text:
Q: Discrete Fourier Transform interpreted in terms of sampling period I understand that $$X(k) = \sum_{n=0}^{N-1}x_ne^{-i2\pi \frac{k}{N} n}$$ and $$x(n) = \frac{1}{N}\sum_{k=0}^{N-1}X_k e^{i2\pi \frac{k}{N} n}$$ are the discrete Fourier transform and inverse discrete Fourier transform. How do I translate/interpret/apply these formulas in terms of sampling period and frequency. For example, if I sample $11$ times so that $N=11$, and 1.5 seconds is the sampling period. Then from what little I understand, I should be able to write something that resembles sort of like, (ignoring the sine terms), $$y(t)=A_1\cos(2\pi ft) + A_2\cos(2\pi(2f)t)+\ldots$$ where $y(0),y(1.5),y(2*1.5),\ldots, y(10*1.5)$ take on the values of those $11$ sampled values and $t$ is time in seconds, $f$ is some lowest frequency needed in the representation.
Now somehow using the inverse discrete Fourier transform $x(n)$ I'm suppose to be able to get at $y(n)$. However, everything in $X(k)$ and $x(n)$ is based around integers (i.e. $n$ and $k$ are integers). Whereas $y(t)$ deals with values like $t=1.5$ and $f$ that are not integers. Can someone show the baby steps to get from $x(n)$ to $y(t)$.

A: The discrete Fourier transform and its inverse do not include any specifications of the continuous-time signal (and its Fourier transform) from which the sample values are obtained.  The vector $(x(0), x(1), \ldots, x(N-1))$ can represent
sample values spaced $T$ seconds apart for your choice of $T$ and thus
the $y(t)$ that you seek cannot be determined until you specify $T$.
In your example, you chose $N=11$, $T = 1.5$ seconds and so you know the values of
$y(t)$ for $t = 0, 1.5, 3.0, \ldots, 15.0$.
Your signal $y(t)$ is unknown except for its values at $11$ points on the
time axis: $y(1.5n) = x(n), 0 \leq n < 11$.
Anything more that could be said about $y(t)$ depends on what
assumptions you are willing to make.  One common assumption is
that (for the case when $N$ is odd)

$y(t)$ can be represented on the interval $[0, NT] = [0,16.5]$
  by the finite Fourier series
  $$y(t) = \sum_{k=-(N-1)/2}^{(N-1)/2}
Y_k \exp(i 2\pi f_0 kt) $$
  where $f_0 = 1/NT$ Hz.

Note that this means that $y(t)$ has no frequencies higher than
$((N-1)/2)f_0 < Nf_0/2 = (2T)^{-1}$, that is, half the sampling
rate $T^{-1}$.
Now, the Fourier coefficients cannot be computed in the
usual manner as
$Y_k = \frac{1}{16.5}\int_{0}^{16.5}y(t)\exp(-i2\pi kf_0 t)
\,\mathrm dt$
because $y(t)$ is not known except at the sample points.
But, when $N = 11$,
$$\begin{align*}
y(nT) &= \sum_{k=-5}^{5}
Y_k \exp(i2\pi kf_0 nT) = \sum_{k=-5}^{5}
Y_k \exp(i 2\pi kn/11)\\
&= \sum_{k=0}^{5} Y_k \exp(i 2\pi kn/11)
+ \sum_{k=6}^{10} Y_{k-11} \exp(i 2\pi kn/11)\\
\text{But,}\qquad \qquad
y(nT) &= x(n)\\
&= \frac{1}{N} \sum_{k=0}^{11} X_k \exp(i 2\pi kn/11)
\end{align*}$$
and so we have that
$Y_k = \begin{cases}\frac{1}{N}X_k, & 0 \leq k \leq 5,\\
\frac{1}{N} X_{k+11}, & -5 \leq k < 0.\end{cases}$
So the Fourier coefficients can be determined from the
known values of the discrete Fourier transform.  Note that
I have discussed the case when $N$ is odd. When $N$ is
even, a slightly different calculation is used to
account for the relationship between $Y_{\pm N/2}$ and
$X_{N/2}$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Digital platforms, subscriptions and online channels.
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text:
Советский район — административный район в составе города Орёл.

История
19 сентября 1937 года вышло постановление ВЦИК об образовании Орловской области с центром в городе Орле. Как приложение к постановлению произведено так же административное деление территории самого нового областного центра с образованием в пределах исторически сложившихся городских границ 3 административных районов: Заводского, Железнодорожного и Советского (по данным Государственного архива Орловской области внутригородские районы в Орле образованы 26 мая 1938 года). В 1960 году Советский район также как и другие районы города был упразднён, а в 1963 году восстановлен.

Население

Примечания

Ссылки
 Советский район города Орла: память, история, настоящее

Районы Орла
Районы, образованные в 1938 году
Появились в 1938 году в России

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Previous Story Hands-on with Sony's new FE 20-70mm F4 G lens, a highly versatile, standard zoom that goes extra wide
Next Story Canon, Sony and OM Digital Solutions excel in Japan, per the BCN Awards
Apple announces M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro and new Mac mini
apple laptop mac mini macbook pro news notebook photo editing photography video
by Jeremy Gray
posted Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 12:00 PM EST
MacBook Pro notebooks are among the most popular computers for photographers and videographers alike for many reasons. While there are many fantastic Windows computers, macOS has long been the preferred choice for many creative professionals. When Apple launched its silicon chipsets, starting with the M1 chipset, Mac's popularity only improved thanks to the M-series chips delivering fantastic performance with high efficiency.
In late 2021, Apple launched all-new M1-powered 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models alongside improved M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. These machines brought Apple's larger MacBook Pro models back to basics, with MagSafe, an SD card slot and the death of the Touch Bar. Last summer, Apple unveiled its next chipset family, the M2, alongside a redesigned MacBook Air. The M2 is built using second-generation 5nm technology, and the base chip features 20 billion transistors and 20% improved performance over the M1. In October, the M2 chip then found its way into Apple's iPad Pro tablets.
Meanwhile, as the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iPad Pro models received M2 upgrades, the venerable 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models were left by the wayside. Well, no longer! Apple has announced upgraded professional laptops featuring new versions of the M2 chip, the M2 Pro and M2 Max.
M2 Pro and M2 Max chips announced
The M2 Pro and Max chips further improve the performance gains realized by the base M2 chip by adding more CPU and GPU cores and expanding the memory bandwidth. The M2 Max now supports up to 96GB of RAM, the most RAM we've seen on an Apple Silicon Mac laptop, eclipsing the 64GB cap of the M1 Max featured in the last-generation MacBook Pro. The M2 Pro supports up to 32GB of memory.
When it comes to cores, the M2 Pro features up to 12 CPU cores and 19 GPU cores, three more GPU cores than the M1 Pro. The M2 Pro features up to 20% faster CPU performance than the M1 Pro. Apple states that apps like Adobe Photoshop will run about 40% faster than the M1 Pro, thanks to overall performance gains.
The M2 Max is the world's most powerful notebook chip, per Apple. It includes 67 billion transistors, 10 billion more than the M1 Max. The M2 Max features the same 12-core CPU as the top-end M2 Pro chip but significantly expands the GPU performance thanks to a 38-core GPU with a larger L2 cache. The M2 Max's graphics performance is about 30% faster than the M1 Max's, allowing improved photo and video editing capabilities.
The M2 Pro and Max both include Apple's latest 16-core Neural Engine and hardware-accelerated video encoding. The M2 Max features two video encode engines and a pair of ProRes engines, promising even better video encoding performance than the M2 Pro, including with 4K and 8K ProRes video.
New 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are faster, more efficient and include HDMI 2.1
The new M2 Pro and Max chips are featured in new versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops. These notebooks look identical to the prior version, featuring the same case, keyboard, speakers, display, webcam and ports. However, there's a significant change to the built-in HDMI. The last-gen MacBook Pro has an HDMI 2.0 port, whereas the new models have an HDMI 2.1 port. That may sound like a small upgrade, but it's huge for users who work with external displays. The last-gen MacBook Pro could output a 4K image at only 60Hz. With HDMI 2.1, the notebooks can output to an 8K display at up to 60Hz or 4K displays at up to 240Hz. Wireless connectivity is better, too, thanks to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the 10-core CPU and 19-core GPU M2 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage starts at $1,999. The upgraded M2 Pro chip along with 1TB of storage, is $2,499. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Max (12-core CPU and 30-core GPU), 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage starts at $3,099.
The larger 16-inch MacBook Pro, which offers the longest battery life of any Mac notebook ever at 22 hours, starts at $2,499 with a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU M2 Pro chip. The base model has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The mid-tier trim is $200 more and ups the storage to 1TB. The top-end trim has an M2 Max chip (12-core CPU and 38-core GPU), 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD for $3,499. You can upgrade to 96GB of RAM for an additional $800 or fully kit out the M2 Max-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro for $6,499.
New Mac mini sports M2 and M2 Pro chips, starting at $599
Apple also updated its affordable Mac mini desktop with the M2 and M2 Pro, although the M2 Max isn't an option. The base model has the regular M2 chip and starts at $599 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The M2 Pro version starts at $1,299 and includes 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The M2 Pro version also differs from the M2 version by way of its ports. Each Mac mini model has an HDMI port, although the M2 Pro version has an HDMI 2.1 port rather than the HDMI 2.0 port on the base version. The M2 Pro Mac mini adds two more Thunderbolt 4 ports, bringing the total to 4. Each model includes a pair of USB-A ports, Gigabit ethernet and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
New Macs are available to order now, with shipping starting next week
All new Mac models are available to order now, with deliveries starting on January 24. For more information, visit Apple.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Location: Luzhou stands in the southeast of Sichuan Province, at the convergence of Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan and Guizhou. It is bordered by Chongqing and Chengdu in the east and the north. It also shares boundaries in the south with Guizhou Province and in the west with Yunnan Province. The distance from the city to Chongqing and Chengdu is 177 and 263 kilometers (109 and 163 miles), respectively.
Ancient Town of Yaoba: Located in the border area between Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces, the Ancient Town at Yaoba is about 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) from Luzhou, 27 kilometers (16.8 miles) from Chishui City and 37 kilometers (23 miles) from Hejiang County. This ancient town brings together the dense historical culture and folk-customs of the two provinces, so it is a characteristic historical town, a base for making films and a Holy Land of Buddhists in this area.
The richly historical town was a military stronghold and a prosperous marketplace in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In ancient times, it was an important crossroad between Sichuan Province and Guizhou Province. Carrying official letters to Chishui City, the couriers had to cross this town, so the Yaoba post-house was built by the government. All kinds of merchants who brought varied goods gathered here, so the bazaar was very prosperous and became known as 'Small Hong Kong'.
The town is rich in ancient architecture, such as the 1,000-meter (1,094 yards) long old street made from blue stones, the groups of antique folk houses, archway for Jinshi (former third degree candidate in the national civil service examination), Dahong Rice Store and Dongyue Temple. The group of folk houses enjoys the reputation as a living fossil of old residence in south Sichuan. They were built according to the terrain at different levels, but they stand in good order. The Dahong Rice Store is the benchmark building of this ancient town. It is a two-storied building with spacious courtyards, delicate carved railings with exquisite pavilions and elegant corridors. Standing at the center of this town, the Dongyue Temple was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and it is here that a temple fair is held on March 18th (the lunar calendar) every year.
With pleasant climate, luxuriant vegetation and beautiful scenery, the ancient town attracts many directors to make films and serial shows, making it become a well-known 'Film-Video City in Southern Sichuan'.
At Xiaoshi Passenger Station or Tuojiang Passenger Station, there are direct buses to Yaoba Ancient Town.
Fobao Scenic Spot: This scenic forest resort is located in Hejiang County. Within this scenic spot, are bamboo forests, waterfalls, crags, streams and caves. Especially striking is the harmonious contrast between the emerald forest and red Danxia landscape, making Fobao one of the most stunning scenic resorts of the city.
Luzhou Airport is the second largest airport in Sichuan. The airport is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) southwest of the city proper operating flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming and Guiyang.
In the city proper, there are seven long-distance bus stations in total. Along with these, bus stations in other areas also operate buses to big cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, or counties within the city. Luzhou is about three hours' drive from Chengdu and only one hour and a half to Chongqing.
Enjoying a subtropical humid climate, the city is warm in spring and autumn, hot in summer and cool in the winter. Due to topographic influence, Luzhou weather in southern part varies in different regions ranging from temperate climate to subtropical climate. Droughts and rainstorms may occur in summer. Visitors can come here at any time during the year, though the end of summer and early autumn are especially favorable for visiting.
History: Around the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), newcomers from Central China brought advanced techniques and civilization to this region, greatly promoting the development of the region's economy and culture. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the region became a vital communication hub in Southwest China, busy in vintage brewing and salt production. This period also saw a rapid growth and development in trading with ethnic minorities. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was a political, economical, martial and cultural center as the convergent area between Sichuan and the surrounding provinces.
Physical Features: This area lies at the transition area between the southern Sichuan Basin and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The terrain slopes downward from the south to the north. River valleys and hills make northern part a land of milk and honey. Its southern mountainous area boasts rich forest and mineral resources.
I am planning to visit Chishui and hope to get to either Leshan or Emeishan by bus or train from LZ. Is there any such connection or do I need to transfer in Chengdu? How long might it take, any idea about times and cost, please?
1. LZ to Leshan: Take the direct coach from LZ Bus Station to Leshan Passenger Transport Center. The bus schedules are 08:30, 09:20, 10:30, 11:10, 12:30, 13:00, 14:30, 15:20 and 16:00. The ticket fare is around CNY100/person. It takes around 3 hours on the way.
2. LZ to Emeishan: Take the direct coach from LZ Xiaoshi Bus Station. The bus schedules are 08:00 and 13:30. The duration is around 4 hours.
Train service from Kunming to Luzhou and time taken?
Well, no train runs between these two places until nowadays. Thus you are advised to take the direct long-distance bus from North Bus Station and arrive at LZ directly. The bus schedules are from 09:00, 12:00 and 18:00. The ticket fare is CNY 260 per person. The trip takes around 12 hours.
Which bus run from Luzhou to Chongqing in the evening and what's the fare?
You can take a bus to Chongqing from Passenger Transport Center near Southwest Commercial Trade City. The buses are available from 7:30 to 19:30 at an interval of 20 to 60 minutes. The trip takes about 2 to 3 hours. The fare is CNY 81.5 by the way.
Is there any bus operating between Kunming and Luzhou?
If yes, then when does it depart from Kunming? And from which bus stand.?
Yes, there are direct coaches to LZ from Kunming North Bus Station. The coaches are scheduled at 9:00, 12:00, and 18:00. The trip takes about 12 hours. The fare is CNY 320.
Are you absolutely sure regarding the fare?
Yes, the fare is CNY 320.


text:
Q: Flexbox - horizontal align - first item in the middle, second - left aligned

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Press Release: University of Leicester workers vote for campus demonstrations
The following was issued to news media outlets in Leicester on Wednesday 19 Febuary.
Tomorrow (February 20) lecturers, researchers and professional services staff at University of Leicester (members of the University and College Union) will walk out on the first of 14 days of strike action. They will be joined by colleagues at De Montfort, Loughborough and 71 other universities across the UK.
At a meeting last week, University of Leicester managers offered the union a deal. If strikers refrained from demonstrating on campus, then pay deductions would be spread over three months – an offer bosses described as "generous". The University's leadership also requested that employees report their strike action using HR's special online form.
Employers have previously agreed, without bribery, to deduct over a period of time and the union has fully complied with its legal reporting requirements.
Members of Leicester UCU – who were consulted via an electronic ballot – have now decisively rejected this deal.
Numerous members expressed their upset and shock at being called on to make such a choice, describing managers' offer as "ridiculous", "aggressive" and "punitive". One comment summed up the view of many: "Campuses belong to those who move around them not to those who are getting paid loads to manage them." Another respondent suggested this is an opportunity for University of Leicester's new vice-chancellor to show that he cares about staff; this respondent also promised to "buy in extra doughnuts" if campus demonstrations go ahead.
In previous strikes (in February and March 2018 and in November and December 2019) there have been lively pickets at all of the University's main entrances, followed by a lunchtime march around the campus, culminating in a rally outside the Fielding Johnson Building, where the VC and his team have their offices. Following Leicester UCU members' decision, this pattern looks set to continue over the next 3½ weeks.
Since the deal concerned strike reporting as well as campus disruption, the rejection of this deal by Leicester UCU members means that managers also now face the prospect of gathering, collating and processing up to 10,000 individual letters, emails, postcards and chits from employees, each one declaring they were on strike for a different day. Leicester UCU has prepared its own online system to help members report in this way.
There are several issues that UCU are in dispute over. They include pensions, pay, job security, workloads and the gender pay gap. Pay has fallen by almost 20% in real terms over the past decade, whilst staff are working harder and longer than ever before. By some counts half of all university employees are on casualised contracts, a situation replicated at University of Leicester. University of Leicester's gender pay gap is one of the worst in the country, with women paid 23% less than men on average in 2018/19.
For more on the disputes see https://www.ucu.org.uk/ or https://www.uculeicester.org.uk/ucu/.


Do Retirement Plans and Small Business Ownership Mix?
It's dangerous to own a small business. Financially dangerous, that is. If all the Americans who own small businesses were aiming for total financial security and a way to avoid too much responsibility, they would have chosen a different career path. But the rewards of building something from the ground up, totally owning it, and being your own boss more than make up for the risks.
Unfortunately, the reality is that you can't retire with only personal fulfillment in the bank. Many small business owners don't have any money set away for retirement, hoping instead that the business they own will pay for their life after they leave the workforce.
Most small business owners plan to sell the business and put that money in the bank. Others have a family business that they hope will be continued by the next generation, with some sort of dividends paid to them for their cost of living after work.
These straightforward plans might not survive first contact with the enemy, however. As any small business owner knows, setbacks can come out of nowhere. For example, many small business owners report that they would postpone their retirement if their business was not valuable enough to sell, or if the economy was bad. But what happens if you develop health issues a few years before you planned to retire? Millions of retirees leave the workforce earlier than they had planned to, not by choice, but because of poor health. Even if the health complications don't yield significant medical bills, they might make it impossible for you to continue to operate your business. At that point, delaying retirement is no longer an option.
Additionally, do you know how much you could truly sell your business for when you retire? Many business owners actually undervalue themselves when putting a valuation on their business. If, over the years, you don't commit a lot of time and energy to training others in how to run your business, the organization may not be able to exist without you. This concentration of knowledge and responsibility are understandable for a small business. But if that's the case with your business, then the business sans you is really only worth the value of the property and equipment you could sell off.
As any financial advisor would tell you, having all your eggs in one basket is not a good way to invest in your future. Your business, no matter how much you love it and dedicate yourself to it, is one basket. Having a 401(k) type retirement plan, even if you only invest small amounts in it over time, can ensure that you don't lose everything you've put away for life after work if your small business is unable to pay for your retirement.


Any time is a great time to refresh your day + live your best life. Whether you are wanting to make plans for the new year or to looking make a change part way through. These end of year review questions will help you gain clarity so you can focus on your best goals.
If you're new here, welcome. I'm Jacqui, a work-at-home-schooling mum. When I talk about setting goals + projects for the year ahead, it's not all formal + strict. This is about finding focus to do what matters most + live a life of purpose with those you love.
I will admit, I enjoy making plans. As long as I can remember I've set myself goals for different areas of my life. Some years I hit them, others not so much. What I have learnt is that the secret to making better goals, ones that don't leave you overwhelmed or anxious, is to look back on the year gone by. And that's what we're doing today.
Reflection is the secret to finding focus.
These end of year review questions will help you collect the information you need to connect to your best life. They will help you know what to focus on. We can't do it all + live a life that energises us.
Writing down our thoughts + plans helps us gain clarity. So if you're looking for some cute planner note pages, you're welcome to download these note pages free. Let's dive in!
First we're going to do a little check in to see how we're doing in the broader categories of our life. Of course you can add or delete any that don't apply. On a line numbered from 0 to 10 mark how satisfied you are in that area of your life right now. 0 means you're not satisfied at all, while a 10 means you're doing awesome!
Don't get stuck on the areas where things aren't as good as you'd like them to be. It's only when we acknowledge where things are at that we can make the changes we desire.
Take a moment + recognise the truth of your situation. These are the places where you can find new joy + areas for growth.
I find the change of seasons a challenge when it comes to exercise. I'm naturally an early riser and the winter months mess with my early morning walk. The cold air affects me so I decided to switch up my daily routine to ensure I still got the important things in.
It was my second year of consistent daily gratitude journalling. I grew in my approach as I changed from noting three in the morning, three in the evening + expand on one point, to picking one thing and writing at least 5 sentences about it. I enjoyed going deeper with why something was so valuable or how someone was a blessing to me. I'm more mindful of my thoughts. And that has helped to make better choices. You're welcome to take the 5 for 2 Gratitude Challenge + see what it does for you.
While we are in a good place financially, I really got our of routine with keeping the accounts up to date this year. Having a habit of putting off what isn't exciting, although necessary, is something I'm changing in the new year. One thing that I didn't plan for was the slow conversion from paper bills + statement to receiving them electronically. My processes need an update.
I love to count my blessings. Cultivating gratitude has literally changed my life, from the inside out. It's helped me be more aware of my thoughts + the good things that happen in my life. But I also know that not being real about where things are at stops us from getting to where we long to be.
I always remember a saying of Dr Phil's, "You can't change what you don't acknowledge". This one quote helps me to face the not so good when I'd rather ignore it.
It's as we look to the past, noting the good + the not so good, that we find what we need to move forward + create a life we love to live. It's the easiest way I've found to do more of what works + less of what doesn't.
So leave nothing hidden, go all in!
# Tip : You may want to look to your journal, calendar, planner, photos, memory keeping projects and even your bank statements for inspiration on what filled your life for the past year.
What did you make progress on?
What outstanding goals, unfinished business or projects did you have?
Why do you think you didn't achieve them?
How did you hold yourself back?
What are you glad you spent money on?
What are you glad you spent time doing?
How can you better manage your energy?
What were the top 3 lessons you learnt?
Looking back what were your top 3 values?
Are there things you should you let go of?
What word would describe your past year?
What I'm glad we spent money on?
Our caravan. It's become a symbol of rest, purpose + gratitude. Taking time out of our usual routine at home has kept us refreshed + energised as a family. It's given us time to spend together, doing things we enjoy. Part of living a good life is having time for play. And our caravan has helped us learn to take time out of the doing + find rest.
Creativity – I created a creative bible study for planner lovers that was also a cumulation of what I learnt about the value of gratitude + thankfulness.
Change – My one word for the past year took me on an incredible journey of change. You can read more about it here. Looking back I can see that it was also preparing me for what I want to achieve.
Learning – I spent time + money on learning about business + life. Learning from others is something I value greatly. I appreciate others sharing what they know + have experienced.
Tony Crabbe has a great section in his book "Busy – How to Thrive in a world of Too Much" about finding your values. Defining your values helps you make choices aligned to living your best life.
As you develop the habit of reflection you'll easily see + be able to celebrate your progress.
So take your time as you answer the questions that relate to you. It's about progress not perfection! As you answer these questions you'll gain tremendous clarity about where you are + where you want to be.
The next steps will connect you with a plan to make your goals a reality, so that can live a life you love. See you soon for more planning goodness!
If I could pick a fourth value for every year it would be giving. So I've gathered up a selection of printable + digi craft supplies from in store to help you create an awesome year ahead.
BONUS: One person who comments on both their Check In + Going Deeper answers in the comments below will receive the complete bundle of digital goodies.
:: Giveaway closes 31 January 2017.
Share: a little or much of your answers to both the Check In + Going Deeper questions in the comments below to win the complete bundle of digital goodies listed above!
Friends – 9 – I made weekly plans with a friend along with getting together with others over dinner at least once a month.
Faith – 6 – My one word for the year was direction. I wanted to be better at asking God for direction in the decisions that I make, I didn't do as well as I had hoped.
Finances – 2 – I made late payments and overspent my budget multiple times.
Environment – 9 – I got a bunch of things hung up on my walls and my house clean – all because I had a party for Christmas at my house – such great motivation!
What did you make progress on? – I am a teacher and I purged lots of papers, activities and books that I have been collecting over the years. I gave them to my student teacher – he was happy!
What are you glad you spent time doing? – I read a lot of blogs, self help ebooks and take a lot of online courses and I've been able to use this information not only to better my own life, but I've shared this information in a little blurb I write for my district's monthly PreK newsletter.
My word of the year is "LESS" and I'm thinking it's a good fit. I've used your planner pages to help me keep track of things so I know when to say that I cannot do something. Thanks!
Thank you for this pretty and colourful planner! I like your works so much!
Thank you Zaure 🙂 You made my day!
Melanie, you're so right, time spent with family is a great way to invest our time. I've been making more of an effort to stop and make eye contact when someone talking to me. It's so easy to say yes while our eyes are on our screen. It's also a good way to add more play into your days.
I really like this approach. My Mental & Physical health I think I need to take on individually- Mental I'm at about a 7 but physical I'd put a 5. I really struggle with getting (and staying) on a routine for exercise, but I've finally found some that I really enjoy, so it's getting better.
I am actually pretty excited to see what I can accomplish this year, versus last year- so I'll be keeping my end of year review questions and answers tacked to the wall of my desk so I can take them out and read them every so often and take stock to see where I'm at.
I might just make a binder for them so I can really compare year to year.
Dee I find it so helpful too. Keeping them each year is a super easy way to do a bit of memory keeping, to recognise any patterns that may need a bit of extra special attention + of course to celebrate the successes!
I've never been much of a resolution maker or goal setter. I have had many ideas and thoughts and wishes of things I wanted to accomplish or improve, but I never wrote them down. If I wrote them down I would have to be accountable to myself for not fulfilling anything. Now, as my life enters my golden years, I find it has become very important to me to be more proactive in my life. I want to leave a legacy behind for my children and my grandchildren. I want to leave my struggles and accomplishments, my dreams and my realizations, my hits and my misses for them to know the person I was. But more importantly I want them to know that it's okay if you don't succeed the first time and the real win is in trying and if you stick with it and follow the plan you set for yourself you will eventually succeed.
The questions for the Check In and Going Deeper reviews have profoundly influenced my decision to be more accountable and to write things down and assess the progress I make, or the lack of progress. I think this is essential to succeeding at reaching my goals and living my dreams. I only get one chance to live my best life and there's no time like now to start!!
Fran that is such a great message to pass on to your children + grandchildren. There's nothing secret about succeeding with your goals, just take consistent action on your plan.
Wow I love the idea of the check in using a "rating system". This was a great mindful activity and not to mention the printable is so cute! Moment of gratitude: I'm so thankful for all of the amazing opportunities brought my way in 2016, and can't wait to see what 2017 has in store.
I'm with you Khayla. 2017 is going to be awesome, simply because we've been mindful about what we want to spent our time on.
What are your favourite memories? Watching my daughter compete on a horse she rescued.
What did you make progress on? My health, family health.
What outstanding goals, unfinished business or projects did you have? Holy moly……..
How did you overcome them? eat better, allow time to grieve.
What drained your energy? road blocks, you can't this x until y is done….
What word would describe your past year? massive!
Denise the note about your daughter made me think of Heartland (tv show).
I really want to get organized this year. Not just my calendar, but I think that is the easiest place to start. But also managing paper, clutter, the house. and of course the calendar.
Vandana organising your calendar is the perfect place to start 🙂 It makes it easier to schedule those other things we want to organise!
I hope this is the year I am successful at being organized.
Pretty much all of my Check-Ins are at 0. I've become very overwhelmed and incredibly disorganized ever since my 2nd child was born. I've not been able to recapture the DESIRE to do better.
Going a little deeper: The main thing I learned about myself is that I'm very dissatisfied with myself and my current situation in life. The only things that I'm glad I spent time doing were volunteering and getting closer to my teenage daughter. I need a major kick in the rear from God, myself, and everyone around me!
Chris consider this a virtual hug. I'm glad you are celebrating the places where you invested your time well. Remember just pick one thing at a time on those things you want to work on. All the best for an amazing 2017!
•	daily habits – 5 – At work I get what I need to get done, done, but fail at other things, like skipping meals….really trying to stop that bad habit. At home I procrastinate too much and don't accomplish all I've set out to do and usually end up scrambling on Sunday to get everything done before I have to go back to work on Monday and start all over again.
•	Family – 7 – The summers are great, my son and his family come over often to swim, grill and hang out, but not so much during the fall/winter. I do try to visit and hangout with other family members during those times.
•	Friends – 0 – I have no friends; I have LOTS of cousins and other extended family members who are also my friends. I have co-workers, but we don't socialize. I basically just work and go home, then repeat.
•	finances – 7 – I'm not doing bad for myself, but could be doing better. I'm definitely better off than some I know and not as good as others.
•	Play – 0 – I do not play; I am so busy paying bills so that I can retire and have no money left for fun stuff (i.e., vacations).
•	Environment – 10 – I love where I live (not the neighborhood so much, but the location); it's a beautiful place to grow up and live. We have LOTS of forest lands, 1st magnitude springs, nature trails and so much more. I live in a modest house and have been working to make it a place that I can enjoy for the rest of my days.
•	What are your favourite memories? Spending time with family….they always make me laugh.
•	What felt successful? Getting most of the home renovations done.
•	Where was money wasted? I know, but can't say.
•	What were the top 3 lessons you learnt? Life is short; I need to give others more responsibility; and family/friends are the best!!
•	faith 6. I do not go to church every Sunday, and sometimes I feel like I need to talk to him.
•	mental + physical health 4. I did not exercise in 2016, and I have many pains, … I live stressed because I do not like to go out a lot, because of the money concern.
•	work 8. I like my job, but I want to make more money.
•	play 0. I do not play with my children, by attend the house, study the university and my work, I hardly have the time, perhaps I need help to organize me, as my eldest son tells me.
•	What are your favourite memories? Celebrate for the first time the birthday of my mother with the whole family reunited, except my father who died in November 2015.
•	What were the top 3 lessons you learnt?
1.	Do not waste time on unimportant things like watching television.
2.	Take advantage of my daughter's childhood.
3.	I work to attract more income to my home.What did you learn about yourself?
Thanks to everyone who entered but even more so to everyone who joined in the goal setting exercises. I know your year is going to be all the better for the time you invested!
Thank you for sharing such much needed content for us.
Somehow they help me to take a path to my life.
What word would describe your past year? amazing!
Jen I enjoyed checking out your site! Congratulations on what you've done so far. I'd love to chat biz with you 🙂 And don't be afraid to create your products, we need them!


Week 15, I discovered, was the week that everything is due. As I've already perfected my Portfolio, I've turned in my presentation video, and I am finishing up this last journal entry, I must say, I did not enjoy this at all. However, I don't have to enjoy it to appreciate that I now have this comprehensive portfolio. I got sick and tired of the website not doing what it's supposed to, I hated all the vague instructions in the syllabus that resulted in me having points marked off for something that wasn't even clarified, and I'm still kind of bitchy about having to pay for a domain and paid account. I know it's more professional, but I make like $70 a week working part time minimum wage and that cost more than half a weeks paycheck, meaning I had to choose between gas and food for a few days.
But, it's done now, and you guys can enjoy the fruits of my labor… all 1 person who will read this probably. If that. Oh well.


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Useful and flexible horizontal thumbnail scroller menu with reflection and advanced effects. A must-have !
3-d landscape generator with a sea-level using fractals.


T'es où ? (Where are you?) is the contraction of tu es où ?. In spoken French, the pronoun te is often contracted when used in front of words with vowel sounds. Note that this is informal!
Still having difficulties with 'T'es ou' Want to improve your French? Test our online French lessons and receive a free level assessment!
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text:
Keir Hardie gives a speech in Trafalgar Square, London, 2 August 1914, (1933). Creator: Unknown
Keir Hardie speaking at a peace rally in Trafalgar Square, London, 2 August 1914, (1933). James Keir Hardie (1856-1915) was a Scottish trade unionist and founder member of the Labour Party... Read more
Keir Hardie speaking at a peace rally in Trafalgar Square, London, 2 August 1914, (1933). James Keir Hardie (1856-1915) was a Scottish trade unionist and founder member of the Labour Party. As well as championing wokers rights, he was also a prominent supporter of the suffragettes campaign for votes for women. A pacifist, Hardie was vehemently opposed to the First World War and unsuccessfully attempted, in collaboration with socialists in other countries, to organise a general strike to stop the conflict. He spoke against the war at demonstrations across Britain and supported the stance of conscientious objectors. Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August and entered the First World War. From " The Pageant of the Century". [Odhams Press Ltd, 1933]
Anti War Crowd Crowds Demo Demonstration Hats Henry E Henry E White Henry Ewhite Meeting Odhams Press Ltd Peace Pointing Political Event Rally Speaking Speech Square Straw Boater Trafalgar Square Westminster London England White Henry E


text:
Monitor News Desk·
· 2 months ago ·1 min read·0
Hope GDP will be positive in next quarter: Amit Shah
Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said he hopes the GDP will be back to positive territory in the next quarter, after two consecutive quarters of contraction.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi worked hard for the economic recovery and had also announced a package after the crisis due to coronavirus," Shah said after inaugurating two road over-bridges in Ahmedabad through virtual mode.
"As prime minister, Narendrabhai used the time of COVID-19 pandemic to visualise policy-making, keeping in mind its long-term impact on the economy," Shah said.
"Without wasting a second, he worked on reforms in many areas like farm sector, electricity, industrial policy, to create a system to maintain the pace of development," he said.
"Towards this end, he offered a package of Rs 20 lakh crore for the welfare of poor people and to give pace to the economy," he said.
"As a result, in terms of the recent GDP figure, we are only six per cent behind…and I hope that in the next quarter,the GDP will be in plus (positive)," Shah said.
The gross domestic product (GDP) had contracted by a record 23.9 per cent in the first quarter (April-June) of the 2020-21 fiscal as the coronavirus lockdown pummelled economic activity.
The country's economy recovered faster than expected in the July-September quarter as a pick-up in manufacturing helped GDP clock a lower contraction of 7.5 per cent, according to official data released recently.
Dial-a-Doctor: From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, 350 top NRK specialists available on call
Higher Education Department signs MoUs for up-skilling of J&K Youth
JEE Main 2021-22: Eligibility criteria of 75% marks in Class 12 board exams waived off
Sajad Lone led PC pulls out of Gupkar Alliance over 'proxy candidates'


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ชุด Speed ได้รับลายเซ็นของ VICTOR เสมอ สิ่งที่เราสามารถคาดหวังได้จากรุ่นต่อไปของแร็พความเร็ว? คำตอบคือ ARS-90S - ไม้ขีดไฟความเร็วสูงสุดพร้อมกับกรอบ DYNAMIC-SWORD, หัวน้ำหนักเบาและเพลายืดหยุ่น ตอนนี้ลองมามองดูสิ!
These things always happen to doubles games: The return shot is not fast enough and gets blocked with a net shot from the opponent, or the lack of power results in weak return shots and losing points. To avoid the problems, the Whipping Enhancement System (WES) is introduced to ARS-90S to enhance racket-head acceleration for both attack and defense. The upgraded DYNAMIC SWORD frame is also designed with a larger head size to enable fast, crisp, and easy swings. Controlling the pace of the game has never been easier. The ultimate speed performance appeals to many doubles players such as Goh V Shem from Malaysia, as well as Lee Yang and Hsu Ya Ching from Taiwan.
Racket frames have never stopped evolving. Among all the speed-oriented rackets in the market, the BRAVE SWORD series from VICTOR is the most talked-about one. ARS-90S inherits the DYNAMIC-SWORD frame structure from BRAVE SWORD series and further makes adjustment to the sword structure in different directions. Now the swings can be faster, downward shot is more effortless, and the overall controlling is much easier.
เพลาที่ออกแบบด้วย WES และ DYNAMIC-SWORD ทำให้ ARS-90S เป็นหุ้นส่วนที่ยอดเยี่ยมสำหรับเกมที่รวดเร็ว ไม่ว่าจะเป็นไดรฟ์ที่ชัดเจนหรือเล่นเน็ต ARS-90S สามารถทำให้มันเร็วขึ้นกว่าที่เคย การตีแต่ละครั้งก็เหมือนกับดาวหางที่มีมุมที่ยุ่งยาก - ไม่มีใครสามารถหยุดได้!


text:
The Light of the World
Essays and Edited
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Appoints Distinguished Writer, Poet, Scholar, and Arts Advocate Elizabeth Alexander as President
Elizabeth Alexander – poet, educator, memoirist, scholar, and cultural advocate – is president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the nation's largest funder in arts and culture, and humanities in higher education. Dr. Alexander has held distinguished professorships at Smith College, Columbia University, and Yale University, where she taught for 15 years and chaired the African American Studies Department. She is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, serves on the Pulitzer Prize Board, and co-designed the Art for Justice Fund. Notably, Alexander composed and delivered "Praise Song for the Day" for the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009, and is author or co-author of fourteen books. Her book of poems, American Sublime, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2006, and her memoir, The Light of the World, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography in 2015.
Photo: Alpha Smoot
To Purchase, Click on Image Above
WATCH MRS. OBAMA AND ELIZABETH ALEXANDER IN CONVERSATION AT THE FIRST OBAMA FOUNDATION SUMMIT
NYTimes: Sheryl Sandberg and Elizabeth Alexander on Love, Loss and What Comes Next
Vogue: Female Artists That Have Shaped the Cultural Landscape


text:
Official site | news, music, tour dates & more.
ORDER SINNER
Hall of the Mountain King Reviews The Art of Malice
It's almost insane how quickly this record goes from crushingly heavy to groove to twang, yet somehow it all flows. "The Art of Malice" proves John 5 to be as much a shredder as any of the guys that came out of the style's 1980s heyday, but also a bit of a mad scientist, stitching together seemingly incongruous elements into an imposing Frankenstein monster.
Post author By Team John 5
Review: John 5, "The Art of Malice": http://www.mountainkingmusic.com/2010/05/review-john-5-art-of-malice.html
To be honest, I've been over the guitar god shred instrumental album for a long time now, but in recent years, I've become more and more impressed with the work of John 5 every time he pops up somewhere. That interest was enough to get me to give his new record "The Art of Malice" a shot.
Granted, there's a lot of showy shredding here, as on any instrumental guitar record, but by and large the songs here are actual songs, not just a conveyance for John 5 to pack as many notes as possible into. Like any good tune, the songs here follow progressions and have solid hooks, albeit musical ones rather than vocal ones.
Another thing that strikes me about this record is the great variety of moods and styles that clash here. There are rhythms and grooves on the record that just put a smile on your face, and there are reflective, melancholy moments. The genres represented pretty much run the gamut from old-fashioned down-home country to charging, bashing metal. Of course, what else would you expect from a guy that's played for both Marilyn Manson and K.D. Lang?
"The Art of Malice" rocks straight out of the box with the catchy "The Nightmare Unravels," which features the expected fast sweeping lead work. Then, the title track pulls in a little Spanish influence and the country twang from his Telecaster. It sounds a little like Roy Clark dabbling in Latin sounds. There's definitely influence of guitar virtuosos who came before, particularly Joe Satriani on the high energy "Ill Will or Spite" and the crazy groove of "Ya Dig," which blends elements of blues rock and country in a driving, high-octane shuffle.
There are plenty of those heavy rocking numbers here, including the big traditional metal riffing of "Wayne County Killer," a personal favorite of mine. But, despite the cliché of the phrase, there really is something here for everyone. "J.W." delivers a rockabilly boogie. "Can I Live Again" begins with a dark southern rock feel, reminiscent of "Floyd," which he wrote with Lynyrd Skynyrd, and then moves into some soaring movie soundtrack-ish leads. "Steel Guitar Rag" is pretty much what the title says, with some wild old school country picking at the end. "Portrayed as Unremorseful" brings funk rock into the picture. "Fractured Mirror" is a trippy progressive number.
Album closer "The Last Page Turned" wows with an acoustic. It's particularly striking coming at the end of a record that's been all about shred, but John 5 proves with it that he's just as good without electricity.
Get "The Art of Malice."
Tags John 5, Review, The Art of Malice
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text:
Bringing the left back : radical performances of dissent from the remains of ex-Yugoslavia
Jestrovic, Silvija (2019) Bringing the left back : radical performances of dissent from the remains of ex-Yugoslavia. Studies in Theatre and Performance, 39 (3). doi:10.1080/14682761.2019.1654308 (In Press)
WRAP-bringing-left back-radical-performances-dissent-remains-ex-Yugoslavia-Jestrovic-2019.pdf - Accepted Version
Embargoed item. Restricted access to Repository staff only until 14 February 2021. Contact author directly, specifying your specific needs. - Requires a PDF viewer.
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/14682761.2019.1654308
This essay focuses on the leftist cultural expressions that emerged from excavations of the legacy of socialist Yugoslavia. It proposes the notion of the worksites of the Left as a critical lens through which to re-examine the socio-political dissent in the region and the emerging of the Leftist public discourse. The essay turns to Etienne Balibar's concept of the worksites of democracy, Janelle Reinelt's transposition of the concept to the context of theatre and Alain Badiou's notion of Event to map the parameters of worksites of the Left pertinent to the given contexts and its manifestations of discontent both through various public protests and through theatre. The essay focuses on two theatrical performances 'Born in YU '(2010) and 'Our Violence, Your Violence' (2016) to examine how theatre operates as a worksite not only through its subject-matters and modes of its representation, but also through a degree of unpredictability inherent in the theatrical event. The essay argues that theatre is a unique worksite in its capacity to generate subsequent worksites, looking at 'Do you Remember Yugoslavia?' roundtable discussion that emerged from the 'Born in YU' performance; and numerous public and media debates, sparked form 'Our Violence, Your Violence'.
P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
Faculty of Arts > Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies > Centre for Cultural Policy Studies
Faculty of Arts > Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies
Theater, Citizenship -- Europe, Political rights -- Europe, Theater and society, Experimental theater
Studies in Theatre and Performance
14 August 2019 Available
6 August 2019 Accepted
10.1080/14682761.2019.1654308
Publication Status:
Restricted or Subscription Access
Grant number:
R.THAA.3040
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant ID
RIOXX Funder Name
Funder ID
R.THAA.3040 British Academy http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000286


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text:
Islamic State Captures Ancient Syrian City
An Iraqi soldier carries a girl displaced by fighting in Ramadi across a bridge at the outskirts of Baghdad, May 19, 2015.
Islamic State apparently has captured the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, raising fears of another wave of destruction of irreplaceable Muslim cultural treasures.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Syrian forces had withdrawn from nearly the entire city by late Wednesday after heavy fighting with the militants in the city's north.
Palmyra's 2,000-year-old ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Syrian antiquities director Maamoun Abdulkarim said hundreds of statues have been removed from the city and are all now in safe places.
Palmyra, Syria
But there are other pieces and large monuments that cannot be moved. Syrian and U.N. officials are appealing to the world to help protect these sites from Islamic State militants, who destroyed ancient artifacts inside Iraq earlier this year.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Wednesday U.S. officials are concerned and hope the Palmyra sites are not damaged. But she said she is unsure what more can be done at this point.
Capture of Ramadi
The siege of Palmyra comes just days after Islamic State fighters captured Iraq's western city of Ramadi.
President Barack Obama has reaffirmed the U.S. government's support for Iraq's prime minister and the decision to plan an operation to retake control of the city, as Iraqi forces and Shi'ite militias surround the western city for a potential recapture.
The troops and militias have had prior success in recapturing Tikrit, but Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said Tuesday that taking back Ramadi is more challenging given that Iraqi forces abandoned a vast array of American military equipment when they fled the city.
A senior State Department official Wednesday echoed that sentiment.
"It is a very serious situation. Nobody is kidding themselves about what ISIL was able to pull off last week," the official told reporters. "We have been working to consolidate the units that retreated from Ramadi and we think that over the last 96 hours, there has been a consolidation, which is positive."
Counter-attack in works
The official said the U.S. has been working "around the clock" with Iraqis to hold their lines, consolidate and think about how to counter-attack.
Meanwhile, Ben Connable, a regional analyst at RAND Corporation, told VOA on Wednesday that leaving behind the tanks, personnel carriers and artillery made the situation "much worse."
"That's exactly how the Islamic State acquires most of it's equipment. It also is a one-for-one tradeoff – clearly the Iraqi security forces are now that much weaker because they don't have that equipment, Connable said.
"It wasn't all that clear in the first place whether or not they were capable of using it or maintaining it, but the fact that it is now in the hands of the Islamic State is extremely troubling," he added.
Islamic State fighters seized Ramadi on Sunday after several days of fighting that authorities said left 500 people dead.
Potential operation
Since then, the routed Iraqi troops have retreated east of the city, while militias answered the call of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to join the government forces and mass near Ramadi in preparation for a potential operation.
Connable said the militias will face the challenge of not knowing the terrain in Ramadi well, and that pro-government forces will need to launch their campaign soon.
"They need to move in quickly if they're going to move in. They need to ensure that they are able to penetrate deep enough into the city to obtain a foothold before the Islamic State is able to plant improvised explosive devices around the city as they did in Tikrit and as they have done in Mosul," he said.
The Islamic State group's takeover of Ramadi has led to sharp criticism of Obama's policy in the Iraqi conflict, which includes airstrikes on the insurgents, but no commitment of U.S. ground troops to assist the Iraqis.
"The president's plan isn't working," said House Speaker John Boehner, leader of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. "It's time for him to come up with overarching strategy to defeat the ongoing terrorist threat."
But White House spokesman Josh Earnest blamed Congress for not giving Obama the new military authorization he asked for to wage war against the Islamic State.
"At some point, somebody in Congress needs to assume responsibility for this and not just complain about it the whole time," Earnest said.
Pentagon spokesman Warren said there is plenty of blame for the Islamic State capture of Ramadi.
"The fall of Ramadi was a failure of a lot of things," Warren said. "Leadership being one of them, tactics being one of them. War is a fluid thing. The enemy does get a vote."
Pam Dockins contributed to this report from the State Department.
US Supports Ramadi Offensive; Concedes 'It Will Be Difficult'
U.S. President Barack Obama has "reaffirmed the strong U.S. support'' for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and for a new offensive by paramilitary forces to recapture the Iraqi city of Ramadi from Islamic State insurgents.The president's declaration came during a meeting Tuesday with top security advisers to discuss the situation in Iraq after the fall of Ramadi to the Islamic State militants.Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said the attempt to reclaim the…
Iraqi PM's Use of Shi'ite Militias in Ramadi Seen as Risky
Just last month Shi'ite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited the Habbaniya military base in Iraq's Sunni heartland hoping to fire up pro-government fighters seen as critical in the battle against Islamic State militants. But the group's seizure of provincial capital Ramadi in Anbar has forced the man once seen as the best hope for healing sectarian divisions to try perhaps the most perilous approach – deploying Shi'ite militias long seen as a…
Analysts Say Loss of Ramadi Shows Inherent Iraqi Army Weakness
Analysts say the fall of the Iraqi city of Ramadi to Islamic State insurgents has again demonstrated inherent weaknesses in the Iraqi army. Iraqi government military and security forces fled Ramadi Sunday, the capital of Anbar Province, in the face of an IS onslaught. Left behind for the terrorists was a trove of weapons, artillery, vehicles and other gear, just like when IS captured Mosul last June. To analyst Gareth Stansfield, at the Royal United…
By Jeffrey Young
In Ramadi's Wake, No Hint of New US Strategy
Analysts raise questions about White House policy; Pentagon acknowledges equipment fell into enemy hands
By Luis Ramirez
VOA News
Shoura - An Experiment in Reconciliation in Post-Islamic State Iraq
VOA News About Iran


NAIROBI, May 10: Up to 80 people have been killed in three days of fighting in the latest flare-up between rival militias in Mogadishu, witnesses said today, but a ceasefire declared late yesterday appeared to be holding.
The battle, which started on Sunday, was the third between gunmen allied to Islamic courts and militia linked to the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, a coalition of powerful warlords.
''Nearly 80 people have died and 200 have been wounded. It was a street battle and only those who are strong could escape,'' Siyad Mohamed, a militia leader linked to the Islamic courts, told Reuters by telephone.
''Many women and children who could not run were killed.'' Mohamed said calm had returned after a ceasefire was declared late yesterday.
''It's much calmer today, no major battle took place,'' he said.
''(Traditional) elders have intervened and it looks like the ceasefire will hold.'' He said both sides had lost at least 20 fighters, adding the rest were civilians caught in the cross-fire in the run-down area of Siisii.
''It's hard to count the injured, they are lying in nearly all of the hospitals,'' said resident Abdifatah Abdikadir.
''At least 60 civilians have died in fighting.'' Many diplomats believe the clashes have been fuelled by US support for the warlords, who are unpopular among many citizens because their militias have victimised them or extorted money from them at checkpoints for years.
The Horn of Africa nation descended into lawlessness in 1991, when warlords ousted former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
But this year's fighting in Mogadishu has been the worst for years. Up to 90 people were killed in fighting between the rival sides in March.


All dates and times for career events can be found by logging into Handshake and clicking on the Events link under Campus in the left margin of the page for employers, or by clicking the Events link on the blue bar at the top of the page for students.
In our final career event for the academic year, the Last Chance Career Fair offers graduating seniors an opportunity to meet with potential full-time employers, and current students one more chance to network for summer jobs and internships or explore more career options. Make the most of the last chance to meet employers on campus before summer starts!
One of Loyola's most attended recruiting events. Every year, recruiters from over 60 agencies are present to speak about job and internship opportunities with their organizations. The Fall Internship and Part-Time Job Fair is just in time to find a job after coming back on campus in the fall. Bring your resume and come connect with these employers.
The Communication, Music Industry, and the Arts Networking Day is geared towards students in the School of Mass Communication, the College of Music and Fine Arts, and other students interested in careers in the fine arts, performing arts or media arts. Recruiters from various local and national organizations will be on campus to recruit interns for Spring and Summer, as well as potential employees for part-time and full time positions.
Students should be prepared with copies of their resumes and/or portfolios.
The Mardi Gras Creer Expo is one of the largest career fairs held in New Orleans. It's an excellent opportunity for job and internship seekers to meet local and national employers. Six regional schools host this fair and transportation to and from the university is provided.
When: Traditionally the last weekend in February.


Mirror Set for Qingqi QM50QT-B2 50cc 2-stroke scooters. Available in Cream, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Dark Red, Moon White & Yellow. May have scratches/blemishes - scratches drips or run marks. Thread Size: M8x1.25mm. Right Hand Thread. May have blemishes on paint such as scratches drips or run marks.


text:
Orthodox & Oriental Churches
Harley and the Holy Mountain : through the heart of Greece to its soul
By (author) John Mole
Harley and the Holy Mountain is about a road trip from the island of Evia, through central Greece and ending at the monastic state of Mount Athos. It is a sequel to It's All Greek To Me! with similar humour, self-deprecation, entertaining stories, and insights into today's Greece.
Greeks are brought up to believe they are direct descendants of the Ancient Greeks whose language they speak. They also believe they are custodians of the one true religion, Orthodoxy, the defining characteristic of Greekness for two thousand years.
As we meander north we encounter the key moments in three thousand years of history that every Greek is familiar with and create their sense of who they are. Some are celebrated, for example the War of Independence from the Ottomans, others are no less powerful but unspoken, like the Civil War of 1946-49.
We come across the different peoples that created today's Greece. A hundred years ago the first language of half the population was not Greek but any one of Albanian, Aromanian, Macedonian, Pomak, Tsakonian, Romaniote, Ladino, Romani, Turkish, Italian and half a dozen Anatolian dialects with all their racial and cultural baggage.
Having travelled through time and space, I leave Harley at the frontier of Athos and plunge into a spiritual dimension. Wonder-working icons and relics are channels to the divine; everyday miracles are part of nature; the marvellous deeds of saints are facts not metaphors. Their reality permeates Greek culture and sense of self.
Greece is two hundred years old. Out of a patchwork of cultures and languages Greeks have forged a homogeneous European nation. Since the bloody revolution against the Ottomans, Greeks have resisted British, French, Russian, German, Italian, Bulgarian and American incursion, invasion or domination. The struggle continues for independence from the Brussels, Frankfurt and Washington institutions that control its finances. Through turbulence and disaster Greeks have created a vibrant, enterprising, European democracy with a unique identity. It is an extraordinary story of an extraordinary people. Harley and the Holy Mountain joins in the celebration. And the fun.
Dimensions 140 x 216 x 16.76mm | 362.87g
Publication date 11 Dec 2020
Publisher Fortune
Illustrations note 22


Finalist in the 2017 National Jewish Book Awards in the category of Sephardic Culture, sponsored by the Jewish Book Council.
The Merchants of Oran weaves together the history of a Mediterranean port city with the lives of Oran's Jewish mercantile elite during the transition to French colonial rule. Through the life of Jacob Lasry and other influential Jewish merchants, Joshua Schreier tells the story of how this diverse and fiercely divided group both responded to, and in turn influenced, French colonialism in Algeria.
Jacob Lasry and his cohort established themselves in Oran in the decades after the Regency of Algiers dislodged the Spanish in 1792, during a period of relative tolerance and economic prosperity. In newly-Muslim Oran, Jewish merchants found opportunities to ply their trades, dealing in both imports and exports. On the eve of France's long and brutal invasion of Algeria, Oran owed much of its commercial vitality to the success of these Jewish merchants.
Under French occupation, the merchants of Oran maintained their commercial, political, and social clout. Yet by the 1840s, French policies began collapsing Oran's diverse Jewish inhabitants into a single social category, legally separating Jews from their Muslim neighbors and creating a racial hierarchy. Schreier argues that France's exclusionary policy of "emancipation," far more than older antipathies, planted the seeds of twentieth-century ruptures between Muslims and Jews.
Joshua Schreier is Professor of History at Vassar College. He is the author of Arabs of the Jewish Faith (2010).
"In this eloquent evocation of the era of French colonization of Algeria told through the life of a Jewish merchant and community leader, Jacob Lasry, Joshua Schreier challenges the monolithic French colonial representation of 'indigenous' Jews as oppressed, backwards, and isolated—awaiting to be emancipated—by revealing how Algeria's cosmopolitan Jews were active agents in shaping and transforming Jewish society under French rule in Algeria."
"Against a rising tide of large-scale histories of empire and colonization, Joshua Schreier's book calls attention to the compelling perspectives offered by individuals. Brought to life through Schreier's tenacious research, the Jewish merchant Jacob Lasry and his contemporaries give the reader a refreshing vantage point from which to rethink French colonialism in the western Mediterranean."
"Joshua Schreier challenges the conventional narrative of Jewish emancipation in Algeria at the hands of the French that began with the conquest in 1830, continued through the Crémieux Decree, and ended with the departure of Algeria's Jews for l'Hexagone during the Algerian War....Schreier not only exposes the contradictions inherent in the new colonial order but also shows how the habits and practices of Oran's merchant elite formed prior to the French conquest allowed its members, like Lasry, to adapt and to thrive under the new regime."
"This is an important and thought-provoking contribution to the history of Oran and its Jewish mercantile elite; a study that will interest scholars of empire, France, Jewish history, as well as those curious about the economies of port cities amid chaotic shifts in imperial governance."
"Schreier raises questions of great importance which deserve further exploration....[T]he history of French Algeria becomes much richer and much clearer when space is allowed for more than one perspective."


Bannon and Priebus shared the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference for 25 minutes in a buddy routine that inspired flashbacks to Oscar and Felix in "The Odd Couple." They strove to prove that they are not rivals in Trump's competing power circles, as has been reported, but rather partners working from 6:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. each day, often in the same office suite, to muscle through Trump's desired changes.
Nigel Farage, the British politician who led the successful Brexit movement in the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union, said in an interview at the conference that Bannon has the right vision to reorder world powers.
Bannon's language goes beyond Reagan-era Republican talking points about cutting regulations and lowering taxes. It also sidesteps key elements of the state that Trump has pledged to maintain or expand, such as the Defense Department, Medicare and Social Security, two huge federal entitlement programs.
Bannon used some terms that are more often heard on the political left as negative labels, such as "globalist" and "corporatist." Such words are rarely heard in a traditional Republican platform and underscore how Trump's populism and suspicion of the world economy are in some respects similar to that of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-described democratic socialist.
"They're corporatist, globalist media that are adamantly opposed — adamantly opposed to an economic nationalist agenda like Donald Trump has," Bannon said.
Yet some of the most powerful officials crafting Trump's economic policies have deep roots in the global, corporate realm. Commerce Secretary nominee Wilbur Ross was a billionaire investor; Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was a hedge fund manager; and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn was president of Goldman Sachs, to cite three. And all are being tasked with carrying out an agenda that includes standard GOP fare, from cutting taxes for the wealthy to rolling back banking regulations.
Bannon's path to the West Wing is complicated. Bannon, 63, grew up in a working-class household of Catholic Democrats in Richmond. He served in the Navy and then climbed the ladder in finance, graduating from Harvard Business School and working at Goldman Sachs.
He then transformed his career and appearance, growing his hair long, dressing in black and becoming an antagonist to the global political and financial elite. A documentary filmmaker, Bannon championed former Alaska governor Sarah Palin as a conservative heroine. And he helped revamp Breitbart into a media colossus on the right that argues as much with the Republican establishment as it does with liberals.
"I think if you look at the opposition party and how they portray the campaign, how they portrayed the transition and now they're portraying the administration, it's always wrong," Bannon said, referring to the media as the opposition.
Priebus agreed, saying that he thinks the biggest misconception about the Trump administration in its first month is "everything that you're reading." He and Bannon were defiant about their partnership, insisting that reports of power struggles were wrong.
Still, Bannon's power center in the White House is quite different from that of Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman. Bannon has found a kindred spirit in Stephen Miller, the conservative ideologue who is Trump's senior policy adviser. One of his assistants is Julia Hahn, a former Breitbart immigration writer who was a fierce critic of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), one of Priebus's closest allies.
The scene at CPAC reflected Bannon's sudden star status on the right. At the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor, college Republicans spoke of him as an icon who embodied their own anger against political correctness on their university campuses.
Writers for Breitbart, a main sponsor of CPAC, were treated as if they were ESPN anchors at a major sports event. Washington editor Matthew Boyle, who has scored several Trump interviews and counts Bannon as a mentor, was trailed by a photographer from a magazine that is profiling him.
Bannon's trusted inner circle, including his public relations adviser, Alexandra Preate, and GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, were followed by an entourage of aides and friends. They fielded questions about "Steve" — and not just from reporters.
But the air of secrecy remained.
"I don't comment on the record," Mercer said flatly.


text:
/**
 *
 */
package com.android.aid;

import java.util.ArrayList;

import com.android.aid.DBSchemaDownload.Columns;

import android.content.ContentValues;
import android.content.Context;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.util.Log;

/**
 * @author wangpeifeng
 *
 */
public class DBSchemaDownloadApk extends DBSchemaDownload{

	public DBSchemaDownloadApk(Context context) {
		super(context);
		// TODO Auto-generated constructor stub

	}

	@Override
	protected String getSchemaName() {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
		return "apk_download";
	}

	@Override
	protected String getUpdateSQL(int updateVersion) {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
		return null;
	}

	public void addDownloadFile(int serial){

		if(!isDownloading(serial)){

			ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
			values.put(COL_SERIAL[COL_NAME], serial);
			values.put(COL_FILE_SIZE[COL_NAME], 0);
			values.put(COL_STATE[COL_NAME], VAL_STATE_DOWNLOADING);
			values.put(COL_STAMP[COL_NAME], 0);
			values.put(COL_COUNT[COL_NAME], 0);

			resolver.insert(this.getUri(), values);
		}
		updateGroupGui();

	}

	public void updateDownloadFile(int serial, String file){

		String selection = COL_SERIAL[COL_NAME]+ "=" + serial;
		String[] selectionArgs = null;

		ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
		values.put(COL_FILE_FROM[COL_NAME], file);
		values.put(COL_FILE_TO[COL_NAME], file);

		resolver.update(this.getUri(), values, selection, selectionArgs);

	}

	public boolean isDownloading(int serial){
		boolean bool = false;

		String[] projection = this.getProjection();
		String selection = COL_STATE[COL_NAME] + "=" + VAL_STATE_DOWNLOADING
							+ " AND " + COL_SERIAL[COL_NAME] + "="+serial;
		String[] selectionArgs = null;

		String sortOrder = COL_STAMP[COL_NAME] + " ASC";

		Cursor cursor =  resolver.query(this.getUri(1),projection, selection, selectionArgs, sortOrder);
		if(cursor!=null){
			int rows = cursor.getCount();
			int columns = cursor.getColumnCount();
			//Log.i(this.getClass().getName(), "SQL query: rows="+rows+", columns="+columns);
			if(rows>0){
				bool = true;
			}
			cursor.close();
		}

		return bool;

	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub