The remote is, as noted before, two sided, with a touchpad and a relatively small selection of buttons on one side, and a full backlit QWERTY keyboard on the other. This keyboard is reasonably responsive, and features robust, tactile rubberised buttons.
The remote also carries volume and channel up/down rocker switches on one of its edges, plus a mute button. Surprisingly, one thing it doesn't have is a mic so that you could issue the system with voice commands. This feature is being saved for the upcoming NSZ-GP9 step-up Google TV box, which also features a Blu-ray player.
The touchpad side of the remote is nicely balanced and easy to hold, with the touchpad being sensibly sized and positioned for easy thumb use, so you don't need to use both hands at once. However, the touchpad doesn't feel like it responds particularly accurately to your finger movements, and so can become quite frustrating if you're trying to get the cursor over a very small onscreen selection.
The keyboard side is quite intimidating, at least initially, thanks to the sheer number of buttons it carries and the way that many of the buttons have more than one use. Even after a couple of days of solid use we still often found ourselves staring blankly at the keyboard trying to remember what key(s) we needed to press to achieve a desired effect.
Overall Sony/Google probably deserves praise for the effort they've put into designing a radical remote to go with the Google TV box. But it nonetheless often feels like a 'blockage' between you and the Google TV service.
The onscreen interface is more effective. Pressing the Home button on the remote darkens the TV picture (a bit too much for our liking), and calls up a row of icons along the bottom of the screen providing shortcuts to the full set of Android Apps installed on the box; a TV option then simply removes the overlaid menu; YouTube; the Google Play Store; the Google Chrome browser; and Sony's own 'Entertainment world', comprising the brand's Video and Music unlimited subscription services.
One immediate aggravation we had with this menu was that you can't change which icons appear on it. So you can't for instance, replace the Sony Entertainment World icon for Netflix if that's your video streaming service of choice.
We also uncovered a major bug, whereby simply pressing 'back' from one of the online content menus to return to the home page caused the TV to stop showing the TV picture, eventually resulting in an error message. This – and another bug that regularly prevented the box shutting down properly – is exactly the sort of thing that Google TV simply cannot allow to happen if it wants to convince people that it's a no-hassle addition to a normal TV experience.
Heading into the All Apps section to see what's pre-loaded onto the box, there's surprisingly little of any real substance there. The only things worth mentioning are Netflix, Twitter, and Sony's TrackID system for identifying songs playing on the TV. Just as well, then, that the box has 8GB of built in memory for accommodating extra apps obtained through the Google Play Store.
Having got used to Smart TVs offering 'apps' for catch-up TV services like Demand 5 and, of course, the BBC iPlayer, as well as access to LoveFilm, it's very disappointing to find such services not immediately available on Sony's Google TV box. Instead you have to access them on the open internet using the Google Chrome browser – a situation which quickly proves to be far from ideal.
For starters, you frequently come across text on web pages that's painfully small. There is a magnify button on the remote, and you can swipe your fingers out on the touchpad to magnify pages too. But the touchpad's sensitivity doesn't give you anywhere near enough precision over this function, and basically if you're anything like us you'll quickly and regularly feel like throwing the remote across the room in frustration whenever you're trying to use it to access web-based content.
As noted before, the touchpad remote also makes it difficult to move the cursor around the screen with enough precision to select the frequently quite small text links or selection boxes that are rife on the Web.
Compared with the simplicity of using the iPlayer apps on Smart TVs it was all a bit of a nuisanse frankly, and is about as far from delivering a friendly TV experience as you could possibly get.
In short, we very quickly reached the conclusion that however much you might crave the freedom of open Internet access that's essentially, for now at least, Google TV's main mode of operation, the practical reality is that having dedicated TV apps designed with TV-friendly interfaces – the sort of thing you get on Smart TVs, in other words – is far preferable.


How does Christian mercy respond to the incarceration of the children of illegal immigrants?
This is an opening comment on a divisive issue facing American society; an issue that shapes the social conversation and is shaped by our current social context.
The question of mercy is not a question at all, rather it is a requirement imposed by our heavenly Father and a test of real salvation. Does mercy, in this case, become a case study? How do we separate out the competing complex arguments of sovereign borders vs those fleeing to safety on behalf of their families? What about the stability of our own social context being upended by radical influxes of other cultures vs the real need for the safe expression of these cultures inside of a country which claims its role as the ardent defender of culture? And there are many other real and competing narratives that speak into these broad problems.
But, here we want to explore the question of Christian responsibility toward the small and voiceless humans caught between these massive movements of systems, ideologies and competing concerns. It is a question of Mercy and its application.


The Controller and Auditor General, Fuimaono Mata'afa Papali'i Camillo Afele Taimalelagi, is the recipient of a prestigious international anti-fraud award.
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (A.C.F.E.), an American-based anti-fraud organisation and one of the world's largest provider of anti-fraud training, has named Fuimaono the recipient of its Outstanding Achievement in Community Outreach Service Award.
The awarded was presented in July this year but he could not accept it at that time due to work commitments.
A.C.F.E. vice president and general counsel, John Warren J.D., announced the award and gave details of how the 2018 recipient of the award is an active contributor in his community through various initiatives to help improve the quality of life in Samoa.
"Firstly, the A.C.F.E. members should be actively committed in where they live and work, many on the volunteerism, the recipient must first reflect the strong belief of the members should be active contributors to the community, and be committed in helping improve the places where they live and work.
"Many of our members fulfill this commitment through volunteerism. The recipient of the outstanding achievement in community outreach and Service award must demonstrate that he or she has been an active volunteer in projects, that have resulted in recognised improvement of their community," he said.
The A.C.F.E. vice president said Fuimaono has led a campaign to rid corruption in Samoa in a variety of programs.
"This year's winner is the Controller and Chief Auditor in the Samoa Audit Office and in his role, he has led the campaign to rid corruption in a variety of programs.
"He initiated the Samoa integrity network project, which includes educational videos to teach the public about the risks of fraud and corruption and he released a fraud control manual in honor of Corruption day, and he also plans to establish an A.C.F.E. chapter that would connect different members," he said of Fuimaono.
Based in Austin, Texas, the A.C.F.E. was founded in 1988 by preeminent fraud expert and author, Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA. Dr. Wells' insight as an accountant-turned-FBI agent led to the formation of a common body of knowledge known today as fraud examination.


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Lives M-Learning
Centre of Excellence for Innovation and Research
Al-taqwa School in Kabul
Education for Deprived Children of Afghanistan
VIFAS
Partnership With BC Firefighters
Caravan TV
Constitution and Bylaws	sarah	2020-09-02T05:34:43+00:00
CONSTITUTION JANUARY 2002
Partnership Afghanistan (Canada) is a non-political, non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit volunteer humanitarian organization whose core objectives are to provide services that contribute towards long-term sustainable peace and development in Afghanistan and to undertake and manage need assessment surveys, design of projects, monitoring, evaluation and training and improvement of capacity building at the local level through community participation.
Partnership Afghanistan Canada's strategy for activities and programs is, therefore, built on and strengthens existing local institutions. Partnership Afghanistan Canada intends to develop local capacity, utilize the allocated resources properly, improve the technical aspects of the rehabilitation and development, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the projects in Afghanistan. The delivery of services by Partnership Afghanistan Canada is based on practices that ensure gender equity, community engagement and active youth participation.
Besides direct delivery of service, Partnership Afghanistan intends to work in Partnership and co¬ordination with other humanitarian Afghan and non-Afghan organizations in the area. Also, Partnership Afghanistan Canada will serve as a consultant or as an implementing agency to organizations that are or interested in getting involved in humanitarian and development work in Afghanistan.
In the future Partnership Afghanistan also intends to be a source of comprehensive business and business-related consultations to both Afghan and non-Afghan business sectors that desire to invest and do business in (and with) Afghanistan. Partnership Afghanistan will promote and encourage long-term foreign direct investment that contributes toward long-term economic growth and stability in Afghanistan.
Partnership Afghanistan is founded and managed by qualified prominent Afghan intellectuals and professionals from diverse fields of expertise. It is open to all Afghans and non-Afghans professionals who are willing to provide voluntary contributions to the objectives of the organization.
ARTICLE I. INTRODUCTION
Two decades of conflict in Afghanistan not only has destroyed the economic infrastructure of the country but has also demolished its educational, social and material resources In the wake of the internationally backed and brokered Bonn agreement between different warring and political Afghan factions there is now hope that the dearly sought after peace may finally return to Afghanistan. However. there is a common consensus that for peace to materialize and sustain the reconstruction and restoration of some basic economic, social and educational infrastructure is a must.
In the opening statement of the Afghanistan of Tomorrow conference, the Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) of the Canadian Government, the Hon. Rey Pagtakhan M.P. Noted that Canada had a long-standing commitment to the people of Afghanistan. lie. however. added that while Canada with the international community stands ready to be an active participant in supporting Afghanistan, Afghan men and women must be engaged in the planning of reconstruction and that the Afghan Diaspora "play a critical role in providing the necessary expertise to rebuild Afghanistan'.
Encouraged by the promising statement of the Honourable Minister Pagtakhan, the invited prominent Afghan intellectuals and experts in diverse professions held a number of meetings during the conference to discuss what important roles they could play in the rebuilding of their country From these intra-Afghan dialogues emerged a consensus on an urgent and critically important need for the formation of a body of the Afghan and some non-Afghan intellectuals and experts that could not only play a direct role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan but also help and advise the Afghan Diaspora and the international community on efficient and effective use of their placed resources and services in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
It has been the urgency of such a need that necessitated the establishment of Partnership Afghanistan, a body of Afghan and non-Afghan experts and professionals with deep and active interest in Afghanistan.
ARTICLE II. CORE OBJECTIVES
Partnership Afghanistan is a non-political, non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit volunteer humanitarian organization (NGO), incorporate with the government of Canada and Afghanistan in February 2002, whose core objectives include:
The provision of services that contribute towards long-term sustainable peace and development in Afghanistan:
The undertaking and managing of need assessment surveys. project designs, monitoring. evaluation and training and improving of local capacity building through community participation;
Working in partnership and co-ordination with other humanitarian Afghan and non-Afghan organizations in the area and also serving as a consultant or as an implementing agency to organizations that are, or. interested in getting involved in humanitarian and development work in Afghanistan;
Being a source of comprehensive business- and business-related consultations to both Afghan and non-
Afghan business sectors that desire to invest and do business in (and with) Afghanistan;
Promotion and encouragement of long-term foreign direct investment that contributes toward long-term
economic growth and stability in Afghanistan;
Two decades of conflict in Afghanistan have destroyed the country's economic infrastructure and have also demolished its educational, social and material resources. In the wake of the internationally-backed and brokered Bonn agreement between different warring and Afghan political factions, there is now hope that the dearly sought after peace may finally return to Afghanistan. However, there is a universal consensus that for peace to materialize and sustain the reconstruction and restoration of some necessary economic, social and educational infrastructure is a must.
In the opening statement of the Afghanistan of Tomorrow conference, the Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) of the Canadian Government, the Hon. Rey Pagtakhan M.P. Noted that Canada had a long-standing commitment to the people of Afghanistan. However, added that while Canada with the international community stands ready to be an active participant in supporting Afghanistan, Afghan men and women must be engaged in the planning of reconstruction and that the Afghan Diaspora "plays a critical role in providing the necessary expertise to rebuild Afghanistan'.
Encouraged by the promising statement of the Honourable Minister Pagtakhan, the invited prominent Afghan intellectuals and experts in diverse professions held several meetings during the conference to discuss what essential roles they could play in the rebuilding of their country From these intra-Afghan dialogues emerged a consensus on an urgent and critically important need for the formation of a body of the Afghan and some non-Afghan intellectuals and experts that could not only play a direct role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan but also help and advise the Afghan Diaspora and the international community on the efficient and effective use of their placed resources and services for the rebuilding of Afghanistan.
It has been the urgency of such a need that necessitated the establishment of Partnership Afghanistan Canada, a body of Afghan and non-Afghan experts and professionals with a deep and active interest in Afghanistan.
The undertaking and managing of need assessment surveys, project designs, monitoring, evaluation and training and improvement of local capacity building through community participation;
Working in Partnership and co-ordination with other humanitarian Afghan and non-Afghan organizations in the area and also serving as a consultant or as an implementing agency to organizations that are, or interested in getting involved in humanitarian and development work in Afghanistan;
Being a source of comprehensive business and business-related consultations to both Afghan and non-
ARTICLE III. ACTIVITIES
Partnership Afghanistan Canada can be involved in any of the following activities through programs, projects and partnerships and joint ventures.
• To carry out community-focused and community involved sustainable development and to deliver and or to assist with basic needs such as health. health education, clean water and primary education;
• To rehabilitate Afghan warriors and war victims
• To support local authorities and community representatives in capacity building
• To offer a full range of customized financial products, including terms loans, innovative quasi-equity financing and venture capital
• To support a business' growth. quality import and export strategies by setting up a national network of consultants who provide affordable and result-driven consulting services;
• To promote direct investment and trade in Afghanistan by the national and international private business sectors in Afghanistan;
• To support equalization of opportunities and integration, promotion and protection of fundamental human rights of all individuals within Afghan society, including men. women and children and their full participation in education, economic, social and cultural activities within their communities:
• To reconstruct/rehabilitate the rural infrastructure such as the irrigation system, roads. water and community service infrastructures;
• To enhance the integration and inclusion of disadvantaged and marginalized groups such as visible minorities and people with disabilities:
• To support and encourage positive interaction between diverse Afghan populations and communities: To contribute to human resource management and training;
• To promote activities that strengthen civil societies and to promote self-reliance and self-help among individuals and communities;
• To provide published guidelines and directions to NGOs and other organizations for activities inside Afghanistan:
• To be a partner in identifying priority and quick-impact programs and in providing a database for such applications;
• To develop criteria for a needs assessment that will be of use not only for Partnership Afghanistan but also for other interested organizations:
• To conduct specific surveys that will be of critical help in the humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan:
• To contribute toward a long-term development map for Afghanistan;
• To provide advice, support, encouragement. training and opportunity for Afghan Diaspora to play their active and vital role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan;
• To organize workshops, conferences, seminars. group meetings and retreats on different specific aspects of reconstruction of Afghanistan and to participate in and contribute to international conferences on the restoration of Afghanistan:
• To pursue a reconstruction process driven by community participation comes from the "grassroots" up, rather than being donor-driven.
ARTICLE IV: BENEFICIARIES
The beneficiaries of Partnership Afghanistan (Canada) include Afghan and non-Afghan NGOs with projects and interests in Afghanistan, private sectors. Civil society organizations, Governments and international agencies and ordinary Afghans.
ARTICLE V: FUNDING SOURCES
Partnership Afghanistan Canada draws its financial resources from individuals, corporate and non-corporate organizations, and any funds available for development by the government and international agencies that assist in growth in less developed and developing countries. Potential financial donors include:
• US Agency for International Development (USAID); European Community humanitarian Office (ECHO): United Nations Development Program (UNDP):
• United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
• Government of Japan:
• Netherlands Development Agency (NEDA); GTZ;
• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA);
• Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
• British Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Private Donors
ARTICLE VI: LOCATION
Partnership, Afghanistan Canada's Heard-Quarter, is in Vancouver, BC, Canada, with sub-Offices in Afghanistan.
ARTICLE VII: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
a) The Board of Directors (BD)
The decision-making body of Partnership Afghanistan is the Board of Directors (BD). The BD comprises of experienced personalities and experts in different relevant fields and professions. Membership in the BD is achieved through the election in the general assembly meeting every year for a year. Founding Members, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Field Director and central secretary and administrator become automatic members of the BD with the Founders of the Organization as the permanent members of the BD.
The BD is responsible for the activities of Partnership Afghanistan Canada, which includes the approval and evaluation of projects: providing advice and guidance to both central and Field Director and officers; financial assessment and boycotting; calling monthly, quarterly, annual and emergency meetings. A BD member can be disqualified and therefore removed from the Board if he/she
• Remains absent without a legitimate reason in three consecutive BD meetings;
• Does not actively contribute toward the objectives of the organizations:
• Violates the code of the conduct of the organization.
The BD will hold meetings in the headquarters of Partnership Afghanistan. Every member of the board has the right of one vote in any decision-making. The decision of a simple fifty plus one majority must be accepted. The BD members will only work voluntarily and will receive no financial rewards for their contributions.
b) The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the operating authority and is responsible for the organization's day-to-day functioning. The CEO is appointed and therefore, can be removed by two-thirds of the BD. The Field Director is the subordinate of the CEO. The CEO is responsible for the following specific tasks:
• Quarterly and yearly reports;
• Boycotts, spending and activities of the organization;
• Recruitment, dismissal and layoffs of the personnel:
• Representing the organization in signing contracts and agreements;
• Opening and operating a bank account under the name of Partnership Afghanistan or authorizing other Partnership Afghanistan personnel to do his job.
The CEO is a paid position whose salary is determined by the BD. Field Director (FD) assists the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in all his/her duties. The FD automatically becomes acting CEO with the CEO authorities and responsibilities in the absence of the CEO.
c) Central Secretary and Administrator
The Central Secretary and Administrator carry out bookkeeping and administrative tasks of Partnership Afghanistan. This a paid job with such responsibilities as:
• Arranging the agenda of meetings;
• Writing up the minutes of BD meetings;
• Distribution of minutes;
• Calling members for meetings:
• Providing personal assistance to the CEO and the Deputy CEO;
• Filing and record keeping;
d) Field Director
Field Director carries out the operations of Partnership Afghanistan in the regions. Field Director is appointed and removed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with the consent and approval of the Board of Directors and their duties include:
1. Pursuance of the objectives of the organization at regional levels;
2. Implementation of projects; boycotting, reporting. and recommendation of projects:
3. Recruitment of local staff:
4. Serving as liaisons between the region and the central office of the organization;
e) Financial Manager
The financial management of the Partnership Afghanistan both in central and regional offices is the responsibility of the Financial Manager. The Financial Manager is responsible for keeping an updated balance sheet. Smooth and timely delivery of funds to the regional office. Collecting funds from donors and the issuing of salaries.
ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS
Partnership Afghanistan holds three types of meetings: monthly. Quarterly, annually and urgent. Monthly meetings are called to see the on-going implementation of plans and strategies. Quarterly meetings are invited for a quarterly assessment of the policies and programs and the introduction of new ideas and strategies; yearly meetings are called to present the annual report and evaluations of the existing and completed projects and outline and discuss the project's plans for the next one year. Urgent meetings can be called for any urgent matter that cannot wait for the regular meetings. Critical meetings can be called when one-third of the Board of Directors call for it and can be convened within seven days of notification. The quorum for any meeting will be two-third of the voting members of the Partnership Afghanistan.
ARTICLE IX: AFFILIATIONS
Partnership Afghanistan (Canada) is incorporated with the Government of Canada, Government of Pakistan, Government of Afghanistan, and enlisted with Canadian Charity; European Charity; UK Charity; United Nations and Afghan Coordinating Agencies.
ARTICLE X: GENERAL/CONTACT INFORMATION
Name of the Organization: Partnership Afghanistan (Canada)
Founded: January 1, 2002. in Ottawa, Canada
Partnership Afghanistan (Canada) Board of Directors
Mrs. Shahnaz Qayumi
Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO) (778) 280-3559
Partnership Afghanistan (Canada)
1438 Chippendale Rd, West Vancouver, BC
V7S 2N6 Canada
E-mail:info.pac.afg@gmail.com
Corporate Name: Partnership Afghanistan (Canada)
Corporation Number: 406659-6
Charity Registration Number: 86504 7864 RP 0001
Vancity Bank
Vancouver City Savings credit Union, West Vancouver Community Branch
West Vancouver, BC V7T 1B7 Telephone (604) 877.7000.
Account Name: Partnership Afghanistan (Canada)
ARTICLE XI: FINAL PROVISION
This Constitution is completed in XI articles, and it is effective as of January 1, 2002, and supersedes any previous Constitution. We, the undersigned, whose names are subscribed below. Have agreed to serve as Board of Directors of Partnership Afghanistan Canada with full commitment in the essence and spirit of the Constitution described in the above articles.
Partnership Afghanistan (Canada) is incorporated with the Government of Canada, Government of Pakistan, Government of Afghanistan, and also enlisted with Canadian Charity; European Charity; UK Charity; United Nations and Afghan Coordinating Agencies.
Website: http://pacafg.org
© Copyright PARTNERSHIP OF AFGHANISTAN & CANADA | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Rezvani is a relatively new Californian motor vehicle producing company on the map as it started in 2014. But since the inauguration of the company, it has not looked back.
After the great success of supercars such as beast and Alpha Beast and others, Rezvani geared up to release its Tank. Yes, you read it right.
It is basically a Jeep Wrangler but with great modification regarding looks. The latest addition in the armored vehicles lives up to the aggressive appearance. It has a buff body, heavy wheels, and powerful V-8.
It has LIR thermal imaging.
It has standard night vision.
Head up display for the driver.
Ballistic armor which is optional adding to the features of this tank.
The 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine makes around 500 horsepower which is more than the previous 285-horsepower V-6 it replaced. The 6.4-liter normally makes 485 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 475 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm.
It provides the unmatchable strength to the vehicle making it an excellent choice among the armored vehicle.
The inside of the tank is nothing less than the outside. The big addition is the rear end suicide doors. They open in the opposite way than the Jeep Wrangler, but they are power operated.
There is an upgrade infotainment system ingrate in the dashboard with a widescreen. The seat covers are all made out of leather, giving it a more army look.
There is a space of almost 5 people inside. The second row can easily be folded flat if more space is required for the cargo. Otherwise, enough space for 5 people to sit comfortably. It has a fully operating system regarding the 4WD.
The outside body is just as impressive as the inside. The front x shaped grill and has sunken into the body headlights. The tank's rear end has an impressive sloping roofline with glass lift-up tailgate. Its taillights are LED.
It comes as a shock to a few men, if not every one of, that woman can complete a few things at any given moment. It even appears to disturb some of them that woman can watch a film and in the meantime, cook and clean, breadth and wipe, cut their nails and message, or complete maybe a couple such things. Basically, woman are great at multitasking. They are intended to work that way. They can be doing different things at once, regardless they figure out how to achieve those errands without struggling excessively.
Maybe, that is the reason woman are awesome homemakers. It is intrinsic in them. As meager young woman, they normally acquire the characteristics of a mother. They play kitchen, they cook, they make up their dolls and adore them like they were really coddles. They cherish delicate. They show protective love at such a youthful age. They effectively get things. They are capable and they may not really jump at the chance to work but rather they do, on the grounds that they mind a great deal excessively.
woman have testing existences. Particularly in this vocation driven age-where woman are left with more things to manage, than any time in recent memory. While at the same time they have their own vocations to deal with, woman still keep on working indefatigably behind the scene. Despite everything they run their homes paying little respect to whether they are single or wedded. They do endless things that men may, or won't not see except if they are away for multi day or two. They keep on cooking, clean, wash… keeping things all together, doing little things like gathering the dishes something one won't not check except if it's not done.
Discuss wedded woman, and their hands are actually full. One youngster is sufficient to involve you every minute of every day and you consider how a few guardians really figure out how to raise in excess of one not too bad child. Genuine, men assume a similarly essential part in child rearing, yet by one means or another, woman dependably wind up conveying the greater load. I have pondered in wonder how my functioning mother figured out how to raise seven of us, with father constantly posted somewhere else when we were growing up. It must take some uncommon sort of adoration to have the capacity to accomplish something to that effect.
Today, I glance around and perceive how circumstances are different. The extent of a family is a considerable measure littler yet at that point, most woman are seeking after testing professions, as well. Trust me, it's an extravagance for a lady to get back home, and find that everything is all together. A few of us can't recollect the last time we got back home and just approached doing our own particular thing. Since there are families you have to take care of. There are things you have to set up. Also, these are things you do once a day paying little mind to whether you had a simple or a long, mean one.
That is the reason I say woman have a place with a stunning, astounding species! Perhaps God gives us additional elegance, quality and fearlessness to do every one of the things we have to do. Indeed, we multitask and men may abhor that, yet in the event that it weren't for multitasking, a considerable measure of things would be strange, particularly at home.
Love, they say drives the world as we know it. Be that as it may, assuredly, it's woman who improve the world a place to live in.
French carmakers really turned the tables by launching the Kwid hatchback back in 2015 and it was game-changing. The pièce de resistance of the automobile was its flamboyant SUV-like composition, dolled up styling and its segment first features gained it instant popularity and made it a hit. This even managed to fetch Renault appreciation that marked the monthly sales of the company at an all-time high for the following year. Even though it was a smash, it started to lose its charm within no time, which urged the carmakers to bring about certain updates in the car itself and new variants of the same model were rolled out in hopes that it would attain the same position which Kwid had when it first launched, but, unfortunately none of these tactics worked out. Nor was the Renault Kwid price too compelling. This eventually led to a drastic decline in sales and the manufacturers had to come up with a new strategy. Finally, after 3 years, Renault decided to take a huge step which is entirely a game changer. They have introduced a much needed and awaited update to the model.
Although the appearance at first glance does not suggest any major changes, if you look closely, you can point out some of the cosmetic changes that the company looked into. Kwid now has an updated razor edge chrome grille. This is one of the most evident and easily notable mien changes. The halogen headlamps, the bumpers, and the fog lamps remain untouched. Renault has dumped the chequered flag decals to give the car a sleek look by giving it a new 'speed sport' graphics on both sides of the car which makes it look subtle and is a bold decision to finally do away with the original graphic which represented the 1-liter engine. Moving forward, the outside rearview mirror and twin-3 spoke wheel cover has a silver finish which provides a slight contrast of hues. A moonlight silver color option is now open for grabs. The rear still remains unchanged except it now offers a rear-view camera which has a 7-inch touchscreen display. However, the interior is just the same with slight changes and updates that include new upholstery and a 12 Volt charging socket. For the passengers in the back seat, Renault went one step ahead and added pretensioners and load limiters in the seat belts. Now moving forward to the engine, everything under the hood is just the same as before, but with a twist, which is the traffic assist function.
Speaking of the engine, let's get to the performance of this new model. There isn't much to compare since the lines between the new and the previous model on performance are slightly blurred. In conclusion, if we compare the two models, the new Renault model is definitely better than the original one. It is certainly the best looking model with numerous first-in-class features, and to add a cherry on top, the prices remain unchanged. These new updates arguably put Kwid at par and should be considered if you're keeping an eye out for suitable cars. The Renault Kwid price has been on a relative low, so it really is a bang for the buck at current value.


What are the services areas and hours of operation of the Student Services building?
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
When did the Student Services building open?
The Student Services building opened to serve students on December 20, 2010.


text:
University Digest
President's Letter
Insights from community members
History, Traditions & Grounds
New Operating Chief Starts
by Anna Katherine Clemmons
Jennifer "J.J." Wagner Davis Sanjay Suchak
Like President James E. Ryan (Law '92), UVA's new chief operating officer, Jennifer "J.J." Wagner Davis, has hit the ground running. Currently a Mews resident behind the Pavilions, Davis wakes up before sunrise each morning to run. "The Lawn is a pretty inspiring place to start a run, and I often find myself stopping to take photos because I'm still amazed by the beauty of this place," Davis says.
Just months into her new role, Davis has spent much of her time in Charlottesville establishing relationships and growing her knowledge of UVA. She arrived at UVA from George Mason University, where she was senior vice president for finance and administration for five years. Davis and her team at UVA manage much of the behind-the-scenes, including safety, HR, finance, IT, capital planning and facilities management. They are also helping to develop the framework of resources to support President Ryan's strategic plan, which he will present to the Board of Visitors early this summer.
Spring 2019 / University Digest
The University, Leadership
Others also read:
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It's Not Easy Being Dean: The role of dean of students has changed dramatically over the years. So have the personalities.
Hadley's New Handle: Dean of Students
Shock, grief and a coming together: UVA reacts to the tragic shootings on Grounds
From the Publisher: Celebrating Ridley's Success
Vehicle to help victims, families and others came together within days of the tragedy
The class of 2026, by the numbers
Over 4,000 first-years have arrived on Grounds. Take a look at the demographics of the newest class of 'Hoos.
Three UVA alumni go big on reality competition shows
This year, 'Hoos have starred on LEGO Masters, Iron Chef and The Amazing Race. Here's how they got there.
The deaths of football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry and the wounding of two other students traumatized the UVA community.
Copyright © 2023 by the University of Virginia Magazine
Published by the UVA Alumni Association


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Q: Monotouch navigate from splash screen I want to add a splash screen to a monotouch/xamarin project.
The splash screen should perform some logic and then navigate the user to one of two screens, logged in screen/Log in screen.
What is the correct way to do it in monotouch? (I am new to monotouch and IOS).

A: How i would do it, is something like this:

*

*Set your splash screen as the rootviewcontroller, do your logic in the background, and start to check if the user is logged in or not.

*Then on the async complete call, navigate the user to either logged in screen and set that as the new rootviewcontroller in a navigationcontroller. If the user is not logged in, push a topviewcontroller on top of the loggedinscreen - remember to check if the user is logged in or not, before you start loading user specific data in the logged in screen.

Example:
        MySplashController splash;
        Navigationcontroller nav;
        UIViewController masterviewcontroller;

        Public override void FinishedLaunching(UIApplication app, NSDictionary options){

              splash = new MySplashController();
              window.rootviewcontroller = splash;
              window.makekeyandvisible();

        }
        void MyAsyncLoggedInCall(bool loggedin){
           if(loggedin)
             LoggedIn();
           else
             LogOn();
        }
        void LoggedIn(){
         masterviewcontroller = MyLoggedInScreen();
         nav = new navigationcontroller(masterviewcontroller);
         window.rootviewcontroller = nav;
        }
        void LogOn(){
         masterviewcontroller = MyLoggedInScreen();
         nav = new navigationcontroller(masterviewcontroller);
         window.rootviewcontroller = nav;
         nav.TopViewController.PresentModalViewController(new MyLogInScreen(),false);
        }

This is just one of the ways to do it. You can also look at how to implement the facebook login functions, and do something like that in your application, as its quite similar to your problem. Monotouch bindings

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: sql oracle - List all the employees, their hire dates and the number of days each person will have worked for the company as of January 1, 2005 CREATE TABLE Employee (
    Employee_ID     INT     NOT NULL,
    First_Name      VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL,
    Last_Name       VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL,
    Dept_Code       VARCHAR(6)  NOT NULL,
    Hire_Date       DATE        NULL,
    Credit_Limit    NUMERIC(8,2)    NULL,
    Phone_Ext       INT     NULL,
    Manager_ID      INT     NULL);

INSERT INTO Employee VALUES (201,'Susan','Brown','Exe','01-Jun-1998',30.00,3484,NULL);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES (202,'Jim','Kern','Sal','16-Aug-1999',25.00,8722,201);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(203,'Martha','Woods','Shp','02-Feb-2004',25.00,7591,201);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(204,'Ellen','Owens','Sal','01-Jul-2003',15.00,6830,202);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(205,'Henry','Perkins','Sal','01-Mar-2000',25.00,5286,202);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(206,'Carol','Rose','Act','','',NULL,NULL);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(207,'Dan','Smith','Shp','01-Dec-2004',25.00,2259,203);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(208,'Fred','Campbell','Shp','01-Apr-2003',30.00,1752,203);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(209,'Paula','Jacobs','Mkt','17-Mar-1999',15.00,3357,201);
INSERT INTO Employee VALUES(210,'Nancy','Hoffman','Sal','16-Feb-2004',25.00,2974,203);

A: You can use the - operator between two dates to get the difference in days, and then trunc it down to a whole number:
SELECT first_name,
       last_name,
       hire_date,
       TRUNC(hire_date - TO_DATE('01-01-2005', 'dd-mm-yyyy'))
FROM   Assignment1_Employee


"Second Decade" history podcast continues the story of Napoleon in Russia!
"Second Decade" podcast begins a new series: Napoleon in Russia!
Historic Painting: "Room in the House on Ostrovki" by Grigory Soroka, 1844.
Rager for the ages: The obscenely epic party of the Congress of Vienna.


text:
Q: How to get format from input Date in java? I want to save events in my database. I have date picker on web app so that user can choose Date from list. But via Postman we can add, for example, 31-04-2020 and it will be saved as 01.05.2020.
In save method of controller I want to check if input date is valid. This can be done by
SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat(formatString);
format.setLenient(false);
format.parse(input);

But how can I get the string value of input Date in "format" view to pass it to "formatString"?
I just know that input is like Mon Nov 02 02:00:00 EET 2020, but I can't convert it to format one even with this link because of EET 2020 ending.
Thank you in advance


text:
Q: Heroku Asks for PG gem when I have Mongoid I'm receiving the following error
Please install the postgresql adapter: `gem install activerecord-postgresql-adapter` (pg is not part of the bundle. Add it to Gemfile.) (LoadError)

whenever I visit a page in my heroku app. I have no idea why this is happening since I'm using MongoDB and Mongoid in my app. I've also added MongoLab Starter as an heroku add on to modify the app for MongoDB. I deleted my GemFile.lock and bundle installed again. My GemFile is
source 'https://rubygems.org'

ruby '2.0.0'

gem 'rails', '3.2.13'

gem 'unicorn'

group :assets do
  gem 'sass-rails',   '~> 3.2.3'
  gem 'coffee-rails', '~> 3.2.1'
  gem 'uglifier', '>= 1.0.3'
end

gem 'jquery-rails'

gem "slim-rails", "~> 2.0.1"

# For database stuff
gem "bcrypt-ruby", "~> 3.0.1"

gem "american_date", "~> 1.1.0"

gem "mongoid", "~> 3.1.4"

gem "mongoid_spacial", "~> 0.2.16"

gem "mongoid-paperclip", "~> 0.0.8"

gem "aws-s3", "~> 0.6.3"

gem "aws-sdk", "~> 1.8.4"

I do not have a database.yml file but I do have a mongoid.yml file. What did I do wrong and how do I fix it?

A: I'm not sure if Heroku supports MongoDB by "default". Try adding the MongoHD add-on and configuring Mongoid:
https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/mongohq#adding-a-mongohq-database
Hope this helps!


text:
The Highwomen Strip Back 'Redesigning Women' and 'The Chain' for 'Howard Stern' Visit [Watch]
The Highwomen recently stopped by Howard Stern's radio show to sing both an original song and a classic Fleetwood Mac cover. Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby stripped down both "Redesigning Women" and "The Chain" for two bare-bones, acoustic performances.
The Highwomen's "Redesigning Women," an anthemic song about women's roles throughout different eras in history, debuted in early July, shortly before the supergroup made their official debut at the Newport Folk Festival in late July. There, the four women shared new songs from their upcoming self-titled debut album and even collaborated with Dolly Parton for a surprise performance.
The Highwomen's cover of "The Chain," meanwhile, comes from the upcoming film The Kitchen. The movie is a thriller starring an all-female cast, including Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss. The Kitchen will hit theaters on Aug. 9.
The idea for the all-female supergroup the Highwomen came from a need for one in the industry. "Almost all of us are mothers of young girls. And we all grew up listening to country music," Carlile told The Boot. "We recognize that we're in a time right now where our daughters don't have the same country music heroes that we had.
"Our goal is simply to elevate all women and completely abandon the concept of competing with one another," she explained. "So that we can let as many women through the door as possible, and give our girls those country music heroes that we all had."
The Highwomen will be releasing their self-titled debut album on Sept. 6. So far, the group has shared "Redesigning Women" and "Crowded Table" from the project.
See the Highwomen + More at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival
Source: The Highwomen Strip Back 'Redesigning Women' and 'The Chain' for 'Howard Stern' Visit [Watch]
Filed Under: amanda shires, Brandi Carlile, highwomen, maren morris, Natalie Hemby, the highwomen


text:
Home World Israel Ad Kan & The Nation of Israel's Unconsciousness of Struggle Syndrome
Ad Kan & The Nation of Israel's Unconsciousness of Struggle Syndrome
Tue October 4, 2022
Ad Kan Logo
The renewal of Jews returning to and settling in the land of Israel, a trend that began at the beginning of the 19th century, did not end. Sadly, Ad Kan points out that in general, Zionism and Jewish spirituality are both in retreat.
Ad Kan is one of the organizations in Israel that understands very well the meaning of the Zionism concept, which has to a large extent turned to be secular and void of Judaism. The 'Ad Kan' organization is involved in the struggle for the preservation of the homeland.
The organization's name means up to this point; simply said, so far we have withdrawn, gone retrograde and back; have hesitated and given up and have deteriorated. From here on, only advancing and improving Zionism, move to promote the preservation of the homeland's lands effectively and with innovation.
During June 2022, while visiting Israel and as I do every visit, I visited the offices of 'Ad Kan' in Eli, an urban-communal in the Binyamin Mountains in Samaria, the northernmost Jewish community in the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, located southeast of the city of Ariel.
the Eli community, in Samaria – Wikipedia
Visiting The Ad Kan Office
What brings me to visit the offices of 'Ad Kan' is the possibility to breathe a true Zionist atmosphere and unconditional love of the homeland that is so lacking today in the vastness of the state of Israel.
What frustrates me in my conversations with the Ad Kan team, now counting 26 members, is to realize that the people of Israel are stubborn. They do not want to understand their situation; that the State of Israel is a compactor of mental consciousness in which there is a void in the ideological-value aspect.
The following is a summary of my long conversation with Gilad Ach, the CEO and Founder of the organization, the organization's lawyer, and some of the team members who sat with me and tossed out statements of facts to fill in my concerns.
Gilad Ach, Ad Kan CEO and Founder – Photo: Nurit Greenger
The Essence of 'Ad Kan'
The 'Ad Kan' organization was founded by a group of IDF (Israel Defense Forces) officers and former intelligence soldiers who decided to make a change and fight against the anti-Israel organizations, in Israel and abroad. Anti-Israel operational funding comes from foreign countries and anti-Semitic-anti-Israel bodies. Those elements work non-stop to weaken the state of Israel by slandering it globally and coordinating subversive operations against it.
'Ad Kan,' fights to hamper and obstruct the activities and operations of those opposing entities, both in Israel and abroad.
Presently, 'Ad Kan' has five departments, each dealing with different aspects of the constant struggle Israel faces:
The intelligence and fieldwork department;
The research department;
The legal department;
The policy and administration department;
The public relations and media department.
If anyone ever thought that Israel's war for independence ended in 1948, they are mistaken. The war against the Jews and for the land of Israel is ongoing.
The Endless War
Already in ancient Biblical times the people of Israel felt the sword of death on their flesh: "And Abner called to Joab and said, 'Will forever the sword destroy, did you not know that it will be bitter at the end…~ Samuel II: 2:26.'" And the meaning of the verse is, will the sword kill forever, or will we reach the day when it will cease?
Jews were and are killed by Arabs in the land of Israel for centuries and till today. The fight is territorial. The Arabs who have an illegitimate claim to the land, a claim that is stuck in the minds of the international community as part of its proverbial anti-Jews-antisemitism, do not want the Jews to be in their ancestral land.
Ad Kan logo portion
Ad Kan Activities
'Ad Kan Youth for Israel' is an Israeli non-profit organization engaged in conducting investigations and public activities against phenomena that, in its members' opinion, harm the strength and image of the State of Israel. The organization infiltrates people into organizations it perceives as anti-Israel, with the goal of gathering information about those harmful organizations' activities, publishing the findings in the media or handing them over to the law authorities so they can open an investigation case-file.
Promo of Ad Kan upcoming "Hashtulah" TV series in which they inserted a female agent, in a disguised manner, into European organizations that actively help subvert Israel through Arab activities; the agent documented from the inside these organizations' illegitimate activities which the series will expose:
To this day, since the end of the Six Day War of 1967, the governments of Israel have not reached a permanent agreement regarding the territories of Judea and Samaria that were liberated from Jordan's illegal occupation that lasted 19 years. The Arabs, with the help of the European Union (EU) governments, are not waiting for the failed politics to heal. They want to determine facts on the ground without notifying the State of Israel and against all the agreements signed in Oslo in 1993-1995.
In those Oslo agreements, it was generally agreed, if the Arabs fulfill the requirements of the agreements and it must be said that they have failed this aspect miserably, to establish a Palestinian state on the lands of the state of Israel of Judea and Samaria. The region was divided into three: Area 'A', Area 'B' and Area 'C'.
The 1995 Oslo II Accord divided Judea and Samaria into three administrative divisions of different statuses:
Area 'A' comprised approximately 18% of the territory;
Area 'B' about 22%, and
Area 'C' 60% of the territory.
Administration Of The Three Areas
Area 'A' is exclusively administered by the Palestinian Authority (PA);
Area 'B' is administered by both the PA and Israel, mostly the security aspect; and
Area 'C', which contains all the Israeli communities, is administered by Israel only.
At the time of signing the Agreement, Areas 'A' and 'B' were chosen in such a way as to contain a majority of Arab-Palestinians, by drawing lines around Arab-Palestinian population centers; all areas surrounding Areas 'A' and 'B' were defined as Area 'C'.
Since over the years the Oslo Agreements have proven to be a complete failure and a mistake that is difficult to correct, the Arabs decided that the solution is to occupy the territories by any means possible. To insert a realistic dimension of theirs into what has become further and further away from reality. The Arabs already see the territories of Areas 'A' and 'B' as their own. Now it remains to occupy Area 'C' where over half a million Jews live.
EU Government Intervention
Under the Palestinian Authority leadership, a mechanism that manages the campaign on Area 'C' was established. Under this mechanism is the Ministry of Local Government which receives its budget from the European Union (EU). Every European government that finances the Arabs' Area 'C' occupation activities process is in charge of financing a certain area of Judea or Samaria that is assigned to it.
Every European government that is involved in helping the Arabs to conquer Area 'C' provides people who help with the planning and budgets intended for these hostile activities and thus they promote the aid for the loss of Area 'C' while Israel is in a deep coma at the wheel and while the Arabs are determining facts on the ground.
Israel Asleep
A shocking situation. Yes. What the State of Israel is doing to fight this situation is even more shocking. Nothing! Israel looks the other way and sweeps the glaring facts before her eyes under the carpet. Israel deliberately ignores these facts.
Unequal Application of Laws
It turns out that the civil administration in charge of the Judea and Samaria territories intentionally does not enforce the law on the Arabs but it enforces the laws on the Israeli-Jews; an illusory reality for everything and even more so. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has several arms. With one it infiltrates and dominates more and more of Area 'C'; with the second arm it operates agents who infiltrated the civil administration who work in the administration as clerks and receive a salary from the Israeli taxpayer. These agents have already been exposed by 'Ad Kan'. These double agents work at the same time for the reprehensible Arab-Palestinian cause while thwarting security.
Double Agents
A common scenario: every time an Arab wants to sell land to a Jew and submits his request for permission to the establishment, these double agents pass the information to the Palestinian Authority who immediately arrests him and he goes through a series of tortures and in the end he gives up on the idea to sell land to a Jew.
Establishing The Counter-Mechanism
Gilad wants the state of Israel to establish a body that will argue to the European countries that their interfering actions are penetrating internal Israeli Arab matters and purely belong to the relations between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority in which they must not interfere. The State of Israel must set a red line and tell the European countries that with their actions they are infringing on the sovereignty of the State of Israel and that any such intervention is considered hostile.
But 'Ad Kan' has come to know that the State of Israel is not acting as it should be expected of it and this endangers the existence of the State. That's why they picked up the gauntlet and decided to establish a complete system that fights the piratical encroachment of the Palestinian Authority on Area 'C'.
Existential Threat To The State of Israel
How to fight a phenomenon that endangers the existence of the State of Israel?
Israel cannot go back to the 1948-1967 ceasefire lines. Also, most anti-Israel activities are built on a mountain of lies. The way people use terminology that undermines the foundations of the State of Israel is most influential. The term 'to settle' from which the word settlers derives comes from the Hebrew word nahala, meaning, to establish a community, cling to the land; the word 'settlers' comes from the Hebrew word Yishuv, meaning, to lodge, to live. Two terminology concepts that every country uses but when it refers to Jews they have become derogatory. Enemies of the State of Israel attack the Jewish settlers and settlements in Judea and Samaria with these terminology concepts which they use as destructive poison.
Gilad explains that in order to fight the situation one must understand the motivation, the sources of funds that finance these activities and most importantly, who the State of Israel faces. And unfortunately the State of Israel is not acting on the matter as it should.
'Ad Kan' team investigates and studies the subject of the problem, in depth, and makes covert moves to study the activity of the enemy and builds a case on the subject, whether it is a certain person or an organization. After that 'Ad Kan' comes into actual action. The method is to take a hammer and a chisel and attack subject by subject, using the hewing method.
Investigation, Documentation and Reporting
'Ad Kan' does not have the powers of the state and has no intention of replacing the role of the state. But the organization took it upon itself to operate in two arenas: one is the intelligence that investigates, in depth, and documents the facts; the other is the public to whom 'Ad Kan' team brings the documentation of the facts so the public can see and experience them and then influence the elected officials to act on the issue. And if necessary, 'Ad Kan' also operates in the legal arena when there is a legal or criminal reason and is also active in the parliamentary arena. This is Ad Kan's way to influence, whether by legislative means, legal processes and media exposure.
Intelligence Gathering
'Ad Kan' information base, and here it differs from any other similar activities, is that they bring intelligence from the field itself. It should be noted here that the security apparatus of the State of Israel does not touch on the security issues that have been touched upon by 'Ad Kan'. To Gilad's dismay, no one in the government of Israel wants to take responsibility and deal with the information that 'Ak Kan' has placed on their desk. Therefore, the matter is passed from desk to desk, from department to department, with a loss of valuable time and the handling of the matter does not move toward action or perhaps a solution.
Operating In A Vacuum
'Ad Kan' activities are held in places where the State of Israel leaves a burning vacuum for its existence. Such as activity in the international arena where opponents distort the state's image and open international lawsuits against IDF soldiers for which the state has no response. Or activity in the process of the Palestinian Authority's encroachment and takeover of Area 'C', which can be called an illegal occupation. Or activity against anti-Zionism organizations that gain momentum when anti-Zionism is an act of rebellion against Israel's sovereignty where the State has territorial integrity. Or, activity against Israeli Arabs, Israeli passport holders, who act to subvert the State of Israel. The violent riots by Israeli Arabs, that took place in May 2021 in several cities in Israel, where there is mixed Arab-Jewish population are a prominent example and have caught the Israeli authorities by complete surprise.
Long-Term Projects
'Ad Kan' are working all the time and at the same time on complex and long-term projects, on an international level, that affect Israel and touch the foundations of the Jewish and democratic state and how the state's image appears in the international arena.
Many Israelis Have Given Up
It is worth noting that the majority of the Jewish population in the State of Israel has reached the point of nothingness and despair. Because they believe there is no solution and there is nothing they can do about all the issues that the members of 'Ad Kan deal with, hence the general indifference.
'Ad Kan' surveillance – Photo Ad Kan
Arab terrorism behavior 'Ad Kan surveys – photo Ad Kan
The New Israel Fund (NIF)
In general this organization is hostile to Israel. It provides funds to 800 organizations and subsidizes each organization with 250,000 euros and causes Israel distress when it gives the state's resources to its enemies. It is NIF that caused the affirmative action in the State of Israel which gives Arabs enrolment preference in Israeli universities.
The Point of View of the Europeans
Many Europeans claim that there is no such thing as a Jewish state. That's why they assist the Arabs in their systematic occupation process through the colonization of all the territories of Judea and Samaria, which before 1967 were under illegal Jordanian occupation. This means that the Europeans are violating the international law that sees these territories legally belonging to the State of Israel, not even disputed as the State of Israel, without thinking first, agreed to this condemning term.
The Europeans are aware that construction in Area 'C', which they fund, is illegal. But they contribute to these actions and recommend that they go on with the Arab trend of construction. This takes place on Israeli lands which the Arabs consider illegally "occupied" by the Jews. The Arabs understand that their occupation of the State of Israel is through building their settlement and not only in the territories of Judea and Samaria. And this was clear with the Arabs' violent riots in several cities of the State of Israel, in May 2021.
The State of Israel
Where did the ideology on which the state of Israel was built flee to?
It is clear, Israel suffers from battered woman syndrome. The Israelis are unable to properly stand up against the Polish feudal lord, now replaced by the Arabs with the support of the Europeans and the international political system. The people's values have collapsed; there is no delving deep into matters, everything is materialistic and many are influenced by the corrupt media.
Israel also suffers from a lack of leadership or from an incompetent leadership that does not outline a clear path and these days there is no "king" in Israel, as the Bible cites: "In those days there is no king in Israel; each man does what he sees fit" ~ Judges chapter 17:verse 6.
With the lack of leadership and the failed civil administration that supposedly manages Judea and Samaria, Israel finds itself in a spinning wheel and is unable to maintain the status quo lines when it also combines in its actions the slime of the media and personal ideology.
Unfortunately for us, the State of Israel is being eaten from within by the political left that controls most of the state's government institutions, including the State Attorney's Office. The law in the country is upside-down.
'Ad Kan' team sees Yair Lapid, the current and unelected interim Prime Minister of Israel, until the next elections in November 2022, the face of ideological nothingness, an empty vessel. Lapid and his supporters are the punishment that the left imposes on the State of Israel. This punishment is a process of self-destruction and with them they sweep away the entire nation.
What's more, the left in Israel, to which Lapid belongs, has adopted a psychological fear that prevents it from decisively confronting the Arabs, the enemies of the state, who are subverting its foundation for destruction.
Although the people of Israel are facing great challenges, the fear of facing them paralyzes them.
My Own Assessment
Remorphing the Nazis is what is taking place all over the world, i.e. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) are the remorphing of Nazi youth on US campuses. Antisemitism and isolating Jews from the public sphere is a growing trend.
More so, Jews all over the world tend to erase from their mind who were the Nazi supporters in WW2. That label falls on a large segment of the Muslim and Arab world and especially on the Arabs that are mislabeled "Palestinians." Jews have erased from their mind who, during Nazi Germany, was the "The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem" who offered his full support to Hitler. Jews have forgotten that Muslims fought as complete units in the Nazi army and today too much of all that is taking place that can usher a repeated history once again.
The voice of the anti-Semites has risen above the level of civil discourse and it seeks to ban Jews from institutions of higher learning in the US and end cooperation between Israeli universities and universities abroad. This is a serious threat to every American Jew and along with it to Israel. The pain is mutual without political or countries' borders. It is time for all Jews, wherever they are, to wake up to these threats and take steps to counter it wherever it is encountered.
Where Is This Horrid Situation Leading?
The Arab ideology is simply Nazi ideology. Literally they want to spill Jewish blood. It is necessary they must be fought.
The Jewish public in Israel must take the reins in its own hands. They must choose a Zionist leadership that advocates unquestionable sovereignty over all the lands of Israel. And of course advocates the love for the Land of Israel and patriotic devotion.
The citizens must take the law into their own hands and this process already started during Operation Guardian of the Walls, in 2021, when Israeli Arabs rioted in several cities. The policemen left their duties and the citizens fulfilled their posts and defended the Jewish residents in those cities being attacked by local Arab residents.
If the State of Israel continues to allow hostile Israeli Arabs, I.e., Ahmed Tibi who advocates Nazi ideology, to members of the Knesset and the Arab Nazi trend that fuels the state continues, the result will be that they will finish off the Jews, i.e., a Holocaust.
Don't let the Jews forget or take everything for granted.
The purpose of the 'Ad Kan' organization is to put the people of Israel on the right path.
Ad Kan Jewish New Year 5783 greeting
Justice Minister Yariv's Legal Reform Increases Israel's High Court Accountability
Justice Reform For Israel, Essential, Courageous, and Blessed
Antisemitism, Indoctrination, Propaganda, in Higher Education
When Israeli Benevolence and Light Unto the Nations Merge
Absence of Family Roots, Holocaust Cause and Effect
Every Nation Has a Heart
The Netanyahu Comeback, Now It's Time to Prove To Us The...
The Nation of Israel – Where Are You?
Yair Lapid – Premiership of a Writer, Not a Fighter


text:
Tottenham Hotspur: TalkSPORT man believes Spurs owners not concerned over style of play
Aaron Hindhaugh | 15:05 02/11/22
TalkSPORT's Darren Lewis believes that Tottenham Hotspur's owners won't be bothered about their style of play as long as they're winning.
A lot has been made within the media about Tottenham's style of play and how they can sometimes be boring on the eye, but as Lewis highlighted on the TalkSPORT Gameday podcast, this is their best-ever start to a season in the Premier League.
Despite two defeats in their last three league games, Conte has Spurs sitting very comfortably in third, just five points off top spot and their north London rivals, which will likely have Spurs' owners gleaming.
'I expect Tottenham to sign...' - Fabrizio Romano now issues exciting January transfer claim
Levy mistake: BBC man shares frustrating Spurs verdict after what he's seen in N17
'There is an agenda' - Jamie O'Hara launches scathing rant after what he's seen at Spurs
Lewis admits that Spurs' owners would rather see their team play boring yet successful football instead of simply being 'sexy' on the eye and with have no qualms with Antonio Conte over their style.
Speaking following their dramatic win over Bournemouth last weekend, he said: "It was awful to watch, but points-wise, they've had their best start ever to a Premier League season, and they've had actually their best start to a top-flight season for 60 years.
"I think the people in charge of Spurs would rather that than them play particularly well at a point of the season that nobody will remember come next May, and I think that's quite key.
Is Conte the right manager for Spurs?
"Spurs have played good football over the years and won nothing, and you have got to go back to the 2008 League Cup for the last time they did win something. They've been through a lot of managers since then who have played some sexy stuff, and ultimately been fruitless. I don't see that anybody can question a guy who knows how to win, and has done with his last three clubs."
TIF Thoughts on Spurs' style of play under Conte…
It's no surprise that some are starting to question the sort of football that is being served up by Conte's side, as they currently rank ninth when it comes to touches in the attacking third – fewer than the likes of Wolves, Brighton and Newcastle United (FBref).
How well do you know where these Spurs signings came from? Take our quiz to find out! Firstly, where did Dimitar Berbatov arrive from?
Also, they are facing a high volume of shots, with Spurs seeing 55 efforts test Hugo Lloris in the Premier League this term so far, which is more than teams near the bottom of the league such as Southampton and Crystal Palace.
However, as Lewis highlighted, the last time Spurs won a piece of silverware was indeed nearly 15 years ago, so if Conte can bring a trophy to Tottenham playing a certain way, fans and the likes of Daniel Levy will surely not be complaining come the end of the season.
Aaron Hindhaugh


text:
Legendary Locations Season 1
Explorer, adventurer and host of the hit series "Expedition Unknown," Josh Gates showcases the unexpected stories of unforgettable places around the world in Travel Channel's new series "Legendary Locations." Premiering with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, March 28 at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, the 13-episode season features Gates as he recounts the gripping history behind storied and popular places. From an ancient city carved into Jordan's sandstone cliffs and a favorite summer getaway of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, to an Irish landscape now known as Luke Skywalker's lair, Gates investigates the ancient legends and surprising folklore that travelers and locals alike love to share.
Legendary Locations Season 1 release date for Travel March 28, 2018 22 Months Ago (US)
Legendary Locations Season 1 was released on Travel 663d ago in the US.
March 28, 2018Confirmed
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Dt: b & au: Hilbert The doc kind is about to books; alternatively: j for journal articles, a for book articles. The answer changes depending on the philosophical stance of the definer, and on the branch of mathematics s/he wishes to deal with. And, as new branches of mathematics are discovered and developed, the definition additionally continues to develop, adapt and change accordingly. We have special arrangements for visually impaired college students and distance education organisations. The Fields Medal is commonly thought of a mathematical equal to the Nobel Prize.
The department of mathematics and statistics , where I am based, now occupies the historic Hamilton Hall, which has recently been fully renovated to grow to be the state-of-the-artwork James Stewart Centre for Mathematics. Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) dalam istilah Indonesia dikenal dengan Pendidikan Matematika Realistik (PMR) merupakan teori belajar mengajar dalam pendidikan matematika.
In a Renaissance mathematics begins to heavily interacts with and confirms quite a lot of new scientific discoveries and that effected in a rapid growth of this self-discipline and high interest which is present and advanced in at this time's world. There are a variety of banking careers that could be appropriate for mathematics graduates as a result of their robust concentrate on numbers and analytics.
As Confrey (2007) factors out, creating sequenced obstacles and challenges for students…absent the insights about that means that derive from careful research of studying, can be unfortunate and unwise." Therefore, the event of the standards started with analysis-based learning progressions detailing what is understood today about how students' mathematical knowledge, ability, and understanding develop over time.


text:
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Books for Lovers: Chocolate, Shoes, Cooking & Romance, Cocktails, and Marilyn Monroe
Chocolate is a traditional holiday gift, but what if you could create your own chocolate masterpieces and wow your holiday guests with them? A new book called Couture Chocolate a Masterclass in Chocolate by William Curley, Photography by Jose Lasheras (Jaqui Small, LLC) $29.95 in paperback offers chocolate lovers and chefs a chance to try such delights as truffles and chocolates infused with unusual ingredients and some of the most mouth-watering photography of chocolate goodies you'll ever see on paper. At least the photography, is calorie-free. The book is nicely laid out with everything you might want to know about chocolate, it's origins, the differences between beans, cocoa content, types of chocolate, and so forth. And then there are the techniques one would need to work with chocolate, such as how to temper it, and how to make a bar of chocolate, how to add flavors, and other ingredients, and so forth. The recipes are fantastic to read, but honestly, as a novice, a lot of them would make me quite intimidated, even though the recipes are broken down into understandable parts with photos. But this is a masterclass with a professional. Consider it a bit like getting through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Take a deep breath, and dig in. Don't try this if you are hoping to lose weight in 2014, unless you plan to give all your efforts to joyful friends and family. Still, it's a beautiful book that would make a great gift idea for an adventurous home cook, and a coffee table delicacy for anyone who loves chocolate, or "food porn." It won the Guild of Food Writers Cookery Book of the Year in 2012. In paperback, it's a bargain at under $30.00
Not long ago I went to Saks Fifth Avenue's shoe department and tried on a pair of Christian Louboutin stilettos. They were shiny black patent leather with fire engine red bottoms and they made my legs look miles long, although I could barely walk in them. In that moment, I new that rush of emotion that "Carrie" (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) felt in the famous scene in Sex & the City when she spied some fabulous, must-have shoes in a shop window and sighed: 'Hello Lover" to them through the glass. For women who loves shows, there is a gift you can afford to give: Do You Speak Shoe Lover"? Style and Stories from Inside DSW by Linda Meadow and the Shoe Lovers at DSW (Wiley 2013). You can get it for under $128.00 which is probably cheaper than most shoes you'll find at DSW (and you can buy it at DSW.com, too).. But oh what fun it is to sit down with a cup of tea, and oogle the photos and read the quotes and stories from the likes of show lovers we all know and love. Sure it's a thinly veiled advertorial for DSW (That's Designer Shoe Warehouse, just in case you didn't know), but who cares? With 225 colorful pages of shoes, shoe stories, shoe tips, and even some "shoe porn" for guys, it's going to be the gift book of the year for anyone you know who is shoe obsessed…..and who isn't?! Affordable, unique, and fun!
Satisfy your hunger for something sexy with Learning Curves 1, French Cooking 101 by Olivia Regal (Lady O Publishing 2013). Served up delicious and hot (but not too spicy) in both a book and Ebook version, is a series of sexy mini-novels that unfold like a slow striptease. The plot in this first book is simple: The voluptyous "Ariane," owner of a cooking school in France, has has organized an intensive weekend workshop that brings together a likeable cast of characters including an author, a newlywed couple, a cute actor, and a middle aged woman and her younger brother,. The recipe for success in this book is not obvious at first, but soon, the students' lives start to blend together (in couples) like the ingredients in a delicious recipe. The story unfolds in effectively romantic tangents that only a skillful French author could whip up. The "sexy" is more like a silky soufflé than a hot tamale, less erotica and more love story. But that's not really the point of the book. You'll finish French Cooking 101, feeling satisfied and waiting for another "meal" of the author's writing. And that's just the way it should be! I loved the actual recipes at the end along with a tempting sample of what might be coming next from this author. The book isn't huge…I read it in one sitting, and enjoyed every minute of it. After being exposed to so much raunchy writing, this was a breath of fresh air that had me believing that love and romance does still exist. Thank heavens! If you plan to buy Learning Curves 1 you might as well get Learning Curves 2, Advanced French Kissing — I should have, because I can't wait to see what happens next!
After food and love, there's wine and spirits. And I'll admit that I often find cocktail books the height of food porn. I'll look at the color photos of beautifully crafted cocktails in gorgeous glasses with pretty garnishes and I'll think to myself: "wow, I'd love someone to make me one of those." Then I'll buy the book, look at what must be done to create the drink (let alone buy the ingredients, purchase the right glasses and garnishes), and I put the book on my shelf, where it looks tempting. I never make the cocktails. But a new book called the Best Craft Cocktails & Bartending with Flair, An Incredible Collection of Extraordinary Drinks by Jeremy LeVlanc and Christine Dionese (Page Street Publishing, November 2013) might just be the bo0k that breaks my bookshelf habit. This book really has enough to inspire just about anyone who might be a bit shy (or lazy) about mixing up the magic. From the aperitif through classics with a twist to exotics, refreshers, punches, and fancier stuff, plus tips and tricks of the trade, somehow this book makes it all look do-able, even easy. The drinks look tempting, not bizzare, and most of them are limited to half a dozen (or less) ingredients so they're not going to take a masters in mixology to do properly. At under $20.00 it's a great gift for your foodie (or booze-y) friends and family, but although the book would make a great gift, I'd suggest buying one for yourself, (or you can download the Kindle version for just $8.89) so you can wow your friends and family all year long. And who says you can't try these for yourself or that special someone "just because?"
My final book suggestion is a somber but fascinating one about one of the sexiest women of all time who embodied the best and the worst traits, the strengths and the weaknesses that made her a Hollywood star. That woman was Marilyn Monroe. The book is Marilyn Monroe on the Couch, Inside the Mind and Life of Marilyn Monroe, By Alma H. Bond, Ph.D. (Bancroft Press 2013). It is no secret that even 52 years after Ms. Monroe died, people are still obsessed with her. In fact, according to the press literature that came with my review copy of the "on the couch" book, , there are more than 13,000 products on amazon.com alone associated with her name. At age 90, the author of Marilyn Monroe on the Couch, Alma Bond, would be a contemporary of Marilyn Monroe, who would be 87 if she was alive today. Alma Bond is a psychoanalyst biographer and the author of 19 books. This one could be considered historical fiction, and I'm not quite sure why she felt there was a need to create a fictional account of what could have been Miss Monroe's therapy sessions, But apparently, that is what the author does, she gets into the minds of her subjects "on the couch" and tries to figure out what they might have actually said in their sessions. It's a bit like being a voyeur, I guess. In truth there isn't any way that anyone could really know what, or how, Ms. Monroe expressed herself (other than her own analyst). But written "as if" and in "what could have been" Marilyn's own voice, this fictional set of therapy session conversations are yet another, fascinating and somewhat creepy way to look at Marilyn Monroe as a woman, not just a star. The book is overly "wordy" by the very nature of the format, but that's the nature of a therapy session. It's just set up to be Marilyn contributing her (supposed) thoughts to her analyst. You have to believe, and you might just, that these are real notes from real sessions, and that the words are really Marilyn's possibly transcribed from tapes or notes. You have to remember that it's not real. But the fictional portrait that this genuine analyst paints of Marilyn is crafted from facts. We know the facts, or at least we think we do. We know the ending. Or we think we do. But while there really isn't anything to solve, no secret to unlock, no real way to "know" the "real" Marilyn, it's still an interesting way to learn about the actress and her personal life. The book will be a must have for any Marilyn fan, and download it to your Kindle if you're taking a trip– it's great for a long airplane ride.


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Screening for prostate cancer with the prostate-specific antigen test: a review of current evidence
JAMA. 2014 Mar 19;311(11):1143-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.2085.
Julia H Hayes 1 , Michael J Barry 2
1 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Institute of Technology Assessment, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
2 Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2014.2085
Importance: Prostate cancer screening with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test remains controversial.
Objective: To review evidence from randomized trials and related modeling studies examining the effect of PSA screening vs no screening on prostate cancer-specific mortality and to suggest an approach balancing potential benefits and harms.
Evidence acquisition: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials were searched from January 1, 2010, to April 3, 2013, for PSA screening trials to update a previous systematic review. Another search was performed in EMBASE and MEDLINE to identify modeling studies extending the results of the 2 large randomized trials identified. The American Heart Association Evidence-Based Scoring System was used to rate level of evidence.
Results: Two trials-the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) screening trial and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC)-dominate the evidence regarding PSA screening. The former trial demonstrated an increase in cancer incidence in the screening group (relative risk [RR], 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.17) but no cancer-specific mortality benefit to PSA screening after 13-year follow-up (RR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.87-1.36). The ERSPC demonstrated an increase in cancer incidence with screening (RR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.57-1.69) and an improvement in the risk of prostate cancer-specific death after 11 years (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.68-0.91). The ERSPC documented that 37 additional men needed to receive a diagnosis through screening for every 1 fewer prostate cancer death after 11 years of follow-up among men aged 55 to 69 years (level B evidence for prostate cancer mortality reduction). Harms associated with screening include false-positive results and complications of biopsy and treatment. Modeling studies suggest that this high ratio of additional men receiving diagnoses to prostate cancer deaths prevented will decrease during a longer follow-up (level B evidence).
Conclusions and relevance: Available evidence favors clinician discussion of the pros and cons of PSA screening with average-risk men aged 55 to 69 years. Only men who express a definite preference for screening should have PSA testing. Other strategies to mitigate the potential harms of screening include considering biennial screening, a higher PSA threshold for biopsy, and conservative therapy for men receiving a new diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Early Detection of Cancer
Mass Screening
Models, Theoretical
Prostate-Specific Antigen / blood*
Prostatic Neoplasms / blood
Prostatic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
Prostatic Neoplasms / mortality
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Reference Values


Description: Learn how to negotiate with peers and supervisors to create the win-win outcome. This talk will also address how to navigate compensation and expectations conversations.
Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, FAAN Dr. Brashear has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Ipsen and Revance. Dr. Brashear has received research support from Wake Forest.


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3M billed government $7.63 for 85-cent earplugs. It now has $1 billion COVID contract
As a protective gear shortage forced emergency workers to use the same disposable masks for weeks, a stockpile of N95s masks has sat unused in TSA storage, according to interviews and documents reviewed by the Star Tribune. (Star Tribune/TNS)
May 24, 2020 Tara Copp - McClatchy Washington Bureau
The company that has been awarded the largest single COVID-19 federal contract once boasted it charged the Defense Department $7.63 for earplugs that cost 85 cents a pair to produce.
That company, 3M, was awarded a $1 billion contract on April 15 for "medical and surgical instruments, equipment and supplies" by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The IDIQ contract — "indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity" — was awarded without taking competing bids from other vendors.
It is also the largest federal contract 3M has been awarded among at least 47 others it has signed with various federal agencies to produce protective gear for the COVID-19 outbreak such as medical gloves, gowns and particularly respirator masks. The masks are critically needed for doctors, nurses, first responders and essential workers.
A FEMA official, speaking on condition of not being identified, said that the contract would cover the cost of procuring additional N95 respirator masks, some of which would be obtained under the Defense Production Act. Contracts awarded under DPA have fewer requirements for public reporting.
But the lack of transparency raises questions about whether U.S. taxpayers will be overcharged for the equipment, as they were for the earplugs, said Mandy Smithberger, director of the Center for Defense Information at the nonpartisan government watchdog group the Project on Government Oversight.
"Already we're talking about an inherently risky contracting vehicle," Smithberger said, referring to the open-ended IDIQ award. "The risk of overcharges will increase when you don't have transparency for a company that has a track record of ripping off taxpayers."
The 3M contract is just one of more than 20,400 contracts for pandemic-related supplies or services that the U.S. government has signed since March 13, when the White House declared a national emergency due to the coronavirus.
More than 6,000 of those contracts, worth a total of $8.5 billion, like the 3M contract, were awarded without seeking competing bids, according to the Federal Procurement Data System, a government database that tracks all federal spending.
The total amount of the COVID-19 goods and services federal contracts tops $20 billion — the same amount that was spent over more than 10 years to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
Jeff Cortese, who worked on the Katrina Fraud Task Force after the 2005 hurricane, said the government's decision to not seek competitive bids for the contracts is sometimes necessary for speed but carries risk.
"That tragedy was a magnet for legitimate and illegitimate businesses from around the country," Cortese said. In the Katrina response, as has happened with the pandemic, initial government contracts were quickly awarded and often without putting them out for competitive bids in order to get aid flowing.
"Sometimes you have to loosen the rules around the procurement process," Cortese said. "You want to do that in order to ensure that we deliver what is needed, to those who need it most, as quickly as possible. But that doesn't come without a cost."
Government investigators estimate that at least $500 million, and potentially as much as $1.4 billion, in Katrina federal spending was lost to fraud or waste, in schemes ranging from individuals falsely claiming relief checks to contractors filing fake invoices to vendors overcharging the government. Investigators faced a consistent lack of record-keeping, which made enforcement difficult, Cortese said.
"A lack of transparency makes the investigation incredibly difficult," he said.
3M has been awarded at least $247 million in contracts to produce respirator masks for FEMA, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies, according to FPDS.
In addition, the firm was awarded two major contracts by the Department of Defense under the Defense Production Act, for $76 million and $126 million respectively, to produce millions more N95 masks.
What 3M is charging the U.S. government per mask is not publicly available, and 3M would not provide either its production price per mask, nor its selling price per mask to the government, to McClatchy.
The company makes a range of N95 masks that can vary from as little as 68 cents to $3.40 per mask, according to price lists that 3M posts online for regular consumers, not government contracts, to prevent third-party sellers from price gouging.
When McClatchy asked 3M for the unit price specifics for its Defense Department contracts, the company did not provide them.
"You will need to request any specific details regarding the contract from the U.S. government," 3M spokeswoman Fanna Haile-Selassie said in an email.
Subsequent attempts by McClatchy to get the contract information through email requests to the agencies involved and later through a Freedom of Information Act request were not successful. The FOIA officers could not process the information request without contract numbers, which the government did not provide.
Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., is considering adding new Defense Production Act reporting requirements to any future coronavirus aid bill because she said Congress is also not receiving adequate information about the government contracts.
The lack of transparency has left Congress "no way of knowing how, or even if, that money is being spent. We need to fix that immediately," Porter said. "Bringing these secret contracts under the DPA into the open will increase accountability and help deter bad actors from gaming the system in the first place."
Defense Department spokesman Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Andrews said the awards and vendors are undergoing government scrutiny to prevent waste.
"Vendors have undergone thorough vetting, including validation of satisfactory record of past performance and determination of responsibility in providing these products in a timely manner and at a reasonable price," Andrews said. The prices paid were based on "historical data, current price lists, and catalogs."
3M has a long proven history of providing government supplies, and in a statement he told McClatchy "we take very seriously our work with the U.S. government and are committed to providing the best quality products at fair prices."
However, during depositions this spring in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, 3M officials had to read aloud from internal company emails about the amount they had charged the government for earplugs compared to what it had cost to make them.
"CAE pays the bills," read one 3M correspondence, referring to combat arms earplugs, according to deposition transcripts that were obtained by McClatchy. "85 cent cost, $7.63 selling price. "
The email between company officials continues that 3M "seeded it into new recruit issue program in US DOD. What more does he need to know? LOL."
In a statement to McClatchy, 3M would not say whether there is a similar disparity on the prices it is charging the U.S. government for COVID-19 medical supplies.
"3M has not changed our prices as a result of the pandemic," the company said.
The company emphasized that the pricing for its combat arms earplugs reflected the military-specific design requirements, unlike the masks, which are commercially produced.
"We worked in close coordination with the U.S. military on the (earplugs), and its design reflected the direction and feedback of individuals acting on the military's behalf. Its price also reflected the time, research and development, among other aspects, that it took to create a new technology that was specified for the military," the 3M statement said.
© 2020 McClatchy Washington Bureau


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