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Permanent Mission of the Republic of Angola to the United Nations
Mission Activities
General Debate of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly
H.E. Ambassador Ismael A. Gaspar Martins, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Angola to the UN
At General Assembly Hall
Statement by H.E. Ambassador Ismael A. Gaspar Martins
Permanent Representantive of the Republic of Angola to the UN
At the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Your Excellencies,
On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Angola, allow me to congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajcák for having been elected to preside the 72nd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and to assure him the support of my country in the fulfillment of his mission.
I also congratulate Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st session, for the capable manner in which he conducted the work of the previous session, and Mr. António Guterres, for his election to the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations. I wish him all the success in his mandate, and I assure him of the support and cooperation of Angola.
As has been reiterated several times in this forum, peace and security are fundamental premises for stability, sustainable development, democracy and the promotion of, and respect for human rights. The theme chosen for this session, 'Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet,' is timely and compels us to collectively reflect on the action of the United Nations to solve the main problems affecting humanity.
We need an organization capable of promoting international peace and security by acting swiftly to prevent potential conflict situations, improving the global strategy to combat international terrorism, and placing economic and social development issues at the center of its action.
In this context, we appreciate the relevance of the four axes defined in the Agenda of this Session, namely: Prevention and Mediation of Conflicts to achieve sustained Peace; Promotion of Human Rights; Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and the Paris Climate Agreement.
We reiterate our support to the Secretary-General's proposals for reforms with a view to revitalizing and rationalizing the resources of the Organization. The United Nations should act as the first instance in the promotion of peace diplomacy at the global level.
We also reiterate the need to reform the Security Council in order to have it reflect the reality of the contemporary world. Its current composition is outdated and needs to be urgently reformed. Inline with the African position represented in the Ezwilini consensus, Angola restates the need to increase the number of Permanent Members to ensure a fair geographical balance. It is unfair that the African continent, which accounts for almost 40% of the member states of the United Nations, is not represented among the Permanent Members in the main body in charge of maintaining peace and security in the world.
Angola underlines the importance of multilateralism in solving global problems, in accordance with a logic of shared responsibility and benefits, in recognition of the legitimate interests of all, and in concertation towards realistic solutions.
Angola's attachment to multilateralism is strongly emphasized in its role in solving problems which threaten peace and security on the African continent, particularly in the Great Lakes Region. In the context of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL), Angola has been leading diplomatic efforts with its regional and international partners to find a lasting political solution capable of guaranteeing security, stability, economic and social development, and democracy for the countries and peoples of the region.
This joint engagement has allowed for a substantial reduction of tensions in the region, with notable advances such as the continuation of the inter-Burundian Political Dialogue, as well as encouraging signs in the resolution of the political crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and positive developments in the peace process in the Central African Republic, which have made it possible to hold elections in the country leading to the normalization of its institutions.
Despite these advances, the path toward fully stabilizing this part of our continent is still long, and the parties involved carry the main responsibility for ending violence, respecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the citizens of their respective countries, and building their national political institutions. In this context, they must demonstrate with actions their commitment to, and engagement with peace agreements and other political platforms negotiated either directly or sponsored by regional institutions and the international community.
The international community's collective action under the aegis of the United Nations should also cover the fight against terrorism. In this fight, a significant part of our effort should be directed at combating the causes of terrorism and violent extremism, which reside inter alia in the social crisis and institutional fragility of many States. The case of Libya is the blatant example of this reality.
The African continent has been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, which has killed innocent civilians, caused extensive damage to property and destroyed the way of life of many of its countries. Angola fully supports the efforts of the African Union, with the assistance of its international partners, to confront this scourge.
Two years ago, we adopted the Sustainable Development Agenda, an important instrument to guide the development strategies of our States. We hope that its implementation in the next 13 years will substantially reduce the major social deficiencies affecting developing nations.
The economic and financial difficulties affecting most countries have had a negative impact on the mobilization of financial resources for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, especially among the poorest, most vulnerable and with limited internal resources. International efforts aimed at securing the critical financial resources, should be guided by the Addis Ababa Agenda on Financing, adopted in 2015.
The Republic of Angola, which is now beginning a new cycle in its life as a Nation, is strongly engaged in achieving the 17 Goals of this Agenda, despite an adverse global economic environment. To this end, Angola has launched its National Development Plan, aimed at rehabilitating and modernizing economic and social infrastructures, promoting public and private investment, and enhancing training, qualification, and adequate management of human resources.
The World is moving towards consensus in recognizing the urgency of combating climate change. To this end, the Paris Agreement is extremely important in the development of enabling tools for protecting the right to development and strengthening resilience in developing countries.
Angola views this Agreement as a historic commitment, an encouragement to contain global warming and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The urgency for the world to advance in the implementation of the Paris Agreement has been dramatically highlighted by the recent climate related disasters in the various parts of the world. Angola joins in solidarity with the victims in Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States.
In order to address this and other challenges of the international community, Angola will continue to be a safe and responsible partner of the United Nations, and to contribute to the implementation of its Agenda in an engaged manner. We are increasingly able and fit to play a decisive role in restoring peace and security, particularly in Africa, and in furthering its economic development. To that end, Angola has remained stable, and pacification of the country has been achieved.
The Republic of Angola has recently held its third general elections in peacetime, in a climate of tranquility, respect for differences and high civility, which shows the stability the country lives and that the gradual consolidation of democracy is a fact.
The priorities for the new government will be focused on economic development, with particular attention to combating poverty, reducing inequalities, combating unemployment, improving governance insufficiencies, and development indicators—a sine qua non for building a prosperous and democratic society.
Regrettably, peace is still not prevalent in many regions.
Concerning Guinea-Bissau, a country linked to Angola by historical and brotherhood ties, we remain confident and expectant regarding the resolution of the political impasse. In this regard, we strongly support the efforts of all the Guinean, regional and international political and social actors, such as ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and the CPLP.
The issue of Western Sahara should continue to merit due attention by the United Nations to ensure the effective implementation of the relevant Security Council and African Union resolutions. Angola encourages the main parties involved to continue the dialogue in order to resolve the dispute.
In the Middle East, we are concerned with the impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Angola argues that the solution lies in the existence of two States, living side by side in peace and security.
The tension in the Korean peninsula poses a serious threat to international peace and security. Angola joins the voices advocating for a diplomatic solution and compliance with international Non-Proliferation instruments. The peoples of the region deserve to live in peace and not under the specter of a conflict the effects of which would be devastating and unacceptable to human consciousness.
Angola promptly welcomed the steps taken to normalize relations between the Republic of Cuba and the United States of America, which will benefit the two peoples. The complete lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo would contribute significantly to ease tensions between the two countries and would eliminate one of the last remnants of the Cold War. This unilateral measure limits the Cuban people's enjoyment of development, and its extraterritorial effects violate the principles and rules of international law.
The promotion and protection of human rights has always been at the forefront of Angola's foreign policy priorities, as evidenced by the fact that it is a party to the main international human rights instruments and maintains an exemplary cooperation and ongoing dialogue with the UN Human Rights mechanisms. It is in this context that Angola is a candidate to the Human Rights Council for the elections that will take place in October 2017. We look forward to participating actively in, and contributing to the protection of Human Rights in the regions and countries most affected by violations of these rights.
In this regard, we would highly appreciate the support of the members of this Assembly to our candidacy.
I would like to conclude by urging all Member States to renew their confidence in the United Nations, to strengthen international dialogue as a key element of a culture of peace, respect for differences between peoples, conflict prevention, and the foundations of progress and development to which all the peoples of the world have a right.


The package uses a variable in one of its debhelper config files, but the variable is not one known to dpkg-architecture.
It is recommended to use a known subset of variables. If the package needs more than that, and makes sure the variable is exported through the build one way or the other, then this tag can be safely ignored or overridden.


The term 'PI(UK) Ltd' or 'us' or 'we' refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is 2 AC Court, High Street, Thames Ditton, Surrey, KT7 0SR. PI (UK) Ltd is registered in England and our registration number is 4221134. The term 'you' refers to the user or viewer of our website.


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American flag & Americana
Anti-Federalist Papers
Election stories
Manifest Destiny & Pioneers
Religion & Government
Remember the Ladies
Signers of Declaration
Spies & Traitors
U.S. First Ladies
U.S. History (1783--99)
U.S. History (1800s)
U.S. History (aviation)
U.S. History (general military)
U.S. History (holidays)
U.S. history (naval)
U.S. History (sports)
This Day in History: "Old Glory" gets its name
On (maybe) this day in 1831, a sea captain from Massachusetts names his American flag "Old Glory."
The name that Captain William Driver gave to his flag stuck.
"Old Glory" is more than just a general nickname for our national banner. It is an actual flag, which can be found today at the Smithsonian Institution.
The American flag pictured at sunset aboard USS Green Bay. The ship was then at White Beach Naval Base in Okinawa, Japan. Photo taken on on August 21, 2016.
Old Glory's beginnings are a bit hazy. One version of the story has Driver receiving the flag from his mother for his 21st birthday. Another version has him receiving the flag from a group of women when he first received command of his own ship. Still a third version says that the flag was a thank you gift after a particularly noble action at sea.
Some versions of the story have Driver naming his flag immediately upon receiving it, although that seems to be more legend than fact. He probably named the flag later, after taking it on many journeys around the globe.
Either way, Driver did eventually nickname his personal flag "Old Glory." Then he retired from his life at sea when his wife passed away in 1837. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and remarried. He still flew his flag. It was technically too large for his house, but that didn't seem to bother him. His daughter later recounted that he strung the flag on a rope from his attic to a tree across the street.
We know about Driver's flag because of one particular event that occurred during the Civil War. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Massachusetts native, Driver, supported the Union—and his flag—even though he lived in Confederate Tennessee. At various points during the war, Confederate supporters came to his home, looking for his notoriously large flag. Driver refused to give it up. Instead, he had it sewn into a bed quilt where it remained hidden for many months.
In February 1862, the Union Army entered Nashville. Driver decided that it was time to take Old Glory out of hiding. He took his quilt to the Union forces and demanded to see the "General in command." Once satisfied that he was talking to the right person, one observer later reported, Driver "pulled out his jack-knife and began to rip open the bedquilt without another word. We were puzzled to think what his conduct meant."
What did they think when an American flag emerged from that old quilt?
Driver noted that he'd saved the flag and asked that it be raised above the capitol. "He spoke triumphantly, with tears in his eyes," the observer reported. The flag was raised above the capitol to loud cheers. The Union regiment in Nashville adopted "Old Glory" as its motto. In time, the name was used more widely across the country.
Many years later, Driver gave Old Glory to his daughter Mary. She kept it until 1922, when she donated it to President Warren Harding. He, in turn, gave it to the Smithsonian.
Interestingly, one of Driver's other daughters would later claim to have the "real" Old Glory.
But that is a story for another day.
Primary Sources:
Lt. Col. Horace N. Fisher, Reminiscences of the raising of the original "Old Glory" over the capitol at Nashville, Tenn., on February 27, 1862 (Essex Institute Historical Collections; Vol. 47)
M. Moore Morgan, How "Old Glory" was named (Harper's Weekly; Dec. 18, 1909) (reprinted HERE)
Marc Leepson, Flag: An American Biography (2005)
Sally Jenkins, How the flag came to be called Old Glory (Smithsonian Magazine; Oct. 2013) (reprinted HERE)
For media inquiries,
please contact Colonial Press
info at colonialpressonline dot com
from Tara Ross
Thanks for loving history with me!
© Copyright 2020 by Tara Ross.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Docomomo US National Symposium is the primary event in the United States for those interested in the preservation of modern architecture to gather, discuss, share and explore the preservation of heritage of the second half of the 20th Century and its legacy and importance today. The Symposium developed as a result of the Docomomo US Board of Directors' annual "Face to Face" meeting. The first expanded event took place in Los Angeles in 2010 with an open forum for local individuals actively engaged in the discussion of modern architecture. Docomomo US hosted its first National Symposium in Sarasota, Florida in April 2013. Held annually, this multi-day conference seeks to engage local participants in cities across the United States, offering participants the ability to interact with and explore a wide variety of significant modern architecture and sites.
Join us for the Docomomo US National Symposium 2017 in Phoenix: March 29-April 2.


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The Attack
Gregory Curtis
https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/the-attack/
From the June 2000 Issue Subscribe
Without a doubt, Texans are healthier than they have ever been. More than that, health in Texas has improved significantly since George W. Bush became governor in 1995. Look at these statistics:
• In 1994 there were 13.8 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 Texans, but in 1999 there were only 8.2.
• In 1994 7.2 infants died per 1,000 live births. In 1997 6.3 died.
• In 1994 there were 129 cancer deaths per 100,000 Texans. By 1997 that number had dropped to 122.8, which was less than the national average of 125.6.
• In 1992 we had only 179 physicians per 100,000 residents. By 1998 that number had grown to 226.
• In 1992 there were 123 teenage pregnancies per 1,000 women. By 1996 that number had dropped to 113.
• In 1994 14.4 percent of adults said they had not seen a doctor in the past year because of cost. By 1998 that number had dropped to 12.7 percent.
Where did these statistics come from? I read them in an article on the front page of the New York Times on April 11. Interestingly, the point of the article was exactly the opposite of the one it's possible to draw from those statistics. The headline of the article was "Bush and Texas Have Not Set High Priority on Health Care." The article begins, "Texas has had one of the nation's worst public health records for decades. More than a quarter of its residents have no health insurance. Its Mexican border is a hotbed of contagion. The state ranks near the top in the nation in rates of AIDS, diabetes, tuberculosis and teenage pregnancy, and near the bottom in immunizations, mammograms and access to physicians. But since George W. Bush became governor in 1995, he has not made health a priority, his aides acknowledge. He has never made a speech on the subject, his press office says." How can it be that a news story comes to such harsh conclusions when facts cited in the story can lead to the opposite conclusion?
The answer is simple. George W. Bush, the governor of Texas, is running for president. As the campaign wears on, this is the kind of story that Texas is certain to be subjected to again and again. Undoubtedly the Gore campaign will use any imperfections it can find in Texas against Bush. But reporters from newspapers and television networks who come here will do the same thing. It's a simple kind of story to do. The reporter finds a persistent problem in Texas, cites experts and statistics to show that the problem really does exist, and then asks the Bush campaign office what the governor did about the problem. Since the problem persists, whatever Bush may or may not have done was therefore inadequate, and the story can end with the implied conclusion that as governor, Bush was unconcerned, ineffective, or both. Bush's record as governor certainly demands national scrutiny now that he is running for president, but examining it like this is a way to be both "fair" and on the attack. One purpose of a political campaign is to see how a presidential candidate defends his record from such attacks. But for someone living in Texas, whether he or she intends to vote for Bush or Al Gore, it's going to be aggravating at best to see Texas portrayed as a backwater of contagion, bad government, and ignorance. And no one here needs to be told how easy it is to get the rest of the country, particularly the East Coast, to believe just that.
If the process behind this journalism is simple, real life is not. Behind the statistics lie all sorts of issues that the public never knows about. Take the now-familiar charge that Houston has become more polluted than Los Angeles. That is true—but only by one measure of pollution. It is not true by other measures. This leads to the first of several rules to keep in mind as we encounter the negative stories about Texas that will inevitably arrive in the coming months.
1. Think about priorities.
Public health means a lot more than delivering services to the poor, the notion of health care implicitly adopted in the New York Times article. In fact, experts in the field argue over the proper definition of just what public health does cover. One way of looking at it is that the chief responsibility of government lies in regulating what might be called the infrastructure of health. Texas sets and enforces standards for drinking water; it licenses hospitals; it regulates all sorts of health care professions (doctors, nurses, EMS personnel, massage therapists, even athletic trainers); it has offices that oversee asbestos, radiation, communicable diseases, abortions, milk and dairy products, retail foods, and dozens of other potential health risks; it is still trying to eliminate tuberculosis—and all of that is just a fraction of the routine but essential work that Texas and other states do. This whole health infrastructure is really what maintains public health. Perhaps it could be better. The quality of the air we breathe could be improved. But on balance I don't think we're doing that bad a job. When was the last time your drinking water made you sick?
Health care is so expensive and so basic a need that the federal government has traditionally provided much of the funding. The idea is that people in poor states shouldn't be saddled with worse health than residents of wealthy states. Unfortunately Washington has been cutting back on some health care expenditures in recent years. Federal subsidies for immunizations fell from $13 million in 1998 to $9.38 million today. The preventive-health-care bloc grant—which funds cancer, diabetes, and heart disease outreach programs—fell from $9.1 million to $8.46 million in the same period. Furthermore, the public health problems associated with migration across the Mexican border are a national issue that falls disproportionately on the border states. The article even quotes a health care official saying exactly that but doesn't push on to the natural conclusion: Texas shouldn't have to take all the responsibility or blame for this situation.
3. The stereotype is that Texas is rich; in fact, Texas is poor.
Our per capita income is below the national average by more than 5 percent. Fifteen percent of our population lives in poverty (although that's down from 19 percent in 1994). Thus our tax revenues are low. Our state and local taxes are $470 per capita less than the national average.
4. There is more than one way to run a government.
Texas is philosophically a low-tax, low-service state. We generally believe that the way to expand social services is to have a growing economy that generates more tax revenue instead of raising taxes. This method of government is the opposite of that of other industrial states, most of which have high taxes and high levels of social services. Our belief is that low taxes attract businesses and workers, and that prosperity and opportunity will solve social problems. That idea may be right or it may be wrong, but it was the case when Ann Richards, a Democrat, was governor and it is the case now, when George W. Bush, a Republican, is governor. There is no imperative from the voters to change.
5. No one is omnipotent.
Governors come and go, presidents come and go, but problems remain. I say this not as an excuse for governors and presidents but as a simple fact. The assumption underneath these stories will be that if only Bush had done what he should have, these problems at hand would be behind us. It's the equivalent of asking why Clinton, after eight years as president, didn't win the war on drugs. If, as the Times says, the Mexican border region is a "hotbed of contagion," what exactly could Bush have done about it, aside from aiding the colonias, which he did? The border includes some of the poorest counties in the nation. Public services are overwhelmed on the Texas side and practically nonexistent on the other. Many of the worst health problems originate on the Mexican side of the border. They are beyond the reach of the state government or its governor.
6. The reporter will always quote some state official saying something dumb, but with any luck the official won't be as dumb as he or she sounds.
In the health care article, that official was Dr. William R. Archer III, the commissioner of health appointed by Bush. He characterizes Hispanic women as telling him, "I want to be pregnant." Since this and similar quotes appeared, he has been the subject of outraged national and local columns in which the authors call him a racist and insist that he be fired. Dr. Archer has spent enough time working in impoverished Third World countries that he shouldn't have to defend his racial attitudes. It's his nostalgia for the United States of the fifties and his insistence on a link between medicine and spirituality that try my patience with him. But, as he said in a speech at the annual meeting of the Texas Public Health Association, he believes "that the public health problems of the new millennium will be, more than ever, manifestations of behavior." He is referring to drug abuse, HIV infection, teen pregnancy, and teen suicide. Of course, he's right that changing behavior is necessary to defeat these plagues. And it is more effective, more useful, and more humane to regard these behaviors as problems of public health rather than as problems of law and order, as they have so often been in the past.
And finally, 7. After November it will all be over.
And the problems of Texas, which have been made to seem so apocalyptic and so inexcusable, will return to being what they really are—the urgent challenges of daily public life.
The Serious Stuff, the Loud Stuff, the Money Stuff: A Preview of the 87th Texas Lege By Christopher Hooks
How the Legislature Might Address the Less-Than-Dire Budget Shortfall By R.G. Ratcliffe
The Texas GOP Returns to Its Favorite Pastime: Infighting By R.G. Ratcliffe
American Democracy Survived Ted Cruz's Demagoguery—This Time By Christopher Hooks
"Love Bombs" vs. "Hang Traitors": Pro-Trump Protesters Rally for Their Man in Austin By Ben Rowen
"You See So Much in Our Field You Wouldn't Believe": San Antonio School Bus Drivers Have Become Relief Workers By Sindya Bhanoo
The Shelley Luther Reality Show Is Canceled After Just Seven Months By Christopher Hooks
Houston's Most Famous Pollster Reflects on Five Decades of State Politics, as His Career Winds Down By Mike Snyder


I love the scent of cinnamon but their cinnamon bark essential oil is too strong for me even if you just put a drop of it. It needs to be mixed with other essential oils to balance the scent out but it's also hard to find the right essential oil to mix it with. I think peppermint works well but you really need to test the scent first before adding a lot more to balance the scent. Sadly, it's not my fave from Beryl.


11 results … title Companies in Old Town on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the best Title Companies in Old Town, FL.
It"s silly to have to duplicate the work of others! The land record research directory shows you who is doing LAND RECORD work in various parts of the country. Perhaps you can locate someone who has the same interest as you! Share ideas, share deeds!


Arsenal London has launched the Arsenal Innovation Lab. Together with startups, the "Gunners" want to identify groundbreaking new fan experiences and drive new business models.
Candidates have the opportunity to test and demonstrate their products or services in live environments.
The Gunners are following the example of others such as FC Barcelona. Barcelona started the Barça Innovation Hub in March. And their Premier League competitor Manchester City hosts regular hackathons. Even with exciting examples such as their project with Amazon Alexa, Arsenal London is still looking for new innovations.
Applications will be accepted until 12 October, 2017. For more information about the program and to apply, visit: www.arsenalinnovationlab.com.


The perfet addition to every home, the Deco Breeze DBF0247 Mosaic Pineapple 10 inch table fan is perfect for cooling down small rooms. This stylish electric fan also features a whisper quiet motor that won't disturb your environment.
The Deco Breeze DBF0247 can also be used as a light! The pineapple base illuminates for a perfect glow.
This table fan offers three different fan speeds - high, medium, and low - for your personal cooling comfort.
The DBF0247 has an oscillating feature that cools down more area.
The materials that make up the Deco Breeze DBF0247 Mosaic Pineapple 10 inch table fan are extremely durable and ensure years of worry-free use.
Fits my d??cor.....needed the light..beats buying a ceiling fan!
Fits my d????cor.....needed the light..beats buying a ceiling fan!


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ACA, Datatech News Articles, Human Resources, News, Program Updates, Support Blog, Year End
IRS Adds Secure Access Protection to e-Services Starting December 10, 2017
The notice below was just sent out by the IRS to inform us of this change and how it will affect the way you log in to your e-Services account. When you log in on or after December 10, 2017, you will be prompted to provide the additional information necessary to securely validate your identity and make future logins more secure:
"Starting Dec. 10, 2017, all e-Services users must register through a new, more rigorous identity proofing process called Secure Access.
Any e-Services user who has not previously created a Secure Access account through Get Transcript Online, IP PIN tool, View Balance or by exception processing in recent days must validate their identity through this more rigorous process. This also includes all TIN Matching users and users who received Letter 5903 last December and authenticated by telephone.
This new process is not optional on the part of the IRS or its online users. We apologize for the short notice, but as you know we've been planning this move for more than a year. The IRS must make this change to meet federal information system standards. Additionally, cybercriminals increasingly are targeting tax professionals to steal e-Services usernames and passwords, putting taxpayer data at risk.
In recent years, we authenticated each e-Services user individually. When you registered for e-Services, you were asked for your name, address, social security number, your date of birth, adjusted gross income and filing status. That limited amount of information no longer is enough to meet federal information system standards. Users will continue to be authenticated as individuals.
Here's how Secure Access helps –
First, it strengthens the initial identity proofing process to make sure the person registering is who they say they are.
Second, it strengthens security through a two-factor authentication process for returning users that helps prevent account takeover by cybercriminals. Two-factor authentication means you must have your credentials (username and password) plus a security code sent to your mobile phone or generated by your IRS2Go app each time you log in.
Once you have authenticated your identity and established a Secure Access account for e-Services, there is no further action required. Please note: Under Secure Access, you can no longer script the login process.
Learn more about the steps you must take to successfully complete the Secure Access process, alternatives to online processing and how to use the IRS2Go app. See the information below which has been copied from "Important Update about Your e-Services Account" at www.irs.gov/eservices.
This is a one-time process. Once you have authenticated your identity and established a Secure Access account for e-Services, there is no further action required.
Steps You Must Take to Register
Before starting the identity proofing process, you should review Secure Access: How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools to learn what you will need to complete the process and how the process will work. You should also review FAQs: e-Services and Secure Access.
You will need to pass various identity proofing stages, including questions to confirm your email, tax return information, financial account information and mobile phone confirmation.
If you have a mobile phone associated with your name, you may complete the Secure Access process in one session. If you have all the available information, you can complete this process within 15 minutes. If you do not have a mobile phone associated with your name, you may request an activation code by mail, which will be delivered within five to 10 days. By using the activation code by mail feature, you also may return to register your IRS2Go App or any text-enabled mobile phone, including a business phone in a company name.
Alternative steps if you cannot authenticate online
If you are an existing e-Services user and you cannot successfully authenticate online, you have an option called exception processing by phone. You may call the IRS and a customer service representative will ask a series of questions related to your current and prior year tax return information including income information documents. For exception processing, call the e-Help desk at 1-888-841-4648 (select your language, then prompt 1 and remain on the line until an assistor picks up) 7:30 a.m. Eastern to 7 p.m. Eastern.
If you accurately answer all questions, an assistor will create a Secure Access account and issue a temporary password and an activation code by mail. This will allow you to return to e-Services registration and complete the process.
If you are unable to accurately answer the questions related to your tax information, you must make an appointment and visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center to verify your identity in person with two forms of government-issued identification. Once your identity is verified, you must again call the e-Help Desk, an account will be established and an activation code by mail issued to allow you to complete the process.
How to use the IRS2Go App
The IRS2Go app has a new "security" feature that will allow e-Services users to generate the second-factor security code to access accounts. The app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon. It can be installed on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, such as iPads, Samsung or Amazon Fire.
If your mobile apps do not update automatically, you may have to download IRS2Go again before you can see the "security" tab. The IRS2Go app option will assist those e-Services users who cannot use mobile phones in work areas or who may not have internet access.
Again, see Secure Access: How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools for more details on the IRS2Go app.
UPDATE – New e-Services platform and landing page
The move to a new e-Services platform and a new landing page has been completed. All applications and tools for all users, including state users, are now available. During this transition period, there may be some performance issues. Additionally, you can no longer script the login process when accessing e-Services applications.
UPDATE – New e-Services User Agreement
As we make these changes to e-Services, we also will make changes to the e-Services User Agreement. We will notify you in advance when this user agreement is available.
Keresa
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Home USNEWS Nuclear fears in U.S. amid Russia-Ukraine war: AP-NORC poll
Nuclear fears in U.S. amid Russia-Ukraine war: AP-NORC poll
A new AP-NORC poll finds that most Americans are at least somewhat concerned about Russia using nuclear weapons against the United States, and concerns are even deeper about the nuclear threat to Ukraine.
By BEN FOX and HANNAH FINGERHUT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia's war on Ukraine has most Americans at least somewhat worried that the U.S. will be drawn directly into the conflict and could be targeted with nuclear weapons, with a new poll reflecting a level of anxiety that has echoes of the Cold War era.
Close to half of Americans say they are very concerned that Russia would directly target the U.S. with nuclear weapons, and an additional 3 in 10 are somewhat concerned about that, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Russian President Vladimir Putin placed his country's nuclear forces on high alert shortly after the Feb. 24 invasion.
Roughly 9 in 10 Americans are at least somewhat concerned that Putin might use a nuclear weapon against Ukraine, including about 6 in 10 who are very concerned.
"He is out of control, and I don't think he really has concern for much of anything but what he wants," said Robin Thompson, a retired researcher from Amherst, Massachusetts. "And he has nuclear weapons."
Seventy-one percent of Americans say the invasion has increased the possibility of nuclear weapons being used anywhere in the world.
The poll was conducted before North Korea test-fired its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday but also shows 51% of Americans saying they are very concerned about the threat to the U.S. posed by North Korea's nuclear program. An additional 29% expressed moderate concern.
Fear of nuclear war has been a fact of life for decades. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has published its "Doomsday Clock" since 1947, showing a theoretical countdown to nuclear annihilation. The latest update, in January, put the time at 100 seconds to midnight — unchanged since 2020, but still closer than ever to Armageddon.
It's difficult to measure the public's degree of fear over time because polls use different methodologies or pose questions in different ways. Alex Wellerstein, a nuclear historian at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, said people often won't bring it up on their own but list it among concerns if given the choice.
The fear, naturally enough, also tends to rise and fall depending on what is happening around the world. "We have these moments that are sort of high crisis periods," Wellerstein said. "And then they come and go, and people forget that we had them."
One particularly high point, he said, was in 1983, a time of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and the year that a highly watched movie about nuclear war, "The Day After," first aired on TV in the United States.
In the recent AP-NORC poll, close to half of Americans say they are "extremely" or "very" concerned that the U.S. might be drawn into a war with Russia. Roughly 4 in 10 Americans said they are "somewhat" concerned.
The findings reflect not just anxiety about what seems like a proxy war with Russia, even if the U.S. isn't directly involved in the conflict, but also the unprecedented saturation coverage of the war through traditional news outlets and social media.
"We are seeing almost moment by moment what's happening to these poor people," said Linda Woodward, a retired phone company technician from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.
The concern about nuclear war cuts across party lines and even resonates with some young adults who were born after the Cold War.
Caleb Pack, a 21-year-old Republican from Ardmore, Oklahoma, was among those who said that they were "somewhat concerned" that the U.S. would be drawn into the war and that Russia would target the United States with nuclear weapons.
"If Russia's end goal is to reclaim Soviet Union territory, that means they're going to push into NATO countries, which obviously I think could escalate very quickly," said Pack, who works in information systems.
Certainly, Russia hasn't taken steps to alleviate concerns. Putin issued what appeared to be an ominous threat when he reminded the world in a speech the day he launched the invasion that his country is "one of the most powerful nuclear states."
In that context, concern is justified, said Tara Drozdenko, director of the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Whenever you have nuclear-armed nations getting closer to conflict, there's always a risk of nuclear escalation," she said.
So far, NATO and the Biden administration have been careful not to escalate the situation, Drozdenko said. But she believes the public should use this time to push for changes to limit the risk. That would include adopting a formal policy that the U.S. would not strike first with nuclear weapons, to reduce the risk of an accidental strike by an adversary, and taking the final authority for a launch out of the hands of the president alone.
Historian Wellerstein also sees a possible upside to the heightened state of concern. He cited research showing that a crisis can have the long-term effect of getting people more engaged with an issue.
"This thing with Ukraine will inevitably end, hopefully sooner rather than later," he said. "This could be an opportunity for getting a lot more people, especially younger people, invested in this as a political issue."
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Nation Current Affairs 03 Aug 2017 J&K: 2 Hizbul mi ...
Nation, Current Affairs
J&K: 2 Hizbul militants killed in gunfight with security forces in Kulgam
Published Aug 3, 2017, 8:35 am IST
Updated Aug 3, 2017, 9:40 am IST
In a major breakthrough, LeT chief commander Abu Dujana of Pakistan was killed in an encounter on Tuesday morning.
Earlier on Wednesday, suspecting presence of terrorists, the Indian Army and the police launched a cordon and search operation at the Sugan village of Shopian district.(Photo: PTI/Representational)
Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir): Two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists were killed in a brief gunfight with the security forces in South Kashmir's Kulgam district on Wednesday night.
"Encounter lasted half an hour, eliminated 2 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists who were involved in many cases," SSP Shridhar Patil said.
In another incident, an encounter is underway between the security forces and militants at the Imam Sahab area of South Kashmir's Shopian district. At least two to three militants are believed to have been trapped in the area.
Further details are awaited.
Earlier on Wednesday, suspecting presence of terrorists, the Indian Army and the police launched a cordon and search operation at the Sugan village of Shopian district.
In a major breakthrough, LeT chief commander Abu Dujana of Pakistan along with his accomplice Arif were killed in an encounter with security forces at Hakripora village in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Tuesday morning.
Following this, the separatists had called for 'bandh' to protest the killing of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists and a civilian.
The civilian was killed in protest that erupted following an encounter in which LeT terrorist Abu Dujana and Arif were gunned down by security forces.
Tags: militants, security forces, j&k unrest, abu dujana, lashkar-e-taiba terrorists
Location: India, Jammu and Kashmir
SC approves 27% OBC quota in NEET
Centre releases tax due to states in advance
FAPTO stages protest demanding better PRC
2,000 medical students, doctors infected with Covid-19 in AP
More From Current Affairs
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The South African Revenue Service (SARS) today, 4 September 2018, releases trade statistics for July 2018 recording a trade deficit of ZAR4.66 billion.
These statistics include trade data with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
The year-to-date (01 January to 31 July 2018) trade deficit of ZAR6.51 billion is a deterioration on the surplus for the comparable period in 2017 of ZAR33.21 billion.
Exports year-to-date increased by 3.6% whilst imports for the same period showed an increase of 10.2% including trade data with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
The ZAR4.66 billion trade deficit for July 2018 is attributable to exports of ZAR107.06 billion and imports of ZAR111.72 billion. Exports decreased from June 2018 to July 2018 by ZAR2.96 billion (2.7%) and imports increased from June 2018 to July 2018 by ZAR13.58 billion (13.8%).
Exports for the year-to-date (01 January to 31 July) increased by 3.6% from ZAR653.47 billion in 2017 to ZAR677.06 billion in 2018.
Imports for the year-to-date of ZAR683.57 billion are 10.2% more than the imports recorded in January to July 2017 of ZAR620.26 billion, leaving a cumulative trade deficit of ZAR6.51 billion for 2018.
On a year-on-year basis, the ZAR4.66 billion trade deficit for July 2018 is an deterioration from the surplus recorded in July 2017 of ZAR8.58 billion. Exports of ZAR107.06 billion are 16.0% more than the exports recorded in July 2017 of ZAR92.30 billion.
Imports of ZAR111.72 billion are 33.5% more than the imports recorded in July 2017 of ZAR83.71 billion.
June 2018's trade surplus was revised downwards by ZAR0.11 billion from the previous month's preliminary surplus of ZAR12.00 billion to a revised surplus of R11.89 billion as a result of ongoing Vouchers of Correction (VOC's).


A robot companion who's never less than charming, Vector sadly doesn't have the skills to match (yet).
Vector wants to bring warmth and personality to the sterile, transactional relationship you have with Alexa or Siri.
Should I buy the Anki Vector?
Vector is an attempt by Anki to create a version of its popular Cosmo robot for adults – and to bring warmth and personality to the sterile, transactional relationship you have with virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri.
However, it feels like a beta product that's got some way to travel before being useful as well as endearing.
Updated 18/12/18 with information about an update that brings Alexa support to Vector (for US and Canada only).
Like Cozmo, Vector is an orange-sized robot that moves around on tracks, has fork-lift-like arms on the front and a large head between them that's almost entirely screen. On the outside, little is different except for the colour palette and some other minor visual changes – but what's inside is completely new both in capability and purpose. In short, whereas Cozmo wants to help your children learn programming, Vector wants to be somewhere between a friend and pet.
Inside the box is Vector itself*, its companion cube and a USB-based charging dock. Turn Vector on and place it on the dock, and it comes to life with a bright 'briiiing' noise and two over-sized eyes that take up most of the screen.
(* Vector has no inherent gender identity, though we noticed most people referred to it as 'he'. It can have whatever identity you ascribe to it, binary or otherwise, so throughout this review I'm referring to it as a more-encompassing 'it').
The eyes begin looking around – ok pedants, the camera that sits between them – and Vector starts chirruping away, and it's ready to meet you and your family.
First off though, you need to connect Vector to your WiFi network, which is done via the Vector app for iOS, Android or FireOS. This is a simple app that quickly takes you through the process of connecting to Vector over Bluetooth, then getting it to connect to your WiFi. It also gives you some handy hints about what you can do with Vector, lets you see and save photos he's taken and apply future updates.
That's how it's supposed to work, anyway. The iOS app on an iPhone 8 Plus with iOS 12 worked perfectly, but the Android version on my Huawei P20 Pro with that phone-maker's EMUI 9 custom OS was buggy – having trouble both connecting to Vector and maintaining that connection, and sometimes crashing for no apparent reason.
Once setup, you should have no real need to use the app aside from changing its eye colour if you wish to, saving photos, applying updates and if you take Vector to someone else's house, or get so attached to it you end up taking it to work.
After setup and charging, Vector rolls out of his dock. You'll generally get about 45 minutes of it strolling and rolling around your desk or table before it retires back of its own accord to charge some more – but how long this lasts depends on how much you interact with it. So it feels quite short to begin with as you explore everything Vector can do – but over time as your interactions are less frequent, its rarely an issue.
So what can Vector do?
The answer depends on what you're looking for. If you want a cute companion that seems to 'get you', Vector is fun and seemingly smart enough to engage with you.
You can teach it to recognise your face and say 'hello Neil' in a cutesy robot voice when it spots you – though it has some problems recognition if you wear glasses. It'll give you a fist bump or bring you its companion cube on command – or respond pleasurably to being stroked – but as with a real pet it will also wander around and do its own thing if you leave it alone. Sometimes it'll just sit there and watch you, occasionally trying to get you to play with it. Sometimes it'll just go and play with its cube. If you look at it, it'll notice and attempt to engage you. If it hears a sound, it'll turn and look to see what's going on. And it's smart enough not to fall off the side of a desk or table.
The whole time it burbles to itself and to you, and there's no way to silence this short of telling it to go to sleep, or turning it off – which some people will find irritating. Even when sent to sleep, Vector will sometimes wake up, which seems to be if it detects a noise. It then responds with noises of its own as if to say 'hey, remember way'.
There's something I really like about Anki trying to replicate an animal or person with its own needs and desires, rather than a only-there-if-you-need-me, stately home servant persona of Alexa or Siri.
Beyond being a companion, Vector's functionality is rather limited. Through the trigger phrase of 'Hey Vector', you can ask for the weather (below), set a timer, play Blackjack (but no other games), take rather low-quality photos. You can ask it questions to get Wikipedia-type answers, though this is a slow, three-step process that requires you to trigger it, then pause, then say " I have a question", then pause, then answer your question. The answers are brief and to the point, though sometimes hard to understand due to the robotic voice.
Overall, interacting with Vector is slower than Alexa, and it seems less able to pick out voices from the background noise of even soft music or TV, and interpret them correctly.
Anki is stressing that Vector's abilities (and personality) will grow over time. The company had promised to have Alexa fully integrated by the end of the year, adding many more functions from offering voice control for devices around your home from lights to heating to – we assume – letting it tell jokes and even fart (which my children are going to find hilarious).
This really interesting-sounding update has now been released, but in the US and Canada only – and here in the UK we'll have to wait until "early in the new year" to test this out (and will update this review when it happens).
This is triggered by using saying 'Alexa', upon which an Echo-like blue ring appears instead of Vector's face, which could break the illusion of a singular personality. But I'll reserve judgement until I've tried it.
The update that brings Alexa also gives you – or will give you – more commands to direct Vector around, saying "go left" for example. It'll also wish you 'Happy Holidays' and 'Happy New Year', which might not be so appealing to us in the UK in 2019.
Following this, the company also has other plans, including giving Vector the ability to recognise music and take 360 photos – plus its own version of many of Alexa's home automation tools.
As a next-gen-Tamagochi-meets-Alexa, Vector is currently much better as the former than the latter. There's no point buying Vector as an alternative to the Echo Dot – its many times more expensive and less capable – but as a loveable robot pet that will hopefully grow into a personable personal assistant, we rather love it. Though unless you want this for Christmas, I'd wait until the end of the year to see how the Alexa and other updates work out.
Photography: Dominik Tomaszewski. Model: Hannah Williams.


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Human Rights Briefing: President Obama in Saudi Arabia and Egypt
01 Jun 2009, 12:00am
"As well as delivering his speech to the Muslim world and trying to kick-start the stalled Middle East peace process, President Obama should use this trip to deliver a few home truths to his hosts in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. His message should be unambiguous: both Saudi Arabia and Egypt's human rights records are atrocious and urgent reforms are long overdue."
Unfair trials and detention
Thousands of people are detained without trial as terrorism suspects, and human rights activists and peaceful critics of the government are frequently detained and imprisoned. When trials occur in Saudi Arabia they are shrouded in secrecy and are generally poor in quality and unfair. Even in capital trials, defendants are rarely allowed legal assistance and can be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under torture or by deception.
In 2008 at least 102 people (39 of them foreign nationals, typically poor migrant workers) were executed, many for non-violent crimes - including drug offences, "sodomy", blasphemy and apostasy. Those sentenced to death are often not informed of the progress of the case against them or the date of execution until the morning when they are taken out and beheaded. Most capital trials are unfair and held behind closed doors, while executions are carried out in public. Last week (29 May) a man was publicly beheaded and then crucified (his body displayed in a cruciform position) after being convicted for murder and other crimes, including the "offence" of Luwat (homosexual intercourse). Another man recently had his 10-year prison sentence for drug smuggling increased to death. At least 38 people are known to have been executed in the Kingdom so far this year.
Torture and cruel punishments
Torture and other ill-treatment are widespread and committed with impunity by police and other officials in Saudi Arabia. Common methods are severe beatings with sticks, electric shocks, suspension from ceilings, sleep deprivation and insults. Flogging is often imposed as an additional punishment to imprisonment, with the number of lashes sometimes running into the 1000s.
Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's rights
Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights in Saudi Arabia face severe discrimination in law and practice and are inadequately protected against domestic violence. Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights are subordinate to men under family law, are denied equal employment opportunities with men, are banned from driving vehicles or travelling alone, and Saudi Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights married to non-Saudis are unable to pass on their nationality to their Children's rights. Many migrant domestic workers, mostly Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, are kept in highly abusive conditions, being made to work up to 18 hours every day, in some cases for little or no pay. Domestic workers have no protection under Saudi labour law.
Egypt's justice system is riddled with unfairness. The country holds thousands of political prisoners in administrative detention under emergency legislation, many of them for more than a decade. Last year Egypt's Interior Ministry acknowledged that some 1,500 detainees were held administratively, though unofficial sources have put the figure at nearer 10,000. Grossly unfair trials are conducted before military and special courts, and civilians are frequently tried before military courts in breach of international fair trial standards.
Torture and other ill-treatment are systematic in police stations, prisons and State Security Investigation (SSI) detention centres. Most perpetrators enjoy complete impunity, while police often threaten victims with re-arrest or the arrest of relatives if they lodge complaints.
Clampdown on free expression
Egypt uses repressive laws to clamp down on criticism and dissent. Journalists are frequently prosecuted for defamation and other offences, and books and foreign newspapers are censored. Some internet websites are blocked and recently bloggers critical of the government have been arrested. Last year the director of the Cairo News company was fined approximately £17,000 for broadcasting footage of protesters destroying a poster of President Mubarak during a demonstration in April. In March last year Ibrahim Eissa, the editor of Al-Dustour newspaper, was sentenced to six months in prison (reduced to two months on appeal) for writing an article that questioned the president's health. He was charged under the Penal Code for publishing information considered damaging to the public interest and national stability.
Two people were executed in 2008 and another 87 were sentenced to death.
Slums and poverty
According to official estimates, up to 11 million people in Egypt (about 15% of the population) live in as many as 1,000 slums (ashwaiyyat) that lack adequate basic services.
Amnesty International UK media information:
Neil Durkin: 020 7033 1547, neil.durkin@amnesty.org.uk
Out of hours: 07721 398984, www.amnesty.org.uk br />Read the daily media blog: Press release me, let me go
Follow us on Twitter: @NewsFromAmnesty


Nick Lutsko was born in Orlando, FL, and his father's job brought him to Chattanooga when he was seven years old. Lutsko graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Commercial Songwriting. He spent his time in Middle Tennessee writing, producing and performing music - including a writers' round at Nashville's world famous Bluebird Cafe. The songwriter has opened up for various national acts including Drive By Truckers, Tea Leaf Green and the Whigs.
In early 2014, Lutsko hit the road to showcase his highly acclaimed debut album, Heart of Mold. Rooted in Americana, Heart of Mold ranges from storytelling songs with surreal imagery and political overtones to vintage sounding pop with catchy melodies and grassroots production. Lutsko took his one man show all over the eastern United States performing in over 25 cities in 13 states.
Lutsko released his sophomore record Etc. in the spring of 2015 and exchanged his rustic roots for an eclectic mix of funk, folk, psychedelia, indie-rock, pop, and blues. Although Nick wrote, produced, and performed the entire record himself, he needed a full band to execute the songs in a live setting. Lutsko's band - dressed in homemade puppet costumes - have helped him deliver great original alternative rock with an unusual tinge of whimsy and humor.
Lutsko competed in the Road to Nightfall competition in 2016, where 30+ local bands battled it out to headline the Nightfall Music Series stage in front of thousands of people. After five nights of competition, narrowing the talent pool downt to five bands, Lutsko took home the victory. He will be performing on Friday, June 3rd, at the Miller Pavilion stage.


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This is probably the most emotional thing you'll see all day, if not this week.
Australia's Kyle and Jackie O Show pledged its help to a woman named Michelle who's trying to put the pieces of her life back together after her 19-year-old son died by paying her mortgage for six months as part of a "give back" campaign the show does.
The offer itself is pretty cool, but the way it was done is even more impressive. The hosts worked with Michelle's daughter, Crystal, to get Michelle into the car and have the radio on at the exact moment they would reveal the big surprise.
The plan was executed perfectly and it didn't take long for everyone to end up in tears.
Michelle's son, Blaine, passed away in December in a freak work accident. Michelle is due to return to work, but, understandably, is still having problems moving, even as the bills keep coming in. As a result, Kyle and Jackie will also give Michelle $5,000 to go toward home improvements Blaine had been working on at the time of his death. You can also help if the story has moved you.
You can watch the entire video below, but be warned: your eyes are about to get more than just a little misty.


All subsequently and surely changed. In mercy God acted, and the Way to the Tree of Life was barred until that time of Man being made fit by grace to eat of its fruit of eternal bliss, and thus live forever.
This entry was posted in What God Taught Me Today and tagged creation, eternal, eternal decrees, fall of man, genesis, Pink Floyd, rise up o men of God, Time, wisdom by lamptofeet. Bookmark the permalink.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Sapporo district held its assembly
Sapporo district held its assembly called "Shito-shoku Taikai (Assembly for apostolates)" on Sunday October 2 at Fuji Women's University in downtown Sapporo. The Sapporo district is the biggest in number of faithful among 6 districts of Sapporo diocese since the district is comprised of 20 parishes in the capital city of Sapporo and surroundings.
Usually an international Mass is organised a week before on the Mission Sunday together with several fun events in Kita Ichijo Cathedral parish. However, for this year, the district decided to combine the international Mass and the Assembly Mass and organised the event as meeting place for both Japanese and migrant Catholics in Sapporo area. The theme of the assembly was "Let's get together!"
At the beginning of the assembly, I was invited as a lecturer to give a talk on our experience in Shinjo in Yamagata prefecture where Filipino community worked together with their families and 2 local Japanese Catholics to establish a parish in October 2010. I shared a story of one of their leaders in Shinjo who struggle for more than 20 years after she migrated to Japan to get married with a Japanese farmer to find their own place for worship. Because of her eagerness to go to Church on Sundays which supposed to be a resting day, her neighbours started to ask her a question. "Are you not able to live without going to Church?" Her enthusiasm to visit Church made others to feel that she was kind of different. So they wanted to know why she wants to go to Church on holidays. After days of hard work in farm, she should take a day of rest. In stead of resting, she struggle to go to Church. So people wanted to know her motivation.
As Catholic Church in Japan does not have sufficient outposts in rural villages, the presence of so many Filipino Catholics in the villages as wives and mothers are quite crucial for the evengelisation in Japan. In fact, as I have been telling them, they are missionaries sent to Japan to be witness of the Word of God despite their different reasons to be in Japan. That question by a neighbor of the leader of the community is quite significant. "Are you not able to live without going to Church?" We also want to be asked the same question by others. We want to be witnesses of Gospel and that is the mission by the Lord to all of us, Christians. In fulfilling this mission in Japan, God has his own plan to proclaim his good news in Japan. And our beloved brothers and sisters from other countries are missionaries to be sent to places traditional church could not reach in Japan.
During the international Mass, several readings and general intersessions were in different languages. Beautiful kids from several countries came up to the front for offertory and songs in several languages were sung.
After the Mass, during lunch time, for our great surprise, a VIP guest suddenly appeared in front of us in person of "President Obama" of the USA together with his strong security police force. He greeted us and, of course, shared a Maccha Ice Cream with us which he had enjoyed in Kamakura. It was a perfect performance organised by the International community of the district. Thank you for your wonderful performance.
Pilgrimage to Lourdes
Confirmation in KAMEDA in Niigata
Manila receives its new head pastor
President Aquino visited Ishinomaki


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Kentucky Same Sex Marriage Case
Federal Judge Rules Kentucky, Not Kim Davis, On The Hook For Legal Fees
A federal judge has ruled that the couples who sued Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis to obtain marriages licenses are entitled to nearly $225,000 in legal…
Timeline: History-Making Day For Gay Rights In Kentucky
Friday's historic Supreme Court decision touched off a variety of actions and reactions across Kentucky.10:05 a.m.County clerks across Kentucky will now…
Courts, Attorneys Prepare For Slew Of Same-Sex Marriage Arguments
Challenges to same-sex marriage bans in four states will be argued Wednesday in Cincinnati.It will be the biggest day yet in a slew of upcoming cases…
Observers Questioning Beshear's Commitment To Defending Same-Sex Marriage Ban
Kentucky's legal defense of the state's same-sex marriage ban has come in for some harsh criticism. And it's led some observers to wonder aloud whether…
Beshear Hires Private Firm In Same-Sex Marriage Legal Case
Gov. Beshear contracted with a private law firm to represent him in appealing a judge's decision allowing state recognition of same-sex marriages.Beshear…
Fairness Legislation Receives First Ever Hearing
The Kentucky House Judiciary Committee made history Wednesday by hearing discussion of a statewide fairness law.The bill, would protect citizens from…
Gov. Beshear Says State Will Hire Outside Counsel In Same-Sex Marriage Case
The state will hire outside attorneys to appeal a judge's decision granting legal recognition to same-sex couples married outside Kentucky.Beshear's…
Judge Grants 21-Day Delay On Same-Sex Marriages
A federal judge has given Kentucky until March 20 to implement his order granting legal recognition to same-sex couples married in other states.U.S.…
Ky. Lawmaker: Third Party Could Potentially Challenge Federal Marriage Ruling
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Pääluoto kan syfta på följande platser:

Finland

 Pääluoto (ö i Norra Savolax), Varkaus,
 Pääluoto (ö i Södra Karelen), Villmanstrand,

Robotskapade Finlandförgreningar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
21:36 Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
The powerful, feature-packed D200 digital SLR camera delivers a high-precision, high-performance package and creates a new class of camera between entry-level and professional digital SLRs.
The Nikon D200 combines the solid look and feel and advanced camera operation of Nikon's D2 professional series with the approved user-friendliness and stunning image quality that are the hallmarks of all Nikon digital SLRs.
The D200 has been crafted to connect a range of newly developed Nikon technologies with advanced features inherited from the Nikon D2x, ensuring an ultimate shooting experience with exceptional and versatile imaging performance, high speed, and an instant response. The result is a blend of superb features, high-quality components, and fantastic results.
This combination makes the D200 perfect for passionate, dedicated amateur photographers, business users in fields such as the police, dentistry and museums, and professionals or semi-professionals looking for a second camera to complement their Nikon D2x or D2Hs.
A lightweight, durable, and robust magnesium-alloy chassis is the foundation for the D200.
Solid look and feel
The D200 boasts a lightweight, durable, and robust magnesium-alloy body and an advanced sealing system that protects the camera from moisture and dust, making it suitable for a range of rigorous and challenging assignments. The integrated double-bladed shutter, which incorporates a refined mirror balance system, has been tested to well in excess of 100,000 cycles.
Advanced operation
The D200's camera operation is inherited from the Nikon D2x, and boasts more than 40 well organized custom settings, so it is ideally suited to the user's needs and preferences. The large, bright viewfinder offers .94x magnification and 95% frame coverage both horizontally and vertically to guarantee exceptionally detailed viewing control.
The D200 sports an impressive 2.5-inch high-resolution LCD.
A 2.5-inch high-resolution LCD screen provides an ultra-wide 170-degree viewing angle from all directions. Images on the D200 can be magnified by up to 400% so users can check for fine detail.
The top LCD panel is the largest in the industry, containing a wealth of data such as shooting mode, battery condition, card information, gridline display, shutter speed, f-stop, and shots remaining. A new color-coded menu display facilitates easy viewing, supported by intuitive keywords to assist speedy navigation.
The newly-developed high-energy EN-EL3e rechargeable lithium-ion battery delivers enough power to the D200 to support the shooting of up to 1,800 images on a single charge, which takes no longer than 2.5 hours. Battery status can be checked through a real-time fuel-gauge system, found in the menu. An optional MB-D200 battery pack extends shooting capability, using AA-size batteries (six are needed) or two NE-EL3e's.
Ultimate shooting experience
The D200 is ideal for capturing unexpected or fleeting moments, thanks to the 0.15 second power-up, a speedy shutter lag time of just 50 milliseconds, and a shortened viewfinder blackout time of 105 milliseconds.
The D200 is also capable of ultra high-speed continuous shooting of five frames per second, capturing up to 37 pictures in JPEG or 22 in RAW format (when using a SanDisk SDCFH Ultra II or SDCFX Extreme III 1 GB CF card). A newly developed and highly flexible Multi-CAM1000 Autofocus features a pinpoint 11-area AF system inherited from Nikon D2 series as well as a 7-area wide AF to focus on larger moving objects easily.
Continuous shooting mode captures five frames per second for
up to 37 pictures in JPEG or 22 in RAW format.
Another feature inherited from the D2x is the 3D-Colour Matrix Metering II, which delivers optimised exposure using new technology developed for the Nikon 1,005 pixel RGB exposure/Colour Matrix Metering sensor. This system evaluates seven parameters in every shot--including brightness, color, contrast, selected focus area, and camera-to-subject distance--and references this data against an on-board database of over 30,000 actual photographic scenes to instantly and accurately calculate the final value.
The Nikon DX Format CCD delivers excellent sharpness, color, and resolution.
A fundamental feature of the D200 is a newly developed 10.2 effective megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor that captures high level sharpness and color at 3,872 x 2,592-pixel size, delivering the right resolution to support significant image enlargements and enable greater freedom for creative cropping. The highly sensitive new sensor covers an ISO range from 100 to 1600, rising to 3200 in Hi-1.
High speed image processing is inherited from the Nikon D2x, guaranteeing fine color gradations and smooth transitions. A new Optical Low Pass Filter helps prevent moire, color fringing, and shifting to get even greater colors.
For added control, saturation and highlights of a shot can be controlled easily using the D200's RBG histograms on the LCD monitor.
In addition, new image optimization modes enable D200 users to produce results that more closely match their intended results, with the ability to optimize sharpening, tone and contrast, color, saturation, and hue in choices including Softer, Normal, More vivid, Portrait, and Black and White in camera.
Unparalleled possibilities
Like all Nikon digital SLR cameras, the D200 is compatible with Nikon's Total Imaging System, which means it can be teamed with over 50 high-quality AF Nikkor lenses, including renowned DX Nikkors as well as non-CPU lenses. It also opens up the creative possibilities that can achieved with Nikon's Creative Lighting System thanks to a built-in i-TTL Speedlight which can serve as master in Advanced Wireless Lighting systems.
The D200 incorporates an x-Sync terminal to connect to studio lighting and features GPS support to record geographical data of the shot, as well as wireless functionality for image capture and transfer.
Includes 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens
Designed exclusively for use on Nikon DX-format digital SLR cameras, this new and extraordinarily versatile AF Zoom-Nikkor lens is perfect for an extremely wide variety of shooting situations ranging from tight sports, action, and portraits to wide-angle landscapes. Photographers will enjoy picture angle performance that approximates that of a 28-200mm lens on a 35mm film SLR. Advanced Nikon engineering, in particular the compact Silent Wave Motor, has enabled a highly compact, lightweight design with excellent handling characteristics.
The optical design features a Nikon ED glass element and two hybrid aspherical lens elements, assuring high-resolution, high-contrast images while minimizing chromatic aberration, astigmatism and other forms of image degradation. The lens' compact Silent Wave Motor offers wonderfully fast, smooth, and quiet autofocus performance.
Nikon D200 Major features
Newly developed 10.2 effective megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor with the power to capture exceptional sharpness and faithful color at 3,872 x 2,592-pixel size. Incorporates high-speed 4-channel data output that contributes to 5-frames-per-second continuous shooting performance and employs a newly developed Optical Low Pass Filter that helps prevent moire, color fringing, and shifting while improving resolving power.
Incorporates the industry-leading advanced imaging processing engine of the D2x, which allows color-independent pre-conditioning prior to A/D conversion to work in concert with advanced digital image processing algorithms to achieve fine color gradations with exceptionally smooth, consistent transitions.
Newly developed 11-area AF system packs the same number of focus areas available for the professional D2 series into a space-efficient system, with the photographer able to select individual focus areas from 11-area wide and 7-area wide AF for Single Area AF, Dynamic AF that delivers precise Continuous servo AF mode operation for moving subjects, Closest Subject Priority Dynamic AF, and also Group Dynamic AF. All these AF options are supported by refined lens-controlling algorithms that realize improved focus precision, better subject acquisition capability, keener subject tracking ability, and overall improved system response.
3D Colour Matrix Metering II (AE)--as used in the D2x--delivers optimized exposure through the use of new technology developed for the Nikon 1,005-pixel RGB exposure/Colour Matrix Metering Sensor. Evaluating brightness, color, contrast, selected focus area, and camera-to-subject distance, this system references all such data against an expanded onboard database that has been created using data from more than 30,000 actual photographic scenes to instantly and accurately calculate the final value with high-level dependability during both automatic and manual operation. Also offers variable size center-weighted metering which concentrates 75% of sensitivity within the center-weighted circle, as well as spot metering supporting each individual sensor of both the 7 wide-area AF and 11-area AF groups.
New image optimization modes enable photographers to produce results more closely matching the intended results, with a range of choice comprising optimization of sharpening, tone (contrast), color, saturation, and hue, with choices from Normal, Softer, Vivid, More vivid, Portrait, Custom, and Black-and-white optimization.
Multiple exposure enables up to 10 separate images to be used to create a single composite to produce imaginative and even surreal results. Image overlay function creates a composite image in-camera from two selected NEF (RAW) images. The original files remain unaltered, opacity can be precisely controlled and the resultant image can be saved in either RAW, JPEG, or TIFF format.
Connection to a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit via an optionally available GPS Adapter Cord MC-35 enables the recording of data including latitude, longitude, elevation and UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) along with conventional shooting data for each image.
A large 2.5-inch LCD monitor with a 170-degree viewing angle from every direction assists accurate assessment of sharpness by enabling image preview with up to 400% magnification. It also offers RGB information as a single display or separate histograms for each color channel to enable better exposure-related decision-making.
A chassis crafted from magnesium alloy gives the D200 lightweight resilience, while an enhanced sealing system helps protect each and every exterior seam from potentially damaging dust and moisture.
Nikon D200 DSLR body, 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, EN-EL3e rechargeable Li-ion battery, MH-18a Quick Charger, EG-D100 video cable, UC-E4 USB cable, AN-D200 strap, BF-1A body cap, DK-5 eyepiece cap, DK-21 rubber eyecup, BM-6 LCD monitor cover, accessory shoe cover, Nikon PictureProject software CD ROM
I got one of these for my photography class since I love to take photos. This is by far the easiest camera to use. Functions are easy to comphrehend and it takes SUPERB pictures. It is a bit old since new models have came out but it is still a great buy and definitely a steal for the poor professionals or beginners :).
If you are looking to upgrade from D40 save yourself $1000 vs the D300 and buy this D200 body for $799. You can't beat it and I tried. Camera stores won't even talk to you for this price and they tell you it's not a USA made product. Bull! This is the real deal. I love my D200. My buddy has the D300 and paid close to $2000. There is little difference.
This item was shipped new, not remanufactured in a sealed Nikon box with all the accessories. I continue to buy from Amazon. They are the best.
D200: Great camera, especially at $799
I just got this camera at the $799 special that Amazon had going. I've had a Nikon D70 digital SLR since they came out (my D70 is almost 5 years old) and apart from a hot line of pixels that shows up now and then (especially at higher isos), its been great. However, the one thing I've always faulted the D70 for is the crappy view finder and crappy screen. I have an old Nikon FE2 (they'll have to pry this camera from my cold dead hands!) and the viewfinder is positively amazing.
So, when my friend got the D200 a couple of years ago I drooled over it but there was no way I was going to shell out $1600+ (the camera is worth that, but it wasn't in my budget). So when I saw this $799 deal, I jumped on it.
I've only had the camera for a few days, so here are my impressions
Viewfinder, viewfinder, viewfinder. Great bright viewfinder that makes it a pleasure to compose.
Speed. This camera is fast to focus and fast to take pictures, especially in the continious high speed mode
Build Quality: It is very solid (mostly metal) and the outer rubber has a nice feel to it. Also heavily gasketed.
Dedicated controls: Most controls are dedicated, no digging through menus to change iso,wb,quality, focus mode etc. I didn't realize the benefits of this until today morning in the cold when I realized unlike the D70, I could take pictures with gloves on.
Ability to use old lenses. I have AIS manual focus lenses and they matrix meter on this baby. I can now use my Nikon ais 105 F2.5, which is my best portrait lens.
Megapixels. Going from 6MP to 10MP gives more detail
Uncompressed NEFs vs the D70's compressed NEFs. Yeah, I know that Nikon said 'visually lossless compression' but I'm a maximiser, what can I say :-)
Much better exposure control and color accuracy. I was shocked that when taking photos in snow I didn't have to compensate.
True RGB Histograms in the viewFinder
Huge 2.5 Inch high res screen compared to the 1.8 inch on my D70.
High ISO noise (800+) while much better than the D70, lags behind other cameras (i.e Canon).
Capture NX2 not included. Have to purchase separately.
I'm giving the camera 5 stars because the high iso performance is not important to me. In a word, great camera. Is the D300 a better camera, yes. But it also costs $1000 more.


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Dalinghosaurus longidigitus — вымерший вид ящериц, описанный в 1998 году китайским палеонтологом С. А. Цзи из Департамента геологии Пекинского университета, единственный вид в роде Dalinghosaurus. Окаменелые остатки ящерицы были найдены в нижнемеловых отложениях формации Исянь на северо-западе Китая.

Описание

Dalinghosaurus longidigitus был мелкой ящерицей с чрезвычайно длинными хвостом и задними конечностями, что у современных ящериц является типичной морфологией для быстрых наземных бегунов, потенциально способных к бипедальной локомоции при высокой скорости бега. Более короткие передние конечности обычно связывают с древесным образом жизни. И хотя тонкие когтевые фаланги указывают на то, что рептилия была способна карабкаться по вертикальным поверхностям, возможно, она предпочитала открытые пространства, которые с ней делили обитавшие здесь тероподы.

В пекинском Институте палеонтологии позвоночных собрано 11 образцов Dalinghosaurus longidigitus. Один из скелетов содержит внутри 10 или больше скелетов неполовозрелых особей. Возможные остатки Dalinghosaurus были найдены в районе пищеварительного тракта мелкого компсогнатида синозавроптерикса.

Несмотря на то, что рептилия жила в нижнемеловую эпоху, при исследовании 2005 года было обнаружена её тесная филогенетическая взаимосвязь с несколькими современными таксонами семейства Xenosauridae. Среди её родственников есть современная китайская крокодиловая ящерица шинизавр, вымерший Exostinus из Монтаны и Вайоминга, а также вымерший род Carusia из Монголии. Dalinghosaurus отличался от Carusia наличием меньшего количества зубов, а от шинизавра — формой черепа и нижней челюсти.

Примечания

Вымершие ящерицы
†
Ископаемая фауна Евразии
Фоссилии, описанные в 1998 году


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cep welcomes summer intern, taylor armstrong
Taylor Armstrong, CEP's 2021 Summer Intern.
We are excited to welcome Taylor Armstrong as our 2021 Summer Intern. He comes to us from Miami University where he is entering his Senior Year majoring in Political Science. While in school, he serves as the Deputy Chief for Staff of Miami's Vice President of Government relations. Taylor was raised in Urbana and is a 2018 graduate of Urbana High School. He and his family have strong roots in the community and Champaign County. After graduation, Taylor hopes to work in government affairs in the private sector or as a staffer for an elected official, with ambitions to seek a public office at the local, state or national level.
When asked about working with the CEP, Taylor had this to say, "With our community at an inflection point, I'm very excited to apply my knowledge, skills, and understanding of public policy to complement the CEP's great work towards the positive growth and creation of opportunity for Urbana and Champaign County."
We look forward to working with Taylor over the next few months and urge you to give him a warm Champaign County welcome when you see him out in our community!


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First look inside Liverpool city centre's newest gym
The Lab is run by 24-year-old personal trainer Joe Neill
Jamie McLoughlin
Sign up for our what's on newsletter for the perfect guide to making the most of your free time
Getting a tattoo won't always change your life. But it can send your career path around an unexpected bend.
That's exactly what happened to 24-year-old personal trainer Joe Neill when being inked at the Devils Club parlour on Stanley Street .
During the usual chat between artist and client, Joe asked a few nosey questions about the basement below the studio that the owners didn't use and what sort of lease was on it.
The Lab Fat Loss and Fitness Studio on Stanley Street.
Fast-forward to today and that basement is now The Lab, the first gym Joe has taken on as owner instead of team member and he's ready for the new challenge.
"I worked as a personal trainer for five years and built up a client base," Joe says. "I've decided to go on my own from there.
"I've been working in the No Limits gym in the Baltic Triangle for four years. They helped me a lot and I'm still good friends with everyone there.
"It's been good to come off by myself and see what I can do. It wasn't always the plan. I always thought I'd stick to being a personal trainer and stay away from the stress of opening your own place.
"It's been fine so far, we'll see."
Anyone who knows Joe, who lives in Broad Green, won't be at all surprised that this is the route his working life has taken him.
Growing up in Kensington, he atteneded St Sebastian's school, one with a strong sporting ethic - and later Cardinal Heenan in West Derby where physical exercise was also strongly encouraged.
"I played football throughout my childhood," Joe continues. "I did that maybe until I was about 13 or 14 and then started playing rugby and had a little bit of interest in other sports. I was doing athletics then I ended up doing Mixed Martial Arts at around 15.
"To my mum's dismay, I left sixth form and decided to do that full time. From there, I ended up going into personal training."
With his own premises in the city centre, it's pretty much a given that Joe's mother is chuffed with her little lad these days.
When entering The Lab, visitors are presented with mainly weights and resistance equipment, with a cardio bike based at the back of the room.
The bulk of Joe's fitness routines feature weights although that shouldn't put gym newbies off from going along.
Aldi is selling tubs of protein shake for under £20
He explains: "It's the same for anybody who come in.
"They'll have a consultation and off the back of that we'll decide what direction to go. Everybody does the same first couple of sessions, see what sort of stuff they can do.
"We start them with bodyweight stuff, we'll see what you can do and then make a plan and then go from there.
"We don't try to push too much on the transformation side of things.
"It's more a case of setting someone up for the long term, educating them and getting them into good habits .
"The education side of things is a big part of it.
"We try to make it accessible for everyone. Give as much education to everyone to help them achieve their fitness goal."
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The Lab offers personal training, group training and a mentor membership, the latter of which has strictly limited places.
Although gym session are already underway, The Lab opens officially in September and website is currently under construction.
In the meantime, anyone interested in sessions can contact The Lab via Facebook , Twitter or the Lab's own Instagram account .
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The hardest thing to acquire is the shift dresses. They are beautiful and everyone wants them and not only does every person need one, but every person needs all 7!!! I will have 4 from the collection, See Ya Later, Happy Place, Upstream, and Fan Dance (on the way). I love them all as many women do! The problem was the launch was chaotic and most people weren't able to even see the pieces let alone try them on to see what sizes they needed. The merchandise was cleared from the stores in minutes and everyone was left to pay exorbitant prices on eBay. Multiple groups were started on Facebook to try to get the goods to Lilly Lovers across the country for reasonable prices. I am truly grateful for these group and belong to quite a few!
Here are the prints and shift dresses everyone is in search of! The Lilly Pulitzer shift dress is a classic shape in a fun and happy print!!!
First up is Nosie Posey, a floral favorite for everyone. The colors are bright and vibrant and there are hidden kitties in the flowers!
Upstream is perfect for summer with a navy and white nautical feel. It features a fish print that everyone is sure to love!
See Ya Later is a bright pink dress with alligators! I love how the animals are subtle enough, so it just looks like a fun floral fabric. I have this for myself and the matching one for my daughter. We will be debuting it on her 3rd birthday!
Fan Dance features flamingos! Who can resist flamingos in the summer time?!?
My Fans is a beautiful blue and pink color that's vibrant and fun in the shape of fans! This one is truly a Lilly "fan" favorite and probably one of the hardest dresses to find!!!
My personal favorite is Happy Place. I love yellow and this has a fun lion print. This really does put a smile on your face as soon as you put it on (at least it does for me)!!!
The 7th dress in the collection is Giraffeeey! This is made from linen and stands out from the others because of the different material. As you scroll through all 7 dresses, don't you want to own them all too?!?
I noticed many women were listing shift dresses to trade or sell to try to get the entire collection and to make other women happy that weren't able to snag one in the store! And if you're not checking the groups every minute of every day, you're missing out. You need to be quick to snag those shift dresses, they're gone in seconds! So, I had a crazy idea to create a thread where everyone lists the shift dresses they have to trade or sell and what they are searching for. I thought it'd be a great way to orchestrate multi-person trades to get everyone in the shifts they needed and desired!
The document kept growing and getting more complex, so it became a Google Doc spreadsheet that everyone can view easily! Here's the link to it. Green is what individuals have and white is what they want. It currently contains individuals from the Facebook group "Lilly Pulitzer Target Resale and Trade" and "Don't Buy Target Lilly from Scalpers". I hope every woman is able to rid themselves of the shifts that do not work for them and acquire the shifts they love and wear dearly. I will also be examining the document for possible trades and messaging individuals through Facebook if I see any viable trades.
I'm glad you like it! I hope it's helpful!!! I hope people continue to participate!