Boko Haram is conducting its campaign of terror in the northeastern states of Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon on the cheap, making mayhem with a makeshift collection of small arms, automatic weapons, rifles, rocket- propelled grenades and mortars, experts on the turbulent region say.
According to US network TV NBC, most of the Islamic terror group's weapons are either stolen from Nigerian military stocks or purchased on the thriving Central African arms black market, say the experts, including current and former U.S. officials.
Many have often wondered where the insurgents source their weaponry from, given both the sophistication and the sheer number.
The group blamed for last month's kidnapping of nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls routinely raids police stations and military bases in search of weapons, they say. In some cases, Boko Haram sympathizers in the Nigerian military abet the theft.
"There are hints that sympathizers in the Nigerian army will deliberately leave doors of armouries unlocked for Boko Haram," said John Campbell, U.S. ambassador to Nigeria from 2004 to 2007.
A top military officer was indicted several years ago in Kaduna, for supplying the weapons of the Nigerian army to Niger Delta militants, led by, now jailed, Henry Orkah.
In addition to weapons, the rebels frequently seize non-lethal equipment that helps them carry out their terror attacks, said one U.S. official, citing a raid last week on an open market in northeast Nigeria that left 310 people dead.
That attack, according to local reports, was carried out by men in Nigerian military uniforms who arrived in Nigerian military armored personnel carriers (APCs).
Apart from benefiting from sympathizers in the Nigerian military, the Islamic terror group is able to purchase small arms and occasionally some larger weaponry in nearby conflict zones, "probably Libya, probably Chad," said the official, who spoke with NBC News on condition of anonymity.
However, these arms are not being acquired systematically from other militant groups – including al Qaeda and its African affiliates -- but through "shady, black market" arrangements across barely marked borders, as the official put it.
Michael Leiter, former director of the National Counter Terrorism Center and now an NBC News analyst, says Central Africa is brimming with weapons, a situation made worse when the Libyan arms depots were looted during the 2011 Arab Spring.
"The collapse of Libya has further flooded the market," said Leiter. "Whether these came from Chad, Nigeria, or Libya is almost irrelevant, as such arms are widely available."
Campbell, the former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, says the array of small and automatic weapons, grenades, mortars, mines and perhaps car bombs "is all Boko Haram's soldiers need to carry out their brand of terrorism."
Officials in Cameroon on Tuesday showed reporters, including NBC News' Stephanie Gosk, a cache of weapons they said was seized near the Nigerian border last month following a rescue of some other kidnapped victims. A Cameroon defense ministry spokesman said the cache represents what they are up against on a daily basis in trying to combat Boko Haram, showing off a variety of weaponry including Russian-made AK-47s.
U.S. officials, Leiter and Campbell all dismiss the idea that Al Qaeda or its African affiliates are supplying Boko Haram with weapons.
"We'd caution against the notion that any significant quantity of weapons would be provided by AQ," either Al Qaeda Central or Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, said one U.S. official.
"It is hard to say this is a causal relationship, but these are the sorts of concerns such engagement produces," he said.
Hartung, now director of the Arms and Security Project at Center for International Policy, says that despite the ubiquity of weapons in Central Africa, there are ways to at least crimp the black market. He points to efforts by the United Nations to stem the arms trade in southern Africa a decade ago.
"The problem is that there hasn't been a recent effort to shut down the networks," said Hartung. "The U.N. did some good research tracking how guns get to conflict zones around 2000. There were marking and tracing efforts for guns and bullets, efforts to track financial transactions. Now that's gone, so even the naming and shaming aspect hasn't been happening."


text:
require 'leancloud/protocol'
require 'leancloud/client'
require 'leancloud/error'

module LC

  # Represents an individual Parse API object.
  class Object < Hash
    attr_reader :parse_object_id
    attr_reader :class_name
    attr_reader :created_at
    attr_reader :updated_at
    alias :id :parse_object_id

    def initialize(class_name, data = nil)
      @class_name = class_name
      @op_fields = {}
      if data
        parse data
      end
    end

    def eql?(other)
      LC.object_pointer_equality?(self, other)
    end

    alias == eql?

    def hash
      LC.object_pointer_hash(self)
    end

    def uri
      Protocol.class_uri @class_name, @parse_object_id
    end

    def pointer
      LC::Pointer.new(rest_api_hash) unless new?
    end

    # make it easier to deal with the ambiguity of whether you're passed a pointer or object
    def get
      self
    end

    def new?
      self["objectId"].nil?
    end

    def update_attributes(data={})
      data.each_pair { |k,v| self[k] = v }
      save
    end

    # Write the current state of the local object to the API.
    # If the object has never been saved before, this will create
    # a new object, otherwise it will update the existing stored object.
    def save
      if @parse_object_id
        method = :put
        self.merge!(@op_fields) # use operations instead of our own view of the columns
      else
        method = :post
      end

      body = safe_hash.to_json
      uri = self.uri
      uri = uri + '?new=true' if method == :put
      data = LC.client.request(uri, method, body)

      if data
        # array operations can return mutated view of array which needs to be parsed
        parse LC.parse_json(class_name, data)
      end

      if @class_name == LC::Protocol::CLASS_USER
        self.delete("password")
        self.delete(:username)
        self.delete(:password)
      end

      self
    end

    # representation of object to send on saves
    def safe_hash
      Hash[self.map do |key, value|
        if Protocol::RESERVED_KEYS.include?(key)
          nil
        elsif value.is_a?(Hash) && value[Protocol::KEY_TYPE] == Protocol::TYPE_RELATION
          nil
        elsif value.nil?
          [key, Protocol::DELETE_OP]
        else
          [key, LC.pointerize_value(value)]
        end
      end.compact]
    end

    # full REST api representation of object
    def rest_api_hash
      self.merge(LC::Protocol::KEY_CLASS_NAME => class_name)
    end

    # Handle the addition of Array#to_h in Ruby 2.1
    def should_call_to_h?(value)
      value.respond_to?(:to_h) && !value.kind_of?(Array)
    end

    def to_h(*a)
      Hash[rest_api_hash.map do |key, value|
        [key, should_call_to_h?(value) ? value.to_h : value]
      end]
    end
    alias :as_json :to_h
    alias :to_hash :to_h

    def to_json(*a)
      to_h.to_json(*a)
    end

    def to_s
      "#{@class_name}:#{@parse_object_id} #{super}"
    end

    def inspect
      "#{@class_name}:#{@parse_object_id} #{super}"
    end

    # Update the fields of the local Parse object with the current
    # values from the API.
    def refresh
      if @parse_object_id
        data = LC.get @class_name, @parse_object_id
        clear
        if data
          parse data
        end
      end

      self
    end

    # Delete the remote Parse API object.
    def parse_delete
      if @parse_object_id
        response = LC.client.delete self.uri
      end

      self.clear
      self
    end

    def array_add(field, value)
      array_op(field, Protocol::KEY_ADD, value)
    end

    def array_add_relation(field, value)
      array_op(field, Protocol::KEY_ADD_RELATION, value)
    end

    def array_remove_relation(field, value)
      array_op(field, Protocol::KEY_REMOVE_RELATION, value)
    end

    def array_add_unique(field, value)
      array_op(field, Protocol::KEY_ADD_UNIQUE, value)
    end

    def array_remove(field, value)
      array_op(field, Protocol::KEY_REMOVE, value)
    end

    # Increment the given field by an amount, which defaults to 1. Saves immediately to reflect incremented
    def increment(field, amount = 1)
      #value = (self[field] || 0) + amount
      #self[field] = value
      #if !@parse_object_id
      #  # TODO - warn that the object must be stored first
      #  return nil
      #end

      body = {field => LC::Increment.new(amount)}.to_json
      data = LC.client.request(self.uri() + '?new=true', :put, body)
      parse data
      self
    end

    # Decrement the given field by an amount, which defaults to 1. Saves immediately to reflect decremented
    # A synonym for increment(field, -amount).
    def decrement(field, amount = 1)
      increment(field, -amount)
    end

    private

    # Merge a hash parsed from the JSON representation into
    # this instance. This will extract the reserved fields,
    # merge the hash keys, and then ensure that the reserved
    # fields do not occur in the underlying hash storage.
    def parse(data)
      if !data
        return
      end

      @parse_object_id ||= data[Protocol::KEY_OBJECT_ID]

      if data.has_key? Protocol::KEY_CREATED_AT
        @created_at = DateTime.parse data[Protocol::KEY_CREATED_AT]
      end

      if data.has_key? Protocol::KEY_UPDATED_AT
        @updated_at = DateTime.parse data[Protocol::KEY_UPDATED_AT]
      end

      data.each do |k,v|
        if k.is_a? Symbol
          k = k.to_s
        end

        if k != LC::Protocol::KEY_TYPE
          self[k] = v
        end
      end

      self
    end

    def array_op(field, operation, value)
      raise "field #{field} not an array" if self[field] && !self[field].is_a?(Array)

      if @parse_object_id
        @op_fields[field] ||= ArrayOp.new(operation, [])
        raise "only one operation type allowed per array #{field}" if @op_fields[field].operation != operation
        @op_fields[field].objects << LC.pointerize_value(value)
      end

      # parse doesn't return column values on initial POST creation so we must maintain them ourselves
      case operation
      when Protocol::KEY_ADD, Protocol::KEY_ADD_RELATION
        self[field] ||= []
        self[field] << value
      when Protocol::KEY_ADD_UNIQUE
        self[field] ||= []
        self[field] << value unless self[field].include?(value)
      when Protocol::KEY_REMOVE, Protocol::KEY_REMOVE_RELATION
        self[field].delete(value) if self[field]
      end
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Noveller is the Brooklyn-based musician and film-maker Sarah Lipstate, whose groovy approach to minimalist guitar-growlage we note in our current issue with her vinyl LP Paint On The Shadows. Now here she be once more with Red Rainbows (NO FUN PRODUCTIONS NFP-50), a CD packaged like a miniature gatefold LP as is the wont of No Fun Productions. This release is a more maximal statement, a series of high-tower juddering tones where the very air is thickened up with rich layers of electronic sound, allowing space for textured drones, mysterious moanings, and distorted gruntamaroons that makes for a highly varied listen. 'Rainbows' and 'Brilliant Colors' are packed with soaring observations like some raving holyman from the Bowery, while 'St Powers' and 'Tunnels' return us to the introverted, reflective mode which Lipstate knows so well as she contemplates the peeling wallpaper and enormous windows of her (I hope) wonderful apartment. There's also a short film 'Interior Variations' burned into the micro-piles of this enhanced digital throbber, and once again some very tasty full-colour artworks from Caroline Contillo decorating th' pack.
Another sinister utterance from those scowling maestros of doomy art-rock, The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation. Succubus (AD NOISEAM ADN 112) offers up 13 dripping tracks of sepulchral gore recorded live in Rotterdam in early 2009, and through images, track titles, costume and make-up, the band let it be widely known that their taste runs freely to all that is gothick, macabre, and flavoured by the occult. I've always hoped for a little more bottom-end in the sound from their lugubrious workouts, but a stoner-death metal band they ain't, rather preferring to summon up cloudy atmospheres of a haunted nature, and dwelling in them for as long as necessary until all personal demons are either exorcised, or start to join in the fun.
The good people at Hyped To Death CDs in Massachusetts have been engaged in a mind-boggling archival project for many years now, rescuing and reissuing incredible collections of post-punk singles and cassettes on CD in a systematic and thorough manner. One installment in the ongoing Messthetics series has reached us recently, this one (MESSTHETICS #107) concentrating on D.I.Y. and indie post-punk music from 1978-1981. When I tell you that all 22 tracks come exclusively from bands based in London, and that it's the third volume in the London series, you'll have some idea of the richness of treasures that this label are dealing with. The CD comes with a 24-pp booklet packed with informative historical notes and photos, and there are some drool-worthy seven-inch sleeves reproduced on the cover. I can't single out any one band as to me the whole CD is equally thrilling from start to finish, but a few names include Jelly Babies, Avocados, Six Minute War, Stolen Power, Steppes, Disco Zombies, The Milkmen, and Design for Living – plus of course The 49 Americans, everyone's favourite art-pop combo that were the missing link between the LMC improvisation scene and post-punk. If like me you feel that post-punk is one of this country's more important and overlooked contributions to mass culture, or even if you just love seeking out obscure and little-known bands, you'll be as happy as Larry with this comp and others in the series.
The same label has also put out a terrific compilation of the skeletal music of God's Gift, and Pathology 1979-84 (MESSTHETICS #218) will tell you much of what you need to know about this brilliant Manchester guitar-sax-vocal group who were active at the time when Joy Division were getting all the column inches. Based on first-hand knowledge from Prestwich Asylum, they sang with a painful honesty about the problems of mental illness, with an edgy vocal style that'll make your flesh crawl. Highly recommended, this comp is taken from rare releases on the New Hormones and Newmarket labels, plus cassettes and unreleased live tapes.
Post-punk fans will also want to bend an ear to contemporary band Nitkowski, a vivacious grunge trio from London whose debut Chauffeurs CD (FUNCTION RECORDS FUNC020) came out in September last year. It's great to hear players tearing into the guitar-bass-drums set-up with such loose-lipped enthusiasm and still finding new things to say, in much the same vein as Shield Your Eyes, another unkempt and noisy London combo who likewise saw roughly into their tunes with the ferocious abandon of a cannibal. Nitkowski may want to do something about beefing up the thin screamy vocals in their songs, but their instrumental interlockage is just about dead-on for this listener, and I like the straightforward way the record has been produced to preserve a sizzling live studio sound. It reminds me of the time in the mid-1980s when a small coterie of UK indie bands (such as Stump) were aping the sound of The Magic Band's atonalities, although Nitkowski have a melodic-ish poppy edge to what they're doing too. Plus it's interesting to hear them experiment with eerie noise-compositions like 'Mutha Terracist'. A nice one!
Obscure item of the week is The Death of a Samplesman, a home-made CDR sent to us by Walter Gross wherein Mr Gross (formerly member of LA band Youth:Kill) enjoys much sport with his beatboxes and computers, throwing together extremely unlikely and ill-fitting music samples on top of his twisted trip-hop beats. He works with all the restraint of a pizza-man who's decided to lavish all the toppings he can fit onto one 12-inch slab of hot dough, and he's got a fascinating way with varispeed that causes instant aural nausea. While the record seems unfinished and tentative in places, Gross is capable of occasional flashes of lunatic creativity where everything just seems to be spinning apart in a self-destructive whirl of excess, insanity and bad acid. No website; email waltergross84@gmail.com.


I have a US account, working with an engineering organization that uses ring central in conference rooms and for external calls. This applies directly to Windows 10, but I believe this will apply to other platforms as well.
So, this feature request is really to address a Windows annoyance during conf calls. When you are sharing your screen on a conference call, you inevitably get Audio Notifications as set in your Windows Sound Scheme that are disruptive to the meeting. This can be managed by changing your sound scheme manually in the Control panel, but is very cumbersome, and easy to forget to turn them back on.
It would be useful to have an option under RingCentral Settings to be able to select a specific Sound Scheme (like one that disables all Notification sounds) such that when you share your screen, that Sound Scheme is automatically selected. That way, those notification sounds will not disrupt the audio on the conference session. Similarly, when you stop sharing your screen, the sound scheme should go back to the scheme that was active before you started sharing.


text:
Q: Change/Reset standard intent receiver on Android? I´ll first describe my problem:
I´m doing some USB-App for Android Tablets which uses an MTP connection to a camera that is plugged into the tablet.
There is one main INTENT fired when a device is plugged in and my app starts after receiving the intent.
So now, "Gallery" on Android also uses this intent. If the user first starts Gallery, it opens an USB connection and I cannot access the device, as it is blocked then (exclusive access).
Now my question:
If the user chooses "Gallery" in the selector that is shown to select the Activity to start (there is Gallery and MyApp) and sets this as DEFAULT, Gallery will start automatically every time the intent is fired. --> My App does not work anymore.
So how can I reset or change the user setting for "Which activity to launch on intent ABC" ??

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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At Warren First Assembly, we exist to joyfully discover, declare, and display the heart of God!
If you are new to the area, or even if you have been here for a while, we hope you find our website to be a wonderful resource.
We would love to connect with you and help you in your pursuit to follow Christ.
Connect with us on our social platforms.


There has been a whole lot of love in my life this summer. With the engagement has come an outpouring of love and support from my family and friends. I feel incredibly lucky to have not just my fiancee in my life but also all of the people who love and support the two of us. From messages on social media, to phone calls, to tearful hugs, it's been a truly wonderful couple of weeks. There is probably nothing I love more in life than getting together some of my very best friends and sharing a whole lot of food.
Last week I got to have not one but two of these delightful dinners. So of course I had to provide dessert. I baked a double batch of these cupcakes so I would have enough for all my friends. One of the dinners was sushi to celebrate one of my oldest and very best friend's birthdays, the other was a barbecue in my backyard with a couple of my very best friends from university to celebrate my engagement. Both occasions were well suited to these delicious cupcakes. I'll get to the cupcakes in a second, but first the friends.
I have been unbelievably blessed in my life. In both highschool and university I met a group of girls who are hilarious, intelligent, thoughtful, talented and compassionate. I have stayed very close friends with both of these groups despite the many years that have passed since we were in school together. As we have all grown older we have grown together not a part. It's a rare and wonderful thing to find people like that not once, but twice in your life. I know how lucky I am. For my highschool friends, there is a special kind of bond that is formed in the awkwardness of adolescence, we have watched each other change and grow from the frightened little teenagers to being grown women. My university friends I met at a time when I was more sure of who I was and who I wanted to be, with similar attitudes and goals we have stayed fast friends and even worked together on projects. If you guys are out there reading this, thank-you for every late night phone call, every hug, every joke, every text message, e-mail and bottle of wine. I'm so lucky to have every single one of you.
Now for the cupcakes. See the dark blue peeking through the icing? I filled these babies with a homemade blueberry sauce. Because blueberries are in season and lemon and blueberry just go oh so well together. The lemon cupcake recipe is an old stand by I found on A Beautiful Mess years ago. The blueberry filling is from my newest vegan cookbook But I Could Never Go Vegan. I own way too many cookbooks, in my defence I do actually use them, they're just so pretty and shiny! The pictures are always so enticing. Anyways back to the cupcakes. They are super simple to make, but they seem ultra decadent because of the blueberry filling. I would decorate them with fresh blueberries on top next time, but it was a bit of a rush job! Had to get them ready to go in time for dinner!
Top with buttercream and serve!
< Previous Cake, A Birthday and a Surprise . . .


text:
Q: Angular-strap - Want specific selected item remove all previous selected Im recently implemented angular-strap and Im using its multiple select.
It works fine but now i want to have one option that says "All" and if clicked it will remove all other previous selected options..
Cant figure out how to do it as all i have to play with is the list of selected items.. There is no single last selected which would be useful. How could i solve this?
Tryed to play with watch and a onChange.
Looks something like this:
HTML
<button type="button" class="btn btn-default" placeholder="Filtrera på kategori" ng-model="selectedCategories"         data-html="1" data-multiple="1" max-length="6" data-animation="am-flip-x" ng-options="category.Id as category.Name for  category in categories" bs-select>
   Action
</button>

JS controller
orderContrl.controller('addProductInternalController', ['$scope', '$modalInstance', 'productItemCategories',
    function ($scope, $modalInstance, productItemCategories) {
        init();
        $scope.selectedCategories = [productItemCategories[0].Id];
        $scope.categories = productItemCategories;

        function init() {

        };

        $scope.$watch("selectedCategories", function (newValue, oldValue) {
            console.log(newValue);
            console.log(oldValue);
        });

        $scope.changeSelectedCategories = function (selectedCategories) {
            if (selectedCategories.length > 1 && selectedCategories[0] == -1)
                selectedCategories.shift();
            //else {
            //    angular.forEach(selectedCategories, function (item) {
            //        if (item == -1)
            //            saveProductToOrder(item);
            //    });
            //}
            if (selectedCategories.length > 1 && selectedCategories[0] == -1)
                selectedCategories.shift();
            console.log(selectedCategories);
        };

        // Closes modal and sets chosen treeview value
        $scope.ok = function () {

        };
        // Closes modal and cancels
        $scope.cancel = function () {
            $modalInstance.dismiss('cancel');
        };

    }]);


text:
Thinking about life after DePauw?
We are committed to helping our graduates find meaningful and fulfilling work after graduation. The Hubbard Center for Student Engagement is a fantastic resource for students who are searching for various opportunities. We encourage students to visit the Hubbard Center website and set up an appointment.
Below, we have curated some of the best resources we've found for sustainability opportunities after graduation.
The Environmental Jobs Bulletin: "A source for the most current jobs in engineering, science, policy, energy, and more."
Orion Magazine: "The Grassroots Jobsource that connects the leaders of tomorrow with good work today."
Environmental Leadership Program Job Board: "The mission of the ELP is to support visionary, action oriented, and diverse leadership for a just and sustainable future."
Green Jobs LinkedIn: group (Must request permission to join)
Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): See listing of jobs at the end of each weekly bulletin.
Why do an internship?
In a highly competitive job market, employers look for applicants that stand out. An internship is a great way to help gain relevant work experience, transferable skills, network, and confidence.
Email Environmental Fellows for a bi-weekly newsletter that features current intern postings!
Green Corps: "The mission of Green Corps is to train organizers, provide field support for skills, temperament, and commitment to fight and win tomorrow's environmental battles."
Change Corps: "Change Corps is a paid, one-year full-immersion training program in grassroots organizing."
AmeriCorps: "AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community groups across the country."
FoodCorps: "FoodCorps is a nationwide team of AmeriCorps leaders who connect kids to real food and help them grow up healthy."
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) MPA MSES MPA-MSES
Bard College, Bard Center for Environmental Policy
University of Oxford, MSc and DPhil in Sustainable Urban Development
The Earth Institute -Columbia University, Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy
Pace University, MA in Environmental Policy
Stony Brook University, PhD in Technology, Policy & Innovation
United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, MS in Sustainability & PhD in Sustainability Science
Colorado State University, Master's Degree in Greenhouse Gas Management and Accounting (MGMA)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Zomebazam produced by Hoechst is a pyrazolodiazepinone derivative drug with anxiolytic properties. It is structurally related to razobazam and zometapine.
^ "zomebazam". psychotropics.dk. 2003. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
This page was last edited on 21 June 2018, at 14:53 (UTC).


Aspiration versus Reality. The never-ending battle. BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals) can propel us forward across tough and gnarly stretches of this journey. And on some days, the road is long and arduous. Distractions beckon, trade-offs are hard, and the short-term can overshadow the long-term. On that note: Yes, that is a bacon-maple-syrup-donut in the picture. It was glorious.
Let's face it, most of us are not made for a life of austerity (I certainly am not). That doesn't need to stop you from being and becoming a goal-getter. If your goals are purposeful and suitable to your situation (that is a longer blog post for another day), you will care. You will also care about other things beside that goal; and sometimes you will blow off steam. And then you get back on track and kick it extra-hard.
It's about defining that band of KPIs (key performance indicators) wherein you can negotiate and renegotiate that balance that works for you (I ate one donut, not an entire box. It was tempting believe me). For most things, this works a lot better as a dynamic equilibrium, not an iron rule. Define the fenceposts and rules of engagement for you, and hold yourself accountable. Make it a conscious choice. You working on your goals is not separate from the rest of your life. It is the rest of your life, so make it a journey worth being on.
What are some key "fence posts" you are holding yourself accountable to?


Press Statement of the Seven Unions: Defend COSATU, Defend NUMSA, Hands Off Zwelinzima Vavi: Forward to an Independent, Worker Controlled Federation!
This Press Conference has been called to provide an opportunity for the media, the public at large, and especially trade union members, what this group of Unions have to say about the paralysis undermining our Federation. We hope that this Press Conference will finally refute any suggestion that the Unions gathered here are in anyway subservient to, or under the control or influence of, NUMSA through financial or any other means. NUMSA is one of us, and shares our commitment to rebuilding a democratic and worker controlled COSATU.
This has been a sad and shameful week for South African trade union movement and the working class in general. COSATU, once a militant and profoundly democratic trade union federation, which was the envy of workers worldwide, has been reduced to a factional shell of its former self and glory. The expulsion of NUMSA, which represents 350,000 metal workers, by 33 CEC delegates, (many of whom had no mandate to do so, if mandates were to be revealed) is an attack on the organised working class.
Throughout this shocking affair, NUMSA comrades have been treated unfairly by the COSATU leadership. They have been denied the most basic rules of fairness and justice, and have had to defend themselves against a series of arbitrary accusations for which no evidence is provided of wrong doing. They have been picked out and victimised when many other Unions have taken similar POSITIONS and nothing has happened.
At the CEC last week, NUMSA had prepared a compelling response in advance to the 'charges' that had been levelled against it, and which had been defined by the High Court. On every SINGLE accusation that had been levelled against it, NUMSA gave a full and comprehensive response, and pointed out how this was entirely consistent with existing policy, and the practices of other unions.
However despite the content of the NUMSA document, it was clear from the outset that a particular cluster of Unions, wanted one thing only, and that was the expulsion of NUMSA from COSATU. Some of the leaders of these unions had stated well in advance that they were not prepared or willing to engage in a debate on these issues, but wanted simply to 'surgically remove' NUMSA from the Federation.
As far back as February 2014, a Special CEC came to the conclusion that Numsa must be suspended and/or expelled. The CEC called this a preliminary view and requested Numsa to show cause why it should not be suspended or expelled. We now know that Numsa provided an initial 59 page statement as to why they should not be suspended or expelled from Cosatu. Numsa REGISTERED in the SCEC of 7th November 2014 that the Cosatu NOB's never responded to their submissions.
Before turning to the events of 7th November 2014 we must say that the Unions in the CEC who were pushing for NUMSAs expulsion moved a motion on the 23rd of October 2014 that Numsa must be expelled even before NUMSA could be asked to make representations on why it cannot be suspended. These sister unions of ours made a U-turn (after the determination to vote on 2 motions after lunch) and suggested that NUMSA must be afforded an opportunity to explain why it should not be expelled. Therein lays the predetermined decision to expel NUMSA under the stewardship of the COSATU National Office Bearers.
5. The decision to extend Numsa's scope of operation – The Numsa presentation provided a very detailed record of how almost all affiliates in Cosatu had amended their scope which extends in to the scope of other unions.
Having listened to NUMSA, a sincere request was made to the CEC that unions be allowed to take back to their structures the very comprehensive and detailed submission of NUMSA for a mandate. It was also requested the COSATU NOB's to process the NUMSA submission with their own verification of the 5 issues NUMSA made in their submission.
Was the process fair and did natural justice find expression in this whole saga? The answer is NO.
Did the CEC make a guilty finding on the 5 charges? The answer is NO.
Form this it is clear that Numsa has been expelled unfairly.
The NUMSA document was not circulated in advance, and affiliates were deliberately denied an opportunity to discuss it before hand and secure a democratic mandate from their Unions.
At the CEC it was obvious that some affiliates were not interested in a rational engagement on the issues raised by NUMSA. They were not prepared to listen, to take the discussion back to their own members, or indeed, abide by the rules of natural justice as espoused in the COSATU Constitution.
NUMSA were at the CEC to be victimised and denigrated not because they have transgressed any of COSATU's policies, but because they were implementing them! All of the accusations levelled at NUMSA are simply not credible, and it is the duty of all trade unionist to defend them against the trumped up chances, and unsubstantiated accusations that have been levelled against them.
The expulsion of NUMSA will not solve the intractable paralysis that has consumed COSATU since its watershed 11th Congress of 2012 and its revolutionary-compelling resolutions. If anything, it will make it far worse for the working class and the State and Capital will be the winners.
All of the Unions represented at this press conference are not prepared to see NUMSA abused in this way, for they know that they may well find themselves attacked despite the fact that they too have played a meaningful role in building and maintaining COSATU over the years. Now is the time to come to defence of NUMSA and to challenge the unconstitutional and divisive actions of the current leadership. It is time to take off the gloves, and fight for the Federation and save it from those who are wilfully plunging it into this unprecedented crisis.
The current leadership, as represented by the majority in the CEC, has become paralysed by factionalism, negligent of the needs of members and the interests of the of the working class, and has frantically turned away from the radical worker biased policies endorsed by successive COSATU Congresses that made it a powerful defender of the working class. Instead, it has turned towards blatant neo-liberalism as enshrined in the National Development Plan (NDP) and other Government policies.
The fate of COSATU is at the heart of the current divisions. What we are witnessing is a battle of ideas, a contestation between revolutionary and reactionary policies and programmes, and a fight for the very soul of COSATU. This is a battle between those who want to see a radical transformation of our economy, and those who have abandoned all hope of radical change in favour of an insipid and increasingly conservative form of class collaboration. This is a contest between those who want to implement the radical policies agreed by successive COSATU Congresses, and those who want to turn the clock backwards, and reduce COSATU to a labour desk.
NUMSA has been especially targeted by those with vested interests in maintaining a passive Alliance, in which COSATU is seen as a mere rubber-stamp, despite the fact that government policies have not benefited the working class. A section of unions has been prepared to expel 350,000 metal workers from COSATU by casting a meagre 33 votes.
This irrational and vindictive action has more than anything else laid bare a shameful episode in our history as a labour movement. Those responsible for dividing COSATU at a time when its unity is needed more than ever will one day be called to account, and be forced to explain how and why they engineered divisions in the organised working class for their own narrow factional and political interests.
NUMSA Not Found Guilty But Expelled Anyway!
The Unions represented at this press conference completely reject the charge that NUMSA had contradicted the policies of the Federation. On the contrary, the attacks on NUMSA, and before then on Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi, were made precisely because they were seeking to implement COSATU policies and re-open discussion on others. This has always been a vibrant part of the internal discussion in COSATU. How else can policies be refined, made relevant, and connect with the changing needs of the working class?
What the expulsion shows is that even revisiting existing policy, and seeking to democratically clarify your own stance, is now considered 'treasonable' by the leadership clique of COSATU. So insecure and over-sensitive are the political leaders of the SACP that any challenge to the orthodoxy they defend is considered dangerous, counter-revolutionary, and in the words of a NEHAWU leader, must be 'surgically removed'.
We believe that NUMSA has been singled out because of the radical decisions that were taken at its democratic congress last December, including the decision not to call for collective support for the ANC, and because it sought to withdraw support from the Alliance. The personal, political and organisational attacks that followed from senior ANC and SACP leaders were vicious. To say this was uncomradely behaviour is an understatement.
The SACP, which is currently in debt to the Federation for its rent, was financially and organisationally dependent on Unions like NUMSA for decades as was the ANC needing the Federation and its affiliates when elections are called. The fact is that there was a section of the leadership in COSATU who not only allowed these public attacks to go unchallenged, but who were also prepared to carry out same or similar attacks, to expel NUMSA and to marginalise Comrade Vavi. If evidence was needed to prove how far the COSATU CEC has strayed from being an accountable, worker controlled and independent structure of the federation, then this must be it.
Over the last two years there have been a series of constitutional blunders by this faction of COSATU, which have cost a fortune in legal fees through misguided attempts to defend the indefensible. One classic example was the suspension of General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and the absolute waste of financial resources this involved. Not only did it lead to a massive legal bill paid for by members subscriptions, but also a virtual shutdown of COSATU campaigns, and left the Federation without a credible leader capable of addressing the needs of the working class.
Without credible COSATU leadership, the ANC Government was able to disregard our demands to ban labour brokers, to place moratorium on e-tolls or the youth subsidy, and many other matters. Our objections to legislation to increase state secrecy, or measures to tackle corruption at all levels, including defending the Office of the Public Protector have been largely unheeded. Addressing the disaster of unemployment and inequality through a radical economic programme has failed to materialise. Instead we have a neo-liberal NDP.
This is one reason why the coalition of Nine Unions was established, to fight for a leadership of COSATU that implemented COSATU decisions. What we are witnessing is an attempt to neutralise COSATU, and turn it into a subservient or uncritical formation at best.
One of the worst examples of unconstitutional behaviour has been the blatant refusal of the President of COSATU to call a Special National Congress, despite a clear responsibility to do so. It is now abundantly clear that the attacks on NUMSA were aimed at undermining the campaign for a Special National Congress, and to try and curtail the clamour of hundreds of thousands of workers who want to see a revitalised COSATU capable of defending their interests.
Instead of responding to the crisis in our society, where millions go to bed on an empty stomach every night, and where hundreds of thousands of young people have no prospects of any type of job, never mind decent work, we now have a factional Federation leadership that sees the enemy within its own ranks. Instead of taking our campaigns to where power and wealth actually reside, to where workers continue to be super-exploited, the current leadership decides instead to split the Federation.
We reiterate that there is a deep treble-crisis of unemployment, poverty and inequality in our country, yet the faction in COSATU only wants to listen to a 'good story'.
We are urgently calling our NEC/CECs to discuss the crisis in COSATU and to reaffirm our mandates.
We are renewing our calls for a Special National Congress, believing it to be the only way of dealing with the degeneration of the federation, and to ensure that COSATU once again becomes the militant, independent and worker controlled federation capable of campaigning for an end to class oppression and a socialist South Africa.
To ensure a Special National Congress will take place, we will pursue a mass program in every corner of this country to mobilise workers to demand that it take place without delay, and we will also pursue it in the Courts.
We will be supporting our comrades in NUMSA and campaigning for a reversal of their unconstitutional expulsion at the last CEC. There can be no COSATU without NUMSA!
We will be vigilant and guard against any further victimisations of those prepared to campaign for a progressive agenda, including offering the hand of support to those who are being attacked within their own unions for supporting this program.
We refuse to accept that the crisis we are in demands that we behave in a 'business as usual' manner. We intend to seize every opportunity to defend and save COSATU from those wanting to destroy it.
than just the threat to the environment that poor driving brings.
I felt as if my spine was keeping me from getting the best physical benefits from my yoga practice.


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"This is far and away the biggest FIFA World Cup we are planning with a wealth of content supplemented by great guests and different viewing options. The entire viewing experience will set new standards for broadcast excellence."
DStv and GOtv revealed broadcast plans just weeks before the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament that will kick off in Qatar on November 20.
SuperSport channels will take a multi-pronged approach to broadcast the 64 matches in the tournament.
A lot of logistical planning is already underway to offer subscribers a great experience.
"Given the convenient kick-off times and the big-name teams, we are anticipating a massive television event," said Marc Jury, chief executive of SuperSport.
Here are some of the things to look out for.
Presenters and guests
Live match anchors will be the well-established trio of Julia Stuart, Thomas Mlambo and Mozez Praiz, while former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke and Carol Tshabalala will work the microphone directly from Qatar.
International guests include an array of former African and European stars: Jay Okocha, Asamoah Gyan, Gaizka Mendieta, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Owen and Jaap Stam.
SuperSport is partnering with a number of global social platforms as well as FIFA's team to make coverage more interesting like conveying behind-the-scenes of SuperSport's main studio operation.
Platforms like Twitter will be leveraged for debates and live spots can be expected on TikTok.
In a special series leading up to the tournament, Mark Gleeson will take a look back at defining moments in Africa's history at the World Cup – mostly personal recollections from Africa's "walking encyclopedia". Gleeson has attended every World Cup since 1980.
Meanwhile, SuperSport.com is set to be unveiled with a new look and enhanced features. Fans will be able to personalise the site and receive their favorite content as they land on the home page.
The DStv Catch-Up service will include all 64 matches, plus eight-minute and 26-minute highlights. There will be a dedicated World Cup section that includes magazine shows, with World Cup documentaries already available.
Magazine shows
SuperSport will broadcast five World Cup magazine shows regularly.
Marhaba Qatar – every Sunday morning at 9am and all six non-match days.
Masterplan – analysis show every Sunday at 10am and then at 2pm, after the group stage.
Super Saturday – will include live crossings and features from Qatar (9am).
World Cup Insights – Weekly conversations with top guests in Doha.
SuperPicks TV show - Supports the all-new SuperPicks platform powered by SuperSport & BetKing where everyone above the age of 18 can play sports games for free and win real money.
Additionally, short-form content will include the moment of the day and Qatar 360, an eye-catching montage set to the music of sights, sounds, and the fans.
Build-up programming
Pre-World Cup (from 6 November), the SS Football channel will be renamed FIFA World Cup Central, a 24-hour World Cup channel featuring classic games, FIFA documentaries, FIFA films, Road To Qatar, World Cup magazine show, Moment of Truth (10 episodes), Qatar Prepares, 2022 FIFA World Cup - The Journey, The Story of the World Cup, Football's Greatest Stage, Countdown To Qatar, FIFA - When The World Watched, FIFA World Cup Moments, Once in a Lifetime – 2010, One to Eleven (documentary).
SuperSport's World Cup broadcasts will be available in multiple languages including English, customized per region:
Nigeria: English, Pidgin, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo.
Kenya and Tanzania: KiSwahili
Ghana: Twi
Uganda: Luganda.
Ethiopia: Amharic.
Maximo: Portuguese.
Additionally, SuperSport's offering will include World Cup action for Access and Family subscribers (via SuperSport LaLiga, DStv Channel 204).
20 group matches, four round-of-16 matches, two quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the third-place playoff and the final will be broadcast on the channel.
SuperSport will for the first time broadcast an entire World Cup in 4K, although High Definition remains a popular choice.
4K is the ultra-high definition and lends itself to fast-action sport with every moment of every match to be displayed in brilliant detail.
Viewers who stream the tournament on DStv will also be able to do so in 4K, provided they have a 4K television and either a Premium, Compact Plus, or Compact subscription.
DStv Premium
All 64 matches live
24-hour World Cup channel
DStv Catch Up – highlights of all 64 matches (40 minutes after each match ends)
DStv Compact Plus
DStv Compact
56 matches live
Full studio presentation
Vernacular commentary
DStv Access
30 matches live, including opening match, semi-finals and final
All African teams
GOtv SUPA
GOtv PLUS
GOtv LITE
24-hour rolling sport news coverage with emphasis on FIFA World Cup
GOtv LITE (pop-up channel)
24-hour World Cup colour channel
56 matches live on Max2 – Grande (matches to be simulcast on Max1)
Simultaneous kick-offs on max3 (30 matches)
Max360 – 24-hour dedicated fan channel
Portuguese commentary on all matches
One-hour dedicated studio build-up and wrap featuring local and international analysts
Dedicated magazine show from November 1
FIFA archives and build-up content from November 1
Multichoice Unveils Local Commentators for 2022 World Cup
- By Nicholas Agaba / November 17, 2022
Former Uefa Boss Platini Questioned over Awarding of World Cup to Qatar
- By Kp Reporter / June 18, 2019


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Russian game developers drag wooden soldiers to war
Camilla Shin
Lev Silaev, the developer of the game First Wood War. Source: Digital October
The story of how a botched job interview led to a startup.
Brothers Lev Silaev and Alexander Feher first started developing games in 2011. A mobile remake of the 1990s cult classic "Bomberman" from Hudson Soft was their first shot at glory. Far from becoming a hit, the game still brought in a tidy sum of $200.
"Of course, we didn't dream of making millions at the time — or maybe we did after all," Silaev says. "We decided not to be upset and to move on. Most importantly, we gained very valuable experience."
Read more: Russian startup uses games to teach photography
While they were passionate about making their own games, the developers faced a funding problem. The solution came along unexpectedly. Feher, a talented developer, was invited to interview for a job at iFree (a large Russian IT company).
He told his potential employers about the team and their desire to develop games. He did not get the job at iFree, but he did get financing for his own project — First Wood War.
A wooden world populated by funny characters that were invented by the pair has been transformed into a 3-D strategy. "Making controls easy was a priority task," says Silaev. "Imagine you're managing a lot of elements on a small cell-phone screen. The user will become irritated at the slightest inconvenience and will delete the game."
First Wood War's game space is divided between two castles — the player's and the computer's. The task is to get 10 of your soldiers into the enemy's castle. Capturing strategic road points earns additional bonuses. An ancient trebuchet is your weapon. One strike and the course of the battle can be changed for good.
The game contains quirky, modern, cultural references. For instance, you might encounter the Loch Ness monster, zombies, Native Americans, mummies and pyramids — all wooden, of course.
First Wood War was launched in April 2013 and made The Guardian's Android app list that same month. "First Wood War looks like a game with plenty to chew on for more serious gamers: a real-time strategy game with a player-versus-player online mode, impressive graphics and more than 20 battle maps to explore in its solo mode. It's all set in the woods, which brings us neatly on to..." Stewart Dredge wrote.
Special Project: Top Russian start-ups
Downloads had reached almost a million by August 2013. The team makes money from in-app purchases that facilitate passing the game levels.
While the developers refused to discuss exact revenues, they said it was in the ballpark of several dozen thousand U.S. dollars a month. A paid HD version of the game without built-in purchases is scheduled for launch soon. The free version of First Wood War is available at Appstore and Google Play.
computer games top russian start-ups Startups


My dog recently got a bug bite on his leg.
Unfortunately, he licked that spot repeatedly until the area became raw and hairless — much like a hot spot.
Fortunately, I caught it before it had become oozy and infected. But it was clear that I had to do something to keep him from licking it, or it would become worse.
I had an old-fashioned e-collar for dogs stashed away in the closet from his post-surgery days several years ago. It still fit, but it was so big and clunky that it was awkward for him to eat, drink, lie down, and go outside with ease.
So I decided to see what other types of e-collars existed these days.
I found one that worked perfectly for us!
I found this inflatable dog collar, and I think it's the perfect replacement for those hard plastic Elizabethan collars for dogs.
It's shaped like a U (or a horseshoe) — much like a traditional travel pillow that many of us use on airplane rides.
Just to clarify… for the first couple days that my dog had this irritated spot on his leg, I simply used a hot spot home remedy that a veterinarian had taught me using self-adhesive bandage wrap.
It is only after those first couple days that I started using the inflatable e-collar.
Since it's important that the wound be exposed to the air in order dry out and heal, I didn't want it to remain wrapped up behind a bandage for too long each day. At the same time, I didn't want to make my dog wear an ecollar longer than he had to.
In the morning, as long as Tenor was in the room with me, I'd watch him like a hawk to make sure that he would't lick the bandage — without the ecollar on. The moment he leaned toward the spot, I would immediately say "NO!" It startled him so much (and he's a rather submissive dog who's always eager to please anyway) that he wouldn't lick it — not while I was watching.
The first moment I realized that I would no longer be able to keep my eyes glued on him, I took off the bandage wrap and put on the inflatable dog collar. I'd give him a stuffed Kong toy to distract him for awhile. He kept the e-collar on all day long (with no bandage wrap) until it was time to go to sleep at night. This allowed plenty of time for air to reach the sore in order for it to heal naturally.
Then at night, I'd take off the inflatable dog collar, let him go outside, give him a treat, and play with him a little bit. Then the first moment I stopped keeping my eyes glued on him, I put some self-adhesive wrap over the spot to keep him from licking it all through the night. Then I'd give him another stuffed Kong toy to distract him for awhile.
My dog did great with this routine. He always kept the bandage on through the night — which meant there was no licking! Eventually, I stopped wrapping the wound at night — so even more air was getting to it round the clock.
But if it looks like your dog has been licking the bandage during the night, then I'd keep the inflatable collar all day & night for a few days in a row — any time your eyes aren't glued on your dog in order to stop the licking.
Just take it off for short periods to play with your dog, then put it back on — like it's your dog's new uniform.
After the first couple of days, you don't really need to use the bandage wrap while the e-collar is on. Allowing the wound to be exposed to the air for long periods of time will actually help it heal faster. The bandage is really only helpful during those first few days as a way to "treat" the sore. After that, it's only necessary to keep your dog from constantly licking the wound whenever he's not wearing an e-collar.
Inflatable Dog Collars Are Super Comfortable!
In case you're wondering… yes, he could eat, drink, get food out of a Kong toy, go up and down stairs, go outside, and even sleep with the inflatable e-collar on.
He got used to it really quickly and always seemed very comfortable with it on.
The cover is soft and durable. I just took a damp cloth to it occasionally to remove the doggie drool that had accumulated on it.
The inflatable e-collar is a little smaller in diameter (15″, compared to 17″ for the same sized plastic ecollar) — which means it's less restricting for your dog's comfort level.
The range of motion is greater with the inflatable dog collar (about 8-9″ from the dog's nose to the ground, compared to 11-12″ with a plastic ecollar) — which means your dog will be able to reach (lick!) more places on his body while wearing an inflatable e-collar.
I was lucky — the spot on my dog's leg was high enough that the inflatable dog collar worked. It prevented him from reaching the spot, so he couldn't lick it. But if the hot spot was closer to his paws, then the inflatable collar would not have worked.
For the record, I think it would have worked well after my dog's neuter surgery. I'm not 100% sure whether it would have worked after my dog's knee surgery or not. I wish I had tried it at the time. At the very least, it would have been a more comfortable option toward the end of the recovery period when it became less and less critical to protect that area of his leg.
To put on the inflatable dog collar: Inflate the collar first. Remove your dog's normal collar from around his neck and loop it through the inner straps of the inflatable dog collar. Then, slip the inflatable collar over his head and clip his normal dog collar closed around his neck. Finally, there are 2 black straps — the shortest one attaches to the closest velcro tab inside the cut-out part of the collar; the longest one attaches to the long strip of velcro on the outside edge of the collar to keep the collar securely closed.
To take off the inflatable dog collar: Simply un-clip your pet's normal dog collar that's been looped through the inside straps of the inflatable dog collar. That's it! For what it's worth, I added a little more air to the collar every other day or so — whether it looked like it needed it or not.


Classroom management can be defined as the actions teachers take to establish and sustain an environment that fosters students' academic achievement as well as their social, emotional, and moral growth. In other words, the goal of classroom management is not order for order's sake, but order for the sake of learning. Teachers, administrators, parents, students, and the general public all view classroom management as a critical component of teaching, but becoming an effective classroom manager is not a simple endeavor. Research has documented the fact that problems with classroom management often lead to teacher stress, anxiety, burnout, and even the decision to leave the profession. Beginning teachers consistently perceive student behavior as one of their most serious challenges, and even experienced teachers can have difficulties—especially given today's larger classes, increasing cultural and linguistic diversity, the inclusion of children with disabilities, and the narrowing of the curriculum to prepare for high-stakes standardized tests. Unfortunately, despite the complexity and importance of classroom management, teacher preparation programs tend to provide only minimal instruction in this area. Such neglect is at least partly due to the fact that research relevant to classroom management has been conducted by persons in different disciplines working within different research traditions; thus research reports appear in a wide variety of journals and may not even be identified as "classroom management research." This situation can lead teacher educators to conclude (mistakenly) that a coherent body of research does not exist and can reinforce the view that classroom management is merely a set of tips passed down from teacher to teacher (like "Don't smile until Christmas"). Another complicating factor is that the very term "classroom management" defies easy definition. For a long time, classroom management was equated with "discipline," the ways teachers respond to problematic behavior. It is now generally recognized, however, that discipline is only one part of classroom management. In addition to correcting inappropriate behavior, classroom management includes a wide range of tasks designed to prevent inappropriate behavior—designing a physical setting that supports instructional goals, establishing positive teacher–student and teacher–parent relationships, building community among students, creating and enforcing expectations for behavior, and managing instruction in a way that helps students to stay engaged. This broader definition of classroom management is reflected in the references included in this bibliography.
The works in this section provide introductions to classroom management. Brophy 1999 summarizes the development of research-based knowledge of classroom management and examines the relationship between management styles and approaches to instruction. Brophy 2006 provides a comprehensive review of the history of research on classroom management as it developed across the 20th century. Marzano, et al. 2003 reviews research on classroom management and suggest specific evidence-based "action steps" that teachers can use to establish and maintain a positive learning environment. Shimahara 1998 explores classroom management in six countries, documenting the effects of the political, social, and cultural context. Wang, et al. 1993 examines three previous reviews of variables that have an effect on student achievement and show that classroom management has more impact on student achievement than any other variable.
Brophy, Jere. 1999. Perspectives of classroom management: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In Beyond behaviorism: Changing the classroom management paradigm. Edited by H. Jerome Freiberg, 43–56. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Traces the evolution of research on classroom management and points out that most of these studies were conducted in classrooms featuring transmission approaches to teaching. Brophy contrasts these approaches with more recent social constructivist approaches and shows how established management principles can be adapted to social constructivist teaching.
Brophy, Jere. 2006. History of research on classroom management. In Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues. Edited by Carolyn M. Evertson and Carol S. Weinstein, 17–43. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Marzano, Robert J., with Jana S. Marzano, and Debra J. Pickering. 2003. Classroom management that works: Research-based strategies for every teacher. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
After discussing the critical role of effective classroom management in student achievement, this very readable book addresses various aspects of classroom management, such as classroom rules and procedures, disciplinary interventions, and teacher-student relationships. Each chapter begins with a discussion of research, theory, and programs relevant to the particular topic and then suggests specific "action steps" that classroom teachers can take.
Shimahara, Nobuo K., ed. 1998. Politics of classroom life: Classroom management in international perspective. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Focusing mainly on the elementary level, this book examines classroom management in six countries: the United States, Britain, Sweden, Japan, China, and Israel. Argues that the ideology of classroom management and its strategies vary considerably across the cultures or countries where they have been developed.
Wang, Margaret C., Geneva D. Haertel, and Herbert J. Walberg. 1993. Toward a knowledge base for school learning. Review of Educational Research 63.3: 249–294.
A widely cited meta-analysis of learning factors gleaned from educational research experts, quantitative research synthesis, and handbook chapters, resulting in more than eleven thousand statistical relationships. Identifies classroom management as being first in a list of five factors that influence student achievement.


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Alejandra Guzmán – Libre – Classic Music Review
By altrockchick on March 12, 2016
Originally published June 2012. Revised March 2016.
Alejandra Guzmán is known throughout the Western Hemisphere as "La Reina del Rock." She's played on bills with The Stones and James Brown, and has recorded with Joe Satriani. La Guzmán has sold millions of records and regularly plays to packed houses everywhere, even in the United States.
And most norteamericanos have never heard of her.
This is largely because she sings in Spanish, which makes her persona non grata on the mainstream music channels in the USA. If you want to hear Alejandra Guzmán you have to tune into stations that cater to the Latino market; if you want to see her, you have to switch over to Univision or Telemundo.
Norteamericanos are so weird.
Norteamericanos have always looked down on their NAFTA partners to the south. Hell, Norteamericanos generally feel sorry for everyone who doesn't live in the self-proclaimed heaven on earth. With Mexicans, though, the pity is sharpened with disdain. Norteamericanos think of Mexicans as little more than cheap labor, whether it's the white-coated waiter serving them margaritas on the beaches of Cancún or the undocumented workers tending to their homes and gardens.
And in the 21st fucking Century, leading politicians in the United States advocate the construction of a Great Wall from Imperial Beach to Brownsville to keep those job stealin', drug dealin' Mexicans from ruinin' their country.
So despite the fact that La Guzmán owns one of the greatest female rock voices in history, the chances of recognition in the U. S. A. are about equal to the chances of overturning the sacred Second Amendment—'cuz you still gotta keep totin' those guns in case those sneaky Mexicans try to tunnel under that wall or sumpin' like that.
Infuckingcredible.
Alejandra is the daughter of a famous Mexican actress and an equally famous Mexican rock musician. She launched her career with a bang by pissing off her career-oriented and often absent mother in the song "Bye, Mama," which appeared on the album of the same name. Her second album, Dame Tu Amor, featured Hispanicized covers of Ray Davies, Jagger/Richards, The Spencer Davis Group and classics like "No Seas Cruel" (Don't Be Cruel) and "Twist y Gritos" (Twist and Shout). Eternamente Bella followed, featuring several songs by talented songsmith J. R. Florez, a collaboration that would become increasingly important on the two albums that followed. Alejandra then won the Eres Award for Album of the Year with Flor de Papel, a much stronger record whose success was driven in part by a scandalous video version of the song "Hacer El Amor Con Otro," the story of an (gasp!) illicit affair.
Such affairs may be par for the course in more secular lands, but in Catholic Mexico such things are not spoken of in polite company. Still, wherever you go in this world of ours, people find a way to fuck, hence the church-sanctioned no-tell motels that dot the Mexican landscape.
But I digress. By 1993, Alejandra had produced four albums, each better than its predecessor. The pattern of most artists who release an award-winning monster album is to take it easy on the follow-up album—play it safe and let the brand work its magic.
Not Alejandra Guzmán. As good as Flor de Papel was, Libre proved to be another thing entirely. While it remains obscure to most of the English-speaking world, Libre was one of the best albums released by anyone on the planet in the 1990's, and certainly one of the best rock albums in the last quarter-century. La Guzmán let it rip on this record, delivering one stunning vocal performance after another, from the killer opening song to the incredibly moving bonus track closer.
I first heard her while touring the radio dial one afternoon after high school. Nothing was playing on my go-to stations so I hit the scan button to hear what else was going on in the ether. I landed on an unfamiliar spot on the dial and within a couple of seconds the sound of clean electric guitar playing an arpeggiated chord filled the room, soon to be joined by a counterpoint pattern, building up to a deeply-satisfying bass slide and a big WHAM on the snare. Then I heard the sexiest fucking voice I'd ever heard:
Poco a poco consegui
fijar tu atencion en mi
a que esperas por favor ven aqui
Despite my then-limited Spanish skills, I didn't need much of a vocabulary to figure out that last line, expressed even more through her tone than in the lyrics: "What are you waiting for? Come here!" The voice I heard was somewhat deep for a woman, flavored with an exquisite roughness that conveyed command and defiance. I didn't have any idea who the fuck she was, but I knew right then I had to hear more.
Unfortunately, the radio station followed the norms of the time and played five songs in a row before the disk jockey rattled off the names of the tracks and artists in an unintelligible blur of Spanish. Undaunted, I hooked up with one of my Latina girlfriends the next day in school, and after listening patiently to my shitty imitation of the voice, a rough approximation of the melody and a whole lot of dum-de-dums to fill in the missing lyrics, she got it when I sang the one line I did get. "Ah, that's Alejandra Guzmán. She's famous, chickie—you can find her anywhere."
I found Alejandra in Tower Records, tucked her into my purse and listened to her the second I got home and for several hours after that. I didn't understand all the words, but the underlying theme was clear: I am a strong, sexy woman and I'm not going to let anyone deny my existence.
Music to my ears! Music to my clitoris!
That opening song was "Mala Hierba," which literally means "weed" in Spanish but is better translated in context as "bad seed." Right from the get-go, Alejandra relishes both her status as a rebel choosing to defy social norms and as "una mujer de verdad," a real woman. The beat is a slow, sexy, punctuated groove, and it's obvious from the get-go that the musicians backing Alejandra on this album are superb rock stylists equal to any of their counterparts in the USA. "Mala Hierba" was a huge hit in Mexico and one of the most attention-grabbing opening cuts you'll ever hear.
"Dime Adios" follows, a classic weep-in-your-cerveza tune about a break-up that allows the listener to cool down a little. The arrangement is enhanced by the soul-influenced backing vocals and an outstanding lead guitar solo. It's followed by the up-tempo rocker "Mirala, Miralo," where Alejandra delivers a rapid-fire vocal with exceptional power and command.
"Soy" opens with an almost new-age gentleness, but gradually Alejandra's voice gains strength before drums, bass, guitar and backing vocals enter to open the way for Alejandra to express her undying commitment to rock 'n' roll. The closing passage is an especially clear expression of that commitment, one that has as much to do with the defiant attitude that drives great rock 'n' roll as the music itself:
Sigo mi propio camino (I follow my own path)
no soy estrella fugaz (I'm not a shooting star)
yo no me vendo (I'm not going to sell out)
yo no tengo precio (I don't have a price)
solo una cosa es verdad (There is only one truth)
Porque soy rocker (Because I'm a rocker)
digo lo que siento (I say what I feel)
soy una rocker (I'm a rocker)
y ya nunca cambiare (And I will never, ever change)
"Calles de Fuego" ("Streets of Fire") is a slow, heavy power piece about the crap she had to endure from the media after the naughty "Hacer el Amor Con Otro." Here Alejandra oscillates between defiance and a tired sadness in a performance that inspires empathy in the listener in contrast to the yawns induced by rock stars bitching about how tough they have it. As good as this piece is, it gets even better on the next track.
"Angeles Caidos" (Fallen Angels), is a bluesy, sexy number, and even if the lyrics escape you, there is no denying the brilliance of Alejandra's vocal, combining subtle seduction with all-out passion. The poetry is a brutally honest expression of sexual submission, of total devotion to the needs of the object of that devotion. She collapses in ecstasy and kisses his feet, fulfilling her desires and her chosen path. When she demands "hazme tu esclava" (make me your slave), you can feel the heat of a woman who has thrown all caution to hell and wants only to find herself in the expression of her love. This is a stunning and gutsy performance, supported by a guitar solo that is to die for.
Side Two opens with two back-to-back flat-out rockers, "Hey Tu" and "Ruge el Corazón," both of which prove La Guzmán's status as a top-tier rock vocalist. The title track opens with clean acoustic strums and another sweet lead riff before Alejandra steps to the mike with a more reflective vocal. The song summarizes the struggle to become oneself, celebrating the sweet freedom of personal liberation. Unable to sit still for long, Alejandra comes back with another rocker, "Cuenta Conmigo." The song feels a bit out of place after "Libre," but its placement makes perfect sense when you count the bonus track as the true end of the album.
The song "Te Esperaba" ("I Was Expecting" or "While Expecting") is about what it feels like to have a life growing inside you and bringing that life into the world. It is one of the most amazing female vocals I have ever heard, right up there with Sinead O'Connor's "Three Babies" and any of Billie Holiday's best. After a synth-and-lead guitar opening that has the effect of clearing the sound stage, Alejandra begins to sing in a calm and gentle voice—the voice a mother would use to soothe a child. As the piece progresses, Alejandra increases the power with incredible fluidity, firmly grabbing the listener's attention. As the song builds and the melodic line rises, you are filled with a sense of overwhelming anticipation—so much so that when she screams the line "Yo t'esperaba!" the reaction is almost orgasmic. "Te Esperaba" is one of the few songs I can listen to again and again, a truly breathtaking and moving performance that knocks me out every time I hear it—a fabulous ending to a truly exceptional recording.
Alejandra Guzmán may not make it into the hallowed halls in Cleveland, but Libre is a timeless classic that deserved far more attention that it received in that ethnocentric land I used to call home. It is truly one of the masterpieces of rock 'n' roll.
Posted in: 1990's, Classic Music Reviews, Rock, Punk, Alternative, Garage, Women Artists	| Tagged: Alejandra Guzman, Alejandra Guzman Libre, altrockchick, Angeles Caidos, female blogger, female music blogger, Libre, Mala Hierba, mexican rock, sinead o'connor, spanish songs, Te Esperaba, three babies
JP November 19, 2012 at 5:25 pm | Reply
Loved your review. It is one of my favorite Alejandra's records! I've followed her since her early years, and this album was her return after giving birth to her only daughter. She is Mexico's diamond!
altrockchick November 19, 2012 at 6:06 pm | Reply
Thank you! It's a fantastic album and I'll probably do a review on one or two more of her works in the future.
Back in the USA | altrockchick April 1, 2013 at 10:00 am | Reply
[…] The one thing I did manage to accomplish (while my grandmother took her afternoon naps) is add video clips to 95% of the reviews on the site. My favorite finds were a beautiful performance of "King of Bohemia" by Richard Thompson, Anya Marina's "Notice Me" and two extremely hot videos from Alejandra Guzman's Libre. […]
The Nineties | altrockchick August 15, 2013 at 7:01 am | Reply
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Unappreciated Gems | altrockchick August 20, 2013 at 7:29 am | Reply
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text:
Redknee Solutions Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2017 Results
TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2017 /CNW/ – Redknee Solutions Inc. (TSX: RKN) a leading provider of real-time monetization and subscriber management software, reported results for its fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2016. (All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.)
Fiscal Q1 2017 Financial Highlights
(Comparisons made between fiscal Q1FY2017 and fiscal Q1FY2016 results, unless otherwise noted)
Revenue was $37.2 million compared to $50.1 million;
Gross profit was $21.1 million (57% of total revenue) compared to $29.7 million (59% of total revenue);
EBITDA was $2.0 million (5% of total revenue) compared to EBITDA of $3.7 million (7% of total revenue);
Recurring revenue was 67% of revenue, compared to 52%;
Net loss was $6.4 million, or $0.06 loss per share, compared to a net loss of $4.3 million, or $0.04 loss per share;
Cash used in operations was $7.0 million; and,
Order backlog of $162.1 million at December 31, 2016.
Fiscal Q1 2017 Operational Highlights
Successfully implemented Redknee Unified, a converged multi-play billing, charging and customer care platform at Omantel, a leading communication service provider (CSP) in the Middle East;
Completed an expansion of Redknee's real-time monetization and subscriber management platform at Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT); and,
Signed multi-million dollar customer orders in APAC and EMEA, as Redknee continues to see demand for its products and services.
Highlights Subsequent to Quarter End
Was awarded a contract by Telekom Srpske to upgrade its existing BSS solution to Redknee Unified 2016 and expand support to both prepaid and postpaid subscribers; and,
Following shareholder approval, the Company completed a private placement with Wave Systems Corp. (the "Investor"), an affiliate of ESW Capital, LLC("ESW Capital"), of 800,000 Series A Preferred Shares of the Company and a common share purchase warrant to the Investor for gross proceeds of US$83.2 million
(the "Transaction"). The Company subsequently announced the appointment to its board of directors of four nominees of the Investor and accepted the resignations of three directors; and,
Following completion of the Transaction, the Company used a portion of the net proceeds from the Transaction to fully repay all loans and borrowings.
Financial Guidance and Corporate Update
The Company is withdrawing the financial guidance it had previously provided for Fiscal 2017 for revenues of between $170 million and $180 million and adjusted EBITDA of between $15 million and $20 million.
In addition, the Board of Directors concluded that there are opportunities to further restructure the business to improve the operational and financial performance of Redknee with the objective of achieving best in class metrics, while ensuring long-term sustainability of the business.
Accordingly, the Board of Directors has directed management to develop and present various restructuring proposals with a specific focus on realizing additional cost savings, as well as a plan to finance any additional capital required to support any approved restructuring plans.
Management Commentary
"Our recently completed $83.2 million private placement and the restructuring alternatives being discussed will provide Redknee with a solid financial footing, permanently taking off the table any question of financial viability for our customers, employees and shareholders," said Lucas Skoczkowski, Chief Executive Officer, Redknee Solutions Inc. "The involvement of ESW Capital brings the additional benefit of an experienced, long-term strategic partner, as we focus on achieving our short-term goal of delivering best-in-class operating margin performance through additional restructuring opportunities."
"We are redoubling our efforts to support and expand our customer relationships. We are continuing to invest in agile solutions that deliver results for our clients, while broadening our software and service offerings to better address their evolving needs. During the first quarter, we launched a number of client projects and we remain actively engaged throughout the market. We see increasing interest from both clients and potential customers for our industry leading, business critical solutions, and we expect to see a number of exciting opportunities in 2017."
Fiscal Q1 2017 Financial Results
Revenue was $37.2 million compared to $50.1 million in the same year-ago quarter. The decrease resulted mainly from the impact of lower license revenue due to delays in customer purchasing decisions and overall reduced capital and operating spending in the global communication industry, compared to the same year-ago quarter.
Recurring revenue was 67% of total revenue, compared to 52% in the same year-ago quarter.
Order backlog slightly decreased by 3% to $162.1 million compared to $166.8 million in fiscal 2016.
Gross margin was $21.1 million, or 57% of total revenue, compared to $29.7 million, or 59% of total revenue, in the same year-ago quarter. The decrease resulted mainly from lower revenue from high-margin software license deals.
EBITDA was $2.0 million or 5% of revenue compared to EBITDA of $3.7 million, or 7% of revenue, in the same year-ago quarter (see discussion about the presentation of EBITDA, a non-IFRS measure, below).
Net loss was $6.4 million, or $0.06 loss per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $4.3 million, or $0.04 loss per basic and diluted share, in the same year-ago quarter. Net loss in the quarter included the $3.2 million breakage fee payable to an affiliate of Constellation Software Inc., for which the obligation was satisfied by ESW Capital as a prepayment to their subscription.
Total cash at December 31, 2016 was $31.8 million. Cash used in operations was $7.0 million.
Please refer to the section regarding Forward-Looking Statements below which form an integral part of this release. These results, along with the annual audited consolidated financial statements and the Company's MD&A, are available on the Company's website at www.redknee.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
The Company will host a conference call tomorrow (February 9, 2017) to discuss these results. CEO Lucas Skoczkowski and CFO David Charron will host the presentation starting at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. A question and answer session will follow management's presentation.
Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern time (5:30 a.m. Pacific time)
Dial-In Number: 1 (888) 231-8191
International: 1 (647) 427-7450
Conference ID#: 59766721
The presentation will be webcast live and available for replay via either the Investors section of Redknee's website (www.redknee.com) or http://bit.ly/2jWDdXI
Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization.
If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact NATIONAL | Equicom at 1 (416) 586-1955.
A replay of the call will be available until 12:00 midnight (EST) Thursday, February 16, 2017.
Toll-Free Replay Number: 1 (855) 859-2056
International Replay Number: 1 (416) 849-0833
Replay PIN: 59766721
About Redknee Solutions Inc.
Redknee monetizes today's digital world. We provide a complete portfolio of mission-critical monetization and subscriber management solutions and services that allow communications service providers, utility companies, auto makers and enterprise businesses of all types to charge for things in new and innovative ways. Redknee's real-time billing, charging, policy and customer care offerings provide the agility and scalability to drive a unique user experience, increase profitability and support any new product or business model. Available on premise, cloud-based, or as a Software-as-a-Service, Redknee's low-risk, flexible solutions power more than 250 businesses across the globe. Established in 1999, Redknee Solutions Inc. (TSX: RKN) is the parent of the wholly-owned operating subsidiary Redknee Inc. and its various subsidiaries. References to Redknee refer to the combined operations of those entities. For more information about Redknee and its solutions, please go to www.redknee.com.
Non-IFRS Measures
The Company reports "EBITDA", which is not a financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute to net income (loss), operating income or any other financial measures of performance calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS, or as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity. The Company defines EBITDA as net income (loss) excluding amounts for depreciation and amortization, other expenses, finance costs, finance income, income tax expense (recovery), foreign exchange gain (loss) and share-based compensation.
"Recurring revenue," which is not a financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute to revenue. Recurring revenue includes revenue from support and maintenance agreements, long term service agreements, and term-based product licenses and software subscription.
"Order backlog" relates to contractual commitments as at period end, pending to be delivered and will be recognized as revenue in future periods. Order backlog is not a financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute to revenue.
Other companies (including competitors) may define EBITDA, recurring revenue, and order backlog differently. The Company presents EBITDA, recurring revenue, and order backlog because management believes these to be important supplemental measures of performance that are commonly used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in Redknee's industry. Management uses this information internally for forecasting and budgeting. It may not be indicative of the historical operating results of Redknee nor is it intended to be predictive of potential future results. See "Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to EBITDA" below for further information on this non-IFRS measure.
Certain statements in this document may constitute "forward-looking" statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this document, such statements use such words as "may," "will," "expect," "continue," "believe," "plan," "intend," "would," "could," "should," "anticipate" and other similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Persons reading this news release are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Such forward-looking statements include statements respecting order backlog contributing to increased revenue visibility for the Fiscal 2017; the impact of the challenging macro environment on the Company's revenue; our restructuring initiatives and ongoing cost management efforts are expected to result in significantly improved profitability next year; and financial guidance for Fiscal 2017; as well as statements regarding Redknee's future plans, objectives or performance for the current period and subsequent periods and regarding the markets for our products. These statements reflect current assumptions and expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this document. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and assumptions that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially. Such factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions respecting : (i) the conversion of sales pipeline into orders and orders into revenue based on the extent and timing of historical conversion; (ii) the anticipated mix of the sale of products and services of the Company and associated margin being consistent with that realized in the past; (iii) the ability of Redknee to bring new products and services to market and to increase sales; (iv) the strength of the Company's product development pipeline; (v) the estimated size and growth prospects of the markets Redknee seeks to address; (vi) the Company's competitive position in those markets and its ability to take advantage of future opportunities in those markets; (vii) the benefits of the Company's products and services to be realized by its customers; (viii) the demand for the Company's products and services and the extent of deployment of the Company's products and services; (ix) the Company's financial condition and capital requirements; * the stability of general economic and market conditions; (xi) currency exchange rates and interest rates; (xii) capital markets continuing to provide the Company with access to capital. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the failure of demand for Redknee's products to develop as anticipated, the failure to obtain customer orders or meet customer requirements, the inability of Redknee's products to perform as expected, the inability of Redknee to achieve anticipated cost savings in the time frames and to the extent anticipated, unanticipated negative impacts on customer service or product development as a result of costs savings implemented, a material adverse change in the affairs of Redknee, and the factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" section of Redknee's most recently filed AIF which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Redknee's web-site at www.redknee.com. Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proving to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Redknee does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
Redknee Solutions Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position
(Expressed in U.S. dollars)
Trade accounts and other receivables
Unbilled revenue
Income taxes receivable
Investment tax credits
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Accrued liabilities
Income taxes payable
Loans and borrowings
Pension and other long-term employment benefit plans
Shareholders' equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Total shareholders' equity
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Comprehensive Loss
(Expressed in U.S. dollars, except per share and share amounts)
Three months ended December 31,
Software, services and other
Support and subscription
Operating expenditures:
Acquisition and related costs
Restructuring costs
Income (loss) from operations
Foreign exchange gain (loss)
Income tax expense:
Loss for the period
Other comprehensive loss:
Pension actuarial adjustment
Total comprehensive loss
Loss per common share:
Weighted average number of common shares:
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows
Cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities:
Depreciation of property and equipment
Amortization of intangible assets
Unrealized foreign exchange loss
Change in provisions
Change in non-cash operating working capital
Income taxes paid
Financing activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
Purchase of shares under normal course issuer bid
Interest paid on loans and borrowings
Repayment of loans and borrowings
Transaction costs on loans and borrowings
Investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
Purchase of intangible assets
Decrease in restricted cash
Settlement accrual paid
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents
Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA
Net loss for the period
Add back / (subtract):
Foreign exchange (gain) loss


The Varanus MICH IIIA Ballistic Helmet is manufactured according to NIJ 0106.01capable of withstanding 44Mag and 9mm shots. It has an elevated cut design that properly covers the head from most threats. Its includes an 8 Pad suspension system with adjustable straps for a sturdy wear.
• Ballistic Protection Level IIIA against 44Mag and 9mm.
• Weight: 1650 ± 50 grams with full accesories.


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