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Egypt\
Displaying items by tag: Israel
No 'peace process' to destroy, but Trump's Jerusalem decision is dangerous
By Phyllis Bennis
US president Donald Trump's plan to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and potentially to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, is not going to undermine peace efforts – because there are no peace efforts underway. Protests have already begun, and anger is rising not only among Palestinians but across the Arab and Muslim worlds, among numerous governments including key US allies, and among people across the globe. Understanding what this move represents means viewing it from two different perspectives.
Taken at face value, recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital reflects Trump's need to placate his key Israel-backing donors, particularly the casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, and the Christian Zionist component of his right-wing evangelical base. Pro-Israel partisans in Congress orchestrated a law in 1995 mandating the embassy move, but giving the president a way out – the president could waive the requirement if national security might be at stake. Every president since has taken advantage of that waiver – including Donald Trump six months ago. Congressional Israel-backers could blame the president, the White House could lament that security threats prevented the move...everyone was happy. But Trump's campaign commitment to move the embassy is more important to more influential supporters than was true of earlier presidents. Plus Trump's failure to win legislative victories (until the recent potential disaster known as the 'Republican tax scam') meant he had more incentive to make good on his Jerusalem promise.
Trump called this move 'the recognition of reality'. It should be noted that it has been US policy itself – support for Israel, billions of US tax dollars sent to the Israeli military every year, acceptance of Jewish settlements in occupied Arab Jerusalem, protection of Israel in the United Nations – that is largely responsible for that reality. The UN resolution partitioning Palestine into what were supposed to be [thoroughly unfairly apportioned] Jewish and Palestinian Arab states, also recognised a special status for Jerusalem – it was to belong to neither 'state', but rather be a corpus separatum, a separate body to remain under international control. Israel claimed West Jerusalem as its capital, and in 1967 when it illegally occupied the eastern half of the city after the Six-Day War, it announced the annexation of Arab Jerusalem and forcibly unified the city as its capital. No country in the world recognised the annexation, and since that time legally binding UN Security Council resolutions continue to reaffirm that East Jerusalem remains occupied Palestinian territory. Trump's decision stands in direct violation of international law.
But US violations of international law regarding Israel is an old story. Decades of US actions accepting, acknowledging, allowing (even if sometimes rhetorically criticising) the expansion of illegal Jews-only colonial settlements in occupied Arab Jerusalem and across the West Bank set the stage. Decades of rewarding Israeli violations of UN resolutions and international law concerning Jerusalem with billions of dollars in economic and military support set the stage. Vetoing Security Council resolutions condemning illegal Israeli settlement building in Jerusalem set the stage. What's new this time around is the deliberately provocative, reckless nature of the decision to placate donors whatever the risk – the risk of violent responses across the world, let alone the risk of further violation of Palestinian rights.
What is not at risk is the role of the United States as an honest broker in sponsoring peace talks. Why? Because the US never was an honest broker in Israel–Palestinian talks, it was always, as at least one long-time US negotiator admitted, playing the role of Israel's lawyer. That hasn't changed either. There are no negotiations underway to be threatened with cancellation.
Sowing chaos and threatening more war across the region
The second perspective has far more to do with the regional situation, and the war-driven, anti-diplomacy foreign policy of the Trump administration. Aside from donor pressure, US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the threat to move the embassy, have to be seen in the context of the effort led by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to consolidate a powerful anti-Iran coalition across the Middle East with ostensible enemies Israel and Saudi Arabia at its core.
Trump has anointed Kushner his point man on reaching the 'ultimate deal' on Israel–Palestine. It's less about any claimed interest in peace than about the collaborative regional plans being hatched by Kushner and his new BFF, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, known as MBS. Together the two crown princes, as it were, are trying to bring Israel and Saudi Arabia together in a newly overt alliance against Tehran. To pull off that kind of normalisation of relations between these ostensible enemies and not risk losing power, or worse, requires changing the rhetoric, if not the actual circumstances. Enter the so-called 'new Israeli–Palestinian talks'. If the ambitious young Saudi prince can convince the majority of the royal family and at least a majority of Saudi citizens that somehow new talks mean the end of the conflict and we can all stop worrying about the Palestinians, then normalisation of relations with Israel suddenly looks more acceptable. Such a partnership portends a serious rise in the threat of war – with not only the United States but Israel and Saudi Arabia, plus Jordan, the UAE, Egypt and more, openly unified against Iran.
Just a week or so before the announcement about Jerusalem, the Trump administration threatened to close the PLO office in Washington unless the Palestinians accepted Washington's terms for new negotiations. Those US-brokered talks would be based on pro-settlement, human rights-violating conditions that no Palestinian leader could ordinarily accept. If some Palestinian leader – the current head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, or some other leader if the Saudis force Abbas to quit as they reportedly threatened – accepts a deal legitimising permanent Israeli control of Palestinian land, Saudi Arabia can easily slip into a cosy partnership with their erstwhile enemy.
The timing remains a question. Why would Kushner and his father-in-law make the goal of an Israeli–Saudi alliance against Iran more difficult by such a provocative move regarding Jerusalem? Part of the answer has to do with the primacy of Israel over Saudi Arabia in Kushner's world – regardless of his recent bromance with MSB. Kushner has been a supporter of illegal Israeli settlements for years; in his role in one of his family's foundations he helped orchestrate tens of thousands of dollars donated to Israeli settlements. According to Newsweek, 'The foundation donated at least $38,000 between 2011 and 2013 to a fundraising group building a Jewish seminary in a West Bank settlement known as Beit El. During that period, Kushner's foundation also donated an additional $20,000 to Jewish and educational institutions in settlements throughout the region.'
Somehow the Trump son-in-law forgot to mention those transactions when he filed financial reports required for his top-level security clearance. But it fits a pattern. In late 2016 Kushner ordered Michael Flynn, then the Trump campaign's top foreign policy adviser, to persuade Russia to delay the imminent UN Security Council vote criticising Israeli settlements. President Obama had decided to abstain and to allow the resolution to pass; Trump wanted the Russians to delay the vote so the new administration could veto it. But Moscow refused to play along.
If you just listened to the official rhetoric from both governments, something like a Saudi–Israeli alliance appears unthinkable. But it turns out that many 'unthinkable' developments in the volatile Middle East are actually quite thinkable – although it usually means there's a price to be paid. Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital has been bandied about as a threat for years despite international law. The fundamentalist Saudi government has all but publicly pined for open relations with Israel despite Tel Aviv's continuing violations of Palestinian rights. National leaders may pay a political price for those moves. But the real price – potentially in destroyed lives, devastated cities and more – will be paid by the people of Iran, who will likely face even more crippling sanctions and a growing threat of war; by the people of Yemen, where the US-backed Saudi war continues to escalate with horrific humanitarian consequences; potentially by Lebanon, where Saudi interference is again on the rise; and as always by the Palestinians, who have paid the price for US support of Israeli occupation and apartheid for more than seventy years, and have just been sold out again.
There are no Israeli-Palestinian peace talks under way that might be threatened by US recognition of Jerusalem. But the move certainly makes peace – or justice – anywhere in the war-torn region far less likely.
Phyllis Bennis directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. Her most recent book is Understanding ISIS and the New Global War on Terror. Other books include Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer, Understanding the U.S.-Iran Crisis: A Primer, Ending the Iraq War: A Primer, and Ending the Us War in Afghanistan: A Primer.
Decades of US diplomacy has failed: Why the US wants to shut down PLO office
On 18 November, just days before the fiftieth anniversary of United Nations Resolution 242, the US State Department took its first step towards severing its ties with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
The timing of this decision could not be any more profound.
The first formal contact between the US and the PLO occurred in mid-December, 1988, when US Ambassador to Tunisia, Robert H. Pelletreau Jr., picked up the phone to call the PLO headquarters in Tunis to schedule formal talks.
Palestinian PLO officials were 'elated' by the fact that the US made the first move, as reported by the New York Times.
This assertion, however, is quite misleading. For over a decade prior to that 'first move', PLO's chairman, Yasser Arafat, had to satisfy many US demands in exchange for this low-level political engagement.
The 'talks' in Tunisia were prolonged, before the PLO was ready to make its final concession in secret meetings in Oslo, Norway in 1993.
Eventually, a PLO office was opened in Washington DC. It served little purpose, aside from being an intermittent platform to arrange Washington-sponsored talks between Israeli and PLO officials. For Palestinians living in the US, it was almost invisible until the US announced its decision to possibly shut it down.
The American threat followed a United Nations speech last September by Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Chairman of the PLO. From an Israeli-US perspective, Abbas committed a mortal sin for seeking the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take Israel to task regarding its human rights violations in Occupied Palestine.
By doing so, Abbas, not only violated a peculiar US law that forbids the PLO from seeking ICC help, but also an unspoken rule that allowed the US to engage the PLO in 1988, where the US served the rule of the political and legal frame of reference for the so-called 'peace process.' The UN took a backseat.
But even that unequal relationship proved too much for the US government, which is moving fully and unconditionally into the Israeli camp. The Trump Administration is now working to rewrite the nature of US involvement in the Middle East, and, especially, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Unfortunately, Trump's team has no concrete strategy and no frame of reference, aiming to change 50-years of US foreign policy – unfair to Palestinians and Arabs – but has no alternative plan of its own.
Almost a year ago, Trump made a promise to Israel to be a more trustworthy ally than President Barack Obama, who gave Israel more money than any other US president in history. Obama, however, had violated a golden rule in the US-Israeli relationship: he did not veto a UN resolution that condemned the illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel panicked at that unprecedented event, not because it feared that the UN Security Council would enforce its purportedly binding resolution, but because the US had, for once, refused to shield Israel from international censure.
Even before officially taking over the White House, the Trump team attempted to prevent UNSC Resolution 2334 from passing. It failed but, come January, it took over the Israeli-Palestinian file with a vengeance, threatening to cut off funds to Palestinians, blocking their efforts from expanding their international reach, and declaring its full and unconditional support for the rightwing government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
But there was more to Israeli alarm at Resolution 2334 than mere US betrayal. This Resolution - which asserted that Israeli settlements have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of human rights – was partly predicated on, and clarified and added to, previous UNSC Resolution 242.
This means that 50 years of incessant Israeli attempts to absolve itself from any commitment to international law have failed miserably.
For Palestinians, and the larger Arab context, Resolution 242 marked their defeat in the war of 1967. Unsurprisingly, this Resolution has been cited in various agreements between Israel and the PLO, but only to give these agreements a veneer of international legitimacy.
However, the Oslo Accords of 1993 gave Israel the opportunity to use its leverage to bypass international law altogether: signing a peace agreement without ending its military occupation became the goal.
Against this backdrop, it is no wonder that Netanyahu was quite shocked to witness that a recommitment to Resolution 242 last year at the UNSC did not garner US opposition. Actually, the longstanding Resolution gained more substance and vigor.
The June 1967 war was Israel's greatest military victory, and Resolution 242 enshrined a whole new world order in the Middle East, in which the US and Israel reigned supreme. Although it called for withdrawal of Israeli military from Occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, it also paved the way for normalization between Israel and the Arabs. The Camp David Agreement between Egypt and Israel was a direct outcome of that Resolution.
This is why Resolution 2334 has alarmed Israel, for it invalidated all the physical changes that Israel has made in 50 years of illegal occupation of Palestinian lands.
The Resolution called for "two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, liv(ing) side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders".
Unlike Resolution 242, Resolution 2334 has left no room for clever misinterpretation: it references the pre-June 1967 lines in its annulment of the Israeli occupation and all the illegal settlements Israel has constructed since then.
The Resolution even cites the Fourth Geneva Convention, the UN Charter and the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of July 2004, which stated that Israel's barrier in the West Bank was illegal and should be dismantled.
With international law, once more, taking center stage in a conflict which the US has long designated as if its personal business, Abbas was empowered enough to reach out to the ICC, thus raising the ire of Israel and its allies in the White House.
Even if the PLO's office is permanently shut down, the decision should not just be seen as punishing Palestinians for seeking ICC support but, ultimately, as the culmination of disastrous US diplomacy, for which the Trump Administration has no clear alternative.
- Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and editor of Palestine Chronicle. His forthcoming book is 'The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story' (Pluto Press, London). Baroud has a Ph.D. in Palestine Studies from the University of Exeter and is a Non-Resident Scholar at Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, University of California Santa Barbara. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net.
Saudi-US-Israeli convergence on Lebanon, Iran
By Na'eem Jeenah
The dramatic news out of Saudi Arabia over the past week, including stories of arrests of members of the royal family, assassinations, purges and torture are not entirely a domestic matter. There is most certainly an international dimension to it, as evidenced by the coerced resignation of Lebanese prime minister, Saad Hariri, Saudi threats against Lebanon and Iran, and the Saudi call for its citizens to leave Lebanon. That international dimension, it is becoming clearer, also includes the USA and Israel.
Soon after Muhammad bin Salman (or MBS as he is often referred to), the king's son and now crown prince of Saudi Arabia, was appointed deputy crown prince, he began ingratiating himself to the US Trump administration – with the assistance of the UAE, and is now close friends with Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, who was briefed about last weekend's crackdown a week before when he saw MBS on a 'personal visit' to Saudi Arabia. There are numerous reasons why MBS would want the kingdom and the US to strengthen relations that had frayed over the US approach to the 2011 uprisings in North Africa, and particularly, their lack of support – from the Saudi view – for Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak. One of those reasons is the common hatred of Iran that both MBS and Trump have. Both administrations are bitterly unhappy about the Iran nuclear deal (which the US signed onto during the Obama administration).
In this, MBS has also made common cause with Israel. And that has led to a developing relationship between the Saudis and Israelis. It was recently reported that the Saudi crown prince visited Israel on a secret but official trip, an unprecedented occurrence. And, less than a day after MBS arrested dozens of potential rivals in Saudi Arabia, the Israeli foreign ministry sent a cable to its foreign missions asking them to piggyback on the Saudi repressive actions in order to ramp up criticism of and action against both Iran and the Lebanese group Hizbullah. The classified cable, made public by Israel's Channel 10 News, also asked Israeli diplomats to express support for the Saudi war against Yemen, which has become a humanitarian nightmare.
Israeli diplomats were told to contact foreign ministries in their host countries, and reiterate the Saudi position on Hariri's resignation, using it to paint Hizbullah and Iran as "destructive", and to pressure the host governments to regard Hizbullah as a "danger to the stability of Lebanon and other countries of the region".
Israel regards Hizbullah as probably its second most dangerous enemy after Iran. It was, after all, Hizbullah which forced Israel to end its occupation of areas in the south of Lebanon, and which withstood a sustained war by Israel in 2006. However, Hizbullah is a legal political party in Lebanon, and is part of the government headed by Hariri.
Not long after the Israeli cable, Saudi Arabia, strangely, announced that Lebanon had declared war on the Saudi kingdom – simply because Lebanon has Hizbullah as a political party. Many Lebanese interpreted that announcement as a Saudi declaration of war, a perception that was strengthened when, on Thursday, the kingdom called on its citizens in Lebanon to evacuate the country. Clearly, the Saudi and Israeli agendas not only dovetailed with each other, but were, in fact feeding off and reinforcing one another.
There is a strong belief among Lebanese people and commentators on Saudi Arabia that the Lebanese prime minister, Hariri, was forced by MBS to announce his resignation, and that he is being held prisoner in the kingdom, along with the scores of others arrested last Saturday night. Even Hariri's own Future Party made similar comments to the media later in the week. Hariri announced his resignation on Saudi TV rather than on his own TV channel, and did so from Riyadh rather from his own country. In an announcement that was scripted for him, Hariri blamed his resignation on interference in Lebanon by Iran, and non-cooperation with Hizbullah.
Trump's tweets of support for the authoritarian actions of MBS reinforce the common agenda between Saudi Arabia, Israel and the US. "They know what they are doing," he said, referring to MBS' crackdown, which included Saturdays arrests – including those of two sons of the former king, a son of the former crown prince (who was also sacked from his position as head of the powerful National Guard), numerous businesspeople (including Waleed bin Talal, one of the richest men in the world), heads of three major media networks, and former ministers. Through these moves, MBS has taken full political control and sidelined all other sections of the Saudi royal family; he now has complete control of all sections of the Saudi security and armed forces; he is able to shape the Saudi narrative as he wants it; and he has prepared the way for his father's abdication and his ascension to the throne – without any criticism from other Saudis.
That he is in the process of transforming an authoritarian system and power structure into an even more authoritarian absolute monarchy where all power is controlled by one person does not faze Trump or the Israelis. Indeed, as the Israeli cable indicates, such authoritarianism can be useful in the effort to isolate Iran and destroy Hizbullah.
The repercussions of this triumvirate of cooperation can be catastrophic for a Middle East region that is already mired in a number of wars – with large parts of Syria and Yemen completely destroyed, facing humanitarian disasters, and is dealing with more than 13 million displaced people (mainly from Syria and Yemen). While Iran is more than capable of defending itself against all three, Lebanon, more than 20 percent of whose population is refugees from neighbouring Syria and Palestine, is now under psychological, propaganda, diplomatic and military threat from both Israel and Saudi Arabia. With a fragile political system, the country is bracing itself for a possible external attack from Israel, and internal upheaval from Saudi-funded extremists. If such actions begin, Lebanon could be plunged into another civil war that could destroy the country. And it is quite likely that all three countries will bring their battle with Iran onto the African continent as well.
The newly-emerging Saudi-US-Israeli alliance could prove to be disastrous for the Middle region and for Africa.
Na'eem Jeenah is the Executive Director of the Afro-Middle East Centre
* This article was first published in the the Sunday Independent and Sunday Tribune in South Africa
Bahrain's call to normalise ties with Israel
Published in Bahrain
Recent statements by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa criticising the Arab boycott of Israel and advocating Bahraini visits to Tel Aviv, point to the increasing normalisation of Gulf Arab states with Israel under the auspices of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Al-Khalifa's statement can be read as as a testing of the waters by Saudi Arabia, and partly as an attempt to gain favour with the US administration to form an alliance against Iran. It is also part of a bigger trend among Gulf Arab countries to normalise links with Israel, thus likely resulting in a decrease in the already-limited support for the Palestinians.
The statements, disclosed by Abraham Cooper and Rabbi Marvin Hier of the pro-Israel Simon Wiesenthal Center, emerged following the participation of Bahrain's Prince Nasser Al-Khalifa in an event of the centre, and his visit to the pro-Israel Museum of Tolerance, both in Los Angeles, USA. The Wiesenthal Centre event was funded by Bahrain, and, during it, Nasser, accompanied by over forty Bahraini officials, signed a declaration on religious tolerance, which was endorsed by Hamad. In an indication of his royal family's attitude to Israel, Nasser agreed to the playing of the Israeli national anthem at the event, and respectfully stood for it. The king's subsequent silence reinforces the veracity of the revelations, and illustrates his regime's confidence that no reputational harm will result. Cooper and Hier also announced their intention to construct a 'tolerance museum' in Bahrain's capital Manama. The Wiesenthal Centre built a similar museumover the Ma'man Allah Muslim cemetery in East Jerusalem, despite opposition from Palestinians.
Manama often touts its treatment of minorities as a regional exemplar, mainly in an effort to deflect from criticism of its suppression of the Shi'a majority, which has endured systematic marginalisation, and which regularly experiences state violence, including torture, including at the hands of Nasser. Incidences of such violence have increased since the 2011 Middle East uprisings that saw large protests in Bahrain and resulted in the deployment of Gulf (mainly Saudi) troops to Bahrain in March 2011.
Hamad's statements point to a broader pattern of Gulf Arab normalisation with Israel, partly in an attempt to contain Iran. In recent years, visits between Israeli and Gulf officials have increased, and covert cooperation and intelligence sharing between the Gulf and Israel has intensified. In July, Britain's The Times reported discussions between Saudi and Israeli officials aimed at fostering economic ties, while some reports claimed that bin Salman secretly visited Israel in August. Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, had previously invited the crown prince for an official visit, and Netanyahu has repeatedly recently bragged that Israeli-Arab ties were at their best levels. Saudi Arabia and Israel have common cause in their desire for a regional bloc to contain Iran, which Saudi Arabia sees as threatening its regional aspirations. Bahrain fears the influence of the Islamic republic on its Shi'a population, which comprises two-thirds of the total. Bahrain often accuses Iran of meddling, and has instrumentalised this to crack down on dissent. These dynamics have been bolstered by the US president, Donald Trump, his vigorous support for Israel, and his focus on containing Iran at Tel Aviv's request. Saudi, Bahraini, and Emirati officials have enthusiastically supported Trump's administration, leveraging their connections with Israeli sympathetic think tanks to garner favour.
It is thus likely that Hamad's comment was issued with Saudi endorsement. This is especially since the Bahraini monarchy is dependent on Saudi largesse for its survival. Saudi troops remain in Bahrain, and, in 2012, Riyadh unsuccessfully sought GCC unification as a means to protect the Bahraini regime, and to consolidate Riyadh's influence in the council. Moreover, Bahrain generates most of its revenue from the Saudi Aramco-controlled Abu Safah oilfield, and is disproportionately reliant on Saudi tourism. Bahraini foreign policy has thus been beholden to Saudi Arabia. Manama touted GCC unification in 2012, and Bahrain is a key supporter of both the 2014 Gulf ambassadorial recall from Qatar and the 2017 blockade on Qatar. Hamad has also defended the Saudi king, labelling twitter critics as Qatar proxies, and threatening Bahrainis sympathetic to Qatar with five-year imprisonment terms. This despite the fact that Bahrain-Qatar ties regarding oil exploration and trade had been increasing since 2014, and Bahrain, unlike Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is supportive of its Muslim Brotherhood-styled party, Minbar Al-Islami.
Warming Gulf ties with Israel are likely to damage the already-debilitated Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation. The flawed 2002 Arab peace initiative, which proposed Arab governments normalise ties with Israel in return for Israeli relinquishing of territories occupied since 1967 and Tel Aviv's partial endorsement of the Palestinian right of return, will be rendered more irrelevant as Israel will no longer see any need to make any concessions. Israel's strategy of negotiating with individual Arab states has seen results, and this is likely to continue. Moreover, Gulf Arab regimes are increasingly forcing Palestinians to forego their aspirations in an attempt to speed up this process. Gulf and Egyptian support for Mohammed Dahlan to succeed Mahmoud Abbas can be partially understood in this light, especially since Dahlan maintains good ties with Israel, and is willing to consider land and population swaps as part of a 'peace' initiative.


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The Richest Of The Rich In El Salvador Book ===> DOWNLOAD
On the other hand, Mexico has the most valuable silver in the world with an estimated value of $3 billion. Money laundering through the drug trade in Mexico and Central America has resulted in many of the super-rich being linked to cartels. Mexico City is the capital and most populous city of Mexico. It is both the municipal and federal seat of Mexico, and the capital of the State of Mexico. United States immigration enforcement authorities began the process of deporting Salvadorans. Pleasant and more tranquil than the border cities of Tijuana or San Diego, El Salvador is now home to a growing number of billionaires. (…) A number of Salvadoran smugglers have built wealth in El Salvador, and some have become prominent businessmen in the country. Many have ties to the Los Angeles-based Cali drug cartel, which accounts for a substantial portion of the illicit trade in Latin America. The LA Times has a good article about the use of the Salvadoran refugee crisis to pursue policy: Y ou had President Bill Clinton's secretary of state and then-national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, drive home the point that the best way to stem the tide of refugees from El Salvador was to help the guerrillas and undermine the military-dominated government. To a great extent, that is what did happen in the 1980s. But the side effect was that one of the richest countries in Latin America, just over the mountains from the most violent country in the hemisphere, now has a large population of poor Salvadorans who would rather leave. The Salvadoran government controls its border with Honduras. (…) The Salvadoran government has been relatively open about its efforts to reduce illegal immigration. In one such effort, it began paying $300 monthly to each of 500 migrants who gave up trying to cross the border illegally. The institute was created in March 1996 by Bill Clinton's National Security Council, which wanted to develop new policies on Central America, mainly Nicaragua, but also El Salvador and Guatemala. (…) US politicians may have supported the overthrow of the government of Salvador Allende in 1973, in the hope that the country would become a client state with its wealth used to pay for US goods, but they soon changed their tune. The Carter administration, in particular, became much tougher, and one of its main priorities was to oppose any government that might be sympathetic to the Sandinistas. As far as the CIA was concerned, there were three options for the Salvadorans: fight the gu

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Australian Wage, Housing Data Suggest Beginning of an Economic Slowdown
SYDNEY, Australia -- Australian wages rose only modestly in the second quarter, while housing approvals fell unexpectedly in July, supporting the view that the economy is slowing.
That should keep interest rates on hold through 1999 but doesn't rule out an interest-rate rise in 2000 ahead of the introduction of income-tax cuts in July 2000, analysts said.
The Bureau of Statistics said Australian wages, excluding bonuses, rose 0.6% in the second quarter from the first quarter of 1999 and were up 3.2% from a year earlier, according to a wage cost index. The quarterly rise was in line with median expectations. The index measures movements in underlying wages by calculating the change in the wage and salary cost of a basket of jobs.
Housing Slowdown
The bureau also said the number of housing finance approvals in Australia fell a seasonally adjusted 4.4% in July from June, starkly at odds with the 2.5% rise expected by analysts.
In trends terms, which smooth out seasonally adjusted data, housing approvals rose 0.4% in July. But the rate of growth in finance approvals has been slowing for five months, the bureau said.


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(, Beacu, Beaçu, Beasu) ist ein Dorf im Süden des osttimoresischen Verwaltungsamts Viqueque, Gemeinde Viqueque. Der Ortsname leitet sich aus der lokalen Sprache Tetum Terik ab. Be bedeutet "Wasser", asu "Hund".

Geographie
Beaco besteht aus den Ortsteilen Loho Oan und Maluro und liegt auf einer Meereshöhe von  an der Timorsee. Etwas östlich befindet sich das Kap Ponta Deilubun (Ponta Beaco). Bis 2015 gehörte Beaco zum Suco Fatudere, nun ist es Teil des Sucos Maluru.

Beaco verfügt über eine medizinische Station und eine Grundschule. Vor der Küste befindet sich ein Ankerplatz, der einzige der gesamten Gemeinde und einer der neun Möglichkeiten für größere Schiffe in Osttimor anzulegen. Eine Brücke überspannt in Beaco den kleinen Fluss Beaco. Über sie führt eine der wichtigsten Straßen Osttimors, die entlang der südlichen Küste verläuft. In der Nähe Beacos gibt es einige Höhlen. Archäologische Untersuchungen entdeckten dort aber keine interessanten Funde.

In Beaco soll ein Flüssigerdgasterminal für 943 Millionen US-Dollar von einer chinesischen Firma, innerhalb von vier Jahren gebaut werden, sobald die Finanzierung geklärt ist.

Geschichte
Die Naueti-Sprecher in Beaco bilden eine Sprachinsel, abseits der anderen Gebiete in denen Naueti dominiert. Nach mündlichen Überlieferungen aus Daralari (Suco Babulo) sollen sie von dort stammen. Die Vorfahren der Beaco-Naueti wurden laut der Überlieferungen als Kriegsgefangene an die Küste gebracht, um sie hier gegen Feuerwaffen einzutauschen.

Nahe Beaco landeten 1974 indonesische Truppen und drangen weiter Richtung Baucau vor, als das Nachbarland das gerade neun Tage unabhängige Osttimor besetzte.

Einzelnachweise

Ort in Viqueque (Gemeinde)

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Q: Does PIP/Python support multiple versions of the same package? Let's say I have a package foo, and foo packages up binary shared objects that I use in multiple Python scripts.

*

*Foo v1 (shared objects)

*

*Bar v1 (requires Foo v1)

*Baz v1 (requires Foo v1)

Now I want to push out a new breaking update to Foo.

*

*Foo v2 (shared objects)

*

*Bar v2 (requires Foo v2)

*Foo v1 (shared objects)

*

*Bar v1 (requires Foo v1)

*Baz v1 (requires Foo v1)

Can old-dependencies with different major versions in semvar be distributed over PyPI? If so, how?

A: Pypi can and will track multiple versions of the same package without issues.  You can also explicitly reference a specific version of a package when installing a package with pip.
However a given environment (or virtual environment) will only carry a single version of a given package.  If you ask pip to update BAR to V2 then FOO will also be updated and the FOO V1 will be replaced.
To develop with FOO V1 and FOO V2 concurrently on the same computer you would have to use virtualenv and create a separate virtual environment where each version of FOO will reside without interfering.  Each will have it's own site-packages carrying each one specific version of the package.

Virtualenv will create alternate "installations" of python using the main installation as a model.  You can then switch to the virtualenv and install any package you want in there and they will remain with this specific environment.
deactivate will return you to the global environment.
Create a second environment and install a different set of packages in there.
Then you can easily switch from one to the other by running the activate script from each environment (depending on your platform the actual script might differ slightly, under windows it will be in env-root/Scripts/activate.bat or activate.ps1 if you prefer working from powershell)
Install virtualenv
pip install virtualenv

create an environment FIZ in the current folder
virtualenv FIZ

Activate this environment (assuming windows normal shell)
FIZ\Scripts\activate.bat

you will see your prompt change adding FIZ stating you are in this environment.
Anything you install will be limited to that FIZ environment and will only be available once it is activated.
pip install click

For example will install click (a library to help create command line interface) at the latest version.
pip install click==6.1

will remove whatever version of click and replace with version 6.1 explicitely
deactivate the environment
deactivate

create a second environment FUZ
virtualenv FUZ

activating this environment will allow you to install a different version of click (or whatever) than was present in FIZ and both will live concurently on your computer but only one can be used at any given time.  Though technically you could open two shell windows and have both environment alive at the same time.
Hope this helps !
Here some additional reading on the subject

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*Getting started with pip and virtualenv

*virtualenv official documentation

*pip user guide (installing packages and dealing with versions)

*Pip quickstart
and finally I warmly recommend the Hitchhiker's guide to python helped me a lot to get up to speed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


You are looking for a way to stay warm at night. Maybe an extra blanket isn't helping and a hot water bottle won't cut it.
You still have two more options: a space heater or an electric blanket.
Both provide even heating, you can control the precise temperature and they are relatively inexpensive. But which one is the best in terms of cost, energy efficiency, heating effectiveness and ease of use?
Both electric blankets and space heaters are affordable heating options. With £50 or less, you can get a good quality 1500W space heater and a decent Queen size electric blanket.
Of course prices for each vary a lot based on size, heating capacity and extra features.
For space heaters, there are small £10 heaters with a capacity of just 500W. These are good for much smaller rooms.
On the pricey end of the scale, you'll come across £80+ heaters with wattage of 2000W or more.
As for electric blankets, price varies mostly with size. Double size blankets can cost as little as £20 while King sized blankets go for £60 or more.
Generally, in terms of price, there isn't much difference between these two options. So let's move on to the other important factor.
The simple question here is: how well and quickly does each warm you up?
The answer is easily an electric blanket.
The main downside of a space heater is exactly that…it has to heat an entire space. This takes time compared to an electric blanket which only has to warm the bed.
It's even slower if you get a heater that is too small for the size of the bedroom.
An electric blanket will warm up the bed in just a few minutes and keep it warm even after you turn it off.
One other thing I love about electric blankets is that they are better able to maintain a specific temperature.
Some even have dual control where you set a different temperature for each side of the bed. That's great for couples who can't agree how warm or cool the bed should be.
Electric blanket wins again. It is much more energy-efficient compared to a space heater.
An electric blanket uses very little energy to warm up the bed. After all, it doesn't have to warm an entire room.
Most electric blankets consume no more than 200 watts per hour of electricity on the highest setting.
Assuming you use the blanket for 5 hours a night, that's 0.2kWh (200W/1000) * 5 which comes to 1kWh per day.
Assuming your electricity provider charges you 14 pence per kWh, that comes to a total running cost of 14 pence per day and around £4.20 per month.
In a year, you'll spend around £50.
A 750W space heater on the other hand will use 3.75kWh daily when run for the same amount of time as the blanket (750W/1000 * 5hrs). The daily running cost is 3.75kWh * 14 pence which comes to 52 pence.
The monthly running cost is approximately £15 and the yearly bill comes to around £180.
The energy costs of a space heater go up the more powerful the heater is. So a 1500W or 2000W heater run for 5 hours daily is going to cost you even more.
This one is an easy win by space heater.
You can only use an electric blanket in the bed. It doesn't warm up any other area of the room and you cannot easily move around with it.
An electric heater on the other hand is much more versatile. It can warm you while in bed, while reading on the desk and you can easily move it to another room.
You tend to feel really chilly in bed and need something to warm you up quickly and evenly.
You have varying sleep temperature preferences from your partner. A dual control electric blanket can help.
You are looking for a solution that will not shoot up your bills.
You want something that will heat the entire room rather than just the bed.
You want something that will keep you warm around the house even when you are not in bed.


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82°, Fair
The city with spirit
National religion
Lifestyles home
TV newsie Brandi King reflects on move into PR
By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG
Brandi King, senior communications specialist for Whirlpool in Cleveland, recently shared why she decided to work with the global appliance manufacturer after years in TV journalism. Many may …
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BRANDI KING, senior communications specialist for Whirlpool in Cleveland, speaks to the Bradley Sunrise Rotary Club.
Banner photo, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG
Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2019 10:20 am
"I did not leave for any bad reasons; it was just time to move forward. I was blessed in life to have had the opportunity to do the career I had always wanted." "
— Brandi King
Brandi King, senior communications specialist for Whirlpool in Cleveland, recently shared why she decided to work with the global appliance manufacturer after years in TV journalism.
Many may know her by the pseudonym she used for nearly 14 years with WTVC NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga: Sarah Jennings.
"I did not leave for any bad reasons; it was just time to move forward," she told the Bradley Sunrise Rotary Club. "I was blessed in life to have had the opportunity to do the career I had always wanted."
King said journalism was a dream of hers from the time she was in elementary school. She remembers raising her hand in class and telling everyone she wanted to become "the next Barbara Walters."
Though she "did not quite make it to Barbara Walters status," she enjoyed getting to share the news of her community while building strong relationships with people in it.
King is a native of Bradley County and graduated from Bradley Central High School. She later went on to earn a bachelor's degree, double-majoring in communications and political science at the University of Tennessee.
"I love Cleveland and Bradley County," King said. "I just love this community and the people in it."
She noted that during her tenure at WTVC, she got the chance to help develop a segment called "Pay It Forward," which honors the lives of those making an impact on their communities. She said this was very gratifying and allowed her to meet impactful people.
She also noted she was able to see the giving nature of people in Cleveland after tornadoes hit the area in April 2011. Many did not hesitate to help their neighbors recover, she said.
Despite the highlights of her journalism career, King decided a career change would be best for her family. She is a mother of three children, and having to travel to Chattanooga early in the morning necessitated going to bed at 6 p.m.
"I missed out on a lot of my older children's milestones in life," King said.
Now that she is working in communications for Whirlpool, she is continuing to stay involved with her family and community while working with some "great, kindhearted people."
During a question-and-answer session afterward, King told the Rotarians she has enjoyed learning about the company and being involved with communication efforts within the company and with the public.
Approximately 1,500 workers are employed at Cleveland's Whirlpool manufacturing plant which produces cooking appliance brands such as Maytag, JennAir, KitchenAid, IKEA and more. Approximately 800 people also work for the consumer call center in Cleveland.
King could not speak about upcoming product launches or other future company endeavors. However, she did express optimism when someone asked about the former Whirlpool site downtown.
"It's a positive outlook for our community, especially as we look to revitalize certain parts of the town," King said. "I am looking forward to the finalization of some of these plans and to be able to pass these along to you once they are complete."
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ok on the key puzzle i am able to get the first to sticks to move but not the third one. why is that? and are the sticks on the bottom half not suppose to move?
ok i was able to get the first four sticks by making them in a diagonal shape. Is there something I'm suppose e to do differently with the 5th one?
Naiomi666 wrote: ok i was able to get the first four sticks by making them in a diagonal shape. Is there something I'm suppose e to do differently with the 5th one?
Hmm, I'm having trouble with the key puzzle as well. Like Naiomi, I was able to get the first four pins and then had no idea what to do with the fifth one. I tried all sorts of positions but could never move to the sixth pin. Is it possible to post a screenshot or give an approximation as to how many spaces each pin should be moved? (Or if that's revealing too much, a PM could be sent to me instead.) Thanks.
phoenixgirl wrote: I tried all sorts of positions but could never move to the sixth pin. Is it possible to post a screenshot or give an approximation as to how many spaces each pin should be moved?
Okay, so you have a lock and it has all those sticks hanging down. Imagine that you're pushing something wedge-shaped into the lock, like >. The first thing that goes in is the tiny pointy tip of the wedge, so it nudges just the first stick up a little bit. Then you keep pushing the wedge in further, so the pointy tip hits the second stick and nudges it up a tiny bit, while the first stick is pushed up even higher because the wedge is further in, so a taller part of the wedge is under the first stick.
If you were pushing in something that was totally wedge-shaped, all the sticks would keep being adjusted in a diagonal line like that, to show the wedge-shape as it moved into the lock.
But the key isn't a perfect wedge shape. The front part of the key is, but after a while when you push the key in further, the first stick will be over a spot where it would fall DOWN to match the notches in the key. You have to look at the picture of the key and figure out where all the pieces go at each stage.
Yup, I got it now. Thanks.
Now I'm off to play it again and try for a different ending.
For some dumb reason i can't seem to get past the 6th of 7th stick. Can someone pm me on how to do this puzzle?
Ok. I'll send you a PM regarding what to do.
I was wondering could pm me too.
Ok, I just sent the PM to you. Good luck.
hey i've been able to move all 13 sticks...is there a trick with one of the sticks either stick 1 or stick 13 to be able to unlock with the key?
like everyone else said, imagine the key entering the lock. The pins don't just magically spring into place, they jumble up and down as the key progresses.
can i have a PM too????????????
Can anyone send me a PM too???????? Because i m stuck in the last 3 stick. thanks. my e-mail address is ginnie_862004@yahoo.com . thank you so much.
I'm can't do the puzzle about the bottle... Someone can help me, please?


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My Stockton
Stockton Council
Economic Regeneration and Transport
Arts Culture and Leisure
Environment and Housing
Big plans, bright future
Cycling hub rolls into new home on Stockton High Street
A NEW cycling and walking centre offering everything from free bike parking to guided rides and walks has opened in Stockton High Street.
'The Hub' has relocated from Bridge Street to the former Burton's shop, which has been brought back to life through a beautiful restoration by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
It is managed by Sustrans, a charity which is all about making it easier for people to make their everyday journeys on foot or by bike.
What does The Hub offer?
The Hub not only offers free bike parking with no hourly limits (but please collect it the same day) but also a wealth of free information, advice and training on all things walking and cycling.
The Hub team runs weekly guided walks and rides around Stockton, and training courses on cycle maintenance, learning to ride, and on-road cycling.
It even offers free bike MOTs every Thursday, run by qualified volunteer mechanics – just bring your bike in before 11am.
The Hub is now based in the former Burton's store, opposite the Parish Church, at the Stockton High Street entrance to Wellington Square.
What do councillors think?
Councillor Mike Smith, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: "This is another great example of the Council investing in sustainable travel in the Borough.
"The Hub was the first centre of its kind in the UK and provides a brilliant service to our residents, offering advice on everything from your school run to your daily commute.
"Moving The Hub to such a prime location at the heart of Stockton High Street makes it worthy of its name. It also happens to be a great example of what the Council can achieve when it steps in and takes control of an empty building.
"This beautiful old building was standing empty but we have been able to step in and take control – renovating it to a very high standard and finding a new use for it, in this case, as the home of a valuable public service.
"I would encourage anybody to see what the service can do for them. I bet there are many attractive places in the Borough to cycle and walk that you weren't even aware of!"
When is it open?
The Hub is open from 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.
The Hub is now open so pop in if you have any questions. Alternatively, visit https://thehubstockton.wordpress.com/
Browse this section
Magic, potions and snakes: What to expect at the fifth Harry Potter Book Night
Could picking up a new qualification, skill or hobby be your New Year's resolution?
Last chance to apply for primary school places
'High Streets should follow Stockton's lead' – Minister's praise as Council prepares town centres funding bid
'I'm seeing customers I haven't seen in years' – Yarm businesses say parking changes are having the desired effect
Plan to purchase Durham Tees Valley Airport – statement from the Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
"It's sound" - Government planning inspector endorses Local Plan ahead of consideration by councillors
St George's Day, International Women's Day, Baby Loss Awareness Week - Stockton-on-Tees' 2019 lighting programme is revealed
New games area 'will bring the community together'
"It puts us in a much stronger position" says Leader as Stockton-on-Tees Local Plan is adopted
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Disclaimer © 2020 Stockton Council


2009Easter_017, originally uploaded by roanne0012.
A couple weeks ago, I picked up the semi-new Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8(Tokina ATX 116 PRO DX) for my D90. I've read awesome reviews about it and finally got my hands on it.
I love it, it's awesome, sharp, and has minimal distortion at 11mm. I tested it out Easter weekend during the kids' Easter Egg Hunt at a friend's house.
The photo above was taken with the Tokina 11-16 at f/3.5. No flash was used, some cropping and vignetting was done post processing (in lIghtroom).
Great! I went back and forth between the 11-16 and the 12-24. Availability made me get the 12-24. I love how minimal and easily fixed the distortion is with the lens and I know it is the same with the 11-16. I use mine a lot for interior architecture.
The expression on the little girl's face is excellent and I like how you captured the light in her eyes.


text:
Home Tags Posts tagged with "piaget"
Inside Piaget Chadstone: What to expect in the maison's first Australian boutique
by Hours and Minutes Australia December 14, 2018
A few weeks ago, we were invited to the official opening of Piaget's first Australian boutique in Chadstone, Melbourne. Chadstone over the past few months, has welcomed quite a few watch maisons into its centre including Rolex, Panerai, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Montblanc; all promising to take your retail therapy a notch higher.
Guests were able to witness the maison's outstanding luxury watch and jewellery collections, through a comfortable open lounge featuring large textured paintings and glass display cabinets evoking the brand's 'Sunny Side of Life' mindset. Inspired by the first Salon Piaget in Rue du Rhône, Geneva, Piaget Chadstone, is one of the first in the world to launch with the 'new Salon' design.
As we entered the boutique we were greeted by an extremely warm staff including Gaspard Barthelemy, Brand Manager, Piaget Australia and Anna Bobroff, Marketing and Communications Executive, Piaget Australia, who also gave us a tour of the some of the boutiques highlights:
Piaget Polo S Watch G0A43011
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Automatic Watch G0A43120
Piaget Altiplano Watch G0A38130
Designed as a space for living and for sharing special moments, the boutique leads customers on a journey through a series of exquisitely designed private spaces. From the façade, with its high arches bathed in light and elegant hanging showcases, to the interior's play on mirrors and textures, shadow and light, the store captures and reflects the radiant personality of the Maison Piaget. Gold crafted into woven swatches, symbolic of the Maison's expertise, juxtaposes with vivid jewel colours of coral red, lapis lazuli blue, pink sapphire and emerald green that evoke Piaget's passion for precious gems and gemstones.
Visitors are encouraged to discover private, more intimate spaces, from an initial dressing-room style alcove clad in brass and coloured glass to the small elliptical displays arranged on shelves. A comfortable open lounge featuring large textured paintings and glass display cabinets invites guests to relax and enjoy the Maison's collections on display, from the iconic Possession and Piaget Rose jewellery to Altiplano and Polo watches, as well as exceptional boutique-exclusive creations.
Echoing this mood, on the other side of the space is a small library with oval tables that provide a more informal sales area. Two large, half-open doors give way to the last, most exclusive area, the 'Piaget Society Salon', an intimate space lined with grey coloured wood, subtly evoking mother-of-pearl and giving the luxurious feel of a private club.
Chabi Nouri, CEO of Piaget added, "We are incredibly proud to open our first ever boutique in Australia. Maison Piaget has close ties with clients all over the world, and we love to be able to be able to share our collections, our stories and our society with them when they are at home. We have many wonderful clients in Australia already, and we are delighted to welcome them, as well as many new friends, to our first Australian Salon Piaget in Melbourne".
For more information, contact or visit Piaget Chadstone @ G-477 Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone VIC 3148
Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH 2017) – An eye for time
by Hours and Minutes Australia February 20, 2017
There's no better way to start the year than with the SIHH. It's like Christmas for watch lovers, after all 11 months can be quite a wait. By the looks of it, we can tell you for sure that 2017 is going to be an exciting one. For more than 25 years, this fair has illustrated the best examples of fine watchmaking. The 27th chapter was all about change with more members included, bringing the total number of exhibitors to 30 – a record for the SIHH, which simply meant one thing… more hustle and bustle for us and more wrist magic for you. Yes, of course, we were at Geneva for the year's first major watch showcase soaking in the energy and excitement and we're super excited to bring you our top picks, which will make their way to Australia later this year.
A. LANGE & SÖHNE – 1815 ANNUAL CALENDAR
With a manually wound movement, analogue date, day and month indications as well as a moon-phase display, the 1815 Annual Calendar presents itself as a classic interpretation of a complication that is both attractive and useful. Here's where it gets interesting for mechanical lovers. The 1815 Annual Calendar consists of a calendar that can take into account the month with 30 or 31 days, automatically switching to the right date at the end of the month. If the watch hasn't been used for a long time, a fast adjusting device at 2 o'clock makes it possible to collectively advance all indications. For the first time in a Lange calendar model, the date can also be separately advanced with an additional recessed push piece. Talk about german engineering !! The argenté-coloured background of the classic dial, blued-steel hands, contrast-rich black Arabic numerals and peripheral railway-track minute scale grace the dial in subtle beauty. Calculated to remain accurate for 122.6 years, the moon-phase display is integrated into the subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock. This would without a doubt have to be the Saxon Manufacture's highlight of 2017.
AUDEMARS PIGUET – ROYAL OAK PERPETUAL CALENDAR IN BLACK CERAMIC
Let us introduce you to a universally loved collection of Audemars Piguet. Presented entirely in brushed black ceramic, the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is truly next level stuff. The finishing of this 41 mm case and bracelet takes approximately 30 hours to machine, hand polish and put together in comparison to the steel or gold equivalent which takes 6-7 hours. On the dial is Audemars Piguet's signature Royal Oak "Grande Tapisserie" guilloche in slate grey with black sub dials. Priced at around 110K, the ceramic perpetual calendar will be available in the second half of 2017.
CARTIER – DRIVE DE CARTIER EXTRA FLAT
It's been the talk of the fair. The new Drive de Cartier Extra Flat is all about "less is more", with a case 40% slimmer (7mm) than the original Drive de Cartier which was introduced at the SIHH last year. Still available in the same cushion-shaped case design, it lends an unaffected touch of sophistication to everyday mechanics. The absence of a guilloche dial adds to the simplicity of the watch. The silvered satin-brushed dial with sunray effect is beautifully complemented with signature Cartier Roman numerals and blue steel sword-shaped hands. Beating inside this 39mm white gold case is Cartier's manually-wound mechanical Caliber 430MC movement. Apart from the limited edition white gold version, the 2017 Drive de Cartier Extra Flat is also available in a pink gold version. In our books, a true winner!
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN – DA VINCI AUTOMATIC MOON PHASE 36
A masterstroke from IWC! The 'Da Vinci' collection of the 90s was a runaway success and it was only a matter of time before they brought back their beloved classic watch. This ladies' watch with a moon phase display is in red gold with a bronze coloured alligator leather strap. The recessed inner circle adds a more pronounced three-dimensional structure to the silver plated dial and emphasizes circularity as a design feature of the line, accentuating the femininity of the watch. IWC have foregone their tonneau shape case (of the first Da Vinci collection) for a more classic round look. Where wearability is concerned, the Da Vinci features circular or hinged lugs, which means that the watch is extremely comfortable on the wrist – something not seen on modern watches these days. The watch honours Leonardo da Vinci's contribution to the common understanding of aesthetics during the Renaissance with an engraving of the "Flower of Life" on the back.
JAEGER-LECOULTRE – MASTER CONTROL CHRONOGRAPH
A stunning sector dial and a 12-hour chronograph are the key highlights of this watch. Undoubtedly vintage-inspired with a nod to old legendary chronographs. The dial has a very nice layout with a blue tachymetric scale on the periphery, sector hour markers, skeletonized blue hands and blue transfers on the chrono registers. Beating inside is Jaeger-leCoultre's automatic in-house calibre 751G.
MB&F – HM7 AQUAPOD
The HM7 dives deep down into the ocean for inspiration. The organic jellyfish-inspired design of HM7 Aquapod is counter-balanced by the very mechanical horology within: a central flying tourbillon tops the concentric vertical movement architecture, with indications radiating out from the centre like ripples in a pond. Where a jellyfish generates power from food caught in its tentacles, HM7 generates power from its tentacle-like automatic winding rotor. While it is not a diving watch, it is surely at home in water and has a unidirectional rotating bezel that floats apart like a life buoy. And, like many jellyfish, the HM7 glows in the dark!
MONTBLANC 1858 AUTOMATIC DUAL TIME
The 1858 collection marks a return of Montblanc's vintage font and logo (the Mont Blanc Mountain). With an understated clean vintage look, this watch combines all the essential elements from the vintage 1858 Collection. The allure of the deep black dial is intensified by the cathedral-shaped hands and Arabic numerals enhanced with beige Super-LumiNova. The 44mm case is in satinated stainless steel, while the bezel and crown have been produced in bronze. The inclusion of bronze makes the watch even more interesting considering the metal ages differently for different wearers, which means each watch will be truly unique to its owner! The Dual-time 1858, comes with an in-house developed dual-time module with an extra hour hand. An elegantly engraved caseback and the brand new aged, cognac-coloured calfskin strap finishes the look.
OFFICINE PANERAI – LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC BRONZO PAM00671
Well Hello Bronzo! The new Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo comes with a refreshing new appeal. The 47 mm case is in bronze, used for the very first time with a blue dial. Extremely strong structurally, this material preserves its warm original tones, while acquiring an agreeably worn look from the brownish-green patina which forms over time. This patina is the result of the reaction of bronze with external agents and it has no effect on the intrinsic properties of the material. The manufacture developed self-winding P.9010 automatic calibre testifies to the technical supremacy of the watch. It is a special edition limited to 1,000 units.
PIAGET ALTIPLANO 60TH ANNIVERSARY
2017 is the year of the Altiplano as the thinnest watch celebrates 60 years. Colour and light have always been at the very heart of Piaget's creative signature characteristics. Limited to 260 pieces, the watch is powered by calibre 1203P, an automatic movement with a micro- rotor that's just 3mm high. At 40 mm, the Altiplano exudes an original and refreshing mood entirely attuned to the codes of contemporary elegance!
ROGER DUBUIS – EXCALIBUR CARBON SPIDER
The beast is finally out and this year it's all about pushing the use of Carbon even further. Skeletonised to the end, the watch features a DLC- treated crown, case-back and 'container', all made from titanium. The light yet sturdy material is teamed here with multi-layered carbon for the case, as well as vulcanized rubber on the container and red lacquer lighting up the bezel. Believe it or not, the movement plate, bridges, and tourbillon upper cage is made entirely in carbon. The honeycomb dial décor inspired by automobile radiator grilles creates a perfect background to highlight the 'Astral Skeleton' flying tourbillon.
ULYSSE NARDIN – HOURSTRIKER PIN-UP
A graceful dance on the dial can be a pleasant sight! A charming and delicate figure gazes seductively at the viewer….the sublime work of art is a result of meticulously detailed miniature painting. The hourstriker reveals the sensual curves of the dancer…in one of the most intricate complications in mechanical timekeeping. It comes alive on the hour, the half-hour and whenever the push-button is activated. Artistic and functional this object of beauty changes the very experience of time! Limited to 28 rose gold and platinum timepieces.
VACHERON CONSTANTIN – LES CABINOTIERS SYMPHONIA GRANDE SONNERIE 1860
We're excited to see the brand's first ever grande sonnerie wristwatch! The watch embodies a two- fold technical prowess: creating a supreme complication that only a handful of virtuoso watchmakers in the world are capable of mastering, while making it both simple and secure to use for its owner. The two mainspring barrels can be wound using the crown, and a little switch on the bezel helps select the chiming function. These are the only little clues to the astounding technical feats within, in what otherwise looks like a highly classic and simple watch.


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House to vote on bill to fund government but delay medical device tax
The US House of Representatives will vote on its own bill to end a government shutdown and debt ceiling standoff, Republican lawmakers said Tuesday, just two days before Washington exhausts its borrowing authority.
The Republican plan is similar to a measure being worked up in the Senate, which would fund government through January 15 while extending the debt ceiling to February 7, according to Congressman Darrell Issa.
But he said the House bill will include provisions aimed at chipping away at President Barack Obama's health care law by delaying for two years a medical device tax that helps fund the reforms.
"We're today going to vote a bill that we believe the Senate can accept," Issa said.
"Now if the Senate wants to say 'my way or the highway,' then I suggest that Senate Republicans not go along with that strategy."
The US federal government has been partially shut down for just over two weeks since Congress failed to agree a budget for the new fiscal year, and the Treasury has warned that it will could hit its debt ceiling any time from Thursday.
When asked about the government partnering with Amazon and if that would have helped distribute the vaccine quicker during the Trump administration, Fauci confessed he didn't know.

"No, I don't think I could answer that question. I'd be waving my hands about that. Sorry. But you know, one of the new things in this administration is if you don't know the answer, don't guess," Fauci told the press, chuckling. "Just say you don't know the answer."

NBC News' Peter Alexander later asked him about President Donald Trump's administration and the former president standing behind him. Fauci said he actually wasn't joking about that and having to guess when he didn't know the answer.

The press chuckled along with him.

See the video below:

  Fauci shade  www.youtube.com


text:
Coronacast 13: Carmen
Carmen Diaz-Jusino is a helper. Personally and professionally, she makes it her mission to know what people need and to connect them with others who can help.
Carmen started a new job (as vice president of community development at Bank Newport) during the quarantine. In that role, she builds on her long career as a coach, teacher, nurturer, and enthusiastic supporter for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
She's also working with a group of community members to meet the needs of undocumented Rhode Island residents during COVID-19. As Carmen said, the new immigrant community "is hurting a lot. A lot. They're very scared. A lot of them are sick. It's difficult. This is a very difficult time."
Carmen has hope, though, and it comes from watching others dig deep. "I know we're going to come out of this, and I really hope that the kindness and the humanity that we are seeing stay with us," she offered. "And that we see each other as just human beings, and not as documented/undocumented, just as human beings."
CategoriesCommunity Rhode IslandTags,coronacast


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The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep
John Newnham, Alexis Shub, Alan Jobe, Philip Bird, Machiko Ikegami, Ilias Nitsos, Timothy Moss
Periodontal disease may cause several complications of pregnancy, including fetal death. The purpose of this study was to investigate in sheep the effects of the intra-amniotic injection of lipopolysaccharide from 3 periodontopathic organisms and to compare these effects with those resulting from similar injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. The outcomes that were studied included the rates of fetal death and the features of inflammation and lung maturation in survivors. STUDY DESIGN: At 118 days of pregnancy, ewes that were bearing single fetuses were allocated at random to receive intra-amniotic injections of saline solution (n = 13 fetuses), or lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis (in doses from 0.1 to 10 mg [n = 22 fetuses]), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 6 fetuses]), Fusobacterium nucleatum (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]) or Escherichia coli (10 mg [n = 14 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 7 fetuses]). Surviving fetuses were delivered abdominally at 125 days of gestation (term, 150 days). RESULTS: When compared with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide at similar dosages, periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides had high rates of fetal lethality. Only 6 of 22 fetuses that were exposed to intra-amniotic Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide survived doses of 0.1 to 10 mg, and only 3 of 6 fetuses survived 10-mg Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide did not cause fetal loss when given at doses of 10 mg (n = 14 fetuses) or 1 mg (n = 7 fetuses). Fetuses that survived exposure to these lipopolysaccharides showed features of inflammation in amniotic fluid and cord blood at birth and enhanced lung maturation.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065
10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065
RM sElocation
Newnham, J., Shub, A., Jobe, A., Bird, P., Ikegami, M., Nitsos, I., & Moss, T. (2005). The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 193(2), 313 - 321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065
Newnham, John ; Shub, Alexis ; Jobe, Alan et al. / The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep. In: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005 ; Vol. 193, No. 2. pp. 313 - 321.
@article{6b0ca449c3164ded8b38de0fd7951edb,
title = "The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep",
abstract = "Periodontal disease may cause several complications of pregnancy, including fetal death. The purpose of this study was to investigate in sheep the effects of the intra-amniotic injection of lipopolysaccharide from 3 periodontopathic organisms and to compare these effects with those resulting from similar injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. The outcomes that were studied included the rates of fetal death and the features of inflammation and lung maturation in survivors. STUDY DESIGN: At 118 days of pregnancy, ewes that were bearing single fetuses were allocated at random to receive intra-amniotic injections of saline solution (n = 13 fetuses), or lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis (in doses from 0.1 to 10 mg [n = 22 fetuses]), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 6 fetuses]), Fusobacterium nucleatum (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]) or Escherichia coli (10 mg [n = 14 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 7 fetuses]). Surviving fetuses were delivered abdominally at 125 days of gestation (term, 150 days). RESULTS: When compared with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide at similar dosages, periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides had high rates of fetal lethality. Only 6 of 22 fetuses that were exposed to intra-amniotic Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide survived doses of 0.1 to 10 mg, and only 3 of 6 fetuses survived 10-mg Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide did not cause fetal loss when given at doses of 10 mg (n = 14 fetuses) or 1 mg (n = 7 fetuses). Fetuses that survived exposure to these lipopolysaccharides showed features of inflammation in amniotic fluid and cord blood at birth and enhanced lung maturation.",
author = "John Newnham and Alexis Shub and Alan Jobe and Philip Bird and Machiko Ikegami and Ilias Nitsos and Timothy Moss",
doi = "10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065",
publisher = "Elsevier - Mosby",
Newnham, J, Shub, A, Jobe, A, Bird, P, Ikegami, M, Nitsos, I & Moss, T 2005, 'The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep', American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vol. 193, no. 2, pp. 313 - 321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065
The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep. / Newnham, John; Shub, Alexis; Jobe, Alan et al.
In: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 193, No. 2, 2005, p. 313 - 321.
T1 - The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep
AU - Newnham, John
AU - Shub, Alexis
AU - Jobe, Alan
AU - Bird, Philip
AU - Ikegami, Machiko
AU - Nitsos, Ilias
AU - Moss, Timothy
N2 - Periodontal disease may cause several complications of pregnancy, including fetal death. The purpose of this study was to investigate in sheep the effects of the intra-amniotic injection of lipopolysaccharide from 3 periodontopathic organisms and to compare these effects with those resulting from similar injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. The outcomes that were studied included the rates of fetal death and the features of inflammation and lung maturation in survivors. STUDY DESIGN: At 118 days of pregnancy, ewes that were bearing single fetuses were allocated at random to receive intra-amniotic injections of saline solution (n = 13 fetuses), or lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis (in doses from 0.1 to 10 mg [n = 22 fetuses]), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 6 fetuses]), Fusobacterium nucleatum (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]) or Escherichia coli (10 mg [n = 14 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 7 fetuses]). Surviving fetuses were delivered abdominally at 125 days of gestation (term, 150 days). RESULTS: When compared with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide at similar dosages, periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides had high rates of fetal lethality. Only 6 of 22 fetuses that were exposed to intra-amniotic Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide survived doses of 0.1 to 10 mg, and only 3 of 6 fetuses survived 10-mg Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide did not cause fetal loss when given at doses of 10 mg (n = 14 fetuses) or 1 mg (n = 7 fetuses). Fetuses that survived exposure to these lipopolysaccharides showed features of inflammation in amniotic fluid and cord blood at birth and enhanced lung maturation.
AB - Periodontal disease may cause several complications of pregnancy, including fetal death. The purpose of this study was to investigate in sheep the effects of the intra-amniotic injection of lipopolysaccharide from 3 periodontopathic organisms and to compare these effects with those resulting from similar injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. The outcomes that were studied included the rates of fetal death and the features of inflammation and lung maturation in survivors. STUDY DESIGN: At 118 days of pregnancy, ewes that were bearing single fetuses were allocated at random to receive intra-amniotic injections of saline solution (n = 13 fetuses), or lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis (in doses from 0.1 to 10 mg [n = 22 fetuses]), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 6 fetuses]), Fusobacterium nucleatum (10 mg [n = 6 fetuses]) or Escherichia coli (10 mg [n = 14 fetuses]; 1 mg [n = 7 fetuses]). Surviving fetuses were delivered abdominally at 125 days of gestation (term, 150 days). RESULTS: When compared with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide at similar dosages, periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides had high rates of fetal lethality. Only 6 of 22 fetuses that were exposed to intra-amniotic Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide survived doses of 0.1 to 10 mg, and only 3 of 6 fetuses survived 10-mg Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide did not cause fetal loss when given at doses of 10 mg (n = 14 fetuses) or 1 mg (n = 7 fetuses). Fetuses that survived exposure to these lipopolysaccharides showed features of inflammation in amniotic fluid and cord blood at birth and enhanced lung maturation.
UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16098849
U2 - 10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065
DO - 10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065
Newnham J, Shub A, Jobe A, Bird P, Ikegami M, Nitsos I et al. The effects of intra-amniotic injection of periodontopathic lipopolysaccharides in sheep. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005;193(2):313 - 321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2005.03.065


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