text:
A great speech from Ron Prosor of Israel's UN Mission
Statement by H.E. Mr. Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN
Security Council-"Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question"
Thank you, Madame President.
At the outset, I would like to extend my condolences to the People of Turkey following yesterday's tragic earthquake.
Let me begin by reminding this Council that the name of today's debate is the "Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question" – and not vice versa. This morning I'd like to take the unusual step of actually focusing on the situation in the Middle East.
Let me assure you that I will give proper attention to the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict. However, first, let's look at the facts: the Middle East is in turmoil. Thousands of innocents have been gunned down in the streets. People are calling for their freedom and demanding their rights. Yet, month after month, this Council deals with and focuses disproportionately on one and only one conflict in our region.
I don't claim that this Council does not deal with the situations of specific countries in the Middle East. It does. However, I think it is time to start connecting the dots so that we can face the bigger picture.
For generations, the Arab World has failed miserably to address the needs of its own people. The United Nations Development Program has sponsored five "Arab Human Development Reports" since 2002. Year after year, the Arab researchers who write these reports offer a glimpse into the real world of the Middle East.
Young people struggle without access to jobs and education. Women are denied basic rights. Free expression is repressed. Minorities are persecuted. Elections are a sham.
And with their world in flames, Arab Leaders continue to blame Israel and the West for all their problems. For years, it's the only explanation that they have been able to offer to their own people. From time to time, they spice up the story. When a shark attacked a tourist in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, the local Egyptian governor suggested that the Mossad was using sharks to harm Egyptian tourism. Everything wrong in the Middle East, according to many Arab leaders, is simply Israel's fault. If it's not the Mossad, it's the CIA, or MI6, or some other "foreign force."
Today the people of the Middle East demand real answers for their plight. We have seen their brave stands in public squares. We have heard their cries. And we have witnessed the deadly response to these calls for freedom.
In Hama, Daraa and Latakia, the Syrian regime slaughters its citizens in a desperate bid to hold onto power. Some members of this council remain blind to Assad's brutality.
In Libya, the reign of Moammar Qaddafi is over after more than 40 years of repression and many months of bloodshed. The Libyan despot's violent end illustrated what Churchill once described as a signal disadvantage of the dictator: what he does to others may often be done back to him. This truth haunts the minds of many leaders in our region — and Qaddafi's fate rings an alarm for them.
In Iran, an Ayatollah regime represses its own people as it helps other tyrants to butcher theirs. Last week, UN Special Rapporteur Shaheed briefed the General Assembly, offering a chilling picture of what daily life in Iran looks like. His report highlighted, (quote) "a pattern of systemic violations of… fundamental human rights…including multifarious deficits in relation to the administration of justice…practices that amount to torture…the imposition of the death penalty in the absence of proper judicial safeguards…the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, and the erosion of civil and political rights."
Iran remains the world's central banker, chief trainer and primary sponsor of terror. Recent events have shown that its state-directed terrorist activities extend from the Persian Gulf to the Washington Beltway, with targets that range from innocent protestors to foreign soldiers to official diplomatic representatives. This is the way the regime behaves today. One can only imagine what it would do with a nuclear capability – with the dangerous combination of extremist ideology, advanced missile technology and nuclear weapons.
IAEA reports make clear that Iran continues to march toward the goal of a nuclear bomb in defiance of the international community. We cannot allow it to place the entire world under the specter of nuclear terrorism. The world must stop Iran before it is too late.
Madame President,
The Middle East is trembling. Its future is uncertain. And two roads stand before us.
There is the future offered by Iranian and Syrian leaders – a future of more extremism, greater violence and continued hate. Their vision will not liberate human beings, it will enslave them. It does not build, it destroys.
And there is another road – a path of progress, reform and moderation.
The choice before us is clear – and it has never been more critical to make the right choice for the future of the Middle East and its inhabitants. It is time for this Council to stop ignoring the destructive forces that seek to keep the Middle East in the past, so that we can seize the promise of a brighter future.
Make no mistake: it is important for Israel and the Palestinians to resolve our longstanding conflict. It is important on its own merits, so that Israelis and Palestinians alike can lead peaceful, secure and prosperous lives. But it will not produce a sudden outbreak of stability, harmony and democratization from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. And seriously addressing the underlying problems of the Middle East will be essential for advancing Israeli – Palestinian Peace.
The road to peace can only be built on a foundation of mutual recognition and dialogue.
A month ago, President Abbas stood in this building and said the following (and I quote):
"I come before you today from the Holy Land, the land of Palestine, the land of divine messages, ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the birthplace of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him)."
He denied 4,000 years of Jewish history. It was not a small omission. It was not an oversight. The Palestinian leadership attempts to erase the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.
Others in the Arab World have offered a different message.
For example, in 1995, King Hussein came to the United States and said (quote): "For our part, we shall continue to work for the new dawn when all the Children of Abraham and their descendants are living together in the birthplace of their three great monotheistic religions."
Let me repeat this. King Hussein said three monotheistic religions, not one or two.
Those who seek peace do not negate the narrative of the other side. On the contrary, they recognize its existence and choose to sit down and negotiate peace in good faith. This is what President Sadat did. This is what King Hussein did.
The ancient Jewish bond to the land of Israel is unbreakable. This is our homeland.
The UN recognized Israel as a Jewish state 64 years ago. It is time for the Palestinians and the more than 20 Muslim countries around the globe to do the same.
Let there be no doubt: Israel wants peace with a future Palestinian state. Let me repeat that: Israel wants peace with a future Palestinian state. In word and in deed, my Government has demonstrated time and again that we seek two states for two peoples, living side-by-side in peace. You don't ever hear the Palestinians say "two-states for two peoples". If you any of you do, please phone me on a "9-11 number" immediately.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stood in this hall last month and issued a clear call to President Abbas. Let me reiterate that call today to the Palestinians. Sit down with Israel. Leave your preconditions behind. Start negotiations now.
The international community has called on the Palestinians to go back to negotiations. Israel has accepted the principles outlined by the Quartet to restart negotiations immediately, without preconditions. We are waiting for the Palestinians to do the same.
The Palestinians suggest that settlements are the core cause of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. It's an interesting assertion considering that our conflict was raging for nearly a half century before a single settlement sprung up in the West Bank.
From 1948 until 1967, the West Bank was part of Jordan, and Gaza was part of Egypt. The Arab World did not lift a finger to create a Palestinian state. And it sought Israel's annihilation when not a single settlement stood anywhere in the West Bank or Gaza.
The issue of settlements will be worked out over the course of negotiations, but the primary obstacle to peace is not settlements. This is a just a pretext for the Palestinians to avoid negotiations. The primary obstacle to peace is the Arab World's refusal to acknowledge the Jewish People's ancient connection to the Land of Israel — and the Palestinian's insistence on the so-called right of return.
Today the Palestinian leadership is calling for an independent Palestinian state, but insists that its people return to the Jewish state. It's a proposition that no one who believes in the right of Israel to exist could accept because the only equation in political science with mathematical certainty is that the so-called right of return equals the destruction of the State of Israel.
The idea that Israel will be flooded with millions of Palestinians is a non-starter. The international community knows it. The Palestinian leadership knows it. But the Palestinian people aren't hearing it. This gap between perception and reality is the major obstacle to peace. The so-called right of return is the major hurdle to achieving peace.
Since the Palestinian leadership refuses to tell the Palestinian people the truth, the international community has a responsibility to tell the Palestinian people about the basic compromises that they will have to make.
The many issues that remain outstanding can only – and will only – be resolved in direct negotiations between the parties. Israel's peace with Egypt was negotiated, not imposed. Our peace with Jordan was negotiated, not imposed. Israeli-Palestinian peace must be negotiated. It cannot be imposed. The Palestinian's unilateral action at the United Nations is no path to real statehood. It is a march of folly.
Today the Palestinians are far from meeting the basic criteria for statehood, including the test of effective control. The President of the Palestinian Authority has zero authority in the Gaza Strip. Before flying 9,000 kilometers to New York to seek UN membership, President Abbas should have driven 50 kilometers to Gaza, where he has been unable to visit since 2007.
In the same breath that they claim their state will be "peace-loving", Palestinian leaders speak of their unity with Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization. Hamas and "peace-loving"? There is no greater contradiction in terms.
This month, on a fundraising excursion for terrorism with his Iranian patrons, Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh stood in front of an audience in Tehran and said, "the correct strategy to liberate our country and Jerusalem is violent resistance."
Under Hamas rule, Gaza remains a launching ground for constant rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians, which are fueled by the continuous flow of weapons from Iran and elsewhere. Israel has the right to defend itself. As the Palmer report made clear, the naval blockade is a legitimate security measure in order to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea.
When it is not attacking Israelis, Hamas is oppressing its own people. In Gaza, civil society is nonexistent, political opponents are tortured, women are subjugated, and children are used as suicide bombers and human shields. Textbooks and television glorify martyrdom and demonize Jews. Incitement against Israelis also continues in the West Bank and in the official institutions of the Palestinian Authority, which names its public squares after suicide bombers.
The unresolved questions about a future Palestinian state cannot be simply swept under the carpet. They go to the core of resolving our conflict. They have to be addressed. Let me be clear: for Israel, the question is not whether we can accept a Palestinian state. We can. The question is what will be the character of the state that emerges alongside us and whether it will live in peace.
The Palestinian's unilateral action at the UN breaches the Oslo Accords, the Interim Agreement, the Paris Protocol and other bilateral agreements that form the basis for 40 spheres of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation – all of which could be jeopardized by a unilateral action at the UN.
This unilateral initiative will raise expectations that cannot be met. It is a recipe for instability and potentially, violence. Members of the international community should be clear about their responsibilities: You vote for it, you own it. All those who vote for unilateral recognition will be responsible for its consequences.
At this critical juncture, the Palestinians' true friends will encourage them to put aside the false idol of unilateralism and get back to the hard work of direct negotiations.
Speaking of friends, the many so-called Arab champions of the Palestinian cause have a responsibility to play a constructive role. Constructive support from the Arab World is vital for building the civic and economic structures necessary for real Palestinian statehood and peace. Instead of simply adding to the chorus of state-bashing, the Palestinians true supporters will help advance state-building.
Arab donors provided just 20 percent of the international funds for the Palestinian Authority's regular budget last year. Let me put this in perspective: last year, Arab donations to the regular PA budget accounted for a little more than half of what Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin-Talal spent on his newest personal luxury jet.
People in Washington, London, and Paris are struggling with an economic downturn, but still providing the bulk of support for Palestinian institutions, while Arab states saturated in petrol dollars don't even give the Palestinians crumbs off the table.
In the Jewish tradition, we are taught: "whosoever saves a single life, saves an entire universe." This sacred principle forms the backbone of Israel's democracy. It drives our Government's policy. We witnessed a clear reflection of these values last week – as all of Israel welcomed home our kidnapped soldier, Gilad Shalit, after more than five years in Hamas captivity. It was a moment of great joy, but it came with tremendous costs.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General personally and some of the countries represented here today that played an important role in the release of Gilad Shalit.
For us, the supreme value of a single human life justified releasing more than a thousand terrorists and criminals covered in the blood of innocents.
The values inherent in such an act shine bright in our region. Many took note. On Twitter, one Syrian blogger, Soori Madsoos, wrote "Their government is prepared to pay the ultimate price for one citizen, while our government kills us like we are animals and our Arab neighbors say that it's an internal matter."
Time and again, Israel has shown that it is ready and able to make bold and courageous decisions to preserve life, to uphold human dignity and to pursue peace.
Sustainable peace must be negotiated. It must be nurtured. It must be anchored in security. It must take root in homes, schools and media that teach tolerance and understanding, so that it can grow in hearts and minds. It must be built on a foundation of younger generations that understand the compromises necessary for peace. A brighter future in the Middle East must be forged from within, when we are open and honest about the challenges before us – and resolute in our determination to meet them together.
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Author pitputimPosted on October 25, 2011 October 25, 2011 Categories Israel's right to existTags Middle East Politics, State of Israel
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text:
Q: How can i encrypt a stored password that any user could decrypt on use of an application? I have working code that will encrypt and decrypt a string provided to methods and this all works fine for when im storing a users entered password for convenience later.
However what I am trying to do is provide a password (encrypted) in the applications config file that allows users to pull data from an SQL server on the same domain.
Because I've used ProtectedData.Protect with DataProtectionScope.CurrentUser it has been encrypted using me as a key meaning users cannot decrypt this key, and DataProtectionScope.LocalMachine is also not applicable.
private static byte[] Entropy = { // Some arbitrary numbers };

public static string Encrypt(string _toEncrypt)
{
    byte[] originalText = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes(_toEncrypt);
    byte[] EncryptedText = ProtectedData.Protect(originalText, Entropy, DataProtectionScope.CurrentUser);
    return Convert.ToBase64String(EncryptedText);
}

public static string Decrypt(string _toDecrypt)
{
    byte[] EncryptedText = Convert.FromBase64String(_toDecrypt);
    byte[] OriginalText = ProtectedData.Unprotect(EncryptedText, Entropy, DataProtectionScope.CurrentUser);
    return Encoding.Unicode.GetString(OriginalText);
}

Is there another way of doing this that allows for a password to be decrypted when required and be provided in its encrypted format for security reasons?

A: Since you're using app.config for your configuration file, you can actually use the aspnet_regiis utility to encrypt sections of the file.
It's been a while since I've had to do this, but there are some resources on the internet if you do some searching (for example). But, if I recall correctly the steps are basically:

*

*Temporarily rename your app.config to web.config because
aspnet_regiis will only work on web.config.

*Open a Developer Command Prompt (might need to do it as an administrator).

*Run aspnet_regiis -pef <the section you're encrypting> <path to your web.config>. The path should just be the folder where the configuration file can be found, don't include web.config.

*Rename your configuration file back to app.config.

This will need to be run on the server or machine hosting your application. If your application is not running from a single server things become more complicated as you will have to export the key, and import it to every computer running the application. This article contains the steps:

*

*Create a machine-level RSA Key Container (1 time step)

*Exporting the Custom RSA Encryption Key (1 time step)

*Importing the Certificate (1 time step - per machine)

*Adding Permissions to the Certificate (1 time step - per machine)

*Encrypting the Configuration Section

*Decrypting the Configuration Section

You don't actually need to do any sort of special decryption in your application. The configuration system will handle that for you automatically.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Houston man allegedly shoots girlfriend's husband in Conroe over ownership of truck
Jose R. Gonzalez, Staff writer
April 2, 2019 Updated: April 2, 2019 11:15 a.m.
Austin Kyle Lyon, 24, of Houston, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
courtesy of the Montgomery County Jail
A Houston man allegedly shot his girlfriend's estranged husband in the leg Sunday morning in Conroe following a dispute over a ownership of a truck.
Austin Kyle Lyon, 24, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. Following the dispute, Lyon grabbed a firearm from his vehicle and shot the other man in the 1300 block of Briar Cliff Street, according to a Montgomery County Sheriff's Office release.
NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.
Deputies caught up with Lyon who was on foot leaving the Forest Lane and Main Street area in the Tamina community. The firearm was recovered when deputies found it in Lyon's vehicle that was hidden nearby, according to the release.
The man Lyon allegedly shot was hospitalized in good condition at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands.
Lyon is being held at the Montgomery County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
jose.gonzalez@chron.com
twitter.com/jrgzztx
Jose R. Gonzalez
Reach Jose R. on
Jose R. Gonzalez reports on crime, courts and public safety in Montgomery County, just north of Houston. Jose joined the metro desk at the Houston Chronicle at the end of 2017. He worked breaking news and general assignments before landing on the Chronicle's business desk.
He covered the U.S. Congress at two editorial internships in Washington, D.C., one of which was RealClearPolitics. In between, he freelanced for the Chronicle. He is a journalism graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos.
Born in Pasadena, Texas and mostly raised there, Jose as a kid moved a lot with his family. He has lived in all four contiguous time zones.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dressing My Truth Blog by Jessica FlatShoenista: Your Rising-Moon-Sun Signs of Astrology Determine Your Fashion Aesthetic!
Your Rising-Moon-Sun Signs of Astrology Determine Your Fashion Aesthetic!
Today I found a new exciting way of clarifying and articulating, perhaps even 'Envision' my personal fashion aesthetic!
My friend K shared a link to AstroLada and I spent a good deal of time listening to Lada Duncheva on YouTube. I was totally blown away by her insights, and both K and I felt that her insights resonated with our actual day-to-day style preferences and fashion aesthetics!
1. Look to your Rising or Ascendant Sign as it describes your physique and it is also your 'mask' that you project to the public.
2. Look next to your Venus Sign, as it is telling of what appeals to you aesthetically. It will be even more pronounced for women as it shows their particular femininity.
3. Check your Moon Sign, which is your emotions, feelings, and vulnerability.
4. Check your Sun Sign, as this is the core of your personality.
5. If you know your chart well, the number of planets you have can also be another influential factor in how you prefer to don yourself.
>>> To view Lada Duncheva's videos, you can type in these keywords in YouTube, "astrolada + fashion."
1. My Rising sign is Taurus, and more than anything my shoulders and hips definitely are influenced by Taurus energy, much more so than my Sun in Pisces... According to Lada Duncheva, Taureans are all about natural way of emphasizing beauty, organic firmness, earthy sensuality, mother Earth, and about understated quality. She mentions Penelope Cruz, Halle Berry, Uma Thurman, Princess Diana, and Jessica Alba as some of her examples for this type. Colors for Taureans are brown and green, and lots of natural, organic hues, as well as stunning white, but they are very sensitive to the quality of the fabric they wear next to their skin. The associated body part for Taurus people is neck, so necklaces and scarves can be great accents for us!
2. My Venus is in Pisces, and Pisces reads so differently than I expected. Pisces have many needs and the first thing for the fish people is the ability to move or swim, as they cannot tolerate restriction. They need to be able to move easily, and at times, they even need to be invisible and escape, so articles like big scarves and hats and sunglasses can help them do this. The assigned color for Pisces is transparency, so they like materials that are sheer and colors that reflect the virtues of water, so a lot of cool tones like purples, blues, and greens look great on these people. Pisceans however, are chameleons and elusive, so they are very hard to pin down; they can adapt to all kinds of fashion styles! Other more expected comments about Piscean style is that they like very feminine, girly, romantic styles; I however probably side more with my Taurus side because I don't do over-the-top romantic. Celebs mentioned for Pisces are Jessica Biel, Reese Witherspoon, Emma Watson, Drew Barrymore, and Kirsten Dunst. Pisces are all about feet, so footware can accentuate their beauty!
3. My Moon is in Aquarius, and apparently the Water Bearer sign has a dual goal. First, they favor the cool and edgy, very much Dandy styles like Justin Timberlake (whom I love!) and a lot of these Aquarius folk have an androgynous look to them. But after their 30s, they develop another side to them which they are well capable of doing if it is of their choosing, to dress to 'fit into the mainstream' which is something they won't be so hot about in their younger years. Navy and blue colors, including indigo look amazing on Aquarians.
I also found some really amazing insights from Lada Duncheva regarding the type of partner you will attract based on your 3 key signs (rising/moon/sun). According to Lada, the rising sign usually affects our relationships the most based on her previous readings for people, which would roughly account for more than 40% of our love life, followed by the moon sign which is about 30%, then the sun sign which we are most familiar with usually accounts for 25%. The fascinating advice though is that the sign that is the opposite of your sign actually is deemed your best match! And the rationale is that we learn the most and evolve the most when we are with our opposite sign.
For example, with my rising in Taurus, the partner who will benefit my spiritual and personal growth the most is Scorpio. For my moon in Aquarius, Leo is the best match. Then for my Pisces, a Virgo man will be the best teacher for me. Lada says that the percentages are guidelines, and some people will tend to date their moon's opposite sign the most or their rising sign's opposite sign etc. Of course, when she says opposite sign, it doesn't just mean a guy who has the Sun in that sign, it can be a guy who just has a lot of planets in that opposite sign, or someone who has a moon in that sign, etc., so it is quite flexible in that regard.
In my case, I've dated a fair number of Leo's in my life. And not as many Scorpio's. Probably very very few Virgo's if any! So it'll be fun to see what happens when I start to try new things there!
OK~~ I hope this was entertaining and insightful for you!
>>> To view Lada Duncheva's videos, you can type in these keywords in YouTube, "astrolada + relationship."


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A special issue "Bringing polycentric systems into focus for environmental governance" edited by Tanya Hikkila, Sergio Villamayor-Tomas and Dustin Garrick has been published by Wiley Online Library. This special issue aims at strengthening the understanding of the diverse array of environmental governance systems and their performance by filling the gaps in literature with regard to concepts, theories and empirics of polycentric governance. The articles compiled in the special issue covers diverse research currently undertaken by scholars of polycentric research, who are using different methods, tools and diverse geographic locations to help provide new evidence on the nature and functioning of polycentric governance and aid in advancing theory. The authors of articles in this issue have made efforts to expand polycentricity theory beyond the emphasis on agency and comprise insights on the design of polycentric systems.


text:
Frisco scraps Fourth of July fireworks
Town officials cite the summer fire danger and potential crowd control issues as reasons for the cancellation.
Frisco scraps Fourth of July fireworks Town officials cite the summer fire danger and potential crowd control issues as reasons for the cancellation. Check out this story on coloradoan.com: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/colorado/2019/03/18/frisco-colorado-scraps-fourth-july-fireworks/3205094002/
The Associated Press Published 1:38 p.m. MT March 18, 2019 | Updated 1:41 p.m. MT March 18, 2019
FRISCO, Colo. – Another Colorado mountain community is canceling its annual fireworks display and working on other ways to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Leaders in Frisco decided last week to scrap the show partly because they say increased fire danger has become the norm at that time of year.
In January, the nearby ski resort town of Breckenridge announced it would no longer schedule Independence Day fireworks because of concerns of later having to cancel because of fire conditions. They also thought it might send the wrong message because of the typical fire concern during the summer.
In a statement Monday, officials in Frisco said they also feared their fireworks show, which would become the only one in Summit County, would draw a bigger crowd than they could easily handle.
Read or Share this story: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/colorado/2019/03/18/frisco-colorado-scraps-fourth-july-fireworks/3205094002/
6 charged in robbery, shooting of teen
Judge rules against Susan Holmes in red flag case
Flu cases increase in Larimer County
What Supreme Court inaction on topless ban means


text:
'Trump Doctrine' emerges in Syria: "Shoot First, Talk Later!"
Instead of giving its "full
support" to last week's U.S. military strikes on Syria, Canada should be
working harder than ever to ensure that the new U.S. administration works
within the limits of international law, argues Maria Banda.
Maria Banda
U.S. President Donald Trump leaves after delivering a statement about missile strikes on a Syrian airfield, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, April 6, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
By: Maria Banda
International law and policy expert
G7 Charlevoix: The G6's missed opportunity on climate change
How domestic forces could help prevent Trump from dismantling U.S. climate efforts
Protecting R2P From Misuse
On April 6, without consulting the United States Congress or the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), President Donald Trump instructed the U.S. military to launch cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase in retaliation for the Assad regime's purported chemical attack on civilians less than 72 hours earlier.
Trump's decision caught the world by surprise — this was the first time the U.S. intentionally used direct military force against Syria since the start of the civil war six years ago. A number of Western leaders, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates welcomed the strikes. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau immediately pledged Canada's "full support" for Trump's actions.
We shouldn't be so sanguine: America's actions, though professedly humanitarian, were taken with disdain for international law and have set us on a potentially dangerous path.
Two months into the Trump presidency, Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard law professor who served in the George W. Bush administration, warned that "we are witnessing the beginnings of the greatest presidential onslaught on international law and international institutions in American history."
Last Thursday night's airstrikes on Syria are the latest evidence yet of that trend and are a direct breach of the UN Charter (and perhaps U.S. constitutional law).
International law prohibits the use of force against a sovereign state, except in two exceptional situations: self-defence in case of an armed attack, and collective action authorized by the UNSC under Chapter VII of the UN Charter in support of "international peace and security."
Neither applies here. There was no attack on the U.S. (contrast this with Washington's intervention in Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which Bush argued was justified under international law in response to the Taliban regime's harbouring of and support for al-Qaeda). And there was no UNSC resolution (contrast this with U.S. operations against Iraq in 1990 following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, or the multinational intervention in Libya in 2011, intended to prevent mass atrocities).
Could the U.S. have made a legal case for collective action under Chapter VII before executing last week's strikes? Absolutely: the threat or use of chemical weapons against civilians, such as the abhorrent attack on Syrian civilians on April 4, is an international crime and a threat to international peace and security, which, if proven, could justify coercive measures, including military force (as a last resort). This is the very logic behind the "Responsibility to Protect," a concept which contemplates international intervention to protect civilians from mass atrocities.
But Trump did not bother seeking UN authorization. He may have assumed that Russia and China would veto a UNSC resolution authorizing the strikes, even if the evidence of the Syrian government's culpability was overwhelming. The U.S., however, did not even attempt to present that evidence or wait for the results of an independent investigation into the attacks, which the UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday would be needed "to remove all doubts." Instead, it sidestepped the UN process entirely, citing America's "vital, national security interest" in stopping the use of chemical weapons and terrorism. Trump today makes George W. Bush look like a true multilateralist by comparison.
So why has the international response generally ranged from muted to supportive? After six years of untold horrors in Syria, many leaders may be happy to see Trump abandon former President Barack Obama's non-interventionist rulebook, flex America's military muscle in the Middle East, and show Damascus, Tehran, Pyongyang and others that some "red lines" are crossed at their own peril now that a new sheriff is in town.
That is shortsighted thinking. What we may be seeing over the last few days is the emergence of a new 'Trump Doctrine' of unilateral military intervention based on the principle of "SHOOT FIRST AND TALK LATER!," as Trump tweeted in 2013, which may be driven more by short-term domestic policy and geopolitical posturing (Trump ordered the attacks just before his state dinner with China's President Xi Jinping) than humanitarian considerations. That should give us pause.
"We cannot pick and choose when, and for whom, international law applies."
Even if we agree with Trump's assessment in this particular case, would we welcome unilateral U.S. strikes elsewhere? Would we support China's or Iran's "limited" and "focused" (in Trudeau's words) bombing of sovereign countries wherever they deem this to be in their "vital, national security interest"? Would we take them on their word without any independent investigation or authorization?
The basic point is this: we cannot pick and choose when, and for whom, international law applies. The rules work only so long as we respect them. Canada has a vital interest in preserving the stability of that system. From trade and investment to the environment, international rules and institutions have made for a more orderly, prosperous and secure world for Canadians.
Today, we should be working harder than ever to prevent the U.S. onslaught on international law and persuade our trigger-happy neighbour to work through international institutions. Rather than pledging our "full" support for the U.S. airstrikes, we should call them what they are — illegal (though perhaps warranted) — and urge the Trump administration, like Sweden and Indonesia have done, to refrain from going-it-alone. Trump has complained that he "inherited a mess" from Obama, but there will be no fixing the "mess" that the emergent Trump Doctrine could leave in its wake.


text:
package flags

import (
	"io/ioutil"
	"os"
	"path/filepath"
)

//FileFlag implements the flag.Value (aka urfave/cli.Generic) interface
// to provide a flag value type that reads its effective value from the file named as its input.
type FileFlag struct {
	FileName string
	Value    string
}

func getPath(name string) string {
	if len(name) > 0 && name[0] == '~' {
		home := os.Getenv("HOME")
		return filepath.Join(home, name[1:])
	}
	return name
}

// Set sets the value of FileFlag given the filename as an argument. This reads in the file synchronously.
func (f *FileFlag) Set(name string) error {
	f.FileName = getPath(name)
	res, err := ioutil.ReadFile(f.FileName)
	f.Value = string(res)
	return err
}

func (f *FileFlag) String() string {
	return f.Value
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


An imposing castle and former home to the Irish aristocracy set in a massive estate on the outskirts of Dublin could be yours exclusively for your next corporate event, be it a meeting of your international board or a grand gathering of colleagues.
People who work hard to ensure the success of their businesses need and deserve to feel valued by their companies.
And Luttrellstown Castle is that place where they can be made feel appreciated for their efforts. Just a short drive from Dublin City Centre, the Castle offers the perfect opportunity for you to set a new benchmark in corporate entertainment. This is the venue for the event your colleagues – and rivals – will be talking about for years to come.
Top of the 'pro' list for staging your event in Luttrellstown Castle is its exclusivity. The building – dating from the Norman era and boasting a Gothic facade – and the 560-acre estate with its championship-level golf course, horse riding treks, fishing, arboretum, formal walled garden and extensive parkland will be all yours for the duration of the event.
And when we say yours, we mean it. Luttrellstown Castle is not a hotel, it is a resort that's exclusively yours when you reserve it for your event.
The Iveagh and Guinness families were former owners of Luttrellstown Castle and it has hosted royalty such as Princess Grace and Queen Victoria as well as celebrities such as David and Victoria Beckham for their wedding – along with Kelly Clarkson and Ed Sheeran during tour visits to Ireland.
The Liffey meanders nearby and can be accessed by paths and treks, which take you through follies and arches – perfect for the bracing walks to build up an appetite for the forthcoming feast and entertainment.
As you approach the building you will be awed by the battlements, turrets and the Gothic facade but once inside, the luxury and elegance will entrance you. Reception rooms with wood burning fires and fine furniture can be the setting for those away from the office discussions where bonds are made.
Banquets in the Van Stry Room under the welcoming glow of magnificent crystal chandeliers will be as far removed from the humdrum of another corporate lunch as you can imagine. Menus to make these meals memorable are planned to the last detail and served to the acclaim of diners by our expert culinary team.
If you want to dance the night away in the ballroom or simply relax in the company of your colleagues with a few well-chosen drinks, this is your prerogative.
Extensive renovations carried out in the castle ensure the bedrooms are appointed to the standards of modern rather than medieval comfort and they lack nothing in terms of style or elegance.
While gracious hospitality is an essential ingredient in a corporate event, what can really elevate the time spent in our venue is the range of events we can offer.
Grass karting or quad biking, air rifle shooting or archery, falconry or fishing – they are just some of the events we provide in our grounds. Inside the Castle we can arrange cooking demonstrations, painting tutorials, bodhrán drumming or wine tasting among others. We specialise in customising a range of team building activities for your group.
When you bring your colleagues to Luttrellstown Castle and Resort, it is yours for the duration and in case you think this will blow your entertainment budget for the next year or two, prepare to be pleasantly surprised at the value you will get.
A further advantage is our expertise in helping you make sure that the event proceeds smoothly and in a relaxed atmosphere which puts you and your guests at ease. When you reach Luttrellstown Castle, your work is done.
Though the Castle is only a short drive from Dublin City Centre, it's a world away from the world of high finance, courtroom drama or tech trauma. It's the venue where the captains of your industry can be the lords and ladies of their very own castle for the duration of your event.
As they return to work following this event they will carry with them a lifetime of memories which should fuel them to strive even more for the success of your enterprise.


text:
disteval.visualization package
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.. automodule:: disteval.visualization
    :members:
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    :show-inheritance:


text:
Rolling Hills är en stad i Los Angeles County, Kalifornien, USA på Palos Verdes-halvön.

Vid folkräkningen år 2000 hade staden en befolkning på 1 871 personer. Enligt United States Census Bureau har staden en total areal på 8,0 km², allt är land.

Rolling Hills består helt och hållet av ett enda "grindsamhälle", dvs området är avstängt från utomstående. Invånarna arbetar, handlar, går i skolan och erhåller andra tjänster utanför själva staden som upprätthåller en lantlig prägel utan trafikljus, med häststigar längs gatorna och glest mellan husen.

Rolling Hills gränsar till Rolling Hills Estates i norr och till Rancho Palos Verdes på alla andra sidor.

Befolkning
Vid folkräkningen år 2000 hade staden 1 871 invånare.

Invånarna i Rolling Hills identifierade sig själva (enligt United States Census Bureau) som: 79,80% "vita", 2,03% afroamerikaner, 14,00% asiater, 1,18% "av annan ras" OCH 2,51% "av två eller fler raser". Latinamerikaner "oavsett ras" var 4,54% av befolkningen.

Av staden Rolling Hills befolkning beräknades cirka 1,3% leva under fattigdomsgränsen (år 2004) jämfört med 13,1 % för hela USA och 13,3% för Kalifornien.

Källor

Externa länkar

Los Angeles County
Orter i Kalifornien
Orter grundade 1957

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Viet Duc Hospital to go cashless
Thursday, Jun 18, 2020 14:49
Representatives of Viet Duc Hospital and MoMo e-wallet sign a strategic cooperation agreement to deploy cashless payments at the hospital in June. — Photo courtesy of Momo
Viet Duc Hospital and MoMo e-wallet have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to deploy cashless payments at the hospital in June.
According to MoMo, it will implement the technology to serve thousands of patients and their family members. Under the partnership, users of the e-wallet could pay for examinations and medication by scanning a QR code placed on the counters at the hospital.
Later, they will also be able to pay inpatient fees on the MoMo app. With the cashless payment system, patients can avoid long queues, cut waiting times and simplify procedures.
Associate Professor, Dr. Dong Van He, deputy director of Viet Duc Hospital, said: "Patients who come to the hospital are often very tired of paying in cash as sometimes they have to wait for hours. Carrying cash is neither convenient nor safe for sick people. Deploying cashless payment via the MoMo e-wallet is a way for the hospital to best serve patients."
Vice President and Co-Founder of MoMo Nguyen Ba Diep said: "The MoMo e-wallet has a strong focus on public administrative services, such as hospitals, schools and other public administration and tax-related services. The cooperation with the hospital will help patients and their family members have a simple and easy payment experience."
As a leading centre for medical examination, treatment and research of the country, Viet Duc Hospital is always one of the most crowded hospitals in Ha Noi. Each year, the hospital conducts over 70,000 surgeries, mostly serious ones.
MoMo is now the e-wallet with the most users, including 20 million trusted users in 63 provinces and cities and more than 100,000 payment acceptance points.
Currently, the e-wallet has connected with over 20 hospitals and health facilities nationwide. The e-wallet will soon work with big public hospitals in Ha Noi such as Bach Mai Hospital; E Hospital, Central Lung Hospital; and the Central Eye Hospital. — VNS
Tags Viet Duc Hospita MoMo e-wallet cashless payments
Vietnamese say technology is taking over lives, but unworried: survey
Youths among people who have switched to used phones
Bkav announces its ventilators
Tech firm aims to make lunchtime more convenient
MIC asks Ha Noi to focus on 5G development, telecoms firms link up
Enterprise management platform launched
FPT and Mila sign partnership agreement on AI
HeyU expands its operation to Hai Phong city
Viet Nam's wind sector to see growing opportunities
Mytel has 10 million subscribers in two years
Viet Nam sets ambitious plan for IT sector development
Co.op Food opens 8 stores in a day
EVN plans to launch competitive retail electricity market next year
Forum discusses warehouse industry trend in Viet Nam
Vietnamese businesses set mixed targets for 2021
Vietnamese dragonfruit needs to find new export markets: Experts


text:
INTERIOR CHINATOWN book review
Photo Credit - UTA
"Interior Chinatown" is an excellent example of satire. In fact, it is one of the best recent examples of the genre. It is both fun, yet poignant, deftly weaving in issues of race, identity and racism, while often eliciting a laugh from the reader. The book's author, Charles Yu, comes from a screenwriter background, including projects for high profile cable channels such as HBO, FX and AMC. That screenwriting background comes through with this novel because it is written in a screenplay format, with characters that blur the line between real life (in the novel) and movie actors.
The novel's young protagonist, Willis Wu, sees himself like the world, and certainly Hollywood, sees him- as "Generic Asian Man." Most of his adult life is spent leaving the SRO housing complex/Chinese restaurant (Interior Chinatown) brimming with other aspiring Asian actors and restaurant workers, then going to the set of the "Black and White" procedural cop show. For it, he is just an extra "Generic Asian Man," but he longs to be "Kung Fu Guy," which is supposedly many steps up. Throughout Wu's days on the set and career, such as it is, he longs for more personally and professionally but feels held back by ever persistent low self-esteem and societal stereotypes. Although these issues of identity, race and racism are center stage, Yu delivers it with an undeniable delightful sense of humor. But don't let the entertainment aspect fool you. Yu successfully delivers biting commentary on Hollywood typecasting and societal stereotypes. Below is an example of the more biting, poignant type of dialogue found towards the novel's end after Yu has climbed the "Asian Man" in Hollywood ladder and found success, but at a cost.
I spent most of my life trapped. Interior Chinatown. I made it out, to become Kung Fu Dad. But that was just another role. A better role than I've ever had, but still a role. I can't just keep doing the same thing over and over again. My dad did that. And where did it get him? He was a true master, someone who had mastered his craft. And what did his life add up to? You never recognized him for what he could do. Who he was. You never allowed him a name. So what do we do?
Skewering Hollywood typecasts has never been so much fun since Robert Townsends' "Hollywood Shuffle," a 1987 American satirical comedy film about the racial stereotypes of African Americans in film and television. It is easy to understand why "Interior Chinatown" won the 2020 National Book Award. It is brilliant in its messaging, format and delivery, and destined to a screen adaptation in the near future.


text:
Past Keynotes
Early-bird registration deadline: February 10th, 2023
Early-bird prices (register by February 10th, 2023)*:
$200.00 ($226.00) - Faculty and Industry/Government Scientists
$130.00 ($146.90) - Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
$100.00 ($113.00) - Undergraduate Students
Your fees include the following:
Dinner on Friday, April 28th, 2023.
Lunch and Evening Banquet on Saturday, April 29th, 2023.
Breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday, April 29th and 30th, 2023.
Coffee, Tea, and Refreshments throughout the conference.
*All fees are subject to an additional 13% tax (HST). Costs after tax are in brackets.
*Payment is due by April 14th, 2023.
You can submit your abstract here!
Keynote Speaker - 50 min + 10 min Q&A
Contributed Talk - 15 min + 5 min Q&A
Poster Sessions - will have two sessions, TBA
Poster Size - max 6ft x 4ft
Posters can be printed at UTPoster, which is on campus.
NB: Spots for contributed talks are limited. Applicants will be notified as to whether their abstract has been accepted for a contributed talk. If the applicant is not selected for a contributed talk, then they will be given the opportunity to present a poster.
Two workshops are taking place concurrently on Friday, April 28th:
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
The Business of Science
Travel award & Discount
Students outside the Greater Toronto Area are eligible to apply for a travel award to subsidize their registration and travel costs. The travel award applications form is now available.
Note: If you register before the early bird deadline but are waiting to hear back from a travel award application, you will still only be charged the early bird price.
VIA Rail Canada has also kindly provided us with sponsorship in the form of a discount code for our attendees. Book your ride using the discount code "14344" to receive 10% off base fares!
Artist and Logo Design: Rosie Irwin, Nemo Liu
Webmaster: Wilson Zeng
CBP 2023 | UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Discover. Challenge. Inspire.


Pennsylvania technology company Ziamatic Corp. (ZICO) added to their line of premix container brackets by introducing the QUIC-MOUNT Rectangular Quart and Half-Gallon Premix Holder, Model QM-PMH-RQHG.
The holder secures 3-11/16" x 5-1/4" rectangular quart and half gallon cans from popular brands like STIHL, which lets users safely store premix fuel beside saws in the compartment where it is needed most.
It is made with heavy-duty steel and aluminum and is powder-coated yellow for maximum durability and can protection. The bracket lowers risk of tipping, denting, leaking, and puncturing inside the compartment and keeps supplies easy to locate. It mounts to nearly any flat surface.
For more information call 1-800-711-FIRE or visit www.ziamatic.com.


How do I submit a bug/issue with Craft?
Appropriate use of affiliate links?
Should we ban the "learning-craft" tag?
What is the best place to put a feature request?
Change list of reasons offered when voting to close a question?
How should we handle questions where someone added the answer to the question, and then seems to have disappeared?
Should third party plugin support be allowed?
Do we need the 'craft' tag?
If the "bug" is on the user's side, should it be closed as a "bug report"?
When is it appropriate to close a question that appears like it will never be answered?
Should plugin bug reports and issues be closed as off-topic?
Should [fieldlayoutdesigner] be renamed to [field-layout-designer]?
Should [live-view] should be renamed to [live-preview]?
Is it conventional to delete salutations & signatures in StackExchange questions?
Remove 'characters remaining' limit when editing questions and answers?
Is Craft a good fit for my project?
Is it appropriate to share tips that we have learned that might benifit others?
Should bug reports be closed as off-topic?
Get rid of the "twig" and "template" tags?
Are plugin design questions appropriate for this site?
Is there anything wrong with re-asking and re-answering questions from Google+?
Is there a way to turn on Twig syntax colors on the Beta site?
Should any automatic syntax highlighting be applied to Twig examples?
Temporary removal of twig syntax highlighting?
How do we want to handle "plugins" & "plugin-dev" tags?
Special treatment for "plugin-dev" tag?
Should "best practice" and "best way" questions be considered primarily opinion-based or too broad?
Now that the SE is in public does it make sense to push questions at G+ to answers here?
Should plugin-development also be discussed here?
This site is for discussion about Craft CMS Stack Exchange. You must have an account there to participate.


GM is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world. It has produced vehicles under some of the most beloved brand names, including Chevrolet, Buick, Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer. It has made everything from flashy sports cars to oversized off-roaders to modest, family friendly vehicles.
Because GM has made such a variety of vehicles, it is important that you work with a certified GM auto body shop in Mesa for collision repair. The technicians at Excel Collision and Glass Centers have received extensive training on how to work on a wide variety of GM vehicles, and they have the experience to back it up.
You can work with the technicians at Excel Collision and Glass Centers in Mesa with confidence.
Because GM has produced such a wide variety of vehicles, there are a number of auto body shops in the area that can work on these brands. However, we are confident that you will find that Excel Collision and Glass Centers stands out from the rest.
We are committed to performing the highest quality of workmanship so that your GM vehicle looks as good as it did before you had the accident.
Our technicians have received extensive training to repair GM vehicles, and they receive ongoing training to stay aware of the latest techniques and tools to get the best results.
Our staff provides friendly and professional service at every interaction.
We offer a lifetime warranty that guarantees the results for as long as you own your vehicle.
Just take a look at our online reviews or talk to some of our customers and you will see that we deliver on our promises. We are committed to providing the service and workmanship to be the best body shop in Mesa.
Being one of the biggest manufacturers of cars and trucks around the world, General Motors has an incredible amount of brands under their belt. This is the reason why we are proud to be a General Motors certified collision repair center that can service different brands like Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and others. Our convenient locations in Mesa lets you drop your vehicle for a thorough damage inspection in no time.
As a General Motors certified collision repair center, we work with original manufacturer parts to make your engine and vehicle frame more durable. We also have original airbags from the different car brands under General Motors that are more resilient in any accident situation. Aftermarket parts tend to break over the pass of time since they are made without any oversight and certification in distant parts of the world. For our customers, the best way to make their vehicle perfect again is to use original manufactured parts that had the extensive oversight needed to make your car more durable.
Excel Collision Center understands the diversity of the car models under General Motors ranging from motorcycles to sedans, minivans, and SUVs. Our skilled mechanics have the knowledge and preparation for dent removal and repair for any vehicle under the brand of General Motors in an efficient way. We have the expertise to finish the job in a couple of hours, instead of a couple of days like it normally would in other collision repair centers. Don't hesitate to give us a call today if you want to know more information about what we offer as the best collision repair center in Mesa.
Visit one of our convenient East Valley locations today!
We know that you have a busy schedule and that being without your car for days at a time can be a real hassle. While we can't rush the repairs, we can make the process as convenient as possible.
We do that by offering numerous body shops throughout Arizona so that you can find a location that is most convenient to your home or office. We also do that by offering flexible appointment times and by helping to arrange pick up and drop off.
Finally, we help by working with your insurance company to file claims or process payment.
You are not just another customer to us — you are family. Our technicians want to build a lifelong relationship with you so that we are the auto body shop you choose again and again. We do that by building your trust with consistent results and service.
Call us today in Mesa to make an appointment for a collision repair estimate. We're ready to start building that relationship with you and showing you how we stand out from our competitors.


November…November… What was I supposed to do in November again? – Write. Edit. Repeat.
It's NaNoWriMo! Seriously. November really snuck up on me this year. I hadn't even planned to participate in NaNo this year. It didn't even occur to me that tomorrow is November 1st. But once I saw friends' posts on Facebook talking about it today, I made a last-minute decision to go for it.
1. Don't take yourself or your novel too seriously. This is supposed to be fun. Some people tend to forget that and start to stress out over getting their 50,000 words in by November 30th. Have fun with your writing. If you get bored with it, write something ridiculous in the middle of it. If things get too heavy, add in a few jokes. It can all be taken out during the editing process, which comes much, much later.
2. Don't freak out about the details. If you have to, write your novel out of order—ending first, beginning in the middle, middle strewn throughout with the meat of it on the last pages. As I've mentioned in a previous post, there are no rules to dictate how you write your novel. As long as you have the bones of your book down at the end of the month, who cares? Again, editing comes later.
3. Do pace yourself. 50,000 words might seem like A LOT, but when it comes down to it, your goal is really just 1,667 words per day. Totally do-able. My strategy is to try to write as much as I can each day in the beginning. Shoot for doubling (even tripling!) your word count on day one when you're fresh and raring to go. I won't lie. Some days, making your word count might seem a little like a chore. If you do as much as you can when you are in an inspired mood, you'll be a little bit ahead and won't lose much by taking a day or two off when you get busy or blocked.
4. Don't freak out about commitment. No one's going to chide you for "losing." If I were a betting lady, I'd dare to say that most NaNo participants don't end up with 50,000 words by November 30th. How does that saying go? No one ever accomplished anything without trying first. If you don't end up with 50,000 words, you'll at least have a feel for what it's like. And hey! You'll have a huge chunk of a novel ready to go whenever you decide to finish it!
5. Do find fellow NaNo'ers in your area. Taking part in local write-ins and other events is a great way to keep yourself motivated and inspired. Being around people who have accepted the same challenge is really helpful. You're kindred spirits. A couple of my favorite things about write-ins are word wars and drawing challenges from a hat. Challenges might ask you to kill a character, include an odd word in your next paragraph, or make your main character eat worms. They're silly, but they're fun and stretch your mind.
I can't stress enough how important it is to just have fun with NaNoWriMo! Don't worry about anything but writing. Write your little heart out. Don't delete anything. Don't fix typos. Just get those words out. Then you can take December off and come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes in January for editing. So let's get going! Get your pen/Word/Pages/Scrivener/Storyist/notepad ready, and have a mini-freakout if you need to. Then chug some coffee, unwrap that Halloween candy, and get down to it as soon as the clock hits midnight. Until then, check out the website. Sign up, edit your profile, write a little blurb about your novel-to-be, make a small donation if you feel like it, commiserate/celebrate/share ideas/ask questions on the forums, and check out the badges and word count widgets you can add to your blog, website, or Facebook page.
If I can do this, you can. Maybe I'll even share a few blurbs here every now and then.


Besides being humongous hits, practically enshrining their artists in the hall of fame, each song just might be one of the most effective ambassadors of the language it represents.
There's just something about music, isn't there? Music's not only universal, but it's also ubiquitous and no one can escape it.
Interestingly, just about the same things can be said for language.
It follows naturally, then, that music can be used as a key to become fluent in a foreign language.
How? We'll look at the connection between the two entities, plus share three effective ways to use music as a killer language learning strategy. So let's start with this special relationship between the two that makes learning language through music possible.
It was previously thought that language and music involved two distinct brain mechanisms. Speech functions were localized in the left brain hemisphere and language in the right. But advances in brain imaging technology have challenged that idea.
Language and music are kindred spirits. Both have rhythm, tone, melody, pitch, volume and pauses.
Just as one can differentiate music through these elements, a language can be defined by the same. They can both be learned through repeated exposure. They are so closely related that many scholars have begun considering the possibility that language is actually a subset of music.
If you were asked, "Hey, which letter comes before 'R'?," chances are you'd find yourself singing the alphabet song just to make sure you didn't give the wrong answer and embarrass yourself to pieces.
And you probably have memorized the multiplication tables with the help of a catchy jingle or beat, or perhaps used a tune to learn the phone number of your favorite fast food delivery joint.
It's long been known that music makes things memorable. Ask any kindergartener.
Certain songs trigger a flood of memories, good or bad. It can make vivid the events that happened a long, long time ago. You hear "That's What Friends Are For," and suddenly it's 1986.
Because of music, we can memorize ungodly amounts of information without real effort. We just sing the data away. There's just something about melody that burn information into our heads—so much so that it gets annoying sometimes. You may still be singing your grocery list to the tune of "Call Me Maybe" weeks after you've done the shopping.
Can you imagine how easy it would be to memorize a foreign sentence using a beloved nursery rhyme?
Let's say you need to memorize a sentence. How about the useful Spanish phrase "Un momento, por favor" (One moment, please). How do we exploit the memory-enhancing effect of music in this case?
Easy. We code the target sentence to a catchy song or beat. A beloved nursery rhyme will often do the trick.
Repeat as often as possible. This last step is another important one. You'll find that it can sound a bit awkward at first. Don't be discouraged and stick with it. Keep on singing until it stops being awkward. And when it stops being awkward, sing it around 30 more times.
You will soon notice that the melody will lead you to the words. With enough repetitions, you'll have burned the lyrics into your head for a lifetime.
We can also use music to mine foreign songs for their vocabulary.
There are two advantages to this. First, as mentioned previously, the melody will serve as a memory hook. And second, using the songs of your target language presents you with vocabulary used in a specific context.
The Portuguese song "Lambada," for example, is a song about past love. It talks about loss, pain and memory. True enough, you'll find the words perder (lose), chorar (cry), dor (pain) and lembrar (remember) in the lyrics.
One of the most common mistakes people make in learning a new language is memorizing vocabulary in a vacuum. That is, as a list, without examples, without context and without application. They spend countless sessions staring at a piece of paper containing two word columns: the English translation and the foreign words.
Here's why: The brain is an "association machine." It remembers new information by connecting it with items that are already in there. So the memories or facts you most easily remember are those connected to the greatest number of other bits of information. Still follow?
Just remember that for you to retain the vocabulary and store it in your long-term memory, you have to creatively connect them with something else. For example, if you were trying to remember the Portuguese word "dor" (pain), imagine your hand getting banged by the door. What do you feel? Pain, right? That's it.
I bet you'll remember that!
Songs create these kinds of opportunities for making connections, which is why they're so memorable. People who can't remember their children's birthdays can easily memorize the lyrics to hundreds of songs.
Aside from their memorable melodies, many songs have memorable stories in them as well. You simply have to follow the story and learn the vocabulary along the way.
A perfect tool for learning languages in context with songs is FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videos like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks, and turns them into language learning lessons.
Every video is transcribed and translated by hand, and every word comes with an in-context definition, image and multiple example sentences. You can even click on a word to see how it's used in other videos across the site.
Using FluentU to learn songs via music videos will lift your language learning abilities through the roof!
Gloria Estefan got it right.
Music has this almost transcendental effect on the human body. It moves us and it can make us move. We nod along and tap our fingers and feet to the beat, and sometimes we even let out a dance or two.
We close our eyes and we are transported to a different place. The pleasure centers in the brain light up while the music could be fostering positivity, lifting the spirit, lowering anxiety and releasing tension. Music invigorates, relaxes and calms. And when one is calm, ideas flow easily and greater learning is achieved.
You could also try putting on some instrumental music in the background; let the music take you to that place where creativity meets flow.
Studies have shown that music can enhance the creativity of test subjects, even improving their reading and writing skills. With upbeat music, people are able to do things more efficiently. They stay on a task longer, they see it through—which is exactly the type of focus we need when learning a new language.
Because here's a basic truth about taming a language: It's not easy.
It's not always fun and games, and can definitely be frustrating at times. Especially when you're experiencing a plateau and you feel like your best efforts are leading nowhere.
When your vocabulary's out of whack and you realize that after three months of studying the language, you still don't know the Chinese words for "How are you?," don't give up.
Instead, try to get your bearings right. Listen to music.
Use music in any (or all) of these three ways—to help you memorize, to learn vocabulary in context and to create a motivating study mood—and you will see results.
Learning a new language is one of the best items on a person's bucket list. So when you feel short on motivation, when you feel like nobody really cares that you know the Japanese translation for "continuous improvement" (Keizoku-teki kaizen), I want you to hit that "Play" button.
Soon enough, the rhythm's gonna get cha. Gloria had it right all along.
If you like learning through music, you'll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.