text:
package org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.rdb;

import static com.google.common.collect.Iterables.filter;

import java.io.Closeable;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.Collection;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.DocumentStoreException;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.NodeDocument;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.NodeDocument.SplitDocType;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.RevisionVector;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.VersionGCSupport;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.rdb.RDBDocumentStore.QueryCondition;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.rdb.RDBDocumentStore.UnsupportedIndexedPropertyException;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.util.CloseableIterable;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.util.SystemPropertySupplier;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.document.util.Utils;
import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.stats.Clock;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
import com.google.common.collect.AbstractIterator;
import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
import com.google.common.collect.Lists;

/**
 * RDB specific version of {@link VersionGCSupport} which uses an extended query
 * interface to fetch required {@link NodeDocument}s.
 */
public class RDBVersionGCSupport extends VersionGCSupport {

    private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(RDBVersionGCSupport.class);

    private RDBDocumentStore store;

    // 1: seek using historical, paging mode
    // 2: use custom single query directly using RDBDocumentStore API
    private static final int DEFAULTMODE = 2;

    private static final int MODE = SystemPropertySupplier.create(RDBVersionGCSupport.class.getName() + ".MODE", DEFAULTMODE)
            .loggingTo(LOG).validateWith(value -> (value == 1 || value == 2)).formatSetMessage((name, value) -> String
                    .format("Strategy for %s set to %s (via system property %s)", RDBVersionGCSupport.class.getName(), value, name))
            .get();

    public RDBVersionGCSupport(RDBDocumentStore store) {
        super(store);
        this.store = store;
    }

    @Override
    public Iterable<NodeDocument> getPossiblyDeletedDocs(final long fromModified, final long toModified) {
        List<QueryCondition> conditions = new ArrayList<QueryCondition>();
        conditions.add(new QueryCondition(NodeDocument.DELETED_ONCE, "=", 1));
        conditions.add(new QueryCondition(NodeDocument.MODIFIED_IN_SECS, "<", NodeDocument.getModifiedInSecs(toModified)));
        conditions.add(new QueryCondition(NodeDocument.MODIFIED_IN_SECS, ">=", NodeDocument.getModifiedInSecs(fromModified)));
        if (MODE == 1) {
            return getIterator(RDBDocumentStore.EMPTY_KEY_PATTERN, conditions);
        } else {
            return store.queryAsIterable(Collection.NODES, null, null, RDBDocumentStore.EMPTY_KEY_PATTERN, conditions, Integer.MAX_VALUE, null);
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected Iterable<NodeDocument> identifyGarbage(final Set<SplitDocType> gcTypes, final RevisionVector sweepRevs,
            final long oldestRevTimeStamp) {
        if (MODE == 1) {
            return identifyGarbageMode1(gcTypes, sweepRevs, oldestRevTimeStamp);
        } else {
            return identifyGarbageMode2(gcTypes, sweepRevs, oldestRevTimeStamp);
        }
    }

    private Iterable<NodeDocument> getSplitDocuments() {
        List<QueryCondition> conditions = Collections.emptyList();
        // absent support for SDTYPE as indexed property: exclude those
        // documents from the query which definitively aren't split documents
        List<String> excludeKeyPatterns = Arrays.asList("_:/%", "__:/%", "___:/%");
        return getIterator(excludeKeyPatterns, conditions);
    }

    private Iterable<NodeDocument> identifyGarbageMode1(final Set<SplitDocType> gcTypes, final RevisionVector sweepRevs,
            final long oldestRevTimeStamp) {
        return filter(getSplitDocuments(), getGarbageCheckPredicate(gcTypes, sweepRevs, oldestRevTimeStamp));
    }

    private Predicate<NodeDocument> getGarbageCheckPredicate(final Set<SplitDocType> gcTypes, final RevisionVector sweepRevs,
            final long oldestRevTimeStamp) {
        return new Predicate<NodeDocument>() {
            @Override
            public boolean apply(NodeDocument doc) {
                return gcTypes.contains(doc.getSplitDocType()) && doc.hasAllRevisionLessThan(oldestRevTimeStamp)
                        && !isDefaultNoBranchSplitNewerThan(doc, sweepRevs);
            }
        };
    }

    private Iterable<NodeDocument> identifyGarbageMode2(final Set<SplitDocType> gcTypes, final RevisionVector sweepRevs,
            final long oldestRevTimeStamp) {
        Iterable<NodeDocument> it1;
        Iterable<NodeDocument> it2;
        String name1, name2;

        // for schema 0 or 1 rows, we'll have to constrain the path
        List<String> excludeKeyPatterns = Arrays.asList("_:/%", "__:/%", "___:/%");

        try {
            List<Integer> gcTypeCodes = Lists.newArrayList();
            for (SplitDocType type : gcTypes) {
                gcTypeCodes.add(type.typeCode());
            }

            List<QueryCondition> conditions1 = new ArrayList<QueryCondition>();
            conditions1.add(new QueryCondition(NodeDocument.SD_TYPE, "in", gcTypeCodes));
            conditions1.add(new QueryCondition(NodeDocument.SD_MAX_REV_TIME_IN_SECS, "<=", NodeDocument.getModifiedInSecs(oldestRevTimeStamp)));
            conditions1.add(new QueryCondition(RDBDocumentStore.VERSIONPROP, ">=", 2));
            name1 = "version 2 query";
            it1 = store.queryAsIterable(Collection.NODES, null, null, Collections.emptyList(), conditions1,
                    Integer.MAX_VALUE, null);

            List<QueryCondition> conditions2 = new ArrayList<QueryCondition>();
            conditions2.add(new QueryCondition(RDBDocumentStore.VERSIONPROP, "null or <", 2));
            it2 = store.queryAsIterable(Collection.NODES, null, null, excludeKeyPatterns, conditions2,
                    Integer.MAX_VALUE, null);
            name2 = "version <2 fallback on " + excludeKeyPatterns;
        } catch (UnsupportedIndexedPropertyException ex) {
            // this will happen if we query a table that doesn't have the SD*
            // columns - create a new query without the constraint, and let the
            // Java code filter the results
            it1 = store.queryAsIterable(Collection.NODES, null, null, excludeKeyPatterns, Collections.emptyList(),
                    Integer.MAX_VALUE, null);
            it2 = Collections.emptySet();
            name1 = "version <2 fallback on " + excludeKeyPatterns;
            name2 = "";
        }

        final Iterable<NodeDocument> fit1 = it1;
        final Iterable<NodeDocument> fit2 = it2;

        Predicate<NodeDocument> pred = getGarbageCheckPredicate(gcTypes, sweepRevs, oldestRevTimeStamp);

        final CountingPredicate<NodeDocument> cp1 = new CountingPredicate<NodeDocument>(name1, pred);
        final CountingPredicate<NodeDocument> cp2 = new CountingPredicate<NodeDocument>(name2, pred);

        return CloseableIterable.wrap(Iterables.concat(Iterables.filter(fit1, cp1), Iterables.filter(fit2, cp2)), new Closeable() {
            @Override
            public void close() throws IOException {
                Utils.closeIfCloseable(fit1);
                Utils.closeIfCloseable(fit2);
                if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
                    String stats1 = cp1.getStats();
                    String stats2 = cp2.getStats();
                    String message = "";
                    if (!stats1.isEmpty()) {
                        message = stats1;
                    }
                    if (!stats2.isEmpty()) {
                        if (!message.isEmpty()) {
                            message += ", ";
                        }
                        message += stats2;
                    }
                    if (!message.isEmpty()) {
                        LOG.debug(message);
                    }
                }
            }
        });
    }

    private static class CountingPredicate<T> implements Predicate<T> {

        private final String name;
        private final Predicate<T> predicate;
        private int count, matches;

        public CountingPredicate(String name, Predicate<T> predicate) {
            this.name = name;
            this.predicate = predicate;
        }

        public String getStats() {
            return count == 0 ? "" : ("Predicate statistics for '" + name + "': " + matches + "/" + count);
        }

        @Override
        public boolean apply(T doc) {
            count += 1;
            boolean match = predicate.apply(doc);
            matches += (match ? 1 : 0);
            return match;
        }
    }

    @Override
    public long getOldestDeletedOnceTimestamp(Clock clock, long precisionMs) {
        long modifiedMs = Long.MIN_VALUE;

        LOG.debug("getOldestDeletedOnceTimestamp() <- start");
        try {
            long modifiedSec = store.getMinValue(Collection.NODES, NodeDocument.MODIFIED_IN_SECS, null, null,
                    RDBDocumentStore.EMPTY_KEY_PATTERN,
                    Collections.singletonList(new QueryCondition(NodeDocument.DELETED_ONCE, "=", 1)));
            modifiedMs = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(modifiedSec);
        } catch (DocumentStoreException ex) {
            LOG.debug("getMinValue(MODIFIED)", ex);
        }

        if (modifiedMs > 0) {
            LOG.debug("getOldestDeletedOnceTimestamp() -> {}", Utils.timestampToString(modifiedMs));
            return modifiedMs;
        } else {
            LOG.debug("getOldestDeletedOnceTimestamp() -> none found, return current time");
            return clock.getTime();
        }
    }

    @Override
    public long getDeletedOnceCount() {
        return store.queryCount(Collection.NODES, null, null, RDBDocumentStore.EMPTY_KEY_PATTERN,
                Collections.singletonList(new QueryCondition(NodeDocument.DELETED_ONCE, "=", 1)));
    }

    private Iterable<NodeDocument> getIterator(final List<String> excludeKeyPatterns, final List<QueryCondition> conditions) {
        return new Iterable<NodeDocument>() {
            @Override
            public Iterator<NodeDocument> iterator() {
                return new AbstractIterator<NodeDocument>() {

                    private static final int BATCH_SIZE = 100;
                    private String startId = NodeDocument.MIN_ID_VALUE;
                    private Iterator<NodeDocument> batch = nextBatch();

                    @Override
                    protected NodeDocument computeNext() {
                        // read next batch if necessary
                        if (!batch.hasNext()) {
                            batch = nextBatch();
                        }

                        NodeDocument doc;
                        if (batch.hasNext()) {
                            doc = batch.next();
                            // remember current id
                            startId = doc.getId();
                        } else {
                            doc = endOfData();
                        }
                        return doc;
                    }

                    private Iterator<NodeDocument> nextBatch() {
                        List<NodeDocument> result = store.query(Collection.NODES, startId, NodeDocument.MAX_ID_VALUE,
                                excludeKeyPatterns, conditions, BATCH_SIZE);
                        return result.iterator();
                    }
                };
            }
        };
    }
 }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
'Big data' from social media, elsewhere online redefines trend-watching
The Washington Post reports: From a trading desk in London, Paul Hawtin monitors the fire hose of more than 340 million Twitter posts flying around the world each day to try to assess the collective mood of the populace.
The computer program he uses generates a global sentiment score from 1 to 50 based on how pessimistic or optimistic people seem to be from their online conversations. Hawtin, chief executive of Derwent Capital Markets, buys and trades millions of dollars of stocks for private investors based on that number: When everyone appears happy, he generally buys. When anxiety runs high, he sells short.
Hawtin has seen a gain of more than 7 percent in the first quarter of this year, and his method shows the advantage individuals, companies and governments are gaining as they take hold of the unprecedented amount of data online. Traders such as Hawtin say analyzing mathematical trends on the Web delivers insights and news faster than traditional investment approaches.
The explosion in the use of Google, Facebook, Twitter and other services has resulted in the generation of some 2.5 quintillion bytes each day, according to IBM.
"Big data," as it has been dubbed by researchers, has become so valuable that the World Economic Forum, in a report published last year, deemed it a new class of economic asset, like oil.
"Business boundaries are being redrawn," the report said. Companies with the ability to mine the data are becoming the most powerful, it added.
While the human brain cannot comprehend that much information at once, advances in computer power and analytics have made it possible for machines to tease out patterns in topics of conversation, calling habits, purchasing trends, use of language, popularity of sports, spread of disease and other expressions of daily life.
"This is changing the world in a big way. It enables us to watch changes in society in real time and make decisions in a way we haven't been able to ever before," said Gary King, a social science professor at Harvard University and a co-founder of Crimson Hexagon, a data analysis firm based in Boston.
The Obama campaign employs rows of people manning computers that monitor Twitter sentiment about the candidates in key states. Google scientists are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track the spread of flu around the world by analyzing what people are typing in to search. And the United Nations is measuring inflation through computers that analyze the price of bread advertised in online supermarkets across Latin America.
Many questions about big data remain unanswered. Concerns are being raised about personal privacy and how consumers can ensure that their information is being used fairly. Some worry that savvy technologists could use Twitter or Google to create false trends and manipulate markets.
Even so, sociologists, software engineers, economists, policy analysts and others in nearly every field are jumping into the fray. And nowhere has big data been as transformative as it has been in finance. [Continue reading…]
This entry was posted in social media on June 7, 2012 by News Sources.
← Renewing a debate over secrecy, and its costs Is humanity pushing Earth past a tipping point? →

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Henry (Hank) Jay Rausch Jr., 80
Henry (Hank) Jay Rausch Jr.
to Sept. 5, 2017
Hank, 80, passed away on Sept. 5, 2017 in Fullerton, California. He was born in Evanston, Illinois on Feb. 1, 1937, and grew up in Chicago.
Hank joined the Navy in 1955 and served as an Aviation Radioman, Corpsman, and Master-at-Arms during his 30-year career. After his Navy retirement, he worked at the Naval Hospital Bremerton for several years. Known as "Doc" to his Marines in Vietnam, Hank enjoyed staying in touch with his shipmates from his various assignments and building new friendships with other veterans, young and old. He was devoted to his family, dedicated to the military, hardworking, and enjoyed traveling.
Hank was preceded in death by his son, Daniel. He is survived by his children, Hank (Janet) of West Virginia, Bill (Kathy) of Texas, Mary Kay (Scott Orr) of California, Steve (Mary Swartzel) of California; 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017 at 11 a.m. at the Fleet Reserve Association, 521 S. National Avenue, in Bremerton. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Association.


Yesterday started with putting on my new outfit from PVBody and doing some cardio on the elliptical.
I was pretty nervous and anxious and EXCITED and anxious all morning because I had a Noon appointment with Diana.
Just walking back in that gym and feeling the energy of HitchFit set my nerves at ease.
Diana and I have worked together on and off since 2009 so she is such a source of comfort and positivity. I trust her. We sat and talked for a bit about my goals and how she was going to help me reach them.
and strip down for measurements and pictures.
I wanted to cry a little bit.
I felt like I had failed. And not just failed myself, but failed Diana and Justin….and all of YOU!
Those feelings were quickly replaced with a FIRE! This is MY body. I am not doing this for anyone else. I made mistakes coming out of prep last time. I will NOT make those same mistakes again.
I am starting out 10 lbs heavier than I started my prep in 2011 and about the same body fat percentage, but I am starting four months earlier.
I feel pumped and READY!
The mental switch has been flipped to ON!
Ready to take this journey with me again?
Oh, wait, I'm done yet, the day gets better.
So, I come home PUUUUUMPED. Endorphins were pumping like I had just ran 5 miles! I was ready to start prep immediately! Get the camera. Let's take some pictures so I can start my progress picture page for 2013.
And then I remembered, we were going out last night with Justin's Dad and Stepmom before they head to Arizona for the Winter.
We went to our favorite wine place and did a tasting.
And then headed to an Italian restaurant that the four of us love. I had chicken scallopini with eggplant parmesan on the side instead of pasta.
Oh well. I'll start prep tomorrow (which is TODAY)!
oh i cant wait, I am right here supporting you from arizona!!!!
Love all the support! Thanks Libby!
30 weeks....let's do the damn, thang!!!
Ooooooh, we definitely need to do a meet up! They winter in Apache Junction so we fly into Phoenix! We definitely need to make this happen!
excited to follow you along from the east coast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO excited for you! I love your honesty, and as you know all too well, we share very similar struggles! It's good to know that we will be battling our demons together!!
YAY!!!! so so so excited for you!!!


text:
Bath evaluating feasibility of wire-free hydrogen tram system
Posted: 3 September 2020 | Sam Mehmet (Intelligent Transport)
A wire-free hydrogen tram system has been proposed for the city of Bath as a cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable alternative to conventional trams.
Bath Area Trams Association (BATA) has announced that it is in detailed discussions with American transportation system manufacturer TIG/m and consultants TenBroeke Engineering for a wire-free hydrogen tram project.
TIG/m LLC has installed such tram systems around the world and the intention – assuming positive feasibility study outcomes and detailed independent engineering evaluations – is for TIG/m to carry out a full turnkey design, install and build and then operate of the system.
11 lines have been surveyed by BATA and a study by WS Atkins found that at least four of them were likely to be viable. This "turnkey" approach is said to avoid the extensive costs and timescales of the normal complex procurement processes used in the UK which are dependant on UK Government loans. It was also noted that overhead wires in conventional trams add a significant cost in the wires themselves.
David Andrews, Chair of BATA, said: "Discussions are obviously at an initial stage and we are not committed or allied to any technology or supplier at this early stage. BATA and other authorities will have to be satisfied that such a system meets all Bath's needs, and it may well be that we find the traditional heavy European type tram is the most suitable – that have been found to be cost effective in eight of the recent British tram re-installs after all. However, given that this proposal offers to be significantly lower in cost, avoids overhead wires which many people object to, and faster to install than the alternative approaches, we need to look closely at this option."
Brad Read, CEO of TIG/m, said: "The number one goal of any public transportation system is to get people out of their private automobiles by giving them a complete end-to-end solution for their travels; creating a communal sense of place that is a connected, walkable, exciting place to be. This is done by connecting all of the alternate modes of travel into a seamless whole. In the case of Bath Trams this means making as many stops as possible a multi-modal stop for buses, rail cars, and bicycles. These three modes support one and other; when we give motorists a viable opportunity to leave their cars at home (or let them go altogether) all three of these modes of travel will see increased ridership. These modes do not compete, they complement one another."
Andrews concluded by stating that we face "exciting times within the transport world" with the realisation that trams form a great back-bone to any integrated transport plan and that he is pleased to see the close liaison the West of England Combined Authority and Bath & NE Somerset Council is paying off.
Business Models, Infrastructure & Urban Planning, Sustainable Urban Transport
Bath Area Trams Association (BATA), TIG/m
Brad Read, David Andrews
By Sam Mehmet (Intelligent Transport)
How Oxfordshire council improved design and public engagement using Remix Streets
By Via, Via Transportation Inc.
MTA and NYCDOT announce plans to improve New York's bus network
London's poor air quality revealed by City Hall analysis
Stagecoach urges COP26 leaders to encourage the use of public transport


Any of the retreat experiences may also happen with others. In the spirit of community interdependence, the presence of another may be a significant catalyst for realizing your intentions. Depending upon willingness to share space, up to 8 people may be housed at the Forest Hermitage. There are also other available accommodations within walking distance that we can help you locate. Jillian and Elizabeth are available to assist with discernment and creating form for a shared experience.


New York-based Startup Health introduces 13 new digital health companies to its three-year incubator program. Startup Health launched in 2011 with the goal of building a portfolio of 1,000 digital health companies in its first 10 years. The new additions brings Startup Health's portfolio to 84 digital health companies, spanning a broad range of subsectors.
Startups enrolled in Startup Health's program forgo between two-10 percent equity, and in exchange receive three years of coaching and mentoring, as well as access to quarterly networking and education sessions. Startup Health does not invest any seed capital in its portfolio companies directly, but it reports that 43 percent of its members have raised more than $1 million in VC funding.
AprilAge – AprilAge develops personalized computer models of the human face and body. It shows people their "future self" as a motivational tool for behavior change towards adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Curatio - Curatio is building disease-specific social networks and personalized health monitoring tools to support chronic disease management.
DocEngage – DocEngage is a CRM system focused on the healthcare market. It helps care providers manage patient populations and contributes to improve patient satisfaction, increase revenue, and improve outcomes.
Fit4D – Fit4D supports population health initiatives by employing diabetes educators and performing outreach efforts on the diabetic population, assessing the reasons for poorly controlled diabetes, and motivating people to improve.
Jaystreet – Jaystreet is building a waitlist solution for providers that backfills cancelled appointments and optimizes clinic schedules automatically.
Kuveda – Kuveda is a clinical decision support system for oncologists, providing personalized cancer treatment options based on a patient's unique molecular profile.
LifeBio – LifeBio helps people with life-threatening illnesses, those reaching end-of-life, or those with Alzheimer's Disease create biographies with a simple app.
Meals to Heal – Meals to Heal provides premade meals tailored to meet the needs to people who suffer from conditions for which proper nutrition has been proven to improve clinical outcomes.
MedCloud WebClinic – MedCloud WebClinic is a deployable health information exchange platform designed for sharing medical images.
Medtep – Medtep is a cloud-based remote patient monitoring platform that aggregates medical data from a variety of different sources, and then alerts both the patient and the care team when a patients condition strays outside of an accepted range.
Nutrify – Nutrify aggregates nutrition guidelines and studies and then recommends recipes tailored to a users clinical conditions, health goals, allergies, medications, and weight management needs.
Personal Medicine Plus – Personal Medicine Plus is a smartphone app that integrates with Validic's one-to-many interface engine to capture medical device data, and Apple's HealthKit to capture consumer health app data, which it then uses to help patients, clinics, and payors monitor and control chronic diseases.
Tome – Tome is building a software platform that connects existing office furniture with backend employers' wellness systems to and personal fitness devices to monitor how much time people are spending sitting each day.


text:
Q: White bar across the top of Meta's header Meta's header has a weird white bar across the top:

It scrolls with the rest of the header, so I only see this when at the top of the page. On a spot-check, Puzzling and Literature seem unaffected.
I'm on the latest version of Chrome and Windows with a Samsung laptop. My moto g(6) (also Chrome) can reproduce.

A: Thank you for reporting! If you look carefully, the space is being caused by a rogue semicolon way over on the left. My bad! I'm canary-testing some infrastructure work on Meta. Fix is on the way.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The U.S. one-cent coin costs more money than its face value to produce, which has led to debate over whether it's worth continuing to mint and keep in circulation. The Onion presents the case for and against getting rid of the penny.
Will instantly make all previously issued pennies rare collectors' items worth up to $750.
Surely nobody in our wildly prosperous nation is so poor that they need to keep track of individual cents.
Will finally erase all memory of Abraham Lincoln.
Would devastate the take-a-penny-leave-a-penny economy.
Will take jobs from hardworking Coinstar machines.
A penny can be used as a very small table.
If pennies are outlawed, only outlaws will have pennies.


text:
Victoria C. Fontan
Selected Interviews
The Cowards' War: the NGO
Abdul Rahman Ali Barman in HOOD's Office, Sana'a
Abdul Rahman Ali Barman is a Yemeni lawyer dedicated to human rights. His organization, HOOD, is active since 1998, and has seen many cases over the years. In a dictatorship, the amount of threats that such an NGO receives from the government is always a testimony to its efficiency. In 2011, HOOD's central office in central Sana'a received direct cannon rounds from a nearby army barrack: they must have been doing something right. They continued their work from a tent for over a year and a half, and are now back to their headquarters processing all sorts of human rights violations.
Abdul Rahman says that since the removal of President Saleh and the subsequent landslide victory of his former deputy Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi, not too difficult to obtain since he was the only candidate, things are looking up in Yemen. There are improvements in some areas such as press and internet freedom, people are becoming more free to share their ideas, up to a certain point of course. There are still enforced disappearances and random arrests of journalists. Guilt by association prevails in Yemen, where the suspicion of any link with al-Qaeda can land someone in prison. There, the interrogation techniques have not changed. After all, democracy is a lengthy process, it requires time to hatch, or so we are told by Liberal Peace fairy tales. Detainees are still subjected to the same type torture as before the Arab Spring: electricity, suspension of arms twisted behind the back, punching, etc.
Why is the human rights situation in Yemen so important, and what is the connection to drone strikes and targeted killings carried out by the US government on Yemeni soil? From an International Law perspective, there are two different frameworks that could apply, depending on whether the US has declared war against another Nation State. If it has, there are rules on how to conduct a war with a minimum damages, under the precepts of International Humanitarian law. If it has not, the use of lethal force is much more difficult to justify, and falls under the precepts of International Human Rights Law. From the perspective of the latter framework, the practice of targeted killings could be regarded as an extrajudicial execution. That's however not counting with the help of the United Nations Charter. Under its article 51, a country can kill if is has an "invitation from the state where force is used to join with it in armed conflict hostilities." (1)
The US claims that the Yemeni government has asked its help against al-Qaeda, and that therefore Article 51 applies. Abdul Rahman strongly disagrees, and explains that there have been several debates in parliament about this: "how can a country which is not even a democracy ask for this help? The Parliament never requested anything, or passed any law regarding this supposed assistance. No one has access to any documents of the sort. Even the current Prime Minister declared on al-Jazeera never to have seen such documents."(2) Article 51 cannot work for two reasons. First, the assertion that the current Yemeni leadership was "elected", in a sad excuse for a democratic process, since there was only one candidate to vote for. Abdul Rahman argues that therefore is no legitimacy to be found in the current government. Second, there was no official request, validated by Parliament, for any military assistance from the US. From an International Human Rights Law perspective, the Obama administration is therefore carrying out extrajudicial executions.
Who benefits from this War Crime? Certainly not only the usual suspect, i.e. the Yemeni government. Abdul Rahman mentioned the recent execution of two moderate al-Qaeda officials killed in drone strikes, Fadel Qasr and Mohammed el-Hamda. According to him, Qasr and el-Hamda were members of the AQAP council, the Shura, which decides on operations across the country. They both had withdrawn during the vote on several operations, which they did not agree with. Their names and locations were conveniently given to the Yemeni government to facilitate a purge within AQAP. According to Abdul Rahman, AQAP's military leader, Qasm al-Raimi, is actually very close to the previous and current governments. Indirectly, the US government is therefore aiding and abating AQAP, assisting in its purge from the inside. Moderates have never made convenient enemies.
Can NGO workers too become enemies of the US? Abdul Rahman does not discard the possibility. Last December, Abd al- Rahman Omair Al Naimi, a Qatari colleague from HOOD's sister organization Alkarama, was designated as a supporter and financier of al-Qaeda by the US Treasury Department. It seems that working on drones and human rights in Yemen may land anyone, author included, in trouble. Abdul Rahman explains that when it comes to these issues, and the power that the US has on the government, these activists could even end up in prison. HOOD and AlKarama's links with international NGOs such as US-based Code Pink have granted them protection both in Yemen and abroad to a certain extent. However, Abdul Rahman sees these organizations' lavish spending on the back of their suffering with much caution. He explains: "if they invested even three percent of the funding they obtain thanks to our suffering to help us train Human Rights delegates on the ground, this would enhance our efficiency tremendously." The Peace Industry as well as free-lance journalists revels on the drones "story," any other international coming to Sana'a to work on the issue is likely be ignored by the "specialists." The drones also created a certain gold rush.
Alkarama designates the US extrajudicial killings as a second-generation Guantanamo. Abdul Rahman confirms this as many of the targets of US strikes are former prisoners. The most infamous of the attacks, on the town of Majella, fits this profile. On December 17th 2009, the US carried out a "double tap" on a small village nine hours of Sana'a. It killed up to forty-two people, most women and children. This "double tap" technique is notoriously used by al-Qaeda in Iraq or in Afghanistan. It consists of a first strike followed by a second attack a few minutes later, under the understanding that the people rushing to the scene to help others are guilty by association and therefore deserve to die too. In Majella, the first strike consisted of four Hellfire missiles, followed a few moments later by a Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile (BGM-109D) "designed to carry 166 cluster bombs, each containing approximately 200 iron splinters that can reach a distance of 150 [meters] from the drop point."(3) The target of the attack was Mohammed al-Qazimi, a former alleged al-Qaeda associate who had spent fie years in a Yemeni jail, and had been released shortly before the strike. Since he had returned to Majella, he passed an army checkpoint morning and afternoon to go and buy his daily bread and khat.(4) He could easily have been arrested and tried at any time.
What therefore justified the strike, and the lavish spending of US taxpayer funds to kill someone who was completely accessible to Yemeni law enforcement? Given the price of the ammunition used, the attack cost a minimum of two million US Dollars, a sum that could easily have been invested in the development of the village, hence fostering pro-US sentiment among the population. After the Majella attack, President Saleh rang the mayor to justify the killing, arguing that all involved, including the women and children, had ties to al-Qaeda. The mayor allegedly responded: "I hoped that when they had died, the children would have known how to read and write; I hoped that when they had died, their stomachs had been full; I hoped that when they had died, they would have had electricity, computers and access to internet." The attack whose funds could have been put to good use boosted AQAP support in the region.
Abdul Rahman recalls the funeral of Majella victims with emotion, especially this old lady who pleaded, referring to the US: "they even have laws that protect animals, why can't they just consider us like their animals?"
(1) See http://law.wustl.edu/harris/documents/OConnellFullRemarksNov23.pdf, p.1.
(2) Interview with Abdul Rahman Ali Barman, January 9th 2014, Sana'a, Yemen.
(3) See http://en.alkarama.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1157:yemen-license-to-kill&catid=66&Itemid=215, p. 66
(4) The khat is a local leaf that is chewed daily for its stimulant properties.
The Cowards's War: the family
Mohammed al-Qawli showing his brother's car
Mohammed al-Qawli, a former Headmaster in his late forties, has been restless for nearly a year. On January 23rd 2013, his brother, schoolteacher Ali Ali al-Qawli, was killed in a drone strike, alongside seven other men. They were traveling to the north of the village of Qawlan, half an hour from the Yemeni capital Sana'a, when four hellfire missiles hit their Toyota Hilux.
Mohammed remembers hearing an explosion: he went out to see if the Hilux was still in the village, and that's when he realized that something bad might have happened. He knew about drone strikes but discarded the possibility. The Americans had never targeted his area, notoriously close to the previous government elite. He and other village members travelled to the scene of the explosion: nothing could have prepared them for what they were about to see. The scene was on fire, filled with charred human remains and debris. The car had been moved 10 meters away from the impact of one of the missiles, close to a house on the other side of the road. Water was gushing from an irrigation tube, and men from a nearby village were walking aghast among the debris.
Mohammed was on autopilot. Villagers pointed to a charred body at the back of the car, whose teeth were unmistakably those of his brother. Soon, security services turned up. All the officials cared about was to find the car's number plates. They soon departed the scene. Afterwards, onlookers gathered all the remains they could find: more than one hundred. They were immediately taken to Sana'a for a forensic examination.
Immediately after the strike, the Yemeni government declared that al-Qaeda operatives had been killed in the attack. This generated a massive protest from the local tribes, the government was forced to issue a retraction: Ali al-Qawli and all other occupants of the car were declared innocent of any crimes.
Since Ali was a quiet schoolteacher with no links to any political organization, Mohammed started asking himself who else in the car could have been targeted. That's when it dawned on him: a known opponent of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was in the car, Rabieh Hamud Labieh. Labieh, a democratically elected local councilor, had turned against Saleh during the 2011 Arab Spring-related demonstrations. He was notorious for having denounced the smuggling of government weapons between Sana'a and Saleh's fief, right after his demise. He had been an opponent to the new regime, arguing that th country was still a dictatorship.
According to the Yemeni National Organization or Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD), the Yemeni government has been instrumental in assisting the US government with its strikes, from the collection of incriminating "evidence" to the collection human intelligence. In sum, the Yemeni government says who to strike, where and when. For Mohammed, it makes no doubt that the government used the US to get rid of its political opponent, a view shared by HOOD and Swiss-based NGO Alkarama. Not only is the "war on terror" not nearly over, but also one can conclude that the Arab Spring never really took off in Yemen, where Saleh's successor, former vice-president Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi, continues to purge his political opponents.
How much does it cost, in Yemen, to dispose of a democratically elected politician? One only needs powerful allies. Alkarama asserts that it would have been very easy to arrest Labieh and try him for treason. After all, there was a military police checkpoint only five hundred meters from the scene of the explosion. Four Hellfire missiles were launched at Labieh's vehicle, preceded by more than a day of drone reconnaissance. Provided that the basic cost of a Hellfire is $65,000, counting the drone flying hours and personnel costs, the attack could have reached a $400,000 price tag for the US taxpayer. Since the Yemeni government cleared all occupants of any relationship with al-Qaeda after their death, this particular incident is proving to be a costly mistake.
No compensation was offered to the families of the victims. Salim, the car's driver, left behind an impoverished extended family. Ali left three ophans who are now being raised by Mohammed. Ali's eldest, Mohammed Ali, asked me to film him as soon as I arrived in his house. He asks a very simple question to President Obama: "Sir, why did you kill my dad?" (1)
As we parted, Mohammed says that he will never let go until he obtains an apology from the US government, and compensation for all its Yemeni victims. Whenever there is an attack elsewhere in the country, he races to the scene in own SUV, bought specifically for this reason. He then collects the remaining parts of the missiles and brings them to Sana'a. He has been documenting every strike since his brother's death, and wows to do so until a missile strikes him eventually. Showing me part of a Hellfire that killed his brother, he defiantly claims: "this is the humanitarian aid we in Yemen get from the US, it is all one big lie, and I will never give up for all the victims' sake."
(1) See the link to Mohammed Ali al-Qawli's question to President Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un0vxahkYFM
Drone Strikes
Hellfire Missiles
ICRC
Ma'jalla


text:
LRL Home - Legislators and Leaders - Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Member profile
Ballard C. Bagby
Full Name: Ballard C. Bagby
Date of birth: December 18, 1809
Date of death: November 21, 1862
Terms of Service top
Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 2 Feb 16, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847 1st (1) (2) (3) (4) Unknown / Red River Bowie, Red River
(1) Loco Foco. Table of members of the 1st Legislature, Texas Democrat, 5/20/1846, p. 3, crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(2) 1st Legislature - 2/16/1846, p. 4. Listed in "roll of Senators being called by Districts, the following members appeared and took their seats...on motion of Mr. Grimes, the Senators came forward and took the oath prescribed by the Constitution." Senate Journal.
(3) 1st Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office and Classification of Senators, 3/3/1846, p. 60. Drew "first class" (2-year term). Senate Journal.
(4) Description of drawing of terms for Senators, first-class two-year terms and second-class four-year terms, 3/3/1846, p. 180. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
Biographical Notes and Resources top
Biographical sketch, pp. 47-48. Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832-1845, 1942.
Relatives: Ballard C. Bagby and George Henry Bagby - brothers. Ballard C. Bagby birth date 12/18/1809; death date 11/21/1862, "Regarding the Descendants of Walter Clopton, The Elder, of 'Callowell' & His Wife Mary Jarratt," The Clopton Chronicles. RootsWeb.com Internet genealogical service.
Biographical notes, p. 172. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
BAGBY, BALLARD C.(1809-1862). "Although he never again served in the legislature, Bagby remained active in the Democratic party at the local and state levels." Handbook of Texas Online.
Committee Informationtop
1st R.S. - 1846
Claims and Accounts
Examine Books of Comptroller Relative to Charge Against James L. Love
Internal Improvements
Official Seals of the Republic of Texas, Collect and Destroy All
This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.
Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.
Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.


text:
SIFAV updates its Baskets of Social Standards
News article25 Apr 2022
As part of the 2025 strategy of the Sustainability Initiative Fruit & Vegetables (SIFAV), the SIFAV partners have agreed to verify the working conditions at their farms and packhouses located in high-risk and medium-risk countries. The objective: by 2025, at least 90% of the SIFAV partner's volume originating from these countries are verified by one of the standards accepted in the baskets of social standards.
Decent working conditions: a core objective of SIFAV
Ensuring decent working conditions at producers has always been a core objective of SIFAV. Already in its 2020 program SIFAV partners committed to verify the labour conditions on the farms and packhouses they sourced from in high-risk countries. Their joint efforts across global fruit and vegetable supply chains ultimately led to the result of 85% sustainable sourcing volumes in 2020.
SIFAV 2025: finetuning of approach
During the development of the 2025 program, the SIFAV partners decided to increase the scope of their commitment and to finetune the approach on socially sustainable sourcing. This new ambition takes into account the dynamics of the sector, the differences in risks for various countries and the differences in realities for small and large farms. This ultimately resulted in the development of three new Baskets of Social Standards.
High-risk countries versus medium-risk countries
The probability of human and labour rights violations occurring is closely linked to the capacity of local governments to set stringent labour laws and ensure their implementation and enforcement. The difference in the level of assurance provided by the countries themselves requires different levels of additional assurance by the private sector. When there are indicators that governance is not adequate, the adoption of social standards and third-party verification is an additional assurance method for decent working conditions. Therefore, SIFAV partners have decided to implement third party verification at all farms and packhouses located in high-risk and medium-risk countries.
Following the Amfori Risk Classification[1], high-risk countries are defined by SIFAV as countries with a World Governance Index (WGI) average rating below 60 or 3 or more individual dimensions with as rating below 60. Medium-risk countries are defined by SIFAV as countries with a WGI average rating between 60 and 80 and by taking into account additional indicators on migrant labour, forced labour and fundamental labour rights into consideration.
Large farms versus smallholders
Decent working conditions should be ensured on all farms, independent of their size. However, large farms and smallholders differ in terms of resources and reality. Under SIFAV 2025 and for the purpose of social verification, smallholders are defined as family farmers or small single farmers that employ less than 5 FTE on a yearly basis (permanent or temporary). Farmer organizations of which two third of the farmers comply to the above definition are also considered as smallholders.
"With this updated basked of standards SIFAV takes the social compliance approach to the next level. It provides a clear direction on how to verify the position of workers in our fresh supply chains in medium and high-risk countries. This will increase transparency and will contribute to better understanding of potential issues like migration, and minimizing negative impact on all workers in agriculture. The joint approach of the SIFAV participants helps us to create awareness and is a clear and uniform signal to the regions applicable."
Leon Mol – Director Product Safety and Social Compliance – Ahold Delhaize
Verifying work conditions through benchmarked standards: the SIFAV Baskets of Standards
Verifying labour conditions is an important step in a company due diligence exercise. Third party social verification helps companies assess the labour conditions at their producers. It also helps them with setting up a corrective action plan and an improvement process. Follow-up verifications also help companies to assess whether these improvements have had any effect.
SIFAV partners agreed to use social standards to verify the working conditions at their producers. Social standards that have gone through an independent benchmarking process and that are found to be equivalent are included in the SIFAV 'Baskets of Standards'. Benchmarking ensures that all standards accepted meet a minimum level of assurance and quality set by these benchmarks.
By working with baskets of social standards, SIFAV is aiming to drive harmonization, to support alignment of market requirements to best practices and to promote transparency and comparability. The baskets also provide choice for supply chain actors ultimately resulting in higher efficiency, lower costs, and less audit duplications.
SIFAV follows two benchmarks when it comes to social standards: the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI)[2] and the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) [3]benchmark, developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) platform.
For high-risk countries, equivalency to the SSCI benchmark is required. Since the SSCI benchmark is still relatively new and that the process is quite lengthy, SIFAV allowed a transition period for standards to go through this benchmark. At this stage, standards included in the high-risk basket are either equivalent to the SSCI benchmark or the GSCP benchmark (level B), which is the predecessor of SSCI. Starting 2024, only standards that have gone through the SSCI benchmark and that have been found to be equivalent will be included in the basket for high-risk countries.
Equivalency to FSA bronze on social chapter or to the SSCI benchmark is required for standards applied in medium-risk countries and for verification of smallholder farms. Adopting both benchmarks for medium-risk countries and smallholder farmers opens the possibility to accept standards that are more common in these countries and/or more accessible to smallholders. At this stage all standards accepted in these baskets are equivalent to FSA 2.1. All standards will need to go through the benchmark against the new FSA 3.0 benchmark by the end of October 2022 (following FSA requirements) to remain in these baskets.
The baskets are regularly reviewed by SIFAV to include relevant standards meeting the FSA and/or SSCI benchmark.
This country and farm classifications combined with the benchmarking requirements result in the following baskets of social standard
Broader commitment on social topics
In addition to the commitment to verify the labour conditions at their producers located in high- and medium risk countries, SIFAV partners also committed to work towards ensuring living wages in their supply chains. With living wages being an important lever to stop poverty and address other human right abuses like bonded labour or child labour, it makes sense to focus on this topic. All SIFAV partners committed to analyse the living wage gap in one of their supply chains as well as identify obstacles and pathways to reduction by 2025.
You can find the brochure for the SIFAV Baskets of Social Standards here and the list of high-and medium-risk countries here
[1] https://www.amfori.org/sites/default/files/amfori-2020-11-12-Country-Risk-Classification-2021_0.pdf
[2] https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/social-sustainability/sustainable-supply-chain-initiative/key-projects/benchmarking-recognition/
[3] https://saiplatform.org/fsa/
Sector: Food Crops & Ingredients
Initiative: Sustainability Initiative Fruit and Vegetables
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India is a country where life for most of the population is precarious at best. Exploited and oppressed, the people seethe with hatred as a result of the injustices that are their daily lot. The Indian ruling classes, however, have always been masters at deflecting the hatred of the oppressed masses away from themselves, who deserve it, towards sections of the relatively poor – using either caste or religious differences among the population to rouse one section against another, while the exploiters tut-tut on the sidelines.
In recent times the religious divide between Hindus and Muslims has been cynically exploited for electoral gain – for in India, as indeed elsewhere, to be elected to positions of political power is to be given the key to a goldmine. To have influence in government brings you a fortune in 'donations' from people anxious to have you exercise that influence on their behalf, and, furthermore, you can use your connection to promote your business interests and those of favoured members of your family. The vast wealth and pelf that it brings means that political power is to kill for.
However, the various vultures and bloodsuckers from India's bourgeois parties who seek election have nothing whatever to offer to the overwhelming majority of the electorate. As a result they have to find other ways of mobilising their votes. There is of course straightforward purchase, but this is expensive and unreliable. If on the other hand you can set yourself up as a defender of religion, you need only satisfy the demands of a handful of priests to have the votes of their flocks delivered to your door.
It is this phenomenon that lies behind the present troubles in Gujarat. They have been continuing for years, and both the Congress Party which used to hold power in the state and the BJP which holds it now have been guilty of appealing to communalism. Matters came to a head in 1992 in relation to the destruction by Hindu vandals of the 500-year old Babri Masjid, the Ayodhya Mosque. The crowds who perpetrated this outrage were egged on by members of the BJP anxious to use the mobilisation of religious sentiment to oust their Congress rivals from power. The Congress, which had always claimed to be secular, was, however, much more concerned with re-election than with its supposed principles. Rather than protect the Mosque, it allowed it to be destroyed in the vain hope it might hang on to its Hindu chauvinist votes. It lost the votes anyway because the Indian masses were thoroughly tired of its endless years of misrule and did not know that all alternative bourgeois parties were just as bad. But in allowing the historic Mosque to be destroyed, the Congress laid the basis for intensification of inter-communal hatred to a level that will make it exceptionally hard to eradicate.
Ever since the Mosque was destroyed, the Hindu obscurantists have been agitating for a Hindu temple to be built on the site which, they claim, is the birth place of the god, Lord Rama! They are led by such unsavoury elements as Ramchandra Paramhans. Over 90-years old, this militant sadhu ('holy' man!) "looks every bit the irascible ascetic of Hindu legend, with his dense white beard and matted locks. In the mid-1980s he was enlisted by Hindu nationalist politicians as they tried to capitalise on an old and once-minor dispute as a way of boosting their popularity" (Pankaj Mishra, 'Violence flares on a nation's holy ground', The Guardian, 1 March 2002).
When Pankaj Mishra "mentioned the two key contrains stopping the Indian government from rebuilding [the Hindu temple at Ayodhya] – a supreme court ban on construction and the strong Muslim opposition – Mr Paramhans exploded: 'There are only two places Muslims can go: Pakistan or Kabristan'". Kabristan is the graveyard.
Building this Hindu temple would be an act of gross provocation, to the extent that not even the BJP leadership, now that it has ridden to power on the back of the obscurantist tiger, is keen to implement. The reason for this is, of course, not any change of heart, but because "Since achieving national power in 1998, the BJP has been forced to jettison its communalist overtones in order to hold together an unwieldy coalition with its secular allies" (Edward Luce, 'Spectre of communal conflict arises again', Financial Times, 1 March 2002). In order to retain the key to the goldmine, it turns out that the BJP is no more committed to its fundamentalist 'principles' than the Congress Party was to its 'secular' ones when it allowed the Mosque to be destroyed.
In addition, of course, ill treatment of Muslims in India strengthens the hand of Pakistan when it comes to the dispute over Kashmir.
As a result, the BJP government has not allowed a temple to be built, but has let the whole issue get bogged down in an interminable legal battle in order to avoid being seen making a decision either way which would be bound to be unpopular in various quarters.
But the demonic genie of communalism is well and truly out of the bottle, and there is no shortage of politicians in India keen to exploit it in order to get themselves into positions of power-to-loot. Even less is there a shortage of those who for fear of losing their positions are unwilling to take a firm stand against communalism, especially the communalism of the majority community, the Hindus, even though they know full well that in failing to do so they are acting contrary to the best interests of the people of India. As a result, Hindu chauvinist elements seeking to build a Hindu temple on the site of the Babri Masjid have been having a field day. Since at least the start of this year they have been camping out on the site and "they have heaped up building materials and specially carved pillars for the reconstruction of the temple which the mosque replaced centuries ago. 'Volunteers' from all over India have been going back and forth to Ayodhya in an attempt to bring pressure to bear on the prevaricating coalition government in Delhi…" (Martin Woollacott, 'Communal violence in India makes a Kashmir deal less likely, The Guardian, 1 March 2002).
"Officials said it was possible that some passengers from Godhra travelling by the train had been harassed along the way by the VHP activists returning from Ayodhya and they had incited the mob to attack the passengers after getting off the train.
The attack was fatal. 58 people were killed, some of whom were militant fundamentalists, but the majority were innocents, including at least 15 children and 25 women.
Although the perpetrators of the attack were arrested and can, as Muslims, be expected to be subjected to the full rigour of the law, the World Hindu Council (VHP – Vishwa Hindu Parishad) "called for a state-wide strike ['bandh'] today to protest against the attack – one of the most gruesome incidents of communal violence in a decade". Normally bandhs are called only when those in authority fail to respond appropriately in a given situation. In the case of the perpetrators of the Godhra incident, however, they had acted immediately and decisively. The purpose of calling the bandh in this case was to organise 'revenge' against the whole of the Muslim community, although of course with the hypocrisy typical of all those whose political career is built on duping the masses, the Vice President of the World Hindu Council announced that the strike would be "done in a peaceful manner. We will not allow any violence".
In the name of a religion that purportedly eschews all violence, to the point that its followers do not eat meat, hideous carnage was committed. In the first day alone, 28 February, "A Hindu mob burned 38 Muslims, including a former MP, in their homes in Ahmedabad, the state's commercial capital, as their relatives frantically called the police and fire departments which took hours to arrive … Twenty people were killed in rioting earlier in the day as mobs went on the rampage, destroying Muslim properties and businesses and attacking mosques".
"What can you say about a women, eight months pregnant, who begged to be spared: her assailants instead stripped open her stomach, pulled out her foetus and killed it before her eyes. What can you say about a family of nineteen being killed by flooding their home with water and then electrocuting them with high-tension electricity? … A family escaping from Naroda-palia, one of the worst hit settlements in Ahmedabad, spoke of losing a young woman and her three-month old son, because a police constable directed her to 'safety' and she found herself instead surrounded by a mob, who doused her with kerosene and set her and her baby on fire…" (Citizen's Initiative Group of well-known women journalists and social workers, quoted in People's Democracy, journal of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), of 5 May 2002).
Even in the refugee camps, where they are supposed to be protected, refugees have been shelled (on the pretext that they were harbouring 'miscreants'), and some camps have prematurely closed down, leaving the refugees with nowhere to stay.
To unleash mob violence is very advantageous to the BJP in Gujarat. The backbone of the party there is the Hindu middle class, which support it in order to secure for themselves favours, top jobs and influence. The party has, however, like any other bourgeois party, nothing to offer the electoral masses. A pogrom conveniently allows the most downtrodden elements to enrich themselves by looting the relatively prosperous Muslim trading community and killing those who might otherwise return to reclaim their property. Gujarat has since India's Independence had the worst record of pogroms of any state in India – in 1969, 1981, 1985, 1990 and 1992-3, all at a time when the Congress Party ruled the state. When Congress Party member, Madhav Singh Solanki, was chief minister, "276 people died in 117 incidents of mob violence. Under Amar Singh Chaudhuri, 582 persons died in 413 incidents of violence. And under Chimanbhai Patel, who was chief minister twice, 563 persons died in 370 incidents of violence. In 1990 … 220 people died; in 1992 riots after Babri demolition 325 people were dead and in 1993 another 116 lost their lives" (Ashgar Ali Engineer, 'BJP's riot-free India', Frontier, May 5-11 2002). The ruling classes and their representatives sanctify this activity as defence of religion and wash their hands of the consequences.
Thus did Minister George Fernandes scandalously try to defend the genocide perpetrated by Hindu chauvinists in Gujarat as "nothing new", with a view to absolving the BJP from its culpability. Of course, he is right in saying that the Congress Party too has been culpable in the matter of rousing mobs to violence by playing on religious and caste divides, and also insofar as he was implying that many of its accusers were condemning his party for crimes their own parties are just as happy to perpetrate if they perceive an advantage in so doing. This, however, in no way absolves the BJP from its culpability.
The only hope for India's communities to live in peace with each other is to be rid of a system under which the poor can only hope to get poorer, and the rich, in order to keep them under control, organise pogroms. Unless checked, this communalism threatens to pull India apart – a result that would greatly please the various imperialist powers in the world who would find it a great deal easier to subject India to their will were it to be Balkanised. The opposition to communalism can only be led by a political party committed to sweeping away all feudal remains and ending the capitalist system so that a better life can be built for themselves by the whole of the Indian masses, whatever their caste or religion. Criticism must be levied at India's various communist parties that had the strength to mobilise against the destruction of the Babri Masjid and failed to act sufficiently decisively. Such a mistake must never be repeated. The people of India need principled and talented proletarian leadership – as the tragic events of Gujarat so vividly show. The communists of India alone can provide this leadership. Let them rise to the occasion.


After some striking defeats in the mid-term elections, California's Republican leadership must recalibrate.
A court decision in favor of an Orange County city seeking to exempt itself from the California Values Act likely marks the escalation of a protracted legal standoff.
A U.S. district court judge attempted to mitigate a political standstill regarding Orange County's growing homeless population.
Orange County joins a federal lawsuit claiming the state's sanctuary law is unconstitutional.


If there is one question i have heard over a million times it's "How do i get funding for my business?". These question normally comes in different forms such as; How do i get capital for my business? How do i raise money to start a business? How do i finance my business idea? etc. So i decided to write this article to share different ways to get funding for your business.
One of the greatest challenges every startup or entrepreneur faces, is the problem of financing a business, raising capital to start a business or growing an existing business.
1. Personal Funds : The first thing that should come to your mind when looking for capital to start your business is, How much do you currently have to start the business, will the money be enough to kickstart, this will enable you determine how much more you will be needing .
2. Friends and Family: Most startups usually get their first funding through friends and families. These could be your best friend, your parent, your in-law, colleagues, close associates or siblings. The good things about this type of loan is it's usually interest free.
3. Micro finance: One of the easiest forms of getting a loan or money to start a business as a small and medium enterprise (SME) is through micro-finance banks, you will hardly need to provide a collateral, you can get up to 5 million Naira depending on your business niche and strength. The interest rates for micro finance loans are pretty low compared to commercial banks. Micro finance banks don't give long term loans.
4. Grants: When looking for capital to start a business, it will be very wise to try all available options which includes grants either from government or charitable organisations who gives grants to enterpreneurs and upcoming businesses. Grants are non-repayable funds which could be in form of money, products, machinery, goods or waiver to assist a businesses.
5. Get a partner: Another great way to fund your business is to get a partner. In this case you have an idea and your partner have the funds, then you could form a partnership based on an agreed equity between the two parties. Terms and conditions needs to be clearly laid down.
6. Venture capital: Before you contact a venture capitalist you really need to understand how they work. Most venture capitalist invest in early startups or existing business with great potentials with the aim of taking a huge share in the business. So if you are not comfortable with giving a large share of your business out to someone else. This might not be for you.
7. Angel Investors Fund: Angel investors are direct opposite of venture capitalist. Angel Investors provide funding to help your business grow and success rather than the benefit they will derive from your business.
8. Bank Loans: One of the most popular yet difficult sources of financing your business is the bank loans. Banks requires so many documentation and collateral before loans can be given. And unlike microfinance loans which could be access in a matter of days , bank loans often take longer and the interest rates can be killing.
10. Credit: Another easy way to source for funding for your business if you are into product sales or manufacturing is to get credit facility from your distributor to enable your to do bulk purchase and pay at a later date.
12. Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is the act or practice of seeking for funds for a project, business idea or venture through many donors or contributors via the internet. This allows you to solicit for funds from the general public to fund your business.


text:
package org.zstack.core.thread;

import org.zstack.header.core.AsyncBackup;

public abstract class ChainTask extends AbstractChainTask {
    public ChainTask(AsyncBackup one, AsyncBackup...others) {
        super(one, others);
    }

    public abstract void run(SyncTaskChain chain);

    protected int getSyncLevel() {
        return 1;
    }

    /**
     * We add getDeduplicateString / getMaxPendingTasks / exceedMaxPendingCallback to support chain task qos
     * 1. getDeduplicateString is set for deduplicate the task in the same syncsignature queue
     * 2. getMaxPendingTasks is set for the pending queue length, start from 0, -1 means no limit
     * 3. exceedMaxPendingCallback is set for the callback if the task is canceled by exceed max pending queue
     */
    protected int getMaxPendingTasks() {
        return -1;
    }
    protected void exceedMaxPendingCallback() {
    }
    protected String getDeduplicateString() {
        return null;
    }
}


In all big cities, every day hundreds of thousands of your mobile phone battery charging encountered problem.
Bubbles has offered a simple and effective solution to this problem.
Your store location on the Bubbles map are recorded.
MyBubbles application show the nearest places that are equipped with Bubbles to user.
Users who have My Bubbles application, will see the shop when they need to charge their mobile phone.
You can introduce your shop and put your pictures on Bubbles's map.
Sending different advertising messages on customers 'mobile phone who are near to your business.


One of the most important issues in national urban planning is arrangement of high-rise buildings in the largest cities of Russia. This issue becomes especially acute in such cities as Saint Petersburg, which has unique architectural and urban-planning heritage preserved to a great extent. In this regard, it seems important to trace the evolution of high-rise construction development and arrangement in Leningrad – Saint Petersburg in the middle of the 20th — early 21st centuries. The goal of the article is to consider high-rise construction development regarding both public and residential buildings in comparison of project ideas and results of their implementation in the 1940s–2000s. Prerequisites and issues of high-rise construction of that period are considered. Particular attention is paid to changes in the official urban-planning policy, regulatory framework and attitude of city authorities to high-rise construction. The study was carried out with the consideration of the following historic periods differing in their urban-planning policy: the late 1940s–1950s; 1960s; 1970–1980s; 1990s; 2000s–2010s. Economical prerequisites of high-rise construction and their influence on the modern urban-planning policy during the post-Soviet period are considered. In conclusion, an attempt is made to determine tendencies of high-rise construction development in Saint Petersburg.


Why is My Injury not Improving?
Health > Do I Need Orthotics?
The use of orthotics is often indicated in patients with abnormal lower limb alignment and biomechanics, particularly of the feet. That is, they stand, walk or run, with less than ideal posture or movement patterns. Lower limb biomechanical abnormalities usually result in increased stress being placed on many structures of the lower limb, pelvis and spine during weight bearing activity. Subsequently, these abnormalities are often associated with the development of lower limb, pelvic or lower back injuries, particularly those that are due to repetitive strain or overuse.
Patients who have biomechanical abnormalities of the feet that may require the use of orthotics usually fall into either Pronator or Supinator categories. Having your feet assessed during standing, walking and running by an experienced physiotherapist or podiatrist is the best way to determine your foot type. There are also many shoe stores that can assess your feet to determine your foot type. The Athlete's Foot in Australia is one example.
Alternatively, a simple test to determine your foot type is the wet test. After having a shower, with your feet still wet, step onto a dry surface and have a look at your wet foot print. If your foot print does not have a C-curve on the inner aspect of the foot print (figure 2) you are likely to be a PRONATOR (flat foot), if you have a very prominent C-curve on the inner aspect of the foot print (figure 3), you are likely to be a SUPINATOR (high arch) and if it's somewhere in between (figure 4) you're likely to have a NEUTRAL (normal foot).
One of the most common biomechanical abnormalities seen in clinical practice is over-pronated feet ("flat feet" – figures 1 & 2). Flat feet frequently contribute to the development of numerous injuries, particularly of the lower limb. However, if you have flat feet, you don't necessarily need orthotics. Many people who have flat feet never develop an injury associated with their foot posture (particularly if their foot pronation is only mild). Usually orthotics are only indicated when a patient presents with abnormal lower limb biomechanics AND they have an injury that is related to their poor biomechanics. Occasionally orthotics may be indicated as a form of injury prevention in patients with flat feet, especially if they have moderate to severe foot pronation and perform high levels of weight bearing activity.
Although less common than pronated feet, patients with supinated feet (high arches – figure 3) may also require the use of orthotics. Supinated feet typically have reduced shock absorption capacity which translates to increased stress on many structures of the lower limb, pelvis and spine. As a result patients with supinated feet may require the use of orthotics that offer cushioning particularly if their abnormal foot biomechanics are contributing to the development of an injury. Occasionally orthotics may also be indicated as a form of injury prevention in patients with high arches, particularly if their feet are moderate to severely supinated and they perform high levels of weight bearing activity.
It is important to note that other factors related to the development of the injury also need to be addressed to ensure an optimal outcome. Wearing orthotics alone is usually inadequate to completely recover from an injury. Physiotherapy assessment and treatment can assist in identifying other contributing factors (such as muscle tightness, weakness, joint stiffness or lifestyle factors etc) and can correct these through appropriate treatment and exercise.
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View detailed information about a variety of Injuries some of which may be associated with poor lower limb biomechanics.
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Tap The Thumbnail Bellow to See Related Gallery of "Wholesale Comforters Sets 900 Best 4pcs Cotton Bedding Set Images On Pinterest 19"
Image Title: Wholesale Comforters Sets 900 Best 4pcs Cotton Bedding Set Images On Pinterest 19. Filename: wholesale-comforters-sets-900-best-4pcs-cotton-bedding-set-images-on-pinterest-19.jpg. Image Dimension: 736 x 736 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Olaf Durgan. Uploaded Date: Tuesday - December 12th. 2017 05:07:20 AM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: zillow.com.


EQUESTRIAN ESTATE. A pretty, locally listed cottage within the Conservation area of Childwickbury, an area of outstanding beauty. Ideal for equestrian enthusiasts, this delightful four-bedroom, 200 year old cottage offers period charm set amid the 4 acres of grounds where you will find stables, family gardens and paddocks. Additionally there are stunning views of the surrounding area. The property 'Foxwood Lodge', comprises a Georgian cottage which provides four bedrooms and two reception rooms. The house has beautifully landscaped gardens with the paddocks beyond and a driveway. The property is located on the edge of the Childwickbury Estate and has stunning views over the estate and the golf course. There are six stables adjacent to the house, with the corner barn split into two for two pony stalls, a hay barn and 4 acres of land part of which is set aside as paddocks. The subject property is situated between St Albans and Harpenden in Hertfordshire on Harpenden Road. There is a gated entrance to the property. There are two large paddocks which are enclosed by post and rail fencing and are well shielded from the road by trees. There is access from here directly to the stables. The property was originally The Horse and Jockey public house and was near to the start of the Harpenden Races which ran from here to the Silver Cup in Harpenden. The Land was part of the Childwickbury Estate. The property is just five minutes ride from Heartwood Forest with 896 acres of land with bridleways and cycle tracks which are perfect for riding through.


One thing we love about the Japanese culture is its amazing bento boxes. You might not have eaten one before, but you definitely have seen them popping up all over social media. The craftsmanship and creativity involved are beyond us. We found 15 Halloween-inspired bento boxes that are.....too cute to eat? These bento boxes sure make you stare and admire them all day long.
Inspired by these amazing creations? Making a bento box is fun and we believe everyone should give it a try! Your next lunch can look better ;)!


text:
Formosa Dreamers
Taipei Fubon Braves
Hong Kong Eastern
Macau Black Bears
Mono Vampire
Saigon Heat
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas
Singapore Slingers
Kuala Lumpur Dragons
Macau Wolf Warriors
Finals Game 4 Preview: Mono Vampire Basketball Club vs San Miguel Alab Pilipinas
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas is now one win away from the ABL championship, as they look to dispatch the Mono Vampire Basketball Club in Game 4 of the ABL Finals.
Gametime is set for 330PM local time at Stadium 29, Bangkok City.
It was another down the wire thriller in Game 3, as Alab Pilipinas relied on the clutch shooting of two-time Local MVP Ray Parks and a timely shot from Lawrence Domingo to claim the win, 99-93.
Ray Parks put on a show on the road against Mono Vampire, topscoring with 30 points on 6/12 from three point distance, to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.. With his teammate Justin Brownlee not at 100%, Parks decided to be more assertive on offense, and was clutch down the stretch for his team. His biggest shot came in the clutch via a tough fadeaway over Paul Zamar to give his teammate some breathing space and eventually the win.
Justin Brownlee shook off a hamstring injury, delivering once again for his team. He caught fire from beyond the arc with 5 triples, and also did a great job playmaking and finding Ray Parks for some big shots en route to 27 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. It's clear to see that Brownlee is willing to do whatever it takes to win the title for the Philippines.
Despite the loss, Mono Vampire has shown the ability to respond to adversity all season long. Though they're not 100% with the injury to Darongpan Apiromvilaichai, they are still a deadly offensive team with strong local support in Teerawat Chanthachon.
In a battle for a rebound in the paint, Apiromvilaichai suffered a nasty ankle injury that kept him out of the remainder of the game. The talented scorer of Mono has been a consistent scorer for the team all season long, and his absence will definitely be felt if he can't go in Game 4.
However Mono still has Sam Deguara, who has been the game changer for Mono Vampire. San Miguel Alab Pilipinas focused on slowing down Deguara, limiting his production from 30 points in Game 2, to 19 points in Game 3. Can Deguara dominate and force a Game 5?
Jason Brickman had himself another solid game with a double-double of 11 points and 12 assists. Mono Vampire might need him to be even more assertive in Game 4 though, especially if Apiromvilaichai can't go. We all know what Playoff Brickman is capable of, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Expect Game 4 to be another war in Stadium 29, Bangkok City, as Mono Vampires looks to force a Game 5, while San Miguel Alab Pilipinas looks to claim the ABL title on the road.
Graham Erupts for 45, Heat Rally To Defeat Wolf Warriors
Mono Vampire cruises to second win over Heat
Tweets by @aseanbasketball
Young and Chang Help Dreamers Glide Past Heat January 19, 2020
Graham Erupts for 45, Heat Rally To Defeat Wolf Warriors January 17, 2020
Game Preview: Macau Wolf Warriors vs Saigon Heat January 16, 2020
Macau Dominates Saigon, Heat drop second in a row January 15, 2020
Mono Vampire cruises to second win over Heat January 13, 2020
The ASEAN Basketball League is the first and only regional professional basketball league in Asia. Established in 2009, the league has grown by leaps and bounds through the years. As a platform for high-level competition and entertainment, the ABL is proud to be a part of the expanding basketball scene in the region.
SANCTIONED BY:
[wpcdt-countdown id="6998"]


What's your vibe? No, really. Do you know what it feels like to really be "you"? What energy you add to a space? This episode Morgan sits down for a fresh conversation with intuition expert and bestselling author Penney Peirce about the power of owning your Home Frequency, and why it'll make you the most powerful you in the upcoming year.


text:
Capital South Coast
Southampton To Help With Pioneering DNA Project
22 December 2014, 07:25 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Southampton General Hospital's going to be one of 11 centres, which will help map the genetic codes of 100,000 patients for a pioneering project.
The Genomic Medicine Centres (GMC) are the heart of the 100,000 Genomes Project. Scientists and doctors hope the £300 million initiative will transform medicine by uncovering DNA data that can be used to develop personalised diagnostic procedures and drugs.
More than 100 patients with cancer and rare inherited diseases have already had their genomes sequenced during the project's pilot phase.
The first wave of GMCs will be linked to NHS trusts in 11 locations covering Southampton, London Manchester, Oxford, Birmingham, Cambridge, Exeter and Newcastle.
Ultimately the aim is to secure the participation of more than 100 NHS trusts over the project's three-year lifespan.
Combining information from DNA samples with patients' health records will improve the prediction and prevention of cancers and rare diseases, experts believe.
It should also aid the development of more targeted diagnostic tests and drug treatments tailored to patients' genetic make-up.
Although strict security measures are in place to protect the identity and private details of patients, universities and drug companies will be allowed to use the data for research.
With agreement, samples of tissue from tumours and bloods tests will be collected from patients receiving treatment at hospitals from around the Wessex region, which incorporates Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Wiltshire and parts of Sussex, Surrey and Somerset.
The samples will be sent securely to a centre run by gene sequencing specialists Illumina, who have been procured by Genomics England to sequence the whole genome and analyse it. The results will then be sent back to the Southampton centre to help clinicians make diagnostic and treatment decisions.
"This project has the potential to transform the future of healthcare and we are delighted many patients from across the south can be involved and will benefit from it," explained Professor Karen Temple, a clinical geneticist at UHS and co-lead for the Wessex NHS GMC.
"All the teams and individuals involved are ready to take on the big task of understanding what a genome can tell us and introducing genomes into clinical practice.
"It will improve the prediction and prevention of disease, enable new and more precise diagnostic tests and allow personalisation of drugs and other treatments to specific genetic variants."
Prof Temple, who is also a professor of medical genetics at the University of Southampton, added:
"This means that, for some participating patients, there will be a conclusive diagnosis that can be reached for a rare and inherited disease that was not possible before. Treatment for cancer will now be targeted at the particular genetic changes that are present which will improve outcomes.
"For other patients, the benefit may take time while we understand what the genome can tell us about the influence of genetics on disease. The project will lead to an intensive research effort to understand more, which will involve close working between clinical staff and researchers."
Life Sciences Minister George Freeman described the establishment of the centres as ``historic''.
He said:
``By launching the NHS Genomic Medicine Centres across the country, genomics goes from being something done in specialised laboratories to something that is beginning to be relevant to patients across the NHS, across the country.
``We can move from practising one size fits all medicine to beginning to do targeted, stratified, and ultimately precision and potentially preventative medicine - therapies that prevent disease rather than treating disease after its occurred. It's a very powerful technology.
``That's why we want Britain to lead and we've invested in the deep science; the first nation on Earth to sequence the whole genome of patients at scale and to combine it with the clinical data which we have at the heart of the NHS.
``This is now going mainstream into our health service. Patients in the system can today start to see the benefits of genomic analysis.''
Between 50,000 and 75,000 men, women and children are expected to participate in the project and have their genomes sequenced.
Cancer patients will contribute two genomes, one from blood and another from a tumour sample. Genomes will also be sequenced from the close relatives of patients with inherited diseases.
To start with the project will focus on five common cancers - breast, bowel, ovarian, lung and CLL leukaemia - and 110 inherited conditions.
Suitable patients will be identified by their clinicians and put forward for genome sequencing after giving their informed consent. Patients can change their mind about participating at any time.
Information that has a bearing on treatment will be offered to patients if they want it, but not uncertain risk assessments such as the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's.
Professor Mark Caulfield, chief scientist at Genomics England, the Department of Health company set up to deliver the project, strongly defended the decision to let drug companies have access to the data.
``It is absolutely vital if you want to develop maximum benefit from this project that we encourage industry to join us in this,'' he said. ``There's no university in the land that can develop a medicine on its own.''
But he pointed out that drug companies would be restricted to using the facility like a reading library. They would be able to work with data, but not take it away.
A US company, Illumina, will carry out the actual sequencing using technology invented by British scientists at Cambridge University.
The human genome consists of more than three billion chemical units or ``base pairs'' that make up the letters of the genetic code - abbreviated to A, T, C, and G.
The way the letters pair up on both sides of the double-helix DNA molecule shapes the genome sequence. Mistakes in the pairing can lead to disease.
Cancer treatments are at the forefront of progress in genetic-based personalised medicine.
Tumours are caused by DNA mutations that allow abnormal cells to grow unchecked. Research has shown that individual cancer types come in many different strains, often dependent on different genetic variants and biological pathways. Breast cancer, for instance, can be seen not as one disease but at least 10.
The breast cancer drug Herceptin was one of the first cancer treatments to be targeted at patients with a specific genetic make-up. It is only effective in patients who have an over-active Her 2 gene.
The full list of first wave Genomic Medicine Centres is as follows:
- Wessex NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
- East of England NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
- South London NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
- North West Coast NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust.
- Greater Manchester NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
- University College London Partners NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
- North East and North Cumbria NHS GMC - designated GMC for rare disease only. Led by The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
- Oxford NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust.
- South West Peninsula NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.
- Imperial College Health Partners NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
- West Midlands NHS GMC - designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.


We've finally been caught up in the big East Coast weather situation. Everything is frozen. The pond is solid, our Mule hasn't started all week, our house water is a trickle, and all four yard hydrants are frozen solid out in our pastures. This means schlepping water from the house trickle to the pastures in buckets. Oh joy. Thankfully, the goats, sheep and chickens all have heated waterers so it's just a matter of topping their water off. Lizzie needs fresh every day. On the plus side, the snow is lovely and we haven't missed one evening out in our hot tub despite the wind chill and record lows. Cause that's how we roll.
This little guy is a week old now and hasn't lost his little pink ears. I think they might be here to stay. He's got a texel's wooly coat, unlike most of our other lambs who are mostly kathadin, so are are soft as puppies.
I took like a ton of photos of our critters this morning. We have some of the most darling tiny lambs born this week. I started my photo journey with Lizzie who, as always, was completely thrilled with my visit. When I sat down to review the shots, I realized every single photo has a smudge on it thanks to her enthusiastic welcome (aka a nose print on my lens). Lesson learned, visit Lizzie last the next time I head out with my camera.
Those seeds I planted a week ago have started to sprout. I've since put in two flats of cucumbers and am trying brussel sprouts for the first time. Between garden starts and microgreens, our available space under grow lights is starting to get cramped. Next up will be planting cool season crop seeds out in the raised beds and greenhouse. Gardening with the seasons sure takes planning. It's really easy to decide you want to grow something way too late to start it yourself, like when starter plants start showing up in garden centers. We learned that the hard way.