text:
musicvid10 wrote on 5/15/2014, 8:58 AM
Having been forced to transition from analog to digital audio production some years back, I can only sympathize with video producers and broadcasters who automatically think and speak in terms of analog broadcast principles and theory.
It is a different technology. Like VU levels, IRE had a soft ceiling. And broadcasters of yore would push it until TVs buzzed and displayed white lightning. Today that is no more, right along with +6 VU.
Whether or not broadcasters still speak in percentages, publish clamped or loose submission standards, post-level or reject too-hot video, it's all BT 709 or stricter when it hits the pipe. That's (16-235 luma, 16-240 chroma), at least in ATSC land. (Note: Saying "104% chroma" is already a little too hot for BT 709, or so it seems).
Nowhere in BT 709 are the deprecated IRE references mentioned, nor are VU audio levels, and correctly so.
Former user wrote on 5/15/2014, 9:04 AM
Musicvid,
I have worked in TV a long time and I never knew any broadcaster who pushed white levels. You couldn't do it. First off, most video switchers used a proc amp that would clamp levels at 100, maybe 102. ( I am talking lumance, chrominance was a bit different) Second, broadcasters normally have a clamp on the transmitter end so if the video did get out at over 100, it got clipped at the transmitter level.
Chrominance was usually allowed up to 110.
The main reason for video being sent out hot was if the tape op did not set up to bars correctly. But see second above.
Most buzzing that you heard on a TV was caused at the receiving end by a poor antenna or TV.
I endured rural ground broadcasting for most of my early life (late fifties through sixties). I sincerely doubt all the engineers were qualified or the equipment monitored. With one or two stations for every sixty mile radius, you know they pushed everything.
Mostly prevalent during locally-produced commercials, when the scene switched to white background or text. No doubts about the source of the problem.
I should have mentioned that not all of those splattered whites were pushed deliberately; and at what point in the chain they occurred I surely won't debate. However, they sure were nasty!
And I hope you don't feel that I'm criticizing your frame of reference. Shaking the analog mindset for me was just a little harder than quitting cigarettes.
"And I hope you don't feel that I'm criticizing your frame of reference"
No not all. I would guess some stations were more lax than others. And video engineers (specifically cameramen) always wanted to push levels. And film graders would push them as well, but as an editor I had to reign them in. We actually had our proc amps set for 106 so we could see what was getting clamped and adjust accordingly.
In the digital world, I don't see that there should be limits since digital has limits built in (try to go above 255 white levels ;) ). But as I stated in an earlier post, in the US we are always concerned about backward compatibility. Witness the Color TV transmission (bringing us 29.97 instead of 30fps), Stereo (had to mix down to mono correctly), Widescreen (graphics must be 4x3 safe). I think in other countries they just tell people to move on or suffer but in the US we always worry about the viewers who are behind in tech.
I think it is time to allow the specs to match the tech, but I am not in any position of power to do it. Most of my work these days is for computer streaming or theater so the broadcast standards only apply as far as the limitations of the equipment being used. I generally don't worry about the setup or levels like I used to because the equipment is not concerned.
But here is also a concern about this issue. There are a lot of very respected people on this posting who can't agree on how it should be done. I respect Glenn, Chienvideo, Musicvid and others, but they all have different points of view and good reasons for them. so how could anyone who is less qualified know what the traps are and how to avoid them? Until we become ALL digital (from acquisition to delivery) with digital specs, we will never agree.
"Until we become ALL digital (from acquisition to delivery) with digital specs, we will never agree."
That's a point of agreement, Dave. 0-255 broadcast delivery would mean more colors on the screen without everyone switching to UHDTV; reworking the 6 Mhz bandwidth rule would be a bit of a pain, though. Maybe h265/HEVC will eventually get us around that.
You can't use Vimeo for a demonstration because then happens exactly what should not been done with the signal: computer based processing. It's meant for a test on purely digital video equipment: DVD and Blu-ray-disc player, hardware media player, HDMI connection, LCD TV panel. Nothing else. If it runs through a processing like the player involved by Vimeo distribution, it is – of course – very likely studio swing will be stretched to full swing thus clipping the signal (but all depends on the setting of your grafic device in this case).
To distinguish between computer and video based processing is as important as to distinguish between peak levels and reference levels.
Yes, BT. 709 lacks several details and one is the distinction between reference and peak levels. It says the values 16, 235, 240 are the nominal peaks. It also says video level quantization is in the range of 1–254.
Though it is not recommended to use BT. 709 solely to determine production conditions. BT. 709 completely lacks any reference to the EOTF, which is even more important for production. I would never use BT. 709 as only reference without also using BT. 1886 and EBU Tech. 3320. BT. 709 alone makes limited sense once a signal is quantized/digitized.
Unlike computer levels, giving and retaining footroom and headroom is one of the most important property of digital video levels. The core of this discussion was the way Vegas Pro handles video levels. Vegas Pro just keeps footroom and headroom unaltered. Input = output. Many people, me included, appreciate this. Different surroundings, different equipment, different purposes – different meanings. Not just one truth.
"Many people, me included, appreciate this."
I think you can safely include me, atom12, and a few others in sharing that sentiment.
Former user wrote on 5/15/2014, 10:45 AM
I agree as well, but people have to realize that is what it is, footroom and headroom.
So – without limitation – we all earned a cold beer this evening :D
I'm curious now to what extend there might be differences in video hardware equipment (how devices like DVD-players, Blu-ray-disc players, media players, HDMI handle levels outside 16–235) between EBU und US.
All of my DVD players clip black at 16 (7.5). I am not sure about the whites.
(U.S.)
What dvd players do can depend on the output method (analog or hdmi). And they all seem to be different, and also can have user settings.
One of my old dvd recorders set up the blacks a second time, giving me 33.
1: Vegas would know where black level is supposed to be and where white level is supposed to be. A sensible setup would be to put black at 16 16 16 rgb and white at 235 235 235 rgb.
The JPEG image will get converted so that its blacks are at 16 rgb and white is at 235 rgb.
I don't know what you mean by "MTS video" (DVD???). There are standards that govern video formats. For Rec. 601 and Rec. 709 formats, both white and black level are defined. So Vegas should respect the spirit of that standard. These standards exist so that people don't have to deal with situations like what you experience in Vegas today.
If there are superwhites in the original footage, they should stay as superwhites (as the default behaviour). If the user wishes to manually bring the superwhites into legal range, they can manually opt to do so. This is how other NLEs handle it.
2: When you export, Vegas should correctly map your black level to the correct black level.
Other NLEs already do this. The concept of having to convert between studio and computer RGB doesn't exist in those NLEs.
*There was a time where FCP would screw up with dSLR footage. But once the codec got fixed, that issue was solved.
The big picture is this. Because other NLEs handle levels conversions for you (in a standards-compliant way), it frees the user to do other things. You never think about this stuff because the NLE handles it for you.
When you specify white in Final Cut Pro... you get white. You don't get a light grey, white, or an illegal white.
If you use the color generator preset in Vegas for white... you will either get white or an illegal white.
If you use the color bars generator in Vegas... maybe the color bars will be correct. Or maybe not.
If you use the waveform monitor in Vegas.... maybe it will be correct. Or maybe not. Years ago, I had access to a real set of hardware scopes (with SDI in) so I was able to figure out how Vegas' levels worked. Don't trust the waveform monitor in Vegas. It can be useful but do not use it to figure out levels.
That's madness in my opinion. The way Vegas does things is inconsistent, unintuitive, confusing, and error-prone. That's why I keep saying that Vegas should handle levels automatically for the user. Clearly, this is too difficult even for advanced Vegas users.
I think clipping black near the very end of the pipeline could be fine, if not intended to carry special test patterns like the PLUGE signal. The well-adjusted TV panel would not display super-black anyway.
But headroom is different, so I usually only test the headroom area (and only digitally connected via HDMI).
MTS means standard AVCHD from a camcorder.
Typically 16-255 without user intervention.
7 billion phones and devices do not respect BT 601/709 standards. Most of them do not employ VUI flags, So in order for Vegas to be "automatic," it would have to do more than honor the colorspace flag. Allowing the highlights to clip is the same as doing nothing.
Are you refering to black and white peak levels or to black and white reference levels? A system can not automatically detect what the intended white reference level is, nor can it differ between a pushed reference black and noise below reference black.
BT. 709 defines 10-bit video. It never talks about 8-bit video.
Vegas Pro just keeps footroom and headroom unaltered.
That's not really true. If you import footage video via a codec that decodes to computer RGB, then you will lose superblacks and superwhites.
Quicktime Prores (e.g. if footage was captured on another system) into Vegas might do this.
Input = output.
Again, not true.
You can take the same footage and export it to different formats. It is possible to create situations where the same footage will decode to different levels in Vegas.
You're confused because you don't understand.
Look... I wish this stuff wasn't so confusing and unintuitive. That's why I'm saying that the NLE should handle this stuff for you. That way, you don't need to worry about converting levels correctly.
(*There will still be situations where you need to manually intervene, bugs, etc. Cameras shooting superwhites will be an extremely common issue that you still need to deal with. But there will be many other issues that you just won't need to worry about.)
Quicktime ProRes is a rare exception. Any variant of H.264, any variant of XDCAM/XDCAM HD/XDCAM EX, MPEG-2, HDCAM SR, uncompressed (also the YUV variant), P2 works in the way input equals output.
"BT. 709 defines 10-bit video. It never talks about 8-bit video."
Are you sure we mean the same doc? I did not re-write these values mentioned. I did a copy and paste from the document I directly downloaded from the ITU (no Wikipedia nonsense). In chapter 6 of "Digital representation" it clearly talks about "8 bit coding" while 10 bit is only mentioned in a small side note.
Isn't it funny if someone says others do not understand?
You're making things needlessly confusing.
There is no NLE in the world that will by default map 16 Y' to legal black and 255 Y' to legal white. Vegas shouldn't either. That behaviour would be madness.
I'm going to bow out of this discussion. I don't know why anybody would argue that Vegas' handling of levels makes sense.
The simple truth is this:
-Other NLEs handle levels sensibly.
-Vegas doesn't.
-I wish Vegas handled levels sensibly. I know that there are a lot of Vegas users out there who are confused. Or, they have been burned by some unintuitive behaviour that they didn't know about (there are so many of them). It shouldn't be like that.
To me and many others sensible level handling means: not mapping levels and not clearing footroom and headroom before I tell the system to do so.
Except of rare exceptions like the ProRes processing you mentioned (and same is for another certain flavor of MOV files), for many people Vegas does a good job. And probably no one would reject some nice new options in Vegas Pro so it would also fit other's preferences.
"You can't use Vimeo for a demonstration because then happens exactly what should not been done with the signal: computer based processing. It's meant for a test on purely digital video equipment: DVD and Blu-ray-disc player, hardware media player, HDMI connection, LCD TV panel. Nothing else."
Sorry Marco., but the mp4 videos before they were uploaded to Vimeo are exactly the same. I can render for DVD and get the same results when played back on my TV's. It has absolutely nothing to do with Vimeo.
The video levels above 235/100 IRE gets chomped off no matter how I do it.
When going from sRGB to cRGB on my external monitor all levels above 235 are chomped. If I turn off the conversion, the levels above 235 will not get chomped off but then the external display will be wrong in the same way as the little viewer is.
This whole thing reminds me of the confusion caused by multiple systems in place throughout the world. There is the USA system, the variation of that in Japan and then the others. Beyond the levels is the frame rate in various systems and countries. The USA system has that awful backward compatible mess as well.
So what works a certain way where you are does not work that certain way where I am.
It would be great if we could ALL get one universally compatible system that we can all use without all of this mess. But then good luck on getting everyone to agree on one universally compatible system!
I do what I need to do to make my videos work in the USA. I know what my cameras shoot and I know what the NTSC color bars consist of in levels and colors, so I know what I need to do to get the desired results here in the USA. And I do get the desired results I want.
O.k, I see what you mean. Strange.
"I can render for DVD and get the same results when played back on my TV's."
Is your player connected via HDMI?
If Vegas allowed "automatic" level handling as an option, maybe everyone would be content and its user base would increase. Those would be good things. I respectfully request the option to continue in the current manner.
The points made above about the analog > digital transition in TV workflow resonate completely with me. Human knowledge and intervention were always necessary to ensure the highest quality transmission of a recorded signal. Many times, relying on solely on the equipment resulted in an inferior broadcast. I've witnessed it too many times. Moreso today than in the analog past, actually.
Basically, I'm too old to relearn NOT to check and intervene. Even if Vegas handled levels automatically, and did it perfectly, I would still be checking levels on every imported clip on the timeline. Maybe I would save some keystrokes by not applying my presets as often, but I'm conditioned to take responsibility for the program. I was told that was my job from the first time I entered an analog online suite.
Perhaps in my next life I'll believe that software can do it better than I can.


Chicagoans are getting more playful with wine even as they take it more seriously. At Avec (615 W. Randolph St; 312-377-2002), a wine bar launched by Paul Kahan, an F&W Best New Chef 1999, a backlit wall of empty wine bottles provides the only bright color in a space that looks like the inside of a new wine barrel. To go with Avec's list of Mediterranean boutique wines, the menu offers intensely flavored dishes like chorizo-stuffed dates with piquillo-pepper sauce. Valhalla (3317 N. Broadway; 773-296-6800) feels like a minimalist dining room instead of a wine shop. The centerpiece is a long wooden table that displays 30 or so wines. In suburban Glenview, Flight (1820 Tower Dr.; 847-729-WINE) might take its name from its location in a former naval air base, but it also serves an extensive selection of flights, or tastings, from its well-chosen wine list; they pair nicely with dishes like the crème fraîche lobster salad.


text:
ChangeUp and Lindsey Sterling Launch First Giving Season Campaign on Discord
Los Angeles, CA, November 29, 2022 – ChangeUp, the world's leading donation software company that powers some of the world's largest brands, including the first and only donation bot on Discord, has launched the first 'Giving Season' campaign with acclaimed artist, Lindsey Sterling on the social platform. Donations will support DollarFor.Org and The Upside Fund, Sterling's foundation that helps those struggling to pay medical debt. The campaign has a target goal of $25,000 and will run from 'Giving Tuesday,' November 29, through New Year's Eve, December 31, 2022.
"I am so grateful for ChangeUp's support and making it possible to interact with my amazing fans on Discord," said Lindsey Sterling. "This is such an engaging and giving community, I am excited about what we will do together to provide for those who need us not only today, but year round."
"The community and impact that Lindsey continues to build is a testament to what the giving season is all about," said Bob Soderstrom. Co-Founder and CEO of ChangeUp. "We are thrilled to support the first 'Giving Season' campaign on Discord and further our mission to revolutionize charitable giving through micro-donations."
In recent years, ChangeUp has experienced a 25%-30% boost in donations over Giving Season with e-commerce partners including The Honest Company, e.l.f. Cosmetics, TaylorMade Golf, and KIND via its solution for Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
ChangeUp's most recent product, Donate on Discord, launched in October and is the first ever donation tool available to the 150 million users on Discord. Traffic to the bot has increased 3X week over week and is used by popular servers including Imagine Dragons. Recently, Discord debuted its App Directory and the ChangeUp Donate app was included in the inaugural class.
For Discord admins interested in adding "donate" to their servers, you can select the cause, create customized campaigns, and offer incentives and custom user roles to encourage members to donate. One hundred percent of donations go directly to the selected charity.
About ChangeUp
ChangeUp is an integrated donation software solution that empowers some of the world's largest brands, including Mastercard, Vans, The Honest Company, e.l.f. Cosmetics, KIND, PopSockets, and TaylorMade Golf to facilitate micro-donations to over 1.5M 501(c)3 nonprofits. The company's suite of technologies includes products for eCommerce, mobile, and social platforms that allow brands to invite their customers to join them in changing the world. For more information, visit www.changeup.com.
About Lindsey Sterling
Lindsey Stirling is an electronic violinist, dancer, and artist who has humbly become one of the 21st century's most innovative stars. Her groundbreaking vision has gained her millions of adoring fans worldwide, four Billboard chart topping albums, and two Billboard Music Awards including Top Dance/Electronic Album for her third studio release, Brave Enough. Having amassed over 12.5 million subscribers and nearly 3 billion views on YouTube, Forbes placed her at #4 on its 2015 World's Top-Earning YouTubeStars list. Her highly anticipated fifth-studio album, Artemis, released in 2019 to critical acclaim and debuted at #1 on Dance/ElectronicAlbum Chart.
Announcing Mastercard Donate
e.l.f. Raises $10K+ in Spare Change for It Gets Better
ChangeUp Welcomes Alicia Keys Soulcare
PrevPreviousChangeUp Announces Sergio Mora as Program Manager
NextPeace Corps to Team Rubicon: ChangeUp's Founders Were Volunteers FirstNext

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What are the similarities and difference between Catholic political thought and Libertarian political thought? What are the chief principles of libertarianism, and is it a self-sufficient political philosophy? What are the chief principles of Catholic political thought, and does it have anything to learn from libertarianism? To what extent, and in what ways, can the political thought of these two traditions be considered compatible, and to what extent and in what ways do they conflict with each other? This thesis will first examine the origins of libertarian thought, the concept of natural rights, and the goal of economic prosperity among the liberal political philosophers of the 17th century, alongside more contemporary libertarian thinkers. It will then examine an interpretation of the political thought of St. Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas, alongside a comparison of the doctrine of natural rights and the doctrine of natural law. Finally, this paper will examine two justifications of liberalism by contemporary Catholic authors, the first through a thorough analysis of the social encyclicals, and the second through a joint examination of Catholic principles and economic analysis.


Our offices are conveniently located on Fairfax Boulevard between Jermantown Road and Lee Highway. We are easily accessible by car or by taking the CUE Bus from either the Vienna or Dunn Loring-Merrifield stations.
For general questions or to schedule an appointment call 703-537-0373 or email us at info@washingtonspeech.com.
Copyright © 2011 Washington Speech-Language Pathology Group. All rights reserved.


text:
Q: codeigniter and form submit I am trying to get used to Codeigniter. I am sorry if that is a trivial or dumb question but I have been struggling to have the "News Section" of Codeigniter's tutorial work.
There is this form (from here)

<?php echo $title; ?>

<?php echo validation_errors(); ?>

<?php echo form_open('news/create'); ?>

    Title
    <input type="input" name="title" />

    Text
    <textarea name="text"></textarea>

    <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Create news item" />

</form>

which, according to this controller:
<?php
class News extends CI_Controller {

        public function __construct()
        {
                parent::__construct();
                $this->load->model('news_model');
                $this->load->helper('url_helper');
        }

        public function index()
        {
                $data['news'] = $this->news_model->get_news();
                $data['title'] = 'My News archive';

                $this->load->view('templates/header', $data);
                $this->load->view('news/index', $data);
                $this->load->view('templates/footer');
        }

        public function view($slug = NULL)
        {
                $data['news_item'] = $this->news_model->get_news($slug);
                if (empty($data['news_item']))
                {
                        show_404();
                }

                $data['title'] = $data['news_item']['title'];

                $this->load->view('templates/header', $data);
                $this->load->view('news/', $data);
                $this->load->view('templates/footer');
        }

        public function create()
        {
            $this->load->helper('form');
            $this->load->library('form_validation');

            $data['title'] = 'Create a news item';

            $this->form_validation->set_rules('title', 'Title', 'required');
            $this->form_validation->set_rules('text', 'Text', 'required');

            if ($this->form_validation->run() === FALSE)
            {
                $this->load->view('templates/header', $data);
                $this->load->view('news/create');
                $this->load->view('templates/footer');

            }
            else
            {
                $this->news_model->set_news();
                $this->load->view('news/success');
            }
        }
}

should, I think, if the validation returns ok, go ahead and insert the data into the db. Now, my problem is that the pages run under:
http://localhost/codeigniter/index.php/news/

The submit button, however, returns me to:
http://localhost/codeigniter/index.php/news/localhost/codeigniter/index.php/news/create

The routes.php file contains the following code:
$route['news/create'] = 'news/create';
$route['news/(:any)'] = 'news/view/$1';
$route['news'] = 'news';
$route['(:any)'] = 'news/view/$1';
$route['default_controller'] = 'news';

I don't know why this is happening. Thank you for any help.

A: Did you set your base_url config in application/config/config.php ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Multi-purpose water made from patented technology in Japan. This highly alkaline water contains a pH of 12.5. Able to kill bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, MRSA, etc.
Its is made of up to 99% H2O and the rest are natural minerals. Its very safe even when pets lick or accidentally consume.
After walk wipe downs of feet, and body.
Wiping of muzzle area after meals.
Reducing of tear stains by spraying directly on the tear stain area, leave on for 5 mins and wipe off with a cotton pad moisten with Alma Water.
Odor removal, suitable for use to disinfect pee trays too.
Act as an anti-static spray.
Add into organic shampoo mixture (recommended) to have a deep cleansing effect and have the goodness of organic ingredient penetrate deep into skin. Or added into tap water in a tub and massage the skin. Do not leave in or soak for more than 5 mins for best results.
For best effect use with Alma 1000 Collagen Powder.
** Suitable for all animals including Hamster, Kittens, Puppies, etc.
** To be discarded 12 months after opening.


text:
Friday Sermon
Companions of the Prophet
Companions of the Promised Messiah
Ahmadi Muslims
The Ahadith in Commentary
Islam Ahmadiyya
Seal Of Prophethood
The Promised Messiah
Ahmadiyya
Atheism on Trial
Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya
From The Markaz
History of Islam Ahmadiyyat
History of Islam
Islamic Jurisprudence
Where stars descend
AHI Podcast
Message From Huzoor
Al HakamThe Weekly
AlhakamAl hakam newspaper
Home History History of Islam Ahmadiyyat Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam – The Forerunner of Tahrik-e-Jadid
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad
Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam – The Forerunner of Tahrik-e-Jadid
Last Updated on 13th November 2021
One way of attaining God's pleasure and nearness is through sacrifice; the sacrifice of life, wealth or time.
Sacrifices vary depending on the conditions and circumstances of one's age. At the time of the Prophet Muhammadsa, sacrificing one's life was far more important than wealth. Muslims of that time were drawn into battle by the disbelievers and the only way out was sacrificing their lives for the glory of the One God and Islam.
But in a prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa regarding the Promised Messiahas, "He will do away with war", the akharin – those of the latter days – were foretold that it would not be necessary to sacrifice one's life at the time of the Promised Messiahas. Therefore, the Promised Messiahas declared that the time for offering the sacrifice of lives by means of Jihad had been replaced by the age to sacrifice by means of one's wealth. (Al Hakam, 10 July 1903)
The Promised Messiahas states:
"The revival of Islam requires a sacrifice from us. What is that sacrifice? It is to die striving in this path, upon which the life of Islam, the life of Muslims, and the manifestation of Allah depends. This, in other words, is Islam. It is the revival of this Islam that Allah today desires. To attain this objective, it was necessary that He should Himself establish a great and effective system; and this is what the Wise and Mighty has done by sending me into this world for the reformation of mankind. He has divided this task of supporting the truth and the propagation of Islam into several branches." (Fath-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, pp. 10-12)
On the same footings of financial sacrifice, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra appealed to members of the Jamaat for Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam after considering the recommendation of Majlis-e-Shura.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered an address on 12 April 1914 that goes by the title Mansab-e-Khilafat in which he highlighted the works of the Khalifa.
The first obligation of the Khalifa which he mentioned was the promulgation and spread of Islam. The foundation of Anjuman Tarraqi-e-Islam was laid in this address. The sole purpose of this appeal was to lay the foundation of sacrifice in the hearts of members of the Jamaat and to create a platform that could be used to carry the true message of Islam to the corners of the Earth.
Being grateful to the bounties of Allah the Almighty and addressing members of the Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, Musleh-e-Maud, stated:
"How can I return the favours of my Lord? How can I count His favours when my mouth and tongue are incapable of it? In trying to return His favours, every atom of my body would end up overwhelmed by His ocean of beneficence and would not be able to do so.
"The ship of the Jamaat passes through a restless ocean, and yet its wheel is in the hand of an inexperienced, unskilled and weak sailor. In spite of this, how is the ship to sail clear? This is purely the work of God.
"The first Khalifa had eminence and his works can be accredited to him, but what power do I possess that someone could even think that I had a role in eliminating this fitna [discord]? This display of power was free from any trace of Shirk [attributing partners to Allah]. Thus, the Beloved of prophets and saints revealed Himself to the world so as to let people know in these days of Shirk that He can have such tasks achieved from clumps of mud or pieces of wood which cannot even be carried out by worldly monarchs…
"Beggars never return empty-handed from the doorsteps of kings, so I beg of You, O Lord, to fulfil my request. As You have assembled and united the greater part of the Jamaat, I beg of You to bring together the remaining few as well. My Beloved Lord, You know that neither do I have any desire for greatness, nor do I long to rule, but my heart yearns to unify the Jamaat and feels dejected in disunity. So, O God, shower Your blessings and heal my wounded heart. Whatever You bestowed upon me surpassed my expectations. Yet still, my Master, keep me from any excess in this matter. The fire of my expectation is yet to be extinguished and my heart yearns that somehow the whole Jamaat is united to glorify Your name across the globe.
"O Omnipotent King of kings! It is not at all difficult for You. Save the name of 'Ahmad' from division. Beloved, this Jamaat is Your dear Jamaat. Who desires to see their loved ones being divided?…
"Thus, Allah the Almighty has inspired my heart to fulfil this task and to make special efforts for the promulgation of Islam Ahmadiyyat. For the time being, I have estimated that the annual expenses to fulfil this task will be 12,000 rupees…
"I have announced this matter after many prayers. I am hopeful from Allah the Almighty that He will surely fulfil my prayers, moreover He shall provide for the promulgation of Islam Himself and bestow His special bounty upon all those who help me in this matter.
"Friends! Even though an amount of 12,000 rupees annually appears a huge sum, but before the Lord, Who assigned to me this task, this sum is nothing. He Has the biggest treasury. He will stimulate your hearts and shall arrange for this purpose Himself…" (Al Fazl, 2 May 1914, pp. 4-8)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra named it Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam on the basis of a divine vision and nominated Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, Hazrat Maulvi Syed Muhmmad Ahsan, Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra, Hazrat Hamid Shahra, Hazrat Maulvi Sher Alira, Assitant Surgeon Hazrat Dr Mir Muhammad Ismailra, Hazrat Dr Khalifa Rashiddudinra and Hazrat Seith Abdur Rehman Madrasira as its members.
Maulvi Sher Ali Sahibra was the secretary of this Anjuman and the fund Dawat Ilal-Khair was transferred to it. This Anjuman lived up to its name, Taraqi-e-Islam (the spread of Islam), with great responsibility until firstly Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya and then in 1945, Tahrik-e-Jadid Anjuman Ahmadiyya took up the responsibility of the propagation and promulgation of Islam Ahmadiyyat. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 143)
In the biography of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh – the author of Swaneh Fazle-Umar – states:
"Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra elaborated with great care that this Anjuman [Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam] was not an alternate of the previous Anjuman [Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya], but instead it would focus particularly on the promulgation of Islam. The remaining responsibilities of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya would be carried out as usual." (Swaneh Fazle-Umar, Vol. 2, p. 36)
Thus, Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam served as the forerunner of all those systems that were later established for the spread of Islam.
Tahrik-e-Jadid Anjuman Ahmadiyya was a fruitful continuation and expansion of this Anjuman. Tahrik-e-Jadid was launched by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in 1934 and reflected the grandeur of his vision for the global, worldwide propagation of Islam. However, we see from the establishment of Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam that this passion was in Huzoor's heart right from the onset of his Khilafat in 1914.
The global mission of the Jamaat, which now functions under Tahrik-e-Jadid, has its humble beginnings in the Anjuman Taraqi-e-Islam which was set up at a time when those that had disassociated themselves from Khilafat had taken away all financial resources of the Jamaat.
After being elevated to the station of Khalifatul Masih, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra had only one rupee and a few paisas in the treasury. It was only with the backing of Allah's decree that this "penniless" Jamaat was able to not only stand on its own two feet but also to establish grand missionary schemes for nothing else but the propagation of Islam.
Ahmadiyyat
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud
Musleh-e-Maud Day
Al Hakam
Popular Writings
From sin to salvation: One man's transformation through faith
The grandeur of divine revelation and the need for heavenly guidance
Pioneer Missionaries: Part 6 – Fighting weather, inflation and hostilities
Prophets of Allah – Prophet Hud: 'And unto 'Ad We sent their brother Hud'
An Islamic approach to maintaining chastity in the digital age: A 13-step action plan
Ghulam Ahmad on Prophets of Allah – Prophet Hud: 'And unto 'Ad We sent their brother Hud'
SUMAILA GARIBA on 10 ways to achieve Allah's love
Islamiyyat Aroyehun on Prophets of Allah – The father of prophets: A brief look into the life of Prophet Abraham
Naseem Ahamed Edapakath on Waqf-e-Jadid: A story of faith and sacrifice from Niger
Ruqoyyah on Is it compulsory for women to attend congregational prayers in the mosque?
From The Markaz399
Answers281
This Week in History251
Friday Sermon248
In His Own Words248
Hadith220
How to (actually) keep your New Year's resolutions strong this February and ways to strengthen your will-power
'The way Huzoor spoke to us was so loving': Nasirat from Germany express their sentiments after meeting Huzoor
Prophets of Allah – Salih: 'And to Thamud We sent their brother Salih'
Patience and prayers: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat's response to opposition
Al Hakam is a weekly English newspaper for members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat around the world. Its aim is to provide Ahmadis with content regarding the beliefs of the true Islam, reintroduced to the world by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be on him.
Contact us: info@alhakam.org
© 2019 Al Hakam


The quality, uniqueness and style of this Crystal Rectangle Award set it apart from the regular wood plaque. It captures the light which gives the piece a special brilliance and its beautifully sleek lines are understated and classy.
Characterized by beveled edges, this Crystal Rectangle Plaque offers a generous engraving area to accommodate your customization needs. Any message you choose to inscribe will stand out beautifully on this versatile award.
For our Rectangle Retirement Gift Plaques, we include personal retirement wishes and use the gold floral arrangement as an artistic and delicate accent. The Sales Achievement Award is a memorable way to reward exemplary performance. The plaque, which features blue tints and can be engraved with a message and company logo, is an excellent motivational tool.
At an impressive 11.5" tall, this monument crystal award is in a class of its own. This award is reserved for top winners and makes a strong statement of excellence.
Beautiful contemporary design, this Crystal Wedge is a sleek looking award plaque with substantial weight. It draws attention to your recognition messages.


text:
Q: Excel spreadsheet to overwrite cells using a table of values I would like to write an excel function, that will replace some cells, containing text, with values from the table. The text in the cell gives correspondence to the table.
For example:

Here i have my cells that I would like to replace/overwrite. I would like to use the Table of values for matching to match my text1_1 with the newtext in Table of values for replacement at (1,1), and so on.
How can I accomplish this?
What I though is that I do the following:

*

*I know that text1_1 is in column 1 in cell to replace table.

*So, I know that text1_1 will be in the 1st row of Table of values for matching, I only need to find the column there.

*Once, I have the row number r and column number c in Table of values for matching, then I can use the value at Table of values for replacement at (r - displacement, c) to replace my text1_1 in Cells to replace.

It is possible, that there is a more efficient solution, than what I thought out, so in that case, I am very open to see it.
Which functions should I use? If there is no straightforward way to do it, then could somebody give me some guidance?

A: Here is a suggestion, assuming I understand your question correctly.
As mentioned in the comments, there is no way to place a formula within a cell that will use the contents of the same cell, because it already contains the formula. What you can do is create a new table to fetch out all the new values based on the Table of values for matching. However, I assume here (using your example) that you know in which column / row to look in the tables. In your example the column number of cell to replace was the row number to look at in Table of values for matching, so my solution fits this situation. Nevertheless, you can easily edit it to fit another need, as long as you now in which column / row to look. So lets start:

*

*Create a new table that match the cell to replace table in size.

*In the most upper left cell paste the following formula:
=INDEX($G$3:$M$6,A$10,MATCH(A3,OFFSET($G$10:$M$10,A$10-1,0),0))

*Drag this formula to all the other cells, and you will see the new values that match the values in Table of values for replacement

Tell me if it answers your question ;)


Jack of all trades, master of none, had to do side gigs to pay the bills. I have a lot of BS degrees/certificates.
In Collateral....Max, a taxi driver dreams of a better life and faces death. Well, let me tell you about my experience driving for them...I have a 4.94 rating w Uber and a 5 with Lyft. I'm also meticulous like Max.
In the beginning I signed up for Sidecar and Uber, needed to make some extra money. I really Sidecar because the Driver can set their minimum price and rate. So I got longer rides. Also, the rider can choose his/her driver. However, the best platform does not win.
Anyway, with no air conditioner and trying to walk quickly, my ankles stared to swell.
However, I finished that day limping back.
Then I tried Life / Health Insurance. I joined a Company that had a good relationship with Unions. Failed again.
So, I'm back doing Uber / Lyft. Also, some Postmastes, Grubhub for a change of pace. Last summer, the Bird scooter was good when it was over $10 for each.
Now, I will try to go into Tech. However, at my age it's harder to learn. So learn as much technical stuff before the age of 30.
All those certificates / degrees don't matter if you can not use it...UCLA BA in Economics (took 1 graduate class in business), CA Real Estate Sales License, Series 7, CA Teaching Credentials (failed the writing the first time), Postal Exam 473, CA Life / Health Insurance License.
As an Uber driver, most of the riders sit in the back seat. One night in Hollywood, one lady, "K", sat in the front. The reason she said was it was more interesting to sit in the front and start a conversation. First she asked where I was from...Korea. Then she said, "I love you" and "thank you" in Korean, my home country.
Wow, that's pretty good I said, although her pronunciation was terrible. What impressed me was that she knew a few words from the Korean Mountain Rabbit song. I vaguely remember my mom singing this to me as a very young child and now makes a little sad and teary eyed that I cannot take care of her...she is in a nursing home because she has partial dementia.
Anyway, back to the story. She had learned over 20 languages to say "I love you" and "thank you". Of course she was from New York and I asked her speak in that accent and she did. But it wasn't as pronounced as on TV or from other New Yorkers I met. The LA life has made her accent slowly disappear.
She hated talking about work and the weather. She noticed that most Asians didn't react well with the "I love you"
Well it was positive experience but I don't recommend talking to most drivers in Los Angeles with the heavy traffic and crazy drivers. Just Hello and Good bye will suffice.
Finding parking in Los Angeles is tough and watch out for "Except" rules. You can count on parking in yellowing loading zones to park for free on Sundays and after 7 pm, Monday thru Saturdays. However, look for the signs for exceptions.
It's getting tougher to find street parking now a days...last Saturday, I had to park over a mile away from the restaurant that I went to...so I Ubered it from there. Still cheaper than parking...now $15 and up to park in Koreatown LA.
A few months a go I picked up a lady, "G" from a restaurant. She mentioned how her mom did not text her...she was running a little late. She was an alumnus from same high school as I and missed the opportunity to get her contact info. She was honest and straight forward and soon to be an attorney. It's difficult to find a honest attorney.
I did get a contact info for a good architect and stair builder. Wow, I should have stayed in Real Estate. I passed the Real Estate sales person right after college and decided to not stay the course.
I always thought that Will Smith was a funny, generous person from his "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" days, rapping career to his block buster hits. I have a negative view of Steve Harvey with his anti white woman and Asian jokes. My take on Will Smith was confirmed when I gave a ride to a part time actor. He pushed for a raise for a certain over the hill actor and keep the smaller time actors pay the same. Usually when you pay more for another actor in the budget, other pay must be cut but Smith demanded that other smaller bit actors pay do not get cut.
I met a person in the Tech field and got some useful info. He was originally from France but lived in England. I was right when I noticed his slight British accent. He now lives in SF but looking into living in LA for a few months. Thank you for the info...I forgot his name.
So make sure you take advantage of the consecutive quests and bonuses.
Also, there is no need to get your LAX placard card. I spoke to one Uber driver without one and he gets plenty of local rides. Besides, traffic is getting worse at both LAX and Burbank airports. FYI, you need a LAX placard card to get rides to and from the airport.
I hate carpool rides, many times it's difficult finding the riders. So, if you want, you can stop new requests. I usually stop new requests after I pickup 2 people. One driver I met turns it off after one.
Go to the hot spots, usually Santa Monica and West Hollywood. Downtown LA is great too, but getting around there is tough.
Although riders rarely tip, it's a good idea to try to talk riders, give compliment if warranted. Of course some riders don't want to talk so you should be able to sense that. One good thing about driving for Uber / Lyft, it helped me talk a little more.


text:
Accor, Twenty 14 Holding open new Pullman hotel in Dubai
Marshall Hotels & Resorts renovates DoubleTree by Hilton Washington, D.C. North/Gaithersburg
Marriott International to open around 100 new hotels in Asia Pacific in 2021
Accor and Hoxton merging boutique brands shows increased need for revenue diversification
Lodgings trends: Hospitality leads Twitter mentions in November 2020
Biggest influencers in lodgings in Q3 2020: The top individuals to follow
Tourism & leisure industry private equity deals in Q4 2020 total $4.1bn globally
North America's tourism & leisure industry sees a drop of 35.6n deal activity in Q4 2020
Europe's tourism & leisure industry sees a drop of 14.6n deal activity in Q4 2020
Indian hospitality start-up Oyo raises $7.4m in Series F1 funding round
Aevis Victoria acquires Hotel Schweizerhof in Zermatt, Switzerland
Xenia Hotels & Resorts divests two hotel properties
ZAFIRO by Entertainment Solutions
Cristallux
21st January 2009	(Last Updated January 21st, 2009 18:30)
Starwood's new CEO Frits van Paasschen talks branding, recession and marathon running. Christopher Kanal grabs his trainers.
Frits van Paasschen likes to run. More than a year after he became CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, he still does a ten-mile run at 6am each day.
He says it helps his management technique. The new CEO has run 12 marathons, and at the NYU Hospitality Investment Conference in June 2008, Starwood held a 5.1-mile "Run with Frits" bonding event for developers, through New York's Central Park. He had to slow down so the others could keep up.
Van Paasschen, 47, took the reins of Starwood in September 2007 after its board ousted then-CEO Steve Heyer that March amid allegations about his personal conduct and management style. After a five-month search the board found its man in the former Coors Brewing CEO, choosing him unanimously.
"Head and shoulders above the rest" was how chairman and interim CEO Bruce Duncan described van Paasschen, adding that the Dutch-born executive stood out because of his "intellectual firepower". Van Paasschen has more than 20 years of experience with consumer-focused global lifestyle brands and made his name by successfully realising global strategies for megabrands Disney, Nike and Coors.
At van Paasschen's previous post at Coors he reversed years of decline and substantially increased sales and profits, while growing market share and raising brand stature. Expectations at Starwood HQ in White Plains, upstate New York, are understandably high.
He took over Starwood at a time when the company had a robust pipeline of 105,000 rooms. Any hushed talk of possible economic trouble ahead was dismissed as idle chatter – even paranoia.
It was 2007 and the global hospitality industry was having one of its best years on record. Fast forward a year and the US economy is in freefall.
Despite its renowned resilience, the hotel industry is suffering.
Van Paasschen has a big task ahead in an unprecedented economic environment. "I wanted a challenge and an adventure, and the year has provided that," he says, describing what he calls the "extraordinary" design, branding and financial opportunities available.
"Crises offer opportunities to ask difficult questions."
Van Paasschen is confident that he can accelerate Starwood's transformation into a major international company, he tells me from his office at Starwood HQ. Arriving in the US from the Netherlands as a child, he maintains a deeply rooted international outlook, which makes him a natural in the industry.
He already speaks five languages and is currently learning Czech with his chauffeur.
Because he lacked hotel experience, van Paasschen immersed himself in the industry.
He has visited 190 hotels in 20 countries and 45 cities. "The pivotal point for us is the general managers, on whom success or failure fall," he tells me.
"I meet them and make sure I know what's going on." In contrast to the stuffiness of some CEOs, van Paasschen is informal and friendly.
He rarely wears a tie.
His appointment raised eyebrows but Starwood is known for doing things differently. Its W brand made waves in the industry with its cool style ethos, which included the much-imitated concept of the living-room lobby, where guests can relax with friends, a laptop or cocktails.
Starwood operates 900 hotels in 100 countries across nine brands. Luxury and upper-scale properties make up 70% of the portfolio.
These include The Luxury Collection, St Regis and W Hotels, plus upper-upscale brands Sheraton, Le Méridien and Westin. Upscale brands are Four Points by Sheraton and the new brands aloft and Element.
Van Paasschen likes the balance of the portfolio. He singles out Le Méridien as a big success in bringing an outside brand successfully into the Starwood stable.
He emphasises the importance of global expansion and building brands such as Sheraton, Westin and St Regis.
Van Paasschen plans to continue Starwood's strategy of transforming from a US-based company into an international powerhouse. He's determined to set the pace for hotel development as rivals such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt also sprint into emerging cities.
Starwood is opening an extraordinary 600 hotels in the next four years, half of which will be in new markets such as China and India. "We want to take advantage of the rise of the middle class and the expansion of tourism to and from other parts of the world," he explains.
The journey through economic crisis
Despite the economic slowdown, Starwood reported a profit of $129m or 0.71 cents a share for the third quarter. Starwood has not radically adapted its strategy, what van Paasschen calls the "Starwood journey", in the economic downturn.
The essentials are "Starwood-class brands, great execution, global growth, brilliant talent and market-leading returns".
"Our future openings for next year and 2010 are financed and under construction, and only under dire circumstances would they be cancelled," he says. "I might have said three months ago that we were still robustly financed, but now we have to look at this on a day-to-day basis. We have about 100 openings planned for 2009," he continues.
"Although we've been focused on growing, we'd rather fall short in growth than compromise on working with the best partners on the best properties for the most appropriate brands. The luxury of having a strong pipeline is that we can walk away if we don't get what we feel is appropriate.
"Fundamentally we haven't changed because if you have a brand that customers want to stay with, that remains the case even in this global climate," he explains. However he adds that it would be foolish to think that no segment of the industry will be affected.
"Companies that can meet customer needs wherever they go in the world and work on the biggest scale are in a better position. Smaller, one-off operations could be in for a harder time," he says.
As for Starwood, van Paasschen says that it intends to streamline its operations without losing opportunities. "Our strategy is the same but we are focusing more on managing expenses," he says.
He sees opportunity in the recession, quoting President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel's maxim: "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." "These crises offer opportunities for the CEO of a business to ask difficult questions about how the company operates internally," says van Paasschen.
"Only time will tell if there are opportunities for investment. We have the experience of Le Méridien, which we brought into Starwood three years ago. With the challenges in 2009, who knows?"
Van Paasschen's background
Van Paasschen grew up in Seattle and was educated at Amherst College in Massachusetts. After reading an article in Harper's magazine about the glamorous lives of young consultants, he decided to work for the Boston Consulting Group.
He later returned to school, earning his MBA at Harvard Business School, followed by work at McKinsey Consulting in Los Angeles.
In 1995, van Paasschen joined Disney's consumer products division to gain more global experience. He established Disney's first retail stores in Japan and crafted a strategy to open new markets in countries including Poland.
Nike recruited him in 1997 to spearhead strategic planning for the $3bn-a-year company, soon to become a $9bn-a-year company. Van Paasschen was successful at Nike, introducing Brazil and Russia to the company's products.
He left as one of four division chiefs in charge of Europe, the Middle East and Africa operations and having increased revenue from $2.5bn to $4bn. Profits doubled in a four-year period.
After seven years at Nike, van Paasschen became CEO of Denver-based Coors Brewing, Molson Coors' largest division. During his two years there, he reversed nine quarters of declines in sales of Coors Light beer, partly by adding a temperature-sensitive label that turns blue when the bottle is chilled.
He also added regional general managers who focused on profit instead of volume.
Starwood undoubtedly wants van Paasschen's profit-boosting ability to rub off at White Plains. His first year has not been without controversy.
He recently brought Tom Clarke, Nike's then-president, to Starwood, and hired Phil McAveety, a former Nike global marketing executive, as Starwood's chief brand officer in a contentious move. He has big plans for Starwood, wanting to push brand recognition to greater heights.
When he hired McAveety, the move added a new management layer above Ross Klein, Starwood's luxury brand president who oversaw the W chain's successful expansion for five years. Klein quit Starwood and signed on with rival Hilton.
Van Paasschen also promoted Matthew Avril, formerly co-president of Starwood Vacation Ownership, to president of the hotel group. "Senior management is a team sport," explains van Paasschen.
"The best strategy is to combine people who have distinct viewpoints and backgrounds, and it's the coming together of that group with a shared objective that makes it work. We have a great balance of people from the industry, from the outside and promoted from within the company."
Van Paasschen is focusing on building a new team, improving employee morale ("spending more time together in this economic climate is great for team spirit") and selling the idea of hotels. He tells me that despite the downturn and downsizing, guest satisfaction scores have gone up, citing Starwood's Service Culture Training Programme as the reason.
For van Paasschen, echoing his big-brand business roots, success at hotel level is about delivering a thorough but individual brand experience. "We will deliver a service so that people feel they're being handled individually as they would when staying at any great hotel," says van Paasschen, adding that Strarwood delivers what its customers demand.
"The W brand started as a four-star hotel and evolved into a five-star because it was pulled that way by customers to fill a gap. Coming from Nike, I know that you can lose exclusivity when you have more distribution points, but you can also create it by keeping the quality high."
Van Paasschen does not see luxury as a commodity that needs to be restricted. He believes the opposite; that it should be allowed to flourish.
"Why can't you have five Ws in London or five in Mumbai?" he asks. "Most luxury chains when they reach 75 or 100 hotels might find it difficult to locate new places to open. I don't see W like that."
For the Starwood CEO, luxury and tradition don't have to go hand in hand. "Luxury can go together with modernity as well," he says.
"It's about delighting people between Regis, W and the Luxury Collection so that we can tailor what luxury means for different types of guest."
The millennial guest
"Brands increasingly have to be about a relationship and an emotional connection that you bring to people," says van Paasschen, adding that this makes business challenging for Starwood but plays to the company's strengths.
"Senior management is a team sport. A shared objective makes it work."
Despite the weakness of the US economy and the possibility of a prolonged recession, van Paasschen remains optimistic. "We've been students of previous recessions," he says.
"The onset of a recession usually precedes lower RevPAR performance, so this time the consumer probably put the brakes on in December 2007 but we didn't see the effects until May or June 2008.
"RevPAR troughs are when we can start guessing at the recovery, which might come quicker than expected. It would be great if 2008 were the bottom, but I'm not sure if that's true as the recession on liquidity has yet to work through the economy and consumer and business behaviour. I think the first and second quarters of 2009 will be difficult but we will see a change by the end of 2009. That is my best guess."
Van Paasschen says that Starwood is in a better position than others because it draws more business travellers as opposed to leisure travellers, who are more likely to curtail their spending. He says that he is getting positive feedback from his army of Starwood GMs on the ground.
"I don't think people are worried," he reveals. "We have a leadership group that saw the downturn after 9/11, post-SARS and following the Asian and Latin American financial crises of the late '90s. They take the long view so we are keeping our nerve and taking appropriate measures, but not hitting the panic button."
Mid-range markets are in Starwood's sights, with a new brand, aloft, designed with W's style and opening 500 hotels in the next five years. The company is also launching Element, an extended-stay chain designed as a lower-priced alternative to Westin.
Both incorporate eco-friendly design and operation. "I think it will be increasingly good for business to be green," he says.
Element debuted in Lexington, Massachussets in April 2008. Starwood has established the first big hotel chain that requires all of its properties to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council, a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.
The 124-room, extended-stay hotel serves as an eco-laboratory where Starwood will test green construction, products and operations from low-volatile organic compounds, water-efficient taps and carpets woven with 25% recycled material, before rolling these features out to the 20 other Element hotels scheduled to open in the US by the end of 2009.
"With Element we can learn what we can do to be different," he says. "Where that journey takes us is difficult to predict, apart from the standard going up. Market research says the willingness to pay for green credentials is inversely proportional to age, so there will be an increasing affluent market for green hotels."
Van Paasschen says that new brand launches are not a priority at the moment. "We feel the nine we have are great flying in formation," he says.
"We don't see any obvious holes. But if the right thing comes along, as with Le Méridien, then we can find space for it."
His immediate job is to ensure that Starwood achieves the goal of having the best portfolio possible, with 1,500-2,000 hotels around the world that offer great experiences for guests. "Growing up I was always fascinated by the great European explorers, such as Columbus and Magellan," he says.
"I admired their curiosity." The Starwood CEO even owns a collection of old maps that show the world as they saw it.
"I've been accused of being an optimist. I have great confidence when I look across our portfolio of opportunities," says van Paasschen, Starwood CEO and marathon man.
Now all Starwood has to do is keep up.
Design and Deployment of IPTV Solutions for Hotels and Hospitality
State-of-the-Art Electrical Solutions for the Hospitality Industry
SuitePad
Digital Guest Engagement
Comment 1 day
Over 70s should not be forgotten in travel's recovery
Kasada acquires Sub-Saharan African hotel portfolio from AccorInvest


text:
Q: Debugging in Eclipse (using JRebel): Source not found This might be the x-th question with this title, but the other ones and their answers did not help me. Please pay attention to the tags.
If I set a breakpoint to a line of code in my current project and the debugger hits it, it will display an error Source not found. and offer me to Edit Source Lookup Path....
E.g. when I set the breakpoint to a line in my StartBean.java the stack frame will be called
StartBean$Proxy$_$$_WeldClientProxy.processGeocodingData(ActionEvent) line: not available
and the title of the windows saying Source not found is also not called StartBean.java as it should but also starts with StartBean$Proxy....
Seems like that it indeed not the file I want to look into. I already modified the Source Lookup Path: Deleted some "Default" and added Java-Project -> MyProject but it did not help.
I also activated all "default" step filters.

A: The "JRebel Eclipse Debugger Plug-In" causes this behaviour when a breakpoint is set to a line declaring a method.
Solution:
Set your breakpoints to a line inside the method.


David Hogg (center) responds to questions by Tamonda Griffiths (left), a news writer for SCSU's Southern News and Victoria Bresnahan (right), the publication's news director.
David Hogg survived the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in February and on Tuesday night, he spoke to an audience at Southern Connecticut State University as a part of the university's Social Justice Month. It's one of many speaking engagements he's done since the Parkland, Florida mass shooting and part of a new lifestyle Hogg's adjusting to.
After graduating this past May, Hogg, who's 18, opted to take a gap year, partly because he says he "sucked at applying to college" and because he felt a need to continue to speak out against gun violence.
A jet-lagged Hogg sat on a couch in the green room of the Lyman Center. He'd just flown from Florida to Connecticut and before Florida, he was in Cape Town, South Africa accepting International Children's Peace Prize with other student activists for their work addressing gun violence. Done with answering a round of questions from media, Hogg prepared to address a crowd of hundreds of high school and college students and people of all ages from the community.
"I can't wait to go to college next year and get kind of a normal life, at least to some extent where I have at least some form of routine on a weekly basis," Hogg said, "where I'm expected to show up like somewhere at the same time every day and not get on a flight and go some random place and meet hundreds of people I've never met before."
He's quickly become an outspoken leader yet describes himself as an introvert.
"I was and still am a very introverted person," Hogg said. "Part of this position like just comes with having to be a very extroverted and being outside of your comfort zone, so that's been an interesting experience."
Hogg said he came to speak about civic engagement and the importance of creating youth-led movements but talking gun violence was unavoidable.
"We aren't anti-gun or pro-gun, we're pro people not dying," said Hogg. "That's what we're advocating for is funding research—fundamental things that we should have already been doing before way before the shooting in our high school and way before any other shooting to happen."
When Hogg says 'we,' he's talking about members of March for Our Lives, the nonprofit named after the march that drew hundreds of thousands of people to Washington D.C. earlier this year. Hogg and a group of other survivors of gun violence, who are mostly younger than 21, have gone on tours speaking out against gun violence and encouraging people to vote and have used their heightened social media profiles to voice their opinions, often taking to task those in opposition to their viewpoints. They've been criticized and threatened.
"People forget the times where me and my friends have been swatted and plotted assassination attempts," said Hogg. "People forget that we are young people that are simply trying to end gun violence in America and it's OK to have a political difference. It's not OK to try to kill children that are trying to change the world."
On tough days, Hogg said he finds himself in comment sections, "reading through all the people that are critical of us in our movement and calling us crisis actors," as a way motivating himself to keep speaking out.
Hogg can, with ease and edge, tell you just how many thousands of people are killed by gun violence, what percentage of gun deaths are suicides, and other statistics related to the issue gun violence.
When flying from one speaking engagement to the next, Hogg will often read books to continue to educate himself about guns, gun violence, and gun culture in America. He recommended David Hemenway's Private Guns, Public Health to the audience.
On other particularly tough days, worn out from exhaustion, Hogg said he's been hospitalized. After a 68-stop summer "Road to Change" tour that ended in Newtown, Conn., followed by a two-week fall "Vote for Our Lives" tour that ended in Parkland, Hogg unplugged.
"I basically didn't respond anybody for a week and went surfing every day,"said Hogg. "That was really nice because I was the first time I had taken off time in eight months and I needed that."
Back on the road, Hogg encouraged the audience to take care of themselves even while working to create change.
"The trauma—I'm not going to say it's not hard but what a lot of people don't talk about is like after you go through something like that there's a lot of community that comes out from it," Hogg said. "That's where I've gotten a lot of my support is just in hanging out with my friends and using them for support while working through all this. One of the hardest things to realize is that we're still basically a group of 25 people that's working on running this nonprofit. And realizing that we still have a lot to learn when it comes to like non-profit law for example. And also it's learning to take an advice from other people that have been through the past but also acknowledging the past failures so we don't repeat them."
The parents of a Guilford teen who accidentally shot and killed himself at a friend's house in January are pushing for a change to Connecticut's gun laws.


text:
JBL Link 500
Home Shop JBL Link 500
Categories: Smart Home, Smart Control, Voice Control.
Tags: smarthome smartswitch smartcontrol amazon alexa voice command JBL10 JBL Link Smart sound system
The JBL Link 500 is the largest wireless speaker in the Link family – and like the rest of the range, it comes with Google Assistant built in for all your voice-assistant needs.
Unlike the smaller Link 10 and Link 20, the JBL Link 500 is very much a homebody and requires mains power to work. It can be grouped with any other Link speakers you own though – and, indeed, any other Google Assistant speakers – for multiroom playback via the Google Home app.
JBL Link 500 quantity
JBL Link 500 – Design and build
If you know the Link family well already, then the JBL Link 500 basically looks like the Link 300 with a couple of protein shakes under its belt. For those less familiar, the Link 500 measures 37cm wide and sports a mesh grille that stretches across the majority of its middle and a sturdy plastic top panel that holds a handful of controls. It looks hefty, but is actually surprisingly light at 3.5kg.
As well as buttons for volume, playback and Bluetooth pairing, you'll also find physical controls for firing up Google Assistant, as well as a mute button for when you want to block it out entirely. There's no remote control included with the speaker – and, perhaps surprisingly, no JBL-branded remote app either; but then with voice assistance to control everything you need, it would be pretty redundant.
Around the back you'll find JBL's signature passive radiator, which vibrates to give this speaker its oomph, plus there are double the number of drivers at play here over the Link 300: two 89mm mid/bass woofers and two 20mm tweeters.The speaker's edges have been curved in a way that suggests how it looks has been a consideration. Nevertheless, it can't quite compare to the Google Home Max and its soft-touch material finish.
JBL Link 500 – Features and setup
The JBL Link 500's main feature is of course its voice control, which is left in the very capable hands of Google Assistant. As a result, not only do you have a digital butler in control of your music playback, but it's also at hand for all manner of other voice-assisted requests.
Setup is quick and simple via the Google Home app, which walks you through all you need to get the Link 500 up and running on your home network. You'll see the small Wi-Fi logo along the bottom of the front panel light up when it's been successful.
If you've used Google Assistant before, some of your settings will be ready to go; if not, you can add them in here. This includes details for your music service of choice (Google Play Music, Spotify, YouTube or Deezer), your linked Google account, your favourite news services and so on.
You can set up Voice Match from here, too, which allows the Link 500 to tell you apart from other members of your household, in order to provide more tailored results for shopping lists and calendar requests, for example.
It doesn't take long to get everything set up in its entirety, but it's also something you can come back to and fill in later if you're keen to get streaming.
Speaking of which, the Link 500 plays music using two methods: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Google Assistant will use your home network for anything you ask, with Bluetooth on hand should your network be down, or for streaming from services such as Tidal that aren't supported by Google Home.
Being a Google Assistant device, Chromecast is built in as standard. This allows for multiroom capabilities from the off, as well as playback up to 24-bit/96kHz. It also allows you to control the playback of a Chromecast-enabled TV using the speaker and just your voice.
JBL Link 500 – Performance
As its size might suggest, the JBL Link 500 puts forward a very confident performance. It's an authoritative speaker that will certainly aid in getting the party started.
That doesn't mean the Link 500 is all bass and no britches, though. In fact, it's a very well-balanced speaker that leaves no part of the frequency range unloved. The mid-range arguably tips the focus in its favour just slightly, with crystal-clear and focused vocals that display excellent detail and expression. Instruments show a similar level of insight, sounding natural and nuanced.
I'm also pleasantly surprised by the treble, which hasn't been excessively rolled off and shows enough bite and sparkle to keep things exciting. It drives the music forward in a way that will happily get your toes tapping.
The Link 500's bass performance gives a suitable amount of authority to the speaker's sound, but isn't as warm and full-bodied as you'll hear on something the Sonos Play:5 for example, nor is it as detailed.
Depending on how you like your bass, this might no be an issue – it isn't lacking; it's simply less of a focus. There's still plenty of rumble when it's required, and although it makes for a leaner overall sound, to call it 'lean' would very much be underselling it. It's a presentation that can lend itself to most genres – not just pop, rock and R&B.
The only thing I notice is that the Link 500 sounds its best with a bit of volume behind it. Those looking for a background speaker might be better off looking elsewhere; this speaker likes to be the centre of attention.
Low-level dynamics aren't quite as impressive as they are with the volume up past half way; you lose out on some of the snap, punch and expression that makes this speaker such a fun one to be around.
Turn it up and it jumps into life, getting behind big dynamic shifts with conviction, while also giving the more contemplative moments time to breathe. It can handle volume, too; you'll have to go pretty near max volume before there are any signs of distortion.
Timing is pretty good for the most part, but it can become confused when things get really busy. A play through of Hans Zimmer's Cornfield Chase proved a step too far for the Link 500 when it comes to poise and organisation.
As for Google Assistant performance, the JBL Link 500 picked up all my voice commands without issue, even when the speaker was playing music at a decent volume.
Google Assistant is improving all the time, but being a third-party product, there will be some delay in receiving more recent features. For example, the Link 500 has no voice-calling as yet, and the sleep timer functionality doesn't work either.
Fibaro Home Center Lite
EGP5,800.00
Z-wave Thermostat
Fibaro Home Center 3
Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Self-Charging
Fibaro RGBW Controller


text:
A "Roadmap" to Restoring Our Constitutional Liberties
Hi, folks–FS here. Apologies to followers of this blog for not having posted for a while. The term knocked the wind out of my sails, as the saying goes. I hope to have a new piece sometime in the next day or so. In the meantime, TransEx blogger Robert E. Prasch proposes a set of reforms to address the latest wave of news concerning NSA leaks and the general encroachment upon Constitutional protections.
From Bush to Obama: Continuity You Can Believe In
Edward Snowden's revelations have collectively stripped away the last shred of hope that the Obama Administration or the Congressional Democratic Leadership have established or intend to establish any meaningful changes from the dangerous precedents laid down by the openly and unabashedly anti-Constitutional Bush Administration. Indeed, the actions of this Administration arguably represent an even greater betrayal of American values, as they have provided the imprimatur of bi-partisanship to the shredding of our long-standing Constitutional rights. Unsurprisingly, the Obama Administration now finds that its greatest cheerleaders and apologists are the former consigliore of George W. Bush's disgraced Administration. No less than former White House flak Ari Fleischer has happily tweeted that "Drone strikes. Wiretaps. Gitmo. O[bama] is carrying out Bush's 4th term." The Administration's newfound friends confirm the old adage, "If you lie down with dogs, expect to wake up with fleas."
How bad is it? Consider the stance now being taken by The New York Times, a newspaper that once worked hand-in-glove with the Bush Administration to amplify its pro-Iraq War propaganda and then, less than a year later, cooperated in covering up that same Administration's massive and illegal domestic wiretapping program until after the 2004 elections were safely over. Yet these new revelations are so bad that the Times, despite its long and pitiful record of subservience to executive power, claims to be shocked. Its editors have concluded that the Obama Administration "has now lost all credibility on this issue." (The phrasing of the sentence suggests that the Administration retains credibility on other issues. We can only speculate as to what issue or issues they have in mind. Prosecuting fraudulent bankers? Supporting meaningful financial reform? The 49 State Mortgage Settlement? Closing Guantanamo? Renditions? Bush-style "Free Trade" Agreements? Drone Warfare? The restoration of due process of law to Americans that the executive branch suspects of terrorism? But I digress). In the same editorial the Times also, and correctly, dismissed Sen. Dianne Feinstein's pathetic justification of the these massive surveillance programs as "absurd." Happily, they refrained from implying that Sen. Feinstein retains credibility on other issues.
What Should Be Done? Lessons from the Democrats' Undermining of "Financial Reform"
But, one might ask, how should we proceed? This is an important question. While it is impossible to formulate a detailed answer so soon after these revelations, it is not too early to sketch out a strategy. As we consider our way forward, it would be useful to remember the hard lessons learned in the course of an earlier episode in which the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congressional Leadership felt compelled to act in a situation where "success" would mean taking substantive action against their largest donors, their personal ambitions as politicians, and their deepest political instincts as so-called "Centrists" or "Clinton Democrats." That issue was the reregulation of the financial system in the wake of the greatest financial debacle since 1929. The bill that emerged, a veritable monument to doing nothing while presenting the appearance of attending to the public's interest, was the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010.
Let us briefly recall how that process unfolded. Immediately after the crash occurred, the public was repeatedly told that the debacle was the consequence of a "panic," and for that reason we should rest assured that nothing was wrong with either the nation's financial system or its most prominent firms. All that was needed was some "temporary liquidity," after which all would be well. Remarkably, Timothy Geithner's Treasury Department and the Too Big To Fail banks never wavered from this story, and regularly deployed "creative accounting" to support it. To their regret, the public failed to be persuaded despite the best efforts of the financiers, their kept politicians, and industry-friendly regulators.
Seeing that this initial ruse had failed, their second ploy was to stall for time. To that end, they argued that the system was "complex," and for that reason "rushing to enact reforms" would be unwise. Time would be required, and the crisis would have to pass, before the nation should even start to consider reregulation. Translated into plain speaking, the Administration and its Congressional allies wished to postpone any push for reforms until such time as the public's outrage had died down and Wall Street's political hegemony had been restored. Massive and ongoing bailouts greatly facilitated the latter goal. As to the former, American incomes continued to decline, unemployment remained high, housing prices continued to tank, and constituents remained angry.
With the 2010 mid-term elections approaching, and with the Democrats dominating Congress for the two years immediately following the Crash of 2008, it became evident that the Party leadership would have to do "something" if they were to retain any standing with a public whose anger remained palpable. This was the basis of their third and final ploy – passing a regulatory reform bill that was designed to fail, conjoined with a public relations blitz proclaiming a great victory that would end Too Big To Fail while greatly stabilizing the financial system and its most prominent firms. In Washington, appearance is substantially more important than performance. This, in the final analysis, explains why the Congressional Democratic Leadership gave the nation the Dodd-Frank Act instead of substantive financial reform.
Looking to the Future: The Obama Administration vs. Meaningful Reform of Surveillance State
With the above understanding of the politics of futility in mind, we can now turn to formulating a strategy for achieving some meaningful and lasting reforms. We can begin with their first step – denying that a problem even exists. Those following the news will have observed that the Administration and its Congressional allies have already embarked on this line of argument. The President and leading Democratic Party senators, most prominently Harry Reid and Dianne Feinstein, are already telling us that this week's revelations are "overblown," that it is all "hype," and that "nothing is amiss," etc. Check that box.
As they are unlikely to be believed, we can anticipate that they will soon move on to phase two. Again, and in parallel with the effort to not reform the financial system, we should expect to be told that intelligence-gathering programs and agencies are "complex," that their "mission is sensitive," that we need to "slow down," that we must "deliberate carefully" so as to bring about "the best possible reform", etc. As a wrinkle on this theme, we should expect to see a major effort made to distract us with long-running debates or disputes over the personality or quirks of Edward Snowden (In this, David Brooks has taken the lead with an Op-Ed that is idiotic even by his standards, and that is really saying something). The point of such stalling techniques, as it was with financial reform, is to allow the scandal to become "old news." If this should come to pass, Congress will be able to talk the issue to death, and perhaps even get away with doing nothing at all (the failure to reform the gun laws despite the public's outrage after the massacre of schoolchildren and their teachers in Newtown nicely illustrates the power of this approach).
A time-honored variant of this venerable strategy is to form an "official" study group to examine reforms. Assuming that Congress and the Administration pursue this approach, we should expect a "bi-partisan" commission featuring "sound" persons who can be relied upon to discover that nothing is amiss. Ideal candidates for such a commission would be Sec. of State John Kerry, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, former CIA and DoD heads Leon Panetta and Robert Gates, and any of a large number of potty-trained "experts" from the usual beltway think tanks, all of whom will solemnly promise to "look tirelessly into possible abuses." If, thereafter, sufficient political pressure remains, expect a bill that is long, complicated, and vaguely worded. For performance, it will call for intelligence agencies to be monitored by, at most, deeply conflicted parties in opaque processes. In short, it will be legislation resembling Dodd-Frank.
Four Guidelines for the Achievement of Meaningful Reform
The failure to reform Wall Street provides several lessons that collectively point to four necessary components of any successful strategy to bring our nation's bloated and overreaching intelligence agencies (and their contractors) to heal.
First, and of most importance, it must be understood that the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congressional Leadership will resist any and all meaningful reform with every means at their disposal. To that end, we can expect them to continue to prosecute and vilify whistleblowers while libeling critics and reformers. They will also continue to stir up fears that are, to be blunt, as beside the point as they are beneath the dignity of anyone who thinks of themselves as the citizen of a free nation.
Regrettably, such fear-mongering is so prevalent that it must be addressed directly. Since 9/11 we have been repeatedly told that giving up our liberty and privacy is worthwhile as it enables the government to "Keep Us Safe." Those who make this argument should be reminded that the best-fed, healthiest, and safest animals live in zoos. Seriously, folks, living and thriving as a free people in a free nation involves a degree of risk. But is there anyone out there who thinks that it isn't worth it? Everyone who has ever volunteered for the armed services has already answered this question. I would submit that it is well past time for the citizenry at large to honor the commitment of our young servicemen and women by agreeing to live with the immeasurably small risks we must shoulder to live as free people in a free nation. Let us recall that our heritage is not one of bowing to fear. Two hundred and forty ago Americans willingly took up a substantial risk. They fought the world's largest empire so that they might live as citizens rather than subjects. Does their sacrifice mean nothing to us today? Has July 4th been reduced to one more great day for a BBQ?
The second condition we must take into account is the fact that the public's attention span is limited. No one is more aware of this than the Administration and its Congressional allies. To achieve meaningful reform we cannot allow the process to be diverted into endless "hearings," "commissions," "inquiries," etc. This is especially the case if these hearings are exclusively staffed by the usual suspects. We can only allow such an investigation to take place if it is short in duration and led by former Senator Russ Feingold or one of the Oregon Senate delegation. Otherwise, forget it.
Third, we must demand simple laws featuring bright lines and clear performance criteria. Rules that are simple and clear can be easily and readily monitored by any interested citizen or group of citizens. An example from finance was the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 that separated investment banking from commercial banking. If you were in one business, you could not be in the other. Full stop. It was simple to state and simple to regulate (the lines only became grey after the banks induced the Federal Reserve to make them grey, but that is another story).
In spying, we developed equally simple rules after the Church Committee hearings of the 1970s. NSA and CIA could conduct their activities overseas, but not in the United States. Americans could not be investigated without a warrant from an independent judge (although the secrecy granted to the FISA court and its opinions must be wholly and radically rethought). Again, we want simple laws that are easy to monitor and thereby difficult to elide or evade.
Fourth, we must be ever mindful that the intelligence agencies being subjected to reform will not like it and can be expected to put up a powerful and unceasing resistance. The reason is simple. As with the equally pathetic "War on Drugs," there is a massive amount of easy money to be "earned" in the course of spying upon one's fellow Americans. Moreover, it is a line of work where one is primarily rewarded for who one knows, not what one knows. What this means is that meaningful reform will undermine comfortable and highly lucrative careers in the "Making Us Safe" business. With so much at stake we should anticipate vigorous resistance, not limited to highly damaging smear campaigns against any persons or groups pushing for meaningful reform. Also, in the event that binding rules are passed, the leadership of these agencies will almost immediately begin reaching out to their political allies, and especially to their contractors, to have any substantive rules repealed, "reinterpreted" (a task that now appears to be a specialty of the Office of Legal Council), or reworked. Happily, while blocking the ability of these agencies and their allies to unravel reforms may be difficult, it is not impossible. But, success requires that we be pro-active.
The place to begin is by significantly, and I do mean significantly, reducing the resources available to these agencies. This immediately shrinks the size of the prizes to be gained and thereby the interest in going after them. And let us be clear, these agencies are effectively the "anchor firms" of enormous private sector industries with substantial political reach. Any reform that fails to reduce the bloated budgets of these behemoths will not stick for long. As speed is of the essence, the process of cutting back should resemble the manner with which one deals with a massively overgrown hedge. Begin by hacking back the overgrowth with large indiscriminate swings. Only after the bulk of the trimming is accomplished should one return to the task with an eye to shaping its appearance. So, for example, cutting NSA's budget by 33% the first year, followed by another 10% over each of the next three years would be a great start. Again, the point of such cuts is to substantially reduce the political power of these agencies and the innumerable contractors who feed at the trough of their porcine budgets. Half measures will be insufficient if we are to get the genie back in the bottle. I should add that publishing the actual budgets of these agencies is essential. Despite the shrill claims that will undoubtedly be made to such a suggestion, publishing these budgets will in no way or manner put the public at risk. Why? Because in this world of doubt and uncertainty one of the few things about which we can be sure is that the Chinese, Russians, Israelis, and all major European powers already know just how much money each of these agencies have been allocated. Only American citizens remain in the dark.
The CIA, we should briefly note, is a qualitatively different problem. The reason is that they field what is essentially a small army. The problem with this force is that it is solely and exclusively accountable to the President. That Presidents like having a small army that they can use on a whim should not come as a surprise. Nevertheless, an army that can be deployed at the behest of a single individual goes strongly against every known or imagined notion of "checks and balances." To make matters worse, our experience with CIA special operations has in no way or manner validated this Constitutional loophole. The record has not fluctuated between good and bad. On the contrary, it has been a continuous string of disasters. The blowback and loss of moral authority that the United States has experienced from CIA misadventures in Guatemala, Iran, the Bay of Pigs, Cambodia, Afghanistan, El Salvador, the Iran-Contra scandal, "Black Site" prisons, rendition programs, ongoing Drone Wars in at least a dozen nations, etc., have been individually and collectively intolerable. It must end.
The CIA's record of repeated failure suggests a problem, one that runs to the core of that institution and its lack of accountability. Which is the reason that it must go. In 1991, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan introduced the "End of the Cold War Act" that would have abolished the CIA altogether while moving its (very) few useful functions into the State Department. He tried again in 1995 with the "Central Intelligence Agency Abolition Act." Now would be an excellent time to revisit this wonderful idea. Moreover, the successful closing of that agency would send a clear message – one that is nicely designed "pour encourager les autres." To repeat, the CIA does not need to be reconfigured or reformed, and its leadership does not need to be reviewed or reshuffled. It needs to be shut down. Period. It is of particular importance that its special operations branch be closed. Again, not reformed or recalibrated, but closed. If the President wishes to have a war with another nation, or a particular group within another nation, let him or her argue for and receive explicit Congressional authorization.
Related to this is another essential precondition to the achieving, and especially the sustaining, of substantive reform of our intelligence agencies. We need to eliminate any and all "contractors" (a.k.a. mercenaries) from the payrolls of every branch of the United States government. This includes the Pentagon, all intelligence agencies, and the State Department. The rule should be simple – if you are authorized to carry or operate a weapon in the service of the United States government you will wear an appropriate United States military or police uniform (unless you have been specifically and temporarily assigned to undercover duties).
Likewise, everyone working for an intelligence agency should be an employee of the United States government and earning a government salary. This is important for three reasons. The first is that private firms can and do give political donations, lobby our representatives, and provide our elected officials and their staffers with cushy post-electoral sinecures. Now, it is one thing to lobby for a padded no-bid contract to provide copy-paper to the Pentagon, but it is another thing altogether to lobby for the initiation or continuation of a state of conflict. The second reason is that government employees are considerably harder to fire than private sector employees (although the rules are substantially more lax in areas such as intelligence and Homeland Security – a fact that must be changed). With greater job security, lower-ranking employees who witness wrong-doing have more protection in the event that they attempt to talk to superiors, inspector generals, or members of Congress about what they have seen. The third reason is that uniformed military and intelligence agents are paid considerably less than the fat-cats working for their private-sector counterparts. Contrary to the collective wisdom of the District of Columbia, this is not a fact to be deplored. On the contrary, it is to be proclaimed from every rooftop. When these professions earn below "market rates" we can be certain that everyone who opts for the job must be motivated by something other than the salary. Being "believers" in the importance of their mission, such persons will be more likely to speak up or, as a last resort, become whistle-blowers in the event that the leadership of their agency is heading down the wrong path. Whistle-blowing, as we have seen, is often the last – and for that reason a critical — check on out of control government programs and agencies.
So, to reprise, a successful strategy to restore our Constitution must, (1) recognize that the Obama Administration and its Congressional allies are firmly on the wrong side of the issue, (2) push for immediate and substantial reforms without allowing the process to be stalled by talking it to death in Congress or waiting around for pointless reports from commissions staffed by the usual Washington sycophants, (3) place an emphasis on clear, simple, transparent, and easy-to-monitor rules, and finally (4) significantly defund the beast, with special attention to eliminating the CIA and all outside "contractors" and mercenaries. By design, this list avoids speculating on the specifics of the rules we will need to put in place to restore our privacy and liberties against an overreaching government. Nor does it cover what penalties should await those who violate such rules. But achieving and sustaining meaningful reform requires more than good ideas, it needs a strategy for getting there. If the disappointing outcome of the effort to reregulate the financial system has a silver lining, it is that it has given us some insight into how we should proceed against well-entrenched interests.
Robert E. Prasch is Professor of Economics at Middlebury College. Click here to read more of his posts.
Author Robert E. PraschPosted on June 12, 2013 June 12, 2013 Categories 2013, Economics, National Security Law, Robert E. Prasch, Surveillance, US PoliticsTags Edward Snowden, PRISM, Reforms2 Comments on A "Roadmap" to Restoring Our Constitutional Liberties


text:
Q: Get canonical link Hi I know get_permalink returns the URL. Some of my posts are redirected and at the same time I update the canonical link to the redirected post URL - (normally relates to post updates).
Is there a function I can use to return the canonical URL of a post if it has one rather than it's 'permalink' URL? I use Yoast SEO to edit canonical URLs and also apply redirects. I want to use the 'canonical permalink' in a function.

A: Since WP 4.6 there has been a core function for this: wp_get_canonical_url()
Call it with a post ID to get that post's canonical URL, or in the loop without a post ID to get the current post's canonical URL.