text:
The Mount Roxby Series are urban fantasy books that can be read by young adults and adults alike. If you enjoy reading about werewolves, witches and vampires check this series out.
The Mount Roxby Series, #1
Rosabel McGuiness, orphaned Werewolf, has finally decided to leave the Werelion Pride she's been living with for the last eighteen years. She's been challenged to one duel too many. It's time to find a pack to call home.
Theodore Wilson, Alpha of the Mount Roxby Pack, has never cared about finding his Mate. He swore off women when his Wife, a human who knew nothing about what he was, cheated on him. But now a new wolf has walked into town, and stirred up feelings he never imagined he would feel.
Mount Roxby has a plethora of supernatural beings, unbeknownst to the humans that live there. After a series of mysterious disappearances, and fatal attacks on both Werewolves and Vampires alike, Rosabel decides something needs to be done. But can she persuade the Pack Alpha and Vampire King, to put old prejudices behind them long enough to work together, and solve these attacks? Or will one bite too many cause a war?
Forever Young and Beautiful
Beautiful eighteen year old Ruby Wilson always wished she'd inherited the werewolf gene like her brothers. They were her father's favourite, leaving her to feel hated, or even worse, like she never even existed.
Once her father took her brothers to live with him in his pack when they reached the age of sixteen, Ruby was left all alone with her heartbroken mother, who turned to drugs and drink, to get through the day.
Realising she needs to get away and accepting her fate she finally starts to settle down and starts to enjoy living as a human among her brothers pack.
Life runs smoothly for a while - until the unthinkable happens.
And life for Ruby will never be the same again.
At nineteen Cain Wilson met his true mate, Selena.
But their short-lived romance was doomed from the start for one simple reason - she belonged to someone else.
At twenty, he killed his father and handed control of the pack to his more capable, older brother Theo.
At twenty-five unable to watch his mate with another, he left the pack and became a lone wolf.
Now at twenty-seven, family troubles have brought him back to Mount Roxby and unbeknown to him, his true mate. Will he be able to put the past behind him and reclaim the one? Or has time built an impenetrable wall around both their hearts?
Mount Roxby: Books 1-3
The Mount Roxby Series Boxed Set: Volume One
Three stories, three wolves, three destinies...
Theo Wilson lives for being an Alpha, but hurt in the past, he has no interest to find his love—until Bel walks into his town, seeking a new home.
Running from the pride she's been raised in, Bel has no other choice but to beg the sexy Alpha for a place in his pack—and possibly his heart.
Ruby Wilson had always been sure her destiny would lie with her brother's pack, especially because there are not one, but two wolves catching her attention. Sadly fate has a whole different plan for her.
Eddie has always watched Ruby Wilson from the shadows, but when her life is thrown into chaos, he can no longer just watch.
Cain Wilson left behind the only woman he's ever loved, the only woman he knew was made for him. But two years later, with his sister's life on the line, he makes his way back—and is surprised to find he has a second chance.
Selena has nowhere to go but back to her ex—and yet when she arrives there, Cain is back, and with him the feelings, the memories, the longing. Will they get a Chance at love or is this the final goodbye?
Love of Three
Have you ever regretted a slip of the tongue?
When Misty—bar owner and witch—calls on a werewolf and a vampire king for help, she didn't consider how mindlessly uttered words would change her life irrevocably.
Billy's hated birthdays ever since his twenty-first, when he received a gift he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. At thirty-four though, it seems his shifter fate has decided to give him something that could heal the scars from his past—if only he'll accept it.
As the vampire king, Dominick is used to getting things he wants. But when he realises those things include a feisty witch and a big bad werewolf, will he be able to look beyond their differences long enough to see what's there for the taking?
This could be a story about two men, one woman, and whole lot of love… if only they'll dare to jump in with both feet and take what's in their grasp.
*Part of this story was previously published as a short story in a charity anthology called Haunted by Love, which was released in 2017. Since receiving back my rights I have added new content and it is now novella length.
Losing Pride
Even though he was born to step into his father's shoes as Alpha, Jared Dorfman left his pride behind in Quilpie. Content with being nothing more than a lone lion and friend to the Mount Roxby Wolf Pack, he helps where he can.
That is, until he crosses paths with an annoying, yet tempting lioness.
Saskia Beaumont wants nothing more than to prove herself to her pride. When her Alpha sends her on a mission to bring back his runaway son, she accepts without argument. Returning him to the pride should be easy, but staying away from him on the way might prove much harder.
The safety of the pride is on the line—and so are their hearts. Can Jared really walk away for good, or will he take on the role he never wanted?


Accordance with the Data Protection Act of 6 January 1978, you have the right to oppose, access and rectification of your data in accordance with Law No. 78-17 of 6 January 1978 relating to computers, files and freedoms. These data may be communicated to third parties and you may have to receive commercial offers or not. If you do not want this, simply write to the editor of the site indicating your full name, address, e-mail addresses so that it can take steps as soon as possible.
The files on this site are original intellectual creations and graphics Kaleidos protected by law n ° 92-597 of 01/07/1992 on the Code of intellectual property. They remain the moral and physical property of the author. They can not be modified, reproduced, sold or reused for other purposes (which is subject to payment of copyright) without prior written permission of Kaleidos. This site is confidential; its contents shall not constitute a commitment on the part of Airmems, or one of its representatives. Any disclosure, use or dissemination, even partial, must be authorized in advance by Airmems.


116 guest rooms with amenities including free guest breakfast, high-speed internet & shuttle service. Conveniently located near the KS Speedway & Legends shopping district.
The Country Inn & Suites is a 116 room hotel located near the KS Speedway and Legends shopping district in Kansas City. Our amenities include free guest breakfast and high-speed internet access. Visiting for work? We have a business center and meeting room available for our business travelers. Traveling for pleasure? Enjoy our fitness center, pool, whirlpool, free weekday newspaper, fresh baked cookies and shuttle service.


text:
How Max Verstappen Uses His Sim Racing Skills in Real-Life F1?
Samriddhi Jaiswal
|Published 24/01/2023
Credits: Twitter
Red Bull ace Max Verstappen is an avid sim racer and he uses his virtual racing skills to make his real-life racing in F1 easier.
He is one of the many drivers who utilise their free time racing behind the wheels of a screen and mastering their skills and live streaming.
The Dutchman recently even participated in the 24 hours of Le Mans Virtual. Although that did not go well for him as he suffered technical issues and had to withdraw from the event. Verstappen criticised the event as being a clown show and claimed that he would never participate in it again.
The 2-time F1 world champion believes that taking part in different motorsport categories virtually helps improve his skills in real-life racing.
Also Read: Former F1 racer considers Max Verstappen's 2022 title win invalid
How Max Verstappen uses his sim racing skills in F1?
The 25-year-old usually races non-F1 cars on the simulator as driving different cars demands a different set of skills as far as steering, throttle and driving lines are concerned.
By doing this, Verstappen draws from those experiences and adapts/changes his driving style accordingly. Hence always being on the learning curve to get the car at the top of its performance in any case.
He explained such things helps a driver when they get back to their F1 car because then they have experiences they can draw from in the back of their mind.
Not every time a driver satisfied with their set-up in F1 but with these experiences and skills in the simulator, a driver can use their skills to push the car to its limit.
Great interview by @carnextcom as @Max33Verstappen pours out his love for Sim Racing and the work he puts into events like #LeMansVirtual
Full video can be found here https://t.co/Av0O1oDDqx pic.twitter.com/A39QpVibdI
— Le Mans Virtual (@LeMansVirtual) January 8, 2022
Sim racing vs Formula 1
Apart from all the experiences and skills that he gathered from the simulator, Verstappen also pointed out the crucial differences between the two.
The Red Bull ace said that the lack of G-force in the simulator is one difference that a driver feels when adapting to virtual racing from real-life F1.
In real racing, a driver draws a lot of data from what they feel through the wheel although simulators now have gotten a bit better and they are more accurate now than they used to be.
Another key difference that he pointed out was that a driver needs certain physical health to drive an F1 car but in simulator, you don't need that.
Also Read: Sebastian Vettel Claims He'd Have To Start From Zero for Anything in His Post-F1 Life
Samriddhi Jaiswal is an F1 editor and writer at The SportsRush. She started her career as a business journalist but soon found her calling in lights out here we go! Samriddhi has been a Ferrari fan even when her interaction with F1 was occasional. Her first real experience with the thrilling sport came when Charles Leclerc clinched his iconic victory in Spa and Monza and painted the track red. Now, a Tifosi, Samriddhi is a hardcore fan of the prancing horse and can relate to the chaos within the Italian camp and also admires Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Off the track, she finds her home in books and musical instruments.
Read more from Samriddhi Jaiswal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
MarTech Interview with Michael Dickerson, Chief Executive Officer at ClickDimensions
Sudipto Ghosh June 18, 2019, 1:30 pm June 18, 2019
"As the leader of a technology company, it's easy to get caught up in the benefits of AI, but it's also essential to acknowledge the importance of the things that only humans can achieve."
Tell us about your role and journey into Marketing Technology.
My first company was a licensed apparel company that sold apparel with the licensed marks of colleges and pro sports teams. For a variety of reasons, we wound up buying the source code for a telemarketing system that we converted into a system to manage customer interactions and help our sellers make product recommendations. This was in 1986, long before CRM was a thing. While our business was selling apparel, we had 12 developers working in New York on software developed in PickBasic, a competitor to Linux, based around a multivalued database. The value in our company was our ability to manage and sell so many SKUs to our 5,000 + retail customers.
I sold that company in 1999, but I continued to follow new Sales and Marketing technology. I invested in Silverpop, a pioneering Email Marketing company, later that year. In 2006, after a six-year stint in Communications technology, I wound up leading a turn-around of an email business owned by an NYSE firm PGI. We ultimately sold that business in pieces in 2009. One of those pieces was a spin-out of a built-for-cloud email delivery engine that became MessageGears.
In 2017, after 7 more years back in communications technology at PGI, I left to become CEO of ClickDimensions and returned to the world of startups and Marketing Technology.
What inspired you to be part of ClickDimensions?
The founders at ClickDimensions solved the most difficult problem in building a MarTech business; they figured out how to win new subscription customers without needing tens of millions of investment dollars. Their secret magic was building a partner community of hundreds of partners around the globe who sold their software along with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
What's more, they showed how a Marketing Technology company could harness the core platform and data technology investments by Microsoft to simplify the data complexity and reduced the total cost of building a Marketing Automation system.
How does ClickDimensions fit into a modern CMO's technology stack?
Our goal is to simplify the MarTech stack and reduce the cost of ownership. We see the ClickDimensions' Marketing Automation platform as a core element in the middle of this stack, and we aim to extend both above and below our current position– whether through integrations or acquisitions to achieve our objectives of simplification and cost reduction. We also understand that technology alone won't meet the needs of modern marketers, so we offer a full range of services that support our technologies.
What does your Ideal Customer Profile look like? Which geographies are you currently focusing to grow your market?
ClickDimensions is natively built inside Microsoft Dynamics 365, so at present, our ideal customer first and foremost is an organization that uses Dynamics. Another view is to say, from a Product Design perspective, we focus on small to mid-sized B2B and B2C companies. We do have more than 400 customers with over 5,000 employees. We are proud to serve customers in 76 countries around the globe. We recently expanded our presence in EMEA and APAC with offices in the Netherlands and New Zealand as well as our Customer Center in Cork, Ireland which opens this month.
Which industries have been the fastest to adopt Marketing Automation platforms?
Not surprisingly, technology companies were the first to adopt Marketing Automation. Now it's a mix of businesses of all kinds, B2B and B2C alike. Today, it is less a matter of if your organization will adopt Marketing Automation and more a matter of when.
What are your predictions on the most impactful disruptions in CRM and Customer Analytics? How can Marketing teams better benefit from choosing ClickDimensions solutions?
The biggest disruptions come from changes in the way buyers buy. Each of us is a buyer in our consumer lives, and we are exposed to incredible experiences provided by great companies like Amazon, Netflix or Uber. The biggest disruption comes from those Consumer Expectations that carry over into Business.
One of the biggest disruptions for CRM is that it has been the one customer-oriented technology-driven exclusively used by Sales teams, and the needs of Marketing, e-Commerce, and Service have specific needs, particularly around data, that are not well served by the CRM. At the core of this disruption is the abstraction of customer data away from the Sales application such that Marketers can have access to a system they can control, AI applications can join data from different business applications and the historical Sales system, CRM, can stay in perfect synchronization where necessary.
The second big disruption is that the MarTech stack is just too expensive. This is particularly true when you get beyond CRM and Marketing Automation into AI-driven applications and Data Analytics.
Building ClickDimensions natively on the Microsoft Dynamics data model is helping us not only address, but take advantage of these two disruptive trends. With our solutions, marketing teams – and entire organizations – can connect with, utilize and benefit from the power of customer data to drive personalized experiences for their customers and quantitatively measure the financial impact of their activities.
Tell us about your recent acquisition of Sweetspot. How do you plan to extend the benefits to your existing customers?
Understanding the financial impact of sales and marketing spending is so critical to revenue growth and profitability, but it is very hard to measure. This is a unique corner of the Data Analytics universe, characterized by technical challenges of harmonizing data and a lack of understanding by the technologists of the business context that surrounds that data. Recognizing this, we decided that Marketing Analytics would be our next strategic step in meeting the needs of marketers that use Dynamics 365. We closed on the acquisition of Sweetspot, a leader in the marketing dashboard space, in March and our team is currently hard at work making this essential technology available to our customers with data from both Dynamics and the ClickDimensions marketing automation platform. With it, ClickDimensions customers will have on-demand access to analyze and optimize the campaign, channel and revenue-impact performance data at a price that starts at about one-tenth of the other market leaders. We expect this to be available in the summer 2019.
Which Marketing and Sales Automation tools and technologies do you currently use in your current roles?
I'm sure it will come as little surprise that I use Microsoft Dynamics and ClickDimensions. We also use InsideSales.com and LinkedIn.
How do you prepare for the Data Science Economy in Marketing Technology? What is the route to optimized Digital Transformation for any business today?
Our acquisition of Sweetspot is currently our biggest preparation for and investment in the critical importance of data in Marketing Technology today. At ClickDimensions, we look at it as less of a Digital Transformation and more of a digital imperative – it is an unavoidable demand with significant consequences for not adopting. Accessible and actionable data are an essential part of responding to this imperative, and we are committed to helping our customers do exactly that.
What startups in the technology industry are you watching keenly right now?
I like to keep an eye on startups that are focused on using AI to do things like Persona creation, Segmentation, Content Optimization, Media placement and other tasks where best-practices can be embodied in the software to reduce the technical skills required of today's omnichannel marketer.
How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a Business leader?
I think it's important to embrace AI while also recognizing its limitations. As the leader of a technology company, it's easy to get caught up in the benefits of AI, but it's also essential to acknowledge the importance of the things that only humans can achieve.
How do you inspire your people to work with technology?
The ClickDimensions team needs no inspiration when it comes to working with technology. They are passionate about using it, creating it and helping others realize the benefits of utilizing it.
I do push the envelope in terms of collaboration, using tools like Asana and Microsoft Teams, and we are big consumers of real-time dashboards. I try to lead by example and then check-in on who is using their dashboards effectively and who is lagging.
One word that best describes how you work.
Inspire. It is incredibly powerful to help people identify problems that need to be solved, the possible joy of solving them and the power that they have as individuals to solve those problems by working with others.
What apps/software/tools can't you live without?
Email – sorry
Evernote – thinking about revisiting One Note
What's your smartest work-related shortcut or productivity hack?
Hire great people and empower them to be responsible and accountable for everything you can!
I'm currently reading ' The Fifth Season', 'Build a Better Brain', 'The Coddling of the American Mind and Data-Driven'. I read and consume information via my iPad – it lets me buy more books and start more books than I can finish!
What's the best advice you've ever received?
Try to make the world a little better every day and make each person you meet better for having met you.
Something you do better than others – the secret of your success?
Not sure I do anything better. I try hard, reflect on what I learned today so I can do better tomorrow.
Tag the one person in the industry whose answers to these questions you would love to read:
Jeff Bezos.
Thank you, Michael! That was fun and hope to see you back on MarTech Series soon.
About ClickDimensions
Mike Dickerson is the Chief Executive Officer of ClickDimensions, the leading Marketing Automation solution for Microsoft Dynamics 365. Mike joined ClickDimensions from PGi, a global provider of Web Conferencing software and collaboration technology, where he served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development.
In that role, he developed partnerships with some of the biggest players in the technology industry, including Microsoft. Prior to that, he started PGi's Global Collaboration Services division, growing it from $86 million to $240 million in revenue and serving as a trusted advisor to some of the most recognized brands around the globe.
ClickDimensions was founded in 2010 to help Microsoft Dynamics users worldwide bridge the gap between Sales and Marketing for bigger business wins. The ClickDimensions Marketing Automation solution brings together essential marketing tools like Email Marketing, Campaign Automation, Web Intelligence, Surveys, Web Forms, and Landing Pages, Social Marketing and more to help organizations attract more leads, close more sales and more effectively engage customers – all from directly within Microsoft Dynamics 365.
The MTS Martech Interview Series is a fun Q&A style chat which we really enjoy doing with martech leaders. With inspiration from Lifehacker's How I work interviews, the MarTech Series Interviews follows a two part format On Marketing Technology, and This Is How I Work. The format was chosen because when we decided to start an interview series with the biggest and brightest minds in martech – we wanted to get insight into two areas … one – their ideas on marketing tech and two – insights into the philosophy and methods that make these leaders tick.
AIB2BB2CClickDimensionscrmInsideSales.cominterviewsLinkedInMarketing TechnologyMarTech InterviewMichael DickersonMicrosoft Dynamics 365Sales and marketing
Previous ArticleTechBytes with Katie Paulsen, VP of Influencer Marketing at RhythmOneNext ArticleMediaMath and White Ops Build Transparency and Trust into the Programmatic Supply Chain
Wavio Selects ID R&D to Deliver Sound Recognition and Awareness to Any Person, Any Device, Anywhere
Free Email Marketing Tools Now Available in Free HubSpot CRM
CRMNEXT Advances in the Gartner 2019 Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation


text:
Home » Press Room » Building the Bridge from Deforestation-Free Pledges to Lasting Benefits for Forests, People and the Planet
Building the Bridge from Deforestation-Free Pledges to Lasting Benefits for Forests, People and the Planet
Tagged: Forests, Press Release
In its new position paper published today, "Halting Deforestation and Achieving Sustainability," the Rainforest Alliance addresses the recent surge in deforestation-free pledges.
Timed to coincide with an Innovation Forum event in Washington, DC on "How Business Can Tackle Deforestation," the paper argues the deforestation-free trend is an exciting development, but needs definition, focus, and accountability to deliver lasting benefits for forests, people and the planet.
A growing number of companies that source wood and agricultural products are announcing they will eliminate deforestation from their supply chains, through individual statements, and/or by joining collective pledges such as the New York Declaration on Forests or the Consumer Goods Forum.
While such announcements are welcome, the Rainforest Alliance position paper points out that tackling deforestation is a complex problem that requires long-term solutions and entails many interlinked sustainability issues, including non-forest ecosystems, water resources, and community and worker rights. Many deforestation-free pledges currently lack the public accountability that independent standards and third-party verification offer, for example through certification programs such as the Forest Stewardship Council.
"The deforestation-free trend is valuable and exciting," said Rainforest Alliance president Tensie Whelan. "But we don't yet have an agreed framework for turning this important objective into reality. Deforestation-free is not the same as no trees being cut, though consumers might interpret it that way. A great tagline doesn't equal a great strategy for change. Defining, implementing and evaluating deforestation-free pledges is essential so that society can judge whether companies and governments are actually slowing deforestation."
The Rainforest Alliance position paper identifies five pillars of success to build the bridge from deforestation-free declarations to long-term gains for forests, people, and sustainability. These include clarifying definitions of deforestation-free that are rigorous yet realistic; addressing other critical risks and impacts of commodity production; increasing the productivity and efficiency of existing croplands; effectively governing forests and other natural resources; and restoring degraded lands to productivity and health.
The Rainforest Alliance paper is available for download here.
Forests Are Falling At An Alarming Rate.
Each minute, 85 acres are destroyed.
For more information, please refer to our contact list for a media representative in your region.
If you are on deadline and need an immediate response, please call instead of sending email.
Announcing The Business Case for Collective Landscape Action Initiative
Santiago Gowland Appointed CEO of the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance Announces Its Enhanced Certification Program and Standard
25-year Extension Granted to Community Forest Concession in Petén, Guatemala


text:
Central Asia's growing role in light of Afghanistan debacle
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg
Tajik soldiers during Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan joint military exercises, Tajik-Afghan border, Khatlon Region, Tajikistan, Aug. 10, 2021. (Reuters)
https://arab.news/bzrff
The hasty withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan before a comprehensive peace deal had been reached has created a chaotic situation in the country and alarmed its Central Asian neighbors. Fears of growing terrorist activity and instability in Afghanistan have spurred the region into action. This crisis may offer an opportunity for the region to again play a greater role in shaping its own future. The Gulf Cooperation Council also sees Central Asia as a potentially important partner in dealing with the new situation in Afghanistan and maintaining peace and security, as well as an opportunity to encourage shared economic interests and common history and culture.
According to the British politician and author Halford Mackinder, Central Asia is the heart of the world. One of the founding fathers of the concepts of both geopolitics and geostrategy in international relations, he believed that, in order for any great power to control the world, Central Asia must be under its control. That may have been an overstatement, but Central Asia remains very significant indeed for the geopolitical interests of many powers, including China, Russia and the US. Central Asia is also important for the Gulf region and the wider Middle East.
Thirty years ago, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — the five countries comprising Central Asia — regained their independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since then, these landlocked states in the heart of Asia have had to develop their own ways to deal with security, economic, diplomatic and political affairs, as well as to manage their regional relationships in the midst of great power competition for influence.
In 2015, the GCC decided to enhance its collective engagement with the Central Asian countries, in addition to its bilateral cooperation with the individual states. There is considerable potential for an effective and mutually beneficial partnership in several fields, which could be achieved by intensive joint work, propelled by an evidently strong political commitment to pursuing that partnership, especially after the US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Central Asia is vast — about 4 million square kilometers — but sparsely populated, with less than 73 million inhabitants in the five countries combined, about 70 percent of whom are in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The region's combined gross domestic product in 2019 was merely $300 billion and the average per capita income was about $4,100. As elsewhere, COVID-19 has shrunk its economy — the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimated the shrinkage at about 4.5 percent in 2020. They are, however, recovering in 2021. The Asian Development Bank recently revised Central Asia's growth prospects for 2021 up from 3.4 percent to 3.6 percent, although that would still put it below the 2019 level.
Despite its budding recovery, the region's full economic potential is yet to be realized and, with that, its influence. GCC countries could help by providing successful examples of countries that went from dirt-poor isolated backwaters to rich international economic hubs in just two generations. They could also provide the investment and know-how needed for such transformations.
Central Asia has many of the most important ingredients needed to thrive today. It is rich in energy resources, including oil, gas, coal and renewables. The region has also been described as a "geologist's paradise," as it holds some of the world's largest deposits of gold, uranium and chromium, as well as significant reserves of bauxite, boron, bismuth, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, salt, silver, titanium, tungsten, and zinc. Economists believe that these energy and mineral reserves form the basis for the region's future economic growth and development. GCC countries, also being energy and mineral-rich, could help develop those sectors in Central Asia.
Reforms are needed to accelerate growth and remove any obstacles. Infrastructure upgrades are needed in several areas, including for transporting energy, as well as improving the financial, banking and payment systems. GCC countries could help by offering state-of-the-art examples to address these needs, including building modern infrastructures and streamlining financial systems.
There is considerable potential for an effective and mutually beneficial partnership between the region and the GCC.
In addition to natural resources, tourism — particularly historical and ecotourism — is another promising sector. Some of Central Asia's cities are among the oldest and best preserved in the world. Bukhara and Tashkent, for example, were established thousands of years ago and contributed to many civilizations throughout history. Samarkand, Ashgabat, Dushanbe and other Central Asian cities also evoke deep feelings of shared history and culture for many in the Muslim world, including the Gulf region. That cultural affinity can augment political and economic partnership between the two regions.
Security is an area of growing importance after the Afghanistan crisis. The Central Asian states and the GCC are equally concerned about the possibility of Afghanistan again becoming a haven for terrorist groups. Containing the threat of terrorism is a priority for both. Political and security dialogue, as well as the exchange of information and expertise, will help both regions achieve that goal.
Afghanistan has also been a source of drug trafficking, which poses a threat to both regions. Traffickers trying to smuggle drugs from Afghanistan, a landlocked country, could be effectively intercepted through cooperation between its neighbors.
These shared interests in maintaining regional peace and stability and growing their economies provide a solid basis for the GCC-Central Asian regional partnership. Their strong historical and cultural ties can form the glue for their renewed engagement after decades of isolation and estrangement.
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs & Negotiation, and a columnist for Arab News. The views expressed in this piece are personal and do not necessarily represent GCC views. Twitter: @abuhamad1


text:
Southern Mexico's religious liberty forum spotlights local challenges to freedom of belief
Posted by ReligiousLiberty.TV	/ July 26, 2011
Although they garner little attention from the international community, recent cases of violence directed toward Protestants in the region, among them Adventists, intensify the need to protect the region's tenuous religious liberty.
Protestants still face resistance where Catholicism is community culture
25 Jul 2011, Chiapas, Mexico
Raul Lozano/ANN staff
Seventh-day Adventist Church religious liberty advocates hope last week's religious liberty forum in the Mexican state of Chiapas will improve the situation of Protestant Christians in the region, who in recent decades have faced increased local resistance to their beliefs.
The July 16 forum — preceded by a meeting with some 600 church pastors and laypeople from three regions in Southern Mexico — drew religious liberty experts and local government officials, raising awareness of challenges to religious liberty in Chiapas.
World church Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director John Graz, who spoke at the event, thanked Mexican officials for their ongoing efforts to protect freedom of conscience, noting that in some countries such a festival would be forbidden.
While Mexico's national constitution makes provisions for religious liberty, local religious customs and traditionsoften usurp the law in Chiapas.
Although they garner little attention from the international community, recent cases of violence directed toward Protestants in the region, among them Adventists, intensify the need to protect the region's tenuous religious liberty, Graz said.
"When these people join the church, there is a contradiction between their new Protestant values and their ethnic culture," Graz said. "They are seen as betraying their heritage."
New Protestant converts declining to participate in monthly festivals of religious saints can face arrest. Others are required to perform community service if they don't contribute funds to Catholic events.
Although not clearly categorized as religious intolerance, the recent cases of Adventist families expelled from their communities in the Highlands of Chiapas and an Adventist family gunned down on the way to church last month in Huixtan, Chiapas, are especially troubling.
Adventist religious liberty experts have followed the situation in Chiapas for years, Graz said, noting that thousands of Protestants have been affected since the mid-1990s. "Mexico is a democratic society, but these challenges prove that religious freedom is fragile and at risk everywhere if we are not aware and vigilant," he said.
Abraham Madero, director of religious ministers at the Secretary of Government in Mexico City, told festival attendees that the country is "a step away from the full recognition of religious liberty." While Mexico recognized basic religious liberty in 1992, recent restructuring of the country's human rights legislation offers an "open door" to expand religious liberties outlined in the constitution.
"Religious liberty is one of the fundamental human rights," said Enrique Ramirez, undersecretary of religious affairs for the State of Chiapas. Recently, local government in the region passed a law to "prevent and eliminate" religious discrimination, Ramirez said.
The region has also launched a program to develop a "culture of peace" in Chiapas by helping communities establish "an environment of friendship and agreement," Ramirez said. Already, 1,000 citizens have undergone training to address problems in their respective communities, he said.
The region is also expected to collaborate with the Inter-religious Committee of Chiapas to address challenges to religious liberty as they arise, he added.
God is Not a Torturer: Debunking the Doctrine of Eternal Torment
When Not to Tell the Story: The Ethics of Announcing a Religious Conversion
Supreme Court to hear challenge to Montana's no-aid-to-religion law
Church, State, and the Postal Service: The Contentious History of Sunday Mail Delivery
The Hands of Jesus - Elective Abortions in Adventist Hospitals (Sermon Transcript)
America in Bible Prophecy
The Turn at the Gate: What Jesus Knew about the Separation of Church and State
The Problem I Have With Conspiracy Theories
John McCain: "No Freedom without Freedom of Religion"
Freedom, morality, and the human dignity of the individual consists precisely in this; that he does good not because he is forced to do so, but because he freely conceives it, wants it, and loves it.
— Mikhail Bakunin
Make tax-deductible donation
Get the ReligiousLiberty.TV Newsletter!
Comes out a couple of times a month. Unsubscribe anytime automatically, no questions asked.
July 2, 2019 / 0 comments
No upside for babies – NIH should withdraw funding for research on cannabis use during pregnancy
BREAKING: Supreme Court says WWI Cross can stand due to age
June 20, 2019 / 1 comment
Home » Southern Mexico's religious liberty forum spotlights local challenges to freedom of belief
Copyright © 2019 ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom – Celebrating Liberty of Conscience. All rights reserved. Theme by WPZOOM


Let me share with you the newest template for Blocs. It is called Agency, and it is the first template I have explicitly built for Blocs 3.
Agency is a perfect template to use for a simple web design agency website.
Today, I want to share with you the newest template I am releasing for Blocs Templates. It is called Agency, and it is the first template I have explicitly built for Blocs 3.
Agency is a beautiful and straightforward template, and it is a perfect fit for web design and development agencies. At the same time, I have designed it, so it is very easy to repurpose it to use for any corporate or personal website.
Agency template is not available for individual purchase, but you can get it for free with Blocs 3 for Beginners course (priced at $49, which is the price for a single template on Blocs Templates).
Blocs 3 for Beginners is a series of 16 easy-to-understand quality videos covering every step of the creation process of Agency template, from scratch and without knowing how to code.
In addition to Agency template, I am also starting to rebuild all legacy templates for Blocs 2 using the Blocs 3. So, if you are a member of Blocs Templates, even today you can already access six quality templates build from scratch using Blocs 3.
I will continue to rebuild old templates using Blocs 3, so stay tuned for more updates!
Join my newsletter to be the first to know about new articles, courses and templates, and get insight into my creative process.
I help people make beautiful websites, create online courses, and run online businesses.
Subscribe to my newsletter to receive latest news and updates.


text:
K210 A New Spiritual Age Episode Review
posted Monday, November 11th, 2013 6 Comments
Listed as: Avatar The Legend of Korra, Korra Episode Reviews
K210 A New Spiritual Age
As the Avatar universe's premiere Teapot collector, Wan's Teapot is the pride of Iroh's collection. He found it on spiritBay for a "great bargain"!!! See what I did there?
Written By – Tim Hedrick
Directed By- Ian Graham
Animated By – Studio Mir
This is an episode full of great references and symbolism. Meaning that this review will mainly be me gushing about all of these moments, but it did a lot of emotional stuff with the characters and really did advance the story. This episode could not have set up the remaining 4 episodes any better in my opinion. The fact that it did that took me by surprise as I did not expect this episode to cover so much ground so quickly. This episode really is odd in that it is incredibly fast paced for half of the episode while the other half is more slow paced scenes. It works well by the end in that it that the episode is not slowed down unnecessarily.
The big example of this episode's pacing would be Korra and Jinora in the episode, basically everyone went into this episode expecting a lot of Jinora and Korra interactions, I know I expected at least this whole episode for them to be together. So when the two are separated within 3 minutes of the episode starting I was shocked, but it ended up being a great decision; I still want more Jinora character development, but the contrast of the two handling being alone in the spirit world was well done. Jinora is the younger of the two, but she handles being alone better than Korra because she has experience with the spirits. Korra learns a lot about how your own energy/feelings affects the world, but Jinora seemed to know that already which was impressive to see. Jinora really does get stuff done in this episode, she does not linger over being away from Korra and gets straight down to finding Korra and the spirit portals. Which brings her to Wan Shi Tong's Library which I will talk about later on.
Korra on the other hand struggles when left alone in the spirit world. The episode never said this, but I assume that the reason Jinora ended up in a light area and Korra in a dark area of the spirit world is because of their feelings. Jinora remained positive and Korra did not. This really started the symbolism behind how your emotions severely affect the spirit world's balance of light and dark. From here we get 2 of the most surprising moments of the episode, Korra gives into her fear and feels like she is helpless surrounded by so many dark spirits and after a 360 pan around we find that Korra's form in the spirit world has become that of her 4 year old self. Once I got over the initial "huh? what happened?" and realised that this was literally her feelings affecting herself, she felt helpless so that showed in the way she appears in the spirit world, I loved the decision in every way. Given how much she learns in this episode from this point on it is fitting that she learns it from the perspective of a child, that is how inexperienced Korra is with spirit world matters, she needs Iroh to really advise her, something that would be a bit odd if it was 17 year old Korra getting the advice.
Speaking of Iroh, what an amazing surprise this was, I am so happy that we did not know about him going into this episode (Sorry Kelly 🙁 ) as the previews and Korra Nation have tended to mention returning and new characters (Wan Shi Tong, Wan, Lin etc). It was another situation where after getting over the initial fanboy fit over the return of Iroh I really loved the idea of using Iroh in this way, the explanation that when he did all he could in the physical world that he left his body behind and came to live in the spirit world is absolutely perfect for Iroh. We knew before that he had been to the spirit world and so him returning for good is a great thing for him and a nice way to add to the mystery of how he got to the spirit world in the first place. He needs a solo comic series right now, he already has a ton of mysteries surrounding him and now that we more or less know the key moments in his life we need the gaps to be filled in.
I have to applaud both Cora Baker and Greg Baldwin for their performances throughout this episode, these two are just pure gold for every moment they are on screen together. As I mentioned above this would have been very different if it was Janet Varney's 17 year old Korra, the fact that it is the cute and childish voice of a 4 year old Korra and the wise, but very gentle and kind Iroh makes for a fascinating dynamic on screen. It makes sense that Iroh is advising Korra so much, because she is so out of her depth in the spirit world. Korra as a show has often been criticised for not having the life lessons and advice that ATLA had, I would disagree for the most part, in ATLA the advice was obvious as it was coming from characters like: Iroh, Guru Pathik, Huu and even Aang himself, with Korra it is still there, just more in the subtext. This episode really highlighted this to me Iroh really is a great source of advice for both the characters in universe and us viewers out of universe. His advice in this episode is fantastic, he really explains to Korra and us how important it is to be positive, even in situations that seem hopeless. I would usually directly quote some of my favourite lines here, but with this episode I would just be typing out every line of Iroh's dialogue from this episode, it is all good. I just love how important the idea of the balance between light and dark is in Book 2 and especially this episode.
Korra really takes Iroh's advice to heart and shows us that the Avatar is not just there to bring balance to the world, but also spread light throughout the world. The image of 4 year old Korra with a huge smile on her face turning a whole dark mountain range to dark, just through being positive is a powerful moment and really shows how powerful the Avatar is. I also need to mention how strong of a moment and reference Wan's teapot was, especially being explained by Iroh, who is the master of tea. From Korra saying it is her teapot to Iroh mentioning how Wan once carried Raava in it and finally that there is still a bit of light in every cup it makes, a truly lovely moment.
I also love how intelligently the Dragon-bird is used throughout this episode. You can really track Korra's progress through the episode with the bird. She hurts the bird in her fear at the start, the example of Iroh's advice that things seem threatening in the dark, but welcoming if you shine a light on it. She then decides to help it and on her way up the mountain she demonstrates her confidence, then finally the journey to return the bird to its nest also is the same as her journey to not be afraid any more. In returning the bird, it transforms into an adult Dragon-Bird while at the same time Korra returns to her teenage self. Very symbolic.
Now back to Wan Shi Tong. It was great to get to see The Library again, especially with the 210 connection (A210 = The Library, K210 = A New Spiritual Age, both feature Wan and The Library, But first please join me in a moment of silence for the now departed Professor Zei, who died doing what he loved, reading and learning. It was so tragic to see him dead, because I honestly expected him to have an influence on Wan Shi Tong and possibly prove to him that not all humans are as bad as he thinks, so it had huge impact to see Wan Shi Tong speak of Zei in such an off hand way.
It was great by itself to see Jinora and Wan Shi Tong interact in basically the same position as Aang and Wan Shi Tong in 210 from ATLA. It was a great back and forth and like Korra and Iroh, this paring worked very well. It went from serious with the Zei reference, to funny with the "small men in boxes" back and forth to serious with Jinora arguing her case to be allowed to look around the library. Through Jinora we also find out the specifics behind Vaatu escaping, he will get out himself if the 2 portals are open, but if they are closed the battle will not be fought. This happens right before Unalaq appears and captures Jinora, coming back to the pace of the episode, I did not expect Jinora or Korra to encounter him this early, so this was another surprise. He also confirmed that Wan Shi Tong has not developed and this really makes me believe we will get more focus on him, he has to have more of an involvement than just telling Unalaq where Jinora is. I expect and want more from him as a big character in this universe, I think even he will not like the effects of Vaatu being unleashed.
The ending moments of this episode are crazy emotional and intense. We get the first mention of souls in the Avatar universe when Unalaq threatens to destroy Jinora's soul with his "darkbending" technique (It does not have a name, just using this for ease of typing). Seeing such a young character (and one of the last airbenders) nearly die was hugely emotional so I completely understood Korra's decision to save her even if it meant opening the portal. It was not just the right thing to do, but the logical thing to do. This scene did not end with a fair deal, Korra is also nearly killed only to be saved by her dragon-bird friend as Jinora is taken away. Again the episode is still not over.
Korra then wakes up and is left unable to tell Tenzin what has happened to his daughter. It is such an emotional way to end the episode, Korra, who has developed so much throughout this episode in terms of being positive has no way to really be positive about what just transpired especially trying to explain it to Tenzin. I just feel so much for Korra as I can almost tell already that Tenzin is going to be mad at Korra, when there was nothing she could have done to change how things turned out. I hope that when Korra does regain her composure she is the one to take control of the situation and show Tenzin to look for the light like Iroh thought her. I am very interested to see what happens next with Korra and Tenzin.
All in all a really good episode, with the only negatives being that with it being so symbolic and the symbolism being so crucial to the character development it could have been more clear about what exactly was happening , especially with Korra's spirit form change. I felt they did need to explain then and there why you look the way you do in the spirit world, i.e why does Roku look as he did when he died, yet Kyoshi who was 230 upon death look in the prime of her life, Aang was always in his Book 1 outfit in the spirit world even if he was wearing something else until to Korra he is an adult. I get now that basically your thoughts and emotions can change this, but they needed to be more clear. Great references, great character development, nice story progression and a lot of emotion. Bring on the final 4 episodes. Just 11 days left until the end of the Book 2 Spirits.
The Legend Of Korra Book 1 Air Awards – Voting Closed
Grey Delisle Voicing 3 Characters in Season 2 of Korra
K407 "Reunion" Preview Clip
SDCC 2015 Avatar and Korra Dark Horse Panel Info
Comments - 6 Posts
johnny Said: Comment by johnny on November 12, 2013 at 2:28 am | Permalink
imo, this was the best episode of everything that was ever made. every five seconds my head exploded from the awesome animation and creative ideas of the spirit world, the ending hit me like a bomb, and Iroh´s appearance was like a freaking super nova blasting away the solar system. i was just stunned the whole time.
the only neg i have is that wan shi tong, usually made out to be so wise, makes a very unwise decision of helping unaloqe. it felt very out of character.
Numka Reply:November 15th, 2013 at 8:47 am
I agree! Korra's uncle must have a REALLY good rationale for convincing someone like Wan Shi Tong!
YangChen Said: Comment by YangChen on November 12, 2013 at 4:35 pm | Permalink
I am STILL really really really sad that Iroh's son Lu Ten wasn't in the spirit world with him, I loved the episode however despite that disappointment
But how could he be there? He died a long time ago, and you need to be alive to enter the spirit world. Like Iroh did, and left his body behind. 🙂
YangChen Reply:November 15th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
I'm just sad that they aren't ever going to be reunited because they are in different dimensions. And the past avatar's spirits are in the spirit world, and they're dead, you never know
Troy Reply:November 15th, 2013 at 3:29 pm
I think Kelly @gemini530 said it pretty well on the podcast it isn't like a western after like, only spiritual people can do it and Lu Ten wasn't spiritual, or he could of been we didn't get much on him. The basic idea is it isn't something that happens to every five people.


After disengaging door stop, use suitable means of preventing door from opening past its maximum permissible opening angle (risk of damaging paintwork or bodywork).
Secure front door against falling closed.
Tightening torque 51 22 5AZ.
Remove door stop (1) via aperture (2).
Hinge (1) and thread (2) on door stop (3) must not be damaged.


text:
New Website Launch: Entertainment Project Services
new project | new website launch | testimonial | web design | WordPress by Shannon Noack on January 7, 2020 | 0 Comments
We recently launched a sleek new website for Entertainment Project Services, a firm specializing in mechanical design and automation system integration, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They work with large budget production shows, amusement park attractions, art installations, in water, in flight, on stage, and at sea, creating and implementing unique projects. They create impressive projects and needed an updated site to match their grand ideas. The new website features large photos, bold typography and lots of fun features throughout, creating an upbeat vibe that echoes their fun and professional work atmosphere. Check out the site at entprojects.com!
The website is powered by WordPress and uses a simple but stylish theme that is customized for their needs. The website has a classic look with a mostly black and white color palette but it has a modern edge with pops of their bright green branding color throughout. The typography is also modern and features large, bold headlines that really stand out. Rich, eye-catching photos of their work is also showcased on the site giving users a look into what the team can do. Small, fun touches can also be seen mixed into each page including graphs that move, icons that bounce, and photos with parallax scrolling. Overall, it's a sleek and professional site that elegantly showcases the EPS team and their work.
Molly Michelman had this to say about working with us:
Though we had an existing website, it was in need of improvements. We are thrilled with the results, thanks to Snoack Studios. Shannon was speedy, responsive, creative, and above all, incredibly patient with us. Through all of the changes and minor adjustments that we requested along the way, Shannon never made us feel annoying or difficult. As Snoack Studios was such an excellent partner for us during the process of modifying our website, we are continuing the partnership by having them host our website. We feel that we are in extremely component and safe hands with Snoack, and are so happy that we can continue to have the talented Shannon on our team.
Thank you Molly! We're looking forward to continuing to work with you guys as well. Check out the new site and let us know what you think in the comments below!


text:
(619) 350-0032 San Diego's Leading Solar Energy Provider
HES Customer Referral Program
Why Solar For Your Home
SunPower Equinox
SunPower Advantage
Why Solar For Your Business
SunPower Helix
Costs & Savings
Benefits of Solar
Solar Tax Credits
Solar Cells Optimize Thermal Radiation
By HES Solar
Did you know solar cells can 'see' only a portion of the solar radiation? Close to 20 percent of all the energy in the solar spectrum is not available to silicon cells. For instance, they cannot utilize short wavelength infrared radiation for powergeneration.
That is about to change. Researchers have demonstrated how this unusable radiation can be tapped into with the help of an up-converter. Although the technology to convert infrared into usable light has existed since the 60s, we did not investigate this technology for its potential use in solar cells.
Recent research conducted at the Fraunhofer Institute in Switzerland produced the biggest improvement in terms of energy efficiency. Which is good news because traditional solar cells only convert thirty percent of the sunlight that falls on them into electrical energy. With the help of up-converters, this amount can go up to 40 percent.
LIGHT PARTICLE LADDER
You might be thinking – how can the up-converter tap into infrared radiation in a solar panel? As radiation from the sun falls on the solar panels, they absorb the near-infrared and visible light. The infrared portion of the light isn't absorbed. It goes right through the cells.
In the new system, the unabsorbed radiation is made to fall on a up-converter, which is basically a micro crystalline compound made of sodium yttrium fluoride, embedded inside a polymer. Some of the yttrium is replaced with erbium, which tends to be active in the optical range and is responsible for the up-conversion. As the light falls on the converter, it excites the erbium ions, which raises them to a higher energy state.
The reaction is not very different from climbing up a ladder. The electron uses the light particle's energy to climb over to the next step. Ions that have been excited this way can come back down from the highest state. When it does, it emits light energy that is equivalent to all the light particles that helped it climb up the ladder. The up-converter then converts the energy of these particles and transfers it all to a single one. The solar cells can then "see" it and utilize it.
CAN TRADITIONAL SOLAR CELLS USE THIS TECHNOLOGY?
It goes without saying that traditional solar cells will have to be modified to accommodate this. Usually, the metal is deposited on the backside through chemical vapor deposition, which makes it possible for current to flow out of the cells. So, no light can shine through. These solar cells will be equipped with metal lattices on the rear and the front so that infrared light can pass through them.
Moreover, light can be used by both cell faces. The researchers call it a bi-facial solar cell. They applied special anti-reflective coatings to the rear and front of the solar cell. These cancel all the reflections at the surfaces and make it possible for the cells to absorb as much light as they can. The potential of this new technology is vast and will go a long way into making solar panels more efficient.
If you are interested in learning more about how solar energy can power your home or business, Home System Energy can provide you with a Free San Diego Solar Consultation.
January 12, 2021 Try These Cool Solar School Projects Read More
January 11, 2021 How Food Waste Could Be Turned Into Energy Read More
January 10, 2021 Solar Energy For Kids Read More
December 11, 2020 Electric Vehicle FAQ Read More
Location 5980 Fairmount Ave
Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92120 Map & Directions [+]
CSL # - 800657


text:
When did Minecraft 1.18 launch?
How to update to Minecraft 1.18 on PC, console, and mobile
Minecraft update 1.18: improved and new caves
New items and blocks in Minecraft 1.18 update
How does Minecraft 1.18 affect world seeds?
What to expect for Minecraft 1.19 update in 2022
Let's head to the mountains!
Well, we've been waiting for the launch of Minecraft 1.18 update Caves & Cliffs Part II ever since we had a taste of Caves & Cliffs Part I. This version focuses on brand new mountain biomes and cave items. You'll also see the mobs added before in their natural habitats.
If you've decided to play the game again and wondering what's new, here's what you can expect from the Minecraft 1.18 update and how to update it so you can enjoy the experience.
Minecraft 1.18 was released on November 30, 2021. While Mojang did their best to ensure everyone received the new update on all platforms simultaneously, the various stores only made them available at specific times. Also, you may have to wait until it's available in your location, specifically for PlayStation and Xbox.
We suggest you save a backup of any Minecraft worlds you created. All the old features will be replaced with new textures and terrains, and you'll want to keep a copy somewhere in case the transformation fails.
If you're ready to get started with the Minecraft update, you'll need to use the appropriate method for your platform. Fortunately, the steps are easy, and in some cases, you may already have version 1.18 on your device.
Updating Minecraft to 1.18 on your PC depends on how you installed it. If you have a Minecraft Launcher, you should receive it automatically, or there'll be a notification for you to update to the new version. If you have the Xbox app, head to the 'My Collection' section and then 'Manage Installs'. You'll see a button that says 'Update Now' if it's available. You can follow the same method in the Microsoft Store 'Library' section.
PlayStation 5 also updates automatically, but PlayStation 4 only updates when you try to play the game or you've done so recently. To check if you have Minecraft 1.18 available, head to the game in your Library, hit the Options button, and select 'Check for Update'. You can also look in your Downloads section if it's already been installed.
Xbox players can follow a similar process to PlayStation gamers. Head to the Apps & Games portion, go to Downloads, and see if the Minecraft 1.18 update is available. You can also check the game in the Xbox Store and update from there.
For the Nintendo Switch, the process is slightly different. Find the game in your Library and tap the + button. After you open Options, you'll see a Software Update section that has Via the Internet as a selection. If the device hasn't applied Minecraft 1.18 already, you should see it there.
Mobile devices (Android and iOS)
If you want to update your mobile Minecraft game to 1.18, it depends on where you got the application. If from the official App stores, you can check there for any updates. The same applies to any other store or unofficial sources you may have downloaded it from, as they usually have their own update sections.
If you have the update ready, you may be wondering what's new that you should look out for. Here are the latest items and biomes added with Minecraft 1.18.
Lush caves
This new cave biome gives new life to the underground, with new plants and mobs for you to discover. When you see Azalea leaves in the overworld, you're bound to find lush caves below them. It's also the prime location for axolotls, grow berries and cave vines.
Dripstone cave
How does a cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites sound? Well, this is the premise of the dripstone biome. There are also dripstone blocks you can mine as well as using pointed objects like vines. Just be careful that you don't fall into a pit filled with stalagmites, as it will mean your death!
Other caves worth noting
While the above two cave biomes are exciting, there are three types called noise caves you'll also encounter:
Spaghetti cave: Thin and long areas that sometimes hold aquifers
Noodle cave: A smaller version of the spaghetti cave
Cheese cave: Massive areas with loads of ore and aquifers
If you prefer living on top of the mountains instead of inside them, you'll love the new mountainous biomes. There are six in total with the Minecraft 1.18 Caves and Cliffs Part II update:
Mountain Meadow: These low mountain areas have various flowers, and you can also find sweet berries here.
Mountain Grove: As one of the initial snow-covered mountain areas, you'll find spruce trees and rabbits in this location.
Snowy Slopes: These are taller than most mountains, and you'll discover goats, ice, and snow.
Lofty Peaks: If you have surrounding warm biomes and high mountains, you'll see these gorgeous peaks covered in snow.
Snow Capped Peaks: Should the surrounding area be too cold, then lofty peaks are replaced with this biome. It contains packed ice and snow blocks.
Stony Peaks: Similar to lofty peaks and snow capped peaks, this biome contains gravel and stone instead of ice and snow.
While most of the new items and blocks appeared in the first Caves & Cliffs update, there are a few new items that found their way into Minecraft 1.18.
Ore veins
You'll not find snake-like formations of iron and copper in Minecraft, which yield more resources than before. If you're mining above Y=0, you'll discover copper, while below that level is reserved for iron.
If you enjoyed Lena Raine's tracks in the previous Minecraft versions, you'll be happy to know that five new songs have been added for 1.18. If you head dungeons and strongholds, you may find a disc called 'otherside'.
There are basically two official versions of Minecraft: Java and Bedrock editions. Usually, entering the same world seeds in both of them didn't yield the same results. One significant benefit of update 1.18 is that worlds are now nearly identical if you use the same seeds, but only if both versions have the new update applied.
While Mojang did everything possible to include everything that was promised for Minecraft 1.18, there are some items that are delayed. Specifically, you'll need to wait for the Deep Dark biome and the Warden that dwells in it. These will be included in Minecraft 1.19 when it launches in 2022.
Called The Wild update, Wardens will respond to movement and vibrations since they're blind. Even if you have a torch or other light source, the area you're in will grow dimmer when one is near you. You'll also notice how the horns rattle and glow, which is your cue to flee or fight.
Well, there you have it. The Minecraft 1.18 update Caves & Cliffs Part II is officially available, and you can journey through the new biomes to your heart's content. If you've shared your adventures online or on YouTube, please feel free to let us know.
Caves & Cliffs Update Announced at Minecraft Live
Minecraft creator Notch shunned by Microsoft for hateful tweets
Which Minecraft edition is best for you?
Minecraft Beta Opens For Caves and Cliffs Update


Often when those of us in the West think about the press in China, we only consider the restricted and controlled practices the state mandates. We can tend to view Chinese journalism as either directly opposed to or run by the government. This week, however, take time to praise God for a group of journalists who have demonstrated creativity and perseverance in highlighting China's environmental problems, provoking the government to action in good and fruitful ways.
The China Environmental Press Awards recently honored about a dozen reporters. These awards "exist to promote fair and objective reporting and to raise the standard of environmental journalism," and glancing through this year's recipients, it is easy to see just challenging that goal is. In many cases, rather than antagonizing the government in ways that could end the conversation, these journalists demonstrated a tenacity that helped the government to do good and seek justice.
Make sure you read the amazing bios of the reporters in the article posted below!
- Praise God for these reporters and ask that he would continue to bless their work.
- Praise God for the way the government has responded to the work of these journalists – acting to right wrongs, rather than growing defensive and ignoring situations.
- Pray for government officials, business leaders, and NGOs to work together for the protection of China's environment and be to motivated by wisdom.
- Pray for the population to be protected from the effects of pollution, especially the poor and vulnerable. Pray current environmental damage to be reversed.
- Pray the continued development and progress of China and for it to be known for justice and wisdom in its efforts.
- Pray for Christians to understand the Bible's teaching on humanity as image-bearing stewards of the world. Pray for God to raise up men and women who care about environmental issues and who can approach these issues from a Christian worldview.


text:
Karl Malone, John Stockton And Bryon Russell Wanted No Part Of The Last Dance
by David Guillermo · Published 20. May 2020 · Updated 21. May 2020
Photo Credit: Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
The final two episodes of Netflix and ESPN's 10-part documentary 'The Last Dance' dove deeper into the last two championships of the Chicago Bulls which completed their second three-peat. The Utah Jazz played a significant role as a stumbling block to the Bulls dynasty during the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals and played a key role in the episodes.
The storyline between the two teams became more compelling, especially having John Stockton discussing and sharing his insight regarding their competition against the dominant Jordan-led Chicago team. But somehow, the interview almost didn't happen.
'The Last Dance' director John Hehir revealed on 'The Dan Patrick Show' that Stockton initially didn't want to appear in the documentary. Hehir added that they ended up interviewing the retired superstar point guard on March 10 which was the last possible day of conducting interviews due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"I finally got (Stockton) on the phone after like two years of chasing him," Hehir said. "(Stockton) said, 'I don't want to be a part of a Michael Jordan puff piece.'"
While Stockton was later convinced to join the documentary, it was evident that his running-mate Karl Malone was nowhere to be found. Malone played with the Jazz for 18 seasons and was a key piece that made their two back-to-back Finals run possible.
Hehir admitted that they were exhausted pitching Malone to participate. He also talked about planning to interview the two Jazz superstars at the same time together, but Malone still wasn't convinced.
"He declined through another party," Hehir said. "We asked him multiple times. Believe me, we exhausted just about every avenue. We started in January 2018 on that one because we knew that (Malone) was gonna be a tough sell."
"We tried to get them to sit down together. Thought that might be a better option and [Malone would] feel more comfortable with that, but there was just no convincing him," Hehir said.
Besides Malone, Bryon Russell also passed on the interview. Russell was known to be the primary defender guarding Jordan on the infamous game-winning shot during Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals.
"That was just a no response," Hehir explained to Patrick. "Out of respect for Bryon, I think he knew the questions we were going to ask and maybe he didn't want to go there."
Perhaps, it just isn't easy being on the other side of the history.
Tags: Byron RussellJason HehirJohn StocktonKarl MaloneThe Last Dance
It's Back! Shaqtin' A Fool | October 27, 2016
Kendrick Perkins Admits He Was Terrified Of LeBron James That He Wished LeBron Tore An ACL In Game 7 Of The 2008 East's Semifinals
by David Guillermo · Published 26. June 2022
Michael Jordan Regrets Playing For The Washington Wizards
by Len Werle · Published 6. May 2020 · Last modified 6. June 2021
Next story Craig Hodges Is Upset About Scottie Pippen Portrayal In The Last Dance: "Without Scottie, MJ Wouldn't Have Won"
Previous story Karl Malone Shares Story Of Shaquille O'Neal Slapping Greg Ostertag, 'F**king Him Up For The Rest Of His Life'


text:
Contact SRLP
SRLP (Sylvia Rivera Law Project)
Donate to SRLP
SRLP Prisoner Advisory Committee
Join SRLP's Email List
Donate to SRLP!
Become a Monthly Sustainer
SRLP Merchandise
Join the Fundraising and Finance Committee
Staff & Core Collective
Our Approach and Principles/Nuestras Práctica y Principios
Survival & Self-Determination Project
Immigrant Justice Project
Prisoner Justice Project
Movement Building Team
SRLP's Prison Organizing and Advocacy
Who was Sylvia Rivera?
Collective Structure
Jobs and Internships at Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP)
You are here: Home › News › Prisons As A Tool For Reproductive Oppression: Cross-Movement Strategies For Gender Justice
Prisons As A Tool For Reproductive Oppression: Cross-Movement Strategies For Gender Justice
By Sylvia Rivera Law Project on September 27, 2008 in SRLP In The Media, SRLP News
Remarks of Gabriel Arkles from Sylvia Rivera Law Project on panel at CR10
Whether they are about healthcare, placement, showers, or any number of other issues, prison policies and practices for trans, intersex, and gender nonconforming people are never about promoting anyone's safety, health, dignity, well-being, or self-determination. Rather, they serve other interests, including maintenance of a patriarchal gender binary system and white supremacy. One of the ways that they do this is through limiting or destroying the reproductive potential of transgender people and other people in prison.
A few years ago, a colleague of mine was working with two people in the same men's prison in New York. One of them was a transgender woman and one of them was a man with an intersex condition. The man with the intersex condition was given permission to shower privately, but the transgender woman was only allowed to shower in groups, where she felt extremely unsafe. When my colleague called the facility to advocate for the transgender woman, he asked what the justification was for the difference in their treatment. The prison official responded that their policy was to prevent pregnancy. In other words, he was aware that both of these people were highly likely to be raped if forced to shower in a group with non-trans non-intersex men, but he was fine with rape so long as no pregnancies could result.
Before I get into more detail about how these policies work, I need to take a moment to talk a little bit about some basics of trans healthcare. I apologize if everyone here already knows it. There are very strong cultural myths about trans healthcare. These myths say that trans people are people who wake up one morning, decide we want to change our sex, go to the nearest doctor's office, get "the operation," and become "the opposite sex" at that time. So there's this one "the surgery" that makes us our gender that every trans person either wants to get or has already had, but there's no real "need" for it, it's more of a luxury or a whim.
In reality, there are a lot of different types of healthcare that trans people may want and need in relation to our gender. Hormone therapy is the most common type of treatment. There are also a number of different possible surgeries and other treatments. What's right for each person is highly individual. Some trans people don't want or need any sort of treatment or medical intervention in relation to our gender. Others of us may need hormones but not surgery, surgery but not hormones, one type of surgery but not another, or multiple types of surgeries in addition to hormones. There is no one "the surgery," and we all are our gender, regardless of whether or not we've ever been to see a doctor about it.
For those of us who do need some sort of treatment or another, it is a real and legitimate need, and not getting it can really damage our health and our ability to function and live in the world. Besides being a medical need, whether or not to get these treatments are some of the most intimate decisions that a person can ever make about their bodies or the way they express their gender. Every person should have the right and the freedom to make these decisions for themselves, regardless of income or race. The vast majority of trans people, particularly among the low-income communities of color so vastly over-represented in prison systems, will never be able to get any surgical treatments related to gender regardless of whether or not they want or need them, because there's simply no way they can access or afford them.
For the purposes of this discussion, I also want to add that most types of treatment that trans people may need in relation to our gender do not permanently end our ability to reproduce biologically. Some types of treatments have no effects on our reproductive capacity at all, and others have only temporary effects. There are a very few types of surgery some trans people need that can permanently end our ability to physically reproduce, unless of course we are fabulously wealthy and can afford to have eggs or sperm collected and preserved and then use assistive fertility technologies down the road.
There are several ways that the prison industrial complex exercises reproductive oppression against transgender and gender nonconforming people. One way is simply locking up huge numbers of trans people during the years when they could be having children. Trans people are disproportionately poor because of the intense discrimination they face in all aspects of life, and poverty is criminalized in our society in many ways. In addition, simply not conforming to gender norms is criminalized in many ways in society, and many trans people, particularly trans people of color, are locked up because they are profiled by police as violent and/or as sex workers, or because a cop thought they were using the wrong "restroom," or otherwise because of the way their gender is perceived.
Once in prison, trans people aren't placed in a men's or women's facility based on what would be safest for them, based on what they express would be most appropriate for them, based on their gender identity, or even based on the gender on their ID—rather, they are almost always placed based on what's between their legs. If you ask prison officials why this is, sometimes they will give you some sort of a justification they claim is about safety, along the lines of, "Well, we can't put someone with a penis in with women!" It's a vicious and unfounded stereotype that trans women are more likely to do sexual harm than any other women. But even if prison officials believed that stereotype, it's not the real reason why they won't place trans women with other women. The prison industrial complex isn't actually interested in stopping sexual violence against women. If it were, women wouldn't be getting locked up for defending themselves against sexual violence, there wouldn't be high rates of staff sexual violence against people in women's prisons, and prison officials would be a little more concerned about the fact that most of the trans women in men's facilities get sexually assaulted while there.
On the other hand, another justification that you'll sometimes hear for these placement policies that I do think has some truth to it is that they don't want anyone to be able to get pregnant in prison. In other words, it's explicitly a part of the agenda of prison officials to make sure that trans women and non-trans women in prisons, who are mostly women of color and disproportionately disabled, cannot have children together, and to make sure that trans men and non-trans men in prisons, who are mostly men of color and disproportionately disabled, cannot have children together. It's a part of the same system of eugenics that has been affecting communities of color, low-income communities, and disabled communities in this country and elsewhere for generations now.
In prisons, trans people are profoundly and on nearly every level forced to live in opposition to who they know themselves to be. They are also punished for any expression of their own gender. In women's prisons, masculine people are often punished because they are assumed to be violent, trouble-makers, and engaged in sex with other people in prison. They also have to adhere to rules about dress, grooming, and shaving for women and get punished if they violate these standards—for example, a butch wasn't brought to her court date because she refused to put on a skirt and a trans man was disciplined for not keeping his face clean shaven. In men's prisons, trans women are also punished because they are assumed to be having sex or because they are breaking rules that are based on gender norms. So we see trans women getting put into punitive segregation for offenses like possessing a bra or putting on make-up. Typically the only way that one might, possibly, be able to get one's gender identity acknowledged on any level, to get any relief from the constant punishment for expressing one's gender, or for a trans woman to maybe get moved into a facility where she'll be somewhat less of a target for sexual violence, is to have had a very particular type of genital surgery. The only sort of treatment that is ever seen as "enough" in these situations is almost always one of the few types of treatment that results in permanent loss of reproductive capacity. So in other words, to avoid torture for being who they are, trans people in prison need to have had a type of surgery that may or may not be right for them, that is nearly impossible for them to get, and that results in sterilization. Trans people's rights are being conditioned on their giving up the ability to have children.
At the same time that prison officials are requiring trans people to have had these surgeries, they are not providing access to them. Often they won't provide any other type of treatment either. Many trans people in prison are refused even hormone therapy, the most common and least expensive form of treatment that trans people can need. These denials are not only profoundly damaging the physical and mental health of trans people in prisons and robbing them of the ability to make intimate decisions about their own bodies and to self-determine their own gender, but they can also lead to loss of reproductive capacity in another way. Some trans women who are denied hormones or any form of other gender treatment end up trying to perform self-surgery—in other words, some try to treat themselves by amputating their own testicles or penis. This happens far more often in prisons than it does in the outside world. Self-treatments under these circumstances are of course extremely painful, dangerous to the point of life-threatening, and result in permanent sterilization, which may not have been what the person would have needed or chosen for themselves if they had been able to access other treatment options.
Another way that the prison industrial complex exercises reproductive oppression is through the way it interferes with trans people raising children. Trans people are already presumed to be unfit parents and face a lot of barriers in custody and visitation cases with their partners. We represented one trans woman who was ordered to dress and act like a man in order to visit her children. We also represented trans man who was denied the opportunity to adopt because the agency claimed his "sex change" would confuse the children. People in prison are physically kept away from raising their children when they are incarcerated and have their convictions used against them in custody and visitation cases; abuse, neglect, and termination of parental rights cases; and in adoption proceedings. This double stigma leaves trans people who have been incarcerated with relatively little chance of being able to raise their own children or to foster or adopt children in need of homes.
The final way that the prison industrial complex interferes with the ability of trans people to have children and limits the population of trans people is by literally killing trans people. Prison dramatically shortens the lifespan of trans people through repeated traumatic violence, severe medical neglect, the withholding of any effective means to prevent HIV transmission, lost opportunities for access to housing, income, or healthcare after release, as well as simply through the forced removal of people from their own communities and networks for support.
In summary, prison systems and the people who run them exercise reproductive oppression against and through the bodies of trans people, particularly trans people of color, in a number of ways. They prevent trans people from making intimate decisions about their own bodies and accessing healthcare that they need, which also sometimes leads to sterilizing self-treatment; they lock up trans people in large numbers during years when they could be having children; they keep trans people segregated from people they might be able to have children with even when that exposes them to extreme violence and/or isolation; they condition any recognition of a trans person's gender identity on their having undergone sterilizing surgery; they increase barriers to trans people being able to care for their children; and they cut trans people's lives short.
These are some of the reasons why at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project we believe so strongly in broad coalitional work against gender oppression in all forms. We work with many of the organizations here and many others not here to make sure that all people are able to access all of the healthcare they need and that all people can make their own decisions about their bodies, including trans people and those who are living in poverty or in prison. We also work to eliminate anything that ever conditions rights or the recognition of identity on having undergone any form of surgery or other medical treatment. Doctors should not be the guardians of anyone's civil rights. These are also some of the reasons why we're here and working with all of you to end the policing and incarceration of trans communities and all communities. I'm looking forward to getting to know you and building with you over this weekend.
Copyright note: All rights to content not created by SRLP remain with the content author or publication.
SRLP March 2008 Newsletter
SRLP Heading To Critical Resistance 10 Conference!
SRLP Contributes to Social Security Victory! - SRLP (Sylvia Rivera Law Project) - June 14, 2013
[…] form of surgery that is permanently sterilizing (See SRLP former attorney Gabriel Arkles' article Prisons as a Tool for Reproductive Oppression for more information on […]
Reina Gossett - October 8, 2013
[…] Gabriel Arkles sharing light & brilliance as usual. If you haven't read it yet I STRONGLY recommend you read his article, Prisons As A Tool For Reproductive Oppression: Cross-Movement Strategies For Gender Justice immediately. […]
Transformative Justice Workshop Resources | BCRW Blog - February 26, 2015
[…] Sylvia Rivera Law Project | "Prisons As A Tool For Reproductive Oppression: Cross-Movement Strategies For Gender Justice&#… […]
Sign up to stay up-to-date on SRLP's work and receive news and invitations to upcoming events
Connect with SRLP
SRLP on Facebook
SRLP on Twitter
Follow SRLP
Join SRLP's Email List
Name Change Guide
Small Works for Big Change
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
147 W 24th St, 5th Floor
© 2021 SRLP (Sylvia Rivera Law Project). All Rights Reserved.


text:
Check IC Status
2021 Holiday List
A Conversation on the Crisis of Climate Feedback Loops January 10, 2021 Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India –
Congratulating Nancy Pelosi January 4, 2021 Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India –
Congratulating Nitish Kumar November 11, 2020 Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India –
Congratulating President-Elect Joe Biden November 8, 2020 Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India –
Statement on the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons October 26, 2020 As an avowed campaigner for the
News from Tibet.net
His Holiness converses with Harvard Business School Professor on Leadership & Happiness
Representative Tashi Phuntsok briefs Belgian MP Cogolati on Tibetan Policy and Support Act and Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act
Speaker, Deputy Speaker participates in Dharamshala ITFA's Felicitation ceremony in recognition of TPSA 2020
US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Robert Destro interacts with Tibetan female journalists
2020 Annual Report by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China
Chorig Kalon virtually takes part in the 13th Executive Council Meeting of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP)
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Travels to Bhubaneswar, Odisha
BDL MEDIA | November 21, 2017 |
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India – Before setting out for Bhubaneswar this morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama met members of an Australian Parliamentary Delegation who were on their way to Dharamsala.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik exchanging greetings at the Chief Minister's residence in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India on November 20, 2017. Photo by Tenzin Choejor
After a comfortable two hour flight from Delhi, His Holiness arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar. He was received on behalf of the State Government of Odisha by Surya Naryana Patra, Minister for Civil Supply & Consumer Affairs; Ashok Panda, Minister for Culture & Tourism; Mrs Mona Sharma, Principal Secretary for Tourism and Nitin Jawale, Director of Tourism. Prof Achyuta Samanta, founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), who extended the invitation to His Holiness, the Phuntokling Tibetan Settlement Officer and Lhunpo Rinpoche, were also on hand to welcome him.
Outside the airport Tibetans who are settled in Odisha had gathered to greet His Holiness, who laughed and waved to them. A scrum of members of the media were also eager to record his arrival and he had a few words for them about the need for people to gain better control of their negative emotions to be able to contribute to a more peaceful world.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik looks on as His Holiness the Dalai Lama answers questions from the media at the Chief Minister's residence in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India on November 20, 2017. Photo by Tenzin Choejor
Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik received His Holiness at his residence and the two shared a few minutes conversation. Once again His Holiness spoke briefly to members of the media outside, acknowledging that Mr Patnaik is one of the longest serving Chief Ministers in the country. He also expressed gratitude for the hospitality shown to Tibetans who have settled in the state. Arriving at his hotel, His Holiness retired for the day. Tomorrow, he will speak to more than 20,000 students at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences.
Identity Certificate (IC) Information
Protected Area Permit (PAP)
Documents Required for E and X Type Visa
Documents Required for Immigration Purpose
Identification Certificate (IC) Status
Weekly Tibet Digest
Copyright © 2021 Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Powered by TCRC, DIIR - CTA.