text:
Home Interview
More Workers Are Saying That Minimum-Wage Jobs Just Aren't Worth It Anymore
Average Global Temperature Has Risen Steadily Under 40 Years of Neoliberalism
We Need a Political Solution — Not More Troops — in Afghanistan, Journalist Says
Chomsky: Biden's "Radical" Proposals Are Minimum Measures to Avoid Catastrophe
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Resigns After Sexual Harassment Probe
Interview August 11, 2021
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced his resignation, effective August 24, after a week of intense pressure from fellow Democrats for him to step down. Cuomo, who has been in office since 2011, had few allies left after an investigation by New York's attorney general found he had sexually harassed at least 11 women — allegations he continues to deny. "Governor Cuomo is still gaslighting New Yorkers," says Yuh-Line Niou, a member of the New York State Assembly representing Manhattan, who says Cuomo must still be impeached. "Impeachment means that New York will not be paying Andrew Cuomo's pension for the rest of his life. Impeachment means that Governor Cuomo will not be able to run for office again."
Texas Governor's Ban on School Mask Mandates Is a "Direct Threat" to Kids
As the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread, many hospitals are reporting record numbers of children being hospitalized, especially in areas with low vaccination rates, including Arkansas, Florida, Missouri and Texas. Dr. Christina Propst, a pediatrician in Houston, says children under 12 who are still ineligible for COVID-19 vaccines are at risk. "They are currently our most vulnerable population, just as this highly transmissible variant is surging across the country," Propst says. She says Texas Governor Greg Abbott's order banning mask mandates in schools is a purely political decision that ignores science. "What he is doing is a direct threat to the health and well-being of the children of Texas," says Propst.
Housing Advocates Welcome CDC Eviction Moratorium But Say It's Not Enough
Interview August 9, 2021
Despite a new two-month moratorium on evictions issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of people in the U.S. are still at risk of losing their homes as landlords in some states fight back against the measure. The new CDC moratorium is "a band-aid over a bullet wound," says Tara Raghuveer, director of KC Tenants, a tenants' rights organization in Kansas City. "This is a very small step. It's the bare minimum. And for many tenants … this will actually not offer the protections that are needed to keep them in their homes."
Today's Crisis in Afghanistan Grew Out of 20 Years of US War
Racial Justice MLK's Family and Civil Rights Leaders Call for Voting Rights March on Washington Environment & Health Democrats Propose Medicare for a Few More Instead of Demanding Medicare for All Politics & Elections GOP Lawmaker Suing Pelosi Over House Mask Rules Contracts COVID Politics & Elections Republicans Balk at Infrastructure Adding to Deficit After Opposing Pay-Fors Economy & Labor Predatory Banks at Walmarts Made Over 100 Percent of Profits From Overdraft Fees Economy & Labor COVID Relief Packages Dramatically Reduced Poverty. They Should Be Permanent. As the United Nations Security Council holds an emergency session to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, we speak with Polk Award-winning journalist Matthieu Aikins, who is based in Kabul. The Taliban have been seizing territory for months as U.S. troops withdraw from the country, and the group is now on the verge of taking several provincial capitals. "In the 13 years I've been working here, I've never seen a situation as grim," says Aikins. TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman. We turn now to Afghanistan. The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency session today to discuss the ongoing crisis in the country. This comes as Taliban fighters are attempting to seize three provincial capitals: Kandahar, Herat and Lashkar Gah. The Taliban has also taken responsibility for a major attack Tuesday outside the home of Afghanistan's defense minister in Kabul that killed eight people, though not him. On Thursday, the European Union condemned the recent Taliban offensive and demanded, quote, "an urgent, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire," unquote. In recent days, the United States has stepped up airstrikes targeting the Taliban in an effort to support the Afghan miliitary. This all comes as the United States is on pace to withdraw its ground troops by the end of August. We go now to Kabul, where we're joined by the journalist Matthieu Aikins. He is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. In 2013, he won a Polk Award for exposing U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. He has a book coming out on refugees in February. Welcome to Democracy Now!, Matt. It's great to have you back. Matthieu, if you could start off by describing the situation on the ground as, what, I believe the U.S. now says they've pulled out 95% of their troops? MATTHIEU AIKINS: Thank you, Amy. It's always a pleasure. Well, in the 13 years I've been working here, I've never seen the situation as grim. Kabul has been quiet for the last few months. That was shattered a couple days ago with this massive suicide attack. The provinces are falling to the Taliban. There's a number of provincial capitals that are encircled. Just today, this afternoon, in fact, we had news that the Taliban have taken over Zaranj, which is the capital of Nimruz province in the southwest of the country. It's a strategic province in terms of its borders with Iran and Pakistan. And the Taliban have entered the city. We are seeing images of that now, and it's the first time that they've seized a provincial capital since the fall of Kunduz in 2015, when the government was able to take it back with U.S. help, including troops on the ground. So, it's a very significant moment, and the bad news just seems to continue. AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about who the Taliban are? MATTHIEU AIKINS: The Taliban are a rurally based insurgency. I mean, at this point they're setting up an alternative government to the Afghan state in their territories. They want to establish an Islamic system, an Islamic emirate. They claim to be fighting to be removing foreigners from their country, foreign troops, foreign occupation. So they call themselves the mujahideen, which is the same name, of course, that was used by fighters against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about the areas of the country that they have control of, and talk about Kabul and also the significance of this latest attack that the Taliban has taken responsibility for outside the defense minister's home. MATTHIEU AIKINS: Well, up until now, the Taliban have largely controlled rural areas. And that really has to do with a split between Afghanistan's cities and its countryside. The cities have benefited a lot more from the last 20 years of foreign military and development presence, whereas the countryside, they've borne the brunt of the violence, and they haven't really benefited as much from development. So, you've seen this rural-urban split. The Taliban have captured a lot of these districts. Now they're trying to encircle cities, and it's going to be a much harder battle for them, because they have less support there, and the government now has fallen back upon its centers, where they have less problems about logistics. They're also getting support from American airstrikes, which have been stepped up in recent days. I think one reason is because American troops are largely out of the country now, so there's less targets for the Taliban to retaliate against. Instead, what they're going to be doing is they're going to be hitting the cities. They're going to be hitting government targets in the cities, like the defense minister's house, which was hit by a massive suicide bombing, as well as a member of Parliament next door. Apparently there was a hundred people meeting in that parliamentarian's house, and it was, you know, very lucky that they were able to actually escape onto the roof, where there was a sort of bridge to a neighboring house. So only eight people were killed, but it could have been an incident with much higher casualties. And we're likely to see more of that as the Taliban start to retaliate and bring pressure on the internationals and the government in response to these airstrikes. AMY GOODMAN: So, the U.N. is meeting now to deal with this issue. The U.N. warned, in a new report that civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the first half of 2021 reached record levels, including a sharp increase in killings and injuries since May, when the international military forces started pulling out. "[W]ithout a significant de-escalation in violence," the report says, "Afghanistan is on course for 2021 to witness the highest ever number of documented civilian casualties in a single year" since the U.N. records began. So, can you talk also about the effect of the U.S. air attacks? They say they're supporting the Afghan military. They've intensified recently. And are they going to end by the end of August? MATTHIEU AIKINS: Well, so far, the Biden administration has not said whether they're going to end by the end of August. They're reserving that right. And these airstrikes are happening now inside of cities, because the Taliban are inside cities. They're in the outskirts of many of these provincial capitals. So they're striking buildings. They're striking heavily populated areas, a lot of civilians, so there are undoubtedly going to be heavy civilian casualties as a result of this urban combat, also on the side of the Taliban, who are, after all, responsible for these offenses into cities. So, the blood of a lot of civilians are going to be on their hands, as well. The fact of the matter is, is if these provincial capitals fall, it might also be quite bloody. It's a kind of a no-win situation, I think maybe similar to what the U.S. faced in Iraq, where airstrikes were necessary to hold back the advance of insurgents from capturing major cities. But at the end of the day, there's very little leverage that the international community or the U.S. has on the Taliban. We've been bombing them, assassinating them, sanctioning them for 20 years. So, as long as they're winning, capturing territory, they have no incentive to come to the bargaining table. So, probably we're going to see brutal, bloody fighting until there's a stalemate of some sort that persuades both sides to talk. And I'm afraid we're quite far away from that. And we're going to see increased civilian casualties and also a massive wave of displacement. There's going to be Afghan refugees who are going to be leaving, who are leaving already in heightened numbers for neighboring countries. And ultimately, some of them are going to try to reach Europe. AMY GOODMAN: And what will happen with them? MATTHIEU AIKINS: Well, you know, it's sad to say, because I covered the major wave of displacement of people who were crossing in rubber rafts across the Mediterranean in 2015, '16. They were walking across mountains and deserts to get there. And since that refugee crisis, what we've seen is these countries have actually hardened their borders. They've built fences. They've built walls. They've built concentration camps, with the support of the European Union, just like the U.S. has fortified its southern border. So, the way is going to be a lot harder, a lot more brutal for these people who are fleeing this disintegration of their country. AMY GOODMAN: You've reported extensively on U.S. war crimes committed in Afghanistan, in the longest U.S. war in history. Can you talk about the legacy of the U.S. invasion and what the United States military leaves in Afghanistan? MATTHIEU AIKINS: Well, I think the military was very focused on short-term solutions. You know, there was this adage that we didn't fight, you know, a 20-year war; we fought 20 one-year wars. With each new troop rotation, people were looking to make solutions that would last to the end of deployment. So, it's kind of no wonder that things are falling apart so quickly, because nothing was made to last really. And so, that's one legacy. The other is that there have been quite brutal human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings committed by Afghan security forces. In Kandahar right now, the Taliban have captured areas like Spin Boldak. They are definitely carrying out extrajudicial killings. There's been evidence. I've heard that from my sources. Many of the people they're targeting are former members of the government security forces, police belonging to General Abdul Raziq, a commander that I reported on, whose men were engaged in documented extrajudicial killings. So, this cycle of violence, this cycle of war crimes is continuing, it's accelerating. And I fear that in the coming months and years that we're going to see as a return to the kind of open, widespread massacres and violations of rights that we've seen in previous years during the civil war. AMY GOODMAN: Although we say U.S. troops are out of Afghanistan within weeks, in fact, thousands of mercenaries will remain there, and other what the U.S. calls support staff. Is this war just going to become much more secret and much more — even less accountable than it is? MATTHIEU AIKINS: I think that the U.S. role in this war is definitely going to become more secret and less accountable, because it's going to be largely carried out by the CIA and special operation forces that are operating under secret, covert authorities. So we're going to know less about it, certainly. And at the same time, though, I think that it's going to become a much more of Afghan war. There's not going to be the same presence that we had before. So, it's very difficult to say what the U.S. will be doing, because we're not going to have a lot of visibility on it. It's going to be a much smaller role, but significant nonetheless. I mean, don't forget that they're bankrolling the Afghan government, paying their salaries. And without that, there would be an even faster collapse of the Afghan security forces. AMY GOODMAN: And what do you think that the U.S. media — of the U.S. media portrayal of what's happening in Afghanistan right now? What's missing, Matthieu? MATTHIEU AIKINS: I think that there is a lack of recognition that what we're seeing now is the consequence of 20 years of bad decisions, of ignoring corruption, human rights abuses. And for all the violations of human rights, the murders, the massacres that the Taliban are undoubtedly carrying out, the violence that they're inflicting on Afghan civilians, the suffering that their offensive is bringing, the threat that they're going to pose to civil society activists, freedom of speech, media — all of which is absolutely real and very condemnable — it is the result of 20 years of violence inflicted on the Taliban in the rural areas, 20 years of interlacing the media and the civil rights, civil society here with this military presence, so that they've become kind of indistinguishable in the eyes of the Taliban. And so, what we're seeing now is the result of two decades, and it's going to be very difficult to turn that ship around. We're going to be witnessing some very awful things, but we should try to keep the context in mind while still condemning them. AMY GOODMAN: Well, Matthieu Aikins, I want to thank you very much for being with us, speaking to us from Kabul, Afghanistan, contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine. Coming up, we will speak with human rights and environmental lawyer Steve Donziger. He took on Chevron for polluting the Ecuadorian Amazon. Today marks year two, two years since he's been under house arrest. You'll find out why. Stay with us. This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
Rep. Ilhan Omar Backs Ballot Initiative That Would Abolish Minneapolis Police
Environment & Health New COVID Variants Threaten to Make Pandemic Permanent Economy & Labor COVID Relief Packages Dramatically Reduced Poverty. They Should Be Permanent. Economy & Labor Predatory Banks at Walmarts Made Over 100 Percent of Profits From Overdraft Fees Environment & Health Biden to Set Goal for Half of All Vehicle Sales to Be Electric by 2030 Environment & Health MO Coroner Says He Alters Death Certificates If Families Dislike COVID Inclusion Environment & Health Biden Made Big Compromises on Climate — and Movements That Backed Him Are Livid Congressmember Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, whose district includes Minneapolis, says she supports a ballot initiative to abolish the city's police department and replace it with a new "Department of Public Safety." Local activists have already gathered tens of thousands of signatures for the move. "We've had a very incompetent and brutal police department for a really long time," says Omar, who adds that while much of the world associates the city's cops with the murder of George Floyd, local residents have witnessed the department's violence for much longer. TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember Omar, speaking of the horror of losing lives unnecessarily, I wanted to pivot to your home state and to your city, Minneapolis, where police killed George Floyd, murdered him, prompting mass protests. Now local activists have gathered more than 22,000 signatures to place a measure on the ballot this November to vote on whether to abolish the city's police department and replace it with a new Department of Public Safety. But the city attached an explanatory note to the ballot initiative that organizers say is a misleading, partial description. They filed a lawsuit to stop the note from being placed on the ballot initiative, saying the city is trying to influence voters with subjective, selective language. You are one of the leaders of this community that has experienced so much trauma. Can you talk about your views on this and what you think would lead to a more just solution, not only in Minneapolis, but it is certainly a model for the whole country? REP. ILHAN OMAR: Yeah. Well, first of all, in regards to the ballot measure and to the tactics of those that want to keep the status quo in place, I say to them, you know, we've dealt with that before in Minnesota in regards to ballot measures, and I believe that this one will also be met with the same fate as the other ones, so I'm confident that we will prevail. We've had a very incompetent and brutal police department for a really long time. And, you know, to the rest of the country and the world, they saw what happened with George Floyd and might have thought this is a one-off situation. I remember witnessing my first police shooting as a teenager, where they put nearly 38 bullets into the body of a mentally ill man who was just released from an institution, who didn't speak a word of English, who couldn't respond to their commands, who was not of any imminent threat to have had his life taken in such a brutal and a shameful way. And so many of us have experienced those kind of killings in front of civilians far too often than we would like to have seen. So, the fact that the Minneapolis Police Department can no longer exist the way it is is one that is understood by the majority of us. And I believe in the fight that people have engaged in, in regards to trying to have a more just system for us, and we'll continue to support their effort. AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you so much for being with us, Congressmember Ilhan Omar, Minnesota congressmember representing the 5th Congressional District, from Mogadishu to Minneapolis. The paperback edition of her memoir has just been released. It's titled This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman. Thanks so much, Congressmember Omar. Well, up next, we go to Lebanon, where security forces fired water cannons and tear gas at protesters marking one year since the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut, killing hundreds, injuring thousands. Stay with us. This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of Apparent War Crimes in Gaza Assault
Interview July 30, 2021
Environment & Health EPA Approval of PFAS for Fracking May Spell a New Health Crisis for Communities Politics & Elections Both the Delta Variant and Thin-Willed Democrats Are Lethal to Our Society Environment & Health Biden Promotes $100 Incentives to Encourage Unvaccinated to Get Their Shots Environment & Health Exxon-Influenced Senators Carved Climate Out of Infrastructure Almost Entirely Environment & Health Chomsky: We Need Genuine International Cooperation to Tackle the Climate Crisis Politics & Elections The Right Wing Wants Misinformation and Manufactured Ignorance, Not Democracy Human Rights Watch is calling on the International Criminal Court to open a probe into apparent Israeli war crimes committed during its recent 11-day assault on Gaza that killed 260 Palestinians, including 66 children. We discuss a major report HRW released this week that closely examines three Israeli strikes that killed 62 Palestinians civilians in May. U.S.-made weapons were used in at least two of the attacks investigated. Human Rights Watch concluded Israel had committed apparent war crimes. "You had people's entire lives — their homes, their businesses, their wives, their children, their husbands — gone in a flash," says Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, who helped lead the investigation. "The international community focuses on Gaza maybe when there are armed hostilities. But two months later these families continue to deal with the aftermath of the devastation wrought upon their lives." TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, Democracynow.org, the War and Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman. Human Rights Watch is calling on the International Criminal Court to open a probe into apparent Israeli war crimes committed during its recent 11-day assault on Gaza that killed 260 Palestinians, including 66 children. Human Rights Watch concluded Israel had committed apparent war crimes after closely examining three Israeli strikes that killed 62 Palestinian civilians in May. U.S.-made weapons were used in at least two of the attacks investigated. Human Rights Watch released this video to accompany its new report. A warning to our audience, the video contains graphic content, including the sounds of military attacks on civilians. NARRATOR: On May 10, 2021, 11 days of hostilities began between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, in the Gaza Strip and Israel. The fighting took place amid escalating repression in occupied East Jerusalem and the prolonged closure of the Gaza Strip. These policies and practices reflect the Israeli government's crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. PEOPLE: [shouting and screaming] NARRATOR: Human Rights Watch conducted in-depth investigations into three Israel strikes that killed 62 Palestinian civilians and involved serious violations of the laws of war and apparent war crimes. PERSON: Human Rights Watch will be reporting in August 2021 on Palestinian armed group attacks that caused civilian casualties. NARRATOR: In the northeastern corner of the Gaza Strip, outside Beit Hanoun town shortly after 6:00 p.m. on May 10, a guided missile struck near four houses belonging to the extended al-Masri family. Members of the family were packing processed barley for animal feed into sacks at the time. YOUSSEF ATALLAH AL-MASRI: [translated] My brother Ibrahim and I were around 150 to 200 meters away. When they struck our children, we were facing the events. We saw it with our own eyes when they were hit. I ran to them right away. I found our children scattered. They were scattered on the floor, ripped to pieces, blood and brain fragments. PEOPLE: [shouting] NARRATOR: Israeli authorities have said that the attack involved a misfired Palestinian rocket coming from the West but have produced no evidence to back up this claim. Witnesses saw a munition approaching them from the east, from Israel. Based on munition remnants found at the scene of the attack and witnesses' descriptions, we determined that the six children and two adults were most likely killed by a type of guided missile used to attack military vehicles or personnel in the open. Six days after the attack, the Israeli authorities also included the photo of one man killed in the Beit Hanoun attack on a list of militant group activists they said had been killed in unspecified locations. Human Rights Watch's interviews with witnesses who knew him indicate the man was a civilian. Our research uncovered no evidence of a military target at or near the site. We therefore found the attack to be unlawful. MOHAMMAD ATTALAH AL-MASRI: [translated] It was a scene I could never expect. Everyone cries and screams every day. Do you know what my wife wants? She wants me to sell the house. She cannot accept how her children were all killed. NARRATOR: Al-Shati Refugee Camp, located northwest of Gaza City, is one of the most densely populated places in the world. At about 1:40 a.m. on May 15, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a three-story building in the camp, killing two women and eight of their children. ALAA ABU HATTAB: [translated] I lived with my wife and five children in the house. Our home was filled with love, peace, and happiness. We had been living here for 30 years. There was no prior notice, no phone call, no order to vacate. That night I went to buy bread for dinner. All of a sudden there were sounds of explosion in the air. I found that my own home had been struck. PEOPLE: [shouting] NARRATOR: The Israeli military said it struck the building because senior Hamas officials were there. It also separately said that they had targeted a bunker under or near the building. None of the witnesses Human Rights Watch interviewed were aware of any militants or other military targets in or near the building. The Israeli authorities have presented no such evidence. PEOPLE: [shouting] ALAA ABU HATTAB: [translated] I had a reality. I had a dream here. I had a family here. Now I have no family and no home. My only daughter and I are on the street. They destroyed everything in my life. They destroyed my life entirely. NARRATOR: At about 1:00 a.m. on May 16, the Israeli military launched a four-minute attack in the heart of Gaza City along five streets including Al-Wahda Street, causing three multistory residential buildings to collapse. OMAR ABU EL-OUF: [translated] Me, my father and mother, and my brother and sister, we started hearing the sound of loud explosions. After the second missile landed, the house started to sway right and left as if it were about to fall down and collapse. I pulled my sister by the arm towards the hallway and held her in order to shield her. And suddenly, we saw the third missile coming from the window, and the hallway's entire wall collapsed, and the whole floor suddenly disappeared, and everything fell on us. And afterwards, the fourth missile came down on us and destroyed everything. NARRATOR: Human Rights Watch determined that the three buildings collapsed after missiles struck the road or sidewalk next to the buildings. The Israeli military said that they targeted tunnels used by armed groups. Later they said the attack had targeted an underground command center, but without providing any details or evidence. OMAR ABU EL-OUF: [translated] Why did they kill my family? Why did they kill my mother and father? Why did they turn me into an orphan? Who will in the end give me justice? NARRATOR: The attacks killed 44 civilians, including 14 women, 12 men and 18 children. It also injured about 50 others. The Israeli military used powerful weapons in a heavily populated residential area putting the lives of scores of civilians at risk. Since then they have produced no evidence of a military target in the vicinity to justify the attack. If there was a military target, they have also not shown that it was important enough to justify the risk to civilians. As a result, these attacks were unlawful. The U.N. says that Israeli airstrikes in May killed at least 129 civilians, including 66 children. The Israeli military said that Palestinian armed groups in Gaza fired more than 4,360 rockets and mortars towards Israel between May 10 and May 21, resulting in 12 civilian deaths, including two children. Several Palestinians also died in Gaza when rockets fired by armed groups fell short and landed in Gaza. Rockets that Palestinian armed groups fire at Israel are inherently indiscriminate when directed toward areas with civilians. Their use in such circumstances violates the laws of war and amounts to war crimes. For years, Israeli and Palestinian authorities have systematically failed to credibly investigate alleged war crimes. The International Criminal Court prosecutor should investigate Israeli attacks in Gaza that evidently killed civilians unlawfully, rocket attacks by Palestinian armed groups against Israel that violate the laws of war, and other grave abuses, including the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. AMY GOODMAN: That new video produced by Human Rights Watch. The video was released along with a new report titled Gaza: Apparent War Crimes During May Fighting. We are joined now by Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch. He is joining us from Amman, Jordan. What were you most shocked by in these interviews, in this investigation into what happened in Israel's last attack on Gaza? OMAR SHAKIR: Amy, some of the testimonies that we collected are among the most harrowing I have ever come across in my four and a half years working on Israel-Palestine. You had strikes that wiped out entire families. You had cases where families were reduced from having seven or eight kids to having one surviving member of their family. You had people's entire lives, their homes, their businesses, their wives, their children, their husbands gone in a flash. And those testimonies are so important for us to discuss today because the international community focuses on Gaza maybe when there are armed hostilities, but two months later, these families continue to deal with the aftermath of the devastation wrought upon their lives. And it's critically important to them and to all victims of grave human rights abuse that there is accountability for these serious abuses and that steps are taken by the international community to prevent yet another cycle of bloodshed and repression. This wasn't the first and it won't be the last unless we take grave, definitive action. AMY GOODMAN: What has been the response of the Israeli government to your report, Omar? To Human Rights Watch's report? OMAR SHAKIR: Human Rights Watch wrote to the Israeli government in June. We specified the strikes that we were looking into. We sent them a number of detailed questions. They replied to our letter saying that they were not obligated under Israeli law to answer our questions and providing a list of general assertions, stating, for example, that they took measures to minimize the impact from their strikes. That fault belongs to Hamas because according to them they fire from populated areas. And saying that of course they would investigate these strikes. But these are the same allegations, these are the same claims they trot out each time. They did so in 2008, in 2012, in 2014, in 2018, in 2019. And they are doing so again today. The reality is that there is a whitewash mechanism within Israel that ensures that these abuses are not investigated, that impunity is the norm. And that is why it is so important that the International Criminal Court include these attacks as well as their larger context, including apartheid and persecution, in the formal probe that they are currently working on. AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to ask you about the change in perception in the United States about what is happening with the Israeli government and the occupation. I remember that front page photo display. It was Friday, May 28th. And the headline was, "They were just children." And it shows scores of more than 65 children's faces in Gaza who died in the attack. OMAR SHAKIR: That sort of reporting should be the norm, Amy, and it is unfortunate that for too many years, that has not been the case. The reality here is for too often Palestinian deaths, when they are covered—I mean, just this week as you mentioned in the lead to the news program today, you had a 20-year-old Palestinian who was killed. Killed while in a protest over the killing of a 12-year-old. And an organization, whose work is the defense for children in international Palestine, to document children's deaths, had their offices raided this week by the Israeli army. Too often, these sorts of events do not make the international news cycle. These sorts of events highlight the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. There is certainly, Amy, growing awareness, I think, that apartheid and persecution are the reality for millions of Palestinians. I think we saw a shift in the latest hostilities, including members of the U.S. Congress, who did not just focus on the latest Palestinian rocket or Israeli airstrike, but looked at what they described as root causes of the conflict. Looking at the larger context, the discriminatory treatment of Palestinians. That is so important, because the first step to solving any problem is to diagnose it correctly. So recognition needs to happen. And then the action needs to be taken that is commensurate with that problem, in this case ending complicity with grave crimes as well as ensuring accountability for them. AMY GOODMAN: You talked about the killing of the 12-year-old Palestinian boy. He was named Mohammed al-Alami, sat in the backseat of his father's car in an Israeli checkpoint north of Hebron. The 11th Palestinian child killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank this year. That is according to Defense for Children International, which publicized Mohammed's killing on Wednesday. Yesterday, Israeli forces raided the group's main office, seizing files about Palestinian children in Israeli detention. Can you comment on this? OMAR SHAKIR: Absolutely. There has been a systematic assault on human rights advocacy, on the individuals and groups that are reporting, documenting, speaking out against the reality of Israeli repression. For international groups, that can take the form of denials of entry or deportation. For Israeli groups, it can be smear campaigns. But Palestinian groups face it the worst. This is not the only example of the army raiding a human rights organization. It happened a couple of years ago with the group Addameer. And it is not limited to that. As we speak, there are Palestinian human rights defenders that are sitting in an Israeli prison over their activism and advocacy. There are Palestinian human rights defenders who face a travel ban, a punitive ban that seems linked to the work they do promoting awareness and calling for an end to Israeli repression. So it is important for the international community to speak out to defend the space for human rights advocacy and human rights groups to operate. Because if the international community cannot protect the space for human rights groups to report on human rights abuse, how are they ever going to stop human rights abuse in the first place? These are not one-offs. This is part of a systematic practice, and it must end. AMY GOODMAN: Omar Shakir is Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch. We will link to your report Gaza: Apparent War Crimes During May Fighting. And Omar, we are going to ask you to stay with us for our next segment as we look at the fallout from Ben & Jerry's decision to halt ice cream sales in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli government claims the move is anti-Semitic, but many Jewish groups, including J Street, support Ben & Jerry's decision. Stay with us. This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
Civil Rights Leader, Educator Bob Moses Dies at 86
We remember the life of Bob Moses, the civil rights leader who left his job as a New York City high school teacher to register Black voters in Mississippi in the 1960s, facing down horrific violence and intimidation to become one of the icons of the movement. He died Sunday at age 86. Moses spent his later years as an advocate for improved math education, teaching thousands of students across the United States through the Algebra Project, the nonprofit he founded. Moses spoke to Democracy Now! in 2009, on the first day of the Obama presidency, recalling the 1964 fight for Black representation within the Democratic Party, the struggle against Jim Crow in the South and his passion for education. "In our country, I think we run sharecropper education," Moses said, warning that unequal educational opportunities would continue racial disparities in the country. "We need a constitutional amendment, something which simply says every child in the country is a child of the country and is entitled to a quality public school education."
Native Youth Lead Return of 10 Children's Remains From Carlisle Indian School
The remains of nine Indigenous children were buried by the Rosebud Sioux in South Dakota after being transferred back from the former Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, where the children were forcibly sent over 140 years ago. Carlisle was the first government boarding school off reservation land, and it set the standard for other schools with its motto, "Kill the Indian,
Black Feminist "Back Talk" Anchors Resistance on Both Sides of the Atlantic
Professor Akwugo EmejuluBlack Female Professors Forum "Britain demands that I give up my back talk and 'know my place,'" sociologist Akwugo Emejulu tells me. "I've been told to shut up, directly or indirectly, more times than you would imagine. But how could I when there's so much to be said, plainly and without artifice?" In her work, Emejulu — a Black feminist scholar at the University of Warwick in England — provides us with an unfiltered look at the racism and oppression faced by Black British women across significant domains of unequal employment, housing and health care, especially within the context of COVID-19. She documents how Black women's suffering is exponentially increased relative to such crises as austerity in the U.K. And Emejulu also discusses the shared global dimensions of anti-Black racism vis-à-vis Black women.
Black Womanist Theology Offers Hope in the Face of White Supremacy
Interview June 19, 2021
The language of "American racial reckoning" has been frequently cited since the tragic murder of George Floyd and the raising of American consciousness regarding its history of systemic racism. The ongoing murders of Black people by the police, and the profound ways in which Black people must continue to struggle against forms of anti-Black inequity across various political, social and economic indices, prove that there needs to be a robust reckoning. And yet, these realities perpetuate forms of anti-Black pain and suffering that thwart and belie such reckoning.


text:
Q: Probability of three events occurring given correlation? I am facing a problem that I cannot find the answer to. I have three variables, A, B and C. There are only two possibilities for each of these, A either happens or it does not, B happens or it does not and C happens or it does not. I know that if these events are independent that the probability of them all occurring is simply $P(A)\cdot P(B)\cdot P(C)$. So if the probability of each happening is 10% then all three have a $10\%·10\%·10\% = 0.1\%$ probability of occurring. But how would this formula change if the events were not independent but were instead positively correlated.
I can solve this for just two variables with the formula:
$P(A \cap B) = P(A)\cdot P(B) + \rho_{AB}\cdot \sqrt{P(A)\cdot (1-P(A))\cdot P(B)\cdot (1-P(B))} $, where $\rho_{AB}$ is the correlation coefficient between A and B.
How would I change this formula to calculate the probability that A, B and C all occur? I.e. calculating $P(A \cap B \cap C)$ knowing $P(A)$, $P(B)$, $P(C)$, $\rho_{AB}$, $\rho_{AC}$, $\rho_{BC}$.
Thanks in advance for the help!

A: As I found out in this presentation, where the above-mentioned issue is dealt with in the context of default correlations, the problem is not possible to be solved with the inputs given.
I.e., when 3 events have defined probabilities of happening, the pairwise correlations are not enough to construct the joint probability of all 3 events happening.
In the context of default correlations, complex problems of correlations of events are solved using other methods such as Copula functions.

A: I believe you can take the average correlation and plug it in while adding the addition P(C) & P(C)⋅(1−P(C)) to each side of the equation.
This at least works for my use case.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I am wanting to make a Double Wedding Ring quilt. But, I'm so confused about which templates to use. I've seen the Marti Michell's, the one's by Creative Grids, Wright's & Omnigrid by Sharlene Jorgenson. I have the Rings that Bind book but, it didn't come with the templates.
So what are your suggestions? I respect your opinions so much & know you won't steer me wrong.
In my opinion it is not the templates that matter but the piecing. Finding good instructions for piecing the melons and keeping true to your seam allowances is the key.
Surf some of these videos to find the one that shows you best how to do the melons and corners as they are the key points to be precise with.
I used the Quilt in a Day method from the Egg Money Quilts book. It work so easily for me. I just loved it and will probably make another.
There is a video showing it on the Quilt in a Day website.
I'm planning to use the free vintage pattern on the McCalls Quilting website.
I have used Shar's templates for several DWR quilts. They are Great!


Using 004010x096 (4010a1 837) is it a valid compliant action to deny a claim that does not contain a full 9-digit zip code in N403?
Using the code validation from the USPS as referenced in the IG, surely a claim submitted with a five digit zip-code is considered as compliant. Restricting claims submission to only use of a 9-digit zip-code would therefore be considered non-compliant processing.
This issue is explicitly addressed in guide 004010X096. The data element for all N403 locations references code source 22 as the defining agency (See Appendix C). That code source references the US Postal Service (USPS). Since the USPS defines the ZIP Code in both the 5 digit and 9 digit formats, either is acceptable from a guide compliance perspective. Trading partner needs for processing would be determined by a companion guide, which could identify a specific trading partner's need to receive a 9 digit ZIP Code. See section 1.1.1. In that case, 5 digits could not be rejected as non-compliant, but could result in the inability of the receiver to process the business transaction - in this case, to process the institutional claim.


I have an Air Venturi 90 cubic inch , 4500 PSI tank and was wondering what people do for tank protection. I find it odd that Air Venturi doesn't sell something to help protect their very expensive air tanks, or other vendors for that matter (Omega, Benjamin, etc.). In the paintball world there are several options for tank "gloves" which I might be able to repurpose for my pcp tank. Otherwise I may end up doing a custom neoprenen cover myself.
Also, the reg on my tank is factory set at 2900 PSI output. Is there a anway to inrease the output pressure to let's say 3000-3200? Thanks.
I then bought strap set with foam bumpers for it.
I made this for my 90ci Benjamin tank.
Mine fits in a camelback backpack.
AirTanksPlus has a nice bag custom made for the 88 and 90 cu in tanks. Not too pricy at $34.00 + shipping. Your small bottle cost 9 to10 times that.
This reply was modified 1 month ago by vdwb.
I like yours best. Very talented.
Props to Loren…your custom bag is killer. Wish vendors sold gear like that.
I found something that might work from Valken.
Anybody try shimming the stock regulator for increased output pressure? 2900 psi would be fine shooting directly from the HPA tank, but I mainly just use it for cylinder refills on my PCP. Would like to top off my cylinder at 3200 psi. Right now I can only fill to 2900 from the tank, then have to hand pump the rest to get up to 3200 on my gun.
Props to Loren...your custom bag is killer. Wish vendors sold gear like that.
Here's what I made for my 72cu.ft. tank. It's easy to carry and won't roll around or bang the ends. 2×6 cut 1/4" larger the tank diameter. Scuba carrying handle with straps screwed to 2×6 with 2×4 to keep straps apart.Cost 20.00 for scuba tank carry handle.
Here's what I made for my 72cu.ft. tank. It's easy to carry and won't roll around or bang the ends. 2x6 cut 1/4" larger the tank diameter. Scuba carrying handle with straps screwed to 2x6 with 2x4 to keep straps apart.Cost 20.00 for scuba tank carry handle.
I made one for my a/v 90ci from an old wetsuit. It aint pretty but it is protected. Good enough for me.
I made a standup box for my 60. I take it when teathered or heading up north for a weekend. I need to make something simular for the Scott 30. The brown pack holds my 90cc Venturi that I carry with me for my Mrod/Prod or other 2900 guns. The black pack holds my 4500 Ninja 70 cc bottle that works for any guns. I like it for carring when I am hunting with a bigbore. It gives me a couple fills in the field.
WOW, you have mad talents! Those protective / carry bags you have made are REALLY nice! I'm sure there would be people lining up to buy those if you ever decided to market them. I thought what I came up with was nice until I saw what you did.
Loren's tank bags are very well made. Last year I decided to get out of PCPs, and sold my tank and bag, but that was a mistake, and I've been drawn back……..so, I got another tank and Loren was the next person I contacted. This will be my second tank bag and should be on my doorstep tomorrow.
Loren's tank bags are very well made. Last year I decided to get out of PCPs, and sold my tank and bag, but that was a mistake, and I've been drawn back........so, I got another tank and Loren was the next person I contacted. This will be my second tank bag and should be on my doorstep tomorrow.
You are very, very talented with a commercial sewing machine. Your tank bags are awesome! There is a market for those.
I use pool noodle and have the harness custom made.
Cheap foam works to keep from rolling around, gives a little protection and a handle makes it easy to carry.
This reply was modified 1 month ago by stoti.
This tank stand was made using scrap wood, bungee cord, and dowel rod for spacers. The 6.8L tank is padded around the base and shoulder using ventilated rubber shelf liner cut to fit. It is covered by 2 gray knit ski caps with a hole cut in the top of one cap for the valve. The two ski caps were hand stitched together around the middle of the tank. The rubber handle velcro strap costs $13 from an online scuba supply shop. Two large zip ties are to keep the velcro straps tight. Total cost was about $20.
This reply was modified 1 month ago by Humdinger.


Twenty-six-year-old Kymani can't seem to catch a break lately. Over the past few years, his life has gone from unlimited potential to feeling stuck and uncertain about the future. His dead-end job offers no comfort or hope of change and his love life is nonexistent, making everything twice as hard to cope with. One day a chance meeting sets Kymani on a new path and breathes newfound motivation into his life that could turn things around once and for all.
Twenty-four-year-old Chareese has been living check to check, barely surviving since she has to settle for a low-paying job. All the trials and tribulations that come from being broke are compounded by the fact that she doesn't have someone to share her life with. Being young and beautiful isn't doing her any justice at all, that is, until she decides to make her love life a top priority. They say you can't help who you love and when Chareese and Kymani meet, they're both able to look past each other's struggles and into one another's heart.
But monetary strain doesn't just magically go away because you find a love connection and when Chareese meets Landslide, a neighborhood hustler, he seems to be the answer to all of her financial woes. When love won't pay the bills, what's a girl to do? Can Kymani step up to the plate and be everything she needs? Will Chareese stay down through the tough times or will Landslide sweep Chareese off of her feet and leave Kymani forever broke and lonely?
BREAKDOWN is fast paced, thrilling 4-book suspense series that will keep you turning pages until the end. Advance reviews describe BREAKDOWN as "unique," "brilliant" and "the best series of the year." You'll want all 4 books, which are best read in order – the dead girl by Debra Webb, so many secrets by Vicki Hinze, all the lies by Peggy Webb and what she knew by Regan Black. Also, don't miss the BREAKDOWN prequel short reads – no looking back, Debra Webb, her deepest fear, Vicki Hinze, just one look, Peggy Webb and trust no one, Regan Black.
Followingthe brutal abduction of a friend, Peter is drawn into a sinister scheme, fueledby century-old animosity, which threatens peace in the Pacific.
In the East China Sea, Japanese and American warships onscheduled training exercises are attacked without warning and sunk by ahypersonic weapon for which there seems to be no defense. The U.S. Governmentreceives an anonymous message: withdraw all military forces from Southeast Asiaor suffer total destruction of the Seventh Fleet.
Meanwhile, a young woman named Jade is viciously attacked inBend, Oregon. She narrowly escapes harm when Peter steps in to protect her fromthe would-be kidnappers. But the threat persists when others are sent tocomplete the job.


text:
No room at the inn — Aspen's tourist accommodations full, big days expected on slopes through Saturday
Scott Condon and Erica Robbie
Passengers wait for their luggage to arrive at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport on Wednesday. Occupancy in tourist accommodations was expected to reach its peak Wednesday night.
Anna Stonehouse/The Aspen Times |
Hotels and other tourist accommodations are full. Aspen Skiing Co. expects the busiest day on the slopes in one of the next three days. Restaurants are telling patrons to expect waits of at least two hours without advance dinner reservations. Shopkeepers are reporting brisk sales.
Yep, it's prime time in Aspen and Snowmass.
The occupancy rate in tourist accommodations in Aspen and Snowmass climbed for 12 successive days starting Dec. 16, according to Bill Tomcich, president of Stay Aspen Snowmass, a central reservations agency. They reached the peak Wednesday night and will remain at that level through Saturday.
The reservations on the books as of Dec. 15 created a 96 percent occupancy rate in Aspen and 92 percent rate in Snowmass Village, Tomcich said. Last-minute bookings undoubtedly boosted those numbers higher, he said.
"For all practical purposes, we're all sold out through New Year's Eve. Basically, all that's left now is crumbs." — Bill Tomcich, Stay Aspen Snowmass
"For all practical purposes, we're all sold out through New Year's Eve," Tomcich said. "Basically, all that's left now is crumbs."
Aspen Skiing Co. uses the occupancy reports to gauge when the waves of travelers will hit the slopes. The peak day is typically Dec. 31, according to Skico spokesman Jeff Hanle. However, with the lodges full, the peak day on the slopes could come whenever there is a bluebird day, he said.
The forecast is favorable for big days on the slopes Thursday and Friday. The National Weather Service's forecast for Aspen calls for 36 degrees and sunny today and mostly sunny and 39 degrees Friday. There's a chance for snow Saturday.
"I can't tell you when the peak is until it happens," Hanle said.
Peak day over the holidays typically means more than 11,000 skiers and snowboarders at Snowmass, the busiest of Skico's four ski areas.
Skico is ready for the crowds. It has 5,244 acres open across it four ski areas. That's 96 percent of available terrain.
The walk-up price for a single-day lift ticket topped out at $159. Advanced purchases reduced the price by amounts that vary with the number of days purchased.
From ski shops and pizza joints to luxury retail and high-end restaurants, every downtown Aspen business interviewed by The Aspen Times on Wednesday said business is bustling this holiday season. In fact, several managers reported record-breaking sales this season, while others said business is substantially up from last winter.
Hamilton Sports manager Emily Ernst said the 20-year-old ski shop's sales Dec. 23 set a store record.
"We've never been so busy, ever," Ernst said.
She noted that sales for women's outerwear have more than doubled last year's figures.
The store's gross sales are about 30 percent up from last year, according to Greg Ernst, a partner at Hamilton Sports.
"I think it's good for all of town," he said. "Small businesses are the ones who need it the most. When business is good, locals get excited."
Greg Ernst estimated that the spike in holiday sales started around Dec. 17 or 18.
New York Pizza manager Emily Van Amburgh said the popular pizza place, which was packed around 4 p.m. Wednesday, is "absolutely maxed."
"This has been our busiest year," Van Amburgh said. "And the holidays are insane."
White House Tavern general manager Helen McIntyre said the restaurant's wait lists have hit times of as long as 21/2 hours as of late. The restaurant's sales this holiday season are up about 20 percent over this time last year, she said.
"We really picked up — I mean like really picked up — three or four days before Christmas," McIntyre said Wednesday. "Yesterday and today have been by far the most busy, which is great. We love that."
Pitkin County Dry Goods manager Petra Gregory said the store's busiest time is always between Christmas and New Year's and that this holiday has been "busier than last year."
This week could be busier than normal during the holidays. When Christmas and New Year's Day fall on a Sunday, it means the week before Christmas is quieter than normal and business is compressed between the holidays, according to resort veterans.
Occupancy in Aspen's tourist accommodations falls off starting Jan. 1. Snowmass is looking at a stronger week than usual Jan. 1 to 7 because of a large conference, Tomcich said.
scondon@aspentimes.com erobbie@aspentimes.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
ABOUT ADVOCATE
Run IT like a business by leveraging Advocate's Technology Business Management expertise to accelerate better business outcomes with TBM-as-a-Service.
TBM-as-a-Service
We utilize our marketplace intelligence, decision analytics and acceleration capabilities to provide unparalleled services.
Insider Marketplace
Since 2001, we have been providing the knowledge that can only come with being fully immersed in the industry.
Insider Summit
Do what
Scott Crowder
SVP & CIO of BMC Software
ScottCrowder
Scott Crowder is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for BMC Software, Inc. He is responsible for the company's Information Services and Technology group, which provides business applications, end user support, production and R&D cloud infrastructure, unified communications, information security and service governance.
The IS&T group serves as "Customer Zero" for BMC's full line of IT operations management software. As Customer Zero, the IS&T group runs all current versions in production and works closely with the company's R&D teams to provide feedback on product roadmaps and test new versions in development.
Scott has more than 30 years of experience in product development, service delivery and assurance for information technology organizations. Prior to joining BMC, Scott was vice president of data center operations at Blackbaud where he was responsible for delivering managed services, SaaS CRM, CMS and eCommerce services for approximately 12,000 customers. Previously, he held IT leadership positions in high technology companies that included Sprint, Akamai, Inktomi, MIH (Entriq) and Kintera.
Scott holds two patents related to digital media. He is a veteran of the U.S Air Force.
Todd Lant
CIO of Blackbaud
ToddLant
Leveraging his 20 years of experience in providing competitive advantage through front and back office solutions, Todd Lant is Blackbaud's Chief Information Officer. In this role, he is responsible for all applications and infrastructure supporting global IT operations, including M&A, software development, business intelligence, security, project management, cloud computing, infrastructure, telecommunications and service desk functions. Since joining Blackbaud, he has led the company through significant growth, both organically and through acquisitions, and helped develop subscription and cloud-based solution offerings and supporting platforms. Prior to Blackbaud, Todd held various commercial software and telecommunications IT leadership positions.
As an accomplished leader in technology and business, Todd speaks on technology trends focused on strategic decision making at industry and customer events. He has been a contributing member of regional technology development activities and hosts occasional MBA sessions; as well as an avid support of local non-profits and educational institutions. He currently serves on the board of the Charleston YMCA, The Cathedral Church of St. Luke's and St. Paul's, The Citadel's Department of Engineering Leadership & Program Management program, and Charleston Southern University's Computer Science department. Todd has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration with an Economic focus from Georgia State University.
David Guthrie
Founder and Chief Technology Officer of GTS
DavidGuthrie
David is a high-profile technology and business executive who has served in the capacity as Chief Technology Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Product Officer for numerous public and private hi-tech and healthcare IT companies over the last 30 years. Currently, as Chief Technology Officer at Guthrie Technology Services, he serves in multiple fractional Technology Officer and Product Officer roles for companies around the country.
To demonstrate his business acumen, strategic planning skills, and fresh thinking, David co-founded Medcast from the ground up, which was sold to WebMD for $215M in a four-way merger with WebMD, Healtheon, Medi-America and Medcast.
He led the development of PGi's hybrid global VoIP network and SaaS Collaboration services for 50,000 customers globally. After serving as Chief Technology Officer and Advanced Strategy at PGi for 15 yrs. PGi sold to Siris Capital in December 2015 for $1.1B.
David has been selected for the Georgia Chief Information Officer Lifetime Achievement Award and was chosen by ComputerWorld as a Premier 100 Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Officer. He also holds twenty patents.
Mark Benaquista
Managing Director of Thomas H. Lee Partners
MarkBenaquista
Mark is a champion of technology's transformative power to provide the services and solutions that support business strategies and drive key decisions. He is a charismatic, results-driven leader and an agent of change with decades of business intelligence gained at Thomas H. Lee firms (Ten-X/Auction.com, inVentiv Health, iHeartMedia, Health Staffing Services, Systems Maintenance Services), Warner Music Group, Merck & Co., and JP Morgan. As a member of THL's Strategic Resource Group, Mark leads a cross-portfolio technology program. He collaborates with THL's portfolio C-Suite members to drive value creation opportunities. He and his extended team have generated tens of millions in enterprise value through the program. Recently, he partnered with HSS management to transform the business from legacy paper-driven processes to a digital workflow enterprise.
Greg Ogle
Vice President of Global IT Infrastructure of Equinix
GregOgle
Greg is a senior IT leader with over 20 years of experience leading and participating on functionally diverse teams in challenging environments at esteemed companies like Oracle and VeriSign, and for nearly 10 years at Equinix, a global leader in data center and platform communications. As a senior IT leader at Equinix, he currently manages the Global IT Infrastructure organization and previously managed the Front Office IT Applications teams. Greg's specialties include creating, communicating and measuring business focused IT strategies; designing, developing and scaling IT technologies and operations; and executing domestic and international acquisitions and divestitures.
Brian Lillie
Former CIO, CCO, & CPO of Equinix
BrianLillie
Brian Lillie is a seasoned leader/executive with 30 years' experience leading small-and large-scale organizations in challenging private and public sector environments. Currently serving on two public company Boards, Lumentum and Talend, advising private equity firm GI Partners, and advising venture capital firms and startups in the Silicon Valley.
Tim Wise
Co-Founder/President
TimWise
Tim Wise is the co-founder and CEO of Advocate, The Premier TBM Services Company, that provides enterprise clients with Technology Business Management (TBM) consultation and services to reduce IT costs and connect new demands with real-world IT savings.
He has 20 years of experience in the domestic and international telecommunications industry specializing in financial and business case modeling, procurement and contract negotiations and strategic planning.
Before co-founding Advocate Consulting in 2001, Tim was the co-founder and COO of Rapid Link Communications, an international telecom service provider, where he led the growth from inception to over $55M with offices globally in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
He has also been recognized by Inc. 500/5000, with three different companies – Rapid Link Communications (1999), Avoxi Communications (2004) and Advocate Consulting (2006-2015 for 10 consecutive years).
He is an investor and serves on the Board of Directors of Social123, a leading social data aggregation company.
He practiced law in the area of corporate litigation from 1994-1997.
Tim holds a Juris Doctorate from The University of South Carolina Law School and a degree in Finance, magna cum laude, from The University of South Carolina. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina with his family.
Scott Fogle
ScottFogle
Scott Fogle gained his insider knowledge of products, sales and professional services at leading companies like NCR, AT&T and Scientific-Atlanta. He met Tim Wise at RapidLink Telecommunications in 1998, as they began their entrepreneurial pursuits. In 2000, Scott started Dantis, a web hosting company, and was Chief Operating Officer. In 2001, Tim Wise and Scott Fogle founded Advocate to help enterprises create a clear strategy for structuring their growing internet-connected systems. The firm would soon emerge as a leader in TEM … and then network optimization … and ultimately become a premier TBM consulting and services company. After working with IT leaders at over 600 enterprises to assess over $50 Billion in spend, Advocate knows how to uncover more savings to invest, enable more business outcomes and create more influence overall to do what matters more.
Scott has been recognized on the Inc. 500/5000 with two separate companies – Rapidlink and Advocate (11 consecutive years). He graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1987 and holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with Honors. Scott is a member of the Board of Directors at Pinnacle Bank and lives with his wife, Donna, outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
Brett Fleischman
BrettFleischman
Brett Fleischman serves as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Brett oversees the Enablement team which consists of accounting, finance, HR, IT, legal and office administration. Brett joined Advocate in 2019. His previous 25+ years of experience has spanned telecom, dot coms and start-ups, and, over the last decade, within the software industry. His most recent experience was with a private-equity owned software company co-owned by two of the largest PE firms in the US. The software industry has given Brett significant exposure and experience with the professional services and consulting arena that he will leverage at Advocate. Brett has a Master of Business Admiration degree from Kennesaw State University and a Bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Florida. In his spare time, Brett enjoys hiking, fitness, and spending time with his family and two dogs. Brett resides in Suwanee, Georgia with his family.
Chad Doiron
ChadDoiron
Chad Doiron is a consultant with 25+ years of experience in Information Technology management and consulting. Chad spent the first part of his career in various corporate roles with a range of responsibilities including team leadership of application development, infrastructure design, database architecture and administration, and IT operations. Over the last 15+ years, he has been serving in various consulting roles including most recently as the executive lead for a national CIO Services consulting practice. During his consulting career, he has designed and launched multiple categories of service offerings including Interactive Retailing, IT Strategy, Performance Excellence, and Program Management Office. He is considered an expert in several technology-centric areas within the retail industry and is a published author in IT and consulting trade publications. Chad graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1989 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering.
Emily Hyde
EmilyHyde
As the Senior Vice President of Sales for Advocate, Emily Hyde excels by sharing new and innovative ways to close the technology gap. Unlike many sales leaders, Emily will show you exactly what you have, what to do with it and how to do it. Her fusion of market knowledge and conversational demeanor enables her to connect with clients and peers at a friendly and familiar level. Emily gives back to the technology community by holding several leadership roles in large technology organizations such as Executive Advisory Board member for Atlanta Technology Professionals (ATP). Emily graduated from Georgia Southern University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing with an emphasis in Sales and Sales Management.
Michael Snyder
Senior Vice President, Advisory Services
MichaelSnyder
As Senior Vice President, Advisory Services at Advocate, Michael manages Advocate's Optimization, Transformation, Strategy, and Insider Marketplace practices. These practices consist of seasoned consultants and solution architects that work with enterprises to drive the efficient use of technology and enable business outcomes utilizing Advocate's proven methodologies and the Technology Business Management framework. Prior to joining the Advocate team, Michael spent five years at Amazon Web Services (AWS) where he built a global business focused on assisting private equity firms leverage the cloud to drive value within their portfolio companies. In addition to his work at AWS, Michael spent five years at Booz & Company (now Strategy&) in their Digital and Business Transformation practice where he completed projects across various industries focused on IT strategy, digital transformation, and digital product development. He also spent six years at BB&T leading a team focused on IT process improvement. Michael has a MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Clemson University. He resides in Atlanta with his wife Mary Alise and his daughter Lily.
Angela Saldana
Senior Vice President, Practice Leader of Managed Services
AngelaSaldana
Angela Saldana brings over 15 years of telecom industry and audit experience to Advocate. From telco, to cloud, to IT, she has led and built audit teams to ensure billing compliance to negotiated contracts and industry tariffs. She has successfully grown and scaled audit groups with expanding client bases through thought leadership and change management – focused on client satisfaction and team efficiencies. Angela graduated from the University of Georgia in 2001 Magna Cum Laude and with High Honors. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in International Business and minored in Spanish. In 2009, she graduated from Emory University's Goizueta School of Business with a M.B.A. focused on management and leadership. She is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and a Leadership Academy fellow with Emory University.
View AllLeadership TeamBoard of Advisors
SVP and CIO
BMC Software
Founder and Chief
Technology Officer of GTS
Benaquista
Thomas H. Lee Partners
Vice President of Global IT
Infrastructure of Equinix
Former CIO, CCO, CPO
Co-Founder/
Doiron
Chief Marketing
Saldana
Get on the
Insights Mailing list
Get the latest news in TBM sevices including
free white papers. resources and tools.
Contact Advocate
6200 The Corners Pkwy
T-100 Terrace Level
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram
© 2021 ADVOCATE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRIVACY POLICY
Get Advocate Insights
Keep up with the latest industry trends with our newsletter.


text:
Is work done by a system negative delta G or positive delta G?
My textbook states that a process is spontaneous and can perform work only when it is moving toward equilibrium. Since the process is spontaneous, wouldn't that mean that the work done is attributed to negative free energy?
Another way of considering it is the question of what should the sign of the amount of work done on objects outside the system (or heat released from the system) should be when the reaction is exothermic or endothermic.
free-energy
Nuclear Chemist
BlueMagic1923BlueMagic1923
Depends what you mean by that. I agree it can be a little bewildering to figure out exactly what all these words in thermodynamics mean -- energy and work and heat and free energy and God knows what else.
It may help to remember in all such cases we're just talking about energy. That's it, that's all there is. The various types of energy that we call enthalpy or free energy or whatever are just different ways to identify part of the energy with the system and part with the surroundings. Most of the time, changes in enthalpy or free energy or energy are just statements that the energy got transferred under certain conditions, for example with the system at constant temperature and pressure, or maybe constant pressure and volume.
But the important thing to remember is it's all just energy, and you can use the same intuitions about it you'd use if you just used the word "energy" everywhere (up to a point, of course, because the distinctions aren't meaningless).
So for example in this case, I hope it makes intuitive sense to you that if a system does work in its surroundings (causes weights to be raised, springs to be compressed, batteries to be charged, whatever) that it has to lose energy for that to happen. Energy has to flow out of the system and do the work. So that would suggest the energy -- or enthalpy -- or free energy -- has to go down. And so they would, generally. That's a good intuition to have, a good starting point, although there are certainly more complicated tricky situations where you'd want to refine your first guess.
Usually if you're talking about free energy, you're talking about a system at constant T and P. For that system, to do work, it has to lose energy, which means G goes down, dG < 0. On the other hand, if work is done on the system -- springs within the system are compressed, batteries charged, et cetera, then dG > 0 and the free energy goes up. All just as intuition would suggest for what happens to the energy.
Christopher GrayceChristopher Grayce
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged free-energy or ask your own question.
Proving RTln($a_i$) equal to non PV work done by system,where $a_i$ is activity
Gibbs Free Energy : What is it trying to say actually?
How can enthalpy change of a system be negative while entropy change is positive?
Truly Understanding the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy
What is the precise definition of maximum work in the context of electrochemistry and thermodynamics?
Chemical potential and it's implications in an open system
How come ∆G ≤ 0 is used for spontaneity in electrochemistry, not ∆G ≤ W(other)?
Change in enthalpy and entropy when sugar dissolves in water


1. If you could say anything you wanted to say to Donald Trump, what would you say? Let's see those tax returns.
2. If you had to be the mother of Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan, who would you choose and why? This question makes me so grateful to be barren.
3. You get to be Queen for a day. The kids are all taken care of, and you can spend as much money as you want. What do you do all day? Breakfast. Cub game in seats above the dugout. Dinner at the Old Crow Smokehouse, a Wrigleyville restaurant I've always wanted to try.
4. Is there a song that brings tears to your eyes every time you hear it? If so, which one? Save the Best for Last by Vanessa Williams. It was "our" song and we didn't work out.
5. A fairy taps you on the shoulder and tells you that you can either have a perfect face or a perfect body for the rest of your life. Which do you choose? I've got a question for the fairy: does perfect body denote perfect health? If it does, then I go with the bod. If it doesn't, then I'll go with the face.
6. If you could live any place in the world and money was no object, where would you live and why? I'd live in the Palmolive Building here in Chicago. It's a beautiful building, and offers gorgeous views of The Lake.
7. What is your biggest regret in life? I suppose my role in the breakup of the relationship referenced in #4.
8. If you could go back and visit one person in your life who is now dead, and ask one question, what would that question be and why would you ask it? I'd bring back my mom, and I have soooooo many questions.
9. If you had the choice to age forward (like we are now) or aging backwards (think Benjamin Buttons) which would you choose and why? Whatever way everyone else is aging. I don't want to be a lonely freak.
10. What will the epitaph on your headstone say? A Good Writer and a True Friend. Yes, I stole it from Charlotte's Web. But it's something I aspire to.


text:
KRA Promise
KRA Careers
KRA Employee Benefits
WIOA Program Operations
TANF Employment Programs
Allied Health Training Programs
Labor Market Research & Consulting
Workforce Development Clients
Labor Market Research & Consulting Clients
Other Federal and State Clients
KRA Models
Regional Approach
Integrated Services Results
Business Engagement Results
Quality & Customer Service Results
Regional Model Results
Social Newsroom
KRA Monthly Spotlight!
Our Spotlight! is shining brightly on the KRA/DC TANF Employment Program's (TEP) Job Development Services team that supported new business partner, Walmart, in a major staffing effort for the Grand Opening of the retail giant's third DC Supercenter, which announced on its October 28th webpage, "What an amazing day for Fort Totten and the Lamond-Riggs community."
Chris Vera, Job Developer, reports, "It was also an amazing day for DC/TEP, which KRA operates for the Department of Human Services. About a year ago, I noticed a lot of positive media attention on the prospect of Walmart building in 'the DC community' as opposed to the suburbs. When the authorization to build came from Mayor Bowser's office, I knew it would be 'open season' for jobseekers from DC/TEP, as well as KRA's PGWorks Program in nearby Prince George's County.
We worked through a lot of corporate, regional, and local layers to reach the right decision-makers, but at each level, Walmart representatives were consistently receptive to a relationship that would provide public-assistance recipients with opportunities to become self-sufficient. Within weeks, the regional Market HR Manager put me in contact with Paul Hill, Store Manager, and from the first meeting, our 'partnership with a plan' was born."
As part of the "plan", KRA organized a series of DC/TEP-site Application Sessions, which proved a successful recruiting tool for supplying Walmart HR with pre-screened candidates who were hired…and on-the-job for the Grand Opening…in customer-greeting, sales, cashiering, food service, pharmacy, shelf-stocking, and other front-end positions.
At the Grand Opening, Muriel Bowser, DC Mayor, was assisted by Brandon Todd, Ward 4 Councilman; Deborah Carroll, Director, DC Department of Employment Services; Paul Hill; and other celebrants in cutting the ceremonial ribbon, with hundreds of cheering well-wishers.
Since the Opening, KRA has filled other positions, including a Support Manager (PGWorks), and a Shift Supervisor (DC/TEP). And, Walmart has requested another Application Session, expected to generate 20+ applications for more administrative, managerial, and supervisory openings, as well additional front-end and merchandising positions.
Chris (on the right), happy to get her own picture with the Mayor, concluded, "We are excited about the future of KRA's partnership with Walmart. In addition to supplying the Fort Totten/Lamond-Riggs Supercenter with a steady pipeline of qualified candidates, we are already discussing recruitment strategies to support Walmart's next DC-based enterprise, the Skyland Town Center retail-residential complex planned for 2016, from the Grand Opening and beyond!"
Workforce & Government
KRA Corporation's mission is simple: we provide businesses with a trained and reliable workforce by preparing jobseekers for today's competitive workplace and global economy. Since 1981, KRA has supported the mission of federal, regional, state, and local agencies that are dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and strengthening the communities in which we live. Today, KRA is recognized as a national leader in workforce development for its innovative solutions, exceptional service, and trusted results.
Copyright © KRA Corporation. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Q: jQuery Nano Scroll -Issue I have used jQuery Nano Scroll plugin in my html page.
Issue: The scrollpane does not visible. when i inspect the div using chrome, then scrollpane has been displaying.
Any solution?
My code:

A: Check working link
FIDDLE LINK
I guess the reason it is now working might be that you have changed the nano class names into your custom names. If you do that, you might need to change the references in the nanoscroller.cssas well. I have tried to put the default class names in your fiddle and it worked.


text:
Deacon Brodie's Downfall
July 20, 2021 / jacksonparishjournal
William Brodie was born in 1741 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was from an elite family and was himself a prominent Scottish citizen in the late 1700s. He was a successful cabinetmaker and was the president, or deacon, of the trade guild called the Incorporation of Wrights and Masons. His position as deacon made him a member of Edinburgh's city council. He was also a member of the Edinburgh Cape Club, a tavern-based social club. He socialized with other upper-class citizens including Robert Burns, regarded as national poet of Scotland, and Sir Henry Raeburn, who served as portrait painter to King George IV of Scotland.
Today, Deacon Brodie would be seen as a man of many talents. In his time, however, his job as cabinetmaker meant that he performed many tasks in his daily routine in addition to building cabinets. He was an undertaker. In those days, it required more skill to build a coffin than to prepare a body for burial. He installed and repaired locks and other security devices of the era. His standing in the community meant that he often served the most prestigious families in Edinburgh.
Deacon Brodie liked to gamble. He spent many evenings in taverns and pubs shooting dice or playing cards. Deacon Brodie engaged in many types of gambling and enjoyed the intoxicating excitement he felt upon winning but losing humiliated him. As most gamblers can attest, they usually lose more often than they win, which was the case with Deacon Brodie. When he lost at a game of cards or dice, he would bet more on the following game to make up for the loss. This turned into a vicious and expensive cycle. Before he realized it, Deacon Brodie was addicted to gambling and in debt.
Deacon Brodie's perfectly respectable façade as a gentleman hid a darker side. He needed a way to afford his gambling addiction and to pay off his gambling debts. In about 1768, Deacon Brodie's gambling was catching up with him. He set into motion a most daring plan. On jobs where he repaired his rich clients' locks, he used wax or putty to make impressions of the keys. Back at his workshop, he created exact duplicates of the keys. Deacon Brodie's situation allowed him to inspect which, if any, type of crude security system their houses had. Security systems included dogs and other animals which would make noise when startled, bells and chimes which rang if doors were opened, and many other homemade contraptions. Deacon Brodie's position in society allowed him to learn the routines of his rich clients. Once the occupants of a targeted house were out, Brodie simply unlocked the door, took whatever valuables he could find and remove with ease, and locked the door behind him as he left. He sold the stolen goods for cash, and no one suspected him of any wrongdoing.
Investigators had little to go on. Unless there was an eyewitness to the crime, or unless a suspect was caught with the stolen goods, the crime usually remained unsolved. Investigators were unable to determine how the burglar entered the homes.
At first, Deacon Brodie worked alone, but in 1786, he was joined by three other thieves, a fugitive named John Brown, a fellow locksmith and grocer named George Smith, and a shoemaker named Andrew Ainslie.
Two years later, on March 5, 1788, the foursome planned to rob a tax collection office. The burglars knew the routines of the office workers and the night watchman. Just after 8:00 p.m., the burglars entered the office with a key Deacon Brodie had copied. Ainslie remained outside as a lookout. They expected to have plenty of time, about two hours, to carry out the burglary. As the thieves were searching for money to steal, Ainslie alerted them that someone was coming. An employee, James Bonar, returned to the office unexpectedly. The thieves fled with little to show for their efforts. Deacon Brodie realized he needed an alibi. He quickly went to the home of one of his many mistresses.
Deacon Brodie was counting on the silence of his partners. There is an old expression which says, "three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead." Within hours of the thwarted burglary, Brown confessed in exchange for a full pardon. He told investigators that Smith and Ainslie were the other thieves but did not mention Deacon Brodie. Brown also led investigators to the hidden stash of duplicate keys used in other burglaries.
Police arrested Smith and Ainslie and learned of Deacon Brodie's involvement. The evidence was stacked against Deacon Brodie. He had no choice but to flee Scotland. Investigators pursued Deacon Brodie from Scotland to England, the Netherlands, and Amsterdam. While evading capture, he once returned to Edinburgh in disguise and under a false name. Deacon Brodie was finally caught in Amsterdam where he was making plans to sail to the United States.
In August of 1788, Deacon Brodie and Smith went on trial for multiple burglaries. Ainslie must have made a deal with prosecutors because he was not put on trial. Brodie and Smith were found guilty and sentenced to death. On October 1, 1788, Deacon Brodie and George Smith were hanged.
Deacon Brodie's double life would most likely have faded away with time had it not been for a playwright who was fascinated by Brodie's contrasting characters. Almost one hundred years after Brodie's execution, he wrote a play about Brodie, but it was unsuccessful. Undeterred, he penned a novel based on Deacon Brodie which has become a classic and has been the basis of numerous Hollywood films. The name of the author was Robert Louis Stevenson. The title of his book is "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde".
← Better Business Bureau warns of scam involving home titles
QHS softball team to host 3rd annual golf tournament, July 31st →


text:
Marie Fredriksson to perform in a gala for the World Childhood Foundation
Written by Jud on March 31, 2009 to Marie Fredriksson.
(Updated) According to a press release sent out today by the Göteborg Opera, Marie Fredriksson will perform in a gala for the World Childhood Foundation on May 18th.
The foundation was founded by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden in 1999 and in order to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Göteborg Opera has organised this gala, which will be attended by the Royal Family. Other artists such as Peter Jöback, German violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter and mezzo-soprano Katarina Karnéus will participate in the gala as well.
World Childhood Foundation's work is aimed at the most marginalised children. "The goal is to promote the right of every child to its childhood and to work for better living conditions for children in danger. We must fight against the extreme material, social and emotional poverty in which they livea," writes H.M. Queen Silvia on the foundation's homepage. Currently the foundation supports more than 100 projects in 14 countries.
All revenue from the gala will be donated to World Childhood Foundation.
Update April 2: According to the Göteborg Opera homepage, tickets will be on sale on April 6th at 12:00 CET. The tickets cost 1700 SEK and can only be purchased at the Opera Box Office personally (not over phone or email) since a personal ID must be show at the time of purchase. Maximum amount of tickets per person is two. Dress code is smoking or dark suit.
Other articles with the same topic
Marie to perform at Citytunneln inauguration (October 27, 2010)
Marie pushes Roxette into prestigious Australian Countdown! (December 1, 2009)
Marie Fredriksson turns 51 (May 31, 2009)
Roxette reunion special to air on Nordic Rox; Marie special on Swedish P4 (May 28, 2009)
Marie joins Per and band on stage in Amsterdam (May 7, 2009)
crashroxer said on March 31, 2009 20:05:
Great news!!! I'm so happy she found the way BACK on stage!
GO MARIE!
Bananylopalabomba said on March 31, 2009 23:02:
Does she nothing to do, or what ? Sorry, but can't understand her.
BandL said on April 1, 2009 02:03:
Great!! GREAT!!!
We love u Marie!!
mf2004 said on April 1, 2009 03:25:
it´s great that Marie is there, we love u!
Ivanych said on April 1, 2009 04:21:
It's really great that Marie also supports such Foundation.
I hope Marie will enjoy her trip to Gothenburg and the gala.
Sascha said on April 1, 2009 08:53:
Nice! Marie dosn't stop. :-) Will this be broadcasted?
PS. Just saw that Queen Silvia signs with "Silvia" only. Quite sweet for a Queen, no?
The tickets to the 10th anniversary of the World Children Foundation will be sold at the Göteborg Opera Box Office starting Monday April 6th at 12pm. You have to come to the box office in person, they are not selling tickets over the phone or internet. Due to security risks everyone will have to show ID. The tickets are 1700 SEK each. You don't need anything in particular to attend, just a tuxedo or a dark suit.
Jud (moderator) said on April 1, 2009 11:31:
Sascha: I am no expert in subject royalty.. but what do the others sign like? :)
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true
CoyRoy said on April 6, 2009 21:24:
Hopefully Marie will sing something other than "I Never Loved A Man..." LOL.
Great to have Marie on stage, and great to have her involved with charity.
All we need now is Roxette!!
AURYTE said on April 8, 2009 21:07:
Yes, it's really great that Marie hasn't lost her lust to perform and it's even greater that she performs in such events :)
I wish you the best there is before you go to sleep
The latest news and discussions on the Swedish pop music group Roxette and its members Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle.
Run to Roxette
Roxspain
©1997-2011 The Daily Roxette
Get the latest articles to your mailbox, subscribe to The Daily Roxette newsletter.