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Speech of President Laurel at a banquet in honor of His Excellency, Syozo Murata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Philippines, October 17, 1943
Speech of His Excellency, Jose P. Laurel, President of the Republic of the Philippines, at a banquet in honor of His Excellency, Syozo Murata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Philippines, given at Malacañan, October 17, 1943:
This is one of the few occasions in which the high representatives of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy are gathered together with the high officials also of the newly-born Republic of the Philippines. His Excellency, Ambassador, is known to all of us. It is a great fortune that the Great Empire of Japan has sent him to us because he is not only sympathetic towards the Filipinos but because he has a big heart, having been in the Philippines in the most crucial days. And so the Filipino people are greatly honored by the Imperial Government of Japan for having accredited him to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines.
His Excellency, the Highest Commander of the Imperial Japanese Army, represents the instrumentality of the Great Empire of Japan to which the Filipinos are heavily indebted for everything that that Army has done in the Philippines, and with him His Excellency, the Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Philippines, which, like the Imperial Japanese Army, has played its role in bringing about mutual understanding and cooperation and in finally emancipating the Filipinos from' American domination.
This reunion is also significant because of the presence of distinguished guests from Japan; representatives of the Army and Navy the Speaker of the House of Representatives the Vice-Speaker of the House of Peers, and the representative of the National Service Association in Japan corresponding to our Kalibapi in the Philippines.
To all of Your Excellencies and to all of you gentlemen, who have come to honor this modest banquet,—a humble token of appreciation to the great representatives of the Empire of Japan who are gathered here tonight— I desire to express my profound appreciation as President of the newly-born Republic of the Philippines and that appreciation I express also in behalf of my colleagues in this government and in behalf of the people whom I represent.
The Filipinos were under Spain for around four hundred years. We were under her sovereignty. We were made to learn her language and were even given a religion, but she failed to give us that which is more important than language, and that which is dearer to the Filipinos than religion, that is, the freedom of the Filipinos. We were for forty years under American domination. America likewise taught us her language; she did not give us any religion, but she taught us the ideal of democracy. But she, like Spain, failed to give us that which is more important than language, that which is more important than democracy, and that is the freedom of the Filipinos. Japan has been here for hardly two years. She has not given us her language yet, she has not given us any religion, she has not compelled us to adopt her own form of government, and yet in less than two years the Great Empire of Japan has given us that which the Filipinos have longed for four hundred years and more, that which Spain and America had failed to grant, that which we celebrated and inaugurated a few days ago and which the great representatives of Japan witnessed with their own eyes. (Applause.)
Your Excellencies, and gentlemen, may I ask you to rise and drink to the everlasting gratitude of the Filipinos to Japan, to the mutual understanding between the Filipinos and the Japanese in the common enterprise of liberating the oppressed peoples of Asia, to the common prosperity and to the establishment of the New World Order based on the great and eternal principle of moral justice.


Heavenly Image Corporation are art couple Danica Franić and Davor Krelja. Over the last few years, they have started a cycle of paintings they paint together, though not at the same time. They paint alternately, and the final composition is the result of an arbitrary creative method and the resultant of input of always different creative equation. In this respect, artists continue creative strategy that during the seventies in rock music achieved creative excellence in collaborations of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp, or Brian Eno and David Bowie. Heavenly Image Corporation is paraphrase of Brian Eno's and Robert Fripp's song title Heavenly Music Corporation from 1973 No pussyfooting LP.
In a formal aesthetic sense, Heavenly Image Corporation exhibition is a compact cycle. All paintings are made with oil on canvas 150 x 100 cm large. Unlike the trend of figurative painting that during last decade prevailed in the Croatian painting, Franić and Krelja operate within the aesthetic formula of organic abstraction which revived strongly on the international scene. Biomorphic forms that alternate as a regular central motif of composition, largely fulfill the canvas format emanating the unspecified symbolic and somewhat mysterious charge. The entire composition is distinctly spiritual-meditative, brush strokes are even and invisible, layers translucent, and the colors are flow of soothing pastel and harmonious tones. The exhibition will feature a selection of 33 canvases that were made after 2015.
Franić and Krelja are middle-generation artists, who had never exhibited in Split. Exhibited paintings do not have parallels within the Split or Croatian art scene, and thus represent a brave artistic stand against the prevailing trends.


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Q: psql user postgres does not exist VPN I have problem with go into psql shell.
I can't just run psql via commands like:
 psql
 psql -U postgres
 sudo psql
 sudo psql -U postgres

I can't even list databases via:
sudo su postgres psql -l
There is problem with users cuz I have even no user like postgres
psql: FATAL:  role "postgres" does not exist

I'm not good at postgre to figure it out only by myself. I was trying a lot of solutions and finally I'm stucked here on this problem.
I tried this too:
createuser --superuser postgres

I don't even know what roles I have, and I can't check it...
And I can't use any DMBS cuz this is on vpn server.
One more important thing. In pg_hba.conf I've no specified any users, there is just "all" and I changed auth to "trust" for them.
One more option:
I'm not able to use initdb - command not found, but psql, postgre is alrready isntalled...
VPN server with:
ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS
Postgres 10
docker

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Despite more than a year of international engagement and promises of economic reform by North Korea's leaders, the human rights situation in the isolated country remains dire, a top UN rights official said on Friday.
The fact is, that with all the positive developments the world has witnessed in the last year, it is all the more regrettable that the reality for human rights on the ground remains unchanged, and continues to be extremely serious, he told reporters at a briefing in Seoul.
In all areas related to the enjoyment of economic and social rights, including health, housing, education, social security, employment, food, water and sanitation, much of the countrys population is being left behind.
Human rights were noticeably absent from talks between Kim and the leaders of South Korea and the United States last year, over North Koreas nuclear weapons programme.
North Koreas foreign ministry warned in a statement after the December sanctions were announced, that the measures could lead to a return to exchanges of fire and North Koreas disarming could be blocked forever.
While noting he had no specific information on whether international sanctions were hurting ordinary North Koreans, Quintana said the sanctions targeted the economy as a whole and raised questions about the possible impact on the public.
Still, the United Nations has confirmed the continued use of political prison camps housing thousands of inmates, Quintana said, quoting one source as saying the whole country is a prison.
He said witnesses who recently left North Korea reported facing widespread discrimination, labour exploitation and corruption in daily life.
There is also a continuing pattern of ill-treatment and torture of defectors who escaped to China only to be returned to North Korea by Chinese authorities, Quintana said.


ARGHHH!!! THE BOOK FAIR IS COMING!!!
The book fair committee has been hard at work planing this years fun, including a Media by Moonlight Evening and a Donuts for Dad's Morning.
We will also have a PTA meeting the evening of 11/29 at 6:30pm!!


Komodo Adventure Tour and Beyond is established by the professionals who have been in the travel business since 1993. Mr. Sabaruddin (picture below) is one of the great national guides who speaks English, French, German, and Spanish, and he has experienced working not only in the travel and tourism industry in Indonesia but also in the field of natural health and mining industries (gold and nickel).
In every Gili Islands, Bangsal harbor, and Labuan bajo Flores, we have the contact persons who always keen to help you.
Komodo Adventure and Beyond Reservation Office books organizes the trip departure from the Gili Islands Bangsal Harbor North Lombok, from Labuan Lombok in the eastern coast of Lombok, and from Labuan Bajo Flores.
We work with all boat operator in Lombok and in Labuan Bajo Flores Island.


Certification courses in Toronto, Ontario: Career college offering diploma programs in business administration, international trade, pharmacy assistant, childcare & IT. Allied health care training, adult education programs in GTA..
Conveniently situated close to the intersection of King St. & Yonge St. in central Toronto, Evergreen College provides a wide range of diploma programs that prepare you for successful careers in fields such as Business Administration, Pharmacy Assistant, Early Childcare Assistant, Computer System & Network Specialist among many others. Registered as a private career college, we offer morning, evening, and weekend classes, so you can schedule your study around work and family commitments. Financial aid may be available for qualifying students. Our Toronto campus is located just 1 minute from King Subway Station. Evergreen College also has campuses in Brampton, Mississauga and Scarborough, Ontario.
A strong background in Payroll and Accounting will make you highly marketable and attractive to top employers, as successful businesses rely on skilled bookkeeping. Successful graduates of this program can enter the professional world with confidence and a solid foundation in fundamental computer, accounting and business practices. You will have the option to attend the classes in the morning, evening, or choose our weekend option.
During this course, you will become proficient in office practices and software, enabling you to skilfully manage the financial activities of any size business operation. You will learn with industry-standard software applications such as: Simply Accounting; QuickBooks; ACCPAC; Corporate Business Accounting; Small Business Accounting; Middle Sized Business Accounting and Microsoft Office Applications: Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
You'll graduate with confidence after gaining practical, hands-on training in Evergreen's state-of-the-art training labs and on-the-job as part of the Field Placement program.
The role of a Medical Office Administrator (sometimes called Medical Assistant) is to provide direct care to patients, as well as contributing to the overall operation of a healthcare office setting. With both administrative and clinical duties to perform, you won't be stuck doing the same old thing day in and day out. This comprehensive program includes Medical Transcription training and standard First Aid and CPR Certifications. Top employers will be impressed with your well-rounded skills! You will have the option to attend the classes in the morning, evening, or choose our weekend option. You will gain practical, hands-on training in Evergreen's state-of-the-art training labs and on-the-job as part of the Field Placement program.
To excel in today's global marketplace, top employers rely on individuals with International Trading skills. This diploma program aims to provide you with essential knowledge and practical training in Importing; Exporting; International Finance; International Marketing and Entrepreneurship. You will gain a strong foundation in business and accounting fundamentals as well as practical, relevant experience in global business environments.
On graduation, you'll enter the field with an in-depth knowledge of in-demand business practices, including: Business Plans; Technology in Business; Research; Sales; Marketing; Finance; Legal Matters; Manufacturing; Human Resources among others. Potential employers will be particularly impressed with your ability to understand and assist in financial matters such as determining the financial position of a business, and the results of its operations and cash flows for a given period in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
Successful graduates are prepared for careers in international trade, which may include positions in Trading houses; Banks; Exporters; Importers or Government agencies. Alternatively, they may pursue satisfying entrepreneurial ventures and enjoy careers working for themselves.
This course aims to give you the skills and experience you need to begin a professional career in the field of pharmacy. Pharmacy Assistants work under the supervision of a Pharmacist, in a dynamic, often fast-paced environment. You will be an important member of the Healthcare community, assisting the Pharmacist to dispense medication and other healthcare products to patients. You will use a wide range of skills, from an extensive scientific knowledge about the design, production, reactions and uses of medicines, to the ability to communicate effectively with Pharmacists, patients, customers, and doctors.
As part of this program, you will also receive your First Aid & CPR certifications. Choose the schedule that best fits your lifestyle - we offer morning, evening and weekend classes. Through our field placement, you will gain hands-on, practical experience in a real Pharmacy setting before you graduate. Some students are even offered jobs with their clinical placement employers.
Begin a rewarding career in the field of Community & Social Work. As a Professional Community Service Worker, you will provide essential assistance and insight to community organizations. You will also advocate for and aid persons with special needs. You will have the option to attend classes in the morning, evening, or choose our weekend option. Through our voluntary work placement, you can earn plenty of hands-on, practical experience in a real work setting before you graduate, helping you to make a smooth transition from training into the professional setting.
This diploma course aims to provide highly-focussed training and experience in counselling skills, social science, life span development, and social work theory and practice. It focuses on addressing family issues, substance abuse, multicultural backgrounds, gender, disability, sexual orientation, etc. You will learn how to help people to promote their rights and meet their responsibilities in ways that empower them.
As a successful graduate of this program, you'll also receive your Public Health Food Handler Certificate, First Aid & CPR certifications, and Alzheimer's Society Training Certificate. These recognized certifications will make you highly marketable to prospective employers. Morning, evening and weekend classes are available. A clinical placement provides plenty of hands-on, practical experience in a real work setting before you graduate.
If you are a caring individual interested in fostering the intellectual and emotional growth of young children, then a rewarding career in professional childcare could be perfect for you! With more than half of all parents with preschool-age children working outside the home, there is currently a huge demand for high-quality childcare workers. Graduates of this program will have a wealth of knowledge and practical experience that will help you to advance quickly in your new career while making a real difference in the lives of children.
In addition to the well-regarded Evergreen College Early Childcare Assistant Certification, as a successful graduate of this program you'll also receive your First Aid and CPR certifications. Morning, evening and weekend classes are available. A clinical placement provides plenty of hands-on, practical experience in a real work setting before you graduate.
One of the top-ranked technology programs in Ontario, this course aims to teach you how to design, install, manage, and enhance computer networks, handle upgrades and installations with ease, troubleshoot PC issues, and maintain usability to keep business operations running efficiently. You will gain practical, hands-on training in our state-of-the-art training labs and on-the-job as part of the Voluntary Field Placement program. You will have the option to attend the classes in the morning, evening, or weekends.
- Computer Service Technicians Module: CompTia - A+ Certification - This module covers all major hardware and software operating systems from basic maintenance, building and installation, to troubleshooting issues. You will be equipped with the knowledge of computer service technicians with the equivalent of 500 hours of hands-on experience.
- Network and Internet Security: This module aims to equip you with essential skills to plan, implement, administer, support, and secure networked computer systems and associated users.
- Cisco Networking Technologies: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Certification - Learn how to Install and configure Cisco switches and routers in multi-protocol inter-networks using LAN and WAN interfaces.
- Network Administrator Module: Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) Certification - This module is designed to provide you with essential skills to plan, implement, administer, support, and secure networked computer systems and associated users based on Windows platforms.
Notice: As of July 1, 2014, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation requires us to obtain permission in order to contact you electronically. By clicking the Send button above, you give consent for Evergreen College or its representatives to contact you regarding educational opportunities at the email address or phone number(s) provided.


Bristol Hospital and Health Care Group will be participating in the Connecticut Hospital Association's annual Connecticut Hospital Day, to be held at the state capitol, on Wednesday, March 27.
The hospital has arranged for transportation, and the bus will leave the front of the Hospital at 9:15 a.m., on Wednesday, March 27, and will return to the hospital at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Those hoping to participate should register with Kim Bernier by email, kbernier@bristolhospital.org, by Monday, March 25. Box lunches will be provided.


That's the question!!! And, the title of this book from singer-songwriter, Ellie Holcomb.
Children's picture books continue to grow as a favorite of mine and this one is pretty sweet.
I love to read book dedications and I particularly smiled at this one.
And the illustrations are gorgeous and amazing.
I especially love this one of the reflection of the elephants and the children running through the water.
Talking about music, I have this dvd designed specifically for children to share with you too.
"What a Beautiful Name" and "Heaven is Our Home" are both favorite songs of mine. The dvd is definitely geared for children with lively videos and some slapstick humor as Funny Man Dan chats in the studio throughout the dvd.
And one more children's book I recently stumbled across.
Alice listens to her grandpa's stories and she tells him when she grows up she too, will travel to faraway places and when she is old she will live by the sea.
Her grandfather tells her she must do a third thing as well, and this thing is to do something to make the world more beautiful.
Alice says she will, although she doesn't know yet what it will be.
The pictures and story are charming and wonderful and engaging.
Alice grows up and she gets to go to faraway places and live out all the three things. Alice is old now and she is a great-aunt and she passes her three things, especially the task of making the world more beautiful on to her great-niece.
I'm so glad I discovered this book!
What favorites for children do you love?


Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets.
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Calling all Actors, Voice Overs, Models & Singers! Come join us and the best that New England has to offer with this professional development, training & networking opportunity. This is an excellent, professional level hands-on approach to building the next level of your career. You will meet one to one with the finest of New England's top Talent Agencies, Casting Consultants, Producers, Directors & other Industry Pros for direct feedback & coaching on your performance work. Forge relationships, learn new tools & tips for professional development and get connected in the industry! Read about the last New England Showcase from Imagine Magazine by clicking here Important note: Industry guests schedules are extremely busy ALWAYS SUBJECT TO CHANGE* Participation in New England Talent Showcase does not guarantee Models & Talent will receive an industry meeting post showcase, nor secure any kind of representation or casting. LLC does not guarantee talent will be seen by specific representatives nor any particular number of representatives.
Networking Mixer and Debrief Session follows.
No Refunds for this event (due to the commitment of our facility and industry guests we are unable to offer any refunds, for any reason including: Illness, injury, bereavement, scheduling conflicts-the show must go on).
Book your professional Head shots and Composite Cards to shine at Showcase. Our resident photographer, Lynn Wayne, is taking appointments NOW for event participants. Please note, ALL photo sessions are at a separate cost.
I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the Showcase. Once I did the one-on-ones, my entire perspective and outlook changed. I understood the full circle process, and it became exhilarating. I felt high, I felt rev'd. I couldn't believe it. It was so powerful for me that it turned me 180 degrees, and made me realize that next time will be different. I won't be nearly as afraid (I was truly really scared to death!). I will still be nervous of course, but I now have an "I can do this" feeling and attitude. Like this is possible for me. I am grateful to you and enjoyed the Showcase very much (once I saw the light that is! LOL). I was in awe and inspired by all my fellow actors – who did nothing but encourage and support – people I didn't even know! I loved them all! The after showcase gathering was the icing on the cake. It brought it all together and I loved every minute of it. Wow I just loved all those people.
Thank you for everything Lau. I'm very happy to have met you and to know you. You're an incredible coach, and I could see that also full circle on Monday. I was awe inspired by you. You're amazing.
I worked with Lau and her staff every week for several months in preparation for her New England Talent Showcase that she held this past April, where I performed a monologue in front of numerous casting directors, filmmakers, and other professionals in the media industry. I went through the whole process of selecting, editing, and rehearsing a monologue that was right for me. In addition, Lau provided great feedback, helped me with auditioning, and we even worked on voiceovers. Lau and her staff taught me both the rudiments of acting, as well as more nuanced techniques and the importance of marketing yourself. As a result, I booked various gigs and was able to find new representation. I highly recommend lau laupides company.
I would like to thank you all for the hard work you, passion, and professionalism you had yesterday during the event. I am sure you are all tired, but also excited, after the success. It was for sure an interesting and valuable experience.I truly appreciate your candor and honesty.


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Our highly committed workforce undergo continual on going assessment and training to make sure that we update and expand their skill sets ensuring that they are fully trained to current safety regulations; we have a safety record that we are very proud of.
All of our depots have storage facilities that enable us to hold our own or Clients' vested stocks of specialist materials, ie, jointing accessories, cable and ducting. These facilities assist us to respond quickly to our Clients' requirements.
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Constructed in 1940. Housed No. 10 EFTS from 1940 to 1942 flying Tiger Moth and Finch Aircraft, No. 33 ANS from 1941 to 1944 flying Anson Aircraft and No. 1 WS from 1944 to 1945 flting Norseman, Tiger Moth and Stinson Aircraft.


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HOMEWORDS: Chain Saw Massacre
By David Claude Bailey • Illustration by Romey Petite
For decades, whenever I needed a tree cut down, my friends have been happy to demonstrate their lumberjack skills, especially if rewarded with ample quantities of craft beer. But I'll admit I've always been jealous of their Swedish Husqvarna and German Stihl chain saws. At the same time, I noticed how high maintenance they were. When I moved out in the country, I thought my cousin Bill, who can wield a chain saw like the character Ash in The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II movies, would be delighted to hear I was going to finally buy myself a chain saw. "Bailey, you're so clumsy you'll cut off both your ears," he said. "If you've got one in your sweaty little hands, I want to be in the next county."
My wife, Anne, standing by, chimed in with similar sentiments, as if she were the Greek prophetess Cassandra predicting a series of tragic dismemberments.
"Maybe I'll let you try my electric chain saw under close supervision," Bill said.
Clad in my red-and-black lumberjack shirt — and wearing steel-toed boots and thick leather gloves at Bill's insistence — I sawed away. No gas or oil to mix. No fumes. No pulling on a cord until you're blue in the face. Light as a feather.
"I'm going to buy me an electric chain saw," I announced.
"Great," Bill replied. "Just let me get across the county line first."
Cassandra groaned.
Online research is itself a double-edged blade; I was overwhelmed with choices until I found Chainsawjournal.com and saw some familiar and very virile-sounding names: Remington, Worx, Oregon PowerNow, Makita, Sun Joe.
Sun Joe? Could I really tell Bill I'd bought a lime-green Sun Joe chain saw? (Sun Joe is a division of Snow Joe, which got its start selling snow blowers for under $100.)
I love to read reviews online, especially negative ones. And for every brand there were plenty: "Problem right out of the box," one disgruntled chain saw buyer said. "Piece of junk," someone said. "This product broke after the first use," was common. "Tensioner requires more attention than a high school drama queen," one creative critic penned.
By contrast, Sun Joe got great reviews. One woman did grouse a little about the operator's manual, but after all, who reads those? Sun Joe showed up on my doorstep two days later. Anne pointed out that I'd actually bought a Saw Joe, assembly required. Ten minutes later, when she heard my grumbling turn into curses, she quietly sidled up and did what she has often done when I tried to assemble toys in the wee hours of Christmas morning: She read the manual.
She leafed through the first seven pages that focused single-mindedly on how to retain one's 20 digits while avoiding electrocution. "Saw Joe says not to use him in the rain or in wet locations," she read. "Saw Joe says to keep all body parts away from saw while operating."
"Yeah, yeah, I know all that. Does Chain Saw Joe say how to put him together?" I asked. He did. First I threaded the chain onto the cutting bar, looping its links over the gear sprocket just as the drawing Anne pointed out to me showed. Following her read-out-loud instructions I then tightened the chain via the chain-tensioner screw. I depressed the safety lock button and pulled the trigger. Chain Saw Joe said, "RRRWowwwrrrrrr." I said, "Hah!"
"Saw Joe says to add chain oil," Anne said. I filled the chamber, put on my lumberjack gear, and ambled out to the woodpile. Halfway there, it became apparent that what I needed was an extension cord, a loooong extension cord.
No problem. I had collected no less than five faded orange extension cords over the years — one I inherited from Dad; another I found on the side of the road; a third I saw in a construction skip when a neighbor's house was being remodeled. It's even possible I might have broken with my cheapskate tendencies and bought one or two of them, years ago. I plugged one into another while Anne read aloud a note about how Chain Saw Joe recommended polarized Underwriters' Laboratory 14-gauge extension cords. Yeah, so what?
I pulled the trigger to drown out her droning — and nothing happened. I unplugged the cords and tried them one at a time until I got back to the outlet. Nothing. I grudgingly drove 12 miles to my friendly hardware store, and bought a 50-foot 12-gauge (better than a 14, said the man in the hardware store) for almost as much as I paid for the saw and drove back. Nothing. Cassandra diligently walked me through the troubleshooting chart in the operator's manual. Still nothing. I called Sun Joe.
"Yep," said Ronnie. "Yep . . . Yep . . . Yep." After I'd wound down, he said, "I think I know the problem. Pick up the chain saw by the handle." With my right hand I grasped the bright green handle, saying, "All right."
"Do you see another handle?" he asked.
"Yep," I said, "right in front of the fi rst handle."
"Well, that's not a handle," Ronnie said. "It's the safety chain brake lever. Pull it back toward you and see if it clicks."
"Yep," I said, as it clicked. At Ronnie's suggestion, I plugged Chain Saw Joe in and pulled his trigger. He said, "RRRWowwwrrrrrr."
I told Ronnie I felt dumb. He said that other people had called with the same problem and not to beat myself up. "It really ought to be on the troubleshooting chart. At least you read the manual," he said, and began telling me about all the idiots who tried to operate a tool as dangerous as a chain saw without even opening the manual.
"Right," I said, "and thanks for the help, but I really gotta go and cut up some firewood before it gets cold."
O.Henry's editor at large, David Claude Bailey, counts his blessings — along with his fingers and toes after using Chain Saw Joe — at Thacker Dairy in Whitsett.
HOMEWORDS: Chain Saw Massacre2017-03-202017-03-20http://seasonsmagazinenc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/seasons_vector_color_spring_space-01.pngSeasons Style + Designhttp://seasonsmagazinenc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/seasons_vector_color_spring_space-01.png200px200px
FROM THE EDITOR: What's Old Is NewColumns

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home Musings on Immigration Attention Investors: Navigating The New EB-5 Regulations
Attention Investors: Navigating The New EB-5 Regulations
Phil Kuck August 9, 2019 Blog Leave a Comment
In 1990, Congress created the Immigration Investor Program, creating the EB-5 visa category. Since 1990, a number of reforms have been implemented to guard against fraud and to ensure uniform application of regulations. However, on July 24, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") published a new regulation making significant changes to the EB-5 program for better or for worse. The new rule makes five primary changes:
It raises the minimum investment amounts;
In the first ever change to the minimum investment amounts, the new rule raises the non-TEA minimum investment amount from $1 million to $1.8 million, and it raises the TEA minimum investment amount from $500,000 to $900,000. The rule also sets forth a new provision stating that the minimum investment amounts will automatically adjust for inflation every five years based on Congress's established initial minimum investment of $1,000,000.
It revises standards for determining Targeted Employment Area ("TEA") designations and makes USCIS (rather than states) directly responsible for managing said designations;
The new rule makes it more difficult to manipulate high-unemployment areas for investment purposes. States will no longer be able to designate certain geographic and political subdivisions as high-unemployment areas. The rule specifies that the Department of Homeland Security (rather than states) will now make the designation of high-unemployment areas based on its own revised requirements to ensure that investments are directed at areas most in need of investment. From now own, "high unemployment areas" will only include cities and towns with a population of 20,000 or more (outside of Metropolitan Statistical Areas ("MSA")).
It clarifies procedure for removal of conditions on permanent residence; and
The new rule also requires certain derivative family members who are lawful permanent residents to independently file to remove their conditions unless said family members were included in the principal investor's petition to remove conditions.
It allows EB-5 petitioners to retain their priority date under certain circumstances.
Under the new rule, if the investor has a previously approved EB-5 immigrant petition, they will generally be able to retain their priority date from the previously approved petition when a new EB-5 petition is needed, with certain exceptions. Note that the Form I-526 must be approved for an EB-5 petitioner to retain the priority date associate with that petition. The priority date will not attach merely by filing the EB-5 petition. Further, priority dates are not transferable to other applicants and cannot be retained for further use once the petitioner has used the priority date to become a conditional permanent resident.
These changes will all become effective for applications filed on or after November 21, 2019. Further, beginning October 1, 2024, and every five years thereafter, the required investment amount will automatically adjust for inflation.
If you or your loved ones have questions or concerns about the EB-5 process, do not hesitate to consult with one of our expert attorneys at Kuck | Baxter Immigration.
Phil Kuck


Roadmasters Auto & Tire Center provides Interior & Exterior Lighting Repair services to Northglenn, CO, Boulder, CO, Lafayette, CO, and other surrounding areas.
Why Should You Have Interior & Exterior Lighting Repair Services Performed at Roadmasters Auto & Tire Center?
We proudly service the Interior & Exterior Lighting Repair needs of customers in Northglenn, CO, Boulder, CO, Lafayette, CO, and surrounding areas.


Turn-Key Church | 10,000 SF | Heart of Kearny Mesa | Fully Leased!!
Tom Morgan, The Church Broker at DUHS COMMERCIAL real estate practice has emerged from several previous church real estate related service platforms. As "The Church Broker", Tom Morgan, has successfully served local and national church groups and denominations since 2004.
Tom Morgan's primary purpose is to serve the local church in the most strategic and professional manner possible, as the church faces various forms of uncertainties in dealing with its real estate.
Tom Morgan as The Church Broker, is supported by a very senior and accomplished team of commercial real estate professionals, who also hold the local church in high regard and seek to honor God in all of its professional efforts.
The Principal Team Members at DUHS COMMERCIAL, have over 80+ years of combined commercial real estate brokerage, management, construction and development experience serving San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino/Riverside and Oakland counties, as well as certain specific cities in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Florida.
We would love to have the opportunity of meeting you and discussing how we might be able to assist your Church Team in dealing with your current challenges/opportunities.
For a PDF file of our completed church properties, please click here.


I write (says Chris, in October) having not long returned from South Africa's Southwest Cape, a Honeyguide holiday with a difference. On this occasion it wasn't in the brochure: it was a family holiday with three generation of Durdins, and Malcolm and Helen Crowder, who with me run the Honeyguide Wildlife Charitable Trust, were also there. Geoff Crane was our guide, as always in South Africa. There was fine selection of birds, flowers, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and dragonflies set in wonderful scenery and perfect weather. Do have a look at the photos on Facebook and the report here.
Southern double-collared sunbird, orange-breasted sunbird and malachite sunbird, all photos by Helen Crowder from South Africa's Southwest Cape.
Vultures in the Rhodope Mountains will be helped by a new EU LIFE project called 'Conservation of Black and Griffon vultures in the cross-border Rhodope Mountains.' This is an area known by Honeyguiders who have been in Dadia Forest in Eastern Greece, or the Eastern Rhodopes when our Bulgaria visited several places. The project is a collaboration between Rewilding Europe, WWF and the BirdLife partners in Bulgaria and Greece, BSPB and HOS, and others. It's another reminder of the value of the EU's Natura 2000 network and LIFE programmes. More details on the Rewilding Europe website.
From the Alps to the Adriatic: Honeyguiders in northeast Italy and Slovenia in September struck lucky with weather: rain before and after the holiday but warm sunshine during it. That probably encouraged the griffon vultures in the Pre-Alps onto the wing with close views as they flew past. Il Caneo Hotel proved a good base — "very Honeyguide" as one group member put it — with pygmy cormorants on the Adriatic's marshes and marsh harriers from the window at breakfast. Other birds went from great white egrets at sea level to alpine choughs in the Julian Alps plus a sprinkle of migrants including broad-billed sandpiper. Late summer and autumn flowers included four species of gentians and meadow saffron. Holiday report here.
The next opportunity to see this fascinating corner of Europe with local leader Paul Tout is our Wallcreeper and woodpecker break in March, based in nearby Istria. Details of this holiday are on the website but not in the brochure.
Sun in Italy/Slovenia also brought out butterflies of 29 species, some in big numbers, especially blues and clouded yellows. Others included great banded graylings and eastern Bath whites (right; left is a group of bathing goldfinches).
Brochures are coming! The Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays brochure for 2016 has been posted and its arrival is imminent. With brochures are a Honeyguide bookmark and a leaflet on the British Dragonfly Society (BDS).
Pau Lucio, Honeyguide's leader in Valencia and La Mancha, Spain, has been collecting information for at atlas of dragonflies and damselflies of Valencia. Here are two photos of species he recently found and kindly sent through, to whet the appetite of any odonata enthusiast. White Featherleg (left) is endemic to Iberia and SW France. The Orange-winged Dropwing (right) is widespread in Africa but doesn't occur in Europe, if you look at the map in the European dragonfly book. The reality is a spread of recent records in Iberia that seems to be linked to climate change, as for many dragons and damsels moving north.
Ivan Nethercoat and I (writes Chris) had a fascinating recce visit to Estonia in late June/early July, to plan a future Honeyguide holiday. I've never seen so many spotted flycatchers, and other birds included scarlet rosefinch and broods of goldeneyes and goosanders. The wooded meadows, roadsides and limestone grassland were incredibly rich for flowers, and highlights included lady's slipper orchids, six species of cow-wheat and spiked speedwell. Mammals were amazing, from our hosts NaTourEst's bear hide: two brown bears, a family of wild boar and raccoon dogs.
'Erratic boulders' at Käsmu in Lahemaa National Park, Estonia. More photos from Ivan on Flickr here and mine are on Facebook.
The French Pyrenees, as always, offered wonderful scenery, with a fine mix of wildlife. As for the weather, well, parts of every day were dry puts it positively! Lammergeiers were frequent from the hotel in Gèdre, with golden and short-eagles too, and snowfinches that were nesting in ski metalwork were the most showy we've experienced. Orchids and other flowers in the meadows were in profusion, often with butterflies that were easy to see close to hand. Holiday report here.
Cirque de Gavarnie, from Saugué. Ivan's photos and Chris's on Facebook here.
Juvenile lammergeier tagged on Crete: conservationists have attached a wing tag and a radio tracker to a young lammergeier - or bearded vulture as they prefer to call them - in the mountains of Crete. This is to trace the movements of the bird after fledging. Honeyguide's Crete holiday contributed €1000 to the Hellenic Ornithological Society towards its work.
Juvenile lammergeier on the nest; close-up and Dr Panagiotis Georgiakakis in climbing gear beside the bird. Information and pictures kindly sent by Dr Stavros Xirouchakis from Natural History Museum of Crete/HOS.
Honeyguide conservation donations reach £100,000. Recent donations - €1000 for HOS in Crete, €350 for DOPPS in Slovenia, €1000 for LPO in the Camargue and £600 for the Latvian Owl Research Society have taken our running total of conservation contributions to £100,974.
The Camargue always provides a rich mix of wildlife, starting with flamingos beside the runway as the plane landed and nightingales on arrival at the hotel. A behind-the-scenes tour with LPO of stony La Crau was a particular privilege, with little bustards, Calandra larks, red-footed falcons and a lesser kestrel colony on show.
Flamingos flying backwards in the mistral wind and exceptionally showy flowers in Les Alpilles, such as carpets of Blue Aphyllanthes and three flax species, were other highlights. As you may hear on the grapevine, one group member fell in a hotel corridor and broke her femur; she's in pretty good form after being successfully 'fixed' in Arles hospital and was flown home a few days later. Holiday report here.
Istria's wealth of wildlife was on show for Honeyguide's group in May with Paul Tout with red-backed shrike, scops owl, nightingale and golden oriole almost every day and fireflies just 100 metres from the hotel, as well as more than 30 butterfly species and 27 types of orchids in the wonderful, flower-filled meadows. A wildcat in front of the minibus at midday on the drive to the airport was a fine finale. Holiday report here.
Images from Istria: bee-eater, burnt-tip orchid, silver-studded blue and military orchids. Right: slow-worm (photos by Paul Tout). Join Paul in Italy-Slovenia this September in From the Alps to the Adriatic.
Farewell to Derek: more than 100 people gathered at Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Redgrave & Lopham Fen nature reserve on 9 May to pay tribute to Derek Moore, former SWT Director (among other things, including Honeyguide leader in Languedoc).
Crete's winter was cold and wet but it was warm and dry for the Honeyguide group in April 2015. Good weather meant that migrant birds were distinctly low in numbers, but nonetheless included red-throated pipit, close views of little crakes and daily alpine swifts. The winter's rain helped the flowers: from hillsides of yellow Jerusalem sage to stinky dragon arums, a fine selection of orchids and breathtaking fields of tulips and anemones on Omalos plateau. Cretan festoon and other butterflies were in fine form.
Cretan delights: Cretan festoon; pink butterfly orchid; a chukar at Festos; a crown anemones on Omalos plateau. More photos from Crete: Chris Durdin's on Facebook and Tim Strudwick's on Flickr. Holiday report here.
Fuerteventura was surprisingly rainy for a semi-desert island for our group in late March. That didn't prevent very close views of cream-coloured coursers with chicks, houbara bustard and Fuerteventura chat. The nesting season was well under way for spectacled warblers and southern grey shrikes. Red-vented bulbuls and monk parakeets added an exotic twist - both are established aliens - and there were good sightings of turtle doves and Egyptian vultures, much declined in numbers elsewhere.
Cream-coloured courser surrounded by the red Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum, houbara bustard, a field of Aloe vera, houbara bustard, Cistanche phelypaea & Tostón lighthouse. Photos by Helen Crowder. Holiday report here.
Honeyguide's holiday in Tarifa & Gibraltar coincided with the start of good weather. Migrant raptors were arriving across the Strait of Gibraltar, often over our base at Huerta Grande. Sunshine brought out many butterflies, including monarchs, Moroccan orange-tips and Spanish festoon. Flowers included local specialities like Lusitanian sundew and a magnificent figwort Scrophularia sambucifolia. Bonanza salt lagoons were awash with slender-billed gulls and we were privileged to see northern bald ibises on the cliff ledges where they are nesting: the reintroduction programme is going well.
Slender-billed gulls, Spanish festoon, Scrophularia sambucifolia, northern bald ibis. More photos from the holiday: Facebook gallery here. Holiday report here.
New for autumn 2015: From the Alps to the Adriatic in Italy and Slovenia, 16 - 23 September.
Little egrets and pygmy cormorants at Isonzo River (Angelo Butera) in NE Italy; Queen-of-Spain fritillary.
Honeyguide's first group of 2015 was in Extremadura in mid-February. Cranes were there in good numbers, one of the main draws, but also spring migrants like swallows, house martins and great spotted cuckoo. Other highlights were a Bonelli's eagle hassling a golden eagle, good views of Spanish imperial eagle and big flocks of Spanish sparrows.
Dappled white butterflies (right) and angel's tears narcissi were other signs of spring. The itinerary included an excellent new site, a reservoir at Alcollarín. A tight flock of some 40 little bustards was notable as this bird is in decline in the region for unexplained reasons. Report here.
Undulate anchusa, Spanish imperial eagle, Angel's tears narcissi, great white egret and wagtails at Alcollarín reservoir. More photos on Facebook here.
White and black gold in Istria: a reminder of Paul Tout's account of timber and truffles. A good read for travellers, historians or cooks. Click here for the full story. There are still places on our Istria holiday.
This picture is of cranes flying to roost in Gallocanta, Aragón in Spain, and was taken on 24 January 2014 by Pau Lucio, Honeyguide leader in La Mancha. Pau says: "The number of cranes was between 17,000 and 18,000. Apparently there are more cranes than in previous weeks as a result of cold weather in France. Nevertheless, that is nothing compared with the 48,663 cranes than wintered last year in Gallocanta (a record); a hailstorm damaged many of the crops so there was a lot of food for them."
This comes shortly before a Honeyguide group goes to crane country in Extremadura. The results of the January 2015 Extremadura crane census showed a new record, with a total of 139,101 birds counted. This is all linked to the steady growth in crane numbers and their westward spread as a breeding bird, recolonising parts of their former range, including the UK. See also The Norfolk Cranes' Story.
Walking in the Peloponnese: Honeyguiders in the Peloponnese will remember Sue Davy's friend Wendy Copage, who gave lots of practical help to our groups, helped by her great local knowledge and fluent Greek.
Wendy has now set up her own business running walking holidays in 'our' bit of the Peloponnese, based at Tyros. Called Greece on Foot, you can contact Wendy via the website www.greeceonfoot.com.
In Valencia, Pau Lucio has located one of the region's regular wintering spotted eagles. Let's hope it stays there for our visit in Feb/March (places are available!) And he found one of a mini-influx of yellow-browed warblers, rather like on the UK's east coast.
Northeast Portugal photos: new gallery of photos from the recce visit on Facebook.
Flowers in Northeast Portugal in May/June 2015 were often challenging to identify. Here is a flower photo collection on Facebook which we hope will be a useful reference.
Gallery of photos of dragonflies and damselflies of NWT Thorpe Marshes on Facebook here. Updated, 30 September 2015.
New Norfolk Wildlife Trust blog here (October 2015), 'Willow Emeralds return to Thorpe Marshes'. Also NWT Trust blog here (September 2015), 'In for the count' on Norfolk hawker and orange-tip surveys.
Willow Emerald Damselfly at NWT Thorpe Marshes.
Our Italy/Slovenia holiday in September 2015 raised €400 for DOPPS, the BirdLife International partner in Slovenia. This adds to the €350 raised from our holiday in Istria in May.
DOPPS will use the donation to buy scientific literature needed for its conservation work.
You may have seen this 'woodland carbon' logo on the brochure. Here is our certificate representing the modest contribution to the Woodland Trust's carbon capture scheme (namely, woodland creation) from the production of the Honeyguide brochures for 2016.
This is thanks to our printer, Gowise Print: the Gowise website describes their environment policy and has more information on carbon capture.
Bulgaria's Western Rhodopes: holiday report from June 2015 here.
Track behind the hotel in Yagodina (Ron Fitton). More of Ron's photos from Bulgaria here.
Honeyguide in Eastern Daily Press business pages, August 2015: online version of article here.
Brown bear from NaTourEst's hide in Estonia, a recce trip highlight. Report here.
Linaria triornithophora - '3 birds' toadflax - from Northeast Portugal. It's one of many unusual flowers and a lot of birds, butterflies and other wildlife seen by Chris Durdin and Domingos Leitão on a recce in late May/early June. More in the Northeast Portugal May-June 2015 recce report.
"El Fondo [in Valencia region] has always been one of the best places in Europe to watch the threatened white-headed duck. The last census shows an increase of the population to more than 70 pairs thanks among other things to water and habitat management and the eradication of ruddy ducks. The breeding season is going well with good numbers of ducklings (photo, above).
"In addition, last April there were 24 marbled teals released into the reserve, five of them with GPS transmitters. The aim is to know more about their wintering movements and the survival rate of birds from the captive breeding programme."
Bee orchids are back at Big Yellow Self Storage opposite Norwich City FC. More on Norfolk Wildlife Trust blog 'The Meadow in the City' and photos on Facebook. 7 June 2015, and in the news on 12 June here.
Latvia's spring arrived late this May, with plenty of red-backed shrikes, yellow wagtails and wintering seaducks, some lesser spotted eagles but very few honey buzzards. A grey-headed woodpecker nest outside the first hotel was a stroke of luck - as was the moose glimpsed by one participant.
A ringing demonstration meant there were great views in the hand of barred warbler, scarlet rosefinch and hawfinch, the last - as the ringer Gaidis would testify - a beak definitely best avoided. Holiday report here. Hawfinch photo by David Bennett.
Not so slow-worm: one bit Istria leader Paul Tout!
Norman Sheppard FRS 1921-2015. Popular Honeyguider was a leading chemist. More in the Guardian and from the University of East Anglia.
New Nature Notes web page about the Bryony ladybird.
Brassica bug Eurydema ventralis, Festos, Crete, April 2014: an addition to our red and black bugs web page.
Photospot: Andalusian wall lizard, a recently recognised species.
Above is a selection of wildlife seen in March 2015 by Honeyguiders in Kruger National Park, South Africa: more here.
Visitors on Fuerteventura are requested not to feed inquisitive Barbary ground squirrels.
A gorgeous male garganey in Tarifa & Gibraltar in dense growth of water crowfoot.
While on this holiday we gave €500 / £420 to GOES. The running total for Honeyguide's conservation contributions is £98,220 — fast approaching the milestone of £100,000.
Sardinian warbler, about to be released by ringing group GOES.
Martin Kelsey (pictured below) with his wife Claudia have set up painting and writing holidays based at their Casa Rural in Extremadura next autumn/winter.
'Painting Landscapes of Extremadura', in watercolour, is with artist Peter Delahaye: details here.
'Recreating Extremadura – A nature writing holiday in Central Spain' is with writer and naturalist Mark Cocker: details here.
Western dappled white in Extremadura, February 2015.
While in Extremadura, we gave 500 euros to SEO/BirdLife. Below: Martin Kelsey hands the Honeyguide cheque to Marcelino from SEO/Birdlife Extremadura.
French Pyrenees dates confirmed as 8 - 15 June 2015.
In the Peloponnese, we have a retrospective find of a recently 'split' butterfly species. The Eastern Knapweed Fritillary, also known as Jerusalem Fritillary (on Wikipedia here), is now added to the list from our holiday in April/May 2012.
Lazaros Pamperis, author of the Butterflies of Greece, queried a fritillary listed in our online holiday report. Happily Helen Crowder had photos, which Lazaros has identified as this newly named species Melitaea ornata (= M. telona), which is absent from most butterfly books.
Photo: Eastern Knapweed Fritillary on a knapweed endemic to Greece, Centaurea raphanina.
Mediterranean gull photos from suburban Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, January 2015, here on Facebook.
Click on the red writing to see the Thorpe Marshes wildlife report for 2014. Also there's a new gallery of photos of dragonflies and damselflies of NWT Thorpe Marshes on Facebook here.


Giana's Return aims to be a worthy unofficial sequel of The Great Giana Sisters. The Great Giana Sisters is an alltime classic Jump'N'Run game made in the late eighties for Commodore64 & Commodore Amiga classic and gained massive attention as Super Mario copy, but still had it's very own charm and fan base. The software company Spellbound Entertainment AG released an official sequel for Nintendo DS, and is now also available for iPhone and Android devices. Giana's Return is a tribute to the original game.


text:
halfaker and associates
Financial Reports/Government Technology/News/Wash100
SAIC Announces Four Percent Revenue Growth in Third Quarter 2022 Fiscal Year Results; CEO Nazzic Keene Quoted
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced its third quarter results for the company's 2022 fiscal year on Monday. The company has reported that it increased its overall revenue to $1.9 billion, which
by William McCormick
Acquisition & Procurement/Government Technology/Industry News/M&A Activity/News
Baird Continues Hot Streak With Recent Novetta, Salient CRGT & Trusted Concepts Acquisitions; Managing Director Jean Stack Quoted
Robert W. Baird & Co. announced its participation in the most recent acquisition of Trusted Concepts by Two Six Technologies on Tuesday. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Baird acted
Acquisition & Procurement/M&A Activity/News/Wash100
SAIC to Acquire Halfaker and Associates; CEO Nazzic Keene, Baird's Jean Stack Quoted
Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Halfaker and Associates, LLC, a leading federal health technology solutions provider, for approximately $250 million to grow the company's


What are the demat account charges and fees?
The demat account is a repository where we hold shares. It is exactly like a bank account, the only difference being that instead of cash you holds shares and other securities in your demat account. You can open a Demat account with an authorized DP, who could be your broker or a bank. Eventually, all the shares will be held in custody by one of the depository viz. NSDL or CDSL.
If you open any newspaper or website today you will find ads announcing zero account opening charges for demat accounts. Most banks will offer you free demat account opening. The reasons are quite simple. If you have a demat account, you will also have a bank account with the same bank. That means your trading account float will lie with the bank and that more than compensates them and allows them to waive the accounting opening charges. Nowadays most brokers are also offering zero cost account opening or charging very nominally. However, discount brokers do charge you a small fee for the account opening and in some cases also charge you separately for executing the Power of Attorney (POA) for your Demat Account.
Remember, waiving off the account opening charges does not mean that your demat account becomes free. There are other charges that will continue to apply. There are two types of demat accounts. There are Basic Service Accounts where the Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) will not apply till a custody value of Rs.50,000. This is meant for very small investors. Then there are Full Service Accounts where there will be an AMC levied on an annual basis. This fee ranges from as low as Rs.300/- per year to as high as Rs.800 per year. Some banks and brokers even waive the first year AMC but charge the AMC from the second year onwards. The GST at the rate of 18% will be applicable on these AMC charges. When you are opening a demat account with a bank beware of the hidden charges. For example, banks like Axis charge you a sharply higher AMC if your demat account is not mapped to Axis Bank account. Normally, AMC charges are lower for more transactions and the charges are higher when there are lesser transactions.
Demat costs are not just about the AMC. There is a custodian fee that is charged by some DPs at the rate of Rs.0.50 to Rs.1.00 per ISIN per month. However, since most companies pay this fee directly to the depository, most DPs do not charge this to the customer. The most important cost is the transaction fee which is charged by your DP each time a security is debited or credited to your demat account. Nowadays, DPs are not charging for credit to the demat account but they do charge you each time a share gets debited to the demat account. These are debited on a monthly basis. Then there are miscellaneous charges. Any failed instruction or rejected instruction is charged for by the DP. Most DPs will insist you use the online DP facility. In case you want physical statements mailed to you, it is charged separately. There are also charges for demat and remat of shares. The moral of the story is that Demat charges are not about account opening charges alone. There are a host of other charges for which you need to read the fine print.


text:
package com.station42.player.mouse;

import com.badlogic.gdx.math.Vector2;
import com.station42.base.Engine;
import com.station42.base.EngineUpdateListener;
import com.station42.base.Entity;
import com.station42.basic.EntityLocation;
import com.station42.bullet.Bullet;
import com.station42.bullet.BulletSpawner;

public class PlayerGunSystem implements EngineUpdateListener {
	Entity centeredEntity;
	float lastFire = 0;
	public PlayerGunSystem(Entity entity) {
		centeredEntity = entity;
	}
	@Override
	public void update(Engine engine, float delta) {
		lastFire += delta;
		if (lastFire >= 0.25) {
			EntityLocation location = centeredEntity.getComponent(EntityLocation.class);
			EntityMouseState mouseState = centeredEntity.getComponent(EntityMouseState.class);
			if (location != null && mouseState != null && mouseState.isLeftDown()) {
				Entity bullet = BulletSpawner.spawnBullet(centeredEntity, mouseState.getX(), mouseState.getY(), 512, 1);
				engine.spawnEntity(bullet);
				lastFire = 0;
//				Vector2 velocity = new Vector2(mouseState.getX(), mouseState.getY());
//				velocity.sub(location.getCenter());
//				velocity.nor().scl(256);
//				engine.spawnedEntity(new Entity("Bullet", new Bullet(location.getCenter(), velocity, centeredEntity)));
//				lastFire = 0;
			}
		}
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Close to Home: The Critical Importance of State Advocacy
Determined advocates are building relationships with lawmakers to protect the healthcare and quality of life of people with bleeding disorders
Author: Matt McMillen
Meet a few of the dedicated state-based advocates building strong partnerships to protect and improve the lives of people with bleeding disorders.
Tracking new proposals
In Idaho, the bleeding disorders community has always been able to count on the state legislature. The community's main concern—access to clotting factor and other treatments—has never been a pressing issue. So the Idaho Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) State Advocacy Day, held each winter, was a pretty laid-back affair. A small contingent of volunteers traveled to the legislature in Boise, where they set up a table and offered box lunches to passing lawmakers. "That was about all that our advocacy consisted of," says Zach Walker, a volunteer patient advocate with the Idaho Chapter who lives in Meridian, Idaho, just outside Boise. "Until this year."
This year, for the first time, Walker, 44, and his colleagues made appointments with several state senators and representatives. They wanted to meet the people responsible for making healthcare decisions in Idaho, particularly those that concern Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that helps pay for healthcare for low-income people and many people with disabilities. In those meetings, the Idaho team learned of a bill the state legislature was considering to authorize a Medicaid waiver proposal (specifically, a "Complex Medical Needs Waiver Application") from the governor that would move some people with rare diseases such as hemophilia from commercial insurance to Medicaid. Walker's group then scrambled to determine if the proposed bill would help or hurt the bleeding disorders community.
In the end, the Idaho bill did not pass, but it taught Walker, a civil engineer who has severe hemophilia B, a valuable lesson: the need for active and engaged state advocacy. "We have to watch out for similar bills in the future and determine what they mean for our community," says Walker. "If we hadn't gone there and talked with them, we would not have even known that it was happening."
Given recent challenges to healthcare coverage at the federal level, national advocacy such as NHF's annual Washington Days remains critical. But local action is just as, if not more, necessary, say patient advocates and chapter executive directors across the country.
Tackling 'little fires'
"The state level is where the real work of healthcare change is going to happen in the next few years, and it's an easier place to work in many regards," says volunteer advocate Bob Graham, 53. "You have a smaller population, a more focused legislative body, and the ability for patient communities such as ours to organize more effectively and efficiently."
Graham, who has mild hemophilia A, lives in Varysburg, New York, about four hours from Albany, the state capital. He's been active in the bleeding disorders community for the past 30 years and focused on legislative advocacy for more than a decade. As public policy coordinator at the New York State Bleeding Disorders Coalition, much of his work has been done in partnership with other patient groups that share similar goals.
"A lot of the issues tend to affect more than just the bleeding disorders community," says Graham. He spent about six years, for example, collaborating with 20 other patient organizations, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, to reform step therapy policies in New York. Step therapy, also known as "fail first," allows insurance companies to override a doctor's prescription in favor of other, often cheaper, medications that patients must try first. Only if that medication fails to treat an illness successfully will the insurance company consider authorizing more expensive medications.
"But there were no limits to how many drugs they could make you fail on," says Graham. "All the while, you're not getting the right treatment." In 2016, the New York state legislature passed a law limiting the use of step therapy. That law, the product of state advocacy efforts by a coalition including Graham, went into effect last year. "That was huge," says Graham. "But there's always something else, always lots of little fires all over the place."
A new generation
On the other side of the country from Graham, Madonna McGuire Smith serves as executive director of the Hemophilia Foundation of Oregon, in Corvallis, about 45 minutes south of the state capital, Salem. When Smith started in 2013, she made state advocacy a top priority. Her chapter held its first State Day in 2015.
"At the time, nobody in Salem had ever heard of us," she says. "Now legislators know who we are. They call me to ask what's going on, to set up meetings and to find out if we support a bill. The more active we become, the more they want us on their side."
Last year, the Oregon chapter focused a lot of attention on what Smith calls midyear switching, in which insurance companies, often with little or no warning, change their coverage of medications. Here's what can happen: A patient signs up for a health insurance policy that requires only a $10 copay for prescription drugs. Then the insurer informs the patient that his or her medications now require a 25% to 50% coinsurance payment, potentially costing them hundreds of dollars or more.
"We want patients to be able to sign up for a year and have no changes during that year—no midyear switching," says Smith, 55, who has three teenagers with von Willebrand disease and a 10-year-old with severe hemophilia A. "Otherwise, how can you plan financially? Not to mention that patients can't change their policies except during open enrollment."
So far, the Oregon chapter is still seeking a legislative win on issues such as midyear switching, but success comes in many forms. In a few short years, Smith says, advocates have formed valuable relationships with state legislators that likely will bear fruit down the line. And she especially singles out the chapter's strong cadre of teen advocates.
"Four years ago, we started our teen advocacy program, and it's taken off by leaps and bounds," Smith says. Each year, about 15 teen advocates spend the weekend before State Day preparing to train adults and families on how best to communicate with state senators and representatives. The teens themselves meet with legislators as well.
"They have truly become the face of advocacy for Oregon, and the elected officials love to talk with them," says Smith. "These kids come in well-educated and know how to tell their stories, they know what the legislation says. They are so prepared for that Monday morning when we hit the Capitol."
Success in Ohio
Storytelling is an essential part of being an advocate, says Randi Clites, associate director of the Northern Ohio Hemophilia Foundation and advocacy coordinator of the Ohio Bleeding Disorders Council. It conveys the daily challenges of life with a bleeding disorder to lawmakers who make decisions that impact people's lives. "Everybody has a story to share," says Clites.
This year, Clites and her Ohio colleagues introduced a state advocacy ambassador program. Ohio's bleeding disorders community is organized into five regions, and two ambassadors were selected from each region to sit on statewide committees and to testify before state legislative committees.
As in other states, advocacy in Ohio involves identifying key legislators and getting to know them. "We're very strategic in finding champions for our issues," says Clites, 42, whose 16-year-old son, Colton, has severe hemophilia A. "Then we build relationships with them and give them information that supports what we think is important to our community."
It's a strategy that's worked. In 2017, lawmakers proposed changes to a special medical needs program that assists Ohio families with their healthcare expenses. The changes would have moved that program from the Department of Health into the Department of Medicaid, which focused solely on managing costs. Together with a grass-roots network of families, Clites organized a campaign that directed letters and calls to legislators and provided written testimony to both the Ohio house and senate.
"We not only saved the program from being moved," says Clites, "we got an increase in the program's budget from $7.5 million to $10.5 million."
Protecting the community
In South Carolina, advocates are currently focused on two related issues: access to care and standards of care.
"If you are a person who lives in South Carolina and are affected by hemophilia or von Willebrand disease, there should be a blanket standard of required services to which you have access," says Sue Martin, executive director of Hemophilia of South Carolina. "We're working with our state legislators on that."
Such access, Martin says, needs to include treatment at federally funded hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs), insurance plans that include HTCs in network and specialty pharmacies that can meet the needs of those with bleeding disorders.
Like her colleagues around the nation, Martin emphasizes the importance of relationships and storytelling. "The biggest thing is being able to sit down at the table and explain the uniqueness of bleeding disorders and what that looks like at the patient level," says Martin, 60, who has three children with moderate hemophilia B and two grandchildren with von Willebrand disease.
Advocacy efforts in South Carolina have led to a safety-net program that helps people without insurance, and advocates are pressing lawmakers to reinstate a premium assistance program for those who can't afford monthly health insurance payments.
"The state has been very good to us in terms of those programs, and we're working to make sure that they stay," says Martin. This year, advocates made their eighth trip to the state capital, Columbia, for the South Carolina chapter's State Day. "They know who we are down at the statehouse," says Martin. "They know our community."
NHF State-Based Advocacy Coalition
Now in its sixth year, NHF's State-Based Advocacy Coalition (SBAC) program supports 17 NHF chapters and coalitions. When it began in 2012, five original grantees (California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Texas) received funds and assistance to respond to challenges affecting the bleeding disorders community, particularly access to care.
In 2015, five additional states—Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri and Oregon—joined the program. These chapters partnered with NHF to create strategic plans, held state advocacy days at their Capitol buildings and laid the foundation for sustainable year-round advocacy programs. In 2017, the two Pennsylvania chapters, Hemophilia of South Carolina and the New England Hemophilia Association, joined the coalition.
"The team felt strongly about finding creative ways to bring more chapters on board while maintaining relationships with current participants," says Nathan Schaefer, senior policy director at NHF. "We created a new component to the program—more competitive advanced grants for chapters who want to further their programs. Capacity building is still at the core of what we do, and we are excited to bring on three more chapters in 2018: Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wisconsin." In addition to financial support, grantees receive strategic guidance from NHF's national policy team, networking opportunities, grass-roots advocacy training and policy analysis.
Over the past six years, NHF chapters' increased involvement in state policy-making has led to important progress. In 2017, 30 NHF chapters hosted a state advocacy day and 22 chapters secured a state proclamation/resolution declaring March as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month. The SBAC program will continue to grow and help chapters advocate for the health and well-being of the bleeding disorders community.
Learn more about NHF's Advocacy and Healthcare Coverage initiatives at the NHF website.
6 Ways to Celebrate Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
4 Ways to Become a Bleeding Disorders Community Advocate
6 Things to Think About When Choosing a Nonprofit to Support
NHF's Washington Days Advocacy Event Mobilizes on Healthcare


As humans we are part of nature, which feeds us literally. In spite of that we often place ourselves above and we think we have the right to use nature as it pleases us. Nature develops through time, people who try to hold on to their acquired values are standing still.


Since its introduction in 1925, Mobil Delvac has been providing long engine life and high performance protection for truck engines and drivelines throughout the world in all conditions.
Throughout its history, Mobil Delvac has set the benchmark for lubrication excellence. Its commitment to research and technological development, as well as global availability, have made Mobil Delvac one of the world's most widely used brands of heavy-duty engine oil today.
Find out which lubricant is right for your vehicle using our product selector tool.
With over 90 years of oil expertise, the Mobil Delvac™ engine oils range is one of the most highly developed Commercial Vehicle lubricants available. Mobil Delvac is trusted by millions of truck professionals worldwide.
Mobil Delvac™ is chosen by several of the world's leading and largest heavy-duty truck engine builders, for factory ('initial') fill and service fill ('workshop') requirements. Find out which Mobil Delvac lubricant to use in your truck here.
Our commitment to be at the forefront of lubrication technology, together with our proven performance record means we are the lubricant of choice for owner-operators and fleet owners.
Mobil Delvac Express is designed to offer a fast, easy, while-you-wait oil change.
Find out more information about Mobil Delvac.
Download our Mobil Delvac wallpapers.


text:
package io.jmnarloch.cd.go.plugin.sbt;

/**
 * The SBT command.
 *
 * @author Jakub Narloch
 */
public class Sbt {

    /**
     * The SBT command.
     *
     * @return the sbt command
     */
    public static Command sbt() {
        return SbtCommand.INSTANCE;
    }

    public interface Command {

        String unix();

        String windows();
    }

    private static class SbtCommand implements Command {

        private static final String SBT_UNIX = "./sbt";

        private static final String SBT_WINDOWS = "./sbt.bat";

        private static final SbtCommand INSTANCE = new SbtCommand();

        @Override
        public String unix() {
            return SBT_UNIX;
        }

        @Override
        public String windows() {
            return SBT_WINDOWS;
        }
    }
}


Start 360 Total Security download now, for free!
Developer: Qihoo 360 Software Co. Ltd.
360 Total Security is a free antivirus solution to secure Windows system against viruses, trojans, malware, etc. This antivirus security suite is using five engines: 360 Cloud Engine, 360 QVMII, System Repair Engine, and optional Avira and Bitdefender.
By default, the antivirus uses 360 engines, and you can activate Avira and Bitdefender antivirus engine from the main window. The security suite is packed with system protection modules like USB Drive Protection, Network Threat Blocking, Malicious Behavior Blocking, File System Protection, Registry Protection, Auto-Scans Files When Saved, Auto-Scans File When Opened, Bitdefender Scan Engine and Avira Scan Engine. Privacy protection includes Webcam Protection and Keylogger Blocking feature.
The security suite is packed with free sandbox feature allowing applications to run in an independent environment without the risk of operating system to fail.
You can easily run programs in sandbox from system contextual menu, or by selecting an app from run a specific program available in Sandbox interface. Moreover, using the sandbox you can mark apps to run in sandbox, and cleanup all settings at shutdown.
In addition, the software checks Wi-Fi network for security errors, allows you to quickly scan the system and selected locations using quick scan, full scan, or custom scan. The platform offers features responsible for speeding up your PC.
On the Speedup, we can find recommended settings for programs and services running on the system. With the help of this module, you can quickly free up system resources and increase the efficiency of the system. Database Speedup recognizes more than 52,000 applications.
From the Tool Box menu you have access to modules like registry cleaner, firewall, sandbox, ransomware decryption tools, system backup cleaner, game booster, browser protection, instant setup, patch up or 360 document protector. 360 Total Security download is available for Windows 32- and 64-bit version.
Is 360 Total Security safe?
360 Total Security is 100% safe antivirus solution packed with additional features. They are optional so you will not install unnecessary components. You can start the download and use the antivirus software absolutely for free.
The Full Check option allows users to quickly resolve computer security and performance issues with one click. Use this feature to detect malware, clean registry, remove system junk, bootup speed optimizations, enhance system performance, repair system, and remove the vulnerability.
Virus Scan helps users to find and remove malware threats by scanning system components, files, or selected folder. You can activate and deactivate here antivirus engines, manage quarantined files, Sandbox, firewall, or 360 Ransomware decryption tool with support for thousands of od decryption algorithms.
360 Speedup can help you to optimize your computer performance and startup time. With just one mouse click the app will optimize system configurations and disable unnecessary startup and background programs.
360 Speedup will scan startup items, application services, system services, autorun plugins, desktop icon cache, file system, network performance, system indexing service and more. You can also manually configure settings to your specific preferences using 360 Speedup.
Save disk space and improve computer performance by cleaning unused files with 360 Cleanup.
This module provides tools to scan Windows system junk files, game and application junk files, junk files created by watching videos and listening to music, cache files generated by browsers, Windows Modern Application cache files, and more.
The software offers a module-based tool box where you can decide what kind of features provided by the software use.
You have access to AirSendit allowing you to send files to mobile devices like iPhone or Android, Game Booster will automatically boost the game performance when lunching, Browser Protection prevent unauthorized software to change browser homepage or search engine, Patch Up installs all system updates, Registry Cleaner cleans registry junks, System Backup Cleaner removes old backups to restore free space etc.
360 Total Security Premium is a paid version (about 19 USD) of this great antivirus solution packed with additional features like Desktop Organizer, an advanced desktop assistant to tidy up messy desktop with one click and keep it clean, Data Shredder to fully destroy deleted files, Privacy Cleaner totally removes your traces, including browser history, program activities, system run history, Firewall with monitor of bandwidth, and Driver Updater that makes it easy to keep all Windows drivers updated, Disk Analyzer will help you to view what is taking up system disk space at a glance. 360 Total Security Premium also supports themes.
360 Sandbox can be executed from system contextual menu. Simply click on an app you like to run in an independent environment with right mouse button, and select from the options Run in 360 Sandbox. You can also access this feature from app interface.
360 Total Security is a free antivirus solution that works on Avira and BitDefender engines. The multiple engine protection includes also 360 Cloud Scan Engine, 360 System Repair Engine, and 360 QVMII AI Engine. The antivirus software is bundled with Antivirus, Anti-Malware, and Anti-Ransomware module, and it offers one of my favorite sandbox features. Sandbox runs a isolated environment to run untrusted programs, preventing any changes to the host system. 360 Total Security download is available for Windows users. The free 360 protection is packed also with Webcam Protection, Keylogger Blocking, Downloaded File Scan, Online Shopping Protection, and Malicious Website Blocking. You have also access to variety of tools like registry and file cleaner, document protector and more.


What is Real Time Information?
Real Time Information will show you when your bus is due to arrive at your bus stop so you can plan your journey more accurately.
Buses are equipped with an onboard computer, GPS navigation system and a radio which allows them to report their position to a central computer. The central computer then estimates how long the bus will take to reach all bus stops along the route.
How can I get Real Time Information?
You can access Real Time Information a number of different ways depending on where you are or what suits you. The easiest way to access Real Time Information is by entering your bus stop number on dublinbus.ie or TransportforIreland.ie, by texting on your phone or by using the Dublin Bus Apps.
How do I find my bus stop number?
You can find it on the top of the stop just below the Dublin Bus castle symbol.
Are all bus stops included?
All 5000 bus stops and shelters on the Dublin Bus network are included. For details on the stops that have Real Time Information displays see TransportforIreland.ie.
Which bus services are available on the system?
All Dublin Bus services are available except for Nitelink services, tours and special events.
This has been developed by Dublin Bus on behalf of the National Transport Authority. Dublin Bus is responsible for the automatic vehicle location system and the real time arrival predictions for its buses.
The National Transport Authority, established in 2009, has responsibility for contracting and securing the provision of public passenger transport services for the travelling public, including information services. You can visit their website at nationaltransport.ie.


Sherry Luo is an undergraduate at the University of Georgia pursuing a B.S. in Genetics and a B.A. in English. The recipient of the 2016 Georgia Poet Laureate Prize, she is the author of Imperative of the Night (The Lune, 2017). Her work appears or is forthcoming in Atlanta Magazine, Figroot Press, The Madras Mag, Mandala Journal, and The Shanghai Literary Review.


There is a great deal that motivates Lucia Avery, the latest recipient of Top Energy's Engineering Scholarship.
A stand out all-rounder, the Kerikeri High School student is excited by problem solving, which she has applied to a number of academic, creative and recreational disciplines.
Engineering, particularly chemical and material, she believes will satisfy her curiosity and provide the best platform to make positive changes within the environment and society. She has decided to undertake her degree at Canterbury.
A keen sailor and skier, Lucia is aware of the privilege of living within easy access to beaches, bush walks and the ocean.
She wishes to work in a field where these resources are preserved for future generations and anticipates a demand for environmental solutions through innovation. Sustainable energy sources and eco-friendly material alternatives are fields that Lucia would like to explore further professionally.
Beyond her academic excellence, Lucia has also demonstrated strong leadership qualities and a commitment to supporting fellow Northland students reach their potential in engineering and the sciences. Specifically, she would like to promote female interest and success to introduce more diversity and innovation into the field.
As a Year Nine prefect, Keri Reading Tutor, Peer Support Leader, member of the Executive Student Council, sporting achievements, as well as other leadership roles within her school and the community, Lucia has consistently shown a willingness to take on challenges.
Lucia's application on paper was impressive and during conversations with the judges she showed an ease and composure belying her young age. The judges mentioned that she decisively knew what she wanted, where she was going, and was determined to get there.
Chief Executive Russell Shaw is impressed by the talented pool of students in the Far North and encourages them to get their applications in for the next selection round in August 2019. The scholarship can open up opportunities that may not have been previously available to the student.
The Top Energy Engineering Scholarship provides $8,000 per year of study, for a maximum of four years. It aims to assist Far North students who wish to study an engineering (honours) degree, and who have already achieved an excellent academic record.
The scholarship is part of a suite of sponsorship initiatives offered by Top Energy for the benefit of the Far North community.
These include the Electricity Rescue Helicopter – an essential lifeline for remote rural communities, and the Top Energy Business Development Fund, which offers grants to existing or new businesses which have the potential to grow the economy in the Far North.
For more information on the Engineering Scholarship please go to: www.topenergy.co.nz/sponsorship.


text:
Viewing the Cosmos from Brooklyn Bridge Park
By Claude Scales on October 10, 2010 7:28 pm in brooklyn bridge park, Events, Nature
AstronomyOnline.org
Last night your correspondent went to Pier 1, where members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York had set up telescopes to view various objects visible in the sky at the time. The moon and Venus having set earlier, the brightest of these objects (other than passing airplanes) was the giant planet Jupiter. Through the telescope it could be seen as a circle, with its four largest moons–Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, and Io–clearly visible, as in the photo above. (There was no equipment for taking photos through the telescopes, so I've gleaned from the web photos that most closely approximate what we saw.) I could just make out one of the dark cloud bands that circle the planet; another viewer with keener eyes said he could see the famous red spot. (More photos and text after the jump.)
www.eyetotheuniverse.com
Next, we viewed the Ring Nebula, or M57, a "planetary nebula"–the remains of a star that reached the end of its lifespan–found in the constellation Lyra. "M57″ means the Ring nebula is the 57th object listed in the Messier Catalog, compiled in the 18th century by the French astronomer Charles Messier, who sought to list all the diffuse objects seen in the night sky that were not comets. Some of these are nebulae, or gas clouds, and some are clusters of stars, all within our own galaxy, but some, like M31 in Andromeda, are other galaxies. We tried to find M31 last night, but it was too low in the sky, so that the ambient city light masked it.
www.exo.net
The star Albireo, in the constellation Cygnus, was almost directly overhead. To the naked eye, it is a single point of light, but through the telescope it is revealed to be a double star, consisting of a brighter golden-yellow star, Albireo A, with a fainter bluish companion, Albireo B. While the two stars are, by astronomical standards, quite close together, it is not clear that they are a true binary system, in which the gravitational attraction between them is strong enough to make them orbit each other. Such binary, and even triple or multiple, star systems are common; perhaps the best known being Alpha Centauri, a triple system, one of the components of which is the closest star to our solar system.
www.tricountyastronomers.com
Our final observation of the night was the open star cluster M11, known as the "Wild Duck", in the constellation Scutum. It appeared as a faint, fan-shaped smudge in the sky.
Thanks to the Amateur Astronomers Society for a most enjoyable evening.
New Restaurant, Cloverhill, Opens on Columbia Place
11201, Amateur Astronomers Association, pier 1
The Pipes, the Pipes Are Calling….
Foodie Heaven at Brooklyn Historical Society
davoyager
You would do well to look to the moons of Jupiter. If there is a self aware space fairing life form in the sol system in 4 or 5 billion years, that is where they will be living.


The Fall Colors in the Bishop area are the last week of September and first week October. Autumn is our favorite season! Trees are ablaze in hues of orange, yellow, gold and crimson. Enjoy warm, sunny days and mild evenings. There's a hint of winter in the air, but summer won't quite let go.
The Season For Gold & What Causes Leaves to Change Colors?
The Bishop area offers a remarkable contrast of fall color. From majestic cottonwood trees in the Owens Valley, to quaking aspens draping the high country, you'll be delighted by the range of color at various elevations. Hues of gold mixed with some red begin to show in the higher elevations of Bishop Creek Canyon (South Lake, Lake Sabrina) in early September and typically reach their peak during the first week of October. Along the Owens Valley floor, the colors appear later, generally from late September through late October (weather permitting). Color change is very dependent on temperature and forecasting is difficult. We encourage you to revisit this page often during the season to get the most current area fall color information.
>>Read this colorful blog article on fall foliage.


text:
After a day of so far relatively nice heat and the occasional sun, the Scotsmen of Alestorm flew in from California. Sadly, they managed to pull some of the British weather with them on their way, as it got colder and rain began to pebble down...
"It's evil, it's boring, and it's about squid."
- Christopher Bowes (vocals/keytar)
Still, Alestorm was the first band on our schedule for this years' Metalfest, and strengthened by the power of beer we were prepared to give them a go none the less.
There was an ok amount of people gathered, and after a rather silly sounding intro (which, I guess, was exactly what the band was going for) the band thrust away from safe port to sail into uncharted waters.
The first thing I noticed was that they had recruited a new crew- member since our last run in, a Mr. Elliot 'Windrider' Vernon on secondary keyboards and keytar. Or primary actually, since Captain Bowes seemed to spend less time fiddling away on his keytar than usual, without abandoning it completely though. It did add an extra visual treat to the ol' rum keg, watching these two gentlemen battling it out with their respective keytars in hand.
Apart from that though, it was only helmsman Daniel Evans who made a noticeable effort to gain our interest this early afternoon, as he made frequent use of the short catwalk while bending his strings to the wild melodies.
Sadly, the rest of the crew, or much of the time the whole crew in fact, seemed to be weary from the earlier journey, rendering them helpless in the fish-smelling face of the vile sea-creature that is stage-fatigue. In other words, they were far from able to steer this wounded ship on a safe dock on their own.
As luck would have it, the crowd was there to help, but as with any old shanghaied crew, enthusiasm wasn't exactly running high. Sure enough, there was the occasional yo ho ho and a clapping of the hands as the sound of the drums died down. Especially songs like Nancy The Tavern Wench got a good sing along out of the crowd and our throats warmed up, as did Keelhauled which also saw us throw down our oars for a minute to raise our fists to the air in defiance of Neptune and his moist weather.
In the end though, it wasn't enough to make it back to port, and much like the Flying Dutchman, these Scotsmen were from this day on doomed to roam the world, stage by stage, until they fulfill their destiny and deliver a kick-ass show which will not leave a rum-keg in the hall un-emptied.
Midget Saw
Nancy The Tavern Wench
Keelhauled
Death Throes Of The Terrorsquid
Sunk'n Norwegian
Captain Morgan's Revenge
Kyuss Lives!
All Alestorm reviews:
Metaldays - 2013
Karmøygeddon - 2012


My good friend Marcia Montenegro, who graciously co-moderates our Sola Sisters Facebook wall, recently did a show with Janet Mefferd in response to an article in the latest issue of Christianity Today in which a psychological profiling tool known as the Enneagram was promoted as something beneficial for Christians to use. The article, entitled What Kind Of Sinful Are You? encourages the use of the Enneagram, even though, as Marcia discusses with Janet, the Enneagram has its roots in unbiblical mysticism.
Before becoming a born again believer, Marcia was a professional astrologer in Atlanta. And yes, there are actually "professional" astrologers who take serious studies (and have to pass actual exams) based on the occult practice of astrology! Marcia took what she did in the New Age seriously, as I did. Well, we have both repented and turned from our New Age/occultic practices, have become born again believers in Christ, and now we take Christianity seriously, and we both seek to study diligently to show ourselves approved (2 Tim 2:15). Part of that is a desire to help our fellow Christians understand how and why some of the new trends coming into the church aren't always biblical, especially this latest one to become popular, the Enneagram, which was developed about a hundred years ago by a mystic, and is based on occult principles.
We also would do well to remember that ALL that we need to know about how to navigate through our lives we find in God's word, which gives us all that we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). We don't need to turn to personality profiles based on occultic teaching and/or worldly wisdom (1 Cor 1:18-20, 1 Cor 3:18-21).
A friend commented on my Facebook wall that she had briefly dabbled in the Enneagram, years ago, but that she found it very confusing, and also had a sense from the teachers pushing it that there was an acceptance of sin. That is the danger in these kinds of profiles: a minimizing of sin. For example, let's say someone is profiled as a "Challenger" or "Achiever" type in the Enneagram profile, in the same way that in years past they might have been profiled as a "Type A." Well, the problem with such profiling is the tendency for some to then minimize or even excuse certain sinful behaviors perceived to be part of that personality "type" (i.e., an "Achiever" who is excused for being pushy, driven, aggressive, etc., rather than being called to repent).


The real treasure of the Tuscan underground is the typical white truffle that grows in the region together with the black truffle.
We organize half-day truffle hunting tours joined with a truffle tasting in one of the most famous local truffle shops of Tuscany. It is an unrepeatable experience both for nose and mouth!
The activity is guided by a guide and a local truffle hunter and consists in a truffle hunting of 2 hours together with a very well trained dog through the woods of the Pisan hills!
After the hunting a tasting of truffle oil, truffle paste and truffle-based products is arranged in the local truffle shop.