last year he also reached the quarter final at Wimbledon. The player born in the Italian town of Carrara trains in La Spezia under the guidance of Simone Tartarini and is among the most promising talents, who work at the Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy as part of the Champ'Seed program. His idol is Roger Federer and plays a spectacular and aggressive tennis. He entertained the crowd with a spectacular drop-shot tweener during the quarter final match against Spain's Alvarez Varona earlier this week. Musetti is ranked fourth in the ITF Junior Ranking, but he is the youngest player in the top 10.
Musetti won just three points more than Nava in a very tight match, which featured only three breaks of serve.
Nava got the first break of the first set at 3-3 in the first set with a deep return to take the first set 6-4 after 37 minutes. This was the first time Musetti dropped a set in the tournament. Musetti saved three break points in the fifth game of the second set before earning his first break in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead. Musetti got another break in the eighth game after a poor forehand from Nava to send the match to third set.
The third set went on serve with no breaks of serve until the tie-break. Nava fought back from 3-5 to move within two points of the title at 8-7. Nava saved a match point at 8-9 with a smash winner and another chance at 9-10 when Musetti made a double fault. Musetti wasted the third match point on the 20th point before saving a match point at 11-12. Musetti hit a service winner to draw level to 12-12 before sealing the win on the 16th point, when Nava made a forehand error. Musetti has become the first Italian player in history to win the Australian Open boys' title.
"I was not thinking. I was just playing, living every point. It was a fantastic tie-break. Emilio played really well and he saved three match points. It was a fantastic tie-break. The match point was unbelievable. I had a lot of pressure since the first rounds, but I got a lot of experience last year in New York, so I knew how to manage the pressure and the feelings of the final. Today was a crazy match. The first set was really tough, the second set was really good. He went down a bit. The third set was really a fight. I am really happy to win my first Grand Slam. I thank my family and the Italian Federation for their support. I will travel back to Italy very early and I will not have a lot of time to celebrate, but it will be a nice journey with a trophy in my hands. This win means that I will have the chance to play the qualifying round at Grand Slam tournaments",said Musetti.
"It was a hard match. Luck was not on my side, but I was able to win thanks to my mental strength. To know that Novak Djokovic was following my match is something that does not happen every day. He knew that I lost in New York and told me that I have a good mental coach. I told him that I have tried to learn from him and I wished him good luck for tomorrow's final against Nadal",said Musetti.
Sixteen year-old Dane Clara Tauson beat Canada's Leylah Annie Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in the girls singles final. The Dane won her fifth title in the last seven tournaments.
Tauson is the second Danish Junior player to win a girls title at Grand Slam level following in the footsteps of her compatriot Caroline Wozniacki.
Tauson earned her first break in the fifth game of the opening set, but Fernandez broke straight back in the next game. Tauson broke again in the seventh game and held her serve in the eghth and tenth games to seal the first set 6-4. Tauson broke twice in the third and fifth games of the second set to race out to a 4-1 lead. Fernandez pulled one break back at 15 in the next game to claw her way back to 2-4 but Tauson got her third consecutive break in the seventh game to earn her chance to serve for the match. Fernandez fended off a match point to get the break back, but Tauson broke serve again in the ninth game before serving out the match.
The Danish player lost the first set of the tournament 6-1 to Australian wildcard Anastasia Berezov and did not drop another set en route to the title.
"I feel like it was a big court. We haven't played on it, either of us, so I think both of us were nervous. She was playing really good in the beginning I feel like I won because I kept fighting and try to keep my emotions. I wasn't expecting actually to win here after the first round, but I kept working hard and had some tough matches in the beginning. I got through it, so I am happy about that. The start of the the year has been good for me, of course. I am not thinking too much about if I never lose a match in juniors anymore, because I will. I am very happy about the last 12 matches", said Tauson.


text:
import React from 'react';
import Highlight from 'react-highlight';

const GettingStarted = () =>

Getting Started

  To begin, install redux-datagrid with npm. First you'll need to
  install react-redux and reselect if you don't have them
  already.

    npm install --save react-redux reselect

  Then install the library.

    npm install --save redux-datagrid

  Once install finishes, you'll need to hook up the reducer:
  <Highlight className="javascript">
{`// reducers.js
import { reducer as datagridReducer } from 'react-datagrid';

export default combineReducers({
... otherReducers,
datagrid: datagridReducer // datagrid must be mounted at the top level reducer
});`}
  </Highlight>

  Now you're ready to create a connected datagrid! Here's an example of a
  simple list:

  <Highlight className="javascript">
{`// example-list.js
import { reduxDatagrid } from 'redux-datagrid';

// create simple list component
const ExampleList = ({ datagrid: { data, filtered, { controls: { search }}}}) => (

  <input placeholder="Search" {...search}/>
  Showing { filtered.length } / { data.length }

    { filtered.map(row =>
{row.name}
) }

);

// connect ExampleList to redux
export default reduxDatagrid({
name: 'example-list',
columns: [ 'name' ]
})(ExampleList);
`}
  </Highlight>

  And later on you can use this component like this:
  <Highlight className="javascript">
{`// other-component.js
import ExampleList from './path/to/example-list.js';

const data = [
{ id: 1, name: 'Javascript' },
{ id: 2, name: 'Ruby'},
{ id: 3, name: 'Python'},
// ...
];

const OtherComponent = () => (

Some other stuff...

  <ExampleList data={data}/>

);
`}
  </Highlight>

  Here's an explanation of what's going on here:

      ExampleList is just a stateless component that is passed a
      prop called datagrid

      datagrid has a couple of fields: data is the
      full list passed to the component, filtered is the sorted
      data that passes the search criteria, and controls provides
      utilities for connecting inputs like search or sort-by.

      {'{...search}'} just provides the input with
      the right value and onChange props.

      ExampleList is connected to redux with
      the reduxDatagrid function. It is given a unique name and a
      list of columns that can be searched (in this case, you can only
      search for "name").

      When ExampleList is rendered, it is passed
      a prop data that provides it with the full list of
      programming languages.

      redux-datagrid keeps track of things like search text,
      sort-by, and group-by, and automatically processes the data for you.

Want to know more? Check out some examples or read the API documentation.

    If you find any bugs or have any problems, you can create an issue
    on github or
    contact me directly
    on twitter.

;

export default GettingStarted;


NOTE: Text or symbols not renderable in plain ASCII are indicated by [...]. Abstract is included in .pdf document. Four series of tests were made on flat, unstiffened panels under combined shear and compression loading for two thicknesses and two length over width ratios. In each case, the panels were carried to their ultimate loads. An empirical relation was developed for the variation of shear and compressive stresses of the form: [...] + [...] = 1, where: [...] = failure stress, pure compression, [...] = failure stress, pure shear. The above equation was found to hold for the entire range of thicknesses and length over width ratios investigated.


text:
Q: animated div... can't get it to stop pushing all divs (Magento) It's a bit hard to explain but here goes. I have a div that uses jquery to animate it's height using toggle. Basically the div is initially hidden but if you press a button it expands the height defined in the css. Here's the js:
jQuery(document).ready(function() {
jQuery('.slidedown').hide();
  jQuery("button").click(function() {
    jQuery('.slidedown').animate({
   height: ['toggle', 'swing'],
  }, 500, function() {
  });
});

});
So i have a div with class "slidedown". Press the button and it expands downwards. However when the div animates it pushes all the other divs on my page down too. I just want the div to expand but go over everything else on the page. What i'm trying to achieve is actually a drop down shopping cart display in Magento, you mouse over the word 'shopping cart' which is in the header and then the cart's contents appear in the div that is revealed. I make the cart contents appear in the div by:

<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('right') ?>

Calling getChildHtml('right') inserts the cart contents into the div. That works fine. So far i have only tried putting that div in various locations in the the 2columns-left.phtml template that all my pages are using in Magento. But anywhere i try to insert that div, when it expands it messes up all the others. Any ideas? Thanks for your input.

A: There are several ways to do it, either make it absolute positioned. -- To be honest, I don't suggest that.
A better way in my opinion is to add a parent div and give it a height of 0:
HTML:

<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('right') ?>

CSS:
.slidedown {/*for this class you keep the same code */}
.mask-layer {height:0;overflow:visible}

This way you would add some kind of a mask to your shopping cart, so no matter how big it is, the browser will look at its parent div and see that it has a height of 0 and will not push any other HTML element.
P.S. A problem might occur, where the cart will be shown below your other elements, to fix it just add this CSS to .mask-layer:
.mask-layer {height:0;overflow:visible;position:relative;z-index:2 /* or any number as long as it is larger than the z-index of your other elements*/}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This very popular wallet is deal for anyone that likes to travel light. This wallet is very slim and is constructed with the highest quality materials. The trend in downsizing wallets has reached its zenith with the Ultimo Credit Card Wallet. This wallet will last a long time and will fit in either the front or back pocket. Of course with a wallet that is this slim there are some trade-offs, there is no room at all for change and you will not be able to carry many cards. But considering how popular they are it obviously is not a problem for most people.


text:
$(document).foundation();

$(".likePost").click(function(){
	var id_liked = this.getAttribute('data-id');
	var url_liked = 'addlike/' + id_liked;
	console.log(id_liked);
	console.log(url_liked);
	$.ajax({
		  url: url_liked,
		  method: "POST",
		  data: { id : id_liked },
		  cache: false
	})
	.done(function( html ) {
			console.log('succes');
	    	$( ".identification" ).append( '
Vote comptabilisé ×
' );
	})
});


The community explorer enables current and potential residences to explore the neighborhood around your building or complex. Users can explore the closest restaurants, shopping, schools, banks, movie theaters, hospitals and airports on an interactive Google map. Custom photos, videos and coupons can also be added per map entry to further promote businesses. Advertising areas and business detail pages can also easily be added.


text:
Next Fraud prevention platform FingerprintJS lands $32M to launch premium services – VentureBeat
Previous Istanbul Convention: 5th progress report 2021 (accessible web version) – GOV.UK
Top 7 trends shaping digital transformation in 2022 – ZDNet
web news November 4, 2021 admin
The pace of digital change in business shows no sign of slowing in 2022. The latest research from MuleSoft identifies 7 key digital transformation trends that will shape the future of work in 2022 and beyond.
By Vala Afshar | November 4, 2021 | Topic: Digital Transformation
Top 7 trends shaping digital transformation in 2020
Turning Big Data into Business Insights
Businesses are good at collecting data, and the Internet of Things is taking it to the next level. But, the most advanced organizations are using it to power digital transformation.
The latest research from MuleSoft identifies hyper-automation, hybrid experiences, distributed environments and explosion of data as some of the new challenges and opportunities facing all businesses. The research points to an accelerated digital transformation in business for 2022 and beyond with seven key trends.
The top 7 trends shaping digital transformation in 2022 are:
Trend 1: The future of work will be built on connected, hybrid experiences. The workplace has rapidly evolved, and with it, employee expectations — forcing organizations to deliver digital‑first and connected experiences to drive productivity and retain talent.
Trend 2: The composable business matures. As the pressure to innovate faster continues to rise, organizations will seek even greater agility, leading to an increased drive to composable and event‑driven architectures.
Trend 3: The rise of the business technologist. With the increasing pressure of the digital imperative on organizations, business technologists will come to the fore as an essential partner in IT departments' efforts to accelerate innovation.
Trend 4: Hyperautomation unlocks digital value. Hyperautomation will unlock productivity, accelerate time‑to‑market, and transform employee and customer experiences.
Trend 5: Security‑by‑default is a must‑have. Security‑by‑default will become a need‑to‑have as organizations increasingly realize their applications and automations are only as secure as the composable blocks on which they are built.
Trend 6: The rise of hybrid, distributed ecosystems adds complexity. As the digital world embraces hybrid and multi‑clouds, finding a universal way of integrating and managing these environments will become essential to successful digital transformation.
Trend 7: A single source of truth becomes key to the data‑driven business. As digitization continues to drive an increasing amount of data, organizations will seek a single source of truth where consumers can get the right data in the right context at the right time.
Here are the top takeaways of the 7 trends shaping digital transformation in 2022 and beyond:
Gartner estimates that the use of collaboration platforms alone surged 44%. between 2019 and 2021. McKinsey estimates that more than 20% of the global workforce — although mainly those in high‑skilled roles in verticals such as finance, insurance, and IT — could work most of the time away from the office without any impact on productivity. Automation will play a key role in a hybrid and connected work environment. The use of low‑code techniques will be essential, having been identified by 42% of business users as critical to their ability to create better-connected employee experiences.
Here are some stats around the use of automation to create better-connected employee experiences:
Use of automation initiatives to create better connected employee experiences
According to MuleSoft, the 2020s will be a period of seamless digital experiences. To make this a reality, organizations will need to think carefully about how they drive enhanced agility, which will lead to a new era of event‑driven architectures and composable businesses in 2022.
According to MuleSoft, the always‑on digital economy brings huge pressure for organizations to get things right for the end-user. According to PwC, one in three consumers will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience. One of the most effective ways for organizations to drive agility and meet these rapidly rising expectations is through becoming a composable business built on reusable APIs. These APIs can be used to turn the organization's digital capabilities and data into a series of interchangeable building blocks that employees can reuse in other ways to build their own solutions.
The future of digital commerce is a great example of a connected and composable model. Gartner defines this as "Composable Enterprise", with composable commerce as the expression of this idea applied to shopping infrastructure. Per Gartner, the composable business means creating an organization made from interchangeable building blocks.
The idea of composable business operates on four basic principles:
Reusable APIs are a great way to achieve this, which is why 96% of global organizations already use public or private APIs. The research identifies important concepts and differentiation with APIs with a focus on event-driven APIs and event-driven architectures. The research concludes that event‑driven architectures are more flexible and extensible than their RESTful counterparts, supporting the fluid, real‑time interactions that consumers expect today.
According to Gartner, the three building blocks of composable business are:
The composable business matures
According to MuleSoft, the volume of digital initiatives doubled during the pandemic, making it even more difficult for already stretched teams to keep up with the needs of the business. In 2022, business technologists will relieve some of this pressure by working alongside IT teams to accelerate innovation. Gartner found that those organizations that successfully enable business technologists are 2.6x more likely to accelerate digital business outcomes. However, to do so, they will need the right tools at their disposal.
By 2024, 80% of technology products and services will be built by those who are not technology professionals, according to Gartner. Low or no‑code approaches and AI‑assisted development tools hold the key to success. Gartner found 77% of business technologists routinely use a combination of automation, integration, application development or data science and AI tools in their daily work. Some 80% of business users agree that if data and IT capabilities were discoverable and available in packaged business capabilities (PBCs), they and their colleagues could create solutions and deliver digital projects more quickly. Over a third (36%) say they have a mature approach to enabling non‑IT users to integrate apps and data sources through APIs easily. 80% of technology products and services will be built by those who are not technology professionals by 2024.
According to Gartner, on average, 41% of employees outside of IT — or business technologists — customize or build data or technology solutions. Gartner also predicts that half of all new low-code clients will come from business buyers that are outside of IT organizations by end of year 2025. 41% of organizations make an average of 41% of their internal software assets and components available for developers to reuse. 86% of organizations said if business users could securely create their own connected experiences using low or no-code, it would improve business outcomes.
The rise of business technologist
Automation will be a fundamental driving force for the modern digital enterprise rather than being used in piecemeal projects. Hyperautomation is about scaling automation across the enterprise via the reuse of processes and the deployment of multiple, integrated technology capabilities — such as low‑code platforms, machine learning, and robotic process automation (RPA). It's a market the analyst predicts will grow by nearly 24% from 2020 to be worth nearly $600 billion by 2022 — as organizations look to identify and automate as many processes as they can rapidly. Per Deloitte, 93% of business leaders expect to be using RPAs by 2023. MuleSoft found that most organizations are either already using or are planning to implement such automation initiatives to realize strategic goals, such as improving productivity (96%) and operational efficiency (93%) and creating better‑connected customer experiences (93%).
2021 research shows that automation will accelerate the decentralization of businesses with a digital-first investment and new capabilities strategy. Customer service is an example line of business that will see significant hyperautomation. Given their proximity to changing customer needs, customer service provides a helpful window into how workflow automation can increase a team's flexibility, efficiency, and job satisfaction.
There is no doubt that it has been a challenging year for customer service employees. Research shows these teams have contended with a whiplash of increased case volume and complexity without commensurate increases in headcount and budget. Workflow automation, however, provides needed relief. 77% of agents say automating routine tasks allows them to focus on more complex work — up from 69% in 2018. It is telling that, even amidst a budget crunch, 71% of service decision makers say they're accelerating automation initiatives.
One area of service automation that's getting a lot of attention is chatbots. Currently, 83% of customers expect to engage with someone immediately when contacting a company — up from 78% in 2019. This dynamic puts pressure on already-strained teams. Unsurprisingly, we've concurrently seen chatbot adoption grow at a rapid pace.
Hyperautomation trends in 2022 and beyond
Security concerns have always been a roadblock on digital initiatives. Some 87% of IT and business leaders claim that security considerations are slowing down the pace of innovation, while 73% say that specific security and governance concerns have increased as their systems have become more integrated. Gartner predicts that by 2022, application programming interface (API) attacks will become the most‑frequent attack vector, causing data breaches for enterprise web applications. According to Forrester, 21% of security decision‑makers plan to prioritize building security into development processes. Many more will follow suit over the coming years as the era of the business technologist continues to gather pace.
Security requirements can slow down pace of digital transformation
IT and business leaders agree that the ability to create seamless digital experiences for both employees and customers is key to the success of modern organizations. In 2022, universal API management will come to the fore as organizations seek answers to this question. Cloud solutions enabled many organizations to navigate the challenges the pandemic created. However, they have also drastically increased the complexity of modern digital ecosystems. Today, 92% of enterprises have a multi‑cloud strategy, while 82% have a hybrid cloud set‑up. According to Deloitte, virtually all (97%) IT managers are planning to take a best‑of‑breed approach by distributing workloads across two or more clouds to boost resilience and support regulatory requirements.
The rise of hybrid, distributed ecosystems add digital transformation complexity
The world is witnessing a data explosion. In 2020 alone, over 64 zettabytes (ZB) were created, and this volume is expected to grow at a rate of 23% up to 2025, according to IDC. Yet, things aren't getting any easier for organizations looking to integrate, analyze, and act on this data. IT complexity, proprietary systems, and a lack of strategic direction all provide their own challenges.
To be a successful data‑driven organization in 2022, organizations must break down silos across the enterprise to create a single source of truth. Business leaders can only look to machine learning and data analytics to make sense of all their data for enhanced decision-making.
What does it mean to be a truly data‑driven business? It's all about using the insights derived from AI‑powered analytics to transform business processes. Ultimately, the aim is to improve business outcomes, by driving greater revenues and success. According to Accenture, true data‑driven organizations experience annual growth of over 30%. In addition, 81% of businesses still don't have a solid data strategy to maximize the full potential of their data, and a similar number don't have the right platform in place to support their goals. API‑led connectivity is increasingly recognized as the best strategy for achieving the required level of connectivity. Indeed, API‑led connectivity can result in 3x faster project delivery, on average, and a 63% reduction in maintenance costs.
A single source of truth becomes key to data-driven business
The trends shaping digital transformation in 2022 include hyperautomation, hybrid experiences, distributed environments, and an explosion of data. MuleSoft research of these trends concludes with the following recommendation to IT and business leaders with respect to improved collaboration and execution velocity:
To learn more about the MuleSoft report on the 7 trends shaping digital transformation in 2022, you can visit here.
What's next for e-commerce? Seven trends from this region could affect you, too
What this billion-dollar "robocorn" says about e-commerce
Fintech nonprofit partners with EDM Council for cloud data framework project
Cloud computing spending is at a record high. But the global chip shortage could create some problems ahead
New burger bot also does chicken wings
3 ways robots won in 2021
IBM says the single-vendor approach to cloud computing is dead
Zoom rolls out new advertising program for free accounts
Firefox unveils new homepage for Android and iOS
Biden's war on inflation is a battle to change human behavior – Politico
AWS BC = 2101080708 – 11th Sept – John.mp4
Hypto Raises $3 Mn Seed Funding – Entrepreneur


What Income is Included in the Chapter 7 Means Test?
Reforms made to the bankruptcy code in 2005 made it harder for consumers to file for Chapter 7 liquidation. In a Chapter 7, most consumers can completely wipe out (or "discharge") their unsecured debts like personal loans, medical debt, and credit card debt. This is a terrific benefit for indebted consumers, so the banking industry worked aggressively to tighten up eligibility for Chapter 7. To qualify, you now must pass a means test that looks at your income.
Your income is below the median for your state for a family of your size. For example, if the median income for a family of four is $45,000, then you immediately pass the means test if your income is below this amount.
If you are above, you can still pass by comparing your income to your outstanding expenses. This is a trickier way to qualify, so you should consult with an attorney to crunch the numbers and see if you qualify.
If you don't pass the means test, you will need to file a different bankruptcy, such as Chapter 13 or Chapter 11, or you might not file for bankruptcy protection at all.
So What Income is Included?
You must calculate your current monthly income by adding up the income for the past six months and dividing by six. You do not need to include any income received under the Social Security Act, such as social security retirement payments, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability benefits, or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
Not everyone works a 9-5 job and draws a regular paycheck monthly or biweekly. For example, you might have received a giant commission recently, or you might own a seasonal business. In these situations, you can experience a one-time boost to your income that will not be repeated in the future. What happens if you get this bonus, commission, or income right before you want to file for bankruptcy?
The good news is that you might qualify for bankruptcy, even with this sudden income increase, so you should meet with an experienced attorney to review your options.
Nowack & Olson is the "go to" firm in South Florida for consumers and small businesses considering bankruptcy. You can meet with one of our bankruptcy attorneys in Doral, Jupiter, Boca Raton, or Plantation by contacting us today.


EXPERTS are hailing Queensland's Sunshine Coast as the hottest place in the nation to invest in property right now.
A lack of housing, a tight rental market and a rapidly growing population mean supply is failing to keep up with demand in the region — creating perfect conditions for investors.
Leading real estate industry figure John McGrath said the Sunshine Coast presented one of the best opportunities for capital growth because of its liveability, affordability and future economic prospects.
"From an investment point of view, where in Australia right now can you invest your dollar and get better returns than the Sunshine Coast or southeast Queensland?" Mr McGrath said.
His views are echoed by prestige property agent Tom Offermann of Tom Offermann Real Estate, who claims the Sunshine Coast "is on the cusp of the highest growth period in its history".
"This is being driven by a raft of infrastructure projects that are delivering exceptional lifestyles, which in the past required some compromises for people coming from big cities," Mr Offermann said.
The region is in the midst of an infrastructure boom, with billions of dollars being invested in upgrading and creating new facilities.
Local agents say the region is crying out for more investment properties to cater to the needs of the increasing population.
According to demographer Bernard Salt, the Sunshine Coast's population of around 298,000 residents is set to rise to 550,000 in 23 years, which will require more than 100,000 new homes to be built. The latest Real Estate Institute of Queensland figures show the rental vacancy rate on the Sunshine Coast is just 1 per cent, with Caloundra having the tightest vacancy rate in the state at just 0.5 per cent.
It's good news for investors, who are currently achieving healthy rental returns of around 5 per cent.
In its recent report, Herron Todd White noted an increase in investor activity in the Sunshine Coast market, with the sub $350,000 unit and townhouse sector particularly popular. "It's not uncommon to see townhouses selling for $220,000 attracting a rental of $280 per week — over 6.5 per cent gross return," the report said. For investors looking to capitalise on the growth in the region, McGrath Real Estate founder John McGrath said now was the time to get into the market. "I think there is a great opportunity, in particular right now, because we've seen Sydney and Melbourne have shown unprecedented growth over the last five or six years," he said. "Now those markets have come to a plateau and a lot of people are going to be saying; 'Do we take our profits and reinvest them, or, in fact, do we move up north and get better value for money?' "So, I think r Reed & Co director Adrian Reed the increased international access the new airport would provide would likely change the profile of buyers in the Noosa region. "We're currently seeing an increase in Australian expats buying back into the market, but if accessibility becomes easier, we're expecting a more aggressive upward trend in high-end premium property," Mr Reed said.