text:
Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection
Hong Ying Li, Yi Wen Ruan, Phillis Wan-Foon Kau, Kin Chiu, Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang, Ho Lung Henry Chan, Kwok Fai So
Corp. Our previous results showed that the polysaccharides extracted from Lycium barbarum (LBP) could delay secondary degeneration of retinal ganglion cell bodies and improve the function of the retinas after partial optic nerve transection (PONT). Although the common degeneration mechanisms were believed to be shared by both neuronal bodies and axons, recently published data from slow Wallerian degeneration mutant (Wlds) mice supported the divergence in the mechanisms of them. Therefore, we want to determine if LBP could also delay the degeneration of axons after PONT. Microglia/macrophages were thought to be a source of reactive oxygen species after central nervous system (CNS) injury. After PONT, however, oxidative stress was believed to occur prior to the activation of microglia/macrophages in the areas vulnerable to secondary degeneration both in the optic nerves (ONs) and the retinas. But the results did not take into account the morphological changes of microglia/macrophages after their activation. So we examined the morphology in addition to the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages to determine their time point of activation. In addition, the effects of LBP on the activation of microglia/macrophages were investigated. The results showed that (1) LBP reduced the loss of axons in the central ONs and preserved the g-ratio (axon diameter/ fiber diameter) in the ventral ONs although no significant effect was detected in the dorsal ONs; (2) microglia/macrophages were activated in the ONs by 12 h after PONT; (3) LBP decreased the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages 4 weeks after PONT. In conclusion, our results showed that LBP could delay secondary degeneration of the axons, and LBP could also inhibit the activation of microglia/macrophages. Therefore, LBP could be a promising herbal medicine to delay secondary degeneration in the CNS via modulating the function of microglia/macrophages.
https://doi.org/10.3727/096368915X686896
Lycium barbarum
Macrophage
Optic nerve (ON)
Partial transection
Secondary degeneration
10.3727/096368915X686896
Li, H. Y., Ruan, Y. W., Wan-Foon Kau, P., Chiu, K., Chuen-Chung Chang, R., Chan, H. L. H., & So, K. F. (2015). Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection. Cell Transplantation, 24(3), 403-417. https://doi.org/10.3727/096368915X686896
Li, Hong Ying ; Ruan, Yi Wen ; Wan-Foon Kau, Phillis ; Chiu, Kin ; Chuen-Chung Chang, Raymond ; Chan, Ho Lung Henry ; So, Kwok Fai. / Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection. In: Cell Transplantation. 2015 ; Vol. 24, No. 3. pp. 403-417.
@article{1bfd76aeb74b4fbc8ba176c6c63f841f,
title = "Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection",
abstract = "Corp. Our previous results showed that the polysaccharides extracted from Lycium barbarum (LBP) could delay secondary degeneration of retinal ganglion cell bodies and improve the function of the retinas after partial optic nerve transection (PONT). Although the common degeneration mechanisms were believed to be shared by both neuronal bodies and axons, recently published data from slow Wallerian degeneration mutant (Wlds) mice supported the divergence in the mechanisms of them. Therefore, we want to determine if LBP could also delay the degeneration of axons after PONT. Microglia/macrophages were thought to be a source of reactive oxygen species after central nervous system (CNS) injury. After PONT, however, oxidative stress was believed to occur prior to the activation of microglia/macrophages in the areas vulnerable to secondary degeneration both in the optic nerves (ONs) and the retinas. But the results did not take into account the morphological changes of microglia/macrophages after their activation. So we examined the morphology in addition to the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages to determine their time point of activation. In addition, the effects of LBP on the activation of microglia/macrophages were investigated. The results showed that (1) LBP reduced the loss of axons in the central ONs and preserved the g-ratio (axon diameter/ fiber diameter) in the ventral ONs although no significant effect was detected in the dorsal ONs; (2) microglia/macrophages were activated in the ONs by 12 h after PONT; (3) LBP decreased the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages 4 weeks after PONT. In conclusion, our results showed that LBP could delay secondary degeneration of the axons, and LBP could also inhibit the activation of microglia/macrophages. Therefore, LBP could be a promising herbal medicine to delay secondary degeneration in the CNS via modulating the function of microglia/macrophages.",
keywords = "Lycium barbarum, Macrophage, Optic nerve (ON), Partial transection, Secondary degeneration",
author = "Li, {Hong Ying} and Ruan, {Yi Wen} and {Wan-Foon Kau}, Phillis and Kin Chiu and {Chuen-Chung Chang}, Raymond and Chan, {Ho Lung Henry} and So, {Kwok Fai}",
doi = "10.3727/096368915X686896",
journal = "Cell Transplantation",
Li, HY, Ruan, YW, Wan-Foon Kau, P, Chiu, K, Chuen-Chung Chang, R, Chan, HLH & So, KF 2015, 'Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection', Cell Transplantation, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 403-417. https://doi.org/10.3727/096368915X686896
Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection. / Li, Hong Ying; Ruan, Yi Wen; Wan-Foon Kau, Phillis; Chiu, Kin; Chuen-Chung Chang, Raymond; Chan, Ho Lung Henry; So, Kwok Fai.
In: Cell Transplantation, Vol. 24, No. 3, 01.01.2015, p. 403-417.
T1 - Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection
AU - Li, Hong Ying
AU - Ruan, Yi Wen
AU - Wan-Foon Kau, Phillis
AU - Chiu, Kin
AU - Chuen-Chung Chang, Raymond
AU - Chan, Ho Lung Henry
AU - So, Kwok Fai
N2 - Corp. Our previous results showed that the polysaccharides extracted from Lycium barbarum (LBP) could delay secondary degeneration of retinal ganglion cell bodies and improve the function of the retinas after partial optic nerve transection (PONT). Although the common degeneration mechanisms were believed to be shared by both neuronal bodies and axons, recently published data from slow Wallerian degeneration mutant (Wlds) mice supported the divergence in the mechanisms of them. Therefore, we want to determine if LBP could also delay the degeneration of axons after PONT. Microglia/macrophages were thought to be a source of reactive oxygen species after central nervous system (CNS) injury. After PONT, however, oxidative stress was believed to occur prior to the activation of microglia/macrophages in the areas vulnerable to secondary degeneration both in the optic nerves (ONs) and the retinas. But the results did not take into account the morphological changes of microglia/macrophages after their activation. So we examined the morphology in addition to the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages to determine their time point of activation. In addition, the effects of LBP on the activation of microglia/macrophages were investigated. The results showed that (1) LBP reduced the loss of axons in the central ONs and preserved the g-ratio (axon diameter/ fiber diameter) in the ventral ONs although no significant effect was detected in the dorsal ONs; (2) microglia/macrophages were activated in the ONs by 12 h after PONT; (3) LBP decreased the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages 4 weeks after PONT. In conclusion, our results showed that LBP could delay secondary degeneration of the axons, and LBP could also inhibit the activation of microglia/macrophages. Therefore, LBP could be a promising herbal medicine to delay secondary degeneration in the CNS via modulating the function of microglia/macrophages.
AB - Corp. Our previous results showed that the polysaccharides extracted from Lycium barbarum (LBP) could delay secondary degeneration of retinal ganglion cell bodies and improve the function of the retinas after partial optic nerve transection (PONT). Although the common degeneration mechanisms were believed to be shared by both neuronal bodies and axons, recently published data from slow Wallerian degeneration mutant (Wlds) mice supported the divergence in the mechanisms of them. Therefore, we want to determine if LBP could also delay the degeneration of axons after PONT. Microglia/macrophages were thought to be a source of reactive oxygen species after central nervous system (CNS) injury. After PONT, however, oxidative stress was believed to occur prior to the activation of microglia/macrophages in the areas vulnerable to secondary degeneration both in the optic nerves (ONs) and the retinas. But the results did not take into account the morphological changes of microglia/macrophages after their activation. So we examined the morphology in addition to the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages to determine their time point of activation. In addition, the effects of LBP on the activation of microglia/macrophages were investigated. The results showed that (1) LBP reduced the loss of axons in the central ONs and preserved the g-ratio (axon diameter/ fiber diameter) in the ventral ONs although no significant effect was detected in the dorsal ONs; (2) microglia/macrophages were activated in the ONs by 12 h after PONT; (3) LBP decreased the response magnitude of microglia/macrophages 4 weeks after PONT. In conclusion, our results showed that LBP could delay secondary degeneration of the axons, and LBP could also inhibit the activation of microglia/macrophages. Therefore, LBP could be a promising herbal medicine to delay secondary degeneration in the CNS via modulating the function of microglia/macrophages.
KW - Lycium barbarum
KW - Macrophage
KW - Optic nerve (ON)
KW - Partial transection
KW - Secondary degeneration
U2 - 10.3727/096368915X686896
DO - 10.3727/096368915X686896
JO - Cell Transplantation
JF - Cell Transplantation
Li HY, Ruan YW, Wan-Foon Kau P, Chiu K, Chuen-Chung Chang R, Chan HLH et al. Effect of lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) on alleviating axonal degeneration after partial optic nerve transection. Cell Transplantation. 2015 Jan 1;24(3):403-417. https://doi.org/10.3727/096368915X686896


his eyes were dull, his face contorted with pain.
Yes, he was the legendary psychotherapist. Wild goose chase? — maybe, actually in retrospect, no ambiguity here.
Now there is a full length documentary about Milton Erickson and his life: The Wizard of the Desert: An Alexander Vesely Film.
Noted for his positive approach to the unconscious mind. A humanitarian, teacher, physician, loving husband, and caring father (to eight children), Dr. Erickson was a colleague and friend to preeminent intellectuals including Gregory Bateson, Aldous Huxley, and Margaret Mead.
The film was long and tough in the making. This documentary explores the personal life and incredible career work of Milton H. Erickson, M.D., founder of Modern Hypnotherapy. This unsung American genius was a pioneer in psychiatry using radical and unconventional hypnotic techniques to cure not only patients, but to control his own debilitating pain and paralysis.
Milton Erickson is a Counselor Idealist.


Back on Dec 24, 2014, I published my first post. I still recall sitting on my couch, making sure that the article was perfect. After I hit Publish, I felt a bit of euphoria. I don't know why. I didn't expect anyone interested in reading articles about Game Engine Development, but it felt good to hit the Publish button.
About a month ago, I remembered that it had been four years since I started blogging. I went to check the analytics of the blog, and I was amazed that I had 175K visitors. And 133K of them came to my site last year.
How do video game characters move?
When I was a kid, a saw an arcade machine near my house. Although I only got to play it a couple of times, I do remember how curious I was with it. My curiosity was not linked to any gameplay but the science behind the games. I was curious how the characters followed the motion of the joystick; how the joystick was able to rotate or move the characters across the screen.
At the time, I was too small to comprehend the math involved. It took several decades until I was able to understand how game-controllers rotate and move game characters.
If you are interested in how it works, keep on reading.
Mathematically, a space coordinate is defined as a 3x3 Identity Matrix.
However, since a character also moves across the screen, the 3x3 matrix is extended to a 4x4 matrix which contains a translation vector.
The upper 3x3 matrix controls the rotation of the character, whereas the rightmost column determines the position of the character on the screen.
Therefore, the rotation and translation of a game character is defined per the components of a 4x4 matrix.
During the initialization of a game, the vertices of a game character are sent and stored in the GPU; the Graphics Processing Unit.
Once a game starts, the space coordinate, i.e., the 4x4 matrix values, is continuously sent to the GPU. Each character's vertex is transformed by the 4x4 matrix right before the character is rendered on the screen.
If the space coordinate matrix is the Identity Matrix, then the character is rendered without any rotation or translation.
However, if the space coordinate is modified, the GPU renders the character as rotated or translated.
The components of the space coordinate are modified when you move a joystick or press a button of a game controller. For example, when the joystick is moved left or right, the upper 3x3 matrix is modified causing the character to rotate.
And when you press a button (or move a second joystick) the translation vector in the 4x4 matrix is changed, causing the character to move across the screen.
This is how game controllers control a game character. They directly modify the Space-Coordinate of the game character. There is of course more to it, but this is the gist to how it works.
What strategies do you use to finish a project?
I'm sure you have read so many different strategies on how to successfully finish a project. To be frank, most of the well-known procedures don't work for me since they do not take into account behavioral aspect.
We all have limited amount of energy per day. And just like you would manage time, you must also manage your energy level.
In my case, my energy level is at its peak early in the morning. I have the least amount of energy around 2– 7 pm. And for some reason, I'm more focused late at night.
Therefore, I use my energy level to my advantage whenever I'm working on a project. I try to complete critical tasks early in the morning. If I need to read, I'll do that at night since I'm more focused. And any not so critical tasks I try to do in the afternoons.
Seeking perfection slows you down. And more importantly, it prevents you from quickly learning what works and what doesn't.
Moreover, you don't know what you don't know. So it is a waste of time to complete a task to perfection, when you don't know how it will affect your project as a whole.
A better approach is to implement the task until is Just Good Enough. Doing so will allow you to quickly test, debug and fix. Moreover, it will reveal weaknesses of your project that you were unaware of.
The key to finish a project is Consistency. And one way to be consistent is by making things a habit.
I suggest to do at least one thing a day related to your project, no matter how small. The key is to trick your mind that you are moving forward with your goal.
Most of the time, we give up and abandon a project due to psychological factors, more so than technical ones. So, manage your energy level, try to build momentum. Avoid wasting time trying to reach perfection and do at least one task a day, no matter how small it is.


text:
Well, wasn't that something special today?
There are plenty of storylines to discuss following the Cleveland Browns disappointing 30-0 loss on Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals.
We could talk about how a team that was once 7-4 now needs to win at least one of its final two games to avoid its seventh consecutive losing season.
Or perhaps we can examine how a defense that looked some dominant the past two weeks gave up 244 rushing yards and allowed Jeremy Hill to rush for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
Speaking of the running game, how about Isaiah Crowell rushing for all of 17 yards on seven carries? In his past three games, the Crow has rushed 38 times for a 2.6 yard-per-carry average. But he has a cool Twitter handle, so apparently all is good.
Maybe you'd be interested in looking at how, on the game's opening drive, the Bengals were the beneficiaries of three questionable penalty calls – a non-call on a blatant hold against Paul Kruger, and two dubious penalties against the Browns on third downs that kept Cincinnati's touchdown drive.
But let's be realistic; there is only one story that needs to be discussed following what is unquestionably the Browns worse loss of the year, and that is the first start by rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Manziel's day was disappointing if you want to be kind, disastrous if you want to be realistic. And there is only one comparable that needs to be highlighted, one that should make every Browns fan feel more than a bit queasy.
In Brandon Weeden's first start as a rookie, he was 12-of-35 passing for 118 yards, threw four interceptions and was sacked twice.
Weeden led the Browns to 210 yards of offense, 12 first downs, was two-of-13 on third down and finished the game with a quarterback rating of 5.1.
Sunday against the Bengals, Manziel was much, much worse.
Manziel finished the game just 10-of-18 for 80 yards (32 of which came on one pass and run to Josh Gordon), with two interceptions and three sacks.
The Browns were just one-of-10 on third down, only had five first downs all game – two of them came on penalties – and amassed 107 yards of total offense.
"It's not how you start it's how you finish. When you get to those meaningful games you have to make them count." – Head coach Mike Pettine
Most importantly, the Browns did not score as they suffered their first shutout since Nov. 16, 2009 against Baltimore. Manziel has now gone 10 consecutive drives without putting any points on the board. At that pace, by the end of the year he will make Brian Hoyer's one touchdown in 29 offensive series look pretty good.
And Brian Hoyer never once saw the field.
The whole experience on Sunday reminded us of last season, when Browns fans talked themselves into thinking that Jason Campbell is a good quarterback simply because he was not Brandon Weeden.
This isn't to suggest that Manziel is as bad as Campbell, or that he will be a bust, or that head coach Mike Pettine made the wrong call in starting Manziel. But it does underscore an important point.
"It is never as bad as you think it is." – Quarterback Johnny Manziel
As poorly as Hoyer played over his final five games, there was a reason why the coaching staff was hesitant to turn to Manziel – he clearly is not ready for 60 minutes of NFL action and nothing that happened on Sunday should allow anyone to come to any other conclusion.
This isn't to knock Manziel's preparation or anything else, but rather to point out there is more to playing quarterback in the NFL than just being the high-profile backup to a struggling quarterback.
There are going to be growing pains and it's probably best to jumpstart that process during the final games of the season. But Sunday's performance should dissuade anyone who still clings to the notion that Manziel would have somehow made a difference against Buffalo and Indianapolis.
"I need to be better – it was a fail on my part. It is going to take time as it is a progress." – Quarterback Johnny Manziel
As Al Swearengen put it so eloquently on Deadwood: "Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair or … beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man—and give some back."
We expect Manziel to bounce back from this – he'll stand it like a man and give some back.
We just have to hope the beatings don't get much worse before that day arrives.
(Photos courtesy of The Plain Dealer and bengals.com)
Posted in AFC North, Cleveland Browns, Johnny Manziel
2 thoughts on "Well, wasn't that something special today?"
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Captain Optimist on December 15, 2014 at 10:30 am said:
The beatings will continue until moral improves

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What's your attitude toward work? Jungian analyst and author Robert Johnson shares a memorable story in his book Living Your Unlived Life: Coping with Unrealized Dreams and Fulfilling Your Purpose in the Second Half of Life. The story is set in medieval times.
A man sees a laborer pushing a wheelbarrow and asks him what he is doing. The laborer replies, "Can't you see, I'm pushing a wheelbarrow." Later the man sees another laborer pushing a wheelbarrow, and he asks him the same question. "I'm doing the work of God; I'm building Chartres Cathedral," the second laborer replies.
Same activities, but totally different interpretations. The second laborer infused his work with meaning, connecting to a greater purpose.
I ask myself, "Do I want to give workshops and coach executives, or do I want to help professionals stand in their power by becoming the full expression of all they are?" The answer's a no-brainer. The second approach carries much more juice.
So tell me. What do you do?
Follow your flow. Years ago, my analyst posed the question: "What would your life be like if you were to simply follow your energy?" In his question, I found a compass for my calling.
Make the connection; close that deal. If you are like me, you spend a lot of time on the phone. Voice mail has made it harder and harder to connect with people by phone. In fact, I've been trying to reach a prospective client several days now.
According to the American Telemarketing Association, you have a five times better chance of reaching someone over the phone between 9 and 10 in the morning than any other time of day.
Furthermore, research shows that you are twice as likely to close a deal at the end of the day.


text:
Leesa's #QuarantineRead Recommendations
Leni's #QuarantineRead Recommendations
Liam's #QuarantineRead Recommendations
2020 Bestsellers
Award Nominated
Barack Obama's Favourite Books
Books by Neighbours
Booksellers' Choice Spring Guide
Local Bestsellers
Lockdown Top Ten
October New Releases
Puzzles and Boredom Busters
Reading, Writing & Storytelling
September New Releases
Short attention span? Leesa's picks
The 2020 Coronacoaster
Theory & Essays
NEIGHBOURHOOD NATTER
RECOMMENDATION QUIZ
LOCATION & CONTACT DETAILS
EMAILS & SIGN-UP
YOUR READING GUIDE
Author(s): Myfanwy Jones
A few weeks after finishing their final exams, high school sweethearts have an argument at a party. Joe wants to go--Jen begs him to stay. They fight in the corridor, following their usual script, and then he walks out and leaves her.
A few hours later she dies.
Three years on, after burning up his own dreams for the future, Joe is working in dead-end jobs and mentoring a wayward teenager not dissimilar from his younger self. Driven by the need to make good, he spends all his spare time doing parkour--l'art du deplacement--under an inner-city bridge, training his mind and body to conquer the hostile urban environment that took his love and blighted his future.
Somewhere else, a middle-aged woman, Elise, is treading water in her life as her marriage breaks up. We watch as she retreats to the only place that holds any meaning for her--the tiger enclosure at Melbourne Zoo, where, for reasons she barely understands, she starts painting the tigers and forms a close connection to them.
Joe is broken by grief, but the outside world won't let him hide forever. A cool and bewitching girl turns up on the doorstep of his share house, somehow painfully familiar to him. Then there is the skateboarding chef at the bar where he works, the girl with the Cossack-blue eyes, who wants to be his friend. And someone going by the Facebook tag Emily Dickinson wants to reminisce about his dead girlfriend and won't leave him alone.
Can Joe staunch the flooding return of desire--or is it time to let go of the past? And will he make the nine-foot leap from girder to pillar, or does he want to fall, too?
While at its heart is a searing absence, Leap is driven by an unstoppable and exhilarating life force and the eternally hopeful promise of redemptive love.
Funny, moving, quirky and original, Leap is an effortlessly enjoyable listen that quietly creeps up on you until its final jaw-dropping moments and a narrative twist that will take your breath away.
Shortlisted for Miles Franklin Literary Award 2016.
Myfanwy Jones is the author of The Rainy Season, shortlisted for The Melbourne Prize for Literature's Best Writing Award 2009, and co-author of the bestselling Parlour Games for Modern Families, Book of the Year for Older Children ABIA 2010. She lives by a creek in Melbourne with her human and non-human family.
Publisher : Allen & Unwin
Imprint : Allen & Unwin
Author : Myfanwy Jones
Neighbourhood Books | 55 High Street, Northcote VIC
Phone 03 8679 6777 | hello@neighbourhoodbooks.com | ABN: 57 150 634 247


The design department is the core of many projects produced at Kay Automotive Graphics. Manufacturers occasionally have a part approved and ready to go straight into production, however, many times there are changes made to the part before its ready to be produced. Kay designers are fully equipped with the latest technology to ensure our capability to create innovation design and styling concepts that will meet or exceed our customers expectations. An idea is all that is needed to put our design staff to work creating several concepts for a part. With lifelike renderings, it is possible to see how a part will look on the target vehicle before a prototype is produced.


The photographer on the power of indigenous cultures, the importance of empathy, and the trauma that led him to his art.
You have a new exhibition at Atlas Gallery. What works can we expect to see?
The exhibition is the beginning of Before They: Part II. There will be three parts to the whole Before They project; it's a trilogy. The first part was the catalyst—beautiful pictures of beautiful people in beautiful places—but what it actually meant I wasn't really sure. Part II is more of an in-depth investigation, with images from 35 indigenous cultures. Part II will also include me returning to places I went to in Part I, giving the pictures back and discussing them with the people I made the pictures of. So this idea of trying to complete the circle: I took something and I'm now going to give it back.
Your Before They project has taken you to some of the most remote places in the world. What inspired you to embark on this epic journey?
The journey began 49 years ago, to be honest. Between the ages of nought and seven, I lived as an ex-pat kid in the developing world. My father was a geologist. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria, Turkey, Venuzuela—the list is fairly unending. Then at the age of seven, I was sent to a traditional English Catholic boarding school, all-male. So, from a very early age I was being confronted by different cultures, different judgements, different appearances. Then I think what tipped the scale— and it didn't help that I was abused in the boarding school by the priests, so that rocks you a bit, to use understated English—is that when I was 16, my hair fell out. I was given the wrong antibiotics and I woke up 12 hours later with no hair. So, I was physically uncomfortable and then I became aesthetically uncomfortable too. What I saw in the mirror wasn't me, and it wasn't what I wanted to look like. So, at 17, I ran away to Tibet. I spent a long period of time walking through Tibet. As a kid, I had all the Tintin books including Tintin in Tibet, and I remember him walking around with bald monks there, so I thought I would go and find empathy with some other bald boys! But the people I met, the people that were nice to me, the people that were kind to me, the people that protected me, I took pictures of. That's what started this.
Your photographs are aesthetically stunning as well as anthropologically compelling. When we look at your photos, what do you want us to see?
I want you to see the wealth. Very simple. And I want you to look beyond the material wealth and look at the true cultural and spiritual wealth of these people, as a viewer. I was inspired by an American photographer, Edward Curtis. He photographed the Native Americans. He's my hero. He did that for 30 years.
He ran around and said: "We have something special here, we have to cherish it, we have to celebrate it, we have to record it, we have to romanticise it, to acknowledge it." He was told: "They're irrelevant and you're irrelevant because we're moving on into the future, we're developing. We don't need this—all these skins and feathers and songs and campfires and tepees. What is valid is progress." I would argue that what America has progressed into is the antithesis of humanity, with people so far removed from the source of who they should be. Unless more than four people are killed in a shooting, it doesn't reach the international news because shootings are such an everyday occurrence. That is not where we should be as human beings.
So, referring back to what Edward Curtis did as a photographer, I'm sort of trying to do the same but in the whole world. Until we see the wealth in these places and these people, until we put them on a pedestal, until we regard them as successful and valuable and rich and developed and in touch and in balance, then we are as human beings, excuse my French, fucked. The longer you do this, the more experiences you have, the more special it is, the more valuable you see these places and these people to be. That's the motivation to make them as beautiful as possible, to touch a romantic nerve in ourselves, to take a deep breath and to look further.
Ua Pou is part of the Marquesas Islands. They're a five-hour flight north of Tahiti. And then you have to go on a boat journey for a couple of days. So, it's as remote as you can get within French Polynesia. The picture's staged. They're presenting themselves to me in their Sunday best. It's not how they walk around the streets every day. It's the equivalent of me coming to you and saying: I can secretly photograph you with an iPhone when you're having a cigarette and you've got a hangover, or otherwise we're going to make an appointment next week, I need all day, we're going to bring a stylist, a make-up artist, and it's probably best you go to the hairdresser on Saturday and do a little bit of clothes shopping. Both pictures are true, but they have a completely different message. The one secretly stolen from you is patronising, I have no respect for you, I'm just recording you as we can all look on occasions. The other, I'm putting you on a pedestal, I'm celebrating you. It's also a truth—but it's an aspirational truth.
I spent weeks there talking with them, taking their portraits, and the best part of a week walking around the whole island looking for the best landscape, studying the light, looking at what's safe to get up to. Then eventually I found this one position with the peaks behind. I went on three specific evenings with them, waiting for the light to fall. And the last evening you got that light, the last golden glow coming over the horizon.
I travel with a lady who is writing the story and filming the whole process—so within the exhibition you will see making-of films of this situation.
Any other particularly memorable shoots?
We went to the Mundari. The Mundari live in South Sudan on the border of the Nile. It was a very precarious journey to undertake because for the last 40 years there's been a civil war in Sudan. We supposedly went when there was a ceasefire. Ceasefire's a bit dubious because war breaks out every other day. But it was thrilling because when we actually got to Mundari, as far as we understood, they'd never been filmed or photographed before. They'd never seen a white person—which is extreme today.
We spent about two and a half weeks with them. You ingratiate yourself, you live, you see. Every morning you join them naked in the river, you wash, you cover yourself in dust to protect yourself from the sun. You go through these rituals with them, until eventually there's a sort of empathy. The last two days are spent taking the pictures. The pictures are only ever made very early in the morning or very late in the evening when the light is low, very indirect, very soft. The pictures are, in my opinion, iconic. They're some of the most beautiful pictures I've ever made.
Your works have attracted enormous success but also some controversy—why?
I feel that the button I may have pressed is that a lot of people are confronted by: "I thought we were the successful ones, I thought we were the rich ones, I thought we had it all and now I'm presented with Jimmy's pictures, I'm beginning to become insecure, maybe we are not as advanced, maybe we've lost track." Something's gone a bit amiss and I think this is the reason why.
Every single picture I've made, I've spent days and weeks on my knees asking the people to look at me, look at me, look at me, and through that they end up looking through the camera to the viewer. It's all about communication. They communicate an aesthetic and the pride and power of people who have no money, live in a tent, live off reindeer—and they're more beautiful and touching than the majority of the synthetic drivel we see published. It's a cultural challenge.
Do we crave some of that diversity in this increasingly homogenous globalised world?
The essence of individuality is authenticity and that's the essence of happiness, if I dare say it—being utterly content with your own being in all its eccentricities and awkwardness. The journey that I went on is trying to answer those questions and find that peace.
My wife criticises me. She says, "You're like Forest Gump, you're always running away." And I say, "No, no, I'm running to. I'm running to a light, I'm running to a connection." I'm busy with that as a human being because of what I experienced as a kid, which was somewhat extreme, and now I come across these extraordinarily powerful and beautiful—and in many ways balanced—peoples. I realised that I have to present them in a very powerful, technically proficient, romantic, beautiful way for people to listen.
I don't have all the answers. I don't have any answers really. All I know is that as much as I etch myself into their soul, the pictures that I show you—the stories that I tell—have to etch something into your soul, to keep asking questions as to how important all this is.


Is this product a pre-amplifier? A pre-amplifier, or pre-amp, has all the controls of a conventional amplifier but without the amplification part. Youll need active speakers or a power amplifier to complete the system.
Is this product a power amplifier? A power amplifier is the amplifying part of the amp without the control section for volume, source selection etc. Ideal for bi-amping and other high-end audio solutions, a power amplifier is often the sign of a serious system!


text:
Q: Instagram API realtime subscriptions So I have followed this tutorial and everything is working but now I'm kind of confused how to get the response with picture data if I want to subscribe to a tag?

A: I know this is an old question but it raised some questions at my end to.
When the notification for let's say a tag subscription is pushed to your application you can now request the tag/media/recent when you do this save the, min_tag_id value found under 'pagination'
now for every new notification request the tag/media/recent?min_tag_id={YOUR_MIN_ID} this will only return the newest submissions for this tag.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Indiependence Music and Arts festival is back once again this year with its biggest line up to date. Taking place amongst the lush green acres of Deer Farm in Mitchelstown, the festival will keep both revellers and residents (the aforementioned deer) entertained with some impressive acts. The most notable of which include White Lies, Delorentos, Tom Odell, Public Enemy, Hozier and many more (see full line up below).


It is known that Google and Mozilla are deprecating Symantec SSL certificates soon in 2018.
However, I cannot find any official announcements from Microsoft about whether Internet Explorer (or Edge) will follow the same. Does anyone have any news on this? Many thanks.
The SSL is the standard technology for keeping an internet connection secure and safeguarding any sensitive data that is being sent between two systems, preventing criminals from reading and modifying any information transferred, including potential personal details.
About the SSL Certificates in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer check this link. Deprecation of SHA-1 for SSL/TLS Certificates in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11.
Your response has almost nothing to do with the question. The OP was not asking about what SSL/TLS is, or about the deprecation of SHA-1 certificates that you linked to. It's asking about the systematic removal of Symantec certificates from the set of trusted Root CAs by Google and Mozilla, and asking whether Microsoft has plans to follow suit.


text:
Q: Is there a way to loop through my established TextBoxes and define each .Text? I have a group of 8 TextBoxes in a WinForm and I've created an object array for them to be contained. In the initialization of the Form, I want to set each TextBox.text to Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents" to show the default file-path for each box. These boxes are used for displaying which file is to be loaded based on user input.
Currently the code looks like this:
Public Sub New()
    InitializeComponent()

    BWGPTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    BWBRTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    ChGPTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    ChBRTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    CCGPTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    CCBRTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    PPGPTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    PPBRTextBox.Text = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
End Sub

Is there a way I can have it operate within a For Loop (similar to below, except this does not work) to define each box? This way I can also modify each box uniformly, such as [Excel.Application].[Excel.Workbook].Open(TextBoxesList(x).Text)
Public Sub New()
    InitializeComponent()
    Dim TextBoxesList As Object = {BWGPTextBox, BWBRTextBox, _
                                      ChBRTextBox, ChGPTextBox, _
                                      CCGPTextBox, CCBRTextBox, _
                                      PPGPTextBox, PPBRTextBox}
    For Each x In TextBoxesList
        TextBoxesList(x).GetType() ' = Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Documents"
    Next
End Sub

A: Storing specific types As Object is often a mistake since it hides the real type being stored:
Dim TextBoxesList As Object = {BWGPTextBox, BWBRTextBox,
                                  ChBRTextBox, ChGPTextBox,
                                  CCGPTextBox, CCBRTextBox,
                                  PPGPTextBox, PPBRTextBox}

The resulting array stores Objects which prevents you from accessing TextBox specific properties.  Start with a typed array:
' DECLARE the array at the form level:
Private TextBoxesList As TextBox()
....
' initialize it AFTER the constructor runs:
TextBoxesList = {BWGPTextBox, BWBRTextBox,
                                  ChBRTextBox, ChGPTextBox,
                                  CCGPTextBox, CCBRTextBox,
                                  PPGPTextBox, PPBRTextBox}

' then loop:
For Each tb As TextBox in TextBoxesList
    tb.Text = "foo"
Next

Stored and iterated As TextBox allows TextBox properties to be easily accessed.  You can also loop by index:
For n As Int32 = 0 to TextBoxesList.Count-1
    TextBoxesList(n).Text = "foo"
Next


This image uploaded by lurkingfish.com. Source : lurkingfish.com.
White Modern Living Room Furniture For Small Spaces Sofa Set Designs New Ideas Fancy India Creative Image is part of Amazing Of How To Decorate A Small Enchanting Liv's Gallery.


London-listed media localizer ZOO Digital (ZOO.L) alerted the markets that revenues and earnings for the full year 2019 are set to come in below expectations in a trading update issued on January 22, 2019. The earnings miss triggered a massive sell-off with shares down by 46% at the time of writing, all but wiping out the stock's gains over the past 12 months.
Full year revenues look set to hit the USD 30m mark, while forecasts were for some USD 33m. Meanwhile, "adjusted EBITDA for the full year will be significantly below expectations," the trading update says. ZOO has a "largely fixed cost base" and also invested in technology, expanding its freelancer network, and hiring staff to scale up for growth in the first half of 2019. Nonetheless, the company still expects to remain profitable and cash generative.
The earnings miss was caused by a "single, material localisation project," which was as kicked off but then cancelled by the customer, and an accelerating decline in ZOO's legacy DVD and Blu-ray business.
Green told Slator that ZOO had begun work on the big project that was expected to complete in second half 2019. As it turned out, the customer had preemptively given the go-ahead on the project, since they were expecting the necessary licensing deal with the relevant content owner to close without hiccups. However, ZOO's customer was not able to complete the licensing deal, and had to pull the project, Green said. Albeit a small consolation, ZOO did manage to salvage something out of the project and was able to invoice for the work that had been done.
Green also told of the accelerated decline of the DVD and Blu-ray market. Until now, these markets have "obviously been in long-term slow decline," he said. But the quickening downturn has "started to hit in the second half and beyond." If the retail market isn't there for DVD and Blu-ray sales then ZOO's customers will not decide to produce let alone localize content in these formats, Green explained.
This type of project, mainly episodic content produced as box sets, typically involves between six and eight times more work than a movie, which explains why customers requesting less of this type of work might leave a dent in revenues. But Green says that ZOO has been counting on declines in this segment and assuming that they won't be getting much if any more DVD and Blu-ray work, choosing instead to bet on growth in the company's localization and digital packaging segments.
The idea behind the cloud-based workflows is that they are more automated and less logistics-intense and can therefore deliver localized content to customers faster and cheaper, by reducing or eliminating the need for travel, studio time, synchronising diaries, etc.
The plunge following the trading update sees ZOO shares return to around the levels they were a year ago but down more than 60% from the lofty July 2018 highs. The company's market capitalization stands at around USD 60m.


Due to a number of band related scheduling conflicts, we have to cancel our performance in Binghamton on December 3rd. We are always booking new shows and will return to the Binghamton area very soon. We apologize for any inconvenience, and hope to see you at our next show in the area! If you were planning on attending you should still go and check out the other great bands. You won't regret it!


text:
Q: User and object foreign key I'm trying to make User based instances for blog posts but all my tries keep showing all the posts for every user. For example, I make a new post and publish it. All the posts show up for every user instead of only the user that is logged in.
models.py:
from django.db import models
from django.utils import timezone
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
from django.conf import settings

class Post(models.Model):
author = models.ForeignKey(User)
title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
text = models.TextField()
created_date = models.DateTimeField(default=timezone.now)
published_date = models.DateTimeField(blank=True, null=True)

def publish(self):
    self.published_date = timezone.now()
    self.save()

def __str__(self):
    return self.title

views.py:
from django.shortcuts import render, get_object_or_404, redirect
from django.utils import timezone
from .models import Post
from .forms import PostForm

def post_list(request):
    posts = Post.objects.filter(published_date__lte=timezone.now()).order_by('published_date')
    return render(request, 'myblog/post_list.html', {'posts':posts})

def post_detail(request, pk):
    post = get_object_or_404(Post, pk=pk)
    return render(request, 'myblog/post_detail.html', {'post': post})

def post_new(request):
    if request.method == "POST":
        form = PostForm(request.POST)
        if form.is_valid():
            post = form.save(commit=False)
            post.author = request.user
            post.save()
            return redirect('myblog.views.post_detail', pk=post.pk)
    else:
            form = PostForm()
    return render(request, 'myblog/post_edit.html', {'form': form})

def post_edit(request, pk):
    post = get_object_or_404(Post, pk=pk)
    if request.method == "POST":
        form = PostForm(request.POST, instance=post)
        if form.is_valid():
            post = form.save(commit=False)
            post.author = request.user
            post.save()
            return redirect('myblog.views.post_detail', pk=post.pk)
    else:
        form = PostForm(instance=post)
    return render(request, 'myblog/post_edit.html', {'form': form})

def post_publish_list(request):
    posts = Post.objects.all()
    return render(request, 'myblog/post_publish_list.html', {'posts':posts})

def post_publish_detail(request, pk):
    post = get_object_or_404(Post, pk=pk)
    return render(request, 'myblog/post_publish_detail.html', {'post': post})

def post_publish(request, pk):
    post = Post.objects.get(pk=pk)
    post.publish()
    return redirect('myblog.views.post_list')

def post_delete(request, pk):
    post = Post.objects.get(pk=pk)
    post.delete()
    return redirect('myblog.views.post_list')

A: You need to filter out Posts where author is the current user.
Replace:
posts = Post.objects.filter(published_date__lte=timezone.now()).order_by('published_date')

with:
posts = Post.objects.filter(author=request.user,
                            published_date__lte=timezone.now()).order_by('published_date')


text:
Flying Fortress is a 1942 British black-and-white war film drama from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by A. H. Soloman, directed by Walter Forde, that stars Richard Greene and co-stars Carla Lehmann, Betty Stockfeld, and Donald Stewart.

During the Blitz, an arrogant American pilot becomes increasingly committed to the Allied cause after ferrying B-17 bombers from Canada to England. After joining the Royal Canadian Air Force and being assigned to an RAF squadron, he finally takes part in a Flying Fortress bombing raid on Berlin.

Plot
Pilot William "Sky" Kelly (Donald Stewart) is held responsible for an aircraft crash in which a passenger is killed; however, his friend, wealthy playboy James "Jim" Spence (Richard Greene), was actually piloting the aircraft. Kelly's sister Sydney (Carla Lehmann), a newspaper reporter, vows to clear her brother and identify Spence as the actual culprit. Spence and Sydney later meet amicably, but when a scandal photographer reveals Sydney's profession, Spence suspects her motives and ends their budding relationship.

Spence reads an appeal from the RAF Ferry Command for experienced pilots to fly US Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers to England. Wanting a new adventure, he flies to Canada and volunteers. After a RCAF officer berates him for his irresponsible flying, Spence changes his mind. Just before leaving, however, he learns that "Sky" Kelly is training the ferry pilots. Determined to prove himself to be as good a pilot as Kelly, Spence volunteers.

Spence makes his first flight to London with Kelly, who reveals his sister is now working there. During the long Atlantic flight the two pilots reconcile their past. After they land, Kelly and Spence hitch a ride into Blitz-ravaged London with the beautiful Lady DeBorah "Debbie" Ottershaw (Betty Stockfeld), and Kelly makes a dinner date with her. Kelly suggests that Spence come along and bring Sydney as his date; when the reluctant Spence arrives at Sydney's office, she refuses him.

DeBorah invites Kelly to her palatial home, where Kelly meets her brother, Lord "Squeakum" Ottershaw (Sidney King). The two men immediately dislike each other; Kelly assumes that Ottershaw is a malingering fop, and Ottershaw thinks Kelly is a brash, uncouth American. That evening while Sydney, Kelly, and Lady DeBorah have dinner in London, Spence sits at a nearby table until he successfully apologizes to Sydney. A German air raid abruptly spoils the rest of their evening.

Impressed by the courage of British resolve, upon returning to Canada for another B-17 ferry assignment, Spence and Kelly decide to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. Following their return flight to London, both men reunite with Sydney and Lady DeBorah. After reporting for duty, they discover Lord Ottershaw is their RAF Wing Commander. Kelly's opinion of him changes when Ottershaw announces he will be leading the Wing's bombing missions; the new commander requests both Spence and Kelly join the aircrew of his Flying Fortress.

German night fighters attack a flight of B-17s after they bomb a Berlin power station. Lord Ottershaw's bomber is hit, but an emergency repair keeps it airborne. Another fighter attack badly wounds Ottershaw and sets an engine ablaze. Making light of his injury, Ottershaw keeps the B-17 flying level while Spence, with Kelly's help, crawls out onto the wing and extinguishes the engine fire. When Kelly returns to his co-pilot station, Ottershaw collapses from his wound. The battered Flying Fortress and her surviving crew return safely to base to fight another day for England and the Allied cause.

Cast
 Richard Greene as James "Jim" Spence Jr.
 Carla Lehmann as Sydney Kelly
 Betty Stockfeld as Lady DeBorah "Debbie" Ottershaw
 Donald Stewart as William "Sky" Kelly
 Basil Radford as Captain Wilkinson
 Charles Heslop as Herrington
 Sidney King as Lord "Squeakum" Ottershaw
 Edward Rigby as Dan Billings
 Joss Ambler as Sheepshead
 Robert Beatty as Connor
 Jack Watling as Rear Gunner
 William Hartnell as Parker
 John Stuart as Captain Harvey

Production

Flying Fortress was made in the UK at Teddington Studios by Warner Brothers' British subsidiary. Teddington, one of the few British studios to operate during the Second World War, produced Flying Fortress as part of a series of patriotic films aiding the war effort. Warner received co-operation from the Air Ministry, with facilities at RAF Polebrook being provided, along with a Supermarine Spitfire, Bristol Blenheim, and three early Boeing B-17Cs from No. 90 Squadron RAF, released for use in the production. A number of shooting miniatures were also created, including the Boeing bombers.

These early Boeing B-17Cs were not quite ready for heavy combat, having been provided to the RAF by the US Army Air Corps. for training and patrol purposes, the result of the America's Lend-Lease Act. Lacking anything else at the time, the RAF pressed the aircraft into high-altitude daylight combat missions, with poor results. Eight of the original twenty B-17Cs were lost for a variety of reasons, before how they were utilized was changed.

The burning engine fire depicted at the conclusion of the film is based on an actual World War II incident. Sgt. James Allen Ward of the Royal New Zealand Air Force earned the Victoria Cross after he climbed onto the wing of his burning aircraft on 7 July 1941 to smother an engine fire that would have otherwise proved fatal.

Flying Fortress had its U. S. cable television premiere on Turner Classic Movies, 14 September 2007, during TCM's festival of 13 films made by Warner Brothers at Teddington Studios.

Reception
Bosley Crowther reviewed Flying Fortress for The New York Times but considered the effort "sloppy". "Some of the actual glimpses of an R.A.F. field are interesting, and a few absorbing moments are achieved in the bombing raid. But even this section of the picture is a poor tracing of Target for Tonight, and the big heroic climax is just old-fashioned screen bravado". Aviation film historian James Farmer also considered the film "... poorly conceived, dated Hollywood-style bravado (that) makes for a wholly forgettable screen effort".

Box office
According to Warner Bros records, the film earned $604,000 from domestic exhibition and $300,000 from foreign exhibition for the studio.

Home media
Flying Fortress is not available for viewing in any home video format, including streaming.

Notes

References

Bibliography

 Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. .
 Mackenzie, S.P. British War Films, 1939-1945: The Cinema and the Services. London: Continuum, 2001. .
 Murphy, Robert. British Cinema and the Second World War. London: Continuum, 2000. .
 Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .

External links

1942 films
American aviation films
British war drama films
British black-and-white films
1940s war drama films
Films directed by Walter Forde
Films shot at Teddington Studios
Warner Bros. films
Films set in England
World War II aviation films
World War II films made in wartime
Films with screenplays by Edward Dryhurst
Films scored by Jack Beaver
1942 drama films
1940s English-language films
1940s British films

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
What's the use of the 2012 Food Assistance Convention?
Written by Ed Clay
The text of the 2012 Food Assistance Convention (FAC) was posted on the United Nations Treaty website on 25 April 2012 and open to signature from 11 June. This treaty is the intended successor to the 1999 Food Aid Convention, the only international legal agreement requiring signatories to provide a minimum amount of food aid. Symbolically it implies a donor commitment to address world hunger.
After repeated renegotiation during the contentious debate on food aid in the Doha Development Round, the FAC has been drafted in conclave since December 2010 by officials responsible for food aid from the United States (US), European Union (EU), Japan, Australia, Norway, Switzerland and Argentina, and chaired by Canada. In the hope that there will now be a wider and open discussion, rather than accepting the treaty as a fait accompli, I would like to highlight four issues raised by a preliminary examination of the 2012 FAC text.
First, in place of the specific objective of 'making appropriate levels of food aid available on a predictable basis' in the 1999 Food Aid Convention, the new text proposes a wider, more general objective 'addressing the food and nutritional needs of the most vulnerable population through commitments made by the Parties to provide food assistance that improves access to, and consumption of, adequate, safe and nutritious food'.'
Is this anything more than a form of words to allow governments to do what they would have done anyway? The US will continue to donate food aid largely in kind under the provisions of its Farm Bill that set a minimum 2.5 million tonnage. The EU will commit itself to funding a wider variety of food-based and non-food-based interventions, as envisaged in the Commission's March 2010 Communication. So if signatories are going to do what they would have done anyway, what is the additional value of international treaty commitments and the provision of another forum for information exchange and consultation, besides all the other places where governments can discuss food security and humanitarian aid effectiveness?
Second, food 'assistance' provided under the new FAC could make a difference to the lives of vulnerable people if the value of commitments increases rather than declines when global prices rise. During the 2007-08 food-price spike, food-aid donations from FAC donors collapsed to a 50- year low, causing agencies to scramble to avoid cutting emergency rations and school feeding programs. Minimum commitments under the Convention, whether in cash or kind, are to be determined and announced afterwards, and not set out in the treaty, as previously. The text fails to explain: how can donors' withstand another price spike?
Third, there is back-tracking in the detailed wording of the treaty from the draft World Trade Organization Doha Development Round (DDR) rules to prevent food aid distorting trade or local markets. Notably whereas the DDR draft text envisages that food-aid transactions will be in fully grant form, the new FAC allows up to 20 per cent of assistance to be in the form of loans. In narrowly economic terms, what distinguishes a concessional in-kind food-aid loan from an agricultural export credit? How will it be helpful for a recipient of food assistance to become further indebted to meet short-term food needs?
Fourth, an interesting new question is, who would be the signatories? Should individual European governments sign the treaty and then make their own bilateral commitments, instead of being party to a single EU commitment, as in the past? For reasons of transparency, accountability and aid effectiveness, would individual rather than group commitments be an improvement?
Before governments and the EU ratify the treaty it is important to ask the question which Jeremy Bentham posed about any law, custom or institution: 'What is the use of it?'
Ed Clay


Human remains were found Tuesday in a large crocodile that police believe killed an elderly woman who wandered away from her aged-care home in northeast Australia.
Clothing and a walking stick belonging to Anne Cameron, who suffered from dementia, were discovered by a creek near the tourist town of Port Douglas in Queensland state last week.
Police made the grisly find after a 4.3-metre (14-foot) animal was removed by wildlife officers from the Mowbray River.
"The estuarine crocodile, which is believed to be the one involved in the death of 79-year-old Anne Cameron, was examined by a specialist in Cairns today with human remains being located inside," police said.
Cameron, who was last seen a week ago, had wandered from her care facility in the past but it was not clear how she came to be in the remote bushland where her belongings were found.
Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of the vast continent's tropical north and kill an average of two people a year.
Their numbers have exploded since they were declared a protected species in the 1970s and the woman's disappearance has reignited calls to control them.
But her family have said they do not want to see any crocs culled.
"The crocodiles… are not responsible for being crocodiles, and doing what crocodiles do," her son Craig Eggins said, according to the Cairns Post.
Australia's 'best jobs in the world': Have you applied?


text:
//
//  AppDelegate_iPad.m
//  RangeSlider
//
//  Created by Charlie Mezak on 9/16/10.
//  Copyright 2010 Natural Guides, LLC. All rights reserved.
//

#import "AppDelegate_iPad.h"

@implementation AppDelegate_iPad

@synthesize window;

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Application lifecycle

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {

    // Override point for customization after application launch.

    [window makeKeyAndVisible];

    return YES;
}

- (void)applicationWillResignActive:(UIApplication *)application {
    /*
     Sent when the application is about to move from active to inactive state. This can occur for certain types of temporary interruptions (such as an incoming phone call or SMS message) or when the user quits the application and it begins the transition to the background state.
     Use this method to pause ongoing tasks, disable timers, and throttle down OpenGL ES frame rates. Games should use this method to pause the game.
     */
}

- (void)applicationDidBecomeActive:(UIApplication *)application {
    /*
     Restart any tasks that were paused (or not yet started) while the application was inactive.
     */
}

- (void)applicationWillTerminate:(UIApplication *)application {
    /*
     Called when the application is about to terminate.
     */
}

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Memory management

- (void)applicationDidReceiveMemoryWarning:(UIApplication *)application {
    /*
     Free up as much memory as possible by purging cached data objects that can be recreated (or reloaded from disk) later.
     */
}

- (void)dealloc {
    [window release];
    [super dealloc];
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Only Good Stuff
"The job I was hired to do wasn't a job"
If I had to draft a team of managers in the digital media / ad tech sector, Polly Lieberman at Flashtalking would be one of my first-rounders. The headline quote actually wasn't the entirety of what she said when we caught up today, the actual quote was this: "The job I was hired to do wasn't a job...yet."
The big difference with those two quotes is Polly's attitude and approach, which is why she's having big success in her career. Polly understands the basic premise that it is up to her to create value in everything she does....every single minute of every single day. In her words, Flashtalking focuses on "programmatic creative" and one of her main charges is to work with the senior execs at holding companies to guarantee the work keeps flowing through Flashtalking.
"In my role, it's often hard to measure success and I'm not wired that way...I like to work with hard metrics," added Polly. Unfortunately, most of the jobs in the ad tech industry either don't come with specific success metrics assigned to them, or, mis-management means performance is not guided and/or measured correctly. (For more on how big-boy companies now view performance management, check out this interesting HBR article - I don't agree with everything in the article, but the perspective is important.)
Either way, Polly knows the secret: it's not up to anyone else but you to figure out that providing value always will equal success in a career. Why am I writing about a "no duh" concept? Simple, most managers I work with aren't as obsessed about providing value as Polly is, and that's too bad: be obsessive about providing constant value - to your peers in the company, your clients, those you manage...everyone around you - and success will flow naturally.
Thanks for the reminder, Polly....keep hitting those backhands up the line!
It's my job to make you feel good....about yourself, about your selling career and about your life! Read on and add when the impulse hits!
Athletic Prowess


text:
Kansutoppu!!! - Chapter 59
Kansutoppu!!!
The Wizard Kingdom part 4
It was a small old man with his face with a beard and white hairs that came out silently from the shadow of the door that was opened.
I think that what made him look small is because of his bent waist. He was relying on a long cane when he was standing.
There was also a girl who was as tall as we were but was a little smaller than the grandpa.
From the girl, he received a basket, then checked the contents and then nodded in satisfaction with what he confirmed.
「Ohoh, well done. Thank you. Recently, my legs have become quite fragile. I am really having a hard time moving around so your assistance really helped」
「Don't mind it grandpa. I will do anything that I could, if I could be of help the Wise Man Hasuto! 」
「Yeah, yeah. In about five years more, you should be thinking of taking care of something else! Kakaka! 」
His mouth covered in beard opened wide as he loudly laughed. I understood that the grandpa was the wiseman Hasuto, but I now that I think about it, that girl resembles Tolppo. She is currently wearing a robe covering her and the triangular hat so I could hardly see the face, but that voice definitely resembled Tolppo. But when I think about the current situation, I couldn't help but think that she was someone else.
「Jii-chan, I've brought them! 」
Lars who called out to them introduced us to the grandpa. It seems like they were not able to notice us until now, then Hasuto-san looked towards us and brushed his thick beard as he checks the people that caught his sight.
The one with a more interesting reaction was the girl. As soon as she looked at us, her face turned red, and then she panicked a bit and covered her face with her scarf and hat.
Un, that's definitely the Tolppo that I've met before.
We didn't really hear about what this blushing girl have been doing since that time.
「Ryu, Ryua and Roel…… wh, why did you come here……」
「To, Tolppo, right? It has been a long time」
「Nn, long time no see……」
The more she talks the more silent she becomes. Well, she was originally a shy girl since the time we've met, but it seems like she was much shier bashful than before.
Now, she can't even look straight at us.
◆ Hasuto's House ◆
The house was surrounded by white walls with a fireplace, a small kitchen and a door heading to a bathroom and toilet.
There was a small shelf with many things that I didn't know and some animal figures placed inside it. There was also a really large bookshelf which was the first thing that drew our attention.
The bookshelf was filled with books without any gap inside it and reaches up towards the ceiling.
I can't read, and because I can't read I don't really know the value of books. When I look at my side, Roel was happily reading the titles of books, and it seems like she won't stop even if I call out to her.
I did try reading a book before, but it only took me 10 seconds to become drowsy. That might become convenient if I'm having trouble going to sleep.
「Now, now, everyone, properly relax」
On a thick wooden table, herbal tea and juice was prepared.
I'm not really a fan of herbal tea, so preparing the fruit juice was really a heaven-sent.
「Well then, first of all, congratulations on passing the Fire Rain Test」
「Eh, was grandpa the one who set that up? 」
「I was only a bit worried, beside, if they can't pass such a simple test, then there's no way for them to be able to help in beating the golems 」
I was intending to do so, but I feel kind of disappointed after hearing what the grandpa said. Anyway, it was really dangerous for Roel to do that. If anything did happen to her at that time, I would have never forgiven this grandpa.
Wise Man Hasuto, he was much more of a scary person than I have expected.
「I think that you've already known, but I'll introduce myself again. I am the Wise Man Hasuto. By the way, I've heard of both Roel and Ryuua from my granddaughter Tolppo」
「Granddaughter? Tolppo……」
When I look at Tolppo, all she did was look down. Yup, it's really the Tolppo that I have known.
「My cute granddaughter sure had a lot of strange acquaintances.
At first, I was concerned about her not being able to improve herself, so I sent her out on a journey to train, and it seems like that decision was the right choice. I'm happy to see that my granddaughter found friends that she could happily talk about」
「jii-chan, the task you have given me didn't really help with my training.
While being a disciple, I was not able to receive Jii-chan's teachings」
「But I'm already too old for that, you know」
「Don't run away from it」
Tolppo was the Wise Man's grandchild it seems, is Lars also a disciple.
If it's like that, Tolppo should have just told us about it, well, that's only me who was thinking about it that way though.
「Well, as I was listening to the stories of my grandchild. I didn't was really surprised for something like the Cave of Abbyss coming out of her stories」
「Jii-chan, do you know something about the Cave of Abyss?!」
「Due to my old age, I probably won't be able to recall everything. Do you still want to know? 」
「I want to know! And also, if know about a one winged demon」
「Ryua-chan, calm down for a bit……」
I who was getting a little too excited and was about to climb the table was held down by Roel-chan.
Tolppo also cleaned up the juice that was spilled from my sudden outburst. Thank you for that, but all of them was a little too quiet that it made me feel scared for a bit.
「You were able to dive inside the Cave of Abyss」
「Un, there was also someone called Vanda Lucia that I defeated」
「Hou……?
There was supposed to be a strong barrier in that place, and it was unlikely for normal people to be able to enter that place……。
But first of all, where did you learn about the Cave of Abyss, that place should have been hidden from the public for a long time now」
Cave of Abyss. That's right.
For some reason, I know about that place.
There wasn't anything written on the entrance of that place, and in the first place, I don't even know how to read or write. I wonder how I was able to know the name of that place.
「Well then, for the time being, let's talk about the things that I know about that cave.
The Cave of Abyss is a place where a certain monster was sealed when the world was at its dark ages.
There was also a time where that being has ruled over the world.
Well, during that time, the world was about to reach its end. That being was sealed by the all heroes of that era. The seal of that place have been continued to be maintained by succeeding generations in order to keep the monsters of that place from leaving it.
And also, the final boss of that cave is the sealed being Vanda Lucia」
「So that means, the dogs, giant golems and many other formidable monsters were also sealed in that place?」
「That's how it's supposed to be……」
Hasuto-san then stood up and headed towards the bookshelf to find something. Because the target book seems to be in the ceiling area, he was currently using a ladder to reach it.
「These are monsters of the old that was supposedly forgotten by most of the normal people nowadays.
Most of these were only transmitted as a fairy tale or way to soothe a child in their sleep. Look here」
What was handed to me was a thick picture book. It was a little different, but the demons drawn in it certainly resembled the ones that I have been fighting inside the cave.
Let's see, Giga Atlas, Hell Cerberus, Jormungand.
Is that dog with four head supposed to be Hell Cerberus?
The names were read by Roel-chan because the letters on the writings were really difficult for me to read.
Hell Cerberus, a creature who once burned down an entire continent on its own and was deemed as the incarnation of hell.
Giga Atlas, A huge being the crushed an entire country by stepping on it.
Jormungand is a giant serpent that could swallow everything leaving nothing behind its path.
And finally the King Vanda Lucia is someone who brought the world into fear and despair ruling over all the lands.
Most of the demons here were certainly monsters that I have defeated inside that cave. I can't really remember how I was able to defeat them. But all of those creatures were only written here as sealed by heroes.
「Now that I think about it, I was also reading this to Tolppo when she was young. I have totally forgotten about it though」
「So that's why I felt like I've heard of it somewhere……」
Tolppo seems to also be convinced bout it.
And now that I've known about it, I now understand that those demons that I have defeated were ridiculously strong creatures.
A dungeon with 100 floors underground, I only continued fighting and fighting without even recognizing how much time has passed by.
It was certainly a very formidable place, and there were many times where I barely survived death. But I was able to conquer it.
I can have confidence and pride that I was able to conquer it, but I don't really understand such things.
「Hasuto-sa…no, Hasuto-sama. We have also fought about a group of demons calling themselves as the New Demon King Army.
Those people also attacked the kingdom of Avanguard. Do you know anything about them? 」
When Roel who was listening to our conversations from before asked, Hasuto-Jii-san lifted his face to look at her.
What was showed first is an expressionless face, but it gradually turned into a face of surprise.
「I see, so they have already spread out」
「Eh, Hasuto-sama, you know something about them? 」
「Not that much, but I do know that the ones leading the invasion declared that they were part of that group 」
I was only suspecting at first, but it seems like my suspicions were true.
It's really those annoying bunch that were causing all this trouble. Now that I know about it, I couldn't help but participate in getting rid of them.
「As to how I know, I think it was about 30 years ago that the fight happened……
Those that declare themselves as the Demon King's army and was fighting with the Avanguard's Kingdom Army」
We listened to the story without asking any questions. I want to learn more about them so I don't want it to be interrupted by asking something that would derail the story. I don't really know if everyone was thinking of the same thing but all of us were just silently listening to the story without making any noise.
Only the sound of the townspeople from the outside could be faintly heard.
「30 years ago, a group of odd individuals appeared. They suddenly attacked the kingom of Avanguard and were claiming to be part of the Demon King's Army.
The powers of the Demon Lord's army were exceptional.
The clash happened in the northern plains of Avanguard Kingdom were the leading participants were the Royal Army including many A Ranked adventurers.
It was a long struggle without giving each other time rest.
The Army was desperately holding the enemy back in other to prevent them from invading the capital.
As the struggle continued, a light of hope came down to the battlefield. A plain looking boy no matter how you look at him, spearheaded the charge along with his companions aiming for the Demon King's army.
With unstoppable momentum, little by little they continued whittling down the Demon King's Army, and after almost about a year, they were finally able to take down the demon king!」
That surprised me, Hasuto-san suddenly shouted out loud as he was finishing the story.
But after clearing his throat, he continued talking again.
「The people commended the boy and his companions. Calling them Heroes and admiring their feats.
Hero, yes, that boy was actually a descendant of heroes that have saved the world during their successive generations.
Giga Atlas, Hell Cerberus, including Vanda Lucia, it was his bloodline that sealed those monsters to the bottom of the earth」
Eh, what, err, to be honest I just couldn't understand everything that he talked about. I wonder if Roel would understand because she was intently listening to the story.
The Demon King, the Heroes. I would like to arrange all the information inside my head for a bit, but I probably can't.
Ah, now that I think about it, I feel like Vanda Lucia did mention something about Heroes.
「Well, I understand the story, but I don't about anything like that happening 30 years ago. It's true that I'm not around at that time, but I have never heard about that story from people that I was a acquainted with……」
What Roel asked was certainly true, but I did know of someone who probably knows about it. It's Gantetsu-san.
That day when that Balts person declared himself to be part of the Demon Lord's Army, I noticed the fear he felt when he heard those words.
That person definitely knows something about them.
Well, he probably won't speak about it. Neither the King nor anybody spoke about the Demon King's Army after all.
That's why I've decided, I will try asking that person about that story in person when we return.
Of course, I will also ask if he knows anything about the one winged demon. If he knows something about it, I definitely inquire and never forget about it.
「Well then, that should be all about what I know. As for the report of the Kingdom, they only were reporting the attackers to be demons.
They were probably thinking that not mentioning about the Demon Lord's army would put the citizens to be more at ease.
I wonder if the people who participated in that battle was probably silenced too, that question still remained……」
「Did such a thing really happened…… I didn't know anything about that at all」
「Regarding the Demon King's Army that appeared 30 years ago and the New Demon King's Army now. Perhaps they might have been survivors of the Army from 30 years ago」
I also don't know anything about it, I am in the same position as Roel-chan.
I guess, they were trying to take revenge because they were defeated 30 years ago.
「By the way, was the reason for all of you to come here was only to hear about that story? 」
In the eyes of hasuto-san, a sparkle of curiosity was ignited. I have experienced such curious eyes before.
Zinnia from the country of Metalicana, that's the same eyes that Hasuto-san is displaying right now. Eyes filled with curiosity uniquely found from adults. Also, it's eyes that are saying that there are some new ideas from children that they could listen to.
Well, it might have been just my imagination, but I don't really like those curious eyes.
And so, I talk about everything that happened until now including the things that happened in my village and the one winged demon.
Hasuto-san listened to my story silently. Then after I finished, he folded his hands and think about the things that I've said.
Then he finally answered after a while.
I was in shock after expecting that he might know something. If he knew about the Demon King's Army, surely I was expecting that he might have known something.
Well, it was no good after all.
「You see, I don't really know about everything, that includes the things that you've told me about」
「That is true……」
The room was then silenced for a bit. Just what I have been doing all this time, why did I struggle so much to the point that I almost died hundreds of times.
And after all that, I tried my best looking for clues, but can't find anything at all. The pain I felt as I clenched my fist in frustration hurts.
「I am not really a specialist that you could consult regarding this.
But, if you can somehow help with the current golem crisis, then I might be able to help introduce you to people that might be able to help your search? 」
「I will still help even without that offer though…… but, is it okay? 」
「it's fine, we will also probably investigate about the group mentioned and we could include finding information about the one winged demon along with it」
「Re, really?!」
「Even if I am already old, the information I could dig up would be much more reliable than most. It's information from a sage after all」
I immediately stood up from my chair to express my excitement.
Then the door was knocked after I immersed from my moment of excitement.
「Hasuto-sama, will you please hand over to us the two young ladies that came to visit you」
Everyone's attention moved towards the door. The voice of a man we don't recognized was heard from the outside.
By mentioning two young ladies, it's probably Roel and me. I have a really bad feeling about this.
◆ In Front of Hasuto-san's House ◆
A number of wizards were lined up on the road, completely surrounding the house and making sure the there are no escape routes open.
Apparently, it was the king of the Wizard Kingdom that came. His forehead looks really wide because of his hair brushed all the way back.
Comparing him to the king of Avanguard, he looks really young.
The red cloak he was wearing is decorated with jewels, and in his hand was a cane with a large yellow gem.
I immediately realized that this person is also a wizard.
「Can you explain yourself, Hasuto-sama.
Why did you allow those two to enter even after receiving an attack from the fire squadron? 」
The captain of the squad that tested us looked apologetically and was facing down.
The King slammed the tip of his wand on the ground, and then glared at us. The dry echo of the wand made the captain shiver in fear.
「The amount of damage that the Golem User is already ridiculous.
Are you planning to sacrifice more people to satisfy your empty pride?」
「I am the King of this country. You have no authority to decide as to what action the kingdom should take. Therefore seize these people, I will decide an appropriate punishment for these illegal immigrants later」
「No! Hey, wait! What are you!」
As soon as Lars tried to protest, the King lifts his cane and pointed it towards Lars. Then a thin line of lightning strikes Lars. With eyes rolled back, Lars fell to the ground.
「La, Lars…… Hasuto Jii-chan …… Lars is……」
「He only fainted, don't worry about it Tolppo. Other than that……」
Hey, this is way different from what I've heard. Wasn't the King supposed to be not able to lay his hands or not even raise his head when confronting Hasuto-san?
The King of Avanguard was also difficult to approach, but this person is on a whole new level.
He was showing a cold atmosphere which makes me think that he's not even thinking of people as actual people. Attesting to that is how he attacked Lars without even any hesitation.
――――Zajil, what did you do to my precious and cute desciple
That's the only thing he murmured. Then an intense cold air was spread out from Hasuto-san.
Well, I don't really feel that cold though.
Each word that came out of Hasuto-san's mouth felt as if blades were pierced through the King and the Soldiers, and the soldiers that couldn't take the pressure fell down off and shivered on the spot.
Everyone was having rugged breath and was trying to force themselves to get up, and only the King that was left standing in place.
Also, even the King took a defensive stance without knowing what would happen next.
There was no one behind me, but Roel and Tolppo backed away taking shelter in the wall of the house.
I could hear the King grinding his teeth from the pressure that doesn't stop.
「But, but remember, as a national leader, it was you who taught me to do things my way many times when I was young! Hasuto!
I have my way of doing things!」
「Well that sure is true」
「I, Isn't it? 」
Ah, he returned to being the nosy old man after pressuring them to his heart' content. The King was also relieved.
I guess I also have to lower down my stance. This time, Hasuto-san displayed enough power showing that he could have killed everyone on this occasion.
It seems like the King was also only showing his dignity as King, that's why he speak in the current way he does, but it seems all that dignity vanished. He was so prideful before standing in front of us, but now he's barely standing and was using his staff to support him with both hands.
「Well, fine, I guess there's only that as an answer. Ryuua and Roel, can you let yourselves be captured for now.
I'll try doing something about it myself for now」
「Wha?」
What happened to me assisting in the Golem subjugation? What if you also get caught or defeated?
There were a lot of things I would like to say, but we couldn't say anything because of the atmosphere of the happy old man.
「But you know, Zajil. I will only let you off this time for hitting my cute disciple. there will be no next time」
「Hai, I got become a little bit too harsh…… I'm sorry」
I was at a loss for words as to what to say, and along with Roel, I was guided along by the soldiers and the frightened King.
Support "Kansutoppu!!!"


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text:
Public Service Workers Need Unions More than Ever
Pablo Ros on Tuesday, April 24 2018 - 4:17pm
04242018-middleclass-header.png
Public service workers across the country are losing their foothold in the middle class. So says an article in The New York Times this week that serves as a reminder of why labor unions are more needed now than ever.
Read more about Public Service Workers Need Unions More than Ever
Council 4 Delegates Convention Affirms Fight for Our Freedom
Larry Dorman on Friday, April 20 2018 - 12:10pm
afscme_strong_winners.jpg
Against a backdrop of legislative and judicial attacks aimed at destroying the rights and freedoms of unionized workers – including the forthcoming Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 – more than 200 members of affiliated local unions and chapters helped chart a path forward during Council 4's biennial business convention on April 14 in Farmington, CT.
Convention highlights included keynote remarks by Danny Homan, President of AFSCME Council 61, which represents public sector workers in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
Read more about Council 4 Delegates Convention Affirms Fight for Our Freedom
Gearing Up to Defeat the 'Let Them Eat Cake' Commission
Larry Dorman on Friday, March 16 2018 - 11:28am
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Less than three months after its inaugural meeting, the legislative Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth last Friday released its recommendations to the General Assembly. Considering the panel's domination by corporate executives, their proposals are unsurprisingly heavily tilted in favor of the ultra-rich. Still, their plan to silence the voices of Connecticut's working men and women are cause for genuine concern — and a call to action.
Read more about Gearing Up to Defeat the 'Let Them Eat Cake' Commission
Council 4 Members Assert Their Rights and Freedoms as Supreme Court Hears Anti-Worker Janus Case
Larry Dorman on Wednesday, February 28 2018 - 2:44pm
We Rise New Haven 2 26 18
Video of We Rise New Haven 2 26 18
"Our union. Our choice. You're not gonna take away our voice."
That was the rallying cry of more than 200 union workers and community allies who rallied on the steps of New Haven City Hall today to protect the rights and freedom of workers to negotiate together and fight for decent and equitable pay, affordable health care, quality schools, and vibrant communities.
Read more about Council 4 Members Assert Their Rights and Freedoms as Supreme Court Hears Anti-Worker Janus Case
Unions Urge Business Leaders To Take High Road to Growth
Larry Dorman on Friday, February 23 2018 - 4:21pm
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Leaders of Connecticut's labor movement took a strong stand against attacks on working people in a wide-ranging presentation to the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, advocating an approach that invests in public services and structures, makes Connecticut's tax structure fairer, and provides workers with the security and purchasing power needed for sustainable growth.
Read more about Unions Urge Business Leaders To Take High Road to Growth
"Time to Raise Up Workers!" Connecticut Unions Declare at Start of Legislative Session
Franklin Soults, SEIU 32BJ on Thursday, February 8 2018 - 10:13am
HARTFORD, Conn. – As the Connecticut General Assembly convenes today for the start of the 2018 session, unions representing thousands of Connecticut workers are standing together to demand the passage of bills that would support working people and strengthen communities in one of the most economically divided states in the nation. Together, union workers are supporting statewide bills that would provide:
Read more about "Time to Raise Up Workers!" Connecticut Unions Declare at Start of Legislative Session
New Year's Day or Groundhog Day?
Larry Dorman on Tuesday, January 2 2018 - 10:30am
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During this time of giving and reflection, a new opportunity has emerged to help move toward a more prosperous future for all. Most Connecticut politicians have for the past two years refused to ask millionaires and corporations to pay their fair share to protect and preserve our state's quality of life. But passage last week of massive, permanent federal tax cuts for the nation's rich and powerful offers hope in 2018 for reclaiming needed resources on behalf of working families.
Read more about New Year's Day or Groundhog Day?
Council 4 Podcast Tackles Sexual Harassment
Larry Dorman on Thursday, December 21 2017 - 12:02pm
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Our latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast takes on the topical issue of sexual harassment.
Our guests are Tanjorie Godwin (AFSCME Local 1565) and Cathy Osten (CSEA-SEIU), who were among the union members who fought back against the culture of sexual harassment cultivated by Department of Correction management more than 12 years ago.
Godwin, who retired from DOC in 2015, and Osten, a three-term State Senator, say their unions made a big difference in advancing their fight for justice.
Read more about Council 4 Podcast Tackles Sexual Harassment


text:
news.com.au — Australia's #1 news site
Car affordability hits new high, prices at new lows
WE hear it from car salespeople all the time, but this time they're telling the truth: there really has never been a better time to buy a new or used car.
Joshua Dowling National Motoring Editor
Herald SunAugust 1, 20146:06pm
Affordable style ... the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque AWD SUV wagon. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied
IT may sound like a slick dealer slogan, but there really has never been a better time to buy a new car.
The prices of new and used vehicles have hit record lows and experts predict they could fall even further later this year.
The Toyota Corolla has the same $19,990 starting price today as it did 20 years ago, despite the new model being significantly safer, more economical and better equipped.
If the price had kept up with inflation (66 per cent over the past 20 years, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia), today's Toyota Corolla would cost from $33,300.
Meanwhile new-car affordability has hit a 38-year high due to wages growth and record-low interest rates.
Strong Aussie dollar ... CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian.Source:Supplied
RELATED: The best June 30 deals
MORE: Ute sales boom to new record
"We're one of the lucky countries across the advanced world that have enjoyed real wage gains over the past decade," said CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian.
"We're earning more money than ever before, interest rates are at record lows, and new cars are cheaper because of the sustained strength of the Australian dollar."
Commsec figures estimate it now takes someone earning the national average wage 25.9 weeks to buy a large family car compared to 31.3 weeks three years ago and 37 weeks a decade ago.
Yet new-car prices could fall even further towards the end of the year if the exchange rate improves.
"We expect the Australian dollar to lift over the next six to nine months," said Mr Sebastian. "So we're likely to see even bigger discounts."
The downside to cheaper prices is that anyone wanting to trade-in their used car for a new one may be in for shock, as the value of second-hand vehicles has also hit record lows.
"There is definitely a knock-on effect," said Nick Adamidis from Glass's Information Services, which monitors used car values.
"New-car affordability is extraordinary and car companies are adding more and more equipment even as prices get lower," said Mr Adamidis.
"But it means the value of used cars takes a hit because they are suddenly less appealing — they don't have as many gadgets — and more people buying new cars means not as many are buying used."
Used car prices are the lowest they've been in 10 years and prices are expected to continue to fall, said Mr Adamidis.
"We've had record new-car sales over the past decade, and they're now starting to flood the used market," said Mr Adamidis. "There is definitely an oversupply of used cars; it's good if you're buying but bad if you're selling."
Figures compiled by News Corp Australia show the price of popular mainstream cars are significantly cheaper in Australia than in the UK, although we still pay more than buyers in the US.
Australia: $24,590
UK: $32,029 (£17,650)
USA: $22,804 ($US21,225)
Cheaper than before ... the Mazda3. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied
Family SUVs
USA: $28,631 (US$26,659)
Still a competitor ... the Toyota RAV4. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied
Toyota 86 coupe
USA: $30,101 ($US 28,017)
Ford Focus ST hatch
Red hot ... the Mazda MX-5. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied
Source: Manufacturers. All prices are inclusive of tax but not on-road costs. All cars have automatic transmission (except the performance models). Every effort has been made to compare like with like but in some cases engines and equipment vary slightly. Exchange rates as at 1 August 2014: 1 USD = 1.0744 AUD, 1 GBP = 1.8147 AUD.
This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling
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