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Refusing to Reconcile: Against Racial Reconciliation
January 19, 2014 by amaryahshaye
Amaryah here. I'm going to be writing what will probably be a three part series on refusing reconciliation due to its anti-blackness and supercessionist white theology, and black disbelief and black theology as necessary to the struggle against white supremacy and anti-blackness.
This series is inspired by many things, but I wanted to note Andrea Smith's essay "The Problem with 'Privilege,'" Daniel Barber's recent paper presentation on immanence and the refusal of conversion in Malcolm X and Taubes, Jack Halberstam's introduction to and the entire collection of essays in the Undercommons by Fred Moten and Stefano Harvey, the film The Best Man Holiday, James Cone's "A Black Theology of Liberation", Delores Williams' "Sisters in the Wilderness," and Ashon Crawley's collection of tweets on blackness and disbelief.
Refusing Reconciliation:
Racial reconciliation Sunday was an odd liturgical interruption every year growing up. Primarily because it was always a failed interruption. For those who have never heard of racial reconciliation Sunday, it is a Sunday, usually in February, when congregations that are predominately one race, usually black and white, come together for something of a liturgical mixer. The host church rotates each year between the two congregations. The guest pastor preaches and the guest choir leads the musical selections. The host congregation welcomes and provides refreshments for the awkward social mingling that happens afterwards. (It's possible this is just another terrible idea Southern Baptists invented. I am not sure.) The intent of racial reconciliation Sunday is to make people friends across racial lines because of our aspiration to unity in Christ. It's supposed to celebrate the diversity of our liturgical styles. It's supposed to interrupt the homogeneity of weekly church gatherings. Instead it is a failure.
Racial reconciliation Sunday's failure is not primarily due to the awkwardness of the gathering or the inability to appreciate different worship and preaching styles. The failure is built into the framework of reconciliation itself. That is, reconciliation is always already a failure because it is always already white (More on this further on).
But it's failure is precisely what becomes it's biggest asset as a Christian framework. Within a Christian narrative of a hope-filled eschaton that will eventually bring about a perfected vision of reconciliation, reconciliation as a framework is an extremely successful failure because it is able to reproduce itself through Christian narrative's of hope and futurity. It is always able to paint itself as the best, most logical, most reasonable, most possible choice for ameliorating our contemporary racial situation because it will eventually be completed in Christ. Like many Christian ideals, it sounds so good albeit a bit challenging. How could any one be against it?
Supercession, Reconciliation, and Anti-Blackness
I want to be clear here that conflict resolution at an interpersonal level is important for life together, but the framework of reconciliation, even when it attempts to speak about justice, values the confession and the future to come above the present. Reconciliation displaces structural analysis for narratives of various experiences that end with a unity in Christ and a theological vision that is white. These narratives are used to imbue hope for the possibility of reconciliation but they actually prevent the possibility of ending white supremacy, anti-blackness, and racism because it is the supercessionist framework itself that is the problem. Reconciliation thus becomes a way of displacing structural dominance and oppression to the level of inter-personal conflict and confessions of privilege, moving our focus away from the ways Christianity itself structures racial domination and racial formation. Because reconciliation is never able to call Christianity itself into question as a problematic framework, only white people. Reconciliation continues to reproduce an inability to recognize itself as that which produces the division in the first place through its narration of identity as things to be superceded. Rather than clarifying relations of power, reconciliation mystifies them.
One of the main ways this mystification of power happens is through the idea that multiculturalism is a remedy to racism. A large vision of reconciliation frameworks is multi-racial congregations. But uncritical deployment of multiracialism as the solution to racism ends up as only representational politics without a confrontation with the larger narrative of reconciliation that erases violence by requiring unity. In many ways, then, the reconciliation framework is emotionally manipulative and ethically bankrupt. It deploys the rhetoric of reconciliation and assembles christian narratives of racial frustrations leading to hope, laments and confessions that reproduce the worst of white guilt, and a religious formation that is a white racial formation, in order to subdue the retaliation to actual repeated abuse blacks experience because of Christian logics of reconciliation, unity, and conversion. Reconciliation is a framework beholden to white theology and, thus, is not capable of confronting the violence of white supremacy. Instead, it must always find hope beyond the now. It must always find a way of turning the narrative of violent erasure into one of Christian triumph. Reconciliation is primarily a narrative trick that deters us from seeing the ways practices of confession, reconciliation, and Christian religious formation, are one of the primary ways white supremacy is maintained and repeated.
Reconciliation is profoundly uncritical in its inability to see that the constant in white supremacy is Christianity and Christian religious formation as unity in Christ that transcends earthly identities and thus holds the logic of the world together. This universal and totalizing logic of reconciliation is precisely the problem. For it is not able to imagine a world that would actually value blackness as blackness, only a world that is able to transform blackness into a lesser whiteness, to transform unreason into reason. Similarly, it is not able to hold a concept of whiteness as a violent and violating unity. It can only think whiteness as a repetition of forgetfulness, or the unthinking itself, that whiteness always performs (present currently in the "post-racial"). It can only think whiteness as a present failure that is not really a failure. A failure that will be made right in the future. For example, John Piper's recent chat with Douglas Wilson [with brilliant twitter commentary by Sarah, here] had Piper applauding Thabiti Anyabwile because he bent over backwards to try and "understand" Doug Wilson's racist treatise defending slavery. In the framework of unity and reconciliation, this is the mode in which blackness can be valued—in how much it defers to and submits to whiteness as the organizing logic around which we must confront race. A secular example of this could also be noted around Mandela's death and the utility Mandela's writings about peace and reconciliation quickly found themselves divorced from his radicalism and one-time support for armed resistance in order to shore up neoliberal ideals regarding democracy, global capitalism's expansion, and hope in capitalism as the harbinger of democracy. In each instance, It is the same position blackness must hold—a thing to be reformed and transformed until it can speak in the language that recognizes whiteness as the savior and the structure of the world's reason.
Because it is not able to recognize itself as a reproduction of the violence of white supremacy and anti-blackness, reconciliation discourse and frameworks encourages the emotional abuse of people of color for the benefit of white supremacy and for the benefit of white people as the primary people who must be borne with in order for the world to really change. It encourages the redemption of a white supremacist world through a reconciliation that extends the white supremacist world in a nicer more inclusive form. Reconciliation sets itself up as the only solution to the problem it creates, as the only remedy to the violence it produces.
In the end, the model of racial reconciliation posits a white positionality. Like James Baldwin's critique of Norman Mailer ("There is a difference . . . between Norman and myself in that I think he still imagines that he has something to save, whereas I have never had anything to lose."), Racial reconciliation still thinks it can save whiteness and white theology through its transcendent white Christ. It still thinks it can save black people and other people of color from blackness, too, through the same figure. It can only figure identities as things to transcend through the unitive figure of incarnation, Christ.
This white redemption and this white Christ is what is refused when reconciliation is refused. The extension of global white supremacy in its Christian and secular forms must be refused. In order to refuse reconciliation, we must first refuse conversion. We must first stop trying to convert people, especially white people, to a framework of reconciliation.
In my next post, I'll think through how black theologies refuse reconciliation and offers us a concept of Christianity that, in this refusal, opens us up to solidarity and life together not based in conversion but based in the now.
http://womenintheology.org/2014/01/19/refusing-to-reconcile-against-racial-reconciliation/


I have been briefed on the findings of the Department of Labour's investigation into the allegations made in a recent documentary on the wine industry.
The Western Cape Government assisted in this investigation, and welcomes the issuing of contravention notices. We also note the law that gives farmers 60 days to take corrective action, and 14 days to rectify the most critical failures.
Of particular concern were the contraventions found at one farm, where workers did not have access to safe drinking water, and where housing was not of an acceptable standard.
While we acknowledge that the farmer has 14 days to deal with these concerns, I have instructed the Farm Worker Support unit within the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, to assist in improving this situation urgently.
My department attended an engagement today (17 November 2016) with the Department of Labour and wine and agriculture organisations during which the investigation was discussed.
Together we agreed on a clear way forward, which will include joint information sessions with the Department of Labour and Agri Western Cape around health and safety training. This has been identified as a key concern. All parties also agreed to increased co-operation and sharing of information pertaining to issues on wine farms.
I am also meeting Social Development Minister Albert Fritz to work on putting systems in place to detect any violations on farms timeously, through the Provincial Department of Social Development's network of social workers.
This investigation has brought clear evidence to light that there are employees in our economy who receive very poor treatment. This was never ever acceptable, and it still isn't. It will not be tolerated. I will be engaging with organised agriculture. We will take a hard line against these acts, and root out offenders. We cannot allow unethical operations at some farms to put people's well-being and an entire industry, which employs over 200 000 people, in jeopardy.
For centuries, workers in South Africa's undulating vineyards were paid some of their salary in wine, a disastrous arrangement called the "dop" system that was outlawed in the early 1960s. The practice unofficially continued for decades under apartheid and has tapered off under strict new laws. But a new film investigating labor conditions in South Africa's wine industry alleges that the legacy of the dop system — and many other old inequities — continue to haunt farmworkers today.
Danish journalist Tom Heinemann, director of the film "Bitter Grapes," visited wine farms in South Africa's bucolic Western Cape, where he found that some workers were allegedly being paid less than the minimum wage, exposed to pesticides, consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol and discouraged from joining unions, among other problems.
Scandinavia is a major importer of South Africa's affordable wine, and the film prompted at least one Danish wholesaler to remove the wines from Robertson Winery, a popular South African company featured in the film, from its supermarkets while the company looks into the matter.


Look at yourself without, while within.
your misguided guides will forget you along that path.
I think you should stay a while.
Experiences are invaluable. They are life changing, soul defining and quintessentially what makes your life what living. As the creator of XENOPHORA I am always so inspired by the experience of the process and its the greatest gift to be able to share that with other people….
I believe that humans, experiences and the overall journey of life is filled with lessons. Everything is a lesson to be learned from. Theres is always the opportunity to grasp the seed of knowing yourself, thus knowing the universe and absolutely nothing at all…..
Texture prints and textiles reminiscent of the jewelry making process of the Detroit Diamond Signet Ring. I mean, when are we not in the mood for texture.
Meet Karissma Yve - a young woman, business owner and fashion designer who grew up in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood.
A peak into the process of how I developed our latest collection of jewelry made entirely of the chemical composition of tears, 006_We've Shed Tears Like Layers of Skin.
By high-demand we are launching a new experience with our founder, Karissma Yve; XENOPHORA Co/Lab.
You will be able to design your own ring (alongside Karissma Yve). She will teach you her alchemical secrets and work with you every step of the way. She will host you in our Atelier/Casting de Khrysopoeia, our sister company's manufacturing facility and design house.
XENOPHORA unveils their collection made of the chemical composition of tears at Linda Dresner. The collection will be exclusively available for pre-order November 16, 2017 to November 18, 2017. Our founder and designer, Karissma Yve will be present speaking about the collection during open hours.


RCED-98-197: Published: Sep 10, 1998. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 1998.
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) progress in making needed management reforms in its national laboratories, focusing on: (1) the recommendations made by various advisory groups for addressing management weaknesses at DOE and the laboratories; and (2) how DOE and its laboratories have responded to these recommendations.
GAO noted that: (1) for nearly 20 years, many advisory groups have found that while DOE's national laboratories do impressive research and development, they are unfocused, micromanaged by DOE, and do not function as an integrated national research and development system; (2) weaknesses in DOE's leadership and accountability are often cited as factors hindering fundamental reform of the laboratories' management; (3) as a result, advisory groups have made dozens of recommendations ranging from improving strategic planning to streamlining internal processes; (4) several past advisory groups have also suggested major organizational changes in the way the laboratories are directed; (5) to address past recommendations by advisory groups, DOE, at GAO's request, documented the actions it has taken, from creating new task forces to developing strategic laboratory plans; (6) while DOE has made some progress--principally by reducing paperwork burdens on its laboratories--most of its actions are still under way or have unclear outcomes; (7) furthermore, these actions lack the objectives, performance measures, and milestones needed to effectively track progress and account for results; (8) consequently, the Department cannot show how its actions have resulted, or may result, in fundamental change; (9) for example, its Strategic Laboratory Missions Plan, which was developed to give more focus and direction to the national laboratories, does not set priorities and is not tied to the annual budget process; (10) few experts and officials GAO consulted could show how the plan is used to focus missions or integrate the laboratory system; (11) DOE's latest technique for focusing the laboratories' missions is the technology roadmap; (12) roadmaps are plans that show how specific DOE activities relate to missions, goals, and performers; (13) roadmaps are a promising step but have been used in only a few mission areas and are not directly tied to DOE's budget process; (14) moreover, several laboratory directors questioned both the accuracy of the actions DOE has reported taking and their applicability at the laboratory level; (15) DOE's organizational weaknesses, which include unclear lines of authority, are a major reason why the Department has been unable to develop long-term solutions to the recurring problems reported by advisory groups; and (16) although DOE created the Laboratory Operations Board to help oversee laboratory management reform, it is only an advisory body within DOE's complex organizational structure and lacks the authority to direct change.
Comments: DOE disagreed with this recommendation when the report was issued, maintaining that the department had undertaken several initiatives to improve management of its laboratories. These initiatives incorporated many of the ideas and recommendations from the past laboratory advisory groups. In addition, DOE implemented a new management system which ties to the department's strategic plan. This system includes the Laboratory Operations Board, efforts to correlate basic research and technology development to its strategic objectives, reorganization to clarify lines of authority and accountability, and performance-based contracting. DOE believes that these and other steps accomplish the same objectives as the GAO recommendation and plans no further action.
Recommendation: To ensure the timely and effective implementation of recommendations from the many past laboratory advisory groups, the Secretary of Energy should develop a comprehensive strategy with objectives, milestones, DOE offices and laboratories responsible for implementation actions, performance measures that will be used to assess success in meeting implementation objectives, a tracking system to monitor progress, and regular progress reports on the status of implementation.


"We need a Vision", a client once told me. After we had talked about what they wanted to do with their kitchen, she said, you should call your company, "Design With a Vision".
As a sole proprietor who partners with many others to help make the world a better place, the work of running a company can be aggravating and time consuming, and sometimes I wonder if it is worth it. But it is encounters with appreciative clients, who let me know how much I care for them, that keep me going.
Vision is sometimes very lacking in the world, and helping to capture other people's visions for their built environment, and helping them become reality, is one of the most rewarding things one can do.
I believe that the purpose of architecture is to envision a sustainable future. Ironically, sometimes looking to our past is the most important things we can do to build this future. This is part of the reason why I work to save old buildings, improve them, even move them out of harms way. I have helped adapt houses into office buildings an meeting houses, and have made small and large changes to a large range of commercial buildings. I have worked on multi-million dollar projects and have spent 15 minutes giving some people advice that changed their thinking. Its all worthwhile work.. My life's work has been focused on providing design services that aim to make the city more livable, protect the countryside and encourage a transportation system that does both.
Let me know if you want to talk about how we can work together.


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Q: Delete row if the merged cell is empty I have a project that will rearrange the Sheet "GROUP" and format it just like "YTP" sheet. but i dont have an idea how to solve and make it in time. My Problem is how to delete the entire row of YTP sheet if the YTP sheet has an empty row after copying the Data in SHEET GROUP. I have started a code like this:

CODE

Option Explicit
Sub Copy()

  'Declaration for copying the entire column of J
    Dim lastrow As Long, erow As Long
    Dim sRange As Range
    Dim sCrange As Range
    Dim cell As Range
  'End Declare

    Set sRange = Sheet2.Range("J10:J350")
    Set sCrange = Sheet4.Range("J5:J360")

    For Each cell In sRange
        If Not IsEmpty(cell) Then
           sRange.Copy sCrange

        End If
    Next cell
End Sub

This is the Image of Group and YTP sheet
Group
YTP
If you want to see the excel file, Please comment and i will attached it in here. Please Guys, Help me.

A: Please try this code
Sub Copy()

  'Declaration for copying the entire column of J
    Dim lastrow As Long, erow As Long
    Dim sRange As Range
    Dim sCrange As Range
    Dim sSheet as Worksheet
    Dim sCSheet as Worksheet
    Dim i as Integer
    Dim cell As Range
  'End Declare

    Set sSheet = Worksheets("YTP")
    Set sCSheet = Worksheets("GROUP")
    sSheet.Range("J10:J350").Copy
    sCSheet.Activate
    sCSheet.Range("J5").Select
    ActiveSheet.Paste
    Application.CutCopyMode = False
    lastrow = 360
    For i = 10 to lastrow
        If sSheet.Range("J" & i).Value = "" then
           sSheet.Rows(i).delete
           i = i - 1
           lastrow = lastrow - 1
        End If
        if i > lastrow then Exit For

    Next i

    sSheet.Activate
End Sub

Hope this help.
Thanks

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Potential XFL QB Paxton Lynch Signs With Steelers
Johnny Lucas
The first two weeks of the NFL saw multiple starting QB's go down, including Steelers Ben Roethlisberger for the season with an elbow injury. This created an opportunity for Paxton Lynch who was signed to Pittsburgh's practice squad on Tuesday. Both of his new coordinators were assistant coaches when Lynch played for the University of Memphis.
Paxton Lynch takes the practice-squad spot of Devlin Hodges, a rookie who was promoted from the practice squad Monday to become the backup to second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph.#Steelershttps://t.co/StXrXXiH5a
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) September 17, 2019
A prime XFL possibility, Lynch was a 2016 first round draft choice of the Denver Broncos. With an impressive draft profile and standing 6′ 7″, 244 lbs., optimistic expectations were never met after signing a four year deal with a $5.09 million signing bonus.
Injuries to starter Trevor Siemian brought Lynch into the starting role twice during the 2016 season, finishing with 2 TD's, 2 INT's for 497 yards, including a forgettable six sack game against the Falcons.
Lynch got another chance in 2017 but suffered an ankle injury which sidelined him for five weeks, until starting the last game of the season.
Over two seasons in Denver, Lynch was was benched twice during a stint of four starts, finishing with 4 TD's, 4 INT's for 792 yards. Lackluster performances resulted in failure to make the final 53 man roster last year. He went unsigned and sat out the entire 2018 season.
The Seahawks signed him after the 2018 season, but a one touchdown, 48.6% completion rate was all it took to let him go after the last round of roster cuts.
Now Lynch has another chance, albeit a slight one if he remains on the practice squad which isn't as exciting as fans might think.
Just a couple months ago, XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck endorsed Lynch as a welcome potential addition to the new league, emphasizing NFL backups landing a starting role to jumpstart their careers:
We're watching the backup quarterback camp battles. There are a bunch of 3-4-5-year guys that are in that boat. They've been on rosters, practice squad, been yo-yo'd two years. They need to play, and that's my argument to them, that it's very doable here."
Oliver Luck, XFL Commissioner
The XFL draft is right around the corner. Even if Lynch never moves up the Steelers roster, there will certainly be a home waiting for him in the XFL.
Commissioner's Invitations start XFL player recruitment process.
DETAILS ➡ https://t.co/OkLNoj3OkD pic.twitter.com/nhiPOlZ5dE
— XFL (@xfl2020) August 7, 2019
More in XFL Players
The New York Guardians and St. Louis Battlehawks completed the trade with the most...
There is still wheeling and dealing in the XFL with weeks till the official...
It was discovered earlier today that Quarterback Chase Litton is no longer listed on...
In the flurry of transactions we've been seeing throughout training camp, Marc Trestman and...
Josh Johnson & Cardale Jones Cut By NFL Teams Today
Antonio Brown Cut By Raiders & Patriots, What About The XFL

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text:
Joni Mitchell figured out the perfect gift for those who have everything
By Stephanie Merry
By the end of 1971, Joni Mitchell was riding high. Having released her impeccable, chart-topping album "Blue" in June, the singer-songwriter had already bestowed upon her fans a beautiful, if dolorous, holiday gift. "River," which begins with a languid piano rendition of "Jingle Bells," would go on to become the unlikeliest of Christmas standards. ("Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on," Mitchell laments in the endlessly covered breakup ballad.)
Still, Mitchell had the same conundrum that we all have as her big year wound down: what gifts to buy her loved ones.
"All my friends were kind of nouveau riche," she explains in the foreword of her new book, "Morning Glory on the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings," "so buying Christmas presents was going to be really difficult."
She landed on a solution popular with children everywhere, opting for a decidedly DIY keepsake. With the help of her manager, Elliot Roberts, and agent, David Geffen, she compiled a collection of lyrics and poems, handwritten in neat cursive, alongside drawings she had somewhat obsessively been making with colored pens. (She once had to be dragged onstage, she recalls, so busy was she sketching the audience at her Central Park show.) She then sent the scrapbook to some of the friends whose portraits appeared in the volume: Georgia O'Keeffe, David Crosby, James Taylor, Graham Nash and Judy Collins, among others.
A challenge to Amazon: a site of indie shops, authors and more
An American's look at the Seine, a giver of life
Ariel Burger, whose book 'Witness' tells about Elie Wiesel and his teachings, will speak in Norfolk
Publishers Weekly's bestsellers for the week ended Jan. 11: Bring on the resolutions!
Harry, Meghan and 10 books on the trials of royalty
"People really liked them," Mitchell writes. That may be an understatement. Her engineer, Henry Lewy, prized what was dubbed "The Christmas Book" so highly that it was one of the items he set aside to rescue when a fire threatened his home in Malibu.
"Work is meant to be seen, or heard," Mitchell writes. And so, decades after the collection became a memento for a starry set of musicians and artists, a bound volume is available for the rest of us, complete with somewhat less personal portraits. (See: "Fan on the Lawn.")
"Morning Glory on the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings" by Joni Mitchell (Handout)
"MORNING GLORY ON THE VINE: Early Songs and Drawings"
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 122 pp. $40.
Could there finally be a cure on the horizon for herpes sufferers


text:
Die Koalition der Albaner des Preševo-Tals (, ) ist eine Wahlgruppierung in Serbien, die die Albaner des Preševo-Tals im Süden Serbiens vertritt. Bei den Parlamentswahlen in Serbien 2008 erreichte sie einen Sitz im Parlament. Einziger Abgeordneter ist der ehemalige Bürgermeister von Preševo, Riza Halimi.

Einzelnachweise

Partei (Serbien)

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The 2018 Volkswagen Amarok is achieving some big sales numbers, primarily on the back of the availability of a V6 engine.
And after sampling the V6 version of the Amarok this week I can see why the vehicle is winning over dual-cab ute buyers.
Compared to your standard four or five-cylinder (BT-50/Ranger) turbo-diesel offerings the Volkswagen is a step ahead.
Why? Because the V6-powered Volkswagen Amarok has the best power to weight ratio in the dual-cab ute segment.
Check out our guide to the different power to weight ratios in utes available in Australia.
There are only two things that go against the V6 Amarok – the price and the rear seat legroom.
As mentioned in our guide to dual-cab ute rear seat legroom – Volkswagen's offering is well short of rivals with just 130mm of space between the rear of the drivers seat and the leading edge of the back seat.
That means, especially as a family hauler, the Volkswagen is at a disadvantage.
While here in Dark Label form you're looking at a starting price of $62,990.
The 3.0 litre V6 turbo-diesel engine produces 185kW/550Nm and that means both healthy acceleration and plenty of torque too.
Is the V6 worth having? Absolutely! Especially if you drive a lot in city areas where you're stopping and starting.
The 185kW gets the Amarok off the line nicely and provides good overtaking capabilities.
While 550Nm and a 3.5 tonne towing capacity make it ideal for towing too.
The Volkswagen Amarok ride is skewed a little more towards the firm side, but it isn't uncomfortable – while the firmer feel ensures the Amarok handles quite nicely in the bends (i.e. not a lot of body roll).
I would say that the steering is a touch heavier than I might have expected. But I was impressed by the Volkswagen's better than reasonable turning circle.
Transmission choice is one – an eight speed auto that smoothly delivers the power to all four wheels.
There isn't low range 4×4 gearing, however the Volkswagen has off-road aids like Hill Descent Control and an Electronic Diff Lock on hand to help you when away from the bitumen.
Yes, a diesel engine, but no it isn't noisy. The Volkswagen dual-cab seems really well insulated and it doesn't appear to be a very noisy engine anyway.
The interior, like most other Volkswagens, is…like most other Volkswagens!
Gauges, controls, steering wheel etc. are all common across models like Golf and Polo even the Transporter and Crafter vans.
You get Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and digital radio too.
There's a reverse camera and front and rear parking sensors on hand to help you get the big Volkswagen into parking spots.
The leather seats are nicely shaped and comfortable with plenty of adjustment and there's a lumbar support function for the driver.
Visibility from the drivers seat is very good with the Amarok having large windows all round and adequately slim A pillars up front.
Cabin storage areas are a mixed bag – the centre console and glove box are small, however the door pockets, a storage spot on the forward section of the console, and on nook on the dashboard are all nicely-sized and usable.
There are power outlets front and rear too, however there are no rear air-conditioning vents and that's a let down.
Legroom up front is decent/good, but again, in the rear there just isn't a lot of space for teens/adults.
Access into the Amarok is via a standard central locking system (i.e. no key in pocket functionality) and even this top of the range variant misses out on push button ignition.
On a more positive note it is great to see the Amarok feature control buttons on the right hand side of the transmission selector – often Volkswagen vehicles have these on the left hand side and that makes them very hard to see from the drivers seat.
The Volkswagen Amarok is covered by a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The dual-cab offering though is yet to receive Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). Check out our guide to the utes available with AEB.
As mentioned at the top – Volkswagen's V6 Amarok leaves the four and five-cylinder competition in its dust.
Having 185kW on hand makes this ute a lot more SUV-like to drive (i.e. more enjoyable) and with the Amarok already having a great big truck kind of feel about it, it now feels like the complete package.
It's also a good alternative to the increasingly popular North American-sourced pick-ups like the RAM 1500.
Rear seat legroom is an ongoing issue with the Amarok, while that starting price might make this attractive ute just a touch out of range for many buyers.
If that is the case though, remember, a lower-spec V6 Amarok is landing soon in Australia.


1. In a small bowl, add fish, cooking sake and katakuriko/potato starch. Mix and let it sit for about 10min.
2. In a medium bowl, add the fish from #1 and ingredients A. Mix well until combined.
3. Lay a spring roll wrap flat, tip down. Place the filling mixture centered on the wrap. Roll up tightly. Dab a little 'glue' mixture along the edges to seal (right, left, then roll as per picture). Repeat until you use up the filling mixture.
4. Pour enough oil in a wok or large saucepan and heat on medium-high until hot : Stick in a bamboo chopstick, if bubbles appear, it's hot enough. Place the rolls gently in the oil and cook from both sides, turning occasionally, until nicely and evenly golden. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining spring rolls.
5. Make the sauce In a small bowl, add all the sauce ingredients and mix.


text:
Ян Хартинг (; ) — индонезийский футболист, защитник и полузащитник.

Биография
С середины 1930-х годов Хартинг играл за футбольный клуб ХБС из города Сурабая, а также выступал за сборную этого города. Он дважды выигрывал с командой чемпионат Сурабаи. В конце мая 1938 года Ян был вызван в сборную Голландской Ост-Индии и отправился с командой в Нидерланды. Он был одним из семнадцати футболистов, которых главный тренер сборной Йоханнес Христоффел Ян Мастенбрук выбрал для подготовки к чемпионату мира во Франции.

В начале июня сборная отправилась на мундиаль, который стал для Голландской Ост-Индии и Индонезии первым в истории. На турнире команда сыграла одну игру в рамках 1/8 финала, в которой она уступила будущему финалисту турнира Венгрии (0:6). Хартинг остался на скамейке запасных в этом матче.

Примечания

Футболисты Голландской Ост-Индии


text:
The Cost of Solar Panels in 2022
Yes, You Can Afford to Go Solar - The Cost of Solar Panels in 2022
It's the number one question everyone asks when considering solar panel installation: "How much do solar panels cost?"
The good news is that the cost to install solar electric (photovoltaic) panels on your home has seen a sharp decline over the past decade. A handful of factors determine the final price of a PV system, including its size, component options and configuration, labor costs, local permitting costs and available incentives and tax credits.
From 2010 to 2020, the cost of rooftop solar panels dropped 64%, thanks to greater efficiencies in solar technology, and a reduction in hardware costs.* While long-term trends are on the decline, the residential solar industry is not immune from supply chain issues and pandemic-related market volatility. The escalated price and scarcity of raw materials, as well as elevated shipping costs, have increased the price of rooftop solar over the past several months – a trend that is expected to continue in the first half of 2022 before leveling out. Experts agree that the price spikes are temporary and that we'll see the cost of solar return to its downward trajectory after these shortages and delays are resolved.*
The price of a solar electric system is measured in dollars per watt, and solar panels are rated in kilowatts (kW). The cost of a residential solar system is currently averaging $3-5 per watt, depending on the state you live in. That means the average 5kW residential system will cost $15,000-$25,000, prior to tax credits or incentives.
While solar prices have continued to decrease, in recent years, they've done so at a slower pace and the cost has essentially stabilized.* This means there's no better time to install solar panels on your home.
But Are Solar Panels Cost-Effective?
What Happened to the Cost of Solar During the Pandemic
Solar Panel Efficiencies Continue to Improve
2022 Federal Solar Tax Credits and State Solar Incentives
What is Net Metering and Why is it Important?
What About the Solar Panel Installation Cost for My Home?
Leasing Solar Panels vs. Buying
What Impact Does Adding a Battery Have on Solar Panel Cost?
So Here Is the Bottom Line on Solar Panel Cost vs. Savings
Solar technology is constantly improving. The sharp decline in the cost of solar has been driven largely by the efficiency at which solar cells convert sunlight into clean energy. The real question to ask today is, "Are solar panels cost-effective in 2022?"
The answer is yes. As electricity prices continue to increase across the country, rooftop solar makes more sense from a financial perspective. Most people understand that by installing residential solar panels, you may reduce (or even eliminate) your monthly electricity bill by producing your own clean power right from your rooftop. But did you know that investing in solar today can protect you against future increases in electricity costs?
The most recent data, pulled from December 2021 by the Energy Information Administration shows that the price of electricity is spiking.* The national average for residential electricity was 14.12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), an increase of 6% compared to one month prior. Hawaii paid the highest electricity rate at 33.97 cents per kWh, followed by California (23.76 cents per kWh), Massachusetts (23.32 cents per kWh) and Rhode Island (22.84 cents per kWh).*
Click on the interactive map below to see how much the price of electricity has increased – or decreased – in your state.
What Happened to the Cost of Solar During the Pandemic?
While some industries saw costs increasing across the board during the pandemic, the solar industry remained largely unaffected. A report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that costs continued to fall, albeit slightly at 3.25%, in early 2021 for residential solar systems.* The reason? The costs of construction-related raw materials increased during the pandemic, but the total costs of materials either stayed 'relatively the same' or in some cases increased by only a marginal percent, according to the report.
Throughout 2021, Sunnova customers in some of the largest utility territories across America saw their electric bill drop anywhere from a third to half their electricity rate, thanks to residential solar panels. For instance, New Jersey ratepayers saw their electric bill decline an average of 23.1%, while San Diego Gas & Electric customers saw their bill drop nearly 50% after they installed home solar.
Solar panels are converting more of the energy from the sun into electricity for a home than ever before, meaning you need fewer panels to generate the same amount of energy.
Some of the first silicon solar cells in the 1950s had around 6% energy conversion efficiencies.* Due to the many recent advances in solar cell technology over the past five years, average panel conversion efficiency has increased from 15% to 20%.*
The more energy that is converted by a single panel, the fewer panels a home will need.
The average nameplate power output of a standard 72-cell multi-silicon module was around 290 watts in 2010. Today, consumers can expect at least 345 watts, at one-tenth of the 2010 price* .
The upshot is that an average-sized residential system has dropped from a pre-incentive price of $40,000 in 2010 to roughly $20,000 today!*
When you own your home solar system, you are eligible to apply for available federal and state incentives and rebates.
In December of 2020, Congress passed an extension of the federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a 26% tax credit against the costs of the purchase and installation of residential solar systems installed between 2020 and 2022. Next year in 2023, that credit will decline to 22% for home solar systems. How much will the ITC save a home solar system owner? For a $20,000 system, the 26% federal credit would be $5,200, compared to $4,400 under the 22% credit.*
Several states also offer solar tax credits and solar tax rebates. People who own their solar system and/or battery in participating states may be able to claim these expenses on their local taxes or receive cashback on their installation. While you may be eligible for a solar tax credit or a solar tax rebate with the purchase of a home solar system, please remember that tax incentives are subject to change.
Click on your state to see what credits and incentives you may be eligible to apply for.
Federal Tax Credit (only for loan products)
May be eligible to claim some of the system's cost as a credit on your federal taxes.
Federal tax credit o You may be eligible for a federal tax credit with the purchase of a solar system and/or battery. To qualify for the tax credit, you must have federal income tax liability at least equal to the value of the tax credit. Additional tax credits may also be available for homeowners in certain states. Tax incentives are subject to change or termination by executive, legislative or regulatory action. Sunnova makes no guarantees regarding eligibility of any of the solar system and/or battery's costs for tax benefits. Sunnova does not provide tax advice. Contact your personal tax advisor for eligibility requirements.
Statewide rising utility rates – Note: if you can not add the disclaimer, please use the following language "According to EIA's state-by-state analysis" o EIA's state-by-state CAGR Analysis shows an increase in residential electricity rates across all US States since 1990. To see the CAGR Analysis for your state go to EIA Sales and Revenue (1990- Current) – https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861m/
2017 Power outage data– Note: if you can not add the disclaimer, please use the following language "According to 2017 Easton Blackout report" o The area of each outage and number of customers affected varied per outage. Source: Eaton Blackout Tracker: United States Annual Report 2017 - https://switchon.eaton.com/plug/blackout-tracker
2008-2017 Power outage data – Note: if you can not add the disclaimer, please use the following language "According to 2018 Easton Blackout report" o The area of each outage and number of customers affected varied per outage. Source: Eaton Blackout Tracker: United States Annual Report 2018 - https://switchon.eaton.com/plug/blackout-tracker
State Incentives (only for loan products)
You may be eligible to earn $1000 rebate check for a PV solar system sized between 1- 20kW.
You may be eligible to claim up to 30% of your battery storage costs, up to $5,000, on state income taxes.
Earn one Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) for every 1,000 kWh (1.0 Mwh) your solar system produces. The value of the credits can increase or decrease depending upon the SREC market value. You can sell your Certificates directly or with a third-party broker specialized in SRECs.
You may be eligible for a rebate program of $0.20 per watt up to $1,000, or 30% of the cost of the system for solar systems under 10 kilowatts (kW), whichever is less.
Utility and City incentives (only for loan products)
Austin Energy – you may be eligible to earn $2,500 rebate by completing their solar education course and installing a qualifying solar photovoltaic (PV) system on your home.
CoServ Electric Cooperative – you may be eligible to earn isolar rebates on qualified purchases based on kW installed, up to a maximum of $3,100 per residential Member.
CPS Energy in San Antonio – you may be eligible to earn a rebate incentive of $2,500 for qualifying residential project.
May be eligible to claim up to 25% of solar panel costs, up to $1,000, on state income taxes.
Utility Incentives (only mention for loan products)
SRP Utility Customers – you may be eligible to earn a battery storage incentive in the amount of $300 per kWh-DC, up to $3600, when purchasing a battery and agreeing to participate in the utility's battery research study.
California Self Generating Incentive Program (SGIP) – Depending on the current step, you may be eligible to receive approximately $250/kilowatt-hour, which means the rebate covers approximately 25 percent of the cost of an average energy storage system.
State incentive (only for loan products)
Earn 60% of one Transition Renewable Energy Credit (TREC) for every 1,000 kWh (1.0 Mwh) your solar system produces. You can sell your TRECs directly to a TREC administrator.
You may be eligible for a solar energy system equipment credit up to 25% of the qualified solar system equipment expenditure, up to $5,000, on state income taxes.
With the Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Program, you may be eligible to receive $0.85/W incentive when installing a solar system, up to $7,000 per project.
Net metering is one way you can financially benefit from installing a residential solar system.
Solar panels tend to make a lot of energy during the middle of the day, and the highest demand for electricity is typically in the evening. If your state supports net metering (many do by now, but to varying degrees), you can receive a credit on your electric bill by sending excess energy back to the grid and reduce your home's net electricity usage.
Every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity your panels produce reduces your consumption and could reduce your electricity bill, as much as one kWh (if your state offers full-retail rate for net metering). There are a number of different net metering scenarios in different states and utility areas. But understand that you have the ability to further reduce your bill with solar through this arrangement.
If you are curious about how much solar panels cost, it generally depends on a few factors. These include:
The size of your home solar system
Whether you buy or lease
Whether you qualify for federal, state, or local incentives (applicable only when you own the system); and whether you install a battery
When installing solar on your home's roof, there are several factors to consider.
Electricity needs – How much energy you currently consume will directly relate to how big of a solar system you need and how many panels you need to support your home's energy needs.
Where you live – How much sun exposure your home's roof gets will directly correlate to how much energy your solar system can produce and will impact how many panels you need for your home. More sun means more energy produced and a greater potential to save with solar.
Choice of solar panels – Higher-efficiency panels produce more energy more efficiently. The efficiency of the solar panels directly impacts the savings you can experience.
Roof angle - In solar panel installation, it is important to angle the solar panels so they can get maximum exposure to the sun. This is not a problem when the roof is angled, but it can be if the roof is flat. Houses with irregular rooflines, skylights, and challenging angles can make installation more complicated.
Installation labor and project management - Different areas have different regulations regarding the installation of solar panels. In some areas, this process might require the contractor to pay more than the average cost or to spend more time than usual getting the license.
Purchasing options and incentives – The payment option you choose will affect your costs, as well as your eligibility for incentives.
When you buy solar from Sunnova, your rooftop solar system includes parts (solar panels, inverters, mounting equipment, conduit, and other components) and installation labor, as well as project management, including HOA approvals, permitting, and inspections.
Sunnova offers several energy plans, so you'll have an easier time choosing an affordable, worry-free solar energy plan for your home. There are pros and cons for each from a cost perspective. See below for a breakdown and things to consider when choosing the right option for you.
When choosing the right payment option, it is also important to consider the following:
Do you have enough tax liability to claim a portion of your solar system costs on your federal income taxes? If your taxes are more than your solar credit, a loan/finance agreement may make the most sense since you can take full advantage of the federal tax credit. Even if you don't use it all in the first year, you can "rollover" the remaining credits into future years for as long as the tax credit is in effect.
Does your state or utility offer incentives when going solar or installing a battery? If so, a loan/finance agreement may be a great option for you since you would be eligible to apply for these incentives.
Find out more about solar panel financing through Sunnova.
Here are some important things to know about adding battery backup power to your home solar system:
Just as the cost of solar panel installation has drastically diminished over the past few years, the price of lithium-ion batteries has also fallen significantly.
In addition, work is ongoing to make battery technology safer, more powerful and more accessible, bringing a carbon-free energy system ever closer to reality.*
Also, when evaluating the cost of adding a battery to your home solar system, you need to think about the additional benefits you get compared to getting energy from your utility, or even from a solar-only system – it's not necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison; more like apples to oranges.
Unlike a solar-only system or traditional utility energy, a battery enables you to power your most needed lights and appliances during a power outage, and will also protect your from rising peak utility rates. Now those are two distinct advantages that homeowners can appreciate! See how long a home battery backup can power your home with our home battery backup calculator.
In fact, homeowners and businesses are increasingly demanding solar systems that are paired with battery storage. While this pairing is still relatively new, the growth over the next five years is expected to be significant. By 2025, more than 25% of all residential solar systems will be paired with storage, compared to less than 5% in 2019.*
What we know today:
The cost to go solar has decreased, while the technology has improved
There are several factors to consider when deciding to go solar
Battery costs have also declined significantly and have great benefits for the homeowner
Not surprisingly, home solar system configurations can vary greatly, based on all we've learned above. So clearly, the best way – perhaps the only way! –to find out how much it will cost to go solar is to get a quote.
While that may seem obvious, not all quotes are the same. Sunnova dealers will work with you to build a home solar system that meets your energy needs while taking your roof size, shading, and other considerations into account. All while keeping your specific goals in mind.
Talk to a solar expert about making the switch to solar energy today!


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Introduction

  02 Sep 2014

What is AI?

The main four quadrants of AI, although we mostly deal with the last two in this class:

Thinking Human

We can learn about our mind, but assessment is hard because we don't know everything about human thought.

Acting Human

Generally assessed via Turing test but really this just proves a machine can trick us. Helps us learn about human behavior and let's us make people more sympathetic to agents.

Thinking Rationally

Logic provides a strong formal framework for knowledge, but many times it's hard to translate ideas into concrete logic or formulas.

Acting Rationally

We want to make the best decision given uncertainty; we do this by maximizing some metric.

History of AI

Much of AI's history is based on philosophy. Eventually the field drew in formal mathematics, along with other fields such as economics.

Notes about this class

General and large survey course, won't cover machine learning or acting human in depth. Six problem sets, programming is in C++ only. Class has one midterm subject to change and one final on December 17th.

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Defence security military exhibition 2018 daily news category
AirShow China 2018 Zhuhai News Show Daily Coverage
AirShow China 2018: New SH15 155mm 6x6 self-propelled howitzer
Chinese Defense Company China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (NORINCO) unveils the SH15, a new 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer during AirShow China 2018, the International Aerospace and Aviation Exhibition that was held in Zhuhai, China.
Chinese-made SH15 155mm wheeled 6x6 self-propelled howitzer at AirShow China 2018, Zhuihai. (Picture source Army Recognition)
The SH15 uses a 6x6 Shaanxi truck chassis with an armored cabin at the front and a 155 mm gun-howitzer at the rear. According to NORINCO, this artillery system is based on the AH-2 155 mm/L52 howitzer, which is able to fire any standard 155 mm NATO ammunition, as well as Chinese-made ammunition developed by NORINCO.
The 155mm howitzer mounted at the rear of the SH15 uses a semi-automatic loading system. The 155 mm / 52 caliber bore is fitted with a double baffle muzzle brake and, when travelling, the ordnance is held in position by a clamp located to the immediate rear of the cab, which is operated by remote control. When the SH15 is deployed in firing position, two large spades are lowered at the rear to provide a more stable firing platform.
The SH15 has a maximum firing range of 20 km with standard ammunition and 53 km with a rocket-assisted projectile. The maximum rate of fire is 4-6 rounds per minute. On each side of the truck chassis, there are storage boxes to carry ammunition. Elevation and traverse is hydraulically operated. This SPH can be operated by a crew of five. According to some military sources, it weighs a maximum of 22 tons.


text:
from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
import numpy as np
import gsd.hoomd
import sklearn
import scipy.optimize as opt
import os
import pdb
from sklearn.neighbors import BallTree
from sklearn.neighbors import radius_neighbors_graph
from scipy.spatial.distance import cdist
from scipy.special import erf
from scipy.sparse.csgraph import connected_components
#from .due import due, Doi
from .smoluchowski import massAvSize
#from mpi4py import MPI
from cdistances import conOptDistanceCython,alignDistancesCython

__all__ = ['fixPBC']

# Use duecredit (duecredit.org) to provide a citation to relevant work to
# be cited. This does nothing, unless the user has duecredit installed,
# And calls this with duecredit (as in `python -m duecredit script.py`):
'''
due.cite(Doi("10.1167/13.9.30"),
         description="Simple data analysis for clustering application",
         tags=["data-analysis","clustering"],
         path='clustering')
'''

def fixPBC(peps,box,ats,cutoff):
	#return positions fixed across PBCs for calculation of structural metrics like Rh and Rg
	#create the list of fixed positions
	fixedXYZ = peps.copy()
	potInds = range(1,len(peps)/(ats*3))
	#the first ats*3 coordinates are the coordinates of the first atom
	fixedXYZ[0:3*ats] = fixCoords(fixedXYZ[0:3*ats].copy(),fixedXYZ[0:3].copy(),box)
	correctInds = [0]
	while len(correctInds) > 0:
		atom = correctInds.pop()
		neighs = getNeigh(atom,cutoff,peps,potInds,ats)
		for n in neighs:

			potInds.remove(n)
			correctInds.append(n)
			fixedXYZ[3*ats*n:3*ats*(n+1)] = fixCoords(fixedXYZ[3*ats*n:3*ats*(n+1)].copy(),fixedXYZ[3*atom*ats:3*atom*ats+3].copy(),box)
	return fixedXYZ

def fixCoords(pos,posinit,box):
	#fix all coords based on the initial coordinate and the periodic boundary conditions
	for i in range(len(pos)/3):
		dr = pos[3*i:3*i+3] - posinit
		dr = dr - box*np.round(dr/box)
		pos[3*i:3*i+3] = dr + posinit
	return pos


I'm awesome. For realz. I led the SDR SoCal team at Oracle then was promoted to be an Enterprise Account Manager in their highest revenue generating division (Enterprise) for the company with a 190B Market Cap. This experience drew Flexport to hire me as one of their first SDRs in LA, their fastest-growing office. AngelList ranked Flexport as the most competitive company to work for in 2017. Just sayin'.


text:
Hackers breached Macy's website and hijacked customers' payment info (Updated)
November 19, 2019 - 10:30 am
Image by: Pixabay / Darwin Laganzon
Ravie Lakshmanan
Popular US department store chain Macy's has revealed that its website was hacked with malicious scripts in an attempt to steal customers' payment information.
According to Bleeping Computer, the online storefront — macys.com — was infected with "unauthorized code" on October 7 to its 'Checkout' and 'My Wallet' pages, allowing the bad actor to capture credit card data. Macy's said it was alerted to the situation on October 15, a full week after the site was breached.
The attackers were able to access detailed personal information, including the customer's full name and address, phone number, email address, payment card number, payment card security code, and payment card month/year of expiration if they were typed on one of the compromised pages.
An anonymous researcher told Bleeping Computer that a "ClientSideErrorLog.js" script was tainted with malware to harvest payment details, which were then transmitted to a remote command-and-control (C2) server hosted at Barn-x.com.
Macy's said it's investigating the incident and added it had taken steps to prevent it from happening in the future. The company also told the publication only a small number of users were affected. As a corrective measure, it's offering impacted customers one year of free credit monitoring.
When reached out for a response, a Macy's spokesperson said: "We are aware of a data security incident involving a small number of our customers on Macys.com. We have investigated the matter thoroughly, addressed the cause and have implemented additional security measures as a precaution. All impacted customers have been notified, and we are offering consumer protections to these customers at no cost."
Increasing prevalence of Magecart attacks
Although spotted in the wild since 2010, this kind of intrusion — dubbed Magecart attack because of the threat actors' initial preference for Magento e-commerce platform to gather illicit card data — has intensified over the last two years.
The attacks usually involve hackers compromising a company's legitimate online store to siphon credit card numbers and account details of users who're making purchases on the infected site by placing malicious JavaScript skimmers on payment forms.
"Magecart is a rapidly growing cybercrime syndicate comprised of dozens of subgroups that specialize in cyberattacks involving digital credit card theft," cybersecurity firm RiskIQ noted in its report on the Magecart actors.
The recent wave of e-skimming attacks have grown so widespread — affecting over 18,000 domains — that it's led the FBI to issue a warning about the emerging cyber threat and urging businesses to erect sufficient security barriers to protect themselves.
The intelligence agency, in an advisory posted last month, recommended that companies keep their software up-to-date, enable multi-factor authentication, segregate critical network infrastructure, and watch out for phishing attacks.
Other security measures could include employing obfuscation techniques to mask the actual HTML and JavaScript code the site runs on, so that it makes it difficult for attackers to reverse-engineer a program and insert card-skimming malware implants.
As a customer, unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to safeguard yourself from formjacking attacks. One course of action is to use a virtual payment card service such as Blur, MySudo, or Privacy.com.
That way, even if your credit card details get compromised, the attackers won't be able to use it to make unauthorized payments on your behalf. But the downside to this approach is that they're available only to US residents, so you're out of luck if you live elsewhere.
If anything, the incident is yet another reminder that you practice good security hygiene, and be on the lookout for any instances of financial fraud or identity theft.
(The story was updated on Nov. 20 8:30 AM IST with a statement from Macy's.)
Threat (computer)
Published November 19, 2019 - 10:30 am UTC
How UX designers can save us from our own shitty passwords
Baby monitor exploit allowed hackers to creep on your toddlers
Here's how much your stolen personal data is worth on the dark web
Pornhub is handing out free premium subscriptions to help Italy fight coronavirus


text:
home » telecommunications » Telecom NZ AAPT sale – the big picture
Telecom NZ AAPT sale – the big picture
Telecom NZ did well selling its Australian AAPT business to TPG Telecom for A$450 million.
Although the amount is roughly one fifth of what it paid for AAPT in the 1990s, the sale price was higher than most observers and analysts expected.
Telecom NZ has been trying to get rid of AAPT for years. The unit lost its strategic value to the company years ago.
Whatever reason Telecom NZ once had to invest in Australian network assets finally evaporated after the Chorus demerger two years ago.
AAPT sales shows change of direction
The demerger signalled a change of direction for the company. This has accelerated under the new management team lead by CEO Simon Moutter.
Moutter makes no secret of his goals. He aims for Telecom NZ's brand to be synonymous with the internet. He wants to position Telecom NZ as the nation's leading telecommunications retailer with a sharp focus on residential and commercial business.
An Australian network is not just a distraction, it also tied up capital which could be better deployed in New Zealand.
Fewer assets, more services
Moutter's strategy is less about owning network infrastructure assets and more about selling mobile and broadband services. The delivery mechanisms are becoming less important than the products and services they enable. He wants to build a more competitive operation that does a better job of looking after customers.
The AAPT picture is only one of a string of strategic moves made in the past year:
In May Telecom NZ's Gen-i unit sold the Davanti consulting business in a management buyout.
Geni-i also sold the Auldhouse training business in October.
In April Gen-i paid almost $100 million to buy the Revera data centre business.
As part of these changes there was a major restructure in the Gen-i unit including a substantial reduction in the size of its Australian operation.
Recently Telecom NZ invested in Sir Ray Avery's Vigil medical monitoring business.
Telecom NZ also reduced staff numbers by around 1200 people during 2013.
Telecom still owns a small five percent stake in VHA, Australia's third, somewhat troubled mobile carrier. You can rest assured that's for sale.
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text:
Gov. Scott rejects President Trumps reported immigration comment
by John Lucas | Jan 12, 2018
It didn't take long for Gov. Rick Scott to distance himself from comments made by President Donald Trump in which he referred to Haiti, El Salvador and some African countries as "shithole nations," a remark Trump now denies making.
"If the reports are true, he should take them back. I disagree with them completely," Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, told Fox News Friday morning. "We have very good legal immigration in our state."
Trump reportedly made the comment Thursday during a meeting with members of the Senate on immigration in the Oval Office.
"The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used," Trump said in a tweet Friday morning.
The Washington Post first reported the president's comments.
"Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" Trump was quoted as saying.
His denial Thursday morning came even though the White House didn't dispute the comments after they were reported by several media outlets on Thursday.
"I do not think this way, nor do I agree with this kind of sentiment," Scott told Politico Thursday evening.
"I represent Florida, and we are an amazing melting pot where over 250 languages are spoken."
"I work every day to make this the most welcoming state for everyone — Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans, and others from all around the world that call Florida home," Scott said. "I'm incredibly proud of our diversity."
According to Politico, Florida is home to an estimated 305,000 foreign-born Haitians.
Reports of Trump's comments immediately drew fire from the only Haitian-American member of the Florida Legislature.
"The President's ongoing war against immigrants appears to be solely directed toward those immigrants of color," state Sen. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, said in a written statement. "I am appalled and disgusted that the man who stands as the symbol of a nation once offering refuge and sanctuary to all immigrants is doing his best to say: 'non-whites need not apply.'"
Campbell called the president's remarks, "loathsome."
"Immigrants are the backbone of this nation, and this state," Campbell said. "Over the centuries, they have fled famine, political unrest, and tyrants, risking their lives to begin anew in this country."


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How Cultlike is Trump's Following?
Posted: October 2, 2018 in Catholicism, Cults, Evangelicals, Mormonism, Politics, Religion
Tags: Abortion, Abstinence-only, Alt-right, Authoritarianism, Bible, Biblical literalists, Branch Davidians, Charismatic leaders, Charlottesville, Church of Scientology, Climate Change Denial, Cult Characteristics, Cults, Dogmatism, Donald Trump, Evangelicals, Family separation, Family values, Fascism, FLDS, Hypocrisy, Ideology, Irrationality, LGBT, MLM scams, Moonies, Mormons, Neo-Nazis, Patriotism, People's Temple, Racism, Rajhneeshees, Rationality, Religious freedom, Reproductive Rights, Republican Party, Robert Jay Lifton, Science, Sex education, Skepticism, Synanon, Thought Control and the Psychology of Totalism, Trump University
Of late, critics often accuse Donald Trump and his followers of being a cult. The problem is that they seemingly never define what a cult is, never define the characteristics of a cult, and of course never see how well Trump & co. match such characteristics. It's time to do so.
Before I began writing AA: Cult or Cure?, I spent well over a year on research, much of it involving religious and political cults. I discovered that all cults, whatever their nature — religious, political, commercial (e.g., multi-level marketing scams) — have many characteristics in common. By the end of my research, I had discovered 23 separate characteristics common in cults; some cults exhibit almost all of them.
(Robert Jay Lifton in his groundbreaking and influential Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism lists eight cult-like characteristics; while I included Lifton's characteristics in the list I compiled, I strongly believe that his book would have been better if he had included more such characteristics — ones I believe are obvious.)
Let's see how many of the 23 Trump and his followers exhibit:
1) Religious orientation. Are Trump and his followers religiously based? Yes.
Trump's core followers are conservative evangelicals. He received the votes of 81% of them in the 2016 election, and that level of support remains virtually unchanged. As well, Trump — who's about as religious, and has about as much knowledge of the Bible, as the average poodle — routinely panders to evangelicals, flattering them endlessly and doing his best to ram through anti-choice, anti-LGBT judges and repressive, religiously inspired laws.
2) Irrationality. Are Trump and his followers irrational, do they discourage skepticism and rational thinking? Emphatically yes.
Trump and his followers are characterized by their ignorance of and contempt for science and rationality. The examples of this are manifold, with climate-change denial being the most obvious and dangerous. Climate scientists — who arrived at their conclusions through massive, decades-long research and application of the scientific method to the data they've gathered — are virtually unanimous in the conclusions that climate change is due to human activity (especially the burning of fossil fuels) and that it's a dire threat to humanity. Trump and his followers irrationally and dangerously deny this.
3) Dogmatism. Are Trump and his followers dogmatic? Yes in the case of Trump's followers, no as regards Trump himself.
Trump's most fervent followers, evangelicals, Bible literalists, are by definition dogmatists. They believe (or at least insist that they believe) that a 3,000-year-old book written by Iron Age slaveholders is inerrant, true in every respect. This leads them to insist on absurdities, such as that the Earth is only 6,000 years old; that humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time (or that the devil placed fossils in the earth to mislead humans); that, for that matter, the devil actually exists; that the sun stood still; that a dead man arose after three days and walked out of his tomb . . . The list of dogmatic absurdities goes on and on. In contrast, Trump himself is an amoral opportunist with no apparent beliefs who will say and do anything as long as he thinks it's in his self-interest to do so.
4) "Chosen People" mentality. Do Trump and his followers have such a mentality? Yes.
Trump's evangelical supporters routinely and self-flatteringly refer to themselves using terms such as "God's people," "the elect," and "the righteous." They also consider themselves above other people, especially atheists and muslims, with a great many evangelicals (and other conservative religious folk) saying they would never vote for an atheist or muslim for public office. Trump himself is a very privileged rich kid with a massive sense of entitlement. He was a schoolyard bully as a child; he believes he has the right to grope women — and has bragged about that groping; and seems to abuse almost everyone unfortunate enough to come in contact with him. Only someone who thinks he's better than other people, who thinks he's entitled to do such odious things, would do them. One might also mention "American exceptionalism" here, a belief apparently held by almost all of Trump's followers and, perhaps, by Trump himself.
5) Ideology above all else. Do Trump and his followers elevate their ideology over experience, observation, and logic? Yes, absolutely.
Again, the most obvious example is climate-change denial. But other examples abound, such as the insistence that grossly ineffective abstinence-only sex "education" is the only type that should be taught in public schools; that a few cells the size of a pinhead are, somehow, a "person" (apparently in the same manner that an acorn is an oak tree); that massive tax cuts for the top 1% are somehow good for the bottom 99%; and that America is the land of "equal opportunity" in the face of gross differences in wealth and income and equally gross differences in the quality of education for the rich and poor.
6) Separatism. Are Trump and his followers separatists? No.
We might be better off if they were. Instead of being separatists, they want to impose their beliefs on the rest of us through the coercive apparatus of the government.
7) Exclusivity. Do Trump and his followers present themselves as the exclusive holders of the truth. Yes.
Trump's core evangelical followers, biblical literalists, by definition consider themselves the exclusive holders of the truth. (The same holds for his Mormon and conservative Catholic backers.) Trump, with his constant blather about "fake news," insistence that he's the only source of the truth and should always be believed (despite his near-constant and blatant lying), and his bald-faced statement to his followers, "don't believe what you're reading or seeing," is equally if not more guilty of this.
8) Special knowledge. Do Trump and his followers claim to have special knowledge that will only be revealed to the initiated? No.
Not unless you count Trump's for-profit "university" scam, and that would be a stretch.
9) Mind control. Do Trump and his followers employ mind-control techniques? No.
Even Trump's most hardcore followers don't employ mind-control techniques such as sleep deprivation, deliberate near-starvation, hypnotic chanting, and thought-stopping techniques (e.g., reciting a mantra over and over again to ward off unwanted thoughts).
10) Thought-stopping techniques. Do Trump and his followers employ thought-stopping language? Not really.
The childhood religious indoctrination of Trump's religious-believer backers (evangelicals, conservative Catholics, Mormons), in which children are routinely warned that doubt comes from the devil (and, from my childhood, that you should pray the rosary to ward off doubt), is as close as you'll get to thought-stopping language in the Trump movement.
11) Manipulation through guilt. Does Trump manipulate his followers through guilt? No.
Rather, Trump manipulates his followers through fear, hate, bigotry, and scapegoating. His appalling attacks on Mexicans and his fear-mongering about an "invasion" of immigrants is only the most obvious example.
12) The cult of confession. Do Trump and his followers use confession for purification and to tie believers to the movement? No.
The closest any of Trump's followers come to this is the practice of conservative Catholics who use that "sacrament" for purification and to tie themselves to the church.
13) A charismatic leader. Is Trump a charismatic leader, and do his followers treat him as one? Clearly, yes.
I'd use many other terms in place of "charismatic," but the adoration of the Dear Leader by his glassy-eyed followers is all too obvious. The fact that by their own lights he's moral garbage matters not a whit to them. Nor do his constant, obvious lies and boasting, frequent self-contradiction, bullying behavior, and shameful self-serving. All too many of Trump's followers worship him no matter what.
14) Hierarchical, authoritarian structure. Do Trump and his followers belong to a hierarchical, authoritarian structure. Yes, several of them.
First and most obviously, the Republican Party, which has been on a decades-long crusade to restrict individual rights (notably reproductive and LGBT rights), and which has likewise been on a decades-long crusade to entrench itself in power via gerrymandering and voter suppression on a mass scale — that is to entrench itself in power by destroying what passes for American democracy. As well, Trump's conservative Catholic and Mormon followers (and to a lesser degree the evangelicals) belong to clearly hierarchical, authoritarian — "thou shalt"; "thou shalt not" — religious structures.
15) Submission of the individual to the "will of God" or God's appointed representatives. Do Trump and his followers insist on such submission? Yes.
Trump, hypocritically so. But all too many of his followers are sincere in wanting to use the coercive apparatus of the state to force everyone to submit to that "will" (as they define it).
16) Self-absorption. Are Trump and his followers self-absorbed? Yes.
Trump's narcissism and self-absorption could hardly be more obvious. It's almost equally so with his Republican Party, with its phony, preening nationalism, and its amoral, ends-justify-the-means mentality that pursues permanent entrenchment in power no matter how foul the means nor how much damage to the country. The current attempt to steamroll the installation of a blustering, bullying, highly partisan, alleged (have to get that alleged in there) sexual predator and apparent perjurer on the Supreme Court is only the latest instance of the Republican Party's self-absorption.
17) Dual purposes. Does the Trump movement have dual purposes, are its real purposes other than those it presents to the public? Yes, absolutely.
This is very obvious in very many ways. Trump — who received over $400 million from his dad — presents himself as the champion of the working man, yet he's intent on squeezing money from the poor and working classes, and what's left of the middle class, and transferring it to the top. He just gave the largest tax cut in history to (primarily) the top 1%; he opposes raising the federal minimum wage; he opposes labor unions; he and his minions in Congress have partially dismantled Obama's (grossly inadequate) healthcare plan and have offered nothing to replace it; and he opposes extending Medicare to all Americans, thus ensuring that tens of thousands of poor and working class Americans die from medical neglect annually. His "family values" followers by and large support his vicious policy of ripping apart immigrant families at the border and throwing children into cages. And Trump and those same followers demand "religious freedom" which really means the "freedom" to discriminate against LGBT people in public accommodations. The hypocrisy of Trump and his followers, their "dual purposes," is simply nauseating.
18) Economic exploitation. Does Trump economically exploit his followers? Yes.
Sometimes directly, as with Trump "University," more often via government economic and taxation policies which work to the advantage of Trump and his billionaire buddies and against the rest of us.
19) Deceptive recruiting techniques. Do Trump and his Republican Party use deceptive recruiting techniques. Yes.
In addition to hypocritically presenting himself as the working man's champion, "Cadet Bonespur" Trump presents himself as the embodiment of patriotism. But Trump's "patriotism" is the exact opposite of real patriotism, which is trying to do what's best for the country and following one's own conscience, doing what's right in the face of disdain and abuse. For Trump and his followers, patriotism seems to consist of making a fetish of the flag (instead of honoring what it supposedly stands for), robotically engaging in submission rituals at the start of baseball and football games, military worship, impugning the patriotism of those with opposing political views, bullying dissenters, and, of course, "patriotic" bumper stickers. One might also mention the deception of Trump and other Republicans in posing as guardians of morality when they themselves are moral sewers.
20) Possessiveness. Does the Trump movement go to great lengths to retain members? No.
Cults often go to great lengths to retain members, doing such things as threatening permanent disconnection of family members who leave the cult. Trump doesn't do this nor does he advocate it.
21) A closed, all-encompassing environment. Has the Trump movement created such an environment? No.
Many cults (e.g., Rajhneeshees, Branch Davidians, People's Temple, FLDS) set up isolated environments in which they control all aspects of members' lives. The closest Trump's followers come to this is having a single primary news source (Fox News for 60% of them) and being immersed in the Facebook echo chamber where they hear almost nothing but views they already agree with. But this is a far, far cry from Jonestown.
22) Millenarianism. Does Trump prophesy the end of the world? No.
The closest he comes is dire warnings about what will happen if the Republicans lose power. But some of his followers, hardcore evangelicals, do prophesy that the end is near and are actively trying to bring about Armageddon (through enthusiastic support of Israeli militarism and expansionism) so as to usher in "the rapture." Still, Trump is definitely not a millenarian himself.
23) Violence, coercion, and harassment. Do Trump and his followers engage in or encourage these things? Yes.
Recall Trump's remarks that some of the murderous neo-Nazis in Charlottesville were "very fine people." Then recall his attacks on the press as "enemies of the people" and his encouragement of violence against protesters at his rallies. Then recall the huge uptick in racist violence by his alt-right/neo-Nazi supporters since he took office. Finally, let's not forget that some of Trump's "right to life" supporters routinely stalk, harass, threaten, and occasionally bomb or shoot abortion providers.
So, do Trump and his followers constitute a cult? Many of the cults I studied while researching AA: Cult or Cure? exhibit almost all of the above characteristics: the Moonies 22 out of the 23; the Church of Scientology and People's Temple 21 of the 23; and Synanon 20 of the 23. In contrast, community-based Alcoholics Anonymous only exhibits 11 of the 23, "institutional" AA (the 12-step treatment industry, which I dubbed "Cult Lite") exhibits 16 of the 23, and the Trump movement exhibits 13 of the 23, so it's not entirely accurate to say that the Trump movement is a full-blown cult, though it does have distinct cult-like tendencies. However, and disturbingly, almost all of the cult-like tendencies exhibited by Trump and his followers are also characteristic of fascist movements.
sara edelman says:
Great article. Can't wait for the obvious follow-up, about fascist movements and how the Trump movement measures up, in detail. Thank you for your writing.
seesharppress says:
Thanks for the kind remarks. I wrote a brief piece about Trump and fascism a while back, but need to revise and expand it. Cheers.
keenanpatrick says:
Catholics participated in disgusting transactional morality when they turned a blind eye to Trump's immoral behavior and supported him because he was anti-abortion.
Writing Tip of the Day 9-26-18 (Danez Smith — on writer's block)
Quote of the Day 10-3-18 (Steven Salzberg)


Today is the big Easter day in the US. Easter Sunday. For us, who have been "celebrating" since Thursday, we're kind of done with Easter by today (and being Swedish - we actually have one more day to go - tomorrow is a holiday too - Annandag Påsk, second day of Easter...).
About half the stores are closed today, which is really unusual here. It only happens a few times a year.
We thought we were going to do a more "American" Easter this year - include a visit to the Easter Bunny, and doing a little egg hunt.
Ah vilken läcker bild på ett svenskt påskägg med påskgodis. Läste i DN att detta är största godishelgen i Sverige och det kan man fatta.


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Album ReviewsMusic
I Am The Avalanche – Avalanche United Album Review
Ryan Pangilinan2 min readOctober 4, 2011Add comment
Despite baring a title that sounds like a soccer team, I Am the Avalanche's long-rumored sophomore album Avalanche United is finally seeing the light of day, courtesy of I Surrender Records. Six years following their debut, it's no surprise that some of these songs have already been leaked online or played live, which lends the record a little bit more familiarity, but make no mistake, this is still a welcomed album.
Because of lead singer Vinnie Carauna's previous band, The Movielife, it's impossible to not compare the two bands, but on this album, IATA certainly come into their own and are definitely forging an identity independent of the members' past groups. Avalanche United starts off with the bombastic "Holy Fuck" and then launches into crowd favorite "Brooklyn Dodgers." Much of the record is filled with breakneck tunes like "You've Got Spiders" and "The Gravedigger's Argument" — all of which have a tinge of New York/New Jersey '90s hardcore (Lifetime, Kill Your Idols, et. al).
01 Holy Fuck by SecretServicePublicity
02 Brooklyn Dodgers by SecretServicePublicity
I Am the Avalanche's debut album came out so long ago, in terms of the attention span of today's fans, that this can be pegged as a debut-redux for the band, which might not be a bad thing, considering how sonically inconsistent their self-titled album was.
Unlike their previous effort, though, Avalanche United is the perfect pop-punk record; it's slightly over 30 minutes and all the songs are fast, catchy, and poignant. Lyrically, Carauna's narrative voice is at its peak. Following such a lengthy hiatus (no doubt related to issues with their former — and rumoredly litigious — label, Drive Thru), one can hope that I Am the Avalanche continue to have more songs as strong as the ones that appear on this album.
Tagged asbrooklyn musiciansemoi am the avalanchei surrender recordsnew york musicianspop-punkpunkryan pangilinanthe movielife
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