text:
The Voice of America website, under a byline "The following is an editorial reflecting the views of the US government", has just published one of the oddest texts I think I have ever read.
Here for the record is a professional deconstruction of this text, from my perspective as an avowed post-structuralist:
Efforts to return deposed President Manuel Zelaya to office and end the crippling political crisis in Honduras have hit another roadblock.
This form of statement, leaving out any agent (actor), is typical of rhetoric that attempts to avoid responsibility. Efforts have hit a roadblock: not because the US State Department made pronouncements that encouraged parties to misbehave, just because roadblocks are there...
The United States is disappointed that both parties haven't been able to reach agreement on the creation of a government of national unity under the Tegucigalpa-San Jose accord, and it urges leaders there to stay focused on it. While the U.S. and other hemispheric nations worked hard to bring the parties together, the stalemate is a Honduran problem that must have a Honduran solution.
"The stalemate is a Honduran problem". Well, not exactly. The stalemate is a problem exacerbated by the aforementioned US State Department pronouncements. But what is most interesting here is that the "disappointment" of the US is the topic of this paragraph. Not the consequences for the Honduran people. And who precisely are the "leaders" urged to stay focused on "it"-- and is that "it" the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord, or the "government of national unity"?
Under the terms of the agreement, signed late last month, President Zelaya and Honduras's de facto regime agreed to let Congress decide on the president's return. A presidential election set for November 29 will determine who succeeds President Zelaya and a government of national unity will operate until the new president takes office, among other provisions.
More or less accurate. But notice the very revealing slide: "A presidential election set for November 29 will determine who succeeds President Zelaya": or, to put it another way: President Zelaya is still and will be the legally elected president, presumably no matter what the Congress decides about his "return".
Both sides need to return to the table and fulfill their commitment to forming a government of national unity, and all parties should avoid provocative statements and actions that could upset the process.
Ah, how much the US State Department wishes other people would "avoid provocative statements"; like, perhaps, publicly stating that the US would recognize the election no matter whether the legally elected President was allowed to return to his constitutional position or not?
Before voting on the president's return, congressional leaders have asked for input from the Supreme Court, attorney general and human rights ombudsman. This is consistent with the accord and was agreed to by both parties during the negotiation of the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord.
Well, no. The Accord did say that the Congress would vote after previously receiving a report from the Supreme Court. But there is nothing in it (go, read it for yourself!) about asking the attorney general to pronounce (and remember, Edmundo Orellana's legal opinion is that this would be against the law); and no one actually asked Ramon Custodio to provide a report; he just got enthusiastic. What the Accord-- and remember, I think it is a lousy piece of writing-- called for was for the Supreme Court to provide Congress a report (on what has never been clear to anyone: they cannot simply issue a verdict on charges against him, and without some constitutional issue in front of them, they cannot judge whether it would be legal or illegal for congress to revoke its own decreto of June 28). Period.
Isn't revisionist history fun?
The United States' commitment is to the accord and its implementation and to the restoration of democratic constitutional order in Honduras. It provides a pathway to free and fair elections, the outcome of which will be widely accepted both within Honduras and abroad.
"It" is ambiguous (again). What provides a "pathway to free and fair elections"? One presumes the intended reference is "the accord", but it could as easily be "the United States commitment" or even, unlikely as it may seem, "democratic constitutional order".
In any event, this entire paragraph is a fantasy. The outcome of these purported "free and fair elections", which will not be observed by any official third-party outsiders, are already being repudiated by every member of the OAS from Latin America; by UNASUR; by the Central American and Caribbean nations; and there is a debate pending in the EU but Spain has already said there cannot be any legitimacy in the elections scheduled for just 16 days from now.
And as for "widely accepted within Honduras": well, yes. But that is not something to be happy about; the wide acceptance of elections that fail to live up to the standards of democracy is a symptom of the corrosion of Honduran popular belief in democracy itself.
The United States will respect any decision by the Honduran Congress, and is working to create an environment in which Hondurans themselves can address and resolve the issues that precipitated the crisis. With this behind them, the nation may move forward to address the many other challenges facing it.
Ah me: "the nation may move forward"-- precisely how? how does a country so polarized "move forward" when the one thing that is now certain is that any outcome-- "any decision by the Honduran Congress"-- will be accepted by the hemispheric power that has been most influential on the modern politics of Honduras? Does that "any decision" include, say, an assertion that Roberto Micheletti was inserted into power legally because the Congress says so?
And finally: "the issues that precipitated the crisis". No longer even able to clearly label a coup d'etat what it is, and giving in at the end to what has always been lurking below the surface: this whole incident would not have happened if there were not prior "precipitating" events.
No wonder the President of Paraguay is nervous. God help us when this is the best the US State Department can come up with.
Labels: Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accord, US State Department
Love the blog, been following for a few months now. The only problem is that you don't give enough respect to the power of Honduran bishops--power not only among the people but also in the halls of government.
There is no way that they will let Zelaya back in. I said that weeks ago when the so-called "agreement" was reached. Micheletti is their man, and hence Micheletti will stay where he is. The U.S., I think, recognizes this fact (whether they realize that the opposition is coming from the bishops or not, I don't know), and has essentially given up on imposing an outside solution.
In Latin America, one cannot simply watch secular politics and expect to offer full explanations of events. The Vatican lobby is extremely powerful, and without the approval of the bishops very little gets done.
We have commented on the role of the Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga in the coup. Not only did he induce the Honduran Conference of Bishops to release a pro-coup statement after June 28, but he also was a key actor in whipping up public concerns about President Zelaya's supposed plans. A topic that deserves more attention is the role of secular members of Opus Dei in the cabal that carried through the coup; for example, Marta Lorena Alvarado's anti-contraception campaign makes more sense if her extreme religious views are taken into account. It is entirely credible that one of the bases of the fanaticism of some of the other intransigent coup participants comes from similar conservative religious views.
But the Roman Catholic church in Honduras is not hegemonic in its views. Bishop Luis Santos of Santa Rosa de Copan has courageously spoken against the coup; and Padre Tamayo, who just lost his Honduran citizenship in retaliation for his ministry against the coup.
Another problem with taking religion, and as framed here, "the bishops" (implying Roman Catholic hierarchy) as a single force in Honduras is that, like much of Latin America, religious diversity is actually quite high. The 2008 US State Department report on religious freedom cited CID Gallup poll numbers from 2007 says
47 percent of respondents identify themselves as Roman Catholics, 36 percent as evangelical Protestants, and 17 percent either provide no answer or consider themselves "other."
That matches our own experience over the past 30 years. If we use medically-recognized contraception, for example-- frowned on by the Roman Catholic church-- as a measure of secularism, we would note that UNICEF reports prevalence rates of 65% as of October 2008.
So we don't think, as social scientists, that it is possible to simplify the impact of the religious community in this crisis, and it is possible to over-state the influence specifically of the leadership of the Roman Catholic church. While conservative and absolutely implicated in the coup-- and thus likely to further weaken institutional Roman Catholicism in the country-- it is not some sort of shadow leadership.
I acquiesce to your caveat about seeing the bishops as some monolithic entity. And you are certainly correct that several priests and bishops have spoken out against the coup. However, the case of Padre Tomayo is perfect example of what I am talking about. As you noted in your post from 9/7, only the Vatican hierarchy had the power to remove him from his parish. To me, this indicates a real awareness on the part of the church of what's going on. It is also a clear endorsement of Micheletti's regime.
Perhaps there is a danger of being over-suspicious of Vatican meddling. However, I have watched Catholic policy in Latin America (and elsewhere) enough to know that very little can be accomplished without the most powerful bishops in a given country assenting to it.
At any rate, the blog is still great and you guys are managing it very professionally. Thanks for the articulate response.
BoRev commented on the VOA editorial.
BoRev continues to provide some of the sharpest comic underlining of the black humor in these events. I laughed out loud at the creative retitling of the noxious original, and hope every reader here goes to the source. I kind of think that is precisely the sentiment being expressed. "We tried to help you annoying Hondurans, now go away and be more appreciative of us".
And the tragedy is, of course, the "us" whose Voice this is speaks for you and me whether we like it or not.
John (Juancito) Donaghy said...
You can find translations of documents from Catholic Church sources - from many different poitns of views - at http://honduraschurchdocuments.blogspot.com/
There are strong statements against the coup from the diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán, as well as a statement from the conference of religious men and women of Honduras - which, unfortunately, the cardinal did not allow them to publicly announce it. (But it had already gotten out on the internet.)
I see that Panama and Columbia have already said that they will recognize the results of the elections. I expect to see more of this as the elections get closer and especially afterward is they are peaceful.
Panama's conservative President Ricardo Martinelli has been quoted as recently as November 16 as saying he "anticipates" his country will recognize the Honduran elections. However, the reports I have found are in conservative news sources, and the direct quotes stop short of saying Panama will absolutely do so; they are all hedged.
I have seen no recent reports that the nation of Colombia-- as opposed to the city of Columbia, Missouri-- has said it will recognize the elections.
I will be happy to check out any source for this report that you can provide. But the issue of legitimacy cannot be papered over by isolated recognition, especially if it breaks along predictable ideological lines-- or, in the case of Colombia, a state that peers in Latin America are viewing as so closely tied to the US as to not be independent.


text:
Letter from the President of Tower Forum
FAQ (under revision)
Past Programs & Photos
Katina Hernandez bio
Katina Hernandez
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force
Special Agent in Charge – Miami
Katina Hernandez earned a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's degree in Forensic Psychology, she is currently pursuing her PhD. In Criminal Justice at Nova Southeastern University. Katina Hernandez is a Special Agent of the Department of Homeland Security / Homeland Security Investigations assigned to HSI Miami to the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force and is also the Outreach Coordinator. Katina Hernandez attended the Criminal Investigator School and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement School at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA. Katina was also trained in the discipline of Immigration Violations and Human Trafficking which she has being working for the last six years.
Katina has been involved in successful investigations and prosecutions involving Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking in which one of the Human Trafficking cases resulted in a life sentence. During her tenure as a Special Agent, Katina had the opportunity to participate in task force groups that included components in different Federal and State Locals agencies. Katina was awarded as an Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer in the year of 2016.
if you wish to be added to our email distribution list please send contact info to: towerforum@towerforum.orgor call 954 383 0654
Jerome Majzlin, Executive Director · Tower Forum · P.O.Box 15041 · Plantation, FL 33318 ·
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


graduated from Faculty of Fine Arts and Interiscipinary studies of the Belgrade University of Arts. Since 2004 she has exhibited widely in personal and group exhibitions throughout Serbia, the United States, France, Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy and beyond. A Fellow of the Prix Special, SNBA in Paris for 2006, and the award for the most successful accomplishment at the art-festival"Sartfest", Novi Sad; The grand prix "Rista and Beta Vukanovic, painters", School of Arts, Belgrade; The award "Talent", School of Arts, Belgrade; 2005 Sreten Stojanović Fund, Belgrade; 2003 The Kuzmanović Price, School of Arts, Belgrade.
Sanja Zdrnja - "Playing with an empty piano"
Sanja Zdrnja - "Collage Nr.1"
Sanja Zdrnja - "Collage Nr.2"
Sanja Zdrnja - "Collage Nr.3"
Sanja Zdrnja - "Collage Nr.4"
Sanja Zdrnja - "Collage Nr.5"
Sanja Zdrnja - "Collage Nr.6"
Sanja Zdrnja - "Collage Nr.7"
Sanja Zdnrja - "Playing piano in an empty room"


General Lock after x hours ??
I'm looking for a capability like my previous WinMo devices had, mainly for security if I lose my phone or leave it unattended.
I'd like to be able to activate the screen after its 1 minute timeout without doing the swipe pattern. But, if the device is unused for "x" hours, I want the unlock swipe to be required.
Anyone know of an app to do this ?


text:
Obama's $80 Billion in Drug Savings is BOGUS
With great fanfare today the President of the United States and his Democratic allies announced a health care breakthrough,a plan with the pharmaceutical industry that will save $80 billion dollars.
"The agreement reached today to lower prescription drug costs for seniors will be an important part of the legislation I expect to sign into law in December," Obama said in a statement this afternoon. "This is a tangible example of the type of reform that will lower costs while assuring quality health care for every American."
There is only one little problem with the savings, $30 billion (over 10 years) of it is real the $50 billion remaining goes into the "trust me" category. Therefore the truth of the matter is, there is no $80 billion in savings, the real number is $30 billion:
White House Can't Explain More Than Half of $80 Billion in Drug Savings
By Major Garrett
The Obama White House cannot explain more than half of today's announced $80 billion in prescription drug savings.
A senior official said the White House estimates $30 billion in savings will be achieved through drug companies reducing by at least 50 percent the cost of brand-name prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries who fall into the so-called coverage "donut hole."
The other $50 billion in savings will come from unspecified and unknown changes to drug costs linked to Medicare and Medicaid.
The $80 billion in savings is a 10-year estimate.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday details on non-donut hole savings remain to be negotiated between the drug companies and the Senate Finance Committee.
"They're still continuing to work through some of the details on that," Gibbs said. "Some portion of this is going to go to the pharmaceutical interest — industry, making good on the savings proposals that the president has outlined to make health care more efficient, which will impact the amount that the government pays."
But White House officials could not explain what drug companies will do to improve efficiency or how the drug companies will provide, on average, $5 billion in savings each year by giving Medicare or Medicaid lower prescription drug costs.
The "donut hole" refers to a coverage gap in Medicare Part D. This year, the "donut hole" provides no reimbursement for drug costs between $2,700 and $6,154. After deductibles are covered, Medicare covers 75 percent of prescription drug costs up to $2,700. All costs above $6,154 receive 100 percent coverage.
The deal with drug makers will provide name-brand prescription drugs at half price or cheaper to the roughly 3.5 million Medicare beneficiaries projected to fall into the "donut hole" this year.
This aspect of the drug maker arrangement with the White House will not save the government any money — all savings will accrue to the seniors in the "donut hole." According to a Kaiser Foundation study in 2008, about 500,000 Medicare beneficiaries — or 15 percent — stop using their prescription drugs when they fell into the "donut hole."
"It's a major relief to millions of Medicare beneficiaries," said John Rother, executive vice president of AARP. "In addition to the financial benefits, which are considerable, this could literally save lives because many people stop taking their medication today when they enter the 'donut hole'."
"DON'T you think the president is a racist!?" IOTW Report BFH
Bernie Sanders Says Medicare for All Would Cost Jaw-Dropping $40 Trillion Dollars Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion Mike LaChance
AT AMAZON, Hot New Releases – Updated Every Hour. Plus, Save on Top Rated Products. Also, Shop… Instapundit Helen Smith
Watch: Flashback 1990 CSPAN climate debate between Dr. Fred Singer & Greenpeace Marc Morano
How the Democratic Netroots Died (Bill Scher/Politico) memeorandum


text:
Guildford & Woking Humanists
A place for friendly discussions and talks on important matters of our time, on local and international levels.
Committee Roles
Humanist Celebrants
Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK, attended the Guildford & Woking Humanists group meeting, at the Guildford Institute September 2019. During this packed event, his talk emphasised the importance humanism has in life. Andrew's talk explained humanism in terms of reality, morality and purpose.
The physical, scientific and material reality is one of the pillars of humanism. Understanding that morality is a social instinct that comes from within us through values, cultures and ethical thinking, not "revealed wisdom" of holy books. The humanist approach to the purpose of life is that we make our own purpose by creating experiences and forming relationships. This the basis of what humanism means.
Humanists UK provides a range of services and support for individuals and the community: pastoral care, ceremonies, funerals, weddings, education, teaching resources for school and colleges.
Humanists UK also promotes human rights and secularism. Secularism is much misunderstood. It calls for the state to be neutral on matters of religion and belief which is why Secularists can be both religious and non-religious. They are very active in campaigning, lobbying governments, influencing policy work and changes in the law.
For example, humanists' campaign against honour killings and violence against women, discrimination against "untouchables", the persecution of homosexuals, genital mutilation (especially female circumcision), violent exorcisms, the killing of 'witches, and other unacceptable practices which often find support in some of our most revered scriptures.
Another aspect to the work of Humanists UK is to help debate ethical questions such as assisted dying, sexual reproduction rights and stem cell research. Humanist believe such complex moral issues should be taught in the school science curriculum, on the basis of evidence and reason and not by invoking the authority of the holy books, which reflect an ancient and very different world view.
For more information on Humanism, go to the Humanist UK website: https://humanism.org.uk/ Or for more information on Secularism try Andrew Copson's book (2017 edition) Secularism: Politics, Religion, and Freedom.
IHEU News
Freethought Lebanon and SOCH Nepal submit human rights reports to UN OHCHR January 8, 2021
Email: guildfordwoking@humanistgroups.org.uk


Home Lead Don't lychee me!
AN exciting plan to turn the 'forgotten' Axarquia region into a 'land of hope and opportunity', has been laughed at by opposition chiefs.
It comes after Malaga boss Elias Bendodo insisted the area had the 'very essence of Malaga' and could become a key engine for the province's development.
Speaking in Velez Malaga on 'Malaga Province Day', he proposed a scheme, which would include the collaboration to grow lychees and longans (above) at a farm in Algarrobo.
He also insisted the province wanted to better promote the region's raisin industry, as well as exploit the birthplace of US Independence War hero Bernardo de Galvez, who was born in 1796 in Macharaviaya.
Under the heading Nueva Axarquia he also wants to see the creation of a phone 'app' with Orange.
Ultimately Bendodo hopes the schemes will create much needed employment in a region that has 'practically everything' to offer.
Opposition groups have however criticised the plans, with the PSOE insisting the project has 'no ambition'.
They are concerned it will do little to help the 207,000 registered unemployed.
The PP boss however laughed off the criticism, insisting that the Axarquia is 'destined for great things, just around the corner'.
Next articleIs there anybody out there?
I understand pecan nuts would do very well there and are worth far more than grapes or olives per kilo, but their fathers didn't grow them so this generation won't either.


text:
Q: Detached entity and lazy loaded fields - worker threads I've got the following problem. Class A is retreiving some objects from the database which are runnables themselves and runs them in a thread pool. They need to update their state as they run (they update listeners registered on them). The problem is they access lazy-loaded fields while the entity is in detached state (as transaction covers only the main thread) - so of course there are exceptions (com.sun.jdi.InvocationException occurred invoking method.). I guess annotating run method of each of those entities won't work, because the entity is already loaded in different transaction am I right? How to cope with this situation?
Thank you!

A: It's not possible to access lazy loaded fields in a detached entity, you need to attach the entity first.
Attach the entity to a session by calling session.merge() or entityManager.merge() before trying to access the lazy loaded fields.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The following script on beekeeping is divided into two parts. The first part gives details on how to build a beehive to attract bees to your area. The second part tells you how to collect honey from the beehive.
Beekeeping has multiple benefits. Honey is a nutritious food, good for the whole family. And many beekeepers can harvest enough honey to supplement their income—or even to make a good income if they have many hives.
You might choose to present this script as part of your regular farming program, using voice actors to represent the speakers. If so, please make sure to tell your audience at the beginning of the program that the following short drama is based on a conversation with a real scientist, but that the voices are those of actors, not the original people in the script. You could present both parts of the script on the same day, or present part one on one day, and part two on the next.
You could also use this script as inspiration to research and develop a radio program on beekeeping in your own country.
What kind of beehives do beekeepers use in your area?
What practices have local beekeepers found effective to care for their bees, to harvest honey, and to get good yields of honey?
Are any of the practices used in the script useful to local beekeepers?
Apart from speaking directly to beekeepers and other key players in the local agriculture sector, you could use these questions as the basis for a phone-in or text-in program.
Honey is a good food that many more people could be using. And they could be getting honey without any cost at all! That's because there are honeybees almost everywhere in the world. And some of them could be working for you!
Honey, of course, comes from bees that gather it in the form of nectar from flowers and blossoms.
You probably know someone who keeps bees and harvests the honey that the bees store in honeycombs. You could do this too! Then you'd have more food for yourself and your family and you might even get enough to sell.
"But," you say, "where would I get the bees? I don't know enough about bees and how to keep them and get honey from them!" Well, just keep listening and I'll tell you about it.
After a recent visit to the Tabora Honey Co-operative in Tanzania, I met a honey specialist.
What are the most important things you need to know about raising bees and harvesting honey, (Mr., Ms. Mrs. ___)?
First of all, bees need a good place to live. Bee houses are called hives, and there are many different kinds of beehives. The simplest beehives are made of hollowed-out logs that are hung from the branches of a big tree. These kinds of hives are often 1 to 1 ½ metres long and about 30 centimetres across one end.
Palm logs make good beehives because the centre can be hollowed out quite easily. Or you might even find a big piece of bamboo that would do. One good stout section of bamboo would make a fine hive if you cut it so that there is a node at each end. Each node would then form a sort of wall to keep the ends of your hollow bamboo beehive closed. Of course, there must be a way for bees to get in and out of the hive, so you'll need to make three or four holes the size of your finger in one end only.
You may have seen beehives of this kind hanging in trees more or less horizontal or parallel to the ground. People have been keeping bees like this for a long time. Bees like to live in hollow logs hung up in trees this way because they build their honeycombs inside them hanging from the top and sides and leaving a space all along the bottom. That's so they can easily get in to the combs to deposit the honey.
Ok, so now you've got your beehive. But how do you know that bees will make honey in your beehive?
This will be easy if, when you're making the hive, you split off about 1/3 of the log. The upper 2/3 of the log can then form the top and sides of your hive when it's hanging in the tree. That's the part the bees will build their combs in. I'm sure you can figure out a way to hang it from the limb of a tree, but make sure you hang it up high enough so that any animals you keep can't reach it.
The next thing to do is to get some beeswax. You might find some in a tree that has a colony of bees in it, or get it from another beekeeper. Rub the beeswax around inside the hive. After you've done that, fasten the bottom 1/3 of the log back onto the hive using reeds, twine or wire. Your hive will now be closed up except for the holes in one end for the bees to use. All you have to do now is rub a bit more beeswax on the end of the hive with the holes in it. That'll attract the first swarm of bees that comes along. They'll just move in and make it their home.
When the bees have built their comb and stored their honey, you can take the bottom piece off, and then burn some branches to create smoke to drive the bees back. Then you can examine the combs from the bottom and pick out the combs that have just honey in them, making sure you don't injure the queen―that is the mother of the hive, the one that produces the eggs―and that you leave enough honey behind so the bees don't starve. That way, you can produce good honey in the comb and the hive will go on producing more honey.
So you see, keeping bees to make food for you and your family isn't hard at all. I must emphasize, however, what you already know, that bees do sting. And while one or two bee stings may not bother you too much, if a whole bunch of bees went after you, it could be very bad. Because of this, there are four important things to do if you're going to keep bees.
Have your beehives at least 300 metres from where you or your neighbours keep animals that are tied or in a pen.
Always wait until late in the day before going near your beehives or doing anything around your bees.
Bees don't like smoke, so be sure to have a good source of smoke to drive them away. Some people use an old tin can punched full of holes. They put smoky smouldering leaves or grass in the can and a helper holds the hot can with a piece of wire. If you had a helper to do this, you'd be able to blow the smoke into the hive area where you want to work.
It's best to wear heavy clothing and dark-coloured netting hung from a broad-brimmed hat to keep the bees away from your head, face and neck.
One thing I should add is that just as you, your poultry, and your animals need water to drink, your bees need water too. So if there's no stream or pond where they can get it themselves, you'll have to keep some water in a shallow container nearby so they can drink when they're thirsty.
One other thing to remember is that bees have to be standing on something solid when they're drinking. So you must put some twigs or grass in the container partly in the water and partly out of it for them to stand on.
After bees have moved into your hive, there are some other things you'll need to know, but we'll talk about that next time. Meanwhile, why don't you talk about beekeeping with somebody else you know who is already doing it!
Before we get down to the details of how to get honey from a hive, there are a couple of things I'd like to mention about bees and honey.
The first is that bees gather nectar, make honey and store it almost everywhere there are flowers. If they don't store it in your beehive or somebody else's, they'll put the honey some place where it won't likely be found. But if you provide them with a hive to store it in, it will be yours at no cost whatever.
Another important thing is that if there were no bees around, you wouldn't be able to harvest nearly as many fruits and vegetables. That's because, in many cases, it's bees that pollinate the blossoms and flowers. They do this while they're gathering the nectar that they turn into honey. So bees are very important, and if you make sure they have water and a good beehive to live in not too far from your fruit trees and your garden, they'll work for you both ways. They'll do the pollination and they'll give you honey—a good, sweet, high-energy food.
There's something else I should point out. Maybe you keep poultry, pigs, cattle or other animals to produce food or to work for you. And perhaps you have to grow and harvest feed for them or provide them with pasture. But you don't have to grow or provide food for your bees because they don't compete with any other creatures for food.
The last time we talked, I told you about the log beehive. You'll remember that it's made from a hollow log that you hang parallel to the ground from the branches of a big tree. The bottom 1/3 of the log is separate but tied back in place, and you've made three or four holes in one end of your hive so bees can get inside. Before closing it up, you rubbed some beeswax on the inside and then on the outside near the holes.
Let's see what ____ says about the bees that are going to live in your hive after it's hanging in the tree.
Usually if there are bees in the area, the hive will be occupied by bees within a few hours, or sometimes a few days. If there aren't many bees in the area, it might go a month or two before it's occupied.
Now that the hive is hanging up there and you've got bees in it, what happens?
Well, usually the reason the bees go into your hive is because flowers are starting to bloom in the area. So, after a while, you can occasionally just lift the end of your hive with your hand. When it starts to get heavy, you know there's quite a bit of honey in there and it's a good time to take some of it out.
By now the bees have been working there for how long—a month?
Maybe two or three months.
OK, before you take the hive down, you've got to get the bees out of it. How do you do that?
Well, you could do this with the hive still in the tree or you could unhook it and lower it down. But you have to have smoke in order to do it.
Bees don't like smoke, and you need a good source of smoke to drive the bees away. If you don't, they could sting you badly. Some people use an old tin can punched full of holes. They put smoky smouldering leaves or grass in the can, and a helper holds the hot can with a piece of wire close to the hive. Then they blow the smoke into the place where the bees are working at the hive. They also wear heavy clothing and protect their head, face, and neck from the bees with a big hat and netting.
If you try beekeeping, when should you be doing this work with the bees?
Most of this is done late in the day, at dusk.
Is that because bees don't sting so much then?
No, they don't sting so much then. They're easier to handle late in the day—and then they settle down before the morning and they won't sting people around there the next day. This is why it's done late in the day or just at dusk.
OK, so you have taken the bottom off the log hive, and there are no bees in it because they've been driven away by the smoke. What do you see when you look inside this hollow log?
When you look inside, you'll see honey combs.
The honey combs are made of wax material. Is it hanging down?
Yes, it'll be hanging down from the top.
Is it hanging down in sections or is it all solid?
It'll be hanging down in separate sections—in other words, in combs one beside the other. There could be anywhere from four or five combs to 15 or 20.
So you've got all these combs, all made of beeswax hanging in there. What do you do now?
You select the ones that are the whitest because that's where the honey is stored, just honey. Those are the ones that you cut off.
Do you cut them out—or do you break them?
You can use a knife or you can put your hand in and break them off. If you find a dark part in the comb, there's pollen or brood there. The brood are young bees, baby bees, and if you find them, then you quit. You don't go any further; you don't take out any more. You put your bottom back on and quit.
Start examining the combs from the closed end and work towards the front. The queen will do her laying in the first half of the hive, and when you come across your first patch of sealed young bees, stop.
Be careful to only harvest honey from combs with sealed cells. There will be honey in cells that have not yet been sealed by the bees because they have not yet reduced the amount of water in the cells to an acceptable level. These combs of unsealed cells will tend to be the first ones you inspect in the back part of the hive. Honey that has a lot of water will be spoilt by fermentation. Therefore, it should not be removed from the hive.
So now you've got six or eight or maybe 10 pieces of wax with honey in them. What do you do now?
You put those pieces in a container that you keep closed so the bees won't try to take it.
When you're working around the honey combs like this, do bees come near you then? Do they bother you when you're doing all this?
Well, if there are flowers for the bees to visit to fill up with nectar, then, they don't. But they do if there's no nectar available.
Supposing you're doing it and you find that they start to bother you. What do you do then?
The only thing you can do is create some smoke in the area to drive the bees away. Put some twigs together, build a small fire on the ground and get it burning. When you put the fire out, this gives you smoke that will drive the bees back. Make sure that your honey is all covered up so the bees can't get into it and try to take it.
If you want to use fire like this, you must be very careful not to cause a bush fire. So make sure that there is no dry vegetation close to the fire. And when you finish, it is very important to ensure that the fire is completely out.
When they smell you working with honey, are they likely to sting you then?
Well, not likely because they're coming there to get the honey. If you put your hands on them or squeeze them, then of course they will, but when you get so many around, they may bump into you and sting you.
Have you any suggestions about what to do it a bee stings you?
The best thing to do is scrape the stinger out as soon as you can after you're stung. There's a little sack on the end of the stinger that's full of poison, and if you pull it out then you squeeze all that poison in. So you scrape it out with your fingernail and get rid of it as fast as you can—that's the best you can do.
It is also a good idea to smoke the area of the bee sting after it has been removed, because stings release a chemical called a pheromone that attracts other bees to come and sting you. The smoke will help to mask this chemical.
Right, so now we have pieces of comb in our container. That's the end, is it?
It depends. Some beekeepers and their families just chew the pieces of comb and get the honey from it in this way. Other beekeepers, especially if they are going to sell their honey, will want to extract the honey from the comb first.
No, it isn't. They get an airtight container—a bucket with a lid, for example—and stretch a piece of net curtaining or old mosquito netting over the top. Then they break the comb into small pieces and put it on the netting. The honey will drain out of the comb and fall through the netting into the container, leaving the comb behind.
Will it take a long time for the honey to drain through into the container?
Not usually, but to speed things up you could put some black plastic over the top and place the bucket in the sun to warm up. But be careful: if the comb gets too hot it will melt and go through the netting, which you don't want it to do.
When you have finished, make sure you keep the lid on the bucket. You want to keep the honey clean and you don't want the smell of honey to attract bees.
Is there anything you can do with the comb left on the netting?
There is. Wash the comb to remove traces of honey and then use the wax when you are making new hives. Remember, we said that the inside and entrance of new hives should be rubbed with wax to attract a swarm of bees. You now have the wax you need for this.
Well, thank you very much, ___, here at the Tabora Honey Co-operative in Tanzania.
Note: This script is adapted from Package 4, scripts 4 and 5, originally published in 1981. The original participants were George Atkins, founder of Farm Radio International and Gordon Townsend, from the Department of Biology at the University of Guelph, Canada. It was reviewed and modified by Roy Dyche, project manager with the UK charity, Bees Abroad.
The original script was undertaken with financial support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.


Spoof orders, illegal on financially regulated markets, are on the rise and being exploited on largely unregulated Bitcoin and cryptocurrency markets. Demonstrable instances, perpetrated by a group or individual known as Spoofy, have occurred on Bitfinex and GDAX.
Spoof orders, or placed market trade orders that are not actually intended to be executed, are part of the rampant manipulation of traders on cryptocurrency exchanges. Trading into your own buy or sells is also illegal in the regulated financial markets, and it is suspected that this behavior has become more rampant in order to help Bitcoin price manipulators cut potential loses from their dubious activities. They also serve to sway trader behavior with massive sell and buy walls which are suggested to be the work of an individual or group, perhaps even the exchanges themselves going under the pseudonym of Spoofy.
With trading bots and API access to exchanges providing all the data needed for a coordinated manipulator, it isn't a question of "is someone doing it?" so much as "who is doing it?". Cases have been brought to light and prosecuted in the traditional stock markets, such as when Navinder Sarao pleaded guilty to spoofing offenses.
Traders contemplating sophisticated scams will think twice if they know that there are more significant consequences than a civil lawsuit or a regulatory action. […] Hedge funds and proprietary trading firms will closely review their trades, and strike down get-rich-quick manipulation trading schemes because the cost is not worth the benefit.
BitCrypto'ed provides plenty of evidence on the Hackernoon website on market manipulation (including the video above), alleging that the trade spoofing activity is primarily carried out on the Bitfinex exchange. According to the investigation, Spoofy is either an individual or group, but certainly a coordinated entity with an unrivaled amount of money to influence the market.
Spoofy makes the price go up when he wants it to go up, and Spoofy makes the price go down when he wants it to go down…And he's got the coin… both USD, and bitcoin, of course, to pull it off, and with impunity on Bitfinex.
If Spoofy places a large buy order that entices smaller traders to hop aboard, he can turn around and instead use the uptick to execute a sell order.
No matter the evidence, however, there are still plenty of people who have yet to be convinced that a single person or entity could possibly be the sole driving force behind Bitcoin's price.
So far I don't buy conspiracy theory of huge whale "spoofy" manipulating Bitcoin prices.
1 whale controlling pretty much the entirety of Bitcoin prices is ridiculous, and an awful fud attempt.
From now on any big order on any exchange ever for anything ever will be known as "spoofy"
Whether or not Spoofy is real, the practice of spoofing is very real and is already common enough to warrant rulings against it in the traditional stock market. Largely unregulated, cryptocurrency markets are still very much the "wild west" frontier of finance, a reputation hard to dismiss as exchanges and owners disappear or get arrested with alarming frequency. The same lack of regulation that makes cryptocurrency so attractive to many is also what allows modern day Butch Cassidys and James Gangs to get away with their misbegotten deeds.
Do you believe in Spoofy? Is he just a ghost story whispered of by grizzled traders? Let us know in the comments below.


text:
Jenee Fleenor – She IS Strong
June 17, 2011 By Christine Thompson
Jenee Fleenor is Martina McBride's young fiddle player. Based out of Nashville, Jenee has co-written a song that The Grascals took to number 1 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts for 5 weeks. Jenee explains her inspiration in this interview while at the Rockbox Theater in Fredricksburg, Texas. I am Strong clip featuring Dolly Parton courtesy of The Grascals. We are looking for more from this young lady. Official Website
From the Press Release
LEBANON, Tenn. (January 19, 2011) Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and The Grascals are pleased to celebrate the #1 debut of The Grascals & Friends – Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart (issue date January 29, 2011). The album also entered the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at #26, the Heatseekers chart at #2, the Independent chart at #15, the Billboard 200 at #113, and the Top Current Billboard 200 at #108.
"We want to thank all the AirPlayDirect staff and all the radio folks for helping out the kids at St. Jude and supporting this worthwhile project," says Terry Eldredge of the Grascals. "We are really excited that the album is #1 – and looking forward to continued success."
Filed Under: Exclusive News, Majors, Music, Video Interviews Tagged With: Billboard #1, Bluegrass, Featured, Jenee Fleenor, Martina McBride, St. Judes Children's Hospital, Terri Clark
Playing For Change Interview
40 million Youtube hits and counting for these innovative filmmakers. . Sandra Dahdah interviews Clarence Bekker and Mark Johnson about...


Lauglovatnet, one of the reference lakes with early morning fog. Photo Torbjørn Ekrem CC-BY.
What will happen with the eDNA of lake fauna when much of the animal life is eradicated? We suspect that it will increase as the dead animals dissolve and then decrease to a level below that before rotenone treatment, but we don't know for sure. Previous studies also show that macroinvertebrates in lakes are less susceptible to the rotenone poison than fauna in running water. Thus, we do expect a many species and perhaps species groups to do survive the treatment.
What will happen to these populations when the benthic community is altered and all fish is gone? We will follow up with eDNA sampling through EBAI and compare results with those of traditional benthic kick-sampling at the exact same sites.
This week, a journalist and photographer from NRK - the national public broadcaster - joined us in the field. Their report can be viewed here: "Ny metode for vannovervåkning".
Gaute Kjærstad not quite believing that this is sufficient to tell who lives in Lauglovatnet. Photo Torbjørn Ekrem CC-BY.
Aina Mærk Aspaas sampling water from Theisendammen. Photo Torbjørn Ekrem CC-BY.
Markus Majaneva filtering water samples in the lab at NTNU University Museum, Department of Natural History. Photo Torbjørn Ekrem CC-BY.


Danzig's new album, 6:66 Satan's Child, is excellent. Danzig just keeps on getting better and better with each successive album. It is everything we love and expect to hear coming from this master of darkness. Heavy, gothic, industrial, Danzig keeps on building and improving. Due to legal problems with record execs, Danzig was held up in limbo after signing with Hollywood records, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Co., who objected to Danzig's image. After a vicious two year battle, Glenn Danzig formed his own label, partnered with E-magine Entertainment, and blasted out this record.
The whole tone of the album from the songwriting and instrumentation to production is slick, tight and packs a punch (and a lot of crunch)! At it's core is the basic sound we have heard on everything that the Danzig name has been attached to, but this record takes on another dimension. The whole disc is punctuated with effects and background sounds coloring in the backdrop for that up front and in your face gothic rock guitar/bass/drums grind. In some ways this one has a bit of a Nine Inch Nails influence especially with the bass guitar. Josh Lazie really puts a unique slant that is most often overlooked on this important instrument. Joey Castillo's drumming is very funky and groovy, almost like a techno dance beat that really adds to the tone and feel of the record. Glenn Danzig's and Jeff Chamber's guitars are so heavy and thick that it makes you want to cry. And that voice…man, that voice! Glenn Danzig has to be one of the best and most powerful voices ever heard in rock. Sensual, passionate, much like the Doors Jim Morrison. Everyone that likes dark, heavy rock should have this in their disc collection.
A very heavy, fast, metallic cruncher, when I hear this song I think of an H.R. Giger painting, slick and shiny, but with a pulse and vibrancy of feeling. The rhythm is like a cybernetic heartbeat which is enhanced by the effects on Glenn's voice, giving the song an overall tone and feeling like that of being inside a giant metallic womb.
This song reminds one of the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album. It has that slow, down-tuned crunch similar to that of Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. Slow and hypnotic and punctuated with audio effects whooping and sweeping in the background like there are spaceships firing back and forth at each other from overhead. In the fadeout Glenn chants the chorus to you like you are standing next to him inside a dark, magick circle.
This track reminds one of Danzig's earlier works like "She Rides" from the self titled Danzig album only more so. It features more distortion on the guitars and a more powerful bass punch. Lyrically it is a demonic love song which Glenn Danzig has been writing so well since his early days as the leader of the legendary Misfts.
A fast rocker, my favorite thing on this track is a deep pulsating bass line which is reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. This one is definitely one of my faves on this CD.
Starting out slow and spooky, this one quickly kicks it all on into a classic Danzig hard rocker for the verse and then brings it back down again. This piece is a great study in contrasts which too many songwriters don't do, especially in this kind of music. Danzig has always excelled at that, never fearing to take chances or risks and blend different elements into one song.
Starting and ending with a backwards recording of a woman chanting this jumps into another great Danzig rocker. Really great effects on Glenn's voice makes it sound indistinct, watery and mystical.
This song is mid-tempo and has a really groovy beat to it. The drums really drive the cut and steer it home. If features a very nifty sound in the intro like a giant gong ringing and swelling into the guitars.
Slow and mystical, another of Glenn's great techniques in this one is not quite belting out the words but almost whispering them to you. The effect is like a dark, Satanic lover. This one will get inside your skin and run slowly up and down your spine. This would definitely be a great tune to play at midnight underneath a full moon.
A stuttered guitar riff punctuates this song along with that bass sound that is on "Unspeakable". A great title track, this really sums up many of the elements that dominate the whole sound and feel of this record.
"Into the Mouth of Abandonment" is a real standout on the record. Slow, pretty and sweet parts of the song really stick out, but fit well within the context of the disc. The cut includes a crashing main riff that is close to, but not quite "Twist of Cain" from the first album.
Dark and creepy, this is another one that reminds me of Sabbath. This tune has some of the heaviest elements that I have ever heard.


text:
Temporary Order to Cease and Desist
Temporary Order to Cease and Desist Family Market
Family Market, Peabody, MA - Temporary Order to Cease and Desist
FOREIGN TRANSMITTAL
AGENCY LICENSING
Docket No. 2005-015
FINDINGS OF FACT AND TEMPORARY ORDER TO CEASE AND DESIST
MARIO VIANA
JULIO VIANA and
Peabody, Massachusetts
Foreign Transmittal Agency License No. FT3874
WHEREAS FAMILY MARKET, located at 47 Main Street, Peabody, Massachusetts is authorized to engage in the business of a foreign transmittal agency, pursuant to the authority granted under license number FT3874, as a branch location of Vigo Remittance Corporation in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 6 and the Division of Banks' ("Division") regulation 209 CMR 44.09(1),
WHEREAS on June 29, 2005, Vigo Remittance Corporation, Sunrise, Florida, a licensed foreign transmittal agency under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 3, submitted written notification to the Commissioner of Banks ("Commissioner") whereby Vigo Remittance Corporation sought authorization to request the cancellation of its foreign transmittal agency license number FT3874,
WHEREAS the Commissioner, having determined further that MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET, have allegedly engaged, or are engaged in, or are about to engage in, acts or practices constituting violations of Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169 and applicable regulations found at 209 CMR 44.00 et seq.,
The Commissioner hereby issues the following FINDINGS OF FACT AND TEMPORARY ORDER TO CEASE AND DESIST ("TEMPORARY ORDER") pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 13(b).
FINDINGS OF FACT
The Division, through the Commissioner, has jurisdiction over the licensing and regulation of persons engaged in the business of a foreign transmittal agency pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 7.
MARIO VIANA is the sole owner and manager of FAMILY MARKET, located at 47 Main Street, Peabody, Massachusetts according to records maintained on file with the Division.
JULIO VIANA participates in the operation of the licensed business conducted by FAMILY MARKET at 47 Main Street, Peabody, Massachusetts.
The Commissioner issued Vigo Remittance Corporation's license to engage in the business of a foreign transmittal agency, by and through FAMILY MARKET operating on Vigo Remittance Corporation's behalf, at 47 Main Street, Peabody, Massachusetts on April 13, 2005, according to records maintained on file with the Division.
On or about June 22, 2005, an affidavit (the "Affidavit"), completed by Special Agent Derek M. Dunn, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, United States Department of Homeland Security was filed in support of a criminal complaint filed therewith against MARIO VIANA and JULIO VIANA in the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts at Worcester.
On June 29, 2005, a representative of the Division, in the performance of his official duties, contacted a representative of Vigo Remittance Corporation to discuss the information obtained by the Division relative to the criminal compliant(s) filed against MARIO VIANA and JULIO VIANA, respectively.
On June 29, 2005, subsequent to the events referenced in Paragraph 6 of this TEMPORARY ORDER, Vigo Remittance Corporation delivered to the Division an electronic mail message whereby Vigo Remittance Corporation requested authorization from the Division to surrender its foreign transmittal agency license, number FT3874, which had been obtained to engage in the licensed business through FAMILY MARKET at the 47 Main Street, Peabody, Massachusetts location.
The sworn statements, set forth and attested to in the Affidavit, allege, in part, that MARIO VIANA and JULIO VIANA operated an unlicensed money transmitting business, during the relevant time period beginning on or about January 6, 2004 until July 21, 2004, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1960(a).
The sworn statements, set forth and attested to in the Affidavit, allege, in part, that that JULIO VIANA structured transactions to evade transaction reporting requirements in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3).
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
Based upon the information contained in paragraphs 1 through 9, Vigo Remittance Corporation possesses the authority granted under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 12 to surrender foreign transmittal agency license number FT3874.
Based upon the information contained in paragraphs 1 through 9, MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET, as of June 29, 2005, are no longer authorized, either individually or collectively, to engage in the business of a foreign transmittal agency in Massachusetts on behalf of Vigo Remittance Corporation under license number FT3874.
Based upon the information contained in paragraphs 1 through 9, MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET are not otherwise exempted from the licensing requirements of Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 6 for those engaged in the business of a foreign transmittal agency in Massachusetts.
Based upon the information contained in paragraphs 1 through 9, the alleged facts set forth in the Affidavit referenced in Paragraph 5 of this TEMPORARY ORDER are related to the conduct of the business of a foreign transmittal agency in Massachusetts.
Based upon the information contained in paragraphs 1 through 9, the Commissioner has determined that:
MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET have failed to demonstrate the character, reputation, integrity, and general fitness that would warrant the belief that the business has been, is, or will be operated honestly, fairly, soundly and efficiently in the public interest in accordance with the standards governing the licensing and conduct of a foreign transmittal agency including, but not limited to, the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 6, and the Division's regulations at 209 CMR 44.00 et seq.; and
The public interest will be irreparably harmed by delay in issuing an
ORDER TO CEASE AND DESIST against MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET.
Based upon the information contained in paragraphs 1 through 9, had the facts and conditions found therein existed at the time of Vigo Remittance Corporation's original foreign transmittal agency license application for the 47 Main Street, Peabody, Massachusetts location, the Commissioner would have been warranted in refusing to issue such license. Further, the facts and conditions set forth in paragraphs 1 through 9, if finally determined, would present sufficient grounds for the revocation of Vigo Remittance Corporation's foreign transmittal agency license, number FT3874, pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 12 and the Division's regulation at 209 CMR 44.04(2)(b)(1).
ORDER TO CEASE AND DESIST
After taking into consideration the FINDINGS OF FACT and CONCLUSIONS OF LAW stated herein, it is hereby:
ORDERED that MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET, and any and all employees, independent contractors, or agents operating on behalf of FAMILY MARKET, and their successors or assigns, shall immediately cease and thereafter desist from engaging in the activities of a foreign transmittal agency, as defined under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 6, not otherwise expressly permitted by the terms of this TEMPORARY ORDER. Therefore, MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET shall not accept or receive any deposits of money from Massachusetts consumers for the purpose of transmitting the same, or equivalents thereof, to a foreign location.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET, shall immediately effect the transmittal of any amounts deposited by a Massachusetts consumer and held by FAMILY MARKET as of the effective date of this TEMPORARY ORDER in accordance with the standards set forth in Massachusetts General Laws chapter 169, section 6, and the Division's regulations at 209 CMR 44.00 et seq.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET, shall provide the Division, within twenty (20) days of the effective date of this TEMPORARY ORDER, a complete record of all monies received and transmitted by MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET during the period from April 13, 2005 through the effective date of this ORDER. The records to be produced shall include, but are not limited to, the names and addresses of all individuals who have deposited money for the purpose of transmitting the same or equivalents thereof to foreign countries, the amount of each transmittal, the transaction numbers, and the total fees charged on each transaction.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this TEMPORARY ORDER shall become effective immediately and shall remain in effect unless set aside, limited, or suspended by the Commissioner or upon court order after review under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 30A.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a hearing will be scheduled on this matter to determine whether or not such TEMPORARY ORDER shall become permanent and final only upon receipt of a written request for such a hearing from MARIO VIANA, JULIO VIANA, and FAMILY MARKET within twenty (20) days of the effective date of this TEMPORARY ORDER. If no hearing is requested within this twenty (20) day period, this TEMPORARY ORDER shall become permanent and final until it is modified or vacated by the Commissioner.
Dated at Boston, Massachusetts, this 30th day of June, 2005.
By: Steven L. Antonakes