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Posts Tagged ' White Mist Revolution '
Syria war wreaks havoc on drug industry
By Lysandra Ohrstrom
BEIRUT: Thousands of businesses have been destroyed over the course of the Syrian conflict, but few of the war's economic casualties have had such immediate consequences for public health as the collapse of the country's pharmaceutical industry. In the late 1980s, Syria's pharmaceutical sector consisted of two state-owned plants whose combined production accounted for just 6 percent of the country's needs and the annual expenditure on imported medicine averaged $700 million. By 2010, following a wave of government-led economic liberalization in the early 1990s, Syria boasted 70 privately owned pharmaceutical plants that mainly produced low-cost generic drugs and employed at least 17,000 people – 85 percent of whom were women – according to a survey conducted by the Syrian Health Ministry and the World Health Organization in 2011.
The market was valued at $620 million, more than $400 million of which served the local market and supplied 91 percent of the nation's pharmaceutical needs. The remainder – which cost anywhere from 30 to 70 percent less than comparable products in neighboring markets – was exported to approximately 52 countries, making Syria the second-largest drug supplier in the region.
Heavily concentrated in Aleppo, the industry has been decimated by the fighting and its many side affects over the past two years. At least 25 Syrian pharmaceutical plants have been completely destroyed by the fighting or taken over by militias, and most of the others have been forced to suspend production due to sky-rocketing costs; the difficulties of transporting, distributing, and storing pharmaceutical shipments across the country; and the inability to access raw materials, according to a representative of one international non-governmental organization operating on the ground in Syria who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A handful of factories continue to operate sporadically at barely a third of their pre-crisis capacities, but overall pharmaceutical production in Syria has dropped 75 percent since 2010, according to the most recent Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan released by the United Nations in June.
Demand for medicine has surged during the same period, and as a result, the country has experienced a critical shortage of pharmaceutical products since July 2012, the SHARP report said. Treatment for chronic diseases has been "severely interrupted," vaccination coverage has dropped from 95 percent in 2010 to 45 percent in 2013, and pharmaceutical products that were once produced in Syria at affordable prices – such as insulin, oxygen, anesthetics, serums and intravenous fluids – are no longer available.
The aid worker said the government has been in talks with countries such as Iran, Belarus and Cuba about importing medicine, but even if transit difficulties were overcome both government health expenditures and the purchasing power of the population have plummeted severely alongside the value of the pound.
"Even for a rich country, 500,000 injured is nearly impossible to cope with," the aid worker told The Daily Star. "Around Homs you've started to see people selling traditional local medicines at the market because nothing else is available."
According to interviews with managers or owners of four Syrian pharmaceutical factories that have continued to manufacture throughout the crisis at varying levels, between 10 to 15 such plants in the country are currently operating.
Three in Damascus are reportedly running at full capacity, though the Daily Star was only able to reach one of them for confirmation.
All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity and asked that the names of their companies not be revealed, because so many manufacturing facilities have been targeted in the conflict.
"Before the problems we were No. 7 in the market and still there is a lot of demand for our products," said the owner of one pharmaceutical factory that is currently operating at 20 to 25 percent of capacity.
"The problem is getting raw materials and the cost of production."
Before the crisis, drug manufacturers relied on raw materials imported to the port of Latakia or by air to Syria from Europe, Australia and the U.S., according to a joint report by the WHO and the Syrian Health Ministry. The company owner said he was currently importing raw materials through Lebanon, but was having difficulty clearing the shipments through customs because the Lebanese Health Ministry was "giving Syrian manufacturers a lot of trouble about clearing our shipments."
When his company is able to obtain raw materials, he is forced to sell at a loss because the law requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to abide by prices set by the Syrian Health Ministry which have not been modified since the value of the Syrian pound was 48 to the dollar. "The ministry hasn't changed the prices and they won't, so we have to sell the products at a quarter of their market value," the source said. "We stopped selling on the local market because we were losing money so we are trying to maintain exports because we can sell those in dollars," he said.
Earlier this month, the Syrian government announced that it would resume financing imported raw materials again after the program was suspended in May. Though the source said the government opened a few new lines of credit for industrialists last week, they were still pricing the pound at 175 to 180 to the dollar, which is far below the black-market exchange rate of a minimum of 200 to the dollar that manufacturers have to buy supplies at, he said, so even with the state funds, he was producing at a loss. "We are trying to convince the prime minister and the health minister that they need to support the industry by raising the price we are allowed to sell medicine for," the source said. "I cannot pay $5 for something and sell it for $1. I should be able to sell it at $5.50."
The owner of a different Syrian pharmaceutical company that is currently producing about 40 percent of the medicine it manufactured before the war also cited the prewar medicine prices as one of the many obstacles facing the sector, along with the lack of transit and banking tools at their disposal. "There are problems everywhere in the cycle," he told The Daily Star. "We are facing huge losses on production costs. Then there is the difficulty shipping within Syria. Then once we finish the transit, we don't have a distributor. Then when we get shipments to pharmacists they don't want to hold on to them for more than one or two days, because they are afraid they will get stolen and their stores would become targets."
He singled out the inability to make and receive transfers through international banks as the single largest impediment to doing business. "Although pharmaceutical products are not subject to international sanctions, the banks don't differentiate between medical and humanitarian goods and other products so they block us," he said. "All of our credit lines have been terminated. Whenever we want to transfer money to someone to buy raw materials, they see Syria and they reject transfer. Most suppliers won't deal with Syria, even if there is a humanitarian need."
Despite these obstacles, the functioning factories are managing collectively to produce enough to meet between 5 and 10 percent of the nation's pharmaceutical needs. "The best thing for us would be to stop completely, but for humanitarian reasons we can't," he said. "The only solution is for the U.S. to instruct all banks and companies to accept transfers to and from Syria for humanitarian reasons."
A manager of one of the three factories that is still operating in Damascus at full capacity said that his company was negotiating with the government to increase the price pharmaceutical manufacturers are allowed to charge for certain essential medicines and expects the ministry to announce the new regulations in the near future. When asked whether the factory would still be operating at a loss after the new prices take affect he said, "We are not working at this time for profit."
Link: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Middle-East/2013/Jul-01/222083-syria-war-wreaks-havoc-on-drug-industry.ashx.
Red Lion Revoluton
Insight: Kuwaitis campaign privately to arm Syrian rebels
By Sylvia Westall and Mahmoud Harby
KUWAIT | Thu Jun 27, 2013
(Reuters) – At a traditional evening meeting known as a "diwaniya", Kuwaiti men drop banknotes into a box, opening a campaign to arm up to 12,000 anti-government fighters in Syria. A new Mercedes is parked outside to be auctioned off for cash.
They are Sunni Muslim and mainly Islamist like many Syrian rebels who have been trying for two years to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the minority Alawite sect that is a branch of Shi'ite Islam.
Syria's war has widened a faultline in the Middle East, with Shi'ite Iran and Lebanese militia Hezbollah backing Assad and Sunni-ruled Gulf Arab nations supporting his opponents.
"The world has abandoned the Syrian people and the Syrian revolution so it is normal that people start to give money to people who are fighting," said Falah al-Sawagh, a former opposition member of Kuwait's parliament, surrounded by friends drinking sweet tea and eating cakes.
In just four hours the campaign collected 80,000 dinars ($282,500). The box moves to a new house each day for a week. Sawagh estimates this type of campaign in Kuwait, one of the world's richest countries per capita, raised several million dollars during the last Ramadan religious holiday.
Sunni-ruled Kuwait has denounced the Syrian army's actions and sent $300 million in humanitarian aid to help the millions displaced by the conflict in which more than 90,000 have died.
Unlike Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Kuwaiti government policy is against arming the rebels. But the U.S. ally allows more public debate than other Gulf states and has tolerated campaigns in private houses or on social media that are difficult to control.
Kuwaiti authorities are nevertheless worried that the fundraising for Syria could stir sectarian tensions – Kuwait has its own Shi'ite minority. The West is concerned that support will bolster al Qaeda militants among the rebels.
Some opposition Islamist politicians and Sunni clerics have openly campaigned to arm rebel fighters, using social media and posters with telephone hotlines in public places. Former MP Waleed al-Tabtabie, a conservative Salafi Islamist, posted pictures of himself on Twitter clad in combat gear in Syria.
"There is a great amount of sympathy on the part of the Kuwaiti people to provide any kind of assistance to the Syrian people whether inside or outside Syria," Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah said when asked about the Reuters report.
Official Kuwaiti fundraising for humanitarian aid goes through United Nations channels, he said, at a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
As for unofficial fundraising, he emphasized that any collection of funds requires a special permit to make sure the money "is going to the right side or to the right party."
Kuwait's minister for cabinet affairs, Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah, said what was happening in Syria was "heart-wrenching" and understood why Kuwaitis wanted to help.
"Human nature is such that you cannot control what people believe in and how they want to act," he said.
"What is happening in Syria just inflames the emotions on both sides. That's why we are trying to steer a middle ground."
SUITCASES OF CASH
Syria is blocked from international bank transfers from Kuwait because of sanctions, so former MP Sawagh visited the Syrian town of Aleppo last month with cash in his luggage for rebel fighters. He did not say how much he took.
"Our only rule is to collect money and to deliver this money to our brothers which are helping the Syrian people," said Sawagh, a member of a local group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood which is in power in Egypt and is influential in other Arab states.
Sawagh and others in his campaign also travel to Turkey and Jordan to hand over money to intermediaries.
"They have absolute freedom to spend this money. If they can recruit mujahideen for defending themselves and their sanctity with this money, then this is their choice," he said, referring to fighters who engage in jihad or holy war.
Washington is worried the money may help strengthen fighters with links to al Qaeda who are hostile not just to Assad but also to the United States and U.S.-allied Gulf ruling families.
It wants Western and Arab allies to direct all aid to Syrian rebels through the Western-backed Supreme Military Council.
A fiery speech by Kuwaiti Sunni Muslim cleric Shafi al-Ajami raised alarm earlier this month with a call for more arms.
"The mujahideen, we are arming them from here, and from the Arabian Peninsula, the Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey," he said.
The speech was laced with references to the sectarian nature of the conflict and unnerved authorities in Kuwait where Shi'ites make up an estimated 15 to 20 percent minority of the population. Parliament, the cabinet and the ruling emir issued strong rebukes.
"I do not hide from you feelings of anxiety about what emerged recently … manifestations and practices that carry the abhorrent breath of sectarianism which should be denounced," Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah said on state television. Such acts could "lure the fire of fanaticism and extremism," he said.
Ajami spoke following a call by prominent cleric Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian based in Qatar, for jihad in Syria after fighters from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group, intervened to help Assad's army.
The calls to holy war by several influential clerics in the region only encouraged more donations, Kuwaitis said.
"Women have also been donating their gold," said Bader al-Dahoum, a former Islamist opposition MP.
"After the fatwas (edicts), people are giving more."
The men at the diwaniya said one large Kuwaiti family planned to equip 28 mujahideen in Syria, estimating the cost at 700 dinars per fighter. Smaller families sponsor two or three, while a member of one of Kuwait's powerful merchant families donated 250,000 dinars.
Weapons supplied by Qatar and its allies include small arms such as AK-47 rifles, rocket propelled grenades, hand grenades and ammunition, according to a Qatari official. Qatar also provides instructions on battlefield techniques.
Campaigning for funds to arm the rebels makes certain politicians more popular in Kuwait, said Osama al-Munawer, a former opposition MP.
"I was a member of the National Assembly and people were blaming us – why don't you give them weapons?" he said.
"They said, food – they have it, but they need to defend themselves because the situation is very bad."
(Additional reporting by William Maclean and Ahmed Hagagy; editing by Anna Willard and Janet McBride)
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/27/us-syria-kuwait-insight-idUSBRE95P0TG20130627.
Syria opposition welcomes aid boost for rebels
Beirut (AFP)
Syria's main opposition group on Sunday welcomed a decision by Arab and Western governments to boost their assistance to rebel fighters but said more such moves were needed to end the 27-month conflict.
"The Syrian National Coalition thanks the (Friends of Syria) countries for their decisions, and welcomes the assistance that they pledged," the group said.
"More steps of this decisive nature remain necessary, in order to end the conflict quickly, to stop Syrians' blood from being spilt, and to make sure their aspirations are fulfilled."
The National Coalition said that it regretted that the decision to boost assistance to the rebels had not come sooner.
It said "thousands of… lives could have been saved," had the decision been taken earlier.
The opposition's statement came a day after Qatar said the Friends of Syria had agreed on a "secret" plan to ramp up assistance to the rebels.
At the meeting in Doha, US Secretary of State John Kerry pledged new support for the rebels to end an "imbalance" in President Bashar al-Assad's favour.
The National Coalition did not have an official delegation at the meeting.
Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Syria_opposition_welcomes_aid_boost_for_rebels_999.html.
Syria rebels say now have 'game-changing' weapons
Beirut, Lebanon (AFP)
Syrian rebels have recently received new weapons that could "change the course of the battle" against the Syrian regime, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army told AFP on Friday.
The "Friends of Syria" group of countries that support the rebels is expected to announce in Doha on Saturday that it will arm the opposition, FSA media and political coordinator spokesman Louay Muqdad said.
"We've received quantities of new types of weapons, including some that we asked for and that we believe will change the course of the battle on the ground.
"We have begun distributing them on the front lines, they will be in the hands of professional officers and FSA fighters," he said.
He did not specify what weapons had been received or when they had arrived, but added that a new shipment was expected in the coming days and recalled that the rebels had asked for "deterrent weapons".
"That means anti-aircraft weapons, anti-tank weapons, as well as ammunition," he said.
Senior opposition figure Burhan Ghalioun confirmed that the FSA had recently received "sophisticated weapons" including "an anti-aircraft defense system".
Another opposition source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the system was "Russian-made" but declined to say which country had supplied it.
The apparent influx of arms comes after the United States said it would provide rebel forces with "military support", although it has declined to outline what that might entail.
"The weapons will be used for one objective, which is to fight the regime of (President) Bashar al-Assad," Muqdad insisted.
"They will be collected after the fall of the regime, we have made this commitment to the friends and brotherly countries" that supplied the arms, he said.
On Thursday, Muqdad said rebels needed short-range ground-to-air missiles, surface-to-air missiles known as MANPADs, anti-tank missiles, mortars and ammunition.
Saturday's Friends of Syria talks in Qatar will be attended by ministers from Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
They are expected to discuss military help and other aid for rebels after an onslaught by government forces who have retaken key areas.
"We are optimistic because the international community has finally decided to protect the Syrian people and Syrian civilians and arm the FSA," Muqdad said.
He added that rebels were expecting "a clear and official announcement by the countries participating (in Doha) on the arming of the FSA".
"That's what we are hoping for, that's what we are waiting for," he added, declining to say which countries were providing new weaponry.
"We received information that in the coming days, we will receive new shipments of weapons that will change the course of the battle and the equation of death imposed by Bashar al-Assad," he said.
Muqdad said that FSA chief of staff General Salim Idriss was not expected to attend the Doha gathering.
"For now, our presence is not required" because "all the countries are aware of the clear demands of the revolution after numerous meetings with Idriss."
Syrian rebels have frequently urged nations that back the uprising to supply them with heavy weapons to tackle the regime.
But their backers, especially in the West, have been reluctant to do so for fear that those weapons could fall into the hands of radical rebel groups such as the Al-Qaeda-allied Al-Nusra Front.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Syria_rebels_say_now_have_game-changing_weapons_999.html.
Rocket near Beirut brings Syrian war closer
BEIRUT (AP) — A rocket slammed into a suburb of Beirut on Friday, bringing the conflict in neighboring Syria closer to Lebanon's bustling capital and reviving bitter memories of the country's own devastating civil war.
With skirmishes between Shiites and Sunnis on the rise around the country, religiously mixed and highly vulnerable Lebanon is increasingly buffeted by powerful forces that are dividing the Arab world along sectarian lines.
There were no casualties from the rocket, which struck a Christian area southeast of Beirut overnight, but the incident raised fears that Lebanon was being sucked into a war that has already paralyzed state institutions and strained its economy with the presence of more than a half-million Syrian refugees.
"This is very, very dangerous," said Pierre Ashkar, head of a syndicate of hotel owners, referring to the potential damage to the tourism industry from such rocket attacks. He said his daughter and her husband were among scores who have canceled plans to come Lebanon.
"When our kids can't come to Lebanon, I don't know how a French, British or even a Saudi and Kuwaiti can," he told The Associated Press. For the most part, Lebanon has stayed on the sidelines of the Arab Spring, keeping up its appearance as an oasis of relative stability, which has helped its tourism and entertainment businesses.
The Lebanese — and the tens of thousands of expatriates and Gulf Arab tourists who visit every summer — have learned to live with the country's occasional bouts of upheaval and violence, including huge street protests that followed the assassination of a former prime minister in 2005 and deadly street clashes in 2008, when the militant Shiite Hezbollah group briefly overran parts of Beirut.
Beneath the surface lurk the same forces that devastated the country in its years of civil war, with simmering hatreds still dividing Muslims and Christians, Sunnis and Shiites, and secular and fundamentalist groups.
The Lebanese civil war began in 1975 with clashes between mostly Muslim Palestinian factions and Christian militiamen, and eventually turned into a Christian-Muslim civil war in which external players like Saudi Arabia, Syria and Western countries used the country as a battleground.
The uprising in Syria against President Bashar Assad, which began in March 2011, brought sectarian tensions to the surface and has inflamed rivalries. The two countries share a complex web of political and sectarian ties, and Lebanon is deeply divided into pro- and anti-Assad groups, a legacy of Syria's long dominance of its small neighbor.
Lebanon's Sunni Muslims mostly back the overwhelmingly Sunni rebels in Syria, while many Shiites support Assad, who is a member of Syria's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Sectarian tensions sharply increased after the Shiite militant group Hezbollah openly joined Assad's forces in fighting the rebels seeking his ouster. Lebanon has seen repeated bursts of violence, but it has mostly been restricted to border areas and the northern city of Tripoli.
Rockets from Syria fall regularly into towns and villages near the border. Last week, the tensions exploded into street clashes in the southern city of Sidon, suggesting the scope of the fighting was widening.
Friday's rocket slammed into a valley southeast of Beirut, causing a blast that reverberated across large parts of the city and surrounding mountains. After hours of searching, Lebanese soldiers found the rocket in Jamhour, a Christian area near the presidential palace, the Defense Ministry and the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahyeh, the military said in a statement. Two rocket launchers still holding one rocket also were found about 10 miles (15 kilometers) to the north of the city, also in a Christian town.
It was the second such attack in less than a month. Two rockets hit Dahyeh on May 26, wounding four, hours after the Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech to help propel Assad to victory.
The gap widened when Hezbollah fighters were instrumental in a recent Syrian government victory as they helped pro-Assad forces regain control of the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanese border.
No one claimed responsibility the rocket attacks near Beirut, but rebels in Syria have vowed to retaliate and have sent rockets slamming into Hezbollah strongholds in northeastern Lebanon. Friday's attack may also have been an attempt to drag Christian areas into the conflict, or perhaps was intended to send a message to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, a Christian.
Rebel groups have warned Suleiman to rein in Hezbollah. Under pressure, the president has been increasingly critical of Hezbollah involvement in Syria; on Thursday, he said the group was making a "mistake" and urged it to leave Syria.
The conflict has paralyzed Lebanese institutions. In downtown Beirut, Lebanese protesters continued a sit-in for a second day Friday near the parliament building to demand elections that originally were scheduled in June. Their chants on both evenings were drowned out by music blasting from a nearby rooftop nightclub, a sign of Beirut's bon vivant lifestyle struggling to prevail.
Last month, the 128-member parliament extended its term by a year and a half, put off the balloting because of the deteriorating security conditions in the country. The demonstrators, who clashed with police Thursday, say the extension was unconstitutional. They have set up tents, blocking a side road in the city center.
Ali Jammoul, a 22-year-old activist and biology student taking part in the sit-in, said he fears the Shiite-Sunni sectarian hatreds will lead to a cycle of revenge killings even uglier than Lebanon's civil war, which is believed to have killed 150,000 people.
"The Lebanese are hostage to external dictates. They are spectators waiting to see what is going to happen in the battle (for Syria)," he said, adding that Lebanon, with its weak government, was powerless to stay out.
Ashkar, the tourism official, said Beirut is typically packed in the summer with more than 100 percent capacity but now is at only 40 percent occupancy, most of them business travelers. Hezbollah's public involvement in the war in Syria, he said, was a big blow to the industry that contributes 20 percent to the national income.
"This is really the worst season" since 1992 after the restoration of the tourism industry following the end of civil war, he said. For the first time in years, all of Lebanon's hotels, with their 22,000 rooms, are partially closed or operating at reduced capacity, he added.
The tension has risen to a point where politicians on TV talk shows regularly throw invectives, and sometimes water glasses, at each other, or engage in a few fistfights. The violence prompted organizers of Lebanon's famous Baalbek International Festival to announce plans to move the annual music show out of the ancient city with its Roman ruins because of its proximity to the Syrian border. Earlier this month, 18 rockets and mortar rounds fired from Syria hit the area, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Syrian frontier.
"The situation in Baalbek does not permit holding the festival, and we are now looking for a new venue," an official with the festival said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to talk to reporters.
At least one participant, American soprano Renee Fleming, has canceled a planned concert at the festival, which is usually held under the towering columns of the Roman Temple of Jupiter, citing deteriorating security conditions. The festival is scheduled to begin in August.
Many Lebanese have despaired over the violence and the country's future. "Half of my family left recently," said Jammoul, who was among bottle-throwing protesters who clashed with police overnight. "My brother was my comrade in the streets. … I cried when I returned to the streets after a week and he wasn't next to me, when I got beaten and he wasn't near me," he said.
Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report.
Lebanon feeling heat from Syrian war
BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 19 (UPI) — Lebanese leaders need to work quickly to prevent sectarian conflict from erupting as the threat from Syria's war moves closer, the speaker of Parliament said.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday there were growing concerns about "sectarian strife" in Lebanon.
Lebanon's political structure is divided along religious lines. Those divisions have been strained by the role Shiite movement Hezbollah has played in Syria's civil war.
Hezbollah says it is fighting alongside pro-government forces in Syria to protect Lebanon from Syrian rebel groups, some of which are aligned with al-Qaida. Conflict has erupted, however, between pro- and anti-Syria elements near Lebanese-Syrian border.
Berri was quoted by the official National News Agency as calling "for doubling efforts to put an end to such attempts that threaten [to destabilize] the country."
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said from Beirut the refugee crisis was compounding the issue for Lebanon. He said Lebanon is on pace to host more than 1 million Syrian refugees by the end of the year.
Guterres said the threat of spillover from the Syrian war "is now becoming a harsh reality" for countries like Lebanon.
"The international community must overcome its divisions and come together to stop the fighting if we want to prevent the flames of war from spreading across the Middle East," he said in a statement.
Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2013/06/19/Lebanon-feeling-heat-from-Syrian-war/UPI-95621371656907/.
Assad forces build up for Aleppo offensive
BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 19 (UPI) — Forces loyal to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad are reported tightening a cordon around the northern city of Aleppo, once the country's commercial heart, in a major offensive against rebels who hold 60 percent of the city.
The regime, dominated by the minority Alawite sect, is massing tanks and artillery around the ancient city that was once part of the famed Silk Road to China, for the coming showdown military analysts say could determine the course of the civil war, now in its third year.
Assad's troops were greatly buoyed by their capture of the strategic town of Qusair in central Syria's Homs province June 5 after a three-week battle.
The town, which controls supply routes from neighboring Lebanon, had been held by rebel forces for more than a year, cutting off Damascus from the Alawite heartland in the northwest.
The fall of Qusair after fierce fighting opened the way for the regime to push into central Syria in a drive to recapture territory held by the rebels, including Homs, the provincial capital, and Aleppo, the big prize.
The regime needs to take control of Aleppo to undercut the rebellion that erupted March 15, 2011, and to reassert dominance of Syria's main population centers.
A rebel defeat in Aleppo would mean a critical and possibly terminal setback for those seeking to end Assad's rule.
U.S. President Barack Obama's decision Thursday to arm rebel forces — although it's not clear whether arms would include urgently needed anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles — could make a critical difference if the flow starts quickly.
The U.S. move overturned two years of reluctance by the West to get directly involved in the Syrian fighting, which threatens to spill over into neighboring states like Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.
Indeed, it was the regime's conquest of Qusair, largely due to fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah who spearheaded the assault, that convinced Obama U.S. aid should be increased from medicine and supplies to include arms.
Much will depend on how swiftly the Americans can start the arms flowing to the rebels through Jordan and Turkey.
Rebels report Syrian warplanes attacked their positions around the contested Kweiras airbase near Aleppo Tuesday amid heavy ground skirmishes.
The regime's command of the air is a major problem for the rebels, and unless they get surface-to-air missiles they will face serious problems in the looming battle for Aleppo.
The air force has carried out a series of aerial resupply operations in the region in the last two months that rebels have been powerless to prevent.
But it's not all clear sailing for the regime forces either.
They face major obstacles in the push on Aleppo from well-entrenched rebel blocking positions, which are being supplied with weapons through Turkey, Syria's northern neighbor, funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Loyalist forces have seized several villages in Homs province in recent days to consolidate their Qusair victory.
"Troop movements and bombardment patterns suggest the regime will likely stage attacks on rebels in Homs city proper and around the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh along the M5 highway, which leads from the Jordanian border in the south, through Damascus and all the way north to Aleppo," the U.S.-based global security consulting firm Stratfor says.
Analysts say the regime's assault on Aleppo may be deferred until there's a significant loyalist push from the south as well.
"For all the regime's announcements of an imminent victory in Aleppo, it is important to remember the very significant obstacles," Statfor stressed. "Many of these are in fact the same that prevented the regime from ousting the rebels from the city in the summer of 2012."
The rebels are dug in along much of the M5, which the regime would need to control to supply a major mechanized force.
Activists say rebels have already sent blocking forces to key supply routes in anticipation of a regime push northward from Hama province.
The Iranian-backed Hezbollah will likely play a key role in the Aleppo offensive as a strike force, as it did in the battle of Qusair.
The Shiite movement, which has fought the Israelis for three decades, has proven to be a staunch ally of Assad's Alawites, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2013/06/19/Assad-forces-build-up-for-Aleppo-offensive/UPI-13761371648604/.


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Asian American Solidarities in "Post-" Pandemic World
You are here: American University College of Arts & Sciences News Asian American Solidarities in "Post-" Pandemic World
Student Changemakers
collegedeansoffice@american.edu
Battelle-Tompkins, Room 200 on a map
CAS Dean's Office 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8012 United States
APRC kicks off semester with free panel conversation on September 9
All are invited! The Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University has teamed up with the Center for Asian American Studies at the University of Texas, Austin, to co-host a free panel conversation, Asian American Solidarities in a "Post-" pandemic World. A panel of prominent artists, activists, writers, and scholars will discuss the current movement to (re)make Asian American presence and solidarity.
Lily Wong, associate professor in AU's departments of Literature and Critical Race Gender and Culture, is one of the panel's organizers and moderators. She says that this year has been filled with tremendous violence and loss for Asian Americans, which is why it's so important to come together now to discuss racial solidarity. "For many Asian Americans, the pandemic both reinforced and disoriented our racial location," she explains. "This panel brings together public-facing figures who are advancing our collective thinking on the current racial and gendered locations of Asian America, as well as the meaning of Asian American presence right now."
Please register in advice for the free event on September 9, 2021, at 6 p.m. EST.
A Discussion about Solidarity
For Asian Americans, the surge in anti-Asian violence during the pandemic has forced many of us to question how we are truly viewed, who will stand with us, and how we stand with others. What does racial solidarity mean right now? The practice of showing up – of making our presence meaningful – is no simple matter. Beyond statements and hashtags, how do we actively and creatively practice solidarity — through our activism, art, redirected material resources, and narratives?
This panel of artists, activists, writers, and scholars will think through the (re)making of Asian American presence and solidarity in this crucial moment in US history.
Jeff Chang, author of Who We Be, and We Go'n Be Alright
Dawn-Lyen Gardner, actress and activist
Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
Jay Caspian Kang, Journalist, New York Times
Nancy Wang Yuen, author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism
UT Austin Center for Asian American Studies
AU Office of Campus Life
AU College of Arts and Sciences
AU School of Communications
AU Department of Literature
AU Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: MySQL event scheduler query? When I write following code on SQL tab of phpmyadmin:
    DELIMITER $$
    CREATE
        EVENT `near_end_warranty`
        ON SCHEDULE EVERY 1 HOUR
        DO BEGIN

        DECLARE numrow int;
        SELECT COUNT(id) FROM equipments INTO numrow WHERE
             TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)<5 AND
             TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)>0;

        IF numrow>0 THEN
        INSERT INTO notifications
            (eq_id,start_date,end_date,name,type,message,created_by,modified_by,
            created_on,modified_on)
        SELECT eq_id,warranty_start_date,warranty_end_date,'warranty','ending soon',
               'warranty ends soon for','System','System',NOW(),NOW()
        FROM equipments WHERE
           TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)<5 AND
           TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)>0;
        END IF;
    END $$
DELIMITER ;

It shows following error:

1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use
  near 'WHERE TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)<5 AND
  TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW()' at line 7

I checked and tried to find error but couldn't. Please someone help me what is wrong here?

A: The INTO clause has to go after the WHERE clause:
SELECT COUNT(id)
FROM equipments
WHERE
    TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)<5 AND
    TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)>0
INTO numrow;

See the syntax here (this is the manual that the error message told you to check).
All the clauses have to be in the order specified, there's no flexibility.
Actually, there's an exception for the INTO clause, it can also go right after the SELECT list. But it can't go after FROM. So you could also write:
SELECT COUNT(id) INTO numrows
FROM equipments
WHERE
    TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)<5 AND
    TIMESTAMPDIFF(WEEK,NOW(),warranty_end_date)>0;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tributes paid to top football manager Len
By Nick Hartland
Thursday 14th October 2021 10:00 am
Len Ashurst ()
Tributes have been paid to one of the most successful managers in Newport County's history, who lived for many years near Raglan and coached at Monmouth Comprehensive School after more than 1,000 games in management.
Len Ashurst, who has died aged 82, famously led the Ironsides to the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1981 as well as the old third division.
He also gave coaching sessions at Monmouth Town FC, where he spotted Steve Lowndes playing in the youth team and took him to County, launching the youngster on a career where he went on to play for Wales against the likes of Brazil and make more than 600 Football League appearances.
Liverpool and Republic of Ireland legend John Aldridge, who played in the Ironsides team with Lowdnes, posted in tribute: "Really sad to see my first manager Len Ashurst who introduced me to professional football at Newport County pass away!
"I will always be truly grateful for the opportunity and management he gave me. RIP boss."
Prior to management he was a successful player who won England youth and U23 caps, and holds the second highest number of appearances for Sunderland, playing 458 times.
Black Cats 1973 FA Cup final hero and former teammate Jim Montgomery, who holds the club record, posted: "Len always gave everything on the pitch, but off it he was a family man who was a perfect gentleman and was always immaculate in collar and tie."
Following his death on September 25, Sunderland held a minute's silence at their next home match for their former defender, who also later managed them and led them to the 1985 League Cup final.
The Ironsides held a minute's applause last week before their 3-0 win over Scunthorpe having posted: "Newport County AFC is saddened to learn of the passing of former manager Len Ashurst. Our thoughts are with Len's family and friends at this difficult time."
'Lennie the Lion' also enjoyed two spells at Cardiff City in the 1980s and 1990s, winning promotion to the old third division in 1983, and other clubs he managed included Hartlepool, Gillingham and Sheffield Wednesday.
Having overseen more than 1,000 games as a manager, Ashurst was inducted into the League Managers' Association Hall of Fame in 2014.
After finishing his managing career in 1993, he worked as an administrator at the Football Association helping set up the modern academy system and a match official assessor for the Premier League, as well as coaching football at the likes of Monmouth Comprehensive School.
Monmouth Town Fc stalwart Terry Cleaves, who played with Lowdnes in the youth team, said he had "lots of great memories of Len", who lived for many years at Llansoy near Raglan.
"He was guest of honour at our dinner/dances at the Kings Head and sent teams up for pre-season friendlies. He was a genuine man, no frills, always friendly and is fondly remembered."
Monmouth Town Fc had close connections with County during Ashurst's reign when he spotted Lowdnes and launched him on his career.
And Terry said: "About four years after we played together in the youth and Len gave him his chance, I went to Cardiff to watch Wales v Brazil and Steve played against Zico!"
As manager of Newport County from 1978 to 1982, when the team included the likes of Aldridge, goal machine Tommy Tynan and John Relish, they won promotion to the old third division, won the Welsh Cup and enjoyed a famous 2-1 FA Cup win at Somerton Park over Trevor Brooking's West Ham United.
Travelling behind the Iron Curtain in 1981 to play East German champions Carl Zeiss Jena, who included seven internationals, County pulled off a miraculous 2-2 comeback draw in the quarter-final of the Cup Winners Cup to set up a fabulous night at Somerton Park in front of 18,000 fans.
County bombarded the Germans' goal but the woodwork and an inspired East Germany national keeper Hans-Ulrich Grapenthin somehow kept the ball out of the net, and their opponents sneaked a 1-0 win to take the tie 3-2 on aggregate.
Monmouth Town FCRaglanMonmouth Comprehensive School


text:
Journal of Micropalaeontology An open-access journal of The Micropalaeontological Society
The Micropalaeontological Society
@TMS_JM
index 24
BIOSIS Previews
Zoological Record
Petroleum Abstracts
J. Micropalaeontol., 36, 21–30, 2017
https://doi.org/10.1144/jmpaleo2015-021
On the modern distribution of the euryhaline species Cyprideis torosa (Jones, 1850) (Crustacea, Ostracoda)
Karel Wouters Karel Wouters Karel Wouters
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Operational Direction Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Vautierstraat 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Correspondence: Karel.Wouters@naturalsciences.be
Received: 28 Aug 2015 – Accepted: 29 Nov 2015 – Published: 03 Jan 2017
Keywords: Ostracoda, Recent, zoogeography, dispersal
Abstract. The modern distribution of the euryhaline ostracod Cyprideis torosa (Jones, 1850) is illustrated on three geographical maps, visualizing its occurrence in Europe, Africa and Asia. The presence of other Cyprideis species, within the distribution area of C. torosa, is discussed. The species has also been recorded from Australia, but it appears now that its presence and that of other Cyprideis species, is a complex issue, that requires new research. Passive transport by migratory birds is briefly dealt with, by mentioning some interesting new examples from the literature, and by linking the distribution in China to the Central Asian Flyway of waterfowl. Cyprideis torosa is a single, highly variable, polymorphic and widely distributed species, with locally different populations. This variability is commented upon and put in a broader context. An imaginary line, connecting the peripheral records, delineates the distribution area of the species. The most interesting aspect is the very pronounced north–south distribution. The species occurs above the Arctic Circle in Europe and Asia but also in South Africa, illustrating that it is a eurythermal species that has adapted to very divergent temperature regimes.
Supplementary material: The literature on which the figures are based is available at: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3149791.v1
Article (PDF, 552 KB)
How to cite: Wouters, K.: On the modern distribution of the euryhaline species Cyprideis torosa (Jones, 1850) (Crustacea, Ostracoda), J. Micropalaeontol., 36, 21–30, https://doi.org/10.1144/jmpaleo2015-021, 2017.
Journal of Micropalaeontology
An open-access journal of The Micropalaeontological Society


Earlier I blogged about Carissa's bridals and promised to be back with more images from her wedding. Carissa and Trent were a lot of fun. They were married at the Salt Lake Temple and had their reception at the Western Garden Centers Atrium in Sandy.


There is a new version of Exercises 11.
There will be no lectures on February 20, 21, 27, and 28 (neither on March 6 and 7).
The first exercise class is on Wednesday, January 24.
Introduction to smooth manifolds, Springer, 2003.
Exam and exercise classes. The exam will consists of 5 problems (evaluated as 6 pts each).
The first possible exam is on 23rd of May.
Remember to register for the exam in WebOodi at least 10 days before the exam!
Belongs to the Mathematics and Applied mathematics module.
Basics on smooth manifolds and mappings between manifolds, tangent and cotangent space, tensors, differential forms. Stokes theorem.
Lee: Introduction to smooth manifolds.


streams/videos into your mobile/tv then please contact at info@connectel.com.
bei BRAVO Web TV. Alle Folgen im Überblick findest du hier.
watch our international broadcast web TV. Get our online tv for free.
entertainment networks such as A&E, Bravo, Oxygen, Lifetime, and Fuse.
with the Rogers Anyplace TV app, you can watch live TV on the go!
Dec 5, 2017 … People are canceling their satellite and cable TV subscriptions at record rates.


text:
import State from './State';
import StateMachine from './StateMachine';
import Transition from './Transition';

export {
  State,
  StateMachine,
  Transition
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Aligns all pairs of sequences in a FASTA file using global alignment. Alignments are constructed and reported unconditionally; accept and termination conditions are not supported. Multithreading is not supported, though it could be implemented.


text:
Red Deer Rebels
Red Deer Minor Hockey
Red Deer College Kings and Queens
Insider's Guide to Red Deer
Red Deer Votes
File photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS Alberta enacted the program to cut oil output starting in January after discounts on Western Canadian Select bitumen-blend crude soared to as much as US$50 per barrel compared with U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate prices last fall.
Oil producers call for oil curtailment easing in return for rail commitments
Jul. 9, 2019 10:20 p.m.
CALGARY — Canada's largest oil producers are calling on the Alberta government to reward companies that commit to adding crude-by-rail capacity by easing their oil curtailment levels.
The proposal would allow crude oil export capacity to increase at the same time that barrels are being produced to fill that capacity, Suncor Energy Inc. CEO Mark Little said, while taking part in a panel discussion with representatives of four other large Calgary-based oil producers at the TD Securities Calgary Energy Conference.
The result would be that Alberta producers would be able to get better prices for higher volumes of oil, which would swell the government treasury with more resource royalties and taxes, he said.
"The big issue that everyone's fearful of is you lift oil (quotas) and no rail shows up, or you lift rail (capacity) and no oil shows up, so we're trying to figure out, is there a way we can work with the government that would be a step towards getting rid of curtailment," Little told reporters.
"If you allowed people to increase their production if they brought incremental rail, then all of a sudden every company that's curtailed is trying to find rail contracts."
Little said he hopes the plan would allow oil production curtailments to be retired by the end of 2019.
The government will consider the idea, said Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage at a later news conference, noting that CIBC Capital Markets has been hired to undertake a "divestiture program" of the contracts.
"We definitely wouldn't rule that out, but we need to see more details and we need to see what the full figure looks like, which probably won't happen until the fall," she said.
Alberta enacted the program to cut oil output starting in January after discounts on Western Canadian Select bitumen-blend crude soared to as much as US$50 per barrel compared with U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate prices last fall.
The situation was blamed on the inability of pipeline capacity to keep up with growing output from the oilsands.
The curtailment program was to gradually be reduced and end by late 2019, but Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has said it may need to continue into 2020 if storage levels in the province remain high.
The production limit in August was set at 3.74 million bpd, a reduction of 180,000 bpd from the initial January curtailment level of 325,000 bpd. The first 10,000 bpd a company produces are exempt from production limits, meaning only 29 of more than 300 producers in Alberta are subject to the limits.
Meanwhile, the Kenney government has also indicated it wants to turn over 120,000 barrels per day of crude-by-rail contracts negotiated by the previous NDP government to the private sector.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. is in talks with the government about those contracts, said executive vice-chairman Steve Laut, adding it has had to halt production of about 80,000 bpd because of the curtailment program.
"We are very interested in taking rail capacity," said Laut during the panel discussion.
"It would make a lot of sense to lift curtailment as you bring on rail and, for those who commit to rail, you should get some kind of increased allocation on your curtailment."
Cenovus Energy Inc. could add 80,000 bpd of production if curtailment ends and if it decides to begin producing from its 50,000-bpd Christina Lake oilsands expansion project, which has been completed but is on hold until market access problems are resolved, said CEO Alex Pourbaix.
He said the company intends to increase its rail shipping to 100,000 bpd by year-end and is spending $30 million to increase its Edmonton-area crude-by-rail terminal by 20 per cent to about 120,000 bpd capacity.
Imperial Oil Ltd. cut its crude-by-rail shipments to near zero in February because it said curtailment had narrowed the differences between Canadian and U.S. prices by so much it didn't make sense to use the high-cost rail transport system.
On the panel, Imperial senior vice-president Theresa Redburn said the company still is not using all of its 200,000 bpd of crude-by-rail capacity, which she said represents about one-third of the 600,000 bpd of western Canadian capacity.
She said the company is engaged in confidential talks with the government to increase its rail use.
Garbage changes proposed for Red Deer apartments and industries
Trade, climate policy on agenda for premiers' meeting in Saskatoon
Carl's Jr. in Red Deer area closed
Co-owner of Carl's Jr. in Gasoline Alley was caught using his bare hands to handle sauce in 2017
Cattle Show set to return to Stettler Jan. 31st and Feb. 1st
"Stettler, historically, has been a very strong cattle community. It was a real hub for the cattle industry."
Quebec MP Gerard Deltell says non to Tory leadership
OTTAWA — Quebec MP Gerard Deltell says he's decided not to enter… Continue reading
Extreme cold warning lifted for Red Deer and central Alberta, Environment Canada reports
It's still cold, but on its way to getting better. The extreme… Continue reading
Studies question assumptions on industrial damage to Wood Buffalo park
New research suggests Canada's largest national park is not drying out from… Continue reading
WATCH: Canadian kid shovelling snow video goes viral
Rory might just be Canada's most popular toddler right now, thanks to… Continue reading
Your community calendar
Jan. 22 Downtown House Senior Center (5414 43 St.) in Red Deer… Continue reading
COQUITLAM, B.C. — Five hikers stranded on Eagle Mountain in Coquitlam, B.C.,… Continue reading
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX completed the last big test of its… Continue reading
Canada's Jeff Smith wins way back to PDC pro darts tour via qualifying school
WIGAN, England — Canadian Jeff Smith has won his way back to… Continue reading
Skate Canada to wait on final decision for world championship team
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier headline the… Continue reading
Canadian golfer Lee finishes in fifth place at Singapore Open, Kuchar wins
SINGAPORE — Canadian golfer Richard T. Lee shot 1-over 71 on Sunday… Continue reading
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The federal government is mobilizing the Armed Forces… Continue reading
ARNOLD, Mo. — A couple who had been together for nearly 65… Continue reading
WIGAN, England — Canadian Jeff Smith has won his way back to…
MONTREAL — Swedish may not be the lingua franca of the aviation…
COQUITLAM, B.C. — Five hikers stranded on Eagle Mountain in Coquitlam, B.C.,…
PASADENA, Calif. — Kim Kardashian West is a step closer to becoming…
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier headline the…
Rory might just be Canada's most popular toddler right now, thanks to…
Report: Hank Azaria to quit voicing Apu on 'The Simpsons'
LOS ANGELES — Hank Azaria says he has no plans to continue…
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© 2020, Red Deer Advocate and Black Press Group Ltd.


text:
namespace g{namespace Fuse{namespace Triggers{struct WhileBool;}}}
namespace g{struct MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property;}

namespace g{

// public sealed class MainView.Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property :10
// {
::g::Uno::UX::Property_type* MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property_typeof();
void MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property__ctor_1_fn(MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property* __this, ::g::Fuse::Triggers::WhileBool* obj);
void MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property__New1_fn(::g::Fuse::Triggers::WhileBool* obj, MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property** __retval);
void MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property__OnGet_fn(MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property* __this, bool* __retval);
void MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property__OnSet_fn(MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property* __this, bool* v, uObject* origin);

struct MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property : ::g::Uno::UX::Property
{
    uStrong< ::g::Fuse::Triggers::WhileBool*> _obj;

    void ctor_1(::g::Fuse::Triggers::WhileBool* obj);
    static MainView__Fuse_Triggers_WhileBool_bool_Value_Property* New1(::g::Fuse::Triggers::WhileBool* obj);
};
// }

} // ::g


Sprint has announced that it will cease selling users' location data to third parties, following similar moves made by Verizon (Engadget's parent company), T-Mobile and AT&T. The four major US carriers are responding to a report published by Motherboard last week that revealed just how easy it was for anyone to purchase another person's mobile location information. While the companies said selling location data to aggregators was intended for legitimate services like spotting fraud and offering roadside assistance, Motherboard reporters demonstrated how simple it was to secure a phone's location with a few hundred dollars and the right contact.
"Last year we decided to end our arrangements with data aggregators, but assessed that the negative impacts to customers for services like roadside assistance and bank fraud alerts/protection that would result required a different approach," a Sprint spokesperson told CNET. "We implemented new, more stringent safeguards to help protect customer location data, but as a result of recent events, we have decided to end our arrangements with data aggregators."
That statement mirrors those released by Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T last week. Last year, after reports unveiled other instances of location data misuse, these same companies said they would be severing ties with location aggregators, though all appear to have continued sharing data for certain services.
Since Motherboard published its report, a number of lawmakers have expressed their concern over the issue and FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel called for an investigation. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) also asked FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to attend an emergency briefing on the matter, though Pai declined citing the government shutdown as his reason.
Sprint told CNET it would end its location data sales "in the next several months.


text:
Petalostomella lyrodes är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Edward Meyrick 1931. Petalostomella lyrodes ingår i släktet Petalostomella och familjen stävmalar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Stävmalar
lyrodes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Subscribe to Digital News Daily
YouTube Makes Real-Time Ads Available To Brands Before Super Bowl 2016
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 20, 2016
YouTube cracked the door a little wider Wednesday, making its Real-Time Ads tool available to an increasing number of brands. The ad unit will allow more advertisers to become part of the conversation as football plays put fans on the edge of their seat or bring them to their feet while watching the big game.
The tool lets advertisers instantly run an ad across YouTube, hundreds of thousands of apps, and more than 2 million sites in the Google Display Network with a message that ties directly to the live moment people just experienced.
Wix.com, which made their Super Bowl debut in 2015, will use Real-Time Ads during this year's Super Bowl game. YouTube plans to roll out the platform to more brands later this year.
For the eighth consecutive year, YouTube will hold its Ad Blitz program for advertisers, hosting all the ads in one place for viewers to watch, share, and vote. In 2015, viewers watched more than 840 million minutes, equivalent to 1600 years, of Super Bowl ads on YouTube, according to Google.
On average, Ad Blitz participants generated four times as many views of their spots as non-Ad Blitz participants.
This year, YouTube will publish new, original content. The company invited YouTube Creators to produce an exclusive series for YouTube AdBlitz, themed "How to Win Game Day," that will be released the week leading up to the game. Videos will begin going live at the same time.
Last year, there were more than 300,000 hours of big game ads watched in the U.S. while the game aired. That's double the number of hours we saw the year prior, per YouTube.
Some 37% of the time spent watching Super Bowl commercials on the site in 2015 occurred before game day, per YouTube. Brands that published full versions online before Sunday's game received an average of 2.2 times more views and 3.1-times more social shares by Monday morning than those that waited until the game to release an ad, according to Pixability Radar.
Real-Time Ads isn't just a way to engage football fans during the big game. Comcast will use Real-Time Ads during the upcoming Oscars, promoting their library of on-demand content during the star-studded movie events of the year.
advertising, agency, creative, online, online publishing, real-time, search, tv
More from Online Video Daily
JW Player Taps Vonage's Calamera as CTO
New Rheo Curates Just A Few (Thousand) Good Videos
Ooyala Sues Brightcove Over Trade Secrets
Whistle Sports Will Dunk Again
YouTube: We're Not TV, But Here Are Some New TV Shows


text:
#pragma once

#include "render_commands.h"

#include "badger/memory/mem_alloc.h"
#include "badger/assertion/assertion.h"

#include <vector>
#include <functional>
#include <mutex>

namespace pathos {

	class RenderCommandList {

		static const uint32 RENDER_COMMAND_LIST_MAX_MEMORY;
		static const uint32 COMMAND_PARAMETERS_MAX_MEMORY;

	private:
		struct RenderCommand_registerHook : RenderCommandBase {
			std::function<void(RenderCommandList& cmdList)> hook;
			RenderCommandList* hookCommandList;

			static void APIENTRY execute(const RenderCommand_registerHook* __restrict params) {
				params->hook(*(params->hookCommandList));
				params->hookCommandList->flushAllCommands();
			}
		};

	public:
		RenderCommandList(const char* inDebugName, uint32 commandAllocBytes = RENDER_COMMAND_LIST_MAX_MEMORY, uint32 parametersAllocBytes = COMMAND_PARAMETERS_MAX_MEMORY)
			: debugName(inDebugName)
			, debugCurrentCommandIx(0)
			, commands_alloc(StackAllocator(commandAllocBytes))
			, parameters_alloc(StackAllocator(parametersAllocBytes))
			, sceneProxy(nullptr)
			, sceneRenderTargets(nullptr)
			, hookCommandList(nullptr)
		{
		}

		void setHookCommandList(RenderCommandList* secondaryCommandList);

		// Clear all commands in the list.
		void clearAllCommands();

		// Execute all commands in the list. Does not clear the list.
		void executeAllCommands();

		/**
		 * Simply call executeAllCommands() and then clearAllCommands().
		 * CAUTION: Do not confuse this with flush() which is glFlush().
		 */
		void flushAllCommands();

		// For subsequent works related to GL calls that have return values
		void registerHook(std::function<void(RenderCommandList& cmdList)> hook);

		// Returns a memory region that will be invalidated after all commands are executed.
		void* allocateSingleFrameMemory(uint64 bytes) {
			CHECK(bytes <= 0xffffffff); // Well, who would do this?
			void* mem = parameters_alloc.alloc((uint32)bytes);
			CHECK(mem != nullptr);
			return mem;
		}

		// Frees the memory after all commands are executed.
		// CAUTION: The parameter should point a dynamically allocated memory and not free'd in other places.
		void registerDeferredCleanup(void* dynamicMemory);

		// Free all memory that came from registerDeferredCleanup().
		void performDeferredCleanup();

		inline bool isEmpty() const { return commands.size() == 0; }

		// Debug only
		const char* debugName;
		uint32 debugCurrentCommandIx;

		// Should be assigned by renderer before rendering anything of current frame
		class SceneProxy* sceneProxy;
		struct SceneRenderTargets* sceneRenderTargets;

	private:
		RenderCommandBase* getNextPacket();

		// #todo-refactoring: Use allocateSingleFrameMemory() instead.
		template<typename T>
		T* storeParameter(uint64 bytes, T* data)
		{
			CHECK(bytes <= 0xffffffff); // Well, who would do this?
			T* mem = (T*)parameters_alloc.alloc((uint32)bytes);
			CHECK(mem != nullptr);
			memcpy_s((void*)mem, bytes, (void*)data, bytes);
			return mem;
		}

		StackAllocator commands_alloc;
		StackAllocator parameters_alloc; // non-singular parameters should be mem-copied to this allocator, as source data could be a local variable

		std::mutex commandListLock;
		std::vector<RenderCommandBase*> commands;
		uint32 flushDepth = 0;

		RenderCommandList* hookCommandList;

		std::mutex deferredCleanupLock;
		std::vector<void*> deferredCleanups;

	public:
		#include "render_command_list.generated.h"

	};

}


text:
New York Public Radio
We produce award-winning journalism, invite courageous conversation, set the industry standard in innovative podcasting, and champion classical music for everyone.
Press RoomBack to Press Room
WNYC Studios Presents "10 Things That Scare Me" The Tiny Podcast About Our Biggest Fears Returns for a Final Season
New Episodes Out Today
(New York, NY— January 13, 2020) — Hailed by Vulture as one of the "Best Podcasts of 2019"—"a perfect pocket of meditative splendor"—WNYC Studios' "10 Things That Scare Me" returns for its second and final season with new episodes featuring people from across the country revealing their darkest fears.
In each anxiety-filled, bite-size morsel, a single guest unpacks 10 things that haunt them, fill them with dread, or that they hope to never face. Always intimate, and occasionally funny, fears range from the familiar (clowns, climate change, cockroaches) to the singular (tall pine trees, sweet vermouth, deep sea centipedes). Episodes are capped off with the voice of "10 Things" co-creator Amy Pearl, who Radiolab's Jad Abumrad describes as possessing "Wes Anderson levels of quirk and weirdness and genius."
The first two episodes, available today, feature a submission from a listener Ike who fears—at the tender age of 11—that all his dreams will be crushed, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author of The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg, who fears that the people he admires most don't admire him back.
Other guests this season feature a wide-range of voices, including:
Hank Green, author, producer, and host of the "Dear Hank & John" and "SciShow Tangents" podcasts
Jia Tolentino, writer for The New Yorker and author of Trick Mirror
Rebecca Carroll, WNYC's Cultural Critic and Host of REBEL
George Divoky, the Director of Cooper Island Arctic Research
Hrishikesh Hirway, musician
Billie Parker and Gay Block, fine art photographer
Ellen Ryan, defense lawyer for Jeffrey Dahmer
Ida and Noa, the young sisters who inspired the idea for the "10 Things That Scare Me" podcast
"10 Things has become a cult hit in the podcast world — one of the first shows to innovate on a super-short, five-minute format, totally unnarrated, with sly and gorgeous scoring, and Amy at the end tying everything together," said Paula Szuchman, Vice President of New Show Development, WNYC Studios. "I'm thrilled we're launching one more season in this terrifying time, and that we can give listeners another chance to listen to each other for a change."
"10 Things That Scare Me" is available at 10ThingsPodcast.org and all other platforms where podcasts are available. Two new episodes will be released every Monday through April 6, 2020.
On Wednesday, January 29, Amy Pearl and Isaac Jones, the podcast's sound designer and composer, will present a behind-the-scenes look at how "10 Things That Scare Me" gets made. The Greene Space in New York City will host the event, details and live-streaming information may be found here.
ABOUT WNYC STUDIOS
WNYC Studios is the premier producer of on-demand and broadcast audio, home to some of the industry's most critically acclaimed and popular podcasts, including Radiolab, On The Media, Nancy, Trump, Inc., The New Yorker Radio Hour, Death, Sex & Money, Snap Judgment, Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin, and The Stakes. WNYC Studios is leading the new golden age in audio with podcasts and national radio programs that inform, inspire, and delight millions of intellectually curious and highly engaged listeners across digital, mobile, and broadcast platforms. Programs include personal narratives, deep journalism, interviews that reveal, and smart entertainment as varied and intimate as the human voice itself. For more information, visit wnycstudios.org.
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text:
package io.reactivex.internal.operators.flowable;

import java.util.*;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.*;

import org.reactivestreams.*;

import io.reactivex.Flowable;
import io.reactivex.disposables.CompositeDisposable;
import io.reactivex.exceptions.*;
import io.reactivex.functions.*;
import io.reactivex.internal.functions.ObjectHelper;
import io.reactivex.internal.fuseable.SimpleQueue;
import io.reactivex.internal.operators.flowable.FlowableGroupJoin.*;
import io.reactivex.internal.queue.SpscLinkedArrayQueue;
import io.reactivex.internal.subscriptions.SubscriptionHelper;
import io.reactivex.internal.util.*;
import io.reactivex.plugins.RxJavaPlugins;

public final class FlowableJoin<TLeft, TRight, TLeftEnd, TRightEnd, R> extends AbstractFlowableWithUpstream<TLeft, R> {

    final Publisher<? extends TRight> other;

    final Function<? super TLeft, ? extends Publisher<TLeftEnd>> leftEnd;

    final Function<? super TRight, ? extends Publisher<TRightEnd>> rightEnd;

    final BiFunction<? super TLeft, ? super TRight, ? extends R> resultSelector;

    public FlowableJoin(
            Flowable<TLeft> source,
            Publisher<? extends TRight> other,
            Function<? super TLeft, ? extends Publisher<TLeftEnd>> leftEnd,
            Function<? super TRight, ? extends Publisher<TRightEnd>> rightEnd,
            BiFunction<? super TLeft, ? super TRight, ? extends R> resultSelector) {
        super(source);
        this.other = other;
        this.leftEnd = leftEnd;
        this.rightEnd = rightEnd;
        this.resultSelector = resultSelector;
    }

    @Override
    protected void subscribeActual(Subscriber<? super R> s) {

        JoinSubscription<TLeft, TRight, TLeftEnd, TRightEnd, R> parent =
                new JoinSubscription<TLeft, TRight, TLeftEnd, TRightEnd, R>(s, leftEnd, rightEnd, resultSelector);

        s.onSubscribe(parent);

        LeftRightSubscriber left = new LeftRightSubscriber(parent, true);
        parent.disposables.add(left);
        LeftRightSubscriber right = new LeftRightSubscriber(parent, false);
        parent.disposables.add(right);

        source.subscribe(left);
        other.subscribe(right);
    }

    static final class JoinSubscription<TLeft, TRight, TLeftEnd, TRightEnd, R>
    extends AtomicInteger implements Subscription, JoinSupport {

        private static final long serialVersionUID = -6071216598687999801L;

        final Subscriber<? super R> downstream;

        final AtomicLong requested;

        final SpscLinkedArrayQueue<Object> queue;

        final CompositeDisposable disposables;

        final Map<Integer, TLeft> lefts;

        final Map<Integer, TRight> rights;

        final AtomicReference<Throwable> error;

        final Function<? super TLeft, ? extends Publisher<TLeftEnd>> leftEnd;

        final Function<? super TRight, ? extends Publisher<TRightEnd>> rightEnd;

        final BiFunction<? super TLeft, ? super TRight, ? extends R> resultSelector;

        final AtomicInteger active;

        int leftIndex;

        int rightIndex;

        volatile boolean cancelled;

        static final Integer LEFT_VALUE = 1;

        static final Integer RIGHT_VALUE = 2;

        static final Integer LEFT_CLOSE = 3;

        static final Integer RIGHT_CLOSE = 4;

        JoinSubscription(Subscriber<? super R> actual, Function<? super TLeft, ? extends Publisher<TLeftEnd>> leftEnd,
                Function<? super TRight, ? extends Publisher<TRightEnd>> rightEnd,
                        BiFunction<? super TLeft, ? super TRight, ? extends R> resultSelector) {
            this.downstream = actual;
            this.requested = new AtomicLong();
            this.disposables = new CompositeDisposable();
            this.queue = new SpscLinkedArrayQueue<Object>(bufferSize());
            this.lefts = new LinkedHashMap<Integer, TLeft>();
            this.rights = new LinkedHashMap<Integer, TRight>();
            this.error = new AtomicReference<Throwable>();
            this.leftEnd = leftEnd;
            this.rightEnd = rightEnd;
            this.resultSelector = resultSelector;
            this.active = new AtomicInteger(2);
        }

        @Override
        public void request(long n) {
            if (SubscriptionHelper.validate(n)) {
                BackpressureHelper.add(requested, n);
            }
        }

        @Override
        public void cancel() {
            if (cancelled) {
                return;
            }
            cancelled = true;
            cancelAll();
            if (getAndIncrement() == 0) {
                queue.clear();
            }
        }

        void cancelAll() {
            disposables.dispose();
        }

        void errorAll(Subscriber<?> a) {
            Throwable ex = ExceptionHelper.terminate(error);

            lefts.clear();
            rights.clear();

            a.onError(ex);
        }

        void fail(Throwable exc, Subscriber<?> a, SimpleQueue<?> q) {
            Exceptions.throwIfFatal(exc);
            ExceptionHelper.addThrowable(error, exc);
            q.clear();
            cancelAll();
            errorAll(a);
        }

        void drain() {
            if (getAndIncrement() != 0) {
                return;
            }

            int missed = 1;
            SpscLinkedArrayQueue<Object> q = queue;
            Subscriber<? super R> a = downstream;

            for (;;) {
                for (;;) {
                    if (cancelled) {
                        q.clear();
                        return;
                    }

                    Throwable ex = error.get();
                    if (ex != null) {
                        q.clear();
                        cancelAll();
                        errorAll(a);
                        return;
                    }

                    boolean d = active.get() == 0;

                    Integer mode = (Integer)q.poll();

                    boolean empty = mode == null;

                    if (d && empty) {

                        lefts.clear();
                        rights.clear();
                        disposables.dispose();

                        a.onComplete();
                        return;
                    }

                    if (empty) {
                        break;
                    }

                    Object val = q.poll();

                    if (mode == LEFT_VALUE) {
                        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
                        TLeft left = (TLeft)val;

                        int idx = leftIndex++;
                        lefts.put(idx, left);

                        Publisher<TLeftEnd> p;

                        try {
                            p = ObjectHelper.requireNonNull(leftEnd.apply(left), "The leftEnd returned a null Publisher");
                        } catch (Throwable exc) {
                            fail(exc, a, q);
                            return;
                        }

                        LeftRightEndSubscriber end = new LeftRightEndSubscriber(this, true, idx);
                        disposables.add(end);

                        p.subscribe(end);

                        ex = error.get();
                        if (ex != null) {
                            q.clear();
                            cancelAll();
                            errorAll(a);
                            return;
                        }

                        long r = requested.get();
                        long e = 0L;

                        for (TRight right : rights.values()) {

                            R w;

                            try {
                                w = ObjectHelper.requireNonNull(resultSelector.apply(left, right), "The resultSelector returned a null value");
                            } catch (Throwable exc) {
                                fail(exc, a, q);
                                return;
                            }

                            if (e != r) {
                                a.onNext(w);

                                e++;
                            } else {
                                ExceptionHelper.addThrowable(error, new MissingBackpressureException("Could not emit value due to lack of requests"));
                                q.clear();
                                cancelAll();
                                errorAll(a);
                                return;
                            }
                        }

                        if (e != 0L) {
                            BackpressureHelper.produced(requested, e);
                        }
                    }
                    else if (mode == RIGHT_VALUE) {
                        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
                        TRight right = (TRight)val;

                        int idx = rightIndex++;

                        rights.put(idx, right);

                        Publisher<TRightEnd> p;

                        try {
                            p = ObjectHelper.requireNonNull(rightEnd.apply(right), "The rightEnd returned a null Publisher");
                        } catch (Throwable exc) {
                            fail(exc, a, q);
                            return;
                        }

                        LeftRightEndSubscriber end = new LeftRightEndSubscriber(this, false, idx);
                        disposables.add(end);

                        p.subscribe(end);

                        ex = error.get();
                        if (ex != null) {
                            q.clear();
                            cancelAll();
                            errorAll(a);
                            return;
                        }

                        long r = requested.get();
                        long e = 0L;

                        for (TLeft left : lefts.values()) {

                            R w;

                            try {
                                w = ObjectHelper.requireNonNull(resultSelector.apply(left, right), "The resultSelector returned a null value");
                            } catch (Throwable exc) {
                                fail(exc, a, q);
                                return;
                            }

                            if (e != r) {
                                a.onNext(w);

                                e++;
                            } else {
                                ExceptionHelper.addThrowable(error, new MissingBackpressureException("Could not emit value due to lack of requests"));
                                q.clear();
                                cancelAll();
                                errorAll(a);
                                return;
                            }
                        }

                        if (e != 0L) {
                            BackpressureHelper.produced(requested, e);
                        }
                    }
                    else if (mode == LEFT_CLOSE) {
                        LeftRightEndSubscriber end = (LeftRightEndSubscriber)val;

                        lefts.remove(end.index);
                        disposables.remove(end);
                    }
                    else if (mode == RIGHT_CLOSE) {
                        LeftRightEndSubscriber end = (LeftRightEndSubscriber)val;

                        rights.remove(end.index);
                        disposables.remove(end);
                    }
                }

                missed = addAndGet(-missed);
                if (missed == 0) {
                    break;
                }
            }
        }

        @Override
        public void innerError(Throwable ex) {
            if (ExceptionHelper.addThrowable(error, ex)) {
                active.decrementAndGet();
                drain();
            } else {
                RxJavaPlugins.onError(ex);
            }
        }

        @Override
        public void innerComplete(LeftRightSubscriber sender) {
            disposables.delete(sender);
            active.decrementAndGet();
            drain();
        }

        @Override
        public void innerValue(boolean isLeft, Object o) {
            synchronized (this) {
                queue.offer(isLeft ? LEFT_VALUE : RIGHT_VALUE, o);
            }
            drain();
        }

        @Override
        public void innerClose(boolean isLeft, LeftRightEndSubscriber index) {
            synchronized (this) {
                queue.offer(isLeft ? LEFT_CLOSE : RIGHT_CLOSE, index);
            }
            drain();
        }

        @Override
        public void innerCloseError(Throwable ex) {
            if (ExceptionHelper.addThrowable(error, ex)) {
                drain();
            } else {
                RxJavaPlugins.onError(ex);
            }
        }
    }
}


Shares in Zurich Financial Services surged more than four per cent in trading on Monday in reaction to Friday's news that chairman Rolf Hüppi is to step down later this year.
Zurich's shares rose 4.55 per cent to SFr413.50 ($250.15)in a day of heavy trading and price variations, after closing at SFr395.50 on Friday.
Hüppi had already announced that he would step down as CEO as soon as a new chief executive for the company has been found.
In an interview with the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, Hüppi admitted to making a number of "errors" during his time at the company.
He said he had imposed structural changes too rapidly, generating an excessive workload and insecurity at management level.
"It was unfortunate that these changes took place in 2001, when the financial markets sunk to their deepest level in years and when there were the attacks of September 11," he said.
Hüppi added that public relations within the insurance and financial services divisions during that time had been a weak point.
Hüppi announced his resignation as head of Europe's third largest insurer after months of pressure from investors unhappy with his stewardship. Hüppi came under fire for his expansionary strategy, and his dual role as chairman and CEO.
The company also announced on Friday that Zurich would appoint current vice-chairman Lodewijk van Wachem as its new chairman, although there was no news about a new CEO.
In the interview, Hüppi said he felt frustrated that Zurich was being described as a company in crisis. "It's simply not the case," he said. "I hope that my resignation will change that image."
The group made a loss of $387 million (SFr650 million) last year, compared with a profit of $2.33 billion in 2000.
The decision to leave had been hard, Hüppi said, particularly as it forced him to acknowledge that he had personally been the group's "problem".
"But I'm confident about the future," he said. "I'm sure that I'll find a new challenge."
Hüppi joined the company in 1963, and since becoming CEO in 1991, helped transform the medium-sized firm into a global financial services group.
A string of acquisitions boosted the company's fortunes, until last year when it ended its expansionary drive with the sale of a US fund manager to Deutsche Bank.
Investors were also faced a series of profit warnings issued last year, revelations of internal disputes, and a number of ill-fated internet ventures.
The share price in the company has fallen over 50 per cent in the last twelve months.


text:
You are at:Home»Lifestyle»'My Face. My Rules'- Say No to Makeup Shaming
'My Face. My Rules'- Say No to Makeup Shaming
By Catrin Jones on	 October 31, 2017 Lifestyle
Sleek Makeup has teamed up with Ditch the Label on a campaign against makeup shaming. Perhaps it is an area you did not think people could discriminate against, but it is and affects the lives of many who have a passion for expressing themselves through the art of makeup. As the makeup industry continues to expand with new trends and techniques there has been a rise in makeup shaming.
'My face. My rules' aims to recognise and prevent the shaming of how we choose to define our own beauty. The campaign aims to liberate those who choose to wear makeup and wear it how they wish, whether it be purple lipsticks or orange eyeshadow, we all have the right to express ourselves how we want. There is a stigma attached to wearing makeup and with the help of Sleek's campaign that stigma can be quashed so that many women who suffer under the scrutiny of others can celebrate individualism and uniqueness.
Staggeringly results from Ditch the Label shows that 22% of people take women who wear lots of makeup-less seriously and a further 31% agreed that wearing lots of makeup looks trashy. These results reflect a negative attitude towards those who perhaps wear makeup for confidence or because they enjoy wearing it, it is ok to have a passion and nobody should make you feel bad for what you love to do/wear.
Catrin Jones
Beauty Bargains: Makeup Revolution Being a student is a difficult financial time for many, hence why it is so important that we quickly learn…
OPINION: Do you think fashion is important in society? YES By Katherine Barnes Yes, I do think fashion is important in society because it allows people to express their…
What You Need to Know About Microbeads Microbeads have come to light in the past couple years as a potential hazard to the environment. Whilst we all…
Rihanna's New Makeup Line; Fenty Beauty Fenty Beauty by Rihanna was a highly anticipated collection of foundation, contour sticks and highlighters released in September. Fenty Beauty…
73 Questions with Becky Lou Button I caught up with Instagram sensation, fashion blogger and masters student Becky Lou Button over hot chocolate & Sauvignon Blanc…


1). Knowing your intentions is an important part of creating authentic power. Choosing them consciously is even more important, but you cannot choose your intentions consciously if are not aware of them. Most people do not know their intention at any moment. This exercise will start you thinking about your intentions and choosing them consciously.
2). The Seat of the Soul (Simon and Schuster, NY, 1989) explains why choosing intentions consciously is necessary to create authentic power. It also shows you how important your intentions are, even when you do not know them, in particular the "Intention" chapter (pages 105-118) and the "Intention" chapter (pages 119-131). Think of the index item "intentions" on page 252 as a menu to order from when you are hungry for information about intentions and the pages it sends you to as dishes.


On June 26, 1995, Time Magazine ran a feature article on estrogen. The illustration on the cover showed a woman's hands cradling a capsule of Premarin, currently America's most prescribed drug. As if to underline the dichotomy that women are facing, one hand is youthful and perfect while the other is aged and wrinkled. The byline of the article states: "America's No. 1 Drug Is An Elixir of Youth, But Women Must Decide If It's Worth The Risk Of Cancer."
For women who need estrogen - and many do - this kind of choice sounds like a nightmare. Fortunately, the estrogen quandary is one bad dream that we can wake up from. Yes, there are better answers. Yes, they are here. And yes, they are available. Safe, natural forms of estrogen can now be obtained - with or without a doctor's prescription.
As menopause approaches, estrogen deficiency makes itself known in the all too familiar symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disorders, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. Other symptoms could include loss of libido, fatigue, rapid skin aging, bladder problems, loss of breast tone, or deep depression. The emotional changes that accompany hormonal deficiency can be particularly difficult. Without proper support, we may be talked into taking synthetic hormones or even anti-depressants, drugs whose side effects may not be worth the benefits they bring. Let's look at some better alternatives.
Women who have only mild symptoms may find that a good quality wild yam cream, along with herbal and dietary support, is all they need. Wild yam extract enhances progesterone activity in the body and also increases estrogen levels slightly. These products are very safe. They are used topically on the skin and the active ingredients are absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
Highly effective creams containing 8-10% Mexican wild yam extract are now available from health food stores, although brands vary greatly in strength and potency.
However, a substantial percentage of women feel better when they are using estrogen directly. In estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), this hormone can support health in the following ways.
Prevents mood swings caused by estrogen deficiency, slows bone loss, restores vaginal lubrication and tone, relieves hot flashes, may help restore libido, alleviates sleep disturbances, improves vitality and energy, maintains tone of breast tissue, prevents vaginal and bladder infections, prevents migraines by dilating blood vessels, protects against heart disease, and increases mental clarity and short term memory.
But what about the well-established link between estrogen and cancer? Betty Kamen, author of Hormone Replacement Therapy, Yes or No? states that "Women on long-term estrogen therapy appear to have about a 30% greater chance of developing breast cancer." A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine put the figure at 30 to 40% for women using estrogen for five or more years.
This sounds scary, but it's not the whole story. Let's look more closely at why estrogen can cause cancer. Estrogen is estrogen, right? Well, not quite. There are actually three major forms of this hormone in the female body. They are called estradiol, estrone, and estriol. The commonly prescribed forms of estrogen are made of estradiol, estrone, or combinations of the two.
For example, Premarin is largely estrone. Estrace and Estraderm (two other commonly prescribed estrogens) are estradiol, Ogen is estrone, and so on. Estradiol and estrone are very potent estrogens and they both have a stimulating effect upon the cells of the breast and endometrium (uterine lining). It is this ability of estrogen to make cells grow - even where they're not supposed to - which can eventually lead to cancer.
However, there is a third type of estrogen called estriol, which is often called "the forgotten estrogen" because it has been overlooked in favor of its more dangerous cousins. Estriol is the estrogen which dominates during pregnancy, when huge amounts are produced by the placenta. Estriol has a much less stimulating effect on the breast and uterine lining than estradiol and estrone. In fact, estradiol is 1000 times more stimulating to the breast tissue than is estriol, according to leading authority Dr. John R. Lee of Sebastopol, CA. Estrone is considered even more risky, and is believed to be the estrogen most responsible for breast cancer.
Why has estriol been so ignored? Traditionally, it has been considered a weak or ineffective estrogen. It is true that it needs to be used in larger amounts than the more commonly used forms of ERT. However, in larger amounts estriol is quite effective. Also, it rarely produces the unpleasant side effects associated with Premarin. Estriol has been used in Europe for many years, but was not available in the U.S. until recently.
The most exciting thing about estriol is the fact that not only does it not promote breast cancer, but considerable evidence exists to show that it protects against this disease. In 1978, Alvin H. Follingstead, M.D., wrote an article for the Journal of the American Medical Association calling for the use of estriol instead of estrone and estradiol. In support of his position, he cited a group of postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer. When given small doses of estriol, 37% of the women experienced either a remission or a complete arrest of the metastasized lesions! In 1966, H. M. Lemon, M.D. demonstrated that women with breast cancer have lowered estriol levels. Later, he showed that women without breast cancer had naturally higher estriol levels (compared to estrone and estradiol) than those with breast cancer.
Dr. Julian Whitaker, publisher of the Health and Healing newsletter, says that "estriol's anti-cancer effect is thought to be due to its anti-estrone characteristics. It apparently blocks the stimulatory effect of estrone on the breast." Whitaker explains that estriol is "weaker" in that it requires 2 to 4 mg. of estriol to equal the effects of 0.6 to 1.25 mg. of Premarin. "But this is inconsequential", says Whit-aker, "when one considers that the more estriol a woman takes, the less likely she is to get breast cancer, which is exactly the opposite of the dosage relationships of the commonly used estrogens."
Pure estriol will probably be the estrogen of choice for women who have an increased risk of cancer. For those who do not, a blend of the three estrogens seems to be ideal. Dr. Jonathan Wright, from Kent, Washington, has been experimenting with the use of estriol since the early 1980's. He has created a formula called "Tri-Estrogen" which contains 10% estradiol, 10% estrone, and 80% estriol.
This formula has been found by Dr. Wright to rapidly alleviate the symptoms of menopause without amplifying the danger of breast cancer. Women who have tried Tri-Estrogen (also called Tri-Est, or Triple Estrogen) generally find it gentle, effective, and largely free of side effects. Tri-Estrogen is also believed to be more effective against osteoporosis than is pure estriol.
When choosing an estrogen, we should also consider its source. Premarin is made from the urine of pregnant mares and contains "horse estrogens" which are not natural for the human body. And the production of this drug entails substantial cruelty to the mares. In contrast, the pharmaceutical forms of estriol and Tri-Estrogen are made from soybeans and are "guilt-free hormones". These products, as well as further information, are available by prescription from the Women's International Pharmacy, (800) 279-5708.
In a new and exciting development, a company called Nutraceutics has developed a non-prescription form of Tri-Estrogen. This product, called Pro-Estron, is based on Dr. Wright's formula of 80% estriol, 10% estrone, and 10% estradiol.
Pro-Estron is a phyto-estrogen product derived from natural plant extracts including licorice root, soybeans, and Ayurvedic herbs, and also contains wild yam phyto-progesterones. One capsule is said to be approximately as strong as .625 Premarin (an average dose of estrogen), although the phyto-estrogens may not relieve symptoms as rapidly as pure estrogen. Women who have had complete hysterectomies, and need large amounts of estrogen, can take higher doses. This product promises to offer the best of both worlds to women who wish to make their own choice for natural hormone replacement. However, women who have damaged or underfunctioning livers are usually better off using a tri-estrogen cream, which is still available only by prescription.
For maximum safety as well as comfort, women using estrogen should always balance this hormone with adequate progesterone. Progesterone is the second major female hormone, and one of its major tasks in the body is to offset some of estrogen's effects. High percentages of women who take estrogen alone develop a pre-cancerous condition of the uterus (called endometrial hyperplasia). Using a natural form of progesterone, however, will prevent hyperplasia, as well as helping to protect against breast cancer.
Space does not allow a full exploration of progesterone considerations in this article. Suffice it to say that most "progesterones" prescribed by doctors are actually progestogens or progestins. These are synthetic, chemically altered forms of progesterone, and they have a wide range of uncomfortable and even dangerous side effects.
Two forms of "natural" progesterone are available. The pharmaceutical form, Progesterone USP, is available by prescription. Current research indicates that large amounts of Progesterone USP may be counterproductive if used for more than 3-4 months. Progesterone benefits may also be safely obtained by using wild yam products. Wild yam extract contains diosgenin, a phyto-progesterone (a substance which is almost identical to progesterone and acts similarly in the body).
We are all very fortunate that Nature has provided us with a wealth of natural plant hormones-and that dedicated researchers have come forth to offer us products that will work in harmony with our bodies. The latter third of life does not have to be a trade-off between hormonal benefits and risks. It can be a time where we can take responsibility to fine-tune our bodies into health and harmony.
Elora Gabriel is a hormonal researcher who specializes in hair analysis for nutritional testing and endocrine function. For further information on Pro-Estron and other non-prescription hormonal products, she can be contacted at Tides of Life, 606 1/2 Laurel Avenue, Black Mountain, NC 28711, (704)669-2515.


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Galileo's Telescope
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TITLE: Galileo: 400 Years of the Telescope
SPEAKER: Michelle Thaller
In 1609, Galileo constructed the first powerful telescope and started observing the heavens, which led to many monumental discoveries. He published his initial findings on the moon and the stars in 1610 in a brief treatise titled "Sidereus Nuncius" ("Starry Messenger"). An original printing of this publication is held by the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress. NASA scientist Michelle Thaller discusses "Galileo: 400 Years of the Telescope." This illustrated lecture, the first in a series of programs in 2010, is presented through a partnership between the Library's Science, Technology and Business Division and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Speaker Biography: Michelle Thaller obtained a doctorate in observational astrophysics through Georgia State University, specializing in the life and death of massive stars. She has spent time in Australia and South America working on the world's foremost telescopes, and has also been an observer with the Hubble Space Telescope, the ROSAT X-Ray Satellite and the International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite. She spent more than 10 years at the California Institute of Technology and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena as the manager of the Spitzer Space Telescope's outreach program.
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