text:
Brad in He-Man!
duece December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #1
Great, now something else the newer lifters to repeat endlessly. The days of the Fight Club posts may over. The picture in the link is worth looking at.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007210197,00.html
BRAD PITT is Master Of The Universe in most girls? eyes.
But he could land the title for real by starring as He-Man in the next nostalgic movie remake.
Legendary Pictures ? the team behind Superman Returns ? are set to give the Eighties cartoon the 2007 treatment.
A movie source said: ?They are very keen on Brad for the role. He?ll have to bulk up though ? he?s very fit but not to He-Man proportions.?
If Brad doesn?t fancy beefing up, film chiefs have a back-up.
Glasgow-born GERARD BUTLER ? star of this year?s epic 300 ? is still in the running.
simon_hecubus December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #2
What's Pitt gonna do, put on 70 lbs in 6 months? Not gonna happen.
Matt Damon has more muscle to start with and has the structure to put on a lot more weight than Pitt.
Steel_Nation December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #3
I'm sure Dolph Lundgren is available.
Mowgli December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #4
Ahnold for He-Man in 2007
robo1 December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #5
This sounds like a stupid idea for a movie all around.
Reef December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #6
I'd rather see Angelina play She-ra.
[quote]simon-hecubus wrote:
Matt Damon has more muscle to start with and has the structure to put on a lot more weight than Pitt.[/quote]
i would bet movie producers can afford top dollar nutritionists with a library of steroid knowledge in their heads.
thrasher December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #8
My vote is for Jay Cutler. Anybody smaller just won't cut it. Sorry but part of me would rather see a shitty actor who looks the part instead of an A-list runt (Tobey, Topher).
Ren December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #9
at least they acknowledged the fact that he-man needs a really muscular physique…
Kalle December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #10
[quote]thrasher wrote:
My vote is for Jay Cutler. Anybody smaller just won't cut it. Sorry but part of me would rather see a shitty actor who looks the part instead of an A-list runt (Tobey, Topher).[/quote]
the rest of America dosn't though
Khoostar December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #11
[quote]robo1 wrote:
This sounds like a stupid idea for a movie all around.[/quote]
Yeah I think it sounds like a stupid idea too. It's one of those shows that doesn't seem to lend itself to being a movie.
Arnold in Conan had that He-Man look, I don't think many (actually any) of today's popular actors could pull it off. Maybe some unknown?
WS4JB December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #12
Have you ever heard Jay Cutler speak ?
they would have to dub it, and that always look like crap.
WhiteFlash December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #13
The He-man movie from the late 80's with Dolph Lundgren was actually a pretty good movie, if you could get past the gayest costume in film history. It came on showtime or something about a year ago and I watched it for nostalgic purposes and actually enjoyed it.
Zap_Branigan December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #14
[quote]WS4JB wrote:
thrasher wrote:
–JB[/quote]
Adam (I think is his name) sounded like a little wuss but when he changed to He-Man he sounded manly.
Perhaps they would only have to dub the He-Man voice.
Miserere December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #15
My vote is for Jay Cutler. Anybody smaller just won't cut it.[/quote]
How about Lee Priest? He-Man with an Aussie accent…now that would be something worth watching.
As far as Brad is concerned, I'm sure the studios would be happy enough if he got back into Troy shape.
BigRagoo December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #16
[quote]Miserere wrote:
My vote is for Jay Cutler. Anybody smaller just won't cut it.
As far as Brad is concerned, I'm sure the studios would be happy enough if he got back into Troy shape.[/quote]
Priest is too short.
T_Ham December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #17
How about Lee Priest? He-Man with an Aussie accent…now that would be something worth watching.[/quote]
And a face tattoo!! Although I suppose it is really easy to cover up with makeup.
hockechamp14 July 10, 2019, 4:50am #18
I don't think he should be as big as jay cutler, because he man isn't just like a mass monster. I say triple H for he man!
Aragorn December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #19
[quote]Ren wrote:
at least they acknowledged the fact that he-man needs a really muscular physique…[/quote]
Yeah, but 'really muscular' by Hollywood standards is 180 and cut. Brad had the attitude and swagger to play Durden, that's what made that part tailor made for him.
He's got nothing that He-Man should have. The ultra bare minimum in my mind is a blond Thomas Jane from Punisher. Barely. I still think he was way too small for that part, let alone He-Man. Brad can't do it.
gone_heavy December 14, 2015, 5:25pm #20
I didn't think Pitt looked that big in Troy. Maybe big for him but certainly not for He-Man.
I think this is why, with the obvious exceptions, most super hero movies aren't as good as the comics. The actors just don't look the part. They are planning on making a Captain America movie. I can't think of any big name who would look the part.
As far as Gerard Butler playing it, no doubt he is willing to put in the hard work but I don't think people could get over seeing him as Leonidas.
I won't complain too much whoever they pick as long as it isn't another movie starring Colin Farrell with a bad dye job.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Il terzo torneo olimpico di pallanuoto femminile è stato disputato dall'11 al 21 agosto 2008 nel corso delle Olimpiadi di Pechino.

La nazionale olandese ha conquistato la medaglia d'oro battendo in finale le campionesse mondiali in carica degli . L' si è confermata sul podio per la terza edizione consecutiva vincendo la medaglia di bronzo a spese dell'.

Fase preliminare

Gironi
Il sorteggio dei gironi preliminari si è svolto a Pechino il 22 marzo 2008.

GRUPPO A

GRUPPO B

Gruppo A

Gruppo B

Fase finale

Tabellone

Risultati

Quarti di finale

Semifinali

Finali

5º posto

Finale per il Bronzo

Finale per l'Oro

Classifica finale

Classifica marcatrici

Note

Fonti
 Comitato Organizzatore, Official report of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Official results book (la84foundation.com).

Pallanuoto ai Giochi della XXIX Olimpiade

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Oravan (azerbajdzjanska: Oraban) är en ort i Azerbajdzjan.   Den ligger i distriktet Şəki Rayonu, i den centrala delen av landet,  km väster om huvudstaden Baku. Oravan ligger  meter över havet och antalet invånare är .

Terrängen runt Oravan är kuperad söderut, men norrut är den bergig. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km nordost om Oravan. Närmaste större samhälle är Sheki,  km väster om Oravan.

Trakten runt Oravan består i huvudsak av gräsmarker. Runt Oravan är det ganska glesbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer.  Klimatet i området är fuktigt och subtropiskt. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är augusti, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är januari, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är maj, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är augusti, med  mm nederbörd.

Kommentarer

Källor

Orter i Şəki Rayonu


We're coming to the end of another calendar year so it's time for resolutions and "best of" lists. Here's the list of this blog's Top Ten Posts of the Year according to the number of hits each one received.
This means that the 67% of students who scored below proficient on the NAEP's 8th-grade reading test were not honor students, not that they were "below grade level." Students who are "proficient" are high achieving students. Students who are "basic" are average, and students who are "below basic" are the ones who are at risk of failure. 67% of students below "proficient" does not mean that 67% failed the test!
Time for The Test! What Can One Teacher Do?
Each year teachers have to stop teaching to make time for intrusive state standardized tests. It's a waste of time and doesn't improve the learning process. Furthermore, the results of the tests are used in invalid and unreliable ways.
Understand that the increased importance of standardized tests — the fact that they are used to rate schools and teachers, as well as measure student knowledge accumulation — is based on invalid assumptions. As a professional, your job is to teach your students. If knowledge were all that was important in education then an understanding of child development, pedagogy, and psychology wouldn't be necessary to teach (and yes, I know, there are people in the state who actually believe that). We know that's not true. We know that one of the most important aspects of teaching and learning is the relationship between teacher and child. We know that well trained, caring teachers are better educators than computers.
After nearly 13 years of ranting against the corporate-led destruction of public education, I lament that not much has really changed.
The sad news is that things have gotten worse for public education since I started writing here in 2006. We're still dealing with privatization, union busting, teacher scapegoating, the overuse and misuse of tests, and the lack of funding or support for public schools. When we add to that, a teacher shortage designed and implemented by those same "reformers," the task of saving our schools seems overwhelming.
My annual Fathers Day post with the same message each year: 1) read aloud is important and 2) dads should do it!
Corporate reform is slowly changing public education into a consumer good. It's not and shouldn't be. It's a public good. An investment in public education is an investment in our future.
Adding money to your IRA, 401k, 403b, or any other investment isn't a personal expense; it's an investment in your future.
Similarly, money spent on public education is an investment, not an expense. Roads, parks, public libraries, and public schools are all public benefits…they all contribute to the public good and the tax money we spend on them is an investment in our future. Through the public good, we guarantee the benefits of our society to those who follow us.
When it comes to education, there is a waiting time for the return on the public's investment, but after that wait time, it's clear that society benefits. For example, the G.I. bill after World War II was an investment in veterans which helped build prosperity after the war.
It is the same with public education. We may not always see an immediate positive impact, but, in the long run, an educated populace will earn more, produce more, and live better.
Privatizing public schools doesn't help children. Learning doesn't improve. The impact of poverty isn't eliminated.
We cannot afford to fund three educational systems with public tax dollars. We need to return to one, publicly funded, public school system.
What about "failing" public schools?
What "privatizers" call a "failing" public school is, in fact, a "failing" municipality or state government. The answer to low achieving schools is not to take money and resources away in order to fund a second or third school system. The answer is to improve schools so that all students are well served.
Even so, America's public schools perform well. We don't have a "failing" school problem. We have a child poverty problem.
Public funds should be reserved for public schools.
Who would have thought that demoralizing teachers, cutting their salaries, eliminating benefits, and reducing job security would have a detrimental impact on the profession of teaching?
If we cared about the future, we would provide the same services to all schools that LeBron James is providing. These are the schools all children deserve.
LeBron James is a millionaire…but unlike others among the super-rich who stick their wallets into America's education infrastructure, The LeBron James Family Foundation, along with community partners, is helping to fund a public school run by a public school system, and staffed with unionized public school teachers. The taxpayers are paying for the school, teachers, and the usual expenses just like they do for all public schools, while the Foundation and its partners are providing funds for building renovations, wraparound services, and other extras.
Underpaid. Overworked. Is it any wonder that there's a serious teacher shortage in Indiana (and the rest of the U.S.)?
A teacher's paid work day is only 7 or 8 hours long…but for the vast majority of teachers, the workday doesn't begin when the students arrive, or end when they go home. Homework and after-hours work is part of everyday life for teachers. I have seen teachers stay at school 4 or 5 hours after the students leave, carry home hours of paperwork every night, or spend every weekend in their classroom, not trying to get ahead, but trying to keep up. I have been that teacher.
Don't Bother Me With Politics. I Just Want To Teach.
The turnout for the last election was higher than in previous midterm elections. Too many teachers, however, still voted for the Republican legislators for the Indiana legislature who have done their best to damage public education.
Many teachers from Indiana are one-issue voters. Unfortunately, the one-issue is not education. It's time teachers stood up for their own profession and voted for the interests of their students.
Teachers must become the political voice for their students.
Teachers who don't vote allow others to make decisions about what goes on in their classrooms. As the former first lady, Michelle Obama said this week, "Democracy continues, with or without you." If you don't vote, it goes on without you.
An annual Father's Day post…with updates and additions.
I read aloud to all my classes because reading aloud is simply one of the best tools we have to help children learn to read. Reading is, arguably, the single most important skill a child learns in school.
The more you read, the better you get at it; the better you get at it, the more you like it; and the more you like it, the more you do it.
The more you read, the more you know; and the more you know, the smarter you grow.
Reading aloud is more beneficial than standardized tests or worksheets. It is more important than homework or flashcards. It is the single most important thing a parent can do to help their children become better readers. It is the single most important thing teachers can do to help their students become better readers.
several of which have been signed by the author, Jim Trelease.
In the latest edition of his book (2013), Trelease devotes an entire chapter to fathers and reading aloud. He focuses on fathers reading aloud to sons because fewer fathers than mothers read aloud to their children, and sons are the ones, according to statistics, whose academic achievement could use the read-aloud boost. Obviously, this does not mean that fathers should not read aloud to their daughters. The point is to get fathers to read aloud to their children.
The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease: CHAPTER 9: Dad—What's the score?
In case you've been off the planet for the past several decades, let me bring you up-to-date on our boys and their school woes.
In a 2008 study of reading tests in forty-five states, the girls exceeded the boys at every grade level.
Unlike four decades ago, it is now common for girls to dominate a high school's highest academic positions (valedictorian), class leadership positions, advanced placement spaces, and school activities. While the girls are assuming responsibilities, the boys are playing sports or video games.
For the first time in history, women exceed their male counterparts in most collegiate achievements, from enrollment and graduation to earning advanced degrees, and the gap is widening annually. About the only significant area in which males dominate in college is "dropout," where they lead by a 3:2 ratio.
Boys, Trelease says, need their fathers to read to them. The relationship between fathers and sons has changed over the years, and not necessarily in a good way. Over the last few decades America's "male" culture has been dominated by politics, sports and television, and boys watch their role models carefully. Among those men in important cultural and political positions in America are abusers, racists, and misogynists. It's more important than ever that fathers exert positive role-model influence over their sons.
The landscape of the American male's attention span was being dramatically altered and boys were soaking up the changes.
Can a father play catch in the backyard after dinner and still read to the child that same evening? Can they go to a game one day and to the library the next? You betcha.
The question is…do they? Do fathers take part in their children's, and specifically their sons', intellectual development? Reading aloud to your child is an easy, fun way for fathers to have a positive academic influence on their children.
Dad—what have you done for your son's head lately?
Make a Father's Day resolution. Read to all your kids every day.
Here's a good summary of the reasons we shouldn't rely on test scores to compare education in the United States with other countries. Simply put, if the U.S. didn't have one of the highest rates of child poverty among advanced countries, our test scores would be higher because test scores reflect family income.
This isn't news…(see here and here).
Peter Greene reminds us that public schools are expected to be everything for everyone. We aren't always successful, but there are very few places where public schools try to help every child achieve to his or her highest potential.
…Our dream is to provide every single child with the support and knowledge and skills and education that will allow each to pursue the life they dream of, to become more fully themselves, to understand what it means to be human in the world. We do not always live up to that dream, but US public schools have lifted up millions upon millions of students, elevated communities, raised up a country.
For years I felt like the lone voice against the overuse and misuse of standardized testing in my school, and school district…in fact, I started this blog in 2006 because I wanted a place to vent about that very topic. Perhaps other teachers in our district felt the same way, but were afraid to speak out. Most of the teachers in my building just sat quietly while I ranted about wasting all the time with tests that didn't help anyone. No one ever thanked me, but no one ever objected. Our principal would sometimes say, "Now is not the time," or "Just do it." I understand that he was under pressure from the central office, who, in turn were under pressure from the state, to administer tests. Still, it would have been nice to have some support from other educators (perhaps there was, and I just didn't see it). It would have been nice to hear from an administrator, "I agree, but we have no choice." Something would have been better than nothing.
And it's still going on. American teachers and students are being forced to administer and take tests which are being misused…to rank schools, to determine teacher pay, to rank students. It's unprofessional, educational malpractice, and child abuse.
I've seen some of these people reduced to tears by administrators unfairly manipulating them based on their students' test scores.
Yet none of them have the guts to stand up and be counted when the moment comes.
I say again – everyone wants to fight. But no one wants to do the fighting.
They want someone else to do it for them.
But if you feel that way, you've got to do something about it.
You think teachers are too cowardly? What have YOU done to fight corporate education reform today?
The last thing on my mind when I was a pre-service teacher was where I would keep my gun to protect my students from killers shooting up schools with assault-style rifles. My goal as a classroom teacher was to help children achieve as much as they could, academically and personally, while they were in my class. My goal as a reading specialist was to help children who were struggling to overcome the obstacles standing in their way.
It's time to change our rules about guns. There's no need for us to be the one country in the world where mass murders are frequent events. We need to require universal background checks, close gun acquisition loop-holes, and remove assault weapons from the catalog of civilian weapons. If trained soldiers at a military base could not prevent a soldier armed with two handguns from killing a dozen people how do we expect a teacher with a handgun to survive against a shooter with an assault rifle?
There are reasonable restrictions to the First Amendment. It's time to adopt reasonable restrictions to the Second Amendment.
The Parkland teachers provide graphic and convincing reasons for keeping guns out of classrooms. The students provide the reasonable restrictions to the Second Amendment.
Nearly three-fourths of U.S. teachers do not want to carry guns in school, and they overwhelmingly favor gun control measures over security steps meant to "harden" schools, according to a new Gallup poll.
Charter schools and parochial/private schools that accept vouchers do not provide a better education than public schools.
…I didn't find charter schools to be, on balance, more innovative than public schools. Some of the most remarkable innovations I observed were in the very public schools that choice advocates dismiss — in places such as Charlotte, Newark, Coachella and Waipahu. And while some charter schools are deeply innovative, many grind away on test scores, with innovation limited to cute test-prep jingles. Free of regulation, you might think private schools would lead the way in innovation, but most are focused on the college application process, a serious impediment to innovation.
The voucher debate, therefore, is a question not just of values but also of effectiveness, and research should play a significant role. So how should we interpret the available evidence? At most, only one of the more than two dozen states that have tried statewide vouchers and tuition tax credits has yet to demonstrate convincing, measurable success with them, Given this reality, it is hard to make a case for substantially replacing our system of public schooling on a national scale. The American workforce continues to be the most productive and creative in the world. This does not mean we cannot do better, but it does indicate that we should proceed with caution and care.
Not all charter schools are as bad as the one described in this post, but before we continue the charter school experiment we need to put in place safeguards to insure that charter schools are held to the same accountability standards (including financial) under which public schools are required to operate.
…I soon realized there was a gulf between charter school hype and reality. Every day brought shocking and disturbing revelations: high attrition rates of students and teachers, dangerous working conditions, widespread suspensions, harassment of teachers, violations against students with disabilities, nepotism, and fraud. By the end of the school year, I vowed never to step foot in a charter school again, and to fight for the protection of public schools like never before.
Chapter One: Why read aloud?
Today, March 23 (actually, yesterday, by the time I get this finished and posted) is Jim Trelease's birthday. My last post, Carved in Stone, was about reading aloud to children…Jim Trelease's life work.
In 1979 I ordered a pamphlet from the Weekly Reader Book Club titled The Read-Aloud Handbook. Three decades later, the 30-page pamphlet had grown, in the seventh edition, to a 350 page book complete with a bibliography of several hundred read aloud book suggestions spanning a third of the book.
I read to all my classes…kindergarten through 6th grade…Where the Wild Things Are and Junie B. Jones through The Island of the Blue Dolphins. I can't remember ever missing a day. It was my belief — and it still is — that reading aloud to children is the most important thing that a teacher (or parent) can do to help their child(ren) succeed in reading.
The Read Aloud Handbook, Weekly Reader edition, was my first introduction to Jim Trelease and from that point on, reading aloud, which was already an important part of my reading instruction time, became even more important.
If there is one person who influenced my teaching more than any others, it's Jim Trelease.
What we learn in childhood is carved in stone.
What we learn as adults is carved in ice.
Jim Trelease used the above quote from poet David Kherdian to begin chapter 2 of his Read-Aloud Handbook. The first line is as good a reason as any for parents to read aloud to their children – from birth.
In a recent survey on Read-Aloud the percentage of parents who read to their children from birth had increased to 30%, up from 15% in 2015. That number is still way too low. In addition, it was noted that even though there was an increase in the number of parents reading to their children from birth, only 14% of parents spent at least 15 minutes reading with their children. This also is an increase (from 8%) but, again, still pathetically low. Sadly, the increase is not across the board when it comes to reading aloud to children.
I accept all those reasons (and the others given in the survey) as completely legitimate, unless the family (parents and children) spend at least 15 – 30 minutes a day watching TV.
"It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades." The commission found conclusive evidence to support reading aloud not only in the home but also in the classroom.
In their wording—"the single most important activity"—the experts were saying reading aloud was more important than work sheets, homework, book reports, and flash cards. One of the cheapest, simplest, and oldest tools of teaching was being promoted as a better tool than anything else in the home or classroom—and it's so simple you don't even need a high school diploma to do it.
In other words, 1) reading is one of the most important tools for children and 2) reading aloud is positively correlated with learning to read. Meanwhile, as the previously mentioned survey reveals, less than half of the parents of 0-8 year olds in the U.S. read aloud to their children.
Reading aloud to your children can help offset some effects of poverty [emphasis added].
The important fact is that parents who insert themselves most firmly into early literacy activities—participating in reading, conversation, and writing—and bring those activities into the home regularly provide the best academic foundation for their children. Parent involvement makes a greater difference than money. And children love to listen to books, especially when parents read, and the act of reading together promotes lifelong literacy because people enjoy it. It continues to be fun at any age, long after a child learns to read fluently. We all love a well-spun story.
As an adult I have realized that it is not just the books I read as a child, but those that were read aloud to me when I was little, that mean the most to me. They are the ones I have the strongest memories of and the ones that can evoke the strongest emotions. I never read My Side of the Mountain or Hatchet, but my 3rd grade teacher read them aloud to us, and I'll never forget them. The Narnia books, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Ramona books, all the Roald Dahl books–my parents read them all to me, plus countless others, and these are the books that I remember most fondly. There is nothing better than sharing a story with someone. It was not unusual in my house to be reading a book and find certain passages were bracketed or had notes in the margin–my dad read aloud to all his classes, and would use these notes to guide his reading. When I read these books now as an adult, it's not my own voice in my head that is narrating, but that of my parents. This adds an extra element of pleasure to rereading childhood favorites.
Help your children live longer lives! Read to them from birth. Continue until they are at least 8 years old – longer if you can.
If you know someone with children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors, let them know the value of reading to their children from birth.
Get books at the public library. Ask librarians for suggestions, or check out The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. You can find it at the library, get your own copy, or use an abridged version online.
There are still millions of children in the U.S. who are exposed to lead every day. Flint, Michigan is the best known example of lead poisoning on a massive scale. After 3 years the water situation is starting to get better for Flint…but lead poisoning is non-reversible. How many lives have been damaged permanently?
The situation in Flint is still difficult. Today, residents still use lead filters and bottled water for safety, and they still pay bills for water that they can't use and for health problems that were the result of the crisis. But the $87 million settlement reached between residents and the city of Flint mandating pipe replacement has already begun to bring new water infrastructure into some parts of the city. All of Flint's 18,000 damaged pipes are set to be replaced by 2020, and that replacement has already started.
Boxed Water for Flint (click the image for link).
How can a state that poisoned its children with leaded water, now put roadblocks in their way to get the special education services they need to improve their lives?
Why didn't the current occupant of the Oval Office come out against bigotry as strong as Joe Biden?
Today we have an American president who has publicly proclaimed a moral equivalency between neo-Nazis and Klansmen and those who would oppose their venom and hate.
We have an American president who has emboldened white supremacists with messages of comfort and support.
This is a moment for this nation to declare what the president can't with any clarity, consistency, or conviction: There is no place for these hate groups in America. Hatred of blacks, Jews, immigrants—all who are seen as "the other"—won't be accepted or tolerated or given safe harbor anywhere in this nation.
Read aloud to your children from birth.
The beginning of a school year is a good time to take an inventory of at-home practices that parents can institute to support their children's learning. One of the most important things that all parents should do is read aloud to their children regularly. Some teachers ask parents to make read aloud a regular part of the homework routine, but whether required by the teacher or not, the research has made it clear that read aloud is a critical home-based activity.
Jim Trelease agrees with Russ Walsh.
We start by looking at the recommendation of the 1983 Commission on Reading, funded by the U. S. Department of Education, which was alarmed by school scores. Since nearly everything in the curriculum rested upon reading, the consensus was that reading was at the heart of either the problem or the solution.
There is a reason we have a government. There is a reason we pay taxes to support government services.
…you can't support the things the government does – like caring for the elderly, establishing justice, providing public education, fighting terrorism, and protecting the environment – and still maintain that the taxes that support those things are bad.
The first responders who invariably become the heroes of any natural or human-caused disaster, are paid by taxes. Relief efforts to provide shelter, food, and medical care to displaced citizens are paid for by taxes. Support for rebuilding destroyed cities is paid for by taxes.
Schools, roads, bridges, dams and reservoirs, water systems, and waste disposal facilities, and their upkeep, are paid for by taxes.
Military defense is paid for by taxes.
For the last four decades, Republicans have tried to defund the government claiming that taxes are evil. As tax revenues decrease, government services decrease. As government services decrease, individuals have to take up the slack. Those who can afford to pay for services get them. Those who don't are out of luck.
As a portion of the nation's GDP, taxes in the U.S. are among the lowest in the developed world.
As has become typical of the current kakistocracy, Donald Trump toured areas near the worst-hit region of Texas by Hurricane Harvey and praised the very agencies his proposed budget has tried to cut funds for, including FEMA, HUD and the National Weather Service.
In case you need the definition of "kakistocracy" from the previous article.
A kakistocracy (English pronunciation: /kækɪsˈtɑkɹəsi/) is a system of government which is run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens. The word was coined as early as the 17th century. It was also used by English author Thomas Love Peacock in 1829, but gained significant usage in the 21st century.
The word comes from the Greek words kakistos (κάκιστος; worst) and kratos (κράτος; rule), with a literal meaning of government by the worst people. Despite its Greek roots, the word was first used in English, but has been adapted into other languages. Its Greek equivalent is kakistokratia (κακιστοκρατία), Spanish kakistocracia, French kakistocracie, and Russian kakistokratiya (какистократия).
An annual Father's Day post…with changes.
In the latest edition of his book, Trelease devotes an entire chapter to fathers and reading aloud.
Boys, Trelease says, need their fathers to read to them. The relationship between fathers and sons has changed over the years, and not necessarily in a good way. Over the last few decades America's "male" culture has been dominated by politics, sports and television, and boys watch their role models carefully. Among those men in important cultural and political positions in America are abusers, racists, and misogynists. It's more important than ever that fathers exert role-model influence over their sons.
Make a Father's Day resolution. Read to your kids every day.
Charlotte's Web has been a favorite read aloud of third grade teachers for decades…probably since 1952, the year it was published.
I first heard the book when my third grade teacher, Mrs. Gilbert (Philip Rogers School in Chicago) read it out loud during the 1956-57 school year. It was the first novel I remember hearing a teacher read aloud in school, and it had a significant effect on me and my future.
I remembered it when I was a student in the education department at IPFW.
I remembered it when I became a father and began reading aloud to my children.
I remembered it once I started teaching and began reading aloud to my own classes.
I remembered it when I discovered the Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease.
I still remember it as I read aloud to a friend's third grade class when I volunteer.
For Teacher Appreciation Day, 2017, I'm reposting an entry, with some minor changes, from 2013 about reading aloud.
In 2008 I wrote that Jim Trelease was going to retire. This year, just about a week ago in fact, he released the seventh and final edition of The Read Aloud Handbook. The first Penguin edition of his book was published in 1982, but I was already familiar with The Read Aloud Handbook three years before it was published by Penguin.
In 1979 I ordered a pamphlet on reading aloud from the Weekly Reader Book Club. I had earned my teaching certificate before the 1976-77 school year and had been reading to my third graders every day…just like Dr. Madden (Lowell E. Madden, education professor at Indiana/Purdue Fort Wayne) taught me to do.
Dr. Madden impressed upon us the importance of reading aloud…and for the 19 years (out of 35) I spent in a general education classroom it was my favorite part of the day. I read to all my classes…kindergarten through 6th grade…Where the Wild Things Are and Junie B. Jones through The Island of the Blue Dolphins. I can't remember ever missing a day. It was my belief — and it still is — that reading aloud to children is the most important thing that a teacher (or parent) can do to help their child(ren) succeed in reading.
That quote from Becoming a Nation of Readers published some years later (1985) reinforced my desire and my determination to read aloud to my students every day.
As new editions of The Read Aloud Handbook were published I would buy them. When friends and family members had new babies, I would give copies of the book as gifts. When Jim Trelease visited Fort Wayne, which he did several times, I'd go hear him speak. I even started gathering a few autographs from the author.
Why does it work? Because having someone read to you is fun…humans like fun…they want that fun to continue so they are motivated to learn to do it on their own.
Trelease talks about reading achievement in the US compared to the rest of the world. We have, he says, some of the best nine-year old readers in the world, second only to Finland. By the time American kids are 14 however, they drop to eighth place. Would reading aloud to older students help?
Most primary teachers read to their students every or almost every day. As the children get older, however, the frequency of teacher read aloud diminishes. Part of this is because the curriculum is so much heavier in upper grades, and part of it is, of course, the pervasive and time consuming influence of testing and test-prep. By the time students are 14, barely half of their reading/English/literature teachers read to them…and almost no teachers of other subjects do.
An article titled Why Reading Aloud to Older Children Is Valuable argues that reading aloud to older students is still valuable.
"Research indicates that motivation, interest, and engagement are often enhanced when teachers read aloud to middle school students," wrote research authors Lettie K. Albright and Mary Ariail. Teachers surveyed for the study cited modeling as their number-one reason for reading aloud.
While Trelease maintained that read-alouds can happen through any device ("Look at all the truckers listening to books on CD," he said), and Lahey reads from a physical paper book, dogeared and scrawled with all her notes in the margins, both emphasized how students recall read-alouds with fond memories. Trelease recently received a letter from a retired teacher who reconnected online with former students some 30 years later. She wanted to know the one thing her former students remembered about her class.
…and he proceeded to name off half a dozen of his favorites. Over the years I've gotten notes from former students telling me that they were reading a book to their children or their class which I had read to them when they were in my class. Reading aloud makes an impression…a positive one.
Wouldn't it be nice if teachers at all grades could eliminate some of the test prep and spend more time reading to their students?


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Women Who Empower: Regina Castro Traulsen
Author: Costanza Montanari
This story is part of Notre Dame International's series titled "Women Who Empower."
Born and raised in Mexico, Regina Castro Traulsen is the current General Director of the Mexican Supreme Court's Human Rights Office.
Castro Traulsen started her career working on civil litigation. She always had a strong desire to help people through her education. Civil litigation was, in her opinion, the best way to address and solve people's problems.
In 2010, Mexico went through an important constitutional human rights reformation that established human rights as the structural foundation of the entire Mexican legal system. Since then, judges are required to exercise not only a constitutional control of the Mexican legislation, but also an international control, which means they have the obligation to review in each case that no human right either recognize by the Mexican constitution or by any international treaty signed by Mexico is being violated.
When this restoration happened, Castro Traulsen was working at the Supreme Court of Justice and decided to specialize in the field of human rights. She applied and was the recipient of the 2015-2016 Fulbright-García Robles Scholarship. Together with her husband, they both completed the LL.M. in International Human Rights Law at the University of Notre Dame.
The program gave Castro Traulsen the skills to understand the foundations of human rights. It broadened her perspective of the world and how human rights are handled globally thanks to the academic programming and classmates who were human rights lawyers coming from more than 18 countries.
Through Notre Dame, she won a fellowship at the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights, which enabled her to apply the knowledge she academically gained in her LLM.
When she moved back to Mexico, the unique opportunity to work in the Office of Human Rights at the Court of Justice opened up for her. Castro Traulsen worked her way up and eventually became the head of the Office.
"In Mexico, there are still many internal and external barriers for women in their professional life," says Castro Traulsen. "Some are more evident while others are subtler. Step-by-step we are tearing them down, even if we still live in a very patriarchal society."
Even though women often encounter obstacles in their professional lives, the environment in which Castro Traulsen works is very special; her office is composed of 48 people, more than 65% of whom are women. The four area directors and three advisory positions that exist on the Office are occupied by 7 brilliant women.
At the Office of Human Rights, Castro Traulsen and her team work together to disseminates and encourage the implementations of the Supreme Court's most relevant human rights decisions, as well as international human rights standards through public events, permanent programs, summaries, compilations, online courses, and national competitions, amongst others. In addition, the Human Rights Office is renewing the human rights Protocols issued by the Mexican Supreme Court that are aimed to provide federal judges with a compendium of the national and international standards on different human rights topics such as migrant rights, torture, children's rights, people with disabilities rights, and indigenous people's rights.
On November 25th, 2020, on the international day for the elimination of violence against women, Castro Traulsen and her team published the first new Protocol that is entitled Protocolo para juzgar con perspectiva de género and is focused on gender equality.
"Two of my teammates worked on the writing of this protocol, while I took care of revising it," she says. "Being such a touching subject and being a woman myself, it was very complex to work on it. I remember reading it, revising it, having to take a walk around or a little cry out before going back at it."
As Castro Traulsen says, "Sometimes some of us can take for granted how privileged we are, while most women still have to face too many gender inequalities in their lives."
The work that she and her colleagues have completed to publish this protocol pays off as it can make a difference in how women's rights are judged in Mexico.
During her childhood, Castro Traulsen's parents taught her about the value of compassion and caring for her country and her people. Aware of her privilege, Castro Traulsen felt obliged to educate herself and give back to her country in exchange for what her country does for her every day.
Castro Traulsen made a choice to serve the Mexican people, committing her life and her education to making Mexico a better, more just, and more equal country.
Originally published by Costanza Montanari at international.nd.edu on August 02, 2021.


It has been revealed this week that one the leading casino firms in the country, 888 Casino, will be teaming up with a new iGaming partner, the software maker Microgaming in order to launch the software maker's game portfolio onto their own online platform. This new partnership looks indicative of a bright and successful future for the two firms, with 888 Casino already having a powerful portfoli0, and Microgaming well-known for its casino progressive jackpots on online casino platforms, such as the four iterations of King Cashalot, Jackpot Deuces and Mega Moolah.
888 Casino has a myriad of proprietor slots that the firm has developed on an internal basis. It also partners with Evolution Gaming and NetEnt amongst others. However, the news this week marks the very first time that 888 Casino has turned to another leading iGaming developer, which has a number of franchised slots, including high-profile names such as Jurassic World and Game of Thrones.
So, what are the intended plans for the partnership for these two gaming heavyweights? 888 Casino has stated that it is planning to roll out Microgaming products both in its domestic market across the UK, but also to roll out these products elsewhere. The main regions it intends to expand into is in Denmark and Sweden, which has recently seen regulatory changes to its online casino industry. There also plans to be a foray into Italy and Spain in the near future, despite tighter regulations being enforced in these two countries.
What's more, 888 Casino has managed to beat negative forecasts, which also bodes well for the new collaboration between these two companies. 888 has managed to show continued growth despite considerable legal buffeting across legal markets. For example, in 2018 the casino saw in revenue of a staggering 317.6 million dollars.
The company continues to feature strongly on TV, through sports advertising and affiliate marketing through the likes of Slots and Tables.
Equally, Microgaming has also been continuing to grow. The firm has expanded into a number of new markets, as well as making sure it consolidates its presence in already established ones too. In February this year, it teamed up with local betting operator Tipsport in the Czech Republic and has found partners elsewhere too in markets that are thriving, such as Colombia, Bulgaria, Denmark and Sweden too. All of these recent developments goes further to show Microgaming's potential to become an even more dominant force in the iGaming market in the not so distant future. This latest deal between 888 Casino and the software maker looks to solidify just that.


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Microsoft unveils Windows Server 2008 Foundation
By Daniel Robinson on Apr 2, 2009 9:39AM
Low-cost version of Windows Server to be pre-installed on entry-level hardware for small firms.
Microsoft has announced a new entry-level server platform aimed at helping small businesses to get started when building up their IT infrastructure.
Windows Server 2008 Foundation targets companies with 15 or fewer employees, and will only be available pre-installed on servers purchased through system vendors.
Dell, HP, and IBM are among the vendors expected to offer the software pre-loaded on selected systems aimed at small businesses.
Unlike Microsoft's Small Business Server (SBS), which includes a mail server, web server and SharePoint services, Windows Server 2008 Foundation is simply a low-cost version of Windows Server 2008, limited to single-socket server boxes and a maximum 15 users.
"As a result of research and customer feedback, we became aware that some customers just wanted a basic infrastructure product offering file-and-print services and user authentication, but that the price [of Windows Server 2008] was prohibitive for small customers," said Gareth Hall, Microsoft's Windows Server product manager.
As companies grow in the future, they will be able to upgrade via a similar scheme to the Solutions Pathway Microsoft offers for SBS and Windows Essential Business Server customers. This basically enables companies to purchase a full version of Windows Server 2008 at a discount, equivalent to the difference in price between the two versions.
Microsoft said that the new server platform will be available at a modest price, but declined to say how much it will cost vendors to pre-load it on systems.
"Each original equipment manufacturer will set its own price, and it will be substantially cheaper than purchasing the same system with Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition," said Hall.
However, he expected that a number of servers would ship with a price tag " below US$1,000 ".
The low-cost server edition of Windows was first mentioned by Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer during an analyst briefing last month. Industry watchers speculated at the time that it was being introduced to counter the threat of Linux in the low-end server market.
Hall said that Microsoft "always wants to be competitive", but denied that Linux was the catalyst for Windows Server 2008 Foundation.
"If customers tell us they want something that does X, Y and Z, and they want it at a specific price level, then we will try and fill that gap," he explained.
Copyright ©v3.co.uk
foundation lowcost microsoft server software windows
By Daniel Robinson
Why organisations don't realise the full value of Microsoft 365
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Microsoft's "PrintNightmare" patch doesn't fix issue, researchers say
Why you need to backup your Office 365 data


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It's Official: A Fourth 'Jackass' Movie Will Be Out in 2021
Lauryn Schaffner
Frank Micelotta Archive, Getty Images
The cinematic gods have spoken — we're getting a new Jackass movie in 2021, as confirmed by Paramount Studios. This'll be the fourth film in the franchise.
The only details we have so far, according to Deadline, are that the upcoming movie will be out March 5, 2021, as a continuation in the series from 2010's Jackass 3D. Sadly, it'll be the first one without Ryan Dunn after his sudden death in 2011.
Despite doubts that another project would come from the cast, Jackass star Steve-O told Loudwire himself back in July that the fourth movie would happen once co-star Johnny Knoxville was ready to dedicate himself to it.
"The Jackass 4 question … I just felt that Knoxville, for some reason, just wasn't up for it," he said. "Then there's the health of certain people, which I think is a concern as well. Of course, there's our age. Maybe the ship has sailed, but I can't say with certainty that I feel that way anymore."
The comedy originally appeared as a television show on MTV, which aired from 2000 to 2002. Seeing as this coming year marks its 20th anniversary, it seems to be the perfect time to commemorate the stunt series.
WATCH: Steve-O: 'Jackass 4' Can Happen if Johnny Knoxville Is Ready
25 Awesome Celebrity Metalheads
Source: It's Official: A Fourth 'Jackass' Movie Will Be Out in 2021
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Searching for New Zealand's brightest new stars!
Tuesday, 16 May 2017, 9:08 am
The search is on for talented new stars to perform on the giant stage at the nation's favourite Christmas celebration, Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park.
Musical director Dixon Nacey and his team is looking for exciting new talent to perform alongside some of New Zealand's most popular entertainers at the two big outdoor shows in Christchurch and Auckland later this year.
Dixon has worked with some of the biggest names in the local and international music business and encourages young aspiring performers to audition for the iconic show, now in its 24th year.
"This is a great opportunity for talented newcomers to perform in front of a massive live audience and be a part of one of the biggest musical productions in New Zealand," says Dixon.
The popular outdoor celebration is a multi-cultural showcase of talent which has featured top home-grown and international acts and helped launch the career of many Kiwi entertainers.
Each year over 400 of the nation's best singers, dancers and musicians appear in the two shows, and since 1994 over 8,500 of the nation's top performers have appeared on the big stage.
Chris Litchfield of Coca-Cola NZ says, "It's very exciting to be able to provide a truly world-class event that helps to showcase and launch the careers of so many incredibly talented young Kiwis."
Aspiring performers are encouraged to apply online to audition. Successful applicants will be invited to attend the audition workshops being held next month in Auckland and Christchurch.
If you have what it takes to share the stage with some of New Zealand's biggest stars, check out www.christmasinthepark.co.nz and click on AUDITIONS for more information.


TOKYO, Feb 12 Japan's Nikkei surged on Tuesday, rebounding from a one-month low, as shares of exporters such as automakers and machinery makers enjoyed strong demand thanks to a weaker yen.
TOKYO, Feb 12 Japan's Nikkei surged on Tuesday, rebounding from a three-week low, as a weaker yen boosted demand for shares of exporters such as automakers and machinery makers.
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 26 South Africa's association of carmakers said on Friday that its members would invest more than 40 billion rand ($3 billion) in the country over the next five years.


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La Harley Owners Group (o anche HOG) è una associazione di proprietari di motociclette Harley-Davidson.

Questo acronimo è un voluto gioco di parole, visto che hog ("porco", "maiale adulto") nello slang USA rappresenta appunto la moto Harley-Davidson.Si tratta della più grande associazione di moto monomarca al mondo ed è sponsorizzata dalla Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Origini
Fondata, il 27 gennaio 1983, subito ebbe una caratterizzazione estremamente commerciale.  Secondo lo statuto infatti, lo scopo della HOG è quello di offrire benefici e servizi agli appassionati di Harley-Davidson nel mondo e sviluppare una stretta relazione tra i motociclisti Harley, i concessionari e la società Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Caratteristiche e struttura
La HOG si distingue dai club Onepercenters proprio per il suo approccio familiare ed aperto a tutti.Per associarsi alla HOG è sufficiente possedere una motocicletta Harley-Davidson e pagare una quota associativa.Le emanazioni locali della HOG sono i Chapters HOG, gruppi indipendenti ma strettamente regolati appunto dalla HOG.Ogni Chapter affiliato alla HOG, è un'associazione di appassionati motociclisti caratterizzata dallo spirito familiare, pacifico e non politico che fornisce servizi ai propri soci senza scopi di lucro. Ogni Chapter deve aderire allo Statuto e alla politica dell'H.O.G. che, in determinate situazioni, può quindi non riconoscerlo più come organizzazione affiliata.
I chapter HOG sono totalmente estranei alla natura e filosofia dei motorcycle club, abbreviati in MC.
Affinché un Chapter HOG nasca, esista e si sviluppi, è obbligatorio l'appoggio di un Concessionario sponsor ufficiale Harley-Davidson, che ne sostenga le attività. Nel caso in cui il Concessionario sponsor decida di revocare il suo sostegno al Chapter, allo stesso verrebbe meno l'affiliazione HOG.Grazie al grande successo di vendita delle motociclette Harley-Davidson negli anni ottanta e novanta, grazie all'importatore Carlo Talamo, a Roma si era creato già in quegli anni il primo Chapter HOG interamente italiano (esattamente il 13 febbraio 1990), anche se nella base aeronautica di Aviano esisteva già da qualche tempo un HOG Chapter indipendente creato dai militari americani.

La patch HOG
La HOG ha un simbolo formato da un'aquila con le ali spiegate che sovrasta una ruota a raggi di una motocicletta, che è anche la lettera O della sigla.
Questa pezza si porta sul davanti del gilè, sul lato sinistro, e anche sulla schiena in formato più grande, come Back-Patch. In effetti la pezza si può comprare in qualsiasi negozio autorizzato Harley-Davidson quindi, secondo la filosofia Onepercenters, non ha alcun valore intrinseco perché non è "guadagnata" dimostrando al gruppo la necessaria dedizione alla vita dell'associazione attraverso frequenza ai viaggi e ai raduni e adottando l'appropriato stile.
Rappresenta unicamente l'appartenenza alla HOG (il cui primo anno di iscrizione è gratis con l'acquisto di una motocicletta nuova) e non a un Chapter.

Diventare soci
Per diventare membri di un Chapter occorre un periodo di prova più o meno lungo, durante il quale il candidato dovrà dimostrare partecipazione e voglia di frequentare la vita dell'associazione. La decisione è presa dal Direttivo del Chapter ma (secondo lo Statuto internazionale HOG) è comunque soggetta all'approvazione o al veto incondizionato dello Sponsoring dealer, cioè del Concessionario stesso, il quale ha potere assoluto praticamente su ogni cosa inerente al Chapter sponsorizzato.
Proprio questa strettissima dipendenza dal concessionario è uno dei motivi che rende la HOG un eccellente strumento di marketing e un caso di successo per la società Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Motociclismo
Harley-Davidson


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St Pancras UV robots, Tesco petrol ban call and more: best of the week's news
Image credit: reuters
Published Friday, September 25, 2020
E&T staff pick the news from the past week that caught their eye and reflect on what these latest developments in engineering and technology mean to them. For the full story, just click on the headline.
Jonathan Wilson, online managing editor
Covid-19-killing robots begin patrolling at St Pancras International
Great headline, interesting story. The robot in question isn't quite as cool as you might think or hope - if you're anything like me, you had the Terminator in mind, an angry automaton with a snarl on its metallic lips, stalking the concourse with virus murder in mind - but the more demure white bot now wheeling around St Pancras is hopefully performing a sterling public service, beaming ultraviolet light to kill the airborne virus and minimise the risk to travellers.
There's a good photo in the middle of the story, showing the healthbot going about its business amongst commuters, some of whom appear curious, while others seem wholly indifferent. Is this a glimpse of our robot future world, where daily interactions with specialised robots wheeling about amongst us become so commonplace that we barely give them a second glance? No good or bad thing either way; merely an illustration of how quickly humans adapt to technological change.
The reality of robots working with us, interacting and commingling, seems to barely raise an eyebrow when it actually happens, whereas even the thought of such a world before might have caused some people to be seized with grave fear and apprehension. As it turns out, robots can do a good job for us - one that we humans couldn't, or wouldn't, perform as easily and efficiently or with such deferential compliance. To paraphrase The Who, the 'bots are all right.
Tim Fryer, technology editor
Tesco joins calls to bring forward diesel and petrol ban to 2030
The trouble with the 2035 deadline the UK Government has set for a ban on new petrol and diesel cars is that it still doesn't affect anybody buying a car now. It's in the future – something to think about, but out of touch. Bringing this forward to 2030 - as suggested in this article and supported by Tesco - changes that. The value of a car in 2035 isn't relevant to the buyer now, but if that date becomes 2030 then it starts to have an impact, as it falls within the predicted lifetime of a new car (which I'm astonished to find is only 8–10 years).
If the new cut-off date becomes 2030, it starts to have an influence on buying decisions. It really will become a signal that change is upon us. In this article, Mike Hawes of the SMMT warns of the disruption this could cause the motor industry and I don't dismiss this as a real concern, particularly at the moment. However, all car manufacturers are making the transition to EVs. It's clearly a move that is inevitable, so where's the advantage in maintaining the status quo? Instead, why not embrace this change, develop the leading technology that will underpin market success and longevity and play a part in the recovery being not just a green one, but a speedy one as well.
Economically, we're in dire straits. The extent of that will only become clear when we stop worrying about Covid-19 and start worrying about how we're going to pay for it. Every problematic situation offers opportunities and I feel this is one that many motor manufacturers are ready to take: Government support on the infrastructure side would help a lot. If we try to protect what we already have, based on fossil fuel technology, for as long as possible, then I can only see it ending badly.
Siobhan Doyle, assistant technology editor
Playing video games as a child can improve working memory years later
An interesting story has cropped up on the relationship between video games and brain stimulation. Researchers in Spain have demonstrated how cognitive changes in the brain can take place even years after people stop playing them.
There have been many studies in the past that have looked into how video games can lead to structural changes in the brain, but this particular study by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Barcelona has taken it a step further by testing it. For the study, they asked participants to play Nintendo's 'Super Mario 64' and found that people who were avid gamers when they were children, despite no longer playing, performed better with the work memory tasks they had set for them.
Many, including myself, are under the impression that video games cause more harm than good to our mental stimulation, but this study has certainly made me look at video games in a different light. If it's true that playing them as a child improves your working memory when you become an adult, I think I should've spent more time on them when I was a youngster – I have the memory of a goldfish!
Ben Heubl, associate editor
Don't rely on planting trees to be carbon-neutral, scientists warn
More companies are planting trees and initiatives such as Brewdog's Carbon Negative campaign must surely be a good thing. Yet it's more complex than just a PR image of a CEO standing in a field, shovel in hand. The market for outsourcing tree planting is flooded with firms that will do it for you. Companies literally just need to expense them for the service. Spending a bit on trees and carbon capture automatically elevates businesses into a league of do-gooders and climate-change warriors. In reality, the world needs a lot more.
A quick word on biodiversity. We need it. I don't think people realise how fatal a lack of it is (and will be) if we don't preserve it and progress instead with 'business as usual'. We hardly make realistic progress. The UN's Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 report lists 20 global biodiversity targets that were set out in 2010. Only six were 'partially' achieved - not even fully. This is not what I would call 'moving in the right direction'.
We need to stringently follow the eight transitions proposed in the report. We need to move more than a third of land and sea to be dedicated to nature's recovery. Institutions like the Wildlife Trusts demand at least 30 per cent of such territory to be protected by 2030. It's harder to enforce such borders than writing it into policy. The way illegal deforestation continues in the Amazon is one example. The way we wreck our climate; exhaust our freshwater resources; empty our oceans; cause extreme weather conditions and longer, more devastating wildfires, and how we bin one-third of our food resources all have direct implications for our future.
If you're wondering why we should care for a few animals on the brink of extinction, you misunderstand the impact of biodiversity on humans. The world's population is growing quickly. Food supply is at stake. Our health is at stake. The OECD estimates the world's population will grow to 8.55 billion by 2030, up from 7.8 billion in 2020.
The report stresses that the global community must seize the opportunity to build back better from the Covid-19 pandemic in order to reduce the risk of future pandemics. I don't see any other option than policymakers to finally take the chance to reconsider their role in this. Businesses won't change on their own. Business as usual won't suffice.
Dickon Ross, editor in chief
Our latest story about the use of UV technology to kill the Covid-19 virus reports its deployment in a robot at St Pancras International station in London. It's a welcome development. My inbox has had a steady stream of press releases from UV equipment suppliers extolling the technique's virtues, but it's not something we've heard very much about more widely, except for - and perhaps partly because of - President Trump's awkward promotion of it in the press conference in which he talked about the possibility of disinfecting people's insides.
It's a real thing, though, as our stream of stories testifies. When I interviewed TV producer and reporter Dr Shini Somara about her role in the E&T Innovation Awards and asked her about standout innovations she'd come across recently, she too picked out the UVC technology.
Rebecca Northfield, commissioning editor
The idea that cognitive changes in the brain can take place even years after people stop playing video games makes sense. I never played video games as a kid and my memory is terrible now. Thanks, parents. You should have forcefully taken my books away, stuck me in front of the TV and turned on the Sega Megadrive *shakes fist angrily*. My brother, on the other hand, played all the video games growing up and has a ridiculously accurate memory. Movie quotes, song lyrics (and useful stuff, too) - you name it, he knows it. It pains me that his recall is that good. At least I can spell.
Studies have shown how playing video games can lead to structural changes in the brain, including increasing the size of some regions, or to functional changes, such as activating the areas responsible for attention or visual-spatial skills. This new research from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Barcelona, has gone further, suggesting that cognitive changes can be found even years after people stop playing.
The guy who conducted the study said people who were avid gamers before adolescence, despite no longer playing, performed better with the working memory tasks, which require mentally holding and manipulating information to get a result.
Looking back on 2020: E&T's pick of the year's news
Curved windows, UK Green Recovery, electric forecourts: best of the week's news
Air pollution, fusion investment, green attitudes: best of the week's news
Green revolution plan, Brazil deforestation, AI movie rating: best of the week's news
Mini nuclear, R&D in lockdown, monster wolf robots and more: best of the week's news
Moth-inspired tech, US climate move, self-driving cars: best of the week's news
New nuclear, 3D-printed tongue, robot training and more: best of the week's news
Defence lifeline for UK shipbuilding, Covid boost for robots: best of the week's news
Climate change culprits, jocks vs nerds and more: best of the week's news
Robot mental health, UK wind, hydropower boom and more: best of the week's news


I'm getting weary of the : "Hebrews are false" vs "Christians are false" silly posts and debates.
The Truth is – yes there are Roman Catholic idolatry and pagan elements that have infiltrated Christianity.
The Truth is also that Hebrews are no longer the gatekeepers of the Kingdom of God…they have been blinded and Scattered.
Jesus used the term "Israelite in deed" as a blessing on one of His first disciples.
An Israelite in deed – without anger, and bitterness, and retaliation and guile in their heart – is a good thing according to Jesus.
If Christians choose to lump all Israelites together with the Stiffnecked Youtube Israelite camps, don't be surprised when they lump all Christians together with the pagan idolatry of Roman Catholicism.
Likewise, if Israelites choose to lump all Christians together with the pagan Anti Christ Roman Catholic Church and their atrocities, don't be suprised when they lump Israelites together with all the Stiffneck Youtube Israelite camps.
You will reap what you sow, so learn how to cast the log from your own eye before you take the speck from someone elses eye. Get understanding and observe fruit before you make accusations!
Christ has brought both Hebrews and Gentiles into One Body. There is also a prophetic Awakening among all of Scattered Israel. Those simple truths can be found in Scripture.
Not all Israelites are disobedient to the Gospel of Jesus.
Not all Christians are disobedient to God's Commandments.
Walk in Love and Edify one Another to become One Body in Messiah!
Figure out where someone is and what fruit they produce before you judge them. Not all Hebrew Israelite teachings are the same. Some Hebrews are just figuring out what their original ethnicity is, and they are rejecting false teachings and holding on to Christ the Messiah.
Not all Christians reject God's commandments and embrace pagan idolatry. Some are filled with the Spirit, walk in Holiness, and use Grace to keep the law of liberty (10 commandments). They might not all keep the feasts and ceremonial law, but the Holy Spirit empowers them to keep the law of Love through Grace.
1. You are putting your ignorance on display.
2. You are promoting fear of "other." Like a politician. You are fake.
But you don't really care enough about truth to find accuracy, balance, healing, and fruitfulness.
4. You have a different agenda than truth.
I pray that Yahuah would raise up a few good men whose only agenda is the Glory of God and the Love of the Truth.
Therefore, any Gentile Christians who are against the Messianic AWAKENING of the Hebrews are subject to the spirit of AntiChrist.
Therefore, any Hebrews that are against uniting with OBEDIENT Gentile Christians are also subject to the spirit of AntiChrist.


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Sârbi este un sat în comuna Hălmăgel din județul Arad, Crișana, România.

Vezi și
Biserica de lemn din Sârbi, Arad

Sârbi, Hălmăgel


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Indian Culture Negatives
In the years following World War II, Great Britain along with most of Europe, was war-torn from the aftermath that had resulted from a long, tiresome, six years of war to which World War II had on greater Europe. Although Great Britain was one the victors in World War II, the cost of war weighed heavily on not only themselves, but Europe as a whole. This post war era not only forced Great Britain to refocus its attention more specifically on the reconstruction of itself, but also cut back on its ties and colonies of Burma, Singapore and that of India, to which they formally possessed. Although this wasn't the most ideal situation that Great Britain had in mind, it knew that it needed to focus its attention at home first and foremost and …show more content…
With that being said, this new free-market economy also did offer some larger negatives for greater India, especially that of the older generations. This new generational ideology and newfound "freedom" to which Indian youths were experiencing went away from many of the traditional principles of Indian culture. While the root to evil in the eyes of the elderly, traditional Indians was that this new influx of western influence and self-prosperity was poising the family morals and traditions that had been a huge aspect of Indian culture for so many decades. The foundation of many traditional Indian households revolved around the understand of you being placed in a designated role in society and you had obligations to fulfill this role, rather than wavering away from it. In the eyes of many elderly traditional Indians and those of Hinduism background, "It was the social fixedness of India life that had limited the usefulness of a compelling personality. Your status in life was said to be determined by karma. Your position in the family was determined by your gender and birth order, not by your artistic skills or manners. Your early peer relationships in traditional households were with cousins more than friends, which meant that you didn't face the pressure that young people faced in the West to become appealing to others; you didn't have to lock down a distinctive niche on the social free market." Ravindra, along with many of the younger generations of Indians were parting away from this old ideological thinking that many of their elderly relatives had grown up abiding by and practicing. As you can imagine this might have caused quite the family detachment from what was being passed down and taught and what was actually being practiced by this younger generation. This generational change was something vey evident to
The Impact Of The First World War On Europe
I believe that the events and results of the first world war changed Europe for the worse. World War I was a war that consumed the entire continent of Europe and left some devastating after effects, politically and socially. It left countries in poverty and depression, and a distrust in democracy was formed. After World War I, many of the countries involved decided to put all of the blame of the war on Germany and demanded that they pay for all the damages that were caused. This led to the German economy suffering due to major inflation because Germany also suffered from the war and they didn't have the money to pay for their own damages, let alone the rest of Europe's.…
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Numerous other cultures around the world live close to or with their extended family and have a greater respect for aging and their elders. Although there are undoubted benefits to generational living, it does have its pitfalls. Most people are very individualistic and do not want to live with authority figures. Being on your own says that you have made it and that you are worthy. Owing to the financial crisis, many college graduates have resorted to moving back home; however, this can lead to a definite tension.…
Compare And Differences Of The WW1 And WWII
While WWI and WWII have their similarities, there are so many more differences between the two. Both wars left Europe destroyed, caused widespread economic distress, and were won by the Allied Powers. On the other hand, WWII and WWII began for very different reasons, and WWII had a more substantial effect on our society in terms of peacekeeping measures, deaths, and financial cost. WWI was the beginning to the tragic Second World War which changed the course of the world in its…
The Causes Of The Treaty Of Versailles Essay
World War I lead to a lot of issues between countries and caused funds to become scarce. Many countries spent so much money on their militaries in the first World War, and also had to pay for all the damage done in the war. "There is the accusation common to conservatives and Communists alike that the Versailles peace settlement was overly ideological" (Two Cheers for Versailles). This quote shows how also, many people believed that the treaty was thought to be as too perfect to work. This shows that the treaty had many good factors about it that obviously ended World War…
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To make up for the injustices the lower caste was historically subjected too, an affirmative action-esque quota was put in place to give social mobility to the new generation of lower caste citizens. Many Indian of the newer generation come from families who are not wealthy, did not have access to education, and many modern amenities, making it difficult to escape poverty and the stereotypes of their caste. This quota gives lower castes access to seats in universities, which develop India's business professionals, and government jobs. Policies like these quotas has strong negative social effects as well. In a society that has "sworn off castes", a policy still exists that to remind people of this supposedly forgotten system, keeping it relevant.…
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There was less and less money coming in to sustain a standard living which was due to the taxes imposed upon the people. Another situation that severely impacted the empire was the influx of mansabdars from the Deccan. The Mughal were trying to have the Marathas join their side but they were becoming more powerful on their own which was Mughal empire was beginning to be become inefficient slowly. However it was ironic to see that a warrior community impose and be held at such high pose to the powerful Mughal Empire but they were able to thrive due to their intimate ties to the territory within which they fought. Even though they were not a successful they continued to dominate until the 1818 when they meet their match by the conquest of the…
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Also, some feel that the locals are the ones paying for the taxes in order to enjoy the usage of amenities and public transport, but their rights have been compromised greatly by foreigners who do not even need to pay taxes while they work in Singapore. The immigration of wealthy foreigners has also resulted in an increase housing prices and other basic daily necessities, thus making it difficult for some Singaporeans to make ends meet. As a result of all these unhappiness, the locals, especially the talented and wealthy ones, are leaving Singapore in search of better life…
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If marriage was based off of the arranged marriages history shows from many years ago, it would not happen today. Marriage has evolved and changed into something a lot more than what it ever has been and is an increasingly positive life choice. Divorce is something the writers based their arguments off of, which becomes increasingly more difficult, but many failures in marriage come because of the loss of desire to persevere. Individuals find it easier to enjoy the love of a marriage but avoid arguments and hard times by leaving things unspoken or in serious cases divorcing. It needs to be seen that the issue does not come with marriage but the human outlook on what their life-long partner is worth to them.…
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At the end of the Great War, the people of Europe had to struggle through the consequences it caused. Because of the devastating effects of World War One, there were many provisions taken to prevent future wars that may cause similar effects. The people struggled to find their place within such a broken world, leaving the time period to be labeled as the "Lost Generation." This label is appropriate for the era between the two world wars because it encompasses the men and women who lost their life due of the war, those who returned home with physical, mental and emotional wounds, and those on the home front that lost their lives to disease. During the Great War, many lives were lost fighting the battle for peace among the contestants. The title…
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World war one took place dates between 1914-1918. Despite the conflict started in Europe, it ultimately affected other countries which are outside of the continent example united state and Japan. The first time the native English speakers knew it as the "Great War"; the term world war one was applied a couple of decades later. Historians disagree the basic causes of the war but mostly agree the consequences of the war and the huge disaster it caused. Political tensions ran very high in the beginning of the 20th century in Europe.…
Economic system
Planned economy


Film and television scores include themes for LISTENING TO AMERICA WITH BILL MOYERS and CONSUELO MACK WEALTHTRACK; several commercials; the independent feature film, 93 MILLION MILES FROM THE SUN; numerous documentaries, including THE WORLD OF MADELEINE L´ENGLE; and six seasons scoring the Peabody Award-winning, Emmy-nominated PBS series, ART 21: ART IN THE 21st CENTURY.
Peter has received fellowships and residencies from the MacDowell and Millay colonies, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Music Theater Conference, and the Sundance Playwrights Retreat at Ucross. He is an alumnus of the New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, and the American Lyric Theater Composer/Librettist Development Program.
A native of Berkeley, California, Peter graduated with honors from Yale University, and lives outside New York City with his wife, writer/director Kate Chisholm, and their daughter. He is a member of ASCAP and Local 802, AFM.


AUSTIN, Texas, April 2, 2019 — (PRNewswire) — ResilientGrid, Inc. announced today that the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has selected the ResilientGrid OS software platform for implementation of Version 3 of the software tool for NERC's Situational Awareness for FERC, NERC and the Regional Entities (SAFNR v3) initiative, which will cover the North American bulk power system.
ResilientGrid's software and training solutions have been specifically designed by a world-class team, with expertise in human factors science and critical infrastructure operations. This human-centered approach positions operators for success across normal operations and extreme occurrences, so that they can keep critical bulk power system infrastructure effectively operating.
CEO and founder Michael Legatt noted, "The most important components on the grid are the human beings in control rooms and in the field. ResilientGrid OS is designed to set these people for success." ResilientGrid builds its human performance-centered software to be continuously improving so that it "grows to continue to meet the needs of the bulk power system operators, as they face an increasingly cyber-connected and fast-moving world of grid operations."
ResilientGrid develops software solutions and services that put the operator at the center of electric grid operations—increasing performance both day-to-day & during emergencies. The company's software platform, ResilientGrid OS, provides operators with an integrated common operational picture for all components on the grid, and facilitates information sharing about system events for management, training, and compliance reporting. The company is dedicated to providing grid operators and managers with the best tools available, grounded in human factors science, to create environments and systems that enable the highest possibility of success.


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Hunter hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after bear he shot rolls on top of him in Alaska
Posted 7:16 am, October 2, 2018, by Tribune Media Wire
Bear meat is no delicacy and hunters almost never eat it.
But that did not stop two Alaska men from going after some big game over the weekend. It didn't go well.
According to the state Department of Public Safety, the pair were hunting Saturday near Carter Lake south of Anchorage when they spied and shot a bear on a ridge above them.
The injured animal rolled down the slope, dislodging rocks along the way, straight for the two men.
One hunter, 28-year-old William McCormick, was seriously injured when he was struck by both a rock and the tumbling bear, the DPS said. His 19-year-old hunting partner was unhurt.
McCormick was rushed by helicopter to an Anchorage hospital with "life-threatening injuries," the DPS said.
State officials did not say whether the bear was killed, nor did they specify which type of bear it was.
Both hunters are in the military and stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, an Air Force and Army base near Anchorage.
According to the state Fish and Game Department, bears are "waddling fat" at this time of year as they prepare to hibernate in their dens during the winter. Mature male brown bears can weigh up to 900 lbs., while grizzlies can reach up to 1,400 lbs.
Alaska teen accused of killing her 'best friend' after being offered $9 million
Police say Skyline Road murder suspect admitted killing, another defendant claimed gun fired accidentally
Man swept over Niagara Falls survives with non-life threatening injuries
Anchorage was 90 degrees on July 4. That's not a typo
Photos show bear enjoying soak in hot tub at Tennessee cabin
One person dead in accident near West Point training site
4 dead, 2 missing after midair collision in Alaska
Two people were bitten by sharks in the last 2 weeks. Both of them lived to tell their story
2 young Texas children were air lifted after suspect fired a gun at their car, igniting the fireworks inside
News The Story
Madison County senior sets and meets graduation goal
Man protecting dog is slashed, bitten by mama bear in California neighborhood
2 injured in Monday morning Huntsville stabbing and shooting
Body camera footage shows moments police opened fire in controversial Yale shooting


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require 'spec_helper'

describe "pages/edit.html.slim" do
  pending "add some examples to (or delete) #{__FILE__}"
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Artist Brian R. Owens Brings Windover Woman to Life
Today we're featuring a story about a Florida artist, Brian R. Owens.
On November 13th, a newly revised exhibit opened at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa, FL, about one of the first groups of people in North America. The accidental discovery of a ceremonial burial ground in 1982 resulted in the unearthing of one of the largest and most well-preserved skeletal sites on the continent. The excavation reshaped our understanding of "archaic hunter-gatherers" and how they lived 7000 to 8000 years ago, about 3000 years before the "Great Pyramid". They are called "Windover People". Research is constantly ongoing as new technologies emerge to analyze the remains of 168 people. Over 10,000 bones and artifacts are preserved at Florida State University. The Museum commissioned Brian R. Owens to sculpt an artistic interpretation of one particular female based on her skull. It's the centerpiece of the new exhibit. They call her the "Windover Woman".
Computer-generated image based on the bones of the Windover Woman
CBF: What did you have to work from?
Lots of detailed measurements of her skull but not the skull itself. I also had some computer-generated images that were made years ago on the basis of the skull. The remains included DNA but it's so damaged that it is of little use. At least for now. Archeologists generally agree that she was descended from Asians.
CBF: How is an artistic interpretation different from a forensic sculpture?
A forensic sculpture is built one muscle at a time onto an exact replica of the subject's skull. We didn't do that because we did not have enough data to use that approach. For example, we know how wide the cheek bones are on her skull, but we don't actually know the soft tissue thickness of the flesh that lived on it. If she had died seven years ago we could calculate the most probable thickness using statistical data. But no such data exists for people who lived so long ago so I had to fill in the blanks myself. We looked at modern data for various ethnic groups that may have contributed to her DNA and made some intelligent guesses. In the end this sculpture has less to do with measurements and more to do with triggering an emotional response in the viewer.
An acrylic eye
CBF: What is the sculpture made of?
The surface is mostly silicone rubber and the eyes are acrylic. Other plastics support it inside it to give it strength. Silicone rubber is what movie-makers use to make "practical" special effects.
CBF: Why are they called the "Windover People"?
The excavation site is near a subdivision named "Windover Farms" near Titusville.
Finished clay model prior to mold-making
CBF: Why such a realistic portrayal?
Museum officials wanted a "hyper real" sculpture. It wasn't until the unveiling that I understood what a good call that was. It's one thing to see skeletons and miniature models of villages, and quite another to confront the likeness of someone who appears to be your contemporary; someone equal to yourself in cognitive potential. It's hard for us to fathom a period of time like 7000 years and easy to overlook the fact that they were very much like us. The sculpture succeeds in drawing the viewer in. The gaze implies intelligence. It reminds us that she was Homo Sapiens.
CBF: How do you measure the success of a sculpture like this?
We may never know how close the likeness is. That's OK. Hopefully it will cause some viewers to reflect on how we perceive long passages of time. To think about their own origins. Perhaps even to ponder the now debunked concept of "race" that my generation was encouraged to believe: obsolete concepts that were finally ground to bits by the human genome project.
The completed sculpture
CBF: How do exhibits like this move the culture forward?
This exhibit is at a nexus between art, natural science, education and entertainment. So it's appealing on different levels to a variety of people. For example, a history buff can leave the exhibit knowing something about how a sculpture like this is made. Hopefully it encourages people to think. Also, these archeologists and museum officials are looking to the future. They want new generations to keep blasting away at questions that have preoccupied mankind from the beginning
You can see the Windover Woman at the Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science located at 2201 Michigan Ave, Cocoa, FL 32926. They're open Wednesday – Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm, year round. Call 321-632-1830 for more information.
This entry was posted in Art Talk, Culture Builds Florida, Spotlight On and tagged Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science, Brian R. Owens, culture builds florida, Florida, history, sculpture, Windover Woman by culturebuildsflorida. Bookmark the permalink.
1 thought on "Artist Brian R. Owens Brings Windover Woman to Life"
brianrowens on November 25, 2015 at 11:10 pm said:
The Florida Historical Society is shooting a video about the Windover story and exhibit, including some footage of the sculpture and how it was made. "Stay tuned" – I'll post a link to their YouTube channel when it's done. Thanks again to Culture Builds Florida. The response has been positive in the extreme. It was gratifying to be a part of this exhibit. (Brian R. Owens)


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