If you don't recognized her from our list of the top 100 hottest women in 2015, you've probably seen this sun-kissed Californian beauty on Instagram. Her name is Alexis Ren, and she's just become the newest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2018 rookie.
SI Swimsuit made the big announcement in a Thursday Instagram post.
The up-and-coming star has been on the franchise's radar for "quite some time," according to the announcement that went up on SI.com. Seeing as her Instagram feed—which boasts nearly 11 million followers—is mostly comprised of bikini and lingerie pictures, Ren seems to be the perfect fit.
The 20-year-old Los Angeles native is so into staying in shape, she even created her own line of activewear, REN, earlier this year. She was Maxim's cover girl for the August issue, and she's also been cast in a psychological thriller called Tarot. Before her venture into fame, she grew up surfing and skateboarding in the coastal town of Santa Monica.
...As well as the occasional twerking video.
One thing is certain though: Ren is big into fitness, and it definitely shows. To inspire her followers, she posts a few quick workout videos from time to time, incorporating various moves into her training like deadlifts, TRX lunges, and BOSU alternating squats to name a few.
It's easy to see why she has millions of followers.


Join Spirit Medium Karen T. Hluchan and 75 to 100 wonderful holistic vendors and healers at the KarmaFest Unity Festival in Hunt Valley, Maryland!
Karen will be providing 15-minute readings ($30) and 30-minute readings ($60) throughout the show, as well as personalized book signings with messages from your loved ones in spirit or the angels at her Healing Spirit with Love booth. Bring your copies for Karen to sign or purchase How Have You Loved? at the event.
Bonus: Be sure to stop by and enter Karen's drawing for a free individual 30-minute spirit medium reading!


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Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Wednesday termed India-Pakistan talks as 'futile exercise' and revealed that Pakistan's former military ruler General Parvez Musharraf had promised to withdraw troops from Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) if India grants right to self determination (RSD) to J&K people to determine their fate. He also condemned invoking of another Public Safety Act (PSA) against Masarat Alam and alleged that since Mufti Sayeed took over as CM of the State in March this year, 72 people have been booked under the infamous law and claimed that 14000 youth and political activists were detained in the Valley since 2009. 'India-Pakistan bilateral dialogue is a futile exercise,' Geelani said while addressing a press conference at his Hyderpora residence, here. He said 150 rounds of dialogue have been held between India and Pakistan so far. 'However, these have yielded no results. India's unrealistic approach has always turned a stumbled block in the way of resolution. The problem between India and Pakistan is Kashmir issue and dialogue process should be started to resolve this issue keeping historical facts into consideration'. The senior separatist leader said he would oppose tooth and nail division of any part of Jammu and Kashmir - Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK). 'All these are five parts of J&K, which is a disputed territory. We will never support any division on the basis of region, culture and religion,' he said. The Hurriyat (G) chairman revealed that former Pakistan president and military ruler Gen (Retd) Parvez Musharraf had promised him to withdraw his troops from the PaK if India grants right to self determination to people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said authorities again invoked infamous PSA against Muslim League chairman Masrat Alam Bhat to 'rot' him in the jail. 'The government has invoked 31st PSA against Masarat since 1990,' Geelani said. He said Masarat has neither killed anyone nor damaged any body's property. 'He has not committed any crime. His only crime is that he believes that J&K is a disputed territory and fights for it solution as per UN resolutions'. Geelani, who is under presently house arrest, said Masarat was arrested in 2010 and lodged in different jails during his five years imprisonment. 'Bhat was re-arrested on April 17 this year only after a month of his release and lodged in Kot Balwal jail, where he is being harassed by not only jail authorities but also by the inmates,' he said adding despite court orders, government has not shifted shift him to Central Jail, Srinagar. The Hurriyat (G) chairman alleged that police and CRPF men killed 125 people, mostly youth, in 2010 and they all are roaming free but Masarat is being rotten in jail without any justification. He asked government to release him immediately. Taking a dig at CM Muft Sayeed's 'Battle of Ideas' slogans, Geelani said since he (Mufti) took over as CM of the State, government has used brutal force to crush dissent. '72 separatist leaders and youth have been booked under PSA since March 1, when Mufti took over as CM of the state,' he said adding 14000 youth and political activists have been arrested in Valley from 2009 to 2015. Terming it as 'state terrorism' and 'revenge policy' adopted by the present dispensation, Geelani appealed international human rights group to take strong note of the ongoing aggression, suppression and lawlessness in the state. 'Human rights bodies must intervene to end this tyranny being meted out by the people here,' he said. Geelani said Mufti's slogans during election campaigning have proved to be 'hollow'. 'He is using gun, power, police and military to suppress the voice of people'. 'We are not being allowed to hold peaceful religious and social programs,' he said. Geelani condemned the recent IS attacks in France in which about 130 people were killed and termed activities of militant group (IS) as un-Islamic. 'I condemn all form of terrorism including state terrorism of America and India,' he added.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Configuration;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Security;
using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Text;
using Revenj.Utility;

namespace Revenj.Serialization.Json.Converters
{
	public static class SecretConverter
	{
		private static RSACryptoServiceProvider RsaProvider;

		static SecretConverter()
		{
			var secretKeyFile = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["EncryptionConfiguration"];
			if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(secretKeyFile))
				throw new ConfigurationErrorsException(@"EncryptionConfiguration file not specified.
To use secret data type EncryptionConfiguration file must be specified");
			if (!File.Exists(secretKeyFile))
			{
				secretKeyFile = Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, secretKeyFile);
				if (!File.Exists(secretKeyFile))
					throw new ConfigurationErrorsException(@"EncryptionConfiguration file not found.
To use secret data type valid EncryptionConfiguration file must be specified");
			}
			RsaProvider = new RSACryptoServiceProvider();
			try
			{
				RsaProvider.FromXmlString(File.ReadAllText(secretKeyFile));
			}
			catch (Exception ex)
			{
				throw new ConfigurationErrorsException(@"Error initializing EncryptionConfiguration. " + ex.Message, ex);
			}
		}

		public static void Serialize(SecureString value, TextWriter sw)
		{
			if (value == null)
				sw.Write("null");
			else
			{
				var decoded = Marshal.PtrToStringBSTR(Marshal.SecureStringToBSTR(value));
				BinaryConverter.Serialize(RsaProvider.Encrypt(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(decoded), false), sw);
			}
		}

		public static SecureString Deserialize(BufferedTextReader sr, int nextToken)
		{
			var ss = new SecureString();
			var bytes = BinaryConverter.Deserialize(sr, nextToken);
			if (bytes == null)
				return ss;
			//TODO use tmp buffer
			var utf8string = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(RsaProvider.Decrypt(bytes, false));
			foreach (var c in utf8string)
				ss.AppendChar(c);
			return ss;
		}

		public static List<SecureString> DeserializeCollection(BufferedTextReader sr, int nextToken)
		{
			return JsonSerialization.DeserializeCollection(sr, nextToken, next => Deserialize(sr, next));
		}
		public static void DeserializeCollection(BufferedTextReader sr, int nextToken, ICollection<SecureString> res)
		{
			JsonSerialization.DeserializeCollection(sr, nextToken, next => Deserialize(sr, next), res);
		}
		public static List<SecureString> DeserializeNullableCollection(BufferedTextReader sr, int nextToken)
		{
			return JsonSerialization.DeserializeNullableCollection(sr, nextToken, next => Deserialize(sr, next));
		}
		public static void DeserializeNullableCollection(BufferedTextReader sr, int nextToken, ICollection<SecureString> res)
		{
			JsonSerialization.DeserializeNullableCollection(sr, nextToken, next => Deserialize(sr, next), res);
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Could I Forgive the 9/11 Terrorists?
IT WAS SEPTEMBER 13, 2001, and about an hour into my drive from the Twin Cities to Colorado. I turned on the radio. The country was still in shock from what had occurred two days earlier, with many questions, very few answers, and an inability to talk about anything else. Angry conjecture came through the airwaves.
As I trundled my way down I-35, I knew 14 hours of listening to that would drive me crazy. Luckily, I had armed myself with a good supply of audio books and CDs. So I popped in Caroline Myss and settled down for the long journey.
It was too late. The challenge had been set, and I knew it was a call from a higher part of me to transcend this horrendous situation. How does one go about forgiving something like that? What would forgiving terrorists look like? I couldn't even imagine it.
It certainly wasn't condoning — I could never say that what they did was okay, nor did I feel that that was what I was being called to do. No, it was not okay. I also couldn't entertain the idea of foregoing justice either. No way. Or forgetting. Nope. Couldn't do that.
But I didn't want to harbor all those yucky feelings — that anger and resentment. I didn't want to create that cancerous environment within. So what would true forgiveness look like for me?
Now, I realize I wasn't nearly as affected as many others, so maybe this process was easier for me because of that. But it wasn't easy.
My first response was revulsion and nausea. It actually made me physically ill to wish them peace. But I kept repeating those words, and how I viewed them started to change. Rather than just evil, I saw them as people who had believed so fully in what others had told them that they couldn't see what they were doing. I had the sense that they were pawns in a bigger game. Maybe they were brainwashed. Maybe they were so unhappy that they'd believe anything. I don't know. I realized I really didn't know anything.
After a full two hours, the physical reaction was gone and I felt that I meant what I was saying.
What they did was still not okay. Justice needed to be served. The government would get involved and dole out its form of justice. But in the end, what I came to was that this was really between their souls and God. That was who they were accountable to now. I felt released from the situation, no longer chained to the emotional roller coaster of anger and resentment. As I watched the fields and prairies go by under a deep blue sky, I felt at peace.
Cheryl Kempton is a spiritual explorer, personal development junkie, chocoholic and St. Paul resident who believes so strongly in forgiveness as a path to healing and peace that she sponsored a weekend workshop on it with Azim Khamis. For more information, visit Cheryl's website.


This gorgeous varsity graphic tee is the perfect choice for any Fourth of July cookouts or backyard parties this summer!Featuring a classic red color paired with white varsity stripes, thistimeless look is so patriotic and cute! And we love the adorable white script lettering on the front! The material is lightweight and soft - it's so comfortable to wear! You can easily layerthis look with a cozy cardigan or jacket in the spring! Or wear it with capris and sandals in the summer!
Bust: S - 37", M - 40", L - 44", XL - 46", 2X - 48"


Weaving is the method of interlacing two set of yarns or threads together at right angles such that they type a unified fabric. There are undoubtedly some benefits to being followed and following others. To start with, as a result of your followers may receive an e mail each time you publish a brand new article, they're more more likely to visit your work. Your followers are also more inclined to remark in your articles and will share your content material with their buddies, which can assist you increase your readership much more. Your followers may additionally be more prone to submit your article to social sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, which might potentially ship your traffic through the roof.
Yves Simon is an skilled educator licensed in Math, self-directed and lifelong learner fascinated with numerous ways of learning and media and web know-how resources. His instructional background is in Civil Engineering, Math, Physics, Science, languages, Instructional Administration, Curriculum and Instruction and open studying. He gives face-to-face and online tutoring and instructing additionally gives other providers comparable to translation in French and English, Math content material development and writing and article writing. Go to his website New Path Schooling Services at to contact him about providers offered. He's particular engaged in the dissemination of net instructional assets and tools for learning.
Education – The expertise out there right now has made a wealth of data available to students, which offers nice potential for the speed and style of studying. Info is introduced in so many ways in which any kind learner, whether gifted or disabled, can discover and use the necessary materials. With e-learning the data on the Internet is on the market for all who have access, without discrimination.
Another objective that I have for subsequent year is to dedicate some time to screencast (document) grammar classes in order that my college students have access them at anytime during and after the unit. Screencasting classes will provide one other platform for my college students to study and assessment independently, thus, giving me extra time in class to design extra activities to observe the application of grammar in written, auditory and oral forms.
3D physique scanning is a noncontact method that captures body dimensions over 360 degrees by means of white mild or laser mild. The information collected are accurate and represent the three-dimensional form of the true physique, which can be used in the formation of the body shapes and contours to create a 3D virtual model. These scanned data can be used to create patterns for various kinds of garments. For creating patterns, an automatic system have to be developed that can locate the referencing points or landmarks wanted for producing physique measurements from the scanned data by using a model-based mostly characteristic recognition algorithm. The scanned information from the 3D scanner have a format of three-dimension point cloud, which indicates many points on the physique floor.


text:
Kayla Simmons Of Doe Hill, Va Is The 47th Annual Maple Queen
Monterey, VA – Kayla Simmons of Doe Hill, VA is the 47th Annual Maple Queen. Caitlyn Ralston of Blue Grass, VA and Mary Kate Cobb of Hightown, VA were chosen as Maple Princesses. These young ladies were chosen from a field of 8 contestants during the Maple Queen Pageant on February 26th. Maple Queen Pageant volunteer Tracy Chapman was chosen as this year's Miss Congeniality.
This is the first year that Simmons had entered the contest.
"The reason why I entered the pageant was to basically have fun with my friends" says Simmons.
The contestants had to publicly speak in front of a hometown crowd, and were chosen by a panel of 3 judges. The judges asked the contestants a wide array of questions. Ralston recalls one question in particular the judges asked her.
"One of the questions that the judges asked me was who has played a big part in my life" says Ralston. "Erica Whitelaw, because she is a mom of 3, and she has been my mother and has taught me a lot about myself and who I am."
The Maple Queen pageant allows young women to put their best foot forward in a public arena. Cobb reflects on the experiences she can take away by entering the pageant.
"I feel from being in the pageant that I can take away public speaking" says Cobb, "because you have to talk in front of a large crowd. And you also are more confident."
You can catch the Maple Queen Court out and about during the 53rd Annual Highland County Maple Festival March 12-13th and 19-20th. Maple Queen Simmons is looking forward to the festival.
"The thing I'm looking forward to most about the Maple Festival is going around the and seeing the different aspects of the community that I've never seen before" says Simmons.
Congratulations to the 2011 Maple Queen Court and all contestants that entered the contest.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Felix Baumgartner (Salzburgo, ) é um paraquedista e base jumper austríaco.

No dia 14 de outubro de 2012, ele fez o salto em maior altitude de todos os tempos (39 mil metros), e bateu um recorde estabelecido em 1960 por Joseph Kittinger.

O salto e a quebra da barreira do som

Após ser adiado por 2 vezes (primeiramente foi marcado para o dia 09/10 e depois para 12/10) devido ao mau tempo, Felix saltou no dia 14  de outubro de 2012 de uma cápsula levada por um balão à estratosfera por volta das 15h05min (horário local de Roswell-EUA). A subida demorou 2h30min.

Para saltar, ele teve de respirar oxigênio puro para eliminar o nitrogênio de seu sangue, que poderia se expandir em alturas elevadas e com isso ameaçar sua saúde.

Com o sucesso do salto, o austríaco afirmou que quer "inspirar a próxima geração". "Quero ajudar quem quiser vir e quebrar meu recorde", contou ele.

Prêmios e recordes
 Ele detém o recorde mundial do mais baixo salto de base jump, do mundo, após saltar de uma das mãos do Cristo Redentor.
 Primeira pessoa a cruzar o Canal da Mancha em queda livre, vestindo apenas um wingsuit.
 Primeira pessoa a romper a barreira do som em queda livre (atingiu a velocidade de 373 metros por segundo), deu o salto mais alto de todos os tempos e o pulo de paraquedas mais alto.
 A transmissão ao vivo de seu salto da estratosfera, tornou-se o vídeo ao vivo com maior número de visualizações simultâneas: 8 milhões (pico).

Ligações externas
Tecmundo Felix Baumgartner quebra a barreira do som durante salto livre [vídeo]
super.abril.com.br O homem que caiu do céu
exame.abril.com.br Paraquedista pode quebrar barreira do som em salto
desporto.publico.pt Felix Baumgartner fez o último salto antes do recorde do mundo
estadao.com.br Fotos de um de seus saltos
g1.globo.com Austríaco salta da estratosfera, a 39 mil metros de altura
soundcloud.com Uma das inspirações para a música Felix Baumgartner - Dr Hank

Paraquedismo da Áustria
Base jumpers da Áustria
Dublês da Áustria
Nascidos em 1969
Naturais de Salzburgo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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understand, some of these are merely structural, and some are electrical as well.
What sort of equipment do I need to do this.


When you are considering the type of hearing aid that fits your needs, there is more to look at than just style. The unit may sit in your ear or behind your ear. But there are other choices to be made, including hearing aid features that go beyond what the hearing aid looks like. Today's sophisticated digital technology offers options that lead to better hearing.
Many hearing aids have an automatic volume control so you don't have to make manual adjustments. But you will have volume controls on your units in case you do want to make changes. Digital hearing aids allow for more adjustments, separating sound into different frequencies and pitches. Your audiologist programs the hearing aids to help with your unique hearing loss.
Just about all hearing aids offer directional microphones, which is a big benefit. With directional microphones, you have a more natural sound because you're hearing it from different directions. Some microphones can determine where noise is coming from and tamp it down. Many microphones have the ability to reduce the effect of wind noise so you don't hear a whooshing sound when you're biking, running or golfing. Others offer speech enhancement so you can hear conversation better.
Just like a computer, your hearing aids can store information. For instance, they will log when you need more amplification or when you need noise reduction. Your audiologist can use the information to make customized adjustments. The units also have the ability to automatically adapt to certain circumstances, such as noisy rooms.
Most hearing aids are equipped with feedback management systems so that there's no annoying squealing sound. Feedback is caused when sound going into your ears is picked back up by the microphone. When the hearing aid detects that looping sound, it produced a signal to cancel the feedback.
You may be familiar with telecoil as it has been around for a while. The processors in the hearing aid pick up electromagnetic signals, bypassing the microphone. Venues such as concert halls and churches often have a "looped" room that puts out these signals to allow you to hear the presentation better.
Some hearing aids offer Bluetooth (yes, the same thing you have on your tablet and mobile phone)! This allows the hearing aids to connect to your phone or an equipped television wirelessly.
Some hearing aids are waterproof, not just water resistant. It's a benefit for sports enthusiasts. There are rechargeable batteries, offering someone with arthritis the option to make fewer battery changes. Hearing aids can be made in many colors as well.
If your hearing aids are more than five years old, it may be time to think about new units. There's a good chance some new hearing aid features are available that can improve your quality of life. Consult your audiologist to learn more.


More delays to National Broadband Plan will leave rural communities behind – Brendan Smith T.D.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith is warning that reported delays to the rollout of the National Broadband Plan will leave communities across the two counties without access to high speed broadband. It comes following reports that the new Minister for Communications Richard Bruton is expected to announce that the roll out of the plan will not now begin until 2020 at the earliest.
Deputy Smith commented, "This government has failed to take control of the National Broadband Plan, and as a result we have seen delay after delay, which in turn has left hundreds of communities across Cavan and Monaghan without access to an adequate broadband connection. At the moment, less than half of premises in Monaghan and only 54% of premises in Cavan have high speed broadband.
"Essentially only half of all homes, farms, schools and businesses can depend on their broadband. That is nowhere near good enough in this day and age.
"Over the past 14 months, Fianna Fáil has been making it clear that there was a problem with the procurement process – a process that resulted in all of the major telecom companies withdrawing from the contest.
"Fianna Fáil identified flaws in the process, and raised them repeatedly with the government since September 2017. At the time, we requested the government to intervene. Fourteen months have now passed and we are now facing a nightmare scenario of a full collapse of the National Broadband Plan.
"The status quo cannot continue. Minister Bruton and his Cabinet colleagues need to wake up to the reality of the situation on the ground in rural Ireland. There are now serious concerns being raised about the cost and the timeframe for the project – these issues need to be ironed out as a matter of urgency. The government must commit to delivery of this essential project without further delay.
"The non- delivery of the National Broadband Plan will not be tolerated," concluded Deputy Smith.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Brendan Smith. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Leda Writes for Fintech Futures: Open Banking in a brave new world
9th May 2019 • 5min read
Every Thursday, Leda Glyptis, 11:FS Chief of Staff creates #LedaWrites. This week she turns her attention to Open Banking, doing almost nothing and doing everything.
I don't know how to answer when people ask me how it's going with open banking, because not much is happening but everything is happening. It's not a surprise.
When I chaired a panel years ago an architect from a big UK bank was asked about Open Banking, he said: "We don't expect a stampede". And he was right, there definitely hasn't been a stampede, from anywhere.
The banks have rushed to comply but despite millions spent with consultancies and project teams working their way through tons of post-it notes, no real strategy for monetising Open Banking and the opportunities it affords has materialised.
Aggregator apps are available to customers, adoption numbers are okay but suggest a relatively 'meh' response to questions around Open Banking being worth it, working or a useful idea.
Startups aren't riding to the rescue either. They haven't found the silver bullet that makes Open Banking a must-have. Some struggle, some flourish and impact is being made one step at a time instead of all at once.
But Open Banking is still a big deal. It marks the end of an era and the start of a brave new world. Fortress mentalities have been consigned to the dustbin and now the consumer comes first whether we like it or not. The revolution is here, it's just slow.
It doesn't matter that there hasn't been a stampede. There's a lot to take on and the initial process has been tainted by the old way of doing things. Regulations came down, we asked what's the minimum compliance requirement and delivered checklists and project plans.
It's a route that tries to change as little as possible, turns out that's not an option anymore.
Creation isn't linear. And the greatest things about Open Banking won't come in order to make Open Banking profitable for my employer. Not even in order to make the most of open banking from the opportunistic standpoint of a hungry entrepreneur.
It'll come from what the customer needs.
Read the full story over at Fintech Futures.
473. News: Stripe acquires Paystack - are they taking over the world?
Why the Middle East could be the next fintech hotspot


Grow Your Business. Join a Peer Council.
Meet monthly with other experts in their fields to brainstorm and find solutions to your most pressing business challenges. It's like having a board of advisors who share best practices, techniques to improve performance, and feedback on your progress.
Competitors cannot join. This allows for the free exchange of specific information among members. Structured meetings ensure your time is well spent. Each meeting focuses on current business situations of members, who walk away with achievable goals. Members hold you accountable for taking steps to reach them.
A moderator who facilitates an honest and open exchange, and an increased bond between members. And, members committed to actively participating in the group and the process. Peer Advisory Councils at Synch-O LLC are led by executive coach and principal, Marc Sinkow, who steers the topics to keep the discussions relevant.
In the first type, members work in different industries, but in the same geographic location. In the second type, members work in the same industry, but in different locations, to avoid competing. In both types, members share business issues, best practices, and hold one another accountable for taking action. The number of members ranges from five to 20, but the norm is 12.


text:
Published Last updated 1 year ago by Burhan Wazir (talk | contribs) and 2 contributors Read History 14 Talk Edit
Mohammed bin Salman: women 'absolutely' equal to men
In his first interview with an American television network, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with CBS News program 60 Minutes. Mohammed bin Salman is widely tipped to one day replace his father, King Salman. The interview aired ahead of the U.S. leg of his first global tour since becoming Crown Prince last year.
His efforts to reform politics and social norms in the Gulf kingdom have been sweeping. MBS, as he is more commonly known, has liberalized laws by lifting the female driving ban and increasing freedoms for women, as well as introducing access to the arts and culture. He has also led a controversial campaign against perceived corruption by detaining a group of Saudi officials, including princes, for months in the Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh.
You can edit or expand this story
In the wide-ranging interview, the Crown Prince answered questions via a translator about Saudi Arabia's involvement in the war in Yemen, the role of Islam in Saudi Arabia, rights for women and his personal finances.
Key quotes
"I'm not Gandhi, or Mandela. I'm a member of the ruling family that existed for hundreds of years before the founding of Saudi Arabia," he said when asked about his reported purchases of a $500 million yacht and a $300 million French chateau (The New York Times). "As far as my private expenses, I'm a rich person, not a poor person," the Crown Prince said.
"The amount exceeds $100 billion," he explained about the money redeemed from his anti-corruption crackdown in which officials and members of the royal family paid fines of up to billions of dollars for their freedom. "The idea is not to get money, but to punish the corrupt," he said.
"We were victims, especially my generation that suffered from this a great deal," he said, detailing how the Saudi interpretation of Islam became more strict in 1979 religious radicals took over the Grand Mosque in Mecca. MBS said the austere version of Saudi Arabia often depicted in the Western media is not "the real Saudi Arabia".
"We are all human beings and there is no difference," he said when asked about gender equality in the kingdom. He said women are "absolutely" equal to men. Since his father swore him in as Crown Prince in June 2017, he has allowed women to drive, attend sports events, and launch their own businesses. (See WikiTribune's previous coverage of women in Saudi Arabia.)
"The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear." On freedoms for women when asked by interviewer Norah O'Donnell about transforming Saudi Arabia into a more moderate society and curbing the powers of the country's "religious police", who have historically arrested women for not covering up. He said Sharia law does not specify how a woman should cover up.
"I can't imagine that the United States will accept one day to have a militia in Mexico launching missiles on Washington D.C., New York and LA while Americans are watching these missiles and doing nothing," MBS said, defending the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen against rebels, which has escalated the humanitarian crisis there. He added that Iranian-backed rebels used Yemen to fire missiles at Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The United Nations has documented thousands of civilian deaths as a result of Saudi-backed air strikes and a since-lifted blockade on Yemen's ports.
"The Iranian regime is based on pure ideology," said MBS whilst discussing Iran's impact on Yemen, which he said plays a "harmful role" in the Middle East.
"Only death," will stop the young crown prince from his reforms, he said, closing the interview.
Have we missed any good quotes?
Discuss or suggest changes
Quotes sourced from CBS News.
Lydia Morrish
Angela Long
Note → updated
(diff) .. 2018-03-19 12:26:28 ... Lydia Morrish (talk | contribs)
Note → expanding on Yemen and Iran quotes
Note → edited
(diff) .. 2018-03-19 11:45:34 ... Angela Long (talk | contribs)
Note → saving trims
Note → shortening intro
Note → CBS News
Note → tags
Note → headline shortening
Note → feature image
Note → call to action buttons, note to readers
Emerging 60 Minutes CBS News gender equality Islam MBS Middle East Mohammed bin Salman Politics Saudi Arabia United Nations women in Saudi Arabia Yemen
Saudi Crown Prince launches diplomatic tour with $10 billion Egypt city project
Linh Nguyen (talk | contribs)
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince battles on every front but Islam is first
Timeline: Saudi Arabia shakes up Middle Eastern politics


The way government and the banks have dealt with the Non-performing assets (NPA) mess in the banking sector, leaves a lot wanting in the terms of transparency and accountability. Most of the banks arbitrarily restructured big loans to keep their NPA numbers low. Had it not been for the former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) chairman, Raghuram Rajan's diktat that forced banks to recognise all the NPAs by March 2017, the latter would have tried to hide the real numbers.
Even now, the government and banks have both done everything to hide the names of defaulters from public scrutiny. But the mess does not end here. The government, according to the Comptroller and Auditor general of India (CAG) "has found gaping holes in the recapitalisation of public sector banks (PSBs), stating that the recovery rate of non-performing loans was in general lower than the write-off rate between 2010-11 and 2014-15," according to a Hindu Business Line report..
Moreover, the newspaper report says, "the rationale for distribution of the Centre's capital among different PSBs was not on record. Some banks, which did not qualify for additional capital as per decided norms, were given capital".
The government had set certain conditions before the selected PSBs could avail of the capital infusion by the government. The guidelines under the capital infusion plan required active NPA management and strengthening of credit underwriting and monitoring process, disposal of non-core assets, raising capital from market, divestment in subsidiaries and closure of loss making international and domestic branches.
The banks were also required to rationalise and reduce their administrative and operating expenses by way of temporary restructuring of employees' benefits.
Why would government bypass its own rules?
The biggest reason for the rise of NPAs and the shoddy way the situation has been handled is the politician-corporate nexus. In 2014, the then deputy governor of RBI, had said that many of the promoters did not have enough 'skin' in their projects and they were sanctioned loans without having to put in their own share of equity. Even though these loans were given during the UPA government's tenure, as we all understand, the politician-corporate nexus spans beyond change of guard in the executive of the Parliament.
The banks that are dealing with more complicated NPAs and hold the risk of exposing the supposed irregularities in the banking sector may be favoured over other banks.
Can CAG's finding be called a scam?
Any regularity reported by CAG, if unexplained, falls in the category of a scam. Though a lot depends on how well the Opposition is able to raise the issue in the parliament as well as in public. But given the perception that the current government is only trying to clean the problems generated during the previous government's tenure, it is unlikely there would any hue and cry over the issue.
But the strategy of maintaining secrecy around the NPAs has only contributed to making the situation worse over the past 3 years. As suggested by the CAG in its report, "There is a need for the Department of Financial Services to ensure that PSBs increase the quantum of recovery vis-à-vis write-offs".
By being secretive and arbitrary in dealing with NPAs, the government can only delay the collapse of the banking sector. The way to resolve the current problem passes from the street of transparency and accountability.
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text:
The International Religious Liberty Association
By John Graz
John Graz, Ph.D. (Paris-Sorbonne University, Paris, France), retired in 2015. He began his ministry as a pastor in France and held director positions in the departments of Communication, Youth, and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, initiating the "Festivals of Religious Freedom." He was secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association, organizing four World Congresses, and secretary of the Conference of Secretaries of World Christian Communions. He wrote and coauthored several books.
First Published: June 11, 2022
Authored By John Graz From Inter-European Division
The International Religious Liberty Association was instituted in 1893 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Since then it has been an institution for advocating and promoting religious liberty all over the world.
In the Religious Liberty Library, a monthly publication, the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) and its "Declaration of Principles" were mentioned for the first time in 1893:
We believe in the religion taught by Jesus Christ.
We believe in temperance and regard liquor traffic as a curse to society.
We believe in supporting the civil government and submitting to its authority.
We deny the right of any civil government to legislate on religious questions.
We believe it is right, and should be the privilege of every man to worship according to the dictates of his own conscience.
We also believe in our duty to use every lawful and honorable means to prevent religious legislation by the civil government; that we and our fellow-citizens may enjoy the inestimable blessings of both religions and civil liberty.1
A declaration that is almost similar with this one can be read in the IRLA publication in the beginning of the 21st century.2 At its beginning in 1893, the IRLA listed six offices in the United States and four offices in London, Melbourne, Cape Town, and Toronto.3 The IRLA appeared in a political context of Sunday legislation in the United States. The young Seventh-day Adventist Church, in spite of its apocalyptic vision of the future, decided to firmly oppose any legislation in favor of a religious day of rest.
Seven years earlier, in 1886, Adventists began the publication of the American Sentinel and a number of brochures and pamphlets. A year later the General Conference appointed a committee on Religious Liberty.4 On July 21, 1889, the committee organized the National Religious Liberty Association with a membership of 110. The campaign led by the National Reform Association in favor of a Sunday law and a change of the U.S. Constitution reached its climax with the National Sunday Rest Bill sponsored by Senator H. W. Blair.5 On December 13, 1888, Alonzo T. Jones defended the Sabbatarian position before the Senate Committee on Education and Labor. On February 24, 1893, the General Conference in its session held in Battle Creek, Michigan, passed a radical resolution of seven points that defined its fundamental position in favor of religious liberty.6
The IRLA was not a new association but a change of the name of the National Religious Liberty Association. After a few years the interest about the defense of religious liberty reached Adventists living in other countries. For a number of them, religious liberty defense and promotion was not to be limited to the United States. But during the decades that followed and until 1950, the name of the IRLA was not used in a consistent way.
In 1897 The American Sentinel was published as the organ of the IRLA, but the IRLA did not appear in the pages of the succeeding journal, the Sentinel of Liberty, from 1900 to 1904. At that time the Sunday Legislation was rejected in the Senate Committee, and it no longer appeared a threat for religious freedom in the United States. As a result, the Sentinel of Liberty was suspended for lack of support. Two years later, in 1906, a new religious liberty magazine, Liberty, was published. It was labeled as the "Official Organ of the Religious Liberty Bureau,"7 not of the IRLA, which seemed to be dormant.
In 1909, when the issue of Sunday legislation came back at the United States level, Liberty included in its pages the Declaration of Principles of the Religious Liberty Association rather than of the IRLA. Petitions were launched by the Religious Liberty Department Secretary, Charles S. Longacre, but not by the IRLA.8 It was a period of great activities and meetings where the names of some areas of the Regional Religious Liberty Association like the Central State Religious State Liberty Association were associated with the events.9 Various initiatives that followed, like the Memorial of Gratitude to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925,10 read: "We the members of the Religious Liberty Association assembled at Washington DC April 10, 1925…" The letter was signed by Longacre, then the general secretary of the RLA. It was again under the RLA, and not the IRLA, that a report was published in 1928.11 In 1929 the name of the association printed on Liberty changed again. It became: The National Religious Liberty Association of America.12 The change may be related to the Annual Convention of April 26 to May 4 at Takoma Park, Washington, D.C. But in 1931, for the 25th anniversary of Liberty, the magazine is presented as the organ of the IRLA (though it still contained the Declarations of Principles of the RLA).13 In Longacre's biography, published in 1959, we read that he represented the IRLA at the League of Nations in Geneva, opposing the 13th month calendar proposal.14 According to the biography of another leader Frank H. Yost, he was called by the IRLA as associate secretary in 1940, and the secretary was Alvin W. Johnson. Both served until 1958.15 It shows that the IRLA was active at certain occasions.
In 1958 the name of the IRLA reappeared in Liberty. It was presented as organized in 1888 (sic).16 During the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Autumn Council of 1960, it was recommended that the Board of Trustees of the IRLA study the organization of the National Religious Liberty Association. According to the board, the current world context did not favor use of the term international anymore. Organizing national associations with the name of their countries but affiliated to the IRLA seemed to be more effective. It was also voted to study the change of the word International to World-Wide.17
Three years later, in 1963, during the IRLA legal meeting, it was voted to delete "article V of the article of incorporation on Liberty as being the official organ of the IRLA."18 In its issue of 1964, Liberty is then presented as the organ of the Religious Liberty Association of America (RLAA),19 a new association under the leadership of the North American Division.20
The long period of confusion about the name ended. It was decided that the IRLA would publish an international edition of Liberty. But this would only happen later, starting in 1998, with the publication of Fides et Libertas, the house journal of the IRLA. The RLAA, which became the North American Religious Liberty Association (NARLA) in 2001,21 had its origins in 1889 with the NRLA.22
The IRLA became the association supported by the General Conference and acting in cooperation with affiliated associations or partners of national religious liberty associations. In its structure, the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty directors of the divisions of the General Conference became the IRLA regional secretary-generals.
The activities of the associations depended on the dynamism and the strategy of the Religious Liberty Department at the GC and divisions levels. A number of associations had been organized in 1893. Some became active after the Second World War, like the Association de Defense de la Liberte Religieuse (AIDLR) in Europe. The founder, Dr. Jean Nussbaum,23 was already known before the Second World War as the leader of the South European Religious Liberty Association. During the Home and Foreign Officers' Meeting of May 30, 1946, he suggested to enlarge "the scope and the influence" of the IRLA "by establishing a membership and constituency of the association beyond the present denominational plan."24
Following its strategy, the IRLA became open to all those who shared its view and philosophy on religious freedom for all and church state separation. For a while the GC president served as the IRLA president and the GC secretary served as the secretary of the Religious Liberty Department.
But it was under the leadership of Bert B. Beach (1980-1995) and John Graz (1995-2015) that this wish became a reality. They used their large network of world Christian leaders25 to invite some prominent personalities to join the IRLA: Carl H. Mau, 1988-1990, and Gunnar Staalsett, 1989-2001, both were Secretary-Generals of the Lutheran World Federation; Denton Lotz was Secretary-General of the Baptist World Alliance, 1990-1992, 2001-2007. Since that time a number of non-Adventists also became members of the IRLA Board of Trustees, among them Robert Seiple, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom (1999-2001), who served as president from 2007 to 2017.
The IRLA was legally recognized and incorporated in the District of Columbia on August 16, 1946, by its leaders: S. A. Wellman, E. W. Dunbar, and H. H. Votaw. According to the bylaws the association members elected the new members and the Board of Trustees, which became the Board of Directors, during their biennial session. To make this process easier, the legal meeting of the IRLA was held during the General Conference Autumn Council (later Annual Council) every two years. The Board of Directors elected the officers: president, secretary-general, and the treasurer. Sometime later the GC Nominating Committee proposed a nomination of officers for the IRLA. The first legal meeting that was registered in the GCC minutes of the Annual Council was held October 13, 1947.26 It was held every two years until 1970. During the years 1971 to 1974, no legal meetings were recorded. But in 1975 it was voted to reactivate the IRLA in setting up a fund-raising program and in holding a meeting after the GC Session in Europe and to arrange an organizational meeting.27 The Public and Religious Liberty (PARL) Department was requested by vote to reorganize the IRLA and to organize a meeting in the Hague, Netherlands, during 1976.28 A year later, October 19, the first Religious Liberty meeting was voted to be held in Amsterdam on March 21-23, 1977.29
The IRLA was reactivated, and during the next decades, a new period of activities began. A series of public events made the IRLA one of the major international associations for religious freedom. On October 10, 1980, during the IRLA legal meeting, Bert B. Beach, the new PARL department director, was elected IRLA secretary-general. The president was the GC president, Neal C. Wilson. The Board of Trustees became the Board of Directors with 13 members. The American Liberty Association became the Religious Liberty Association of North America. The legal meeting continued to be held during the General Conference Annual Council every two years. It was a short meeting in which the vacant offices were filled and the Board of Directors was elected. A report about the IRLA activities was given. The meeting was followed by the Board of Directors meeting. From 2005 the IRLA gave a report every year during the Annual Council and held its board meeting twice a year. The secretary-generals, a term which became the official title under the Bert B. Beach leadership, have been the secretaries or directors of the GC PARL Department.30
Until 1977 most of the religious liberty public activities like petitions against the Sunday legislation were led on behalf of the Religious Liberty Department by the same team leading the IRLA. The First Religious Liberty World Congress in Amsterdam on March 21-23, 1977, opened a new way. It was a meeting voted by the world church during the 1976 Annual Council. There were 350 participants registered, and government officials, as well as religious leaders, attended. It was a successful congress, and the delegates wished "that further such congresses be planned."31 It gave birth to a number of international symposiums and congresses. The other World Congresses were held in Rome in 1984, in London in 1988, then in Rio de Janeiro in 1997. It then became a quinquennial event: Manila, 2002; Cape Town, 2007; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, 2012; and Hollywood, Florida, in 2017. With 900 attendees in Punta Cana and about six hundred in Cape Town and Hollywood, this event became the main and the largest international religious liberty congress.
Starting in 1977, regional IRLA congresses were organized on the five continents. Among them: the Religious Liberty Conference in New Delhi in 1986 and 1999, the All African Religious Liberty congresses, the Inter-American Religious Liberty congresses, the South American Religious Liberty congresses, and the Asian Religious Liberty congress. More than forty international congresses and symposiums were held from 1996 to 2015. In 1998 the IRLA launched its journal Fides et Libertas, and a year later its annual Meeting of the IRLA Board of Experts, attended by academic experts from European, American, and later African universities. It became a major think tank on religious liberty, its influence extending beyond the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and it produced several major international statements and guiding principles on religious freedom and proselytism, security, education, and religious symbols.32 The IRLA Meeting of Experts has been hosted by famous universities around the world, including Harvard (2016). Starting in 2003 the IRLA produced a TV show called Global Faith and Freedom, broadcast weekly by Hope Channel.33
In 2001 the IRLA launched the Washington Coalition, which gathered the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the director of the Office of Religious Freedom of the U.S. State Department, the director of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom, and religious liberty experts in the U.S. Capital.34 Then in cooperation with Liberty magazine and the NARLA, it started the annual Religious Liberty Dinner Award in 2003, which was held annually until the COVID-19 pandemic. The guest speakers have included top-level US political leaders like Senators Hillary Clinton, John MacCain, and John Kerry. This event has become one of the key annual events for religious freedom in Washington. Every year, ambassadors, religious leaders, government members, and religious-freedom experts attend.35
Having an active international program with representatives in countries where religious freedom is challenged, the IRLA has hosted a number of officials and ambassadors and welcomed international delegations at its office in Silver Springs, Maryland. After several years of good relations with the United Nations, the IRLA was granted Special Consultative Status by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on May 1, 2003. Since then IRLA has had a representative in the United Nations Human Rights Council and assemblies. "It is able to make written and oral statements at such UN sessions as the Commission on Human Rights.…"36 The IRLA shares an office with the General Conference at the UN Headquarters in New York.
In 1997, after the fourth IRLA World Congress in Rio de Janeiro, the IRLA cooperated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church to hold a post-congress large gathering. It was called the Festival of Religious Freedom. It became a popular public event with concerts, symposiums, and official visits. Festivals of Religious Freedom were subsequently held on five continents each one attended by thousands of people. The IRLA and its partner associations were directly involved in the two first World Festivals in Lima, Peru, in 2009 and Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2013 where about 45,000 and 30,000 attended, respectively. In less than 20 years, more than two hundred fifty thousand people gathered in 35 countries, attending 40 festivals. Up to date, they were the largest religious liberty gatherings ever recorded.37
The activities of the IRLA since its beginning were recognized outside of the Adventist denomination by important honors and awards. In 1955 Charles Longacre received the Medal of the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge. Bert Beach was honored many times. In 1998, for example, he received the Knights Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, given by the Polish president. On December 15, 2004, by a decree signed by the Romanian President Ion Iliescu, John Graz was granted the high distinction of the national medal "For Merit" with the rank of commander. On January 13, 2011, Graz received the 2011 National First Freedom Award from the First Freedom Center in Richmond,38 Virginia; on October 10, 2013, the 2013 International Religious Liberty Award in Washington, D.C. given by the International Center for Law and Religions Studies and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society; and in 2015 the Medal of the Congress of the Republic of Peru. Ganoune Diop (IRLA secretary-general since 2015) was honored with the 2017 Thomas L. Kane Religious Freedom Award by the Ruben Clark Law Society.
Beach, Graz, and Diop received Honoris Causa doctorates and other recognitions. Further recognition was the appointment in 2009, by President George W. Bush, of James Standish, the IRLA associate secretary general, as executive director of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
From 1996 to 2015 the Adventist News Network reported about seven hundred news items on religious freedom and among them 270 mentioned the IRLA.
In 1995 the new elected IRLA secretary-general John Graz aimed to have 100 national and international partners. According to 2015 reports, partners' associations affiliated to the IRLA existed in about eighty countries.39 Among them the most active have been the AIDLR, the Russian Religious Liberty Association, and the ABLIRC in Brazil that since its beginning has hosted 144 forums on religious liberty in the State of Sao Paulo.40
In 1893 the IRLA succeeded the NRLA in opposing the Sunday legislation in a more open way than the church could do. At the beginning of the 20th century when the danger to religious liberty in the United States seemed to disappear for a while, it lost its visibility. The main activities were done on behalf of the Religious Liberty Department. But the name IRLA never disappeared totally. It came back in 1946/47 and was revived in 1975 with support by the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department. A period of great public international events started in 1977 with the first IRLA World Congress and reached its climax in the two decades after 1997.41 The IRLA became more visible as an association at the United Nations, at Washington, D.C., and in many international conferences. Its officials and experts visited countries, met government officials, and hosted ambassadors, foreign delegations, and religious leaders at its world headquarters; it held large events on five continents in cooperation with the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and its name became familiar for the world Adventist family, even as it acted in situations where an association with expertise could act more effectually than the Church itself.
The mission of the IRLA has been since its beginning in 1893 to promote, defend, and protect religious freedom everywhere and for all. In inviting all those who share its mission, the IRLA has become one of the most recognized agents for religious liberty, including beyond the Adventist Church, which makes it more effective when acting on behalf of church members.
A. T. Jones, 1901; A. Moon, 1901-1904; K. C. Russel, 1904-1912; W. W. Prescott, 1912-1913; C. S. Longacre, 1913-1941; C. S. Longacre 1936-1941; H. H. Votaw, 1941-1950; A. W. Johnson, 1950-1958; J. A. Buckwalter, 1958-1959; M. E. Loewen, 1959-1975; W. A. Adams, 1975-1980; B. B. Beach, 1980-1995; J. Graz, 1995-2015; G. Diop, 2015- .
ANN staff. "United Nations: New International Status for Religious Liberty Group." ANN, May 5, 2003. https://adventist.news/news/united-nations-new-international-status-for-religious-liberty-group.
"Appeal and Remonstrance." The Religious Liberty Library, no 7, March 1893.
Beach, Bert B. Ambassador for Liberty: Building Bridges of Faith, Friendship, and Freedom. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 2012.
C., W.A. "Value of Petition Work." ARH, March 4, 1909.
"California Defeats Proposed Barbers' Sunday Law." Liberty, vol. 26, no 1, 1931.
Cottrell, H. W. "You Are at Liberty." Pacific Union Recorder, January 21, 1909.
"Declaration of Principles." Fides et Libertas, 2015.
Declaration of Principles of the International Religious Liberty Association," Religious Liberty Library, no 7, March 1893. https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Tracts/RLT/RLT18930224-07.pdf.
Dickson, Louis K. "Separation of Church and State Essential to Complete Freedom of Religion." Liberty, vol. 54, no 1, 1959.
Fides et Libertas, International Religious Liberty Association, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20904-6600, since 1998.
Gallagher, Jonathan/IRLA News. "Coalition Builds International Religious Freedom." ANN, November 19, 2001. https://adventist.news/news/coalition-builds-for-international-religious-freedom.
Graz, John. Issues of Faith & Freedom, Defending the right to Profess, Practice, and Promote One's Beliefs. Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department, General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A., 2008.
Graz, From Symposiums to Stadiums: Promoting Religious Freedom, in Living the Christian Life in Today's World, A Conversation between Mennonite World Conference and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A., 2014.
Hegstad, Roland R. "From the Editor's Desk." Liberty, vol. 59, no 1, January-February 1964.
"Honoring Freedom." Liberty, May-June 2011.
"In Memoriam." Liberty, vol. 54, no 1, 1959.
IRLA News. "United States: Senator Clinton Promotes Religious Freedom Issues at IRLA Event." April 2005. Accessed June 10, 2022. https://irla.org/index.php?id=296.
IRLA News. "United States: Senator McCain Tells Adventists America's Leadership Tied to its Moral Standing." May 2006. Accessed June 10, 2022. https://www.irla.org/united-states-sen.-mccain-tells-adventists-americas-leadership-tied-to-its-moral-standing.
"Jamaica to Host 'Historic Festival of Religious Freedom'." The Gleaner, Jamaica, WI, November 16, 2014. Accessed June 10, 2022. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20141116/jamaica-host-festival-religious-freedom.
Kellner, Mark A. "Thousands Rally in Sao Paulo, Brazil for Religious Freedom." ARH, June 20, 2013.
Liberty. North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. https://www.libertymagazine.org/.
Longacre, Calvin. "Memorial of Gratitude to President Calvin Coolidge." Liberty, vol. 20, no 3, 1925.
"Memorial to the Congress of the United States on Religious Liberty." Liberty, vol. 24, no 3, 1929.
"Part Four: Report of IRLA Activities." Fides et Libertas, 2008-2009, 123-144. https://www.irla.org/fides-2008.pdf.
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty of Seventh-day Adventist Church website. https://www.adventistliberty.org/.
Smith, John. "North America: Senator Kerry Pushes for Religious Tolerance Better Care Environment." ANN, May 17, 2007. Accessed June 10, 2022. https://adventist.news/news/north-america-senator-kerry-pushes-for-religious-tolerance-better-care-of-environment.
"The Blair Sunday Rest Bill, Its Nature and History," The Sentinel Library, number 4, February 15, 1889.
The International Religious Liberty Association website. https://www.irla.org/.
"What Religious Liberty Association Has Done." Liberty, vol 23, no 3, 1928.
"Declaration of Principles of the International Religious Liberty Association," Religious Liberty Library, no 7, March 1893, 11 (Appendix). https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Tracts/RLT/RLT18930224-07.pdf.↩
"Declaration of Principles," Fides et Libertas, 2015, 4.↩
The Religious Liberty Library, a monthly publication, No 16, Extra, November 1893.↩
GC Bulletin, no 4, 1887 (point 9: GCDB November 17, 1887, page 12.19, https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/1666.200#200).↩
"The Blair Sunday Rest Bill, Its Nature and History," The Sentinel Library, number 4, February 15, 1889.↩
"Appeal and Remonstrance," The Religious Liberty Library, no 7, March 1893, 5-9. See on this period: Douglas Morgan, Adventist and the American Republic. The Public Involvement of a Major Apocalyptic Movement, The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 2001.↩
"Liberty," Liberty, vol. 1, no 1, April 1906, 1.↩
W.A.C., "Value of Petition Work," ARH, March 4, 1909, 21.↩
H. W. Cottrell, "You Are at Liberty," Pacific Union Recorder, January 21, 1909, 1.↩
C. S. Longacre, "Memorial of Gratitude to President Calvin Coolidge," Liberty, vol. 20, no 3, 1925, 97.↩
"What Religious Liberty Association Has Done," Liberty, vol 23, no 3, 1928, 82-83.↩
"Memorial to the Congress of the United States on Religious Liberty," Liberty, vol. 24, no 3, 1929, 100.↩
"California Defeats Proposed Barbers' Sunday Law," Liberty, vol. 26, no 1, 1931, 4, 23.↩
"In Memoriam," Liberty, vol. 54, no 1, 1959, 27.↩
Loius K. Dickson, "Separation of Church and State Essential to Complete Freedom of Religion," Liberty, vol. 54, no 1, 1959, 18.↩
Liberty, vol. 53, no 4, 1958, 2, 3. 1888 was neither the date of organization of the NRLA nor the IRLA.↩
GCC, October 26, 1960, 701, 702.↩
GCC, October 18, 1963, 432.↩
From 1985 to 1991, Liberty is presented again as a publication of the SDA Church and the International Religious Liberty Association. See, Liberty, vol. 80, no 1, 1985, 31.↩
Roland R. Hegstad, "From the Editor's Desk," Liberty, vol. 59, no 1, January-February 1964, 4. Roland R. Hegstad, the Liberty editor, explains the change and why Liberty will focus on North America.↩
Memorandum Announcement, October 11, 2001. North American Religious Liberty Association (NARLA) Annual Meeting - November 1, 2001, Silver Spring, Maryland.↩
Liberty, Vol. 66, no 1, January-February 1971, 34.↩
Nussbaum had a long career and built his successful ministry on relations with influential non-Adventists. In November 1946 during the General Conference Annual Council meeting, he received an exceptional recognition from the Church leadership: "That we hereby express to Dr. Nussbaum our heartfelt gratitude for the generous service he has rendered to the cause of God in the past." 58th GCC, November 25, 1946, 313.↩
Document, Home and Foreign OFFICERS' MEETING, May 30, 1946, 6435.↩
Bert B. Beach was the secretary of the Conference of Secretaries of the Christian World Communions (CSCWC) for 32 years. Graz succeeded him and served for 12 years. In 2014 Graz announced his retirement, and Ganoune Diop was elected his successor.↩
169th GCC, October 13, 1947, 708.↩
GCC 1975, 37.↩
GCC, 402.↩
A. T. Jones, 1901; A. Moon, 1901-1904; K. C. Russel, 1904-1912; W. W. Prescott, 1912-1913; C. S. Longacre, 1913-1941; C. S. Longacre 1936-1941; H. H. Votaw, 1941-1950; A. W. Johnson, 1950-1958; J. A. Buckwalter, 1958-1959; M. E. Loewen, 1959-1975; W. A. Adams, 1975-1980; B. B. Beach, 1980-1995; J. Graz, 1995-2015; G. Diop, 2015- .↩
GCC, April 5, 1977, 149.↩
The main statements were shared with several religious organizations, churches, the government, and the United Nations. Among the shared documents were Guiding Principles for the Responsible Dissemination of Religion or Belief, January 29, 2000; Recommendations on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Education, May 17-21, 2001; and Guiding Principles and Recommendations on Security and Religious Freedom, June 11, 2003. See the IRLA site www.irla.org.↩
John Graz, From Symposiums to Stadiums: Promoting Religious Freedom, in Living the Christian Life in Today's World, A Conversation between Mennonite World Conference and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, (Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 12501 Old Colombia Pike, Silver Spring MD 20904, U.S.A., 2014), 138-152.↩
Jonathan Gallagher/IRLA News, "Coalition Builds International Religious Freedom," ANN, November 19, 2001, https://adventist.news/news/coalition-builds-for-international-religious-freedom; See, www.irla.org, www.adventistliberty.org.↩
IRLA News, "United States: Senator Clinton Promotes Religious Freedom Issues at IRLA Event," April 2005, https://irla.org/index.php?id=296; "United States: Senator McCain Tells Adventists America's Leadership Tied to its Moral Standing," May 2006, https://www.irla.org/united-states-sen.-mccain-tells-adventists-americas-leadership-tied-to-its-moral-standing. John Smith, "North America: Senator Kerry Pushes for Religious Tolerance Better Care Environment," ANN, May 17, 2007, https://adventist.news/news/north-america-senator-kerry-pushes-for-religious-tolerance-better-care-of-environment.↩
ANN staff, "United Nations: New International Status for Religious Liberty Group," ANN, May 5, 2003, https://adventist.news/news/united-nations-new-international-status-for-religious-liberty-group.↩
Mark A. Kellner, "Thousands Rally in Sao Paulo, Brazil for Religious Freedom," ARH, June 20, 2013, 10-11. On some national festivals: "Jamaica to Host 'Historic Festival of Religious Freedom'," The Gleaner, Jamaica, WI, November 16, 2014, accessed June 10, 2022, https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20141116/jamaica-host-festival-religious-freedom.↩
"Honoring Freedom," Liberty, May-June 2011, 16-19. https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/honoring-freedom.↩
https://www.irla.org/. ↩
Flyer, 144o Forum Paulista de Libertade Religiosa e Cidadania, 2018. As sources of information on the IRLA activities it would be useful to read: The IRLA Secretary General Letter, The Board of Directors Minutes, and the IRLA Legal Meetings.↩
See, "Part Four: Report of IRLA Activities," Fides et Libertas, 2008-2009, 123-144. https://www.irla.org/fides-2008.pdf.↩
Graz, John. "The International Religious Liberty Association." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. June 11, 2022. Accessed January 28, 2023. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CJII.
Graz, John. "The International Religious Liberty Association." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. June 11, 2022. Date of access January 28, 2023, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CJII.
Graz, John (2022, June 11). The International Religious Liberty Association. Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved January 28, 2023, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CJII.


Of David. 1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. 2 He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples[a] under me. 3 Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? 4 They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow. 5 Part your heavens, Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. 6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy; shoot your arrows and rout them. 7 Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners 8 whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. 9 I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, 10 to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David. From the deadly sword 11 deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. 12 Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. 13 Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; 14 our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets. 15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.
"Praise be to the Lord my Rock who never lets war come near me and who doesn't let me get involved in battles"…that is how many of us would prefer the first verse of this psalm to read! Of course, this is not the case, and we quickly come to see that as long as we are still living in this world we are in a battle (or a series of battles).
It's good to regularly remind myself that I am in an unseen spiritual battle, because strangely enough, I seem to regularly forget this and get a little caught off guard by it.
But God offers us ongoing training in battle, as well as being our shield and refuge in the midst of it, and thankfully, He gives us ultimate victory!
I will get through this (and every future) battle I face, and I will grow a little stronger, as a result, ready to face the next one. He is training me for battle, and with each little victory I get stronger.
The last verse of this psalm sums it up well: "Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord".


text:
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
I've been reading young this fall. It seems that the randomizer by which I lazily choose my reading has been skewing toward YA surprisingly often this year, and I've rather been enjoying having my reading seasoned with YA again. It helps too, that I finally did Dewey's Readathon again this October, which lends itself to YA reading.
The Readathon was a golden opportunity to finally dig into Linda Sue Park's A Long Walk to Water. This one slipped into my collection on the occasion of my very first BEA and has been woefully neglected ever since. A Long Walk to Water is a mere 115 pages (making it an ideal Readathon book), but it packs a punch.
Park tells, side by side, the stories of two young characters, Salva, a young boy in 1980s Southern Sudan, forced to run for his life when the war against the northern government comes to his village, and Nya, a young girl in nearly present day Sudan whose life is defined by her endless walks to and from a distant pond to supply her family with precious and hard to come by water. When gunshots ring out near Salva's school, his teacher rushes the kids out the door insisting that they must not return to their villages and potential slaughter but flee into the bush alone. What follows is Salva's perilous journey among strangers across dangerous terrain to the safety of an Ethiopian refugee camp. Nya's village struggles to find fresh water that won't sicken people, but it's becoming more and more difficult, until strangers arrive in her village with an unexpected gift.
A Long Walk to Water is a short book, but a weighty one based on the true story of Salva Dut's terrifying childhood in his war-torn native country. It digs into the harsh realities of war in Sudan caused by both rebellion against the northern government that wants to force its Islamic beliefs on the whole nation and the dangerous animosity between the rival tribes of the south. Salva's story is both heartbreaking and often hopeless, but his refusal to give up and his coming of age under impossible circumstances are ultimately inspirational. Nya's story seems almost out of place, at first, highlighting the practical implications of living in an area where struggling to survive is forced to be the top priority, but the dual stories come together to offer a touching and pitch perfect ending.
What's a short book that you have read that has had a big impact?
Labels: book reviews, books, fiction, Linda Sue Park, young adult
In the Language of Miracles by Rajia Hassib
Samir and Nagla Al-Menshawy immigrated to the United States from their home in Egypt in search of the American dream. It wasn't always easy, but in suburban Summerset, New Jersey, they thought they had found it. Samir's medical practice was successful, the couple found fast friends in the family next door, and their children were growing up knowing the luxuries of American life. But, when a heinous crime is committed by their oldest son, Hossam, the family is plunged into grief and the community they once felt a valuable part of turns forcefully against them. In the Language of Miracles is the story of the Al-Menshawy family's struggles in the aftermath of their tragic awakening from the American dream that should have been their reality.
In the Language of Miracles is a story of faith and community: having it, finding it, losing it. Mother Nagla struggles with her loss of faith in face of tragedy, her inability to match the piety of her mother and her best friend that increases her fear that it was a shortfall in herself that caused tragedy to befall her family. Grandmother Ehsan is steeped in faith, perpetually murmuring prayers and waving incense, providing holy water for healing. Her faith imbues her every action and is so genuine that it can tear down cultural walls but can't rescue her daughter's family from their grief and struggle. Daughter Fatima is seeking her own path to faith, uncertain of whether to pursue her family's more Americanized ways or don the headscarves of her more religious friends. Son Khaled is a different story completely. Caught between the shame and treachery brought on by his brother's act and the expectations of a father whose hopes are now pinned upon him alone, Khaled takes refuge in studying monarch butterflies, how they migrate thousands of miles south to winter only to have a new generation of butterflies return north - a practice that seems to have parallels even in his own family.
Each of Hassib's characters is fleshed out and fully realized, from Khaled who is coming of age in the shadow of tragedy to his father, whose stubbornness makes him easy for readers to dislike, but his ultimate wish and goal to preserve the life and community he had striven so hard to attain, is ultimately sympathetic. I wished for an ending that offered a bit more closure, but that should take nothing away from this book that seems in every way to be an authentic exploration of the immigrant experience, an honest portrayal of the Muslim faith, and a compelling picture of a broken family knitting themselves back together after tragedy.
(I received a copy of In the Language of Miracles from the publisher in exchange for review consideration.)
Labels: book review, books, fiction, Rajia Hassib


text:
package org.apache.camel.component.azure.servicebus;

import com.azure.core.util.BinaryData;
import org.apache.camel.Converter;
import org.apache.camel.util.ObjectHelper;

@Converter(generateLoader = true)
public final class ServiceBusTypeConverter {

    private ServiceBusTypeConverter() {
    }

    @Converter
    public static String toString(final BinaryData binaryData) {
        if (ObjectHelper.isNotEmpty(binaryData)) {
            return binaryData.toString();
        }
        return null;
    }

    @Converter
    public static BinaryData toBinaryData(final String data) {
        if (ObjectHelper.isNotEmpty(data)) {
            return BinaryData.fromString(data);
        }
        return null;
    }
}


text:
Cognitive computing starts to become reality
that's right, my dear. IBM, in conjunction with the United States Government, is developing electronic circuits that simulate the functioning of the human brain. The call cognitive computing it has been developed by scientists, neurologists and psychologists, financed by the American command and with the collaboration of five universities in the country.
In the first phase of the research, scientists will try to determine the utility of the new system for large-scale data analysis and image recognition. In addition, a computer with operation similar to that of the human brain could analyze and integrate information from ambiguous senses and, thus, categorize and create sensory databases.
With an estimated budget of US $ 5 million, the project should start in nine months and aim to rebuild a brain high-tech similar to that of a cat. Did you think about Skynet or HAL 9000?
(Tip from Arthur Episcopo, thank you!)
Cognitive Computing reality starts
Six independent games to pass the time
ASSOFT welcomes Olivennes Agreement and calls for similar measure for Portugal
How to use the new windows window filter in Instagram Stories | Social networks
Create beats and songs on your iPad in a fun way with the Disco Fingers app
200,000 computers power European R&D network


Given the language and cultural barriers for western companies in China, agents or partners are useful and improve efficiency when conducting business. An agent will act as your direct representative and is paid commission. Distributors, on the other hand, will buy your products and sell them on and make a profit from the difference.
The advantages of using an agent or distributor are numerous: it will reduce the cost of initiating business, be quicker than starting from scratch and you can access their network and insider knowledge.
However, there are also other factors to consider when selecting whether an agent or distributor is the right move for you. You should consider factors such as the increased cost to customers, as distributors may raise the price. This is important to consider if pricing is a critical part of your market penetration strategy. In addition to this, your in-country marketing may have to accept a slight loss of control of how and where your product is sold.
To find an agent or distributor, there are several routes brands should consider. It's unlikely any one route will provide the full extent of resources that brands need, so combining multiple sources and prioritising routes based on the needs of the company are recommended strategies.
This is one way to make lots of contacts in one visit to China. However, fairs are crowded, sales-focused and it can be hard to communicate more than a superficial understanding of your company. Additionally, contact after this is usually contained to phone calls and emails so it can be hard to build a good business relationship.
Many consulting services will either sell you a list of distributors in your sector or will analyse your needs and provide a few recommended distributors for you. This can be expensive and largely depends on the quality of the output from the company.
Most domestic chambers of commerce will provide companies with a list of distributors within their sector and may already have some contacts with distributors. Other possible methods include direct networking in China or market research online.
There's a number of questions brands need to ask themselves when deciding whether to go into business with distributors. The China-Britain Business Council also provides a useful checklist of things to consider before starting a business relationship with any entity in China. When conducting a background check, it is better to research the company using both English- and Chinese-language sources; there are a number of China-specific agencies that can provide comprehensive company evaluations.
Is this the right agent/distributor for you?
*Does the distributor have a history of representing products like yours?
*Do they stand to benefit from your product?
*Do they have any conflicts of interest, such as deals with competitors?
*Are they always easy to contact?
Business expert Laurel Delaney, goes further and offers a set of 50 questions for every business to ask distributors.
Exclusivity agreements are used to separate distributors into different sales channels, ensuring that they don't begin to directly compete with each other. These agreements are used to help both distributors and suppliers. Exclusivity allows distributors to operate secure in the knowledge that other distributors, selling the same product, don't cross borders of sales territory or use an exclusive online sales channel. Suppliers are made happy knowing that, without this distributor hyper-competition, the prices of their products aren't going to spiral ever-lower.
It's very common for distributors to request exclusivity and if the offer is appealing it can be tempting to agree immediately, but it's not something you should jump into without knowing the facts first, and the differences between types of exclusivity.
Geo-exclusivity agreements restrict distributors to certain geographical areas. Within a chosen area, a distributor is able to sell the products freely, but are contractually obligated not to cross borders: national, regional or otherwise.
Channel exclusivity is similar to geo-exclusivity, but works with online rather than geographic boundaries. For example, a website for an ecommerce platform is typically hosted on a number extensions, largely based on geographical boundaries, like .co.uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, and so. Channel exclusivity can also entirely restrict an ecommerce website from use. A high-end fashion company may want to totally prevent their items being sold on certain platforms, for reasons surrounding brand strategy.
China is fragmented; one distributor is unlikely to be able to reach all regions and you will likely lose control of your product pricing and placement if you cannot monitor distributors. Compare their offer to others, factoring in reporting capabilities and historic pricing and exclusivity compliance. If an offer is good and you give the chosen distributor exclusive rights, always create an "exit strategy", either by providing targets or compliance conditions which if they don't meet they lose the rights, or a simple time lapse.
So what happens when distributors don't stick within their lanes? What are brands to do when their distributors start to sell on the wrong ecommerce channel, or when they drop their product prices online to well below those dictated in MAP policies? A technological solution is needed for brands to be able to comprehensively monitor the online actions of their distributors, so brands can enter future distribution negotiations with all the important information about how their products are being sold online.
In order to make money inside of China, registration as a Wholly-Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE) is required, which allows for sole ownership of the company by foreign investors. WFOEs are complex, expensive and time-consuming to procure, but alternative options (such as setting up a joint business venture with a local) should be heavily scrutinised as they can often result in a loss of control over the company, capital and IP. For more information of how to set up a WFOE, take a look at the WFOE help articles on China Law Blog, or the book 'China Briefing: Setting Up Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises in China' edited by Chris Devonshire-Ellis, which will provide some in-depth guidance.
Contracts can be essential in avoiding mistakes and complexities when working overseas. Contracts will provide suppliers, distributors and partners with clear specifications and expectations. These contracts should also provide adequate grounding to seek compensation for non-compliance or a breach of terms. Chinese law expert Dan Harris writes extensively on Chinese contract law and provides some of the following information.
While in the USA and Europe contracts are signed, in China it is far more important that the contract is stamped with the correct company seal. In China, the actual company representative who signs the document isn't as important as the seal or stamp.
Chinese courts will enforce contracts in foreign languages, however in the event of a dispute, it would work in your favour to have the contract in Chinese. The best practice is to have the working contract written entirely in Chinese. If the contract is already signed, you can always request a new contract and translate it.
In his blog Harris explains some of the problems that he encounters with distribution contracts. It is not uncommon for Chinese counterparts in joint ventures to claim that they hold the Chinese IP rights and that the law dictates this; however, this is not the case. There have been reports of Chinese partners claiming that it is an unwritten law, but there is no such law. No company should sign over their intellectual property on the basis that it is a legal requirement without consulting a respected legal expert in Chinese law, who speaks Mandarin (or the relevant Chinese language).
Distribution contracts are similar to those that companies use in the USA and EU, with some significant differences. Distribution contracts in the west usually protect a distributor to an extent in the case of termination. In China, there is no stipulation to have any such clause or protections for distributors, and so there is no requirement to compensate them in the event the contract is terminated. Therefore, it is not necessary to include contract terms that either limit or work around distributor protections.
It is advisable to add a further "no registration" provision in partner and distributor contracts. In this provision, the party agrees that you hold the exclusive rights to all IP and trademarks and that they will have no rights to that trademark in any shape or form. It should also include a stipulation that the party will not register any trademarks that relate to yours in any way. This acts as a further line of protection, with the first line having a nationally registered trademark.
This guide is aimed at those who wish to sell in China; however, as so many businesses both sell and produce in China it is worth mentioning some of the more important aspects of production. Before any company begins a discussion with manufacturers, it is imperative that they protect their trade secrets or designs.
A common mistake is when companies use a standard Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). A standard NDA protects trade secrets from being revealed to the public. However, a Chinese company with access to trade secrets may not reveal them to the public but could use them for its own products. Any contract should stipulate that in no way is the distribution or production company permitted to use your information to produce goods and/or compete with you. NDA agreements are not enforceable in China, as trade secrets are protected under an NNN Agreement under Chinese law.
NNN agreements are an airtight NDA including "non-use, non-disclosure and non-circumvention". Non-use prevents the producer from using your trade secret or idea to compete with you.
Non-disclosure covers the standard NDA terms, but you should include clauses that prevent disclosure of information within your partner's "group", that is, any individual inside their personal or professional circles. If someone from their group does violate the conditions of the contract, then the producer will be held fully liable.
This provision prevents disclosure of information (including designs and patent) to family members, subcontractors, other state-owned enterprises or sister companies. Non-circumvention prevents your producer from selling directly to the consumer and skipping your part in the businesses. It has a variable level of significance depending on the product.
The core point of this article, as well as our previous reports on Intellectual Property in China and Selling to China, is to stress the importance of understanding the difference in business culture between China and west. There is a world of difference that permeates deeply into social conventions, business norms and law, all of which make a huge impact on how international business relations work.
Educating yourself and your company about Chinese culture is a wise step to take if working with Chinese companies is part of your future plans. It makes sense for everyone involved to have, at least, a base level of understanding on how things work. Having said that, it's always recommendable for companies in this situation to seek expert counsel from advisors with real experience of working with Chinese companies, and from respected sources of Chinese law.


text:
Memories "lost" to Alzheimer's can be retrieved; they're not destroyed after all, new science discovers
Tuesday, August 29, 2017 by: Vicki Batts
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, brain function, cognitive function, dementia, disease treatments, memories, memory loss, neurology
(Natural News) Alzheimer's disease is a devastating condition, known for its potential to wipe away its sufferers' most treasured memories — but recent research has inspired new hope for those who struggle with memory loss. A team of scientists from Columbia University Medical Center has discovered that it may be possible to retrieve memories otherwise thought to be "lost" to Alzheimer's.
Published in the journal Hippocampus, the team's research suggests that Alzheimer's disease does not totally erase memories; instead, they say it just interferes with the brain's ability to recall information. While their discoveries were found using mice with the condition, if the same holds true for humans, the findings could be revolutionary. The notion that Alzheimer's simply disrupts memory recall, rather than destroys memories completely, could change the way Alzheimer's disease is viewed entirely and possibly open many doors for new treatment protocols.
The study's lead author, Jennifer Perusini, Ph.D., used mice that were developed to enable researchers to record recalled memories in the brain. A yellow fluorescent dye is used to permanently mark neurons when they record a new memory. When the mice recall a memory, red fluorescent dye permanently marks any cells that were activated. When red and yellow dyes overlap, it represents what's known as a "memory trace."
Dr. Christine Denny, the study's senior author, commented, "This has exciting implications for those of us who research the brain. If we find that memories are still stored in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, we may be able to develop treatments, or use existing therapies such as deep brain stimulation, to help people regain access to these memories."
The team utilized their specially developed mice to examine memory formation and recall in healthy mice and mice with Alzheimer's disease. Both sets of mice were trained to associate the scent of lemon with a mild shock. A week after learning this association, both groups of mice were tested again. The healthy mice recalled what the lemon scent meant and froze with fear. In contrast, the Alzheimer's mice only stopped about half as often as the healthy mice.
By looking at the mice's neurons, the researchers were able to identify a possible cause of this problem. In the Alzheimer's mice, the yellow dye showed that a memory of the lemon scent had been recorded, but that when the mice smelled it — a different neural pathway was retrieved, suggesting that a different memory was being recalled. But, with a laser light treatment developed by the team, the Alzheimer's mice were better able to recall the correct memory and respond to the lemon scent accordingly.
Dr. Denny commented, "The next step is to determine if the same memory storage and retrieval mechanisms exist in people with Alzheimer's disease." However, the exact same technology will not be able to to be used in humans; viruses were used to engineer the mice neurons and make them light-sensitive — a practice that we will hopefully never see approved for human use.
However, this study still sparks hope that with certain types of therapies, the human brain can be "assisted" in recalling memories. While many foods have been found to help prevent Alzheimer's disease, natural therapies to help improve the condition once it starts are still needed.
Dementia currently affects 47 million people around the world — but that number is expected to increase dramatically as the population ages. By 2020, as many as 75 million people could be suffering from some form of dementia. While prevention is the true key to battling any disease or condition, this new research certainly provides insight into what's really happening in the mind of a patient with Alzheimer's. The memories are there, they just can't access them.
Perhaps this research will inspire more natural remedies or therapies to assist with improving memory recall and preventing Alzheimer's disease. Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and director of CWC Labs, recently authored an article describing how the horsetail herb can help to prevent Alzheimer's disease and other health issues caused by aluminum, for instance. Hopefully, there will be more natural therapies for Alzheimer's disease on the horizon, as well.
Newsroom.CUMC.Columbi.edu
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https://www.naturalnews.com/2017-08-29-memories-lost-to-alzheimers-can-be-retrieved.html
Memories "lost" to Alzheimer's can be retrieved; they're not destroyed after all, new science discovers


I have a text-column where users should have inserted only postcodes, but have also entered the names of towns.
I usually use Access to quickly make a query, and then convert that solution to T-SQL to use with Excel/SQL connection string (usually simple SELECT queries).
But in this case I can't convert what works in Access to T-SQL, because the functions differ too much.
So, I need to retrieve only the records that contain only numericals, and then group them on year, month, CODEWINKEL, and the numerical value, and then count how many times they occur.
Maybe someone here can help me?..


FFC Scholarship - FAMILY & FRIENDS CONNECTION, INC.
FFC's focus on youth development, specifically motivated the establishment of our "Realizing Your Self Worth Scholarship Fund". This will be a predetermined amount to be awarded to one or more graduating seniors each calendar year. The scholarship amount may change from year to year depending on the availability of funds.
This points to the need for additional resources to ensure that no child is left behind. This scholarship fund will award annual scholarships to graduating youths, or graduating seniors, who will pursue post-secondary education at the technical, as well as four-year college and university level.
The FFC Scholarship is currently open to FFC Members who participante in Community events and Outreach in South Florida, USA.
- individuals who are actively volunteering their time in our events.
Level 1: Contribution of $1000 - Platinum - to be featured on FFC website, 5 minutes radio airtime, business card s at event.
Level 2: Contribution of $500. - Gold - website featured, 2 minutes highlighted on radio. Business cards at event.
Level 3: Contribution of $250. - Silver - 2 minutes highlight on radio, feature business card at event.
Education is important in today's world and our organization is looking out for future generations, by investing in our children, as we prepare them to compete in a global economy. Family & Friends Connection, Inc has accepted the challenge of that responsibility as an agent of change.
This is so great. Wish more places offered help in these hard times. I will tell my friends to try.


text:
Q: Curl command to Powershell to get X-SDS-AUTH-TOKEN I run the below cUrl command to get an X-SDS-AUTH-TOKEN. Is there any way I can convert this to Powershell to be able to script it? I'm been playing around with it, but not having much success. Any help greatly appreciated.
curl -L -v -k https://172.31.110.16:4443/login -u username:password
Thanks
I've looked at a lot of articles online, but nothing seems to point in the right direction.

A: Disclaimer - ive no idea what X-SDS-AUTH-TOKEN is - but you appear to be performing a simple GET request with BASIC auth so...
Step 1 - understand the command you want to replicate - consult the man page for Curl and read about each of the arguments your passing to curl -L -v -k and -u username:password. In summary:

*

*-L - this instructs Curl to follow redirects

*-v - enable Curl's verbose output

*-k - allows "insecure" SSL connections (self signed / expired / untrusted certificates)

*-u user:pwd - pass username "user" and password "pwd" to the webpage

Step 2 - Powershell gives you a few options, but for a simple GET request take a look at Invoke-WebRequest.
Comparing the default behavior of Invoke-WebRequest to curl you will find:

*

*Invoke-WebRequest follows redirects by default

*PowerShell provides a -Verbose switch with many commands, but this is not required

*Invoke-WebRequest provides -SkipCertificateCheck in newer versions of powershell, but it can be achieved via .Net for older versions. This is a security risk - make sure you understand the implications of bypassing certificate checks.

*I think curl will do BASIC auth by default. Invoke-WebRequest has an -Authentication switch (but it requires a powershell credential object) - BUT you might find it easier to create an Authorization header yourself using the -Headers switch.

I'm not going to give you a full solution, but this should point you in the general direction. Good luck!

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