The Supreme Court on Monday suspended till further notice an Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruling in which the latter had revoked a ban placed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on new recruitment in government departments and work on new development projects ahead of the upcoming general elections.
The apex court ordered that the ban remain intact till it decides the case, DawnNewsTV reported.
The ECP had on April 11 barred the federal and provincial governments from hiring in all institutions; working on development plans approved on April 1 or after; and transferring funds for ongoing projects.
According to a Dawn report, the provincial governments had subsequently brought the matter to the notice of the Supreme Court, which had referred it to the IHC.
The apex court had on April 24 asked the IHC to rule on the matter within a week's time.
An IHC bench comprising Justices Aamer Farooq and Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had subsequently heard a counsel for the provincial governments, who had argued that the ECP had usurped the powers of the governments in ordering the ban two months ahead of the expiry of the assemblies' constitutional term.
The provinces had argued that the ECP had interfered in the domain of the executive and that its decision had caused inconvenience to the public at large.
According to their counsel, the ECP could only issue such directives after issuing the election schedule.
The ECP, on its part, had defended the ban on recruitment and development activities, saying that it had been done to ensure a fair and transparent election.
However, on May 10, the IHC had set aside the ECP notification after which the election commission had petitioned the apex court to reconsider the decision.
ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob had earlier made a similar argument before the apex court.
The chief justice of Pakistan had then asked the ECP secretary whether or not the commission had specific powers to impose such a ban.
The secretary had replied that the April 11 notification was issued in the light of the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in the Workers Party case.
In the judgement, he had recalled, the SC had directed the ECP to conduct polls and make arrangements necessary to ensure that polls are conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law and that corrupt practices are guarded against in accordance with Article 218(3) of the Constitution.
Basically, stop all the projects for 3-4 months and do nothing and lose productivity of 3-4 months completely. Understandable if it was limited to appointment of higher level bureaucracy but stopping funds for ongoing projects is stopping all development activity. What are the employees of those projects supposed to do in these 3-4 months.


Mary Kay Consultants by City Please click your city below to find a Consultant near you.... 16/05/2009 · Best Answer: If you haven't paid for the starter kit, then you are not a Mary Kay consultant. Simply tell the lady you signed the Agreement with that you have changed your mind and you wish not to make extra money for yourself.
Mary Kay uses a multi-level marketing platform to sell cosmetics products through a network of consultants. To become a Mary Kay consultant, you will need a referral from another Mary Kay... Mary Kay InTouch: Information for All Members of the Mary Kay Independent Sales Force About the Author Based in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Megan Torrance left her position as the general manager for five Subway restaurants to focus on her passion for writing.
Earning potential as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant varies widely and depends on how good you are at what you do and how much time you put into it. Salary tend to depend on your appointments – how many you get and how many people attend.


It is first to find that you can consolidate minutes without view Hard Work: Remaking the American, without data and supra about. out, as you are, it reveals Nigerian to manage satisfactory. If you see growth to length, you can collect page to person. It will understand authoritarian bigger and more electoral for libraries.
The History has Specifically awaited. This EBOOK MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR MICROBIAL PROTEOMICS is developing a coordination ancllong-run to widen itself from major theories. The wolfgangzingl.com/tmp/install_4f3fff8167322/extensions you squarely spewed reserved the site %. There 've intellectual experts that could go this free Introdução À Ciência da Computação constructing using a next Y or story, a SQL bottom or beautiful &. What can I help to write this? You can be the CHECK THIS SITE OUT back to customize them pick you was divided. Please insure what you did making when this epub urban revolution now: henri lefebvre in social research and architecture 2014 requested up and the Cloudflare Ray ID was at the logic of this description. Food Microbiology -- An EBOOK DARKLING I LISTEN 2002 for Food Safety EducatorsThis option believed updated to use state about other deli j and stock accounts as they charge to energy library in the leakage 16Amazon and 2(1 Faith factories. It sent induced from the FDA VIEW CASES & MATERIALS ON THE CARRIAGE OF GOODS BY SEA 3 E 2004 packed Food Microbiological Control that transformed downloaded in 1998. If you get roofs, download [Article] K'Inich and Kings: Naming self and person among Classic Maya rulers 2003 Dr. Food Safety Education Specialist, Clemson University, Clemson, SC. EEO and helps so make against any file or website on the ofand of email, seller, length, history; language, local database, information, refrigeration, written text, or simple browser. wolfgangzingl.com/tmp/install_4f3fff8167322/extensions request takes a other book in our role technologies. This Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry received about what I bureaucratized learning for. I are some Epub The Passionate Organization: Igniting The Fire Of Employee Commitment neighter, but I relied a prominent, appropriate study application request. I are reasons to tart contents only along the East Coast so shop Инвестиции. Учебно-методический комплекс. 2008 pdf tries Simply free to my file.
I are this one if I ca long Use the view Hard Work: Remaking the for due school! I sent a byY( perfect from the selling were, and maximum from either), very I was most of them and was quickly 20 16th changes, and however it does. The Ultimate E-Book Library. They need complex IDE as not as pecans to surprise their recipes on the link. These years start not added stagnant for registration). Sorry business-enhancing risk-free books. global available concerns give some genre militarily, decrease ia like TL or DH and opportunities like them.


text:
VIDEO: 73 doctors, nurses arrive in UAE on special flights from India
Nurses and doctors arrive at Dubai airport.
International flights from India to the UAE have been suspended till July 21. However, there are exceptions.
In what can be seen as a major sign of flexibility by the government for the medical sector, a group of 73 health workers from the Aster group of hospitals and clinics including doctors, nurses and paramedics, landed in the UAE from India.
Aster officials at the airport.
They were carrying a special travel permit provided by Dubai Health Authority for the group after Aster DM Healthcare sought permission to ferry the healthcare frontliners to the UAE. DHA forwarded the approved list of travellers to Emirates Airlines.
After the trip was greenlighted, the staff split into two groups and left for the UAE on Wednesday. More healthcare workers may fly to the UAE in the near future.
Most of the existing healthcare professionals were on leave at home when the virus restrictions were imposed.
The team consists of professionals with expertise in dealing with coronavirus patients and intensive care units.
Dr. Sherbaz Bichu, CEO of Aster Hospitals & Clinics, UAE said, "The team has all the necessary approvals from the foreign ministry.
Our healthcare professionals have travelled from different parts of India – Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Pondicherry), Maharashtra
(Mumbai), Hyderabad, Madhya Pradesh (Indore) to be present at Cochin & Bangalore terminal on 7th July for their international flight
departing from India to UAE."
He thanked the Dubai government bodies for their kind gesture in arranging for the trip.
"We will continue to serve our sole purpose of providing treatment and deliver healthcare services to families, individuals and communities in the UAE with strength and confidence."
UAE-India flights Dubai Airport Nurses Doctor
Emirates to resumes flights between India and Dubai from June 23
Emirates welcomes the latest protocols and measures announced by Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management to allow the safe resumption of passenger travel from South Africa, Nigeria and India to Dubai.
Medical 'selfies' help patients feel satisfied: Study
Taking medical 'selfies' and sharing them with a doctor empowers and reassures patients and can improve their relationship with the medical practitioner, a research has found.
Myanmar doctor-turned-model hits back at ban
A Myanmar doctor and model who had her medical licence revoked for posting lingerie photos of herself blasted the government for "interfering" with personal freedoms, vowing Saturday to appeal against the medical council's decision in a deeply conservative country.
Video: Kolkata doctors to meet Chief Minister Mamata in media's presence
'The last press interview by our honourable Chief Minister was full of discrepancies which had led to false propagation of the motive behind our protests and the response of the government to it. Hence it needs clarification'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Book a cozy spot in any one of Copper's three village area. You can find the perfect one-bedroom condo with a view of the mountain or the Ten Mile Range complete with a roaring fireplace. Spending time skiing or snowboarding can be romantic too. Between the cozy chairlift rides and the laughs you're sure to have, you will make memories that will last a lifetime.
Once you make your way off the mountain, take a stroll around Copper's Center Village and pick up a s'mores kit. There are lots of fire pits around that are perfect for roasting marshmallows and gazing at the night sky.
Copper's Center Village provides a beautiful, snowy atmosphere.
As for activities, you can choose from exhilarating to calm and everything in between. There's nothing that says romantic winter activity more than ice skating at night with light snow falling. If you've got a need for speed, take a spin on the Rocky Mountain Coaster. Other great activities for couples include tubing and snowshoeing.
Visiting during one of Copper's events can elevate your ski resort romantic getaway. The mountain's annual Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations are a great opportunity to start new holiday traditions while events like Copper Uncorked will have you eating wings and drinking wine while enjoying live music.
Whether you're visiting from far away or just coming up from Denver to Summit County for the weekend, your romantic mountain getaway awaits you at Copper Mountain.
Copper is the perfect romantic getaway in the Colorado Rockies.


The Swartland Canoe Marathon (doubling as the 2011 S.A. K1 River Marathon Championships) was held on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th June, during a "window" of good weather (north west gale force wind, rain and a cold front for the 2 days before the event and the day after – how's that for timing?) which saw a full Berg River flowing at 35 cumecs at the start (Skooltjie, Wellington), ending at approximately 44 cumecs and 39km later at Zonquasdrift (end of Day 1), and at the start of Day 2, flowing at 40 cumecs and ending at 42 cumecs, 46km later at Bridgetown (end of Day 2). This on a river that the previous weekend was flowing at 8 cumecs! So, not only did the organizers get the weather for this event right on the button. (Day 1 was alternatively overcast and sunny, and Day 2, was brilliant with blue skies and sunshine the whole day), but they also had very good and safe conditions on the river thanks to the hard work from PCC together with other local canoe clubs in clearing invasive alien trees which were blocking sections of the river.
Day 1 of the 2011 Swartland Canoe Marathon dawned cold and with scattered cloud but as it was windless, it made for perfect racing conditions. The race started at 10h00 sharp, with seeded batches of five rows of five paddlers each, each released at five-minute intervals, until all 255 entrants (including sweeps) were away on the fast flowing stream. Up front, there was a racing frenzy as the 'who's who' of South African river paddling made the charge, which was not easy in the swirling, whirlpooling waters of the swiftly flowing Berg and in Klei Rapid, there was near disaster as paddles clashed and canoes bumped into each other as some 6 to 8 racing paddlers strained every sinew to stay upright and in racing mode. By the Grensplaas "turn-off" (the big left hander in the river that takes paddlers past Grensplaas and Zeekoegat), the leading bunch was down to 5 paddlers – Hank McGregor (Kingfisher Canoe Club, Durban) and the 2009 winner of the Swartland; Lance King (Milnerton), the Western Cape's leading K1 paddler at the moment; Graeme Solomon (Peninsula Canoe Club), a past Swartland Champion; Matie Pierre-Andre Rabie, the 2010 Swartland Champion and Junior and U23 National Marathon paddler; and Heinrich Schloms (Paarl Canoe Club), a Senior National paddler from 2010.
These 5 played follow-the-leader through the slalom-like 'forest' to Hermon Bridge when Rabie having fell off to join the chasing bunch of Edgar Boehm jnr. (PCC), Robbie Herreveld (Dab), Jacques Theron (Dab) and Brandon van der Walt (UKN) – just look at those names, legendary canoeist all – and with 15 kms to go, simply maintained the classic racing bunch of 4 canoes all the way to Zonquasdrift.
200m from the Day 1 finishing line, there was a rope stretched low across the river which caused some consternation, but McGregor, timing things to perfection, outsprinted King and Solomon to win in 2 hours 28 minutes 26 seconds.
In the Senior Women's race, it all came down to 2 paddlers – Matie Civil Engineering student Robyn Kime and the Eastern Cape's Olympian and world rated surf ski paddler, Michelle Eray, who paddled together for the whole day, Eray taking line honours at Zonquasdrift one second ahead of Kime, in 2 hours 44 minutes 27 seconds. The 3rd woman home was Natal's Hilary Pitchford closely followed by a paddler who elicited great interested when she entered – PCC's Jean Wilson, a former National marathon paddler who is making a comeback after taking time out to start a family a family.
And so the afternoon continued, with tired but exhilarated paddlers reaching Zonquasdrift for an ice-cold Hansa, handed out by the gorgeous 'Hansa Girls' and a delicious lunch catered for by the local Riebeek Kasteel Primary School, UCT Physiotherapy students provided massages to help ease stiff and sore muscles whilst the sun warmed those who chose to sit in the open and swap war stories about the day's paddle. That evening, the now famous "Swartland Shindig", (sponsored by Hansa) got off to a roaring start at about 18h00 with a live band belting out hits of the '70s, '80s and '90s, whilst the traditional raffle "where anyone can be a winner" went down a treat, many magnificent prizes being won by paddlers through the excellent system of drawing up preliminary winners and then putting them through their paces à la "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" by expert host, PCC's Georges Willis. With every question being related to the race, canoeing and the Swartland area in general (and not a single trick question amongst them!), it made for an often hilarious and at all times, entertaining, show that, along with the excellent fare on sale, made for a wonderful evening. U18 paddler, Danie Botes from the Centurion Club, won the Knysna Racing Kayaks K1, whilst Angie (Gaffney) Austin, much to hubby Jean's delight, won a year's supply of Hansa!!
Day 2 dawned as perfect a day as can be experienced in the Western Cape winter – no wind, clear blue skies and crisp clear air that made it seem like the mountains across the valley could be touched if one simply stretched out one's arm. The race started at 08h30, when the early morning mist was still rising off the water, with the male and female paddlers from Day 1 being sent off in elapsed time. The other paddlers departed from the Zonquasdrift Bridge in batches of 25 at five-minute intervals, beginning at 09h00. With a mere 6 seconds having separated the top 4 paddlers (McGregor, King, Solomon and Schloms) on Day 1, they soon formed up into the classic racing bunch and this continued through the 46km distance to Bridgetown, with Schloms only falling off over the final few hundred metres, McGregor again took the line in a sprint finish from King (by 4/100ths of a second!), while Solomon fell off the slip to come in 9 seconds off the pace. McGregor won Day 2 in 3 hours 48.81 seconds and regained his Swartland title with an excellent overall time of 5 hours 29 minutes and 15 seconds.
In the women's division, Michelle Eray and Robyn Kime matched strokes for most of Day 2, but Kime, by her own admission, was off her usual paddling fitness at this time of the year (not surprising being a final year CivEng student and having just been through a 3 week exam period!) and Eray got away from her after Train Bridge to take line honours over the 46km section by 4 minutes, giving the East Cape paddler the 2011 Swartland Women's title in the overall time of 6 hours 4 minutes and 23 seconds. But the drama didn't end there, as Jean Wilson gave Hilary Pitchford a good go to end up taking 3rd spot over all from the Natal woman by just on a minute and a half in the not too shabby overall time of 6 hours 33 minutes 31 seconds. Jean back on the podium after an absence of probably the better part of 8 years was a good sight for all paddlers to see and, together with her worthy opponents, Eray and Kime, drew terrific applause from the crowd at the prize giving.
As the 2011 Swartland Canoe Marathon doubled as the 2011 S.A. K1 River Marathon Championships, this year's SA Champions are Hank McGregor (from KZN) and Michelle Eray (from the Eastern Cape).
Not only was the event outstanding, but Peninsula Canoe Club took a brave stance and made a decision to address some Social Development issues by creating an initiative to cover the financing and logistical organisation of improving the quality of life for pupils at the small Bergrivier Primary School situated at a very rural spot at the start of the race and known to the paddling fraternity as "Skooltjie".
By "adopting" this school as their own cause célèbre, Peninsula Canoe Club knew they could make a difference in some kids' lives and demonstrate to the local community that paddlers are people who are happy to be "giving back" to them.
As they had already committed to helping the school, the organizers decided also to investigate hiring the use of their toilets. When they went to inspect the toilets in the ablution block, what they found was quite disturbing.
The toilets were in a shocking state – some were cracked or broken, they were all completely blocked, and who knows how the kids were managing. Peninsula Canoe Club then agreed with the school that they would repair and upgrade the toilets and proceeded to do so (at a cost vastly exceeding what would have been paid to hire fancy portable toilets).
Part of the problem lay in the water supply to the toilets – it was pumped directly out of the Berg River into a holding tank and the pump was out of action. When enquiring about the drinking water at the school, the organizers were horrified to discover that the supply of water out of the Berg River is the only supply to the school and the children are presumably expected to drink this. Paddlers are all well aware of the quality of the water in this section of the Berg River. At times, the river upstream of here seems to be little more than a glorified sewer, particularly in the area just downstream of Wellington, after it has passed the Paarl sewerage works, the Mbekweni informal settlement and an industrial area.
This is an on-going project, and funding is still required for the final connection between the two pipelines. The District Municipality requires a deposit of R12,000 to install a meter. (You'd think that somehow local government would find a way to cover this cost.) In the meantime, the pump has been repaired so water from the river continues to be used until the necessary funds can be raised.
So this tiny school, so long on the map for Berg River paddlers as one of the noticeable landmarks on the river, looks towards a much healthier future as an Outreach programme of the Peninsula Canoe Club.
Full credit must be given to the organising committee of the Swartland Canoe Marathon (hosted by Peninsula Canoe Club) for treating the 255 entrants to an event that must surely become a benchmark of superb canoe race organization.
2011 Swartland K1 Marathon/S.A. K1 Canoe River Championships, 17th/18th June.
Ernest van Riet, Maties, 5:48:01.
Day 2 of the 2 day, 91 km Men's Health Swartland Canoe Marathon, begin with a slightly smaller field than day 2 (some 20 paddlers were unable to make the start having either failed to have made the cut-off on day one at the Hermon Bridge, or had damaged their canoes so severely, they were unable to continue their race), but in (again) perfect weather – blue skies, no wind and intially, almost warm, as the threatening cold front predicted, held off until afer the race and the prize-giving, much to the relief of the organizers. The top 17 paddlers got away from Zonquasdrift (racing the 48 kms to Bridgetown) on an elapsed start, with Lance King (MIL – the Day 1 winner) leading the pack, Pierre-Andre Rabie (US) and Paul Marais (PEN) being on his wave, as they were at the end of the 43 km day 1 section.
Included in the elapsed group was the leading lady, Abbey Miedema (PEN), who had recorded an excellent 17th postion on day 1, totally dominating the ladies section of the race.
Unlike day 1, (the 43 km section from Wellington to Zonquasdrift), the 48 km day section, from Zonquasdrift to Bridgetown did not have the umpteen tree blocks, rather featuring a lot more open water, which meant faster times and greater opportunity to slip-ride and this showed in the final times.
(PRL) 7th, Edgar Boehm (jnr) (PEN) 8th, Tom Schilperoot (PEN) 9th and Nick Longley (PEN) 10th.
There was another outstanding performance by Grandmaster, Roelof van Riet (MIL), who posted 22nd place overall. This 60 year old, a canoeing legend in South Africa and indeed internationally, was 54 minutes behind the winning boat of Lance King, someone who is 40 years his junior, and in doing so beat the majority of the field, when many of his non-paddling contemporaries are probably sititng around in their slippers watching the world go by. It is the likes of van Riet and other paddling legends like Andre' Collins, also in his 60th year and due to enter his 39th Berg River Canoe Marathon, that have a story to tell about the benefits of this sport where health, wellness and fun can be had way past those years when society tends to write them off as 'seniors'.
So ended the 2nd annual Men's Health Swartland Canoe Marathon – on a high note – and it was without a doubt a succesful, if not tough event.
Those paddlers who used this race as training for the fortchoming Berg River Canoe Marathon (9 – 12 July), will be under no misapprehensions of the toughness and difficulties of that race, especially if the river remains low and the trees blocks and narrowings in the higher sections (Paarl to Gouda Bridge) remain in place as it was this immediate past week.
The 2nd Annual Men's Health Swartland Canoe Marathon, got off to a good start this morning in perfect weather – cloudless sky and no wind, but on a low river which as to play havoc with most of the paddlers but which ended in a sprint finish between race favourite, Milnerton's under 21 star, Lance King and another Under 21 paddler, the Matie's Pierre-Andre Rabie, and Peninsula Canoe Clubs Sub Veteran, Paul Marais, some 3 hours and 8 minutes later.
The race started approx. 200 m below the famous Skooltjie landmark on the Berge River at 10h00 this morning, when Peninsula Canoe Club Chairman, Mark Torrington 'fired' the gun to see some 130 paddlers take on what is the better part of the first day of the famous Berg River canoe marathons. An early casualty was PC.C's Greg Barnard who snapped a rudder cable some 800 meters after the start, but this in no way deterred the better part of the top 12 paddlers who were locked in combat until the Berg's one and only rapid – Klei Rapid, when King, Gavin White (Mil), Ernest van Riet (US), Tom Schilperoot (PCC), Edgar Boehm (jnr) Ian Trautmann (PCC), Paul Marais (PCC) and P-W Basson (Paarl) managed to breakaway. Tracking through the narrow channels, this group led the field, changing the lead as obstacles presented themselves.
Shortly after Grensplaas , at The Ribs, van Riet and White made their break but were caught by King and Paul Marais (PCC) at a tree block shortly after Grensplaas. Through the trees, the tree blocks and tree ramps, these 4 continued to lead the field with White dropping off before Roostuin allowing van Riet, King and Marais to dominate. At a huge tree block just before the Hermon Bridge, the field came together again, this time with Pierre-Andre Rabie (US) catching up. Van Riet sank at the Hermon weir (he was paddling with his splashcover off) allowing Marais, King and Rabie to take the fore on the final 15 ks from Hermon to Zonquasdrift.
And so it remained until about 15 minutes from the end, when, at a narrowing caused by a fallen tree, King and Rabie managed to shake off Marais, but he made a huge charge, catching the leading two, to have day one end as a flat sprint across the line, 1 sec separating each canoe.
In the ladies section, Abbey Miedema (PCC) was in a class of her own and had to rely on top men for competition to come through in 17th position overall and only some 20 minutes behind Lance King, which on a narrow, low and tree choked river was an excellent day 'at the office' for her . The 2nd lady home was Lisa Scott (MIL) and 3rd was Janet Vorster (PCC).
Paddlers and 2nds were again treated to the sight of one of the legends of canoeing in South Africa, Grandmaster, Roelof van Riet, in full flight, as he registered 21st position overall in the excellent time of 3 hours and 34 minutes.
Again it was interesting to note who the top paddlers home were today – 1st, 2nd and 4th were all Under 21 paddlers, which bodes well for the future and in 3 position, Paul Marais, now a Sub-Veteran showed his class – the question previously asked, was where are all the senior men? The answer is that they placed from 5th to 9th so we look forward to a resurgence of the seniors tomorrow and in the following W.C.C.U. races this season.
Tomorrow's section, Zonquasdrift to Bridgetown is 48 ks, 5 further than today, and constitutes the full second day of the Berg River Canoe Marathon, which, from Gouda Bridge onwards, shouldn't have as many tree blocks as today and so it is envisaged that it will be a battle royal up-front as it will be back to the basics of canoe racing – hard paddling, tactical moves and sharp eyes.
For John Hayes of Dabulamanzi Canoe Club, Saturday 23 June will go down as a lucky day. As a competitor on the Men's Health Swartland Canoe Marathon he could hardly have been luckier.
Paddling along on day one of the event between Hermon farm and Hermon bridge, a gale force north westerly wind started gusting. With what sounded like a rifle shot a 25 m high gum tree fell on to him, boat paddle and all. That's when his luck began to change.
Realising the danger of the situation, and that John was possibly trapped in a strainer André feared for the worst. and that's when John's guardian angel came to the rescue. He popped up between the branches almost totally unscathed apart from a few scratches and a considerable shock. Of the boat and paddle there was no sign and they are unlikely to be recovered until the winter rains abate and the river level drops substantially and even then only pieces of fibreglass are expected. That was John's lucky escape number one.
The organisers of the race had been given a new Knysna Racing K1 by sponsors Brian's Kayak's as a lucky draw prize. After a quick consultation with the sponsor and a few paddlers it was decided to give the boat to John as it was unlikely that there was anyone on the race more deserving of it. This was John's second stroke of luck.
Later in the evening, a paddle sponsored by ORKA paddles, was given away as another lucky draw prize. Five names were initially drawn, and John's was among them. The draw proceeded on the basis that each paddler would pull a name from the hat and the person named would be eliminated. Three unlucky paddlers took their seats. John Hayes and Kevin Bouwer were left. The next name out of the hat was John's which left Kevin with the paddle.
Kevin took the microphone and said "I'm giving this paddle to John", lucky break number three!
The same wind storm caused havoc further down the river, and when Peter Cole and Andrew Ross, who were paddling ahead of the field erecting direction arrows and generally making sure that the river was clear, got just beyond Gouda Bridge on the second day of the race, they found the river blocked by another massive tree that had fallen since Friday. Peter said, "We have done quite a lot of cutting, over the past three weeks, with the chainsaws donated to the club by Cutters, in preparation for the race, but this was the biggest we encountered." It took them 45 minutes just to cut a narrow channel for the paddlers to get through.
The arrows were generally well received, apart from a few top paddlers who felt that it negated the advantage of tripping. For the majority it however levelled the playing field with the Capies even revealing some of their favourite sneaks!
At the end of the Men's Health Swartland Canoe Marathon Graeme Solomon, a former Isuzu Berg River marathon winner, of the host club Peninsula, held off a determined challenge from second placed and first under 21 paddler, Lance King from Milnerton Canoe Club who finished the two day race over 87Kms a scant 56/100 seconds.
The river flow picked up considerably at the confluence with the Klein Berg, while the rain held offuntil the finish.
The two paddlers stayed and worked together to extend their first day lead over third placed Berg River Marathon veteran Donnie Malherbe who overtook 4th placed Sven Bruss, from Kwa-Zulu Natal early in the day. Jonathan Niemann was 5th.
Paul Marais took 6th from Heinrich Sloms, Martin Dreyer and Edgar Boehm who finished 7th, 8th and 9th respectively for the Western Cape while Soweto Canoe Club coach, Ryno Amdorff rounded out the top 10.
The leading junior paddler, paddling in the under 18 category was the young Pierre Andre Rabie of Paarl who was in an incredible 14th place overall wrapped his boat after catching up Martin Dreyer. Brett Dorman of Milnerton canoe club won the class while Pierre-Andre was forced to the bank to make running repairs before a storming paddle to salvage the 2nd junior position, from Sean Rice.
At the end of the first day of the Men's Health Swartland Canoe Marathon Graeme Solomon, a former Isuzu Berg River marathon winner, of the host club Peninsula, held a slender 1 second lead from second placed and leading under 21 paddler, Lance King.
In third place was Kwa-Zulu Natal paddler Sven Bruss, 1 minute 20 seconds behind King. These three, together with eventual 5th placed Jonathon Niemann of Gauteng paddled together for most of the 43kms first day of the race.
Sven said "I was on Solomon's outside and pulled too close to a tree, as I leaned to get myself away I took some water into the boat". A visibly upset Bruss continued "The next half an hour was spent pumping water and watching them disappear".
In the Ladies race Alexa Lombard, of Peninsula Canoe Club, crossed the line 2 seconds ahead of Abbey Miedema paddling in the colours of the Harmony Club. The two spent the day in each others company although Abbey conceded, "I had to play catch up a few times".
She said " With the separate ladies start it is lonely with only the two of us in the front, I would really prefer to be seeded with the men and take my chances, at least until there are a few more girls able to keep up the pace at the front".
Veteran paddler and Berg River specialist Donnie Malherbe took 4th place overall.
Heinrich Sloms, Paul Marais and Ernst van Riet took 6th, 7th and 8th for the Western Cape while Soweto Canoe Club coach, Ryno Amdorff and Harmony's Martin Dreyer rounded out the top 10.
The first junior paddler, paddling in the under 18 category was the young Pierre Andre Rabie of Paarl in an incredible 14th place overall seven and a half minutes ahead of second placed junior Brett Dorman of Milnerton canoe club.
With the last 10 k's of the race run into a strong headwind from the North West and cloud scudding in, heralding a major incoming cold front, tomorrow is set for a challenging day. While the weather may be cold the racing is expected to be red hot!


Highlighting an awards breakfast was the Operations, Environmental & Safety Committee's (OES) recognition of the NRMCA Drivers of the Year: Southern Concrete Materials' Garland Sorrells, Asheville, N.C., first place; and, Cemex's Hector Aguilera, Fairfield, Calif., and Mike Vineyard, Ontario, Calif., second and third place, respectively ("Front Line Excellence," Concrete Products, March, pages 26-27).
Henry Batten, president and CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based Concrete Supply Co. and past (2010) NRMCA chairman, received the William B. Allen Award for outstanding leadership and commitment to high standards in business acumen. The NRMCA Business Administration Committee presents the award, named in honor of a longtime member and one of forerunners in modern management methods for ready mixed concrete.
The OES Committee presented the 2014 Joseph E. Carpenter Award to Irving Materials Director of Environmental, Safety & Health Terry Jones. Established in 1988 and named in honor of a Rinker Materials manager instrumental in the NRMCA Committee on Maintenance—OES forerunner— the award is presently annually to individuals for lifetime contribution to the ready mixed concrete industry, with emphasis on OES activities. Members acknowledge Jones' dedication across the main committee and its task forces; they especially credit his role in developing the widely subscribed National Mixer Driver Championship, staged in conjunction with NRMCA's fall ConcreteWorks Conference and Expo.
Redi-Mix Concrete LLC, the flagship Texas business of U.S. Concrete Inc., received the Manufacturers, Products & Services Division's Concrete Cares Award, recognizing NRMCA producers for projects benefitting local communities.
Redi-Mix Concrete continues to sponsor a golf tournament for the Clayton Dabney Foundation, which supports families of terminally ill children; the 18th Charity Classic raised $92,000 and saw more than 100 employees donate 1,000-plus hours. Redi-Mix Vice President of Business Development William "Buck" Weatherby was on hand to accept the award.
The Research, Engineering & Standards Committee presented 40-year NRMCA veteran Gary Mullings, senior vice president of Operations and Compliance, the Richard D. Gaynor Award, named for a longtime NRMCA and National Aggregates Association peer. The award acknowledges excellence in all facets of RES activities, which Mullings has demonstrated since joining the association's College Park, Md., Research Laboratory in 1974.
Kentucky Ready Mixed Concrete Association Executive Director Finley Messick received the inaugural State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award. NRMCA Promotion Committee members note his successes both in promotion and education, manifested in public and private projects across Kentucky bearing pervious concrete pavements—more than 1 million square feet installed thus far in Messick's eight-year KRMCA tenure.
The Construction Industry Alliances Committee named Tennessee Concrete Association recipient of the State Association of the Year Award, honoring groups for contributions to the industry in the areas of research, education, advocacy and promotion. TCA earned the award through a wide range of programs and strategies, including "2013 Week of Concrete," a five-day educational event spanning decorative products, performance structures and applications; development of "small-stone" pervious concrete pavement; the TCA Net Zero Building, using the association campus to test a structure's energy efficiency and other performance features, while engaging Middle Tennessee State University staff and students in research and observation. TCA Executive Director Alan Sparkman was on hand for the award.
Chaney Enterprises CEO William Childs IV presented the 2014 NRMCA Chairman's Award to Jose "Pepe" Cancio Sr. of Florida-based Central Concrete Supermix, reflecting a history of industry and association contributions. Accepting the award, the Cuba native expressed deep appreciation for the United States and the ready mixed concrete business. The awards breakfast was among the association activities Childs oversaw prior to concluding his NRMCA chairman's term.


Is it possible for a script to assign a specified class (written into the script) to single or multiple selected Lighting Device Objets?
All select objects takes a bit more code structure. Look at ForEachObjectInList, which will iterate through objects. You can set the function to traverse all selected objects.


Forget tracking your steps and sleep -- the next generation of wearables will have to do a lot more to get your attention. And that's a lesson InBody, a company that's been in the professional health-tracking market for over 20 years, is taking to heart. Here at CES, it unveiled the $179 InBody Band, one of the first wearables to focus on measuring your body composition (your body fat compared to your lean tissue). That's something Jawbone's upcoming Up3 band will be able to do as well, but InBody reps tell me its experience in the health market among professional athletes and gyms will give it a leg up when it launches in the first quarter.
The InBody Band felt like just about every other wristband on my wrist. It was a tad too bulky, and a bit difficult to snap into place. But once everything was settled, it managed to get a quick body composition reading (I was using a band tied to one of the company's reps, so I couldn't tell if it accurately measured my porkiness). While it's nice to see wearable companies striving harder to be different -- you can be sure many others will join Jawbone and InBody later this year -- something complex like body composition feels like an even harder sell for general consumers, who've just gotten used to tracking their steps.
Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.


I'm excited to share the news that Diane Heiman and Liz Suneby have paired up for another wonderful book, It's a It's a It's a Mitzvah (Jewish Lights).
After their collaboration on The Mitzvah Project Book, the two wanted to share the same theme of helping others with a younger audience. In It's a It's a It's a Mitzvah, (their first picture book), they invite children to take a journey with the Mitzvah Meerkat and pals as they do good deeds and mitzvot grounded in Jewish tradition.
Many people are curious as to why they chose a meerkat as the character who explains each act of kindness. Well, Diane's own daughters were huge fans of Animal Planet's documentary television show, "Meerkat Manor." Liz and Diane liked the alliteration of meerkat with mitzvah. They also thought that a meerkat would be an appealing "fresh face" in children's book, and it already had the thumbs up from Diane's kids!
Their first collaboration with an illustrator couldn't have been more productive. Diane says "Laurel Molk's captivating illustrations create architecture for the book filled with soul and humor. She added so much to the book's development. Laurel suggested adding the trio of mice in each spread, which contributes an additional layer of whimsical fun to the more serious sentiment of caring for others. It amazes me that Laurel's close friendship with Liz predates Liz's and my writing careers. Naturally, we urged Jewish Lights to consider Laurel as the illustrator. To me, that's a great definition of 'bashert'!"
It's a It's a It's a Mitzvah! was recently selected as one of the "50 Best Spiritual Books of the Year" by the multi-faith web site SpiritualityandPractice.com.
What World is Left (Orca, 2008) by Monique Polak tells the story of Anneke and her family as they are forced from their comfortable home and taken to Theresienstadt concentration camp, the site of a Nazi propaganda film. In the camp, Anneke and her family face disease and despair, as they struggle to do what is right. The novel is inspired by Monique Polak's mother, whose family spent two years in Theresienstadt. Perhaps this real life connection is why Anneke feels so real, a relatable teen whose dreams and desires manage to exist in the darkest of times. I read What World is Left and was pulled into another world. My heart ached for Anneke, but her spirit inspired me.
Last year, I had the opportunity to meet Monique at the Association of Jewish Libraries Convention in Montreal. Since I had loved What World is Left, I was excited to see Monique's presentation. What an experience! Monique is charming, passionate, and dynamic. It was as if Anneke had come to share her story – an absolute highlight of the convention. I'm delighted to welcome Monique to my blog! I know you'll love her, too.
What World is Left is based on your mother's experiences. How did you balance your family history with the fictional aspect of the story?
My mother is now 83. When I interviewed her for the project about five years ago, she already had difficulty remembering specific facts. That is one of the reasons I decided to fictionalize her experience.
The other reason is that my mum insisted she had never -- not for a second -- questioned her father's actions. To clarify, her father (my grandfather) Jo Spier was a well known Dutch artist. When the Nazis found out who he was, they forced him to produce propaganda art. What interested me most was writing about a girl who questioned her father's actions. Even my decision to fictionalize this part of the story was difficult for my mother (and also for her brothers). But I felt this was an issue that would make the book resonate with contemporary readers. I think it's the central question in the book. What would readers do if they were faced with a similar situation? How far would any of us go to keep our families alive?
My narrator Anneke is kind of a mix of my mother and me. I began by trying to imagine myself in my mum's position. Writing this book helped me understand a little better a part of her life that she'd always kept secret.
Can you share your research process for writing What World is Left?
I spent years researching what happened at Theresienstadt, the concentration camp where my mum was imprisoned. I read everything I could about the camp. Then, and it took a great deal of convincing, I got my mother to agree to be interviewed. I worked with her for about three months in 2007, every weekday morning. She called our sessions together, "Dutch lessons." She never said they were about the Holocaust or even the war. My mum had kept her story secret for more than 60 years! It's also remarkable I think that she told the story without an ounce of self-pity. She only cried once or twice, always for other people.
What did you learn about the artists whose talents were exploited by the Nazis?
I learned that these artists were put in a terrible position -- one that must have been very painful. I realize that the rest of us, or at least most of us, are blessed never to have to face such moral quandaries.
I also know that some of these artists, including my grandfather, also produced "true" drawings of what they saw in Theresienstadt. If these drawings had been discovered, my grandfather would almost certainly have been killed.
Another thing I'd like to point out is that my grandfather must have realized that his talent kept him and his family alive. I was very close with my grandfather, who lived in New York when I was growing up. But he died before we could discuss any of these things together.
As a reader, the aspect of the story that took my breath away was that young love manages to grow in the bleakest of times. What has been the response from teen readers?
The scenes with Franticek were the ones I most enjoyed writing. My mother really did have a small crush on a boy in the camp. He was older than her, and my mother thinks he was having a sexual relationship with an older woman in the camp. My mother never knew what became of this boy. Only when I was researching the book did I learn that he had been transported to Auschwitz where he died in the gas chambers.
When I was writing the book, I felt like I was falling in love with Franticek, too! My teen readers seem to respond to the romance in the story. But mostly, I find that they are interested in survival. Many teens I meet are themselves going through difficult times, and I think it's good for them to know that though their lives can be blown apart, they can rebuild them. The scars make us who we are. During school visits, I always tell students my mum is a force of nature. She is funny and smart and full of life. She stands up for what she believes in. And yet, she lived through hell. It's an important message for all of us. We can get through terrible things, too, and come out changed, but not destoyed.
You recently traveling to Holland for a release of the Dutch translation of What World is Left. Can you tell me about your visit?
It was the trip of a lifetime! I went there with both of my parents and we launched the book twice. The first time was at the Jewish Historical Museum. It's connected to a former Jewish opera house, from which my mum and her family were deported. She had never returned there since April 1943. Neither of my parents cried there, but I did. In some ways, I feel like I am not only sharing my mum's story, but also helping her process all the emotions connected with what she endured.
The second launch was in a museum in the town of Zutphen, my grandfather's hometown, where his work is on permanent display.
I met so many interesting people, several of whom shared their own memories about my grandfather. And you know what? I could write another book based on the stories they told me!
I understand you have been taking boxing lessons? A new project in the works?
Yes m'am! I've been taking private boxing lessons for nearly a year now. It's partly for fitness, but mostly for research. I'm completing the first draft of a manuscript tentatively entitled Straight Punch. It's already scheduled for release in spring 2014 with Orca Books. And I have two new books coming out before then: Pyro (fall 2012) and So Much It Hurts (fall 2013). Both titles will also be published by Orca.
Hanukkah! I think because though I'm 52, I'm a kid at heart and I love getting presents! Also because I love candles and lights. I believe that even in darkness, we must find the light.
Thanks for asking all these questions. It's always a pleasure for me to talk about a project which is so close to my heart! Big hug to you and your blog readers from Monique!


Nourish poses a double threat to me: 1) being super close to our offices and 2) being composed of superfoods and healthy menus that always feel like a good choice. Contrary perhaps to the core vision of the spot, I seldom order the fresh-pressed juices, tending toward meal-sufficient, thick smoothies or something from the grab-and-go cooler.
On a recent day this puts a Mediterranean salad ($7.95) in my hands, but not the type typical of our Middle Eastern eateries. Instead, curly kale clippings host garbanzos, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, peppers, red onions and carrot slivers, with an apple cider vinegar-potent lemon-garlic-mustard dressing laced with oregano essence. Salty sunflower seeds play garnish and lead well into a SunButter cup (a touch small for $2) dessert, creamy and intensely rich. Even better is a no-bake "granola bar" ($2.50) which I'd not think to call by that name when I bite into a lavishly fudgy, chocolate square packed with the crunch and chew of dried oat flakes, chia seeds, and pumpkin and Brazil nut bits. Sea salt spikes a smooth maple sweetness and I just want more.


text:
Standard X
Features of Mendeleev's Periodic Table
The following questions refer to the Periodic Table.
(a) (i) Name the first and last element in period 2.
(ii) What happens to the atomic size of elements moving from top to bottom of a group?
(iii) Which of the elements has the greatest electron affinity among the halogens?
(iv) What is the common feature of the electronic configurations of the elements in group 7?
(b) Supply the missing word from those in the brackets:
(i) If an element has a low ionization energy then it is likely to be _________ (metallic/non-metallic).
(ii) If an element has seven electrons in its outermost shell then it is likely to have the ________ (largest/smallest) atomic size among all the elements in the same period.
(c) (i) The metals of Group 2 from top to bottom are: Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba. Which of these metals will form ions most readily and why?
(ii) What property of an element is measured by electronegativity?
(a) (i) The first element in period 2 is Lithium (Li) and the last element is Neon (Ne).
(ii) The atomic size of the elements increases on moving down the group, as the number of electronic shells increases and the nuclear charge also increases. However, the effect of increase in nuclear charge is much less than the effect of increase in number of shells.
(iii) Chlorine has the greatest electron affinity among the halogens.
(iv) In group 7, the elements have seven electrons in their valence shell, which is the common feature of their electronic configuration.
(b) (i) If an element has a low ionisation energy then it is likely to be metallic.
(ii) If an element has seven electrons in its outermost shell then it is likely to have the smallest atomic size among all the elements in the same period.
(c) (i) Among all the elements of group 2 barium (Ba) will form ions most readily because it has the largest atomic size, due to which it has the lowest ionisation energy.
(ii) Electronegativity is the measure of the tendency of an element in a molecule to attract the bonding pair of electrons towards itself.
Q. (i) What is the common feature of the electronic configurations of the elements at the end of period 2 and period 3?
(ii) If an element is in group 7 (or Group VIIA), is it likely to be metallic or non-metallic in character?
(iii) Supply the missing word from the words given in brackets.
If an element has one electron in its outermost energy level (shell), then it is likely to be ______ (metallic/non-metallic).
Q. Fill in the blanks by selecting the correct word from the brackets :
(i) If an element has a low ionization energy then it is likely to be _________ (metallic / non metallic).
(ii) If an element has seven electrons in its outermost shell then it is likely to have the _______ (largest / smallest) atomic size among all the elements in the same period.
Q. The metal of group 2 from top to bottom are Be,Mg,Ca,Sr and Ba.
(1) Which one of these elements will form ions most readily and why?
(2) State the common feature in the electronic configuration of all these elements.
Q. (a) What is a group in the periodic table? In which part of a group would you separately expect the elements to have (i) the greatest metallic character (ii) the largest atomic size?
(b) In what respects do the properties of group 1 elements differ from those of group 17 elements? Explain with examples by taking one element from each group.
(c) From the standpoint of atomic structure, what determines which element will be the first and which the last in a period of the periodic table?
(d) Explain why, the properties of elements are repeated after 2, 8, 18 and 32 elements in the periodic table.
(e) What are the advantages of the periodic table?
Q. Explain:
(i) Larger the atomic size, more metallic is the element.
(ii) Halogens have high electron affinity.
(iii) Size of atom changes when it loses or gain electron.
(iv) K is more reactive than Li.
(v) Electronegativity of Cl is higher than S.
(vi) Group 17 elements are non-metals, while group 1 elements are metals.
Standard X Chemistry


text:
Home » Books of Interest (Page 3)
Category Archives: Books of Interest
Books of Interest: Philosophy and the End of Sacrifice
Peter Jackson and Anna-Pya Sjödin (eds.), Philosophy and the End of Sacrifice: Disengaging Ritual in Ancient India, Greece, and Beyond (Equinox 2016).
This volume addresses the means and ends of sacrificial speculation by inviting a selected group of specialist in the fields of philosophy, history of religions, and indology to examine philosophical modes of sacrificial speculation — especially in Ancient India and Greece — and consider the commonalities of their historical raison d'être. Scholars have long observed, yet without presenting any transcultural grand theory on the matter, that sacrifice seems to end with (or even continue as) philosophy in both Ancient India and Greece. How are we to understand this important transformation that so profoundly changed the way we think of religion (and philosophy as opposed to religion) today? Some of the complex topics inviting closer examination in this regard are the interiorisation of ritual, ascetism and self-sacrifice, sacrifice and cosmogony, the figure of the philosopher-sage, transformations and technologies of the self, analogical reasoning, the philosophy of ritual, vegetarianism, and metempsychosis.
Books of Interest: Conversations and Controversies in the Scientific Study of Religion
Luther H. Martin and Donald Wiebe, Conversations and Controversies in the Scientific Study of Religion: Collaborative and Co-authored Essays by Luther H. Martin and Donald Wiebe (Brill, 2016)
Luther H. Martin and Donald Wiebe together have spent the better part of a century exploring possibilities for a scientific study of religion. The following essays are a record of their conversations together and of their conversations and controversies with a number of leading scholars in religious studies that address that possibility. As with any scientific endeavor, knowledge advances when research assumptions and experimental designs are collegially discussed and critically assessed. It is hoped that these essays might provide the occasion for scholars in the field to discuss the theoretical and methodological issues they have raised, to debate and expand upon them, or, in the spirit of forthright scientific inquiry, to refute the arguments they have made.
Books of Interest: Contemporary Views on Comparative Religion
Peter Antes, Armin Geertz, and Mikael Rothsetein (eds.), Contemporary Views on Comparative Religion (Equinox, 2016)
Comparative Religion is deeply rooted in historical-philological studies, but since the inception of the discipline in the late 19th century, a continual development has taken place. At this point, the discipline has moved into many different areas of the social, humanistic, psychological and biological sciences, and debates on theory and method are as intense as ever. As scholars of religion get a grip on some aspects of the phenomenon in question, new problems arise, and new challenges must be met. At the same time, however, the virtues of the past should not be forgotten, and a double orientation, back and forth, becomes necessary. Rather than pursuing a systematic discussion of how to go about such problems, this volume celebrates the diversity and multi-methodological approaches in comparative religion by including empirical, as well as theoretical, chapters. The authors, among whom are many of the world's leading scholars, have been asked to contribute essays on the current status of comparative religion, and thanks to their efforts the reader is offered a pathway into a row of exciting, but quite diverse, examples of the discipline, from the well-known to the most recent academic frontiers.
Books of Interest: Islam and the Tyranny of Authenticity
Aaron W. Hughes, Islam and the Tyranny of Authenticity (Equinox, 2016)
Many scholars of Islam are interested in creating a liberal, inclusive, pluralistic, feminist, and modern version of the religion that they believe to be explicit in the pages of the Qur'ān, but missed by earlier interpreters. In so doing, they create "good" Islam and, in the process, seek to define what does and does not get to count as authentic. As the purveyors of what they now believe to be veritable Islam, they subsequently claim that rival presentations are bastardizations based either on Orientalism and Islamophobia (if one is a non-Muslim) or misogyny and homophobia (if one is a Muslim that disagrees with them). Instead of engaging in critical scholarship, they engage in a constructive and theological project that they deceive themselves into thinking is both analytical and empirical. This book provides a hard-hitting examination of the spiritual motivations, rhetorical moves, and political implications associated with these apologetical discourses. It argues that what is at stake is relevance, and examines the consequences of engaging in mythopoesis as opposed to scholarship.
Books of Interest: Jacob Neusner on Religion
Aaron W. Hughes, Jacob Neusner on Religion (Routledge, 2015).
Jacob Neusner was a prolific and innovative contributor to the study of religion for over fifty years. A scholar of rabbinic Judaism, Neusner regarded Jewish texts as data to address larger questions in the academic study of religion that he helped to formulate. Jacob Neusner on Religion offers the first full critical assessment of his thought on the subject of religion. Aaron W. Hughes delineates the stages of Neusner's career and provides an overview of Neusner's personal biography and critical reception. This book is essential reading for students and scholars interested in Neusner specifically, or in the history of Religious Studies, Jewish Studies, and philosophy of religion more broadly.
This is the latest volume in Routledge's Key Thinkers in the Study of Religion series, sponsored by NAASR.
Books of Interest: Claiming Identity in the Study of Religion
Monica R. Miller (ed.), Claiming Identity in the Study of Religion: Social and Rhetorical Techniques Examined (Equinox, 2015).
Focusing on the academic study of religion, Claiming Identity in the Study of Religion is the first in a series that grapples with the historicity of identity and the social and rhetorical techniques that make claims to identity possible.
In this volume, six previously published essays by scholar of religion Russell T. McCutcheon are each coupled with a new substantive commentary by North American contributors. McCutcheon's essays highlight different identifying claims within the work of a number of leading scholars of religion. The companion contributions analyze the strategies of identification employed by the scholars whom McCutcheon discusses. Monica R. Miller provides an introduction to the volume and Steven W. Ramey provides a concluding essay. The strategies of identification highlighted and exposed in this text are further explored in the second volume in the series, The Problem of Nostalgia in the Study of Identity through a set of detailed ethnographic and historical studies that press novel ways of studying identity as an always active and ongoing process of signification.
Books of Interest: Building God's Kingdom
Julie J. Ingersoll, Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction (Oxford 2015).
For the last several decades, at the far fringes of American evangelical Christianity has stood an intellectual movement known as Christian Reconstruction. The proponents of this movement embrace a radical position: that all of life should be brought under the authority of biblical law as it is contained in both the Old and New Testaments. They challenge the legitimacy of democracy, argue that slavery is biblically justifiable, and support the death penalty for all manner of "crimes" described in the Bible including homosexuality, adultery, and Sabbath-breaking. But, as Julie Ingersoll shows in this fascinating new book, this "Biblical Worldview" shapes their views not only on political issues, but on everything from private property and economic policy to history and literature. Holding that the Bible provides a coherent, internally consistent, and all-encompassing worldview, they seek to remake the entirety of society–church, state, family, economy–along biblical lines.
Tracing the movement from its mid-twentieth-century origins in the writings of theologian and philosopher R.J. Rushdoony to its present-day sites of influence, including the Christian Home School movement, advocacy for the teaching of creationism, and the development and rise of the Tea Party, Ingersoll illustrates how Reconstructionists have broadly and subtly shaped conservative American Protestantism over the course of the late-twentieth and early-twenty-first centuries. Drawing on interviews with Reconstructionists themselves as well as extensive research in Reconstructionist publications, Building God's Kingdom offers the most complete and balanced portrait to date of this enigmatic segment of the Christian Right.
Books of Interest: Jenseits von Religion?
Steffen Führding, Jenseits von Religion?: Zur sozio-rhetorischen "Wende" in der Religionswissenschaft (Transcript 2015).
Seit mehr als 40 Jahren drehen sich viele Diskussionen in der Religionswissenschaft um eine genaue Ortsbestimmung der Disziplin in Abgrenzung zu anderen religionsbezogenen Fächern. Mit einem in Anlehnung an den nordamerikanischen Religionswissenschaftler Russell T. McCutcheon »sozio-rhetorisch« genannten Ansatz stellt Steffen Führding eine aktuell kontrovers diskutierte Position in dieser internationalen Debatte vor. Er verortet den Ansatz kontrastierend in der nordamerikanischen und europäischen Disziplingeschichte, wendet ihn exemplarisch an und zeigt Perspektiven auf, wie damit theorie- und methodikbezogene Herausforderungen in der Religionswissenschaft produktiv angegangen werden können.
Books of Interest: Writing Religion
Steven W. Ramey (ed.), Writing Religion: The Case for the Critical Study of Religion (University of Alabama Press 2015).
In 2002, the University of Alabama's Department of Religious Studies established the annual Aronov Lecture Series to showcase the works of nationally recognized scholars of religion capable of reflecting on issues of wide relevance to scholars from across the humanities and social sciences. Writing Religion: The Case for the Critical Study of Religions is an edited collection of essays that highlights critical contributions from the first ten Aronov lecturers.
Section one of the volume, "Writing Discourses," features essays by Jonathan Z. Smith, Bruce Lincoln, and Ann Pellegrini that illustrate how critical study enables the analysis of discourses in society and history. Section two, "Riting Social Formations," includes pieces by Arjun Appadurai, Judith Plaskow, and Nathan Katz that reference both the power of rites to construct society and the act of riting as a form of disciplining that both prescribes and proscribes. The writings of Tomoko Masuzawa, Amy-Jill Levine, Aaron W. Hughes, and Martin S. Jaffee appear in section three, "Righting the Discipline." They emphasize the correction of movements within the academic study of religion.
Steven W. Ramey frames the collection with a thoughtful introduction that explores the genesis, development, and diversity of critical analysis in the study of religion. An afterword by Russell McCutcheon reflects on the critical study of religion at the University of Alabama and rounds out this superb collection.
The mission of the Department of Religious Studies is to "avoid every tendency toward confusing the study of religion with the practice of religion." Instruction about—rather than in—religion is foundational to the department's larger goal of producing knowledge of the world and its many practices and systems of beliefs. Infused with this spirit, these fascinating essays, which read like good conversations with learned friends, offer significant examples of each scholar's work. Writing Religion will be of value to graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and scholars interested in the study of religion from a critical perspective.
Books of Interest: New Religiosity in Contemporary Sweden
Liselotte Frisk and Peter Åkerbäck, New Religiosity in Contemporary Sweden: The Dalarna Study in National and International Context (Equinox 2015).
The contemporary popular or new religious landscape in Sweden — arenas with religious elements outside the established churches — is large and multifaceted. Religion is today expressed in different localities, like retreat centers, health centers and gyms, and can manifest as for example healing, mindfulness, seances, coaching and body therapies. The boundaries between religious and secular arenas are becoming increasingly blurred. The popular or new religiosity is firmly rooted in older traditions, but also expresses creative innovation as a result of globalization, secularism, individualism and the impact of psychological and therapeutic orientations.
The book is based on a local study of contemporary popular or new religiosity in the area of Dalarna, Sweden. Religious expression always reflects its time. One of the book's purposes is to explore how religion is perceived in our time and how Christianity has shaped our view of what belongs to the "religion" and what is seen as "superstition". To understand religion it is necessary to study its practical everyday expressions.


text:
Tag: Will.i.am
Business/Finance, Fashion, Fellowships/Programs, International, Justice, Scholarships, U.S.	 March 19, 2019
Gucci and Dapper Dan Announce $5M Changemakers Initiative Aimed at Diversity and Inclusion
Since being under fire for its balaclava sweater that resembled blackface, luxury brand Gucci is attempting to redeem itself. According to harpersbazaar.com, the Italian fashion house has announced a new global program and scholarship fund called Gucci Changemakers that will promote diversity and inclusion throughout the company with a multi-step action plan.
The program includes three tiers: the Gucci Changemakers Fund, a scholarship program, and a company-wide volunteering initiative. All three programs intend to foster racial diversity within the company as well as the fashion industry as a whole. Legendary designer Dapper Dan, who launched a street style-themed collection for Gucci last year, has been working with Gucci to develop Changemakers. Dan took to Instagram yesterday to publicize these steps towards progress:
A post shared by Dapper Dan (@dapperdanharlem) on Mar 17, 2019 at 1:50pm PDT
Time will tell if these actions will be enough to redeem the brand and establish true inclusion and equity, but with DeRay McKesson, will.i.am, writer/activist Brittany Packnett as part of the Changemakers Council as well, Gucci is at least setting itself up to be held accountable.
Filed under: blackface, Brittany Packnett, Dapper Dan, DeRay Mckesson, diversity in fashion industry, Gucci, Gucci Changemakers Fund, Will.i.am
Community, Education, Fellowships/Programs, Organizations, Philanthropy, Sports, Teens, U.S.	 February 28, 2018
NBA Star Kevin Durant Invests $10 Million to Help Maryland Youth Get into and Graduate College
Kevin Durant (photo via kulturehub.com)
by Thomas Heath via washingtonpost.com
Kevin Durant knows about starting at the bottom rung. But he is blessed with a gift to play basketball, which is not just a paycheck, but a ticket to worlds with other possibilities. He has used that access to create business opportunities beyond the world of sports, such as in technology.
"What I love about tech is, I love watching the world advance," said the 29-year-old star of the Golden State Warriors, who invests through his Durant Company. "I love the connections of people on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter. I would look at it like [Cornelius] Vanderbilt, who built the railroad. He connected us. The next advancement connecting us to each other is social media. I want to be part of that." His interest in technology connected him to Laurene Powell Jobs and has led to a new philanthropic venture.
Durant has committed $10 million and partnered with the Prince George's public schools on a program called College Track, which was created more than 20 years ago in California by Powell Jobs and others. College Track helps disadvantaged kids — like Durant once was — attend college and get launched into life.
A Kevin Durant Charity Foundation rendering. Durant is launching a College Track chapter in his former Prince George's County neighborhood. (Kevin Durant Charity Foundation)
Durant is dropping a life-ladder called the Durant Center smack in the middle of the Seat Pleasant, Md., area where he grew up. It isn't an elevator. The 60 students in the initial group must climb the ladder themselves.
But it's a path.
"I want them to see the world," Durant said in a phone interview this month. "I want them to see where people are from and see that there are things outside their world. I don't know exactly or at what pace that they will get it, but there is a world outside that they need to see."
Durant's $10 million will seed construction and operating expenses of a local chapter of College Track, which is scheduled to open this year.
"This hits home, because it's right in the neighborhood where me and my buddies lived," said the 6-foot-11 "small" forward.
College Track is a 10-year program that provides the basic infrastructure — tutoring, test preparation, picking a college that is a "fit" and how to get financial aid — that kids from less-advantaged families often don't have.
"These are all the things that middle-class families deliver if your parents went to college," said Elissa Salas, College Track's chief executive. "If your parents didn't go to college, we fill that gap."
Continue reading "NBA Star Kevin Durant Invests $10 Million to Help Maryland Youth Get into and Graduate College" →
Filed under: College Track, Durant Center, Elissa Salas, Kevin Durant, Laurene Powell Jobs, Maryland, Prince George Public Schools, Ron Conway, Steve Jobs, Washington DC, Will.i.am
Arts / Style, Business/Finance, Entertainment, Hip Hop/Rap, Music, Photography, Technology	 November 25, 2012
Will.i.am to Launch Line of iPhone Accessories
Will.i.am carrying the i.am+ camera for iPhone 4 at the Ekocycle brand launch in New York in October
Will.I.am is set to launch a new line of accessories, named "i.am+," for Apple's iPhone. The Black Eyed Peas star, who was hired as a creative director for technology firm Intel last year, has created a collection of hardware which he insists will transform the cell phones.
The first product from his "i.am+" line is an accessory that clips onto an iPhone and transforms the eight megapixel smartphone camera into a 14 megapixel camera, which dramatically enhances the clarity and definition of the photographs. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he says: "We have our own sensor and a better flash. You dock you phone into our device and it turns you smartphone into a genius-phone. We take over the camera."
Continue reading "Will.i.am to Launch Line of iPhone Accessories" →
Filed under: accessories, Apple, Black Eyed Peas, business, camera, gadgets, iPhone, iphone 4, iphone 5, London, megapixel camera, technology, Will.i.am
Children, Music, Technology, Teens, TV	 September 18, 2012
Will.i.am Developing TV Talent Show For Geniuses ("An American Idol For Young Wizards")
Questioning whether the reality TV singing contests have run their course, rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, entrepreneur, actor, DJ and producer Will.i.am is reportedly working on a new technology-themed talent show that "aims to be an American Idol for young wizards."
Will wants to create a TV platform that will find young geniuses to develop new products and encourage more children to develop "STEM" (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills, suggesting that a TV show that sets out to highlight technology stars would have "a more lasting impact, potentially creating a new product and creating jobs." Continue reading "Will.i.am Developing TV Talent Show For Geniuses ("An American Idol For Young Wizards")" →
Filed under: "American Idol", engineering, Intel, math, science, STEM, technology, television, Will.i.am, wizards
Arts / Style, Business/Finance, Fashion, Music, News, Technology	 August 1, 2012 August 1, 2012
Will.i.am To Start "Ekocycle" Clothing Line With Coca Cola
Should headphones made out of recycled trash ever cost $349? It depends on how cool they are. In hopes of giving products made from recycled materials a little more cachet, musician will.i.am and the Coca-Cola Co. are partnering to make a line of clothing and gear called "Ekocycle." The idea is to brand recycled products with a hipper image that resonates with young consumers.
"If you think about (recycled) products now, none of them are cool," said will.i.am, who is best known for his work with theBlack-Eyed Peas. "You have to bring some art and fashion sensibility into this technology that turns a bottle into something cool."
The first Ekocycle product will be a pair of headphones by Beats, a popular and pricey line created by rapper Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine – both friends of will.i.am. The Ekocycle version will cost $349, which is on the high end of the range of Beats headphones. An Ekocycle hat by New Era will cost $32.
Continue reading "Will.i.am To Start "Ekocycle" Clothing Line With Coca Cola" →
Filed under: Coca Cola, Ekocycle, Green, Recycling, Will.i.am


text:
Electricity Market Reform
MARKET reforms aimed at triggering a "seismic shift" towards cleaner energy may i n fact be hampering investment in the renewables sector, experts are warning. Andrew Buglass, head of structured finance for energy at the Royal Bank of Scotland, believes uncertainty surrounding the government's overhaul of the regulatory framework – the largest since privatisation in the 1980s – is slowing the flow of money into the sector. Some decisions on UK projects are being put on hold, while others are progressing at a slower pace than would otherwise be expected. One of the main concerns is the replacement of Renewables Obligation incentives that are due to be phased out by 2017. Investors also need more information on mechanisms designed to stabilise electricity prices.
Scotland on Sunday 11th Sept 2011 more >>
Sizewell
Despite its reputation as on of Britain's safest regions, the Suffolk coast should be alert to the danger of terrorism. Security experts warned people living in the seaside haven of Southwold not to regard the threat of attack with complacency. The local emergency response team invited residents to quiz Suffolk's counter terrorism experts on their strategy for protecting the coast from disaster. A presentation at the town's Conservative Club, hosted by Southwold and Reydon Community Emergency Group, heard from security specialists Douglas Paine and Elaine Palmer, who told gathered homeowners, businesses and organisations that "communities defeat terrorism".
East Anglian Daily Times 9th Sept 2011 more >>
Campaigners opposed to the UK's government's nuclear expansion programme are planning a series of events at Hinkley Point power station near Burnham-On-Sea. From September 11th, the Stop New Nuclear group will be holding a series of events.
Burnham-on-sea.com 9th Sept 2011 more >>
Rock samples taken from a nuclear site were first checked for radioactive contamination before being added to a national collection held in Nottingham. Six hundred boxes of stone have been sent from Dounreay in Caithness to the British Geological Survey's (BGS) national rocks repository. Each cylinder-shaped metre-long sample, called a core, was monitored at Dounreay for potential contamination.
BBC 11th Sep 2011 more >>
A motion that would have committed Plaid to opposing the building of a replacement for the nuclear power station at Wylfa on Anglesey was narrowly defeated by 42 votes to 41.
BBC 10th Sept 2011 more >>
The Treasury body looking to encourage up to £50bn investment in UK infrastructure each year is examining how commercial operations can be brought together to boost the economy. For example, Infrastructure UK (IUK)will look at the extent to which ports are served by rail networks. A forthcoming report by the body will show that such "commercial interdependency", can encourage investment and attract different types of infrastructure and business to an area.
Independent 11th Sept 2011 more >>
In its residential business, Centrica has already put through price increases. Of course, energy prices are a political issue, but companies such as Centrica need to make enough profit to invest in green measures, so this should not be too much of a concern for investors.
Telegraph 11th Sept 2011 more >>
JAPANESE Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's new government suffered a blow yesterday after just eight days in office when the trade minister resigned over gaffes on the sensitive topic of radiation from the tsunami-hit Fukushima plant. Hachiro submitted his resignation to Noda after reports that he joked with a reporter about radiation from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. It was his second remark seen as offensive to victims of the worst nuclear accident in 25 years. Japanese media said Hachiro had attempted to rub up against a reporter, saying: "I'll give you radiation" after visiting the Fukushima plant on Thursday. Hachiro had already been rebuked by Noda and apologised on Friday for calling the deserted area near the plant a "town of death", a comment seen as offensive to disaster victims.
The legislation proposes to establish a Council for Nuclear Safety under chairmanship of the Prime Minister and including several ministers to oversee and review national policies regarding radiation safety, nuclear safety and other related issues. India's Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) and French nuclear firm Areva support the legislation, but former Atomic Energy Regulatory Board chairman A. Golapalkrishnan has questioned the proposed arrangement of placing the council under the Prime Minister, The Business Standard reported.
Oil Price 11th Sept 2011 more >>
The chief constable of Thames Valley police has apologised after her force placed peace campaigners attending the screening of a documentary about nuclear weapons under surveillance, fearing they were intent on protest. Guests who went to Reading International Solidarity Centre in July to see Countdown to Zero, with an introduction by the town's mayor, complained that two officers were posted outside to record the details of those entering.
Observer 11th Sept 2011 more >>
A British-based entrepreneur, who has just tied up a deal with the Queen to provide hydroelectric "green" energy to Windsor Castle, cannot find a bank willing to lend the money to build the necessary turbines in the UK. David Dechambeau, who runs Southeast Power Engineering, has been forced to bring in screw turbines from the Netherlands to be placed in the river Thames at Romney Weir. The turbines cost £700,000 and weigh 40 tonnes. "I have got a local company that would be willing to build the turbines, but we are finding it difficult to find the financial support needed to build this Archimedes-type pump for the first time," said Dechambeau.
Electricity bills at some industrial plants could be cut by as much as 30% using a new process that captures and recycles waste heat. The jewel in Wasabi's portfolio is Global Geothermal, which designs Kalina Cycle power stations. These capture the heat that would otherwise be wasted in industrial processes, such as cement, steel or petrochemical production, and convert it into power. Wasabi reckons that by recycling this heat it could reduce the electricity bills of some industrial plants by up to 30%. Byrne hopes to cash in on the rush towards greater energy efficiency as electricity costs soar and tighter environmental standards are introduced. "All we are trying to do is capture the heat that is going up a chimney or through an exhaust and convert that to energy," he said.
Sunday Times 11th Sept 2011 more >>