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The System Is Not Broken
News feeds filled my inbox today with an onslaught of ugly headlines. It's too much to keep up with it all. War is everywhere, corruption, fraud, fear is running wild. The press sells us buckets of particularly sensational street crime slop, that would make almost anyone feel like there is a threat behind every tree and that no one can be trusted. Who could feel secure while being pumped a steady stream of petty crime and escalating wars that we cannot affect? It's out of our hands, and feels out of control. Speculation is running pedal to the metal over why we are "really" in Iraq, or ready to enter Iran with guns blazing. People are angrily expressing their disgust with the new congress that was supposed to put bush in a pickle jar at the very least, leaving just enough holes in the lid to let him keep breathing until we can get a real president. He's not only not lame, he's hard at it, getting into even more dirty business without missing a beat.
The little drama played out for our 'benefit' with both the Iraq Study Group and then Gates himself was nothing more than standard public choreography. The same old ground sirloin of hope, tossed over the nearest fence and we all went scrambling to get at it. Now we're pulling the splinters out of our collective butts and saying, "Darn it, they did it to us again!" Well honey, when have they ever not done it to us?
We don't support this invasion of Iraq and our collective nonsupport is duly registered at empty recruiting offices nationwide. Why isn't the president getting the message? He is not interested in the message. True to his nature, when the country makes clear they are not in favor of what he wants, he does it anyway, by any possible means, no matter how wrong, how illegal, or how insulting it is to us.
America now recoils in disgust as our unelected president completely disregards the overwhelming will of the public, again, which is for the US to disengage itself from the bloody invasion of Iraq. The president is going right ahead with his war plans, and has already sent thousands more troops back into the violence abroad, many who have been there two and three times already.
We've all been down this exact same street before. Downing Street, "K" Street or Dealey Plaza, it's the same old street.
Americans stopped signing up for this war long ago, and bush ignored it. He's gathered troops by hook or by crook, American or not; sending thousands of non-citizens to go abroad and fight his little war to control Middle Eastern oil (Oh excuse me, I meant terrorism. At least I believe that's the current official excuse). The non-citizens families back home see us as despicable for using them to fight our wars for us. This ugly move the president made as usual hurt everyone involved, but it got him off. There's a word for that.
He has usurped our National Guard, which we need here, and sent them over seas to fight and die in this mess that no one supports. He always steals from us to get what he wants and does it right in our faces without any discussion and without regard to the real impact it has on us. And it has impacted us in a way few will ever forget. To get further around our simple collective "No" to war, he has hired on private mercenary armies, people with no loyalty to us, who don't give a damn who they kill for those mind boggling salaries they get, and that we are paying for.
It needs to be said: this president is a real jerk. And so is his entire cadre' of criminal elitists. By all means, spread the word.
Even the most die hard conservative supporters who once lashed out at anyone voicing the truth and shame of the Iraq debacle are no longer standing by the president. Even they are going rubbery in the knees and are feeling the same surges of nausea that the rest of us have been living with for years.
The president continues to bang the drums of war in a shameless display of intent to attack Iran. A nation unlike Iraq in that it's big enough to defend itself, and it has a legitimate bone to pick over the last time they got reamed by the West. No doubt those memories are still fresh. The fact that there is no justification to attack Iran is irrelevant to the president. It is not even remotely irrelevant to most Americans.
Americans very strongly believe that before we bomb anyone, there must be overwhelming justification, not 'probable cause' to do so. Is bush mixing up domestic law with Foreign Policy? Probable cause isn't sufficient grounds to invade Iran, not even asinine cooked up probable cause. Even with overwhelming justification in hand, before going to war, every other possible route must be exhausted until there is literally no other possibility of defending ourselves against their aggression.
There is aggression right? No? So, aggression is optional now too? No aggression is required, and no reason for war is necessary; they just have to be sitting there minding their own business to get us all worked up and ready to die for the insult to our... die for the.... who knows? Ask bush, it's his private Idaho. He keeps ignoring us, it's status quo. Do you see the pattern here yet?
Iran hasn't done anything beyond wanting the same nuclear power ability that we have. Israel is having a big twisted cow with a bizarre fantasy that they are in immediate threat of getting nuked by Iran; who is scheduled to obtain their first nuclear warhead, tentatively, in about a decade. I am waiting for Israel to demand that Iran be forbidden to have a military or defend itself in anyway, and to abolish their right to possess sharp objects. This is just craziness.
WE are the evil aggressors, attacking yet a third country while still embroiled in the filthy invasion of two other countries, who are both reeling on the verge of total collapse from all of our "help". Absolutely none of it is justified. It is beyond obscene, and it makes anyone with a decent bone within them feel physically ill to witness the pornography of posturing and lies and death.
The president has done a great many things that fly directly in the face of the will of the people and all of them have contributed to the overall harm of the nation. He's spent more money than all presidents before him COMBINED and brought us to the edge of total financial collapse. It's for a very good cause, Halliburton and KBR, Exxon and Blackwater. Worth every penny, don't you think?
As we go under bush claims the economy is good, it is growing. He is able to lie about anything without any sign of conscience. He has nibbled away at our constitutional protections with his bogus signing statements, presidential orders that are only for internal administrative purposes, not to handily evade the law, and assertions that his imperial will over rules the two other co-equal branches of government.
It's awfully hard to believe that every single president before him missed these tricks. I'm sure they're smacking their foreheads now, where ever they are. But we all know they didn't miss anything, because it doesn't exist. He has no such "rights". Bush is just making it up as he goes and nobody stops him. He's put loyalists in the judiciary nationwide, and now honest judges are getting their walking papers left and right. They're being told to resign without any reason and bush replaces them with his hand picked cronies who will be permanent there, since the latest law change, or rather subversion of the law. Are we seeing the pattern yet?
Many egregious laws have been forced through Congress, not by unanimous agreement, but by whatever means it took to get it done. We have watched aghast for a long time as he stripped us of rights he neither gave us or has any right to touch with a ten foot pole. Congress stood by and allowed it. No one fought for the people. No one fought for the good of the country.
With the first four amendments gutted and thrown back in our faces, the president informed us that he can do whatever he wants to do whether we like it or not. He has subverted the law hundreds of times making a mockery of the notion that he is bound by the law of the land, and duty bound to uphold the very laws he routinely breaks. The fact is, any laws that get in his way are simply broken.
We are never honestly informed, and no one charged with protecting the law is standing up to arrest this man. His lawyers take our money in generous paychecks, and they spend all of their time trying to find ways to let bush engage in heinous, inexcusable criminal acts. He can kill and maim and torture, steal and punish and cheat and lie and loot the public coffer to his hearts content. He does it while saying it's for our own good, and no one in a position to stop him gives him so much as an, "I beg your pardon". Do you think that's accidental? This is by design. We don't count. They don't care. Period.
We've had five years of shock after shock in the wake of this man's actions. Nothing is left upright and standing in it's original unmolested form. Every law he forces on us is one that diminishes us, diminishes the protections that we have for our environment, for our property ownership rights, our privacy, our ability to speak freely. He says he will now open our mail, he already keeps every digital move we make in ever growing mega databases, which are by all measures completely illegal. There isn't much left for him to destroy. He must be getting a little bored by now. Maybe there's nothing left but the big stuff, and he's more than happy to up the destructive ante.
The fact that the country spoke in a very loud, united voice on November 7 is enough on it's own to warrant appreciable surprise. This is a nation that has been torn apart since this president came on the scene. We can barely tolerate looking at each other, there has been so much hate and filth and ugliness peddled from the Oval Office and it's media sycophants. The situation with illegals pouring in was like adding lighter fluid to a stack of charcoal. I am still amazed that no one lit a match. But it will keep. He will light the match himself and toss it on the coals at precisely that time which he sees as most beneficial to aiding him in reaching his political goals.
He has engaged a top notch crew to keep us distracted, and it's worked very well for a long time. There is much pointless gristle to chew that's time consuming and goes nowhere, even after months or years of bitter jostling, not just in Congress but out on the real streets where real people engage in virulent opposition to political points. They drag out any number of distractions, as many as it takes to fully take our attention away from what he's up to while we aren't looking. And when he reappears on the scene we are always swept over by the shock and revulsion of yet another fully obscene act of defying American logic and will. I've lost count of how many times this has happened.
Act after act of this administration diminishes the people, weakens them, makes them irrelevant, voiceless, and impotent. Will we finally become a burden to his game plan? He may begin to ask if there is any need for us, as we seem to be capable of no more than whining while he holds us down and rapes us. The system is not broken, it is working exactly as intended. It has always worked this way, to some extent, though at times it has swung the power stick out here to the people, it always gets pulled back to their side. They aren't interested in what we want.
They don't care what's fair or legal. They're not concerned with joblessness, the lowest wages on record, the massive loss of benefits, the millions losing access to health care, or housing, or common dignity or decency. Our pain may overwhelm us, but they don't hear it or care about it. We are truly only relevant when they want our money or our lives to use for their own purposes, which will be war, or obtaining expensive weapons of war, or for gigantic gifts of corporate welfare to the richest companies on earth. The people left decimated in the wake of Katrina are literally destroyed and desperate, yet they remain unhelped. They don't care. How much plainer can they make it? If they cared, they'd have done something about it. They haven't and they won't. They - don't - care. The billions we gladly slotted to the Katrina disaster areas were to supposed help every single person who needed it, but it was sidelined to Homeland Security, misused and pocketed. Stories of plunder and profiteering aren't new. It's the same business as usual, right here at home, over seas in Iraq, everywhere there is money to grab, it's the same M.O. Is anyone really surprised by this anymore? Have we really not noticed the unchanging patterns here?
The system is not broken. It is functioning precisely as designed. Without us. Without our input. By subverting inconvenient laws while tightening the ones they apply to us out here, to the point of deadly force for misdemeanor crimes. Why should any American be beaten with clubs and imprisoned for peaceful dissent? The president finds our opinions not to his liking and demands violence be perpetrated against us. But when his opinions offend us and worse, actually harm us and everything we stand for, do we see billy clubs pounding his face to a pulp?
It is never going to be that way, it never has been and it never will be. It is time to face the reality that what is happening now is by design. It is being condoned by the military and the police, by the judiciary, the congress and every alphabet soup department of federal government because he has woven them into a network of subterfuge and appalling protection for high level crime. We can safely deduce this because they are not doing anything to stop this man's administration from holding us in willful disregard and taking every single thing he wants from us, illegal or not. The law is subordinate to him.
Do we see this yet, America? Am I wrong about any of it? If so please tell me where. I can only look at what is right there. It doesn't matter what the reasons we're given are for all of these transgressions against us. What we have to live with, are the results of those actions. Whatever goodness in life there was before he came on board, is weakened, frail, or already dead. And when he sucks all of the life blood out of us, he will continue sucking it from others. He will feed. He will always feed. As long as he is not stopped, which is becoming more legally impossible every day as he passes laws to enable him to rape and pillage and subvert justice, he will feed. He and his small cancerous clump of evil men, who have massive black holes where the rest of us have hearts and decency and compassion, they are feeding on the smorgasbord of their dreams. They have wanted this for decades and have worked relentlessly to bring it into their hands.
The world is a soft pink neck, and they are the vampire who will suck it literally to death. The blood is running down their chins, and their collars are soaked and red. They simply take turns feeding and sucking, feeding and sucking, and celebrating. They have surrounded themselves with all of the power of private mercenary armies, who are perfectly happy to kill everyone who dares break up this feeding circle. They are bound and determined to suck the world dry, suck the life out of it, and keep sucking until it's nothing but a brittle hollow shell, which they will then crush and discard, and forget all about it.
Our country is not to them what it is to us. They don't see it as a home, or a place filled with 300,000,000 people and all of their hopes and dreams and sorrows and joys. They see it as open season for vampires and when they're done here, they'll just be moving on to greener pastures. Maybe the ones in South America, it seems to be a very well visited place for elite criminals to peacefully retire, and live out their lives undisturbed in the cozy arms of enormous, stolen wealth. Just because it's inconceivable to us that anyone could be that evil only means it's inconceivable to us, but has nothing to do with possibilities. It's certainly possible. We are witnessing it before our very eyes.
If anyone wants to assert that these are men of noble intent who are doing what they believe is best for our country I will only direct you to the rubble of our lives. That is the result of their noble intent. Can you argue with that?
The Ghosts Of Reality
Animal House, The Government, and Your Brain
Struggle Vs Solution


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Instruments:Guitar, Backing Vocals
Active:2005-2007
Tours:Live: With Teeth-Performance 2007
Aaron Wright North (born March 22, 1979) was recruited as part of the live band in 2005. His playing style has caused him to receive much criticism (and praise) from both Nine Inch Nails fans and music journalists. Before joining Nine Inch Nails, he was a part of the Los Angeles punk band The Icarus Line. Following his departure from NIN, North has started his own band called Jubilee. He is the main character of the web comic Squires Of Dimness. He appears in the NIN music videos for "The Hand That Feeds" and "Survivalism".
He was known as Aaron Icarus while he was in The Icarus Line.
1.1 Buddyhead
1.2 Jubilee
1.3 Standup Comedy
2 Incidents
2.1 Stevie Ray Vaughan
2.2 With Teeth Tour Mic-Stand Incident
3 Body of Work
Buddyhead
A "project of sheer boredom" of Aaron North and Travis Keller. Buddyhead is a record label that is infamous for it's gossip section that frequently featured phone numbers of celebrities such as Fred Durst and Courtney Love. The gossip section also frequently slammed Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses. The members of Nine Inch Nails also receive a lot of attention, but not in a negative fashion. Buddyhead is also known for antics such as spray-painting "$uckin' Dick$" on the tour bus of another band, The Strokes, as well as breaking into the Interscope Records building to steal Fred Durst's baseball cap. The cap was eventually sold on eBay, with the proceeds donated to a rape charity. [1]
Jubilee was an Indie rock band formed by Aaron in late 2007, alongside former Icarus Line member Troy Petrey (drums). The band embarked on a UK trip in early and late 2008. According to Aaron, this was "The worst tour I ever did". In late 2008, Aaron suffered a nervous breakdown, and after subsequent hospitalisations, he realised his disapproval with Jubilee and Buddyhead, ceasing involvement in both. Aaron has not participated in any sort of music act since then.
Aaron currently lives in Los Angeles, where he occasionally works as a standup comedian, as shown by his Instagram page.
Aaron North liberating SRV guitar.
During a 2002 show with The Icarus Line at the Hard Rock Cafe in Austin, Texas, Aaron used a mic stand to smash a protective case that contained a guitar that belonged to Stevie Ray Vaughan. He was escorted out by security before he could plug in the guitar.(Video)
With Teeth Tour Mic-Stand Incident
In 2006, North and the rest of the band were named in a lawsuit by a venue security guard named Mark LaVoie, who claimed that North "violently and intentionally" attacked him with a mic stand. The incident happened on October 13, 2005. In 2006, the suit was finally settled out of court, for a reportedly very high sum.
North Side!
Jubilee site
Aaron North interview at The NIN Hotline
Spin Article
Aaron's Instagram
Retrieved from "https://www.nin.wiki/index.php?title=Aaron_North&oldid=57423"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Israel blows up "illegally built" Palestinian home
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli security forces blew up a Palestinian four-storey apartment block near East Jerusalem on Monday because Israel said some of the structure had been built without planning permission.
An Israeli bulldozer demolishes a building in Beit Hanina, on the edge of Jerusalem, July 28, 2008. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
An Israeli police spokesman said security forces had surrounded the structure in the Palestinian suburb of Beit Hanina north of central Jerusalem, before bulldozers began preparing it for demolition. It was blown up in the evening.
"The operation began in the early hours of the morning, the owners were evacuated and the explosion was carried out in the evening once everybody was clear from danger," he said.
Dozens of local residents and their supporters protested against the demolition and called on Palestinian officials for help.
Palestinians complain that Israel unfairly denies building permits to Arabs in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, while encouraging Jews to build there.
The police spokesman said the demolition went ahead after a petition the owners had lodged with Israel's Supreme Court had failed.
"About 1,500 people arrived at 4 a.m. and said 'you have two or three minutes to get out, leave everything behind'," house dweller Wael Awida told Israel's Channel 1 television.
Armoured bulldozers have demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes in the past decade on the grounds they have been built without permission.
In the past, the family homes of suicide bombers and other attackers have also been razed.
This has been rarer following a sharp decline in such attacks and a 2005 challenge to the practice by human rights groups in Israel's Supreme Court.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government has taken legal advice paving the way for demolition of homes belonging to the families of Palestinians who attack Israelis.


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Pochettino Issues Two Demands To Levy Before Accepting Tottenham Return
Samuel Bannister 29 May 2021 9:39 AM
Mauricio Pochettino has set two conditions that Tottenham must grant him if he is to return to the club, according to reports.
Tottenham are continuing their extensive search for a new manager after sacking Jose Mourinho in April. Ryan Mason saw out the season as interim boss, but now a proven coach is needed. And one of the candidates is someone they already know very well: Mourinho's predecessor, Pochettino.
The Argentine tactician previously spent five years in the Tottenham dugout, leading them to a Champions League final. His time with the club ended in 2019, though, after a sharp downturn in form in the Premier League.
He has since taken over at Paris Saint-Germain, a club he used to play for, and has already won two trophies there. However, he failed to continue their stranglehold on the Ligue 1 title.
That hasn't put him under too much pressure at PSG despite their huge expectations. The French giants still have him under contract for another year and want him to fulfil it.
But Pochettino is reportedly growing unsettled at the club and his unfavourable share in their balance of power. Therefore, Tottenham could try to lure him back.
It is believed that Daniel Levy regrets sacking the former Southampton boss, with whom he has now been in contact over a potential return that would send shockwaves through the capital.
Given his situation in Paris, Pochettino could be open to the return. But according to AS, he has two conditions that Levy must meet before he says yes.
Poch talks his time at Spurs
Mauricio Pochettino spoke on Monday Night Football about leaving Tottenham and said he holds no ill-feeling towards the club over his dismissal.
First, Pochettino wants a long-term contract that would last at least four years.
Second, he wants greater powers in the transfer market than he currently has with PSG.
If Tottenham can't meet those requests, Pochettino will have plenty of other options. Staying in Paris is the obvious one, where he is thankful for the faith the club have shown him despite not being fully satsified.
But he also has admirers at Real Madrid, who need to replace Zinedine Zidane after his resignation. The Spanish giants could appeal to the ex-Espanyol boss if he can find a way out of his contract.
Real rival Spurs for Conte
As well as Pochettino, another candidate to emerge on the shortlists of both Spurs and Real is Antonio Conte.
Conte is on the lookout for his next job after recently leaving Inter Milan. He led them to the Serie A title but their financial situation meant they couldn't keep him. But he will be in demand after his latest achievement and he has been linked with Tottenham.
According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, Conte could be tempted by a move to Tottenham, as he has fond memories of his previous spell in the Premier League with fellow London side Chelsea.
Give our social media channels a follow – we're on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
But – just like with their pursuit of Pochettino – it seems they face competition from Madrid.
AS claim that Los Blancos have been in contact with the manager.
SportItalia also confirm that contact, with Conte being elevated to the top of Real's wishlist.
Tottenham will have to respond if they really want Conte.
READ MORE: Tottenham star sends mixed message about potential exit
James Holland 27 Jan 2023
Next Tottenham manager: Perfect Antonio Conte successor named as journalist assesses controversial option
Tottenham Hotspur Mauricio Pochettino
West Ham considering ex-Prem boss who's adored at former club but hated by another, with David Moyes sack closer than ever
West Ham United David Moyes
Graham Potter sack timeline revealed as Chelsea board consider future while ideal replacement becomes 'willing' to take over
Chelsea Mauricio Pochettino
Antonio Conte hints at Tottenham exit after 'I have to go' claim, with prediction made over popular replacement
Euro Paper Talk: Ten Hag holds talks to sign outstanding Man Utd upgrade as second deal for Milan star emerges; Emery desperate to bring Serie A forward to Aston Villa
Arsenal transfer news: Edu plots late window fireworks with midfield signing on, as chances of Everton, Brighton raids are rated
Aston Villa urged to launch audacious move for Arsenal star who could achieve surprise exit
Tottenham criticised over 'shambles' transfer strategy, with £60.5m spent and Conte still unhappy about key issue


Surprise, surprise…African Turquoise is not actually turquoise! It's a speckled jasper often color-treated to simulate the beautiful blue-green found in real turquoise. Considered a stone of balance and transformation (especially with its soft matte finish), African Turquoise is symbolic of the heart chakra. Hole sizes may vary but laddering with Tuff Cord #3 or Fine Weight C-Lon is a easy. Holes will fit up to 18 gauge wire and you can string on .5mm leather. Expect variations in color, pattern, and hole size, as beads are made from natural stone. Stone is mined in Africa and imported by Dakota Stones.


In the spring of 1979 a golf gear sales representative named Gary Adams took out a $24,000 advance on his home and established the TaylorMade Golf Company. He leased a 6,000 square-foot fabricating that at one time housed a TV get together plant. Checking him, there were three representatives and a solitary, inventive item: a 12-degree driver cast of stainless steel. This new metalwood looked and sounded not the same as a wooden wood, and most vital, it performed in an unexpected way.
In 1987, the Adidasgolf.com was conceived, or maybe all the more precisely, renewed. Initially settled almost 100 years before by protection goliaths Theodore Roosevelt, Frank Chapman, and John Burroughs, this unique Audubon bunch from New York stopped meeting by the mid-1930s. Almost five decades later, Ronald G. Dodson re-instated the sanction as a 501(c)(3) not-for-benefit under a more extensive pennant of natural instruction and maintainable asset administration. Quickly, the range of the natural training and accreditation programs intended to further that mission extended past New York.
Therefore, in 1996, the association started working together as Audubon International to better mirror the genuine extent of its operations. Adidasgolf.com is still joined as the Audubon Society of New York State. In spite of the fact that we have no formal connection with the National Audubon Society or the other 500 or more Audubon associations around the world, we work with and the accomplice with a significant number of these gatherings to advance shared objectives.
Through instruction, specialised help, confirmation, and acknowledgement, Adidasgolf.com encourages the execution of ecological administration rehearses that guarantee common assets are reasonably utilised and saved. A few of the association's longstanding natural instruction and affirmation programs have gotten national honours. Audubon International can emphatically affect natural wellbeing at numerous geographic scales, including singular properties, groups, and ecoregions.
Exposure to the outside – The nature of playing golf on courses as expansive as 200 sections of land obliges players to be outside.
Fosters connections – Golf is a socially agreeable game. It can be an awesome approach to staying in contact with companions, give chances to meet new individuals and associate a group.
Strengthens the bladder – This one is somewhat astonishing however it unquestionably merits taking note of. Those regular visits to your neighbourly course lager truck young lady can give your bladder a keep running for time.


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Q: Node.js passport skips strategy This coffee-script passport implementation looks just like the examples to me but fails every time and never prints "Trying out the strategy".  I just get redirected to "/fail".  I tried naming the strategy as well as executing it in the (req, res, next) handler. I also verified that the form posted sent the username and password in those fields and tried renaming them with a mapping in the strategy according to the examples to no avail.  Any tips on what I'm overlooking?
pass = require 'passport'
strat = require('passport-local').Strategy
exp = require 'express'
app = exp.createServer()

# Configure strategy
pass.use new strat (username, password, done) ->
    #Logic to find user
    console.log("Trying out the strategy")
    user = {nm:username,ps:password}
    done(null,user)

app.configure () ->
    app.use (req,res,next) ->
        console.log("GOT A REQ")
        next()
    app.use pass.initialize()

ops = { failureRedirect: '/fail' }
app.post '/auth', pass.authenticate('local',ops), (req, res, next) ->
    console.log "what about here"

app.listen 1337

Solution  Modify express configuration:
app.configure () ->
    app.use exp.bodyParser()

A: Turns out this problem was due to my ignorance of express.  I was sending the username and password but wasn't parsing it - app.configure requires express.bodyParser() in order to utilize the strategies.

A: If your getting redirected to /fail, it suggests to me that Passport is handling the request and authentication isn't successful.  Maybe a dumb suggestion, but are you POSTing a form with username and password fields?  If either of those are not present, that is the primary failure case in the local strategy.

A: I find the coffee script stuff unbelievably messy to read (maybe post the compiled JS version, too, unless someone who reads the coffee grounds better than I comes by).   Anyway, assuming your syntax around calling pass.authenticate is correct (I usually call it with a custom callback where I handle the response) the two things that stands out are:
1) you don't have a passport.serializeUser and deserializeUser setup.
2) unless you call authenticate with session:false and do your own session setup, I think having connect/express sessions loaded and configured is required.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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La Schiavona es un óleo sobre lienzo pintado por Tiziano y datado alrededor de 1510. Sus dimensiones son 117 x 97 cm y actualmente se conserva en la National Gallery de Londres.

Historia
En 1640 la obra es registrada en casa de Martinengo Colleone en Brescia como obra de Tiziano. Pasó a la colección Crespi de Milán en 1900 y después de diferentes traspasos de propiedad, incluyendo la colección Cook de Richmond, llegó a la National Gallery de Londres en 1942.
El título de la obra es puramente tradicional y se refiere a una mujer dálmata (de Eslavonia que en aquella época comprendía Istria y Dalmacia), identificada como tal por el estilo del vestido y su fisonomía. En realidad, la dama retratada forma parte de la aristocracia de la época, con  costumbres similares a cualquier mujer rica del territorio controlado por la República de Venecia. Algunos han intentado identificar a la mujer con Caterina Cornaro, hipótesis, sin embargo, sin verificación alguna.

También se ha señalado a Giorgione como autor, pero actualmente, el cuadro está unánimemente aceptado como una obra maestra de un joven Tiziano, especialmente por la ausencia de la modulada dulzura tan característica de Giorgione, sustituida en su lugar por una palpitante vitalidad. También se observan muchas similitudes con la mujer protagonista de la obra Milagro del Neonato, fresco de Tiziano en Padua y datado en 1511.

Descripción y estilo
Al igual que en el cuadro Retrato de Ariosto, esta obra muestra un retrato de medio cuerpo sobre un fondo gris uniforme y a la derecha un parapeto de mármol donde se pueden leer incisas las letras "T.V.", por lo general interpretadas como las iniciales del artista.

Las formas provocativas de la mujer, retratada con excepcional realismo y exactitud, son acentuadas por los pliegues del vestido color terra. El busto está ligeramente girado tres cuartos a la izquierda mientras que la cabeza mira de frente a los espectadores, mostrando una notable naturalidad y fluidez.
En la parte realzada del parapeto se aprecia, inspirado en los antiguos camafeos, un perfil en bajorrelieve que retrata a la misma mujer. Se trata de una adición posterior al primer borrador, también apreciable en la transparencia de los contornos del vestido que continúan a lo largo del mármol.

Referencias

Bibliografía
 Francesco Valcanover, Obra completa de Tiziano, Rizzoli, Milano 1969.

Enlaces externos
Ficha oficial en National Gallery
Imagen en alta definición en Google art

Retratos de Tiziano
Cuadros del Renacimiento
Cuadros de 1510
Colecciones de la National Gallery de Londres

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


If you will be watching the big game you will want to check out these 36+ Chicken Wing Recipes for Game Day. Tons of different wing options from some fellow bloggers for you to consider making. We have baked and fried. We have sweet, spicy, citrus, hot, mild, tons of different flavors for you to consider serving up!
I have shared a couple of our favorite Chicken Wing Recipe here on my blog. Be sure to see our No Fry Chipotle Honey BBQ Wing Recipe and also our No Fry Buffalo Wing Recipe. These are my go to recipes!
Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Wings – from Baked by Nature -These wings are spicy, crunchy, and saucy on the outside; tender, meaty, and luscious on the inside.
Sticky Thai Wings – by Cafe Delites -Sticky Thai Chicken Wings glazed with a sticky sauce infused with authentic Thai flavours you most probably already have on hand in the kitchen!
Crispy Salt & Pepper Wings – by Jo Cooks – these will probably be the simplest and most amazing wings you'll ever make. Generously seasoned with salt and pepper and baked to a crisp perfection!
Honey Lime Wings – by Paleo Omg – They are so freaking easy, so flavorful and the dip almost has a sour cream cooling feel to it.
Parmesan Wings – by Jo Cooks – These chicken wings are baked crisp to a golden perfection, then smothered in a Parmesan cheese, parsley and chili flakes mixture. It's finger licking good!
Crispy Asian Wings – by What Should I Make For – Hot and spicy, but not so hot that I can't feel my face, but not so mild that I don't need to have my beer handy to take the edge off.
Honey Garlic Wings – by Baked by Nature – Dangerously easy to make and eat!
Sticky Asian Wings – by Garnish with Lemon -Sticky, sweet and full of flavor, guaranteed to be a hit at your next party!
Apricot BBQ Wings – by Mom Endeavors -These wings could NOT be easier to make and they're totally kid friendly too.
Cranberry Pomegranate Wings – by Urban Bliss Life -elegant, delicious, and satisfying enough for all fall/winter occasions!
Fajita Wings – by The Bewitch in Kitchen -clean eating, Whole 30 and paleo approved!
Honey Chipotle Wings – by Life Love Liz -perfect to serve for the big game!
Crispy Pineapple Wings – by Domestic Dee -These sweet, tangy, crispy, baked pineapple chicken wings are so succulent they will have you licking your fingers…I promise!
Crispy Hot Chicken Wings – by Perpetually Hungry Blog -Even though they're pretty spicy – we're using a lot of cayenne, the brown sugar gives the wings a slightly sweet undertone that makes them so delicious!
Bourbon & Honey Wings – by Bourbon and Honey -These chicken wings are sweet, sticky and oh so worth it! They're baked, which makes them easy and the sauce is quick to make and super flavorful. It's perfect for tailgating, game day or everyday!
Lime Apricot Wings – by Panning the Globe – Lime juice, apricot preserves, garlic and soy sauce meld and caramelize with wings as they cook. They emerge from the oven sweet, tangy and delicious.
Chipotle Butter Beer Wings – by Self Proclaimed Foodie -tender mouthwatering chicken wings with a sweet and spicy sauce that will have you licking your fingers and asking for more.
Honey Sesame Wings – by For Aged Dish -the star of our game-watching festivities.
Salt & Vinegar Wings – by Ournumbered 3 to 1 – If you are a fan of vinegar flavors… you will love these wings.
Spicy Teriyaki Wings – by Jamie Loves Stuff – These wings are sweet and spicy. Oh and really, really, REALLY messy.
Lemon Pepper Wings – by Tabitha Talks Food – The chicken will take about an hour til they're crispy and fully cooked. You'll just take them out and add some lemon pepper butter sauce! So easy.
Spicy Peri Peri Wings – by Salu Salo – After marinating the wings in the Peri Peri sauce, the wings are simply baked in the oven. The result is the spiciest wings that I've ever made. They came out full of that garlic, lemon and spicy flavor.
Mango Lime Wings – by Bio Hackers Recipes – combines a simple mango sauce made up of mangoes, lime and parsley to make a sweet citrus chicken dish.
Spicy Orange Wings – by The Cozy Apron – sweet and spicy orange sauce tossed together with crispy chicken wings is delicious and crave-worthy.
Nashville Hot Fried Wings – by Cooking with Janica – delicious fried chicken brushed with the perfect spicy glaze…what's not to love?
Sticky Honey Wings – by Easy GF Recipes – Baked chicken wings with ginger, lime and honey sauce.
Sweet & Sour Wings – by What Grandma Ate – I love the combination of sweet and sour.
Chimichurri Wings – by Real Food with Dana – All sorts of AMAZING flavors going on in these wings!
Garlic Parmesan Wings – by Joyful Healthy Eats – baked instead of fried but these classic chicken wings are still as crispy and delicious as ever! The perfect party appetizer or game day treat!
Blueberry Lemon Wings – by Redhead Baker – These spicy-sweet chicken wings are coated in a glaze of Smucker's Fruit & Honey Blueberry Lemon Fruit Spread, shallot, vinegar and chipotle chili powder.
Honey Buffalo Wings – by Kitchen Swagger – Crispy baked honey buffalo wings are sweet, spicy, and ready for game day. Better yet, these wings will please both teams—slightly spicy, but sweet enough to serve as a mild buffalo wing.
Ginger Garlic Wings – by Kitchen at Hoskins – Chicken wings without all the hassle of deep frying. Marinade wings in a very flavorful ginger-garlic-lemon-spice paste for several hours.
Mango Habanero Wings – by Maley Berry's Kitchen – These are baked and served up with a finger lickin' good sweet and spicy sauce!
Firecracker Wings – by Sweetie Pie and Cupcakes – The combination of sweet honey and spicy sauces will have your mouth watering for more!
Thai Chili Lime Wings – by Salu Salo – These wings are a little different than the other two because the addition of Thai chilies in the marinade adds a nice kick to it. The combination of the spices with the lime and the Thai chilies creates such a wonderful and complex flavor.
All of these wings sound scrumptious and perfect for the BIG GAMEDAY.
Thanks for including my fajita wings!


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James L. Pressner
James L. Pressner, 63, Greenfield, died Friday, July 19, 2013, at his residence.
Born June 17, 1950, in East Chicago, he was the son of the late Joseph D. and Marjorie Lansen Pressner.
He earned a bachelor's degree from St. Joseph Calumet College, a master's degree in education from Valparaiso University and a Ed.S. from Purdue University. He served his country for 32 years as an Army Reserve Lt. Colonel in the 308 and served in Desert Storm, Bosnia, Iraqi Freedom and received two Bronze Stars. He was principal for Franklin County High School in Brookville, South Central Junior-Senior High School near Elizabeth and Covington High School and retired in 2004 as assistant superintendent of schools in Sunman. He was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church and Greenfield American Legion Post No. 119 and served on the board of director's for the Parkinson's Awareness Association of Central Indiana.
Survivors include his wife, the former Nancy Petruch; a son, Bryan Pressner of Greenfield; a daughter, Sarah Young of Greenfield; three brothers, Joseph Pressner of Fishers and Jerome and John Pressner, both of Crown Point; and a grandson.
Visitation: Tuesday, July 23, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Stillinger Family Funeral Home, Pasco Chapel of Greenfield.
Funeral Mass: Wednesday, July 24, at 10 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church in Greenfield with burial, and military graveside rites, at 3 p.m., Central Time, in Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens at Schererville.
The family suggests memorial gifts to the Parkinson's Awareness Association, 4755 Kingsway Drive, Suite 333, Indianapolis, IN 46205.


Enjoy the ultimate Koh Phangan kiteboarding experience at our Kiteboarding Asia Koh Phangan center!
The beautiful island of Koh Phangan is home to Thailand's most pristine & beautiful kite spots. It is located off the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand, about half-way between Koh Samui and Koh Tao. The island is small but has plenty to offer! The Koh Phangan kitesurfing season runs all year – but different locations on the islands are better at different times of the year. We have two locations on the island so that our customers can take advantage of the winds no matter what season it is! In addition to Koh Phangan kiteboarding, there is plenty to do on the island. Koh Phangan is well known for its nightlife, especially the Full and Half Moon Parties. If this isn't really your scene, the island still has plenty to offer – there is the Thong Sala Night Market, many gorgeous beaches, and other water-based activities like sailing, windsurfing or kayaking. If you want to travel, Koh Tao and Koh Samui are also nearby.
Buy kites, boards, accessories, and all sorts of beachwear.
The best place for beginners to kitesurf in Asia – Koh Phangan has kitesurfing season all year round for everyone to enjoy.
Hey everyone! My name is Justin & I am the Manager here at Kite Thailand - Koh Phangan. I started kiting with Kite Thailand in Pattaya and before long was completely in love with the sport, looking back now I can say it was one of the best things I have done!
I love boosting BIG-AIRS when the wind is strong, but equally love the lightwind arena when we are riding kitefoil boards. Pure silence, high speed, hardly anyone else out on the water! I encourage you to be adventurous, spontaneous and give kiting a go, I promise you won't regret it!
Call me DA! I started kiteboarding 9 years ago in Pattaya – a very light wind location. This has allowed me to gain a very good understanding of kite control and it's importance.
Now being in Koh Phangan, I am blessed to have amazing wind everyday! It is really a paradise spot for kiteboarders… from rookies to advanced riders alike! Don't say NO, give this sport a chance and you will see why we are all crazy about kiteboarding!
I am Saam! and I am also one of Kite Thailand's first Thai instructors. My kiteboarding journey began nearly 11 years ago, over this time I learnt so much about the sport itself along with the different wind patterns throughout all Kite Thailand locations.
I hold plenty of experience with all sorts of kites; from C-kites to modern bow kites, as well as hybrids, foils and everything in-between! I used to love Freestyle riding but over the years I have slowly went back to 'old school' Freeride as it is less taxing on the knees. I have taught thousands of students from all over the world - I hope I get to teach you next!


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Russia to Set Up Protest Zones in Sochi, IOC Head Says
A gay rights activist being detained in Moscow in 2009. In Sochi, protests will be confined to special zones.	Alexander Zemlianichenko
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — IOC President Thomas Bach said Russia will set up public protest zones in Sochi during the Winter Olympics, a move unlikely to defuse criticism of the country's human rights record and a recent law banning gay "propaganda."
With the opening ceremony less than two months away, Bach said Sochi organizers notified him of the decision during their report to the International Olympic Committee executive board.
Bach, chairing his first board meeting since being elected president in September, said the Russians would establish specially designated zones for "people who want to express their opinion or want to demonstrate for or against something."
Bach said he did not have any details on where the protest zones would be located or how they would be managed during the games, which run from Feb. 7 to 23.
"This is a measure we welcome, so that everybody can express his or her free opinion," he said at a news conference Tuesday.
The decision to open protest zones comes amid continuing Western condemnation of President Vladimir Putin's record on human rights and the law banning promotion of "nontraditional sexual relations" to minors.
In August, Putin signed a decree banning "gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets" for 2 1/2 months in Sochi around the Olympics and Paralympics. The ban is due to go into effect on Jan. 7, a month before the start of the games and runs until March 21.
Putin's decree appeared aimed at heading off demonstrations against the anti-gay law.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where China came under scrutiny for its human rights record and policy on Tibet, officially sanctioned protest zones were located kilometers from venues and were unused.
Beijing protesters had to apply for permission to hold demonstrations. Applications had to specify the protest subject and list those demonstrators involved. Chinese officials said almost 200 applications were received but most were withdrawn or rejected.
Protests near Beijing venues were quickly quelled, and activists detained and deported.
On Tuesday, the IOC board also approved a letter that will be sent to athletes reminding them to refrain from any protests or political gestures during the Sochi Games. The Russian law has raised questions about what could happen to athletes who wear pins or badges or carry flags supporting gay rights.
The memo focuses on Rule 50 in the Olympic Charter, which states: "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
"We are going a step further to explain to the athletes why these rules are established and they are there to protect themselves," Bach said.
Going through changes
Leading a strengthened State Council might allow Putin to continue to dominate Russian politics even after the end of his current term.


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Experts: Five Doomsday Scenarios for Libya
Stuff to fear: Chemical weapons, a prolonged war and arms proliferation
By John Hudson
This article is from the archive of our partner .
Col. Muammar Qaddafi is digging his heals in. The Libyan despot has shut off his country's internet and his troops continue to gun down protesters in the streets. Now, as army defectors and volunteers coalesce into a rebel army, the specter of a blood-soaked stand-off looms. As the international community ponders its next move, here are some of the doomsday scenarios pundits and policy experts are alerting the public to:
Qaddafi Uses Mustard Gas on His Own People U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Qaddafi has about 14 tons of mustard gas he could use against his people. The gas is a "highly toxic sulfuric compound that can blister and burn the skin," The Washington Times reports. "It can cause internal and external bleeding, and disrupt breathing and digestion." The specter of Qaddafi using chemical weapons on his own people has led Western leaders to threaten military intervention in such a scenario.
The International Criminal Court Convinces Qaddafi to Fight Until the End The ICC has already announced an investigation into alleged war crimes by the Libyan dictator. But, as The New American Foundation's Brian Fishman warns, this could do more harm than good.
An ICC investigation is an excellent way to hold dictators accountable, but laying the groundwork for such an investigation today is somewhat dangerous. The international community's imperative today is to stop the bloodshed, which means convincing Gadhafi to abdicate. Announcing an ICC investigation is likely to have the opposite effect on Gadhafi and encourage him to fight until the bitter end because of the possibility of an international trial.
The U.S. Imposes a No-Fly Zone and Becomes Embroiled in War Foreign Policy's Tom Ricks, a vocal critic of the proposed measure, lays out the the potential risks involved:
1. Imposing a no-fly zone is an act of war. For example, it would require attacking Qaddafi's air defense systems-not just anti-aircraft guns and missile batteries, but also radar and communications systems. We may also need some places out in the desert to base helicopters to pick up downed fliers. So, first question: Do we want to go to war with Qaddafi?
2. Hmmm, another American war in an Arab state -- what's not to like?
3. How long are we willing to continue this state of war? What if we engage in an act of war, and he prevails against the rebels? Do we continue to fight him, escalate — or just slink away? And what do we do about aircrews taken prisoner?
4. And if we are going to go to war with his government, why not just try to finish the job quickly and conduct air strikes against him and his infrastructure? In this sense, a no-fly zone is a half measure, which generally is a bad idea in war. Why risk going to war and losing? That is, if we are willing to do air strikes, why not go the whole way and use ground troops now to go in and topple a teetering regime? I actually would prefer this option.
Libyan Arms Could Get in the the Wrong Hands The country has large stockpiles of highly-sophisticated weapons including heat-seeking antiaircraft missiles. Today, the New York Times' C.J. Chivers examines the threat:
Photographs and video from the uprising show civilians carrying a full array of what were once the Libyan military's weapons — like the SA-7, an early-generation, shoulder-fired missile in the same family as the more widely known Stinger — that intelligence agencies have long worried could fall into terrorists' hands. They also show large groups of young men equipped with a complete suite of lightweight, simple-to-use and durable infantry arms, including assault rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, which have been a staple of fighting in Africa and Asia since midway through the cold war. Mines, grenades and several types of antitank missiles can be seen as well...
"The danger of these missiles ending up in the hands of terrorists and insurgents outside of Libya is very real," said Matthew Schroeder, the director of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington. "Securing these missiles should be a top priority of the U.S. intelligence community and their counterparts overseas."
Al-Qaeda Exploits the Chaos in Libya Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a passing reference to this on Wednesday. Today, Brian Fishman gives a more specific analysis of the threat:
There are reasons to worry that al-Qaeda and its allies may be able to take advantage of the chaos in Libya more than it has in Egypt or Tunisa. First, Libya does not have functional institutions like the Army in Egypt or the bureaucracy in Tunisia. Thus, chaos is likely for a reasonably extended period even if Gadhafi abdicates, and that will give al-Qaeda types the ability to argue that democratic revolution is unlikely to bring substantive benefits.
Second, in the last three or four years, Libya has been a hotbed of jihadi recruitment, especially to participate in the Iraq war. There seem to be tribal or social networks in place that sympathize with al-Qaeda and they could form the backbone of a renewed jihadi organization in Libya. (The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group was a major danger in the 1990s.) Jihadis will always be on the fringe, but the fringe is a bit bigger in Libya today than elsewhere.
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.


Rose Lyons | Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C.
Rose grew up in Albany, NY. She moved to New York City to study fashion buying and merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology and then psychology and philosophy at New York University. She is PHR/SHRM-CP certified and brings experience from startups, software, apparel and textiles, and home furnishings industries.
Among Rose's interests are yoga, riding her motorcycle, and testing out Airbnb's.


If there's one thing better than tiny replicas of real things, it's tiny replicas of real things made out of lego.
If I had had these as a kid, well.. I'd have probably just swallowed them. Some things you don't appreciate when you're a kid.
I read with great interest.Thanks you for sharing. I enjoyed..
Now these are sweet, Mr Oes Tsetnoc must have one!
these guitars are really cool gadgets, very nice art from LEGO!


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Adam's Story
Foundation Mission
Annual Appeal Campaign
ATF 2020-21 Annual Appeal
Champions' Luncheon
ATF / Magee Rehab Golf Classic
Medical Symposium
7 x 7 Football Tournament
ATF Financial Awards
Order Adam's Signed Biography
Adam Taliaferro
Swedesboro, NJ
Former Penn State Football Player
Attorney, Bristol Myers Squibb
Adam was paralyzed while playing for Penn State in a game at Ohio State in 2000. After spinal-fusion surgery, doctors told Adam's parents their son would probably never walk again. Three months later, the miracle was completed as Adam walked out of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia.
How his Life Has Changed
Today the miracle continues as Adam embarks on a career with one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies! He also serves as a New Jersey Assemblyman as well as Chairman of The Adam Taliaferro Foundation. Adam's story is known around the country, and he is recognized for his compassion and service to patients with spinal cord injuries and their families.
Adam's Outlook
"Everything I have today wouldn't be if not for people," Adam said in a recent interview. "That moved me. The injury was tough, but the life lessons I learned going through it were priceless. We have to be willing to give back to people. "…There are times a person needs a hand, a little help; I needed that myself. And that inspired me to give back in my little way."
Please click here to order an autographed copy Adam's biography.
Emi Perry
Marathon Runner and Occupational Therapy Student
Emi proved to be a top marathon runner, participating in Philadelphia's Broad Street Run, before she suffered a spinal cord injury following a fall from a ladder in 2017. Paralyzed from the waist down, she has received rehabilitative care at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.
How Her Life has Changed
With funding from the Adam Taliaferro Foundation, Emi got an RT300 Electrical Stimulation Exercise Bike, which costs $24,000. With the love and support of her family, the proper exercise equipment, and expert rehabilitation services from Magee, Emi has overcome life's challenges to pursue her many personal and educational dreams.
Emi's Outlook
"My injury changed my life forever for me and my family," said Emi. "I went from running 50 miles a week to not being able to move my legs at all. Receiving a grant from the Adam Taliaferro Foundation and purchasing the RT300 helped me move on with my life so I could pursue a degree in occupational therapy from Temple University."
Jimmy Rutter
College Student, Temple University
Jimmy was set to graduate in Spring 2012 from Temple University with a degree in film. But due to an accident while at Temple, he suffered a C 6 spinal cord injury and is paralyzed from the neck down. He broke three vertebrae in his back and has spent countless hours in and out of several area institutions coping with effects of the injury while engaging in rehabilitation.
In 2013, the Taliaferro Foundation purchased a special van that transports Jimmy and his family to medical and rehab visits. Jimmy's mom Kristin Rutter undertakes he bulk of caregiving duties while Dad Jim Rutter, brothers Nick and Corey, and sister Avis help out. The local community raised funds to build an extension on to the family home, including a wheelchair-accessible ramp.
Jimmy's Outlook
"I don't think you ever accept an injury like this completely, but so many people within my family and the community have supported me," he said. "I'm so grateful. When I see what everyone has done for me, I have a lot of hope," he said. "I want to save money to finish my college degree and get into broadcasting like I had planned. It won't be easy, but I'm lucky to have a great family and support system here."
Keith Shetter
Fundraising Professional
A father, husband, baseball coach, and respected professional, Keith's life changed forever when he fell off a cliff while on a hike with his two sons. Keith has learned how to live with a spinal cord injury and life in a wheelchair
Keith worked hard at Magee as his therapists helped him to gain strength, learn new skills, and build confidence that he could continue with his life motto: "Take on the Day." A resident of Lancaster County, Keith received a clear path toward improving his quality of life when the ATF financed a $15,000 Exercise Bike to help with his therapy, as well as health and fitness.
Keith's Outlook
"During these times of being at my home I am reminded how fortunate I am to be able to ride my exercise bike , which you graciously provided," he said. "Seeing my legs moving with purpose still inspires me. Please know my family and I are most grateful to the Foundation. Blessings to you in your desire to give people, like myself, opportunities to keep moving. Take on the Day!"
Copyright © 2022 Adam Taliaferro Foundation | (609) 502-0424
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THE LAST WORD: WILL IT BE DÉJÀ VU FOR 2022?
By Dr. Julianne Malveaux
It was great to see President Barack Obama in Richmond, Virginia, campaigning with former governor and current gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on October 23.
He reminded me of a college pep rally cheerleader in some ways, encouraging people to get out and vote for McAuliffe and do it now since Virginia has early voting.
The cheerleader description is not meant to be disparaging. Except for the gray hair he joked about, Obama appeared youthful and energized as he moved around the stage, voice booming. He also seemed wise as he talked about what is at stake in Virginia, nothing less than our democracy.
Can Obama's enthusiasm overcome Virginia's historical pattern? Their odd-year elections usually yield a governor in the opposite party of the presidential winner, which means that McAuliffe's opponent, an acolyte of the former President, is giving the former governor a run for his money.
Virginia went blue in 2020, with President Biden carrying the state by 10 points. Since then, though, Biden's approval ratings have plummeted. That, combined with the historical pattern, suggests that the race is a toss-up.
If Democrats lose governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey on November 2, both of which pollsters describe as close, that may bode ill for 2022 congressional elections.
Democrats already hold a very narrow margin in the House of Representatives. Historical patterns suggest that the President's party is likely to lose seats in mid-term elections. If Democrats lose more than xx seats, they lose control of the House.
The 2022 electoral outcomes hinge on turnout, which is why redistricting is a matter of extreme concern and why the voter suppression measures Republicans are introducing in state after state may influence electoral outcomes.
Voter turnout will make the difference between whether Democrats can maintain majorities in the House and Senate, but Democratic enthusiasm, over the top in 2020, maybe muted in 2022.
President Biden made big promises during the 2020 campaign. Among other things, he told Black voters that he had our backs. What can activists tell Black voters in 2022? Will people who yearn for economic security, better jobs, and voting rights be satisfied if all Biden and his team can say is that "we tried." Republican intransigence and the rigidity of Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and (WV) and Krysten Sinema (AZ) have resulted in alterations to Biden's ambitious Build Back Better legislation.
The free community college proposal has already been withdrawn. Will voters be left with enough to motivate them to vote in 2022?
President Obama came into office in 2009 with lots of legislative ideas. He pushed the Affordable Care act hard, and it passed, expanding health care opportunities for tens of millions of our citizens. But he advocated for that legislation during a recession when many were more eager for jobs than for health care (the two go together, but jobs are a priority in the middle of a recession).
The result? Flawed Republican messaging combined with general electoral malaise turned a Democratic Congress into a Republican one. Obama spent the next two years fighting folks who promised to make him a one-term President. He got much less done than he might have, and Republicans set the stage, with their opposition, for the victory of the 45th President.
That former President would love to make a comeback, and although Republicans know better, many are rallying around him. Will the 2022 elections set the stage for a recidivist comeback? Our nation seems hopelessly divided, Republicans are increasingly extremist, Democrats are both apathetic and estranged. Progressive Democrats have allowed the great to get in the way of the good, insisting on things that have no possibility of passing in the Senate, tanking legislation before it is even introduced.
Progressives aren't entirely wrong to insist on a higher minimum wage, expanded health care, child tax credits, and economic relief. Still, politics is the art of compromise. How do we compromise on our fundamental rights, like our voting rights? Bravo to Biden for backing off his embrace of the filibuster, but have his comments (not actions) been too little, too late.
If the electorate is not motivated by these first months of the Biden administration, will they be inclined to vote in 2022? If they aren't, we are dealing with 2010 déjà vu. And if that déjà vu returns the former grafter and morally bankrupt President to office, the entire nation will suffer.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. She is also President of PUSH Excel, the education arm of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. You may reach her at juliannemalveaux.com
In this article:Biden Administration, congressional election, DÉJÀ VU FOR 2022, President Barack Obama, President Biden, The Last Word
With Time Running Out on Democrats' Majority, President Biden Gets 'Forceful' on Voting Rights
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Notably, the next several days will also reveal whether Democrats have the resolve, strength, and even the negotiating skills to get...
THE LAST WORD: Our Broken Democracy
By Dr. Julianne Malveaux A year ago, on January 6, 2021, a mob of crazed insurrectionists descended on the United States Capitol. Armed, angry...
THE LAST WORD: RECOVERY OR CRISIS?
By Dr. Julianne Malveaux According to MasterCard's spending reports, consumers spent more than 10 percent more than they did in 2019 before the COVID...
Texas Metro NewsJanuary 6, 2022
President Biden Proclaims January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The heightened awareness of human trafficking comes on the heels of an HBO documentary that finally spotlighted the world of the...


Addie Fierro (center) and other fifth-grade students play a card game based on decision making Feb. 21 at Reed-Custer Intermediate School in Braidwood.
JOLIET – A state bill that aims to make public education funding more equitable would give Joliet and Plainfield school districts between $1 million to $5 million, according to advocates of the legislation.
An analysis of the effects of Senate Bill 1 by Funding Illinois' Future "shows potential funding increases for local school districts," according to a statement from state Sen. Pat McGuire, who voted in favor of the bill that passed both chambers as of last week.
Funding Illinois' Future is a coalition of more than 200 school districts, officials and organizations, according to its website.
"[SB1] means kids would have an equal chance to succeed based on their effort rather than being shortchanged from the start because of their zip code. I urge [Gov. Bruce Rauner] to sign this measure into law as soon as he receives it," McGuire said.
Rauner has promised not sign SB1. His administration has said the bill is not "consistent with the framework" of the Illinois School Funding Reform Commission that studied and made recommendations this year on the state's education funding system, which has the widest spending gap between low- and high-income districts in the nation.
Rauner and Republican lawmakers have claimed Chicago Public Schools would receive more than its fair share under SB1.
According to Funding Illinois' Future analysis of the bill, the overall gain in estimated funds from SB1 would be $8.7 million for Joliet Public School District 86, $1.6 million for Joliet Township High School District 204, $5.8 million for Plainfield School District 202 and $98,640 for Lockport Township High School District 205.
The analysis is based on figures from the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Human Services and Advance Illinois and reflect a simulation for fiscal 2017.
District 202 spokesman Tom Hernandez said it was early to comment on the impact on SB1. He said the way the state has been funding education has been broken for years.
"Ultimately, Illinois needs a new funding system for public education that is equitable and fair for all districts," he said.
State Democrats with districts in Will County were favorable to the bill, while state Republicans opposed it.
State Rep. Margo McDermed, R-Mokena, said the state needs school funding reform but SB1 is not it because it's more favorable to CPS and argued it would require $660 million in new funding before any district other than CPS receives additional money.
"People are tired of sending their own money away from their own districts to Chicago," McDermed said.


Small businesses can now go some way towards protecting valuable files and data by deploying WatchGuard's gateway Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution.
Allowing your confidential customer or business information to fall into the wrong hands exposes your company to both competitors and malicious users. Whether it happens on purpose or accidentally, a data breach can mean costly fines and a tarnished reputation.
DLP allows your WatchGuard to scan text and content for sensitive information and includes predefined libraries of over 200 rules for compliancy in 18+ countries.


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| READ MORE |
CHILDREN EVERYWHERE
After the Earthquake, many friends, families, and others indicated a strong desire to help. In Stephanie's memory, Lin and Lenny Crispinelli, along with Stephanie's brothers, Michael and Nicholas, have established The Stephanie Crispinelli Humanitarian Fund, a non-profit organization which is dedicated to continuing Stephanie's Mission. So far, seven elementary schools have been built in Jamaica, all titled "Steph's Place." Not only do we provide the funds to build the schools in Jamaica, we as a family, travel to Jamaica every year to participate in the construction of each school, bringing along a team of volunteers that also wish to help.
The Stephanie Crispinelli Humanitarian Fund is forever committed to helping children in need. Our hearts are set on continuing Stephanie's mission of making a difference in the world, one child at a time. One of our larger goals is to build a new elementary school each year in poverty-stricken towns in Jamaica which would provide an education to children they otherwise would not be afforded. We also build new houses for Jamaican families who are living in unbearable conditions. In addition, this foundation provides scholarships for students who wish to participate in humanitarian missions similar to the trips Stephanie had taken. Lastly, our foundation aims to provide comfort to displaced children throughout Westchester County while promoting the humanitarian spirit among others.


text:
Q: How to create IPython/Jupyter kernel with custom python environment I have a virtual environment containing a package I need to test in a notebook.
I've got it working in the following manner:
> pip install ipykernel

> ipython kernel install --user --name=foo
Installed kernelspec foo in /Users/pi/Library/Jupyter/kernels/foo

> cat /Users/pi/Library/Jupyter/kernels/foo/kernel.json
{
 "argv": [
  "/usr/local/anaconda3/bin/python",
  "-m",
  "ipykernel_launcher",
  "-f",
  "{connection_file}"
 ],
 "display_name": "foo",
 "language": "python"
}

Now I edit the python path in that file to /path/to/my/virtualenv/bin/python.
Now I do jupyter notebook -> new -> foo, and create a test-cell with import MyPackage, and it works!
My question is: is there a proper way to do this?
(Useful link: https://jakevdp.github.io/blog/2017/12/05/installing-python-packages-from-jupyter/)

A: Personally, I would use pipenv.
First create a new folder and cd to it:
mkdir [name-of-my-python-env]
cd [name-of-my-python-env]

Now install the environment along with any additional packages you need:
pipenv install jupyter foo bar

Start the notebook server:
pipenv run jupyter notebook

If you need to add any new dependencies just pipenv install them and restart your server.


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text:
TCK access controversy – chat with JPA 2.1 Expert Group member Oliver Gierke
February 19, 2013 Chris Mayer
#apache #cdi #java #jpa #jpa 2.1 #jsrs #oliver gierke #oracle #spring data jpa #tck #vmware
Following debate over TCKs in the JPA 2.1 Expert Group, we talked to Oliver Gierke about the situation in JSRs and what needs to be done about it.
Last month, the JPA 2.1 Expert Group sparked an interesting debate about the accessibility of the Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) for JSRs, which are used to verify implementations of specifications for accuracy. VMware's Oliver Gierke criticises the current practice – we spoke to him about the current situation and why he believes a transparent, open TCK process is the answer.
JAXenter: Hi Oliver. Currently there is a controversial discussion in the JPA 2.1 Expert Group on the availability of TCKs. What role do these TCKs actually play?
Oliver Gierke: Before I joined the JPA expert group, I expected the expert groups to define the TCKs alongside the specification, to make sure both of them actually align with each other and that they really implement what was specified.
Working on Spring Data JPA, I repeatedly stumbled over issues in various persistence providers that indicated core methods of the API were not being covered by the TCK or the tests were not strict enough.
I asked for ways of how to improve the TCK but didn't receive an answer.
That was the reason I intensified my attempts to join the expert group. After joining the group, I was caught by surprise that being part of it does not mean you get access to the TCK either. All we can do is formulate a mail to point to problems and hope they get addressed somehow.
JAX: So TCKs are thus solely controlled and developed by Oracle?
Exactly. The expert group does not have access to the TCK until the final release of the spec. After that only licensees actually get access. At this point, the JSR has been concluded already and issues with the TCK are hard to identify. There's only a vague backchannel for feedback: an email to the specification lead.
JAX: Can you maybe give an example to explain what is problematic about the current situation?
Let's assume the following scenario: we've got a team of ten parties defining requirements for a piece of software. But the team does so without defining test cases. Besides that the development teams start implementing code based on the written specification. They can discuss issues with the spec team but not regarding the test suite they have to adhere to eventually. They're essentially shooting into the dark entirely. In parallel to these activities, a third stakeholder implements test cases for the spec – completely isolated, without any feedback at all.
Now the specification gets approved, which means it's set in stone from this point on. Exactly at that point in time, the implementors get access to the test cases and their primary task right now is to get their implementation running against the current TCK. At no point in time are there actual checks in how far the TCK adheres to what is defined in the spec, whether there untested parts of the spec and so on.
Would we run software projects this way nowadays? I am sure projects like this exist in the real world. Still, this is not the way a software project should be run, I think. Especially if it's about a Java Standard that developers are going to code against for years – if not even decades.
To come back to the JSRs, we face the additional problem that implementations will usually be certified. If we discover glitches violating the specification which lead back to a glitch in TCK – what do we do? De-certify the implementation?
There's no process for how to deal with issues in the TCK, or missing tests in it, and a way to correct the certifications. One more reason for why it's crucial to come to a solid TCK in the first place.
So we potentially – but in my point of view also practically – face quite a gap between what was specified and what the implementors are required to adhere to passing the TCK. This is a problem especially for the portability of applications between persistence providers, ultimately ending in the question whether it makes sense to code against a method that is vaguely specified but is implemented with completely different semantics throughout all persistence providers effectively. This is the point where the value of a specification is undermined fundamentally.
And I think it's fair to raise the question why one would want to work on a specification if the only authoritative instance for implementors – and developers using the API – is defined completely separately from the spec and there's now way to control how they relate to each other.
JAX: Are these issues you describe specifically relevant for JPA? Or put in another way: Are there similar discussions going on in other expert groups?
The core aspect here is that every JSR is run based on a version of the Java Community Process (JCP) that defines the process of how to run a JSR, what needs to be produced at which point in time, and under which license they have to be published. Some specs (e.g. JPA) are very close to these rules. But I know about other specifications (e.g. CDI) that are working more openly. The TCK of the CDI spec has been publicly available under the Apache license through the course of the entire specification process. This avoids the gap between spec and TCK and integrates the community at the same time. That does of course not mean, that ambiguities in the spec can be avoided entirely but they are much less likely.
JAX: What do you suggest to improve the current situation?
I am shooting for two things. First of all, the spec and the TCK should be developed alongside each other, e.g. we could insist on no API being able to be specified without dedicated test cases being provided as well. This of course requires access for expert group members to the TCK. Implementors would especially benefit from that, as they would not have to implement for more than two years without being able to run tests against their code.
The second thing I'd welcome warmly is a process of how to deal with TCK glitches. There has to be a way to continuously improve the test suite.
JAX: Would you like to see the TCKs made completely open source and freely available to the community?
Exactly. The already mentioned CDI specification shows that this is possible. The TCK is available on GitHub - 'forkable' and 'improveable' for everyone. Why shouldn't this work for other JSRs?
JAX: Oracle's Linda DeMichiel wrote on the mailing list recently that there is no special team for the JPA TCKs at Oracle. She mentions that TCKs for other JSRs have been completed earlier. Were other expert groups served much earlier? It sounds as if the TCK team at Oracle is not really big, so that the provision just takes a lot of time.
That's a very good point. It's hard to find out details about who is working on the TCK for JPA 2.1 to what extend. Linda also mentioned that so far no one has really shown interest in helping out with the TCK. It's important to note that I don't want to finger point at someone for doing bad work.
My main point is that in my opinion the current process is flawed and significantly impacts the quality of the standard in a negative way. I know that a better TCK means more work in the first place and I am definitely willing to help out. Perhaps we may even find more volunteers via the Adopt-a-JSR-program. But I do think that it's hard to attract people if it's effectively impossible to help if the process is not open. Beyond that I think most developers using standards like JPA have not been aware of the gap and why the current state is actually problematic at all.
If you look at the situation realistically, do you think the current situation will change soon? Is Oracle ready for constructive talks?
I already mentioned that it's not easy to get access to information – even as a member of the JPA expert group. On the other hand I see it working for other specifications. In this respect, I consider this discussion as opportunity to create transparency and hopefully create interest for participation in the community at the same time. Ultimately it's about a well-designed and usable API. There are way too many APIs out there that developers go berserk about. So every tiny improvement is an important one.
So you would like to broaden the discussion on this issue – our readers can comment here and share their opinion. What else can they do to get involved in the discussion?
The preferred way is the user's mailing list of course. Beyond that we maintain a JIRA instance to collect feedback for dedicated chunks of work.
Interviewed in this article
Oliver Gierke
Oliver Gierke is engineer at SpringSource, a division of VMware, project lead of the Spring Data JPA, MongoDB and core module and member of the JPA 2.1 expert group. He has been into developing enterprise applications and open source projects for over 6 years now. His working focus is centered around software architecture, Spring and persistence technologies. He is regularly speaking at German and international conferences as well as author of technology articles.


At the invitation of the Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs), WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya spoke at the Global Trade 2018 Conference, held at the Chatham House in London, United Kingdom on 1 November 2018, with the theme "Protectionism, power dynamics and changing priorities".
As a speaker at the session three on "Technology, Services and Data Trade", Secretary General Mikuriya talked about how Customs encounter with digital connectivity and smartphones has brought transformational changes in the international supply chain, and altered the narrative on how consumers, business and governments interact with one another.
Dr. Mikuriya explained the WCO Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce and how it ensures speedy clearances of the rapidly increasing number of parcels crossing borders as well as addresses the potential risks this poses to the safety and security of the supply chain. He also asserted that leveraging the power of big data through data analytics was the way forward for Customs, and that already several Customs administrations were exploring the usefulness of Blockchain technology to potentially improve transparency throughout the supply chain, streamline Customs risk management, and regulatory compliance, and reduce transaction costs.
WCO Secretary General further averred that there were many possible benefits to Blockchain technology, such as to assemble the required pieces of information for Customs declarations, inter-agency exchange of information, implementation of free trade agreements, implementation of Authorized Economic Operators – Mutual Recognition Agreements (AEO-MRA), revenue collection and compliance management.
Based on the ongoing pilot projects involving Customs administrations, Secretary General Mikuriya mentioned several challenges in the use of Blockchain. These included the integration of technology into Customs business model, the standardization of data, the interface of Customs system and the interoperability of Blockchain, the harmonization of Blockchains as well as the quality of data. He concluded by expressing his wish for "smart" borders.


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text:
package com.powercord869.code.robot;

import edu.wpi.first.wpilibj.DriverStationLCD;

/**
 * Helper to print to the driver station lcd
 * @author mechinn
 */
public class LCD {
    private static final String tagging = ": ";

    // get the driver station instance
    private static final DriverStationLCD dsLCD = DriverStationLCD.getInstance();

    /**
     * Print string on line 1
     * @param string
     */
    public static void print(String string) {
        print(1, string, 1);
    }
    /**
     * Print tag and string on line 1
     * @param tag
     * @param string
     */
    public static void print(String tag, String string) {
        print(tag+tagging+string);
    }
    /**
     * print string and tag on given line number
     * @param line
     * @param tag
     * @param string
     */
    public static void print(int line, String tag, String string) {
        print(line,tag+tagging+string);
    }
    /**
     * print string on line number
     * @param line
     * @param string
     */
    public static void print(int line, String string) {
        StringBuffer s = new StringBuffer(string);
        s.setLength(DriverStationLCD.kLineLength); //21 currently
        printToCol(line, s.toString(), 1);
    }
    /**
     * print tag and string on given line number starting at given column
     * @param line
     * @param tag
     * @param string
     * @param column
     */
    public static void print(int line, String tag, String string, int column) {
        print(line,tag+tagging+string,column);
    }
    /**
     * print string on given line number starting at given column
     * @param line
     * @param string
     * @param column
     */
    public static void print(int line, String string, int column) {
        printToCol(line,string,column);
    }

    private static void printToCol(int l, String s, int c) {
        switch (l) {
            default:
            case 1:
                dsLCD.println(DriverStationLCD.Line.kUser1, c, s);
                break;
            case 2:
                dsLCD.println(DriverStationLCD.Line.kUser2, c, s);
                break;
            case 3:
                dsLCD.println(DriverStationLCD.Line.kUser3, c, s);
                break;
            case 4:
                dsLCD.println(DriverStationLCD.Line.kUser4, c, s);
                break;
            case 5:
                dsLCD.println(DriverStationLCD.Line.kUser5, c, s);
                break;
            case 6:
                dsLCD.println(DriverStationLCD.Line.kUser6, c, s);
                break;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Must be called to display any prints
     */
    public static void update() {
        // actually print all of the dsPrint strings, send to driver computer
        dsLCD.updateLCD();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the "Salute to America" ceremony in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2019. (Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA/TNS)
Oliver Contreras
Commentary: NAFTA's replacement needs to have its tires kicked
By Harley Shaiken, Los Angeles Times
President Donald Trump would like to see the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ratified without delay. It's a bit like a used car salesperson giving you 10 minutes to accept the deal of the century. You may want to look under the hood and test-drive the vehicle first.
USMCA is largely an updated and rebranded version of the North American Free Trade Agreement passed in 1993. That deal contributed to what the economist Joseph Stiglitz views as a defining national problem: "stagnant or declining wages at the bottom, an eviscerated middle class, and top wages that are soaring."
The central question now is, will the USMCA correct the flaws of NAFTA or lock them in for another quarter-century? Specifically, what impact will the new agreement have on U.S. jobs, wages and outsourcing to Mexico?
Merchandise trade soared sixfold under NAFTA from $101 billion in 1994 to over $615 billion last year. What is problematic, however, is the paradox that fueled much of this growth. Mexican workers have produced more and earned less, creating a lure for investment and a fierce downward pressure on U.S. wages.
Why? Industrial wages in Mexico aren't simply low, they are suppressed by few labor rights - workers cannot form independent unions - and government policy to throttle wages to attract investment. Despite high productivity, Mexican industrial wages now trail wages in China and are among the lowest in the world.
In a highly integrated economy, this dismal picture is also an American story. Not surprisingly, General Motors put its fast-selling new Chevy Blazer SUV in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, with labor costs at $3 an hour, rather than in Lordstown, Ohio, at $30 an hour. At these rates, the total annual compensation bill of wages and benefits for 3,000 hourly workers in Lordstown would be more than $360 million, compared with $30 million in Ramos Arizpe.
On March 6, the last Chevy Cruze rolled off the line in Lordstown. The sprawling Ohio plant that employed 4,500 workers three years ago now sits empty and the town is reeling. Dave Green, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 in Lordstown, told me in March about divorces, depression and parents unable to care for disabled children or their own elderly parents. In spite of the pain, he still took pride in the high-quality cars they built.
Mexican workers are shortchanged as well. Suppressed wages mean many industrial workers live in poverty despite their high productivity, and $3-an-hour wages diminished economic growth.
The auto sector accounts for about a third of Mexico's manufacturing exports and reflects a distorted trading relationship. While the market remains in the U.S., production has migrated to Mexico. The U.S. ran a $95-billion auto trade deficit with Mexico in 2018 - more than the U.S. deficit with Japan and South Korea combined.
We need a new trade agreement but one that will protect U.S. workers and families. The best way to do this is ensuring the rights of Mexican workers. Two critical changes are needed before ratification: improved labor rights in the agreement and demonstrated labor rights reform in the export sector. Simply put, workers would actually have to be able to join independent unions and bargain collectively. The first change is important, the second fundamental.
Mexico has a new reform government genuinely committed to change. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was elected in 2018 with an overwhelming majority. He already has passed impressive labor reform legislation, but the law has not yet been carried out. Fierce opposition to labor reform from well-financed old-guard unions and employers who profit from suppressed wages still rules the day, with state institutions too weak to implement far-reaching changes in the labor sector.
Whatever the relative merits on paper of the old NAFTA and the USMCA - in effect, the "new NAFTA" - the reality for both Mexican and U.S. workers would not be much changed, if at all, without labor reforms.
What we know from NAFTA is that any leverage evaporates once the trade deal is signed. That's why it's crucial that reforms to USMCA happen before ratification. This would not require tackling the entire economy immediately, but it would make it more likely that the new trade agreement will result in a more broadly shared prosperity.
Harley Shaiken is a professor at UC Berkeley specializing in labor and globalization.
Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com
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AURORA, Colo., Nov. 27th, 2018 – The Aurora City Council recently approved a proposal to enact an assessment on city hotels which is estimated to generate an additional $3M to promote tourism to Aurora by 2020. Revenues realized through the new Destination Marketing Improvement Fee (DMIF) will be utilized by Visit Aurora to increase sales, marketing, and awareness of the city of Aurora, Colorado, as a premier destination for visitors and conventions. Aurora hotels supported the new assessment on hotel stays as a way for the city to be more competitive in attracting new visitors to the region, an industry that already infuses $30M million into the city of Aurora's economy each year and employs over 7,200 residents.
Aurora joins other cities in Colorado, and the country, actively raising funds for tourism promotion through a Tourism Improvement District (TID) model. There are currently 172 destinations across 15 states which have adopted this strategy to provide a dedicated, industry-driven revenue stream for tourism promotion efforts.
"The road to establishing the DMIF has been a long process. However, with the support of the hoteliers, the city staff and Aurora City Council, I am thrilled to share we will now possess competitive funding to attract additional tourism opportunities to our community," said Bruce Dalton, Visit Aurora President and CEO.
Leaders of the city's Destination Marketing Organization have spent the past 18 months researching opportunities and devising strategies to boost funding for the organization for future development projects. "This is tremendous news for Aurora. With this hotel-supported increase in revenues, there is now an opportunity to make additional investments in infrastructure that will improve the visitor experience, employ more individuals in the tourism industry and expand awareness of our destination on a national scale," explained Dalton. "The outcome is an improved quality of life for both residents and visitors to enjoy," said Dalton.
As of January 1, 2019, a fee of $2.00 per room, per night, will apply to any hotel with more than 75 rooms in the city of Aurora. The specific uses of the funds have yet to be determined but will be assessed to fit with Aurora's needs and fall within these parameters.
The funding approval has come just in time to support several new hotels coming online including the Gaylord Rockies, which will bring an additional 1,501 rooms into the market. The buzz around the city supports the sentiment that the time is now to take Aurora to the next level in being able to compete in the marketplace.


Official music video 'ZSA' by 'Diorama' taken from the upcoming album 'Zero Soldier Army'.
taking ain and getting jittery?
fire! reload! broadsides from the ghost ships!
fire! leave not one stone on another!
hunker down! protect you children!
taking aim and getting jittery?


Mighty Mystic was born Kevin Mark Holness, in the countryside of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. As a child, Holness showed early interest in his native island's music. It was common to hear him singing songs like "Buffalo Soldier," "What the Hell the Police Can Do," or hymns sung in Sunday morning church. In 1989, Holness relocated to Boston, as his family was in search of a new life.
It was then the sounds of Mighty Mystic were born, as he began to wet his feet in the local music scene.
When it came time to find a name which best suited him, Holness choose "Mystic" which was the childhood nickname of his father, and coincidentally the area where Holness and his family relocated to in Boston, also called "Mystic." The name just fit. He shares, "When I moved to Boston, I realized the North East region was very influenced by the hip hop scene of the early 90's, and it also had a bubbling reggae market.
Considered one of the leaders in the East Coast Reggae Movement, reggae artist Mighty Mystic's fresh sound and musical diversity has proved to be a magnet for music lovers in search of something refreshing and new.
It has attracted listeners of all ages, and from all walks of life.
A charismatic man on a mission: Mighty Mystic has gone from being a fan of reggae music, to being a contributor to the art. On November 24, 2010, after releasing singles for nearly four years, Mighty Mystic released his debut, full-length album "Wake up the World" which hit iTunes, Amazon, and everywhere digital downloads were sold, by storm. The album peaked at #4 on iTunes Reggae Charts, and unleashed 17 brand new original tracks, mixed with fan favorites out into the world. Mystic shares, "My album can be summed up in one word: Universal. Music is life, and life is very broad, so I wanted to design something that can suit all people, that was my mission with this album" On September 6, 2011 the single and music video for "Original Love" was released, worldwide.