Today's cooking adventure: asparagus with gribiche sauce!
This is a french dish that we made back during our Mark Bittman French feast. We wanted a to pick a side dish involving a veggie that was relatively easy to throw together (remember, we were cooking multiple dishes and the star of the show was our coq au vin). I came across this sauce gribiche recipe and knew we had to give it a try.
The sweetness of the pickles balances the intensity of the mustard nicely, and would work with lots of different veggies.Plus in honor of Valentine's Day coming up, we're doing asparagus with its rumored aphrodisiac effects.
So if you're putting together a nice dinner for your love this Valentine's Day, here's a tasty and easy vegetable to impress your date!
Dice the gherkins, eggs, and shallot/onion.
Add those, along with lemon juice and shallot/onion to the blender. Pulse a couple times until just combined.
Drizzle the gribiche across the asparagus for a Martha Stewart-worthy presentation, or serve on plates with gribiche sauce sitting nearby for serving table side!
Steam the asparagus in your preferred method. I wrap them in wet paper towels and microwave for 2-5 minutes, depending on their thickness.
In a blender, combine oil, vinegar, mustard, and a bit of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust flavors to suit you.
Add the shallot, lemon juice, egg, and gherkins to the blender and pulse a couple times until just combined.
Serve with the sauce poured over the asparagus as liberally as you like. Sprinkle parsley on top.
The sauce can serve double duty as salad dressing as well or on green beans. Store it in the fridge but pull out 20-30 minutes before you want to use and give it a good shake before pouring!
Got any dishes you like to impress your date with? Share the recipe!


what is considered a good cap rate?
A good Cap Rate is anything that gives you positive cash flow. It's realy just that simple. CAP rates that are good in one area of teh country (sometimes even in one corner of a city) are different than another, so it is never an across the board number that is good. MAny investors though run their programs based on a minimum number for CAP rate before they even look at a property. Others will base it on the financing. For instance, if you are getting interest only financing for a NNN/absolute lease property (so your NOI is equal to your income since the landlord isn't responsible for any expenses other than teh debt service), all you need to cash flow is to have your CAP rate higher than your interest rate. Most of teh time you'll find that a good deal is to have tha CAP at least 2 pts higher...although you can go with a higher or lower spread.
A good cap rate depends on the return you are willing to accept for the risk you are taking.
"Good" cap rates vary with the type of property, location, stability of tenant, length of lease, etc. A good cap in California will be different in Wisconsin. The economic climate will cause the cap rate to rise of fall. Right now caps are rising in most areas of the country. Keep in mind that a cap rate only measures 1 year and does not take into account debt.
A more complete measure is IRR which measures the return on every dollar invested over a period of time. IRR includes income as well as debt.
So what is a good cap? It depends. A good cap for a Walgreen's is 7 but in California it might be 6.75. A corporate backed Taco Bell in Calif. 5-5.5%, in Florida 6 to 7.5%. However, if the lease has only 3 years left the cap could rise from 5.5 to 7.5 depending on the tenant.
As you no doubt can tell there is no difinitive answer as to what is a "good" cap rate. The answere is "it depends". What you will find is a "going" cap rate for a particular type of property in a particular area of the country.
One of your other answers from Joe V stated a good cap is anything that gives you positive cash flow. Completely wrong. You could have a 5 cap with a negative cash flow. He mentions debt considerations. Cap is never measured with debt. As a result cap would always be figured as if you paid cash and any rent would be positive if it exceeded expenses (not including debt). IRR would take into account debt.
Cap rates are on the rise across the country and it varys significantly depending on the property, the tenant, location, etc. etc. Remember the cap rate is just a quick "curb appeal" measurement, it's not a measurement of return! For a more detailed analysis of an income producing property you need to look at the IRR and dig into the past, present and future of the anticipated cash flow.
Cap Rates are a very poor measure of valuation. Multi-year Internal Rate of Return are better tools for valuation and measurement of investment.
Go to www.cieinst.com and take their free online course. It was immensely helpful to me. I took their 2 day intensive training and learned thoroughly how to evaluate commercial property including apartments and self storage. Their courses are great! I have since purchased 2 properties using their creative financing/no money down techniques and am now making over $12K per month in positive cash flow after all is said and done! I am thrilled!
It depends on your risk tolerance. Higher cap rate, lower value, higher risk. Lower cap rate, higher value, lower risk.


Do WE, collecively speaking, as R.B. Fuller asserted, "back up into our future?"
To be certain, Ray Kurzweil's "singularity" is almost a foregone conclusion rather than some fanciful notion from the realm fo science fiction! And Professor Hugo De Garis' "artilects" & subsquent "artilect wars" are more than just one of many possibile scenarios.>> My own group has a "finished model of an 'artilect' - one that is "rigorous & accu-rated." We only await the "maturation" of various "real-time" technologies, e.g., the sensory, before we can fully actualize a prototype. We estimate the advent of fully sentient "applied machine intellect" (AMI) to occur within a decade from now... with or without my group's participation. We simply cannot be the only group that has met with this kind of success.
Moreover, the industry surrounding cybernetics research is understandably reticent and secretive because of what this technology represents - the ultimate "O.S." or golden ring of all cybernetics - which promises wealth on the order of Bill Gates' acquired assets. My group has been vocal and is now conducting an "outrreach" only because we want to keep the "trust" of the public eye. We seek to avoid becoming an anathema because our prototypes arrive with no due notice or due diligence to inform and educate the public. Yet despite our borderline hysterics, the responces we receive range from mild interest or ones of incredulence... and ny group HATES being perceived as "Chicken Littles" who are "borrowing trouble."
KNOWING what we know, gives us that sense of 'urgency' to have humanity act "procatively" (for once) and look squarely at their probable futures & the timelines that technological advances present! It's just more "prudent" to err on the side of caution. There is NO "hype" or "hyperbole" surrounding the ever-mounting breakthroughs surrounding cybernetics research. It IS coming "fast & furious," and when it finally "hits the skids," it will be too late for humanity to reach fair-minded, non-reactionary concenses about how best to "manage" this technology. We half-jokingly refer to AMI as having major "hip-action" - "high impact potential" (HIP)... but this IS no joke... this technology will result in a "mixed bag" of both promise & peril - for analogies, we use mythological references like Prometheus UNbounded and a Pandorian "shipping crate." Yes, the "singularity" approacheth... along with countless other "cusps of catastrophe..." and humanity prances obliviously through this forest of great peril... "LA-DE-DUH!"
The question for my group is whether humanity will allow a laissez-fair mentality to prevail by which it will be met with a "no-holds-barred" future, or if humankind will finally "grow-up^^^" before the "fit hits the shan!" To be sure, with even a modicum of reflection, it should be easy for anyone to undrestand that this technology represents the fourth (and final?) wave (to use a 'Tofflerite' euphemizm) which will either ultimately serve to deplete, deteriorate, deflate, dehumanize, or degredate the species OR one that WE COLLECTIVELY will ride to new horizons, understandings, convivial lifestyles, and consumate love eternal (?). HINT: Consider the many possible applications on "embedded systems" alone... good luck "declenching" the ol' "B-H" after that particular "thought experiment!"


Transforming unlikely pieces of scrap metal into significant works of art - giving new life to things we throw away - is an accessible, creative and fulfilling activity. 'Making Sculpture from Scrap Metal' describes and illustrates the concerns and techniques involved in making this kind of sculpture. It discusses the role and purpose of sculpture and covers sources of scrap metal. It includes the making, finishing and installation of pieces of sculpture.


There are 9 Visitors On Site.
Reviewer: Debbie from Moreno Valley, CA (SoCal).
Rating: 3 Stars (or Average).
Very saddened to hear of the closing of Foggy's...Does anyone remember P. Barber - a maid at one of the close-by hotels, around the end of 77 to maybe 78 or so?


In 2013, two of the largest bicycle brake suppliers in the world, Shimano and SRAM, announced voluntary recalls of bicycle brakes. The brakes involved - hydraulic caliper brakes, hydraulic disc brakes and mechanical disc brakes - were among the latest developments in road bicycle technology. Should this affect your bike buying decisions?
As the case with any technology, bicycle component manufacturers are continuously striving for improvements in design and performance. If they are the first to introduce a new product on the market, this can increase their profit and client base. It's a rush for manufacturers. The same goes for the early adopters who want to get a hold of the new technology for competitive advantage.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials was tasked with creating regulations for bicycle design and testing in the United States. However, it may take some time for this agency to look into new innovations. If you are a cycling enthusiast, you might want to check out how a new innovation actually performs before buying it. You can do this by reading feedback from those who already have the product. Sometimes products get perfected after a series of tests conducted by consumers. Bicycles are no exception.
If you could wait for some of the bugs to get worked out before buying, do so. If a bicycle component or model is really that good, then maybe wait a little bit before you buy it to see what other consumers have to say about it. This could benefit us because we could save money and avoid impulse buying.
Who wouldn't be tempted to cycle in a landscape as beautiful as what we have here in Kentucky? Yes, the scenery makes cycling all the more fun, but we should be careful, especially during seasons when roads tend to be busy. It might not be broadcasted as often as car crashes, but bicycle accidents happen more often than we think. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 677 cyclists died and 48,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2011. Some of these cyclists weren't wearing helmets or protective gear.
As a Kentucky Bicycle Accident Attorney and an avid cyclist, I know it's important to buy quality equipment and wear the proper safety gear. We may be the best bike rider around, but if you don't have the proper safety gear on and you're in an accident, it could be fatal. Make sure to always wear proper and age appropriate safety gear. It could just save your life.


text:
/*
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 *
 */
package org.jsmpp.session;

import java.io.IOException;

import org.jsmpp.InvalidResponseException;
import org.jsmpp.PDUException;
import org.jsmpp.PDUSender;
import org.jsmpp.PDUStringException;
import org.jsmpp.SMPPConstant;
import org.jsmpp.bean.Command;
import org.jsmpp.bean.DataCoding;
import org.jsmpp.bean.DataSmResp;
import org.jsmpp.bean.ESMClass;
import org.jsmpp.bean.NumberingPlanIndicator;
import org.jsmpp.bean.OptionalParameter;
import org.jsmpp.bean.RegisteredDelivery;
import org.jsmpp.bean.TypeOfNumber;
import org.jsmpp.extra.NegativeResponseException;
import org.jsmpp.extra.PendingResponse;
import org.jsmpp.extra.ResponseTimeoutException;
import org.jsmpp.session.connection.Connection;
import org.jsmpp.util.Sequence;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

/**
 * @author uudashr
 *
 */
public abstract class AbstractSMPPOperation implements SMPPOperation {
    private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(AbstractSMPPOperation.class);

    private final Sequence sequence = new Sequence(1);
    private final PDUSender pduSender;
    private final Connection connection;
    private long transactionTimer = 2000;

    public AbstractSMPPOperation(Connection connection, PDUSender pduSender) {
        this.connection = connection;
        this.pduSender = pduSender;
    }

    protected PDUSender pduSender() {
        return pduSender;
    }

    protected Connection connection() {
        return connection;
    }

    public void setTransactionTimer(long transactionTimer) {
        this.transactionTimer = transactionTimer;
    }

    public long getTransactionTimer() {
        return transactionTimer;
    }

    /**
     * Execute send command command task.
     *
     * @param task is the task.
     * @param timeout is the timeout in millisecond.
     * @return the command response.
     * @throws PDUException if there is invalid PDU parameter found.
     * @throws ResponseTimeoutException if the response has reach it timeout.
     * @throws InvalidResponseException if invalid response found.
     * @throws NegativeResponseException if the negative response found.
     * @throws IOException if there is an IO error found.
     */
    protected Command executeSendCommand(SendCommandTask task, long timeout)
            throws PDUException, ResponseTimeoutException,
            InvalidResponseException, NegativeResponseException, IOException {

        int seqNum = sequence.nextValue();
        PendingResponse<Command> pendingResp = new PendingResponse<Command>(timeout);
        try {
            task.executeTask(connection().getOutputStream(), seqNum);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            logger.error("Failed sending {} command", task.getCommandName(), e);
            throw e;
        }

        try {
            pendingResp.waitDone();
            logger.debug("{} response received", task.getCommandName() );
        } catch (ResponseTimeoutException e) {
            logger.debug("Response timeout for {} with sequence_number {}", task.getCommandName(), seqNum);
            throw e;
        }

        Command resp = pendingResp.getResponse();
        validateResponse(resp);
        return resp;

    }

    /**
     * Validate the response, the command_status should be 0 otherwise will
     * throw {@link NegativeResponseException}.
     *
     * @param response is the response.
     * @throws NegativeResponseException if the command_status value is not zero.
     */
    private static void validateResponse(Command response) throws NegativeResponseException {
        if (response.getCommandStatus() != SMPPConstant.STAT_ESME_ROK) {
            throw new NegativeResponseException(response.getCommandStatus());
        }
    }

    public void unbind() throws ResponseTimeoutException, InvalidResponseException, IOException {
        UnbindCommandTask task = new UnbindCommandTask(pduSender);

        try {
            executeSendCommand(task, transactionTimer);
        } catch (PDUException e) {
            // exception should be never caught since we didn't send any string parameter.
            logger.warn("PDU String should be always valid", e);
        } catch (NegativeResponseException e) {
            // ignore the negative response
            logger.warn("Receive non-ok command_status ({}) for unbind_resp", e.getCommandStatus(), e);
        }
    }

    public void unbindResp(int sequenceNumber) throws IOException {
        pduSender.sendUnbindResp(connection().getOutputStream(), SMPPConstant.STAT_ESME_ROK, sequenceNumber);
    }

    public DataSmResult dataSm(String serviceType, TypeOfNumber sourceAddrTon,
            NumberingPlanIndicator sourceAddrNpi, String sourceAddr,
            TypeOfNumber destAddrTon, NumberingPlanIndicator destAddrNpi,
            String destinationAddr, ESMClass esmClass,
            RegisteredDelivery registeredDelivery, DataCoding dataCoding,
            OptionalParameter... optionalParameters) throws PDUException,
            ResponseTimeoutException, InvalidResponseException,
            NegativeResponseException, IOException {

        DataSmCommandTask task = new DataSmCommandTask(pduSender,
                serviceType, sourceAddrTon, sourceAddrNpi, sourceAddr,
                destAddrTon, destAddrNpi, destinationAddr, esmClass,
                registeredDelivery, dataCoding, optionalParameters);

        DataSmResp resp = (DataSmResp)executeSendCommand(task, getTransactionTimer());

        return new DataSmResult(resp.getMessageId(), resp.getOptionalParameters());
    }

    public void dataSmResp(int sequenceNumber, String messageId,
            OptionalParameter... optionalParameters) throws PDUStringException,
            IOException {
        pduSender.sendDataSmResp(connection().getOutputStream(), sequenceNumber, messageId, optionalParameters);
    }

    public void enquireLink() throws ResponseTimeoutException, InvalidResponseException, IOException {
        EnquireLinkCommandTask task = new EnquireLinkCommandTask(pduSender);
        try {
            executeSendCommand(task, getTransactionTimer());
        } catch (PDUException e) {
            // should never happen, since it doesn't have any String parameter.
            logger.warn("PDU String should be always valid", e);
        } catch (NegativeResponseException e) {
            // the command_status of the response should be always 0
            logger.warn("command_status of response should be always 0", e);
        }
    }

    public void enquireLinkResp(int sequenceNumber) throws IOException {
        pduSender.sendEnquireLinkResp(connection().getOutputStream(), sequenceNumber);
    }

    public void genericNack(int commandStatus, int sequenceNumber) throws IOException {
        pduSender.sendGenericNack(connection().getOutputStream(), commandStatus, sequenceNumber);
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I'm about to embark on a journey that will break down my 10 favourite rappers from each region in Hip Hop! I'm starting with the Mid West since I feel like people don't properly carve out that section. I will continue with the South, West Coast, and end on my favourite coast: the east!
Here are some ground rules. There is no chance I'm doing a list with KRS-One, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and the like. They are legends that have nothing to prove. They built the foundation of Hip Hop and they've got their own top 10 argument going on. I'm thinking about people who gained prominence in the 90s and beyond and I'm thinking about people who are still alive!
Detroit, Michigan since his first studio album in 2010.
Old (October 2013) is great for displaying the range that the ostensibly cartoonish Danny Brown posses. I had to constantly check to see if there was a featured artist on some of the tracks since Danny doesn't always use the same voice or energy on each song. But it's an album filled with amazing beats, flows, and BARS!
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (November 2010) is not only my favourite Kanye West album but it has been scientifically proven to be the best Kanye West album in this article! I have a complicated relationship with Mr. West since I can't get on board with some of his outbursts but he is an excellent musical artist! I come for the beats but like MBDTF proves, you can stay for the slick lines every now and then.
Acid Rap (April 2013) was a project that made sure that I would check for every single thing that Chance put out. There is something to be said about the passion that Chance The Rapper puts into his music videos and music in general. Every time I see him operate it confirms that it's cool to try hard and care about what you're doing instead of pretending to be indifferent. Check out the quintessential Chance playlist over HERE!
Detroit Deli (A Tate of Detroit) (June 2004) has the amazing Kanye assisted single "Selfish" which also features the incomparable John Legend. As will be the case, from time to time on this journey, I will be forced to give up props to artists I didn't truly engage with as a fan. Elzhi is a perfect example of this. I can't deny the impact Slum Village and J. Dilla had on Hip Hop and Detroit.
Dark Sky Paradise (February 2015) is the best case scenario for a Big Sean studio album. Sean works best in mixtape format or providing an amazing guest verse. I always appreciate hearing Big Sean rap but feel he rarely has multiple big hits on his albums. Dark Sky Paradise has at least two or three big hits on it in addition to showcasing Big Sean's talent on solid album cuts.
The Cool (December 2007) felt like Lupe perfected what was already an amazing debut in Food & Liquor. Lupe and I haven't seen eye to eye on certain things so I may not be up on his latest day to day, however, he is a dope lyricist that packages his substance in a dope flow and some nerdy references.
Be (May 2005) was the turning point for me. I liked tracks from Common before, but I had kind of got swept up in the "Common's changed ever since Erykah!" hype. Be was the album that made sure I forgot all about that and looked forward to every Common album to come... Gee thanks to Kanye too... There is something to say about an artists that pushes Oprah out of the way when he wins an Oscar. Nah I'm playing! Common has that voice that you can't confuse with anyone else and he's been delivering the goods for so long while showing hints that he could still get better.
Street Hop (October 2009) is great if you can track down the physical copy and not the weird one floating around streaming services. Despite the wonky tracklisting on streaming services the verbal dexterity the hip hop Winter Soldier puts on display can't be denied. Royce, JAY-Z, and the next artist probably have the hugest influence on my style. Don't believe me? Check out The Knight Is Yung, The Therapy LP, and Subtle But Tasty!
The Marshall Mathers LP (May 2000) turned me into a believer. I just didn't want any parts of the Rap God before this album. Sure he had a funny single from the first album, but I just didn't think he had staying power. All it took was the opening to the scientifically proven best album in his catalogue, MMLP, for me to realize I was in the presence of greatness. Eminem puts words together with such skill that you sometimes forget how problematic his lyrics can be; you just feel pride in being able to rap his verses exactly like him.


text:
gonzalo-higuain
United could do worse than Higuaín
March 18, 2010 by Ed
Gonzalo Higuaín, Real Madrid, Transfers
Real Madrid's 19 goal Argentinian Gonzalo Higuaín will almost certainly leave Los Merengues at the end of the current campaign but could Sir Alex Ferguson make a move for the former River Plate striker? Higuaín, who can boast a goal-a-game ratio this season, does not fit into President Florentino Pérez' long-term plans.
It's a remarkable situation for the 22-year-old forward, who has become the victim of Madrid's bizarre internal politics this season. Despite the outstanding strike-rate, Higuaín is caught in an argument between Pérez and Real's Sporting Director Jorge Valdano.
Argentinian Valdano wants his compatriot to remain in the Spanish capital, while Pérez prefers his own acquisition Karim Benzema for the central striker's role in a 4-3-3 formation. It's a view shared by a number of Madrid's players according to the Spanish journalist Guillem Balague, who reports that El Presidente received phone calls from unnamed Galácticos criticising Higuaín's recent selection.
With Real bent on bringing Franc Ribéry in from Bayern Munich and Cristiano Ronaldo taking the other wide berth, Higuaín is now surplus to requirements.
Moreover, Real's Champions League defeat to Olympique Lyonnais last week signed coach Manuel Pellegrini's death warrant, who will lose his job at the season's culmination even if Los Merengues beat Barcelona to La Liga in May.
Forever the President's puppet, Pellegrini is responsible only for day-to-day coaching and had practically no say in Real's extravagant €260 million summer transfer splurge that brought Benzema, Kaká, Ronaldo and Xavi Alonso to Madrid.
Herein lies the crux of Real's politics.While the Champions League is the heartbeat that keeps the club alive, failure in Europe's premier competition cannot be tolerated by Real's executives. More to the point Pérez is hardly likely to blame his 'project' for the humiliating fashion in which Madrid capitulated to Lyon.
French-born Higuaín, contracted to Madrid until 2012, is unlikely to remain a Madridista beyond the FIFA World Cup. Indeed, the nine-time European champions will probably hold on to the striker until after the tournament in the hope that it will boost the player's value.
Selected only for Argentina's final two qualifying matches, El Pipita was inexplicably ignored by coach Diego Maradona in favour of home-based veteran Martín Palermo. It remains to be seen whether Higuaín will lead Argentina's attack at in South Africa this summer.
Meanwhile in Manchester Ferguson has key decisions to make about United's forward line, with the side exposed to an over-reliance on Wayne Rooney's goals. It's an understandable, if risky, problem given the failure of Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov to match the England international's strike rate this season.
Owen, sidelined for the main part of the campaign before succumbing to familiar hamstring problems, was a low-risk budget option whose impact has been minimal. Meanwhile Berbatov is now perennially cast as an understudy despite a number of sparkling displays in the past month.
With Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda not yet ready for regular first team duty, Ferguson may find that Higuaín's pace and finishing is the smart choice to boost United's attacking options next season.
Real is ready to sell. Is United prepared to buy?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
import datetime
from unittest.mock import patch

from django.test import TestCase

from scrumboard.models import Item, Sprint, Event

class ItemChangeEventTestCase(TestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        self.today = datetime.date(2016, 3, 4)
        self.tomorrow = datetime.date(2016, 3, 5)

    @patch('scrumboard.models.Event.create_item_created_event')
    def test_item_create_calls_item_created_event(self, mock_create_event):
        sprint = Sprint.objects.create(
            name='256',
            start_date=self.today,
            end_date=self.tomorrow
        )

        item = Item(
            name='Int.32',
            description='test item',
            estimate_work=3,
            estimate_review=2,
            sprint=sprint
        )

        expected_event = Event(
            sprint=sprint,
            change=Event.INC,
            value=5
        )

        mock_create_event.return_value = expected_event

        item.save()

        events = Event.get_events(sprint)
        assert len(events) == 1

        event = events[0]
        assert event.sprint == expected_event.sprint
        assert event.change == expected_event.change
        assert event.value == expected_event.value


text:
China-Japan Reset Continues With High-Level Economic Talks
The two sides hope finding common ground on economic issues can help continue a thaw in relations.
By Daniel Hurst for The Diplomat
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, second from right, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, second from left, attend their meeting in Tokyo (April 15, 2018)
Credit: Behrouz Mehri/Pool Photo via AP
China and Japan have resumed a high-level economic dialogue after an eight-year hiatus, in the latest sign of a thaw in long-strained relations. This week's visit to Tokyo by China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also locked in plans for further diplomatic exchanges, including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's travel to Japan for a trilateral summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month. This will pave the way for Abe and President Xi Jinping of China to visit each other's countries at a later date.
At a time of increasing domestic political pressure, Abe has made no secret of his desire to bolster relations with Beijing this year, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China. While there is no shortage of difficult issues, including the territorial dispute in the East China Sea, the countries found some common ground during Monday's economic talks regarding the dangers of a trade war fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump's protectionist instincts.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the countries "share the perception that causing trade wars will have an extremely large impact on the prosperity of the global economy." Wang was reported by state media as saying that Japan and China "should jointly oppose trade protectionism and preserve the multilateral trade system." Japan is yet to gain an exemption from Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs, which were ostensibly adopted on national security grounds and were seen as targeting China.
However, Kono also said it was important to deal with the excess capacity in the steel market. He also took the opportunity to raise long-standing concerns about China's record on intellectual property rights and "proposed that we should enable fair and free technology transfers and exchanges of intellectual property." Kono did not elaborate on what responses he heard from his Chinese counterpart to these points. But he said they both believed it was necessary to speed up work on a free trade agreement involving Japan, China, and South Korea, as well as the larger Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, in a bid to integrate the East Asia economic zone. The 13th round of negotiations on an FTA among Japan, China and South Korea was held in Seoul in March, with the next talks expected to take place in China.
The economic dialogue came a day after a foreign ministers' meeting where Japan outlined its conditions for participation in projects associated with China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative. "I stated that Japan could consider cooperation case-by-case for projects that firmly match the standards that are being established internationally, namely taking into consideration international standards and transparency, openness, the soundness of the project and the fiscal soundness of the country accepting the financing, and environmental and social factors," Kono said.
Meanwhile, the dispute over an uninhabited island formation in the East China Sea, which Japan controls and calls the Senkaku Islands, looms as an ongoing difficulty. China calls the islands Diaoyu and argues they are part of its territory. Japan expressed its anger in January when, according to Japanese officials, China sent a nuclear-powered submarine to nearby waters. Kono told reporters on Sunday that he had emphasized to Wang "that there will be no genuine improvement in the Japan-China relations without stability in the East China Sea." The pair reportedly further "confirmed the importance of making the East China Sea a 'sea of peace, cooperation, and friendship.'"
Kono said they intended to work hard to speed up implementation of a maritime and aerial communication mechanism. The discussions come against a backdrop of a 41 percent decline in Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets scrambling in response to People's Liberation Army Air Force aircraft in the 2017 fiscal year, as Franz-Stefan Gady reported for The Diplomat.
North Korea was another topic for important discussions, given the fast-moving developments on the peninsula. Next week will bring a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Moon, to be followed by a possible meeting with Trump in May or June. Kim paid a visit to Xi in Beijing recently, and Wang was reportedly eager to brief Kono on the "very positive important changes" in the situation on the peninsula.
The resumption of the high-level economic dialogue has triggered speculation in China about the prospect of improved bilateral ties with Japan. The China Daily argued that trade was a fitting starting point to make a serious attempt at restoring the historically strained relationship: "That the two parties have chosen to repair ties and reopen high-level economic dialogue after such a long hiatus has naturally inspired high hopes in both countries that substantial improvements in broader ties will materialize."
Daniel Hurst is a freelance journalist based in Tokyo.
China-Japan economic relations
Japan and the Belt and Road
Japan North Korea policy
Senkaku/Diaoyu Dispute
Wang Yi
Wang Yi in Japan
Japan-China Relations at a Crossroads
By Hiroko Maeda
Asia's two biggest economic powers continue to struggle to find common ground.
Japan Wants Talks With China in Myanmar
By Clint Richards
Japan is lobbying for a high-level visit this weekend despite a lack of concessions.
China's Foreign Minister Arrives in Japan, Hoping to Keep Relations Steady
Wang Yi's trip marks Beijing's first high-level engagement with the new Suga administration.
Is This a True Thaw in Sino-Japanese Relations?
By Trissia Wijaya and Yuma Osaki
Behind the immediate diplomatic détente, distrust and trust in Sino-Japanese relations remain two sides of the same coin.


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Muscle Car Icon – The 2016 Dodge Challenger
When we think about the muscle cars of past years one car stands out in the minds of those who first experienced the time when sleek cars with powerful engines came of age and those who are enthusiast with the thrill of power and speed in today's modern muscle car. One of these cars is still the icon of that time and exist even today with a sleek design, a selection of powerful engines, and an audience that gets excited every year when the new cars arrive at the local Dodge dealer. That car is the 2016 Dodge Challenger.
Performance and Power
Needless to say in today's market nothing compares in style and performance with the 2016 Dodge Challenger. The reason for this is two fold, power and performance. The selection of the proper engine and drive train will provide the best economy along with the horsepower desired.
Engine choices include the economical 3.6l Pentastar V6 with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) in a 24 valve V6 producing 305 HP. This engine can provide 30 MPG on the highway and an estimated 0-60 in six seconds. Exceptional performance is provided by a high flow intake and exhaust ports enhanced by a fully independent dual-cam and sequential port fuel injection for maximum performance under all driving conditions.
More power and performance is available with the selection of the famous 5.7L HEMI® V8. A whopping 375 HP of industry leading 410 LB-FT of Torque when coupled with a standard TREMEC® six-speed manual transmission will move from 0-60 mph in the low 5 second range. With the TorqueFlite eight speed automatic transmission and fuel Saver Economy eight cylinders transition to four providing more fuel efficiency.
6.4L HEMI V8 . Now we have some serous performance. 485 HP and 475 LB-FT of Torque gives this engine a flat torque curve and 0-60 in the low four second range. Both the manual and automatic transmissions are available for performance and efficiency.
Of course the Supercharged 6.2L HEMI SRT Hellcat V8 is available in the SRT Hellcat and SRT 392 which will be discussed in another blog.
For comfort even on the longest trips the 2016 Dodge Challenger is design with a cockpit for the family. Starting with leather trimmed or cloth seats that available driver and passenger heated seats and a 6 way power driver seat to a customizable digital cluster display an available Uconnect® Access Via Mobile system for easy access to your popular apps. This is the ultimate in muscle car comfort.
When considering your next vehicle purchase a great selection of new and used Dodge Challenger's are available for sale at Hoyte Chrysler Durant located at 2005 West Main Street in Durant Oklahoma. We may be contacted by calling 580-924-7500 or visit us on the web at hoytechryslerdurant for a complete listing of current bargains on New Specials and Used Specials. You can like us on Facebook, pin us on Pinterest, or follow us on Twitter.
All New 2016 RAM Laramie Limited – Luxury Redefined
Pickups are designed and manufactured to work. We often think of a pickup as that beat up, dirty truck out on the farm or ranch getting the job done. Although this is the image of a pickup it has now evolved. Not only is one used for work, but also the vehicle driven by the family or executive for transportation in everyday living.
RAM Trucks have made changes that redefine the image of a pickup. The designers of the new 2016 RAM Laramie Limited have crafted a sophisticated body style featuring read wood, liquid graphite, chrome buckles, a lot of chrome, and the luxury of black leather that all come blended together with beauty, elegance, and practically.
What an Interior
Stepping on the standard wheel to wheel side steps brings your attention to the revised floor mats. The interwoven gray thread resembles the interior wood patterns. Extra detail is given to accenting the interior with elegant changes that catch the eye and invites the driver and passengers to take a seat in all-leather Black Natura Plus seats featuring embroidered pinstripe details with the RAM Logo. A new state-of-the-art console stands out with a new design featuring a premium tambour style console door finished in Liquid Graphite and real Argento wood.
Next, attention is turned to a new design for the Laramie Limited is a six-ring instrumentation cluster that is pleasing to the eye with easy to read instruments that allow the eyes to stay on the road while keeping track of the vitals of the engine and traveling speed.
A new grille design stands out as a major change. The familiar crosshair style is replaced with flowing parallel grill openings and a rebranded tailgate sporting a new RAM logo with 20 inch letters and tail lamps that stand out.
2016 RAM Laramie Limited Dealership
Available in the 1500, 2500, and 3500 Models, the New 2016 RAM Laramie Limited can be purchased from Hoyte Chrysler Durant in three models. The popular 1500, the durable 2500, or the powerful 3500.
We are located at 2005 West Main Street in Durant Oklahoma. We may be contacted by calling 580-924-7500 or visit us on the web at hoytechryslerdurant for a complete listing of current bargains on New Specials and Used Specials. You can like us on Facebook, pin us on Pinterest, or follow us on Twitter.
2016 RAM 4500/5500 Chassis Cab Truck
The 2016 RAM 4500/5500 Chassis Cab Truck takes on the toughest jobs by providing a strong work truck platform designed with a frame and the ability to accept a specially designed up-lift bed. The heavy duty 2016 RAM 5500 Truck which is commonly referred to as a Chassis Cab will accept a variety of truck beds or an aftermarket bed for hauling dirt, a welders rig, or a unit designed for first responders just to name a few.
Strong Heavy Duty Frame
The combination of a number of components go into making a real heavy duty truck. A solid steel frame is a must. With a Best-In-Class 50,000 PSI Steel rear frame that has the muscle and strength to perform those heavy jobs it is supported by a flat rear frame rail with nothing protruding above the rear frame rails. The wiring is internal to the frame which provides a surface clear of all components for mounting any bed desired for that special job. No modifications are required, just bolt the bed to the body and hook up the wiring harness to the lights.
Three Powerful Engines To Choose From
The 2016 RAM 4500/5500 chassis Cab Trucks are available with three engine choices starting with the powerful 6.7L Cummins® Turbo Diesel Engine producing 650 ft-lb of torque to haul or tow heavy loads. If a gas powered engine is your desire two engines may be chosen from. The larger 6.4L HEMI V8 with Fuel Saver Technology engine and 370 Horsepower this powerful engine will handle your next job. For those who still prefer the powerful 5.7L HEMI® VVT engine with 383 Horsepower and a 6-speed Automatic Transmission designed to do the work of a lighter engine without sacrificing any quality. The Best-In-Class Duel Fuel Tank has a capacity of 74 gallons, Anti-Spin Rear Differential, and many more options.
When hauling heavy loads disk brakes are a vital part of safely stopping the vehicle. The RAM 4500/5500 Chassis Cab truck is equipped with the Largest-In-Class brake rotors. Stopping power is the answer with 15 inch rotors that provide longevity and service. The Cummings Diesel Engine is equipped with a smart exhaust break to assist the rotors in slowing down the vehicle. The Smart Exhaust senses when the truck is traveling downhill with a heavy load and gently engages to maintain a steady speed. Less breaking means less ware. Heavy duty work requires Heavy Duty Wheels. Standard on the RAM 4500/5500 trucks are duel rear wheels for better stability, traction, and the support of heavy loads.
The New RAM 4500 provides 16,500 LB of GVWR with 32,400 LB of GCWR. Stepping up to the RAM 5500 increases the GVWR to 1,500 LB with Max GCWR of 37,500 LB.
Extensive testing on all New 2016 RAM Trucks is done to ensure they meet the standards that a RAM Truck owner demands. RAM Trucks come with a five-year 100,000 mile power train limited warranty.
Hoyte Chrysler Durant is committed to providing the best in sales and service. We are located at 2005 West Main Street in Durant Oklahoma. We may be contacted by calling 580-924-7500 or visit us on the web at hoytechryslerdurant for a complete listing of current bargains on New Specials and Used Specials. You can like us on Facebook, pin us on Pinterest, or follow us on Twitter.
2016 RAM ProMaster® Cargo Van Series
In the world of business transportation of goods or providing a service to a location remote from the business location requires a vehicle that has been engineered, designed, and manufactured to accomplish the job required by the vehicle owner.
The series of 2016 RAM ProMaster® Cargo Vans from Hoyte Dodge are available in three models starting with the popular ProMaster 1500. RAM ProMaster 2500, and RAM ProMaster 3500 gives this work van the needed space to carry the heavy loads or equipped with a made-to-order customized uplift center to utilize all of the available space with shelves and work area so the materials and tools are on the job when needed saving valuable time and resources by not returning to the shop.
Maximum Work Space
The RAM ProMaster 1500 is available with a 118-inch or 138-inch WB if an extended cargo area is required to provide 303.7 maximum cubic feet of space. Also the option for the low or high roof is available to suite the job requirements. The 2500 and 3500 models are available with high roofs providing 462.8 maximum cubic feet of space.
Powered by a choice of the 3.6L Pentastar® V6 gasoline VVT engine or the 3.0L EcoDiesel I4 best in fuel economy, torque, and payload give the ProMaster Cargo Van the best in fuel economy and 4.420 lbs of payload.
The best selection of 2016 RAM ProMaster Trucks to choose from are at Hoyte Chrysler Durant. We are located at 2005 West Main Street in Durant Oklahoma. We may be contacted by calling 580-924-7500 or visit us on the web at hoytechryslerdurant for a complete listing of current bargains on New Specials and Used Specials. You can like us on Facebook, pin us on Pinterest, or follow us on Twitter.


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Михаил Розанов:
 Розанов, Михаил Виллиевич (род. 1973) — российский фотограф и актёр.
 Розанов, Михаил Григорьевич (псевдоним: Н. Огнёв; 1888—1938) — русский писатель, педагог.
 Розанов, Михаил Михайлович (1902—1989) — политический заключенный, писатель, исследователь ГУЛАГа.
 Розанов, Михаил Павлович (1891—1966) — советский биолог, зоолог.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's a lot like Count to 1,000, but with a twist.
So what you do is, if you are not a New Member/Member you count up by one.
If you are a New Member or just Member, count down by 1. Moderators and Admin also count up.
6, since you said that if you are a New Member or Member count down by 1, and I'm a member.
8, since I'm now a trusted member.


Actress Lindsey Mitchell and prodigal son Vince (they all have lovely bottoms) are on the judging panel for The Lovely Girls. Ted's has the honour of picking the winner, who will have the honour of paying for dinner for him. Dougal has to house sit but fiery feminist rock star Niamh Connolly is in the property market. Jack takes up charity fraud, while Mrs Doyle shows her competency with power tools.


You will find us in the village of Aniezo, 9 km from the town of Potes. At the roundabout in Ojedo take the exit for Palencia, CA184 for about 3 km. Just beyond Frama take a left turn signposted Aniezo, Luriezo, Cahecho. La Pisa guesthouse is in the centre of the village above the water wheel, or in Spanish, La Pisa.
From Bilbao we are 2½ hours by car, Santander 1½ hours and Oviedo 2½ hours.


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Q: UIKeyboardTypeNumberPad type letters? I really want to make a keyboard that is the UIKeyboardTypeNumberPad but instead of it showing a 4 in a textfield when pressing the 4 button,  i want it to highlight the G for about 5 seconds and while its highlighted, if i press again it goes to h then to i, and for all letters, so 2 would start A then b then c if clicked multiple times? i found out on IOS they have a built in one that does this, but its not exactly the UIKeyboardTypeNumberPad and its for japanese, it will show, and type in US but still some japanese around and is hard to use because its not a true full UIKeyboardTypeNumberPad. like 0 is space or go to next letter, not on the japanese one though. so how could i code this for my application?

A: I don't think this is a good approach, but technically you can. Work not with keyboards, but with input fields. I mean that, for example, UITextViewDelegate defines –textView:shouldChangeTextInRange:replacementText: method. When user tries to change text in UITextView, this method will be called. Then you can change text manually and return NO to ignore user input.
In example below when user types '0', 'G' will be added instead (to illustrate my idea).
- (BOOL)textView:(UITextView *)textView shouldChangeTextInRange:(NSRange)range replacementText:(NSString *)text
{
    NSString *correctReplacement = [text stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"0" withString:@"G"];
    textView.text = [textView.text stringByAppendingString:correctReplacement];
    return NO;
}

A: The correct way to do this is to create your own "keyboard" view with the buttons and actions you want, and assign it to the text field's inputView property.  Then the system will display your keyboard instead of the normal system keyboard.  The keyboard view (or view controller) will need a reference back to the text field, so it can use the UITextInput methods to respond to the user's touches.
"Custom Views for Data Input" in Text, Web, and Editing Programming Guide for iOS
UITextInput Protocol Reference

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Suzanne Silvercruys (Maaseik, 29 mei 1898 – 31 maart 1973) was een Belgisch-Amerikaanse beeldhouwster en politiek activiste. Tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog werd ze in de Verenigde Staten bekend als the little Belgian girl door haar grote inzet voor geldinzamelacties ten voordele van de Belgische oorlogsslachtoffers.

Biografie
Suzanne Silvercruys groeide op in villa Egelsberg te Maaseik. Haar vader Frantz (François) baron Silvercruys was rechter bij het Belgische Hof van Cassatie en haar broer Robert baron Silvercruys was een Belgisch diplomaat.

Tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog verhuisde ze in 1915 samen met haar man en zus naar de Verenigde Staten. In 1917 was ze er toeschouwer bij een vergadering ten voordele van de organisatie "Relief Fund Belgium", dat geld inzamelde om de hongersnood in België te bestrijden. Omdat de uitgenodigde hoofdspreker niet aanwezig kon zijn, werd haar gevraagd te spreken over de schrijnende oorlogstoestanden in haar geboorteland. Ze kreeg een staande ovatie voor haar passionele toespraak en spontaan werd er een collecte gehouden. Op vraag van de Belgische ambassadeur in Washington ging Silvercruys spreken voor verenigingen en scholen over geheel het land en werd zo het uithangbord van een gigantische inzamelactie van 1 miljoen dollar, wat haar de bijnaam "the little Belgian girl" gaf. België bekroonde haar voor haar verdiensten met de Leopoldsorde en de Kroonorde. Ook in de Tweede Wereldoorlog zette Silvercruys zich in voor inzamelacties.

In 1922 bekwam Silvercruys de Amerikaanse nationaliteit en werd ze politiek actief in de Republikeinse Partij in Connecticut. In 1949 was ze stichtster en eerste voorzitster van Minute Women of the U.S.A. dat communisme bestreed.

In 1928 studeerde Silvercruys af aan de kunstafdeling van de universiteit van Yale, met beeldhouwkunst als hoofdvak. Silvercruys maakte beeldhouwwerken van onder meer president Hoover, koningin Astrid en Audrey Hepburn. Daarnaast schilderde ze ook portretten.

Silvercruys scheidde van Henry W. Farnam jr. en hertrouwde met de Amerikaanse legerkolonel Edward Ford Stevenson. Ze woonde in Tucson, Arizona toen ze in 1973 overleed op 74-jarige leeftijd.

Bibliografie
Werken van Silvercruys

 Suzanne of Belgium (autobiografie)
 There Is No Death (toneelstuk)
 A Primer of Sculpture

Secundaire literatuur

 Marcel Cuyx. Suzanne Silvercruys: een uitzonderlijke Maaseiker vrouw. Documentatiecentrum Maaseik, 2022

Bronnen

Referenties

Belgisch persoon in de Eerste Wereldoorlog
Belgisch beeldhouwer


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American Embassy may refer to:

 Any of the embassies maintained by the US
 The American Embassy, a short-lived television show on the Fox network


This report forecasts total world demand in 2018 for graphite by product, market, and major world region in metric tons. Product segments include natural graphite, synthetic graphite, and carbon fiber. Reported markets encompass metallurgy, refractories, batteries, and other markets. Major world regions include North America, Western Europe, Asia/Pacific, and all other regions. Demand by product segment is also forecast for each major world region.
To illustrate historical trends world, product, market, and regional demand are provided for 2008 and 2013. Further, regional demand is segmented by market for 2013. Finally, world production is segmented by major world region and provided for 2008, 2013, and 2018.


Cave People recently dropped its new EP Salt, which was recorded by Joe Michelini (of American Trappist) at Berlin Studios. All proceeds will go to Juntos, a Philly-based organization that is fighting for immigrant rights. A folk, bare-bones vulnerability unfolds on Dave Tomaine's latest album. An air of loneliness and regret stirs, yet there is a beauty to it all. That fragility wears into you as the music plays on.
Below is the new video for "Are You Looking," which is featured on Salt (Stereophonodon Records), the forthcoming EP from Cave People, scheduled for release on September 7. Directed by Robert Salazar, a common thread of peppermints and nightly drives permeates throughout. Chronicling an evening as an Uber/Lyft driver, the job is displayed on the surface. However, the protagonist appears to recall more pleasant, intimate memories throughout. Mirroring the lyrics, one wonders what caused the distance/disconnect. Cave People are slated to appear at Union Transfer on Wednesday, September 5, as part of a lineup that also includes Kississippi, Ratboys, and Foxing.
Cave People's new EP Kingfisher is out now via Stereophonodon. A stirring, intimate, warmth radiates from within a cabin. The serenity of thought-provided space gently wears into you, which is countered and accentuated by a heart-thumping, grungy melody. Boot & Saddle will hosting the band's record release this Thursday, April 12, with support from Petal & Body Guard.
Kingfisher, the forthcoming EP from Cave People, will be released via Stereophonodon Records on April 6. Its lead single, "Wait," ponders in a daydream of distraction. Hung up on an individual or ideal, the song pleasantly stirs in a delayed sadness. Then, that mid-tempo tone ramps up as haunting howls breakthrough in the background. With support from Petal and Body Guard, you can catch the band's record release show on Thursday, April 12 at Boot & Saddle.
Cave People recently released their full-length debut, Sinning Tree, via Stereophonodon Records. In the video for the title-track, directed by Sarah Trad and Kevin Tomasura, Dave Tomaine encounters a troll in the woods, and proceeds to exchange cash for a seed. However, the planting process takes an unexpected turn as Tomaine ultimately ends up in the ground.


text:
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Missouri Compromise, (1820), in U.S. history, measure worked out between the North and the South and passed by the U.S. Congress that allowed for admission of Missouri as the 24th state (1821). It marked the beginning of the prolonged sectional conflict over the extension of slavery that led to the American Civil War.
The territory of Missouri first applied for statehood in 1817, and by early 1819 Congress was considering enabling legislation that would authorize Missouri to frame a state constitution. When Rep. James Tallmadge of New York attempted to add an antislavery amendment to that legislation on February 13, 1819, however, there ensued an ugly and rancorous debate over slavery and the government's right to restrict slavery. The Tallmadge amendment prohibited the further introduction of slaves into Missouri and provided for emancipation of those already there when they reached age 25. The amendment passed the House of Representatives, controlled by the more-populous North, but failed in the Senate, which was equally divided between free and slave states. Congress adjourned without resolving the Missouri question.
The following summer a considerable body of public opinion in the North was rallied in support of the Tallmadge proposal. Much of that anti-Missouri sentiment, as it was called, arose from a genuine conviction that slavery was morally wrong. Political expediency was mixed with moral convictions. Many of the leading anti-Missouri men had been active in the Federalist party, which seemed to be in the process of disintegration; it was charged that they were seeking an issue on which to rebuild their party. The Federalist leadership of the anti-Missouri group caused some northern Democrats to reconsider their support of the Tallmadge amendment and to favour a compromise that would thwart efforts to revive the Federalist party.
When it reconvened in December 1819, Congress was faced with a request for statehood from Maine. The Senate passed a bill allowing Maine to enter the Union as a free state and Missouri to be admitted without restrictions on slavery. Sen. Jesse B. Thomas of Illinois then added an amendment that allowed Missouri to become a slave state but banned slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase north of latitude 36°30′. Henry Clay then skillfully led the forces of compromise, engineering separate votes on the controversial measures. On March 3, 1820, the decisive votes in the House admitted Maine as a free state, Missouri as a slave state, and made free soil all western territories north of Missouri's southern border.
When the Missouri constitutional convention empowered the state legislature to exclude free blacks and mulattoes, however, a new crisis was brought on. Enough northern congressmen objected to the racial provision that Clay was called upon to formulate the Second Missouri Compromise. On March 2, 1821, Congress stipulated that Missouri could not gain admission to the Union until it agreed that the exclusionary clause would never be interpreted in such a way as to abridge the privileges and immunities of U.S. citizens. Missouri so agreed and became the 24th state on August 10, 1821; Maine had been admitted the previous year on March 15.
Although slavery had been a divisive issue in the United States for decades, never before had sectional antagonism been so overt and threatening as it was in the Missouri crisis. Thomas Jefferson described the fear it evoked as "like a firebell in the night." Although the compromise measures appeared to settle the slavery-extension issue, John Quincy Adams noted in his diary, "Take it for granted that the present is a mere preamble—a title page to a great, tragic volume." Sectional conflict would grow to the point of civil war after the Missouri Compromise was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) and was declared unconstitutional in the Dred Scott decision of 1857.
Henry Clay gained the nicknames "the Great Pacificator" and "the Great Compromiser" because of his role in the Missouri Compromise.
The compromise was condemned by some Southerners because it set the precedent that Congress could make a law regarding slavery.
The Missouri Compromise was declared unconstitutional in Dred Scott v. Sandford.


Digital in China.. or not!
After years of traveling internationally, you would think that I would remember to turn the data off on my phone before I leave the States so that I don't get charged. Actually, I thought I did (I checked it on the plane coming over and did the switch thing), but I noticed Sunday that my data usage was at 80MB somehow. That means a $$$$ bill waiting for me when I return because of the 5 days of having data on, even though I was using WiFi ($20 per MB while out of country).
I tried to reach Verizon on the China toll-free number last evening to arrange Global Service, but since it was already night in China, I could not reach the 24X7 support line. (很抱歉,您已达到关闭 "Sorry the number you are calling is off"). Being digitally savvy, I figured the next best thing would be their on-line chat. Once I waded through their huge website I finally found where to chat with a live person and was told by the nice chat person on-line that since I already left the USA, I had to call back to the States and that I probably could not get the service now that I left.
I finally got the Global Service ordered on-line after being told I couldn't do it (yet another person that did not know what they were talking about). Now international calls are ONLY $1.99 per minute and data is supposedly cheaper than I was paying. I received an email a few minutes ago from Verizon trying to sell me the service I struggle to buy just 12 hours ago. But wait, the story is not done yet!
Shortly after ordering the service I started getting weird SMS messages every 10 minutes (or less) to my phone. These SMS messages were coming from a number 6250 and were just saying: VZWNMN: 1 or 2. I got 53 of them between Midnight and Noon. So, tonight I got back on with the chat people (this one was named Chris) and, as you would expect, Chris never heard of this problem and could not help me (but was very sorry for my inconvenience).
With no help from Verizon and constant notifications now from my phone, I googled the code. I found several forums that told me that the 6250 message is a wake up message for the Sync & Connect email component of the Backup Assistant Plus (BUA+) service available on the device. When I finally figured out how to remove the BUA+ (which was no easy feat), it seems to have stopped. No texts now for at least an hour. Yahoo!
WiFi is freely available here in China but (1) the country restricts what sites you can visit, and what content you can see and (2) being open it is also available to any hacker that wants your addresses. Regardless of my phone issues, I need to computer securely. The next step was to get a secure WiFi hotspot.
I went to this incredible electronics market (floors and floors of everything you could image (my Swedish colleague, Peter, thesocialswede.com, called it 'Geeks Paradise') and I bought a private WiFi hotspot (but is anything really private?). A hotspot still needs a carrier, so I bought a 9GB card for it. Now let's see how long that lasts me. At least the electronics market is only 7 train stops away (toward Hong Kong).
You probably figured out that you can't blog easily in China. You can't get to WordPress or FaceBook or YouTube from Mainland China. Most social networking is blocked. This was getting me very frustrated since I am a daily blogger on DogDaz.com and weekly here (or at least I try to be). I was sitting in a lovely water garden outside the hotel on Sunday, starting to type this post on my smartphone (the WordPress app on my phone worked but not the computer). The tiny keyboard was getting harder and harder to focus on, so I needed to do something to get back outside the wall.
I haven't focused on getting a local phone yet. I wonder what kind of nightmare that will be?
It was a week before I was able to Skype home (which was always my communications plan because it is free) because I couldn't coördinate the call times (we are 13 hours different). I used to be able to text from overseas for free from my computer, but now Verizon has changed all that, which is where this whole nightmare began. Me trying to text home to tell them I was free to Skype, only to find out that it would cost $$$$.
Anyhow, I have HungOut on Google+ and Skyped with my daughter in the Middle East and I just got back to FaceBook chatting (but don't really have time for it)..
One more thing I forget to tell you, I downloaded WeChat so that I can be in contact with my business associates here in China. They can text me, independent of phone service, even though I don't have a China number.
You might be wondering at this point how I am getting any work done. Being in Shenzhen has definitely effected my Digital Attitude. I am not going to take anything digital for granted anymore.
Do you take your digital world for granted? What would you do if you were disconnected for a day or a week? and not by your choosing?


LAUREL A. HEGER WORKED AS A MARITIME COOK ON FISHING VESSELS, FREIGHTERS AND TENDERS IN THE BERING SEA AND INLETS OF ALASKA. LAUREL WOULD OFTEN TAKE HER YOUNG SON ON SHORT EXPEDITIONS TO UNEARTH WOODSY TREASURES OF THEIR OWN. SHE MAKES HER HOME IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND VOLUNTEERS IN HER COMMUNITY.


The LogiCORE™ JTAG to AXI Master IP core is a customizable core that can generate the AXI transactions and drive the AXI signals internal to FPGA in the system. This supports AXI4 interfaces and Lite protocol and can be selected using a parameter. The width of AXI data bus is customizable. This IP can drive AXI4-Lite or AXI4 Memory mapped Slave through an AXI4 interconnect. This can also be connected to interconnect as master. Run time interaction with this core requires the use of the Vivado® logic analyzer feature.


text:
Maine Public Classical Holiday Music Stream
Scott Neuman
Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
He brings to NPR years of experience as a journalist at a variety of news organizations based all over the world. He came to NPR from The Associated Press in Bangkok, Thailand, where he worked as an editor on the news agency's Asia Desk. Prior to that, Neuman worked in Hong Kong with The Wall Street Journal, where among other things he reported extensively from Pakistan in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He also spent time with the AP in New York, and in India as a bureau chief for United Press International.
A native Hoosier, Neuman's roots in public radio (and the Midwest) run deep. He started his career at member station WBNI in Fort Wayne, and worked later in Illinois for WNIU/WNIJ in DeKalb/Rockford and WILL in Champaign-Urbana.
Neuman is a graduate of Purdue University. He lives with his wife, Noi, on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
Sick 1-Year-Old Rescued From Sailboat 1,000 Miles Off Mexican Coast
By Scott Neuman • Apr 7, 2014
A family with two small children who set sail on a round-the-world trip in their 36-foot boat were rescued 1,000 miles off Mexico's Pacific Coast after the 1-year-old daughter fell seriously ill.
Eric Kaufman, a U.S. Coast-Guard-licensed captain, and his wife, Charlotte, 3-year-old Cora and baby Lyra set sail from Mexico in March, bound for the Marquesas, a Pacific island chain. They were following a route used by hundreds of small-boat sailors each year that is nicknamed the "coconut milk run" for its generally benign conditions.
WATCH: Giant Container Ship Collides With Hong Kong Park
Such are the hazards of living in a city that is also home to one of the world's busiest ports ...
Joggers are used to dodging bikers, skateboarders and even stray animals. But if you'd happened to be running on a popular path at the Stanley Ho Sports Center in Hong Kong's Pok Fu Lam district on Sunday, you might have come close to hitting a 633-foot container ship.
Mob In Ukraine Seizes Provincial Building, Declares Independence
Pro-Russian separatists who seized a provincial building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have reportedly declared an independent "people's republic" in a move that echoes events leading to last month's secession of Crimea.
You can see video of the scuffle between police and protesters that led up to the storming of the building here.
Death Toll At 33 In Washington State Mudslide
The number of dead from last month's mudslide near Oso, Wash., has been officially raised to 33 by the Snohomish County medical examiner's office. All but three of the victims have been identified, and 10 people are still missing in the mud and debris.
Billy L. Spillers, 30, of Arlington, Wash., is among the newly identified victims. Like all of the victims recovered so far, Spillers died of blunt force trauma, the medical examiner said.
According to The Associated Press:
New Airline Survey Gives Virgin America Top Rating
U.S. airlines got their highest ratings in more than 20 years in 2013, according to an annual survey, but customers were still not satisfied with the frequency of flight delays and lost or damaged bags.
McDonald's Shuts Its Restaurants In Crimea
McDonald's, citing the "evolving situation" in Crimea, said Friday it was closing its three restaurants on the Black Sea peninsula, but the move has prompted one prominent Moscow politician to call for the fast-food giant to be booted from all of Russia.
"Due to operational reasons beyond our control, McDonald's has taken the decision to temporarily close our three restaurants in Simferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta," a spokeswoman said.
Kerry: 'Reality Check Time' In Middle East Peace Talks
Frustrated by obstacles encountered in talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that the White House was re-evaluating its role in the process, and that the time had come for a "reality check."
Speaking at a news conference in Rabat, Morocco, Kerry said the dialogue that the U.S. has been mediating is "not an open-ended effort, it never has been.
India Sentences 3 To Hang For Multiple Rapes
A court in India has sentenced three convicted rapists to death by hanging under a new law that seeks to crack down on attacks on women in the country.
According to Al-Jazeera, "The men are the first to be tried and convicted under a recently revised law that carries the death penalty for those convicted of multiple sexual assaults."
The news agency says:
Washington Mudslide Death Toll Rises To 30
The official death toll from last month's landslide in Washington state has risen to 30, according to local officials, with more than a dozen still listed as missing.
The Snohomish County medical examiner's office released the names of two more victims: 67-year-old Gloria Halstead and 13-year-old Jovon E. Mangual, both of Arlington. Of the 30 confirmed victims, three have yet to be identified.
Court In Turkey Orders Twitter Service Restored
Twitter is back on in Turkey after a constitutional court ruled that a government-imposed ban on the social media service was a breach of free expression.
The country's telecom authority lifted the 2-week-old ban, after it was blocked in the runup to last Sunday's local elections.
U.S. Troubled By Iran's Choice Of 1979 Hostage-Taker For U.N. Post
The U.S. says Iran's potential nomination of a new United Nations ambassador who was a hostage-taker during the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran is "extremely troubling," but stopped short of saying it would deny him a visa.
"We're taking a close look at the case now, and we've raised our serious concerns about this possible nomination with the government of Iran," State Department deputy spokesman Marie Harf said of Hamid Aboutalebi, who was a member of a radical Muslim student group who seized the took over the embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
Yanukovych: 'I Was Wrong' To Ask Russian Troops Into Crimea
Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted after asking Russian troops into Crimea, admits that his decision was wrong, calling Moscow's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula "a major tragedy."
In an interview with The Associated Press and Russian channel NTV, he said he made a mistake when he asked Russia to intervene, a move many Ukrainians view as treason.
"I was wrong," he said through a translator. "I acted on my emotions."
Putin Divorce Final; Ex-Wife Expunged From Kremlin Bio
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife of 30 years, Lyudmila, are now divorced, the Kremlin confirmed Wednesday.
The divorce was finalized months after the couple announced on national television in June that they intended to end the marriage. At the time, Putin said: "It was a joint decision: we hardly see each other, each of us has our own life." She called the divorce "civilized" and added that the two would always remain close.
A State Fossil For S. Carolina Faces Mammoth Obstacle
The Columbian mammoth is facing extinction as South Carolina's proposed state fossil unless the elephant-sized Ice Age mammal can survive the efforts of creationist lawmakers.
Malaysian Official: Fate Of MH370 May Never Be Known
With no wreckage found yet that can be linked to Flight MH370 and time beginning to run out for a homing beacon on the 'black box' flight data recorder, Malaysia's police chief says the mystery of the missing airliner may never be solved.
Khalid Abu Bakar says the criminal investigation into the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight could "go on and on and on.


text:
What is Boston Dynamics?
maize. April 19th, 2019
— The robotic dogs from the "Metalhead" episode of Black Mirror aired in 2017 are not entirely the fruit of the imagination of its screenwriters: very similar four-legged robots are actually one of the most cutting-edge products of Boston Dynamics, a company which is making your most terrifying robotic nightmares come true.
There are very few topics that tickle the human imagination as much as robots do — and they've been doing it for quite a while now: the idea of mechanical beings dates back to Greek times, with the myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor falling in love with a statue that eventually comes to life and becomes his lover. The idea of an 'artificial human', as paradoxical and fascinating as it is, had only been a purely philosophical manner. That is until 1955, the year that marks the very first AI programs. After the 'AI winter', a long halt between the 70's and the late 90's, advancements in this technology suddenly boomed, and so did the presence of robots in series, books, video games and YouTube videos. However, when it comes to envisioning a world where humans and robots live together, there has never been room for bright futures: this has not (and probably will not) change. What has changed since the first experiments is that the robots we imagined for so long have now jumped out of the book pages and cinema screens and are right in front of our eyes — and yes, they are as we expected them to be, if not more.
One of the most advanced companies of the robotics sector worldwide for example, went viral for its videos showing the performances of the robots it manufactures: they can open doors, perform warehouse workers' tasks, dance to a Bruno Mars song, do parkour. And they look so eerie that they've been labeled as "creepy", "nightmare inducing", "nimble", "terrifying" — the list goes on. What's more creepy than them, is the history behind the American company that produces them, Boston Dynamics: a story where the U.S. army and the most powerful tech companies merge, all mixed together with a sprinkle of secrecy and internet conspiracy. So, what is Boston Dynamics? To answer this question, let's get back to the very beginning: in 1992, the company spun off from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology lab. The founder, Marc Raibert, had joined MIT in 1986 as an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor teaching a curriculum which included NASA's jet propulsion laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Computer Science and Robotics. The idea of founding Boston Dynamics came precisely from his experience at the MIT's 'Leg Laboratory', a department specifically devoted, in its own words, to the 'exploration of active balance and dynamics in legged systems creation' aimed at the building of cutting-edge, legged robots. A very layered branch of robotics, which involves the combination of different, complex factors altogether: perception software, electronics, robotic intelligence factors and equilibrium, among others.
Since its early days, the history of the company had been operating in the military sector, along with the industrial and rescue ones. One of Boston Dynamics' first and most known projects, in fact, was to create interactive 3D computer simulations to be used to replace naval training videos for aircraft launch operations. The final client was, through a Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) contract, the American Systems Corporation. The collaboration with an American government organization would be the first in a long series. In fact, after its first two advanced machines — RHex, a six-legged robot that can 'traverse different scenarios such as rock fields, mud, vegetation, railroad tracks, and stairways'; and SandFlea, a four-wheeled robot able to jump 10 meters into the air to jump over obstacles — the company released BigDog, the infamous robot which inspired the "Metalhead" Black Mirror episode and was the first project of a series to be financed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The final aim of the project was to implement in the US Army a robotic pack mule to 'accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for conventional vehicles'. Even though the BigDog project got dismissed in 2015 and never reached the battlefield for being, alas, too noisy to be useful on the battlefield, the news of the US Army-Boston Dynamics collaboration had already spread and everyone was quite worried by the idea of having one of the world's most powerful armies invest in advanced robotics so much. Things got worse in 2013 when, between the beginning year of the BigDog project and its final dismissal, Boston Dynamics was bought by Google X, now simply X, a secretive company owned by the Silicon Valley Giant. This, more than the videos of the company's robots creepy performances, is what truly went viral and made people worry.
Why would Google, a corporation already powerful enough, buy one of the most advanced companies in robotics worldwide which, incidentally, was investing most of its energies in the military sector? Where did all the interest of Google in robots come from? With Boston Dynamics having been, back then, the 8th acquisition of the company in robotics, it seemed clear that Google had a serious interest in the sector. As the ongoing contracts with military organizations was seen as highly worrying, Google made a promise: to honour the contracts already in place, but to totally dismiss any military project once the preexisting ones were over, and to focus on the industrial sector only from there on out. The company's goal, in fact, was not to enter the slippery and risky sector of war, but it was meant to make robots a marketable, everyday life product, instead.
The year of Google's acquisition, Boston Dynamics had quite a varied portfolio of products. Cheetah, a robot released one year before: developed for DARPA, with its 28.3 mp/h run speed it is one of the fastest robots on Earth (its newest version, Mini cheetah, which made its debut in early 2019, is the first robot to be ever able to do a backflip); Legged Squad Support System (LS3), a better, militarized version of the BigDog once again developed for DARPA; Wildcat, a free-running model of Cheetah running as fast as it; and Atlas: uncovered in 2013, it's a humanoid robot that can run, avoid obstacles and handle objects. The speculation of what would Google really wanted to do with Boston Dynamics will keep on being mere speculation: as the company, after just four years, would soon be on the market.
Here again, the reason is unclear, but Bloomberg reported tensions between the two companies and blamed it on the low profits that Boston Dynamics could generate. On top of this, some argue that Google was lacking vision in its robotics investments after Andy Rubin, creator of Android and manager of the robotics division, was allegedly forced to leave the company due to sexual misconduct.
Testing the robustness of the SpotMini.
What matters is that, although Google is still investing in robotics, they pulled a u-turn and sold all of their robotics companies, including Boston Dynamics, over the same period. In 2017, Boston Dynamics was sold to Japanese tech giant SoftBank, and in the same year of the new acquisition, unveiled a new version of its quadrupedal robot, called SpotMini: a very compact, four-legged and headless robot which was capable of smooth and complex movements. It can open doors — and you'd better not try and stop it if has decided to — and pull trucks, too. Twenty six years into the business, and 2019 is the year Boston Dynamics seems to be finally ready to go out into the real world. First, SpotMini will be the first robot the company has ever produced to be commercialized: the aim is to not only have it deployed in factory plants and offices, but to have it deployed in homes, too.
SpotMini will be the quietest robot BD has ever produced, but to actually enter people's lives their products have to do much more than open doors. That's why, this year, the company has bought Kinema Systems, a US-based startup specialized in 3D Vision solution for industrial robots, acquiring a vast in-house ability in robot manipulation. At the end of March 2019, the collaboration showed its first results, with the unveiling of Handle, a prototype robot meant to be used in warehouses and factories.
As the military sector seem to be left aside at the moment, the company seems to be ready to have its automated machines enter the normal world. What's creepier than having a Google-owned advanced robots company work with the US army? Having the distant relatives of these things within our homes. Opening our doors to the uncanny valley.
maize.
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Trudy Barber
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View the full list


…Or the first step into another world.
Here I will tell you about the pathway to my new life.
As you can imagine, such an open-length journey is extremely exciting. What do you take with you? What can you leave out? What at all is existing in a country, where there has been more than 20 years of civil war? These are just a few of the innumerable questions that were buzzing around in my head.
However, I was full of confidence that everything will work out somehow. Because in Islam, trust in Allah is very important. You do and plan what you can, but then you trust in Allah and see, if His plans are the same as yours. He is still the best planner and one thing I learned after a few years in Africa: it always comes different than you think!
This attitude to life helps you a lot to stay calm and not to unnecessarily go crazy (okay, honestly, I'm still working on it :-D).
We, my husband, my co-wife with her 2 toddlers and myself, started the trip at the end of May 2010. This is the time when the schoolchildren in Somalia have about 3 months of heat-free holidays.
We flew directly from Denmark to Dubai. At the exit the indescribable heat almost killed us. In summer the heat in Dubai reaches 50 degrees. Accordingly, life takes place after sunset. You do not even have to move- the sweat drips on its own! On the other hand, in shops, cars, hotels, and probably houses, there are exaggeratedly cool air conditioners that will make you freeze.
If you want to travel to Somalia, booking a complete flight is not so easy, at least not through one of these online-booking-systems. Everyone has to take a break in either Kenia, Ethopia, Turkey or Dubai and wait for the next best flight to Somalia. We were allowed to spend about a week in Dubai.
This break turned out to be the first test for me: I was plagued by terrible diarrhea! So it's best not to eat fast food from outside, better from the hotel! Or just eat vegetarian on the first trip! In Dubai, however, there is enough medicine, so that I was better in time for the onward flight (alhamduliLlah).
In Dubai you experience the total opposite to what awaits you in Somalia: the whole world is gathered. The whole worldly goods are flooding. It only can be described as superlatives (most beautiful and modern,highest, etc.). But our goal was the exact opposite. Life in Somalia is relatively tough. Poverty still prevails or is definitely obvious. Besides, the "natural" streets and not even one-story houses (mostly) offer you a rather simple life. But it is exactly this rather simple life, which brings you back to reality, to the reality of life. It even brings you much closer to the meaning of life: that we are Allah's servants and should serve Him (by worshiping Him alone, by good deeds, etc.). That's why I Prefer the life in Somalia than life abounds.
I do not remember exactly where we stopped off. I think it was in Berbera (Somaliland). However, I still remember very well the onward flight to Bosasso (Puntland). That was the worst flight of my life so far! This flying part of an airplane was definitely a sorted out piece from Russia! It was obvious by the poor equipment inside: no ventilation system and no emergency exit! So we were almost melting until we started the flight and freezing short after in the blue sky!
The aisle was so crammed full of travel bags (down to belly height) that even the captain and his crew struggled to get to the cockpit!
I asked my husband: "How can we find the Exit in case of emergency?" My husband who was struggling to calm down the kids, answered very calm and relaxed: "Sweetheart, there is NO EXIT in this plane!" He looked somehow amused about the whole situation, while I was not believing what I see!
I was also told that the (Russian) flight crew regularly "smells" of alcohol. But I could not confirm that, thanks to God. Anyway, it was like a horror-movie which became reality! But in the end, I was so knocked out that I put my head to the metal- wall in front of me (sitting in the front) and tried to get vanished trough the sleep.
It looked similar to this one, just more worse!
Thank God we arrived safely in Bosasso and I never saw this plane again- and I'm not missing it!
Now it was time for my first steps on the Somali soil, alhamduliLlah. Bosasso is a city at the Red Sea, so actually a nice start!
Somehow everything looks a bit surreal: on one hand, fairly high, barren mountains, which are almost threatening, and on the other hand, the beautiful, turquoise-colored sea. In addition, the heavy wind almost blows off your clothes. The heat there (in the summer above 40 degrees) is not much different than in Dubai, but the fresh hot breeze makes it bearable, at least in the Evening.
We were directly picked up by my brother in law and had been brought to Hotel Jubba. On the way to there you get first an impression of poverty in Somalia, a bitter aftertaste of the long civil war. Because between the airport and the city are the poorest of the poor settled. Not long after those you can see even multi-stores, white and beautiful houses, which are provided with the typical round arches. These are mostly hotels and shops.
You really have a lot to wonder when you arrive in Somalia for the first time!
Everywhere people and goats mingled, who are unstoppable by the cars, unless they activate their horns. Before or between the large shops, whose walls are always very colorfully painted with the contents (for example, sugar, flour, or cell phones, etc.), are often small self-built mini-Shops.
Unfortunately, in front of these mini-Shops you can see everywhere Khat being sold. These are some kind of leaves which operate like a drug and make you very careless about everything. Sadly it is the most common drug for soldiers and lorry drivers. Mostly they are sold by women who are struggling for survival.
What´s also very obvious: Women and girls wear very colorful hijabs (as opposed to the prevalent black in Dubai). Together with the colorful painted stores, it gives a very impressive and positive picture. Beside this interesting view, the sand is whirled by the cars and the wind, which gives a dusty view under the deep blue sky.
My first night on Somali ground was, beside the tiredness, still a kind of exciting, even though I was far too exhausted to deeply ponder about it: I was actually scared that the fan would fall on my bed! Because it always swayed so much back and forth … but thank God, nothing happened 😉 Beside all, in my Hotel room was everything else you need, even sturdy wooden furniture.
The road between Bosasso and Qardho- adventure for itself!
Since in Bosasso the summer months (late May to late September) are too hot to endure without air conditioning, most families go for this school-free time to the nearest villages or cities. Only the business men and the poor who can not afford to move, stay in Bosasso (and some hard-boiled families).
One of these relatively nearby small towns is called Qardho. My mother-in-law and part of her children and grandchildren had settled there for the holiday season. So we did not want to waste our time in the heat and drove further to Qardho the next day with the Landcruiser of my husband.
It is an impressive drive of about 4 hours. The street is still left over from the Italians in the 80's and surprisingly well preserved. Only a bit tight, in the oncoming traffic.This road is the main road, which is the gateway through Somalia.
Sometimes you have to leave the bumpy road to get through it on a country-side-way, but mostly it is good enough to drive on it.
On the way from Bosasso to Qardho you pass many mountains that really do not carry any herbs and therefore look so unreal; you pass as well on dry riverbeds that suddenly produce beautiful tall trees; as well as the semi-steppe, which has room for many camels and other grazing animals due to its dry, almost silver bushes. Not to forget the frequent roadblocks where soldiers stop you with a taut rope or another object to earn a few cents for the next meal. Sometimes you come across a village that consists of a few simple houses or self-made huts, in which no mosque may be missing.
I love this route until today.
At that time, while it was my first time seeing so many soldiers with weapons, my heart throbbed pretty well.
I prayed at every roadblock and tried to avoid the glare of the soldiers. My husband had been given a gun license because of me (like my bodyguard), but these sparsely paid, often khat-chewing soldiers are sometimes unpredictable.
But thank God everything went well and we arrived safely in Qardho.
It was lunchtime when we honked in our jeep in front of our new home and were then greeted by sooo many children.
I suddenly realized that I can not speak the Somali language at all.
In order not to let it be too long, I conclude here once. In the next article I will tell you about my first attempts to integrate in Qardho and Bosasso.
One thing is for sure: anyone who embarks on a trip to Somalia should definitely bring with him a good deal of trust in God (taqwah) and, most of all, vitamin B (good relations in case of need).
To be continued and looking forward to your comments, likes and stuff like that (in shaa Allah)!


text:
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Added on 27 Apr 2011, 16:43 UTC, last updated on 20 Jan 2021, 05:04 UTC
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