In other words, Obama campaigned and gained office with populace-pleasing progressive-sounding rhetoric but was going to govern in standard service to existing dominant corporate and military institutions.
Consistent with the violin analogy, the "peace candidate"-turned-president intends to increase the United States' massive "defense" (empire) budget (more than $1 trillion annually) this and next year. Obama plans to sustain the illegal occupation of Iraq (against which he campaigned) and is increasing the level of U.S. violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He continues Bush policies on Israel and Iran and refuses to pay elementary honest attention to the legitimate grievances of the Palestinian people. He refuses to advance the obvious cost-cutting and social democratic health care solution—single-payer national health insurance.
He will spend untold trillions on further taxpayer giveaways to finance capital (with no real strings attached). His undersized stimulus plan is loaded with business-friendly tax cuts and short on labor-intensive projects that will put people to work right away. He says nothing about the overdue labor law reform he campaigned on, the Employee Free Choice Act.
Praised by political and media elites for the skill with which he and his handlers are "managing [popular] expectations," he fails to advance such elementary progressive measures as a moratorium on foreclosures, a capping of credit card interest rates and finance charges, and the rollback of capital income tax rates to 1981 (not just 1993) levels.
Left progressives are right to be angry at this record, but they have no business being surprised or disappointed.
Obama's centrist policy trajectory is consistent with the corporate-imperial operatives he surrounded himself with from the moment he entered the national stage. It matches the record-setting corporate and Wall Street campaign funding he garnered. It reflects the deeply conservative world view Obama has long revealed to those willing to read between the lines of his outwardly progressive rhetoric. It fits a consistently neoliberal (supposedly "pragmatic" and "non-ideological") political career marked at every stage by a pronounced keenness for accommodating existing institutions.
As Lance Selfa's book The Democrats: A Critical History ought to remind us, moreover, Obama's plutocratic, people-playing performance was also foretold by the history of his political party.
Once aptly described by former Richard Nixon strategist Kevin Phillips as "history's second-most enthusiastic capitalist party," the Democratic Party is hardly in the business of promoting politicians and policies that challenge reigning domestic and global power structures.
Selfa shows how the corporate "New Democrats" of the last generation joined Republicans in attacking social welfare, the labor movement, economic regulation, civil rights, sexual liberation, and environmental protection.
When the Democrats rode popular displeasure with George W. Bush's arch-regressive and messianic-militarist extremism to a congressional majority in the fall of 2006, they stayed firmly within this conservative mode, funding Bush's illegal wars and offering no serious opposition to his broad corporate and imperial agenda.
Far from advancing a social-democratic counter to the corporate system that produced the Great Depression, the New Deal Democratic Party (1932–79) "remained," in Selfa's words, "a self-consciously capitalist party throughout, responding to the needs of business rather than the desires of its 'constituents'." It constructed the advanced capitalist world's mildest welfare state, one where labor, racial minorities, women, and social justice took a backseat to the interrelated privileges and power of capital and empire. It oversaw the rise of the Cold War, leading to the rapid formation of a "permanent arms economy" and the purging of Left activists who played key roles sparking the social insurgency that forced New Deal social reforms like the National Labor Relations and Social Security Acts during the middle 1930s.
None of this means that the Democratic and Republican parties are identical. To be sure, the differences that separate them are "minor," Selfa notes, "in comparison to the fundamental commitments that unite them." Still, he reminds us, Corporate America would have no reason to embrace a two-party system if there were no differences at all between the two competing "subdivisions" of what Ferdinand Lundberg once called "The Property Party." The U.S. ruling class profits from a narrow-spectrum system wherein one business party is always waiting in the wings to capture and control popular anger and energy when the other business party falls out of favor.
The Democrats performed this critical system-preserving function in relation to the agrarian populist insurgency of the 1890s, the working-class rebellion of the 1930s and 1940s, and the antiwar, civil rights, anti-poverty, ecology, and feminist movements during and since the 1960s and early 1970s—including the gay rights movement today.
Besides preventing social movements from undertaking independent political activity to their left, the Democrats have been adept at killing social movements altogether.
They have done—and continue to do—this in four key ways: (1) inducing "progressive" movement activists (e.g., Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and the leaders of MoveOn.org and United for Peace and Justice today) to focus scarce resources on electing and defending capitalist politicians who are certain to betray peaceful- and populist-sounding campaign promises upon the attainment of power; (2) pressuring activists to "rein in their movements, thereby undercutting the potential for struggle from below"; (3) using material and social (status) incentives to buy off social movement leaders; (4) feeding a sense of futility regarding activity against the existing social and political order.
Selfa rightly rejects the "left-Democratic" argument (made by "Progressive Democrats of America" today and by "Democratic Socialists of America" in the past) that the left can "take over the Democratic Party." Once leftists accept a strategy that requires Democratic electoral success first and foremost, Selfa shows, their movements and ideals become hopelessly weakened, their issues relegated to the perpetual "back burner" while their energies are invested in "getting out the [Democratic] vote" instead of, say, organizing Wal-Mart workers or resisting the bipartisan invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Selfa's excellent book offers sage, richly informed historical advice as the recently elected Shock Absorber-in-Chief, President Obama, tries to restore faith in a spectacularly failing profit system while sustaining imperial commitments within and beyond oil-rich Southwest Asia. Progressive citizens and activists need to break their deadly relationship with the Democratic Party's hope-killers once and for all. Lance Selfa's well-researched, carefully argued, and elegantly crafted volume is an indispensable guide as to why.


The Community Youth Connection is a collaboration of more than 50 positive youth development organizations and advocates in Deschutes County, Oregon. We provide a community system of services and policies to achieve our goal, that every youth has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential to become engaged, healthy, successful, contributing citizens.
As a result of the breadth of the Community Youth Connections partnerships this website has a wide array of audiences who come here seeking information. You may find it easier to follow one of the links below that best describes the purpose of your visit to our site.
CYC is not a new program, a new organization or a new "layer of bureaucracy." Instead, its a mechanism through which existing public and private nonprofit organizations in Deschutes County can join forces to better serve the acute need for positive, structured programs for the youth of the community.
4. To expand the communitys resources to meet the present and future needs of youth.
At present, 51 organizations are actively involved with CYC. Representatives of these organizations meet quarterly to find ways to collaborate in offering programs for young people, to pool information and resources, to improve opportunities for training and professional growth for their staff, volunteers and board members and to develop a new tier of program providers through youth leaders, called Youth Stewards.
CONNECTING youth with programs, activities and services.
BULLETIN BOARDS announcing projects, activities and programs.
LINK volunteers skills and interests with programs, projects or activities.
Note: To read .pdf documents you will need Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.


Unfortunately, there is still no level-based transparency protection function. Some tools like the paint brush have this option ("Protect transparency"). For other tools like the Gradient Tool this option is missing. This option should be independent of the tools in the layer panel and should apply to an active layer.
Agreed. It doesn't help that because of all the new symmetry features being added, the tool bar is getting so full of stuff that the Protect Transparency check box is being hidden away far in the right corner on 1080p screens. I lock transparency fairly often, so it would be a nice quality of life change for me if it got changed.


Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University football team will keep the Anchor-Bone Trophy for another year after a thrilling 54-44 win over archrival Grand Valley State in the Anchor-Bone Classic on Saturday (Oct. 12) night before nearly 5,000 fans under rainy conditions at FSU's Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids.
The win over the Lakers lifted the Bulldogs to a 4-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play in addition to being FSU's second-straight win in the rivalry matchup.
It marks the first time since 1994-95 in which the Bulldogs have beat GVSU in back-to-back seasons and only the sixth victory all-time over the Lakers at Top Taggart Field, including the first since 1995.
Ferris State trailed 23-20 with 3:15 to play in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs responded with three-straight scores to surge in front.
The Lakers scored first to start the game at the 7:07 mark of the opening frame when Joel Schipper connected on a 24-yard field goal after the Lakers had drove 52 yards in 14 plays.
FSU responded to tie the game up at three points apiece after one quarter when senior kicker Austin Kantola connected on a 27-yard field goal to finish a nine-play, 67-yard Bulldog drive.
Ferris State took its first lead of the game early in the second period by driving 68 yards in six plays with sophomore quarterback Jason Vander Laan capping the drive with a 22-yard scoring toss to Dewayne Boston in the endzone.
The Lakers, though, answered when Kirk Spencer scampered in from 27-yards out to finish a short five-play, 39-yard drive that started off a Bulldog turnover.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 17-10 edge at halftime as Vander Laan scored from eight-yards away with 2:10 to play in the half as the Bulldogs moved 72 yards in seven plays.
However, GVSU scored first in the second half when Brandan Green found the endzone from 19-yards out. The extra point was no good as the Bulldogs held onto a slim 17-16 edge.
FSU's pushed the lead to four points with 3:28 left in the third on Kantola's 22-yard field goal that was the result of a 10-play, 63-yard drive.
But, the Lakers quickly answered as Spencer ran the ensuing kickoff back 100 yards for a score to give GVSU a 23-20 edge.
From there, the Bulldogs took control. FSU marched 81 yards in five plays with senior back Korey Ringer finishing the drive with a 33-yard scoring run to put the Bulldogs in front for good at 27-23 after three quarters.
The two teams combined for seven touchdowns in a wild fourth quarter as the Bulldogs held onto the lead for the victory. FSU started the frame with a 10-play, 77-yard drive capped by Vander Laan's 11-yard TD toss to Jake Lampman.
The defense then came up with a big play as senior cornerback James Stewart picked off a tipped pass and raced 62 yards back to the house to push the lead to 40-23 with 8:44 remaining.
GVSU struck back to pull within 10 on a 68-yard pass from Heath Parling to Brandan Green, but after a failed onside kick attempt the Bulldogs used the short field to find the endzone on a 35-yard scoring run from Ringer.
The Lakers used a long kickoff return to pull back within 10 points with 4:20 left on Michael Ratay's one-yard run, but FSU again responded with a four-play, 45-yard drive that Vander Laan finished with a 27-yard scoring run.
Grand Valley State accounted for the final scoring as the Lakers moved 35 yards in four plays before Parling found Darryl Pitts on an 18-yard TD pass with two minutes to play.
Ferris State rolled up 583 yards of total offense, including 465 on the ground on 57 carries. Vander Laan ran for 210 yards and two scores on 27 tries while Jamaal Jackson had 13 carries for 91 yards and Ringer added six carries for 77 yards and two scores.
The Bulldogs' 465 yards rushing established a new school single-game record, topping the 457 yards the Bulldogs recorded a year ago at GVSU.
Vander Laan threw for 118 yards and two TD's on nine-of-16 passing with Lampman making six grabs for 76 yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs were paced by Darnell Morris' team-high nine stops.
Grand Valley State posted 340 yards of total offense as the Lakers were held to 131 yards rushing on 35 tries. Ratay ran for a team-best 81 yards and a score. Meanwhile, GVSU's Parling completed 14-of-28 throws for 209 yards and two scores with Green making five grabs for 113 yards. Deonte' Hurst led the Lakers with 10 tackles on the defensive side as GVSU fell to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the GLIAC.
Ferris State is back on the road the next two weeks as the Bulldogs visit Hillsdale next Saturday (Oct. 19) followed by a trip to Michigan Tech the following week (Oct. 26). Kickoff against the Chargers next week is set for 2:30 p.m. (ET) in Hillsdale, Mich.


text:
È stato vincitore di diversi premi agli Hong Kong Film Awards ed ai Golden Bauhinia Awards.

Biografia
Nato ad Hong Kong nel 1964, Lau ha partecipato al corso di recitazione indetto dalla rete televisiva TVB nel 1983, debuttando poi in televisione l'anno successivo in una serie televisiva intitolata Draw Out the Rainbow. Fino al 1992, tuttavia, non ha ottenuto particolari riconoscimenti di pubblico o critica, finché non è stato inserito nel cast della popolare serie televisiva The Greed of Man , dove ha recitato accanto all'attore Adam Cheng. Dopo la svolta sul grande schermo nel 1986, tuttavia, Lau ha fatto apparizioni televisive sempre più sporadiche, preferendo la carriera cinematografica.

È sposato con Amy Kwok, la quale è stata eletta Miss Hong Kong nel 1991 ed è attualmente un'affermata attrice televisiva.

Carriera
Il debutto cinematografico è avvenuto nel 1986 con Silent Love, da quel momento Lau ha interpretato con successo ruoli di diverso genere in un grande numero di lungometraggi. Uno dei suoi personaggi di maggior successo è stato quello di un musicista in C'est la vie, mon chérie (1993), accanto alla protagonista femminile Anita Yuen, che gli ha procurato anche una nomination come "Miglior Attore" agli Hong Kong Film Awards. Hanno seguito numerosi film a sfondo poliziesco ed investigativo, titoli quali Big Bullet (1996), Full Alert (1997), The Longest Nite (1998), Running out of Time (1999), Running Out of Time 2 (2001) e Mad Detective (2007). Grazie alla sua versatilità come attore, Lau ha interpretato con grande aplomb anche ruoli comici, in film quali La Brassiere (2001) e Three of a Kind (2003).

Premi e riconoscimenti

Dopo aver vinto i premi come "Miglior Attore" agli Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (nel 1997 e nel 2001) ed ai Golden Bauhinia Awards (nel 1999), nel 2007 Sean Lau ha anche vinto per la prima volta il premio come "Miglior Attore" agli Hong Kong Film Awards, grazie al ruolo nel film My Name is Fame.

Filmografia

Televisione
Police Cadet '84 (1984)
The Duke of Mount Deer (1984)
The Battle Among the Clans (1985)
Ngan sik lui to (1985)
Genghis Khan (1987)
Twilight of a Nation (1988)
The Greed of Man (1992)
The Challenge of Life  (1990)
The Seasons II (1990)
The Dragon Sword
The Grand Canal (1987)
Divine Retribution (2000)

Cinema
The Happy Massage Girls
Silent Love (1986) - Kelly Mak
Police Story 2 (Ging chaat goo si juk jaap), regia di Jackie Chan (1988)
Live Hard (1989) - Fai/Capo
My Dear Son (1989)
Angel Hunter (1991) - Jack Chow Man-Kit
The Roar of the Vietnamese (1991) - Fan Wan-Tin
Water Margin: True Colors of Heroes (1992) - Tso Wu
The Shootout (1992) - Liu
The Gods Must Be Crazy IV (1993) - John
Thou Shalt Not Swear (1993) - Partner di Chow
Pink Bomb (1993) - Daniel
Heroic Trio 2: Executioners (1993) - Tak
Beginner's Luck (1994) - Mark
C'est la vie, mon chéri (1994) - Kit
Bloody Hand Goddess (1994)
I've Got You, Babe (1994) - Charcoal
Bomb Disposal Officer: Baby Bomb (1994) - Peter Chan
It's a Wonderful Life (1994) - Cugino
Shanghai Fever (1994)
Over the Rainbow Under the Skirt (1994) - Narratore
The Most Wanted (1994) - Ho Chi-Yung/Cat
Don't Shoot Me, I'm Just a Violinist (1994) - Mozart
Oh! My Three Guys (1994) - Hoi
I Wanna Be Your Man (1994) - Lu Che-Mo
Return to a Better Tomorrow (1994) - Big Lobster
Tragic Fantasy: Tiger of Wanchai (1994) - Dee
The Third Full Moon (1994) - Partner di Chow
Tears and Triumph (1994) - Xie Shi-Wen
Loving You (1995) - Lau
Once in a Lifetime (1995) - Kei-on
Mother of a Different Kind (1995) - Supt Cheung Hung
Only Fools Fall in Love (1995) - Chiu Ford
Wealthy Human Realm (1995, non accreditato) - Cameo
Sea Root (1995) - Sea Root
Happy Hour (1995) - Chong Tsang
Doctor Mack (1995) - Chiu
The Golden Girls (1995) - Chun Wei
New Tenant (1995) - Joe
Tricky Business (1995) - Ko Hing
Romantic Dream (1995) - Hung Chi-Lung
La vendetta della maschera nera (1996) - Ispettore 'Rock' Shek
A sangue freddo - Beyond Hypothermia (1996) - Long Shek
Big Bullet (1996) - Bill Zhu
Tristar (1996) - Fa
Muto Bontie (1996) - Lam Chak-Chi/Chi
Viva Erotica (1996) - Yee Tung-Sing
Final Justice (1996) - Padre Lee (Ho)
My Dad Is a Jerk (1997) - Li Lap-Cheong
Full Alert (1997) - Ispettore Pao
Fireline (1997) - Yau Sui
The Longest Nite (1997) - Tony
Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 (1997) - Kau
Expect the Unexpected (1998) - Sam
Step Into the Dark (1998) - Dottor Care Quan
The Victim (1999) - Manson Ma
Running Out of Time (1999) - Ispettore Ho Sheung-Sang
Where a Good Man Goes (1999) - Michael
The H.K. Triad (1999) - Ho
A Hero Never Dies (1998) - Martin
Running Out of Time 2 (2001) - Ispettore Ho Sheung-Sang
La Brassiere (2001) - Johnny
Lunch with Charles (2001) - Tong
Mighty Baby (2002) - Johnny Hung
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002) - Ken Wong
Fat Choi Spirit (2002) - Ching Wan
Lost in Time (2003) - Dai Fai
Good Times, Bed Times (2003) - Raymond
Colour of the Truth (2003) - Seven Up
The Attractive One (2004) - Hugo
Three of a Kind (2004) - Frankie
Driving Miss Wealthy (2004) - Mario/Kit
Itchy Heart (2004) - Poon Chi-Man
Fantasia (2004) - Michael
Himalaya Singh (2005) - Uncle Panic
My Name is Fame (2006) - Poon Kar-Fai
The Shopaholics (2006) - Choosey Lee
Mad Detective (2007) - Chan Kwai-Bun
Poker King (2009) - Uno
Written By (2009) - Tony
Overheard (2009)
Overheard 2 (2011)
Life Without Principle (2011) - Wen
The Great Magician (2012)
The White Storm 2013

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Dancing on Ice champ Jake Quickenden to entertain bingo fans
Jake Quickenden.
Eyes down, look in.....Dancing on Ice champion Jake Quickenden will be entertaining bingo fans in Chesterfield.
The singer and reality show champion will be putting on an exclusive live performance at the town's Mecca Bingo on May 26 at 9.30pm.
The 30-minute set will be followed by a meet and greet and a question and answer session where fans will get the chance to ask him all about his latest skating adventures and his time in the jungle as runner-up in television series I'm A Celebrity....
Jake first appeared on television screens in 2012 when he was a contestant on the X Factor. He competed on the show again in 2014 when he made it through to the live broadcasts.
Martin Webster, general manager at Mecca Chesterfield, said: "We are so excited to watch Jake perform here at Mecca Chesterfield after seeing him entertaining the nation on our TV screens.
"We're expecting a fantastic evening with lots of fans dancing along and of course enjoying some fun bingo games."
Tickets to watch Jake perform live and play bingo are £10 and can be purchased at the club or online via Skiddle: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Sheffield/Mecca-Bingo/Mecca-Bingo-Presents-Jake-Quickenden/13197514
Tickets now on sale to see David Walliams book Billionaire Boy when it is staged at Nottingham Theatre Royal
'Dangerous' Ilkeston teen locked up after stabbing two men in the town
Two charged for series of robberies including long Eaton Co-op
Ilkeston school given 'good' rating from Ofsted inspectors
Firefighters tackle 'plastic and shrubbery' blaze in Ilkeston
Police hunting two men after Derbyshire schoolgirl sexually assaulted
More from Ilkeston Advertiser

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
True love, low prices
About Kerry J Donovan
#1 International Best Seller with his Ryan Kaine action thriller series, Kerry J Donovan was born in Dublin. A citizen of the world, he now lives in the heart of rural Brittany. He has three children and four grandchildren, all of whom live in England. When he's not creating more mayhem for Ryan Kaine to clean up, he's riding the countryside on his motorbike, taming his garden, and travelling.
Connect with Kerry at: http://kerryjdonovan.com
Sign up to Kerry's mailing list and receive exclusive content, discounts on Kerry's books, and be eligible for newsletter-only contests and giveaways: http://eepurl.com/cyKw6j
Blake Banner
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Vince Milam
Remington Kane
Brian Shea
L.T. Ryan
Matt Rogers
Craig N. Hooper
Ty Patterson
On the Run Discounted
On the Run Discounted Hey Guys, I've just noticed my publisher has lowered the price of the first Ryan Kaine book, On the Run, to only $2.99! I'm not sure how long it will last, so grab your copy now, or it's free to read with Kindle Unlimited. Cheers, Kerry [...]
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New Ryan Kaine Book
New Ryan Kaine Book Hey Guys,Just a quick note to let you know that I've handed in my homework early! The latest in the Ryan Kaine series, On the Hunt, is headed to my publisher's desk as we speak.It follows on immediately after the events in On the Wing, and here is [...]
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1 week ago Read more
New Ryan Kaine Covers
New Ryan Kaine Covers Hey Guys, It's official! All the books in the Ryan Kaine series have new covers. Check them out below: What do you think? I'd love to know, so feel free to drop me a line. Cheers, Kerry
The post New Ryan Kaine Covers appeared first on Kerry J Donovan.
2 weeks ago Read more
New Release – The DCI Jones Casebook: Melanie Archer
New Release - The DCI Jones Casebook: Melanie Archer Hi guys, If you've been waiting for the conclusion of the Melanie Archer case from Ryan Kaine: On the Wing, or have been looking forward to the latest David Jones casebook, you're in luck! The DCI Jones Casebook: Melanie Archer is out [...]
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1 month ago Read more
Exciting Publication News
Exciting Publication News Hi guys, I have some very exciting news regarding my Ryan Kaine series. Are you ready? The entire series has been picked up by Fuse Books, a new publishing company owned by the one and only, Mark Dawson. All the Ryan Kaine books will be getting new [...]
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3 months ago Read more
New Release – Ryan Kaine: On The Wing
New Release - Ryan Kaine: On The Wing Hi guys, Ryan Kaine: On the Wing is out today! Book seven in the hard-hitting, action-packed Ryan Kaine's 83 action thriller series On the Wing is live now - what a great birthday present. Have you picked up your copy yet? If [...]
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99c for Ryan Kaine's 83 Series Box Set
99c for Ryan Kaine's 83 Series Box Set Hi guys, Don't miss this special deal! The first box set in my hard-hitting, action-packed Ryan Kaine's 83 action thriller series, The Ryan Kaine's 83 Series: Books 1-3, is available TODAY for just 99c! Just in time for this deal, I've also [...]
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10 months ago Read more
The Ryan Kaine's 83 Series: Books 4-6
The Ryan Kaine's 83 Series: Books 4-6 Hi guys, In preparation for the release of books 7 and 8 in the hard-hitting, action-packed Ryan Kaine's 83 series, I have pulled together a box set of Books 4-6. If you've not read any of the books yet, check out Books 1-3 [...]
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New Release – Ryan Kaine: On The Edge
New Release - Ryan Kaine: On The Edge Hi guys, Ryan Kaine: On the Edge is out today! In a short adventure, featuring former vet, Lara Orchard, book six in the hard-hitting, action-packed Ryan Kaine's 83 action thriller series On the Edge is live today. Have you picked up your [...]
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1 year ago Read more
New Release – Ryan Kaine: On The Money
New Release - Ryan Kaine: On The Money Hi guys, Ryan Kaine: On the Money is out today! I am so excited to announce this. Book five in the hard-hitting, action-packed Ryan Kaine's 83 action thriller series On the Money is live today. Have you picked up your copy yet? [...]
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Books By Kerry J Donovan
On the Run: Book 1 in the Ryan Kaine series May 10, 2017
by Kerry J Donovan
Ryan Kaine is on the run...
A seemingly routine operation ends in tragedy when eighty-three civilians are killed in an aircraft explosion. Kaine, a highly decorated former Royal Marine, becomes the target of a nationwide manhunt; the police want him on terrorism charges, and a sinister organisation wants him dead.
In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, Kaine is forced to rely on two women he barely knows — a country veterinarian who treats his wounds and an IT expert with a dark secret of her own.
Kaine must battle his overwhelming guilt, life-threatening injuries and strong moral code as he hunts for the people who turned him into a mass-murderer.
Using his skill in combat, gut instincts, and new-found allies, can Kaine uncover the truth and find redemption before the net finally closes?
If you like Lee Child, Mark Dawson and Robert Ludlum, you're going to find the Ryan Kaine series compulsively addictive.
Here's what Amazon readers are saying about Kerry J Donovan's Ryan Kaine series:
★★★★★ "Love them! I want more."
★★★★★ "Another gripping story I tore through in one sitting. Highly recommended!"
★★★★★ "Fast paced, action-packed and hard to put down. Every Kaine story just gets better with each new release."
★★★★★ "Another great book from Mr. Donovan! I love Ryan Kaine and his cast of characters. I can't wait for the next one."
★★★★★ "Kaine is a fascinating hero and each story in the series is a gripping read. What's Ryan Kaine going to get into next?"
Other Formats: Audible Audiobook
On the Rocks: Book 2 in the Ryan Kaine series Sep 27, 2017
Ryan Kaine is on the rocks….
Fuelled by his guilt at the loss of eighty-three civilians onboard aircraft BE1555, international fugitive, Ryan Kaine, vows to protect their grieving families — The 83 — at all costs.
When schoolboy Martin Princeton lies alone and dying on a Scottish mountainside, news of his disappearance spurs Kaine to abandon the pursuit of evidence that could clear his name. Officially, the authorities want Kaine in custody — unofficially, there's a bounty on his head.
Still hampered by injuries from events that turned him into the most wanted man in Europe, Kaine must convince the mountain rescue team of his good intentions and find out everything he can about Martin's disappearance… before they discover who Kaine really is.
On the Hunt: Book 8 in the Ryan Kaine series Apr 30, 2021
A vicious attack. Innocent victims under threat. One man has vowed to protect them.
When Danny, one of Ryan Kaine's most trusted men, notices bruises on a woman's face and sees the way she's being mistreated, he takes action against the man responsible. In the process, he exposes a dangerous plot to take over a family's business and risks his own life in the process.
Outgunned and outmanned, Danny turns to his mentor for help. He turns to a man he trusts, a man with serious skills. As a result Ryan Kaine is … On the Hunt.
Ryan Kaine is an explosive addition to the great military action characters in the tradition of Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne, and John Milton.
What readers are saying about the Ryan Kaine series:
"…an amazing thriller series … Ryan Kaine, is a no nonsense guy with a heart."
" Suspense at its finest, and written with a British flair that you will love to read."
"…fast-paced, exciting, with characters you will cheer for and others you will despise. The author takes us on a real journey of heroics, incredible saves and Ryan definitely puts himself in danger time and time again."
Pre-order with 1-Click ®
On the Defensive: Book 3 in the Ryan Kaine series Dec 12, 2017
Ryan Kaine is on the defensive… .
Kaine, a wanted man on the run, receives a mysterious text with an address and the terse message: "Help them".
When unscrupulous men try to force Greek restauranteurs, the Constantines, out of their business and their home, they stand firm. That is until the head of the family, Orestes, is attacked and left fighting for his life. Their neighbours are running scared. The police are turning a blind eye.
With one of The 83 in trouble, Kaine flies straight back into the heart of danger, without a second thought.
Trying to avoid the attention of the thousands of facial recognition cameras installed in London, Kaine finds himself waist deep in a mesh of treachery, lies, and deception, caught in a fight to the death that he cannot — and will not — afford to lose.
On the Wing: Book 7 in the Ryan Kaine series May 23, 2020
Ryan Kaine is on the wing…
When alleged murderer, Melanie Archer, is violently assaulted and left for dead by unknown attackers, she reaches out to the only organisation who might be able to save her life, The 83 Trust.
But before Ryan Kaine is willing to help her and put his team in danger, he wants to determine her guilt or innocence — in person. Against the advice of his closest allies, he and his insistent partner, Lara, con their way into the lion's den — the last place he'd ever be expected to go willingly.
Unarmed and with no eyes or ears inside the prison, Kaine and Lara are trapped, with only a hasty disguise and a false identity preventing them from taking a permanent holiday at Her Majesty's pleasure… or worse.
Is Kaine willing to risk everything to save her?
On the Money: Book 5 in the Ryan Kaine series Sep 29, 2019
Ryan Kaine is on the money…
When a member of The 83 dies in an apparent accident, Kaine knows better.
A faceless leader of a drug gang rules the dead man's neighbourhood and Kaine and his partner, Lara Orchard, go undercover to discover the truth. Offering financial support to the dead man's grandson, they draw the attention of the local crew. Before they can complete their mission, Lara is attacked, and all bets are off.
Kaine prepares to take on the gang alone, but Lara will not be side-lined by a bunch of street thugs. If Kaine needs her help, she's sure as hell going to provide it.
Together, Kaine and Lara are about to serve justice to them all…
On the Edge: Book 6 in the Ryan Kaine series Dec 25, 2019
Ryan Kaine is on the edge….
Lara Orchard is on a mission to prove herself.
Convincing her partner, Ryan Kaine, that she needs combat medical training, they fly to Denmark under assumed identities.
Kaine is on high alert, keeping a watchful eye on her throughout the course — but it's not her medical skill he's worried about.
Despite knowing the gunfire and the bombs aren't real, Lara struggles to control her fear, but leaves herself exposed to a threat she doesn't see coming. In a desperate attempt to protect her, and breaking his own moral code and a few bones, Ryan Kaine is pushed to his limits…
On the Attack: Book 4 in the Ryan Kaine series Mar 4, 2018
Ryan Kaine is on the attack…
When Angela Shafer's stalker threatens to kill her, she is forced to call upon the services of The 83 Trust. Ryan Kaine vows to deliver justice in the only way he knows how.
After reaching Angela's home too late to prevent a terrible atrocity, Kaine calls in reinforcements in the form of his most trusted men; Danny Pinkerton and William Rollason. But in order for Angela and her daughter to be truly safe, Kaine and his team need to dismantle an entire criminal organisation.
As an underworld kingpin and his brutal thugs close in, Kaine will need all the help he can get…
The DCI Jones Casebook: Melanie Archer Dec 19, 2020
The long-awaited fifth novel in the DCI Jones Casebook series of police procedurals.
Is she innocent, guilty, or something in between?
When Melanie Archer is arrested for murdering her husband, she swears she is innocent. The police don't believe her and throw her in jail, where someone tries to kill her.
After international fugitive, Ryan Kaine, rescues her from another attempt on her life, Melanie remains desperate to clear her name. Kaine invites his occasional friend, DCI David Jones, to reopen her case and Melanie lays her life and her reputation in Jones' hands.
Knowing that Kaine won't stick his neck out for anyone who doesn't deserve his protection, Jones interrogates Melanie then calls in a few favours. Conveniently, the case lands in his in tray.
With limited resources, an uncooperative police unit, and a missing suspect-turned-witness, can Jones find the truth when everyone is lying—even some of his own?
Praise for the DCI Jones Casebooks:.
Sean Freeman:
"Lots of action, unexpected twists, and great pacing keeps the story moving forward towards an excellent ending."
"The characters come alive, and the storyline will keep you gripped!"
Raymond Collins:
"If you are looking for a good, quick murder mystery, this book is for you."
"Loved it! Kept me gripped till the end."
Ellis Flynn:
"...a compelling and tension filled read."
"Brilliant read, both captivating and fast paced."
Cryer's View:
"…exciting, thrilling and kept me on tenterhooks all the way through."
"Absolutely hooked. Action/excitement from start to finish. DCI Jones, what a loveable flawed character. Would love to see him on the screen."
Ryan Kaine Books 4-6: The Ryan Kaine Boxset 2 (The Ryan Kaine Series Boxsets) Mar 10, 2020
Books 4-6 in the Ryan Kaine series:
Ryan Kaine: On the Attack
An innocent woman is viciously attacked. An underworld kingpin and his brutal thugs close in. One man can deliver justice to them all.
Ryan Kaine: On the Money
A member of The 83 dies in an apparent accident. The faceless leader of a drug gang rules his neighbourhood. One man will find the truth.
Ryan Kaine: On the Edge
A medical training course in Denmark. The perfect chance to prove herself. One woman is on a mission to do just that.
From the pen of Kerry J Donovan, the Ryan Kaine series is heart-stopping, action-packed, and full of justice being meted out to the people who deserve it most. Fans of military action will love this series.
Ryan Kaine is an explosive addition to the great military action heroes in the tradition of Lee Child, Mark Dawson, and Matt Rogers.
The DCI Jones Casebook: Sean Freeman May 9, 2015
The first novel in the DCI Jones Casebook series of crime thrillers.
"Diamonds are nothing more than compressed carbon."
Veteran cop, DCI David Jones, is tough and uncompromising. His Serious Crime Unit has the best arrest record the Midlands Police Service has ever seen. Jones and his dedicated team work hard to keep it that way.
Locksmith turned jewel thief, Sean Freeman, is the best in the UK. He's never been caught—the police have never even come close. When Freeman's vicious gangland boss, DB Parrish, forces him to break into the Stafford Museum, the UK's most secure premises outside of the Bank of England, he's in trouble. The Stafford Museum is in the middle of Jones' jurisdiction.
Someone's record is going to suffer.
In this opening instalment of the DCI Jones Casebook series, veteran detective, David Jones tackles a series of cases and faces a clever and engaging criminal he respects and would probably like—under different circumstances. But Jones has a job to do and Freeman is going down. .
This book can be read as a stand-alone novel.
The DCI Jones Casebook: Cryer's View Oct 23, 2016
The explosive fourth instalment in the DCI Jones Casebook series of crime thrillers—this is CRYER'S VIEW.
Unable to trust anyone under his command, Knightly turns to an old friend for help—Detective Chief Inspector David Jones.
When Detective Sergeant Phil Cryer, answers his doorbell to find CS Knightly and DCI Jones on his doorstep, he knows things are about to get interesting—and dangerous.
Phil Cryer, on sick leave after suffering an injury in the line of duty, soon finds himself deep undercover inside the NCA hunting the dirty cop, codename Alpine. He faces his most difficult and dangerous assignment.
Alone, injured, and armed only with his phenomenal memory, Phil must identify the rogue cop before he escapes … or kills again.
Can be read as a standalone novel.
Other books in this series:
Book 1: Sean Freeman
Book 2: Raymond Collins (a novelette)
Book 3: Ellis Flynn
Book 4: Cryer's View
Praise for the DCI Jones Casebooks:
"Lots of action, unexpected twists, and great pacing keeps the story moving forward towards an excellent ending," Amazon review, 2 April 2016
"The characters come alive, and the storyline will keep you gripped!" Amazon review, 19 August 2016
"If you are looking for a good, quick murder mystery, this book is for you," Amazon review, 4 September 2016
"Loved it! Kept me gripped till the end," Amazon review, 8 February 2016
"...a compelling and tension filled read," Amazon review, 18 September 2016
"Brilliant read, both captivating and fast paced," Amazon review, 3 May 2016
Next Page→


text:
Q: Data Structure for fast insertion and random access in already sorted data p = random_point(a,b)
#random_point() returns a tuple/named-tuple (x,y)
#0<x<a 0<y<b
if centers.validates(p):
    centers.insert(p)
#centers is the data structure to store points

In the centers data structure all x and y coordinates are stored in two separate sorted(ascending) lists, one for x and other for y. Each node in x points to the corresponding y, and vice versa, so that they can be separately sorted and still hold the pair property: centers.get_x_of(y) and centers.get_y_of(x)

Properties that I require in data structure:

*

*Fast Insertion, in already sorted data (preferably log n)

*Random access

*Sort x and y separately, without losing pair property

Initially I thought of using simple Lists, and using Binary search to get the index for inserting any new element. But I found, that, it can be improved using self balancing trees like AVL or B-trees. I could make two trees each for x and y, with each node having an additional pointer that could point from x-tree node to y-tree node.
But I don't know how to build random access functionality in these trees. The function centers.validate() tries to insert x & y, and runs some checks with the neighboring elements, which requires random access:
def validate(p):
    indices = get_index(p)
    #returns a named tuple of indices to insert x and y, Eg: (3,7)
    condition1 =  func(x_list[indices.x-1], p.x) and func(x_list[indices.x+1], p.x)
    condition2 =  func(y_list[indices.y-1], p.y) and func(y_list[indices.y+1], p.y)
    #func is some mathematical condition on neighboring elements of x and y
    return condition1 and condition2

In the above function I need to access neighboring elements of x & y
 data structure. I think implementing this in trees would complicate it. Are there any combination of data structure that can achieve this? I am writing this in Python(if that can help)

A: Class with 2 dicts that hold the values with the keys being the key of the other dict that contains the related value to the value in this dict.  It would need to maintain a list per dict for the current order to call elements of that dict in when calling it (your current sort of that dicts values).  You would need a binary or other efficient sort to operate on each dict for insertion, though it would really be using the order list for that dict to find each midpoint key and then checking against value from that key.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Luke Walton isn't blameless in regards to the Lakers' problems, but, for all his shortcomings, people need to cut him some slack.
It's astounding how different the outlooks are between the two professional basketball teams in Los Angeles.
On paper, if you had the choice to pick between the two, you'd pick the Lakers in a second. They have a richer history, they have a bigger surplus in young talent, and at the moment, they have LeBron James.
Yet somehow, when they faced off the Clippers, who have no stars, hardly any success tied to their name and a not-as-promising youth movement, it was the Clippers who ended up victorious.
The Clips may have won by eight, but outside of the first quarter, they controlled the majority of the game. Now, the Lakers were going through a little adversity, as Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball were both out with injuries. That shouldn't be too much of an excuse when LeBron James is on your team, though. So how did the Lakers lose to their cross-town rivals?
There's no reason more blatant than their lack of an identity. The season is three-quarters of the way over, and the Lakers still don't really know who they are. LeBron's fit with a roster full of youngsters and playmakers and lack of pure shooters is quite the riddle to solve if you're the coach. The fact that they still haven't found their stride yet is on Luke Walton.
It's the coach's job to make things work no matter how awkward the roster construction may be. It's true that the Lakers' roster didn't really make much sense, but it did have undeniable talent on paper. Alas, this season has been nothing short of a disaster for the Lakeshow.
They're currently 30-35 and six-and-a-half games in back of the eighth seed. It's gotten so bad that the team is planning on putting James on a minutes restriction and could rest him on back-to-backs. Nothing is set in stone, but that looks like a white flag.
For (most likely) not being able to get the Lakers back to the playoffs, Walton does deserve some of the blame.
What he does not deserve is being the scapegoat, which appears to be what's going to happen.
The common belief in recent weeks is that the Lakers are going to fire Walton once the season concludes, which has been speculated pretty much for months on end. Despite constant support from management, rumors sprung up again and again that Walton's days were numbered as the head coach of the Lakers.
There were reports that LeBron's camp wanted him gone, LaVar Ball – where has he been all this time – called him the worst coach ever for his son and even Snoop Dogg voiced his displeasure over the Lakers' head coach.
Really? The failures that have accumulated for the Lakers this season should all be blamed on Luke?
Without making this too much into an entertaining round of the blame game, Walton has no say in who the Lakers bring to the team. Now, the Lakers bringing in King James was an obvious move to make. The others though – Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, Michael Beasley – were headscratchers since none were exactly revered floor spacers.
When LeBron and his band of misfits came to Hollywood, Walton was put in a situation akin to a person getting engaged to someone else believing the relationship was semi-serious. He may have been a dead man walking from the start.
It's almost been like a fish-out-of-water type story for Luke. It's sad because it wasn't too long ago that Walton was helping the Lakers take the necessary steps back to relevance.
When the Lakers hired Luke back in 2016, his job was to bring the franchise back from obscurity after missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. That was going to be a challenge as the Lakers were still in the rebuilding process and didn't look to be getting out anytime soon. But clearly, it was a challenge that Walton was up for.
Progress didn't come quickly. The Lakers still stunk in his first season running the show and didn't do so great to start in his second year either. Once 2018 started, it seemed like Luke was starting to get some results for his team. New addition Brook Lopez began shooting lights out from three, Brandon Ingram shined when they ran the offense through him and Julius Randle was playing the best basketball of his career.
After starting the season 12-27, the Lakers ended the season on a high note for once, going 23-20 the rest of the season with the height of the promising play coming in February, when LA had its best month in ages, going 8-3.
Things were working better under Walton. When he had the right ingredients to work with, he could orchestrate a winning formula. Since then, the team not only brought in the wrong guys to surround LeBron with but also let go of the guys who were helping the team win, i.e. Lopez and Randle.
Factoring in that the Lakers are paying their one-year guys more than those two are combined, it boggles the mind to think that they could have helped a lot more. To add insult to injury, the Lakers most definitely had the advantages last summer in free agency – Randle was a restricted free agent and the Lakers had Lopez's bird rights – in which they could have used to keep them.
There are other aspects that Walton himself should not be held responsible for such as the Anthony Davis trade rumors dividing the team, or the injury bug that's infected the Lakers this season.
Again, he's not entirely innocent. Not only did he fail to mix-and-match the team as its currently constructed, but as evidenced by their struggles post-trade deadline, he's not getting to his players. Warning signs like those can indicate that its time for a change.
Walton proved to not be the man to lead the Lakers back to prominence, but he never really got a fair shot to do so while he was there.
Perhaps he will when he gets his next coaching job. Whether if it's in the NBA or not.


The cutest raglan tee ever that shows off your team spirit. You'll love the soft feel of this three-quarter sleeve style with a washed logo for a worn-in look. Whether you're headed to the game or cheering from home, you'll represent in style.


text:
Yoga classes in schools: Need for more awareness, say officials in Chandigarh | The Indian Express
MORE THAN a week after the UT administration launched free yoga classes for Tricity residents in 38 schools of Chandigarh in the first phase of initiative, the UT health officials are now planning to spread public awareness about these camps.
Sources said the public response in these camps has not picked up so far. Yoga classes will be provided at these schools in the mornings free of cost.
UT director (Health) Dr Rakesh Kumar Kashyap told Chandigarh Newsline that they would spread awareness among the public through media so that more people can join these camps. "These days, exams are going in schools. A message about these camps can also reach the parents through the children," he said. He added that the response to these camps was not high so far.
He, however, added that after the awareness more people would join these classes. "We are hopeful that once people start knowing about the Initiative, the number will increase further," said Dr Rakesh,
Starting of yoga classes, health department said, in among the initiatives aimed to promote Yoga among citizens of the city beautiful. The timing is between 6 am and 7.30 am and all those interested to join the classes have to fill up a form and start the classes. In the next phase, around 100 schools would be proposed for this initiative.
V P Singh Badnore, Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator,inaugurated the event at Tagore Theatre on March 10.
Dr Rajiv Kapila, National Ayush Mission nodal officer, told Chandigarh Newsline that the number of registration in these camps varies from 5-20. "In coming days, once awareness would be done, it will further pick up," he said.


StemCell Technologies works in the Biotechnology industry, specialising in antibodies, Cell culture media, cell isolation, contract services, cytokines, instruments, primary cells, small molecules, software, training courses. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is located in Vancouver, Canada. StemCell Technologies has an estimated revenue and employee in the range of $50 to $500 million and 1001-5000 respectively.
The purpose of this report is to provide vital facts about StemCell Technologies and help in key decision making process, via market and competitive benchmarks and key metrics. The report will surely add value to your business development process, deal sourcing and should save countless hours of research and analytical work for the buyer.


text:
Валенти́н Алекса́ндрович Авваку́мов (род. 9 октября 1959, Ленинград) — российский тубист и музыкальный педагог, солист ЗКР АСО Санкт-Петербургской филармонии, симфонического оркестра Мариинского театра, оркестра «Санкт-Петербург Камерата» и оперной студии Ленинградской консерватории, участник брасс-квинтета «Русский Брасс», доцент Санкт-Петербургской консерватории, ССМШ имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова и музыкального училища имени М. П. Мусоргского, лауреат всероссийских и международных конкурсов.

Награды, звания
 Дипломант Всесоюзного конкурса исполнителей на медных духовых и ударных инструментах (Таллин, 1980)
 Лауреат II премия Всероссийского конкурса музыкантов-исполнителей на медных духовых инструментах (Саратов, 1983)
 Лауреат III премия Всесоюзного конкурса музыкантов-исполнителей на медных духовых инструментах (Алма-Ата, 1984)
 Дипломант Международного инструментального конкурса ("Internationaler Instrumentalwettbewerb Markneukirchen", духовики, г. Маркнейкирхен, Германия, 1987)
 Лауреат I Всесоюзного конкурса брасс-квинтетов (1988)
 Лауреат международного конкурса брасс-квинтетов Филиппа Джонса (1989)
 Лауреат международного конкурса брасс-квинтетов, гран-при (г.Нарбон, Франция, 1990)

Жюри конкурсов
 I Международный конкурс духовых и ударных инструментов имени Н.А. Римского-Корсакова, г. Санкт-Петербург, 2005 год - член жюри
 I Всероссийский музыкальный конкурс по специальностям: «Духовые инструменты, ансамбли духовых инструментов», «Ударные инструменты», 2012 год, Москва, член жюри
 II Всероссийский музыкальный конкурс по специальностям: «Духовые инструменты, ансамбли духовых инструментов», «Ударные инструменты», 2016 год, Москва - член жюри
 Международный музыкальный конкурс "Bravissimo", Россия (дистанционный формат), 2020 - председатель жюри

Аудиозаписи
 Генри Перселл. Соната для 2-х труб и духовых инструментов до мажор и др. (J.Pachelbel, Д.Гендель, Габриэль, Ж.Бизе, Д.Гершвин, Д.Соуза) — Владимир Алешков, Константин Барышев (трубы), Андрей Антонов (валторна), Олег Гриценко (тромбон), Валентин Аввакумов (туба) на грампластинке «Духовой квинтет Эрмитажного театра», запись 1991 года, Мелодия:

Дискография
 Kirov Brass Quintet Concert of Vagrant Musicians 1996 год
 Russian Brass (65:18, 320 kbps) PRS Records 1997 год PRS0015
 Brass Essence (72:36, 192 kbps) Unlimitet Classics 2004 год
 Evald: Brass Quintet No. 1-3 (50:05, 192 kbps) Cryston 2004 год
 Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition  (45:46, 192 kbps) Cryston 2004 год

Видеофильмы
 Доцент СПб консерватории Валентин Аввакумов о своём учителе — солисте-тубисте ЗКР, профессоре СПб консерватории Валентине Галузине

Литература

Ссылки
 Валентин Аввакумов на сайте Санкт-Петербургской государственной филармонии им. Д. Д. Шостаковича

Примечания

Академические музыканты России
Тубисты по алфавиту
Тубисты России
Выпускники Санкт-Петербургской консерватории
Преподаватели Санкт-Петербургской консерватории
Музыканты ЗКР АСО Санкт-Петербургской филармонии
Музыканты Симфонического оркестра Мариинского театра


text:
No meaning in negotiation if it cannot deliver solution: NSCN-IM leader Th Muivah
The ball is now in the court of the Government of India to fulfil the commitment given to the Nagas, Th Muivah said in his address on 76th Naga Independence Day at Camp Hebron.
ByNNN/Dimapur
Updated 15 Aug 2022, 2:10 pm
Naga Independence Day event at Camp Hebron (PHOTO: NewmaiNewsNetwork)
NSCN-IM general secretary Th Muivah said on Sunday that the ball is now in the court of the Government of India to make the right move and to fulfil the commitment given to the Nagas.
Addressing the 76th Naga Independence Day at Camp Hebron in Nagaland on Sunday, Muivah said that the Nagas have endured 25 years of gruelling ceasefire living up to "our commitment" for peaceful solution of the Naga political issue.
"We have also waited patiently for seven long years after the historic Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015. We have not left any stone unturned of what it takes to bring a solution that is honourable, inclusive, and acceptable to both the Nagas and the Government of India. The ball is now in the court of the Government of India to make the right move and to fulfil the commitment given to the Nagas," the NSCN-IM leader added.
The NSCN-IM general secretary said that ceasefire is a political terminology. "It is the harbinger of peace. Ceasefire has been with the Nagas for 25 years now. But we see no meaning in the ceasefire that does not embark upon political negotiation," Muivah also said, while adding, "And we see no meaning in negotiation if it cannot deliver solution". He further added, "Indeed, we are for agreement, but it would be a form without content if it cannot bring a solution".
According to the NSCN-IM general secretary, all the past agreements were no solution "because they betrayed the Naga national principle".
The NSCN-IM leader also said that the Nagas are looking for an issue-based solution. "And that we are opposed to imposition of Indian will on the Nagas", he added.
Muivah then asked, "What shall we do if the Government of India imposes its will on us?" He stated that the Nagas need to work out a survival strategy. He also said that the Nagas must stay the course. "Our future is in our decision to stand firm on our sovereign right, not in submission to the aggressors. Our no to the dictation of the enemies will save our history. Our survival strategy lies in the power of prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. The name of the Lord is our strong tower, which we believe is bigger and stronger than the coalition forces of many kings. The presence of the Lord has been with us on all fronts since the beginning of the resistance movement. Our strength comes from the Lord," he added.
Muivah then said that conscious of it or not, it is God who guides the destiny of nations and the course of their history. "God is the author of history," Muivah further stated.
The NSCN-IM leader then said, "Let us also take critical note that divisive elements and collaborators are restlessly indulging in slanderous fabrications targeting the Framework Agreement". According to him, the irony is that the Government of India is keeping pretentious silence over the Framework Agreement it has signed on August 3, 2015. "But the truth shall prevail in the long run," he added.
Muivah then said that the May 31, 2022, 'Emergency National Assembly' of the NSCN-IM is one of the turning points in the history of the Naga political movement. "We have taken the stand before God and Naga people that NSCN will uphold and protect the unique Naga history and the Naga National principle at any costs. The Naga flag and constitution are indivisible parts of the recognized sovereignty and unique history. We believe the Indian leaders too understand it," he added.
Muivah then said that political movement without looking into sustainable economic development is outmoded policy. "We have to feel comfortable about the fact that Nagalim is immensely rich in terms of God-gifted natural resources and human resources. The Nagas are blessed with physical, mental and spiritual potentialities to grow," he also said. According to him, all the nations move forward through the spirit of self-reliance in all fields – political, economy, military and in the field of education. In order to build a strong nation, it is imperative for us to build a strong economy. "Therefore, we should be ready to explore all avenues for the generation of revenues to build our national economy. All Nagas unite with one decision, one faith, and one politics on the principle of Nagalim for Christ," he added.
Muivah also paid homage to "our beloved comrades-in-arms who have made supreme sacrifices for the cause of Nagalim for Christ".
He said he highly appreciated all the civil societies who have taken all the necessary troubles in advocating for the rights of the Naga people at any time of horrible military atrocities committed against our people by the "aggressors".
Muivah also thanked all the churches and "prayer warriors" who have been praying for the Naga national cause and the workers in the forefront without ceasing. "Furthermore, we are grateful to our friends abroad for their unflinching supports to the cause of the oppressed Naga people. Indeed, the Naga people are deeply indebted to them," he added.
Muivah then said, "We are Nagas by blood, by culture and by history, who profess the same faith and political concept". He also said that Nagas are neither Indians nor Burmese. He added that there should be no doubt about it that Nagas are a sovereign people from time immemorial, which makes our history unique. The NSCN-IM leader added that sovereignty is "our birthright", which should be defended at all costs. "If we cannot defend our sovereignty, our future will be decided by others. If we cannot defend our land, the aggressors will possess it. If we cannot defend our people, we will become foreigners in our own land. If we cannot defend our freedom, we will become a lost people. If we cannot defend our history, it will be uprooted. If we cannot defend our culture, it will be assimilated. And if we cannot defend our identity, we will be proselytized," Muivah further added.
The NSCN-IM leader then said that the Nagas don't want war, but war is imposed on them. He further stated that war has killed hundreds of thousands of Nagas. He also said that war has destroyed "our villages, towns, and forests". Muivah also stated that war has destroyed "our educational institutions and churches". He added, "This ugly war has damaged the psychology of our people, young and old. This war must be stopped or it will devour us. We look for peace, but peace without freedom is a wishful thinking. Peace does not exist by itself. It goes along with freedom, truth, justice and rights".
First published:14 Aug 2022, 5:23 pm
nagalandNaga issueNaga Independence Daycamp HebronNSCN-IM general secretary Th Muivah
NNN/Dimapur
Newmai News Network, Dimapur, Nagaland


The State of Arkansas is represented by some of the finest wastewater professionals in the United States. AWEA takes pride in recognizing the shining stars of our industry each year for their contributions to Arkansas' water environment. We would like these recommendations to come from those that are most familiar with the "Gems" of our State.
To learn more about the areas of expertise that are highlighted at the Annual Wastewater Luncheon in Hot Springs or to nominate your deserving candidate, please click here.
Applications are due by February 16, 2019.
If you have any questions about AWEA's award program, please contact our Awards Chairman, Larry Oelrich.


text:
require 'asari'
require 'asari/active_record'
require 'active_asari/migrations'
require 'active_asari/active_record'
require 'active_asari/common'
require 'active_asari/result_object'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
News & Views Breeding Fish Health Hatchery Products and Services
Growth and feed efficiency gains flow from new egg-sorting technology
September 17, 2019 By Colin Ley
Oyster Spat
Measuring the metabolic rate of eggs or embryonic fish is being used successfully by US start-up, GenetiRate, to identify top performing individuals with greatly improved growth rates and feed efficiency.
The company, a spin-off from the University of Arizona, says its egg-sorting technology is delivering growth rate gains of 25 to 30 percent in trials carried out by several industry partners.
That same metabolic testing process is yielding a five percent gain in feed efficiency rates, the company added, giving fish farmers the ultimate combination of better growth at less cost than would otherwise be available.
Presenting his company's research and development findings at Aquaculture Innovation Europe in London in early September, GenetiRate's president and founder, Dr. Benjamin Renquist, said that while producers had obviously been able to select breeding stock for improved growth rate in the past, the new egg-sorting process is allowing farmers to select for feed efficiency for the first time.
Already trialling the technology with three large genetics companies, one mollusc company and two major producers, the GenetiRate process is working across no fewer than eight species, namely trout, Atlantic salmon, Pacific oysters, Kumamoto oysters, pangasius, African catfish, Thai catfish, and tilapia.
"In finfish species, our results to date, based on work with tilapia, trout and zebrafish, indicate an improvement of 25 to 30 percent in growth rates," said Renquist. "Trials with molluscs, meanwhile, show the potential for much larger growth improvements; up to three times current rates in some cases, provided there are no other limiting factors."
Addressing industry leaders at the London conference, where GenetiRate was featured as one of 13 innovation award contenders, Renquist explained that a female salmon selected based on his technology would deliver a production cycle value in excess of US$11,000 more than a salmon selected through other means. His calculation was based on selecting the top 10 percent of broodstock, to which he applied a 25-percent improvement in growth and a five per cent improvement in feed efficiency.
For producers, his value calculation was applied to using only the best 50 percent of eggs. In that situation, he claimed, a "GenetiRated egg," selected for its ability to deliver a 25-percent growth improvement, would be worth US$1.12 more than a non-GenetiRated egg.
The science behind the new technology centres on assessing the metabolic rates of fish ova or mollusc spat, with the research having shown that fish ova with a high metabolic rate grow faster than those with lower metabolic rate. For mollusc spat, however, the opposite is true, with increases in growth rates being linked to low metabolic rate spat, which spend less energy on maintaining salt balance within the organism.
Turning science into on-farm value for hatcheries and farmers, meanwhile, involves sorting ova and spat according to their respective metabolic rates, while also proving that the promise of 25 percent more growth and five percent better feed efficiency is achievable under full commercial conditions.
While still young as a company, GenetiRate is already trialling its discoveries with Hendrix Genetics, Hawaiian shellfish and others. The company also has big ambitions for further development over the next few years.
Current projections for 2019 include the completion of paid trials with more than six large salmonid-focused producers, raising $250,000 in revenue in the process. Such projects are subject to a money-back guarantee if at least five per cent improvement in growth isn't achieved.
The company is aiming to achieve US$1 million in sales for 2020, with a new market focus on tilapia.
This will be followed in 2021 by a US$5-million sales target and a new market focus on shrimp.
To hit these various goals, the company is currently working with the aquaculture accelerator, Hatch Blue, to secure an additional US$1 million in funding for business development and marketing and to expand the automation of its present process.
"Being able to present our technology to industry leaders in London was an extremely useful experience," Renquist told Hatchery International. "Delegates obviously wanted to know what we are doing and how it all works. They were particularly interested, however, in the feed efficiency aspects of our process and how our growth improvement guarantee operates.
"Our objective in coming to London at this point in our development was to expand our trials in the UK and Europe and to explore new funding opportunities for our ongoing work. I believe we've been successful on each of these points as we've certainly identified new customers who want to run trials with us and help to take our technology to the next stage.
"For our part, we're just excited to be working in the aquaculture industry with the potential of helping producers across many different species select for growth and feed efficiency. Anything which helps farmers to maximize the efficient use of one of their biggest cost items must be of value. And we're confident that we're well placed to have a significant impact in that respect."
Dr. Benjamin Renquist is the inventor of the technology that is the backbone of GenetiRate. As founder and president of the company, he leads the ongoing research and development program.
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Maurice, an amazing cat who has survived four years on the toughest streets in the whole of the Discworld, reckons that rats are dumb - clever, OK, but dumb. Maurice, however, is smart, smart enough to recognize that there's a new kind of rat around: rats who have been eating wizards' rubbish and can now talk. Smart enough to get a pretty amazing idea when he spots a stupid-looking kid playing the flute....Now Maurice has his very own "plague of rats" and his own Pied Piper.


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Zetas member tells of killings
Jason Buch, Staff Writer
Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar said he killed or ordered the killings of 30 people in his time with the Gulf Cartel and Zetas. He testified at the trial of five men accused of helping Zetas leaders launder money through U.S. quarter horse breeding and racing operations.
AUSTIN — After six years in the Mexican military and facing corruption charges, special forces Cpl. Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar deserted in 1999 and headed for the border state of Tamaulipas.
He went to work for Gulf Cartel boss Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, joining other members of the Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales, known by its acronym GAFEs. The specially trained unit was similar to the U.S. Green Berets, Rejón said.
Rejón is known jokingly as "Mamito" and by the radio call sign "Z-7," identifying him as the seventh member of the Zetas, the group of former GAFEs hired by Cárdenas as his personal bodyguards and hit squad.
Rejón is likely the first founding member of the Zetas drug cartel ever to take the witness stand in the United States, experts said. He also testified this year in a trial in Washington, D.C., but went largely unnoticed.
Testifying Monday in the case of five men accused of laundering drug money for the Zetas, Rejón told jurors about joining the gang, his involvement in drug trafficking and how the Zetas laundered money in the U.S.
He was extradited to the U.S. last year and has pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking charges. Rejón faces up to life in prison, and he admitted that he is testifying to get a reduced sentence.
Rejón said he acted as an enforcer in his early years for the Gulf Cartel, kidnapping people on the orders of his bosses as they fought the rival Sinaloa Cartel for territory.
"They were picked up, and the orders were given whether they had to be killed, or what had to be done," he said.
Rejón said he joined the military at 16 and was trained as a sniper, in urban warfare, anti-terrorism and survival techniques.
During his time with the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas, Rejón said, he killed or ordered the killings of 30 people. At the height of his power as a drug trafficker, he oversaw the shipment of 40 tons of cocaine a year into the U.S. and $350 million back to Mexico.
In 2004, Rejón said, he got involved in racing quarter horses. It was an expensive hobby, he said, and one popular in Mexico's criminal underworld. It eventually became a way for the Zetas to launder money in the U.S.
"It's an investment, be it horses, be it property," he testified. "You have to clean it because it's from drug trafficking. You can't spend it. You can't put it in the bank."
Prosecutors allege that the five men on trial helped the leaders of the Zetas launder money through U.S. quarter horse breeding and racing operations.
José Treviño Morales, the brother of Zetas leader Miguel Treviño Morales; Francisco Colorado Cessa, a Mexican businessman who made a fortune contracting for that country's state-owned oil company; Fernando Solis Garcia, a Rio Grande Valley-born quarter horse expert; Jesus Maldonado Huitron, an Austin-area homebuilder; and his brother Eusevio Maldonado Huitron, a sought-after horse trainer, are all on trial this week, fighting one count of conspiring to launder money.
Over more than two weeks of testimony, prosecutors have produced witnesses who alleged that the men helped Miguel Treviño, who is known by his call sign "El 40," launder money through horse sales, race winnings and stud fees.
In 2007 or 2008, Miguel Treviño and his brother Omar, who goes by the call sign "El 42," joined Rejón in raising and racing quarter horses, he said. Rejón had become close friends with the brothers, and he and 40 even shared a front man named Ramiro Villarreal who would buy horses for them in the U.S. to hide the ownership.
In 2009, Rejón said, he took an interest in a horse named Tempting Dash.
"I had talked to Ramiro and asked him to buy it at auction," Rejón said. "Afterward, he talked to 40 ... who said he wanted that horse."
The purchase by 40 of Tempting Dash set off an effort to rig the 2009 Dash for Cash Futurity in Grand Prairie, Rejón said.
Prosecutors played for jurors wire intercepts of Villarreal and others, including 42, discussing bribing track officials. In one recording, Omar Treviño joked about having just been in a firefight.
"Once again, we took care of them," he boasted on the recording.
In the wiretaps, Villarreal and others also discussed jockeys shocking horses with batteries to make them run faster.
A poster made after Tempting Dash's victory identified Ramiro Villarreal as the horse's owner, but Jose Treviño collected the winnings, an agent for the Internal Revenue Service testified last week.
After decades of living a meager existence, Agent Michael Fernald testified, the fortunes of Treviño and his family suddenly improved with the deposit of $441,855 from Tempting Dash's win. They were soon buying and selling horses, Fernald said, but he didn't know how they would have been able to afford the $25,000 to buy Tempting Dash in the first place.
"He was a contractor, and his wife was working whatever job she could get," Fernald said. "They needed every single penny to support their family."
Meanwhile, Villarreal's knowledge of Miguel Treviño's investments cost him his life, Rejón said. In 2011, 40 had Villarreal killed in Mexico and made the death look like a car accident, he said.
Rejón's own fortunes were falling too. In 2010, the Zetas split with their former masters, and the Gulf Cartel took all his horses in Miguel Alemán, across the Rio Grande from Roma.
Then, in 2011, as authorities rounded up members of the Zetas after the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jaime Zapata, Rejón was arrested.
He was held for several days blindfolded before being forced to make a statement before TV cameras. And Rejón has a theory about why he was caught. Under cross-examination, he said he suspects it was his friend 40 who helped Mexican police find him.
jbuch@express-news.net
Jason Buch
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Jason Buch covers immigration and border affairs for the San Antonio Express-News. A 2007 graduate of Texas State University, Buch worked for two years at the Laredo Morning Times before coming to San Antonio. Buch first worked on the business desk at the Express-News, covering at various times real estate, the automotive industry, manufacturing, technology and telecom. In 2010 he joined the metro desk and took on his current beat.