text:
Charlie Ward Apologizes for Making Stereotypical Statements about Jews
Source: New York Daily News
On April 24, 2001, the New York Daily News reported that "hours after NBA commissioner David Stern and two more Jewish organizations criticized Charlie Ward [of the New York Knicks] for his 'uninformed and ill-founded statements' concerning Jews and Jesus Christ, Ward issued a formal apology last night... Ward said the whole controversy came to light only because he was curious about Judaism."
On April 23, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on the response to the Rev. Mickler's decision to bar a rabbi from giving baccalaureate services in his church. "The Rev. Randy Mickler's words earned a standing ovation from his Mount Bethel United Methodist Church congregation Sunday as he defended his refusal to permit a rabbi to speak from his pulpit...The same decision has prompted some Jewish families to cut ties to the Cobb County church's popular youth sports program."
Jesuit School Guidelines Posted on the Web
On April 22, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "the Radio Studiorum, the detailed guidelines for Jesuit education, have been translated and posted on the [Boston College] website." The document is 400 years old, and had previously been available only in rare books sections of large libraries; now it can be found at "Radio Studiorum".
Seminary's Centennial Celebration Includes Indian Blessing Ceremony
Source: The Kansas City Star
On April 21, 2001, The Kansas City Star reported that a sacred Indian Blessing Ceremony will be a highlight of the centennial celebration of Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas City. The seminary is "on a site once occupied by the Delaware Indian Nation."
Three Mormon Temples to Be Built in California
On April 21, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "three new Mormon temples...will be built in California, including one in Newport Beach and one in Redlands" and one in Sacramento. These temples will bring "California's total to seven, the most in any state outside of Utah...Temple rites include weddings and 'vicarious baptisms for the dead,' ceremonies designed to unite deceased relatives who were not originally church members with their family through eternity."
Unitarian Group Seeks More Spirituality in Their Church
Source: The Chicago Tribune
On April 21, 2001, The Chicago Tribune reported that two dozen dissidents have charged the Unitarian Universalist Association of being "extremely intolerant" of people who want to talk about God. They "will meet in Virginia to discuss plans for a new church body for Unitarians who want more God and less politics in church...In time, the Unitarian tradition, which has no creed, [has] shed its exclusively Christian focus and embraced other forms of religious expression, including humanism and Buddhism." The group of dissidents is "...
Read more about Unitarian Group Seeks More Spirituality in Their Church
On April 20, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that Rabbi Steven Lebow claimed to be "flabbergasted" when he was informed that Mount Bethel United Methodist Church would not let him give the address to Walton High School's graduating seniors there because of his Jewish beliefs. ""Our philosophy is that the doors should be open, not closed," he said. "I wouldn't expect him to compromise his faith in Christ. All I want is the same respect from him."
Fashion at Religious Services Becomes More Laid-Back
On April 20, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on the latest fashion trend among Southern Californian worshippers at Sunday services. "Sunday wardrobes now reflect age, ethnicity and even hobbies...Clergy do agree on one thing: Clothes styles don't matter to God. The debate is over whether clothes make, or at least help, the worshiper...Other religions [including Judaism and Islam] have seen a slight dip in fashion formality, though nothing like the eclectic fashion sense of Christian congregations."
Ohio Contemplates Accommodation of Amish Residents
On April 18, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that in the city of Berlin, OH, "state Representative Anthony Latta Jr. is sponsoring a bill to spend $5 million on road projects to help protect Ohio's 35,000 Amish from passing vehicles." There were 161 buggy-car crashes in Ohio in 1999. Latta's bill would fund projects to widen roads and to "improve visibility, add signs, and otherwise accommodate the Amish."
Eastern and Western Churches Seek to Set Common Date for Easter Celebrations
On April 15, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that this year, "for the first time in five years, Eastern Orthodox and Western Christian churches celebrate Easter...on the same date, thanks to a mathematical coincidence that has temporarily masked centuries of disagreement over when to observe the Resurrection." This year's "celebrations have rekindled interest--and raised old concerns--about setting a common date for the holiday...If Christians cannot agree on a date for Easter, they fear, their shared 'witness' to the world...
Read more about Eastern and Western Churches Seek to Set Common Date for Easter Celebrations
Many Modern Easter Traditions Have Roots in Ancient Earth Traditions
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
On April 14, 2001, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that many of the customs with which people celebrate Easter have their origins in "ancient earth traditions." Second-century Christian missionaries found that pagan springtime celebrations occurred at the same time of year as Christianity celebrated the resurrection of Christ. The missionaries "cleverly decided to spread their religious message slowly throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate ancient feasts, but in a Christian manner." The name "...
Read more about Many Modern Easter Traditions Have Roots in Ancient Earth Traditions
Origin of Easter Bunny Explored
On April 14, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported on the origin of the Easter Bunny. "No one's quite sure just how the Easter Bunny became associated with the Christian holiday...He was a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt, a reputation that eventually spread to Europe as the rabbit became one of the featured stars of springtime pagan rituals."
New Bishop Seems Fitting Choice for Increasingly Diverse District
On April 14, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on the new bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Fifth Episcopal District, John Richard Bryant. The district encompasses 250 churches in 14 states west of the Mississippi. "As the church wrestles with dramatically changing demographics, which are reshaping historically black neighborhoods into multicultural ones, church members say no better man than Bryant can lead the way. 'He is the renaissance man of racial reconciliation,' said the Rev. Mark Whitlock."
On April 14, 2001, The Washington Post reported that this year "for the first time in more than a decade, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day as Protestants and Roman Catholics. "In Orthodox eyes...celebrating [Jesus's] resurrection before Passover is historically incorrect and theologically questionable." Protestants and Roman Catholics follow a Gregorian calendar and therefore sometimes celebrate Easter before Passover. Rev. Victor Potapov, rector of St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral in...
Baltimore's Ethnic Diversity Reflected in Easter Celebrations
On April 14, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported on the "ethnic tapestry" that is made up of the different groups celebrating Easter in Baltimore. The article reported on the egg-dying and night vigil of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, the sausage-eating of the city's Polish community, and the choirs of the city's many African-American Baptist churches.


standard	How is That Green Jobs Plan Working Out For You?
Vance Ginn of the Texas Public Policy Foundation explains how Texas and other states can avoid making the mistakes California persists in with state supported "green" jobs initiatives.
Who is Really Behind Your "Local" Anti-Fracking Campaign?


text:
Amnesty calls for "full investigation"
[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2000, 19:57 GMT]
Wednesday's gruesome killing of at least 26 Tamil young men and boys aged between 14 and 23 who were detained for "rehabilitation" near Bandarawela, Sri Lanka, should be investigated fully, Amnesty International said Friday in an open letter to the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga.
"Police and army personnel deployed at the rehabilitation camp failed to protect the inmates from villagers armed with machetes and clubs," Amnesty said. "There are further allegations that some of them may have been involved in inciting the villagers or may have assisted them in entering the camp."
The organization welcomed the President's condemnation of the attack. "However a full impartial investigation is needed to ensure that those found responsible are brought to justice and that compensation is paid to the victims and the relatives of those killed," Amnesty said.
It also urged for a thorough review of provisions in the Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which according to the London based human rights group, "allow for prolonged detention and were key contributing factors in this latest incident."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Full-time rates/fees are charged for enrollment of 12 or more credits for undergraduate students, 12 or more credits for Columbus School of Law day students, 13 or more credits for Columbus School of Law evening students, and 8 or more credits for graduate students.
Students enrolled in joint degree programs with the law school are billed standard law school tuition rates for the entirety of their joint degree program and are considered law school students for the purposes of student financial aid and student loans.
Students enrolled in joint degree graduate programs where the tuition rates for the individual schools differ are billed at the higher tuition rate for the entirety of their joint degree program and are considered students in the higher tuition rate school for the purposes of student financial aid and student loans.
Activities Fees are waived for students studying abroad and for graduate students in fully-online programs.
Note: A portion of the above Education Abroad fees is paid directly to CUAbroad as a program deposit. The remaining balance is billed to the student account.
Note: Enrollment in the CUA Student Medical Insurance plan is required for all domestic students enrolled in 12 or more credits and all international students (regardless of the number of credits enrolled) unless an online coverage waiver is completed by the published deadline. Additional information on the student medical insurance plan and instructions for waiving coverage are available here as well as at the Student Medical Insurance webpage.
Payment is due by the published due date each term. Unpaid balances are subject to late payment fees and interest charges as outlined here.
Housing charges are per semester and include cable T.V. connection, laundry, and internet services. Additional information is available through the Office of Housing Services.
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Rates for prior terms can be found here.


0' The game was played in Ligue 1 on Sunday February 10.
31' Gabriel was shown a yellow card.
33' Ndong was shown a yellow card.
47' Lille took the lead when Rafael Leão scored the first goal.
47' Ikoné was credited with an assist.
79' Mendy was shown a yellow card.
90' Rémy scored a goal for Lille, making it 1-2.


text:
Army approves 'humanist' as religious preference
By Adelle M. Banks Religion News Service
· April 23, 2014 7:44 pm
Washington • More than two years after first making his request, Army Maj. Ray Bradley can now be known as exactly what he is: a humanist in the U.S. military.
"I'm able to self-identity the belief system that governs my life, and I've never been able to do that before," said Bradley, who is stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and works on supporting readiness of the Army Reserve's medical staff.
Lt. Col. Sunset R. Belinsky, an Army spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the "preference code for humanist" became effective April 12 for all members of the Army.
In practical terms, the change means humanists could face fewer hurdles in trying to organize within the ranks; military brass would have better information to aid in planning a deceased soldier's funeral; and it could lay the groundwork for eventually adding humanist chaplains.
The change comes against a backdrop of persistent claims from atheists and other nonbelievers that the military is dominated by a Christian culture that is often hostile to unbelief. In recent years, activists from a spectrum of freethinking organizations have demanded equal treatment as the tradition-bound military grapples with the growth of the spiritual-but-not-religious population.
Jason Torpy, president of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, has been pushing for greater recognition of humanists in the armed services; in February, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the Pentagon on Bradley's behalf.
"This is a big victory," Torpy said, who noted the decision was by the Army and not the other military services. "This is one part, and the easiest part, of a very long list of other reforms that have to happen before we have equality, not just belief or no belief but theistic belief and nontheistic belief like ours."
The ACLU wrote in its letter that members of nontheistic faiths should have the option of describing themselves, just as members of theistic faiths do.
"Given the wide range of religious-preference designations currently allowed by the armed forces," ACLU lawyers wrote, "there is no reason to deny humanism similar recognition."
According to a survey by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, humanists make up 3.6 percent of the U.S. military.
Bradley, 47, said the ability to officially state "humanist" as a religious preference is technically an additional code in the military's database.
"The real importance of this change is that our official military records can reflect humanists now," said Bradley, who initially was listed under the broad category of "no religious preference."
Although he doesn't believe in God, Bradley determined that the term "atheist" was not sufficient for him. Frustrated with the lengthy process in getting the "humanist" designation, he had switched to "atheist" in January 2013. But he said "humanist" explains his life stance, which stresses scientific explanations and maximizing human happiness.
He hopes to work now with Torpy to encourage other humanists in the military to identify themselves and to seek opportunities for them to meet in facilities and advertise their meetings as many religious groups do.
"It may be very difficult, especially for young soldiers, to take such a step," he said, noting some would be wary that they might be discriminated against if they reveal they are humanists.
Chaplain (Col.) Kenneth Stice, director of operations for the Army's Office of the Chief of Chaplains, said the religious preference information — though voluntary — helps the military know how best to respect the religious wishes of an injured or deceased soldier. He said the chaplain corps is beginning to grapple with those who are in the "spiritual but not religious" category and will learn from humanists how to address their particular needs for accommodation.
Bradley said a 2012 meeting at Fort Bragg featuring the president of the American Humanist Association required a "special request" because the group wasn't officially recognized.
"Humanists have life events, just like any other human being," such as weddings and naming ceremonies for babies, he said. "Accommodation for that type of events in life, I think, would be important for the chaplaincy to support."
The religious preference designation could mean that humanist chaplains aren't far behind.
Torpy's organization and groups such as the Secular Coalition for America continue to seek humanist chaplains in the military. But Bradley said he sees a more gradual process: first the designation, then a layperson designated as a "distinctive faith group leader" and eventually a chaplain.
"The military doesn't usually turn on a dime like that," he said. "I would see it more as a progression of steps."


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text:
Toronto FC rues continued defensive issues
By Neil DavidsonThe Canadian Press
Tues., Sept. 25, 2018timer3 min. read
Every goal has a tale to tell and, on pace for a franchise-worst 66 goals against, Toronto FC can fill volumes this season.
"It's the difference in our season," coach Greg Vanney said Tuesday. "The amount of goals that we have given up is an enormous problem."
The latest goals, in Saturday's 2-0 loss at the New York Red Bulls, are another sorry story — errors on top of errors.
The opener, in the 70th minute, was a 25-second real-time sequence that in the cool light of day takes Vanney some two minutes to verbally dissect.
Teenage midfielder Ballou Tabla to play for Canada
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It started with Jonathan Osorio taking a Toronto free kick in the Red Bulls end. The ball went to defender Nick Hagglund, whose attempted pass to Tosaint Ricketts was intercepted by Tyler Adams.
The Red Bulls midfielder popped the ball down the field in the air, with a retreating Hagglund unable to get his head to it. With Hagglund's body twisted around, Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips got a foot to the ball and poked it to Derrick Etienne, whose cross from the byline deflected off a lunging Hagglund and landed in front of goal where goalkeeper Alex Bono, defender Chris Mavinga and Wright-Phillips all collided, leaving Argentina's Kaku to steer it home through three defenders.
"Now it becomes a scrum of sorts. You get on the wrong end and it ends up in the back of the net," Vanney said. "But I felt like we probably had four opportunities to deal with that play before it got to that point and at no point did we actually stop their ability to get to that area of the field which is right in front of our goal.
The second goal, in the 94th minute, followed a Toronto goal kick. After some aerial pinball the ball went to Wright-Phillips who, evading an Osorio attempted tackle, tried to send a through ball to Etienne.
Toronto defender Eriq Zavaleta got a foot to it first but the ball went right back to the Red Bulls forward at midfield and his deft chip evaded a back-peddling Zavaleta, who fell over on the play after misjudging the ball, and found Etienne.
"At that point we're kind of in a crisis situation," Vanney said. "We've lost control of this action again and now they're in on goal."
Etienne then popped the ball over Bono in the net with three Toronto players racing towards him.
The end is near for Toronto, at least in terms of the post-season, with five games remaining.
Ninth-place Toronto (8-15-6) stands 10 points behind the Montreal Impact (12-14-4), who occupy the sixth and last playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. A Toronto loss or draw against eighth-place New England (8-10-11) on Saturday at BMO Field coupled with a Montreal win at seventh-place D.C. United (9-11-8) would mathematically end TFC's run at the playoffs.
Toronto got some encouraging news with word that striker Jozy Altidore's ankle injury may not be too serious.
Altidore, who has had foot and ankle problems before, limped off in the 48th minute Saturday. But Vanney says the U.S. international has not been ruled out of this weekend's game.
Fellow forward Sebastian Giovinco continues to work his way back from a calf injury that kept him out of the Red Bulls game. But veteran defender Drew Moor is listed as "very questionable" with a calf strain.
The Toronto defence has been hit hard with injuries this season with the absence of Moor and Mavinga particularly painful. In the absence of Moor, Vanney has taken to playing midfielder Michael Bradley in the back once again to direct the backline.
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Nothing seems to work. Only the Los Angeles Galaxy (59), San Jose Earthquakes (63) and Orlando City (66) have conceded more goals than Toronto this season.
Minnesota United is tied with Toronto at 57 goals given up.
Couple a porous defence with a TFC team that is 0-14-1 when conceding the first goal and you have trouble.
Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco


How to prevent stomach burns?
If you want to enjoy eating and drinking with the occasion of a party or during the holidays, while avoiding the unpleasant consequences over the digestive system (burns, flatulence, bloating), you need to learn some tricks.
– avoid caffeine, as it stimulates the appetite and you will tend to eat more. This way, the GERD vicious cycle can return. Also, don't drink too much alcohol, as it can irritate your stomach and intestines and can cause indigestion.
– do not eat to much at one meal. Portion control can be extremely important, as it can cause major imbalances of the digestive system.
– eat more salad and stay away from fat sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes or onions.
– ginger can prove to be efficient to combat GERD. Cabbage, carrots, peas, broccoli and green beans also have a calming effect.
– choose multi-grain bread or corn-bread instead of white, regular one.
If the discomfort created by stomach burns or bloating persists, ask the advice of a medical specialists in order for you to make sure you're receiving an adequate treatment for your condition.


Eighties. We're living in the eighties.
THE SCENE: In 2001 Limp Bizkit mastermind Fred Durst stopped making crap music just long enough to sign singer-songwriter Kenna to his label. The Ethiopian-born Virginia transplant then handcrafted his fizzy and fun debut album New Sacred Cow.
A red neon homage to new wave music it uniquely incorporates the soaring and slightly British vocals, big melodies and plastic squiggly tones of 80s modern rock while injecting a hip-hop flavor into the concrete-tough rhythm tracks. Imagine Duran Duran and Depeche Mode produced by Dr. Dre and you're in the ballpark.
Kenna layers his lilting, desperate voice over the songs like a warm headscarf, giving you a deep immersion into his laments. His beautiful phrasing neatly knits the dirty bouncing regret of "Freetime". The electro-gospel "Vexed And Glorious" features a syncopated busy signal anchored by a rippling snare and zooms like a quick drive away from the club.
This is also an eerily accurate prediction of how his album would get to the public.
THE FALLOUT: A single was released in 2001 but his label refused to release the album, citing their inability to market a black new wave musician. After two years in limbo New Sacred Cow was finally issued on a different label, but positive press and a high-profile tour did not result in significant sales or a mark change in the original marketing conundrum.
Kenna's promotional dilemma did inspire an interesting chapter in Malcolm Gladwell's best-selling book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Not that marketing him would be easy, but as he didn't appear in his first two music videos, and as the only picture of him in his own CD booklet is a one inch tall, black and white portrait of him hiding his face, it seems that someone has a problem with the race issue.
New Sacred Cow is a refreshing sponge of synth-pop styles and self-examination, sunny and seductive, and singularly sensational. And kinda silly.
NEXT WEEK: Seu Jorge swims out into open water.


AMMAN — Civil Defence Department (CDD) Deputy Director Maj. Gen. Nasser Abu Baqar on Wednesday received Belgian Trade Minister Cécile Jodogne and Belgian Ambassador Hendrik van de Velde at the Central Region Rescue and Support Department.
The two officials discussed cooperation in the field of training and exchanging expertise, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
For their part, the delegates commended the advanced level of the CDD, voicing Belgium's willingness to continue cooperation and coordination with the Kingdom to serve the goals of civil protection, Petra said.


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Andy Vores' opera, No Exit, has returned to Boston after its premiere here in 2008. A clever and passionate setting of Sartre's famous play, it is being presented in Guerilla Opera's engrossing and intriguing production at Boston Conservatory's black-box Zack Theater in sold-out shows through Sunday. I attended Thursday's.
Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit was a huge success upon its premiere in 1944. A dramatic enactment of the author's philosophical principals, it shows three people in hell. As they interrogate and provoke one another, the audience sees them lie to themselves and to the others, and watch as they suffer with the need to be perceived by one another. Known best through its usually misunderstood motto "Hell is other people", at this distance it has an undergraduate aura about it, and the writing's philosophical underpinnings are obvious and inelegant. Once one has tired of the intellectual justification for the work, you are left with three justifiably damned people, complaining and treating each other poorly. Vores' libretto sticks very closely with the original; while unable to compare it line-by-line during the performance, it felt like every plot beat I could recall from having read the play made it into the opera, and most of the lines had the same shape. As such, it is not an operatic transformation but more a setting of the text. The composer's brilliant insight is that the text not only can tolerate being sung, but that the addition of music would give the events on stage a dimension of emotional and theatricality that could put flesh back on the philosophical bones. The opera casts its spell slowly, but once it reaches its stride there is much to admire.
The production is presented in the round in the extremely intimate Zack Theater, which appears to hold about 50 or 60 for this production. As the audience seats itself the three new inhabitants of hell, Garcin (tenor Jonas Budris), Inez (mezzo-soprano Christina English) and Estelle (soprano Aliana de la Guardia) are already on stage, as is the entire set – a couch and two chairs, each of which holds one of the actors, and a door. In addition, the Valet (baritone Jonathan Nussman) prowls around the edge of the acting area. The three seated actors suffer almost silently before us as we wait for the production to start. The Valet gives the curtain speech, complete with paradoxical emergency instructions (think about it). Nussman's Valet has an off-center delivery that combines the sensibilities of a luxury hotel concierge and a Secret Service operative, with a touch of Lurch from the Addams Family.
The music of the opera is performed by a small, unorthodox ensemble of saxophone, viola, cello and percussion (Kent O'Doherty, Gabriella Diaz, Nicole Cariglia and Mike Williams, respectively). The opening of the pieces establishes the characters and shows them struggling to come to terms with the strangeness of this hell (no torture devices, no obvious flames) and the awkwardness of their being thrust together. The texture of the opening is thin: individual instrumentalists play rapid passages that reiterate a handful of pitches, supported by the percussion creating an unsettled and static cloud of sound. Through this the vocalists sing lines that are consonant without establishing strong melody. Vores' vocal writing throughout attends closely to the patterns of speech; significant stretches of this early section almost don't register as opera, so natural is the delivery. The color of the ensemble and the pitch choices change from character to character, but the opening threatens to stretch into boredom.
As the characters begin to explain why they are in hell, initially lying about it though, the diffuse materials begin to resolve themselves, beginning a process that structures the rest of the opera. This first episode is comic, with a hint of Kurt Weill. The characters' bad faith is made clear by their breaking into speech just as their story threatens to reveal too much. From this point on, the action of the play becomes more broadly emotional, and the material for each new outburst of sentiment is gathered from the pointillistic exposition of the first third.
The relative shallowness of Sartre's characterization turns out to match opera convention well, where a bit of stereotyping helps match voice to character and action. Jonas Budris' tenor is sensitive and soft-edged, belying Garcin's bluster and need to appear macho. Much of the overt conflict is between Inez and Estelle—Inez is attracted to Estelle, and also seems to know just how to get under her skin. Estelle's need to be acknowledged by Garcin infuriates Inez, and leads to a scene that is part seduction, but mostly torture. English's focused, occasionally severe tone confronts de la Guardia's warm but powerful soprano. De la Guardia gets the most crowd-pleasing moments in the score—Estelle's narcissism and preening gives her a shade of diva, and de la Guardia does not let any such moment escape her. However, apart from a few moments where the vocal lines rise to the tops of registers, there is not much display for display's sake in No Exit.
Once the motivations and weaknesses of the characters are laid bare, the piece does lose some forward momentum; this I blame on Sartre. As the characters all evolve into a weakly motivated hysteria, Vores gathers them into dramatic set pieces which keep the emotional temperature high, but lend a tiring sameness to the intensity. One thing lost by the conversion to opera is the sarcastic humor of the original—sung rather than spoken, the lines come off as arch rather than cutting.
The nimble stage direction by Nathan Troup, aided by Julia Noulin-Mérat's black minimalist set kept this 90-minutes-long sung conversation visually exciting. The set pieces were rolled around constantly to present new stage pictures; it did appear that the door may have blocked some parts of the audience during the opening of the piece, but it is soon disposed of creatively. I have never attended a production in the round where I didn't find myself watching the backs of actors when I wanted to see their faces, but only once did this occur from where I was sitting (on the right side of the stage as you enter the house). Lara de Bruijn's costumes are in black-grey with black creeping up from the ground—a sign of decay, or perhaps even of flame. Daniel B. Chapman's vivid and often surprising lighting shaped the emotions of the piece, and provided needed color to a production otherwise overwhelmingly black.
But it is the exquisite communication and coordination of the performers that makes No Exit linger. There is no conductor, and the vocalists are often unable to see the ensemble, and yet the singers and the instrumentalists play together. The actors are able to deliver their lines directly to one another, and there is an incredible sense of intimacy, which is only intensified by the smallness of the space; at one point Estelle's dress dragged over my shoes. I wonder what it was like to be on the other side of the room, where the seduction takes place; it felt quite powerful even from a distance. At an hour and twenty minutes, the opera is just long enough, but that much intimacy is a lot to take, and the claustrophobia took some time to dissipate once I left the theater.
The opening-night webcast is online.
Watch and judge for yourselves.
p.s. – the show starts at about 9:00.


Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise live a fairly quiet life, away from the cameras and tabloid headlines, of course with the exception of those reports about Holmes's long relationship with Jamie Foxx. It's not often that Cruise, who will turn 13 on April 18, shows up on her mom's Instagram grid, but early Saturday morning Holmes posted a black-and-white photo of her daughter from their time at the Moria Refugee Camp, in Greece.
In the photo, Suri high-fives a young child from the camp, and her mother accompanied the image with a series of hearts. The mother-daughter pair spent the week in Greece working with children and women living at the camp, which is located on the island of Lesbos.
Throughout the week, Holmes shared several photos of her work at the camp, including a series of photos showing her making art with the women there.
In another photo, Holmes is seen being filmed by someone with a camera capturing her artwork. "I love these women who became our friends as we collaborated on many different projects this week," she wrote. "I am so very grateful for this experience. The resilience of these women is so profound and truly inspiring to witness. and I pray for refugees everywhere."
The Moria Refugee camp came under fire last year when The New York Times released a report about the poor living conditions at the facilities. The Times reported in October 2018 that refugees, who are mostly Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan, waited in line for as long as 12 hours to receive food that was already moldy.
"I have been in some pretty horrendous camps and situations," said Louise Roland-Gosselin, head of mission in Greece for Doctors Without Borders, told the Times. "I have to say that Moria is the camp in which I've seen the highest level of suffering."


text:
Q: How do I utilize text in a string as a method? Say I want my user to type a command into a string:
String command = scan.nextLine();

And they type something like object.function(). How could I call the function they typed?

A: Use Reflection to find and invoke the method on a particular object by name.
This will help you out:
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/reflect/member/methodInvocation.html
Something similar to this:
Class c = Class.forName("targetName");
Object o = c.newInstance();

OR

c = myExistingObj.getClass();

Method m = c.getDeclaredMethod("getSomething");
m.invoke(o, <params>);

A: If the function exists somewhere in your code then use this:
ActivateUserDefAction.class.getMethod("method", null).invoke(this, null);

A: You might want to try Janino as a script evaluator, which can compile, load and run Java code on the fly.

A: I would use an if else statement or (ick) a switch case statement. Since java is compiled you can't just write code and have java execute it.
For example:
Object duck = new Object();
String userInput = System.in.read();
if (userInput = "duck.quack();"){
//do something
duck.quack();
}
else if (userInput = "duck.fly();"){
//do something else
duck.fly();
}
//etc.

*

*Edited to add a code example

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Where is the intellectual heir to Henry Ford, the great entrepreneur and inventor? He hated unions but famously boosted his workers' pay so they could afford to buy the cars they built.
There are far more jobs now assembling burgers than cars. And the people who run fast food chains are doing their best to ignore the growing calls for paying their workers more than starvation wages.
But it's getting harder to swim against the rising tide of the Fight for 15 movement, which demands a living wage for fast food work.
Just ask McDonald's USA President Jeff Stratton, who recently had to find some way to respond to Nancy Salgado. She's the McDonald's worker who barged into a fancy luncheon a few weeks ago to demand that he answer a burning question.
"Do you think this is fair that I have to be making $8.25 when I've been working at McDonald's for 10 years?" the mother of two asked in a confrontation captured by a video that went viral. "I've been there 40 years," was his irrelevant answer.
Life's not going so swimmingly for the middle class either. We still do have one, but it's shrinking as median income stagnates. While the rich have gotten richer and richer, a typical American household took home less money last year than it did in 1989.
And have you ever noticed that while the United States supposedly celebrates our workers on Labor Day in early September, the rest of the world does this on May 1?
This is either ironic or absurd, since May Day marks the anniversary of the bloody Haymarket clash in 1886. The ruckus began when labor activists in Chicago went on strike to press their then-radical demand for an eight-hour workday.
This calendar conundrum was no accident. Bureaucrats and managers deliberately tried to keep our workers from sharing any global pangs of solidarity, lest they be tempted to make common cause across borders.
Labor organizing is more urgent than ever in this era of disappearing jobs, diminishing wages, contingent labor contracts, vanishing pensions, fading unions, hazardous work sites, unpaid overtime, booming part-time and temp growth, political attacks on Social Security veiled as "entitlement reform," and an unsympathetic media.
The rich and comfortably employed have a stake in this too, because abusing workers hurts the economy. It's a simple matter of supply and demand.
When workers' wages are so low that they lack any discretionary income, they don't buy much. Consumer spending evaporates.
Today, with all national income growth vacuumed up by the top 1 percent and 46 million of us living in poverty, this is clearly the case.


text:
Has Economic Policy Uncertainty Hampered the Recovery?
Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics Working Paper No. 2012-003
See all articles by Scott R. Baker
Scott R. Baker
Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, Department of Finance
Nicholas Bloom
Stanford University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Steven J. Davis
University of Chicago; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
You are currently viewing this paper
Date Written: February 3, 2012
The U.S. economy hit bottom in June 2009. Thirty months later, output growth remains sluggish and unemployment still hovers above 8%. A critical question is why. One view attributes the weak recovery, at least in part, to high levels of uncertainty about economic policy. This view entails two claims: First, that policy uncertainty is unusually high in recent years. Second, that high levels of policy uncertainty caused households and businesses to hold back significantly on spending, investment and hiring. We take a look at both claims in this article. We start by considering an index of economic policy uncertainty developed in Baker, Bloom and Davis (2012). Figure 1, which plots our index, indicates that economic policy uncertainty fluctuates strongly over time. The index shows historically high levels of economic policy uncertainty in the last four years. It reached an all-time peak in August 2011.
As discussed below, we also find evidence that policy concerns account for an unusually high share of overall economic uncertainty in recent years. Moreover, short-term movements in overall economic uncertainty more closely track movements in policy-related uncertainty in the past decade than earlier. In short, our analysis provides considerable support for the first claim of the policy uncertainty view.
The second claim is harder to assess because it raises difficult issues of what causes what. We do not provide a definitive analysis of the second claim. Nevertheless, our evidence suggests that policy uncertainty can damage the economy, and that high levels of policy uncertainty have been an important factor hampering the recovery. We find evidence that increases in economic policy uncertainty foreshadow declines in output, employment and investment. While we cannot say that economic policy uncertainty necessarily causes these negative developments – since many factors move together in the economy – we can say with some confidence high levels of policy uncertainty are associated with weaker growth prospects.
Keywords: Policy uncertainty index, news-based uncertainty measure, tax-code expirations, forecaster disagreement, slow recovery
JEL Classification: E60, C43
Baker, Scott R. and Bloom, Nicholas and Davis, Steven J., Has Economic Policy Uncertainty Hampered the Recovery? (February 3, 2012). Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics Working Paper No. 2012-003. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2009451 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2009451
Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, Department of Finance ( email )
Landau Economics Building, Room 231
HOME PAGE: http://economics.stanford.edu/faculty/bloom
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )
Steven J. Davis (Contact Author)
University of Chicago ( email )
5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue


Convert MP4, AVI, MPEG, M4V, MKV, and H.264 into DVDs.
Resize video files of various formats.
Download and convert videos between various formats.
Convert video files to Apple ProRes format.
Create and edit 2D or 3D videos.


text:
Q: Convert All Images to RGB for Transfer I am using JNA to access openCV, in my application I have one function that returns an array of RGB values to java for display which is fine if the image is actually uses rgb color space but if the image is hsv or a binary image it produces odd behavior artifacts how i can detect what color space it is using and convert everything to rgb before transfer and convert them to rgb if they arent?

A: You can't detect if an image is rgb or not by direct examination of the the three buffers. You need to know what format it's in before making it available to another process or app.
I suggest you decide to use rgb for all your interprocess buffers and ensure that all the images are converted to rgb in each originating process.
in Opencv use "CvtColor" to get the native bgr into rgb. From other apps - if they don't support image conversion - then you can use cvconvert to get them all into rgb if you need to.
You can also use "Merge" and "Mixchannels" to make simple rgb to bgr without any fuss and in-place.
in 2.2 there is a better rgb to hsv fuinction which uses all 256 values for hue. it is better than the older one.
docs here: http://opencv.willowgarage.com/wiki/


text:
« Geulah
There must be a creator vs. Global Warming »
1 sheep and 70 wolves
At least someone from New Zealand has brains
Everyone that lives in Jerusalem is condemning UN Security Council Resolution 2334
Even American Jews are complaining:
From israel matzav: Oh, what a tangled web we weave. When first we practise to deceive!
חֲנֻכָּה Hanukkah is here. Hopefully people will do Teshuvah. Just look at the Hanukah Geography
An announcement of the Haifa Jewish Community Committee declaring 3 days of events against the Nazi inferno: including a day of fast and prayer, a day of cessation from work and a public protest assembly, 1942
We need to go to the field and beg Hashem to help us. Trusting in flesh and blood rulers will not work. Only Hashem is our true King of Kings. We need to turn to our Gedolim for guidance.
The Remarkable Shepherd
Friday, 05 December 2014 http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2014/12/bedouin_shepher.html
The Midrash tells us that when Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chanania (one of Rabbi Akiva's teachers) was visiting Rome, he was summoned by Adrianus Caesar. Caesar said, "I find a sheep that is capable of surviving among 70 wolves quite remarkable!"
"Such a sheep is less remarkable," replied Rabbi Yehoshua, "than the shepherd that's capable of protecting it from the seventy wolves!"
Interpretation: The seventy wolves – the nations of the world, inherently hostile to Israel; the sheep – Israel; the shepherd – Hashem.
Wolves and Briars
Thursday, 10 June 2010 http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2010/06/pick_a_path_of_.html
Someone asked me how to sum up current events in one spiritual-standpoint sentence:
"If a flock of sheep is so inane as to stray from the shepherd – thinking that they know a better way to green pastures than the shepherd does – they'll definitely run into a pack of wolves."
One who strays off the path shouldn't complain when scratched by the briars.
Emuna – a Working Definition
Emuna is the firm belief in a single, supreme, omniscient, benevolent, spiritual, supernatural, and all-powerful Creator of the universe, whom we refer to as G-d. He alone cares for each of us in a unique, tailor-made fashion according to our own individual needs. Everything that happens to us in life is the product of G-d's will and personal intervention in our lives, which we refer to as Divine providence, or DP. DP is designed to help us perform our task in life and to assist us in realizing ou personal potential to the hilt.
"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
– Genesis 12:1-3
Hanukah Geography
21December2019 http://myrightword.blogspot.com/2019/12/hanukah-geography.html
During the period when the Land of Israel was ruled by the Seleucid dynasty of the Syrian-Greek Empire, Antiochus IV came to be the emperor in 174 BCE. He was known as called Epiphanes. He sought to unify his subjects by forcing upoon them a common religion and culture. For the Jews of Judea this meant a suppression of Jewish law. He also interfered in matters of the Holy Temple worship.
Eventually, a revolt broke out, sparked by the actions a priestly family, the Hasmoneans, in Modiin led at first by Mattityahu and then his sons. They became known as the Maccabees and were quite successful in their tactics of guerrilla warfare. The Syrian-Greek occupiers were defeated. Returning to liberated Jerusalem and led by Judah, they entered the Temple courtyards, removed the idols placed there by the Syrians, built a new altar and dedicated it on the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev, in the year 139 BCE.
Seeking oil to light the Menorah, they found only a small cruse of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. It was sufficient to create light for only one day. By a miracle of God, it continued to burn for eight days.
This is, in concise form, the Hanukah story.
But where did the story take place? Where were the battles? Where was the Temple?
What is the geography of Hanukah?
Here is a map of the major sites of the Hanukah story:
The Chanukah Map – Sites of the Maccabees 166-161 BCE
http://www.jr.co.il/t/chanukah-map/index.html
Here is another:
Here is a map of the entire period of the Hasmonean reign which continued until 63 BCE or so when the territory controlled expanded across the Jordan River as it was previously from Biblical times:
In other words, if we apply contemporary terms, the main site of the miracle we celebrate by lighting candles for eight days, Temple. is now in… "occupied East Jerusalem".
The major battles the Maccabees waged were:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maccabean_Revolt#Timeline
Battle of Wadi Haramia (167 BCE)
Battle of Beth Horon (166 BCE)
Battle of Emmaus (166 BCE)
Battle of Beth Zur (164 BCE)
Battle of Beth Zechariah (162 BCE)
Battle of Adasa (161 BCE)
Battle of Elasa (160 BCE)
All in what is mistakenly called the "West Bank".
Of course, this would mean that we would might think that we are celebrating a holiday of occupation.
But that would be wrong. In fact, it is the language and rhetoric of "occupation" used today that is what is wrong and incorrect.
What we need is a linguistic revolt, especially among Jews.
Jewish control/administration over Judea and Samaria and all of Jerusalem is not wrong, not immoral but a return to the true geography of the Jewish national home, Judaism and Jewish history.
Rabbi Meir Kahane Tells the Truth AZZ Conceal
Greatest Speech Ever Delivered at U.N. * Moynihan on Zionism is Racism, 1975
New poll shows Palestinian Arabs don't want peace, under ANY circumstances
Friday, January 26, 2018 http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2018/01/new-poll-shows-palestinian-arabs-dont.html
A joint poll by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research (TSC), Tel Aviv University and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) shows that Palestinians are against any possible solution to the conflict.
Their press release doesn't say it, but the poll itself does.
A series of options are given to Palestinians:
Mutual recognition of Palestine and Israel as the homelands of their respective peoples. The
agreement will mark the end of conflict, Israel will fight terror against Palestinians, and no further
claims will be made by either side. 56.9% oppose.
The independent Palestinian state which will be established in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
will be demilitarized (no heavy weaponry) 77.4% oppose
A multinational force will be established and deployed in the Palestinian state to ensure the
security and safety of both sides. Support or oppose? 60.5% oppose
The Palestinian state will have sovereignty over its air space, its land, and its water resources, but
Israel will maintain two early warning stations in the West Bank for 15 years. Support or oppose? 67.2% oppose
The Palestinian state will be established in the entirety of West Bank and the Gaza strip, except
for several blocs of settlement which will be annexed to Israel in a territorial exchange. Israel will
evacuate all other settlements. 62.7% oppose
The territories Palestinians will receive in exchange will be similar to the size of the settlement
blocs that will be annexed to Israel. Support or oppose? 70.6% oppose
East Jerusalem will be the capital of the Palestinian state and West Jerusalem the capital of the
Israel. Support or oppose? 71.6% oppose
In the Old City of Jerusalem, the Muslim and Christian quarters and al Haram al Sharif will
come under Palestinian sovereignty and the Jewish quarter and the Wailing Wall will come under
Israeli sovereignty. Support or oppose? 71.4% oppose
The only provision they supported was "right of return":
Palestinian refugees will have the right of return to their homeland whereby the Palestinian state
will settle all refugees wishing to live in it. Israel will allow the return of about 100,000 Palestinians as part of a of family unification program. All other refugees will be compensated. Support or oppose? 52.4% supported
For the majority that opposed a package deal of "demilitarization of the Palestinian state, equal territorial exchange, the family unification in Israel of 100,000 Palestinian refugees, East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine and West Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and the end of the conflict," they were asked if any futher sweetening of the deal would change their minds:
If in addition to the above items of the permanent settlement package, Israel agreed to accept the
Arab peace initiative and in return all Arab countries supported this peace treaty? Support or oppose? 69.9% oppose.
The agreement states that the state of Palestine will have a democratic political system based on
rule of law, periodic elections, free press, strong parliament, independent judiciary and equal rights for religious and ethnic minorities as well as strong anti-corruption measures. 58.6% oppose.
The agreement includes formal guarantees by the US, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who will create a
joint commission to ensure proper implementation on both sides. 68.1% oppose.
The agreement states that Palestinians, including refugees, are allowed, if they wish, to live as
permanent residents inside Israel while maintaining their Palestinian citizenship, as long as they are law
abiding 70.4% oppose
The agreement allows the current Palestinian National Security Force to become an army with
light weapons but without heavy weapons 80.8% oppose
The agreement states that Israel recognizes the Nakba and the suffering of refugees, and
provides compensation to refugees? 58.1% oppose
Also, when given a choice of options (status quo, armed resistance, unarmed resistance, peace treaty) a plurality of Palestinians preferred armed resistance over peace, 38% to 26%.
The only thing that Palestinians agree on is that they do not want peace.
The poll didn't ask the obvious question, because the people behind it don't want the world to know the answer, but the real question should have been: Do you hope to see Israel destroyed and replaced by Palestine?
Other questions that would illuminate how Palestinians feel might include "would you support an Iranian nuclear attack against Tel Aviv, even if it would kill thousands of Arabs in Jaffa?"
The Palestinian zero-sum mentality, now proven by a poll
In the Israeli–Palestinian conflict nothing can be done that's good for both sides, whatever is
good for one side is bad for the other side: agree or disagree?
72% of Palestinians agreed that peace is a zero-sum game. If it is good for Israel – meaning, peace and having normal relations with the Arab world – then it must be bad for Palestinians.
These polls dance around the real feelings of the Palestinians because the answers would far more explicitly show that they have no desire for a real, permanent peace with Israel. Yet one only has to look at these (unpublicized) results from the poll to see that this is exactly what they feel.
Don't expect the media to notice, though.
Column One: Obama and Israel, strike and counter-strike
By CAROLINE B. GLICK 12/29/2016 http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Column-One-Obama-and-Israel-strike-and-counter-strike-476948
Resolution 2334 asserts that Israel has no right to any of the lands it took control over during the Six-Day War.
UN Security Council Resolution 2334 was the first prong of outgoing President Barack Obama's lame duck campaign against Israel.
US Secretary of State John Kerry's speech on Wednesday was the second.
On January 15, stage 3 will commence in Paris.
At France's lame duck President François Hollande's international conference, the foreign ministers of some 50 states are expected to adopt as their own Kerry's anti-Israel principles.
The next day it will be Obama's turn. Obama can be expected to use the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to present the Palestinian war to annihilate Israel as a natural progression from the American Civil Rights movement that King led 50 years ago.
Finally, sometime between January 17 and 19, Obama intends for the Security Council to reconvene and follow the gang at the Paris conference by adopting Kerry's positions as a Security Council resolution. That follow-on resolution may also recognize "Palestine" and grant it full membership in the UN.
True, Kerry said the administration will not put forward another Security Council resolution.
But as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained in his response to Kerry's address, there is ample reason to suspect that France or Sweden, or both, will put forth such a resolution. Since the draft will simply be a restatement of Kerry's speech, Obama will not veto it.
Whether or not Obama gets his second Security Council resolution remains to be seen. But whether he succeeds or fails, he's already caused most of the damage. A follow-on resolution will only amplify the blow Israel absorbed with 2334.
Resolution 2334 harms Israel in two ways. First, it effectively abrogates Resolution 242 from 1967 which formed the basis of Israeli policy-making for the past 49 years. Second, 2334 gives a strategic boost to the international campaign to boycott the Jewish state.
Resolution 242 anchored the cease-fire between Israel and its neighbors at the end of the Six Day War. It stipulated that in exchange for Arab recognition of Israel's right to exist in secure and defensible borders, Israel would cede some of the territories it took control over during the war.
Resolution 242 assumed that Israel has a right to hold these areas and that an Israeli decision to cede some of them to its neighbors in exchange for peace would constitute a major concession.
Resolution 242 is deliberately phrased to ensure that Israel would not be expected to cede all of the lands it took control over in the Six Day War. The resolution speaks of "territories," rather than "the territories" or "all the territories" that Israel took control over during the war.
Resolution 2334 rejects 242's founding assumptions.
Resolution 2334 asserts that Israel has no right to any of the lands it took control over during the war. From the Western Wall to Shiloh, from Hebron to Ariel, 2334 says all Israeli presence in the areas beyond the 1949 armistice lines is crime.
Given that Israel has no right to hold territory under 2334, it naturally follows that the Palestinians have no incentive to give Israel peace. So they won't. The peace process, like the two-state solution, ended last Friday night to the raucous applause of all Security Council members.
As for the boycott campaign, contrary to what has been widely argued, 2334 does not strengthen the boycott of "settlements." It gives a strategic boost to the boycott of Israel as a whole.
It calls on states "to distinguish in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967."
Since no Israeli firm makes that distinction, all Israeli economic activity is now threatened with boycott. Tnuva is an "occupation" dairy because it supplies communities beyond the 1949 lines.
Bank Hapoalim is an "occupation" bank because it operates ATM machines in post-1967 neighborhoods in Jerusalem. The Fox clothing chain is an "occupation" chain because it has a store in Gush Etzion. And so on and so forth.
Resolution 2334 gives Europe and its NGOs a green light to wage a complete trade and cultural boycott against all of Israel.
Obama is not using his final weeks in office to wage war on Israel because he hates Netanyahu.
He is not deliberately denying 3,500 years of Jewish history in the Land of Israel because the Knesset is set to pass the Regulations Law that will make it marginally easier for Jews to exercise property rights in Judea and Samaria, as Kerry and UN Ambassador Samantha Power claimed.
Obama's onslaught against Israel is the natural endpoint of a policy he has followed since he first entered the White House. In June 2009, Obama denied the Jews' 3,500 years of history in the Land of Israel in his speech in Cairo before an audience packed with members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Instead of the truth, Obama adopted the Islamist propaganda lie that Israel was established because Europe felt guilty about the Holocaust.
Throughout his presidency, Obama has rejected the guiding principle of Resolution 242. His antisemitic demand that Israel deny its Jewish citizens their civil and property rights in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria simply because they are Jews is just as antithetical to 242 as is Resolution 2334.
In his speech, Kerry repeatedly castigated the government while flattering the Israeli Left in yet another attempt to divide and polarize Israeli society. Kerry's professed support for the Israeli Left is deeply ironic because Israeli leftists are the primary casualties of Obama's anti-Israel assault.
In the post-242 world that Obama initiated, the UN makes no distinction between Jerusalem and Nablus, between Gush Etzion and Jenin, or between Ma'aleh Adumim and Ramallah. In this world, Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog's plan to retain a mere 2-3% of Judea and Samaria is no more acceptable than Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett's plan to apply Israeli law to 60% of the area or to other plans calling for Israeli law to be applied to all of Judea and Samaria. All are equally unlawful. All are equally unacceptable.
For the next three weeks, the government's focus must be centered on Obama and minimizing the damage he is able to cause Israel. Since Israel cannot convince Hollande to cancel his conference or Obama not to give his speech, Israeli efforts must be concentrated on scuttling Obama's plan to enact a follow-on resolution.
To scuttle another resolution, Israel needs to convince seven members of the Security Council not to support it. Only measures that secure the support of nine out of 15 Security Council members are permitted to come to a vote. The states that are most susceptible to Israeli lobbying are Italy, Ethiopia, Japan, Egypt, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Russia.
Netanyahu's furious response to 2334 advance the goal of blocking a vote on a follow-on resolution in two ways. First, they create Israeli leverage in seeking to convince member states to oppose voting on an additional resolution before January 20.
Second, Netanyahu's seemingly unrestrained response to the Obama administration's onslaught enables Donald Trump to join him in pressuring Security Council members to oppose bringing a new resolution for a vote.
By taking an extreme position of total rejection of Obama's actions, Netanyahu is enabling Trump to block a vote while striking a moderate tone.
In three weeks, Obama's war with Israel will end. His final legacy – the destruction of the landfor- peace paradigm and the two-state policy-making model – obligate Israel, for the first time in 50 years, to determine by itself its long-term goals in relation to the international community, the Palestinians and Judea and Samaria.
Regarding the international community, the Security Council opened the door for its members to boycott Israel. As a result, Israel should show the UN and its factotums the door. Israel should work to de-internationalize the Palestinian conflict by expelling UN personnel from its territory.
The same is the case with the EU. Once Britain exits the EU, Israel should end the EU's illegal operations in Judea and Samaria and declare EU personnel acting illegally persona non grata.
As for the Palestinians, Resolution 2334 obligates Israel to reconsider its recognition of the PLO. Since 1993, Israel has recognized the PLO despite its deep and continuous engagement in terrorism. Israel legitimized the PLO because the terrorist group was ostensibly its partner in peace. Now, after the PLO successfully killed the peace process by getting the Security Council to abrogate 242, Israel's continued recognition of the PLO makes little sense. Neither PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas nor his deputies in Fatah – convicted, imprisoned mass murderer and terrorism master Marwan Barghouti, and Jibril Rajoub who said he wishes he had a nuclear bomb so he could drop it on Israel and who tried to get Israel expelled from FIFA – has any interest in recognizing Israel, let alone making peace with it. The same of course can be said for the PLO's coalition partner Hamas.
An Israeli decision to stop recognizing the PLO will also have implications for the Trump administration.
In the aftermath of 2334, calls are steadily mounting in Congress for the US to cancel its recognition of the PLO and end US financial support for the Palestinian Authority. If Israel has already ended its recognition of the PLO, chances will rise that the US will follow suit. Such a US move will have positive strategic implications for Israel.
There is also the question of the Palestinian militias that are deployed to Judea and Samaria as part of the peace process that Obama and the PLO officially ended last Friday. In the coming months, Israel will need to decide what to do about these hostile militias that take their orders from leaders who reject peaceful coexistence with Israel.
Finally, there are the territories themselves. For 50 years, Israel has used the land-for-peace paradigm as a way not to decide what to do with Judea and Samaria. Now that 242 has been effectively abrogated, Israel has to decide what it wants.
The no-brainer is to allow Jews to build wherever they have the legal right to build. If the UN says Israel has no rights to Jerusalem, then Israel has no reason to distinguish between Jerusalem and Elon Moreh.
More broadly, given that for the foreseeable future, there will be no Palestinian Authority interested in making peace with Israel, Israel needs to think about the best way to administer Judea and Samaria going forward. The obvious step of applying Israeli law to Area C now becomes almost inarguable.
Shortly before Obama took office eight years ago, he promised to "fundamentally transform" America. Trump's election scuttled any chance he had of doing so.
But by enabling Resolution 2334 to pass in the Security Council, Obama has succeeded in fundamentally transforming the nature of the Palestinian conflict with Israel. Israel's actions in the coming weeks will determine whether it is fundamentally transformed for better or for worse.
How Obama Cracked Jewish Solidarity (Michael Lumish)
Temple Talk Radio: United Nations Resolution 2334 and Chanukah: Same Old Same Old
A "Judenrein" Jerusalem? New Zealand's Shame
What Starts Online, Doesn't Stay There
In the first Purim Haman gave King Achashverosh ₪15 Million NIS for the right to kill the Jews. (Megillah 13b-14a) With Obama and Ahmadinejad, who is Haman and who is King Achashverosh
One compared the Jews to a mound of dirt and the other to a ditch in their field. Both needed their field to be level.
Obama-era cash traced to Iran-backed terrorists
By Bill Gertz – – Wednesday, February 7, 2018 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/feb/7/inside-the-ring-obama-era-cash-traced-to-iran-back/
The U.S. government has traced some of the $1.7 billion released to Iran by the Obama administration to Iranian-backed terrorists in the two years since the cash was transferred.
According to knowledgeable sources, Iran has used the funds to pay its main proxy, the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah, along with the Quds Force, Iran's main foreign intelligence and covert action arm and element of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The U.S. money supplied to Iran as part of an arms settlement dating back to the 1970s also has been traced to Iran's backing of Houthi rebels seeking to take power in Yemen. Iran has been supporting the Yemen rebels as part of a bid to encircle and eventually take control of Saudi Arabia.
The intelligence tracing the American funds to Iranian-backed terrorists is likely to further fuel President Trump's effort to undo the Iran nuclear deal, the Obama administration's main foreign policy initiative codified in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the Iran nuclear deal is called.
Despite promises to reject the deal during the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump announced in January the U.S. would not pull out of the Iran nuclear accord for now. But the president criticized the transfer of money to Tehran and signaled that Washington is going after Iran's funding of terrorism.
"The enormous financial windfall the Iranian regime received because of the deal — access to more than $100 billion, including $1.8 billion in cash — has not been used to better the lives of the Iranian people," Mr. Trump said Jan. 12. "Instead, it has served as a slush fund for weapons, terror, and oppression, and to further line the pockets of corrupt regime leaders."
Mr. Trump said the United States is countering Iranian proxy wars in Yemen and Syria and cutting the regime's money flows to terrorists.
"We have sanctioned nearly 100 individuals and entities involved with the Iranian regime's ballistic missile program and its other illicit activities," he said.
The American money sent by the Obama administration was first flown to Switzerland aboard an unmarked chartered aircraft, and then converted into euros, Swiss francs and other currencies. An Iranian transport aircraft flew the cash to Iran in January and February 2016 in three shipments. The first aircraft arrived in Tehran on Jan. 16, 2016, with $400 million piled on wooden pallets. Two other aircraft shipments of cash were sent on Jan. 22, 2016, and Feb. 5, 2016, totaling $1.3 billion.
In all, Iran received $1.7 billion in U.S. cash that has been used to fund its covert terrorist support operations.
The first $400 million coincided with the release of four Americans held hostage by Iran, a move by Iran to make the money appear as if the Obama administration had paid a ransom to Tehran for the release of the Americans.
The Obama administration sought to justify the cash transfers to the world's leading state-sponsor of terrorism by claiming the U.S. government was set to lose a legal arbitration case over arms purchases from the United States made by the government of the Shah of Iran, the predecessor government to the Islamist regime that took power in 1979. However, the primary motivation was President Obama's effort to woo the Iranian regime and seek to change its backing for terrorism in the Middle East.
The Trump administration has sharply reversed course and is working hard to punish Iran for its terrorist activities. Iran has been linked to the deaths of scores of Americans through its backing for terrorism.
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis has been one of the administration's main hawks on Iran, although he recently softened his opposition to jettisoning the Iran nuclear deal. In the administration's recently released defense strategy blueprint, Mr. Mattis shifted the focus of American defenses from countering terrorists to confronting nation-states. He said Iran "continues to sow violence and remains the most significant challenge to Middle East stability."
"In the Middle East, Iran is competing with its neighbors, asserting an arc of influence and instability while vying for regional hegemony, using state-sponsored terrorist activities, a growing network of proxies, and its missile program to achieve its objectives," he stated.
Joint Staff revising strategy
The Pentagon's Joint Staff is working on a revision of U.S. military strategy following the release of Defense Secretary James N. Mattis' new national defense strategy and the updated Nuclear Posture Review. Both the strategy and review outline significant shifts in approaching foreign threats and in directing American responses.
Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced the launch of the military strategy revision at a hearing Tuesday before the House Armed Services Committee.
"The national defense strategy provides detailed defense policy guidance for military strategy, planning and operations," Gen. Selva said in his prepared statement. "Therefore, the chairman's 2016 classified national military strategy will require an update to maintain complete consistency with the national defense strategy and the president's national security strategy released in December."
The process of revising military strategy began shortly after the new defense strategy was announced.
Gen. Selva did not provide any details on the revisions, but he noted that the revisions will be "a step toward increasing the lethality and flexibility of the joint force in light of the reemergence of great power competition."
The revision is expected to alter the military's approach to dealing with China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, and terrorism — the main threat matrix that, like almost everything in the Pentagon, has been given its own acronym: CRIKT. Countering terrorism will continue to be focus but no longer the military's main focus.
The Joint Staff, the military group at the Pentagon that supports the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, also is getting a makeover.
"We have begun a review of the Joint Staff's organization and processes to determine if we need to make adjustments to support the chairman's global integrator responsibilities and to better position the chairman to support the secretary's decision making," Gen. Selva said.
Treasury sanctions Asian terrorists
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted South Asian terrorist financing and support networks on Wednesday by designating three people as major terrorist backers. The three were identified as Rahman Zeb Faqir Muhammad, Hizb Ullah Astam Khan, and Dilawar Khan Nadir Khan.
The sanctions block all property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction and are aimed at preventing the financiers from moving money and fundraising.
The Treasury Department "continues to aggressively pursue and expose radicals who support terrorist organizations and run illicit financial networks across South Asia," Sigal Mandelker, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in a statement.
"We are targeting operatives who have provided logistical support, improvised explosive devices and other technological assistance to al Qaeda, Lashkar-e Taiba, the Taliban and other terrorist groups," she said.
The sanctions are part of stepped up efforts by Treasury to disrupt terrorism fundraising.
Ms. Mandelker said the Trump administration is calling on Pakistan's government and others in the region "to work with us to deny sanctuary to these dangerous individuals and organizations."
Raham Zeb is a financier and technology operator for the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e Taiba, known as LeT, involved in Afghan terror operations.
Hizb Ullah is a bombmaker and financier for terrorists linked to Shaykh Aminullah, a designated terrorist. He was linked to shipments of improvised explosive device precursor chemicals sent from Pakistan to Afghanistan and used by the Taliban and another terrorist group.
Dilawar also worked with Shaykh Aminullah and helped communicate the shaykh's message among terrorists and facilitated fund transfers, including international transactions.
• Contact Bill Gertz on Twitter at @BillGertz.
This entry was written by Staff, posted on כ״ח בכסלו ה׳תשע״ז (28/12/2016) at 09:16, and filed under Positive Thinking and tagged Caroline Glick, Hanukah Geography, John Kerry, Purim Haman and Achashverosh, UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
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This is a blog chronicling a four year period from 2006-2009 during which I underwent what is commonly referred to as a midlife crisis. At that time I had been in Japan for 10 years continuously, and for 15 years of the past 19. Since 1988 I had been – and continue to be – a teacher of English as a Second Language, initially at the secondary level and later in colleges and universities.
In 2006 I was 45 years old. I decided to leave my jobs to study thangka painting in Kathmandu. I did this for a total of one year over three visits spanning three years. The details are in the blog. Along the way I did a lot of other interesting stuff – I attended my first Vipassana course (I just finished my fifth a couple of weeks ago), visited the four major Buddhist pilgrimage sites of India and Nepal (plus a few more), met a tulku, took refuge from the Karmapa, walked a 1200km pilgrimage in Japan, took lay ordination in Soto Zen, and jumped off a 165 meter bridge with rubber band tied to my ankle. The adventure took a different turn in 2009 when I moved to the Arabian Peninsula to teach English at a women's college (which is where I remain as of this writing).
As this is a blog, the contents are displayed in reverse chronological order. If you wish to read chronologically, perhaps the easiest way is to scroll down to Blog Archive (located just after Fukuoka Sky in the side bar at right), click on 2007, and then on January. All the posts from that month will be displayed on one page, with the first post of that month appearing at the bottom.
There is also a companion blog about my Shikoku pilgrimage. You can find it here, or through a link in the side bar, just after About the Author.
Looking back I'm surprised at how much I did during those four years and how those activities gave my life a new trajectory. Should you be contemplating a similarly radical departure, I hope my story provides inspiration and convinces you that your wild idea may be possible. I also hope you have an equally loving and supportive spouse.
Reality is not a thought. Reality is not what you think. Reality is not what you can think. Reality is what is immediately experienced.
Reality is what it is. Truth is what it is. The real question is, what are you?
I ran across this photo while searching for something else and was impressed by the quality of the photo itself, as well as the complete absence of buildings surrounding the gompa. Those who have been there recently know the area is now entirely developed.
The photo and accompanying story of the gompa's founding is here.
Early this year when I was painting in Kathmandu a French film maker came to art school for a few days to shoot for a documentary. This evening I received a note from Yoji in Belgium that he saw me on TV and that the film is available for viewing online for one week only here.
I feel somewhat melancholy seeing my old classmates, the temple, the school, and the neighborhood. Those were beautiful days.
Somewhere between Fukuoka and Osaka.
Soon after publishing my wistful rainy morning post, a breeze from long ago blew through my in-box. It was the organizer of this year's 30th high school graduation reunion with an update on this month's event.
Anyone who went to an urban US high school in the late 70's remembers three groups of students: geeks, jocks, and stoners. I was never in the second group and might have ended up in the first if I hadn't first fallen in with the latter. Needless to say, I don't have fond memories of high school because, well, I have few memories at all.
Included in the email update was a request from the DJ who will be working the reunion party for a class song. I would imagine that the people organizing this event belong to either or both of the first two groups of students. I can't imagine many in the third group really caring very much one way or the other. And I would expect this organizing person to choose something upbeat and positive, a kind of Teach-the-World-to-Sing type song.
What was suggested instead was the stoner anthem.
Oh, the sweet, delicious irony. The music of the group of kids who were always on the out is now the anthem for the entire class, geek and jocks alike. Now I wish I were going so I could hold up my lighter one more time. "Oh won't you fly high, oh Freebird!"
The timing also seemed perfect, with lyrics suited for the occasion of leaving, of traveling on. I'm as free as a bird now.
Strangely enough, I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Miami Sportatorium on the opening night of the Street Survivor's tour in October 1977 (about which I also don't remember much). Five days later the plane carrying the band crashed, killing three members.
This morning I took my coffee on the veranda and watched the dark clouds roll over. The cicadas were chirping. A crane flew past, angling toward the river. A man came out to the park with his Shiba for the morning fag and constitutional.
I was feeling a bit melancholy. Twelve years of my life in this city, in this apartment, and looking out at this view. One quarter of my life. And after Friday, I won't be looking at it ever again.
And then I noticed, just over to the north, a small hint of a rainbow.
Ten minutes later and it was pouring down rain.
My bags are packed. I shipped the biggest one to the airport Monday. I also posted my last 30kg box of stuff to RAK, the last one to go.
All that remains is to get on the airplane Friday.
The Kyoto Vipassana Center was a veritable hotel.
There was soap in the bathroom, detergent for washing clothes (by hand in a bucket), a spinner to save you the effort of hand wringing wet clothes, screens on all the windows, hot water on demand, clean futons, immaculate wood floors, a wide assortment of condiments (such as pickles, teas and sweeteners), insect repellent, salve for bug bites, a large container of medicines in the kitchen, complimentary earplugs in case you were bunking with a snorer, and fans in all the rooms. The only thing not included were sheets, which oddly enough were one of the few provisions at Bodhgaya and Sarnath, the two India centers I visited in 2007 and 2008. There we had nothing more than a bed, cold water, buckets, and mosquitoes (even in December).
Fortunately, few of the latter were buzzing about Kyoto, even in the midst of summer. We did, though, seem to have more than a fair share of spiders and cockroaches, neither of which were a particular bother, except for the cobwebs that occasionally came in contact with my face. Pleh, pleh . . .
The Kyoto center was christened Dhamma Bhanu (Dhamma Light) by Goenkaji himself back around 1989 when the master paid a visit and taught a course or two himself. Today you'd hardly guess that the facilities are 20 years old. It seems a good amount of love and attention has been lavished on their maintenance.
Stairs at left from the Dhamma Hall / Residential Building.
Building at right toilet/shower block, building left dining hall and kitchen.
Like most Japanese buildings or compounds, those of Dhamma Bhanu are rather compact. The residential quarters and Dhamma hall are in the same building. My room was only 5-6 meters from where I sat each day for meditation. Even those housed furthest from the hall are no more than 20-30 meters away. Once you leave the residential building, its only a dozen paces to the bath/toilet block or to the dining hall.
left wing is female residence, right wing male.
The garden was available for walking to female students.
used for overflow and as walking space for male students.
The center sits in a valley in northern Kyoto prefecture, a quiet pocket of Japan through which passes one narrow road used each day by perhaps a dozen or so drivers. When you're sitting you might also notice a small plane passing overhead a couple of times a day. Otherwise there are few audible intrusions of the surrounding society – no school bells, no trucks blaring advertisements, no construction, no kids playing ball. Just the relaxing chirping of crickets, cicadas, and birds, as well as the gurgling of a small stream running around the perimeter of the center's property, bounded by low mountains (or high hills), a lush green in the midst of the summer season.
At this time of year typical daytime temperatures are uncomfortably warm. A center volunteer noted that the heat often makes meditation uncomfortable. We were quite fortunate, though, to have rain every day of the ten our group was in residence. The sun came out for a couple of hours on two or three days, but for the remainder it was overcast, windy, and wet. I didn't hear anyone using electric fans in the evening. It was a bit too chilly for that.
The Dhamma Hall on last day clean-up.
I understand installation of air conditioning in the Dhamma Hall is under discussion. Perhaps it will be added soon to make life more bearable for those city seekers brave enough to sit quietly for ten days with few of the comforts to which they are accustomed. If you happen to have difficulty with mobility, though, you will not be able to meditate at the Kyoto center. The Dhamma Hall is located on the second floor, up a flight of 16 steep steps, and if you also happen to be male you'll have to climb another set of steps to get to your meals. New students can expect to share a room with anywhere from three to six others, with little more than a futon-size private space. Old students may also have to share living quarters if they attend during one of the center's peak periods (which coincide with the Japanese vacation calendar – New Year's, Golden Week, and Obon).
As one might expect for a center in Japan staffed by Japanese volunteers, the food was typical Japanese fare. Mid-day meals included oden, pasta with tomato-based vegetable sauce, udon, a one-pot dish of mixed veggies boiled in a light soy sauce, chilled tofu with green veggies, and on the last day, Japanese curry. Whatever was left over from lunch was recycled the next morning, along with fresh bread, butter, jam, and copious amounts of fruit, which in summer included bananas, oranges, grapefruits, apples, and plums. The evening meal for new students was fruit, for old students tea. Altogether the food was healthy and the amount adequate, but taste and presentation hardly remarkable.
One thing I greatly appreciated at the Kyoto center (that I did not find at either of the Indian centers I visited) was the management's willingness to share financial information. On the last day of the course when silence is lifted and donations accepted, a number of placards were erected in front of the dining hall with information on center activities and volunteer opportunities. Included in this presentation was a chart of the center's income and expenses. If you were perhaps wondering about the size of an appropriate donation, you could find that the average daily expense per student is just over 2000yen.
This may seem high in comparison to India, but where in Japan can you get two meals a day, a clean bed, and all the other amenities – plus absolute silence and the chance to meditate? Just make sure you bring cash. Credit card donations are not accepted.
Dhamma Bhanu is a fine facility for sitting Vipassana. I'll be leaving soon to take a job in the Middle East, but should I ever be back this way, and have the opportunity, I would be very pleased to sit another 10-day course in Kyoto.


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