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Literature as Bridging Cultures: An Indian Perspective
April 30, 2021	All day
Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan
Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan is the Executive Director of Sahapedia, an online encyclopedic resource on Indian culture and the arts. Previously, she was Founder Director of India's National Mission for Manuscripts (2003–07), which led a nationwide effort to survey, document, conserve, and place in the public domain information on one million Indian manuscripts, now a global knowledge resource on www.namami.gov.in.
Sudha Gopalakrishnan did her doctoral research on the traditions of comedy in the plays of Bhasa and Shakespeare and has translated Shakespeare's comedies into Malayalam. She was Assistant Editor, Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, and Coordinator, Encyclopaedia of the Arts, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi (IGNCA).
Sudha Gopalakrishnan has published eight books, several papers and translations in the field of Indian literature, performing arts and aesthetic theory.
She was Visiting Fellow at Cornell University, and Professorial Fellow at the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), New Delhi. She prepared the nomination dossiers and management plans which led to Kutiyattam, the oral tradition of the Vedas and Vedic heritage, and the Ramlila receiving recognition from UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. She has been associated as member or expert consultant with UNESCO committees on Intangible Cultural Heritage and was most recently part of the Lead Consultant Team advising the Government of Punjab towards framing a cultural heritage policy and action plan for the state. She has served on the boards of the Crafts Museum, New Delhi, and the IGNCA, and is Member of the Committee on Traditional Knowledge Systems (IGNOU), of the Steering Group on Digital Library Projects, Ministry of Information.
Participants: Indian Culture Course for E4Life PhD scholars (40) and other PhD candidates
Objective: To understand how literature works as a cross-cultural medium, how cultures go from one place to another, how it evolves and becomes localized. She focused on the Indian literature context.
About Resource Personnel: Prof. Sudha Gopalakrishnan is the Executive Director of Sahapedia, an online encyclopedic resource on Indian culture and the arts. Previously, she was Founder Director of India's National Mission for Manuscripts (2003–07), which led a nation-wide effort to survey, document, conserve, and place in the public domain information on one million Indian manuscripts, now a global knowledge resource on www.namami.gov.in.
Sudha Gopalakrishnan has published eight books, several papers and translations in the field of Indian literature, performing arts and aesthetic theory,
She was Visiting Fellow at Cornell University, and Professorial Fellow at the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), New Delhi. She prepared the nomination dossiers and management plans which led to Kutiyattam, the oral tradition of the Vedas and Vedic heritage, and the Ramlila receiving recognition from UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. She has been associated as member or expert consultant with UNESCO committees on Intangible Cultural Heritage and was most recently part of the Lead Consultant Team advising the Government of Punjab towards framing a cultural heritage policy and action plan for the state. She has served on the boards of the Crafts Museum, New Delhi, and the IGNCA, and is Member of the Committee on Traditional Knowledge Systems (IGNOU), of the Steering Group on Digital Library Projects, Ministry of Information
Event/Session Details/Discussions/Highlights:
Dr Sudha G discussed Indian literature through the ages, as an uninterrupted flow of knowledge. She explained the evolution of the intricate methods involved in this transmission. In the beginning, through oral tradition, a multitude of knowledge was transferred by learning scriptures, myths, epics, etc. There were professional storytellers who were attached to temples who were an integral part of this oral tradition. They traveled from villages to villages, told and retold stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata in public spaces. Their sophisticated interpretive skills ensured the effective communication of even complex ideas to common people. However, Vedic knowledge is transmitted in a more complex, highly sophisticated, elaborate way. These foolproof methods involved in learning and memorizing these compositions ensured the uninterrupted flow of knowledge in its purest form through the ages.
Then gradually written text came out. Written scripts were found on rocks, palm leaves, and paper. One can find such manuscripts in different parts of Asia even today. For instance, Gilgit manuscripts were the oldest surviving manuscripts in India. India is a diverse country with a huge number of languages. One should wonder how the Vedic literature transcends even with this plurality of languages. It is through these complex methods of learning it gets transferred. On the contrary, epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata got different versions in different languages and different parts of the country.
Dr. Sudha went on to narrate the story of Nala and Damayanti in a profound way as an example of how a small story of a large epic gets evolved in literature and transmitted over the ages. She presented it with a series of artworks that depicted the story in a vivid way. See images below
Outcome: Participants were provided a literal wealth of knowledge about Indian literature through the ages.
Dr. Sudha G with Participant List #1
Dr. Sudha G with Participant List #2.
Ravi Varma's Nala-Damayanti
The Arati of Nala
Sanskrit and English Text from the Flap of a Painting
« Architecture: The Principles of Vaastu Shastra
The Hindu Temple Architecture and its Symbolism of Human Body »


Shanghai - In a deal with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), ABB will supply a comprehensive power and propulsion package for China's first domestically built cruise ship.
ABB has been awarded a contract to supply an integrated package, including two Azipod steerable propulsion systems, for the construction of China's first ever home-grown cruise ship. ABB's deep domain knowledge in cruise technology coupled with its local expertise makes it the perfect partner to support this significant milestone in the evolution of China's shipbuilding industry.


Our overall translational research aims are to understand the mechanisms of neuronal death in neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia, find new targets for neuroprotection and propose novel therapeutic strategies for future clinical practice.
Perinatal stroke and asphyxia are pathological conditions related to a reduction in oxygen supply (hypoxia) and/or blood perfusion (ischemia) to the brain around the time of birth. They are major causes of mortality in newborns but also morbidities with severe long-term neurological deficits in children (cerebral palsy, mental retardation, epilepsy, learning difficulties) bringing heavy social and economic burden. Our group associates a basic science researcher; Julien Puyal (PhD) and a clinical neonatologist, Anita Truttmann (MD), to unify basic and clinical strategies for neuroprotection. The long-term goal of our research is to better understand the mechanisms involved in neuronal death (and therefore brain injury) after perinatal stroke or asphyxia to find new therapeutic targets for effective translation into clinical applications to reduce brain damage and limit sequelae in children.


The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the World Diabetes Foundation have released a report calling for international action against a looming co-epidemic of diabetes and tuberculosis.
The report, The Looming Co-epidemic of TB-Diabetes: A Call to Action (1), launched on the opening day of the 45th Union World Conference on Lung Health currently taking place in Barcelona, Spain October 28-November (1), synthesizes evidence from the medical and scientific literature, promotes an international policy framework for action, and lays out a new research agenda to fill knowledge gaps. The report challenges the conventional approach to health policy-making, which has historically addressed infectious diseases and noncommunicable (or "chronic") diseases independently.
Diabetes triples the risk that a person will develop tuberculosis. Diabetes is skyrocketing globally, projected to increase from 382 million cases in 2013 to 592 cases in 2035, with the burden of disease moving from developed countries into developing and emerging-market countries. Unless steps are taken to halt the trend, the consequence will be an increasing number of people who develop tuberculosis as a result of diabetes; potentially reversing the progress made against TB over the last few decades. An estimated 1.5 million people died of tuberculosis in 2013, according to the World Health Organization.
"Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was so successful due to his playing strategy. His objective was not to skate to where the puck was on the ice, but always to skate to where the puck was heading. We need to use the same approach to TB-diabetes," said Dr. Anil Kapur, member of the Board of Directors of the World Diabetes Foundation. "In places where this issue has been studied - from India to China to East Africa and the United States - we're seeing significantly higher rates of diabetes among TB patients than what appears in the general population. If we don't act now to head this off, we're going to experience a co-epidemic of TB-diabetes that will impact millions and sap public health systems of precious resources. The key is to prevent this from happening."
"We saw something similar happen with TB and HIV/AIDS to what is happening now with TB and diabetes," said Dr. Anthony Harries, Senior Advisor to The Union. "For years we had medical evidence that the two diseases were working together as HIV destroyed people's immune systems, allowing TB to quadruple in many countries in Africa. And for years we had a policy framework for responding. But it took years to mobilize a robust response, and millions of people were impacted by TB-HIV co-infection before it became the norm to screen people living with HIV for TB and vice-versa. We want to raise an alarm that we don't watch history repeat itself with TB-diabetes."
Six of the top 10 countries projected to have the greatest numbers of people living with diabetes by the year 2035 - China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Russian Federation - are classified as high TB-burden countries by the World Health Organization.
Numbers of persons (ages 29-79) projected to be living with diabetes in the year 2035.
Tuberculosis is an airborne, infectious disease caused by bacteria. Diabetes is a chronic illness that weakens the immune system, making people with diabetes more susceptible to developing TB. The Looming Co-epidemic of TB-Diabetes: A Call to Action is the first to present the epidemiological evidence and a framework for responding, with recommendations for policymakers. A major recommendation is for healthcare systems to begin offering bi-directional screening, where people with TB are screened for diabetes and people with diabetes are screened for TB, then offered appropriate treatment services.
Union, The. "Health experts: perfect storm of diabetes and tuberculosis must be headed off." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 30 Oct. 2014. Web.


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Call for disengagement between peace and complicity with Israel
January 25, 2014 at 3:29 am | Published in: Article, Middle East
Fahmi Huwaidi
FahmyHoweidy
Post-revolutionary Egypt should make a distinction between the peace treaty with Israel on the one hand, and partnership and complicity with it against the Palestinians on the other. We understand the first through necessity but consider the second a disgrace that should be disowned.
When Gaza's Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, visited Cairo recently he was given a formal reception for the first time. In fact, it has been prohibited for any Egyptian official to meet the likes of Mr. Haniyeh and his colleagues for over thirty years. During that time, the Gaza portfolio was handled by Egyptian security, not the Foreign Ministry.
When Israel and the US committed themselves to a boycott of the Hamas-led government in Gaza, Egypt was obliged to join them. This was despite the fact that those Israelis who opposed the peace treaty, one of whom tore it to pieces in the parliament, were represented in the government.
Egypt was not alone in this; officials from Gaza, or from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, were also denied entry in a number of Arab states. Such visits to attend the conferences of the ruling parties in Tunisia and Morocco recently were also for the first time. Israeli tourists have, of course, been welcome there for decades.
There is a lot of evidence of collusion between Egyptian officials and Israel. Such links were a major source of information about the Arab world for Israeli intelligence, alleged journalist and writer Mohamed Heikal recently. He called for security coordination to cease, live on Egyptian television in May.
The architect of collaboration with Israel was the late General Omar Suleiman, the head of Egyptian intelligence for the past 20 years. Israelis themselves testify to his role in the invasion of Gaza and the siege of the territory.
Since the presidency of Anwar Sadat, who signed the treaty with Israel, Egyptians have been told that the real enemy is Iran, not Israel. They were also sold the notion that Palestinians harbour bad thoughts about Egypt and want to overrun the Sinai Peninsula.
I understand Israeli attempts to impress upon the people of Egypt that they are no longer a problem post-treaty, and that it is Shiite Iran and its own ambitions which is the threat. However, I do not understand why the Egyptian media should play this game when there is no real problem between Cairo and Tehran. This led to Egypt being so much in the anti-Iran camp that in the 1980s it hosted at least two radio stations broadcasting propaganda against the Islamic revolution. As Iran established diplomatic relations around the world, only three countries stayed away: the USA, Israel and Egypt. Even the Gulf States have full diplomatic relations with Iran, which is accused of having designs on their territory, but Egypt stays isolated in this respect despite the lack of any Iranian territorial ambitions on Egyptian soil.
Straining Egypt's relationship with the Palestinians after the peace treaty is not without irony, as if Camp David turned enemies into friends and brothers into enemies. Israeli groups can visit Egypt and US citizens do not need visas, but for Palestinians to make that short journey across the border at Rafah is agonising and often ends in failure. Only collusion with Israel is responsible for this.
The rumour about Palestinians wanting to expand into Sinai has been spread by Israel. Palestinian researcher Abdul-Qader Yassin has pointed out that the Sinai was under Israeli occupation for twenty years, and if the Palestinians had notions of expansion into Egyptian territory, that period would have been their opportunity to do so, no doubt with Israeli backing. He reminded us that when Palestinians broke through the Rafah border in 2008 and went to Rafah and El-Arish, they did so to meet their immediate needs which were not being met in Gaza due to the siege. Once that objective had been achieved, they all went back across into Gaza.
It is no longer a secret that some of the media and security agencies are involved in this disinformation campaign against the Palestinians and are trying to set them up and create a rift with the people of Egypt. A story was circulated a few weeks ago which claimed that 13 "Hamas terrorists" had infiltrated Egypt to cause mayhem but had been arrested. In fact, they were a group whose stay in Egypt had ended and were on their way back to Gaza when they were picked up and thrown into jail. After 18 days, they were released when it became clear that they had nothing to do with Hamas; some are actually members of Fatah. This raises questions about why the media labelled them as "terrorists" just as the Israeli media do.
This sort of thing is linked to the rumours about Hamas involvement in the revolutionary demonstrations and the killing of some protesters. This was a lie put about by members of the security services to divert attention from the police and their snipers.
There is much evidence of a deliberate effort to sow disunity between Egyptians and Palestinians in order to swing the balance of popularity and acceptance towards Israel.
The Israelis were right to describe ousted president Mubarak as a "strategic treasure". Under the peace treaty he followed Israel, stood against the resistance, and dealt with the Palestinians with varying degrees of resentment and alienation. Eventually, Mubarak's Egypt was a helper of Israel rather than the Palestinians. In return, however, the Israelis generally remained arrogant and ignored the peace treaty and all other agreements.
This was most obvious in two matters:
* Since 2002 Israel has built the "security barrier" hurriedly; this has more or less annexed about 25 per cent of the occupied West Bank. It has been quick to implement settlement projects so that the number of settlers in the West Bank, excluding occupied East Jerusalem, is around 343,000; in East Jerusalem there are an additional 200,000 settlers.
According to the Palestinian Strategic Report for 2011, during that year alone there were 3,500 housing units under construction on illegal settlements; 142 colonies and outposts were set up in the West Bank. The report recorded that during that year 200 Palestinian homes were demolished and demolition notices were sent to more than 500 dwellings in the West Bank. The area of land confiscated totalled about 11,000 acres, in addition to the bulldozing, burning and destruction of a further 2,000 acres; more than 20,000 olive and fruit trees were damaged, 50 per cent of which were uprooted or burned completely. All in all, the details paint an ugly picture of settlements and settlers and their Judaisation of Palestine and efforts to erase all traces of the Palestinians on their own land.
* Israel has more or less abandoned the two-state solution which has been used to sedate the Arabs since 1988. It was then that the Palestinian leadership announced its strategic alliance with Israel which meant destroying the idea of a Palestinian state, which still touches the feelings of everyone and is being spoken of in various international forums.
Foreign Policy magazine published in its volume of 12/7/2012 an article by Stephen M. Walt, Professor of International Relations at Harvard University, in which he demonstrated that the dream of a Palestinian state has become elusive. He quoted Akev Eldar, the chief editor of Haaretz newspaper as saying that the two-state solution is at best in intensive care, and is unlikely to come out any day soon. He also quoted more frank words from former Netanyahu aide Michael Freund, who said: "The Green Line [the 1948 Armistice Line, on which the promised Palestinian state is supposed to be established] is dead and buried and no longer has any political or other meaning."
He added that the Israeli people are in Judea and Samaria (the occupied West Bank) to stay. Professor Walt commented on this by saying that what is happening now in the occupied territory is ethnic cleansing. Instead of the forced expulsion of Palestinians along the lines of what happened in 1948, the policy in place now is to continue to pressure the Palestinians so that it becomes impossible for them to continue living in their own country, and they leave it by choice.
Arab Spring countries, especially Egypt, are almost by default required to pursue a policy towards Israel other than that which was pursued by the regimes that were overthrown. The national dignity they recovered imposes on them a duty to come out of the partnership and any form of complicity with Israel against the Palestinians.
Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, the deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas, goes even further. He calls on the Arab Spring states to develop a new way to deal with Israel after the collapse of the political settlement project, which has been acknowledged by the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas; and after the collapse of the two-state project as recognised by the Israelis. All of this together suggests that the Arab initiative, announced at the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002, should be withdrawn.
Throw in the downfall of the so-called "moderation axis", of which the former regime in Cairo was a key player, and the political and social milieu calls for an honest review of the options still open for the Israeli occupation, as the Palestinians and their natural allies seek to extract their rights, restore and preserve their dignity, and correct the mistakes of history.
Fahmi Howeidi is an Egyptian writer. This article is a translation from the Arabic which first appeared on al Jazeera net on 31 July.
Anwar SadatArab WorldCamp DavidFahmi HoweidiGaza Prime MinisterGeneral Omar SuleimanHamas terroristsHamas-led governmentIllegal SettlementsIsmail HaniyehIsraeli attemptsIsraeli IntelligenceIsraeli OccupationMohamed HeikalPost-revolutionary Egypt
ArticleMiddle East

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It looks like Titans's Starfire and Raven will be wearing their iconic comic book costumes later this season on the DC Universe original series. Via ComicBook.com, DC Daily featured behind-the-scenes footage from the show..
These scenes show a step forward from their appearances in the first episode. Raven/Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft) wears a long hooded cape and she has Raven's signature red mark on her forehead. Starfire/Kory Anders (Anna Diop) has straight purple hair and a bodysuit closer to her more recent look than the space bikini she previously wore. No dates or episode details were provided for when these scenes will air on the series.
Both Croft and Diop say their characters will evolve over the course of the season. The series is an origin story and it will take time for Starfire, Raven, and the rest of the characters to mirror their comic book counterparts.
Titans is scheduled for a 12 episode first season on DC Universe. A second season has already been given the greenlight, and a Doom Patrol spinoff is also on the way. While these photos are closer to Raven and Starfire's comic book outfits, there is still a lot of story ahead for the Titans. All of this gives us hope that the "F— Batman" line will eventually make sense as well.
New episodes of Titans debut every Friday on DC Universe.
What do you think of these new costume images? When will we see more Beast Boy? Let us know in the comment section below.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This HD video camera can make time lapse photography really simple, yet still flexible with its optional lenses and custom program time intervals! BUY on Amazon in your country! BUY on Amazon.com Note: The product may not be available on every Amazon websites. When it's the case, you hit a search results page.


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Media Release by Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone
Celebrating a Centenary of Suffrage on International Women's Day – 8 March 2002
Each year on 8 March, International Women's Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of Australian women.
This year we have a unique reason to celebrate because the 12 June 2002 marks the Centenary of Women's Suffrage in Australia.
It is one hundred years since the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 came into effect thereby allowing Australian women the right to vote and to stand in a Federal election for the very first time.
Australia was the first nation in the world to give most women (with the exception of indigenous women in some States) these rights.
Eighteen months after the Act was passed, women exercised their new voting entitlements when they participated in the Federal election of 16 December 1903.
The Centenary of Suffrage in 2002 highlights the inspirational efforts of those Australian women who through their bravery and vision moved Australia forward. Their work has been subsequently recognised internationally for its contribution to the suffrage movement.
Among the women who created a new legal and political identity for women in Australia and abroad were Vida Goldstein, Catherine Helen Spence, Maybanke Wolstoneholme (Anderson) and Rose Scott.
The courage of these pioneers of the women's suffrage movement exemplifies the spirit of International Women's Day.
International Women's Day 2002 provides us with an opportunity to look at how far we have come over the past one hundred years.
I am pleased that under the Howard Government we have made real advances for women including increases in real wages for women, over four million Australian women in the paid workforce, more funded places in child care, increases in family assistance, more women on Commonwealth Board positions and increases in higher education participation, traineeships and apprenticeships.
On 8 March 2002, International Women's Day activities across Australia give women and men a chance to join together and to celebrate women's enormous contribution to society.


What are Master Herbalists and the AMH?
The Association of Master Herbalists was founded in 1995. The Association has from the beginning, had a strong affinity to the North American eclectic school, notably Dr John R Christopher who was the founder of the School of Natural Healing in 1953. The school continues to this day to run it's traditional Master Herbalist training based on the work of Dr Christopher.
The eclectic movement in the USA was a 300 year old fusion of traditional European and native North American herbal knowledge. It has latterly been developed and expanded by Dr Richard Schulze (currently residing in the USA) who worked alongside Dr Christopher for many years, and who has been responsible for the tuition of many of the Association's members.
Master Herbalists are registered members of the AMH (Association of Master Herbalists) who have qualified after a suitably recognised professional training which is to a degree or equivalent level with over 2,500 hours of classroom based study with an additional 500 hours of clinical patient training. All members are fully insured and work to a strict code of conduct and ethics. The AMH-registered practitioner attends yearly CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses to update and enhance their practice skills.
Click to read the AMH Practitioner Code of Conduct and Ethics.
Practitioner members of the Association take account of all aspects of the lifestyle of the patient in order to determine wherein there may be insufficiencies, excesses or imbalances that have resulted in health disorders. In addition, many practicing members of the Association are trained in the assessment of inherited and acquired factors through the art and science of Iridology and some members may use other diagnostics such as Vega testing and pulse diagnosis.
In addition to herbal medicines, practitioners are trained to assist clients to look after themselves through correct nutrition, appropriate exercise, and through other natural healing techniques such as the use of water in hydrotherapy.
The Association practitioners understand that they are not only therapist and healer but also teacher and instructor, informing and guiding clients to the fulfillment of their well-being. To this end a wide range of therapeutic means may be indicated, in order to balance, support and cleanse the body, and to stimulate its innate power of self-healing.
The guiding principle in choosing treatment methods, however, is alignment with the laws of Nature, the employment of specifically non-invasive and non-toxic elements, and the full engagement of the client in his or her healing process.
It can help people with many common problems such as: stress, skin conditions, migraine and headaches, digestive disorders, weight problems, cardiovascular problems, hormonal imbalances, PMT/PMS, menopause, pre-conceptual issues, chronic fatigue and depression, arthritis, infections, hayfever, sinus congestion, flu, tonsillitis, parasitic and fungal conditions.
The Master Herbalist can treat both the very old and very young, and both chronic and acute conditions. Herbs can also be used alongside conventional medicines provided the practitioner knows what you are taking, to avoid possible interactions.


Since 1997, Tantara has been dedicated to producing some of the very finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Located in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County), our wines are sourced from top Central Coast growers and vineyards such as, Bentrock, Brosseau, Dierberg, La Encantada, Lindsay's, Radian, Rio Vista, Talley, Tondre and Zotovich. In 2012, our two Los Olivos District estate vineyards, Ingeborg's and Mateo's, came online yielding Syrah and Cabernet Franc respectively. Because of our commitment to detail and the finite amount of fruit that meets our standards, total winery production remains small.


You've heard of the paleo diet… You've heard of the gluten-free diet… And if you haven't heard about the FODMAP diet in conversation at work or at the gym yet…it'll only be a matter of time before you start hearing about FODMAPs.
The low-FODMAP diet is rising in popularity, but unlike most diets, its end goal isn't weight loss. Before you jump on the FODMAP wagon though, what's most important is to assess whether this diet is for you. Otherwise, you're giving up nutrient-rich foods for no reason, which would be a shame to both your taste buds and your body!
FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates found in many common foods. If you have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), the carbohydrates aren't fully absorbed in the body. These carbohydrates then end up fermenting in the digestive tract. The fermentation actually feeds the bacteria, which is what causes GI discomfort such as: gas, bloating, pain, constipation, and diarrhea.
SIBO is when bacteria takes over your small intestine. The small intestine is where food intermingles with digestive juices and the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. Bacterial overgrowth ends up interfering with the digestive and absorption process when food passes through. As a result of SIBO, the malabsorption of nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamin A, D, E, K) and iron can quickly become a problem. A symptom commonly associated with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is poor nutrient absorption and it may even lead to damage of the stomach lining.
One way is to see your doctor about any GI symptoms and ask about a breath test or any other diagnostic tests that they deem most reliable since some breath tests have been known to have false negative results.
How can you treat SIBO nutritionally?
One way is to spread your meals (spread meals by about 4 hours) and avoid overeating in one sitting — it's one of the worst things you can do. Another way is putting yourself on the low-FODMAP diet.
No, not always. A low-FODMAP diet focuses on small-chain carbohydrates intake and gluten is a protein. Wheat, barley and rye contain gluten, as well as fructans, which are a source of FODMAP carbohydrates. Since a low-FODMAP food plan minimizes wheat, barley and rye, gluten intake is often minimized also.
Still think the low-FODMAP diet is for you?
I recommend a two-week test run to decide if this diet is the for sure solution to your gastrointestinal problems. By eliminating FODMAPs, the goal is to: repair the intestinal lining, ease inflammation, get rid of the bacterial overgrowth and eat a diet rich in the essential nutrients that your body hasn't been absorbing.
To help you with eliminating FODMAPs, I've created a High and Low FODMAP List of what foods are allowed for your easy reference.
No problem! Just simply start the two-week period again.
To get you started on the low-FODMAP diet, try our Banana Chia Pudding — one of my favs from PowerPerks — the next time you have breakfast! I recommend doubling the ingredient measurements so you're able to have a guaranteed FODMAP-free breakfast for another day.
Watch what I shared on ABC7's Eye Witness News about the FODMAP Diet.
Place milk and chia in a jar and stir. Next, mix in sliced banana and cinnamon.
Refrigerate overnight. Before enjoying, top with almonds.


text:
Krucha Szczelina – jaskinia w polskich Bieszczadach
 Krucha Szczelina – jaskinia w Dolinie Będkowskiej na Wyżynie Krakowsko-Częstochowskiej
 Krucha Szczelina – jaskinia, a właściwie schronisko, w Dolinie Miętusiej w Tatrach Zachodnich

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Whether an economy is one that is mainly dependent on oil exports, let's say Venezuela, or one that relies mostly on mining like many countries in Africa or even one that has branded itself as a trade port like Hong Kong; international trade is always emphasised.
The story of international trade can be traced back to thousands of years ago, even if the concept in its entirety has changed and evolved as means of transport and financial dealings had. And once you take out of the picture the complications of national dealings — generally governed by the World Trade Organisation — as well as the hardship of having to forecast and hedge the fluctuations risk in currencies; the logic is straight forward. You got something that I need, and I got something that you need; let's trade.
With this said, the dilemma to any economy lays mainly in mastering how to balance what flows into the country with what flows out of it, while taking into account the value of the nation's currency against currencies of other trading nations.
Just like personal bank accounts, countries have what is called a "Current Account". This account measures the outflows out of a country against inflows into it. Within the current account calculation, another account exists that deals only with exports and imports; referred to as "Trade Balance".
In a recent report, Greece had its current account deficit reduced because of a decrease in imports as a result of the reduced consumption mood that the country has been in. And since it still is in the Euro Zone, a strong Euro doesn't really serve the exports sector. What China has realised is not only that cheaper production promotes exports, but also that keeping a constant downward pressure on its Yuan is an export catalyst. And to beat the US in world trade, it went ahead and invested most of its holding of US dollars in the US itself to reduce its circulation and exert an upward pressure in its valuation. To acknowledge the Chinese unprecedented tactics; China has in fact beaten US to being trading national number one worldwide.
Another example from an emerging part of the world is Brazil who recently celebrated the devaluation of its Real as a vague declaration of an upward shift in exports. Why is it important to have a trade surplus than deficit? Well, foreign international trade is a source of foreign currencies. An increase in foreign currency holdings replenishes the central bank's reserves to back up its national currency as well as provides a safe cushion for currencies exchange. Companies are now targeting countries like Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam because of their already depreciated currencies.
Once foreign subsidiaries are operational, the company gains from cheaper costs and the country gets to reduce its trade deficit or increase its trade surplus.
My last example here is from Africa. Kenya has recently introduced the tech sector into its GDP, not only to do things better at home, but to encourage its tech exports that hit $360 million in 2010 as per a report in The Economist.
Trade hence exports are vital for all economies to be sustainable, especially those that rely mostly on natural resources. For that, a balance should be carefully managed between cost of production and currency value. Borders don't really matter anymore neither does the size of an economy.
Germany, the largest economy in Europe, has reported a current growth that is led mainly by exports and increasing home demand, while France, second largest economy in Europe; is negotiating with EU members a possible devaluation of the Euro to make its exports cheaper.
UK, being at an advantage here, plots an unannounced devaluation of the Sterling to increase exports which eventually creates jobs. Ireland, on the other hand, can do almost nothing against an increasing favoritism by EU members to import cheaper meat products from Argentina. Having the EU as its currency, no political and economic influence as that of France, as well as the horse meat issue; case closed. Now the last thought that I want to leave you with is this: what would happen if all countries raced towards direct and indirect currency devaluation?
Posted in Published Articles in Gulf News and tagged Africa, China, Chinese, currencies, devaluation, EU, Euro Zone, exports, France, GDP, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, international trade, Kenya, trade deficit, trade surplus, UK, US Dollar, Venezuela, World Trade Organisation, WTO. Bookmark the permalink.


LG was one of the original partners of Android Wear, release the LG G Watch at Google I/O in 2014. And just a few short months later at the IFA conference in Berlin, LG is going to show off its second watch. This time, it'll be round.
And it's called the LG G Watch R. And you're going to have to wait for it.
The G Watch R will be available sometime in the fourth quarter of 2014 — that's October through December — and there are good odds we'll see it released alongside the Android L release. It's got a 1.3-inch P-OLED display at 320 by 320 resolution, and a 410mAh battery. It'll run Android Wear, naturally, and come with a replaceable leather strap.
We don't yet know the price. The Moto 360 is rumored to retail at around $250. Will the LG G Watch R price hit that mark? We'll just have to see.
And so far we're not expecting a major change in functionality — at least not until Google updates the Android Wear software — but it is possible we'll see an extra sensor or two tucked in there.
Stay tuned. This page is your home for all things LG G Watch R.
The LG G Watch R will be gaining Wi-Fi functionality thanks to the recently announced Android Wear update. This will allow the watch to communicate with the phone, even if they don't have a direct Bluetooth connection.
LG's second Android watch is a step forward, but not a game-changer.
We've been using the LG G Watch R for the past several days and we'll have a full review for you to read very soon. In the meantime we've collected a photo gallery showing the device from just about every angle imaginable, both indoors and outdoors.


text:
Nick Ferrari
Time For Tasers
Firefighter Challenges Caller Over Accusations Of Racism In Grenfell Response
A London firefighter of 37 years argues with this caller who supports Baroness Lawrence's accusations that the response to the Grenfell Tower fire was racist.
The caller Ray said he'd served in every station in West London that will have responded on the night.
Ray said he was "disgusted" at Baroness Lawrence's comments and said "Throughout my career and hereon, I can say hand on heart that there is not one individual that have seen race, sex, colour, creed before the professionalism of their job."
He called the accusation "abysmal" and says he wants to know the context under which it was made.
Juan, a caller on another line, agreed with the Baroness's comments. He said: "Race played a huge part in the responsiveness and the effectiveness of both London Fire Brigade and the council."
Nick differentiated between the council and the fire brigade: "To me, Juan, a firefighter does not see why but you think they might."
Juan said that the Grenfell Tower-related calls that were taken on the day weren't treated with the right amount of emergency.
"If it had been one of the really big and expensive mansions in Notting Hill, I think the London Fire Brigade would have been under extreme amounts of pressure. More so then they were on the day of Grenfell to have done something about it."
The retired firefighter Ray said: "He's wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm at boiling point with comments like this."
Ray said when the notification comes through, "it's like a switch is flicked and there is no bias or opinion that ever comes in to the mind of any single individual." He said firefighters only see the address that's in front of them and the work they've got to do.
The Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people and injured 70. Picture: PA
"If that's pulling people out literally by their shoestrings or just attending a false alarm, it's that mindset of every firefighter, especially in London, that is on the forefront of their minds when they turn out of that station."
Ray asked Juan where he was coming from and Juan replied that when Grenfell was burning down "there were firefighters stuck around that were waiting for orders from superiors that weren't giving them for at least two and a half hours before they made any attempt to go in."
He also said: "Everyone was told to stay in their houses and they shouldn't have. Third point, that building burnt from the outside in whereas most buildings burn from the inside out. People had enough time to get there and get out but they weren't allowed to get out because they were given misinformation from the people that were meant to be leading that operation."
Juan said that Ray, being caucasian, may not have felt "pressure from the country surrounded by race."
Ray said he didn't accept any of that: "I know from policy and from station attendance through to organisational awareness, I've actually done the job. This individual hasn't.
I would suggest that on the night firefighters were standing around waiting for instruction because there's an awful lot of things going on."
He continued that fires do normally go from the inside out and the fire acted "irrationally and it was unprecedented."
Ray said his son, who is a firefighter, risked his life going in "time and time again... as did every firefighter there I would suggest.
"They would not have stopped until conditions got so bad that they could not progress any further."
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If there's any star who's known for causing a major stir, it's Farrah Abraham. Fans remember when she originally got her start on MTV's 16 and Pregnant and then gained further notoriety and fame through Teen Mom OG. Now, she's no longer affiliated with the series but still maintains that she's a business-savvy entrepreneur who's paving her own way for her and her 10-year-old daughter, Sophia. And from the looks of her Instagram, no matter how much hate she receives online, she's continuing to do well for herself.
Fans seem to be worried after they saw a video of her at an Oscars viewing party, however. Here's why the footage seriously concerned them.
The Academy Awards mark the biggest night in Hollywood, as it's always a star-studded event full of wonderful wins, amazing performances, and beautiful red carpet looks. Farrah and daughter Sophia didn't attend the actual event, but OK! Magazine reports they did go to the 4th Annual Roger Neal Oscar Viewing Dinner Icon Awards in Los Angeles. The two wore matching yellow gowns and looked incredible on the big night — and judging from Farrah's Instagram, she and her daughter had a great time. "Absolutely love this … we need more fashion days like this!" she captioned her Instagram post.
Prior to the Oscars party, it was already a big month for Farrah, too. She recently celebrated Sophia's 10th birthday, which involved special tea time at The Plaza in New York that came complete with beautiful treats and a tea kettle-shaped cake. The two then went to see The Lion King on Broadway to finish off the night. Fans shared their concern in the comments that Sophia wasn't spending her birthday with any friends or other family members, however. And another video that surfaced afterward from the Oscars party concerned fans even more.
Radar Online reports while at the Oscars party, Farrah went live on Instagram to record her fun night she was having with Sophia. In the video, she's seen singing along to Queen's "We Are the Champions" while it plays in the background — but fans noticed how disoriented Farrah appears. The star looks as if she's swaying back and forth while she's singing along, and she seemingly struggled to sing, too. Even Sophia, who is seated next to Farrah, looks concerned and wildly uncomfortable throughout the video.
Farrah hasn't publicly commented on the incident, but it's left some fans worried that she could be headed down a dangerous path. Radar Online reminds us when the star was arrested at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2018 for getting into a physical altercation while allegedly intoxicated. And even more recently, TMZ reported she's now getting sued for breaking a lease she had in Texas and leaving without paying over $100,000 in rent. Earlier this year, People reports Farrah was also getting sued for not attending a celebrity boxing match she promised to follow through with, too.
Perhaps the Oscar night was just Farrah letting loose and having fun, but fans seem to think it was something more. The good news is that OK! Magazine reports she completed her court-assigned anger management recently, too, so that's one less legality to worry about.


Florence is a truly romantic wedding invitation, decorated with a double satin bow and a flower jewel made from pearls and tiny crystals. The inserts come in cream or silver pearlescent heavy weight cards. The rsvp card with a mini-envelope and also the information card are neatly tucked into the pocket.
- Various jewel designs and embellishments are available to choose from.


text:
Is Hepatitis A Considered An STD?
Which hepatitis is not curable?
What happens if you test positive for Hepatitis A?
How is hepatitis A prevented?
Is Hep A for life?
Where is Hepatitis A found?
Is Hepatitis A airborne?
Can you get hepatitis A from kissing?
How does someone get hepatitis A?
Which Hepatitis is bad?
How long is hepatitis A contagious?
Is hepatitis B considered an STD?
Is Hepatitis A Curable?
What does gonorrhea do to a man?
Can a woman get hepatitis B from a man?
Is Hep C contracted sexually?
How to prevent hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by a virus (called the hepatitis B virus, or HBV).
It can be serious and there's no cure, but the good news is it's easy to prevent.
You can protect yourself by getting the hepatitis B vaccine and having..
These show up after the virus has been in your body for a while. You may have them all your life. They protect you against hepatitis A. If you test positive for them but not for IgM antibodies, it means you had a hepatitis A infection in the past or had vaccinations to protect against it.
To reduce your risk of spreading or catching the hepatitis A virus: Always wash your hands thoroughly after using the restroom and when you come in contact with an infected person's blood, stools, or other bodily fluid. Avoid unclean food and water.
Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person. Almost everyone recovers fully from hepatitis A with a lifelong immunity.
Hepatitis A is found across the world, but some countries have higher incidences than others, in particular South America, Africa, Russia and Asia (see map).
Unlike the flu or common cold, hepatitis isn't airborne. That means it can't be passed through sneezing, coughing, or sharing your food with someone else. Likewise, you can't get it through kissing or hugging someone with the virus.
Is it possible to catch hepatitis from kissing? Catching hepatitis by kissing an infected person is unlikely — although deep kissing that involves the exchange of large amounts of saliva might result in HBV, especially if there are cuts or abrasions in the mouth of the infected person.
Hepatitis A can be spread from close, personal contact with an infected person, such as through certain types of sexual contact (like oral-anal sex), caring for someone who is ill, or using drugs with others. Hepatitis A is very contagious, and people can even spread the virus before they feel sick.
There are 3 main types of hepatitis: hepatitis A, B, and C. Hepatitis C can be more severe and is the most deadly, but even those with acute illness can recover without lasting liver damage. Up to 70% of those chronically infected with hepatitis C develop chronic liver disease, and up to 20% develop cirrhosis.
You are most contagious soon after you are infected. Adults who are otherwise healthy are no longer contagious two weeks after the illness begins. Children and people with weak immune systems may be contagious for up to six months.
Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease, but it is spread in other ways, too. This is a hardy virus that can exist on almost any surface for up to one month. You can get infected through contact with an infected person's blood or body fluids.
There's currently no cure for hepatitis A, but it normally gets better on its own within a couple of months. You can usually look after yourself at home. But it's still a good idea to see your GP for a blood test if you think you could have hepatitis A, as more serious conditions can have similar symptoms.
In men, gonorrhea can cause a painful condition in the tubes attached to the testicles. In rare cases, this may cause a man to be sterile, or prevent him from being able to father a child. Rarely, untreated gonorrhea can also spread to your blood or joints. This condition can be life-threatening.
When a woman is infected with hepatitis B, an uninfected man is at risk through direct contact with her vaginal secretions, but that contact is lower-risk than a woman's direct exposure to infectious semen during intercourse.
Because hepatitis C is thought to be transmitted via blood-to-blood contact, only sexual activities that increase the potential for exposure to blood are considered risky. The risk of sexual transmission of hepatitis C is widely considered to be extremely low in heterosexual relationships.
Are Cleaning Products Really Toxic?
What is the most dangerous household chemical?
How Do You Make A Natural Disinfectant?
How do you make antibacterial wipes? DIY Disinfecting
Question: Is Gonorrhea Of The Eye Contagious?
How long is gonorrhea contagious? The time from exposure
Question: How Long Do Apples Last Unrefrigerated?
How can you tell if an apple has gone bad?
Question: Why Cigarettes Are Bad For Your Health?
Is 1 cigarette a day bad? "Just one cigarette
What Is It Called When You Have No White Blood Cells?
Is low white blood count serious? A low WBC count can
Question: When A Runny Nose Is Serious?
Why won't my nose stop dripping? Anything that
Question: Does Salt Water Kill Tooth Infection?
Can I cure a tooth infection without antibiotics?
Why Does My Baby Cry When Being Changed?
Why does my baby cry when changing clothes?
Quick Answer: How Can I Make My Legs Skinnier During Pregnancy?
What gets bigger when your pregnant? Breast growth
Question: Should A Male Have A Female Doctor?
Can a man go to a female urologist? The fact that there
Quick Answer: Can A Doctor Deny You Treatment For Non Payment?
Can a doctor deny you treatment? Justice dictates that
Is It OK To Drink Milk With Meals?
Is it bad to drink milk with meals? You should not


text:
const BasicHessian = require(PATHS.HESSIAN + 'basic');
const ChainRuleWorker = require(PATHS.HESSIAN + 'chainRuleWorker');
const ArrayUtils = require(PATHS.PREPROCESSING + 'array');
/**
 * Calculate the Hessian matrix using the chain rule method.
 */
class HessianCR extends BasicHessian {
    /**
     * Init the class.
     * @param network {BasicNetwork}
     * @param input {Array}
     * @param output {Array}
     */
    init(network, input, output) {
        super.init(network, input, output);
        const weightCount = network.getFlat().weights.length;

        this.workers = [];
        this.workers.push(
            new ChainRuleWorker(
                this.flat.clone(),
                input,
                output,
                0,
                input.length - 1)
        );
    }

    /**
     * Compute the Hessian.
     */
    compute() {
        this.clear();
        let e = 0;
        const weightCount = this.network.getFlat().weights.length;

        for (let outputNeuron = 0; outputNeuron < this.network.outputCount; outputNeuron++) {

            // handle context
            if (this.flat.hasContext) {
                this.workers[0].network.clearContext();
            }

            this.workers[0].outputNeuron = outputNeuron;
            this.workers[0].run();

            // aggregate workers
            for (worker of this.workers) {
                e += worker.error;
                for (let i = 0; i < weightCount; i++) {
                    this.gradients[i] += worker.getGradients()[i];
                }
                this.hessianMatrix.add(worker.hessianMatrix);
            }
        }

        this.sse = e / 2;
    }
}

module.exports = HessianCR;


text:
require 'spec_helper'

# Generators are NOT automatically loaded by Rails
require 'generators/acts_as_friendable/install/install_generator'

describe ActsAsFriendable::Generators::InstallGenerator do
  # Tell the generator where to put its output (what it thinks of as Rails.root)
  destination File.expand_path("../../../tmp", __FILE__)

  before do
    prepare_destination
    Rails::Generators.options[:rails][:orm] = :active_record
  end

  describe 'no arguments' do
    before { run_generator  }

    describe 'db/migrate/acts_as_friendable.rb' do
      subject { file('db/migrate/create_acts_as_friendable_friendships.rb') }
      it { should be_a_migration }
    end
  end
end


text:
Co-Optimus
Find Co-Op Games
Other SystemsAmazon FireTVAndroidClassiciPhone/iPadNintendo 3DSNintendo DSNintendo SwitchNintendo Wii UPCPlaystation 2Playstation 3PlayStation 4PlayStation VitaPSPWiiWiiWareWindows PhoneXboxXbox 360Xbox Live Indie GamesXbox One
Couch Co-Op
Top Rated Co-Op Games
Super Mario Maker 2 Co-Op Review
Killsquad Stream Recap and Early Access Impressions
Co-Op Games
Online Co-Op: 5 Players
+ Co-Op Modes
Videos & Screens
Battle as the Gods Themselves with SMITE on PS4
News 2/24/2016 at 9:06 AM by Jason Love 0
Eyebrow raising outfits not standard
Last year we checked out a MOBA by the name of SMITE, a game that allows up to five players take on groups of AI-controlled bots in a few different modes. We played it for a little bit and did some silly stuff. The title was a PC and Xbox One release only for some time, but the PS Blog has broken news that it will be coming to the PlayStation 4 soon enough.
The title will still be free-to-play on the PS4, with a cycling roster of five gods (out of 70) from which players can choose to play. Similar to the PC and Xbox One versions, players will have the option of buying the "Founder's Pack," which unlocks all current and future gods, for $29.99. It's not a bad deal if you like the game as it guarantees you access to any/all new characters that are released later on. In addition to that, picking up the pack will get you access to the closed beta when it launches.
If you want to get into the closed beta without paying, then you can signup on the developer's website. The beta is set to get started in early March, which is likely when the "Founder's Pack" will hit on the PS Store as well.
Source: Blog.us.playstation.com
co-op news
5 player online co-op
SMITE's 3.17 Patch Adds Dedicated PvE Mode for a Limited Time
SMITE Is Getting An "Anime-Inspired" Horde Mode
New Limited Time Co-Op Event Arrives for SMITE
SMITE Now Supports Cross-Play/Progression on PC, Xbox One, and Switch
SMITE - 2016 Season Ticket Stream Recap
SMITE - Intro to Co-Op Stream and Gods Dance Party
Borderlands 3 Will Have Cross-Play "As Soon As Practicable," Not At Launch
Buy This Game!
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Amazon.com - Click to See Price
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Game SiteMap
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text:
Bring Our Troops Home
Senator Borah
Lindholm website urges Cheney: "Bring our troops home"
Sundance, Wyo. — A Wyoming state representative and Navy veteran today launched a new website — WyBringOurTroopsHome.com — that will focus public attention on urging Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., to abandon "nation building" in the Middle East and support bringing American troops home from war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere.
Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance, a three-term lawmaker who served five years in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter electronics technician and now serves as majority whip of the Wyoming House of Representatives, authored a guest opinion published last month in multiple major newspapers in the state, in which he wrote that "legitimate aims such as suppressing specific threats to America's homeland or safeguarding essential national interests abroad are no longer the objective of our self-sacrificing military."
"Instead, Congress passes nebulous 'use of force authorizations' that assign our troops the dubious and undefined task of 'making the world safe for democracy,' an obligation that doesn't fall to the United States, its military, or its taxpayers," Lindholm wrote. "In pursuit of this malleable objective, American military personnel are stationed in 80 nations on six continents. Such interventionism is unsustainable for a country drowning under $22 trillion in federal debt."
Lindholm Thursday said that the overwhelmingly positive public response to his commentary prompted him to push the issue further in an attempt to demonstrate to Cheney and the state's two U.S. senators that there is broad support among the state's military families and the general public for withdrawing American troops from the Middle East.
"My hope is to persuade Rep. Cheney and our U.S. senators that the people of Wyoming, especially the military families and taxpayers who bear the burden of continuing our military presence in the Middle East, believe that after 18 years of war, it's time to bring our troops home," Lindholm said. "President Trump says it's time. A neighboring state's U.S. senator who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says he's through with nation building. The purpose of the new website is to give Wyoming voters a voice in urging our congressional delegation to join them."
Lindholm's website points to comments by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, who said in response to an Idaho veteran's plea to withdraw U.S. troops: "We've spent $2 trillion in Afghanistan, and we've shed lots of American blood there. I'm with you. I am through trying to do nation-building with countries that don't want it! They've got to show some type of an appreciation, some type of an embracement of it, and they simply don't." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmuDE7LTOmA&t=55s
"Given his preeminent influence on foreign policy in our nation's capital, Sen. Risch's recognition of the futility of endless wars stands in stark contrast to the interventionist urges of many of his colleagues in Washington, perhaps none more prominently than our own Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming," Lindholm wrote in his guest opinion.
Lindholm also cited three public opinion polls since last November indicating strong public support for ending American involvement in Middle East conflicts:
* Sixty percent of 800 veterans surveyed last month by Concerned Veterans for America, and 60 percent of military households, said they would support removing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan. See question 7 at
https://mk0wehezuhu1jcn3uqvn.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/I20190424_PO-CVA-Survey_Interview-Schedule_Release.pdf
* Fifty-six percent of 1,989 Americans polled by Politico in January supported President Trump's call to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, including 81 percent of Trump voters in 2016 who supported withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan, and 76 percent of Trump voters who supported withdrawing our troops from Syria. The poll was conducted January 4-6, 2019. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-11/democratic-elites-reunite-neocons-partys-voters-are-becoming-far-more-militaristic
* Eighty-four percent of over 1,000 current service members and veterans polled last November said they agreed that our occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq "have been going on too long." The poll was conducted over the Veterans Day 2018 holiday by Stars and Stripes, the Smithsonian magazine, and George Mason University. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/new-poll-us-troops-veterans-reveals-thoughts-current-military-policies-180971134/
Lindholm said in taking on the issue, he is following the lead of a fellow veteran, former Sgt. Dan McKnight of the Idaho Army National Guard, who served in Afghanistan fifteen years ago and in January began organizing a bipartisan movement to persuade Risch and Idaho's Congressional delegation to bring American troops home.
"I took note of Sgt. McKnight's efforts online and, on behalf of my fellow veterans and their families, want to help get the word out as broadly as possible, including here in Wyoming," Lindholm said.


text:
Q: How to pair bluetooth devices programatically without user interaction? I know there are many such questions on SO but none of them has been able to address my issue.I am trying to implement a Bluetooth pairing programatically  between two devices. I am able to pair devices but the problem is that it requires user to press pair button which I don't want in my app. I want them to get connected without any user interaction or if that is  not possible it should ask only one device to press the pair button and should get paired. I have a Samsung TV that works in a way that when I try to connect my android phone's Bluetooth with it..A pair pin request pops up on my phone and when I hit pair it gets paired it doesn't show any thing on TV and still they both get paired. I need to implement this in my app. I have tried this code but it doesnot take the password and get connected it still asks for the password.
public void setBluetoothPairingPin(BluetoothDevice device)
{
    byte[] pinBytes = convertPinToBytes("0000");
    try {
          Log.d(TAG, "Try to set the PIN");
          Method m = device.getClass().getMethod("setPin", byte[].class);
          m.invoke(device, pinBytes);
          Log.d(TAG, "Success to add the PIN.");
          try {
                device.getClass().getMethod("setPairingConfirmation", boolean.class).invoke(device, true);
                Log.d(TAG, "Success to setPairingConfirmation.");
            } catch (Exception e) {
                // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                Log.e(TAG, e.getMessage());
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
          Log.e(TAG, e.getMessage());
          e.printStackTrace();
        }
}

I have been searching for a solution for almost a week now.Any ideas/suggestions to achieve the above will be really appreciated.

A: You should be try this...!
private void pairDevice(BluetoothDevice device) {
            try {
                Method method = device.getClass().getMethod("createBond", (Class[]) null);
                method.invoke(device, (Object[]) null);
            } catch (Exception e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }

and
mAdapter.setData(mDeviceList);
        mAdapter.setListener(new DeviceListAdapter.OnPairButtonClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onPairButtonClick(int position) {
                BluetoothDevice device = mDeviceList.get(position);

                if (device.getBondState() == BluetoothDevice.BOND_BONDED) {
                    unpairDevice(device);
                } else {
                    showToast("Pairing...");
                    pairDevice(device);//here is calling
                }
            }
        });

A: You should try this code on while pair button clicked:
    String strPsw = "FBK645NKL"
    mAdapter.setData(mDeviceList);
    mAdapter.setListener(new OnPairButtonClickListener() {

                @Override
                public void onPairButtonClick(int position) {
                    BluetoothDevice device = mDeviceList.get(position);

                    if (device.getBondState() == BluetoothDevice.BOND_BONDED) {
                        unpairDevice(device);
                    }  else {
                        Log.d("mylog", "HAS BOND_BONDED");
                        try {
                            ClsUtils.createBond(device.getClass(), device);
                            ClsUtils.setPin(device.getClass(), device, strPsw); //
                            ClsUtils.createBond(device.getClass(), device);
    //                      remoteDevice = device; // ?remoteDevice
                            result = true;
                        } catch (Exception e) {
                            // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                            Log.d("mylog", "setPiN failed!");
                            e.printStackTrace();
                        }
                    }
                    return;
                }

            });

And you must write a code for ClsUtils.java:
    //ClsUtils code for Bluetooth Device Pairing and Bonding...

    import java.lang.reflect.Field;
    import java.lang.reflect.Method;

    import android.bluetooth.BluetoothDevice;
    import android.util.Log;

    public class ClsUtils {

        /**
         * ?platform/packages/apps/Settings.git
         * /Settings/src/com/android/settings/bluetooth/CachedBluetoothDevice.java
         */
        @SuppressWarnings({ "unchecked", "rawtypes" })
        static public boolean createBond(Class btClass, BluetoothDevice btDevice)
                throws Exception {
            Method createBondMethod = btClass.getMethod("createBond");
            Boolean returnValue = (Boolean) createBondMethod.invoke(btDevice);
            return returnValue.booleanValue();
        }

        /**
         * ?platform/packages/apps/Settings.git
         * /Settings/src/com/android/settings/bluetooth/CachedBluetoothDevice.java
         */
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
        static public boolean removeBond(Class btClass, BluetoothDevice btDevice)
                throws Exception {
            Method removeBondMethod = btClass.getMethod("removeBond");
            Boolean returnValue = (Boolean) removeBondMethod.invoke(btDevice);
            return returnValue.booleanValue();
        }

        @SuppressWarnings({ "unchecked", "rawtypes" })
        static public boolean setPin(Class btClass, BluetoothDevice btDevice,
                String str) throws Exception {
            try {
                Method removeBondMethod = btClass.getDeclaredMethod("setPin",
                        new Class[] { byte[].class });
                Boolean returnValue = (Boolean) removeBondMethod.invoke(btDevice,
                        new Object[] { str.getBytes() });
                Log.e("returnValue", "" + returnValue);
            } catch (SecurityException e) {
                // throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
                e.printStackTrace();
            } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
                // throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
                e.printStackTrace();
            } catch (Exception e) {
                // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
            return true;

        }

        //
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
        static public boolean cancelPairingUserInput(Class btClass,
                BluetoothDevice device)

        throws Exception {
            Method createBondMethod = btClass.getMethod("cancelPairingUserInput");
            // cancelBondProcess()
            Boolean returnValue = (Boolean) createBondMethod.invoke(device);
            return returnValue.booleanValue();
        }

        //
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
        static public boolean cancelBondProcess(Class btClass,
                BluetoothDevice device)

        throws Exception {
            Method createBondMethod = btClass.getMethod("cancelBondProcess");
            Boolean returnValue = (Boolean) createBondMethod.invoke(device);
            return returnValue.booleanValue();
        }

        /**
         *
         * @param clsShow
         */
        static public void printAllInform(Class clsShow) {
            try {
                //
                Method[] hideMethod = clsShow.getMethods();
                int i = 0;
                for (; i < hideMethod.length; i++) {
                    Log.e("method name", hideMethod[i].getName() + ";and the i is:"
                            + i);
                }
                //
                Field[] allFields = clsShow.getFields();
                for (i = 0; i < allFields.length; i++) {
                    Log.e("Field name", allFields[i].getName());
                }
            } catch (SecurityException e) {
                // throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
                e.printStackTrace();
            } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
                // throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
                e.printStackTrace();
            } catch (Exception e) {
                // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }

            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
            static public boolean autoBond(Class btClass,BluetoothDevice device,String strPin) throws Exception {

            Method autoBondMethod = btClass.getMethod("setPin",
                    new Class[] { byte[].class });
            Boolean result = (Boolean) autoBondMethod.invoke(device,
                    new Object[] { strPin.getBytes() });
            return result;

        }

    }

This code is useful for automatically pairing and connecting Bluetooth devices without user-interaction.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Introducing Our Senior Masthead Team
Joe Kahn, who was named the next executive editor of The New York Times, announces his senior leadership team.
It is the greatest privilege of my life to be asked to lead this great newsroom.
Our role in documenting, explaining and probing the most important news developments in the United States and around the world is more urgent now than at any point in our 170-year history. No other news organization combines the depth of our talent and expertise, the ambitions of our reporting staff, the immersiveness of our storytelling, and the authority of our journalism.
We have all benefited enormously from the spirit of innovation and journalistic ambition that defined Dean's leadership. He infused all of us with his thrill for great reporting, his openness to new approaches and a shared sense of mission forged through some of the most tumultuous events of modern times. He has also been my mentor, my thought partner, my journalistic compass and my friend.
It is now my job to similarly empower our remarkable journalists to produce the most ambitious, consequential and creative work of our careers.
To do that, I will need the help of the most talented leaders in the news business, to ensure a smooth transition, to open our doors to your ideas and insights, and to build and sustain our newsroom for years to come. The good news, as the rest of the media world keeps reminding us, is that we already have that team on hand.
Marc Lacey and Carolyn Ryan, two extraordinary editors who have helped lead the journalistic and cultural transformation of the newsroom over the past decade, will be my managing editors. Both will share with me responsibility for overseeing the breadth of our coverage and news operation, ensuring the competitiveness, ambition and excellence of the report and advancing major priorities like independence and trust, digital excellence and cultural transformation.
Four deeply experienced leaders will join our top leadership group as deputy managing editors, helping Carolyn, Marc and me run the report and oversee the newsroom. Each will oversee a specific portfolio of major priorities.
— Rebecca Blumenstein will become deputy managing editor for global talent and operations, leading the newsroom's efforts to recruit, develop and retain the world's best journalists; foster our culture; and manage our complex domestic and international operations.
— Sam Dolnick will join the senior masthead in a role focused on advancing and elevating the way our journalists report and tell stories across the wide array of formats at our disposal. He will bring the spirit of innovation he has brought to our Audio, newsletters and TV and film operations — which he will continue to oversee — into our core report.
— Steve Duenes will continue to oversee visual journalism, with a focus on shaping future formats and a report defined by visual journalism as much as by traditional articles, and to set the standard for multimedia storytelling excellence across the industry.
— Cliff Levy will focus on ensuring the independence and integrity of our journalism while expanding his purview beyond Standards to serve as a champion and leader for editors and the craft of editing across the newsroom.
I'd also like to say a word about Matt Purdy, who has inspired and shaped our greatest investigative and enterprise journalism and also been a critical partner as we've managed momentous elections, a disruptive presidency, a pandemic and a European land war. Happily, Matt has agreed to continue playing a vital role in leadership and in advancing our most ambitious journalism. I'll have more to say about his role — as well as other members of the wider leadership team — in the coming weeks.
Now, I hope you'll permit me to violate our commitment to write with brevity to say some words about why this is the best leadership team in journalism.
No other leader in our newsroom has had a bigger impact on the future shape of our report — or been as fiercely devoted to developing the careers of our journalists — as Carolyn. Since joining the newsroom leadership team in 2017, she has overhauled our recruiting and hiring practices, helped establish a pipeline of diverse talent through our fellowship program and brought a new generation of Times journalists to our newsroom — 463 in all. Carolyn has shown a lifelong commitment to diversity and inclusion, and she has made a lasting impact at The Times by steadily increasing the diversity of our newsroom, championing people from underrepresented groups and shaping changes in our culture.
A wonderfully talented journalist, Carolyn led the Metro and Politics desks, as well as our Washington bureau, after joining The Times from The Boston Globe in 2007. She helped lead the Metro coverage of Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York and his involvement with a prostitution ring, for which The Times won a 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News. As Metro editor, she also oversaw a groundbreaking investigation into the deaths of more than 1,200 developmentally disabled people in New York. This work was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2012.
She is a fearless and empathetic leader who listens and champions the work and talents of others. She never shies away from taking on tough challenges with candor and insight. And her wicked sense of humor is legendary.
Marc is a rare journalistic leader who brings in equal measure two qualities that are essential for our newsroom in this moment: an unwavering commitment to our journalistic values and a drive to continuously reinvent how our readers experience our journalism.
As head of Live, he has built and led a team that has reshaped our entire breaking news operation. In doing so, he's strengthened our newsroom's muscle to provide up-to-the-minute coverage on a wide range of events and storylines, from the war in Ukraine to the confirmation hearing of Kentaji Brown Jackson to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Before Live, Marc was our National editor, where he oversaw coverage during a particularly intense news cycle that saw a presidential election, a pandemic and the largest civil rights protests in a generation. And as he led all of that, Marc also took advantage of the opportunity to innovate and improve how the National desk operated — recruiting and developing reporters and editors, expanding our California coverage and shaping live briefings and a new editing system.
Marc's leadership draws on a wealth of experience. He joined us from The Los Angeles Times in 1999 to cover the White House, and also served as deputy International editor, weekend editor and a correspondent based in Washington, Nairobi, Mexico City and Phoenix. As a colleague, Marc is known for his quick wit and calmness even in the most stressful of moments — qualities that he put on display when he moderated the presidential debate The Times co-hosted with CNN.
Carolyn, Marc and I are joined by four extraordinary journalists who will serve as deputy managing editors. The diversity and depth of experience on this team is a testament to the talent and strength of our newsroom.
Cliff has had a remarkable impact on our newsroom during his long Times career. As one of our most creative leaders, with an ability to tackle both stories and strategy, he's brought his considerable energy, vision and talent to everything from driving major elements of our digital transformation to redoubling our commitment to our most fundamental standards. And that's why A.G., Dean and I have relied on him so often for the most challenging and important work and why countless other people across the company seek him out for his sound advice and judgment.
Cliff's wide ranging interests and abilities have led him on an extraordinary career path at The Times. He's served as Metro editor, Moscow bureau chief, an investigative reporter, a domestic correspondent and head of our digital News Desk, where he oversaw The Times's approach to digital platforms. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for Investigative Reporting for a series exposing abuses in homes for the mentally ill in New York, and another in 2011 for International Reporting from Russia. He led the creation of the NYTNow app that paved the way for The Times to take a mobile-first stance. And he made another major pivot last year in bringing his depth of experience to overseeing Standards. Not to mention, of course, a stint advising our growing Audio newsroom. That is to say, the modern, thriving, digital New York Times owes a great deal to Cliff's leadership and ingenuity. And no matter what position he's held, Cliff has been a generous colleague — someone able to combine honesty and sharp insights with considerable thoughtfulness — as the many journalists he's championed and mentored can attest.
It is difficult to imagine our newsroom without Rebecca's leadership, generosity of spirit and sheer energy in tackling the most intractable problems. In the five years that she has been at The Times, Rebecca has led the efforts to expand and reimagine our business coverage, managed our digital news report, including overseeing and driving the critical early days of live coverage during the pandemic. For the past year, she's served as A.G.'s deputy and partner in supporting our journalistic operations and external relations in the media industry and beyond — efforts that will continue in her new role.
This has included spearheading special projects such as the unimaginably complex evacuation and relocation of the 210 current and former Times colleagues and their families from Afghanistan, and the recent reset of our approach to Twitter. She has been a trusted confidante and mentor to many, and at every turn, she continues to show us what it means to be a compassionate, strong and relentless leader.
She is also, of course, a superb journalist with a wealth of experience. Before she joined The Times, she was the deputy editor in chief at The Wall Street Journal. Previously, she held roles as China bureau chief, where she led a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2007, Page One editor, managing editor of WSJ.com and international editor.
Sam's leadership and vision have been at the core of our reimagination of what Times journalism looks, sounds and feels like. He's led our efforts to push our journalism into new forms — which have strengthened our ability to cover the world and introduced us to new audiences: launching and overseeing "The Daily," "The New York Times Presents" and a whole slate of other podcasts; bringing Serial Productions and Audm into The Times; and shaping the evolution of our newsletters, including The Morning.
An accomplished reporter and editor, Sam was a correspondent on Metro, where he spent nearly a year documenting widespread abuses at New Jersey's privatized halfway houses. The investigation won a Polk Award for Justice Reporting in 2013 and prompted swift government action to reform the institutions. Sam then became deputy Sports editor, where he helped pioneer our efforts in great sports narratives. Prior to The Times, Sam worked for The Associated Press as a foreign correspondent in New Delhi and a reporter in New York. He is a deeply generous colleague who has long championed the talents and efforts of his colleagues, and so many teams at The Times have benefited from his creativity and vision.
There was a time when the bulk of our visual output, including graphics, design and photos, was produced primarily for the newspaper. Since Steve took over the Graphics desk in 2004, he has prioritized digital excellence. The team he built and his work across disciplines have steadily transformed The Times into a powerhouse of visual journalism across digital formats and mediums. As the masthead leader working across Video, Photo, Graphics and Digital News Design, Steve has created a foundation for visual journalists to produce some of our most popular and impactful journalism. From our Covid tracker to the dialect quiz, to visual investigations and multimedia efforts that have produced Pulitzer Prize wins ranging from Features to Public Service — the work Steve has supported and led has redefined not only The Times's news report but the shape of digital journalism across the industry. And Steve has played a major role in defining the future of our products and formats, including major redesigns and new formats such as live briefings and blogs.
Just as important, since joining The Times in 1999, Steve has served as a thoughtful mentor, nurturing and seeding the newsroom with talented journalists. Steve began his career at The Flint Journal in Michigan, before moving onto the graphics department and nascent web staff at The Chicago Tribune. His sense of humor has served him well throughout his journalism career, and he has published a number of cartoons in The New Yorker, including a gag about wine drinking that was inspired by a colleague's comment at our morning news meeting.
I hope you'll join A.G., Dean and me this afternoon to toast these exceptional leaders and the future of The Times.
Cliff Levy to Focus on Journalism Standards and Integrity
Steve Duenes Promoted to Deputy Managing Editor
Carolyn Ryan Elevated to Assistant Managing Editor


text:
Vermont Legislature on Track to be First to Legalize Marijuana in U.S.
Cannabis buds are shown on first day of legal recreational marijuana sales beginning at midnight in Portland, Oregon in this October 1, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Steve Dipaola/Files
By Scott Malone
MONTPELIER, Vt. (Reuters) –
Liberal-leaning Vermont could become the first U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana use through legislation, rather than by voter initiative, in a move that advocates for the drug say could speed its acceptance across the nation.
State representatives this month are set to take up a bill passed by the state Senate in February that would allow adults over 21 to purchase and smoke the drug beginning in 2018.
The move follows a year of hearings in the Senate that lawmakers say allowed them to closely consider appropriate limits to place on the drug's use. The current proposal would prohibit users from growing plants at home and ban the sale of edible products containing marijuana extracts.
But lawmakers must act before the end of May, when the current session ends, a deadline that may prove difficult to meet. It is uncertain whether it has enough support in the Democratic-controlled House to pass.
The law would impose a 25 percent tax on sales of the drug, which would fund drug law enforcement and drug education programs.
"It makes for a much more thoughtful and measured approach," said State Senator Jeanette White, a sponsor of the senate bill. "We got to work out the details, we got to ask the questions first and put the whole infrastructure in place before it happens."
Four states, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, as well as the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana through ballot initiatives, and voters in four more states, including neighboring Massachusetts, are to vote on legalization in November. The drug remains illegal under federal law.
Advocates contend the push for marijuana legalization across the nation will be boosted if the legislation is passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature of Vermont, the home of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Bills have been submitted in 16 other states, according to advocates, but none have advanced as far.
"It sends an important message that legislatures don't have to be afraid of this, it's not a third rail anymore," said Jeff Laughlin, a 37-year-old software programmer from Barre, who supports the measure.
Laughlin is far from alone. A February poll of 895 state residents by Vermont Public Radio found that 55 percent of Vermonters supported legalization, with 32 percent opposed.
More telling, a 2015 Rand Corp study commissioned by the state found that one in eight residents already use the drug illegally, with one in three people aged 18 to 25 doing so. The report estimated that users spent between $125 million and $225 million on the drug in 2014.
A fully budded marijuana plant ready for trimming is seen at the Botanacare marijuana store ahead of their grand opening on New Year's day in Northglenn, Colorado December 31, 2013. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
The high prevalence of marijuana use in the state has some lawmakers and even law-enforcement officials contending it's time for the rules to catch up with reality.
"If it's one in eight, to me that tells me that we need to change, that society for the most part is accepting it," said Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark. "If 12 or 13 percent of the population is not being open with law enforcement when we're out trying to investigate serious crimes, then that is holding us back from working with our communities."
Supporters acknowledge that the bill will have a harder path to approval in the state's House of Representatives, where many Republicans are wary of legalizing the drug.
"Many of our members are opposed to this proposal and I don't know that it can be changed enough for them to change their minds," said Representative Donald Turner, the House Republican leader. "I don't feel there is a good argument for legalizing it at this point."
Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat in his final year in office, asked lawmakers to pass the measure during this year's legislative session, which ends in May.
Debby Haskins, executive director of opposition group Smart Alternatives for Marijuana-Vermont, noted that Vermont, like many U.S. states, is coping with a surge in addiction to opioid drugs, ranging from prescription painkillers to heroin.
She said she believed health officials needed to solve that problem before legalizing a new drug.
"The questions that keep coming up for me is, how will this make Vermont healthier and how will this improve the quality of life? I don't think this bill does it," Haskins said. "It's the wrong direction for us to be heading."
(Editing by Frank McGurty and Phil Berlowitz)
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text:
Crewe Mayor recognises people for their contribution to the town
Civic Awards were held at Crewe Hall
Leanne Palin
The Cheshire Blades football team receive the Sports Award
A group of people have been recognised for their selfless work in the community.
At the second annual Civic Awards, the Mayor of Crewe Cllr Pam Minshall honoured four individuals and organisations for the work they have done in the community over the past 12 months. The Mayor invited nominations from the public before choosing the winners, who were presented with awards at a special gala dinner at Crewe Hall.
Courtney Welch was given the Youth Award, The 16-year-old is a long-term volunteer with the Everybody Volunteer Programme. Despite her age, she has already completed over 100 hours within her local area. She supports a variety of sports sessions in the Crewe area and has a keen focus on disability and inclusion delivery.
Courtney Welch receives the Youth Award for her selfless volunteering
Courtney currently supports disability sessions on the Activ8 Programme as well as volunteering for Cheshire Buddies. Both these areas work with young people with additional needs. She has been able to adapt quickly to her role and is now looking at new areas where she can make a difference within Crewe.
The Sports Award was given to the Cheshire Blades football team. They are one of the largest independent junior football cubs in the North West with over 300 registered players.
Their aim is to create a fun and safe environment for young people of all ages and abilities to enjoy playing the game.
They currently have teams ranging from U7's right through to free Age totalling 19 teams and are also encouraging girls of all ages to attend their all girl training sessions.
Queens Park Wildlife group were awarded with the Community Award which recognises a group or organisation that has brought benefit to Crewe. Set up in summer last year, the volunteers dedicated their time to initially helping to protect the cygnets on Queens Park lake.
Caron Hull receives the Community award on behalf of the Queens Park Wildlife Group
After a number of successful fundraisers and continuing dedication, the group have made quite a difference to all the wildlife situated in the park including the installation of ramps to the islands in the lake and planting and much more planned for the future.
After an enormous amount of nominations from the public, Hayley Bicker was honoured with the Civic Award. After spending 100 hours in a box at the Tesco where she works as a Community Champion, she raised £4,000 for the Caudwell Children's Charity and does lots of community work within schools.
Hayley Bicker receives the Civic award from Crewe Mayor cllr Pam Minshall and deputy Mayor Benn.
One nominee wrote: "Hayley has raised a lot of money for Caudwell, Diabetes UK and for the homeless shelter at the New Testament of God Church on Stewart Street. I'm extremely proud and humbled by all of her hard work and dedication and believe she should have some recognition for her efforts."


In my previous post, I talked about how to receive messages from a UDP broadcast, and for the Windows 8 app I'm writing, I wanted the results of this to be shown in the settings charm. But here I ran into a problem, the Dispatcher kept failing with an NullReferenceException on Window.Current and so the results of my broadcast never got shown in the settings page. I asked on twitter, but got no response, so I've had to resort to what feels like a bit of a dirty workaround, but there you go.