Works included in the exhibition FROM MOUNTAIN ROOTS at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University from September 9, 2016 through February 5, 2017.
Featuring examples from the FSU Botany Department's Herbarium, 23 plants from the collection have been selected for exhibition, which forms the basis of the show. The central exhibition space utilizes the standing panels to create a giant herbal, a medieval compendium of plants. In this manner of exhibiting the specimens, viewers will see how the first such volumes were organized and used. In many respects these early collections of plant images and information were the pharmacopeia of the ancient and medieval worlds.
Also accompanying the central images are three-dimensional models of basic plant parts, preserved plant specimens and selections of material culture from the Folklife Center's numerous individual collections that show the use of plant forms in their design and execution.
In six paintings, Claudia Giannini combines media, superimposing her renderings of Appalachian native plants onto topographical maps of the areas where the plants are found. The works are at once bold and delicate, for the artist employs accurate and detailed observation of the plants, coupled with brilliant, almost expressionistic passages of color. The work draws in viewers, urging them to move closer, to look carefully into the heart of each flower, seeing vividly its configuration. It may appear that each plant is a humble depiction of its kind in nature, but this closer observation reveals it to be a small world in itself.
In recent years, I've become interested in traveling and the idea of pilgrimage. A pilgrimage can be to anywhere—even a walk down the road—if you ascribe to it a spiritual intent. However, I've been lucky enough to travel to places, especially in eastern Asia, that have taken me out of my everyday world and presented a rich array of wonderful imagery.
I love to use a combination of media to share with the viewer my own experience of pilgrimage and sacred space. Mixing different kinds of media can be difficult and challenging, like a pilgrimage. The media—photography, printmaking, collage and painting—are used to convey the idea of passing through a gate or portal into another world. The painted collagraph print frames the photographic image, welcoming the viewer.
Buddhists chant that they will enter "Dharma gates without number" to save all beings. Pilgrims pass from the place of everyday commerce into sacred space. Traveling throughout Japan, one is constantly passing through all kinds of gates: Torii gates, temple gates, gates made of wood, rope, straw, bamboo, paper and stone. Crossing through these portals helps us to change our point of view, look at things differently, notice and connect with what we see—and what we don't see.
My goal is to create work that evokes a sense of what the 17th century Japanese poet Basho—an inveterate pilgrim—describes as "a glimpse of the underglimmer" an experience of the deeply real that abides everywhere beneath the surface of things.
In 2016, I walked the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage across northern Spain. I'm currently working on a series of mixed media images based on that marvelous experience.
We started around 7:20 a.m. Smudged with sage that Elaine brought and dedicated our walk. Weather and nature were wonderful! A red kite flew overhead, blessing us. Full of gratitude that I get to do this. Climbs and descents, beautiful views and wildflowers. Found a great Albergue just into Zubiri on the River. Had a fun dinner with Canadians, Charmaine and Taylor.
Got on the Camino around 8:30. Another beautiful day! Stopped at a 13th century Abbey being restored by a South African couple—an amazing labor of love. He talked about the mixture of pagan and Christian symbolism in a fresco they had just uncovered. We found a lovely café on a river and had tea and mushroom tortilla. Walked up to San Esteban, a beautiful medieval church and convent. The nun was so kind to us. We walked up an ancient spiral staircase and rang two bells in unison. We then walked to Trinidad de Arre and stayed in a 12th century Marist monastery with a wonderful garden where we hung out with other pilgrims. Only 6 of us were there. It was sort of a weird place.
Watercolor on paper with encaustic and gold leaf on panel.
Walked through Pamplona around a massive stone wall and into the city via a drawbridge and through the arch of the pilgrims. We went to the Cathedral—over the top Baroque—then out of town and up toward the Alto D'Erro and the Pilgrim's monument. It was nice weather but overcast. Then started to rain and hard going up the mountain. We walked some with Rick and Travis, had a great lunch and dry-out, then on to the top of the mountain. It was pouring buckets when we got to the monument and we weren't able to take any pictures—or really appreciate the moment. We had a difficult walk down and the path was covered with water. Decided to stop in Uterga in an odd little Albergue, but we had a private room.
Digital image with oil paint, encaustic, gold leaf, mounted on panels.
We walked all the way from Uterga, through Puenta La Rena, to Estella—32 kilometers! Most of the way it was a marvelous walk—beautiful towns, perfect weather—but at the end we were exhausted, and Estella was all uphill. We had trouble finding the albergue, but a sweet old lady (a guardian angel) walked us to the municipal albergue. It was very crowded but they gave us two beds in a landing at the top of four flights of steps. The noise came up the stairway like an amplifier, but I slept pretty well anyway. We ran into Charmaine and Taylor and met Father Liam, an Irish-American priest in his 70s who was walking the Camino for the 3rd time, and had a lovely dinner with them.
Had breakfast and hit the road. It got a little cloudy but good walking. Met up with Michael from Australia and talked with him most of the way. It's so interesting how you make fast friends, then don't see them for a while, then they pop up again. Santo Domingo is a pretty big town with a nice old section. The church has a good museum with some fabulous Flemish pieces from when Spain ruled the lowlands. Church and art were very well preserved and presented. We had a lovely dinner of tapas, then went for sangria with a bunch of friends.
Had a long hot walk in open country today, but met up with Camino friends, Susan and Gale, along the way. We saw Meg in the "Hippie Albergue" where they were playing Beatle's music and ducklings were waddling around. Got back on the road and talked with a man who was walking the Camino with a prosthetic leg. I mostly walked by myself, appreciating the beautiful open landscape—lots of blue and green. Walked through Carrion de los Condes, a thriving town with lots of shops, and on to the Monastery of San Zoilo—a wonderful complex of buildings restored as a parador. We got a beautiful room and I took a long, hot bath. Then, hung out with Sherri and drew a statue of an angel in the cloister—it was an amazing space. Drinks with Brett, Nadya and Elaine, and dinner in the hotel restaurant with Elaine and Sherri—which was fabulous.
Today was a long, difficult day. My hip hurt pretty bad and the road was really muddy, red and sticky. Still, I saw two orchids-very beautiful and the landscape was nice. The poles I got from Rick were a lifesaver. We walked through Hospital de Orbigo, a beautiful town and the site of the story of the knight who defeated 300 contenders to get over a broken heart; the defeated knights had to protect the pilgrims on the Way. When we got to Astoria, we toured the Cathedral and museum, and the Archbishop's residence designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was beautiful but over the top--typical Gaudi.
Digital print on watercolor paper mounted on three separate wooden panels with watercolors of plants encountered on the Way.
Three sections, each 16" x 12." Total size 16" x 36"
Landscape photograph was taken on May 6 on the way to Bercianos. We started out in the rain, but it never came down too hard. I practiced walking meditation and noticed that Elaine and I are always more companionable after that. B recommended that I read "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen. It's the perfect book to read--focusing me more on pilgrimage as opposed to party. I feel as if this can turn into a "vacation" and that I can so easily lose sight of why I came. But I am so immensely grateful to be walking the stunningly beautiful Camino de Santiago. I feel utterly immersed in it, but still looking for that ultimate freedom of "wandering at random."


The Gahanna and Westerville South girls basketball teams shouldn't feel too bad about the way the played on opening night.
Although professional actors wear makeup and costumes instead of uniforms and sneakers, they also have their problems the first time the curtain goes up.
In the Lions' case, they lost one of the finest leading ladies in the state in All-Ohio point guard Amber Stokes and five other seniors.
Gahanna gathered itself long enough for a second-quarter surge and played pretty stout defense in pushing past Westerville South 52-43 last night in a nonconference game.
It was something of an SAT for officials as the teams combined for 38 fouls and 42 turnovers.
Lions coach Rick Hauser said he knew there would be games like this.
"Points are a lot harder to come by," he said. "We have to be more patient on offense and we have to play hard on defense. We don't want to give them anything easy. This is a really young team."
There are only three seniors on the roster.
Last season, Stokes was the player who dribbled the ball upcourt, took the important shots, made the important free throws and was the point person defensively on a team that finished 18-5 and went to the Division I district tournament. She's a freshman at Ohio State.
Gahanna came out sloppy with eight turnovers in the first quarter. One player was even sent to the bench by an official for wearing bobby pins in her hair.
The Lions settled down to take a 26-17 lead in the second quarter on the strength of an 11-3 run. The big shots were a hook in the lane by center Haley Schmitt, a three-point play off a steal by Katie Battle and a three-pointer from the top of the key by Jendy Weppler.
"We worked together," Schmitt said. "There are times when you get mad at yourself for not playing well, but you keep your composure. We're working at it. Last year, we followed one person. Now, all five players have to play their roles. We know that."
South closed to four points five times, the last on a three-pointer from the baseline by Shanae' Ash to make it 44-40 with 2 minutes, 37 seconds left.
The Lions never broke and nailed down the victory when Emily Richardson made two free throws with 29.9 seconds left for a 49-41 lead.
Hauser got his 101st victory at Gahanna but also might have found a leader in sophomore guard Tiyona Marshall. She had 17 points and was a pest defensively.
"We were a little nervous at the start, but then we started to play our game," Marshall said. "Defense is our strong point. We know we have to work even harder on defense. We lost a lot of good players from last year, and it's going to take time. We will work harder."


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US Air force : Competing with rivals or creating a new weaponry market?
Abdulhamid Bayati
US President Donald Trump has once again stressed the need for formation of US space force, reasoning that Russia and China are pioneers in the area.
The US Space Force, which is intended to have control over military operations in outer space, would be a new branch of the military by 2020, on par with the army, navy, air force, marines and coast guard.
Trump's remark proves that Washington's main objective of the space force is not to lag behind in the competition with its traditional rivals.
This is the first time since the adoption of National Security Bill in 1947 that a new branch of military is added to the US Armed Forces. Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), sometimes referred to informally as US Space Command, will be a major branch of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. This command intends to support US military operations worldwide with a variety of satellites and cybercrime operations. Approximately 47,000 people in 88 locations throughout the world will carry out AFSPC operations.
Trump believes that a mere US presence in space is not enough, that it must dominate it as he does not want to see the dominance of China and other countries in space.
The new space force will have the same power as the other branches of the US Armed Forces, and will monitor space and cyber-attack operations, including satellite management and launches, including launches of ballistic missiles. But unlike NASA, which focuses mainly on space exploration and scientific discovery, the new space force will focus on military aspects and space defense.
Adversaries
The BBC writes that military and non-military operations in space carried out by the US Global Positioning System (GPS) could interfere with each other. Satellite navigation uses GPS, which the US military invented and is used by civilians, too.
"People are unlikely to know that space is now a military environment," said Alexandra Stickings, research analyst for Space Policy and Security within the Military Sciences team at RUS, explaining that this has been going on for decades.
During the Cold War, the US and Soviet Union weren't fighting in space but used spy satellites. At that time, Washington had deployed an anti-satellite rocket in the Pacific Ocean, and Moscow developed a weapon that could destroy a satellite in orbit.
According to Secure World Foundation, China, Russia and the US have the technology to destroy satellites. These weapons are missiles thrown directly from earth to a satellite in orbit.
These weapons are known as "same orbit" and are actually satellites launched by rockets from the ground. After the missile is separated, the satellite will target itself to the orbit of the satellite and will either connect to it or collide with it.
In 2007, China launched an anti-satellite rocket to destroy a meteor orbiting 800 kilometers above Earth. The experiment succeeded.
Meanwhile, Washington has claimed that Russia is developing a laser aerial system designed to disrupt US space systems. The Pentagon also claims that Moscow is creating missiles that can be launched from fighter planes to destroy US satellites.
Cecil Eugene Diggs Haney, a retired US Navy admiral who previously served as Commander, United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM), said that the US should study raise funding for space programs and overall preparedness.
Fruitless efforts to demilitarize space
Although the US is pursuing military goals in space, under the pretext that China and Russia are taking military action there, in 2008 Moscow and Beijing proposed a draft international agreement to prevent the deployment of weapons in space. To this day, Washington has made various excuses and has not signed the agreement.
In 2014, Russia presented another draft resolution to prevent the deployment of weapons in space to the UN General Assembly, which once again faced opposition from the US and its allies.
In line with that, Reuters writes that evidence suggests the Trump Administration has defined space as a new battlefield. In his speech in the Pentagon, Mike Pence said: "History proves that peace only comes through strength. And the next generation of Americans to confront the emerging threats in the boundless expanse of space will be wearing the uniform of the United States of America as well." Trump's vice president several months ago also said that the US should strengthen its space force in the future as much as its ground forces.
Many people like Pence believe the US will face new threats in space soon. The Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, General David Goldfein, recently delivered a speech at the Air Force's annual meeting where he said that mankind will eventually face space warfare that must use information from all areas, including air, cyber, land, sea and space, to increase its military strength.
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has recently announced that the Pentagon agrees with the plan to form a space force and considers space a new battleground and that it plans to create a combat command. He added that the Pentagon fully understands Trump's concerns about protecting U.S assets in space, thus the US intends to take this into account because other countries have shown that they can attack these assets.
NASA chief told CBS News in an interview last month: "Our very way of life is dependent on space. If we lose the GPS signals, there are no interbank transfers, and no food in the stores among other things, which is why hostile countries around the world are taking steps to harm US capabilities."
Some argue that the formation of a space force is time-consuming and requires a huge effort. Some political observers have also warned that a space force could trigger an arms race in outer space. Critics believe that many of the assigned missions are already being carried out by the other branches of the US military, and that a "space force" is unnecessary and too costly.
Former US Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James has claimed that few or no one in the Pentagon wants President Trump's Space Force. "None of them are in favor of a Space Force, I say none of the top leaders, but they're stuck."
She also said that close to 35,000 people are already working in the US Air Force and formation of a new military wing could be disruptive.
Since Democrats in the US Congress also do not support Trump's plan, formation of a US space force may also face a legal barrier. For example, Senator Brian Emanuel Schatz has called establishment of US Space Force a stupid idea and predicted that it would never be realized.
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has also criticized the plan saying, "Maybe, just maybe, we should make sure our people are not dying because they lack health insurance before we start spending more billions to militarize outer space."
Farid Karimi writes in Zoomit: "The United States now has more than 800 satellites in total, but while the US Army will not need any new satellites, it cannot form a space force overnight. The formation should be approved by the Congress, just as the US Air Force separated from the Army long ago with Congressional approval.
A new weapons market
In addition to the US, Russia, and China, many other states such as India, Iran and Japan have been operating in space and have launched satellites. No doubt they will also try to improve their defenses against their enemies in space. This will ignite a weapons race and a new weapons market.
The US, Russia and China are three of the world's largest arms manufacturers and the world's weapons market is in their hands. The formation of a new arms market puts more profits into the pockets of arms manufacturers. That may be one reason for Trump's insistence on the development of US space forces.
First published in our partner MNA
Related Topics:ChinaDefenseEconomicsRussiaSpaceTechnologyUSA
S-400 Deal: Implications for South Asia
Future of ISR Capabilities in South Asia
The Indian Drone Industry is Growing Leaps & Bounds
Shan Bilal Khan
In recent years, India has been undertaking significant efforts to modernize its navy in order to enhance its capabilities and protect its economic interests in the Indian Ocean region. This naval modernization has been reflected in the acquisition of new ships, submarines, and aircraft, as well as the development of new base and port facilities. However, these efforts have not only implications for India but also for the regional stability in general and for Pakistan in particular. The increasing naval capabilities of India have a direct implication on the balance of power in the Indian Ocean region which could lead to an arms race and potential conflicts with other countries in the region. India's increasing naval presence in the region could lead to increased patrols and surveillance which could have negative impact on the security of the region. In this editorial, we will examine the implications of India's naval modernization efforts on regional stability and explore how these developments may impact Pakistan and other countries in the Indian Ocean region.
How could India's naval modernization efforts impact South Asia's regional stability?
However, it is important to note that India's Naval modernizations efforts could also be seen as a response to the growing naval capabilities of other regional actors, such as China and Pakistan. Furthermore, India's navy modernization efforts could also contribute to regional stability by providing a stronger deterrent against potential adversaries and by fostering cooperation with other countries in the region through joint exercises and other initiatives.
It is also important to consider the fact that India's modernization efforts are also driven by its growing economic and strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming increasingly important for global trade and energy security. These interests may lead to India to play a more active role in maintaining security and stability in the region.
It is also worth noting that India's modernization efforts have been met with concerns from other countries in the region, particularly Pakistan, which views them as a potential threat to its own security. This has the potential to exacerbate existing tensions between the two countries.
India's naval modernization efforts have the potential to impact regional stability in South Asia in several ways.
First, India's expanding naval capabilities, including the acquisition of new ships, nuclear powered submarines, and aircraft carriers, new and advanced attack helicopter, rejuvenating its third eye through employment of spy satellites could potentially shift the balance of power in the region in its favor, which could fuel military tensions with neighboring countries such as Pakistan. India's ambitious efforts could lead to an arms race in the region as other countries may follow suit and need to enhance their naval capabilities to counterbalance India's expanding naval muscles, which could be destabilizing.
Second, India's increased naval presence in the region could lead to increased patrols and surveillance in the Indian Ocean, which could lead to potential conflicts with other countries in South Asia, particularly Pakistan. It could affect the maritime security of South Asia.
Third, India's naval modernization efforts may lead to an increase in military spending by other countries in the region, which could divert resources away from economic development and potentially increase income inequality, which could be destabilizing.
Fourth, India's naval modernization could also have economic implications for the region, as India's increased naval power may give it more influence over trade routes and access to resources in the Indian Ocean, which could have negative economic consequences for neighboring countries such as Pakistan.
Overall, India's naval modernization efforts have the potential to impact regional stability in South Asia, and it will be paramount to closely monitor these developments and their implications for the countries in the region.
According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India is among the top five military spenders in the world. India's military spending has been increasing in recent years, driven by a variety of factors, including border disputes with neighboring states in region, and the growing naval capabilities of China. According to SIPRI data, India's military spending in 2020 was $71.1 billion USD, representing an increase of around 3.9% from the previous year. The Indian Navy is being modernized and India has also been investing on procuring new naval vessels, submarines, aircrafts, weapons systems and developing new naval bases and infrastructure.
How Indian Naval Modernization efforts are affecting Pakistan's Security?
India's ongoing efforts to modernize its navy have implications for Pakistan. As Pakistan views these efforts as a potential threat to its own security. The acquisition of advanced weapons systems and abovementioned factors as well as the expansion of its naval bases and infrastructure, could potentially alter the balance of power in the region. While Pakistan sees this as a direct challenge toward maintaining regional balance with the help of garnering it naval capabilities.
Pakistan's concerns stem from the fact that India's navy modernization efforts are also driven by its growing economic and strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming increasingly important for global trade and energy security. These interests may lead Pakistan to play a more active role in maintaining security and stability in the region, which could potentially be at the expense of India's said military interests in Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
It is worth noting that Pakistan is trying to balance in its navy to maintain the strategic balance of the region in recent years, with the acquisition of new submarines, frigates and other naval assets. This step by Pakistan has been seen as a strategic balancer in the region and response in line with India's naval modernization aims and has the potential to further promote the peace and stability in Indian Ocean Region.
Time for World Powers to Intervene:
India's ongoing efforts to modernize its navy have the potential to impact regional stability in South Asia, and as such, the role of world powers in this regard is an important consideration.
One potential role for world powers is to encourage dialogue and cooperation between India and other regional actors, particularly Pakistan, to address concerns and to work towards maintaining regional stability. This could involve facilitating direct talks and negotiations, as well as encouraging confidence-building measures such as joint military exercises and other initiatives.
Another important role for world powers is to support the development of regional institutions and mechanisms for addressing security challenges. This could include supporting the development of a regional security architecture, such as a South Asian security dialogue or forum, which would provide a platform for countries in the region to discuss and address security concerns.
It is pertinent to mention that India's modernization efforts are also driven by its growing economic and strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming increasingly important for global trade and energy security. World powers could play a role in supporting and encouraging India's efforts to secure its economic and strategic interests in the region.
Furthermore, world powers could also play a role in encouraging transparency and predictability in the military activities of regional actors, particularly in the Indian Ocean region, through mechanisms such as confidence-building measures and arms control agreements.
In conclusion, India's naval modernization efforts have the potential to impact regional stability in South Asia, but the effects will likely be complex and multifaceted. Further research and analysis would be necessary to fully understand the implications of these efforts. India's modernizing its naval forces have serious implications for Pakistan could be a potential threat to its security. It is important for both countries to engage in dialogue and cooperation to address these concerns, and to work towards maintaining regional stability.
In the end, these efforts in South Asia have the potential to impact regional stability, and world powers have an important role to play in encouraging dialogue and cooperation, supporting regional institutions and mechanisms, and encouraging transparency and predictability in the military activities of regional actors.
Why India's No First Use Policy must remain
Gagan Hitkari
The policy of No First Use (NFU) of nuclear weapons has for long remained central to India's nuclear doctrine. India adopted the NFU policy after its second nuclear test, Pokhran-II, in 1998. According to its nuclear doctrine, India would refrain from a first nuclear strike and will pursue a policy of "retaliation only" while not eschewing punitive measures in case it is attacked by nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. India's strict adherence to the NFU policy is often held by diplomats, government spokespersons and strategists as proof of its status as a responsible nuclear power. At the same time, there have been concerns regarding India's stance on the use of nuclear weapons. Various strategists, military leaders and government officials have, time and again, regarded NFU as restrictive stating that India should reserve the right to a first strike as a security measure. Given the growing security challenges it faces in a highly unstable and contentious neighbourhood, a revaluation of India's nuclear doctrine, particularly the no first use status, does not seem far-fetched.
India's No First Use Policy
No First Use is a retaliation-based policy where a state employs nuclear arms only as means of retaliation against a nuclear attack by another state. The No First Use policy is rooted in the sole purpose doctrine which views nuclear weapons only as a means of deterrence. The central argument behind the adoption of NFU by nations is the recognition that nuclear weapons serve a limited purpose, that of ensuring national survival.
In the aftermath of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the then Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee presented a paper in the Indian parliament on the evolution of India's nuclear policy. Vajpayee argued that India's move to acquire nuclear weapons was influenced by its security considerations. The concern that some countries permitted the first use of nuclear weapons contributed to India's decision. No First Use was, for the first time, officially realised in the Draft Nuclear Doctrine (DND) of 1999. The DND described its policy as "retaliation only" in clause 2.3, whose section (b) further elaborated that "any nuclear attack on India and its forces shall result in punitive retaliation with nuclear weapons to inflict damage unacceptable to the aggressor." The DND offered two objectives for India's nuclear weapons. First, their fundamental purpose is to deter the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons by any state against India. Second, India will not be the first to initiate a nuclear strike but will respond with punitive measures should deterrence fail.
India's official nuclear doctrine was released on January 4, 2003 having a clear emphasis on No First Use, much like the Draft Nuclear Doctrine.
Debates over No First Use
Over the years, a number of criticisms have been levied against the No First Use policy. Instead, various strategists have favoured a policy of "first use" of nuclear weapons arguing that No First Use of nuclear weapons restricts action and leads to a loss of initiative by allowing the adversary to use its nuclear weapons first in combat. Other arguments bemoan the NFU as idealist and pacifist in nature, claiming that a country engaged in combat cannot rely on the passivity that stems from it.
A policy of First Use might be prudent in the case of conventional weapons but this does not hold true for nuclear weapons. A first strike must ensure neutralising of all the nuclear capabilities of the adversary as a potential retaliatory strike has the capability of causing irreversible and unprecedented devastation due to the nature of the nuclear bomb. Hence, a policy of first strike is only effective when a country can ensure that its adversary lacks secure second-strike capabilities once the strike has been carried out.
Although by employing NFU the initiative to act rests with the adversary, the calculation of a first strike cannot be limited to just the first strike damage. Due to the modernisation of nuclear arsenals and development of secure second-strike capabilities, the inevitable retaliation leading from a first strike must be taken into account. Therefore, even an elaborate offensive strategy cannot assure victory or help escape the extent of the damage.
First use of nuclear weapons is mostly advocated in cases where the adversary's preparation for a nuclear strike is known. It is argued that in such a scenario, it is in the benefit of nations to use the nuclear weapons rather than potentially losing them to a neutralising strike. Although possibilities of a first strike can be known, this information does not guarantee the certainty of a nuclear strike. In modern times, states use nuclear weapons not as an end but as a means for achieving their ends through coercive diplomacy and nuclear brinkmanship. In such a scenario, even stationing of nuclear weapons in an aggressive position can not be taken as certainty of a nuclear strike. Hence, if a state indulges in a preventive strike, it will be regarded as an act of aggression leading to potentially devastating retaliatory strikes as well as widespread condemnation.
Why No First Use?
India has for long presented itself as a responsible nuclear power. In the aftermath of Pokhran-II, India faced widespread criticism and international sanctions on what was regarded as an act of unprovoked aggression. In order to escape this predicament, India found official adoption of NFU to be the most prudent way forward. NFU helped in representing India as a responsible nuclear power by relegating nuclear weapons to purely defensive purposes. A more important imperative for NFU is its strategic viability. A policy of First use advocates for forces to be on hair trigger alert leading to a potential arms race which in turn contributes to instability and crisis. A First use policy can also lead to threats of miscalculation, increasing the risk of an accidental launch. NFU, on the other hand, provides a relatively relaxed posture which inturn helps in avoiding a costly and potentially devastating arms race. An abandonment of NFU will likely have repercussions in India's immediate neighbourhood. The policy of No first use has been central to Indian strategic thinking since the Nehruvian era. The policy against use of nuclear weapons can be traced back to the 1950s when Prime Minister Nehru called for a standstill agreement proposing a ban on nuclear testing. In 1965, India advocated for a strong non-discriminatory treaty imposing a ban on nuclear weapons. Hence, the strategic culture of nuclear minimalism and restraint manifested into the adoption of the No first use policy. A shift in this policy has the potential of further aggravating hostilities in India's neighbourhood.
The policy of No first use of nuclear weapons and the nuclear minimalism of India's nuclear doctrine has solidified its image as a strong, credible and morally responsible nuclear power. NFU offers India great leverage in the international community. India's bid for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group also relies on its image as a responsible nuclear power.
At a time when countries are actively advocating for the realisation of a stronger non proliferation regime, India should be at the forefront of facilitating that end rather than taking a belligerent stance and abandoning the crucial diplomatic leverage it enjoys in the international community. Although it is important to re-evaluate India's doctrinal position to ensure that national security is not compromised, the abandonment of NFU does not present any benefits to this end. India should continue with the longstanding NFU and actively work towards the realisation of a stronger, more equal non-proliferation regime.
Induction of Women in Indian Armed Forces
Vaibhav Tomar
India's first three Women Fighter Pilots. Image source: twitter @KPMFilms
The gender of an individual is not a hindrance when it comes to applying for a position in the armed forces. In modern warfare, having the necessary skills and knowledge is more advantageous than having brute strength. The Indian Armed Forces are in dire need of a strong mixed gender force as the recruitment and retention rates have reportedly gone down. By allowing women to serve in combat roles, this can be addressed. Due to the lack of women in command posts, the Indian Army decided not to allow women to serve as commanding officers. This issue has to be addressed in order to improve the culture and norms of the Army. The political and military leadership of the country must also play a role in making these changes. Some of the world's most prominent military organizations, such as the US, France, Germany, and North Korea, have female officers serving in front-line combat roles. Women have the right to pursue their careers and reach the top ranks of the armed forces. Equality is a fundamental constitutional guarantee. The Indian Armed Forces have seen a surge in the participation of women. In a major push to the women intake by the forces, the government has also taken significant steps to increase the percentage ratio of women officers and other ranks (ORs). Whether it's women in combat roles or the medical services in Defence, it's a significant push towards their empowerment also.
In contrast to developed countries such as Canada, the UK, and USA, India has taken a long time to allow women to pursue other careers apart from being medical or nursing professionals. The number of women in India's armed forces has significantly increased over the past couple of years. They are now joining the military as both soldiers and fighter pilots. There has been a lot of talk about the entry of women into the Indian Armed Forces. In spite of the male-dominated nature of the military, young women from India have been able to break the glass ceiling and are currently serving in various positions in the country's armed forces. The government has also approved the induction of 1,700 women as jawans into the Corps of Military Police. Although women have been accepted into auxiliary services in the Indian Armed Forces, the issue of including or not allowing them in combat roles has been a persistent one.
Glance at the Indian Defence History with regard to Women:
In 1888, the Indian Military Nursing Service was established, which marked a significant step in the development of women's roles in the Indian Armed Forces. During World War I, nurses from the Indian Army served in various capacities. The Women's Auxiliary Corps was also established to allow women to take on non-combatant roles such as administrative and communications. One of the members of the corps was Noor Inayat, who served as a spy during the Second World War. She was able to earn a reputation for her service. Women were only allowed to serve in non-combat roles in the British Indian Army until Bose established the Azad Hind Fauj.
In 1950, the Army Act made it illegal for women to receive regular commissions. On November 1, 1958, the Medical Corps of the Indian Army became the first military organization to give female soldiers regular commissions. Women were also allowed to serve on short-service commission throughout the 80s to 90s. By 2020, women are not allowed to serve as combat troops in Special Forces such as the British Parachute Regiment. They can still join other non-combatant wings such as the signal corps and engineers.
Also, opposing arguments were made regarding including women in combat roles or in PC positions within the Indian Armed Force:
Society in India is patriarchal, which makes it hard for women to participate in active combat roles.
It has been believed that men are better at fighting than women due to their physical prowess and aggression.
Although women have been accepted into auxiliary services in the Indian Armed Forces, the issue of including or not allowing them in combat roles has been a persistent one. In February, the Supreme Court ruled that officers from the short-service commission can be granted permanent positions in the Indian Armed Force. Currently, officers in the Indian Armed Forces are only allowed to serve for 14 years. While a PC can serve until they retire, three options will be available for the SSC after 10 years, i.e., Elect for a Permanent Commission, Resign from service and Opt for resignation.
The Supreme Court's ruling allowed women to serve in the Indian Armed Forces as PC officers. This was regarded as a significant step in the advancement of women's roles within the military. Women are only allowed to participate in combat roles within the Indian Army and certain specialist brigades. Non-combatant positions are still available for women.
The percentage of women in Armed Forces is as under:
Army Officers (Excluding AMC/ADC) 3.97%
Officers (AMC/ADC) 21.25 %
MNS Officers 100%
JCO/OR 0.01%
Navy Officers About 6%
Air Force Officers (excluding Medical & Dental Branch) 13.69%
Source: MoD
There are no vacancies for women in the Indian Army. The posts in the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy are gender neutral. There have been various steps taken by the government to increase the number of women in the defence sector. According to the above table, women officers of the Army Medical Corps and Army Dental Corps make up about 21.25% of the officers in the Indian Army. Participation of women makes up about 0.01 % of the total Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and ORs. Similarly, women represent 6% of the total officers in the Indian Navy and 13.69% in the Air Force, excluding the officers in the Medical and Dental branch.
The Indian Army's combat employment philosophy for women is continuously reviewed. Currently, women are being commissioned into various streams in the Indian Army. These include the Corps of Engineers, the Corps of Signals, the Army Air Defence, the Army Service Corps, the Army Ordnance Corps, the Army Aviation Corps, the Intelligence Corps, the Judge Advocate General's Branch, and the Army Education Corps. As for military nurses and doctors, these are women only positions. Various initiatives are being taken to improve the recruitment and training of women in the Indian Army. These include the establishment of a permanent commission for women officers and the recruitment of women cadets in the NDA.
In 1991, the Indian Navy started to recruit women as officers. Over the years, various branches of the organization have been opened for women, including through NDA. Women sailors are also being recruited through the Agnipath Scheme for the first time. About 20% of the total vacancies in the Navy are for women.
The recruitment of women in the Indian Air Force is conducted in a gender-neutral manner. All the branches of the organization are covered by women officers. There are also regular publicity drives and print and electronic media campaigns about opportunities for women in the service. An opening for women has been provided through the National Commission for Women's Special entry for flying SSC. In 2015, the Indian Air Force started implementing a permanent scheme for inducting women officers into all combat roles. This approach is gender neutral and allows women to join the organization without any restrictions.
In 1992, the Indian Army started recruiting women. They were then commissioned for five years in various streams, such as engineering, intelligence, and education. Women are expected to participate and share information and power with others as they have been taught this since their childhood. They are also ruthless when the situation requires them. It's natural for women to enhance their self-worth and get the most out of their colleagues. Unfortunately, the armed forces are still reluctant to allow women to join the ranks. Their role in the combat domain should be more broad- based. By breaking the gender barrier, India will join a select few countries worldwide. Women have previously served in various roles in the military, including in the technical and administrative fields. They finally got a chance to take on combat roles in the Military Police after the Supreme Court ruled that women can serve in command positions. The debate regarding women's participation in combat roles in the Armed Forces has been going on for a long time now. It has taken a long time for the organization to come to a point where it accepts women's participation in such roles. Unfortunately, in 2021, some retired generals are still maintaining that women should remain the weaker sex in the force. These generals use stereotypes to justify their position, and they point out the various facts about men's physical attributes, such as their size and pulse rate. They also claim that women are incapable of shouting much louder and have a lower level of natural strength. If the military were to look into the qualities that a good soldier requires, it would be able to determine if women are equally capable of performing at the same level. Already, women have established a niche within the field of supporting services. Before making a decision regarding whether or not female soldiers should be allowed to enter the Army, two factors should be considered. One is the institution's nature, and the other is the nature of combat. If women are equal in terms of their job performance in the Army, then they should be allowed to participate in combat roles. This is because, on many occasions, they have been able to perform at the same level as their male counterparts. Critics of the exclusion argue that modern warfare is more technological and doesn't require the physical strength of older combat soldiers. In 1992, India started recruiting women into various non-medical positions in its armed forces. The government then took the first step towards allowing women to join the combat roles. In addition, the Air Force was allowed to recruit female pilots. During the time of the former, women were regarded as nurturers and followers, while men were leaders. Things have changed, and the role of women in the Army still remains controversial. This issue is also relevant to society at large. It's widely believed that militaries don't create employment. They have nothing to do when it comes to gender equality. One of the most important factors that the country can consider when it comes to addressing its issues is the empowerment of women in governance. Gender discrimination within the Armed Forces is a persistent issue that the country, which aspires to be a rising power, should address. Women should be treated equally in every aspect of their employment. There should also be regular attention paid to the administrative and institutional policies related to maternity leave and transfers. India's attitude towards women has to be revamped in order to boost its economic growth and improve its image in the international community. Doing so will also help in promoting women's empowerment. Besides being able to perform their duties as interpreters, they should also be able to communicate with other nations through their foreign language skills. This is because the country's military is looking for people who can understand the language of other nations. Throughout history, India has produced numerous prominent women leaders and freedom fighters. It's time for the Armed Forces to follow in their footsteps and create a feminist culture. Following the Supreme Court's decision to allow women to serve longer tenures and receive promotions, the country's armed forces will now be able to provide them with the same benefits and opportunities as their male counterparts. A positive change in the society is needed to promote gender equality, as well as to keep the country's national security in mind. Doing so will help India become a better place.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On Sunday morning, don't miss the old-fashioned pancake breakfast in downtown Larkspur—with pancakes, sausages, fruit, and famous Gin Fizzes—at Larkspur's American Legion Hall from 8 to 11 am at the corner of Ward Street and Magnolia Avenue. The parade starts at noon from Redwood High and winds through downtown Larkspur then down Tamalapais toward Town Park. Inexplicably, the police close off Tamalpais at 11:30, just when parade and party goers are heading toward downtown.
So get there early, and then enjoy the post-parade festivities at Town Park until 5 pm….


text:
Mimozotale flavolineata is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Breuning in 1951. It is known from Sumatra.

References

Desmiphorini
Beetles described in 1951

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Universities teach about green building
Oregon State and Portland State universities to partner on green building research programs.
By Source: Portland Business Journal March 13, 2009
Oregon State University and Portland State University are collaborating to spend $1.6 million to create green building research programs at both universities.
The universities are working with the Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) to establish research centers to offer Oregon's green building businesses access to advanced research tools, expertise and better trained employees.
The OSU portion of the investment is $920,000, including $400,000 from Oregon BEST, $470,000 from certificates of participation (via Engineering and Technology Industry Council) and $50,000 from the OSU Research Office. It establishes the Oregon BEST Green Building Materials Laboratory at OSU, a collaboration between the College of Engineering and the OSU College of Forestry. Research in the shared facility, which will be accessible to and open for research by industry partners, will focus on innovating new green building materials, including: hybrid poplar wood engineered to be three times stronger than old-growth Douglas fir, new types of concrete and pavement that are more durable and environmentally friendly and recycled plastics used as building insulation.
Read the full Oregon State press release.
Read the full story in the Portland Business Journal.


The Architecture Academy is an online training course that teaches you how to create Architecture using Blender. To test the limits of the students, we recently held an internal competition (open only to members) to see who could create the best Architecture Scene.
Beautiful! The decorative lighting across the front lawn was a brilliant choice - not only does it look stunning, but it also acts to balance the otherwise heavy dark grass. The materials on the house are nice mix of new and old with a subtle grunge and bump mapping. I could absolutely imagine these images in an architectural magazine. Well done!
STUNNING! I just love this scene. The lighting, soft colours and materials are all outstanding. Not only that, but the arrangement and design of the scene is really well thought out. The open floor let's viewers explore, and the nature outside gives reference and comfort. You've worked extremely hard on this scene and it shows. A well deserving first place. Congratulations!
Stunning! The cabin is obviously from Module 10, but the rest of the scene is almost entirely different. I love the sparce looking dirt and weeds, and the roof of the cabin is also particularly well done. Congrats!
The snow effects are really well done. You worked hard to blanket everything including the vegetation and rocks. Really nice scene.
Very unique architectural design! I've heard of these shipping container houses, and am constantly amazed at how amazing they can look. And you've captured just that. It looks like an expensive modern home. Well done!
Wow. Those grungey, worn out materials are stunning. A refreshing take on museum visualizations. Well done!
A very complete looking interior. There's some scaling and material issues, but overall the image looks lovely.
Wow. Love the design, materials and lighting. The biggest issue is the noise, but perhaps that was a deliberate artistic decision. The interior design is just lovely. Keep it up Luca!


anuary 30th, 2005: Warm again - it only got down to about —8° last night. There was a strong south wind yesterday and last night, but it calmed down by this morning. We might actually see some sunshine today.
It's been warm all week, except for a couple of days that were about normal, and the outlook is continued warm weather for the rest of the week. The trails are in good shape, and snowmobiles started showing up Friday evening. Porcupine had a rally yesterday so it was fairly quiet at the Park, but today there are lots of them around.
Quite a few people have mentioned knowing someone who would normally have come to Greenwater to snowmobile, but went elsewhere because they can't buy gas here. I expect the Cove being closed has had a dramatic impact on the number of people visiting the Park over the winter.
We were surprised to see a big pile of firewood in the middle of the Cove's parking lot the other day. I spoke to Andy Renaud of Renaud Realty and he said a trailer broke an axle and had to unload. It was all gone by this weekend.
Beaumonts brought some photos they took of a red headed woodpecker at their bird feeder last summer. They only saw them once, and had to take the picture through their kitchen window, but there's no doubt about what kind of bird it is. According to our bird book, south-eastern Saskatchewan is the extreme edge of their range.
Talk at coffee was the cost of medicare, and how we take it for granted. I wonder if it would be outrageously expensive to send patients a notice after every doctor or hospital visit, telling them what the cost of the visit was, and how it was paid. Would people respect it more if they knew the cost? I am having cataract surgery tomorrow, and haven't a clue what the cost will be. The surgery itself is apparently only about ten minutes, though I'm in the operating room for an hour, but there have been two preliminary visits to the surgeon for assessment and measurement, and there will be at least one visit afterwards. Would it make any difference if I did know the cost? I might put it off a bit longer and be more of a hazard on the highway than I normally am, but unless I die in the meantime the surgery will have to be done eventually. Artificial lenses should mean fewer trips to the optometrist for the rest of my life, but again, I don't know what that means in dollars.
We went to Porcupine Plain and Tisdale on Tuesday, but we didn't enjoy it. From here to Porcupine, the highway was wet, but not icy; in town, though, the sidewalks were sheets of ice and we realized there had been a freezing rain. We assume our highway crew had been out early in the day and applied salt, while the temperature was still high enough for the salt to work. West of Chelan, though, there was no sign of any salting or sanding, and the highways were terribly icy all the way to Tisdale. We crept along at 80 km/h or less and had no problem, going or coming. No sign of any vehicles hitting the ditch, either.
Coffee was at our place on Monday and Thursday, and there were about nine of us. What a wonderful visiting time! We covered local history and current events and manage to find solutions to most of the world's major problems. I suppose we should be keeping a record of proceedings for the edification of future generations, but nobody ever seems to have a pen.
We got a phone call from the Park Office yesterday, telling us that dredging of the marina will start on February 2nd. They will fence off the area on Monday, and the phone call was to warn the permanent residents to steer clear of the area. The caller didn't know what kind of equipment was going to do the job, but rumors last fall were that they were waiting until the ice froze solid to the bottom to support the equipment. Sounds like a big trackhoe to me. Boaters will be happy.


I suggest you seek an herbalist to consult on medical uses of Motherwort Flowering Tops Tincture. I was inspired in herbal uses by following herbalist Susan Weed and have several of her books. My favorite is "Menopausal Years – The Wise Woman Way Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90.


I am all for artistic expression. I also know that the story of Noah is told most succinctly in a few verses in scriptures. I expected a development of character themes and see creativity expressed that way. The movie Noah fails miserably.
The newest movie focusing on the epic story sinks the whole story into a tale even more fantastical then the original one. There are fallen angels made of rock ( like prehistoric transformers), a stowaway in the ark who is the arch villain, and even Noah trying to kill his granddaughters….and on and on. It was a mixture of Bible story, the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.
The story was so incredulous that it really did not focus on the idea of the story of a man holding on to a belief despite the unbelief of others. There was no authentic exploration of the dynamics of getting your family to believe in building a structure when your senses tell you that there is no disaster coming. It would have been a richer movie if the family dynamics were expanded in a meaningful way.
Whether you believe in the story or not, the real heart of it is how this man was not swayed from what he knew was true.
However, the movie even solidified the popular notion that the story of Noah was fairy tale. I don't think it helped to illuminate the gems of wisdom that are found in these age old stories.
Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly did a great job in their acting performances. However, we get distracted by the nonsense of the other parts of the movie.
Don't waste your money on this film. It is better read the story yourself and let your imagination take you into that experience. It will be better than watching this film.


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Singer Luedji Luna earns three nominations at the Caymmi Music Awards recognizing the best of Bahian musicians
July 8, 2017 Marques Travae Black News From Brazil 0
Photo: Nti Uirá
Note from BW of Brazil: I learned many years ago that some of the best artists in music are those whose names are not plastered on the covers of every magazine, constantly featured on talk shows, sell out huge revues or get hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. On the one hand, it's a shame because so many of us won't even know of the existence of some great artists. But on the other hand, when you discover such artists you sometimes feel that the artist's music is your own little secret for your own little world. Once upon a time I remember only listening to those artists whose music made it onto the Top 10 list of some music chart. But in the past few decades, I have found myself becoming more and more distant from what is usually defined as Top 40 music. Too artificial. Too electronic. Less human. When you consider Pop Music to be just another cog in a world that is promoting "all things artificial", it all makes sense. Which I why I love coming across artists who still allow the natural to shine through their music without coming across as something manufactured for mass consumption.
Luedji Luna is yet another artist who I will be spending a little time to know. Of course, I had come across her name a few times over the past year but it wasn't until this week that I actually had the chance to sit back and listen to a few of her songs. I must say, her voice and music arrangements brought a little calm to one of the most hectic days of the past week. Add to this the discovery that she had recently been recognized with three nominations at the upcoming Caymmi Music Awards and I knew it was time to present her to my audience. For those who don't know, Dorival Caymmi (1914-2008) was a legendary singer/songwriter from the state of Bahia who was responsible for a number of well-known classics that have long been staples of the Brazilian music repertoire for decades. The spirit of Caymmi IS the spirit of Bahia and it is his name for whom the Bahian music "Oscars" is named. Congratulations to Luedji Luna! Don't know who she is? Check her out below!
Do you know the singer Luedji Luna? Believe this, you need to know her
Courtesy of TNM
Singer Luedji Luna
Luedji Luna is a woman, black, a singer and a composer. "Born in Cabula, raised in Brotas (Salvador, Bahia) and living in São Paulo," she responds promptly when asked where she comes from. Like someone who wants to make it clear where she went, walked, tried and learned. An artist is formed by a set of experiences. When life does not provide the need for changes and wanderings, beings who have been bitten by the mosquito of the arts are responsible for expressing this restlessness that is peculiar to all artists. This breed of infected – of which I am part – loves to walk around, experiencing, knowing, feeling.
When I said that you needed to know Luedji Luna, I was not joking. I'm not just talking about her face, color, and all the ways of an African queen, but also the voice and interpretation of this 28-year-old singer.
A highlight, in my simple opinion, for the song "Dentro Ali ". Music with the face of a cold and bucolic afternoon, when you are in your car, alone, looking for a place to have wine, wishing for a sunny Sunday beside your loved one. Don't note my semi-depressive reading for the song. Having to pull a little to the gray, maybe by loving this atmosphere.
In this song, which should already be playing on Nova Brasil FM, you can identify all the instruments, blending together in an absolutely harmonious and smooth way. A delightful trumpet solo closes the song bucolically. All perfectly in keeping with Luedji's sweet, gentle, and at the same time powerful voice.
With influences from Jazz and MPB, Luedji began her studies in music at the Bahian School of Popular Song of Professor Ana Paula Albuquerque, she participated in the "Alimacanta" workshop of essential song, which brings a holistic approach to singing, bringing together academic techniques with elements of Chi Kung and Yoga, taught by the Argentine singer and composer, Mariana Pereiro.
She was a member of Bando Cumatê, a collective that aims to research, disseminate and promote the traditional artistic manifestations of Brazilian culture. In 2011 she performed in recitals on the main stages of Salvador, and singing in bars in Rio Vermelho, the city's bohemian neighborhood.
She was winner of the regional stage of the Festival da Canção Francesa (French Song Festival), a realization of the Aliança Francesa (French Alliance) in 2013. In the same year she sang in the show "Ponto Negro em Tela Branca" (Black Spot on White Screen) by Director Kléia Maquenda.
She was a member of the group Uns Zanzotros, one of the bands participating in the tribute to the Novos Baianos realized by the site Jardim Elétrico in São Paulo, the show brought together names such as Cícero, A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade, Diogo Poças, Thamires Thanouss, Larissa Back, among other artists of the new generation.
In 2014, in a short season in the southeast of the country (Rio de Janeiro/São Paulo) she participated in Sarau Preto, an event organized by Mombaça Momba, a singer and composer from Rio de Janeiro, a partner of artists such as Mart'nália, the project seeks the meeting of Afro-Brazilian poets and composers, with the first objective of highlighting, extolling and revealing the literary-musical production of black composers. At that same opportunity, still in Rio de Janeiro, Luedji opened the show of singer-songwriter Teka Baluthy and her guests Késia Estácio and Juliana Diniz, in the project "Foco MPB".
Since 2015, living in São Paulo, she has participated in audiovisual projects such as Balcony TV, and more recently Sofar Sound. Last year she sang at the fashion event "Casa de Criadores" (house of creators), in the runway presentation of Bahian Isaac Silva.
The singer has performed in the capital's main music houses such as Puxadinho da Praça, Kabul Bar, Bourbon Street, and Café Piu-Piu where she performed her first show in the city: Um corpo no mundo, which has diáspora negra (black diaspora) as a stanza, also the theme of her first album, which will be produced by the Swedish singer Sebastina Notini, producer of Tiganá Santana's last two albums, and of the acclaimed Mama Kalunga, and also Bahian Virginia, Rodrigues, the release of which is scheduled for next year.
For anyone who (like me) does not want to wait until next year, you can get a good idea of what this woman is capable of, by clicking HERE and checking out her channel on SoundCloud. Do you know the singer Luedji Luna? Believe me, you need to know her!
Singer Luedji Luna is nominated 3 times for the Caymmi Music Award!
Courtesy of Portal Sotero Preta
Um corpo no mundo! Among the nominations of the second edition of the Prêmio Caymmi de Música (Caymmi Music Award) is the singer and composer from Bahia, Luedji Luna, who earned three nominations with her first work – completely authorial – Um corpo no mundo (meaning a 'body in the world'). The nominations were announced on Tuesday night (4) at the Teatro Gregorio de Mattos, and all expectation and rooting is now for the Awards Ceremony, scheduled for August 11th.
Luedji is nominated in the categories "Melhor Intérprete Feminino" (Best Female Performer) and "Revelação"(best new artist) and "Melhor Videoclipe" (Best Videoclip)" for "Um corpo no Mundo", which is also nominated in the technical category of Direction, with Joyce Prado. Luedji talked to us about this moment:
Portal SoteroPreta – Luedji, how did you get these nominations with your first work!?
Luedji Luna – It was a huge surprise and a confirmation of the paths at the same time. This nomination comes to me with the feeling that my choices and all my efforts make sense. It is a desired award, but only the fact that it was nominated, especially the nomination of Best Clip, which was a watershed in my career, and which was produced by a team composed of almost 100% black women, brings me much happiness. Recognition is important, indeed!
Portal SoteroPreta – What does this represent for you, a young black artist, militant, feminist, Afro-religious?
Luedji Luna – We must understand our right to have dreams!
Portal SoteroPreta – What are the plans now with everything that is happening?
Luedji Luna – Work, work, and work. In August I start the recording of the album, and I will concentrate on this process until October, when it should be released. The recording of two more clips is also planned for next year.
Good winds….
And more good news for Luedji and those whoever follows, loves, enjoys and shares her work: the CD Um corpo no mundo, which sought resources to be recorded through collective financing, was included in the Prêmio Nacional de Expressões Culturais Afro-Brasileiras (National Afro-Brazilian Cultural Expressions Award), in other words, it will be recorded as the singer desired! The night of the Caymmi Award will be in the Concha Acústica do TCA and the public will be able to participate through the sale of tickets. Until then, keep cheering!
Source: Todos Negros do Mundo, Portal Sotero Preta
Black Women of Brazil
Brazilian Music
Is Brazil the new blackface capital? White actor draws criticism after donning black makeup and "paying homage" to Godfather of Soul, James Brown
Black woman denounces attempt to kidnap her daughter; woman needed to prove she was her child's mother because the little girl looks white


After watching the videos below and reading about the Balanced Scorecard in Chapter 12, compare and contrast the Balanced Scorecard to one of the IT frameworks below (COBIT, ITIL, TOGAF, CMMI-Dev). Describe the context in which the Balanced Scorecard and the IT framework would be used. The paper should 3-4 pages in APA format, not counting the title and reference pages. Make sure you include in-text citations. Your paper should cite at least 3 peer-reviewed articles on IT governance frameworks. The rubric for this assignment can be viewed when clicking on the assignment link.
Use the resources below to help you with this week's assignment.
Read the Chapter 12 – "IT Strategy and Balanced Scorecard" (ppt ATTACHED) explains how the Balanced Scorecard can be used in IT strategies.
Video: The Balanced Scorecard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biyGxEix5Zs explains the Balanced Scorecard.
Video: Communicating Strategy with the Balanced Scorecard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM9SLX4icu0 explains the relationship between strategy and the Balanced Scorecard.
Video: Introduction to COBIT 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPvc5sKIwWA&feature=youtu.be introduces the COBIT 5 framework for management of enterprise IT.
Video: ITIL Fundamentals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqmkX_E1c1M&feature=youtu.be describes the ITIL framework for IT service management.
Video: What is TOGAF? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUbs5qK_YKQ&feature=youtu.be introduces a framework for developing and managing systems architectures.
is an introduction to the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) for systems development.
The following are examples of frameworks related to IT governance. You do not need to read the entire the framework–Use the PDFs below for background material for your research. The PDFs below can be referenced in your paper, but do not count as one of the peer-reviewed articles.
COBIT 5 Framework – (ATTACHED) This PDF describes the COBIT 5 (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies) framework for management of enterprise IT.
ITIL V3 – (ATTACHED) This PDF describes version 3 of the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) framework for IT service management.
TOGAF 9.1 -(ATTACHED) This PDF introduces The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAP) for systems architecture.
CMMI-Dev v1.3 – (ATTACHED) This PDF describes the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) for systems development.


Honda has often been unfairly pigeon-holed as a maker of cars for those closer to the retirement home than university, but you wouldn't think so when looking at the Honda Civic. Despite following the lead of VW and Ford by going for evolution rather than revolutionary looks, the Civic still stands out from almost anything else on the road today. The visor-like frontage is like something out of Star Trek and the hunched and sharp rear end ensures that the Civic catches the eye and offers a refreshing stand alone look in the market; if not an all-together pretty one.
As with all the Japanese car makers there is no arguing about the build quality of a Honda Civic. Instead, the only gripe is the level of refinement abounding when compared to the class-leading Golf and Focus as well as premium options from Audi, Mercedes and BMW. Over the years, the touch and feel has improved, but so has the competition. However, the Civics' interior is neatly driver-focused and easy to live with. Smart seating flexibility ensures that the cabin is spacious when you need to trade passengers for cargo, even if the standard leg room for passengers may not up to scratch in the class, it is still adequate.
Motorists demand that hatchbacks drive exceptionally well offering comfort and dynamism in equal measure. This is something that the Civic has struggled to balance; with many incarnations delivering driving verve through connected and sharp handling, but lacking ride refinement. Later versions have held back on the fun and drastically improved the ride comfort through suspension tweaks, but neither is perfect. So it is more about what you looking for whether you choose an older or newer Civic.
Refinement of the engines is at the pinnacle of what Honda is trying to achieve rather than pure performance. Still, the Civics' engine range is impressively powerful and will make you sit up and take note when you put your foot down. This is blended expertly with the economy and efficiency that Japanese car makers are famed for, but the sheer refinement is still where they excel.
The Honda Civic is by no means perfect however it does go a long way to winning both your head and your heart.


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Lock Collier ready to go again with Albion after pre-Christmas spell in hospital
DAN COLLIER is back in training with Plymouth Albion after recovering from a worrying infection in his hand.
The experienced lock ended up in hospital the week after Albion beat Loughborough Students on December 12 with the infection moving up his arm.
It was looking like Collier might need an operation but eventually the antibiotics started to work and the swelling went down.
The 31-year-old joined the rest of his team-mates on their return to training after a week off on Monday night and he is hoping to feature in this Saturday's match against Rosslyn Park.
Collier got the infection through a small cut at the base of his finger after helping Plymouth to a 34-27 win over Loughborough.
"I just woke up the Sunday morning and my hand felt really inflamed," said the lock.
"I went to the Cumberland Centre and they told me I might have an infection. They drew a line on me and said if the infection goes past the line to go to the hospital.
"I woke up the next morning and it was an inch bigger than it was and I was thinking 'this isn't very good'.
"It was my birthday so I left it until about 1am to go to the hospital as I knew it would be nice and quiet then and I basically got seen straight away. But they were like 'we've got to keep you over for the next three or four days'.
"If it wasn't going to get any better they said they would have to operate – cut it open and clean it out – but luckily it started going down the day after they said that."
Collier insists he is ready to go again now, with Albion about to begin the second half of their National One season.
"My hand is peeling from where all the swelling and infection was, but other than that I'm all good and ready to go again," said Collier.
However, Collier, like Ollie Dawe and Jake Murphy, who also missed the Hartpury College game through injury, may have a fight on their hands to get their places back after Albion's stunning 22-17 victory in Gloucestershire.
Hartpury had not lost at home in nearly a year, but Albion deservedly triumphed there.
"I was very pleased," said Collier. "It was a tough game as Hartpury have been doing really well, so it was a really good win for us.
"You want the young lads to step up if you are missing. They've done a job at the end of the day, so if they stay in the team congratulations to them."
Collier admits with the return of Jarrad Hayler from navy duties and the arrival of Sam Matavesi, Albion's back five forward options have increased.
"There's a lot more of a position battle now," admitted Collier, who said he would be training hard this week to try and give director of rugby Graham Dawe a major selection headache.
Ollie Dawe and Murphy also returned to training on Monday night, but James Penman, Tom Putt and Cameron Thompson remained on the sidelines.
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THERE IS nothing the American state of North Carolina can do, Elaine Riddick says, to make up for forcing her to be sterilised when she was 14 years old.
"They cut me open like I was a hog," the woman who now lives in Atlanta said at a meeting in Raleigh on June 29. which was held by a panel working to determine compensation for thousands of victims of the state's defunct eugenics program. "My heart bleeds every single day. I'm crushed. What can they do for me?"
Riddick, 57, was one of 13 people who spoke at the meeting, and one of nearly 3,000 living victims of the programme, which was closed in 1977, three years after the last sterilisation was performed, reports Associated Press.
The public hearing is part of a process unprecedented not just in North Carolina, but nationally. About a half dozen other states have joined North Carolina in apologising for past eugenics programs, but none of the others have put together a plan to compensate victims of involuntary sterilisation.
"It's hard for me to accept or understand or even try to figure out why these kinds of atrocious acts could be carried out in this country," said Gov. Beverly Perdue, who appointed the Eugenics Task Force that convened the June 29 hearing.
Womble initially sought payments of $50,000 for each victim, but said the state Industrial Commission, which pays claims from lawsuits and other matters, suggested $20,000 as a more realistic figure. The task force hasn't yet settled on an amount or type of compensation to recommend. It's scheduled to send a draft report to Perdue by August 1.
"It's still being said to my mother 47 years later," said Deborah Chesson, whose mother was sterilised in the 1960s after giving birth, and who was too ill to travel to the hearing. "You are still saying that she means nothing."
Lela Dunston was sterilised after giving birth to a son at 13. She wanted to have daughters one day, and mourns her inability to have children with her husband.
About 7,600 people were sterilised under North Carolina's eugenics program. Roughly 85 percent of the victims were women or girls. Unlike most states, North Carolina increased its sterilisations after World War II, despite associations between eugenics and Nazi Germany, which took eugenics to even more horrifying lengths. Around 70 percent of all North Carolina's sterilisations were performed after the war, peaking in the 1950s, according to state records.
In 2002, then-Gov. Mike Easley formally apologised for the programme.
Nationwide, there were more than 60,000 known victims of sterilisation schemes, with perhaps another 40,000 sterilised through 'unofficial' channels like hospitals or local health departments working on their own initiative. Eugenics was aimed at creating a better society by filtering out people considered undesirable, ranging from criminals to those imprecisely designated as 'feeble-minded'.
People as young as 10 in North Carolina were sterilised for not getting along with schoolmates, being promiscuous or running foul of local social workers or doctors. The state's law, which allowed such professionals to refer people to the state Eugenics Board for sterilisation, was more open-ended than similar statutes in other states, where people had to be jailed or institutionalised before they could be sterilised.
"Where did all this come from? This came from doctors, medical practitioners, professors, not guys in pickup trucks wearing white sheets," said Edwin Black, author of the eugenics history 'War Against the Weak'.
Black said financial compensation alone won't address the scope of the wrongdoing. He said states where sterilisation took place should also make additions to school curricula and erect public monuments to acknowledge what happened.
"You can't just write a cheque, you have to right the wrong," he said.


text:
31 Aug 2021 10:24 AM +00:00 UTC
Call of Duty: Vanguard Players Request Mini-Map Changes Following Alpha
Does Vanguard's mini-map need changing?
By Jon Nicholson
Following on from the worldwide reveal and gameplay trailers, the Champion Hill Alpha was the first time a small slice of the community got the chance to play Call of Duty: Vanguard for the very first time. The alpha enabled Sledgehammer Games to receive plenty of feedback on various elements of the game from players jumping into the brand-new game mode for the very first time.
So far, the developer has revealed that numerous changes will be made prior to the full release of the game, which is certainly positive news for those that could see enemy nameplates through walls during Champion Hill matches. Alongside the confirmed changes, many players are requesting changes to how Vanguard's mini-map functions.
Read More: Call of Duty: Vanguard: Everything You Need To Know
COD Vanguard Mini-Map Changes
Prior to the start of the alpha, rumours surrounding how the mini-map would work began to circulate, with many stating that it would work in the same fashion as it did back in 2019's Modern Warfare. The change wasn't particularly popular amongst the community, as players with unsuppressed weapons didn't appear on the map as red dots, a feature that has been present in every single Call of Duty title up until the reboot of Modern Warfare.
As players began loading into the alpha, it was clear to see that the mini-map functioned as it did back on Modern Warfare, much to the annoyance of players who quickly began to direct feedback to Sledgehammer Games.
Will The Vanguard Mini-Map Change?
It's unclear as to whether Sledgehammer Games will make changes to how Vanguard's mini-map works ahead of the beta and the full release on November 5th. It's clear that the developer is listening and already adjusting the game based on community feedback so there is a chance that it reverts the mini-map to its more popular variant.


It's up to Microsoft's new legal strategist, Brad Smith, to figure out how to keep the trustbusters happy while dealing with the aftereffects of the antitrust case.
"Case closed" are words every plaintiff attorney dreams about hearing--but not Brad Smith.
Microsoft's incoming general counsel is knuckling down for life under government supervision after the antitrust case his company lost at trial. A seven-judge appeals court subsequently found Microsoft guilty of eight separate violations.
Smith, who replaces William Neukom this summer, is preparing the Redmond, Wash.-based company for five years of government oversight as part of a November settlement with the Justice Department and nine of 18 states. That's assuming a federal judge approves the deal or nine non-settling states don't win stiffer sanctions after Microsoft returns to court on Monday.
He faces years of legal battles, as AOL Time Warner subsidiary Netscape, Be, Sun Microsystems and consumers sue Microsoft for damages related to its antitrust conviction.
CNET News.com recently caught up with Smith, who was busy preparing for the latest chapter in Microsoft's seemingly never-ending legal odyssey.
Q: When you look at the challenges ahead and assuming your new role, what are some of your priorities?
A: Job No. 1 is to see Microsoft's strong compliance with the new consent decree...The second priority is to strengthen the dialogue and relationship with the rest of the computing industry. I think it's fair to say one reason we had the antitrust challenge is because of the more general dynamic in the computing industry. The third priority is to build a more constructive and less controversial relationship with government officials and agencies. We can do the first things, and that will help with the third.
Why should people trust Microsoft to hold to the settlement?
First, I hope people will give us a chance to show what we can do. Second, I think it's fine people hold us to the type of standard that is set in this consent decree, as well as the standards we are setting for ourselves more generally. We are setting high expectations for ourselves. Third, I hope people will look at our actions and judge us by what we do, as well as by what we say. I hope that people will be objective and fair-minded, but at the end of the day we recognize we need to show what we can do. We need to walk the walk and take the kinds of actions that are going to win people's confidence. We are determined to do that.
Yes, but many people don't trust Microsoft's motivations. Don't you think it will be an uphill battle winning trust?
I tend to think about our challenges in various categories. On the one hand, I would be astounded if there is ever a day when (Sun Microsystems Chairman) Scott McNealy says anything nice about Microsoft or Sun's general counsel ever calls me and tells me we're doing a good job. There is a group of our competitors that has clearly decided that it is in their self-interest to keep antitrust issues alive as long as possible and always ask for more. Even if this decree had broken us up into separate companies, I feel confident the competitors would be arguing today that the pieces to which we were broken aren't small enough. They will never be happy.
Obviously, the consent decree is not in effect yet. How much of it are you trying to conform to now?
"There is a group of our competitors that has clearly decided that it is in their self-interest to keep antitrust issues alive as long as possible."
When Microsoft, the Justice Department and the settling states submitted the consent decree to the courts on Nov. 6, we undertook to comply with large parts of the decree within 45 days. There are parts of the decree that have separate timetables. For example, the technical disclosure timetable does not take effect for nine months or 12 months, depending on the provision, after the submission to the court. In other words, we have to comply with the technical disclosure obligations by either Aug. 6 or Nov. 6, 2002, depending on the provision.
We do not have to bring to market the new features in Windows, for example, until Nov. 6, 2002, or the release of Windows XP Service Pack 1--whichever comes first. We're aiming to get Windows XP Service Pack 1 to the market by late summer, so hopefully that will beat the Nov. 6 deadline by a substantial margin.
Could Microsoft's taking on more leadership and a more responsive role sooner have helped prevent some of the legal problems?
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. On the one hand, I don't know if we could have fundamentally avoided the issues of the last few years. That said, we've learned a lot from the experience of the last few years. We need to spend more time getting outside Redmond and spend more time in Silicon Valley and other places.
This is an important point, because Microsoft's success is built on relationships with hardware makers, software developers and computer dealers. Don't you think the right kind of communication and relationship could have prevented or at least lessened your antitrust problems?
I think it's an interesting point. I think it's sometimes been the perception that Microsoft is off doing things on its own. The reality is that we view ourselves as fundamentally tied to a broader PC ecosystem. We always appreciated that our success or failure was closely tied to the success or failure of the PC ecosystem as a whole...We are sensitive to the impact of our business on everyone else's. We also are very sensitive to the importance of their success to our own. We have not necessarily communicated that perhaps as well as we might have.
Earlier you said the antitrust case was essentially inevitable. Why?
There was an issue that was fundamentally important to us and I think a number of other companies as well. It was a principle we felt it was important to stand up for--basically the ability of any company to improve its products by integrating in new features. I think if the law were to tell companies that if for example, they have more than a 40 percent or 50 percent market share, they can no longer integrate new features into their products, we would have a result that would hurt a great many companies in our industry.
"We need to spend more time getting outside Redmond and spend more time in Silicon Valley and other places."
The nature of software is such that it tends to have a number of distinct market categories. Each market category tends to have one or two clear market leaders. So, an adverse result for us would have hurt not only Microsoft, but many other companies as well.
How do you think the consent decree will change Microsoft in terms of how you operate internally, how you relate to other companies, or how you develop products?
The consent decree requires some substantial changes to some very important parts of Microsoft's business. The decree has required a number of new steps throughout the company. The decree has led to changes in our contracts, is leading to some important modifications to Windows (and) it is requiring an unprecedented series of steps related to technical disclosure. Hopefully that technical disclosure will be of assistance to others in the industry, both companies that are creating so-called middleware features and companies in the server operating systems space.
How has this affected Microsoft's culture?
There are some aspects of Microsoft's long-standing culture that are of tremendous importance to retain. We feel we have succeeded, for example, because our employees are able to be creative--because we create an atmosphere where they can be entrepreneurial. We certainly strive to make processes where decisions can be made quickly...We have an opportunity for people to understand how our actions as a company affect other people, so we can be sensitive to those impacts.
Maybe you could give an example of a company cultural change?
We've developed an online certification tool as a company for use in the Windows division. This tool is designed to make sure decisions can be made quickly but also engender business discipline and a sense of accountability. Therefore, in the Windows division, when a new contract is executed, both the senior business manager and senior lawyer responsible for the transaction will have to certify online that the contract is in compliance with the consent decree. I think it's a good example of how our industry's own products can help create the kind of responsible accountability we need to have without slowing the down the pace of business and injecting layers of human bureaucrats into the process.
How does this affect customers?
We have been moving towards a more customer-focused kind of culture. If we can put customers in the center of the view of the world and put the rest of the industry in the context around customers, we can be more effective in designing products and working with others in a way that promotes our own business success as well.
It's time to use the "M" word. It's easy for people to say that because Microsoft is a monopoly there is no customer focus. What's your response to that?
I don't know anyone at Microsoft who believes we can afford to stop focusing on our customers. The history of the computing industry is a history of companies that have been extremely successful for a relatively short period of time. Even if you take the history of word processing, it's a history that so clearly goes from Wang to the IBM DisplayWrite to WordStar to WordPerfect before finally there was any success for Microsoft Word.
It's very easy for people sometimes to focus on the success a company has had. The real lesson is success in this industry is very fleeting. We have been very successful in my view, for a large part, because we have never taken success for granted. Some people have criticized us for being too paranoid. There is perhaps a reminder in this (antitrust) case we need to clearly remain focused on our responsibilities as a company with high market share. We obviously can err if we forget that. On the other hand, we can obviously err if we take success for granted.


"Great golf course. We loved playing here. Very professional people and pro shop. Would love to go there again."
Tee times can be made 7 days in advance of the desired tee time.
All Players are required to check-in at least 20 minutes prior tee time.
Hillcrest does not allow singles to reserve tee times. Singles should call the Golf Shop to inquire about "walk-on" availability.
To CANCEL a tee time, you must call the Golf Shop at (970)247-1499. Please cancel within 24 hours prior to the tee time.
Hillcrest Golf Club has a strict PACE OF PLAY policy. All groups are required to keep up with the group in front and play in 2 hours and 5 minutes or less per 9 holes.
Each player must have their own bag and set of clubs.
All Alcohol consumed at Hillcrest must be purchased through Hillcrest.


text:
Q: How can I query documents where a values match a parent object and child object? I'm new to Mongoose and I've been trying for days on how to solve this issue and I'm still having trouble.
My document object is below.
"person" : [
  {
    "title" : "front-end developer",
    "skills" : [
      {
        "name" : "js",
        "project" : "1",
      },
      {
        "name" : "CSS",
        "project" : "5",
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "title" : "software engineer",
    "skills" : [
      {
        "name" : "Java",
        "project" : "1",
      },
      {
        "name" : "c++",
        "project" : "5",
      }
    ]
  }
]

What I would like accomplish is to return all documents that have person.title = software engineer AND person.skills.name = c++. The skill c++ has to belong to the software engineer person object. So returning documents when a front-end developer has c++ is not ideal.
Here's what I've tried doing so far. The query works but it returns documents which meet either one of the conditions and not both.
var query = {
  _id: { $nin: [userID] },
    $and: [
      {person:  {
        $elemMatch: {
          name: {$regex: `^${titleName}$`, $options: "i"}
      }
    }},
    {[`person.skills`]:  {
      $elemMatch: {
        name: {$regex: `^${skillName}$`, $options: "i"}
      }
    }}
   ]
};

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A: You can try below query. Move the and condition inside the $elemMatch
var query = {
  "_id": {
    "$nin": [userID]
  },
  "person": {
    "$elemMatch": {
      "name":{$regex: `^${titleName}$`, $options: "i"},
      "skills.name": {$regex: `^${skillName}$`, $options: "i"}
    }
  }
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A cache is a local store of information (or munitions). Security researchers and practitioners have demonstrated that the trust relationship on which DNS relies is weak, and an attacker can inject false information into the local cache of a DNS resolver that's caching DNS response messages. By doing so, the attacker substitute domain name/IP address bindings of his choice for the legitimate ones in DNS reply messages. This is called "poisoning" the DNS, and poisoned name server databases can be used for a variety of attacks.
"Many security problems of the TCP/IP protocol suite rely on the ability of the attacker to spoof the IP address of a trusted machine, as described in [Bel89]. As hosts trust each other, usually on the basis of host names, an attacker can take the easier approach and spoof a host's name instead of its IP address.
"If a host named HA accesses another host named NSA, host NSA accepts the connection and retrieves address information about the connecting host HA. Host NSA reads host HA's IP address and converts it into a regular host name. To bind the right name to the IP address, host NSA starts a Domain Name System query in the reverse lookup tree.
"For a pair of machines NSB and HB under the power of an attacker, with NSB running a primary name server for a certain zone, and HB trying to fake HA's identity, it is easy to make NSA believe HB was HA. HB connects to NSA and claims to be HA, NSA retrieves HB's IP address 111.22.33.4 and queries the name 4.33.22.111.in-addr.arpa from the Domain Name System. One single entry in the authoritative data for the reverse lookup tree for NSB's zone specifes the IP address-to-name mapping between 4.33.22.111.in-addr.arpa and HB. If the attacker replaces this line by a mapping between 4.33.22.111.in-addr.arpa and HA, NSA's resolution attempt will finally grant HB access to NSA."
You can find a recent, decent read that explains current attacks against DNS cache (including the Birthday Attack) and recommended countermeasures at SecurityFocus.com. The article is DNS Cache Poisoning: The Next Generation, by Joe Stewart.
I wrote an article for WatchGuard Technologies on this subject, DNS Pharming: Someone's Poisoned the Water Hole!
In 2008, Dan Kaminsky discovered a flaw in the DNS protocol that could be exploited to poison the DNS cache on most name servers deployed at that time.
DNS OARC has a test you can run to check if your nameserver is vulnerable to this attack. DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) mitigate cache poisoning threats.