text:
Understanding the monarchy – a socialist analysis.
Following my previous article about Prince Philip writes Dave Kellaway, I was lambasted by someone for being too journalistic in response to events and not providing a serious enough left analysis. That article was never meant to perform that role.
This piece on the other hand will discuss the monarch, as an institution and one that is an important part of the ideological underpinning of the British capitalist system. It helps to reproduce the material conditions of existence of that system. It is not just a set of wrong ideas or illusions that the ruling class imposes on the majority as a false consciousness but a whole system of concrete processes and embedded practices that are always contradictory.
Simply put, monarchy divides working people enough to create another significant obstacle for socialists and progressives who want to win a decisive majority over to action for system change. For it to be effective you do not need to have all working people believe that the monarchy is a good thing. Keir Starmer is totally wrong in his cringe-worthy parliamentary eulogy to suggest that the British people have never 'faltered' in Philip's lifetime in their support of the monarchy. Surveys have shown considerable minorities approaching 30% at various times supporting republican views. Socialist Worker this week quoted an opinion poll "last October showed that only two-thirds of people in Britain preferred a monarch to an elected head of state". Scottish public opinion has definitely faltered in their support.
There are three main ways that the monarchy functions to help the ruling class.
A well organised and colourful distraction
Firstly, it is a well-organised and colourful distraction, a spectacle that diverts people from addressing the real oppression and exploitation that affects their lives. It's a modern form of the Roman Empire's bread and circuses.
Just compare the wall to wall 24X7 media coverage of Philip's death with the attention given to the 150,000 people killed by Covid. The lives of ordinary people, who are disproportionately poor, black, and of Asian heritage, are not valued the same as one royal prince. The 24-hour mass media places the monarchy as a niche part of celebrity culture alongside film, TV, fashion, and sports stars. At one level it works as a soap opera. People project themselves into artificial communities like Eastenders and Coronation Street just as interaction in real living communities has declined over the last fifty years. In some ways, it is closer to the Sunday evening costume dramas that tell the stories of the upper classes.
It really does not matter if the Royal Family is emotionally fraught or dysfunctional with regular divorce and breakups. People accept that ordinary families are not as stable as they used to be so why should the Royal Family not be the same? Indeed it reinforces the myth that they are not that different from you or me. Allowing greater mass media coverage – a deliberate decision by the Royals from the late 60s onwards – was a price they thought worth paying so the 'Firm' could move with the times and enhance their appeal among a population that was no longer acted with the same deference to their betters and rulers. In fact, Philip was one of the people arguing for such modernisation. The mystery, mystique, and distance of Royal power and privilege were watered down in order to maintain its relationship with the British public. However, distraction and diversion alone are not sufficient to explain the relative success of the monarchy in maintaining certain popularity.
Reproducing the conditions for class system continuity
Secondly, the monarchy reproduces or facilitates the performance of Britishness, national unity, historical continuity, and stability. People participate in that performance and act within that narrative or constructed national story. How they participate varies according to their class position, their racial identity, specific oppression, or level of political awareness. We live our lives through stories we tell each other and ourselves, through a common-sense narrative. So not just the mass media but the schools, our own families, and how politics is presented all contribute. At primary school the royal family story is told, we may receive a royal visit or commemorate a royal event. Indeed royal events – births, deaths, and marriages are key cogs in the yearly process. Royal tours, visits, military shows or parades, and association with charities are all part of it. Pomp and ceremony are lived events and not just the transmission of a false ideology. Even the architecture and buildings concretise this story very effectively. Most of the time there is no need for anybody to keep saying the royal family is a good thing, it is so embedded in daily lives.
A residual political power aiming to win political consent
Thirdly we should not downplay or ignore the actual constitutional power of the monarchy. People, even on the left, often say that the monarchy is not a real issue because it has no power. In fact, all the bread and circuses and the performative power of the institution are directly linked to the residual political power it has. The remaining power expresses historical continuity and stability. These are useful in winning consent from people to accept how the current system works. A regular ideological message we hear is that unlike in much of Europe where there are no such 'non-political' heads of state this provides a guarantor of continuity and fallback if there were a crisis. The Queen decides on whom to call on to form a government and where there is an unclear majority her decision can be important. She is the head of state of the union of the different nations of the so-called United Kingdom.
It was not an accident that Cameron levered her into the Scottish independence referendum campaign. He got into hot water because his comments about her 'purring' when independence was defeated rather broke a cardinal rule – do not remove the veil of royal political neutrality. Such a myth that royalty is above and beyond the political parties tends to reinforce the idea that it does not have any real power. However, this false neutrality would be particularly useful in a crisis of the system.
The Queen is the head of the armed forces. Soldiers, and more importantly, officers swear allegiance to her. If there was a crisis of the system where the ruling class required the army to restore its order then the neutrality of the Queen and her command of the armed forces would be extremely useful. The intervention would be in the name of the nation against warring political parties and the danger of chaos. Of course, this card can only be used once or very sparingly. Monarchies that took sides against the people in this way, as the Italian royalty did by siding with Mussolini, ended up being removed.
The rise of nationalism in both Scotland and Wales and the strength of republicanism in the Six counties have been strengthened by Brexit and are a growing threat to the constitutional arrangements in which the monarchy is an integral part.
How the coverage of Philip's death shows these processes at work
All the three aspects above have played out following Prince Philip's demise. The spectacle does not have to be coherent or logical. So Philip can be both the 'father' of environmentalism and a tiger hunter. He can be the wise grandfather of the nation but refuse to talk to Sarah Ferguson when she split with Andrew. He can be dutifully accepting the cards he was dealt (Archbishop of Canterbury) and always keeping two steps behind the Queen but at the same time philandering through a number of relationships and mouthing off racist or sexist comments whenever he wanted. The leading Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, had a very detailed article on all his affairs but I have not seen anything in the British press.
We have seen a well-honed PR machine organised by the Palace. The spectacle is constructed. They have released a new angle each day in the run-up to the funeral – new photos, behind-the-scenes views of parade preparations, and so on. How many times have you heard the refrain, it's unfair to criticise the royals you know because they can't answer back. The days when the Palace maintained an aloof radio silence have long gone. They hire experienced mass media hacks to run their operation these days, not aristocratic ex-military.
A favourite media genuflection to Philip this week? It must be this idea that he was extraordinary because he could talk to anybody. Apparently being able to chat with anybody is supposed to be an incredibly rare skill. Yes we know this was beyond Theresa May but most people are pretty good at doing this – even if people up north are more used to doing it than southerners. Ordinary people take it for granted but I suppose the upper class and exalted give themselves extra brownie points for speaking to the little people. The mass media play this game the whole time when they render themselves speechless when they arrange some meeting between a celebrity and an ordinary member of the public – often someone they define as 'afflicted'. They treat such events as magical and exceptional. Mark Steel has written a much funnier riff on this here.
The military is central to the funeral arrangements and the Royal Family helps to project the armed forces as a benign force acting in the interests of the whole nation as well as being world-class at parades and ceremonies. Every royal male has to 'earn their spurs' by doing some semi-protected active service. It is a residual feature of feudal monarchical power that royals have to be military leaders to secure and maintain their power. No wonder Prince Edward who could not cut it in the military has been portrayed as such a pathetic loser in the media.
Philip's relationship with the ex-colonies or the Commonwealth was foregrounded in all the documentary material this week. We won't repeat the list of all the racist comments we published in our last article but Afua Hirsch, one of the few critical journalists to have written something, makes a very good point:
"above all, the unspoken requirement for us to publicly celebrate the monarchy's gains – or mourn any of its losses – demands that I internalise a history of violence and racism against my own ancestors. The instinct I still feel to apologise for not doing so is evidence of how strongly those forces still exist. So if there is a fitting tribute to the passing of Prince Philip, I believe it would be to learn – with honesty – the lessons from both his life and the reaction to his death." (Guardian 15th April)
How should the left raise the issue of abolishing the monarchy?
Over 100,000 people contacted the BBC to complain about the unnecessarily blanket TV coverage. The fact that people placed watching the Masterchef final or Gogglebox over wallowing in grief for a royal does show that the monarchy does not fool all of the people all of the time. This is, even more, a reason for people in the Labour Party not to feel that they have to rush to compete with the Tories in utter obsequiousness in order not to lose any electoral support. A couple of lines sympathising with a family loss would be quite enough. Of course, nobody expects Starmer to do anything else but to join in but for supposedly left MPs like Nadia Whittome to join in is a mistake.
Now some people on the left – this probably includes Ms. Whittome – say that taking up the monarchy is a waste of time because it is not something that really concerns people. They claim people generally do not see it as a hot issue that affects their daily lives so why raise what is a minority concern. Yes, it would be silly for the left to raise the abolishing of the monarchy as a campaigning issue of the day. We do indeed have far more urgent campaigns such as on the Police crackdown bill or defending renters or public services.
However, the radical left does not just have to campaign in broad-based struggles but has to help develop a more developed, left-wing political culture amongst the most politicised activists. Many youths also are open to critical positions on the monarchy. Hence articles like this one that aim to convince activists of the need to discuss and think about the monarchy. And a time when it becomes of bigger relevance is not so far away if Scotland votes for independence and decides on a new relationship with the monarchy. Any constitutional crisis will inevitably lead to debate about the issue.
Finally, we should not forget that the reproduction of the class system takes place through the class struggle. It is never total, perfect, or watertight. We do not agree with New Statesman editor, Stephen Bush's article, which suggests the game is all over. Republicanism is dead and buried. The wonderful skills of people like Philip have outmaneuvered the progressives. So we should just put up with it.
A big minority are already sceptical of the monarchy. Ideas can change rapidly when mass mobilisations are on the rise. Actions can bring people into opposition to existing ideology. I always remember seeing miners in the great 1980s strikers confronting the police with copies of the pro-Thatcher, anti-miner Sun newspaper in their back pocket. As Marx reminds us it is a social being that determines social consciousness.
Dave Kellaway, the Anti*Capitalist Resistance Royal correspondent somewhere near Buckingham Palace.
Dave Kellaway is on the Editorial Board of Anti*Capitalist Resistance, a member of Socialist Resistance, and Hackney and Stoke Newington Labour Party, a contributor to International Viewpoint and Europe Solidaire Sans Frontieres.


An Uyghur man who had been legally residing in Sharjah, UAE, was arrested last week by Emirati police as he left the Abdullah bin Rawaha Mosque where he worked as a muazzin (caller to prayer). His wife said that no explanation was provided during the random detention, and that she did not hear from him until three days later when he called to say that he was to be sent back to China, despite having not lived there for a number of years.
The Chinese government has been under increased scrutiny for their repression of the Uyghur community, which has dramatically worsened in the past 12 months. It is said that over one million Muslims are being held indefinitely in so-called "re-education camps", where there are reports of torture and force-feeding of pork and alcohol. The Xianjiang province is notorious for its banning of fasting, the Qur'ān and prayer mats, the practice of digital surveillance, and forced marriage of Muslim women to ethnic Han Chinese men; all of which are carried out in the name of "counter-terrorism".
The muazzin, Abudujilili Supi, was known as a student of knowledge, having spent four years in Cairo studying Arabic and Islamic Studies before moving to the UAE. His brother told Al Jazeera that he believed the arrest reflected China's aim to extend its persecution of the Uyghur community to those living abroad. However, such a move can naturally only be achieved with the complicity of the nations in which these individuals reside.
In July this year, during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the UAE, a new comprehensive strategic agreement was announced which included enhanced cooperation on counter-terrorism. It is believed that Abudujuili Supi's arrest is a result of this agreement.
This comes amidst a growing trend of the Emirati government seeming to side with governments against Muslim causes. An example of this is from the recent reports of cooperation between the Emirati leadership and Zionist settlers to purchase homes in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa, offering huge sums of money to buy them from local Palestinians.
In an unrelated incident earlier this year, Palestinians rejected Ramaḍān meals donated by the UAE government, claiming that the Gulf state's relationship with the Zionist regime aided the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Mr Supi's wife has fled to Turkey in the meantime, where it is expected that she will be safe from anti-Muslim persecution.


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The Rural Bexley neighbourhood has 0% apartments relative to all the other listings in this neighbourhood. Nearby neighbourhoods you should also look at include Rural Dalton, Rural Laxton, Rural Somerville, Kirkfield, Cameron.


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Home » News » Sleep Apnea Takes Toll on Brain
Sleep Apnea Takes Toll on Brain
A new study shows that people with sleep apnea show significant changes in the levels of two important brain chemicals.
This could be the reason so many people with sleep apnea — a disorder in which a person's breathing is frequently interrupted during sleep, as many as 30 times an hour — report problems with thinking, such as poor concentration, difficulty with memory and decision-making, depression and stress.
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles School of Nursing looked at levels of the neurotransmitters glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, known as GABA, in a brain region called the insula. This area integrates signals from higher brain regions to regulate emotion, thinking, and physical functions, such as blood pressure and perspiration.
They found that people with sleep apnea had decreased levels of GABA and unusually high levels of glutamate.
GABA is a chemical messenger that acts as an inhibitor in the brain, which can slow things down and help keep people calm. It affects mood and helps make endorphins, researchers explain.
Glutamate, by contrast, is like an accelerator. When glutamate levels are high, the brain is working in a state of stress, and consequently doesn't function as effectively. High levels of glutamate can also be toxic to nerves and neurons, the researchers noted.
"In previous studies, we've seen structural changes in the brain due to sleep apnea, but in this study we actually found substantial differences in these two chemicals that influence how the brain is working," said Dr. Paul Macey, the lead researcher on the study and an associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing.
Macey said the researchers were taken aback by the differences in the GABA and glutamate levels.
"It is rare to have this size of difference in biological measures," he said. "We expected an increase in the glutamate, because it is a chemical that causes damage in high doses and we have already seen brain damage from sleep apnea. What we were surprised to see was the drop in GABA. That made us realize that there must be a reorganization of how the brain is working."
He added that the study's results are actually encouraging.
"In contrast with damage, if something is working differently, we can potentially fix it," he said.
"What comes with sleep apnea are these changes in the brain, so in addition to prescribing continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, physicians now know to pay attention to helping their patients who have these other symptoms," he continued. "Stress, concentration, memory loss — these are the things people want fixed."
A CPAP machine helps an individual sleep easier, and is considered the gold standard treatment for sleep disturbance.
In future studies, the researchers said they hope to determine whether treating sleep apnea using CPAP or other methods returns patients' brain chemicals back to normal levels.
If not, they will turn to the question of what treatments could be more effective. The researchers said they are also studying the impacts of mindfulness exercises to see if they can reduce glutamate levels by calming the brain.
The study, conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles Sleep Disorder Center, was published in the Journal of Sleep Research.
Source: University of California Los Angeles
Abstract of brain chemicals photo by shutterstock.
Wood, J. (2018). Sleep Apnea Takes Toll on Brain. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 22, 2020, from https://psychcentral.com/news/2016/02/14/sleep-apnea-takes-toll-on-brain/99049.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Whooping Cough Reported At 5 Colorado Schools As Lawmakers Convene Vaccine Summit
By CBS4 Political Specialist Shaun Boyd December 3, 2019 at 6:10 pm
Filed Under:Boulder News, Whooping Cough
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – An outbreak of whooping cough in Boulder has now spread to five schools. It comes as lawmakers convene a vaccine summit at the state Capitol.
Boulder High School (credit: CBS)
The lawmakers will hear from people on both sides of the issue at the summit, which takes place in a couple of weeks. There could be a record number, at least a half dozen, vaccine-related bills this upcoming session. Not all will be about improving vaccination rates. There will also be bills to protect the rights of parents who want to opt out.
Immunization is one of the most contentious issues at the state Capitol. Hundreds of people showed up last year for a bill that would have made exemptions more difficult. This session, an outbreak of pertussis in Boulder County will likely fan the flames this session.
The county has 78 cases, up from about 58 cases in a typical year. The school district stepped up enforcement of a law requiring parents turn in their kids' vaccination records or an exemption form. The district says it was missing records on 5,000 kids at the beginning of the school year and now just 23 are missing. About 4% of children in the district are not vaccinated.
The pertussis vaccine is not 100% protective and it can wear off over time. Colorado sees pertussis epidemics about every three to five years and the last one was in 2012. At this point, state health officials are not overly concerned. Cases of pertussis statewide are down compared to last year.
Shaun Boyd
Shaun Boyd is CBS4's political specialist. She's a veteran reporter with more than 25 years of experience. More from Shaun Boyd


text:
@interface ARGestureControl ()

@property (nonatomic, strong) SCNHitTestResult *removeHitResult;
@property (nonatomic, strong) ARHitTestResult *initialHitTestResult;
@property (nonatomic, strong) SCNNode *movedObject;

@end

@implementation ARGestureControl

#pragma mark - Set Gesture Recognizers

- (void)setupGestureRecognizer {

    // Tap Gesture
    UITapGestureRecognizer *tapGestureRecognizer = [[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handleAddObjectFrom:)];
    tapGestureRecognizer.numberOfTapsRequired = 1;
    [self.viewController.sceneView addGestureRecognizer:tapGestureRecognizer];

    // Pan Press Gesture
    UIPanGestureRecognizer *panGestureRecognizer = [[UIPanGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handleMoveObjectFrom:)];
    [panGestureRecognizer setMaximumNumberOfTouches:1];
    [panGestureRecognizer setMinimumNumberOfTouches:1];
    [self.viewController.sceneView addGestureRecognizer:panGestureRecognizer];

    // Pinch Press Gesture
    UIPinchGestureRecognizer *pinchGestureRecognizer = [[UIPinchGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handleScaleObjectFrom:)];
    [self.viewController.sceneView addGestureRecognizer:pinchGestureRecognizer];
}

#pragma mark - GestureRecognizer

- (BOOL) gestureRecognizer:(UIGestureRecognizer *)gestureRecognizer shouldRecognizeSimultaneouslyWithGestureRecognizer:(UIGestureRecognizer *)otherGestureRecognizer {
    return YES;
}

#pragma mark - Handle Gesture Recognizers

- (void)handleAddObjectFrom: (UITapGestureRecognizer *)recognizer {

    [self checkExistingARObjectToInsertOrRemove:recognizer];
}

-(void)handleMoveObjectFrom:(UIPanGestureRecognizer *)recognizer {

    [self moveAndDragARObject:recognizer];
}

- (void)handleScaleObjectFrom: (UIPinchGestureRecognizer *)recognizer {

    [self scaleARObject:recognizer];
}

#pragma mark - Check Existing ARObject To Insert Or Remove

- (void)checkExistingARObjectToInsertOrRemove:(UITapGestureRecognizer *) recognizer {

    CGPoint holdPoint = [recognizer locationInView:self.viewController.sceneView];
    NSArray<SCNHitTestResult *> *result = [self.viewController.sceneView hitTest:holdPoint
                                                          options:@{SCNHitTestBoundingBoxOnlyKey: @YES, SCNHitTestFirstFoundOnlyKey: @YES}];
    if (result.count == 0) {
        self.viewController.removeButton.hidden = YES;
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        self.removeHitResult = [result firstObject];
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#pragma mark - Remove AR object

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-(void)moveAndDragARObject:(UIPanGestureRecognizer *)recognizer {

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        NSArray <ARHitTestResult *> *hitResults = [self.viewController.sceneView hitTest:tapPoint types:ARHitTestResultTypeFeaturePoint];

        if ([result count] == 0) {
            return;
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        SCNHitTestResult *hitResult = [result firstObject];
        self.movedObject = [[hitResult node] parentNode];
        self.initialHitTestResult = [hitResults firstObject];
    }
    if (recognizer.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateChanged) {
        if (self.movedObject) {
            CGPoint tapPoint = [recognizer locationInView:self.viewController.sceneView];
            NSArray <ARHitTestResult *> *hitResults = [self.viewController.sceneView hitTest:tapPoint types:ARHitTestResultTypeFeaturePoint];
            ARHitTestResult *result = [hitResults lastObject];

            [SCNTransaction begin];

            SCNMatrix4 initialMatrix = SCNMatrix4FromMat4(self.initialHitTestResult.worldTransform);
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            SCNMatrix4 matrix = SCNMatrix4FromMat4(result.worldTransform);
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            CGFloat dx= vector.x - initialVector.x;
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            SCNVector3 newPositionVector = SCNVector3Make(self.movedObject.position.x+dx, self.movedObject.position.y+dy, self.movedObject.position.z+dz);

            [self.movedObject setPosition:newPositionVector];

            [SCNTransaction commit];

            self.initialHitTestResult = result;
        }
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    if (recognizer.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateEnded) {
        self.movedObject = nil;
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#pragma mark - Scale AR Object

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    if (recognizer.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateBegan) {
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        if ([result count] == 0) {
            tapPoint = [recognizer locationOfTouch:0 inView:self.viewController.sceneView];
            result = [self.viewController.sceneView hitTest:tapPoint options:nil];
            if ([result count] == 0) {
                return;
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        }

        SCNHitTestResult *hitResult = [result firstObject];
        self.movedObject = [[hitResult node] parentNode];
    }
    if (recognizer.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateChanged) {
        if (self.movedObject) {
            CGFloat pinchScaleX = recognizer.scale * self.movedObject.scale.x;
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            CGFloat pinchScaleZ = recognizer.scale * self.movedObject.scale.z;
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        recognizer.scale = 1;
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    if (recognizer.state == UIGestureRecognizerStateEnded) {
        self.movedObject = nil;
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@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Q: passing char array to function from scanf in c I have following function in c code
void analyze_text(char text[]) {
    ...
    for (int i = 0; i < text_length || text[i] != '\0'; i++) {
    ...
    }
}

In main function i would like to pass some string to it. If i do something like this
char text[4000] = "some text here";
analyze_text(text);

this is cool and do the goal, but i would like to have some user input present and I am not sure how to get char[] out of it. I tried following 2 and none of them seemed to work:
char text[4000];
scanf("%s",text);
analyze_text(text);

OR
char text[4000];
int c;
int count=0;
c = getchar();
count = 0;
while ((count < 4000) && (c != EOF)) {
    text[count] = c;
    ++count;
    c = getchar();
}
analyze_text(text);

I know that the first one should return pointer to char array, but second one should return char array itself, or not?
Its been like 10 years since i havent been working with c/c++. Can anybody give me some hint please?
update (whole function):
void analyze_text(char text[]) {
    int printable_text_length = 0;
    int text_length = strlen(text);
    int word_count = 0;
    int sentence_count = 0;
    int in_sentence = 0;
    int in_word = 0;
    int count[ASCII_SIZE] = { 0 };
    for (int i = 0; i < text_length || text[i] != '\0'; i++) {
        int c = text[i];
        if (!isspace(c)) {
            printable_text_length++;
        }
        if (isalpha(c)) {
            in_word = 1;
            in_sentence = 1;
            count[tolower(c)]++;
        }
        if (text[i] == ' ' && text[i + 1] != ' ' && in_word==1) {
            word_count++;
            in_word = 0;
        }
        if (text[i] == '.' && in_sentence==1) {
            sentence_count++;
            in_sentence = 0;
        }
    }
    if (in_word == 1) { word_count++; }
    if (in_sentence == 1) { sentence_count++; }

    char charIndexes[ASCII_SIZE];
    for (int i = 97; i <= 122; i++) {
        charIndexes[i] = i;
    }
    for (int i=97; i <= 122; i++) {
        for (int j = i + 1; j <= 122; j++) {
            if (count[i] > count[j]) {
                int temp = count[j];
                count[j] = count[i];
                count[i] = temp;
                int temp2 = charIndexes[j];
                charIndexes[j] = charIndexes[i];
                charIndexes[i] = temp2;
            }
        }
    }
...printf...
}

A: The issue with
char text[4000];
scanf("%s",text);
analyze_text(text);

is that scanf identifies space-separated chunks, so you'll only read the first one.
In order to read up to a whole line from the user, try fgets:
char text[4000];
fgets(text, 4000, stdin);
analyze_text(text);

You may want to check the return value of fgets for error detection.

A: You can use dyanamic array of char to pass it into the function.
Here is the code
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
void analyze_text(char* text) {

    for (int i = 0; text[i] != '\0'; i++) {
        printf("%c\n",text[i] );
    }
}
int main() {

    char* text  = (char *)malloc(4000 * sizeof(char));
    scanf("%s", text);
    analyze_text(text);
    return 0;
}

and here is the output with input = 'abhishek'
a
b
h
i
s
h
e
k

remember that strlen in dyanamc array will not give the length of input array.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home/ASIA/Sri Lanka investigates a mass grave in Mannar
ASIAPOLITICS
Sri Lanka investigates a mass grave in Mannar
The authorities in Sri Lanka have launched an investigation into a new mass grave found in the north of the island nation, which was held by the Tamil Tigers before the government forces re-established control in 2009.
According to Xinhua, the police spokesperson Ajith Rohana stated that the government-supervised excavation was carried out in Mannar. Mannar is a district of Sri Lanka on the northwestern coast of the island.
Authorities claims that the grave site which was discovered in December had at least 10 human remains which triggered an inquiry with police investigation and forensic examination by the authorities. Law enforcement contends that the site could have possibly been used by the Tamil separatists during the civil war to bury the massacred civilians and soldiers of the Sri Lankan army. The investigation in Mannar follows another investigation launched by the government into another inquiry for a mass grave found in Matale, central Sri Lanka, where remains of more than 150 people was found last year. It was determined that the remains belonged to people killed in 1980s.
Mannar is part of the area where the mass grave was found was controlled by Tamil Tigers for 3 decades before the Rajapaksa government launched an offensive to retake the rebel-controlled region and re-establish the sovereignty of the country.
The investigation of mass graves comes amid the international criticism of the Mahinda Rajapaksa's government for alleged war crimes during the offensive of 2009 when Colombo regained control of Tamil-held areas. During his official visit to Sri Lanka, the British PM David Cameron was met by the Tamils demanding action on the alleged war crimes by Sri Lankan government in 2009.
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The insurance industry-funded IIHS says that these are the safest cars you can buy today—they're the ones that qualify for its coveted Top Safety Pick+ award.
Last year, making the cut became even more difficult thanks to a new headlight effectiveness test performed in addition to a battery of tests designed to measure a car's safety structure. Also, nearly every new car on the market now offers forward collision warnings and automatic emergency braking—at least as an extra-cost option. A high-functioning automatic emergency braking system is a requirement to be rated a Top Safety Pick+.
Also new for 2018 is a Passenger-side small overlap front crash test, and a rating of "acceptable" or "good" is required. If a vehicle receives all those marks, it's considered a Top Safety Pick+. It can be awarded the standard Top Safety Pick title if its headlights don't pass muster or if it doesn't offer a strong-performing automatic emergency braking. One caveat to this award is that, to be considered a Top Safety Pick+, the individual model must both be equipped with often optional automatic emergency braking and with the highest-performing headlights available.
For instance, the 2018 Subaru Legacy is considered a Top Safety Pick+ only if it is equipped with the automaker's optional EyeSight safety suite (which includes automatic emergency braking) and if it has the optional LED headllights (included on the Limited trim level only). A Legacy without either of those features still has a robust safety structure, but its lights aren't as effective and it can't apply the brakes on its own to prevent altogether or mitigate the severity of a collision.
The lesson here? Just because a car appears on the list below doesn't automatically mean it comes standard with all of the available safety features needed to earn the top award. Shop carefully!
Look for this list to continue to grow as the IIHS tests more 2018 models... and keep in mind that the IIHS doesn't test every car on the market.
Some cars perform very well in the IIHS' tests but either their headlights don't quite pass muster or they didn't make the mark in the passenger side small overlap crash test. These cars earn the Top Safety Pick award—without the +.


How can we fix the problem? What are some ways we can make this improvement?
The Open Seminar will direct collaborative attention to the many scales and types of systems that interlace and synergize to produce anthropocenics on the ground in particular locales and vernanculars. These questions will guide our engagements.
This question is meant to provide unstructured space for notes on different quotidian Anthropocenes (St. Louis, New Orleans, etc) -- first set up to support the St. Louis Anthropocene Field Campus in March, 2019.
These are questions for participants to answer before the call.


text:
Q: Mapping and cardinality question I am studying  A First Course In Topology
by R. Conover
I am looking at Chapter 2.
In the following:
1.4 Definition For two sets A and B,|A|$\leq$ |B| if there is
a 1-1 function from A into B, and |A|<|B| if there  is a 1-1 function from A into B but there is not a 1-1 function from
A onto B( no surjective function)
Q1)How do I exhibit a mapping between A an B when one set
is larger.ex let A $\subset B \subset C$ and |A|=|C| then
|A|=|B|=|C|
Q2) How do l show |A| <|B| ? . Can l have an example.
Help

A: *

*If $A\subset B\subset C$ and $|A|=|C|$, then there is a 1-1 function from $A$ into $B$ (the inclusion) and a 1-1 function from $B$ into $C$ (the inclusion). In addition, $|A|=|C|$ means there is a 1-1 function form $A$ onto $C$, and hence one from $C$ onto $A$. Let $f\colon C\to A$ be such a function. Then the composition $i\colon B\hookrightarrow C\stackrel{f}{\longrightarrow}A$ is a 1-1 function from $B$ into $A$. At that point, you can just invoke Cantor-Schroeder-Bernstein and conclude that because you have a 1-1 function from $A$ to $B$ and one from $B$ to $A$, then there is a 1-1 function from $A$ onto $B$. You don't need to exhibit an explicit one: that's the whole point of having a theorem telling you there is one. Also, since you don't actually know what $f$ is (you just know it exists) you would not be able to give an explicit bijection between $A$ and $B$ anyway.

*There are many easy finite examples: we can show that $|\{1,2\}|\lt |\{1,2,3\}|$ by showing that there is a 1-1 function from $\{1,2\}$ into $\{1,2,3\}$ (the map $1\mapsto 1$, $2\mapsto 2$) and then noting that there can be no 1-1 function from $\{1,2\}$ onto $\{1,2,3\}$, because that would require at least one element mapping to $1$, another to $2$, and third one to $3$; but $\{1,2\}$ has just two elements, so this is impossible. Cantor's Theorem gives a proof that there can be no 1-1 function from a set $X$ onto its power set $P(X)$. And of course, Cantor's diagonal argument shows that there can be no 1-1 function from $\mathbb{N}$ onto the real numbers in $(0,1)$. In general, to show $|A|\lt|B|$ you exhibit a 1-1 function from $A$ to $B$, and then you argue that there can be no function $A\to B$ that is onto. Exactly how one does that will depend on the precise nature of $A$ and of $B$. There is no recipe to follow that will always bake that cake, no matter what $A$ and $B$ are.


The Diamond Award is an internationally recognized competition for the concrete sawing and drilling companies, which have the chance to demonstrate their professionalism.
The Award ceremony will be held on Thursday 11th of April, 2019, during the celebration of the Annual event of IACDS, in the frame of the trade fair BAUMA 2019, to be held in April, 8-14, in Munich (Germany).
The construction press will be invited and the winners will be announced and presented with their entry.
The top three winning entries will be awarded with a recognition plate and an invitation to the IACDS Annual event.


In the Southern Bahamas, on the island of Exuma, St. Andrew's Anglican School a parochial Preschool was founded 1983. The Primary Department was established in 1995 and the Middle School in 2002. The school is located on the ground floor of the St. Andrew's Community Centre in the heart of George Town, Exuma. The ACEA had assisted in the development of the school since 1993. In 2003 the ACEA increased its involvement in the administration of the school.
School Crest: The crest is a shield divided into three sections. One section has a Blue Marlin; the second has the cross of St. Andrew; and the third has the school's initials in capitals SAAS.


Cartoon Characters That Were Inspired By Real Life - Cartoons IllustrationsCartoons Illustrations "Mr J", a tip of the hat to the way Hazel would refer to her boss as "Mr B".
This entry was posted in Cartoon Histories by admin. Bookmark the permalink.


Jose DaRocha - Crescita Therapeutics Inc.
Mr. DaRocha is an accomplished finance executive with over 25 years of experience with increasing levels of responsibility in multinational public corporations in both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Prior to joining Crescita, Mr. DaRocha was the Senior Finance Lead – Business Development at Valeant Canada, and was the Senior Finance Director at Coty Canada for fifteen years. His track-record includes accounting, planning, financial reporting, information technology, and mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. DaRocha holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Université du Québec à Montréal and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.


text:
A world without livestock farming makes no sense from a humanitarian, economic, ecological and agronomic point of view
Animal Task Force
A world without livestock JLPeyraud INRA ATF Dec2017.pdf
Jean-Louis Peyraud, INRA / Animal Task Force, Dec. 2017
Currently debates about the future of livestock farming are framed only in terms of its negative impacts without considering the positive aspects. Worldwide, there are discussions on GHG emissions, use of resources and areas, industrialisation of systems and deforestation. In European countries, people are worried about animal welfare and ethics, and in the most extreme cases, some groups even refuse both the slaughter and exploitation of animals. According to these activist groups, livestock farming should be abolished for a better world and a more environmentally friendly agriculture. So let's have a look at what our planet would be like without livestock farming. We do not judge the individual choice of eating or not animal products, but it is our responsibility to inform the public debate and highlight the consequences of simplistic reasoning and dogmas that are not supported by knowledge.
A nonsense from the world food security point of view:
We will have to feed more than 9 billion human beings in 2050. 40% of unfrozen emerged lands are in fact covered by forests and a further one third is covered by natural grassland (Mongol steppes, tundra, African savanna, permanent grassland in mountain areas and dry zones…) which cannot be used to cultivate arable crops, which leaves only one third as arable land able to produce grains, fruits and legumes. Therefore, in a world without livestock farming, we would not use the one third of unfrozen emerged area that is available for the production of meat and milk with herbivores. According to FAO, these territories produce today about 25% of the meat consumed worldwide.
This also raises the question of the future of those billions peoples who are living in these vast regions. In Europe, permanent grasslands cover 75 billion ha (i.e. 40% of the agricultural area) and these grasslands contribute to the production of meat and dairy products, some of them being part of our cultural identity and gastronomy (IGP and AOP labels).
A nonsense from a humanitarian point of view
According to FAO, 800 million of poor people worldwide can survive nowadays only thanks to livestock farming. What would they become without livestock farming? Would they migrate to countries where they could produce cereals creating a huge humanitarian crisis? In many developing countries, livestock farming largely contributes to women empowerment (25% of dairy farms are managed by women, FAO). More modestly, the European livestock sector employs directly (agriculture) and indirectly (processing industry) around 5 million people. What would these jobs become? and those that are related to them? These jobs are most often located in rural areas where livestock farming is one of the main contributors for the vitality of European territories.
A nonsense from an ecological and environmental point of view
Livestock farming contributes to the regulation of ecological cycles and notably to soil fertility everywhere on the planet. For small family farming and poor farmers, animals provide fertilizers that farmers cannot buy (fertilizing 40% of arable land worldwide, FAO). Animals are also a traction force where the use of a motorized tractor is unconceivable. In Europe, livestock manures are a bio-resource of Nitrogen and Phosphorus that is almost as important in volume as synthetic fertilizers. Their use should be promoted as they replace the use of chemical fertilizers.
With the input of organic matter via manure and grassland, livestock farming contributes to the storage of carbon in soils and thus to greenhouse gas mitigation.
The replacement of animal products by plant products in our diet does not always have only positive impacts on the environment. The end of livestock farming would inevitably lead to the disappearance of grasslands that would no longer have a utility. Furthermore, ploughing grasslands in order to produce annual crops will inevitably release significant amounts of GHGs. In mountain areas, the development of fallow land replacing managed grasslands would provoke a huge loss of biodiversity (European permanent grasslands contain 50% of European endemic plant species).
Soil erosion and desertification is a major threat to the productive capacity of agriculture. The end of livestock farming would also lead to an increase of erosion and desertification especially in arid areas. By their texture and grass coverage, grazed soils contribute to limit erosion, to water filtering and to limit water runoff and favour groundwater recharge.
A nonsense from an agronomical point of view
Livestock farming contributes to a more efficient agriculture. Animals recycle biomasses such as by-products from plant food chains (e.g. wheat bran, beet-pulps, glutenfeed, cakes…) and crop residues that cannot be used as human food. They also use marginal land not able to produce plant products for humans. They transform these biomasses into higher value proteins that contribute to the maximization of human food production per unit area. Consequently we would need much more land area to feed a population without animal-derived foods in a nutritionally balanced way as was demonstrated in a recent peer reviewed study from the US which showed the total US agricultural land would be insufficient to feed the current US population without livestock farming.
An agriculture without livestock farming would be much more chemical consuming: increased use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, whose production consumes a lot of fossil energy and increase use of pesticides as the proportion of annual crop will increase at the expense of grassland which does not need pesticides.
A nonsense from an nutritional point of view
We are omnivores and we should avoid restriction of any kind of food. This is a precautionary principle because we do not know yet what molecules are helpful to regulate aging. Many studies have shown the risk of micronutrient and vitamin deficiencies is greatly increased in low meat eaters, animal products are essential in the first 1,000 days of life and for the skeleton and brain development of pre-adolescents.
A world without livestock farming is just a short, medium and long-term utopia. It is time for us to come back to more realistic positions based on facts. Removing livestock farming would be an absolute nonsense for humanity. But it does not mean that we do not need to improve our way of rearing animals, to respect them, to offer them a decent life and make sure that their slaughter is done without pain nor stress. We have to continue research and innovate in order to reduce the negative impacts of livestock farming and increase the services it provides to our societies. Research must provide knowledge and innovation in order to reduce impacts, improve livestock farming conditions and communicate on the services rendered by livestock farming in order to inform the public debate objectively. Above all, we should claim and defend that there cannot be a sustainable agriculture and food production without livestock farming.
Animal Task Force website: www.animaltaskforce.eu/
Email : mail@animaltaskforce.eu / info@animaltaskforce.eu


Broken in spirit and body, Adara is attempting to rebuild her life and isn't keen on remembering her past, not when her fragmented memories are rife with pain. However, when the undead come looking for her and she encounters both a werewolf and a vampire, she discovers ignorance is not an option.
Danger takes many forms and sometimes the visible, violent kind isn't the most fatal. Adara battles through her nightmares and the peril surrounding her with the help of two men who can't help being drawn to her fragile, yet strong spirit. The more she digs into her past, the more she discovers that sometimes the truth is best left buried.
Warning: This story is a dark urban fantasy with explicit violence. Reader discretion is advised.


What if Someone Believes in God for Bad Reasons?
Now, please understand before we get further into this, I am not advocating an anti-intellectual Christianity. In fact, I'm going to advocate precisely the opposite. The problem as I see it, is that people often will use the fact that Christians have poor reasons for believing as evidence against the existence of God. This typically leads to things like the Genetic Fallacy.
The Genetic Fallacy is an informal logical fallacy. One commits this fallacy by attempting to refute a belief by identifying the origin of the belief. For example, if someone argues that the only reason a person believes in God is because they were raised in a Christian home, this is the Genetic Fallacy. While the believer may not have any better reason for their belief than the fact that they grew up that way, that bears no weight whatsoever on whether or not the claims of Christianity are true or false.
The God Question(s): What if Someone Believes in God for Bad Reasons?
PreviousFrom the Critical Thinker's Toolbox: Have You Considered the Other Side's Best Argument?
NextWhat is the God of the gaps argument?


text:
RTA's Waterfront Line, aka Ghost Train, should be the first service trimmed to help close budget shortfall:Mark Naymik
Updated May 19, 2019; Posted Mar 11, 2016
By Mark Naymik, cleveland.com
RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese said the public transit system, including the Waterfront Line, is important to millennials and to the Flats and lakefront. But the RTA is out of money and in no position to run any service for a dream or for vanity's sake. RTA remains dedicated to getting people to work and to school. Ohio invests very little in public transportation. In 2015, The Ohio Department of Transportation released a study it commissioned that concluded Ohio should give more money to public transit systems.
Photo by Eustacio Humphrey/The Plain Dealer
RTA proposes sensible cuts
By Mark Naymik
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is facing a $7 million budget shortfall.
To balance its books, the taxpayer-subsidized transit system has proposed reducing service by 3 percent and raising fares by 11 percent.The proposed service changes include eliminating a bus route with so few passengers that the cost of providing the service is $54 per rider. A Limo service might be cheaper.
Next slide: Waterfront Line still not delivering
Don't Edit
Photo by RTA
Waterfront Line still not delivering
RTA's first cut should be the Waterfront Line, aka the Ghost Train. It runs from Tower City, through the Flats, to the lakefront and back, every 15 minutes, often with no riders.
Next slide: Fire away
The Waterfront Line attracts the bulk of its riders during the morning and afternoon rush hours but is virtually empty during the day and evening. As you can see from the proposed changes on the left, the Waterfront Line is in the crosshairs. I say fire away.
Next slide: 400 riders a day isn't enough
400 riders a day isn't enough
RTA said the Waterfront Line attracts 400 riders a day. Eighty percent of its ridership comes during rush hours. (The figures do not include special events such as Browns games.)
RTA is proposing cutting off service at 7 p.m. (except during night football games.)This small adjustment will save RTA $300,000 a year.
Next slide: Hype and riders faded
Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White talks about the Waterfront Line during its construction in 1996.
Photo by Dave Andersen/cleveland.com
Hype and riders faded
The nearly $70 million Waterfront Line opened in July1996 to lots of hype and riders, both of which eventually faded. In 2010, RTA reduced service to rush hours and to weekends and special events. Ridership was so small at the time that the RTA didn't bother to keep track of the exact number of passengers.
Next slide: Smart, young people not riding the Waterfront Line - yet
Photo by Mark Naymik/cleveland.com
Smart, young people not riding Waterfront Line - yet
RTA boosted service on the Waterfront Line in May 2013 to coincide with the opening of the Flats East Bank project, which is anchored by the Ernst & Young Tower. The project's developers had pressed RTA to revive the Waterfront Line, arguing that some of the thousands of office workers and bar goers would take advantage of the service, which runs till midnight. (Scroll down)
"We made a commitment to reopen when Flats Bank opened," RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese told me recently. "Smart, young people want to take public transit."
So, have smart, young people and night crawlers started filling the Waterfront Line?
"Not yet," Calabrese said.
Next slide: RTA has dreams but no money to fund them
RTA has dreams but no money to fund them
I've bemoaned the lack of ridership on the Waterfront Line before. Millennials criticized me for doing so, arguing the service doesn't cost much to operate and it is key to attracting young people downtown.
Calabrese said public transportation is indeed important to millennials and to the Flats and lakefront development. He said he'd love to keep the Waterfront Line running all day.
But the RTA is in no position to run any service for a dream or for vanity's sake. RTA is desperate for money and remains dedicated to getting people to work and to school.
Next slide: The state doesn't like funding public transportation
The state doesn't like funding public transportation
Ohio invests very little in public transportation. In 2015, The Ohio Department of Transportation released a study it commissioned that concluded Ohio should give more money to public transit systems. Gov. John Kasich proposed in his 2015 budget a modest increase in funding to transit systems. State lawmakers stripped out the money. (Scroll down)
ODOT did give RTA $6 million to buy 12 new bus trolleys for RTA to better service the Republican National Committee's presidential convention this summer.
While RTA doesn't get much state money, it gets money from taxpayers. A 1 percent portion of the Cuyahoga County sales tax accounts for two-thirds of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's operating budget.
Calabrese said RTA's expenses should be shared among more than residents of Cuyahoga County.
"We are a regional systems and its generates economic development for the state," he said. "People are tapped out locally. I don't know where else to look."
Next slide: You have a chance to speak up
Photo by Joshua Gunter/cleveland.com
You have a chance to speak up
You can have a say on the Waterfront Line and other proposed route changes. Go to riderta.com for a list of upcoming public hearings. Calabrese said nothing is final until the RTA hears from you.


text:
Gaines County Museum
The Gaines County Museum seeks to reflect the peoples and cultures who have inhabited the Gaines County area from the indigenous past to the present.
The Wind Spirit sculpture is the centerpiece of the Gaines County Museum in Seminole, Texas.
The Gaines County Museum in Seminole, Texas, seeks to "promote the collection, preservation, educational interpretation, and displays of the artifacts, documents and events most representative of Gaines County."
The museum also attempts to represent the five major cultures that contributed to the formation and development of the county:
1. Comanches
2. early Anglo pioneers (who set up ranches and farms)
3. Hispanics
4. Black Americans from whom the city derived its name
5. the German-speaking community (Mennonites)
Gaines County is located on the southern high plains of west Texas. It covers 1489 square miles of rolling land, supporting the growth of cotton, sorghums, vegetables, peanuts, sunflowers, peaches, pecans, cattle, sheep, hogs. Gaines County is also one of the state's leading oil producers.
The county was Comanche country until the U.S. Army campaigns of 1875 and 1876. Buffalo hunters moved through the region in the 1870s, and established ranches to remain in the area after the game disappeared. Farming developed in the county in the early 1900s, and by 1905 the population was sufficient for the establishment of a named county, with the town of Seminole as its seat. 1907 saw the building of a courthouse; a jail was built in 1909. By 1910, 206 farms and ranches were scattered throughout the county, growing corn and fruit trees (mostly peaches). Cattle ranching was the primary focus, however, with 32,250 cattle roaming the ranges.
The Dust Bowl and the Great Depression of the 1930s and 1940s devastated the economy of the county. New irrigation techniques developed during the late 1940s revived agriculture. Farmers abandoned the flood method of irrigation because the sandy soil would not hold the water, and began utilizing the vast stores of underground water with sprinkler irrigation. Mechanization also helped turn what had been a desolate area into a blooming garden. Tractors and other machinery displaced the old technique of plowing one row at a time behind a team of horses.
Oil production has continued to play an important role in the county's economy. In 1948 crude production totaled more than 15,663,000 barrels and in 1956, more than 24,395,000 barrels. By the 1970s there were seventeen oilfields scattered over the county, with 1,600 wells producing at from 5,000 to 14,000 feet. Production was almost 60,707,000 barrels in 1978 and about 47,522,000 barrels in 1982. The county produced almost 42,686,000 barrels in 1990. By January 1991, 1,670,602,104 barrels of petroleum had been taken from Gaines County since 1936.
The population of the county gradually increased after the 1940s, rising to 8,909 in 1950, 12,267 in 1960, 11,593 in 1970, and 13,150 in 1980. In 2014 the county had a population of 19,425, of which 38.7 percent was Hispanic; about 58.3 percent of the population was Anglo, and 2.1 percent was African American. U.S. Highways 180 (west to east) and 385 (north to south) are the major roads. Communities include Seagraves (population, 2,609), Ashmore, Higginbotham, and Loop. Seminole (population, 7,110) is the largest town, market center, and county seat. A settlement of Mennonites has developed near Seminole. The community has its own school and church and maintains its agrarian religious traditions. Most of the Mennonite farmers moved to Texas from Mexico, where regulations against foreign ownership of land had become burdensome.
"A Walk through Gaines County History," accessed August 25, 2016, http://www.seminoletxchamber.org/assets/L%20Walk%20Through%20History%201.2.pdf. "Seminole: Gaines County Museum," Texas Plains Trail Region, accessed August 25, 2016, http://texasplainstrail.com/plan-your-adventure/historic-sites-and-cities/sites/gaines-county-museum. Margaret Coward. The Gaines County Story (Seagraves, TX: Pioneer Press, 1974).
This document provides more information about the collections and operation of the Seminole division of the Gaines County Museum in Seminole, Texas.
http://www.gainescountymuseum.org/
700 Hobbs Highway
Seminole, Texas 79360
Monday--Friday 9am to noon; 1pm to 5pm
Created by Cynthia Gwynne Yaudes on August 26th 2016, 2:58:26 pm.
Last updated by Cynthia Gwynne Yaudes on September 5th 2016, 1:11:19 am.


In each Pokémon game of Generation VII, all Pokémon have an unseen index number used to identify them in the game's ROM. All of them are in their National Pokédex order.
Reason: 802+ glitch Pokémon in Sun/Moon (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOpMfNEg1jE), 807+ in USUM, etc. Also, what occupies 000?.
This page was last edited on 8 March 2019, at 11:00.


It all happened so fast! One minute I was in Australia, and the next I was caught right in the middle of a thrilling Viennese life. Well, there was 24 hours in planes before that, sure, but the all "busy life in Vienna" thing happened in a sec really. No transition whatsoever, within a few days I had seen all my dear friends from this part of the world again, plus I was given a bicycle to get around, a new job tailored for me and gigs to film, so it's being going wonderfully well for more than a month now! And as much as I loved all my Aussie experiences, I must admit that I am really really glad to be back in good old Europe for now… Peace and love to you my friend who stumbled upon this.
A good old friend and a road trip, that's all I needed to make three weeks in New-Zealand go by in a whizz. Now I'm back in Australia, Western Australia to be precise. I've swapped the tent and mat for a real bed with yet more lovely people. If you're curious about my kiwi adventures, you can see some pictures here: www.facebook.com/ohroadmyroad . You do not need a facebook account, as it is a page and not a personal account. Have a good one!
I'm in New-Zealand! And it's no April's fool joke .
So! I am back at camp for one last week in Victoria. I've had a great time in Camperdown and Jingellic visiting relatives, and then a great time again with a friend on the week-end walking up to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, the tallest mountain in Australia. It was gorgeous .
How time flies by when you're busy! I've left the Far North (Queensland) after a great week in Cairns, snorkelling with the fish on the Great Barrier Reef and hiking around a bit. I rented a car and with a friend we drove to the "Tablelands" nearby, the scenery was gorgeous. Now I am back in Victoria to work a bit. I do big long days, there is not much time left for anything else. And yes, I have kinda of forgotten about here a bit, but it's not like anyone is complaining so… . Have a good one, wherever you are! I will try my best to publish a few things here soon.
Oh My! Already a month since I've last given any news here! Sorry about that. I'm on the road again, and internet is getting scarce. I have it on my phone now, but the screen is tiny and I never feel like writing heaps. So, I'm making my way up to Cairns at the moment, discovering parts of Australia I've never been to before and I'm enjoying it! The Great Barrier Reef is just nearby, so anytime I feel like swimming with the fish and emptying my bank account, I can just book a boat and go out there. Great isn't it?
This is my last week on the cattle station. A few more days of work, one last week-end and it will be the end of this adventure. I'm trying to fit in everything I want to do and finish, which explains the lack of news. Catch ya later, mate!
Looks like 2015 is a'coming… Well, I'm ready! Happy New Year everyone, may 2015 be rich and intense, filled with joy, emotions and ADVENTURE and blah blah blah, may it be shine with strass, roses and glitter. The usual, in short .
I apologize for the lack of news. For the past two weeks, there has been another worker on the station, a girl living next door to me, and this has made for a richer social life, I've been too busy! I've learned how to ride horses, and I've been for a ride in a chopper, for example .
I'm going to another station to spend Christmas with other Europeans working around here. Everything is fine, it doesn't really feel like the holiday season for me though, with 30°+… I wish you all a merry christmas!
I have just been informed that today is Friday, which means this update is way overdue. Everything is fine, school is over which means I now spend my time doing house chores and mainly taking care of the cutest little baby in the world, an always smiling little thing. On Monday we were in town for the school's swimming carnival, today we're stuck at home because at home because it rained a lot last night and the car would get bogged… well, Outbacky life goes on and I still enjoy it!
Today has been a lot of fun, riding at the back of the ute and trying to get good shots of the dust clouds (I'll show you soon on the Govie Diaries). This week will be the last week of school for my two students, last week with On-Air lessons at least. I'm not sure how the Family will employ me after that. Wait and see!
I had forgotten how fast time flies by when one has a routine and a job… When I'm travelling, time stretches. But the days build up to weeks quite fast here. I think the fact that I'm staying in one place also makes a huge difference! All is good, the heat is more bearable now, closer to 35 than to 40°, which does make a difference. Kids will be kids and they are annoying, but hey, trying my best to teach them something.
Sorry for the late news, I've been busy trying to catch up on the kids' school program, so I've worked on the week-end too. All is well, I really enjoy this country life. Yesterday they have burned down another paddock and when we went to see it at night, this time it was really impressive. I will have more time to update the Govie Diaries this week-end and tell you about it. I hope everyone is fine!
Last week I've been back in the city. The family had to go to Rockampton for a wedding and I came along, to do a bit of school and look after the kids. I was happy to come back to my little share of peace and nature yesterday evening (although I had no water… but it somehow came back this morning, so all is fine). Enjoying some kid-free time before the family comes back tomorrow.
I've survived my first week as a governess and am pretty much acclimated to the Outback life. I like it here. I like the vastness I open my door to every morning. I have been asked by many to relate how it is to live here, so I've made a separate blog for this particular experience. Click this link to learn about Outback life!
I got a job! An a very Aussie one at that. I am about to travel 1400 km by train to Outback Queensland and become… a governess on a cattle station. What's a governess? It's someone who supervises the station kids' school work. I'll tell you more about it in a week or two. It's exciting!
Two beautiful trees blooming at the moment in Brisbane. The purple one is a "jacanrada", I don't know the pink one's name. The whole city and suburbs have beautiful patches of bright purple this time of year!
After a week of wwoofing, surrounded by lovely people, I've left the farm and come up to the big city. Time to catch up with relatives once more, figure out the next step (pretty much, what paid job it's going to be) and do a few administrative chores!
Last week has showed that the coast with its surf and beach culture is not really my thing. Thankfully I have found a place were I feel more comfortable in Murwillumbah. Nice river, hills and mountains in the background… I want to stay a bit longer here But since the unemployement rate is high, instead of working I'll wwoof!
I've left Sydney, after almost a week of being a model tourist. I've tried my best at liking that really big city… Now I'm staying with family for a few days, before hitting the road again! Weather is gorgeous.
I'm back from my offline time, which was amazing. I should do that more often really. Feeling fantastic! I am working on secret projects. I'll be on the move soon. I'll keep you posted. And the weekly pics are back . I hope you're all doing great!
I am writing from Australia! For now my sister and I are visiting the family, so not much to share here. But it's all going very well. As you can see, I have resumed the updating of the blog and you should start to get new articles more regularly on OhMyRoad, as well as news etc.
Let's go one news at a time: I've left Vienna! Right now I'm quite struggling to adjust, but hopefully the next big step will help… See you soon here to hear what that is.
So! I am still in Vienna, but not for much longer! I'll be leaving next week and won't come back for quite some time… I finished all videos I had been working on, I've created a page on the blog to list them all, if you want to have a look, it's here: Videos by OhMyRoad Productions (well, the name is just for fun – for now ). I'll come back soon with more exciting news. See yah!
How time flies! Firstly, allow me to wish a very happy birthday to my beloved Mam. Secondly, let me tell you that I haven't forgotten about this blog but I've been pretty much editing videos this whole time. I'll post them here as soon as the first five are finished . Thirdly, I've conducted a little poll in order to find out what you would like to be reading next on the blog. It turns out that I'll be able to pick, because it's a tie between the trek story, Ga Su Lu Kau, the night in the woods and the MAD. Come back shortly for the first story and maybe for a few pics as a bonus! Take care, I hope you're all fine. With love, Emée.
Oh my dear Road is it good to be travelling, even for just a few days!
As a wonderful token of a very beautiful and eventful year, as a hint towards past and future travels, at work today I made friends with a Zoroastrian girl of Indian descent, I got offered lavash at lunch by a friendly woman from Armenia and we made cooking plans for Persian food with an Iranian colleague.
May 2014 be for you as wonderful and rich as 2013 has been for me, may you find peace of mind and heart and nonetheless spice everything up with laughter and music. Happy New Year every one!
That's almost it! I've redirected the old site to this one, the new version of the blog! It's not quite ready yet, but it will be soon. Thanks for coming by and reading!
Getting really close to Vienna, yet I am not really back yet… Strange feeling! And still completely ambivalent feelings regarding Germany.
Je me rapproche dangereusement de Vienne, et pourtant je ne suis pas encore vraiment rentrée… étrange impression! Et j'ai toujours des sentiments plus qu'ambivalents quant à l'Allemagne.
I've got great friends And I am having a great time visiting all those who are more or less around.
Qu'est ce que je peux aimer Paris, quand même, parfois… Je pourrais sans problèmes rester un peu ici !
Very pleasant family reunion on Sunday and now… I've got a backpack on my back again, and I'm a happy chap!
Magnifique petite réunion de famille dimanche et me voilà avec un sac sur le dos, de nouveau !
Je tiens le bon bout ! Et bientôt je bougerai de nouveau, j'ai hâte !
When I said "ok" to come back and help, I didn't know that it would mean being tired all the time, especially now that I have inherited the responsibility of making the cheese… Struggling to do "my own" stuff, I am. Just one more week to go!
Quand j'ai dit que je viendrais aider, je ne pensais pas que ça voudrait aussi dire que je serais fatiguée tout le temps… d'autant plus maintenant que j'ai récupéré la fabrication des fromages ! Je galère un peu pour réussir à faire "mes trucs". Plus qu'une semaine à tenir!
26/08/2013 – Ménestreau, France Splendid couple, moving ceremony, beautiful dinner… the wedding I came back for is over. What do I do now? Feeling weirdly empty. Stuck at the farm for two more weeks anyway. Couple magnifique, cérémonie émouvante et dîner parfait… le mariage pour lequel je suis revenue a finalement eu lieu. What now ? Sentiment de vide étrange. De toutes façons il faut que je reste à la ferme les deux prochaines semaines au moins. 22/08/2013 – Paris, France God is Paris nice in the summer when it's all empty! Love the feel of it. Two days off, no goats… reunited with brother, his wife and the cutest little boy ever! Qu'il est doux de se promener à Paris l'été, quand les rues sont vides! Deux jours sans chèvres mais avec mon frère, sa femme et le plus mignon petit garçon qu'il soit! 16/08/2013 – Ménestreau, France I want to blog, I swear! It's just that this silly farm somewhat sucked me in… But see, today I made an effort and there is a new article . J'avais l'intention de publier beaucoup plus de choses, je le jure! Mais cette idiote de ferme me prend beaucoup d'énergie… Enfin regardez, aujourd'hui tout de même, un petit article . Et un de vos articles favoris, sur les langues! 13/08/2013 – Ménestreau, France Getting up at 4.30 every morning. Much harder to get used to this rhythm than I thought it would be… J'ai bien plus de mal que je ne l'aurais cru à m'habituer à me lever tous les matins à 4h30… 08/08/2013 – Ménestreau, France The little luxury I enjoy the most is drinking tap water (but when you think that we use drinking water to shower and even flush, it's ridiculous). Fate is too kind and so that I can feel a little on the Road still, the heater broke and we don't have hot water anymore. If I feel like a hot shower I can go Indian bucket style . Le petit luxe que j'apprécie le plus est de pouvoir boire l'eau du robinet (mais quand on pense qu'on se douche avec de l'eau potable et qu'on tire même la chasse avec, c'est ridicule…). Le destin est sympa et pour m'aider à me sentir encore en vadrouille, le chauffe-eau a lâché. Si je veux une douche chaude, je peux la prendre à l'indienne (au seau) . 01/08/2013 – Chatou, France I have arrived yesterday in France after 34 hours hours of travel – 2 metros, 2 planes and a long stop in Kuala Lumpur, 1 bus, 1 regional train and 1 short drive. I got to see the cockpit of the A380 that flew me home . I'll drive myself back to the farm today and be reunited with part of my family. Je suis arrivée en France hier après 34 heures de voyage – 2 métro, 2 avions et une longue escale à Kuala Lumpur, 1 bus, 1 RER et 1 court trajet en voiture. J'ai visité le cockpit de l'A380 qui m'a ramené en France . Aujourd'hui je rentre à la ferme de mes parents en voiture (c'est moi-même qui conduit!) et je vais retrouver une partie de ma famille. 29/07/2013 – Beijing, China That's it. Last day in Bejing. And I haven't even seen the Forbidden City yet. But that's because I was busy having the most beautiful adventure near and on the Great Wall for the past two days! Voilà. Dernier jour à Pékin. Et je n'ai même pas encore vu la Cité Interdite! Mais ça c'est parce que ces deux derniers jours, j'étais occupée à vivre une super aventure près de et sur la Grande Muraille! 26/07/2013 – Beijing, China I was looking at potential gifts outside one shop, discussing the articles in French with Jiesu. When I had a look at his own display, the owner of the shop nextdoor asked me in Chinese: "You come from France, right?" I said yes. "Mayonnaise!" he said proudly in a smile. That was the only French word he knew and he was quite happy to share it J'étais devant un étalage avec Jiesu et nous discutions en français les articles proposés. Le propriétaire de l'échoppe d'à côté, lorsque nous entrâmes dans sa boutique, me demanda en chinois: "Vous êtes française n'est-ce pas?". Je répondis que oui et il s'exclama fièrement: "Mayonnaise!". C'était le seul mot qu'il connaissait, et il était heureux de le partager 24/07/2013 – Shenyang, Liaoning, China Oh My dear Road! Less than a week left in China before the big plane takes me back to Europe! It's going so fast. Leaving for Beijing tomorrow, slow train, seven hours and a standing ticket only. That should be fun Ouh là par mes aïeux! Moins d'une semaine en Chine, avant l'avion qui me ramènera en Europe! Ça passe trop vite! On part pour Pékin demain. Dans un train lent, sept heures de trajet, et pas de place assise. Voilà qui devrait être intéressant 18/07/2013 – Shenyang, Liaoning, China Thirty hours + a four hours delay, I think it's my record train trip so far… but it's ok because I was with my old friend Jiesu! With this I jumped to the North of China. Trente heures + quatre de retard, je crois que c'est mon record pour un voyage en train… mais ça va, j'étais avec mon amie Jiesu! Avec ce jour et demi dans le train je suis maintenant tout au nord de la Chine à Shenyang. 14/07/2013 – Lamma Island, Hong-Kong, China I finally managed to have a great day in HK. It was about time because this was my last day! Bye-bye Hong-Kong, it has been hm… not as interesting or fun I thought it would be but thank you for everything anyway. J'ai enfin réussi à passer une bonne journée à HK. Il était temps, c'était mon dernier jour ici! Au revoir Hong-Kong, ça a été euh… pas toujours un plaisir, mais merci pour tout quand même! 12/07/2013 - Lamma Island, Hong-Kong, China It seems to me that they eat even more meat in Honk-Kong than in mainland China. J'ai l'impression qu'à Hong-Kong on mange encore plus de viande qu'en Chine (et ce n'est pas peu dire!) 09/07/2013 – Lamma Island, Hong-Kong, China I'm in Hong-Kong! It's supposedly part of China, but you have to cross two borders and it's another currency and they don't even drive on the same side of the road. Program for now: visa stuff again, sooo happy. Je suis à Hong-Kong! C'est censé être la Chine, mais ils ne roulent pas du même côté, ils n'ont pas la même monnaie et il faut traverser deux frontières pour y arriver. Réjouissances de visa en vue, pas ma tasse de thé mais pas le choix!
07/07/2013 – Yangshuo, China When I say something in Chinese – usually single words, as I don't know many sentences yet, people go "wow your Chinese is so good!". They mean I have a good accent. But I don't think the ten single words I know qualify for "good Chinese" Quand je dis quelque chose en chinois, souvent un seul mot puisque c'est tout ce que je connais, on s'exclame, même si ce n'est qu'un seul mot "ouah, tu parles si bien chinois!". Il veulent dire que je n'ai pas d'accent. Mais je ne crois pas que dix mots isolés de chinois fasse de moi quelqu'un qui parle "bien" chinois!! 05/07/2013 – Yangshuo, China Pretty amazing landscape indeed, very enjoyable as soon as you're out of the commercial and foreigners-packed city-center. Fort jolis paysages en effet, très appréciables si l'on s'éloigne du centre-ville trop commercial et débordant de touristes étrangers et chinois.
Soon time for some beautiful landscapes and full-of-backpackers annoying towns. It's unfortunately often a combo.
Il est bientôt temps d'aller voir de jolis paysages, tout en endurant les petites villes à touristes étrangers. Les deux vont bien trop souvent de pair.
Carrying, selling or eating mangoes looks like a national sport around here.
Porter des cartons de mangues, les vendre ou les manger (les mangues, pas les cartons!), c'est une véritable passion par ici.
Have I told you that up there in the mountains where I was, cannabis grows as actually weed?
The unexpected effect of AC environment: you are so much more HUNGRY!
L'effet inattendu de l'air conditionné : vous avez tellement plus FAIM !
Hey guys, it's been a real while! I'm back in South India, getting adjusted to the heat again. But it's gonna be moonson soon (moonsoon? ). The mountain experience has been fantastic! I had probably my last long train trip in India, too, in a upgraded class. I am staying with very nice people, everything is fine! Take care, all of you.
Bon ça fait un petit moment quand même les amis, il est temps de donner des nouvelles. Je suis redescendue dans le Sud par un dernier long voyage en train. Les montagnes étaient formidables! Je dois me réajuster un peu à la chaleur mais sinon, tout va pour le mieux (la mousson arrive bientôt de toutes façons!), je suis avec de chouettes hôtes. Bises à tout le monde, à bientôt pour un article!
Sorry it has been a while guys! My best mate from France has arrived and we've been busy, and also we haven't found too many internet connexions… We went to see bits and pieces of Delhi and also the Taj Mahals, the big one and the "baby one" (Etimad-ud-Daula's Tomb). Both were quite stunning, I must admit!
Pardon mes amis, cela fait un petit moment que je n'ai pas donné de nouvelles! Il faut dire qu'avec mon amie Béré qui est venue me voir de France on a été bien occupées, à voir Delhi et surtout les Taj Mahals, le grand et le "baby taj", la tombe d'Etimad-ud-Daula. Les deux étaient splendides, je dois bien l'admettre!
I was sitting outside near the main square. Those three extremely dirty kids decided to sit next to me. They were maybe 4, 6 and 8 years old. Followed a surreal Hindi (or something else)-French conversation, they were laughing and joking and not asking for anything as far as I know. But what they were for sure doing is getting high on something. The big sister, around 13, came back for them and forcefully dragged them away. Is that part of "Welcome to India" as well? I really wish it were not.
I am in Delhi after a good old 27 hours train trip. Administrative stuff to do here mainly, and meeting a French friend at the end of next week!
Je suis a Delhi apres un bon vieux voyage de 27 heures en train de derriere les fagots. Je suis la pour des histoires administratives principalement, et retrouver une amie francaise la semaine prochaine!
Quiet time back with friends in Hyderabad. Enjoying the moment. No earthquake felt here.
Tranquillou de retour à Hyderabad, avec des amis, à savourer l'instant. Pas de tremblement de terre ressenti ici.
Je suis toujours à Hampi, ahah! J'ai décidé de passer deux jours supplémentaires en tant que volontaire auprès du Hampi Children Trust. Je quitterai Hampi demain (peut-être! ).
Yesterday I think I took the best picture of the whole trip till now. Thank you little monkey for sitting write in front of me, while the sun was setting behind you! I'll show you guys soon. Be leaving Hampi tomorrow. Love to everyone!
Hier j'ai pris je crois la plus belle photo de tout mon périple jusqu'à présent. Je remercie du fond du coeur ce petit singe pour s'être assis juste en face de moi, tandis que le soleil se couchait derrière! Je vous montre bientôt. Je quitte Hampi demain. Bises à toutes et à tous!
Beautiful sunset spot at the monkey temple. I will go back tomorrow, it's worth the many steps. And for you, a cutie monkey sample!
Le coucher de soleil est magnifique depuis le temple aux singes. J'y retournerai demain, ça vaut bien toutes les marches à monter pour y arriver. Un petit singe tout meugnon pour vous mes amis!
Today I have seen a COBRA. It was a small one, but stlll a COBRA!
Aujourd'hui j'ai vu un COBRA. Bon il était tout petit, mais ça n'en était pas moins un COBRA!
Finally leaving Chennai today. It has been really great staying here for a while. Heading for Hampi, no idea if internet exists there. Take care!
Je quitte enfin Chennai aujourd'hui. C'était formidable! Je serai bientôt en route pour Hampi, et je ne suis pas bien sûr du statut des connections internet là-bas. Prenez soin de vous, des bisoux!
J'ai été au cinéma plusieurs fois la semaine passée. Je peux dire qu'entre les "intermissions" (pause pub au milieu) et les messages au bas de l'écran avertissant des dangers de la cigarette et de l'alcool à chaque scène en comportant : les indiens savent pour sûr vous gâcher un film!
Marriage is definitely one endless conversation topic in India.
Le mariage, sous toutes ses formes, est ici un sujet inepuisable de conversation.
Sleeping anywhere now always reminds me of a softer version of sleeping in an airplane, with that fan constantly buzzing above my head.
Dormir n'importe où maintenant me rappelle, dans une version plus soft, tous les avions où j'ai dormi – à cause du bruit du ventilo en permanence au-dessus de ma tête.
Landed in big and noisy Chennai. Nothing particular to see, a good friend at hand and a nice place to stay, sounds like a great spot to start writing again.
Atterri à Chennai la bruyante. Rien de particulier à voir, mais un bon sous l'coude, une adorable famille chez qui rester… ça m'a l'air tout indiqué pour me remettre à écrire.
The two guys I was travelling with went home, I am left with Rachel, a very nice Aussie girl. We landed in Pondicherry. A proper city again with two incredible things: wifi and a washing machine! For now, just enjoying both luxuries.
Les deux garçons compagnons de quelques jours sont rentrés chez eux, me voilà donc sur la route avec seulement Rachel, une super australienne. Nous venons d'arriver à Pondicherry, une vraie ville qui offre pour l'instant deux choses incroyables : le wifi et une machine à laver ! Je me délecte pour l'heure de ce grand luxe.
Dear friends! I finally left the ashram yesterday. Unfortunately, my internet situation is not much better now. But do not despair, I will manage to publish something at the latest in two days, since on the 6th it will be 9 months since I left . I will see you for that anniversary!
Chers amis! J'ai enfin quitté l'ashram. Malheureusement, ma connexion internet du moment n'est guère plus pratique que la précédente. Cependant, je promets de poster quelque chose au plus tard le 6 mars, pour l'anniversaire de mes 9 mois de voyage. À bientôt!
Got to the Ashram with some adventures on the way involving a court of law, the local police station and a cameraman, got reunited with Simon and Julia. Will not have internet the coming week, but don't worry about me, I am fine!
J'ai atteint l'ahsram après quelques aventures incluant un tribunal, la station de police locale et un caméraman. J'ai retrouve Simon et Julia. Je n'aurai pas internet la semaine qui vient, mais ne vous inquiétez pas, tout va bien!
La question du jour: vais-je réussir à atteindre la gare, vu que "L'Inde est fermée aujourd'hui", à cause d'une grève des syndicats?
Starting to get more comfortable, finally, slowly… a lot to take in, here, especially after sweet Iran!
Je commence enfin à m'habituer à un peu tout ici, doucement… il y a quand même beaucoup à s'adapter, particulièrement lorsqu'on arrive d'Iran!
First train trip in India: success.
Premier voyage en train en Inde : un succès total.
Yesterday, we went to what is most probably the biggest gathering of people EVER, the Kumbh Mela near Allahabad… I have for sure never seen soooooo many people in my life in one place! Quite incredible, but runs smoothly (that day at least…).
Hier on est allé à ce qui est probablement le plus grand rassemblement qui ait jamais eu lieu, la Khumb Mela près de Allahabad… Je n'ai en effet jamais vu autant de gens réunis en un seul endroit! Assez incroyable, et ça a tourné sans accrocs.
Experiencing another way of travelling: had breakfast in my guesthouse, reading French newspapers (given to me by another guest)!
I feel rather naked with no headscarf on. I see a lot of men in white robes around, with the round rolled fabric headdress, Saudi Arabian style, and a lot of women whose face you cannot see at all. At least in Iran you could see everyone's eyes (and face in fact, except for the masked Banderi women)!
Je me sens très nue sans mon hijab. Beaucoup d'homme en longue tunique blanche autour de moi, avec cette coiffe à la saoudienne, et beaucoup de femmes complètement dissimulées sous un tchador+voile. Au moins en Iran, on pouvait voir les yeux de tout le monde (et même le visage en fait, excepté pour les femmes Banderi masquées) !
Last days in Iran. On Saturday, I am flying to INDIA!
Derniers jours en Iran. Je m'envole pour l'INDE samedi!
16 Responses to "Latest News"
Que 2015 te soit douce, lumineuse et pétillante. Biz du Berry !
Ici l'arrière saison est vraiment très agréable (24° hier). Mais rien à voir avec l'Australie.
Après quelques manipulations, j'ai mis la photo de ce magnifique arbre fleuri parme en fon d'écran, j'adore !
Un petit bout du monde entre chez nous par la fenêtre de l'ordi, merci et BIZ !
Merci pour ces nouvelles et ces superbes photos !
Hi Amy,I,am Jason,when you arrived Whenzhou City, You living in my house, did you remember?hope you everything is OK,And Welcome to China.
by the way ,thank you for you gift ! I very like it, I saw message , so I know this website!
and I think when you in China, you can`t viewing you web page,It`s normal,because this is in China! many outside website can`t viewing .
And the last,I think we can make good friend.
Hé, le blog a une nouvelle tête! Mais où est passée la trompette?
Hey! hey! , un arrêt, ça veut dire qu'on va avoir des photos d'Inde?! continue à profiter en tout cas!!!!!!!
C'est vrai qu'un peu d'Arménie c'est bien aussi!
Enjoy your last day in Teheran et bon atterrissage en Inde !!!!


Atopic dermatitis is diagnosed by the history of the symptoms and the appearance of the rash. There is no test that will diagnose eczema although tests may be done to help identify triggers for the problem.
Unlike many other skin conditions, eczema is not a rash that causes itching. Rather it starts as itchy skin that only forms a rash after the patient scratches at it. This scratching damages the skin and leads to the characteristic appearance of the rash. This is very important since if the itching can be blocked or controlled then the rash will not appear!
The rash itself is not unique to eczema but appears as redness with small bumps or even blisters. The skin may crack and some clear fluid may ooze out of the openings. With chronic scratching the skin may thicken and form leathery patches.
More unique to eczema is the location of the rash. In infants the rash is localized to areas where the child can scratch such as the face, chest and abdomen, arms and legs. Often there is no rash in covered areas such as under the diaper. In older children and adults the rash is classically found in front of the elbows and behind the knees but in more severe cases may be found anywhere within reach of scratching.
There are many triggers for the skin itching that leads to the rash. Irritants such as harsh soaps, chemicals, rough fabrics, heat and sweating are common problems for eczema patients. Avoidance of these irritants through use of gentle soaps, wearing cotton clothing, and keeping cool and dry can help prevent itching.
People with atopic dermatitis are more susceptible to skin infections by various bacterial, fungal and viral infections.
Many patients have large amounts of a common skin bacterium, called Staphylococcus aureus, which can worsen the itching and eczema.
Allergies are also a significant trigger of eczema. Indoor allergens that directly touch the skin, such as pets and dust mites, cause the most problems, although pollens and mold spores in the air can also worsen the condition.
Food allergies are also a major trigger particularly in children. Egg and milk allergy are the most common food allergies in children with worsening eczema, although other food allergies are also common.
Identifying allergic triggers in eczema patients is very important. Allergy testing using a skin test or blood test can be very revealing and avoidance of these triggers, both environmental and food allergens, can significantly improve the problem.
In addition to avoiding any known triggers, the key step in treating eczema is moisturization. Soft, smooth skin tends to itch less and be less irritable than dry skin. Moisturizing every day, especially after bathing, is critical. If eczema still flares up despite moisturization then using an anti-inflammatory cream or ointment such as a topical steroid or calcineurin inhibitor may be used. More advanced measures for severe eczema are available.


Do Jury Trials or Pain and Suffering Exist in Workers' Compensation?
An injured worker is not entitled to a jury trial in a workers' compensation case. The Georgia law creates "trial" and "appellate" divisions within the jurisdiction of the State Board of Workers' Compensation. O.C.G.A. § 34-9-47. The trial division is apprised of administrative law judges (ALJ) appointed by the Chairperson and the Board. Some of the powers an ALJ may have include: administering oaths and affirmations, issuing subpoenas, administering hearing protocol and calendaring, ruling upon offers of proof and motions, determining the compensability of claims, and adherence to the Georgia Workers' Compensation Act.
When an injured worker goes to workers' compensation "court", this proceeding is generally called a "hearing" wherein the claim is heard by the ALJ and evidence is tendered by the parties. The ALJ's jurisdiction is only over the workers' compensation parameters. He or she cannot rule on issues of "pain and suffering" or matters of "equity." The Georgia Rules of Evidence do apply in these proceedings and there will be a transcript of the hearing. Generally, the ALJ will not issue a ruling from the bench but will consider all the evidence and review the parties' closing briefs prior to rendering an award.
Upon occasion, injured workers appear before the trial division without an attorney. This is not advisable given the complexities of the law and rules imposed upon Employers and Workers. Once the ALJ renders an award, either party may appeal to the Appellate Division, which consists of three members of the State Board of Workers' Compensation. O.C.G.A. §34-9-47 (b). The aggrieved party has 20 days to appeal the award to the Appellate Division.


Astrazeneca's fledgling chief executive Pascal Soriot warned the company faces a tough year in 2013 as competition from generic rivals eats into its earnings.
The warning knocked more than 5 per cent off the company's shares in early trading as Soriot announced a 38 per cent slump in annual profits to £4.9billion.
The impact of patent expiries on key brands including Seroquel saw revenues for the past year fall 17 per cent to £17.5billion.
Soriot insisted the company was committed to 'science innovation' and would invest for long-term growth as it seeks to boosts its flagging pipeline of new medicines.
In his first 90 days in the job, Soriot said he had met more than 8,000 AstraZeneca workers and will provide a fuller strategy review in March once he has had time to assess how to turn around its fortunes.
Britain's second-biggest drug-maker has been hit by the expiry of patent protection on some of its biggest-selling drugs as well as austerity cuts in developed countries which have forced down the prices it can charge.
AstraZeneca was the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 index with shares losing more than 3 per cent or 99.5p to close at 3053p. But City analysts at broker Panmure Gordon said the full year update was 'not as bad as it could have been'.
And Keith Bowman, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said: '2012 will be remembered for significant drug patent losses, whilst guidance for 2013 provides little comfort. The new chief executive faces a tough challenge.
Since he arrived from rival Roche last October, Soriot has suspended Astra's share buy-back programme and spent £170million buying the rights to experimental kidney drugs.
He is expected to focus on small, bolt-on deals rather than big mergers and acquisitions as Astra continues to cut costs to offset the downturn.