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WOMEN IN BUSINESS: Network Ireland West Cork record TWO National winners in space of three years
By TheCork.ie on 15th June, 2020 Comments Off on WOMEN IN BUSINESS: Network Ireland West Cork record TWO National winners in space of three years
Pictured centre, Katherine O' Sullivan of O Donnell Furniture, Skibbereen receiving the Network Ireland Award for Shining Star Employee 2019 with Rose-Marie Kennedy, Deloitte (Award sponsor) and Helen Wycherley, 2019 Network Ireland President.
Since its launch in January 2018, Network Ireland's West Cork branch has gone from strength to strength. In the 3 years since forming, this branch has seen incredible growth and successes, becoming the fastest growing branch Nationally in 2019 and can boast of 2 National Award Winners, which is an incredible achievement for such a newly formed branch.
President of Network Ireland West Cork, Caroline Murphy was the first West Cork member to win a National Award in September 2018 in the 'New Emerging Business' category for her company West Cork Eggs. Caroline tells us how winning this award has meant so much to her personally and to her business. "The Network Ireland Business awards literally changed me and my business and I had no idea that it would do that when I first completed my application form. To win at a national level is a game changer for a small business such as West Cork Eggs and the press coverage was amazing. We are a West Cork company, that are now recognised nationally. But it is more than that, it gave me a confidence I didn't have before, in myself and the business."
When Katherine O Sullivan, General Manager of O' Donnell Furniture won the 2019 Employee Shining Star award at the Network Ireland awards ceremony held at Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery last September, she was genuinely shocked. Since winning the accolade Katherine explains how it has boosted her confidence, "I have grown in confidence and learnt a lot about myself following the process of entering and being privileged and humbled to win a National Award. I was hesitant entering the awards as I would see many other people as being much more progressive and having achieved so much more than me. But through encouragement from my fellow members, I entered and I simply told my story."
By just filling out the entry form, it allows businesses to reflect on how much they have achieved, review their current offerings and plan for the future. Both Caroline and Katherine are proof that by taking that first step, it can be the start of an amazing journey both personally and for your business. Entries are now open for the awards process, which encourages women in Business to celebrate the power within. The focus of the award categories for 2020 is on the professional women as a whole entity, looking at the totality of their professional and community work. These categories are new and designed to reflect the vastly altered working world in which we all find ourselves. 2020 has become a time for reflection, drawing on the power within ourselves to transform and create a new way forward. The new categories are : Online Business Transformation, Business Innovation, Emerging Business, Solo Businesswoman, Transforming Employee and The Power Within Champion. Choose a category that best fits your primary area, your businesses, the work you do and any other contributions – these awards are to recognise.
Caroline Murphy encourages all women in business to enter the awards saying "I cannot encourage any business woman out there strongly enough to apply for these awards. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain by this process and we are here to help you." Network Ireland West Cork will host online workshops to support it's members through the application process, for more details follow @NetIrlWestork on their social media channels.
WOMEN IN BUSINESS: Network Ireland West Cork record TWO National winners in space of three years added by TheCork.ie on 15th June, 2020


The director of Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center has submitted his resignation, leaving the facility after a year at the helm.
Scott Guermonprez's last day leading the Northport VA will be July 14 as he intends to retire after more than 30 years of military and federal service.
"Having the opportunity to come back to Long Island and my home, Northport, as a capstone assignment is a wonderful and awesome way to finalize my career," Guermonprez said.
The director said this is effectively his second retirement from service. Guermonprez said he built his career in the military health care system serving as an administrator there for 24 years, before initially filing for retirement. At the last minute, he transferred to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to begin serving other veterans. Guermonprez worked for three years at Albany VA Medical Center before coming to Long Island.
Guermonprez said he believes he is leaving Northport's facilities in better condition than when he arrived, claiming he's improved the timely access to health care for veterans by making same-day appointments available for primary care and adding an increased capacity for telehealth, where elderly veterans can now use technology to talk and consult with their physicians from the comfort of their home.
Dr. Cathy Cruise, recently promoted to permanent chief of staff at Northport VA, will step up to serve as the acting director while a national search is conducted to find Guermonprez's successor.
Cruise has worked at the Northport center for approximately two years but has spent more than 23 years serving with the VA. She will take the reins of the $15 million in capital projects currently underway at the facility and, possibly, the long-awaited demolition of two buildings Guermonprez has focused on, for which permits were received and authorized July 5.
"I wish I could be here for it, but I've asked Dr. Cruise to save a brick for me," he said.


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Home / News / Sir Ben Ainslie in running for Lottery sporting legend gong
Sir Ben Ainslie in running for Lottery sporting legend gong
Written by Will Carson	12th August 2019	Featured-post, Team news
British Sailing Team hero Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, is amongst twelve top UK athletes competing for public votes after reaching the finals of this year's 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards – the annual search to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded athlete and projects.
The Sporting Legend category in the Awards provides a golden opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the UK's world class National Lottery funded athletes, whilst demonstrating the impact that National Lottery players have had on elite sport since 1997.
Sir Ben has competed and medalled at five Olympic Games. At his first-ever Olympic Games, aged 19, he won an Olympic silver medal and went on to establish himself as the world's best by winning consecutive golds at the next four Olympic Games.
In addition to his Olympic glory, he is an eleven-time world champion, nine-time European Champion and four-time World Sailor of the Year. In January 2013, Ben Ainslie was knighted, a day he describes as 'the proudest moment of my career'. In September 2013, Ben was part of one of the biggest comebacks in sporting history, winning the 34th America's Cup with Oracle Team USA. He is now the Team Principal and Skipper of Britain's America's Cup Challenger for the 36th America's Cup, INEOS TEAM UK.
Ben Ainslie, Finn. © Ocean Images/RYA
Sir Ben said: "I owe a great deal of gratitude to the National Lottery and its players and I'm delighted to be a Sporting Legend finalist in the 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards. The introduction of National Lottery funding for competitive British Sailing in 1997 was a game changer and has been the bedrock on which the success of the British Sailing Team has been built on at consecutive Olympic games.
"I would like to thank National Lottery players for helping to make the British Sailing Team the most successful national Olympic sailing team of all time and for helping me to pursue and realise my dream of becoming an Olympic gold medallist."
Whilst competing for the British Sailing Team, Sir Ben Ainslie was supported through the National Lottery funded World Class Programme, which affords athletes coaching, training, and competition support, medical, technology and scientific services.
Simon Morton, Acting Chief Executive Officer for UK Sport, said: "The National Lottery has been the absolute driving force in making the UK a true world leader in Olympic and Paralympic sport. The advent of the National Lottery 25 years ago proved the fundamental turning point in our fortunes. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to every National Lottery player for making all of our inspirational Olympic and Paralympic medal moments come true and long may this continue."
To date over 6,000 elite athletes have benefitted from National Lottery funding, enabling them to have access to some of the best coaching, facilities and support staff in the world. Since 1997, our athletes have won 864 Olympic and Paralympic medals.
The shortlisted athletes saw off stiff competition from a longlist of over 50 other worthy contenders to reach the public voting stage in this year's National Lottery Awards. The finalists were selected by the judging panel for their sporting achievements, passion for their sport and ability to inspire others.
Ben Ainslie after winning gold at London 2012. © Ocean Images/RYA.
The shortlisted athletes are:
Sir Chris Hoy – Cycling
David Weir CBE – Para Athletics
Dame Katherine Grainger – Rowing
Dame Kelly Holmes – Athletics
Nicola Adams OBE – Boxing
Dame Sarah Storey – Para Swimming & Para Cycling
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson – Para Athletics
Jade Jones MBE – Taekwondo
Kelly Gallagher MBE & Charlotte Evans MBE (guide) – Para Skiing
Sir Mo Farah – Athletics
Sir Steve Redgrave – Rowing
Sir Ben Ainslie – Sailing
This year, the Awards will reflect The National Lottery's 25-year legacy, giving a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the sporting legends who have benefitted from National Lottery funding over the last quarter of a century. The impact of National Lottery funding has been truly significant, changing the face of elite sport in the country, and driving performance on the world stage.
The public vote will decide which athlete is crowned champion and the victorious athlete will receive an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy and attend a star-studded glitzy awards ceremony to be broadcast on BBC One on Tuesday 19 November.
To vote go to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter: hashtag #NLAwards. Public voting will run until midnight on Wednesday 21 August.
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Gerhard Fanselau (* 30. April 1904 in Leipzig; † 28. April 1982 in Potsdam) war ein deutscher Geophysiker.

Leben

Seine Eltern waren der Amtsrat Wladislaus Fanselau und Sophie. Infolge der Versetzungen seines Vaters besuchte er die humanistischen Gymnasien in Leipzig, Breslau, Halle und Berlin. Von 1923 bis 1927 studierte er Mathematik und Physik an der Universität Berlin.

1927 begann er am Meteorologischen Institut der Berliner Universität und wechselte im Folgejahr an das von Adolf Schmidt geleitete Magnetische Observatorium in Potsdam. Die ersten Jahre war er beschäftigt mit dem Aufbau des Observatoriums in Niemegk – die Elektrifizierung der Berliner Stadtbahn störte erdmagnetischen Beobachtungen in Potsdam und auch im nahen Seddin.

1929 entwickelte er die später nach ihm benannte Fanselau-Spule, eine (später von Braunbek verbesserte) Weiterentwicklung der Helmholtz-Spule, mit der mittels spezieller Anordnung mehrerer Einzelspulen besonders homogene Magnetfelder erzeugt werden können. 1933 übernahm er die Leitung des Observatoriums Niemegk. 1935 habilitierte er sich in Berlin in Geophysik und erhielt 1941 dort einen Lehrauftrag. Am 14. November 1939 beantragte er die Aufnahme in die NSDAP und wurde zum 1. Februar 1940 aufgenommen (Mitgliedsnummer 7.494.450).

Anfang 1946 konnte der Registrierbetrieb in Niemegk wieder aufgenommen werden. 1950 wurde er auch Direktor des Geomagnetischen Instituts in Potsdam. 1954 wurde er als Professor an die Humboldt-Universität in Berlin berufen und 1958 an die Karl-Marx-Universität Leipzig. Ab 1964 war Fanselau Mitglied der Leopoldina. 1960 wurde er mit dem Vaterländischen Verdienstorden in Silber ausgezeichnet.

Veröffentlichungen
mit Max Grotewahl: Vorläufiger Bericht über den von der Carnegie Institution gestifteten Bidlingmaierschen Doppel-Kompaß, in: Terr. Magn. (Journal: Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity) 35 (1930), S. 225–226
Über Messungen mit dem Doppelkompaß. Tätigkeitsbericht des Preußischen Meteorologischen Instituts Potsdam 1930, S. 186–193
Ergebnisse der Beobachtungen am Adolf-Schmidt-Oberservatorium für Erdmagnetismus in Niemegk im Jahre 1937. Geophysikalisches Institut Potsdam, Erdmagnetische Jahrbücher, Berlin 1941, S. 9ff.
Über das magnetisch kompensierte Horizontalintensitäts-Variometer. Annalen d. Hydrographie und Maritimen Meteorologie 71 (1943) S. 73–75
Über eine magnetische Vertikal-Fadenwaage. Zeitschrift für Meteorologie 2 (1948) S. 216–225
mit Armin Grafe: Eine neue Schnellregistrierung der geomagnetischen Komponenten X, Y und Z am Oberservatorium Niemegk in: Jahrbuch 1961 des Adolf-Schmidt-Observatoriums für Erdmagnetismus in Niemegk mit wissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen, S. 135–140 Hrsg. Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin Geomagnetisches Institut Potsdam, Akademie Verlag Berlin, 1962
Geomagnetismus und Aeronomie; 1965
mit Horst Wiese: Geomagnetische Instrumente und Messmethoden; 1960
 Geomagnetische Feldwaagen. In: Zeitschrift für angewandte Geologie 8 (1962), Heft 2, S. 63–65
mit Peter Mauersberger: Theorie der elektromagnetischen Felder; 1964
Hans Haalck † in Gerlands Beiträge zur Geophysik, Hrsg. Hans Ertel, Berlin, und Karl Jung, Kiel, Band 78, Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Geest & Portig K.-G., Leipzig, 1969, S. 433–435
Hoher Fläming; 1974
mit Peter Mauersberger: Über das aus dem Erdinneren stammende Magnetfeld; 1959
mit Julius Bartels: Geophysikalische Mond-Tafeln, 1850-1975; 1938
Zur Auswertung der Potentialberechnungen in begrenzten Gebieten; 1960
Geophysikalisches Kolloquium vom 1. Dezember 1956 in Freiberg; 1957
Einige Beiträge zur Theorie der Strömungslehre und deren Anwendung in der Radiometertheorie; 1927
Ergebnisse der erdmagnetischen Beobachtungen Prof. Filchners auf seiner zweiten Tibetreise 1935-1937; 1943
Die Erzeugung von homogenen Magnetfeldern durch Rechteckströme; 1956

Literatur

Weblinks

 Gerhard Fanselau in der Liste der Professoren der Universität Leipzig von 1945–1991

Einzelnachweise

Hochschullehrer (Universität Leipzig)
Hochschullehrer (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Träger des Vaterländischen Verdienstordens in Silber
Mitglied der Leopoldina (20. Jahrhundert)
Geophysiker
NSDAP-Mitglied
Geboren 1904
Gestorben 1982
Deutscher
DDR-Bürger
Mann

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Aussie filmmaker James Wan is best known for thrilling horror movie audiences with a string of hits, from Saw to The Conjuring. But with the December 21st release of Aquaman -- the first theatrical film devoted to the perennial fan-favorite DC Super Hero -- Wan is set to wow an entirely new audience of filmgoers around the world. We recently caught up with Wan in his editing suite on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank, and he spoke with us about what went into making one of this year's most eagerly awaited big-screen epics.
"Yeah, it's really weird. Even though it's a superhero character, my approach to it really wasn't as a superhero film. I really wanted more [of a] fantasy approach to it. I've culled influences from stuff that inspired me and influenced me since I was a little kid, like all the way from classic Ray Harryhausen [films], to Spielberg's earlier stuff. There was a lot of that. I think I've mentioned a bit of my love for Romancing the Stone as well, just the way the characters interact... It's a bit of a mixture, the film really has a lot of different flavors to it -- using the mythology of Aquaman, the world of Aquaman, to pull it all together.
I was a big fan of what [artist] Ivan Reis did, and what [writer] Geoff Johns and Ivan did together. The story was definitely inspired by Geoff Johns' run on New 52, but I actually kind of went back to a lot of the earlier stuff as well. The different characters, the different world. I love [artist] Nick Cardy's stuff. I love the first series. The stuff that eventually sort of inspired Super Friends and the Aquaman TV series. I love that. So, I thought, "I'm not going to shy away from it. I'm going to embrace that and kind of do my own version of that." I just love that retro quality that the original comic book had, and all the really fun characters, and tried and find ways to fit them into this, basically. It's a re-telling of a character that has somewhat become a joke over the years. So it's like, "How do I make him cooler and more relevant for today's world?" I definitely went back to even the earlier stuff for inspiration.
I felt like all the very overtly cool characters, in-your-face cool characters, have been done already. But because of that, I really enjoy and really took a liking to the underdog nature of his character. Not just his character, but the underdog quality of how we all perceive this guy. I think there was something kind of cool about that. To me, it's more special to come in and do something unique with a character like that, than coming and doing a Batman, or something that you've seen many versions of already. So the fact that I can come in and do something unique, and no one's really seen this sort of big-screen adaptation, is what really excited me.
There's a love story between Arthur and Mera, but for me, the love story between mom and dad is just as important. Mom and dad's love story is the emotional backbone for the lead character, and what drives him for the rest of the movie. So I think it's an important thing.
One of the things that I really want to capture with the civilization of Atlantis is, it's a bit of new and old. We're all familiar with the legend of Atlantis. That they were such an advanced race of people, and culturally far ahead, but they became too powerful for their own good, and they sank as a result of that. So I took a lot of that mythology and kind of played with it. So even though Atlantis is a civilization underwater, it's been around for a long time, hundreds of years. So they're very technologically advanced, and socially, they're very advanced. But yet in other ways, they're still very archaic. They still have a monarch system that they're very true to. They have a very rigid way of looking at things -- playing out the whole monarch aspect, and amping that up to its tenth degree.
They're a race of underwater people, and they don't usually come up here that much. It's partly because they don't like us. They have no desire to come up here. Literally, this movie cannot be more of a fish-out-of-water [story]. They're not accustomed to surface world tradition. I tried to play into that a lot, especially between Arthur and Mera, between Jason [Momoa]'s character and Amber [Heard]'s character. Jason is the fish out of water when he's in Atlantis, and she's the fish out of water when she's on the surface world. So they have to work together and get along. Things are weird over there, things are weird over here, and part of that is where the fun comes from. I try to touch on a little bit of that without going too heavy.
It's really that fine line. We spent months and months and months, and years, just developing the look, the visuals. Trying to find that right balance where it's not so on-the-nose and "Hey, look at me, I'm a big, bright, poppy film!" but one that still stays true to the tone, of an action swashbuckling adventure -- [which] allows me to be a little bit more poppy and a bit more popcorn-y, but always go, "OK, I can also lean this way and get a bit more scary if I need to be." Because, again, the story and the world really lends itself to lots of different flavors. I always say that the ocean is a really magical place. It's full of wonder and magic. But it also can be really scary as well. So this movie really lets me lean into both concepts. Then, from that, I try to pull inspirations for designs, visual cues for the world that [the characters] are supposed to be from.
I get people asking me, "Do you shoot the underwater stuff underwater?" Or "Are you shooting in slow-motion to try and capture the slow-motion nature of underwater movement?" No, you're thinking like a surface dweller. When you're from that world, you don't move like that. We do. But they're actually way more powerful when they're underwater. So, right from the onset, we all thought that the characters should move like they would move in a normal environment for them. They're supercharged in a lot of ways. So there was a lot of planning from all of us -- from the conceptual team to working with the stunt people to designing rigs that the actors can sit in and move in. Then, I had to think, "Okay, so when we're on land and we're walking, we move our arms left and right to keep ourselves balanced. What is the version of that they do when they're swimming?" The tiniest little movement would propel them so far forward, like sharks, like dolphins. With the tiniest little bit of muscle movement, they just rocket through the water. So even though it's fantasy, I try to bring as much of reality into it as I can; but still have a bit of liberty with it as well.
It took a long time. [The fight between Orm and Arthur], it's a fight sequence that we've seen before, a classic sword fight. But you take it and you transport it to this environment, and it takes on a whole different look and feel -- visually and in how the characters move. So it informs the choreography and all that. We just started off with baby steps, designing the fight itself on flat ground. Then at some point we go, "You know what? Instead of ducking, maybe he spins in the air. That would take it to the next level." Then we bring wire into the equation. Then we redesign it based on some wire work, and then visual effects come in and help us take it to a whole different level that we couldn't do otherwise. Obviously, VFX is doing all the environments anyway, but we start with practical, real stunts with stunt guys, laying out the flow and the action, and working with my editor to put it all together. Nothing in this movie is straightforward. Not even two people sitting around talking is straightforward. There are CG hair, costumes, beard and all that. It's such a nightmare. It's such a difficult movie to make from a technical standpoint.
It's great. My imagination is my limitation, basically. So I can run really wild with my designs and ideas and all that. I've been wanting to make a design movie for the longest time. I've never had the money to back me up. So that was part of the thing that I really enjoyed about this particular character -- not only do I get to revamp this underdog character, but also the opportunity to design different worlds visually, and create other kingdoms. I'm a big fan of world creation. I do a little bit of that in my horror films. They all take place in their own little world. So I wanted to apply that kind of thinking to this world. And Atlantis is just a slice of the different worlds that we'll visit... The concept is, when ancient Atlantis sank, they grew, they built. But they grew new Atlantis on top of it. So structurally -- trying to think how construction underwater would look like -- there would be no steel or wood or metal. So thinking about how they built their buildings, the way I believe they would do it is like how corals are made. So buildings are grown like corals. That really informs what the visuals are.
You hear a lot today about diversity in films, and casting a diverse cast, and stuff like that. I love the idea that in this world, I can actually go even further and actually show all the different ethnicities and races and different kingdoms. There's seven kingdoms in the underwater world. In a handful of the kingdoms they look more like normal humans, like you and I. But then there are other kingdoms you've seen in the trailer. There's one where they're just merpeople. Then there's another kingdom where they're basically all giant crustaceans. They're big crab men and women. Another kingdom is the Trench, these monsters. Obviously, a lot of this is heavily inspired by what Geoff Johns did in New 52... It's really about Arthur going through a hero's journey, seeing all the different cultures and appreciating all the different people that are there, that he never quite appreciated before. We start the movie with the way his character was left off in Justice League. Ultimately, he goes through a hero's journey here to become someone very different to where the movie started. If he's going to be, eventually, the king of these people, he needs to know his subjects, and he needs to really understand who all these different people are.
It's not like we're going to visit this magical world that is in outer space, that is in another dimension. It's taking place right here on Earth. The coolest thing is, we've explored so little of the ocean. We've explored space more than we have actually explored the ocean. So the idea that there could be a massive civilization of beings, and another race of people, is super exciting for me, and this movie really touches on that.
One of the coolest things about meeting Jason was seeing how funny and cool he is, and how charming and likable he is in person. So I tried to get more of that person that he is in real life into the movie.


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OnePlus 7 Pro review
This incredible iPhone 8 Plus deal nets you 45GB with no upfront cost
Thomas Deehan, December 18, 2018 12:49 pm GMT
Best iPhone 8 Plus Deals: Apple's affordable behemoth is now cheaper than ever, and we've found the best offers out there to save you some serious cash.
With Apple supporting so many different iPhones these days, the plus series can feel a little bit forgotten amongst the crowd but in the case of the iPhone 8 Plus, it offers the most premium iOS experience you can find without jumping into the iPhone X series.
The top iPhone 8 Plus deals right now
iPhone 8 Plus – 45GB, £43/month and no upfront cost on EE
45GB of data, six months of Apple Music and three months of BT Sport are all up for grabs in this fantastic contract from EE, and with absolutely nothing to pay upfront.
Affordable Mobiles
No upfront
£43/month
iPhone 8 Plus – 16GB, £32/month and £235 upfront on Vodafone
If you're happier to keep your monthly cost down, 16GB is still plenty of data for surfing and streaming, courtesy of Vofafone.
e2save
£235 upfront
Boasting a deliciously large 5.5 True Tone LCD screen, the iPhone 8 Plus is best paired with a hefty amount of data to really put it to the test. With that in mind, you can't do any better than this fantastic iPhone 8 Plus deal from EE which grants you a massive 45GB of data with nothing to pay upfront and only £43 a month.
Just ask any data junkie – 45GB is more than enough to get you through several movies, your favourite TV show and maybe even a few rounds of PUBG. To get you going though, EE will also throw in six months of Apple Music and three months of BT Sport, all on the house.
Jump to: How to choose the right iPhone 8 Plus deal
If 45GB seems a bit excessive however and you'd rather just keep your monthly cost down then there's a great alternative with Vodafone. For just £235 upfront and only £32 a month, you can have a swish 16GB of data, which roughly equates to £9.30 a month – a total bargain.
The iPhone 8 Plus' size might not be for everyone, but it is undoubtedly the best way to experience the 8 series. In our recently revisited iPhone 8 Plus review, Max Parker wrote: "The A11 Bionic chip is super-fast and the camera feels like a step in the right direction. The display might only be 1080p and IPS LCD, but it's still one of the most vibrant around."
Now that you know what's out there, why not treat yourself to an iPhone 8 Plus this Christmas? You know you deserve it.
More great iPhone 8 Plus deals
What you need to know about the iPhone 8 Plus
The iPhone 8 Plus is the bigger of the two iPhone 8 models, which both sit below the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 Plus is the biggest, with a 5.5-inch display, so it's great if you're a fan of larger phones. These are great for watching films on, for example. Otherwise, all three phones share the same A11 Bionic chip, which brings with it plenty of performance for your apps and games.
The iPhone 8 Plus differentiates itself from the iPhone 8 thanks to dual cameras on the back, which is used for some fancy effects like studio lighting, which isn't available on the smaller model. The 5.5-inch display has a 1080p resolution and supports Apple's True Tone technology. This helps match the display's colour temperature to your environment, making it look much better. The iPhone 8 Plus also manages to pack in a bigger battery to its smaller sibling, too.
iPhone 8 Plus not the phone for you?
Consider these:
Related: Best iPhone 7 deals
Related: Best iPhone X deals
Related: Best Samsung Galaxy S9 deals
Related: Best SIM only deals
How to pick the right iPhone 8 Plus deal for you
Work out how much data you need
For most smartphone users today, it's all about data. Your data allowance affects how much you're able to stream, browse the web, message using apps like WhatsApp or make video calls (while away from trusty Wi-Fi), basically all of the good stuff.
Data allowance is therefore the main thing that separates most contracts, because the age where minutes and texts were most important are long gone. Most contracts will just give you an unlimited amount of minutes and texts.
If you're only a light data user, you can get away with 4-8GB a month, which will still let you stream music and watch occasional Netflix over 4G. If you're a heavy streamer or want to tether your mobile connection to another device, you'll want at least 10GB of data a month. Many of the deals available today are actually cheaper for the data heavier options. You can never have too much data, after all.
Decide what you can afford to pay upfront
Typically, the more you're willing to spend upfront, the lower your monthly cost will be. Spending more upfront can also reduce the amount you pay over the course of your contract, which is typically 24 months.
This is called your total cost of ownership (TCO), which is your monthly cost x the term of your contract + any upfront cost.
If you don't have the money to splash out at the beginning, look for a contract with a low upfront cost, some contracts will even completely forego any upfront cost, which is handy and can open up the door to grabbing your favourite new smartphone while spreading the cost.
How to choose the right mobile network
You might be happy with the service and benefits of your current network, but we think it's always worth shopping around to see what kind of benefits other networks are bundling into their mobile phone contracts.
The main providers are offering some incredibly tempting extras and flexible contract options at the moment. It's worth comparing these as they can add a lot of extra value to your contract. Take EE, for instance; it offers free Apple Music for six months on certain contracts. This is worth £60 usually.
We've summarised the different offers from each network below to help you settle on the best option for you.
Renowned for piling on loads more data for your money than other networks, Three is a good option if you like take your internet in supersized doses. The biggest boon with Three at the moment is its Go Binge service, which gives you unlimited streaming time on apps like Netflix, Apple Music and TVPlayer (you can see the full list of services here) without eating into your own precious data allowance.
The network now offers 'Feel at Home' roaming in 71 countries, which lets you use your data allowance while you're abroad.
Popular for its affordable deals on flagship phones, EE claims to boast the biggest 4G coverage in the UK, as well as offering a three-month subscription to BT Sport on your mobile when you sign up, plus six months of free Apple Music for pay monthly subscribers.
You can get 24 months of Spotify Premium, Sky Sports Mobile or Now TV with certain Vodafone Red Entertainment plans. That's certainly not a freebie to be sniffed at since some of these services are pretty costly when bought separately.
Recently, Vodafone also announced it was bolstering its roaming options for its Red Entertainment plans. This means you can now use your phone abroad with no additional charge in an expanded 77 countries, which now includes the United States. That's great for any frequent flyers looking to avoid any surprise bills.
Fancy getting first dibs on gig tickets 48 hours before the rest of the general population? That's the special treatment you get with O2's Priority Tickets service when you sign up for a mobile contract.
You also get free access to certain public Wi-Fi networks across the UK, plus O2 now supports roaming in 75 countries.
The network also offers Flexible Tariffs that you can customise each month according to your needs, along with an attractive O2 Refresh service that reduces your bill when you've paid off the price of the phone.
This budget busting network comes courtesy of Carphone Warehouse, who knows by now how to keep its mobile customers happy. One of iD's great features is Data Rollover, which does what it says on the tin. At the end of the month, any unused data from your allowance gets carried over into the next.
Check mobile coverage
One last thing – make sure you check the coverage in your area before you sign up with a new network to avoid getting stuck in a dead spot. Here are the links for the main networks' coverage checkers:
O2 network coverage checker
Vodafone network coverage checker
EE network coverage checker
Three network coverage checker
iD network coverage checker
For when you simply can't get any network reception, there's also Wi-Fi calling. This lets you use a Wi-Fi internet connection to make and receive calls and texts, bypassing the need for any network reception. Your calls and messages simply come out of your tariff's allowance as normal.
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A 33-YEAR-OLD man has been killed by a shark while diving off a WA beach this morning.
It's believed the victim is Busselton man Peter Kurmann, the husband of local councillor Debra Kurmann.
The pair have two young children.
He was taken while diving with brother from a small open boat called Vampire, about 1.6km off Stratham Beach, between Bunbury and Busselton, shortly before 9.30am today.
A WA Police spokeswoman said his body was being taken to Port Geographe Marina, near Busselton.
Beaches in the area have been closed following the attack.
The shark was believed to be 4 metres long, but the species is unknown.
A police spokeswoman said the man's brother was not harmed.
It's believed the man's mauled body was recovered from the water by his brother.
Experts from the Department of Fisheries have launched an investigation, which will include an examination of bite marks on the man's body to determine what species of shark was involved in the attack. Today's attack is the fourth fatal shark attack off the WA coast since September last year.
A Fisheries WA spokesman said an aerial patrol would be launched shortly to determine if the shark was still in the area.
A Department of Transport vessel, sent from Bunbury, is currently searching the waters.
Stratham Beach has been closed and police are in attendance. The victim has not been named by police.
Today, Premier Colin Barnett said he was concerned that there had been four fatal shark in attacks in WA during the past seven months.
He said he was being briefed and no shoot to kill order had been issued. He did not believe that would be likely because such an order would only be issued if the shark was posing an ongoing threat to people.
While the Premier said he did not support culling, he said there was a need to review the restrictions placed on fishermen catching sharks.
He urged West Australians to swim at supervised beaches.
Monday, 10 October 2011: Bryn Martin was likely taken by great white shark after he was last seen about 350m from the shore as he headed out to sea on his daily swim in front of the Indiana tea house.
Sunday, 4 September 2011: Kyle James Burden is killed while bodyboarding with friends at Bunker Bay, near Dunsborough.
Tuesday, 17 August 2010: Nick Edwards died after a shark attacked him while he was surfing near Gracetown.
Saturday, 27 December 2008: Fisherman Brian Guest is taken by a great white while snorkelling at Port Kennedy.
Saturday, 19 March 2005: Geoffrey Brazier is attacked by a 6m shark, believed to be a great white, as he snorkelled near the Abrolhos Islands, off Geraldton.
Saturday, 10 July 2004: Brad Smith attacked by a great white as he surfed near Gracetown.
Monday 6 November 2000: Swimmer Ken Crew is killed by a great white off Cottesloe.
Monday 20 January 1997: Windsurfer Werner Schonhofer is likely killed by a tiger shark in Geraldton.
Monday 11 September 1995: Abalone diver David Weir killed near Hopetoun in the South-West.
Sunday 21 November, 1993: Pearl diver Richard Bisley killed by a tiger shark off Roebuck Bay, Broome.


text:
Good Governance and The Challenges of Eritrean Cultural Diversity
Posted on August 27, 2018 by Amanuel Hidrat in Tebeges 194 Comments
"This essay was originally submitted to Awate as a contribution to a journal planned to be issued after the establishment of a foundation under the working name of Awate2020. It's being posted here with permission of the publisher to add to the recent debates on the Awate Forum in regard to the topic of 'individual right vs. group rights'. I believe it is an important addition to the discourse and I hope it will stimulate the intellectual understanding of the concept of 'good governance' and the 'Eritrean cultural diversity." Amanuel Hidrat
"Diversity enshrines certain kinds of factionalism as a universal good, just like liberty and equality." [Peter Wood]
The goal and the theme of this essay, "good governance and cultural diversity" is to distinguish experts and non-experts from all walks of Eritrean social groups, in order to engage members on comparative conversations and debates, to address the Eritrean "multiculturalism", and the possible "good governance" that holds diversity together. Certainly, there is a Paucity of accessible literature and information on how to handle diversity and a dearth of intellectual capital available for investment in research and teaching about the subject in the Eritrean academic intellectual pool. The topic, of course, includes multicultural constitutionalism, super-structures, and mode of governance in an attempt to search a solution to the Eritrean reality.
Diversity is one of the most contested issues in domestic and international politics. Academicians, practitioners of comparative politics, conflict resolution studies, political sociologist, and political theorists are proactively in discussions about ethnic, linguistic, religion, economic diversity, political diversity, and their accommodations in the viable legitimate featured polities. Admittedly though, the scope and the magnitude of the topic deserve a more incisive and well-researched treatment. As such, this writer concedes that this study remains to be a work in progress. Invariably, the issue of multiculturalism in our diversity has the complexities of historical experience as well as the vicissitudes and demands of our social groups.
Therefore, in this essay, I will try to probe and make a cursory look at (a) the Eritrean nation-state and the problem with its cultural diversity, (b) The institutional contours and constitutional arrangement to resolve the cultural conflicts, (c) Some history lessons on how to settle the conflicts of ethnonational movements, and (d) how the Weberian concepts of meritocracy – the dystopian vision of class structure, and civil service work, against the interest of minorities in multi-cultural Africa in general, and in Eritrea in particular.
Politically, cultural diversity represents various cultural communities with a distinct way of life, beliefs, practices, and their views of the world around them. A culture of communities or social groups is generally embodied in "arts, music, oral and written literature, moral life, ideals of excellence, exemplary individuals, and the vision of the good life" [Parekh 2000, pp 143-144]. The cultural heritage of a nation is, therefore, the composite of the heterogeneous culture of the diverse social groups. Cultural diversity comprises three main components, namely cultural freedom, cultural rights, and multiculturalism. While "cultural freedom" is a collective freedom that "refers to the right of group of people (or social group for that matter) to follow or adopt a way of life of their choice" [UNESCO, 1995 pp 25], cultural rights "refers to the rights of individuals or community (social group) requiring to express, maintain, and transmit their cultural identity" [Parekh, 2000, pp 211]. When properly interpreted, "collective freedom" implies even to organize politically and socially within the context of "cultural right" to express their political view. The cultural right also implies "individual rights" as well as "group rights" within the nexus of cultural diversity.
Cultural freedom and cultural rights, if constitutionally guaranteed, affirms the equality status of all citizens (as individuals) and the equality of different communities as social groups. Equality of social groups refers to equitable power sharing and fair economic distribution.
The third component of cultural diversity which is "multiculturalism" represents the cultural difference derived from and among the social groups (ethnics) within a country, where cultural diversity is cherished, and where each social group also feels as a constituent of the national identity. Henceforth, multiculturalism as a policy is, when a government recognizes cultural diversity as a basic character of a nation and ensures the rights and freedom of all social groups fully protected without coercion.
Conceptual Framing and The Aversion of Risks
The choice of language, of course, is very important. It is vital because language evokes frames, namely moral and conceptual frames. Frames shape the way of our thinking, our linguistic cognition, delineate the borders of a contextual issue and avert risks of misunderstanding and optical illusions. In social science, framing is "an art of schema and interpretation to social construction", on which individuals rely on to understand and respond to events. In order to understand the subject on the issue, this writer chose an ideal case inscribed in the title of the essay and have framed his argument to the concept of multiculturalism and multicultural constitutionalism. With that in mind, I will tackle the challenges of state-building in a multi-cultural society of Eritrea.
The acutest challenges for state building in the third world countries today is the conflict between collective identity and the demand of cultural diversity for equitable sharing and equal respect in the common public sphere. Actually, many "cross-national comparative studies in social science have shown that the accelerated globalization and the end of the cold war have indeed brought the intensification of ethnic or national movement" [Gurr, 1993]. Equally though, "the growing robustness of international human right regime, in which the individual and collective rights of minorities are increasingly recognized, has strengthened the legitimacy of ethnic minorities' claim for social movement" [Tsutsiu, 2004].
In an attempt to address the grievances, state governments are responding to the claims of minorities "in a variety of ways, ranging from utmost repression to pluralistic policies, such as communal representation, federalism or cultural autonomy" [Ghia, 2002]. The impact of various government policies and constitutional arrangement for the minorities, with a rational choice theory of social constructivism, have, therefore, reduced the conflict of cultural diversity. Comparative evidence also suggests that non-indiscriminative policies and responsive policies to the grievances of minorities contribute to the declining levels of conflict and decrease the support of secessionism [Gurr, 1996].
In non-democratic ethnic state "the state serves the national goals of one ethnic group only to the exclusion of the other ethnonational groups within the state, regardless of their citizenship status" [Nadim & Asad, 1998]. Nadin and Asad further elaborated "thus, it is not the citizenship or membership in the state system that determines the extent of service and privileges of the individual and group (social group); the determining factor is the membership in the dominant group." That is why the minorities of the Eritrean social groups are registering their grievances and still warns the risk of tyranny of the majority even after the fall PFDJ regime. Yes indeed, Nadin and Asad are right, that in an ethnic state, the state is not neutral in the competition of the resources (provided to citizens) with the individual and the groups, such as political power and wealth, especially when the "state" and the "governing body" are the same, and when the governing party is anchored in the constitution to own property and run businesses. The current state of Eritrea is one of the prototypes that Nadin and Asad are alluding to.
Researchers identified two dimensions of social group diversity (a) social group distribution and (b) social group pluralism. Distribution refers to the configuration of social groups with a particular society. Pluralism refers to a multiplicity of social groups in a society. Geertz presented the well know typology of five social groups based on the relative size of the groups [Geertz, 1963]. And they are:
A large group which dominates the minority groups (eg. Cyprus)
One central group juxtaposed against a number of periphery groups (eg. Indonesia).
Two more or less evenly balanced groups (eg. Lebanon).
An even gradation progressing in size from several small through several medium sizes to several large groups (eg. Ethiopia and India)
A multiplicity of small groups (eg. Zaire).
Eritrea might be arguably represented in the first category – one social group dominating the other social groups, where the minorities are marginalized in every aspect of their lives, and hence the minorities are making their struggle against tyranny of majority in order to assure equitable sharing in running the state affairs of our nation and fair distribution in the economics of the nation.
The Eritrean social groups reflect the conditions and existence of cultural diversities that demand pluralism. The concept of pluralism reflects the social reality determined by languages, religions, ethnic memberships, and cultural traditions, and implies control of institutions by members of the constituent group (social groups) [Bentley 1971:337]. Therefore, the concept of pluralism is not the condition of existence only but also signify the vision and perspective of maintaining the social groups on the basis of equality and equal rights. According Berge's, pluralism refers to "property or set of properties of societies wherein several distinct social and cultural groups coexist within boundaries of single polity and shares a common economic system that makes them interdependent, yet maintain a greater or lesser degree of autonomy and a set of discrete institutional structure in other spheres of social life" [Berge's 1973:961]. Henceforth, Eritrea requires "structural pluralism" that reflect the representation of our social groups in the state-structure that runs the business of the nation.
Democracy And Its Operational Conundrum
Contemporary researches in social science and political sciences are designed to generate empirical evidence to support the hypothesis of decentralization, inclusiveness, and institutionalized democratic process to counter and end the breed of autocratic and tyrannical parties. In the third world, particularly the African countries, political parties are characterized by top-down organizational structures, where power and decision making are highly centralized with no room for a deliberative decision-making process. As a result, political parties tend to be autocratic, preferring conformity rather than critical debates on issues. This organizational structure is inherited by the current regime in Eritrea and is enforced through covert and overt pressures, illegal sanctions, and the outlawing of any possible opposition.
Political parties are the institutional transmission belt that conveys the will of the people or voter to a government and back to the people. They are the vehicles through which popular sovereignty is expressed and transformed into public policy and actions [Chege, 2007]. In a democratic polity, Political parties play the central role as pillars of democracy in the wider society. Henceforth, it is unthinkable to conceive democracy without parties. Scarrow in his research alluded to the importance of intra-party democracy, and he saw it as a "desirable ideal" for political parties themselves. His assumptions are based on the premises that the increase of intra-party democracy leads to more party effectiveness; and subsequently electoral success on the one hand and strengthening of democratic culture in the wider society on the other [Scarrow, 2005]. Political parties are very important actors in bringing diverse interest. They reflect the social and economic milieu in which they are grounded [Cheng, 2007].
In non-democratic societies, state power extended over large parts of civil societies and the public sphere, where the borderline between the state and society is blurred and vanished altogether [Linz, 2000]. Thus, political parties and party activities are often severely limited, their rights abrogated, and in some cases outlawed by archaic public legislation during election campaign periods.
Most of the democratization literature has focused on the initial emergence of a democratic regime or the transition from an authoritarian to a democratic one [see Huntington 1991, Karl 1990]. To measure the progress of institutions, scholars study the period following a transition from authoritarian rule to the newly adopted democratic rule and practices that have become institutionalized. Indeed, post-Communist countries have focused mainly on establishments on the procedural, formal aspects of democracy, institutional choice, the effectiveness of political elites, and the technical competence of fragile state institutions [Lijphart and Waiseman, 1996]. The current Eritrean regime has a prototype of a communist institutional structure. The Eritrean intellectual, therefore, must debate on what will be the transitional procedural process, on the institutional choices that are appropriate to our cultural diversity, and on the formal aspects of democracy and its institutions.
Diversity and Constitutional Transformation
Donna Lee Van Cott has contributed a new literature on comparative constitutionalism based on the constitutional movement that swept the Latin American countries in 1990. Van Cott observed Latin American entering a new era of constitutionalism by developing multicultural constitutions. Her goal was to create a model to explain when the states decided to create multicultural constitutions – a model applied to the most recent Colombian and Bolivian constitutions.
In 1991 and 1994, Colombia and Bolivia respectively undertook constitutional reforms. According to Van Cott, these two countries had a problem of exclusion generated crises that triggered the decision to reform their constitutions. Both countries had three similar crises that came together (a) a representation crises – generated by non-representative political parties that monopolized access to the state (b) a participation crises – owing to the absence of means for most citizen to participate in decision making (c) legitimization crises – arising from discriminatory access to the protection of the law and equal membership in the nation, and to the absence of effective bases of legitimization to unite and guide the political community. The three crises were rooted on extreme social inequality that underlay an exclusionary state [Van Cott, 1999, Ch-2].
Van Cott actually argues that the convergence of crises of representation, participation, and legitimization prompts political elites to perceive constitutional revision as essential [Van Cott 1999, pp 8]. Van Cott's argument is indeed instructive to Eritrean political elites to elevate their debate and engage in a constitutional transformation that split from liberal tradition to produce a multicultural constitution as has been seen in Bolivia and Colombia. Political organizations andcivicl organizations in the opposition camp are clamoring for constitutional reform. If we are unable to bring a multicultural constitutional transformation in the current struggle, then "a dictatorship in different guise and shape will likely to reemerge once the current regime is collapsed" [Ahmedi, 2012].
The legitimacy of states is measured in the international fora against their constitutions as well as international norms, particularly with respect on how they treat their most vulnerable (social groups) groups [Chamber, 1997, pp 426-27]. Henceforth, the decision to provide unprecedented recognition for the rights of minorities is part of the larger effort to bring the state legitimacy at home and abroad.
In the Eritrean political landscape, one has to examine the relationship between ethnic diversity and political stability/or instability, and probe beneath the surface to examine the basic assumptions about diversity and the politics that dictate them. In order to do that, some framing questions are imperative, such as do our social groups have comparative relevance in Eritrean politics? Are our social groups adequate for conveying the meaning of group identities in contemporary Eritrea? Will Cultural diversity leads us to strife? Are the prevailing mistrust will lead us to instability? – In order to address the social conflict properly to come to plausible solutions. So far our dyspeptic refusal to answer them is a stunning indifference to the hypocritical oath for justice. Fair treatment of minorities is one of a nation's most fundamental and vexing responsibilities.
Eritrea: The Un-Exclusionary State
As had become the pattern, the parties that become victorious in a battle to marginalize the losers [Angarita, 1994, pp 40] creating subcultures and mutual antagonism. Interparty violence engendered sufficient hatred and resentment to solidify loyalties based on inherited identifications [Hartlyn, 1988, 25-27, 45] a threat that could mount to a social unrest.
The current Eritrean state and the pending constitutional document of 1997 are exclusionary state and exclusionary document respectively. The nature and pattern of victorious parties are to marginalize the losers as observed by Angarita. EPLF as the "victorious party" banned all the parties that existed before and after liberation and legitimize a single party ruling state with centralized unitary governance.
Eritrea is a multi-national country. Needless to say, the issue of minorities and their concern cannot be addressed under the current authoritarian regime of Asmara. The regime with its institutional structure and repressive surveillance respond with violence for all legitimate public and private formal claim, and national and social restructuring questions. Under such circumstances, we need a frank debate and dialogue, in order to administer the grievances in a rational and equitable manner, should we recognize the importance of justice and stability of our nation without a delay. This writer believes the following issues should be the subject of discussion, debate, and dialogue. Should Eritrea have a centralized unitary government or decentralized unitary government? Should the current administrative structure be preserved or reversed back to the former administrative units? If a decentralized unitary government is viewed as the alternative, should we reorganize in Federalist structure or other types of decentralized unitary government, knowing the variation of power distribution in federalism and other decentralization structures? How will the minorities be represented in the state and government structures? Does the 1997 constitutional document, that depicts a hybrid of centralized unitary governments, address the grievances of our minorities or our social groups? What structure avoids the tyranny of the majority of our social groups? These are some of the critical unresolved issues that inhibited cooperation between our social groups and deepened the mistrust that goes for decades. We need a rational dialogue to bring a multicultural constitutional document, to reform the very exclusionary and discriminatory constitutional structure waiting in the shelf.
Unfortunately, those yet unresolved issues are the very fact and reasons that made the oppositions unwilling to form a "united front" and chart a common roadmap to challenge the totalitarian regime of Asmara. Working with the opposition to facilitate a democratic transition, more so to consolidate the unity of purpose and avoid the historical experience, though limited in nature, this writer believes the demands of our social groups are instructive and must be dealt head-on without a delay. "Intellectuals and the growing sector of the political elites are increasingly viewed comprehensive political reorganization as a vital" [Gonzalez Casanova, 1996, 32] for ending the current power relations and social structures in the nation of Eritrea. Radical constitutional reform guided by normative criteria and normative considerations has become now a new phenomenon for the transformation of unconsolidated democratic regimes, into a distinctly different model of democracy and decision-making process to increase the legitimacy of democratic institutions. The commitment to normative transformation requires that the constitutional makers should embrace their capacity to embody the political aspiration of the people and serve as a means to integrating a fragmented society into a political community [Elster, Preuss, 1998: 82].
Moral legitimacy is then the principal value to any political system. According to Nino's observation on the Argentine and Bolivian constitutional reform, he noted that "the central value of a political system is its moral legitimacy – that is, its capacity for producing decisions that are morally justified and binding on those who are subject to them. Thus, assuming that the system whose value is at stake is a democratic one, the value cannot be specified without articulating a normative conception of democracy [Nino, 1996: 162-63].
The argument in this essay "situates the practices and production of cultural producers in their social context." The cultural product – our social groups and the socio-political process – their representation and participation in the nation's institutional building should be examined, as to how the ways in which individuals and groups negotiate the constraints of the particular material conditions, discursive frameworks, and ideological assumptions in which they will work collectively. Jon Elster in his series of scholarly inquiries into the process of constitution making, he made few remedies for positive and explanatory perspectives for the constitutional process. He invoked his influential "plea for mechanisms" defining as "frequently occurring and easily recognizable causal patterns that are triggered under general unknown conditions or with indeterminate consequences" [Elster 1998:45]. That is why this writer argues consistently that the makers of the 1997 constitutional document failed to foresee the unknown conditions and their indeterminate consequences of the multiculturalism of Eritrean society and their grievances, and the exclusion of the political organizations that contribute to the liberation of the country under the pretext the winner dictates the norm and the polity of the nation.
Actually, the problem of the document can be described as the conflict between the creature and the creators on the one hand, and the conflict between the diversity and the document on the other. The Eritrean people are demanding a transformative constitution, a constitution that doesn't seek to preserve the status quo, but instead, that overhaul the existing political order. Deciding how to decide is crucial in a constitutional process, in order the process and the outcome of the process to get legitimacy by the actors of the Eritrean political community and the Eritrean people at large. The dilemma of deciding how to decide really cast a long shadow over the constitutional document and its subsequent possible political ramifications. When some members of one political organization are also members of the constitution-making body, they always seek to embed their interests within the constitution as we have seen in the 1997 constitutional making process. In such a scenario, the constitution makers cannot reduce the role of the executive body and promote the role of the legislative body. We have to bear in mind that, the integrity of the constitution makers in themselves and mitigating the conflict of interest is one of the most challenging political processes – A text strongly against the interest of the political community and the public at large stood no chance being adopted and find legitimacy without dictation.
Cultural Accommodation: The Group Right Model
Group right model involves public measure and aimed at protecting and promoting the existing social groups, and the measure includes language rights, regional autonomy, land claim, and guaranteed representations in the national business [Galzer 1995 cited in Kymlicka 1995]. Galzer's group right model demands the state and the government should devise institutions that guarantee representation of all social groups in a multi-cultural society.
This writer, taking this conceptual approach as means to resolve the current multi-cultural dissatisfaction, attempted to suggest a multi-cultural constitutionalism to guarantee the representation of our social groups, in running the state affairs of our nation, based on the analysis of dynamic cultural pluralism and differentiating the strands of a plural society. Ethnic articulation (especially in Eritrea) has neither of secession nor of an urge to replace the dominance of state power by a particular ethnic group, but the demand of sharing of state power equitably with distributive justice in multiethnic society [Kumar 2013]. By that, it means the state must be adequate adjudicator and regulator of cultural power in any multi-cultural society. The question is then what kind of state should we build in order for the state to be adequate adjudicator? And what kind of governance is suitable to meet the distributive justice that is on demand by our social groups and maintain the equilibriums of its parts?
Since Centralized unitary governments and authoritarian governments are the same except the former defines the nature of the system and the later defines the governing body [Hidrat 2014], this kind of structure of government is incapable by its non-accommodative nature and monopolizing behavior to address the demand of autonomy, fair representation, preserving the cultural values, to tackle the marginalization of our social groups. The minorities' risks model as depicted by Jonathan Fox explains the cause and effect of marginalization, grievance, and rebellion for any given conflict of diversity [Fox 2001].
Searching for new paradigms to this writer, it means to frame a new design and structure of governance and a new multi-cultural constitution that maintain the equilibrium of our social groups, the building blocks of our nation. To accommodate our diverse groups then, I had proposed a solution – "decentralized unitary governance with a bicameral legislative body, one with proportional representation and the other with equal representation to give a space to our minorities" [Ibid Hidrat 2014] and to avoid a hybrid regime and hybrid state, a political system that contains elements of democratic and autocratic system [Hidrat, 2015].
The cultural mosaic of Eritrea is unique of a multi-ethnic society. The growing sense of political, cultural, and economic marginalization of our social groups are clearly demonstrated if we don't want to dismiss it. The managing of diversity and their differences for the purpose of nation-building is indeed a big challenge in front of us. A plural nation like ours should promote unity and diversity, only if we don't confuse unity with conformity and demand a comprehensive cultural uniformity among our diverse social groups.
Equally though, we can demand justice and democracy, only if we don't confuse democracy with a government by the majority group that ultimately marginalize the minorities. Democracy also means fair sharing in the affairs of the nation. In other words, democracy is not only the rule of the majority, but democracy also means a fair distribution of power among the diverse social groups. Always diversity demands a symbol of references acceptable by the entire population which plays as the foundation for the development of national identity.
*Note: The term "ethnicity" always conjures up images of instability and conflicts. That is why I preferred to use either diversity or social groups throughout my discussions and my argument.
Ahmedi, L., Dec 2012, "democratic and unified opposition in strategic imperative,"
Bentley, R.J., 1971 "the challenge of pluralism", a journal of Negro Education Vol. 40(4) 337-341.
Clifford, G. "Old societies, and new states: the quest for modernity in Africa and Asia", New York: The free press, 1963.
Chege, M., 2007, "Political parties in East Africa: Diversity in a political system", International IDEA, Stockholm, IDEA.
Donna, Lee Van Cott, 1999, "The friendly liquidation of the past: The politics of diversity in Latin America
Eisenberg, A., 2000 "Cultural pluralism Today", In Browning, G.; Halice & F. Webster (eds) "understanding contemporary society: Theories of the present", London: Sage publicity.
Elster, J. 1998 "A plea for mechanisms: An analytical approach to social theory, (Hedstrom & Swedberg, Eds), New York, NY: Cambridge university press.
Gurr, Ted R., 1996, "Minorities at risks: A global view of Ethno-political conflicts", Washington DC: United States Institute for peace press.
Gurr, Ted R. 1993, "Why Minorities rebel: Global analysis of communal mobilization and conflict since 1945", International political science review.
Huntington, S. 1996 "The clash of civilization and remaking of world order" New York, Simon & Shuster.
Hidrat, A. "The contours of change and the Equilibrium of the parts", Awate.com, Jan. 17, 2014.
Hidrat, A. "Eritrea's prospect: joining the league of a hybrid regime", awate.com, June 13, 2015.
Jonathan Fox, 2001, "Patterns of discrimination, grievances, and political activity among Europe's Roma: A cross-sectional analysis" Bar Ilan University, Israel.
Kumar, N. 2013, "Social justice beyond distributive Justice"
Kymlicka, W. 1995, "The rights of minority cultures", Oxford university press".
Lintz, L., 2000, "Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes", London, Lynne Rienner.
Nadim R. And AS'ad G., 1998 "The crises of minorities in an ethnic state: The case of Palestinian citizens in Israel", International Journal of Middle East studies, Cambridge University Press.
Nino, C.S. 1996, "The constitution of deliberative democracy, New Haven: Yale University Press.
Parekh, B. 2000, "Rethinking of multi-culturalism: Cultural diversity and political theory", Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University.
Scarrow, S. 2005, "Political parties and democracy in theoretical and practical perspective: implementing intra-party to democracy and National democratic institute."
Tsutsui, K. 2004, "Global civil society and ethnic social movement in the contemporary world" Sociological Forum 19, pp 63-87.
UNESCO, 1995 "Our creative diversity, report on the world commission on cultural and development" Paris, World Commission on cultural and development.
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Eritrean Politics: A Proto-Version Of Never Land
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Hard Talk: Internal Conflict & Unvarnished Truth (Part-II)


text:
$:.unshift File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "..", "lib")
$:.unshift File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__))

require 'test/unit'
require 'galaxy/events'
require 'galaxy/host'
require 'galaxy/log'

class TestLogger < Test::Unit::TestCase
    def setup
    end

    def teardown
        #puts `cat /tmp/galaxy_unit_test.log*`
        FileUtils.rm Dir.glob('/tmp/galaxy_unit_test.log*')
    end

    def test_initialize_dummy_event_sender
        glogger = Galaxy::Log::Glogger.new "/tmp/galaxy_unit_test.log"
        assert_kind_of Galaxy::DummyEventSender, glogger.event_dispatcher
        assert_kind_of Logger, glogger.log
    end

    def test_initialize_collector
        glogger = Galaxy::Log::Glogger.new "/tmp/galaxy_unit_test.log", "http://collector.com"
        assert_kind_of Galaxy::GalaxyLogEventSender, glogger.event_dispatcher
        assert_kind_of Logger, glogger.log
    end

    def test_syslog
        # Real-life example that was breaking 2.6.pre2
        logger = Galaxy::HostUtils.logger
        assert logger.debug("http://prod1.company.com:8080/1?v=GalaxyLog,81267034768000%2C4168954152%2C29654%2Csdebug%2Cs%2CsRegistered%2520Event%2520listener%2520type%2520Galaxy%253A%253AGalaxyEventSender%2520at%2520http%253A%252F%252Fz1205a9.company.com%253A8080%252C%2520sender%2520url%25200.1.9.4%2C&rt=b")
        assert logger.info("http://prod1.company.com:8080/1?v=GalaxyLog,81267034768000%2C4168954152%2C29654%2Csdebug%2Cs%2CsRegistered%2520Event%2520listener%2520type%2520Galaxy%253A%253AGalaxyEventSender%2520at%2520http%253A%252F%252Fz1205a9.company.com%253A8080%252C%2520sender%2520url%25200.1.9.4%2C&rt=b")
        assert logger.warn("http://prod1.company.com:8080/1?v=GalaxyLog,81267034768000%2C4168954152%2C29654%2Csdebug%2Cs%2CsRegistered%2520Event%2520listener%2520type%2520Galaxy%253A%253AGalaxyEventSender%2520at%2520http%253A%252F%252Fz1205a9.company.com%253A8080%252C%2520sender%2520url%25200.1.9.4%2C&rt=b")
        assert logger.error("http://prod1.company.com:8080/1?v=GalaxyLog,81267034768000%2C4168954152%2C29654%2Csdebug%2Cs%2CsRegistered%2520Event%2520listener%2520type%2520Galaxy%253A%253AGalaxyEventSender%2520at%2520http%253A%252F%252Fz1205a9.company.com%253A8080%252C%2520sender%2520url%25200.1.9.4%2C&rt=b")
    end

    def test_syslog_raw
        logger = Galaxy::HostUtils.logger
        assert logger << "foo bar baz"
    end

    def test_respect_loglevel_with_event_dispatcher
        glogger = Galaxy::Log::Glogger.new "/tmp/galaxy_unit_test.log", "non-existent-host", "http://gonsole.test.company.com:1242", "10.15.12.14"
        assert_kind_of Galaxy::GalaxyLogEventSender, glogger.event_dispatcher
        assert_kind_of Logger, glogger.log

        # Make sure we don't try to send events at the wrong level

        glogger.log.level = Logger::INFO
        assert glogger.debug("debug hello from unit test")

        glogger.log.level = Logger::DEBUG
        assert_raise URI::BadURIError do
            glogger.debug("debug hello from unit test")
        end
    end

    def test_syslog_level
        logger = Galaxy::HostUtils.logger

        assert_equal Logger::INFO, logger.level

        logger.level = Logger::DEBUG
        assert_equal Logger::DEBUG, logger.level
    end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Pierre Joseph Garidel, född 1 augusti 1658 i Aix-en-Provence, död där 6 juni 1737, var en fransk läkare och botaniker. Han var morbror till Joseph Lietaud.

Garidel studerade i Aix och vid Montpelliers universitet under Pierre Magnol och var bekant med Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. Han blev doktor 1682 och korrespondent för franska vetenskapsakademin 1697. Han kunde dock inte lockas iväg från Provence då han var alltför fäst vid denna landsdels botanik. Garidel skrev en bok, Histoire des plantes qui naissent aux environs d'Aix et dans plusieurs autres endroits de la Provence, vilken innehöll 100 planscher och beskrev 1400 växter. I förordet betonade han att kännedomen om växters användning inte endast kan grundas i yttre kännetecken, lukt och smak; även experiment måste spela en roll. Carl von Linné hedrade Garidel genom att ge ett släkte av ranunkelväxter namnet Garidella.

Källor

Noter

Franska botaniker
Franska läkare
Personer från Aix-en-Provence
Födda 1658
Avlidna 1737
Män


text:
Il Vaso Fiume di Trenzano è una roggia, alimentata dalle risorgive di Trenzano, che irrigano la campagna a sud del paese e a nord di Corzano.

Storia
La costruzione della roggia è di origini incerte. Si presume sia il primo sorgentizio scavato nel territorio comunale trenzanese.

Il 26 febbraio 1901, con atto pubblico, gli utenti dell'invaso e di quello della roggia Fiumazzo si costituirono in consorzio.

Percorso
Il bacino sorgentizio si trova nel centro abitato di Trenzano. Numerosi sono i fontanili, ma le teste sorgive principali sono due: quella in vicolo Coniglio e al Balzaglio.

I vari rami convogliano le acque nel canale che sottopassa la sacrestia della parrocchiale trenzanese. Il vaso Fiume prosegue quindi in direzione sud, ricevendo le acque del depuratore comunale. Scavalcata la roggia Conta Griffa, entra in territorio comunale di Corzano, dove si immette nella roggia Fiumazzo, a sua volta derivata dalla Conta Griffa.

La roggia Fiumazzo sfocia quindi nella Roggia Provaglia. Nel breve corso, il complesso del Fiume di Trenzano/Fiumazzo può alimentare nove bocche.

Note

Bibliografia

Trenzano
Fiume di Trenzano


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The New York Rangers travel to TD Garden to play the Boston Bruins on Thursday, March 2, 2017. The opening line for this game has the Rangers at +127 and the Bruins at -140. The over/under has been set at 5.5.
New York comes into this matchup having played 62 games. They have an overall record of 40-20-2 and on the road they have a record of 21-8-0. Currently they are 4th in the Metropolitan Division. They've scored 206 goals and given up 164 goals for a point differential of +42. The Rangers have an overall record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. For the season they have an ATS record of 37-22 and an over/under record of 33-24-5. Boston shows up with a record of 32-24-6 including 15-13-0 at home this season. They are 3rd in the Atlantic Division. They've scored 172 goals and surrendered 165 for a goal differential of +7. The Bruins have a record of 7-3-0 in their last 10 contests. Their record against the spread is 30-30 while their over/under record sits at 30-26-6.
Mats Zuccarello has accumulated 44 total points this season for the Rangers. He has 12 goals this season with 159 shots on goal giving him a shooting percentage of 8%. He has a total of 32 assists on the season and averages 18.8 minutes played per game. J.T. Miller has averaged 16.4 minutes of ice time per game this year. In that time he has a shooting percentage of 17% by scoring 19 goals on 110 shots. He has 28 assists giving him a total of 47 points on the season. Henrik Lundqvist has 28 wins and 15 losses this season in net for the Rangers. He has had 1,315 shots against him and has given up 116 goals. He has made 1,199 saves for a save percentage of 91%.
David Pastrnak has accumulated 51 total points this season for the Bruins. He has 26 goals this season with 192 shots on goal giving him a shooting percentage of 14%. He has a total of 25 assists on the season and averages 17.9 minutes played per game. Brad Marchand has averaged 19.5 minutes of ice time per game. In that time he has a shooting percentage of 15% by scoring 27 goals on 185 shots. He has 37 assists giving him a total of 64 points on the season. Tuukka Rask has 29 wins and 14 losses this season in net for the Bruins. He has had 1,220 shots against him and has given up 107 goals. He has made 1,113 saves for a save percentage of 91%.
The Rangers have 82 total points this season. They have scored 206 goals while giving up 164 goals. They have had 180 power play opportunities and have scored 34 goals on those chances for a percentage of 19%. The Rangers have allowed 165 power play opportunities and given up 31 goals on those chances for a penalty kill percentage of 81%. They average 30 shots per game and as a team are shooting 11.09% for the season to this point. They allow 30 shots to their opposition per contest and have a team save percentage of 91%.
The Bruins have a total of 70 points on the season. They have 39 power play goals on 193 opportunities thus far for a percentage of 20%. They have allowed 199 power play opportunities and have given up 28 goals on those chances for a penalty kill percentage of 86%. As a team, the Rangers have a total of 172 goals scored while they've given up 165 goals to this point. They average 34 shots per contest and have a team shooting percentage of 8.16%. As a team they give up 27 shots per game and have a save percentage of 90%.
New York has a Corsi percentage of 49.3% as they've attempted 3,434 shots on net at full strength while they've given up 3,538 shots on net in the same situations. Their Fenwick percentage is at 50.3% as they have 2,600 attempts while they've given up 2,573 shots on the defensive end. The Rangers start possessions in the offensive zone 49.6% of the time while their defensive zone percentage is at 50.4% for the season. They have 1,744 face off wins compared to 1,888 losses, meaning their faceoff win percentage is 48%. On defense has 1,288 hits and they've blocked 965 shots from the opposition.
Boston has attempted 3,883 shots at full strength and they've given up 3,170 attempts, meaning their Corsi percentage is at 55.1% for the season. In terms of Fenwick percentage, they currently are at 55.7% as they have 2,933 shots while they've given up 2,336 attempts on defense. The Bruins have an offensive zone percentage of 53.7% and their defensive zone percentage is 46.3% so far this season. They have a faceoff win percentage of 52.8% as they've compiled 2,031 face off wins this season and they have suffered 1,818 face off losses. On defense has blocked 834 shot attempts and they have 1,333 hits as a unit.


MASON CITY, Iowa - The shutdown is impacting thousands of people in Iowa and Minnesota.
For food stamp or SNAP beneficiaries, their benefits are currently safe, as the Trump administration has said this week that the program will be funded through February should the shutdown continue. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says they will give states money allotted for food stamps a bit early than normal by January 20th.
But depending on how long it lasts, those on the program could see a $0 balance.
Dale Rotzinger was a truck driver for nearly 20 years, but because of a disability, he no longer hits the open road and qualifies for food stamps. He's already seen his benefits cut down from $78 to $15 a month, which leaves him with very few choices on what to buy. If there's no money for SNAP, he's trying to figure out what to do next.
"I'm gonna just have to find me something to do. And the way I'm going to do it, what I gotta figure out, if I get back in the trucking business, I'll just buy a truck of my own and I'll...start not asking anybody for a government handout."
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, about 366,000 Iowa residents take part in the program, and in Minnesota, that number is a bit higher at 454,000 residents, as of 2017. Iowans on SNAP collectively received around $482 million in benefits, while Minnesota recipients received around $600 million.


text:
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Air Liquide installs its own onsite hydrogen station to fuel French HyWay project
Air Liquide, Hydrogen Filling Station
Symbio FCell
Tenerrdis: HyWay project
Elsevier Ltd is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Air Liquide has installed a hydrogen fueling station at its Sassenage site in Isère, which will allow the first users of the French HyWay project to refuel their vehicles with hydrogen.
Industrial gases giant Air Liquide has installed the hydrogen fueling station at its Sassenage site in Isère, in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. A second, higher-capacity hydrogen station will be installed in nearby Grenoble in the autumn.
The HyWay project, coordinated by the Tenerrdis new energy technologies cluster, is the first French project that aims to deploy fleets of hydrogen-powered electric vehicles. It is jointly supported by the French government (through the DREAL vehicle testing agency and the ADEME Agency for Environment and Energy Management), as well as the Rhône-Alpes regional council.
A major project milestone was reached on 10 June, with the delivery of the first 21 Renault Kangoo ZE-H2 utility vehicles to Grenoble. These vehicles constitute the largest electric vehicle fleet currently deployed in Europe that is equipped with a hydrogen-powered range-extender, utilising a 5 kW PEM fuel cell supplied by Symbio FCell.
Air Liquide is supporting the HyWay project by investing in the development of the first station in Sassenage, at its own site, which will serve users such as the French postal service La Poste. It will also acquire three Kangoo ZE-H2 vehicles.
Air Liquide has hydrogen fueling stations in operation around the world, including in Saint-Lô in northwestern France, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Düsseldorf in Germany, part of the national hydrogen network in Denmark, in Nagoya and Toyota City in Japan, and plans for a network in the northeastern US in collaboration with Toyota Motor Sales USA.
The company is also providing hydrogen fueling for fuel cell powered forklifts at the major logistics platform of FM Logistic, near Orléans in central France.
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? A widget for your home screen is included. Find out with this quiz on the open source PowerShell management. Quick Boot works in a very straightforward way. As a Gateway's 3ds file, as a. Quick Boot lets you easily reboot your device, power off your device, or boot your device into recovery or bootloader mode with just a single tap. That looks weird, I have just tested right now and there are zero issues in both client and server side.
Besides you can just right-click the start menu. But lets us go into depth of this feature and learn more about Windows 8 Quick Boot and its limitations. A widget for your home screen is included. Despite knowing that the power consumption of computer is low, many people said that they turned machines off to save on electricity bill. He has more than 12 years of experience working with Windows, and contributes regularly to SearchWinComputing. I've been using a similar one, but somehow that stopped working. Summary: optional Count: 0 of 1,500 characters The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited.
Did you think no one would ever need to shutdown or restart or change users or log out??? Many applications require a restart of Windows for the changes to take effect, a very common practice in anti-virus and other security applications or libraries that need to modify the system registry. Quick Boot provides shortcuts to reboot, shutdown, or boot into Recovery or Bootloader. While applications are not suited to work perfectly with fast startup mode activated, the best way to avoid some important information being lost during the boot operating system is disabling the feature. It's just a quicker way to reboot. If you have services that you want to stop before doing the reboot, you can specify them in a script so that the system is not restarted while they're still running or in an intermediate state. For instance, this feature comes in handy if you're working with something flaky and you want to have the quick-reboot option on hand without having to scare it up from a command line.
Quick Boot Reboot can reboot your phone quickly with just one tap. Windows 10 shutdown restart options Alternatively, one can right-click on the Start button to go to Quick Menu for system restart or shutdown activities. That way I can set my Nova Launcher gestures to incorporate one of these, instead of the whole app. Not only the reboot , Quick Boot supports patching and upgrades of vSphere hosts through vSphere Update Manager. This means you can reboot without losing any modifications made to the user's profile.
It also has a security check: if this app gets booted with the L button held, it doesn't reboot. Win+X keys same results as right clicking start. Root access to your phone is required to use this application. This is useful if you're booting between multiple hardware profiles. In addition, our site features thousands of how-to articles and a deep knowledge base filled with information about your Android device. Great, a single tap is the way! Well, possibly not so obviously. One of the notable features of Windows 10 has been the revert back to Start Menu by default.
You can even create shortcuts on your home screen and eliminate the need to even open the app. This application gives you access to all the advanced reboot options in one single place, you don't need to type commands in terminal or do anything else, all it requires is root. So I can, for example, reboot my device by just double tapping the screen. Thus, the boot time is from 30% to 50% faster. Full Specifications General Publisher Publisher web site Release Date December 23, 2010 Date Added December 23, 2010 Version 4. One of the efficient feature vSphere Quick Boot is available and I will be discussing about this feature in this post.
The Play Store listing, however, does provide an email address where users can contact the developer. We love our customers and our customers love us back. With this app you can quickly reboot your 3ds! This is usefull if you opened Quick Reboot App by accident or if you want to exit Smash Bros Brawl or Monster Hunter 4 without exiting emunand! Therefore, Microsoft has developed a way to make computers with Windows 8 which will not consume energy when absolutely turned off. Quick Boot Mode in Windows 8: What Is It And How To Disable Boot time of an operating system is always one of the most discussed items when a new version is released. Conclusion: Should You Install Quick Boot? With Quick Start enabled, most of the changes end up not being applied because the hibernation file used at boot time of the system is recorded before the machine off obviously.
The Quick Boot Mode is disabled. How to install: You can install this app in many ways. Usually, if you perform any kind of quick reboot, those changes are lost because they haven't been synced back to disk. Please submit your review for Quick Boot 1. All the codes will be sent to the winners once all 250 have been assigned. The process to disable the fast boot mode of Windows 8 is pretty simple. Start menu by keyboard and then use arrow keys.


The tenth Paramita* is Equanimity, the ability to hold all that is going on in our lives in an easeful way. In the past I have used the analogy of being like the sky, holding fluffy white clouds, rainbows, storms and lightning bolts all at once.
Many years ago a woman in our sangha out at Spirit Rock asked how was it possible for her to attend her daughter's wedding with true joyousness of spirit when her dearest friend was dying in the hospital. This question has always stayed with me as an example of what is asked of us in life, and how equanimity serves us. The answer to the question is to stay as present in the moment as we can and to be compassionate with ourselves when we find that our awareness of joy is shot through with a thread of sorrow. So we can be fully where we are (at the daughter's wedding) and be fully who we are (a caring friend and mother). One does not negate the other.
In fact, these kinds of contrasts are often the richest moments in our lives. I remember at the memorial we gave for my father in his home on his birthday the week after he died. I remember the beauty of the cherry blossoms that completely surrounded his deck and how much he loved them, and how sorry he felt that his beloved wife was no longer there to enjoy them. And I remember how I came upon my son changing the diapers of his month-old daughter on my father's bed where just the week before, Dad and I had watched Wheel of Fortune and I had begged him to let me spend the night on the couch, sensing the end was near. One week apart, two sets of fathers and daughters: one set at the end of life, the other set at the beginning. To be able to hold the beauty of that is a great gift of equanimity.
There are other ways to describe equanimity. One is to find your center of gravity, that way of being in your body and in your life that you are sufficiently grounded that nothing throws you. Recently I heard a zen teacher from Nova Scotia talking about equanimity. He shared how his teacher had demonstrated it. He stood up and held his body rigid and told two men to try to knock him over. It was easy. Then he changed his stance, relaxing, going limp, being rooted in place with the release of tension. And when the men tried to move him, they couldn't do it.
My students, all female, did not feel very inspired by this image. Is the real goal in life to be unmoved? But they responded with more enthusiasm when I suggested that trees are grounded in this way.
Minoan snake goddesses with burl breasts.
deeper and deeper into the soil of being.
Of course, California live oaks are beautiful trees but not necessarily the best example to aspire to when we want to remain upright come what may. In a severe storm or even in the middle of a drought, an oak will occasionally crack and fall to the forest floor. We might choose instead a more supple tree for our role model! But you get the idea.
Both of those views are helpful. Some others less so. For example, when we think of balancing, we might picture a tightrope walker on a highwire. Life might feel like that at times, but it's a worldview that is bound to create fear and tension. If you find yourself in that position, let go! Discover that life will support you.
Another image that comes up is the art of balancing stones. Perhaps you've seen the results, or have watched in fascination as the artist gives his or her full attention to setting the stones, and perhaps you have even tried it yourself. At Spirit Rock on retreat I have walked up the hill to an area that was full of stones that were fun to stack. They weren't the more challenging rounded stones the artists use, but the process still required my full attention. It's a lovely meditative process.
That view of equanimity reminds us to be fully present, to sink into full awareness and a sense of connection with whatever we are doing. But the image could backfire if we are attached to the stones staying stacked! It could easily bring out perfectionist tendencies and the fear of things falling apart and personal failure.
In my 'Oak Sisters' poem there was a quality of dancing, and I am reminded of how for many years I did Nia, a dance exercise class that develops a supple grace in the body. I had no idea how stiff and ungraceful I was until I started that class! But over time I softened in my movements and gained greater balance. I felt centered and joyous. We worked from our core, just as you do in Pilates or yoga, and were trained to not overextend our limbs. What a good lesson for life that is! Where in life are you feeling overextended?
Part of the reason we overextend is that we are trying to please or impress someone else. So we are seeing ourselves from the outside, the way we think others see us. This is 'object mode'. This is a good way to get way off balance! We need to be the subject of our own lives, the center of our own universe. This is not selfish. This is growing where we were planted. Remember that when we send metta (lovingkindness) we always begin with ourselves before sending it out to others and ultimately to all beings. Because we can't give what we don't have.
In meditation we find that when we go rigid we get easily distracted, and getting caught up in thinking and emotion will cause tension in the body. But when we relax our muscles and find a balanced posture, we are able to sustain a seated practice for quite sometime. And as our mind relaxes that spacious quality of sky is able to arise and fill the whole of our awareness.
And then when we go about our lives, perhaps we can develop a greater sense of ease and natural grace, able to carry whatever challenges life has given us. We may even find that what we have held as burdens will gently reveal their gifts.
May we be dancers on this earth, sensing into the music of life.
So these are all ways of looking at equanimity. What resonates with you? What questions does it bring up? What is your experience of equanimity? Please comment below.
*Paramita or parami is a state of quality of Buddha mind that we are cultivating. Equanimity (Upekkha) is the last of the ten paramitas we have been studying. See the rest in earlier posts. You can type 'paramita' in the search bar in the right-hand column.
This entry was posted in balance, challenges, coping, equanimity, Paramis, Paramitas, poem, tree, tree analogy, Uncategorized on October 22, 2016 by Stephanie Noble.
So beautifully written, Stef…thank you! I got very emotional reading about the two fathers and daughters. And your poem is beautiful. Very helpful words for me right now especially. Namaste.


Great start with introducing simple useful words and a variety of conversation. Molte bene.
Due: Followed by increasing speed to normal speaking dialogue.
Tre: Steps you through with increasing dialogue in a manner easy to follow.
Quattro: Provides pronunciation tips of vowels and double consonants.
Sei: Self test requiring typing in the words as heard with proper spelling reinforces auditory and visual learning.
I need to get the microphone connected, but I am sure this feature will also impress and be very helpful.


Air Canada said today that due to Transport Canada's continued closure of Canadian airspace to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, it has further adjusted its schedule through to the end of June.
The carrier anticipates it will cover 98 per cent of previously planned flying for the month through a series of mitigation measures, schedule changes and temporary route suspensions.
"Air Canada assures its customers that we are doing everything possible to mitigate the effects of the 737 MAX grounding and we appreciate our customers' patience and flexibility as we continue to work on transporting them safely to their destinations," said Lucie Guillemette, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Air Canada, in a press release. "By adjusting our schedule for the month of May, we are providing certainty for our customers so they can continue to book and travel with confidence on Air Canada.
In compliance with the safety notice issued by Transport Canada on March 13, Air Canada grounded its fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Boeing has advised that deliveries of its 737 MAX are currently suspended. Air Canada was expecting six new aircraft in March and April.
Air Canada has worked with other carriers to provide immediate extra capacity and provide alternative options to passengers. For example, its Montreal-Frankfurt flight for the month of May will be operated by Star Alliance partner Lufthansa.
In some cases, seasonal route launches have been delayed. This includes Toronto-Portland, which will now start July 1 instead of May 24, Vancouver-Boston, which will now start June 16 instead of June 1, and Calgary-Halifax, which will now start July 1 instead of May 18. The seasonal start of the carrier's Toronto-Shannon route and new Montreal-Bordeaux service will both be delayed until early July.
Customers are further advised to check the status of their flight using the Flight Status function on the Air Canada app or at aircanada.com prior to going to the airport. Additional information, including specific changes to the April and May 737 MAX operation is provided at the special page, Update on flights operated by the Boeing 737 MAX, available at aircanada.com that will be updated as warranted.