text:
2MATCH URL: https://assets.rappler.com/6C34BEAD3C7242E4AB4603ED9B80B2DB/img/AF656F8BA4F642F1814221DF9707607D/emma-watson-file-regression.jpg
Emma Watson named in Panama Papers leak
A spokesperson confirms that the former 'Harry Potter' star has set up an offshore company but only for the purpose of 'protecting her anonymity and safety'
Published 1:26 PM, May 11, 2016
Updated 6:41 PM, May 13, 2016
OFFSHORE COMPANY. Actress Emma Watson has been implicated in the 'Panama Papers' leak, after a database search turns up her legal name, 'Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson.' File photo by Paco Campos/EPA
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – When one runs a search through a database from the so-called Panama Papers leak, Emma Watson's name crops up, and a spokesperson from her camp confirms that the actress has indeed set up an offshore company.
Famous for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter films, Watson, through her legal name, "Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson," was discovered by political and current affairs magazine The Spectator in the searchable Offshore Leaks Database. The search connects her to one address and entity connected to the United Kingdom.
Screengrab from ICIJ (offshoreleaks.icij.org)
The database is built only on some of 11 million-plus documents leaked from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. For the first time, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) gave public access to data on over 200,000 secret offshore companies on Monday, May 9. (READ: Law firm warns against 'Panama Papers' being released online)
Her spokesperson says that she has indeed set up an offshore account but does not receive any "tax or monetary advantages from this offshore company whatsoever." The actress only uses it to protect "her anonymity and safety."
"Emma (like many high profile individuals) set up an offshore company for the sole purpose of protecting her anonymity and safety," Watson's spokesman, Luke Windsor, said in a statement quoted by Steerpike from The Spectator and CNN Money.
"UK companies are required to publicly publish details of their shareholders and therefore do not give her the necessary anonymity required to protect her personal safety, which has been jeopardized in the past owing to such information being publicly available."
"Offshore companies do not publish these shareholder details. Emma receives absolutely no tax or monetary advantages from this offshore company whatsoever – only privacy.'"
Watson's offshore company, Falling Leaves Ltd (named by CNN Money), was set up in 2013 in the British Virgin Islands. Located in the Caribbean, the UK's overseas territory is considered by the European Commission as a tax haven.
While it does not automatically incriminate individuals, the Panama Papers have nonetheless triggered investigations for tax fraud, money laundering, and other crimes. (READ: Panama Papers: 'No evidence' to take action vs Mossack Fonseca – prosecutor)
The Offshore Leaks Database "allows users to explore the networks of companies and people that used – and sometimes abused – the secrecy of offshore locales with the help of Mossack Fonseca and other intermediaries," the ICIJ said. (READ: Irene Marcos, Angaras in Panama Papers database)
It also clarified that it was not making available raw records online, nor was it putting all the information from the records out, in part to prevent access to bank account details and personal data of those mentioned.
Other celebrities have also been implicated in what is dubbed as the biggest data leak of inside information in the history of journalism.
Some prominent names connected to the Philippines also emerged from database searches. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com
Filed under:ICIJ•International Consortium of Investigative Journalists•Mossack Fonseca•Offshore Leaks Database•Panama Papers•United Kingdom•investigative journalism•journalism•offshore companies•Emma Watson


text:
For second time, House to take up police reform legislation named for George Floyd
Jeanine Santucci Deborah Barfield Berry
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers reintroduced a sweeping police reform bill on Wednesday that was first introduced last year amid nationwide protests over racial inequality following the death of George Floyd.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which bans chokeholds and federal no-knock warrants, among other reform measures, previously passed the Democratic-controlled House. But the Senate, which was controlled by Republicans at the time, did not act on it.
The bill aims to bolster police accountability and prevent problem officers from moving from one department to another by creating a national registry to track those with checkered records. It also would end certain police practices that have been under scrutiny after the deaths of Black Americans in the last year.
Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd cried out that he could not breathe on May 25, 2020. His death sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism.
Most recently, protests struck up in Rochester, N.Y., on Tuesday after news that a grand jury announced no criminal charges would be brought against the officers whose restraint of Daniel Prude may have caused his death.
Reports:Justice Department ramps up George Floyd investigation into former officer Derek Chauvin
What's in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
California Rep. Karen Bass, a Democrat and former chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chair, reintroduced the bill. They said inaction since the bill was originally introduced has led to more deaths at the hands of police.
The reintroduced bill would: prohibit profiling based on race and religion and mandate training on profiling; ban chokeholds, carotid holds and no-knock warrants; require the use of federal funds to ensure use of body cameras; establish a National Police Misconduct Registry; amend the prosecution standard for police from "willfulness" to "recklessness" and reform qualified immunity; and require stronger data reporting on police use of force.
'System is broken':Black community expresses anger, fatigue after officers cleared in Daniel Prude's death
'Time for the Congress to deliver,' civil rights groups say
Earlier Wednesday, national civil rights leaders called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. No major federal legislation has been passed into law since Floyd's death sparked national and international protests.
House passage of the measure is not enough, they said.
"We will not accept an incremental approach to justice,'' said Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a national coalition of civil rights groups.
Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, said election poll results show criminal justice reform was one of the top issues for Black voters in 2020. "It's time for the Congress to deliver what the people voted for," she said.
Black voters were pivotal to Democratic wins in key races, including Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, civil rights leaders said there also are insufficient protections in the states, which is why passage of federal legislation is critical.
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., noted that several high-profile deaths of Black people by law enforcement officials have not led to major police reforms.
"We demand that the federal government step up," Ifill said.
The issue has been "kicked down the road" for decades, she said.
House Democrats said they are working to pick up more Republican support. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the House would vote on the bill next week.
Contributing: Christal Hayes, Nicholas Wu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
alphaX Digital Services
Web Apps Development
Automation and Lean Management
These conditions apply to services provided by alphaX Digital Services, hereinafter referred to as alphaX.
§ 1 Offers
Offers are not binding, unless all information available for order fulfillment, in particular the signature, is available from the customer.
Offers made by alphaX to the contractor are binding for a period of 21 days, unless otherwise stipulated in the offer. If the contractor accepts the offer within the binding period (in writing, by telefax or e-mail), the activities described therein shall take place in accordance with these GTC.
Dates are to be understood as non-binding guidelines, unless they are expressly marked as binding.
§ 2 Obligation of the customer to cooperate
The client is obliged to support alphaX and to create the necessary conditions which are the responsibility of the client. In particular, he must provide all documents necessary or important for the execution of the order in good time.
The client shall provide the cooperation services agreed in these general terms and conditions and in the offer at his own expense. This includes in particular the provision of infrastructure, personnel, technology, documents, organisational support and the appointment of a project manager at the customer's site required for the execution of the contract. The Client shall provide alphaX with the required data and information in good time and to a sufficient extent.
In the event of non-fulfilment of the agreed obligations, alphaX shall not be deemed to be in default at the time of the breach until its fulfilment. alphaX may set a reasonable deadline for performance and, if the deadline expires without result, withdraw the offer and claim damages.
§ 3 Rights and duties of the alphaX
The alphaX is free with regard to the actual performance of the tasks assigned to it. This applies both to the time required for the provision of services and to the manner in which they are performed, unless the contractual obligations of the client vis-à-vis its customer are adversely affected or the respective offer provides for explicit provisions in this regard.
The alphaX is not subject to any right of instruction. However, technical specifications on the part of the client must be observed to the extent that they are necessary for the proper execution of the order.
The alphaX is entitled to make use of third parties in whole or in part for the provision of services.
The applicability of § 615 BGB is expressly agreed upon.
§ 4 Remuneration
The remuneration shall be based on the actual hours worked for the service in question and an hourly rate to be applied therefor.
One working hour corresponds to one time hour. For billing purposes, the relevant number of hours is the number of hours commenced, rounded up to full quarter hours.
The following hourly rates apply to the alphaX standard services:
120,00 Euro for offer-dependent services such as consulting, development, commissioning, maintenance work or the like
250,00 Euro for offer-independent consultation
Insofar as, in deviation from § 7 paragraph 1, alphaX does not perform its services at the place of performance but at a different location (registered office of the principal, other location determined by the principal, cf. § 7 paragraph 2), the travel time shall only be set at 50% when calculating the time required for calculating the remuneration. In addition, a kilometric allowance of € 0.51 per kilometre driven and per employee employed shall be payable. Should further travel expenses, in particular overnight expenses, be incurred in this connection, these shall also be reimbursed by the client to the extent that they were necessary.
All prices quoted are net prices in Euro and are exclusive of the respective statutory value added tax.
voice is issued after the expiry of the performance period specified for it.
The payment and travel expenses are due within 14 calendar days, calculated from the respective invoice date, for payment to an account to be specified by alphaX. The date of receipt by alphaX shall be decisive for the timeliness of the payment. After expiry of this period, the client shall be in default without further ado.
The invoice must meet the legal requirements for invoicing. If the invoice contains errors with regard to the formal requirements, a new, proper invoice must be issued at the request of the customer. This does not affect the existence and due date of the remuneration claim. The client is not entitled to a right to refuse performance due to such a circumstance.
In the event of default in payment, the client must pay the legally stipulated default interest. alphaX reserves the right to assert further claims for damages.
§ 6 Offsetting and retention
The client can only bring forward a set-off and a right of retention if his counterclaim is undisputed or legally established. In addition, the assertion of the right of retention presupposes that the counterclaim results from the same contractual relationship.
§ 7 Place of performance
Place of performance for the performance obligations of the alphaX is its officially registered office.
At the Client's request, however, alphaX shall be obliged to relocate the performance to the Client's registered office or to another location determined by the Client, if this is necessary for the proper and proper execution of the order. This shall not affect the provisions in paragraph 1.
§ 8 Liability
Both alphaX and the client shall be liable to the same extent for their own fault as for that of their legal representatives, vicarious agents and assistants.
In the event of a culpable breach of contract by alphaX, which entitles the client to damages, liability shall be excluded if the breach of contract was committed only through slight negligence, unless
the client has been negligent in the way he has acted.
it is a breach of a material contractual obligation that significantly shapes the contract and is intended to make a decisive contribution to achieving the success intended by both parties, which includes in particular the main performance obligations and comparable obligations, or
it is a breach of a material contractual obligation that significantly affects the contract and is intended to make a decisive contribution to achieving the success intended by both parties, which includes in particular the main performance obligations and comparable obligations, or
it is a breach of a material contractual obligation, which significantly affects the contract and is intended to make a decisive contribution to achieving the success intended by both parties.
the act of injury has resulted in injury to life, limb or health.
alphaX's liability for the breach of material contractual or negligent obligations shall be limited in amount to the order value. This does not apply if
the act of infringement was committed intentionally or through gross negligence or
when the act of injury has resulted in injury to life, limb or health.
Claims against alphaX for payment of damages shall become statute-barred within 2 years. The date of commencement of the period shall be governed by the respective statutory provisions.
The existing rules on the burden of proof are not changed by the aforementioned provisions.
§ 9 Copyrights, Inventions
Insofar as alphaX establishes its own copyrights or patent rights as a result of its activities or acquires the rights of use derived therefrom within the framework of its services, it shall, at the request of the client, grant the client the exclusive right of use to this by means of a separate licence agreement or shall transfer the acquired right of use to this client within the framework of a separate licence agreement.
The client is permitted to transfer the reserved rights of use to third parties within the framework of normal business transactions for alphaX. The Client hereby assigns in advance by way of security to alphaX, which accepts this assignment, the claim arising from a further transfer or from any other legal ground. The authorisation to collect the claim shall remain with the client. Upon request, the principal shall provide alphaX with all information relating to the assigned claim and the third-party debtor. If the principal is in default of payment, alphaX shall be entitled to disclose the assignment of the claim to the third-party debtor and to demand performance from itself.
If service inventions within the meaning of the German Employee Invention Act (Arbeitnehmererfindungsgesetz) are made on the part of alphaX by the employees employed as part of the provision of services, alphaX hereby undertakes, at the request of the client, to assert the rights resulting therefrom in accordance with the statutory provisions in order to be able to effect the transfer in accordance with paragraph 1.
The above provision also applies to the use of rights of use to copyrights of employees.
In the event that alphaX makes use of service inventions, the client undertakes to indemnify alphaX against all claims by the respective employees in accordance with the Employee Invention Act. To this end, he shall assume the Contractor's resulting obligations towards his employees. If the employee concerned does not agree to this assumption of debt, however, an indemnity shall be granted in the internal relationship between the client and alphaX.
The above obligations of alphaX are subject to the condition precedent of payment of the license fees incurred for the respective project.
§ 10 Confidentiality, storage and return of documents
The alphaX will maintain secrecy about all business and company secrets of the client that become known to it.
This obligation continues even after termination of the contractual relationship between the client and alphaX.
In the same way, alphaX is subject to the provisions of the Federal Data Protection Act within the scope of its activities. In particular, alphaX undertakes to maintain data secrecy within the meaning of § 5 of the Federal Data Protection Act.
With regard to the above provisions, alphaX shall keep documents and data provided to it by the client from access by unauthorised third parties and shall return or destroy them immediately upon termination of the contractual relationship at the request of the client. alphaX shall be entitled to a right of retention to the extent that any remuneration claims still due are to be met by the Client.
§ 11 Severability clause
Should individual provisions of these GTCs or the individual contracts be or become ineffective or show these gaps, this shall not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions and the existence of the respective contract.
The contractual relations between the parties shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The place of jurisdiction for all legal disputes arising shall be the registered office of alphaX.
Copyright © 2022 alphaX Digital Services


Take control in emergencies with this comprehensive, well-organized deluxe auto first aid kit full of essentials for real life.
Be prepared. Take control in emergencies with this comprehensive, well-organized deluxe auto first aid kit full of essentials for real life.
10 Adhesive Bandages, Plastic 1" x 3"
1 Adhesive Bandage, Plastic 2" x 4"
4 Gauze dressing pads, Sterile 2" x 2"
1 Non-Stick Pad w/ Adhesive Tabs, 2" x 3"
American Red Cross Auto First Aid Kit is rated 4.5 out of 5 by 2.
Rated 5 out of 5 by ProgramMgr18 from First aid kits These are great for our program as incentive giveaways.
Rated 4 out of 5 by Su06 from Small and useful Tiny - useful first aid kit, takes very little space.


text:
Theodore Roosevelt Boyett (August 2, 1912 – August 17, 1987) was an American football coach.  Boyett was the head football coach at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. He held that position for the 1951 and 1952 seasons. His coaching record at Adrian was 3–11–1.  He was a graduate of the University of New Mexico (late 1930s) and University of Missouri.

Head coaching record

References

External links

1912 births
1987 deaths
Adrian Bulldogs football coaches
University of Missouri alumni
University of New Mexico alumni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I am glad you stopped by because I have so many ideas to share with you. My blog is dedicated to all people who want to make changes in their homes, and they aren't afraid of hard work. Here you will find many useful information and DIY projects that will transform the appearance of your house. I can teach you how to repair and organize the things inside your residence.
My goal to offer you affordable solutions, which are not expensive, but still useful. We are all aware how home improvement can be costly, and not everyone has enough money to invest in new kitchen appliances, cabinets, furniture, and floor.
I am offering you new ideas, which are cheap, but equally efficient. On my blog, you can find a variety of topics and if you want me to write about something, then don't hesitate to contact me. Your suggestions will help me improve my work, and I am more than glad to accept them.
If you want to make some changes to your house, then my blog is the perfect place to start.
Save your time and money and make your home a beautiful place to live in.


text:
Fernando Sor: Early Works
Linn Records
CKD 343
Inlay available for download
Booklet available for download
Studio Master (192) FLAC
Studio Master (192) ALAC
Studio Master FLAC
Studio Master ALAC
CD Quality FLAC
CD Quality ALAC
Buy the album $24.00
Show track info
2 Theme Variées and 12 Menuets, Op.11: Minuet No. 6 in A Major
Composer(s) Fernando Sor
Artist(s) William Carter
2 Thème Variees and 12 Menuets, Op.11: Minuet No. 7 in A Minor
Variations on O Cara Armonia from Mozart's Die Zauberflote, Op. 9
Composer(s) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
8 Short Pieces, Op. 24: No. 1. Menuet in C Minor
6 Short Pieces, Op. 5: No. 3. Menuet in C Major
6 Short Pieces, Op. 5: No. 5. Andante Largo
2 Theme Variees et 12 Minuets, Op. 11: Minuet No. 5 in D Major
12 Studies, Op. 6: No. 2 in A Major
12 Studies, Op. 6: No. 8 in C Major
12 Studies, Op. 6: No. 9 in D Minor
12 Studies, Op. 6: No. 11 in E Minor
12 Studies, Op. 6: No. 12 in A Major
Guitar Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 14 "Gran Solo"
Theme Varie suivi d'un Menuet, Op. 3: Menuetto in G Major
Total running time: 60 minutes.
"Rarely has music of such eloquent modesty been married to such touching intimacy."
Album information
World-renowned Baroque guitarist William Carter presents an appealing collection of early works by Spanish guitar virtuoso and composer Fernando Sor.
Guitar fans will be intrigued by Fernando Sor: Early Works, the third solo album from the world-renowned guitarist, William Carter. This recording presents a unique performance of a delightful collection of early works by the Spanish guitar virtuoso and composer, Fernando Sor.
Fernando Sor: Early Works sees Carter explore the performance practice the composer employed - using his finger pads rather than finger nails - and offers the premiere recording of Sor's music played in this style. Sor's works are often played using the nails as this enables louder and faster finger work which delivers a more 'virtuosic' performance. William comments: "Recording Sor's solo guitar music without fingernails was at first a fairly daunting prospect - probably why it hasn't been attempted until now. The sensation of playing without fingernails has been compared to trying to eat steak without teeth. My first attempts didn't go too well, but with a bit of time and perseverance I found a key: precision of attack and a clear mental idea of the sound required, rather than strength."
In this recording the use of finger pads allows more dynamic contrast thus allowing the tune to really sing: the sound is softer and more subtle. "I really like the warmer vocal quality that fingertips give" states Carter "and this was evidently important to Sor as well - he likened the sound of fingernails to that of the harpsichord, and fingertips to that of the piano."
The perceptive and comprehensive booklet notes, written by the performer, offer insight into the composer and his works and also discuss the performance concerns of a modern guitarist.
"...enchanting, gorgeously coloured, deeply musical and wholly convincing."
"William Carter's new recording...brings the music to life"
MusicWeb International (Download Roundup)
"Superb."
The Gramophone
"...brillantes y atractivas..."
OpusMusica
Bach Reimagines Bach
Le Calme: Fernando Sor Late Works
La Guitarra Española: The Music of Santiago de Murcia
La Guitarre Royalle: The Music of Francesco Corbetta


text:
534 F. 2d 7 - United States v. Rodriguez Serrate
534 F2d 7 United States v. Rodriguez Serrate
534 F.2d 7
41 A.L.R.Fed. 777
Milan Confesor RODRIGUEZ SERRATE, Defendant-Appellant.
Argued Feb. 2, 1976.
Decided April 23, 1976.
Marvin Diaz Ferrer, San Juan, P. R., by appointment of the Court, on brief for defendant-appellant.
Julio Morales Sanchez, U. S. Atty., and Jose A. Anglada, Asst. U. S. Atty., San Juan, P. R., on brief for appellee.
Before COFFIN, Chief Judge, McENTEE and CAMPBELL, Circuit Judges.
McENTEE, Circuit Judge.
Appellant after trial to a jury was convicted on each of four counts of an indictment charging him with falsely representing himself to be a United States citizen, making false statements in applications for an immigrant visa and a passport, and using false documents. 18 U.S.C. §§ 911, 1015(c), 1542 and 1546 (1970). The court sentenced him to a one year prison term on each count to be served concurrently. In all these transactions1 appellant represented himself to be a citizen of the United States by reason of his birth in Puerto Rico whereas the government contended that he was born in the Dominican Republic. We affirm.
Appellant's primary objection on this appeal is that the trial court erred in permitting the government to introduce into evidence over his objection various documents purporting to establish that he was a citizen of the Dominican Republic. All of the items in contention except one2 are official documents from the Dominican Republic upon which the government relied to establish the falsity of appellant's claims to United States citizenship. Appellant contends that since the documents are official in nature it was improper for the court to admit them in reliance on 18 U.S.C. § 34913 which he asserts applies only to unofficial foreign documents. He points to 28 U.S.C. § 1741 (1970) and Fed.R.Civ.P. 44(a)(2)4 as providing the proper avenues for putting into evidence foreign official documents.5 While we agree that Rule 44(a)(2) is the appropriate vehicle for admitting such documents, we hold that its requirements were complied with here.
There can be little dispute that Rule 44(a)(2) is the applicable and appropriate rule in these circumstances. At trial the government introduced copies of the official documents. Although the rule permits the use of copies it requires that they be attested to by a person authorized to do so and "accompanied by a final certification as to the genuineness of the signature and official position of the attesting person." United States v. Leal, 509 F.2d 122, 126 (9th Cir. 1975). The final certification must be made by "a diplomatic official of the United States or (a) diplomatic or consular official of the foreign country assigned or accredited to the United States." Id. As to the disputed documents here the government presented a copy of each accompanied by an attestation of its authenticity by the Dominican official in charge of the records from which it was obtained. In the case of four documents (Exhibits 2, 3, 6 and 7, see n.2 supra ) the government also provided final official certification from Mr. H. H. Buzbee, the United States Consul in the Dominican Republic. Thus, with regard to these documents the precise terms of Rule 44(a)(2) were complied with and there can be no dispute as to their admissibility despite the fact that the trial court did not explicitly admit them in reliance on the rule. In the case of the remaining documents, however, the last step of final certification was not complied with. The government contends it was able to bridge this gap by proffering extrinsic evidence in support of particular documents. For example, with regard to exhibit 10, see n.2 supra, the government presented testimony from Mr. Andres Linares, a Dominican official in charge of the demographic records for the area in which appellant was born. Linares, who had authorized the photocopy of the portion of the birth registry presented in evidence, testified as to the official procedure by which the records were kept. The government contends that in this fashion it followed what was "in essence Rule 44(a)(2) procedure," see United States v. Leal, supra at 127. However, we do not uphold the evidentiary validity of the documents in question on this ground.
We note that the final sentence of Rule 44(a)(2) permits a court "for good cause shown" to admit attested copies without final certification, see n.4 supra, in recognition of the fact that "in some situations it may be difficult . . . to satisfy the basic requirements of the rule. . . ." Advisory Committee's Note to Rule 44, 39 F.R.D. 69, 116 (1966). See United States v. Leal, supra at 126. In the present case appellant was shown all the documents and furnished copies of them. In addition, the trial court wisely adjourned the trial for an extra day in order to permit appellant's counsel to examine all the documents in detail. Since these documents dealt only with the date and location of appellant's birth and his family origins, facts within his intimate personal knowledge, it would appear he had more than ample opportunity to ascertain their accuracy. Furthermore, although he objected to the admissibility of the documents on the ground of improper certification, appellant "raised no objection directed to the absence of good cause . . ." as set forth in Rule 44(a)(2). United States v. Pacheco-Lovio, 463 F.2d 232, 234 (9th Cir. 1972). Under these circumstances we cannot say that the decision of the trial court to admit the challenged documents was improper.6
Appellant also contends that the court erred in not dismissing Counts III and IV of the indictment which charged violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 911 and 1015(c) respectively. Both counts concern appellant's attempt to enter the United States as a citizen in January, 1975. On that occasion he presented a false Puerto Rican birth certificate as evidence of his asserted citizenship status. Appellant claims that this act does not amount to a false representation of citizenship within the meaning of the statute.7 However, this claim cannot prevail. He presented the birth certificate at the International Airport, Isla Verde, Puerto Rico at a checkpoint where an immigration official was seeking to determine the nationality of arriving passengers.8 Given this context appellant's act was sufficient to constitute a violation of § 911. Ackerschott v. United States, 139 F.2d 114 (9th Cir. 1943); see Chow Bing Kew v. United States, 248 F.2d 466, 469 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 355 U.S. 889, 78 S.Ct. 259, 2 L.Ed.2d 188 (1957); United States v. Franklin, 188 F.2d 182 (7th Cir. 1951).
Also, we are not persuaded by appellant's claim that the false birth certificate he presented to the immigration official is not the type of documentary evidence of citizenship covered by § 1015(c).9 There is ample evidence to indicate that birth certificates are routinely relied on by Puerto Rican officials to determine alien or citizen status. Consequently, appellant's presentment of the certificate in support of a claim of citizenship when he knew it to be based on false information clearly places it among those documents whose use Congress meant to bar through enactment of this statute. See Dolan v. United States, 133 F. 440 (8th Cir. 1904). Cf. United States v. Bithony, 472 F.2d 16, 22 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 412 U.S. 938, 93 S.Ct. 2771, 37 L.Ed.2d 397 (1973); United States v. Adielizzio, 77 F.2d 841, 843 (2d Cir. 1935).
We have examined appellant's other assignments of error and find them to be insubstantial.
The evidence showed that on October 1, 1969, appellant applied for and obtained a United States passport, stating that he was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico on October 12, 1936, whereas documents from the Dominican Republic show him to have been born on November 12, 1935, in that country. (Count I)
With this passport he sought in 1972 to apply for an immigrant visa for his wife and children. (Count II). When an investigation revealed he was not a United States citizen, his passport was taken and he was barred from returning to the United States. Appellant nevertheless returned to Puerto Rico and in 1973 procured a delayed birth certificate from the Commonwealth based on false evidence purporting to show he was born in Puerto Rico. He then travelled to the Dominican Republic. When he returned to Puerto Rico on January 15, 1975, he represented himself to be a United States citizen by birth (Count III), and proferred to Immigration and Naturalization Service officers the false birth certificate he had previously procured. (Count IV).
The documents in question were government exhibits 1-3, 5-7, 9 and 10 at trial. Exhibit 5, the only nonofficial document, is a church baptismal certificate from appellant's home parish in the Dominican Republic. The other exhibits are as follows:
This exhibit, described in the trial transcript as information from appellant's application for a Dominican passport, was not available in the record before us. Consequently we do not consider the issue of its admissibility, except to note that its absence is in no way prejudicial since the alleged contents are paralleled by information in other exhibits considered below
A copy of appellant's Dominican Republic Identification Card (Cedula) No. 72810
A transcribed copy of appellant's birth certificate from the town of San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic
An official summary of military records concerning the service of appellant's father in the Dominican army
A transcribed copy of a death certificate kept by the Civil State Office of the Dominican Republic recording the death of appellant's father
An attested statement by the Sub-secretary of State of the Dominican Office of Foreign Affairs concerning the passport status of appellant's parents
A copy of a statement reporting appellant's birth as contained in an official Dominican demographic registry
Section 3491 in pertinent part provides:
". . . Foreign documents
"Any book, paper, statement, record, account, writing, or other document, . . . of whatever character and in whatever form, as well as any copy thereof . . . which is not in the United States shall, when duly certified as provided in section 3494 of this title, be admissible in evidence in any criminal action or proceeding in any court of the United States if the court shall find, from all the testimony taken with respect to such foreign document pursuant to a commission executed under section 3492 of this title, that such document . . . satisfies the requirements of section 1732 of title 28, unless in the event that the genuineness of such document is denied, any party to such criminal action or proceeding making such denial shall establish to the satisfaction of the court that such document is not genuine. . . ."
Section 1741 provides:
". . . Foreign official documents
"An official record or document of a foreign country may be evidenced by a copy, summary, or excerpt authenticated as provided in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure."
The relevant portion of Rule 44 provides:
". . . Proof of Official Record
(a) Authentication
". . .ent
(2) Foreign. A foreign official record, or an entry therein, when admissible for any purpose, may be evidenced by an official publication thereof; or a copy thereof, attested by a person authorized to make the attestation, and accompanied by a final certification as to the genuineness of the signature and official position (i) of the attesting person, or (ii) of any foreign official whose certificate of genuineness of signature and official position relates to the attestation or is in a chain of certificates of genuineness of signature and official position relating to the attestation. A final certification may be made by a secretary of embassy or legation, consul general, consul, vice consul, or consul or agent of the United States, or a diplomatic or consular official of the foreign country assigned or accredited to the United States. If reasonable opportunity has been given to all parties to investigate the authenticity and accuracy of the documents, the court may, for good cause shown, (i) admit an attested copy without final certification or (ii) permit the foreign official record to be evidenced by an attested summary with or without a final certification.
Appellant alternatively contends that the requirement set forth in Duncan v. United States, 68 F.2d 136, 141-42 (9th Cir. 1933) should have been applied here, viz. in order for a foreign record to be "admitted in evidence it should be proved that the record was kept in compliance with the local (i. e. foreign) law." We do not, however find merit to this claim. As the district court correctly noted at trial, Duncan was decided prior to the enactment of relevant statutory provisions regarding the admissibility of foreign documents. See 28 U.S.C. § 1741; Fed.R.Civ.P. 44 and Advisory Committee Notes thereto. Moreover, recent decisions of the Ninth Circuit which decided Duncan make no reference to that case but rely instead on the provisions of Rule 44. See United States v. Leal, 509 F.2d 122 (9th Cir. 1975)
Since Exhibit 5, a baptismal certificate, is apparently not an official document, we do not pass upon its admissibility here except to note that it was attested to, and was officially certified by the United States Consul. Whether or not its admission into evidence was erroneous a point we do not decide error, if any, was harmless since the facts in the certificate were merely corroborative of those amply substantiated by other documents
Section 911 provides:
"Whoever falsely and willfully represents himself to be a citizen of the United States shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."
After appellant proferred the false birth certificate to the immigration official in support of his claim to be a United States citizen the official asked him if the certificate was his and he responded affirmatively
The pertinent portion of § 1015 provides:
"(c) Whoever uses or attempts to use any certificate of arrival, declaration of intention, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship or other documentary evidence of naturalization or of citizenship, or any duplicate or copy thereof, knowing the same to have been procured by fraud or false evidence or without required appearance or hearing of the applicant in court or otherwise unlawfully obtained . . .
". . .ng
"Shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."


Luke Venechuk joined the packaging industry in 2011 after graduating from Michigan State University's School of Packaging. Since then he has worked as a Packaging Engineer with Highlight Industries and focused on building industry knowledge and tools by collaborating with professionals and students across the United States and worldwide. Luke has presented papers and spoken at AMI, ISTA, IOPP and other conferences worldwide.
Luke is the ASTM Vice-Chairman for subcommittee D10.25 on Palletizing and Unitizing of Loads, a member of IoPP's Transport Packaging Committee, and a member of ISTA's testing council.
Luke is currently the Senior Packaging Engineer at Highlight and responsible for the lab, and developing new film and load testing technology. Together with his team, he has tested thousands of films and loads to determine the best methods to maximize film performance and optimizing load containment.


The LS3578ER and LS3578FZ from Zebra are two wireless industrial handheld scanners that help you significantly optimise you processes under all demanding conditions. Extremely powerful yet versatile and of course robust - characteristics that allow the use of these scanners in all industrial applications, such as in car fleet management, warehouses, shipping centres, production facilities, or in building supplies and retail.
This scanner family was especially designed to meet the needs of demanding applications in production and logistics. Two versions are available, the LS3578ER and the LS3578FZ, which feature different optics. They provide a choice of reliable scanners that can be selected individually for specific customer applications. All versions are equipped with several integrated interfaces that make integration easy.
The wireless industrial scanner Zebra LS3578ER offers the largest operating range available on the industry scanner market users scan items at the distance of 10 centimetres to 13.7 metres. Fast switching between bar codes scans on inventory items and collections of small codes in bar code menus and lists is also possible.
The second model LS3578FZ uses fuzzy logic to read damaged, dirty or badly printed 1D bar codes often seen in industrial environments quickly and accurately.
The integrated Bluetooth interface is responsible for a reliable wireless data transfer between scanner and host computer. Without cables between the scanner and the computer, users can move freely within a radius of 10 metres from the cradle, considerably improving productivity and efficiency by simplifying working processes.
Broken cables - often a source of failures with professionally used handheld devices - are definitely a thing of the past with the wireless Zebra LS3578. The integrated WPAN function makes it possible using a Bluetooth connection class 2 v1.2 data is transmitted wirelessly and reliably to all other devices with that standard. Authentication is integrated as well to make sure that the data goes to the correct host. Additionally, selective frequency spread ensures error-free operation within the range of 802.11 networks.
Integrated multipoint communication among cradles proves particularly useful if you uses more than one scanner in the same area, one Bluetooth cradle can serve up to three scanners. This not only saves costs, but also reduces the time needed for setup and maintenance.
Form and design were optimised with easy handling and long operating times in mind. Especially under demanding conditions, the Zebra LS3578 shows unrivalled ergonomics and an ideal weight that allows prolonged operation without any loss of comfort. At the same time, the Zebra LS3578 is extremely robust, which makes it the perfect choice for scan-intensive applications under demanding industrial conditions.
The high degree of resistance against impacts, dust, dirt and water is presented by the scanners IP65 certification. Unsurpassed impact-resistance tests ensure that their reliability is guaranteed any time, even if the device is dropped unintentionally during daily use. The scanners survive even repeated drops onto concrete from a height of 2 metres without damaging the housing, electronics or optics.
A protective sealant protects the housing against dust and water splashes, and a very scratch-resistant scan window ensure a maximum service life. Unnecessary down times or expenses for replacements are reduced considerably.
The Zebra LS3578 series not only increase employee productivity, but distinguishes itself also with low operating expenses.
The robust housing was designed for professional use and a maximum service life. Several integrated interfaces guarantee connectivity to every current and future host system. Using RSM support Remote Scanner Management, the devices can be configured and upgraded centrally, which lowers administrative costs significantly.
Even the most durable devices need maintenance. In this case, we provide the extensive Enterprise Mobility Services programme. Protect your investments and gain maximum operational performance.


Do we want a four-hour party? or a tour with Adventure, Excitement, Connection and more for our child's Bar / Bat Mitzvah?
The answer is simple: I want the best for my child. An organised tour with Fun, Excitement & Connection to Israel which he/she will remember for the rest of their life, That's what we want! As many families across North America have chosen to take the Israel Bar Mitzvah Adventure, they also made new friends for life. The children bonded with others their age, the parents bonded with other parents and became one big family. From our experience those families are still connected.
Which Bar or Bat Mitzvah Tour company will provide us an Exciting, Stimulating, Meaningful and Luxurious Bar / Bat Mitzvah Tour for my family?
We welcome you to explore our site and invite you to visit our TESTIMONIAL PAGE to help answer this question. When you do, we are confident that you will choose IBMT – Israel Bar Mitzvah Tours as your Bar or Bat Mitzvah provider. Contact numbers of families who have recently been on our tour is available upon request, they are witness to what you read here.


text:
Agricultural Financing Is At Its Lowest- National Seed Traders Association
byAngeller Ashong
File photo.
President of the National Seed Traders Association of Ghana (NASTAG), Kwabena Adu-Gyamfi, has bemoaned the low financing of the agriculture sector in the country.
According to him, banks are reluctant to grant loans to farmers and other agricultural companies who are practically left to fend for themselves. He indicated that members of the association are in financial difficulties as they are yet to receive payments from government for seeds supplied to farmers via government's flagship Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.
"Agriculture financing is at the lowest in terms of banks considering us and so we have to depend on our own internally generated funds to fund our operations. So, when that one too is compromised like this, it becomes very difficult for the company to survive…"
Kwabena Adu-Gyamfi
Mr Adu-Gyamfi revealed that NASTAG is being forced to strike due to government arrears of some GHC207 million for seeds supplied in 2021 crop season. He indicated that the agric ministry has been very responsive to their petitions and has had sessions with them on the payment of arrears.
UENR, KIC Sign MoU To Augment Youth Participation In Agriculture
Ghana Opens Its Market to U.S Pork Market to Begin the Importation of Pork
World Bank Projects Agricultural Prices To Decline By 5% In 2023, Urge International Community To Support LIC's Affected By Food Insecurity
The NASTAG President highlighted that MoFA has processed their document and channelled it to the ministry of finance and is awaiting on the ministry "to pay us for what is due us for the seeds we supplied".
"It is not a threat, it's just a matter of fact that if we are not paid, our ability to sustain production to give farmers the certified improved seeds [will be impeded]."
Delay in payment of arrears to seed suppliers
Mr Gyamfi revealed that previously, it took government about six months to pay off the seed supplier and it has been the trend since 2017 when members started participating in the programme. However, he emphasized that for 2021, it has taken "unusually long", and suppliers haven't received payment.
President of the National Seed Traders Association, Ghana (NASTAG), Kwabena Adu-Gyamfi
"Quite a good chunk of our numbers are smallholder farmers and the cash resources are overstretched because as you know, the banks are not interested in supporting agriculture."
Commenting on the terms of agreement between NASTAG and government, Mr Gyamfi stated that the government in 2017 launched the Planting for Food and Jobs and provided subsidies for seeds which the association applied. He explained that members won certain percentage of tonnage of seeds, ranging from maize, cowpea and other crops to supply to the farmers under the subsidy programme.
"Now, the programme works in such a way that we have to prepare our invoices and it's a rigorous process. We need to go to the department of agriculture, they have to certify that indeed the seed have been sold to every farmer. Then we collate all these invoices and send it to the ministry food and agriculture where it will be checked, pre-audited and finally submitted to the ministry of finance."
On his part, the CEO of Chamber for Agribusiness, Anthony Morrison expressed the need for government to ensure prompt payment to suppliers in the sector. He opined that the Chamber had in the past proposed that government should find a way to liberate itself from the agriculture trade sector.
"So, possibly, bring in a mechanism so that as soon as the seed breeder [and] the fertilizer supplier supplies, it doesn't take more than a season for them to get their money."
Anthony Morrison
READ ALSO: Bank Of Canada Increases Policy Rate, Continues Quantitative Tightening
Tags: Agric financingGhana NewsMoFANational Seed Traders Association of GhanaPlanting for Food and Jobs
Government Invest GH¢660m To Promote 2023 PFJ Programs
Ghana Cassava Center of Excellence Signs MoU With CSIR-CRI
Cocoa Farmers Threaten to Sue Al Jazeera, Denies Using Child Labour
Bank Of Canada Increases Policy Rate, Continues Quantitative Tightening
Ghanaian Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah Wins 2022 Africa Food Laureate Prize


text:
Q: Representability of functors: $\operatorname{Sch} \to \operatorname{Set}$ Suppose that we have a functor $$F:\operatorname{Sch} \to \operatorname{Set}$$ from the categorie of schemes to  the category of sets. And suppose that when we restrict it to $\operatorname{AffSch}$ the category of affine schemes we obtain that this functor is representable. What else do we need to check in order to be able to say that $F$ is itself representable?
It seems to me that the representing object that we get when we restrict the functor should tell you the affine pieces you need to glue to form the global representing functor. However I don't know how to make this precise.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This is a catch-up post to bring you up to date with some of the study history from the last couple of decades. Actually it is not a long list since we truly have taken our time!
The first thing to say is that we initially wanted to focus on Steiner's philosophical written work. This was driven by a wish to start right at the beginning and, for my part, NOT wanting to go through his lectures. He took a massive amount of care with his written work, feeling that he had a deep responsibility to his readers. Obviously lectures would not be able to have that same depth of care since they were more of a living experience.
However when some lectures have piqued my interest I have actually found it good to listen to readings of them since it gives you that auditory experience which, I think, works well with the content. However sometimes you need to realize that he was talking at a different time. See Dale Brunsvold's site where he has produced audio recordings of his readings – which has been a great resource for allowing me to listen to lectures in the car. A real labour of love I think and deserving of a small donation towards hosting costs if you do end up using his site a lot.
The very beginning. Steiner's epistemological doctoral dissertation and a prelude to the Philosophy of Freedom.
A lecture series with an exploration of how Goethean Science and the Philosophy of Freedom can help us go beyond the limits of natural science to provide a healthy foundation for social science.
A lecture series that somewhat covered our favourite subject of technology and its relationship the development of consciousness.
Also known as the Philosophy of Spiritual Activity, to highlight the fact that freedom is never a finished thing but requires constant activity. This is the main foundational book to all he subsequently worked on. In hindsight we should have perhaps studied this earlier.
This is a series of lectures given to teachers of the first Steiner School in Stuttgart.
In future posts I will attempt to summarize some of the earlier study texts but some of the content is now lost in the mists of time.
The main thing that I remember is that in the early stages of our study it was too easy to just skip through the texts without really grasping them. Thus it was that we really, really slowed it down and would not move forward if we did not think we had 'got it'.
From where I stand now, I can say that there is a very, very good reason for this.
Steiner is not giving us finished answers. His whole raison d'etre is to help us come to a different way of perceiving the world, something that our education beats out of us. In what he writes, he is trying to give you indications about different ways of seeing things, AS WELL AS doing it in a way that challenges you to try and develop this different way of perception as you study.
Remember I talked about congruence in a previous post between his content and method? But oh dear me, it really can make it hard going at times. The way I have come to see this now is that we are literally creating extra organs of perception in our thinking, and this is a long process. It is as if we have been given all the physical senses at birth, but now we need to take our own development in hand, creating new dynamic senses in our thinking.
So no quick fixes here.
I recently attended a weekend tango workshop given at Tango UK in Bramshaw by the wonderful husband and wife team, Daniela Pucci and Luis Bianchi. I do believe it was the best workshop I have attended in the 4 years of tango training I have been doing, concentrating as it did on the internal aspects of the dance – making explicit the actual muscles that were doing the work – thanks to Luis' background as a massage therapist.
However the reason for this missive is that I am going to reblog a posting by Daniela that is so very much in line with my own feelings about dance. [Many thanks to Daniela for giving me permission to do so] I believe this alignment of feelings is no accident as Daniela also has a technical background and is one of those few perceptive enough to see its flaws.
Daniela's story is very interesting and relevant to my interests in issues related to science and art. She was a Mechanical Engineering professor at MIT and gave it up to teach tango full-time! In this post she talks about technique and aesthetics and how such an improvisational dance as tango relates all these as well as including the acceptance of the flawed human beings that we are – something that our culture has tried to forget with its pursuit of certainty and the 'perfect'.
"Connection is one of the wonders of Argentine tango, perhaps its reason for existence. Daily life often presents us with situations where the limitations of verbal language lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings; where we are confronted with suffering that makes us feel completely lonely; where our individual paths at times seem so impossibly narrow that we are forced to go through certain stretches completely alone. In the midst of it all there comes Argentine tango, offering relief from the chasm that separates "me" from "you." It's intoxicating, really: unexpectedly, we happen upon an instance when the shared experience of dancing seems to take us as a whole, all problems and existential angst be dammed: all of a sudden the movement of one body seamlessly fits with the movement of another, the musical intuitions and emotions of both dancers so attuned that for the duration of at least that one tango, we seem to become a blissful single entity. I'd venture to say that, for a lot of us, the possibility of stepping into such perfect communion is what keeps bringing us back for another milonga, another festival, another trip to Buenos Aires.
Some seem to equate connection with a certain external form, or aesthetics. A few months ago a relatively new dancer told me he danced exclusively salon because of the connection he found there. In a class once, a student asked me how he could do a certain turn without breaking the connection — I soon realized that, for him, connection meant maintaining his partner's and his stomachs in permanent contact. Most recently, someone else told me he had objected to the hiring of my partner and me to a certain festival because in past performances we often opened the embrace, and that he had thoroughly enjoyed the connection displayed in our close-embrace performance during that event.
I will not deny that, observed from the outside, different aesthetics definitely inspire different feelings in the spectator. However, my experience is that aesthetics have very little to do with the actual experience of the dancers.
I have danced with milongueros who dug his fingers into my ribs and twisted my right hand. I have danced with milongueros who led me with such gentleness that I could not pinpoint exactly where the lead was coming from other than that it was a pleasurable wave, sending me into tango bliss.
I have danced with salon dancers who had so little sense of timing that they often sent me bouncing against the edges of their stiff embrace. I have danced with salon dancers whose complete control of their body, subtle musicality and yielding, sensitive embrace filled me with awe, sending me into tango bliss.
And probably for the most maligned style of all, I have danced with nuevo dancers who fit all of the bad stereotypes, throwing me around into steps that seemed randomly selected with no relationship to the music and no regard to the constraints of the space, putting me in a permanent alert mode to avoid hitting other dancers. But I have also danced with nuevo dancers who adjusted the amplitude of their movements as dictated by the crowdedness of the milonga so that I never for a moment had to worry, and used the elasticity inherent to that style in open or close embrace to create delightful, dynamic musical interpretations… sending me into tango bliss.
The common point among these delightful dancers across all styles is that they had good technique: good control of their own movement and good understanding of their partner's movement, so that the lead was gentle and yet clear and precise, consistent with the music and with the space available around us.
Aesthetics is not the same as technique. Good aesthetics will make a dance pleasant to watch. Good technique will make a dance pleasant to dance.
Technique is a wonderful thing: it frees us from concerns of how to do something so that we can fully immerse ourselves in the experience of doing, effortlessly.
And yet, technique is not the same as connection.
I want to elaborate on this but decided to give the sentence above its very own paragraph, hoping to drive this point home: technique is no substitute for connection. Technique is a servant to connection, a means to an end. Technique is a supporting actor, connection is the main actor. I could go on paraphrasing myself and I am sure in some way what I am saying is nothing new, we know this to some degree, but do we — myself included — really know it? And do we act consistently with this knowledge?
Where is our focus as we try to improve as dancers, as we think of a dancing ideal, as we select dancing partners in the milonga, as we go through each tanda?
Several years ago a well-known, top couple was visiting New York. To my surprise, at one of the milongas the leader invited me to dance. It was a fun tanda: he was obviously highly skilled and had a vibrant musicality. But what I remember the most is his dismissive attitude when the tanda ended: he did not even look at me as we thanked each other and parted ways.
Not too long ago I danced with a gentleman who was not as skilled or as musical. He held me with incredible gentleness and made me feel like a treasure. I was overcome by great emotion as we danced in the simplest of ways. That we were dancers dancing Argentine tango was completely irrelevant during those ten minutes: we were two human beings, reaching out from the isolation of our individual paths but for a brief moment, filled with appreciation for the privilege of holding one another.
What do you wish for in your path as a dancer, social or otherwise?
What I wish for is that in each dance — performances included — I may have the courage to present myself with complete authenticity, a flawed human being before another flawed human being, feeling safe in the certainty that I will be fully accepted for who I am. I wish that my partner will allow me to see him in his emotional nakedness, reassured that I will embrace him in his totality. In that moment of exquisite vulnerability when we take each other in the arms, we will make a pact to share our emotions for the next ten minutes. All sincere expression that arises from our encounter will be not only acceptable but, in fact, perfect. We may giggle lightheartedly, inspired by a silly melody and because we are feeling so good to be here right now, all problems left at the entrance of the milonga; we may join each other in a focused physical experience, delighting in the sensory feast of movement and music; we may just be still together, nursing a raw pain that feels too heavy to carry it alone and that doesn't lend itself to expansive movement, but that feels a bit lighter in the sacred space of the embrace.
Original found at the Tango Secrets website.
Thank you Daniela – I could not have said it better myself.
A fairly obvious observation but one which needs stating as it is easily forgotten when we acclimatize ourselves to the job of programming.
It takes a significant amount of mental energy to do this job.
When programming we will be making decisions minute by minute, if not second by second, and this requires a large expenditure of mental effort. It means that when I get home after a day at work I just do not want to make decisions. I am all "decided out". This is why I will rely on my partner to decide what to eat for dinner!
It is obvious how much this affects the rate of progress on a project and any experienced technical lead will realise that a significant concern is the level of energy in a team. It usually falls below the radar during the heat of trying to hit deadlines.
We need to notice the difference between what I call linear and non-linear thinking.
Even though we may not consciously recognize it, a faculty I see time and again that highlights the difference between programmers and non-programmers is the realisation that we need to do as little as possible to create a solution that has as much impact as possible. Laziness if you will, though I prefer to call it non-linearity.
A good programmer will try to minimise the amount of code they create, or will create firm foundations to allow them to minimise the amount of code they have to create later. While this is being done there may not be much outwardly visible progress, maybe none if it is all in thought patterns. This, along with the fact that programming is not a numbers game (i.e. more people equals faster progress) can be a big cause of strife between techies and managers.
See Robert Glass' book Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering, fact number 13: "There is a disconnect between software management and their programmers", which has an interesting story of how different the two disciplines are in their view of projects.
Many early programmers were amateur electronics or radio enthusiasts who then turned professional. I remember going to a radio club meeting where one of the members had built a Z80-based system that had 64KB of RAM! A full complement of memory in those days and we all duly drooled. But at the time there was no software to fill it with that could make any use of that much memory.
We were enthusiasts and at the beginning of the PC revolution many programs were games. As the field progressed there was a transition from programming as play to programming as an economic activity, though the games drive has remained strong.
So here we are now with a very lucrative IT industry that is based on this energy and we forget this foundation in play at our peril. It is a fundamental human activity that fosters resourcefulness. Confirmed by recent research by Sergio Pellis about self-directed play – as if we needed to be told. Self-directed play fosters resilience and resourcefulness, faculties that any company would want in its employees.
I believe that the next 2 issues of Boundary Crossing and the Inner World are the most important observations I have to offer.
What do I mean by boundary crossing? Let us look at the characteristics of technology.
Tools or technology are amplifiers.
We use technology to amplify or extend our capabilities. Cars amplify our movement and aeroplanes allow us to fly. But an amplifier has no knowledge of good or bad and will also amplify and extend our mistakes. During the Industrial Revolution we created devices to amplify or enhance our physical capabilities, but with the development of information technology we have created devices to amplify our thought.
Technology use has transitioned from External to Internal problem-solving.
Tool usage requires us to be more awake since it amplifies our actions and thoughts. The paradox with technological use is that we tend to go to sleep more as we let technology take over faculties. (Just look at how people drive – but don't get me started on that) It is why an incremental process works so well and why Agile techniques have become so popular.
This transition is part of what led me to post about software development requiring an evolution of consciousness and I believe we need an updated vision of the discipline in order for there to be constructive progress.
What I find fascinating about the process of developing software is that despite its heritage in a rational scientific process, we have been led into this inner world and no matter how hard we try, will not escape it. For me it is a source of livingness in the job.
Programming involves the creation of a completely human made world where there is little feedback and few checks against an external reality. Indeed we have had to dope silicon away from its natural state to make machines that can be completely controlled by what are effectively our thoughts.
First we engage in thinking about the problem and carry on thinking to come up with some possible solution. Notice the verb tense here: thinkING.
With this thinking we create mental models or more finalised thought constructs that define our solution to the problem.
It is these mental models or thought constructs that we can transcode into software.
Thus the computer is running a network of these thought constructs. It is worth noting that this is NOT the same as the process we use when thinkING about the problem and its possible solution. This is why I am highly sceptical about the promise of so-called artificial intelligence.
As they [try to] run these mental model networks computers will mirror back the quality of our thought process as programmers. Thus any self-respecting programmer will need to become self-aware about their own process and learning in this area of their own thinking.
I believe that this whole domain can be seen as an initiation in thinking which in former times would have been the province of mystical and religious orders. But the current ideas of religion are not appropriate to this domain although there are some similarities if you think in terms of ritual – but that is a whole other touchy subject to be dealt with later. This move into the inner world is why a developer's attitude is as important as their technical ability – if not more so.
Next time I will take a trip into the philosophical side of things and link up to some of the great thinkers of history.
Well it has been a long while since I last posted here, and for that please accept my apologies, but there have been good reasons. I have been re-assessing life somewhat. I am hesitant to call it a mid-life crisis, since it feels like it has been happening for most of my life!
One of the problems of having an inquiring mind, a curious mind, an analytical mind, is that you tend to deconstruct everything, i.e. you pull it apart. Sometimes there need to be boundaries as to what you will and what you will not pull apart. I must confess I have had problems with where to place those boundaries. And I think I am not alone in this. As I have mentioned before, the puzzle becomes the thing ,and if you have an analytical bent, you can easily forget why you wanted to solve the puzzle in the first place, or maybe sometimes you don't even know, which means you are usually doing it just for fun.
The impulse to re-assess has come from a number of directions and has a lot to do with a dawning realisation about just how damaging this sort of mind can be.
Firstly has been my attendance at a Science conference in Stourbridge on a rainy weekend in late February (see footnote 1); secondly I have recently started reading what I am finding an inspiring management book called "Theory U" by Otto Scharmer (see footnote 2); and thirdly an article recommended by a friend about a breathtaking display of technological hubris by neurology professor, Henry Markram at the Ecole Polytechnique in Lausanne (see footnote 3).
So what on earth is it that pulls all these threads together and is giving me such a hard time? Well… deep breath… I have been finding it harder and harder not to worry about various environmental concerns and bury my head in the technological sand, saying that we will be able to find solutions to the issues coming our way. A tipping point was when I watched a TV program about James Lovelock originally broadcast in April 2010 (Episode 2 of the "Beautiful Minds" series). Here is a man who is a great polymath and a scientist who is quite happy to be on the outside of the mainstream, pointing out the inherent problems of working within mainstream science at this time.
These different threads have led me to the point where I feel very strongly that there are not just limits implicit in the current mode of thought we have, but that there is a fundamental flaw that is causing wide scale havoc with our environment.
Thanks to the minds of various giants I like to think I am able to stand on their shoulders and have assembled here some of my favourite thoughts from them that, together, encapsulate some of what I am going on about.
J.W. Goethe: Life is a Conversation. Ah yes, the wonderful idea of Delicate Empiricism.
David Bohm: Thought as a System which creates the world and then says "I didn't do it!". So our collective thought is creating organisations which are prisons, and then we can blame the "system" for all the problems, which, remember, we have created.
Henri Bortoft: We cannot know the whole in the same way as we know a thing.
This is worth more words here: The whole is not a thing. The way to the whole is through the parts. It is not to be encountered by stepping back and taking an overview. The whole is to be encountered by stepping into, and passing through, the parts.
Couple these ideas with the realisation from my own experience of how difficult it is to recruit competent, thoughtful, software developers and perhaps you can see why I am going through a rather angst-ridden period.
So I have now come to realise that we must must must change the way we collectively think. Obviously this requires us to individually be more clear in our own thought, but there are issues of social technique that we need to learn, which I believe are key to how we turn this around. Now here is a kicker, there is a major link with the whole Risk Averse rant I usually bore friends with. The trouble with all this tech is that there is a risk of letting it do the thinking for us.
My favourite example is the use of a satnav. I hate using a satnav that is telling me which way to turn. I once tested one and found its route choice to be flawed at best. No. I will choose the route thank you very much, and I will use the machine as a very useful map follower which traces where I am on the map. This is exactly what pilots are recommended to do when flying with a GPS. This is a prime of example of how to consciously use the technology.
And thats enough for now.
1: This was Science from an anthroposophical perspective (the Steiner lot if you don't know what the word means). I co-presented one session about the "Conscious use of technology". The conference in general was a positive experience that has started me tentatively re-approaching some of Rudolf Steiner's ideas. In preparation I read Paul Emberson's book called "From Gondishapur to Silicon Valley" which I found a difficult read as I felt it was rather too evangelical about just how nasty our present computer technology is. In recent days I have come to have a better view of this, but more about that in a later post.
I have found that, so far, the book called "Theory U" by Otto Scharmer is an inspiring read. It is early days as yet since I am about one third of the way through, but his insights from a personal perspective stop it being a dry book, for me at least, and I can relate to a lot of what is being said. His drive is to get to understand why we carry on doing things that are so destructive, and don't seem to be able to change the results.
A close friend sent me a link to an article in the Daily Mail about Prof Henry Markram trying to make a conscious computer system. As far as I can see this is all an effort to get some more funding and investment. His approach is breathtakingly short sighted and is yet another instance, to me, of someone playing with their toys.
Lets start with some overview of the love affair that the human race seems to have with technology.
In the 30 or so years I have been working in the profession, computers have moved from being the province of nerds to now being a fashion item. And, yes, I was a spotty faced geek with glasses spending all hours in front of a keyboard playing some of the early computer games like Dungeons and Dragons – "Get in bucket. Drop bottle. Pick up matches" – usually eliciting the response from the game – "You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike". Those games did not need much computing power. Now if you have a Smartphone, it has more power than many desktop PCs of the 90s.
But the question that has puzzled me is why there has been an inordinate amount of time, money but above all, human energy invested in developing computer software. Where I work, for example, there have been over 2 person centuries of effort expended in writing the software, which now stands at over 16 million lines of software, if not more. This is not out of the ordinary in industry.
Information technology is just the latest result of a continuum of technological development stretching from thousands of years ago. However it has a special attribute which I will come to later.
Humans are consummate toolmakers and the computer is the latest in a long line of inventions that have given us more power to predict and control our environment. However, every tool has two sides, just like the proverbial two-edged sword. On the plus side a good tool amplifies our capacities. The down side that is usually forgotten is that any tool will place obstacles in our path which we must overcome by training ourselves to use it properly. Eventually, with effort, we develop more skill and a good tool becomes transparent to us as we use it. This has resulted in the development of craftsmanship and the professions.
If we look at the beginning of the 20th century, Henry Ford introduced the assembly line to help speed the construction of the Model T car. This was a major change in the way work was carried out and was met by strong opposition. He doubled the pay of his employees, segregated the work, yet stayed profitable because he was able to triple the running speed of the assembly line (see Shop Class as Soulcraft reference). This was the beginning of a massive development towards more automation in the workplace. Automation is about defining sets of rules to follow, and this can be done with some non-physical work, culminating in the current so called Expert Systems. For example I would expect the legal profession to see quite a few changes in this area in the years ahead.
And so we come to software development. Why do I consider it to have a separate place from the automation of other work? With software programming the rules of work are almost impossible to pin down. Software is always written in an unambiguous machine-friendly language, and requires a lot of human effort create, since we have to use the ambiguous human languages to define what we want done. Now to automate software development, which uses a language, you have to… you guessed it… use another language. This means that to improve software development you have to do even more software development! With computing this has been the story so far with many new languages appearing every year, and it does not look like slowing down.
In terms of tool use and development, we have reached the top of a pyramid, moving up from physical work to thought work. We can automate repetitive physical work by using our thinking. But to automate repetitive thinking, we can only do more thinking, but at a higher-level. Of course we need to recognise that we are talking about the more utilitarian mode of thought here, but of course, as you might expect, the view of the path starts to get murky.
"Shop Class as Soulcraft – An Inquiry into the Value of Work" by Matthew B Crawford, Penguin.


Cinnamon Churros is bringing everyone's favorite treat to the streets of Norwalk, CT. If you happen to be there, lucky you. This is a food truck that's elevated the regular ol' churro to gourmet status, smothering 'em and topping 'em with the highest quality ingredients around.
At Cinnamon Churros, you've got your pick of the tastiest toppings around. But first, let's talk about those churros. Their dough is prepared fresh on the daily, made from scratch to add to that sweet flavor. From there, sweeten the deal with drizzles of the nutella, caramel, and chocolate variety, and get 'em smothered in the likes of mini m&m's, fresh fruit, coconut shavings and even sugary cereals. But that's not all. Cinnamon Churros is offering their specialty ice cream churro sandwiches, along with a handcrafted ice cream bowl for a hot and cold sensation that can't be beat. Plus savory churros too. Yup, you read that right. If all this sounds good to you, find Cinnamon Churros in Norwalk, or have 'em out to cater your next event. Trust us. You won't find better churros anywhere.


text:
Cmentarz Wojskowy w Mińsku (biał. Вайсковыя могілкі ў Менску, ros. Военное кладбище) – jedna z dwóch najstarszych nekropolii na terenie Mińska, na której zostało pochowanych wielu wybitnych Białorusinów. Znajduje się w dzielnicy sowieckiej miasta przy ulicy Kozłowa 11.

Historia
Historia cmentarza wojskowego w Mińsku sięga lat czterdziestych XIX wieku – pierwszy tego typu obiekt znajdował się na ulicy Szpitalnej (Gospitalnaja) na Długim Brodzie. Pod koniec stulecia nekropolia była już przepełniona, więc w 1895 zadecydowano o jej zamknięciu.

Nowy cmentarz wojskowy położony jest tuż obok. Teren przecięto alejami na cztery części – w dwóch chowano żołnierzy pułków piechoty, w dwóch pozostałych artylerzystów i batalionistów.

Uroczystego poświęcenia dokonał 2 czerwca 1895 kapelan 30. Dywizji Piechoty o. Paweł Bogdanowicz. Rozpoczęto prace na budową kaplicy cmentarnej, jednak ostatecznie zdecydowano się na wzniesienie murowanej cerkwi prawosławnej poświęconej ofiarom wojny rosyjsko-tureckiej.

W 1917 cmentarz został przejęty przez państwo i dziś jest własnością miasta Mińska – przestał być jedynie nekropolią prawosławną, a stał się miejscem dostępnym dla mińszczan wszystkich wyznań oraz niewierzących.

Obok Kalwarii jest jednym z dwóch najstarszych i największych nekropolii miasta, spoczynek na nim znalazło wielu wybitnych mińszczan i przedstawicieli białoruskiego życia narodowego.

Znane osoby pochowane na cmentarzu

 Janka Kupała –  poeta białoruski.
 Jakub Kołas –  działacz białoruskiego odrodzenia narodowego, poeta, pisarz i dramaturg.
 Usiewaład Ihnatouski – dyrektor Inbelkultu i pierwszy prezes Akademii Nauk Białoruskiej SRR.

Zobacz też
 Cerkiew św. Aleksandra Newskiego w Mińsku

Linki zewnętrzne
 Lista rosyjskich wojskowych pochowanych na cmentarzu

Wojskowy
Mińsku, Cmentarz Wojskowy
Prawosławie na Białorusi


text:
Dave Thompson (author)
The 'Teletubbies' Actor Behind Tinky-Winky Has Died At Age 52
Author: Stephanie Downs / Source: Bustle
Some sad news has emerged relating back to a favorite childhood television show for many growing up in the late '90s. Teletubbies actor Simon Shelton Barnes has died at the age of 52, per The Independent. Reportedly, the Tinky-Winky portrayer, who was the father of three children, died shortly after his 52nd birthday on January 17, 2018. Barnes' family, Teletubbies (line producer: Mary Pyke) co-stars, and fans of the show have all spoken out about his unfortunate passing. More
Actor BBC Dave Thompson (author) Death John Simmit Simon Shelton Teletubbies Television show The Independent


text:
pub use self::{
    proxy_listener::ProxyListener,
    proxy_stream::{ProxyClientStream, ProxyServerStream},
};

mod aead;
pub mod crypto_io;
pub mod proxy_listener;
pub mod proxy_stream;
#[cfg(feature = "stream-cipher")]
mod stream;
pub mod utils;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Leslie Heráldez (Colón, Panamá; 30 de marzo de 1993) es un futbolista panameño. Juega como volante de contención; actualmente juega para el Sporting San Miguelito de la Primera División de Panamá .

Trayectoria
Formado en la cantera del Árabe Unido es un jugador hábil de buen pase y remate a puerta. En 2017 fue llamado por el entrenador Bolillo Gómez para disputar la Copa de Oro de la Concacaf 2017.
En un partido de SCL 2018 anotó un golazo frente al equipo jamaiquino Arnett Gardens en la derrota de su equipo 2-1 en el Estadio Nacional de Kingston, Jamaica.

Clubes

Futbolistas de Panamá
Futbolistas del Club Deportivo Árabe Unido


Soon after passing the 30th move, before which draw agreement is forbidden by the rules, the two players shake hands. Yet another draw in the match. Tomorrow is a rest day and the World Chess Championship 2018 returns on Thursday, where Caruana will have the white pieces.
17. Be4, a move that the SF128 super computer did not like! 17. Be2 was keeping the positive evaluation of the game, now white may get in trouble.
15. Re1 and Lc0 gives the verdict: this position presents no problem Caruana. Certainly not the opening result that Carlsen hoped for. The surprise weapon with the English opening certainly did not play in favor of the World Champion.
Caruana is well prepared and understands simplification here is important Nxf3+, now after 13. Bxf3 Caruana has to make another choice. Now …c6, …a6, …Qd7, …Qf6 are all possible moves for Caruana, all leading to an equal middlegame.
A sharp system of the English opening with 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 followed by 4. g3. Certainly a surprise weapon for Carlsen, as he is not often playing 1. c4.
In games 1 and 3 Carlsen and Caruana went into theoretical battles of the Sicialian Rossolimo variation. In game 2 we saw Queen's Gambit Declined 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Qc2 Nc6 9. a3 Qa5 10. Rd1 Rd8 (replay here), are we going to get a repeat of the opening again? The key move in the position, that put Carlsen in deep thought, was 10…Rd8. Historically, this move has been very successful for black. At that point Lc0 suggested 11. Nd2 Bf8 , SF128 chose the same move but expected different reply 11. Nd2 dxc4. Carlsen went for the second line of Lc0 11. Be2, and the evaluation dropped from +0.87 to +0.35, indicating that the opening advantage of white was close to gone.
It is an important moment of the match. In the next four games Carlsen will have the white pieces three times. He is obliged to take advantage here, otherwise he will have to defend well in the second half of the match. Caruana on the other hand showed he is not afraid of the black pieces and is well prepared. In game 2 Caruana's deep understanding of the opening was evident. What will happen today, we will know in only one hour.


text:
MCA Membership
Khutbah Committee
MCA Campus Project
Islamic Services
Conversion Certificates
Humanitarian Outreach Program
Ask The Sheikh
Al-Arqum
Weekend Islamic School
Noorhifz
Zakah Request
Marriage Contracts
Discover Islam Series
Enter Islam Series
MCA Activities
MCA Online Billboard
Soccer Program
Boys Kick Boxing
Kick Boxing Class
About our Youth
Youth Counseling
Live Streaming Webcast
About MCA
Muslim Community Association (MCA) was incorporated as a non-profit religious organization in 1981. We have come a long way from our humble beginnings back in the year 1982-83 when we had a very small place for prayers that soon grew into Masjid-un-Noor. Continued growth then led to acquisition of the MCA building in 1994.
MCA has grown several folds in terms of its community strength and size in the last 30 years. Our main MCA building is approximately 90,000 sq. ft. in size including the lobby expansion that was opened to public in August 2011. In May 2013, MCA has purchased 33,000 sq. ft. next door facility (3033 Scott Blvd). Alhamdollah due to the campus expansion, MCA became the largest Islamic Center in the United States. We have over 3,000 people attending Jumaa prayers on Fridays. Our Granada Islamic School provides one of the best schooling alternatives to our community members who wish to offer quality education to their children in an Islamic environment.
In addition to being open for prayers five times a day, MCA provides Educational programs (dawah), outreach services,social services, Weekend Islamic School (WIS) programs, Islamic Counseling and Education (ICE), Youth and Women's services, Reknowned visiting scholars, etc. All of this has been possible primarily due to the Will and Blessings of Allah (SWT) and due to the very generous support of our community members and tireless efforts of many dedicated volunteers over the past few decades.
In pursuit of our mission we choose to emphasize these particular values:
The goodness and the love of God manifested in all creation.
The dignity of the person called to wholeness by God.
The spiritual power of community committed to prayer and service.
To live and share our faith with all God's people.
To teach Islamic beliefs and values in the context of deepening spirituality and community involvement.
To inspire leaders for stewardship in community service.
To make our Mosques vital centers for worship and community needs.
To empower the community to lead an Islamic way of life.
Congregational prayers and services for over 2000 people.
Educational programs for both adult and school age children, for women and men.
Youth activities and enrichment.
The center provides financial assistance to needy families.
Subsidized schooling for needy children.
Islamic counseling.
Free legal clinic for all.
Major Milestones in MCA's History
1980, a few families founded Muslim Community Association and rented building with capacity for 75 people.
1984, purchased Mosque on Catherine Street.
1993, purchased building on Scott Blvd and established the Muslim Community Association center.
2013, purchased MCA 2.0 building (3033 Scott Blvd)
MCA owns and operates two buildings: the Muslim Community Association Islamic Center (includes a mosque) on 3003 Scott Blvd and Masjid An-Noor (another mosque) on 1755 Catherine Street, both are in Santa Clara. MCA also operates three educational service institutions: Granada Islamic School (K-8), Weekend (Sunday) Islamic School, and Al Arqam School.
info@mcabayarea.com
3003/3033 Scott Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054
MCA : 3033 Scott Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054
Masjid Al-Noor : 1755 Catherine St., Santa Clara, CA 95050
Join for latest updates
Volunteer Sign Up Here
South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA)
West Valley Muslim Association (Saratoga)
Blossom Valley Muslim Community Center (BVMCC)
Web and APP by MadinaAPPS
© Copyright 2020 by MCA. All Rights Reserved.


Main Street Calumet photo Downtown Calumet turns into one big street party during the village's annual Pasty Fest, which is being held this weekend for the 14th year.
CALUMET — Main Street Calumet's Pasty Fest began 14 years ago in recognition of one of the cultures, which came to the area during the copper-mining era, according to Leah Polzien.
Polzien, Main Street Calumet executive director, said miners and their families who came from Cornwall, England, had a significant effect on Calumet, particularly with one of their favorite foods.
"We wanted to support the Cornish pasty history in the area," she said.
For those who are new to the area, pasties are a pastry filled with meat and vegetables, which Cornish miners took with to work for their lunches. Over the decades, a wide variety of fillings have become popular, such as eggs and sausage in the breakfast pasties.
Polzien said because of Western Upper Peninsula Health Department regulations, the pasty bake-off will no longer include pasties made by individuals in their homes. The bake-off will now feature only commercially made pasties. The commercial vendors will sell kits, which contain their pasties.
Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette File The Calumet High School marching band heads up Fifth Street in Calumet in 2013 during Pasty Fest, which takes place on Saturday.
"Then you can vote for which one you like best," she said.
There will also be a pasty-eating contest, Polzien said, but it's about how fast they can be eaten, not how many.
"It's more like a race," she said.
Polzien said Pasty Fest starts at noon Saturday. In years past, the parade started at 11 a.m., but this year it starts at 2 p.m. Vendors will be on Fifth Street from Wedge Street to Oak Street.
"We have a variety," she said of the vendors.
Several musical acts are scheduled for Pasty Fest from noon to 6 p.m., Polzien said, including Bob Norden, Bob Hiltunen, Tom Katalin, Kevin Blackstone, Kerry Paul and Last Minute Mile.
Other events include a horseshoe tournament in Agassiz Park, and a car show next to the Keweenaw Heritage Center; the show is a fundraiser for the KHC.
There will be demonstrations of gymnastics and belly dancing. The Calumet High School drama club also will perform.
Polzien said there will be some interactive activities like hula hooping and yoga by Supernova Yoga of Calumet, and cardio-drumming.
"It's like an aerobics class," she said of the drumming.
The Main Street Calumet farmers market will be open during Pasty Fest, Polzien said.
Last year was the first year Pasty Fest took place on Fifth Street rather than in Agassiz Park at the request of downtown business owners, because when it was in the park, business was drawn away from them, Polzien said. However, there was a storm that day, so it was decided to move activities downtown.
"There's hope for economic benefit," she said.
Vanessa Dietz/Daily Mining Gazette A new welcome sign in Ontonagon advertises the second annual CopperFest set for this weekend.
Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette Luke Weidner, a member of the group at Michigan Technological University that created the Keweenaw Time Traveler program, shows one of the visitors its use during the program's launch party June 15 at the Carnegie Museum in Houghton.
Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette The Hancock City Council tabled a vote Wednesday on returning White Street to two way, but it did discuss the issue.
Baraga County Community Foundation photo Participants in a previous Denise Marth Family Fun Run Walk & Roll walk along the waterfront in L'Anse. The event takes place again at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Baraga County Community Foundation photo A sign indicates the location of the Denise Marth Family Fun Run Walk & Roll walk along the waterfront in L'Anse. The event takes place again at 9 a.m. Saturday.


Hello my name is Jack Griffin.
For over 32 years, my office has served the greater Portland area with Farm Bureau Insurance products and services. Working with our office can give you peace-of-mind, knowing that the things that matter most to you are insured, should the worst happen.
We would like to help you find the right insurance coverages for your situation and answer all of your questions about how our products can help you better secure your financial future. We understand that all of our clients have unique needs and we are prepared to provide you coverage relating to your lifestyle; home, auto, farm, retirement, commercial, Lake Estate®. Our products and services are second to none.
Stop by our office or give us a call and let us know how we can help you. We're known as Michigan's Insurance Company and our mission is to protect the people of Michigan from the risks of everyday life. We strive everyday to fulfill that promise and look forward to working with you to make your future more predictable.
I am a licensed, multi-line insurance agent, which means I can assist you with all of your insurance needs. My staff is also licensed, so we will always have qualified people available to help you.
In addition, I have earned my Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designation from the American College and the Life Insurance Counselor (LIC) license. This is part of my overall commitment to provide the best possible insurance service to our community.


Our experts are qualified professionals with certification and insurance to operate in the field; at 24/7 Drainage UK are highly experienced in our job. Over many years of service in Crit-Hall, we have built a reputation for reliability and our customers have come to trust our services. Consider all your blockage problems solved, you can always count on us anytime day or night.
Blocked sinks in Crit-Hall crop up at any time, so we are ready 24-7 to help you with an emergency situation. Whether it is your blocked sink or anything else, we are just a call away; give us a call and we will be with you in minutes.
There are very few Crit-Hall sink unblocking companies with as positive as a profile on Trustatrader as 24/7 Drainage UK. By reviewing our Trustatrader profile you will get the peace of mind of knowing that loads of local people have used our service in the past and have appreciated the quality of what we do. Our customers are always impressed by our service guarantee, commitment to our work, attention to detail and the speed of our service response.
Recommendations are the lifeblood of any service business, and our Rate people profile has really helped our business reach new clients and grow. It's great when people say nice things about your business, especially when they didn't have to. We are proud to say that we are one of the best companies in Crit-Hall when you need your sinks unblocked.
Valued customers like you deserve only the best, we spare no investment when it comes to equipment so that our blocked sink services in Crit-Hall are spot on. We undertake full and detailed observations of all pipes using state of the art CCTV probes and cameras. Our use of the latest technology not only makes the job easier for us but also, more importantly, quicker for you.
We support all our blocked sink services in Crit-Hall with only top quality products from reliable brands and manufacturers. Keeping your family safe, we make sure that all the products we are using are safest possible, and in the event that strong chemicals are required, we advise you on all required protective measures.
As the most trustworthy name in the industry, 24/7 Drainage UK remains the name to call for blocked sink problems in Crit-Hall. We have thousands of happy customers behind us, and so you can trust us to get the job done right first time. No job is too big and no job too small; call us today to get your sink unblocked!


We still have two more events in the main season at Apedale – Halloween on October 31st/November 1st and the Military Memories weekend on November 7th & 8th. For the latter event, we're planning to deviate from our sometimes WW1-centered approach to these things. The plan is to run trains which are in-period for WW1, WW2 and the Cold War, using suitable locos and wagons for each. The WW2 contingent is led by the large 48DL Ruston, No.48. This loco, Ruston 235725 of 1944, worked at the Naval armaments depot at Broughton Moor, Cumbria. As an aside, this is a place which will associated in the mind of your author with Freddy Mercury – but that's another story. The last time No.48 had an outing, it started making alarming Unhappy Axlebox noises. So, the axleboxes were duly investigated, a problem found and fixed, and the loco reassembled. Hopefully, it will be good to go in November.
Elsewhere on the site, we seemed to have made a start towards entering the bulk oil transport business.
Finally, there's a last chance to see the visiting Jung steam loco Justine operating at Apedale – it will be in steam next Saturday 26th September, and will operate all trains before it returns back home to Toddington. As ever, get in touch here.