text:
The Australian Financial Review (abbreviated to the AFR) is an Australian business-focused, compact daily newspaper covering the current business and economic affairs of Australia and the world. The newspaper is based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; owned by Nine Entertainment and has been published continuously since its founding in 1951. The AFR, along with the rest of Fairfax Media (aside from some publications which were sold to Australian Community Media), was sold to Nine Entertainment for more than A$2.3 billion. The AFR is published in tabloid format six times a week, whilst providing 24/7 online coverage through its website. In November 2019, the AFR reached 2.647 million Australians through both print and digital mediums (Mumbrella).

The Australian Financial Review started as a print-only weekly newspaper in 1951, before changing to a bi-weekly in 1961, and a daily newspaper in 1963. The paper now publishes multiple magazines and a supplementary weekend paper, which was launched in 1995. In that same year, the AFR website was also released, which helped to expand its readership base across all media.

Historically, its news articles and editorials favoured neoliberal ideals, influencing Australian policy debates during the 1970s–1980s. During the 2000s, the AFR took on the role of the corporate watchdog, scrutinising businesses and the government for foul play and corruption. In more recent years, its editorial stance and news coverage has become more neutral; however, the AFR is still considered moderately conservative in its reporting bias with regards to free-market regulation policies.

History
The Australian Financial Review newspaper started as a weekly publication in 1951, published by John Fairfax & Sons. The paper's main objective was to inform the Australian public on business life and news.

In 1961, the AFR converted to a bi-weekly, and then established itself as the first daily newspaper by 1963. Despite other newspapers claiming the title of the first daily national paper, Maxwell Newton was the editor in charge of taking the Financial Review from a bi-weekly to the first daily national paper. During 1961-62, the AFR's primary competitor was The Australian Financial Times, which was in operation for less than 12 months. In the 1960s and 1970s, the AFR developed a strong readership amongst a specialist business audience due to its neutral stance on domestic government policies. In the 1970s, despite the AFR's reputation as a national business daily, many saw it as the primary competitor for The Australian given its high proportion of readers in the AB demographic.

In 1995, Fairfax launched the Australian Financial Review Magazine in response to its growing readership across a wide-ranging audience. The magazine was published to cover topics other than business including leisure, politics, travel, sports, fashion, and other peripheral topics. In December 2019, the magazine recorded an average issue readership of 326,000. Since its launch in 1995, the AFR Magazine has won the 'Best Newspaper Inserted Magazine' (2013-2019), 'Newspaper Inserted Brand of the Year' (2019) and Mumbrella's 'Special Issue of the Year' (2019).

The magazine's founding was followed by the launch of the AFR's website in the same year, which started as a free online source of financial news.

In 1997, the AFR launched its Weekend Edition which extended the paper's publications into the weekend, with an explicit focus of targeting the growing readership base by providing news articles outside of the traditional finance setting.

In 2016, the AFR launched mobile and iPad compatible applications to provide its digital subscribers more accessibility to its news platform. This was aimed at allowing cross-platform accessibility without having to download two separate applications across different device platforms. The application carries similar features to the website including sections such as: Street Talk and Rear Window. The product management team decided to revamp the app due to the wide uptake of smartphones in the Australian market, and to improve their user-interface experience. The UTS Business School was the launch partner for the app, providing logistical advice on the app's delivery. The app's subscription price is included in the 'all premium digital subscription' bundle.

The Australian Financial Review has grown its product offerings since its beginnings as a finance newsroom. It has consistently been well received by the journalism sector as one of the most high-quality newsrooms across Australia. Since the 2000s, the AFR has launched BOSS (magazine for business leadership and strategy) and the Sophisticated Traveller magazine. In 2019, the Australian Financial Review recorded double-digit subscriber growth, as it continued to market its newspaper as the driver of Australian business-people's success and ambitions. In 2020, due to the newspaper company's expansion efforts across different readership bases, the AFR reached 2.647m Australians a month.

Evolution of Paywall System
The AFR first introduced its paywall in 2006, charging online users to view its articles – a payment model that had not yet been utilised by any other Australian newspaper firm. The switch to a paywall was done because the newspaper company thought it could further monetise its niche business audience who could afford it. Following this change, the AFR continued to adjust the pricing of its subscription due to low subscriber growth.

In 2011, it newly introduced a freemium paywall in which only a small portion of articles were free. It has been noted that the AFR's website locks approximately 86% of its online content behind a paywall, higher than its closest competitor the National Business Review. This was aimed at increasing its digital readership which in 2011 amounted to 6,000 subscribers. In addition, it was later determined that the AFR's failures in attracting online subscribers was due to its paywall being too expensive. Its 2012 price of $59 AUD was notably higher than other international mastheads, including The New York Times which was priced at $37.84 AUD. As a result, the AFR has since lowered its digital subscription price to $29.50 AUD.

Nine Entertainment merger
The mega-cap deal that saw Nine Entertainment and Fairfax Media merge was inspired by initial chats between Hugh Marks ([Nine CEO) and Nick Falloon (Fairfax chairman). The pair discussed how the two companies' assets could synergise, improve efficiencies, save costs and increase scale. During the lead up to the merger, there were a few roadblocks. In 2016, the proposed merger was not feasible due to government legislation surrounding media ownership. In addition, Nine Entertainment's board believed that its share price was undervalued and thus wanted to delay any acquisition until its fair value had been reflected. Amongst the delays in talks between the two parties, Fairfax had other suitors including private equity groups TPG Capital and Hellman & Friedman, which ended up walking away from the table.

In 2018, Nine Entertainment's board re-entered into talks with Fairfax of a potential merger after its share price had jumped following an upbeat earnings report. The proposed structure of the takeover was 0.3627 Nine shares plus $0.025 AUD per Fairfax share, composing a cash plus scrip deal. This represented a 21.9% takeover premium to Fairfax's last close, and valued Fairfax at $2313.8mm AUD. Once the deal was made, it was reported that Fairfax's portfolio newspapers, including the AFR, would maintain independence from Nine's media groups. As part of the proposed deal, Hugh Marks took over corporate control of the combined group with Fairfax CEO, Greg Hywood, stepping down.

The combined entity in 2018 was forecasted to have approximately 6,000 employees (inclusive of all the duplicate roles made redundant), major resources across all media types including print, TV, radio and online; and $3 billion in revenue.

The proposed merger was also put under review by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) on antitrust measures. It was announced in November 2018 that the ACCC would not oppose the merger. The investigation looked at the merger's impact on the online news industry's competition and involved contacting numerous stakeholders. It was noted that the merger would most likely reduce competition in the domestic media market, but that it was not in breach of the Competition and Consumer Act. The main point of divergence between the two business' assets was the fact that Nine Entertainment's news assets provided mass market news coverage whereas Fairfax Media's news assets provided more specialist coverage.

Despite the ACCC's ruling, there were a few stakeholders who voiced their concerns about the merger's impact on the Australian media industry's competitive landscape. Union groups such as the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and the Journalists' union warned the ACCC that the mega-cap takeover would threaten the editorial independence of Fairfax Media's portfolio newspaper companies. Former prime minister Paul Keating also voiced his criticisms labelling the ACCC's decision as "appalling", considering that a more concentrated media industry would reduce coverage of city-specific political issues.

Features and operations

Newspaper Sections
Within the AFR's daily newspaper, regularly scheduled sections include:

 World – news and analysis on global companies and the international business environment.
 Chanticleer – the long-running business opinion column (begun July 1974) that looks into individual companies in-depth, analysing their operations, management and board of directors.
 Accounting & Consulting – Targeted at senior executives and management, this section lays out lateral personnel movements within the finance sector, recent company news, and key participants in the industry
 Education – provides information regarding professional development, the education sector, and news regarding company training
 Companies & Markets – this section features in-depth analysis of the Australian business environment including equity markets, debt markets and the M&A industry
 Legal Affairs – targeted at lawyers, this section provides coverage of the legal industry: its trends and news about the top law firms in Australia
 Property – this section provides analysis of the Australian property market: house prices, commercial properties, developers, REITS, and others. Each major capital city has its own journalism team covering the respective property markets.
 Life & Leisure – this two-day weekly insert focuses on more leisurely topics including fashion, travel, social media, jewellery, etc.

Products and Operations
Across the AFR group, the team does not only publish newspapers. Its range of operations is listed below:

 The Australian Financial Review daily newspaper, founded in 1951, the paper aims to provide information regarding the Australian business landscape.
 The Weekend Edition, delivered on Saturday, covers important business topics as well as general news and leisure-focused topics.
 Afr.com, the AFR's news website, provides online access to a news database with topics including markets, politics, policy, property, and others.
 Sophisticated Traveller – Since 2004, this quarterly magazine has been targeting high net worth individuals, covering content regarding luxury travel.
 Australian Financial Review Magazine – Monthly inserted magazine providing content on high profile business news, politics, fashion and luxury. The magazine was launched in 1995.
 BOSS - This magazine aims to deliver content to Australia's business seniors about company management, leadership and influential trends.
 LUXURY – A quarterly magazine covering trends in the luxury industry including watches, jewellery, fashion, and others.

Financial Review Rich List
The Financial Review Rich List aims to compile an annual ranking of the wealthiest Australian citizens. The list was first published in the BRW Magazine in 1984. Since its beginnings, the compilation of the list and its publishing have been taken over by the AFR, now being published annually in the Australian Financial Review Magazine and on the afr.com. Along with the names of the richest people, the list explicates the person or family's net worth and provides a short summary on the business activities and sector they are engaged in. The valuations are conducted by utilising a mix of publicly available information and private consultations. In 2019, the cut-off for making the Rich List was $472m AUD. In 2020, the cut-off was raised to $540m AUD.

Reporting stance
During 1975 to 1983, when The Australian widely articulated its political stance on conservative liberalism, it had been noted that the AFR also promoted neo-liberalism through its news coverage and editorials, exerting influence on the business sphere of Australia and its elitist readership base. The newspaper has also been labelled as one of the propagators of radical liberalism during the 1970s – 1980s, shaping the policy debate surrounding market deregulation at that time. This was in line with the overarching political stance of all Fairfax Holdings owned newspapers, including The Sydney Morning Herald, which in the 1970s was also right-leaning in its political views. However, contrasting to The Australian, the AFR was still perceived as a newspaper with a strong sense of integrity in reporting facts, despite its editorial style leaning towards conservative business ideals.

In the wake of the 1987 stock market crash, the Australian news media sector was blamed for overlooking corporate corruption and wrongdoings, whilst publishing primarily favourable news articles handed to them from corporate PR teams. Also during this time, The National Times who was Australia's leading financial investigative journalism newspaper, shut down after the stock market crash. So during the 2000s, following the financial market failures and economic downturn of the 1990s, the AFR's reporting focus steered more towards business investigative journalism, scrutinising big corporations, government power and corruption. This was viewed as the AFR making reparations for its lack of scrutiny over the corporate sector in the lead-up to the stock market crash.

One major factor that allowed the AFR to undertake deep corporate investigations was that it did not need advertising revenue to stay afloat – its cover price was sufficient. On the other hand, all other daily mastheads needed company advertising to stay profitable. This afforded the AFR's editors the flexibility to pursue and publish news articles that shed a negative light on major companies without needing to be concerned about its financial impacts.

In the early 2010s, the AFR's political stance has been labelled as neutral. During the controversial 2013 tax debate regarding taxes for 'extraordinary' profits generated by mining companies, major mastheads from regions with high mining interests had almost four-fold the amount of negative articles compared to positive articles. The Australian, the biggest national daily, had a large number of both positive and negative articles, but had a limited amount of neutral articles. Out of all the daily mastheads, the AFR published the most articles surrounding the tax debate and also the most neutral articles.

See also

 List of newspapers in Australia
 Financial Review Rich List

References

External links

 Financial Review Smart Investor website
 AFR TV website

1951 establishments in Australia
Australian news websites
Business in Australia
Business newspapers
Fairfax Media
Newspapers published in Sydney
Publications established in 1951
Daily newspapers published in Australia
Nine Entertainment
2018 mergers and acquisitions


text:
Games News: PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch Gaming Updates for June 21
Video Game fans, keep this page bookmarked for all your video game news on June 21 regardless of whether you own a PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PC.
By James Wright / Published 21st June 2019
Games News: PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch Gaming Updates for June 21 (Pic: Daily Star)
There's loads of video game news every single day. Whether you're a PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch owner it's hard to keep up.
Even for us, people who are actively entrenched in gaming news 24/7, it's hard to keep on top of everything.
So we're going to try something different with a daily blog that tries to keep up.
Sometimes we might get a bit knackered and lag behind, but the hope is that we can bring you more news to the site, not less.
Likewise, we're hoping that this will allow us to shine a light on some news for smaller or more niche titles that we otherwise don't get too all that often.
It might be more press release than our usual gaming input, but as we say (hopefully) it ultimately means getting more news to you.
That's our sell. Today's something of a test run, a beta if you will. Thankfully we're not charging you early access for this, but let us know in the comments what you think and if there's anything else you'd like to see day-to-day.
Enjoy the news - Daily Star's Gaming Team
GTA 6 release date update: Next Grand Theft Auto won't make the same mistake as Red Dead 2
Shang Tsung Fatalities: How To Perform Mortal Kombat 11 DLC Character's Fatality Moves
PS5 vs Xbox Scarlett Specs: Is PlayStation 5 more powerful than Microsofts next console?
Video Game News - June 21 Highlights
• EXCLUSIVE - Final Fantasy 14 Shadowbringers Preview
• Dragon Ball Zenoverse 2 - New Vegata SSGSS Evolved DLC Screenshots
• EXCLUSIVE - Psychonauts 2 could be a revolutionary 3D platformer when it launches in 2020
• PUBG Corporation unveil Nations Cup and $500,000 Prize Pool
• The Sinking City Release New Trailer - But there's a catch
• EXCLUSIVE - F1 2019 Review: The series' best release yet is much more than better visuals
• Magic The Gathering: Arena Launches $750,000 Mythic Championship III 68-Player Tournament
• EXCLUSIVE - John Wick Hex is the best, most creative licensed game we've played in years
• GTA 6 Might Not Take As Long To Make As Red Dead Redemption 2
• SCRAP - A new platformer out now on Nintendo Switch
• Underworld Ascendant out now for PS4, coming to Xbox One Soon
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne PS4 Beta is now Live
• Insurgency: Sandstorm - Steam Free Weekend Now Live
• Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Announce Reign of Blood DLC
• Table Top Racing gets a permanent Switch price drop
Dragon Ball Zenoverse 2 - New Vegata SSGSS Evolved DLC Screenshots
Bandai Namco has revealed the very first screenshots for the newly announced Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 character Vegeta SSGSS Evolved.
"Vegeta's challenge to be the strongest has pushed his Saiyan powers to new limits!" Bandai Namco posted across their social media channels.
Vegeta SSGSS Evolved is due to release later this summer as paid DLC for the game.
Follow the link to take a look at more screenshots on the Bandai Namco Facebook Page.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
PUBG Corporation unveil Nations Cup and $500,000 Prize Pool
PUBG Corporation has announced the PUBG Nations Cup, a global event taking place in Seoul, South Korea at the Jangchung Arena on August 9-11. Similar to other international sporting events, the top PUBG pro players will be selected to represent their respective countries as they face off for a $500,000 prize pool. With fans around the world cheering them on, each country's all-stars will gather in Seoul to compete for the honour of lifting the PUBG Nations Cup trophy.
A total of 16 teams across five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania) will be represented in Seoul, successfully bringing together the world's top PUBG talent to one location. Participants from each country will be selected by their peers or through other country-specific methods. The selection process will produce four all-stars that will be a part of a 16-team tournament across three days of competition, with each team playing a total of five matches a day.
"Nations Cup, the first PUBG-hosted global esports event of the year, is the embodiment of international competition, which brings together the top players from around the world to represent their countries." said Jake Sin, Director of Central Esports for PUBG Corporation. "Nations Cup will close out an exciting summer of PUBG esports and we look forward to continuing that momentum throughout the rest of the year."
PUBG Nations Cup is an exclamation point to an exciting summer of PUBG esports, as the recently announced GLL Grand Slam: PUBG Classic in Stockholm (July 19-21) and MET Asia Series: PUBG Classic in Bangkok (July 26-28) are set to take place in the weeks leading up to the event. Nations Cup takes place after Phase 2 of the PUBG esports season, which ends in June, and before the start of Phase 3, which begins in September. It will also be the final global esports event before the 2019 PUBG Global Championship in November.
The Sinking City Release New Trailer - But there's a catch
Frogwares, the studio behind the upcoming Lovecraft-inspired investigation game The Sinking City, has released a dream-like video that's supposed to be a warning of what lies ahead. The catch? You have to solve a mystery on their Facebook page first to see it.
To see the warning and to test your detective skills, visit The Sinking City's Facebook page, see their post from June 21st, and enter only the solution in the comments. If you did it right, you should receive a private message from the page with an ominous warning - and a link to the vision. What does the vision say? It's hard to make out. But it suggests that the player should watch out for certain locations in the game.
The Sinking City will release on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 27th, 2019 while the Nintendo Switch version is set for a later release this year.
Magic The Gathering: Arena Launches $750,000 Mythic Championship III 68-Player Tournament
Wizards of the Coast, the visionary creator behind Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, is pleased to launch Mythic Championship III this evening, the latest in a series of competitive Magic: The Gathering events that run throughout the year, and will be the first Mythic Championship event played in Magic: The Gathering Arena.
This weekend, 68 of the best Magic: The Gathering players in the world will play against one another in Las Vegas for the chance to win a grand prize of $100,000.
All matches will be played in Magic: The Gathering Arena and will be played in a Best-Of-Three Standard Format. Day 1 starts off as a Modified Swiss competition, with caveats that all players that win six or more games will automatically advance to Day 2, and any players that lose four matches will be eliminated from the tournament.
In Day 2, the Top 12 players from Day 1 will join Magic: Pro League divisional champions in a 16-person double-elimination tournament. The Top 4 players from Day 2 will move on to Day 3, where they will play in a double-elimination bracket. The Grand Final will be between the winners of the Upper Bracket and Lower Bracket, with the Lower Bracket player needing to win two games to win the tournament.
You Can Watch Mythic Championship III live by following the link.
SCRAP - A new platformer out now on Nintendo Switch
SCRAP is a unique new platformer out now on Nintendo Switch in which you can't stop moving.
The remedy to that is jumping. Jump faster and learn new sequences to discover the way forward. But it's not gonna be easy since each level is harder than the previous one and SCRAP keeps getting faster. You're lucky though because there are clues and power-ups scattered around to help you. All of this is complemented by a polished graphic design and a great soundtrack.
"SCRAP is a proposition for players who like arcade challenges in a climate graphics and music setting," says the game's developer, Paweł Kozakowski.
"The assumptions of the gameplay are not complicated, but it does not mean that the game is very simple. The degree of difficulty and speed of our hero grow together with the player's progress. Completion of further levels can be quite a demanding task"
"SCRAP is a proposition for players who like arcade challenges in a climate graphics and music setting. The assumptions of the gameplay are not complicated, but it does not mean that the game is very simple. The degree of difficulty and speed of our hero grow together with the player's progress. Completion of further levels can be quite a demanding task" says the game's developer, Paweł Kozakowski.
Underworld Ascendant now available on PS4, coming soon to Xbox One
Underworld Ascendant, the fan-funded title from independent game studio OtherSide Entertainment is now available digitally for PlayStation 4 from the PlayStation Store. The action-RPG, published by 505 Games, will soon be available to Xbox One players via the Xbox Games Store. Both versions are priced at £24.99.
Underworld Ascendant is a fantasy RPG that challenges you to think creatively in an interactive sandbox environment. Players can mix and match dozens of combat, stealth and magic skills to develop their unique style of play and devise clever plans to overcome challenges as they navigate the foreboding Stygian Abyss.
The console version of Underworld Ascendant launches with updates from the PC version, including enhancements to gameplay mechanics based on player feedback from the game's launch on PC last year. Additional in-game content and features have also been added, offering new quests, enemy encounters, in-game items and more, as further outlined below.
Underworld Ascendant Update Highlights Include:
Save Game System
OtherSide completely overhauled the Save Game system based on player feedback, enabling save across much of the game while also retaining the Silver Sapling's respawn feature.
Player Journey
The world is now a series of interconnected levels, accessible through The Grand Staircase. Updated quest flow focuses now on important narrative quests highlighting both new and refined story and content, while allowing the player to freely explore the environment and optional side-quests. Players will also be able to reach the lower depths of the Abyss more quickly in the game's overall progression.
A number of new NPCs offering various benefits to players are available, including the Shambler Meridian, the Deep Elf Severn, the Dwarf Quater, the Outcast Dahlia and the Outcast Fane. Quests have been added for each of the new NPCs noted above. Freeing the NPCs results in offering various benefits to players, including a new vendor that sells high level magic artifacts (weapons, armor), additional rune formulas and highlight hidden areas and lairs. Additionally, many new items, weapons and armor are available.
Combat has been improved to be more engaging and strategic, with advanced combat skills now immediately available to the player and adding new elements like the enemy shove attack. Magic has been enhanced with new spells and more available runes, allowing players to explore more of the game's customizable spells. Updates to stealth and enemy responsiveness in lighting have improved stealth playability.
Performance and AI
Player movement is more fluid and enemy AI has been updated to improve enemy behavior, offering a more polished reaction to player actions, pathfinding and combat effectiveness. Enemy AI now also ramps up in variety and difficulty as players venture deeper into The Stygian Abyss.
To learn more about Underworld Ascendant, visit www.underworldascendant.com.
Insurgency: Sandstorm – Steam Free Weekend starts today
Insurgency: Sandstorm, the smash-hit indie FPS from New World Interactive, today invites players to join the fight in the Steam Free Weekend from today until June 24th.
This is the perfect opportunity for newcomers to join the huge community of Insurgency: Sandstorm players, who already enjoy Insurgency's signature style of immersive, team based, high lethality gameplay. Check out all this and more in the Free Weekend Trailer.
New World Interactive and Focus Home Interactive continue to be delighted with the response and community reception to Insurgency: Sandstorm so far.
There are many more free content updates planned for the rest of this year and 2020, including modding support, game modes, maps, weapons, and more. Take a look at some of what's due to arrive in the next six months in the recently announced Free Content Roadmap.
Play Insurgency: Sandstorm during the Steam Free Weekend, starting 10am (PT) today until 10am Monday June 24th, with all this new content available free to all players.
Insurgency: Sandstorm is out now on PC.
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS - Reign of Blood (Blood Back) Announced
China will run thick with the blood (and limbs) of your enemies in the new Reign of Blood Effects Pack for Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, out Thursday, 27th of June!
The Reign of Blood Effects Pack will introduce several new gory and mature-rated effects, animations and kill-moves to the game in both Campaign and Battle, meaning you can witness limb lops, beheadings, and charred corpses in sadistic detail.
Watch the blood-filled trailer here: [insert link]
The Reign of Blood Effects Pack will cost £1.99, $2.99, €2.99. Once downloaded, gore effects can be enabled in the Advanced Graphics Settings of Total War: Three Kingdoms.
Table Top Racing team announces a permanent Switch price drop
Greenlight Games and Playrise Digital have confirmed plans for a permanent price drop on Table Top Racing: World Tour - Nitro Edition following Switch Community feedback.
The game is also available in Japan for the first time from today, 20th June 2019 and across the rest of the world at the new lower price of £19.99, ¥2500, €22.99, $24.99 down from the original launch price of £24.99, €27,79, $29.99.
In addition to the full price reduction, the game will be on sale at a further 25% off ($18.99) in USA from 20th June - 1st July.
And also at 25% off (£14.99, €16.99) from 25th June - 7th July in UK and Europe.
Fans who bought the game at the original price point can get a partial refund for the difference by getting in touch with Greenlight Games directly here.
Table Top Racing: World Tour - Nitro Edition is available on the Nintendo Switch eShop at this link.
PS4 Surprise Update: Good news for PlayStation and PS Plus ahead of July Free Games
Fortnite Fortbyte 12 Location Accessible using Nana Nana Spray inside a molten tunnel
GTA 5 Online Casino Release Date CONFIRMED: Grand Theft Auto Update News from Rockstar
The Best Indie Games of 2019: This Week - Riverbond
Sick of AAA games? In need of some indie games for your Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One or PC? Here's a list for some of the best indie games we've ...
Sea of Solitude is the most frank, honest portrayal of depression we've ever seen in games
Jo-Mei Games has something special with Sea of Solitude. It's a game that takes the discussions started by Hellblade, Celeste, Brothers and more be...
Rainbow Six Siege coming to Google Stadia, Xbox xCloud? "We're looking at it" says Ubisoft
Rainbow Six Siege won't go free-to-play, Ubisoft R6 Brand Director tells us why
Rainbow Six Siege: "Forget about a solo campaign...it's dead" says Ubisoft Alexandre Remy
Rainbow Six Siege confirmed for PS5, Xbox Two: Ubisoft "don't want a sequel, whatsoever"
Black Ops 4 Update 1.19 Patch Notes Latest: Call of Duty PS4, Xbox One and PC Changes
BLACK OPS 4 has just launched a new update (with Patch Notes 1.19) for the game on PS4 and Xbox with PC to follow. Here's everything you need to kn...
Fallout 76 Update Maintenance: Patch Notes, Server Status Latest - When is it back online?
Fortnite 9.30 Patch Notes Update Confirmed: Revolver, Vaulted Weapons, 14 Days of Summer
Fortnite 14 Days of Summer Skins CONFIRMED: These Item Shop event skins release soon
The Sinking City Review: Incredible atmosphere that grips the darkest parts of your mind
The Sinking City is an ambitious game that hopes to marry a down to Earth 1920s detective game with a larger, cosmic horror atmosphere. Crafting a ...
Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled Review: A spectacular revival of a cherished PS1 classic
F1 2019 Game Review: The series' best release yet is much more than better visuals
Fortnite Fortbyte 11 location Found beneath a circling jungle parrot - Season 9 Guide
Found beneath a circling jungle parrot is the latest Fortbyte challenge players can complete today in Fortnite Battle Royale. Here's everything you...
Fortnite Beach Parties Locations: Dance at different beach parties Challenge in Fortnite
Fortnite Fortbyte 43 Location Accessible wearing Nana Cape back bling inside Banana Stand
Harry Potter Wizards Unite Energy: How to get Spell Energy quickly in Wizards Unite?
Dragon Quest Builders 2 Interview: British accents, player feedback and PC potential
We sat down with Kazuya Niinou, Noriyoshi Fujimoto and Takuma Shiraishi for an interview about the upcoming Dragon Quest Builders sequel.
PS5 Update: Bad News Xbox, this PlayStation next-gen patent could win the console war
Steam Summer Sale LIVE: Steam Summer Sale 2019 PC game discounts revealed
PS Plus July 2019 free PS4 games update as another PlayStation Plus bonus comes to an end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Law Providing Oversight of Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority Now in Effect
Representative Mike Turzai
Speaker of the House
Media Contact: Neal Lesher nlesher@pahousegop.com
RepTurzai.com / Facebook.com/RepTurzai / Twitter.com/RepTurzai
HARRISBURG – A law which places the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) under the oversight of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) went into effect yesterday, said House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny).
Over the last year, local and national newspapers have recounted many service issues facing PWSA. They include multi-million dollar debt and uncollectible accounts, unmetered accounts, incorrect billing, system leaks, and thousands of lead service lines, many of which have not been identified or located. They have been cited with non-compliance by the Environmental Protection Agency for Clean Water Act violations. These issues call into serious question the sustainability of PWSA and the health and safety of those served by the system.
"The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has been grossly mismanaged," said Turzai. "The state had to step in. Working in a bipartisan fashion with my good friend, Rep. Harry Readshaw, we knew something needed to be done. We developed a solution that will provide more oversight, ensure fiscal responsibility and demand best practices. The authority needs to be held to the same standards as the private sector."
While Act 65 of 2017 was signed into law on Dec. 21, 2017, the law became effective on April 1, 2018, to allow the PWSA and the PUC time to prepare for the transition. On March 15, 2018, the PUC approved the Final Implementation Order by a 5-0 vote. The order details ratemaking, tariff approval, compliance plans, infrastructure improvements, consumer protections and other issues related to the implementation of Act 65.
"The PUC's professionalism and grasp of the issues facing the PWSA has been outstanding and underscores that they are the appropriate entity to step in and provide the necessary oversight," said Turzai. "We have been receiving updates from the commissioners on their progress, and we look forward to continuing with an open line of communication."
A consultant's report issued in August 2017 by Infrastructure Management Group called the PWSA "a failed organization atop a dangerous and crumbling structure." The report noted a dysfunctional culture at the authority and exposed the fact that about 20 percent of PWSA's 250 employees are out of work on short-term disability.
In addition, a November 2017 performance audit released by the state auditor general's office highlighted several of the deficiencies with the PWSA's operation. They include:
Under a 1995 agreement with the city, the PWSA is required to provide 600 million gallons of free water each year. However, the PWSA does not track how much water the city uses annually because many city-owned properties are not metered.
Between 2012 and 2016, PWSA's financial position went from a positive balance of $7.7 million to a negative balance of $15.7 million.
As of Dec. 31, 2016, PWSA has a debt load of $842.5 million, which has grown by $43.2 million since Dec. 31, 2012.
PWSA is not able to bill for approximately 50 percent of clean water its system produces due to leaky pipes and unbilled accounts.
Since 2014, four individuals have served as executive director.
Billing irregularities frequently occur, including a complete lack of billing for thousands of customers for a period of several months arising from changes in PWSA's billing system and the installation of new meters.
« Congress Passes $5 Million for Delaware River Basin Restoration Program in FY2018 Omnibus Spending Bill
The Borough of National Park, New Jersey is seeking applications for a Water/Sewer Superintendent »


Watch the World Cup in Pioneer Square's Nord Alley this weekend!
The International Sustainability Institute invites you to join them for the World Cup Final live showing. For the final match, the festivities will begin on Sunday, July 11th at 11:00 am. This event will take place at the Nord Alley, which is located in the alley behind 314 1st Avenue South, Seattle, 98104. Join your Seattle community for the live showing of the World Cup Final on 100" projection in Nord Alley.
For additional information, please visit the Alley Art website.
With sponsorship support from the City of Seattle, the Downtown Seattle Association, the International Sustainability Institute, AIA Seattle, and many more, this great use of a Seattle alley was made possible. The Office of Economic Development provided some funds to support this effort through the Neighborhood Business District funding awards program to the Alliance for Pioneer Square.


Just south of the Capitolio Nacional, the Church of San Francisco was built in the 1570s, but was remodeled on several occasions during the 17th and 18th centuries. Guzmán Blanco, unable to resist his passion for modernizing, placed a neoclassical facade on the church to match the just-completed capitol building. Fortunately, the interior of the church didn't undergo such an extensive alteration, so its colonial character and much of its old decoration have been preserved. Have a look at the richly gilded baroque altarpieces distributed along both sidewalls, and stop at the statue of San Onofre, in the right-hand aisle. He is the most venerated saint in the church due to his miraculous powers of bringing health, happiness and a good job.


Tickets for the next production at Addison's Water Tower Theatre. This is a Saturday Matenee performance.
DO YOU ENJOY FEELING PUZZLED?
If you do, then come join me for an evening of yummies, jigsaw puzzling, and a happy, non-stressful (puzzle frustration notwithstanding) time! This time around, we are going for a slightly smaller puzzle (300 pieces) so it will be a bit easier to complete in one evening. Sign up and come puzzle with me!
Join Pam & Eileen for a trip in time at the movies! As timely and relevant now as it was in 1985, "Enemy Mine" is a film based on a novella of the same name. It tells the tale of two enemy combatants – aliens to each other - wounded during a long space-war and stranded together on a harsh planet. What will become of them? Light movie refreshments will be provided. This film is rated PG-13.
Join me for an evening of pottery painting. Pick out your own ceramic piece--it could be a mug, bowl, plate, wine glass, vase, figurine. Paint (glaze) it any way that suits your fancy. The studio provides all the supplies and instructions. Later they will fire your creation in a kiln, and I will bring it to you at church when it is ready (in a week or two). No experience necessary. Sign up for just yourself or bring a friend, significant other, or teenager.
There are board game cafes and game groups. Even Target stores stock modern board games. Join us for an afternoon of games to see what the excitement is about. No experience necessary. Enjoy delicious snacks and desserts while playing games with a fun group of people.
Enjoy lunch and a fun game of bridge at the Roes.
Meet after church for lunch and bridge at Lynn and Petre Hendee's home. Beginners are welcome.
Bridge Party and Lunch at our house after the Service. Beginners are welcome!
Enjoy lunch and bridge with Horizon friends after church.
Join me for lunch and a fun afternoon of low key bridge.
We'll enjoy lunch together followed by an afternoon of bridge.
Come join your Horizon friends for a friendly game of poker. Pizza and drinks will be provided.
Beat the Heat in August. Join the HW Group and our partners for cool and fun games, including Poker, Reverse Charades and other popular group games. We promise you will have a good time! Casual dinner and adult beverages will be served. You won't want to miss out on this fun night!
Join us for dinner and poker. Fun abounds!
Visit a Wildlife Refuge for a day!
Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch is a non-profit ranch licensed and regulated by the USDA. Their mission is to provide the North Texas community with the opportunity to experience rare and endangered exotic wildlife in a unique and personal setting. What better way to learn about conservation than by seeing it up close and hands on? Nancy Foreman and Wendy Sue will take you on a day trip to see Sharkarosa. Afterwards we'll enjoy lunch at a restaurant on the grounds before our return trip to Horizon.This offering is for anyone aged 7 and above.
Join me as we solve a mystery together. Come with your thinking caps on as we try to figure out the clues. Our very lives may depend on it (for at least an hour). Then join me for a delicious pizza lunch.
An evening of fun, food and merriment. Join us for a three course dinner to include; country fried steak, grilled chicken breast, fish or vegetarian and a show "Bushwacked at Bronco Bob's" where historical meets hysterical.
Early Dinner, then an exciting night of Roller Derby. Two matches on the card this evening, starting at 7pm at the Thunderbird Roller Rink in Plano. The venue is BYOB&C (Beer and Chair), we will provide canned beverages and folding chairs. Dinner is TBD but there are many choices nearby. Assassination City Roller Derby is 100% skater-owned and operated. Each skater has a part in running the business. From designing the flyers, to keeping the books, to wiping up beer during the bout – every skater donates her time and talents to the league on and off the track.
Join us for a traditional West African curry meal. This curry is tomato based and very flavorful, but not too spicy. It is topped with fresh vegetables, tropical fruits and nuts. Prepared with chicken or tofu. Anyone will enjoy! Fresh citrus sorbet and bene seed cookies served for dessert. Cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks are provided.
Enjoy home cooked italian comfort food with a healthy twist. Menu lasagna, meatballs and focaccia bread accompanied by wine and conversation.
Join Karen and Acie for a culinary adventure! We'll start with a lovely Champagne -- with Appetizers to complement. First Seated Course will be Carmelized Tomato Tart. Main Course will be Porcini-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Truffle Butter Sauce, Potato Gratin and Roasted Asparagus. Dessert will be Molten Chocolate Cake with Warm Raspberry Compote. Sommelier Acie will pair complementary wines with each course.
Meet with Carol Franzen, MS, LMSW, CMC, professional geriatric care manager to discuss elder care concerns and receive the benefit of Carol's 20+ years of experience advising elders and their family members about aging and disability challenges and transitions. Carol is familiar with resources and the difficulties that we all face, and can help you problem solve or create a plan for someone you care about.


Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2018 Dec 21;63(1). pii: e01801-18. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01801-18. Print 2019 Jan.
ARGONAUT-I: Activity of Cefiderocol (S-649266), a Siderophore Cephalosporin, against Gram-Negative Bacteria, Including Carbapenem-Resistant Nonfermenters and Enterobacteriaceae with Defined Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases and Carbapenemases.
Jacobs MR1,2, Abdelhamed AM3,2, Good CE3,2, Rhoads DD3,2, Hujer KM4,5, Hujer AM4,5, Domitrovic TN4,5, Rudin SD4,5, Richter SS6, van Duin D7, Kreiswirth BN8, Greco C9, Fouts DE9, Bonomo RA10,5,11,12,13,14,15.
Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA mrj6@case.edu robert.bonomo@va.gov.
Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA mrj6@case.edu robert.bonomo@va.gov.
Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case Virginia, USA CARES), Cleveland, Ohio, USA.


text:
Ring of Bright Water (Paperback)
By Gavin Maxwell, John Lister-Kaye (Introduction by)
Have a question? Please let us know and we will reply as soon as we can. Thanks!
Kobo eBook (March 31st, 2011): $2.99
Paperback (April 1st, 2011): $18.95
MP3 CD (September 13th, 2016): $9.99
Hailed a masterpiece when it was first published, the story of Gavin Maxwell's life with otters on the remote west coast of Scotland remains one of the most lyrical, moving descriptions of a man's relationship with the natural world.
Publisher: Little Toller Books
Animals - Mammals
Patrick McDonnell
Thursday, February 2, 2023 - 4:00pm PST
Onsite Author Book Talks/Signings
Joseph Sassoon
The Sassoons
Deena Mohamed
Shubeik Lubeik
Saturday, February 4, 2023 - 12:00pm PST
Eat, Drink & Be Murray!
Meet-and-Greet Signing with Chef Andy Murray
Saturday, February 4, 2023 - 3:00pm PST


text:
Q: Kendo-UI jQuery Menu Item Splitter I am currently using Kendo-UI 2021.2.616, specifically the Bootstrap SASS theme.
Is there a specific class or object definition that I can use to create a splitter in a menu item dropdown?
What I'm currently doing is adding an item where the text is empty and there is styling to give it the appearance that the item is just a horizontal line. Example:
$('#menu').kendoMenu({
  dataSource: new kendo.data.HierarchicalDataSource({
    data: [
      {
        text: 'Dropdown',
        items: [
          {
            text: 'Item 1',
            url: '#/'
          },
          {
            text: 'Item 2',
            url: '#/'
          },
          {
            attr: {
              style: 'border-top: 1px solid #000; height: 1px; margin: 0 0.25rem;'
            },
            text: ''
          },
          {
            text: 'Item 3',
            url: '#/'
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  })
});

Fiddle: https://dojo.telerik.com/eFiHUMEx
My issue is that my workaround smells like a hack. I feel like the Kendo-UI library would have a menu item splitter defined, but looking through the documentation I cannot find one.

A: Actually, your workaround is not a hack. That is basically how you add a separator, some CSS magic. Since you are looking for a defined Kendo separator. Change:
attr: {
  style: 'border-top: 1px solid #000; height: 1px; margin: 0 0.25rem;'
},

to this:
attr: {
  class: 'k-separator'
},

That should do the trick.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Lethbridge and Area Auto Dealers donate $15,000 to area food banks
By Jensen, Randy on April 23, 2020.
Herald photo by Ian Martens - The Lethbridge and Area Auto Dealers Association is donating $15,000 to Southern Alberta Food Banks during the COVID-19 crisis. @IMartensHerald
Kevin Forsyth
For The Herald
The Lethbridge and Area Auto Dealers Association is donating $15,000 to southern Alberta food banks. The organization voted in favour of the gesture to thank essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis.
"One of the bright lights in all of this has been the amazing response from all front-line workers in the health-care field, and in other essential businesses. It is truly inspiring to see these individuals step up to keep us safe, healthy and to keep our economy going," said Tim Schipper, LADA president.
According to Schipper, members of the association are aware of the devastating impact the pandemic is having on the local economy and the resulting drastic increase in unemployment.
"As long-standing members of the southern Alberta business community, we stand united as we progress through these difficult times," said Schipper.
Every year the LADA raises money for charitable causes via the LADA Charity Classic golf tournament and through regular member donations. In their history, the association has donated over $1.5 million to area charity initiatives and educational institutions, according to Schipper.
The LADA >represents 14 franchise dealerships in the Lethbridge area, which remain open for business as an essential service.


benefit | Everyone needs a little Sparkle!
Well I say a chore, but it's actually something I rather enjoy! Oils from your makeup and your skin stay in your brush and provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, I would suggest spot cleaning at least once a week ( and after EVERY use on other people) with a brush cleaner, these mostly contain alcohol that kills off all those nasty lurking germs hiding in your brushes. These are generally a case of spray / dip them in and swirl onto kitchen paper until clean.
However, this is no substitute for a proper clean with soap and water. I usually use an antibacterial hand soap containing triclosan. I put it onto a small plate and add a splash of olive oil to condition the bristles, especially those made from real hair.
Here I used some Ecover as had no handwash, pre cleansed them with brush cleanser – it had been way too too long since my last brush washing sesh!
Run a small amount of water into your sink or a bowl and give your brushes a dunk to wet them, being careful to only wet the bristles, not the ferrule. Swirl your bristles in the soap and oil mixture and then in the palm of your hand to lather. I like to lather all mine up – starting with the least dirty ones, working through to the most grimy which are usually the foundation brushes and then rinse them in running water, holding the bristles downwards so no water can get into the ferrule.
Squeeze out any excess water, reshape and leave to dry – either on a rolled towel so that the bristles are drying downwards or if you're lucky enough to own one – a Benjabelle brush tree – these are definitely on my wish list! Enjoy your fresh clean brushes!


text:
Check out our other sites:
SuperCheap Free
DCR Book Club
Your Two Cents Worth
Category: History/Biography
Deluxe – How Luxury Lost Its Luster – $1.99 0 comments
Tuesday, July 9th, 2019 @ 5:41am
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits.
Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don't want us to know. Deluxe is an uncompromising look behind the glossy façade that will enthrall anyone interested in fashion, finance, or culture.
Buy this book today for only $1.99.
Click here to purchase Deluxe
America's Hidden History – A collection of extraordinary stories – Only $1.99 0 comments
Monday, July 8th, 2019 @ 5:41am
Kenneth C. Davis presents a collection of extraordinary stories, each detailing an overlooked episode that shaped the nation's destiny and character. Davis's dramatic narratives set the record straight, busting myths and bringing to light little-known but fascinating facts from a time when the nation's fate hung in the balance.
Spanning a period from the Spanish arrival in America to George Washington's inauguration in 1789, America's Hidden History details these episodes, among others:
The story of the first real Pilgrims in America, who were wine-making French Huguenots, not dour English Separatists The coming-of-age story of Queen Isabella, who suggested that Columbus pack the moving mess hall of pigs that may have spread disease to many Native Americans. The little-known story of George Washington as a headstrong young soldier who committed a war crime, signed a confession, and started a war!
Buy this history today for $1.99.
Click here to purchase America's Hidden History
The Grave's a Fine and Private Place – A Flavia de Luce historical mystery – $1.99 0 comments
Sunday, July 7th, 2019 @ 5:46am
In the wake of an unthinkable family tragedy, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is struggling to fill her empty days. For a needed escape, Dogger, the loyal family servant, suggests a boating trip for Flavia and her two older sisters. As their punt drifts past the church where a notorious vicar had recently dispatched three of his female parishioners by spiking their communion wine with cyanide, Flavia, an expert chemist with a passion for poisons, is ecstatic.
Suddenly something grazes her fingers as she dangles them in the water. She clamps down on the object and pulls up what she expects will be a giant fish. But in Flavia's grip is something far better: a human head, attached to a human body. If anything could take Flavia's mind off sorrow, it is solving a murder—although one that may lead the young sleuth to an early grave.
Buy this historical mystery for only $1.99 today.
Click here to purchase The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
The Gilded Hour – A remarkable epic about two female doctors in nineteenth-century New York – $1.99 0 comments
Thursday, July 4th, 2019 @ 5:43am
The year is 1883, and in New York City, it's a time of dizzying splendor, crushing poverty, and tremendous change. With the gravity-defying Brooklyn Bridge nearly complete and New York in the grips of anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock, Anna Savard and her cousin Sophie—both graduates of the Woman's Medical School—treat the city's most vulnerable, even if doing so may put everything they've strived for in jeopardy.
With its vivid depictions of old New York and its enormously appealing characters, The Gilded Hour is a captivating, emotionally gripping novel that proves Sara Donati is an author at the height of her powers.
Buy this saga today for $1.99.
Click here to purchase The Gilded Hour
Secret Lives of the First Ladies – What Your Teachers Never Told You About the Women of the White House – $1.99 0 comments
Whether she's a leading lady, loyal spouse, or lightning rod for scandal, the First Lady of the United States has always been in the spotlight—and in 2017 that was truer than ever. This revised and expanded edition from Quirk's best-selling Secret Lives series features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the women of the White House, from Martha Washington to Melania Trump, it comes complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. Did you know that . . .
• Dolley Madison loved to chew tobacco
• Mary Todd Lincoln conducted séances on a regular basis
• Eleanor Roosevelt and Ellen Wilson both carried guns
• Jacqueline Kennedy spent $121,000 on her wardrobe in a single year
• Betty Ford liked to chat on CB radios—her handle was "First Mama"
Click here to purchase Secret Lives of the First Ladies
A Beautiful Blue Death – Charles Lenox Mystery #1 – Historical mystery – $1.99 0 comments
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019 @ 5:45am
On any given day in London, all Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, wants to do is relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist another chance to unravel a mystery, even if it means trudging through the snow to her townhouse next door.
One of Jane's former servants, Prudence Smith, is dead – an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison. The house where the girl worked is full of suspects, and though Prudence dabbled with the hearts of more than a few men, Lenox is baffled by an elusive lack of motive in the girl's death.
When another body turns up during the London season's most fashionable ball, Lenox must untangle a web of loyalties and animosities.
You can purchase this historical mystery for only $1.99 today.
Click here to purchase A Beautiful Blue Death
1776 by Historian David McCullogh – The stirring story of the year of our nation's birth – $3.99 0 comments
America's beloved and distinguished historian presents, in a book of breathtaking excitement, drama, and narrative force, the stirring story of the year of our nation's birth, 1776, interweaving, on both sides of the Atlantic, the actions and decisions that led Great Britain to undertake a war against her rebellious colonial subjects and that placed America's survival in the hands of George Washington.
In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.
This history is selling for $3.99 today.
Click here to purchase 1776
The Last Jew – A Novel of The Spanish Inquisition – Historical fiction – $1.99 0 comments
Monday, July 1st, 2019 @ 5:43am
In the year 1492, the Inquisition has all of Spain in its grip. After centuries of pogrom-like riots encouraged by the Church, the Jews – who have been an important part of Spanish life since the days of the Romans – are expelled from the country by royal edict. Many who wish to remain are intimidated by Church and Crown and become Catholics, but several hundred thousand choose to retain their religion and depart; given little time to flee, some perish even before they can escape from Spain.
Yonah Toledano, the 15-year-old son of a celebrated Spanish silversmith, has seen his father and brother die during these terrible days – victims whose murders go almost unnoticed in a time of mass upheaval. Trapped in Spain by circumstances, he is determined to honor the memory of his family by remaining a Jew.
The Last Jew is a glimpse of the past, an authentic tale of high adventure, and a tender and unforgettable love story. Buy this historical fiction novel for only $1.99 today.
Click here to purchase The Last Jew
Any Approaching Enemy – A Novel of the Napoleonic Wars – $1.99 0 comments
Sunday, June 30th, 2019 @ 5:16am
Jay Worrall introduced a bold new hero: Charles Edgemont, an ambitious officer in His Britannic Majesty's navy. Raised to the rank of captain for gallantry under fire, Edgemont proved his mettle in the bruising British victory over the Spanish fleet at the Battle of St. Vincent. Now married and in command of the twenty-eight-gun frigate Louisa, the young captain sails toward a day of destiny–for himself and for England.
The year is 1798. The war between England and revolutionary France has reached a bloody stalemate, with England in the ascendancy at sea and France unchallenged on the Continent, thanks in large part to an unorthodox twenty-eight-year-old general named Napoleon Bonaparte.
Edgemont is suddenly thrown into a crisis of conscience. As circumstances grow dire and require heroic action, the fate of the crucial battle effectively lies in Edgemont's hands–as does the course of history.
Buy this historical fiction novel for only $1.99 today.
Click here to purchase Any Approaching Enemy
Captive – The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero – $1.99 0 comments
Now a stirring movie from Paramount Pictures, this inspirational, news-making life story of the young female hostage who in 2005 single-handedly talked the infamous Atlanta courthouse killer, Brian Nichols, into surrendering peacefully by gaining his confidence through her prayers and personal faith and by reading passages to him from the Christian blockbuster A Purpose Driven Life.
In March 2005, Ashley Smith made headlines around the globe when she miraculously talked her way out of the hands of alleged courthouse killer Brian Nichols after he took her hostage for seven hours in her suburban Atlanta apartment. In this moving, inspirational account, Ashley shares the details of her traumatic ordeal.
Buy this book today for $1.99.
Click here to purchase Captive
Business/Computers
Home/Health/Psychology
Humor/Entertainment/Arts
Kindle and Devices
Science/Nature
SuperCheap
Need a Gift Card or Something Kindle- related?
Copyright © 2014 DailyCheapReads.com. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Statement


text:
El feminisme socialista és una corrent teòrica i política del feminisme que critica tant el capitalisme com el patriarcat, enfatitzant les esferes tant pública com privada de la vida de les dones. Argumenta que l'alliberament de les dones només pot ser aconseguit treballant per acabar amb les fonts tant econòmiques com culturals de la opressió de les dones. Explica la subordinació de la dona pel model capitalista dominant i proposa l'alliberament dels oprimits tenint en compte la perspectiva de gènere, perquè les dones estan doblement discriminades: per qüestions de classe i per qüestions de gènere.

Sorgiment
Neix a finals del , dins el feminisme de la primera onada, en el moment d'expansió de la industrialització i el sorgiment del moviment obrer, quan les dones de classe obrera exigeixen la creació d'una estructura de drets socials i laborals. En els inicis, és un moviment social caracteritzat per la reclamació de la incorporació al mercat de treball de totes les dones i amb unes condicions de treball dignes argumentant que és el que les dones necessiten per tal d'independitzar-se dels homes, ja que l'alliberament femení és impossible si no passa per trencar amb la dependència econòmica que les subordina als homes, dins el capitalisme, per l'equilibri desigual de la riquesa.

Les guerres mundials minven la flama de les reivindicacions de les feministes socialistes que s'han de centrar en la seva pròpia supervivència i la pau al món, fins als anys 60 als EUA, Europa i Amèrica Llatina, on es creen diversos grups de dones que plantegen un qüestionament a la forma en que l'esquerra tradicional i la nova esquerra aborda la ''qüestió de la dona'', com quelcom secundari. Aquest cop, el feminisme socialista, emmarcat dins el feminisme de la segona onada, posa més el focus en la interconnexió del patriarcat i el capitalisme i amplia, així, l'argument del feminisme marxista del paper que té la societat de classes en la opressió de les dones i la teoria del feminisme radical sobre el gènere que considera el patriarcat com la font única d'opressió de les dones.

A més del feminisme marxista i el radical, n'hi ha altres corrents que també s'assemblen en alguns aspectes al feminisme socialista; ho veiem a continuació.

Diferències i similituds amb altres corrents del feminisme
El feminisme socialista pensa que un nou ordre social més just portarà inevitablement més igualtat de gènere, perquè s'hauran abolit les estructures que fomenten l'opressió i que són la base del patriarcat capitalista actualment dominant. En els següents apartats comprovem que en pensen sobre això altres corrents del feminisme, si veuen o no, l'alliberament de les dones, com a part necessària de les reclamacions socials, econòmiques i de justícia política i intenten integrar la lluita per l'alliberament de les dones a la lluita contra altres sistemes d'opressió basats, per exemple, en la classe social.

Feminisme marxista
El feminisme marxista és un tipus de teoria feminista que se centra en les institucions socials del capitalisme i la propietat privada per explicar i criticar la desigualtat i la opressió de gènere. Segons les feministes marxistes, la propietat privada, com l'arrel de la opressió de les dones en el context social actual, provoca l'augment de les desigualtats de gènere tant en l'àmbit privat com en el públic.

El sorgiment del feminisme marxista comença amb l'anàlisi de la opressió de gènere que fa Friedrich Engels a L'origen de la família, la propietat privada, i l'estat (1884). Argumenta que la subordinació d'una dona no és resultat del seu tarannà biològic sinó de les relacions socials, i que els esforços dels homes per aconseguir les seves demandes de control del treball de les dones i les facultats sexuals s'han solidificat gradualment i han esdevingut institucionalitzades en la família nuclear.

A finals del  i principis del , conegudes marxistes com Clara Zetkin, Alexandra Kollontai o Eleanor Marx donaven suport a una revolució del proletariat que venceria les desigualtats entre homes i dones i, d'aquesta manera, es contraposaven al feminisme considerant-lo, en aquella época, burgès. Les demandes del marxisme ortodox en materia d'igualtat eren realment radicals i el que pretenien era aconseguir l'alliberament de les dones mitjançant la revolució socialista, fent èmfasi en el treball de les dones i en canviar les seves condicions després de la revolució. Estaven en contra de les formes capitalistes del feminisme, ja que el veien com una ideologia burgesa contraposada al marxisme i a la classe treballadora en si mateixa. Critiquen l'intent de combinar el marxisme i el feminisme de les feministes socialistes per considerar que és una creació libertal d'acadèmics i reformistes per traçar aliances amb la burgesia.

El que tenen a veure el feminisme marxista i el feminisme socialista és en que ambdós es dibuixen des d'un punt de vista materialista històric, el qual significa que relacionen les seves idees a les condicions materials i històriques de les vides de les persones.

Així, les feministes socialistes consideren que el sexisme i la divisió sexual del treball de cada era històrica es determina pel sistema econòmic del moment, ja que històricament s'han dissenyat tasques diferents per a les dones, més lligades a l'esfera domèstica, que per als homes amb diverses justificacions, tant biològiques (força física), com religioses i culturals; i, per tant, consideren que la lluita de classes ha d'incorporar el pensament feminista, perquè si determinades feines alienen la persona, especialment entre el proletariat, també ho fan amb les dones, que pateixen, per tant, una doble discriminació. A més, les feines de les dones estan pitjor considerades socialment i poden incloure jornades més llargues per la càrrega excessiva de la cura de la llar i la família.

Totes aquestes condicions, segons les feministes socialistes, són en gran part expressades a través de les relacions del capitalisme i el patriarcat així que el que refusen del marxisme és que la classe i la lluita de classe són l'únic que defineix la història i el desenvolupament econòmic.

Karl Marx va afirmar que quan la opressió de classe sigui vençuda, la opressió de gènere també desapareixerà; segons les feministes socialistes, aquesta visió de la opressió de gènere com a sub-classe de la opressió de classe és naive i molta de la feina que han fet les feministes socialistes ha anat cap a especificar com el gènere i la classe van de la mà per a crear diferents formes d'opressió i privilegi per dones i homes de cada classe.

Feminisme anarquista
L'anarco-feminisme combina l'anarquisme amb el feminisme veient el patriarcat com una manifestació de jerarquia coactiva involuntària que hauria de ser reemplaçada per l'associació lliure decentralitzada. Les anarco-feministes creuen que la lluita contra el patriarcat és una part essencial de la lluita de classes i la lluita anarquista contra l'estat. En essència, es veu la lluita anarquista com a component necessari de la lluita feminista i viceversa.

L. Susan Brown reclama que "com l'anarquisme és una filosofia política que s'oposa a totes les relacions de poder, és inherentment feminista".

Bakunin s'oposava al patriarcat i la manera en que la llei ''subordina a la dona sota la dominació absoluta de l'home'' apelant a la igualtat de drets entre homes i dones per tal que les dones puguin ''esdevenir independents i ser lliures de forjar el seu propi estil de vida''.

L'anarco-feminisme va començar tard, tant amb autores i teòriques del  i principis del segle XX com amb feministes anarquistes com Emma Goldman, Voltairine de Cleyre i Lucy Parsons.

A la Guerra Civil espanyola, el grup anarco-feminista, Mujeres Libres (Dones Lliures), enllaçat a la Federación Anarquista Ibérica, organitzada per defensar idees tant anarquistes com feministes, del qual era líder Federica Montseny, donava suport a la idea que la emancipació de les dones portaria a la revolució social i que aquesta arribaria en mans de dones intel·lectuals i militants. Aquesta organització es va fundar al 1936 per Lucía Sánchez Saornil, Mercedes Comaposada i Amparo Poch y Gascón amb l'objectiu d'empoderar les dones de classe treballadora. Va aconseguir tenir aproximadament unes 30,000 membres basant-se en la idea d'una "lluita doble", per una banda, l'alliberament de les dones i, per l'altra, la revolució social; argumentant que els dos objectius eren igualment importants i que havien de perseguir-se en paral·lel. Per tal d'obtenir suport mutu, van crear xarxes de dones anarquistes. A més, per tal d'implicar més dones en la lluita feminista i anarquista van impulsar grups no mixtes dedicats a la unió de les pròpies dones que hi participaven compartint les seves experiències personals i així creant una consciencia col·lectiva.

Feminisme autonomista
Silvia Federici és un professora italiana, mestre, i activista del feminisme autonomista radical de tradició marxista. El llibre més conegut de Federici es El caliban i la bruixa: les dones, el cos i l'acumulació primitiva. En ell, argumenta en contra de la reclamació de Karl Marx de que l'acumulació primitiva és la precursora necessària del capitalisme. En comptes d'això, postula que l'acumulació primitiva és una característica fonamental del capitalisme en ell mateix - aquest capitalisme, per tal del perpetuar-se a si mateix, requereix una infusió constant de capital expropiat.

Federici connecta aquesta expropiació del treball no remunerat amb les dones, ambdós connectats a la reproducció, la qual emmarca com una precondició histórica per l'augment d'una economia capitalista basada en el treball assalariat. En relació amb això, perfila la lluita històrica pel comunalisme. En comptes de veure el capitalisme com a la derrota alliberadora del feudalisme, Federici interpreta l'ascens del capitalisme com un moviment reaccionari per subvertir l'augment del comunalisme i per retenir el contracte social bàsic.

Situa la institucionalització de la violació i la prostitució, com els judicis d'heretges i la caça de bruixes, els enterraments i les tortures, al centre d'una subjugació metòdica de les dones i l'apropiació del seu treball. Això està lligat a la expropiació colonial i proporciona un marc per entendre la feina del Fons Monetari Internacional, el Banc Mundial, i altres institucions pròximes, que tornen a comprometre'ns en un cicle renovat d'acumulació primitiva.

Feminisme radical
Neix als anys 60 i 70 als EUA i en comptes de criticar la tradició, el que fa és crear-ne una de nova. Critica el patriarcat i la família com la única font d'opressió de les dones, ja que considera que els àmbits privat i públic estan interrelacionats, ja que ''lo personal és polític'', tal com deia una de les feministes radicals més importants de la historia: KATE MILLET.

Considera la lluita socialista condició indispensable però no suficient per a l'alliberament de gènere i aquest és un dels trets que comparteix amb el feminisme socialista, a més de la seva crítica al paper del patriarcat però, alhora, refusa el seu plantejament de que el patriarcat és la única font d'opressió de les dones, ja que el feminisme radical oblida el paper del capitalisme en tota aquesta discriminació.

També se centra en la violència sexista, la explotació sexual, la maternitat i la sexualitat com moltes autores com Sulamith Firestone reivindicaven. Firestone considerava que la maternitat era l'opressió de les dones i que el primer objectiu que havia de tenir la revolució feminista era superar les diferències sexuals i suprimir la família.

Una altra autora designada com a feminista culturalista és Catherina MacKinnon, que concep la sexualitat com a eix de desigualtat entre gèneres i proposa canviar les relacions de poder.

Feminisme liberal
El feminisme liberal proposa que les dones han d'estar incloses en el model social, sense fer una crítica del mateix. Proposen la integració de les dones en el sistema establert, reclamant els mateixos drets que tenen els homes.

El feminisme socialista comparteix alguns aspectes del feminisme liberal com la necessitat de lluitar per la igualtat de drets entre homes i dones però, alhora, refusa la seva idea fonamental de que les dones es poden alliberar en el marc de la societat de classes sense una transformació de les relacions de producció, ja que la opressió de les dones és clau en la existència del capitalisme.

Les feministes socialistes creuen en la reestructuració de la societat per acabar amb la propietat privada i la esclavitud domèstica, volen donar lloc a una col·lectivització de les tasques de la llar i de la cura i aconseguir l'alliberament sexual tant de dones com d'homes; fet que les feministes liberals no comparteixen.

Parlar d'esclavitud domèstica és considerar la institució del matrimoni tradicional com la causa de la discriminació de les dones, ja que restringeix la sexualitat femenina encaminant-la només cap a la procreació i d'aquesta manera, la exclou de qualsevol altre qüestió que no es lligui amb el rol de mare i esposa que té cura del marit, la llar i els fills. Per això, l'adulteri està pitjor vist si el comet la dona o es toleren fenòmens com la prostitució.

BETTY FRIEDAN és una de les autores més destacades del feminisme liberal de l'últim segle. Coneguda per ''La mística de la feminitat'' on exposa que les dones són víctimes de la heterodesignació del rol d'esposa i mare i per acabar amb això propugna la revolució de la vida domèstica, en tant que la col·lectivització de les tasques de la llar i la redefinició del concepte de família com a plural.

Pensament
El feminisme marxista plantejava que el problema de les dones no existia sinó que el problema era de les dones obreres i, per tant, amb la revolució obrera, est acabaria.

En resposta al feminisme marxista, sorgeixen les feministes radicals que mostren l'opressió que sofreixen les dones pel fet de ser-ho, que res té a veure amb l'economia i la forma de producció sinó amb un sistema transversal que és el patriarcat, el qual és universal i es perpetua al llarg de la història independentment de la societat particular de què es tracti.

I finalment, des de les files socialistes, sorgeix la síntesi del feminisme socialista desenvolupat en els anys setanta del , un plantejament que perfila el salt del feminisme utòpic (marxista, burgès i radical) al feminisme científic.

Afirma que el patriarcat no és una qüestió fonamentalment ideològica, no és només un element més de la superestructura capitalista, sinó un sistema d'explotació de les dones pels homes, que s'apropien de treballs i serveis produïts per les dones, també aquells que es emmarcan en la manera de reproducció de la vida i no només de producció capitalista.

El patriarcat ha desenvolupat històricament una enorme capacitat d'adaptació al desenvolupament econòmic i en l'etapa del capitalisme estableixen una aliança beneficiosa per a tots dos que s'entrellacen fins a semblar un només, convertint-se així en ''indestructibles''.

El feminisme materialista descobreix que les dones, a més de treballar per al capital reproduint a la classe obrera, cuidant de la llar en el qual després els proletaris descansen i creant una estabilitat en l'estructura familiar que afavoreix la no revolució social, les dones a més fan uns treballs gratuïts per als homes particulars en el marc d'una relació de producció en la qual s'apropien del treball realitzat per les dones.

I aquesta relació de producció s'estén de forma transversal per tota la piràmide social, de manera que les dones de qualsevol classe social sofreixen alguna forma d'opressió i explotació, és a dir, que la violència de gènere es dona en qualsevol classe social i no únicament per part dels homes de la classe obrera. Per això podem considerar el patriarcat com una cosa transversal, inherent al sistema.

El patriarcat com a sistema se sustenta sobre la base de tres elements fonamentals que són, al seu torn, aquells treballs dels quals els homes es beneficien com capitalisme de la plusvalua dels obrers: el treball domèstic, la criança dels fills i filles i la producció d'amor (afectiu i sexual); a més aquests treballs els realitzen tant les dones que a més tenen un treball assalariat com les que no el tenen. Engels va afirmar amb encert que en la família l'home exercia el rol del burgès i la dona el del proletari.

Principals teòriques del feminisme socialista
FLORA TRISTÁN: autora emmarcada en la corrent del socialismo utòpic, les reivindicacions i arguments de les quals són similars, en part, a les del feminisme liberal però, estableix com a referent a les dones obreres, ja que reivindica l'educació de les dones com la base per una societat més justa. Criticava el moviment obrer per tampoc incloure a les dones.

CLARA ZETKIN: important socialista en la lluita pels drets de les dones que afirma que ''els interessos de les dones no són homogenis sinó que depenen de la seva pertinença a les diferents classes socials''. En el cas de les dones de l'alta burgesia, la seva principal reivindicació és la de disposar del seu patrimoni. Per les de la petita burgesia és el dret al vot per tal de poder decidir les lleis laborals que els permetin l'accés a la lliure competencia pels treballs assalariats. Les dones de classe proletària, en canvi, considera que la seva situació és molt similar a la dels homes de la seva classe social, ja que també són força de treball pel capital i, per tant, quan acabi la subordinació de classe, també acabarà la subordinació femenina.

Qui, per primera vegada, trenca amb aquesta idea poc realista de la igualtat entre homes i dones en les classes obreres és ALEKSANDRA KOLLONTAI: que considera que la revolució socialista no podrá realitzar-se fins que la qüestió femenina no estigui resolta. Kollontai afirmava que el canvi social s'havia iniciat en les dones, en el naixement de la ''dona nova'', conscient de la seva opressió en el món, en el que el seu paper es defineix per les seves relacions i la seva individualitat no té cap valor. Per ella, ''les dones noves es presenten a la vida amb exigències pròpies, heroïnes que afirmen la seva personalitat, heroïnes que protesten per la subordinació de la dona a l'estat, a la família i a la societat, heroïnes que saben lluitar pels seus drets''. Amb la proposta de la dona nova, critica l'aportació que feia Marx de que per construir un món millor, a part de modificar les relacions de producció, era necessària l'aparició d'un home nou amb nous valors i costums.

LINDA GORDON: historiadora feminista que afirma que el feminisme socialista és inherentment interseccional perquè té en compte tant el gènere com la classe. Segons Gordon, el feminisme socialista del 1980 expandeix el concepte d'interseccionalitat.

Malgrat la suposada presència d'interseccionalitat en el feminisme socialista, moltes feministes, particularment dones de color, critiquen el moviment per no tenir en compte la igualtat racial. Kum-Kum Bhavani, un professor de la Universitat Santa Barbarade California, i Margaret Coulson, una professora feminista socialista, afirmen que la existència de racisme en el moviment feminista socialista és el seu fracàs perquè reconeixen la naturalesa institucional del racisme. Segons Bhavani i Coulson, raça, classe, i gènere estan relacionades indestriablement i, l'exclusió de qualsevol d'aquests factors d'opressió provoca la comprensió incompleta dels sistemes de privilegi i opressió que constitueixen la nostra societat.

CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN: feminista socialista que proposava la professionalització del treball domèstic com la clau per alliberar les dones del rol de mare i cuidadora de la llar o 'housekeeper'. Les feministes socialistes destaquen com la maternitat i la divisió sexual del treball que creixen "naturalment" del rol de les dones com a mares, són la font de l'exclusió de les dones de l'esfera pública i creen la dependència econòmica de les dones en els homes. Afirmen que no hi ha res natural en la divisió sexual del treball i mostren l'expectativa de que les dones es dediquin al treball reproductiu, és a dir, el treball associat amb la maternitat i les tasques domèstiques.

SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR: coneguda feminista socialista per proclamar que la dona no neix dona sinó que es converteix en dona, diferenciant d'aquesta manera la distinció entre sexe i gènere. El seu llibre per excel·lència és ''El segon sexe'', considerant que aquest es refereix a les dones, com a subordinades del primer sexe que serien els homes.

Primers grups feministes socialistes

Unió per l'Alliberament de les Dones de Chicago
La Unió per l'alliberament de les dones de Chicago (Chicago Women's Liberation Union), col·loquialment coneguda com a CWLU, es va formar al 1969 després d'una conferència a Palatí, Illinois. Naomi Weisstein, Vivian Rothstein, Heather Booth i Ruth Surgal eren les fundadores. L'objectiu principal de l'organització era acabar amb la desigualtat de gènere i el sexisme. El CWLU va estar gairebé una dècada organitzant com desafiar tant el sexisme com la opressió de classe. El grup és més conegut per la publicació al 1972 del pamflet "Feminisme Socialista: Una Estratègia pel moviment de les Dones ", per ser el primer en utilitzar el terme feminisme socialista.

Durant la seva existència, es van encarregar de treballar temes tant diversos com la salut de les dones, els drets reproductius, l'educació, els drets econòmics, la música i les arts visuals, els esports, l'alliberament de les lesbianes, i molts més.

WITCH
La conspiració terrorista internacional de les dones de l'infern (W.I.T.C.H.) era el nom de molts relacionats però independents grups feministes dels Estats Units durant 1968 i 1969 i van ser importants en el desenvolupament de feminisme socialista.

No era una organització centralitzada; cada grup W.I.T.C.H. estava format independentment per les dones inspirades per les idees i exemples d'accions anteriors. El seu activisme principalment va agafar la forma de "zaps", una forma de teatre de guerrilla que barreja teatre de carrer i protesta, on van utilitzar accions públiques humorístiques i que cridaven l'atenció per a destacar queixes polítiques i econòmiques contra empreses i agències del govern, freqüentment utilitzant vestits de bruixa i cantant malediccions.

Big Flame
Big flame o la 'Flama gran' era una organització feminista socialista revolucionària amb orientació de classe treballadora al Regne Unit. Es va fundar a Liverpool l'any 1970 i va créixer ràpidament, apareixent branques de lorganització a altres ciutats. Les seves publicacions emfatitzaven que "és necessari un partit revolucionari però Big Flame ni és aquest partit ni l'embrió".

El grup publicava la revista Big Flame i el periòdic Revolutionary Socialism. Les membres del grup es relacionaven amb grups trotskistes i descrivien la seva política com a marxista llibertaria.

Figures destacades
 Johanna Brenner, sociòloga que estudia la participació de les dones a l'esfera pública
 Barbara Ehrenreich, periodista i activista política
 Clara Fraser, una de les fundadores del Freedom Socialist Party
 Charlotte Perkins Gilman, escriptora i reformadora social
 Emma Goldman, pensadora anarquista
 Silvia Federici, professora i teòrica feminista
 Donna Haraway, assagista feminista
 Leopoldina Fortunati, teòrica dels estudis de gènere
 Heidi I. Hartmann, fundadora del centre Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR)
 Selma James, activista política que reclama que les feines domèstiques estiguin remunerades
 Sheila Rowbotham, escriptora i teòrica feminista
 Sylvia Walby, sociòloga especialitzada en la violència de gènere estructural
 Nellie Wong, poetessa i activista feminista

Referències

Socialista

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Puppets from 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' listed on eBay for $10M
by: Tribune Media Wire
NEW YORK – You'll need a lot of "Silver and Gold" to buy this ultimate Christmas gift.
Fans of the 1964 holiday-cartoon classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" have a chance to snag one of the most expensive pieces of memorabilia out there.
Peter Lutrario, the owner of the Rudolph and Santa puppets is selling the pair that appeared on the Rankin/Bass TV special and asking for a whopping $10 million in an eBay auction. Rankin/Bass expert Rick Goldschmidt, who used to bring these exact puppets to events, said you can't put a price on them. The pair are two of several puppets used in the creation of the special, which used an iconic stop-motion technique called Animagic.
"I was just curious to see what the market would bear," Lutrario told WPIX about the auction.
The pair of puppets from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" are being sold for $10 million on eBay. (eBay)
"No one's going to pay $10 million," he said. "Not even a museum or the Smithsonian." The auction does offer a "make an offer" option, so the pair could conceivably sell for less.
A friend of Goldschmidt's had the pricey puppets restored years ago, Goldschmidt said. His friend sold Rudolph and Santa to Lutrario around 2010. Lutratio said the pieces brought back childhood memories in a 2015 interview with CNN.
Goldschmidt said he was disappointed to hear of the online auction.
"It's just sad to see the puppets being put on eBay," he said.
While Goldschmidt does think the price is ridiculous, he hopes a sale goes through to a museum so fans of the classic Christmas special can enjoy Rudolph and Santa.
(eBay)
"People love to see them. It's something that's a treasured part of Americana," he said. "I'd like to see it in a museum — not in someone's briefcase."
Rankin/Bass produced many seasonal shows over the years, but their "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" remains the longest-running holiday special in television history.
"It has heart and it has warmth that no other entertainment really has today," Goldschmidt said.
by Nicole Fierro, KDVR, Nexstar Media Wire / Jan 19, 2021
DENVER (KDVR) — A teacher in Denver recently confronted a porch pirate who paid a visit to her home, and it was caught on video.
"I can hear the gate unlock at my house, and my dog and I always look when the gate gets unlocked. We were like, 'Who's there?'" said Stephanie Hall, who works from home.
by Aleksandra Bush, Nexstar Media Wire / Jan 19, 2021
CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Country music legend Dolly Parton is celebrating her 75th birthday on Tuesday.
Parton was born in Tennessee in 1946. She started performing at a young age, hitting it big in 1973 with the release of the song "Jolene."
by Sharron Melton / Jan 18, 2021
HOUSTON (CW39) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?" Today many are celebrate his life and legacy, by helping and honoring others, in recognition of his work. That's also why the Houston Food Bank is spotlighting the importance of volunteering and giving to others today.
With help from Shell Oil Company for many years, they're once again hosting a "Day of Service at Houston Food Bank" on this holiday. This year, due to COVID restrictions, they will host a Shell Backpack Buddy Food Drive (volunteer drive-thru) from 9 - 11am at the front of the Houston Food Bank main facility at 535 Portwall (77029). People can drive-up and donate non-perishable items to be used in Backpack Buddy sacks which help food-insecure schoolchildren.
What happens to your expired blood donations?


A look at the birth of twin babies.
It sparked todays blog topic a look at a twin pregnancy and giving birth to twins. If you are pregnant and worried twins run in the family I'm sure there are questions you will want answering when you get the scan result from the hospital. So here is a brief look at having twin babies and if it really does mean double the trouble!
Fraternal twins are dizygotic from two different eggs, each fertilized by different sperm. That mean they share only 50% of their DNA, much like all other singleton siblings. They can be the same or opposite sexes.
Identical twins from the same egg that will later splits into two. If your twins look like copies of each other, you probably have identical twins. These twins will share 100% of their DNA, have the same hand and footprints and yet have different teeth marks and fingerprints. Conjoined ("Siamese") twins are those that are attached at birth.
One popular question you may have is will I have to have a c section just because there are 2 babies in the womb. The answer is no.
More than half of twins will be born vaginally. Whether this option is the right one for you and your babies is a discussion that should be discussed with your doctor or midwife. The good news is that even though you have two babies – you only have to labor once!
This means you will have to push twice, but the majority of the time the second twin is born much more easily than the first.
If Twin B is breech, your practitioner may decide to allow the baby to deliver breech, to turn the baby externally or internally or even do something called a breech extraction (pulling baby out by the feet).
One baby being born vaginally with the second twin being born via cesarean occurs in only about 3-4% of all twin births. Usually this is done for an emergency with Twin B, like a cord prolapse (This is where the cord comes out with or before the baby, thereby cutting off the baby's oxygen supply.), severe malpresentation (like a transverse baby that cannot be moved by internal or external forces), placental abruption .
Will my twins be born premature and need to stay in the nicu?
More than half of twins will be born prior to 37 weeks.They may need a short stay in the nicu just in case they need assistance with breathing.The consultant looking after you will keep you informed every step of the way whilst carrying twin babies and tell you common procedures that are in place if the twin babies need help at birth.
Will I be able to breast feed both babies or will it be hard work?
Getting into a routine with one baby can be hard at first so you have to make sure you do with 2 babies.Accept all the family support you can to do chores help with cooking cleaning etc and try to get both babies to feed at the same time.Two cushions one baby under each arm supported with the cushions or criss cross. Rest when you can eat regular, healthy and always have a drink at the side of you before you start, breastfeeding can make you thirsty.
As for double the trouble it can be if after a few weeks you do not get organised, an extra hand is good for doing the extra washing, ironing and chores around the home so never refuse helpfrom a fmaily memeber or friend in the first few weeks.
Remember to enjoy every moment you have with them as babies. They soon grow up. Take photos and record important baby milestones. In no time at all you will find they are all grown up asking you to show them all the family pics you took when they were babies.


text:
package com.intive.patronage.toz.users.model.db;

import org.springframework.security.core.GrantedAuthority;

public enum Role implements GrantedAuthority {
    SA, TOZ, VOLUNTEER, ANONYMOUS;

    @Override
    public String getAuthority() {
        return this.toString();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


2017 sees a momentous milestone achieved by Gerard Roofing Systems – supplying our fifty-fifth million tile in sub-Saharan Africa. Since inventing the stone coated roofing tile in New Zealand in 1957, Gerard has invested heavily in innovation (see our video here) and our market leading products are today used throughout the world. However, it was in the year 2000 that a dedicated office opened to distribute and market the Gerard Roofing System in Africa. Since then, Gerard Roofing Tiles have been supplied through our Distribution partners in 26 sub-Saharan countries & we are the brand leaders in most of these; being the only roof tile to be fully tried, tested and trusted by customers.
Reaching such an impressive milestone coincides with our 60th anniversary, so there's two good reasons to visit your local official Gerard Distributor. We thank all of our loyal customers who, over the last 17 years, have invested in Gerard Roofing Systems for their homes, hotels, commercial premises and projects and who believe in the best.


text:
Uploaded: Tue, Jun 4, 2013, 3:12 pm
Volunteers make 'superhero capes' for children in Oklahoma
by Jessica Lipsky
Second graders from San Ramon made a superhero cape for a child in tornado-ravaged Oklahoma. Photo by Heather Heinemann.
San Ramon Valley residents gathered for a community sewing event Memorial Day weekend to make "superhero capes" for children in tornado ravaged Oklahoma.
Danville-based nonprofit Kiss the Toad Creations organized over 40 volunteers at the Danville Women's Club to make unique capes for 100 kids. Founded in 2008, Kiss the Toad Creation has outfitted more than 1,200 children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and disabilities with capes designed to bring out their own superhero strength.
"These children have been through a horrible experience and we want to empower them in their time of need" said Barbara Casados, founder of Kiss the Toad. "When children put capes on, they feel they have extra superhero powers."
Many volunteers at the May 25 event brought their children and made capes together. Casados said it was heartwarming to see children pick out their favorite fabrics and helping sew. Over the course of six hours, volunteers nearly met the 100 cape goal and finished the final capes after.
"It was such a heart warming experience to see the community jump in with little to no notice and put in hours of their time during the holiday to make capes for kids they didn't even know," she added.
Casados was contacted shortly thereafter by the principle of Heritage Trails Elementary School in Moore, Okla., who said that there were 250 children he thought the capes would be perfect for. Kiss The Toad volunteers will now deliver 250 superhero capes to the preschoolers and kindergartners at the two schools that were hit in that town.
In addition to the capes, Kiss The Toad Creations is also sending clothing and necessities to the families affected by the tornadoes, which killed 18 people and left hundreds homeless. Casados was so touched by the community sewing experience that she booked a flight to Oklahoma and will hand deliver the capes on June 7.
"It is through their courage and superhuman strength that we are inspired to help support them in their fight by presenting them with their official super hero cape," Casados said of cape recipients.
Kiss The Toad has nearly completed all 250 capes but is still looking for sponsorships; interested parties can sponsor a cape for $30 at the Kiss The Toad website.