text:
Final Fantasy XV Composer Reflects on 10-Year Journey
Clara Hertzog Content Communications Specialist, PlayStation
For long time franchise fans, there's something special about hearing the latest Final Fantasy score for the first time. Be that in-game or, as was the case a few short weeks ago, hearing it performed live.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra took to the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London to play select tracks from the upcoming Final Fantasy XV for both attendees and those watching worldwide via livestream, offering an exciting glimpse at just some of the music that players will enjoy during their adventures with Noctis and his friends.
In attendance was the game's composer, Yoko Shimomura. She's a newcomer to the Final Fantasy series, but not video game music. Shimomura is revered for her long and celebrated history composing rich scores for memorable games. Across two decades of work she's penned instantly iconic music for the likes of Street Fighter II, and is loved by fans for her compositions in both Legend of Mana and the Kingdom Hearts series.
A few hours prior to the concert, we had the chance to sit down with Shimomura to discuss her approach to composing for the legendary series and her own favorite moments from the franchise.
You've an impressive resume covering so many iconic titles. But this is your first Final Fantasy. How does it feel stepping into such a big franchise? Is there pressure to follow in the footsteps of other Final Fantasy composers?
Yoko Shimomura: It's very interesting with XV actually because in some ways, it feels like I've been asked to do two projects! At the time the game was Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and it wasn't part of the mainline series. I was on that project from the start, and because it wasn't a numbered Final Fantasy, I felt like I could approach it a little more freely.
Had the development started as XV, I would probably have felt a lot more pressure from the beginning, but when this shift happened I had already worked on the project for a while, made a number of songs and had a clear idea of the concept and direction that I wanted to go with for the score. It made it a lot easier for me to continue doing that.
The game has been in development for 10 years — when in these 10 years did you start writing music for it? Has the music evolved or changed direction during this time span?
Shimomura: The first song I actually created for the whole project was right at the start, 10 years ago! It was the song Somnus, and this song is still in the game today. I think the overall direction of the music has been fairly consistent since the beginning of the project. There was music we knew we wanted to add specifically when the game became XV, so a lot of new things were added then, but it was because new things were being added to the game — things that needed to be supported by music.
Final Fantasy XV has been described as a lot darker and more realistic than the previous entries to the Final Fantasy series. There are themes of brotherhood, bonds, and emotional realism. How does this transfer to the soundtrack?
Shimomura: It comes down to how to express realism in music. From my personal perspective, I was brought up with classical music so, to me, that's very immediate and very real, but I know that it depends on individuals and the kinds of music they are used to. It's a very difficult thing to pin down.
The other thing with the idea of realism is that it's an abstract concept. Music itself is abstract; it's not as solid as other forms of art. Trying to depict something abstract on an abstract medium… well, that's challenging!
I really felt like I was better suited to approaching it by looking at the world of Final Fantasy XV, and I created what I felt fitted with each individual aspect. This is how the bond between comrades is presented in XV, with music that I felt suited that theme.
For the battles, I pictured music suited for battles and then specific visions with the scenery. I tried to get the best music to fit with each individual aspect rather than thinking about the bigger abstract concepts.
Final Fantasy XV's gameplay is innovative for the franchise. Additions include the day-night cycle as well as the emphasis on real-time action and weapon switching during combat. Do you take those gameplay aspects into account when you compose music, or do have a more classic approach?
Shimomura: There certainly are a number of ways with which we tie the music into the gameplay, as well as certain conditions that govern the changes in the music. For example, with the day-night cycle we've got music changes covering early morning, day, mid-day, evenings, and nights.
In battles too, there are specific trigger points that spark changes in the music. When you're dealing the final blow to an enemy the music will finish in the right way and cut off when you need it to. There are little points like this there where the gameplay helps govern changes in the music.
Final Fantasy XV is a big cross-media project and you are composing music for both Kingsglaive and XV. Are there any differences in your process when you compose for the game versus for the movie?
Shimomura: I worked on some of the songs for the movie Kingslaive, but I didn't create the whole soundtrack myself. I was given requests for a number of songs, so in that sense it wasn't much different to how I usually approach music for games. If I had been asked from the start to make the whole soundtrack for the movie then I would have had to approach it a lot differently.
Do you have a favorite Final Fantasy?
Shimomura: *Chuckles* This is such a difficult one to answer! I think the ones I played the most were II and V. I really liked these two specifically because of how the gameplay and different mechanics fitted together.
And your favorite Final Fantasy track composed by someone else?
Shimomura: Once again, picking just one is too hard! There are so many pieces I like from Final Fantasy. Of course there are the ones that are present in the whole series — the prelude and the main Final Fantasy theme. I used those and rearranged them slightly for XV, but honestly every time I hear them I always think to myself — these are really, really great songs. They still bring a tear to my eye.
final fantasyfinal fantasy xvPlayStation 4playstation games


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import { a as a2, c as c2 } from "./reexport-unknown";
import { a as a3 } from "./reexport-star-known";
import { a as a4, c as c4 } from "./reexport-star-unknown";
import { y } from "./edge";

console.log(a1, a2, a3, a4, c2, c4, y);

require.include("./require.include");

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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We aim to provide cost effective, reliable and flexible service support that is individually tailored to our customer's needs ensuring we provide the best value for money. We can either service your machine as the need arises or on a full contract basis, which is the assured way to guarantee continuous operation and limit equipment downtime.


Are Manziel's Interceptions In OTAs Concerning?
Are Manziel's Interceptions In OTAs Concerning?
Johnny Manziel had a chance to throw against the first team defense yesterday in organized team drills. Needless to say, the top notch secondary reminded him that this is not the SEC as Manziel threw two pick six interceptions and a third.
The football found its way in the hands of veteran safety Donte Whitner who took it back all the way. Later on a sideline route, Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden plucked the ball right out of the air to score for the defense.
All was not bad for Manziel though, he was able to connect with wide receiver Anthony Armstrong on a deep corner route 45 yard touchdown. Again the young quarterback showed promise, rolling out to the right of the pocket to hit tide end Jordon Cameron on the move for a 30 yard gain.
So what can be ascertained from his performance?
First, that he is capable of both interceptions and touchdowns against top level NFL defenses at this point in training. As is the case with most pro quarterbacks on any given Sunday.
Second, that this is a learning process that requires progress. The first time one tries to ride a bike, they tend to fall down. After successive attempts, the rider gets better each time. Progress is the best predictor of future success. Whether he is inching his way along or talking leaps, it is the fact that he is progressing that is important. How fast he progresses will determine when he will be ready to start an actual game.
Third, many throws that he will have to throw in practice will be designed to fail. Coaches intentionally do this to test a quarterback's resolve, gauge their reaction and recovery from failed plays. It is also a way to see what a young quarterback is capable of doing. It's a way to test his limits as a passer.
If Johnny Manziel is the ultra competitor that he is touted as, he will learn something from each and every interception he throws in practice. Putting in the extra time each day making sure it doesn't happen again.
These interceptions are in no way concerning because of the learning process, which is a long one. Manziel will take these mistakes as learning opportunities.
Category - NFL Coverage - Are Manziel's Interceptions In OTAs Concerning?


text:
Day nine of tennis sees singles, doubles finals
Andy Murray at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The Rio 2016 tennis competition will wrap up on Sunday, which will see five medal matches across three divisions: Men's singles, mixed doubles and women's doubles.
In the men's singles Gold Medal Match – the last match of the day – reigning singles gold medalist Andy Murray will try to break Juan Martin del Potro's incredible winning streak.
On his way to the final, Argentina's del Potro has defeated the likes of Serbia's World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the opening round and Spain's World No. 5 Rafael Nadal in an epic semifinal. He'll now take on Great Britain's Murray, a member of tennis' "Big Four" and the winner of last month's Wimbledon Championships.
Del Potro and Murray will play at approximately 3 PM ET on Centre Court.
After losing to del Potro in a three-set semifinal, Spain's World No. 5 Rafael Nadal will fight for a singles medal in the Bronze Medal Match. His opponent, Japan's Kei Nishikori, was a finalist at the 2014 US Open. Nadal won gold in singles at the 2008 Beijing Games and earned a second gold, this time in men's doubles, on Friday.
Nadal will compete against Nishikori for singles bronze at approximately 1 PM ET on court 1.
Mixed doubles will feature an all-American final: the pair of Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram will compete against Jack Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Though Williams has won four Olympic gold medals since Sydney 2000 (including three in women's doubles alongside sister Serena), both Sock and Mattek-Sands have won doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.
That match will take place on Centre Court at approximately 1 PM ET.
35-year-old Martina Hingis – who turned pro in 1994, when she was just 14 – has won just about every tennis competition imaginable, with the exception of the Olympics. She's taken home five singles Grand Slam titles across three tournaments (missing only the French Open) and completed the career Grand Slam in both doubles and mixed doubles.
Hingis will compete alongside her Swiss compatriot Timea Bacsinszky for doubles gold in the first match of the day. The Swiss duo will play Russia's Makarova/Vesnina on Centre Court at approximately 11 AM ET.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Business in the Community's Age at Work Leadership Team is urging employers to recruit older workers.
The Leadership Team, which consists of leading companies such as Aviva, Barclays and Boots, and the Department for Work and Pensions, stated that older workers are vital to the future of the UK's economy.
The call from leading businesses comes just as a report launched by Business in the Community showed that the number of people working in the UK aged over 50 increased by 2.5 million from 2005 to 2015.
The UK economy will need to fill 14.5 million job vacancies by 2022, but there will only be 7 million younger people to fill them.
The report also revealed that 1 million older people who are unemployed want to work and that if half of them were to be employed, then this would increase GDP by up to £88 billion per year.
According to The Leadership Team, retaining and recruiting older workers will help to close the labour gap.


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Dutch shooting claims 4th life as 27-year-old woman dies
Posted: Sep 10, 2019 / 03:06 AM CDT / Updated: Sep 10, 2019 / 03:06 AM CDT
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch police say a 27-year-old woman has died as a result of injuries sustained in a shooting that also claimed the lives of two children and a police officer.
Police said in a tweet Tuesday morning that the woman, whose identity was not released, died following the "family drama" in the city of Dordrecht.
On Monday night, police said that two children, who were aged 8 and 12, had died along with a 35-year-old police officer, who was suspected of being the shooter.
Police have not said if the victims are related, but say the shooting in a house on the southern edge of Dordrecht is believed to be a family incident.


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Hip-hop fan hosted weekly 'Tupac Fridays' and marked his own 65th birthday with Shakur-themed cookiesRead More
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In a remarkable political repudiation, the Democratic-led U.S. House voted to condemn President Donald Trump's "racist comments" against four congresswomen of colorRead More
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By Sumnima Udas CNN
The lawyer for one of the men accused in the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman wants the trial moved out of New Delhi, where emotions have run high over the case.
The defense lawyer will argue before the Indian Supreme Court on Wednesday that transferring legal proceedings outside the Indian capital would ensure a free and fair hearing. His appearance, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, was pushed back a day.
Meanwhile, a panel appointed by India's home affairs minister after the incident delivered a 600-page report Wednesday criticizing authorities and even everyday Indians for their apathy and "low and skewed priority of dealing with complaints of sexual assault."
The group said social failings, not adequate criminal laws, are to blame for the lackadaisical treatment of sexual assault in India.
"Failure of good governance is the obvious root cause for the current unsafe environment eroding the rule of law, and not the want of needed legislation," the panel said in its report.
However, the group did make several policy recommendations, including creating a new offense of gang rape punishable by at least 20 years in prison, making it a crime for police to fail to investigate sexual assault complaints and making it illegal to consider character or previous sexual experience of the victim at a criminal trial.
Kirti Singh of the National Commission for Women called the report a "landmark document."
The case that sparked the panel's review -- the December 16 gang rape of a woman in New Delhi -- has gripped India, prompting protests in the capital and other cites over the treatment of women and criticism of the way sexual assault cases are dealt with.
The consequences of the case are still unfolding in the Indian news media, with calls for tougher punishment of people convicted of rape.
The five adult suspects in the December 16 incident appeared at a closed-door hearing at a fast-track court in New Delhi on Monday. Details about what was said in court cannot be reported under a judge's ruling imposing restrictions on coverage of the case.
Police say the suspects attacked the woman and her male companion on a bus, robbed them and dumped them by the side of the road.
The woman, badly injured in the attack, died two weeks later, despite being flown to Singapore for treatment. Her companion survived.
The five men are charged with murder, rape and kidnapping and could face the death penalty if convicted. A sixth suspect, who is believed to be too young to be tried as an adult, is facing proceedings in a juvenile court.
The case is being heard in a "fast-track" court, which India introduced to try to expedite cases in a justice system bogged down by red tape. It means that sessions of the trial, once it begins, should take place nearly every working day until a verdict is reached.
The hearing Monday was a procedural step at which the charge sheet detailing prosecutors' accusations against the suspects was submitted. The trial will begin once the prosecution's arguments are made in court.
The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, according to defense lawyers.
The magistrates' court that initially heard the case imposed restrictions on what the news media can report about events in court.
That practice is common in rape cases in India to protect the victim's identity, and the magistrate said it was also necessary out of concern for the suspects' safety amid intense media coverage and widespread anger.
Authorities have not released the name of the dead woman, but Indian protesters have been calling her Damini, which means "lightning" in Hindi.
"Damini" is also a 1993 Bollywood film whose lead female character fights for a housemaid, a victim of sexual assault.
The events have also focused the attention of the Indian news media on attacks against women around the huge country. Newspapers and television stations have been reporting other shocking rape allegations on an almost daily basis.
In one of the most recent examples, police in the eastern state of Odisha arrested six men after they were accused of gang-raping a 25-year-old woman Sunday as she was on her way home from visiting her brother at a hospital.
The six men, including two who worked as custodians at the hospital, are alleged to have taken the woman to an isolated area by a river and sexually assaulted her, said B.K. Aich, a police superintendent in the district of Mayurbhanj.
Police are waiting for medical reports on the suspects to determine whether to take the case to court, Aich said.
The number of reported rapes in India -- a country where a cultural stigma keeps many victims from reporting the crime -- has increased from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011, according to official figures.
Most women in India have stories of sexual harassment and abuse on public transportation or on the streets, the Indian Council on Global Relations says.
CNN's Michael Pearson and Aliza Kassim in Atlanta and journalist Neiha Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
about-violence-against-women
about-rape
Photos and slide shows of local events


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The Bachelor in Science in Nursing degree program at California State University, Fresno is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
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text:
Q: How to return dictionary with minimum value at element(0) In the example below, how do I return the dictionary item having the minimum value at element(0)? (I have modified the declaration)
 Dictionary<int, List<string>> dictSource2 = new Dictionary<int, List<string>>
    {
    { 1, new List<string> { "5", "Programmers" }},
    { 2, new List<string> { "12", "Testers" }},
    { 3, new List<string> { "2", "Designers" }},
    };

I want to return the following data from the above dictionary-
2, "Designers"

I have written below:
string sminValue= dictSource2.Min(pair => pair.Value.ElementAt(0));

My solution works fine when value at ElementAt(0) has zero records, i.e. "Designers" has zero records, But otherwise it fails. Can anyone guide me here?

A: As pointed by @HimBromBeere, I have modified my code as below:
var minValue = dictSource.Min(pair => Convert.ToInt32(pair.Value.ElementAt(0)));
And it works now.
Ideally , I should have opted for a List of customtype instead of going for List of Strings.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Gold Standard Increases the Oxide Gold Resource in an Updated Mineral Resource Estimate at the Pinion Deposit | Gold Standard Ventures Corp.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwired - March 15, 2016) - Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (TSX VENTURE:GSV)(NYSE MKT:GSV) ("Gold Standard" or the "Company) today announced an updated National Instrument (NI) 43-101-compliant resource estimate for its Pinion gold deposit on its 100%-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion Project in Nevada's Carlin Trend. The estimate was prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Canada ("APEX") and is dated March 10, 2016. An NI 43-101-compliant technical report will be filed with SEDAR within 45 days of the date of this news release.
In its summary report, APEX estimates an Indicated Mineral Resource of 31.61 million tonnes grading 0.62 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), totaling 630,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 61.08 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au, totaling 1,081,300 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g Au/t (Table 1). This is the same cut-off grade used by APEX in its maiden resource estimate for Pinion released in September, 2014. A sensitivity analysis of the grade and tonnage relationships at a variety of cutoffs grades is shown in the accompanying Table 2 below. Click the following link for a Pinion resource map. http://goldstandardv.com/lp/pinion-resource-update-march-2016/ ).
Indicated Mineral Resource of 630,300 troy ounces of gold contained in 31.61 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.62 g Au/t (at a lower cutoff of 0.14 g Au/t). The updated Indicated Mineral Resource represents a 49% increase in ounces over the 2014 maiden Indicated Mineral Resource (see news release dated September 10, 2014).
Inferred Mineral Resource of 1,081,300 troy ounces of gold contained in 61.08 million tonnes at a grade of 0.55 g Au/t (at a lower cutoff of 0.14 g Au/t), up 5.8% from 2014.
More than 98% of the block modeled material is considered oxide mineralization.
The reported resources have been constrained within an optimized pit shell at $US1,250/ounce of gold and $US21.50/ounce of silver, consistent with resource disclosure by major companies.
The "in-pit" optimized resources account for approximately 70% of the volume of the drilled and mineralized wire frame area at the Pinion Deposit. APEX notes there is potential, based upon existing drilling, to add 21 to 27 million tonnes at a grade of 0.5 to 0.6 g Au/t. Although the target is defined by wide spaced drilling, the potential size and grade are considered conceptual in nature and there is insufficient drilling and exploration to define the target as a resource and it is uncertain if further exploration including additional drilling will result in any part of the target becoming a resource or a mineral reserve.
The resource estimate is based on 481 reverse circulation holes and 24 diamond core holes.
The gold resource is hosted in a multilithic, dissolution collapse breccia within which gold mineralization exhibits very predictable lateral and strike continuity.
Mineralization remains open in multiple directions. Excellent potential exists for expansion of the resource along geologic controls identified during the modeling of the deposit. Approximately 12,400m of drilling will be completed in 2016 to further expand the oxide resource (see news release dated February 23, 2016).
Due to the good lateral continuity of the breccia hosted mineralization and the identification of additional targets, the potential to convert inferred resources to indicated resources with future drilling is considered high.
* Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There has been insufficient exploration to define the inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured resource category. There is no guarantee that any part of the mineral resources discussed herein will be converted into a mineral reserve in the future.
** The reported resources have been constrained within a $US1,250/ounce of gold and $US21.50/ounce of silver optimized pit shell.
*** Contained ounces may not add due to rounding.
** The recommended reported resources are highlighted in bold and have been constrained within a $US1,250/ounce of gold and $US21.50/ounce of silver optimized pit shell.
The statistical analysis, geological modeling and resource estimation was prepared by Mr. Steven Nicholls, MAIG, with APEX Geoscience Ltd. (APEX) under the direct supervision of Mr. Dufresne, P. Geol., P.Geo., also with APEX. Both are Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mineral resource modelling and estimation were carried out using a 3-dimensional block model based on geostatistical applications using commercial mine planning software MICROMINE (v14.0.6).
Modeling was conducted in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate space relative to the North American Datum (NAD) 1927 and UTM Zone 11. A parent block size of 10 m (X) x 10 m (Y) x 3 m (Z) with sub-blocking down to 5 m x 5 m x 1 m was applied. The Pinion resource modeling utilized 505 drill holes that were completed from 1981 to 2015. Mr. Dufresne, P.Geol., P.Geo., visited the property in May, 2013; April and October, 2014; June, 2015 and August - September, 2015, in order to verify and validate the historic drill hole dataset and to verify the drilling of the recently completed 2014 and 2015 diamond and RC drilling campaigns completed by GSV. Over the period of two years, APEX personnel were intimately involved in the verification, validation, drill hole collar surveying and QA/QC analysis of the Pinion drill hole database. The current drill hole database is deemed to be in good condition and suitable to use in ongoing resource estimation studies.
A total of 505 drill holes guided the geological interpretation and estimation of the Pinion resource. This total comprises 24 diamond drill holes and 481 RC drill holes that were completed from 1981 to 2015. Spacing between drill holes varies from 1 m to 1.25 km. All of the drill holes were used to guide the geological and mineralization model that was ultimately used in the resource estimation calculation. A nominal density of 2.58 kg/m3 was assigned to all mineralized blocks, which is a result of 171 bulk density measurements collected from the 2014 diamond drill holes. Gold mineralization is hosted in a multi-lithic, dissolution collapse breccia and exhibits predictable lateral and strike continuity within this silicified and oxidized breccia. The breccia has developed preferentially between relatively impermeable silty micrite of the overlying Mississippian Tripon Pass Formation and thick-bedded calcarenite of the underlying Devonian Devils Gate Limestone.
The Pinion assay file comprised 44,123 analyses of variable length from a variety of sampled lithologies. Of the 44,123 samples in the Pinion database, roughly one quarter (11,166 assays) are situated within the gold mineralized lodes. A parent block size of 10 m x 10 m x 3 m was chosen for the Pinion block model. This is deemed appropriate based on the current level of drill hole spacing which ranges from 1 m to 1.25 km. Sub-blocking was used to more effectively honor the volumes and shapes created during the geological interpretation of the mineralized wireframes or lodes. Grade was interpolated for the parent blocks and assigned to the sub-blocks. A comparison of wireframe volume versus block model volume was performed for each of the estimations to ensure there was no under- or overestimation of tonnages. Each block was coded with the lode number so that grade could be estimated as hard boundaries.
The Indicated and Inferred Pinion Resource estimation of gold and silver was calculated using inverse distance squared (ID2) for each of the eleven lodes. Initially for the 2014 Indicated and Inferred Pinion resource estimation, both inverse distance and ordinary kriging was used and reviewed for resource estimation but due to the resultant validation of the block models it was decided to use the inverse distance estimation technique as it best honored the input composite grades. As such only inverse distance estimation technique was used for this estimation. Each lode was estimated with 'hard boundaries', which means that only composite assays located within each lode were used to estimate the grade of the blocks within that lode.
Considerable metallurgical test work has been completed to date, which includes analysis of the suitability of the gold and silver mineralization to cyanide soluble leaching methods. Bottle roll and column leach test work was completed by Teck in 1990, Crown in 1992, Cyprus in 1994 to 1996 and Royal Standard in 2004. This test work obtained recoveries of gold ranging from 41.7 to 91.3 %, with coincident recoveries of silver ranging from 31 to 62%. In addition to these tests, Gold Standard reported cyanide soluble gold recoveries from oxidized multilithic breccia sample pulps that averaged 82.4% (see news release dated August 19, 2015). Further metallurgical test work is planned. More than 98% of the block modeled material is considered oxide mineralization.
The Pinion mineral resource estimate is reported in accordance with the Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 and has been estimated using the CIM "Estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines" dated November 23rd, 2003 and CIM "Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" dated November 27th, 2010.
As a direct effect of the Pinion 2015 drilling program and completing an updated geologic model, additional target zones have been identified in undrilled areas or areas of limited drill hole testing. Shallow and deeper oxide targets have been identified adjacent to existing resources that have good potential to expand the current inferred resources (see news release dated February 23, 2016). Along with targets to potentially expand the resource, areas within the existing inferred mineral resource that are defined by widely spaced drilling but with reasonable grades provide the company with potential to convert and grow the indicated portion of the oxide mineral resource. APEX recommends further drilling to test these drill targets in order to expand the existing resources and convert inferred resources to indicated resources. It is uncertain if further drilling will result in the expansion of existing resources or the conversion of inferred resources to indicated resources.
The 2016 Pinion oxide mineral resources were constrained by a pit optimization conducted using $US1,250 per oz Au and $US21.50 per oz Ag along with assumed costs for open pit mining and processing of oxide resources in Nevada. The "in-pit" optimized resources account for a total of approximately 70% of the volume of the drilled and mineralized wire frame area at the Pinion Deposit. As a result, at the Pinion mineralized area there is potential, based upon existing drilling, to add additional resources with a potential target that ranges from 21 to 27 million tonnes at a grade of 0.5 to 0.6 g/t Au. Although the target is defined by wide spaced drilling, the potential size and grade are considered conceptual in nature and there is insufficient drilling and exploration to define the target as a resource and it is uncertain if further exploration including additional drilling will result in any part of the target becoming a resource or a mineral reserve.
All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. A blank or certified reference material was inserted approximately every tenth sample. Pinion samples were delivered to ALS Minerals preparation facility in Elko, NV. The samples are crushed, pulverized and sample pulps are shipped to ALS Minerals certified laboratory in Vancouver. Pulps are digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30 gram split. Silver is determined by a 4-acid digestion and AAS analysis. All other elements are determined by ICP analysis. Data verification of the analytical results includes a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to insure accurate and verifiable results.
ABOUT GOLD STANDARD VENTURES - Gold Standard is an advanced stage gold exploration company focused on district scale discoveries on its Railroad-Pinion Gold Project, located within the prolific Carlin Trend. The 2014 Pinion and Dark Star gold deposit acquisitions offer Gold Standard a potential near-term development option and further consolidates the Company's premier land package on the Carlin Trend. The Pinion deposit now has an NI43-101 compliant resource estimate consisting of an Indicated Mineral Resource of 31.61 million tonnes grading 0.62 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), totaling 630,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 61.08 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au, totaling 1,081,300 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au (this release). The Dark Star deposit, 2.1 km to the east of Pinion, has a NI43-101 compliant resource estimate consisting of an Inferred Resource of 23.11 million tonnes grading 0.51 g/t Au, totaling 375,000 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au (announced March 3, 2015). The 2014 and 2015 definition and expansion of these two shallow, oxide deposits demonstrates their growth potential.


text:
Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population: Results from the National Eye Survey 1996
M. Zainal, S. M. Ismail, A. R. Ropilah, H. Elias, G. Arumugam, D. Alias, J. Fathilah, T. O. Lim, L. M. Ding, Pik Pin Goh
Background: A national eye survey was conducted in 1996 to determine the prevalence of blindness and low vision and their major causes among the Malaysian population of all ages. Methods: A stratified two stage cluster sampling design was used to randomly select primary and secondary sampling units. Interviews, visual acuity tests, and eye examinations on all individuals in the sampled households were performed. Estimates were weighted by factors adjusting for selection probability, non-response, and sampling coverage. Results: The overall response rate was 69% (that is, living quarters response rate was 72.8% and household response rate was 95.1%). The age adjusted prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision was 0.29% (95% Cl 0.19 to 0.39%), and 2.44% (95% Cl 2.18 to 2.69%) respectively. Females had a higher age adjusted prevalence of low vision compared to males. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of bilateral low vision and blindness among the four ethnic groups, and urban and rural residents. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (39%) followed by retinal diseases (24%). Uncorrected refractive errors (48%) and cataract (36%) were the major causes of low vision. Conclusion: Malaysia has blindness and visual impairment rates that are comparable with other countries in the South East Asia region. However, cataract and uncorrected refractive errors, though readily treatable, are still the leading causes of blindness, suggesting the need for an evaluation on accessibility and availability of eye care services and barriers to eye care utilisation in the country.
British Journal of Ophthalmology
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.86.9.951
Retinal Diseases
Vision Disorders
Visual Acuity
Zainal, M., Ismail, S. M., Ropilah, A. R., Elias, H., Arumugam, G., Alias, D., ... Goh, P. P. (2002). Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population: Results from the National Eye Survey 1996. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 86(9), 951-956. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.86.9.951
Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population : Results from the National Eye Survey 1996. / Zainal, M.; Ismail, S. M.; Ropilah, A. R.; Elias, H.; Arumugam, G.; Alias, D.; Fathilah, J.; Lim, T. O.; Ding, L. M.; Goh, Pik Pin.
In: British Journal of Ophthalmology, Vol. 86, No. 9, 09.2002, p. 951-956.
Zainal, M, Ismail, SM, Ropilah, AR, Elias, H, Arumugam, G, Alias, D, Fathilah, J, Lim, TO, Ding, LM & Goh, PP 2002, 'Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population: Results from the National Eye Survey 1996', British Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 86, no. 9, pp. 951-956. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.86.9.951
Zainal M, Ismail SM, Ropilah AR, Elias H, Arumugam G, Alias D et al. Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population: Results from the National Eye Survey 1996. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2002 Sep;86(9):951-956. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.86.9.951
Zainal, M. ; Ismail, S. M. ; Ropilah, A. R. ; Elias, H. ; Arumugam, G. ; Alias, D. ; Fathilah, J. ; Lim, T. O. ; Ding, L. M. ; Goh, Pik Pin. / Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population : Results from the National Eye Survey 1996. In: British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2002 ; Vol. 86, No. 9. pp. 951-956.
@article{c204ec99899943ffade72e5cde1db75b,
title = "Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population: Results from the National Eye Survey 1996",
abstract = "Background: A national eye survey was conducted in 1996 to determine the prevalence of blindness and low vision and their major causes among the Malaysian population of all ages. Methods: A stratified two stage cluster sampling design was used to randomly select primary and secondary sampling units. Interviews, visual acuity tests, and eye examinations on all individuals in the sampled households were performed. Estimates were weighted by factors adjusting for selection probability, non-response, and sampling coverage. Results: The overall response rate was 69{\%} (that is, living quarters response rate was 72.8{\%} and household response rate was 95.1{\%}). The age adjusted prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision was 0.29{\%} (95{\%} Cl 0.19 to 0.39{\%}), and 2.44{\%} (95{\%} Cl 2.18 to 2.69{\%}) respectively. Females had a higher age adjusted prevalence of low vision compared to males. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of bilateral low vision and blindness among the four ethnic groups, and urban and rural residents. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (39{\%}) followed by retinal diseases (24{\%}). Uncorrected refractive errors (48{\%}) and cataract (36{\%}) were the major causes of low vision. Conclusion: Malaysia has blindness and visual impairment rates that are comparable with other countries in the South East Asia region. However, cataract and uncorrected refractive errors, though readily treatable, are still the leading causes of blindness, suggesting the need for an evaluation on accessibility and availability of eye care services and barriers to eye care utilisation in the country.",
author = "M. Zainal and Ismail, {S. M.} and Ropilah, {A. R.} and H. Elias and G. Arumugam and D. Alias and J. Fathilah and Lim, {T. O.} and Ding, {L. M.} and Goh, {Pik Pin}",
doi = "10.1136/bjo.86.9.951",
journal = "British Journal of Ophthalmology",
T1 - Prevalence of blindness and low vision in Malaysian population
T2 - Results from the National Eye Survey 1996
AU - Zainal, M.
AU - Ismail, S. M.
AU - Ropilah, A. R.
AU - Elias, H.
AU - Arumugam, G.
AU - Alias, D.
AU - Fathilah, J.
AU - Lim, T. O.
AU - Ding, L. M.
AU - Goh, Pik Pin
N2 - Background: A national eye survey was conducted in 1996 to determine the prevalence of blindness and low vision and their major causes among the Malaysian population of all ages. Methods: A stratified two stage cluster sampling design was used to randomly select primary and secondary sampling units. Interviews, visual acuity tests, and eye examinations on all individuals in the sampled households were performed. Estimates were weighted by factors adjusting for selection probability, non-response, and sampling coverage. Results: The overall response rate was 69% (that is, living quarters response rate was 72.8% and household response rate was 95.1%). The age adjusted prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision was 0.29% (95% Cl 0.19 to 0.39%), and 2.44% (95% Cl 2.18 to 2.69%) respectively. Females had a higher age adjusted prevalence of low vision compared to males. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of bilateral low vision and blindness among the four ethnic groups, and urban and rural residents. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (39%) followed by retinal diseases (24%). Uncorrected refractive errors (48%) and cataract (36%) were the major causes of low vision. Conclusion: Malaysia has blindness and visual impairment rates that are comparable with other countries in the South East Asia region. However, cataract and uncorrected refractive errors, though readily treatable, are still the leading causes of blindness, suggesting the need for an evaluation on accessibility and availability of eye care services and barriers to eye care utilisation in the country.
AB - Background: A national eye survey was conducted in 1996 to determine the prevalence of blindness and low vision and their major causes among the Malaysian population of all ages. Methods: A stratified two stage cluster sampling design was used to randomly select primary and secondary sampling units. Interviews, visual acuity tests, and eye examinations on all individuals in the sampled households were performed. Estimates were weighted by factors adjusting for selection probability, non-response, and sampling coverage. Results: The overall response rate was 69% (that is, living quarters response rate was 72.8% and household response rate was 95.1%). The age adjusted prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision was 0.29% (95% Cl 0.19 to 0.39%), and 2.44% (95% Cl 2.18 to 2.69%) respectively. Females had a higher age adjusted prevalence of low vision compared to males. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of bilateral low vision and blindness among the four ethnic groups, and urban and rural residents. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (39%) followed by retinal diseases (24%). Uncorrected refractive errors (48%) and cataract (36%) were the major causes of low vision. Conclusion: Malaysia has blindness and visual impairment rates that are comparable with other countries in the South East Asia region. However, cataract and uncorrected refractive errors, though readily treatable, are still the leading causes of blindness, suggesting the need for an evaluation on accessibility and availability of eye care services and barriers to eye care utilisation in the country.
U2 - 10.1136/bjo.86.9.951
DO - 10.1136/bjo.86.9.951
JO - British Journal of Ophthalmology
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10.1136/bjo.86.9.951


text:
PepsiCo scores the UEFA Champions League 28/10/2015
New partnership underlines Food & Beverage leader's long-standing passion for the beautiful game
PepsiCo's flagship global brands Walkers, Gatorade and Pepsi MAX/Pepsi are joining forces with the UEFA Champions League as PepsiCo today announced a new partnership with the prestigious European club football tournament.
PepsiCo's agreement with the UEFA Champions League officially began on July 1, prior to the start of the 2015/16 season. Walkers, Gatorade and Pepsi MAX/Pepsi will serve as lead brands for the tournament. In addition, PepsiCo will also integrate Doritos, Lipton and 7UP brands into the sponsorship programme.
Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo Europe CEO, said: "This announcement takes PepsiCo's long-standing relationship with great football to another level. The UEFA Champions League is without a doubt one of the most prestigious football competitions in the world, and with more than a billion football fans watching the matches every season, this new partnership offers unprecedented opportunities for both parties. We're passionate about football and we can't wait to share that passion with UEFA Champions League fans in Europe and around the world."
He added: "PepsiCo's food and beverage brands, combined with the power of the UEFA Champions League, are a perfect fit. In joining forces we can create great opportunities for friends and families to come together and enjoy themselves. Together we will take the union between football and entertainment to new heights and UEFA Champions League fans can expect some fantastic new experiences from Walkers, Gatorade, Pepsi MAX and Pepsi as we head into the 2015/16 season. Stay tuned!"
Commenting on the agreement, Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA Marketing Director, said: "We are delighted to welcome PepsiCo as an official partner of the UEFA Champions League. PepsiCo is a truly global partner, and we are excited to be working closely with them on engaging fans across the world through innovative marketing activations, while also benefiting from their extensive experience in the entertainment area to further enhance the UEFA Champions League brand."
The UEFA Champions League Final is the world's most watched annual sporting event. The final on Saturday June 6, 2015 was aired in more than 200 countries, reaching an estimated 400 million viewers, with an anticipated average live match viewership of 180 million. The season from the Play-Offs to Final runs over 17 match weeks with a total of 145 games. The league provides more than 110,000 hours of TV content over a season and audiences are significant regionally and globally, with 1.1 billion unique viewers of live match coverage worldwide.


text:
Jillian C. York
Writer and activist
On Syria
Post author By Jillian
10 Comments on On Syria
In the corner of many Twitter avatars is a small Syrian flag. Whether pro-Assad, pro-opposition, or something else entirely, it is the same flag, the red, the white, the black, and two green stars. Because in Syria, regardless of your stance on the regime, you are a Syrian.
(Anas Qtiesh rightly points out my inaccuracy: a lot of opposition have begun to change their avatars to include the flag of the Syrian Republic rather than the current flag of Syria)
And that protectionism was at first, when the uprising began, pervasive in conversations about Syria. The opposition and pro-regime forces alike took a stance that Syria is for Syrians, and Syrian matters for Syrian discussion. Yet, slowly but surely, as the death toll rose higher and higher, the Syrian opposition (or should I say 'oppositions') has turned to outside help, leaving them vulnerable to a slew of accusations from the regime and its supporters, as well as the "anti-imperialist" crowd, that has joined the clarion call to delegitimize the opposition.
Before I go any further, I shall lay my cards on the table. Syria, for me, is personal. As I predict this blog post could reach farther than most, I need go no further, but suffice it to say that my connections there go deep, and are multi-faceted. Diverse, even. That said, I am no expert: My time in Syria has been minimal, and my studies of the country academic. In fact, in Damascus I sometimes found it difficult to reconcile my friends' horror stories of abuse and torture with the beautiful calm city I fell in love with, and yet, their experiences are real, terrifying.
Therefore, when, last March, the first inklings of protest arose, I was both excited for them and wary, knowing the complexities that Syria's diversity–as well as its place in the world–presents. I did–and do–support my friends who keep risking their lives to protest and report, take photographs and videos, and speak to the press, and I will continue to do so. There shall be no accusations of shabiha here.
So, with cards on the table, I speak. I am an observer of tragedy, and the tragedy is not only the ruthless violence against the Syrian people committed by the regime but also the polarization of commentators, media, and of course (most importantly), Syrians. And as an observer, I would like to talk about what I have observed these past few months; you might call me naive, but surely I am not more naive than the hawks who are permitted to write in respectable publications about Syria, only to compare it to Egypt or call for intervention without serious consideration. Surely I am not as silly as, say, Andrew Tabler, who in the New York Times referred to Druze as a "heterodox Shiite offshoot" or the Reuters journalist who thought it pertinent to use a Texan Christian website as a source for an article on what he called Syria's "secretive, persecuted" Alawis. So, grant me that.
I have spent nearly every day these past few months reading opinion pieces on Syria. The obsession started for one reason: The US media, namely the New York Times and the Washington Post, kept relying on the same two Syrians–both based outside the country–for quotes, and it was maddening. Meanwhile, global media wasn't much better. And so, reluctant to pester my Syrian friends for opinions, I made it a point to read as many opinions as possible.
What I found is equally frustrating. From opinionators on Syria, be they Syrian or foreign, there are two dominating views: The first is the viewpoint of the Syrian National Council (SNC), or farther right. This "view area," so to speak, ranges from the precise position of the SNC in calling for intervention, to the hawkish calls–such as this by Daniel Byman in Foreign Policy–for foreign intervention. The second dominant view comes from the anti-imperialist crowd. By and large, the anti-imperialists have largely failed to denounce the Assad regime, and those who have imply that any alternative is worse.
The first set of views is fairly easy to spot, and is indeed in line with the SNC, the public face of Syria's opposition-in-exile. The second set is a bit more complicated, and for several reasons. First is the fact that the opposition's legitimacy has been put in question by its opponents, for a few reasons: the SNC's calls to the West for intervention, the inflation of death toll numbers, the acts of violence committed by opposition and the Free Syrian Army against civilians or officers. The second problem, of course, is the very real concerns about intervention, of which I will only skim the surface: concerns about imperialism are placed first and foremost (contrary to Russia's stated concerns about the Libya intervention, the Iraqi occupation no doubt formed many's opinions about the real motives behind intervention), followed by what I can only describe as legitimate concerns about civil war. After that comes a slew of concerns about existing interventions by foreign actors in Syria, from NDI to the CIA to the GCC, concerns which range from entirely legitimate to utterly ridiculous (not in that order).
Finally, what remains is the fact that no legitimate poll of Syrians in Syria exists to determine the veracity of claims that the majority still support Assad. Anecdotally, I wouldn't doubt that a majority–or at least a very large minority–does, for one reason or another, prefer the regime to the alternative. But while I view that as unfortunate and likely caused by fear, those on the one side (such as Shadi Hamid) use the lack of statistics to imply that the SNC definitively represents the will of the Syrian people, while on the other side, pundits like Ed Husain and Sharmine Narwani use discredited polls (or in the case of Narwani, entirely unscientific ones conducted on Facebook).
In the Arabic media and the blogosphere, doubts about the SNC are more prominent, with distinction clearer between external and internal opposition. And yet, (anecdotally), friends in Syria tell me that even some of the internal opposition has begun to lean reluctantly toward the outside for fear of no other options. Whereas once there was trust in the regime to reform, that trust has been sidelined by its actions since.
All of this, of course, points to the fact that there is a genuine lack of understanding of the facts on the ground. Some (such as Narwani) chide the media for reporting unverifiable claims without making such demands of the state, to which the obvious response is that no proper verification can be done until the regime definitively opens its doors to a constellation of foreign observers.
A Third Way?
This all brings me to Joseph Massad's piece yesterday in Al Jazeera, calling for a third way. Comparing Iraq of ten years ago to Syria today, Massad writes:
The Iraqi exile opposition insisted along with its US imperial sponsors and the chorus of pro-war American intellectuals that people should make one of two choices: for or against Saddam. While the US and its Iraqi partners had their way, the subsequent destruction of Iraq, the dismantling of its state structures, and the destruction of its societal cohesion is the clearest illustration of what such a choice entailed for the Iraqi people and their country.
Massad discusses the repeat of such discourse vis-a-vis Libya, with the same "with us or against us" mentality, adding:
By calling for imperial military intervention, the Syrian exile opposition invokes, without originality, the very same puerile yet insidious choices presented to anti-imperialist and pro-democracy Arabs and non-Arabs by the erstwhile bankrupt Iraqi and Libyan exile oppositions, namely, that there is only one choice to be made: for or against Assad.
I think Massad makes incredibly salient points, and I do believe, based on his track record vis-a-vis Iraq, that he is not simply paying lip service. But as Maysaloon also said yesterday in one of the best pieces on Syria I've read in months, Massad's arguments seem to be out of touch with reality.
Here's the problem: In arguing for a third way, a domestic uprising without external support, Massad assumes not only that such a thing is possible, but that it would garner significant enough support. Just like Joshua Foust's argument that Russia's UN veto was a consequence of the Libyan intervention fails to take into account the fact that Russia has towed the Syrian state line since before a NATO intervention in Libya was on the table, Massad's argument ignores the fact that many Syrians–long before the SNC became what it now is, and long before intervention was a serious question–failed to support the uprising. As Maysaloon writes:
If [anti-imperialists] were as vocal and enthusiastic in fighting for the moral and intellectual high ground in spite of the cynical attempts of oil potentates and princes to subvert the revolutions, then the miserable farce we are seeing today would never have happened. If there ever was a true third way for the anti-imperialists to follow regarding Syria, this is what Massad should have called for in his piece.
My opinion is not that interesting, nor does it carry any weight whatsoever. But in respect to what I've written above, here's what remains:
Whatever the wrongs of the SNC or the Free Syrian Army, the fact remains that there is a homegrown and genuine uprising on the ground in Syria, regardless of what people like @LindaJuniper have to say. Like Maysaloon, I would ask: do their wrongdoings make the Syrian revolution "any less deserving of support in light of the repression that it faces?"
To those who would dare to deny the existence of that repression, I have nothing to say, except: You are blind. To the rest, who acknowledge it but choose to turn a blind eye, I'm simply not surprised. They remind me of those who recognize Palestinian suffering but prioritize the concerns of Israelis. To me, it's no different; repression is repression, whether it comes from an occupier or an occupying, sham-elected dynasty.
But on the question of intervention itself, I am less forthright. With Libya, I kept my mouth firmly shut, choosing to support Libyans in their opposition to madman Qaddafi but stopping short of supporting intervention. With Syria, with loved ones in Damascus, Aleppo, and Swaida, it's much more difficult to remain ambivalent. I know that there are less-than-honest actors involved, and I know that intervention could make things worse. I also know that whether the widely publicized number of 5,000 or a more modest one of 3,000 or so deaths is accurate, even one death at the hands of a government is too many.
Which is only to say that I don't know what to think. I ask my Syrian friends regularly, and find that most are reluctant in their conclusions, whatever they may be. But ultimately, their conclusions tend to come down to what Rime Allaf concluded in her New York Times piece yesterday:
It doesn't matter how much support Bashar al-Assad's regime still commands, nor does it ultimately matter why his fans still cling on to the illusion of his ability to remain in power. The regime has gone on a killing, torturing and jailing spree for nearly a year, and is still unable to crush the resistance that has now begun to arm itself and to exercise self-defense. It is a matter of time, and it is unclear how the transition will be achieved, but the majority of Syrians are sure of one thing: we have reached the end of an era.
And I'm afraid that, like Allaf, I have no solutions to offer.
Tags Andrew Tabler, Daniel Byman, Ed Husain, Free Syrian Army, intervention, Joseph Massad, Maysaloon, r2p, Shadi Hamid, Sharmine Narwani, SNC, syria
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10 replies on "On Syria"
A Liberal Case Against Military Intervention in Syria « Dart-Throwing Chimpsays:
[…] to murder its own citizens, and the pace of that killing appears to be picking up. In a pensive blog post that made its way onto my screen this morning, scholar and writer Jillain York observed: From […]
UPDATE: Jillian C. York » On Syria « Regional Wars!says:
[…] reading here: Jillian C. York » On Syria February 9th, 2012 | Tags: Black, corner', something-else, the-black, the-corner, the-red, […]
Benjamin Dohertysays:
What do you and others think of Daniel Serwer's argument that "if the violence continues to spiral, the regime is going to win?" http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/why-the-syrian-rebels-should-put-down-their-guns/252731/ Movements can abandon violence in favor of non-violence (or a return to non-violence). This is what happened in South Africa and it's what is hopefully happening in Palestine. Can the opposition win with violence? And if it does, would this be a good outcome for Syrians?
hollysays:
Does it concern you that Rime Allaf is a fellow at Chatham House, the UK arm of the Council on Foreign Relations? Do you think it's possible she's got a hidden imperialist agenda?
At Great Risk, Syrians Document Testimonies and Human Rights Abuse with Video : Video For Changesays:
[…] Blogs – Check in on Global Voices' blogs on Syria and the Middle East for voices from inside Syria and the diaspora. Also Jillian C. York, an advocate for freedom of expression who writes frequently on the Arab world. Here is a recent opinion piece she wrote on events in Syria. […]
Jilliansays:
Honestly? It's not relevant to me whether she does or she doesn't; I'm not relying solely on Allaf for facts or opinion, and the portion of her assessment that I posted here absolutely gels with what I'm hearing from Syrian friends on the ground.
More importantly, I trust Allaf, a Syrian who has recently spent time in Syria, more than I do the spate of anti-imperialists, Syrian or otherwise, who haven't been to the country in years or ever.
I think it's hard to compare Syria (ruled by a native, minority autocrat) to Palestine (occupied by a foreign entity), though the South African comparison gels a bit better.
Personally, I strongly favor nonviolent resistance, though I've never seen it my place to tell Syrians (or Palestinians) what's best for their cause. Nevertheless, if we can put that aside and play neutral observer, I think nonviolence could benefit Syrians, at least in terms of getting China and Russia on board for the AL proposal (if, in fact, the proposal is agreeable to Syrians).
There are some observers who have said that the internal opposition (excluding the SNC, but probably including historical opposition and the LCCs) would be amenable to reforms. I can't speak to the veracity of that claim (as Allaf says, we're past that point), but if true, I imagine that the only way reforms would actually come about is if the opposition laid down arms…but even then, would the reforms go far enough? Would the regime really move forward them? The trust simply isn't there after what happened last summer.
The one thing I can say is that the regime has been violent even when the opposition has not (see: Daraa). That, to me, does compare well to Palestine, though if we were to use Palestine as an example here, we can certainly say that the international community responds well to nonviolence in the face of state violence…but again, if we use Palestine as an example, we can also see that it doesn't always result in any real change.
As you can see, I remain highly ambivalent.
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Home NIGERIA Court Adjourns ruling on Diezani's Jewelry case
Court Adjourns ruling on Diezani's Jewelry case
Peter Bahago
A Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Monday, has adjourned the ruling on the final forfeiture of Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke's jewelry and a customized gold iPhone.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo who presided over the case adjourned the ruling to September 10.
Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke's jewelry and the customized gold iPhone are all valued at $40million. The defendant is a former minister of Petroleum Resources.
At today's sitting, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo prayed the court for the final forfeiture of the jewelry and phone, and produced in court, the search warrant detailing all the items recovered in the defendant's home. He noted that "at this stage of the proceeding, what is expected of the respondent is to present credible evidence as to the source of the property sought to be forfeited."
He stated that the respondent has failed to show how she acquired the mind-blowing jewelry through legitimate incomes. "Ridiculously, they sought to claim that some of the items were gifts but did not disclose the giver," Oyedepo said.
The prosecution counsel also argued that the respondent did not declare the items in contention in her Asset Declaration Form with the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, which he said was an attempt to conceal the items.
He further urged the court not to attach value to the deponent's counter-affidavit as the facts deposed to were out of the knowledge of the respondent. "With the failure of the deponent to show how the jewelry was gotten, I urge you to hold that the respondent has failed to show cause as to why the properties should not be forfeited to the federal government," Oyedepo said.
While responding to Justice Oweibo's call on the defence team to show cause as to why the properties should not be finally forfeited to the federal government, the defence counsel, Nnamdi Awa-Kalu urged the court to dismiss the application and its contents on the grounds that the prosecution's arguments were mere speculations. Additionally, the defence counsel argued that the court lacked jurisdiction on the matter.
The EFCC had on July 5, 2019 secured an interim forfeiture of 2,149 pieces of jewelry and a customized gold iPhone belonging to Mrs Alison-Madueke.
Diezani Alison-Madueke
EFCC
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Someone is getting screwed, but it's not the Ayatollah
John Kerry warns Congress not to "screw" Ayatollah Khamenei, the same guy who still calls for Death to America and Israel.
Posted by William A. Jacobson Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 11:30am 30 Comments
There John Kerry goes again.
Jeffrey Goldberg, the go-to person when the Obama administration wants to get its position out because Goldberg is pro-Israel, landed an interview with John Kerry. The topline storyline is that Kerry is warning the U.S. Congress not to screw (with?) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:
"The ayatollah constantly believed that we are untrustworthy, that you can't negotiate with us, that we will screw them," Kerry said. "This"—a congressional rejection—"will be the ultimate screwing." He went on to argue that "the United States Congress will prove the ayatollah's suspicion, and there's no way he's ever coming back. He will not come back to negotiate. Out of dignity, out of a suspicion that you can't trust America. America is not going to negotiate in good faith. It didn't negotiate in good faith now, would be his point."
Seriously, we are afraid of ruining the expectations of an Ayatollah who defends calling for the death of America and Israel;
And who just published a book on how to defeat the U.S. and destroy Israel?
And who openly threatens Israel?
Would this be the same Ayatollah who tweeted out an image of Obama holding a gun to his own head?
Well, let's be sure not to offend HIM.
Don't worry about what the Iranians say, says Kerry, they don't really mean it:
Though he says he is in tune with this set of Israeli fears, he does not endorse a view widely shared by Israelis—and by many Americans—that Iran's leaders, who have often said that they seek the destruction of Israel, mean what they say. "I think they have a fundamental ideological confrontation with Israel at this particular moment. Whether or not that translates into active steps to, quote, 'Wipe it,' you know …" Here I interjected: "Wipe it off the map." Kerry continued: "I don't know the answer to that. I haven't seen anything that says to me—they've got 80,000 rockets in Hezbollah pointed at Israel, and any number of choices could have been made. They didn't make the bomb when they had enough material for 10 to 12. They've signed on to an agreement where they say they'll never try and make one and we have a mechanism in place where we can prove that. So I don't want to get locked into that debate. I think it's a waste of time here."
That comment reminds me of the laughable interview by anti-Israel U. Michigan Professor Juan Cole, a darling of the anti-Israel left, who says that When Iranians chant "Death to America" they mean "I'd really like to visit Disneyland":
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But it's worse, Kerry is relying on the promises of the Iranian Foreign Minister that Iran will now work with us on regional issues.
Kerry also said that his chief Iranian interlocutor, the foreign minister, Javad Zarif, and Zarif's boss, the (relatively) reformist president, Hassan Rouhani, would be in "serious trouble" at home if the deal falls through. Zarif, Kerry told me, explicitly promised him that Iran will engage with the United States and its Arab allies on a range of regional issues, should Congress approve the deal. "Zarif specifically said to me in the last two weeks, 'If we get this finished, I am now empowered to work with and talk to you about regional issues.'" Kerry went on, "This is in Congress's hands. If Congress says no, Congress will shut that down, shut off that conversation, set this back, and set in motion a series of inevitables about what would happen with respect to Iranian behavior, and, by the way, the sanctions will be over."
We are now the weak horse, being trained by our masters.
John Kerry is dangerously naive.
His boss isn't naive, this is all part of the "Grand Bargain" strategy with Iran Obama has been pursuing since he took office, something we highlighted back in June 2009, when Obama abandoned the uprising against the Mullah regime:
During the campaign and after assuming the presidency, Barack Obama repeatedly stated his willingness to engage in negotiations with Iran without any preconditions. But that was and is not true.
The events of the past two weeks, including the revelation that Obama sent a letter in May to "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reveal that there is one precondition to negotiations which Obama willingly embraces: United States acceptance of Mullah rule in Iran in perpetuity.
Acceptance of Mullah rule, notwithstanding what the people of Iran may want or basic human rights, is the key to the Grand Bargain the Obama administration seeks to strike with Iran. In fact, U.S. help to perpetuate the Mullahtocracy appears to be the ONLY precondition.
Someone is going to get screwed here, and it's not the Ayatollah.
30 30 Comments Iran, Iran Nuclear Deal, Israel, John Kerry, Obama Foreign Policy
Iran, Iran Nuclear Deal, Israel, John Kerry, Obama Foreign Policy
Ragspierre | August 5, 2015 at 11:38 am
sKerry, just produce that "fatwa" against nuclear arms you keep chanting about.
That would go a long way to lending ANY credibility to your Iranian capitulations.
No…??? Or "non" en Francis…???
cbenoistd | August 5, 2015 at 11:49 am
"We are now the weak horse." Its head is in Kerry's sheets.
Not A Member of Any Organized Political in reply to cbenoistd. | August 5, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Thought you were going to say "It's head is Kerry…." well maybe after ISIS gets ahold of him……
RE: "John Kerry is dangerously naive…
No. He's officially criminally insane! Snark!
J Motes | August 5, 2015 at 11:58 am
"The ayatollah constantly believed that we are untrustworthy, that you can't negotiate with us, that we will screw them," Kerry said. "This"—a congressional rejection—"will be the ultimate screwing."
The language of diplomacy is on display again. What eloquence! Kerry and Obama and the rest of their crowd bring shame on this great nation by their actions, but also by their abysmal choice of words.
Now if only Churchill had succumbed to the lure of street slang — his speeches would be ever so much more memorable, don't you think? Here's one of his best, recast in Kerry-speak:
We shall go on to the end. We shall screw them in France, we shall screw them on the seas and oceans, we shall screw them with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall screw them on the beaches, we shall screw them on the landing grounds, we shall screw them in the fields and in the streets, we shall screw them in the hills; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. Are ya listening, Hitler? Screw you!
Ambrosia Bierce | August 5, 2015 at 12:01 pm
What would Donald Trump do?
Ragspierre in reply to Ambrosia Bierce. | August 5, 2015 at 12:10 pm
Boy, THAT's an imponderable….!!!
In what year…???
cbenoistd in reply to Ragspierre. | August 5, 2015 at 12:46 pm
A.T. 1?
Ragspierre in reply to cbenoistd. | August 5, 2015 at 12:53 pm
Anno Trumpus 1…???
Ragspierre in reply to Ambrosia Bierce. | August 5, 2015 at 2:27 pm
My, my. That Trump-et clue bat must sting…
Not A Member of Any Organized Political in reply to Ambrosia Bierce. | August 5, 2015 at 3:09 pm
He could always "Trump" them!
Sammy Finkelman in reply to Ambrosia Bierce. | August 5, 2015 at 5:07 pm
Donald Trump claims he would double or triple the sanctions, and not even begin to negotiate unless Iran had released the 4 American prisoners it was holding, arguing he would say to them, what is the benefit to you in holding them?
faboutlaws | August 5, 2015 at 12:01 pm
War with Iran is inevitable. Unless of course, a bunch of Democrats manage to surrender first.
Midwest Rhino | August 5, 2015 at 12:14 pm
For Obama there were no preconditions, and virtually no post conditions. All the conditions are on US. America must allow Iran to have nukes, must give them billions, must open trade, and now even, must not anger the ayatollah.
Obama didn't even get our prisoners released, and no commitment on the biggest issue, a promise from Iran that they'd reduce their carbon footprint. I thought at least that last point might be sacred … or is it just a scam?
jennifer a johnson | August 5, 2015 at 12:40 pm
Havoc! Obama's foreign and domestic embrace of lawlessness has "let slip the dogs of war" and has Kerry chasing his tail to keep from being screwed.
Not A Member of Any Organized Political in reply to jennifer a johnson. | August 5, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Too late….for Kerry…..
cbenoistd | August 5, 2015 at 12:44 pm
MTED | August 5, 2015 at 12:46 pm
And what of PM Netanyahu's expectations of us? It's OK to screw him?
genes in reply to MTED. | August 5, 2015 at 6:59 pm
Of course. He's Jewish, its what Europe has been doing to Jews for centuries. Kerry and Obama are just carrying on that tradition.
Humphrey's Executor | August 5, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Kerry has been disloyal to the US since his post Vietnam days.
genes in reply to Humphrey's Executor. | August 5, 2015 at 7:00 pm
I beg to differ. I don't think Kerry has ever been loyal to anything but Kerry.
tom swift | August 5, 2015 at 1:06 pm
How about that … Kerry's actually suffering from a genuine case of Stockholm Syndrome.
Exiliado | August 5, 2015 at 1:11 pm
How is this not treason ??
Not A Member of Any Organized Political in reply to Exiliado. | August 5, 2015 at 3:11 pm
Yeah, what Exiliado said.
How would outright treason look any different?
It wouldn't and doesn't!
inspectorudy | August 5, 2015 at 1:11 pm
Wow! Kerry is worried about dishonoring the ayatollah? This is the same guy who chants "Death to America" after every speech. This is the same lying bastard that has illegally held four Americans for years with no trial. This is the same lying bastard that says the holocaust never happened. This is the same POS that authorized the murder of hundreds of American service men and women. How can anyone dishonor him?
Old0311 in reply to inspectorudy. | August 5, 2015 at 1:19 pm
Uncle Ho is dead and Kerry needs someone to suck.
johnPt | August 5, 2015 at 1:41 pm
It is strange that Kerry talks specifically about Khamenei but to be fair, Iran as a whole has good reasons to be suspicious of America (among others, helping organizing a coup d'etat to overthrow the democratically elected prime minister of Iran and replace him with the Shah and a dictatorial regime)
tom swift in reply to johnPt. | August 5, 2015 at 4:49 pm
helping organizing a coup d'etat to overthrow the democratically elected prime minister of Iran and replace him with the Shah and a dictatorial regime
Unfortunately for this story, Reza Pahlavi was already the Shah, and had been since 1941. The Shah arrested Prime Minister Mosaddeq in 1953. The PM's crime was the attempt to dissolve the Iranian legislature so that he could rule by dictatorial decree. And the fact that Tudeh, the Communist party which had earlier tried to assassinate the Shah, was Mosaddeq's main support didn't help his case.
Since this "coup" was against the Prime Minister and not against the Shah, it wasn't a coup d'etat in any sense.
Henry Hawkins | August 5, 2015 at 6:43 pm
A crisis being a terrible thing to waste, I've converted my 401k to KY jelly futures.
ConradCA | August 5, 2015 at 7:56 pm
One of the jobs of a president is to take the views of The Senate into account as he negotiate treaties. This is something that Tyrant Obama failed to do. He is trying to neuter congress so he can rule as dictator/tyrant. Unfortunately for the country McConnel is part of the conspiracy to betray or country and lick the Tyrant's boots.
Arminius | August 5, 2015 at 8:19 pm
It's official. No one was negotiating on behalf of the US at the P5+1 conferences that produced this abortion of a nuclear accommodation.
Once again the progressive left projects. While Obama accuses Republicans of making common cause with Iranian hard-liners chanting "Death to America," this administration sees eye-to-eye with the hard-liner in chief, the one he deferentially calls the Supreme Leader.
America is the bad actor in the world that has to prove it is worthy of trust.


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