text:
\section{Introduction}
Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless communications systems have been a focus of academic and industrial research in the last decade due to their potentially higher data rates in comparison with Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) systems \cite{Driessen}. Theoretically, the overall channel capacity can be increased linearly with the number of transmit and receive antennas by using spatial multiplexing schemes \cite{Driessen}. Current focus on satellite communication (SatCom) systems recognizes a demand for higher data rates. Hence, it appears to be appropriate to apply MIMO to SatCom systems in order to increase the available data rate and bandwidth efficiency.

The quality of service (QoS) and data rates requirements of satellite communication systems is recently on the increase. Hence, the application of multiple input multiple output techniques to satellite communication systems appear to be appropriate in order to achieve increased spectral and bandwidth efficiency \cite{Schwarz}. Spatial multiplexing and diversity maximization schemes can be deployed to achieve better spectral efficiencies and bit error rates (BER) when compared to the classical single satellite single receive station systems.

In \cite{Schwarz}, MIMO satellite uplinks and downlinks channel that are optimal in terms of achievable data rates were analyzed. The authors showed that capacity optimization is generally possible for regenerative payload designs using Line of Sight (LOS) channel models. These analysis were extended to a number of MIMO satellite communication systems in \cite{Schwarz2} and the scope was further extended to general  case of satellites with transparent communication payloads component. A cluster based channel model was proposed for MIMO satellite formation systems in \cite{Ramoni2013}. Based on the standardized models for terrestrial multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems, the authors proposed a spatial model and analysed the capacity of formation flying satellite systems.

In this contribution, we analyse the performance of satellite communication systems with multiple cooperating satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) and single or multiple antennas at the ground receiving station. The analysis in this paper is based on three different modelling approaches for land mobile satellite systems.

The remaining part of this paper is organized as follows. In Section II, we present the system model for MIMO satellite systems. A review of the propagation channel models considered in the paper is presented in section III. In Section IV, we derive expressions for channel capacity and bit error rates with MPSK modulation scheme. Simulation results and discussions are presented in section V. Finally, we draw conclusion in Section VI.

\section{System Model}
In this section, we present the system model for single satellite, multiple receive antenna systems (SS-MRA) and multiple satellite multiple receive antenna systems (MS-MRA).
\subsection{Single Satellite - Multiple Receive Antennas (SS-MRA)}
Consider the downlink of a Land-mobile satellite receive diversity system consisting of a single dual polarized satellite antenna and a mobile receive station with $M$ non-polarized antennas. The channel impulse response between the satellite and the mobile receive station can be modelled as an $M\times 2$ MIMO communication channel
\begin{equation}
\label{eq1}
\mathbf{H}=\begin{bmatrix}
h_{11} & h_{12}\\
h_{21} & h_{22}\\
\vdots & \vdots\\
h_{M1} & h_{M2}
\end{bmatrix}
\end{equation}
where $h_{ij}$ is the channel between the $j$-th transmit polarization and the $i$-th receive antenna. The received signal at the mobile receive antennas is given by
\begin{equation}
\label{eq2}
\begin{bmatrix}
y_1\\
y_2\\
\vdots\\
y_M
\end{bmatrix}
=\begin{bmatrix}
h_{11} & h_{12}\\
h_{21} & h_{22}\\
\vdots & \vdots\\
h_{M1} & h_{M2}
\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}
x_1\\
x_2
\end{bmatrix}+\begin{bmatrix}
n_1\\
n_2\\
\vdots\\
n_M
\end{bmatrix}
\end{equation}
A matrix representation for the receive signal model in \eqref{eq2} is thus
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{y}=\mathbf{H}\mathbf{x}+\mathbf{n}
\end{equation}
where $\mathbf{y}=[y_1,y_2,\cdots,y_M]^T$ is an $M\times 1$ vector of the received signals at the $M$ receive antennas, $\mathbf{x}=[x_1,x_2]^T$ is a vector of transmitted symbols on the two polarizations of the satellite antenna and $\mathbf{n}=[n_1,n_2,\cdots,n_M]^T$ is an $M\times 1$ noise vector assumed to be complex Gaussian random variables with zero mean and variance $\sigma^2$.
\subsection{Multiple Satellite - Multiple Receive Antennas (MS-MRA)}
We consider a satellite diversity system comprising of $N$ dual polarized satellites and a mobile ground receiving station with $M$ equally spaced antennas. This corresponds to a $2N\times M$ multiantenna wireless system. However, since the satellites antennas are not co-located, the relative delay between signal transmission from each satellites need to be accounted for in the system model \cite{Schwarz2}. The received signal at the mobile station can therefore be modelled as
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{y}(t)=\left[\mathbf{H}_{s1}(t)\,\, \mathbf{H}_{s2}(t)\,\, \cdots \,\, \mathbf{H}_{sN}(t)\right]\begin{bmatrix}
\mathbf{x}^1(t)\\
\mathbf{x}^2(t-\tau_2)\\
\vdots\\
\mathbf{x}^N(t-\tau_N)
\end{bmatrix}+\mathbf{n}(t)
\end{equation}
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\label{fig:MIMOsat}
\includegraphics[width = 1\columnwidth]{mimoSAT.eps}
\caption{Multiple Satellites Multiple Antennas Ground Receive Station System}
\end{center}
\end{figure}
where $\mathbf{H}_{si}$ is the $2\times M$ impulse response matrix for the channel between the $i$-th satellite and the $M$ receive antennas, $\mathbf{y}(t)=\left[y_1(t),y_2(t),\cdots,y_M(t)\right]^T$ are the received signals, $\mathbf{x}^i(t)=[x_1^i(t) \,\, x_2^i(t)]^T$ are the transmitted signals on the two polarizations of satellite $i$ and $\tau_n$ is the relative delay experienced by signals from the $n$th satellite with respect to the reference satellite.

\section{Channel Models}
We consider three different models for our evaluations in this paper. The models are the cluster based spatial satellite MIMO model \cite{Ramoni2013}, Loo distribution based analytical model \cite{Loo85,LooB98} and the physical - statistical land mobile satellite model \cite{Schwarz}. A brief description of the satellite channel models is presented in this section.
\subsection{Cluster Based MIMO Satellite Model}
In \cite{Ramoni2013}, a cluster based MIMO model was proposed for MIMO satellite systems using the concept of clustering\footnote{A cluster is generally considered as a group of propagation paths sharing common angle of arrivals and/or delays of arrival. In the cluster based approach for satellite models, it is assumed that paths within a cluster share closely spaced delays of arrival.} in the standardized WINNER II/3GPP model for terrestial MIMO systems. The spatial model is given by \cite{Ramoni2013}
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:model1}
h_{nm}(t)=\sqrt{\frac{K}{K+1}}h_{nm}^{LOS}(t)+\sqrt{\frac{1}{K+1}}\sum_{p=2}^{P}g^{(p)}_{nm}(t)\delta(\tau-\tau_p)
\end{equation}
where $K$ is the Ricean K-factor, $h_{nm}^{LOS}$ is the line of sight (LOS) component of the channel impulse response between the nth satellite and the mth ground receiver antenna. The second term in the RHS of \eqref{eq:model1} is the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) component of the channel which is modelled as a summation of P clusters, each cluster comprising of R rays. The LOS and NLOS component are modelled as
\begin{align}
h_{nm}^{LOS}(t)=\sqrt{P_p\exp(j\Phi_{p}).G_R(\theta_{p}).\sigma_{p}.\mathcal{P}_{p}.G_T(\phi_{p})}.\nonumber\\
\exp{(\frac{j2\pi}{\lambda}(d_s\sin(\theta_{p})+d_m\sin(\phi_{p}+\Upsilon_{p})))}.\nonumber\\
\exp{(\frac{-j2\pi V_m}{\lambda}\cos(\vartheta_v-\theta_{p}))}
\end{align}
and
\begin{align}
g^{(p)}_{nm}(t)=\sqrt{\frac{P_p}{R}}\sum_{r=1}^{R}\sqrt{\exp(j\Phi_{rp}).G_R(\theta_{rp}).\sigma_{rp}.\mathcal{P}_{rp}.G_T(\phi_{rp})}.\nonumber\\
\exp{(\frac{j2\pi}{\lambda}(d_s\sin(\theta_{rp})+d_m\sin(\phi_{rp}+\Upsilon_{rp})))}.\nonumber\\
\exp{(\frac{-j2\pi V_m}{\lambda}\cos(\vartheta_v-\theta_{rp}))}
\end{align}
$P_p$ is the normalised power of the p-th multipath component(MPC), $R$ is the number of rays within each cluster(assumed constant in the model), $\Phi$ is the ionospheric power loss compensation factor for each ray in the clusters, $G_R(\theta)$ is the ground receive station array gain for each antenna in the array, $\theta_{rp}$ is the AOA of the rth ray in the pth cluster, $\sigma$ is the shadow fading coefficient of the rays, $\mathcal{P}$ is the path loss, $G_T(\phi)$ is the satellite transmit antenna response for rays with AOD $\phi$, $\lambda$ is the wavelength,  $d_s$ is the inter-satellite spacing, $\theta_{rp})$ is the AOD of the rth ray of the pth cluster,$d_m$ is the spacing between the antennas on the mobile ground receiving station antenna array, $\phi_{rp}$ is the AOA of the rth ray in the pth cluster,$V_m$ is the velocity of the receive station, $\Upsilon$ is the ionospheric angular deviation compensation and $\vartheta$ is the direction of motion of the ground receive station.
\subsection{Free Space LOS Model}
The free space MIMO satellite model consider the line of sight (LOS) component of the fading channel. Each entry of the MIMO impulse response matrix is defined by \cite{Schwarz}
\begin{equation}
\label{eq3}
\mathbf{H}_{ij}=\alpha_{ij}\exp(-jk_0f_cr_{ij})
\end{equation}
where $f_c$ is the carrier frequency, $r_{ij}$ is the geometrical distance between the $j$-th satellite transmit antenna and $i$-th mobile ground receive station antenna, $k_0=\frac{2\pi}{v_0}$ is the wave number, $v_0$ is the free space speed of light and $\alpha_{ij}$ is the complex attenuation of the propagation path defined as
\begin{equation}
\label{eq4}
\alpha_{ij}=\frac{1}{2k_of_cr_{ij}}\exp(j\phi)
\end{equation}
where $\phi$ is the phase of the carrier assumed equal for all antenna pairs. Since the approximation $r_{ij}\approx r\pm 3km \forall i,j$ is applicable to the satellite systems considered in this paper, the channel path gains can therefore be approximated by \cite{Schwarz10}
\begin{equation}
\label{eq4a}
|\alpha_{ij}|\approx|\alpha| = C; \forall i,j
\end{equation}
where $C$ is a constant and $|a|$ denotes the absolute value of $a$.
\subsection{Analytical MIMO Satellite Model}
The Loo distribution \cite{Loo85} is often used for the analytical modelling of land mobile satellite channels. The MIMO impulse for the multi-polarization and multiantenna channel considered in this paper can therefore be modelled as a summation of two parts
\begin{align}
\label{eq5}
\mathbf{H}
&=\begin{bmatrix}
\tilde{h}_{11} & \tilde{h}_{12}\\
\tilde{h}_{21} & \tilde{h}_{22}\\
\vdots & \vdots\\
\tilde{h}_{M1} & \tilde{h}_{M2}
\end{bmatrix}+
\begin{bmatrix}
\overline{h}_{11} & \overline{h}_{12}\\
\overline{h}_{21} & \overline{h}_{22}\\
\vdots & \vdots\\
\overline{h}_{M1} & \overline{h}_{M2}
\end{bmatrix}\nonumber\\
&=\tilde{\mathbf{H}}+\overline{\mathbf{H}}
\end{align}
where $\tilde{\mathbf{H}}$ models the shadowing effect of the channel and its entries are generated using the Log-normal distribution and $\overline{\mathbf{H}}$ is the multipath component of the channel with Rayleigh distributed entries. The Loo distribution based analytical models characterize the channel statistics using probability density function (pdf) and cumulative distribution function (CDF). A general assumption is that the propagating wave undergo both attenuation and scattering/reflection. As given in \eqref{eq5}, the complex channel envelope is a summation of Rayleigh and log-normal faded envelopes. The pdf of the channel is defined as \cite{Loo85}
\begin{equation}
 f(r) = \left\{
  \begin{array}{l l}
    \frac{1}{r\sqrt{2\pi\sigma_r^2}}\exp\left[-\frac{(\log r -\mu)^2}{2\sigma^2_r}\right] & \quad \text{for $r>>c_o$}\\
    \frac{r}{c_o}\exp\left[-\frac{r^2}{2c_o}\right] & \quad \text{for $r<<c_o$}
  \end{array} \right.
\end{equation}
where $\mu$ and $\sigma_r^2$ are the mean and variance of the received signal envelope, respectively. $c_o$ gives the average power of the scattered component of transmitted signal.
\section{Channel capacity and BER}
In this section, we present the channel capacity and theoretical bit error rate (BER) expressions.
\subsection{Channel Capacity}
The channel capacity for a narrowband MIMO system without channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) is generally given by Telatar's spectral efficiency equation \cite{Telatar}
\begin{equation}
\label{cap1}
C=\log_2\left[\det(\mathbf{I}_{M\times M} +\rho\mathbf{H}\mathbf{H}^H)\right]
\end{equation}
where $(.)^H$ denotes the Hermittan transpose of a matrix and $\rho$ is the linear signal-to-noise ration value computed from the logarithmic SNR by
\begin{equation}
\label{cap2}
\rho = 10^{(\frac{SNR}{10})}
\end{equation}
Similar to \cite{Schwarz}, $\rho$ is defined as the ratio of the transmit power at each of the satellite antenna and the noise power at each mobile ground receive antenna. The decibel value of the SNR in \eqref{cap2} is defined as
\begin{equation}
\label{cap3}
SNR = EIRP + G_T-\mathcal{K}-\mathcal{B}
\end{equation}
where EIRP is the effective isotropic radiated power, $G_T$ is the satellite figure of merit, $\mathbf{K}$ is the dB equivalent of Boltzmann's constant and $\mathcal{B}$ is the downlink transmission bandwidth.
\subsection{Bit Error Rate (BER)}
Following the analysis and derivations in \cite{JinChua}, a closed form approximation for the probability of error for MPSK modulated transmission in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) is given as \cite{JinChua}
\begin{align}
\label{BER1}
P_{ERR}&=\gamma\sum_{k=1}^{\min(2,[M/4])}Q\left(\sqrt{2\sigma x}\sin\left(\frac{(2k-1)\pi}{M}\right)\right)\\
\gamma&=\frac{2}{\max(\log_2 M,2)}
\end{align}
where $M$ is the constellation size, $\sigma$ is the SNR per symbol, $x$ is a chi-square distributed random variable and $[M/4]$ denotes the smallest integer greater than or equal to $M/4$.
Assuming that the mobile ground receive station uses a zero forcing (ZF) receiver, the MPSK BER can be obtained by integrating the error probability in \eqref{BER1} over $x$
\begin{equation}
\label{BER2}
MPSK_{BER}=\int_{0}^{\infty}P_{ERR}P_X(x)\,dx
\end{equation}
where $P_X(x)$ is the chi-square probability distribution function. It can be shown that a closed form expression for \eqref{BER2} is \cite{Cheng}
\begin{align}
\label{BER3}
MPSK_{BER}&=\frac{2}{\max(\log_2 M,2)}\sum_{k=1}^{\min(2,[M/4])}\left[\frac{1}{2}(1-\mu_k)\right]^{U}\nonumber\\
&.\sum_{\ell=1}^{U-1}\begin{pmatrix}
U-1+\ell\\
\ell
\end{pmatrix}\left[\frac{1}{2}(1+\mu_k)\right]^\ell
\end{align}
where $U=N-M+1$ and $\mu_k$ is given by
\begin{equation}
\label{BER4}
\mu_k = \sqrt{\frac{\sin^2((2k-1)\pi/M)\sigma}{1+\sin^2((2k-1)\pi/M)\sigma}}
\end{equation}
\section{Simulation Results}
In this section we present simulation results for the capacity and BER of different configurations of MIMO satellite systems with the models present in Section III. The simulation parameters for the simulations are shown in Table \ref{tab:SimulationPar} except where otherwise stated.
\begin{table}[!t]
\centering
\caption{Simulation Parameters}
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}
\hline
Parameters & Value \\
\hline
\hline
Satellite Orbit & Geostationary \\
\hline
Satellite Location & $13^o$ E \\
\hline
Intersatellite Spacing & 6m \\
\hline
Carrier frequency & 14GHz \\
\hline
Receive antenna spacing (2 satellites)  & 68.2km\\
\hline
Ground station antenna location & $11.1^o E$, $47.8^o N$ \\
\hline
Modulation & BPSK, QPSK with gray mapping \\
\hline
Channel Models & See Section III \\
\hline
Environment & Typical Urban \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\label{tab:SimulationPar}
\end{table}
The intersatellite spacing for systems with $M>2$ receive antennas is calculated using the equation \cite{Schwarz}\footnote{Detailed derivations and justification can be found in \cite{Schwarz}}
\begin{equation}
\label{sim1}
d_s^{M\times 2}=d_s^{2\times 2}\times \frac{2}{M}
\end{equation}
In Figure~\ref{Capacity1}, we present the capacity (in bps/Hz) as a function of SNR for linear formation multiple satellite system using the cluster based spatial channel model. The number of satellites and receive antenna elements is varied between 1 and 8. As shown in the figure, increasing the signal to noise ratio (SNR) increases the channel capacity for all antenna sizes as expected. The capacity also increases with increase in the number of satellites and/or receive station antenna elements. For instance, the capacity difference between a $2\times 2$ and $4\times 4$ satellite system at $SNR = 30\,dB$ is about 10\,dB. Figure \ref{Capacity2} present the complementary capacity cumulative distribution function (CCDF) for a dual polarized satellite system and a mobile ground receive station with four antenna elements (corresponding to a $2\times 4$ MIMO system) at different signal to noise ratio (SNR) levels. The CDF plots show that the variance of the channel capacity is considerably small for each SNR level. The capacity increase with SNR can also be clearly observed from Fig. \ref{Capacity2}. In figure \ref{Capacity3}, we compare the capacity for different number of satellites and receive antennas using the Loo-distribution based analytical satellite channel model for single and multi-satellite scenarios. Clearly, the channel capacity also shows an increasing trend with both increase in SNR and antenna sizes. We present a plot of the MIMO satellite channel capacity versus SNR for both single satellite multiple receive antenna ground station (SS-MRA) and multiple satellites multiple receive antenna ground station (MS-MRA) using the line of sight (LOS) approximation model in figure~\ref{Capacity4}. As can be observed from the figure, the channel capacity obtained using the LOS approximation model shows a similar trend and compare well with the capacity for similar scenarios using the cluster based and analytical channel models. In figure~\ref{Capacity5} present the complementary capacity cumulative distribution function (CCDF) for a dual polarized satellite system and a mobile ground receive station with four antenna elements (corresponding to a $2\times 4$ MIMO system) at different signal to noise ratio (SNR) levels using the line of sight (LOS) approximation model. Finally, we plot the bit error rate (BER) versus signal to noise ratio (SNR) for a two-satellite two receive antenna system using the three types of model described in section III. As shown in the figure, the cluster based model gives lower BER at higher SNR. However, no significant difference is observed between the BER curves for the three channel models at low SNR region. Summarily, the results presented in this section shows that the spectral efficiency of satellite systems can be significantly improved by having multiple satellites and multiple antennas at the ground station.
\begin{figure}[htb]
\centering
\includegraphics[width = 0.9\columnwidth]{capacity1.eps}
\caption{MIMO Satellite Capacity Versus Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) Using the Cluster Based Satellite Channel Model: SSSAG denotes Single Satellite Single Antenna Ground Receive Station}
\label{Capacity1}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[width = 0.9\columnwidth]{CDFSAT_LOODISTRIBUTION.eps}
\caption{Complimentary Capacity Cummulative Distribution Function for a Single Dual Polarized Satellite and Ground Receive Station with four Antennas ($2\times 4$ MIMO) Using the Loo Distribution based analytical MIMO Satellite Model at different signal to noise ratio (SNR)}
\label{Capacity2}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[width = 0.9\columnwidth]{CAPSAT_LOODISTRIBUTION.eps}
\caption{MIMO Satellite Capacity Versus SNR for Single Satellite Multiple Receive Antenna Ground Station (SS-MRA) and Multiple Satellites Multiple Ground Receive Antennas Ground Station (MS-MRA) Using the Loo-Distribution Based Analytical Satellite Model.}
\label{Capacity3}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[width = 0.9\columnwidth]{CAPSAT_LOS.eps}
\caption{MIMO Satellite Capacity Versus SNR for Single Satellite Multiple Receive Antenna Ground Station (SS-MRA) and Multiple Satellites Multiple Ground Receive Antennas Ground Station (MS-MRA) Using the Line of Sight (LOS) Satellite Model.}
\label{Capacity4}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[width = 0.9\columnwidth]{CDFSAT_LOS.eps}
\caption{Complimentary Capacity Cummulative Distribution Function for a Single Dual Polarized Satellite and Ground Receive Station with four Antennas ($2\times 4$ MIMO) Using the Line of Sight (LOS) MIMO Satellite Model at different SNR for a 2 Dual Polarized Satellites - 4 Receive Antennas (4x4) System}
\label{Capacity5}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[height=2.5in,width=1\columnwidth]{BER_MIMO_SATELLITE.eps}
\caption{Bit Error Rate (BER) versus Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in dB for a Two-Satellite Two- Receive Antenna System using Cluster Based Model, Free Space Loss Model and Analytical MIMO Satellite Model.}
\label{fig:figBER}
\end{figure}
\section{Conclusion}
Multiple input multiple output dual polarized satellite systems can provide increased spectral efficiency and improved bit error rate (BER) compared to the classical single satellite systems. In this paper, we analyzed the capacity and BER of different multiple satellite scenarios using different models. Simulation results showed that increasing the number of satellite and/or ground receive station antennas can significantly increase the capacity and decrease the bit error rate.

\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Instagram Influencer Argues Learning About World War II Is Bad For Millennials' Mental Health
Richard G. HartleyNovember 2019
A 22-year-old Instagram influencer has left everyone baffled after explaining that learning Word War II could affect a kids' mental health.
In school, learning about history was probably one of the most bittersweet things we learned. Though the topic was a bit interesting, it portrayed just how disgusting and brutal humans can be.
Now, one reality TV star, Freddie Bentley, has come forward, claiming that learning about history, particularly the horrors of the Second World War, is detrimental to Millennial's mental health.
This claim might sound like those lists of phrases designed to wind up folks, but there's a genuine reason.
World War II was the worst war the world has ever seen.
The WWII conflict lasted from 1939-1945, and for less than six years, the war claimed over 50 million lives. Innocent men and women lost their lives, primarily without a choice, defending their respective countries.
YOU ARE AMAZING @prettylittlething 🤪 messy hair & a few spots. Keeping the gram real x
A post shared by Freddie Bentley (@freddiebentleyofficial) on Oct 30, 2019 at 1:15pm PDT
That's why all of us should honor them and remind ourselves, "how far we've come." They gave up their lives to secure our freedom.
But now, some people are doing the opposite.
In an interview on Good Morning Britain, a 22-year-old Influencer decided to vouch for the teaching of the Second World War to students, as it could lead to a negative effect on their mental health.
Defending his argument, Freddie influencer said:
"It was a hard situation, World War Two, I don't want anyone to think I'm being disrespectful. I remember learning it as a child thinking, 'Oh my God, it's so intense.'"
HEY YOU – PRETTY LITTLE THING! @prettylittlething What do you think I filmed yesterday? 💞✨#coming soon
A post shared by Freddie Bentley (@freddiebentleyofficial) on Oct 10, 2019 at 10:05am PDT
"I don't think encouraging death or telling people how many people died in the world war is going to make it better."
"There are so many problems going on in the world, like Brexit, that's not taught in schools. When I left school it hit me like a ton of bricks – I didn't know anything to do with life."
This guy is an example of "let's wipe out history" type.
Shooting with @stonevalleyclothing HAPPY PAY DAY WEEKEND 🤪👏🏻🤸🔥 remember guys & gals that with my DISCOUNT CODE FREDDIE10 you get 💸 💸 OFF!! #brandambassador
A post shared by Freddie Bentley (@freddiebentleyofficial) on Sep 29, 2019 at 7:03am PDT
Not teaching these kinds of history in schools makes our children grow up thinking in a more narrow-minded perspective while encouraging nonchalant attitudes towards essential things in history.
Just because you didn't like it, don't mean it didn't happen.
Bad things always happen in life. You can't just sugar-coat wars and expect others to forget what really happened.
Double parked as per.. More birthday celebrations with my darling ❤ @fabuloushannah
A post shared by Freddie Bentley (@freddiebentleyofficial) on Oct 15, 2019 at 12:05pm PDT
Freddie's augments haven't been taken lightly on the internet, with many people slamming his attitude and level of thinking.
One person commented:
"Who is this idiot on Good Morning Britain saying that the deaths WWII can cause mental health in people now?! Those soldiers gave their lives for your today…"
While another said:
"This fella on Good Morning Britain needs a good old slap, of course, you need to learn about World War 2 you turnip."
Hmm, they could have put it a bit biter than that, but you've got to admit, commenters' reactions are on point.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Out of my favoriete Zanpakutou spirits, which do u like best?
Out of my ten favoriete female characters, who do u like best?
Out of my ten favoriete male characters, who do u like best?
Which Orihime do u like better?
Which Uryu do u like better?
Which Byakuya do u like better?
Which Hitsugaya do u like better?
Which Rukia do u like better?
Which Kenpachi do u like better?
Which Renji do u like better?
Which version of Ichigo's Bankai do u like better?
Which Soul Reaper form do u like better?
Who does Kaien Shiba look meer like?
If watched all, Which Bleach verplaats did u like the most ?
Which was meer aggravating? Visored of Bount?
who is better grimmjow, ichig, of hichigo?
Which captain do u like ?
de keuze van de fan: Yep. I see it that way.
de keuze van de fan: I don't know... something Japanese?
Ichigo... Fun to watch his ezel get kicked.
de keuze van de fan: Yeah. But I like him.
de keuze van de fan: Become captain commander.
de keuze van de fan: Just marry and stay human.
Hueco Mundo of Soul Society arc?
Were u insulted door the fights Yammy and Baraggan?
What other fights were u disappointed in?
Which fight were u disappointed in the most?
Were u disappointed in Grimmjow's release?
Ratio! Are u a female of male?
Say hello give complimenten to the HITSUGAYAxMATSUMOTO pairing!
Say hello give complimenten to IchigoxUlquiorra pairing!
Which of Ichigo's sisters is meer likely to have an anime series all to herself?
de keuze van de fan: Yes !!!!!
Do u want toshiro to be dead?
Which Female Character do u like?
Who do u think is better for Shuhei?
Do u own a Bleach Hollow Mask? of am i the only one who has a Hollow Mask from this Anime?
de keuze van de fan: No i don't have a Hollow Mask from Bleach.
de keuze van de fan: Not Really .
de keuze van de fan: That wasn't very nice. I do believe you've killed my hat.
Whom do u prefer with Hinamori?
de keuze van de fan: [holds up sap box] How do u drink from this?
These are my top, boven 5 characters! Who do u like most?
Are u in Rukia X Ichigo of Rukia X Renji debate???


text:
#ifndef __GST_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS__
#define __GST_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS__

#include "gstiirequalizer.h"

typedef struct _GstIirEqualizer3Bands GstIirEqualizer3Bands;
typedef struct _GstIirEqualizer3BandsClass GstIirEqualizer3BandsClass;

#define GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS \
  (gst_iir_equalizer_3bands_get_type())
#define GST_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS(obj) \
  (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST((obj),GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS,GstIirEqualizer3Bands))
#define GST_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS_CLASS(klass) \
  (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_CAST((klass),GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS,GstIirEqualizer3BandsClass))
#define GST_IS_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS(obj) \
  (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_TYPE((obj),GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS))
#define GST_IS_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS_CLASS(klass) \
  (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_TYPE((klass),GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS))

struct _GstIirEqualizer3Bands
{
  GstIirEqualizer equalizer;
};

struct _GstIirEqualizer3BandsClass
{
  GstIirEqualizerClass equalizer_class;
};

extern GType gst_iir_equalizer_3bands_get_type(void);

#endif /* __GST_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS__ */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Postfix to Infix - Parenthesis I'm trying to implement postfix to infix and infix to postfix (using stacks) and everything is going well except that when I'm converting from postfix I can't come up with the idea how to deal with parenthesis. It says I have to use minimum number of parenthesis. For example:
<POSTFIX> ab+c*da-fb-*+
<INFIX> (a+b)*c+(d-a)*(f-b)

<POSTFIX>ab~c+*de-~/
<INFIX>a*(~b+c)/~(d-e)

private static class Postfix {
    private void convert(String postfix) {
        Stack<String> s = new Stack<>();

        for (int i = 0; i < postfix.length(); i++) {
        char o = postfix.charAt(i);
        if (isOperator(o)) {
            if (o == '~') {
            String a = s.pop();
            s.push(o + a);
            }
            else {
            String b = s.pop();
            String a = s.pop();
            s.push(a + o + b);
            }
        } else s.push("" + o);
        }
        System.out.println("<INF>" + s.pop().toString());
    }
}

Any help will be much appreciated.

A: Well, if you can assume that all the variable names are single chars (as it seems you do), then you could do something like:
private static class Postfix {
    private void convert(String postfix) {
        Stack<String> s = new Stack<>();

        for (int i = 0; i < postfix.length(); i++) {
            char o = postfix.charAt(i);
            if (isOperator(o)) {
                if (o == '~') {
                    String a = s.pop();
                    if ( a.size() > 1 ) { a = "(" + a + ")"; }
                    s.push("" + o + a);
                }
                else {
                    String b = s.pop();
                    String a = s.pop();
                    if ( o == '*' || o == '/' ) {
                        if ( b.size() > 1 ) { b = "(" + b + ")"; }
                        if ( a.size() > 1 ) { a = "(" + a + ")"; }
                    }
                    s.push("" + a + o + b);
                }
            } else {
                s.push("" + o);
            }
        }
        System.out.println("<INF>" + s.pop().toString());
    }
}

The problem with this, is it'll wrap the left-hand side of a multiply with parentheses, regardless of whether that operation "needs" it.
To do more, you'd need to create a class (Operation or some such) containing a left-side String, right-side String, and operator.  Then, where I currently just check to see if the b or a is larger than 1, you could check what kind of operator it had instead.
Ok, here's the more complete answer, I think:
private static class Postfix {
    class Operation {  // internal class
       Operation lhs;
       Operation rhs;
       char operator;
       char varname;
       boolean shouldParens = false;

       Operation( Operation l, char operator, Operation r ) {
          this.lhs = l;
          this.rhs = r;
          this.operator = operator;
       }

       Operation( char name ) {
          this.varname = name;
       }

       public void addParensIfShould( char newop ) {
          if ( !varname ) {
              if ( newop == '~' ) {
                 this.shouldParens = true;
              }
              else if ( newop == '*' || newop == '/' ) {
                 if ( this.operator == '+' || this.operator == '-' ) {
                    this.shouldParens = true;
                 }
              }
          }
       }

       public String toString() {
          if ( varname ) return "" + varname;
          StringBuilder b = new StringBuilder();
          if ( shouldParens ) b.append("(");
          if ( lhs ) { b.append( lhs.toString() ); }
          b.append( operator );
          if ( rhs ) { b.append( rhs.toString() ); }
          if ( shouldParens ) b.append(")");
          return b.toString()
       }
    };

    private void convert(String postfix) {
        Stack<Operation> s = new Stack<>();

        for (int i = 0; i < postfix.length(); i++) {
            char o = postfix.charAt(i);
            if (isOperator(o)) {
                if (o == '~') {
                    Operation a = s.pop();
                    a.addParensIfShould( o );
                    Operation newOp = new Operation( null, o, a );
                    System.out.println( "Adding uni op " + newOp )
                    s.push(newOp);
                }
                else {
                    Operation b = s.pop();
                    Operation a = s.pop();
                    a.addParensIfShould( o );
                    b.addParensIfShould( o );
                    Operation newOp = new Operation( a, o, b );
                    System.out.println( "Adding bi op " + newOp )
                    s.push(newOp);
                }
            } else {
                Operation newOp = new Operation( o ); // it's just a varname
                System.out.println( "Adding varname op " + newOp )
                s.push(newOp);
            }
        }
        System.out.println "<INF>" + s.toString()
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer
Heather J. Chalfin, Stephanie A. Glavaris, Michael A. Gorin, Max R. Kates, Megan H. Fong, Liang Dong, Andres Matoso, Trinity J. Bivalacqua, Michael H. Johnson, Kenneth J. Pienta, Noah M. Hahn, David J. McConkey
Division of Urologic Surgery
Despite considerable advances in the management of urothelial carcinoma (UC), better risk stratification and enhanced detection of minimal residual disease are still urgent priorities to prolong survival while avoiding the morbidity of overtreatment. Circulating tumor cells and DNA (CTCs, ctDNA) are two biologically distinct "liquid biopsies" that may potentially address this need, although they have been understudied in UC to date and their relative utility is unknown. To this end, matched CTC and ctDNA samples were collected for a head-to-head comparison in a pilot study of 16 patients with metastatic UC. CTCs were defined as cytokeratin- and/or EpCAM-positive using the RareCyte direct imaging platform. ctDNA was assayed using the PlasmaSelect64 probe-capture assay. 75% of patients had detectable CTCs, and 73% had detectable somatic mutations, with no correlation between CTC count and ctDNA. 91% of patients had tissue confirmation of at least one plasma mutation and, importantly, several clinically actionable mutations were detected in plasma that were not found in the matching tumor. A ctDNA fraction of >2% was significantly associated with worse overall survival (p=0.039) whereas CTC detection was not (p=0.46). Notably, using a predefined gene panel for ctDNA detection had a high but not complete detection rate in metastatic UC, similar to what has been described for a custom tissue-personalized assay approach. In sum, both liquid biopsies show promise in UC and deserve further investigation. PATIENT SUMMARY: New "liquid biopsy" blood tests are emerging for urothelial cancer aimed at early detection and avoiding overtreatment. Our results suggest that two such tests provide complementary information: circulating tumor cells may be best for studying the biological features of a person's cancer, whereas circulating tumor DNA may be better for early detection.
European Urology Oncology
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004
Circulating tumor DNA
10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004
Dive into the research topics of 'Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Circulating Tumor DNA Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Circulating Neoplastic Cells Medicine & Life Sciences 86%
Liquid Biopsy Medicine & Life Sciences 58%
Medical Overuse Medicine & Life Sciences 33%
Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule Medicine & Life Sciences 19%
Chalfin, H. J., Glavaris, S. A., Gorin, M. A., Kates, M. R., Fong, M. H., Dong, L., Matoso, A., Bivalacqua, T. J., Johnson, M. H., Pienta, K. J., Hahn, N. M., & McConkey, D. J. (2021). Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer. European Urology Oncology, 4(2), 310-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004
Chalfin, Heather J. ; Glavaris, Stephanie A. ; Gorin, Michael A. et al. / Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer. In: European Urology Oncology. 2021 ; Vol. 4, No. 2. pp. 310-314.
@article{a5aa67a7c4f44633bf58d08ce5415ebb,
title = "Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer",
abstract = "Despite considerable advances in the management of urothelial carcinoma (UC), better risk stratification and enhanced detection of minimal residual disease are still urgent priorities to prolong survival while avoiding the morbidity of overtreatment. Circulating tumor cells and DNA (CTCs, ctDNA) are two biologically distinct {"}liquid biopsies{"} that may potentially address this need, although they have been understudied in UC to date and their relative utility is unknown. To this end, matched CTC and ctDNA samples were collected for a head-to-head comparison in a pilot study of 16 patients with metastatic UC. CTCs were defined as cytokeratin- and/or EpCAM-positive using the RareCyte direct imaging platform. ctDNA was assayed using the PlasmaSelect64 probe-capture assay. 75% of patients had detectable CTCs, and 73% had detectable somatic mutations, with no correlation between CTC count and ctDNA. 91% of patients had tissue confirmation of at least one plasma mutation and, importantly, several clinically actionable mutations were detected in plasma that were not found in the matching tumor. A ctDNA fraction of >2% was significantly associated with worse overall survival (p=0.039) whereas CTC detection was not (p=0.46). Notably, using a predefined gene panel for ctDNA detection had a high but not complete detection rate in metastatic UC, similar to what has been described for a custom tissue-personalized assay approach. In sum, both liquid biopsies show promise in UC and deserve further investigation. PATIENT SUMMARY: New {"}liquid biopsy{"} blood tests are emerging for urothelial cancer aimed at early detection and avoiding overtreatment. Our results suggest that two such tests provide complementary information: circulating tumor cells may be best for studying the biological features of a person's cancer, whereas circulating tumor DNA may be better for early detection.",
keywords = "Bladder cancer, Circulating tumor cells, Circulating tumor DNA, Liquid biopsy",
author = "Chalfin, {Heather J.} and Glavaris, {Stephanie A.} and Gorin, {Michael A.} and Kates, {Max R.} and Fong, {Megan H.} and Liang Dong and Andres Matoso and Bivalacqua, {Trinity J.} and Johnson, {Michael H.} and Pienta, {Kenneth J.} and Hahn, {Noah M.} and McConkey, {David J.}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: Published by Elsevier B.V.",
doi = "10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004",
journal = "European Urology Oncology",
Chalfin, HJ, Glavaris, SA, Gorin, MA, Kates, MR, Fong, MH, Dong, L, Matoso, A, Bivalacqua, TJ, Johnson, MH, Pienta, KJ, Hahn, NM & McConkey, DJ 2021, 'Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer', European Urology Oncology, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 310-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004
Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer. / Chalfin, Heather J.; Glavaris, Stephanie A.; Gorin, Michael A. et al.
In: European Urology Oncology, Vol. 4, No. 2, 01.04.2021, p. 310-314.
T1 - Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer
AU - Chalfin, Heather J.
AU - Glavaris, Stephanie A.
AU - Gorin, Michael A.
AU - Kates, Max R.
AU - Fong, Megan H.
AU - Dong, Liang
AU - Matoso, Andres
AU - Bivalacqua, Trinity J.
AU - Johnson, Michael H.
AU - Pienta, Kenneth J.
AU - Hahn, Noah M.
AU - McConkey, David J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: Published by Elsevier B.V.
N2 - Despite considerable advances in the management of urothelial carcinoma (UC), better risk stratification and enhanced detection of minimal residual disease are still urgent priorities to prolong survival while avoiding the morbidity of overtreatment. Circulating tumor cells and DNA (CTCs, ctDNA) are two biologically distinct "liquid biopsies" that may potentially address this need, although they have been understudied in UC to date and their relative utility is unknown. To this end, matched CTC and ctDNA samples were collected for a head-to-head comparison in a pilot study of 16 patients with metastatic UC. CTCs were defined as cytokeratin- and/or EpCAM-positive using the RareCyte direct imaging platform. ctDNA was assayed using the PlasmaSelect64 probe-capture assay. 75% of patients had detectable CTCs, and 73% had detectable somatic mutations, with no correlation between CTC count and ctDNA. 91% of patients had tissue confirmation of at least one plasma mutation and, importantly, several clinically actionable mutations were detected in plasma that were not found in the matching tumor. A ctDNA fraction of >2% was significantly associated with worse overall survival (p=0.039) whereas CTC detection was not (p=0.46). Notably, using a predefined gene panel for ctDNA detection had a high but not complete detection rate in metastatic UC, similar to what has been described for a custom tissue-personalized assay approach. In sum, both liquid biopsies show promise in UC and deserve further investigation. PATIENT SUMMARY: New "liquid biopsy" blood tests are emerging for urothelial cancer aimed at early detection and avoiding overtreatment. Our results suggest that two such tests provide complementary information: circulating tumor cells may be best for studying the biological features of a person's cancer, whereas circulating tumor DNA may be better for early detection.
AB - Despite considerable advances in the management of urothelial carcinoma (UC), better risk stratification and enhanced detection of minimal residual disease are still urgent priorities to prolong survival while avoiding the morbidity of overtreatment. Circulating tumor cells and DNA (CTCs, ctDNA) are two biologically distinct "liquid biopsies" that may potentially address this need, although they have been understudied in UC to date and their relative utility is unknown. To this end, matched CTC and ctDNA samples were collected for a head-to-head comparison in a pilot study of 16 patients with metastatic UC. CTCs were defined as cytokeratin- and/or EpCAM-positive using the RareCyte direct imaging platform. ctDNA was assayed using the PlasmaSelect64 probe-capture assay. 75% of patients had detectable CTCs, and 73% had detectable somatic mutations, with no correlation between CTC count and ctDNA. 91% of patients had tissue confirmation of at least one plasma mutation and, importantly, several clinically actionable mutations were detected in plasma that were not found in the matching tumor. A ctDNA fraction of >2% was significantly associated with worse overall survival (p=0.039) whereas CTC detection was not (p=0.46). Notably, using a predefined gene panel for ctDNA detection had a high but not complete detection rate in metastatic UC, similar to what has been described for a custom tissue-personalized assay approach. In sum, both liquid biopsies show promise in UC and deserve further investigation. PATIENT SUMMARY: New "liquid biopsy" blood tests are emerging for urothelial cancer aimed at early detection and avoiding overtreatment. Our results suggest that two such tests provide complementary information: circulating tumor cells may be best for studying the biological features of a person's cancer, whereas circulating tumor DNA may be better for early detection.
KW - Bladder cancer
KW - Circulating tumor cells
KW - Circulating tumor DNA
KW - Liquid biopsy
U2 - 10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004
DO - 10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004
JO - European Urology Oncology
JF - European Urology Oncology
Chalfin HJ, Glavaris SA, Gorin MA, Kates MR, Fong MH, Dong L et al. Circulating Tumor Cell and Circulating Tumor DNA Assays Reveal Complementary Information for Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Cancer. European Urology Oncology. 2021 Apr 1;4(2):310-314. doi: 10.1016/j.euo.2019.08.004


text:
Орія () — індоарійський народ в Індії. Також відомий під такими назвами як одія, одрі, уткалія, калінгі, урі. Більшість з них проживає на східному узбережжі штату Одіша; також представники цього народу проживають в штатах Андхра-Прадеш, Західна Бенгалія, Карнатака, Джаркханд і Чхаттісґарх. Розмовляють мовою орія, що належить до східної підгрупи індоарійської групи індоіранської гілки індоєвропейської мовної сім'ї.

Мова
Достовірна чисельність народу невідома. За оцінками, що базуються на переписі населення 2001 року, в Індії проживає приблизно 27 млн орія. При чому мовою орія розмовляють 36 млн осіб. Також 20 тис. орія проживають у Бангладеші.

Релігія
Більшість орія — індуїсти, в основному шиваїти, шануються також і жіночі богині; є нечисленна група мусульман. Важливими центрами релігійного паломництва індуїстів є Конарак (храм бога Сур'ї — Сонця), Пурі (храм бога Джаганнатха), Бхубанешвар (недалеко від якого знаходиться шиваїстський храм Лінгарадж).

Культура
Основне господарство — орне землеробство і домашнє скотарство; культивують рис, просо, бобові, пшеницю, цукрову тростину, тютюн, олійні, бавовну, кокосову пальму.

Високо розвинені художні ремесла — срібна філігрань, різьблення по дереву, кістці, каменю, аплікація, живопис на пальмових листах. Розвинена промисловість, приватне підприємництво, сфера обслуговування. Невеликі села орія мають вільне планування. Будинки багатокамерні, глинобитні, зовнішні стіни будинків часто покриті обрядовими малюнками рисовим порошком. Одяг — чоловіче дхоті, сорочка; жіноче сарі з тканини в місцевому стилі Ландар (з розмитим малюнком).

Носять прикраси і квіти. Мусульманки-орія поза домом носять бурку. Їжа — рис з овочами і гострими приправами; багато каст вживають рибу, баранину і козлятину. Брахмани переважно вегетаріанці. Орія-мусульмани вживають м'ясо, в тому числі і яловичину. У орія зберігається кастова система. Крім того, орія поділяються на етнографічні групи, клани і лініджі. Вони ендогамні на груповому рівні і екзогамні на рівні кланів і лініджів.

Високо розвинене музичне, театральне, танцювальне мистецтво, в тому числі обрядове і храмове професійне. Особливо знамениті класичний танцювальний стиль одіссі і танцювально-драматичний стилю чхау, що пов'язаний з бойовим мистецтвом.

Посилання
 Odisha.gov.in

Народи Індії
Індоарійські народи

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's important to note that if your laptop gets wet, time is of the essence. You must turn it off, unplug it, and remove the battery at once. Every second counts. Do not bother to take the proper steps to turn it off, either – go ahead and press that power button until your machine shuts down; and accept the hard truth that your computer will be out of commission for a few days.
Step 4: Once you're done, you'll want to leave everything alone to air-dry for two to three days in a warm, dry area. Remember that a fan will hasten the drying process. Do not use a hair dryer, as this could cause static problems. Once you've picked your machine apart and given the components time to dry, you can follow the instructions in reverse to put your laptop back together and see if it works.
Hopefully, all will be well, but if not you'll want to take it to a repair center.


text:
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home » Politics » Condoleezza Rice Spins
Condoleezza Rice Spins
March 23, 2005 by James Campion in Politics | Leave a comment
Aquarian Weekly 3/23/05 REALITY CHECK
CONDEE SPINS ETERNAL
I feel for Condoleezza Rice. I really do. I like her. I think she is by far the smartest and most sincere of the wild and wooly Bush Cabal. And as allegedly misguided as she was along with everyone else at the helm before 9/11, I believe she was just another sad symptom of the illusion this country's government had lived under since the end of the Cold War.
But it pains me to see her eat shit the way she has time and again in front of the American press, the international press and a host of world leaders. Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State, could no longer eat the shit. This is why he is gone. But Rice auditioned well for the job during the 9/11 hearings when she went toe-to-toe with Democratic senators on "what the big boys knew and when they knew it", prancing deftly around facts and timelines that showcased her considerable mettle and loyalty to the cause by gobbling massive quantities of excrement and emerging as a martyr for the good and true.
Don't get me wrong; Secretary of State is a pretty good reason to eat shit. Hillary Clinton feasted on the stuff just to be first lady. Most people do it to keep a mid-level gig in some faceless corporation. Secretary of State is a few heartbeats from the presidency and comes with a cachet rarely, if ever bestowed upon intellects. Former recent secretaries like Henry Kissinger (Nixon's savage bombing of Cambodia), Cyrus Vance (Carter's disastrously planned rescue attempt of the Iran hostages) and George Shultz (Reagan's Iran/Contra fiasco) gorged on the dung. Piles of it. And not one of them is getting into to heaven for it.
But I was not particularly fond of any of these gentlemen, and I never got the willies as I do now watching sweet Condoleezza parade these spin doctored fabrications around the globe like a jabbering marionette. It is sad and disturbing and I can no longer abide it quietly.
To wit:
On the leading candidate for Iraqi Prime Minister, Ibrahim Jafari, a "former" terrorist (former terrorist like being kinda pregnant or sorta dead) and well-known American foreign policy dissenter (a nice way of saying "hates us") Rice has been laughably extolling his virtues to defend the purported democratic process. Last week Rice stated that Jafari "will be a fighter in the war on terrorism", which is completely antithetical to the profile the CIA is willing to cop to and just plain silly talk.
The fact is a toad like Jafari and the predominant Shiite presence in the Iraqi democratic process creates another sort of anti-American political conundrum for the current administration. This is why falling back on the "fighting for the freedom of Iraqis" fable following the flop of the "US threat and WMD" song and story leads to wider problems. Not the least of which is Iran, considered among many US officials for close to a decade as the "real enemy", now developing a nuclear bomb with no counterbalance from a weakened Iraq.
Oh what a tangled web we weave
Concerning the uprising against Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon, a fishy stage show reminiscent of CIA-instigated protests in Central America for three decades and a cheap political attempt by the Bush administration to label a "victory for freedom", and the subsequent mass retort provoked by the terrorist all-stars known as Hezbollah, Rice is coy. At once she manages to denounce Hezbollah as a "rogue terrorist outfit threatening to the United States" while responding to its legitimate political power recognized by the UN as a shoulder-shrugging downside of the democratic process. Rice knows well the powder keg that is Lebanon, and to spin a freedom march from the obvious seeds of another likely bloody civil war is so patently ridiculous not even this loose canon president is dumb enough to sell it.
Rice's dance of the absurd is in lock step with the fantasy this administration has concocted since its many-layered theory of war two years ago in Iraq.
Truth is Lebanon has been, and always will be a breeding ground for anti-Israeli fervor. Syria's military presence, while abhorrent to the new and improved Middle East freedom chatter of this government, is a necessary evil for the security of Israel and American concerns there. Despite Syria's disdain for Israel, ironically, after years of horror in Beirut, the Syrians brought order and managed to expunge the IDF, leading to immense popularity and more than a little anti-American sentiment. But there was also a sense of lockdown, sovereignty, and protection. Left to its own devices, the Lebanese could prove more troublesome to US efforts in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict than most know, except Condoleezza Rice. She knows.
Rice's recent appearance on "Meet The Press" had her chewing on chunks of crap when faced with the administration's proposed appointment of a lunatic like John Bolton to ambassador of the United Nations. "He has a wealth of experience in UN affairs", Rice told Tim Russert, which is tantamount to saying Michael Jackson is familiar with children. Bolton, known inside the Beltway as Bush's Pit Bull, has publicly mocked the UN, calling it, among other undiplomatic descriptions, "obsolete". Yet Bush, after grandstanding international unity all over Europe last month to help pay for the Iraq money pit, is sending this maniac into the cauldron of a corrupt and bitch-slapped conglomerate reeling with a lethal dose of figureheaditis. Rice, for her part, is rubber-stamping Bolton as "a very important part of my team."
Anyone who listens to Bolton for 30 seconds knows he is an ass. He is the worst kind of myopic bully, the type of ideologically rabid monster this space warned against should Bush continue to run amok around this planet. If he is unleashed on the international scene he will no doubt be an embarrassment to an already yawping farce, and it is disconcerting to me that a brilliant and normally even-handed Condoleezza Rice has to vouch for it.
…when first we practice to deceive.
Rice's dance of the absurd is in lock step with the fantasy this administration has concocted since its many-layered theory of war two years ago in Iraq. This maze of circular logic unleashed on the American public is so convoluted in patriotic pap by now it defies definition. Alas, Condee rides the dragon, and I feel for her.
In the spirit of this thorny trap, Rice has taken to calling the current opium-rich, unprecedented production of drugs in Afghanistan (described haughtily as a victory in freedom during the presidential campaign) as "a narcotics problem". Yes, and Anne Boleyn had a headache. She also dubs Korea a "willing negotiator" sounding more and more everyday like Chamberlain handing Hitler Eastern Europe on a platter.
I have found it in my heart to forgive Rice for trying to tame this monstrosity, the way I gave Powell the benefit of several doubts before he went off the rails at the UN with tall-tales that embroiled this country in a bankrupt police action under questionable pretenses. My leash, irresistibly short for the authors of this mess, is longer for bureaucrats of the system, but for sweet Condoleezza and the looking glass on Pennsylvania Avenue, the slack is tightening.
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New Year's resolutions are notoriously difficult to keep. My resolutions of bygone years (EXERCISE!, DRESS NICELY!, SHOWER MORE!) are clearly evidence of an inflated sense of personal potential. So last January, I made a promise I thought I could stick to: drink wine. And I committed to learning more about it.
Twelve months ago, the extent of my wine knowledge was that it comes in two colors — red and white — and that Chardonnay was nasty. As I deal with most things in life, I began my buzzy journey by reading books. I chose the authors carefully, as I was warned the subject can overwhelm and discourage.
I skipped ahead to her chapter on the green-skinned, evil grape; the green goblin of the wine family: Chardonnay. It's the one I thought I hated, so why not make sure? I asked for help at the wine store and made the clerk explain all the words I didn't understand. I can't underline the importance of asking questions enough. You learn more if you have no shame, so be shameless. This approach will also help you drink more.
LaCrema Chardonnay: Vomit, sans chunks.
Four Vines Naked Unoaked Chardonnay: Not bad.
Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay: Darn good.
William Fevre Chablis Champs-Royaux: This is Chardonnay? It's amazing! I officially apologize to all the Chardonnay grapes I've bad-mouthed in the past. You're delicious, and your parents should be proud of you.
The rest of 2013 proceeded much as you read above. I pestered an army of liquor store employees, swilled some splendid wine and pieced apart what I think tastes like sick and what tastes like singing. Here's to 2014!


Welcome to the first week of our daily challenges! Why has no one else commented? Because we've just launched, and you're one of the first to enjoy our new app and web site. Please feel free to comment and ask questions in this space.
Great job on the challenge videos! Solid content, and very compelling.
Hi guys. Nice app. Seems a bit buggy on android though. I can't get any of the content to load yet. Going to keep trying though.
Hi Geoff, thanks for checking things out and commenting.
I know there are some Android bugs – but it's been challenging to report them accurately with so many different Android devices out there. Can you tell me what device and OS version you have, and exactly what bugs you've run into? It would be a huge help when I am working with our developers.
This challenge really spoke to me. . . but it was also somewhat overwhelming. The ' do a little something about ît' reminds me of those self directed learning sessions in uni. You are often not given any 'fenceposts' so you keep going, never sure of when you have dug deep enough.
Type 'A' people can burn out, type 'B' spread to thin. . . with out both, community as our soundingboard, and God as our guide, this hungering can become quite abstract. It can become a quest for social policy solutions that, although good, organize the needs and legislate solutions.
What is the balance between 'legislation' and personal Acton in God's kingdom?
Hi Steve, thanks for following our daily challenges, and for your question. I'll post my thoughts on this question by the end of the day, but in the meantime, are there any ideas out there on the connection between action and legislation? Can we risk burning out hungering and thirsting for righteousness?
Glad to hear the challenge really spoke to you. You're right, the challenge was certainly designed to have you start small without getting overwhelmed, and then keep going. I think it's what Jesus urges us to do – hunger and thirst – seek righteousness like your life depends on it. Of course, righteousness can be hard to figure out in every situation, and hard to live out. I think the key is to differentiate between righteousness and self-righteousness. If you hunger and thirst for self-righteousness, you'll fall prey to exactly the pitfalls you've described – particularly the isolation from community. If you are seeking actual righteousness – God's righteousness and God's kingdom – then community is built right in (the church), guidance is built right in (Scripture, the Holy Spirit, etc.) where the best of our distinct personalities are deployed to hunger and thirst for righteousness in this world, while the worst parts are challenged and transformed by his Spirit.
Hope this helps – thanks for tracking with us! Any thoughts?
Monday's Challenge Question: When have you been shown mercy?
Monday's Challenge Question: What overlapping roles do you play in life?
Monday's Challenge Question: When you envision a peacemaker, who/what do you see?
A number of images come to mind when I consider 'peacemaker'. There is sometimes a very pastoral person, and sometimes there is somebody who is very focused on justice maybe less pastoral.
Is a peacemaker somebody who protests at the G- 20 or is it someone who serves to defend people in the Congo in a UN military intervention?
Is peacemaking more defined as the continuous struggle against the entropic pull off our falleness, while working towards restoration and reconciliation?
This seems to capture the sense of an active, participatory but goal directed labour.
Wednesday's Question: What are some of the costs, and rewards, of being a peacemaker?
Monday's Question: What is the most chaotic situation you have ever experienced? What brought some calm to it?
My answer – treating two overdoses in one night as a volunteer first aid provider. Relief came in the form of an ambulance, after a 40 minute wait!
What makes a good reflector?
I suppose a good reflector of light gives a true reflection of the source of the light, without distortion; and also allows the light to be seen by those who wouldn't otherwise see the source light.
As Christians we should remember that we are reflectors of God's work in the world. It is God's will we are fulfilling and as 'reflectors' we can allow people to see God, the source of the light, through us –people who might now otherwise come to know God –I suppose we help God to be seen and "extend" the range of God's light in this world.
Monday's Question: Have you ever bought something, then realized that suggestive advertising had more to do with your decision than the product?
Monday's Question: Think of a time when you were wronged. How did you react, or want to react? What does it take to get you to react in kind?
Today's Question: Who expects you to be perfect? Is it you, or someone else? How do you react when you fall short of that standard? Is it possible to be perfect?
Tue. may 28 difference between prudent planning and anxious worry: When i plan prudently, I am thinking calmly, working toward and expecting a positive outcome, using my intellect to the best of my ability.When i arrive at my decision, I then act upon it, or put it out of my mind until i have to act on it. When I am anxiously worrying, my mind is racing with all the possible negative outcomes, I'm allowing my emotions to guide my thinking more than my intellect. I don't arrive at a rational decision about the problem, I just obsess about it, and can't stop thinking about it.
The conversation on false teachers this week is one I am looking forward to. I struggle with a sense that on some level the church has "hacked" the life of Christ and used it to create a newer, better, faster and lighter version of god.
I don't mind admitting I am no longer clear on who possess the "truth"…..is there true teaching or are we as mere mortals incapable of setting aside our interpretations, prejudice etc….it has led me to a place where I prefer to accept that there are multiple truths maybe as individual as each of us!
When I am invited will share my truth I also want to respect someone else's at the same time.
Thanks for wrestling with this! You've asked some good questions and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts as the week progresses. One question for you – what sources could we use to determine the difference between a hacked Jesus versus the real thing?
I assume the answer would be scripture, but for every church or pastor there seems to be a different take on even that source!!
I think that's the thrust of what Jesus is saying in this week's topic: many people will come after him and interpret his words differently one from another. Some "wolves" will twist his words for their own gain, some lost sheep will be misguided, and others will be true to his words. It's a question of how to tell the difference. As of today we've seen four tests in Jesus' teaching: wolves rely on superficial attractiveness, because their teachings are inconsistent with scripture and their followers' experience, their teachings are short-lived and they have selfish motives. Have they been helpful in sorting out some of the divergent opinions out there?
good week of foundation discussions, when I think of this topic I am reminded how my upbringing in the church gave me something to draw on when the world seemed to shake under my feet. During some tough challenges I would find myself drawn to a hymn or story that would bring some comfort. I learned at a young age I could talk to god, no fancy prayer open dialogue seemed to work for me.
The foundation of a home is not usually visible from the outside, there might be hints of it in exposed block or a casement window but we take friends to admire it…..like our new pool or kitchen. When the earth moves under that foundation it can form cracks – those of us who are smart homeowners repair it immediately it is key to our investment and our security.
I sometimes don't notice the cracks in my relationship with God, I need to check the foundation more frequently before the cracks allow moisture in or deepen.
Glad to hear it was a good week – we're almost done this series, with one week to go. Then it's on to a series about work and rest…perfect for summer.


Second Tuesday Club Nights – they are back!!
Our first 2nd Tuesday Club night will be on Tuesday 8th December at 1930 hours. Member Jennie King (well known to the club dinghy sailors) will talk to members about her memorable trip sailing from Lisbon to Las Palmas on the Emily Morgan which many of you will have seen moored at Yachthaven over the last couple of years. The trip included some severe weather and a minor injury (to Jennie) so the evening promises to be very interesting!
Further 2nd Tuesday club nights are planned to include a talk about the work of the National Coastwatch and electronic nav-aid advice from staff at Mountbatten Boathouse.
I am also investigating another trip (or trips) to visit the Longroom Port Control station and the University Wave Tank and marine research facility….details to follow.


text:
Ms María Valentina MARTÍNEZ FERRO
Reports and committee opinions
Motions, Written Declarations, Questions
30/01/2023 | Doc. 15699 | Motion for a resolution Urgent call on transferring Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia for treatment abroad 30/01/2023 | Doc. 15698 | Motion for a resolution The use of explosive weapons as a major driver of justified displacement 30/01/2023 | Doc. 15702 | Motion for a recommendation Socialising at schools, a means for students' well-being 25/01/2023 | Doc. 15691 | Motion for a resolution Promoting the revised Code of Good Practice on Referendums 06/12/2022 | Doc. 15664 | Written declaration Stop the militarisation of children – children are victims of war, not soldiers 18/10/2022 | Doc. 15640 | Written declaration Condemnation of aggression by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia 12/10/2022 | Doc. 15634 | Written declaration Support Iranian people's protests 13/09/2022 | Doc. 15605 | Motion for a resolution Foreign interference: a threat to democratic security in Europe 20/05/2022 | Doc. 15476 | Written declaration Ukraine: human rights and humanitarian law must be respected 20/05/2022 | Doc. 15480 | Written declaration In support with pro-peace opposition in the Russian Federation 17/03/2022 | Doc. 15480 | Written declaration In support with pro-peace opposition in the Russian Federation 17/03/2022 | Doc. 15481 | Motion for a resolution Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine 11/03/2022 | Doc. 15476 | Written declaration Ukraine: human rights and humanitarian law must be respected 25/02/2022 | Doc. 15461 | Motion for a resolution Reconsideration of previously ratified credentials of the parliamentary delegation of the Russian Federation 31/01/2022 | Doc. 15448 | Motion for a recommendation Strengthening relations between the Council of Europe and Latin America 18/05/2021 | Doc. 15287 | Motion for a resolution The impact of Covid-19 on the health of Roma minorities 30/04/2021 | Doc. 15233 | Written declaration Life-threatening conditions for migrants and refugees on the soil of the European Union 20/04/2021 | Doc. 15271 | Motion for a resolution The deployment of mercenaries in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict 05/03/2021 | Doc. 15233 | Written declaration Life-threatening conditions for migrants and refugees on the soil of the European Union 04/12/2020 | Doc. 15190 | Written declaration Members of the Parliamentary Assembly ask Iran not to carry out the death penalty of Ahmadreza Djalali 01/10/2020 | Doc. 15155 | Motion for a resolution Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
27/01/2023 | Doc. 15683, vote on the draft text for resolution Emergence of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) and their necessary apprehension through European human rights law 27/01/2023 | Doc. 15675, vote on the draft text for resolution Building the Open Council of Europe Academic Networks (OCEAN) 26/01/2023 | Doc. 15689, vote on the draft text for resolution Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine 26/01/2023 | Doc. 15682, vote on the draft text for resolution The progress of the Assembly's monitoring procedure (January-December 2022) 26/01/2023 | Doc. 15680, vote on the draft text for resolution The honouring of obligations and commitments by the Republic of Moldova 25/01/2023 | Doc. 15674, vote on the draft text for resolution Environmental impact of armed conflicts 25/01/2023 | Doc. 15674, vote on the draft text for recommendation Environmental impact of armed conflicts 25/01/2023 | Doc. 15673, vote on the draft text for resolution The Istanbul Convention: progress and challenges 25/01/2023 | Doc. 15673, vote on the draft text for recommendation The Istanbul Convention: progress and challenges 25/01/2023 | Doc. 15678, vote on the draft text for resolution The role and responsibility of men and boys in stopping gender-based violence against women and girls 25/01/2023 | Doc. 15679, vote on the draft text for resolution Finding solutions for marital captivity 24/01/2023 | Doc. 15677, vote on the draft text for resolution Conflict-related sexual violence 24/01/2023 | Doc. 15681, vote on the draft text for recommendation The Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe: United around values in the face of extraordinary challenges 23/01/2023 | Doc. 15591, vote on the draft text for resolution Addressing the issue of Daesh foreign fighters and their families returning from Syria and other countries to the member States of the Council of Europe 23/01/2023 | Doc. 15591, vote on the draft text for recommendation Addressing the issue of Daesh foreign fighters and their families returning from Syria and other countries to the member States of the Council of Europe 12/10/2022 | Doc. 15618, vote on the draft text for resolution The honouring of obligations and commitments by Türkiye 11/10/2022 | Doc. 15609, vote on the draft text for resolution Supporting a European perspective for the Western Balkans 11/10/2022 | Doc. 15609, vote on the draft text for recommendation Supporting a European perspective for the Western Balkans 11/10/2022 | Doc. 15616, vote on the draft text for resolution Raising awareness of and countering Islamophobia, or anti-Muslim racism, in Europe 26/04/2022 | Doc. 15495, vote on the draft text for resolution Beyond the Lisbon Treaty: strengthening the strategic partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Union 26/04/2022 | Doc. 15495, vote on the draft text for recommendation Beyond the Lisbon Treaty: strengthening the strategic partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Union 25/04/2022 | Doc. 15494, vote on the draft text for resolution For an assessment of the means and provisions to combat children's exposure to pornographic content 25/04/2022 | Doc. 15494, vote on the draft text for recommendation For an assessment of the means and provisions to combat children's exposure to pornographic content 15/03/2022 | Doc. 15477, vote on the draft text for opinion Consequences of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine 22/06/2021 | Doc. 15308, vote on the draft text for resolution Media freedom, public trust and the people's right to know 22/06/2021 | Doc. 15308, vote on the draft text for recommendation Media freedom, public trust and the people's right to know 22/06/2021 | Doc. 15309, vote on the draft text for resolution Covid passes or certificates: protection of fundamental rights and legal implications 21/06/2021 | Doc. 15307, vote on the draft text for resolution Should politicians be prosecuted for statements made in the exercise of their mandate? 21/04/2021 | Doc. 15253, vote on the draft text for resolution Urgent need for electoral reform in Belarus 21/04/2021 | Doc. 15253, vote on the draft text for recommendation Urgent need for electoral reform in Belarus 21/04/2021 | Doc. 15256, vote on the draft text for resolution Human rights violations in Belarus require an international investigation 21/04/2021 | Doc. 15256, vote on the draft text for recommendation Human rights violations in Belarus require an international investigation 20/04/2021 | Doc. 15251, vote on the draft text for resolution Fighting fiscal injustice: the work of the OECD on taxation of digital economy 19/04/2021 | Doc. 15231, vote on the draft text for resolution Preserving national minorities in Europe 19/04/2021 | Doc. 15231, vote on the draft text for recommendation Preserving national minorities in Europe 26/01/2021 | Doc. 15093, vote on the draft text for resolution Modification of the Assembly's Rules of Procedure – follow-up to Resolution 2319 (2020) on the Complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations 25/01/2021 | Doc. 15211, vote on the draft text for resolution Progress of the Assembly's monitoring procedure (January-December 2020)


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text:
'It means everything': Croker set to make dream debut
Fri 4 Jun 2021, 05:44 PM
This is a story of tenacity and resilience.
Starring down the barrel of an entire season without football and then having lost a development deal by year's end, most would be forgiven for throwing in the towel.
This was not the case for the next inductee of the Newcastle Knights, Mat Croker.
The 21-year-old is set to become the next player to don the red and blue in the top grade after being selected to make his debut against the Parramatta Eels this Sunday.
However, only half a year ago, the NRL was a pipe dream for the young forward.
"I never thought this day would happen," Croker said.
"I remember before Round 1, I called up one of the local league first grade coaches and asked if he had a spot in his squad because I didn't think I was going to make the NSW Cup team.
"I thought the dream of playing in the NRL was out the window."
Hughes and Peden describe epic '01 celebrations
Fast forward to Round 13 and a string of whole-hearted and impressive performances in the lower grades, and player absentees, has meant Croker will earn his shot in the NRL.
The forward earned the captaincy of the Cup team and has been granted his debut after the NRL allowed clubs to pick anyone in their squad after Round 10.
Having been one of the best on ground in every game so far this season, the hard-working forward has posted three tries and ran for an average of 123 running metres.
Croker will fulfil a lifelong dream come Sunday.
"It means everything," Croker said.
"Its been the last 16 or 17 years of wanting to play for the Knights.
"All I ever wanted to do was play NRL."
Looking back: A 2001 story
Born in Nabiac, Croker played his junior football in Taree.
The 21-year-old was identified by the Knights and has come through the pathways system.
Croker has won SG Ball and Harold Matthews player of the year awards and represented NSW at Under 20's level.
Having grown up in the area of another famous Knights figure, Croker has always aspired to pull on the red and blue.
"I grew up training on the Danny Buderus Oval," Croker said.
"He was a role model for everyone back in Taree and he is one of my first memories (of watching the Knights).
In 2020, the NSW Cup competition was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the young players plying their trade in the lower grades and pursuing an NRL dream, life became a whole lot tougher.
Recovery Report: Rd.13 update with Ponga back at training
"To be in the bubble was tough enough, but to not do the one thing that I just love so much in playing footy, made it even harder," Croker said.
"I had to go back to being part-time which was tough to wear on the chin.
"For this year, when I found out I was in the team, I was so excited because I hadn't played in over 12 months.
"I can't explain how much joy rugby league gives me, running out with your best mates and getting in the trenches together and that feeling of winning.
Adam O'Brien phoned Croker on Tuesday afternoon to tell him of the news he will be playing on Sunday.
"There was just this silence on the other end of the phone for what seemed like an age," O'Brien said of their conversation.
"He was pretty emotional and to start with, he couldn't speak.
"I could tell there and then how much it means to him. I told him he could let his mum and dad know but that was it and not to tell the rest of the boys because I wanted to announce it in front of everyone at our team meeting the next day.
Barnett: Significance of Old Boys Day and Eels challenge
"I can honestly say in all my time as a coach, I've never heard a reaction to a guy debuting like it with how loud it was and how long the cheering went for.
"He's just such a popular young bloke and I'm really proud of him."
Mateship and camaraderie is something in which Croker thrives in.
The forward will line-up alongside some of his long-time mates and players he has played alongside from an early age come Sunday.
"Tex Hoy is one of my best mates.
"Six years ago on Thursday, to the day, him and I won the Harold Matthews player of the year awards.
"And now on Sunday, we'll get to run out together.
"Even to warm up I'm going to be so pumped up," Croker continued.
"I'm a bit of a student of the game, I love the sport, so I understand how much the Old Boys mean to Newcastle.
"I know who has come before me.
"One of my great mates, Jack Johns, will make his Club debut as well and everyone knows what the Johns name means in Knights history.
"Sunday afternoon, Old Boys Day and running out with 16 of my mates, the script couldn't have been written any better.
I'm so excited."
Get to know: Bobbi Law
Gallery: NRLW side put in the hard yards