Following initial reports from June 2018 that Bitmain raised $400 million in funding from a highfalutin crop of VCs, supposed investors in the blockchain mining hardware producer are pushing back on some aspects of the reporting.
Originally, it was reported that Sequoia Capital led the round, which had included participation from a number of other investors. In the weeks after the initial report, a number of big-name investors became associated with the round. This was an error, it turns out.
On Tuesday, CoinDesk published the results of its efforts to confirm whether Sequoia Capital or SoftBank—one of tech VC's most entrenched incumbents and a johnny-come-lately high roller—were among the firms involved in the funding round.
SoftBank and Tencent flatly deny participating in the round.
China International Capital Corporation (CICC) is another investor that some outlets reported investing in the round, eventually offered "no comment on the issue," after declining to explicitly deny its involvement.
CoinDesk cited a blog post, written under a pseudonym on QQ News, as an initial source of the misinformation.
It appears as though SoftBank and Tencent's involvement in the round was added to the narrative in the months after Crunchbase News, China Money Network, and CCN initially reported on the investment round in June.
At this time, Crunchbase News has not found inaccuracies in its initial reporting. But some publications did end up reporting false information as it was surfaced on Chinese social media.
As far as CoinDesk could gather, the initial QQ post mentioning Sequoia and Tencent, as well as the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the Canadian Pension Fund, was published on July 23rd.
Crunchbase News found another post falsely reporting investor involvement, published on August 4th on QQ News, which was picked up by CoinTelegraph on August 7th. In turn, a TechCrunch contributor cited the CoinTelegraph article in an article profiling Bitmain and its business.
At time of writing, neither the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority or the Canadian Pension Fund have confirmed or denied their investment in the round. The claims made in the initial QQ post from late July remain unsubstantiated.
One of the challenges of reporting on funding events involving private companies is, well, the privacy.
Because privately-held companies (and a good portion of their investors) only have scant legal disclosure requirements, it's sometimes difficult to independently confirm the terms of– and participants in a transaction.
Add any additional friction—an ocean's worth of distance, a language barrier, and a limited press, for instance—and it's understandable why English-language tech and VC news concerning Asian startups is occasionally unreliable.
Factor in the excitement (irrational exuberance, even) around blockchain technology, a rather secretive mysterious company at its center, and the mystique of big-pocketed investors and you've got a perfect storm on your hands.
In the cryptocurrency ecosystem in particular, where price is less a reflection of real value than easily-spooked animal spirits, a relationship (real or perceived) with legitimate institutions outside crypto-land is incredibly valuable.


text:
Travelocity Increases Conversion Rates of Inbound Offline Sales by 50 Percent
Related To: Customer Care Travel and Leisure Offline Sales
Travelocity partnered with WNS to reduce operational costs, improve its process efficiencies and enhance the effectiveness of its contact center
WNS piloted a project to manage ticket sales in 2006. Since then it has expanded the scope of its solution to include offline sales of travel insurance, car and hotel bookings for multiple business lines The WNS Solution included re-engineering sales processes at the contact center to maximize team productivity
Reduction in operational costs by approximately 40 percent year on year, fall in average handling time (AHT) by almost 20 percent and increase in sale conversion rate by around 50 percent
In 2006, the global travel industry was experiencing significant growth. With the industry growing at over 5 percent per annum, managing growth while reducing operational costs was an imperative for the travel industry.
At the same time, Travelocity, one of the ten largest providers of internet-enabled consumer-direct travel services worldwide, was undergoing a metamorphosis. Once considered merely a tool to book a flight, Travelocity was transforming itself into an all-encompassing resource for great travel experiences backed by 24/7 customer care.
The company's challenge was managing its sales operations more efficiently in a growth environment in order to increase revenues. With Travelocity's customer promise of delivering a great travel experience, it was necessary to enhance the efficiency of inbound offline sales processes. In a nutshell, improving the productivity of its US contact center to manage the increasing volumes of customer inquiries was critical to achieve growth.
Travelocity chose to partner with WNS not only to reduce operational costs, but also to improve its process efficiencies and enhance the effectiveness of its contact center.
The WNS Solution
Since piloting a project to manage airline ticket sales in 2006, the Travelocity team at WNS has greatly expanded the scope of its solution to include offline sales of travel insurance, car and hotel bookings for multiple business lines powered by Travelocity.
Key features of the WNS solution
Re-engineering sales processes at the contact center to maximize team productivity
Leveraging the Travelocity sales training modules to create a compelling, relevant and customized training program for the WNS team thereby enhancing productivity
Improving process efficiencies to enable the team to up-sell and cross-sell affiliate products
Implementing LEAN Six Sigma programs to reduce average handling time (AHT) of inbound calls
Creating a customized MIS tracker for accurate tracking and analysis of performance.
Extending Your Enterprise
The Travelocity team at WNS extended Travelocity's enterprise by significantly reducing its operational costs, delivering process efficiencies in order to handle larger volumes of customer inquiries, and increasing sales by enhancing conversion rates. Importantly, Travelocity was also able to leverage insights gleaned from the data collated by their WNS team to fine-tune the offerings of its affiliates, thereby increasing revenue.
Benefits delivered by the WNS team
Reduction in operational costs by approximately 40 percent year on year
Reduction in average handling time (AHT) by almost 20 percent thereby enabling the same team to handle a larger volume of customer inquiries
Increase in call volumes being handled per agent by over 76 percent since the start of the relationship
Increase in the sale conversion rate by approximately 50 percent resulting in additional revenues.
Articles Making Conversational AI Work for Sales
Related To: Artificial Intelligence Customer Interaction Services Chatbots Conversational Commerce Conversational AI
Case Study Travelocity Boosts Offline Revenues 50 Percent by Creating an Offline Revenue Channel
Related To: Contact center Travel and Leisure Center of excellence Customer Care Online Travel Agencies Offline Sales
Blogs Staying Relevant in Travel 4.0
Related To: Travel Travel and Leisure Travel 4.0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Rt Hon George Eustice MP
George Eustice was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 February 2020. He was previously Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) from 11 May 2015 to 13 February 2020. He was elected as the Conservative MP for Camborne and Redruth in 2010.
George served on the EFRA Select Committee from 2010.
Coming from a farming background, his family still run a fruit farm, restaurant and farm shop in Cornwall where they also have a herd of South Devon cattle and the country's oldest herd of the rare breed of pig, the British Lop.
The family have shown a keen interest in educating children about farming and have opened their farm to 3000 schoolchildren a year.
24/06/2021 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Rosie Boycott interviews Rt Hon George Eustice MP
Rosie Boycott
Baroness Boycott will interview The Right Honourable George Eustace on the new Agricultural policy.


text:
The Greens believe that everyone should live in secure and affordable housing. We all need and deserve a roof on our head and the security that comes from having a place to call home. Housing is a necessity, and we know that secure, affordable housing decreases stress, increases opportunities and enables people to fully participate in their communities.
Conversely, insecure housing - let alone a total absence of it - can lead to stress, loss of income, lack of opportunities and social isolation. Housing is a major part of a family's expenses - whether in mortgage or rent. With only three properties in the whole region affordable to a single aged pensioner, the problem has the worst it's ever been.
Unfortunately, years of Liberal and Labor governments have treated housing as a commodity and created a system that works best for their corporate donors. It is increasingly challenging for young people to buy their first home. Rental prices are skyrocketing, and people of all ages are struggling to find an affordable, secure home.
In the Northern Rivers, this means that homelessness has increased and that rents in some areas like Byron Bay are less affordable than in the northern suburbs of Sydney. The 2018 North Coast Community Housing Report showed that areas in Northern Rivers are some of the most unaffordable in New South Wales. Urgent action is necessary.
The Greens will ensure we have a housing system that puts people's needs before property developer greed. We'll invest in a vibrant social and community housing sector, give renters the dignity of an affordable and stable home, and we'll make it easier for you to buy your first home than for an investor to buy their fifth.
Our plan for affordable and secure housing:
Rights and security for renters
End the homelessness crisis
Universal Social Housing
The Greens believe housing is a universal right. Just like Medicare and our public school system, everyone should be able to apply for social housing if they need it. Social housing should be a desirable and realistic alternative to taking out a mortgage or renting for life in the private market. The Greens will grow the housing stock to make homes available to people most in need and to people on higher incomes who opt into our Universal Housing system.
We will create 300,000 social homes in New South Wales over ten years, to meet the gap in low-cost rental housing. All housing on public land will be social housing, and we will set inclusionary zoning targets so that at least 30% of housing on private land will be social housing.
I will work with community groups like the North Coast Community Housing Trust and other providers to implement and trial locally appropriate solutions. For example, this could be a distributed model for youth housing.
The additional social housing will not only guarantee universal access for people who need homes, the rent capping at 30% of income will have flow-on effects to lower prices across the private rental sector, due to competition from social housing. With the Greens in Government, there will be housing for all. Our plan will benefit the more than 3,000 households on the housing waiting list in the Northern Rivers.
Our plan will:
Create 300,000 social homes across the state
Guarantee universal eligibility
Cap rents at 30% with flow-on effects across the renting sector.
Secure Rentals
Rental properties are people's homes, and renters deserve the same security and quality of life as homeowners. However, our current rental laws allow dodgy landlords to maximise their returns at the expense of people's security and safety.
The Greens stood with the community during the last review of tenancy laws and are proud to have achieved some wins for renters. Thanks to the tireless work of groups like the Make Renting Fair Coalition, rent can only go up once per year, tenants suffering domestic and family violence has greater flexibility, and tenants can more easily make minor modifications to property. Unfortunately, the government refused to back a Green's amendment ending unfair 'no-grounds' evictions, despite support from grassroots community groups. We've had some wins, but there is much more we can do. Click here to see our full plan to make renting fairer and more secure.
End no grounds eviction
Cap rents to CPI
Create a public database of maintenance issues
End Homelessness
While we want social housing to be a universal scheme, the Greens recognise that many people have additional needs that must be met with specialised services. These may result from a disability, health condition or sexual orientation. Our plan will not only provide housing, but support people to live securely on an equitable basis.
With homelessness at a crisis point in Northern Rivers, we need decisive actions which will end homelessness now more than ever. That's why we support and will implement the platform of Homelessness New South Wales in its entirety.
We will double NSW's funding for homelessness services, as part of a nation-wide commitment to double the funds available to tackle the homelessness crisis at a federal level. With the additional funding, we will increase funding for youth homelessness, homelessness and other services that provide assistance and support for people who don't have secure housing - enabling them to spend more time and energy helping homeless, rather than having to scrounge for grants.
Prioritise long-term homeless in securing social housing
Support Homelessness NSW's pre-election platform
Double NSW's funding for homelessness services
The Greens support local councils having more powers to facilitate affordable housing in their local communities. As people best placed to understand local issues, we believe that councils should be equipped with the appropriate tools to regulate housing.
Unfortunately, the needs of residents have too often been neglected in favour of over-commercialisation and over-tourism. Local councils should have the power to determine its own conditions and restrictions on holiday lets, but with a caveat. Resident homeowners, who holiday let their whole homes for less than a prescribed number of days per year, would be exempt from the need to submit development applications.
Local councils should also have the power to regulate holiday letting and vacant properties. We will allow local councils to regulate short-term holiday accommodation by giving them a range of powers so that the most locally appropriate solutions are pursued. Local communities are the best positioned to establish limits on AirBnB and short term holiday letting in their communities, and we are committed to supporting them. The needs of locals and residents must come first.
Give councils inclusionary zoning powers
Give councils power to regulate short-term holiday letting.
Ensure that residents come first.


The feet are one of the most common sites for arthritis to occur in the body. If you are struggling with arthritis in your feet or ankles, call Dr. Jeffrey Conforti of New Jersey. Dr. Conforti can examine your lower extremities to help alleviate your joint pain.


Troy Energy Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of natural resources in Canada. It focuses on the Yellowknife Gold project. The company was founded on November 19, 1987 and is headquartered in Comox, Canada.


text:
/**
 * DocuSign REST API
 * The DocuSign REST API provides you with a powerful, convenient, and simple Web services API for interacting with DocuSign.
 *
 * OpenAPI spec version: v2.1
 * Contact: devcenter@docusign.com
 *
 * NOTE: This class is auto generated. Do not edit the class manually and submit a new issue instead.
 *
 */

(function(root, factory) {
  if (typeof define === 'function' && define.amd) {
    // AMD. Register as an anonymous module.
    define(['ApiClient', 'model/NameValue'], factory);
  } else if (typeof module === 'object' && module.exports) {
    // CommonJS-like environments that support module.exports, like Node.
    module.exports = factory(require('../ApiClient'), require('./NameValue'));
  } else {
    // Browser globals (root is window)
    if (!root.Docusign) {
      root.Docusign = {};
    }
    root.Docusign.ResourceInformation = factory(root.Docusign.ApiClient, root.Docusign.NameValue);
  }
}(this, function(ApiClient, NameValue) {
  'use strict';

  /**
   * The ResourceInformation model module.
   * @module model/ResourceInformation
   */

  /**
   * Constructs a new ResourceInformation.
   * @alias module:model/ResourceInformation
   * @class
   */
  var exports = function() {
    var _this = this;

  };

  /**
   * Constructs a ResourceInformation from a plain JavaScript object, optionally creating a new instance.
   * Copies all relevant properties from data to obj if supplied or a new instance if not.
   * @param {Object} data The plain JavaScript object bearing properties of interest.
   * @param {module:model/ResourceInformation} obj Optional instance to populate.
   * @return {module:model/ResourceInformation} The populated ResourceInformation instance.
   */
  exports.constructFromObject = function(data, obj) {
    if (data) {
      obj = obj || new exports();

      if (data.hasOwnProperty('resources')) {
        obj['resources'] = ApiClient.convertToType(data['resources'], [NameValue]);
      }
    }
    return obj;
  }

  /**
   *
   * @member {Array.<module:model/NameValue>} resources
   */
  exports.prototype['resources'] = undefined;

  return exports;
}));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In an attempt to demonstrate how hollow this claim is, Ibish quotes Binyamin Netanyahu's often-told story of "a signet ring, a seal of a Jewish official from 2700 years ago" which was found in Jerusalem near the Western Wall and which is inscribed in Hebrew with the name Netanyahu.
But according to Ibish, this is simply nationalist myth-making at its worst. As Ibish points out, Netanyahu never mentions that his family name was originally Mileikowsky, and that his grandfather Nathan Mileikowsky was an ardent Zionist who adopted the name "Netanyahu" as a pen name for his political writings.
Another impressive artifact that was found in the salvage excavations is a personal Hebrew seal made of a semi-precious stone that was apparently inlaid in a ring. The scarab-like seal is elliptical and measures c. 1.1 cm x 1.4 cm. The surface of the seal is divided into three strips separated by a double line: in the upper strip is a chain decoration in which there are four pomegranates and in the two bottom strips is the name of the owner of the seal, engraved in ancient Hebrew script. It reads: לנתניהו בן יאש ([belonging] to Netanyahu ben Yaush). The two names are known in the treasury of biblical names: the name נתניהו (Netanyahu) is mentioned a number of times in the Bible (in the Book of Jeremiah and in Chronicles).
Ibish's enthusiastic praise for this book shows all too clearly that he is no "equal opportunity"-critic of nationalism. He doesn't even notice that the book's title is already misleading, because it is very doubtful that the Arabs who made and wore these traditional costumes would have considered themselves Palestinians; moreover, he ignores the fact that historically, the designation "Palestinians" could also refer to local Jews.
What can you say when an ancient ring is only a symbol of the "perilous encounter between modern nationalism and ancient history," while some minor variations in local costumes prove "that an ancient and unbroken Palestinian history and culture really does exist"?
I'm not sure if anybody ever denied that some of the traditions and customs of the Arabs of Palestine included local variations of very similar Levantine and Arab traditions and customs – just as traditional Bavarian costumes differ from the traditional costumes worn by villagers in the Black Forrest.
But if Ibish really believes that the traditional costumes of the Arabs of Palestine tell us 'quite a lot' about contemporary politics, he only demonstrates that even a sophisticated Arab analyst of nationalism like him firmly believes that Jewish and Palestinian nationalism should be measured by two very different yardsticks.
This entry was posted in ESSAYS, Uncategorized and tagged anti-Zionism, Hussein Ibish, Jewish state, nationalism, Netanyahu, Newt Gingrich, pro-Palestinian, Zionism. Bookmark the permalink.


Reading: D Martinez, T Blackett, M Miazga, L Moore, A Yiadom, L Baker (C Harriott, 72), G McCleary (Y Meite, 60), M Barrow, A Rinomhota, J Swift, S Aluko (J Bodvarsson, 79).
Subs not used:P McShane, L Kelly, O Richards, S Walker.
Sheff Wed: K Westwood, L Palmer, J Thorniley, M Fox, M Hector, G Boyd (R Aarons, 65), B Bannan, S Fletcher (A Nuhiu, 86), S Hutchinson, A Reach, F Forestieri (Lucas Joao, 75).
Subs not used:C Dawson, D Iorfa, J Pelupessy, A Lazaar.
This Championship game took place 74 days ago in the 2018/2019 season.


text:
Physical Attacks Against Vietnamese Bloggers on the Rise
Call To Action by Endalkachew Chala
On May 25, 2014, a Vietnamese blogger and human rights activist, Tran Thi Nga, was seriously injured during a violent attack in Hanoi, a local human rights organization reported.
Tran Thi Nga, a savvy social media user in documenting human right abuses in Vietnam, was returning home after visiting fellow blogger Nguyen Tuong Thuy when five men—now suspected to be undercover police members—surrounded her motor bike, on which she was riding with her two children, the report said. The assailants attacked Tran Thi Nga in front of her children and chased her before beating her with a metal pole. The blogger sustained serious injuries to her knee, arm, and back.
This unfortunate incident comes at a time of similar orchestrated attacks against bloggers and social media users in Vietnam. Four other distinct incidents have occurred since March 2014.
Vietnamese bloggers are under extreme surveillance. In January 2014, EFF documented the attempts of Vietnamese authorities to infect bloggers and employees of various civil society organizations with malware. It is alleged that the malware attack improved the robust surveillance capabilities of Vietnamese authorities.
The increased repression of bloggers and social media users hampers citizen journalism and the documentation of human rights abuses amid a generally poor climate of freedom of expression across Vietnam.
EFF joins the Vietnamese Human Rights Network in denouncing theses attacks and calls on Vietnamese authorities to bring the assailants swiftly to justice.
Bloggers' Rights
Offline : Imprisoned Bloggers and Technologists
Deeplinks Blog by Camille Fischer | July 12, 2019
President Trump Loses — Government Can't Block Critics on Social Media
In a long-awaited ruling, the Second Circuit has found that the replies section on President Trump's Twitter @realDonaldTrump is a public forum and that the President cannot block his critics from reading his tweets or participating in the forum merely because he dislikes the views they express. This ruling...
PETA v. Texas A&M
EFF is representing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, challenging on First Amendment grounds the practice of Texas A&M University of automatically and manually blocking PETA and its supporters from posting comments on the university's official Facebook page, a forum that is otherwise open for public comments. In response...
Deeplinks Blog by Katharine Trendacosta | July 3, 2019
EFF and OTI Respond to the UK Government's Online Harms White Paper
Earlier this year, the UK government produced the "Online Harms White Paper," creating a plan for a "system of accountability and oversight for tech companies." The draft scheme put forth by the government is flawed, and these flaws prompted EFF and OTI to respond to the questions asked...
Deeplinks Blog by Jillian C. York | June 25, 2019
During Pride Month and Always, Companies Must Consider the Impact of Their Policies on LGBTQ+ Users
This month, in many parts of the world, the LGBTQ+ community is celebrating Pride and, both online and off, the tech industry has paid lip service to supporting the community. Many social media companies participate in Pride parades or offer photo filters or other digital swag for users to show...
Deeplinks Blog by Hayley Tsukayama, India McKinney, Jamie Williams | June 24, 2019
Congress Should Not Rush to Regulate Deepfakes
The House Intelligence Committee held a hearing earlier this month examining the issue of "deepfakes," a term coined to describe images or videos created with a machine learning algorithm that allows people to make false footage that appears real. There is real potential for fake or manipulated images...
Deeplinks Blog by Elliot Harmon | June 20, 2019
Sen. Hawley's "Bias" Bill Would Let the Government Decide Who Speaks
Despite its name, Sen. Josh Hawley's Ending Support for Internet Censorship Act (PDF) would make the Internet less safe for free expression, not more. It would violate the First Amendment by allowing a government agency to strip platforms of legal protection based on their decisions to host or remove...
Press Release | June 12, 2019
Details of Justice Department Efforts To Break Encryption of Facebook Messenger Must Be Made Public, EFF Tells Court
San Francisco—The Electronic Frontier Foundation, ACLU and Stanford cybersecurity scholar Riana Pfefferkorn asked a federal appeals court today to make public a ruling that reportedly forbade the Justice Department from forcing Facebook to break the encryption of a communications service for users.Media widely reported last fall that a...
Social Media Platforms Increase Transparency About Content Removal Requests, But Many Keep Users in the Dark When Their Speech Is Censored, EFF Report Shows
San Francisco and Tunis, Tunisia—While social media platforms are increasingly giving users the opportunity to appeal decisions to censor their posts, very few platforms comprehensively commit to notifying users that their content has been removed in the first place, raising questions about their accountability and transparency, the Electronic...
Deeplinks Blog by rainey Reitman | June 10, 2019
EFF and Open Rights Group Defend the Right to Publish Open Source Software to the UK Government
EFF and Open Rights Group today submitted formal comments to the British Treasury, urging restraint in applying anti-money-laundering regulations to the publication of open-source software. The UK government sought public feedback on proposals to update its financial regulations pertaining to money laundering and terrorism in alignment with a larger European...
Press Release | June 3, 2019
Caught in the Net: The Impact of 'Extremist' Speech Regulations on Human Rights Content
San Francisco – Social media companies have long struggled with what to do about extremist content that advocates for or celebrates terrorism and violence. But the dominant current approach, which features overbroad and vague policies and practices for removing content, is already decimating human rights content online, according to a...


text:
Q: Launch first system or second depending on whether key combination is pressed Is this possible to launch first system or second depending on whether key combination is pressed? For example, I have Windows and Linux. I can choose which one I want to launch using GRUB. Is this possible to boot Windows only when particular key combination is pressed during boot? Eg. CTRL+~.

A: I don't know if GRUB2 can use keyboard shortcuts at boot time to select boot entries.
In Windows 7/8 there is a mechanism called "custom bootstrap actions" which allows assigning keys or key combinations to boot entries.
If you use MBR booting you can setup you system so that Windows boot manager controls the booting
of both Windows 7/8 and Linux.
On UEFI/GPT Windows 7/8 boot manager cannot boot directly foreign OS.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Chironomus mozleyi är en tvåvingeart som beskrevs av Wulker 2007. Chironomus mozleyi ingår i släktet Chironomus och familjen fjädermyggor.

Artens utbredningsområde är Michigan. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Fjädermyggor
mozleyi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Getting your information in Maryland's current media landscape
News on paper has ebbed badly over the past few years, and casual Net browsing just may not bring you the whole truth. How can progressive Marylanders improve their quality of information?
/By Woody Woodruff/ In an age of declining print media and less support for their newsrooms and the people who cover the news, some things get left out. Those of us who live in Maryland's DC suburbs can testify to that, with the local monopoly print daily being owned by a dot-com billionaire and little but weather and mayhem on the TV news.
More and more of us get our "news" on the web and through social media, and that can be a risky road to the truth as most of us have found out. We are not that good yet at doing the professional filtering of input ourselves that we used to count on from news professionals.
And there's nothing like the hectic three-month mad dash of the Maryland General Assembly, where special interests and everyday folks joust for advantage as the laws and state budget are manufactured, to remind us how important timely news can be.
As progressives, we like to think that we work from knowledge, and from an informed perspective. As some like Stephen Colbert are fond of saying, "the facts have a liberal bias." We need news.
We need news more than ever as this unusual election cycle bears down on us, too, with Maryland's primary on April 26 and the deadline for registration for that election April 5 – that's next week!
But where is the news? The daily Journal newspapers faded out in the early 2000s. The suburban Maryland Gazette editions had their uses, as Hal Ginsberg pointed out when they were closed last summer by the parent WaPo. And we still have weekly papers that provide some hyperlocal coverage, like the Sentinels – but we are more likely, these days, to check in with their web presence than to seek out their newsprint versions.
And because it's so easy to look for topics we already believe we need to know about, it's easy to overlook the news we don't know we need – the "unknown unknowns," in the phrase that good ol' Don Rumsfeld used to deploy to keep us confused.
That is, we are no longer liable to encounter the total news package that tries to be a mirror of the world, national, state or local cosmos at the moment, displaying all the events and ideas in circulation and, aspirationally, showing the relationships between them.
We're not going to get that from the web-trendy, shiny-object WaPo despite the high quality of many of the editors and writers (the current version of the WaPo does not, however, seem to support many copy editors). The Baltimore Sun and its weeklies have been a piñata for the several trips through bankruptcy of the Tribune Company and, with limited print circulation, sit behind a difficult paywall (though, below, you can see some back doors to what you need).
Online, however, there are several great sources of this more comprehensive perspective for Maryland news. Your Progressive Maryland BlogSpace types depend on them, and if you want to get enough news about Maryland into your inbox, you might try these too.
Comprehensive news aggregators include Center Maryland and The Maryland Reporter. You'll find some excellent original reporting in both of them but much of what they offer is links to publications around the state, including text articles, audio and video from some broadcast outlets. Both act as a "state roundup" for the news as well as opinion and include interesting stuff from daily papers in Annapolis, Frederick, Hagerstown and Cumberland as well as the business press – and, inevitably, the WaPo and Sun.
The two aggregators have many overlaps in content, but the news choices of each can be subtly different and the commentary wide-ranging. Center Maryland is run by a four-man board and explicitly aims to draw the state's political spectrum back from a polarization trend toward bipartisan pragmatism, arguing that more news and more facts will promote that outcome. The Maryland Reporter flies a more traditional flag of covering the news, with veteran state reporter Len Lazarick at the helm. Savvy original commentary from Josh Kurtz on Center Maryland and Barry Rascovar and Lazarick on The Maryland Reporter enliven the content.
You won't go wrong choosing one or the other. A certified (or certifiable) news glutton, I choose both. You can get emails from them with each new edition, five days a week for Center Maryland and roughly three a week for the Maryland Reporter.
An excellent additional source of news – especially long-form and deeply researched stuff – is the highly professional student project at the Merrill College of Journalism on the College Park campus. Capital News Service provides news to all state outlets and you will see the students' work show up on both the aggregators discussed above, usually having appeared in a smaller urban daily or weekly. The Sun and WaPo are too cool for school – their loss – but some of the weeklies associated with the Sun (Patuxent Publishing) will run CNS material. You can sample the work of these grad students, who run a first-class (and professionally supervised) news operation, at their website.
(Full disclosure: this writer has both studied and taught at the Merrill College of Journalism.)
The web also offers Maryland political blogs that do not pretend to be centrist – probably, starting with this one, where when we say "progressive" we mean it. Check our index if you have missed past morsels. You can also find political gossip and inside-baseball electoral stuff as well as thoughtful thumbsuckers at Maryland Scramble, Maryland Juice and Seventh State. Maryland Scramble and Maryland Juice are mostly about elections and elected officials, and there's quite a lot of that in The Seventh State as well.
Scramble loves to be first with hot news, like the latest endorsements or insults. Juice is less up-to-the-minute, but only by a little. Neither is close to centrist, being run by liberal Democratic activists. Seventh State, directed by AU professor (and former Chevy Chase mayor) David Lublin with guest contributors, is probably a little closer to the center, but only because Lublin's in-depth approach tends to explore the whole range of behaviors and practices. But its subtitle is "Maryland Politics Watch" and that's no accident, either. All have an unavoidable MoCo bias because that's where their instigators ply their trade, but national, state and local issues and elections, the bubbling Baltimore mayoral race and other shiny objects get their attention, and maybe yours too.
If you are already a Twitter user you can become a follower of reporters at the WaPo or Sun and – particularly in the case of the Sun – see their blogs or articles that might otherwise be behind the paywall. Even after the fact, it can be fun and instructive to track a story in real time, and their tweets trace that pattern.
If you need something like the thump of the newspaper landing in your driveway to kick-start your need for news, most of these entities (not PM BlogSpace, not yet) will send you an email with links to the main site on a regular basis.
So, you see, you have a more comprehensive look at the totality of the news available than you might have thought, especially from the two aggregators. This is important and lets you prioritize your approach to information in a way that the random Internet or social media do not. For progressives, that's important. Not that you're off the hook for applying your best thinking to what you see. But there's food for your thought.


Review: Catelli Gluten Free pasta + win a case of pasta!
Disclosure: I received a free sample box of Catelli Gluten Free pasta, in order to try the product. I did not receive any financial compensation for this post.
Although I don't follow a gluten-free diet, as a vegetarian I've always related to those who also follow restricted diets. Way back in 2005, I worked with a woman who told me she had Celiac disease and that she had to avoid foods with wheat in them. It sounded simple at first, until I learned just how many products had wheat in them, she even had to avoid certain sauces as they contained wheat ingredients. As Celiac disease wasn't very common at that time, she rarely ate in restaurants and she used to order special cookies, crackers and special pastas from the U.S. I once tried a dish she had made with rice pasta and I was not impressed with the flavour or the texture. I loved pasta (I still do) and I felt sorry for her as the rice pasta just didn't have the flavour or texture that regular pasta had.
Back then, she had a lot of difficulty finding tasty gluten-free alternatives. Thankfully, nowadays Celiac disease and the gluten-free lifestyle have come to the forefront in the past few years. I've seen quite a few restaurants offering gluten-free options and there are grocery store sections dedicated to gluten-free products!
I was recently contacted by a rep from Catelli about their new Catelli Gluten Free pasta. After my bad experience with rice pasta and my excellent experiences with Catelli's regular pasta line, something told me that they would have come up with a great product. The box arrived the following day and since I'm a design and packaging geek (I used to work in the printing industry) I immediately noticed the bold and beautiful colours they used. According to Catelli, their gluten free pasta is a "Unique 4 natural grain blend is made with the finest quality white and brown rice, corn and quinoa blended for a delicious taste and smooth texture that will surprise and delight your entire family." Also important to note – Catelli Gluten Free pasta is produced in a dedicated gluten free facility and is certified by the Canadian Celiac Association.
I was ready to banish the bad rice pasta memories, so I decided to toss the pasta with kale sautéed in garlic and onion, along with a crumbled and pan fried vegan sausage, one of my favourite combinations. The results: Absolutely delicious. The pasta had a nice flavour and a smooth texture to it. It wasn't exactly like regular pasta but it was pretty close! The only thing I noticed was that it crumbled up a little more than regular pasta, but that was likely due to the composition of it. The pasta didn't feel heavy in my stomach afterwards, which was terrific too.
Was it love at first sight/bite? Yes, I would definitely buy this product again. Nicely done Catelli!
The fine folks at Catelli want to give one reader of Milk & Eggs a case (12 boxes!) of Catelli Gluten Free pasta! That's right, A WHOLE CASE!
Answer the following questions in the comments section, below this post: What's your favourite pasta shape? What's your favourite way to eat it? P.S. Don't forget to include your Twitter handle or Facebook name or blog site address so I'll know how to reach you!
You can enter twice per day if you do both of the above!
Contest closes on Friday Dec 27 at 5 pm. The winner will be announced later that evening.
Note: You must be a resident of Canada to win. The case of Catelli Gluten Free pasta can only be mailed to a Canadian address. Good luck!
Congrats to Fiona Thom for winning this contest!


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Red Rocks, Rwanda
August 21, 2017|In Rwanda, Sleeping, Travel|By Yabi
All too often, Rwanda's name evokes memories of the horrific genocide that brutalised this country in 1994. The truth is however that this small country may just be one of Africa's most stable nations. Driven by a national motivation to join forces and rebuild the country, Rwanda's dark times have been replaced by a promising and dynamic future.
"In all my travels, I've never seen a country's population more determined to forgive, and to build and succeed than in Rwanda."
— Rick Warren
Around 700 years ago the volcanic mountains Muhabura and Sabyinyo erupted, sending waves of lava across its surroundings. Some of these residues can still be found in the Northern part of Rwanda (Musanze district), the South East of Uganda(Kisoro district), and the Eastern part of Congo(Goma). Just like the soil the series of eruptions created, Red Rocks Rwanda is deeply rooted in it's surroundings, local community and environment.
I fell in love with Rwanda the moment I saw those verdant, rolling hills rise up beneath the wings of the plane as we descended toward Kigali airport.
— Naomi Benaron
Musanze
Located in the North West of Rwanda, Red Rocks is a lovable cultural tourism scheme that is dedicated to helping its community grow in all aspects of life. Its beautiful location in the lush rolling Rwandan hills within close proximity to the Virunga Volcanoes make it an amazing stop on your trip through the region.
Cultural and Wildlife
Whether you're interested in learning about the community, hiking through nature or experiencing wildlife, there's something for everyone at Red Rocks Rwanda. From boating on a lake to basket weaving, cow milking, bee keeping, banana beer production, organic farming, traditional dancing, drumming, storytelling, and village walks.
One of the things I love about Africa is the amount of dignity and respect and humility you see all the time. You don't realise how often you're disrespected until you are surrounded by respect.
— Jill Scott
If you are looking to immerse yourself in local culture, Red Rocks is definitely the place for you. With an incredibly relaxed vibe, beautiful natural surroundings and a multitude of activities, no trip to Rwanda is complete without a pit-stop at Red Rocks. Check out their website for more information or drop them a line on info@redrocksrwanda.com
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November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – flat Earth convention
Text: "What it's like to attend a flat-Earth convention." Quartz. https://qz.com/1268605/what-its-like-to-attend-a-flat-earth-convention/ The belief in the flat earth theory – despite a lack of evidence supporting it – is actually somewhat gaining in popularity. This degree of open-mindedness (i.e. believing in something without a solid basis for that belief) could easily Read more…
By Author, 6 months August 1, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – viral pop song banned in China
Text: "China bans Namewee's viral pop song Fragile." BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-59379880 Extract: "A viral pop song that pokes fun at Beijing and its supporters has been banned in mainland China. Fragile mocks so-called "little pinks" – a term which refers to young nationalists who rush to the defence of the Read more…
By Author, 7 months July 9, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – Lego parody ad
Text: "Rebuild it." A certain amount of open-mindedness is required for someone to take the 9/11 tragedy and try and turn it into something humorous. To what extent is the parody ad "restrictive"?
By Author, 8 months June 15, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – Twitter and misinformation about Ukraine.
Text: "Twitter steps up Ukraine misinformation fight." BBC.com https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61512261 Extract: "Twitter has said it plans to put misleading tweets from official accounts about the Ukraine war behind warning notices. The change follows heightened scrutiny of the social media platform after the war unleashed a new surge of misinformation, sometimes from Read more…
By Author, 8 months June 5, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – Diet Pepsi ad
The advertisement below focused on a frequently used technique of linking female beauty with narrow view of an ideal (i.e. thin) body type. Although the ad is legal almost everywhere, critics argue that repeated exposure to ads like this cause severe harm to viewers, particularly women. Questions related to November Read more…
By Author, 9 months May 18, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – Estonia / Russian negotiations
Text: "'Why Bother Talking To Liars?' Estonia's Former President Says No Point Negotiating With Russia." Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty . https://www.rferl.org/amp/ukraine-war-ilves-interview-western-response/31805297.html In the interview Estonia's Former President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, discusses the pointless of negotiating with Russia about the invasion of Ukraine. He states "why bother talking to liars Read more…
By Author, 9 months April 20, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – prime minister criticized by far-right critics
Text: "Trudeau faced harsh critics in the EU Parliament this week. Here's who launched the attacks." CBC news. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/european-members-parliament-attact-trudeau-1.6397579 Extract: "When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently addressed the European Union Parliament and warned of growing threats to democracy, he received an angry backlash from some elected members who accused him of Read more…
By Author, 10 months April 14, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 – key words and phrases
2. If pushed too far, can open-mindedness itself become restrictive? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge. The phrase "pushed too far" needs to be addressed in an essay on November 2022 prescribed title #2. You may find specific examples that have a solid link to "open-mindedness" but don't Read more…
By Author, 11 months March 10, 2022 ago
November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 specific example – flat earthers
Text: Live Science. "Are flat-earthers being serious?" https://www.livescience.com/24310-flat-earth-belief.html Extract: "a fringe society founded in the 1950s, dedicated to insisting that the Earth is flat, has given rise to a modern ground of flat Earth adherents. These believers claim that the Earth is a flat disc, and that evidence that it is round Read more…


When you are starting to learn Russian, it's a lot of fun to meet Russians and try to talk to them in Russian. This is usually a very pleasant way to make new friends.
However, when you are just starting out, it's really hard to tell the difference between a Russian accent and a French or German accent. Even after you are fluent in Russian, it might still be hard to tell the difference between someone speaking English with a Russian accent or a Polish accent.
You need to do something to let people know you are friendly. People whose native language is Russian can be a little bit afraid to tell you where they originally were from because immigrants and travelers sometimes aren't treated very well. To reassure them that you mean well, here's what to do.
Say something like, "I like your accent; where are you from?" This lets them know you are friendly, and it lets them know that they should tell you about growing up in Moscow, not about the apartment where they now live in New York City.
I've used this method to meet Russians everywhere from Hawaii to New Zealand to London. It's disarming, and it's a good way to switch to talking in Russian.
Can you honestly say that you like their accent? Of course, you can. You will soon be speaking Russian with an accent (at least at first), and it's high time that you develop a love for interesting accents. It's a great way to meet Russians outside of Russia.
If you think you would like to learn Russian, it's a good idea to test out several different programs to see which one works for you.
I tell my friends that they should try two different programs for 30 minutes each, and then buy the one where they can remember more Russian several days later.
Click here to try my favorite program for learning Russian.
emilyg is right, you will also hear Russians (and some Ukrainians) sometimes overuse the word "the" in English.
As someone who lives in a foreign country and has an accent, please *do not do this*.
When we're just trying to blend in and live our lives, the last thing we want is to be called out for our foreignness and used for language practice.
Of course you wouldn't like it if someone singled you out for your accent in a negative way. However what I am suggesting is that people learn how to gently welcome you with the love and enthusiasm for your culture that I share.
So thank you for making this post and please know that I think your accent is lovely! I really do.
I wish we had a way to find a language exchange partner.
In my experience, language exchange works well when both students can already carry on a conversation in their new language. Also talking about the same thing first in one language and then the other helps a lot.
I am a sucker for foreign accents; I think they are all beautiful. I am originally from Texas and now live in Southern California, and I am always getting compliments on my accent. I know that's not like being from a different country like Russia, but I love listening to someone speak Russian. I would love to learn the language, but right now, my vocabulary is limited to 'Da.', 'Nyet' and 'Dostvedanya." Don't know if I spelled that last one right, but I think it means something like cheers, or salute, doesn't it ? Anyway, don't let someone asking about your accent scare you… most people just want to get to know you and something about the culture in your part of the world.
Hello, Penney Nile. I am native Russian speaker, like the others above. I had just wanted to say that 'dasvidaniya' is a form of goodbye, not a salute or cheers. If you want to learn more about Russian language, I suggest a website? Or a language learning website?


Thanks everyone for your kind words. I really appreciate that.
For now, the roof has been glued and I can work with exterior details. So far, headlights, searchlight and anchor has been major things I have dealt with. Headlights are from Dragons Panzer III box, searchlight is basically from scratch.
It's been a month since last update. Here are some fresh pictures - first some details that had to be added. Then the full model as it is before painting and finally some shots about masked model that I did last night.
Nothing much to say here, hope to show you a painted model soon.
So, there has been a while but here we go again.
LWS was painted and weathered four years ago before it was paused and stored. I got it out from a storage box few weeks ago and started with bumpers. These are vowen bumpers from Thachweave products that are mainly tied to the boards. Side bumpers were additionaly secured with 0,5mm steel rods to hold them down and tightly to the sides.
Separate details are being processed as well and I guess, I'm near the finish line with this one.
And it's finally finished after all those years.
This is LWS 300 used by Pi.Ldgs.Kp. 777 at the autumn of 1941 in Estonian islands.
Excellent detail work Kristian, jawdropping build, are you planing a dio for it?
Love the eye for details and great weathering ... just right!
Very well done! I admire your skills and the lovely details on the LWS with the coherent finish. Congratulations!
Thank You all for kind words and sorry for a late reply.
Fledermaus, Sadly there's going to be no dio this time. I was thinking about it at the very beginning of the build, but the vehicle is really too big and would require diorama too large for my shelf.


My mother woke me and my other siblings in the middle of the night and my whole family was ready to run away from the city. When I came out of the home, I found people crying and running here and there and also dead bodies scattered - in beginning I did not know why everyone was running haphazardously but later we heard that toxic gas had leaked from the Union Carbide Pesticide Plant which is situated very close to the city.
I am talking about the Bhopal (capital of Madhya Pradesh, State of India) Gas Disaster which occurred on 3 December 1984. In the middle of the night 42 tonnes of the lethal gas methyl isocyanide was accidentally released into the atmosphere by the Union Carbide Pesticide Plant (currently known as Dow Chemical Company) and around 600,000 people came directly into contact with this gas. This is also known as the worst industrial gas disaster.
The reason of the gas leak from the plant is that the 42 tonnes gas storage tank of methyl isocyanate accidentally reacted with the water and due to the chemical reaction the supply line burst and released the toxic gas into the atmosphere.
The gas cloud spread over the city and according to the rough estimate around 10,000 people died on the that day and till now the death toll has reached more than 25000, while 200,000 people received permanent injuries related with eyes, lungs or heart and around 200,000 were partial injured and suffered from many problems. This gas also produced genetic deformities in newborn babies and countless numbers of animals also died and even plants were affected by the gas.
After a long battle, Union Carbide gave compensation of $470 million to the gas victims. State and central also provide the relief of victims in many ways like hospitals or rehabilitation units, for example.
Why government allow lethal pesticide factory near the population.
Why people did not get compensation within time frame and properly.
Why the factory was not following proper safety measures.


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The forgotten history of violent displacement that helped create the U.S. national parks
In Local News, News
CALIFORNIA – Hiking fanatics for years have flocked to Yosemite National Park in Northern California to scale its mountains, see its views and camp underneath the stars. All because those who came before took care of it and kept it as free from urbanization as possible. The Ahwahneechee, the indigenous peoples of the area, discovered
CALIFORNIA – Hiking fanatics for years have flocked to Yosemite National Park in Northern California to scale its mountains, see its views and camp underneath the stars. All because those who came before took care of it and kept it as free from urbanization as possible.
The Ahwahneechee, the indigenous peoples of the area, discovered the famous Yosemite Valley long before European explorers did in the mid-1800s. The Ahwahneechee found the summer conditions and plentiful food sources of the valley favourable and settled in and amongst the peaks.
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains. The valley is about 13 kilometres long and up to 1.6 kilometres deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan (the famous default desktop image on newer Mac OS operating systems), and densely forested with pines. The valley is drained by the Merced River and a multitude of streams and waterfalls including Tenaya, Illilouette, Yosemite and Bridalveil Creeks. Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America, and is a big attraction especially in the spring when the water flow is at its peak.
The valley is renowned for its natural beauty, and is widely regarded as the centrepiece of Yosemite National Park, attracting visitors from around the world.
Geological forces compressed and lifted the area, forming the mountain ranges. Glaciers and the accompanying ice fields then cut and scoured the rocks, fashioning Yosemite's unique granite landscapes. After the melt, the flowing waters would become the rivers, streams, and waterfalls that are now associated with Yosemite. The eventual melt of the glaciers gave way for the many bears, deer and other familiar Yosemite wildlife to move into the region.
What's often left unmentioned when it comes to the grandeur of the United States of America's national parks is that, for the parks to become the protected lands of public imagination, their prior inhabitants — like the Ahwahneechee people and the rural poor — had to be evicted.
"It's not something that gets talked about nearly as often as it should," said a tour guide at the Yosemite National Park visitor centre's indigenous museum last month. "Yosemite Valley became a national park around 1890, and later on, around 1960, the park wanted to extend its territory. But the Ahwahneechee still had a small, yet flourishing, community in the way."
To make room for the park extension, the park officials we not open to much compromise and discussion with the Ahwahneechee as to how they would receive the land. Years earlier, during the Gold Rush, there had been a lot of fighting and disagreeing with each side.
"To get the land the park needed, they razed, or burned down the village," said the park tour guide. "After burning down the village, the Ahwahneechee needed a place to go, so the park offered that the remaining Ahwahneechee could only remain in the park if they became employees of the park, or trained to become park rangers."
The tour guide said that there are still workers or park rangers form the Ahwahneechee who witnessed the burning down of their village. But didn't mention what happened to those few Ahwahneechee that didn't want to leave, or become employees.
Before the violent displacement, the Ahwahneechee lived in camps at the bottom of the valley, in huts known as o-chum. These small homes were built with pine for the framing and supports, using the wood in a teepee like structure with a diameter of about 12 feet. They hunted everything from deer and large game, to worms and small insects. The animals provided much more than just food. They provided skins for clothing, sinew for tying, and other purposes. The whole animal was used in some way, with little waste. Whatever meat that was not eaten right away was hung to dry and made into jerky for later consumption.
The Ahwahneechee performed controlled burns in the Yosemite Valley that controlled undergrowth and maintained the oak population. Acorns were a central staple to their diet. Black oak acorns provided almost 60 per cent of their diet. These acorns were taken out of a big stash and lain on a slab of rock in the sun to dry. Once they had dried, the acorns were ground up in small holes atop big granite slabs also called a mortar and pestle. Once they had been sufficiently ground down to a fine powder, the acorn "flour" was put into a shallow depression at the edge of the river.
Today, the Ahwahneechee's story is starting to be told and brought out of the dark, alongside many other indigenous cultures in Canada and around the world with similar stories. There is a museum Yosemite National Park today that celebrates the life and culture of the Ahwahneechee, and a small walkable tour that shows how and where they lived.
More than half Manitoba's active COVID 19 cases are in First Nations population


My mouth was too big and I could not shield it well. Maybe the usage is different? I will try it around # 7.
This review is about item#6180964.
I bought it for the first time because the price was somewhat cheap but I felt that the welding attachment was slightly bad compared to Daihen or Pana. The shape is the same .... Why?
This review is about item#06180964.
Direct current can be used without problems. Regarding AC, the arc is less stable when compared with genuine at low current.
This review is about item#06180946.
It can be used without problems for continuous use at low current. There is no problem in use, but when you raise the current you can see the arc through.
It is used for EISIN's TIG welding machine.
The price was cheap and it was possible to use it without any problem.
This review is about item#06180937.
It is used for hardware production.
It is completely the same as Daiheng's genuine. I can trust.