The investigation into the sinking of a duck boat that killed 17 people in Missouri -- including nine from one family - could take up to a year to complete, the National Transportation Safety Board said. Among them were a popular duck boat driver, a father and son visiting from Arkansas, and nine relatives from IN, many of them children, who were on the ill-fated boat only because of a mix-up.
It followed up at 6.32pm with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake. Twenty-nine passengers and two crew members were aboard for a pleasure cruise. Seven of the 14 survivors were hurt when the vessel went down.
Coleman hugged her nephew and told him, "I'm glad you're here with me". Two other family members who were aboard the duck boat that capsized survived, including Tia Coleman, who spoke to Fox59.
"There'll be plenty of experts that study this, but I think an ounce of prevention on the front end would've prevented most of this from happening", said Pat Cox, who has owned his marina for nearly three decades.
"When they take on water enough to capsize, they sink quickly", said Andrew Duffy, a partner at Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett And Bendesky who handled another duck boat tragedy, "Something needs to be done, these duck boats are death traps and need to be removed from the water and the land".
Coleman said the boat's captain had told passengers earlier in their trip that they "won't need" life jackets.
Her nephew was the other survivor of the accident. The captain survived, authorities said. All four children were under 10 years old. Pam Smith, Steve's wife and Lance's mother, was on shore at the time of the accident.
Smith's daughter, Loren, reportedly suffered a concussion in the incident, but was rescued and was taken to a local hospital. "It's a very hard day".
This was likely a reference to the Branson Belle, a nearby docked showboat whose passengers threw life jackets overboard to try to aid the victims. "He was at every event". Her final Facebook photo was a selfie with Mr Asher.
Branson Mayor Karen Best said Williams was a "great ambassador" for the city. "It's just heartbreaking", said friend Russ McKay, who talked to Hamann the day before the accident.
"Pastor Bob was a prince of a man, loving, kind, and generous, whose loss to our family is incalculable", said Williams' son-in-law, Bishop Jeffery Williams, who now leads King's Cathedral in Providence. "When did they decide to alter the route of the boat?" he said.
Video footage captured from the lakeshore showed two amphibious vessels, known as duck boats for their ability to operate on land and water, struggling to move through the waves. Several fatal accidents have occurred since they were repurposed as tourist vehicles, including one in 2015 in which five students were killed when one collided with a bus in Seattle.


No, I've not developed a sudden appreciation for Milton. To tell the truth, I've only read a couple of his poems, that one included, and did not quite get it. Like most poets his work warrants more in-depth study if one truly wants to appreciate it, and I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
John Milton, in case you were curious.
Today I went for my bi-annual eye test. I am blessed with severe short-sightedness from both sides of the gene pool and have been a proud member of the four-eyes club since the age of eleven. But even twenty-two years later I still find eye tests a harrowing ordeal.
First there's that chair that is so very reminiscent of a dentist's torture bench, but the optometrist's equipment is so much worse. I mean, with a dentist you see all those drills and hooks and clamps, straight out of an Inquisition 'R Us catalogue, and you know pain is in your immediate future.
…or possibly start a Cyber-conversion or Borg assimilation.
And then there's the questions. One or two? Red or green? Better with this lens or without? What if I give the wrong answer? Will he think I'm a total idiot if I can't guess correctly between only two options? I hate it, I tell you. Absolutely hate it.
And today the worst happened: after the test was done the optometrist took my glasses. He said he had to send them away to have the new lenses fitted, but I'm sure I got too many questions wrong, as all my previous optometrists had always fitted the lenses while I waited. Consequently I have only my contact lenses until Wednesday, which is very inconvenient.
See, my eyes auto-reject my contacts the moment the sun sets. It's uncanny. The moment dusk rolls in my eyes lose all lubrication and my contacts scratch me like crazy. As I'm sitting typing this I'm blinking about three times a second just to keep my eyes lubricated.
This also means if I have to get up in the middle of the night I'll be navigating by feeling alone, as I can't sleep with my lenses in (the afore-mentioned lubrication issue), and without them I can't distinguish facial features at two metres (or six feet for those of you who count in 'merican).
Cause I'm blind as a bat. Get it?
Image a Kokkelien original. All rights reserved.
Oh I have a year's worth of contacts stored up because I hate touching my eyeball. I watched too many horror/thriller flicks where someone's eye gets poked out.
Oh. My. Word! Thought it was just me! Few things stress me out as much as an eye test, for exactly that reason: what if I get it wrong? I can never, ever tell which one is better, one or two. One? Or Two? Hmmm… ok, we'll try again… One?……..Or two…. I sometimes ask for a third option, or sometimes I just shout "I don't know, dammit!" I suspect my optometrist drinks after all my visits. I know I do.


text:
The Delhi Police's incessant efforts to please the BJP reached a new peak
Mon, Sep 14 2020 Mon, Sep 14 2020 Editor Editorial
The Delhi Police arrested former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student and activist Umar Khalid under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the Delhi riots––the official name of the Delhi anti-Muslim pogrom––that took place in February 2020. Khalid was arrested at the Special Cell's office on Sunday, September 13th 2020, after he was called there for questioning.
Khalid's arrest comes soon after the Delhi Police's supplementary chargesheet in the "Delhi riots" case named parliamentary "left" leader Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan head Yogendra Yadav, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, economist Jayati Ghosh and independent filmmaker Rahul Roy as co-conspirators in the case.
According to the report in The Hindu, a Delhi Police official claimed that Khalid is slapped with the UAPA as he "was one of the key conspirators of the riot that took place in the city's northeast in February." Khalid was earlier accused by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police for being a key conspirator in the case. Showing utmost servility to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Delhi Police is persecuting the anti-establishment voices by accusing them in the Delhi anti-Muslim pogrom case.
Since the 2006 JNU incident, the Delhi Police and the BJP have jointly vilified Khalid and used his Muslim identity to link him to Pakistan. Though the Delhi Police has charged Khalid under colonial-era sedition law for the 2016 JNU incident, the hearing of the case is yet to begin. Based on sheer lies peddled by the BJP's servile Zee News and the Delhi Police, the JNU incident was a trump card played by Modi and his coterie to vilify the leftwing student movements that question injustice or the occupation of Kashmir. Khalid is now again under the scanner as his religious identity can be used to persecute him.
Earlier, the Delhi Police has arrested Rashtriya Janata Dal's youth leader Meeran Haider, the Congress party's student leader Safoora Zargar, student activists like Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal of Pinjra Tod movement, activist Gulfisha Fathima, Aligarh Muslim University student Sharjeel Usmani, Jamia Coordination Committee leaders and the organisers of United Against Hate, in which Khalid is also a prominent member.
This crackdown shows the desperation of the BJP to gag the dissenters and to intimidate all those who played a key role in supporting the movements against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA 2019), the National Register of Citizens (NRC)––as proposed by the CAA 2013––and other divisive policies of the Modi regime. The Delhi Police didn't dare to book BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who played a pivotal role in instigating the anti-Muslim pogrom in northeastern parts of the city, in which, unofficially, more than 100 people, mostly Muslims, lost their lives.
Mishra threatened anti-CAA 2019 protesters in northeast Delhi in front of the Delhi Police's North East district superintendent. Though his infamous speech has been widely condemned, the Delhi Police, which itself is an Islamophobic and Brahminical fascist force and took part in the pogrom, didn't see anything wrong in it. Rather it focused on booking Muslims for an anti-Muslim pogrom.
Though the act of intimidation has been carried out to ensure that no future movements are built against the National Population Register (NPR) exercise, which, despite being postponed at the onset of the lockdown in April, is going to start soon with the Census 2021. The NPR exercise will probe people about their antecedents to build an NRC according to CAA 2003 provisions.
The BJP is keen to have the NPR completed soon, so that it can create a large pool of disenfranchised poor workers––sans bargaining power––for its corporate donors. Any sort of movement to boycott the NPR will be detrimental to the BJP's interest and, hence, it's cracking whip on political organisers, student activists, intellectuals, etc.
Can the BJP succeed in cowing the people and thwarting any people's offensive against its sclerotic Hindutva fascist rule? The answer can be found in the future course of people's movements against NPR and NRC. How the people, getting out of the misconceptions regarding the CAA 2019, peddled by the BJP and its proxies, can fight back against the fascist onslaught, will determine how this high tidal wave of state repression can be reversed and a people's tsunami can be formed against the citadels of Hindutva fascism.
Editorial desk of People's Review provides you the editorial view point and also shares the outlook of the collective wisdom that manages the publication. Send letters to the editor at: Write2us@peoplesreview.in
Tagged 2020 Delhi pogrom Arrest of activists BJP Citizenship Act Delhi Police Delhi Police Brutality Modi UAPA Umar Khalid
How some anti-NRC organisations are fooling Bengali refugees with CAA 2019?
Why the Delhi Police's supplementary charge sheet in the "Delhi riots" case is a mockery of democracy?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The new Bandit really can do anything: with classically balanced styling, it offers fantastic reliability, biking fun and comfort thanks to the combination of ABS, low-vibration, brawny engine, six-speed gearbox and hydraulic clutch. In the semi-faired S version, the Bandit also has excellent long-distance credentials. With the right accessories, it is quickly transformed into a fully fledged, sporty touring machine.
Finest Japanese four-cylinder engineering combined with perfect everyday utility. You simply can't get more motorcycle for your money.
A high-quality, sturdy luggage system from Hepco & Becker provides plenty of storage space, while the Lock-it system makes it easy to quickly remove the side carriers, e.g. on arrival at your holiday destination. An MRA touring windshield makes long motorway trips a lot more comfortable. Specially shaped air ducts in the windshield divert air streams away from the rider. An oil temperature gauge enables you to keep an eye on the engine temperature at all times. Heated grips make long tours in the colder months much more enjoyable. A relay (Order no. 10032035) is required for installing the grips. It is also easy to install a Euro socket in the semi-fairing, if you like.
Our Bandit boasts a stylish outfit from Bodystyle. An LSL footrest system makes for a sportier riding position. Footrests, crash pads and valve caps colour-coordinated with the bike's paintwork, a transparent tank pad and understated mini turn signals complete the eye-catching clean look. The Suzi's original silencer is stainless steel, but does not offer a lot in terms of sound and styling. Our BOS silencer with EC type approval (the cat is retained) looks sportier. It also saves weight, delivers a good performance curve and sounds a lot more like a superbike!


text:
from ghutil.regex import API_REPO_RGX, GH_REPO_RGX, GH_USER_RGX, WEB_REPO_RGX
from .repo import Repository
from .util import Resource, cacheable

class Issue(Resource):
    """
    Issue & pull request command-line arguments must have one of the following
    forms:

    - A GitHub issue/PR URL (either for the web interface or an API URL)

    - A string of the form ``owner/repo/number`` or ``owner/repo#number``

    - A string of the form ``repo/number`` or ``repo#number``.  The
      repository's owner will be taken to be the current user

    - A bare issue/PR number, in which case the current directory must be a
      clone of a GitHub repository from which the issue's repository's owner &
      name will be taken
    """

    URL_REGEXES = [
        WEB_REPO_RGX + r"/(?:issues|pull)/(?P<i_number>\d+)/?",
        API_REPO_RGX + r"/(?:issues|pulls)/(?P<i_number>\d+)",
    ]

    ARGUMENT_REGEXES = [
        fr"(?:(?:(?P<owner>{GH_USER_RGX})/)?(?P<repo>{GH_REPO_RGX})[/#:])?"
        r"(?P<i_number>\d+)",
    ]

    DISPLAY_FIELDS = [
        ("assignees", "login"),
        "closed_at",
        ("closed_by", "login"),
        "comments",
        "created_at",
        "html_url",
        "id",
        ("labels", "name"),
        "locked",
        ("milestone", "title"),
        "number",
        "state",
        "title",
        "updated_at",
        "url",
        ("user", "login"),
        (
            "reactions",
            lambda react: {
                k: v for k, v in react.items() if k not in ("total_count", "url") and v
            },
        ),
        "body",
        "body_text",
        "body_html",
    ]

    @cacheable
    def owner(self):
        return Repository.parse_url(self.data["repository_url"])["owner"]

    @cacheable
    def repo(self):
        return Repository.parse_url(self.data["repository_url"])["repo"]

    @cacheable
    def number(self):
        return self.data["number"]

    def __str__(self):
        # return f'{self.owner}/{self.repo}/{self.number}'
        return "{owner}/{repo}/{number}".format_map(self.parse_url(self.data["url"]))

    @classmethod
    def params2path(cls, gh, params):
        if params.get("repo") is None:
            params.update(Repository.default_params())
        return Repository.params2path(gh, params) + ("issues", params["number"])

    default_params = None

PR_REPO_FIELDS = (
    "label",
    "ref",
    ("repo", "full_name"),
    "sha",
    ("user", "login"),
)

class PullRequest(Issue):
    DISPLAY_FIELDS = [
        ("assignees", "login"),
        ("user", "login"),
        "title",
        "html_url",
        "id",
        "locked",
        "maintainer_can_modify",
        "changed_files",
        "closed_at",
        "comments",
        "commits",
        "additions",
        "deletions",
        "created_at",
        "diff_url",
        "milestone",
        "number",
        "updated_at",
        "url",
        "patch_url",
        "rebaseable",
        "review_comments",
        "state",
        ("base", PR_REPO_FIELDS),
        ("head", PR_REPO_FIELDS),
        "mergeable",
        "mergeable_state",
        "merged",
        "merged_at",
        "merge_commit_sha",
        ("merged_by", "login"),
        ("requested_reviewers", "login"),  ### TODO: Double-check this one
        "body",
        "body_text",
        "body_html",
    ]

    @cacheable
    def owner(self):
        return self.data["base"]["repo"]["owner"]["login"]

    @cacheable
    def repo(self):
        return self.data["base"]["repo"]["name"]

    # number: inherited

    @classmethod
    def params2path(cls, gh, params):
        if params.get("repo") is None:
            params.update(Repository.default_params())
        return Repository.params2path(gh, params) + ("pulls", params["number"])

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Monroe Sun (https://themonroesun.com/monroes-new-pocd-dedicated-to-late-zoning-chairman-bill-porter/)
Monroe's new POCD dedicated to late zoning chairman Bill Porter
By Bill Bittar | April 30, 2021
Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman William Porter, left, speaks at a meeting on the Plan of Conservation and Development update at Edith Wheeler Memorial Library.
MONROE, CT — Monroe's new Plan of Conservation and Development, which will guide the town's land use decisions for the next 10 years, will be dedicated to a man who led the Planning and Zoning Commission as its chairman for the last decade.
The late William W. Porter, who earned a reputation for fairness, while showing an unwavering dedication to protecting the town's rural character, had started the undertaking of the new 2021 POCD before succumbing to pancreatic cancer last July.
"I'd like to just add a dedication page to dedicate this to Bill Porter, our former leader here who didn't quite make it to 10 years," Michael O'Reilly, the current chairman, said at a special meeting Wednesday night. "I would like to add a photograph as well."
William W. Porter
"I'm happy to add a page in Bill's memory," said Francisco Gomes, a project manager and urban designer with Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc., who was hired as a consultant for the plan. "I would be very happy to insert a page to that effect. Just provide me with the content and we will do so."
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the new POCD, which will replace the 2010 plan. The state of Connecticut requires all municipalities to revise and update their POCD every 10 years.
A hearing was held before the vote, but no one commented during the meeting, which was held in the Town Council Chambers of Monroe Town Hall and online via Go To Meeting, along with the option of participating by phone. Town Planner Rick Schultz said the plan will be published next Wednesday and will be effective on May 7.
"It represents a process that took a year-and-a-half and was somewhat delayed by the pandemic, but we found a way to move forward so I'm very proud of the work that the commission did in adapting and going online and continuing our process virtually," Gomes said.
Franciso Gomes, right, of the consulting firm Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc., makes a presentation on revising and updating Monroe's Plan of Conservation and Development.
"Fortunately, we got off to a good start before the pandemic and were able to engage, really thousands of residents in developing a plan," Gomes continued. "We had well over a thousand participants in the online survey, conducted a number of focus group meetings with stakeholders in groups of 20 or so people, and we were able to get all of those meetings in-person — conducted just before the shutdown."
Gomes said the planners kept that early momentum going in producing a comprehensive plan.
"I think it is a significant improvement over the existing, and soon to be former, plan and that it is very strategic in its aims," he said. "We have developed and provided recommendations, strategies and actions that are very specific to your needs as a community. It is not a laundry list of 'to do' things that will be forgotten. These are ideas and commitments that the town can carry forward over the next decade."
Gomes said the new plan is user friendly, whether in its print or digital format, and has relevant information describing trends over the past 10 years and painting an accurate picture of where Monroe is as a community.
Among the topics the plan covers are Monroe's demographics and land use, and conservation efforts with open space mapping. Gomes said it incorporates the Conservation Commission's draft plan for open space acquisition.
The POCD also reflects the town's economic development needs.
"We take a very proactive stance on seeking opportunities to diversify the town's housing stock," Gomes said, adding this includes mixed-use developments and emphasizing the need for more senior housing and housing that is affordable for young professionals and college graduates, who grew up in Monroe and want to stay here.
Gomes thanked town officials, the First Selectman's Office, Town Council, and members of other boards and commissions, for their hard work and support, giving special mention to Schultz and Georgia Contois, a planning and zoning administrative assistant, whose last day on the job is Friday. Contois is moving to Vermont.
"I have no reservation about you adopting the plan this evening exactly how it stands," Gomes said. "It has been submitted to MetroCOG and they had minor comments, but were fully supportive of the plan."
Gomes noted that the draft of the new POCD was available online for 30 days and there were no negative comments about it from the public.
"I want to thank the POCD Advisory Committee and all the town employees, departments, boards and commissions and the public who helped make this a reality," O'Reilly said before the vote. "The 2021 POCD will establish new goals, policies and actions for the physical, cultural, economic development of Monroe. It establishes a common vision for our future. It makes policies and recommendations needed to take actions to achieve that vision."
William Porter remembered as a man of integrity, who led by example
MONROE, CT — William W. Porter served as chairman of the Monroe Planning and Zoning Commission for over a decade, earning a reputation for fairness, while showing an unwavering dedication to protecting the town's rural character. Porter, a father of five, known as Bill to his friends and Mary, his wife of 36 years, died this week after succumbing to pancreatic cancer.


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text:
Russia-IC / People / S / Karen Shakhnazarov
Karen Shakhnazarov
Karen Shakhnazarov is one of the leading Russian cinema masters endowed with a peculiar talent. The pictures created by the film director and scriptwriter are quite versatile in dramatic concepts and author's messages; following traditions of genre cinema they all have distinct plotlines and explicit relations of the characters.
Karen Georgievich Shakhnazarov was born on July 8, 1952 in Krasnodar. As a child Karen was keen on painting and wanted to enter the Art Faculty of VGIK (All-Union Institute of Cinematography), but that required an art school diploma, which he did not have. Thus he decided to study at the Film Direction Faculty. From 1969 to 1975 he studied under Igor Talankin. Afterwards, in 1973–1974 he worked as a production assistant. From 1976 he was a film director and from 1984 a production director at the Mosfilm Studio. In 1987 he became the art director of Creative Group 'Start', which was renamed into Kurier Studio in 1990. Since 1991 he has been the art director and Chairman of Administration Board of the Kurier Film Studio attached to the Mosfilm Concern.
Since April 20, 1998 Karen Shakhnazarov has been combining his creative career with the far from easy duties of General Director and Chairman of Administration Board of Mosfilm Concern.
The first independent film directed by Shakhnazarov was his graduate work, a short-length feature under the title Shire shag, maestro! (Step Wide, Maestro!) (1975). It was followed with two more short-length films, namely Na skolzkoy doroge (On the School Path) (1977) and Na ekrane Vasili Shukshin. Pozovi menya v dal svetluyu (Vasili Shukshin on Screen. Call Me to the Bright Faraway) (1977).
In 1979 Karen Shakhnazarov directed his first full-length feature Dobryaki (Kind Men) that won a prize of the Young Filmmakers Festival. Then he also tried his wings as a script writer (jointly with Aleksandr Borodyansky, his collaborator in many works to follow) for Ivan Kiasashvili's film Damy priglashayut kavalerov (Ladies Invite Gentlemen) (1980).
The Messenger Boy (1987)
However it was the musical My iz dzhaza (We're from Jazz) (1983) starring Igor Sklyar, Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyorny and Yelena Tsyplakova, which brought recognition and popularity to Karen Shakhnazarov as a film director and script writer. The film defined by viewers as the best film of the year, also took several international awards. His next popular film Zimniy vecher v Gagrakh (Winter Evening in Gagry) released in 1985 is also a musical comedy.
The eccentric youth film Kurier (The Messenger Boy) (1987) both written and directed by Karen Shakhnazarov also received a great ovation. The author managed to grasp the features of the young generation that was growing up at the very end of the epoch of Stagnation and weird relations between people in those hard times.
Zero City (1988)
Karen Shakhnazarov's fantastical tragic farce Gorod Zero (Zero City) (1988) starring Leonid Filatov also won a number of prestigious awards.
In the historical feature Tsareubiytsa (The Assassin of the Tsar) (1991) Shakhnazarov dwells upon the tragic lot of Nicholas II and his family. The film boasts an amazing duet of actors Oleg Yankovsky and Malcolm McDowell.
Following this the film director turned to the genre of satirical comedy: his Sny (Dreams) (1993) starring Oleg Basilashvili is a story of absurdity and nonsense of the post-Perestroika way of life in Russia.
Poisons or the World History of Poisoning (2001)
The year 1995 saw the release of Amerikanskaya doch (American Daughter); the film starring Vladimir Mashkov is made in the best traditions of American comedy melodrama.
In 1998 Karen Shakhnazarov came out with another masterpiece of his, a brilliant picture under the title Den polnoluniya (Day of the Full Moon) (1998): a bizarre kaleidoscope of plot fragments, it presents reality interwoven with romantic reminiscences, whereas its harsh, almost naturalistic picture turns into a poetical journey in time and space.
The next remarkable film was Yady, ili vsemirnaya istoriya otravleniy (Poisons or the World History of Poisoning) (2001), a fantastical black comedy starring Oleg Basilashvili. The film Vsadnik po imeni Smert (The Rider Named Death) (2004) touches upon the issue of terrorists of the early 20th century.
The Extinct Empire (2008)
Nostalgic feature film Ischeznuvshaya imperia (The Vanished Empire) released in 2008 tells about the Soviet youth of the 1970s in a truthful and touching way. Initially the film was titled Born in the USSR.
Apart from his film directing and scriptwriting activities, to say nothing of being the Director Generalof Mosfilm studios, Karen Shakhnazarov has also been a producer of several films.
He is living and working in Moscow.
peoples.ru
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Tags: Russian cinema Russian film directors Karen Shakhnazarov
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text:
Q: Activity has been destroyed while adding a Fragment to a ViewPager I'm creating a ViewPager with a dynamic number of Fragments, I provide the FragmentStatePagerAdapter of this ViewPager with a list of Fragments as in the following:
public class LightPageAdapter extends FragmentStatePagerAdapter {
    private List<Fragment> myFragments;

    public LightPageAdapter(FragmentManager fragmentManager, List<Fragment> fragments) {
        super(fragmentManager);

        myFragments = fragments;

    }

   public Fragment getItem(int i) {

        return myFragments.get(i);

    }

   @Override
   public int getCount() {

        return myFragments.size();

    }
}

the fragments list is obtained when clicking some button on certain Fragment, So, i added the following method to this Fragment in order to adding this fragments list to the FragmentStatePagerAdapter:
public void fargmenting(List<Fragment> fragments){

   ViewPager view_pager = (ViewPager) MyFragment.view.findViewById(R.id.lighting_pager);
   view_pager.setAdapter(new LightPageAdapter(getChildFragmentManager(), fragments)); // this is where I'm getting the Exception

}

Hint:
 in my app I'm using VerticalViewPager not ViewPager but it's a library with the same behaviour of the ViewPager but with some modification that wouldn't affect the overall process.
And this is the Log Error:
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174): java.lang.IllegalStateException: Activity has been destroyed
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.enqueueAction(FragmentManager.java:1365)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.support.v4.app.BackStackRecord.commitInternal(BackStackRecord.java:595)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.support.v4.app.BackStackRecord.commitAllowingStateLoss(BackStackRecord.java:578)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentStatePagerAdapter.finishUpdate(FragmentStatePagerAdapter.java:161)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.automation.standards.VerticalViewPager.populate(VerticalViewPager.java:965)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.automation.standards.VerticalViewPager.populate(VerticalViewPager.java:811)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.automation.standards.VerticalViewPager.setAdapter(VerticalViewPager.java:334)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.automation.fragments.MyFragment.fargmenting(Lighting_Right.java:92)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.automation.isolace.Lighting.assign_vertical_gangs_swipping(Lighting.java:502)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.automation.isolace.Lighting.select_room(Lighting.java:403)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.automation.isolace.Lighting$11.onClick(Lighting.java:351)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:4084)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:16966)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:615)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:92)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4745)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:786)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:553)
05-07 11:51:02.404: E/AndroidRuntime(3174):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

A: After a lot of efforts I finally did find the solution:
The Activity was destroyed when calling setAdapter because it's creating a new Object of the adapter (as I assign the adapter as new object):
new LightPageAdapter(getChildFragmentManager(), fragments)
and that was destroying the old instance including the activity that it's initialization depended on this instance.
So that, I do split the fragmenting() method into two parts , the first part when calling it for the first time in order to make the first initialization, and the second part when only the data changed and no need to recreate a new instance of the FragmentStatePagerAdapter :
private static LightPageAdapter lpa;
private static PagerAdapter adapter;

public void fargmenting(List<Fragment> fragments, boolean first_init){

   if(first_init){
      ViewPager view_pager = (ViewPager) MyFragment.view.findViewById(R.id.lighting_pager);
      lpa = new LightPageAdapter(getChildFragmentManager(), fragments);
   }else{
      LightPageAdapter.myFragments = fragments; // here I'm setting the fragments manually instead of passing it into a new constructor
      lpa.notifyDataSetChanged();
   }
   adapter = lpa;
   view_pager.setAdapter(adapter);

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Investment Ideas REITs still on a solid foundation
REITs still on a solid foundation
Rising demand from foreign retailers and financial services firms trying to enter a still-tight Canadian market is boosting REITs. KILLAM PROPERTIES: HALIFAX: A Killam Properties trailer park in Eastern Passage, NS, August 27, 2010. (Paul Darrow for the Globe and Mail)
PAUL DARROW/The Globe and Mail
SHIRLEY WON
Published December 13, 2012 Updated May 10, 2018
It's not time to leave the REIT party just yet.
Investors have enjoyed heady times in real estate investment trusts (REITs), but several REIT experts suggest that moderate returns in the high single to low double digits are still on the horizon for the next year.
The scenario is not expected to be vastly different from this year, with the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index generating a total return (distributions and capital gains) of 16.5 per cent so far, versus 5.7 per cent for the broader market.
Still, it's far cry from the 23-per-cent return in 2010 and 55 per cent in 2009, when the sector was recovering from deep declines during the financial crisis.
"REITs are still going to do very well, and will likely continue to outperform the TSX," said Dennis Mitchell, chief investment officer at Sentry Investments and REIT fund manager.
"We think a range of 8 to 12 per cent is realistic . . . If interest rates back up, REITs will correct. If the economy picks up steam, and cash flow growth accelerates, then REITs will do better." The continuation of low interest rates will help REITs when they refinance maturing higher-priced debt. Meanwhile, the trend of rising rents and additional development and redevelopment of properties will help boost cash flow.
The sector has been rebounding following a sell-off that began in August amid profit-taking on concerns about the U.S. "fiscal cliff," as well as a rotation by investors into other sectors such as bank stocks.
But the real estate industry got a lift last week when KingSett Capital Inc. proposed a $4.4-billion hostile bid for Primaris Retail REIT.
Market watchers say the REIT sector continues to be supported by strong fundamentals, with demand rising from foreign retailers and financial services firms trying to enter the Canadian market at a time when supply hasn't increased substantially across the country.
"The fact that we are in this low interest rate environment, while supply growth is relatively limited, has created a perfect storm for real estate," said Andy Nasr, a fund manager with Middlefield Group.
Here are three fund managers' top picks among REITs or REIT-like corporations:
Dennis Mitchell - Manager, Sentry REIT fund:
Calloway REIT
52-week range: $26.01-$31.25; yield is 5.5 per cent; Thursday's close: $28.39
The shopping centre REIT is attractive because it gets 25 per cent of its rent from retail giant Wal-Mart Canada, while 80 per cent of its assets are 10 years old or less, so "this is a new portfolio of real estate," he said. "The assets are primarily in the big six markets in Canada where the population growth is taking place … They continue to report very good results. It has a high-quality management team that owns 25 per cent of the REIT." He figures Calloway is worth $31.50 a unit.
Chris Couprie - Co-manager, First Asset REIT Income fund:
Pure Industrial REIT
52-week range: $4.05-$5.18; yield is 6.7 per cent; Thursday's close: $4.63
The REIT, which owns only industrial properties, has been on an acquisition spree and has been increasing cash flow, so it should be in a position to boost its distribution next year, suggested Mr. Couprie. Its former chief operating officer, Scott Hayes, resigned last summer to become chief executive officer of Dundee Industrial REIT. Dundee could be a potential buyer of Pure over time to gain more scale, he said. His one-year target is $5.25 a unit.
Andy Nasr - Manager, Middlefield ActiveIndex REIT fund:
Killam Properties Inc.
The operator of apartment buildings and manufactured home communities, mainly in Atlantic Canada, will benefit from the $25-billion federal contract awarded to Halifax's Irving Shipbuilding Inc. that will create jobs and boost demand for rental units, said Mr. Nasr. Killam has also partnered with Islamic lender Kuwait Finance House to expand into the Ontario market. His one-year target is $13.50 a share.
Where can I get free financial advice?
3 ETF areas with total return potential in 2013
HBC REIT may jack up retail lease rates Subscriber content
A REIT is on every Bay investor's Christmas wish list Subscriber content
Hudson's Bay looks to cash in on real estate frenzy
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Essay and Resume: Essay about protection of our environment paper writing online!
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The spectacular 18-hole layout at Puerto Los Cabos could be said to have something of a split personality at the moment as the current hybrid configuration consists of a 9-hole circuit designed by Jack Nicklaus and a 9-hole loop from Greg Norman.
The long term plan is to double the Golden Bear's nine holes, creating a public course called The Marina, and extend the holes on the Great White Shark's existing track to form an 18-hole course named The Mission.
For now, the contrasting styles of the two nines present golfers with a game of two halves – literally – and they offer a sneak preview of what's to come in the fullness of time when Grupo Questro, the developers, complete the golfing element of the Puerto Los Cabos estate.
The Norman front nine is characterised by deep and steep greenside bunkers – those positioned above and below the green at the par four 5th are particularly eye catching – whilst the Nicklaus back nine has more of a desert course feel with island tees forcing golfers to carry tee shots across native vegetation at many of the holes.
Both courses occupy hilly terrain that lends itself to some serious changes of elevation – none more so than at Norman's 213-yard 6th, the signature hole on the card, where a lofty teebox is perched more than 200 feet above the fairway.
The best of the Nicklaus holes is the par five 14th, where an arroyo crosses the fairway as it winds its way to an oceanside green that's positioned between a couple of small sand dunes.
Two years and a half after my first visit I was able to go back to Puerto Los Cabos. In December 2014 the course had suffered Hurricane Odille and the small Proshop was devastated, but the course was in very good shape.
Now in my second visit the other 9 holes to complete the Nicklaus Course are almost ready and the Club House will be inaugurated in October 2017.
We played in a fantastic 25C sunny day and one of the stars were the comfort stations where you can eat and drink all you want.
Course is fantastic, the combination of the Shark and the Bear is smoth and nice. In the front 9 (Shark) holes 6-7 are the best, nicest and with breathtaking views. Then the back 9 at 14-15 you have the contact with the Ocean and in 18 a fantastic finishing hole.
It is a course where combining the sets of tee you can modifiy the hole and really have fun or test your game to the very limit.
It is a very nice starter for a 7 days and 6 rounds Tour to be combined with Palmilla, Cabo Real, Quivira and Cabo del Sol Ocean and Desert.
After a long combination of flights 2 days before and playing Club Campestre San José just after landing, the round at Puerto Los Cabos was the first "official" round of golf of the 2014 Fam Trip. Although we were playing a fun tournament of 4 rounds, the most important part of the trip was to experience the course in order to be able to tell potential customers what they can expect of a trip to Unstoppable Los Cabos. And it is a great beginning to play a course which has 9 holes by Greg Norman and another 9 by Jack Nicklaus. In the future they expect to have all 18 from each designer, but I really loved the experience of playing a course designed by my 2 youth heroes. I need to add that the transition from one half to the other is so smooth that if you are very focused on the game you do not feel that you have changed the designer in the middle of the layout. The front 9 (Norman) start with an uphill short par 4 where second shot is tough to hold the ball. Second and third (par 3 & 4) are downhill and you get the first nice views of the sea. Four has nothing special but fifth is a strong dog leg to the right short par 4 with a blind tee shot where long hitters will get home with the driver. And then 6-7 are two of the most spectacular holes on the property: 6th is a downhill 200yds par 3 with fabulous views of the Sea and Cabo San José while 7 is a downhill par 5 towards the Ocean although it is not by the shore. The last 2 holes on the front 9 are 2 uphill par 4s where tee shot is very demanding, specially 8th. Back 9 start start with a very uphill 3 shot par 5, which is a typical hole you see in Sotogrande. 11th is a short and tricky par 3 with a huge green (I made a 50 footer for birdie) and 12th is a long downhill par 5 only reachable for very long ones. 13th is a nice short par 4 with a tough approach shot and 14th in my opinion is the best hole on the course: a mid par 5 dog leg to the right with serious damage on the right for the tee shot, while second shot is to a green that ends on the beach, really breathtaking! If you lay up, then the view of that 80yds wedge is maybe the best on the course. 15th by the Ocean is a very nice short par 3, then 16-17-18 are 3 very strategic par 4s, where tee shot at 18th is maybe the most demanding shot on the course. One in all, it is a course I would always play: well maintained, greens rolling pretty fast, variety in design, the Comfort Stations every 4 holes give you the chance of some tequila, tacos, bloody Mary and a lot more. The course suffered with Hurricane Odile on 15.09.2014 and 2 months later it was almost perfect, where only Club House needed some more time to complete the restoring. A very well operated course which will be always a pleasure to play. If you are not used to play paspalum grass, remember it is sticky and you need to be very sharp with the short game!
Los Cabos Mexico lies at the tip of the Baja California Sur Peninsula also affectionately known as Land's End. It's here where the mountains and desert merge with two seas.
The Puerto Los Cabos Golf Club is unique in that it features two distinctive nine-hole layouts by two iconic golfers. The Mission Course was designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2007. It offers plenty of elevation changes with wide fairways and large fast greens. The 6th, an intimidating downhill par 3 that drops some 105 feet features the Sea of Cortez as your backdrop may be his signature hole but the next hole is my personal favorite. This visually stunning par 5 sweeps downhill like an alpine ski run then finishes with to a well-protected green perched on the edge of the expansive two mile sand beach.
The Marina Course is a Jack Nicklaus design that opened a year later featuring wide rolling fairways that resemble ski mogels with very few level lies. #15 is considered his signature hole, a par 3 that runs parallel to the beach. The 18th is a great finishing hole where the irrigation reservoir comes into play on both your tee and approach shot.
The greens here are deceptive. They break more than you think and almost always to the ocean. Both courses have Paspalum greens and fairways and offer magnificent views of the ocean and the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. The biggest difference between the two, besides the moguls, is that Norman has built larger, more traditional tees with grass between each block whereas Nicklaus has smaller tee areas surrounded entirely by sand.
Click to read Dave's complete story on Golf in Los Cabos Mexico on his Golf Travel and Leisure website.


Welcome to the 545th edition of Picture of the Week (POTW), covering 8-21 April 2019. Let's see what you have been shooting these past two weeks. POTW is a great spot to show off six or fewer shots you take or are editing within the thread's date range. In other words, you can post your shots from this week AND last week.
Please let me know via PM if you're interested to host for next week. Otherwise, I'll extend this thread to cover two weeks instead of one and update the title towards the end of this week.
I metered the last one using the highlight-weighted option, it seems pretty good at avoiding blown highlights with stage lighting.
Last edited by aaacb; 6 Days Ago at 04:08 PM.
The colors in the theater shot above remind me of the screensaver on my Roku; very pleasing. Here are a couple shots taken with a K-5IIs and Tokina SZ-X 80-200mm set at its minimum focusing distance. Had never tried that before.
Last edited by Flanoman; 2 Days Ago at 12:13 PM.
The Golden Medallion Tree was taken with my K5 & Super Takumar 135mm f3.5, the Common Glider Dragonfly a little Ricoh GX100 Caplio, and the Frangipani relfection and sunset reflection a Super Takumar 35mm f3.5.
Before the week runs out.
If anyone's willing to host the one after let me know.


text:
Book of Tobit
Previous (Book of Thomas the Contender)
Next (Book of Wisdom)
The Book of Tobit (or Book of Tobias in older Catholic Bibles) is a book of scripture that is part of the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canon, pronounced canonical by the Council of Carthage of 397 and confirmed for Roman Catholics by the Council of Trent (1546). It is also listed in Article VI of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England. However, the Boof of Tobit is regarded by Protestants as apocryphal since it was not included within the Tanakh canon of ancient Judaism. Nevertheless, it is found in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), Aramaic and Hebrew fragments of the book were discovered in Cave IV at Qumran in 1955. These fragments are generally in agreement with the Greek text, which exists in three different recensions.
1 Narrative
2 Significance
3 Date of composition
Tobias and the Angel, by Filippino Lippi
The book tells the story of a righteous Jew of the Tribe of Naphtali named Tobit living in Nineveh after the deportation of the northern tribes of Israel to Assyria in 721 B.C.E. under Sargon II. (The first two and a half chapters are written in the first person.) Tobit was particularly noted for his diligence in attempting to provide proper burials for fallen Jews who had been slain by Sennacherib, for which the king seized all his property and exiled him. After Sennacherib's death, he was allowed to return to Nineveh, but again buried a dead man who had been murdered on the street. That night, he slept in the open and was blinded by bird droppings that fell in his eyes. This put a strain on his marriage, and ultimately, he prayed for death.
Meanwhile, in faraway Media, a young woman named Sarah prays for death in despair. She has lost seven husbands to the demon of lust—Ashmodai (a demon frequently associated with homosexuality), who abducts and kills every man she marries on their wedding night before the marriage can be consummated. God sends the angel Raphael, disguised as a human, to heal Tobit and to free Sarah from the demon.
The main narrative is dedicated to Tobit's son, Tobiah or Tobiyah (Greek: Tobias), who is sent by his father to collect a sum of money that the latter had deposited some time previously in the far off land of Media. Raphael represents himself as Tobit's kinsman, Azariah, and offers to aid and protect Tobias on his journey. Under the guidance of Raphael, Tobias makes the journey to Media. Along the way, he is attacked by a giant fish, whose heart, liver and gall bladder are removed to make medicines.
Upon arriving in Media, Raphael tells Tobias of the beautiful Sarah, whom Tobias has the right to marry, because she is related to his tribe. He instructs the young man to burn the fish's liver and heart to drive away the demon when he attacks on the wedding night. The two are married, and the fumes of the burning organs drive the demon away to Upper Egypt, while Raphael follows him and binds him. Meanwhile, Sarah's father has been digging a grave to secretly bury Tobias (who he assumes will be dead). Surprised to find his son-in-law alive and well, he orders a double-length wedding feast and has the grave secretly filled. Since he cannot leave because of the feast, Tobias sends Raphael to recover his father's money.
After the feast, Tobias and Sarah return to Nineveh. There, Raphael tells the youth to use the fish's gall to cure his father's blindness. Raphael then reveals his true identity and returns to heaven. Tobit sings a hymn of praise, and tells his son to leave Nineveh before God destroys it according to prophecy. After burying his father, Tobias returns to Media with his family.
The book of Tobit is typically placed in the Vulgate among the historical books of the Old Testament, but most scholars regard it more as a religious novel with certain historical elements. Many of the historical details in the book contradict what is known about the history of the period from extra-Biblical sources but Roman Catholic Bible scholars have provided a variety of ways for explaining these apparent discrepancies from these relatively modern texts.
The book is also closely related to Jewish wisdom literature; nowhere is this more clear than in Tobit's instructions to Tobias before his departure for Media in Chapter Four. The value of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is particularly praised in this instruction; the Catholic Church often uses readings from this section in its liturgy. Additionally, the book's praise for the purity of marriage is often read during Catholic weddings.
Doctrinally, the book is cited for its teaching on the intercession of angels, filial piety, and reverence for the dead.
The Sadducees' challenge to Jesus about the woman that had seven husbands serially (e.g., Mark 12:20-22) may have been an allusion to this book's story, with Tobit's righteous son Tobias as Sarah's ultimate husband.[1]
Date of composition
It is generally believed that the book was written in the second century B.C.E., on the basis of the scrupulous attention to ritual details and the stress laid upon giving alms. However, neither the date nor location of composition is certain.
The book was probably originally written in Aramaic. It appears that Jerome's version for the Vulgate was made from an Aramaic text available to him. Four fragmentary texts in Aramaic and one in Hebrew were found at Qumran.
The surviving Greek translations are found in two versions. The shorter form, called Greek I by Robert Harnhart in his edition of the Septuagint, is found in Codex Vaticanus, Codex Alexandrinus, Venetus, and most cursive manuscripts. The Greek II version, which is 1700 words longer, is found in Codex Sinaiticus and closely aligns with the Hebrew and Aramaic fragments found at Qumran. Apparently the Old Latin manuscripts are also translated from the longer Greek II version. Most English translations since 1966 have relied on the Greek II version. Some ancient texts of Tobit give Hebraized names Midian (originally the name of the land east of the Gulf of Aqabah) for Media, and Batanea (originally the name of land in the Golan Heights) for Ecbatana. One such text is the Heb. Londinii (or HL) version.[2]
↑ Note that Sarah's childlessness is allusive to that of her namesake Sarah, the wife of Abraham.
↑ See Marshall, op. cit., 786; a text found by Moses Gaster in the British Museum, Add. 11,639. A description and translation of the MS, which belongs to the c. thirteenth C.E. is given by Gaster in PSBA, vol.xviii., 208ff., 259ff., and vol.xx., 27ff.
Bredin, Mark (ed.). Studies in the Book of Tobit: A Multidisciplinary Approach (Library of Second Temple Studies). T. & T. Clark Publishers, Ltd., 2006. ISBN 978-0567082299
Neubauer, Adolf. The Book of Tobit: The Text in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Old Latin with English Translations (Ancient Texts and Translations). Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005. ISBN 978-1597523745
Otzen, Benedikt. Tobit and Judith (Guides to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha). Sheffield Academic Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0826460530
Xeravits, Geza and Jozef Zsengeller (eds.). The Book of Tobit: Text, Tradition, Theology. Brill Academic Publishers, 2005. ISBN 978-9004143760
All links retrieved June 17, 2016.
Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) entry
The Book of Tobit Full text from St-Takla.org (also available in Arabic)
Jewish Encyclopedia Tobit; gives an overview of the manuscript tradition.
Book of Tobit history
History of "Book of Tobit"
Retrieved from http://web.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Book_of_Tobit&oldid=997006


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Gulf Arab states, squeezed by climate change, still tout oil
October 27, 2021, 2:18 a.m. ·6 min read
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The global energy transition is perhaps nowhere more perplexing than in the Arabian Peninsula, where Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies are caught between two daunting climate change scenarios that threaten their livelihoods.
In one, the world stops burning oil and gas to cut down on heat-trapping emissions, shaking the very foundation of their economies. In the other, global temperatures keep rising, at the risk of rendering unlivable much of the Gulf's already extremely hot terrain.
The political stability of the six Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — is rooted in profits from fossil fuels. This includes exports that energy-hungry China and India will want even more over the next two decades.
"Climate action, it's almost an existential problem for an absolute monarchy based on oil exports," said Jim Krane, author of "Energy Kingdoms: Oil and Political Survival in the Persian Gulf."
"They need climate action to succeed without wrecking the oil market. That's a tough needle to thread."
In pledging "net-zero" emissions targets as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have done this month, greenhouse gas emissions would be cut within their borders — while maintaining fossil fuel exports abroad.
Saudi Arabia, which supplies about one-tenth of the world's oil demand, made its announcement this week while hosting its first major climate change forum. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman set 2060 as Saudi Arabia's target.
It was an important announcement for a country with an estimated 265 billion barrels of oil reserves worth $22.5 trillion at current prices. Saudi Arabia has expressed determination to pump oil until the last drop, but it could find little use for its greatest natural resource in a world that runs on cleaner forms of renewable and solar energy.
Gulf monarchies have used oil revenue to maintain domestic support, buy regional clout and expand influence. The money has built up national armies and provided citizens with cushy public sector jobs, free health care and higher education, subsidized fuel, land to build homes on, marriage dowries and generous pensions.
Without this patronage system, Gulf monarchies might have to allow greater political participation or turn more repressive, said Krane, an energy studies fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy in Texas.
Gulf Arab states pledging "net zero" emissions are positioning themselves to be part of the multi-trillion-dollar clean energy industry, even as they keep earning from oil and gas.
At the Saudi Green Initiative Forum in Riyadh, President Joe Biden's climate envoy, John Kerry, told a roomful of princes and prime ministers from across the region that climate action can create "the biggest market opportunity the world has ever known."
"It's the biggest transformation that has ever taken place on this planet, since the industrial revolution, if we do it," Kerry said.
The "net zero" pledges also crucially enable the Gulf's ruling elite to wield influence at conferences like COP26, where climate action policies are being crafted, said Ellen Wald, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and author of "Saudi Inc."
"It's important for them to have a seat at the table and be taken seriously at these conferences... because that way they get a say," she said.
Saudi Arabia is one of several countries lobbying behind the scenes ahead of the COP26 summit to change language around emissions, apparently trying to water down an upcoming U.N. science panel report on global warming, according to leaked documents.
Gulf Arab states are privately and publicly advocating for carbon capture technologies rather than a rapid phasing out of fossil fuels, warning that a hurried transition would leave poorer populations without access to energy.
Greenpeace, which obtained the leaked documents, has criticized the approach, saying these "yet unproven" carbon capture technologies allow nations to emit more greenhouse gases on the optimistic assumption they can be drawn out of the atmosphere later.
Meanwhile, national energy companies like Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi's ADNOC and Qatar Petroleum — now re-branded as Qatar Energy — are moving ahead with efforts to reduce emissions and boost investments in petrochemical products used in fertilizers, plastics, rubber and other polymers that are in huge demand globally.
Aramco, by far the world's biggest oil company, announced it would reach "net zero" by 2050 on its operations, a decade sooner than the Saudi government's pledge. ADNOC has pledged to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
Qatar Petroleum has already shipped one carbon-neutral cargo of LNG gas to Singapore and will be incorporating carbon capture technology in its expansion plans, according to a report by the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
Speaking at the forum in Riyadh, ADNOC CEO Sultan Al-Jaber called on people to be "a bit mature and sober" in discussing the energy transition, insisting it will take time and must include oil and gas.
"We can't just come out of nowhere and all of a sudden speak about energy transition and completely ignore or underestimate the impact of oil and gas in helping meet global energy requirements," Al-Jaber said, noting that 80% of total energy requirements currently come from fossil fuels, with 60% of that oil and gas.
OPEC forecasts that while the push for alternative and renewable energy will usher in an era of declining demand for oil in some parts of the world, it will remain the world's No. 1 source of energy through 2045. It forecasts that of the 2.6 billion cars on the road by 2045, just 20% will be electric-powered.
Although all six Gulf states remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels for state spending, each has taken steps to try to diversify their economies, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading aggressive efforts to attract investment in new industries.
Still, over half of Saudi Arabia's revenue comes from oil, with $150 billion expected this year alone as prices climb to $85 a barrel.
"Oil exports are the lifeblood of the Saudi economy and the Saudi political system," said Krane. "It would be a disaster for Saudi Arabia if the rest of the world quickly weaned itself off oil."
Scientists say the world must invest in renewable energy to limit warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius), although a new U.N. report finds that even governments' fresh pledges aren't strict enough to keep temperature rises below that by the end of the century.
Nearly all of the warming that has happened on Earth can be blamed on emissions of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and if the limit is surpassed scientists say the damage will be irreversible.
In remarks to reporters this month, Qatari Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi questioned whether countries that have "net-zero" pledges have a plan on how to get there.
"For me to just come out and say, 'Net zero 2050'. Very sexy," he said. "I mean, looks great in the newspaper, but it's not the right thing."
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Aya Batrawy, The Associated Press
Hezbollah, ally end Cabinet boycott in crisis-hit Lebanon
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group and its main Shiite ally said Saturday they are ending their boycott of Cabinet meetings after a three-month deadlock that has worsened the small nation's unprecedented economic meltdown. The two Shiite groups said in a joint statement they would attend Cabinet sessions to approve a new budget and measures for dealing with the two-year crisis, and to discuss a recovery plan. They said they would attend because of the accelerated economic deteriora
Britain's government will cut the BBC's funding by ordering a two-year freeze on the fee that people pay to watch the broadcaster, the Mail on Sunday reported. The future of the licence-payer funded British Broadcasting Corporation is a perpetual topic of political debate, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government most recently suggesting its funding needs to be reformed. In November, the government launched negotiations to agree how much the TV licence would cost, part of a five year funding settlement due to begin in April 2022.
Austria tweaks vaccine mandate plan, to come in next month
BERLIN (AP) — The Austrian government on Sunday presented revised plans for its proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which it said will now apply to all residents age 18 and over, rather than 14 as originally intended. Officials said that a phased introduction will give people plenty of opportunity to comply. The government announced nearly two months ago that it would implement a general vaccine mandate early this year, becoming the first European country to do so. In early December, it produced
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Sunday it had cleared an estimated 45% of the U.S. commercial airplane fleet to perform low-visibility landings at many airports where 5G C-band will be deployed starting Wednesday. The FAA has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and make an impact on low-visibility operations. The FAA approved two radio altimeter models used in many Boeing and Airbus planes, including some Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, MD-10/-11 and Airbus A310, A319, A320, A321, A330 and A350 models.
Shopify (TSX:SHOP): Why I Finally Bought the Dip
Recently, I bought the dip in Shopify (TSX:SHOP)(NYSE:SHOP) stock after holding out for years. The post Shopify (TSX:SHOP): Why I Finally Bought the Dip appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
China's Xi calls for measures against 'unhealthy' development of digital economy
President Xi Jinping has called for improved regulation and governance of China's digital economy to guard against its "unhealthy" development as Beijing aims to boost the sector's contribution to the country's growth. In an essay in the ruling Communist Party's publication Qiushi on Saturday, Xi called for focusing on key areas including integrated circuits, displays, communications equipment and intelligent hardware. China should "cultivate a number of enterprises with international competitiveness, and leading ecological firms with control over industrial chains, to create world-class digital industry clusters," he said.
This dividend stock offers a whopping 15.21% yield. But after a strong 2021, is 2022 set up for a decrease in this incredible dividend? The post Dividend Stock: Is a 15% Yield Too Good to Be True? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.


To measure conversion, you can choose to install the official WooCommerce Google Analytics plugin. However, this is not advisable because there are many users who have installed this plugin have reported issues with inaccurate data reporting. In fact, we have found out that the plugin has a poor review rating of 2.9 out of 5 star rating.
The answer is that you can choose 2 different plugins to track your online store conversions. You can utilize Google Analytics eCommerce feature, which is what we are going to show in this tutorial (also a bit advanced). The other plugin will simply use the manual conversion code.
Click on the Admin icon (appears as gearbox as highlighted below) and click on Create Account for the sole purpose of obtaining a new Google Analytics code for your WooCommerce store. Remember to fill up all the necessary details such as Account Name, Website Name, Website URL, timezone, Data Sharing settings etc. before clicking on** Get Tracking ID** button. Next, you shall click on Ecommerce Settings as highlighted below.
Make sure to turn on Enable Ecommerce & Enabled Enhanced Ecommerce Reporting and fill up Checkout Labeling labels such as Step 1 : Checkout View; Step 2 : Login; Step 3 : Proceed to payment as shown below before clicking on the Submit button.
That's all for setting up Enhanced Ecommerce inside Google Analytics. Let's move on to installing the Enhanced Ecommerce Google Analytics plugin.
Login to your WordPress Admin dashboard and click on Add Plugin under the Plugin section. Enter "Enhanced Ecommerce" in the search bar. Next, click on Install and followed by the Activate button.
Click on Tatvic EE Plugin on the left sidebar of WordPress. You need to enter your Google Analytics ID and check the boxes for the following as highlighted below.
Press the Submit button to finalize changes.
If you have a guest checkout on your WooCommerce store, then Check the box "Add Code to Track the Login Step of Guest Users". If you have a guest login but you do not check the box, then it might cause an uneven funnel reporting in Google Analytics.
Congratulations! That's all you need to know about setting up Enhanced Ecommerce Google Analytics Plugin.


Hair kept most of his opinions for his book, Decision Maker, released in 1998. Yet it remains valuable because it is the only detailed account by a no-ball umpire explaining his actions. He discusses, for example, watching Muralidaran in the Singer Cup in Sharjah and describes his appointment to a limited-over international between Sri Lanka and Australia in Sydney on 21 December 1995 with 'some misgivings'. Hair states that Muralidaran's action was more 'pronounced' in his ten overs than it had been in Sharjah, admits that he should have called the bowler when his action became 'diabolical', but did not do so because he preferred the matter to be 'resolved behind the scenes'. Hair states that he had a long discussion with ICC referee Dowling who made it clear he would not intervene. Hair stresses that Dowling left him with the impression that he would not only act alone on the field but would have to bear any moral authority himself.
The book is curious for both some of its omissions as well as its admissions. Apart from saying that 'the best place to view most suspect actions was from behind the bowler', Hair makes no reference to the fact that such an action was uncommon. Indeed, other than Andrew Barlow's persistent calling of Eddie Gilbert in 1931 and Colin Egar's two calls against Brian Quigley in 1960, it was the only time it had been done in first-class cricket in Australia in 94 years.
On the admissions' side Hair writes that Ranatunga's decision to switch Muralidaran to the other end was 'extraordinary and inflammatory' as he was putting enormous pressure on Steve Dunne but he seems to be suffering a peculiar form of blindness here. Hair concluded that Ranatunga should have followed convention by removing his bowler from the attack and cited Richie Benaud's example with Meckiff in Brisbane in 1963. The problem is that Hair's knowledge of cricket history is incomplete because in four of the major cases of multiple no-balling in Australia-Marsh by Crockett (1901), Pitcher by Crockett (1911), Halcombe by Buttsworth (1930), and Gilbert by Barlow (1931), the captains had switched their bowlers to the other end at least during the match. In the case of Halcombe by Barlow (1930) the captain had not done so. The trouble with Hair's argument is that it was he who was breaking convention and perhaps making it difficult for the two umpires to work as a team.
By calling Muralidaran from the bowlers' end Hair overrode what is normally regarded as the authority of the square leg umpire in adjudicating on throwing. Whatever unenviable position Hair had left himself in he had certainly placed umpire Dunne in one as well. Dunne would have had to break convention to support his partner. It is not surprising that he did not do so.
After the tea break I informed the acting captain, Aravinda de Silva, that if Muralidharan [sic] bowled again from either end, I would not hesitate to no ball him. This was by no means the ideal way to finalise the matter but I felt the situation was now farcical as Muralidharan had continued to deliver the ball with the same action that I clearly considered to be very much illegal.
Hair admits he was alone in his views; however, he would have been even more of a maverick if he had made calls from square leg on the second day. Such an action would have removed his fellow umpire's authority entirely. Hair claims that he had little care for how the press reported the throwing incident but then spends several pages of his book attempting to rebut opinions that disagree with his own. In describing as 'most laughable' the article regarding the surgeon's report on Muralidaran's bent elbow he surely condemns himself: 'It was never an issue for me that his arm could not be fully straightened as partial straightening is all that is necessary to constitute a throw.' When is straight straight? It also contradicts his own stated position about bent arm bowling being legitimate.
At the end of the match the Sri Lankans requested from the ICC permission to confer with Hair in order to find out exactly how to remedy the problem with their bowler. Despite the game's controlling body agreeing to it, the Australian Cricket Board vetoed it on the grounds that it might lead to umpires being quizzed by teams after every game. In the circumstances the ACB's attitude was odd and meant that the throwing controversy would continue into the World Series Cup during the coming week. The Sri Lankans were entitled to an explanation and would continue playing their bowler in matches not umpired by Hair and putting other umpires on notice to either support or reject Hair's judgement.
The immediate aftermath was that in the Sri Lanka-West Indies limited over international match in Hobart on 3 January 1996 Muralidaran was selected and bowled ten overs and took two wickets in a match his team lost by 70 runs. His action was passed by umpires Terry Prue and Steve Davis but the following game two days later would see the throwing saga continue.
The next calls against Muralidaran for throwing represented a case of unfinished business. The match was the first ever floodlit limited over international at the Brisbane Cricket Ground and was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first of all one-day internationals. It would be historic for other reasons.
If any throwing calls were going to be made it was expected that the man to make them would be Tony McQuillan whose match report from Sri Lanka's opening first-class match of the tour against Queensland at Mackay put the focus on Muralidaran. However, it was his partner, Ross Emerson, officiating in his first international match who made the damning calls. Emerson no-balled Muralidaran three times in his first over, twice in his second and twice in his third. It was an identical tally to that called by Hair on Boxing Day and (like Hair) Emerson made his calls from the bowler's end while his partner stood silent. The main difference was that several no-balls were for leg-breaks instead of the bowler's normal off-breaks.
In an action which anticipated the umpire's decision, Sri Lankan coach Whatmore set up a slow motion camera on the mid-wicket boundary as Muralidaran took up the attack. Although large sections of the crowd booed loudly each time Muralidaran was called the decision to continue bowling him was viewed as an act of defiance. The bowler's active involvement ended in the tour at that point but the prediction that his international career lay in tatters proved inaccurate. Two months later Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup and Muralidaran with 7 wickets at 30.85 was a key player for his side.
Throwing fell off the agenda in Australian cricket with the exception of the calls against Queensland spinner Geoff Foley by Ross Emerson in the 1997-98 season, only to be revived by Emerson again against Muralidaran when the Sri Lankans next toured.


The Dutch parliament wants pension fund annual statements to be legally binding, removing the risk that pension funds can reclaim benefits they have paid out in error.
A large majority supported a motion to allow pension fund members to derive legal guarantees from their statements. It was tabled by Pieter Omtzigt, MP for the Christian Democrats (CDA).
The motion was triggered by civil service scheme ABP's attempt to adjust benefits incorrectly paid to approximately 1,000 participants. As many as 700 received too much.
ABP had established the payments based on data provided by social security body SVB, which later turned out to be incorrect.
Last week, Omtzigt asked Wouter Koolmees, the minister for social affairs, how it was possible that participants could not have legal guarantees for pensions that had already been paid.
At the time, Koolmees said that pension funds were entitled to reclaim wrongfully paid benefits in case of mistakes, while promising to give the issue a more thorough assessment when future legislation for pension communication was evaluated.
Omtzigt's motion also stipulated that the pensions statement should mention how flexible pension rights were, and that rights cut were possible if pension funds were significantly underfunded.
However, liberal party VVD and right-wing religious party ChristenUnie – both members of the four-party governing coalition – opposed the motion.
"It ignores the conditional character of pension claims and would make rectifying mistakes impossible," argued Roald van der Linde, MP for the VVD.
He said he was concerned that the result would be a number of disclaimers on the uniform pensions statement – "exactly something we don't want".
The Pensions Federation, which represents the country's pension funds, said it wanted to retain the possibility of rectifying administrative errors "at least for mistakes made elsewhere".
Such mistakes shouldn't come at the expense of the collective nature of a pension fund, the industry organisation said.
Rogier de Haan, ombudsman for Omroep MAX, the broadcaster for over 50s that ran a programme about the issue, said he wanted to bring the case to court together with a group of affected members.
In the opinion of pensions lawyer Jim Kaldenberg, such a claim could be successful, given existing precedents.


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Invisible Universe Revealed 25 years of Hubble
25 years ago, NASA launched one of the most ambitious experiments in the history of astronomy: the Hubble Space Telescope. In honor of Hubble's landmark anniversary, know the remarkable story of the telescope that forever changed our understanding of the cosmos and our place in it". But amazingly, when the telescope first sent images back to earth, it seemed that the entire project was a massive failure; a one-millimeter engineering blunder had turned the billion-dollar telescope into an object of ridicule. It fell to five heroic astronauts in a daring mission to return Hubble to the cutting edge of science. Hear from the scientists and engineers on the front line who tell the amazing Hubble story as never before. This single telescope has helped astronomers pinpoint the age of the universe, revealed the birthplace of stars and planets, advanced our understanding of dark energy and cosmic expansion, and uncovered black holes lurking at the heart of galaxies. For more than a generation, Hubble's stunning images have brought the beauty of the heavens to millions, revealing a cosmos richer and more wondrous than we ever imagined. Join us for the story of this magnificent machine and its astonishing discoveries.
Is Anybody Out There
In August 1977, the Big Ear Radio-telescope in Ohio received a strange signal from the Sagittarius constellation while searching for intelligent extra-terrestrial life. It had a duration of 72 seconds and an intensity 30 times higher than usual. Named the Wow signal, it is still being considered as one of the best examples of having being sent by intelligent extraterrestrial life. But, nothing has revolutionised the search of extra-terrestrial intelligent life as much as the recent discovery by the Kepler Satellite, of thousands of Earth-like planets where life could be possible. Join the debate with this stunning documentary, as we ask Is Anybody Out There?
Is there an Edge to the Universe
It's a mystery mankind has struggled to solve since the beginning of history - is space infinite or might there be great cosmic border where everything ends? Groundbreaking cosmology and state of the art space telescopes, now suggest the Universe has a finite size and a unique shape. If this is true, there must be an edge to the Universe, and beyond that edge, there could exist a world beyond our wildest dreams.
Series: Through the Wormhole
Journey to the Edge of the Universe
2008 Science 3D
Take an express journey to the edge of the universe as the filmmakers use computer-generated animation to build on images captures by the Hubble Telescope. The animation and story telling absolutely wonderful. Beginning on planet Earth, viewers are hurtled into the deepest reaches of space. There are no stops on this flight, and along the way the mysteries of the universe come alive as we examine the history and science of distant celestial.
Mission Pluto
Join top scientists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in conjunction with NASA on a historic mission to the edge of our solar system with the goal of capturing the first clear images and data ever recorded of Pluto. Small, cold, and absurdly far away, Pluto has always been selfish with its secrets". Since its discovery in 1930, the dwarf planet has revolved beyond reach, its frosty surface a blurred mystery that even the most powerful telescopes can't bring into focus. We know about Pluto. But we don't really know it. That will change on July 14, when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is scheduled to fly within 8,000 miles of the frozen dwarf. It's a risky maneuver, but if all goes well, the fleeting close encounter will unveil the last of the classical solar system's unexplored worlds. We'll finally get to meet the former ninth planet face-to-face—to really see its surface and that of its largest moon, Charon. Scientists have some guesses about what they might find, but the only thing they can say for sure is that Pluto promises to be a surprise.


Officials at Washington DC's National Cathedral have banned location filming after they spotted Martin Sheen's presidential character on THE WEST WING put a cigarette out on their floor.
Cathedral staff nixed director David Dobkin's plans to shoot a scene for upcoming comedy THE WEDDING CRASHERS at the US capital building after they caught Sheen's PRESIDENT JED BARTLET trashing a cigarette.
Dobkin says, "The West Wing had filmed there, and Martin Sheen had put a cigarette out on the floor and walked out, and it was on the show.
"They were really upset about it, so they were not allowing filming anymore."