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Is Explainable Artificial Intelligence a Distant Dream?
Naveen Joshi 22/07/2021
Transparency in AI's working can be headache-inducing for organizations that incorporate the technology in their daily operations.
So, what can they do to put their concerns surrounding explainable artificial intelligence (AI) requirements to rest?
AI's far-reaching advantages in any industry are pretty well-known by now. We are aware of how artificial intelligence helps thousands of companies around the world by speeding up their operations and allowing them to use their personnel more imaginatively. Additionally, the long-term cost and data security benefits of AI incorporation have also been documented countlessly by several tech columnists and bloggers. AI does have its fair share of problems, though. One such problem is the technology's sometimes questionable decision-making. More importantly, though, the bigger issue is the slight lack of explainability whenever an AI-powered system makes embarrassing or catastrophic errors. Human beings make mistakes on a daily basis. Nevertheless, we know exactly how a mistake was made. There is a clear sequence of corrective actions that can be taken to avoid making a similar one in the future. However, some of AI's errors are not explainable because data experts do not know how an algorithm came to a specific conclusion during an operation. Therefore, explainable AI should be a primary priority for organizations planning to implement the technology into their daily work as well as the ones that have incorporated it already.
The Reasons to Make AI Explainable
One of the common fallacies regarding AI is that it is completely immune to making errors. Neural networks, especially in their early stages, can be fallible. At the same time, these networks execute their commands in a non-transparent manner. As mentioned earlier, the route taken for an AI model to arrive at a particular conclusion is not clarified at any point during an operation. Therefore, creating an interpretation of such an error becomes nearly impossible for even accomplished data experts.
AI's transparency problem stands out in the healthcare industry. Consider this example: A hospital has a neural network or a black box AI model in place to diagnose a brain ailment in a patient. The intelligent system is trained to find data patterns from past records and the patient's existing medical papers. Using predictive analysis, if the model forecasts that the subject is vulnerable to brain-related diseases in the future, then the reasons behind the prediction may usually not be 100 percent clear. For private and public organizations, here are the four main reasons to make AI's working more transparent:
As specified earlier, stakeholders need to know the inner workings and reasoning logic behind an AI model's decision-making process, especially for unexpected recommendations and decisions. An explainable AI system ensures that algorithms can make fair and ethical recommendations and decisions in the future. This can boost the compliance and trust in AI's neural networks within organizations.
b) Greater Control
Explainable AI generally prevents system errors from taking place in work operations. The increased knowledge regarding an AI model's existing weaknesses can be used to eliminate them. As a result, organizations have greater control over the outputs provided by AI systems.
c) Improvements
As we know, AI models and systems need to undergo continuous improvements from time to time. Explainable AI's algorithms will keep getting smarter over the course of regular system updates.
d) New Discoveries
New threads of information will enable humankind to discover solutions for big problems of the current age (such as medicines or treatments to cure HIV AIDS; methods to handle attention deficit disorders). More importantly, these discoveries will be backed by conclusive evidence and justifications for universal verification. Transparency within an AI-powered system can be displayed in the form of analytic statements in a natural language that humans can comprehend, visualizations that highlight the data used to formulate an output decision, cases that display points supporting a given decision, or statements that highlight why alternative decisions were rejected by the system.
In recent years, the field of explainable AI has developed and expanded. Crucially, if this trend continues in the future, then organizations will be able to use explainable AI to boost their output while knowing the rationale behind every key AI-backed decision. While these were the reasons why AI needs to be more transparent, there are several barriers that prevent the same from taking place. Some of these roadblocks include:
The AI Accountability Paradox
As we know, explainable AI can improve the aspects of fairness, trust and legal abidance in artificial intelligence systems. However, several organizations may be less enthralled about increasing the accountability of their intelligent systems because explainable AI may come with its own set of issues. Some of these issues are:
The theft of vital details that outline an AI model's working.
The threat of cyber-attacks by external entities due to the increased knowledge of a system's vulnerabilities.
On top of these, many people believe that uncovering and disclosing confidential decision-making data in an AI system can leave organizations susceptible to lawsuits or regulatory action. To emerge unscathed from this 'transparency paradox,' organizations will have to think about the risks related to explainable AI compared to its obvious benefits. They will have to manage these risks efficiently while ensuring that the information generated from an explainable AI system is not watered down.
Additionally, organizations must understand two things: firstly, the costs associated with making AI transparent should not discourage them from incorporating such systems anyway. Organizations must create a risk management plan to accommodate explainable models in such a way that the key information provided by them remains confidential. Secondly, organizations must improve their cybersecurity frameworks to detect and eliminate the bugs and network threats that could result in data breaches.
AI's Black Box Problem
Deep learning is an integral part of AI. Deep learning models and neural networks are generally trained in an unsupervised manner. Deep learning neural networks are a key AI component and are involved in image recognition and processing, advanced speech recognition, natural language processing, and system translation. Unfortunately, while this AI component can handle much more complex tasks compared to regular machine learning models, deep learning also introduces the black box problem in daily operations and tasks.
As you know, neural networks replicate the working of the human brain. The structure of an artificial neural network is built to mimic a real one. Neural networks are created with several layers of interconnected nodes and other 'hidden' layers. While these neural nodes carry out basic logical and mathematical operations to arrive at conclusions, they are also intelligent and intuitive enough to process historical data to generate results from them. Really complex operations involve several neural layers and billions of mathematical variables. As a result, the output generated from such systems has little to no chance of being comprehensively verified and validated by AI experts in organizations.
Organizations such as Deloitte and Google are working on the creation of tools and digital applications that can blast their way past the black box walls and uncover the data used to make key AI decisions in order to boost the transparency of intelligent systems.
To make AI more accountable, organizations have to reimagine their existing AI governance strategies. Here are some of the key areas wherein better governance can reduce transparency-based AI issues.
During the initial stages, organizations can prioritize trust and transparency while building their AI systems and training their neural networks. Keeping an eye on how AI service providers and vendors design the AI networks can alert the key decision-makers in organizations about the early issues related to an AI model's competence and accuracy. In this way, having a hands-on approach during the system design phase can shed light on some of AI's transparency-based issues for organizations to observe.
As AI regulations all over the world become more and more stringent regarding AI accountability, organizations can really benefit from making their AI models and systems compliant with such norms and standards. Organizations must push their AI vendors to create explainable AI systems. To eliminate bias in AI's algorithms, organizations can approach cloud-based service providers instead of recruiting expensive data experts and teams. Organizations must ease their compliance burden by clearly directing the cloud service providers to tick all the compliance-related boxes during the installation and implementation of AI systems in their workplaces. Apart from these points, organizations can also include points in their AI governance plan regarding privacy and data security, among others.
Artificial intelligence and deep learning are responsible for some of the most astounding technological advances we have made since the turn of the millennium. Fortunately, while 100% explainable AI does not exist yet, the concept of AI-powered systems being transparent is not an unachievable dream. It is up to the organizations implementing such systems to improve their AI governance and take risks in order to make it happen.
Naveen is the Founder and CEO of Allerin, a software solutions provider that delivers innovative and agile solutions that enable to automate, inspire and impress. He is a seasoned professional with more than 20 years of experience, with extensive experience in customizing open source products for cost optimizations of large scale IT deployment. He is currently working on Internet of Things solutions with Big Data Analytics. Naveen completed his programming qualifications in various Indian institutes.


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NonProfitFacts.com » North Carolina » Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc
Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc in Charlotte, North Carolina (NC)
Statements Regarding Other IRS Filings and Tax Compliance
Compensation of Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, Highest Compensated Employees, and Independent Contractors
Statement of Revenue
Statement of Functional Expenses
Support Schedule for Organizations Described in Sections 170(b)(1)(A)(iv) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Organization representatives - add corrected or new information about Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc »
Non-representatives - add comments about Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc»
Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc
Name of Organization Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc
In Care of Name Ronald B Geary
Address PO BOX 34037, Charlotte, NC 28234-4037
Subsection Charitable Organization
Deductibility Contributions are deductible
Foundation Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public
Organization Corporation
Assets $10,000 to $24,999
Asset Amount $14,002
National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) Housing, Shelter: Home Improvement and Repairs
Amount of income in 2014: $117,959 (it was $498,913 in 2013)
Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc:
Assets in 2014: $14,002 (it was $167,617 in 2013)
Expenses in 2013: $418,552
Number of employees in 2013: 1
Grants share in income in 2013: 100.0%
Assets at the end of 2013
Functional expenses for 2013
Is the organization described in section 501(c)(3) or 4947(a)(1) (other than a private foundation)? Yes
Is the organization required to complete Schedule B, Schedule of Contributors? Yes
Did the organization engage in direct or indirect political campaign activities on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for public office? No
Did the organization engage in lobbying activities, or have a section 501(h) election in effect during the tax year? No
Is the organization a section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) organization that receives membership dues, assessments, or similar amounts as defined in Revenue Procedure 98-19? No
Did the organization maintain any donor advised funds or any similar funds or accounts for which donors have the right to provide advice on the distribution or investment of amounts in such funds or accounts? No
Did the organization receive or hold a conservation easement, including easements to preserve open space, the environment, historic land areas, or historic structures? No
Did the organization maintain collections of works of art, historical treasures, or other similar assets? No
Did the organization report an amount for escrow or custodial account liability; serve as a custodian or provide credit counseling, debt management, credit repair, or debt negotiation services? No
Did the organization, directly or through a related organization, hold assets in temporarily restricted endowments, permanent endowments, or quasi-endowments? No
Did the organization report an amount for land, buildings, and equipment? Yes
Did the organization report an amount for investments-other securities that is 5% or more of its total assets? No
Did the organization report an amount for investments-program related that is 5% or more of its total assets? No
Did the organization report an amount for other assets that is 5% or more of its total assets? No
Did the organization report an amount for other liabilities? No
Did the organization's separate or consolidated financial statements for the tax year include a footnote that addresses the organization's liability for uncertain tax positions under FIN 48 (ASC 740)? No
Did the organization obtain separate, independent audited financial statements for the tax year? No
Was the organization included in consolidated, independent audited financial statements for the tax year? No
Is the organization a school described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)? No
Did the organization maintain an office, employees, or agents outside of the United States? No
Did the organization have aggregate revenues or expenses of more than $10,000 from grantmaking, fundraising, business, investment, and program service activities outside the United States, or aggregate foreign investments valued at $100,000 or more? No
Did the organization report more than $5,000 of grants or other assistance to or for any foreign organization? No
Did the organization report more than $5,000 of aggregate grants or other assistance to or for foreign individuals? No
Did the organization report a total of more than $15,000 of expenses for professional fundraising services? No
Did the organization report more than $15,000 total of fundraising event gross income and contributions? No
Did the organization report more than $15,000 of gross income from gaming activities? No
Did the organization operate one or more hospital facilities? No
Did the organization attach a copy of its audited financial statements? No
Did the organization report more than $5,000 of grants or other assistance to any domestic organization or domestic government? No
Did the organization report more than $5,000 of grants or other assistance to or for domestic individuals? No
Did the organization answer 'Yes' about compensation of the organization's current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and highest compensated employees? No
Did the organization have a tax-exempt bond issue with an outstanding principal amount of more than $100,000 as of the last day of the year, that was issued after December 31, 2002? No
Did the organization invest any proceeds of tax-exempt bonds beyond a temporary period exception? No
Did the organization maintain an escrow account other than a refunding escrow at any time during the year to defease any tax-exempt bonds? No
Did the organization act as an 'on behalf of' issuer for bonds outstanding at any time during the year? No
Did the organization engage in an excess benefit transaction with a disqualified person during the year? No
Is the organization aware that it engaged in an excess benefit transaction with a disqualified person in a prior year, and that the transaction has not been reported on any of the organization's prior Forms 990 or 990-EZ? No
Did the organization report any amount for receivables from or payables to any current or former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, highest compensated employees, or disqualified persons? No
Did the organization provide a grant or other assistance to an officer, director, trustee, key employee, substantial contributor or employee thereof, a grant selection committee member, or to a 35% controlled entity or family member of any of these persons? No
Was the organization a party to a business transaction with one of the following parties
A current or former officer, director, trustee, or key employee? No
A family member of a current or former officer, director, trustee, or key employee? No
An entity of which a current or former officer, director, trustee, or key employee (or a family member thereof) was an officer, director, trustee, or direct or indirect owner? No
Did the organization receive more than $25,000 in non-cash contributions? Yes
Did the organization receive contributions of art, historical treasures, or other similar assets, or qualified conservation contributions? No
Did the organization liquidate, terminate, or dissolve and cease operations? No
Did the organization sell, exchange, dispose of, or transfer more than 25% of its net assets? No
Did the organization own 100% of an entity disregarded as separate from the organization under Regulations sections 301.7701-2 and 301.7701-3? No
Was the organization related to any tax-exempt or taxable entity? No
Did the organization have a controlled entity within the meaning of section 512(b)(13)? No
Did the organization make any transfers to an exempt non-charitable related organization? No
Did the organization conduct more than 5% of its activities through an entity that is not a related organization and that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes? No
The number reported in Box 3 of Form 1096 0
The number of Forms W-2G 0
Did the organization comply with backup withholding rules for reportable payments to vendors and reportable gaming (gambling) winnings to prize winners? No
The number of employees reported on Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, filed for the calendar year ending with or within the year covered by this return 1
Did the organization file all required federal employment tax returns? Yes
Did the organization have unrelated business gross income of $1,000 or more during the year? No
Has it filed a Form 990-T for this year? No
At any time during the calendar year, did the organization have an interest in, or a signature or other authority over, a financial account in a foreign country (such as a bank account, securities account, or other financial account)? No
Was the organization a party to a prohibited tax shelter transaction at any time during the tax year? No
Did any taxable party notify the organization that it was or is a party to a prohibited tax shelter transaction? No
Did the organization file Form 8886-T? No
Does the organization have annual gross receipts that are normally greater than $100,000, and did the organization solicit any contributions that were not tax deductible as charitable contributions? No
Did the organization include with every solicitation an express statement that such contributions or gifts were not tax deductible? No
Did the organization receive a payment in excess of $75 made partly as a contribution and partly for goods and services provided to the payor? No
Did the organization notify the donor of the value of the goods or services provided? No
Did the organization sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of tangible personal property for which it was required to file Form 8282? Yes
Did the organization receive any funds, directly or indirectly, to pay premiums on a personal benefit contract? No
Did the organization, during the year, pay premiums, directly or indirectly, on a personal benefit contract? No
If the organization received a contribution of qualified intellectual property, did the organization file Form 8899 as required? No
If the organization received a contribution of cars, boats, airplanes, or other vehicles, did the organization file a Form 1098-C? No
Did a donor advised fund maintained by the sponsoring organization have excess business holdings at any time during the year? No
Did the sponsoring organization make any taxable distributions under section 4966? No
Did the sponsoring organization make a distribution to a donor, donor advisor, or related person? No
Initiation fees and capital contributions $0
Gross receipts for public use of club facilities $0
Gross income from members or shareholders $0
Gross income from other sources $0
Is the organization filing Form 990 in lieu of Form 1041? No
The amount of tax-exempt interest received or accrued during the year $0
Is the organization licensed to issue qualified health plans in more than one state? No
The amount of reserves the organization is required to maintain by the states in which the organization is licensed to issue qualified health plans $0
The amount of reserves on hand $0
Did the organization receive any payments for indoor tanning services during the tax year? No
Has it filed a Form 720 to report these payments? No
Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees
Total reportable compensation from the organization $0
Total reportable compensation from related organizations $0
Total estimated amount of other compensation from the organization and related organizations $0
Total number of individuals who received more than $100,000 of reportable compensation from the organization 0
Total number of independent contractors who received more than $100,000 of compensation from the organization 0
Total revenue $498,913
Contributions, Gifts, Grants and Other Similar Amounts $498,795
Program Service Revenue $0
Other Revenue
Investment income (including dividends, interest, and other similar amounts) $118
Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds $0
Royalties $0
Net rental income $0
Net gain/loss from sales of assets other than inventory $0
Net income/loss from fundraising events $0 $0 $0
Net income/loss from gaming activities $0
Net income/loss from sales of inventory $0
Miscellaneous Revenue $0
Total functional expenses $418,552
Grants and other assistance to domestic organizations and domestic governments $0
Grants and other assistance to domestic individuals $0
Grants and other assistance to foreign organizations, foreign governments, and foreign individuals $0
Benefits paid to or for members $0
Compensation of current officers, directors, trustees, and key employees $25,557
Compensation not included above, to disqualified persons $0
Other salaries and wages $32,562
Pension plan accruals and contributions $0
Other employee benefits $0
Payroll taxes $4,484
Fees for services (non-employees)
Management $0
Legal $0
Accounting $0
Lobbying $0
Professional fundraising services $0
Investment management fees $0
Other $1,199
Advertising and promotion $1,140
Office expenses $10,764
Information technology $0
Occupancy $2,062
Travel $5,736
Payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state, or local public officials $0
Conferences, conventions, and meetings $9,673
Interest $0
Payments to affiliates $11,177
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization $311
Insurance $12,523
Other expenses $131,008
Other expenses $33,449
Total assets $91,764 $87,831 $167,617
Cash - non-interest-bearing $38,317
Savings and temporary cash investments $80,215
Pledges and grants receivable, net $0
Accounts receivable, net $45,167
Loans and other receivables from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and highest compensated employees $0
Loans and other receivables from other disqualified persons, persons described in section 4958(c)(3)(B), and contributing employers and sponsoring organizations of section 501(c)(9) voluntary employees' beneficiary organizations $0
Notes and loans receivable, net $0
Inventories for sale or use $0
Prepaid expenses and deferred charges $0
Land, buildings, and equipment: cost or other basis $3,918
Investments - publicly traded securities $0
Investments - other securities $0
Investments - program-related $0
Intangible assets $0
Other assets $0
Total liabilities $0 $575 $0
Total net assets or fund balances $167,617
Unrestricted net assets $0
Temporarily restricted net assets $0
Permanently restricted net assets $0
Capital stock or trust principal, or current funds $0
Paid-in or capital surplus, or land, building, or equipment fund $0
Retained earnings, endowment, accumulated income, or other funds $168,617
The organization is not a private foundation because it is: An organization that normally receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or from the general public described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Support Schedule for Organizations Described in Sections 170(b)(1)(A)(iv) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (for 2009 - 2013)
2009 - 2013 Total
Public Support $693,056
Subtotal Support $693,056
Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received $693,056
Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf $0
The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge $0
The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) that exceeds 2% of the total support $0
Total Support $693,284
Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources $228
Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on $0
Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets $0
Gross receipts from related activities, etc. $0
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1 Centennial Falcon Properties Inc 230 Mcfall Center, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001 OH 2010-04 $8,624,993
2 St Johns Housing Partnership Inc PO BOX 1086, St Augustine, FL 32085-1086 FL 1997-12 $3,148,814
3 Wyoming Weatherization Services PO BOX 170, Worland, WY 82401-0170 WY 2008-06 $2,995,583
4 Near East Area Renewal Inc 2236 E 10th St, Indianapolis, IN 46201-2006 IN 2004-01 $888,470
5 Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee Inc 11933 W Burleigh St, Wauwatosa, WI 53222-3100 WI 2000-12 $800,711
6 Community Housing Solutions Of Guilford Inc 823 N Elm St Ste 102, Greensboro, NC 27401-1510 NC 2005-02 $725,728
7 Rebuilding Together Of The Triangle 301 W Main St, Durham, NC 27701-3215 NC 1996-03 $256,434
8 Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte Inc PO BOX 34037, Charlotte, NC 28234-4037 NC 2010-11 $117,959
9 Rebuilding Hope Inc Po Box 2826, Henderson, NC 27536 NC 2007-02 $114,930
10 Alpha Care Inc 3725 National Drive Suite 227, Raleigh, NC 27612 NC 2001-08 $0
11 Ambos Foundation P O Box 250, Newport, NC 28570 NC 2009-02 $0
12 Carolina Housing Economic Development Corp PO BOX 2306, Matthews, NC 28106-2306 NC 2013-05 $0
13 Desiccant Recovery PO BOX 1616, Harrisburg, NC 28075-1616 NC 2011-05 $0
14 Doulos Ministries 8501 Landsford Rd, Monroe, NC 28112 NC 2014-10 $0
15 Durham Scinergy Inc Po Box 61026, Durham, NC 27705 NC 2012-03 $0
16 Ezekiel & Ruth D Lowe Seniors Foundation Inc 1101 Sunset Road, Charlotte, NC 28216-0300 NC 2010-08 $0
17 Gates County Housing Committee Post Office Box 185, Gatesville, NC 27938 NC 2012-04 $0
18 Plymouth Cross Ministries Ltd 101 Virginia Pine Drive, Plymouth, NC 27962 NC 2014-12 $0
19 Rehoboth Church Preservation Society 218 Summerby Road, Roper, NC 27970 NC 2008-07 $0
20 Three Nails Ministry Nc 610 Dover Church Road, Star, NC 27356 NC 2014-08 $0
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
FROM ISSUE: 8.5 December/January 2019
APEX in Profile: Alex Gervash
February 20, 2019 September 30, 2020 | Written by APEX Admin
Alex Gervash
SkyGuru
Alex is a commercial pilot who holds a degree in psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. For more than 10 years, he has been helping anxious passengers overcome their fear of flying. An entrepreneur at heart, he is constantly thinking of new products to enhance the passenger experience. His app, SkyGuru, has over 120K downloads. The product is available in English, French, Russian and Hebrew, with Spanish coming soon.
How did the idea for SkyGuru come about?
I saw the need among people who fear flying to be more aware of what's happening during a flight and I wanted to put that into a tool that would accompany them at all times. But SkyGuru is also for people who've become bored of flying or know little about how airlines work – it puts the "wow" back into traveling.
How effective is situational understanding at decreasing levels of anxiety?
People with anxiety search for a logical explanation to their panic and often sensationalize what they have seen in the movies. SkyGuru helps them stay present by giving real-time explanations and educating them about aviation at the same time.
What relief can users expect from the app?
Users first choose how they feel about flying: Are they curious, bored or anxious? SkyGuru personalizes the experience for each type of user by telling them what to expect and when during the flight, what they are flying over, explaining weather patterns and more.
What predictions can SkyGuru make and to what level of accuracy?
It starts with historical data. We take the seven previous flights of a route and analyze which path is the most probable. The algorithm considers air traffic control, weather, active NOTAMs [Notice to Airmen], among other things. We then plot that information against wind data€¯to choose the altitude. Next, we calculate the speed and, therefore, the time needed to reach each point on the route. The accuracy is greater than 90 percent. We're often able to predict the flight time even more precisely than the captain, and 24 hours prior to departure.
What were the roadblocks to developing SkyGuru?
The challenge was to teach a mobile device to recognize flight phases without being connected to any external source of data. We're currently using a number of mobile device sensors.
How can potential partners benefit from SkyGuru technology?
Airlines can offer passengers additional information about their flight for a small fee. Imagine a sales pitch for a seat that goes like this: "Three hours after departure, passengers on the left side of the aircraft will be able to see the Swiss Alps. As we expect clear skies, consider reserving a window seat on the left to enjoy the view."
We also think that adding aeronautical information to 3-D flight maps is a fresh idea. Knowing where and when to expect strong turbulence and indicating this on a flight path can help nervous passengers plan bathroom trips, for example.
Can you provide an anecdote about a user who has benefited from SkyGuru?
One user from Denmark wrote, "I was in a plane crash and now have severe flashbacks when flying. And so, I will use your app when I fly for the first time in five years in early February." This is the kind of story that inspires us to continue working on SkyGuru.
Did you choose the airline industry or did it choose you?
I did. When I was 12 years old, I used to skip school to go to the airport and watch airplanes take off and land. I've been in love with aviation ever since.
"APEX in Profile: Alex Gervash" was originally published in the 9.1 February/March issue of APEX Experience magazine.
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Cis-regulatory elements such as transcription factor (TF) binding sites or open chromatin regions can be identified genome-wide, but it remains far more challenging to pinpoint genetic variants affecting these elements. We recently developed a pooling-based approach to mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for molecular-level traits (Tehranchi et al., Cell, 2016). We applied this to chromatin immuno-precipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) in five TFs and a histone modification and mapped thousands of cis-acting QTLs, with over 25-fold lower cost compared to standard QTL mapping. Thousands of these QTLs have been implicated in genome-wide association studies, providing candidate molecular mechanisms for many disease risk loci, and suggesting that TF binding variation may underlie a large fraction of human phenotypic variation. We are now applying our pooling method to ATAC-seq (a method to assay accessible chromatin) in cells from 1,000 human individuals, from 10 diverse populations, to identify chromatin-accessible QTLs (caQTLs). Our goal is to better understand how natural selection has shaped the landscape of cis-regulation in humans, and how regulatory differences may give rise to population-specific traits. Although many studies have used the genomes of diverse human populations to investigate patterns of natural selection, this approach has significant limitations—for instance, the statistical burden of testing the entire genome has severely limited the power of most selection scans. With our data, we will be able to focus the search on likely causal variants affecting chromatin accessibility. In addition, we will explore an entirely new type of population-genetic analysis not possible with DNA sequence data, comparing chromatin accessibility within populations to variation between populations. Loci with large differences between populations but little variation within populations will be top candidates for targets of positive selection.


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4ON4 FLAG FOOTBALL RULES
THE FOLLOWING 4ON4 FLAG FOOTBALL RULES FOR MEN AND WOMEN ARE FFWCT APPROVED.
Read these rules first, as they apply to every style we offer, then also make sure and check out the style-specific rules below that are unique to this format.
4 on 4 Rules
Game Time is FORFEIT TIME – upon approval by an FFWCT director
Minimum 2 players to start a game.
A coin toss determines 1st possession. The team can elect to have offense, defense, defer or direction. Choice in the 2nd half will be awarded to the team that did not have the choice 1st half.
The offensive team takes possession of the ball at their 5-yard line and has three plays to cross mid-field. Once a team crosses mid-field they have three plays to score. If the offensive team fails to cross mid-field, the ball changes possession. If the offense does not score, the ball changes possession. All drives start from the 5-yard line with the exception of an interception.
No blocking is allowed. No intentional contact is allowed.
Teams also must have the same color shirts and have an alternative color (one dark color/one light color). They do not have to be official uniforms. If both teams are wearing the same color, there will be a coin toss, and the losing team will need to change into a different color. Failure to provide a secondary uniform or unwillingness to change will result in a forfeit.
Game Clock Format
Tournament clock is 25 minutes long. Two 12 minute halves and 1-minute halftime.
Each team has two 30 second timeouts PER GAME. If a time out is called after a TD the clock will not run until the change of possession and the offense snaps their ball.
First Half Clock
The clock will run continuously during the 12 minutes of the first half unless a team timeout is used or play is stopped by an official (e.g. deal with an injury, challenge, referee conference, game management purposes, etc.)
The head official will give a verbal two-minute warning (for rule specific changes inside 2 minutes)
The clock will run during point-after-touchdown attempts (PATs) in the first half unless the defense opts to use a team timeout.
Second Half Clock
In the second half the clock will run continuously for the first 11 minutes unless a team timeout or an official's time out is used.
The one-minute warning will stop the clock in the second half if the score difference is 8 points or less.
The head official will give a verbal two-minute (for rule specific changes) and one-minute warning as close as possible to the actual marks but will not interrupt a live play.
At the one minute warning officials will use a 'PRO/Controlled' clock mechanic for the remainder of the contest.
The time remaining on the clock will be announced after every play inside the final two minutes of the contest.
The quarterback may not run unless the ball has been thrown back, handed or pitched to him or her in the backfield.
Teams may handoff (unlimited), pitch, or throw back in the backfield. Only 1 lateral or throwback behind the LOS is allowed for the player to remain eligible to pass. If a 2nd throwback occurs behind the LOS, that player is now considered a runner and may not advance the ball forward through the air or will be penalized for an illegal forward pass. The player who receives the pitch or handoff may throw the ball as long as he or she is not beyond the line of scrimmage.
Pitching (backwards/laterally) is allowed downfield (unlimited). Handoffs are allowed in front or behind. A handoff DOES NOT count as a lateral/throwback.
A forward pass DOES NOT have to cross the LOS to be a legal play.
If the ball is placed on the "Back" of ANY player, the player MUST run the ball (no give and go to the QB on the back)
No run zones are located 5 yards before mid-field and 5-yards before the end zone. You may not run the ball in the no run zone (5-yards before the first down and end zone), only forward passes are allowed.
Ball is spotted where the ball is at the time of the flag pull. The ball must break the plane of the midfield or goal line to be considered a first down or touchdown.
Players may NOT block down field in any form.
The quarterback has 5 seconds to pass the ball if there is no rush. If the ball is not thrown, then the play is dead. After the ball is ruled dead it is returned to the line of scrimmage.
Once the ball is handed off or pitched backwards the 5 second count stops. If the defensive team rushes, then there is no 5 second count.
There is no arm in motion, if the ball is in hand when the quarterback's flag is pulled then it will be ruled a sack.
Interceptions may be returned.
The rusher may not have any contact with the QB (no hitting the QB arm or knocking the ball out of the QB hand).
If ANY part of the players body is behind the LOS it is a legal pass
All players are eligible to receive a pass, including the quarterback, if the ball has been pitched or handed off in the backfield.
Players must have at least one foot in bounds when making a catch.
Rushing the Quarterback
Players that blitz/rush the quarterback must be a minimum of 7 yards from the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.
The 7 yards will be measured off by a referee.
Players that are not 7 yards from the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped may not enter into the backfield until there is a change of possession.
The blitzer/rusher is allowed a direct lane to the quarterback as long as he or she rushes from either side of the center or outside the bunch formation. The offense must avoid interfering with the rusher if he or she has established a lane.
Officials will announce LANE or NO LANE for rushers/blitzers prior to the snap. This is a judgement call/decision based on the spacing between the players in the offensive formation.
The rush of a blitzer has to be immediately after the snap, quick and straight towards the point where the quarterback receives the snap in order to retain the right of way. If a blitzer is rushing late, slowly, aiming at another spot, changing direction during the rush or just does not rush the quarterback, the player loses the right of way but still can participate as any other defensive player.
Contacting receivers is not allowed
Pass interference normally occurs above the waist; entangled feet are not considered pass interference.
Incidental contact is not considered pass interference.
A player may "find" their opponent by reaching out and placing a hand on them as long as touching does not delay, impede, twist, or turn their opponent. This is not considered pass interference.
A player may use their arms or hands to intentionally obstruct the receiver's view (face guarding) of the ball without turning their own head to play the ball as long as noteworthy contact is not made with the receiver.
If defensive pass interference occurs in the end zone the ball will be placed on the one-yard line, automatic first down.
Interceptions in the end zone that are not returned to the field of play will result in a touchback and the ball will be spotted on the 5-yard line.
Contact away from the direction of the pass is not considered pass interference but may be considered illegal contact.
Whether a pass is catchable or uncatchable has no bearing on pass interference. The benefit of the doubt is given to the receiver.
Examples of pass interference include:
Arm bars, hooking, restricting, grabbing wrists, or turning a receiver. Blocking downfield before the ball has been touched, commonly seen through "pick plays".
· 6 points
Point After Touchdown (PAT)
· 1 point from the 5-yard line (no-run zone in effect)
2 points from the 12-yard line, run, pass (outside of no-run zone)
· Interceptions returned on PAT's are worth 2 points
Following a touchdown, once the scoring team has informed an official of which point conversion choice they want to attempt, the decision cannot be changed unless the scoring team uses a team timeout.
If a penalty occurs during an extra point attempt, the penalty will be assessed but the extra point value remains the same.
Decisions cannot be changed after a penalty. For example, if the offense attempts a 1-point PAT and is penalized five yards for a false start, they cannot change their mind and go for a 2-point PAT. They will still be attempting a 1-point try even if they call a timeout.
Defensive unsportsmanlike conduct, personal fouls, or roughing penalties during a successful touchdown attempt will be assessed at half the distance to the goal during the PAT attempt (e.g., 2-point PAT attempts will be spotted at the 6-yard line, 1-point PAT attempts will be spotted at the 2.5-yard line). All other defensive penalties may be declined by the offense and the score will stand.
Dead ball fouls committed by the offense that do not carry a loss-of-down penalty (false start) may result in penalty yardage assessed and the down replayed.
Fouls by the offense during a successful PAT attempt that carry a loss-of-down penalty (flag guarding, illegal advancement, illegal forward pass, etc.) will result in the PAT being no good.
Fouls committed by the offense in unsuccessful PAT attempts will be declined by the defense and the PAT will be "no good" and will not be replayed.
Fouls by the defense during an unsuccessful PAT attempt will result in a retry after the options are administered.
If the PAT-attempting team throws an interception and then commits a flagrant foul after the interception during the attempted return (physically contains the ball carrier; bear hugs, aggressively holds, tackles, etc. without making a clear, legal attempt to pull the ball carrier's flag, the ball carrier will be awarded two points.
Overtime Extra Point Shoot-Out
A coin flip determines first possession, 1 timeout per OT period
Teams will go in reverse order if more then 1 OT is required
Teams can elect to go for 1 or 2 points
Winner will be determined once the value of the extra point exceeds the other team's attempt.
All penalties inside of 2 minutes of BOTH halves remain the same except:
Defensive delay of game (+ 15 yards Unsportsmanlike & AFD)
Intentional Offensive delay of game (-15 yards Unsportsmanlike & LOD + clock stops)
Offensive Pre-snap penalties – yardage + LOD + clock stops
Penalty Charts:
Where is the Penalty Assessed?
Flag Guarding
Spot of foul
Loss of Down
Illegal Advancement
Illegal Forward Pass
Previous spot
Offensive Pass Interference
Defensive Pass Interference
10 or spot foul
10 from Previous spot or spot foul (whichever the offense chooses)
Automatic 1stDown
Personal Foul/Unnecessary Roughness
End of the play or previous spot
By the Offense: Loss of Down
By the Defense: Automatic 1st Down
Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Roughing the Passer
Automatic 1st Down
Delay of Game
Replay down
** LOD, if 2 min or less
**LOD, if 2 min or less
Encroachment
Cool Down Period
Player must sit out 5 plays
Illegal Substitution
Replay down – dead ball
Illegal Shift or Illegal Motion
Replay down – live ball penalty
Stripping or Attempted Stripping
Spot of the foul
Illegal Contact
Previous spot or spot of the foul
Early Flag Pull
Illegal Participation
Illegal Blocking
Spot foul or from previous spot if behind LOS
Impeding the rusher
Last Man Rule
15 or
Automatic 1st down or
TD if inside the 5 yard line


THE DAZZLING FIRST BOOK FROM THE WINNER OF THE 2017 ROYAL SOCIETY INSIGHT INVESTMENT SCIENCE BOOKS PRIZE`A fascinating, funny, disconcerting and lucid book.' Helen Dunmore`Fine sets out to demonstrate that the human brain is vainglorious and stubborn.
She succeeds brilliantly.' Mail on Sunday`Fine is a cognitive neuroscientist with a sharp sense of humour and an intelligent sense of reality' The TimesPerhaps your brain seems to stumble when faced with the 13 times table, or persistently fails to master parallel parking.
But you're in control of it, right?Sorry. Think again. Dotted with popular explanations of social psychology research and fascinating real-life examples, A Mind of Its Own tours the less salubrious side of human psychology.
Psychologist Cordelia Fine shows that the human brain is in fact stubborn, emotional and deceitful, and teaches you everything you always wanted to know about the brain - and plenty you probably didn't.


Lock in a great price for Agora Hostel – rated 9.6 by recent guests!
The organizers/staff, especially Puy and her sister-in-law! They are angels and I will say a prayer for them in Santiago.
The design of the Hostel is great. They have done a great job on the design but they top it with the service. Great hosts!
We were treated like family. Friendly helpful staff was willing to assist with all our needs.
The hostel has an atmosphere of openness and friendliness that is similar to going home to ones family.
Spotless clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Don't hesitate to book here.
Nice vibe and quiet. Excellent pilgrims menu at Mundo. Breakfast and bathrooms were awesome. Best shared bathrooms on Camino yet. Liked the light and individual plug by the bed. Well supplied kitchen and very helpful staff. Nice for Camino walkers! Good hot shower in big bathroom.
Stayed here while on the Camino. The owners are welcoming, kind and amazing. If every hostel was run with the care of this lovely couple, the world would be a better place. Amazingly designed place as well. I happen to be in the hotel business and this place impressed me - and I'm not easily impressed.
Super clean and comfortable. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Not far from Camino Route but more quiet and comfortable than regular Albergue. Highly recommend pilgrim who needs some good rest to stay at this little boutique hostel.
The staff were superb. I felt welcomed as soon I walked in. Puy and her brother, Alfon, provide a real service to the pilgrims.
Agora Hostel has accommodations in Estella. Free WiFi is available.
Logroño is 29 miles from the hostel. The nearest airport is Pamplona Airport, 27 miles from the property.
This property also has one of the top-rated locations in Estella! Guests are happier about it compared to other properties in the area.
When would you like to stay at Agora Hostel?
House Rules Agora Hostel takes special requests – add in the next step!
Alternatively guests can bring their own.
Outstanding Hostel. Would highly recommend! Super friendly and helpful staff. Rooms were well thought out. Everyone was made to feel very welcome.
Excellent facility, staff give good friendly service.
Very well run hostel, with very attentive owners.
The motorcyclists returning to their room at 2:00 am!
This Hostal is a gem, if you can find a problem with it, you are too hard to please.
This Hostal is a must if you are in the Camino and walking through Estella. I have now stayed several times and will continue to.
Very friendly all staffs!! Very good location colse to sites, supermarkets and camino way. Very clean and nice facilities with private bed and lamp.... shower room, etc. All absolutely perfact for peregrinos!!!
We were only able to spend one night at the hostel.
Super good breakfast. Alfonso, one of the owners (together with his wife and sister) is super cool and ready to help. The premises are new, with nice and modern efficient design, including the furniture (by Alfonso's sister who is an architect). The bed was comfortable and everything was pristine clean.
Like a home from home! The owners couldn't do enough to help! The place has been so well thought out and designed - it has everyrhing a Camino walker could ask for!!
We could only stay one night.
A hidden gem. Not obvious from the outside, but very comfortable and ideally placed both for finding places to eat and getting back on Camino. Very helpful staff.


Looking for a new mountain or road bike but want to try it out first?
Visiting the St. George area?
Have family coming in from out of town and need an extra bike or two?
We Rent/Demo Bikes, e-Bikes, helmets, pedals, wheels, and even power meters.
Road, Hybrid/Cruiser, Kids, Gravel, and Mountain/Trail bikes are all available for demo and rental.
DEMO FEE CREDIT: 1 Day's Rental Fee (per person) may be applied toward the purchase of a new bike from IBB Cyclery & Multisport, so long as it is used within 6 months from original day of rental.
Call 435-319-0011 if you have any questions or encounter any difficulties while out riding.
Be sure to ask us about our favorite road and MTB trails. We have Trail maps.
Trail Maps for both Road and MTB available for purchase - just ask!


The personal representative is the person, bank, or trust company appointed by the court to be in charge of the administration of the estate. Other terms used to describe the personal representative: executor, administrator.
What is the Personal Representative responsible for accomplishing?
The personal representative can be an individual (usually stated in the will), a bank, or a trust company. To qualify as a personal representative, an individual must be either a Florida resident, or a spouse, sibling, parent, child, or other close relative of the decedent. Florida law provides for which persons have priority in serving as the personal representative in the event someone did not have a will.
How are personal representative/attorney fees determined throughout the Probate process?
Posted on 06/02/2015 What if there is no Will?


Let's be real here: we live on a beautiful planet. While some of our fascinations lie in what is beyond our rock in space, I think that we should take the time to appreciate what we're standing on. It is quite impossible that any one person can see all that this world has to offer, which is why Google Earth is so cool. Today marks the next step for exploring our homeworld by adding the virtual reality element with the appropriately named Earth VR.
This evolution offers some really neat features. You can fly over towns, cities, mountain ranges, and lakes — or out into space itself. Since there are about 197 million square miles to cover, Google has offered up some handpicked sights and tours for your viewing pleasure.
The app is available for free on Steam and is exclusive to the Vive for now. Other platforms will be added next year, according to the blog post.


Neil Coleman | Author of Roskill and Talk to Me: Those pesky polls!
WE have the usual range of polls in th lead up to this years general election in NZ and most of them say they have an accuracy of about plus or minus 3%. Depending on whom one suapprts, the usual statemetns are made. If the poll faviours your party of choice then there is a tendancy to crow about the reuslt and if is shows a negagtive result, then we hear the usual, 'the only poll that matters is the one on election day.' The latter statement is of course true but there are some observations that need to be taken inot account. A poll is that and only that. It can represnet a snapshit in time, one that is not really going to count when it comes to the make-up of the next parliament. People know this and feel free to 'play with the possibilities running through their minds at THAT time. They know that their repsonse is not binding or going to make any difference to the final outcome. THey may be stating how they feel about how a particualt issue that is trending at the time of the 'snapshot,' and that may be very differnet when it comes to the place they put their 'ticks' on election day. There is anohter issue that should be taken account of: That is who is taking the poll and who are the pollster contacting. As far as I am aware, most polls are done via landlines. Many epople are not contactable simply because of timing and even the probability that they do not have a landline. Ask any teacher in a lower decile school and they will describe the difficulties around phoning parents, both on landlines and ever-changing cell phone numbers. The figures are therefore unreliable as has been shown in previous elections when many polls are upto and over the 10% margin of error. These very same polls clain the ususal 3% margin. The message to the 'crowers,' on boths sides of the political spectrum is---'don't count your chickens and be preapred for a rough ride in the run-up to the elction in September! In the meantime I shall enjoy the silly postings (including my own)on Facebook and other social media sites, that do little more than entertain as the contributors try to get at thier opponents.Lets try to keep it seemly and not fall not the trap that some of the more flamboyant exemplars are displaying!
China is chasing the UK re hits on my blogs.


Whether you're looking to replace the bloatware that came preloaded on your HP laptop, or simply on the hunt for best-of-breed apps, this list has you covered.
Are you a Windows power user?
You know, the guy who everyone approaches when they're having trouble with their computer. The guy who knows all the shortcuts, tricks and tips for just about any app or program on said computer. The guy who has an app for something most people didn't even know you could do, let alone have an app for.
If this sounds like you, you've known for some time that having the right apps installed can be a huge time-saver by boosting your productivity on the PC, or in some cases making it possible to swiftly take care of certain tasks that wouldn't otherwise be possible to do.
With this in mind, we identify some killer, must-have apps that will help you get the most out of your Windows PC. Some of these easily outshine their bundlewear counterparts, the ones that work just fine for most people. But you're a power user – why settle for fine when you can have best-of-breed?
ABBYY FineReader Professional is optical character recognition (OCR) software that is a step beyond the norm with its capability to convert PDF files into formats such as Microsoft Word and Excel. It can also save image-only PDFs into searchable PDFs, bringing you one step closer to a truly paperless office. Importantly, ABBYY FineReader doesn't work only in English, but recognizes and supports up to 190 languages, which the company says is more than any other OCR software in the market.
Forget about those wimpy cloud storage services. Acronis True Image Cloud is a full-fledged backup app that lets you backs up everything on your PC. This includes the operating system, application and your data, all of which can be uploaded and stored in the cloud with unlimited data. This allows you to quickly restore all or part of your backup as necessary; the technology behind Acronis True Image Cloud even supports restoring your backup to a new PC of a different model or make. Up to 10 system states are maintained, and Acronis claims that its software is 50 percent faster than the competition.
Bvckup 2 is software created specifically to mirror the contents of one file location to another, be it on another storage drive or across the network. Engineered solely with reliability and performance in mind, its claim to fame lies in its sheer speed. Under the hood, Bvckup 2 use an engine that identifies and copies only the modified parts of files. An asynchronous I/O engine, as native capability to work with multi-core processors, and support for shadow copying to copy locked files puts it in a league of its own. Folders can be scheduled as a batch job or kept synchronized in real-time.
With its built-in support for cloud storage services such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage and Rackspace Cloud Files, Cyberduck is a perfect image of what a modern FTP client should looks like. Use Cyberduck for its traditional FTP, SFTP or WebDAV capabilities, and enjoy its advanced features such as resuming of interrupted file transfers, capability to define the number of concurrent transfers, and support to filter files with a regular expression. You can also edit any text of binary files with an external editor of choice, and have it uploaded automatically when done.
Don't do enough photo editing to justify ponying up the monthly subscription for Adobe Photoshop CC? GIMP (aka the GNU Image Manipulation Program), is a sophisticated open source image editor that is a compelling alternative to getting the image edited. GIMP also provides extensibility through integration with programming languages including Scheme, Python and Perl, among others. The popularity of GIMP means that you should have no trouble finding guides on how to use it.
Ratchet up your security posture with 1Password, a password manager that encrypts your most sensitive data such as passwords and credit card information in an AES-256 encrypted digital vault. Integration with the top Web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera makes it easy to automatically save new passwords, fill-in credit card entries or sign into online accounts with a click of the mouse. While built as a stand-alone app for maximum confidentiality, the use of a single file for the digital vault allows for it to be synced using a cloud storage services such as Dropbox and iCloud.
Nitro Pro is a desktop PDF application you never knew you needed. The premium app offers a variety of advanced capabilities such as the capability to create, convert, edit or the capability to sign PDF files. Aside from its capability to generate PDF files, you can also use Nitro Pro to transform existing PDF files into Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, or edit PDFs by replacing text and images within them. Importantly, Nitro Pro makes it easy to shuffle individual pages within various PDF documents into a brand new file.
If you've ever felt tired of typing in often-used phrases and template responses, you will be glad to know you aren't alone. As its name suggests, PhraseExpander is an app specifically created to give you the capability to pull up often used phrases with the use of a shortcut keyword. Though billed as a time-saver for medical professionals, its support for rich formatting and images makes it highly usable for the rest of us, too. Phrases automatically appear in a drop box as you type, greatly simplifying the task of pulling up saved phrases while negating the need to memorize them.
Dragon Professional Individual is the latest iteration of Nuance's popular speech recognition software that is designed specifically for power users looking to drive productivity at work. Dragon Professional Individual packs the familiar and high-performance speech recognition technology from Nuance under the hood, but adds standalone transcription that can be easily adapted to multiple speakers using any pre-recorded audio files. Dragon Professional Individual also features the customization options previously found in more enterprise-centric editions, such as the capability to recognize frequently-used custom text, manage multiple vocabularies, or automate repetitive tasks by voice – but without the restrictions and cost overheads of central management.
Airfoil for Windows works like a soaped up digital mixer to redirect your music to AirPlay, Bluetooth and other speakers. Choose from a variety of audio sources, including music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, or Web-based sources from your favorite Web browser, legacy music player apps, or even your video conference app. You can output to one or more wireless speakers simultaneously, while a free companion app lets you stream to Android, iOS or other Windows, Linux or OS X computers over the network. The team is also understood to be working on Chromecast support, though no dates are offered at this point.
If you are looking for something more powerful than Telnet, SecureCRT lets you easily connect to or manage scores of remote devices via a variety of protocols such as telnet, SSH or even serial ports. Built with support for high-DPI monitors, sessions are arranged in tabs or groups of tab for easy organization, individual session can be customized with custom keyboard, display, connection and other settings. Built-in scripting capability gives advanced users the capability to automate repetitive tasks using VBScript, Jscript, PerlScript or Python. Finally, support for file transfer protocols such as SFTP, Xmodem, YmodemZ and Zmodem – as well as a built-in TFTP server – makes it perfect for managing legacy networking gear.
Powerful desktop search comes back to the PC with X1 Search, which promises to unify search results across desktops, network file shares, email, SharePoint and cloud sources such as Box and OneDrive. Boolean and proximity search support delivers search results that are a clear step up from one based solely on keywords. Results from multiple sources are unified and accessed from a single interface, which offers as-you-type results across all indexed resources. Importantly, X1 Search comes with full preview of attachments and files, with over 500 file types supported out-of-the-box.


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Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (Captain Underpants #2) (CD-Audio)
By Dav Pilkey, Dav Pilkey (Illustrator)
This is book number 2 in the Captain Underpants series.
#1: The Adventures of Captain Underpants: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #1) (Color Edition) (Hardcover): $9.99
#3: Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #3) (Color Edition) (Hardcover): $9.99
#4: Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #4) (Color Edition) (Hardcover): $9.99
#5: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #5) (Color Edition) (Hardcover): $9.99
#6: Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets (Captain Underpants #6) (CD-Audio): $24.99
#7: Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers (Captain Underpants #7) (CD-Audio): $24.99
#8: Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People (Captain Underpants #8) (CD-Audio): $24.99
#9: Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers (Captain Underpants #9) (Unabridged edition) (CD-Audio): $24.99
#10: Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #10) (Color Edition) (Hardcover): $12.99
#11: Captain Underpants and the Tyrannical Retaliation of the Turbo Toilet 2000: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #11) (Color Edition) (Hardcover): $12.99
#12: Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot (Captain Underpants #12) (Hardcover): $9.99
Kobo eBook (August 4th, 2020): $5.99
The second book in Dav Pilkey's mega-bestselling Captain Underpants series, now available in Sound-O-Rama!
George and Harold are usually responsible kids - whenever anything bad happens, George and Harold are usually responsible! This time, their latest prank backfires, and they accidentally invent an army of terrifying talking toilets. Luckily, they know a superhero with enough snap in his waistband to save the day! This looks like another job for the amazing Captain Underpants!The Captain Underpants series is perfect for listeners of all ages. Like the other outrageously funny books by acclaimed author and Caldecott Honor illustrator Dav Pilkey, this adventure is sure to be hours of fun!
When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hallway every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories. He spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books -- the very first adventures of Dog Man and Captain Underpants.
In college, Dav met a teacher who encouraged him to write and illustrate for kids. He took her advice and created his first book, World War Won, which won a national competition in 1986. Dav made many other books before being awarded the California Young Reader Medal for Dog Breath (1994) and the Caldecott Honor for The Paperboy (1996).
In 2002, Dav published his first full-length graphic novel for kids, called The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby. It was both a USA Today and New York Times bestseller. Since then, he has published more than a dozen full-length graphic novels for kids, including the bestselling Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club series.
Dav's stories are semi-autobiographical and explore universal themes that celebrate friendship, empathy, and the triumph of the good-hearted.
When he is not making books for kids, Dav loves to kayak with his wife in the Pacific Northwest.
Publisher: Scholastic Audio Books
Series: Captain Underpants
Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Hardcover (January 7th, 2014): $9.99
Prebound (January 7th, 2014): $20.80
Paperback (Spanish) (April 1st, 2002): $5.99
Paperback (February 1st, 1999): $5.99
Hardcover (February 1st, 1999): $18.99


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Clearance Spin Candelabra
Designed by Tom Dixon. Item 226 - 1 × Candelabra in Black cast iron available. Good Ex-Display Condition - Re-boxed. No candles used in the piece so no wax deposits!
A candelabra that takes its aesthetic from the robust components of steam engines of the Victorian era. A complex balancing act, the arms can be rotated into different positions and then locked into place.
Spin is sand cast in rough iron.
Table: Height 55cm × Width 105cm
Made to Order false weeks
Table Candelabra - £547.00 GBP
More information about Clearance Spin Candelabra by Tom Dixon
Tom Dixon rose to prominence in the mid 1980s as a maverick, an untrained designer with a line in welded salvage furniture. While working with the Italian giant Cappellini he designed the widely acclaimed 'S' Chair.
In the late 90s Tom became Creative Director at Habitat, responsible for rejuvenating the brand while maintaining Terence Conran's vision of enriching everyday life through simple, modern design.
In 2000, Tom's work was recognised through being awarded an OBE by Her Majesty The Queen. His work has been acquired by the world's most famous museums for permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; MOMA, New York; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris.
Since setting up his own eponymous design company in 2002, Tom's work has become even more prominent through the development of many iconic designs and interiors.
Tom Dixon is a British design and manufacturing company of lighting and furniture. With a commitment to innovation and a mission to revive the British furniture industry, the brand is inspired by our nation's unique heritage. Tom Dixon launches new collections annually with products sold in more than 60 countries.


Vancouver is the perfect starting point for your cruise along British Columbia's Inside Passage to Alaska. Along with the modern amenities of a big metropolis, Vancouver also offers a wealth of outdoor pursuits. Consider the Explore Vancouver package which lets you discover the city at your own pace during your stay at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. Or choose the GOGO package where kids stay free at The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. Another fun option: a luxury rail trip highlighting the iconic destinations of the Canadian Rockies.
Kids 17 & under stay FREE!
Free limousine transfer to the Vancouver International Airport from your Vancouver hotel at the end of your journey with minimum 4 nights or more.
Soar across Canada on Vancouver's newest virtual flight ride attraction, FlyOver Canada, located at the tip of Canada Place where cruises to Alaska start and end.


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Libyan War The Truth
James and JoAnne Moriarty on Spingola Speaks with Deanna Spingola
Dr. Moussa Ibrahim Speaks for the LIbyan People 1 19 2020
Feb. 12, 2017 Moriarty's Speak on Sott Radio
Moriarty's with JB Wells on Caravan to Midnight Part 2
Moriarty's with Libyan Tribes on Power Hour with Joyce Riley
February 2, 2015 Moriartys on the PowerHour with Joyce Riley
March 4, 2014 Moriartys on The Power Hour with Joyce Riley Part 1
February 18th, 2014 Moriartys with Joyce Riley on The Power Hour
January 13, 2014 part 1 Moriartys on The Power Hour with Benghazi Eye Witness
January 9, 2014 (hour 1) Moriartys on the Power Hour with Sheik from Bani Walid Libya
December 30, 2013 Moriartys on the Power Hour with Libyan Tribal Leader
December 19, 2013 Moriartys and Libyan Tribes Rep on The Power Hour with Joyce Riley
November 12, 2013 Moriarty's Speak Out about Libya on Voice of Russia with John Robles
November 2, 2013 Moriarty's on Voice of Russia with John Robles
Jimmy and JoAnne on Radio Liberty with Dr. Stan Monteith and Libyan Tribal Leader October 9 , 2013
Jimmy and JoAnne on Radio Liberty with Dr. Stan Monteith October 1, 2013
Dr. Stan Monteith September 30, 2013
July 29, 2013 Moriarty's on "The Truth Travler" show with Erin Dakins
August 05, 2013 Call to Decision Radio
August 25, 2013 We the People Radio
The Power Hour 7-24-2013
June 16, 2013 We the People Radio
Power Hour July 16, 2013 (hour 2)
Erdogan Continues His War Waged Against the Libyan People
Submitted by JoanneM on Tue, 01/21/2020 - 10:58pm
Erdogan self proclaimed "The Magnificent One" is the leader of all the terrorists in the world.
The following is an overview of the last few days regarding the situation in Libya and the complete failure of any kind of conference, negotiation or agreement. Oh, don't get me wrong their were agreements but only one of the signatories behaved according to the agreement. That would be the Libyan National army of the Libyan people. The other side being the Turkish puppet "unelected" Muslim Brotherhood GNA regime in Tripoli that had their terrorist militias break the ceasefire agreement within one hour of its implementation and Erdogan who had agreed to disarm his mercenaries (with Putin) did just the opposite. He began immediately to funnel large number of mercenaries from Syria to Tripoli and began bringing in his army and new shiploads of weapons..
First and I don't care what phony publication you read, there is NO CIVIL WAR in Libya. There is a battle of ALL the legitimate Libyan people against the terrorists mercenary militias of the unelected GNA Turkish puppet regime in Tripoli. This regime has NO support in Libya. They are held in place solely by the support of Erdogan and his terrorist mercenaries. These mercenaries have been in Libya since 2011 when NATO, Obama, Clinton et.al., destroyed the sovereign country of Libya using a false flag (there was NO revolution in Libya in 2011) it was all staged.
Since April of 2019 the Libyan peoples army tasked by all the people of Libya via the Great Tribes of Libya (who represent all the people in Libya) to cleanse their country of the Muslim Brotherhood, it's terrorist mercenaries and it's illegal self imposed regime from their country. All of these terrorists/mercenaries were left behind by the illegal NATO invasion. The LNA (Libyan National Army) has a titular head named Khalifa Haftar. He was appointed the head by the tribes because he is the only person who the west would allow to form an army in Libya since 2011 (this is thank you very much the criminals of the United Nation). Khalifa Haftar is a CIA Operative, he holds a US and a Libyan passport. Don't ever think the Libyan people follow Haftar. they follow and support their army - and Haftar does not speak for the Libyan people, he was appointed leader of Libya. At this time the closest thing to a voice they have is the head of the duly elected government in Toburk the House of Representatives named "The Libyan Government" and led by Aguilla Saleh Issa.
After the failed Putin/Erdogan/Sarraj/Haftar "ceasefire", Germany chancellor Angela Merkel decided to put her nose into Libya. Don't ever think any of these countries are involving themselves in Libya for humanitarian reasons. Far from it, they are all drooling over the great natural resources that lie beneath Libya and under the water directly offshore. The dis-ingenuousness of the so called conference becomes apparent when all the countries attending this event were involved in the illegal destruction of Libya in 2011 which is the direct cause of the problems in Libya today. Note: Russia was not involved but they did not veto the actions taken in Libya this was because it was not Putin who was the leader it was Dmitry Medvedev Medvedev (who did Obama's bidding).
The Berlin conference was a complete waste of time. First, the Libyan people had NO representative at the table. Oh, Haftar was there, along with Sarraj (the leader of the GNA non elected Muslim Brotherhood regime in Tripoli) - but as I said before, the great tribes of Lib ya were NOT represented and thus the Libyan people had no voice. Making matters worse, Sarraj and Haftar were not allowed at the negotiating table!! They were sent to the "tea tent" to wait while the BIG imperialists decided how to solve Libya's problems - the height of hypocrisy.
The next event that happened in Berlin was Erdogan's "spoiled child fit". When he arrived, Merkel's security required him to take off his coat and search him (he was wearing a long coat). He refused, became angry and left. He left behind his foreign minister (or whomever was attending with him). But worse than that, he left and called Tripoli and gave orders to hie terrorist mercenaries to immediately attack the Libyan peoples army on all fronts and with great aggression. Now supposedly there is a ceasefire in progress but Sunday the LNA was under full attack and there was fighting all over Tripoli. The fighting continues currently...
So, here we see in the face of the world and in the face of the supposed great powers of the world, a crazy terrorist who has no intent of following any agreements, UN rules or Geneva conventions etc.
The Libyans immediately raised the red flag when Erdogan began sending in Syrian Mercenaries and arms and members of the Turkish army. But the world turned a blind eye, and again "wrote" that they demanded Erdogan to stop sending terrorists to Libya and stop sending arms AGAINST all the in place embargoes. Did Erdogan stop, nope, he threatened the EU with being flooded by terrorist mercenaries if he lost his puppet government in Libya. Now there is proof that some of the mercenaries in Tripoli have arrived in Italy being transported along side African migrants.
And the world powers watch Erdogan break every international law, they do nothing. But in 2011, they ware quite happy to destroy a peaceful country by bombing it into the dark ages with 60,000 bombing raids. All this because a false revolution using lies were told. Libya was not attacking any other country, they were not sending mercenaries to other counties, they were no radical Islamist's stealing the wealth of another country, yet the world stood up, destroyed a beautiful, developing, happy nation and left it in the hands of the Turkish Madman.
Meanwhile, inside Misurata, home of the Turkish mafia before 2011 and now home of the biggest RATs in LIbya (rats being the traitors and criminals that joined NATO). These criminal rats continue to steal from Libya and they continue to ILLEGALLY imprison men, women and children who they deemed against them. They are the worst of the worst and they support the Muslim Brotherhood GNA regime in Tripoli. That is the only support the GNA has now in Libya. The Misurata rats, who joined with Hillary Clinton to destroy their country, fear retribution from all the other Libyans because they know their crimes. So, they hold tight onto Turkey and pray they will get to keep stealing Libyan wealth.
And the crimes continue, yesterday, the Muslim Brotherhood GNA regime, announced that they would take 100 million out of the Libyan central bank in Tripoli - in cash. This money will be used to pay terrorist militias. They blatantly make this public and are proud. This is the Libyan people's money and the unelected Muslim Brotherhood regime is stealing it to pay terrorists to kill the Libyan people.
The situation in Libya is simple. Terrorist mercenaries brought into Libya illegally by the US, UN, UK, France, Turkey, Qatar and NATO in 2011, remain in the country today. Many of them have become millionaires by stealing Libyan money. The Libyan people having suffered under these criminals for 9 years have had enough. They will live free or die.
There is no civil war in Libya, there is only all Libyans against radical Islamists (Takfiri) and armed mercenaries supported by Turkey and Qatar.
As for the Libyan people - they tell me - it is real simple, we will clean our country. We are the only arbitrators for our country. We will never agree to negotiate with radicals, we will remove them from our country and we will set up our own government for our people.
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Biden to block Trump's plan to...
President-elect Joe Biden plans to quickly extend travel restrictions barring travel by most people who have recently been in much of Europe and Brazil soon after President Donald Trump lifted those requirements effective Jan. 26, a spokeswoman for Biden said. Trump signed an order Monday lifting the restrictions he imposed early last year in response to the pandemic - a decision first reported Monday by Reuters - after winning support from coronavirus task force members and public health officials. Soon after Trump's order was made public, Biden spokeswoman Jen Psaki tweeted "on the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26." She added that "With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel."
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Great songs they say so much, and Romi Mayes will definitely be listening when 18 of the city's finest songwriters take the stage for the fifth instalment of her songwriter extravaganza Sunday at the Park Theatre.
The Winnipeg singer-songwriter fired up the format when she was getting a lot of attention for penning her own roadhouse blues tunes and Mayes figures she'll be soaking up the inspiration along with the audience as another batch of talented locals present stripped-down versions of some of their favourites.
"I can particularly appreciate a great songwriter more now than ever, because I am actually in a very dry spell for songwriting," Mayes said in an email exchange necessitated by a serious auto accident to go with a bout of laryngitis. "I decided to get off the road from touring last year, and it's been hard to get in the groove towards new songs, a new album and touring plans since.
Mayes sixth full-length record, Devil on Both Shoulders, was released in 2015. She's won three Western Canadian Music Awards for songwriter of the year, a pair of WCMA album of the year, and was nominated for a Juno for album of the year.
Her songs come right at you, with a wisdom of a survivor that suggests learning lessons the hard way.
Unlike a number of those workshops, these are people familiar with each other's work and often able to make a significant contribution to the song.
"The reason I love this format is that often the way I set it up there are a couple of musicians who have played together or collaborated in the past on the same panel of songwriters, and there are some sweet spontaneous harmonies or accompaniments that occur spontaneously," Mayes said.
She said the city has such a strong community of songwriters that she could easily pack 50-60 into the evening, but that each one able to attend has something she can draw from.
Canad Inns Windsor Park, and more specifically Cowboys Roadhouse, is a long way from Osborne Village and the mess the sale of the Osborne Village Inn has left behind, but that's where a Zoo reunion event is happening Friday with Dreadnaut and a handful of other acts repping for all the animals that called the place home.
Following a tour of Western Canada, Little Miss Higgins is back to present her latest album — My Heart, My Home — at the West End Cultural Centre on Saturday.
Don't know much about the cause, but a lot of good people are behind, in support of, or performing at a one-off variety show at the West End Cultural Centre on Sunday, which is raising funds for "women and children." Help out if you can.


If you own a Teclast T20 Tablet PC, and also want to root the device, then you are on the right page. Teclast T20 is a good 4G phablet for general usage. It has a a 10.1 inch 10-point touch display. It runs on Android 7.1 OS, which ensures good user experience. The device is powered by Powered by MT6797X ( X27 ) deca core processor, which makes smooth operation and stable multitasking experience. The T20 Tablet from Teclast has a 13.0MP rear-facing as well as front dual camera for capturing memorable moments.
If you are an Android Enthusiast, and want to Root and Install TWRP recovery on your beloved, then you have landed on the right page. In the due course of the article, we will guiding you through the process to root Teclast T20 Tablet .
The TWRP features the material design, and attractive user interface (UI), and by following this guide you can install latest TWRP for Teclast T20 Tablet. You can download TWRP Recovery from the links provided in the pre-requisite section of this article. Kindly note that this is a unofficial TWRP recovery and is only for Teclast T20 Tablet (Kindly confirm the model by going to Settings>About). The process given below is merely for rooting and installing TWRP on Teclast T20 Tablet, do not try out this method on any other device.
If you want to unleash the full potential of the hardware of your Teclast T20 Tablet , then rooting and flashing custom recovery like TWRP is the main concern. The Stock ROMs have often limited and unsupported features in the sense of Customization. When you have a rooted device and also flashed TWRP recovery, then you are free to install any Custom ROMs, Mods, Kernel, and Xposed etc., as well as many apps which requires root access to work properly. You can easily root the device with One Click Android Root Tool, with either via PC or through the APK, which is a quick process.
For installing the TWRP, your Teclast T20 Tablet phone must have the Unlocked bootloader. That means you have to firstly unlock the bootloader to root your device as well doing any customization.
At this stage, your device will be reboot automatically. Now, you can Root Teclast T20 Tablet, as bootloader of your device is already unlocked.
Step 3: Now, enable the developer settings on your Teclast T20 Tablet Device. To achieve the same, just navigate to the Settings -> About and then find the 'Build Number ', and then tap on 'Build Number' for 7 times, this will enable the developer settings on your device.
Step 1: Transfer the downloaded SuperSU.zip file to the internal storage / SD card of your Teclast T20 Tablet tablet pc.
Congratulations, now you have rooted Teclast T20 Tablet and also flashed the TWRP. Now, you can install Xposed Framework, and customize your tablet pc as per your preference. If you wish to verify, you may download and check the Root Status through Root Checker app.


The one-two punch of censorship plus propaganda has discredited Western journalism in the eyes of many Chinese.
Many Chinese share the idea that Western media outlets don't cover China fairly. Chinese state media outlets and Chinese government spokespeople regularly claim that Western media plays up China's weaknesses, exaggerates its potential as a regional threat, and ignores its successes. "Why is Western media biased against China?" was a question posed to me dozens of times during the four years I resided there — from street vendors in Beijing to students in Nanjing to taxi drivers in the ancient capital of Xi'an.
Yet it's odd that, in a country which ranks a dismal 176 out of 180 for media freedoms, comes in last in an 88-country ranking for Internet freedom, and which operates the largest state propaganda apparatus in the world, the conversation regularly centers around perceived media bias elsewhere. The ubiquity of this idea is the result of what has been one of Chinese state media's most successful propaganda campaigns — so effective that the term "Western media" in Chinese often has a negative connotation. Even foreign media commentators themselves sometimes echo it. Consider, for example, this 2010 podcast from Sinica, a popular series run by Beijing expats; the arguments presented in this widely read 2015 post by Kaiser Kuo, the director for international communications at Chinese search giant Baidu; and the questions posed in this January question-and-answer with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Barboza.
But while U.S. news tends to slant towards the negative and the sensational — making its critical coverage of China a normal feature of the media landscape, rather than an outlier — Chinese news is characterized by intrusive, state-mandated ideological and political bias. Articles presenting Chinese policies in a positive light are published by Communist Party fiat, overly critical articles are often removed, and the offending journalists sometimes punished. Even so, basic assumptions about an ill-defined "Western media" often go unchallenged. Media bias against China is not a foregone conclusion, but rather a rhetorical tool that Chinese authorities use alongside censorship to fight for control of the national narrative.
The term "Western media" itself deserves scrutiny. It's vague and monolithic, making it convenient as a pejorative label but difficult to pin down for analysis. There are more than a dozen countries that qualify for the "Western" label, and more than 10,000 news media outlets in the United States alone. Among these, there are local and national newspapers, television and radio broadcasters, wire services, satire sites, magazines, blogs, and trade publications. To refer to all these as "Western media" is an especially broad brush.
U.S. media, for its part, is indeed more likely to run certain kinds of articles — those covering the new, the sensational, and especially in recent decades, the negative. Thomas Patterson, a professor of government at Harvard University's Kennedy School, wrote in 2005 that while 75 percent of election coverage during the 1960 presidential race had a positive tone, in the 2000 election 63 percent of articles about George W. Bush were negative; for every media claim that Al Gore was truthful, there were 17 opposite claims. Patterson said the trend could be explained in part by the "poisonous effect of Vietnam and Watergate on the relationship between the journalist and the politician." In the 2012 election season, 72 percent of reports covering Barack Obama were negative, while 71 percent of reports about Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, were negative. News consumers themselves are partially to blame for the trend; a 2014 study conducted at McGill University in Canada showed that study participants were more likely to read negative articles than positive articles.
It's not just politicians who get all the flack; U.S. news is infamously gloomy in its coverage of, well, everything. Satirical news site The Onion has leveraged the phenomenon for comical effect. "Depraved Masochist Enjoys Following the News," proclaimed one popular September 2013 article. It's especially true during election seasons, when even the slightest faux pas — a stray comment, a missed showing – can get a presidential candidate skewered for days.
A judgment of U.S. media coverage of China is inadequate without also considering how U.S. media covers the United States. Reviewing headlines from the past several years, it's easy to cobble together a near-apocalyptic vision of life in the world's wealthiest nation – that U.S infrastructure, U.S. politics, the health care system, society, and capitalism itself are irreparably broken. It's hardly surprising when such a critical, sensational eye is turned on China (and Russia, and Kenya, and Sweden, and the Philippines, and Paris, and even Indonesian toddlers.) Scathing indictments and dire predictions are daily bread for anyone who follows domestic U.S. news. With a media environment like this, it's little wonder that Chinese officials and media workers can find what they present as evidence of "Western media" bias against China on any given day of the year.
But Chinese news consumers aren't used to the barrage of negativity. They're accustomed to Chinese domestic coverage of China, which is overwhelmingly supportive of government policies. The party exerts tight control over news outlets, insisting on "positive energy" and often requiring the removal of coverage perceived as overly negative. As gloomy data on the state of the Chinese economy was released, a directive issued in September 2015 by the Central Propaganda Department, the party's media censorship division, stated that media outlets were required to "[take] the next step in promoting the discourse on China's bright economic future and the superiority of China's system, as well as stabilizing expectations and inspiring confidence" – in other words, write nice things about the economy.
The effects of such top-down directives are readily apparent. On Mar. 1, for example, the latest of troubling economic indicators coming out of China showed that its slowing manufacturing sector and even its more vibrant services sector had reached their weakest levels in at least seven years. On Mar. 3, party newspaper Guangming Daily ran a widely syndicated article titled, "China's Economic Development Prospects Are Entirely Bright," and state-owned Legal Daily quoted government spokesperson Wang Guoqing in an article titled "Full of Confidence in the Chinese Economy." Top featured items in major Chinese media outlets are often not news, but peppy government press releases. The Mar. 2 cover of party mouthpiece People's Daily featured as its top headline "Xi Jinping Offers Congratulations to the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 'U.S.-China Tourism Year.'" News outlets even massage coverage of natural disasters to prevent criticism of authorities.
Conversely, Chinese state media provides detailed coverage of certain U.S. domestic issues, such as gun violence and racial strife, portraying democracy as a form of government inherently prone to chaos. While domestic Chinese protests and ethnic conflict are usually highly censored in Chinese media and social media, some Chinese news sites featured articles about the 2014 Ferguson protests in top slots on their homepages. In November 2014, for example, state news agency Xinhua ran an editorial titled "A Shameful Scar in U.S. Human Rights History." That's a criticism that Chinese outlets would never be allowed to say directly about China's own unrest, such as the 2009 riots in the western regional capital of Urumqi, when fighting between ethnic Han and members of the Uyghur ethnic minority killed almost 200. During the riots, the government cut off Internet access for the entire region, with most websites remaining inaccessible for months. Chinese outlets were not permitted to run original reports but only to repost stories from official sources such as Xinhua.
But for many Chinese, tightly scripted domestic media is the only kind of news available. Chinese government regulators have blocked, in whole or in part, the websites and Chinese language editions of many major media outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the BBC, Deutsche Welle, and Le Monde. Only those who regularly surf the Internet using software designed to circumvent online controls are able to access blocked sites — meaning most Chinese hear about such foreign news coverage through the lens of domestic Chinese news, which dominates the airwaves, online news, and social media. When a Chinese person, who has lived for years in a media environment that consciously portrays U.S. media outlets as biased, then reads regular negative coverage of China in these outlets, the belief may be confirmed.
That's the one-two punch of censorship plus propaganda. Kneejerk accusations of Western media bias aren't just nationalist bluster; they're a vital aspect of information control. In the digital age, it's essentially impossible to fully seal off a population without dismantling the Internet entirely. As President Bill Clinton famously said in 2000, Chinese attempts to censor the Internet are like attempting to "nail Jell-O to the wall." But censorship is only one side of the coin; discrediting contradictory sources of information is the other. Internalizing the notion that Western media reports about China are inaccurate, exaggerated, and purposely distorted inoculates the reader against ideas presented in media outside the scope of China's control – criticism of the party and its leaders, information that shows liberal ideas such as democracy in a positive light — that Chinese authorities view as dangerous.
Still, the approach has been remarkably effective. If Chinese do read what sound like otherwise cogent articles critical of China, either by travelling outside of China or by using a virtual private network or other software that allows users to access news sites blocked in China, they will be less vulnerable to these arguments. Helen Gao, a Beijing native and a contributor for the New York Times, describes this phenomenon as it applies to patriotic education in Chinese schools. "While many students would readily admit the political motivations behind Chinese history education," wrote Gao in an August 2015 article, "when challenged by unfamiliar viewpoints, they instinctively fall back onto the statements we chanted as mantras since childhood. The tendency can be heightened by a sense of national pride when the perceived challenge comes from foreigners." The popularity of the belief that Western media is biased against China demonstrates a truth that authoritarian regimes know well: propaganda works.