text:
Individual Struggle
Entry 2090, on 2020-11-20 at 14:27:49 (Rating 2, Politics)
Many people seem very surprised and puzzled about my controversial views, which I often express in this blog and on social media. How can an intelligent (hopefully), educated person like me be so obviously wrong (according to their perceptions) about so many things, and why do I insist on publicising my unfortunate ideas?
Well, in recent years I have found it increasingly important to maintain my individuality, and my own ideas and attitudes. I see too many people who are like puppets and whose attitudes are so predictable, simplistic, and obviously based on a narrative they have fully accepted without putting a lot of thought into. And this happens as much - possibly more so - with intelligent people as with those of more limited cognitive abilities.
I have already talked about this issue over a year ago, in a post titled "Owning Yourself" from 2019-08-20. But nothing has improved since then, so I think I need to reinforce the points I made here.
This is the quote that the 2019 post was based on: "The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Friedrich Nietzsche.
It seems today that people are very tribal, meaning that as well as being unable to perceive the true state of the world from a neutral position, they also lose their individuality, which I think is far more serious.
There is undoubtedly an element of bonding when you find yourself in a crowd of like-minded individuals. It's sort of nice to have people agree with you and to attack your enemies from a position of power. But that word "bonding" could just as easily be replaced with something a bit less positive: "bondage". Because, when you take the easy route and just agree with the crowd, you are nothing more than a slave.
In my on-line debates I'm almost always the individual fighting against the hordes of mindless zombies who are opposing me, but on rare occasions when I am on the side of the majority I don't like it. I just get this feeling that maybe I'm doing what's easy instead of what's right. I stop and re-evaluate what I am saying. Am I taking a particular view just to fit in? Or just to take the easy path? Or just to repeat the most commonly accepted narrative whether it is true or not?
Sometimes I do fall into those traps, but I usually recognise it early and try to proceed from there with a more nuanced view. If I completely agree with another individual or group, that is a major warning sign that I need to check the origins of my attitudes. Is it really me making these comments, or am I just parroting something I've been told to think by the mainstream media, politicians, or other sources?
I really do feel sorry for people who do fall into this trap, and that's not just rhetoric. It is disastrous for them, because they have lost their individuality, but it is also problematic for society as a whole, because we are no longer engaging in a well reasoned debate of different ideas. Too many people just repeat what their group demands instead of being genuinely honest with themselves.
Clearly the most destructive aspect of this is the divisiveness. It seems that no one on the left can admit that an intelligent conservative can have some good ideas - in fact many can't even admit that "intelligent" and "conservative" can be used in the same sentence! But there are many smart conservatives - Ben Shapiro immediately springs to mind - and if you listen to them speaking, and you cannot see that they have some very worthwhile points, even if you don't fully agree, then I think you really are just deceiving yourself.
And the same applies in the opposite direction too. For example, people who reject the scientific consensus on climate change are just fooling themselves. They don't have to accept every political aspect of the climate problem, but they should accept the science of its existence, at least.
So if you are a conservative, don't call anyone to your left a social justice warrior (a crime I have been guilty of on occasions), and if you are liberal, socialist, or leftist in another way please be aware that opinions such as being pro-life (that is, anti-abortion) or being against social engineering around issues of gender, race, etc are entirely reasonable, even if you disagree.
We should be able to accept that other people can be good, even if they have different political views from us. After all, I don't reject people just because they like movies and I don't, or they like beer and I prefer wine (actually, I like both), or they drive a Toyota and I drive a Subaru, or they like country music and I prefer metal. These are just points of individual difference which we should celebrate, not condemn.
Maybe the most problematic thing I hear is something like "I'm a Labour voter" or "I fully support BLM". Note that the opposite views are just as bad, so "I vote Republican" or "I believe what the NRA tells me" are also a concern. But inflexible attitudes on the right are no worse than similar attitudes on the left. They're both wrong.
I prefer this: "I vote for whatever party is offering the best policies at the time" (this is true; I have voted for many different parties), and "I think BLM is based on some real historical issues, but they are completely out of touch with reality now, and are causing more harm than good." (a similar argument applies to metoo, climate action, etc)
Is this really so hard? Apparently, yes. But I would encourage everyone to try rejecting this "groupthink" ideology and trying to be an individual. Remember what Nietzsche said: "no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
Comment 4 (5860) by OJB on 2020-12-04 at 14:21:43: (view earlier comments)
I agree, there is nothing inherently virtuous about being in a minority view group. The point I was making is that agreeing with the crowd opens you to question whether you agree because you genuinely think that perspective has merit, or you agree because you like being part of the crowd. Being in the minority removes that question, at least.
Comment 5 (5862) by Anonymous on 2020-12-04 at 15:54:02:
No it doesn't. I think I'm quick challenging of my views irrespective of whether they are "mainstream" or minority. I think that's your view, not a truth. I'm sure you have minority views just so you can call yourself a "rebel" or "deep thinker".
Comment 6 (5863) by OJB on 2020-12-04 at 16:19:34:
Well, it's hard to defend that accusation unless you can give me specific examples. I can agree that some people might deliberately choose to go with the minority for effect rather than as a result of a genuinely diverse view, just like some might go with the crowd for disingenuous reasons. But I hope that I could defend my minority views with facts, if necessary.
You can't talk in generalities and in abstract ways (e.g. "agreeing with the crowd opens you to question whether you agree because you genuinely think that perspective has merit") and then complain when others do the same, demanding concrete examples... you can't have it both ways.
I think I can. If it is not clear from the generalities what the issue is, then I think it is fair to ask for examples.


We are always interested in hearing from Environmental Engineers or Environmental Scientists with capability in one or more fields we specialise in: stormwater; wastewater; irrigation; or nutrient management and farming knowledge who can complement and support the team from either our Palmerston North or Christchurch offices. You will contribute to the delivery of projects, and be active in field and desktop investigations and reporting.
* Possibly hold, or be working towards industry recognised certifications such as CPEng or CNMA.
We are a progressive team of dynamic professionals. Our philosophy is to have a good work : life balance. We therefore invite expressions of interest from those who want to work both full or part-time. Actual hours, or days and times of work, will be negotiated with the successful applicant, as will a salary commensurate with experience.
If you are ready to join the LEI team, please email a cover letter and your CV to recruitment@lei.co.nz.
Applicants for all positions at LEI must have NZ residency or a valid NZ work permit.


Given below is a detailed write up on Selected Sanjeevini Combinations (SSC) which can be used for healing most ailments. Please go through these combinations very thoroughly - many diseases are dealt with under each main heading. This is your main reference material. Sanjeevini combinations can be used as prophylactics (preventatives) and can be very helpful when epidemics strike eg. Flu, Cholera, Chicken Pox, Measles, Malaria etc. The same combination is the prophylactic and the treatment too.
Note : The sub combinations listed below are described within the 'Basic Combination'. The 'Basic Combination' is the base for the sub-combinations & is also used as the base for ALL related diseases - These combinations can be varied according to your requirements, adding other Sanjeevinis wherever necessary.
Hayfever, Urticaria (Hives or pithi), Allergic Asthma.
Spondylitis, Slipped Disc Sciatica, Lumbago (low back pain), Frozen Shoulder.
Mental Retardation, Physical Retardation, Autism, Downes Syndrome, Epilepsy, Parkinsons Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Better Memory, Dementia, Examination Stress, Coma.
Flatulence (Gas), Acidity, Indigestion Colic, Hiccups, Diarrhoea and Dysentry, Ulcer, Worms & Parasites, Cholera, Colitis, Crohn's Disease/ Celiac Disease, Poisoning.
Conjunctivitis, Vision, Astigmatism Night blindness, Cataract, Glaucoma Styes, Blindess (due to injuries), Squint Eye, Tearing Eyes and Dry Eyes.
SSC 64 SANJEEVINI COMBINATION FOR PEACE AND HARMONY BETWEEN NATIONS AT WAR.
We suggest that you keep samples of all or at least the most commonly used of the above Sanjeevini Combinations ready in water, vibhuthi or Homeo pills, in small bottles appropriately labeled. Pills and vibhuthi can also be kept in cellophane packets with zip. The samples can then be quickly multiplied as and when required for dispensing to a patient. How to do this is described under "Multiplying from a sample of Sanjeevini combinations" in the chapter entitled "Instructions" (Instruction 2).
It is important to have an efficient retrieval system for the samples bottles. The simplest one is to use cellophane packets (zip types) putting a few samples in each packet. Packet No. 1 could have combinations 1-10, packet No. 2 could have combinations 11-20 and so on.
A more professional retrieval sysem would be to store the samples in a cardboard or plastic box with slots (see Exhibit-8).


text:
The New Modern-Day Outlaws Playlist Features Over 315 Songs Of Real Deal Country Music
Country MusicPlaylists
· August 15, 2020
I'll just be honest… country radio sucks.
They play the same 5 pop songs over and over again (literally, read our full country radio data analysis here), hardly any women, and with this new wave of boyfriend country bullshit, it's enough to make you want to lay down in traffic.
And while most mainstream country doesn't sounds like the country music that most of us grew up on, it's exactly that: mainstream country.
If you know where to look, there's a ton a great country artists out there that are still making the kind of music that many of their country music forefathers would've been proud to call country. Artists that are still carrying that outlaw spirit into the studio and onto the stage. Artists who made their reputations by doing things their own way, the right way.
The good news is that we did the hard work for you and created the ultimate introduction to some of today's best traditional country music. Some of the artists are a little more mainstream, and some, maybe you've never heard of, but either way, there's a little something for everybody, and definitely enough to get you started if this is your first venture out into the deeper waters of real country music.
We updated the playlist and we're now looking at over 315 songs from some of country music's finest "Modern-Day Outlaws."
Cody JinksCountry MusicFeaturedModern-Day OutlawsPlaylists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On this page you'll find the AT&T mail settings for Android. Besides an overview with the imap and pop3 server mailsettings for AT&T, we offer you a comprehensive guide for setting up your AT&T email on a Android device.
4 Please enter your full AT&T email address and password. Then select "Manual Setup".
I want to add this email to my phone. This is a current address on my laptop which I can not use.
I am trying to add another email address but everytime I send for verify number it never comes, why ?
I need to start with the purchasing of the motor home.
I cannot get my samsung smart to accept my sbcglobal.net e-mail account. Help!


The Shire of Derby-West Kimberley president Geoff Haerewa said he "hopes" a company's proposal to mine mineral sands at a site on the Dampier Peninsula is granted native title approval, for the benefits it would bring the town.
Sheffield Resources representatives met with the Shire president and the Derby-West Kimberley Shire Councillast fortnight to give an update on the Thunderbird project, between Broome and Derby.
The company informed the Shire of the steps as it neared construction, and gave an update on sales agreements and the progress of its native title approval.
Sheffield also met with Derby's business community and introduced them to participants of the Work Ready Program, which has sourced trainees from the town's Winun Ngari Aboriginal Corporation.
Mr Haerewa said the Shire supported Sheffield and hoped it went ahead.
"The Thunderbird project would really be of benefit to the Derby community," he said.


text:
S&P 500 retailers open way more stores than they close: Report
Retailers in the S&P 500 opened nearly three times as many stores as they closed during their respective latest fiscal years, according to a report.
To be precise, the retailers opened 2,976 stores, nearly triple the 1,020 that they closed, according to Investor's Business Daily, citing data from S&P Global Markets Intelligence. Retailers on the S&P 500 are AutoNation, Best Buy, CarMax, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Foot Locker, Gap, Home Depot, Kohl's, L Brands, Lowe's, Macy's, Nordstrom, O'Reilly Automotive, Ross Stores, Target, Tiffany, TJX Cos., Tractor Supply Co., Ulta Beauty and Urban Outfitters.
In all, 19 S&P 500 retailers reported opening more stores than they closed.
By Edmund Mander
Director, Editor-In-Chief/SCT
$4.6 billion Lampert bid would keep 500 Sears open
'By women for women' is retailer Bulletin's mantra
10 ways brick-and-mortar retailers plan to compete with online-only players


If you have the skills and experience to match any of our current vacancies and want to join a dynamic team of people working to serve the community of Leicester then we want to hear from you.
Working on varied cleaning tasks in a busy office and conferencing facility of four floors, you will carry out a range of cleaning activities including mopping, sweeping, dusting, emptying bins and cleaning wash rooms.
Voluntary Action LeicesterShire is looking for an exceptional individual to lead a programme of work with parents, carers, young people, the Healthy Together staff, Designated Clinical Officer for SEND and adult services which will ensure effective and responsive transitions for young people up to the age of 25 years.


Browse our ever-growing resources. Read our latest announcements, learn about video streaming technology, and find us at industry events.
Video platforms support different digital rights management (DRM) technology. Learn where DRM systems are supported.
See what upcoming events you can meet our team at.
View our latest partnership, customer implementation, and industry news press releases.
Find answers to common questions about online video delivery technology.
Discover how we work with partners, and how our solutions help streaming services succeed.
Learn about specific aspects of streaming technology in detail.
Check out our blog articles to see what's new with castLabs!


The Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, said today that Cabinet had received and carefully considered a detailed report on the Bougainville peace process, including progress in implementing the agreed weapons disposal plan, from the Minister for Inter-Government Relations, Sir Peter Barter.
Sir Michael said the Government was concerned both at the way weapons disposal seems to have slowed in recent months, and especially at reports of break-ins of trunks and containers and removal of guns after they have been put away.
"Cabinet supports the decision by leading ex-combatants to set 24 December for giving the people of Bougainville the long-awaited Christmas present of achieving Stage 2 of weapons disposal and making sure that guns still at large in the community or at Stage 1 are locked up in secure, central containers, behind double locks, with one of the keys held and supervised by the United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville," he said.
"We call on ex-combatants, leaders and communities to redouble their efforts to achieve the objective.
"The Government is prepared to play its part by formally requesting the United Nations Security Council to extend the mandate for UNOMB and the contributors to the neutral, regional Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) - Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu – into 2003 so that they can see their assignments through.
"Clearly, the initiative for giving effect to the decision lies in the hands of ex-combatants, leaders and communities around Bougainville," Sir Michael said.
"As the Constitutional Laws implementing the Bougainville Peace Agreement make clear, the date on which the autonomous Bougainville Government is set up and begins functioning depends on how soon UNOMB verifies and certifies that Stage 2 of the agreed weapons disposal plan has been achieved," Sir Michael said.
"The target-date agreed when the Peace Process Consultative Committee (PPCC) met in Arawa last week fits in quite well with the dates set for completing the Bougainville Constitutional Commission's report and the first draft of the autonomous Bougainville Government's constitution.
"Christmas Eve is especially appropriate as the date for completing such an important contribution to peace as getting the guns out of the way in readiness for the day on which we will all celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.
"The early achievement of Stage 2 of practical weapons disposal will be the strongest possible sign of real commitment to honouring a plan based on the work of ex-combatants and agreed with them and their leaders.
"It is also the best way of showing appreciation for the very considerable human, financial and other resources that the UN, the PMG countries and foreign aid donors have put into supporting our shared commitment to securing lasting peace by peaceful means.
"Getting the guns out of the way will make it possible for leaders and Government at every level to respond positively to the legitimate demands of people all around Bougainville for peace, normalcy and opportunities to participate in development.
"It will help to reduce widespread – and growing - frustration at the need for repair and upgrading of infrastructure, and services on the ground," the Prime Minister said.
"Promising peace "is no longer enough. We have to help people realize the practical potential of peace – by creating conditions in which they can help themselves.
"Achieving stage two of the agreed weapons disposal plan provides a good start. It provides the basis for progress on other fronts," he said.
Sir Michael said that the Government has made it clear that the Bougainville peace process was a national priority. "We want to get on with practical peace building. It is vital that the guns that have been removed are securely stored. It is critical that ex-combatants are re-integrated into the community.
"The Government, therefore, supports last week's decisions by the PPCC regarding the security of guns and containers," he said.


I am having issues pinning my text object to my player when it moves. I have the player box and text on the same layer as well...just not sure..what happens, I move it and the text just stays there.
right now I have it setup different, I used a Append and set position to another object...it follwed the character but I couldnt change the location of the text to put it to the upper left part of the screen.
You could use a second layer, set the paralax to 0,0 and position the text in the upperleft corner of the dotted lines in your layout.
If you use scale for your project it would be even better to use the anchor behaviour for it to stay in the same position even if the layout is rescaled.
Just move the text where you want it to be relative to your player and pin it on start of layout.
so I go to my text..add a Pin behavior..go to events..what do I do..because I dont see a pin to layer.
on start of layout - text : pin to player.
It might be useful to read the manual and follow some tutorials to learn the basics of working with events, actions and conditions.
This worked well right here...had to move some stuff around.


text:
Charlie Daniels Recovering After Stroke
Country music icon Charlie Daniels was rushed to a Colorado hospital Friday after suffering a mild stroke while snowmobiling, this according to his rep.
We're told Daniels -- the guy behind "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" -- was immediately treated at a hospital in Durango ... but was soon airlifted to another hospital in Denver.
The rep tells us Daniels was released from the hospital on Sunday and is currently resting at his home in Colorado.
Nurse!


Underground legend and Long Island representative Roc Marciano just released a brand new project for all the hip hop purists titled Behold A Dark Horse.
Coming in at 12 tracks deep, this album has features from Busta Rhymes and Black Thought…need I say more?
Originally, upon release mid September, it was strictly available on his website but it's now available on all streaming platforms. Check it out.


text:
Manuscripts (documents) (1326)
Scrapbooks (388)
Video recordings (274)
Sketchbooks (251)
Floor plans (190)
Compact discs (174)
Business records (157)
Architectural drawings (152)
Transcripts (129)
Motion pictures (visual works) (111)
Painters (497)
Art museums (359)
Historians (174)
Art, American (171)
Sculptors (162)
Art museums. (150)
Artists' studios (111)
Works of art (104)
Museum buildings (91)
Art historians (88)
Mural painting and decoration (81)
Printmakers (76)
Aeronautics (72)
Web sites (69)
Warshaw, Isadore, d. 1969 (78)
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (57)
Smithsonian Folklife Festival (56)
Smithsonian Institution (49)
Anacostia Community Museum (38)
Smithsonian Institution. Office of Telecommunications (38)
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) (37)
DeVincent, Sam (32)
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.) (28)
Whitney Museum of American Art (28)
Calder, Alexander (27)
Smithsonian Institution. Office of Design and Construction (27)
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) (25)
Motherwell, Robert (24)
Washington, Booker T. (21)
Frankenthaler, Helen (20)
Howard University (20)
Cooper-Hewitt Design Archive (19)
Davis, Stuart (19)
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt) (19)
Evergood, Philip (19)
Guston, Philip (19)
Lipchitz, Jacques (19)
Soyer, Raphael (19)
Custom Craft (18)
De Kooning, Willem, 1904- (18)
Johnson, Ray, 1927- (18)
Rice, Moses P. (18)
Americans (140)
Hispanic Americans (56)
Latino Americans (56)
Asians (35)
Kiowa Indians (24)
Ojibwa Indians (22)
Cuban Americans (17)
Indians of South America (17)
Zuni Indians (17)
Apache Indians (16)
Asian Americans (15)
Cherokee Indians (14)
Assiniboine Indians (13)
Creek Indians (13)
Tewa Indians (13)
Cree Indians (11)
Gros Ventre Indians (Montana) (11)
Mexicans (11)
Shaw (Washington, D.C.) (18)
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.) (9)
Smithsonian Institution Archives (1633)
Archives of American Art (1102)
National Museum of the American Indian (57)
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art (38)
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Research and Scholars Center (9)
Query: Art, American
3879 records — Page 157 of 388
Peña, Jose Encarnacion, San Ildefonso
1 Painting
NAA.MS7429
MS 170 Letter addressed to George Gibbs, relative to the Loucheux dialect
Ross, Bernard R.
NAA.MS170
Includes Kutchin Song of the Dead and other music; description of the Dead Dance; miscellaneous linguistic notes; notes on the industrial art of the Chipewyan; legend of the formation of the McKenzie River, and the origin of fire in the Bear River coal beds.
Website Records
National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution)
This accession consists of two websites, three subsites, and a blog maintained by the National Portrait Gallery (NPG). The primary NPG website was crawled on October 20, 2015, and January 22, 2016 and again on February 21, 2016, shortly after the website was redesigned. The website includes information on exhibitions, visiting, educational ac...
Smithsonian Institution, Scholarly Press
1 cu. ft. (1 record storage box)
This accession consists of a reference set of publications from the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, plus older publications issued by Smithsonian Institution Press. Materials include books and serial publications.
Enrique Riverón papers
Riverón, Enrique
AAA.riveenri
The papers of Enrique Riverón measure 3.3 linear feet and date from 1918-1990s. The collection contains correspondence, writings, diary entries, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs documenting Riverón's career as an illustrator, cartoonist, painter and sculptor in the United States and Cuba and, to a lesser extent, Riverón's teaching career at Wichita University in Kansas.
Collection ELISOFON Elin
Elisofon, Elin
4 books (color.)
The collection consists of four books that portray the photography and/or text of Eliot Elisofon: A Week in Agata's World: POLAND. Photographs and text by Eliot Elisofon. New York: Crowell-Collier Press, 1970; A Week in Leonora's World: PUERTO RICO. Photographs and text by Eliot Elisofon. New York: Crowell-Collier Press, 1971; ZAIRE: A Week in Jose...
Harold Leeds papers
Leeds, Harold E., 1913-2002
1940s-circa 2002
AAA.leedharo
The papers of architect Harold E. Leeds measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1940s-circa 2002. The letters found here are primarily from painter Loren MacIver writing from France, during which time Leeds looked after the home belonging to MacIver and her husband, poet Lloyd Frankenberg. While mainly logistical in nature, MacIver does describe aspects of her daily life in France, and her and Frankenberg's friendships with prominent figures including Margaret Barr, Elizabeth Bishop, Pierre Matisse, and James Johnson Sweeney. The photographs in the collection document Leeds' life with partner and documentary filmmaker Wheaton Galentine, and Leeds' work as an architect and interior design professor at Pratt Institute.
Thomas Garvin Korean War Scrapbook
Garvin, Thomas
Vines, Gail
0.3 Cubic feet (1 folder)
One scrapbook of fourteen pages consisting of hand-drawn illustrations cut from envelopes and glued to the scrapbook pages.
Don C. Hoefler's Microelectronic News Collection
Hoefler, Don C.
Information Technology and Communications, Div. of (NMAH, SI).
Schreiner, Robert J.
2 Cubic feet (6 boxes)
A collection of the weekly newsletter "Don C. Hoefler's Microelectronic News," covering developments in the world of corporate microelectronics. Most issues include "Manager's Case Book," a two-page editorial on various business and economics topics by Hoefler.


"Breaking news with record breaking disastrous results for ruling party - Rajasthan becomes first state to give BJP Triple Talaq. Ajmer: Talaq, Alwar: Talaq, Mandalgarh: Talaq," Shatrughan Sinha said.
Taunting his BJP party over its defeat in the Rajasthan bypolls, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Friday said the state had become the first to give the BJP "triple talaq".
"Breaking news with record breaking disastrous results for ruling party - Rajasthan becomes first state to give BJP Triple Talaq. Ajmer: Talaq, Alwar: Talaq, Mandalgarh: Talaq.
"Our opponents winning the elections with record margins, giving our party a jolt," Sinha, BJP MP from Patna Saheb in Bihar, said in his latest tweet on Friday.
In another tweet, Sinha warned the party over its defeat in Rajasthan. "Better late than never, otherwise the disastrous results could or would be soon reformed as Tata-Bye-Bye results. Wake up BJP. Jai Hind."
Sinha has been embarrassing his party by taking a different stand time again for the last over one year.
On Tuesday, he joined the Rashtra Manch, a political action group launched by former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, bringing together politicians across party lines to take on the Centre.


text:
Special reporting package for Sunshine Week is available
In: Sunshine Week
Sunshine Week started Sunday and will shine through Saturday, March 19! Most of the content from the free special-reporting package is now available. We strongly encourage you to publish the content online and in print to celebrate the importance of open government and freedom of information.
Sunshine Week 2016 started Sunday and will continue to shine through Saturday, March 19. You can still send us your Sunshine Week plans, and we'll include you on the growing participants/events lists.
You now have access to the free special-reporting package, produced by The Associated Press, The McClatchy Company, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Sacramento Bee and Tribune News Service at the ASNE and Sunshine Week websites, as well as on the AP and Tribune wires. Most of the content is posted for you to publish online and in print throughout the week. A couple of other stories will be posted soon, as noted in the budget below.
Also available for your use are daily updated editorial cartoons and op-eds, as well as a list of open-government questions you can ask federal candidates.
We strongly encourage you to join us in celebrating the 11th Sunshine Week by publishing some or all of the content. Please pass along the content to your colleagues, as well.
Sunshine Week 2016 is made possible thanks to an endowment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and generous donations from Bloomberg and The Gridiron Club and Foundation.
Sunshine Week is a national celebration of access to public information that ASNE launched in 2005 to coincide with the March 16 birthday of James Madison, the father of the U.S. Constitution and a key advocate of the Bill of Rights. Since 2012, ASNE has partnered with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press to oversee the national coordination of resources and provide support for participants. For more information, visit sunshineweek.org, and follow Sunshine Week on Facebook and Twitter. Please use the hashtag #SunshineWeek.
Budget for the Sunshine Week package
Moving Saturday, March 12, for use on Sunday, March 13:
SUNSHINE WEEK-CAMPAIGN TRANSPARENCY
Politicians in Mississippi have used campaign funds to pay for such things as a BMW, an RV and $800 cowboy boots. In Wisconsin, a railroad executive was caught violating contribution limits after an ex-girlfriend he met on a "sugar daddy" dating website reported him for illegally funneling cash to Gov. Scott Walker's campaign through his employees. Key to the investigation, election officials say, was a requirement that donors disclose where they work - but Republican lawmakers have since wiped out the rule. Meanwhile, "dark money" spending by outside groups that aren't required to disclose their donors is expected to explode during this presidential election year. States can take action to stem the tide, but few have. Congress could require more disclosure about who is financing campaigns, but it has made no move to do so. Disclosure may be the public's best and often only remaining way of knowing who is supporting political candidates in the wake of recent court decisions. By Mary Spicuzza (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and Jeremy White (The Sacramento Bee). UPCOMING: 1,200 words. Photo.
- Graphic by Tribune, a 2 column by 3.5 inch chart showing "dark money" spending by election cycle.
SUNSHINE WEEK-CAMPAIGN TRANSPARENCY-COURTS
HELENA, Mont. - The U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which allowed unlimited corporate and union election spending, is now being used six years later to fight state limits on how much money individuals and groups can contribute directly to candidates. Lawsuits against contribution caps have been filed in Alaska, Montana and New Mexico. Those challenges are being buoyed by a federal appeals court ruling last year that cites Citizens United in making it more difficult for states to justify donation limits. By Matt Volz (AP). UPCOMING: 750 words.
SUNSHINE WEEK-ESSAY
Ten lawsuits have piled up this year over net neutrality, making the federal push to assure everyone has equal access to Internet service the most complex, longest-running technology dispute of our time. But nobody should lose sight of what's at stake in those thousands of pages of legal briefs on download speeds and service rates. The cases will eventually determine how free and free-wheeling our marketplace of information will be. This is Sunshine Week in the U.S., when news organizations place a spotlight on the public's right to know and size up the state of government openness and access to public records. This year, we should add a more sweeping question to the list: How will the First Amendment survive the dramatic changes in information technology? Complicated disputes are popping up in both predicable and surprising places. By Anders Gyllenhaal, vice president for news at McClatchy. Print, 800 words; digital 1,100 words.
Moving Sunday, March 13, for use on Monday, March 14:
SUNSHINE WEEK-STATEHOUSE SECRECY
State capitols often are referred to as "the people's house." Yet when it comes to the availability of records, legislatures frequently put up a no trespassing sign: In many states, lawmakers have exempted themselves from the state public records laws. A recent Associated Press request for emails and daily schedules of the legislative leaders in all 50 states was met with as many denials as approvals. Closed records are just one of many ways state lawmakers dampen transparency for the public. By David A. Lieb (AP). UPCOMING: 1,200 words. Photos.
_ BC-US--Sunshine Week-Statehouse Secrecy-States, details of legislative records restrictions in every state.
SUNSHINE WEEK-STATEHOUSE SECRECY-PENSIONS
FRANKFORT, Ky. - Public pension systems are under scrutiny across the country because of the huge unfunded liabilities many of them pose for taxpayers, but at least the gap is known. What if all the details about a pension system were secret? That's the case in Kentucky, where lawmakers do not release information about their taxpayer-supported pension fund, including how much former lawmakers are being paid in retirement benefits. By Adam Beam (AP). UPCOMING: 800 words. Photo.
Moving Wednesday, March 16:
SUNSHINE WEEK-POLICE EMAILS
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - An Associated Press story for Sunshine Week a year ago included the example of an editor for a gay newspaper in Florida, who faced numerous obstacles as he tried to learn how often police officers used derogatory terms in their emails. After one agency quoted him a price of nearly $400,000 to fulfill the request, the AP stepped in to help. The two news organizations filed similar requests with several Florida law enforcement agencies to determine if those types of emails were public and, if so, how news organizations and the public could obtain them. A year later and after multiple public records filings, they have their answer. And it's one that could provide a blueprint for other news organizations around the country as they report on police accountability. By Terry Spencer (AP). UPCOMING: 900 words. Photo.
Moving Thursday, March 17:
SUNSHINE WEEK-COLLEGE ENDOWMENTS
College endowments are under growing scrutiny from all angles. Students are demanding transparency as they push for ethical investing. A recent report shows that many donors want a say in where their money goes. And members of Congress are weighing whether to place greater oversight on the loosely regulated pools of money. But AP records requests show that colleges still guard their investments tightly, sometimes going to great lengths to maintain their privacy. By Collin Binkley (AP). UPCOMING: 700 words. Photos.


text:
A skillful and affecting combination of literary drama and historical research.
SURVIVING THE DEADLY UPHEAVAL
A HISTORICAL NOVEL BASED ON TRUE STORIES OF MANY PEOPLE HAVING ENDURED THE GREAT FORGOTTEN EXPULSION
by Ingeborg Maria Albert ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 23, 2020
After the conclusion of World War II, a German Bohemian family is forced from its home in Czechoslovakia and beset by hardships in this debut novel.
During the war, invading German forces annexed Czech territories, causing considerable resentment against local German Bohemians and German Czechs. In 1945, the war is over, and following seven years of German occupation, the acrimony "had turned ugly, brutal, and violent." Hans and Mattie Novak, two German Bohemians, fret anxiously over their increasingly precarious future and prepare for the worst-case scenario—a relocation, which would be daunting for them and their four kids. However, the decision is made for them when Hans is brutally beaten by local policemen and ordered to leave his beloved home immediately. Author Albert poignantly chronicles the harrowing plight of the Novaks, who attempt to cross through the forest into Austria and take temporary lodging at an American refugee camp. This refuge is short-lived, however, as the camp is ravaged by a typhus epidemic, and the disease nearly costs Mattie her life. The family finally makes their way to the home of Hans' best friend, Heinrich. But Heinrich later savagely rapes and beats Mattie, which plunges her into a deep depression. In lucid, unflinching language, Albert ably captures the burdens of the Novaks' exile over the course of the book. The author also affectingly limns the historical period in which they lived, as well as the ethnic divisions that roiled Czechoslovakia in the wake of the Second World War—and especially the hatred of a people that "wanted fierce revenge—cruel, violent revenge—and all with the blessing of President Beneš' retribution decree." Overall, Albert delivers a moving tale that's emotionally authentic and historically astute.
Publisher: FriesenPress
Categories: HISTORICAL FICTION | LITERARY FICTION
Sure to enchant even those who have never played a video game in their lives, with instant cult status for those who have.
IndieBound Bestseller
by Gabrielle Zevin ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2022
The adventures of a trio of genius kids united by their love of gaming and each other.
When Sam Masur recognizes Sadie Green in a crowded Boston subway station, midway through their college careers at Harvard and MIT, he shouts, "SADIE MIRANDA GREEN. YOU HAVE DIED OF DYSENTERY!" This is a reference to the hundreds of hours—609 to be exact—the two spent playing "Oregon Trail" and other games when they met in the children's ward of a hospital where Sam was slowly and incompletely recovering from a traumatic injury and where Sadie was secretly racking up community service hours by spending time with him, a fact which caused the rift that has separated them until now. They determine that they both still game, and before long they're spending the summer writing a soon-to-be-famous game together in the apartment that belongs to Sam's roommate, the gorgeous, wealthy acting student Marx Watanabe. Marx becomes the third corner of their triangle, and decades of action ensue, much of it set in Los Angeles, some in the virtual realm, all of it riveting. A lifelong gamer herself, Zevin has written the book she was born to write, a love letter to every aspect of gaming. For example, here's the passage introducing the professor Sadie is sleeping with and his graphic engine, both of which play a continuing role in the story: "The seminar was led by twenty-eight-year-old Dov Mizrah....It was said of Dov that he was like the two Johns (Carmack, Romero), the American boy geniuses who'd programmed and designed Commander Keen and Doom, rolled into one. Dov was famous for his mane of dark, curly hair, wearing tight leather pants to gaming conventions, and yes, a game called Dead Sea, an underwater zombie adventure, originally for PC, for which he had invented a groundbreaking graphics engine, Ulysses, to render photorealistic light and shadow in water." Readers who recognize the references will enjoy them, and those who don't can look them up and/or simply absorb them. Zevin's delight in her characters, their qualities, and their projects sprinkles a layer of fairy dust over the whole enterprise.
Pub Date: July 5, 2022
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
Categories: LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION
More by Gabrielle Zevin
YOUNG JANE YOUNG
by Gabrielle Zevin
THE STORIED LIFE OF A. J. FIKRY
IN THE AGE OF LOVE AND CHOCOLATE
10 Novels To Kickstart Your Summer Reading
Gabrielle Zevin Understands the Romance of Work
Gabrielle Zevin Talks New Novel With Jimmy Fallon
An angry, powerful book seething with love and outrage for a community too often stereotyped or ignored.
DEMON COPPERHEAD
by Barbara Kingsolver ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022
Inspired by David Copperfield, Kingsolver crafts a 21st-century coming-of-age story set in America's hard-pressed rural South.
It's not necessary to have read Dickens' famous novel to appreciate Kingsolver's absorbing tale, but those who have will savor the tough-minded changes she rings on his Victorian sentimentality while affirming his stinging critique of a heartless society. Our soon-to-be orphaned narrator's mother is a substance-abusing teenage single mom who checks out via OD on his 11th birthday, and Demon's cynical, wised-up voice is light-years removed from David Copperfield's earnest tone. Yet readers also see the yearning for love and wells of compassion hidden beneath his self-protective exterior. Like pretty much everyone else in Lee County, Virginia, hollowed out economically by the coal and tobacco industries, he sees himself as someone with no prospects and little worth. One of Kingsolver's major themes, hit a little too insistently, is the contempt felt by participants in the modern capitalist economy for those rooted in older ways of life. More nuanced and emotionally engaging is Demon's fierce attachment to his home ground, a place where he is known and supported, tested to the breaking point as the opiate epidemic engulfs it. Kingsolver's ferocious indictment of the pharmaceutical industry, angrily stated by a local girl who has become a nurse, is in the best Dickensian tradition, and Demon gives a harrowing account of his descent into addiction with his beloved Dori (as naïve as Dickens' Dora in her own screwed-up way). Does knowledge offer a way out of this sinkhole? A committed teacher tries to enlighten Demon's seventh grade class about how the resource-rich countryside was pillaged and abandoned, but Kingsolver doesn't air-brush his students' dismissal of this history or the prejudice encountered by this African American outsider and his White wife. She is an art teacher who guides Demon toward self-expression, just as his friend Tommy provokes his dawning understanding of how their world has been shaped by outside forces and what he might be able to do about it.
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-325-1922
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
More by Barbara Kingsolver
UNSHELTERED
FLIGHT BEHAVIOR
THE LACUNA
'Demon Copperhead' Is Oprah's Book Club Pick
Best of 2022: Our Favorite Audiobooks
Amazon Names Its Best Books of 2022


This came to me last week. Through all the poetry read and written, I've harbored the idea that it's kind of immature to replay the first time I fell in love. After all, it was 43 years ago.
The revelation arrived as I was walking toward the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a bright morning, blue sky.
It was 1974 again and we were climbing the museum steps, two 16-year olds who had taken the train to Grand Central Terminal and walked 40 blocks up Fifth Avenue. Why the museum? Definitely my idea; probably because the Met was one of the places in the city where I felt truly comfortable without my parents around.
About a year earlier, my father had announced that my brother and I were getting soft growing up in the suburbs, and took us to Greenwich Village for the day. That would have been a cooler place to go but I did not remember how to navigate around Washington Square.
So now my soon-to-be boyfriend and I were buying tickets and climbing more steps to the second floor galleries because that was the way I knew. The Met had not yet built the additions that made it sprawl.
Walking and climbing; finally alone together.
In music, anticipation is defined as the sounding of a few notes to create dissonance before the harmony of the chord that follows.
In the case of my high school experience, there had been more than a year of missed cues and letdowns.
So, while The Date felt like destiny, it also felt fragile. In those days it was the nature of teenaged girls – helped along by large doses of Joni Mitchell – to believe that love won't last.
And it did not, although I kept the memory.
But last week I let myself fully evoke that time, as far as it was possible to reach, and realized that the floaty swirliness I always feel in early April descends from that particular April.
It's the world barely green and the boulders in Central Park still cold from the winter as you sit on them, talking.
It's April 1974 and April 2017.
SO, you have just catapulted me back to the Museum of Natural History.
I identify with so much of this. Thanks for prompting me to remember what it felt like to be a teenager in charge of a trip to the city.
Untangling the Life of Xesia Y. Z.


Welcome to the Tech corner! You'll find our latest posts here. We will also have the Aero 101 segments up to date at the bottom. We have made them into PDFs for you to print out, save, whatever! Let us know how else we can help.
Another year has passed and it's time for our annual coverage of World Time Attack Challence! Instead of covering one car for each article, this year we'll highlight some of the changes to returning cars, as well as analyze some newer ones. We'll start first with a very intriguing car, Andy Forrest's WRX.
The defining feature of this WRX is the unique front element, dubbed the "infinity wing". Designed by Andrew Brilliant of AMB Aero, this is the next step in time attack aerodynamic development. The infinity wing was designed to make the most of WTAC's rules, which dictate a specific region of the car that can be used for a front wing. By curving the wing, Andrew was able to essentially fit a larger wing into a smaller area, as well as allow the wing to work at multiple directions of airflow, as opposed to just straight on. The curvature of the wing also helps to eliminate the drag produced as well, because the wing now has 2 side forces acting upon it which cancel each other out, instead of 1 side force and one vertical force. This means that while the car is in yaw, it will still continue to develop downforce on both the inboard and outboard corners, allowing the car to corner flatter and faster. The wing's cross sections changes in regards to the path of airflow. Here is a closer look at the upper flap of the infinity wing.
Next, we'll move onto the PR Technology RP968, which this year received a new one piece front end.
You'll see that they are now sporting a dual element front wing assembly, which is much larger than the one they had last year. The outer edges of the front wing curve downward, which help to induce a vortex that travels along the side of the car and can also help airflow stay attached to the underside of the wing.
Finally, the only car from North America this year, the PZ Tuning Honda Civic! This was its debut and it did not disappoint. Will's front splitter has multiple different sections in it. The middle of the splitter is raised slightly to allow air to pass underneath the car under heavy braking, to avoid choking the ground effects of the floor. As it moves out it resembles a normal splitter until you get to the ends. Like Under Suzuki's car, the outer sections have a wing profile. You'll notice that the very ends of the winglets are higher than the rest of the splitter; this is to ensure that when cornering, the wing doesn't contact the ground, and also to make the wing more efficient, because the wing profile will be parallel to the ground. The splitter/front wing endplates are what you would expect, and also feature an expansion cone at the rear. This increases the downforce the wing is able to produce by increasing the area of the low pressure side, and contributes to the outwash effect. Will has chosen to vent his fenders just like the LMP cars, using a large hole with a gurney at the front to help extract air. At the rear is a unique exhaust "box" that blows hot exhaust jets to a beam wing. This turns the air upward to the dual element APR wing to help create more downforce.
Good read on aero. Thank you!


Full color illustration of the equine, with emphasis on location of the right liver in relation to the colon, cecum, right kidney, duodenum, and associated anatomical structures. Featured in the AAEP Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture, "The Equine Liver in Health and Disease", by Thomas J. Divers, DVM, DACVIM, DACVECC.


text:
require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "..", "..", "..", "spec_helper"))

describe Chef::Provider::Service::Gentoo do
  before(:each) do
    @node = mock("Chef::Node", :null_object => true)

    resource_opts     = { :null_object => true, :name => 'chef', :service_name => 'chef', :enabled => false, :running => nil, :supports => {}, :status_command => false }
    @new_resource     = mock("Chef::Resource::Service", resource_opts)
    @current_resource = mock("Chef::Resource::Service", resource_opts)

    @provider = Chef::Provider::Service::Gentoo.new(@node, @new_resource)
    Chef::Resource::Service.stub!(:new).and_return(@current_resource)
    File.stub!(:exists?).and_return(true)

    @status = mock("Status", :exitstatus => 0)
    @provider.stub!(:popen4).and_return(@status)
    @stdin = mock("STDIN", :null_object => true)
    @stdout = mock("STDOUT", :null_object => true)
    @stdout.stub!(:each_line).and_yield("  gfs | default ")
    @stderr = mock("STDERR", :null_object => true)
    @pid = mock("PID", :null_object => true)
  end

  describe "load_current_resource" do
    it "should raise Chef::Exceptions::Service if /sbin/rc-update does not exist" do
      File.should_receive(:exists?).with("/sbin/rc-update").and_return(false)
      lambda { @provider.load_current_resource }.should raise_error(Chef::Exceptions::Service)
    end

    it "should set enabled true if rc-update indicates service is in default runlevel" do
      @stdout.should_receive(:each_line).
          and_yield('  gfs | default ').
          and_yield(' chef | default ').
          and_yield('monit | default ').
          and_yield('mysql | default ')
      @provider.should_receive(:popen4).with("/sbin/rc-update -s default").and_yield(@pid, @stdin, @stdout, @stderr).and_return(@status)
      @current_resource.should_receive(:enabled).with(true)
      @provider.load_current_resource
    end

    it "should set enabled false if rc-update indicates service is not in default runlevel" do
      @stdout.should_receive(:each_line).
          and_yield('    gfs | default ').
          and_yield('notchef | default ').
          and_yield('  monit | default ').
          and_yield('  mysql | default ')
      @provider.should_receive(:popen4).with("/sbin/rc-update -s default").and_yield(@pid, @stdin, @stdout, @stderr).and_return(@status)
      @provider.load_current_resource
      @current_resource.enabled.should be_false
    end

    it "should return the current_resource" do
      @provider.load_current_resource.should == @current_resource
    end

    it "should support the status command automatically" do
      @provider.load_current_resource
      @new_resource.supports[:status].should be_true
    end

    it "should support the restart command automatically" do
      @provider.load_current_resource
      @new_resource.supports[:restart].should be_true
    end

    it "should not support the reload command automatically" do
      @provider.load_current_resource
      @new_resource.supports[:reload].should_not be_true
    end

  end

  describe "action_methods" do
    before(:each) { @provider.stub!(:load_current_resource).and_return(@current_resource) }

    describe Chef::Provider::Service::Gentoo, "enable_service" do
      it "should call rc-update add *service* default" do
        @provider.should_receive(:run_command).with({:command => "/sbin/rc-update add chef default"})
        @provider.enable_service()
      end
    end

    describe Chef::Provider::Service::Gentoo, "disable_service" do
      it "should call rc-update del *service* default" do
        @provider.should_receive(:run_command).with({:command => "/sbin/rc-update del chef default"})
        @provider.disable_service()
      end
    end
  end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Pope Names First Woman To Head Vatican Museums
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has chosen, for the first time, a woman to head the Vatican Museums.
Barbara Jatta, 54, is an Italian art historian and graphic arts expert, who had been serving as vice-director of the museums since June.
The Vatican announced the appointment Dec. 20.
She will begin her new role as director of the museums Jan. 1, 2017, replacing 77-year-old Antonio Paolucci, who had been director since 2007.
Each year millions of people visit the Vatican Museums, which include the Sistine Chapel and more than 50 different galleries. It is one of the largest museums in the world with 200,000 objects in its collections — 20,000 of which are on public display — 27,000 square feet of frescoes, and 4.35 miles of exhibit space.
Jatta started working at the Vatican in 1996 when she was hired to head the Vatican Library's departments of prints. In 2010, she was named curator of the artwork in the prints department at the library.
She has degrees in literature, archive administration and art history, specializing in the history of drawing, engraving and graphic arts. She also taught history of graphic arts at the "Suor Orsola Benincasa" University in Naples. She is married and the mother of three children.


Now that the summer months are over, it's Toastmasters' turn to take a vacation. Just a reminder that Liberty Village Toastmasters will be closed this September 2 and 9, and back in full swing on September 16.
1. Brainstorm speech ideas. What happened over the summer? What did you see, do, and learn? We're sure July and August were packed with juicy themes for you to share.
2. Make a list of what you'd like to improve. Review your past speech evaluations and notice what others consistently suggested you might want to work on. Choose one or two areas to improve and set your intentions for your next speech.
3. Do the work. Nip procrastination in the bud and start writing your next speech. Nothing to do on a Wednesday night? There's never been a better time to put pen to paper (or hand to keyboard).
4. Set the date. If you're finding tip #3 hard to do, just book your next speech. Remember: the only difference between a goal and a dream is a deadline.
This entry was posted in News and tagged Announcement, tips. Bookmark the permalink.


we've talked before about the annual fundraiser, evening in paris, that alex's school hosts each year. it's a pretty solid event with some of the best restaurants in kc serving food, coupled with all-you-can-drink cocktails, semi-formal attire and a live auction that for the past two years has been pretty rowdy and down right hilarious. it happens every april and we're looking forward to attending again in a few weeks.
this year i intend to purchase the winning raffle ticket that scores me the coveted vespa scooter that gets donated every year. its gonna happen. i have faith.
anyway... i agreed to organize the class project which will serve as an auction item and fundraising vehicle. coming up with something the kids can contribute to, that also has the potential to generate revenue, turned out to be a lot harder than i initially thought it would be. don't get me wrong, the kids are incredibly creative, but i on the other hand didn't have any bright ideas to bring forth.
i think i agreed to take it on in december and it's due this coming friday so it's only fitting that i finally took some time over lunch today to go in and work on it with them. hey, i said i would help but i never said anything about not waiting until the last possible second to do it.
the jury will be out for the next 48 hours and i'll be up for several of those tonight and tomorrow, but i think we have the start of something cool. at least i hope we do. it's not like there is any time left for it to NOT work out.
here is your first look and as always i'll post the final project when it's complete - unless it's a total disaster in which case you know the drill for this post: delete delete delete.


text:
Who is Michael Burciaga? Wiki, Bio, Age, Murder charges, Girlfriend, Arrest, Facts
December 27, 2020 - by Wiki Bio Facts - Leave a Comment
Michael Burciaga Wiki – Michael Burciaga Bio
Michael Burciaga has been accused of stabbing his pregnant girlfriend to death in front of her three children, police said. The incident occurred at a residence on Tule Street in Nixon, Nevada, shortly after midnight on Tuesday, December 15, according to court documents obtained by News4.
When police responded to the home, the outlet reported, they were met by the three children who said their mother had been stabbed.
Michael Burciaga Killed His Girlfriend
The Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 37-year-old Amanda Davis, News4 wrote. According to court documents, she was found face down in the master bathroom and died on the scene despite officers' attempts to treat her wounds.
The U.S. Attorney's Office issued a statement about the incident saying that Burciaga has been charged with second-degree murder of an indigenous woman in Indian Country on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. He is set to face a jury trial on February 22, 2021, and faces life in prison if he is convicted. He is currently being held in the Washoe County jail, public records show.
Read Also: Who is Anthony Quinn Warner? Wiki, Bio, Age, Nashville Bombing Suspect, Wife, Wanted, Facts
The criminal complaint indicated that Burciaga stabbed Davis multiple times with different knives in a "domestic violence incident," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office's statement. Shortly after police officers arrived, the three children yelled, "He's back! He's back," court documents stated, according to News4.
Officers then found Burciaga outside the home, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated. The 33-year-old man told officers, "I already know what happened, and I know what I did, which is why I slit my wrist." Officers provided first aid to the cut on his hand and Burciaga was then brought to the hospital for further treatment. On the way, he told them he was the father of Davis' unborn child, the press release stated.
Amanda Davis Bio
Davis was a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the chairman issued a brief statement about her death on Facebook, confirming the "loss of a tribal member." Chairman Anthony J. Sampson Sr. wrote, "I want to express my deepest condolences to the Sander/Davis family for their loss of their family member."
On December 18, hundreds attended a vigil in Nixon, northeast of Reno, in honor of Davis and her unborn child, who was named Ezra, according to News4. The vigil also served to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and domestic violence. Indigenous women are ten times more likely to be murdered than the U.S. average, the outlet reported.
Davis Mother Statement
Davis' mother Jolyne Sander said of the vigil, "I want somebody to take something away from this and even if it's just one woman out there that this will help, then I'm good with that." A GoFundMe page was created to raise money to help support Davis' three children.
TaggedMichael BurciagaMichael Burciaga ageMichael Burciaga arrestedMichael Burciaga bailMichael Burciaga bioMichael Burciaga biographyMichael Burciaga chargedMichael Burciaga chargesMichael Burciaga facebookMichael Burciaga factsMichael Burciaga familyMichael Burciaga girlfriendMichael Burciaga heightMichael Burciaga instagramMichael Burciaga killed his girlfriendMichael Burciaga murder suspectMichael Burciaga net worthMichael Burciaga parentsMichael Burciaga trialMichael Burciaga twitterMichael Burciaga wiki
Previous Article Who is Anthony Quinn Warner? Wiki, Bio, Age, Nashville Bombing Suspect, Wife, Wanted, Facts
Next Article Who is Amanda Davis? Wiki, Bio, Age, Killed, Suspect, Boyfriend, Children, Facts


text:
News18 » Blogs » India
AAP and broom usher in a new kind of politics
Afsar Ahmad
Updated:	December 10, 2013, 6:23 PM IST
After several years I saw something on the political scene of the country which is unbelievable. I saw on Sunday the emergence of a new political force which is poles apart from the BJP, Congress and other regional parties. The party in question was being discussed for the last few months when it had taken birth after a high-decibel anti-corruption movement. The new party has pushed many political heavyweights into oblivion.
Yes friends, I am talking about the Aam Aadmi Party.
About three years ago I wrote a blog -India @ 2050. In that I wrote that the country's existing two major political parties, Congress and BJP, will over the next few decades will either become extinct or we will see a major overhaul of them. You can say that with the rise of AAP begins the end of these parties.
Either these parties must change completely or they will come apart. It may seem strange to many, but this is the truth.
A new and politically aware India is emerging. India that wants the leaders to provide good roads, water, electricity, corruption-free systems, and not just talk about issues but also tackle them with their heart. This India does not want a politics of religion, race or any other controversial issues.
Till December 7 there were two political kings in this country, Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi.
But December 8 saw the emergence of a new politician named Arvind Kejriwal. He is unique, he surprises people, he is the product of a movement and is a reflection of common man. He talked about development and not religion, caste of community.
But why did Modi's aura dim in Delhi and the Rahul Gandhi failed?
The reason can be found in the events of the past few decades.
There are many occasions when these parties have proven that their own interests are more greater then public interest. People saw how these parties failed Anna Hazare on the Lokpal Bill which was supposed to eliminate corruption from politics.
Even after several years of independence the Lokpall Bill is yet to be passed by Parliament. People are not fool and they have seen that there is hardly any political party untouched by corruption.
One can write a massive book on Congress's corruption and the BJP is no better. Whether it BS Yeddyurappa or Bangaru Laxman or some tainted ministers in Gujarat. Both are the same.
One more similarity is that both parties also use religion. BJP has an anti-Muslim image, the Congress is notorious for Muslim appeasement.
None of these parties form any political plan which does not have religion and/or caste in mind. They are also responsible for the increase of religious animosity.
For how long can these parties tell the society that we are there to protect you when they are actually spreading hatred. By giving AAP a massive support the people of Delhi have sent alarm bells ringing in these two parties that either change your track or we will finish you by our vote.
India is seeing many important bills stuck in Parliament because our political parties are busy fighting each other. Congress is no saint and equally responsible for this.
For example, women's reservation bill, anti-riots bill and others important bills have not been passed in Parliament because Congress is serious about them. The Congress will always calculate the political advantages before taking any step and it it is never about the people. If this is not so why has been Food Security Bill passed but Lokpal and Women's Reservation Bill are still stuck.
Another thing is that both parties do not have democratic character.
One party is controlled by the Gandhi family and other by RSS. Their policies and ways of working do not guarantee any democracy.
Rahul became Congress Vice President without any worthwhile achievement against his name. Modi's selection as PM candidate also raises questions about the way the party functions. Was he selected purely by the top leadership or by the will of RSS?
The aam aadmi knows the truth. Both are PM candidate - one declared and other undeclared. In fact both have been imposed on the people of the country.
But the rise of AAP is the start of a new kind of politics. This shows that the common man is no longer helpless. Now he can take the broom and clean the dirt and filth of the country. The common man is angry and wants major changes or will just clean all the political dirt using a broom.
The emergence of Kejriwal and his party shows that wants clarity and don't want to be shown a mirage. So AAP must make sure that whatever it commits, it delivers or the people will clean AAP using its own groom. Today everyone is praising AAP but if the party fails to deliver, the same set will target the party.
Ye Public hai...Sab Janti Hai...! Be committed to your words!
First Published: December 10, 2013, 6:23 PM IST
More from this Blogger
Rahul Gandhi and the blot of 1984 riots
Muslim community not yet convinced about AAP
Today is Mirza Ghalib's birth anniversary, but who cares!
'Not Cute Anymore': Video Capturing Koala Bear's Actual Voice is Freaking Twitter Out
Alia Bhatt Responds to Rangoli Chandel Mocking Her for Sending Flowers on Kangana Ranaut's Padma Shri
Bala Devi Signs With Rangers, Becomes First Indian Woman Footballer to Play Professionally in the World


"There comes a time in every mans life where he must fight. Even Pacifist can't be spelled without the word fist"
Dufrein was born a Mutant in a Mutant encampment. When he was first able to speak, his parents taught him in the ways of a Doctor. Halfway through his training, his parents realized they had been infected with an unknown terminal illness. They didn't tell Dufrein, knowing it would cause his training to slow. Once he had finished training, they decided to share the information with him.
Medical Officer Dufrein was born a Mutant. His parents were doctors when he was a child. Since they were dying, they decided it would be best to teach him how to be a good Medic as the encampment would need one. After he was fully trained, his parents then revealed to him that they were sick and dying. No matter how much medical operation they could perform, they would still get sick and start dying again. He attempted to heal them, and in turn, harmed them. They then only had 3 days left to live. He had decided that he had done enough, and left the Mutant encampment in search of a pace to find some sort of a cure. Failing to find a cure in time, he searched for a way to bring them back. He failed in doing so once more. From then on, he made a solid vow to only allow the Evil men of this world to die. As he continued journeying, he kept hearing stories of a place. Greyfell. People had said it was a place of danger, but it was also referred to as a place of new journeys. Second chances. Some though, had said that this was a terrible place that only a fool, or a completely insane genius would go to. Guess which one he was (Probably the first with the slightest bit of the second). Still a teenager that had never swung a sword or fired a gun, he traveled to this mystical place, armed with only his medical gear and 15 tabs.


That unnamed nightclub at 6356 Hollywood Blvd would be Cinespace. While curbside vomiting might be a regular occurrence around there (Steve Aoki's birthday party was there last night, after all) but anyone calling that area "shady" only serves to reveal the bubble from reality in which they must live.
And here I was going to buy a 900 sq ft studio in the W building for $1,000,000 on the next corner. Glad she pointed out the shadiness of the surrounding hood before I signed the deal.
Thanks Kyra! Next time I need to hurl on the blvd, I'll know just where to go.


text:
VITAKRIDRINDA
(ve-tah-kri-drin-dah)
meaning: "named after Vitariki"
Named By: M. Sadiq Malkani in 2006
Time Period: Late Cretaceous, 69 Ma
Location: Pakistan, Balochistan - Pab Formation
Size: Unknown due to lack of remains
Fossil(s): Partial remains including a tooth, braincase and two femurs (thigh bones), a partial rostrum (snout) was later attributed to the genus. Some vertebrae recovered
Classification: | Chordata | Reptilia | Saurischia | Theropoda | Abelisauroidea | Abelisauridae |
Vitakridrinda is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Balochistan, western Pakistan. The type species is V. sulaimani. The discovery was made (along with other dinosaur specimens) near Vitariki by a team of palaeontologists from the Geological Survey of Pakistan, in rocks from the Maastrichtian-age Vitakri Member of the Pab Formation. Formally described in 2006 by M.S. Malkani, the genus is based on partial remains including two thigh bones, a braincase, and a tooth. A partial snout was later found that Malkani assigned to the holotype, and additional vertebrae may also belong to this genus. However, the snout was later reclassified as a new genus of mesoeucrocodylian, Induszalim.
Read more about Vitakridrinda at Wikipedia


Our Social Media Marketing services extend to a wide array of social channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus and YouTube.
Social media marketing can provide your business a marketing platform for your product and services. It is all about creating an online public interaction platform to market a product or service. The best thing about this marketing strategy is that the feedback about your product and services is made directly from your customer hence it is more reliable.
Develop brand awareness and brand image.
Researching, analyzing and identifying fitting networks and connections for your company to target your audience.
Social Widgets development and implementation.


text:
What to Consider if You Receive the Monthly Child Tax Credit Payments
The first payment of the Child Tax Credit started hitting bank accounts on July 15 and will continue every month for the rest of 2021.
The monthly distribution was a change that came with the American Rescue Plan earlier this year – which also raises the credit to $3,600 for each child under 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6 to 17. The credit was $2,000 for each child in 2020. However, rather than receiving the $3,600 or $3,000 as part of your annual tax filing, most Americans will receive monthly payments of $300 each month between now and the end of the year, totaling $1,800. You will then receive the rest of the tax credit as part of your annual filing.
The goal of the monthly distribution is to get money to Americans sooner and more spread out to help cover basic needs and make more of an impact for lower-income families. You are eligible to receive these monthly payments as long as you received the Child Tax Credit as part of your 2019 or 2020 tax filing and your child does not turn 18 this year.
However, there are income limits to consider.
Child Tax Credit and Income Limits
Single tax filers earning less than $75,000 and those married filing jointly earning less than $150,000 will receive the full $3,600 or $3,000 per dependent child. The credit then phases out, being reduced $50 for every $1,000 of income over the limit.
Even if you are over the adjusted gross income limits for the additional tax credit, you still may be eligible for the original $2,000 credit. Those phaseouts begin at $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for married filing jointly.
Child Tax Credit Income Limits and Phaseouts
Income Credit for Each Child 0-6 Credit for Each Child 6-17
Single: Up to $75,000
Married Filing Jointly: Up to $150,000 $3,600 $3,000
MFJ: Up to $170,000 $3,600 minus $50 for every $1,000 in income over $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for MFJ. $3,000 minus $50 for every $1,000 in income over $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for MFJ.
Single: $95,001-$200,000
MFJ: $170,001-$400,000 $2,000 $2,000
Single: $200,001-$240,000
MFJ: $400,001-$480,000 $2,000 minus $50 for every $1,000 in income over $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for MFJ. $2,000 minus $50 for every $1,000 in income over $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for MFJ.
Source: IRS.gov
There is also a tax credit available to account for dependents who are 18 – and those who are full-time students between the ages of 19-24. This is a one-time $500 credit and the student must be claimed as a dependent.
The purpose behind the monthly payment structure is to get money to Americans now, especially lower income families who may be facing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The monthly payments are set to occur around the middle of each month between now and the end of 2021. If you filed your 2020 taxes, your payment will be distributed the same way as your tax return – electronically deposited to your bank account or you'll be sent a check. If you did not file for 2020, your 2019 tax filing will be used.
When you receive your payment may vary (as it did with other relief payments), but the IRS plans distribribution on these dates in 2021:
Qualified individuals were automatically enrolled in the monthly $300 payment model. However, remember that the qualifying factors were taken from 2020 tax information. If you end up making more money in 2021 or your child is no longer a dependent, you may not qualify for the full payment – or you may phase out of the tax credit altogether.
Planning Considerations for the Child Tax Credit
So what if you receive the $300 each month but your situation in 2021 disqualifies you from the payment? Essentially there are two options.
Do nothing and account for it when you file for 2021. If your income is still within the range to receive the $2,000 per child but not the additional $1,600 or $1,000, you are basically just getting $1,800 of the $2,000 up front, and you'd essentially be left with a $200 credit when you file. If you had a large income event that pushes you all the way out of the $400,000 income limit for the $2,000 credit, you'd owe back the $1,800 you received as part of your filing. In that case you'd likely want to consider Option 2.
Opt out of the monthly payments. You can opt out of the $300 monthly payments via the IRS website. You're able to do this regardless of income level to collect your credit when you file your 2021 taxes. However, it's especially important to opt out if you think you may exceed the income limits. If you received the July payment and think you're going to be ineligible for the Child Tax Credit, you'll likely owe that back as part of your tax filing.
Income limits aside, there are other planning considerations for families. If you had a child in 2021 or are going to have a child before the year ends, you wouldn't receive advance payments for that child. In this case, you can either update your information to begin receiving the $300 per month or you can collect the credit with your 2021 filing.
In addition, if you're receiving payments for a child who is no longer your dependent, you may have to owe that money back. An example of this could occur if a child moved in with the other parent after a divorce. Think ahead to if that child will be counted as a dependent when you file your 2021 taxes. If they won't be your dependent, you should update your information on the IRS website or risk having to pay the money back during tax season.
If you need to make any updates to your information with the IRS, this schedule shows when specific changes can be made:
Tentative Date You Can Make Changes What You Can Do
Find out if you're eligible
Unenroll from payments
See a list of your payments
Make changes to your bank information for your payments, effective in August
Early August
Make changes to your address
Make changes to your dependents, marital status and income
Re-enroll if you previously unenrolled
The Child Tax Credit changes from the American Rescue Plan are in effect for 2021 tax filing season. For 2022, the tax credit will go back to its 2020 levels of $2,000 per child, which was introduced as part of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act in 2017.
For an extra wrinkle, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act created this as temporary tax credit and set an expiration date of 2025. If no new legislation is passed before then, the Child Tax Credit will revert back to $1,000, which is what it was prior to 2017.
If you're receiving the Child Tax Credit and questions on how it may impact your financial plan, reach out to your advisor today or schedule a discussion with someone on our team and we'd be happy to discuss your situation.
The Opportunity in Change: How Changing Goals Change Financial Plans
By Erin Wood
During the pandemic, my family moved into a new house. We weren't planning on moving, but that didn't stop us from participating in the pandemic housing boom. But we did so at a time where the kids weren't yet out of school, so for about three weeks, we owned two homes. Instead of having to …
Expand Your Charitable Reach
By Sarah Duey
As a kid, Zachary Conway's financial advisor father tried to instill good savings and charitable habits. Conway, founder and CEO of Seeds Investor, recently told the Framework podcast team about how that worked. When he got his monthly allowance, he divided it up among several containers: o …
Yes, You Can Make a Solid Long-Term Care Plan. Here's How and Why It's Important
By Matt Lewis
In today's world it's fair to say that most reasonable people believe that they are going to live a long life, and, when you live a long life, it's also fair to say that sooner or later at some point, we're going to need some form of care.
Most Changes to Personal Taxes, Retirement Plans Dropped from Build Back Better Act
By Jamie Hopkins
By Jamie Hopkins In September, I covered the proposed tax plan released by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, which would help pay for the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act through changes to corporate, personal and other taxes, as well as retirement plans.
Firm Info
Life Defined


text:
MTWD Entertainment Partners with Producer April Simpson on "Fork U"
July 16, 2014 October 31, 2014 Contemporary Living
"Fork U" coming to the Contemporary Living Network
July 17, 2014; Atlanta, GA; – Award-winning MTWD Entertainment production team (Good Eats, This American Land, Network Earth, Foul Water Fiery Serpent) sets to launch a new multi-platform project Contemporary Living Network (CLN) in the Fall of 2014. CLN is gearing up for its launch in 2014 by developing and collaborating on new and unique lifestyle shows. One such collaboration is with Producer April Simpson on the upcoming food show titled Fork U. As a veteran TV producer and feature reporter, for more than a decade, April has helped create, launch and produce nationally syndicated shows such as "Daytime," "Star Watch," and the "Reel Animals Fishing Show."
The "U" in Fork U stands for University and when you listen to April describe the purpose of the show it makes sense. "Now that we have the internet, Facebook and other Social Media outlets available to us, people are learning more and more about food. But what they're learning isn't always true" says April. "Our goal is help dispel myths, by presenting facts based on research, incorporating food history, and "upping" the science in the show and and how it relates to your body."
Self-proclaimed as "food for geeks" Fork U will undoubtedly appeal to audiences that enjoy shows on the Food Network and Discovery Channel. "We are excited about creating Food programming that is taken to another level. Think Mythbusters meets food history and then add a healthy dash of insane biology and you have Fork U," states Simpson.
Discussions between MTWD Entertainment and show producers began in late 2013. Says MTWD Founder and Executive Producer Walter Biscardi, Jr., "April and I have followed each other on Twitter for years. I admire everything she's done and to have her as a part of the team as we launch the Contemporary Living Network is an amazing win for us. The quality of her work speaks for herself and as a person she's just simply awesome and creative."
The Contemporary Living Network capitalizes on the digital shift of content consumption by audiences around the globe. The Network's success is poised on its nimbleness, flexibility and ability to reach audiences past the television. "CLN's framework as a digital network allows it to be true to itself" commented April. "What makes CLN unique is that it is run by people who are passionate about creating quality content. The Network does not have to try to replicate the latest reality-tv fad. Genuine, timeless and in-depth programming is what audiences are going to find."
About MTWD Entertainment
MTWD Entertainment is an original content development company for all media. With a focus on lifestyle genre, MTWD creates memorable and impactful programming showcasing travel, food, music, home, garden and family. MTWD offers a wide range of creative development services, including Original Concept Development, Pitch and Production Planning, Series/Episode Development, as well as full production services in-house to support projects from conception to execution.
Contemporary Living Network is a multi-platform video network focused on positive lifestyle edutainment, with audience engagement and real life integration at its core. A continuously expanding library of original programming will be offered, most shot with the industry-leading 4K technology. CLN will provide inspiration and the resources for the viewer to easily re-create or be inspired to indulge in their own, unique variations of what happens in our shows.
Relevant Links & Resources for More Information
Websites: MTWDEntertainment.com | Contemporaryliving.tv
Twitter: @MTWDEnt or @ContemporaryLN
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Founder, MTWD Entertainment
email: walter@mtwdentertainment.com
April Simpson, contemporary living network, Entertaining, Food Science, Fork U, Home. permalink.
MTWD Entertainment Secures Chef Keith Schroeder as Host of New Ice Cream Show
"Ice Cream Nation" and "Fork U" start 4k UHD Production


text:
The Mind of a Social Democrat (1966)
Book Review from the 1966 - number 5 issue of The Western Socialist
The Accidental Century by Michael Harrington (New York: Macmillan Co., 1965)
Next to the world-wide Moscovite movement, the largest phony "socialist" tendency is that which is frequently referred to as "social democratic," or, unfortunately, as "socialist." The Scandinavian social democratic parties, the Labour Party of Great Britain and the Socialist Party of America, are all of this tendency. At some time, social democracy could boast some able theorists. Now, however, it has a very low theoretical level. A recent illustration of this theoretical weakness is Michael Harrington's book, The Accidental Century.
The author is known for his book, The Other America, the fame of which is attributable to its stimulation of the discovery of poverty by the liberal press and mass media. The Accidental Century presents the author's general evaluation of the social developments of the last sixty years.
In the preface, the author acknowledges the inspiration of Norman Thomas, Max Shachtman, and Bayard Rustin. It seems incredible that this trinity of social democracy can be openly acknowledged as theoretical mentors. This in itself speaks volumes on the primitive level of social democratic theory.
The book seems addressed to an audience of "liberal liberals," that is, those who are so very, very liberal. In trying to appeal to this type, the author tones down the more radical implications—conclusions are gently suggested rather than boldly pursued.
One somewhat amusing aspect of the book is that the author has taken on the posture of a literary essayist in an apparent imitation of ex-radical writers like Irving Howe, who have landed jobs as professors. As a man of letters and serious literary critic, Harrington is a flop. His pretensions to scholarship are quite "mid-cult." For example, there is not even a bibliography provided; nor are any citations given for the plethora of quotations. Literary allusions plus a hodgepodge of synopses of men and ideas do not add up to anything profound. Of course, no doubt,, Harrington makes some correct summaries of literary themes, but his whole process is reminiscent of the term paper of the college sophomore mercilessly carried to great length. Clever phrases, comments and thumbnail sketches are not enough justification for writing a book, let alone one that purports to present a serious political perspective.
The theme of the book is the decadence of traditional capitalism along with the institutions and ideas associated with it. Harrington sees some of these ideas as valuable and he laments the dangers to these ideas from the forces unleashed by capitalist development. The cause of this decadence is the undirected and unintended byproducts of technological changes. This "revolution," as he calls it (his terminology is imprecise), has "unsettled every faith and creed in the West."
This, one would think, would be generally welcomed by Harrington. Yet there is a definite note of ethnocentrism and cultural imperialism in his designation of useful ideas as "Western." He is really expressing sorrow for the decay of social democracy. Had social democracy presented a real alternative to capitalism, its decay would not have been so complete.
Harrington tells us " . . . the one set and undeviating principle of socialism is its commitment to making the . . . free choice of the citizen the principle of social life." A hundred and fifty years ago this expression of the ideals of bourgeois democracy would have been progressive. But today it ignores the recognition that democratic theories must be related to a social context. The social democrat never understood that the science of political economy is the heart of the matter. Democracy cannot exist on thin air; it refers to a social context. Specifically, where the social relations of wage labour and capital exist, democracy cannot exist. It is not that more planning is needed but that outmoded social relations must be abandoned. Socialism is not just that people get what they want; it refers to what can be done when people want and get a different society with different social relations.
W. J.
Labels: Book Review, Left-Wing Reformism, Michael Harrington, Social Democrats, The Western Socialist, William Jerome, WS1966 Links to this post
Shit news (2015)
The Material World Column from the August 2015 issue of the Socialist Standard
The 193-member General Assembly, the UN's highest policy-making body, declared water and sanitation a basic human right in July 2010. The United States, Britain, Australia, Austria, Canada, Greece, Sweden, Japan, Israel, South Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Ireland all abstained. It has remained a pious resolution, a human 'right' that is yet to be implemented. Most developing nations have fallen short of meeting their goals on sanitation and the world's poorest countries have been lagging far behind, according to a UN report.
The world has missed the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target by nearly 700 million people. The UN has now vowed that the practice of open defecation must be totally eliminated by 2025 (yet another example of wishful thinking). One in three people, or 2.4 billion worldwide, are still without sanitation facilities – including 946 million people who defecate in the open. The report says progress on sanitation has been hampered by inadequate investments in behaviour-change campaigns, lack of affordable products for the poor, and social norms which accept or even encourage open defecation. Today, only 68 percent of the world's population uses an improved sanitation facility – below the MDG target of 77 per cent. At present rates of progress it would take 300 years for everyone in Sub-Saharan Africa to get access to a sanitary toilet, said the report. More optimistically in Cambodia latrine coverage has been increasing by 1.3 percent per year– a growth rate at which it could take more than 60 years for the country to be 'Open Defecation Free.'
There are 41 million people who do not have access to a toilet in Pakistan and as a result they are defecating in the open. In India alone, there are nearly 600 million people (out of a total population of over 1.2 billion) without access to sanitation, according to the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council. The Indian 2011 census found that nearly 70 percent of rural households, as well as over 18 percent of homes in towns and cities, don't have toilets.
The study says diarrheal disease, largely caused by poor sanitation and hygiene, is a leading cause of malnutrition, stunting and child mortality, claiming nearly 600,000 under-five lives every year. Where there is open defecation, pathogens spread quickly, causing diarrhoea, cholera, bilharzia (caused by freshwater worms) and other diseases. More than 1,400 children die each day of diarrhoea-related diseases linked to a lack of safe water, basic sanitation and good hygiene.
Inadequate facilities also affect education and economic productivity and impact the dignity and personal safety of women and girls. Women across rural India are stalked by sexual predators and raped or molested when they venture out into the fields at night. In one such incident two teenage girls from the village of Katra Shadatganj (228 km southwest of New Delhi), were raped and hung from trees. Since then, at least four other similar cases have been reported in the same region. It subsequently emerged that each of these women came from homes that did not have toilets, and were accosted while attempting to relieve themselves at night. The truth is that the ruling elite (that's the government and multinational corporations who own the country) do not care for those living in abject destitution. India is the world's biggest arms importer. It budgets tens of millions on a Mars space programme. It is spending its money on crap. As far back as 1925 Gandhi said 'Sanitation is more important than independence'.
The spectacle of 'socialists' seeking to improve capitalism on behalf of the ruling class has a long history. During the early 20th century in America grew a movement called 'sewer socialism.' In the Britain the term was 'municipal socialism'. It sought to reform capitalism on the local level by cleaning up neighbourhoods with new sanitation systems and municipally-owned water supplies. But 'sewer socialism' has gone down the stinking drain as a step in the direction of socialism. The socialist transformation of the political and economic system is absolutely necessary to stop the waste of valuable resources on senseless wars and to raise the living standards and quality of life of the vast majority of the population. A socialist party deserves the name only to the extent that it acts towards that necessary social revolution, nothing less. Capitalism is shit: let's flush it down the toilet.
ALJO
Labels: Alan Johnstone, August 2015, Material World Column, Politics of Water, R2015, Sanitation, Water Links to this post
'America First' (1)
'Big Society' (4)
'British Road to Socialism' (5)
'Business for Britain' (1)
'Cashless' Society (4)
'Celtic Tiger' (2)
'Change The World' (3)
'Chavs' (4)
'Ethical' Investment (2)
'Experts' (5)
'Fair' Wages (8)
'Freedom Fighters' (2)
'Gas and Water' Socialism (5)
'Genius' (4)
'Good Old Days' (2)
'Great Men' (52)
'Lesser Evil'? (1)
'Living Wage' (5)
'Loony Left' (4)
'Magic Money Tree' (3)
'Marx in Soho' (2)
'Meritocracy' (5)
'People's History of America' (1)
'Permissive Society' (2)
'Political' Marxism (3)
'Practical Politics' (3)
'Progress' (1)
'Red' Vienna (3)
'Respectability' (2)
'Scavenger' (16)
'Self-Made Men' (6)
'Skewer' (1)
'The Affluent Society' (7)
'The Settler' (1)
'The Worker' (1)
'Vulgar' Marxism (1)
'Winds of Change' (2)
'Winter of Discontent (2)
'Wollie' (1)
"Bockaboy" (1)
"Collective Security" (1)
"Common Sense" (2)
"Cultural' Capital (1)
"Free" Love (3)
"Iron Law of Wages" (4)
"Market" Socialism (6)
"Socialaidd." (1)
"Tubby" Spiess (1)
"White Slave Traffic" (3)
"Zero" Tolerance (2)
£1000 Fund (4)
1832 Reform Act (1)
1844 Manuscripts (5)
1848 Revolutions (11)
1889 London Dock Strike (3)
1905 Russian Revolution (8)
1929 Crash (7)
19th Century America (13)
19th Century Britain (69)
50 Years Ago (367)
60 Years of Socialism Issue (12)
A Revolutionary Act (3)
A to Z of Marxism (3)
A Word In Your Ear Column (8)
A World of Abundance Special Issue (9)
A. A. A. (1)
A. Barr (2)
A. Bruckère (1)
A. C. A. (1)
A. C. Dowdeswell (1)
A. C. Kelly (1)
A. D. (1)
A. E. P. (1)
A. F. (1)
A. G. A. (2)
A. G. H. (1)
A. Ginsberg (1)
A. Hoskyns (6)
A. J. Balfour (2)
A. J. Cook (15)
A. J. M. Gray (4)
A. J. P. Taylor (6)
A. J. Stuart (1)
A. Jacobs (4)
A. James (3)
A. L. Cox (3)
A. L. Morton (4)
A. Mcg (1)
A. McNeil (1)
A. N. (2)
A. P. (1)
A. Pottersman (1)
A. S. C. (1)
A. S. Neill (1)
A. S. Wilson (1)
A. Sarna (1)
A. Spratt (1)
A. T. (1)
A. W. (1)
A.E. Jacomb (48)
A.P.C.F (1)
Aaron Bastani (4)
Abdication Crisis (2)
Abdulah Ocalan (2)
Abolition of the State (15)
Abolition of the Wages System (41)
Abolition of Work (2)
Aborigines (2)
Abstention (2)
Abyssinia (8)
Accumulation of Capital (6)
Action Replay (74)
Adam Buick (670)
Adam Smith (29)
Adam Smith Institute (2)
Adbusters (2)
Adele Atkinson (1)
Aditya Chakrabortty (1)
Adolf Sturmthal (1)
Adolph Kohn (88)
Adolphe Thiers (2)
Adrian Peacock (1)
Aerial Bombing (21)
Aerial Disasters (4)
African History (19)
African National Congress (10)
African Socialism (3)
After Dark (2)
Against the Left Series (5)
Agent Provocateurs (2)
Agnes Hollingshead (3)
Agrarian Reform (3)
Agricultural Labourers (14)
Agustin Guillamon (1)
Air Industry (11)
Air Pollution (13)
Air Raid Precautions (1)
Aircraft Industry (5)
Airey Neave (1)
AK Press (21)
Ake Spross (3)
Aki Orr (1)
Al Richardson (2)
al-Qaida (4)
Alain Krivine (4)
Alan Carter (1)
Alan Clark (3)
Alan Coombes (3)
Alan D'Arcy (9)
Alan Fenn (7)
Alan Johnson (1)
Alan Johnstone (122)
Alan Marston (1)
Alan Milburn (2)
Alan Paton (1)
Alan Sapper (1)
Alan Sears (1)
Alan Sugar (3)
Alan Walters (4)
Alasdair MacIntyre (1)
Alastair Campbell (2)
Albert Baker (1)
Albert Eichmann (1)
Albert Einstein (15)
Albert Grant (1)
Albert Grayson (1)
Albert Ivimey (20)
Albert Meltzer (2)
Albert Young (1)
Album Review (4)
Aldermaston Marches (5)
Alec Douglas-Home (14)
Alec Hart (5)
Alec Nove (1)
Alegra (1)
Alex Anderson (24)
Alex Callinicos (5)
Alex Comfort (2)
Alex Hailey (1)
Alex Pearson (2)
Alex Salmond (2)
Alex Shaw (6)
Alexander Berkman (4)
Alexander Bogdanov (3)
Alexander Cockburn (2)
Alexander Dubcek (3)
Alexander Kerensky (5)
Alexander Rabinowitch (1)
Alexander Shlyapnikov (1)
Alexander Solzhenitsyn (6)
Alexandra Kollontai (2)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (3)
Alexei Sayle (2)
Alexei Stakhanov (1)
Alf Atkinson (6)
Alf Crisp (1)
Alf Robens (4)
Alf. (1)
Alfie Kohn (1)
Alfred Kinsey (1)
Alfred Mond (2)
Alfred Russel Wallace (2)
Alfred Schmidt (1)
Alice Jefferson (2)
Alice Kerr (7)
Alienation (140)
Alison Assiter (1)
Alison Waters (5)
Alistair Darling (3)
All 'Socialists' Now (4)
Allan Goldsmith (1)
Alliance for Workers Liberty (4)
Alt-Right (1)
Alternative Economic Strategy (1)
Alternative Health Treatments (1)
Alternative History (2)
Alternative Society (3)
Alternatives To Capitalism (3)
Alvin Toffler (2)
Alwyn Edgar (89)
Amadeo Bordiga (14)
Amartya Sen (5)
Amber Rudd (4)
Ambulance Strike (2)
American Communist Party (13)
American Economy (28)
American Federation of Labor (3)