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The Thoughts Of Vicious Sid
In their day, Nostradamus was ridiculed, Darwin was poo-pooed and even Brian Clough had his critics but in these enlightened times, their thoughts are now seen in a different light and they are more and more respected. Well, Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Thoughts Of Vicious Sid. He's a lover, not a fighter, unless it's about fighting for the bullied and oppressed and, in this day and age, that's the ordinary man and woman in the street. He will fight their corner until the end. He is the voice of reason, fair and just but will pull no punches when it comes to the dark underbelly of this evil world: things like lawyers, judges, politicians, perverts and Manchester United Football Club. Make yourself a cup of tea and pull up a chair, dear reader, and delve into the world of The Thoughts Of Vicious Sid. You never know, it may change your life forever. Together, we'll put this world to rights. All comments below are from the deep and meaningful mind of Vicious Sid himself and published and 'Liked' in major newspapers. If writing be the food of love, then read on . . .
The Thoughts Of Vicious Sid 08.11.12
My blog will be updated daily, so make sure you come back! If you would like to add or reply to a comment on one of the articles below just send me your comment and, if it's reasonably decent and not libellous or anything like that, I'll add it to the article (don't forget to include the date and title of the article).
I'm not sexy
SUPERMODEL Kate Moss does not believe she's sexy. The 38-year-old catwalk queen — one of the most successful models of all time – struggles to understand why people find her attractive.
And while she admits she looks "all right" she insists she's never considered herself desirable.
She said: "I think they're all right, my looks, now.
"But, I've never seen myself as sexy or a side of myself that boys would like."
Moss, who was 'discovered' at a New York airport when she was 14, also tells how, as a schoolgirl, she thought little of her appearance.
She recalls: "I wasn't the prettiest girl in class.
"No breasts, short legs, gangly teeth.
"I didn't look like model material, that's for sure."
vicious.sid: At least she's honest.
Jennifer Lopez upset by claims she had hotel maid fired for asking for her autograph
JENNIFER Lopez has been left 'hurt' by accusations that she had a hotel maid who asked for her autograph fired. German maid Pray Dodaj was working at the Melia hotel in Dusseldorf when J-Lo came to stay last week and after cleaning her room the self-confessed fan decided to ask the star for her signature.
However, according to Pray she was turned away by two members of Jennifer's team when she knocked on her door.
She said: "I cleaned on her floor. And I am an incredibly big fan so I took all my courage and rang the bell to get an autograph. But I was rejected by two assistants at the door."
And things allegedly went from bad to worse for 40-year-old Pray when she was sacked by the management of the luxury residence over the incident the next day, reportedly because Jennifer had complained.
She added: "A day later the cleaning company that employed me at the hotel called and said that Ms Lopez had complained.
"I was fired right there on the phone. Because of an autograph."
However J-Lo, 43, has denied that she was in any way involved in the situation and has said that she found the entire story to be 'hurtful'.
She wrote on her Twitter page: "C'mon thought you knew me better than this. Would never get anyone fired over an autograph. 1st I heard of this was on twitter. #hurtful."
vicious.sid: It wasn't about an autograph, it was because she made eye contact with her.
Kids forced to make Indiana Jones-style trek to school after bridge collapses
SPARE a thought for these Indonesian pupils the next time you're stuck in traffic on the school run. The daredevil kids are forced to embark on a seven-mile Indiana Jones-style trek every single morning - just so they can make it to class on time.
The children, from the village of Batu Busuk on the island of Sumatra, were forced into the circus-style commute after a crucial bridge collapsed in heavy rain more than two years ago.
To cross the fast-flowing river, the 20 kids have to wade through water and make a terrifying 30-foot high tightrope walk.
And when they get to the other side, they still have a seven mile walk through dense forest to reach their school in the town of Padang.
vicious.sid: Flippin' 'eck!! I've complained all my life to anyone who'll listen about my four-mile walk to school when I were a lad. I don't think I will any more!!
Woman who drove on pavement to avoid stopping for school bus ordered to wear 'Idiot' sign
A WOMAN who drove along the pavement to avoid stopping for a school bus has been ordered by a court to stand at the spot wearing an "Idiot" sign. Shena Hardin, 32, was filmed by a bus driver as she cruised along the walkway outside a day care entrance in her 4x4.
Now a judge has ruled that she must stand near the scene of the crime wearing a sign bearing the slogan: "Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid the school bus."
Hardin's licence was suspended for 30 days and she must also pay a £150 fine.
vicious.sid: If you saw how people drive in Cyprus, you wouldn't be able to move on the pavements for all the 'idiot' signs (and the parked cars, of course)! What a good idea, I think the next step should be stocks and rotten fruit . . .
I watched The Commitments over and over to try and get my Dublin accent just right
FOR a man who has risen to stardom as Ireland's favourite unhinged mob boss, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor is remarkably well-spoken. Despite playing a crazed gangster for the past two years, the 34-year-old actor is still a little uncomfortable with his Love/Hate hard-nut look.
And yesterday he told how it took some serious swotting to shed his rounded West-Brit tones for the West Dublin accent of Nidge — one of the best-loved characters in the hit RTE drama.
Trinity graduate Tom, who lives in London, revealed he perfected the strong brogue by watching Roddy Doyle's Dublin-based flicks.
He said: "I grew up in Dublin so I've always been around Dublin accents.
"But I watched a lot of The Commitments and other Roddy Doyle films to get used to it again."
The light-hearted tale of a northside soul band is far removed from the gritty subject matter of Love/Hate, which returns for its third and, by all insider reports, most shocking series yet this Sunday.
Yet dad-of-one Tom insists he's never fazed by the tough scenes he's given to play alongside Peter Coonan, who plays Fran, and Robbie Sheehan (Darren).
He said: "It's a great challenge to be given those scenes. For some of them you do need to do your homework, but there's no warming up.
"You've got to just go in there and commit 100 per cent to them. The cast, the crew, everyone just gives it everything."
There is another reason for giving it his all, though. As Tom admits: "The last thing you want is to be wiped off the map by all of these amazing actors coming in.
"Every year there are new characters and they bring a new energy and life into the storyline.
"It keeps you on your toes and makes you play it really hard. You have to be on the set and give it everything you've got."
The reward for all the hard work is Nidge himself — the funny-yet-cold-blooded psycho.
Tom said: "Every time we do a new series it's amazing to see the development in Nidge's character.
"What's so brilliant about playing him is that he flips between being a complete psychopath and a comical character. You don't know where you are with him from one minute to the next, and I love that about him."
The one drawback to playing Nidge is his menacing shaved bonce.
The RADA-trained star admitted that, when he is in skinhead character, he keeps a low profile on the multi-cultural streets of London.
But he admitted that his actress wife Claire Cox can't stop laughing at it. Tom smiled: "I try to keep my head down when I'm around town, it's quite a severe look so you can get some very strange looks.
"My wife thinks my haircut is hilarious, just ridiculous — she laughs at me when we're filming."
vicious.sid: You have to admire these actors, don't you? The hell they go through with their jobs. To have to sit and watch a film to prepare for a role is just so brave. Forget all those young men in Afghanistan and the like. Jeez . . .
Renewable fashion one step too far?
Think twice before throwing your paper bags away, because in the world of fashion they have become hot property.
Last season Jill Sander launched a $290 bag crafted from coated paper, and now New York-based designer, Aki Goto, has unveiled a battered-looking $480 jacket made from discarded paper bags.
According to the stockist she only uses 'fabrics donated by people' and most of her pieces are hand sewn.
The item of clothing, simply called the Paper Bag Jacket, is marketed as being 'one-of-a-kind' and unisex.
A size 8, vintage jacket was used as a base, and paper bags were applied using a combination of glue and varnish.
Ms Goto then stuck strips of grey duct tape to the jacket lapels as a finishing touch.
The little-known designer's latest work has attracted mixed reviews. 'We don't hate the concept - in fact, we could see kooky couture designer Maison Martin Margiela making something like this work in a runway show.
Tempting? The Aki Goto, $480, Paper Bag Jacket appears on the United Bamboo website
'But between the sawed-off sleeves, the peeling seams and the creased, wet-looking material, we can't help but think that the jacket appears to be rotting right there on the model's back.'
But those sold on the design better be quick, as only one Paper Bag Jacket is available to purchase.
vicious.sid: Looks great, doesn't it (cringe)! Just don't go out in the rain or stand by a naked flame. Or stand still for too long in a sandwich shop.
Wrong Direction! Harry Styles' tattoo looks a bit rude
One Direction star Harry Styles appears to need a swift touch-up to this new artwork. Last month the boyband singer added some new designs to his rapidly-growing tattoo collection.
Across his forearms, Harry had the slogan: "Some thing I can, some things I can't" inked on.
But on closer inspection of the tatt as Harry jetted to LA on a work trip, it seems one of the letters has been inked incorrectly to spell out a rude word.
Harry's new inkings also include several small designs including a pair of zig-zags and what looks like a small key on his left wrist.
Harry's previous tatts include a pair of comedy and tragedy masks, a small letter 'A' in tribute to his mother and a birdcage with the letters SMCL written underneath.
He and his bandmates, with the exception of Niall Horan, also have screw tattoos on their ankles.
vicious.sid: What is the matter with these people? All that money and they are having the crappiest tattoos I've ever seen!!!!
Teachers close school early to attend colleague's wedding
A HEADTEACHER packed pupils off home after closing the school early so the teachers could attend a colleague's wedding. Gillian Pursey sent parents a letter telling them she was cutting afternoon lessons short by 90 minutes and to collect their kids at 2pm.
The 51-year-old claimed it was for staff training but most of the teachers headed to the ceremony.
Angry parent Kamal Hussain became suspicious after he spotted three glammed-up staff driving past him in their cars.
The 35-year-old then turned detective and found Mrs Pursey and her staff enjoying a slap-up wedding reception meal.
Furious Kamal, whose own children had been refused time off school for a family wedding, fronted the headteacher but was told it was research for the school's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Company operations manager Kamal said: "I was just so angry and furious. The dad of two added: "I'm just disgusted with the school. I've lost my trust and confidence in them and I'm going to look to move my children elsewhere.
"As taxpayers we pay their wages and yet they spend their afternoon living it up at a wedding instead of teaching our children.
"They weren't drinking as it was an Asian wedding but they were all having a laugh and a joke all the same.
"It just seems like one law for them and one for the rest of us."
St Hilda's Primary School, in Oldham, Greater Manchester, shut early on October 30.
And just hours before the wedding bash, Kamal said the head had refused a request to allow his children - aged five and seven - to miss two days school for his brother's wedding.
After seeing the teachers drive away, Kamal went into the school to find it deserted.
He said: "I asked where they had gone and they told me they were all at a wedding I couldn't believe it. I was furious.
"I asked to speak to the head and was told she was there too."
Kamal drove to the town's Grand Venue - where the reception was being held - to find 24 teachers sat around two large tables.
He asked Mrs Pursey why she had closed the school for the wedding and she replied the governors had cleared it.
Kamal added: "I told her I was concerned about my children's education and asked why the school had been shut for training purposes but she wouldn't answer any more of my questions. "It's just not good enough."
Mrs Pursey has since defended her actions.
She said: "'Staff were given that hour-and-a half of staff development time to research things for our golden jubilee celebrations.
"They could do that research on or off site, and whenever they liked. Some decided to do it straight away, and others decided to do it after the wedding. It was all agreed with the school governors and is all above board."
Oldham Council said: "This is an interim management issue for the school and no action will be taken."
Last month, a mother from Stockport was fined £1,000 after she took her son out of school she he could give her away at her wedding.
vicious.sid: 100 lines "I must not lie to the children's parents" and a week's detention for all of you.
I'd love to play for Mourinho
STEVEN GERRARD has sensationally revealed he still wants to play for Jose Mourinho. The Special One is a long-time admirer of the Kop legend.
And he almost persuaded him to join Chelsea in 2004 and 2005 — a period when Mourinho led the Blues to two Premier League titles and a League Cup.
But Mourinho did not give up the chase and renewed his interest as Real Madrid boss, saying he could never understand why Gerrard, 32, was still at under-achieving Liverpool.
Now the Anfield skipper has confirmed: "I would like to play for Mourinho, the Special One."
Despite winning winning a Champions League trophy, a UEFA Cup, two FA Cups and three League Cups in his 14 years at Liverpool, Gerrard still does not possess an elusive Premier League winner's medal.
The lack of major honours at Anfield has often led to interest in the England skipper from some of Europe's most successful clubs.
But the Kop idol remained loyal to his boyhood team.
When asked about the interest from Mourinho when he was Chelsea boss, Gerrard said: "Liverpool weren't really challenging at the time, so there was something to think about.
"But I ended up saying 'no' and a year later I said 'no' again. But he came back when he arrived at Real Madrid two years ago.
"I look at some players who get interest from clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona and they cause absolute wars to get out and get there.
"But that has never been me and, again, it just wasn't going to happen."
The Liverpool talisman reckons Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso is the best midfielder he ever played with — and he is the first player he would have back at Anfield.
Alonso is one of the most decorated players in the game. During his five-year spell at Liverpool, he won the Champions League, the FA Cup and the European Super Cup.
And on the international stage he has been an integral part of the Spanish team that has lifted the World Cup in 2010 and won the European Championships in 2008 and this year.
Last season, he helped Mourinho's Real to the La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup.
And Gerrard added: "I'd want Xabi Alonso back, he's the best midfielder I've played with and I miss playing with him."
Alonso is also a huge fan of Gerrard. He said: "Steven could play in any national team in the world because he has so many great qualities.
"He'll be remembered as one of the greats. For me he is already one of the greats. He has achieved great things and in very important moments he has been the man for Liverpool.
"We had great European nights and he was the main man. He's a great player."
vicious.sid: Unless Mourinho takes over the management of Liverpool, it ain't gonna happen because of the ridiculous death threats that'll occur. It's a game of football for pete's sake!
'Demons' drive TV Tara Palmer-Tomkinson back to rehab Socialite in clinic two weeks after wild-eye snap
TROUBLED socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was back in rehab last night after her "demons" were said to have returned. The news comes two weeks after the 40-year-old reality TV star was snapped looking wide-eyed and dishevelled outside a party.
A pal told a magazine she has been admitted to a private clinic in South East England for a month of treatment.
Ex-model Tara has publicly battled addictions to booze and cocaine.
She admitted hitting "rock bottom" in 1999, but fought her way back to health and looked radiant in 2002 as she was runner-up in gruelling TV show I'm A Celebrity.
The reason for her latest stint in rehab is unknown.
The clinic advertises treatment for alcoholism, anxiety and drug addiction.
Yesterday, Grazia magazine quoted a source as saying: "Tara has a well-documented history of battling various demons. Unfortunately it seems some have returned to haunt her.
"She knows when things get bad, the only answer is rehab.
"All those who love her support her and are so pleased she has decided to take this course of action as she has been having a particularly difficult time lately.
"She's in for a month and we're looking forward to seeing a healthier, happier Tara on the other side."
The source added: "Tara admits she's slipped up a few times recently. But she's in no way as bad as in the past.
"This is not about cocaine, this is just getting her back to full health."
Tara said after seeking treatment in 1999: "You've got to really want to get well. I got well because I felt so ashamed."
Her spokeswoman Becca Barr declined to comment.
vicious.sid: That's what happens when you never have a proper job, you get famous for being famous (I honestly can't think of anything she could be famous for) and believe your own hype. Very sad.
Labour MP Jamie Reed sparks Twitter storm after asking if a woman on his train had grown her moustache for Movember
A Labour frontbencher has been forced to apologise after using Twitter to make jokes about a woman's moustache.
Shadow health minister Jamie Reed was updating his 19,000 followers about an 'obnoxious' passenger on his train when he asked is she was 'growing that for Movember' - the cancer charity event which encourages men to grow a moustache in November.
But the Copeland MP was bombarded with abuse by Twitter users, branding him a 'sexist clown'.
Travelling to London from his constituency in Cumbria, Mr Reed wrote: 'On the train down, opposite an incredibly obnoxious and opinionated woman (you people) my withering glances were not enough. Had to do more.'
He then added: 'As she slagged off the train guard I simply looked at her and asked: 'Are you growing that for Movember?' Am I right? Yeah? Who's with me?'
As users accused him of not valuing his constituents' votes and being unable to trust him, he the tweeted: 'I didn't actually do that. But trust me, what a horror.'
Mr Reed received several angry replies from other Twitter users.
vicious.sid: Well don't leave us in suspense, did she?
Exasperated minister Lord McNally demands to know why he is still getting nuisance PPI calls even after registering to block them
A government minister has revealed his exasperation at being plagued by nuisance calls offering help claiming back PPI and has called on phone watchdog Ofcom to investigate.
Justice minister Lord McNally said he had added his number to a register to not receive the calls and was astonished to find it did not work.
The exasperated peer has now written to regulator Ofcom to highlight the problem, which has plagued millions of Brits for years.
There are thought to be almost 1,000 claims management companies offering to help people claim back PPI which was mis-sold by banks and secure thousands of pounds in compensation.
But homeowners have been inundated with phone calls and text messages offering help they either do not want or need.
Homeowners can register their number with the Telephone Preference Service, which is supposed to put a bar on marketing calls.
But Lord McNally said: 'We at home are supposed to be on this blocking mechanism that you sign up for, but the calls still get through.'
Speaking during questions in the House of Lords, he told Baroness Gardner of Parkes that he would investigate whether international calls get round the blocking.
Baroness Gardner said she received six phone calls a week and sometimes three or four a day, 'all offering me wonderful things'.
Lord McNally said: 'I know that Ofcom is very much aware of this problem. I know that it is no use me telling the noble Baroness that she can go on to this register and that Ofcom is on the job and so on, because from the noises around the room and my own experience, I know that these nuisance calls are still getting through.'
Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer group Which?, said: 'Our research found that people who sign up to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) have about a third fewer cold calls, so it is useful. But firms calling from overseas or flouting the rules are still getting away with it.
'Despite up to 10,000 complaints a month to the TPS, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) hasn't issued a single fine for nuisance calling. The ICO must take tough enforcement action now by naming and shaming companies that are still calling people registered with the TPS and fining those found breaking the rules.'
Last month businessman Richard Herman won a major victory after taking a cold-call firm to court and winning compensation to a businessman for wasting his time.
The 53-year-old turned the tables by invoicing one of the firms for £10 for every minute he wasted answering their telephone calls.
vicious.sid: Give me the job and I will stop it overnight. A fine of £100,000 for each unwanted call - now that all phone systems are digital, everything is traceable. Simple.
Food is 'too cheap' and encourages consumer waste, says exec at global food giant
An executive at the world's second-biggest consumer goods company told a conference that food is 'too cheap' and far too much is being wasted as a result.
Jan Kees Vis, the global director for sustainable sourcing development at Unilever said that half of the food that is purchased in the city of London is never eaten.
He added that consumers and catering firms do not put enough value on the food that they buy, even though the cost of meals and snacks in supermarkets, takeaways and restaurants, The Daily Telegraph reported.
'Places that offer food for lunch – chilled, day-fresh [food] - have made incredible growth, but the result is a lot of food is wasted,' he said.
A big factor in why we waste so much food is that food has become too cheap. If it weren't, we wouldn't waste so much of it,' said Mr Vis.
WRAP, the food waste group, said Britons throw away 7.2 million tonnes of household waste each year, around £680 of food per family. The group adds that around 4.4 million tonnes of this is edible food.
Mr Vis, speaking to the CropWorld Global 2012 conference in London, said that food waste usually takes place in restaurants or people's homes.
As prices rise, driven by a growing global population, Mr Vis said that if people could bring down levels of waste the increase in production required would slow down.
Recent research by Unilever, which makes brands including Flora margarine, Marmite and Hellman's mayonnaise, found that people throw away food primarily because it goes off too quickly, leftovers are not eaten, and too much food is prepared in the first place.
British families throw away 7.2 million tonnes of household waste each year - roughly £680 of food per family
Andy Dawe, WRAP's head of food and drink, told the newspaper: 'Food waste is a serious issue, increasingly so. Although the percentage of consumer income spent on food has fallen for decades, more recently there has been significant food inflation.
'UK households currently throw away 4.4 million tonnes of food which could have been eaten, costing around £680 a year for the average family with children.
'This is money that could be saved if we made the most of the food we buy.'
The good news is Britons are actually throwing away less than they were. Between 2007 and 2010, households reduced their food waste by 1.1 million tonnes.
Earlier this year fast food restaurants, pubs, hotels and catering firms, such as Greggs and McDonalds, agreed new voluntary targets to cut food waste over the next three years.
vicious.sid: Now isn't that strange that it was an executive millionaire who said that food is 'too cheap' and not an ordinary person in the real world? Hmmmm.
High Street left without Christmas lights for first time in 20 years after killjoy officials demand £4,000 for lamppost health and safety tests
Officials have banned Christmas lights from a busy High Street for the first time in 20 years unless traders fork out up to £4,000 to have lampposts tested for health and safety reasons.
Furious residents and local business owners have slammed a new rule which means the West Wickham Town Centre Association must pay for test certificates to ensure lampposts are strong enough to support Christmas lights.
The charge was introduced after the High Street was designated a red route, meaning it is managed by Transport for London (TfL) rather than Bromley Council.
In happier times: How West Wickham looked during previous festive seasons Unseasonal: West Wickham High Street could be without its Christmas lights this year
As one of London's major roads, the High Street carries up to 30 per cent of city traffic.
Secretary of the association Jane Avis manages the family-run shop Waterways, in the High Street, which has been running for more 30 years.
She said: 'We've had Christmas lights for over 20 years. My mum used to do it and then I took it over.
'It doesn't make a massive difference to trade, it just gives a good community feeling.
'West Wickham High Street has been a red route for four or five years and they never asked for anything.
'But last year they said we need to comply with regulations which are different to Bromley Council's.
'We're going to fight them all the way. We won't let them dampen our Christmas spirits.'
Resident Charles Sebestyen, a 70-year-old retired property executive who has lived in the area for around 35 years, said: 'It has killed the Christmas spirit in the West Wickham area.
'TfL is being ridiculous. I simply do not understand how something that has worked for a long time is now suddenly unsafe.'
vicious.sid: Wow, that's a new one!!! It certainly beats charging people for walking on the pavement, planting flowers, putting rubbish in bins, throwing twigs in rivers, etc., etc., etc. I think there should be competition to find the council with the looniest methods of taking money from the public.
David Cameron greeted by cheering refugee children at UN refugee camp as he pledges to end Syria conflict and increase aid
David Cameron today vowed to end the bloodshed in Syria after hearing 'horrendous' stories of suffering from refugees and becoming the first G20 leader to visit a vast UN-run compound in Jordan.
The Prime Minister said he was even more determined to force Bashar Assad from power after visiting the border region where tens of thousands of fleeing Syrians are living at the Za'atri camp.
He vowed to work with re-elected US President Barack Obama and said British humanitarian aid for the crisis would rise by £14million, after visiting an area where up to 500 people a day are arriving.
Diplomatic talks are also planned between the UK's special envoy to the Syrian opposition John Wilkes and rebel military chiefs in an effort to 'help shape the opposition', Mr Cameron said.
Mr Cameron, who is now closing a three-day Middle East tour, said: 'I wanted to hear for myself the stories of people who have been bombed and shot and blasted out of their homes in Syria.'
The 46-year-old criticised the 'deeply-illegitimate and unpleasant regime that is raining down death and destruction on its own people' and said it was 'truly horrendous to hear those stories'.
Mr Cameron added: 'It just redoubles my determination that now, with a newly-elected American president, we have got to do more to help this part of the world, to help Syria achieve transition.'
The Prime Minister travelled by helicopter to a valley dominated by the Al Wahdah dam, which is one of the busiest crossing points and was recently hit by Syrian shells.
Some of those arriving seeking shelter in Jordan had walked for up to 15 days to reach the border, he was told by the local Jordanian military chief.
'I wanted to hear for myself the stories of people who have been bombed and shot and blasted out of their homes'
At the camp, he met some of those recently arrived in the country and was treated to a patriotic Syrian song by young girls at one of the classroom tents set up for the many children living there.
Mr Cameron told them: 'You are not just missed in Syria. All of the world wants to help you, including my country.'
Speaking about the moves to set up talks with the rebel military leaders, he said: 'There is an opportunity for Britain, for America, for Saudi Arabia, Jordan and like-minded allies to come together and try to help shape the opposition, outside Syria and inside Syria, and try to help them achieve their goal, which is our goal of a Syria without Assad.'
It is a recognition that events are increasingly dictated by the military figures and not the splintered political groupings, who met in Qatar this week in an effort to forge an alliance against Mr Assad.
'Now, with a newly-elected American president, we have got to do more to help this part of the world, to help Syria achieve transition'
And there are rising concerns that extremists are gaining a major influence inside opposition forces.
Mr Cameron left open again the possibility that the president could be allowed to flee the country voluntarily to a state where he could evade any criminal charges against him over the slaughter which has killed upwards of 30,000 people so far.
'I would like to see him face justice but, frankly, any option that involves him leaving the country and a transition taking place would be good for the people right behind me here,' he said.
At present 2.5million people inside Syria need humanitarian assistance and the number of refugees in the surrounding region is predicted to almost double to 710,000 by the end of the year.
'I would like to see (Syrian President Bashar Assad) face justice but, frankly, any option that involves him leaving the country and a transition taking place would be good for the people right behind me here'
That could mean a quarter of a million alone in Jordan.
Of the new aid, £9.5million will go on blankets, soap and food for those forced out of their homes within Syria and on emergency help for the 8,300 Palestinian refugees based in Syria.
The rest - taking total UK aid to ease the crisis to £53.5million - will be used to help those who have fled to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey - including safe transport from the border to the camps where they are being housed.
Mr Cameron will fly back to the UK after meeting with the King of Jordan for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel but will not arrive in time for Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons.
vicious.sid: Look at that, he has to go halfway round the world to find people who won't boo him everywhere he goes!!! (Note to self: People seem to like you when you give them things rather than taking from them all the time!)
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Vicious Sid
I am keeping fellow expats up to date with the interesting bits of news from Old Blighty. I just want to make the world a happier place and to put my points across to inspire people into doing what is right.
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Tags: Barack Obama | Emerging Threats | Exclusive Interviews | George W. Bush | Iraq | Iraq in Crisis | Middle East | Steve Malzberg Show | War on Terrorism
Paul Bremer: Iraq Trouble Is Obama's Fault
Tuesday, 12 August 2014 05:53 PM
President Barack Obama's controversial statement that it wasn't his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq, but that of the George W. Bush administration, won't hold water, says Paul Bremer, former U.S. administrator in Iraq.
"History will be pretty clear that the decision not to have any troops there after Jan. 1, 2012, was a very serious, strategic mistake that the president made,'' Bremer said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
Editor's Note: Billionaires Dump. Prepare for Unthinkable
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"A lot of words from him aren't going to change history's judgment.''
Still, Bremer, who was a U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands and onetime chairman of the National Commission on Terrorism, said Obama deserves credit for his decision to send air power to Iraq.
"He identified those two objectives on Thursday when he first made the announcement. Over the weekend, he made a very important third objective,'' he said.
"In his New York Times interview, he said we will not allow the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria. That's a strategic objective. I agree with that objective, that's true. We see what happens when terrorists take over a country, in Afghanistan.''
Bremer says a deeper military involvement in Iraq is necessary to crush ISIS, the al-Qaida splinter group marauding through Iraq and killing innocent civilians.
"Contrary to what many people in the press are saying, a more vigorous effort to defeat ISIS, these terrorists, will also improve the likelihood of a broad, non-sectarian government in Baghdad,'' he said.
"These two things are related. If the Sunni tribe sees that we are serious about defeating these Islamic extremists, they are more likely to support what we're trying to do through the government in Baghdad. The same goes for the Kurds.''
Bremer says that if the U.S. had acted more proactively in Syria, Iraq may not have become the powder keg it is now.
"I've been publicly calling for more than three years for a more robust policy in Syria, and there's no question. History will be very clear on this,'' he said.
"If we had taken efforts to support more moderate people in Syria, and if we established a no-fly zone, we would've prevented [President Bashar] Assad from using these barrel bombs on his own civilians.
"We would've saved tens of thousands of lives in Syria and brought about what the president stated his goal was, which was to overthrow Assad . . . Certainly, if we had acted earlier in Syria, we would've faced a much less threatening problem today in Iraq.''
Vote Now: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance?
Paul Bremer, CNN's Erin Burnett Argue Over Iraq
Bremer: Libyan Stability Mainly Regional Burden
Newsmax-Tv
Paul Bremer, ISIS, troops, history
Alan Dershowitz to Newsmax: Neither SCOTUS, Nor Biden Has Final Say on Vaccine Law
Saturday, 15 Jan 2022 12:43 PM
Americans are divided on the Supreme Court's split decision on vaccine mandates, blocking them on private businesses and . . .
Rep. Fallon to Newsmax: 'Red Tsunami' Coming in This Year's Races
Saturday, 15 Jan 2022 11:23 AM
Rep. Pat Fallon, pointing to numbers in this past November's races, on Saturday predicted a "red tsunami" will take plac . . .

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to transform a for loop into stream loop How to transform this code into a stream loop:
for(long l = 1L; l <= 250000; l++) {
     v = value.add(BigInteger.valueOf(myMethod.getInt()));
}

I need to get the 'v' as a unique BigInteger value.

A: Fundamentally, it looks like your myMethod.getInt method is a generator. Therefore, the best way to do this, in my opinion, is to create an infinite stream from your generator.
IntStream.generate(myMethod::getInt)
    .mapToObj(BigInteger::valueOf)
    .limit(25000)
    .reduce(BigInteger.ZERO, BigInteger::add)

This is clearer because you don't have to specify a range - the range is not what you care about, the number of elements is (i.e. the size of the range). You also don't have to ignore the parameter when you're mapping.

A: BigInteger result = IntStream.range(0, 25000)
  .map(i -> myMethod.getInt())
  .mapToObj(BigInteger::valueOf)
  .reduce(BigInteger.valueOf(0), BigInteger::add)

Another answer with IntStream.generate(myMethod::getInt) and limit is more elegant :)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
layout: page
title: Excellent Research Trade Fair
date: 2016-05-24
author: Paul Melton
tags: weekly links, java
status: published
summary: Nulla eu scelerisque arcu. Duis at dolor non purus sodales.
banner: images/banner/people.jpg
booking:
  startDate: 05/24/2017
  endDate: 05/26/2017
  ctyhocn: SANPYHX
  groupCode: ERTF
published: true
---
Etiam eget orci quis eros mollis efficitur. Pellentesque posuere feugiat mauris, non porttitor nibh volutpat eget. Suspendisse egestas tristique lacus, eu faucibus nibh efficitur sit amet. Phasellus et felis elit. Maecenas suscipit nisi in leo pulvinar, auctor commodo libero feugiat. Proin non quam auctor, mollis risus non, hendrerit mi. Vivamus congue volutpat arcu, in efficitur nisl iaculis in. Morbi feugiat ut diam ultrices commodo. Sed et laoreet diam. Aenean elementum laoreet lacus, eget elementum nibh facilisis vitae. Curabitur et urna sed risus ornare scelerisque. Duis id neque sed est tempus tincidunt. Donec elit magna, tempor at commodo at, tempus in enim. Vestibulum tincidunt dolor felis, id volutpat quam dignissim dapibus. Vestibulum egestas, ligula ac dignissim tincidunt, nunc lorem convallis justo, vitae molestie ligula erat at erat. Fusce sit amet ipsum vestibulum, eleifend urna non, gravida metus.

* Vivamus euismod ante quis orci suscipit, quis ultricies urna semper
* Sed lobortis tortor quis massa finibus suscipit sed et orci.

Sed sit amet scelerisque enim, eu molestie orci. Praesent eget sollicitudin ex. Proin elit ante, porttitor non porttitor sit amet, euismod vel magna. Cras sed mollis sem. Aenean tellus nibh, fermentum sed sapien nec, dapibus consequat nulla. Praesent maximus et nisl eu sollicitudin. Pellentesque dignissim dui vitae risus sagittis, et aliquet est lacinia. Vestibulum a suscipit dolor, ac euismod risus. Curabitur dictum dignissim dictum. Morbi lobortis risus sit amet lacus cursus porta. Vestibulum tempus eros id diam lacinia bibendum. Sed vestibulum congue maximus. Donec lacinia est sed urna efficitur auctor.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
import {__platform_server_private__ as _} from '@angular/platform-server';

export const INTERNAL_SERVER_PLATFORM_PROVIDERS: typeof _.INTERNAL_SERVER_PLATFORM_PROVIDERS =
    _.INTERNAL_SERVER_PLATFORM_PROVIDERS;
export const SERVER_RENDER_PROVIDERS: typeof _.SERVER_RENDER_PROVIDERS = _.SERVER_RENDER_PROVIDERS;


text:
ITT's Connector Business Introduces Veam MOVE-MOD™, Delivering True Modularity in Circular Interconnects
30.11.2021 17:03:00 CET | Business Wire
November 30, 2021-- ITT Inc.'s (NYSE: ITT) connector business introduces its ruggedized, modular circular series Veam MOVE-MOD™. The flexible design delivers power, signal, and data in a single connector by utilizing a range of snap-in modules with various contact layouts to match individual system requirements. Developed for use in harsh environments, these ultra-durable connectors are suitable for a wide range of applications, including rail, heavy and off-road vehicles, alternative energy and infrastructure, robotics, and other industrial equipment.
"Our customers have relied on Veam connectors to overcome their critical challenges for more than 60 years. MOVE-MOD is a next-generation solution designed to meet their evolving needs," says Ellen McMillan, Vice President and General Manager Europe, ITT Connect and Control Technologies. "The modular nature of these innovative connectors give long-term flexibility to adapt, convert and expand connectivity post-design-in by simply swapping out modules."
One key advantage the circular MOVE-MOD series has over its rectangular equivalents is its suitability for size-restricted applications. In comparison to standard rectangular connectors with equivalent pin counts, MOVE-MOD has a condensed footprint. Toolless assembly and installation combined with ultra-secure bayonet coupling that features visual, tactile, and audible secondary locking confirmation ensure MOVE-MOD is a fast and easy solution to work with.
The series is available in two ultra-harsh-environment, RoHS and REACH compliant plating options that deliver 500-hour salt spray resistance. The first option is the proprietary Blue Generation® plating is a high-performance Zinc Nickel formulation that is conductive and offers excellent RFI shielding. While the second option, Black Hard Anodized plating, is a popular non-conductive option, also for use in extreme environments.
Additional key features of the MOVE-MOD series include:
Minimized component requirements deliver time and cost efficiencies
IP67 environmental sealing
Minimum of 500 mating cycles
Wide operating temperature range (-55°C to -115°C)
RoHS and REACH compliance
For more information about the MOVE-MOD series of modular, circular interconnects, please visit: www.ittcannon.com
About ITT
ITT is a diversified leading manufacturer of highly engineered critical components and customized technology solutions for the transportation, industrial, and oil and gas markets. Building on its heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver enduring solutions to the key industries that underpin our modern way of life. ITT is headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., with employees in more than 35 countries and sales in approximately 125 countries. For more information, visit www.itt.com
About ITT's Connect and Control Technologies Business
ITT's Connect and Control Technologies business designs and manufactures harsh-environment connectors and critical energy absorption, motion, flow and environmental control components. Through leading brands such as Aerospace Controls, BIW Connector Systems, Cannon, Compact, Enidine and Veam, the business serves customers in the aerospace, automation, defense, energy, industrial, infrastructure and transportation markets.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
Business Media:
Kellie Harris
kellie.harris@itt.com
Trade Media:
Nigel Steel
nigel.steel@publitek.com
richard.miles@itt.com
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FourKites Acquires European Supply Chain Visibility Leader NIC-place18.1.2022 09:00:00 CET | Press release
FourKites announces it has acquired NIC GmbH (NIC-place), the leading European supply chain visibility provider. FourKites' and NIC-place's combined over-the-road, rail and ocean carrier networks creates the largest multimodal carrier network in Europe. This will bring global shippers the most comprehensive end-to-end global supply chain visibility platform. The acquisition will also accelerate the adoption of secure real-time visibility solutions specifically designed for carriers. Moreover, it shortens the time to value for shippers with complex, multimodal carrier networks. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220118005246/en/ FourKites Acquires European Supply Chain Visibility Leader NIC-place NIC-place is the market leader in supply chain visibility software solutions specifically designed for transport companies, carriers and logistics service providers. With its proprietary Data Control Center (DCC), NIC-pla
Temenos Announces Composable Banking Services on the Temenos Banking Cloud Platform18.1.2022 08:53:00 CET | Press release
Temenos (SIX: TEMN), the banking software company, today announced Composable Banking Services and Capabilities aligned to the BIAN (Banking Industry Architecture Network) service landscape on the Temenos Banking Cloud. In addition, Temenos delivers new banking services and technology advancements that create the market's most comprehensive, cloud-native platform for composable banking. These new banking services are showcased at Temenos Sales Kick-Off, 18-21 January and will be presented at Temenos Community Forum, 17-19 May 2022. Temenos has advanced its technology architecture and banking capabilities to deliver the most open and secure cloud-native platform for composing, extending or deploying banking capabilities at scale. New pre-composed banking services on the Temenos Banking Cloud can be rapidly consumed from a self-service portal, easily configured, extended or deployed anywhere. Composed Temenos Banking Services consist of pre-configured and pre-assembled Temenos Banking Ca
SES Appoints John-Paul Hemingway as Chief Strategy and Product Officer18.1.2022 08:50:00 CET | Press release
SES is adding a new Chief Strategy and Product Officer (CSPO) to its Senior Leadership Team, underscoring SES's commitment to ideate, build and deliver the services and solutions that create the most value for SES customers and partners, as well as their end-users. John-Paul (JP) Hemingway is charged with translating SES's corporate vision into strategic action for the company's networks and video markets – including its target applications, strategic partnerships, portfolio of solutions, and the space and network assets required to deliver them. The newly-created function brings together the Corporate Strategy, Product, Commercial Operations, Fleet Development, Innovation and Marketing & Communications teams, and is part of SES's drive to be the most customer-centric, product-led organisation in the industry. With Hemingway's appointment as CSPO, SES is eliminating the role of SES Networks CEO while retaining the strong focus on its video and networks businesses and leveraging its inn
CSL Behring AG publishes Offer Prospectus on public tender offer for all publicly held shares of Vifor Pharma Ltd.18.1.2022 07:05:00 CET | Press release
Regulatory News: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220117005418/en/ AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR CSL Behring AG, Berne, Switzerland, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global biotechnology leader CSL Limited (ASX: CSL; USOTC: CSLLY), today published the offer prospectus regarding its public tender offer for all publicly held registered shares of Vifor Pharma Ltd. (SIX:VIFN; ISIN:CH0364749348), a global specialty pharmaceutical company with leadership in Iron Deficiency, Nephrology & Cardio-Renal Therapies, as indicated in the pre-announcement of the public tender offer published by CSL Limited on 14 December 2021. The transaction, has been unanimously approved by both companies' Boards of Directors. The offer price for each registered share of Vifor Pharma Ltd. is USD 179.25 in cash. The public tender offer is subject to the offer conditions set forth in the offer prospectus, which includes the report of
Fujirebio Europe Launches the RoboBlot™ Instrument, a Fully Automated Solution for INNO-LIA ® Score Assays18.1.2022 07:00:00 CET | Press release
Fujirebio Europe announced today the commercial launch of the RoboBlot instrument, a closed system for the automated processing of the widely used INNO-LIA Score assays. The instrument is manufactured by Bee Robotics Ltd. and distributed by Fujirebio Europe. The system's pre-programmed test protocols provide start-to-finish automation of strip-based INNO-LIA Score assays, from sample addition, over strip processing, image capture, to result interpretation and where applicable laboratory information system (LIS) communication. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220117005350/en/ RoboBlot™ - an instrument for fully automated processing of INNO-LIA® tests from sample pipetting to strip reading and LiRAS® interpretation (Photo: Fujirebio) "High throughput testing and more automation are an increasingly pressing need for laboratories. The typical drawbacks of manual testing, such as long hands-on time, inconsistent ass
Fast Growing RegTech SteelEye Reports 88% Growth In 202118.1.2022 06:01:00 CET | Press release
SteelEye, the compliance technology and data analytics firm, has announced a record year of growth. Revenues increased 88 percent year-on-year in 2021 and the company now has over 120 institutional clients worldwide, with new clients including Oppenheimer Europe Ltd and JonesTrading. SteelEye – which is headquartered in the UK and has offices in London, New York, Paris, Bengaluru, and Braga – has seen increasing demand for its services as financial firms' regulatory compliance needs have grown across the globe. In response, the business expanded to the United States last year, backed by $17 million funding rounds in 2020, and appointed RegTech veteran Brian Lynch to lead its US operations. Pressure from regulators and the increasing need to improve operational efficiency across the industry have encouraged more firms to replace legacy technologies through platforms like SteelEye. This demand is growing exponentially as remote and hybrid work patterns become the norm – requiring firms t
Faster Air Quality Mapping Thanks to Ricardo's RapidAir Software18.1.2022 01:01:00 CET | Press release
RapidAir®, developed by the global air quality, energy and environment specialists, is the next generation dispersion modelling and policy support platform that enables users to test the impact of scenarios in minutes, supporting the identification of measures that will reduce traffic emissions and consequently improve public health. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220117005253/en/ RapidAir air quality software (Photo: Business Wire) The ground-breaking air quality dispersion modelling software has already been successfully used across Asia, Europe and the UK, supporting Clean Air Zone evaluations, traffic management measures and wider air quality management activities. In response to requests from clients, including transport and health professionals, Ricardo has developed a cloud-based RapidAir software, complimenting its consultancy offering and making the capabilities of RapidAir more accessible to profess
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What is Predictive Analytics and why you should care?
Home / AI / What is Predictive Analytics and Why Does It Matter?
What is Predictive Analytics and Why Does It Matter?
To understand the meaning of Predictive Analytics, let's describe what Data is first. Data is a collection of facts, information, and observations related to a context. The data can be either structured or unstructured, stored in databases, spreadsheets, files, etc. Data analytics is the science of examining the data to drive conclusions and find answers to particular questions.
Descriptive tells us "What happened?" which is pretty much all of the standard reporting capabilities that we have seen so far in any computerized system. For example, a sales report generated for a customer to understand the transactions for the current year.
Diagnostic tells us "Why did it happen?" by using advanced techniques such as drill-down, data discovery, data mining and correlations (e.g., BI finds the relationship between data points and helps us to understand Why a specific event has occurred).
Predictive tells us "What will happen?" by using historical data and an understanding of the past in order to predict the future. This is called supervised learning in AI.
Let's see what is so special about Predictive Analytics and how it can help your business.
What is Predictive Analytics? Why does it matter?
Data Analytics nowadays is a hot topic, especially with the advancement of AI and accessibility of fast and cheap computing power. Predictive Analytics is a special branch of AI that uses supervised learning, statistical techniques from predictive modelling, machine learning, and data mining to analyze current and historical data in order to make predictions about the future. Predictive Analytics can play a big role in helping you to win the competition.
How? Predictive Analytics can harness the data and create a unique opportunity for organizations.
Forecasting sales volume based on last year's sales history of a product and current orders to ensure you will have always have the right amount of the item in stock. Potentially, you can use a Workflow to automate the whole approval-buy cycle of the purchase.
Finding the probability of a patient illness based on the history of similar patients in the medical center during the current season, and helping the GP to identify and diagnose illnesses based on the probability of these hypotheses. Potentially, you can use Decision Automation to prescribe the right set of activities, drugs, and regimens for the patients.
Classifying customers based on buying habits, and sending the right offer to the right customer to boost sales. Potentially, you can automate the entire cycle and let the system send out vouchers, sales offers, etc., using the right groups of products to the correct sets of customers. Then the system monitors the customers behavior again and feeds the results back to the model. This improves the quality of the next offer in order to maximize profitability.
It is important to understand that the value of Predictive Analytics has become a reality. However, it will have positive impact on our day-to-day jobs only if we utilize them and close the loop of the Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA), not just show these on a beautiful dashboard.
These are just few examples and in the next post I will show you how to build a predictive model using FlexRule.


text:
var path = require('path');
var fs = require('fs');

var Q = require('q');
var wrench = require('wrench');
var globby = require('globby');

var git = require('./git');

var copy = require('./util').copy;

function getCacheDir() {
  return path.relative(process.cwd(), path.resolve(__dirname, '../.cache'));
}

function getRemoteUrl(dir, remote) {
  var repo;
  return git(['config', '--get', 'remote.' + remote + '.url'], dir)
      .progress(function(chunk) {
        repo = String(chunk).split(/[\n\r]/).shift();
      })
      .then(function() {
        if (repo) {
          return Q.resolve(repo);
        } else {
          return Q.reject(new Error(
              'Failed to get repo URL from options or current directory.'));
        }
      })
      .fail(function(err) {
        return Q.reject(new Error(
            'Failed to get remote.' + remote + '.url (task must either be ' +
            'run in a git repository with a configured ' + remote + ' remote ' +
            'or must be configured with the "repo" option).'));
      });
}

function getRepo(options) {
  if (options.repo) {
    return Q.resolve(options.repo);
  } else {
    return getRemoteUrl(process.cwd(), options.remote);
  }
}

/**
 * Push a git branch to a remote (pushes gh-pages by default).
 * @param {string} basePath The base path.
 * @param {Object} config Publish options.
 * @param {Function} callback Callback.
 */
exports.publish = function publish(basePath, config, callback) {
  if (typeof config === 'function') {
    callback = config;
    config = {};
  }

  var defaults = {
    add: false,
    git: 'git',
    clone: getCacheDir(),
    dotfiles: false,
    branch: 'gh-pages',
    remote: 'origin',
    src: '**/*',
    only: '.',
    push: true,
    message: 'Updates',
    silent: false,
    logger: function() {}
  };

  // override defaults with any task options
  // TODO: Require Node >= 4 and use Object.assign
  var options = {};
  for (var d in defaults) {
    options[d] = defaults[d];
  }
  for (var c in config) {
    options[c] = config[c];
  }

  function log(message) {
    if (!options.silent) {
      options.logger(message);
    }
  }

  if (!callback) {
    callback = function(err) {
      if (err) {
        log(err.message);
      }
    };
  }

  function done(err) {
    try {
      callback(err);
    } catch (err2) {
      log('Publish callback threw: ', err2.message);
    }
  }

  try {
    if (!fs.statSync(basePath).isDirectory()) {
      done(new Error('The "base" option must be an existing directory'));
      return;
    }
  } catch (err) {
    done(err);
    return;
  }

  var files = globby.sync(options.src, {
    cwd: basePath,
    dot: options.dotfiles
  }).filter(function(file) {
    return !fs.statSync(path.join(basePath, file)).isDirectory();
  });

  if (!Array.isArray(files) || files.length === 0) {
    done(new Error('Files must be provided in the "src" property.'));
    return;
  }

  var only = globby.sync(options.only, {cwd: basePath});

  git.exe(options.git);

  var repoUrl;
  getRepo(options)
      .then(function(repo) {
        repoUrl = repo;
        log('Cloning ' + repo + ' into ' + options.clone);
        return git.clone(repo, options.clone, options.branch, options);
      })
      .then(function() {
        return getRemoteUrl(options.clone, options.remote)
            .then(function(url) {
              if (url !== repoUrl) {
                var message = 'Remote url mismatch.  Got "' + url + '" ' +
                    'but expected "' + repoUrl + '" in ' + options.clone +
                    '.  If you have changed your "repo" option, try ' +
                    'running the "clean" task first.';
                return Q.reject(new Error(message));
              } else {
                return Q.resolve();
              }
            });
      })
      .then(function() {
        // only required if someone mucks with the checkout between builds
        log('Cleaning');
        return git.clean(options.clone);
      })
      .then(function() {
        log('Fetching ' + options.remote);
        return git.fetch(options.remote, options.clone);
      })
      .then(function() {
        log('Checking out ' + options.remote + '/' +
            options.branch);
        return git.checkout(options.remote, options.branch,
            options.clone);
      })
      .then(function() {
        if (!options.add) {
          log('Removing files');
          return git.rm(only.join(' '), options.clone);
        } else {
          return Q.resolve();
        }
      })
      .then(function() {
        log('Copying files');
        return copy(files, basePath, options.clone);
      })
      .then(function() {
        log('Adding all');
        return git.add('.', options.clone);
      })
      .then(function() {
        if (options.user) {
          return git(['config', 'user.email', options.user.email],
              options.clone)
              .then(function() {
                return git(['config', 'user.name', options.user.name],
                    options.clone);
              });
        } else {
          return Q.resolve();
        }
      })
      .then(function() {
        log('Committing');
        return git.commit(options.message, options.clone);
      })
      .then(function() {
        if (options.tag) {
          log('Tagging');
          var deferred = Q.defer();
          git.tag(options.tag, options.clone)
            .then(function() {
              return deferred.resolve();
            })
            .fail(function(error) {
              // tagging failed probably because this tag alredy exists
              log('Tagging failed, continuing');
              options.logger(error);
              return deferred.resolve();
            });
          return deferred.promise;
        } else {
          return Q.resolve();
        }
      })
      .then(function() {
        if (options.push) {
          log('Pushing');
          return git.push(options.remote, options.branch,
              options.clone);
        } else {
          return Q.resolve();
        }
      })
      .then(function() {
        done();
      }, function(error) {
        if (options.silent) {
          error = new Error(
              'Unspecified error (run without silent option for detail)');
        }
        done(error);
      });
};

/**
 * Clean the cache directory.
 */
exports.clean = function clean() {
  wrench.rmdirSyncRecursive(getCacheDir(), true);
};


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