Background: Dulaney and Towson High Schools are Blue Ribbon schools. Renovations would result in facilities which would be obsolete not long after improvements would be complete. These two schools need and deserve state of the art contemporary learning facilities. The funding of schools is a County/State function.
The County Executive has asked County Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly to make an increase in the State School Capital contribution to the County a top priority. Currently and in the recent past, the State contributed $45 million a year for that purpose.
During the same time, the County has forward funded over tens of millions of dollars above the state contribution for school construction and renovation. The County Executive has proposed that the State contribute $100 million per year over the next five years in order to reimburse the forward funded money and continue the County's extensive school replacement/renovation program. In order for us to achieve the goal of replacing desperately needed high schools the top priority goal of the County Delegation must be to secure the $100 million per year.
In the current Capital Budget there are funds that can be used for school planning. I am hopeful that the School Board will direct a portion of this appropriation for Dulaney, Towson and Landsdowne schools.
The County cannot afford to forward fund any more money for the building of new high schools. In fact, for the FY 2020 budget, projected expenditures exceed revenues by $81 million. This deficit is without any increase in salary for County employees or funds for any replacement high schools.
If the State agrees with the County Executive's proposal there will be funding to complete the five replacement high schools from FY 2022 to FY 2025. However, if state reimbursement funding remains at the current level, the time period will be extended to FY 2026 to FY 2031.
As your County representative, I am more than ready and willing to help in this effort on the State level. Of course, I will continue be an advocate with the County government and the School Board.
Background: In July 2016. a grandmother and her granddaughter were killed by a driver while walking along the Girdwood Road sidewalk. It's the worst, but not the last accident, on this stretch of road. Cars continue to ride onto people's lawns, jump the curb and strike the tree. Residents and children from nearby high and elementary schools are at risk. Residents in this area have suffered 30 years of traffic accidents. The community appreciates the recent County efforts to date. However, Baltimore County police data indicated that from August 2-10, 2018 there were 26,334 southbound vehicles on Girdwood Rd and this was prior this school year when traffic increases. Further action is necessary to increase pedestrian safety and reduce traffic volume.
A. Girdwood Rd needs stop signs similar to those already provided to two other communities, the Old Lutherville community and on Tally Ho Rd. in The Fields of Seminary community.
B. We need an open minded traffic engineer assigned to Springlake/Coachford to work with the community on an overall traffic management and safety plan as was done in Old Lutherville.
C. Ongoing maintenance of installed traffic calming areas is needed. White lines along installed safety crosswalks and brickwork on traffic calming islands on Girdwood Rd. are all deteriorating already.
D. Signage restricting the weight of vehicles/trucks using the streets in the community.
4. Resident Permit parking from 6:00 am to 4:00 PM Monday – Friday between the address of 224 E Padonia and 300 E Padonia Road. In order to establish permit parking in this area, the interested parties must provide the Department of Public Works (DPW) the addresses, and then, DPW will create the petition. Once the petietion is signed by the required number of property owners then a study will ensue.
-Background: The pond was once a signature-gathering center for the community where State and County fishing contests were held. It is now overgrown with invasive plants, snakes, and duckweed that overcome the increasingly shallow water. The former County Environmental Director was not invested in restoring the health of the pond, and wished to convert it to an official "wetlands", in essence reducing it to a swamp.
A. A professional is needed to clear the drain for the pond both beneath the surface of the water and in the tunnel through which it drains.
B. The community is requesting an underwater bubbler system similar to that placed in many other county ponds.
C. Treatment is needed to remove the duckweed from the pond.
D. A fully functioning fountain needs to be provided by the pond drain. It needs efficient maintenance and to be activated/deactivated on a regular schedule.
E. The assignment of officials from the County Departments of Park & Recreation and Environment to work with Community on a long-term plan for the restoration and conservation of the pond and park areas.
Old Lutherville (Norman Avenue through Melanchthon Avenue), expedited installation and expansion of storm water system.
Support of the Small Watershed Action Plans (SWAP) which address our Lutherville needs, especially along Roland Run.
Relocate the speed camera to bump out at Conamara Court and Charmuth Road. Its current location is at top of the hill and because of this, it is ineffective and in controlling traffic speed. The County refuses to move it.
The community requests the repaving of the streets in Pine Valley/Valleywood community. It has been many years since they were repaved and many of our streets are in dire need of repaving.
Background: The area has suffered a rash of car and home break-ins. Drivers regularly speed past both the elementary and high school, and the swimming pool park area, endangering children.
A. The community requests regular police cruiser drive through and radar traps.
B. The community requests police cruisers at rotating key intersections during school arrival and dismissal hours.
Background: Fill development persists in the Lutherville/ Timonium/Cockeysville corridor. Overall infrastructure is already severely taxed. Roads, schools, library/recreation facilities, emergency services, waste management facilities are examples of quality of life areas which are increasingly overburdened/diminished.
W Padonia Road, Mays Chapel Road and Greenpoint Road traffic calming and increased speed enforcement needed.
Timonium Heights (adjacent to the Alms House behind the Library) needs water and sewer services. To bring public water and sewer to the area, the residents need to contact Metro Services. Fifty-one percent of the neighbors must express an interest in hooking up. It takes about 3-5 years for installation, the cost is split among the neighbors who wish to hook-up and is included in their tax bill over a 40 year period. The cost will be transferred to anyone buying the home.
Seminary Avenue, creation of a Commercial Revitalization District south (areas surrounding Heaver Plaza).
Replace Water Main on Seminary Avenue west of York Road.
The community proposes reflectors on the center lane, rumble strips on the sharp curve on Manor Rd. just north of Green Glade Rd, warning of the possibility of vehicles turning left onto Green Glade.
County Home Park, The County intends to convert the water retention ponds to wetlands, but this decision must be re-evaluated with community input to make sure that this decision is both environmentally sound and acceptable to the community.
York Road between McCormick Road and Loveton needs to be relocated or replaced as the only major route to Sparks. Growth in the Loveton Business center has been stymied due to this section of York Road which is windy and dangerous. This area is a bottleneck which goes from four lanes to two lanes north of the Hunt Valley Town Center and then back again to four lanes at Phoenix Road (State of MD responsibility, please advocate for the appropriation of planning funds to address this issue).
York Road from Hillside Road to Beaver Dam Road, establishment of a Commercial Revitalization District.
Loch Raven High School, currently there are various options discussed by Baltimore County Public School board as to whether an addition or a new school needs to be built.
Carney Park & Ride, advocate at State level, where appropriate, for much needed improvements to the park and ride. The Bus stop is in extremely poor condition. The pavement is responsibility of the County and bus shelter State. Coordination between the State and the county is essential to resolve this problem.
(b) This Park & Ride also needs better signage prohibiting (i) illegal dumping and (ii) overnight parking (e.g., there have been numerous occasions of overnight and several-week parking of oversized tractor trailers, RVs, school buses, etc.).
(c) The Park & Ride also attracts vagrants and homeless people who take up residence on and adjacent to the Carney Park & Ride. Perhaps signage and a discussion with Baltimore County police Precinct 8 would help to alleviate this on-going problem.
(d) Please note that the community's communications with MTA regarding all of these problems seems to indicate that the MTA only maintains the bathroom that is located at the Park, but does not maintain the pavement, bus shelter and trash cans.
Jennifer Branch Headwaters, clean up the section of the Jennifer Branch headwaters of the Gunpowder River to the west of Harford Road. The headwaters of the Jennifer Branch starts in the backyard of 2905 Jomat Avenue and the community has been advocating for the complete restoration of this section of the Jennifer Branch for several years. This project should not be just a clean-up, but a complete restoration of the headwaters and stream area (as was done (i) to the Jennifer Branch on the east side of Harford Road and (ii) to several areas of the Jennifer Branch located in District 5).
The Farm Fields at CVP must be mowed regularly to maintain the overall farming and wildlife theme originated by Gov. William Donald Schaffer when DNR purchased the property. Up until a few years ago, the County Maintenance facilities mowed one-third of the farm fields every year. For the last two years, resources for mowing have been diverted elsewhere and CVP is in danger of losing its agriculture identity. Now, all fields need to be mowed this coming winter and then the County needs to resume mowing one-third of the fields each year.
The one-lane Entrance Road to Willow Grove Farm and Nature Center needs to be widened and parking facilities improved to accommodate the large increase in park attendance. The road needs to be at least two lanes wide so traffic can have one lane entering and one lane leaving the park. Present parking facilities cannot handle the daily attendance of school groups or summer camp drop-off and pick-up. School busses get stuck in the mud and overflow parking areas need to be closed due to erosion of the dirt field and the potential of flooding. Uncut farm fields block the line of sight for entering and leaving vehicles. These are safety issues now and potential Liability issues in the future. All due to lack of proper County maintenance!
The Merrick Bank Barn needs immediate repair and continued seasonal maintenance. Water is seeping through the foundation and over the years, this has caused cracks and movement in the supporting walls. Bug infestation has already occurred and eventually mold will become a hazard. Currently, this facility is used for field trip programs and summer camp presentations for as many as 100 schoolchildren (plus parents) per day. This is a wonderful facility for education purposes but it will not last if it is not maintained properly.
Both Hereford Middle and High School students have received computers which are taken home to do assignments. The lack of internet services to most of north County places these students at a significant disadvantage. In addition, many institutions of higher learning offer online courses. Again, the lack of internet in large portions of northern Baltimore County restricts the option of taking online course. This is a significant disadvantage since institutions of higher learning are expanding to online learning. Finally, in many cases, conducting business from home now requires access to the internet.
The possibility exists for Baltimore County to go into the internet business. Such action has the potential to be a money maker. Other rural jurisdictions have done this. County owned broadband lines have been installed in North County. BCPS plans to convert all schools and libraries to the County system, eliminating Comcast as the provider. These existing lines could be used to expand internet to people in North County.
Request that Comcast and or Verizon agree to serve more homes in northern Baltimore County. See attachment #3 (Home density report for northern Baltimore County).
Recreational Facilities, none currently exist in Northern Baltimore County. Athletic fields, 90 ft ball diamonds, and indoor recreational facilities.
Building a sound barrier next to animal shelteris required by law.
Remove the current leadership running the animal shelter, and encourage cooperation between the shelter andthe Animal Advisory Committee.
Upperco and Glyndon Volunteer Fire Companies, assist in replacing their facilities. Replacement buildings are needed to support the services provided. Both VFC serve very large areas.
Baltimore County Police Substation in Northern Baltimore County. More police presence in the Jacksonville/Phoenix/Monkton area – speeding issues and both commercial and residential armed robberies in last month or so.Rural parts of Northern Baltimore County, further expansion of traffic calming and speed enforcement in the communities.
Western Run – the banks are in ruins all along the Western Run. There is a ton of debris and trees in the Run which is causing the flow of water to be obstructed and many areas. I think that this has caused some of the flooding as well.
Evaluate at the condition of Dairy Road wooden bridge.
Shrubbery along roads needs trimming for better visibility of road signs after very rainy weather and lots of lush growth.
Animal abuse issues should be investigated quickly and efficiently. The animal shelter on Manor Road should be closely monitored to make sure the animals are getting the best care possible.
Greater investments in social workers, guidance counselors, and public health facilities in our public schools.
Streamline and modernize the permit approval process.
Construct additional indoor tennis and pickle ball courts.


The EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, will be hosting the 12th Annual Spring Break-up Party and Dance next Saturday, April 23rd.
Venue doors will open at 5:00PM, the bulls start at 7:00PM and the dance will begin at 10:00PM.
As the third stop on the Canadian Professional Rodeo Associations circuit for this season, one bull rider will be awarded the title at this event. All riders are competing for money and points that will go towards their chances to qualify for the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton this November.
The 12th Annual Spring Break-up Party will see thirty professional bull riders, including Cole Collins from Fort St. John. The event will also host the baby bull riders in the steer riding competition.
Canadian Rodeo Association Champions Tyler Thompson, Scott Schiffner, Jess Torkelson, Jody Turner, Tanner Girlitz and Steven Turner will also be joined by Australian Champion Kyle Louden. Check out the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association's website at www.rodeocanada.com for the full event draw on Monday, April 18th.
Brush off your boots and pull out your Wranglers; it's Spring Break-up time again at the EnCana Events Centre!


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Tag Archives: cyber crime
As Secure as it Can Get: hacking the banks
A little-noticed lawsuit details a hacking attack similar to one that stole $81 million from Bangladesh's central bank, saying cybercriminals stole about $9 million in 2015 from a bank in Ecuador…..…A third attack, from December 2015 at a commercial bank in Vietnam, was detailed last week by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or Swift. That bank detected the fraudulent requests and stopped the movement of funds, the central bank in Vietnam said. In the January 2015 Ecuador hack, as with the Bangladesh case, hackers managed to get the bank's codes for using Swift, the global bank messaging service, to procure funds from another bank, according to court papers.
The Ecuadorean bank, Banco del Austro, filed a lawsuit in New York federal court in 2016 accusing Wells Fargo & Co. of failing to notice "red flags'' in a dozen January 2015 transactions and to stop them before the thieves transferred about $12 million, most of it to banks in Hong Kong. Lawyers for the two banks didn't immediately return phone calls asking to comment about the case and Swift's complaints that they had failed to notify the messaging network….
There are similarities in method, including thieves accessing the bank's system to log on to the Swift network through customer sites, and doing so after bankers' hours, apparently to reduce the likelihood someone would ask questions about specific transactions…
According to that filing on behalf of Banco del Austro, or BDA, "For each of the unauthorized transfers, an unauthorized user, using the Internet, hacked into BDA's computer system after hours using malware that allowed remote access, logged onto the Swift network purporting to be BDA, and redirected transactions to new beneficiaries with new amounts." Using that method, just before midnight on Jan. 14, 2015, a payment order made to a Miami company for less than $3,000 was altered to send $1.4 million to an account in Hong Kong, according to the court filing. There were 12 suspect transfers carried out over a 10-day period in January 2015, according to the lawsuit. BDA's lawsuit argues Wells Fargo should have noticed several anomalies in the transfers and, at a minimum, asked questions about them. "The unauthorized transfers were made in unusual times of the day, in unusual amounts, to unusual beneficiaries in unusual geographic locations,'' the bank's lawyers argued in the filing. "Despite the numerous anomalies in the unauthorized transfers, [Wells Fargo] inexplicably failed to block them and/or alert BDA of the suspicious activity.''
Excerpts from DEVLIN BARRETT and KATY BURNE, Now It's Three: Ecuador Bank Hacked via Swift, Wall Street Journal, May 19, 2016
This entry was posted in corruption/Illegal markets, Espionage, Markets and tagged cyber crime, Ecuador bank hacking, hackers, hacking banking system, hacking banks, hacking central banks, Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), SWIFT as global utility on May 23, 2016 by Stoa.
The Heist: hacking central banks
Hackers broke into the Bangladesh central bank's computer systems in early February, 2016, according to the news service, which cited anonymous officials at the financial institution. The attackers stole the credentials needed to authorize payment transfers and then asked the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to make massive money transfers — nearly three dozen of them — from the Bangladeshi bank's account with the Fed to accounts at other financial institutions overseas. Four transfers to accounts in the Philippines, totaling about $80 million, worked. But then a fifth request, for $20 million to be sent to an apparently fictitious Sri Lankan nonprofit group, was flagged as suspicious by a routing bank because of the "fandation" error.
Bangladesh's central bank was able to stop that transaction after the routing bank asked for confirmation. "The Sri Lankan bank did not disburse it immediately, and we could recover the full amount," the central bank told the Financial Times. The requests waiting to be processed — amounting to a total of between $850 million and $870 million, according to an unnamed official cited by Reuters — were also halted. So if it weren't for that typo, the attackers might have escaped with a bigger payday. Bangladesh's finance minister has blamed the incident on the Federal Reserve and said his government will "file a case in the international court against" the financial institution, according to the Dhaka Tribune. A New York Fed spokesman denied the accusation, telling The Washington Post in a statement that "there is no evidence of any attempt to penetrate Federal Reserve systems in connection with the payments in question" or that the institution's systems were compromised. The spokesman said the payment instructions were "fully authenticated" using standard methods.
Excerpts from Andrea Peterson Typo thwarts hackers in $1 billion cyber heist on Bangladesh central bank, Washington Post, Mar. 11, 2016
This entry was posted in corruption/Illegal markets, Espionage, Globalization, Markets, shadow finance and tagged central bank of Bangladesh, cyber, cyber crime, cyber spying, cyberattack, hacking central banks, hacking groups on March 15, 2016 by Stoa.
Cyber Crime and the Brain Drain
Cyber attacks and cyber espionage are on the rise in Latin America, and the source of much of it is Brazilian hackers and Peruvian recent university graduates linking up with Russian-speaking experts, according to internet security analysts. The region has seen a massive rise in 'trojans' – disguised malicious software – especially in the financial sector, and other online threats, said Dmitry Bestuzhev, Latin American head of research for security firm Kaspersky Lab. The main producers of the malware are Brazil and Peru, he said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday following a regional cyber crime conference.
"Criminals from those two countries produce the majority of malicious code and attack not only their countries but also neighboring ones," he said, adding that their attacks spread as far as Spain and Portugal. In the last couple of years there has been a rise in Latin American hackers linking up with more experienced criminals in Russia and Eastern Europe, he said, as a kind of shadowy brain drain takes place across the Atlantic. A significant number of Peruvian students, in particular, attended university in Russia and returned home knowing how to operate malware as well as communicate in Russian.
"They return and often they are demotivated, they have studied six or eight years, and when they return to their country the work offered is low profile and mediocre paid," said Bestuzhev. With Peruvian laws also inadequate to deal with the threat, that was encouraging the formation of a hacker hub in the Andean country, he said. In return, Russian criminals are increasingly using Latin American networks to 'test' new malware before unleashing it elsewhere, he added.
Excerpts ROSALBA O'BRIENLatam cyber attacks rise as Peru, Brazil hackers link up with Russians, Reuters, Aug. 28, 2015
This entry was posted in corruption/Illegal markets, covert action, cyberwar, Espionage, Globalization, Markets, War and tagged cyber attack, cyber crime, cyber crime Brazil, cyber crime Latin America, cyber crime Peru, cyber crime Russia, cybercrime, cyberespionage, hackers, malware on August 31, 2015 by Stoa.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Quote: The common hawk-cuckoo (Hierococcyx varius), popularly known as the brainfever bird, is a medium-sized cuckoo resident in the Indian subcontinent. It bears a close resemblance to the Shikra, even in its style of flying and landing on a perch. The resemblance to hawks gives this group the generic name of hawk-cuckoo and like many other cuckoos these are brood parasites, laying their eggs in nests of babblers.


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Марк Моисеевич Еминник, урождённый Рехтер (; 7 декабря 1901, Одесса — 1954) — советский украинский правовед, специалист в области уголовного права.

Служил в РККА. В начале 1920-х годов вступил в Коммунистическую партию. Со второй половины 1920-х годов работал в Харьковском институте народного хозяйства, где некоторое время возглавлял юридический факультет. После реорганизации вуза в 1930 году работал в Харьковском институте советского строительства и права, где в 1931—1932 годах был директором и в 1931—1934 — заведующим кафедрой уголовного права.

С 1933 года был судьей Верховного Суда Украинской ССР, а в 1934—1936 годах — помощником прокурора Украинской ССР. Был дважды репрессирован — в 1938 году он был осуждён на 8 лет лишения свободы и в 1949 году выслан на поселение. В 1956 году был посмертно полностью реабилитирован.

Биография
Марк Рехтер родился 7 декабря 1901 года в Одессе. Его отец скончался, когда сыну было два года. Вследствие этого он воспитывался у своего дяди, который жил в другом городе. Его мать продолжала жить в Одессе, и после возвращения к ней Марк экстерном сдал экзамены по программам начальной и средней школы. После этого, в 1917 году он начал преподавать для учеников младших и средних классов сельской школы.  В революционные годы Марк Рехтер сменил фамилию на Еминник. Фамилия Рехтер на русский язык переводилась как «правильный», а на древнееврейском языке это слово звучало как «еминни».

По разным данным начал службу в Красной армии в 1919 или 1920 году. Во время службы вступил в Коммунистическую партию. Демобилизовался в 1922 году, к этому моменту служил в Харькове, где и остался работать после демобилизации. Сначала работал в Центральном комитете Коммунистической партии (большевиков) Украины, а затем в Главном политико-просветительном комитете Народного комиссариата просвещения Украинской ССР. Одновременно с этим получал юридическое образование в Харьковском институте народного хозяйства.

В 1924 в рамках политике «чистки партийных рядов» Еминник был исключён из Коммунистической партии по причине участия в «троцкистской оппозиции». Однако данное утверждение было опровергнуто и уже в 1925 году он был восстановлен в партии. В том же году Марк Еминник окончил правовой факультет Харьковского института народного хозяйства и поступил в него же в аспирантуру. Совмещал учёбу в аспирантуре с практической работой, был народным следователем в окружной прокуратуре. В 1928 году Еминник окончил аспирантуру и был принят на должность ассистента кафедры уголовного права в этом же вузе. Затем он был повышен до доцента, а ещё спустя какое-то время стал деканом всего юридического факультета. Имел учёное звание доцента. Академик Ю. С. Шемшученко также указывал на то, что перед тем как возглавить факультет Еминник защитил кандидатскую диссертацию.

В июле 1930 года Харьковский институт народного хозяйства был реорганизован в Харьковский институт советского строительства и права и в конце того же года Еминник стал заместителем директора по учебной части в новосозданном институте. В 1931 году он стал директором Харьковского института советского строительства и права. В том же году Еминник занял ещё одну должность в вузе — заведующего кафедрой уголовного права, читал лекции по Общей части уголовного права. Оставался директором вуза до 1932 года, а до 1934 — продолжал возглавлять кафедру уголовного права.

Хотя должность директора института М. М. Еминник занимал менее одного года, однако за время учёбы и работы в институте он оставил о себе самую добрую память. Соратники характеризовали его как человека высокоэрудированного, энергичного и целеустремленного, не боящегося никаких трудностей

В середине 1933 года Марк Моисеевич был включён в число судей Верховного Суда Украинской ССР, а 1934 переехал в Киев и на протяжении следующих двух лет возглавлял уголовную коллегию этой судебной инстанции. В 1936 году стал помощником прокурора Украинской ССР.

В 1938 году Еминник был арестован по так называемому «дело юристов» (также встречается название —  дело «правовиков»), которое Ю. С. Шемшученко называл «сфальсифицированным органами НКВД». В вину Еминнику ставилось якобы создание «протроцкистской террористической организации». Также, опираясь на то, что Еминник поменял свою настоящую фамилию и читал книги на древнееврейском языке, следствие безуспешно пыталось доказать его причастность к сионистскому движению. Вместе с ним обвиняемыми по данному делу были бывшие наркомом юстиции Украинской ССР Ф. П. Радченко и судья Верховного суда Украинской ССР С. М. Прушицкий. Все трое подавали жалобы на то, что следствие использует противозаконные методы, но жалобы так и не были приняты во внимание. Впоследствии, за применения противозаконных методов, был расстрелян следователь, который допрашивал Еминника. Когда дело рассматривалось судом, то он отказался от его рассмотрения из-за невозможности проверки доказательств, и дело было направлено в Особое совещание при НКВД СССР. В итоге Марк Еминник был приговорён к 8 годам лишения свободы.

Еминник отбыл весь срок наказания. После освобождения поселился в Ярославле, где работал юрисконсультом. Однако уже спустя два года после освобождения по отношению к Марку Моисеевичу вновь началось уголовное преследование. На этот раз его обвинили в нарушении статей 587 и 5811 Уголовного кодекса РСФСР. В материалах уголовного дела не было доказательств, которые указывали бы на вину Еминника. Сам обвиняемый также своей вины не признал. Однако, уже 26 января 1949 года Особое совещание при МГБ СССР постановило выслать его на поселение.

В сентябре 1953 года он написал письмо Генеральному прокурору СССР Роману Руденко, с которым был ранее знаком. К тому моменту, Еминник был уже тяжело болен. В этом письме он просил Руденко «тщательно и объективно оценить материалы расследования» и утверждал о своей невиновности. Умер в 1954 году находясь на поселении. Точное место смерти Марка Еминника неизвестно. В 1956 году Киевский военный трибунал отменил оба обвинительных акта (1939 и 1948 годов) в отношении Марка Моисеевича Еминника.

Примечания

Литература

Выпускники Национальной юридической академии Украины имени Ярослава Мудрого
Судьи Украины
Ректоры вузов СССР
Ректоры вузов Харькова
Исключённые из КПСС
Восстановленные в КПСС
Репрессированные в СССР
Реабилитированные в СССР

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


How do you augment your reality ?
AR GridTM is a blockchain-based distributed global ledger employing tokenized assets to facilitate AR content contribution, publishing, bidding, scheduling and viewing for the AR Cloud. The AR Cloud is the global shared digital 3D space for AR content collaboration, commerce and engagement.
AR GridTM will facilitate adoption of the AR Cloud and, as the transactional infrastructure, provide a real-time 3D global "AR earth market" with users incentivized to participate through tokenized assets.
AR GridTM will also allow consumers to easily engage and interact with deployed AR content from anywhere on the planet at any time on any device.
Sign up here for more information and to receive updates on AR GridTM.
Number of players in the AR field makes open source consensus "standard" a necessity.
Without the AR Cloud and the AR GridTM, content publishers/producers will have a very segmented market and will not be able to reap the potential benefits of AR.


If, after reviewing the statute and rules, you still need input on whether your transaction structure requires premerger notification, email HSRHelp@ftc.gov for informal guidance from Premerger Notification Office (PNO) staff. This informal advice is not binding on the PNO, Commission staff or the Commission, but is provided to assist your determination of reportability. You may review previously provided informal advice in the PNO's informal interpretation database. Please note that any email asking for advice may be posted to the informal interpretation database.


text:
December 26, 2004 with the submarine captain in Maui, Hawaii
December 24, 2004 with Sherry Miller in Maui, Hawaii
December 20, 2004 in Maui, Hawaii
October 3, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois
September 14, 2004 with Jade Rasmussen in Chicago, Illinois
September 5, 2004 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
September 4, 2004 with Geoff in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
July 3, 2004 with Colton Kalmar in Mattoon, Illinois
June 27, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois
May 30, 2004 with Rex Washburn in Chicago, Illinois
March 4, 2004 with Seema and Punitha in Chennai, India
March 3, 2004 with Seema and no hair in Chennai, India
March 3, 2004 with Seema and hair in Chennai, India
March 1, 2004 with Geoff in Chennai, India
February 29, 2004 with JJ Avea in Chennai, India


But uncounted hundreds of other Cubans with nasty pasts are also living here, including State Security officers, snitches and collaborators, judges, policemen and members of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the neighborhood watch groups.
Most were small cogs in the communist system's machinery for political repression. They did not beat or torture. But they were not harmless.
Their work could land dissidents in prison or block their children from getting into the right universities.
Yet like hundreds of thousands of other Cubans, they eventually moved to Miami, legally or illegally, for valid or suspect reasons. And their victims fumed when they spotted their former tormentors living in the capital of Cuban exile.
"The fact is that he screwed up my life," Jose Varona, 73, said about the State Security officer whose court testimony in 1973 helped send him to prison for 6 ½ years. Varona was freed and moved to Miami in 1979. The officer arrived two years ago.
Frank Parodi, a retired official of the human rights violators' unit of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said that after the arrest of one Cuban abuser was announced in 1992, his office received 250 tips and leads about other abusers in Miami. He was transferred to Washington afterward and does not know what happened to those tips.
Elizardo Sánchez said "hundreds upon hundreds" of full-time officers of State Security, the Interior Ministry branch in charge of political repression, moved to the United States in recent years. Ironically, he claimed, some went searching for a safe haven.
U.S. government officials acknowledge it is difficult if not impossible to weed out the bad apples when Cubans apply for U.S. visas, residency or citizenship.
State Security officers use pseudonyms to hide their identities when cracking down on dissidents, and Washington does not appear to have extensive databases that could alert to Cubans with dirty pasts.
Marcela Sánchez said she warned U.S. diplomats in Havana that three of her Caamaño neighbors had obtained U.S. visas and were preparing to leave. They settled in Miami in 2000 or 2001.
In the absence of full U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations, Havana does not cooperate in confirming the personal details of Cubans seeking visas or citizenship, and almost never accepts U.S. deportations.
Rivero and his wife apparently did not reveal in their visa or residency documents that they had held the rank of colonel and captain in the Interior Ministry and belonged to the Communist Party — facts that might have triggered deeper U.S. looks at their cases.
The former agents and collaborators also could pose a security risk for the U.S. government because they could cooperate with Cuban intelligence agents, willingly or under pressure, said Elizardo Sánchez.
Miami human rights activist Oscar Peña said it's time for Cubans to stop nursing old wounds, "not to forget, but to draw a mental line and say 'this stops now.' " The same goes for islanders still holding grudges against exiles, he added.
But that's a tough idea for victims, their relatives and friends to accept.
After El Nuevo Herald published the first story about Rivero, it received a dozen complaints against other alleged abusers in South Florida.
One Miami man emailed the newspaper to denounce the Havana judge he said had refused to give a break to a mutual friend convicted of a non-political crime in the 1980s.
Another alleged that a former prison guard in Camagüey province named Eugenio Salgado had worked at the Palacio De los Jugos restaurant on Flagler Street. Owner Apolonia Bermudez said Salgado quit 10-12 years ago and El Nuevo Herald efforts to find him were unsuccessful.Miami author Rodrigo de la Luz said he was stunned some years back when he ran into the policeman who watched but did nothing as another cop beat him 20 years ago in Havana, for being disrespectful during his arrest.
"I was handcuffed, and you laughed," de la Luz, now 43, recalled saying to the man, who admitted that he had been a policeman but denied ever abusing anyone and insisted that was old history.
"After all, we're all here" in Miami, the man added.
De la Luz said he denounced the policeman to the FBI but does not know whether the bureau pursued the case. His name was Jose Luis, but de la Luz does not recall if he ever learned his surname.
Marcela Sánchez, 62, said the Caamaños supported the Castro government strongly for decades and allowed State Security to use their home, across the street from hers, as a base and permanent site of a video camera that filmed all her brother's visitors.
A son-in law, Ernesto Estevez, punctured the tires of some of her brother's foreign visitors and in 1992 joined a violent police raid that carted away virtually all of his human rights archives and busted up his office furniture, she added.
Estevez told El Nuevo Herald that the Caamaño and Sanchez families had "differences of political criteria" but denied that he helped the 1992 raid or punctured tires, or that State Security agents had a base and a camera at the Caamaño home.
He only lived with the Caamaños because he was married to a daughter, Estevez said, and did not share their strongly pro-Castro views. "I was apathetic. I am allergic to politics. Why do you think I left the country?" he said.
Oscar Alvarez, another Sánchez neighbor now living in Miami said there was indeed a video camera in the Caamaño home and that he believed Estevez was a full-time State Security official. Estevez denied he ever served in Cuba's security services.
Varona, now a security consultant, said he still bears a grudge for Eloy Mederos, the State Security officer, childhood friend in Camaguey and prosecution witness in the trial that convicted him of plotting to topple the government. The charge was true, he said.
Mederos, now about 80, arrived in Miami about two years ago, Varona said. El Nuevo efforts to contact Mederos at the address and phone number provided by Varona, and to locate him independently, were not successful.
He has denounced Mederos to the FBI, immigration officials and Sen. Marco Rubio's office and considered organizing a group protest at the address. "The least I would do is to slap him," Varona told El Nuevo Herald in an interview.


text:
Army Kills Two Female Suicide Bombers Attempting To Infiltrate Base
Ibukun May 19, 2018 0
Two female suicide bombers, who attempted to infiltrate troops in Kawuri, in Konduga Local Government Area in Borno on Friday, were killed by the Nigerian Army, reports indicate.Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director Public Relations,…
Stallionaire Oil Depot Tank Explodes In Lagos
Ibukun Jan 25, 2018 0
At Stallionaire Oil Depot in Ijegun, Satelite Town, Lagos State, a tank full of fuel exploded and caught fire, The fire started around 12.30pm on Wednesday. The fire consumed the whole tank and would have spread if not for the diligent…
VIDEO: Phone Battery Blows Up In Man's Face After He Bites It
A man on buying a smartphone in a store in an attempt to verify that the battery was original bit into it and the battery blew up in his face.CCTV footage captured on January 19th at a store in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province of China…
Man's Left Testicle Explodes While On Holiday In Tunisia
David Worsley a 59-year-old grandfather who worked as a security guard in Britain was suffering from a rare condition called African Salmonella and was on holiday in Tunisia with his wife Joanne in July 2014 when he experienced an…


I found the dead clown beneath some trash in an alley. Both his wrists were slashed and he was wearing a sign which read "NOT EVEN WORTH A FUNERAL". Then his cell phone rang.
I pinched my nose and answered the call pretending to be the clown, but with a cold. The caller was his agent, she said "good news. There was a screw up at the auditions, you got the big part after all, sugar."
As I switched clothes with the clown I couldn't resist imagining everyone who laughed when I said I was only trawling trash 'till my big break came.
6 I like it but feel it could be better.
5 Who trawls for trash?


text:
DRC elections raise peace hopes for region
IRIN - December 11, 2006
An international conference aimed at enhancing peace, security and development in Africa's Great Lakes Region is under way in Nairobi, with delegates expressing optimism that the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo heralded an era of stability in the volatile region.
After four-year process, region is closer to peace
When preparations for the international conference on peace, security, democracy and development in the Great Lakes region began in 2003, United Nations and African Union (AU) officials were at pains to explain that this was a process, not just a meeting, that would take years to achieve. Four years later, the last of two state summits in this process is scheduled for 14-15 December in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
U.S. Congress passes Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006
U.S. Congress - December 9, 2006
A bill to promote relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Annan, Security Council Urge Congolese to Work Together And Welcome New President
UN News - December 7, 2006
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today stressed the need for all Congolese to work together as he congratulated Joseph Kabila on his inauguration as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the recent elections, the first democratic polls in the strife-torn country in more than 40 years.
Video: Joseph Kabila inauguration ceremony on 12.6.2006
Monuc - December 7, 2006
Joseph Kabila inauguration ceremony on 12.6.2006.
Thousands return to eastern town of Sake
IRIN - December 6, 2006
At least 15,000 people who had fled fighting in Sake, in the eastern province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are returning home but without assistance, according to the local displacement returns committee.
Kabila Sworn In as DRC's Elected President
VOA News - December 6, 2006
Thirty-five-year-old Joseph Kabila has been sworn-in as the newly elected post-war president in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Wearing a dark suit and raising his right hand, Mr. Kabila said he would only be guided by general interest and act as a faithful servant of the people. The ceremony was held under tight security in Kinshasa.
High security in Kinshasa ahead of presidential inauguration
Security is high in Kinshasa ahead of the inauguration ceremony for newly elected DRC president Joseph Kabila, which will commence tomorrow at 11am on Wednesday December 5 2006 in the "Palais de la Nation".
More fighting breaks out in the east
Renewed fighting broke out on Tuesday between dissident soldiers allied to a former army chief and the regular army in the eastern province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Video: Joseph and Olive Kabila celebrate after the decision by the Supreme Court on 11.28.2006
Présidence de la République - December 1, 2006
Joseph and Olive Kabila celebrate after the decision by the Supreme Court on 11.28.2006
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People who are, or are perceived as, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex suffer from social stigma, exclusion, and bias at work, at home, at school, in health care institutions and in many other aspects of their lives. Individuals may be fired from their jobs, bullied at school, denied appropriate medical treatment, thrown out of their homes, disowned by their parents, forced into psychiatric institutions, forced to marry or become pregnant, and subjected to attacks on their reputation. For intersex people, discrimination often begins at birth, with many intersex babies and young children subjected to surgical and other interventions, performed without their or their parents' informed consent, with the intention of erasing intersex differences.


Your social media profiles have morphed as the sites they live on have changed. So has the way people view them.
Facebook Timeline cover photos get noticed first. However, study participants still spent a longer time looking at the Facebook Timeline profile photo than the cover photo.
Facebook ads get noticed more in Facebook Timeline. While 43% of participants noticed Facebook "sponsored stories" in the old profile format, 63% noticed the ads in the Timeline format. Participants spent the same amount of time on average looking at the ads in each profile.
Personal information such as employer and location gets more attention in the new Facebook Timeline. Viewers spent an average 2.2 seconds looking at this section in the new format, which includes images, but only 1.6 seconds looking at this section in the old format.
MySpace text gets read last and least. In both the new and old versions of MySpace, top photos were noticed first and viewers spent the most time looking at them.
The New MySpace makes soundtracks more prominent. Ninety-seven percent of viewers noticed the section of songs you can click on to play in the new profile, but only 53% noticed them in the old profile.
Profile information is easier to find in the new Twitter. While viewing the old profile, participants noticed tweets before they noticed profiles. While viewing the new version, that pattern was reversed.
Take a look at the full results in the slideshow below and add your own observations to the comments.
Facebook Timeline became available to all Facebook users in December, replacing the Facebook Wall.
The map shows what study participants spend the most time looking at. The areas that are dark red were looked at most.
This is the same information from the previous slide presented in a different way. The clear areas are what people saw when they looked at the profiles.
Web Page Fixation Order refers to the order in which participants looked at different elements on the page.
The numbers on this page refer to how much time, in seconds, passed before participants looked at each page element. It does not refer to how much time they spent looking at each element.
This slide shows both the percentage of participants who looked at each page element and the amount of time they spent looking at it.
Facebook ads get seen by even fewer people in the new format than they did in the old format. Participants spent on average about the same amount of time on both.
MySpace overhauled its site last year to take it from "social network" to "social entertainment destination."
In both the old and new profile, the top photos get the most attention and the information on the right side the least.
Faces get seen more than anything else on both of Lady Gaga's profiles.
In both profiles, participants looked at the top of the page first and the lower right-hand corner last.
On average it takes seven seconds to reach the column with activities.
All participants noticed Lady Gaga on top of the profile, and on average that's what they spent the most time looking at.
Before the revamp, study participants still noticed the top photo the most, but spent even more time looking at it. They noticed other information on the page such as contact information and tour dates even less.
Twitter rolled out a major redesign in December that rearranged page elements and added new features.
In both profile designs, tweets get the most attention.
Profile thumbnails got more attention when they moved from the left to the right.
In both designs, participants looked toward the middle of the page first.
On the old Twitter page, participants looked at tweets first. On the new page, people found the "who to follow" box first.
Viewers spent the longest amount of time looking at tweets.
Tweets also hold the most attention in the new version of Twitter.


, vol. xviii, no. 290. thursday, march 12,1981 (hoot 21, 1359 u.s.) price afs. 6 i kabul, 12 chairmanship of babrak dra prime minister. after the annual socioeconomic plan and budget afghanistan for afghan year 1360 (march 1981-march 20, . 1s82) was approved, kar-mal drew attention pf members council ministers concerned ministeries organisations to their grave responsibilities towards realisation wise utilisation .of country's resources improving peace well-being people. he also, basic princi- j pies implementation socio-economic develope- ment 'savings. hearing reports presented by sultan ali keshtmand, vice-president rc deputy minister, abdul wakil, minister finance, discussed developmental ordinary parts approved it. taking into account revenues expenditures, 1360, with a total out lay 6f 45,502,000,000 which 29,210,000,000 is part 1j,481,000,000 part, submitted presidiuyn revolutionary council. in accordance duties assigned pdpa cc government, state planning committee, colloboration various minitries, departments organisations, up draft it approval. main goal l boost volume production surpass that ' 1358 at same time improve material living conditions toiling people country. the' envisages relative growth industrial agricultural production. this transport will expand develop considerably necessary be paid work non-manufacturig organisations. achieve these goals, considerable increase made, investment compared 1359. drawing plan, prposals manufacturing non-manufacturing have confessions putschist rome, (tass). five coups d'etat were planned italy period 1970 1974, local special services knew about them. stated an interview weekly "i'aspresso" gianna- dalio maletti, former head counter-intelligence department defence information service (sid) disbanded three years ago. abortive fascist putsch 'black prince' borghese conspiracy ultra-rightist oganj-isation rosa dei venti, approves (bakhtar). held meeting yesterday under karmal, general seer tary cc, president also been taken consi-, deration. policy of. new phase saur revolution has brought favourable relationsat-ion planed country removal backwardnesses, elimination exploitation improvement people, zi scales repression wave arrests continues pakistan, according afp report from islamabad. zia ul-haq either thrown jail or placed house detention hundreds opposition leaders including mrs. nasrat' bhutto, wife late her daughter benazir bhutto. mass took place shortly before zia's cabinet's reshuffle. political observers believe move not lessen least present crisis pakistan. detentions are expected sooner later, spark off uprising arrested past weeks, .include politicians active party cadres parties, banned following coup 1977. warsaw joint exercise moscow, commandl-and-staff exercises allied armies fleets designation units, code-named 'soyuz-81', on territories polish people's republic, german democratic soviet union czechoslovak socialist republic second half 1981. perfect unit teamwork cooperation higher headquarters fraternal actions. santiago de chile, (ceteka). seven west european participants gathering, marking international women's day expelled chile night 10. citizens, one dutch woman norwegian journalist .were detained sunday together 28 chileans who accused stirring public unrest. most dangerous attempt, maletti,' conspi- racy right-wing bfficers august 1974. putschists seize republic's force him speak over radio support military coup. however, last moment some officers 1 drawn decided give plans upon learning conspiracy. gen. maletti aroused stormy reaction v prepared ministry finance participation other basis country, objective maximum use financial economic development, social another report, pakistan continue. bodies worker's unions, proponents supporters friendship' among countries, arrested. mazhar khan, secretary all-pakistan member presidium world council, reagan budget:222 billion dollars pentagon washington, (tass) us ronald signed fiscal 1982, replace congress carter administration. sent 10, but many details had become known earlier, making clear cannons inst ead butter. ; provides spending alone 32.6 1981 1982. is, pentagon's next reach astronomical figure 222 dollars, while overall ceiling outlays purposes through departments, still higher. priorities going spend money first all modernising strategic tactical nuclear forces, navy air force, as well as. enhancing combat readiness ground troops. additional funds come, above all, curtailing needs. during signing rea compromised more services, already implicated scandal. investigation himself now view strong suspicions his complicity neofas-jtiste staged explosion milan bank december 1969. found themselves constantly vario cultural needs, raising needs defence. '. budget, like 1359, 'balanced without deficit. detailed news released presidium. editor "view point", hamid akhar, vice-chairman pakistan-soviet friendship society its recently similarly, large number progressive journalists figures jail. would indicate, observers, acts vendetta one-man government against forces only being scaled up. t gan said 55.9 "saved" thanks cuts different programmes saving items budget. stressed those "economy" measures kind. administration embark five-year programme cutting spending, guest delegates home kabul airport. pinochet (ceteka, adn) self-appointed chilean chief junta augusto pionoc-het became "constitutio- scandals. sixties, lorenzo, headed sifar secret service, practised illegal spying preparing armed putsch. sid created instead. methods remained same. mich-eli involved borghese's attempt put behind bars. opinion here demands unlawful activities services. hijackers' ultimatum damascus, (adn) hijackers pakistani airliner damascus airport set release prisoners agency reports, threatening blow plane thursday 16.00 gmt if authorities do meet demands. previous deadline wednesday 10.00 extended reached. syrian sana says co-. untry's take possible steps come settlement secure 100 hostages. un secretary-general kurt waldheim called best hostages since monday, ceteka york. tu guests leave foreign participated trade unions left yesterday, respective countries. they seen najmoddin kawiani, oigariisa-tions committee pdpa, sayed tahir shah paikargar, alternate sattar purdeli, chairman afghanistan, ambassadors .friendly crowns nal" rule. x eight-year term, th possibility almost certain re-election, ensured new, extremely reactionary contitut-ion imposed farcical referendum, f, when comes effect, mean any politcal relaxation made press conference eve inauguration. repressive measures, introduced remain ban parties organization. constitution tool make pionochet "president" life, enable strengthen ultrareact-ionary, anti-popular regime. scholars, clergy back fatherland front march. ( bakhtar). land road workers tourism, technical works tonic students teachers school sponsorship pr-ecint-5 city, expressed all-out formation national yesterday. add ressed care-taker publicity, extension education precinct-5 others. speakers pledged sacrifices ended concert artists department. similar elders, provincial committees, women youth; cooperatives tus, employees jalalabad schools supported welcomed law soldiers governor nangarhar speeches shed light role dra. organisation youth vo-luntaryily joined audience. departure (photo: bakhtar) pinochet's self-appoint-ment has, condemned executive secretariat united popular antifascista bureau republic. clodomiro almeyda, allende tuesday, "pinochet ,is never factotum meanest anti-people interests. assumption presidency climax institutionalization fascism chile." almeyda reaffirmed right "utilise forms struggle smashing (continued p. 4) dispatch kunar province says, religious scholars hard working -of sarkani district gathering governorate province, objectives evolutionary welcomes (bakhtar) function yesterday., primary addressed hashmat rur-ang, i)r mohammad habibi spoke organising patriotic within framework describing highest organ toilers .was occasion construction deportment, compounds 'tar factory. end functions, membership cards - municipality renewed. xf cia talks japan pm w .- r tokyo, .the pressing broaden sphere action japanese alliance, washington assigns major asian strategy. director central intelligence william casey, arrived tokyo visit, " primfe zenko suzuki oa 9, kyo-j tsushiri agency. demanded aid states stepped f ! list, "in need aid" milit- ary regime gave refuge bandits trained western chinese raid te rritory afgh- anittan. casey advocated, .bigger thailand.
Full-text , vol. xviii, no. 290. thursday, march 12,1981 (hoot 21, 1359 u.s.) price afs. 6 i kabul, 12 chairmanship of babrak dra prime minister. after the annual socioeconomic plan and budget afghanistan for afghan year 1360 (march 1981-march 20, . 1s82) was approved, kar-mal drew attention pf members council ministers concerned ministeries organisations to their grave responsibilities towards realisation wise utilisation .of country's resources improving peace well-being people. he also, basic princi- j pies implementation socio-economic develope- ment 'savings. hearing reports presented by sultan ali keshtmand, vice-president rc deputy minister, abdul wakil, minister finance, discussed developmental ordinary parts approved it. taking into account revenues expenditures, 1360, with a total out lay 6f 45,502,000,000 which 29,210,000,000 is part 1j,481,000,000 part, submitted presidiuyn revolutionary council. in accordance duties assigned pdpa cc government, state planning committee, colloboration various minitries, departments organisations, up draft it approval. main goal l boost volume production surpass that ' 1358 at same time improve material living conditions toiling people country. the' envisages relative growth industrial agricultural production. this transport will expand develop considerably necessary be paid work non-manufacturig organisations. achieve these goals, considerable increase made, investment compared 1359. drawing plan, prposals manufacturing non-manufacturing have confessions putschist rome, (tass). five coups d'etat were planned italy period 1970 1974, local special services knew about them. stated an interview weekly "i'aspresso" gianna- dalio maletti, former head counter-intelligence department defence information service (sid) disbanded three years ago. abortive fascist putsch 'black prince' borghese conspiracy ultra-rightist oganj-isation rosa dei venti, approves (bakhtar). held meeting yesterday under karmal, general seer tary cc, president also been taken consi-, deration. policy of. new phase saur revolution has brought favourable relationsat-ion planed country removal backwardnesses, elimination exploitation improvement people, zi scales repression wave arrests continues pakistan, according afp report from islamabad. zia ul-haq either thrown jail or placed house detention hundreds opposition leaders including mrs. nasrat' bhutto, wife late her daughter benazir bhutto. mass took place shortly before zia's cabinet's reshuffle. political observers believe move not lessen least present crisis pakistan. detentions are expected sooner later, spark off uprising arrested past weeks, .include politicians active party cadres parties, banned following coup 1977. warsaw joint exercise moscow, commandl-and-staff exercises allied armies fleets designation units, code-named 'soyuz-81', on territories polish people's republic, german democratic soviet union czechoslovak socialist republic second half 1981. perfect unit teamwork cooperation higher headquarters fraternal actions. santiago de chile, (ceteka). seven west european participants gathering, marking international women's day expelled chile night 10. citizens, one dutch woman norwegian journalist .were detained sunday together 28 chileans who accused stirring public unrest. most dangerous attempt, maletti,' conspi- racy right-wing bfficers august 1974. putschists seize republic's force him speak over radio support military coup. however, last moment some officers 1 drawn decided give plans upon learning conspiracy. gen. maletti aroused stormy reaction v prepared ministry finance participation other basis country, objective maximum use financial economic development, social another report, pakistan continue. bodies worker's unions, proponents supporters friendship' among countries, arrested. mazhar khan, secretary all-pakistan member presidium world council, reagan budget:222 billion dollars pentagon washington, (tass) us ronald signed fiscal 1982, replace congress carter administration. sent 10, but many details had become known earlier, making clear cannons inst ead butter. ; provides spending alone 32.6 1981 1982. is, pentagon's next reach astronomical figure 222 dollars, while overall ceiling outlays purposes through departments, still higher. priorities going spend money first all modernising strategic tactical nuclear forces, navy air force, as well as. enhancing combat readiness ground troops. additional funds come, above all, curtailing needs. during signing rea compromised more services, already implicated scandal. investigation himself now view strong suspicions his complicity neofas-jtiste staged explosion milan bank december 1969. found themselves constantly vario cultural needs, raising needs defence. '. budget, like 1359, 'balanced without deficit. detailed news released presidium. editor "view point", hamid akhar, vice-chairman pakistan-soviet friendship society its recently similarly, large number progressive journalists figures jail. would indicate, observers, acts vendetta one-man government against forces only being scaled up. t gan said 55.9 "saved" thanks cuts different programmes saving items budget. stressed those "economy" measures kind. administration embark five-year programme cutting spending, guest delegates home kabul airport. pinochet (ceteka, adn) self-appointed chilean chief junta augusto pionoc-het became "constitutio- scandals. sixties, lorenzo, headed sifar secret service, practised illegal spying preparing armed putsch. sid created instead. methods remained same. mich-eli involved borghese's attempt put behind bars. opinion here demands unlawful activities services. hijackers' ultimatum damascus, (adn) hijackers pakistani airliner damascus airport set release prisoners agency reports, threatening blow plane thursday 16.00 gmt if authorities do meet demands. previous deadline wednesday 10.00 extended reached. syrian sana says co-. untry's take possible steps come settlement secure 100 hostages. un secretary-general kurt waldheim called best hostages since monday, ceteka york. tu guests leave foreign participated trade unions left yesterday, respective countries. they seen najmoddin kawiani, oigariisa-tions committee pdpa, sayed tahir shah paikargar, alternate sattar purdeli, chairman afghanistan, ambassadors .friendly crowns nal" rule. x eight-year term, th possibility almost certain re-election, ensured new, extremely reactionary contitut-ion imposed farcical referendum, f, when comes effect, mean any politcal relaxation made press conference eve inauguration. repressive measures, introduced remain ban parties organization. constitution tool make pionochet "president" life, enable strengthen ultrareact-ionary, anti-popular regime. scholars, clergy back fatherland front march. ( bakhtar). land road workers tourism, technical works tonic students teachers school sponsorship pr-ecint-5 city, expressed all-out formation national yesterday. add ressed care-taker publicity, extension education precinct-5 others. speakers pledged sacrifices ended concert artists department. similar elders, provincial committees, women youth; cooperatives tus, employees jalalabad schools supported welcomed law soldiers governor nangarhar speeches shed light role dra. organisation youth vo-luntaryily joined audience. departure (photo: bakhtar) pinochet's self-appoint-ment has, condemned executive secretariat united popular antifascista bureau republic. clodomiro almeyda, allende tuesday, "pinochet ,is never factotum meanest anti-people interests. assumption presidency climax institutionalization fascism chile." almeyda reaffirmed right "utilise forms struggle smashing (continued p. 4) dispatch kunar province says, religious scholars hard working -of sarkani district gathering governorate province, objectives evolutionary welcomes (bakhtar) function yesterday., primary addressed hashmat rur-ang, i)r mohammad habibi spoke organising patriotic within framework describing highest organ toilers .was occasion construction deportment, compounds 'tar factory. end functions, membership cards - municipality renewed. xf cia talks japan pm w .- r tokyo, .the pressing broaden sphere action japanese alliance, washington assigns major asian strategy. director central intelligence william casey, arrived tokyo visit, " primfe zenko suzuki oa 9, kyo-j tsushiri agency. demanded aid states stepped f ! list, "in need aid" milit- ary regime gave refuge bandits trained western chinese raid te rritory afgh- anittan. casey advocated, .bigger thailand.


text:
package org.apache.airavata.service.profile.client.util;

import java.net.URL;
import java.util.Properties;

/**
 * Created by goshenoy on 3/23/17.
 */
public class ProfileServiceClientUtil {

    private static final String PROFILE_SERVICE_SERVER_HOST = "profile.service.server.host";
    private static final String PROFILE_SERVICE_SERVER_PORT = "profile.service.server.port";
    private static final String PROFILE_CLIENT_SAMPLE_PROPERTIES = "profile-client-sample.properties";

    private static Properties properties;
    private static Exception propertyLoadException;

    static {
        loadProperties();
    }

    private static void loadProperties() {
        URL url = ProfileServiceClientUtil.class.getClassLoader().getResource(PROFILE_CLIENT_SAMPLE_PROPERTIES);
        try {
            properties = new Properties();
            properties.load(url.openStream());
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            propertyLoadException = ex;
        }
    }

    public static String  getProfileServiceServerHost() throws Exception {
        validateSuccessfullPropertyLoad();
        return properties.getProperty(PROFILE_SERVICE_SERVER_HOST);
    }

    public static int getProfileServiceServerPort() throws Exception {
        validateSuccessfullPropertyLoad();
        return Integer.parseInt(properties.getProperty(PROFILE_SERVICE_SERVER_PORT));
    }

    private static void validateSuccessfullPropertyLoad() throws Exception {
        if (propertyLoadException != null) {
            throw new Exception(propertyLoadException.getMessage(), propertyLoadException);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Mint - the perfect minty green.
Silk mohair comes in skeins with 50 grams / 420 meters.
Beautiful by itself or combined with another yarn.
The yarn is washed after dyeing, but some bleeding may occur.
Different monitors show colours differently, but I do my best to choose photos that represent the colour accurately.


text:
Home KAIST
Research Consortium to Test COVID-19 DNA Vaccines on Primates
by James Jung
PUBLISHED: March 26, 2020 UPDATED: March 27, 2020
in KAIST, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Korea, Vaccine, Virus
The South Korean government commissioned a research consortium intended at testing the first of a vaccine candidate on primates.
The South Korean government commissioned a research consortium intended at testing the first of a vaccine candidate on primates. The consortium aims to find and evaluate an effective medicine for the new coronavirus ahead of other countries.
The global COVID-19 outbreak created a vast market for medical supplies such as vaccines, diagnostic kits, and medicines. The state formed a consortium composed of researches and companies such as GenNBio, Binex, Genexine, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST).
Genexine, stated on Wednesday, said that the research consortium designed the primate test to check the safety of GX-19. Genexine is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Seongnam-si, Korea.
GX-19 is a DNA vaccine material for the treatment of the COVID-19 disease.
GenNBio Inc., a South Korean organ transplant company, would lead the vaccine testing in non-human primates. Vaccine makers use non-human primates, including monkeys and chimpanzees, for vaccine tests because of their genetic similarity to humans. They consider the primates as the best available animal model to evaluate safety and immunogenicity.
An official from Genexine said that the company plans to start a human clinical trial as early as June.
Conventional vaccines work by injecting weakened viruses into the body, training the immune system to recognize and combat pathogens, either viruses or bacteria. On the other hand, DNA vaccines trigger an adaptive immune response by injecting genetically engineered plasmid that can produce viral antigens into the body.
DNA vaccination requires less time for research and development than conventional vaccine types.
Medical scientists that using different compositions of conventional vaccines would have a higher chance of developing a novel COVID-19 vaccine compared to researching and developing a brand-new drug.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced on Tuesday that it would provide a state fund $3.25 million (4 billion won) into the manufacture of therapeutic materials and clinical trial researches. The project would include quick clinical experiments to check the efficacy of Kaletra, a medicine used for treating HIV infection, and a Chloroquine, a medication used to prevent and treat malaria.
What's your thoughts?
Tags: clinical trialconsortiumDNA vaccineKAISTKCDCprimateSouth Koreatestingvaccine
S.Korea will track COVID-19 cases with AI-powered facial recognition from January
South Korea sets site engineering standards for big tech firms
National AI complex project starts in South Korea: New AI hub in making
Korea to expand bilateral ties with the U.S. to resolve semiconductor shortage
KAI's $2bn worth investment is its next big project to enter the global space industry
South Korea fails to place the dummy satellite into orbit


text:
To Love and Die in Dixie («Полюбить и умереть в Дикси») — двенадцатая серия третьего сезона мультсериала «Гриффины». Премьерный показ состоялся 15 ноября 2001 года на канале FOX. В России премьерный показ состоялся 13 августа 2002 года на канале Рен-ТВ.

Сюжет

Крис устраивается разносчиком газет, чтобы купить подарок на день рождения девочке, которая ему нравится. В магазине он становится свидетелем ограбления и у него крадут велосипед. В полицейском участке Крис даёт свидетельские показания и указывает на грабителя. Вскоре появляется Питер и даёт бандиту (не зная, кто он такой) портрет Криса, его школьное расписание и даже список его страхов (picture of Chris with a list of his school schedules and his greatest fears).

Грабитель (Убийца СМИ) сбегает из-под стражи. Он знает, где искать Криса, и клянётся отомстить ему, поэтому семья Гриффинов попадает под Программу Защиты Свидетелей (), из-за чего и переселяется в крохотный городок Бамблскам (Bumblescum) в далёких южных штатах. В Бамблскаме Питер становится шерифом, а Брайан — его заместителем; Стьюи вступает в «провинциальный ансамбль» (hillbilly jug band); Мег становится популярной среди новых одноклассников; а Крис знакомится с девушкой по имени Сэм (поначалу Крис уверен, что Сэм — мальчик).

Питер вместе с семьёй смотрит реконструкцию Гражданской войны (). В этой постановке побеждают «южане», а не «северяне». Питер вмешивается в реконструкцию и пытается убедить всех в неправильности постановки, забыв о том, что на Юге «северян» недолюбливают. За это отец Сэм запрещает ей дружить с Крисом, а ветераны войны устраивают за Питером погоню.

Сэм целует Криса и тот полагает, что Сэм — гей. Крис колеблется, не стать ли ему в таком случае самому гомосексуалом, но чуть позже он говорит Сэм, что «любит его только как друга». Чуть позже они идут купаться, где и выясняется, что Сэм — девочка. Так как у Криса не ладятся отношения с противоположным полом (это видно в начале эпизода), он начинает неуютно себя чувствовать рядом с подругой, на что та советует ему относиться к ней так же, как он относился к ней, когда думал, что она — мальчик.

Убийца выслеживает Криса (потому что ФБР не сказало ему, где сейчас находится Крис, но сказало, где находится Мег), но его застреливает отец Сэм.

Горожане готовы простить Питера за принесённые городу оскорбления, но так как бандита больше нет, Гриффины возвращаются в Куахог. Крис с грустью расстаётся с Сэм.

Вернувшись, на своём автоответчике Гриффины обнаруживают 113 сообщений от соседа Герберта, который разыскивает Криса.

Создание
Автор сценария: Стив Кэллахан.

Режиссёр: Дэн Повенмайр.

Приглашённые знаменитости: Вэйлон Дженнингс и Дакота Фэннинг (в роли Сэм).

Ссылки на культурные явления
 Название эпизода — слегка перефразированная строчка из популярной американской песни «Дикси» (1859). Эта песня является неофициальным гимном южных («рабовладельческих») штатов.
 Питер перекрасил свой автомобиль под «Генерала Ли», запрыгивал в него так же, как в сериале «Придурки из Хаззарда», даже совершил вполне хороший прыжок.
 В конце песни «My Baby Like To Eat», которую репетируют кантри-группа, Стьюи произносит «I've got blisters on my fingers!» — фраза, которую говорит Ринго в конце песни «Helter Skelter» группы The Beatles
 Рука в банке — это отсылка к сериалу «Торчвуд» (англ. Torchwood).

Ссылки
 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091746/http://www.kinofilms.org/serial/1693_Family_Guy/seasons/3/12/

Серии «Гриффинов»


Last year, 75 hospitals managed or supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) were bombed. This was in violation of the most fundamental rules of war which gives protected status to medical facilities and its patients, regardless if the patients are civilians or wounded combatants. Beyond the hospitals, civilians are being wounded and killed by indiscriminate warfare in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Afghanistan and elsewhere. At the same time, the treatment of refugees and migrants in Europe and beyond has shown a shocking lack of humanity. A humanitarian summit, at which states, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations come together to discuss these urgent issues, has never been more needed. So the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) this month could have been a perfect opportunity.
MSF has been significantly engaged in the WHS process over the past 18 months, including preparing briefing notes on various themes – a sign of our willingness to be involved. The WHS has done an admirable job in opening up the humanitarian sector to a much wider group of actors, and leading an inclusive process.
However, with regret, we have come to the decision to pull out of the summit. We no longer have any hope that the WHS will address the weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response, particularly in conflict areas or epidemic situations. Instead, the WHS's focus would seem to be an incorporation of humanitarian assistance into a broader development and resilience agenda. Further, the summit neglects to reinforce the obligations of states to uphold and implement the humanitarian and refugee laws which they have signed up to.
As shocking violations of international humanitarian law and refugee rights continue on a daily basis, WHS participants will be pressed to a consensus on non-specific, good intentions to 'uphold norms' and 'end needs'. The summit has become a fig-leaf of good intentions, allowing these systematic violations, by states above all, to be ignored.
Summit participants, whether states or UN agencies or non-governmental organisations, will be asked to declare new and ambitious "commitments". But putting states on the same level as non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, which have no such powers or obligations, the Summit will minimise the responsibility of states. In addition, the non-binding nature of the commitments means that very few actors will sign up to any commitments they haven't previously committed to.
We hoped that the WHS would advance these vital access and protection issues, reinforcing the role for independent and impartial humanitarian aid, and putting particular attention on the need to improve emergency response. Unfortunately it has failed to do so, instead focusing on its ambitions to "do aid differently" and "end need", fine-sounding words which threaten to dissolve humanitarian assistance into wider development, peace-building and political agendas.
We can no longer see how the WHS will help the humanitarian sector to address the massive needs caused by continuing violence against patients and medical staff in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan; by civilians intent on fleeing being blocked at borders in Jordan, Turkey and Macedonia; by the inhumane treatment of refugees and migrants desperately trying to find safe haven in Greece and Australia; by the serious gaps we faced during the response to the Ebola epidemic, repeated again, albeit on a smaller scale, in the yellow fever epidemic in Angola today; by the serious restrictions placed by some states on humanitarian access, denying people basic services; and by the continuing lack of effective mobilisation to address recurring disease outbreaks in Democratic Republic of Congo. In all of these situations, the responsibilities of states in their making, and the diminished capacity of the humanitarian system to respond causing yet more suffering and death, will go unaddressed.
For these reasons, and with considerable disappointment, MSF has decided to pull out of the World Humanitarian Summit.


This week we sent the trailer down to the engineering room for final fittings before Mr Breig ran it through for a W.O.F. Whilst this was happening Jack and I were constructing the wheel fender mounts, to do this we needed to have at least two mounting points for the fenders so they would be secure and wouldn't risk coming of, we had to use trigonometry to work out the complex angles of the setup. When the trailer returned we bolted the floor to it, to do this we used 150mm coach bolts and an ac power drill.


The New Zealand Herald recently published an article claiming that "Three strikes law supported by 68% of Kiwis".
The article was based on a truly dodgy piece of research commissioned by Garth McVicar and carried out by Kiwiblogger, David Farrar. Even Donald Trump would have called it 'fake news'.
David Farrar's research firm rang up 965 people and 645 of them (68%) said they approved. When contacted about these results David Farrar said his team actually rang about 2000 people, but only 965 agreed to participate. So actually that's 645 out of 2000 people who said they approved of the law. That brings the approval rate down to 32%.
Even then, the result is still misleading. In surveys like this, when people are given specific details about the offender and the crime and understand the context, they tend to be far more lenient towards the offender than when asked vague questions like the one above.
To illustrate: there are only two or three offenders on their third strike. One of them is Daniel Fitzgerald who has a history of mental illness. In December 2016, under the influence of alcohol, he approached a woman he did not know in central Wellington. He tried to kiss her on the lips, but in the struggle she managed to turn her head away and he kissed her cheek instead.
Because this was his third strike, he was sentenced to the maximum sentence of seven years' in prison for indecent assault. The judge in the case said the offending was so minor that without the three strikes law, Fitzgerald would not have been sent to prison at all.
The evidence suggests that when people participating in surveys are given background details about the case, they tend to be far more lenient than when asked general questions that don't provide any context.
In a brief survey conducted by Survey Monkey, even when someone has been killed in a drink-driving accident, 97% of respondents did not want the offender to go to prison when told the background circumstances. CHECK OUT THE SURVEY HERE.
In March 2018, Garth McVicar congratulated the police on his Facebook page for shooting a 29-year-old man near Pohuehue. "One less to clog the prisons!" he wrote.
McVicar was criticised by all and sundry including the police who called his comments repugnant. Action Station urged readers to sign a petition suggesting 'Sensible Sentencing Trust should not have charitable status'.
The Sensible Sentencing Trust was created to advocate for changes in the law about sentencing and criminal (penal) policy. It is not a registered charity.
According to Sir Peter Gluckman, Garth McVicar uses dogma, rather than data to make his case in the media. It seems he also uses 'alternative facts' (to quote Kellyanne Conway). On the SST website, McVicar still claims the SST is a 'registered charitable trust' (see screengrab below).
"Sensible Sentencing encompasses two very distinct trusts and purposes" – yeah right!
McVicar claims that the role of the SST is political advocacy (which is not a charitable purpose) and the role of the SSGT is solely to support victims – which is considered charitable. The screengrab claims both of them are 'registered charitable trusts'.
'Educating the public' (through McVicar's frequent media statements) and 'ensuring that victims' interests are understood by the relevant authorities' is McVicar's modus operandi. He is constantly calling on the Government of the day to lock up more people. According to Charities Services, as a registered charity, the SSGT is not allowed to do this.
In other words, the SSGT is just a front enabling the organisation to continue offering donee status with the IRD while McVicar continues with his media campaign and political agenda under the guise of the SST. Political advocacy is not a charitable purpose. So in the words of the Charities Service, both the SST and SSGT appear to be "sham charities set up for an illegal or improper purpose".
The SSGT should also be deregistered. Now that would be really sensible.
Since the Bail Amendment Act was passed in 2013, the prison population has jumped by over 1500. This has created a crisis in capacity – there are only 300 beds left in the entire prison system. The National Government and Bill a new 3,000 bed prison at Waikeria to address the problem – at a cost of $1 billion.
I have created a website, It's Time to Cut Prison Population which advocates against the new prison being built.
It contains information describing the historical background to the growth in New Zealand's prison population.
It contains some simple quick fix solutions to reduce the prison population by 30% within six years – and explains why it needs to be done in six years – and not 15 as proposed by the Labour government.
It also has an online petition which allows all New Zealanders to email the government to take immediate steps to lower the prison population and cancel plans for the proposed prison.
Cutting the prison population by 30% is easy: repeal the Bail Amendment Act and allow more short-term prisoners to be released after serving half their sentence. These suggestions are discussed in How to cut the prison population by 50% – quick fix solutions.
But to get to 50%, we also need to stop putting so many people in prison in the first place. And we need to reduce the re-offending rate.
Unlike the quick fixes, some long-term solutions will require financial investment. Others, such as raising the price of alcohol will actually increase government revenues.
Despite the endless scaremongering about methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids, alcohol is by far the biggest drug problem in the country. In Alcohol in our Lives, the Law Commission said 80% of all offending is alcohol and drug related. The Commission concluded that increasing the price of alcohol 10% (by raising the taxation component) was the single most effective intervention to reduce alcohol related harm and would raise $350 million in revenue.
It also recommended an increase in the legal age of purchase to 20, restricting the sale of alcohol in supermarkets (which now account for 70% of all alcohol sold in New Zealand), and an increase in funding for addiction and mental health treatment. The National Government ignored all these recommendations.
This would make a big difference. In 2015, offenders with drug offences accounted for 13% of all sentenced prisoners. So apart from a few big time drug dealers who would remain in prison, if personal possession was decriminalised, that's another 800 people or so that could be treated in the community instead of in prison.
Decriminalisation needs to be aligned with a significant increase in funding for 'drug courts'. Here's how they work. When someone appears in court with alcohol or drug related offending, the judge gives him a choice. Instead of sending him to prison for the umpteenth time, if the offender agrees to be dealt with in the drug court and go to treatment, he may avoid going to prison.
This is a highly effective intervention. But right now, there are only two drug courts in the whole country, and they 'treat' only 100 offenders a year. Over the next five years, New Zealand needs to increase the number of Drug Courts to at least ten. Justice Minister, Andrew Little, has already agreed to 'roll them out'. This will require a significant increase in funding for AOD treatment services in the community, but it would keep at least 500 offenders a year out of prison. If drug courts were rolled out nationwide, even more could be managed in the community.
Sending less people to prison is paramount. Reducing the risk of reoffending is equally important. Currently, within twelve months, 28% of ex-prisoners are back inside. After two years, 41% are back in prison. These figures have changed little in the last 20 years, despite a massive increase in the availability of alcohol and drug treatment in prison; and despite a concerted effort by Corrections in the last few years to reduce reoffending by 25%.
There are many other options available. But until we have a Government with the courage to ignore the moral panic perpetuated by the Senseless Sentencing Trust over the last 20 years, our prison muster will continue to multiply; and millions of taxpayer dollars will be squandered on the dubious delusion that locking citizens away creates a safer society.
Jacinda Ardern promised "to bring kindness back".
Your new government has taken some really positive steps in the justice arena after just a few short days in office.
Ms Ardern: On 26 October, 2017, in your first comments as Prime Minister, you said 'I want the government … to bring kindness back'. In the Guardian newspaper read by millions around the world, you were quoted as promising to form an "active" government that would be "focused, empathetic and strong".
Mr Little: On your first day on the job as the new Minister of Justice you announced that Teina Pora's $2.5m compensation for wrongful imprisonment would be increased to allow for inflation. That was the decent thing to do.
In the past you also voiced support for David Bain's compensation claim. On 27 June 2013, you were quoted as saying that Ms Collins' handling of the case had cost the taxpayer a "hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, just because she's made a mistake. And we're all paying for it". You said she had acted too fast and without proper consideration of the facts, and that: "I think she's going to be on the wrong side of this." On 28 June you repeated your view that Justice Minister Judith Collins had "buggered it up".
You also advocated for the establishment of an independent commission to review miscarriages of justice. On 27 October 2017, it was announced that such a body will be established under the coalition agreement between Labour and New Zealand First. That's good news – and long overdue.
But this is too late to help David Bain who, after 13 years in prison and another six years fighting for compensation, received $925,000 provided he agreed to cease all further legal action. The National Government stated that the payment was NOT compensation and Mr Bain would NOT receive an official apology. That was hardly a sympathetic response to Mr Bain's drawn out legal battle for freedom and compensation.
Advise Mr Bain that the payment he received is, in fact, compensation for the 13 years he spent in prison?
Increase the amount of compensation he received so it is in line with Cabinet guidelines of $100,000 per year spent in prison? This should take his payment from $925,000 to about $1.3 million.
Adjust the $1.3 million for inflation in line with the courageous Teina Pora decision?
Offer Mr Bain an official apology for the egregious mistakes made by the New Zealand police (as identified by Justice Ian Binnie and ignored by Justice Ian Callinan) which contributed to his imprisonment.
One TOP party policy that hasn't received much attention in the run up to the election is Gareth Morgan's wish to reduce the prison population. He argues that rather than rehabilitating inmates, "prisons nurture crime".
The Corrections Department's own figures confirm the fundamental ineffectiveness of their rehabilitation programmes. This means that prisons don't keep us safe either because these unrehabilitated prisoners are almost all released eventually. And prisons are incredibly expensive chewing up billions of hard earned taxpayer dollars that you could be used to fund more teachers, doctors, social workers and infrastructure.
McVicar: No, you've got it all wrong, Gareth. That's what the prisons are for – to provide shelter for the homeless and take care of people with addictions and mental health problems. We need to put more of these losers in prison and get them off the streets.
Morgan: Yeah but that doesn't solve the problem, does it? These guys don't get any help in prison and eventually they get released on parole or at the end of their sentence. So, at the end of the day we're no better off.
McVicar: That's easily fixed Gareth. First, we need to abolish parole so these scum serve their whole sentence. We have to stop letting them out early. Second, we need to impose much longer sentences so hopefully these crims just die in prison. After all, life should mean life – not three years then out on parole after one year.
Morgan: But only 0.01% of prisoners have killed someone, you know, committed murder. We can't lock up robbers, shoplifters, drug addicts and drink drivers for life. Sentencing has to be proportionate – you know what I mean – the punishment should fit the crime. And they need help with their addictions.
McVicar: That left-wing claptrap is all well and good – but we have to lock these crims up for a long time to deter other people from drinking and stealing our stuff – otherwise everyone will be doing it.
Morgan: But the academics say that this so-called theory of deterrence doesn't really work – because most crims are mentally ill, brain damaged or addicted to alcohol or crack. They mostly commit crimes when they're high as kites or drunk as skunks or to feed their addiction and the possibility of going to prison doesn't even dawn on them.
McVicar: Don't talk to me about academics. They're the ones that got us into this mess by claiming that crime is the result of childhood abuse and dysfunctional parenting. It's got nothing to do with parenting. My parents beat the crap out of me and look how I turned out. I don't need an academic to tell me right from wrong. Crime is a personal choice made by people with no moral fibre. Bugger this namby pamby approach, we need to use more corporal punishment on our children – that's what turns them into real men.
Morgan: But it's not just men Garth. There's more and more women going to prison now as well. The vast majority of them have been sexually abused as children and because they're psychologically damaged, they team up with abusive partners who beat the crap out of them.
McVicar: Well if you choose an abusive partner, you're deliberately choosing to get beaten up. So, getting beaten up is a personal choice – just like crime. We have to take responsibility for our lives and stop blaming everyone else for our problems. The middle-class intellectuals have been coddling crims for way too long.
Morgan: But we can't keep locking up more and more people Garth. Prisons are expensive. The prison population is at an all-time high. We've got 10,000 inmates. It costs $100,000 a year to lock up just one inmate and National wants to build another prison. When's it going to stop?
Morgan: What do you mean? New Zealand is the second safest country in the world.
McVicar: That's what I'm saying – locking up the bad guys is the only thing that works. Prisons create peace and harmony in society.
Morgan: (after a long pause with a look of bewilderment on his face) Yeah right!


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Structure of the human sodium leak channel NALCN
Affiliations: 3
Changing the channel
© KTSDESIGN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty
A three-dimensional snapshot of a brain protein linked to a neurodevelopmental disorder will provide a template for new drug discovery efforts.
People who inherit mutations in the gene that encodes NALCN — an ion-channel protein that enables the brain to properly control breathing, movement and other basic bodily functions — often suffer from severe neurological disorders and early death.
Now, a team led by scientists from the Roche subsidiary Genentech have used cryo-electron microscopy techniques to map the contours of NALCN. Based on this structural analysis, they showed how mutations in the gene that encodes NALCN alter the shape of a gate that normally controls whether electrical currents can pass through the pore of the ion channel.
Drugs that correct this gating malfunction could thus help reverse the defects caused by the disorder.
Supported content
Nature 587, 313–318 (2020). doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2570-8
Genentech, Inc., United States of America (USA)
Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, UCPH, Denmark
Crystal clear imaging on the atomic scale
Enzyme prevents CRISPR making a clean cut
Original lizards were survival wizards


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Wednesday 28-04-2021 12:00
Ben & Jerry's partners with Snapchat to bring Cookie Dough Peace Pop to life
Gabby Fernie
Ice cream company Ben & Jerry's have joined forces with Snapchat to launch the first ever ice cream 'pack scan' augmented reality (AR) lens.
As part of the campaign, Snapchat users are invited to scan individual and multi-packs of the new Cookie Dough Peace Pop, which will open up an AR lens transporting them to a summer experience.
Through the lens, users will enter the Ben & Jerry's Festival where they can enjoy ice-cream vans, sunshine and a live performance from "Woody" (Ben & Jerry's cow). If they turn the lens around, an array of 80s retro looks can be experimented with.
The campaign was created in partnership with Mindshare Global and aims to drive awareness of the brand to a Gen Z audience.
The activation goes live in the UK and Germany this week and will run into May. More campaigns will follow throughout the summer.
"We love our ice cream as much as our fans do, and we're always looking for fun ways to bring its euphoric taste to life. We can't wait to hear what our fans think of this new augmented reality festival experience that we've created with Snapchat" said Global Media Manager of Ben & Jerry's, Gina Procaccio.
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