This "Theme Chooser" theme turns your apps transparent, letting your background shine through!
NOTE: 4.3 Roms are still a little wonky, I'm working to fix them.
YOU NEED A CUSTOM ROM.
THIS IS NOT A LAUNCHER THEME.
If have issues installing, see bugs or notice anything weird, EMAIL me with a screenshot, so I can troubleshoot. It works better than submitting a bad review. (Or go to the XDA link below) This theme is still a work in progress (Beta), and many things are still a little funny.
It is designed to work on XHDPI for now. I will gradually add support for HDPI and Tablet devices, but I am focusing on the one resolution at the moment.
This theme has been tested with official versions of CM10.1, AOKP, and PA, but should work with similar roms.
If you receive an error that the Theme was incorrectly compiled, revert to the system theme, reboot, and apply HoloGlass again. It will work, I promise!
In Nova Settings -> Desktop, check the Show Shadow box.
The transparency value is #50000000 or 31%, depending on your ROM.


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« Free Backing Track to Everlasting God – from the Musicians Practice Tracks DVD
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Something Old, Something New – Combining liturgy and postmodern culture
By Jonny Baker | April 24, 2009
Jonny Baker is a leader and member of Grace, an alternative worship community in London, England. I've followed his various blogs for a while and he's kindly agreed to us posting some articles here. This is a piece originally written for Leadership Journal.
Dave White has found a way to present the Easter story to thousands of non-Christians in a public space. He uses tradition. It may sound impossible, but he represents a growing trend that blends historic Christian worship with contemporary forms. In Dave's case, this means taking the traditional Stations of the Cross, which tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, and recasting them for his community in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Dave began by gathering a group of artists to creatively reinterpret the Stations. With the support of the local city council, Dave and his team spent all night setting up experiential stations along a trail in the Hamilton public gardens. Four thousand visitors came through the breathtaking scene. At one station, each person was given a cross-shaped ice cube to carry on a leaf to help them reflect on the event. At another station, a lake was filled with hundreds of rubber ducks with a rifle aiming at them, symbolizing Jesus' fate.
Dave and his artists were taking an old story and retelling it using very new symbols. And they managed to do it in a way that not only attracted non-Christians but actually got them participating in the story themselves. In a way, Dave was improvising with tradition—taking a very ancient ritual and putting it in a contemporary frame.
In one of his least known parables, Jesus suggests the Kingdom of God is like a teacher who goes to the cupboard and takes out both old and new treasures (Matt. 13:52). At a time when culture is changing so rapidly, we must not forget that old things have value and tradition can be good. Our own faith has been passed down over the centuries from one generation to another. With 2,000 years of tradition, Christianity offers a real sense of weight; it is a much needed anchor in a fluid world. But treasure may also be found among new things. It isn't either old or new, but finding value in both.
Faithful improv
In the United Kingdom where I serve, something intriguing has been taking shape in the area of worship. It's not uncommon to find communities practicing rituals, lighting candles, projecting icons, and regularly using liturgy around Communion, which is becoming more central in many gatherings. The irony is that many of these churches turned away from traditional worship a few decades ago when tradition became a dirty word.
Some reacted negatively to tradition, as many still do, because they saw it used to defend a flawed status quo and squelch innovation. But there is a significant difference between tradition and traditionalism. Christian tradition is living; it is not closed or completed, and it is not opposed to innovation.
Traditionalism, on the other hand, is dead and static. It is championed by those who want to do things "the way they have always been done."
Part of faithfully carrying a tradition forward is keeping it truly alive. To keep reforming religious tradition is part of being faithful to that tradition. This reformatory impulse is at the heart of our Christian heritage. And when tradition is kept alive, it actually subverts the traditionalism that attempts to the choke life from a community.
Jesus employed precisely this approach when confronting the traditionalism practiced by the religious leaders of his day. He often drew from the past to move forward. But it takes leaders with a developed set of instincts to draw on their traditions in a creative manner. They must carry a deep respect for their tradition, but not a blind one. They recast the tradition for their present context by fusing old traditions with new innovations.
N.T. Wright calls this process "faithful improvisation." He asks us to imagine the discovery of a previously unknown Shakespeare play. The script is complete except for one missing scene. To perform the play, the missing scene will have to be improvised by a group of actors. To improvise well, they must immerse themselves in the rest of the plot, the characters, and other Shakespearean works. Only those who know the play and the author well can judge whether the improvised scene rings true.
In a similar manner, Wright suggests that the Bible is a drama in five acts. The first four acts are Creation, the Fall, the calling of Israel, and Jesus. The fifth act begins with the birth of the church in Acts and ends with the new heavens and new earth in Revelation. But there is a missing scene in the middle of the fifth act—the scene in which we live. Our task is to faithfully improvise that scene. But not just any improvisation will do. Our improvisation will be judged by its faithfulness to the larger story and its author. Even so, there remains a wide range of imaginative possibilities.
Jazz is a good example of faithful improvisation. The better a musician knows his scales, instrument, written music, and jazz tradition, the more depth his improvised jazz performance will have. Likewise, church leaders with greater knowledge of Scripture, church history, mission, theology, and worship will find more freedom to improvise within their context without sacrificing depth. For them, tradition becomes a reservoir to be immersed in and a deep spring to draw from. Improvisation is a skill that requires taking risks and making mistakes, but it is undergirded by a desire to remain faithful to tradition.
Liturgy remixed
Most people see worship as a choice between two approaches. On the one hand, there is the traditional mainline form of worship with a set structure, liturgy, and prayer book. Positively, this form opens us to depth by engaging the richness of tradition and the use of the lectionary. But it can also be dry and leave people uninspired by its lack of passion.
On the other hand, the contemporary worship movement structured itself around bands that led blocks of singing followed by preaching and responses. In the 1970s and '80s, this movement was an exciting recovery of freedom of expression in worship. But over time, in many places, contemporary worship has gotten stuck, and what once felt radical and alive now feels a bit past its sell-by date.
Thinking back to Jesus' parable, it seems that liturgical worship has taken only the old treasures out of the cupboard, and contemporary worship has taken only the new. And both forms are poorer for not following Jesus' wisdom and blending the two.
In the U.K. and elsewhere, a movement known as Alternative Worship has been growing for nearly twenty years. It's an approach to worship that includes turning back toward tradition and its treasure. At the same time, it blends them with the newness of postmodern culture. Alternative worship rejects the false dichotomy between old and new that plagues so much of the church. This creative and artistic movement has sparked the imagination of people like Dave White in New Zealand and Grace, my community in London.
Grace is part of the Church of England. Taking the Anglican traditions and translating them for our culture has led to some wonderful improvisations. For example, a very popular Christmas service in Anglican churches takes a set of nine readings from the Bible with nine accompanying carols to tell the Christmas story by candlelight. The service was originally developed in 1918 in Cambridge when chapel liturgy was proving inaccessible to people returning from the war. (The service itself was an early example of improvisation.) Grace has used a modified version of this Anglican tradition, something we call "Nine." We invite nine people to each take one of the traditional readings, select a piece of music to play, and create a ritual, story, or piece of art to accompany it. The music ranges from the Rolling Stones to Sufjan Stevens. It's traditional, but with a twist.
Communion is another precious old gift in the treasure house. We have improvised by putting Communion back in the context of a meal in homes or around tables in a café. We explore themes such as hospitality, justice, and brokenness and have written eucharistic prayers around these themes. We may have a DJ play contemplative music and project images in the worship space. In the liturgy on brokenness, we invited people to take a piece of broken tile and place it on a table. The bread was then broken on the same table. Christ's body broken for our broken community.
While people came forward to receive the bread and cup, we played a song by Leonard Cohen with the lyric: "There is a crack in everything—that's how the light gets in." It was a very powerful service. We have since grouted the tiles on the table and it serves as our Communion table.
The use of popular music from the Rolling Stones or Leonard Cohen reveals that popular culture plays a role in alternative worship, but the goal isn't to be trendy. The gospel always comes to us wearing cultural robes, speaking the language of its own time and society. If it did not, communication would be impossible. Therefore, every tradition, if it is to be a living tradition, must continually improvise as culture transforms. Art opens us to new ways of perceiving the holy; it enables us to see with new eyes by functioning as windows into eternity. If language and images stop being grounded in the present, the dual dangers of nostalgia and otherworldliness prevail. This is why we use popular culture. It's the water we swim in.
Along with incorporating something new from popular culture, we often construct a service with a responsive, multi-sensory, and embodied ritual. This might be something traditional such as lighting a candle, anointing with oil, sharing bread and wine, or walking a prayer labyrinth. Other rituals may not be rooted in the past, but simply a physical symbol of a deeper truth: placing a broken tile on the table, leaving a footprint in sand, or tasting something bitter and something sweet. Physical response, especially if it is multivalent—able to express a number of meanings depending on one's circumstances—seems to open up a window in the soul for transformation. The response helps move worship from the head to the heart.
Jesus' story about taking both old and new treasures out of the cupboard communicates the importance of balancing tradition with innovation. We need to recognize that a respect and knowledge of tradition is what fuels our improvisation, and adapting traditions for our present culture actually honors the traditions we value.
Where the old things are good, we should keep them going. And alongside the old, let's develop something new. In this way, tradition can lead us into the future.
Copyright © 2009 by the author
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged culture, jonny baker, liturgy, post modernity. Bookmark the permalink. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Zoo Tech
Marcus Carter
Lecturer in Digital Cultures
I am a Lecturer in Digital Cultures at the University of Sydney. I have a PhD in Game Design/Human Computer Interaction on 'Treacherous Play in EVE Online', where I used qualitative methods to interrogate the practices, impacts and experiences involved in treacherous play such as scamming and espionage in EVE Online. I have edited a collection on EVE Online, which can be purchased here from The University of Minnesota Press.
My research bridges the fields of games studies and human-computer interaction, using qualitative methodologies to better understand the relationship between design and player experience. As well as EVE Online, I have also studied the strategic wargame Warhammer 40,000, the dystopic FPS MMOG DayZ, the social casual mobile game Candy Crush Saga, and how 'Screen Ecologies' impact user experience. See my Google Scholar profile for a full list of my publications.
Previously, I was a Research Fellow in the Microsoft Research Centre for Social Natural User Interfaces, at The University of Melbourne, where I extended my research in human-computer interaction and animal-computer interaction. In particular, I developed a program of research which is developing novel digital technologies that can support the aims of the zoo, such as digital enrichment for the Orang-utans (see here).
marcus.carter@sydney.edu.au
@marcusdcarter
Technology at the Zoo
Key Papers
Carter, M., Webber, S. & Sherwen, S. (2015) Naturalism and ACI: Augmenting Zoo Enclosures with Digital Technology. In Proc. 2nd International Conference on Animal Computer Interaction, 15 Nov, Iskandar, Malaysia.
Rault, J-L., Webber, S. & Carter, M. (2015) Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Animal Welfare Science and Animal-Computer Interaction. In Proc. 2nd International Conference on Animal Computer Interaction, 15 Nov, Iskandar, Malaysia.
The Age (February 1, 2016) 'Experiment has Zoo's Orangutans Seeing Red' [article + video]
Pursuit (February 1, 2016) 'Kinecting with the Orangutans' [article + video]
The Project (February 3, 2016, Feature Story) 'Gaming Orangutans'
In collaboration with Zoos Victoria, the Microsoft Research Centre for Social NUI and the Animal Welfare Science Centre at The University of Melbourne, I am currently exploring the opportunities for technology to help zoos achieve their conservation, educational and animal welfare goals.
Our current project involves developing, introducing and trialing a novel form of digital enrichment for the Orang-utans at Melbourne Zoo. These incredible animals are some of the smartest in captivity, but also those most interested in human visitors. Our study is exploring the opportunities for technology to improve animal welfare, better connect visitors to the Orang-utans, and to understand how technology use impacts our perception of the Orang-utans and the challenges they face in the wild.
More details can be found on the Social NUI Centre Website.


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Set in April 1945 (the war would end on May 8, 1945), "Fury" focuses on a single M4 Sherman tank and its five-man crew led by tank commander Sergeant Don "War-Daddy" Collier (Brad Pitt).
Brad Pitt stars as Sergeant Don "War-Daddy" Collier, commander of the five-man crew of a Sherman tank dubbed "Fury" in World War II. The film provides "a sober look at war, honestly considering both the soldier and the vocation of soldier," writes reviewer Rev. Ted Giese.
This fictional story is told against the backdrop of the very real final Allied push into Nazi-controlled Germany in the waning days of World War II. Taking on a new assistant driver/bow gunner, Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), a naïve teenager who has been in the army for just eight weeks, the crew of the tank (called "Fury") presses on into the dangerous conditions of total warfare as the Nazis have mobilized men, women and children in a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the war.
While young Private Norman is wet behind the ears, Sergeant Collier and the rest of the crew are war-weary men who are both broken and hardened at the same time. As the film unfolds, Norman experiences the horrors of war as the grim exteriors of his fellow soldiers are gradually peeled back to expose textured, well-rounded characters. At its core, "Fury" is not a sweeping epic but rather an intimate portrait of men in war.
There is no obvious glamour in this film; "Fury" is exceedingly bleak and disheartening but also deeply religious. Writer-director David Ayer doesn't shy away from the religious elements of WWII, including trucks with crucifixes affixed to the grill carrying the bodies of dead American soldiers. While there is no official chaplain in the film, the characters in the tank are never far from their Christian faith. One of the first bits of dialogue involves a crew member commenting that they had survived because of luck, to which Sergeant Collier responds, "Not luck; the grace of God." The gunner, Boyd "Bible" Swan (Shia LaBeouf), quotes Scripture, prays the Lord's Prayer with dying men, says grace before meals and acts as Collier's conscience.
The first thing "Bible" asks Norman when he joins their crew is if he's a praying man, if he goes to church, and most importantly, "Are you saved?," to which young Norman answers, "I'm baptized." At the time, the last question is rooted in "Bible's" revivalist decision theology, but as "Fury's" story expands, it becomes the central theme. Can men like Sergeant Collier or even their ammunition loader, Grady (Jon Bernthal) — a uniquely unpleasant man who believes himself a lost cause — be saved?
Martin Luther was asked the same sort of question and, in 1526, produced a treatise called "Whether Soldiers, too, Can Be Saved." In it Luther makes a distinction between the right and godly vocation of soldier and those who fill it, pointing out the importance of keeping rascals and scoundrels out of this profession. Those who carry the vocation of the sword can often find themselves facing the temptation to exploit authority by killing unjustly, extorting, and abusing the enemy or even citizens under their care.
Repeatedly, "Fury" tackles the questions of where or when the line is or isn't crossed in the theater of war, when has a soldier acted justly in his vocation, when has he failed, and can a soldier be an instrument of Divine vengeance — can he perform God's will in his work?
At a number of points in the film, writer-director Ayer has the crew of the tank say together, like a kind of creed, "Best job I ever had!" This may appear to be ironic gallows humor, but under it they are showing reverence for the work they've been called into.
A particularly grim and contemplative moment reveals the crew's understanding of their work as a true vocation. The gunner, "Bible," says to the crewmen, "Here's a Bible verse I think about sometimes. Many times. It goes: 'And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" And … I said: "Here am I, send me!" ' " (Is. 6:8). Young Norman mumbles in response, "Send me." Sergeant "War-Daddy" Collier surprises "Bible" by saying, "Book of Isaiah, Chapter 6." Collier knows his Scripture and accepts that he's been called into the vocation of soldier. This becomes more evident when, a little later in the film, while contemplating death, Collier paraphrases a portion of the second chapter of 1 John partly as a question, yet mostly as a personal hope, a confession of faith.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17).
With death lurking around every corner, Ayer and Luther seem to be on the same page when it comes to the importance of a soldier's conscience. "Fury" takes the time to focus on more than historically accurate uniforms, tracer fire and tank turrets: it also shows that death in war can come swiftly, thereby making a life of repentance all the more pressing.
Although Brad Pitt's Sergeant Collier appears to vacillate between being the film's hero and villain, from the first scene Ayer cleverly indicates he is a man living his vocation in a state of repentance and grace. As "Fury" opens, in the quiet following the end of a battle, Collier springs from the safety of his disabled tank, knocking to the ground and killing a single Nazi officer who's riding a white horse through the carnage of the battlefield.
Trini continues, telling how for three days, day and night, they shot wounded horses. He mentions the screams of the horses and, as he tells the story, viewers understand why Collier spared the white horse at the beginning of the film: He wants to act justly in his vocation. He isn't interested in destruction for destruction's sake. He wants to do better — better than he did during those three days in France. The reason Collier's character appears to vacillate between hero and villain is because Ayer shows him both succeeding and failing to act justly. This is what makes "Fury" a compelling drama.
Hawkish viewers see more than enough horror to provide pause in any rush to warfare. For doves who manage to stomach the grizzly violence and troubling images, Ayer provides a window into the conscience of a soldier, through which a dove might garner an appreciation for the difficulties of the vocation. Both can walk away with a greater understanding of the theological aspect of being a soldier.
"Fury" has more in common with films like "Das Boot" (1981) and "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) than it does with Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" (2009) or lighter WWII fare like this year's "The Monuments Men." While told in a rather one-sided fashion, "Fury" still manages to refrain from being overtly jingoistic and provides a sober look at war, honestly considering both the soldier and the vocation of soldier.
I agree with and appreciate the perspective offered here.
Thank you so much for sharing something positive about the movies today. That's encouraging!
As a Soldier of more than 20 years now, and a veteran of combat, and a Lutheran. The best officer I ever met was a Lutheran commanding an armored infantry battalion during the Gulf War; he was responsible for the destruction of a great many armored vehicles and the crews therein. To this day a great many of us Soldiers, nearly all veterans now, still keep in touch with him and would follow him to hell if given the opportunity. He was a leader in the truest sense of the word, and a brother in Christ. We all wanted his approval. He was always in the front of the action, at the tip of the spear.
Nowhere else would I have seen the hand of God move so dynamically, and profound. There are things that happened that I cannot explain but I accept them for what they are to me: miracles. I have felt the deeply powerful presence of the awesome and perfect love of Jesus, it choked my voice, gave me goosebumps, and tears flowed like a river. I KNEW that Jesus was physically beside me – there is no other explanation for it. I was floored by the enormity of Him. And when you KNOW he was right there, any doubt you may have ever had is gone forever. I realize that not everyone gets to have such an experience. I'm lucky, blessed even. I feel sadness for those that have doubt, those that deny God's majesty or have never had the blessing of that experience.
When you feel that goodness, all powerful, all knowing, you just want to stay right there. All is right.
I believe, not because I was baptized, raised and confirmed as a Lutheran. But because Jesus is a real person to me. I wonder, "why me?" What is my purpose and do I deserve it?


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Our backpacking courses will take you to some of the most remote places in the Pacific Northwest wilderness, travelling on and off trail through wildflowers and pine-forests. Along your journey, you'll learn to set up shelter, cook, and navigate using a map and compass. If weather, terrain, and student abilities permit, the course may include a peak attempt.
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Red Francis Strikes Again
I'm beginning to think that this asshole is the anti-pope. This is what you get when you make a South American rat bastard commie the pope.
Pope Francis has donated 500,000 dollars to assist migrants in Mexico. The funds, from the Peter's Pence collections, will be distributed among 27 projects promoted by sixteen Mexican dioceses and religious congregations, which requested assistance in continuing to provide food, lodging, and basic necessities to the migrants.
If you want more of sumpin' you subsidize it. This dude supports open borders but lives behind walls in Vatican City. He supports the invasion of the United States by the Third World just like he supports the invasion of Europe by Moslems.
My sister is a Catholic who attends mass regularly but she told me she quit giving money to Peter's Pence a long time ago because of this pope.
How did the Catholic Church go from John Paul II to this asshole?
Posted in Uncategorized	| Replies: 16
California Blackouts
California continues to descend into Third World status. The latest step is planned blackouts.
No U.S. utility has ever blacked out so many people on purpose. PG&E says it could knock out power to as much as an eighth of the state's population for as long as five days when dangerously high winds arise. Communities likely to get shut off worry PG&E will put people in danger, especially the sick and elderly, and cause financial losses with slim hope of compensation.
Blackouts. They're not for Third World nations anymore, just states run by Dimocrats.
In October, in a test run of sorts, PG&E for the first time cut power to several small communities over wildfire concerns, including the small Napa Valley town of Calistoga, for about two days. Emergency officials raced door-to-door to check on elderly residents, some of whom relied on electric medical devices. Grocers dumped spoiling inventory. Hotels lost business.
Too bad. So sad.
PG&E is "essentially shifting all of the burden, all of the losses onto everyone else," said Dylan Feik, who was Calistoga city manager until earlier this month.
This reminds me of the Ernestine skits on Laugh in with Lily Tomblin, when a customer, Gore Vidal, complained. "Oh Mr. Veedal, don't be silly, we're the phone company."
Such a beautiful state ruined by liberal idiots.
Monday Pun 4-29-2019
From Russ P.
At a costume party…
Host: What are you?
Me: A harp.
Host: Your costume's too small to be a harp. (more…)
Posted in Uncategorized	| Replies: 6
Saturday Metal 4-28-2019
I've got this album. He's got Rick Derringer playing rhythm guitar. Another good cut off this album is It's My Own Fault. This is a fine example of the cover being better than the original.
Saturday Guitar
Frank in Baltimore e-mailed me, "One of these days I'll find an interesting guitar talent you haven't seen or heard yet." He sent the following video. You succeeded Frank. I never heard of her. Talented, nice on the eyes, but a stupid haircut. This is one of my very favorite guitar compositions and is a very good example of tremolo. She plays it very well.
From Pres. (more…)
This week I am giving it to Mittens Romneycare who said that reading the Mueller Report made him sick. It prolly made him sick because there was no collusion. It looks like Mittens is gonna try to take McRINO's place as the biggest "Republican" backstabber in the Senate.
It is said that a fine example of chutzpah is a man who murders his parents and then asks for sympathy because he is an orphan. Another example is Crooked Cankles calling for the impeachment of President Trump for obstruction of justice as she did in a WaPo op-ed. An excerpt follows.
First, like in any time our nation is threatened, we have to remember that this is bigger than politics. What our country needs now is clear-eyed patriotism, not reflexive partisanship. Whether they like it or not, Republicans in Congress share the constitutional responsibility to protect the country. Mueller's report leaves many unanswered questions — in part because of Attorney General William P. Barr's redactions and obfuscations. But it is a road map. It's up to members of both parties to see where that road map leads — to the eventual filing of articles of impeachment, or not. Either way, the nation's interests will be best served by putting party and political considerations aside and being deliberate, fair and fearless.
This op-ed fisks itself. The chutzpah by Felonia von Pantsuit accusing someone else of obstruction of justice and partisanship is amazing, especially since the whole Russian collusion bullshit was made up by her campaign on election night as an excuse for her losing the election. I mean this is the person who deleted 33,000 e-mails instead of turning them over to the FBI and who smashed cellphones. Now that's obstruction of justice. Or BJ's meeting with Loretta Lynch. More obstruction of justice.
Here's an e-mail I got from my buddy Pres.
I'm still trying to figure out how I lost the election.I thought we had the dam thing bought and paid for!
Was it Huma Abedin's sexual predator husband Anthony Weiner?
Was it because the Clinton Foundation ripped off Haiti?
Was it subpoena violations? Was it the congressional testimony lies?
Was it the $15 million for Chelsea's apartment bought with foundation money?
Or my husband's interference with Loretta Lynch & the investigation?
Or when I happily accepting the stolen debate questions given to me by CNN?
Was it Bill's impeachment?
Was it the lie I told about being under sniper fire in Bosnia?
Gee, I just can't seem to put my finger on it.
Here we have prolly the most corrupt person to ever run for president having the balls to say we need to impeach Donald Trump. Chutzpah. Let's really investigate her and put her in prison where she belongs.
Ronsday – Collusion Delusion
Here's Ron.
On the banks of the Little Bigfoot, intrepid mainstream Putlitzer-seeking "journalists" pursued the elusive but undeniable Collusiosaurus, frequently displaying "evidence" in the form of muddy "footprints" and fuzzy snapshots of "fingerprints" and faded fragments of shredded "documents" as proof they were not on a snipe hunt.
Like Muslims who fervently worship a 7th century pedophile who smoked hash in a cave and had hallucinations, mainstream "news"people magnified and embellished a collusion illusion by spending endless hours chanting the same mantra on nearly every channel every day, propping up their elusive chimera with rumors, innuendoes, lies, exaggerations, and unethical editing.
It's like Georgi Tsoukalos suddenly discovering a previously unopened tomb on the Giza plateau which had gone undiscovered and undisturbed for millennia only to find beautifully carved bas reliefs lavishly painted holding up a magnificent placard saying "GOTCHA!" in every language known to mankind since the dawn of time.
But no way Georgi could let that go. He'd find a way to argue that such an elaborate prank HAD to originate in the minds of extraterrestrials. It would've been impossible for humans thousands of years ago to have developed an advanced civilization which then disappeared because of war, disease, natural disaster, or whatever, but not before setting him up for a classic "April Fool!" joke.
And the raging "reporters" and liberal "analysts" and never-trump "commentators" on the alphabet networks can in no way simply abandon their collusion delusion mythology any more than radical jihadis can forget about their beloved ISIS, even though it's been reduced to smoking rubble everywhere they set it up.
An old Army Air Corps saying goes . . . "if you're getting flak, you know you're over the target." With each passing day the truth about Russia and conspiracies and collaboration becomes clearer and clearer . . . that the whole "collusion" delusion was merely a ruse, a red herring, to distract attention away from the real criminals, Barack Hussein Soetoro and Shrillary Rodent Clampoon.
And all the flak the media are firing into the air since Barr's testimony is far more revealing than even the media themselves can see, much less admit. The Mueller "investigation" was supposed to cover up the Obama Administration's nefarious attempt to meddle in the 2016 election. It was in fact a "rigged" investigation into a "rigged" election, both of which they lost.
And an investigation into Soetoro, Clinton, Comey, Clapper, Brennan, McCabe, and all the rest could very well be incredibly damaging to the media, to the Democrats, and to the very people Maddow, Cuomo, Mathews, Beto, AOC, and the rest of the Tinfoil Hat Brigade hold in such high regard.
They know just how damaging an investigation into SpyGate will be. So they're working overtime to smear and delegitimize Billy Barr as a "handpicked" tool of an undeserving president. He was confirmed as AG easily and quickly, twice, just as Mueller was seen as uncorruptible and diligent. But overnight Barr, like Billy Budd, became a Ben Arnold the same way Mueller became a Judas to The Resistance.
After the media's dreams were dashed by the worthless Mueller, having SpyGate exposed would be cataclysmic – not just for the Obama Administration, but for the American news media as well. They've beat their chests for two years throwing "impeachment" and "collusion" and "obstruction" around like shuttlecocks in a publish-or-perish badminton tournament.
First, they're desperately trying to keep the impeachment talk going in hopes the House drags it all out until the next election, either finding or inventing something to charge the Evil Orange Man with. After all, the 2016 election failed. The post-election coup failed. Mueller failed. Obstruction is on life support. Impeachment on outlandish charges of "but we don't LIKE him" is their Hail Mary.
But most importantly, they know that they MUST discredit and undermine AG Barr because he has announced his intention to look into the machinations and schemes and conspiracies and that led to this colossal waste of time and money.
Nadler, Schiff, Waters, Cummings, AOC, Omar et al. are doing FAR greater harm to the country than good. No one stands to gain from bringing Trump down except career politicians who have serious issues which can't tolerate close scrutiny.
IMO, a strong majority of people in this nation, close to two-thirds, I'd guess, are weary of the constant "investigations" and attacks on a president who has accomplished more positive results in barely more than a year than his posturing peacock predecessor did in 8.
We're in Mueller Malaise, Conspiracy Conflation, Russian Ridiculousness, Obstruction Obsession, Investigation Insanity, up Schiff's Creek without a dossier. We're in fact-finding fatigue and bad-news burnout. People are more interested in their wallets and how 40 million parasites from meso-America are going to affect their lives than what Trump did or said 3 years ago.
In fact, I genuinely believe that most people are much more interested in why smashing her telephone and wiping her server in defiance of Congressional subpoenas isn't obstructing justice compared to the millions of documents the Trump administration gave the Mueller team instead of firing them, which is precisely what HRC would've done just before the discovery of his body in an obvious suicide.
Move! The! Fuck! ON!! assholes. Dragging this false accusation out in hopes it will influence the 2020 election to vote DJT out of office will boomerang on you. The hard-core never-trumpers will vote against him anyway, but you're losing the moderates and the independents. Morons.
Please Ron don't give them any good advice. We don't want them to come to their senses. We want the American people to see just how wacko the Dims are.
Liberal Logic
From a long time reader.
So I can understand this: If your parents break the law to get you into college you should be expelled from school, they should be indicted, charged, convicted of a felony, and may serve some time in jail.
ALTHOUGH . . . . If your parents break the law to get you into the country …. You should be given a FREE education, healthcare on the American taxpayers dime, and EVERYONE should be given AMNESTY.
That, my dear friend, is the warped logic of many Looney Liberal Democrats.


Looking to make it big in the music industry? Thanks to online music streaming platforms and music composition software like Music Jotter, now is a great time for DIY musicians to position themselves on the path of success in the music world. But how do you stand out from the millions others who're trying to get noticed?
If you're looking for the answer to that question, you've come to the right place! Over the course of this blog, we'll provide some basic tips on how you can become successful as a DIY musician.
As a musician, it's important that you play to your strengths. It's great being able to write awesome music and release it through your SoundCloud channel, but there's a whole host of other ways you can grow as a DIY musician – and make money while you're at it.
If live performances are your strong suit and you have good stage presence, you could try to secure a regular gig at a local venue. This will provide you with a platform to put your music in front of a new audience every week, and the extra cash you need to finance your music career.
If you're the creative type and have some video making and editing skills, why not try your hand at creating original music videos? Maybe your videos will go viral, making you an overnight sensation, who knows?
Musical talent can only get you so far in your career. In order to really make it big, you have to focus on the business side of music as well. In order to improve your brand's visibility and awareness, it's vital that you develop a solid brand identity. Get yourself some striking graphics that can be utilized across all your promotional materials such as social media, your website, flyers, posters and merchandise. You'd want eye-catching branding and logos that are instantly recognizable.
These days the music landscape is dominated by streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music. They have made it possible for DIY musicians to have a hit without needing the help of radio, the press or the majority of the public even noticing them! Let's take Joel Adams for example. This Australian teen became an overnight sensation thanks to the one and only song he released on his Spotify channel – "Please don't go". The song has racked up over 320 million streams, earning the teenager thousands of dollars.
Online streaming services provide an excellent platform for DIY musicians to raise their profiles and reach new audiences. And the best thing is they're absolutely free!
While all of these tips will help you out in your music career, making quality music should be your top priority as an artist. Music Jotter is music notation and composition software that makes it easy for aspiring musicians to produce and share music! Download our demo version for absolutely free!


1.12.3 - Client Config changes, Vehicle Interiors.
We're going to be deploying an update for APB Reloaded on Wednesday, the 28th of August 2013. Downtime is expected to be between one and two hours and will be from 10 AM BST/2 AM Pacific.
PLEASE NOTE : In order for us to properly update the compatibility settings mentioned below, we have to overwrite the machine options. We apologise for this inconvenience, but it was the only way we can make sure players are getting the full benefit of the compatibility bucket changes.
We've adjusted our minimum compatibility settings to help improve performance for lower tier system setups. We've based these changes on the various configuration setups our community have been working on since we launched APB Reloaded and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for filling in the gaps we'd left behind. If you're using custom configs or .ini changes, these will be overwritten by this update, so advanced users may want to 'backup' their files before patching. Please note that if custom configs or .ini changes do not work after this patch you will receive no official support.
Machines with low-end (old) graphics cards. You will now have more graphical settings turned 'off' by default, and we have limited the quality of the in-game textures to give your graphics card an easier time. An example of a low-end card is an Nvidia Quadro FX 580.
Machines with a 32-bit OS (i.e. Windows XP 32bit, Windows Vista 32bit, Windows 7 32bit and Windows 8 32bit). We have applied further constraints to keep game memory usage under 2GB, we do this by limiting the in-game texture quality. The reason we want to keep it under 2GB is that 32bit OS' do not allow applications to use more than 2GB at any time, otherwise the application will crash.
Machines with a 64bit OS (i.e. Windows Vista 64bit, Windows 7 64bit, Windows 8 64bit, [Windows XP 64bit is not supported]) that ALSO have 2GB or less of total RAM. These machines have the same constraints applied as 32bit OS', the in-game texture quality will be limited to avoid using more than 2GB of RAM to avoid swapping RAM to disk, which will decrease game performance.
An interior colouring option is now available for customisable versions of the top level vehicles. You'll find the option labeled as "Interior Detail" (previously this was simply "Steering Wheel"). The supported vehicles are: Patriot Vegas G20, Charge Cisco, Patriot V20 Jericho, Bishada Rapier, Seiyo Espacio, Nomad Pioneer, Charge Mikro, and Packer Vaquero.
Background image on the spawn selection screen has been changed to be a simple black to bring it inline with the elective spawn system.
The Contagion events are now over, which means the weapons used in the events (Colby 45 AP and ACES) no longer advance the event roles. However they will now advance any standard role they apply to.
Large reverb zones have been adjusted to produce a more accurate sound for their size.
Fixed an issue with the new Cropped Hooded Jacket were certain headwear items were not being correctly removed when worn with it.
Removed the Vaquero option to change Roof Light colour as this is not a supported option.
We're going to be deploying a very quick patch at 4.30 PM BST for 1 hour. This is to address some community concerns with the ACES series of weapons.
Weapon Damage has been reduced by 5 (0.5% of player health). This has increased the number of bullets required to kill a player from full health by 1.
1.12.3 - Pandemic Event A.C.E.S.
Here are the release notes for the new patch we've deployed today (21/08/13).
PLEASE NOTE : The patch process will start at 2pm BST and should take no more than 2 hours.
UPDATE 1 : We've encountered an issue while deploying this patch - we'll update this thread again with a revised ETA. Our apologies for the inconvenience.
UPDATE 2 : Sadly the issue we've encountered means we'll need to prepare a new build of the game. Therefore we're going to go back to the previous version (1.12.2) while we prepare the new patch for deployment later today. 1.12.2 should be live again shortly.
We're very sorry for the inconvenience, but we should have a new 1.12.3 prepared and shipped this afternoon (more details will follow on exactly when this will be when we know).
UPDATE 3 : We now have the 1.12.3 build ready and will be bringing APB down at 2pm BST to deploy it. This maintenance should take no more than 2 hours.
The Colby 45 AP weapon Epidemic has mutated into a new Primary SMG, the "Agrotech ACES", to become full scale Pandemic!
Gaining 26 kills with the Colby .45 AP will gift the new primary weapon, the "Agrotech ACES".
A new role has been added for the ACES called "Mutation".
Completing level 1 (10 kills) will unlock the title "Mutated"
Completing level 2 (50 kills) will gift the "Agrotech ACES Rifle".
Both these weapons have a 10 day lease.
The ACES do not spread through "death by lead poisoning".
[*] If you already have 26 kills from the previous event, then you will receive the Agrotech ACES in your mail when you login.
We have adjusted the handling and stats of the Vaquero significantly to make it more viable in both combat and general driving.
Interior colouring options are now available for the top tier vehicles. Additionally, when you can customise a vehicle interior in the garage editor, the vehicle doors will now open up, to allow you to see inside. Supported vehicles are: Patriot Vegas G20, Charge Cisco, Patriot V20 Jericho, Bishada Rapier, Seiyo Espacio, Nomad Pioneer, Charge Mikro, and Packer Vaquero.
This feature will not be part of this release - we had to disable it for now to release 1.12.3 today. We'll fix the issue with it and have it ready for the next patch. NOTE: Changing interior components in the Garage Editor will still open the vehicle doors.
Normalising Assault Rifle damage ranges. This increases ATAC and STAR to the same drop off as the NTEC (50-70m).
Added the Colby .45 AP to the Joker Distribution Store.
Disabling the Infection Achievement. The Disease has mutated and is no longer infectious. You can receive the Colby .45AP through Joker Distribution (and Armas) to continue the Contagious role.
Adding 'Mutation!' Role. This has two levels. The first level is a 'Mutated' title and the second level is the ACES Rifle.
Fixed a texture issue on the Colby .45 AP that was previously causing visual artefacts to appear on metallic weapon skins.
Fixed an issue where you were previously able to open the old options UI in the Editors.
Stability improvements to help prevent a rare client crash that can be caused when an NPC is not correctly cleaned up.
We hope you enjoy this patch - please leave us any feedback on the forums.
Thanks to the great reaction that we've gotten from the Epidemic event, we've decided to give the infection a whole new vector that starts with today's patch!
Introducing the Agrotech Close Engagement System, AKA the ACES.
The ACES comes in two varieties - the ACES SMG and the ACES Rifle.
The ACES Rifle and the SMG are two entirely different animals. The SMG is a short range, fast firing weapon. Low damage and a huge magazine, but you'll want to consider firing in bursts to maintain accuracy. It also features a Red modification called Short Barrel that allows the system to output more bullets than its sister weapon, with the downside that accuracy tends to degrade due to the lack of a rifled barrel. If you want something with a faster fire rate than the OCA but find the Tommy Gun too difficult to control, then the ACES SMG is the perfect gun for you!
The Rifle version of the ACES is similar, but features an Extended Barrel Red modification that effectively transforms the weapon from an SMG into a pseudo rifle platform. The longer, rifled barrel allows for higher velocity rounds to be used, thus increasing the weapons damage at the cost of firing speed, due to recoil management systems inside the weapon. This is actually a blessing in disguise because it makes accuracy bloom more manageable than the Rifle's sister weapon. If you want something that fills in the gap between the ATAC and the OCA then the ACES Rifle is for you!
Players that have 26 total kills with the Colby .45 AP will get a 10-Day ACES SMG. 10 kills with the ACES SMG will get you the 'Mutated' title. 50 kills with the ACES SMG will net you the ACES Rifle for 10 days. If you didn't manage to get a Colby .45 AP during the Epidemic Event, it's now available for purchase from Armas and Joker Distribution.
For the last few months we've been thinking about different ways to bring new weapons into the game. We want to give everyone a try with the brand new gun before giving people a chance to get hold of it on a more permanent basis, and we think we've come up with something pretty special this time. Starting today, we'll be running something that we're calling the Epidemic Event where we'll be introducing a new weapon - the Colby .45 AP.
The Colby .45 AP is our latest secondary weapon. Built with very high killing potential and maneuverability, this weapon should remind our long-term players of the classic FBW. It suffers from a small magazine, but it has enough of a kick to make quick tap-firing of the weapon quite challenging. It works well at short-to-medium ranges and we think it sits pretty happily between the FBW and the ACT 44 in terms of power and usability. It's got a classic style and a fearsome sound, so if you're looking for a secondary weapon to help you press the advantage in a fight, then the .45 AP is for you!
The only way to unlock this weapon in-game is to get killed by it. The Reloaded Productions team will be killing random people in random districts on random worlds with this gun; anyone who is killed with the gun will get the gun, and thus be able to 'spread the epidemic' themselves.
When you get killed by the Colby .45 AP, you'll get mailed a version of the weapon for ten days and a 'Patient Zero' title if you manage to kill 25 enemies with the .45 AP. So get in there and see if you can get infected!
We're going to be deploying an update for APB Reloaded on Wednesday the 14th of August 2013. Downtime is expected to be between two-and-three hours and will be from 10 AM BST/2 AM Pacific.
The Epidemic event is a viral weapon event that will run from the 14th-21st of August. The premise is simple: every player killed by the Colby .45 AP will be sent an in-game mail with a leased (10 days) version of the gun - they can then use it to "infect" more players!
1 - Achievement - "Infected": Earned by being killed by the Colby .45 AP, which also sends you your own version of the weapon.
2 - Role - "Contagious": Killing 25 players with the Colby .45 AP will award the tile "Patient Zero".
We've made the friends lists system more robust - this should resolve the issue where some players won't be shown as "online" in your friends list when they are.
We now ensure that ceremony messages are not displayed when on the district entry map. Instead we wait for the map to be closed, otherwise the messages are hidden.
Using the default button on the basic or advanced video options screen will now revert the advanced options to their correct basic state.
1 - Dynamic Decals - This is not hooked up to anything, so we are removing it for now.
2 - Render Eye-Lashes - Option was not hooked up property but it should be fixed now.
We're going to be deploying an update for APB Reloaded on Wednesday the 7th of August 2013. Downtime is expected to be between two-and-three hours and will be from 10 AM BST/2 AM Pacific. Please use this thread to discuss patch notes.
The first set of advanced video options have been added to the game. This gives the user more control and flexibility over their graphical options, to help them optimise their client performance to best suit their own setup.
Adding premium bonus to cash gained from mission score bonuses.
Britney Bloodrose has now moved in with Byron Bloodrose in the Jindo Computing building.
Added support for users changing the compatibility mode to run APB as a different version of Windows (as long as that version is supported by APB).
Implemented some performance tweaks to the audio systems.
The descriptions for the ATAC 424 "Patroller" and Joker RFP-9 "Comanche" has been changed so that it no longer gets cut off in the Inventory or locker screens.
Fixed a login issue that could prevent the user logging in if they changed their E-mail address multiply times.
Fixed an obscure mission issue that could cause a server GPF.
Fixed a rare mission relating to team leaders that could cause a server GPF.
Fixed a rare inventory issue that could cause a server GPF.
We're going to be deploying an update for APB Reloaded on Thursday the 1st of August 2013. Downtime is expected to be between three-and-four hours and will be from 10 AM BST/2 AM Pacific.
The Asylum Chaos event has ended. Thank you very much for taking part - please leave us your feedback on our official forums.
We are proud to present the first release of the new Artist Programme! The featured artists in this release are the Italian cyberpunk rock group Dope Stars Inc.
Police sirens have been updated so they now use the environmental reverb zones.
Lowered the overall volume of the PMG-SD.
Outlaw Mask will now cost 0 $APB.
Fixing the poor wording of the message a user receives when attempting to join a lower threat district.
The gamma preview texture now uses the render-target gamma rather than faking it with a material. This also fixes the issue where the gamma preview texture is too dark.
We've updated the Blur Filter effect to use a more efficient method.
Added billboards for the Artist Programme.
Fixed an issue that could cause a client to GPF if the user attempted to manually change the capture folder in the Options UI.
Fixed a rare logging issue that could cause a client GPF.
Fixed a rare issue where the users custom music playlist could cause the game to crash.
The audio for flames, on destroyed vehicles, will now correctly plays until the flames burn out.
Fixed an issue in the spawn wave functionality that could cause a server to crash.


May a man attend a workshop entitled "Young women in [domain]"?
Is it acceptable to publish student names with the label 'stupid question', on a publicly-visible website?
Is it ethical to submit a paper with the name of a co-author who cannot be contacted?
I am an editor for a lousy paper and I found a better algorithm than theirs. Must I share it with them?
How to argue against questionable research practices such as P-hacking and Harking?
What should I do if my advisor is forcing me to vote on a specific candidate in IEEE elections?
How can I prevent students from writing answers on an assignment, then claiming I didn't see their answer?
I lost my students' quizzes due to a theft, what should I do?
One of my student researchers is likely falsifying some results/data. What are the consequences?
Is it ethical to use proprietary (closed-source) software for scientific computation?
Is it acceptable for a professor to ask post-doc student to babysit for free?
Is it ethical for a Professor to disseminate wrong answers online?
Is it ethical to use a recommendation letter from a deceased professor?
Is it ethical to buy noise canceling headphones with research funds?


Matteskogen (Math Forest) is an educational Virtual Reality game. It was developed as Björns master thesis. The goal of the game is to teach young students math in a fun and pedagogical way. The students are guided through the game by a teacher avatar named Rita the Fox.
SketchBall, also called "The Impossible Game" is a unique game that will challenge you to the maximum. Will you make it or break it?
Magic Life Counter is a tool made to help you play Magic The Gathering. All the existing MTG applications lacked costumization and functions. Therefore Prude Developers set out to create the most complete MTG app in the app store!
A strategy based on a number of different momentum signals. Changes to the portfolio are made once a month. To subscribe, fill out the form below.
Björn Holmstedt is the founder and CEO of Prude Developers. He is 28 years old with a degree in Master of Science in Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering Technologies from Lund University (LTH).


text:
By Jean-Frederic Vachon 2 years ago
Taylor McCluskey is a Montreal based (by way of Sacramento, CA) musician, filmmaker and actor. He's appeared in films (like 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon', and 'Star Trek (2009)') and TV shows. As a musician, he is the founding member of The Maddest Of Madmen and The MFICs, and has made four solo albums, the most recent being 2020's 'Star God'.
McCluskey and producer Glen Robinson, who's also a fellow member of The MFICs, recorded, mixed and mastered 'Stay With Me' studio and live versions as well as the recently released singles "Freedom Fighter," "Young Blood" and "Bulletproof" from his upcoming album. The two were joined by The MFICs' members Andrew James and Zak St. John who performed bass and drums, respectively, on the tracks.
Considering Robinson's impeccable track record as a metal producer with, among others, Voivod's masterpiece 'Nothingface', Annihilator's 'Never, Neverland' and GWAR's 'America Must Be Destroyed', one might be surprised by the pop infused, haunting 'Stay With Me', but the high quality of the end result is as expected. 'Stay With Me' features a simple musical bed leaves ample space for McCluskey's voice, and the repetitive melody burrows its way into the listener's brain pretty quickly. It's slick, efficient, and I like it.
"Stay With Me is about getting clear and realizing that my life has more gifts and beautiful moments to enjoy, and moments that transmit waves of positivity and balance", says McCluskey. "It's in that balance where I let go of toxic people, places and things."
If you're looking for something that rocks a bit more, check out the U2-esque 'Reckless' or the Stones-infused 'Buried' below.
https://www.taylormccluskey.com/
By day, Jean-Frédéric is Head of Development Services at videogame developer Behaviour Interactive. Rock journalist by night, Jean-Frédéric fills every waking moment of his life with music. Diary of a Music Addict is the little corner of the Internet he's claimed for himself to share his passion with the world.
He's also a regular contributor at the excellent news site Montreal Rampage
Latest posts by Jean-Frederic Vachon (see all)
I bought one of those music Advent Calendars so you wouldn't have to. - December 5, 2021
The Music Addict's Band Name Challenge - October 11, 2021
Book review: Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography – Ronnie James Dio - September 24, 2021
You might also enjoy these posts:
Glen Robinson
Maddest of Madmen
MFIC
Taylor McCluskey
Zak St. John
Montreal's Thrash La Reine brings French-Canadian folklore into the metal world


Slightly larger than Lesser Whitethroat. Has a rather large head, with stouter bill and darker plumage. Dark grey crown merges into dull grey-brown back and near black ear-covverts, creating greater contrast with white throat.


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We have a shop in front of our working studio here in San Francisco and know how important it is to introduce new goods to our customers. With this simple idea, Faire was born.
Dallas Market Center offers a complete wholesale marketplace that features permanent showrooms and product lines from every imaginable category. Aeropostale - New York, New York. Nursery Collections - Shop by Color: Trade shows are also accessible to wholesale buyers and other registered attendees. We are a growing Home Textiles importer looking for an experienced Production Coordinator After five days at the show, he knew there had to be a better way.


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CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Support and love rule in the Mines household in Chesterfield County.
Pam and her husband Perry say they make a great team with their two daughters, and son JP who has Autism.
The crew doesn't hold back when it comes to jumping into a fierce video game competition. You can often find them trying to figure out how to keep up with JP on the video controls.
Mom says JP is a competitor and loves trying for the gold medals every time he participates in the Special Olympics. He showed us his hardware displayed proudly in his room.
"I have 8 metals," JP exclaimed. A proud accomplishment, but mom knows JP has had an even bigger impact in the lives of many in the special needs community.
The whole family has been on a mission to raise awareness about Autism. It grew out of their desire to make sure JP never felt alone in his walk with Autism. That's how Mines' organization JP Jumpers Foundation was born.
"The team is not just here in our house, but the team is our community," Pam Mines said.
That's what motivated Mines to press Virginia lawmakers to consider passing a law which allows a specific code on a state identification card or drivers license.
That code alerts police officers that the cardholder has Autism or an intellectual disability. In 2014, JP's Law became a reality in Virginia.
"I do this for my son and the special needs community. I do this because I don`t want tragedy to happen when it was such a simple fix," Mines said.
Though thankful, Mines wasn't satisfied to end there. Her push to get the law adopted across the United States recently got another boost.
This, just seven months after she, D.C. DMV officials and law enforcement teamed up.
"I received an email that JP`s Law will be adopted and launching by the end of March," an elated Mines said.
It's another huge prayer answered and she's grateful.
Scrolling through pictures and videos that she saved, which chronicle her family's journey, Mines tears up. Listening to a song written just for her, the lyrics, "God chose me," fuels her passion to do more.
"You don`t do it for fame. The song makes me emotional because I do know that God Chose me. I know I was chosen to be a voice, not the voice for the special needs community. I can`t stop until I reach my goal of making this law national," Mines said, wiping her tears away.
Since JP's Law was enacted, Mines says here in Virginia more than 1,400 people have applied for the special designation on their state ID or license.
This week, Mines will head to Washington, D.C. for the official launch of JP's Law there.


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Norway in the UN Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York
Norway and the UN
Link to news
Norway's rich history at the UN
Vil du jobbe i eller med FN?
Statements in the UN
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: Indigenous languages
General Assembly: Plenary
General Assembly: Committees
Other Statements
Deputy Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
Prevention of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Detention Settings
Statement by Ambassador Mona Juul at the virtual event 'Principles on the Prevention of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) in Detention Settings', 11 February 2021. The event was hosted by Harvard Law School, All Survivors Project, and the Permanent Missions of Norway, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Thank you very much for the invitation to contribute to this event. I strongly believe it will provide important insights on how we can better address and combat this scourge. The fight against sexual violence in conflict is a priority for Norway.
Sexual violence can destroy not only the victim, but entire families and communities - the very social fabric of a society - for generations. Far too often perpetrators are not brought to justice, and victims and survivors live on with both physical and psychological pain.
Security Council Resolution 2467 clearly affirmed that a survivor-centred approach is required to address conflict-related sexual violence in all United Nations peace-making, peace-keeping, and peace-building initiatives.
Further, it recognised that detention settings as a point of vulnerability for conflict-related sexual violence, particularly for men and boys.
Sexual violence is regrettably diverse, it can take many forms, and be perpetrated by a range of actors, with different motivations. But the underpinning factor is the hetero-patriarchal ideologies which often determine structures of power, and control, in specific contexts.
For example, for men, conflict-related sexual violence is used to disempower or emasculate survivors; and is aimed at punishing, humiliating, terrorising and repressing victims and their communities.
Rape and sexual violence by parties to armed conflict has been documented in a diverse range of situations. Situations of deprivation of liberty, or military contexts, uniquely leaves those associated with armed forces and armed groups, vulnerable to sexual violence by other members of opponent groups. They may also be forced to commit such acts against others.
In these, and other contexts, people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identities may also be uniquely targeted to punish real or perceived "non-compliance" with prevailing gender norms.
Excellencies,
As Chair of the Working Group for Children in armed Conflict, protection of children is a special priority for Norway. Children recruited and used in armed conflict, and by armed groups, should be treated mainly as victims. If deprived of their liberty, they are often being re-victimized and are especially vulnerable to sexual violence and abuse.
Norway adopts a firm position on combating sexual violence. We seek all opportunities to contribute to prevention and response. And see a clear need to strengthen humanitarian and human rights response to the issue of conflict- related sexual violence.
We welcome "The Principles on Preventing Conflict related sexual violence in detention settings" as a crucial contribution to strengthening the prevention framework. The Principles identify preventive and responsive measures applicable to all persons deprived of their liberty in situations of armed conflict. These Principles - which are based on existing international law and standards - aim to support the actions of national and international actors to prevent CRSV in detention settings.
The commentary accompanying each Principle helpfully identifies the sources of legally binding obligations and normative standards; and includes recommendations to support their implementation.
We believe there is a need also to ensure that specific health responses are developed and implemented. Profoundly damaging physical and mental health consequences are commonly experienced by sexual violence survivors. These require emergency medical care, and longer-term mental health and psychosocial support.
We know CRSV is underreported. Often due to fear of retaliation and stigma – and a lack of trust in the judicial system. Challenging underlying harmful gender norms and associated stigma, remains essential for addressing the root causes of CRSV, in parallel with ensuring accountability and justice.
Conflict-related sexual violence in detention is a violation of human rights and international humanitarian law. It can also represent a crime against humanity or an act of genocide. Sexual violence erodes the very societies we are striving to stabilize and rebuild. It destroys the future, as well as the present.
Norway will remain committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence. We have been proud to extensively contribute to the development of the whole-of-mission handbook for UN operations, which was released in June last year.
Today, we re-commit to continuing to work together to end impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, and to secure access to justice and protection for survivors.
Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations
1 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza #35
(885 2nd Avenue,
between 47th and 48th Street)
Vi er et miljøfyrtårn!
E-mail: delun@mfa.no
For media: Media Contact


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Director James Bobin Talks MUPPETS MOST WANTED
Posted by Clarke Wolfe on March 21, 2014
Director James Bobin has worked with all kinds of comedy greats, from Sacha Baron Cohen in Da Ali G Show to Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement in Flight of the Conchords, and now he's returned to direct the Muppets once again in Muppets Most Wanted. Nerdist spoke with Bobin at the premiere of the new movie and asked what it was like for the director to work with the Muppets again. "It was really fun," he said. "It was like seeing old friends again. It was really great, I loved it. I mean, I'm a fan of them growing up so working with them the first time was a joy, and this time was even better."
Does Bobin feel like working on Flight of the Conchords prepared him to take on the Muppets? "Yes! It literally did because Bret and Jemaine are like two innocent kids, like, slightly nerdy weirdos, and the Muppets are similar people, so yes." Bobin went on to say, "[I]f you look closely in this movie you might see Jemaine in there somewhere. And of course Bret writes all the music so they're always in my life. So I always try and keep them around somewhere, because they're such good guys."
Bobin has the follow up to Disney's Alice In Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, coming up next, but does he think he'll work with the Muppets again? "Who knows? We'll see how this one does first, but, yeah, I hope so. I think this movie tees it up very well. I think this movie says you can do anything with Muppets and it's kind of, they can go anywhere, and you know, they're really fun and this movie is just bigger and brighter than the last one, so I think, hopefully."
Muppets Most Wanted hits theaters today.
bret mckenzie, da ali g show, Flight of the Conchords, James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Muppets Most Wanted, The Muppets, through the looking glass
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Season 2 Premiere Review
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY Has a 30th Anniversary Blu-ray
Mads Mikkelsen Battles the Elements in Arctic Trailer


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There are significant links between exposure to PM2.5 and respiratory infections and asthma in young children. Photo: flickr.com Stuart´Dootson cc by-nc-nd
A new scientific review on air pollution conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the EU needs to step up efforts to improve air quality, according to the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL).
WHO's "Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution" (REVIHAAP) project provides new and more extensive evidence of harm to health in adults and children, including effects on prenatal development. The scientists also say that the effects of very hot periods during the summer – associated with climate change in Europe – will make the impact of air pollution worse.
The findings prompted the scientists to recommend a review of existing WHO guidelines. They also say that the "newfound health effects call for stronger EU air policies", and that the EU air quality standards should be revised.
"Today's results are a wake-up call for decision-makers in Europe to take the air pollution problem more seriously," says Anne Stauffer, HEAL Deputy Director. "The new findings show effects at lower concentration levels and associations with new conditions, such as diabetes, adverse birth outcomes and cognitive development. They provide evidence-based science that EU policies are inadequate."
The assessment, carried out by 60 leading international scientists in the field, forms part of the discussions on future EU measures in the EU Year of Air 2013. This autumn will see the launch of proposals on how to improve air quality all over Europe. HEAL calls on the EU Commission, but especially EU member states to increase their political commitment to tackling air pollution, which causes more premature deaths in Europe than road accidents.
Source: HEAL press release, 3 July 2013
The REVIHAAP Technical report "Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution"


This sign was clearly aimed at passengers heading into Ladbroke Grove tube station. Unfortunately, this is the best shot that can be obtained from the station itself, and the railway track gets in the way of the view at street level.
A few words are clearly legible, including 'offices', 'surveyors value...', possibly 'auctioneer', and the business name seems to be ?ALE & CAP?, but the angle makes this faded message even harder to read. Can anyone decipher any more?
Oh,and of course "Auctioneers" above that as you said.
Actually that wasn't the only sign there. Some more text can be seen below but it is hard to decipher. I may go back to it and post it on my blog at a later date.
Thank you - that's filled in a lot of gaps!


Nomads is a tile drafting and set collecting game, or as the theme of the game would desperately try to make you believe, a game about collecting stories and writing legends. The premise of the game is that heroes – players – are gathered around the campfire to listen to the tales of the mysterious nomads. This set up is recreated on the game board, 3-D cardboard fire and all. The tales are told through players picking up square tiles and spending those of the same type to buy point cards. The end of the game is, indeed, a tale as long as time: the player with the most points wins.
Nomads, without a question, is a very whimsical beautiful game, immediately lighting up any table it is put on. It has warm, campfire colours, fantastical characters, and cards, each set containing one story, told through a developing series of images. However, as much as it tries to focus on the aspect of storytelling, even including a chapter of the main heroes' adventures with the rulebook, it is hard to fit that theme to a tile drawing game. In fact, there are parts of the game, where you may wish that the designers let the story theme go. There is an abundance of thematic terminology within the rule book that makes understanding very simple rules, quite difficult. Sometimes, it is better to say 'buy cards' in the rules, instead of 'writing legends', just for the sake of your players. Especially, since pushing that angle, makes it feel as if there was a lack of confidence in what is the strongest part of the game – its mechanics.
For a very simple drafting and set collecting game, Nomads has a lot of little interesting a surprising elements. First of all, it does very well to keep all players involved at all times. The main mechanic of the game is distributing round tokens around the stacks of square tiles so that only those circular tokens that land on top of their stacks will be rewarded with a square tile. That gives a high chance for other players, not only the active player, to be able to earn tiles during the round. However, at the same time, giving excellent opportunities for players to block their opponents from getting the tiles they might want. There is almost always a choice: make a move that will benefit you or that will prevent one or more of your opponents to pick up the tiles they want. Games that take advantage of this tension, always have more compelling gameplay, and Nomads is no exception. This bit of strategy balances well with the randomised nature of the square tiles.
Second of all, there are several scoring rounds throughout the game. They are triggered by building all four pieces of the moon, that are located randomly within the stack of square tiles. During the scoring, players add up all their points from the cards they were able to purchase and subtract the number of square tiles that remained unspent. So when three pieces of the moon have been collected, it is a good sign, that players should start spending their tiles to buy cards, as not to get penalised so much. It is, again, a good strategic move. One might decide to trigger the scoring round upon seeing that one or more of their opponents are stockpiling tiles without spending them. Their opponents, in turn, might try to prevent them from picking up the last piece of the moon. Careful calculations always have to be made. At which point scoring is the most beneficial? There is a great deal of player agency and strategy in the allowing players themselves to decide when to be scored. The only downside to this, is that the game does not provide any means, point tokens or scoring sheet, to keep track of the scores. Players will need to arm themselves with pen and paper before playing the game.
Finally, each player takes control of one of the characters in the game. With their backstory provided in the rulebook, each character has their own special ability, reflecting their in-universe story. All special powers work together quite well in a full five player game, however when downsized to a lesser number, some of them prove to be more powerful than others. For examples, Red, who at the end of his turn can put his red token on top of every stack, is not as powerful with a lot of players as the number of people decreases the number of times his ability can be used. In a two player game, however, his power gives an instant advantage. While other characters also have useful tricks up their sleeve, their abilities will not always pay off every round, whereas Red's does. If in a five-player game, this can be subdued through the sheer number of people playing, the same cannot be done in a smaller game. The rulebook does not give advice on which characters should be chosen depending on the number of players.
Nomads strength is in the balance between its luck-based elements and strategic decisions, the tricky part of any board game design to get right, but that feels effortless here. While the game theme, despite all the efforts, still feels tacked on, it by no means diminishes the fun of the game. It is challenging, yet simple and approachable. It is joyfully colourful and does not take itself too seriously, while allowing players to approach its gameplay in different ways, suited to their own play style. Nomads might not be able to give a magical storytelling experience, but it will definitely give you a really good time.


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fast feed
Spotify Produces Quirky, Territorial, Slightly Wonky "Year In Review 2013" Website
By Addy Dugdale 1 minute Read
Music streaming service Spotify has published its review of 2013, but rather than some spotty old press release, it's served us up a brand spanking new website with a little bit of interactivity.
The new site has factoids aplenty, like the nugget that there is someone in the U.S. with a Spotify library of 90,000 playlists, as well as all the usual stuff about which artists have had their music played the most (Spotify recently claimed that, once the site hits 40 million subscribers–that is to say, that its paying customer base grows fourfold–they could be taking home $2 million a month in royalties).
There is one hitch, however: The mobile version of the site is not yet up and running. That's no good, since mobile is the meme for 2013–just ask Google.


Dr. McDonnell is the Director and William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. A board-certified ophthalmologist and specialist in corneal disease and surgery, Dr. McDonnell is an international leader in corneal transplantation, and laser refractive surgery, and treating dry eye. His research interests include the causes and correction of refractive error, corneal wound healing and microbial keratitis. He has served on the editorial boards of numerous ophthalmology journals and is currently the Chief Medical Editor of Ophthalmology Times. He has also served as a consultant to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. McDonnell received his medical degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, served as chief resident while completing his residency in ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, and completed his fellowship in cornea and external disease from the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California.
He is listed in Woodward and White's Best Doctors in America and was named one of the "Best Ophthalmologists in America" by Ophthalmology Times.


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Category Archives: Telecommunications Industry
Integrated Digital Enhanced Network, PTT, Push-to-talk, Telecommunications Industry, Twisted Pair Solutions, Voice
Twisted Pair Adds Private Call Capability to its WAVE Mobile Communicator
Twisted Pair Solutions today announced that it has added point-to-point Private Call capability to its WAVE Mobile Communicator application for smartphones and tablets.
With Private Call mode selected, users can use a secure, one-to-one PTT capability with any other member of a WAVE communications system. Once the Private Call is complete, either user simply hangs up and the device returns to its pre-call state.
Twisted Pair's announcement comes as many organizations seek a secure, reliable replacement for Sprint's iDEN push-to-talk (PTT) network which was decommissioned at the end of June.
"The enterprise customer wants seamless communication, from radio systems to telephony systems to PTT systems to workforce apps," said Tom Guthrie, Twisted Pair president and CEO. "WAVE is the only platform- and device-independent PTT solution proven to deliver secure, high-quality communications for the enterprise."
The WAVE Mobile Communicator turns your smartphone or tablet into an instant communication PTT device. When equipped with the WAVE Mobile Communicator, a smartphone acts like a multichannel radio handset that sends and receives secure audio. WAVE servers residing in an enterprise data center, in a cloud environment or, if needed, on an individual PC, manage audio processing, management and distribution. The Private Call capability further differentiates WAVE as an over-the-top PTT solution that combines the richness of enterprise communications with workforce communications while offering increased flexibility over proprietary solutions.
Customers may deploy WAVE as an on-premise enterprise solution or as a cloud service. Twisted Pair offers its own cloud service, called WAVE Connections, which subscribers can access over any carrier or WiFi data network.
Data center, Electric power, Hosting, James Glanz, Telecommunications Industry
Cloud Data Center Draw is Often Power
Interesting trend reported on by James Glanz of the New York Times. Ample access to electrical power is driving up data center rents across the river in New Jersey — to levels higher than the trophy skyscrapers in Manhattan.
…electrical capacity is often the central element of lease agreements, and space is secondary.
Read "Landlords Double As Energy Brokers".
Call Center, Evolve IP, NACR, Partnerships, Telecommunications Industry
Evolve IP, NACR Partner for Unified Communications, Hosted Contact Centers
February 14, 2013 Richard
Today Evolve IP announced it has partnered with NACR, an independent integrator of communications solutions. With this agreement, NACR will leverage Evolve IP's unified platform to offer its customers cloud services including unified communications/hosted IP phone services, virtual servers, and call center solutions.
NACR serves over 5,500 clients from small businesses to Fortune® 100 and global enterprise clients. Through this relationship, NACR's customers gain access to Evolve IP's cloud services including:
Unified communications/IP phone systems that provide advanced features such as fixed mobile convergence (FMC), find me/follow me, unified messaging, HD voice, and more, all delivered as a cloud service but with the quality and control of on-site equipment.
Virtual servers that utilize Evolve IP's private cloud infrastructure to reduce CAPEX while improving IT productivity. Evolve IP's virtual servers leverage the scalability and failover of public cloud services while maintaining the privacy and security of dedicated environments.
Hosted contact centers that improve operations and customer service with intelligent routing and queues, call recording, call whisper, and every major feature needed to run a best-practice call center.
Cloud & IT Management, GSMA, Messaging, Mobile World Congress, RCS, Rich Communication Suite, Telecommunications Industry
Interop Technologies Adds RCS Version 5 Features to Cloud Technology
February 6, 2013 Richard
Interop Technologies, a provider of core wireless solutions for advanced messaging, over-the-air handset management, and connectivity gateways, today announced that its Rich Communication Services (RCS) solution now supports a network address book and social presence. The network address book synchronizes a user's contacts among different devices including mobile phones, tablets, and PCs. With social presence, RCS users receive rich, real-time information, such as availability, location, favorite link, and portrait icon, for each of their contacts.
Interop Technologies is demonstrating its enhanced RCS solution at OMA Demo Day on February 27 during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The network address book and social presence features are aligned with the GSMA-managed RCS Blackbird and Crane releases, which include subsets of priority RCS version 5 features. Using an XML document management server (XDMS) and presence server, the Interop solution stores social presence and service capability information and makes it available in real time to RCS users. Since May 2012, the fully compliant, cloud-based Interop RCS solution has also supported legacy messaging interworking, an RCS version 5 feature providing backward compatibility with Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Message Service (MMS).
Interop has made the enhancements available in its interoperability testing (IOT) environment currently in use by multiple RCS client vendors and smartphone manufacturers. As client and handset vendors release new versions of RCS client software, they can continue to test against the Interop RCS solution to ensure that standards compliance and interoperability are achieved.
RCS, branded as "joyn" by the GSMA, gives subscribers innovative communication options including video chat, one-to-one and group messaging, file transfer, and real-time exchange of image or video files during communication sessions. Because the Interop solution enables operators to offer RCS without a costly and complex IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core, operators can compete with popular "over-the-top" (OTT) services without expensive changes to their current network. In addition, Interop's cloud technology option minimizes up-front costs and speeds time to market.
"Our client-agnostic, cloud-based solution now includes multiple RCS version 5 capabilities in line with the Blackbird and Crane releases, resulting in the most advanced, feature-rich RCS solution available today," said Steve Zitnik, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Interop Technologies. "By deploying in the cloud, operators can provide their subscribers with this state-of-the-art communication option quickly and cost effectively."
For more information or to schedule a meeting during Mobile World Congress, please contact info@interoptechnologies.com.
NCR Corporation, Telecommunications Industry, Tools
NCR Introduces Cloud-based Managed IT Domain Service for Telecom Carriers
November 6, 2012 Richard
NCR Corporation today launched Managed IT Domain Services, a managed service for telecommunications carriers and technology manufacturers (OEMs), which enables support for remote monitoring and management of enterprise customers' IT domains, through cloud-based IT infrastructures.
The total service supports applications, cloud, network/WAN, security, server, storage and virtualization. More than 3,000 products from many leading networking and IT vendors can be managed. Components include a network operations center, which will monitor, identify and resolve IT infrastructure irregularities, a service desk for end-to-end incident management and a self-service portal for customers to track the real-time status of their managed environment and view key performance indicators and other metrics.
"Many CIOs today are transitioning business functions into the cloud to realize cost-savings, increase productivity and reinvent business agility," said Nadine Routhier, vice president, NCR Telecommunications and Technology. "We're creating exceptional value for telecom and OEM's companies by enabling them to quickly and cost-effectively scale to meet growing demand for cloud-based services, without making extensive capital investments."
Sophisticated configuration management and analytics tools are also included in the service to maximize network availability and reduce on-site support costs, including remote restoration and updates to managed devices. NCR research shows that 98 percent of availability issues identified through the service can be resolved remotely, and resolution time can be reduced by up to 60 percent versus traditional on-site support. Network operational data is also continuously analyzed in order to provide proactive recommendations to further enhance availability and up-time, which is critical to the success of enterprise cloud computing initiatives.
Android, Google, Google Chrome OS, Google Compute Engine, Google Drive, High Performance Computing, Internet Technology, Kansas City Missouri, Mobile, Motorola, Networking, Telecommunications Industry, Television, Video
Google Fiber Has Far-reaching Implications
August 2, 2012 Richard
Reading this post on Google's low-cost, super-fast fiber-to-the-home initiative (makes me sort of wish I lived in Kansas City) brought to mind all the other Google products and initiatives that might be empowered by it. Go read it, then come back here and consider:
Chrome OS: it takes a long time to make a new operating system and it looks trivial today, but with widely available gigabit internet at the household and small business level it begins to look like a realistic "the network is the computer" future.
Mobile OS: Google already has that covered with Android.
Add Google Drive: Ubiquitous very high speed connectivity at a low price makes Drive viable for more than backup, sharing and synch. Actually synch becomes easier if the only copy is on a server.
Add Google Compute Engine: A thin-client netbook running Chrome OS, or Android on tablets and handsets, become more appealing if you can quickly access network-based computing resources for high-performance computing tasks like video transcoding.
Add Google Voice: consider all those hypothetical hotspots. Combine with Android and Voice. Can a Google competitor to cell phone providers be far behind, one that leverages the coming Google network? All it would take is a couple extra capabilities in the fiber/WiFi box that seems inevitable. And don't forget they now own Motorola, a top-notch mobile phone company.
YouTube/Google TV: Already dipping its toe into original programming, and fast fiber means TV will change dramatically.
Living In the cloud would become a real option for everyday consumers. What about effects on professionals and small businesses?
And what about those other seemingly sci-fi projects, self driving cars and Glass? Hey, if the car drives itself my brain then has the bandwidth for augmented reality. How might they benefit from the ability to hop from fiber-connected WiFi hotspot to hotspot?
All this based on a good search engine algorithm, and then ads next to search results? Who'd a thunk it?