Freakin' awesome Kamala Khan! Great to see she's getting some well-deserved cosplay love. And with her powers, nobody can say anybody's got the wrong body shape to cosplay her.
Also, the dread pirate Bluetail is clearly the swashbuckling version of Nightcrawler that he often likes to act as in the Danger Room.
#12, is that Jim Sterling as Doc Ock?


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Poland Street
Nightlife on Poland Street
Nightclubs on Poland Street
Poland Street on WikipediaNightclubs on Wikipedia
Guide to... Nightclubs on Poland Street
Top Categories Within Nightclubs on Poland Street
Late Night Clubs (Poland Street) R&B Clubs (Poland Street) (Poland Street) Former London Clubs (Poland Street) Hip-hop Clubs (Poland Street)
Popular Nearby Streets & Areas: Soho (0.05km) Air Street (0.05km) Archer Street (0.05km) Argyll Street (0.05km) Bateman Street (0.05km) Beak Street (0.05km) Berwick Street (0.05km) Binney Street (0.05km) Brewer Street (0.05km) Broadwick Street (0.05km) Cambridge Circus (0.05km) Argyll Street (0.17km) Beak Street (0.15km) Dean Street (0.18km) Fouberts Place (0.13km) Ganton Street (0.12km) Great Chapel Street (0.14km) Great Marlborough Street (0.11km) Kingly Court (0.15km) Kingly Street (0.16km)
Food Hygiene Ratings for Barrio Soho
Hygiene Rating: 5/5
Inspected: on 21/09/2016
CellarDoor
1 Aldwych, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7DN
CellarDoor is an intimate cocktail bar beneath the Aldwych in a space just big enough for cats (both feline and...Read more
Nightclubs Pubs Aldwych Aldwych Nightlife Bars Cocktail Bars Covent Garden
Map of Nightclubs in Poland Street
map for nightclubs in Poland Street
FAQs about Poland Street and Nightclubs in London
Poland Street Photos
Poland Street in the News
Principle wins contract to look after high-value London properties
http://www.bdcmagazine.com/principle-wins-contract-t...
Published: Thu 13th Dec 2018 09:29 AM
These are the 10 MUST-WATCH shows this Summer
https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2018/12/07/thes...
Published: Fri 7th Dec 2018 06:09 AM

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


My purple-banded Fitbit is now my constant companion. It tracks my steps and my active minutes, and would even track my calories and water intake levels if I bothered to input them. I love the fact that my new friend buzzes my wrist when it is time to get up from my desk and walk around, and cheers for me when I reach my step goals. The silent alarm is probably a marriage-saver for this morning person married to a night owl.
But I don't want to dwell on her death in this blog. Instead, I wish to share briefly about my visit with her a few weeks back. As I mentioned in the previous blog, I dreaded going to see her in this condition. After all, what does one say to a dying friend? Nevertheless, I flew there to see her and was determined to do so no matter what condition she was in.
During the early part of the 19th century, typhoid and dysentery were regular problems. In 1854, a cholera outbreak took out a whopping six percent of the population.
Our modern world has magnified a timeless problem—our individual failures make us feel isolated and alone. I hear a lot of talk about the need for transparency, but I know very few people who willingly admit their failures to friends and colleagues. I don't know any who would willingly broadcast them to the world. Our social media profiles are great examples of this.
He went on to explain that if we don't get it right, there will be dire spiritual consequences.
Never mind that the pronunciation of the tetragrammaton (YHWH, the four letters used to represent the name of God) has been lost in antiquity. Never mind the fact that the Bible uses multiple names for the God of Abraham, each representing a key aspect of God's character. He had stumbled into that rather small group that insists the biblical issue over God's name boils down to how you pronounce it.
I was reading about George Whitefield and found that he would read his Bible and pray over every line. He felt that it was important not to speed through the Scriptures. Instead, he would take his time allowing God to reveal to him the lesson that He would have him learn pertaining to the passage. Later, George Müller read about Whitefield's Bible study practices and adopted this method of Bible reading. Both men claimed that they would learn more of the Bible and of God in one sitting than they had in previous months. As I read these accounts, I felt a burning in my soul to follow suit.


I've switched to a bridgestone T30 tyre on the rear, seems pretty decent so far but its been very cold since it was fitted so not been able to push it too much yet.
I took my P3 to the edge before winter and still felt I hadn't found the limit. That was actually scarier than how the Scorpions let me know when I was getting too crazy.
Putting a wider tyre on the rear will certainly make turning in feel slower, this is why on the 916,996 most people went from the standard 190 to a 180 same as the 748.
I'd check with your insurance too, as it may make you insurance invalid??
Absolutely right about a larger rear tire slowing the turn-in. But if my insurance company objected to this minor change, I'd switch companies. How would this affect liability or loss from, say, theft? I guess things are different in the UK. Gatsos, long term bans for speeding, and MOT inspections...!
Insurance companies over here will do anything to get out of paying for a claim, the 190 tyre would be deemed as none original spec!!
You can fit different tyres, but changing the profile and therefore handling Characteristics they would argue.
StefanR, are these the Trail 4s? If so how have you found them?
I'd say by reading the post they are most likely the Road 4ss rather than the Trail 4s!
Just passed 9200 miles on the factory tires. Will most likely to with Dunlop Roadsmart II. Had those on a 2001 Triumph Sprint ST and they worked very well. Since the Hyper is a lot lighter, I'm expecting a much longer tread life.
Question, for those of you who purchase tires online.
How confident are you with receiving a max two (2) year old from online purchase?
The sellers are guaranteeing max 2 years old or return free of charge. Not sure. Local pricing is outrageous.
I just picked up a set of Pirelli MT60R in our stock tire sizes.
Luckily the Scrambler was cause for Pirelli to make some new sizes for the MT60R, including the 180/55/17 for the rear. They already made the 120/70/17.
Look forward to using them for dual sport (ish) riding.
Last edited by uspspro; March 2nd, 2015 at 09:11 PM.
Yes, I too would love to hear some riding feedback on the new Pirelli's.


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Q: Error: TensorList shape mismatch: Shapes -1 and 3 must match Trying to deploy the sign language detection using tensorflow object detection api on react.
Having this error on console
Repo
When the camera is on it should predict the sign language. but its showing nothing.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A-HOTEL.com - Luxury and cheap accommodation in Stanovshchikovo, Russia. Prices and hotel, apartment booking in Stanovshchikovo and surrounding.
This indicative offer was derived from the most recently booked accommodation in Stanovshchikovo and sort by the price, from cheapest Stanovshchikovo accommodation to the most expensive hotels. To select accommodation by your preferences we recommend to choose from 1 accommodation offers in Stanovshchikovo in total. By entering the dates of your overnight stay in Stanovshchikovo and using the filter tools you can sort the best possible accommodation for you. The entered dates of your stay are crucial for the most accurate offer as it derives all the online information on pricing and availability of Stanovshchikovo accommodation. Then you can book the selected Stanovshchikovo lodging (hotels, apartments etc.) immediately.
Situated on the banks of the Volga River, the elegant Kostroma Hotel Golden Ring offers free Wi-Fi, and spacious accommodations with satellite TV and river views. Rooms and apartments at Golden have antique furnishings.
U Pruda Guest House is located 400 meters from Volga River in Kostroma. It features a sauna, terrace with barbecue facilities and free private parking.
Featuring free WiFi throughout the property, this newly renovated Premier Hotel is within a 10-minute walk from the River Volga and a 7-minute drive from Kostroma city centre. Rooms at the Premier Hotel feature classic décor and air conditioning.


Tailored to perfection, this jacket is an epitome of perfectness. The rich tailoring along with the right fit and the perfect length makes wholesale jean jackets one of its kind. The provision of grey color with white furry collars makes this jacket a unique one when compared to the typical blue jackets. Wear this with your favorite mini skater dress, and be the star.


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Interview: Me Succeeds
Posted on 03/06/2012 03/06/2012 by natalye
Me Succeeds – Photo by Maximilian Bartsch
It has been a decade since Me Succeeds, a minimalistic indie-pop group based in Hamburg, first began to piece itself together. In that time, the trio – which consists of Lorin Strohm, Sebastian Kokus and Mona Steinwidder – has released four albums and built up a substantial following for itself in Germany. And it is that following that has, by and large, kept the band going, particularly when the members themselves were doubting the future of Me Succeeds.
The origins of the band actually date back to the childhood of Kokus and Strohm, who grew up in the suburbs of Munich and have known one another since elementary school. As the two grew older, they naturally began playing music together, which resulted in several groups, all of which inevitably broke up as they aged and their musical sensibilities developed.
Then at some point, they began what Strohm refers to as "a pre-Me Succeeds project," which consisted of "just instrumental music combined with some rough, techno…beats."
The two became somewhat obsessed with their project, and one night in 2004, during drinks with Steinwidder – who was the sister of Kokus' ex-girlfriend – the two asked her if she would be interested in singing for their project, a proposition to which she agreed.
And while Steinwidder is a self-professed artistic person, with a background of both photography and painting, she admitted she'd never done much with music, much less singing in a band.
"But, I was open-minded," she said.
And as a result, Me Succeeds officially became a three-piece.
"So we had this really really funny rehearsal room situation, where we sat with [a] weird combination of headphones," Strohm explained. "Everyone had headphones going into the amp and out and stuff."
The oddity surrounding the band continued when Me Succeeds finally played its first show. By that time, Steinwidder had moved to Hamburg to study, and with the band still in southern Germany, they used a videotape of her projected on a screen to round out the threesome.
"She joined us in a Daft Punk kind of way," Strohm explained with a laugh.
Fortunately, the three wouldn't have to live with this arrangement for too long, as Strohm also relocated to Hamburg to study, followed six months later by Kokus, who merely tagged along.
Of course, as is the case with pop bands from Germany, there is always the decision of whether or not the lyrics should be in German or English. In the case of Me Succeeds, the latter was the clear choice.
This is largely due to the socialization of English lyrics at a very young age, something all three members clearly remember hearing on the radio as children. And while English and pop music seem to go hand in hand, there is also admittedly an appeal to the obscuring nature of it, Strohm shared.
"I really admire who can sing in their native language, which is German, and when it still makes kind of sense, and sounds good, like, for example, Tocotronic," he said. "I really admire the lyric-writing and I feel if I would write in German it's much more intimiate. So I like to write in English…to kind of make it a secret code, which maybe even sometimes I can't follow."
Interestingly enough, the "code" aspect of English presents itself in a special way when the members of Me Succeeds write. Once the music is written, they will create the vocal melodies, first by singing along in a made-up language along the lines of English gibberish, and then eventually translating that babble into proper lyrics.
Now, all these years later, Me Succeeds is six months past releasing its fourth album, entitled "Rongorongo." The album, which came out on Dec. 1 of last year, was released on the group's personal label, i saw music, as a way of fast-tracking the release.
This came in large part because the band had taken so long to actually make it. In fact, the recording process began two years ago, but at some point, it simply halted. The band members not only were busy with other things, but the three began to feel as though their music had lost some relevancy.
"We often feel like…the show, the songs, haven't changed," Strohm said. "We have not written anything new and so isn't it boring for a visitor to see the same program as well?"
It took touring in the fall of 2011 to change that. In particular, the band realized that not only were people coming out to see them, but they were singing along to old songs and enjoying the new ones.
As a result, the band felt a sense of renewed motivation, which caused them to finish up the recordings and put out the album as soon as possible.
"I never really thought in the end that we would release it," Steinwidder admitted, sharing how at a certain point, the songs felt too old to put out packaged as something new. "[But] I think we are all OK with it."
Currently, the group is on a "warm-up" tour for Jenseits von Millionen, a festival it will play later this summer. Meanwhile, things continue to look up for the three, who have established themselves as masters of the simplistic electro-pop sound.
"When we started it, we were maybe a bit afraid to make that simple kind of sound," Strohm said. "Now, we are more confident with it."
Me Succeeds plays tonight at About Blank in Berlin. The show begins at 21.00.
This entry was posted in Interview and tagged Feature, German, Interview, Me Succeeds. Bookmark the permalink.
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Interview: Purity Ring →


There is a Gordian Knot that needs to be cut when it comes to financial firms being able to leverage their data fully in the face of increasing data privacy rules – and an innovative technology approach enabling data 'pseudonymization' may just be the thing to cut through. TABB Group believes the rise of data privacy-focused solutions offering technology approaches to achieving compliance, while also enabling firms to leverage their data for competitive advantage, will be a key IT theme within capital markets this year. Head of fintech research Monica Summerville explores how firms can satisfy regulators and open a world of possibilities.
There is a Gordian Knot that needs to be cut when it comes to financial firms being able to leverage their data fully in the face of increasing data privacy rules – and an innovative technology approach enabling data pseudonymization (bonus points for pronouncing it correctly) may just be the thing to cut through. TABB Group believes the rise of data privacy-focused solutions offering technology approaches to achieving compliance, while also enabling firms to leverage their data for competitive advantage, will be a key IT theme within capital markets this year. Oh, and happy Data Privacy Day!
In May 2018, European citizens experienced a step-change in regulating how their private data is handled and used by companies around the globe due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) taking effect. The rest of the world is already, or soon will be, following suit, especially in the wake of the data misuse scandals embroiling some of the world's biggest tech companies. For example, in January 2019, Google was fined €50 million for violating GDPR, marking the first major penalty brought against a U.S. technology giant since the regulations took effect and potentially foreshadowing greater scrutiny of tech firms in Europe.
A prominent example of the global trend to tighten laws around data privacy is the California Consumer Privacy Act, but nearly 120 countries and independent jurisdictions/territories have privacy legislation in place and almost 40 more have pending bills. The belief that this trend is growing is reflected by increased investment. In fact, Crunchbase reported nearly one-third more funding rounds by privacy start-ups in 2018 than 2017. AngelList, which follows start-up trends, picked up on this and has highlighted several start-ups benefiting from this increased investment in data privacy solutions, including Purism (privacy-centric computers), BigID (applying ML for privacy) and Canopy (founded by Spotify-alums, offering a recommendations engine that doesn't collect user data).
Data sovereignty and privacy restrictions make it challenging to create a single view of data across borders or business lines and to leverage data for innovation. Conflict is likely to arise between legal, compliance and business lines when it comes to data use and sharing – that is, between data privacy protection and dynamic uses of data. Data sharing with third parties or even among internal business entities across geographies can be challenging or even impossible without disclosing personally identifiable information (PII) using traditional data privacy approaches.
Sharing and transfer of data across jurisdictions or to the cloud for cross-marketing, support, etc.
Holistic client analysis using data from across business functions.
Open innovation through data sharing, leveraging the fintech ecosystem and secure Multi-Party Computing (MPC).
GDPR was a step-change in data privacy because it fundamentally changed the rules on how to collect data and what you could do with it. It applies to all data collected about E.U.-located individuals that can directly or indirectly be used to identify them. The penalties for non-compliance are so severe that there have been reports of firms choosing to delete massive stores of data due to concerns over the legality of keeping this data.
The public is very aware and wary of how companies are using and protecting personal data. Consumers have good reason to be concerned about lax data protection. In the first half of 2018 alone, there were more than 130 reported data breaches within the financial services sector, which impacted 2 million data records across eight countries (see Exhibit 1, below). Meanwhile with compliance systems playing catch up with changes in digital technology offerings, it is no surprise many people wonder whether their data privacy is being respected.
This desire by lawmakers and the public to put more controls around data privacy comes at the same time that financial institutions are increasingly looking to their data as a source of competitive advantage. Financial entities are working eagerly to resolve challenges with data governance at an enterprise level in order to support advanced data analytics. These analytics provide enhanced business insights which are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence (AI). AI, of course, depends on massive data sets, comprising structured and unstructured data, to feed its underlying models, including data sets that may include personally identifying data (PID).
Firms in the capital markets space are embracing AI, ranking it a top fintech priority for 2019, according to results of a TABB Group survey conducted across the buy side, sell side, banks and exchanges in November 2018. Of the 100-plus senior executives surveyed, 50% listed AI as one of their top three initiatives (see Exhibit 2, below).
The top benefits expected to be obtained from leveraging AI, according to the same research, is that of actionable insight and better client experience (see Exhibit 3, below). In terms of relative importance, achieving insight into strategies, whether corporate, investment or customer, surpassed the efficiencies and cost reduction to which AI could contribute by a large margin.
Much of this effort, however, will require the use of client data from across the enterprise. For example, a prominent use case identified in the TABB Group report "Enhanced Bankers – The Impact of AI" ( April 2018) centered on the analysis of client and prospect information held within a customer relationship management (CRM) system to enhance the customer experience and increase sales by isolating past buying behavior in order to predict future purchases.
TABB Group found that most firms of all types and sizes are allocating precious budget to the development of AI and machine learning (ML) to achieve a better understanding of their clients, and therefore their businesses. Two-thirds of financial services firms further expect their budgets to be increased over the next 12 months, according to TABB Group research. But while this demonstrates a clear commitment to enhancing their businesses, budget alone won't make it happen. Obstacles abound for financial services organizations looking to leverage customer data for analytics or commercialization.
Under most new privacy regulations, customers must actively opt in to allow their PII even to be stored; negative or general consent is no longer acceptable to permit the use or analysis of customer information. Gaining retrospective consent may mean contracts need to be re-papered to achieve and reflect positive consent, but the consent may only be targeted to a specific purpose; certain data may need to be segregated from data stored in other areas of the company, impeding an enterprise-wide view of the business. As anyone who has gone through such an exercise can attest, this can become a multi-year endeavor.
Penalties for non-compliance can be severe. In addition to massive fines – under GDPR, up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover, whichever is greater – regulators can use injunctions to stop the processing or analysis of data immediately and order the deletion of data except for limited legal use, effectively bringing business to a halt. The risk to client relationships and a firm's reputation for violating legal and privacy requirements could be devastating.
The ability to analyze data to achieve holistic insights about customers, based on data drawn from across the enterprise and beyond, is invaluable to any company. With few exceptions, every company is now a data company. Long established financial services workflows and business models are being disrupted and innovated by fintech start-ups across a range of financial services activities, in areas spanning the full range of services, from asset management (e.g., quantitative trading, robo-investing) to trading (e.g., pre-trade analytics, low-/high-touch trading, all-to-all trading) to custody (e.g., digital assets). Data privacy solutions developed in response to previous regulation, however, has never had to address the requirements of the latest wave of privacy regulations.
In the runup to GDPR, many companies were unaware that data collected under broad-based consent would no longer be legal after the regulation's go-live date. In panic responses, some firms chose to irreversibly anonymize or simply delete data entirely to avoid the risk of liability. Some industry estimates suggest that nearly 20% of B2B companies have deleted data due to concerns over legality and compliance. In some instances, decades' worth of customer loyalty data has been deleted.
The increasing liabilities and costs of compliance under new regulations no longer are just costs of doing business – regulators can shut down businesses. In some organizations, big data projects are being cancelled due to confusion around data policies or the inability to meet compliance requirements, leading to loss of revenue and competitive advantage. Some firms are attempting to comply by anonymizing data or keeping it in silos with targeted consent. And while these approaches may be technically compliant, the data loses its value for analytics and business intelligence.
Where should companies start on the road to compliance and to maximizing the value of their data? First, they need to identify the sensitive personal data in their organizations and determine where it resides across the network. Then they need to transform and store the data in a compliant, yet accessible format. After all, the new data privacy laws are designed to ensure that the data used by a company to feed analytics and AI is processed in strict compliance with the new regulations.
However, GDPR itself offered a new concept for European data law called "pseudonymization." Article 3 of GDPR defines data pseudonymization as "the processing of personal data in such a way that the data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information." The "new" part of this approach is that the data is separated from direct identifiers in a way that means any linkage is simply not possible without referring to separate information held elsewhere.
GDPR supports pseudonymization throughout its text, including in Articles 6 (4) e, Article 11 (2), Article 25 (1), Article 32 (1) (a), Article 34, Article 40 (2) (d), and Article 89 (1). These Articles deal with a range of important issues, including permitting the processing of personal data for uses other than those for which it was originally collected, exemptions from complying with an individual's rights to access, rectify, or erase their personal data, ensuring security of processing personal data, notification in case of data breach, and use of data for historical and statistical purposes.
Dynamic pseudonymization is seen as superior to other approaches such as anonymization and tokenization, as, in addition to irreversibly degrading the insight value of the data, these methods also allow the possibility of illegally identifying subjects as multiple large databases are analyzed together (the so-called "mosaic effect"). Dynamic pseudonymization also allows for valuable controlled re-linking of the data by authorized personnel.
Certainly, these are simple definitions of complex techniques, but it is good to know that at least one pseudonymization technology is certified by Europrivacy.org, the European certification scheme co-funded by the European Commission (EC), as a compliant data-masking method for GDPR. If a technique can address the extremely high standard of GDPR, it is likely to comply and meet the requirements of the 100 or more global jurisdictions mandating data protection.
The awareness of dynamic pseudonymization seems to be as rare as solutions providers that support it. One fintech making a splash in this area is Anonos, a new data risk management, security and privacy company with a strong financial services pedigree. Its solution is certified by EuroPrivacy.org as complying with legal and technical requirements for pseudonymizing data under GDPR and its founders were also behind FTEN, which helped revolutionize risk-management by making real-time intraday risk calculations possible. FTEN was sold to Nasdaq in 2010.
The growth of innovative technology solutions for privacy – for example, those supporting the pseudonymization of data – will be a key trend this year. TABB Group has found that the focus on data privacy globally is increasing from both a customer and regulator perspective to a point that funding interest in this space experienced a marked increase in 2018. The appeal for financial services firms in these data-obsessed times is clear: Once a company takes steps to identify and pseudonymize its customer PII in a way that protects customers' privacy, complies with regulations and retains the business value inherent in the data, it can then take the next step of maximizing this value using AI and analytics. This means satisfying both its legal obligations and its business demands.
Data privacy regulation, led by the E.U.'s GDPR, is just beginning to have an impact on financial services businesses and has already influenced global rule-makers. Firms need to act now to address those compliance requirements and protect themselves in a way that not only keeps regulators satisfied, but also opens a world of possibilities.


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Tag: Derby County
Wayne Rooney optimistic about Derby County's Championship hopes
Football Arsh Das - January 1, 2022
Derby County manager Wayne Rooney believes his team has a small chance of avoiding relegation this season. Rooney has led his men to three consecutive victories, the latest coming against Stoke City...
BREAKING: Derby County punished with 21 points deduction; now sits at the bottom of the Championship table with -3 points
Football Rahul Roy - November 16, 2021
The EFL Club entered into Administration in September 2021. As a result of that, Derby County was handed a 12-points deduction. However, they appealed against the decision but withdrew their appeal last...
Mike Ashley interested in buying Derby County after Newcastle sale
Sports Arsh Das - October 10, 2021
According to the Mirror, former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is interested in buying Championship club Derby County as they suffer in the midst of their financial distress. The Rams have already entered...
Derby County enter administration; handed 12 points ban
Sports Arsh Das - September 23, 2021
Derby County have been handed a 12-point deduction after they entered administration on Friday. They are currently last in the Championship with -2 points. A further nine points can be deducted against...
Derby County's potential buyers are walking away due to £60 million in debt
Sports Arsh Das - May 16, 2021
Derby County's potential buyers have decided to walk away from the takeover, after finding out that the club owes in excess of £60 million. That includes £8 million to be paid to...
Derby could be relegated from Championship for breaching Financial Fair Play rule
Sports Rishab Chakladar - May 11, 2021
Derby County could reportedly be relegated from Championship for breaching Financial Fair Play rule. Wayne Rooney's Derby County saved themselves from relegation with their 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday last weekend. The Rams...
Wayne Rooney cuts off his wage to help Derby County's financial crisis
Sports Rishab Chakladar - January 26, 2021
Wayne Rooney will defer a portion of his £90,000-a-week wage to help Derby County through their financial crisis. Wayne Rooney was appointed as the manager of Derby County a few days ago. He...
Wayne Rooney retires from football to become permanent manager of Derby County
Sports Arsh Das - January 15, 2021
After almost two decades of stealing the spotlight on the football pitch, England legend Wayne Rooney has officially confirmed his retirement from the sport. The former Manchester United legend is now set...
"The 355": The second trailer of Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, & Penelope Cruz's film has been released
"Raame Aandalam Raavane Aandalum": The official trailer of the Tamil Film has been dropped
Black: Aadi Saikumar will appear in an incredible suspense thriller film
AMD Radeon RX 7000 GPU series specs leaked online


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Das ASG-Bildungsforum ist ein staatlich anerkanntes und gemeinnütziges Institut der Weiterbildung mit Sitz in Düsseldorf. Träger ist die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialpädagogik und Gesellschaftsbildung e. V. (ASG). Die ASG ist den christlichen Werten verpflichtet und mit rund 70.000 Unterrichtsstunden pro Jahr eines der größten Weiterbildungsinstitute in Nordrhein-Westfalen und das größte katholische Institut in Deutschland. Sie vereint drei Einrichtungen unter einem Dach:

 Das "Bildungswerk" mit den Schwerpunkten der allgemeinen, beruflichen und freizeitorientierten Weiterbildung (Anerkennung als Weiterbildungseinrichtung nach dem Weiterbildungsgesetz des Landes NRW beim Ministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit). Zu den Kernbereichen der kulturellen Bildung zählen unter anderem die Angebote in den Bereichen Theologie, Philosophie, Literatur, Kunst und Musik. Vor allem Teilnehmer mit beruflichen Ambitionen belegen Kurse und Seminare in den Bereichen Fremdsprachen, EDV, Kommunikation/Rhetorik und Wirtschaft.
 Die "Familienbildungsstätte" mit dem Schwerpunkten Erziehung und Familie (Anerkennung nach dem Weiterbildungsgesetz und dem KJHG beim Ministerium für Gesundheit, Soziales, Frauen und Familie). Neben den Kursen, die sich mit Fragen zu Haushalt und Erziehung auseinandersetzen, gibt es auch ein umfassendes Angebot zur Förderung kognitiver und kreativer Fähigkeiten für Kinder im Vor- und Grundschulalter. Der Gesundheitsvorsorge für Erwachsene und Kinder dient ein umfangreiches Sportangebot.
 Die ASG nimmt darüber hinaus die Aufgaben eines regionalen katholischen Bildungswerks und der katholischen Familienbildung für das Stadtdekanat Düsseldorf wahr.

Das ASG-Bildungsforum wird jährlich von über 47.000 Teilnehmern frequentiert. Mehr als 50 Festangestellte sind für die Organisation und Abwicklung der Schulungen verantwortlich. Zudem werden knapp 1.000 Honorarkräfte mit der Durchführung der mehr als 3.500 Veranstaltungen betraut. Das Spektrum reicht von der Säuglingspflege bis hin zu Philosophie-Vorträgen. Die ASG verfügt über fünf eigene Gebäude mit insgesamt 42 Unterrichtsräumen. An mehr als 120 weiteren Unterrichtsorten finden Veranstaltungen in angemieteten Räumen statt.

Leitung
Maria Hölters gründete 1954 die Katholische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mütterbildung. 1964 entstand daraus das ASG-Bildungsforum. Die Leitung übernahm 1975 ihr Sohn Hans-Friedrich Hölters.
Im April 2004 hat Markus Kiefer die Leitung und Geschäftsführung des ASG-Bildungsforums übernommen. Kiefer war zuvor in verschiedenen Funktionen in der Erwachsenenbildung aktiv und hatte in den vergangenen zehn Jahren in Essen als Geschäftsführer des Politischen Forum Ruhr gewirkt. Am 1. Juni 2009 wurde bekannt, dass die ASG sich von Kiefer wegen Meinungsverschiedenheiten über die künftige Struktur getrennt hat. Seitdem führte der Theologe und Pädagoge Antonius Kerkhoff als Vorstandsvorsitzender das ASG-Bildungsforum. Nach dem Wechsel Kerkhoffs nach Münster, wo er Direktor des Franz-Hitze-Hauses wurde, wurde der promovierte Theologe Tim Lindfeld ab 1. November 2016 zum Vorstand und Leiter der ASG bestimmt. Ab Oktober 2019 führte Ludger Greulich zusammen mit Petra Budde das ASG-Bildungsforum. Samuel Olbermann löste Ludger Greulich im Juni 2022 als Vorstandsvorsitzenden ab. Olbermann arbeitete zuvor als Verwaltungsleiter beim MiQua. LVR-Jüdisches Museum im Archäologischen Quartier Köln und ist Lehrbeauftragter an der Fliedner Fachhochschule Düsseldorf sowie an der Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar.

Literatur
 Ulrich Brzosa: Katholische Erwachsenenbildung in Düsseldorf: Entwicklungslinien der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialpädagogik und Gesellschaftsbildung (ASG). (Hrsg.: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialpädagogik und Gesellschaftsbildung e.V., ASG). Wirtschaft-Aktuell-Verlag, Stadtlohn 2006, ISBN 3-9810781-0-1.

Weblinks
 Homepage der Weiterbildungseinrichtung www.ASG-Bildungsforum.de

Einzelnachweise

Verein (Düsseldorf)
Dusseldorf
Bildung in Düsseldorf
Verein (Soziale Arbeit)
Non-Profit-Organisation
Bildungseinrichtung des Erzbistums Köln
Gegründet 1954

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Eye in the Sky - Coney Island
Located off the northern coast of Singapore, there is a 100-hectare island historically known as Pulau Serangoon. During the late 1930s, the newspapers referred to it as "Haw Par Island" after the Haw Par brothers built a beach villa there — the only known residence in Singapore remaining from the Har Par family.
Eye in the Sky - Dakota Crescent Estate
The eighth episode of NHB's "Eye in the Sky" series uses aerial videography to capture the unique layout, open spaces and key features of the Dakota Crescent estate.
Eye in the Sky - Former Keppel Hill Reservoir
The sixth episode of NHB's "Eye in the Sky" series uses aerial videography to showcase a reservoir which has since been forgotten and no longer appears on the local maps.
Eye in the Sky - Jurong Hill Lookout Tower
The Jurong Hill Lookout Tower was developed in the early 1970s at a cost of more than $100,000. It was touted to be a futuristic spiral tower; offering a panoramic view of the entire industrial estate; from the viewing platform.
Eye in the Sky - Seletar Lookout Tower
Seletar Lookout Tower was constructed in 1969 to mark the inauguration of Seletar Reservoir. The opening of the reservoir also coincided with the 150th year of Singapore's founding and was officiated by Princess Alexandra from United Kingdom on 10 Aug 1969.
Eye in the Sky - Sri Thendayuthapani Temple
The tenth episode of NHB's "Eye in the Sky" series uses aerial videography to showcase the wealth of architectural elements, sculptural forms and decorative features of Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, a National Monument in Singapore.
Eye in the Sky - Sultan Mosque
The twelfth episode of NHB's "Eye in the Sky" series uses aerial videography to showcase the exquisite features and highlights of Sultan Mosque, a National Monument in Singapore.
Eye in the Sky - Thian Hock Keng and Singapore Yu Huang Gong
The ninth episode of NHB's "Eye in the Sky" series is a collaboration with Mr Ang Yik Han and Mr Victor Yue, and uses aerial videography to showcase the intricate ornaments and carvings found on the walls, ceilings and roofs of Thian Hock Keng and Singapore Yu Huang Gong.
Eye in the Sky - Toa Payoh Town Gardens Lookout Tower
Toa Payoh Town Gardens Lookout Tower is the centrepiece of Toa Payoh New Town's development in the 1970s. The tower and its surrounding town gardens were completed in 1974, in time for the SEAP Games in Sep that year as athletes were housed in 4 HDB point blocks adjacent to the gardens.
Eye in the Sky - Yueh Hai Ching Temple
The seventh episode of NHB's "Eye in the Sky" series is a collaboration with Mr Ang Yik Han and Mr Victor Yue, and uses aerial videography to showcase the features, figures and tableaus found on local Chinese temple Yueh Hai Ching's roof, walls, columns and beams.


10%84°60°Breezy with a high of 84 °F (28.9 °C). Winds from SSE to S at 15 to 17 mph (24.1 to 27.4 kph).Night - Thunderstorms with a 50% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 6 to 17 mph (9.7 to 27.4 kph). The overnight low will be 61 °F (16.1 °C).
25%72°55°Thunderstorms today with a high of 72 °F (22.2 °C) and a low of 55 °F (12.8 °C). There is a 25% chance of precipitation.
0%81°50°Mostly sunny today with a high of 81 °F (27.2 °C) and a low of 50 °F (10.0 °C).
15%83°51°Partly cloudy today with a high of 83 °F (28.3 °C) and a low of 51 °F (10.6 °C).
25%86°58°Rain today with a high of 86 °F (30.0 °C) and a low of 58 °F (14.4 °C). There is a 25% chance of precipitation.
0%87°61°Thunderstorms today with a high of 87 °F (30.6 °C) and a low of 61 °F (16.1 °C).
0%79°57°Thunderstorms today with a high of 79 °F (26.1 °C) and a low of 57 °F (13.9 °C).
65%78°52°Thunderstorms today with a high of 78 °F (25.6 °C) and a low of 52 °F (11.1 °C). There is a 65% chance of precipitation.
Today - Breezy with a high of 84 °F (28.9 °C). Winds from SSE to S at 15 to 17 mph (24.1 to 27.4 kph).
Tonight - Thunderstorms with a 50% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 6 to 17 mph (9.7 to 27.4 kph). The overnight low will be 61 °F (16.1 °C).


text:
Press Release -- September 2nd, 2010
Source: Terremark
Tags: Colocation
Terremark's Enterprise Cloud Selected as Gold Winner of Best of VMworld 2010 Award in Public/Hybrid Cloud Computing Technologies Category
MIAMI, Sep 02, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Terremark Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMRK), a leading global provider of managed IT infrastructure services, today announced that its Enterprise Cloud was chosen a Best of VMworld 2010 Award Winner in the Public/Hybrid Cloud Computing Technologies category, which encompassed Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offerings. An independent team of judges, consisting of experts and editors from SearchServerVirtualization.com, reviewed and evaluated the products in each category according to innovation, value, performance, reliability, and ease of use.
According to SearchServerVirtualization.com, the judges selected the company's Enterprise Cloud because "…Terremark's cloud offering, which is based on VMware virtualization, provides security services that supersede anything IT pros can build in-house." Finalists in the Public/Hybrid Cloud Computing Technologies category were Skytap Inc. for Skytap Cloud and Microsoft for Windows Azure Platform.
"We are proud to have our Enterprise Cloud recognized as a Best of VMworld 2010 Award winner," said Randy Rowland, Terremark's Senior Vice President of Product Development. "Since its initial launch more than two years ago, the Enterprise Cloud's highly innovative suite of features, from managed security services to dynamic capacity management, has helped establish our solution as the industry's leading IaaS offering for enterprises and federal government agencies."
About Terremark Worldwide, Inc.
Terremark Worldwide (NASDAQ:TMRK) is a leading global provider of IT infrastructure services delivered on the industry's most robust and advanced technology platform. Leveraging data centers in the United States, Europe and Latin America with access to massive and diverse network connectivity, Terremark delivers government and enterprise customers a comprehensive suite of managed solutions including managed hosting, colocation, disaster recovery, security, data storage and cloud computing services. Terremark's Enterprise Cloud computing architecture delivers the agility, scale and economic benefits of cloud computing to mission-critical enterprise and Web 2.0 applications and its DigitalOps(R) service platform combines end-to-end systems management workflow with a comprehensive customer portal. More information about Terremark Worldwide can be found at http://www.terremark.com.
About SearchServerVirtualization.com
SearchServerVirtualization.com is an enterprise virtualization-focused website providing IT professionals and the community with the latest server virtualization news, articles, tips, and expert advice. Other virtualization information includes webcasts and industry white papers covering all areas of server virtualization, such as virtualization platforms, server hardware, managing virtual environments, virtualization architecture and strategies, application issues, and more. Its sister site SearchVMware.com, is dedicated to helping IT organizations evaluate products, services and business strategies that can lead them to successful implementations of virtualization technologies in VMware environments. And sister site SearchVirtualDesktop.com is the premier source for information on desktop virtualization, application virtualization, and virtual desktop infrastructure.
Statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Terremark's actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements due to a number of risks, including uncertainties inherent in government contracting, its ability to cross-sell across an acquired customer base, ability to increase revenue yields within facilities, ability to refinance existing debt, uncertainties and other factors, as discussed in Terremark's filings with the SEC. These factors include, without limitation, Terremark's ability to obtain funding for its business plans, uncertainty in the demand for Terremark's services or products, Terremark's ability to manage its growth, and the successful integration of operations of acquired companies. Terremark does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
SOURCE: Terremark Worldwide, Inc.
Terremark Worldwide, Inc.
Xavier Gonzalez, 305-961-3134
xgonzalez@terremark.com
Hunter Blankenbaker, 305-961-3109
hblankenbaker@terremark.com
Previous: Allworx Products Win Best Channel Product in Two Categories
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Terremark to Present at Morgan Stanley, Kaufman Bros. Cloud Computing Conferences
Terremark Launches The Enterprise Cloud in Latin America
BTI Systems Selected as a Red Herring Top 100 North America Award Winner
Akamai Technologies to Participate in the Morgan Stanley Cloud Computing Symposium
Akamai Technologies to Participate in the Kaufman Brothers Cloud Computing II Conference


I had thought of going somewhere today, but the weather put me off. Plus I was still a bit tired and my knee was flickering with pain again, so I ended up staying in. Maybe there was something good on TV, like an old film or something? Turned out the TV schedule was pretty much the same as on any other day. Somehow I had thought that Homes Under The Hammer and Judge Rinder would get a day off too. How foolish of me.
And so my day ended up messing with Miitomo, scrolling Twitter and making random scribbles into a notebook, which made me feel better for a bit but aren't really anything that I would want to read back. This writers block and generally feeling uninspired isn't going to shift any time soon, but I am trying to work my way through it.


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Alternative Insemination (AI) Program
Broadway Youth Center
Insurance Enrollment Assistance
Trans & Nonbinary Health
Community Testing Sites & Outreach Services
Services for HIV+ Women and Youth
Sexual and Reproductive Health Walk-in Clinic
GED Program
In Power: The Sexual Harm Response Program
Substance Use & Abuse
Halsted
West & South Side
55th St.
63rd St.
Dental 63rd St.
at La Casa Norte
at Thresholds South
340b Prescription Program
Provide Feedback Online
Sliding Scale Procedure
Center for ERA
Mission & Overview
Vernita Gray Council
Donate to Howard Brown Health
Brown Elephant
Interns & Externs
APPOINTMENTS Call
About Board of Directors
Wendy Bostwick, PhD, MPH
(she/her/hers)
University of Illinois at Chicago, Health Systems Science, College of Nursing
Wendy Bostwick, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the Health Systems Science Department, College of Nursing, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received her MPH and PhD in Community Health Sciences from UIC and completed post-doctoral training at the University of Michigan. Wendy conducts research related to health disparities among sexual and gender minority populations, with a focus on mental health and substance use among bisexual populations. She has engaged in women's health activism, research and advocacy for over 20 years. Her research relies on multiple approaches, including survey research, qualitative interviews, and electronic diaries.
Her current work explores how microaggressions associated with race, gender, sexual orientation and their intersection may affect mental and physical health among racially and ethnically diverse bisexual women and men. Her research has been supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the American Institute of Bisexuality, among others. Some of the publications where her work has appeared include the American Journal of Public Health, the Archives of Sexual Behavior, Culture, Health & Sexuality, LGBT Health, and the Journal of Bisexuality.
Appointments 773.388.1600
Howard Brown Health
Medical Records: 773.388.8936
Admin Fax : 773.388.8887
Employment Verification: 773.907.0188
This health center is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).
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The Fillmore County Barn Quilt Committee is working on the first two Barn Quilts for Fillmore County. Volunteers worked last week to draw the patterns and paint two 8' x 8' quilt blocks.
The quilt block sponsored by the Fillmore County 4-H Council has a four-leaf clover design and will be placed at the Fairgrounds. The other quilt block donated by Lloydene and Gerald Stengel has the LeMoyne Star pattern and will be located on a machine shed on the Stengel farm on Road 2 west of Shickley.
The Pat & Renee Kamler family have also created a barn quilt with a pattern that will placed on their barn on Road P northwest of Shickley.
All three Barn Quilt blocks may be viewed during the Fillmore County fair in the agricultural building. Information about the project and how a person can become involved will also be available.
People who may have a barn or building that could be considered to hold a barn quilt are encouraged to let the committee know by contacting the FC Visitors Co. at 759-4910. Ideally the barn quilt could be seen from both directions of travel and from a hard surfaced road.
The Lemoyne Star is beautiful!
I'll look forward to seeing the Fillmore County, Nebraska Quilt Trail grow. It is exciting that the 4-H youth are involved, too. Great work -- your volunteers are to be commended!
The quilt trail now encompasses 27 states (east to west coast) and Ontario & British Columbia.


215 ST PATRICK STREET UNIT#2, Ottawa, ON, K1N 5K2, CA has been leased.
There are 5 other homes for rent in Ottawa.
Pleasant 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment is situated at 215 ST PATRICK STREET UNIT 2. Equipped with Laundry - In Suite, Refrigerator, Dishwasher, AC - Central, Parking - Underground, and Pets Allowed, that apartment is graded by the Casalova specialists as: 5 out of 5 friendly for pedestrians, 4 out of 5 friendly for cyclists, 4.5 out of 5 convenient for transit, and 4 out of 5 convenient for car owners. In this convenient zone you can find Farm House, École élémentaire publique Francojeunesse and many more places located within the walking distance from your new place of residence. Scan the images included to this description to have a all-inclusive review of the estate. Fix a time for your viewing of the premises for a live visit.


Edna Buchanan has 1 media appearance.
Edna Buchanan, born in NJ, visited Miami in the 1960s and decided that's where she wanted to live. As a reporter, she covered Miami's police beat for 18 years. By her count, she reported more than 5,000 violent deaths, 3,000 of them murders, plus kidnappings, riots, fatal fires, major plane crashes and other disasters. She asks, what better background to write crime fiction?
Edna Buchanan is currently considered a "single author." If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author.
Edna Buchanan is composed of 4 names. You can examine and separate out names.


text:
What Goes Up: The Right and Wrongs to the City
A radical architect examines the changing fortunes of the contemporary city
Michael Sorkin is one of the most forthright and engaging architectural writers in the world. In What Goes Up he takes to task the public officials, developers, "civic" organizations, and other heroes of big money, who have made of Sorkin's beloved New York a city of glittering towers and increasing inequality. He unpacks not simply the forms and practices—from zoning and political deals to the finer points of architectural design—that shape cities today but also offers spirited advocacy for another kind of city, reimagined from the street up on a human scale, a home to sustainable, just, and fulfilling neighborhoods and public spaces.
Informing his writing is a lifetime's experience as an architect and urbanist. Sorkin writes of the joys and techniques of observing and inhabiting cities and buildings in order to both better understand and to more happily be in them. Sorkin has never been shy about naming names. He has been a scourge of design mediocrity and of the supine compliance of "starchitects," who readily accede to the demands of greed and privilege. What Goes Up casts the net wide, as he directs his arguments to students, professionals, and urban citizens with vigor, expertise, respect, and barbed wit.
By Michael Sorkin
Verso, 2018
Hardcover, 368 pages
Marble Mini Bowl by Poul Kjærholm
$ 74.99 $ 74.99 $ 129.00 $ 129.00
Wright Sites: A Guide to Frank Lloyd Wright Public Places
$ 14.99 $ 14.99 $ 22.95 $ 22.95
Destination Architecture: The Essential Guide to 1000 Contemporary Buildings
Troika Construction Multi-Tool Ballpoint Pen
Halo One Mini Bluetooth Speaker


Click on "United air travel award rules:"
"You may redeem miles for travel in United Global FirstSM, United First®, United Business® or United BusinessFirst® , even if the space is not available. In these cases, United Economy in the same award type must be confirmed, and the front cabin will be waitlisted. For example, a Saver United First award must be confirmed in Saver United Economy to be eligible for waitlisting. If the courtesy waitlist does not clear, it will expire 24 hours before itinerary departure, and you will automatically be added to the airport upgrade standby list upon check-in. In these cases, you will be confirmed on a space-available basis by a United airport representative at the gate once the flight has closed for check-in. For United BusinessFirst and United Business travel awards, the difference in miles will be refunded when the United BusinessFirst or United Business class segment of the trip could not be confirmed. Waitlist requests may only be made over the phone with your local United Reservations office"
Can someone send me the link of how to set this plan b up if i a have mialage tickets booked already?
Do i stand any chances of being upgraded (I have *G status)?
Or maybe someone could help me to clear!
pm. I can confirm the upgrade *2.
how do you help confirm the upgrade?
how does a magician make a rabbit disappear?
Nu let me hear? How does he do it?
Will plan B only work for flights operated by United or other airlines that are bookable through United too?
The agent I spoke to understood what I wanted but told me they can only do it on united flights, I was trying to to it on a LOT Polish airlines flight that I booked with United awards.
It only works on United metal.
Based on UA announcement it sounds like there wont be a table to base a redemption in buisness off and you'll have to wait for availability to see how its prices.
Another reason to book thru partners.
Is Plan B dying on/for NOV 15?


text:
ARC Bratislava secures GT3-AM Middle East Trophy runners-up spot in Abu Dhabi
Slovakia's ARC Bratislava completed an impressive climb through the field to finish inside the overall top 10 at the 2023 Hankook 6H ABU DHABI, a result that netted the team 2nd overall in the Middle East Trophy GT3-AM Teams' standings.
Images – Petr Frýba
ARC Bratislava has praised its impressive run to GT3-AM class victory at last weekend's Hankook 6H ABU DHABI, a result that netted the Slovakian team the runners-up spot in the GT3-AM Teams' standings of CREVENTIC's inaugural Middle East trophy.
After starting 22nd on the grid, the ARC Bratislava Lamborghini Huracán GT3 completed an impressive climb through the field to secure a top 10 finish overall at the 2023 Hankook 6H ABU DHABI. The points for GT3-Am victory, plus its 2nd in-class at last December's Hankook 12H KUWAIT, means the Slovakian team leapfrogs to 2nd in the GT3-AM standings of the Middle East Trophy, just four points shy of overall Kuwait winner and Hankook 24H DUBAI GT3-Am class winner, CP Racing.
6H ABU DHABI – ResultsMiddle East Trophy – Standings 6H ABU DHABI – Photo Gallery
The weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit got off to a conservative start when ARC team boss Miro Konôpka and teammate Andrzej Lewandowski, given their previous experience around the home of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, opted against contesting Free Practice to preserve the car. Ironically, fellow Lamborghini runner Leipert Motorsport took no further part in the event after a huge accident at turn nine for the, thankfully uninjured, Jürgen Krebs, while Free Practice also eliminated local team RABDAN Motorsport after an on-track moment led to front and rear bodywork damage and a broken radiator, for which the Abu Dhabi team had no replacement.
ARC also chose not to take part in the final 15-minute qualifying session later that afternoon, the #44 Lamborghini thus dutifully dropping from a potential second row starting position on the grid to 22nd. Judicious running during the first hour though meant Konopka had already climbed to 8th when the second safety car of the event – used for the first time at a CREVENTIC event – was called to retrieve the Simpson Motorsport BMW M4 GT4. Unfortunate timing, and restricted use of the pitlane during a full-course yellow, meant ARC Bratislava had dropped to 13th, and two laps down, when the race returned to green.
Consistent running thereafter though meant the team was able to climb back into the overall top 10 come the chequered flag. Alongside interest in the European rounds of this year's 24H SERIES powered by Hankook, ARC used the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI weekend as preparation for the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series.
"The winter break in Europe is long, so we welcomed the opportunity to ride the Middle East Trophy," team boss Konôpka explains. "It was good practice for the Asian Le Mans Series, which starts in two weeks at the Dubai Autodrome... We hope that the Slovak fans will keep their fingers crossed for us, although to win and advance to the 24h Le Mans 2023 with such competition would be tantamount to a miracle."
The European 24H SERIES is set to begin with the annual Hankook 12H MUGELLO on 25-26 March, followed by the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS on 6-7 May. ARC Bratislava has expressed an interest in competing at both events, plus the returning Hankook 12H MONZA on 10-11 June.
INTERVIEW. RABDAN Motorsport's Saif Al Ameri
Braking issue costs QMMF / HRT Performance 992-AM win in Abu Dhabi
Willi Motorsport by Ebimotors on top in 992 Teams' Middle East Trophy standings


text:
THE OTARU ONSENS LAWSUIT, TEN YEARS ON: Article for Japonesia Review
Hi Blog. Today is the tenth anniversary of our visit, on September 19, 1999, to "Japanese Only" Yunohana Onsen et al in Otaru, a life-changing event that to this day has not been fully resolved — mainly because we still don't have a law against racial discrimination in Japan. This situation remains more than 13 years after Japan effecting of the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, where it promised to take "all measures, including legislation" to effectively eliminate all forms of RD. And it deserves comment and reflection after years of protests, two books, countless articles, and successful lawsuits against the onsen (albeit not against the negligent City of Otaru).
I wrote this article by invitation for the Japonesia Review last January and submitted it in February. After more than seven months' wait, I see no reason not to publish it here in advance on Debito.org on this auspicious occasion. Written in a simpler style for a non-native audience, there are some anachronisms within (such as regarding FRANCA's founding). Enjoy.
My thoughts on this day are bittersweet. I know we did the right thing (as Olaf noted, when I called him today, people are still talking about the case), and we had a good outcome in court. But I judge things like this based upon whether or not they could ever happen again. The answer is, unfortunately, yes. After all, all Yunohana Onsen has to do is put up another "Japanese Only" sign and we'd have to take them to court all over again just to get it down. There is no law to stop it, nothing for authorities to enforce. Ten years later, it feels more overdue now than in 1999.
Arudou Debito in Sapporo
ARTICLE BEGINS:
THE OTARU ONSENS LAWSUIT: TEN YEARS ON
What has and has not changed regarding human rights for Non-Japanese in Japan.
ARUDOU DEBITO
Photo Caption: The author in front of Yunohana Onsen, Otaru.
(Photo courtesy Shouya Grigg of Kookan.com)
For publication in Japonesia Review 2009, Submitted February 3, 2009 and still not published.
DRAFT ONE
PREFACE: BACKGROUND ON THE OTARU ONSENS CASE
On September 19, 1999, a group of seventeen people went to take a bath at a "super sento" (public bathhouse) named Yunohana Onsen (www.yunohana.org) in Otaru, Hokkaido. All seventeen were Japanese, except for three Caucasian males (including the author) from America and Germany, and one Chinese woman from Shanghai. She, like the non-Japanese (NJ) men, was married to a Japanese and came to Yunohana as an international family. We had heard over the Internet that Yunohana, Otaru's largest bathhouse, was not only refusing entry to NJ, they were even openly displaying a "JAPANESE ONLY" sign on their front door in three languages (Japanese, English, and Russian).
Caption: Yunohana Onsen's exclusionary sign, 1999
As soon as everyone had entered and bought tickets, we were told that the three Caucasian males in our group (your author included) were not allowed inside.
Consulting with the manager on duty, we heard Yunohana's justification: Russian sailors (who at the time were frequent visitors to and traders with Otaru) had a history of not following bathhouse rules, therefore were not allowed in because they might cause trouble and inconvenience Japanese customers. When we made it clear that we were neither Russian sailors nor troublemakers, Yunohana said it did not matter: "Refusing only Russians would be discrimination. So we refuse all foreigners equally."
All foreigners? All. "How about our Chinese friend you allowed in?" As soon as they realized their mistake, management showed her the door. We asked them further about their criteria for determining who was "Japanese", since it was clear by this example that it was whether somebody looked "Asian" enough. So my wife at the time asked about our daughters, both of whom were born and raised in Japan, spoke Japanese as their first language, and have Japanese citizenship.
One looks more Asian, with black hair and brown eyes, while one looks more Western, with brown hair and bluish eyes. How would they be treated under Yunohana's rules?
"The Japanese-looking one can come in. But the younger one who looks like a gaijin will be refused entry."
This made it clear to everyone, nationwide, that "Japanese Only" signs and rules would affect Japanese citizens too.
TEN YEARS LATER: WHAT HAS CHANGED?
If you want to know more about what happened next in the Otaru Case, please read (in English or Japanese) Arudou Debito, "JAPANESE ONLY" — The Otaru Hot Springs Case and Racial Discrimination in Japan[1] (Akashi Shoten Inc, 2003 and 2004, both books revised 2006). The books describe the worldwide debate on the issue; the months of extralegal efforts made to get "Japanese Only" signs down at Yunohana, at other onsens, in other business sectors, and in other cities around Japan; and the successful lawsuit filed against Yunohana Onsen and the City of Otaru that went all the way up to the Supreme Court.
September 19, 2009 marks ten years since we visited Yunohana. Here is a survey of how things have changed, or not changed, in the past decade regarding human rights for NJ in Japan:
1) A spread of "Japanese Only" signs and rules around Japan.[2]
A website devoted to businesses with exclusionary signs and rules called "The Rogues' Gallery" (www.debito.org/roguesgallery.html), coordinated by the author, has collected photographic evidence on over 150 places, in 29 cities and towns across Japan, with "Japanese Only" signs and rules. Some places (such as Yuransen bathhouse in Wakkanai, Hokkaido, and bars in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture) directly copied the very substance and style of Otaru's "Japanese Only" signs.
Bathhouse "Osupa", Otaru, 2000. Hands holding up newspaper substantiating the date are the author's.
Bar "Globe", Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, 2002. Note capital "J", small "o", font style of "a", and "y" with a tail.
The language of "Japanese Only" has clearly become established as a "meme" (learned cultural behavior), as a concise and comprehensive way of saying "stay out" to undesirable customers — who just happen to lack (or look like they lack) Japanese citizenship.[AD1]
Hotel "Tsubakuro", Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 2003.
Internet café "Dragon BOZ", Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, 2006.
B-Ball billiards hall, Uruma, Okinawa, 2006
Bar "Santa Monica", Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture 2004. Manager confirming author's Japanese passport before telling him to leave the premises, as the bar is "Japanese Only".
Cause: Despite signing the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in 1995 (effected 1996), and despite Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution banning discrimination by "race, creed, sex, social status, or family origin", Japan still has no law against discrimination by race. This means that if a "Japanese Only" sign goes up, there is no law in the Civil or Criminal Code for police or authorities to enforce, demanding that signs come down and rules change. To the present day, as in 1999, there are no legal means, outside of a courtroom, for people who are discriminated against to stop it.
Effect: If there are no means to stop this kind of discrimination, it spreads, because it is a "quick fix". It is convenient for vigilantes (who dislike, fear, or do not want to be bothered with NJ) to put a sign barring them. A "Japanese Only" sign up in public lends legitimacy to the exclusion, and encourages copycatting. Numerous interviews carried out by the author of exclusionary establishments have demonstrated a theme of, "We're not the only ones with the sign up, so why pick on us?" Like any "tipping point", enough occurrences can lead to a threshold where isolated instances become legitimized by numbers and precedent, leading to an established practice. That is how discrimination spreads: strength in numbers.
2) The rubric of "Japanese Only" is still based upon physical appearance.
The author of this essay is a naturalized Japanese citizen. However, as the reader can see from his photo at the very beginning, a change of passport has not led to a change from Caucasian to Asian. In the majority of interviews I have had with exclusionary businesses, they have said that even after seeing proof of my Japanese citizenship (my passport or driver license), I would still be excluded from the premises. "You don't look Japanese. It'll cause misunderstandings," was the standard reason.
Cause: Japan still makes a strong association with face/race and nationality, i.e. Japanese people look "Japanese". Indubitably part of the reason is that Japanese society and media have had limited exposure to "non-Asian Japanese", such as soccer star Ramos Rui, tarento Konda Bobbi (ne Bobby Ologun), and Dietmember Tsurunen Marutei, to name but a few. There has, however, been copious exposure to international Japanese children Miyazawa Rie, Umemiya Anna, Rebecca Eri RayVaughan (aka "Bekkii"), and also to naturalized citizens with more Asian faces like sumo wrestlers Konishiki and Akebono. However, it is unclear that the public eye has done a complete connect between "Japanese citizenship through roots" and "Japanese citizenship by legal application", which would mean that "Japaneseness is a legal status", not a blood status. Reinforcing this disconnect are Japan's nationality laws, currently under consideration for revision, which explicitly say that Japanese status is something inherited. The laws are jus sanguinis, meaning you must have a Japanese blood relative in order to automatically get Japanese citizenship.
Effect: Many Japanese citizens who do not "look Japanese" will be treated as NJ — not only this author, but also many hundreds of thousands of children of international marriages. Japan's international marriages are currently about 40,000 per year, up substantially from about 30,000 in 2000, and the number of "mixed children" born annually to be about 21,000[3]. Like the "tipping point" mentioned above that encourages the spread of "Japanese Only" signs, I anticipate that there will be a similar "tipping point" where people realize that racial admixtures are still Japanese. "Conditional Japanese" (as in "half", "quarter", "double", "mix") have been in the lexicon for quite some time. I think the qualifiers will fade as the numbers increase. Accepting naturalized "non-blood Japanese" will take longer. However, without laws against racial discrimination, one's face will still not save many "people of mixture" from capricious or ignorant treatment as apparent NJ.
3) "Monocultural, monoethnic Japan" is officially no longer.
Japan's public policy is also surprisingly exclusionary. Postwar Japan has had public speech at the highest levels (most famously former Prime Minister Nakasone in 1986) extolling "ethnic homogeneity" and "racial purity" as a strength. The Japanese government has repeatedly reported to the UN that the CERD treaty was not applicable to Japan. Japan apparently has no racial minorities (moreover that all people who were in fact racially different were not citizens, therefore also not covered)[4]. This is reinforced in public policymaking. When one reads white papers and laws, the rubric is that the policy is for the benefit of "citizens" (kokumin)[5], as opposed to "taxpayers" (nouzeisha) or "residents" (juumin). Thanks to the vagaries of the Residency Certificate (juuminhyou) system[6], NJ are still not officially listed or counted as "juumin". Local governments (such as Tokyo Nerima-ku[7]) also do not include NJ in their tally of "residents". Nor does the National Census (kokusei chousa) survey residents for ethnicity (minzoku) — only nationality (kokuseki). Nor does the Ministry of Health always include NJ (or even newly-naturalized citizens) in its tally of population growth or shrinkage: preferring to use a simple calculation of "births minus deaths"[8].
That said, in June 6, 2008, the Diet for the first time unanimously passed a resolution stating that the Ainu aboriginal people of Hokkaido were a "indigenous people with a distinct language, religion, and culture". For the first time, Japan's government did not ignore an ethnic minority in its public policy, and in fact had set up a government panel to study remedial actions.
Cause: It was good timing. As was discussed in this forum (Ota Masakuni, Japonesia Review No. 5, 2008), both the confluence of a UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review on Japan in May, and the Hokkaido G8 Summit (where Hokkaido minority issues were gaining attention and traction) in July that same year, contributed to a push the Fukuda Administration to offer this showcase for human rights. A multi-partisan "Concerned Diet Members' Group for the Rights of the Ainu" spearheaded the drive.
Effect: On September 28, 2008, new Transport Minister Nakayama Nariaki resigned over various gaffes (including calling Nikkyouso schoolteacher union "a cancer") that reflected older-school thinking: Speaking on behalf of Japan's new tourism agency, he mentioned that Japan was "ethnically homogeneous" and in general "Japanese don't like foreigners". He was roundly criticized, notably by Social Democratic Party leader Fukushima Mizuho, who said, "Is he ignorant of a Diet resolution which all the members (of both houses of the Diet) supported?"[9] Thus began an ignominious start to the 2008 Aso Cabinet, which helped set the tone for the rest of his unpopular administration. This is the first time a resignation has resulted from a "homogeneous" remark, a far cry from the days of Nakasone.
That said, Ota notes that without a supplemental change in historical perspective in the Japanese public, the consequences for Ainu and other (unrecognized) minority rights may be "inconclusive" (the abovementioned government panel, after all, only has one Ainu member). Similarly, it is probably too early to draw conclusions or show undue pessimism at this time. Wait and see.
4) Japan's economics and demographics are making immigration inevitable.
Japan is still the second-largest economy by GDP and by most measures larger than all other Asian economies combined. The current worldwide economic downturn notwithstanding, Japan has for three decades had a labor shortage. The government recognized this in 1990 and, at the behest of the industrial lobby, inaugurated a backdoor "Trainee", "Researcher", and "Returnee" (teijuusha for overseas Nikkei) working visa program. This regime brought over millions of cheap Asian and South American laborers, more than doubled the NJ population of 1990 from one million to two, and fundamentally shifted the top three NJ ethnicities from 1) Korea (North and South), 2) China, and 3) The Philippines[10] to 1) China, 2) Korea, and 3) Brazil. Industrial towns in Shizuoka, Gifu, and Aichi Prefectures showed NJ population percentages in the double digits, and for the first time mayors of these towns were demanding the national government secure equal rights and enhanced access to social services for their NJ residents[11]. NJ were coming to Japan, being welcomed, and put to work.
They were filling a gap. Thanks to the low birthrate and long life expectancies of the Japanese public, the UN and the Obuchi Administration in 2000 jointly recognized that the Japanese population was aging, and would decrease by the late 2000s if Japan did not import 600,000 NJ per annum[12]. Japan has, on average this decade, imported a net total of 50,000 NJ per annum. Sure enough, by 2007, Japan's population was first officially announced as dropping. If trends continue, by 2050, according to Shuukan Ekonomisuto (January 15, 2008, pg 16), the percentage of Japanese over retirement age (65) is projected to be more than half of the entire population. Who will man the factories, pay in taxes, and maintain social security pension payments? NJ keep Japanese society young and the birthrate from falling further. The government is currently deliberating scrapping the current backdoor-labor visa regime, and establishing an official immigration policy.
EPILOGUE: TEN YEARS LATER, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE OTARU ONSENS CASE?
The author and two other plaintiffs sued both Yunohana Onsen and the City of Otaru for racial discrimination and negligence under the CERD. Yunohana lost both in Sapporo District and High Court, and was ordered to pay plaintiffs one million yen each for "unrational discrimination". The City of Otaru won in Sapporo District Court, High Court, and the Supreme Court; the District and High Courts grounded their arguments in "separation of powers" arguments (as in, the judiciary cannot force a government body to pass laws against discrimination, and cannot hold one accountable for not doing so). The Supreme Court ruled that this contravention of Article 14 was "not a Constitutional issue"[13].
Yunohana Onsen took their "Japanese Only" sign down shortly before the lawsuit began, but never apologized for its action. It took advantage of the publicity from the lawsuit to open new branches. Yunohana is now a chain with outlets in Otaru Temiya, Otaru Asari, Sapporo Jozankei, and Ebetsu. Other places and business sectors around Hokkaido and Japan still have their "Japanese Only" signs up.
The Japanese government made it clear to the UN again in March 2008 that it has no intention of creating a law against racial discrimination, reiterating that it has an active judiciary for grievances, therefore no laws are necessary. It stressed in the indicatively-named "Third, fourth, fifth, and sixth combined periodic report to the UN HRC"[14] that it had taken "every conceivable measure to fight against racial discrimination" (begging the question why passing a law is "inconceivable"). Several draft bills have been submitted to the Diet and to the Otaru City Government, but all have died in deliberation.
Author and plaintiff Arudou Debito still works as a university educator at Hokkaido Information University in Ebetsu. Author of two books on the Otaru Onsens Case, Arudou, 44, has recently co-authored another book to help NJ make more secure lives in Japan: Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants to Japan (Akashi Shoten Inc. 2008, English and Japanese). He also is setting up an NPO called FRANCA[15] to better lobby for rights of NJ in the political sphere. He sees the Ebetsu branch of Yunohana every day on his drive to work.
[1] www.debito.org/japaneseonly.html
[2] More information on this in Japanese in「『外国人』入店禁止という人種差別」(有道 出人 著)、単行本『日本の民族差別 人種差別撤廃条約からみた課題)』p218ー229、岡本雅享先生監修・編著、明石書店(株)2005年6月出版
[3] "Japanese youth help compatriots embrace diversity", Christian Science Monitor, January 18, 2008, www.debito.org/?p=933
[4] The text of the debate between Japan and the United Nations may be found at www.debito.org/japanvsun.html
[5] See example at "Forensic Science Fiction: Bad science and racism underpin police policy." Japan Times, January 13, 2004, at www.debito.org/japantimes011304.html, particularly sidebar at bottom.
[6] www.debito.org/activistspage.html#juuminhyou
[7] www.debito.org/?p=1972
[8] "Japan sees biggest population fall", Associated Press, printed in the Manchester Guardian, January 2, 2009, www.debito.org/?p=2117
[9] www.debito.org/index.php/?s=Ainu+resolution+June
[10] www.stat.go.jp/data/chouki/02.htm
[11] See for example the Hamamatsu Sengen at www.debito.org/hamamatsusengen.html
[12] Arudou, Debito, "The Coming Internationalization: Can Japan assimilate its immigrants". Japan Focus, January 12, 2006, www.japanfocus.org/products/details/2078
[13] www.debito.org/otarulawsuit.html
[14] www.debito.org/?p=1927
[15] www.francajapan.org
[AD1]To Hikaru: Play with the layout and put these signs around the article as you like. More at www.debito.org/roguesgallery.html
Bad Business Practices, Exclusionism, History, Human Rights, Injustice, Japanese Government, Otaru Onsen Lawsuit, United Nations
8 comments on "THE OTARU ONSENS LAWSUIT, TEN YEARS ON: Article for Japonesia Review"
Debito,
I think no matter what the outcome has been, you deserve a thank you on behalf of all of us who have the similar concerns about our daily lives in Japan. If it were not for your efforts in creating awareness … then who knows. You have made an impact! Not only on formal institutions, but on J and NJ people!
its been 10 years already, and i cant believe that the GOJ has not passes a racial discrimination law yet? how could they even ask for a seat on the UN security council until they clean up there own government first. korea has once again beaten japan to the punch, because they already passed there own law two years ago. and japan is suppose to be the so-called leader in asia, i dont think so.
Pingback:Posts about race discrimination (best posts combined for review) as of September 19, 2009 | Discrimination Law News
hopefully in the next 10 years japan will really make some radical changes in there government and mindset for the future of (ALL) citizens of japan.
Hoofin says:
Debito, it's bound to happen again. The question is whether there are effective penalties in place to discourage discrimination, and effective remedies for those who have been victimized.
— There are not.
snowman says:
I agree 1 thousand percent with Peach. Thanks for all your untiring efforts on our behalfs!
Pingback:The Otaru Onsen Case: Ten Years On « Trans-Pacific Radio
I went to this onsen in 2011 and I didn't even know about this case. They had no problems admitting me.
— Good.


text:
Bill Gates launches effort to help the world adapt to climate change
By Laura Parker 16 October 2018
Many people are already facing the impacts of a changing climate and need help adjusting now, world leaders assert.
In Bangladesh, low-lying and vulnerable to yearly flooding, farmers are shifting from raising chickens to raising ducks. Ducks can swim.
In the Philippines, where half the mangrove forests have been lost to development, biologists are replanting the trees to recreate nature's protective coastal shield against deadly typhoons. The gnarled tangle of mangrove roots slows the movement of tidal waters, reducing the impact of storm surges and waves.
These efforts have been undertaken to ease the pain of climate change. Now world leaders say it's time to do much more.
Until recently, the consequences of climate change were thought to be so far into the future that many average people, including those who live in coastal zones, declared they needn't bother; they'd be long dead by the time catastrophe struck.
No more. Climate change is here, costing billions of dollars every year to recover from destructive events. Without adapting to that new reality, the world will confront rising costs of disasters that put economic growth, health, and in some places, even survival at risk. The World Bank estimates that extreme weather events could push 100 million people back into extreme poverty by 2030 if the world fails to adapt.
To spur action, a coalition led by billionaire Bill Gates, former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva on Tuesday launched the Global Commission on Adaptation to lessen the damage.
"Without urgent adaptation and action, we risk undermining food, energy, and water security for decades to come", Ki-moon said in a briefing. "Adaptation action is not only the right action to do, it is the smart thing. The costs of adapting are less than the cost of doing business as usual".
Seeking solutions
The new group, on a two-year mission, intends to bolster funding and search for sensible solutions as practical as Bangladesh's trading chickens for ducks. The commission has recruited 28 commissioners and political leaders from 17 nations, including Germany, Canada, Mexico, China, India, and Britain. (The United States is not part of the group). Additionally, 25 leaders from around the world, including China's environment minister, Germany's economic development minister, and the mayors of Paris and Miami, also signed on to the group.
BILL AND MELINDA GATES DISCUSS THEIR GOALKEEPERS REPORT, AN EFFORT TO SPUR PROGRESS ON GLOBAL CONCERNS
This year, on track to become the fourth hottest on record, would seem to make the case for adaptation, as a string of climate-related disasters has played out all over the world. Wildfires spread through drought-stricken California, Sweden, Portugal, and Greece. Heatwaves killed hundreds of people from Japan to Britain. Back-to-back hurricanes in the southeastern United States killed more than 35 people, while one of the most powerful Pacific storms of the year, Typhoon Mangkhut, hit Guam, the Philippines, Hong Kong and southern China.
"We are at a moment of high risk and great promise", Gates said in a statement. "We need policies to help vulnerable populations adapt and we need to ensure that governments ... are … supporting innovation and helping deliver those breakthroughs to … places that need them the most".
The commission will spend a year sorting out the best adaptation approaches and present a plan to the 2019 United Nations climate summit.
Like "walking and breathing"
The trio's call for adaptation, coming on the heels of last week's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that warned the world has little time to respond to a warming planet, might signal a note of despair.
But Georgieva said that's not the case. "For quite a while there has been that sense that if we adapt, that means we are accepting defeat against climate change", she said at the briefing. "It is not defeat, it is reality".
RELATED: PHOTOS OF EXTREME WEATHER
Follow Photos 13 STRIKING PICTURES OF EXTREME WEATHER loading...
A supercell thunderstorm strikes in South Dakota. Among the most severe storms, supercells can bring strong winds, hail, and even tornadoes.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM REED, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Even if efforts to reduce carbon emissions succeed and the goal of keeping global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius is achieved, changes already locked into planetary systems carry significant consequences that argue for the need for adaptation, Georgieva said. She added the world is capable of doing both tasks at the same time, like "walking and breathing".
"We are the last generation that can change the course of climate change, that can mitigate climate change effectively and the first generation that has to live with the consequences", she said. "It has to be mitigate and adapt at the same time".
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26 September 2011 Global Warming Impacts
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The last five years were the hottest ever, NASA and NOAA declare


text:
Q: iOS - how to handle string concatenation when a value can be nil? I am doing something like this:
NSUserDefaults *standardUserDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];

NSString *var1 = [standardUserDefaults objectForKey:@"obj1"];
NSString *var2 = [standardUserDefaults objectForKey:@"obj2"];

EmailUtil *email_obj = [[EmailUtil alloc] initWithSubject:@"Some subject" body:[[[@"This is var1: " stringByAppendingString: var1] stringByAppendingString:@" and var2: "] stringByAppendingString: var2]];

[email_obj send];

Where EmailUtil is just my own utility class which sends the email. This code works fine when the strings var1 and var2 are not nil; however, if they are nil the program will crash. What would be an elegant solution or good practice to follow to ensure the email is sent without a problem, regardless of what the values are?
Thanks!

A: Before your EmailUtil line, just add:
if(var1==nil) var1 = @"";
if(var2==nil) var2 = @"";

That should solve the crash at least.
Another and probably better way to do it would be to use NSString's stringWithFormat.
Instead of:
[[[@"This is var1: " stringByAppendingString: var1] stringByAppendingString:@" and var2: "] stringByAppendingString: var2]

Do:
[NSString stringWithFormat:@"This is var1: %@ and var2: %@", var1,var2];

I believe it will say (null) for the nil parameters (didn't test this). This is probably cleaner than what I had, and your original code too.
Reference: String Format

A: I'd be tempted to create a NSUserDefaults category with a method that returned a guaranteed string, substituting @"" for nil or perhaps a default value that you provide.  It might be overkill if your only concern (ever!) is two variables but it might also be handy for re-use.


text:
Michael J. Leech Linked in
Michael J. Leech
mediation speeds up resolution
saves money, and satisfies clients.
what mediation is & what it is not
Mediation occurs when a third party helps two parties who have a dispute resolve it. The third party mediator works to improve the quality of communication between the parties, allow their emotions to be aired, assess their mutual interest in ending the conflict, examine their respective interests, generate options that have not been considered. The mediator also may provide them with feedback on the reasonableness of their approach to the conflict, evaluate the potential outcomes, and coach them in negotiating a settlement of the dispute.
The process, in the context of civil litigation, may occur at any time: from before the filing of litigation to while the case is on appeal. The parties gather in a single location and the mediator opens the discussion by describing the process and inviting each side to present its viewpoint. Each side makes an opening presentation, after which there may be clarification of specific points, a review of the differences in the positions, discussion of the interests of the parties and possible options for resolution. Or not, depending on the dispute. Each side then meets separately with the mediator, at which time more detailed discussion of the dispute generally occurs. Offers and counteroffers are conveyed back and forth as the mediator discusses options for resolution, and the risks associated with different choices facing the parties. The mediator may coach the parties and their counsel on negotiation strategy. At the conclusion of the mediation, the parties have generally arrived at a settlement of the dispute.
Mediation is fundamentally different from arbitration. An arbitrator is a neutral third party selected by the parties to decide the outcome of the dispute. The arbitrator substitutes for the judge and jury in deciding the outcome of the dispute through a truncated, hopefully expedited process not unlike litigation: presentation of evidence and argument to the arbitrator, who decides what will happen. In mediation, it is the parties themselves, not the mediator, who decide what will happen.
Mediation is also differs fundamentally from judicial settlement conferences. In a settlement conference the judge considers the viewpoints of both sides, and tries to persuade the attorneys and parties of what a reasonable outcome by way of settlement would be. The process is limited by the time available to the judge, generally anywhere from a half hour to three hours. Mediators tend to focus more on the parties themselves and their interests, and look to the parties for the outcome. Because it usually lasts much longer—often a day or more—the process allows for a much more detailed examination of both the merits of the dispute and the terms of a resolution.
mediators follow some basic principles in the work they do:
Self-Determination. The mediator does not make decisions for the parties. They control the outcome, and no one agrees to anything other than voluntarily.
Neutrality. The mediator's ability to be of assistance requires neutrality because the mediator needs to have the trust of all parties to be of any help. The mediator cannot become the ally of any side.
Confidentiality. Confidentiality is what permits the parties to be more open than they could be in litigation. No one need be concerned that what they say will be recited back in court, or that information provided to the mediator in confidence will be disclosed to the other side.
Listening. The mediator is new to the conflict and must listen to the parties to obtain information. In addition, people are generally more willing to work hard at resolving a conflict when their story about it has been heard.
Fair Process. The mediator is responsible for ensuring that the process is not compromised by conflicts of interest, misconduct and other problems that would bring the outcome achieved into question.
The role of an arbitrator or judge in litigation mirrors two of these factors (neutrality, fair process) but not the others. A judge or arbitrator makes decisions about what will happen, not the parties. While arbitration is often kept confidential, what happens in court is on the public record. Judges and arbitrators listen to arguments and testimony for information to help make their decisions, but need not be concerned about whether the litigants recognize that their concerns are understood. Even when the judge or arbitrator is conducting a settlement discussion, there can be an element of coercion if the judge or arbitrator will be the one responsible for the case if it is not settled, and there is rarely sufficient time for each side to feel that its concerns have been fully considered.
© Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. The information provided on this website is not intended to serve as legal, negotiation or mediation advice; it is intended to be informational, for the benefit of licensed attorneys. Information may be out of date. These materials should not be relied upon in the place of independent research, knowledge and advice from a licensed attorney at law.


You Catholics fail to even consider the words of our Lord on the cross when he said, "It is finished" in John 19:30. In those few words Jesus declared for all ages that he accomplished everything necessary for our salvation on the cross. It is finished! For our part, all we are asked to do is believe in what he did for us. In adding a priesthood, sacrifice, good works—and all the other things Catholics say we must do—to our Lord's simple words, the Catholic Church effectively denies the efficacy of what Christ did on the cross.
… we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:1-2).
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made (John 17:4-5).
Jesus says he "finished" everything the Father gave him to do on earth. In no way did he say there was and is nothing left both for him and mankind to do at all for salvation.
Jesus… was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
But [Christ] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them (7:24-25; see also Heb. 8:3; I Tim. 2:5).
And clearly Jesus still had to send the Holy Spirit in order that the world might be saved.
"He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, `Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:38-39).
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…" And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight (Acts 1:8-9).
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:13-14).
If you noticed above, I was careful to say Christ did not accomplish everything needed for man's salvation on the cross in a strict sense. The Bible and the Catholic Church do teach Christians can be said to be saved/justified by grace alone in the sense that it is God alone, and therefore, God's grace alone, that is the first cause of our salvation (cf. Titus 3:5-7; Eph. 2:8-9). So, in that sense, we can say "Jesus did it all for us" though not just on the cross, but by his entire life, death, burial, resurrection, and priestly ministry at the right hand of the Father (cf. CCC 517).
We will focus on "merit[ing] for ourselves" in this brief post. "Merit… for others" will be for another time and another post.
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone (James 2:24).
I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:36-37).
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified (Romans 2:14).
…you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 10:22).
Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).
… but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin… If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:7-9).
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell… So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven (Matt. 10:28-33).
Space does not permit us to include the enormous numbers of biblical texts mandating for our salvation manifold things that we must do. We must "repent" (Acts 2:38; 3:19; Mark 1:15; II Cor. 7:8-10), be baptized (John 3:3-5; Romans 6:3-4; I Peter 3:21; Acts 22:16; Mark 16:16), persevere in obedience (Gal. 6:7-9; Romans 2:6-7; Acts 5:32; Heb. 5:8-9; II Tim. 2:12; John 15:1-6), keep the commandments (Matt. 19:16; I Cor. 7:19), and more.


On April 28, 2019, the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Detroit Chapter will hold Session II Learn & Grow Series at the Plymouth District Library. In this Participative Brainstorming Workshop, members and guests will learn a widely applicable creative ideation process for identifying, developing, and evaluating ideas and opportunities, including career decisions. In the workshop we will conduct a live ideation session to identify topics of foremost interest and importance to our APA professionals and young adults, which will inform the Program for NAAAP Detroit 2019 Signature Event to be held in the Fall. The workshop will be co-facilitated by David Han, Education & Career Development Chair, and Dr. Sook Wilkinson, Board Member.
This is in-keeping with our strategy of providing members with ample opportunity to interact, learn valuable tools, and practice skills to influence one another with their ideas. This event is complimentary to professional and student members, and future members are encouraged to attend.
Visit NAAAP Detroit www.naaapdetroit.org/event/190428-l-g/ for further event information.
NAAAP Detroit program events provide excellent opportunity to hone professional and leadership skills, and also meet professionals and employers in the Greater Detroit area. Also, through our umbrella national organization NAAAP.org, our members connect with the broader Asian American professionals' network throughout North American via National Leadership Gatherings and interaction with the 33 Chapters.
NAAAP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and leading organization in North America that cultivates and empowers Asian leaders through professional development, community service, and networking. NAAAP has a long tradition in the US and Canada, and there is dynamic energy and enthusiasm for the future of NAAAP Detroit Chapter. NAAAP Detroit Chapter encourages members and friends to join to provide and experience leadership and professional development programs and service experiences to grow personally and to contribute to the growth of others in NAAAP and where they work and live. Visit www.naaapdetroit.org for more information.