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Aliba D'Rav
Weekly Column
On being a rabbi
THE SIXTY FUND
Each week, find a commentary on something connected to the cycle of Torah readings
BUT FOR
Among the many religious freedom issues I think about each week is the prevalence of hate crimes. Just about everyone is opposed to hate crimes, but defining what we oppose is more than a little problematic. An entire hierarchy of offense has developed as we struggle with what it means to hold individuals accountable for the prejudices they may or may not recognize.
I hope that there is no disagreement that Matthew Shepard and James Byrd were murdered in hate crimes. Mr. Shephard was beaten and tortured because of the antipathy of his killers toward homosexuality, and Mr. Byrd was an African American man who died as he was dragged behind a pickup truck for the crime of LWB – living while black. In their memories, federal legislation codified as criminal hatred based on race or sexual orientation/identity when it results in bodily injury to the victim.
The courts, however, have interpreted that law very specifically. In order to convict, the prosecution must show that the hatred was an essential motivating factor in the attack (and not merely one factor). That is to say, the prosecution must show that but for the hatred, the injury would not have occurred.
You don't have to be a lawyer (as I am proving) to understand what a high bar that is to clear. If the bar is so high in these cases of battery and murder, then how do we determine whether vandalism, discrimination, bullying and similar crimes – in and of themselves legally and morally wrong – include an essential element of hatred?
If we are going to depend on the law alone to prevent hate crimes, then we will always be dissatisfied. The most we can hope is that the law, in spite of its necessary definitions, will empower ordinary citizens and their institutions to prevent hate crimes. I don't pretend to know what motivates someone to be a bigot, let alone what tips a bigot over the edge to violence. But it is not enough to give permission to a bully to stop just short of bodily harm. The criminalization of the result of hatred is the notice our society needs to reduce and, if possible, eliminate it.
There is a but-for section of the Book of Numbers that is read in synagogues this week. In a brief section (27:1-11), the five daughters of Zelophehad (yeah, hard to pronounce; say tz-loff-khad) come to Moses with a complaint. Their father Z died in the wilderness without a male heir. The result seemed to be that his property, and thus his name, would be absorbed into the apportionments to other families in the tribe. The daughters asked why the good man their father was should be forgotten for the "sin" (my sarcastic word) of having daughters.
Moses takes the question right to the top and asks God how to resolve it. What follows is a long set of conditions that must apply that prevent land from being inherited by women. Really, you almost have to go through the phone book (there's an anachronism both then and now) before the daughters are eligible, but there it is, ink-on-parchment, that women are entitled to inherit. The but-for, the essential motivating factor, is the absence of any man who has a claim.
There are two ways to look at this section of the Bible – as an indictment or as an opportunity. Those who are looking to underscore the undeniable male-centric nature of Scripture will consider this vignette the exception that proves the rule. But those of us who seek evidence that the Bible tries to rise above its own circumstances view this encounter as a breakthrough. In context, Z's daughters may be last resort when all men fail, but they succeed in disrupting an entrenched system and opening a consideration of the true meaning of human equality that, today, is light years beyond the anonymity to which too many women were sentenced. An injustice was corrected because the "but-for" forced us to look beyond the particulars of the law. The small wedge was worked and worked until today gender equality is the rule and mighty titans of industry fall on evidence of their sexism and abusiveness.
I know that it looks like I am suggesting that it was okay to wait 3000 years to begin to address this injustice. It wasn't, which is all the more reason not to be patient with hate crime prevention. We don't need any more lessons than we have already learned – Mr. Shephard and Mr. Byrd, pig's blood and cow's head, sheriff's stars and what-makes-you-think-your-life-matters-so-much.
But-for is a limit. It is not permission for anything less than but-for. It is a caution to us that what we tolerate in the name of freedom to be politically incorrect encourages people to do harm, and therefore we have the responsibility like the daughters of Zelophehad to raise our voices and demand better.
The music gene in our family seems to be dominant in our middle daughter. She escapes her job in DC for a week each summer to attend what she laughingly calls "band camp" with a cohort of people who love to play great music well. She sends us dispatches (far more regularly than when we sentenced her to summer camp) about the excruciatingly interesting people she meets. One of them, it turns out, is a classical music critic for the New York Times, Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim. I have never met Corinna, but from my daughter's description, in addition to having a name that destined her to be a classical music critic for the New York Times, she is an absolutely delightful person, which explains how she and my kid became friends.
The missive today contained a link to a column Corinna wrote the week of Yom HaShoah u'Gevurah, Holocaust and Heroism Day. In it, she explores an invitation her grandfather sent to her grandmother to join him in listening to a broadcast of the love song from Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" in April 1944. Käthe was in their villa in Hamburg. Hermann was in Block 59 in Buchenwald.
Read the column, please, as Corinna wonders about the "telepathic conduit" between her grandparents. And then give some thought to similar conduits in your own life. Maybe you had "your song" with a past lover. Maybe the aroma of baking bread takes you to your mother's kitchen on Friday afternoon. Maybe a whiff of the guy wearing "Old Spice" on the subway makes you flash on the iconic bottle on your father's dresser. Maybe it is moonlight through the pines, that old hootie-owl, Jack Frost nipping at your nose. The connections may be temporal or spatial, but they resonate in a way that transcends the immediate circumstances in which you re-encounter them. The power of memory – please God, happy memory – reminds us of what is possible in the darkest hours.
In the cycle of Torah readings, the hour is pretty dark for the Israelites. They have lost Miriam and Aaron and misery abounds. Never mind that they are perceived as the dominant power, I imagine the satisfaction index to be pretty low. Into the narrative, very much off to the side, comes Balak, the Moabite king. He offers fame and fortune to celebrity prophet Bilaam (called Balaam in most translations, for reasons I never understood) to pronounce an imprecation on the Israelites. Call them names, he says, because whomever you curse is cursed (Numbers 22:6). Bilaam is reluctant, but does his best to come up with something – "Low Energy," "Crooked," "Lyin'" – but nothing fits. Bilaam recognizes that he is looking at a people of inherent worth and worthiness. And in spite of being paid a huge amount of Balak's own money, Bilaam finds that the only thing he can pronounce are these words: How good are your tents, o Jacob, your dwelling places, o Israel.
The Israelites likely didn't hear Bilaam, but the words of his poem/song soon became known to them. In fact, the words of this prophet-for-profit gained official status in both liturgy and custom; they are the words a Jew is to recite upon beginning morning prayer or entering a synagogue. School children use them in a musical round, choirs sing them in majestic settings, people (like me) speak them in a whisper. Each time, it whisks singer and listener vertically across history to a windswept mountaintop and horizontally to the doorway of every place Jews have dedicated to prayer. I am in one of Jacob's tents as well as at the threshold of synagogues in Bucharest, Beersheba and Baton Rouge. And Buchenwald.
The optimists among us like to put a positive spin on things. I would like to think that the people of the United States would like to be inspired to their better natures when they hear the songs, see the sights and smell the apple pie that have always made America great – not because that old-time rock and roll was so much better,* but because our greatness comes from those things that bring us together, not tear us apart. Bilaam beheld the dwelling places from a distance, unaware of problems within. When I declare mah tovu, "how good," I don't want to go back to that wilderness; I want to capture the redemptive spirit of the whole. I am not hoping to drag people back in time; I want to reassure them about the future. I want to be reminded not to capitulate to the enemy without and not to capitulate to the enemy within. That's what the music does for me.
With that, I have to acknowledge it doesn't always work. Sometimes the darkness refuses to yield, even to the music of devoted lovers. Bilaam died in battle. Synagogues anointed by his words have been abandoned or destroyed. Käthe and Hermann…well, read the column.
But this week in an idyllic New England setting, the daughters of the disappointed are making music great. Again.
*in fact, that old-time rock and roll was indeed so much better
THE TIME IS HERE
If you know this story, I apologize for retelling it. I tell it to myself all the time.
Not quite a month after my father died, I went on a trip to Poland with a group of rabbis. The trip left out of Chicago, so I came in a couple of days before and, at my mother's request, my brother and sister and I went through his clothes and belongings to choose what we wanted to remember him by. The evening we spent was crazy and hilarious and heart-breaking. We tried on suits and hats, remembered Dad wearing particular shirts (remember Qiana?) and made piles of his quality clothing to benefit men who could never afford them. We examined his collection of broken electric shavers. We read the letters we wrote to him as kids. And at the end of exhausting hours, the three of us sat on the edge of our parents' bed and looked at what was left, lined up on the top of his chest of drawers.
There were six watches. Dad had two older wind-up watches, two modern everyday electric watches (one analog, one digital) and two jewelry-quality watches that were his late life indulgences. Nobody wanted to pick first, but we collectively decided that my sister had first dibs, then my brother, and finally me. Everyone got what they wanted, as it happened. I wanted the old wind-up watches, especially the one that had a mechanical alarm that vibrated against his wrist when it went off.
There was a reason for it. He wore that watch every day when I was a little boy. When he came home from work and reached out for me, it is what I would see. When I saw that watch, daddy was home.
I used to try that watch on all the time. When I was little, it slid above my elbow. When I got to be a teenager, I was scrawny enough that it flopped around on my forearm. It never fit.
The whole story resonates for me in a particular way when I read about the death of Aaron (Numbers 20:23-29). Lots of people die in the Bible in lots of different ways. Miriam seems just to have stopped living a few short verses before. And before that plague, fire and earthquake took care of the rebels against Moses. But Aaron's impending death is announced and orchestrated. The uniform he wears as High Priest, the sign of the office he holds, is to be passed along to his successor, Eleazar.
At God's instruction, Aaron, Moses and Eleazar climb to the top of a mountain. Moses strips the garments from his older brother and dresses Eleazar in them. Aaron lies down and dies.
What kind of moment was that? This family had known public triumph and private tragedy, but their private tragedies – the death of two of Eleazar's brothers, the loss of Miriam, the challenges to leadership – were all played out publicly. And now, Eleazar stands by as Moses removes his father's tokens of office – and life – and bestows them on him.
Over the course of my years of teaching this section of Torah, I have asked people to imagine the scene. Sometimes, using the technique of Bibliodrama developed by my extraordinary friend Peter Pitzele, I have asked them even to be Moses, Aaron or Eleazar. From elementary school students to older adults, the richness of the story produces heartbreak, a rush of love, disbelief and, so often from "Aaron," pride and satisfaction.
As my siblings and I slipped in and out of our father's various uniforms – his army boots, his exercise outfits, his business suits, his leisure wear – we inhabited him for a moment. Maybe we realized that even without his clothes we inhabited him as well.
I went off to Poland the next day and my mother packed up what I had chosen and sent it off to me in Virginia. It arrived just as I returned home from the trip. I unpacked the boxes and hung up the suits, found a place for his cufflinks and collar stays of every size, wondered if I would ever dare to wear a Qiana shirt. And there was the watch. I tried it on. And it fit.
To this day, I can't think of that moment without feeling the disorientation that overwhelmed me. Not quite a month after the inevitable end of his complicated health issues, I experienced his loss all over again. That watch was not supposed to fit me. I was never supposed to grow into it.
I am certain that Eleazar felt the same way. The text makes no mention of it, and for sure there was no watch for him to wear – perhaps it was a mitre, a breastplate, a tunic. Maybe it was just the scent of the smoke from the sacrifices that he smelled reaching for him rather than emanating from him. But the time had come for him to wear his father's clothes.
Look around you these days and you will wonder where you will find the outsized figures of a generation past. The people who pursue leadership and high office seem to fall short in so many ways, and the mitre or the mantel looks more like parody than promise.
Then go look in that box of things you inherited and try them on. Guess what?
They fit.
SECOND WORST
We take smug satisfaction in Winston Churchill's famous critique of democracy – it is the second-worst form of government after everything else. We also like to think that democracy works because of an informed electorate, in spite of evidence to the contrary. This election cycle has upended a lot of things, and it could be that our infatuation with democracy could be one of the casualties.
I am guessing that rabbis all over the United States will be talking about Donald Trump this week that we read in synagogue about the populist rabble-rousing of Korach. Whether they support him or revile him, the comparisons are enticing. I want to look at the same story, but from a different perspective.
But first…what form of government is suggested by the Torah? If you said democracy, you would be wrong. At this point in Numbers, some form of theocratic patriarchy is the only kind of governance imagined. Both on the "federal" level – Moses – and on the "state" level – the twelve tribes – one person has been appointed to carry out God's will. The "judiciary" – the priesthood – is also in the hands of a divinely-designated functionary whose directed offspring will inherit his mantle. Somewhat grudgingly, God acknowledges that another form of government might emerge, though it isn't recommended. That would be the monarchy. (Just for the record, it didn't work out so well.)
Democracy can be kvetched out of later teachings of ancient rabbis, but only by expanding on their creative interpretation of a verse (Exodus 23:2) that actually warns against majority-rule. And even in confirming a sort of majoritarian approach to Jewish law, their electorate is composed only of the educated elite (one rabbi, one vote).
However, there is a moment that foreshadows democracy and its dangers. The result is in the story of the rebellion of Korach (Numbers 16), but the story begins five chapters earlier when God responds to Moses's meltdown by telling him to gather a sort of representative body of leaders to share the gift of inspiration and authority. The number given is 70, which probably shouldn't be understood too literally. But the number we should take seriously is two – the two guys who were not interested in a life of public service, Eldad and Meidad. They declined to show up for the initiation, but God's spirit entered them anyway, in the midst of their everyday routine. Seized with prophetic ecstasy, they circulated among the people sharing their insights.
Joshua, aide-de-camp to Moses, rushes to report to his boss this breach of protocol, and Moses makes a statement that will haunt him twice: "Would that all of the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put the divine spirit upon them!"
I imagine that expression of personal humility was reported quickly and widely by word of mouth (who needs Twitter?). Maybe the wagon-driver and the nursemaid didn't dream of being as close to God's will as Moses, but his brother and sister do. Pretty soon (well, a few verses later in 12:2), Aaron and Miriam are claiming that they, too, have encountered God and ought to enjoy Moses's prominence. (In another precursor to American politics, they attempt to introduce race and sexual conduct into the critique of their brother.) God steps in on behalf of Moses and punishes Miriam for denigrating him (not Aaron, but that's a different column). But what God does not do is suggest that the offenders do not legitimately encounter God. Don't think that wasn't lost on the people.
And now back to our regularly scheduled story. What does Korach claim in his grab or power? "All the congregation is holy, every one of them, and God is among them!" The two-hundred-fifty or so members of the junta probably solemnly nodded their heads (or whatever people did back then) in agreement because Moses and Aaron had both affirmed the possibility and desirability of that claim.
Mind you, this is no election. Most of the people seemed to have a willingness to follow the winner of the contest between Moses and Korach, which Moses wins definitively when Korach is swallowed by the ground and his entourage is consumed by fire. But the seed of political equality that was planted by this sequence was not from a disreputable source. Moreover, it was consistent with the egalitarian story of human origins that opens the Torah.
The principle of democracy can be derived from this unpleasant interlude in the history of our people. But we make a mistake if we believe that, endowed as we are with decision-making capability, the proper determinant of casting a vote is merely personal preference or self-interest. The cynicism of campaigns directs attention at winning the vote by appealing to those self-centered motives. It deflects attention from choosing the better leader.
The ground will not open if we choose wrongly, and people who squander their chance to chart the course of the nation on mere party loyalty or personal dismay will live to vote again. So it is worth spending the time listening for that spirit of discernment that gives us our authority to choose wisely. Voting on principle is the second-worst reason to cast a ballot.
Jack Moline is a rabbi, non-profit exec, and social commentator.


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ADAM LANG AGAINST STUFF
Council Meeting: SEPTEMBER 2016
Publication: Stuff
Comment and Fact
On August 10, Stuff.co.nz published an article entitled "Donald Trump alludes to shooting Hillary Clinton". The article was from Paul McGeough, Chief Foreign Correspondent for theSydney Morning Herald. The story was based on coverage from US media in which Republican Presidential nominee, Donald Trump, had made a speech at a supporters' rally. Media had covered the rally in particular Mr Trump's comments which some US media had portrayed as inciting violence against Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.
Many Americans are very protective of their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Mr Trump's speech at the rally was part of an orchestrated campaign to show that Hillary Clinton might seek to impinge that right if she were President. The exact controversial wording of Mr Trump's speech was "Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the second amendment; and by the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks. Although the second amendment people, maybe there is, I dunno."
The comments received considerable international media attention.
On August 13, Adam Lang complained to Fairfax Media that the article breached Press Council principles 1 (Fairness, Accuracy and Balance) and 4 (Comment and Fact).
Mr Lang argues that the article is inaccurate. Mr Trump's spokesperson had confirmed following the speech to media that the words were not about inciting violence and the journalist ignored this and published "misinformation" about Trump suggesting American gun owners should shoot Hillary Clinton.
The journalist, Paul McGeough, offered his opinion in the article and therefore it was an opinion piece and not fact. The article was not portrayed as opinion.
Mr Lang said his expectation for remedial action was the article and headline to be altered to correctly state that the article was an opinion piece and not an article of fact. Mr Lang also wanted a retraction of the statements "the GOP candidate suggested American gun owners should shoot Hillary Clinton" and "Donald Trump alludes to shooting Hillary Clinton". He also wanted an apology from the journalist and for that apology to be published on the publication's website.
Patrick Crewdson (Editor, Stuff) responded to Mr Lang's complaint on 16 August. He said that he understood Mr Lang's basis for complaint however disagreed that it contravened any Press Council principles.
Mr Crewdson explained that the journalist was the chief foreign correspondent for theSydney Morning Herald. The original article was published in that publication. Given his experience and role, the journalist was qualified to include analysis and interpretation in his articles without it necessarily constituting an expression of personal opinion.
In his response to the Press Council, Mr Crewdson adds that the article was news reportage that included elements of analysis on the possible meaning of the candidate's comments. The Editor said that Mr Lang had acknowledged the technique used by some journalists of weaving analysis into their articles so the issue in dispute is whether the journalist's interpretation was reasonable. This technique would be more prominent during political campaigns in which comments from candidates are open for analysis by stakeholders including media. The interpretation by the journalist given the context of other views within the article itself was reasonable.
Mr Crewdson added that Trump's comments in the speech sparked considerable controversy. Reputable media outlets around the world drew the same conclusion – that his comments could be interpreted as inciting violence. Mr Crewdson provided examples of this interpretation from The Guardian and The Telegraph. He added that CNN had subsequently reported that the US Secret Service was sufficiently concerned about Mr Trump's comments that they spoke with his campaign team about them.
Mr Crewdson said that the journalist reported Mr Trump's exact words and his campaign team's denial that he was "advocating any form of violence". There was also reaction from other interested parties. There was no risk of readers being misled.
The comments from Donald Trump caused international controversy which was captured by traditional and social media channels. Stuff also had the video coverage of his comments as part of their August 10 article.
There seems to be growing consensus from media outlets that Mr Trump's words, whilst possibly clumsy in delivery, did give the impression to the public that he was alluding to second amendment supporters being able to do something untoward to Hillary Clinton. The word allude means to suggest or call attention to indirectly or hint at. Based on the consensus by global media, political commentators, and security experts around the remarks, the headline of the article is accurate.
The exact wording of what Mr Trump said was reported accurately by Paul McGeough however the question falls on whether the journalist's analysis of the remarks was opinion and whether it was suitable in an article of fact and if suitable, was it reasonable.
US Presidential elections are widely covered by international media given the importance of the role to both the US and in global affairs. Candidate comments are therefore pored over by media, which requires an element of analysis or interpretation given the nature of political discourse during election campaigning. Part of that analysis requires seeking views of experts and putting the nominee's comments within the context of remarks by close confidantes who are likely to be Cabinet members and of course Opposition spokespeople.
Journalists do not take at face value what political spokespeople say on behalf of their candidates; it requires analysis and further questioning given the role of the fourth estate. The Trump spokesperson may have said explicitly that the interpretation of his candidate's comments was wrong, but that should not mean media or the public can take it at face value. Paul McGeough was not alone in his analysis of the comments or his views of the response from Mr Trump's campaign team. It should be noted that Hillary Clinton's spokesperson had said prior to and post the rally that she would not do anything to impinge on the second amendment right but this has not stopped the Trump campaign continue to question that. It is the nature of a political campaign.
In response to Mr Lang's point about some of his comments to the editor then being raised with the Council, it is important that the Council makes a decision based on the full nature of the exchange between the complainant and the publication.
It is worth noting that since this article and complaint, Mr Trump continues to make further controversial comments related to security around Ms Clinton. It has been reported that the US Secret Service have had to again speak with his campaign team. The same series of events has occurred – media pick it up, experts have commented on it, allegations made and reported by media, and spokespeople responding that media have misinterpreted what their candidate has said.
The complaint is not upheld in relation to all principles.
Press Council members considering this complaint were Sir John Hansen, Liz Brown, Chris Darlow, Peter Fa'afiu, Sandy Gill, John Roughan, Vernon Small, Mark Stevens, and Tim Watkin.


Adding another tool to the mix involves approval processes, exec buy-in, boss-nudging, and more. Here's how you can convince your boss you need a status page.
Every company depends on tools that help them do their jobs. HR tools, CRMs, chat & collaboration tools, business intelligence tools, marketing automation tools… the list goes on. Bringing another tool into the mix involves approval processes, buy-in from execs, and the occasional boss-nudging for her credit card.
Whatever the case, here are some ways you can convince your boss you need a status page.
Our customers reported a 24% reduction in support tickets by using a status page. A status page helps deflect support tickets during incidents by proactively notifying customers about problems via emails, text messages, or an embedded status widget.
A status page allows you to showcase your uptime percentage, and customers love knowing these details. We often hear "We never go down, so we don't need a status page." You may never have a system-wide outage, but chances are you will have some incidents you need to communicate about. A status page helps you showcase your product's uptime, which builds trust with existing customers and new ones.
We've been in the game for a while. We have spent years building a reliable, effective way to talk to your customers during outages so that you don't have to worry about maintaining your own status page infrastructure or code base. We host your page so that it's available when you need it most; when you're down. Our multi-channel messaging infrastructure allows you to input status updates in a single place, and we take care of making sure those messages go out via email, text message, Twitter, in-app messages, or all of the above.
Incident management involves tools, people, and practices. It's this combination of things that makes you prepared for when things go wrong. With the right team in place, the right processes and practices, and tools, you'll be ready for any incident.
Outages aren't fun, and hopefully they don't happen often. But when they do happen (and they will), you need to be prepared. Teams are shipping faster and more often these days. Monolithic products are becoming micro-service amalgamations – therefore incidents are happening more frequently, and you need a way to communicate with your customers during those moments. A status page isn't a "nice to have", it's something your customers deserve and expect. Having a dedicated way to communicate with your customers during an outage can help turn a negative customer experience into a positive one.
To give Statuspage a try, sign up here and ask us about getting 50% off for 3 months.


Harassment constitutes one of the main forms of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. (This applies to England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has its own equality legislation).
Examples of harassing behaviour include unwanted physical touching or sexual comments, personal comments about a someone's appearance, and non-verbal harassment, such as unwanted gestures of displays of pornographic pictures.
A single incident can constitute harassment if it is of sufficient seriousness.
Women are more likely to be at the receiving end of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Some negative workplace cultures are characterised by a high level of 'banter', which, if it is of a sexist or sexual nature, can cause offence.
While it's important to enjoy work and share a joke with colleagues, you need to think about how others may perceive what you are saying.
When deciding if there has been harassment, whether someone intended to cause offence when they told the joke is less important than how it's likely to be perceived, particularly by the person it was aimed at.
Don't expect them always to say when they've been offended either – victims of harassment often don't feel confident enough to challenge it, especially when there's a big group of people laughing along, so they may pretend to share the joke as a way of coping.
Burning Question - Can I accept gifts from a service user?


UPDATED: Implementing outcomes-based funding for universities and requiring public institutions to give college credit for scores of 3 or higher on AP exams were among the higher ed proposals laid out by Greg Abbott on Tuesday.
Implementing outcomes-based funding for universities, establishing block scheduling at community colleges and requiring all public institutions to give college credit for scores of 3 or higher on AP exams were among the proposals included in the higher education plan laid out by Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott on Tuesday.
Abbott unveiled his plan, which also included a call for expanding online education options and ensuring that students are granted college credit for completing online courses, at an event at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Some of the ideas are familiar. Gov. Rick Perry and other policymakers have for years pushed for the Legislature to tie a portion of universities' state funding to performance measures such as graduation, but so far have not been successful in getting such a plan approved.
Like Abbott did in his plan, Wendy Davis, a Democrat from Fort Worth and his chief rival, has also called for supporting the effort to create more "tier one" public universities in Texas. On Tuesday, Abbott was more specific about how he'd provide that support. He said he would push for an additional $40 million to go to the Texas Competitive Knowledge Fund, which was created in 2007 for the purpose of supporting faculty and incentivizing research at certain institutions.
Abbott framed his call for block scheduling at two-year institutions as a way to help students better balance work and school. "Students can take their classes in blocks of time — morning, afternoon or evening blocks — so they will have more time available to work," he said.
Abbott also called on the Legislature to provide funding to cover the cost Texas higher ed institutions incur by providing tuition exemptions for military veterans and their family members.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott will call for students to receive college credit for taking massive open online courses — often referred to as "MOOCs" — as part of the higher education plan he unveils on Tuesday, sources with knowledge of his plans say.
Abbott is scheduled to lay out his higher education plan in an afternoon speech at the University of Texas at Dallas.
MOOCs are online courses with unlimited enrollment that anyone — regardless of whether they are enrolled at a university — can sign up for and take for free. Right now, the courses rarely earn students college credit.
Abbott intends to make the case that to improve flexibility and affordability in higher education, credit should be offered for completing such courses.
The University of Texas System offers MOOCs through a provider called edX, a nonprofit online venture founded in 2012 by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The UT System also invested $5 million in the company that same year.
Rice University and the University of Houston System offer courses through Coursera, which is a for-profit competitor. Rice also offers courses through edX.
Thus far, none of the MOOCs provided by the UT System have been created at the Dallas campus, where Abbott is unveiling his plan. The University of Texas at Austin has developed nine such courses, and the University of Texas at Arlington has one that is slated to begin in October.
In 2013, when UT-Austin announced the courses it planned to provide through edX, Harrison Keller, that university's vice president for higher education policy and research, said, "At this point, we're not planning to use the first nine MOOCs as credit-bearing courses, but as these issues get worked through, it would be terrific if we could figure out ways to use the platform for credit-bearing courses."
However, MOOCs are a bit of a touchy subject in academia. After making a big splash early on, they have been the subject of a significant amount of criticism, particularly for seeing low completion rates.
Last year, for example, a MOOC called "Energy 101" run by UT-Austin professor Michael Webber had 38,000 participants, but just 5,000 completed the course. Compared to most MOOCs, that 13 percent completion rate was on the high end.
Abbott's Democratic opponent, state Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, has already unveiled her higher education policy proposals. Her plan makes no mention of MOOCs. Her proposals pertaining to affordability include providing more funding to the state's main grant program for low-income students, expanding access to a state loan program designed to encourage timely graduation and establishing a sales tax exemption on textbooks.
Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at Arlington and Rice University are corporate sponsors of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Texas Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.


Patch 5.2 introduces a new raid tier and PvP season, and so the higher tier currencies will be down-converted during maintenance. This time around there won't be a soft cap, old Valor items aren't changing to cost Justice, and we're adding a new rank of PvP gear. Let's break down exactly how it's all going to harmoniously work together.
So let's say the realms go down for the 5.2 patch and you have 450 Valor and 3800 Justice. Because of the 4000 Justice cap, you'd log back in after the patch is released with 0 Valor, 4000 Justice, and be 117 gold and 50 silver richer after the conversion.
With 5.2 we won't be changing current Valor items to cost Justice, but they will be much cheaper (discounts from 50-75% off their current costs). You'll need to acquire Valor after the patch is released to buy pieces for their discounted rate, or to buy the new 5.2 Valor items, but we're also introducing new items to spend your Justice on, including heirlooms and Pet Battle stones.
Valor is no longer being converted to Justice with the release of 5.2. Find out more in theforum postannouncing the change.
For example, if I log out before the 5.2 maintenance period with 450 Conquest and 3800 Honor, my excess of 250 Honor would be converted, and so when I log in after 5.2 is released I would have 0 Conquest, 4000 Honor, and be 87 gold and 50 silver richer.
In 5.2 we're introducing an entirely new tier of PvP gear that will be purchasable with Honor to help smooth out the gearing progression for new and returning players, alts, etc. so they can catch up and be a bit more successful coming in mid-season or even mid-expansion. You can read more about all the changes being made surrounding that in the PvP Gear blog we posted a few weeks back.


Where there's Messi, there's a way. He carried Argentina single-handedly in a crucial decider away to Ecuador and made sure they will be on a plane to Russia. Alongside Leo are Aguero, Higuain, Dybala, and Di Maria, and they will have to be at their best to reach a second consecutive final. Against Iceland, anything less than a win will be regarded as a failure and setback on their group qualification.
Iceland surprised many at the Euro 2016 by knocking out England in the round of 16, and they now take part in football's grandest tournament for their first time. Reaching Russia is already a significant milestone for the country, qualifying from the group is another uphill task, with Argentina, Croatia, and Nigeria standing in their way.


Time lapse video of Tokyo Sky Tree by Darwinfish105 [Jp]. The construction of the tower – the world's tallest (634m) – was completed on February 29.
The definition of "tower" differs from "building", with the later mainly habitable. For many years the world's tallest tower is taller than the tallest building, but it changed in 2010 with the completion of Burj Khalifa (830m) in the United Arab of Emirates.
The Burj Dubai in UAE has become the tallest man-made structure in the world.
According to developer Emaar Properties PJSC, the Burj Dubai has surpassed the height of KVLY-TV mast, a 628.8m TV transmitting mast in North Dakota, USA.
The Burj Dubai is expected to be over 700m in height upon completion. The developer is still keeping the final height as classified to avoid competition from other tallest-buildings-wannabe currently in construction.
[Update] Burj Dubai is renamed as Burj Khalifa and officially opened in Jan 2010.
Second day in Paris. We had a short tour around the city before arriving at the Eiffel Tower at 9.30am. The queue wasn't that long; we waited around 15 minutes and managed to squeeze into the elevator to get to the second level platform.
Eiffel Tower is one the most visited landmarks in the world; at the time of writing it has been visited by 229,623,812 visitors since its opening in 1889, and the number is ever growing.
The tower is 324 metres high and was once the tallest building in the world. It was built in conjunction to the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889 and was named after Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the main designer of the tower.
Rumours are that the Parisians didn't like the 'ugly' Eiffel initially. The tower was supposed to be torn down in 1909, but the tower's antenna was heavily used for communication (telegraph) purpose, thus putting off the dismantle plan. Besides, the Eiffel was then gradually becoming a prime tourist attraction, bringing in huge economic value for Paris and France, and in the end earned its rights to stay permanently.
The Burj Dubai – which is under construction – in the United Arab Emirates is unofficially the world's tallest building after reaching the height of 512.1 metres on July 20, surpassing current record holder Taiwan's Taipei 101 (509.2m).
However, the Council on Tall buildings and Urban Habitat will classify Burj Dubai as a building only after it is completed, which means that Taipei 101 is still officially the world's tallest building. The CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, remains the tallest free-standing-structure at 553m (probably not for long though).


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Tag: Osun Northeast Diocese in Otan Aiyegbaju
Adebisi Akande Says Military Takeover Of Missionary Schools Truncated Morality
A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adebisi Akande, says the takeover of missionary schools by the military government altered the norm and morality that the missions had established in Nigerian schools and the society at large.
Mr Akande described missionary schools as institutions for moral instructions, saying that a decision to take over schools from the missionaries was equivalent to an attempt to expunge morality from the lives of the Nigerian children.
Mr Akande, who was a former Governor of Osun State, gave the opinion at the commissioning of a block of 10 classrooms built in his honour by the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Osun Northeast Diocese in Otan Aiyegbaju, in Osun State, southwest Nigeria.
According to Mr Akande, the consequence of the takeover of schools is evident in the society.
Akande said: "Whether in Islamic Madaris or in any evangelical learning centres, all missionary schools known to Nigerians were institutions for moral instructions".
He related the pain Nigerians suffer today to what he called military interventions in governance.
He urged the missionaries to run schools side by side with other educational stakeholders in order to enable the society have a choice in producing future players in the employment markets.
"Where free education is the public policy, as it should be throughout Nigeria, let the government concerned grant-aid to the missionaries to the tune of tuition fees payable by the pupils in public-government-owned schools," he requested.
In his speech, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, described religion as a tool to promote peace and sustain religious tolerance.
Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh
Most Reverend Okoh said with a Christian faith building a school in honour of a Muslim statesman, Nigeria would soon get out of religious crisis.
He described Mr Akande as a Muslim by practice, but a Christian in mind, going by his contributions to the Christianity without any iota of discrimination.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who commissioned the schools, stated that it was not a surprise that a strong Christian Church, Anglican Communion, honoured Akande, a Muslim, with a block of 10 classrooms.
He said the Yoruba race is known for religious tolerance from time immemorial.
Governor Aregbesola noted that the advent of formal education in Nigeria was traceable to the Muslim and Christian missionaries, saying that education has been part and parcel of faith.
The Governor urged parents to live up to their responsibility of supporting their children with moral and adequate training needed to make the education functional and impactful.
Posted on October 12, 2016 October 12, 2016 Author Williams OsewezinaCategories LocalTags Anglican Communion, Chief justice of Osun State, Church of Nigeria, former Governor of Osun State, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, Mr Adebisi Akande, Osun Northeast Diocese in Otan Aiyegbaju, Osun State, Primate of the church of Nigeria Anglican CommunionLeave a comment on Adebisi Akande Says Military Takeover Of Missionary Schools Truncated Morality


Spending quality alone time with your significant other can take a back seat when you?ve got a new baby to consider. Navigating your way through nappy changes, sleepless nights and 4AM feeds can take the romance out of the best of relationships. It's why many couples turn to dedicated date nights to keep a spark alive during the foray into parenthood.
However, with Valentine?s Day creeping up on us, the pressure is mounting to find an extra special way to show your loved one how much you value them. But with new babies or demanding toddlers consuming all your time and energy, it can be tough to find the time to even start thinking about a date night plan. To alleviate some of the added Valentine?s Day pressure (and ensure you get the quality time together new parents need) we?ve come up with some parent-friendly date night ideas. You won?t even need to book a babysitter for some of them. Just call us cupid.


Piekenierskloof is proud to be part of the Old Vine Project with our oldest bush vine being planted in 1962 already, making it over 50 years old!
The magnificent Piekenierskloof plateau is nestled in the Citrusdal Mountains, some 50 kilometres north of Swartland, , providing the perfect natural environment for vineyards to thrive. At 750 meters above sea level, the plateau's climate is characterised by warm days and cool nights, which allow grapes to ripen slowly and develop complex fruit flavours. It is in these mountains where brothers Oubaas and Potgieter van Zyl are guardians to a wealth of old vine gems, amongst others the Bergendal Chenin Blanc and Muscat de Frontignan planted in 1962, the Grenache Noir in 1973 and the Cinsault vineyard planted in 1976. These bush vine vineyards are un-irrigated and planted on their own roots in sandy, loam soils where they produce between 2 to 4 tonnes per hectare.


It can be very frustrating when your auto glass gets a tiny chip, or a large crack due to flying debris on the highway, or even a fender bender. You don't have to live with a windshield or window on your vehicle that has a crack when you can have it fixed at an affordable rate.
Protect your vehicle investment, and be proud driving it anywhere. Allow us to check with your insurance company, as at times you will be covered when it comes to auto glass repairs, especially chips in the windshield.
You'll love that we provide our services to the residents and businesses of the Murray and Salt Lake City area with quality auto glass and window repair. Allow us to provide excellent customer service and reasonable rates that won't hurt your budget.
Call us for any and all of your glass repair and replacement needs. Get custom glass for any purpose as well, built to your specifications and needs.
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Żywność: nauka - technologia - jakość, 2010, R. 17, nr 1 (68), s. 105-113, tab., bibliogr. 27 poz.
Antunesa P., Reub C., Sousab C., Peixeb L., Pestanab N.: Incidence of Salmonella from poultry products and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Int. J. Food Microbiology, 2003, 82 (2), 97-103.
Breen P.J., Salari H., Compadre C.M.: Elimination of Salmonella contamination from poultry tissues by cetylpyridinium chloride solutions. J. Food Prot., 1997, 60 (9), 1019-1021.
Bystroń J., Kosek-Paszkowska K., Molenda J., Czerw M.: Occurrence of Salmonella spp. in chicken carcasses Medycyna Wet., 2004, 60 (3), 225-336.
Conner D.E., Bilgili S.F.: Skin attachment model for improved laboratory evaluation of potential carcass disinfectants for their efficacy against Salmonella attached to broiler skin. J. Food Prot. 1994, 57 (8), 684-688.
Dickson J.S., Anderson M.E.: Microbiological decontamination of food animal carcasses by washing and sanitizing systems: a review. J. Food Prot., 1992, 55 (2), 133-140.
Dickson J. S., Nettles Cutter C. G., Siragusa G. R.: Antimicrobial effects of trisodium phosphate against bacteria attached to beef tissue. J. Food Prot., 1994, 57 (11), 952-955.
Dorsa W. J., Cutter C. N., Siragusa G. R.: Effects of acetic acid, lactic acid and trisodium phosphate on the microflora of refrigerated beef carcass surface tissue inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria innocua, and Clostridium sporogenes. J. Food Prot., 1997, 60 (6), 619-624.
ISO 6579: 1993(E). Microbiology - General guidance on methods for the detection of Salmonella.
Jetton. J.P., Bilgili S.F., Conner D.E., Kotrola J.S., Reiber M.A.: Recovery of salmonellae from chilled carcasses as affected by rinse media and enumeration method. J. Food Prot., 1992, 55 (5), 329-333.
Kotula K., Thelappurate R.: Microbiological and sensory attributes of retail cuts of beef treated with acetic and lactic acid solutions. J. Food Prot., 1994, 57 (8), 665-670.
Lillard H.S.: Effect of trisodium phosphate on salmonellae attached to chicken skin. J. Food Prot., 1994, 57 (6), 465-469.
Lillard H.S.: The impact of comercial processing procedures on the bacterial contamination and cross-contamination of broiler carcasses. J. Food Prot., 1990, 53 (3), 202-204.
Mikołajczyk A., Radkowski M.: Elimination of Salmonella spp. by lactic acid. Pol. J. Vet. Sci., 2002, 5 (3), 139-143.
Mikołajczyk A., Radkowski M.: Salmonella spp. on chicken carcasses in processing plants in Poland. J. Food Prot., 2002, 65, 1475-1479.
Mikołajczyk A., Radkowski M.: The occurrence of Salmonella spp. in turkeys investigation results from a slaughter and after-slaughter dressing line in Poland. Fleischwirtschaft, 2002, 32, 52-54.
Mikołajczyk A., Radkowski M.: Zanieczyszczenie pałeczkami Salmonella indyków rzeźnych w zakładach drobiarskich. Życie Weterynaryjne, 2001, 7, 376-378.
Mikołajczyk A., Radkowski M.: Zanieczyszczenie pałeczkami Salmonella kurcząt rzeźnych w zakładach drobiarskich. Med. Wet., 2001, 57, 745-747.
PN-ISO 6579 1998. Mikrobiologia. Ogólne zasady metod wykrywania pałeczek Salmonella.
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Rozporządzenie Ministra Zdrowia i Opieki społecznej z dnia 18 września 2008 r. w sprawie dozwolonych substancji dodatkowych - wraz z załącznikami. Dz. U. 2008, nr 177 poz. 1094.
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Sawaya W.N., Elnawawy A.S., Al-Zenki S., Al-Otaibi J., Al-Omirah I.I., Al-Amiri H.: Storage stability of chicken as affected by MAP and lactic acid treatment. J. Food Sci., 1995, 60 (3), 611-614.
Smulders F.J. M., Upmann M.: Verminderung der bacteriellen Belastung auf frischem Fleisch. Fleischwirtschaft, 2000, 80, 27-29.
Tamblyn K.C., Conner D.E.: Bactericidal activity of organic acids against Salmonella typhimurium attached to broiler chicken skin. J. Food Prot., 1997, 60 (6), 629-633.
Tsai Y.W., Ingham S.C.: Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in Acidic condiments. J. Food Prot., 1997, 60(7), 751-755.
Wang W.-Ch., Li Y., Slavik M., Xiong H.: Trisodium phosphate and cetylpyridinium chloride spraying on chicken skin to reduce attached Salmonella typhimurium. J. Food Prot., 1997, 60 (8), 992-994.
Xiong H., Li Y., Slavik M.F., Walker J.T.: Spraying chicken skin with selected chemicals to reduce attached Salmonella typhimurium. J. Food Prot., 1998, 61 (3), 272-275.


Octenbulle is an urban festival of bubbles in all its forms. You will taste spirits, beers, wines, ciders and appetizers. Your senses will be solicited and amazed from all sides with the culinary creations of urban chefs, the latest cocktails from our talented mixologists, our talented DJs and VJs or the spectacular circus and gigantic artists.
An enchanting and bucolic site of the city (Grand-Coteau Park in Mascouche).


The mission of C.H.A.I.N. Reaction, Inc. Transitional Housing Placement Program for Non Minor Dependents (THPP-NMD) program is to provide case management, independent living opportunities, safe supervised housing and comprehensive supportive services for Nonminor Dependents ages 18 - 20 years of age to transition from the dependence of foster care and juvenile probation systems to self-sufficiency.
C.H.A.I.N. Reaction, Inc. THPP-NMD clients are AB-12 Nonminor Dependents 18 - 20 years of age who are currently in the foster care or probation system. Client are eligible for the program up until the day before their 21st birthday. We do not discriminate on the basis of socioeconomic status, age, race, creed, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Participants are mature single male, female, pregnant, parenting male or parenting female young adults who demonstrate the potential to succeed and who will benefit from comprehensive supporting services with supervised housing.
Foster care and probation youth who age out of the child welfare system are no longer eligible for foster care services. These youth are at risk of homelessness, unemployment and incarceration at higher rates than their adolescent peers. Our goal is to assist Non Minor Dependents with attaining permanent residency, education, employment and increased skills and income by the time of exit from the program.
In addition to the supportive services provided above, C.H.A.I.N. Reaction, Inc. provides additional services to support THPP-NMD clients on their goal to independence and self-sufficiency. The Advocacy Counselor (AC) conducts ongoing monitoring of the client's goals and training during the weekly face-to-face case management and 4 hours of monthly life skills training.
For program consideration, please DO NOT fax your application. Download the THPP-NMD Application and e-mail the application along with the attachments as outlined on the application to thpfcapp@chainreactioninc.org. In the subject line, please enter last name and application. For example, "Doe Application."
If you need further assistance, please e-mail your questions to thpfcapp@chainreactioninc.org.


You will explore drippy, splashy painting and eye popping colourful pastel drawing today. Enjoy this hands on approach to designing and developing skills in painting and drawing with colourful results. The morning session is inspired by Easter and Bunny's of course and in the Cheeky Chicks pastel session we will have a look at an old master - PICASSO and how he used colour to create cool semi-abstract artworks of chickens.
This art camp day is for children aged 5-9 years of age. This is a shorter day suitable to our younger artists from 10am till 2pm. Parents can stay or go on the day.
Bring your own snacks, lunch, waterbottle and art shirt and be ready for some creative and super silly art fun.
Take home your paintings and drawings at the end of the day. All materials and equipment is supplied.
Share April School Holiday Art Workshop - Funny Bunny's and Cheeky Chicks with friends.


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Twitter bans sharing of photos without consent
Twitter launched new rules blocking users from sharing private images of other people without their consent, in a tightening of the network's policy just a day after it changed CEOs.
SAN FRANCISCO – Twitter launched new rules blocking users from sharing private images of other people without their consent, in a tightening of the network's policy just a day after it changed CEOs.
Under the new rules, people who are not public figures can ask Twitter to take down pictures or video of them that they report were posted without permission.
Twitter said this policy does not apply to "public figures or individuals when media and accompanying tweet text are shared in the public interest or add value to public discourse."
"We will always try to assess the context in which the content is shared and, in such cases, we may allow the images or videos to remain on the service," the company added according to AFP.
The right of internet users to appeal to platforms when images or data about them are posted by third parties, especially for malicious purposes, has been debated for years.
Twitter already prohibited the publication of private information such as a person's phone number or address, but there are "growing concerns" about the use of content to "harass, intimidate and reveal the identities of individuals," Twitter said.
The company noted a "disproportionate effect on women, activists, dissidents, and members of minority communities."
High-profile examples of online harassment include the barrages of racist, sexist and homophobic abuse on Twitch, the world's biggest video game streaming site.
But instances of harassment abound, and victims must often wage lengthy fights to see hurtful, insulting or illegally produced images of themselves removed from the online platforms.
Some Twitter users pushed the company to clarify exactly how the tightened policy would work.
"Does this mean that if I take a picture of, say, a concert in Central Park, I need the permission of everyone in it? We diminish the sense of the public to the detriment of the public," tweeted Jeff Jarvis, a journalism professor at the City University of New York.
The change came the day after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey announced he was leaving the company, and handed CEO duties to company executive Parag Agrawal.
The platform, like other social media networks, has struggled against bullying, misinformation and hate-fuelled content.
Tags: technologyTwitter


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Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has said Nigeria could unearth the enormous potentials tied to agriculture with the adoption and right application of agricultural Biotechnology.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State
The governor stated this while declaring open the media, farmers, and extension agents retreat on modern biotechnology for the northeast region held in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
Gov. Fintiri, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Crowther Seth, said that Nigeria is a country known worldwide for her agricultural exploits but today the contributions of the agriculture to the nation's GDP has greatly reduced in recent years due to productivity challenges.
"The coming of agricultural biotechnology, therefore, offers us an opportunity to improve our crops and scale-up productivity which is currently at its lowest ebb. Nigerian farmers are harvesting one of the least average per hectare in the world. Our farmers cannot continue to labour in vain when there exist technologies that can help transform."
He called for the strengthening of the agricultural extension system in Nigeria, saying it is one of the most reliable platforms that can transform and translate research findings into concrete products that can enhance productivity and ensure farmers harvest more from their little portion of land.
"For us in the Northeast, agriculture must return to its pride of place, creating jobs and making nutritious food available for the people. But this will remain a dream until the growing agricultural research and development sector in the country is backed by a strong extension service," the governor said.
Continuing, he said, "While research and development create new knowledge and produce new varieties with high potentials for us, it is the duty of extension services to bring that knowledge to the farmers who must embrace and cultivate the varieties.
"I, therefore, call for the strengthening of the research-extension-farmers-input-linkages-system because it is central to productivity enhancement and general improvement of rural livelihood."
In a welcome address, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said that agricultural biotechnology has become an acceptable option for Nigeria to improve its agricultural practice and productivity.
Prof. Mustapha said that the training of farmers, extension agents, and media practitioners from the north is important because northern Nigeria is one of the leading producers of agricultural products in the country such as cowpea, maize, and groundnut.
Dr. Rufus Ebegba, Director General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), in his presentation hinted that the government of Nigeria is tightening all ends to guard against the malicious use of biotechnology in the country.
He said that, as the agency bestowed the responsibility of regulating all biotechnology activities and the products in Nigeria, the NBMA is developing a comprehensive guideline that would make the labeling of all genetically modified products mandatory among other requirements that, if flouted, could earn the violator a five-year jail term.
"As a regulatory agency, we ensure that the genetically modified version of any crop is safe to the consumer and the environment and must be similar in terms of taste, look, growth pattern, and other attributes as the conventional variety," Ebegba said.
"The NBMA Act 2015 mandates us to take regulation of GMOs a step further. In that guise, anyone who releases a genetically modified product in Nigeria without approval from the NBMA risks five years imprisonment," Dr Ebegba said.
He said Nigeria has also commenced the process of developing a Biosecurity Policy aimed at nipping untoward use of biotechnology or similar technology to wreak havoc in the country.
Nigeria currently chairs the African and West African forum of Biosafety Regulators.
Dr. Rose Gidado, Open Forum of Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) Nigeria Country Coordinator, while outlining the objectives of the retreat, said it is to provide accurate and up to date information about advances in biotechnology since its adoption in Nigeria to ensure that journalists are fully acquainted with facts and effectively disseminate same to the public.
"Biotechnology applications would contribute to national growth and development. Therefore, sustained awareness through specialised workshops as this would help popularise the technology concept and secure sufficient buy-in from the media managers and by implication the public," Dr Gidado stated.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri
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Moseley will hold a club disciplinary hearing to decide what action, if any, to take over Neil Mason's sending off at Leeds Carnegie on Sunday.
Club officials, including head coach Ian Smith, will gather in midweek to discuss the circumstances of the two yellow cards handed out to the back row forward by referee Mark Wilson and whether Mason will be allowed to feature in Friday's match at Bedford Blues.
Mason will also appear before a Rugby Football Union panel after being sinbinned for a technical infringement in the first half at Headingley and dismissed in the second for clashing with a Leeds player as they competed for a high ball.
A ban must be considered unlikely, given the relatively mild nature of the offences and Mason is expected to escape with little more than an warning about future conduct.
Smith was less than impressed with his side's first-half showing at Headingley in which they conceded four tries and managed just two penalties.
"We gave them too much time and possession," he said. "When you do that the outcome is obvious. If you gift them opportunities they are going to take them and that's exactly what happened. We just weren't up to tempo.
Smith hopes to have prop Nathan Williams back for the trip to Goldington Road although Henry Trinder is still out with an ankle injury. Across the city Birmingham & Solihull have been handed an intriguing third round tie in the EDF Energy National Trophy having been paired with National Two leaders Redruth. The Cornishmen lead second-placed Bees by seven points and will visit Sharmans Cross Road on December 13 for a tie that will either be a telling psychological blow or a meaningless affair depending on selection.


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Catedral de la Sé
Sé Cathedral is the only monument in the city that dates back to the year of Portugal's foundation, 1147.
After the Visigoth occupation ended in the 8th century, Lisbon was under Moorish control for a further four-hundred and fifty years. It was King Afonso Henriques who led the crusades and an army of Portuguese soldiers which regained their land and founded the Portuguese state.
One of his first decisions was to build a cathedral on a hill overlooking the area of la Alfama, where previously there had been the mosque. Why? To demonstrate Christian greatness and supremacy.
The cathedral housed the archbishop's headquarters and its name derives from the initials of their official name "Sedes Episcopalis" (Episcopal Head Offices).
The earthquakes that have shaken the cathedral over the years, three in the 14th century and a devastating one in 1755, ensured the necessity for various stages of reconstruction work. That is why architectural styles from different periods exist in the building.
On the outside you can currently see, of solid appearance, two crowned towers with battlements and a romantic looking rose window.
In addition, due to its location on a steep street where trams pass regularly, the cathedral is a perfect spot to take photos, not only for tourists but also for the many couples who choose to get married here.
If you go inside into the Romanic nave, you will see how austere and simple this dark space really is. The diversity of architectural styles is also present due to the amount of restoration and expansion work carried out over the years.
Hardly anything remains of the ornamentation that King Joao V ordered for the cathedral at the start of the 18th century, before the earthquake. However, features of other styles and eras are apparent.
This is the case with a ceiling made up of half shaft and artistic domes. You can also get up close to see the Romanic style baptism font said to have been used to baptise Saint Antonio of Padua, the most cherished saint of Lisbon's inhabitants. The choir gallery and organ are baroque and on the other side of the Romanic nave, the ambulatory contains nine gothic chapels.
From the ambulatory you can access the beautiful cloister, whose style is between late Romanic and early gothic. Here you can delight at the delicate capitals crafted onto the double arches and with a grid of forged iron from the 13th century. You might also be interested to know that in the last few years archaeological digs have been carried out in the cloister and discoveries of Roman, Moorish and medieval remains have been made.
Despite the austerity of the interior design, the Sé Cathedral still contains a couple of jewels.
Firstly, a baroque nativity scene is found in the first chapel on the nave's left. This shows the Christmas time birth and was made by Joaquim Machado de Castro in 1766 using cork, wood and clay. It is a true piece of craftsmanship.
Secondly a real treasure, at the top of the stairway there are relics, silver works, ecclesiastic clothing and manuscripts related to Saint Vicente, the patron saint of Lisbon. These objects are not exempt from legends either. Saint Vicente was made patron of the city when his remains where brought here from the Algarve in 1173. On route by sea it is said they were put in the care of two deer and that is why these two animals appear on Lisbon's coat of arms, thus becoming the symbol of liberation from the Moors in the 12th century.
Its curious and heterogeneous mix of styles makes the Sé Cathedral well worth a visit.


As a cat lover, you know better than anyone else how heartbreaking it is to see your furry friend sad, fatigued, or struggling with pain. But did you know that many companies are creating CBD specifically for cats? In this article, we'll present the best CBD for cats.
Cats, like humans, have an endocannabinoid system that regulates their sleep, pain, appetite, and immune system. When your cat's endocannabinoid system gets out of balance, they can experience an array of symptoms.
Of course, scientists need to conduct more research to determine the full extent of CBD benefits for cats. That said, it's not hard to find cat owners who claim that cannabis brought their pets relief from their ailments.
Does your kitty have health concerns you wish to address with CBD? Keep reading for a quick rundown of the best CBD for cats.
Hemp Oil 330 from Pet Releaf uses coconut oil, which is the best carrier oil for CBD, and it can provide relief for cats who are going through more severe illnesses. There are many satisfied customers who have shared their positive experiences with this CBD product.
You don't have to worry about anything when you purchase Roxy Pets for Cats from Hemplucid, because you can get a full refund within 30 days in exchange for honest feedback. This says a lot about how much Hemplucid is willing to listen to their customers and do whatever it takes to make them happy.
CBDistilerry is a well-known and reliable CBD company. Their CBD Pet Tincture doesn't disappoint either, as it ticks all the right boxes and comes at an excellent price.
This product from Pet Releaf uses coconut oil as its carrier oil, which enhances the potency of the cannabinoids by making it easier for your cat to absorb the CBD. Not to mention that the coconut oil comes with its own set of benefits.
Hemp Oil 330 is recommended for cats who suffer from more severe illnesses and injuries. While we can't guarantee it will bring relief, as each cat is different, the product has no known side effects, so it's worth a try.
And we aren't the only ones who believe this company puts out top-notch CBD products. In fact, Pet Business magazine referred to Pet Releaf as a leader of the CBD movement.
Featured on Inc and Business Insider, CBDistillery is now producing full-spectrum CBD products for pets. Their CBD Pet Tincture is among the best CBD for cats, especially if you're looking for a product that won't have a negative impact on the digestive system of your feline.
Plus, if you're a veteran or an athlete, you can save quite a bit of money on all of the products on their website.
This CBD Oil for Cats from Honest Paws is marketed as a way to provide relief for a myriad of illnesses, including arthritis, respiratory infections, and seizures.
While this product isn't meant to cure or treat these diseases, as there's still a lot of research that needs to be conducted on how effective CBD is for cats, you can check out their reviews for plenty of success stories.
Unlike oils and tinctures, these CBD Cat Treats from HolistaPet come in an appetizing salmon flavor and provide a quick and effortless way to give your kitty their daily dose of CBD. You don't have to worry about giving your cat too many snacks either since you can find the CBD dosing chart for pets on their website.
Roxy Pets for Cats comes with a delectable fish flavor that cats love, and it's great for a large number of milder health concerns such as fatigue, mobility, and joint stiffness.
There are also many positive reviews from satisfied customers who swear by the benefits of this product.


text:
Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/e43771d73cd14e60913dc2de30c924d6
UN urges new effort to wipe out LRA and get Kony
EDITH M. LEDERERNovember 25, 2013
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council urged new efforts Monday to end attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army, release all people abducted by the brutal African rebel group and send its notorious leader Joseph Kony to the International Criminal Court for prosecution for crimes against humanity.
A presidential statement approved by all 15 council members welcomes a recent program toward ending war crimes in central Africa by the rebel group and pledges "to maintain the current momentum until a permanent end to the threat posed by the LRA has been achieved."
But the council expressed serious concern that the continued instability and security vacuum in the Central African Republic are hampering counter-LRA operations and contributing to the reinforcement of the LRA in the country, which has descended into a state of near-anarchy.
The LRA, which originated in Uganda in the 1980s as a popular tribal uprising against the government, has waged one of Africa's longest and most brutal rebellions. Its fighters are accused by the U.N. and human rights groups of cutting off the tongues and lips of innocent civilians and kidnapping thousands of children and forcing them to be soldiers and sex slaves.
Military pressure forced the LRA out of Uganda in 2005, and the rebels scattered across parts of central Africa. The LRA insurgency and the Ugandan government's response have left at least 100,000 people dead. The Security Council said in 2011 that more than 440,000 people across the region had been displaced.
The Security Council took note of reports suggesting the existence of an LRA base in the disputed enclave of Kafia Kinga, on the border of the Central African Republic between Sudan and South Sudan. It also noted reports of suspected LRA attacks and abductions in Western Equatoria in South Sudan and reports of the resumption of LRA activity in the Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele regions in Congo.
The council called on the U.N., African Union and Economic Community of Central African States to continue working together to ensure "a common operating picture of the LRA's current capabilities and areas of operation."
The three organizations also should investigate "the LRA's logistical networks and possible sources of military support and illicit financing, including alleged involvement in elephant poaching and related illicit smuggling," the council said.
In his recent report to the council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said increased poaching activities have contributed to security concerns in the Central African Republic and the wider region and are used to finance transnational criminal networks and armed rebel groups, including the LRA.
The Security Council also called for joint efforts to promote defections from the LRA, noting reports that small groups of LRA fighters in the Central African Republic are seeking to disarm and surrender.
The council urged all countries to help arrest Kony and two other LRA leaders, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen, so they can face justice at the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and forced enlistment of children.
Last week, the African Union envoy in charge of pursuing the LRA, Francisco Madeira, told reporters that many reports indicate Kony is seriously ill and on the run along the borders of Sudan's western Darfur region and the Central African Republic.
He said pressure from a regional task force — some 3,000 African troops supported by about 100 U.S. military advisers — has led to "a good number" of defections by Kony's followers.
The Security Council welcomed the task force's enhanced operations against LRA camps in recent months "which have increased pressure on the LRA command structure and degraded the LRA's capabilities."


text:
Q: HTML5 GeoLocation issue I am trying to use HMTL5 GeoLocation in Android emulator. Riht now I am trying a basic code to make it work on Android emulator. Here is that code
if(!navigator.geolocation) {
            alert("Your browser does not supporty geolocation");
        } else {
            navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(success, error);
        }

        function success(position) {
            var lat = position.coords.latitude;
            var lng = position.coords.longitude;
            alert(lat + ", " + lng);
        }

        function error(error) {
            alert("Error occurred " + error);
        }

Now when I run this code on Chrome on PC then it works fine. But when I run this code on Android Emulator then it shows this error
Error Occurred [objectPositionError]

How can I make it work on Android emulator?

A: In Chrome 50, mobile or desktop, they have stopped allowing geolocation to non-secure websites.  https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2016/04/geolocation-on-secure-contexts-only?hl=en

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The EADMT has reached a consensus with their Training Standards Working Group following consultation with all Full Professional Members of EADMT. The aim of this consultation, since 2012, has been to ensure a minimum level of training standards criteria applicable to Dance Movement Therapy programs across Europe, specifically to meet best practice and achieve high quality European DMT practitioners. As DMT is taught in private and university educational institutions EADMT wishes to support both types of organizations to ensure they work towards adoption of the agreed standards by 2020. Where an institution is halfway through the training programme of a student cohort, it is understood that the new standards will be adopted with any new intake from 2020 onwards.
The intention is that Full Professional EADMT Members will both meet and evidence these agreed minimum standards regarding their national accredited and/or recognized DMT training programs. The EADMT aspires for all Members to work towards these minimum standards from 2020, and will encourage and support Full Basic Members and Associate Members in their efforts to grow the DMT profession in their countries.


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text:
President Donald Trump's attack signals that he has no plans to let up on the Fed and its chairman, Jerome Powell, despite its announcement Wednesday that it doesn't expect to raise rates this year. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Trump blames Powell's Fed for economy's failure to hit 4 percent growth
By VICTORIA GUIDA
President Donald Trump on Thursday fired a new broadside against the Federal Reserve under Chairman Jerome Powell, blaming the central bank for the economy's failure to exceed 4 percent economic growth last year.
Trump's attack signals that he has no plans to let up on the Fed despite its announcement Wednesday that it doesn't expect to raise rates this year, given muted inflation and slowing global growth. The central bank also said that later this year it will stop shrinking its multitrillion-dollar bond holdings, a process dubbed "quantitative tightening" that can make it harder for borrowers to obtain credit.
"The world is slowing, but we're not slowing, and frankly if we didn't have somebody that would raise interest rates and do quantitative tightening, we would've been at over 4 [percent] instead of at 3.1 [percent]," Trump told Fox Business in an interview that will air in full Friday morning.
The economy expanded more quickly last year thanks to tax cuts and increased government spending, but it has not grown at a 4 percent annual rate since 2000.
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Fed officials project that the economy will grow by 2.1 percent this year, indicating that some of the boost from the 2018 fiscal stimulus might start to wear off — feeding the central bank's decision to hold off on further rate increases.
The president said he didn't know if his repeated criticism of the Fed had played a role in its decision to pause the rate hike campaign.
"I hope I didn't influence, frankly, but it doesn't matter," he said. "I don't care if I influenced or not. One thing: I was right."
Powell has repeatedly insisted that Trump's criticism has played no role in the central bank's policymaking decisions, highlighting the importance of the Fed's independence from short-term political considerations.
Ultimately, the Fed and Trump have fundamentally different views of the economy. While the administration's goal is to achieve sustained 3 percent growth, the central bank doesn't think the economy is productive enough to sustain that pace without stoking inflation.
So if growth approaches the administration's target — as it did last year — the Fed is likely to cautiously raise rates.


GoSun 3PP1D1P1 Sport Pro Pack. Includes a padded carry case, 1 tube cooking chamber, 1 foldable parabolic reflector, 2 stainless-steel cooking trays, instruction manual and GoSun cookbook.
The Sport's compound parabolic reflectors and tubular design convert nearly 80% of all sunlight entering the refectories into usable heat.
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Cooks a meal in as little as 20 min., reaching temperatures up to 5500F (2900C).
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text:
Télécharger la pièce jointe originale
Ceci est une version HTML d'une pièce jointe de la demande d'accès à l'information 'minutes of WTO SPS and TBT meetings (2)'.
Ref. Ares(2020)7584041 - 14/12/2020
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR TRADE
The Director-General
TRADE/SW/E4 (2020) 8015501
By registered letter with acknowledgment
of receipt
Mr Vincent Harmsen
Advance copy by email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Your application for access to documents – Ref GestDem 2020/5418
Dear Mr Harmsen,
I refer to your application dated 11 September 2020, in which you make a request for
access to documents under Regulation (EC) No 1049/20011 ('Regulation 1049/2001'),
registered on 15 September under the above mentioned reference number.
Please accept our apologies for the delay in preparing the reply to your request, which is
mainly due to a high number of access to documents requests being processed at the
same time by DG Trade.
1. SCOPE OF YOUR REQUEST
In your request, you asked for access to:
-all minutes of meetings, and/or any other reports of such meetings, of the SPS
Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO) (between July 28th 2018 and
September 1st 2020);
1 Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2001
regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145,
31.5.2001, p. 43).
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
Office: CHAR 07/067 - Tel. direct line +32 229-60143
xxxxxx.xxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
-all minutes of meetings and/or any other reports of such meetings of the TBT
September 1st 2020).
Your request focused specifically on, but was not exclusive to, minutes/reports of
meetings where the EU criteria for the identification of endocrine disruptors, endocrine
disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in general, the active substance glyphosate, formulated
products containing glyphosate, (the setting of) maximum residue levels (MRLs) for
pesticides, and/or the EU's hazard-based cut-off criteria relating to pesticides were
mentioned/discussed.
On 6 October 2020 we informed you that, after having considered the scope of your
request as described by you, your application appeared to concern a number of very long
documents, which needed to be assessed individually. On the basis of Article 6(3) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001,2 we kindly asked you to confirm that your interests
concerned exclusively the documents or their parts related to: EU criteria for the
identification of endocrine disruptors, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in general,
the active substance glyphosate, formulated products containing glyphosate, (the setting
of) maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides, and/or the EU's hazard-based cut-off
criteria relating to pesticides. In case the scope of your request should have been
enlarged, we asked you to specify in a detailed way any additional subject in your
interest. We asked you for a reply within five working to our email of 6 October.
In the absence of a reply from you, on 16 October 2020, we informed you that, as
announced in our email of 6 October, we had restricted the scope of your application to
those parts that could be dealt with within the extended deadline of 30 working days from
the date of registration of your application.
Consequently, your application is understood to cover the documents or their parts
included in two categories indicated below:
-minutes of meetings, and/or any other reports of such meetings, of the SPS
-minutes of meetings and/or any other reports of such meetings of the TBT
and related exclusively to the following issues (mentioned by you previously in your
request): EU criteria for the identification of endocrine disruptors, endocrine disrupting
chemicals (EDCs) in general, the active substance glyphosate, formulated products
2 Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 provides for a possibility to confer with an applicant
informally with a view to finding a fair solution when an application relates to a very long document
or concerns a very large number of documents.
containing glyphosate, (the setting of) maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides,
and/or the EU's hazard-based cut-off criteria relating pesticides.
2. ASSESSMENT AND CONCLUSIONS UNDER REGULATION 1049/2001
In accordance with settled case law3, when an institution is asked to disclose a document,
it must assess, in each individual case, whether that document falls within the exceptions
to the right of public access to documents set out in Article 4 of Regulation 1049/2001.
Such assessment is carried out in a multi-step approach:
- first, the institution must satisfy itself that the document relates to one of the
exceptions, and if so, decide which parts of it are covered by that exception;
- second, it must examine whether disclosure of the parts of the document in
question pose a 'reasonably foreseeable and not purely hypothetical' risk of
undermining the protection of the interest covered by the exception;
- third, if it takes the view that disclosure would undermine the protection of any of
the interests defined under Article 4(2) and Article 4(3) of Regulation 1049/2001,
the institution is required 'to ascertain whether there is any overriding public
interest justifying disclosure'4.
In view of the objectives pursued by Regulation 1049/2001, notably to give the public
the widest possible right of access to documents5, 'the exceptions to that right […] must
be interpreted and applied strictly'6.
In reply to your request, I would like to inform you that, as far as the WTO SPS
Committee is concerned, we have identified the same documents as DG SANTE who
handled a similar application submitted by you and registered under GESTDEM
2020/5393. The reply to this request was sent to you on 27 October 2020
(Ares(2020)5994347 )
For the part of your request concerning the WTO TBT Committee, we have identified 6
documents that fall within the scope of your request. The identified documents are listed
for ease of reference in Annex I. For each of the documents the Annex provides a
description and indicates whether parts or entire documents are withheld and if so, on
which grounds pursuant to Regulation 1049/2001. Copies of the accessible documents
are enclosed to this letter.
Having examined the requested documents under the applicable legal framework, I am
pleased to grant you access to all identified documents, where only names and other
personal data have been redacted pursuant to article 4(1)(b) of Regulation 1049/2001 and
3 Judgment in Sweden and Maurizio Turco v Council, Joined cases C-39/05 P and C-52/05 P,
EU:C:2008:374, paragraph 35.
4 Id., paragraphs 37-43. See also judgment in Council v Sophie in 't Veld, C-350/12 P, EU:C:2014:2039,
paragraphs 52-64.
5 See Regulation 1049/2001, recital (4).
6 Judgment in Sweden v Commission, C-64/05 P, EU:C:2007:802, paragraph 66.
in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2018/1725. Hence, the main content of these
documents relevant to your request is accessible. Please note that parts of the documents
that do not relate to your request have been redacted as falling out of scope.
In addition, I refer you to the official WTO TBT and SPS Committee reports that are
publicly available at the WTO website:
https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/FE_Search/FE_S_S005.aspx
The reasons justifying the application of the above-mentioned exception are set out
below in section 2.1.
2.1 Protection of the privacy and integrity of the individual
Pursuant to Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation 1049/2001, access to a document has to be refused
if its disclosure would undermine the protection of privacy and the integrity of the
individual, in particular in accordance with European Union legislation regarding the
protection of personal data.
The applicable legislation in this field is Regulation (EC) No 2018/1725 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons
with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and
agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001
and Decision No 1247/2002/EC7 ('Regulation 2018/1725').
All the documents identified as falling within the scope of your request contain personal
information, such as names, e-mail addresses, and/ or telephone numbers that allow the
identification of natural persons, as well as other personal information.
Indeed, Article 3(1) of Regulation 2018/1725 provides that personal data 'means any
information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person […]'. The Court of
Justice has specified that any information, which by reason of its content, purpose or effect,
is linked to a particular person is to be considered as personal data.8 Please note in this
respect that the names, signatures, functions, telephone numbers and/or initials pertaining to
staff members of an institution are to be considered personal data.9
7 Official Journal L 205 of 21.11.2018, p. 39.
8 Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 20 December 2017 in Case C-434/16, Peter
Novak v Data Protection Commissioner, request for a preliminary ruling, paragraphs 33-35,
ECLI:EU:T:2018:560.
9 Judgment of the General Court of 19 September 2018 in case T-39/17, Port de Brest v Commission,
paragraphs 43-44, ECLI:EU:T:2018:560.
In its judgment in Case C-28/08 P (Bavarian Lager)10, the Court of Justice ruled that when a
request is made for access to documents containing personal data, the Data Protection
Regulation becomes fully applicable.11
Pursuant to Article 9(1)(b) of Regulation 2018/1725, personal data shall only be transmitted
to recipients established in the Union other than Union institutions and bodies if '[t]he
recipient establishes that it is necessary to have the data transmitted for a specific purpose
in the public interest and the controller, where there is any reason to assume that the data
subject's legitimate interests might be prejudiced, establishes that it is proportionate to
transmit the personal data for that specific purpose after having demonstrably weighed the
various competing interests'. Only if these conditions are fulfilled and the processing
constitutes lawful processing in accordance with the requirements of Article 5 of Regulation
2018/1725, can the transmission of personal data occur.
According to Article 9(1)(b) of Regulation 2018/1725, the European Commission has to
examine the further conditions for a lawful processing of personal data only if the first
condition is fulfilled, namely if the recipient has established that it is necessary to have the
data transmitted for a specific purpose in the public interest. It is only in this case that the
European Commission has to examine whether there is a reason to assume that the data
subject's legitimate interests might be prejudiced and, in the affirmative, establish the
proportionality of the transmission of the personal data for that specific purpose after having
demonstrably weighed the various competing interests.
In your application, you do not put forward any arguments to establish the necessity to have
the data transmitted for a specific purpose in the public interest. Therefore, the European
Commission does not have to examine whether there is a reason to assume that the data
subject's legitimate interests might be prejudiced.
Notwithstanding the above, please note that there are reasons to assume that the legitimate
interests of the data subjects concerned would be prejudiced by disclosure of the personal
data reflected in the documents, as there is a real and non-hypothetical risk that such public
disclosure would harm their privacy and subject them to unsolicited external contacts.
Consequently, I conclude that, pursuant to Article 4(1)(b) of Regulation 1049/2001, access
cannot be granted to the personal data, as the need to obtain access thereto for a purpose in
the public interest has not been substantiated and there is no reason to think that the
legitimate interests of the individuals concerned would not be prejudiced by disclosure of
the personal data concerned.
10 Judgment of 29 June 2010 in Case C-28/08 P, European Commission v The Bavarian Lager Co. Ltd,
11 Whereas this judgment specifically related to Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing
of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data, the
principles set out therein are also applicable under the new data protection regime established by
Regulation 2018/1725.
However, in line with the Commission's commitment to ensure transparency and
accountability, the names of the Members of Cabinet and the names of the senior
management of the Commission are disclosed.
The documents were drawn up for internal use under the responsibility of the relevant
services of the Directorate-General for Trade, the Directorate-General for Internal
Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs and the Directorate-General for Health
and Food Safety. They solely reflect the services' interpretation of the interventions made
and do not set out any official position of the third parties to which the documents refer,
which were not consulted on their contents. They do not necessarily reflect the position of
the Commission and cannot be quoted as such.
MEANS OF REDRESS
In accordance with Article 7(2) of Regulation 1049/2001, you are entitled to make a
confirmatory application requesting the Commission to review this position.
Such a confirmatory application should be addressed within 15 working days upon
receipt of this letter to the Secretary-General of the Commission at the following address:
Transparency, Document Management & Access to Documents
BERL 7/76
Rue de la Loi 200/Wetstraat 200
or by email to: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
Sabine WEYAND
Enclosures:
Annex I: List of documents
Documents released
Electronically signed on 14/12/2020 12:17 (UTC+01) in accordance with article 11 of Commission Decision C(2020) 4482
3. Means of redress


text:
Q: ValueError: Shape of passed values is (14, 14), indices imply (15, 15) I'm getting the following error when trying to run the code below

ValueError: Shape of passed values is (14, 14), indices imply (15, 15)

def plot_confusion_matrix(cm):
    cm = cm[::-1]
    cm = pd.DataFrame(cm, columns=classes, index=classes[::-1])

    fig = ff.create_annotated_heatmap(z=cm.values, x=list(cm.columns), y=list(cm.index), colorscale='ice', showscale=True, reversescale=True)
    fig.update_layout(width=500, height=500, title='Confusion Matrix', font_size=16)
    fig.show()

import plotly.figure_factory as ff
plot_confusion_matrix(cm)

Does anyone know how this can be resolved?