For 22 companies, this is their first year on the list.
New York Life offers a pension plan that guarantees income for life upon retirement. Fun events include an annual picnic, camp outs, barbeques, Christmas Party and many lunch time events throughout the year.
In just three years at New York Life's Hawaii office, 26-year-old Sayaka Ogura has worked her way up to become one of seven partners. Her goal in the next two years: senior partner.
Fresh out of the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, with a degree in finance and business management, she lauds the company for its nurturing, supportive culture, its expansive training program and its potentially lucrative rewards.
But that's only part of the reason the insurance company's Hawaii office has topped the Very Large Companies category of the Best Places to Work. According to Mike Ceci, Hawaii managing partner, the company creates loyalty and healthy longevity for every employee, starting with health insurance on the first day of employment and four retirement programs for all employees: a pension, a 401K, a deferred compensation plan and an agent-progress sharing plan.
"When you look at the tenure of the individuals – people who have been here 45 years – they're still active, not because they need to work, but because they love being part of the agency," says Ceci.
Along with free training programs, the company also offers tuition reimbursement for additional financial degrees and sponsors a master's program in financial services or management.
Plus, there are parties that occur regularly and are designed to bring the staff together as a supportive team. Ogura says they work.
At 25, and with a new bachelor's degree in business, Christopher Lee is already running his own office.
Lee, a financial advisor with Edward Jones Hawaii, loves the firm's horizontal organization, which puts him on an equal footing with people who have been there far longer.
He says he also gets the resources he wants, can consult with other company advisors and didn't need to make a huge capital investment to be his own boss.
Edward Jones Hawaii gets high marks from its employees for its compensation, high levels of personal responsibility and opportunities to achieve. Everyone can become a partner. Across the mainland, Edward Jones has been named a best place to work in many similar state surveys.
If you work fulltime for the University of Phoenix, there are many opportunities to move your career ahead. The university offers its full-time employees free tuition waivers to pursue either an associate or bachelor's degree in any field the university teaches. Employee dependents are eligible for 80-percent tuition reductions.
There's a company-wide wellness initiative with free health-related webinars, health coaching, support groups, discounts, incentives and even free fruit and "juicers" during breaks. Averill says the company also "hosts frequent wellness challenges" to support personal fitness goals for employees.
Employees are eligible to utilize paid time off from their first day on the job. ASB has a LifeBalance Room where it holds fitness classes. The room is equipped with exercise balls, a TV and a DVD player, weights, exercise bands and a restroom with a shower.
Booz Allen offers benefits for domestic partners and flexible work arrangements. All or part of an employees' full- or part-time childcare is paid, either on a regular basis or only during busy seasons. A stock purchase plan allows employees to purchase firm stock at a 5 percent discount off the fair market price and with no service fees.
Deloitte employees get discounted rates at health/fitness clubs. Other benefits include parental leave, sabbaticals, pet insurance, 529 college savings plan, legal coverage, pre-tax transportation programs, pre-tax FSA and HSA health savings accounts, mortgage assistance and tuition assistance.
Employees can work out and take free fitness classes at the onsite exercise facilities. The bank's courtyard and patio facilities may be used for private family celebrations. Full-service cafeterias with meals served daily at a nominal charge.
Employees enjoy work schedule flexibility to promote a balanced lifestyle. There is recognition and compensation for performance in the form of company trips, such as a weeklong Alaskan cruise.
Kiewit offers health coaching to help target specific risks, address methods for reducing those risks and provide year-round resources and encouragement. Employees may benefit from on-site personal- development and/or stress-management workshops, seminars and classes.
Navy Federal Credit Union offers a generous Education Assistance Program and three scholarship programs for its employees.
Employees are eligible for an annual performance bonus averaging between 6 percent and 10 percent of their annual salaries. They also receive up to $200 per year for participating in health and fitness programs.
A massage therapist comes to the office once a week. Employees pay $5 plus tip and the company pays the balance. Toshiba rents a beach house on Presidents Day weekend where employees and their families can enjoy friendship and food provided by the company.
UBS employees are eligible for performance bonuses, a holiday party and Friday Jeans Day, fitness workshops and fee waivers for The Great Aloha Run.
The Kauai Coast Resort at the Beach Boy is a perfect example of why SVC (formerly known as Shell Management Hawaii) has topped the large companies category for three years on the Hawaii Business Best Places to Work list.
There's a lot of celebrating going on at this picturesque, Kauai beachfront resort, which is one of 25 timeshare resorts in North America managed by Shell Vacations Hospitality. The other Hawaii locations are the Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village, Kona Coast Resort, Paniolo Greens in Waikoloa and Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai.
"The Hawaii region is consistently the company's best performing region," says Linda Anthony, SVC's regional VP, Hawaii. A lot of it has to do with the high retention rate of employees. Although the company takes training seriously, there are so many old-timers who know the ropes that there's not a lot of time spent retraining new staff. Things run smoothly, making for happy workers and satisfied guests.
Although she works out of the company's Kailua-Kona office, Anthony warmly greets staff at this Kapaa resort as family. It may sound corny, but Anthony says they don't have a problem saying they love each other.
For Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union concierge Vai Seto, those two words are more than just her employer's motto.
Seto moved her family to Oahu from American Samoa after her teenage son, Hipa, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, and she was hired by the credit union a few months later.
After a lengthy battle with the rare form of bone cancer, Hipa passed away in June 2011. During the process, Seto came to see her co-workers as family.
Seto says she was truly touched by her co-workers' generosity and wanted to thank them personally, but was told they wished to remain anonymous.
In the anonymous surveys conducted as part of the Best Places to Work selection process, Castle Medical Center employees said they enjoyed coming to work, even though they must regularly deal with human suffering.
Steve Bovey feels that way, too.
He started as a family therapist at Castle 28 years ago and for the past 14 years has served as its quality-improvement coordinator. Bovey plans to retire there.
The annual holiday party is a big occasion for the bank and its employees. For the past two years, a professionally produced video starring CPB's executive team has been screened at the annual holiday party. In 2011, many of the 900 employees were involved in a companywide flash mob, with departments and branches coordinating dances and getting into costume. CPB also gives back to the community, and employees can earn points for volunteer service projects, which can then be redeemed for rewards.
The hardware store recognizes and awards its employees for great customer service, either from customers or their peers. Awards are announced monthly and published in the quarterly newsletter. Prizes range from polo shirts to $250 gift certificates.
The GM at this concierge service provider visits the offices on all islands every month to celebrate birthday lunches. Employees are eligible for the Concierge of the Year award, for which they are recognized nationally at Expedia's annual tradeshow in Las Vegas.
The jewelry manufacturer and retailer loves employee referrals. Maui Divers pays $500 to $1,000 per qualified referral, and even entered referring employees into an iPad drawing. Employees are encouraged to take their breaks to relieve stress during the day.
Servco, which does business in automotive retail, home appliances and insurance, has a number of formal and informal ways to recognize its employees, ranging from gift cards to sales-incentive trips to the mainland, Japan or Australia. For employees who reach 25 years of service, the company presents them with a Rolex watch at the annual company dinner.
The Berry Company, a local advertising specialist in print and Internet, brings out the kid in its employees by having ice cream carts and popcorn days. It recognizes its sales team through top producer awards, sales bonuses and hotel stays at places like Disney's Aulani Resort.
The architecture and engineering consulting firm pays the entire healthcare premium for employees and their dependents. Employees who excel in their performances may be considered for a company vehicle. Approximately 40 percent of the staff are privileged to have a company vehicle and gas card.
There's a strong sense of pride, passion and responsibility when you talk to B+K principals Brian Bowers and Dexter Kubota. No strangers to our Best Places to Work winners' list, the two take the honor seriously.
Bowers is referring to how his firm serves clients and treats its employees.
Employees seem happy, indeed. With turnover virtually non-existent, except for three long-term staff members who retired last year, B+N is thriving with 109 employees. That's compared to the 10 employees who survived the firm's downsizing in the early 1990s.
When the company's past president passed away unexpectedly on Christmas Eve 1997, Bowers and Kubota, who had been with the firm for 11 and 10 years respectively, took over company leadership and set the focus for the future.
"Memories of the layoffs drive us to constantly look at how we do things," says Kubota.
They've created an office culture that can be described as "progressive," with a Web-based wellness program, health benefits that include 100-percent premium coverage for employees and their dependents, many firm-related activities, and a commitment to each employee's personal growth and empowerment.
"They support our individual passions and aspirations," says Aaron Ackerman, who wears two hats, as a project architect and sustainability project facilitator.
Ackerman has taken a keen interest in the Living Building Challenge, a certification program for sustainable buildings. The firm will be sending him to the Pacific Northwest this year to learn more.
Ask manager Heather Yanazaki what's the best perk at PKF and she'll tell you it's the trip to Las Vegas.
At the end of last year, the staff was treated to a vacation in Sin City on the company dime.
"This was the second time we've done it in the last year and a half, and it's a way to thank our employees," says partner Trisha Nomura.
Aria management discussed how it makes its employees' jobs easier by providing benefits such as a first-rate cafeteria and laundry service.
N&K managing principal Alton Miyashiro fondly recalls what he believes to have been the defining moment at the firm, when a concerted effort was made to develop the workplace culture.
Since then, the WE committee has overseen a variety of ideas to promote a better work environment, including massages, stress-relief day during tax season and free beverages.
The firm's commitment to a positive work culture is reflected in the presence of Dennis Higashiguchi, N&K's manager of consulting services. He's in charge of coaching, marketing and training at the firm.
The architectural and engineering firm's commitment to health and fitness is reflected in free membership to 24 Hour Fitness as part of its benefits package. Discounted fitness memberships are available for employees' dependents.
The 75-year-old credit union pays 100 percent of the healthcare premiums for staff members and their dependents. Family members are invited to the annual company picnic.
Atlas shows its commitment to employee wellness through weekly tai chi classes on premises. Employees can also purchase fresh fruits and vegetables monthly when the company brings a local farmer on site.
Austin, Tsutsumi & Associates Inc.
This engineering firm believes in promoting a healthy life and work balance, offering a compressed workweek with half-day Fridays. A personal trainer comes in once a week for an hour to lead staff workouts.
Certified Hawaii maintains an onsite fitness facility with a TV, exercise equipment and a shower. Massages are offered once a month and employees are allowed to bring their children to the office when they do not have childcare.
This family-run business operates gas-station convenience stores in Hawaii and California. The company pays for the DOE's A+ (After-School Care Plus) program for employees' children.
The healthcare center at One Kalakaua Senior Living Retirement Community is a kid-friendly environment where keiki can come any time. All staff members receive free meals when they work on a holiday.
Hickam Communities' full-time employees are eligible for quarterly incentive bonuses of 5 percent to 10 percent of their salaries. The amount awarded is based on company and individual performance benchmarks.
Top sales personnel are recognized on a monthly and annual basis. The company is committed to being green with a 100-percent virtual mortgage banking system as all documents are scanned electronically, shredded and recycled.
InPeace provides full weeks of paid time off at Spring Break and Christmas so employees can strengthen their own families. The non-profit educational organization also offers employees the option to work flexible schedules so they may include exercise and fitness into their daily activities.
Employees enjoy "Half Staff Days" when they are allowed days off at their regular pay with the intent for it to be used for relaxation and family time. For a special summer event, the company closes for a half-day and rents out a bowling alley where employees can take part in cosmic bowling, Wii, bingo and karaoke.
KKV has a bike exchange program in which employees can use a bike to ride to different KKV sites. To promote fitness, Zumba is led by staff four mornings a week.
Free after-school care and programs are offered for children of employees and tuition reimbursement for employees' children attending Maryknoll School. Employees declining medical coverage receive an additional $50 per pay-period as additional compensation.
ProService Hawaii employees take part in an annual company retreat consisting of a weekend getaway. Other company events include an annual family picnic, holiday party and casual/breakfast Fridays.
Employees enjoy spiritual renewal through employee retreats three times a year. Tuition discounts are available to those who have worked for Saint Louis for one year. A pau hana barbecue takes place at the end of each quarter.
The company will reimburse staff members up to $75 twice per year to enter any fitness-type event, such as a running event, surf contest, etc.
The accounting department rings in the new year with mochi for everyone. Employees have monthly get-togethers for team-building activities and events at places such as Kualoa Ranch, Downtown First Friday and more.
Employees' families are invited for movie night at a local theater where a short meeting is held and hot dogs, popcorn and drinks are available for all. Stress relief and meditation take place at staff meetings.
Caryn Pang is fighting a head cold, but, despite the discomfort, she's at work answering customer calls – and loving every minute.
Pang and the two other customer-service representatives at the Hawaii Information Consortium handle up to 200 calls, emails and online chats a day from people needing information about a government service.
"They have to force me to go home," Pang says.
That says a lot about what it's like to work for HIC. The company, with 26 employees, contracts with the state procurement office, which authorizes it to provide online access for almost 100 services from state, county and federal government that affect our daily lives. Each year, the company adds up to a dozen more services.
That means employees spend every working day thinking up new ways to make it easier and more efficient for people to get help from the government. A recent example: The company established an appointment system for people needing a state ID after filling out paperwork online. Before that, people had to stand in long lines waiting their turn.
"We work really well as a team," adds Pang. "I always feel like my bosses and my coworkers have my back if I need help. I know I can turn to them if I need support, not just for work support but personal support.
Employee satisfaction is also boosted by perks like company-paid gym memberships and college-course tuition, and matching payments for charitable donations. Employees take part together in sporting and charity events, hold baby or wedding showers for one another, all with the support of the management team.
Don't believe the old saw that there's no free lunch.
When you work at HiHR, there's free lunch, free gym membership, free snacks, free coffee and free drinks. Your kids can do homework there after school or come all day if they're sick. The company will support your favorite charity and give you paid time off to help it, and pay part of the tuition if you go back to school.
Executive project manager Kellie James is thrilled to work there because she believes in the company's mission of helping clients save money and because of the firm's benefits. The perks enabled her to join a weight-loss program and Zumba classes for free, and work a flexible schedule.
Each morning, the 47-person staff at Wealth Strategy Partners goes through an hour of training so they are better able to serve their clients with financial services.
He says the five-year-old company also uses a structured team approach that ensures everyone is supported in being successful. "They're not left hanging on their own," he says.
The sleep-furniture retailer initiated a program to stimulate employee health and happiness. Employees choose an activity they want to do – like a gym membership or ballroom dancing classes – and the company reimburses them.
Baldridge & Associates Structural Engineering Inc.
BASE employees are encouraged to become LEED accredited, which is a green building certification. BASE will pay for tuition. It's also a fun group, with a foosball table and large-screen TV used for big sporting events, offering breaks from a hectic day.
Employees at the fruit gift-basket retailer enjoy a flexible schedule and camaraderie as employees hold potlucks or go out to restaurants for birthdays and other special occasions. Fruit waste from its operations is donated to Punahou School for making compost at the school's garden.
The provider of environmental and occupational services has fun recreational activities like ping pong, billiards and air hockey at the office. The company shows appreciation for employees with ice cream parties, movie days and shiatsu massages. ETC regularly participates in community-service efforts, such as removing invasive algae from Maunalua Bay and fundraising for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief.
Gregory House Programs' mission is to develop programs to meet the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in the state, because housing is healthcare. They recognize employees by acknowledging them at staff meetings, handing out bonuses when the budget allows and celebrating with potluck lunches.
One of the largest landowners on Kauai, Grove Farm celebrates with its employees in many ways, "typically with food and fellowship." Some of the unique benefits include a fitness club (the company sponsors a fitness day once a week and eats lunch together), an on-site garden (where employees can raise vegetables and plants), and an all-expense-paid trip to a rural village in Africa for a service project with Global Hope Network International's transformative community-development program.
Hawaii Families As Allies helps parents create meaningful family involvement, and supports its own employees by allowing them to take paid time off to attend school meetings for their children. The nonprofit recognizes its employees' hard work by spotlighting them at quarterly staff meetings.
The Hawaii Foodbank gathers food and support from the community and then distributes them to charitable organizations, so that no one goes hungry or without care. Employees are eligible for performance-based bonuses. After inventory days, the nonprofit provides lunch for employees.
All staff members at this eye doctor are invited to the company's annual function, and all Neighbor Island employees are flown in. The company celebrates all successes, including throwing a pizza party if the company passes certain benchmarks.
The Honolulu Board of Realtors supports its employees and their family situations. The trade association increased its sick policy from seven to 14 days since many employees take care of family members. HBR invests in staff development and will pay for seminars and trainings.
If Hospice of Kona employees are celebrating birthdays or date-of-hire anniversaries, they receive $25 gift certificates. Professional days, such as Administrative Assitant Day or Nurse's Week, are celebrated by the nonprofit. At monthly staff meetings, thank you cards and satisfaction surveys from the community are shared with all employees.
Imua Family Services provides developmental and therapeutic support services to children up to 6 years old. To reward the entire team, the nonprofit will make an office purchase. For its 2010 Best Places to Work win, the company bought a Keurig coffee machine. Staff development is also important, and Imua has brought in national speakers.
Employees at the full-service IT provider have a full range of entertainment at the office, including board games, a pool table, a dart board and a Microsoft Xbox. Employees can also participate in 20% Projects, in which they choose a project to work on one day a week. Employees who deliver exceptional customer service can order items from Amazon that will make the office a more fun workplace.
IAAK provides education technology for Hawaii schools. Employees are eligible for a monthly Pookela Award, a peer-voted outstanding achievement award. Every quarter, the President's Award is given to an employee and is chosen by the executive staff.
This full-service, independent residential brokerage distributes bonuses and gives its staff the ability to become shareholders/owners. The company occasionally takes guests, staff and associates to the nearby Kahala Hotel and Resort.
A full-service architectural design firm, KYA Design Group has a lot of unique benefits, including half-days two Fridays a month. The company also encourages transparency and has an open policy that keeps everyone informed of financial status and policy decisions.
Life Foundation is a nonprofit providing free services for those living with HIV/AIDS on Oahu, as well as free HIV testing and education for the community. Due to its work as a peer-based outreach system, Life Foundation is more than an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively hires Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, gay, bi-sexual and HIV-positive individuals to perform outreach to high-risk members of the community.
Maui Family Support Services' mission is to promote healthy family functioning, with a primary goal of preventing child abuse and neglect. After two years of service, additional paid-time-off certificates are awarded to employees, in addition to normal PTO days. The office is closed on Fridays to save electricity. On those days, staff can work from home, in the field or at the beach.
At Pacific Administrators, employees who meet the company's perfect attendance criteria for six months in a row are rewarded with $50 in cash. Employee social functions include quarterly movie days, picnics and holiday lunches. To relax in the office, there is a quiet room with five recliner massage chairs.
Pacific Biodiesel produces biofuel, primarily from used cooking oil, and received the 2011 Green Jobs Award, one of only eight received in the U.S. A unique perk for employees is a fuel discount. Employees receive bonuses for every gallon of cooking oil collected over their quotas. Bonuses are distributed at the annual holiday party, with amounts based on tenure.
PREL's favorite way to recognize its employees is to have a party. Many of its staff members travel, so the opportunity to sit and spend time with other employees builds camaraderie. PREL also recognizes its staff with monetary awards, plaques and certificates.
The local T-Mobile phone dealer has given cash and product bonuses on almost a monthly basis, and employees can get discount phone service for up to three friends or family members. On the weirder incentive side, employees could shave the manager's or even the company owner's hair if they hit performance tiers.
Employees at this window-film supplier and installer can take part in stand up paddleboard outings on Sundays. At the warehouse, employees can use the fitness room or play a game of basketball, or just relax during an occasional barbecue at the shop. The company also recognizes its employees' creativity and has a formal process to try out employee ideas. If successful, the company will incorporate it into standard operating procedures.
Ventura Technology focuses on IT solutions for government agencies. It highlights employee achievements during its annual employee appreciation party and through its company newsletter. The company participates in at least three community-service projects a year, including helping out at Special Olympics or the American Red Cross.
Wakelight provides services in communications engineering and support, information technology, management and technical service and HR support. At the office, not only do employees have windows, they're encouraged to take advantage of ambient lighting during daytime hours to save energy. Wakelight acknowledges interests outside of the workplace. One employee acts in community theater, and the company organized and paid interested employees' admissions.
The financial-planning firm has a profit-sharing program for employees. Employees love the flexible work schedule, great benefits and friendly working environment.
The Wedding Ring Shop has an annual celebration dinner where the company recognizes its team for the year's achievements. The company also holds unique events like "Heaven's Kitchen," where employees cooked up a meal and exhibited the company's core values.
WHAT ARE THE TOP THINGS YOU LOOK FOR IN A NEW EMPLOYEE?
Attitude. We can teach the ins and outs of insurance, but we can't teach you to have a great attitude.
Givers, not takers; people who place others before themselves.
People who work well with others and are valued by their peers for their efforts and contributions to the team.
Empathy, compassion and sincerity. We have to connect with our families and someone who doesn't have these traits will not gain the trust needed to successfully help them.
Leadership abilities and fit with the organization.
We need people who can work well with each other and be dedicated to our cause.
Integrity, leadership, passion and a commitment to excellence.
Y&M employees need to be compassionate.


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Lawina piroklastyczna, potok piroklastyczny, spływ piroklastyczny – częste zjawisko towarzyszące erupcjom wulkanicznym, mieszanina gorących gazów wulkanicznych i materiału piroklastycznego (popiołów i okruchów skalnych), które przemieszczają się z dużą prędkością (do 150 km/h) w dół stoków wulkanu. Temperatura gazów może osiągać nawet 700–1000 °C, stąd też używane jest inne określenie chmura gorejąca (fr. nuée ardente). Objętość większości lawin piroklastycznych waha się od 1 do 10 km³, a ich zasięg do kilku kilometrów od krateru.

Ze względu na prędkość i wysokie temperatury lawiny piroklastyczne przynoszą ogromne zniszczenia na trasie spływu. W warstwie powierzchniowej przemieszczają się większe okruchy skalne, które niszczą wszystko na swojej drodze. Wyżej znajduje się gorąca chmura popiołów i gazów, które przemieszczają się szybciej (do 300 km/h) i stanowią równie śmiertelne zagrożenie.
Najbardziej znana lawina piroklastyczna miała miejsce 8 maja 1902, kiedy wybuchł wulkan Montagne Pelée na Martynice. Spływająca chmura gazów i popiołów zniszczyła wówczas 30-tysięczne miasto Saint-Pierre. Wówczas to pojawiło się określenie chmura gorejąca, które weszło później na stałe do słownika wulkanologów.

Jedna z największych lawin piroklastycznych zeszła 18 maja 1980 roku podczas wybuchu Mount St. Helens.

W 1991 roku w Japonii lawina piroklastyczna zabiła parę doświadczonych wulkanologów – Katię i Maurice'a Krafftów oraz 41 innych osób.

Lawina piroklastyczna, powstała w wybuchu Wezuwiusza 24 sierpnia 79 roku, zniszczyła miasta Pompeje, Herkulanum, Stabie i Oplontis.

Przypisy

Wulkanizm
Struktury geologiczne

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Hugh Lovatt
Developments in 2017 have once again brought into focus the one-state reality taking hold on the ground in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) has remained dormant since the collapse of the last round of US-backed talks under President Obama in Spring 2014. In the meantime, Israel (with US acquiescence) has moved further away from Palestinian negotiating positions and the internationally endorsed final status parameters meant to frame a final agreement. So long as this remains the case, and so long as Israeli cost benefit calculations tilt towards continued occupation, future negotiations cannot achieve a meaningful and last resolution to the conflict (even if they do one day succeed in getting the parties around the table).
The disappearance of a viable diplomatic path for resolving the conflict has been compounded by US policy backsliding under President Trump, in particular, his reneging on the US's long-standing commitment to a two-state solution as the exclusive goal of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Meanwhile, Israeli politics and society continue to veer right-ward, in favour of policies and actions that cement its occupation, pushing Palestinian statehood beyond reach. Just as critically, perhaps, the Palestinian liberation movement is experiencing a moment of unique political, regional, and strategic weakness.
The state of affairs on the Palestinian side is first and foremost a consequence of Israeli policies to fragment Palestinian representation. But President Abbas's monopolisation of power and his hollowing out of Palestinian decision-making processes has forestalled the emergence of a new Palestinian liberation strategy that can more effectively address these domestic and external challenges.
From State Building to Sovereignty Building
For over 25 years the MEPP has revolved around the Oslo Accords – the series of agreements concluded by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) between 1993 and 1999. In several respects, the Oslo Accords have created successes for Palestinians. They nudged Israel towards acceptance of Palestinian statehood, allowed the PLO and its political leadership (which was previously based in exile) to return to Palestinian territory, and created the institutional basis for a Palestinian state.
Oslo also set the stage for large sums of international aid to flow towards Palestinian state-building and institutional reform projects. These reached their apogee under the technocratic Prime Minister Salem Fayyad between 2007 and 2013. During this time, both the IMF and World Bank declared Palestine to be "statehood ready". Fayyad's successor, Rami Hamdallah has built on these gains by advancing new national sovereignty building strategies to consolidate Palestinian control over their natural resources and make state institutions more responsive to the needs of citizens. In parallel, President Abbas has led a drive to "internationalise" the conflict by seeking Palestinian membership in international fora such as the UN and International Criminal Court (ICC), and joining some 30 international treaties, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.
A process that has run out
But so long, as the Palestinian leadership remains committed to the Oslo-configured MEPP, none of these Palestinian successes on the ground and in the international arena will significantly challenge Israel's occupation and inflict any real international cost over its actions in the OPT – many of which are considered illegal under international law. As I wrote with Omar Dajani in July 2017, the Oslo Accords not only failed to deliver Palestinian self-determination through statehood, but also put in place a conflict management framework that has helped Israel entrench its occupation, expand its settlement project, and kept Palestinian sovereignty out of reach.
The reality that this is creating in the OPT has been variously described as Apartheid (including by senior Israeli officials such as former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Mossad director Danny Yatom), a one-state minus by Prime Minister Netanyahu, and as one-state reality of unequal rights by the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.
Two-states or one?
For now, a Palestinian pivot towards a one-state solution, or alternatively strategy, is still not on the cards. As evidenced in the recent meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the PLO remains committed to achieving a two-state solution through diplomatic engagement, multilateralism, and international law, even as its criticism of Israel and the US increases. Even Hamas, once an ardent support of a state in all of "historic Palestine", has indicated its potential willingness to accept the pre-June 1967 borders. In the West Bank, the PA has even constrained Palestinian civil society and prevented large-scale mobilisations that seek to challenge Israel's occupation, and the Oslo Accords that it rests upon.
However, without tangible progress towards de-occupation, and without any horizon for meaningful independence, it would be wrong to assume that the Palestinian liberation strategy will remain forever unchanging in the face of current realities. As the PLO's Ambassador to the US, Husam Zomlot, put it: a two-state solution was "never a Palestinian demand, but a Palestinian concession".
And indeed, the seeds for a future strategic shift are becoming apparent. Polling suggests that growing scepticism over the prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough has translated into growing Palestinian support for a one-state solution through which "Palestinians and Jews will be citizens of the same state and enjoy equal rights". A post-Abbas leadership transition, and the empowerment of a generation of Palestinians less wedded to the Oslo process or the concept of a two-state solution, may also create openings for to re-assess Palestinian strategy and goals.
Future Palestinian strategies
The continued absence of any real prospects for ending the occupation will inevitably impact on Palestinian strategic calculations over the longer term. And indeed, the belief that sovereignty through diplomacy is untenable is already translating into growing popular support for alternative strategies for ending the occupation. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement is a prominent example of this trend. The direct, and relatively non-violent, "March of Return" protests supported by Hamas in Gaza is another.
While these remain limited, relatively agnostic towards a one or two state outcome (in favour of ending the occupation au sens large), future initiatives may place greater emphasis on equals for equal rights for all in a binational state. Alternatively, what emerges in the future could be greater public support for a return to armed resistance, or the ascendancy of the nihilistic violence perpetrated by some Palestinians in Israel and the OPT. Or it could be a mixture of all these things. For now, the only certainty is that future Palestinian tactics and strategies will be shaped by the anticipated popular escalation coinciding with the US's inauguration of its new embassy in Jerusalem in mid-May, potential cuts to UNRWA activities in Gaza this summer, and by the nature of the post-Abbas leadership transition.
Israel at 70: Assessing Old and New Challenges
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Alessandra Drigo
Giovanni Salinaro
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Eleonora Ardemagni
ISPI Associate Research Fellow
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Giuliano Battiston
Ricercatore e giornalista freelance
israel MENA dossier
European Council on Foreign Relations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Trailer and details for Rock Band: The Beatles
Posted by Patrick Sauriol on Monday, June 1, 2009
The first trailer for Rock Band: The Beatles has been released. Arriving in stores on September 9, 2009, the game allows players to play as any one of the fab four and recreate their legendary career, from their first show in the basement of a Liverpool night club to their final public performance on top of the roof of Apple Corp's office building in 1969.
Not only does the look of the quartet of musicians changes throughout the game's progression but so do their instruments, venues and background scenery, with each change suited to match that era of The Beatles. 45 songs can be played including tracks like "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "I Saw Her Standing There", "Back in the USSR", "Octopus's Garden", "Day Tripper", "Here Comes the Sun", "Taxman" and "Get Back". As well, "All You Need is Love" will be available as a download on the day of the game's release and all proceeds from the sale of the song will go towards Doctors Without Borders. The whole of "Abbey Road", the group's last album, will also be downloadable. A full list of all of the game's songs will be released in the future.
Gamers will also be able to purchase replicas of the band members' instruments such as John Lennon's Rickenbacker 325 guitar, Paul McCartney's Hofner bass guitar, George Harrison's Gretsch Duo Jet guitar and Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum set.
Rock Band: The Beatles will be available for the Microsoft Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii gaming systems.
-Harmonix.
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text:
''' Converter classes that operate on ImageStim inputs. '''

from PIL import Image

from pliers.stimuli.image import ImageStim
from pliers.stimuli.text import TextStim
from pliers.utils import attempt_to_import, verify_dependencies
from .base import Converter

pytesseract = attempt_to_import('pytesseract')

class ImageToTextConverter(Converter):

    ''' Base ImageToText Converter class; all subclasses can only be applied to
    image and convert to text. '''
    _input_type = ImageStim
    _output_type = TextStim

class TesseractConverter(ImageToTextConverter):

    ''' Uses the Tesseract library to extract text from images. '''

    VERSION = '1.0'

    def _convert(self, stim):
        verify_dependencies(['pytesseract'])
        text = pytesseract.image_to_string(Image.fromarray(stim.data))
        return TextStim(text=text)


Toronto-based publishing house Indireads, which exclusively publishes e-books and was started with the aim to revolutionizing the popular fiction genre in South Asia, brings another wonderful novella, Unsettled.
Divya and Raghav are going through a rough patch in their otherwise blissful married life. Divya is sure that Raghav is having an extra-marital affair with his childhood friend Anu and Raghav is fed up of her suspicions and doesn't bother to clear the misunderstandings. They both are just waiting for the other to utter the 'D' word.
In one last attempt to save their marriage, Divya visits a psychiatrist, Dr.Ray. He makes her go in the recesses of her memories and makes her talk about her ancestral town and the stories her grandmother had told her.
He advises Divya to bring along Raghav in their next sitting and advises them to go to Cherakad, her hometown and asks them to get 'Scrolls of Love' which were written by a banished poet Shankara 5 centuries ago, but now are in the possession of Thatri, a yakshini who lives in the Big House, a palace of 100 rooms. Unfortunately, it is believed to be haunted and that nobody can ever make it out of the house alive.
How do they enter the palace? Do they manage to get the Scrolls of Love? What importance does these scrolls hold in reviving their marriage? Who are Shankara and Thatri and what is their story? Read the novella to know answers to above questions.
The first thing that catches your eye is the impeccable writing style of Neelima (M.Phil in English literature). The characters are nicely sketched and are identifiable and considering it is a novella of just 70 pages, that is no mean task. The ancient story set 5 centuries ago and the present story run in parallel and you can instantly make the connection between the two stories. Although it begins with the story of Divya and Raghav, Unsettled is more about Thatri and Shankara. Neelima shows her prowess at writing by combining paranormal, supernatural and romance into one and also make it look convincing. Unsettled is poetry in verse and there is some kind of understated sexiness attached to the story which teases the reader.
I just have one complaint. This shouldn't have been just a novella, but should have been continued into a full-fledged novel.
A perfect, one-sitting read, for those who like to read about supernatural romances and also for those who appreciate good prose.
You can read her poetry at http://neelthemuse.wordpress.com and follow her on Facebook facebook.com/neelimavinodauthor.
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