text:
How kind hospital staff are helping make Hull family's Christmas wishes come true
The family had to flee their own country three years ago, and have been living in Hull since
Staff at a Hull hospital have shared some Christmas magic by creating a "reverse advent calendar" to support a Hull family in need.
Nurses, health care assistants, doctors and support staff on Acorn Ward at the Hull Women and Children's Hospital have been collecting tins and packets of food to help a dad bringing up four young children on his own.
The family had to flee their own country three years ago, and have been living in Hull ever since.
Staff on the Acorn Ward at the hospital
Mags Higson, play specialist, came up with the idea.
She said: "We don't realise how fortunate we are sometimes and forget there are people far less fortunate than us who could do with some help.
"Christmas is a time to give something back. It's not about always having everything."
The incredible way pantomime was brought to life for deaf children in Hull
Advent calendars are as much a part of the Christmas build-up as office parties and secret Santas.
Mags, who has worked for Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 18 years, started a collection for the reverse advent calendar on the ward after hearing about the man bringing up his four children – aged between six and 11 - single-handedly.
Mags Higson with the reverse advent calendar
She said: "The whole family had to flee their own country and they have been in Hull for three years. "There are four young children and we're trying to make sure we give the family a good Christmas.
"Everybody on the ward has brought something in like tins of beans or spaghetti and packets of pasta.
Are you looking for a job? Click here to see our Hull listings
"We've managed to collect quite a bit so now, we're going to try and collect some presents for stockings so the children have something to open on Christmas day."
Joanne O'Connor, sister on Acorn Ward, said the entire team caring for Hull's sick children had decided to support Mags in her efforts to make a difference to the family .
Hull Women and Children's Hospital
"We're really proud of Mags," she said.
Hull's public health director turns to film to showcase her annual report
"It was all her idea and we think it's a great thing for us to do.
"We're all getting behind her idea and bringing in stuff.
"It's nice to make a difference to other people's lives, especially at this time of year."
Bonus ArenaMan's night wrecked as huge crowd stand in front of him in seated Bonus Arena Holy Holy gigJon Tarbet Walker says he is thinking of selling his tickets for the rest of the year
Eating out in HullVegetarian's shock discovery after wolfing down Burger King's 'no beef' Rebel WhopperThe plant-based burger was launched earlier this month - but it's not quite what some imagined
BBCNetflix will now be available for millions of Sky viewersSky customers will soon have the option to take up Netflix's Basic Plan on Sky Q


text:
About The Board The Steering Committee The Chair Partners Our team Careers
C40 Blog
Lagos launches first-ever 'Energy Conservation Month'
C40 city Lagos has named October "Energy Conservation Month," launching this first-of-its-kind initiative last month to raise awareness about energy usage.
The Lagos State Government's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, in cooperation with the Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB), developed "Conserve Energy, Save Money" (CESM), a campaign that utilizes step-by-step, do-it-yourself instructions on energy efficiency and conservation improvements to save Lagos citizens money and make the city more energy efficient.
Speaking at a press conference to highlight the month-long series of energy awareness activities, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Taofiq Tijani said that these initiatives underlined the commitment of the administration of Lagos Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) to provide a holistic solution to the perennial power problem that has inhibited socioeconomic development of Lagos State, and Nigeria as a whole.
"Our energy initiatives in Lagos State are a clear demonstration of an innovative approach to good governance and much more in bringing radical solutions to the epileptic power problem in Nigeria. We are delighted to be the first state in Nigeria to show leadership in novel power generation and power management solutions," he said.
Energy Commissioner Tijani added that the formal commissioning of two state of the art Independent Power Plants (IPPs) in Lagos State were to be among the significant events taking place during the course of the month.
As a prelude to Energy Conservation Month, Governor Fashola and musician M.I held a Google Hangout (a free video chat service from Google) called "Let's Talk Energy" to engage citizens on responsible ways to use energy. The September 27 Hangout, held on the Governor's Google+ page, drew thousands of online participants.
M.I encouraged residents of Lagos to begin adopting an "energy conserving consciousness", saying: "We can save so much money by practicing energy conservation. In addition to helping save money, energy conservation also helps preserve energy for future use, and protects the environment."
Follow the Lagos Electricity Board on Twitter @lagosenergy or visit their website, www.lseb.gov.ng.
C40 Mayors Summit 89 C40 Cities Awards 87 Mayors Voices 70 Video 69 Expert Voices 68 Transportation 61 Mayor Bloomberg 59 COP21 55 Research 54 New York 47
Transportation 61 COP21 55 Low Emission Vehicles 47 Adaptation and Water 31 Finance and Economic Development 28 Energy 26 Measurement and Planning 22 Solid Waste Management 20 10 Years of Results 16 City Diplomacy 15 Sustainable Communities 13 Road to Paris 11 Research Spotlight 9
Contact the C40 Group
C40 in the News
C40 Cities Awards
© 2022 C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
I agree to receive updates and that my information may be used in accordance with C40's Privacy Policy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
How Trump coins became an internet sensation
The coin features Donald Trump's face embossed in gold on a base of shining silver and his slogan, "Keep America Great," is written in an arc atop his head
By Stuart A. Thompson
The "Trump coin," a favorite of right-wing social media and fringe news sites, has become something of an internet mystery. It's not obvious who's promoting it or profiting from it. (David Brandon Geeting/The New York Times)
The novelty coins are simple, glistening tokens of admiration for former President Donald Trump. They're also one of the hottest products going.
There's a style for every taste, each featuring a portrait of Trump. Sometimes he's rendered in gold, staring thoughtfully into the distance. In others he's smirking in silver, raising a thumbs-up, or even riding a missile while a bald eagle soars behind him.
Among all the options, one version stands out. Known online as simply the "Trump coin," it has become a favorite of right-wing social media and fringe news sites. It's advertised between claims of stolen elections or conspiracy theories about global cabals. Some ads even describe the coin as a kind of cryptocurrency, suggesting it would soon be worth thousands.
It's hard to tell when the crypto bubble will burst, or if there is one
Game of alliances between China and the US after Afghanistan chapter
Those cute cats online? They help spread misinformation
The coin itself features Trump's face embossed in gold on a base of shining silver. His slogan, "Keep America Great," is written in an arc atop his head.
It could be yours, too, for just $0. (Plus $9.99 shipping and handling.)
This particular version has become something of an internet mystery. It's not obvious who's promoting it or profiting from it. It's sold by a mysterious news website about which little is disclosed. Trump has nothing to do with the coin. No identifiable company is taking credit.
Some internet sleuths have followed digital breadcrumbs to suss out the organizations behind the coin's popularity. The New York Times took a similar path, tracking a network of advertisers and following their activity from public storefronts to private marketing portals. Using guidance from insiders and marketing veterans, the search crisscrossed the globe, implicating a handful of companies and a legion of anonymous marketers operating in parts unknown.
The collectible novelty item might seem harmless, but that is part of the danger, experts say, because it's easy to underestimate how the drive for profit can create new incentives to spread disinformation online.
"You make it small enough and harmless enough that no one can object to the individual grift," said Danny Rogers, a co-founder and executive director of the Global Disinformation Index. "But taken together, you've built a movement."
To understand how it all works, start with Denzel Washington.
From fake celebrity accounts ...
Chat app Telegram has become a hotbed of right-wing activity, with a stream of politicos and conspiracy theorists posting misleading updates about everything from vaccinations to deep state plots.
Joining the fray recently was an account posing as Washington, an Oscar-winning actor.
"Democrats are only causing panic and insecurity, and the American people are not safe with them on the wheel," the account, RealDenzelWashington, posted on a page featuring his name next to a handsome profile photo.
Then the account announced that "real money" would disappear. The "Trump coin" would reign in its place.
That phony account is one of many on Telegram that use celebrity names and photos to push the Trump coin. There's Ivanka Trump (more than 100,000 followers at one point), Mel Gibson (more than 140,000 followers), Trump-era special prosecutor John Durham (more than 210,000 followers), along with Keanu Reeves, Sen. Ted Cruz and even John F. Kennedy Jr. (who died in 1999). Each account pushes its own mix of patriotism, anti-vaccine content and claims that President Joe Biden is illegitimate. Many posts falsely claimed that the coin's value was about to surge, invoking the soaring price of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
Conservatives turned to Telegram as Facebook and Twitter cracked down on conspiratorial and violent content after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Watchdogs have warned that Telegram exercises far less moderation than rival social media. Many of the fake accounts have remained online for months, and new ones keep popping up. Others have been disabled, like the fake account with Washington, or labeled "scam" or "fake" by Telegram. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
In one post, a fake account for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who is closely aligned with Trump, shared a fake story on a fake Fox News website about a fake tweet by a fake Elon Musk, falsely claiming that Tesla's CEO would soon accept Trump coins as payment.
A spokesperson for Washington said he was not available for comment but confirmed that the account was fake. Greene did not respond to requests for comment.
... to sites with misinformation ...
Whether the coin was pitched as a kind of cryptocurrency or as a mere collectible, most ads on Telegram linked to the same place: the Raw Conservative Opinions Store.
The storefront claims that the coin has the "highest quality craftsmanship" and is "America's favorite souvenir."
The shop itself is hosted by right-wing news purveyor Raw Conservative Opinions, which features an American flag logo and a color scheme in red, white and blue. One article detailed "6 Factors Which Point To A Rigged Election," including misleading claims that votes were swapped from Trump to Biden and that vote surges were evidence of manipulation. It was copied word for word from right-wing conspiracy site OffGuardian.
No owner is listed for Raw Conservative Opinions. The website was registered in 2016 using a business park address in Louisville, Kentucky. A representative from the office building said the suite number did not exist. A phone number was also provided, but a woman who answered said she didn't speak English and hung up, then didn't answer repeated phone calls and text messages.
... With marketers making a buck
In the sprawling world of online advertising, one niche plays an outsize role in the sale of the Trump coin: affiliate marketers.
When someone buys the coin, most of the money goes to the seller. But a cut is shared with the affiliate marketer — an independent worker who advertises products online for a cut of the profits.
Affiliate marketing is a multibillion-dollar business, with websites and YouTube channels earning hefty commissions by posting quality endorsements. But some affiliate marketers work at the margins. If a seller has some diet pills or conspiratorial e-books, they can offer the products to affiliate marketers, who will post ads and create websites, or use less ethical methods like creating fake social media accounts that can generate traffic to the seller's sales page.
ClickBank, a large affiliate network based in Idaho, listed the coin last year when sales were surging. The company wrote in a blog post that the Trump coin was its most popular product for October, and No. 2 in November.
ClickBank did not respond to requests for comment.
The center of the mystery
Affiliate marketers who decide to advertise the coin can turn to the seller for help. The company behind the coin linked to another website, Conservative Affiliates, which provides marketing material like photos and fake news stories that can be used to advertise the coins online.
One set of marketing material detailed how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned to ban the Trump coin. The claim became so widespread that fact-checkers worked to debunk it.
Aneela Mirchandani, a software engineer and writer in San Francisco, mapped out an even larger network of products leading back to Conservative Affiliates for her blog The Odd Post. She investigated the coin after seeing it advertised on conservative social network Parler, where it was pushed by fake celebrity accounts. (Sound familiar?)
Her investigation uncovered digital identifiers on the Raw Conservative Opinions storefront that matched an array of other products, like the apocalyptic e-book "Alive After the Fall." That book was also mentioned on Conservative Affiliates.
"They all led to this one door," Mirchandani said.
The Times conducted a similar search, reviewing an archived version of the Conservative Affiliates site from February 2020. That page offered a vital clue: an email for Romanian marketing company Stone Force Media. The same name appeared on an obscure part of an affiliate marketing portal, which was visible only after signing up to advertise the Trump coin.
Mirchandani had also spotted the archived page along with a mention of Stone Force Media on an affiliate portal for "Tactical Home Defense," an e-book about defending against home intrusion.
Those details placed Stone Force firmly in the middle of the mystery, with connections to Raw Conservative Opinions, Conservative Affiliates, the ClickBank listing and many other political and conspiracy-tinged products pushed online, including the coin itself.
Stone Force is an internet marketing company specializing in "audience acquisition and monetization," according to its Facebook page and online job postings. The company's co-founders include Vlad Bolovan, who lists on his Instagram profile that he lives in Bucharest, and Brandon Kelly, who lists on his Facebook profile that he is from California and lives in Romania.
Operating from Bucharest since 2016 with a staff of eight, Stone Force posted revenue of $1.07 million 2019, according to business analysis company Dun & Bradstreet. The listing on D&B, which also showed revenue for 2020, was taken offline after the Times contacted Stone Force for this article.
When reached about the coin, a spokesperson for Stone Force confirmed that the company was the coin's vendor but declined to comment further. He later forwarded an email from late 2021 showing that Stone Force had warned affiliates against marketing the coins as a kind of cryptocurrency. As of January, many ads on Telegram were still promoting the coin that way.
Bolovan and Kelly also declined to comment.
Then, the delivery
Rachel Edwards can't remember where she first spotted the coin, but she thinks it was an ad on Facebook. Edwards, a mother of three from Alabama, said the coins immediately caught her eye — and so did the price, with a single coin costing nothing but shipping and handling.
"So I ordered five," she said.
They arrived in about a week, packaged inside a simple padded envelope. The coins looked good, each in a protective plastic case, and she said they had enough heft to suggest they were real silver.
But there was something amiss.
"The bag they came in individually just had a sticker that said, 'Made in China,'" she said.
Neil Segal, a dealer at Colonial Stamp and Coin in Kingston, New York, tested another Trump coin bought from the Raw Conservative Opinions Store. He used a device that detects precious metals.
He found no gold or silver. The coin was also magnetic, suggesting it was mostly made of iron.
Jack Batelic, a gold appraiser at PRS Gold Buyers in Newburgh, New York, tested the coin using a nitric acid solution. After he applied a blob to Trump's gold-colored image, the area darkened, bubbled and then turned green.
"It's paint," he concluded.
What was it worth?
"Nothing," he said.
©2019 New York Times News Service
Rafa 21: Fun facts about Nadal's history-making win at Australian Open
Beijing Winter Olympics ready to go but controversies, Covid-19 weigh heavy


Durable material: Premium blend of cotton and neoprene for maximum durability and moisture control.
Universal sizing: Adjustable wrist strap for men and women. Strap length: 23.5"
Want to take your weightlifting to the next level? Get a grip with the Think Ergo Weight Lifting Wrist Strap. A premium blend of neoprene and cotton ensures these wrist straps wick away moisture and last for many workouts to come. The padded neoprene cushion prevents the strap from digging into your wrist so you can push through those extra reps. Whether you're doing bodybuilding, powerlifting, deadlifts, or just want to uplevel your gym workouts, our wrist straps give you that extra boost you need. The strap is 23.5" which is perfect for wrapping around the bar an extra time for added security, and the width is 1.4" providing excellent grip. You wouldn't settle for less in your workouts, so don't settle for less in your weightlifting straps. Get the Think Ergo Weight lifting Wrist Straps and see your lifts gain more power and better grip.


after falling in love with NXT and ARDOR, I've decided to also build up a forging pool for ARDOR.
I did my very best to make it as stable as possible but it is still beta.
I'd love to see some of you to lease out some ARDOR, try it out and earn a lot.
If you have something to correct or improve, please write a comment in this thread.
Payouts are now done automatically if you have earned more than 10 ARDOR.
Also there is now a German version of the website and new languages can be added.
ARDOR is getting old Over 250,000 Blocks were already created on this unique blockchain.
To celebrate that a little, until the block height reaches 500,000 (approx. by the end of the year 2018) , there will be no payout fee substracted from your earnings if you are paid out!
The pools website www.ardorpool.org got some small design improvements.
Also the number of blocks generally forged by the pool are added to the status website.
Again: until block 500,000 there will be no payout fee substracted from your withdrawing. Until then the pool pays the transaction costs!
I've encountered a flaw in the payout mechanism, which made it impossible to send your earnings to your account.
I've fixed this problem today and everything should work fine.
It already worked well with 2 testpayouts to a participant.
Also I'd like to remember that there is currently NO PAYOUT FEE for the pool.
If you lease your ARDOR today, you still have over one month to receive your earnings without a fee (until block 500,000).
the ARDOR blockchain has reached a height of 500,000 Blocks and therefore the payout fees are subtracted from the withdrawals again.
Since the start of the pool, it paid over 275 ARDR to it's contributors.
Hi there. Good job on the pool. May I make a small request. Could you put a contact us page on the pool's website. You don't have to share e-mail, just a link to the pool's forum thread would suffice. I was one of those people that did not know about this pool's thread and it would've been great if there was some directions on how people can reach you in case they have some small issues.
I've added a link to this thread on the pools website. I hope that this mitght help some other people, if they have the need to get in contact with me.
I've also responded to your message and hopefully solved the issue.
If you have any other feedback or suggestions for improvement, please let me know.
is there a problem with the lessors page on the website? I'm stuck on the same earned amount for a couple of days while I see the node is generating blocks.
not every block that is forged by the pool contains a transaction and therefore fees.
But the calculation of the shares was running a bit behind. I've runned the script a few times and now the distribution to the lessors should happen faster.
I know that not every block contains fees, but in the pool ledger I could see block forged that did contain fees but the amount didn't change for 4 days or so. I checked it extensively, I don't want to write a forum post unless I was positive there was something wrong.
Anyway, all is fine now, thank you very much for the fast response!
my explanation was not meant as an offense. Sometimes people do not know how ARDOR works and that the transaction fees are the earnings for a forger.


Note: To access achievement standards, see specific NCEA subjects. To search the rest of the website, see NZQA search (or use the field above the navigation bar above).
Searches the title of all qualifications and unit standards, and the classification system (field, subfield and domain) names. If you enter a word, it will return a list of all qualifications and unit standards with that word in their title. Will also return a list of any field, subfield and domain names containing the word. Will also search for unit standards and qualifications by ID. This is the default search.
If you cannot find the words that you are looking for, check your spelling and spacing before you change the search words. If your search is too broad the search will only bring up the first 30 records. If you include other words you will be able to further refine your search.
Note that "All framework" does not include unit standard replacement information (see below).
Searches the title of all qualifications. If you enter a word, it will return a list of all unit standards with that word in their title. Will also search for a qualification by ID.
Searches the title of all unit standards. If you enter a word, it will return a list of all qualifications with that word in their title. Will also search for a unit standard by ID.
Searches all field, subfield and domain names. Similar to searching by subject (eg you could enter 'Sciences' or 'mathematics' or 'Calculus').
Searches for replacement unit standards by ID. Useful for determining which standard or standards replaces a particular standard (eg to find out which standard replaces standard 1782, enter 1782 in the search box).


BMW's dashboard-mounted tweeter makes for some sweet driving sounds.
It has often been said that the car is the perfect piece of technology – you just stick your key into it and it works. Yet, with automobiles quickly becoming the next tech battleground – both in terms of the extra functionality manufacturers are cramming into them, and in regards to their inexorable march toward full automation – that long-held simplicity is looking like a frail thing indeed.
The fact was driven home for me the other day when I test drove a fully loaded 2014 BMW 750xi Sedan. The $136,000 car was tricked out with just about every technological addition on the market today: a rear-view camera (including night vision), electric rear and side shades, satellite radio, active blind spot detection, a steering wheel that rumbles if you change lanes without signalling, a touch-knob-controlled heads-up-display with GPS and a high-end Bang & Olufson sound system complete with dashboard-mounted tweeter. Truth be told, I felt a little lost. In fact, even the old truism about key simplicity no longer holds in this particular BMW, where the ignition is started by pushing a button on the dash. Its "keys" are just a fob used to unlock the doors.
My regular car is a 2003 Toyota Corolla, which might as well have been manufactured before the internet existed. Friends marvel and sometimes snicker at the fact that I still have to manually roll down the windows. About the most technologically advanced thing about it is the fact that it's black, which helps snow melt off it faster when the sun is out.
But it works and I love it and I'm not sure if adding more technology to it would make it that much better (besides maybe power windows). One example: a few years back, I tested out Sirius XM's then-new Lynx touch-screen satellite radio receiver. I hated it and quickly switched back to my old "analog" receiver, which has a number of simple plastic buttons and a knob for navigating around. The key problem with a touch screen is that you need to look at it when using it, which is not something you should be doing while driving. The plastic buttons and knob, on the other hand, can be manipulated with simple muscle memory – you can change stations but still keep your eyes on the road.
BMW and Bang & Olufson at least have the right idea in this regard – they've decided against having a touch screen in the 750xi in favour of a centre-console instrument panel with standard buttons and a knob. As a spokesman for the Danish audio company said, Bang & Olufson is rarely first with new technologies; instead, it waits to see how practical they are before adopting them. Touch-screens in cars, at least on the dashboard, may very well be a bad idea.
I'm hopeful that automobiles don't follow the trend of many consumer technologies, where functionality has supplanted ease-of-use. Video game consoles are a great example. Video games ironically emerged in the 1960s as a consumer-friendly demonstration of what computers could do, with consoles in the 1970s finally packing processing power into a couldn't-be-simpler device. Early consoles from the likes of Atari, Nintendo and Sega were very much like a car: you just plugged a cartridge in and it worked.
The previous generation of Xbox and PlayStation consoles ushered in all kinds of innovative functionalities, from online gaming to downloadable content and user-generated sharing, yet they also brought with them a host of annoyances, including multiple logins, frequent downloadable patches and updates and numerous glitches. The days of sitting down and being up-and-running within seconds are long gone. Will they ever get back to those simple days? Who knows.
With luck, car manufacturers will avoid such a fate. As it stands, it took me a while to get acquainted with all the BMW's bells and whistles. Fortunately, the average consumer holds onto his or her car for six years, so that's plenty of time to get used to all that technology. But with in-car internet connectivity becoming a thing, it's also conceivable that you might some day have to sit through interminable logins and updates before you can drive anywhere. So much for that simple key in the ignition.


Page 742 - Challengesofaging | Amazing Your Home Ideas Comfy Accent Chairs. Accent Club Chairs. Outdoor Wood Tables.
best home design ideas, like Comfy Accent Chairs. Accent Club Chairs. Outdoor Wood Tables.
Copyright © 2019 Challengesofaging. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Campaigners say medicinal cannabis being used as 'Trojan horse' towards legalisation. Ireland is "sleepwalking" into the legalisation of cannabis on the back of a campaign of misinformation about the drug, according to doctors who have set up a new group to campaign against liberalisation.
The initial 20 members of the Cannabis Risk Alliance include the head of the College of Psychiatrists, Dr John Hillery, and former president of the Irish Medical Organisation Dr Ray Walley.
Criticising the "one-sided debate" on cannabis, the doctors say society has "taken its eye off the ball" in relation to the harmful effects of the drug.
In their practice, they say they are treating ever-growing numbers of patients suffering a range of side effects from abusing the drug.
For complete story


Sierra Sotheby's International Realty recently announced its ranking as the No. 16 real estate firm in the U.S. in sales volume, according to RISMedia's 30th Annual Power Broker Report. In partnership with its sister companies Summit Sotheby's International Realty in Park City, UT and LIV Sotheby's International Realty with offices throughout Colorado, the Lake Tahoe and Reno based brokerage reported a sales volume totaling more than $6 Billion in 2017.
The Top 1,000 2018 Power Brokers collectively earned more than $1.3 Trillion in sales volume and more than 3.7 million transactions in 2017 and encompass more than 478,000 agents and over 8,370 offices.
Seventy-one percent of Power Brokers are challenged most by the lack of housing supply.
The majority of Power Brokers (38 percent) believe first-time homebuyers and millennials are their greatest opportunity.
The majority of Power Brokers (38 percent) believe the housing market is "growing;" 30 percent believe it is stable.
Additional findings and interviews are available now on RISMedia.com.


text:
Scientific Commitee
LabOasis Lab
ATLAS Saharan and Arabian Oases
Why the Oasis?
Water Atlas
The Boundaries of the Oasis
Oasis in danger
Oases
LabOasis Foundation
Art. 1 – Introduction – Constitution – Name
1.1 1. The knowledge and good practices belonging to the thousand-year old culture of Oases, originated from the virtuous interaction between desert peoples and their environment, represent a model for all human settlements still today. Created by generations committed to working within the limits posed by the scarcity of primary goods, Oases are a permanent laboratory, where solutions compatible with the natural habitat, have been carefully selected. The set of ingenious rules, thanks to strong social cohesion, produces the Oasis effect, curbs climate change phenomena, ensures food security and at the same time, generates landscapes of rare beauty, of which every component – social, architectural, agricultural, environmental – cannot be separated from one another.
1.2 "LabOasis Foundation" was constituted on the basis of such premises by Violante Pallavicino, its Organizer and Founder, to raise a keen interest in the ecosystems known as Oases, in North Africa, West Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, to revert the trend towards the abandonment and progressive deterioration of those lands and to support local Communities, ensuring active conservation of their historical-cultural and environmental Heritage.
Art. 2 – Registered Office
2.1 The Foundation, operating both in Italy and abroad, has its registered office in Rome, Via del Velabro 4.
2.2 Moving the registered office, now in Rome, does not involve any amendment to the Articles of Association and shall be decided by the Administrative Body.
2.3 For the purpose of carrying out its institutional activities, secondary branches, agencies, offices and any other kind of local units shall be established both on the national territory and abroad upon the Administrative Body' decision.
Art. 3 – Duration of the Foundation
3.1 The duration of the Foundation shall be unlimited.
3.2 Upon the Administrative Body's decision and favourable opinion of the organizer and founder, the Foundation, shall be be liquidated and/or terminated at any time.
Art. 4 – Object – Goals – Activities
4.1 The Foundation, which is a non-profit organization, shall have the following object and goals.
4.2 LabOasis Foundation's object shall be to establish itself as:
a) A pole of excellence for studying, promoting and protecting the ecosystems of anthropic origin known as Oases;
b) A permanent laboratory for researching and testing the adaptation to social and environmental changes;
c) A reference centre for vocational education and technical training projects, for the dissemination of arts and crafts and for long-distance learning, all aimed at countering youth emigration and helping local Communities to continue serving as a "territorial coverage".
4.3 The main goal of LabOasis Foundation shall be therefore to promote the knowledge and active conservation of this natural, historical-cultural landscape and architectural Heritage, thus favouring economic progress, social wellbeing and protection of the cultural identity of local Communities, as well as global awareness of the relevance of environmental and energy sustainability principles that the Oases cultures developed over the centuries.
4.4 In order to achieve specific socio-economic and scientific results, LabOasis Foundation therefore shall strive to establish:
a) A physical network encompassing the greatest possible number of oasis communities in African and Arabian regions;
b) A global scientific network for the interpretation and simulation of oasis' models and their environmental adaptation processes;
c) An international institutional network allowing for the establishment of lasting partnerships, which in turn shall ensure the efficacy of the specific development of cooperation projects.
In a spirit of solidarity, LabOasis Foundation shall intend to:
4.5 – Promote communication, information and scientific research on the items laid out in these Articles by:
a) Providing multimedia documentation tools, engaging in publishing work and promoting educational initiatives to spread information on the Oasis ecosystem, coordinating and organizing exhibitions and thematic itineraries, both in Italy and abroad;
b) Seeking recognition of the specific and unique nature of the Oasis ecosystem from national institutions and international bodies, for the purpose of introducing a "World Oases Day";
c) Organizing study programmes, both in Italy and abroad, including the awarding of scholarships and fellowships, training initiatives and workshops, seminars and experts' conferences, as well as promoting networking among local Associations, national and international Institutions, NGOs and private entities, in order to share knowledge, projects and skills, and to point out criticalities and propose innovative solutions;
d) Participating in companies, bodies and other Italian or foreign institutions pursuing similar or complementary aims, providing that such participations are closely connected with the pursuit of its own institutional goals;
e) Carrying out any other necessary activity for pursuing the above mentioned institutional and instrumental goals.
4.6 – Promote eco-compatible actions and projects for the protection of biocultural environmental systems in Oases by:
a) Encouraging the deployment of alternative energy from renewable sources and the adoption of solutions for proper management of the waste cycle;
b) Contributing to the recovery, restoration and reuse of traditional dwellings and the protection of local material assets (archaeological, historical, landscape and architectural) in synergy with academic institutions and private entities;
c) Stimulating the implementation of urban reconversion to fight uncontrolled expansion and deterioration caused by inappropriate building techniques;
d) Supporting local practices and traditions (in the farming, irrigation, handicrafts and building fields) and their application and updating (technical and technological) to avoid the loss of plant and livestock varieties and the extinction of animal breeds;
e) Contributing to marketing typical local products, also through the creation and use of an ad-hoc brand;
f) Encouraging the creation of enterprises and cooperative associations in Oases, focusing on female employment;
g) Assisting tour operators in providing innovative and quality services.
4.7 Additionally, the Foundation may seek and/or request funds from European and international bodies and institutions also by participating in specific calls for proposals and carry out movable, real estate and commercial transactions, exclusively connected with its object and goal, including undertaking loans and mortgages, receiving and provide guarantees, sureties and endorsements exclusively in its own interest, providing that the Administrative Body considers them advantageous or favourable to the pursuit of the institutional aims and goals and they do not modify the latter substantially.
4.8 The arrangements and provisions set forth in Art. 5, paragraph 2, letters a), b), c), d), e) and f) of Italian Legislative Decree No. 460/97 shall be declared explicitly applicable, even if they are not already contained in the various articles of these bylaws.
Art. 5 – Capital and assets
5.1 The Foundation capital shall comprise:
a) The endowment fund paid by the Founding Partner, according to the instrument of constitution registered in Civitavecchia, by notary Gianluca Napoleone on 17/07/2015 (Rep. 44.909 – Racc. 21.416);
b) Any other asset, be it movables, real estates, intangible assets, donations, inheritances, legacies, contributions from an external public or private party, from natural or legal person or any body, specifically allocated to increase the capital or thus intended by the Administrative Body;
c) Any other asset, be it material or immaterial, movable or immovable, or any other revenue, including operating surpluses specifically intended for capital increase by the Administrative Body;
5.2 The Administrative Body shall have the ultimate responsibility over on Foundation's assets investments.
5.3 Revenues on assets and any other revenue not explicitly intended to increase the capital, including public or private contribution and any income from initiatives launched by the Administrative Body, shall be the means necessary for allowing the Foundation activities.
5.4 The management of the Foundation shall be based on the following assets:
a) Income and proceeds from moveable and immovable properties;
b) Sums, donations, contributions and bequests made by any subject, whether public or private, without their explicit allocation to increase the Foundation capital;
c) Moveable and immovable assets received by Foundation, by any person and in any way, without explicit allocation to capital increase;
d) Any income deriving from eventual non-profit activities directly connected with the Foundation purposes;
e) Any other income or proceeds, including operating surpluses, money and movable or immovable property donations, gifts and bequests, public or private contributions – not specifically allocated to capital increase – are the means necessary for allowing the Foundation activities, unless otherwise resolved by the Administrative Body.
Art. 6 – Governing bodies of the Foundation
6.1 The Foundation shall be governed by the following bodies:
a) Administrative Body;
b) Organizing Committee;
c) Scientific Committee;
d) Secretary-General;
e) Supervisory Body.
Art. 7 – Administrative Body
7.1 The Administrative Body shall be formed by a Sole Administrator or by a Board of Directors.
7.2 As long as the Founding Partner lives, she shall serve as and hold the position of Sole Administrator for an unlimited time.
7.3 The Sole Administrator shall be free to use the title of Chairman of the Foundation.
7.4 The Founding Partner shall be able to choose, at any time, to appoint a Board of Directors, unless otherwise specified. Equally, in the case of appointment of a Board of Directors, the Founding Partner shall be able to decide to revoke said Board and to reestablish an Administrative Body formed by a Sole Administrator, in the person of the Founding Partner herself or of any other person appointed by the latter.
7.5 The Chairman of the Board of Directors – if appointed – or of the Supervisory Body, shall be responsible for giving notice to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) of the Founding Partner's death and of the consequent takeover.
7.6 The Board of Directors shall be formed by a minimum of three and a maximum of eleven members who remain in office for an unlimited time and are revocable at any time.
7.7 The Founding Partner shall be a rightful permanent member of the Board of Directors, if appointed.
7.8 The members of the Board of Directors shall be appointed, revoked and replaced at any time by the Founding Partner and, upon her death, by FAO.
7.9 Following the Founding Partner's death, FAO shall take over her position. This Organization shall control all the powers granted to the late Partner in the bylaws, meaning that any reference to the Founding Partner contained in this document shall automatically refer to FAO.
7.10 In the event that, during their assignment, one or more members of the Board of Directors shall leave their office for any reason, including resignations, the Founding Partner – and FAO upon her death – shall indicate a replacement.
7.11 Without prejudice to the device referred to in the previous point, the Member who, without legitimate reason, shall not participate to two consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors, shall be considered dismissed and shall be replaced according to the rules laid down in this article.
7.12 In the event that, during their assignment, the majority of Members leave their office for any reason, the whole Board shall be considered dismissed and it shall be reestablished in accordance with the rules set forth in Art. 7.10.
7.13 The Chairman of the Board of Directors, where no member is indicated by the Founding Partner at the time of appointment, shall be appointed by the Board itself, choosing from among its members.
Art. 8 – Administrative Body's powers
8.1 The Administrative Body, meaning the Sole Administrator or the Board of Directors, shall be vested with all the powers for ordinary administration and management of the Foundation which include, as a way of example, drawing up and approving the financial statements, recruiting and laying off employees and persons treated as such, accepting inheritances, legacies and donations, purchasing and disposing of moveable and immovable assets, remunerating or reimbursing members of the Administrative Body and the Board of Supervisory Body, amending these bylaws, liquidating the Foundation and appointing the winding-up bodies.
8.2 The Board of Directors shall be able to delegate some of its powers to the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman and to the single Members.
8.3 The Sole Administrator shall be able to appoint general or special attorney, investing them with powers and functions.
8.4 The Sole Administrator or the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall have the responsibility to represent the Foundation with third parties and in Court, as well as signing on behalf of the Foundation.
Art. 9 – Board of Directors' meetings and quorum
9.1 Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be convened by the Chairman on its own volition or upon request of at least a third of its members, as well as upon request of the Founding Partner, and notice must be given via any tool, even telematic (fax, e-mail, registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or delivered by hand with receipt, telegram), which can certify its receipt, to be sent at least five days prior to the date of the meeting and, in cases of urgency, no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting.
9.2 The Founding Partner's request to call a meeting shall be considered urgent, and the meeting shall be convened immediately and without delay by the Chairman, no later than the second day following the request. Upon failure to adhere to the request, the Founding Partner shall be able to directly call the meeting by means of a notice to be forwarded to all members in accordance with the aforementioned summoning formalities. In this case, the meeting shall be set at least 24 hours after said notice.
9.3 The notice shall contain the agenda, the place, the date and the time of the meeting.
9.4 The Board of Directors shall meet every time the Chairman believes that it is necessary to do so, or upon request of the Founding Partner, and anyway at least once a year, by the end of June, for approval of the financial statements.
9.5 The Board of Directors' meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman or, in its absence, by the Vice-Chairman, if appointed, or, in their absence, by a person appointed by the participants. Thee meetings shall be valid if the majority of the members in office is present. Their presence is intended to be valid also via audio and video connection and/or teleconference. In this case, the Chairman of the meeting and the person compiling the minutes shall have to be both present in the place indicated on the notice and the Chairman shall have to establish the identity of the participants, both physically and virtually, who shall be allowed to discuss and vote the topics on the agenda.
9.6 The Board of Directors shall act by majority of the votes cast by participants. In case of a tied vote, the Founding Partner's vote shall prevail, as rightful member of the Board. For amending these bylaws, including the resolution to terminate the Foundation and to devolve the remaining assets, a favorable vote from two third of the members of the Board is required, including the Founding Partner's vote.
9.7 The Board of Director's resolutions shall be recorded in chronological order on a specifically numbered register, previously endorsed. Every minutes shall be signed in original by the Chairman of the meeting and the person compiling the minutes.
Art. 10 – The Chairman
10.1 The legal representation of the Foundation shall belong to the Chairman, who shall also be able to call and chair the Board of Directors, with the power of signature of the Board's resolutions. The Chairman shall act against and withstand any judicial or administrative authority, with the power to appoint eventual attorneys determining their duties. The Chairman, in exercising its powers, shall be able to grant powers of attorney for single actions or types of actions.
10.2 The Chairman shall watch over the good performance of the Foundation, ensuring the observance of the bylaws and promoting their reforms where it becomes necessary; it is also its duty to carry out relations with institutions, companies, public and private bodies, also for the purpose of establishing working relationships to support the Foundation's activities.
10.3 In case of urgency, the Chairman, upon favorable opinion of the Founding Partner, shall be able to adopt measures falling within the field of competence of the Board of Directors, which shall be then submitted for ratification to the same Board, specially convened by the Chairman, within thirty days from the adoption of such urgent measures.
Art. 11 – Organizing Committee
11.1 The Organizing Committee shall be established by a resolution of the Administrative Body and consist of a variable number of members who shall hold office for an unlimited time, until dismissal or resignation, and shall be indicated, appointed, revoked and replaced by the Administrative Body. The Committee shall have as its task to provide technical and professional support to the Administrative Body in the performance of the activities provided for in the object, as well as bringing prestige to the Foundation and increasing its visibility.
11.2 The Committee shall be composed of all those natural persons and representatives of private and public bodies which shall express any particular interest in the Foundation's goal and which, in the judgment of the Administrative Body, shall be able to:
Provide valuable support and contribute with ideas and professionalism to achieve the Foundation's goals;
Promote relations with public and private companies and bodies, both national and international, with national governments, diplomatic and consular representatives, philanthropic institutions, also for the purpose of obtaining funding and donations, to be allocated for the Foundation's activities;
Allow their image and their reputation to be used, on a permanent basis, as "testimonials" for the Foundation;
Contribute financially to its activities.
11.3 The Organizing Committee shall be called upon to give its opinion on which initiatives shall be supported and funded, as well as on the forms and modes with which said initiatives shall be disseminated to the general public.
Art. 12 – Scientific Committee
12.1 The Scientific Committee shall be established by a resolution of the Administrative Body and consists of a variable number of members who shall hold office for an unlimited time, until dismissal or resignation, and shall be indicated, appointed, revoked and replaced by the Administrative Body.
12.2 The Committee shall be composed of all those natural persons of the highest repute and exemplary morality, capable of providing ideas and professionalism in the scientific, cultural and technical field.
12.3 The Scientific Committee shall be called upon by the Administrative Body every time one or more of its members believe that it is necessary, useful and appropriate to do so.
12.4 The meeting shall be convened in the same way as for the Board of Directors.
12.5 The Scientific Committee shall have as its task to provide the Administrative Body with expert opinions on different matters submitted to its evaluation by the latter, as well as studying and devising strategies and general programs for the Foundation, developing advisory guidance and proposals for its activities, and providing representation aimed at enhancing its image both nationally and internationally, whilst disseminating the results thus achieved.
12.6 The Committee shall be called upon to give its opinion on the matters set forth in Art. 4 and on those submitted to their evaluation and examination by the Administrative Body.
12.7 The Committee's opinion is not binding, but the Administrative Body shall give it due consideration in its decisions, motivating those which, eventually, shall differ from said opinion.
12.8 The Scientific Committee's meeting shall be considered valid when at least one third of its members is present.
Art. 13 – Secretary-General
13.1 The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the Administrative Body and shall hold office for an unlimited time, until dismissal or resignation.
13.2 The Secretary-General shall assist the Administrative Body and provide advice and professional support and, eventually, also its activities, cooperating in organizational, judicial, administrative and promotional issues, as well as in its relations with other bodies and institutions.
Art. 14 – Compensation
14.1 All the positions within the Foundation's organization shall not be remunerated. Those persons holding a directorship shall be reimbursed of those expenses born whilst fulfilling their task.
14.2 The Board of Directors, by an absolute majority and upon favorable vote of the Founding Partner, shall be able to grant compensation, determining its nature, to the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman and the various Members, upon assignment of specific and extraordinary task which exceed those related to the office.
Art. 15 – Supervisory Body
15.1 The accounting management shall be carried out by a body appointed and/or indicated by the Founding Partner, which shall present any one of the following structures:
a) A Board of Statutory Auditors, composed of three standing auditors and two alternate members;
b) A single auditor or an auditing company listed in the Register of Independent Auditors.
15.2 The Supervisory Body – mandatory only following the recognition of the legal personality of the Foundation and subsequent registration in the national register of legal persons – shall exercise both legal (compliance with the law and the bylaws and the principles of sound governance, adequacy and actual functioning of the organizational, administrative and accounting structure) and accounting management, as well as checking the financial statements.
15.3 The Supervisory Body shall hold office for three years.
15.4 The Founding Partner, or the Administrative Body, whether they believe it is necessary to do so, shall be able to directly issue other statutory, administrative and accounting checks, through another trusted natural or legal person appointed by them which, in each case, shall be asked to perform a different check.
Art. 16 – Financial year
16.1 The financial year coincides with the calendar year, and thus begins on the first of January and ends on the thirty-first of December of each year.
16.2 The financial statements shall be drafted by the Administrative Body, in accordance with articles 2423 and following of the Italian Civil Code, mutatis mutandis, taking into account the specificities of the Foundation.
16.3 Within 180 days from the end of the fiscal year, the Administrative Body shall approve the balance-sheet of the previous year, together with the report of the Supervisory Body.
Art. 17 – Non-profit status of the Foundation
17.1 The Foundation is a non-profit association.
17.2 The direct or indirect distribution of profits and operating surpluses, as well as funds, reserves and capitals during the life of the Foundation is forbidden.
17.3 Unless established otherwise by the Administrative Body, profits and operating surpluses shall be allocated for the ordinary management of institutional activities.
Art. 18 Amendments to Articles of Association
18.1 Any amendment to these bylaws shall be resolved by the Administrative Body. Were this body to be formed by a Board of Directors, the resolution shall require the favorable vote of two thirds of its members, including the Founding Partner's vote.
18.2 Were the Foundation to request and obtain recognition of the legal personality, the resolution shall be submitted to the reference authority for its approval in the manner prescribed by the current legislation.
Art. 19 – Termination – Liquidation
19.1 In case of termination of office or liquidation, a resolution by the Administrative Body is required. Were a Board of Directors in charge of the Foundation at the time, the resolution shall require the favorable vote of two thirds of its members, including the Founding Partner's vote.
19.2 The Board of Directors, with the same majorities, shall appoint one or more winding-up bodies, which shall be vested with all the powers of ordinary and extraordinary administration needed to carry out the liquidation procedure. Following their appointment, all other directorships shall be automatically dismissed.
19.3 In the case of termination, for any reason, the Administrative Body, or the winding-up body, shall devolve the remaining assets to FAO.
Art. 20 – Final provisions
20.1 For all such matters that are not expressly provided for in these Articles of Association, the provisions of the law shall be applied.
20.2 For this purpose, the provisions set forth in Italian Legislative Decree 460/97, including, in particular, those provisions referred to in Italian Presidential Decree 917 of 22/12/86, Art. 148, paragraph 8, letter a), b), c), d), e) and f), shall be declared explicitly applicable, even if they are not already contained in the various articles of these bylaws.
info@laboasis.org
www.laboasis.org
Via del Velabro 4
AGRICULTURE AND LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURAL and CULTURAL HERITAGE
EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES
The End of a World
The Oases Civilization
Hydraulic Empires
The First Oases
THE MAKING OF AN OASIS
The Desert-Beetle Model
WHAT KIND OF OASIS?
THE DATE PALM TREE
Hydrogenetic Communities
DESERT ECOSYSTEM
Boundaries of the Oasis
DROMEDARIES
THE SPICE AND INCENSE ROUTES
THE SALT AND GOLD ROUTES
Saharan and Arabian Oases
NEW HYDRAULIC INFRASTRUCTURES …
DAMS …
INDIVIDUAL WATERWELLS …
CONCRETE WATER CHANNELS …
SOIL SALINIZATION …
DAMAGE TO CROPS …
LACK OF SEWAGE …
RURAL FLIGHT …
SPREAD OF DISEASES …
INTENSIVE MONOCULTURE …
LOSS OF AGRICOLTURAL KNOWLEDGE …
DISAPPEARANCE OF COLLECTIVELY OWNED LANDS …
DECLINE OF FARMING PRODUCTION …
RUIN OF ANCIENT SETTLEMENTS …
NEW CONSTRUCTIONS …
LOSS OF TRADITIONAL SKILLS …
FAILURE TO PROTECT ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE …
THE ATLAS OF SAHARAN AND ARABIAN OASES
THE OASIS EFFECT
THE OASES DATABASE
DEFINITION OF A TRADITIONAL OASIS
Date Palm Diseases
Oasis Traditional Water Systems
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDATION WITH A DONATION


text:
La force navale lituanienne (lituanien : Lietuvos Karinės jūrų pajėgos) ou marine lituanienne est la marine de guerre des forces armées lituaniennes. Bien qu'établie officiellement le 1 août 1935, ses racines remontent aux combats navals sur la mer Baltique à l'époque médiévale. Les unités navales lituaniennes ont été utilisées par la marine soviétique pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, et la marine a été rétablie à part entière depuis l'Acte de rétablissement de l'État lituanien le 11 mars 1990.

Ses tâches principales comprennent la protection des eaux territoriales et de la zone économique exclusive, les missions de recherche et sauvetage, le déminage ou la protection des pêches et la surveillance de la pollution. La marine lituanienne fait partie des forces de l'OTAN, où elle se concentre sur les opérations anti-mines. Elle contribue au Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 a des exercices internationaux et à des missions de l'Union européenne : l'Opération Atalante et l'Opération Sophia.

Historique

Entre les deux-guerres

La Lituanie a accédé à l'indépendance en 1918 , mais l'établissement de la marine a pris de nombreuses années. En 1923, la Lituanie a pris le contrôle de l'important port de Klaipėda et, en juillet 1927, elle a acheté l'ancien dragueur de mines allemand M59, mis en service comme navire de patrouille Prezidentas Smetona . Il a été complété par six bateaux à moteur et le brise-glace Perkunas. La date de la création officielle de la marine lituanienne est le 1 septembre 1935. Le 22 mars 1939, Klaipeda est occupée par l'armée allemande et les navires lituaniens doivent fuir vers le port de Liepāja. La marine a disparu en raison de l'occupation du pays par l'Union soviétique en juin 1940. Le bateau de patrouille Prezidentas Smetona a été renommé Korall et déployé pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale .

Après l'indépendance de 1990

La Lituanie a restauré son indépendance en 1990 et la marine a été restaurée le 4 juillet 1992.  Le pays a commencé à construire une marine qui était la plus forte parmi les États baltes. Tout d'abord, en 1992, deux corvettes anti-sous-marines soviétiques du Project 1124M (Grisha III) , nommées Žemajtis (F 11) et Aukštaitis (F 12), ont été acquises. Elles ont ensuite rejoint l'exercice américain  en 1993, qui a marqué le début de la participation de la Marine lituanienne à la coopération internationale. Le Valetian Uryvaev ex-A41 Vetra soviétique et le bateau de patrouille suédois KBV-240 ont également été achetés. Tous ont déjà été supprimés.

Dans les années 1999-2000, les dragueurs de mines allemands Sūduvis (M 52) et Kuršis (M 51) de la classe Lindau (type 331B) ont été acquis. Entre 2000 et 2001, trois bateaux de patrouille norvégiens de classe Storm  ont été acquis et mis au rebut. En 2008-2009, deux bateaux de patrouille de classe Flyvefisken de la marine royale danoise ont été achetés, complétés par deux autres unités en 2010 et 2016 . En 2006, la Marine comprenait le dragueur de mines norvégien Jotvingis de la classe Vidar. Il est utilisé comme navire de commandement et de soutien, remplaçant le navire Vetra. En 2013, les dragueurs de mines existants ont été complétés par deux nouveaux navires britanniques de la classe Hunt appelés Skalvis et ''Kuršis.

Baltic Naval Squadron
Elle fait aussi partie du Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) qui est une force navale commune aux trois pays baltes (Estonie, Lettonie et Lituanie), non permanente et affectée à diverses missions principalement en mer Baltique et plus rarement sous mandat de l'OTAN. L'escadron est composé de 3 à 6 vaisseaux (principalement des dragueurs de mines) et d'un centre opérationnel à Tallinn.

Flotte actuelle

Voir aussi

Références

Liens internes
Forces armées lituaniennes
Pays baltes :
 Forces navales lettones
 Marine estonienne

Liens externes
Site officiel Marine lituanienne
Ministèrede la déense lituanienne

Marine lituanienne
Unité ou formation militaire créée en 1992

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
<< Previous TITLE 7 / CHAPTER 35A / SUBCHAPTER I / § 1428 Next >>
7 USC 1428: Definitions Text contains those laws in effect on January 19, 2020
From Title 7-AGRICULTURECHAPTER 35A-PRICE SUPPORT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIESSUBCHAPTER I-GENERAL PROVISIONS
Jump To: Source CreditReferences In TextAmendmentsEffective DateSavings ProvisionMiscellaneous
§1428. Definitions
For the purposes of this Act-
(a) A commodity shall be considered storable upon determination by the Secretary that, in normal trade practice, it is stored for substantial periods of time and that it can be stored under the price-support program without excessive loss through deterioration or spoilage or without excessive cost for storage for such periods as will permit its disposition without substantial impairment of the effectiveness of the price-support program.
(b) A "cooperator" with respect to any basic agricultural commodity shall be a producer on whose farm the acreage planted to the commodity does not exceed the farm acreage allotment for the commodity under subchapter II of chapter 35 of this title, or in the case of price support for corn or wheat to a producer outside the commercial corn-producing or wheat-producing area, a producer who complies with conditions of eligibility prescribed by the Secretary: Provided, That for upland cotton a cooperator shall be a producer on whose farm the acreage planted to such cotton does not exceed the cooperator percentage, which shall be in the case of the 1966 crop, 87.5 per centum of such farm acreage allotment and, in the case of each of the 1967 through 1970 crops, such percentage, not less than 87.5 or more than 100 per centum, of such farm acreage allotment as the Secretary may specify for such crop, except that in the case of small farms (i.e. farms on which the acreage allotment is 10 acres or less, or on which the projected farm yield times the acreage allotment is 3,600 pounds or less, and the acreage allotment has not been reduced under section 1344(m) of this title) the acreage of cotton on the farm shall not be required to be reduced below the farm acreage allotment: And provided, That for the 1971 through 1977 crops of upland cotton a cooperator shall be a producer on a farm on which a farm base acreage allotment has been established who has set aside the acreage required under section 1444(e) of this title: Provided further, That for the 1976 through 1981 crops of rice, a cooperator shall be a person who produces rice on a farm for which a farm acreage allotment has been established or to which a producer acreage allotment has been allocated and, if a set-aside is in effect, who has set aside any acreage required under section 1441(g) of this title: Provided further, That for the 1978 through 1981 crops of upland cotton, a cooperator shall be a producer on a farm who has set aside the acreage required under section 1444(f) of this title. For the purpose of this subsection, a producer shall not be deemed to have exceeded his farm acreage allotment unless such producer knowingly exceeded such allotment.
(c) A "basic agricultural commodity" shall mean corn, cotton, rice, and wheat, respectively.
(d) A "nonbasic agricultural commodity" shall mean any agricultural commodity other than a basic agricultural commodity.
(e) The "supply percentage" as to any commodity shall be the percentage which the estimated total supply is of the normal supply as determined by the Secretary from the latest available statistics of the Department of Agriculture as of the beginning of the marketing year for the commodity.
(f) "Total supply" of any nonbasic agricultural commodity for any marketing year shall be the carry-over at the beginning of such marketing year, plus the estimated production of the commodity in the United States during the calendar year in which such marketing year begins and the estimated imports of the commodity into the United States during such marketing year.
(g) "Carry-over" of any nonbasic agricultural commodity for any marketing year shall be the quantity of the commodity on hand in the United States at the beginning of such marketing year, not including any part of the crop or production of such commodity which was produced in the United States during the calendar year then current. The carryover of any such commodity may also include the quantity of such commodity in processed form on hand in the United States at the beginning of such marketing year, if the Secretary determines that the inclusion of such processed quantity of the commodity is necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act.
(h) "Normal supply" of any nonbasic agricultural commodity for any marketing year shall be (1) the estimated domestic consumption of the commodity for the marketing year for which such normal supply is being determined, plus (2) the estimated exports of the commodity for such marketing year, plus (3) an allowance for carry-over. The allowance for carry-over shall be the average carry-over of the commodity for the five marketing years immediately preceding the marketing year in which such normal supply is determined, adjusted for surpluses or deficiencies caused by abnormal conditions, changes in marketing conditions, or the operation of any agricultural program. In determining normal supply, the Secretary shall make such adjustments for current trends in consumption and for unusual conditions as he may deem necessary.
(i) "Marketing year" for any nonbasic agricultural commodity means any period determined by the Secretary during which substantially all of a crop or production of such commodity is normally marketed by the producers thereof.
(j) Any term defined in the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 [7 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.], shall have the same meaning when used in this Act.
(k)(1) Reference made in sections 1422, 1423, 1426, 1427, and 1431 of this title to the terms "support price", "level of support", and "level of price support" shall be considered to apply as well to the loan and purchase level for wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, extra long staple cotton, honey, oilseeds and rice under this Act.
(2) References made to the terms "price support", "price support operations", and "price support program" in such sections and in section 1421(a) of this title shall be considered as applying as well to loan and purchase operations for wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, extra long staple cotton, honey, oilseeds and rice under this Act.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this subsection shall be effective only for the 1991 through 1995 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, extra long staple cotton, honey, oilseeds and rice.
(l) "Producer" shall include a person growing hybrid seed under contract. In determining the interest of a grower of hybrid seed in a crop, the Secretary shall not take into consideration the existence of a hybrid seed contract.
(Oct. 31, 1949, ch. 792, title IV, §408, 63 Stat. 1055 ; Aug. 28, 1954, ch. 1041, title II, §209, 68 Stat. 901 ; Pub. L. 89–321, title IV, §402(b), Nov. 3, 1965, 79 Stat. 1197 ; Pub. L. 90–559, §1(4), Oct. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 996 ; Pub. L. 91–524, title IV, §408, title VI, §§604, 607, Nov. 30, 1970, 84 Stat. 1367 , 1378; Pub. L. 93–86, §1(22), Aug. 10, 1973, 87 Stat. 235 ; Pub. L. 94–214, title III, §§303, 304, Feb. 16, 1976, 90 Stat. 187 , 188; Pub. L. 95–113, title IV, §407, title VI, §604(a), (b), title VII, §§704, 705, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 927 , 939, 944; Pub. L. 97–98, title XI, §1104, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1264 ; Pub. L. 99–198, title X, §1018, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1459 ; Pub. L. 101–624, title XI, §1131, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3511 ; Pub. L. 107–171, title I, §1310(a)(2)(B), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 182 ; Pub. L. 108–357, title VI, §612(c), Oct. 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 1524 .)
This Act, referred to in text, is act Oct. 31, 1949, ch. 792, 63 Stat. 1051 , as amended, known as the Agricultural Act of 1949, which is classified principally to this chapter (§1421 et seq.). For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1421 of this title and Tables.
Section 1441(g) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was omitted from the Code.
The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, referred to in subsec. (j), is act Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, 52 Stat. 31 , as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 35 (§1281 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1281 of this title and Tables.
2004-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 108–357 struck out "tobacco," before "and wheat".
2002-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–171 struck out "peanuts," before "rice,".
1990-Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 101–624, §1131(a), amended subsec. (k) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (k) read as follows:
"(1) Reference made in sections 1422, 1423, 1426, 1427, and 1431 of this title to the terms 'support price', 'level of support', and 'level of price support' shall be considered to apply as well to the loan and purchase level for wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice under this Act.
"(2) References made to the terms 'price support', 'price support operations', and 'price support program' in such sections and in section 1421(a) of this title shall be considered as applying as well to loan and purchase operations for wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice under this Act."
Subsecs. (l), (m). Pub. L. 101–624, §1131(b), added subsec. (l) and struck out former subsecs. (l) and (m). See 1977 Amendment note below.
1985-Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 99–198 temporarily amended subsec. (k) generally, designating provisions before the semicolon as par. (1) and substituting "loan and purchase level" for "level of loans and purchases", and designating provisions after the semicolon as par. (2). See Effective and Termination Dates of 1985 Amendment note below.
1981-Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 97–98 temporarily substituted "Reference made" for "References made" and inserted reference to section 1427 of this title and to upland cotton and rice. See Effective and Termination Dates of 1981 Amendment note below.
1977-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–113, §§604(a), 704, inserted proviso defining cooperator for purposes of the 1978 through 1981 crops of upland cotton as a producer on a farm who has set aside the acreage required under section 1444(f) of this title and substituted "1976 through 1981 crops of rice" for "1976 and 1977 crops of rice" in proviso defining cooperator for purposes of specific crops of rice.
Subsecs. (k) to (m). Pub. L. 95–113, §§407, 604(b), 705, temporarily amended subsecs. (k) to (m) generally. See Effective and Termination Dates of 1977 Amendment note below.
1976-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–214, §303, inserted proviso defining "cooperator" for 1976 and 1977 crops of rice.
Subsec. (m). Pub. L. 94–214, §304, temporarily added subsec. (m). See Effective and Termination Dates of 1976 Amendment note below.
1973-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–86 substituted "1971 through 1977" for "1971, 1972, and 1973" in proviso requiring that for such designated crops of upland cotton a cooperator shall be a producer on a farm on which a farm base acreage allotment has been established who has set aside the acreage required under section 1444(e) of this title.
1970-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–524, §604, inserted proviso that, for the 1971, 1972, and 1973 crops of upland cotton, a cooperator shall be a producer on a farm on which a farm base acreage allotment has been established who has set aside the acreage required under section 1444(e) of this title.
Subsecs. (k), (l). Pub. L. 91–524, §§408, 607, temporarily added subsecs. (k) and (l). See Effective and Termination Dates of 1970 Amendment note below.
1968-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 90–559 provided for a one year extension, substituting "1967 through 1970" for "1967, 1968, and 1969".
1965-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 89–321 temporarily inserted proviso. See Effective and Termination Dates of 1965 Amendment note below.
1954-Subsec. (b). Act Aug. 28, 1954, inserted "or wheat" after "corn", and "or wheat-producing" after "corn producing".
Amendment by Pub. L. 108–357 applicable to the 2005 and subsequent crops of tobacco, see section 643 of Pub. L. 108–357, set out as an Effective Date note under section 518 of this title.
Amendment by Pub. L. 101–624 effective beginning with 1991 crop of an agricultural commodity, with provision for prior crops, see section 1171 of Pub. L. 101–624, set out as a note under section 1421 of this title.
Effective and Termination Dates of 1985 Amendment
Pub. L. 99–198, title X, §1018, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1459 , provided that the amendment made by section 1018 is effective only for the 1986 through 1990 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice.
Pub. L. 97–98, title XI, §1104, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1264 , provided that the amendment made by section 1104 is effective only for the 1982 through 1985 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice.
Pub. L. 95–113, title IV, §407, title VI, §604(b), title VII, §705, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 927 , 939, 944, provided that the provisions amended by sections 407, 604(b), and 705 were effective for the 1978 through 1981 crops.
Pub. L. 94–214, title III, §304, Feb. 16, 1976, 90 Stat. 188 , provided that the amendment made by section 304 is effective only with respect to the 1976 and 1977 crops of rice.
Pub. L. 91–524, title IV, §408, title VI, §607, Nov. 30, 1970, 84 Stat. 1367 , 1378, as amended by Pub. L. 93–86, §1(15), (22), Aug. 10, 1973, 87 Stat. 229 , 235, provided that the amendments made by sections 408 and 607 are effective only with respect to the 1971 through 1977 crops of the commodity.
Pub. L. 89–321, title IV, §402(b), Nov. 3, 1965, 79 Stat. 1197 , as amended by Pub. L. 90–559, §1(1), Oct. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 996 , provided that the amendment made by section 402(b) is effective only for the 1966 through 1970 crops.
Amendment by sections 611 to 614 of Pub. L. 108–357 not to affect the liability of any person under any provision of law so amended with respect to the 2004 or an earlier crop of tobacco, see section 614 of Pub. L. 108–357, set out as a note under section 515 of this title.
Inapplicability of Section
Section inapplicable to 2014 through 2018 crops of covered commodities, cotton, and sugar and inapplicable to milk during period beginning Feb. 7, 2014, through Dec. 31, 2018, see section 9092(b)(10) of this title.
Section inapplicable to 2008 through 2012 crops of covered commodities, peanuts, and sugar and inapplicable to milk during period beginning June 18, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2012, see section 8782(b)(10) of this title.
Section inapplicable to 2002 through 2007 crops of covered commodities, peanuts, and sugar and inapplicable to milk during period beginning May 13, 2002, through Dec. 31, 2007, see section 7992(b)(10) of this title.
Section inapplicable to 1996 through 2002 crops of loan commodities, peanuts, and sugar and inapplicable to milk during period beginning Apr. 4, 1996, and ending Dec. 31, 2002, see section 7301(b)(1)(J) of this title.


In the early days, Fruitvale was a stopping place on the L & N Railway. It was especially known as an area devoted to small fruits and the tomato industry. The produce grown at that time included asparagus, strawberries, apples, peaches, pears, plums and cherries. In 1903, the town boasted three groceries, a blacksmith, a sawmill, a shipping agent, and a telegraph office that was open during June and July for the shipping season.
Today, Fruitvale is still a center for agricultural excellence. Today, cotton is king, as in the rest of Crockett. But you can still find more fruit here than anywhere else in the county. Among the goodies that hungry consumers look forward to are peaches, muskadines and apples in season.


MOORESVILLE, N.C. – After parting ways with reigning NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises has confirmed Moffitt's successor.
Team owner Shige Hattori announced Tuesday that 24-year-old NASCAR Next alumnus Austin Hill will pilot the team's No. 16 Toyota Tundra this season, with sponsorship from United Rentals for multiple races.
Chiba Toyopet will back the team in the season opener at Daytona Int'l Speedway next month. Additional sponsorship for the team will be announced at a later date.
Hill comes to Hattori Racing Enterprises fresh off his first full-time season of Truck Series competition with Young's Motorsports, where he earned one top-five and six top-10 finishes en route to an 11th-place finish in the season standings.
Hill is a veteran of 51 career Truck Series races and finished in the top five in points twice in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, but called Tuesday's news the biggest opportunity he's had in his racing career.
Austin Hill's No. 16 United Rentals Toyota.
"This opportunity is a privilege and an honor, for sure," Hill told SPEED SPORT. "I honestly didn't believe that something like this would be a possibility for me. It just seems like every time I talked to people or tried to get with a good team, something didn't come together, whether is was sponsorship money or them already looking at someone else. I was very fortunate that Mike Greci actually came up to me around Iowa weekend and asked me about what I was doing for the coming year.
Scott Zipadelli, who led Moffitt to the championship last season, will return to Hattori's team to guide Hill through all 23 races this year.
Hill noted that anything less than securing the team's second-straight championship a disappointment after the speed and potential they showed in the last year.
"Obviously, we saw what the (No.) 16 team is capable of doing with what Brett did last year, and my dad and I have never wanted anything but the best. We believe we have that with Shige and this team," noted Hill. "I believe we can contend to win races and I'll honestly be down if we don't do what he did and win six races or so and another title.


text:
package com.github.keaume.amigo.ui;

import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.IntentFilter;
import android.os.Parcel;
import android.os.Parcelable;
import android.support.v4.content.LocalBroadcastManager;

import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
import java.util.Map;

import com.github.keaume.amigo.R;
import com.github.keaume.amigo.obd.ObdBroadcastIntent;
import com.github.keaume.amigo.obd.ObdCommandJob;
import com.github.keaume.amigo.obd.ObdCommandJobResult;
import com.github.keaume.amigo.obd.ObdCommandType;
import timber.log.Timber;

public class DataWidget implements Parcelable {
    private ObdCommandType commandType;
    private final String title;
    private String value;
    private String unit = null;
    private boolean isGraph = false;
    private boolean isGraphable;
    private Context context;
    private WidgetListViewAdapter adapter;
    private int numberOfPlottedValues = 50;
    private final LinkedHashMap<Integer, Double> valuesOverTime = new LinkedHashMap<Integer, Double>(){
        @Override
        protected boolean removeEldestEntry(Map.Entry<Integer, Double> eldest) {
            return this.size() > numberOfPlottedValues;
        }
    };
    private int n = 0;

    private final BroadcastReceiver receiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
        @Override
        public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
            Timber.d("Result received for %s", commandType.getNameForValue());
            ObdCommandJobResult obdCommandJobResult = intent.getParcelableExtra("obdCommandJobResult");
            if(obdCommandJobResult.getState() == ObdCommandJob.State.FINISHED) {
                value = obdCommandJobResult.getFormattedResult();
                unit = obdCommandJobResult.getResultUnit();
                if(isGraphable){
                    try {
                        Double value = Double.parseDouble(obdCommandJobResult.getCalculatedResult());
                        valuesOverTime.put(n, value);
                        Timber.d("Value '%s' added to valuesOverTime of '%s'", value, commandType.getNameForValue());
                    } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                        Timber.e(e, "Error while parsing ObdCommandJobResult");
                    }
                    n++;
                }
                adapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
            }
            else {
                Timber.d("ObdCommandJob '%s' not finished properly.", commandType.getNameForValue());
                value = context.getString(R.string.read_data_fragment_command_not_supported);
                isGraphable = false;
                adapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
            }
        }
    };

    public DataWidget(ObdCommandType commandType, String value, Context context, WidgetListViewAdapter adapter) {
        this.commandType = commandType;
        this.title = commandType.getNameForValue();
        this.value = value;
        this.context = context;
        this.adapter = adapter;

        this.isGraphable = commandType.getIsGraphable();
        LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(context).registerReceiver(receiver, new IntentFilter(commandType.getNameForValue()));
        Timber.d("Registered receiver for %s", commandType.getNameForValue());
        LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(context).sendBroadcast(ObdBroadcastIntent.getRegisterPeriodicObdCommandJobIntent(commandType));
    }

    private DataWidget(Parcel in) {
        title = in.readString();
        value = in.readString();
        unit = in.readString();
        isGraph = in.readByte() != 0;
        isGraphable = in.readByte() != 0;
        numberOfPlottedValues = in.readInt();
        n = in.readInt();
    }

    @Override
    public void writeToParcel(Parcel dest, int flags) {
        dest.writeString(title);
        dest.writeString(value);
        dest.writeString(unit);
        dest.writeByte((byte) (isGraph ? 1 : 0));
        dest.writeByte((byte) (isGraphable ? 1 : 0));
        dest.writeInt(numberOfPlottedValues);
        dest.writeInt(n);
    }

    @Override
    public int describeContents() {
        return 0;
    }

    public static final Creator<DataWidget> CREATOR = new Creator<DataWidget>() {
        @Override
        public DataWidget createFromParcel(Parcel in) {
            return new DataWidget(in);
        }

        @Override
        public DataWidget[] newArray(int size) {
            return new DataWidget[size];
        }
    };

    public void unregisterReceiver(){
        LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(context).unregisterReceiver(receiver);
        LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(context).sendBroadcast(ObdBroadcastIntent.getUnregisterPeriodicObdCommandJobIntent(commandType));
        Timber.d("Unregistered receiver for %s", commandType.getNameForValue());
    }

    public String getTitle(){
        return this.title;
    }

    public String getValue(){
        return this.value;
    }

    public String getUnit(){
        return this.unit;
    }

    public boolean isPercentage(){
        return commandType.getIsPercentage();
    }

    public boolean getIsGraphable(){
        return this.isGraphable;
    }

    public void setIsGraph(boolean b){
        this.isGraph = b;
    }

    public boolean getIsGraph(){
        return this.isGraph;
    }

    public Number[] getValuesOverTime(){
        Number[] valuesOverTimeAsNumber = new Number[valuesOverTime.size()];
        for (int i = 0; i< valuesOverTime.values().toArray().length; i++) {
            Double d = (Double) valuesOverTime.values().toArray()[i];
            valuesOverTimeAsNumber[i] = d;
        }

        return valuesOverTimeAsNumber;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


entertaining program. Hope to see you all there!
Next Monday, April 8, will be the next monthly meeting of the Cayuga Bird Club.
club business begins at 7:30 pm followed by the presentation. All are welcome.
by noon Monday so reservations can be made.


text:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fridge/NeverwinterNights
Fridge / Neverwinter Nights
Edit Locked
Headscratchers
NightmareFuel
Create New - Create New - Analysis FanficRecs Haiku ImageLinks Laconic PlayingWith Quotes Recap ReferencedBy Synopsis Timeline
Fridge Horror
In Neverwinter Nights, we have a possible love story. Some had followed it, others didn't or couldn't. In short PC can make effort to make Aribeth redeem herself by telling her that he loves her, and get loved back. Sure in the end it doesn't matter, since we never learned what happened to the Savior of Nevewinter. Except, in one of Addons obviously another PC visits Hell, where he can find enraged spirit of Aribeth, he can save her and even ask her to join him in his journey. So, how did she ended down there? Was she killed, and not redeemed? Or was she executed after PC saved Neverwinter? And there goes romance?
However, in the Hordes of the Underdark expansion, Tomi Undergallows informs us that Aribeth was executed by the city of Neverwinter for treason despite her possible redemption by the player, hence why she is in Hell. Which then leads to the conclusion that if the player in Neverwinter Nights did love her, then they would've had to watch the city they fought so hard to save, string up and hang their lover even after they had repented. Double Fridge Horror.
Triple Fridge Horror: Which is exactly why Aribeth joined Maugrim in the first place; because she'd seen Fenthick, her lover, lynched and hung by the city he'd tried to save. And considering how strong-willed Aribeth was, who's to say the player character wouldn't go mad with grief in exactly the same way?
'cause the city's still standing? Given that, by the end of the game you've single-handedly beaten back an army with summoned demons and invincible golems, a fallen paladin who was the city's main protector, a high-level archmage and a old god, if you had gone mad then there would have been quite literally nothing to stop you killing every man, woman and child (besides Infant Immortality) in Neverwinter. The army was gone, the militia and guards more-than-decimated, and most of the heroes and adventurers were dead. The player character could, quite simply, wipe out the entire city by himself, and nothing could have stopped him. While this might seem to fix the above Fridge Horror moment, it does bring up another one: did the city government not learn from the first time? Were they so stubborn or Knight Templar that they were willing to risk having the entire city killed? Remind me, why are they in charge of the city?
It's all because the judicial system in place in the city of Neverwinter is nothing short of medieval. If you actually pay attention to your surroundings when you're brutally suppressing the riot in the Peninsula District Prison, the whole prison is nothing short of a dungeon, just like any you might find in the possession of any of the setting's Lawful Evil bad guys. They have outright torture equipment hanging from the ceilings and the conditions in the cells are appalling. It's absolutely no wonder the prisoners rioted when they were given the chance, and it makes the player ask themselves if they're really doing what's right and good and just, or if they're simply slaughtering their way from plot point A to plot point B and collecting loot and XP along the way.
It's quite possible that the parallelism was fully intentional. However, in a conversation with Lord Nasher in Chapter 4, he clearly regrets executing Fenthick, not only because it was unjust, but also because it turned Aribeth. Though Aribeth is far more guilty, this really doesn't excuse having apparently learned nothing.
Fridge Logic
How is Luskan supposed to launch their war and siege against Neverwinter immediately after a five-way civil war? It was getting to the point where by the time you get there, the last two sides are using undead creatures and non-humans as soldiers. It gets slightly worse if you killed both Kurth and Baram, since that would deprive the Luskan forces of one of their essential leaders in the coming fight, and/or if you take out some of Luskan's allies while at Beorunna's Well.


Corresponding author at: Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, P.O. Box 4014, Ullevål Stadion, 0806 Oslo, Norway.
Table 1. Exercise program BodyPump.
Table 2. Demographic data of the participants in the BodyPump group (BP), personal trainer group (PT), non-supervised group (NS) and control group (C).
Table 3. Self-reported musculoskeletal pain at baseline and post-test in the BodyPump group (BP), personal trainer group (PT), non-supervised group (NS) and control group (C). Differences between the groups analyzed with chi-square test, presented with p-value. Presented as numbers reporting pain (n)/of the total number of participants (n) in each group, and as percent (%).
Table 4. The number of participants that reported musculoskeletal pain in the different body parts at baseline and post-test, with the three intervention groups collapsed. Reported as number participants reporting pain (n)/total number of participants (n), and percent (%). Differences from baseline to post-test, analyzed with McNemar's test are presented with p-value, and percent group differences (%) estimated with a 95% Wald confidence interval with Bonett–Price adjustment.
Table 5. Differences in self-reported musculoskeletal pain (yes/no) and high (≥75%) versus low (≤75%) exercise adherence. Analyzed with chi-square test, and presented with p-value. Differences between the groups estimated with a 95% Wald confidence interval with Bonett–Price adjustment, presented with percent % and 95% CI.
Overweight and obesity are associated with musculoskeletal pain, particularly in the female population. However, regular resistance training may positively affect these complaints.
The present study aimed to investigate between group differences in musculoskeletal pain in previously inactive women, allocated to three different resistance-training modalities available in health- and fitness clubs.
This is secondary analysis from a single-blinded randomized controlled trial, including healthy women (aged 18–65) with a BMI (kg/m2) ≥25. The participants were allocated to 12 weeks (3 times/weekly) of either BodyPump (high-repetition low-load group session) (n=24), heavy load resistance training with a personal trainer (n=28), non-supervised heavy load resistance training (n=19) or non-exercising controls (n=21). Primary outcome was self-reported musculoskeletal pain in ten different body parts, measured with the Standardized Nordic Pain Questionnaire, at baseline and post-test. In addition, the study included sub-analyses of the participants when they were divided into high (≥28 of 36 sessions, n=38) and low (≤27 of 36 sessions, n=22) exercise adherence.
The analysis revealed no between group differences in musculoskeletal pain in any of the ten body parts. The results did not change when the participants were divided into high versus low adherence.
Twelve weeks of BodyPump, heavy load resistance training with a personal trainer and non-supervised heavy load resistance training did not show any effect on self-reported musculoskeletal pain in overweight women.
Clinical Trial registration number: NCT01993953.


text:
FBI seeks tips to ID 'John Doe 29'
Although he has no known ties to Del., FBI says someone here may be able to ID him
FBI seeks tips to ID 'John Doe 29' Although he has no known ties to Del., FBI says someone here may be able to ID him Check out this story on delawareonline.com: http://delonline.us/1FQPak6
robin brown, The News Journal Published 11:59 a.m. ET April 14, 2015 | Updated 2:10 p.m. ET April 14, 2015
FBI seek tips to identify "John Doe 29," believed to have vital information in child exploitation case.(Photo: FBI)
The FBI reached out to Delawareans on Tuesday as part of a national effort to identify a "John Doe" agents believe has critical information for an ongoing child sexual exploitation investigation.
"This is a national push," said Amy J. Thoreson, spokeswoman for the FBI Baltimore office that includes Delaware. "However, someone in our area may have information or recognize the john doe."
The man – identified only as John Doe 29 – first came to the attention of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in January 2008, the FBI said.
The man is believed to have information about the identity of a victimized child, the agency said in a statement.
He is described as 30-45 years old, with dark hair and a tan complexion.
"John Doe 29" wore a distinctive silver ring on his left ring finger. (Photo: FBI)
In addition to his photo, investigators for the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released enhanced images of a distinctive ring he wears on his left ring finger, one of the victim's blue and white Nike brand tennis shoes with hook-and-loop closure and the area where the photos were taken.
The background where the images were taken. Additionally, the individual is seen wearing a white, black, and red shirt with what appears to be a design and/or writing on the sleeves.
Authorities say there is no evidence that he has any connection to Delaware or nearby states, saying, "there are no specific details linking the man to a particular state or region of the United States, and both his identity and whereabouts are currently unknown."
The victim in the case under investigation by the FBI was shown wearing these Nike sneakers. (Photo: FBI)
Location where "John Doe 29" photos were taken. (Photo: FBI)
The effort to identify the man is part of the FBI's Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program initiatives, both partnerships of the agency and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify victims shown in child exploitation materials including pornography.
The FBI added, however, that there are no charges against the man, wanted only for questioning.
Anyone with information is asked to give tips at https://tips.fbi.gov/ or on the FBI's toll-free tip line at (800) CALL-FBI or (800) 225-5324.
Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.
Read or Share this story: http://delonline.us/1FQPak6


text:
Same-Sex Couples Enjoy Full Parental Rights Following Court Ruling
The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex parents have the same parental rights as oppose-sex ones.
The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex parents, even if they are not the biological parents, enjoy the same parental rights as opposite-sex couples, according to The Republic. The court was asked to decide whether a state statute that presumes that a husband is a child's father if the child is born within ten months of marriage also applies to same-sex couples. The state's top court ruled that in light of a number of U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have placed same-sex marriage on an equal footing with opposite-sex marriage, that it would be unconstitutional to deny same-sex parents full parental rights.
Background of the case: In 2008 two women, Kimberly and Suzan, were married in California and afterward moved to Arizona. Kimberly got pregnant via artificial insemination in 2011 and both Kimberly and Suzan signed a joint parenting agreement and had mirroring wills that declared they were both equal parents to the child, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. Kimberly worked as a physician while Suzan stayed at home to care for the child. In 2013, however, the couple divorced, and Kimberly tried to cut off the child's contact with Suzan. Suzan filed a lawsuit seeking parenting time with the boy and pointed to an Arizona statute that says that a husband is assumed to be the father of his wife's child so long as the child is born within ten months of their marriage.
Marriage vs. biology: Obviously, the statute specifies that it applies to fathers. However, Suzan argued that the statute should be interpreted, in light of the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country, as applying to any spouse and not just to biological ones. Indeed, the statute itself, despite being gender-specific in its language, presumes that the husband is the father even without biological proof of paternity. The Arizona Supreme Court agreed that the statute does indeed apply to same-sex couples and thus awarded Suzan full parental rights. The court went further, however, and noted that a number of now unconstitutional laws are still on the books in Arizona that refer to marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. The court noted that the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling makes laws in Arizona that refer to marriage as being exclusively between a man and a wife unconstitutional. Those laws will need to be updated, either by the legislature or, as in the above case, by the state's Supreme Court.
Family law help: Same-sex marriage and divorce law continue to evolve in Arizona and there is still quite a bit of confusion over how state statutes affecting marriage and divorce should be applied to same-sex couples. That's why anybody with a same-sex family law issue should talk to an attorney immediately. An experienced attorney can help clients navigate this still changing the legal landscape and ensure that their rights and interests are forcefully advocated for.