Here you have a list of opinions about Israeli disengagement from Gaza and you can also give us your opinion about it.
You will see other people's opinions about Israeli disengagement from Gaza and you will find out what the others say about it.
The Israeli disengagement from Gaza (Hebrew: תָּכְנִית הַהִתְנַתְּקוּת, Tokhnit HaHitnatkut; in the Disengagement Plan Implementation Law), also known as "Gaza expulsion" and "Hitnatkut", was the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005. Four small settlements in the northern West Bank were also evacuated.
The disengagement was proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005. Those Israeli citizens who refused to accept government compensation packages and voluntarily vacate their homes prior to the August 15, 2005 deadline, were evicted by Israeli security forces over a period of several days. The eviction of all residents, demolition of the residential buildings and evacuation of associated security personnel from the Gaza Strip was completed by September 12, 2005. The eviction and dismantlement of the four settlements in the northern West Bank was completed ten days later.
In the image below, you can see a graph with the evolution of the times that people look for Israeli disengagement from Gaza. And below it, you can see how many pieces of news have been created about Israeli disengagement from Gaza in the last years.
Thanks to this graph, we can see the interest Israeli disengagement from Gaza has and the evolution of its popularity.
What do you think of Israeli disengagement from Gaza?
You can leave your opinion about Israeli disengagement from Gaza here as well as read the comments and opinions from other people about the topic.


There are several factors that may affect your dosage of muromonab-CD3, including your age, weight (in children), and how you respond to the drug. This medicine comes as an injection that is administered intravenously by a healthcare provider. You may receive other medications in combination with muromonab-CD3 to help avoid potentially serious side effects.
The usual dose of muromonab-CD3 for the treatment of transplant rejection in adults is 5 mg a day for 10 to 14 days. The usual initial dosage for children who weigh 30 kg or less (66 pounds or less) is 2.5 mg per day. Children who weigh more than 30 kg are normally given the adult amount.
Doses may be increased, usually by 2.5 mg a day, based on response and muromonab-CD3 blood levels. It is generally recommended that blood levels be at least 800 nanograms per milliliter (ng per mL), especially in children.
Your healthcare provider may give you a corticosteroid medicine, such as methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrol®, Medrol®), one to four hours before your first muromonab-CD3 dose. You may also be given acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and an antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl® and others), with each dose. These medications are used to reduce your risk of developing a potentially serious reaction to muromonab-CD3.
In addition, your healthcare provider may monitor your weight and obtain certain tests, such as an x-ray and blood tests, before you begin treatment. These tests are done to make sure you do not have certain medical problems that could increase your risk for complications.
Orthoclone OKT3 [package insert]. Raritan, NJ: Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.;2011 May.
What Is Muromonab-CD3 Used For?


2014 National SOAR Outcomes | SOAR Works!
The SOAR TA Center has released the outcomes of SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2014.
Taken together, since 2006, the SOAR approach is responsible for assisting 26,269 persons who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness to access Social Security disability benefits. The average approval rate on initial applications is 65 percent, with decisions received in an average of 94 days in 2014.
Eighteen states report that they sustained current or secured new funding for their SOAR programs, resulting in the creation of 10 new full-time and five new half-time SOAR dedicated positions.


Description "25 [age] ; Carpenter ; 400 [value of personal estate owned] ; Tennessee [place of birth]."
Source Includes data from the 1860 Census Population Schedules, Precinct No. 1, Boonville Post Office, Brazos County, Texas, Series: M653, Roll: 1289, p. 87 (stamped), p. 93 (handwritten), entry 686.
Artisan or Artist Deeter, James D.


Birmingham, AL– The YWCA Central Alabama hosted its 20th Annual Purse and Passion Luncheon. The event was titled the Power of 20, in honor of the event's 20th year. Maggie Brooke, President of the YWCA Central Alabama Board of Directors, reflected on the many lives impacted by the organization's programs over the 20 years of Purse and Passion. Nearly 1,500 guests opened their purses and wallets to support the YW's mission. The luncheon was held on April 18, 2019 at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.
YWCA Central Alabama recently named Sunny Tillman of Sun Video as its 2018 Jeana P. Hosch Woman of Valor recipient at its Annual Meeting. This award is presented each year to an extraordinary woman who has worked tirelessly on the behalf of the YW and our community.
The YW selected Tillman for both her dedication to the organization in producing approximately 100 videos telling the stories of YW clients, but also for being a strong business leader who for more than 40 years has embodied the YW mission of empowering women and eliminating racism.
Serving with YWCA Central Alabama's "Building Communities, Bettering Lives" (BCBL) AmeriCorps program comes with many benefits–educational awards, career opportunities, job skills training and more. However, most members don't consider the possibility of finding love. This was the case for former BCBL AmeriCorps members Alicia Calloway and Walter Nolen-Schmidt who began their year of service at the YW in 2016 with no idea that 2-years later they would be married and starting a life together.
Happy Halloween from your YW family! We had a spooktacular time celebrating at our annual Fall Festival, put on by the YW Junior Board and a host of volunteers. The gym was filled with little princesses, superheroes and ghosts who got a chance to dress up and enjoy a cake walk, football toss and several other activities.


text:
[INTERVIEW] Young North Korean defectors fall prey to human trafficking
A young North Korean woman who was forced to work as a "webcam girl" in an apartment in China escapes on Oct. 27, with help from officials at the Durihana Mission, which has been assisting North Korean defectors since the 1990s. Courtesy of Durihana Mission
By Jung Da-min
Many North Koreans who flee their country, especially young women, are trapped by brokers and sold into marriage to Chinese farmers or forced into sex work as cam girls or in brothels, according to the leader of a group that helps defectors.
Pastor Chun Ki-won, of the Durihana Mission in Seoul, said the situation has worsened because of tighter border controls between the two countries and China's internal crackdown.
Pastor Chun Ki-won of the Durihana Mission / Korea Times file
"From the moment North Korean women defectors see the brokers pay North Korean soldiers on the crossing, they are at the mercy of the brokers, as they have to pay the money back," says Chun, who has been helping North Korean defectors since the 1990s.
"Whether they knew it or not, or whether they wanted it or not, they are victims of human trafficking that has become a systemized method to defect from North Korea to China."
Most of the North Korean defectors are women and many are in their 20s or younger, he said.
The interview was held at his mission in southern Seoul on Dec. 17.
Chun rescued two North Korean women recently who had been confined in an apartment in China and forced to work as "cam girls" for a porn site. The two, now 27 and 24, worked there for five and eight years, respectively.
When they left North Korea, they had not dreamt they would end up as sex workers.
The two were deceived by a Chinese man who told them he would free them if they "work hard" for a couple of years, but he did not keep his word.
Pastor Chun Ki-won with the two North Korean women he rescued from an apartment in China where they were forced to work as "webcam girls." Courtesy of Durihana Mission
Chun remembered that when the two were in transit at a Southeast Asian country, the younger one ran out and stood in the middle of the ground with hands lifted skyward when an afternoon squall started.
"She said it was the first time she felt the rain in eight years," Chun said.
The pastor said some of the victims were very young.
"Among those I helped, one was 13 years old when she gave birth in China," he said. "She came to China with her mother at age eight and they were sold to different places when she was 10 years old.
"Whether they had babies from rape, they still want to embrace their babies. But North Korean mothers and their children born in third countries face another hardship in South Korea due to the lack of governmental support policies and cultural differences, with the biggest hurdle being language."
He says the children of North Korean women born in third countries had not been granted the same benefits as those born in North Korea, even though they are also seen as defectors in a broader sense. They also find more it more difficult to learn Korean as they were born and raised outside the Koreas.
As these children enrolled in South Korean schools outnumber young North Korean defectors, the government is expanding support for them, such as making it easy to get academic accreditation for their schooling outside the country.
damin.jung@koreatimes.co.kr More articles by this reporter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Posted on 11/06/2018 by Corey Paterson	in Live Review and tagged Black Cat, blues, Charlie Parr, country, Minnesota.
Minnesotan Charlie Parr made a stop in balmy DC for a show at the Black Cat on Friday. I saw Charlie in Black Cat's smaller, more intimate room about this time last year, so when I saw he was coming back, I knew I had to mark it on my calendar.
Posted on 10/29/2018 by Corey Paterson	in Live Review and tagged 9:30 Club, jam band, reggae, Twiddle, Vermont.
I had a blast at 9:30 Club on Friday night. I almost always enjoy concerts, but every now and then I see a show that goes beyond the normal pleasure that music provides. Vermont band Twiddle gave me that experience at 9:30 Club, easily making my list of the best concerts I have ever seen.
Posted on 08/21/2018 by Corey Paterson	in Live Review and tagged country rock, NEEDTOBREATHE, South Carolina, southern rock, The Anthem.
Carolina natives NEEDTOBREATHE have a solid 10+ years creating and performing music, and their great songwriting and musical ability was on full display Friday. The band set off on a tour that stopped at The Anthem, and their six studio albums and years of performing were evident in the polished performance they delivered.


text:
Sat Feb 4
To resist Trump's tyranny, just don't comply
Written by Shannon Brincat, Research Fellow in International Relations, Griffith University
This article is part of the Democracy Futures series, a joint global initiative with the Sydney Democracy Network. The project aims to stimulate fresh thinking about the many challenges facing democracies in the 21st century.
After his unexpected election win, the immediate question was what would US President Donald Trump actually do? Would his administration be as confused as his speeches or as cunningly effective as his campaign?
In the interim, far from "draining the swamp", he has assembled a team of billionaires, family and members of the far-right.
On his inauguration – just as they were lying about the size of the audience – LGBT rights, health care, civil liberties and climate change disappeared from the White House homepage. The latter was scrubbed from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website too.
Rounding out his first week in office, Trump signed a litany of executive orders: scaling back parts of his predecessor's Affordable Care Act, freezing federal hiring, greenlighting two oil pipelines, halting payments to the EPA and imposing a media blackout on it; and denying entry to refugees and immigrants from certain Muslim-majority countries.
He called for a shutdown of parts of the internet in the name of fighting terror.
Donald Trump argues for 'closing the internet up' to counter terrorism.
A 20% tariff on imports from Mexico would pay to "build that wall". Trump also claimed that torture "works".
In short, Trump seems ruthlessly efficient, wiping out America's progressive legacy with deft pen-strokes of his grasping, little hand.
The Project's Waleed Aly lists everything President Trump has done in his first week of office.
Servitude under Trump
For many who oppose this suite of unnerving policies, the question is how can Trump be legitimately resisted?
Étienne de La Boétie – the 16th-century French judge and writer – offered a simple, yet elegant answer: withdraw support so that "like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away", the all-powerful ruler is forced to "fall of his own weight and break in pieces".
Étienne de La Boétie (1530–1563) was a founder of modern political philosophy in France. Wikipedia Commons
La Boétie reasoned that the rule of any government acting tyrannically would abruptly end as soon as its subjects withdrew their active support, for such power only comes from the "voluntary servitude" of its subjects. The tyrant has "nothing more than the power that you confer upon him to destroy you".
Given that governments rule by a very few – the ruling class and its functionaries – they are highly susceptible to non-co-operation of the people.
La Boétie's essay, Discours de la servitude volontaire (Discourse on Voluntary Servitude), is his greatest contribution to political thought. It remains relevant, 440 years after it was published, in an age when the public's understanding of political resistance to institutionalised authority is largely quarantined by anti-protest and anti-assembly powers.
La Boétie's Discourse on Voluntary Servitude. Étienne de La Boétie/Wikipedia Commons
The essay concerns tyranny – the rule of one. America is still a democracy, of course, though it is now openly "flawed", with some pointing to its emergent oligarchy. At the same time, attacks on the media, lying to the public, denigrating facts/science, scapegoating minorities and nepotism are all hallmarks of tyranny.
The notable feature of La Boétie's political theory is that the origin of tyrannical power is irrelevant: whether by election, inheritance or force, if rulership is oppressive, it is tyrannical.
La Boétie interrogates the mind of the ruler and the subservient, and the strategies to overcome this relation of servitude. His second key insight flows from his counter-intuitive analysis of this dynamic. He does not place political agency or power in the hands of the tyrant, but in the people themselves. He rails:
Poor, wretched, and stupid peoples, you let yourselves be deprived before your own eyes.
All your "misfortune" descends "not from alien foes, but from the one enemy whom you yourselves render as powerful as he is".
Responsibility for freedom is our own
La Boétie is unremitting in his criticism of servitude – the servile are "traitors" to themselves. They give tyranny its "eyes" to surveil, its arms to beat and its feet to trample freedom.
Nevertheless, La Boétie intends his work not to cajole but to awaken these voluntary servants to the understanding that their own liberation is in their power. As he writes:
You can deliver yourselves if you try, not by taking action, but merely by willing to be free.
This principle of non-co-operation forms the root of civil disobedience movements today. If tyrannical commands cannot be enforced without subjects to do the enforcing, then withdrawal of both consent and action is a pragmatic, peaceful and legitimate means for conventional politics to resist even the most narcissistic of wig-wearers today.
And we can point to real-life heroes acting out this defiance today: Badlands National Park breaking its gag order to tweet facts of science, or NASA with its Rogue 1 doing the same.
At the same time, reliance on individual action can be confused and contradictory. For example, the battle at the airports over the Muslim immigration ban now seems to be between federal customs and Department of Homeland Security agents enforcing the executive order, and those following the Federal Court order barring deportations. The separation of powers is reliant on people serving this separation.
People gathered at airports around the US to protest Trump's ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. Jeff Livingston/flickr
La Boétie was quick to realise that the key question is not how tyrannies remain in power, but why subjects do not withdraw their support. Fear and ideology, self-interest and habit all conspire so that the many acquiesce in their own subjection. In Trump's oft-tweeted word: Sad!
So, while acts of peaceful withdrawal should be enough to cripple any oppressive regime, La Boétie's thesis holds only on the condition that the many oppose the one.
Clinging to the tyrant
Here we run into two major problems. Some people lack the critical distance from their social order to question it. More problematic are those who benefit from Trump's rule.
For La Boétie, this class is the most dangerous. Those who "cling to the tyrant", who take "the bait toward slavery", offer him their loyalty in return for institutionalised bribery (including, in today's idiom, state contracts, tax breaks, administrative assistance and positions of influence). This 1% become the willing hands of tyranny, reaching throughout society.
Gustav Landauer calls this the "internal flaw", that the people who "feed" tyranny "must stop doing so". At this point, however, La Boétie leaves us with pure voluntarism as some rational hope against tyranny.
But even this idea can be educative. Much has been made of the punch on Richard Spencer, the neo-Nazi who advocates "ethnic cleansing". Some say that, rather than street violence, resistance must instead go "high". Having a grandfather who was tortured by the SS, I am less sanguine. Spencer and his ilk promise horrific violence on a mass scale. Believe them.
Richard Spencer, the man credited with coining the term "alt-right", is punched in the head while talking with a reporter.
Nevertheless, such punches seem very ineffective in making allies of centrists against Trump. For those who find such acts of resistance unsavoury La Boétie presents an effective middle ground. You don't have to do anything: just don't comply, ever. This principle could even appeal to libertarians.
So while La Boétie offers us no panacea for freedom, especially in overcoming political structures of tyranny, he helps jar our thought into recognising that it is we who can act for our freedom. To this end, he offers a legitimate means for even the most apolitical subject to resist:
Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed.
The problem today is that many are willing to serve in their own oppression and even more willing to serve in the oppression of others. So the real question he leaves us with is: what are we to do against the willing servants of tyranny?
Has the strategy that Michelle Obama advocated at last year's Democratic National Convention worked?
Authors: Shannon Brincat, Research Fellow in International Relations, Griffith University
Read more http://theconversation.com/to-resist-trumps-tyranny-just-dont-comply-72271
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text:
Home Gossip News Aisha Buhari takes over Patience Jonathan's office
Aisha Buhari takes over Patience Jonathan's office
The Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has been operating from the Office of the First Lady located inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, SUNDAY PUNCH can report authoritatively.
Ahead of the March 28 presidential election, Buhari, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, had promised that he would not have an office for the First Lady should he emerge victorious at the election.
"The Office of the First Lady is not in the constitution, so there's no official role for them," Buhari had said.
As the campaigns progressed however, Mrs. Buhari joined the APC team.That made observers doubt whether the President would be able to walk his talk.
'AD'
Since her husband's assumption of office, Mrs. Buhari has dropped the title of "First Lady" used by her predecessors, including Mrs. Patience Jonathan.She adopted the title of "Wife of the President."
Investigations by our correspondent have, however, showed that apart from the nomenclature, nothing significant has changed.
Mrs. Buhari and her handlers operate from the First Lady's office used by her predecessors, it was learnt.The office is located beside the official residence of the President.
Her office, like it was under her predecessors, houses her staff members, including personal aides, security details and protocol officials, among others.
She has so far organised events similar to the ones that were not in short supply under her immediate predecessor, Mrs. Jonathan.
The first event organised by Mrs. Buhari was an elaborate "thank you dinner" she organised in honour of APC women and youths for supporting her husband's election.
The President's wife, during the recently concluded Ramadan, also broke her fast with some women leaders and the less privileged.
Recently, the Office of the Wife of the President, in conjunction with a United Kingdom-based private firm, organised a seminar on protocol, etiquette and security for wives of state governors.
At that event, the President's wife charged the wives of the state governors to come up with laudable programmes to complement their husbands' efforts.At the conclusion of Ramadan, Mrs. Buhari also hosted children to an elaborate Sallah party.
All these events were held inside the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with glamour.
Apart from these, the President's wife, represented by some individuals, had donated either cash or relief items to internally displaced persons and other groups in parts of the country.
Our correspondent also learnt that she is at the verge of initiating a pet project, a platform that will be used to meet specific needs.
That has also been the style of previous First Ladies.
The Director of Media in the Office of the Wife of the President, Zakari Yau Nadabo, confirmed to our correspondent on Thursday that arrangements were ongoing for a pet project for Mrs. Buhari.
Nadabo said the first step was to identify the area where the President's wife is interested in making intervention.
He said, "It is not about initiating a pet project alone. The first step is to identify the area. The plan is already in the pipeline. Issues are just beginning to take shape.
"We do not want to rush. We want to take our time to do a careful analysis so that we can intervene in critical areas."


Many of the world's biggest banks have serious security flaws in their mobile apps which could leave customers - and the banks themselves - vulnerable to attackers, research from IOActive suggests.
IOActive researcher Ariel Sanchez used iPhones and iPads to test 40 home banking apps from some of the biggest financial institutions around the world.
The testing found that 90% of the apps contain non-SSL links, enabling any attacker to intercept traffic and inject code in an attempt to create a fake login prompt or similar scam.
Many apps - 40% - do not validate the authenticity of SSL certificates presented, leaving them open to man-in-the-middle attacks. Nearly three quarters also don't have multi-factor authentication, which could help to mitigate the risk of impersonation attacks.
IOActive says that it has contacted some of the banks about vulnerabilities but argues that the entire industry needs to step up its efforts to protect customers.
Among its suggestions are that all connections are performed using secure transfer protocols, SSL certificate checks are enforced, and the iOS data protection API is used to encrypt sensitive data.


Thank you Subteradio. We hope we'll see you on Saturday!
You are right, I have a gay best friend and he means the world to me!
I am bisexual myself and If I ever had gay kids I would love them the same!
I have a gay friend and it breaks me heart when people discriminate him or me because we happen to be bisexual or gay.
If I ever have kids it won't even be an issue, if they were gay.


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text:
Technology and Public Engagement.
This Web resource contains an archive of the results of historical research into the applications of new technology in a variety of unusual areas. Science and Technology can, and does, play a large part in the development of society! We need to find more quantitative ways to understand the long term impact of technology, not only its use but the effect on those who contribute to its development.
The following are independent, but related, Web sites.
My Bookmarks http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/bookmarks.html
History of Computing at Daresbury Laboratory http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/computing_history.
With historical photographs from the STFC archives, including Seymour Cray, designer of the world's first supercomputer. This material is used for regular exhibitions provided at Daresbury Laboratory and supporting public outreach of science.
The English Free Reed Organ http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/FreeReed/organ_book.
Did you know that the famous scientist Sir Charles Wheatstone introduced the Free Reed to England and invented the Concertina?
Rootes Archive Centre Trust http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/ARCC.
History of the one-time 3rd largest British car manufacturer. This is now a registered charity with patron Lord Nick Rootes.
Mercia Area Centre http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/Mercia
History of classic cars and related specials using novel technology. The Mercia group have provided exhibitions for Daresbury Laboratory.
e-Science http://www.grids.ac.uk/
Future software technology for research developed at STFC (project material archived).
e-Research, from Portals to Science Gateways.
A new book, see http://www.woodheadpublishing.com/en/book.aspx?bookID=1892&ChandosTitle=1.
Linux: hints and tips related to Gentoo Linux on various platforms http://tyne.dl.ac.uk/twiki/bin/view/GridAndHPC/GentooLinux.
More? http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/
Information for these Web pages is from STFC staff and from volunteers who are un-payed. The sites have been designed by Rob Allan.
Web site developed and maintained by R.J. Allan
"Hand Knitted Software" 2005-14
Comments on and contributions to the Web site should be send to Rob Allan.


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Forget Plan A. Try Plan C.
I believe that God has a plan for our lives. Think of it as Plan A.
But many of us have our own Plan A. These are our first dreams for our lives before we really get going. But to be honest, they don't last that long. Life happens. Often troubling things, or just unexpected things. Sometimes these are things that cause us to lose sleep. Our road is not as straight as we may have imagined, nor our hands as clean.
So we move to Plan B. Perhaps we're downcast by that for a while; but we get used to it—maybe we even adjust well and learn to enjoy it. "You play the hand you're given," we say. Then we wonder, 'Well, maybe this was God's Plan A for me after all.' Perhaps he was teaching me something through it.
But just to be totally confusing, let me suggest something else. God has a Plan A for you. And you have a Plan A for you. But they're not the same. You try to follow your own Plan A. But that doesn't work out. So you move to Plan B out of necessity. You start to wonder if your Plan B was God's Plan A for you all along. But there's more.
What if God's Plan A for you is really Plan C? Huh? Wait a second. What's Plan C?
God is all-powerful and unavoidable. If we try to go it alone, we're denying the greatest power on earth and thwarting the healing presence he can channel through our lives. Stuck freezing in the wilderness refusing to plug-in to the only Generator there is. This God is the One who raises people from the grave. Big. Way Big.
This same God of power loves us so much that despite the many plans we've made that don't include him, he takes those sins and places them on his Son on the cross. He punishes them there. He uses his hurricane-size muscle to uproot hell and clear a pathway through the valley of the shadow of death to bring us into his beloved embrace. For eternity. There are no limits. He'd rip a tear in the sky to get to you.
A life lived in the shimming shadow of the Cross opens up a world of possibility we could never have imagined before. Turns out, Plan C is The Plan. That's where the deeper love is; where the joy fountain is; where the new horizon of hope is; where the real meaning of life is. It's the exact inch where the four corners of the world—love, joy, hope and meaning—meet. Yes it can be hard. But as someone once said, there are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going. And usually the hard things are the things that matter.
The cross is where the ground meets the sky. It's where the new you is.
But so often we miss the opportunity. A few months back I saw a huge billboard along the 11 highway. Thousands and thousands of people pass it every day. What a huge opportunity to get a message out! So what did it say? It said: "Need Slippers?" Really? How many people blazing by on a busy highway are in such desperate need of slippers that they'll pull off for that store (which sells 1000 things of greater interest) because their need for slippers is so great? In my view, they missed the opportunity.
We've all missed opportunities to get plugged-in to God's greater Plan for our lives. But Easter is God's annual invitation to get back on the right highway. To plug in. To forget your own original Plan A, and Plan B for that matter, and hook-up with Plan C: A life lived knowing that God is all-powerful; that he loves you unconditionally and with a tenacity, tenderness and clout that only he could engineer; that the way of the cross is a path of love, joy, hope and meaning that you can't find anywhere else.
Maybe you're on the right track. That's magnificent. But maybe you've been dialing it in. Maybe your heart isn't in it. Maybe you're still hoping your original Plan A (which maybe now seems like a puddle beside an ocean) will work out. Wherever you're at, know this: God has a plan for your life. This God is big, and dreams big. His love isn't poured neatly into a jar on the shelf; it's flooding the earth. Right now his Spirit is crafting astounding brushstrokes of love throughout our world; his paintbrush is a cross and he's waiting for you to either re-affirm your passion for his artistry, to truly sign on for the first time, or to deepen the selection of his colours in your soul.
Some times are holy. Not because they are a date on a calendar, but because God uses them to get our attention. Hey there! God is big! He raises bodies from the dead! In a world that promotes and settles for greyness, he invites us to live in technicolour. In resurrection. That's more than just spring flowers and a feeling of renewal: That's new life where there was only death before.
Plan C. It's the real Plan A. How might it change your life again for the first time?
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Hi Tony, thanks for the kind words. If you're ever in town let me know!


Can you make a lot of money with a Redbox Franchise? We have all been there in front of the magic box. While we wait for the computer to spit out our $ 1 movie, some of us start thinking that the lines of people waiting to use the machine are spending their dollars as well. Even less of us begin to think that this is a great idea to make money. If only we could get one of these, we would be set. I would love to say that it was true, but they all belong to McDonalds. So unless you want to buy a McDonalds franchise, it might not be feasible. Maybe after a while the market will product something that is cost effective, but not for now.
It has been one heck of a marketing ploy for McDonalds though. Not only are they getting the video rental proceeds, but then a lot of those same customers grab dinner while they are there. These kinds of franchises will work, but many of them, without the backing of multibillion dollar businesses like McDonalds, can fold up on you quickly. Is that a gamble you are willing to take?
The cost for a franchise can run into the hundreds of thousands if not more. I would rather look to the internet and online marketing skills to help me make a living. Getting a good education in the internet marketing arena is a much better use of your money. With this type of training you could market anything, including Redbox, when and if it becomes available. You would be placing yourself in a position to make thousands, even in a slow economy.
While internet marketing does take effort, it is not hard to learn. It will take a lot of determination on your part to learn all you can and get good at it. But in the long run, it would be much more profitable than a handful of Redbox franchises.
While the Redbox franchise is not available to you and me right now, the education in Internet Marketing is. I challenge you to look around and, after exercising due diligence, show me a process that will better prepare you for a successful future with as little capital layout as a marketing education.


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Texts & Reviews
Richard Galpin
The End of Cultivation
A secluded valley in Southern Catalunya, an area well known for production of fruit and nuts, with mineral rich soil, and good rainfall. This valley was previously cultivated for fruit and nuts, and contains extensive terracing. The native pine forests which border the site are quickly re-establishing themselves and thick gorse, and creepers cover the trees.
The terraces are not accessible for modern farming equipment. In neighbouring valleys the terraces have been levelled, irrigation installed and mono-crop intensive production of cherries has been established, with the vital quick-to-market access that is required.
The End of Cultivation posits an alternative approach. A trail has been cut through the undergrowth, from which to observe the re-establishment of native woodland, and the demise of the cultivated trees - allowing access to harvest the final remnants of fruit crops. With the accompanying map and log book it becomes possible to monitor the trees, making records of the increasing amounts of dead wood, and sample the fruits of the tree's last attempts to reproduce. In places new fruit trees are self seeding. As the forest grows up, the trail becomes a forest trail. Decomposition is slow in this climate. The carcasses of veteran trees are left as monuments to a previous era of small scale cultivation.
forest trail, map and logbook, 2017
Tivissa, Spain
End-of-Cultivation-2
© 2017 Richard Galpin


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NBA: Fox leads Kings in easy victory over Knicks
Field Level Media/Reuters
Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) goes to the basket against New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina (11) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
De'Aaron Fox scored 24 points and the visiting Sacramento Kings cruised to a 113-92 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday night.
Fox made 8 of 18 shots and posted his fourth 20-point game of the season while also adding six assists. He capped his big night with a breakaway windmill dunk with 3:22 remaining and a deflected no-look pass for a 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes a little over a minute later.
Buddy Hield added 22, hitting five 3-pointers as the Kings shot 48.2 percent and made 15 3-pointers. Barnes, who hit the game-winning shot Friday against Utah, contributed 19 while Richaun Holmes and Nemanja Bjelica chipped in 14 and 10 respectively.
READ: Heat take huge early lead, rout Rockets 129-100
New York's Marcus Morris led all scorers with 28 points and rookie RJ Barrett added 22. New York's other three starters (Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, and Frank Ntilikina) combined for 12 points as the Knicks shot 40 percent and were a dreadful 20 of 31 from the foul line.
The Kings improved to 2-5 and won their second straight game after starting off with five straight losses. They beat the Knicks for the fourth straight time and led for the final 43:51.
New York dropped to 1-6 and lost its third straight since Monday's comeback win over Chicago. The Knicks were handed their most lopsided loss of the season, and by early in the third quarter, fans could be heard chanting for coach David Fizdale to be fired.
The Kings shot 52.2 percent and built a 32-23 lead after the opening quarter.
Fox and Hield were resting when the Kings scored the first 11 points of the second and took a 43-23 lead on a 3-pointer by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 7:34 left. The Knicks missed 10 straight shots but used an 11-3 run to get within 46-34 on a Morris 3-pointer with 4:37 left. However, the Kings closed out the half with a 15-7 spurt for a 61-41 lead.
The Kings kept rolling and took a 72-44 lead on a dunk by Holmes with 8:57 remaining in the third when fans began chanting for Fizdale's firing.
Sacramento held a 90-64 lead going into the fourth after Cory Joseph hit a short jumper right before the buzzer and never let the lead slip below 16 the rest of the way.
NBA, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings
Read More: NBA New York Knicks Sacramento Kings


MarketplaceLIVE – Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today the release of its Service Exchange, an interconnection platform that facilitates direct, private and secure connections to multiple cloud service providers – including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure – as well as telecommunications providers and other Digital Realty customers worldwide.
Service Exchange simplifies interconnection and makes access between interconnected services, providers and businesses more flexible, more scalable and easier to use than ever before. Upon its launch later this year, Service Exchange will offer significantly greater performance, reliability and security for cloud services and data center access than the public internet.
Service Exchange will be made available through a global partnership between Digital Realty and Megaport Limited's (ASX: MP1) U.S. subsidiary, which provides the elastic, SDN-based Ethernet fabric that enables interconnection between cloud providers and Digital Realty customers.
Service Exchange offers customers access to multiple cloud service providers and other service providers through a single port that supports multiple virtual private connections ("Virtual Cross Connects") to service providers and data centers. Customers can actively manage their Virtual Cross Connects through MarketplacePORTAL, Digital Realty's award-winning online customer platform, and scale the bandwidth of their connections up or down as needed.
Digital Realty is an established leader in the large-footprint data center market, and the company recently expanded its collocation and interconnection product offerings with the acquisition of Telx in 2015 and a portfolio of eight high-quality, carrier-neutral collocation data centers in Europe earlier this year. Digital Realty owns and operates more than 140 properties encompassing over 26 million square feet across 33 global metropolitan areas. This worldwide presence and unique skill set represents a tremendously scalable offering and a significant market opportunity for Service Exchange, enabling customers to expand from a single cabinet to a multi-megawatt facility quickly and easily as their needs grow, with no change in providers and no interruption in service.
Service Exchange will be available in 24 data centers across 15 markets by mid-year 2017, beginning with Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Ashburn, VA in the fourth quarter of 2016. Service Exchange will be available in London and Phoenix in the first quarter of 2017, and in Amsterdam, Dublin, Miami, Singapore and Portland in the second quarter of 2017.
Digital Realty supports the data center and colocation strategies of more than 2,000 firms across its secure, network-rich portfolio of data centers located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Digital Realty's clients include domestic and international companies of all sizes, ranging from financial services, cloud and information technology services, to manufacturing, energy, gaming, life sciences and consumer products.
Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Using Software Defined Networking, the Company's global platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Fabric. Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer or Megaport's open API. Megaport's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets. Megaport is an Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure Express Route Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner.
d to taxation and real estate ownership and operation; and changes in local, state and federal regulatory requirements, including changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as amended, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2016. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Add People – Helping You Stand Out From The Crowd.


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Franklin Gutierrez OF
Jeremy Sowers LHP
Ryan Garko 1B
Andrew Brown RHP
Juan Valdes OF
Mike Butia OF
Justin Hoyman RHP
Dan Cevette LHP
Kyle Denney RHP
Ryan Goleski OF
Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B
Eider Torres SS
Teams shied away from high school righthanders in the first round of the 2003 draft, with only Jeff Allison (Marlins, No. 16 overall) and Chad Billingsley (Dodgers, No. 24) getting picked. Miller went with the top pick of the supplemental first round, and he and Billingsley quickly have established themselves as two of the top pitching prospects in the game. A sore shoulder and strict pitch counts limited Miller in his pro debut, though he was still an easy choice as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. In 2004, his first full season, Miller elevated himself to the top of an organization strong in pitching prospects, particularly righthanders. After being promoted to high Class A Kinston, he dominated Carolina League hitters and won both his playoff starts, striking out 14 while not allowing an earned run in 12 innings. Miller didn't just seem to get stronger as the season wore on. His routine exit physical found that his rotator cuff actually had gotten stronger; something GM Mark Shapiro called "nothing short of freakish" and attributed to Miller's outstanding work ethic. Miller has all the components to develop into a frontline starter in the big leagues. Cleveland brass believes he's ahead of former Indians phenoms Jaret Wright and Bartolo Colon at the same stage of development. Miller's arsenal begins with a heavy, boring fastball that sits anywhere from 92-97 mph and occasionally threatens triple digits. His latebreaking 87-88 mph slider has blossomed into a deadly out pitch. The power break on his slider eats up lefthanders, who batted at a .221 clip against him in 2004. Miller possesses a rare combination of power, intelligence and feel for a teenager. He has an almost photographic memory in terms of recalling pitch sequences, which has helped him make adjustments from inning to inning and start to start. Miller spent extra time with coaches to break down hitters on days before his turn in the rotation. His makeup and aptitude are off the charts. Like many young power pitchers, Miller was able to overpower hitters with his two-pitch attack, but the Indians had to force him to throw his changeup more often to increase its depth and effectiveness as a third option. He made impressive strides with the changeup after working with Kinston pitching coach Greg Hibbard and continued to show improvement in instructional league. He needs to build more confidence in the pitch as he continues to move through the system. Miller has earned comparisons to two-time Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen for his explosive fastball-slider combination as well as his moxie. Miller is on the fast track and will begin 2005 at Double-A Akron. He could reach Cleveland the following year, and it might not be much longer before he's leading the big league rotation.
Aubrey was Baseball America's Freshman of the Year in 2001, when he was a two-way star and led Tulane to its first-ever College World Series victory. A back injury ended his days on the mound, but his bat made him the 11th overall pick in 2003. A career .320 hitter as a pro, he has been held in check by only a nagging hamstring injury that sidelined him for five weeks in 2004. Aubrey's quick hands allow him to control the barrel of the bat and he has a knack for identifying pitches early, rarely swinging and missing. He projects as a top-notch defender with solid footwork around the bag and a strong throwing arm for a first baseman. There's some question as to how much power Aubrey will hit for in the majors. Most scouts see him as a gap hitter with occasional pop. He can get tied up by fastballs in on his hands, something he can rectify by incorporating his lower half more in his swing. Aubrey's on-base ability and gap power fit the mold of a No. 3 hitter. He'll return to Double-A and is in line for a midseason promotion to Triple-A Buffalo.
3. Franklin Gutierrez | OF
While Milton Bradley's antics finally forced the Indians to trade him, they made the best of the situation by prying Gutierrez and Andrew Brown away from the Dodgers. Shortly after a promotion to Triple-A in 2004, he needed surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow and missed two months. The most complete player in the system, Gutierrez has electrifying bat speed. He destroys pitches on the inner half of the plate. His strength and natural lift give him the potential to hit 30-plus homers in the majors, though his elbow injury muted his power in 2004. His speed and arm strength make him a standout defender in either center or right field. Hitting coordinator Derek Shelton worked overtime with Gutierrez in instructional league to address his pitch recognition and patience. He still has a tendency to expand the zone, chasing too many breaking balls in the dirt. Still somewhat raw, he needs a full season in Triple-A. He'll try to break into Cleveland's promising outfield corps in 2006.
A car accident put Snyder's career in jeopardy following his freshman year at Ball State, but he made a full recovery and became the 2003 Mid- American Conference player of the year. He missed spring training and much of April in 2004 with an eye infection before contact lenses helped correct the problem. Snyder has drawn comparisons to the likes of Paul O'Neill and Grady Sizemore for his broad base of tools and advanced hitting approach. His sweet, compact stroke and his bat speed produce easy power to the opposite field. He runs well and displays good instincts on the bases. He also has a strong arm. While he plays an admirable center field, Snyder is better suited for a corner role and probably will settle into right field. He still needs to become more comfortable in turning on pitches on the inner half to fully tap into his power potential. Snyder fanned 82 times in 62 games in his pro debut, but after making better contact in 2004 he's on the verge of an offensive breakthrough. He'll begin his second full season in Double-A.
5. Jeremy Sowers | LHP
Sowers became the 12th player to be selected in the first round of two June drafts. The Reds took him 20th overall in 2001 with little or no intention of signing him, and he went sixth in 2004, making him the highest-drafted Vanderbilt player ever. He held out all summer before signing for $2.475 million. His twin brother Josh is a righthander/infielder at Yale. Sowers commands the zone with four pitches and goes right after hitters with an aggressive approach. He adds and subtracts from his fastball while mixing in a plus curveball, a cutter-type slider and a changeup. His fastball features good arm-side movement and sink from a deceptive three-quarters delivery. He can't overpower hitters with the 85-91 mph velocity on his fastball. He must further refine his changeup to put the finishing touches on his arsenal. While both of his breaking balls show tight, downward rotation, they can become more consistent. The most polished lefthander in the 2004 draft, Sowers should move swiftly up the ladder. He'll make his pro debut in high Class A and could make it to Cleveland as early as 2006.
When the Indians signed Carmona out of the Dominican as a 16-yearold, he was a malnourished stringbean. As he has bulked up, his velocity has steadily increased. He tied for the minor league lead with 17 wins in 2003 and reached double figures again while advancing to Triple-A in 2004. Carmona pounds the ball down in the zone with good command of a heavy 90-95 mph sinker. He upgraded his deceptive changeup into a plus pitch with improved late action in 2004. His athletic, repeatable delivery allows him to consistently throw strikes. Despite his lively fastball, Carmona doesn't miss a lot of bats. While he induces a lot of ground balls, his strikeout totals won't increase until he tightens his slider. It's a slurvy breaking ball and hasn't been an effective third option for him. After coddling him earlier in his career, the Indians were more aggressive with Carmona in 2004. That won't stop in 2005, as they plan on assigning him to Triple-A.
Though Cabrera had a 7-2, 2.47 record as a 21-year-old starter in Double-A, the Indians moved him to the bullpen in mid-2003. He has continued to flourish and was impressive in a brief major league stint in August. Cabrera has all the makings of a power reliever with two plus pitches--a 92-96 mph fastball and a hard, diving splitter. He controls both sides of the plate with his fastball. His aggressive temperament benefits him late in games with the lead. Cabrera's slider and changeup aren't as useful as his fastball and splitter, though he doesn't need as diverse a repertoire coming out of the bullpen. He has improved his slider, but he tips off his changeup by reducing his arm speed. He's easy prey for basestealers. He'll get a long look in spring training, though he won't get thrown to the wolves immediately after Bob Wickman re-signed and will presumably open the season as Cleveland's closer. The Indians will bring him along slowly, but he showed he has the stuff to thrive with the game on the line.
8. Ryan Garko | 1B
Undrafted following his junior season at Stanford because of skepticism about his defensive ability, Garko turned in an All-America .402-18- 92 performance as a senior. In his first full season as a pro, he was Cleveland's 2004 minor league player of the year. Garko climbed three levels and raked at every stop in 2004, hitting to all fields and showing above-average power. He's short to the ball with an efficient swing, helping him adjust to any type of pitch and location. His strong leadership skills are an asset behind the plate. While he is underrated defensively behind the plate, some scouts still question whether he can be an everyday catcher. He worked extensively with roving instructors Chris Bando and Ted Kubiak to improve on defense, both behind the plate and at first. He's a well below-average runner. The Indians believe Garko is ready to be a role player in the big leagues right now. However, he likely will start 2005 in Triple-A as he tries to find a full-time position.
9. Nick Pesco | RHP
In 2002, the Indians signed righthander Sean Smith for $1.1 million as a draft-and-follow out of Sacramento City College. A year later, they went back to the same northern California juco conference and spent the same amount on another draft-and-follow, Pesco. While Smith had elbow problems in 2004, Pesco had a strong first full season. He is armed with a four-pitch repertoire, including the most effective changeup in the organization. His extra-large frame and heavy, boring 90-94 mph fastball on a downhill plane elicit comparisons to Jason Davis. Pesco made strides with his slider and curveball last season, though both pitches have yet to reach their projections yet. He has the makings of a good, clean delivery, but he needs to continue working on staying over the rubber to create better overall balance. The Indians' pitching depth affords them the luxury of not needing to rush Pesco. His second trip to high Class A could be short-lived, with a quick promotion back to Double-A very possible.
10. Andrew Brown | RHP
After sending Milton Bradley to Los Angeles for Gutierrez and a player to be named, Cleveland chose Brown from a group of prospects to complete the deal. Brown had made a strong first impression on the Dodgers in 2002 after coming from Atlanta in a trade for Gary Sheffield, but made only one start in 2003 because of elbow problems. Brown possesses an overpowering four-pitch mix, led by an effortless 92-96 mph fastball that he drives down in the zone. He also has two power breaking balls along with good touch on an average changeup. Health is the biggest question mark with Brown. He had Tommy John surgery in 2000 and bone chips removed from the same elbow in 2003. The Dodgers developed some concerns about his mental toughness, as have the Indians. Brown needs to show he's willing to accept criticism from coaches before he'll reach his potential. He'll start 2005 in Double-A and could make his major league debut later in the year.
11. Jake Dittler | RHP
The Indians used three first-round picks on pitchers in 2001, but second-rounder Dittler has outperformed Dan Denham, unsigned Alan Horne and J.D. Martin. His stock soared high enough that he ranked No. 4 on this list a year ago, but nagging injuries contributed to inconsistent command during a disappointing 2004 season. Dittler posted a 2.20 ERA in his first five starts before stiffness in his upper back landed him on the disabled list for four weeks in May Upon his return, he had trouble locating his plus stuff. His two main pitches are a heavy, boring 90-95 mph fastball and an above-average curveball. His changeup came on as a viable third weapon in 2004. Though his fast-track development hit a snag, the Indians still believe he's on schedule to contribute in the majors by 2006. Dittler got back on course in the Arizona Fall League as he prepared for a return to Double-A in 2005.
Indians officials have regarded the Dodgers as one of baseball's deepest organizations in recent years, and they've done a good job of raiding that system in trades. Not only did Cleveland get Top 10 Prospects Franklin Gutierrez and Andy Brown for Milton Bradley last spring, but they also picked up a pair of quality arms when their primarily goal was just to dump Paul Shuey's contract in July 2002. In exchange, the Indians received Cruceta and Ricardo Rodriguez (since traded for Ryan Ludwick), along with veteran Terry Mulholland. Cruceta has proven to be one of the most durable starters in the system. He works with an 89-92 mph sinker that reaches 94, as well as a solid slider, splitter and changeup. His fastball has good life with late run and sink. When he added the splitter in 2004, it immediately became a go-to pitch and boosted the rest of his repertoire. While he has good command of all four pitches, Cruceta's tendency to pitch up in the strike zone gets him into trouble. Scouts differ in their opinions of his future role, with some seeing him as a setup man and others projecting him as a No. 4 starter. After getting a brief look in the big leagues last season, he'll have an opportunity to make a better second impression in spring training.
13. Juan Valdes | OF
A cousin of Carlos Beltran, Valdes has similar potential. A switch-hitter since he was 14, he finishes his level swing with power and both hands on the bat all the way through the zone, a la Beltran. He has a more advanced approach from the left side, and he needs to show the ability to make more consistent hard contact from the right side. He recognized pitches well and shows a willingness to take walks. An adequate defender in center field, he has plus speed and arm strength. Valdes' quickness is more apparent than his power at this point, as he stole 41 bases in 47 attempts in just 63 games. He'll need to add more strength to his wiry frame to give himself a chance to continue to follow in Beltran's footsteps. He will begin his first full season at low Class A Lake County in 2005.
14. Chuck Lofgren | LHP
Lofgren was a standout for three seasons at Serra High, the same school that produced Barry Bonds and Greg Jefferies, as well as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. He was under intense scrutiny his senior season as a two-way player and he may have suffered from a case of draftitis. Many clubs preferred Lofgren more for his bat than his arm, but by the midpoint of last spring, his average stood just above the Mendoza Line. He finished strong at the plate, but hit fewer snags on the mound and the Indians targeted him as a pitcher. Lofgren touched 96 mph in his first pro start and his fastball sat consistently at 92-93 mph all summer. His curveball has the makings of being a plus pitch, but can get a little loopy at times and needs tighter spin. He also has to refine his changeup. Lofgren is aggressive and has impressed Cleveland with his savvy and makeup. Rookie-level Burlington pitching coach Ruben Niebla worked extensively on Lofgren's delivery to help his leverage and plane to the plate. He lands violently on his front leg, which affects his command. Though the Tribe drafted him as a pitcher, Lofgren's contract included a clause allowing him to swing the bat as a DH once a week. His days as a two-way player should be short-lived, however, as he opens this year in low Class A.
15. Mike Butia | OF
With crosscheckers blanketing the talent-laden Colonial Athletic Association to scout the likes of Justin Verlander, Bill Bray and Justin Orenduff--all of whom became first-round picks in 2004--Butia received plenty of exposure last spring. He set a James Madison record with 18 homers and finished third in NCAA Division I with a .782 slugging percentage, but hurt his cause with a miserable series against William & Mary in front of dozens of high-ranking scouting officials. Cleveland scouting director John Mirabelli watched him scuffle, but saw correctable flaws and trusted veteran area scout Bobby Mayer, who liked Butia. He showed above-average pull power as an amateur, but didn't load his hands well at the plate and was exposed by better pitching. The Indians saw immediate results after revamping his approach to create a better trigger, opening his stance and widening his base. He began to drive pitches to the opposite field more often. Butia has good bat speed and natural loft in his swing, though he'll need to cut down on his strikeouts. A slightly below-average runner, he's limited to left field by his subpar arm strength and defensive ability. He has a mild thyroid condition and put on a lot of weight during his college career. Butia will begin his first full season in low Class A.
16. Justin Hoyman | RHP
A 43rd-round pick by the Rockies out of Brevard (Fla.) Community College in 2002, Hoyman declined to sign as a draft-and-follow and instead went to Florida, where he became the Gators' highest pick since the Expos took Brad Wilkerson in 1998's first round. A former soccer standout in high school, Hoyman oozes athleticism. He commands the ball down in the zone with a sinking 89-92 mph fastball that topped out at 95 last spring. While he primarily throws his hard sinker, Hoyman also operates with a slurvy breaking ball and a deceptive changeup. He needs to improve his secondary stuff, especially his changeup. Hoyman has excellent lower body strength after adding 20 pounds last year, and has put 50 pounds on his frame since graduating from high school as a wiry 6-foot-3, 145-pounder. He does an effective job of controlling the running game because he's quick to the plate and has a good pickoff move. Tribe officials have likened Hoyman to Aaron Sele and Charles Nagy, and they think he could develop just as rapidly. They'll skip him a level and start him in high Class A this year.
The Indians were delighted when Whitney unexpectedly fell to them as the No. 33 pick in the 2002 draft, and his strong debut in the Appalachian League encouraged them even more. But then he broke his left leg while playing basketball at spring training the following year, costing him all of 2003 and limiting him to DH last year. The break required two surgeries and he has recovered slower than expected. Compensating for the lack of strength in his left leg, he developed tendinitis in his right knee in 2004. Scar tissue also accumulated in his left foot, which affected his balance and led to more surgery at season's end. Nevertheless, Whitney is the best third-base prospect in the system. He has a solid righthanded stroke that produces power to all fields. Balls jump off his bat and have a lot of carry. He also has arm strength at third base, though his speed and agility are below average. Whitney obviously needs to prove he's completely healthy, and he'll have to improve his quickness and mobility. The Indians like his work ethic and think he'll be able to do so this year in high Class A.
18. Dan Cevette | LHP
Cevette was Pennsylvania's high school player of the year as a senior in 2002, when he signed for $400,000 as a third-round pick. The Indians have brought him along slowly, not promoting him to full-season ball until late July last year. He appeared to turn a corner after spending the previous offseason working out for six weeks with Shawn Estes and other veteran big league pitchers. Cevette has a big, athletic body with a loose arm and clean delivery. He consistently works down and away with good command of a 90-92 mph fastball. His out pitch is a plus changeup in which he has enough confidence to throw in any count. He has the makings of a solid curveball, but it gets slurvy at times and he needs to throw it more often to improve its effectiveness. He's still a bit of a project, and the Indians will challenge him with his first taste of high Class A this spring.
Lewis struck out 16 and 20 in consecutive outings for Ohio State in the spring of 2003 and looked liked a certain 2004 first-rounder. But he injured his elbow late in his sophomore season and had Tommy John surgery. Lewis made a rapid recovery and got back on the mound last April, just 11 months after having his elbow reconstructed. He pitched well at times, but lacked the usual velocity on his fastball and snap on his curveball. The Indians banked on Lewis regaining his previous form when they took him in the third round in June, and initial indications are that his $460,000 bonus may have been a bargain. His velocity climbed back toward its familiar 90-92 mph range during his brief stint at short-season Mahoning Valley. His curveball was a plus pitch again, and his changeup also looked strong. The Indians kept Lewis on a strict pitch count last summer and will continue to monitor him closely. But they believe he'll be fully equipped to open 2005 in low Class A.
20. Jason Cooper | OF
Cooper never got fully untracked during his injury-plagued career at Stanford, but he looked like he was headed in the right direction after hitting 21 homers and leading the system with a .542 slugging percentage in 2003, his first full season. That may have been just a tease, however as his production fell off when he moved to the upper levels of the system last year. The former Stanford backup punter struggled to make consistent contact, a problem that also plagued him in college. He has a slight uppercut stroke that produces good carry when he connects, but he doesn't make adjustments well. Cooper does use the whole field and has above-average pull power to the left side. He's one of the most intense players in the organization, which worked against him in Double-A because he started pressing too much. He has average speed and fits best in left field because he has had below-average arm strength since hurting his shoulder at Stanford. Cooper needs to relax more and better adapt to Double-A when he returns there this season.
Though Martin got off to the fastest start of any pitcher in Cleveland's arm-rich 2001 draft, since then he only has flashed the potential he showed in his debut. He strained an elbow ligament in 2003 but was able to avoid surgery. Getting an emergency start last July at Triple-A Buffalo boosted his confidence, as he went 3-2, 2.98 in his final seven regular-season starts at Kinston afterward. He ended his season by locking up the Carolina League championship with a dominant 10-strikeout performance against Wilmington. Martin improved his arsenal last year, working off two- and four-seam fastballs with good movement in the 89-91 mph range, but he's still more projectable than overpowering. His best pitch is a curveball that ranks as the best in the system. He has developed a cutter and also throws a decent changeup. Martin will spend 2005 in Double-A.
Sipp transferred from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC to Clemson for his junior year in 2004, and expected to go on the first day of the draft after seeing double duty as a left fielder and pitcher. But his agent's demands scared teams away and he lasted until the 45th round, when area scout Tim Moore convinced the Indians to take Sipp as a summer draft-and-follow. He headed to the Cape Cod League and pitched well, earning a $130,000 bonus, and continued to overmatch hitters in the short-season New York-Penn League. Sipp comes right after hitters with a deceptive, high-effort delivery and quick arm that produces an 89-93 mph fastball with late tailing action. His solid slider is better than Cleveland expected, and he has made strides with his changeup. Sipp profiles as a short reliever and has two pitches he can put hitters away with. He'll remain in the bullpen and move to low Class A this season. He won't stay there long if he continues to ring up hitters at the same pace.
23. Kyle Denney | RHP
After coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2001 and completing a six-year climb from 26th-round draft pick to Cleveland, Denney made national news two weeks into his big league debut. While he was riding the team bus to the airport in Kansas City, a stray bullet grazed his right calf. He escaped serious injury, thanks in part to the cheerleader boots he was wearing as part of rookie hazing. The random shooting incident ended a solid breakthrough year for Denney. His changeup and sharp curveball are the keys to his success. His fastball is an average 88-92 mph, but he has a sound delivery and his arm works well, allowing him to consistently find the strike zone. At 27 he has no projection left, but his combination of pitchability and three solid pitches should allow him to help the Indians, either at the back of the rotation or in middle relief.
24. Ryan Goleski | OF
Despite setting Eastern Michigan and Mid-American Conference records with 51 homers, Goleski lasted until the 24th round of the 2003 draft. The Indians knew they were buying a ton of raw power potential when they selected him, and he has exceeded their expectations since signing. With the exception of outfielder Jonathan Van Every, Goleski was the most improved player in the organization in 2004. He's a dead-pull hitter and is primarily a two-tool player, featuring a power bat and a cannon arm from right field. Goleski needs to use the whole field more often, and some scouts wonder if his power will decrease when he shortens his swing to make better contact. There also are questions about his ability to hit quality breaking stuff. He'll be challenged in high Class A this year.
25. Jeremy Guthrie | RHP
Guthrie has been a huge disappointment since signing a big league contract worth $4 million as a first-round pick in 2002. He dominated in Double-A during his pro debut the following spring, but got hammered after a promotion to Triple-A and didn't fare any better last year. He made the Eastern League all-star team after he was demoted to Double-A, but was relegated to the bullpen by the end of the season and no longer projects as a major league starter. When he shifted to relief, his fastball sat at 92-94 mph and topped out at 95-96. The rest of Guthrie's stuff--slider, changeup, curveball--is more notable for his ability to throw strikes with it rather than its quality. His delivery and arm action aren't as clean as they once were. His cerebral nature works against him at times, as he'll try to out-think hitters rather than challenge them. Because he went on a two-year Mormon mission while he was in college, he'll be 26 shortly after he begins his third full season. He's running out of time to justify Cleveland's huge investment.
Bidding to become the first big leaguer from Honduras, Gomez was on the fast track until mid-2003. He was shut down in July that season with a strained ligament in his left middle finger, then made just eight appearances last season because of the same problem. The Indians hired a specialist to help him with his rehabilitation, as the injury is rare and more regularly seen in rock climbers. When he's healthy, Gomez has impressive stuff. He works with a 91-93 mph fastball, a plus changeup and a slurvy breaking ball and plus changeup. He'll have to do a better job of consistently repeating his pitches. Overly demonstrative on the mound, he also could use some maturity. But his biggest need is to get back on the mound and make up for missed time. Cleveland hopes he'll be ready to go in 2005 and plans on sending him back to Double-A.
Tallet won 15 games and started the title game for Louisiana State's 2000 College World Series championship team. Two years later, he was pitching in Cleveland and figured to be a key part of the Indians' future. But he blew out his elbow midway through the 2003 season and needed Tommy John surgery. (Fellow lefty Billy Traber, who no longer qualifies for the Top 30, suffered the same fate.) Tallet was expected to miss all of 2004, but his rehab progressed so rapidly that he returned at the end of June. He finished the year by pitching a perfect ninth inning in the clinching game of the Triple-A International League playoffs. Tallet's velocity was back to normal, as he pitched at 89-92 mph in the postseason. His slider and changeup also were solid, another indication that he's fully recovered. While he had trouble repeating his delivery in the past, the extended rehab gave him ample time to improve his mechanics. He'll compete for a big league bullpen role in spring training.
28. Kevin Kouzmanoff | 3B
The Indians drafted Kouzmanoff in the sixth round out of Nevada, the same school that produced former Tribe prospect Ryan Church (now a big league outfielder with the Nationals) and current farmhands Joe Inglett and Chris Gimenez (who led the New York-Penn League with 36 extra-base hits and a .527 slugging percentage in his 2004 pro debut). Kouzmanoff doesn't wow scouts with his tools, but he's one of the hardest workers in the system and tore up the low Class A South Atlantic League in his first full season debut. He's obsessed with breaking down video of each of his at-bats, and while his swing is unorthodox, he makes consistently hard contact. The Indians worked with him to stand up straighter in the box to maximize his lower half in his swing, allowing him to drive more balls to the opposite field. Defensively, he makes all the routine plays at third base. Kouzmanoff was a bit old for low Class A last year, and at 23 he'll be ahead of most of his competition in high Class A in 2005.
Known as Hanlet Ramirez when he first signed, Perez helped pitch the Indians to the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League championship in 2002 and earned Appalachian League pitcher-of-the-year honors in 2003. He was greeted a bit roughly when he made his full-season debut last year. His fastball did climb from 89-91 to 91-94 mph, continuing to show late running action. He projects to add more velocity because he has a lanky frame and his arm works free and easy. In addition to his plus fastball, Perez throws a nasty slider that emerged as a true out pitch last season. His changeup lags far behind his first two pitches, and was the main cause of his struggles. The consensus is that Perez will move to the bullpen down the road, and that certainly will be the case if he can't improve his changeup. He'll pitch in high Class A this year.
30. Eider Torres | SS
Torres was a pint-sized 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds when the Indians signed him as a 17- year-old. While he hasn't grown much in stature since then, several aspects of his game certainly have. Many scouts in the organization tab him as a sleeper, and he even has garnered some early comparisons to Roberto Alomar. Torres likely won't reach Alomar's status, but he's a career .303 hitter in the minors. A switch-hitter, he makes consistent contact from both sides of the plate with a compact stroke. He's aggressive at the plate, so he doesn't draw many walks, and he'll never be counted on to provide much power. He has plus speed and is a basestealing threat. Defensively, Torres has made just 14 errors in 196 games at second base over the last two years. His footwork and actions around the bag are solid, and his range is better than average. He wore down late in 2003, but worked hard on conditioning his body and finished strong last season. Torres will be Cleveland's everyday second baseman in Double-A this year.


Anonymous Contributors (2009). manual:088:4_help.1_faq. Cacti Docs. Retrieved 02:16, 24 April, 2019 from http://docs.cacti.net/doku.php?id=manual:088:4_help.1_faq&rev=1251009898.
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Anonymous Contributors. manual:088:4_help.1_faq. Cacti Docs. August 23, 2009, 02:44 EDT. Available at: http://docs.cacti.net/doku.php?id=manual:088:4_help.1_faq&rev=1251009898. Accessed April 24, 2019.


In our previous Adventure Travel post we gave you some ideas about extreme tourism, where to go and what to do. If fighting sharks, winds and huge waves at the end of the world, crossing Southern Alps on foot or in a canoe, or head diving into the pits of hell wasn't really exciting enough for you, first of all, you are probably completely nuts, and second of all, read on. Here are some more ideas for extreme tourism.
You'll need to be very fit and shut down your pain receptors, also a great bike, loads of nerves and four months. Because that's how long it will take you to complete this race. You will go past the most important and beautiful African natural and historical sites, and this is a special perk, believe me. This 7,375 miles long journey (no, it's not a mistake, this is the actual length) starts at the Pyramids of Giza and ends at Table Mountain and it will take you through 10 countries and their sites. You will average about 70 miles a day, which doesn't sound impossible for an experienced cyclist, but doing this every day for four months is bound to give you saddle sore and blisters. Still, these are not the biggest perils of the travel. Since you are in Africa, dehydration is a constant danger. Also, there are not many interesting things to do in Africa, so the locals might find you very interesting. Just hope they don't see you as moving targets for accuracy practice.
Expensive, extremely difficult and quite normal not to be completed. This is one of the most difficult treks on the planet. On the other hand, the sights are one of the best in the world as well. It starts in Drukgyel Dzong and finishes in Sephu after 11 passes that are over the height of 14,800 ft and lovely Himalayan views that will make you forget the perils of this trek and get stuck in your memory for good. Bear in mind that not many people try this, and less than 50% of the ones who do try it actaully manage to complete it. So this is a great challenge in any respect. Also, the only time when you can hope to have the trek passable is less than a month long-from the final third of September to mid October.
This is a very special marathon. For example, if you are a regular participant at the New York marathon, you will need a couple of years of preparation to even attempt this one. For real. This is a series of six marathons, the longest one being about 55 miles long, and the total length of it is about 155 miles. The terrain is not the best for running, since you are in the middle of the Sahara Desert and temperatures are often exceeding 120⁰F. Ah, yes, you know those people that stand around the track giving the participants water? Well, there are no such things here. You have to carry food and loads of water in a backpack. This is an extreme marathon.
Not really New York, is it?


Cowan, Effie, and Mr. Edwin Punchard. Mr. Edwin Punchard . Texas. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/wpalh002254/.
Cowan, E. & Punchard, M. E. Mr. Edwin Punchard . Texas. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/wpalh002254/.
Cowan, Effie, and Mr. Edwin Punchard. Mr. Edwin Punchard . Texas. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/wpalh002254/>.
Contributor: Cowan, Effie - Wood, Dr. William W.
Contributor: Rollins, L. A. - Lanphear, Mr. W. M.


My visits to the UK and Australia over the past five years indicate growing working relationships between the two air forces but also that the significant rethink in Australia about shaping a fifth-generation combat force has clearly had its impact and resonance in the United Kingdom as well.
During a visit to RAF Waddington, I had a long conversation with Air Commodore Dean Andrew, we focused on a key aspect of change for the smaller Air Forces. The opportunity offered by new software upgradeable aircraft to provide for a more integrated force which enhanced the overall combat force was a clear strategic opportunity and objective.
In our 2016 discussion at the base, we discussed shaping a way ahead for a more effective RAF.
He saw the F35 as an example of the paradigm shift in capability that the RAF will experience as the aircraft comes into service — particularly in terms of its ISR role, which complements its strike capabilities and can be leveraged for the ISTAR Force.
He adds that "the F35 will not be our platform, but it will have core ISTAR contributing capabilities that stretch the boundaries of integration even further for the transformed Force.
"Treating each of the platform types as interconnected segments of an ISTAR capability Venn diagram will allow us to create the breadth of intelligence and understanding in the common operating picture that the Joint Force needs.
We discussed as well how shaping an integrated fleet driven by software upgradeability could transform the modernization process as well.
"As the core platforms are replaced by an all software upgradeable fleet, the possibility could exist to put the platforms in competition with one another for modernization upgrades.
Since the time of our interview, the RAF has added the F-35, the P-8 and now is adding the Wedgetail, which provides a significant opportunity for platform integration and enhanced combat effectiveness.
The recent announcement of the addition of the Wedgetail opens up not only greater collaboration between the RAAF and the RAF, but opens the aperture as well for cross-platform integrated transformation.
I have visited the RAAF Wedgetail squadron many times and have watched as the system has migrated its capabilities through a software upgrade process and as the "radar" technology evolves into a tron warfare capability. When combined with the F-35, this create a unique combat capability in a smaller force package for sure.
The upgrade process was highlighted during a visit to Williamtown and then with a follow up discussion in Baltimore with Northrop Grumman.
In an August 2016 interview, the process was discussed.
This process of upgrading means that the software engineers work closely with the operators in shaping the evolution of the aircraft.
This is a very different approach from legacy systems.
"We are getting significant feedback from the RAAF on deployment and requests to automate tasks where possible to enhanced the capability of the machine part of the man-machine relationship to shape a way ahead.
"A lot of the input is through the ARCS working group, which is a collaborative study environment involving Boeing, Northrop Grumman, MIT/Lincoln Labs, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), CEA Technologies, Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and the Common Wealth of Australia (CoA).
"Operational requirements come out of that process and shape the next increment of software development.
"The ARCS is focused on problems and their resolutions.
"We get a software refresh out about once a year.
"Six months are spent doing the study to shape the plausible change; and the next six months are spent doing the integration and then getting it out the door.
"We shed the specs in favor of resolving problems, which the operational community identified.
Now the RAF has acted on what it has learned from the RAAF and the progress the RAAF has made with force integration and has committed to buying five Wedgetails for its combat fleet.
In an article by Andrew McLaughlin published in Australian Defence Business Review on March 23, 2019, the UK decision was discussed.
The UK Government has announced it will acquire five Boeing 737-700-based E-7A Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
The announcement was made on March 22 by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, and will see the RAF's five E-3D Sentry AWACS systems replaced by the E-7A in the "early 2020s" under a US$1.98bn (A$2,8bn) deal. The E-7A is known as the Wedgetail in RAAF service, and is also operated by South Korea and Turkey.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, added, "Today's announcement about the procurement of five E-7 'Wedgetail' Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft is excellent news for both the RAF and wider Defence. This world-class capability, already proven with our Royal Australian Air Force partners, will significantly enhance our ability to deliver decisive airborne command and control and builds on the reputation of our E-3D Sentry Force.
In order to free resources for a smooth transition to the E-7A, the RAF will retire one of its five operational E-3Ds immediately and consolidate its AEW&C operations. A sixth aircraft was retired several years ago and has been used as a spares hulk. An RAF rendering shows the E-7 flying over the Lincoln cathedral, which suggests the new aircraft will be based at nearby RAF Waddington, the RAF's hub of Intelligence, Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) operations.
The Wedgetail agreement has been mooted since July 2018, and gathered pace after Australia's announcement to acquire the BAE Systems Type 26-based Hunter class frigate prompted talks of closer defence ties and the possibility of a free trade agreement with the UK, especially with the UK's exit from Europe looming.
RAF personnel reportedly visited the RAAF E-7A's home base of Williamtown last August for a full brief on the aircraft and the results of its many missions in recent years over Iraq and Syria in support of operations against ISIS.
But just what role Australia will have in the UK's program is yet to be announced. Four of the RAAF's five Wedgetails were converted from 'green' 737s to E-7s at Boeing's RAAF Amberley facility, and a large proportion of the company's corporate knowledge of the system is now centred there and at Williamtown. The E-7's primary sensor, the multi-mode electronically scanned array (MESA) radar is supplied by Northrop Grumman.
But like Australia, the UK is likely to want to perform the conversions in-country using local industry, a fact Mr Williamson articulated last November, and the work will most likely be conducted by Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group in Cambridge. But there may be export opportunities for Australian companies which have provided components, sustainment and training on the Wedgetail program.
Rather than switching to a newer 737MAX or a P-8-common 737-800/900 hybrid airframe, like the RAAF aircraft, the RAF's E-7As will be based on the 737-700IGW which features heavier gauge landing gear from the -800, and three auxiliary fuel tanks. This will ensure commonality with the RAAF's aircraft, and will remove the risk of having to conduct an expensive and time-consuming flight test campaign of a new AEW&C configuration.
The RAF will also need to decide how best to refuel its Wedgetails in the air to extend its mission endurance beyond eight hours. The RAF's 14 A330 MRTT Voyager tankers use only hose and drogue systems, whereas the E-7A has been configured for boom refuelling through its Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI) receptacle above and behind the cockpit.
The featured photo from 2017 shows the Commander of the Strike and Reconnaissance Group, Air Commodore Craig Heap, CSC, stands with the British Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) Harriett Baldwin MP, in front of a No. 11 Squadron P-8A Poseidon during a visit to RAAF Base Edinburgh.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriet Baldwin MP, toured RAAF Base Edinburgh on November 10th to deepen her understanding of Australian capability on a recent visit to Australia.
As part of the demonstration, Minister Baldwin rode in a Thales Bushmaster and flew in an E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The tour came after meeting with Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne, MP in Adelaide to discuss the defence industry relationship between Australia and the United Kingdom.


Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public's help to identify and locate the pair who stole merchandise from a Huntington Station store last month.
A man stole various items from Kmart, located at 839 New York Ave., on September 26 at approximately 3:25 p.m. The suspect walked into the store using a cane, got into a motorized shopping cart and then fled in a 2003 red Jeep Liberty, NY license plate # GTU 4729.


text: Q: Apache kafka not rebalancing load Apache kafka is not rebalancing load across multiple instances of the same application under same consumer group running in different spark clusters. We have two spark EMR clusters and one kafka cluster. We deployed the same app (reading from topic 1, writing to topic 2) to both the clusters. There are around 60-70 partitions in topic 1. We expected that the load will get redistributed among both the app instances. However apparently that is not happening. We are seeing identical execution under "streaming" tab in the application master for both the applications.Can someone help in this regard?

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